Exceptional resources, services, spaces, technology and people...
Dates of service: Monday, April 19, 2021 – Friday, May 14, 2021
Hours of Service: will be reduced to Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm.
BCIT Librarians and Lib Techs will be available on AskAway from Monday – Friday, 10:00am – 4:00pm.
Chat online with a librarian here.
In 2015, Simon Fraser University and the City of Burnaby co-created the Burnaby Festival of Learning.
Since 2016, the festival has continued to grow, involving an increasing number of organizations inside and outside Burnaby. Each year, new partnerships and collaborations emerge that diversify the program, allowing its partners to reach more and more community members.
Check out all the exciting, thought-provoking, heart-warming (and free!) events that your fellow community members are ready to offer this coming May 7-11th, 2021! Including the events listed below which are hosted by the BCIT Library …
Join us to learn about laser cutting, a service offered by MediaWorks at BCIT, a digital lab and makerspace. Discover what laser cutting is and how to produce a basic design. After this introductory session, you will be able to make a simple customized key ring to show off your new skills! Register here.
Amy Miedzwiecki is a creative multi-media generalist with a teaching and industry background. She can help you with developing your project using photography, graphic design, video, audio, 3D, and interactive media.
Curious about 3D Printing? Then join us for this fun, free virtual workshop to create a 3D printed key chain that you can take home or give to a loved one. In this session, we will cover some of the basics of 3D modeling and printing. We will explore a free online tool called TinkerCad to create and modify 3D models, set up your models for 3D printing in CURA, and print your work using our 3D printers at BCIT MediaWorks. Register here.
Richard Te brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in digital design and education development. He has a passion for maker technologies and enjoys working with students to find creative solutions for multi-disciplinary projects.
May 11 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pmOpen Education includes Open Educational Resources (OEP), which are openly licensed learning materials that can be freely used, reworked and retained, and Open Educational Practices (OEP) which invite students to engage in work that is relevant beyond the classroom. Join this session to learn more about Open Education, how it is facilitating new pedagogical approaches, and what links it to social justice. Register here.
by Jarrett Seto
A Study Of Crime Or Marple Mondays Or Miss Marple Means Murder Mondays.
Okay, so we don’t actually have Miss Marple here, nor is it Monday. But please enjoy a book from our intriguing selection of mysteries, thrillers, and whodunits. Murder mysteries and crime novels continually fascinate us. We like to think “of course” when we find out who the culprit was, or “I would have done it differently” if you had committed the crime. They are cerebral, and dig into the recesses of consciousness, to the shadowy part of your mind that generally escapes prodding. It makes for a healthy brain to think like a Holmes. Are you up for the task? It’s elementary.
The Whisperer By Karin Fossum (2018)
Scandinavian crime novels are all the rage these days, and The Whisperer helps hold true to that statement. Renowned crime writer Karin Fossum, AKA the Norwegian Queen of Crime, dishes out this excellent character driven slow burn that will keep you guessing. With flawless writing, Fossum travels before and after a brutal crime, and each chapter unravels more layers onto our complex and troubled protagonist.
The Glass Hotel: A Novel By Emily St. John Mandel (2020)
From the award winning author of Station Eleven comes a tale of intrigue, mystery, murder, and Mauritania. St. John Mandel’s novel is replete with white-collar crime, fallout from calamity, people of dubious morality, and regrets. Hauntingly beautiful with sentences crafted so well that they must be art, you’ll enjoy following the characters through locations like Vancouver Island and massive ocean bound container ships.
Camino Winds By John Grisham (2020)
The sequel to Camino Island is a bit of a departure from the courtroom drama that Grisham is well known (incredibly famous) for. After a deadly hurricane, a bookshop owner and his author friends discover one among them has been killed. Was the death a direct result from natural disaster, or was there something more malicious at play. Bruce Cable and his cadre of interesting acquaintances are bound to find out.
Join us for a Film Zoom Trivia event for Earth Day on Thursday, April 22nd at 12:30pm.
How it works: Watch the 45 minute documentary, RiverBlue, on your own time, before April 22.
On April 22 (Earth Day) join us at 12:30 on Zoom (registration required) for a Kahoot style quiz and test your knowledge of the film.
