Articles tagged with: Faculty

  • GIS Day coming November 20th

    Wednesday, October 30, 2024 | By

    Aerial photo of grasslands

    Wednesday, November 20th marks a special day in the geography world as we gear up to celebrate GIS! Geographic Information Systems (GIS) combines software, hardware, data and people to create, analyze and disseminate geospatial data and ideas around where and why things happen as they do.

    Join us this year to learn more about GIS including ArcGIS Online Analysis tools and the Esri Site License. The Map, Data & GIS Library is hosting a few online and in-person events including:

    Wednesday, November 20, 2024

    9:00-9:30 a.m.: ArcGIS Site License Q&A: This brief Question & Answer session will offer an informative conversation about the Esri educational site license. Esri is the producer of the ArcGIS suite of products including ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, Esri CityEngine and more! Come with your questions, leave with some answers and guidance. Registration suggested but not required. https://experiencebu.brocku.ca/event/269153 (This is an online event).

    10:00-11:30 a.m. Vector Analysis in ArcGIS Online: This hands-on workshop introduces attendees to this popular modern GIS while answering questions about the distribution of childcare centres, infant capacity, drive-time analysis, polygon enrichment (demographic data from Environics) and more! Registration is strongly recommended but experience with the software is not required. https://experiencebu.brocku.ca/event/269156 (This is an online event).

    12:00-1:00 p.m. Pizza and Cake in the MDGL: Join the Tourism and Geography Society for lunch in the MDGL where anyone can buy a slice of pizza and partake of the infamous GIS Day cake (free)!

    Visit the ArcGIS Storymap https://arcg.is/0uPbPK for more details.

    GIS Day is an annual event that celebrates Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and its impact on society. It typically takes place on the third Wednesday of November during Geography Awareness Week. The day provides an opportunity for GIS professionals, educators, students, and enthusiasts to showcase how GIS is used in various fields like environmental management, urban planning, disaster response, and more. GIS Day was first observed in 1999, initiated by Esri, a prominent GIS software company, as a way to promote GIS technology and its potential to solve real-world problems. Events held on GIS Day often include workshops, presentations, map demonstrations, and educational activities aimed at raising awareness about the benefits of GIS and inspiring new users to explore its possibilities.

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    Categories: Main, MDGL

  • Who’s behind the Ask Us desk

    Thursday, September 12, 2024 | By

    The Ask Us desk is your main stop in the Matheson Learning Commons, and is staffed by the User Services & Engagement department. Services at the desk include retrieving course reserves, borrowing resources, lending wellness items, and much more.

    There are several teams working behind the scenes:

    • Course Readings; we help you with access to high-demand course materials in a variety of formats at no cost to students.
    • Engagement and Outreach; we connect you to library resources through events, displays, and partnerships.
    • Interlibrary Loan; we support your borrowing requests by sourcing items from other libraries around the world.

    Learn more about how we can help you by visiting the Use the Library page.

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    Categories: Learning Commons, Main

  • Library Survey Findings & Next Steps

    Wednesday, June 26, 2024 | By

    You spoke. We listened.

    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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    Categories: Main

  • Return and Retrieval Services for IRC Materials

    Wednesday, May 15, 2024 | By

    Several shelves full of library books.

    The Library has established return and retrieval services for materials held in the Faculty of Education’s Instructional Resource Centre (IRC) on the St. Catharines Campus. The materials housed in the IRC are not physically browsable at this time but can be requested on demand. 

    Returning IRC materials 

    All returns can be brought to the Ask Us desk on the main floor of the James A. Gibson Library.  

    Requesting retrieval of IRC materials 

    Materials previously labelled with the IRC location in Omni are now identified as “Request-Only Storage”.   

    To borrow these materials, use the ‘Request for Pickup’ button (see below) and Library staff will retrieve the item for you. You will receive a notification when the item is available for pickup at the Ask Us desk in the James A. Gibson Library. We anticipate the turnaround time to be approximately 2 business days.

    Below is a screenshot of how to place a request in Omni:

    An Omni catalogue record for a Request-Only Storage item. A purple arrow points to the red Request for Pickup button.

    An Omni catalogue record for a Request-Only Storage item. A purple arrow points to the red Request for Pickup button.

    We welcome your feedback and appreciate your patience as we navigate this transition.  

    The Library will be working in collaboration with the Faculty of Education over the coming months on a project that includes an assessment of IRC materials, and a plan for integrating these into the James A. Gibson collection.  

    Questions? Contact us at libhelp@brocku.ca

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    Categories: Main

  • Exhibit: The Mother of all Game Jams

    Wednesday, April 10, 2024 | By

    Board Games from the Mother of all Game Jams are on display

    At the end of February, the Department of Digital Humanities hosted “The Mother of All Game Jams,” a two-day game design workshop open to both community members as well as Brock students, staff, and faculty where participants were asked to design games on the theme of motherhood, mothering, and maternal identity. Organized by Dr. Sarah Stang, and facilitated by the Library’s Makerspace, this event was designed to push back against the idea that moms don’t play or make games and to explore what it means to be a mother through game design.

    On May 11 – Mother’s Day weekend – the games will be showcased at the St. Catharines Public Library in a drop-in, family friendly event held in the Mills Room from 10am-4pm. Come check them out!

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    Categories: Featured Collections, Learning Commons, Makerspace

  • Thank you for your feedback

    Monday, January 15, 2024 | By

    Five speech bubbles on a background of numbers and graphs

    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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    Categories: Main

  • Instructors encouraged to submit fall term reading lists soon

    Tuesday, July 11, 2023 | By

    A woman works at a desk next to a window. Documents and highlighted books are spread out in front of her.

    Reserve request processing for the fall term is underway at Brock University Library. Beat the rush and ensure your students have timely access to their fall course materials. We encourage you to submit reading lists as soon as possible. Ideally by early to mid-August.  

    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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    Categories: Main

  • Faculty course reading lists required for the spring term

    Tuesday, April 04, 2023 | By

    A woman works on a laptop and holds documents in her hand

    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.

    Note: Effective Spring Term 2023, the Library’s Course Readings & Reserves system (Ares) will only connect with Brightspace courses. Connection between Ares and Sakai courses will no longer be available.

    Questions? reserve@brocku.ca

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    Categories: 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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    Categories: Main

  • Contribute to a delicious data visualization

    Friday, October 21, 2022 | By

    a plain sheet cake with a map location marker

    GIS Day events return in-person this year after a two-year hiatus. In addition to quizzes, learning and laughter, a key part of the annual tradition at Brock is a GIS Day cake.

    Submit one of your map creations (in JPEG format) to Sharon Janzen, Map Library Associate and Geospatial Data Coordinator, for a chance to have it featured on this year’s cake.

    Contribute your JPEG to sjanzen@brocku.ca by November 9, 2022.

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    Categories: Main, MDGL

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