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Archives for May 2022

Open Education Grants 2022/23

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OER Development Grants (up to $5,000)

Develop openly licensed learning materials:

  • make substantial revisions to existing OER (open educational resources) to better suit class subject matter and learning outcomes
  • create an openly licensed learning resource in any category or format (eg. textbook, videos, manual, question or test bank)

The LTC and the Library can provide some support for funded grant projects.

These funds are usually distributed as part-time studies contracts so are subject to tax and benefits deductions.

The call for proposals will close Monday, June 13. 

GRANT APPLICATION FORM

 

Open Education Course Transformation Micro-Grants ($500)

Transform a current or new course to include one or both of the following:

  • ZTC (zero textbook costs): replace learning materials currently used in the course that students pay for (eg. textbooks, lab manuals, readings) with materials that are free for students (eg. OER, freely available information such as government documents, and/or BCIT Library materials)
  • OEP (open education practices/pedagogy): incorporate substantive OEP into the course.

A short student survey and final report is required.

Support from the Library and the Learning and Teaching Centre is available:

  • to consult with a Librarian to help with a search for OER and other free-to-use learning materials
  • to consult with an Instructional Development Consultant to help determine appropriate open practices that match the subject matter and learning outcomes of the course

These funds are distributed as part-time studies contracts so are subject to tax and benefits deductions.

The call for proposals will close Monday, June 13. 

GRANT APPLICATION FORM

Today’s Special …

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by Glenice Lilje

Pandemic Fatigue in the Workplace

Over the past couple of years, we have been inundated with safety measures, signs for safety measures, daily updates and reminders to follow safety measures. We followed these prescribed measures dutifully, wanting to do our part. There was no way to predict the how long these measures would be implemented for. As someone who has anxiety, it was the long-term uncertainty that weighed on me. One week I would be fine and accept the current state of things. The next, I had a constant desire to run into an empty field and scream for an hour.

Feelings of burn out can present itself as restlessness, irritability, having a lack of motivation or even a difficulty concentrating. Working remotely or on-site hasn’t been an absolute picnic for either party. Health restrictions hindering meaningful interactions or the ability to work collaboratively to complete projects was challenging and then having to manage one’s own personal stress simultaneously.

Because of this, we are now seeing an uptick in companies proposing a four-day work week (FDWW) to assist in a better work-life balance. Findings from studies indicated that organizations can expect greater employee commitment and engagement. If a FDWW isn’t feasible, I do hope to see more flexible working arrangements. How nice would it be to have the liberty to select our start and end times as long as it falls within a range of available hours? Oh man, my household responsibilities would be way more manageable! Until that day comes, I shall attempt to ease my Manic Mondays in true Garfield fashion: with some lasagna.

Here are some of the new titles on pandemic fatigue that can be found in BCIT Library’s collection. eBooks can be enjoyed both on campus as well as remotely.

Shutdown: How Covid Shook the World’s Economy by Adam Tooze

Never in our lifetime have we witness a global recession in real-time. The entire world economy contracted by 20% in a short amount of time, causing 95% of the world’s economies to suffer at the same time. Hundreds of millions of jobs were lost and it quickly became apparent at how unprepared the world was to fight the crisis. Adam Tooze focuses on the financial and business side of the pandemic, how various institutions were affected and his analysis of what happened when the pandemic collide with domestic politics.

eBook available online.

 

The Burnout Epidemic by Jennifer Moss

This book couldn’t have come at a better time. Workplace well-being expert, Jennifer Moss, prescribe techniques to prevent burnout and create a happier and more productive workplace. When we think about self-care and mental wellness, we think yoga, building up our resilience or meditating.  Moss argues that these are more like a Band-Aid and that we should look into the root causes before we get to that point. In The Burnout Epidemic, Moss encourages organizations to include more wellness initiatives, build an anti-burnout strategies, etc.

eBook available online.

Several People are Typing by Calvin Kassulke

Gerald, a mediocre employee in an unnamed PR firm, was working on a spreadsheet when suddenly, he gets absorbed into the company’s Slack channel. While his colleagues think he is just joking and trying to take advantage of the work-from-home policy, Gerald is now left to contemplate his new life with his new friend, Slackbot. Several People are Typing makes for an easy read as it is told in the format of Slack messages and provides the reader with the lighter side of office culture.

