Planning for Fall? It’s a Great Time to Incorporate Our Supports

Spring is often the time to update course content and plan for fall, and it’s also a great time to incorporate supports offered by Library and Academic Services. In this article, we highlight popular ways we can help you and your students succeed at RRC Polytech. For future reference, we encourage you to bookmark our Faculty Support page which contains links to the complete range of services and supports we offer. 

In-Class Workshops

The Academic Success Centre and Library offer online in-class workshops for student cohorts at the request of faculty. Our suite of workshops includes Academic Skills, Writing Skills, Technology Literacy Skills, Library Instruction, and Copyright.

To request an in-class workshop, please click the links below:

• Academic Skills Workshops
• Writing Workshops
• Technology Literacy Workshops
• Library Instruction Workshops
• Copyright Workshops
• Hybrid LEARNing Modules – Facilitated Sessions

Hybrid LEARNing Modules

The Academic Success Centre and Library have developed a suite of Hybrid LEARNing Modules. The purpose of these modules is to offer learning strategies and resources that faculty can share with their students to further develop foundational skills for success in their studies. The modules feature self-directed tutorials in LEARN and facilitated live sessions via Webex (or MS Teams).

To request a Hybrid LEARNing Module or book a facilitated live session, please fill out this Request Form.

Academic Success Centre

While the ASC is primarily a student service unit, our staff have found that partnerships with faculty are the best way to support students. Partnerships can take many forms, including customized and embedded academic supports in programs, in-class workshops, diagnostic assessments, and the sharing of our learning resources.

To learn more, visit the Academic Success Centre’s Supports for Faculty and Staff page.

Library Collections and Related Services

Suggest a Purchase

The primary purpose of the Library’s collections is to support learning, instruction and research at RRC Polytech. If you have suggestions for a new title or resource to add to our collection, you may fill out the Suggest a Purchase form. Our subject specialists are available to discuss subject area gaps in the collection as well as Open Educational Resources (OER) options with you.  

Guides

The Library’s Guides are curated lists of resources on specialized topics. We can help you find which guides are most relevant for your students or work with you to develop a new Guide to meet your needs. The benefits of Guides are far-reaching for both students and instructors. Below are a few success stories resulting from instructors utilizing Guides.

Guide Success Stories

• Library staff member works with instructors to create a “robust resource” for Engineering Technology students
• Oncology Nursing Guide: A Collaboration
• Nursing Instructors Discuss Benefits of Library Guides

Research and Reference Services

Also, you may be looking for information, either for your own research needs, course development, or course readings. Library staff are skilled at locating and referencing information, and it would be a pleasure to assist with that. To connect with a Library staff member, visit us in person or through our Ask Us chat during regular Library hours.

Copyright

Copyright plays an important role when instructors are building content and creating course materials. Our P7 Policy provides guidance around copying but there is also a suite of library-directed copyright services to support and assist faculty in navigating copyright.

The Library’s Copyright Officer supports faculty with the following services:

You can:

• Check your copying decisions against our policy using our self-serve Fair Dealing Tool.
• Learn more about Copyright by Visiting our Copyright Resource Page.
• Find Images that you can use for teaching and instruction in our Open Image Collections & Image Use Guide.
• Book Copyright instruction for your department or students
• Contact the Copyright Officer with questions, or to request services and support.

Connect with Us!

More information about our services and supports is available on our website. You may also connect with us through Ask Us chat, our Ask a Question form, or visit one of our service desks during regular Library hours.

Written by Ebony Novakowski, Linda Fox, and Melissa Coyle – Library and Academic Services

Acoustic noise-reducing pod provides quiet haven in open offices and common spaces. Demo available for a limited time in the NDC Library!

An adaptable, modular pod

As we prepare to come back to campus and are looking to navigate blended learning and the continuation of connecting virtually, both instructors and support staff are looking to complement their spaces with areas for private meetings and concentrated, independent work.  

An adaptable modular “pod” provides a quiet, private, and comfortable meeting space in the office. Spaces like these can offer options for private meetings or video conferencing, webinars, heads down work, private phone calls or a place to meet with students. The “pods” can come in many sizes with different options to suit the function you are looking for. Campus Renewal is exploring the Hush Hybrid and the Hush Meet options. The demo we have on site is a smaller version of this the Hush Phone.  

We want your opinion!

