A month into the first semester, UNB students might be feeling the pressure of school work piling up. Luckily, the UNB library is here to help through various services. Here’s how to access and take advantage of them.
Study spaces
The Hans W. Klohn Commons offers three floors of study spaces for individual or group quiet study. Currently, it is required to book a group study room in advance. They can be booked for up to two hours at a time once a day and can be booked up to a week in advance. There must be a minimum of three students to book a group study room, which can serve five to eight people. Most study rooms include whiteboards and 46-70 inch LCD screens for wireless presenting. To book a group study room, click here.
General seating in the Commons, like tables in common areas and study carrels, does not require booking in advance, but community face masks must be worn properly at all times. As announced on October 5, students must present UNB-issued ID such as a UCard to access the library. This is to ensure those entering the Commons are either fully vaccinated or are complying with COVID-19 testing policies through the UNBSafe app.
Research toolkit
UNB Libraries offers a large collection of resources that can be accessed through the UNB libraries website. It can be intimidating to get started in research. Fortunately, UNB Libraries has created the “Research Toolkit” that guides students from the beginning of research to the very end. Furthermore, students can take the Research Toolkit course in D2L Brightspace for a more in-depth look. Videos and graphs from the toolkit are very useful in understanding the research process. For more information visit the “Getting Started Guide” here.
Academic resources
The library website includes a vast collection of resources to help students in academic research. Research guides by subject can be found here. With such a large array of databases available at UNB, the library understands that it can be overwhelming. They have included on their website tips for searching databases as well as a glossary of library research terms to better digest scholarly journals.
The homepage of the UNB Libraries website includes a search bar at the very top of the page to search the catalogue of resources available to students for academic research. Research can become even more specific with the sidebar options that include, publication year, content type, format, language and more. There are also citation options available where students can select their desired paper format and a list of citations in the requested format is made available.
The Writing Centre
The Saint John campus offers students guidance in writing at any point in the writing process. The process is simple; appointments can be made online here. Appointments can be made up to four weeks in advance. Students upload their documents in the space provided and a writing tutor will provide feedback to your work.
The Writing Centre encourages students of any background to seek guidance in the writing process, whether students are struggling to pass or are seeking help in bumping their grade up from a B to an A.
Students are encouraged to contact the writing centre at any stage in the writing process, whether they are just beginning to form their thoughts into writing or have completed a rough draft.
The Flora Beckett Math and Science Help Centre
UNB provides help to students in introductory mathematics and science classes. Tutoring help is available without an appointment. For more information, contact Dr. Hope Alderson at mathhelp@unb.ca.
In addition to tutoring guidance from the Flora Beckett Math and Science Help Centre, a math readiness program is available to first-year students to help them access if they are prepared for university math. The program is available for free to any UNB students but is more targeted towards first-year students who are enrolled in entry-level math courses. For more information, contact Dr. Hope Alderson here.
Tutors
Student Services also offers tutoring services in a wide array of courses. For a list of available tutors and available courses for guidance, visit here.
Libraries WorldWide and UNBF access
Not only do students have complete access to resources on the Saint John campus, but UNB students also have access to all resources in Fredericton. If students require physical materials that are only available from the Fredericton campus, students can request for said materials to be shipped to the Hans W. Klohn Commons free of cost.
Moreover, when researching the library catalogue online, students can select on the sidebar the option of searching Libraries Worldwide, which allows access to thousands of libraries’ catalogues all over the world. If it is not available to students initially, students can submit a request to have access to their desired sources.
The library contains “more than two million books (including one million ebooks), more than 250 article databases, and about 100,000 full-text online journals” as well as “streaming films and a number of special collections, including a large science fiction and fantasy collection,” Head Librarian David Ross says.
One-on-one help
UNB Libraries has an excellent instant message feature on their website with accurate and quick responses. Students can direct their questions by text at 1-506-800-9044, by email at refsj@unb.ca, or by phone at 1-506-648-5710. Furthermore, the library staff directly can be found here. Your subject’s liaison librarian can help you succeed in research and delving into the library’s catalogue.
Take advantage of these services
The library is a wonderful resource for UNB students and can help them succeed academically at all levels and subjects. Ross encourages all students to take advantage of the library’s resources, saying “librarians have graduate degrees in information studies and years of experience with academic research, and we are more than happy to help students find the information they need and to teach them how to become better researchers. We really want students to reach out to us when they need help”.
