Trent’s Libraries Providing Additional Online Resources to Support Students and Faculty
Librarians and staff at Bata Library and Trent Durham Library are adapting services and resources to support those now studying, working remotely
Dwayne Collins, Trent University’s digital scholarship and innovation librarian, has some reassuring news for students and faculty concerned about how best to do their research during the COVID-19 pandemic: the libraries at both campuses are well-positioned to work in the electronic realm, with library staff hard at work making new resources available online.
In response to students and faculty transitioning to remote work, Trent’s libraries and staff have been negotiating with academic publishers to grant access to books not normally available through Trent’s ongoing digital subscriptions.
“Currently some 200,000 eBooks from online providers ProQuest and EBSCO are being added to Trent’s online catalogue for students and faculty, and will be available until the end of May,” says Mr. Collins. “Publishers and vendors have been generous, understanding the limitations the crisis has placed on students and faculty at Trent, and universities around the world.”
Trent’s librarians have negotiated subscriptions with resources such as the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), which publishes peer-reviewed scientific videos aimed at accelerating biological, medical, chemical and physical research.
They’re also working to obtain course reading list software to help facilitate online course delivery so faculty can get their summer reading lists to students as seamlessly as possible.
In the Peterborough community, the library is also involved with the Peterborough Community PPE Collective, a local movement to 3D print parts needed for medical face shields.
“The group of Peterborough citizens leading this initiative are fantastic,” says Mr. Collins. “It’s been wonderful that the Odette Critical Making Studio at Bata Library has been able to contribute to this community-led effort to provide equipment for health care workers. It really demonstrates the power of community in action.”
Offering Online Connections
Trent’s library personnel also continue to be available for direct consultation.
“Don’t hesitate to reach out to meet with a librarian,” says Mr. Collins. “It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of electronic resources available. But if you’re having trouble we can help, directing you to a specific librarian if needed, or by doing video conference meetings one-on-one, sharing our screens to work through things together.”
Mr. Collins acknowledges that being able to go to the library and work — whether as a student, faculty member, or a librarian — is an experience that can’t be replicated online, and that COVID-19 distancing recommendations emphasizes how much of a singular physical space the library really is. But, he says, there are some upsides.
“It’s been an opportunity to look at different ways of doing things, at how we can adapt our services. So, even when physical classes resume we can offer new services that still work for students and faculty for both online and in person.”
Contact Trent University Library & Archives: library@trentu.ca