OPIRG McMaster
December 2016
PIRGSPECTIVES Ontario Public Interest Research Group | McMaster | Since 1995
Our Mission OPIRG McMaster's Mission is to empower students and community in exchanging ideas and taking action on diverse social justice and environmental issues by connecting individuals, groups, organizations, and resources.
Volunteers Join an existing working group or start your own. We also have general volunteers who help with a wide variety of tasks. All volunteers are able to access resources and support including references.
Connect Our Resource Centre is located in McMaster University Student Centre room 229 - Regular hours are M-F 10-5pm. • Find us online at www.opirgmcmaster.org • facebook.com/OPIRG.McMaster • @OPIRGMCMASTER • 905-525-9140 x27289
PIRGSPECTIVES
Resource Redo in MUSC 229 Volunteers recently contributed to a session with the aim of thinning OPIRG’s book collection. We spent over two hours selecting books that met the criteria: - More than one copy - info better accessed online - not inline with OPIRG values - outdated - and damaged beyond repair. At the end of the session we had almost two full book cases of material meeting the criteria. Another session will surely add to the total. It was helpful to have a diverse group of volunteers with expertise and experience with libraries and an interest in improving the OPIRG collection.
More than just books We want to move the discussion to how we theme our library: we discussed using “organizing” i.e. practical/useful info for people looking to take action on issues that fall under our mission. A smaller collection would better define us around our mission, and
OPIRG McMaster
December 2016
create more space for interactive resources that support organizing, like stick-on white boards, space for kraft paper, wall space to project onto, and even a new paint job for the space.
What do you think? With expanding tools to support digital and other creative content our books become just another aspect of what we do. Got ideas? Let us know!
Working Groups OPIRG McMaster – is looking for students who want to take action on important issues in the public interest – and we want you to identify a problem that could use student energy to solve. OPIRG McMaster provides support to help you engage with projects to bring about positive outcomes. Tips for working groups: • you should have a clear public interest goal • your overall strategy will address how to make meaningful change • your goal should be achievable given demands of school/work/ family • your group will be primarily McMaster Undergrads plus interested community members • your group will have a strategy to recruit volunteers for meaningful task If you do not qualify for a working group, you can explore other avenues for support from OPIRG.
PIRGSPECTIVES
Depaving Projects Bring Collaboration Did you know McMaster dug up asphalt, removing redundant parking in a west campus parking lot, and now campus research studies how to better protect the natural assets in this riparian zone? OPIRG’s Randy Kay (coordinator of volunteers) and Reyna Matties (McMaster biology) lead history & science hikes to highlight the work being done in parking lot “M”. Interested? Get in touch with Randy to arrange a group tour of the project site at randy@opirgmcmaster.org or check out this blog restorecootes.blogspot.ca
Did You Know? ✦
McMaster Parking Lot M was, until 1963, Coldspring Valley Nature Sanctuary, owned by the Royal Botanical Gardens
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For the first time in decades, turtles are laying eggs in the habitat created when the parking was removed