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  • 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 adoptions@brocku.ca 

    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

  • Annual Esri Scholarship Competition returns to Brock

    Thursday, March 09, 2023 | By

    A map of the Northern Niagara Region created in ArcGIS

    Attention all Brock GIS users! It’s time for the annual Esri Scholarship Competition. Eligible students (current students from undergrad to grad) can submit a ~500 word ESRI GIS Project Proposal with their resume to sjanzen@brocku.ca by April 24th 4:30 p.m.

    Geographic Information Systems is mapping and analysis software. Esri is the industry standard for GIS across all sectors. GIS is used at Brock in Health Sciences, Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, History, Literature & Language, Political Science, Earth Sciences, Recreation and Leisure Studies and Geography/Tourism.

    The deliverables for the successful candidate will include a poster and report in the form of an Esri StoryMap due by June 1, 2023. Prizes include $1,000 cash reward, software access, books, conference passes and more! 

    Submissions and questions should be directed to Sharon Janzen, sjanzen@brocku.ca in the Map, Data & GIS Library, MC-C306 

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    Categories: Main, MDGL

  • Employment Opportunity

    Friday, March 03, 2023 | By

    Icon of a person inside a magnifying glass

    Brock University Library is accepting applications for the position of Library Assistant / Operations Support in our User Services & Engagement department.

    The Library Assistant will provide circulation assistance, research help and delivery of basic copying and printing services to users at the Ask Us Desk. The Assistant will process interlibrary loans and reserve materials, and participate in collection maintenance. The incumbent will provide occasional support for the Supervisor by preparing staff schedules and serving as a resource person. A Bachelor’s degree and the ability to work evenings and occasional weekends is required. A two-year Library Technician Diploma, and familiarity with copyright legislation and related policies are preferred.

    Learn more about the role, qualifications, salary, etc. and apply by March 20, 2023 at 12:01 am

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    Categories: Main

  • Library Yoga and other activities planned for Wellness Week

    Friday, February 24, 2023 | By

    A collage of images promoting wellness, including a woman in a yoga pose, Boomer the Badger reading a book, a seedling growing out of soil, and a light therapy lamp.

    Brock University Wellness Week (March 6-10, 2023) invites students to de-stress, unwind, and have fun in the midst of the semester.

    Brock Library is pleased to be a part of the Wellness Week roster, offerings two Library Yoga practices with Sara Nixon, Library Engagement Assistant and certified yoga instructor. All are welcome to this in-person beginner-friendly yoga practice, with yoga mats generously provided by Brock Recreation and library books used as yoga blocks. Dim lights and ambient music will help create a relaxing atmosphere, and Sara will guide you through feel-good yoga postures with gentle cues and demonstration. Two 45-minute practices will be offered: Tuesday, March 7 at 9 a.m. and Thursday, March 9 at 4 p.m. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Sign-up on ExperienceBU.

    A wide variety of resources aimed at supporting students’ well-being are available at Brock Library all year long. Students, and any member of the community, can borrow board games, light therapy lamps, and recreational reading titles from the Badger Books collection, to name a few wellness options. Visit Wellness at the Library to see the different ways we can help you unwind and de-stress.

    For more Wellness Week resources, events, and activities, visit the Brock University Students’ Union (BUSU) website.

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    Categories: Main

  • Archives & Special Collections the focus of podcast episode

    Wednesday, February 15, 2023 | By

    Foreword podcast logo

    Looking for podcast recommendations? David Sharron, Head of Archives & Special Collections at Brock Library was recently a guest on Foreword, a podcast produced by Brock University’s Faculty of Humanities. David and podcast host, Alison Innes, sat down to discuss what an archive is, how to conduct archival research, and how technology is changing archives, to name a few topics.

    In the episode, David also shares some of his personal journey in the archival world and spotlights a few of the archival collections cared for here at Brock.

    Listen to the episode now. Also be sure to subscribe to Foreword on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

     

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    Categories: Archives, Main

  • Learning Commons open late

    Sunday, November 27, 2022 | By

    A black and white photo of the Schmon Tower at night.

    Late night study hours have resumed in the Matheson Learning Commons.

    Details:

    • Open to 2:30 AM Sunday through Thursday.
    • Approximately 400 study spots are available.
    • The Ask Us desk and floors 5-10 will close at regular times (9 PM on Sunday, 11 PM Monday – Thursday).
    • Library services, such as borrowing and research help will not be available during Late Night Study hours.
    • Friday & Saturday closing times remain the same (some exceptions during the exam period).
    • BUSU are kindly providing students with a late night ride service via Zoom Zoom.