For a limited time only, a demo pod will be available in the Notre Dame Campus Library. Campus Renewal is exploring this new Space Type and wants to hear from you! Come visit and tell us what you think.

If you have questions, or, you and your team would like to arrange a meeting to see and discuss the booth, feel free to reach out to Lisa Kirton. The demo can also be viewed at your own convenience during Library hours.

More News! Newly Sprung this Spring at the Notre Dame Campus: “In-Between Spaces”

Campus Renewal recently installed two “In-Between Spaces,” which provide a welcoming space for students to hang out, do some work, and charge their devices (power coming to the spaces soon!).

These modern spaces add aesthetic appeal yet is also functional in providing students with a comfortable space to relax and “recharge.” These new spaces are located in the Mall Level at the bottom of the bus loop and in the J Building at the Notre Dame Campus.

Written by Linda Fox (Library and Academic Services) and Lisa Kirton (Campus Renewal)

Students from a range of college programs were asked to share their thoughts on the tutoring and coaching supports they’ve received from the Academic Success Centre since making the move to online bookings.

Watch this short video to hear what they had to say:

The Academic Success Centre will continue to offer online tutoring and academic coaching via Webex and MS Teams this term to help students with course content, study skills, writing assignments, and English as an Additional Language support.

For more information or to book an appointment with a tutor or academic coach, visit our webpage or contact tutoring@rrc.ca.

“World book and copyright day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the scope of books – a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures.”[i]

“By championing books and copyright, UNESCO stands up for creativity, diversity and equal access to knowledge,… literacy and mobile learning and advancing Open Access to scientific knowledge and educational resources.”[ii]

World book and copyright day takes place 23 April which is a symbolic date in world literature. It is the date on which several prominent authors, William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. The day highlights the importance of creator and creator rights in the creation of literature. Without authors, editors, researchers, and scientists, and creators, brilliant works that inspire us across the generations would not come to exist.

Being aware of your responsibility when engaging with copyright protected works is a key part of respecting the work of authors and creators. This is why at RRC Poly Tech we have a Fair Dealing Tool to assist staff, faculty and students in making sound copyright decisions to ensure the rights of creators are respected when using copyright protected works to teach and learn, while ensuring compliance with our Copyright Policy.

The RRC Polytech Library supports the rights of content creators under the Copyright Act of Canada. Our acquisitions budget directly purchases materials and subscriptions to resources for use by our faculty and students.

UNESCO in championing world book and copyright day indicate a strong importance between the balance of creator and user rights under copyright. They highlight their desire for “equal access to knowledge” and “Open Access to scientific knowledge and educational resources.” At the RRC Poly tech library we do our part by supporting our staff and faculty in locating and adopting Open Educational Resources. Visit our “OER” support page to see how Open Education can work for you.

In the quest to provide equal access to knowledge we recognize that successful copyright means effectively balancing the rights of users and content creators. Libraries in Canada have stood united in opposition to the CUSMA term extension which will delay access to a large body of copyright-protected works that have no commercial value and are therefore unlikely to be made available to the Canadian public by rightsholders.

This 20 year term extension extends the rights of creators beyond the current term of which a work remains in copyright. Currently materials once created are protected under copyright for the life of the creator, plus 50 years after death of the creator. The extension will extend this to 70 years past the death of the creator.

“The two biggest issues for libraries concerning the 20-year copyright term extension are:

• the diminishment of the public domain resulting from a two-decade freeze on many works entering it, and;
• the related problems regarding use of (or access to) orphan and out-of-commerce works, which create additional burdens on libraries, archives, and museums (LAMs)”[iii]

To learn more about how Copyright Term extension will impact teachers and students check out:
Episode 78: Jennifer Jenkins on What Copyright Term Extension Could Mean for Canada

If you have questions about copyright reach out to our copyright officer for support.

Written by Ebony Novakowski, Copyright Officer

————————————————————————————————————

[i] “World Book and Copyright Day”, Unesco, last modified April 23, 2021, https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/worldbookday

[ii] “World Book and Copyright Day”, Unesco, last modified April 23, 2021, https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/worldbookday

[iii] “CFLA/CARL Joint Response to Consultation on Copyright Term Extension”, CFLA FCAB Guidelines and Position Papers, last modified March 29, 2021, http://cfla-fcab.ca/en/guidelines-and-position-papers/

A picture may be worth a thousand words but is it worth a copyright infringement?