Have we mentioned prizes???
Did you know that our very own Mark Angelo, founder of the BCIT River’s Institute, was an integral part of this award winning documentary?
This film spans the globe to infiltrate one of the world’s most pollutive industries, fashion. Blue Jeans, one of our favorite iconic products has destroyed rivers and impacted the lives of people who count on these waterways for their survival.
Narrated by clean water supporter Jason Priestley, this RIVERBLUE examines the destruction of our rivers, its effect on humanity, and the solutions that inspire hope for a sustainable future.
Not able to make the trivia event, but want to be a part of BCIT’s Earth Day events? Post a photo on Instagram or Facebook about something you learned from the film and add the hashtag #BCITearthday2021 to be entered into a draw for additional prizes!
Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=747kbvLHM0Y
Watch the film here: https://bcit.kanopy.com/video/riverblue-0
Register here.
Workshop 1: Zero Waste Workshop – Saving the Planet by Reducing and Reusing One Item at a Time
Date: Monday April 19th from 5 pm to 6:30 pm PST
Guest Speaker: Connie Reichelsdorfer, Once the Executive Director of Zero Waste Canada, Connie remains an environmental advocate with a passion for waste reduction and dismantling greenwashing efforts. She also bridges technical marketing challenges for many environmental non-profits and small businesses to help them advance their missions towards a cleaner, healthier planet.
Workshop Description: When given the opportunity and tools, most people are eager to protect our environment and preserve our natural resources. In this virtual information session, you will learn what a zero waste lifestyle is and explore actionable tips on reusing and reducing; the two most impactful paths to a healthier planet. Join us to meet other like-minded students and BCIT community members and brainstorm ideas to make change in your community.
Workshop 2: From Grief to Hope to Action: A Climate Ambassador Workshop
Date: Thursday April 22 from 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm PST
Guest Speaker: Grace Nosek, Grace is Founder and Student Director of the UBC Climate Hub. She is a PhD Candidate in Law at UBC studying how to use law to protect climate change science from manufactured doubt. She is a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation scholar and a Killam doctoral scholar, and a past Canada-U.S. Fulbright recipient. She holds a B.A. from Rice University, a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School, and an LL.M from the University of British Columbia. Grace has written and published three novels in a hopeful climate fantasy series, the Ava of the Gaia trilogy. She also created and hosts Planet Potluck, a podcast exploring stories of hope, joy, and community in the climate movement.
Workshop Description: Overwhelmed by the onslaught of climate news and other pressing justice issues? Unsure of how to take effective action on climate justice? Join us for an interactive conversation about becoming climate ambassadors in our communities, grounded in justice, hope, agency, joyful community, systems change, and storytelling. Learn how the fossil fuel industry has shaped our public imagination of climate futures and what we can all do to push back against those narratives and build towards a more just, joyful future.
All events are open to students, staff and faculty.
By Amy Miedzwiecki
MediaWorks is a digital workshop and makerspace based in the library at Burnaby campus where students and staff can create, innovate, and collaborate to bring their ideas to life.
We offer a creative space, industry standard equipment, and professional guidance from our team to help you succeed.
What is a Makerspace?
A makerspace is more than a space itself. Sure, it has tech, machines, and staff to help you invent, tinker, and create but a makerspace is about “turning knowledge into action” (Flemming, 2015, p. 7), and allows for a true opportunity to support personalized learning (Martinez & Stager, 2013).
We offer custom workshops for classes, one to one consultations and the space and time to experiment and play, encouraging creative collaboration.
We want to empower you to use new and emerging technologies, to explore your own learning and helping you to become self-sufficient with our tools. The range of possible projects is vast and could include audio production for a podcast, creating a custom piece of lasercut artwork, and even creating a 3D printed prototype for testing.
What Technology Do We Have?
3D Printing – FDM plastic filament 3D printing and a new SLA printer that uses resin for more detailed prints
3D Scanning – Scan real life objects into a digital 3D model
Lasercutting and engraving – Cut, score and engrave onto wood, acrylic and other materials
Die cutting – Cut paper, card, vinyl and fabric
Thermoforming – Vacuum form detailed plastic moulds
VR and AR Technologies –Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality headsets and ‘play’ area
High specification computer lab – Produce, edit and draw with industry software on our powerful computers with ultra-wide monitors
COMING SOON!
