The Audio Visual (AV) department is happy to announce the arrival of Criterion on Demand, a new, unlimited streaming platform! Looking for films about Black history? How about documentary, comedy or science fiction films? You can find them here and many more. From older to current releases, from genre to genre, there are plenty of options to choose from. Whether for class instruction or assignment research, just login with your Ryerson username and password, then watch and enjoy!
Library Speaker Series: What is Stronger Than Hate?
You’re invited to the Ryerson Library’s Speaker Series event: What is Stronger Than Hate? Building Empathy in an Increasingly Violent World.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018 from 11-12PM in Library 405, on the Library’s 4th floor. No RSVP required.
For close to 25 years, the USC Shoah Foundation has been collecting, preserving and making accessible human stories from survivors and witnesses of genocide and mass violence. That collection is being used in education in more than 80 countries worldwide. The institute’s research shows that localized testimony based education programs can build empathy and inspire action among youth, particularly those who may be marginalized.
Dr. Kori Street is the Senior Director of Programs and Operations at the University of Southern California Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education. She oversees education and research programs around the world that help to understand the causes and consequences of identity-based hate and genocide and the power of the human story to counter hatred.
If you have any questions or any particular accommodation please contact Anna Tassone (atassone@torontomu.ca)
GIS Day
In celebration of GIS Day, the Library’s Geospatial Map and Data Centre (GMDC), in collaboration with the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies and ESRI Canada, is hosting an event for Ryerson students, faculty, staff, and the local community to explore and celebrate GeographicInformation Systems (GIS) research and applications.
When: Wednesday November 14th, 2018 from 10am-3pm
Where: SLC 508, 5th floor of the Student Learning Centre
Presentations will include a series of academic and technical demonstrations highlighting institutional research and the following ESRI products: ESRI Insights, ArcGIS Pro, and CityEngine. The full agenda is available here.
No RSVP required, please drop-in as your schedule allows.
Ryerson Library Research Guides
Did you know that we have research guides available for every major subject at Ryerson?
Research guides contain a lot of helpful information, such as the best academic journals and websites related to your area of study, where to find related books in the library collection, citation help, and valuable search tips.
Research guides are a great place to start your research and familiarize yourself with the most useful resources for your particular field, whether you are on or off campus. We also have a detailed guide on doing research assignments here, which applies to all subjects and programs. With Reading Week coming up, we know that many people can’t make it to campus, so we hope you’ll find these tools useful for starting your research at home!
RU Debt Free? Free Financial Literacy Workshop Series
RULA will be offering RU Debt Free?, a free Financial Literacy Workshop series over the course of the Fall 2018 and Winter 2019 semesters, open to all Ryerson students. Drop by and learn about budgeting, banking, saving, credit basics, and financial life during and after school.
Registration is now open for all undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students. There are a total of 5 sessions which will be offered afternoons and evenings in both Fall and Winter. You can view the full schedule now.
Register early, as space is limited!
The Grand Library Shift Project
This summer a team of library staff undertook a massive shifting project in order to integrate our print serials with the rest of our book collection. The purpose of this project was to create more space in the library for students, create more space for our collection, and to make our print collection more accessible.
A total of 515,946 books were moved in the course of these project, and 20,828 shelves were cleaned to make the library a more pleasant and welcoming space.
If you are a frequent visitor to the library stacks, you may notice that things are not where they used to be, and that a lot of books have changed floors. We have updated our catalogue, signage in the stacks, and signage in the elevator to reflect all of the changes that were made during this shift.
A big, huge thank you goes out to all of the staff that were involved in this important project. Drop by the library when you get a chance and see how our space has improved!
Library Town Hall on September 18
We want to hear from you about your experience with the library. It’s your your space, your library, and we want to make it as useful, accessible and welcoming as we can. But we can’t do that without hearing from those who use it the most – YOU!
Please plan to drop in and have your say. We’ll have pizza and refreshments to make sure your belly is full, and your mind open.