While in some cases it may be fair for Research, Education and/or Private Study to copy images, it is important to remember that most images are protected by copyright.

Students and Instructors often use images as part of creating course content and completing assignments, in doing so they have a responsibility to act under copyright policy at RRC Polytech. In this  day and age people are willing to legally debate who owns a money selfie. Check out the video for more details on how a monkey sparked debate in the copyright world.

The Good:
There is a lot of content online intended to be reused.

The Bad:
There is a lot of content that isn’t intended to be reused and legally requires permission, and/or payment if you want to use it.

The Ugly:
It can be hard to tell what you can and can’t use and when you are getting yourself into copyright trouble.

How do we navigate copyright as students and educators when using images for education?

The library is here to help. Check out the Open Image Collections & Image Use Guide that can point you in the direction of images that are free to use, or have creative commons licenses, or general terms of use that allow reuse. This guide will also help you understand how to attribute images and connect you to resources about image citation in various styles.

How do we know if we can use an image?

Open Images are images that have an open license such as Creative Commons or that have fallen into the Public Domain that others can use in their creative works and/or in support of education.

“Check out the Open Image Collections & Image Use Guide“

Why do we need to know about open images?

When an image is created it is automatically protected by copyright, the creator of the image is automatically the copyright holder of that work. Unless the copyright is transferred under an employment agreement or the image rights are sold. This means that unless image creators or rights holders specifically indicate that individuals are able to use their content only the image creator or rights holder themselves has the exclusive rights to distribute, reproduce, create a derivative work (creating a ppt presentation or digitally editing the image), telecommunicate, or publish the image.

Why do we need to know about Copyright when using images?

The current way copyright works images, inclusive of images on the internet, and google images, is that images (or any copyright materials) “belong” to the individuals, organizations, and companies that create or own them. In most cases legally you need to ask permission when you use them, OR use them by the terms and conditions, or licenses that the creator, company, or organization has expressed for use for the image. 

Creative commons licenses are one way creators can offset the automatic “all rights reserved.” approach of copyright and give you a clear indication of permissible ways you can use the work, and that is why we encourage the use of Creative Commons materials in education.

Want more information on how Creative Commons works?
Check out this video and Copy responsibly.

Written by Ebony Novakowski, Copyright Officer

Do you ever get overwhelmed when looking for materials in the Library’s collection? Do you feel clumsy about research, wish it was easier, or just need some guidance? If you answered yes, then our lunchtime mini-sessions are for you!

At Library Lunch and Learn, you’ll get an overview of subject-specific databases and learn ways to improve your research and citing skills. Each 30-minute online session is free for RRC Polytech staff and students!

Spring sessions run from March 29 to April 26. See below to learn about individual sessions and to register.

PART 1 – For Students Who Research and Cite

OneSearch: The Library’s Search Engine – March 29 at 12:15pm

The Library’s main search tool is similar to Google, however it is tailored to find materials in our Library. In this session, you will receive an overview of OneSearch, the tool that allows you to search, access, and enjoy the Library’s various collections.

Getting Started with Research* – March 31 at 12:15pm

This session provides the guidance you need for a solid start on your research. We provide an overview of various information sources, as well as the benefits and pitfalls of each. We also provide tips for staying organized and planning your project. At the end of this session, you will have a clearer idea of how to start your research.

*Related session: Enhancing Your Research Skills

Getting Started with APA Style 7^th Edition – April 4 at 12:15pm

A post-secondary student’s first time following any academic writing style can, at first, feel scary and overwhelming. But don’t worry, the RRC Polytech Library is here to help you get ready to use APA confidently and competently.

This session will introduce you to the purpose and basic conventions of citing sources in-text and in a reference list using the APA Style 7th Edition. It will also include a demonstration of the many student-friendly APA resources available through RRC Polytech Library.

Enhancing Your Research Skills* – April 7 at 12:15pm

When it comes to research, many of us struggle with creating keywords and building them into useful search strategies. After this session, you will be familiar with how to break down your search question, find keywords, and use operators to create useful search strategies. These are essential skills which enable you to succeed in your research.

*Related session: Getting Started with Research

RefWorks: Reference Management – April 12 at 12:15pm

RefWorks simplifies the process of research, collaboration, data organization, and writing by providing an easy-to-use tool for citation, bibliography, and reference management. Learn the basics of using this web-based tool and make writing your papers that much easier.

