Faculty Support at RDP Library

Information Literacy with RDP Library includes: 

• curriculum development work with instructors, programs, departments, and Schools
• formal instructional opportunities, including single classes, multiple connected classes, and librarians embedded into classes for an entire semester
• one-on-one instruction with students in person at our Library Desk as well as virtually via email, chat, and text

Book a class by contacting your Subject Librarian.

We prefer you book at least one to two weeks in advance, and provide the following:

• course name, number, and section
• date and time for instruction
• number of students
• course assignment(s)

Classes are usually held in the Library computer lab (1006R), but classes can also be held in your classroom. Online classes can also be offered synchronously or asynchronously. Your Librarian will work with you to determine the best format to achieve the learning outcomes for your class.

We find our classes are most effective when tailored to a particular assignment, and when the instructor attends and is an active participant. Your Librarian will work with you to determine the best timing and format for your class/assignment.

Our classes are a combination of demos and hands-on, and cover such topics as:

• library-specific information seeking (e.g., using the catalogue or article databases) 
• effective web searching techniques
• evaluating resources
• copyright, plagiarism, and citing sources
• concept mapping & keyword brainstorming

In addition to teaching information literacy skills, we can also help students with digital literacy skills such as:

• finding copyright-friendly images (e.g., for use in a presentation, poster, or digital story) using Creative Commons search tools
• choosing methods to best present data and information
• assessing ethical and privacy implications of putting media online
• correctly attributing media in presentations, videos, and audio clips

If you are interested in arranging a digital literacy workshop for your class, please contact Sona Macnaughton at sona.macnaughton@rdpolytech.ca.

What is a warming session?

A library staff member can come to your class and provide a quick 5-10 minute overview of:

• services available at the Library, including:
  • citation and research help
  • accessing library resources
  • technology and printing support
  • Accessibility Services
• academic supports available through the Library, including:
  • math learning centre
  • writing skills centre
  • ESL tutoring
  • learning skills & strategies

Want to book a warming session?

You can use the Book a Warming Session form to request a library staff member come to your class.

Looking for a recorded version?
We have a condensed version of the warming sessions available on YouTube: A Quick Guide to RDP Library (2:52)

You can embed this video in your Blackboard course. For more information about embedding videos in your Blackboard course, see Embedding a YouTube Video instructions.

Our computer lab (1006R) is available for class bookings throughout the year, but priority is given to librarian-led information literacy workshops. Our lab includes 28 computers, 2 whiteboards, a projection screen, and instructor station.

Types of bookings we can accommodate:

• One-time SFI/class bookings
• Short-time consecutive classes (e.g. Wednesday from 10:00-10:50 for 2-3 weeks in a row)

Types of bookings we are unable to accept:

• Times outside of the library's hours
• Term-long or year-long consecutive classes
• Classes that exceed occupancy (35 people)

September and January are busy times for bookings and lab availability may be limited due to information literacy workshops.

For non-instructional bookings, email: librarian@rdpolytech.ca. Please let us know if you need any guest logins.  

For information literacy workshops, either email librarian@rdpolytech.ca or contact your Subject Librarian directly.