Main

  • Join in the hunt on International Geocaching Day

    Wednesday, August 09, 2023 | By

    The International Geocaching logo, International Geocaching Day badge, and photographs of local geocache hiding spots

    Have you ever wanted to go on a real-life treasure hunt, but never did because you thought it was only real in children’s stories and the movies? Well, get ready for adventure and exploring because geocaching is 21st century treasure hunting! Geocaching is a free outdoor activity that uses GPS technology to find the containers unsurprisingly called a geocache that have small treasures to trade, and a log book to sign.  

    To start, borrow a GPS device from the Map, Data & GIS Library, or download a geocaching app on your smartphone like Geocaching (Android, iPhone, and iPad), Cachly (iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch), or c:geo (Android), and input the coordinates for the geocache you want to find. There are two geocaches on Brock Campus – Welcome to Brock, a micro-cache, and Fin de Siècle, a multi-step cache. 

    Next, find the cache! Stay on the trail if there is one, and once you’re close, use your hands and eyes to finish the hunt. They can be well hidden so be creative while searching and while they are never buried, they are not always on the ground. When you find it, sign the logbook, take a treasure, and always leave another treasure of equal or greater value for the next geocachers. Take your trash out with you and leave the site better than you found it.  

    Join geocachers around the world on August 19, 2023 for the 12th annual celebration of International Geocaching Day! Go to www.geocaching.com for more information on geocaching and events. 

    Tags:
    Categories: Main, MDGL

  • Instructors encouraged to submit fall term reading lists soon

    Tuesday, July 11, 2023 | By

    A woman works at a desk next to a window. Documents and highlighted books are spread out in front of her.

    Reserve request processing for the fall term is underway at Brock University Library. Beat the rush and ensure your students have timely access to their fall course materials. We encourage you to submit reading lists as soon as possible. Ideally by early to mid-August.  

    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. 

    Questions? [email protected]

    Tags: , ,
    Categories: Main

  • Improvements coming to interlibrary loan services

    Friday, June 23, 2023 | By

    arrows in a circular pattern are overlaid with book icons

    The RACER software that has supported interlibrary loan activity for over 20 years, has reached end-of-life and is being discontinued. Over the past several months, Brock University Library and our Ontario partner universities have been transitioning interlibrary loan activity to the Omni platform which has become the predominant tool for interlibrary loan activity here at Brock. This summer we will be completing the transition to using the Omni interface exclusively. All Ontario universities are required to make this shift.  

    Effective July 1st, Brock RACER accounts will no longer be functional, and the system will not accept requests.   

    • Any in-progress requests will still be completed. 
    • If you have information in your teaching materials directing students to RACER, please remove/replace with information directing them to Omni instead. 

    The good news is that Omni, our academic search tool, is equipped to support all of your interlibrary loan needs!  

    Rest assured that no services are being lost with this change. Access to materials at other libraries remains the same. 

    More improvements! 

    • there will no longer be a need to create and maintain a separate RACER password: Your Brock account credentials provide access to Omni and all related services.   
    • When searching in Omni, you can select ‘Get it from another library’ to request an item that Brock does not own (see screen shot below).  
    • Or skip the searching and use the Omni blank request form available on the library website to submit a request! We’ll do the searching for you!     

    An Omni catalogue record for a book showing with an arrow pointing to "Get it from another library."

    We are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible and have notified active RACER users and faculties directly of the change.  

    Please feel free to send any questions to: [email protected]

    Tags:
    Categories: Main

  • Construction on floor 10 begins soon

    Monday, June 19, 2023 | By

    floor 10 of the Schmon tower showing empty bookshelves and chairs stacked on top of desks.

    Construction adjacent to Brock’s Archives and Special Collections on floor 10 will begin on Monday, July 3. Noise and disruption are expected during the project which is expected to last 3-4 weeks. The floor will remain open for book retrieval, and access to the Archives and Special Collections Reading Room is not affected.

    Alternative silent study spaces in the library are located on floor 9, the silent study room on the northside of floor 5 and Classroom B in the Matheson Learning Commons.

