Ask the Library

 The Library has begun the process of updating our Reserve System software. As a result, most students will now find their course readings via their Sakai site for their courses. Some class materials as well as exams are still found on the original site. 

Finding reserve readings via Sakai:

• Log in to Sakai and click in the main course tab you need the reading for. 
• Click on the menu option "Course Readings."
• Find the title you are looking for and click "show details."
• Many resources are available electronically. Items of this type will have a "View this item" link and you can read the document immediately. 
• For print items held at the Ask Us Desk, please write down the number that is assigned to the book / reading and present it to staff at the desk with your student card. Most reserve items are signed out for 3 hours.

Finding reserve readings in our original reserve software:

• From the Library homepage, click on the “Find Reserves and Exams” link in the upper left hand corner.
• From the drop down menu, select the course name and number or search by the instructor's name.
• For online resources, click the "online" link, then choose the reading you wish to view.
• For items held at the Ask Us Desk, click on the "Print/Other Formats" link, look up the reading you need and write down the number that is assigned to it.  This is the call number you should have when you come to the Ask Us Desk to sign out reserve material.
• Exams for past years can be viewed online.

  The Library has begun the process of updating our Reserve System software. As a result, most students will now find their course readings via their Sakai site for their courses. Some class materials as well as exams are still found on the original site. 

  Questions? Need more information? Contact us in-person at the Ask Us Desk, via telephone at 905-688-5550 x4583, or via email at libhelp@brocku.ca

We do! Take a look at our guide to preparing a research poster. It covers the basics of design, which software to use and sources for great images. Helpful printing and presentation tips are also included.

So you need to find peer-reviewed articles for your research assignment, but you're not sure what that means... This video will explain the peer-review process and teach you how to determine whether an article is peer-reviewed.

This chart will help you determine if you have a scholarly or popular article. Still have questions? Contact your liaison librarian or libhelp@brocku.ca.

	Scholarly	Popular
Content	Original research; can also include editorials, book reviews, letters to the editor and review articles.	General interest stories
Purpose	Report research results and share professional knowledge.	News, entertainment, advertising.
Audience	Academic, professional, experts in a particular field.	General Public.
Language	Scholarly language or technical jargon.	General language easily understood by readers.
Author	Experts in their given fields, credentials and university affiliation are often provided.	Journalists of professional writers (non-experts). sometimes no author or credentials are given.
Peer Review	Articles are evaluated by specialists in the field for validity. Caution: does not apply to editorials or letters to the editor sections of scholarly journals.	No.
References / Bibliography	Yes. Other sources are cited in the text and full citations are given in footnotes or a bibliography.	No. May refer to other sources but rarely give full citations; bibliographies are not included.
Images	May contain tables, diagrams, or charts; photography is rare except in art, architecture or archeology.	Often illustrated in colour.
Advertisements	Rarely.	Multiple advertisements per issue are often included.
Length	Longer articles, although length varies; typically 5-30 pages.	Short, although length varies, typically 200 words to a few pagers.

 

Online renewal is easy and convenient. Here are the steps:

Log into your Library Account.
Click on the "items currently checked out" link.
Select each item individually and click on the "renew selected" button. 
When you see the message "The following item(s) will be renewed, would you like to proceed?, click the "YES" button above or below the item title, due date line.
If the renewal is successful, the system will show "renewed" and the new due date.  If the due date does not change, then the renewal was not successful. Contact the libhelp@brocku.ca if you run into any difficulties.  (Note that some items may not be renewable due to another user request, if you have outstanding fees over $10.00, or if you have reached the maximum number of renewals limit.​)