News

  • GIS Day is coming …

    Monday, October 30, 2023 | By

    It’s that time of year again when we start planning for GIS Day! November 15th will mark this eventful day for all users of GIS technologies. We will have presentations, contests and displays as well as tutorials, pizza ($$) and CAKE (FREE!). Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 15, 2023 and stay tuned for details.

    GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems and broadly represents the technology behind analyzing and creating map products. There are many departments using geospatial technologies for research and teaching at Brock University: Geography & Tourism Studies, Earth Sciences, Health Sciences, Political Sciences, History, Modern Literature & Languages, etc. If you haven’t tried giving a spatial context to your work, perhaps it’s time to explore the options available.

    Follow us on Instagram for up-to-date information.

     

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  • Exhibit: Modern Languages, Literatures, Cultures

    Monday, October 30, 2023 | By

    A paper model of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France

    As stated by Noam Chomsky: “Language is not just words. It’s a culture, a tradition, a unification of a community, a whole history that creates what a community is”. The Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures welcomes you to browse through the display showcasing the cultures that are explored in our courses that is currently mounted in the Library and Thistle corridor. Let your curiosity be piqued, ask the questions rooted in the history of these cultures, smile – and perhaps shiver, as Halloween is the theme of the current installation.

    Questions and comments are welcome. Please send them to: dbielicki@brocku.ca

     

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    Categories: Featured Collections, Learning Commons

  • Learn about systematic reviews, scoping reviews and more

    Friday, October 27, 2023 | By

    A laptop with a funnel of information emanating from it.

    Join the Library’s evidence synthesis team members Elizabeth Yates, Denise Smith and Ian Gordon for an online workshop entitled Introduction to evidence synthesis research – including systematic reviews and scoping reviews – as part of the Building Better Research series on Nov. 2, 12-1 pm.  

    Evidence synthesis projects such as systematic or scoping reviews use rigorous and comprehensive methods to gather, synthesize and analyze data from large sets of primary studies. These reviews are increasingly popular in a variety of academic disciplines. However, these time- and resource-intensive projects are challenging, involve a team of researchers, and are not appropriate for all research objectives. This session will cover the key steps and tools in conducting a systematic or scoping review, present alternative review types, and discuss how to identify the review type most suited to your research question. 

    Register for this workshop via Experience BU 

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  • Library supports for open access publishing

    Wednesday, October 25, 2023 | By

    Images of people engaged in scholarly activity are overlaid with opened padlocks

    Library supports for open access publishing 

    Global celebrations of International Open Access Week from Oct. 23-29 are a good opportunity to highlight how the Library supports Brock researchers in achieving broad reach and deep impact for their publications. 

    Open Access refers to free, immediate online access to research and brings many benefits, including increased visibility for Brock research, higher citation rates and public access to publicly-funded research. Supporting open access has always been a key priority for the Library, which: 

    • Provides free hosting support for 12 open access, peer-reviewed scholarly journals operated by Brock researchers 
    • Disseminates Brock research globally via the open access Brock Digital Repository 
    • Invests in a wide range of open access platforms which benefit researchers and readers around the globe 
    • Participates in a growing number of read-and-publish agreements which allow Brock authors to publish for free, or at a discount, in journals which charge fees for full or hybrid open access publication 
    • Supports researchers in meeting the expectations of Brock University’s Open Access Policy  

    To learn more, please consider participating in Brock’s Open Access Week activities or email Elizabeth Yates, Research and Scholarly Communication Librarian ~ eyates@brocku.ca

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  • Resources to learn more about Open Access

    Tuesday, October 24, 2023 | By

    International Open Access Week, October 23-29

    As part of 2023 Open Access Week activities at Brock, a virtual collection of books and ebooks focused on open access and information sharing activities is available to browse. Discover how free, unrestricted online access to research outputs can benefit society, researchers included!

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  • Open Access Week 2023: Celebrating community over commercialization

    Sunday, October 22, 2023 | By

    a textual image reading Community over Commercialization

    Community over Commercialization is this year’s theme for International Open Access Week, Oct. 23-29. This is more than a slogan. It is a timely statement for a movement that has seen much growth in open access infrastructure and alternative providers in research years. These alternative publishing options for researchers emphasize and facilitate the building of an open access community of researchers and scholars, a deliberate alternative to commercial publishers, which are for-profit companies that extract profits from the work of scholars.

    The Brock Library continues to invest in several such open access platforms. The overall goal of these platforms is to make research freely available to readers around the world. These open infrastructure initiatives are examples of part of this growing movement that takes the products of publicly funded scholarly research out of the commercial sphere- a space largely controlled by a small number of actors, and moves this into a community-operated system of research sharing. The impact of such developments for open access research is far reaching. In this system, both the writers and readers of scholarship have access to the most current findings without having to navigate a paywall.

