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Category: Agriculture

The Cochrane Library – Access for All Through Regional Collaboration

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by Cynthia Holt, Executive Director, Council of Atlantic University Libraries (CAUL)

Cochrane_Library_LogoAll residents of Atlantic Canada now have full access to The Cochrane Library thanks to the Atlantic Health Knowledge Partnership. Led by the Council of Atlantic University Libraries / Conseil des bibliothèques universitaires de l’Atlantique (CAUL-CBUA), this partnership includes post-secondary institutions, health authorities, and hospitals in the Region and was struck with the goal of supporting healthy communities.

The Cochrane Library is a collection of databases in medicine and other healthcare specialties which summarize and interpret the results of medical research and are a key resource in evidence-based medicine. Plain language summaries are also available.

To access The Cochrane Library from within Atlantic Canada, go to https://www.cochranelibrary.com/ and start searching.* Access to The Cochrane Library when outside of Atlantic Canada is possible through your home institution (CAUL-CBUA member, health authority, hospital) or local public library website.

Tutorials, webinars, and guides for using The Cochrane Library are available here: https://www.workcast.com/ControlUsher.aspx?cpak=9621168547619827&pak=5334253650203132

Region-wide access is made possible by financial contributions from Dalhousie University, Cape Breton University, St. Francis Xavier University, Mount Saint Vincent University, the Nova Scotia Community College, Memorial University, the University of Prince Edward Island, the University of New Brunswick, the Nova Scotia Health Authority, Horizon Health Network, Réseau de santé Vitalité, and the IWK.

*When you access the Internet from your home, some Internet Service Providers (such as Bell, Rogers, or Xplornet) assign IPs (Internet addresses) that might be from outside of the Atlantic Region. Your provider usually assigns you a new IP each day, and as a result, some days you may have an IP from the region and other days you may have an IP from outside the region. If you are physically located in the region and are having difficulty getting to the full text of the articles, please go to https://www.iplocation.net/find-ip-address to see if the IP you’ve been assigned that day is from the region. If it is not, you’ll need to access The Cochrane Library through your home institution or local public library website.

University Librarian’s Message to Graduates

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baim-hanif-89800-unsplash (2)On behalf of the Dalhousie Libraries, I offer heart-felt congratulations to all graduates. We know the sacrifice and hard work it took to get to this day and we are bursting with pride for all of you. Regardless of your faculty or area of study, in the Libraries we consider all Dalhousie grads to be our graduates.

We’ve enjoyed supporting your academic needs, and as you become alumni, we want your relationship with the Dalhousie Libraries to continue. We offer a number of services to alumni, and we encourage you to explore the possibilities with an alumni benefits card.

I would also like to thank you for any feedback you’ve given to the Libraries over the years. We always learn something valuable when we talk to students and we continue to improve based on what we hear from you. Let’s keep the conversation going – please get in touch at donna.bourne-tyson@dal.ca .

We look forward to supporting your life-long learning journey.

Congratulations!

Donna Bourne-Tyson
University Librarian

Research Bootcamp 2019 for RAs, TAs, & grad students

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RESEARCH BOOTCAMP LOGOFor the fifth year, the Dalhousie Libraries is offering Research Bootcamp, a suite of sessions designed for teaching and research assistants and graduate students. If you or someone you know could benefit from developing effective and efficient information management techniques and literature search skills to support research endeavors, please share this information with them.

Sessions will cover:

  • research skills
  • literature reviews
  • citation management
  • copyright
  • writing abstracts & grant proposals
  • legal resources
  • PubMed & other health sciences databases
  • open access & predatory publishers
  • grey literature
  • Canadian data & stats
  • key resources in engineering & applied sciences
  • managing human research data
  • conference posters
  • APA citation
  • Excel
  • data management planning
  • evidence synthesis
  • humanities resources
  • eBooks & scholarly research
  • introduction to R
  • ESRI Story Maps
  • data holdings at the ARDC
  • data visualization & pivot charts
  • data cleaning with OpenRefine
  • Covidence

Complete session list and descriptions are available at: http://dal.ca.libguides.com/ResearchBootcamp/2019/Schedule

Faculty can recommend the workshops to their RAs/TAs or register on their behalf. Participants can attend most sessions in-person in Halifax (various Halifax campus locations) or via video conferencing from the Agricultural Campus or DMNB.

