Ryerson Library News

Ask Me - Tell Me!

2010-03-15T17:14:00.005-04:00

Do you have something to say about the Library? Your Student Advisory Committee would like to know!

The Student Advisory Committee, RULA-SAC, will be conducting an event called "Ask Me - Tell Me" over the next three weeks at the following times:

Tuesday March 16, 12-2 p.m
Thursday March 25, 2-4 p.m.
Wednesday, March 31, 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Students will be paired with a staff member from the committee at a booth in the lobby aimed at promoting the role of RULA-SAC and to gather information on issues that the committee might address in the coming year. Light refreshments will be available for participants.

Please drop by and chat with us!

Keep up to date with Paralympic Watch!

2010-03-15T13:59:00.004-04:00

Want to keep up to date with the Paralympics in Vancouver? The Library has created an innovative mash-up, Paralympic Watch, that integrates updates of medal standings with Google maps, statistical data and historical images of the Paralympics from Library collections. In addition to medal standings, users will also be able to view the geographic location of the country, as well as statistical data and selected images. Please note that Mozilla Firefox is required to view Paralympic Watch.

Paralympic Watch has been designed for viewing on a wide screen, and is viewable on the Library 4th floor.

To learn more about Paralympic Watch, please contact Graham McCarthy, Innovative Technologies Librarian or Dan Jakubek, Map and GIS Librarian.

Architecture Resources on Display

2010-03-12T13:58:00.004-05:00

A selection of resources from the Library's collection relating to Architecture are on display in the glass case near the Reference area on the main floor. Included are books by Ryerson Architecture faculty, as well as photos from the Canadian Architect collection, which was recently donated to Special Collections.

To learn more about Library resources relating to Architecture, please view the following research guide.

Rare Books Display on the 4th floor

2010-03-04T11:00:00.002-05:00

Check out the display cases on the 4th floor of the Library which showcase items from Special Collections. The items on display change regularly, so look for future updates on what's new!

The current display features a selection of items from the Rare Book collection, which holds around 500 items covering topics from art, literature, Canadiana and photography from the early 1700s to the present. The oldest book in the collection is a first edition of Alfred, An Epick Poem in 12 Books by Sir Richard Blackmore, published in 1723. The poem tells the story of King Alfred the Great of England (849-899), but the author has dedicated it to Prince Frederick of Hanover, the eldest son of King George I of England, and has clearly intended the young prince to learn from his text: "...he, who loves his country and wishes well to mankind, cannot chose a more effectual means to promote their happiness, than by inspiring into a young prince such generous sentiments, such just ideas of political prudence..."

Colour Photocopying @ the Library

2010-03-03T09:40:00.005-05:00

Colour photocopying is now available in the Library. One machine (pictured) is located towards the rear of the Learning Commons on the main floor and the other machine is on the 5th floor beside the change machine. Colour photocopies cost 28 cents each. More information about photocopying is available on our photocopying page.

Celebrate your Freedom to Read!

2010-02-22T15:44:00.002-05:00

February 21-27, 2010 is Freedom to Read Week, an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Take this opportunity to celebrate your freedom to read!

Open House Netbook Winner

2010-02-19T13:39:00.002-05:00

First year student Sajin Alexander, with Chief Librarian, Madeleine Lefebvre, is our winner of the "My Learning Commons is ..." Netbook draw. A big thank you to all the students who took part and made the Open House a great success!

Keep up to date with Olympic Watch!

2010-02-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

Want to keep up to date with the Olympics in Vancouver? The Library has created an innovative mash-up that integrates automatic updates of medal standings with Google maps, statistical data and historical images of the Olympics from Library collections. Olympic Watch uses RSS feeds to provide instant updates of medal counts as they are reported on the official Olympic website. Users will also be able to view the geographic location of the country, as well as statistical data and selected images. Please note that Mozilla Firefox is required to view Olympic Watch.

Olympic Watch has been designed for viewing on a wide screen, so please drop by the Library to view it on the LCD panel in the Library lobby throughout the Games. It will also be viewable on the 4th floor, alongside television coverage of the Olympics. The Paralympics, taking place in March, will also be featured in Olympic Watch.

To learn more about Olympic Watch, please contact Graham McCarthy, Innovative Technologies Librarian or Dan Jakubek, Map and GIS Librarian.

IEEE Xplore Upgrades

2010-02-11T09:52:00.004-05:00

Sneak Peek Video

On Saturday February 13, IEEE Xplore will be launching a new website. Designed to make searching for and finding relevant research easier and faster, the new interface includes several important customer-requested enhancements. New features will include:

Please note that users may experience intermittent service interruptions between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm ET on the 13th. Search IEEE Xplore.

Internet Disruptions Sunday February 14

2010-02-11T09:30:00.003-05:00

On Sunday February 14 between 8 am and noon, Ryerson will be upgrading its network. While this work is taking place, Internet connectivity will be disrupted. This will mean that on-campus users will be able to access the Library catalogue and other Ryerson websites, but that they will not be able to access electronic resources such as journal articles and ebooks that reside off-campus. Off-campus users will not be able to access any Library resources - catalogue, Library website, journal articles and ebooks, etc. while the upgrade is taking place. The University apologizes for the inconvenience.

MINES Survey for Libraries

2010-02-10T11:53:00.005-05:00

Along with other Ontario universities, the Library will be participating in the MINES Survey from February, 2010 until February, 2011. This online survey collects demographic information about users of electronic resources, as well as information about the purpose of their research.

Users will be asked to complete a short survey during 1 in every 250 requests to access an e-resource through our Get It! Ryerson link. The survey is completely anonymous.

We appreciate your participation in this survey, which will help us assess how e-resources are being used across the province.

