The first New Brunswick Bibliography Symposium was hosted by UNB Libraries on March 22, 2018. Subtitled "Revealing and Preserving Our Published Heritage," the symposium brought together more than seventy scholars, librarians, archivists, and others to consider how we might all work together to further common goals.
The keynote address at this event was delivered by Peter McNally, Professor Emeritus, McGill University, and 2011 recipient of the Bibliographical Society of Canada’s prestigious Tremaine Medal. Prof. McNally’s address was titled, "New Brunswick’s Contribution to the World of Knowledge: Collecting and Organizing the Published Record." The full-day symposium, attended by more than 70, offered a varied program of speakers on current and prospective research in New Brunswick bibliography.
A highlight of the symposium was the closing address delivered by Andrea Bear-Nicholas, Professor Emerita and former chair of Native Studies at St. Thomas University, and a member of the Maliseet First Nation. Prof. Bear-Nicholas’s talk, entitled "The Role of Bibliographies in the Indigenous Struggle for Justice," moved all those who were there to hear it.
Buoyed by the success of the inaugural symposium, a second was planned. Held on March 27, 2019, the symposium had as its theme, "Embarkation, Setting Sail", in recognition of the building momentum behind the New Brunswickana Project. Another full-day program, the symposium attracted 55 participants. The keynote was delivered by Tony Tremblay, Professor of English and Canada Research Chair (2010-2018) at St. Thomas University. Entitled "From theory to practice: operationalizing cultural work in New Brunswick", the keynote challenged the conventional negative image of New Brunswick as a have not, perennially mired province, and spoke to the importance of cultural work in changing that image and addressing real problems so that we can move positively into the future.
Participants at the two symposia came from a diversity of institutions from across the province including the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, New Brunswick public libraries, the New Brunswick Museum, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, historical societies, and the universities including UNB, St. Thomas and Mount Allison. Members of the general public have also participated, as have students. In fact, one of the presenters at the 2019 symposium was a third-year history student at UNB who spoke about her oral history project involving New Brunswick author and editor Nancy Bauer who for more than fifty years was at the center of New Brunswick’s English-language literary scene. The New Brunswickana Project hopes to inspire more students to immerse themselves in New Brunswick history and culture.