Ottawa University Library Orientation: Orientation to the Gangwish Library

Welcome to Ottawa University's Library!!

We are pleased to have you join us as a student!

The Gangwish Library is one of the largest student aide employers on the Campus.During the Spring and Fall semesters, 13-17 library aides are scheduled to work at the library desk between the library's open hours. Student library aides work at the Gangwish Library 10 or more hours a week.

The Gangwish Library is open between  7.45am and Midnight, Monday through Thursday, and from 7.45am through 5pm on Fridays. The Library is not open on Saturdays because it is hard to find student staff, when most students play their sport on Saturdays. The library reopens on Sundays, starting at 2pm and is open until Midnight.

The librarians at the Gangwish Library are available for consultation. You can drop-by the library and consult either Gloria or Megan if you have library-related questions or call either of them on the phone.

If you would prefer to make a formal appointment for a consultation, you can call or email:

Gloria Creed-Dikeogu at x2536   email: gloria.creeddikeogu@ottawa.edu

Megan Love at x2535  email: megan.love@ottawa.edu

Library Card Access

To checkout books from the Gangwish Library all you need to setup your library card, would be a valid OUID. Your OUID number serves as your library card number. Establishing your card, allows you to checkout books from the library, library reserves placed there by your professors and kept behind the desk and request interlibrary loan items. In addition, your library card also provides you with access to:

• the pool cues to use in the Game Room
• a PS2 and some PS2 games and an
• an assortment of Board Games 

which are also available for checkout.

Accessing the Online Library Databases

To login to the Ottawa University Online Library Databases, you would need to login into http://myottawa.ottawa.edu and go to the Gangwish Library Online page. Once there, find the link to the Online Library Databases on the left and on the right-hand sides of the page. Your login allows you to access the databases without any further logins. There are however, databases that might require you to create your own login, but you would need to check the database page for that information.

Study Rooms

Study rooms are available in the Gangwish Library on a first come first served basis. That means that at present, rooms, unless needed for academic or external meetings, are available for student use at any time that they are available, for individual or group study or meetings. Library staff will put up signs on the door if a room is to be reserved for a special event. Staff logs statistics for study room use each hour that the library is open, so you will see library staff make a walkthrough the library every hour during the time that the library is open.

Library Computer Access

The Gangwish Library computers are also available to students on a first come first served basis. Wifi is available in the library and throughout the Gangwish Library building. Students can contact the library front desk for wifi passwords to be used in the library. Students may use laptops and i-devices in the library, but it is not currently possible for students to print from their own devices.

In situations where no library computers are available in for immediate use, there are two computer labs in Vera Wise where students would be able to access either PC or Apple computers.

Photocopiers in the Library

There are two photocopiers available in the Gangwish Library. The copier on the library floor across from the bank of computers is connected to the student network and may be used for student printing. In case of photocopier's in the library being broken or down, a second photocopier which is on the administrative network, may be used with the help of student library aides at the desk or by librarian permission.

There is no access to color copies at the library. Color copies may be purchased at the Bookstore in the Gangwish building.

Paying for photocopies

Starting out the semester, all students have $20 of photocopies added to their Braves Card. Once students have used up their $20 allowance, they will be required to go to the OU Business Office in the Administration, to add Braves bucks to the card which will allow them to print.

Students must create or reset their Braves Card id and password in order to access their printing money. To print, students will be prompted to login with their Braves Card id and password, and then will also be able to see how much money they still have on their card.

STUDENT RESEARCH COMPETENCIES

There are a variety of approaches to teaching these competencies. Ottawa University librarians and faculty may request any of these approaches based on their preferences and what works best for their specific discipline. Regardless of the method of delivery, best practices indicate that students learn best when teaching is tied to a specific research assignment and timed when students have an information need. Popular approaches include:

1. Library instruction sessions provided in the library or the classroom: sessions are taught by a librarian and include active student learning
2. Developing tailored library research guides (Libguides) that were created by librarians to offer help in locating and utilizing resources in a specific discipline taught at Ottawa University
3. Online video tutorials that help students find resources and better understand how to use them
4. Blackboard assignments associated with Library Orientation Workshops and Writing courses
5. Flipped Classroom models which require students to complete an assigned tutorial or an assignment before coming to a library class

Create and execute a research strategy (ACRL Information Literacy Standards 1 and 2) 
Students will be able to:

• Determine the type of information they need (ex: background info, critical reviews, etc.)
• Determine where the information would be found (ex: articles, books, web sites)
• Choose the appropriate tool for locating the information (encyclopedia, article database, Library Catalog, Web search engine)
• Develop thesis statements
• Brainstorm effective search terms
• Combine search terms using Boolean logic and revise searches appropriately

Critically evaluate information (ACRL Information Literacy Standard 3) 
Students will be able to:

• Evaluate web sites by critically analyzing audience, authority, bias, currency and accuracy
• Evaluate "published" information by critically analyzing audience, authority, bias and currency
• Determine whether information is from a scholarly source (ex: journal) or popular source (ex: magazine or newspaper), primary sources (ex: archives), secondary sources (ex: websites) or tertiary sources (ex: encyclopedia’s)
• Explain what is meant by “peer-review”
• Read a research article and understand it

Use Citations (ACRL Information Literacy Standard 5) 
Students will be able to:

• Identify the elements of a citation (ex: journal title, volume, author, etc.)
• Distinguish among citation types for different types of material (ex: journal article, book, newspaper)
• Develop a reference list and a bibliography
• Use style formats effectively when writing an academic paper

Further information: 
ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) Information Literacy Competency Standards