UNews - Rumi Graham

Library debuts series of online tools

trevor.kenney — Tue, 03 May 2011 15:41:10 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Library continues to seek ways by which it can further serve its students. The latest example of this is the development of a number of online modules designed to help students become more familiar with the research process and Library resources.

In January, the library strengthened its existing partnership with Academic Writing by launching a series of online learning modules for students enrolled in Writing 1000 (Introduction to Academic Writing). The modules include videos, worksheets, and quizzes, with content that covers topics such as narrowing down a research question, using library databases, evaluating information sources and formatting citations.

"Good academic writing goes hand in hand with good research, with information literacy," says Academic Writing Program co-ordinator Cliff Lobe. "We've been pleased to work with the library to help students develop both skills simultaneously."

Information literacy, the ability to recognize when information is needed and be able to locate, evaluate, and make effective use of information, is becoming increasingly recognized as an essential skill.

Over the last few years, it has become common practice for a librarian to visit each section of the Writing 1000 class at least once per semester to introduce students to finding and evaluating key library resources to support the successful completion of the course's major research paper. While the partnership has been a positive one, both the writing instructors and librarians felt that students were not getting all they needed to become proficient researchers. There was simply too much material to cover over the time presented by a three-credit course.

The library had discussed putting more instruction resources online, and with the advantage of having a full-time intern with a background in education on staff this past term, the project took shape. Intern Librarian Heather Nicholson, with support from librarian Rumi Graham, has largely been responsible for developing the online modules.

The added advantage of the online component is that students can work through the material at their own pace and return to topics later on for review. These tools also provide additional library support to the growing number of U of L students enrolled in courses in Calgary and Edmonton. Looking ahead, the plan is to work over the summer to modify the modules based on student feedback and work to make them available on Moodle and through the Library's website for the fall semester.

Librarians are always eager to have the opportunity to work with faculty to provide information literacy instruction to students. This latest initiative is in addition to the two credit courses taught in library science each term and the many library instruction sessions taught in faculties across campus.

Instructors are encouraged to contact their subject liaison librarians to arrange instruction sessions for their individual classes.

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Library debuts series of online tools

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:15:17 +0000

Instructors are encouraged to contact their subject liaison librarians to arrange instruction sessions for their individual classes.

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Campus Kudos - November

trevor.kenney — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:20:57 +0000

Congratulations to the group of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumni who was successful in earning Lethbridge City Council seats in the recent municipal election. The group includes Lethbridge mayor Rajko Dodic (BASc '78), and aldermanic members Jeff Carlson (BFA '92), Liz Iwaskiw (BASc '77), Joe Mauro (BASc '83) and Bridget (Pastoor) Mearns (BA '95).

Dr. Josephine Mills (U of L Art Gallery director/curator) presented, Deaccessioning: The Root of All Scandal, as part of the Southern Alberta Art Gallery's Art Appreciation series Articulations III: Scandals, Scoundrels, Capers, and Cons.

Dr. David Renter's (Music) quartet performed in Southminster United Church's Jazz Vespers series.

Annie Martin's (Art) sound installation, Listening Space, opened Nov. 5 at Contrary Projects Gallery in Regina. The installation is a version of the Listening Room Series Martin has developed since 2006 and uses lo-fi audio technology deployed to "open" the architecture of the space, creating an unfiltered audio environment.

Emily Luce's (New Media) exhibition Parallel Park (Lab Space) is in the Helen Christou Gallery until January 14.

A distinguished group of alumni from the Faculty of Education recently received nomination for the Edwin Parr Award in Zone 6. Awarded by the Alberta School Board Association (ASBA), the Edwin Parr Awards single out professionals in their first year of teaching for their talent, commitment to students and contribution to education. Shelley Kirkvold (BA/BEd '09, Catholic Central High School, Lethbridge), Qian Zhang (BSc '04, BEd '09, DA Ferguson Middle School, Taber), Grant Bertamini (BEd '09, Fleetwood Bawden Elementary, Lethbridge), Alli Martin (BA/BEd '09, Stavely Elementary), Travis Curliss (BA/BEd '09, Crescent Heights High School, Medicine Hat) and Donna Jean Wilde (BA/BEd '09, Magrath High School) all earned nominations.

Rumi Graham (librarian) defended her PhD thesis, A Multiple Case Study Exploration of Undergraduate Subject Searching, at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto. Her thesis looks into subject searching and information literacy in the undergraduate context.

Taras Polataiko (Art) had new work displayed in the exhibition, Video Lounge, at the Toronto International Art Fair, Oct. 28 – Nov. 1.

Janet Youngdahl (Music) directed and sang in a staged production of the Ordo Virtutum, a 12th Century Music Drama by Hildegard von Bingen, at the Cleveland Institute/Case Western Collegium. She also presented a paper entitled, Identifying Musical Gestures in Bach Choruses: An approach for Singers and Conductors, at the Alberta Choral Federation Symposium in Red Deer.

Lisa Doolittle (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) presented, Negotiating First Nations rights in Canada – What does dancing have to do with it?, at a Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs special session.

