News

• Pandemic Pastimes

  Wednesday, April 20, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  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.

  Tags: display, Staff
  Categories: Featured Collections, Learning Commons

• Connecting you to end of term and exam supports

  Tuesday, April 12, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  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. 

   

  Tags: Research, Students, Wellness
  Categories: Main

• Faculty course reading lists requested for the spring term

  Thursday, April 07, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  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

  Tags: Faculty, Services
  Categories: Main

• Systematic Review Crash Course starts April 12

  Wednesday, April 06, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  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. 

  • Tues. April 12, 12-2PM — Workshop 1: Introduction to Evidence Synthesis
  • Tues. April 26, 12-2PM — Workshop 2: Searching the Literature
  • Tues. May 10, 12-2PM — Workshop 3: Screening and Synthesizing Studies and Reporting Results

  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. 

  Tags: Research, Research methods, Workshops
  Categories: Main

• Join our team!

  Friday, April 01, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  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.

   

  Tags: Employment opportunity, https://brocku.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/brocku_careers/job/St-Catharines-Main-Campus/Acquisitions-Coordinator_JR-1011269
  Categories: Main

• Student Picks

  Thursday, March 31, 2022 | By Colleen MacKinnon

  

  We all need a healthy distraction from the stresses of school and work from time to time.  Digging into a good book can be just the ticket to break from the daily grind and dip into something different.  Last December during Exams, we asked students for some book suggestions and we got some awesome recommendations that we think you’ll really like too!  Some highlights include:

  The Boys of Dunbar: a story of love, hope, and basketball (Alejandro Danois).   This biography will appeal to more than just the sports enthusiast. Check out this short video with the author who also produced the inspiring ESPN documentary Baltimore Boys.

  Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race (Renni Eddo-Lodge). Winner of the Best International Nonfiction of 2017 award.  You can read the original blog post that inspired the author to write the book or watch this short video with the author.

  Five Little Indians (Michelle Good). Canada’s #1 best selling book in 2021, winner of several prestigious awards and currently in the running for the Canada Reads Competition.  Check out this short video with the author for an introduction to the book.

  You can check out the full list of recommendations in our Student Picks Collection.

  Looking for more recommendations?
  Check out the first Student Picks Collection from Welcome Week. Or browse any of our Featured Collections curated by Brock Library Staff.

  Categories: Featured Collections, Learning Commons

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

  Tuesday, March 15, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  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.

   

  Tags: display, Students
  Categories: Learning Commons, Main

• Library Restructuring Update

  Wednesday, March 09, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  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.

  Tags: Brock Library
  Categories: Main

• Open Education Week

  Monday, March 07, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Open Education (OE) Week is from March 7-11 this year. 

  This annual event highlights the impact that Open Education initiatives continue to have across subject fields and communities, and an opportunity for sharing, and learning about the latest innovations and achievements in Open Education worldwide. 

  In recognition of Open Education Week, March 7 to 11, the Brock University community will have access to events and webinars exploring open educational resources (OER) including:

  Educational Technologies for Open Pedagogies 1
  Cal Murgu (Brock University)
  Tim Ribaric (Brock University)

  Tim Ribaric and Cal Murgu, Librarians at Brock University, will discuss ed-tech solutions for open pedagogy. Featuring examples from their own practice, Tim and Cal will first discuss how Github Pages, Hugo, a static site generator, and H5P, can be used to create interactive and modular learning without worrying about institutional infrastructure, financing, and red tape. Secondly, Tim and Cal will discuss how Google Collab, an interactive coding environment that runs in your browser, can be used to create accessible learning experiences for novice students or expert programmers.

  Registration is free for this event which will be presented in collaboration with the University of Alberta’s Open Education Week Symposium on Wednesday, March 9 at 12:30 pm (10:30 MST)

  Celebrated annually across the globe, Open Education Week raises awareness and showcases the impact of open education on teaching and learning worldwide. 

   

  Tags: Collaboration, OER, Open Education, Open Educational Resources
  Categories: Main

• Join our team as Systems Administrator

  Friday, March 04, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Brock University Library invites applications for the full-time probationary position of Systems Administrator, Library.

  The Systems Administrator helps design, implement, and support the Library’s technical solutions in support of the University’s teaching, learning, and research missions.  The incumbent provides technical support, and installs and administers tools to support and enhance the Library’s computing systems.  The Systems Administrator supports web-based, real-time systems relating to library data, student data, communications, research, and other administrative areas, and is responsible for the Library’s digital infrastructure. 

  Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply. Applications will be accepted until Monday, March 21 at 12:01 am.

  Tags: Employment opportunity
  Categories: Main