Transitions: Library and Learning Services Annual Report 2014/15

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Library and Learning Services Annual Report 2014/15

Transitions


In Sheridan’s Library


A LETTER TO OUR COMMUNITY

The identity of academia is in transition: classrooms are flipping, courses are hybrids, journals are predators, and libraries are in the cloud. Similarly, Sheridan’s identity is undergoing its own change: degree students now account for 25% of enrollment, 1 in 4 students is international, an increasing number of faculty have or are pursuing post-graduate degrees, and the vision to become Sheridan University is reshaping the institution. It is no surprise that Library and Learning Services is transforming as well. The academic community is increasingly dependent on Library professionals to help navigate the rapidly changing research and scholarly landscapes. The challenge to provide meaningful library services is compounded at Sheridan by our growing diversity and our increase in degree programming. Given these demands, Library and Learning Services dedicated 2014/15 to building relevant digital collections in support of the various modes of instruction, designing academic services that recognize our eclectic nature and cultivating relationships with our partners across the college. It was a year of change and growth as we laid the foundation for a 21st century library prepared to meet the needs of this wonderfully dynamic institution. Join us as we reflect over the past year on how our identity has transitioned in our 2014-15 Annual Report.

Joan Sweeney Marsh Director, Library and Learning Services

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REAL-WORLD, REAL RESOURCES The Library and Learning Services Strategic Plan 2013-2020 aims to build and provide access to library collections appropriate for an undergraduate teaching university in the digital age. In 2014/15 the Library agressively built collections to support existing and new degree programs. Subsequently, the money dedicated to Library collections has more than doubled from approximately $500,000 in 2010 to over $1.3 million in 2014/15. Digital resources account for 80% of the library collection expenditures. The numbers tell the story. Our Library book collection (digital and print) has more than doubled from 127,000 items in 2010 to just under 320,000 titles in 2014/15, of which over 250,000 are in digital format. The Library also offers a robust streaming video collection with over 16,000 videos from premier service providers. In 2014/15 we added over 2,200 e-journal subscriptions to the collection. Our focus goes beyond the classroom. An objective of the Library’s Strategic Plan includes the necessity to provide resources that mirror those adopted by industry. To this end, the Library has provided access to several exciting and innovative new resources, typically found in creative workplaces.

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NEW TO SHERIDAN IN 2014/15

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SHOW UP AND PLUG IN Discoverability of Library collections was the focus for the Technical Services team in 2014/15. Thousands of new resources were ingested into the Library catalogue and findability was improved with upgrades to our discovery tool, Summon. Processes and workflows were refined and Technical Services quickly adapted to new ways of working more efficiently. These efforts have led to faster and greater access to quality information resources. To meet the needs of rapidly growing digital collections and Library systems, the Library’s Technical Services Team added two essential new positions: a Metadata and Systems Librarian and a Digital Assets Technician. Emphasis was also placed on using and promoting emerging technology amongst the Library and Learning Services Team thereby positioning the Library as an ambassadors for digital learning at Sheridan. Supporting Library Partners at Sheridan The Library Technical Services Team assisted the broader Sheridan IT community by contributing to the Access Portal Refresh Project, the IT Change Advisory Board, the network address translation project, the Dual-boot Podium Project, and the Centre for Teaching and Learning’s Teaching and Learning Technology Committee. Partnering with the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology and sponsored by DataWind, IEEE, ACM, HalTech and ProQuest, Library and Learning Services planned and hosted the Library’s first Hackathon in the Davis Learning Commons. Over 20 students took part in the two-day, weekend event. The creators of the winning app, Rentify, received a $500 prize.

" I had never met these people before this event and in 16 hours we built something really cool .” - Sheridan Student on the Hackathon Library and Learning Services Annual Report 2014/15

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Key Library Technology Projects 2014/15 • Implemented tabbed navigation to Library Web site to enhance user experience • Upgraded LibGuides to a new platform • Transitioned the A-Z database list content to new LibGuides platform • Integrated e-book and e-journals into the catalogue • Transitioned the RefWorks server to a new hosting environment • Implemented upgrades to the Summon interface • Improved journal management using 360 Link