 

Little bonus:

Today’s Special …

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by Matthew Barrett

Practical Ethics

The study of philosophy is often seen as a bunch of idealists talking about the real world without actually living in it. It can be difficult to see its value, as it does not seem to have any real practical relevance to our everyday lives. However, there is one branch of philosophy that is extremely practical and important to all of us. That branch is ethics. The study of right, wrong, and everything in between. This is the study of what we should do each and every day.

There are (seemingly) obvious answers to a lot of ethical questions like “should I steal that small child’s ice cream cone?”, but things become a lot less obvious when we start to wonder about the ethics of subjects like medicine, the environment, engineering, or using the internet. It seems obvious we should do everything we can to save human lives in hospitals, but how much damage is acceptable to do to the environment we all rely on in doing so? Should an autonomous car divert its path to save the lives of several passengers if doing so will kill a bystander? How much damage to natural systems is too much when we make use of natural resources? What principles should we even be drawing on to determine the answers to these kinds of questions?

Philosophy often cannot give clear and easy answers to questions like these, but it can give us the tools to start thinking about them and developing some frameworks we all (or most of us) can agree to work within while we go about our lives.

The BCIT library has a number of resources that deal with the ethics of specific professional areas, just a few are highlighted below.

Ethics for Engineers: A Brief Introduction, Anthony F Bainbridge, 2022

From a primer on what ethics means in a professional context, to discussions of AI and autonomous systems, Ethics for Engineers provides a place to start thinking about ethics for engineering professionals and students. The book aims to be accessible for engineers of any discipline and at any point in their career. It may not provide the answers to ethical dilemmas that arise in the workplace, but it certainly gives the reader the tools and confidence to begin tackling them in a professional manner.

 

 

Principles of Green Bioethics, Cristina Richie, 2019

Richie challenges the status quo of bioethics and update thinking to reflect our ecological needs as a species. With a few controversial stances, such as arguing against the use of life support, Principles of Green Bioethics attempts to show how bioethics that take the environmental impact of the medical world extremely seriously would function. At the very least, this one is sure to provoke a reaction and engagement with the topic at hand.

 

Philosophy: Environmental Ethics

Consisting of twelve chapters written by various philosophers studying different aspects of environmental philosophy, Philosophy: Environmental Ethics uses various disciplines (including film, art, and literature) to ease readers into philosophy. Topics range from climate change to extinction, and give a place to jump off of into and engage with the world of environmental philosophy.

 

 

Kanopy

BCIT also has a number of films and videos in its various databases pertaining to ethics. Two from the Kanopy collection to check out are:

Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West, which explores the Colorado River, the various perils that endanger its existence, and proposes some new ways for thinking about natural resources and the ethics of their use.

Cyber Ethics: A Growing Business Challenge, which aims to help viewers identify lapses in ethics related to the use of computers and the internet, as well as gives the basics of cyber ethics policy.

Today’s Special …

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by Glenice Lilje

Found Love in a Hopeless Place

When I was younger, my scope of romance novels was limited to Danielle Steel and Fabio. (I’ll just take a quick pause here to give younger readers some time to Google them). Today, there are endless subgenres and varieties of romance literature. According to Fortune[1], romantic fiction topped over 47 million in sales in 2020 alone, up 24% from the previous year. It is the second most popular fiction genre, amounting to 18% of overall adult fiction unit sales. What is it about romantic fiction that makes it so popular?

The basic elements of romance fiction include a central love story (obviously) as well as an emotionally satisfying ending, otherwise known as a ‘happy’ ending. The rise in popularity for this genre has brought about new subgenres and writing styles. From different age groups, heat levels, tropes, various tones and styles. They also do not have any boundaries of when and where in human history romantic stories may take place, giving readers more opportunities to find their ‘Happily-Ever-After’. Even niche subgenres will have a voracious fan base! There really is something for everyone.

In the cinematic universe, Rom-Coms (aka romantic comedy) more or less utilizes the same formula. Many feature two protagonists, who for whatever reason can’t seem to get along despite having an obvious attraction to each other. After a series of obnoxious run-ins paired with comical squabbles, they find themselves in a disastrous predicament that inevitably brings them together. At the end of the two hours, the star-crossed lovers have come to realize what the audience has known all along: that they have been infatuated with each other all along. Predictable? Yes. Satisfying? Also, yes.

