Thank you to all of the staff and students who attended the virtual Long Night Against Procrastination on Wednesday, April 7, 2021. It was an encouraging evening, where students benefited from help desks, workshops, and wellness activities. The evening commenced with a Welcome Session in which Bettina Allen and Alan Chorney gave a quick tour of the event. Fred Meier gave a short speech, providing a dose of encouraging words and Elder Una said a blessing which set the tone for an uplifting evening.

A total of 54 students registered for the event. The most popular sessions were the Writing Help Desk hosted by Academic Success Centre, the Kahoot Game put on by RRCSA, and the workshop “Job Search: What Gets You Hired” presented by Student Employment Services. Congratulations go out to Riley Pritchard, who won the prize draw for a $20 gift card!

We have a few staff photos to share with you. As you can see, we had a lot of fun with virtual backgrounds!

To our students:

Our thoughts are with you, as you wrap up the term and set out to find employment and apply the skills you’ve acquired at RRC. We wish you opportunities that land within the paths of your dreams. Best of luck!

Tip 1: Our Website

Your key to accessing the online Library is the Library’s website. From academic supports and services to resources and news, this is the gateway to everything related to the Library. Click the button below to check it out.

Tip 2: Our Online Service Desk

Access our online service desk by clicking on the Ask Us bubble on the Library’s website. This begins a chat with a real person in real-time during regular Library hours. If you submit a question after hours, you will receive a response when the Library opens again. You may also browse common answers to our most popular questions here: Popular questions.

Tip 3: Our Digital Collection

Explore our digital resources with OneSearch, which is the tool that searches the entire Library collection. We have thousands and thousands of online resources that you may access 24/7.

Learn more about OneSearch >>

• OneSearch video
• OneSearch guide

Tip 4: Our Events Calendar

Check our Events Calendar for the latest workshops you may attend, including Library Lunch and Learn sessions.

Tip 5: Our Library Guides

Library Guides are a great starting point for exploring the Library’s collection. Guides are a collection of resources and links on a specific topic, gathered together by a Library professional. A good place to begin is with our Library 101 section, which will help you get the most out of your Library experience. Otherwise, you may search the guides or browse by subject. Guides can draw you to new and unexpected resources, leading you to explore information in greater detail.

Tip 6: Our COVID-19 FAQ

Have questions about service changes during the pandemic? For example, wondering if physical books may still be borrowed? Indeed, they can! This is the kind of information you’ll find on the COVID-19 FAQ page.

We’re Here for You!

The Library and Academic Success Centre’s number one goal is to help you succeed at Red River College. Through chat and virtual meetings, we will meet you WHEREVER you are during these difficult times!

What is Hygge?

Hygge. Pronounced “Hue-gah.” (n.) Danish. A mood of coziness and comfort with feelings of wellness and contentment.

Hygge is also the topic of a new series coming to RRC Library’s social media channels. Each week, we will feature online resources to help you rest, relax, and refocus this winter season. This collection is entirely online, available 24/7, and the link to each resource is provided below.

Follow us!

To learn about other fun series as well as service and programming updates, follow us! Click on the icons below to visit our pages.

Hygge with RRC Library Collection

50 ways to soothe yourself without food

A collection of mindfulness skills and practices for relaxing the body in times of stress and ending your dependence on eating as a means of coping with difficult emotions.

In this book we will explain why downtime is inadequate for helping us recharge our batteries, and present you with an effective alternative.

Dream design live

With stunning photography and accessible-yet-elegant tips, Dream Design Live fuses interior decorating advice with lifestyle recommendations and demonstrates how living a happy and satisfying life starts at home.

Gifts of imperfection: let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are

An engaging exploration of how we can cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough, and to go to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am sometimes afraid, but I am also brave. And, yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am worthy of love and belonging.

Happiness: the science behind your smile

This is the first book to comprehensively address the most basic of human desires. Everybody wants it. But what exactly is happiness?

Little ways to keep calm and carry on: twenty lessons for managing worry, anxiety, and fear

A psychologist, psychiatry professor, and anxiety researcher present twenty simple lessons that readers can use to relieve everyday anxiety on the spot and to develop resilience.

Make yourself cozy

Freshly baked bread. Cloud-like pillows. Lavender tea. Katie Vaz’s book on self-care shows readers how slow, cozy warmth can help them deal with the anxieties and challenges of everyday life.

Mindful learning: reduce stress and improve brain performance for effective learning

Practical insights and exercises on how to apply mindfulness in the educational setting, this book clearly sets out how we can manage stress, improve performance and create better communication and relationships.

Mindfulness for students

Through insightful ideas and personal anecdotes, this book will introduce you to the many benefits and applications of mindfulness – from mindful breathing, eating, exercising, sleeping, studying and communicating.

