The University of British Columbia Innovation Library has served over 1,100 students since its opening in 2015.
In part of a partnership between the university and the Okanagan Regional Library, the facility provides a home away from home for students across the province.
“In a nutshell people in the Innovation Library can access UBC Library electronic books, electronic peer reviewed journals, and databases,” said UBC Associate Chief Librarian Robert Janke.
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According to Janke, the hub provides access to the schools academic research resources as well as in-person support to help navigate those resources.
“We generally have a full time librarian providing oversight with help from a library school co-op student. To gain access to resources and the computers in the space, members of the public first need to sign up for a guest account like they would on campus. People affiliated with UBC (students, faculty, and staff) can login to access resources wirelessly using their existing UBC credentials,” said Janke.
He says, UBC has a goal of increasing involvement with students off-campus and with community partners.
“The Innovation Library meets this goal by making university resources available to the community by developing common spaces and programs in collaboration with public library partners. It provides an additional point of access to the university in downtown Kelowna, one which complements partnerships with the Rotary Centre for the Arts and the new Innovation Center,” explained Janke
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Okanagan Library branch manager says the public library offers many of its own resources to help learners of all ages.
“We have ample seating at the library, we have small meeting rooms that can be booked for silent study. When exam time comes up, we help accommodate a large number of students and we offer exam invigilation,” said library manager Christopher Stephenson.
Check out the Okanagan Regional Library website for information on resources in your area.
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