U of T Scarborough Library provides a variety of benefits to students, but navigating the resources available can seem a little daunting at first. However, help is at hand! Here to tell us about what the library can do for you is our librarian Kathryn Barrett.
Kathryn is the Liaison Librarian for the Department of Health and Society. Kathryn holds a BA in Psychology and an MLIS in Library Studies. She has worked in the University of Toronto Libraries system for 9 years, with 6 of those years at the UTSC Library. As Liaison Librarian, her role is to connect students with the resources in the library.
“My favourite part of my job is meeting one-on-one with students,” says Kathryn. “Research can be stressful, and our library resources can be overwhelming or confusing at first. Navigating health databases can be especially challenging – there’s definitely a learning curve there. I love walking students through how to use our website and teaching them how to find resources, and seeing them have an ‘aha moment’ where everything starts coming together and making sense. Nothing is more satisfying about my job than hearing that students have learned something new or that they feel so much better about research after getting personalized help.” Students can book 50-minute research consultation sessions with Kathryn.
Kathryn urges students to reach out to the library with any questions they might have. She notes that there are many ways to get help: in person at the Information & Reference desk, over email and chat, through a consultation with your liaison, and more. “Don’t struggle alone,” she says. “We’re happy to orient you to the library and help you find what you need. If you start learning about library resources in your first year, it’ll set you up for the rest of your time at UTSC.”
The library is more than just academic books, there is popular fiction, audiobooks, cookbooks, magazines, DVDs, board games, and video games, as well as technology that students can borrow for their creative projects, like a button maker, a sewing machine, and a Cricut maker. Students can use library spaces, services, and collections not just for school, but recreationally too.
Kathryn highlights just a few of the resources available to students.
- Assignment Planner – A tool that breaks down your project/assignment into manageable steps and suggested deadlines.
- Research guides – These handy guides provide research advice, useful tools, and the best resources for your needs curated by U of T librarians. Simply type in your course code to see what’s available.
- Library tutorials – These tutorial videos give a step by step guide to using various library resources.
- Mindfulness Space – Offers a space for rest and relaxation with yoga mats and comfortable seating.
- Makerspace – Offers space and services to the U of T Scarborough Library community that fosters knowledge creation through access to emerging technologies focused on making.
- Workshops – Regular workshop events on a variety of topics from
- Podcasting Studio - The space features an audio mixer, microphones and headphones to help you create your own podcast, voice-over project or even live-streaming event.
- One Button Studio – Coming in September, the space features easy-to-use recording equipment designed to create high-quality videos.
- Ask a Librarian Chat service – Use the library’s online chat service to find sources on a topic, find out about a book or article, and how to use library resources.
The library also offers an opportunity for students to be volunteer library ambassadors. If you'd like to get more involved in programming at the library, check out this link.