One pot comfort: make everyday meals in one pot, pan or appliance

An inspiring collection of everyday recipes for favorite comfort foods made in one pot, pan, or appliance.

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Open house : reinventing space for simple living

A sweeping behind-the-scenes perspective on home transformations, written in a personal, intimate style, with humor and honesty.

Recover from burnout: life lessons to regain your passion and purpose

Discover how to understand your burnout, recognize and engage with the underlying fears and beliefs that underpin your drive to push your body, mind and spirit to breaking point, change the beliefs and habits that have exhausted you, regain your energy and enthusiasm, and avoid falling back into the burnout traps.

Relax and enjoy life: 149 ultimate stress busters

149 stress-proofing ideas which are short and practical but can help you live the life you want to live …now.

Yes lives in the land of no: a tale of triumph over negativity

A how-to manual that’s both practical and entertaining. It will help you find the YESes you seek–faster, more effectively, and with a lot less discouragement and despair in the process.

We’d love to hear from you!

If you would like to suggest an idea for a future series, or have comments or questions for the Library, send us a message by clicking on Ask Us at library.rrc.ca.

Written by Linda Fox, Library Services

Guest post: Written by James Spencer, RRC Library and Information Technology student

2020: A year of transition for students and faculty alike

This year has been truly the likes of which none of us have ever seen before. It has been quite an adjustment for both RRC students and staff alike transitioning to this world of social distancing and online learning. As a faculty that serves both RRC staff and students, the RRC Library had to adapt on the fly as well.

As a Library and Information Technology program student at the Exchange District Campus, I was fortunate enough to spend two weeks with the RRC Library staff at the Notre Dame Campus for my work experience practicum. The experience was truly eye-opening, it has given me a unique perspective on how the RRC Library has adapted during this time of the global pandemic. Although we may not be able to see it in person like in the past, there is a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes at the RRC Library to make this transition as smooth as possible for the entire RRC family.

Cloud-based Library system made for an easy pivot to online

The cloud-based system ALMA, used by the RRC Library staff, has allowed for a quick pivot back to a relatively normal online library experience for RRC students. If library records and accounts were housed internally on the RRC computer system as they were prior to ALMA, there would be a noticeable backlog resulting in poor service for RRC patrons. It is this interconnectivity provided by ALMA amongst the numerous RRC Library services that has helped to maintain regularity for RRC students and staff during these uncertain times.

Although most RRC students might be unfamiliar ALMA, whenever we use the OneSearch database on the RRC Library website, we are using Primo, the sister system to ALMA. It is ALMA that connects RRC OneSearch users to several databases such as EBSCOhost, Academic Search Complete, and CINAHL to name a few. These databases provide RRC students the essential journal articles that are needed for their studies.

Chat service allows staff to provide assistance to users while they’re at home

Another essential for RRC Library users is a live chat service. You may have noticed this little chatbot as you first enter the RRC Library website. I know what you’re thinking, is this a robot? Sorry to burst your bubble but it is a dedicated RRC Library staff member ready to help RRC students with their reference needs. Due to the restrictions of the pandemic, this service is more valuable than ever before. Thanks to this service, RRC students can stay safe at home and have their reference needs satisfied all the while.

Although we may remain socially distant for the time being, if we remain open to adapting and interacting with each other just like ALMA and the numerous RRC Library services it provides, we can all get through these times and be better as an RRC family when we do return to normalcy.

Visit the Library – Online!

• ASK A QUESTION by clicking on the Ask Us bubble.
• SEARCH OUR COLLECTION with the Library’s OneSearch tool.
• EXPLORE A TOPIC through our range of Library Guides.
• ATTEND A WORKSHOP listed in our Events Calendar.
• GET ACADEMIC HELP from the Academic Success Centre.

To view the complete range of supports available from the Library and Academic Success Centre, visit our websites!

LIBRARY

ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTRE

This academic year finds us in quite a different world; however, our commitment to providing you with the supports and services you need to succeed at RRC remains unchanged. As we continue this year together, the Academic Success Centre & Library are here for you.

Library Lunch and Learn has evolved and expanded yet again. From its beginnings as a lunchtime session in the NDC Library classroom, it transitioned to pre-recorded mini-lectures on demand. We are pleased to announce that, beginning in January 2021, we will be adding live sessions to the mix. These webinars will provide an interactive learning environment with opportunities to ask questions and dig deeper into the learning process.

New Website Ties It All Together

Library Lunch and Learn has a new location on the web. Here you may:

• View the upcoming schedule
• Register for a webinar
• Access related handouts and guides
• Watch Lunch and Learn on demand

What is Library Lunch and Learn?

A series of mini-lectures demonstrating the ins and outs of Library tools, databases, and research methods in a short, upbeat lunchtime session.

Have a question?

During the Library’s regular hours, a friendly staff member is available to chat with you online. Just click on the Ask Us bubble at library.rrc.ca.

