It’s a few weeks into the school year, so it’s time to get to know all the awesome services, spaces and resources the Library offers to help you achieve your academic goals.
Whether you’re coming into the Library for the first time, you haven’t been to a library in a while, or you’ve never used the library as a post-secondary student, find out all the ways you can be an RRC Polytech Library power user.
1. Find your spot and get comfortable Use the Library’s spaces whenon campus
First, find the Library, and get to know the space. We recently posted a great virtual tour of the NDC Library space, give it a read-through and you may feel more prepared to come in for the first time. Get comfortable using the space to meet your needs; study independently, attend your online classes (using one of the available headsets or webcams), and meet with classmates to work on projects. The Library has two locations, one each at the Notre Dame and the Exchange District campuses, both with great study spots to discover and settle into.
2. Ask Questions! There are no silly questions, and we offer lots of ways for you to ask them!
Come find us at the front desks in the Library, a Reference Technician is ready to help you figure out anything from printing, finding your way around campus, using the Library website, to getting started with an assignment and better understanding the information resources involved in academic research. Not on campus? You don’t need to come in person, there are lots of ways to connect with the Library! Call us (204) 632-2233. Text us (204) 400-2463, or find us on the Library’s web pages during open hours by clicking the Ask Us bubble to start a chat. After hours? No problem, email library@rrc.ca.
3. Get to know OneSearch Found on the Library homepage, OneSearch is how to search the Library’s many physical and online resources.
The Library has an ever-expanding digital and physical book and media collection which can be searched using our OneSearch system. If you’ve heard an instructor tell you to search the catalogue or search for articles, this is what they mean.
Getting started is very easy, using searches that resemble how you use google. Once you have started with some search terms and you are viewing the search results, you can take different steps and adjust settings to create more accurate results. Find out more about navigating OneSearch, the basic and advanced search options, as well as the use of Boolean operators and filters to amp up your searches.
4. Find the Guide you need Starting a research project or program of study and unsure where to get started?
Interested in broader topics and just areas of interest? There are Student Success Guides on topics including intercultural competence, employment Skills, and using Statistics Canada.
Having trouble figuring out how to use a specific database in your research? The Library’s Database Instruction Guides have step-by-step instructions for how to use many of the different databases subscribed to through the Library.
5. Use the right Database The Library subscribes to different databases that support the colleges many schools and programs.
Available databases range from software tools, searchable collections of codes and standards within an industry, and other reference collections, diagrams, and industry reports.
When looking at the A-Z list of databases, remember that databases marked with the OneSearch icon, are searched collectively when you use OneSearch. Databases missing that icon, need to be searched and used individually.
6. Discover Academic Success Centre supports Find the Academic Success Centre in the top banner of the Library homepage.
The Academic Success Centre’s services make up a big part of the academic support’s the Library has available to students, and is where students can access a variety of services including:
At the NDC campus, the Academic Success Centre has a new tutoring space called ATLAS – an acronym for Active Tutoring and Learning Achievement Space
Find the Academic Success Centre when entering the NDC Library by taking a right and following the signs for ATLAS.
At EDC you will also find the Academic Success Centre inside the library, when entering through the northern entrance of the Library, the ASC is located through the opening in the wall to the right.
7. Book Equipment before you need it The Library has an assortment of equipment available from both the Notre Dame and Exchange District Libraries.
8. Use streaming video services Videos are a great tool in online learning and instruction, and the right videos from the right sources can be cited and used as resources in your academic writing.
9. Export citations and keep them organized with RefWorks RefWorks streamlines research, data organization, and academic writing by providing an easy-to-use tool for citation, bibliography, and reference management.
10. Know about academic integrity and how it affects you Academic integrity hinges on six fundamental values, as defined by the International Center for Academic Integrity: Honesty, Trust, Fairness, Respect, Responsibility, and Courage.
As a critical piece of the learning environment and a fundamental core value of any academic institution, academic integrity directly links the credibility of an institution’s scholarship, research, certificates and diplomas. Academic integrity is essential to ensure students’ investment in their education is protected. To find out more, check out the Academic Integrity Guide for Students.
11. Explore other eLearning resources The Library website offers many types of online learning resources that you can access and use as study aids, or in your own supplemental learning.
Check out Hybrid LEARNing Modules, a suite of self-directed tutorials housed in LEARN that provides relevant and helpful resources.
The Academic Success Centre has compiled the review materials for specific business math and accounting courses into one central location to help you easily access these resources at any time: Business Math & Accounting Review Self-Enroll LEARN Courses
…And finally: Follow the Library on social media Stay up to date on the latest by following the Library on Social Media!
The Library is on Twitter and Instagram with daily tips, study hacks, events and other great need-to-know information.
Library staff love to hear from the College community about our collection! Feel free to connect with us in person at the Notre Dame and Exchange District Campus Libraries or through Ask Us Chat at library.rrc.ca.
Written by Artemis Hedrich – Library Technician, Information and Program Delivery
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:
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).
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Getting Started with APA Style 7th 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.
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.
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.
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.
RRC Polytech’s Library Lunch and Learn Winter Schedule offers weekly half-hour sessions from Jan. 11 – Mar. 2, 2022. Delivered via WebEx, these mini-lectures will highlight various tools, databases, and research methods recommended by our Library professionals.
Library Lunch and Learn topics will help you:
Find information more efficiently
Stay up-to-date on sources and search techniques
Take advantage of subscription-based databases
These sessions are free and open to all staff and students at the College. You are invited to attend as many sessions as you like.
