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Langara Library delivers information literacy instruction through both in-person library workshops and a suite of Brightspace tutorials (Introduction to Research, Avoiding Plagiarism, and “Can I Use This?” Evaluating Yours Sources). These workshops and tutorials aim to build students’ information literacy competencies and coach them on skills related to completing research assignments. Upon completion of tutorials or workshops, students should be able to find scholarly resources, understand the basics of citation practices, and think critically about creation and dissemination of information sources. In-person workshops are offered in the Library’s Teaching Lab or regular classrooms.
Librarians also support instructors and students through the development of online assignment guides hosted on the Library website. These guides highlight search strategies and key resources pertaining to their class assignment.
Since its official launch in 2012, Langara’s Learning Commons has become a hub for essential academic support services on campus. Located primarily on the first floor of the Library, the Learning Commons comprises the Writing and Tutoring Centre, the Research Help Desk, collaborative workspaces, and more.
Assistance with research is available by phone or in person at the Library’s Research Help Desk, or online through text or email. Each department on campus also has a liaison librarian, who can be reached by phone and email for research assistance and to schedule meetings for more in-depth help. On or off campus, students and faculty have access to the popular online chat reference service, AskAway. Staffed by information professionals in academic institutions from across the province, AskAway provides patrons with one-on-one research and citation assistance in real time.
The Learning Commons also houses the Writing & Tutoring Centre, which provides students with one-on-one academic writing assistance and subject-specific help from peer tutors and faculty. In 2015, the Langara Writing Centre also began offering free online writing assistance through WriteAway, where qualified tutors from fifteen participating institutions across the province provide qualitative feedback on students' draft writing assignments typically within 24-48 hours.
The Library & Learning Commons also support holistic study skill development, with the Counselling department regularly hosting Student Success workshops on topics like Overcoming Procrastination, Stress Management, and Time Management in the library space.
The Library’s collection provides teaching, learning, and research support for the departments across campus. Resources are selected based on relevance to the curriculum and on request from members of the Langara community, with an increasing focus on online access. The Library licences a broad suite of e-resources covering disciplines relevant to the Langara community. These resources include databases, e-journal collections, and e-book collections, all of which are accessible through the Library’s website both on and off campus. The Library actively supports the integration of new formats into the curriculum and Brightspace by mediating and troubleshooting technology/access issues.
As part of its collection strategy, the Library also offers interlibrary loan services (ILL). Through ILL, students, staff, and faculty can order print books, e-book chapters, articles, and more from other colleges and universities in BC at no charge. These requests have also provided an evidence-based case for the acquisition of new resources. In addition to interlibrary loan, Langara instructors and students may also borrow materials in-person from participating post-secondary institutions across the province through reciprocal borrowing agreements.
The Library maintains a Copyright Office, which offers resources, educational workshops, and services (including permissions and licensing) to members of the College community. Increasingly, faculty are creating their own learning support materials and the potential for creating or adopting open textbooks is high. Currently, the Library has catalogued numerous BC Campus Open Textbooks that have been adopted at Langara.