News

• Update on Library resources & services

  Monday, January 10, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Brock Library re-opens January 6 at 9am. Here’s what to expect.

  Hours of Operation:

  James A. Gibson Library
  

  • Monday to Friday: 9am – 5pm
  • Saturday-Sunday: Closed

  Archives and Special Collections, Digital Scholarship Lab, Makerspace, and Map, Data & GIS Library open by appointment only. 

  Access to collections:

  The upper floors of the library are currently closed. The following services are in place to provide you with access to our print materials:

  • Hathi Trust Emergency Temporary Access Service. ETAS provides electronic read-only access to approximately 30% of our print collections.
  • For items not available in Hathi Trust, use the request for pickup service
  • A scanning service is also available for print journal articles and book chapters.
  • Interlibrary Loan and borrowing via Omni partner libraries remain available.

  Access to study space:

  • Students looking for a quiet space to work can book one of 50 individual study spots  on the main floor of the library. Book up to 8 hours per day and up to 2 weeks in advance.
  • Printing and copying is available.
  • Group study is not available.
  • Classrooms A and B are not available.

  Research help:

  • Ask a Librarian chat service resumes January 10
  • Email us at libhelp@brocku.ca
  • Book an online research consultation with your Liaison Librarian.

  Your Library Account:

  • When returning books, please use the drop slot in the Rankin Family Pavilion/Schmon Tower Lobby.
  • Here’s how to renew your items.

  Delivery and intercampus transfer:

  • Intercampus transfer between the main campus and Marilyn I. Walker remains operational. Items can be picked up at the MIW Security desk.
  • Departmental delivery for faculty and staff is unavailable at this time.

  Alumni and community member access:

  • Visitors are asked to complete the self-screen survey for COVID-19 risk before arriving on campus. It can be completed via web form or through the Brock Safety mobile app.
  • Check in at  the Visitor/Guest COVID-19 Screening desk in the Rankin Family Pavilion (base of Schmon Tower) or in the east entrance of the Cairns Complex.
  • Provide your proof of vaccination and confirmation from the screening survey to the screener on duty.

  Keep up to date with developments by visiting the Brock University Library COVID-19 page. Questions? Email libhelp@brocku.ca

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Digital Scholarship Lab, Makerspace, MDGL, Services
  Categories: Main

• What’s new 2022?

  Friday, January 07, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Welcome to the Winter 2022 term. Your library has the people and resources you can count on for academic success.

  With classes running online this month, library hours and services have been adjusted. Read about the changes and keep up-to-date by monitoring the Library Resources and Services Amid COVID-19 page.

  Have you made resolutions to try something new or, perhaps leave a habit behind? Get inspired by the Fresh Start book collection. A mix of print and online titles, topics include mindfulness, healthy eating, positive aging, friendship, and living sustainably.

  If academic improvement is on your list, explore new content for Research Help On-Demand. Learn the mechanics of research with short videos and lessons on peer-review and compiling annotated bibliographies among other must know topics for success in your studies.

  The Wellness Book Club returns this term with Liaison Librarian and Fitness Instructor Justine Cotton leading participants through a reading of Dr. John Ratey’s 2008 book Spark: The Revolutionary new Science of Exercise and the Brain. Sign up at: bit.ly/wellnessbookclubwinter2022 

  And, on the topic of wellness, Library Yoga with Liaison Librarian and Yoga Instructor Chelsea Humphries, returns this month with online sessions via ExperienceBU  and an in-person event coming later this spring.

  Best of luck on the term ahead!

   

   

   

  Tags: Our Collections, Services, Students, Virtual Book Display, Wellness
  Categories: Main

• Winter wellness reading group forming soon

  Thursday, January 06, 2022 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Registration for the Library’s Winter Wellness Book Club, beginning in February 2022, is now open.  Reading for ‘fun’ has so many positive effects on our physical and emotional health, from better sleep to increased empathy for others.  This term, we will be reading Dr. John Ratey’s 2008 book Spark: The Revolutionary new Science of Exercise and the Brain (watch his TEDx talk). 

  Ratey’s book teaches us all about the benefits of exercise for all aspects of brain health, using stories and science to promote physical activity.  In this Book Club we will be getting the positive effects of reading PLUS learning all about how exercise can reduce your stress and boost your brain fitness! 

