Menu

The LibVine

What's going on at Dalhousie Libraries

Archives for Marlo MacKay

Welcome Robin Parker, Information Services Librarian, W.K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library

After studying in the United States, France, and Scotland, Robin Parker completed her Bachelor of Sciences degree at the University of Oregon in 2001. She then returned to her home province of Nova Scotia and completed her Master of Library and Information Studies at Dal in 2010.

Robin worked as a reference librarian at London Health Sciences Centre and most recently in Halifax as a clinical research librarian with the Research Methods Unit, Nova Scotia Cochrane Resource Centre, and Capital Health Library Services. Her experience supporting biomedical and health services research will be just two of her many contributions to Dalhousie.

Robin is delighted to be returning to the W. K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library where she developed her health information skills as an intern in 2009-2010. She’s excited by the challenge of being the main support librarian for evidence-based practice and systematic reviews in health care, a position previously held by Tim Ruggles, who recently retired.

“It’s a pleasure to be working with the great team at the Kellogg Library again. Tim left big shoes to fill, as he was extremely experienced and liked by both students and faculty. I look forward to building on his legacy to help the Dalhousie health sciences community use and produce high-quality research to improve the health of people in Nova Scotia and beyond,” she says. Welcome Robin!

 

New Computers for the Dalhousie Libraries

The IT staff have been even busier than usual over the last four weeks as they replaced the computers in all four libraries.

“Replacing the computers in the libraries is a planned feature of the service we provide to students. The computers are replaced every three years, to ensure that the technology available to students is up-to-date,” said Marc Comeau, director of IT for the libraries at Dal.

The computers will run the Microsoft Office 2010 suite, which includes Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, Excel and Access. The computers will also continue to run statistical programs and software such as MATLAB, Minitab, SPSS, Maple and SAS. For students interested in using the new 3D printer in the Killam Learning Commons, 3D modelling programs such as MeshLab, Google SketchUp and Solid Edge will also be available on the new machines.

Included in this batch of new computers are 20 new iMacs. “We’re replacing the nine older iMacs we already have and 11 of the old PCs with new iMacs,” said Marc.  All of the old computers will be returned to the company that Dal leases them from where they will be refurbished and reused.

One of the new iMacs in the Killam Learning Commons.

Everyone is reminded that there is no food allowed at the computers. This rule is enforced by the Learning Commons staff.  A common complaint about the computers in the Learning Commons is that the keyboards are dirty. Staff clean the keyboards about three times a year, but you can help keep them clean by not eating around the computers. Drinks in covered containers are allowed.

All of the new computers are expected to be installed by the end of the week.

Promoting Science, a Nova Scotian Tradition

The Nova Scotian Institute of Science (NSIS), founded in 1862, stimulates public interest in scientific research and publishes the results of research by Nova Scotian scientists.

This image comes from The Birds of Sable Island, Nova Scotia by I. A. McLaren (1981). It’s just one of the 900 digitized items from The Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science to be found on DalSpace.

In the nineteenth century, the founders of NSIS were professionals who met monthly to share their love of science, presenting specimens they collected and reading scientific papers which they published in their journal, The Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science. Members of NSIS still meet regularly and they currently publish the journal twice annually.

NSIS established a library in 1864 that is now housed in the Killam Library. This collection contains a number of periodical titles not available elsewhere in Canada. “The Institute’s collection at the Killam includes scholarly publications from around world. NSIS collects these publications through partnerships with other scientific societies. We send our journal to about 100 partners, some as far away as Australia. In turn, these partners send their publications to NSIS,” says Michelle Paon, a science librarian at the Killam Library who is the current president and librarian of the NSIS.

The back issues of the NSIS journal, (The Proceedings), were digitized by Killam Library interns (graduate students from Dal’s School of Information Management).“Issues of the journal from 1863-1984 are available on DalSpace, which works out to about 900 digitized articles. People who are studying or interested in the natural history of Nova Scotia will find the journal particularly interesting,” says Michelle. The library is also working with NSIS to transition current issues of the journal from print to an online format using Open Journal Systems (OJS) software. 

