The 2016–2017 academic year was filled with new and exciting collaborations, amazing student outreach initiatives, major increases in resource use and a surge in research and technology support. We hope you enjoy the highlights included in this review and we look forward to another year of support, partnership and innovative service.
As a natural extension to the technology support already offered, we partnered with the Learning Commons to hire 8 Tech Tutors to provide peer-to-peer technology and digital skills support out of the Library. We also increased our Tech Loan service to offer students more ways to “charge up”. Watch this Fall for the launch of our Tech Bar.
The Library’s Archives is a treasure-trove of Conestoga history that has become increasingly popular with the celebration of the College’s 50th anniversary. From images to convocation programs, yearbooks to Board of Governors documentation, the Library has collected and maintained information connected to Conestoga’s early beginnings in 1967 to the present day. The preservation of this material is critical to documenting the College’s history and evolution.
In 2016, the Library undertook a major project to digitize the archival collection to help preserve this wealth of information and improve access. Over 1,000 issues of the student-produced newspaper, The Spoke, were digitized and is now available for access anytime, anywhere. Additionally, over 1,500 images and 700 documents will be available through an institutional repository, called ARC, which is slated to be launched in Fall 2017.
“The Library has been one of my most used resources this year. I found that they had absolutely every resource that I required.” - A Conestoga Student"
Evidence-based answers to practice-based questions for nutrition professionals.
An infectious disease reference resource for health practitioners.
A one stop location for learning the ins and outs of exporting procedures for over 200 countries.
Journals and trade magazines geared towards food industry professionals.
Canadian workplace safety videos.
An online video-based platform for learning engineering design software.
On demand access to technical standards. Looking for a standard we don’t have? We can now purchase standards from all major bodies by request via TechStreet.
Our most popular resource! LinkedIn Learning is an online video-based platform for learning software, IT, design, technology and business skills.
The Library’s answer to Netflix.
The recent renovation and rejuvenation of our Library spaces at Doon and Cambridge inspired greater collaboration with our campus partners. Highlights include:
The 2016 expansion of the Cambridge Library allowed for the holistic integration of academic support services offered by the Learning Commons and Library for improved support for students.
By the end of their first year, the vast majority of students now learn basic skills for finding high-quality information and using the Library through a curriculum-integrated set of online tutorials and a graded quiz in COMM1085. This initiative, made possible through collaboration with Communications faculty, is an important step towards ensuring all Conestoga students graduate with the essential information seeking skills employers expect.
An increasing number of faculty want to improve student learning outcomes by assigning required course resources from open access and affordable textbooks. Our favourite example: faculty teaching College Reading & Writing Skills chose an open textbook as their required resource, ensuring access on day 1 and saving 5,000 students nearly $400,000 since September 2016. If you’re interested in exploring the options, contact your Program Liaison in the Library to hear about more examples and get started!
After a year of intense development, we launched our brand new website. Not only does it have a modern, fresh look and a responsive design for all mobile devices, the search functionality is truly exciting. Student and faculty input drove our redesign from the beginning – thank you! We collected feedback from interviews, surveys and focus groups, and did tons of research, which has resulted in improved access to our resources and services along with enhanced website navigation. Additional feedback pertaining to Library’s website is welcomed and can be directed to lrcinfo@conestogac.on.ca.
As a first time attendee to the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Conference, I went to Baltimore in Spring 2017 excited at the prospect of accessing the best information available to my profession. Having discovered new ideas from conference workshops, keynotes and conversations on current themes like fake news, data visualization, social justice and predatory publishing I left the conference applying new ideas immediately.
Librarians are always looking for innovative ways to take information literacy to new levels. The USER (Understand, Structure, Engage, Reflect) instructional design method introduced to me at ACRL’S 2017 Immersion Teaching with Technology Program provided an effective, learner-focused strategy for implementing upgrades in a reflective way. I used this method to transform a routine 15 minute demo into an engaging information literacy experience. I now am able to prepare more effective information literacy learning objects and experiences, both face-to-face and digital, by utilizing the USER method of instructional design.
As scholarly activity gains momentum at Conestoga, the Library’s Research Service is integral for providing background research support to administration, faculty and staff from all schools. In 2016–2017, the service contributed to a variety of grant, academic programming and conference proposals, publishing, and curriculum support. A diverse scope of topics were examined, such as Academic Integrity, Cybersecurity, Digital Literacy, and Fuzzy Logic.
The Library partners with the Community Integration through Co-Operative Education (CICE) program to provide a work placement experience for students with exceptionalities and other significant learning challenges. This program allows students to develop work skills, interact with the community, cultivate relationships with staff, and build confidence.
Our first two placement students – Allie Libertini (2015) and Cooper Moore (2016) – have returned to the Library to visit and share their subsequent experiences and successes, which speaks to the relationships that were fostered during their time here. We found that working with Allie and Cooper lead to professional and personal growth that enhances service provision to all. We look forward to our next CICE work placement student in Fall 2017.
The 2016–2017 academic year inspired collaborations with our students through the Conestoga Reads Book Club and launch of the Library Student Advisory Committee. Both opportunities offered students the opportunity to connect with peers, participate in lively discussions and provide feedback and recommendations pertaining to our services, resources and space, while earning co-curricular recognition (CCR).
“Thanks for today, the session was exactly on point. The students found it very helpful and were glad that it was so connected to their assignment. You tailored it perfectly. It exposed students to many resources they didn’t know about.” - A Conestoga Faculty Member
“The Library is amazing, the staff are friendly and helpful, and since the renovations, it’s been even better.” - A Conestoga Student
“I am satisfied with the Library’s service. It couldn’t be better.” - A Conestoga Student
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