     

    Tags: ,
    Categories: Archives, Main

  • Join our team as the Makerspace Supervisor

    Thursday, May 18, 2023 | By

    A person inside a magnifying glass

    Brock University Library invites applications for a full-time permanent Makerspace Supervisor in our state of the art facility which consists of prototyping equipment, an audio lab, a photography/video production lab and an instructional lab.

    The Makerspace Supervisor will provide operational leadership and supervision to the Makerspace team, coordination, technical support, and end-user support for the Library Makerspace. The Supervisor is responsible for developing and/or coordinating partnerships and participation in events, including preparing and delivering workshops and demonstrations.

    If you are keen to promote ‘Maker Culture’ on campus and in the community, we invite you to learn more about the role, qualifications, salary, etc. and apply by June 2 at 12:01am

    Tags:
    Categories: Main, Makerspace

  • Join our team as Teaching & Learning Librarian, Special Projects

    Tuesday, May 16, 2023 | By

    A person inside a magnifying glass

    Brock University Library invites applications for a full-time, two-year limited term appointment position of Teaching & Learning Librarian, Special Projects. Responsibilities include course-based instruction in a variety of formats and supporting special projects of strategic importance to the department, including development and maintenance of e-learning objects, support for open education, and assessment of teaching & learning.

    Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply. Applications will be accepted until June 18, 2023 at 12:01am.

    Tags:
    Categories: Main

  • Join our team as a Circulation Clerk

    Tuesday, May 16, 2023 | By

    A person inside a magnifying glass

    Brock University Library is recruiting for two Circulation Clerks for the User Services & Engagement department.

    The Circulation Clerk in User Services & Engagement is responsible for assisting users with locating, using and borrowing material and providing basic copying and printing services to all users at the Ask Us desk. Depending on departmental needs, the Circulation Clerk may work a variety of days/shifts including day, evening, weekend and/or holiday on an “on-call” temporary basis.

    Learn more about the role, qualifications, salary, etc. and apply by May 30 at 12:01am

    Tags:
    Categories: Main

  • New exhibit features student artwork to highlight the vital role of pollinators 

    Thursday, April 13, 2023 | By

    A young woman stands in front of an exhibit display case. The exhibit features pinned butterflies and moths, as well as books on the subject of pollination.

    Butterflies, moths, and bees are the feature in latest Brock Library exhibition, located in the Learning Commons display cases. Displaying a number of vibrantly coloured pinned specimens, the exhibit aims to highlight the role pollinators play in sustaining our local ecosystems and encourages onlookers to help promote and protect pollinator populations. 

    The exhibit is curated by Brock Studio Art and the History of Art and Visual Culture (double major) student Mari Brint and Library Engagement Assistant Sara Nixon, displaying insect specimens and artwork prepared and created by Brint.  

    Inside of an exhibit display case. On display are pinned, taxidermy butterflies and moths presented on canvas panels. The background features a colourful field of flowers and interpretive text panels.

    The exhibit features a collection of pinned moths and butterflies prepared by Brock student, Mari Brint.

    Mari has always had an interest in insect taxidermy and bug pinning when visiting museums and butterfly conservation gardens, but only recently took up the practice, “After my final studio courses, I felt that I needed to take a step away from my traditional and preferred medium of painting and try something new to branch out and explore new creative mediums. During that time, I discovered the processes involved with preparing moths and butterflies for pinning and display, and began researching the ways in which I can help with the conservation efforts of insects”, says Mari.

    Participating in the Brock University Seed Library is just one way that community members can get involved with pollinator conservation efforts. The Seed Library offers free access to seeds to grow gardens at home, including several varieties of flowers that help sustain pollinator habitats, and subsequently support increasing populations of butterflies, bees, and moths.  

    Anyone can “borrow” from the Seed Library, free of cost. Interested community members can visit the Ask Us Desk on the Main Floor of James A. Gibson Library to browse the seed catalogue to select up to five packets of seeds (per person, per day). Ideally, participants will harvest seeds and return them to the Seed Library after a bountiful season of growing.  

    Growing gardens of pollinator-friendly plants, no matter the size, can help local pollinator populations thrive. “Butterflies and moths are not only a beautiful part of the natural world but one that needs our help in the cultivation and protection of their habitats,” says Mari. 

