The Faculty Hub: Connecting Faculty with Library Expertise

If you are teaching a research-based class, have a research assignment, or would just like your class to have an introduction to the library, the librarians offer a few different options for research workshops:

• Option 1: The traditional face-to-face in-person session in your classroom or in a computer lab (yes, we will come for evening classes)
• Option 2: An online version of the traditional session use whichever platform you prefer – Big Blue Button, MS Teams, Zoom, etc.
• Option 3: Asynchronous interactive tutorial. You could then embed it into your Moodle course shell. They would be tailored to have examples for your specific class(es) and to include/exclude any specific content that you might want. Or make it more advanced for more upper level courses. It gives students a certificate of completion at the end that you may want them to send to you for participation marks or as proof of completion.
  • NOTE: These tutorials take time to create, so please contact us ASAP if you are interested in having this type of library instruction 
• Option 4: Library discussion forum in Moodle. You could create a discussion forum for “Library Research Questions” in your Moodle course and add your subject librarian to the course. They would monitor that forum and respond to questions from individual students as they arise.  It’s a great way to connect the library with your students.
• Option 5: creation of a specific research guide
• Option 6: A combination of any of the above. Combining the above options can be really productive and interesting.
• Option 7: If you have any other ideas that we haven’t thought of or listed above, please talk to us about it!

Students and faculty can book research appointments directly with a librarian. Depending on the librarian, appointments generally last from 30 minutes to 1 hour, and we can go over everything from starting the library research process from scratch to using bibliographic citation software and more!  To book an appointment (up to 2 weeks in advance), click on the Make an Appointment with a Librarian link on the library homepage or click on the “Schedule Appointment” from any librarian's profile page. Please share the links with your students and encourage them to book appointments (depending on your course assignments/needs).  These sessions can be in person, videoconference (Teams/Zoom), or phone. 

Librarian Teams

The Library provides support for the adoption, adaptation, and creation of open educational resources (OER). including identifying existing OER, recommending places to find OER (textbooks, images, videos, etc.) on your own, suggesting how to assess the quality of OER, providing Creative Commons information, and pointing you to where to find support elsewhere on campus for your open education projects. Learn more at: Open Educational Resources (OERs).

There are many ways to include the Library in your Moodle course shell. Feel free to put a link to a librarian's profile page or link to any of the research guides that you think students may want to consult.

• Embed a librarian into your courses by creating a discussion forum for “Library Research Questions” in your Moodle course and add the librarian to the course. They would monitor that forum and respond to questions from individual students as they arise.  
• Link to the library's Research Guides and/or Citation Guides
  • Note: The library has some interactive tutorials for some citation styles that you may want to embed in your course for your students to do. If you are interested in such a tutorial, please contact Brenda Smith or Elizabeth Rennie.
• Link to the library's eBooks, online articles, and streaming video. The library's licence terms with the publisher usually allows you to print or download a copy of an article for yourself and to post persistent links to journal articles from Moodle. Specific licensing information is available on the "permitted uses" page for each database on our database A-Z list. Check out the guide on how to link to library resources in Moodle. Or check out the library's Course Readings Service and they can manage these issues for you. 

Using the Course Readings Service, faculty can add, edit, and customize course reading lists for their courses while assuring copyright compliance. This service functions like a digital course-pack, and is accessible, free, and available to students 24 hours a day. The reading list can be easily integrated into a Moodle course but also resides on the Library Reserves listing where students can browse the course reading list by course name and number, instructor, and broad subject area.

Through the Course Reading List Service, the library can support you by:

• Providing links to physical items in the Library Reserve collection
  • Note: Physical copies of materials and equipment will be available for student pickup on the third floor of the House of Learning during the library’s service hours. Reserves can be set for 2 hour, 1 day, or 3 day loan periods
• Providing the necessary permalinks to licensed TRU Library electronic resources including eBooks, eBook chapters, streaming video, and eJournal articles
• Scanning and uploading parts of print books and journal articles provided required sections meet TRU fair dealing guidelines
• Scanning and uploading any information that you have personally created for student use (i.e. test solutions, drawings, notes, etc.)
• Incorporating links to Internet resources and Open Education Resources (OERs)

The Library can also support you by:

• When possible, purchasing eBooks or streaming video in support of course reading lists
• Assisting instructors in identifying OERs in support of course reading lists

All materials loaded into the Reserve system require TRU EZProxy link or network login and password (i.e., what you use for Moodle) to be accessed if it is required for legal purposes.  The Course Reading Lists can be released by a specified date, have additional password protection added (e.g., for test solutions or other information restricted to only those registered for the course) and can be reused and checked for link accuracy every term by TRU Library staff. 

To submit your reading list, use the online form. You can upload a syllabus and/or reading list in any citation style. We will assist you with resource recommendations, checking accessibility, and posting materials.  Once the reading list or reserve item has been processed by Library staff, they will notify you. Details on how to integrate the reading list into your Moodle course will be made available on the Library webpage.

The Library has various short research skills videos and interactive tutorials that address skills related to research planning, information-seeking , citation, and academic integrity. Liaison Teams Librarians also develop guides that address specific research tasks, or provide support for specific programs, courses, or assignments. Our tutorials and guides can be easily integrated into Moodle. If you have any suggestions for new guides or tutorials, would like to customize our resources for your course/program, or want help integrating resources into Moodle, please contact us!

Program Liaison Teams librarians can work with faculty to develop research-based assignments that take full advantage of the library's resources. Sharing your assignment with the Library helps to ensure that the information about our resources is current and accurate. It also helps the library to deliver informed research support to your students. 

The library provides various avenues to support and showcase student research.

• Undergraduate Research Conference
• Fall Research Showcase
• Student journals
• Workshops