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    Categories: Learning Commons, Main

  • Instructors encouraged to submit winter course readings now

    Monday, November 21, 2022 | By

    A stack of manila file folders on a desk. Each folder is stuffed with documents.

    Reserve request processing for the winter term is underway at Brock University Library.

    To ensure your students have access to their fall course materials, we encourage you to submit reading lists as soon as possible. 

    If you normally email your reading lists to reserve@brocku.ca, please ensure you note which LMS you will be using in the winter term: Brightspace or Sakai. 

    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? reserve@brocku.ca

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  • Brock collections from World Wars help Niagara remember

    Tuesday, November 08, 2022 | By

    Sharron, Head of Archives and Special Collections at Brock University, looks at records from the Percy Carruthers Band fonds and the Laura de Turczynowicz fonds. These collections include a small sample of the hundreds of records related to the World Wars housed in the Brock University Library’s Archives and Special Collections

    This article written by Jocelyn Titone, Marketing and Communications Officer, was originally published in The Brock News.

    As Remembrance Day approaches, Brock University’s archival collections bring history to the forefront.

    The Brock University Library’s Archives and Special Collections houses some of the most unique and valuable records representing all aspects of Niagara’s history, including a wide range of historical items related to the First and Second World Wars.

    David Sharron, Head of Archives and Special Collections, said although each collection is significant in its own way, the records that cover the World Wars and other modern conflicts evoke a different reaction.

    “There is an immediate reverence for both the individuals who fought the battles and those who supported the war effort from home,” he said. “These records remind us of a time when people and organizations made sacrifices and pitched in to do their part. It was difficult and often tragic, but as a community, Niagara made it through.”

    Collection highlights include a letter from a father serving oversees to his young daughter; a trench helmet and rucksack used in the First World War; documents on the City of St. Catharines’ war preparations and measures; photographs of fundraising parades to support the war; oral histories from the Niagara Mennonite community; and postcards from a military training camp in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

    Sharron said with some of the wars happening so long ago, many of the people who experienced them are no longer alive to share their story.

    “Their history and voices held in these records help us remember,” he said. “It’s why we preserve them and make them available.”

    While many of the collections are digitized and available online for anyone to access, including the records Sharron curated below, there are millions of documents and artifacts housed in the physical archives.

    “The online collections are just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “There is always more to the story; a fuller history unfolds as you sift through a box of documents or flip through books from that era.”

    Brock University’s Archives and Special Collections is open to the Niagara community as well as Brock students and researchers. The public is invited to access the physical collections on the 10th floor of the James A. Gibson Library in Brock University’s Arthur Schmon Tower Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Writing ahead of a visit to archives@brocku.ca is recommended in case a class is occupying the space or the reading room is full. Vaccination and mask protocols are in effect.

    Digitized records related to the World Wars

    Arthur Albert Schmon
    Arthur Albert Schmon, one of Brock University’s founders and the Schmon Tower’s namesake, fought for the United States Army during the First World War before coming to live in St. Catharines.

    Laura de Turcynowicz (nee Blackwell)
    Laura de Turcynowicz was a famous opera singer from St. Catharines who married a Polish Count and was living in Poland when the First World War began. The Prussian Army occupied her home for several months before she escaped to the U.S. She wrote a book about her ordeal and raised money for the suffering people of Poland. In 1918, de Turcynowicz was instrumental in promoting the training and education of young American women of Polish descent to help with war relief efforts in Poland. The group became known as the Polish Grey Samaritans.

    Percy Carruthers Band
    Percy Carruthers Band was a decorated First World War soldier who earned the Military Cross with two bars and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. He was also the former caretaker of the Brock Library’s Woodruff and Post Office collections. Among other records in this collection are letters from his sweetheart Margaret Woodruff from St. Catharines, photographs, military documents, a trench helmet and rucksack from the First World War, and medals he received for courage and determination.

    Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff
    The Woodruff family of St. Catharines came to Canada from the U.S. in 1795. They were an integral part of the Village of St. Davids and played an active role in the battles fought in Upper Canada. Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff was killed in action during the First World War as a member of the 116th unit of the Queen’s Battalion of the Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment).

    Niagara Camp
    Niagara Camp was a military training camp in Niagara-on-the-Lake that was used as a summer training grounds for infantry, cavalry and artillery. Postcards of Niagara Camp were common. This collection features postcards from the early years of the First World War.