This academic year finds us however, our commitment to providing you with the supports and services you need to succeed at RRC remains unchanged. As we continue this year together, the Academic Success Centre & Library are here for you.

Written by Bren Johnstone, RRC Library & Information Technology student

Photo by Kaboompics.com from Pexels

Don’t get sucked in by fake news

You probably already know not to trust everything you read on the internet – but how comfortable are you really when it comes to checking the facts? In a world of constant updates, influencers, and increasing global awareness, it can be hard to keep track of what’s real and what’s a sensationalized story for internet fame. Use these resources to help build up your information literacy skills so you can spot the difference and avoid the trap of fake news.

What is media literacy anyway?

If literacy is the ability to make meaning out of words, then media literacy is the ability to think critically about that meaning. What is the goal behind it – selling something, convincing you to do something? Who is telling us, and what makes them a credible source or not? When did this happen? All of these questions can have an impact on how we understand what we’re being told.

One way to remember this process is the CRAAP test, originally developed by the California State University:

• Currency – how recent is the information? How time-sensitive is it?
• Relevance – is this information appropriate? Who is it meant for?
• Authority – who is the source? What credentials do they have for this claim?
• Accuracy – can this be verified by other sources? Is it everything, or just partial information?
• Purpose – what’s the goal? Is this fact or opinion?

Resources

To get you thinking about media literacy, this article by Maribeth D. Smith, “Arming students against bad information,” outlines the CRAAP test in more detail as well as highlighting the dangers of buying into misinformation.

If you want to get right into the practical skills, here are two video tutorial series to get you started:

• This video series by Crash Course and MediaWise is a good place to start identifying media literacy skills, like lateral-reading and evaluating evidence.
• LinkedIn Learning has a whole course plan available on developing information literacy skills for academic research, including how to evaluate different types of sources and how to search effectively.

And if you learn best by example, the Infodemic blog is a great place to explore. The blog is run by Mike Caulfield who is a digital literacy expert and uses Covid-19 information as a guidebook to demonstrate essential fact-checking skills.

Looking for more resources?

Check out the library guide for more sources on how to evaluate websites and online resources here. Or contact the library staff by email at library@rrc.ca or by visiting library.rrc.ca and click on the Ask Us button. In addition, the Library’s broad selection of online books, videos, and journals may be accessed 24/7 through OneSearch​ (RRC log in may be required).

This academic year finds us in quite a different world; however, our commitment to providing you with the supports and services you need to succeed at RRC remains unchanged. As we continue this year together, the Academic Success Centre & Library are here for you.

A special message from Library Services

This new academic year finds us in quite a different world, however, our commitment to providing you with the supports and services needed to succeed at RRC remains unchanged; in fact, it has grown stronger. We have expanded our online services, and also provide some onsite supports as requested, which means we are able to meet you where and when you need us. As we continue this fall term together, we are here for you.

Online supports

Our virtual services and support are available to you for free five days a week during the following hours:

Monday – Thursday
7:45 am – 5:00 pm

Friday
7:45 am – 4:30 pm

See below for an overview of what we offer and how to access our services.

Academic Success Centre

The Academic Success Centre offers an array of academic supports and services online, by e-mail or phone – visit their website and connect with them! They have a dedicated group of tutors and specialists ready to support you in your course work. To request tutoring, academic coaching, EAL supports, or academic writing support, students can complete the Tutoring and Coaching Request Form.

RRC Library

The Library’s online services remain as robust as ever, with continual improvements in programming and content. In addition to guides and mini-lectures on demand, the Library’s online collection is available 24/7 through OneSearch. We help students with research and database navigation through various online options such as chat, email and Teams. To ask a question or connect with a Library staff member, visit library.rrc.ca and click on the Ask Us bubble.

Or connect with us in-person

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the NDC Library is open 7:45 am – 5:00 pm. Come by for a quiet place to focus on your work (free wi-fi included) and in-person assistance from a Library staff member.

Onsite tutoring and EAL supports are available by appointment at NDC on Mondays and Wednesdays (daytime) and at EDC on Fridays (daytime). To book an appointment, students can complete the Tutoring and Coaching Request Form.

With the COVID-19 pandemic driving college courses into online learning environments, open educational resources (OER) are essential tools for educators because they allow instructors to reuse, remix, revise, redistribute, retain, resources without expense, and without seeking copyright clearances for use, and adaptation of the material. Through collaboration with educators who contribute their subject matter expertise, Open Educational Resources provide a sustainable and customizable option for delivering online teaching methodology.

OER Development at RRC

You may have seen past information from Red River College on its work to drive OER development. The Teacher Education department at Red River College is in the midst of creating an Open Education Resource that will supplement Teacher Education courses and Faculty Development on post-secondary campus’ across Manitoba and Canada.