  The Book Club will be hosted by Liaison Librarian (and Fitness Instructor!), Justine Cotton, who is passionate about sharing the life-changing benefits of exercise and reading.  You can contact her with any questions at jcotton@brocku.ca 

  SIgn up at: bit.ly/wellnessbookclubwinter2022 

   

  Tags: Students, Wellness
  Categories: Main

• Featured Collection: Fresh Start

  Friday, December 17, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Have you made resolutions to try something new in 2022. Or, perhaps leave a habit behind? Get inspired by this collection of print and online titles with topics including mindfulness, healthy eating, positive aging, friendship, living sustainably and more.

  Some titles are available in print. It’s quick and easy to place a hold for pickup.

  Find additional #VirtualBookDisplay topics in Omni.

  Tags: display, Our Collections, Virtual Book Display
  Categories: Featured Collections

• Student exhibit explores the love and care of plants

  Tuesday, December 14, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  James A. Gibson Library Student Assistants are beautifying our display cases with striking new exhibits on a variety of themes.

  This month, the interior library cases are exhibiting the work of Chyna-Rose Bennett whose display “is all about plants, and plant care, as I have a love for plants and wanted to share it with the Brock community.” She notes that “plants have been a huge part of my life this past year, and they have really helped me cope with the isolation of the pandemic.”

  The exhibit features tips on plant maintenance and care and features a selection of Brock books which will be available to borrow when the display ends at the end of the month.

  Stop in and view the exhibit which runs until the holiday break. Many thanks to Chyna-Rose.

  Tags: display, Our Collections, Students
  Categories: Learning Commons, Main

• Featured Collection: Student Picks

  Wednesday, December 08, 2021 | By Colleen MacKinnon

  

  During Welcome Week 2021, we put out a large white board and asked you “What was the last good book you read?” We were impressed by the variety of titles. What a well rounded bunch of readers you Badgers are!

  The list of titles included classics works such as Lust for Life by Irving Stone, Canadian literary fiction such as Motorcycles & Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor, Murder on the Orient Express, by renowned mystery fiction writer Agatha Christie, to popular non-fiction works such as Atomic Habits (James Clear), and The Mastery of Love: a practical guide to the art of relationship (Don Miguel Ruiz) and of course being the life long learners that you university students are, even titles such as How to Watch Television (E.Thompson & J.Mittell) and A History of Economic thought (W.Barber).

  We loved the book suggestions so much, that we went out and bought them all! (or at least the titles we didn’t already have).  You can browse the full list of Student Picks in Omni and of course place a hold on any of them (Holiday reading anyone?).

  We plan to put them all on display in the Learning Commons soon.  Keep your eye out!

  Tags: Our Collections, Students
  Categories: Featured Collections, Learning Commons

• End of term resources to support students

  Friday, November 19, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  As we approach the end of term, the Library along with colleagues in A-Z Learning Services and Student Wellness and Accessibility Services are keen to support Brock students completing final assignments and preparing for exams.

  We’ve highlighted a number of resources and tips along with links to research guides, ways to contact us, and stress-relieving diversions in an online booklet this year. We hope you enjoy it and share it with friends.

  A-Z Learning Services has excellent guides available to help you with:

  • time management,
  • exam preparation,
  • essay writing and much more.

  Learning Skills Specialists are also running several online drop-in study sessions that you can visit to study with others, or get help on a specific assignment or question.

  Student Wellness and Accessibility Services offer unique sessions related to exam readiness and combatting test stress.

  Student mental health and wellness go hand-in-hand with academic success and are the focus of a new Library wellness webpage ready for you to explore.

  Finally, if you could use a little motivation download one of our new phone and desktop wallpaper designs. ⬇️

  For your phone:
  

  For your desktop:

  

  

  Tags: Services, Students, Wellness
  Categories: Main

• Supporting Transgender Awareness Week in Canada

  Thursday, November 18, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  November 13-19, 2021 marks Transgender Awareness Week in Canada.

  This selection of books and e-books represent a diversity of genres and topics by trans authors and features new non-fiction on timely topics from a transgender lens. Many of the authors spotlighted are Canadian, including Gwen Benaway, Vivek Shraya and Ivan Coyote. 

  You can view all our thematic collections in Omni via bit.ly/VirtualBookDisplay

  Tags: Our Collections
  Categories: Featured Collections

• Instructors encouraged to submit winter term reading lists soon

  Monday, November 15, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

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

  To ensure your students have access to their winter course materials, we encourage you to submit reading lists as soon as possible. Ideally by November 22, 2021.  

  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

• New Canadian Titles

  Monday, November 01, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  After a long hiatus, we are happy to bring new thematic print book displays back to the Library. Our newest collection (next to the Ask Us desk in the James A. Gibson Library), features recent titles by Canadian authors. Please stop in and explore new books on climate change, decolonization, neuroscience, urban planning and more. There’s even a little fiction in the mix.

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