    To learn about growing your own pollinator gardens, the Library has also curated a featured book collection as a compendium to the exhibit. The Featured Collection, which can be found both online and at the book display case by the Ask Us Desk, offers hardcopy and e-book titles that dig deeper into the topics of pollination, gardening, growing food, as well as our relationships to plants and bugs, and more. 

    There are lots of ways to get involved in protecting our local pollinators here at the Library! Be sure to visit the Learning Commons this spring to view the exhibit, borrow the Plants and Pollinators book collection, and borrow from the Seed Library. 

    Tags: , ,
    Categories: Learning Commons, Main

  • Faculty course reading lists required for the spring term

    Tuesday, April 04, 2023 | By

    A woman works on a laptop and holds documents in her hand

    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.

    Note: Effective Spring Term 2023, the Library’s Course Readings & Reserves system (Ares) will only connect with Brightspace courses. Connection between Ares and Sakai courses will no longer be available.

    Questions? [email protected]

    Tags: ,
    Categories: Main

  • Streamlining Access to Course Material

    Monday, March 20, 2023 | By

    Woman with a notebook and journal articles

    Brock’s new Academic Plan is centered on five key priorities, including a teaching and learning environment that is “Accessible, Flexible, and Customizable” (Priority #2).  One of the actions nested under this priority is to “Streamline the processes by which students access learning materials and maximize the use of library resources for course support”. 

    We know from research that access to learning materials such as textbooks, readings, open educational resources, and other learning materials is a key factor in equity and academic outcomes.  Conversely barriers to course materials have a significant negative impact on student success.   

    We also know that instructors play a pivotal role in helping students access and use course readings.  On March 2nd, the Library, the Campus Store, and CPI hosted an event for faculty highlighting various options available to instructors to help facilitate access for students.  The goal was to promote resources and services available to faculty through the Brock Library, Campus Store, and CPI, and to kickstart a discussion about how to better streamline the course materials landscape at Brock. 

    Library support for Course Material 

    One of the ways that the library supports affordable and accessible course materials is through the Course Readings service. Instructors can share their course syllabus with the Library’s Course Readings team, who will then locate the material and load it into an online platform which connects directly to the course within Brightspace.

    We can add digital material from: the library collection, the web (including open educational resources), audio/visual sources, and materials we source from partner institutions. Additionally, we ensure the resources we put in the platform are accessible and copyright compliant.  

    While online/electronic material offer the greatest flexibility for students, we are also able to put print material (including instructor copies) on short term loan at the Ask Us desk in James A. Gibson Library. 

    The Library currently supports over 300 courses across the University. Learn more about the Library’s Course Readings service.

    If an instructor is considering moving away from the traditional textbook model and into adopting an open textbook or other open educational resources (OER), the library can help with that, too. Learn more about Library support for OER.

    Campus Store support for Course Material 

    Did you know any profits earned through the Campus Store are invested right back into faculties, programs, and courses at Brock?  

    The Campus Store’s Course Materials team actively connects with instructors to ensure course materials are available for students when courses start. The team is currently finalizing adoptions for the Spring/Summer and working hard for the Fall/Winter terms so students can start the semester with material in hand.  

    Through the My Course Materials platform, students receive a personalized shopping list of course materials available through the Campus Store for the courses they have registered in. Over 25,000 students viewed the Campus Store’s My Course Materials this past fall and winter terms – you’ll find a link to it in the Brightspace menu. 

    With course materials continually evolving and affordability at forefront, the Course Materials team is a knowledgeable resource for multi-format sourcing and price matching with leading competitors. 

    Missed the email from the Campus Store Materials Team? Please contact us at [email protected] 

    What’s Next 

    The Library, Campus Store and CPI are committed to finding ways to streamline access to course materials and finding new ways to make course materials more affordable and accessible to all students.

    This past year, the Library and Campus Store have worked together on a pilot project to make printed course packs more affordable by leveraging library-acquired materials when possible, and we will continue to build on this collaboration. All three partners have been working to ensure access to all resources can happen through Brightspace.

    Future initiatives are likely to include making open educational resources easier to adopt for instructors and easier to use for students. We welcome your feedback, ideas, and suggestions on how we can make your experience and access to course materials even better.

    Categories: Main

1 … 9 10 11 12 13 … 39