Gail Hanrahan (Theatre & Dramatic Arts) directed the world premiere of, In Flanders Fields, at Lunchbox Theatre in Calgary.

Dr. Arlan Schultz (Music) just returned from Drepung Gomang Institute in Louisville, Ky., where he met with eight Tibetan Buddhist Monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery in southwest India. Schultz has been conducting research into the spectral content of Tibetan ritual music and was able to record 12 different ritual chants in a special recording session set up by the monastery. The chants will be used in a new electro-acoustic work for 8-channel computer processed audio.

Dr. Ken Allan (Art) presented his paper, Marshall McLuhan, N.E. Thing Co. Ltd., and the Counter-Environment, at a Nov. 25-27 conference at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto. His talk was associated with the exhibition, Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada, 1965-1980, currently on view in Toronto. He also spoke at the regular session of the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs.

Katie Klingvall (BFA '04) is off to Macau, China to work in the Wardrobe Department for Dragone Theater Company.

For a look at the full issue of the November Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

E-mail delivery system proves popular

trevor.kenney — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:23:21 +0000

If you've submitted an inter-library loan request recently, chances are you've experienced the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library's latest service improvement – e-mail delivery of article and book chapter requests. You can now access your filled journal article or book chapter request via a link to the item in PDF format, delivered to you via e-mail, often receiving your article and chapter requests within one day.

This new system is also a very green option as it enables significantly less paper consumption if you choose to read and save your filled requests in electronic format. No changes have been made to the delivery method for books and other inter-library loan items that must be returned to the library.

E-mail delivery of filled article and book chapter inter-library loan requests went live on Mar. 30. Your e-mailed links to requested items remain active for 14 days or 10 viewings, whichever occurs first.

For years the library has received most filled article and book chapter requests from supplying libraries in electronic format. Prior to the introduction of e-mail delivery, however, Document Delivery Services (DDS) staff distributed those requests to you in printed format due to system limitations. Over the past year the library has addressed those limitations through upgrades to the request forms and the library's inter-library loan management system.

The upgraded request forms now capture your e-mail address, and require you to acknowledge that if the requested work "is under copyright protection, you agree that if a copy is provided, it will be for your private use only, in accordance with the regulations pertaining to fair dealing in the Canadian Copyright Act."

The system upgrade enabled the library to change its delivery method for articles and chapters from print to e-mail. The library shares its inter-library loan management system, Relais, with the libraries at Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, which hosts the Relais servers.

"The implementation of this service has gone extremely smoothly," says Rumi Graham, DDS manager. "We have received many positive comments from faculty and students regarding the speed with which requests are filled, ease of use, and the positive impact on the environment."

Graham acknowledges the enthusiasm and dedication of the DDS staff who helped plan and implement the e-mail delivery option: Rosemary Howard, Linda McLeod, Carolyn Gaebel, Marina Crow, and Mara Baldwin, as well as Samantha Lutterotti, a member of the library's Systems and Web Services staff, who provides technical support for the library's Relais workstations and systems files.

Inter-library loan e-mail delivery popular

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:48:24 +0000

Bee Heart Smart Challenge continues success

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:24:40 +0000

The Bee Heart Smart Challenge – Walk, Run, Swim or Cycle 2009, from May 1 to June 13, was an initiative for staff and faculty sponsored by the U of L Wellness Committee and Sport and Recreation Services. The program started in 2005 as a walking challenge and has evolved to become the "Bee Heart Smart" contest that includes running, swimming and cycling.

The goal is to promote active living, which means making physical activity a part of everyday life through walking, taking the stairs, gardening, playing with your kids or dogs at the park, swimming or cycling, just to name a few activities.

There is a strong connection between the health and well-being of people and their work environments and the more active employees are, the healthier the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community. And of course we want people to have fun while being active!

Wellness Week kicked off the contest this year and as of June 1, 176 participants and 17 teams were registered. This is the highest number of participants since the Wellness Committee began keeping records.

Activity is recorded (either daily or weekly) by:

• Counting steps while walking or running (using a pedometer is the best way to do this)

• Counting laps while swimming (each 50m lap is counted as one)

• Tracking minutes spent cycling

Weekly winners are drawn from registrants who have logged progress during the week. Weekly draw winners to date include: Nicole Spence, Carl Budny, Ruth Hummel, Sheri Lacey, John Poulsen, Joan Zimmer, Nicole Wilson, Linda Gray, Susan Hill, Edward Malinsky, Rumi Graham and Kevin McFadzen.

During the third week of the contest, individuals who entered the most steps, laps or cycle time were awarded prizes as well. Cindy Venhuis, Dwayne Armstrong and JulieAnne Kent were winners.

The Fast Trackers won the draw for Early Bird Team Registration.

The contest wrap-up and prize announcements occur the week of June 15. Get out there and get active and next year look for "purposeful activity" time instead of just cycle time.

Thanks to the following areas for prize donations or discounts: AUPE, U of L Bookstore, Sport and Recreation Services, U of L Athletics and Southern AB Centre for Successful Aging.

UNews - Rumi Graham

Library debuts series of online tools

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