Articles by author: Evelyn Smith

  • Applications now being accepted to the Library Open Access Publishing Fund

    The Library Open Access Publishing Fund, which assists Brock researchers who wish to publish in a journal which levies article processing charges, is now taking applications for the 2022-23 budget year 

    As always, the fund operates on a first-come, first-served basis and applicants must meet the fund’s eligibility criteria. 

    This year’s criteria have been updated to help ensure the limited grant funding available will have maximum impact and effectiveness: 

    • Researchers who received a grant in 2021-22 may only apply for a 2022-23 grant after January 2023 
    • This grant is intended to support researchers with limited or no funding. Recipients of grants from funders such as the Tri-Agencies or other agencies are not eligible to apply 

    The Library provides other supports to help researchers make their work openly accessible for low or no cost: 

    • Researchers can make their scholarly articles open access – for free – by depositing a copy in the Brock Digital Repository, an online archive of Brock research which can be freely accessed by anyone. Authors can submit papers themselves or use the Library’s supported-deposit process. 
    • The Library has negotiated open access agreements and discounts with a growing number of publishers which allow Brock authors to publish in their journals for free, or at significantly lowered costs. 
    • And finally, researchers can search the Directory of Open Access Journals to select one of more than 12,000 scholarly, peer-reviewed open access journals which do not charge article processing fees. 

    As a reminder, the Brock University Open Access Policy stipulates that Brock authors are expected to make their research articles openly accessible by depositing copies in the Brock Digital Repository 

    Questions? Contact Research and Scholarly Communication Librarian Elizabeth Yates ~ eyates@brocku.ca 

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  • Asian Voices

    May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. In honour of this, we invite you to hear from Asian Voices, a collection of books, e-books and streaming videos on topics as diverse as spirituality, immigration, cooking, and cultural confusion. This collection includes fiction and non-fiction with several titles exploring the Asian-Canadian experience.

    Items are a mix of online and print titles. Stop by the print display next to the Ask Us desk to browse and borrow.

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    Categories: Featured Collections

  • Discover your library this spring

    A new term and a fresh start on one of the prettiest campuses around! Welcome to the spring term at Brock and the Library.

    Whether you are a new or returning student or instructor, learn something new on the Discover Your Library page. Complete our popular Scholar Style quiz and receive customized services based on your answers.

    If you are on campus or live in the Niagara area, we are open from 8am to 8pm Monday through Friday and 1pm-5pm on Saturdays. Stop by the Ask Us desk to kick start your research.

    For those studying at a distance, we offer hundreds of thousands of e-books and journal articles, and help is just a few clicks away with email and chat services as well as online research consultations with our librarians.

    We look forward to working with you and wish you all the best for a successful term.

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    Categories: Main, MDGL

  • Pandemic Pastimes

    In March 2020 none of us could predict what the COVID-19 pandemic had in store, including months of extra time on our hands. Many of us in the library took to crafting, baking, gardening, dancing, doing yoga, hiking and more.

    New creations and hobbies became themes of discussion among our team, boosting morale and keeping us positive. Whether it was bread, cakes, clay or cacti, we all had something that kept us going.

    Our Pandemic Pastimes are now exhibited for you to enjoy.  Stop by to view in the James A. Gibson Library and at the entrance to the Matheson Learning Commons.

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    Categories: Featured Collections, Learning Commons

  • Connecting you to end of term and exam supports

    From academics, to physical and mental well-being, our brand new Exam Survival Guide is full of resources from the Library and campus partners to support you.

    At exam time and always, do your best, and forget the rest. 

     

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  • Faculty course reading lists requested for the spring term

    Course readings for the spring term are being processed at Brock University Library.

    To ensure your students have access to their spring course materials, we encourage you to submit reading lists as soon as possible. Ideally by mid-April.

    An instructor self-serve option is also available, providing flexibility to instructors who wish to do this work themselves. All self-submissions will get a final check for copyright compliance and will then be active for students.

    A note about print reserve readings:

    While we encourage instructors to continue using online alternatives, print items are accepted.