Below are some stories of finding love where you least expect it and also my preferred romantic fiction trope of the moment: getting a second chance at love.

The Heart Principle (The Kiss Quotient #3) by Helen Hoang

When violinist Anna Sun goes viral on YouTube, she finds herself chasing the high and replicating the moment.  She burns herself out in the process, affecting her relationships. Her longtime boyfriend suggests they try an open relationship and Anna has full intent to take advantage of this. After a string of one-night stands she meets a tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan who has her doubting her expectations.

 

 

 

Just Like You by Nick Hornby

Lucy thought she had won the love lottery.  She met a guy that was the same age, same background and the same aspirations.  Two decades later, she is miserable and nearly divorced. With two-school aged sons, what Lucy desperately needs is a babysitter and barely has anytime to herself let alone go on dates.  Enter Joseph. Twenty-two, living at home with his mother and juggling several part-time jobs. He is of a different class, different culture and an entirely different generation. But sometimes life can lead you down different paths to find happiness where you least expect it.

 

 

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

Eva Mercy is a single-mom and bestselling erotica fantasy writer who is stuck in a writing rut.  Shane Hall is a reclusive, award-winning literary author that people tent do avoid. When these two authors meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly and raising the eyebrows of New York’s Black literati. Little do they know, these two were entangled in fiery love affair twenty years prior, but haven’t seen each other since. Anyone with eyes can see that they have chemistry, never mind the fact that they have been secretly writing to each other in their books ever since.  Can they pick up where they left off, or has too much time passed?

 

The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

Our story starts after a deadly explosion where nine people on a raft struggle to survive at sea. After three days stranded at sea and their resources depleted, they spot a man floating in the waves and reel him in. “Thank the Lord we found you,” they say. “I am the Lord,” the man whispers. In The Stranger in the Lifeboat, Mitch Albom contemplates what would happened if we called on God for help and what He might look and sound like?

[1] King, R. (2021, August 21). The romance novel sales boom continues. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2021/08/21/rom-com-pandemic-book-sales-romance-bookstore-day/. Accessed March 14, 2022.

 

AskAway Spring Term (May 16 – July 3) Dates and Hours of Service

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AskAway Hours of Service

Monday-Thursday: 9am – 9pm
Friday: 9am – 5pm
Saturday: 11am – 5pm
Sunday: 10am – 9pm

BCIT Librarians will be Online

Tuesday: 2-3pm, 6-7pm, 7-8pm
Thursday:  10-11am, 3-4pm

AskAway will be closed on the following Stat Holidays

Monday, May 23
Friday, July 1
Section 3 Service Closes: Sunday, July 3, 2022

Great Question!
Some of the questions asked on AskAway in March 2022

  • I am an instructor in School of Business, PTS and I have an article posted to my course that doesn’t seem to be available now.
  • Hello, I was hoping to get some helping looking for company profile information
  • I am wondering if there are resources available for proof reading papers
  • Hey, I have a question about how to reference an online module through the BCIT D2L platform with APA
  • I’m a new student at BCIT and need information on my books for my course
  • Hello, I am a BCIT student and would like access to this article, but it is not available in our library
  • Good morning! I am trying to access Statista off campus on my BCIT laptop but can’t see how to login, can you help?
  • Hi, I’m writing a paper on micro-credentials and digital badges and I’m looking for papers that talk about the motivational aspect of them.
  • hi, I’m looking for an electrical tutor level 2, hopefully 1:1

BCIT AskAway Chat with A Librarian Service

Our Students Can Get Help Online with:

  • research
  • citations
  • using the library
  • finding materials
  • journal databases
  • troubleshooting access to Library materials
  • other library topics

 Link to BCIT AskAway Chat: https://www.bcit.ca/library/askalibrarian.shtml

About AskAway

AskAway is a chat reference service for BC’s post-secondary institutions.
AskAway sessions are in real-time, and are staffed by Librarians and Library Technicians from post-secondary institutions in B.C.

Summer Services Opens Monday July 4 – Friday Aug 12, 2022.

