Blended Services Training Programme

5a. Science & Engineering Reference Collection

The fifth Blended Services training session will be a “tour” of Thode’s print reference collection. Regina Bendig, Science Liaison Librarian, will provide a brief description of the key science and engineering print resources.

The session will be offered twice as follows:

Date: Thursday, November 6, 2008
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon
Location: Reference Collection, Thode Lower Level (Basement)

OR

Date: Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Reference Collection, Thode  Lower Level (Basement)

*NOTE*: Due to limited space in the Reference collection, a maximum of 8 people will be accommodated at each session. If there is greater interest, an additional session will be offered at a later time. Please email Lili Sun (lsun@mcmaster.ca) by Tuesday, November 4, 2008, to let her know which session you plan to attend.

Materials:

• Key Science and Engineering Reference Sources

5b. Business Reference Collection

Ines Perkovic, Liaison Librarian for Business, will review some of the key print resources in the reference collection at the Innis Library.  The session will be offered in two parts.

PART I:
Date: Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Time: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Reference Collection, Innis Library

PART II:
Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Reference Collection, Innis Library

Session Materials:

• Business Reference Collection – Key Print Sources
  
• Practice Questions
• Practice Questions with Answers

The next Blended Services training session will cover The Library Catalogue in Detail. Nora Gaskin, Liaison Librarian in Mills Library will be the presenter.

The session will be offered twice as follows:

Date: Thursday, October 30, 2008
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon
Location: Mills Wong e-Classroom

OR

CANCELLED

Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Health Sciences Library e-Classroom (located on the upper level of the HS Library across from the Circulation Desk)

RESCHEDULED FOR:

Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Mills Wong e-Classroom

***NEW*** Please let Lili Sun know which session you plan to attend by sending her an email (lsun@mcmaster.ca) by Tuesday, October 28, 2008. This information will allow the training team to know whether there is room for other interested staff to attend these sessions.

Session Materials: 

• Library Catalogue @ McMaster Slides (90 minutes)
• Practice Questions
• Practice Questions with Answers (coming soon)

A binder for print documentation pertaining to Blended Services training has been started in both Thode and Innis. The binders have been shelved in the Circulation areas (office or desk) of each library. The binders will be updated with new materials as the programme progresses.

The next Blended Services training session will cover Web Searching. It will focus on the organization of our Library web site, McMaster University’s web pages, and web search tools such as Google and Google Scholar. You’ll learn how to find and assess content effectivley and efficiently.

This session will be offered twice to accommodate everyone’s schedule as follows:

Date: Thursday, October 23, 2008
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon
Location: Health Sciences Library e-Classroom (located on the upper level of the HS Library across from the Circulation Desk)

OR

Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Health Sciences Library e-Classroom (see details above)

The presenters for this session are: Ines Perkovic and Rhonda Moore

Session Materials:

• Web Searching Slides
  • Searching the Web: Additional Resources and Exercises
• Library and University Web Sites
  • Practice Questions
  • Practice Questions with Answers

Thode Library
Beginning this Monday, October 20, 2008, one or two Circulation staff members will shadow a Research Help staff member from 11 a.m. to 12 noon daily from Monday to Thursday and possibly Friday. This will give you the opportunity to hear actual questions and listen to how experienced staff are responding to them. This shadowing will likely continue until you begin your new duties as Blended Services staff. The actual time slots for shadowing may vary over time.

Innis Library
A formalized shadowing schedule will not be adopted at Innis at this time, but Circulation staff are always welcome to listen in on research help questions when time permits.

All participants at Thode and Innis libraries have been added to the d-macref@mcmaster.ca email distribution list.  This list includes all research help staff in Mills, Innis, Thode and Health Sciences libraries.

The messages on this list typically deal with service issues, library assignments, e-resource problems and interesting articles or reports related to the library field.  Not getting any of these messages? Please notify Linda or Ines.