    To learn more, join Elizabeth Yates, Research and Scholarly Communication Librarian, and Laurie Morrison, Collections Librarian, on Oct. 24, 12-1 pm, for a discussion of the perils of prioritizing profit over the public good and the promise offered by community-controlled publishing platforms. Registration via ExperienceBU.

    This workshop is part of the Library’s Open Access Week activities, which also include an Oct. 26 workshop focusing on planning for open access publishing at little or no cost, a virtual collection of books and ebooks focused on open access and information sharing activities.

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  • Now hiring: Digital Scholarship/ Special Projects Librarian

    Wednesday, September 27, 2023 | By

    An icon of a person inside a magnifying glass

    Brock University Library invites applications for the full-time, 12-month limited-term position of Digital Scholarship/ Special Projects Librarian from qualified candidates who have demonstrated interest in and understanding of open publishing, digital scholarship, and/or the research lifecycle.

    The successful candidate will:

    • Contribute to the open publishing infrastructure on campus using Brock’s instance of Open Journal Systems;
    • Contribute to the administration of Brock University’s Institutional Repository;
    • In collaboration with the Scholarly Communications Librarian, promote a culture of open scholarship on campus;
    • Provides services to support digital scholarship including consultations, project support, instruction, workshop development and delivery;
    • Collaborate with campus partners and continuously learn about digital scholarship trends, tools and methods currently available on campus and beyond;
    • Provide recommendations about existing digital scholarship initiatives and services, in consultation with the Head, Research Lifecycle;
    • Develops and promotes educational content (tutorials, guides, etc.) that supports digital scholarship on campus;
    • Collaboratively support departmental goals and activities;
    • Engage in ongoing professional development and apply useful developments into practice.

    Learn more about this opportunity, and apply by Thursday, October 26th (12:01 AM).

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  • Honouring Indigenous Women and Girls

    Tuesday, September 19, 2023 | By

    Fabric prints which reflect First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.

    This month’s featured Omni Collection is intended to honour and remember the lives of Indigenous Women and Girls in recognition of the Native Women’s Association of Canada’s Sisters In Spirit Day. Browse and borrow from the print collection displayed next to the Ask Us desk and head online to view the Indigenous Women on Film sub-collection of documentaries.

    The collection also acts as a complement to The Canadian Library, a grassroots art installation project that acts as a memorial to all Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit people. The goal of the CLP is to wrap 8,000 books across Canada in fabric prints that reflect First Nations, Métis and Inuit as a testament to the lives lost. Before each book is placed on the gallery bookshelf in the library, the name of one of the MMIWG2S+ is written in gold along its spine.

    Brock Library is hosting three drop-in wrapping events in Learning Commons Classroom B (ST230). While no RSVP is required, registering on ExperienceBU and checking in at the events, will provide participants with credit toward their co-curricular record.  Sessions will be held on Monday, September 25 (2:30-5pm), Friday, September 29 (1:30-4pm), and Monday, October 2 (1:30-4pm).

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    Categories: Featured Collections, Learning Commons

  • Public library memberships available

    Wednesday, September 06, 2023 | By

    text and branding representing the Thorold and St. Catharines Public Libraries

    We love libraries! All kinds. So we are delighted to announce on-campus visits by staff from the St. Catharines and Thorold Public Libraries.

    Getting a card is easy, and free. Fill in a form, present some ID, and then you’ll be all set to borrow video games, join book clubs, experience adult craft nights, and more. Online resources such as popular magazines, audio books, streaming videos and music are also available, and offer the perfect complement to our more scholarly collections.

    Who: Thorold Public Library
    Where:     Matheson Learning Commons (Library main floor)
    When:     Wednesday, September 13, 2-4 pm.

    Who: St. Catharines Public Library
    Where: Matheson Learning Commons (Library main floor)
    When: Thursday, September 14, 1-5 pm.

     

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  • Treasures from the Shickluna Shipyard Dig.

    Tuesday, September 05, 2023 | By

    A photograph of a ship built by Louis Shickluna

    Back in 2018, a research team led by Brock University archaeologist and maritime historian Kimberly Monk received federal funding to excavate the Shickluna Shipyard site in downtown St. Catharines.  The team’s discoveries and insights form the basis of a stunning new display hosted in the Library and Learning Commons this fall.

    The exhibit is comprised of two parts which, when combined explore the evolving cultural landscape which we refer to as the Shickluna Shipyard site. The Changing Human Landscape on Twelve Mile Creek (displayed at the south entrance to the Learning Commons), sets the scene of the dig and characterizes the sites’ earliest occupants. Uncovering Historic Landscapes at the Shickluna Shipyard: A Multi-Component Archaeological Site is displayed inside the library, and explores the history of the site after 1891.

    Although the on-going project is focused on Shickluna, and the over 60 years of shipbuilding that took place at the site, the exhibit recognizes the breadth of human history that has shaped this landscape over time. The next phase of fieldwork will explore deeper and adjacent contexts. Follow the project, and new developments on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

    Stop by and view the exhibit which runs until October 16.

     

     

     

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