A dreamer of dreams, an adventurer, and a man of many ideas, Roger Pocock was an inveterate, world-ranging traveler who lived the life that all adventurous boys desire. He listened with wonder to the stories of all those he met, be they outlaws like Butch Cassidy, ranchers, or mounted police. Readers of all ages and classes eagerly devoured Pocock's western tales. Outrider of Empire is a testament to a prolific author and extraordinary man whose friends and acquaintances bridged the worlds of theatre, literature, the military, and science.

Although its mission and centrality to teaching and research remain fundamentally unchanged, the University of Alberta Library of today bears scant resemblance to its earliest incarnations. During its first century, it weathered frequent moves and much adversity, and witnessed many changes within the University and the world at large, as it gradually evolved into one of North America's largest academic research libraries. But throughout those 100 years, the commitment and dedication of its staff to service, innovation, and occasionally improvisation, have remained constant. This Centenary publication from The University of Alberta Library will enlighten fellow librarians, institutional historians, and friends of The University of Alberta.

One of Canada's foremost design bookbinders, Pierre Ouvrard has prepared more than five hundred beautiful, unique bindings over his fifty-year career. Design binding is unusual branch of the book arts, blending craftsmanship, artistry, and literary sensitivity. In Ouvrard's hands, the book becomes a work of art as fine as any painting. This volume features more than three hundred of his best creations, including the sumptuous Governor General's Literary Award collection. The introductory essays, presented in both English and French, provide a context for appreciating this versatile artist: Alfred Van Peteghem (author and rare-book dealer); Normand Biron (art critic); and Pierre Ouvrard himself. "Pierre Ouvrard's enthusiasm for his craft together with his enormous output over many years have resulted in a collection of work of unparalleled magnitude in the recent history of hand bookbinding in Canada. For those who enjoy unravelling the meaning behind bookbinders' designs, this profusely illustrated book and fitting tribute to the man will provide a treasure trove of ideas ranging from the disarmingly simple to the provocatively enigmatic." - Michael Wilcox, master bookbinder, Burleigh Falls, Ontario

Settlement and urbanization of the Canadian Northwest coincided with the greatest popularity of the postcard. Settlement, along with the building of a transcontinental railway and the industrialization of central Canada, were the three pillars of the National Policy in the years following Confederation. These themes also were the subject of thousands of images preserved in postcards. By the first decade of the 20th century, many cities, towns, and villages were home to photographers who produced a mass of these fascinating and informative images. Many were personalized views of first houses, home farms or family groups and events. Others documented important events, disasters or buildings with broader importance. Together they comprise a valuable resource that presents a unique impression of a significant period in the history of the Canadian West.

George Baxter (1804-1867) was a pioneer in advancing the art of colour printing. A perfectionist, Baxter not only engraved but also examined the prints as they were produced, often providing touch-ups by hand. Baxter's process was, in the end, uneconomical, and he died bankrupt, but no one did more to bring vivid artworks within financial reach of every household, or leave a more colourful legacy for generations of admiring collectors of Victoriana. His oil-coloured prints have given viewers pleasure since they began appearing in the 1830s. Thanks to Donald and Barbara Cameron's generous donation of their Baxter collection in 2010, the Bruce Peel Special Collections & Archives was able to mount a remarkable exhibition.

The Linda Miron Distad Culinaria Collection, housed at the University of Alberta Libraries, currently consists of more than 3,000 food-related texts from around the world, spanning several centuries. Collecting Culinaria accompanies an exhibit at the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library featuring cookbooks and household guides from the collection, as well as other selected items from the Library's holdings. The catalogue highlights some of the collection's most intriguing texts and their themes, including manuscript cookbooks, dietetics and health, and celebrity chefs. Collecting Culinaria draws from and celebrates this vast and diverse trove of social, cultural, and gastronomic history.

Cowboy, conservationist, and curator Martin S. Garretson was widely considered one of the foremost experts on the natural history of the buffalo as well as one of the preeminent advocates for the preservation of the North American bison for several decades during the early twentieth century. His personal mission to save the buffalo from imminent extinction and to inform the American public of the important role the buffalo played in North American history resulted in Garretson amassing a fascinating collection of material related to the bison and the people concerned with them and their fate. Edmonton's first historian laureate Ken Tingley explores Garretson's life and legacy through his collection in this splendid catalogue, which accompanied a 2012 exhibition of the Garretson Collection. The exhibition was mounted by the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library at Enterprise Square in downtown Edmonton, Alberta.