Canadiana
Encyclopedia
Canadiana is a term referring to things related to the country of Canada
. It is most often used to refer to a class of books somewhat wider than Canadian Literature
because it also includes books about Canada as well as Canadian non-fiction
works.
The term is very general for it can include books (non fiction as well as fiction) which do not deal with Canada or Canadians but which were written by Canadians or persons who were Canadians at one point in their life.
It is a categorization often seen in bookstores and in research libraries
.
One of the specific mandates of the Library and Archives Canada
is to collect, organize and make available Canadiana.
The term can also be used more generally to describe a collection of distinctly Canadian items of artifacts or a collection of Canadian works in another cultural field such as music
or art
.
The two books by Canadian author Douglas Coupland
, Souvenir of Canada
and Souvenir of Canada 2, are collections of images of pop-culture Canadiana.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is most often used to refer to a class of books somewhat wider than Canadian Literature
Canadian literature
Canadian literature is literature originating from Canada. Collectively it is often called CanLit. Some criticism of Canadian literature has focused on nationalistic and regional themes, although this is only a small portion of Canadian Literary criticism...
because it also includes books about Canada as well as Canadian non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
works.
The term is very general for it can include books (non fiction as well as fiction) which do not deal with Canada or Canadians but which were written by Canadians or persons who were Canadians at one point in their life.
It is a categorization often seen in bookstores and in research libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
.
One of the specific mandates of the Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada is a national memory institution dedicated to providing the best possible account of Canadian life through acquiring, preserving and making Canada's documentary heritage accessible for use in the 21st century and beyond...
is to collect, organize and make available Canadiana.
The term can also be used more generally to describe a collection of distinctly Canadian items of artifacts or a collection of Canadian works in another cultural field such as music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
or art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
.
The two books by Canadian author Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, popularized terms such as McJob and...
, Souvenir of Canada
Souvenir of Canada
Souvenir of Canada is a 2002 book written by Canadian author Douglas Coupland. A feature film based on the book was released theatrically in 2006....
and Souvenir of Canada 2, are collections of images of pop-culture Canadiana.
See also
- Canadian literatureCanadian literatureCanadian literature is literature originating from Canada. Collectively it is often called CanLit. Some criticism of Canadian literature has focused on nationalistic and regional themes, although this is only a small portion of Canadian Literary criticism...
(Canlit) - Culture of CanadaCulture of CanadaCanadian culture is a term that explains the artistic, musical, literary, culinary, political and social elements that are representative of Canada and Canadians, not only to its own population, but people all over the world. Canada's culture has historically been influenced by European culture and...
- AmericanaAmericanaAmericana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects,...
— a similar concept in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... - AustralianaAustralianaAustraliana is an item of historical or cultural interest of Australian origins. Australiana often borrows from Australian Aboriginal culture, or the stereotypical Australian culture of the early 1900s....
— a similar concept in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... - KiwianaKiwianaKiwiana are certain items and icons from New Zealand's heritage, especially from around the middle of the 20th century that are seen as representing iconic Kiwi elements...
— a similar concept in New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
External links
- Canadiana.org: A non-profit, cultural NGO with the mandate to locate and preserve early printed Canadian materials. Much of this material is available in digitized format at Early Canadiana Online.
- Peel's Prairie Provinces: A full-text, searchable database of digitized prairie Canadiana, including newspapers and other Western Canadian publications