Learning Glass – Learning Glass Lightboard technology is simple: LED lighting on specialized glass creates a transparent white board that illuminates writing with neon markers ideal for creating video lectures online.
New and Improved audio recording space for creating podcasts and voiceovers
Other Services
Large Format Printing – Print large posters and displays
Digitizing – Convert VHS, cassettes, DVD’s, photographs and slides to digital formats
Dry Press Mount – Mount posters onto foam core without glue
MediaWorks Services During COVID-19
Our services are online right now with our lab currently closed to the public, but we are still able to support staff and student projects remotely.
After consulting on ideas and design preparation we will use our machines to produce your 3D and 2D work which can then be picked up from the library front desk (8am-3pm Monday to Friday). To book a consultation email: mediaworks@bcit.ca
There is also an individual bookable MediaWorks table and tool kit for those that do not have the space or tools to finish their work at home.
If you need to measure/glue/cut/chisel/file you can book this online.
For material pick-up info visit: https://libguides.bcit.ca/covid.
All in-person library services follow Covid-19 safety regulations, more information can be found here https://libguides.bcit.ca/Covid
References
Fleming, L. (2015). Worlds of making: Best practices for establishing a makerspace for your school. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
Martinez, S. L., & Stager, G. (2013). Invent to learn: Making, tinkering, and engineering in the classroom. Torrance, CA: Constructing modern knowledge press
by Jarrett Seto
In the last few years, there’s been an abundance of books written by Indigenous authors and their voices have much to tell. Check out these page turners that give insight into the Indigenous experience. You’ll find tragedy, adversity, comedy, but most importantly, hope in these books written by Canadian authors.
Indians On Vacation: A Novel by Thomas King (2020)
Indians On Vacation reads in the same vein of King’s other books in that they are filled with his trademark ability to blend both irony and comedy. Wit and banter aside, be prepared to enjoy the adventures of Mimi and Bird as they travel through Europe. It is well known that you’ll find truth in comedy (albeit adjusted for the audience), and Indians On Vacation is no exception from this. Marriage, systemic racism, tourism, and injustice are presented to the reader between servings of laughter that add a sobering reminder to what life can be like depending on the cards you’re dealt.
The Lesser Blessed by Richard Van Camp (2016)
Richard Van Camp possesses a unique talent to thrust his readers into the North. The proper North, where the summers are slim and the opportunities are naught. Where you live on the thin edge of a country, a vast expanse hindered by many kinds of distance. It’s uncomfortably relatable if you grew up in a have-not province, whether it be a mill town on the Acadian coast, a declining Albertan junction surrounded by prairie that loses more buildings to the wind than decay, or a village in North Ontario, where you should have access to clean running water, but you don’t. Van Camp’s debut novel is about growing up, disillusionment, and coming to terms with who you are. Deeply funny and filled with poignancy, you’ll wish there were more pages to read when you’re finished.
From the Ashes: My Story Of Being Métis, Homeless, And Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle (2019)
Jesse Thistle’s memoir will leave you with sadness and understanding. It’s a tough read for some, due to the gritty pages tackling homelessness and addiction. From the Ashes doesn’t shy away from any of it. The clinical gaze of city reports or dry articles on these social issues is replaced with a raw and graphic, in your face somber reminder of reality, that real people struggle with this day to day. Abandonment, cycles of violence, drug abuse, and crime saturate Thistle’s early life. The story of his attempts to overcome it and turn his life around is inspiring.
Looking ahead to this coming weekend, AskAway will be closed on Good Friday (April 2nd) and Easter Monday (April 5th).
AskAway will be open normal hours on Saturday (April 3rd) 11am-5pm and Sunday (April 4th) 10am-9pm.