Join us on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 between 12pm-2pm in SLC 508, on the 5th floor of the Student Learning Centre.
We hope to see you there!
Two-Factor Authentication for Library eResources
All Ryerson instructors and staff are required to use two-factor authentication in order to access Library eResources, eHR, RAMSS, and D2L Brightspace as of August 1, 2018.
Setting up two-factor in two steps
Step 1: Set up a code generator using your mobile device
e.g. Download Google Authenticator for iOS or Google Authenticator for Android.
Step 2: Add two-factor to your Ryerson account
(i) Log in to my.ryerson with your username and password.
(ii) Look for the Self Service module and click Personal Account.
(iii) Under the Security section, click Two-Factor Authentication.
What to do if you don’t have a mobile phone
If you don’t have a mobile phone or prefer not to use your phone, you can use a universal second factor (U2F) security key or a one-time verification (OTV) code generator. Check with your department for approval purchasing a U2F or OTV.
How two-factor helps secure your account
Two-factor is the best way to protect your Ryerson account and the information in it. With two-factor enabled, even if someone guesses or steals your password, they won’t be able to access your account without something only you would have, such as your phone. It will also protect your account from attackers in cases such as payroll diversions, identity theft, theft of intellectual property, and exam data.
Please visit the CCS website for more about two-factor authentication at Ryerson. You can also contact CCS Help Desk at help@torontomu.ca or 416-979-5000, ext. 6806.
2018/19 Toronto Metropolitan University Library and Archives OER Grants
The Toronto Metropolitan University Library and Archives (RULA) is pleased to announce its 2018/19 RULA Open Educational Resources (OER) Grants to encourage the creation and adoption of open educational resources. OER are learning materials that are openly licensed such that they are freely available to be adapted, copied, and shared. OER can be: courses, modules, textbooks, multimedia, assessments, and supplementary materials.
These grants advance the University’s priorities to foster an innovation ecosystem and ensure excellence in student learning experiences, and build on RULA’s digital initiatives, expertise in Open Access and Open Education Resource publishing and dissemination, and academic priorities of access and openness. The Library and Archives is very pleased to collaborate with the Office of eLearning and the Learning and Teaching Office in the review and adjudication of the grants, and in the support of successful projects. A total of $35,000 is available in two categories of grants:
Category 1 – Creation or Adaptation
- 3 grants for creation or adaptation of an OER textbook or ancillary materials and its subsequent use in class- $10,000 each.
Category 2 – Review and Adoption
- 5 grants for peer review and adoption of OER, or creation of small-scale supplementary/ ancillary material for an existing OER – $1,000 each.
Objectives of the Grant Program
- To support faculty members in the review, revision and adoption of open textbooks and other OER materials
- To increase the use of open educational content, textbooks and OER at Toronto Metropolitan University resulting in pedagogical innovation, enhanced access for students, and reduced textbook and class material costs.
Eligibility
All TFA and CUPE Faculty members, Librarians and Post-Doctoral fellows, may apply for these grants.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Curation and customization of OER that will be freely and openly shared within Toronto Metropolitan University and beyond
- Impact on student experience, including high-quality materials, maximum access, open and innovative pedagogy, and cost savings to students
- Active engagement of students with Faculty in the adaptation/adoption of OER
- Improve discipline/subject OER coverage
- Complete and viable budget and project outcomes, consistent with project objectives and appropriate administrative approval from your Chair or supervisor as necessary
- Foster commitment to building equity, community and inclusion, advance the TRC Calls to Action, and alignment with Ryerson’s Academic Plan and priorities
Guidelines for Applicants
- Complete the Application Form by 4:00 pm on September 28, 2018. Proposals must be submitted via this link prior to the deadline.
- Selection Process: Proposals will be evaluated according to an established assessment rubric based on the criteria noted above. A RULA OER Grant Review Committee comprising representation from the Library and Archives (chair), the eLearning Office, and the Learning and Teaching Office will consider all applications. The results of this process will be communicated to each applicant in late October, and announced during Open Access Week 2018.