Registration begins Wednesday, April 10: dal.ca.libguides.com/ResearchBootcamp/2019/Registration

 

 

 

Fair Dealing Week 2019 – Beyond Fair Dealing

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fairdealing_weekThis is the fifth and final part in our series of blog posts celebrating Fair Dealing Week (February 25th to March 1st, 2019).

Fair dealing is only one exception from the Copyright Act, but it receives a lot of attention. There are numerous other exceptions and resources that overlap and supplement fair dealing allowances in an educational setting.

One exception is Section 30.04(1) of the Copyright Act that provides for an exception from copyright infringement for copying, communicating and performing in public by an educational institution or a person acting under its authority for educational or training purposes of a copyright protected work that is available through the Internet. However, this use is subject to several important restrictions. To find out more about the educational exception for works available through the Internet, visit our website: https://libraries.dal.ca/services/copyright-office/for-faculty/using-materials-from-the-internet.html

Under Section 29.5 of the Copyright Act, films may be shown by faculty and staff to students, without permission of or compensation to copyright owners, provided the screening takes place on the premises of an educational institution, the recording is a legally acquired copy, used in pursuit of education to an audience consisting mainly of students with no admission being charged. There is no longer the need to ensure a public performance license is in place if these conditions are met. Works may be performed live (such as a play) without permission under these conditions as well. For more information on showing films in a classroom setting, please visit the following section of the Copyright Office website: https://libraries.dal.ca/services/copyright-office/for-faculty/showing-films-on-campus.html

These exceptions and others are explained in detail on the Copyright Office website. Please note that all of these exceptions are subject to specific restrictions and guidelines. When in doubt, contact the Copyright Office with any questions or comments at copyright.office@dal.ca

New! GIS & Spatial Data Services on Sexton Campus

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Jennifer Strang -070 - CopyStarting Wednesday, January 9, the Dal Libraries is offering GIS and spatial data services on the Sexton campus.

Every Wednesday from 1–4 p.m. until April 3, GIS Analyst Jen Strang will be available at the Reference & Research Desk at the Sexton Design & Technology Library.

There’s no appointment needed, just drop in. Jen can assist with the following:

  • finding geospatial data
  • using ArcGIS
  • solving spatial problems
  • making maps

The Medjucks of Dalhousie

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In conjunction with the 200th anniversary of Dalhousie, the Medjuck family is proudly commemorating 100 years and four generations of association with Dalhousie University.

This association began in September of 1918 when Abraham Medjuck of Glace Bay entered Dal Medical School at the age of 18. Remarkably, this was only ten years after he immigrated to Canada at the age of eight without knowing any English, which was an outstanding academic achievement. Following graduation, Dr. Medjuck moved to New York City where he became a pioneer in Industrial Medicine. His choice of medical practice was in response to the growing medical needs stemming from the large numbers of factories in New York’s Lower Eastside.  He remained in this practice for fifty years.

In time, Dr. Medjuck would be followed at Dalhousie by his brothers, nephews, grandnephew, niece, grandniece, and great-grandniece. Ralph, Harold, and the late Frank Medjuck are his nephews. The Medjuck brothers spent much of their childhood on the playing fields of Dalhousie as their home at 293 South Street was a very short distance from Studley Campus. Seventy years later, Harold Medjuck can still visualize the large acorn and chestnut trees, dirt roads, streams, large fields, pond, and the Murray Studley horse barn that once stood on Studley Campus. During their respective years at Dalhousie, each of the three Medjuck brothers became Chancellor of Tau Epsilon Phi Fraternity (TEP) one of the fraternities affiliated with the University. This was a unique achievement in the history of both Canadian and American college fraternities.