Our new Anti-Racism Training aims to support students in acknowledging how racism has shaped their thinking and actions, enhancing their knowledge, and speaking out against racism and systemic barriers.
The online training on December 17 via Webex will consist of the following schedule and content:
Morning session (9am-12noon)
Module 1 – Understanding Race and Racialization: Students will gain a foundational understanding about the connection between socio-cultural identities and the concept of race, and the effects of the process of racialization in creating privilege and different forms of racism.
Module 2 – Understanding Systemic Racism: Students will identify uncover different myths related to race and racism, and gain a foundation understanding about the three levels of systemic racism.
Afternoon session (1pm-3pm)
Module 3 – Acknowledging Systemic Racism in Canadian History: Students will learn about the effect of Canadian narratives about racism, and the profound trauma on stories of racism in Canada related to colonialism, assimilation, segregation, and discrimination.
Module 4 – Identifying Systemic Racism in Canada Today: Students will enhance their understanding of the three levels of systemic racism, applied to current situations in Canada.
Are the Library’s Lunchtime Mini-Lectures For You?
Do you ever get overwhelmed when looking for materials in the Library’s collection? Do you feel clumsy about research or wish it was easier? If you answered yes, then our lunchtime mini-lectures are for you! At Library Lunch and Learn, you’ll get an overview of our subject-specific databases and learn ways to improve your research and citing skills.
All sessions are half an hour long and free for RRC staff and students!
When is Library Lunch and Learn?
Tuesdays, 12:15-12:45 pm (CT) from Sep 21 – Nov 9, 2021
Where are the sessions? How do I access them?
Sessions are online. A WebEx link is emailed to individuals after they sign up for a session. Links to register are provided in the descriptions below.
How can I contact the Library?
Connect with us by clicking on the Ask Us button at library.rrc.ca. We’d love to hear from you!
Fall Schedule: Session Titles, Descriptions, and Registration Links
Knowing which databases are right for your research is important. Get an overview of our most popular nursing and allied health databases in this Library Lunch & Learn. We will briefly look at:
OneSearch
CINAHL
PubMed
Nursing Reference Center
UpToDate
Ovid
and more
Sep 28 | Crediting Ideas: Resources to Avoid Plagiarism
Feeling anxious about accidental plagiarism? Need citations tools? Join us for an overview of challenges to crediting ideas in a paper and the tools to help cite your sources during the writing process.
Oct 5 | Business Research Basics: An Introduction to Business Databases
Join us to learn about the many sources of Business Information the Library provides. Explore the Business Source Complete database which contains articles and detailed reports on industries, companies, current trends, news and more; learn to find Canadian Industry statistics and information in IBISWorld, and be introduced to MarketLine for industry and market statistics.
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 individuals who want a more focused approach to education topics, this overview looks at the education databases offered by the library. This session will focus on LearnTechLib: The Learning and Technology Library, Teacher Reference Centre, and ERIC for ways to navigate search interfaces and results.
Oct 26 | UpToDate: Point-of-Care Clinical Database
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.
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.
Learn the basics of this powerful tool in a quick lunchtime lecture.
Nov 9 | How to Be Info-Savvy: Tips for Navigating Online Information
Finding information online can seem overwhelming. Learn about the challenges to finding credible information on the web. This session also covers three frameworks to build a foundation for thoughtful searching online.
More Information
A calendar view of the Library Lunch and Learn schedule is available here >> Workshops/Events Calendar
Additional Library Lunch and Learn topics, accompanying materials, related guides, and recordings are available here >> Library Lunch and Learn page
In the context of March 21 – International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and City of Winnipeg’s Anti-Racism Week from March 21-27, Academic Success Centre is proud to share that is finalizing the development of a new Anti-Racism Training for Students. Once finalized, this training will join our Diversity Training suite of workshops that already includes Intercultural Competence Training and Gender and Sexual Diversity Awareness Training. (More information about our Diversity Training is available here.)
When we think and talk about racism, most people reference examples of interactions between people. However, racism is also maintained by institutions and society through the implementation of policies, practices, and programs. This training is an introduction on how racism functions as an interconnected system. The training will go over historical instances of racism and it will also focus on current examples of racism.
It is our goal that the Anti-Racism Training will support our students and contribute to the College’s educational efforts in enhancing our knowledge and understanding about racism, acknowledging how racism has shaped our thinking and actions, and speaking out against racism and systemic barriers.
The Anti-Racism Training for Students includes key concepts and frameworks, as well as activities for reflection and discussion. The training also presents a curated suite of relevant videos to amplify the voices and lived experiences of racialized people and Indigenous people. At the end of each training module, students will receive a set of key strategies and resources to map out a personal Action Plan and foster an ongoing student learning and action experience.
After piloting this training in the Spring/Summer time, we expect to offer this training for students from the Fall academic term on. The training modules will be delivered as live workshops via Webex, and will also be recorded for later screening as needed. Workshops are facilitated by Academic Success Centre’s diversity facilitators, and faculty is encouraged to take advantage of this new resource to support their students and book workshops to be delivered during class time, as time allows.
As an additional resource, students and faculty can also access a new Anti-Racism Learning Toolkit developed together with Library staff. This guide is available here and features curated videos, readings and other resources from the College and the community at large.
For more information about the Anti-Racism Training for Students, please connect with Nora Sobel, Diversity Initiatives Coordinator (Academic Success Centre) at nsobel@rrc.ca.
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.