BCIT Librarians will be online:
Monday: 9-10am, 4-5pm, 5-6pm
Tuesday: 1-2pm
Wednesday:  5-6pm

Today’s Special …

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by Glenice Lilje

Science Fiction

Personally, I find that science fiction (Sci-Fi), is one of the most creative genres in literature. Readers are taken on fascinating adventures to faraway galaxies, parallel worlds and every which way in between. From a young age, I have always enjoyed the use of elements not typically found in the real world which allows the imagination to run wild with endless possibilities of futuristic concepts such as time travel, aliens, or even time-travelling aliens! My earliest introduction to science fiction were A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card and I have enjoyed reading this genre ever since.

Though rooted in scientific facts and/or theories, sci-fi can also get a little too hairy. Think back to the first airing of H.G. Well’s The War of the Worlds. When the radio drama starring Orson Welles first aired, it caused major public panic among those who were not aware that the alien invasion was fictional. (Mind you, the novel had been out for 40 years at that point so whatever hysteria was observed, that’s on them). Welles assumed that the story would be too silly and improbable to ever be taken seriously.  Guess he underestimated the power of imagination.

Regardless of the setting and characters, sci-fi stories can be complex, explore larger themes or even an interpretation-sometimes satirically- about our society beneath the surface. Although examples of sci-fi can be found as far back as the Middle Ages, it didn’t garner much popularity until the late 1800s. As science and technology progressed over the years, so has the genre itself.

One does not have to be a Trekkie to be interested in the genre; many sub-genres have emerged making it more accessible. Readers of all ages enjoy stories that provide a portal into another universe or dimension. It can also be used as a tool to warn us humans of what our possible future could look like where utopian novels can teach us what we should be doing, while dystopian novels show us what to avoid. Whatever the case may be, the main reason you should read anything is because you enjoy it!

Here are some of the latest Science Fiction titles that have recently been added to our collection.

Ring Shout or Hunting Ku Kluxes in the End Times by P. Djeli Clark

Set in 1920’s Georgia, the film, The Birth of a Nation, has just been released and has caused a rift between worlds as well as spreading hate and fear among the vulnerable. Ring Shout follows 3 badass trio Maryse Boudreaux, Sadie Watkins and Cordelia Lawrence on their quest to hunt and destroy demons summoned by the Ku Klux Klan or “Ku Kluxes”.  A well-paced fantasy mixed with historical facts, Ring Shout provides the reader with thrills, chills, macabre humor and engaging heroines to root for.

 

Dune by Frank Herbert 

Paul Atreides was born a brilliant and gifted young man and heir to a noble family. He is tasked with travelling to the most dangerous planet to ensure the continuation of his family and people.  As conflict grows over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious and coveted resource, only those who can conquer their own fear will survive.

 

 

The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield

From beloved Canadian astronaut and author, Chris Hadfield, is his first thriller titled, The Apollo Murders. Our story starts in 1973 with a top-secret mission to the Moon.  Three astronauts find themselves a quarter of a million miles away from home in a Space Race against the Russians.  Old rivalries are ignited and political stakes are stretched and not everyone aboard is who they appear to be.  Readers will be taken for a ride with the fascinating technical details and claustrophobic twists making them feel like they too are in the cockpit.  Who better to detail these experiences than from a former Commander of the International Space Station who has lived through them?

 

Across the Airless Wilds: The Lunar Rover and the Triumph of the Final Moon Landings by Earl Swift

Earl Swift places the reader in the captain’s chair in this fast-paced historical recollection of the Lunar Rover’s explorations and the final Apollo moon landings that occurred in 1971-1972. Across the Airless Wilds details the evolution of the Lunar Rover highlighting the final three missions where its range has vastly increased thus providing astronauts with better communication and expanding their range of lunar exploration. Swift provides a highly detailed and technical explanation of the engineering side of it but is still very accessible and very well-told.

 

Living with Robots: What Every Anxious Human Needs to Know by Ruth Aylett

Many blockbuster movies depict robots/A.I. in futuristic, utopian (or even dystopian) settings leaving people apprehensive about incorporating them into our daily lives. Ruth Aylett and Patricia Vargas, two robotic experts, hope to ease some of the apprehensiveness by revealing the truth about what robots can and cannot do, how they work as well as robots that raise ethical and social issues.  Other questions/issues addressed include: “Why robots can swim and fly but find it difficult to walk?”, “Why we develop feelings for robots” and “Which human abilities are hard for robots to emulate?”.