PART 2 – For Nursing Students

Nursing Reference Center Plus – April 19 at 12:15pm

Designed specifically for nurses, this premier resource provides evidence-based information for point-of-care, along with skills videos, continuing education, drug databases, nursing research, and more. Come learn what the new Nursing Reference Center (NRC) PLUS can do for you.

The New PubMed – April 26 at 12:15pm

PubMed is an open-access database, created by the National Library of Medicine, that contains more than 30 million citations and abstracts of peer-reviewed biomedical literature. PubMed is used by researchers the world over. In this session, we will explore the multiple facets of the popular PubMed database.

Have questions?

Connect with us through ‘Ask Us’ at library.rrc.ca or visit us in person during regular Library hours. Our friendly staff will be happy to assist you!

Written by Linda Fox, Program Support and Promotion

The last couple of years has seen a transformation in education and teaching techniques. The transition to largely online learning saw many educators quickly having to relearn how to deliver and rewrite their course content to match. Not all course materials and delivery methods transitioned easily to an online delivery model, and everyone had to work double-time developing new content, and searching out alternative materials. Throughout, Open Education Resource’s (OER’s) made this job easier, and lot more affordable, both institutionally, and for students.

OER’s. Applaud them. They are the real MVP’s. Going out there every day, offering themselves up to be reviewed, taken apart, and reassembled – within the limits of what their creative commons licenses stipulate, of course – all to meet so many different needs and applications, and asking almost nothing in return… well, maybe attribution (see how to use OER’s correctly.)

If you have never used an OER (as unlikely as that seems) find out about them today. It’s Open Education Week and there are lots of great open-access online resources to learn about and adopt. A great place to start learning about OER’s is the RRC Polytech Libraries OER Guide

OER’s come in all shapes and sizes, for every education level, but it is important to know where to find ones that are open access, copyright free, and fit your curricular needs.

In recognition of Open Education week, here is a list of just some of the many great OER resources available online.

Textbooks

• Textbook (eBook) Open Resources For Nursing (Open Rn) Nursing Fundamentals
• Textbook (eBook) Open Resources For Nursing (Open Rn) Nursing Skills

Open Textbook Repositories in Canada

• BCcampus: Open Textbook Collection
• eCampusOntario: Open Library
• Manitoba Open Textbook Initiative

Learning Resource Repositories

• Sol*r: Shareable Online Learning Resources
• Skills Commons
• MIT Open Courseware

Search Tools

• The Mason OER Metafinder (MOM)
• Openly Available Sources Integrated Search (OASIS) This tool will simultaneously search 44 different open content sources.

Need a process for evaluating whether an OER resource is appropriate for your purpose? Try this OER Evaluation Checklist adapted from Kirkwood Community College Library.

When using OER’s, it’s important to know how to identify licenses and credit appropriately, but don’t let that intimidate you. You can easily learn all about creative commons licenses and how to use OER’s correctly.

Still feeling lost on how to use something you found online? Did you know that Red River College Polytech Library and Academic Services has a Copyright Officer? Ebony Novakowski, is your copyright expert on using all forms of media on LEARN, in presentations, and more! You can find out even more on the Libraries copyright page.

Artemis Hedrich
Reference Technician
Library and Academic Services, Information & Program Delivery
Red River College Polytechnic

Image credit: freepik.com, Electrical neon ‘open’ signage Free Psd

Starting March 7th, the Academic Success Centre (LAS) is kicking off it’s second Motivation Mondays workshop series of the term! We’ve scheduled six new interactive 30-minute workshops – bright and early – to support students in finishing their Winter term strong.

Our facilitators will provide students with active learning strategies and tools to enhance their academic success and pose discussion questions to encourage self-reflection and goal setting for the remainder of the term.

Students can pre-register by clicking the links below:

Nursing Reference Center Plus isn’t your typical reference database. Instead, it is an evidence-based, point-of-care information resource. Unlike UpToDate, it is designed specifically for nurses.

Nursing Reference Center Plus has many unique features. For example, you can use NRC+ to:

• Access Evidence-Based Care sheets, Care Plans and Quick Lessons on diseases and conditions
• Read clinical papers and access competency checklists on skills and procedures
• Find Cultural Competency documents that cover key considerations in providing culturally competent care to specific groups
• Search two trusted drug collections simultaneously for monographs and drug-related topics
• Catch up on the latest in essential nursing leadership and management topics such as assessing competencies, developing leadership skills and succession planning, fostering employees, organizational change, Interprofessionalism and more
• Learn more with interactive learning continuing education (CE) modules
• Access research instruments and scales
• Quickly refer to thousands of eBooks
• Access printable, easy-to-read patient education handouts
• Find images of conditions
• Watch skills videos that demonstrate procedures
• Access NRC+ on the go with the mobile app

Did you think we already had all of that? Not quite.