Tabbed Navigation

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FROM START TO FINISH Over the 2014/15 year, User Services focused on increasing information literacy integration into the curriculum from first year to applied research programming, adding a greater diversity in modes of instruction delivery and improving universal design and access to services for all students from diploma to degree level. First-year students face challenges in acclimatizing to the academic expectations of the post-secondary environment and to the expectations surrounding scholarly research. In 2014, the Library hired a First Year Experience Librarian to lead a First Year Library Team and to create a suite of academic support services to provide students with foundational skills in research and citation. The First Year Team composition was developed in consultation with faculty and campus partners such as International, Tutoring and Accessible Learning. The Team, which includes student peers and Reference and Citation Specialists, hosted its inaugural Exam Jam at Davis campus, attracting 175 students. The Exam Jam provided extra study sessions hosted by faculty as well as various clinics on study techniques and time management. Embracing a scaffolding model that supports students in progressively developing research skills necessary for more self-directed learning, the Library also hired a Scholarly Engagement and Applied Research Librarian. This postion supports applied research endeavours and helps promote platforms for scholarly communication with a focus on students in applied research and capstone projects. This year included an increased focus on a variety of instructional modules. In addition to classroom workshops, the Pilon School of Business collaborated with the Business Liaison Librarian to integrate online information literacy instruction modules into curriculum for the Marketing, Marketing Fundamentals and Business Communications courses. These self-paced, online tutorials reached 2,625 students. As a complement to the workshop instruction and online modules, the Liaison Librarians also increased the number of one-on-one consultations to provide students with more focused support for in-depth research and topic development.

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HELP ALONG THE WAY In 2014/15 Tutoring embraced collaboration across all Faculties to pilot fresh and flexible academic supports. Services include peer-assisted learning sessions, online tutoring and tutoring at no additional cost or minimal cost to students. This year, Tutoring Centre’s Steering Committee explored aspects of the academic support model called Supplemental Instruction (SI), a peer-assisted learning service utilized in Canadian post-secondary institutions. The model was piloted within a variety of first-year courses, and was used as a springboard to determine how Tutoring can best meet the academic support needs of our students and professors. In addition, our staff tutors have gone from entirely external hires from surrounding universities to include Sheridan co-op students providing Java Object-Oriented Design and Chemistry tutoring in class, in tutorials, and in one-on-one appointments within the Tutoring Centres. Our peer tutors, who are also Sheridan students, provide support outside of those courses targeted through staff tutoring and peer-assisted learning sessions. In 2014/15 a generous donation from guard.me International Insurance was granted to Tutoring, which will bring physical changes to our tutoring spaces as well as expanded programming. Creative spaces marked guard.me Tutoring Centres will be built in high-traffic Library and Learning Commons areas ensuring students can find and identify tutoring where and when they need it. Changing our name from “Learning Centres” to “Tutoring Centres” is a natural step towards providing users with easy navigation in our academic environment.

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Sheridan Students by Numbers:

Appointments by Numbers:

138 participated in Coversation Circles

4,334 English

437 recieved online English tutoring

2,051 Math

301 were employed as Peer Tutors

1,735 Java

701 recieved help from Peers

1,342 Business Math

32 were employed as Peer-Assisted Learning Leaders

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UNIVERSAL ACCESS

Universal access was identified as a core value in the Library and Learning Services Strategic Plan 20132020. In response to Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) legislation, the Library is participating in a pilot project that makes available the Accessible Content E-portal (ACE) repository of accessible print materials. In collaboration with the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) and Ontario College Libraries, Sheridan Library can now provide a wider range of accessible resources to users. Library staff actively participate on Sheridan committees related to captioning and universal design in teaching and learning, complementing work being done to meet AODA requirements. To further assure that universal access is considered foremost in our services, the Library has committed to services that also support the international student. During 2014/15, the Library participated in two pre-orientation trips to India to promote academic supports to Fall and Winter term intake students. On arrival at Sheridan, the students have ready access to multi-lingual orientation videos and ESL supports such as conversation circles and collections. User Services continues to strive to provide services that are flexible, responsive and accessible.