After their father Irving Medjuck passed away in 1985, the Medjuck brothers chose to sell their family home of 50 years to Dalhousie. With the sale proceeds, the Medjuck brothers established the Medjuck Judaica Collection at the Killam Library in memory of their parents, Irving and Blanche (Pascal) Medjuck. In addition, Ralph Medjuck, the eldest Medjuck brother, has been a generous donor to Dalhousie for several decades. In recognition of his support for Dalhousie and his noteworthy accomplishments in the business community, Dalhousie awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Laws.

Several of Ralph Medjuck’s children have also graduated from Dalhousie and two of his grandchildren are currently attending. This culminates four generations of Medjuck Dalhousians, beginning with Abraham Medjuck in 1918. 

In memory, honor, and appreciation of the Medjuck family’s time and place in Dalhousie history, Harold Medjuck has established the Medjuck Centenary Collection at the Dalhousie Killam Memorial Library.

 

Michelle Paon – New Interim AUL Resources & Head of Sexton Library

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074 copyWe are pleased to announce the appointment of Michelle Paon as Interim Associate University Librarian and Head of the Sexton Design & Technology Library. As Associate University Librarian – Resources, she oversees the Libraries’ acquisitions budget, and works closely with the Resources Management Librarian and library staff across the system who select, acquire and provide access to relevant scholarly resources in a variety of formats. As Interim Head of the Sexton Library, she oversees the provision of library resources and services to faculty and students in the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Architecture and Planning.

Michelle Paon has been a science librarian at the Dalhousie Libraries since 2002, supporting faculty and students in the study of biology, the environment, oceanography, and marine management, and for shorter periods, psychology and neuroscience, sustainability, and Indigenous issues.

Michelle was actively involved in the establishment of the DalSpace online research repository and the Killam Library Learning Commons – at the time, both ground-breaking projects for a Canadian research library. She has served on the Curriculum Committees of the Dalhousie Faculty of Science and College of Sustainability. In recent years, she has partnered with colleagues at the Dalhousie Writing Centre to provide integrated research-writing services for students and to conduct related research. Michelle has also provided mentorship and inspiration in the Dal Libraries as a leader in the delivery of effective liaison librarian services.

Michelle holds a Master of Library and Information Studies from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Science (Biology) from St. Francis Xavier University. She is a member of the Atlantic Provinces Library Association and is a past President and life member of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science. Her research interests include collaborative service initiatives, open access, information literacy, and environmental history.

Dal Libraries Wins Healthy Workplace Award

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Sandy Dwyer accepts the award from Dr. Florizone.

Sandy Dwyer accepts the award from Dr. Florizone.

Last night, the Dal Libraries proudly accepted the Healthy Workplace Award at the Legacy Awards. Sandy Dwyer, chair of the Dal Libraries Health & Wellness Committee, accepted the award on the Libraries’  behalf. Throughout the year, the staff of the Dal Libraries take part in numerous activities that touch on the six pillars of health: physical, mental/emotional, interpersonal/social, intellectual, spiritual, environmental, and workload management.

The award itself was hand-crafted by two Nova Scotian artists: Lisa Martin-Cole, owner of The Jeremiah Tree, in Amherst; and Allan Carver, an artist from Hubbards. 

legacy

Welcome Courtney Bayne, Records Manager

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courtney 1We are very pleased to welcome alumna Courtney Bayne to the Dalhousie Libraries in the new role of Records Manager.

Reporting to the University Archivist and working closely with the University’s Records Committee, the Records Manager will work with all administrative and academic units across the university advising them on the development of policies and procedures that supports the implementation of the University’s Records Management Policy. The Records Manager ensures the effective, efficient, and economical management of the University’s information resources are handled in an ethical and sustainable manner.

