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How Do I Book a Group Study Room?

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The South Learning Commons houses six study rooms that are designed for use by groups of 3 to 6 people.  At certain times of year these rooms are in incredibly high demand so it is wise to book a room in advance using our online booking system.

There are just a few things to remember:

  • Rooms are booked by 30 minute time slots and can be reserved for a maximum of two hours per person, per day, only for groups of three or more
  • Remember to confirm your arrival at the Technical Desk
  • If you are 15 minutes late your booking will be cancelled
  • The rooms are only to be used by current Dalhousie staff and students

I would also like to remind users that these rooms are not soundproofed, so consideration should be given to others working nearby.  Please keep conversations to normal voice levels.

LC Tech Help Hotline

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If you’re in the Upper Learning Commons on the second floor and you find yourself needing technical assistance–don’t worry, help is not far away!  Situated next to the print station is a direct line telephone. Pick it up and it will automatically ring through to the Technical Assistance Desk in the South Learning Commons.  A Navigator will be happy to help you with any technical questions.

Learning Commons Floor Cleaning

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Facilities Management will be waxing the floor in the Upper Learning Commons commencing Thursday, June 4th and will finish Friday, June 5th.

Waxing will start in the South Learning Commons on Monday, June 8th and will finish Thursday, June 11th.

The floors will be waxed in sections to ensure the Learning Commons can remain open.  This will result in a smaller than normal amount of workstations being available, but during this quiet period there should not be a shortage of machines.  All other services will also still be available.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

G40F Study Room Unavailable Until Mid-June

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Due to work being carried out on the fourth floor of the Killam it is necessary to use study room G40F as temporary storage space.  During this time the room will not be able to be used as a group study room.  Work is expected to be completed mid June, at which point the room will become available again.

Demand for study rooms is extremely low at this time of year, so there should usually be an alternative room available.  Check out our online booking system to check availability and reserve your room.

Touchscreen Printing at the Killam Learning Commons

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touchscreen print station

Here at the Killam Learning Commons we are excited to announce that we are now using touchscreen technology on one of the South Commons black and white print stations.  A new HP P4515x laser printer has also been installed which is a big improvement over the old model.  If all goes well during this trial the other South Commons print station will also be upgraded.  Feedback from users has been very positive and I’m eager to hear more.  Comments so far include “very cool” and “so much easier and faster”.  Come on down and give it a try, let us know what you think.

First Year Advising Team

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The First Year Advising team will be working in the Killam South Learning Commons, and the Student Services Office, to help students throughout the summer with all kinds of issues such as class selection, the registration procedure and how to get connected on campus, to name but a few. Having collected worksheets from a number of different programs they will be able to help you select classes for the fall and winter terms of your first year. They are an excellent team of peer advisers who will remain in contact with all Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Science and Faculty of Computer Science students to make sure their transition to university is a smooth one. Even if you are not in Arts, Science or Computer Science they will have lots of valuable information for you regarding class selection and adjusting to university life. This great service will commence May 4th, and will operate until August 29th. In the South Learning Commons they will be located on the first computer desk as you enter, so will be easy to find. Hours of operation will be Monday to Friday 9:00am – 4:30pm for phone, email and drop in appointments. They are looking forward to meeting incoming Dalhousie students and their parents, so drop by if you can.

Does Facebook use mean lower grades?

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The use of Facebook, and other social networking sites, on the Learning Commons workstations has recently become a topic of discussion. Opinions range from one extreme to the other. Some view Facebook as an essential tool that helps a person in their day-to-day life (including school), whilst others feel it is an unnecessary waste of time and University resources, and should be banned in the Learning Commons.

I came across an interesting article regarding some research by Ohio State University.

Study finds link between Facebook use and lower grades in college

Interesting reading – the study doesn’t actually say that use of Facebook leads to less studying and lower grades, but that there is a relationship. Surely every generation has had their own distractions which affect their studies? Is Facebook any different, or are other factors involved? Has use of social networking sites had a detrimental effect on your studies? Should Facebook be allowed, or blocked, on the Learning Commons workstations?

How do I print single-sided?

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All black and white printers in the Killam Learning Commons print double-sided by default.  To select single-sided follow these steps:

Click Print, then click the Properties button in the print dialog box.

On the Finishing tab uncheck Print on Both Sides.

Click OK twice to send your print job to the selected printer.

How do I print in the Killam Learning Commons?

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Colour and black and white printing is available in all areas of the Killam Learning Commons. Follow the instructions below:

  • Click Print via the application you are using
  • By default, black and white double-sided printing is selected.  To change to single-sided, click Properties and uncheck “Print on both sides” on the Finishing tab
  • To print in colour select the printer named KIL_SLC_COLOUR.  By default this printer prints single-sided
  • At the chosen printer swipe your DalCard and double click your NetID
  • Insert a check mark for the required print jobs and then click Print
  • Sufficient credit is required on your DalCard in order for the job to print.  There are several ways to add credit to your Dalcard.

The South Commons workstations send jobs to the two black and white printers across from the Technical Desk.
The North Commons workstations send jobs to the lobby printer located outside the Administration Office.
The Upper Commons workstations send jobs to the printer located on the Technical Desk.
All Express workstations, upstairs and down,  send jobs to the ground floor lobby printer.
The colour printer is located on the Technical Desk on the ground floor.

Killam Learning Commons FAQs

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There are lots of questions that we are asked frequently here in the Killam Learning Commons.  These questions can range from “how do I print?” to “how do I book a study room?” to “how do I get page numbers on my document?”  It seems logical to create a FAQ category to group all these questions together.  If you have any suggestions for the FAQ page, or need an answer to a problem, please let me know.

Check out Killam Learning Commons FAQs.

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