Articles tagged with: Digital Scholarship Lab

  • Library Survey Findings & Next Steps

    In November 2023, we ran a campus-wide survey, asking the campus community for feedback on library services and resources. In January, we shared a brief note thanking you for your feedback and announcing the prize winners.

    We have taken these recent months to analyze and understand the results.

    A major finding from the survey was that, on balance, the Library is performing quite well! The majority of respondents ranked our performance high across most categories. We are gratified to hear that the Library is largely meeting the needs of the Brock community.

    We also heard that there are a number of areas where we can improve, and we take that seriously. At this time, we’d like to share with you a summary of what he heard, as well as our next steps in responding to your feedback.

    Brock University Library Survey Key Findings report.

    Biggest priorities for improvement

    • Finding a quiet place in the Library to study
    • Finding a place in the Library to work in a group

    Other areas we can improve

    • Managing levels of noise and behaviour
    • Power/ electrical outlet availability and maintenance
    • Informing you about Library services
    • Faculty members: Information resources that meet learning and research needs

    Where we are doing well

    • Wireless access
    • Accurate answers to questions
    • Help is available from Library staff when needed
    • Off-campus access to Library resources and services

    What are we going to do in response to the survey results?

    We are kicking off a number of projects, large and small.

    • Usability issues with study spaces (findability, noise, etc.): We will strike a team with members from across the library to directly address these concerns and propose improvements. We expect this work to begin this summer and continue into the fall term.
    • Electrical outlets: Working with Brock’s Facilities Management (FM) team, we have tested and repaired faulty outlets throughout the entire library building. We will continue to work with FM on a regular basis to repair outlets as new issues are reported. We have also begun a project to determine where additional electrical outlets are needed and will have these added over the summer.
    • Group study: We have been piloting a mobile-friendly version of our room booking software, which makes it easier to see each room’s features. You are welcome to try it out now, and we plan on rolling this new version out this summer.
    • Communication: Survey respondents indicated that their preferred way to receive library updates is via email. We will be investigating options for email updates in Fall 2024: Watch your inbox!

    In some areas, we have more to learn before we can determine how to address a problem. For example, we are considering strategies for specific input from faculty about their library resource needs.

    We will be in touch as we make progress on the projects described above.

    Again, we are so grateful to you for taking the time to respond to our survey. We look forward to making changes and improvements that respond to your concerns. We were especially pleased to hear your resounding praise for the people who work in the library:

    “Our library is a wonderful, inclusive space that (in my opinion) is very welcoming to students, staff and community members. The staff are very knowledgeable and happy to help students with any questions they may have.”

    “The library’s standout features is its knowledgeable and approachable staff. They are always willing to assist students, providing valuable guidance in locating resources, conducting research, and navigating databases. Their expertise has been invaluable to my academic pursuits, and I am grateful for their continuous support.”

    My favourite place with my favourite people!

    I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the 2023 Library Survey Team who led the survey implementation and supported the analysis of results: Monica Rettig (Lead), Kym Ash, Daniel Brett, Alicia Floyd, Laurie Morrison, and Tanya Sicoli.

    For any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to reach out.

    ~Nicole Nolan, University Librarian
    nnolan@brocku.ca

     

     

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  • GIS scholarship opportunity

    Attention all Brock ArcGIS users! It’s time for the Annual Esri Scholarship Competition. Eligible students (current students including undergraduate to graduate with B+ Major average) are invited to submit a ~500 word Esri GIS Project Proposal with their resume to sjanzen@brocku.ca by April 1st 4:30 p.m. A nominee will be announced by April 15th with project deliverables due by June 1st. The deliverables for the successful candidate will include a poster and report in the form of an Esri StoryMap. Prizes include $1,000 cash reward, software access, books, conference passes and more!

    Esri is the industry standard for Geographic Information Systems (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.

    More details: https://scholars.esri.ca/profile/?uid=Brock%20University
    Student FAQ: https://scholars.esri.ca/students/faq-students/

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

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  • Thank you for your feedback

    The Library wishes to express a heartfelt thank you to the Brock community for taking the time to respond to our 2023 Library Survey.

