Things Look Different On Campus, But Our Commitment Will Never Change

Myself and all the staff at the library are looking forward to finding creative ways to ensure we meet your information and study needs. (Alan Chorney, Manager, Information and Program Delivery)

NDC Library at the Notre Dame Campus has officially re-opened in a limited capacity. While we look forward to offering in-person service once again, we encourage our patrons to continue to take advantage of our online service desk, which is available during regular Library hours by clicking the Ask Us bubble at library.rrc.ca. Due to restrictions related to COVID-19, the physical Library is currently limited to 30 patrons at any given time.

Services and Spaces Available

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
• Limited one-on-one tutoring
• Reference services

What is Different?

We have spread things out to accommodate physical distancing. Masks are mandatory on campus, including in the Library spaces. You may still eat and drink in the Library but are expected to clean surfaces with the provided supplies before and after. All students are expected to have read the Before You Enter Campus Information on the College’s website before arrival.

Signage has been put up throughout the Library to help you know which spaces can and can’t be used. We have a variety of choices available, marked by signs that indicate “Individual Study Space” or “Group Study Space.” Three computers are open in addition to one printer/photocopier nearby. You will be asked to line up for service, and physical distancing is in effect throughout the Library. Signing in and out when you enter and exit is also a new requirement.

These images show how spaces at the NDC Library are looking these days:

Reserved for one-on-one tutoring

Taped off area in carrels

Individual study space by a window

Sign indicating a staff only area

Service desk with plexiglass shields in place

Signage indicating seat is unavailable

Lounge chairs for individual study

One of three computers available for use

Carrels for individual study

Large tables with whiteboards nearby

What Will Never Change

This new 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; in fact, it has grown stronger. We have expanded our online services, which means we are able to meet you where and when you need us. Indeed, Library Services offers the same supports as always, just in different ways. As we venture forth together, we wish the College community of students and staff an insightful year of learning and discovery.

More information > COVID-19 FAQ page

Have a question? > Click on the Ask Us bubble at library.rrc.ca

Written by Linda Fox–Library Technician, Program Support and Promotion

Working from Home – A Guide for Students

With courses moving online, we need to change the way we approach our work and study. In addition, you may be coping with anxiety and/or other emotions connected to COVID-19. Indeed, these are challenging times! That’s why RRC Library has compiled a guide to help students succeed at working and studying from home. 

What’s Inside

This guide covers everything from health and well-being to study tips and information you will need while at RRC. Here’s a list of the sections:

>> Library 24/7 

>> Creating productive habits 

>> Group work from home 

>> IT troubleshooting

>> Your well-being 

>> COVID-19 information

>> Online tutoring and academic support

>> RRC COVID-19 information for students 

Related posts:

• Learning from Home – One RRC Student’s Experience
• Learning from Home – One RRC Student’s Tips on How to Stay Focused
• Adjusting Study Habits During COVID-19

Related guides:

• Working from home – for Staff and Faculty
• Library 101
• Student Success 

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.

Following Red River College’s Flexible Online Delivery Model, the Academic Success Centre (ASC) and Library have developed a suite of Hybrid LEARNing Modules featuring self-directed tutorials in LEARN and facilitated live sessions via WebEx.

Visit the Hybrid LEARNing Modules website for more information.

Complete this form to request LEARN tutorials and book live sessions.

Suite of Modules

The modules focus on standalone topics that faculty can use to provide their students with foundational skills for success in their studies. Click on each module link for learning outcomes and content.

 Online Learning

  Virtual Classroom Strategies

  Time Management Skills

  Reading

 Our Learning Mind

 Test Taking

  Working in Teams

 Intercultural Competence

 Academic Integrity

 Research Papers

 Professional Communication

 Library Basics

 Technology Literacy

Asynchronous Delivery: Self-Directed Tutorials

The modules feature 2-3 hour self-directed tutorials housed in LEARN that faculty can import into their own LEARN courses. The tutorials feature content from LinkedIn Learning, Learning Scientists study strategies, short pre-recorded MDR video lectures, and other resources, as well as learning activities.

Instructors can use the modules in a number of ways. They can use the complete module as an asynchronous independent learning activity, where students progress through all sections at their own pace, or select one or more sections, according to the needs of the students.

Alternatively, the instructor can choose to share the videos of each sub-module in a synchronous classroom setting and lead discussions about the topics introduced. Additionally, instructors can use section activities as assignments in order to assess students’ understanding of the content.

