2019/20 Library & Learning Commons Annual Report

While use of the Library’s physical collections remains mostly stable, Library users tend to use our electronic collections at a much higher rate. The reason for this is likely twofold: first, the library’s collection, particularly journal literature, has moved almost exclusively online; second, electronic collections are available to the Langara community at any time from anywhere with an internet connection.

With total expenditures on Library collections now reaching half a million dollars, the library increasingly leverages the scalability of electronic resources, including online databases of journal articles, ebooks and streaming videos, to meet the needs of students where and when they are, be it in the Library on a break from class, or in the middle of the night at home while working to complete an assignment due the following day.

The Library’s collection is developed in consultation with the Langara community, with liaison librarians assigned to each of the college’s departments. Collections staff employ an evidence based approach to determine the needs of specific divisions, departments and courses, seeking to support Langara’s curriculum.

Despite investing heavily in valuable multidisciplinary resources in recent years, the Library cannot provide instant access to the entire world of scholarly information; nevertheless, through reciprocal agreements and a network of libraries working together, the Library is able to source articles and books from larger institutions in British Columbia and beyond in order to provide for even the most esoteric research needs of students and instructors.

In spring 2020, Open Langara and the Library launched the Open Student Scholar Prize. The submission period coincided with Open Education Week, a global celebration of the tools, resources, and practices that employ open sharing in teaching and learning. Winning submissions are now featured in The LaIR, the Langara's Open Access repository.

Kaylee Korol, recipient of the 1st place prize, wrote in her submission, “Through open education we can collaborate between cultures and undo the wrongs of history and colonialism though the sharing of knowledge and opening of access to those who have been disempowered by it. Education is our front line against inequality, but if education is limited to those who already share hegemonic perspectives we lose the perspectives of those who need a voice the most.”

Winning Submissions:

1st Place: Kaylee Korol, Gender and Healthcare - Annotated Bibliography

2nd Place: Taeja Liu, Why Is It So Difficult for the UNFCCC to Do Something About Climate Change?

3rd Place: Simeon Faehndrich, Loss, Separation and Struggle: Self-Imposed Exile in The Wanderer & Cheri Pottinger, Breastmilk and Brain: The Effects of Breastfeeding on Cognitive Development

The newest recipient of the BCcampus Award for Excellence in Open Education is Lindsay Tripp, Langara's Copyright Librarian. Lindsay is the chair-elect of the BC Open Education Librarians group and the co-chair of Open Langara. She has been a tireless advocate for open education at Langara and essential in establishing Langara’s open textbook adoption-tracking procedures. Congratulations, Lindsay!