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PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL SPACES Central to students’ academic success are spaces for study, reflection, collaboration and creative activities. Sheridan’s Library and Learning Commons spaces provide the best in information technology to students. In keeping with the Creative Campus campaign and in partnership with the Faculties, the Library introduced exhibits and installations into the spaces, including a joint venture with the Oakville Museum. To address ongoing changes at Sheridan, the Library prepared a Space Plan in 2014/15 that includes an overview of current space utilization and makes recommendations for future Library design and space requirements. In developing library space recommendations, the Library referenced best practices and standards established by the Association of College and Research Libraries and used these as guiding principles. This coming year will see the start of the roll-out of the Library and Learning Services Space Plan initiatives. These include: • The relocation and redesign of the Trafalgar guard.me Tutoring Centre to a more central and visible location adjacent to the Library and Learning Commons, through a donation from guard.me International Insurance; • The opening of a Scholarly Communication Hub at the Trafalgar campus to support faculty and students in the creation and dissemination of new knowledge; • New signage throughout Library and Learning Services spaces to provide better navigational assistance to students; • The re-zoning of spaces to help provide the ideal combination of quiet and collaborative study spaces in support of learning preferences and activities; and • Additional quiet and collaborative seating in the Davis and HMC Library and Learning Commons to accommodate a demand for increased quiet study space. Over the coming year, we will continue to work with our partners from across the college in planning the HMC 1 retrofit and additional renovations at the Trafalgar and Davis Library and Learning Commons. The latest in our virtual environments will be the implementation and launch in October of the institutional repository.

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ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE & RESEARCH LIBRARIES SPACE GUIDELINES Space: Libraries are the intellectual commons where users interact with ideas in both physical and virtual environments to expand learning and facilitate the creation of new knowledge. 6.1 The library creates intuitive navigation that supports self-sufficient use of virtual and physical spaces. 6.2 The library provides safe and secure physical and virtual environments conducive to study and research.

Library Spaces by Numbers: Over 1,500 seats for students

450 desktop computers 50 group study rooms 3 adaptive technology rooms

6.3 The library has the IT infrastructure to provide reliable and robust virtual and physical environments needed for study and research. 6.4 The library uses physical and virtual spaces as intellectual commons, providing access to programs, exhibits, lectures, and more. 6.5 The library designs pedagogical spaces to facilitate collaboration and learning, and the creation of new knowledge. 6.6 The library’s physical space features connectivity and up-to-date, adequate, well-maintained equipment and furnishings. 6.7 The library provides clean, inviting, and adequate space, conducive to study and research, with suitable environmental conditions and convenient hours for its services, personnel, resources, and collections. 6.8 The library’s physical and virtual spaces are informed by consultation with users. From: Standards for Libraries in Higher Education. (2011, October 1). Retrieved September 3, 2014, from http://www. ala.org/acrl/standards/standardslibraries

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SCHOLARSHIP, RESEARCH & CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

Presentations

Ontario.

Claire Wollen, Kathleen Oakey and Susan She-

Shelley Woods (August 2014), Providing Academ-

pley (January 2015), #GetCreative: New Adven-

ic Support to First Year International Students.

tures in Academic Liaison Librarianship. Ontario

International Pre-Departure Orientation, Ahmed-

Library Association Super Conference. Toronto,

abad, India.

Ontario.

Presented again for the Pre-Departure Orienta-

Joan Sweeney Marsh (December 2014), Devel-

tion, Chandigarh and Jalandhar, India.

oping Quality Academic Support Services. Library

Papers or Books Published

Department, Nanjing University of the Arts.

Susan Shepley with Colleen MacKinnon (2014),

Nanjing, China.

Stories of informal mentorship: recognizing the

Presented again at the Shanghai Business

voices of mentees in academic libraries. The

School, Shanghai, China.

Partnership: Canadian Journal of Information

Marian Traynor (November 2014), Providing Aca-

Practice and Research, 9 (1). (Invited paper)

demic Support to First Year International Students.

Jamie Goodfellow with Isola Ajiferuke and

International Pre-Departure Orientation, Ahmed-

Adeola Opesade (in press), Characteristics and

abad, India.

effectiveness of tags in public library online public

Presented again for the Pre-Departure Orienta-

access catalogs. Canadian Journal of Informa-

tion, Chandigarh and Jalandhar, India.

tion and Library Science.

Patricia Buckley with Jennifer Peters, Meaghan

Scholarly Research or Creative Work

Shannon and Joy Muller (May 2014), Copyright

Shelley Woods (2014), researcher for Stay Aubry

Literacy: Collaborating for Province-Wide Delivery

[Documentary]! Canada: Willing Mind Produca-

of Training. ABC Copyright Conference, Universi-

tions, Inc.

ty of Victoria, British Columbia.

Susan Shepley (2014), Research supervisor for

Presented again at Advancing Learning Confer-

Transformational Learning for BBA Development

ence, Georgian College, Barrie, Ontario.

as part of the Productivity Innovation Fund

Shelley Woods, Danielle Palombi, Elena Shik

Grant, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Univer-

and Joan Sweeney Marsh (May 2014), Libraries

sities.

at the Forefront of International Student Success.