Synchronous Delivery: Facilitated Live Sessions

In addition, a 1-hour live session delivered by Webex (or MS Teams) is available for each topic. The live sessions will be led by a member of the Academic Success Centre or Library and will complement the online tutorials. These sessions will be active learning experiences, with facilitated discussion and activities that can help them further understand the content from the self-directed tutorials.

The workshops include review of key concepts, discussion with guiding questions, sharing of additional resources, and application to a case study. The live sessions are recorded for later screening and recordings will be available online for a week after the date of the actual sessions.

RefWorks: an Incredible Citation Tool

This past winter, the Library acquired a reference management software called RefWorks for college-wide use.  This incredible tool has many practical uses.  For students, it will store their articles and other resources, give them a Reference page and help with in-text citations.  For faculty, this can be a useful tool for sharing documents amongst group members with a lot of extra functionality.

How RefWorks Was Used in a Recent Partnership

The Library recently partnered with the School of Health Sciences and Community Services with regards to the Science of Early Child Development living textbook and modules.  These resources are used by students globally and contain an enormous number of references that were cited in APA 6^th style.  With the release of the 7^th edition APA this past October, these citations needed to be updated quickly.  All of the references from the living textbook and modules have now been entered into RefWorks and PDFs were uploaded to give one site storage in RefWorks.  In addition, the SECD team now have the capability to make revisions and to allow for swift updates should there ever be an APA 8^th edition.

The Library Team “showed dedication and attention to detail and did an incredible amount of ‘heavy lifting’, saving us time and ensuring that we can move forward with APA 7^th Edition changes.” – Jan Sanderson, Research Chair, School of Health Sciences and Community Services.

Do you have a research project that you are working on?  Need to share resources with colleagues?  Then RefWorks is the perfect tool for you.  Library staff can help you and your team get started.

More Information:

• Visit the RefWorks guide
• Watch the RefWorks Lunch and Learn session online
• Check out APA 7th ed. Highlights guide

Questions? Connect with Us!

While the Library’s physical doors are closed, we are able to serve you virtually through chat, email and virtual meetings.

To connect with us, simply visit library.rrc.ca and click on the Ask Us button.

Written by Joan Boersma, Library Services

Importance of Indigenous History

Learning about Indigenous history is important for all Canadians. It is one way of honouring Indigenous Peoples’ role in shaping Canadian history and their contributions to protecting democracy. It is also key to recognizing their identity and spirit, which is inherently connected to the land.

National Celebrations

National Indigenous History Month

The month of June is National Indigenous History Month — a time for all Canadians to celebrate and appreciate the unique histories, cultures, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people.

National Indigenous Peoples Day

In cooperation with Indigenous organizations, the Government of Canada designated June 21, the summer solstice, National Indigenous Peoples Day. For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day.

Learn About Indigenous History and Culture Through Films and Books

Catch a glimpse of the richness and breadth of Indigenous culture, diversity, and history through these hand-selected resources. We encourage you to explore the Library’s collection further with our OneSearch tool.

Indigenous Storytelling

kisiskaciwan: Indigenous Voices from Where the River Flows Swiftly 

A ground-breaking anthology from the territory now known as Saskatchewan, this book explores some of the richest and oldest stories from these lands, including voices from Cree, Saulteaux, Dakota, Lakota, Nakota, Dene, and Metis nations.

Centering Anishinaabeg Studies : Understanding the World Through Stories

Written by Anishinaabeg and non-Anishinaabeg scholars, storytellers, and activists, these essays draw upon the power of cultural expression to illustrate active and ongoing senses of Anishinaabeg life.

Coyote and Raven Go Canoeing : Coming Home to the Village

In a gesture toward traditional First Nations orality, Peter Cole blends poetic and dramatic voices with storytelling. A conversation between two tricksters, Coyote and Raven, and the colonized and the colonizers, his narrative takes the form of a canoe journey. It is a celebration of Aboriginal thought, spirituality, and practice, a sharing of lived experience as First Peoples.

Testimonial Uncanny, The : Indigenous Storytelling, Knowledge, and Reparative Practices

Through the study of Indigenous literary and artistic practices from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, Julia V. Emberley examines the ways Indigenous storytelling discloses and repairs the traumatic impact of social violence in settler colonial nations.

Indigenous Fiction

Song of Batoche

This historical novel reimagines the North-West resistance of 1885 through the Métis women of Batoche, and in particular the rebellious outsider, Josette Lavoie.