- Funds will be available once a detailed budget is approved by the RULA OER Grant Review Committee.
- Funds may be used to be used to pay students; editors; graphic designers; videographers, with preference given to projects that employ Ryerson students. Funds cannot be used to purchase equipment or used for travel costs.
- This is not an equipment fund, however, if the substance of the project requires equipment, that component may be considered if it is demonstrated that such equipment is unavailable on campus and is instrumental to the project on a case-by-case approved basis.
- Faculty teaching release is not funded by this grant.
- Funds will be made available no later than November 30th, 2018 after recipients attend an introductory 2-hour on-boarding session. Category 1 funds must be expended no later than August 31st, 2019, and Category 2 funds must be expended no later than April 15th, 2019.
- Brief final reports at project completion and/or close of the granting period are required, including an outline of fund expenditures. Any unspent funds will be returned to the Library and Archives.
Reporting and Deliverables
For Category 1 – Creation and Adaptation grants:
A mid-term report is due April 15, 2019, and final reports and links to materials created must be submitted to the Library OER Grant Committee by August 31, 2019. Upon completion of the project, a presentation must be made during Open Access Week (October 2019).
For Category 2 – Review and Adoption grants:
Final two-page report and links to materials created must be submitted to the Library OER Grant Committee by April 15, 2019. Upon completion of the project, a short presentation must be made during Open Access Week (October 2019).
Acknowledgment and Licensing
Grant recipients are required to credit the RULA Open Educational Resources (OER) Grants in any publications, conference proceedings, or media appearances resulting from the funded project.
All materials created via these funds must be licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY license, or a CC-BY-NC license and indicate that they were funded by a RULA Open Educational Resources (OER) Grants.
Assessment
Groups will be interviewed at end of project for feedback and a follow-up interview will be done after in-classroom pilots.
Application Process
To apply for a grant, please submit a completed application form to RULA by 4 pm September 28, 2018. Grant recipients will be announced October 22nd, 2018. If you have questions, please feel free to contact either Ann Ludbrook aludbrook@torontomu.ca ext. 6910, or Sally Wilson swilson@torontomu.ca ext. 556898, or email librarygrants@torontomu.ca.
Meet RULA’s Summer Student Staff
It’s time for summer projects at the Toronto Metropolitan University Library and Archives (RULA) and we’re fortunate to have wonderful student staff here to help. Read on to learn about some of our projects and the roles of student staff.
Anish, Accounting
Anish is our Weekend Circulation Assistant. He’s available to help you access Library materials and answer borrower questions on Sundays. On weekdays this summer, Anish is meeting people from all over the world and helping them learn about Toronto as staff at a hotel.
Claire, Business Management
Claire assists visitors in two popular Ryerson buildings–the Library and the Student Learning Centre–as a Library/SLC Specialist. As part of the front-line services team, Claire provides information about programs and facilities in the Library, SLC, and the University. You’ll also spot her assisting with special events and conducting head counts. Claire’s excited to help people learn more about the campus and the Ryerson community all summer.
Hafsa, Biomedical Engineering
Hafsa works behind the scenes as a Library Digitization Projects Assistant. Hafsa is helping to serve patrons in a variety of ways by supporting eReserve, Interlibrary Loan, and Accessibility Services. The range of projects and the opportunity to work alongside RULA staff are some of the reasons Hafsa is enjoying her summer at RULA.
Mathura, Business Technology Management
Mathura works with staff in Development and Library Client Services as a Special Project Assistant. By bringing the student perspective to projects like reviewing Library policies and the Library student employment program, Mathura is contributing to the continuous enhancement of front-line services at RULA. Outside of work, Mathura looks forward to exploring Toronto this summer.
Are you a Ryerson student interested in joining the team? Keep an eye on our Student Jobs page and social channels.