The Library recently upgraded its Nursing Reference Center databases subscription to Plus. So, why is this a big deal? Here are a few of the advantages of Plus:

“Sounds awesome; how do I learn more,” you ask? Let me show you!

Library Guide

The Nursing Reference Center Plus Guide(https://library.rrc.ca/NRC-PLUS) is chock-full of screenshots and clear instructions to guide you through everything you need to know to master using this database.

Would you prefer to watch a 30-minute lecture?

Lunch & Learn Live Webinars

Join us for our next Nursing Reference Centre PLUS (database) webinar in May 2022 to see the database in action. We will spend 30 minutes exploring the different facets of what makes this database unique, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Registration and more information

Can’t wait until May?

Recorded Lunch & Learn Webinars

Our recorded webinars give you the best of both worlds with an accessible recorded video format on demand. In addition, the closed-captioned recording is only 19 minutes long.

We have also included the PowerPoint for the webinar for your convenience.

Still have questions?

Send me a message, I would be happy to answer your questions or set up a one-on-one tutorial.

(Instructors, feel free to link to any of these resources in your LEARN content.)

Related Guides and Library Lunch & Learn

For more information, please contact Rosemary Woodby, Reference Technician

It’s Freedom to Read Week and libraries across Canada are talking about intellectual freedom.

What is Freedom to Read week about? It’s about protecting intellectual freedom, access to information, and freedom of expression.

This year, Freedom to Read week falls during a time when the persistent controversy in the southern states around LGBTT+ literature is upsurging and making headlines, with many books being challenged, banned, and removed from school libraries. It’s important, even in Canada, to remember that book banning, and the oppression of free expression are not issues of the past, that they are ongoing, global issues.

Please take advantage of the Libraries collections this Freedom to Read Week and celebrate your freedom to express and share ideas with others.

Gender & sexuality : Canadian history through the stories of activists

Gender and Sexuality unearths a diverse spectrum of struggle through the accounts of longstanding activists and social movements participants.

Main Stacks NDC HQ 73.3 .C3 N45 2012

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Trans (but Were Afraid to Ask)

Leading activist and essayist Brynn Tannehill tells you everything you ever wanted to know about transgender issues but were afraid to ask.

EBook, Available online

Queer Africa: New and Collected Fiction

Queer Africa is a collection of unapologetic, tangled, tender, funny, bruising and brilliant stories about the many ways in which we love each other on the continent In these unafraid stories of intimacy.

Ebook, Available Online

Out proud : stories of pride, courage, and social justice

Produced in partnership with Egale Canada Human Rights Trust, Out Proud: Stories of Pride, Courage, and Social Justice is the second in a series of essay anthologies designed to give attention to issues that are sometimes ignored in the mainstream media–and a voice to those most closely affected by them.

Main Stacks NDC HQ 73.3 .C3 O88 2014

Prairie fairies : a history of queer communities and people in western Canada, 1930-1985

Prairie Fairies draws upon a wealth of oral, archival, and cultural histories to recover the experiences of queer urban and rural people in the prairies. 

Main Stacks EDC HQ 73.3 .C2 P735 2018
Ebook, Available Online

Trans People in Higher Education

While more trans students, faculty, and staff have come out on US college campuses today than ever before, many still report enduring harassment and discrimination.

Ebook, Available Online

LGBTQAI+ Books for Children and Teens : providing a window for all

This resource gives school librarians, children’s, and YA librarians the guidance and tools they need to confidently share these books with the patrons they support.

Ebook, Available Online

This year the College launched the new Gender and Sexual Identities: Advancing Understanding and Inclusion Training for RRC Polytech employees.

“This self-directed training aims to enhance Red River College Polytechnic employees’ understanding of gender and sexual diversity identities, and provide strategies for advancing inclusion.”

Libraries are responsible to provide and protect access to information, even those ideas and materials considered controversial or distasteful to some. CFLA FCAB Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries

Written by Artemis Hedrich, Reference Technician