All locations of the Dalhousie Libraries will be closed Monday, August 1 for the Natal Day holiday. Enjoy the long weekend, everyone!
Happy Retirement, Gail Fraser!
As another academic year reaches completion, we extend our best wishes to Gail Fraser, the Dal Libraries’ Manager of Acquisitions, Metadata and eResources, who will retire after a career of more than forty years on campus.
Gail started working at Dalhousie University as a Library Assistant in August 1980, doing serials check-in at the Kellogg Health Sciences Library. Over the next dozen or so years, she moved to the Cataloguing department and then to Acquisitions, advancing into new roles and responsibilities.
While working full-time, she also completed Nova Scotia Community College courses in cataloguing, serials and government documents management, and information services and retrieval. This training expanded her perspective and provided her with the skills to engage in reference service and subject selector tasks. Given her initiative and leadership abilities, in 2001 Gail was offered the opportunity to become Head of Serials & Acquisitions at the Kellogg Library.
As Gail reflects, “It was an exciting time to come back to serials. In 1980, serials were published in print, and the tools of the trade were a pencil, eraser and Kardex cards. In 2001 Canadian libraries had just joined CRKN (Canadian Research Knowledge Network), then known as CNSLP, or Canadian National Site Licensing Project, and suddenly massive numbers of eJournals, and how to make them available, were the latest thing.”
From 2012–13, Gail served as a member of the Connex Team, which discussed the findings of the Dalhousie University Libraries operational review. Connex made recommendations to the Senior Management Team on how to implement the report’s recommendations, including the establishment of a system-wide Technical Services department. Within the new structure, Gail held the system-wide role of Manager, eResources Access & Subscriptions (2013–19). Following the retirement of two Resources manager colleagues, Gail transitioned to the system-wide role of Manager of Acquisitions, Metadata & eResources (2019–present) while continuing in a local role as Head of Acquisitions at the Kellogg Health Sciences Library.
In 2020, when the pandemic resulted in the university making a rapid transition to online teaching, Gail was instrumental in communicating with eResource vendors and overseeing staff efforts to quickly set up and activate multiple new streaming video collections and eBook packages. During the early days of the pandemic, Gail also played a key role in successfully transitioning Resources staff to their first work-from-home experiences and supporting them as they adjusted to this new reality. Colleagues will miss Gail’s conscientious, thoughtful approach, her sense of humour, and her patience and tenacity in problem-solving.
Gail has shared her skills and knowledge with library colleagues at Dalhousie and across the region. From 2013–16, she served as Treasurer of the Atlantic Provinces Library Association (APLA). She was actively involved with the Novanet Acquisitions/Serials Service Group, serving as Co-Chair from 1996–97 and then as Chair from 2008–09. As a member of this group, Gail was involved in several library management system migrations and provided numerous training sessions for both Novanet and Dal Libraries’ staff. Her most recent experiences in this area were as an Acquisitions/Serials/Electronic Resource Management (ERM) trainer for the Service Group and for Dal Libraries’ staff. She also served on the Novanet Primo SFX Implementation Committee and was a regular member of the Kellogg Library Management group.
Gail has also represented the Dal Libraries and the university by giving presentations at Login Canada Library Day and at the Springer Summit on eContent Assessment. In addition, she participated in the Dal Libraries’ Staff Conference and Pecha Kucha events.
Gail has been the long-time, beloved Quizmistress of the Kellogg Health Sciences Library, where she is known as Amanda Bertwhistle, or “Bertie”. Team members have fond memories of Gail’s food and plant initiatives. She introduced the delightful “Cinnamon Bun Day” and encouraged her colleagues to transplant office and home cuttings as part of an annual plant give-away at the library.
We thank Gail for her dedication and contributions to the Dal Libraries and the university over an incredible 42 years! Her colleagues throughout the Libraries wish her health and happiness as she moves into this new phase in life.
Congratulations, Gail!
ArcGIS Servers Are Temporarily Down
As of late Friday, June 25, our ArcGIS servers are down. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, please contact us at gis@dal.ca and we will assist you to the best of our ability.
eResources: Linking Issues & (Improvements!)
Recently, you may have noticed some changes when accessing online library resources. That’s because the Dal Libraries (and other Novanet libraries) underwent a major upgrade to our library system on May 17.
If you’ve only searched for print books since then, you may not have noticed many changes (other than how you log into your library account). If you’ve searched for online journals or databases (e.g. MLA, JSTOR, PubMed, Research Library, etc.), you may have noticed some changes to how you access full-text articles.
Prior to May 17, if you used the Libraries’ eJournal search tab, you would have seen an intermediate screen indicating full-text access options in your search results. With the recent system upgrade, you should no longer see this intermediate screen, but instead you should immediately see the results in Novanet. The results indicate journal access options (e.g. Wiley, ScienceDirect, Project Muse, etc.), including print and online content.
When using subscription databases, you may experience temporary issues with the “Get it @ Dal” full-text link. Libraries staff at Dalhousie and throughout the Novanet libraries system are working to correct these issues.
We apologize for any inconvenience you may experience during this ongoing transition. If you experience an issue, please report it to us.