NSIS is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. To learn more about the Institute and the annual lecture series, visit chebucto.ns.ca/Science/NSIS/ All of the talks are free and presented at a level suitable for anyone wanting to know more about science in Nova Scotia.

Killam Atrium Closed June 25-July 15, Library Will Be Open

The atrium only of the Killam Library will be closed for improvements from June 25 until July 15. During that time, please use the entrance at the back of the building (across from Howe Hall). This door will be made fully accessible on June 22.

Some of the improvements being made to the atrium will include:

  • new furniture
  • more seating
  • resurfaced ramp for improved accessibility

Also, the after-hours book drop for the Killam Library, located in the front doors of the Killam, will be locked during the atrium closure. To return library materials after hours, please use the book drop at the Dunn Law Library, located in the Weldon Law Building at 6061 University Avenue.

We apologize for any inconvenience the temporary closure of the atrium may cause and we look forward to welcoming you back to the improved space. If you have questions about the food vendors in the atrium, contact Aramark Food Services at food@dal.ca

Stay tuned for updates about the improvements. When the project is finished, we hope to post some before and after pictures.

The red circle indicates the location of the back door, which will serve as the main entrance to the Killam during the atrium closure.

The Health Spending Account and the Employee & Family Assistance Program

Lunch & Learn (bring your lunch)
Presenter: a representative from Medavie BlueCross and Shepell.fgi
Thursday, June 21, 12-1 p.m.
Killam Library, Room 2616

 

What is a Health Spending Account (HSA) and how does it work? What services are offered through the Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP)? These services are available to staff as part of the staff benefits package, but do you know how to access and use them? The Dalhousie Libraries Health & Wellness Committee has arranged for someone from Medavie BlueCross and Shepell.fgi to speak to library staff about the HSA and the EFAP.

 

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

 

Thursday’s lunch and learn session is the first initiative of the Dalhousie Libraries’ Health and Wellness committee. The committee was just recently created, having met for the first time in May. “You’ll be hearing more from this committee in the future. We are currently looking at ways that we can improve health and wellness in the Dalhousie Libraries,” says Sandy Dwyer, Chair of the committee. The other committee members are: Kellie Hawley (Killam), Alice Stover (Killam), Angela Hersey (Kellogg), Anne-Marie White (Dunn), Carolene Robertson (Sexton), Carol Richardson (Killam) and Anne Gaetz (Sexton).

The mandate of the committee is to:

  • identify ways to make our libraries (staff and environment) healthier
  • implement and promote  health and wellness practices that consider the six dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, intellectual, interpersonal/social, spiritual and environmental
  • provide recommendations on such matters to the University Librarian
  • serve as liaison with the Healthy Workplace Collaborative (Dalhousie-wide Health & Wellness committee)

All staff is welcome to Thursday’s session. Don’t forget to bring your lunch.

eBooks & iPads: using an iPad to meet your academic reading requirements

Lunch & Learn (bring your lunch)

Thursday, June 14, 12-1 p.m. Killam Library, Room 2616

Presenter: Gwendolyn MacNairn, Computer Science Librarian, Killam Library

Many staff, students and faculty members have iPads—and the Dalhousie Libraries have purchased thousands of eBooks. This can only be a match made in heaven, provided you know how to access the eBooks and know which apps to use to create a successful reading experience.

This introductory session presents the basics for using an iPad to meet your academic reading requirements. An emphasis is placed on what’s available for free.

Gwendolyn, a computer science librarian at the Killam Library, presented a similar session at the Atlantic Provinces Library Association (APLA) annual conference, which took place at Acadia University three weeks ago.

All are welcome, and don’t forget to bring your lunch.

Dalhousie Libraries Will Grow to Five

It was officially announced last week that the students, staff and faculty of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) will become members of Dalhousie’s Faculty of Agriculture, effective September 1. The campus will remain in Truro/Bible Hill and it will be known as the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus.