    It is important for instructors to consider the element of risk in choosing to use print reserves for your course: If strict public health measures were to resume, these materials might be inaccessible for your students. Electronic readings have the benefit of being available to students no matter the changing public health measures.

    Several alternatives to print resources are available including the creation of course-specific online packs. The Reserves team is ready to work with you to develop these for your students. More information about non-print options is available. Liaison Librarians are also available to help you identify alternate resources.

    The E-Textbook Challenge.

    Providing digital access to some textbooks may be hindered by the textbook publishers because most textbooks are not available to libraries in any format other than print.  Most of the major textbook publishers — Pearson, Cengage, Houghton, McGraw Hill, Oxford University Press Canada Textbooks, Elsevier Imprints, Thieme — do not sell e-textbooks to libraries. This means that for courses that have adopted textbooks from these publishers, students who do not purchase the textbook have no alternative access to the textbook contents.

    Questions? reserve@brocku.ca

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  • Systematic Review Crash Course starts April 12

    Systematic reviews, scoping reviews and other forms of evidence synthesis are increasingly popular in many academic disciplines because they generate powerful data used to guide policies, programming, patient care and other practices. 

    Join Brock University Librarians Ian Gordon, Chelsea Humphries, and Elizabeth Yates for a new three-part workshop series which will help participants gain the knowledge and skills needed to conduct a systematic or scoping review from start to finish. These in-person workshops are suitable for Brock faculty, librarians, graduate students and staff. Hands-on activities, and some pre-work/follow-up work – e.g. readings, watching short video modules – will be involved. Each workshop will build on skills and information from previous sessions; attending all three is ideal, but not required. Participants must bring their own laptop/device. 

    Registration is via ExperienceBU at the links above. These workshops are part of the Building Better Research series in collaboration with the Office of Research Services. 

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  • Join our team!

    Brock University Library invites applications for the full-time position of Acquisitions Coordinator.

    The Acquisitions Coordinator plays a critical role in the procurement process for Brock University Library by overseeing the ordering, receiving, and invoicing of library materials for the James A. Gibson Library, the Map, Data & GIS Library and the Archives & Special Collections.

    Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply. Applications will be accepted until Friday, April 22 at 12:01 am.

     

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  • Traumatic brain injury awareness is the focus of a new student exhibit

    Over the fall and winter terms, Student Library Assistants in the James A. Gibson Library have curated displays of the library’s collections on topics with which they are passionate.

    This month, Catherine (Katie) Vandongen, a second year co-op student in Psychology, is exhibiting titles related to brain injury awareness.. Katie notes: “As a student in the Psychology program at Brock, it seemed fitting to create a display for a topic that is close to my heart, while educating my fellow peers. Traumatic brain injuries, such as concussions, are very common among young adults, especially student athletes. It is important to know the signs and symptoms of traumatic brain injuries to prevent irrecoverable damage from occurring. I hope that library users will take a moment to view my display and educate themselves on the warning signs of traumatic brain injury.”

    Please stop by, throughout the month of March to view this exhibit located in the James A. Gibson Library and at the Thistle entrance to the Matheson Learning Commons. Many thanks to Katie.

     

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    Categories: Learning Commons, Main

  • Library Restructuring Update

    Over the past several years, the Brock Library has been engaged in a process to renew the Library’s organizational structures.  The ultimate goal of the restructuring is to better align the organizational structure with strategic goals of the University and the Library.

    Our “go-live” date for the restructuring is coming soon: May, 2022!  The new structure is informed by extensive consultation internally in the Library and with the wider Brock community.  Over the coming weeks, we will be communicating more about the changes through a variety of channels.

    In the meantime, we want to draw your attention to a document available on the Library’s website that provides details and rationale for the planned changes.  A version of this document was previously shared with stakeholders, Senate committees, and Senate proper in May, 2021.

    If you have questions about this document or the proposed changes, we’d be happy to hear from you.

    Questions or comments can be sent to Mark Robertson, University Librarian.

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