If you need assistance, please contact your liaison librarian or ask for assistance at one of our Dal Libraries’ Service Points. We will continue to post updates on this blog.
Issue Accessing Some eBooks
We are unable to access DDA (demand driven acquisition) eBook titles at this time. The issue has been reported to Novanet and they are working on fixing this issue. We hope to have a resolution soon.
Meanwhile, alternate access to these titles can be gained by going to Proquest Ebook Central and searching by title: https://dal.ca.libguides.com/ebookcentral
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Dalhousie Libraries Welcomes New Dean of Libraries Michael Vandenburg
On August 15, Michael Vandenburg will begin his five-year appointment as Dean of Libraries at Dalhousie University. Current Dean of Libraries Donna Bourne-Tyson will be retiring after eleven years of extraordinary leadership.
Since May of 2021, Michael has been the Interim Executive Director of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL). OCUL is the consortium of Ontario’s 21 university libraries, committed to maximizing collective expertise and resources through collaborative efforts. While at OCUL, Michael provided leadership for current initiatives and services, and actively engaged with member library directors to review the consortium’s governance and develop new strategic directions.
Before that, Michael spent twelve years at Queen’s University Library, most recently serving in Acting and Interim Vice-Provost & University Librarian (VPUL) roles. Michael provided leadership for the library and the university through a period of significant change, including navigating the countless operational shifts required due to the pandemic. He also led the allocation and management of library resources in support of university goals and played a key role in developing and supporting the library’s Information Resources Strategy, Digital Asset Management Strategy, and Action Plan to Support Anti-Racism, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenous Cultures. Representing Queen’s, he worked with OCUL to implement a shared library services platform for 13 Ontario libraries, improving access to library resources for the Queen’s community.
Prior to arriving at Queen’s, Michael worked in public and government libraries in Nova Scotia, Pennsylvania, and Ontario in roles focusing on the digital transformation of library systems and services. As a proud Dal alum (BA’88, MLIS’94), Michael is thrilled to be returning to Nova Scotia and Dalhousie as the Dean of Libraries.
Welcome, Michael!
Improvements to Novanet! (and the retirement of Novanet Classic)
Novanet Classic, affectionately known as the Green Monster, has retired as of May 17, 2022.
Signing in to your library account is about to get simpler, thanks to better integration between the Novanet system and Dalhousie’s single sign-on. Starting May 17, you will use your NetID and password to sign in, instead of using a library barcode number and a PIN. Community borrowers (those without a Dalhousie NetID) please contact your library for assistance accessing your account for the first time.
Also, you may notice the page you use to search for library materials — which we call a discovery layer — looks or works a little differently than before. The discovery layer is getting an upgrade, but the search function should work almost exactly the same as it previously did. You may also notice some small differences when you sign in to your library account.
If you are still using the older interface called ‘Novanet Classic’ for searching, your search pages will look very different as of May 17, when Novanet Classic will be retired. For tips on searching the new, more powerful discovery layer, please contact your subject liaison for assistance.
If you have courses in Brightspace which link to library materials, you may want to check your links on May 17 in case they are broken. Staff from the Dalhousie Libraries will be going through all the eReserve lists we processed for the summer term to make sure everything is in good working order, but if you are using a list from an earlier term, or links that we have previously provided, please check your links. If you do find a broken link in Brightspace, please contact the library that does your eReserves. Staff will provide a working link as quickly as possible.
Please get in touch with us at library@dal.ca or reach out to your subject liaison if you have any questions.
Dean of Libraries Donna Bourne-Tyson Honoured with CARL Award for Distinguished Service to Research Librarianship
Lesley Balcom (right), Dean of Libraries at the University of New Brunswick, presenting Donna Bourne-Tyson (left) with the CARL Award for Distinguished Service to Research Librarianship.
Congratulations to our own Dean of Libraries Donna Bourne-Tyson on this amazing accomplishment!
From the Canadian Association of Research Libraries:
The Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) honoured Donna Bourne-Tyson with the CARL Award for Distinguished Service to Research Librarianship during its Annual General Meeting. This award, which is generously sponsored by ProQuest, is conferred annually to a Canadian individual who has served the profession with marked distinction and has made significant national and international contributions to research librarianship through their leadership and engagement.
Ms. Bourne-Tyson has served as Dean of Libraries at Dalhousie University since 2011, where she provides leadership for Dalhousie’s network of five libraries
“Donna Bourne-Tyson is a remarkable leader with an exemplary record of accomplishment and engagement. She has been key to advancing the agenda of research librarianship at a national level, while also strategically focused on international and regional engagement. She has been highly successful at her own institution, Dalhousie University, leading the libraries with vision and commitment not diminished by her remarkable and consistent level of external engagement.” – Lesley Balcom, Dean of Libraries at the University of New Brunswick.
Ms. Bourne-Tyson was also awarded the 2019 Ken Haycock Award for her remarkable range of Board roles in regional, national and international associations and consortia, for founding and shepherding multiple new organizations, and for her leadership and dedication as an ambassador and role model for librarianship.
