Articles tagged with: Our Collections

• Brock Library Now and Then

  Sunday, August 25, 2024 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  As part of Brock University’s 60th anniversary celebrations, we present Brock Library Now and Then, a treasure trove of photos showing the development of the Brock University Library and the generations of students who studied here.

  Reminisce in-person by scanning the QR codes located on posters in the Matheson Learning Commons (main floor or the Library), Floor 5, and in the Map, Data, & GIS Library. For those unable to visit in person, navigate to Brock Library Now and Then exhibit online.

  Most of the images are from the University photo collection held in the Archives and Special Collections. We thank Archives staff for their contributions to this exhibit, and invite you to delve further into Brock University history and lore at the Pop-Up Archives event during this year’s very special Homecoming Skyline Celebration.

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Brock 60th, display, Our Collections
  Categories: Featured Collections, Learning Commons

• Dark Tourism

  Tuesday, July 30, 2024 | By Amanda Emery

  

  Our August Featured Collection delves into the darker side of tourism, exploring why people choose to visit places associated with tragedy, death, or disaster. “Dark Tourism” is a long-time practice and some scholars describe it as an opportunity to engage with history and gather a deeper understanding of events that occurred in specific locations.

  Read about the preservation of cultural and natural heritage in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, where Ukraine is transforming the site into a tourism attraction. Consider the term social memory and explore collective remembrance of the Holocaust through the visitation of Holocaust memorials and museums.

  These books cover a variety of sites such as: Fukushima, war memorials, concentration camps, catacombs, penitentiaries, and natural disaster sites like Pompeii.

  You can browse the collection by visiting the display next to the Ask Us desk or view the e-books online.

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

• Olympic & Paralympic Games 2024

  Wednesday, July 24, 2024 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  As thousands of athletes gather to compete in Paris this week, Brock Library presents an extra thematic collection this month: 2024 Olympics. Featuring print and e-book titles as well as Olympic and sport-related films, the collection takes an inter-disciplinary approach to the world-wide sporting extravaganza.

  Of note: The Olympic Sports Economy and Circus Maximus consider the economic impacts of mega sporting events on host countries.

  Individual athletes are profiled in titles such as Playing the Long Game by Canadian soccer star Christine Sinclair, and The Greatest Athlete (You’ve Never Heard of): Canada’s First Olympic Gold Medalist, George Washington Orton.

  The 2024 Olympics featured collection is accompanied by a display of Olympic trivia and posters at the Thistle entrance to the Learning Commons.

  Browse, borrow and enjoy in between catching your favourite events.

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

• Canadian Reads

  Tuesday, July 02, 2024 | By Amanda Emery

  

  Explore July’s curated collection of books and e-books, Canadian Reads, and delve into the print world of Canadiana.

  Looking for a Canadian award-winning fiction to read? The collection includes:

  • Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein, the 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize winner.
  • The Future by Catherine Leroux, the 2024 Canada Reads winner.
  • Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton, the 2023 Canada Reads winner.
  • Many other titles from the shortlist of both the Scotiabank Giller Prize and Canada Reads.

  Interested in educating yourself on contemporary issues in Canada? Try some of these reads:

  • Look into the desperate need for access to safe drinking water in Indigenous and rural communities in Canada.
  • Read about the history of reproductive justice in Canada.
  • Learn about small town Ontario as a popular literary trop in fiction.

  Browse the collection by visiting the display next to the Ask Us desk or view the e-books online.

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

• Disability Pride Month

  Thursday, June 27, 2024 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  July is Disability Pride Month.

  Take some time to explore this collection of titles in the fields of Mad Studies and Critical Disability Studies. Both fields have been instrumental in advancing the voices and knowledges of Mad and disabled persons to enact transformative change.

  “Disability is not only an identity, but also a community with a diverse culture all their own to be proud of and celebrated. Disability culture is about visibility and self-value. Disability Pride Month is a time for recognizing these facts and listening to people with disabilities.”

  From Ontario’s Bill 128 – “Disability Pride Month Act, 2023”

  Tags: Our Collections, Virtual Book Display
  Categories: Featured Collections, Learning Commons

• Library Survey Findings & Next Steps

  Wednesday, June 26, 2024 | By nnolan

  

  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

   

   

  Tags: Archives and Special Collections, Digital Scholarship Lab, Faculty, Feedback, Graduate students, Makerspace, MDGL, Our Collections, Research, Services, Staff, Students
  Categories: Main

• Unearthed Wonders: Exploring the World of Archaeology

  Wednesday, May 01, 2024 | By Amanda Emery

  

  As some of you set off for various archaeological practica this Spring Term, those of us at the Brock Library encourage students, staff, faculty, and community members to adventure between pages.

  Dig into the topic of archaeology and its interdisciplinary exploration of the ancient world in May’s Featured Collection. Learn about underwater archaeology and the amazing excavation campaigns of the ancient port of Amathus. Examine the use of physical anthropology on human remains in Sweden, uncovering information about The Viking Age.

  Browse this collection of virtual e-books online, or print books by visiting the physical display next to the Ask Us desk.

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

• Cosmic Reads

  Monday, April 01, 2024 | By Amanda Emery

  

  April 8, 2024 will mark an exciting celestial event as a total solar eclipse covers the sky over the Niagara region. As we celebrate this observation, Brock University has scheduled an afternoon of researchers, educators, and experts to deepen our understanding of the cosmos!

  Looking to do some learning of your own? Check out April’s Featured Collection of print books and virtual e-books to explore the universe beyond our planet. Cosmic Reads also features special subcollections dedicated to eclipse books, e-books, and films.

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

• Explore deep waters this March

  Friday, March 01, 2024 | By Amanda Emery

  

  Dive into Exploring Deep Waters, our latest collection of print and e-books.

  Advance your knowledge of oceanography with The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works. Learn the importance of watersheds and architecture through a design-research project with the Mekong, Mississippi, and Rhine river basins. Read expedition poems from Bronwyn Preece as she traverses into a remote area of Northern B.C. and journeys along rising rivers.

  From droughts to floods, Pacific to Atlantic, shoreline to tap, explore all of the ways water plays a role in our world.

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

• Red Dress Day

  Thursday, February 08, 2024 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Brock’s Hadiya’dagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre and the Office of the Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement are hosting the Legacy of Hope Foundation’s interactive four-piece Waniskahtan exhibit in the Rankin Family Pavilion, February 5 to March 6. The exhibit is designed to educate and create greater awareness about the high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in order to commemorate them and to prevent future occurrences. The exhibit coincides with events taking place at Brock to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Gender Minorities on REDress Day, Wednesday, February 14.

  Brock Library’s Honouring Indigenous Women and Girls featured collection, first curated in September, 2023, includes fiction and non-fiction as well as documentaries which tell stories of survival and resilience that act to support and educate. Browse these titles and explore more at the Indigenous Collection in the Learning Commons.

   

  Tags: Indigenous Collection, Our Collections
  Categories: Featured Collections, Learning Commons