What’s New

The Library & SLC: Here to Support Your On-Campus & Online Learning!

A big welcome to all our new and returning students! Whether you’re taking classes on-campus or online (or both!) we want to assure you that the Library and Student Learning Centre (SLC) have a variety of services available to support your learning.

*Please note, some of our online resources will require you to login with your College Network Account.

Explore our list of services and resources:

  • Library Space:
    The Library space at the Ottawa campus is open 24/7 and features a silent study room and a bookable meeting room (more meeting rooms are available on the 2nd floor of C Building). The Library help desks are available to assist you during business hours.
  • Library Live Chat:
    Our Library Live Chat service is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. If you require more in-depth, one-on-one research help, please book an online or in-person Research Appointment with our staff.
  • Borrowing Books:
    If you would like to borrow a book from your campus Library, you can request the item online using Page 1+ or you can visit your local campus Library in person. You will need your AC card to borrow books. Click here for more information on how to request items.
  • Returning Books:
    Books may be returned to your campus Library drop box.
  • Digital Resource Collections:
    Access the library’s A-Z digital resource collections, this includes databases, eBooks, online videos, journals, and more. Digital resources are available 24/7 and require you to login to your College Network Account.
  • eBooks and Audiobooks Collections:
    Access electronic books on a wide variety of subjects. Find instructions on how to locate, use and download eBooks to different devices in our eBooks Guide.
  • Essential Skills Guides:
    Explore a variety of online guides that cover essential skills such as citing sources, avoiding plagiarism, research, math, English communication, technology, study skills, and much more.
  • FAQ’s:
    Find answers to commonly asked questions.
  • Coaching Lab:
    The Coaching Lab offers all Algonquin College students individual and small group coaching, both online and on-campus, at no charge. The areas of coaching offered are computer, math, writing, ESL, study skills, presentation skills, research, and anatomy/biology.
    *Pembroke students can also visit the Pembroke Campus Student Support Lab page to book an appointment with a Pembroke Campus Coach.
  • Peer Tutoring:
    If you’re a student who finds themselves experiencing difficulties in a course or are struggling to understand a concept being covered in class, Peer Tutoring can help. This service matches you with a trained student tutor for one-on-one tutoring. Tutors are students who graduated from the class before and did well in it. The fee for tutoring is $8.00 per hour. Peer Tutoring appointments are offered online and on-campus.
  • Skill-building Workshops:
    Students can participate in workshops to develop and strengthen fundamental skills such as research, writing, digital skills, and study skills to help you succeed in classes. These workshops are offered both online and on-campus, and are free to attend.
  • Online Video Collections:
    Access multiple online video collections on a wide variety of topics. Find instructions for finding, using, downloading and embedding online videos in our how-to guide.
  • Page 1+:
    Meet the Library’s new resource search tool. Research more effectively and discover access to industry-relevant resources.
  • Open Educational Resources (OER):
    Find free, openly licensed images, videos, icons, course material, textbooks and more within our Open Educational Resources Guide.
  • Subject Guides:
    These are curated guides for specific programs and areas of study. This is a great starting point for new students and for those doing preliminary research!
  • The Learning Portal:
    The Learning Portal provides shared access to resources from all Ontario Colleges. Explore modules related to learning online, study skills, digital skills, writing, research, math, career exploration, and more.

    • Maamwi Hub: The Maamwi Hub is inspired by the TRC 94 Calls to Action to ensure that the 24 Colleges of Ontario lead in the education of staff and students on the diverse Indigenous histories, cultures, and current Indigenous worldviews. We hope that the Maamwi Hub will be a part of your ongoing reconciliation journey.

For more information, please visit us in-person or connect with us online. Have a great first week!

Join Us for AC Day 1 on September 5th!

Autumn is in the air and with it comes a fresh start to the school year! Join us for all the activities happening on September 5, 2023 for AC Day 1 and discover how the Library and Student Learning Centre (SLC) can support you in your journey towards academic success this semester and beyond.

Library Tours

This short walk through our beautiful library will introduce attendees to our onsite services and resources; such as the silent study area, collaborative learning spaces, and helpful staff. Learn how easy it is to use our self-checkout kiosks to borrow books and find out how to borrow laptops from our new 24h laptop lockers! You’ll also learn about our Coaching and Peer Tutoring Services and meet Page 1+; – it’s a lot like Google, but instead of searching the web, it searches the library’s online and in-house collection!

Event Location: Attendees to meet at the Library main desk in Room C350 (3rd Floor, C Building)

  • 11:00am – 12:00pm
  • 1:00pm – 2:00pm
  • 3:00pm – 4:00pm

On-Campus Workshops (Ottawa Campus)

Getting Started with Brightspace & Zoom
In this workshop, you’ll get to know Brightspace, the online platform for your courses. You will learn how to access your course materials, submit assignments, take quizzes, see your grades, and more. You will also learn about Zoom, including how to set up your Zoom account, adjust your account settings for security, schedule your own zoom meetings, and work with your classmates.
*Please note, this workshop is first-come, first-serve due to limited spaces.

Event Location: Library Learning Lab (Room C263, 2nd Floor, C Building)

  • 9:00am – 10:00am

Getting Started with Brightspace, Email, and Microsoft 365
In this workshop, you will find out how to sign in and navigate Brightspace, the online platform for your courses, so you are comfortable using it. The workshop covers how to access your course material, submit assignments, take quizzes, see your grades, and more. You will also learn about your student email and some of the Microsoft 365 apps, like Word and Teams, that you can access through your email account and that can help you in your studies.
*Please note, this workshop is first-come, first-serve due to limited spaces.

