My FAIR Data: A book display on equity, ethics, and the power of information

Posted on September 1, 2025 by Emily Kingsland

Written by Marcela Isuster and Emily Kingsland

What does it mean for data to be fair?

Inspired by the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) this book display reimagines the acronym to ask deeper questions about justice, representation, and responsibility in the digital age. “My FAIR Data” brings together a diverse collection of works that examine how data shapes our lives, our institutions, and our futures. Its works communicate the stories that data tell.

From the biases embedded in algorithms to the fight for Indigenous data sovereignty, these books explore the social, ethical, and political dimensions of data. They challenge us to consider who is counted, who is left out, and how data can be used to empower or oppress.

Highlights include:

Critical viewpoints on artificial intelligence, surveillance, and algorithmic discrimination, such as Big data and democracy, a collection of essays in four parts, which explores the relationship that exists between citizens and data; political advertising; technical issues; and the implications for trust in society.

Feminist and queer approaches to data collection and analysis, such as Dr. Safiya Noble’s work Algorithms of oppression: How search engines reinforce racism, which examines how women of colour are negatively biased against in search engine results and algorithms.

Historical and contemporary insights into data governance, privacy, and stewardship, such as How data happened: A history from the age of reason to the age of algorithms, by Drs. Chris Wiggins and Matthew L. Jones, which delves into the history of data and statistics, from eugenics in Victorian England to facial recognition today.

Creative storytelling that brings data to life through fiction, memoir, and visual narratives, such as former tech sector startup employee Anna Wiener’s memoir Uncanny valley, which details her time living in San Francisco and her disillusionment with Silicon Valley.

Indigenous perspectives on research ethics, information governance, and the legacy of colonialism, such as Indigenous statistics: From data deficits to data sovereignty, which brings together research projects from Indigenous Peoples in the United States, Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Canada.

Whether you’re a data scientist, a student, or simply curious, this display invites you to reflect on the values we embed in our data practices and the kind of future we want to build.

Come explore “My FAIR Data” and discover how information can be a tool for equity, accountability, and change.

Reproductive Justice – Redpath Book Display, January 2025

Posted on January 3, 2025 by Emily Kingsland

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Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, we have continued to see reproductive freedom taken away at the highest levels of government in the United States. There has been a ripple effect in Canada, as some members of parliament have become more outspoken about limiting access to reproductive health in this country. As we begin 2025, let us take a moment to look at the breadth of literature on reproductive rights. Much of this display features writings from and about the Canadian context, but there are topics ranging from Victorian Toronto to present-day Mexico and everything in between.

Some noteworthy works on the local history of reproductive health in McGill Libraries’ collection include: After Morgentaler : The politics of abortion in Canada, which examines the landmark 1988 decision of R. v. Morgentaler that struck down Canada’s abortion law; Shout your abortion, a hashtag that went viral in 2015 following the United States Congress’ attempt at defunding Planned Parenthood; and Portrait of a scandal: The abortion trial of Robert Notman, about the younger brother of Montreal’s noted photographer William Notman who arranged for a woman’s abortion. In consideration of how abortion has been utilized by both proponents for and critics of eugenics, we have also included works on the history of eugenics in Canada such as: Our Own Master Race Eugenics in Canada, 1885-1945 and In the public good : eugenics and law in Ontario.

Beyond abortion, another theme explored in the display is the timely and hotly debated topic of surrogacy. Surrogacy in Canada: Critical perspectives in law and policy addresses the health and well-being of surrogates, as well as the lack of surrogacy regulation in Québec. In My body, their baby : A progressive Christian vision for surrogacy, author Grace Y. Kao draws on her experience as a surrogate mother and assess the ethics of surrogacy through feminist and Christian lenses. Intimate strangers: Commercial surrogacy in Russia and Ukraine and the making of truth examines the transactional and financial nature behind some surrogate births and the impact it has on women’s bodies.

Redpath Book Display: Works of Fiction by BIPOC authors

Posted on December 1, 2021 by Emily Kingsland

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According to McGill’s International Student Services, as of the 2020-2021 academic year, there are 11,942 international students enrolled at McGill from over 150 countries. In order to celebrate our internationally diverse study body, this month’s Redpath Book Display is dedicated to works of fiction by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) authors from a wide variety of countries. Our physical book display in the Redpath Library features works such as:

Hot Comb, by Ebony Flowers, is a graphic novel and collection of stories that examine the coming of age of a young Black girl living in the United States.

Celestial Bodies, by Omani author Jūkhah Ḥārithī, won the Man Booker Prize and tells the story of three sisters growing up in the village of al-Awafi.

No Knives in the Kitchens of this City, by Khālid Khalīfah, is set in Aleppo, Syria, between the 1960s and the 2000s and examines the lives of one family during that time period.

Harbart, by Nabāruṇa Bhaṭṭācārya, is a beloved cult novel in India, translated from Bengali into English for the first time.

Ms Ice Sandwich, by Mieko Kawakami, is a novella by an up-and-coming Japanese author.

Blackass, by A. Igoni Barrett, is set in Lagos, Nigeria, and is about a Black man who wakes up on the morning of a job interview to discover that he has turned into a white man.

In the Pond, by Ha Jin, is a piece of satire about a Chinese factory worker who becomes famous for drawing a political cartoon.

Five Little Indians, by Michelle Good, is a timely look at Canadian residential schools by a Cree writer, poet, and lawyer.

In addition to our physical book display, we have also curated a list of works of fiction by BIPOC authors in e-book format on the OverDrive platform. If you are in the mood for some romantic comedies to read over the holiday season, or simply to give yourself a break during exam period, then be sure to check out works such as: