All of the staff at Library and Academic Services are happy to extend a warm welcome to everyone returning to campus. We’re looking forward to providing a safe study space and continuing to offer supports to students and staff, both in-person and online.

In-person service now available

Beginning on August 30, the Library at the Notre Dame Campus is re-opening for in-person service (note that our EDC location will remain closed at this time). While we look forward to seeing you, we encourage you to continue to take advantage of our online service desk, which is available during regular Library hours by clicking the Ask Us button at library.rrc.ca.

Services and spaces within the Library

The following spaces and services are currently available at the NDC Library:

• Individual study spaces
• One printer/photocopier
• Three computer stations
• Limited physically-distanced group study space
• Borrowing of Library materials
• Reference services
• A welcoming and safe environment

What to expect when you arrive

Virtual services from Academic Success Centre

As we enter a new academic year, we wish the College community of students and staff an insightful year of learning and discovery.

Written by Emilie Jackson; introduction by Stephen Sawchyn, Academic Success Centre

Introduction

The Academic Success Centre has been helping EAL students in the Hospitality and Tourism Management program prepare to serve tables in Jane’s Restaurant since 2016. With COVID-19 restrictions keeping Jane’s closed to the public in fall 2020 and uncertainty around when students would be able to use the space again, the program decided to suspend language training until the winter term. Read on to hear how EAL Tutor Emilie Jackson successfully moved the language workshop series online, providing 25 students with virtual table-side service opportunities and gaining accolades from students, faculty and senior leadership.

Emilie’s Success Story: Moving the Language Workshop Online

This term I worked with four groups of EAL students in the Hospitality and Tourism Management program to help them prepare for the Restaurant Service Practical course, where students work in Jane’s to learn about fine dining. Three mornings a week for three weeks before their course, we met online to build their language skills. Our goals for the language support sessions were:

• Learn how to interact with a guest at Jane’s, including greeting the guest, taking their lunch order, serving the meal, and more, which we called the “Server Expectations Script”
• Become familiar with Jane’s lunch menu, including being able to make recommendations to guests and answer questions about menu terms and items

Our focus was learning the script and menu, but each student brought their own language needs to the sessions. While some students were confident enough in their language skills to jump right into the script or unfamiliar menu terms, others needed to focus on pronunciation, intonation, speed, or overall clarity. Students were aware that once they were on-site at Jane’s, they would be required to wear masks and socially distance, making clear speech even more essential.

Due to various language needs, I provided additional one-on-one tutoring to a few students in each group. These one-on-one sessions were student-led, and we were able to focus in on the phrases, words, or skills that needed special attention. We sang, flapped our arms, stretched out rubber bands to practice word stress, stood up and sat down, learned tongue twisters, and even practiced with masks – anything to build their skills and confidence!

Throughout the sessions, students had access to a Learn course that included materials used in sessions, as well as additional materials to assist in their independent practice.

At the end of our three weeks, the students and I hosted a Virtual Lunch. For this final session, I invited RRC staff and faculty from the Hospitality and Tourism Management program, Academic Success Centre, as well as a few members from the College leadership team to our online meeting to be “served lunch” by the students. Each student ran through the script from beginning to end with a new guest each time, which provided the students the opportunity to interact with new English speakers, receive in-the-moment feedback, and show off their hard work! It is something to be invited to lunch without food, so thank you to all the guests that have joined us over the last few months!

I was continually impressed by the students’ willingness to give their best, make mistakes, learn from each other, practice independently, and ask questions. It was a lesson in adapting to online learning, but the fantastic students made it a worthwhile challenge!

Feedback from the Hospitality and Tourism Management program:

I have been receiving glowing reports about the work Emilie Jackson has been doing with our students in Hospitality. Both our online instructors, and the restaurant instructors tell me the great job Emilie has been doing with supporting our students with language development in our program. The activities and instruction have been excellent.  (Karen McDonald, B.Ed., Chair, School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts)

Join us for LUNCH and LEARN a new skill!

RRC Library is offering its spring line-up of Library Lunch and Learn sessions, which highlight research-based topics and databases presented by our knowledgeable reference staff. These short webinars run from 12:15 to 12:45 pm, and allow time to interact and ask questions. For accompanying materials and pre-recorded versions, visit Library Lunch & Learn.

Spring Schedule (March/April)

The following live presentations require registration to attend. Once you have registered, you will receive a link to access the online session. To view the schedule at a glance, click here: Library Lunch and Learn Calendar.

Monday, March 22:
OneSearch (Database Instruction)

The new and improved OneSearch will search print books, ebooks, as well as 30+ full-text databases simultaneously. Join us for a live demonstration and instruction on how to use OneSearch – the Library’s Search engine. Click to register

Wednesday, March 24:
Research Skills – Part 1 of 2

The number one problem students have when searching is creating keywords and building them into useful search strategies. Join us and learn some more advanced techniques to break down your search question, make finding keywords easier, and using operators to create useful search strategies. Click to register

Thursday, March 25:
Research Skills – Part 2 of 2

The number one problem students have when searching is creating keywords and building them into useful search strategies. Join us and learn some more advanced techniques to breakdown your search question, make finding keywords easier, and using operators to create useful search strategies. Click to register

Monday, March 29:
RefWorks – Reference Management

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. For any person who needs to write and cite! Click to register

Wednesday, March 31:
UpToDate (Database Instruction)

UpToDate is a point-of-care medical and drug database that contains clinical information intended to assist medical professionals in treating their patients.  It is available to students and staff at Red River College from the Library’s website and can be accessed via an app from anywhere and at any time on your own mobile device. The database is intended for use in clinical settings specifically to improve patient treatment by delivering current information at the point of need, supporting timely decision making, and ensuring consistent care. Learn more about what this database has to offer and how to access and use it. Click to register

Wednesday, April 7:
Advanced CINAHL (Database Instruction)

CINAHL Plus with Full Text is the core research tool for all areas of nursing and allied health literature with full-text coverage of 770 health journals.  Attend this session if you would like to build better searches, know more about MeSH Subject headings, or just be more successful in your searches. Join us and get a look at this powerful database. This 30-minute webinar will allow time to ask questions. Click to register

Monday, April 12:
Peer-Review

Join us for a live discussion on Peer Review. For many disciplines, peer-reviewed research is required. Not sure if your perfect article is Peer-Reviewed? Check out this session to learn: what is a peer-reviewed (or scholarly) article or journal, how to identify a peer-reviewed article, and where to find peer-reviewed articles. This 30-minute webinar will allow time to ask questions. Click to register

Wednesday, April 14:
Business Source Complete (Database Instruction)

This essential database for business students contains tens of thousands of full-text journal and magazine articles as well as newspaper items and e-books. Find current news stories, case studies, industry reports, market research reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses, and more greatly enhance your understanding of the world of business. Click to register

Monday, April 19:
Crediting Ideas – Resources to Help Avoid Plagiarism

Join us for a live discussion on how to credit your ideas and avoid plagiarism. This short overview offers students a chance to learn about citation tools and references to better credit ideas. Click to register

Wednesday, April 21:
Nursing Reference Center (Database Instruction)

Designed specifically for nurses, this resource provides evidence-based information for point of care, continuing education, drug databases, nursing research, and more. Come learn what the Nursing Reference Center (NRC) can do for you. Click to register

Monday, April 26:
IBISWorld (Business Database Instruction)

For Business students and anyone researching industry information, IBISWorld is a go-to database. It provides access to Canadian and US industry reports containing trends, market information, industry statistics, competitive landscape, and other industry-related information. Click to register

Wednesday, April 28:
PubMed (Biomedical Database Instruction)

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. Click to register

Contact Us

If you have a question or comment regarding Library Lunch and Learn, please contact event organizer, Rosemary Woodby.

Open education is a philosophy about the way people should produce, share, and build on knowledge. “Open educational resources (OERs) provide a model for convenient, cost-effective access [to resources] with no copyright barriers to worry about, expensive texts to purchase, or restrictions on adaptation, customization or re-use.”[i]

Open Education Week seeks to raise awareness and highlight open education efforts worldwide. OE Week provides practitioners, educators and students an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of open educational practices and be inspired by the wonderful work being developed by the community around the world. [ii]

The 2020-2021 year presented unprecedented challenges in the world. One of these challenges met by educators was the sudden shift to online learning. Red River College kicked off discussion and supports for Faulty using OER (Open Educational Resources) in May 2020 spearheaded by the new Copyright officer in partnership with Campus MB. Over one hundred faculty and staff attended this session, and two additional sessions on OER were hosted during the 2020 year.

One simple adoption of an open textbook at RRC during the 2020-2021 year served 840 students, saving each student $159.95 in textbook costs for a total saving to students of $134,358. This the impact of just one title, over the years RRC has seen over 8 open textbook adoptions.

OER’s have also provided instructors at RRC with additional resources to work with and adapt in a time when access to physical resources has been limited. The Open Education philosophy proves to be a great asset in the push for online learning environments prompted by the pandemic,  but OER’s themselves have been around since the early 2000’s.

If you would like to view our past 2020 OER session it was recorded and is available to be viewed at your convenience:

OER’s are resources published under an open license, such as Creative Commons, these resources can be freely adapted to help your students meet the learning outcomes for your course. At RRC our main focus in the 2020 year has been around the use of Open Textbooks but many different OER’s exist as vast as the types of educational content. If you feel like you missed the boat and are just hearing about OER, let me assure you that isn’t the case. The RRC library offers an OER Landing Page to start you out on your Open Education journey.

If you are already familiar with OER and would like to take this week to get up to speed conversations educators are having regarding Open Education during the pandemic Law Bytes has a prerecorded podcast discussing the significant new challenges for teachers and students in adapting course materials to the online learning environment. Be sure to check it out!

Episode 45: David Porter on the Benefits of Open Educational Resources as Millions Shift to Online Learning

As we celebrate Open Education Week for the 2021 year, I challenge instructors to ask themselves:

What can Open Education do to support your online instruction?

How can Open Education serve your students?

If you are seeking OER assistance or support get in touch with the RRC Copyright Officer.

Happy Open Education Week!

[i] Michael Geist, “David Porter on the Benefits of Open Educational Resources as Millions Shift to Online Learning,” Law Bytes Podcast, March 30, 2020, https://www.michaelgeist.ca/podcast/episode-45-david-porter-on-the-benefits-of-open-educational-resources-as-millions-of-canadians-shift-to-online-learning/.

[ii] Open Education Week. Open Education Global, n.d. https://www.openeducationweek.org/page/what-is-open-education-week.

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!

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

Written by Joan Boersma, Library Services

One of Joan Boersma’s many roles in the Library includes the handling of ILLs (InterLibrary Loans). Here, she provides an overview of this important service.

One service that the Library offers is that of Interlibrary Loan. While our subscriptions to databases have increased considerably during the last 5 years, we obviously don’t have access to every article written. RRC library belongs to 2 consortiums in order to fill this gap. The first group is that of the libraries in Manitoba where physical and digital items are shared at no cost. We receive most of our requests from the University of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg for which we are very grateful.

The 2^nd consortium is DOCLINE and that is the National Library of Medicine’s Interlibrary Loan request routing system. The purpose of the system is to improve access to biomedical literature for medical libraries in the US and Canada. It has been interesting to see this willing group of medical libraries share resources during a pandemic while many libraries were actually closed and staff were working remotely without access to their physical collections. Often times the information requested was crucial to the treatment of patients in the hospital and it has been an eye-opening experience to see librarians hard at work to fill this need in a time-sensitive manner. Co-operation and resource sharing between libraries took on a new role, operated sometimes in non-traditional means, and occasionally RRC was able to contribute as well. It has been a great experience to be part of this larger community while working from my dining room table. During the pandemic, there have been requests for 215 articles from our faculty and students, and 75 of those were filled by our partner libraries. Other requests were located by deep-diving, sleuthing, and sometimes by contacting the authors to simply ask if they were willing to share their work. The sharing community of libraries (and sometimes authors) is alive and well during the pandemic.

If you have something you are looking for you can make a request by using our ILL Request Form or contact me at jboersma@rrc.ca.

Have questions?

Connect with us at library.rrc.ca and click on the Ask Us bubble during regular Library hours. We’d love to hear from you!

Follow us on social media!

For everything from fun series to service and programming updates, follow us on social media. We’re active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

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.

Collaboration resulted in a tailor-made guide

In this special edition of Guide Spotlight, we celebrate the collaboration between a Library staff member and an instructor from RRC’s Nursing Department. The Oncology Nursing guide began as a conversation and resulted in a tailor-made guide which “contains up-to-date and comprehensive Oncology resources and allows students enrolled in [the] 3rd-year Oncology Nursing elective to engage in meaningful research that will be individually tailored to their learning needs. Access to these up-to-date resources will also benefit our students as they prepare to enter practice in our health care settings across the province.” (Joanne Loughery, Nursing Instructor)

Special thanks to Rosemary for the support and valuable research expertise she provides to our nursing students as we prepare them for excellence in nursing practice in complex health care settings.

What is a guide?

Library Guides pull together a range of resources on a given topic. These include materials from the Library’s collection such as books, videos, and articles as well as online sources such as webpages, YouTube videos, and online reports. Guides house all of this information in one place, simplifying access and providing a single link you can place on your LEARN site. One of the great aspects of guides is their flexibility – they can be updated, adapted, and transformed at any time.

What is the process?

Rosemary Woodby describes the process of collaborating on a guide as “flexible, but typically starts with a discussion about what is needed for the class – what type of resources and topics will this guide focus on? I then ask for recommendations – are there webpages, videos, books, or articles that an instructor recommends to their students? I combine those recommendations with items from the Library into a guide format using our LibGuide software platform and when we are all happy with the result the guide is published and made available to students and the college community.”

I can build these myself but when developed in collaboration with faculty they are so much richer; and create a strong resource that is tailored to the needs of the students. (Rosemary Woodby, Library Services)

Interested in collaborating on a subject guide?

If you are interested in working with a Library staff member on the creation of a guide, please contact the Library by emailing library@rrc.ca or click on the Ask Us bubble at library.rrc.ca.

Visit the Guides

• RRC Library Guides (home page)
• Oncology Nursing (with Joanne Loughery, Nursing)
• Palliative and End-of-Life Care (with Jackie Santiago, Nursing)

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.

Join Us For Lunch and Learn a New Skill!

The world of information is increasingly vast and also tainted by a great deal of misinformation. Library Lunch and Learn is a series of mini-lectures designed to teach you the specifics of finding and evaluating information. We also demonstrate the ins and outs of individual databases, which offer a wealth of information catered to your area of expertise.

October/November 2020 Schedule

Below is the October/November schedule of popular Library Lunch and Learn topics. For the complete list of available Lunch and Learn videos, visit the Library Lunch and Learn page, which is updated weekly.

Monday, October 5
The New PubMed – Nursing Database

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.

Wednesday, October 7
Business Source Complete – Business Database

This essential database for business students contains tens of thousands of full-text journal and magazine articles as well as newspaper items and e-books. Find current news stories, case studies, industry reports, market research reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses, and more greatly enhance your understanding of the world of business.

Wednesday, October 14
Knovel – Engineering Database

Knovel is more than a database of e-books covering a variety of engineering subject areas. This unique database also features interactive tools including Properties Materials Search; Interactive Equations, the browser-based calculation software – Equation Solver, detailed Unit Converter, Steam Calculators, Interactive Periodical Table, and the ability to create and share folders of your saved results and work.

Monday, October 19
Nursing Reference Centre – Nursing Database

Designed specifically for nurses, this resource provides evidence-based information for point of care, continuing education, drug databases, nursing research, and more.

Wednesday, October 21
How Not to Drown in Information

Forget information overload, we often feel like drowning in information with nobody throwing us a lifeline to shore. From CRAAP to RADAR, pick up some quick tips to evaluate information while researching for an assignment and learn how Google/Wikipedia can work with library resources not against.

Monday, October 26
RxTx – Pharmaceutical and Therapeutic Database

RxTx is Canada’s authoritative source for prescribing and managing drug therapy, providing online access to evidence-based, reliable Canadian drug, and therapeutic information. In this session, we will explore the multiple facets of the Canadian Pharmaceutical Association’s RxTx database.

Wednesday, October 28
IBISWorld – Business Database

For Business students and anyone researching industry information, IBISWorld is a go-to database. It provides access to Canadian and US industry reports containing trends, market information, industry statistics, competitive landscape, and other industry-related information.

Monday, November 2
Making the Most of LinkedIn Learning

The LinkedIn Learning videos, formerly known as Lynda.com, have found their way into course work and even our Library guides. This session provides a refresher on what it is and how to navigate the various parts of a LinkedIn Learning Course to take advantage of this powerful tool for learning.

Wednesday, November 4
MarketLine – Business Database

Business and Marketing students need to locate quality business information. Be sure to familiarize yourself with Marketline to access 50,000 industry, company, and country profiles. Profiles offer standardized market data, competitive analysis, and other insights into business organization and function. You will also find socio and macroeconomic insights.

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.

Whether you’re at home or on campus, Library Services is here to support you and help you reach your goals.