FAQ, House Rules & Policies

Membership & Research Support

1. What is the Library Collaboratory?
   • The TMU Libraries’ Collaboratory is a member-based research hub and makerspace. This is a multidisciplinary space created for researchers of all backgrounds/disciplines, and especially for those who do not have access to technologies, workspace or resources within their own departments and faculties.
   • We offer research support services, spanning from training on technology resources (link) to one-on-one research consultations on research design, methodology, grant applications, fieldwork and more.
   • The Library Collaboratory is also a portal to other services and support offered by the Library, including Open Publishing, Archives & Special Collections and the Immersion Studio.
     
2. Am I eligible to become a member?
   • All currently enrolled graduate students are invited to become members of the Library Collaboratory.
   • Research staff and faculty (including sessional instructors) are also invited to become members of the Library Collaboratory.
     
3. Do I need a defined project to use the Library Collaboratory?
   • No. You can become a member even if your interest in the research supports we offer is general.
   • If you’re interested in the technology resources housed here but not sure how it might fit into your research, you’re also invited to become a member and make a research appointment.
     
4. I am a faculty/a sessional instructor member looking for workspace for my Research Assistants. Can they work in the Library Collaboratory?
   • They can, so long as your research suits the Library Collaboratory mandate. For more information and details, see the projects form. and include the names of your RA’s that you would like to authorize in the space.
     
5. I am an undergraduate student interested in learning more about technology or for space to work. Can I get access to the Library Collaboratory?
   • The Library Collaboratory is for graduate students, research staff and faculty only.
   • Undergraduates are encouraged to visit the TMU Libraries’ DME Lab for their research technology needs and training.
     
6. I am a member of the Library Collaboratory. Why won’t my OneCard open the Library Collaboratory door?
   • Door access is assigned to your OneCard only after you’ve attended a New Member Orientation. Confirmation of door access will be e-mailed to you.
     • NB: Door access for research staff, faculty and sessional instructors is expedited, and they are also encouraged to attend a new member orientation.
   • If you are not a new member of the Library Collaboratory and are experiencing technical issues with you OneCard, email us at collab@torontomu.ca. We’ll look into it for you.
     
7. I need quick access to the 3D printers, the laser cutter or other technology resources in the Library Collaboratory. Can I just go ahead and use them?
   • No. All members are required to contact the Research Technology Officer for training, regardless of experience.
   • All training is one-on-one (with occasional exceptions for small groups).
   • Once the Research Technology Officer approves, members are then invited to book time on those resources.
   • Get in touch with the Research Technology Officer by emailing us at collab@torontomu.ca or speak to a member of staff.
     
8. I am a graduate student member and I need to run a focus group as part of my research. Can I do that in the Library Collaboratory?
   • Yes! In order to arrange this, contact the Operations Specialist at collab@torontomu.ca.
     
9. I am teaching a graduate course this semester. Can I arrange for my students to get a tour of the Library Collaboratory?
   • Yes! Requests for tours typically require 5 – 10 working days notice. We make an effort to tailor the tour to the course’s subject area. These custom class tours typically run be as brief as 30 minutes or as long as 60 minutes, with time for questions or discussion built in.
     
10. I am curious about the Library Immersion Studio. If I am a Library Collaboratory member, do I also get access to that space?
    • The Immersion Studio is affiliated with the Collaboratory.
    • Membership isn’t required for access to the Immersion Studio, but it is encouraged.
      

House Rules for all Members

1. I need a quiet space to work, but I may also need to stream some content.
   • The Library Collaboratory is a research space, not a social space.
   • While we cannot guarantee it will be perfectly quiet due to the nature of co-working spaces and the sounds of makerspaces, we do ask that all members be considerate of others working in the space.
   • Remember to mute all devices and to wear headphones/earbuds when watching or listening to anything.
   • Keep conversations to a minimum and to a reasonable volume.
     
2. I have to make or take a call. Can I do that in the Library Collaboratory?
   • We ask that all members take their calls into the hallway or elsewhere on campus.
     
3. Can I bring my lunch or eat in the Library Collaboratory?
   • Yes. Please be aware there is no refrigerator available for food storage at the Library Collaboratory.
   • All food waste and food packaging is to be disposed of in the waste and recycling station in the SLC hallway, just past the Library Collaboratory doors.
   • The bins in the Library Collaboratory are for not to be used for food waste of any kind.
     