Celebrating Black History

2010-02-05T15:59:00.004-05:00

In celebration of Black History Month, the Library has several books from the collection on display in the glass case near the Reference area on the main floor, and in the New to the Collection section of the Library homepage. More books on this topic are viewable in the Library catalogue, or ask for help at the Reference Desk.

To learn more about Library resources relating to Black History, please see the following research guide, The Black Experience in Canada.

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has also identified many films in its collection relating to Black History Month, which can be viewed online, and even from your iPhone. These are freely accessible, and can be used for both recreational or educational purposes.

100,000 ebooks Now Available

2010-02-04T14:56:00.013-05:00

Over 100,000 ebooks covering a wide variety of subject areas are now available from the Library. They can be found by searching the catalogue, browsing the individual ebooks collections (Scholars Portal Books, PsycBooks, Safari Tech Books Online, Oxford Reference Online, Knovel, EngNetBase and more) or by searching:
Off-campus users will be asked to sign in with their my.ryerson account to use most ebooks.

Find Articles on your Phone

2010-02-04T12:26:00.005-05:00

Articles from Academic Search Premier and other Ebscohost resources are now available from your phone. Ebscohost Mobile has been designed to work with most mobile devices that can access the Internet including Blackberry, iPhone, iPod Touch and Palm 750. Find Ebsco and other articles on your phone.

The 10th Floor is for Silent Study

2010-01-28T15:27:00.003-05:00

As many of our users have indicated a need for more silent study space, the Library has recently initiated a pilot project to designate the 10th floor as a Silent Study Floor, with the following rules now in place:

No talking or whispering
No group study
No use of cell phones - turn cell phones off
Minimal and quiet keyboarding
Mute all audio - no headphones
No eating

Let us know what you think about the silent study floor by posting comments.

Join Us at the Learning Commons Open House

2010-01-22T15:07:00.002-05:00

Discover what your Learning Commons has to offer at My Learning Commons Is... on Wednesday, January 27th from 1-3 p.m. on the Library main floor! This event, hosted by the Library and its Learning Commons partners, will highlight many of the services available to students to help you achieve your learning goals.

Students will have the opportunity to visit different zones in the Commons, sample some free food and enter a draw to win fabulous prizes, including a Netbook! You can also provide us with valuable feedback to help shape the future development of the Learning Commons - so come out and tell us what you want from your Learning Commons!

Holiday Photo Contest Winners

2010-01-20T09:30:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to our two prize winners. To see all the contest submissions, check the slideshow below.

2009 Holiday Contest Slide Show

Apple Drop-in Hours for Winter Term

2010-01-15T17:03:00.002-05:00

Need help working on a Mac? The Apple campus representative for Ryerson will be available at the north end of the Learning Commons on the main floor, near the row of Mac computers, on Mondays, from 4-6 p.m. during the Winter term. Please drop by and ask about anything Mac, from apps to hardware.

Show your support for AskON Chat!

2010-01-11T14:31:00.003-05:00

Do you love AskON, our chat reference service? If so, we need your help! Knowledge Ontario, which provides the AskON chat service, as well as access to a number of online databases, is made possible through government funding.

In this time of economic restraint, Knowledge Ontario must ensure it can demonstrate the strongest possible case to potential funders of the value of its work. They have launched a campaign to show the government how its services are making an impact on communities across the province. Please show your support for Knowledge Ontario by filling out an e-postcard and sharing your story.

Book Display on Contemporary Japan

2010-01-09T12:19:00.005-05:00

The Ryerson University Library and Archives (RULA) was selected to receive up to 100 books from the Nippon Foundation as part of its 100 Books for Understanding Contemporary Japan initiative. In October of 2009, we received 73 new titles on Japanese politics, government, international relations, economics, business, society, culture, literature, the arts, and history. The books have been chosen to help non-experts gain a basic understanding about Japan.

Several of these titles are on display in the glass case near the Reference area on the main floor. Many of them are available for borrowing, and can be viewed in the Library catalogue.

Last chance to submit to the Photo Contest!

2010-01-04T12:42:00.003-05:00

Submit photos of yourself, friends, family members, pets, co-workers and acquaintances having a ball to be entered to win one of TWO prizes this year: a $50 bookstore gift certificate or a $25 Starbucks gift card. This contest is open to all Ryerson staff and students and photos will be posted to Flickr. The winning photo will be featured in Ryerson Today!

The deadline has been extended to Friday, January 8. Contest submissions can be made online.

Reduced Library hours beginning Dec 19

2009-12-18T15:47:00.003-05:00

A reminder that the Library's opening and closing hours will be reduced beginning Saturday, December 19th. For more information, please view the hours on the Library website.

Thank you and happy holidays!

Library 4th floor closed beginning Dec 21

2009-12-18T12:09:00.003-05:00

The 4th floor of the Library will be closed beginning Monday, December 21st until Wednesday, December 23rd inclusive, to accommodate the replacement of carpeting with tile. The elevator cabs will be programmed to bypass the floor and access from the stairs on the west side of the floor will be disabled.There will be no access to the Graduate Reading Room, study rooms or graduate lounge spaces on the floor during this time. If you require access to Special Collections, please phone 416-979-5000, x4996.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Library System Upgrade - Monday Dec 21.

2009-12-18T12:03:00.002-05:00

After closing at 5 pm on Monday December 21, the Ryerson Library will be upgrading its main library system software. This will mean that the access to the catalogue and borrower records will not be available for approximately 2 hours from 5 pm. Access to the electronic resources will not be affected.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

iPod Winners and 2009 Survey Results

2009-12-03T09:59:00.004-05:00

The winners of our mobile device survey this year were Adrienne Lee, a Master's student, and Roselyne Lugue, a first year ECE student, pictured here with Chief Librarian, Madeleine Lefebvre. Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey. Selected results are available on the library website.