Dancing Home

Blackie is out for revenge against the cop who put him in prison on false grounds. He is also craving to reconnect with his grandmother’s country. Driven by his hunger for drugs and payback, Blackie reaches dark places of both mystery and beauty as he searches for peace.

Yellow Line

Vince lives in a small town—a town that is divided right down the middle by race. The unspoken rule has been there as long as Vince remembers and no one challenges it. But when Vince’s friend Sherry starts seeing an Indigenous boy, Vince is outraged—until he notices Raedawn, a girl from the reserve. Trying to balance his community’s prejudices with his shifting alliances, Vince is forced to take a stand, and see where his heart will lead him.

Indigenous Culinary Arts

Where People Feast : An Indigenous People’s Cookbook

Where People Feast, one of very few indigenous cookbooks available, is the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to introducing people to extraordinary foods that are truly North American.

Good Seeds : A Menominee Indian Food Memoir

In this food memoir, named for the manoomin or wild rice that also gives the Menominee tribe its name, tribal member Thomas Pecore Weso takes readers on a cook’s journey through Wisconsin’s northern woods. He connects each food—beaver, trout, blackberry, wild rice, maple sugar, partridge—with colorful individuals who taught him Indigenous values.

A Feast for All Seasons : Traditional Native Peoples’ Cuisine

Traditional Native recipes featuring products from the land, sea and sky, symbols of an enduring cuisine that illustrate respect for the nurturing land, and acknowledgment of the spiritual power food can have in our lives.

Streaming Videos

Four Faces of the Moon on Curio.ca | 2016 | 13 min

Four Faces of the Moon

Follows the animated journey of an Indigenous photographer as she travels through time. She witnesses moments in her family’s history and strengthens her connection to her Métis, Cree and Anishnaabe ancestors. This is a personal story, told in four chapters through the eyes of director and writer Amanda Strong.

Karihwanoron: Precious Things on Curio.ca | 2017 | 14 min

Karihwanoron : Precious Things

A small community bands together around a Mohawk immersion school they founded to keep their language alive. Karihwanoron is a Mohawk immersion program that teaches Mohawk language, culture and philosophy. Unfortunately, this year, the school is at risk of having to close its doors. Permanently.

nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up on NFB Campus | 2019 | 1 h 38 min

nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up

Weaves a profound narrative encompassing the filmmaker’s own adoption, the stark history of colonialism on the Prairies, and a vision of a future where Indigenous children can live safely on their homelands.

Now Is the Time on NFB Campus | 2019 | 16 min

Now Is the Time

When internationally renowned Haida carver Robert Davidson was only 22 years old, he carved the first new totem pole on British Columbia’s Haida Gwaii in almost a century. On the 50th anniversary of the pole’s raising, Haida filmmaker Christopher Auchter steps easily through history to revisit that day in August 1969, when the entire village of Old Massett gathered to celebrate the event that would signal the rebirth of the Haida spirit.

Explore Further with the Library’s Indigenous Guides

Delve further into Indigenous subjects with the Indigenous Education guides. Subject-specific collections on the following topics:

• Community Economic Development 
• Indigenous Culinary Arts 
• Indigenous Health and Well-Being 
• Indigenous Languages 
• Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls 
• Residential Schools 

Are you looking for ways to put the “Pro” in productivity? 

Whether you are looking for ways to break the habit of procrastination or trying to figure out how to navigate working or studying from home during these uncertain times, the RRC Library offers excellent resources that can help you develop skills to better manage your time. 

If you are looking for a summer read, check out the two eBooks in the RRC collection listed below, they both offer tips and tricks on how to effectively manage your time.

eBooks

Successful Time Management in a Week
by Robert Ashton

Successful Time Management in a Week teaches you key points that will help you increase your efficiency and productivity successfully. With an ‘in a week’ structure, the book has seven straightforward chapters.

Time Management
by Brian Tracy

In Time Management, author Brian Tracy reveals 21 proven time management techniques that can help you gain more productive hours in your everyday. 

These are just a couple examples of the books available online from the Library. Want to find more? Try entering keywords such as time management or productivity in OneSearch (Tip: To limit to e-resources, click the Available online filter on the left side).

Additional Resources:

Take a look at the fantastic guide and blog created by the RRC Library and the Academic Support Centre for tips and tricks on how to manage your time better, effective ways to study from home, and how to avoid procrastinating!

• Working From Home – Students Guide 
• ASC: Student Blog Post #1: How Can I Manage My Time Better?

Have a question? Ask Us!

While the Library’s physical doors are still closed, our online service desk is up and running! Whether you are staff or student, we welcome whatever questions you may have for us.