Wishing you all a safe and happy Easter!
by Jarrett Seto
Science fiction can explore concepts of everyday life, technology, and political institutions in ways that other genres have trouble doing. It opens new and exciting pathways into where reality could be, or what a possible future could look like. It can present reality often in ways that you may not have imagined before. Maybe we aren’t in the Darkest Timeline after all. What would the world be like if there was an alien colonization; what if our smartphones became sentient beings, what if the polar ice caps melted in 1925? If you’re looking for a change of pace from your overwhelming day of assignments, zoom meetings, housecleaning, and fixing the car, try borrowing from our selection of sci-fi tales.
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker (2019)
The terror of perpetual sleep, a void which no one can escape, provides a claustrophobic backdrop to The Dreamers. A unique writing style will draw you in, pulled into a vortex and unable to stop turning from page to page. Like you’re in a dream.
Radicalized: Four Tales of Our Present Moment by Cory Doctorow (2020)
If you’re searching for an outlet from the world of 2021 look no further. Immerse yourself in these stories. But don’t worry if the content is a little frightening. After all, they’re only science fiction. For now, at least.
Sputnik’s Children by Terri Favro (2017)
Thanks to the unreliability of the narrator, you’re unsure if it’s all made up, a first hand account, or a mixture of both. Sputnik’s Children graces us with alternate timelines, time travel, and a dash of coming of age.
During the COVID-19 crisis, many students are experiencing financial hardship and challenges purchasing groceries due to reduced income. Reducing barriers to accessing healthy nutrition and supporting students at risk are at the core of the BCIT Student Association Wellness Department mission.
To support our students during this critical time, BCIT Student Association Wellness Department has partnered with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and local community organizations to provide a new emergency food relief service for current BCIT students experiencing financial hardship during the pandemic. Emergency food relief programs not only relieve hunger but also financial pressures. When the stress of providing food is alleviated, students are better able to focus on their academics and have more financial resources to pay rent & other essential bills.
ABOUT THE BCITSA EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF SERVICES:
Through the Emergency Food Relief Service, students in need, can access the following resources:
STEPS TO ACCESS EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF SERVICES:
1. Students can complete the Financial Support Services Online Request Form to book a virtual intake appointment with a BCITSA staff member.
2. During the 15 minute intake appointment, staff will discuss options available to you based on your needs and location and refer you to appropriate programs.
3. If eligible for the Food Hamper Program, students will be provided with additional information and a link to book an individual timeslot to pick up your food hamper. Food hampers will be available for pick up every Thursday from the Student Association Centre in SE2 using an individual appointment booking system to maintain social distancing.
CONTACT DETAILS FOR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS:
For questions or more information about the BCITSA Emergency Food Relief Services for students, please email wellness@bcitsa.ca to connect with BCITSA Wellness Manager Andrea Wilder and BCITSA Wellness Coordinator Kelsey Nikl.
by Erica Huntley
“In spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” – Margaret Atwood
Just in time for your spring gardening, here’s a list of new books for gardeners of all skill levels. Be sure to email in your requests for the BCIT Seed Library also!
Beginning Seed Saving for the Home Gardener by Jim Ulager (2019)
Available in e-book format from the BCIT Library, Beginning Seed Saving For the Home Gardener shows you how to harvest and prepare seed from your own garden for next year’s crop. Seed saving is an important part of preserving local food culture, a great way to connect with the life of your garden and it just may make you a few new gardening friends (seed-swap, anyone?). This book gives you all the facts you’ll need to make seed saving efficient and fun regardless of the size of your garden or skill level.
The New Seed-Starters Handbook by Nancy Bubel with Jean Nick (2018)
The New Seed-Starters Handbook is the revised and updated edition of a classic work on home gardening. Whether you’re new to growing your plants from seed or just looking to troubleshoot a specific sprouting problem, this is the guide for you. This thorough book is divided up into handy sections allowing you to quickly locate information.
The Northwest Garden Manifesto by John J. Albers (2018)
The Northwest Garden Manifesto is a gorgeously illustrated and thorough and practical introduction to the concept of biodiversity in gardening on the Pacific Northwest. Absolute beginners may be intimidated at first by the in-depth knowledge shared in this volume, especially if read cover-to-cover. Nevertheless, the book is sure to become a handy reference guide, and an inspiring call to action for gardeners of all levels.