‘Tis the season to be studious
An overlook of KPU’s library services.
By Tristan Johnston [staff writer]
KPU students looking to study might consider the library as a holdout this exam season.
The library offers several services that many students may be unaware of, according to Todd Mundle, the university librarian.
“We do provide more indepth research help at the information desk we have. They can help with all variety of questions students might have. Help them with databases, help them find books we may have. For the student who only has a nugget of an idea of what they want to research, the librarian will go through the process with them and help them with what they’re looking for,” he says.
“On the public side of things, that’s their main job,” adds Mundle. “They also do in-class instruction, so they’ll work with a faculty member to come to the class and talk to students about research methods, where they should be looking for various information depending on their subject area, and move towards a more generalized approach to doing research, then get more specific depending on the topic area.”
He notes that the same librarians are working the reference desk, and helping with the selection of book and e-book materials, and audio-visual tools.
Mundle emphasizes that there is a lot of work that happens behind the website as well. “If you’ve ever used the single-search box on the website, that doesn’t just happen, there’s someone verifying information behind it, it’s sort of a portal into multiple databases, clearly we license that software, but there’s plenty of work that needs to take place between the box that you see and the connections between all the databases that it does search.” He says. “It’s seen as a seamless thing from the end-user’s perspective.”
On top of that, Mundle also explained that there are various security and authentication measures that happen when someone logs into the library system with their KPU identification. IT manages a lot of it, but proxy work happens in the library itself.
“If you’re searching databases and you reach a paywall, maybe through Google Scholar or Google itself, and get to the article and it asks you pony up the $20 or $25 to see it. If you’re coming in through KPU all of those licenses and subscriptions are dealt with. You don’t see them through KPU.”
Surrey and Richmond campus libraries are open from:
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 am – 11 pm
Friday: 7:30 am – 9 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 4 pm
Sunday: 12 – 7 pm
Langley campus library from:
Monday-Thursday: 7:30 am – 9 pm
Friday: 7:30 am – 5 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 4 pm
Sunday: 12 – 7 pm
Tech campus library from:
Monday-Friday: 7:30 am – 7:30 pm
Saturday/Sunday: closed