    We were thrilled to receive approximately 3,900 survey responses, including over 3,270 students, 160 faculty, and 450 staff. Your feedback included over 890 comments. Over the coming months, we will be reviewing and analyzing the survey data. This summer, we will share a summary of the results including our intended next steps to respond to what we heard from you.

    Congratulations to the lucky winners of twelve incentive prizes:

    • Grand prize winner of Bose Headphones: Mohamad E.
    • $100 Visa gift cards: Natalia J., Zahra A., Hillary G., Juhwan O., Simone L.
    • Someday Books Gift Certificate valued at $50: Nathan D.
    • Locker prizes: Deana T., Skylar B., Bhavleen D., Lian Y., Chidinma O.
    Some winners of the Library survey incentive prize draw.

    Pictured above are seven of twelve incentive prize winners. From the left, Simone L., Mohamad E., Hillary G., Chidinma O., Juhwan O., Skylar B., and Nathan D.

    If you have a specific, time-sensitive concern (or compliment!), the Library is always open to hearing from you via our online feedback form.

     

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  • Update on Library resources & services

    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:

    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:

    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

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  • We are Hiring Student Assistants

    The Digital Scholarship Lab and Map Data GIS Library are looking for 5 student assistants to help us run the two spaces this year. If you enjoy helping people and learning new things this might be the job for you. You can check out the posting on Workday. Questions? Please send us an email: dsl@brocku.ca

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  • Career Opportunity in the Digital Scholarship Lab

    Brock University Library invites applications for a full-time contract position of Digital Scholarship Lab Coordinator.

    The Digital Scholarship Lab (DSL) Operations Coordinator is responsible for planning, coordinating and administering the daily operations of the Digital Scholarship Lab. The incumbent also works in collaboration with library and University colleagues to develop and implement integrated internal and external marketing communications and outreach initiatives to promote the DSL.

    Apply online by August 10, 2021, 2021 at 12:01am EST.

    Questions? Email tribaric@brocku.ca, Acting Head, Digital Scholarship Lab.

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  • Discover your library this spring

    Brock University Library welcomes you to the spring term. If you are new to Brock, take a look at the Discover Your Library page for a quick introduction to library people, services, & resources.  Supporting you in your academic life is core to our mission.

    We have developed a number of online and in-person services and supports in response to COVID-19. Our focus is on access to electronic resources and virtual help. You can learn more about these services on our COVID-19 page.

    For new students, the shift to academic research can be a challenge, but getting assistance is easy. We offer email and chat services as well as online research consultations with our Liaison Librarians.

    We look forward to working with you and wish you all the best for a successful term.

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  • Join our team as GIS and Data Services Librarian

    Brock University Library invites applications for the full-time probationary position of GIS and Data Services Librarian.

    Apply online by February 1, 2021 at 12:01am EST.

    Questions? Email tribaric@brocku.ca, Acting Head Map, Data, GIS Library / Digital Scholarship Lab.

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  • Celebrating Open Access Week and Brock’s new Open Access Policy

    October 19-25 is the thirteenth International Open Access Week, an event for the research community around the world to spread awareness of the benefits of Open Access.

    Join in at Brock by attending a presentation on Tuesday, October 20 at 1pm, which will introduce the Open Access movement broadly, delve into how it works in journal publishing, and finish by tying this all together with Brock’s new Open Access Policy.

    The policy, recently adopted by Senate, calls for Brock researchers and scholars to deposit an electronic copy of their academic journal articles into the Brock University Digital Repository, an online collection of scholarly output produced by the Brock community and managed by the Library.

    Researchers can submit work themselves to the repository or use a Library service called Support for Sharing Your Work – complete a form, attach your articles and Library staff will deposit them on your behalf.

    More information about the open access policy, including answers to frequently asked questions and an opt-out form, can be found on the policy webpage.

    For event details and connection information, please visit ExperienceBU. For more information, please contact your Liaison Librarian.

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  • What’s New? Version 2.0

    THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

    In the two weeks since we posted our What’s New? message (below), a number of updates are already available.

