Articles tagged with: Services

• Temporary Service Adjustments, March 25-April 5

  Thursday, March 25, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  In response to Brock University moving into Stage 1 of the University’s Response and Recovery plan, the Library is adjusting its in-person services.

  During this period, bookable study space will not be available.

  The book pickup service will continue, but with shortened hours and a new contactless model. The new hours for pickup are Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 10am-2pm. Upon arrival for pickup and after screening by campus security, please come to our Book Pickup table just outside the entrance of the library. Give us a call at 905-688-5550 x4583 to let us know you have arrived, and Library staff will bring your books out to you. Full instructions will be provided to you over email when your items are ready for pickup.

  Online library services such as scanning requests and Hathi Trust are unaffected by the shutdown. We will continue to support access to the information you need for your research and teaching.

  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at libhelp@brocku.ca

  Tags: Faculty, Services, Staff, Students
  Categories: Main

• Instructors encouraged to submit spring term reading lists soon

  Friday, March 12, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Reserve request processing for the spring term is underway at Brock University Library.

  To ensure your students have access to their spring course materials, we encourage you to submit reading lists by March 29, 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. 

  An important consideration: print reserve materials remain unavailable for spring 2021 courses.

  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, Graduate students, Services
  Categories: Main

• Expansion to services coming March 8

  Friday, March 05, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Starting Monday, the Library will expand book pickup hours and resume offering bookable study spaces for students. Please note that current public health restrictions limit us to ten (10) bookable study spaces.

  This service expansion is in alignment with Brock shifting into Stage 2 of the university’s COVID-19 response framework.

  Questions? libhelp@brocku.ca

  Tags: Services, Students
  Categories: Main

• Interlibrary Loans resuming March 8th

  Thursday, February 25, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Brock University Library will resume its Interlibrary Loan (ILL)/RACER service for physical books starting Monday, March 8th. Brock is joining a growing number of Ontario universities restarting this shared, coordinated service. This expands on ILL service for electronic materials, which has continued throughout the pandemic.   

  We’re pleased to finally be able to provide this critical research support service, but the realities of COVID mean that users may see delays or cancelled requests. As a result, print Interlibrary Loans will be most useful for those engaged in long-term research, rather than those with an immediate need for materials.  

  What can you expect?  

  • Print requests may be unfilled or cancelled due to library location closures and restrictions on loaning physical copies.   
  • Turnaround times will be longer due to delays with couriers and Canada Post, materials quarantine requirements, and limited staff on-site across university partners to manage mail routes and lending.  

  Beyond ILL, we continue to support access to collections and resources through a variety of means including expanded access to digital collections (including HathiTrust) and scanning of our local print collections.  

   For the latest on how health and government guidelines affect Brock University Library services and access, visit our COVID-19 updates page. 

   

  Tags: Services
  Categories: Main

• New hours for Book Pickup Service

  Tuesday, February 23, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Brock Library is happy to announce expanded hours for our popular book pickup service.

  Pickup hours are now Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10am-2pm.

  Upon arrival for pickup and after screening by campus security, please come to our Book Pickup table just outside the entrance of the library. Give us a call at 905-688-5550 x4583 to let us know you have arrived, and Library staff will bring your books out to you. Full instructions will be provided to you over email when your items are ready for pickup.

  As Brock is in Stage 1 of the University’s Response and Recovery plan, bookable study space remains unavailable.

  Questions? libhelp@brocku.ca

  Tags: Services
  Categories: Main

• UPDATE: Library Service Adjustments During Provincewide Shutdown

  Friday, January 08, 2021 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  In response to Brock University moving into Stage 1 of the University’s Response and Recovery plan, the Library is adjusting its in-person services.

  During this period, bookable study space will not be available.

  The book pickup service will continue, but with shortened hours and a new contactless model. The new hours for pickup are Wednesday from 10am-2pm. Upon arrival for pickup and after screening by campus security, please come to our Book Pickup table just outside the entrance of the library. Give us a call at 905-688-5550 x4583 to let us know you have arrived, and Library staff will bring your books out to you. Full instructions will be provided to you over email when your items are ready for pickup.

  Online library services such as scanning requests and Hathi Trust are unaffected by the shutdown. We will continue to support access to the information you need for your research and teaching.

  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at libhelp@brocku.ca

  Tags: Faculty, Services, Staff, Students
  Categories: Main

• Exam resources from A-Z Services & the Library

  Friday, December 04, 2020 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  As we approach the end of term, the Library along with colleagues in A-Z Learning Services are keen to support Brock students who are 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.

  Students looking for quiet spaces to work are encouraged to book a single study spot in the Library. We will be open from 9 am-noon and 1-4 pm right up until December 24 at noon.

  Finally, if you could use a little motivation or reassurance, download our smartphone and desktop wallpapers.⬇️

  Smartphone wallpaper thumbnails (click for full size render and to download)

  

  Desktop wallpaper thumbnails (click for full size render and to download)

  

  Tags: Services, Students
  Categories: Main

• Faculty encouraged to submit winter term reading lists soon

  Friday, October 30, 2020 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  Reserve request processing for the winter term is underway at Brock University Library.

  To ensure your students have access to their winter course materials, we encourage you to submit reading lists by November 20, 2020.  

  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. 

  An important consideration: print reserve materials remain unavailable for winter 2021 courses.

  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.  

  Questions? reserve@brocku.ca

  Tags: Faculty, Graduate students, Services
  Categories: Main

• Bookable study space service launches September 28

  Thursday, September 24, 2020 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  As of September 28th, 45 bookable, physically-distanced, individual study spaces are available in the Matheson Learning Commons (Library main floor).

  Learn more.

  Make your booking.

  Tags: Services, Students
  Categories: Main

• What’s New? Version 2.0

  Thursday, September 10, 2020 | By Evelyn Smith

  

  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.

  Tags: Collections, Digital Scholarship Lab, Our Collections, Services, Students
  Categories: Main