The Adaptive Technology Centre in the Queen’s Learning Commons has been featured in an article in the Kingston Whig-Standard. The article, entitled “Challenging, Rewarding, Fascinating,” notes that “The Adaptive Technology Centre is a library within a library that gives students with disabilities or special requirements a chance to learn in a way that meets their own needs.” Michele Chittenden, the Coordinator for Library Services for Students with Disabilities, speaks of the rewards of the work she and the ATC staff do in helping students, not only through converting materials into accessible formats, as library technician Carol Tennant does, and determining the best technologies to meet student needs, as adaptive technologist Andrew Ashby does, but by being a supportive and inviting environment for the students who use their services. The article notes that Queen’s Library was at the forefront of establishing services for students with disabilities and the service led to the Library receiving the Canadian Association of College and University Libraries award for innovation in 1994. Recently, Michele was named as a member of the Association of Research Libraries’ Working Group on Accessibility and Universal Design. ARL is an association of 125 research libraries across North America.

Many Library locations are offering extended opening hours during the exam period. Stauffer Library is open 24 hours a day until April 27. To see the hours and real-time opening status for all Library facilities, check the Hours page.

An accessibility café will take place on April 10 from 11:30 to 12:30 in Speaker’s Corner, Queen’s Learning Commons, Stauffer Library. The event will consider the accessibility barriers Queen’s students might face during their time at the university and feature a panel of students, faculty and representatives from university service departments in a discussion entitled “Creating an inclusive environment for students with disabilities: from application to graduation.” The accessibility café is hosted jointly by the Senate Library Committee and the accessibility framework’s Information & Communications Working Group. Martha Whitehead, University Librarian, sees this partnership as representative of the increased awareness of accessibility issues at Queen’s. She notes that “members of the Senate Library Committee were eager to participate in this café. There is recognition across campus that we all must actively ensure the work we do and the services we provide are accessible for everyone.” Heidi Penning, an Equity Advisor at Queen’s who is working with departments across the university to raise awareness and find solutions to accessibility issues states “We want to engage people in a discussion about how the university can better enable the success of all of its students. Queen’s academic programs, and the many other services the university offers, should be accessible to all students.”

Queen’s University Library is one of 10 early-adopting university libraries in Ontario to acquire a new ebook collection of books published by Canada’s university presses, including McGill-Queen’s University Press. Thanks to a partnership between the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) and eBOUND, and in conjunction with the Association of Canadian University Presses, over 3,000 ebooks will be available online through OCUL’s Scholars Portal platform. Jane Philipps, Coordinator of Collection Development, notes that Queen’s Library does not currently own the majority of these books and that “this agreement will give our users much greater access to recent Canadian scholarship.” For more information, see the Queen’s University press release.

Many thanks to everyone who participated in the Library Service Quality Survey, LibQUAL+. Your responses will help us to ensure that we are meeting your expectations of library service. Results will be analyzed and shared soon. Congratulations to Kory Sutton, winner of the GoPro Camera!

Access the Exambank to see past exam questions from your courses. Exambank! Exambank is the official database of past exam questions from courses offered at Queen’s University.

• Search Exambank
• Search for Law Exams

See a visual breakdown of Exams added to the Exambank since 1999

In the Globe and Mail’s Canadian University Report for 2013, distributed with Tuesday’s paper and also available online, Queen’s University Library has once again received an A grade – the only medium-sized university library to achieve that ranking.  Queen’s Library has consistently received high grades in the report over the years.

University Librarian Martha Whitehead cites a number of factors that contribute to the high regard for Queen’s Library.  These include the exceptional services provided by Library staff in supporting students to achieve academically, the depth and breadth of the Library’s collections, and welcoming Library spaces across campus where students gather to study, learn and collaborate with their peers.  “The Library is integral to student success and to campus life,” states Ms. Whitehead.  “The A grade in this year’s Canadian University Report is a tribute to the dedicated people who ensure the Library provides the services and resources our students need.”

See all of the  2012 University Report Card library rankings.

Stauffer Library’s summer hours (April 30 until September 3, 2012)
SPRING/SUMMER Hours: April 30 to August 16

Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 7:45 p.m.
Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Sunday CLOSED

EXCEPTION: Tuesday, May 29: 10:15 a.m. – 7:45 p.m.

HOLIDAYS CLOSED:
Monday, May 21
Monday, July 2
Monday, August 6

END OF SESSION: August 17 to 31
Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m
Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Sunday CLOSED

LABOUR DAY Weekend: September 1 to 3
Saturday – Monday 9:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Beginning July 3rd, anyone wanting to use a library computer on the Lower Level, 2nd, 3rd or 4th floor of Stauffer Library will be required to logon using their NetID.

If you do not have a NetID, you may use one of the computers on the ground floor, or ask about an account at the Circulation Desk.

Bracken has acquired two dozen healthcare e-source titles from Stat!Ref. The articles largely deal with patient safety and improving healthcare practices at both the institutional and individual levels.  Foundations in Patient Safety for Health Professionals and The Illustrated Guide to Patient Handling and Movement are two examples.

Also in this collection are resources specifically related to Pharmacology, Infectious Diseases and Nursing.  These include:

Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs Video Training Program;

Best Practices in Infection Prevention and Control: An International Perspective;

Nurse’s Role in Medication Safety (2^nd Ed.)

Go take a look!