Courtney holds a Master in Information Management from Dalhousie and has over ten years of experience in the records and information management field. She has held numerous positions with the Province of Nova Scotia and volunteers with the Canadian regional team of the International Records Management Association (ARMA).

“It is great to be a part of the warm and welcoming community here at Dalhousie,” said Courtney. “I started my journey in records management with a Libraries and Technology Diploma from NSCC and while in school I worked at the Nova Scotia Archives. After being introduced to the records management field I felt connected working with individuals in improvement of processes and providing guidance in the application of standards, procedures, and policies. Identifying the operational value of the information that is created in an organization and persevering it accordingly is very important to me. As an ARMA member I keep engaged with the ever-evolving information and records management world. I love the challenges that arise, working though puzzles, and making the end result functional and easy to apply for end users. I look forward to working with the community at Dalhousie to make a robust and proactive records management program,” said Courtney.

“We are pleased to have an individual with Courtney’s extensive knowledge and experience in records management joining us at Dalhousie as the Dal Libraries continue to provide leadership in supporting the implementation of records and information management best practices across the university,” said Michael Moosberger, Associate University Librarian Archives, Special Collections and Records Management & University Archivist.

Courtney is the proud owner of a German Short Haired Pointer puppy named Digby that she enjoys taking on hikes and runs.

Reaching Archival Milestones: 250,000 descriptions and 10,000 digital objects

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The Dalhousie Libraries is very pleased to announce the publication of new finding aids and digital content in its Archives Catalogue and Online Collections: http://findingaids.library.dal.ca/ The catalogue now has more than 250,000 archival descriptions and more than 10,000 digital objects.

What is a finding aid?  Finding aids allow researchers to search our collections from wherever they are. For each collection we have, we create a new finding aid. We currently have over 17,000 finding aids.

What is an archival description?
Archival descriptions establish intellectual control over any body of records held in an archive. An written archival description can describe a single file, a piece of correspondence, a photograph, an audio cassette, etc. Having intellectual control over archival records provides information that explains the administrative structure and social context in which the records were created.

digitial objects

A screen shot containing many digital objects.

What is a digital object?
Examples of digital objects are digital photographs of objects or scans of a letter. Digital objects are added to records (which includes the archival description) of the various items in each finding aid.

 

 

 


How do we decide which objects to digitize?
With all the items we have in the archives, it’s not possible to digitize every single item. We make decisions about which objects we will digitize based on criteria such as the uniqueness of the item; the reflection of the scope and diversity of the collection; the demand for specific material, especially from users with limited ability to access the Archives in person; and to protect objects where continued use of the originals would damage them.

Highlights of this digital content include:

  1. More than 2,400 digitized photographs in the Dalhousie University Photograph Collection: http://findingaids.library.dal.ca/dalhousie-university-photograph-collection/digitalobject/browse
  2. Digitized issues of The Dalhousian a student newspaper published in 1914 as part of a campaign for a new student building: http://findingaids.library.dal.ca/the-dalhousian
  3. Digitized issues of Dal News a newspaper published by Dalhousie University: http://findingaids.library.dal.ca/dalhousie-news-2/digitalobject/browse
  4. Digitized issues of University News, the predecessor to Dal News: http://findingaids.library.dal.ca/university-news-1976/digitalobject/browse
  5. More than 900 digitized slides and photographs of Arctic communities in the early 1960s from the Barbara Hinds fonds: http://findingaids.library.dal.ca/barbara-hinds-fonds/digitalobject/browse (this project was funded by Nova Scotia’s Provincial Archival Development Program)

We have been actively digitizing material in anticipation of Dalhousie’s 200th anniversary to be celebrated in 2018, and will continue to add digital content in the coming months. Visit the Dal 200 website for more information about bicentennial celebrations: https://dal200.ca/

Our catalogue was launched in January 2015 and is proudly powered by the open source Access to Memory (AtoM) software. Visit the Archives’ website for more information about our collections and services: https://dal.ca/archives

 

 

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