    The Library Pickup Service which premiered in July for faculty, staff and graduate students, has been expanded to all current Brock undergraduates!

    Earlier this summer the Brock News reported on the Pickup Service and explained a little about the process. If you are interested in requesting books from our collection (which aren’t available online), the process is straightforward. Simply sign-in with your Brock credentials to Omni, the Library’s database, search for the item you want and click the ‘Request for pickup’ link. When your book is ready, you’ll receive an email with information about pickup logistics. You can learn more about the service and eligible items on the Library Services and Resources Amid COVID-19 page.

    The Map, Data & GIS Library is pleased to announce that atlases and books in their collection are also eligible for the Pickup Service. As the MDGL will remain closed for the fall term, returning items is not necessary. However, if you want to return Map books and atlases, please use the drop box in the Schmon Tower lobby. A 7 day quarantine period is in place before books are checked in.

    In coordination with the Digital Scholarship Lab, a number of “hands-on” ArcGIS Online workshops are accessible to anyone with a computer and an internet connection. We utilize ZOOM technology to offer these workshops and registration is via ExperienceBU.

    Pop back to our website and check our Social Media channels as, no doubt, we’ll soon have more good news to share.

    FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2020

    What’s new? We’re so glad you asked. Our team has been hard at work refining Library online services and supports to serve you. We encourage you to keep up with changes to our usual services and resources by reading our Library Services and Resources Amid COVID-19 webpage.

    If you are new to Brock – in any capacity, we invite you to peruse our Discover Your Library orientation site.

    Over the summer, Access Services staff developed and rolled out a print materials pickup service to instructors, graduate students and post doctoral researchers. Keep an eye on our website for details about the expansion of this service to additional user groups this term.

    While not brand new, we are pleased to announce the library scanning service has resumed. Open to all in the Brock community, making a request for a pdf scan of a chapter from a print book or journal article is easier than ever. Learn more about requesting a scan via Omni.

    Instructors at Brock are now able to self-upload their course reserve readings to Ares. Step-by-step instructions as well as video demonstrations are available for faculty interested in trying this out.

    When the Brock University Smart Start Team moved their programming online, we followed suit and offered our Top 10 Tips for new students. As orientation continues, all Library extra-curricular learning opportunities are posted on ExperienceBU. Among the myriad listings, we invite you to embark on your own Library Quest, take a mid-week Library Yoga break, develop your citation management competencies with Zotero, and get introduced to Vector Design for CNC.

    Brock University Library is now a member partner of HathiTrust and has signed onto its Emergency Temporary Access Service (ETAS). ETAS provides electronic read-only access to approximately 30% of our in-copyright print collections. In addition, over 4 million worldwide public domain items already accessible in HT. The service is available to all current Brock University faculty, students, and staff. Learn more.

    For the immediate future, the Archives & Special Collections is closed to the public. However, the staff of the Archives is still working.  Direct any questions or needs to archives@brocku.ca.  They will do their best to assist you.  You can also find many of their digitized materials in the Brock University Digital Repository.

    During the pandemic, Archives staff have been creating digital exhibits featuring some of the collections and records that we have in the Archives.  See some of the rich history that we have in our collections.

    In March, the Archives and Digital Scholarship Lab Teams started to collect stories, questions/answers, photos, videos, and other materials that chronicle the pandemic in the Niagara area.  To contribute to this project and have your experiences and thoughts preserved into the future, go to our COVID-19 in Niagara website and add your stories.

    The Digital Scholarship Lab in conjunction with the Map, Data & GIS Library invite you to learn from their expertise with their Fall Workshop Series. In addition, both the DSL and MDGL invite you to get ‘hands-on’ by plotting your hometown and entering the Data Visualization Contest.

    Our Makerspace Team invite you to take a virtual tour of their new facilities. Workshops will continue online for the fall term and their website features a new FAQ.

    Stay up-to-date by keeping an eye on the website and our social media channels – Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for any changes or expansion in services as the term progresses.

    The Library Team wish you all the best for a successful start to the fall term.

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