Graduate Degrees Completed

Canadian Library Association Conference, Victoria, British Columbia.

Holly Ashbourne (2014), MLIS from the University of Western Ontario.

Presented again at the University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia. Susan Shepley with Rebecca Massy and Samayya Daghar (January 2015), Creating Transformative Research Experiences for Students. Ontario Library Association Super Conference, Toronto, Library and Learning Services Annual Report 2014/15

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Sheridan Committee Work

Team for the BBA Creative Learning Portfolio.

Danielle Palombi (Member), Grading Policy Com-

Susan Shepley (Member), Pilon School of Busi-

mittee.

ness Research and Partnership Local Area Council

Danielle Palombi and Joan Sweeney Marsh (Members), Teaching and Learning Senate Sub-Committee.

Sub-Committee.

External Committiee Work Holly Ashbourne (Member),Ontario College Library

Shelley Woods (Members). Tutoring Centre Steering Committee.

pository Group. Irene Sillius (Member), OCLS Bibliographic Stan-

Jennifer Hance, Kathleen Oakey, and Philip Wong

dards Working Group and the Sub-Committee for

(Members), Centre for Teaching and Learning’s

Cataloguing Manual.

Teaching and Learning Technology Committee.

Irene Sillius and Shelley Woods (Members), OCLS

Jennifer Hance and Philip Wong (Members),

College Union Catalogue and Libraries’ Digital

Information Technology Support Services’ Change

Repository (CUCLDR) Steering Group.

Advisory Board. Jennifer Hance (Member), Access Portal Refresh Project. Joan Sweeney Marsh and Shelley Woods (Members) Senate. Joan Sweeney Marsh (Chair), Patricia Buckley, Philip Wong and Susan Shepley (Members), Scholarly Engagement and Institutional Repository Working Group of the Undgergraduate Reserach and Creative Activities Standing Committee of the Senate. Kathleen Oakey and Shelley Woods (Members), Information Technology Dual Boot Podium Project. Marian Traynor (Member), Advisory Council for Sheridan Accessibility. Marian Traynor (Member), Accessible Teaching and Learning Committee. Marian Traynor (Member), College Council. Shelley Woods (Member), Awards and Recognition Working Group of the Senate. Susan Shepley (Member), Course Development

Irene Sillius (Member), OCLS eBook Technical Task Force: Metadata Working Group. Irene Sillius (Member), OCLS CUCLDR User Interface Working Group (Collect). Irene Sillius and Philip Wong (Members),OCLS Sirsi Planning Committee. Jennifer Hance and Philip Wong (Members), OCLS Video On Demand Steering Committee. Jennifer Hance (Member), OCLS Sirsi Steering Committee. Joan Sweeney Marsh (Chair), Ontario College Libraries eBook Consortium. Kathleen Oakey (Member), OCLS Digital Media Service Working Group. Kathleen Oakey (Member), OCLS eBook Outreach

SERVICE AND COMMITTEE WORK

Danielle Palombi (Chair), Joan Sweeney Marsh and Services (OCLS) eBook Technical Task Force: Re-

Task Force. Marian Traynor (Member), Heads of Libraries and Learning Resources’ AODA Committee. Patricia Buckley (Chair), OCLS Licensing Portal Expansion Research Panel. Library and Learning Services Annual Report 2014/15

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Library Expenditures Growth (Dollar Amount) $6,000,000.00 $5,000,000.00 $4,000,000.00 $3,000,000.00

2014/15 LIBRARY FINANCIALS*

$2,000,000.00 $1,000,000.00 $0.00

Library Budget 2014-2015

Other, 8% Collections, 35%

Staffing, 57%

Total Library Expenditure $3,884,554

* Financials in the charts above do not include Tutoring expenditures.

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LIBRARY AND LEARNING SERVICES

VISION Commit to new approaches in the design, delivery and integration of services to support our rapidly changing academic and information environments.

MISSION Support Sheridan’s vision by providing access to relevant collections and services, advancing teaching and learning, nurturing academic excellence, and cultivating creative spaces for research, study, collaboration and discovery.

VALUES Knowledge Sharing Academic Integrity Universal Access Exceptional User Experience

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CONTACT US library@sheridancollege.ca | 905-845-9430 ext. 2482 | library.sheridancollege.ca Illustrations included in this report have been created by Connie Choi, a third-year student in Sheridan’s Bachelor of Illustration program.


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