To connect with us, visit library.rrc.ca and click on the Ask Us chat button or email us at library@rrc.ca. We also offer virtual meetings upon request.

In these uncertain times when many of us are unexpectedly isolated in work and study, RRC Library wants you to know that we care and are still here to assist you.

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.

Written by Olivia Oborne

As I settle into my new normal of working from home, I find myself looking for different projects to do around the house. Three weeks ago, I was craving a homemade margherita pizza when it dawned on me: what if I try to grow my own herbs? 

As someone who would classify themselves as an ultra-beginner in gardening, I knew I would be lost if I started without doing some research. 

Countertop Gardens: Easily Grow Kitchen Edibles Indoors for Year-Round Enjoyment

by Shelly Levis

This is a great eBook that I found in the RRC Library collection. It explains how to grow different herbs and vegetables in your home! It also has some easy recipes, as well as gorgeous countertop growing devices! So far, I’ve started with basil, and plan to grow mint and rosemary soon! Who knows, I might even try growing potatoes in my house because this book introduced me to cute decorative burlap grow bags. Check them out on page 91. 

For More Experienced Gardeners

For those who are more advanced in the world of gardening, the RRC Library has eBooks for you as well! Below are a few of them. You can find descriptions and links to these eBooks under their cover images.

Want to find more? Try entering gardening keywords in OneSearch (Tip: To limit to e-resources, click the Available online filter on the left side).

101 Organic Gardening Hacks: Eco-Friendly Solutions to Improve any Garden

by Shawna Coronado

Top tips, tricks, and solutions to save time, upcycle items in your garden, and more. 

How to Grow Perennial Vegetables: Low-Maintenance, Low-Impact Vegetable Gardening

by Martin Crawford

Advice for growing and maintaining all kinds of perennials. 

Have a question? Ask Us!

While the Library’s physical doors are closed, the online service desk is still running and is 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. To chat online, visit library.rrc.ca and click on the Ask Us button or send an email to library@rrc.ca.

The Baking Revolution

Have you joined the baking revolution? Recently I looked over a collection of recipes from my Grandmother and Great-Great Aunt. Some are labeled “we used to make this during the depression.” I don’t plan to replicate these, but one or two of the others are new favourites. 

The recipes, clipped from magazines and newspapers plus handwritten entries, are pasted in notebooks. Before the internet this is how you organized your new recipes. Now you can search online for instructions on how to bake almost anything. For inspiration, expand your search by checking out the electronic resources RRC Library has to offer.

Below are just a few of the books and journals available online from the Library. Want to find more? Try entering baking keywords in OneSearch (Tip: To limit to e-resources, click the Available online filter on the left side).

Books

Find descriptions and links to these e-books below the cover images.

Baking Artisan Bread with Natural Starters, by Mark Friend – Clear instructions on how to make a variety of sourdough breads including the starters.

From No-knead to Sourdough: A Simpler Approach to Handmade Bread, by Victoria Redhed Miller – An indepth but easy to understand look at breads, how fermentation works and instructions to make your own sourdough bread and starter.

Creative Baking: Macaron Basics by Phay Shing Tan – Simple illustrated instructions on how to make macarons.

The Everyday Baker : Essential Techniques and Recipes for Foolproof Baking,by Abigail Johnson Dodge – Covers all the baking standards including cookies, cakes, pies, puddings, and bread with clear illustrated steps for each recipe.

Where people feast an indigenous people’s cookbook, by Dolly Watts & Annie Watts – See the section on Baked Goods and Desserts.

The joy of vegan baking : more than 150 traditional treats & sinful sweets, by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

Journals

Find descriptions and links to these e-journals below the cover images.

Bakers journal – Check the Recipe section on the website.

Bake – Written for bakeries but includes interesting articles on food trends (check out the January 2020 edition to find out about sourdough). Includes a few recipes.

General Interest

Find descriptions and links to these e-books below the cover images.

Baking as biography a life story in recipes, by Diane Tye – Find out what recipe collections can say about a person’s life. After reading through recipes from my own family I am looking forward to reading this book.

Baking powder wars : the cutthroat food fight that revolutionized cooking, by Linda Civitello – For a fascinating history of baking powder, baking and cultural history. Who knew baking power was so interesting.

Have a question? Ask Us!

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. To chat online, visit library.rrc.ca and click on the Ask Us button or send an email to library@rrc.ca.

In these uncertain times when many of us are unexpectedly isolated in work and study, RRC Library wants you to know that we care and are still here to assist you.

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