    Orville James (Jimmy) Manson
    Orville James (Jimmy) Manson was an amateur photographer from Niagara who brought his camera with him while serving for the Canadian Navy during the Second World War.

    Mennonites of Niagara
    Oral history interviews of members of the Mennonite community who came to Niagara from Europe after the upheavals of the First and Second World Wars.

    Interesting parts included in large, digitized collections:

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    Categories: Archives, Main

  • Exploring nearly two centuries of photography

    Friday, November 04, 2022 | By

    "Let's make it taller" is a chlorophyll print of the Schmon Tower at Brock University under construction. The image is printed on a hosta leaf.

    This month’s display in the Learning Commons cabinets features aspects of early photography and contemporary analogue and experimental image making. With the use of images from Brock’s Archives and Special Collections and vintage cameras from the Department of Visual Arts, the display offers a glimpse into early photographic processes from the 19th century and early 20th century.

    The camera originates from an ancient device known as the camera obscura (meaning “dark room”). Light traveling through a small pinhole into a darkened room will project the image on the other side of the hole, upside down – seriously, give it a try! The earliest record is found in the work of Mozi, a Chinese philosopher (470 – 390 BCE). This simple technique is the foundation for all pre-digital photography.

    The arrangement of photographs in the display may seem to present the development of photography as a steady linear progression of advancements with one building on the previous, however this is not the case at all. There were many inventors and entrepreneurs in the 19th century working in different locations who each had a goal of permanently fixing an image made with a camera. The early experiments were costly and time consuming. For example, the first known photograph by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce (1765–1833) in 1827 took several days of exposure in the sun for an image to render permanently. In 1839, Louis Daguerre (1787 – 1851) was the first to share his chemical formula of affixing an image permanently, though it too was costly (using a sheet of copper coated with silver), it only took minutes for it to render an image. An example of a “daguerreotype,” which he named after himself, is on display in the cabinet. As beautiful as these photographs were, it is important to note that these images were one-of-a-kind and not reproducible.

    At the same time, Henry Fox Talbot (1800 – 1877), an English inventor and entrepreneur, was also experimenting with chemical processes though he was focused on reducing the exposure time and creating an image that could be reproduced. In 1840, he found a way that met both requirements in what he called a “calotype” (from the Greek kalos, meaning beautiful). Not only did it take mere seconds for the image to render, Talbot’s use of paper on which to apply his chemical formulation made this a cheap and widely available option. This is the basis on which Talbot would create the negative-positive process whereby multiple copies of a single photograph could be made. This remains the basis of all most analogue photography today.

    By the end of the 19th century, George Eastman, founder of the Eastman Kodak Company, created easy-to-use portable cameras, making photography more accessible. Thus began the era of the amateur photographer. A few of Kodak’s early cameras are on display in the Learning Commons cabinets alongside other 20th century analogue cameras.

    The photograph (which means drawing with light) is created by applying a light sensitive emulsion to a surface (e.g., paper, glass etc.) that changes when exposed to light. Today there is a resurgence in these early photographic techniques as well as interest in new experimental methods of image creation. The hallway cabinets display examples of a variety of analogue methods of image creation with the aid of photosensitive emulsions. Among the methods are the anthotype which use plant-based dyes, lumen prints using silver gelatin coated paper, and the cyanotype, another 19th century discovery, using a mixture of ferric ammonium citrate or ferric ammonium oxalate, and potassium ferricyanide.

    Stop by when you have a moment to check it out.

    Many thanks to Archivist David Sharron for loaning some of the amazing photographs from Brock Archives and Special Collections for the display, Professor Amy Friend from Department of Visual Arts for the loan of cameras and to Dr. Linda Steer also from the Department of Visual Arts for lending her expertise in the history of early photography for the creation of this exhibit. Finally, thank you to my collaborator Charity Blaine for being willing to play and learn together!

     

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    Categories: Learning Commons, Main

  • It’s contest time!

    Tuesday, November 01, 2022 | By

    An amazon gift card

    The Brock University Digital Scholarship Lab is hosting their annual data visualization contest for Brock students this month.

    Students can choose from one of four datasets provided on the content website. Visualizations will be judged on comprehension, insight, and aesthetics, and the winning entry will be chosen on December 1st.

    For more details, view the contest website.

    Categories: Digital Scholarship Lab, Main, MDGL

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