Event Location: Library Learning Lab (Room C263, 2nd Floor, C Building)

  • 10:00am – 11:00am

Can’t attend a session? Click here to check out the Student Learning Centre‘s workshops running daily from August 21 to September 8.

Introduction to the Library
In this workshop, attendees will learn how to search through the library website to find ebooks, videos, articles, tutorials, statistics, and more! You’ll also learn new strategies for navigating our online resources and digital collections to easily find the resources you are looking for. *Please note, this workshop is first-come, first-served due to limited spaces.

Event Location: Library Learning Lab (Room C263, 2nd Floor, C Building)

  • 2:00pm – 3:00pm

Online Workshops

Introduction to the Library
In this workshop, you will learn how to search through the library website to find eBooks, videos, articles, tutorials, statistics, and more! You’ll also learn new strategies for navigating our online resources and digital collections to easily find the resources you are looking for.

Event Location: Virtual Event via Zoom. To join the session, click here.

  • 10:00am – 11:00am

Can’t attend this session? Library workshops will be running weekly throughout September. Visit the Workshops website to view the monthly schedule and sign up.

Getting Started with Brightspace & Zoom

In this virtual workshop, you’ll get to know Brightspace, the online platform for your courses. You will learn how to access your course materials, submit assignments, take quizzes, see your grades, and more. You will also learn about Zoom, including how to set up your Zoom account, adjust your account settings for security, schedule your own zoom meetings, and work with your classmates.

Event Location: Virtual Event via Zoom. To join the session, click here.

  • 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Can’t attend this session? Click here to check out the Student Learning Centre‘s workshops running daily from August 21 to September 8.

To View the full schedule of AC Day 1 activities and events please click here.

It’s Not to Late to Participate in Procrastination Awareness Week 2023!

Procrastination Awareness Week (PAW) is a cross-institutional collaboration that invites students to learn more about procrastination, develop effective habits, and connect with one another. Students are invited to attend remote workshops to learn strategies related to focus and concentration, motivation, time management, writing, studying, and exam preparation. The PAW programming will feature remote workshops to help students learn strategies related to focus and concentration, motivation, time management, writing, studying, and exam preparation as well as a virtual study hall for students who are looking to work alongside others and make progress on their end-of-term to do lists. The event is free, open, virtual, and inclusive and features some of the best procrastination-related programming from across participating institutions.

The goals of PAW include:

1. Increasing awareness about procrastination (what it is, how it happens, and how to work with it)

2. Supporting students to set achievable learning/study goals

3. Supporting students to develop effective academic habits

4. Supporting students to make progress on their end-of-term to do list

5. Connecting students with one another so that they can exchange tips and tricks

All students are invited to register, for free, here: https://bit.ly/3KIuaFQ
Please note, all events will take place on Zoom.

 

Black History Month at the Library

February is Black History Month; a time to honor and celebrate the culture, contributions, and legacies of Black Canadians and others around the globe.

In support of this year’s theme “Black Resistance,” the Library would like to share some resources to guide the college community in finding out more about the achievements made and adversities faced by Black individuals over the course of history.

We have a selection of books on display at the Ottawa Library (Collection Room II) in honor of Black History Month. We encourage all to drop-by and discover a variety of novels featuring prominent Black authors, non-fiction narratives that foster allyship, award-winning children’s books, and more.

Below is a list of what you can find on display in the Library throughout February:

Explore our online collections to find more recommended resources in celebration of Black History Month:

 

Discovery begins on Page 1+

The AC Library is excited to announce the official launch of Page 1+, the innovative new search tool for industry-relevant resources!

Page 1+ gives you easy access to the library’s collection. These resources have been hand-selected to be up to date and relevant to the specific programs offered by Algonquin College. With its intuitive design and powerful engine, Page 1+ will empower our students to complete their assignments more efficiently and effectively than ever before!

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Page 1+ is convenient. Regardless of when, where or what you’re studying, Page 1+ users will experience free, convenient access to their college library’s collection of expertly curated materials. The Page 1+ platform’s intuitive and accessible design takes the work out of research, inviting discovery, encouraging curiosity, and steering its users towards success.
  • Page 1+ is easy. With its single sign-on feature, discovering and accessing resources is a seamless experience. Users will no longer require a separate library account to login and can use their College Network Account.
  • To ensure your course materials are up to date, please check your Brightspace links. Links harvested directly from the database source will continue to work during/after this upgrade. Links harvested from our One Search tool should be replaced with a direct link to the source database before August 31, 2022.

Questions about Page 1+? Visit our How to Use Page 1+ Guide or contact us at library@algonquincollege.com for support.

Coming Soon: Page 1+ the New Resource Search Tool

Big changes are coming! The Library’s One Search tool will be replaced by Page 1+ in late July of 2022.

What is Page 1+?

  • Page 1+ is the new resource search tool presented by College libraries Ontario (CLO), and in partnership with Ontario College Library Services (OCLS), and leverages the expertise and resources of 18 Ontario college libraries.
  • Page 1+ provides access to library resources whenever, wherever, or however you need them – at home, on campus, or on the go!
  • Page 1+ offers up to date, relevant, academic research materials, directly from the Library.
  • With Page 1+ you can complete your research faster than ever before by receiving easy access to industry-relevant resources.
  • Contributors from across the province share in the operation and maintenance of the single universal system, streamline the research process for students and faculty.

More information and updates will be provided on our website and social media channels as we prepare for the launch of this new resource search tool. If you have questions about upcoming changes, please contact us via email at library@algonquincollege.com or by using our Library Live Chat service.

Discovery begins on Page 1+!