Why a merger between Dal and NSAC? The merger is intended to:

  • build a national centre of excellence for research and innovation in agriculture, agri-food, and bio-resources
  • give students at both institutions a broader choice of programs
  • strengthen the schools’ ability to compete nationally and internationally for research funding and student recruitment (Source:  http://nsacdalmerger.ca/about/)

The merger also means the number of Dalhousie Libraries will grow to five, with the addition of the NSAC’s MacRae Library. The MacRae Library is the largest repository of agricultural resource material in Atlantic Canada. The library staff at Dal are looking forward to working with the staff at the MacRae Library, as we look at ways to blend our services and resources for students and faculty.

Welcome to the MacRae Library staff, and all the students, staff and faculty at the new Faculty of Agriculture. We’re looking forward to a successful academic year with you.

The MacRae Library on the beautiful NSAC Campus, to be called the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus, beginning September 1. (photo courtesy of NSAC)

Northern Highlights of the Killam Collection

Dalhousie graduate Dr. Mary Hunter has had a passion for the Arctic since she was just five years old. A classroom display created by her kindergarten teacher ignited Dr. Hunter’s interest in what would become a lifelong love.

Dr. Mary Hunter

It wasn’t until after she graduated from medical school at Dalhousie in 1957 that Dr. Hunter had the opportunity to travel north. After experiencing first-hand all that the Arctic and Polar regions has to offer, she fell even more in love with the area. Inspired by the people, the landscape, the fresh air, the flora and the fauna, Dr. Hunter continued to make trips to the Arctic and Antarctic as often as she could, while her medical career took her to Ontario, Trinidad and England.

Dr. Hunter also built an extensive personal collection of carefully selected books about the North. The Killam Library is very fortunate to be the recent recipient of this collection, estimated to contain 250 volumes. The collection also contains ten years of back issues and a current subscription to Up Here, a Maclean’s-style magazine for the North.

A selection of the books are currently on display in the Special Collections area of the Killam (fifth floor) until Monday, June 4. After that, the books will be interfiled throughout the Killam’s collection, depending on their topic.. The books cover a wide-range of subjects, including history, nature, transportation, climate, art and literature.

Two of Dr. Hunter’s favourite books among those she donated to Dalhousie is The Long Exile: a Tale of Inuit Betrayal & Survival in the High Arctic by Melanie McGrath and A Complete Guide to Arctic Wildlife by Richard Sale.  She recommends these books to anyone who wants to gain a basic understanding of the North.

Thank you Dr. Hunter for sharing your collection with the Dalhousie community. We wish you safe travels on your next trip to the North.

 

The two display cases containing some of the books donated by Dr. Hunter. Shown with one of Dr. Hunter's favourite sculptures at Dalhousie.

 

 

A sample of just some of the books donated by Dr. Hunter.

 

This stamp identifies books donated by Dr. Hunter.

Welcome Marlo MacKay, Communications Coordinator

The Dalhousie Libraries welcome Marlo MacKay, who joined the staff as Communications Coordinator, based in the Killam Library, effective May 28.  Marlo comes to Dalhousie from Halifax Public Libraries, where she was the Communications Officer. She is replacing Tina Usmiani, who recently retired.

After more than ten years of working in public and school libraries, Marlo obtained an advanced diploma in public relations from Nova Scotia Community College. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Saint Vincent University. In 2008, Marlo began working in the Communications and Marketing department of Halifax Public Libraries, where she was the editor of the Library Guide and the media contact for the library, among other duties. In 2010, she was part of the planning team for the Halifax Central Library public consultation meetings.

Marlo’s main focus will be promoting and publicizing the resources and services of the Dalhousie Libraries. “I am very pleased to join the team at the Dalhousie Libraries. Working on Dal’s bustling and beautiful campus is a dream come true,” she said.

You can reach Marlo with questions about library promotions at marlo.mackay@dal.ca or at 494-3907. She looks forward to hearing from you.

TOP