In partnership with Campus Manitoba and the Manitoba Flexible Learning HUB, a framework for the resource was developed.

For more information on the project visit the OER Project page or view the following video:

How do I use Open Educational Resources?

Most OER resources are digital and can be embedded into the campus’s learning management systems (LEARN). Like using any teaching and instructional material the first step is finding Open Educational Resources that support your subject area. The Library can be a key ally in assisting you with sourcing OER content for your subject area and you can also explore resources on your own.

The library has an OER landing page to get your started finding OER’s to meet your instructional needs. Once you find a resource you would like to use you can download it, adapt it to your needs, and upload it in LEARN or you can link to a completed OER’s online.

How Open Educational Resources Support Students.

Use of OER’s helps to reduce the cost of educational resources for students. As textbook costs continue to rise OER’s can provide free or low cost alternatives to textbooks. The use, creation, and adaption of OERs in teaching and instruction can also provide enhanced opportunities for self-learning at home.

OER’s can act as engaging tools to develop digital literacy skills for: searching, reusing, recreating, disseminating, branding, and networking as you can involve students directly in the adaptation of the resource as part of their learning.

an illustrated version of OER benefits

Jtneill – Own work – Ways in which open education can facilitate flexible learning. CC BY-SA 3.0

OER’s supporting strategic goals on campus.

Use of OER’s can also tie your teaching into the strategic goals on campus. These resources can be Indigenized, to advance Indigenous achievement. Indigenization is a process of incorporating Indigenous perspectives, processes and knowledge systems.  It must be noted that Indigenization does not mean replacing Western knowledge or changing it, rather the goal is to  braid together Western and Indigenous knowledge so teachers and learners can appreciate both. OER’s can be freely adapted for valuable inclusion of Indigenous knowledge systems and perspectives. For more guidance on Indigenizing resources view this post from Campus MB which has some OER content to get you started.  Further to the strategic goals OER’s can incorporate digital tools to help evaluate student success. They foster sustainable growth by encouraging digital learning materials, and curb the increasing cost of instructional materials. They can be used to cultivate strategic partnerships as you can invite alumni and industry partners to contribute to adapting OER’s. Get started investigating OER’s today with the RRC Library and Campus MB, and look for more OER sessions in Fall 2020.

The past five weeks have been an absolute whirlwind with transitioning from the in-class learning environment to online. As a student, the sudden change meant having to figure out how to learn in a virtual environment, how to facilitate presentations through new tools, figure out a way to stay focused on school work, and manage the stress of a being a student during a global pandemic. It’s no easy feat adapting to this amount of change.

So, like any challenge, I think it’s important to celebrate the victories when they come. Here are some of the things that helped me stay focused during this trying time.

Create a Work Space

The first week that we started classes online, I felt displaced and couldn’t quite figure out a way to stay focused on my studies. I recognized that I was struggling to balance my study time with my home time and as a result, I felt quite restless. By the second week, I recognized that bringing my laptop with me as I moved around my home wasn’t working, so I decided to set up a work station. I cleared my computer desk of all things not school related and set up a second monitor to attach to my laptop, which created a dynamic work space with two screens.

“Setting up a work station created a dedicated space for me to focus on my work, and the result has made a drastic difference.”

Meagan’s work station

Setting up a work station created a dedicated space for me to focus on my work, and the result has made a drastic difference. When I am done my online classes for the day and I’m no longer working on homework, I can turn off my computer and step away from my work station. This gave me the balance I needed to separate my time spent on schoolwork and my downtime.

Build a Schedule

In the second week of online classes, I was fortunate enough to have my husband start working from home too. I decided that setting up a schedule was my next step in staying focused, and since I was waking up to his alarm anyways, I started mimicking his work schedule for my classwork. Luckily, his schedule fit perfectly with my class times and forced me to take proper lunch breaks. I have found that since working with a dedicated schedule, I can set clear goals for what I want to accomplish in my day, and I’m more productive because I set these parameters.

“…with a dedicated schedule, I can set clear goals for what I want to accomplish in my day, and I’m more productive because I set these parameters.”

These are only two small steps that made a significant impact on my learning from home. If you are looking for ways to keep focused while studying at home, check out the Working from Home – Students guide.

It’s also important to recognize that everyone learns differently, so if you want to share what has helped you study in the COVID-19 pandemic, we’d love to hear from you on Twitter or chat with a library staff member using our online service desk.

Online Service Desk Hours

While the Library’s physical doors are closed, the online service desk is still running and ready to serve you. Staff are online during the following hours:

• Monday – Thursday  7:30am – 8:00pm
• Friday  7:30am – 4:30pm
• Saturday  8:30am – 4:00pm

During this time, a staff member is available to chat or answer your email. Simply visit library.rrc.ca and click on the Ask Us button or send an email to library@rrc.ca.

Written by: Meagan Acquisto, Library Information and Technology program