She served as Chair (2017-2019), Vice-Chair/Chair elect (2015-2017), and Treasurer (2009 – 2011) of the Council of Atlantic University Libraries, in addition to leading a diversity of initiatives and committees. The same is true at a provincial level within the Novanet consortium, within which she has served as Chair and Vice-Chair.
She was CARL President from 2017-2019, preceded by terms as Vice-President/President-Elect (2015-2017) and Treasurer (2012-2015), leading CARL through a period of dramatic evolution in the world of research libraries and preparing us well for the pandemic era
She served as Vice-Chair of the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (2011-2014) and most recently as an elected member on the inaugural Board of Directors of the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (2020 – 2022). This role has brought great strategic value to CARL members, ensuring visibility and advocacy for the role of research libraries as RDM evolves from the Portage era.
As a former President of CARL, she has continued to represent the Canadian perspective and to enhance international alignment as a Board member of the International Association of University Libraries (IATUL) serving as Treasurer (2019 – 2021) and Secretary (2022).
She was a founding member of the BlueSky Network, a partnership of public, academic and First Nations libraries in Northern Ontario. Representing the Atlantic Provinces Library Association (APLA), she was one of the original members of The Partnership, Canada’s national network of provincial and territorial library associations. She also co-chaired the Interim Board during the founding days of the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA).
“Donna believes and lives a philosophy that working together is much more effective than solo or siloed action. Through her collaborative view of the library world, Donna has brought together people, institutions, and even associations to effect consortial action. And through this, she has had long-reaching impact: Donna has quietly and pragmatically helped shape the library association landscape in this country.” – Jonathan Bengtson, University Librarian at the University of Victoria.
CARL would like to congratulate Ms. Bourne-Tyson on her receipt of this award and would like to thank ProQuest for their generous ongoing support to the CARL Award.
Improvements to Novanet Coming Soon!
Signing in to your library account is about to get simpler, thanks to better integration between the Novanet system and Dalhousie’s single sign-on. Starting May 17, you will use your NetID and password to sign in, instead of using a library barcode number and a PIN.
Also on May 17, you may notice the page you use to search for library materials — which we call a discovery layer — looks or works a little differently than before. The discovery layer is getting an upgrade, but the search function should work almost exactly the same as it previously did. You may also notice some small differences when you sign in to your library account.
If you are still using the older interface called ‘Novanet Classic’ for searching, your search pages will look very different as of May 17, when Novanet Classic will be retired. For tips on searching the new, more powerful discovery layer, please contact your subject liaison for assistance.
Leading up to this change, between May 9–16, you won’t be able to place holds or renew items as portions of our system will be shut down to prepare for the shift to the new discovery layer. Don’t forget there are no overdue fines any longer, so renewing your material can wait until the system is up and running again. You will still be able to sign materials out of any Novanet library and make requests through Document Delivery during this period.
If you have courses in Brightspace which link to library materials, you may want to check your links on May 17 in case they are broken. Staff from the Dalhousie Libraries will be going through all the eReserve lists we processed for the summer term to make sure everything is in good working order, but if you are using a list from an earlier term, or links that we have previously provided, please check your links. If you do find a broken link in Brightspace, please contact the library that does your eReserves. Staff will provide a working link as quickly as possible.
Please get in touch with us at library@dal.ca or reach out to your subject liaison if you have any questions.
Visibility Matters: Representation of Lesbian Communities in Archives and Beyond; a panel discussion
Images of archival items courtesy of the NS LGBT Seniors Archive in the Dalhousie Libraries and the Lesbian Pulp Fiction Collection at Mount Saint Vincent University Library & Archives.
Join us for a special panel discussion in recognition of Lesbian Visibility Day. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Jacquie Gahagan (they/them), founder of the NS LGBT Seniors Archive. Panelists include:
Meredith Batt (they/them): is an archivist at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick and the President of the Queer Heritage Initiative of New Brunswick, an archival initiative which collects the history of 2SLGBTQIA+ people across the province.
Anne Bishop (she/her): has been an activist for five decades in organizations dedicated to local, international, environmental, food, fibre, racial and LGBTQ+ justice.
Elinor Crosby (they/them): is a genderqueer librarian who works as a Manager for Programming & Community Engagement with Halifax Public Libraries. They lead a team of colleagues to create capacity to better serve the queer community within and without the library through programming, information-sharing, and informing training.
Rachel Moore (she/her): is a queer archivist and information manager and a former Research Assistant with the Nova Scotia LGBT Seniors Archive.
Denyse Rodrigues (she/they): practices librarianship at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) in Halifax which includes supporting programs in the Social Sciences, including the Queer Studies minor.
Tuesday, April 26, 12–1 p.m.
Attend via Microsoft Teams
This panel discussion is presented by the Dalhousie Libraries, home of the Nova Scotia LGBT Seniors Archive, and Mount Saint Vincent University Library & Archives in recognition of Lesbian Visibility Day (LVD). LVD occurs annually on April 26 to celebrate, recognize, and bring visibility to lesbian-identified members of the LGBTQ+ community while honoring and elevating this unique community of people who are historically overlooked and dismissed by way of being both women and queer.