4. I’m a member and I am working on a group project/need to meet with my study group. Can I use the Library Collaboratory to meet with them?
   • Not necessarily. The Library Collaboratory is a members-only space. If your group consists of others who are not yet members of the Library Collaboratory, your group will need to meet elsewhere.
     • You may wish to consider booking one of the following spaces for your group and collaborative work:
       • Book a Collaborative Group Work Room (CGWR) on the SLC 7th floor
       • Book a Group Study Room at TMU Libraries
   • If your group consists of people who are eligible to become members, they are invited to submit a membership form, but they will not receive instant access.
   • Groups of members are welcome to work in the Library Collaboratory, but they must chatting to a minimum and to a reasonable volume.
     
5. I am working on a project at the Library Collaboratory and I would like to store my materials in one of your lockers. How does that work?
   • Lockers are available to members of the Library Collaboratory on a semester-by-semester basis.
   • At the end of the semester, locker access may be renewed, in consultation with the Operations Specialist at the Library Collaboratory.
   • If, upon reaching out multiple times, the Library Collaboratory does receive a reply for a member who is using a locker, the Library Collaboratory is authorized to redistribute that locker’s access to other members requesting one.
     
6. I want to take a picture/record a video to show my friend/colleague what I’ve been working on in the Library Collaboratory. Is that okay?
   • You may take a picture or record a video of your own work of course, but no one else’s work without express permission from that researcher.

Workshops & Events

1. I am interested in attending a workshop offered by the Library Collaboratory, but I am not a member. Can I still register to attend?
   • You can. Our workshops are designed with graduate student researchers in mind, but all members of TMU are welcome to attend.
     
2. I am planning to attend a workshop offered by the Library Collaboratory. Will the instructor sign a form or other document to show my professor that I attended?
   • No. Workshop instructors at the Library Collaboratory will not sign course forms.
     
3. I want to contact the instructor who led the workshop I attended about a research question or project I am working on. How do I do that?
   • If the instructor shared their email address with attendees, then please feel free to contact them directly.
   • If you do not have their email address, write to collab@torontomu.ca and ask to get in touch accordingly.
   • Please note: Research appointments and consultations after a workshop are available for members of the Library Collaboratory only.
     
4. I am a member of the Library Collaboratory. I’m interested in developing and instructing a workshop to add to my teaching dossier. Can I do that at the Library Collaboratory?
   • 
     
5. I am a member of the Library Collaboratory and I have a suggestion for a workshop I’d like to see instructed at the Library Collaboratory. Who do I get in touch with?
   • If you think you have a great idea for a workshop that would be a good fit, email us at collab@torontomu.ca
   • If you are looking for instruction on a particular piece of technology at the Library Collaboratory instead, email us at collab@torontomu.ca to set up one-on-one training.
     
6. I am looking for an event space. Is the Library Collaboratory available for this purpose?
   • Not necessarily. The Library Collaboratory does host occasional events in-house or in partnership with other academic units, but these are exceptions, not the rule, and are addressed on a case-by-case basis.
     

Hours of Operation

1. When is the Library Collaboratory open?
   • The Library Collaboratory is staffed from Monday – Friday, 10AM – 5PM.
   • The Library Collaboratory is open to members whenever the Library building is open: TMU Libraries Hours of Operation. Exceptions include Saturday and Sunday, when the SLC Building’s hours are restricted to 12:30 – 8 p.m. Members are advised to plan accordingly.
   • Please note: The Equipment Room is only open when staff is on-site or with the express permission of the Research Technology Officer.
     
2. The Library Collaboratory door has a note on it asking that members come back at a later time.
   • Periodically, the Library Collaboratory closes for workshops and other events, during which time members are either asked to be conscientious and work around the event, or to return at a later time.
   • Members are notified of these closures in advance, but always check the Library Collaboratory calendar for the latest information.
     
3. Where is the Library Collaboratory?
   • The Library Collaboratory is located on the 3rd floor of the Library Building. The main entrance to the Library Collaboratory is via the SLC Building.
   • Take the elevator up to the 3rd floor of the SLC Building.
   • Turn left: the Library Collaboratory is at the end of the hall, marked with large yellow doors.

Policies

• Photography and Video Recording
  • The Library Collaboratory is a safe space for ongoing projects, which made occasionally need to be left out, in progress. To ensure academic research integrity for all, no photographs or videos of the space or anything in it may be taken without express permission from Library Staff in addition to consent from researchers.
  • NB: An exception is made for notes made by members on the dry erase white tables may photographed or recorded by the person or persons who made them.

• Copyright and Fair Dealing
  
• Lockers
  • Lockers are available on a semester-by-semester basis. Members are contacted at the end of every term to confirm whether they still require its use.
  • If a member who is using a locker does not reply after three attempts made by the Library Collaboratory, the Library Collaboratory reserves the right to break the lock and re-circulate the locker to other members.