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Library News - Bracken Library 2009

Holiday Closure

Posted: December 21st, 2009

The Bracken Health Sciences Library will close at noon on Dec. 24th and will re-open at 8:00 a.m. on January 4th.

Please renew your books over the holidays!

Posted: December 1st, 2009

Please remember to return or renew your books for the holiday period. To renew your books online, log in to MyQueens or the Library’s online renewal service. We regret that the Library is unable to apply automatic loan extensions during the holiday break.

Campus Bookstore at Queen’s marks Centennial with $100,000 donation to Queen’s University Library

Posted: November 27th, 2009

Celebrating 100 years of service to the Queen’s community, the Campus Bookstore is marking its Centennial with a donation of $100,000 to Queen’s University Library to support the purchase of course-related electronic books, journals and other information resources.

Founded in 1909 by two students from the Queen’s Engineering Society, the Campus Bookstore is a student-owned and operated not-for-profit enterprise with a mandate to distribute required course material at the lowest possible price to students.
 
“We wanted to commemorate the Bookstore’s 100th Anniversary in a manner consistent with our mandate” says Jordan Black (Sci’10), Chair of the Board of Directors.  “The Campus Bookstore focuses on required readings like textbooks and course packs, but we recognize that students also need access to secondary course-related readings and information.  Supporting the Library in this way is a natural extension of our mission.”

“While the University continues to invest in library acquisitions, it is always a challenge to keep pace with increasing costs and continuously evolving lists of new titles,” says Paul Wiens, University Librarian.  “With this generous gift from the Campus Bookstore, the Library can purchase additional course-related electronic information resources that we could not otherwise afford.”

The Campus Bookstore at Queen’s University is a unique enterprise, focused on saving students money rather than making money.  Under its not-for-profit mandate, the Bookstore returns excess revenue to students in the form of textbook discounts of about 9% on average.

“Like the Library, we aim to serve all Queen’s students in all disciplines,” says Chris Tabor, General Manager of the Campus Bookstore.  “Allocated to the purchase of electronic resources, this gift ensures that these materials will be available to Queen’s students any time of the day or night, and from any location on- or off-campus.”

PubMed Transitions to New Website

Posted: October 30th, 2009

PubMed has a new streamlined look.  Read more or watch this 3-minute video demo.

Queen’s Library Receives Top Marks in 2010 Globe & Mail Canadian University Report

Posted: October 23rd, 2009

Queen’s Library has once again been recognized with top honours in the Globe and Mail University Report, receiving the only A+ for overall library satisfaction in all university categories.

The Library also received top marks for hours of operation (A+), online library resources (A+), total library holdings (A) and availability of study space (A-).

Thank you to all of the students who participated in the survey.  Your recognition and support are greatly appreciated!

Upcoming Workshops for Professional & Grad Students

Posted: October 19th, 2009

Expanding Horizons Workshops for Graduate & Professional Students -  topics include Electronic Thesis Preparation, to be held on Oct. 27 & repeated on Oct. 29.

Bracken Library closed Oct. 17 & 18

Posted: October 16th, 2009

Due to the annual closure of Botterell Hall for necessary building maintenance, Bracken Library will be closed Saturday Oct. 17th and Sunday Oct. 18th.  See the library hours.

Queen’s Library Supports Online Access to Course Readings

Posted: September 25th, 2009

A new web site developed by Queen’s Library, following consultation with faculty, students, and administrators, aims to improve access to course readings for Queen’s students:

Creating Course Reading Lists

The Creating Course Reading Lists site provides new recommendations for faculty to keep in mind when preparing course readings for Winter 2010 and beyond.  It is designed to assist faculty in leveraging the opportunities created by the increasing availability of electronic information resources, in combination with current and emerging online learning environments.  The site includes guidelines and advice relating to online access and fair dealing, as well as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Recognizing that electronic versions of course readings are not always available and that print readings remain the recommended option in some circumstances, the site also provides links to services which support print-based course materials, including the AMS Publishing & Copy Centre and the Campus Bookstore.  The Library will continue to offer reserve reading services for print materials where appropriate, but encourages instructors to utilize electronic resources whenever possible.

The new site is the culmination of extensive review and consultation undertaken by the Library’s Course Readings Working Group, whose membership included Maggie Berg (English Department and Educational Development Faculty Associate at the Centre for Teaching and Learning), Wendy Huot (Web Development Librarian), Brad Murphy (ITServices), Sharon Musgrave (Stauffer Library Access Services), Brenda Reed (Education Library), Mary Claire Vandenburg (Stauffer Library Learning & Research Services), and Martha Whitehead (Associate University Librarian).  The group would also like to thank Michele Chittenden (Adaptive Technology Centre) and Jeanette Parsons (Queen’s Accessibility Coordinator) for accessibility advice, and Diane Kelly (Queen’s Legal Counsel) and Laura Murray (English Department and Chair of the Copyright Committee of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences) for advice on copyright and fair dealing. The group’s report is available on the Creating Course Reading Lists web site.

Queen’s Library Supports University Statement to Government Copyright Consultation

Posted: September 17th, 2009

The Library supports Queen’s University’s submission to the Canadian Copyright Consultation.  The University’s submission outlines four key points:

  1. Digital locks, though they may be used to stop piracy, must not impede users’ rights.
  2. Fair dealing ought to be clarified and amplified.
  3. Specialized exceptions ought to be used sparingly because they likely wouldn’t be able to keep up with technological change or accommodate a range of reasonable educational practices. 
  4. Licensing mechanisms must not be seen as a substitute for users’ rights.

Principal Daniel Woolf has reiterated the University’s position in an op-ed entitled “Getting Copyright Right,” posted to The Mark on September 11, 2009.  Additional information is available on the Principal’s Office newssite.

Babs Flower’s Legacy to Library Users

Posted: September 9th, 2009

Babs Flower, Honorary Life Member of the Canadian Health Libraries Association, passed away in Kingston on Sept. 8th. Her report, “Libraries without Walls: Blueprint for the Future“, written in 1987, still resonates today…although it was penned before the e-journal revolution and the scholarly publishing open access movement.

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