Our building is open to current U of G students, faculty, and staff at a reduced capacity. Learn about using the library for Winter 2022.

Book an Appointment

Posted: February 7, 2020

At every step of the process, we’re here for you. All our appointments are free of charge and confidential.

In addition to appointments, we also offer live chat, workshops and bookable study space.

What can we help you with?

Writing, Research Assistance, and English Language Support

  • Writing

    Writing

     

    • Meet with a staff or peer consultant
    • Get feedback on your writing at all stages of the writing process
    • Learn strategies for organising your ideas and structuring your thesis, papers, and chapters
    • Receive advice on clarity, cohesion, and style
    • You do not need to have a completed draft of your paper to book or attend an appointment
    • French writing appointments are available during the fall and winter semesters

    Faculty and instructors can also request instruction sessions on the above topics. Learn more about writing support in the library.
    Book a Writing Appointment

  • Research Assistance

    Research Assistance

    Research assistance appointments will help you to:

    • Identify and narrow your topic
    • Learn advanced research skills
    • Get started on a literature review, scoping review, systematic review or other knowledge synthesis
    • Choose the right citation manager for you (Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote) and learn how to export citations from library databases

    For immediate help, you can also chat with us online.

    Faculty and instructors can also request instruction sessions on the above topics. Learn more about Research Assistance in the library.
    Book a Research Assistance Appointment

  • English Language Support

    English Language Support

    If English isn't your first language, we can help with

    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Listening
    • Pronunciation
    • Communication

    Learn more about English language support programs and services in the library.
    Book an English Language Support Appointment

Working with Data

  • Working with Data

    Working with Data

    Find & Collect Data

    • Find the datasets you need for your assignment, research project, thesis, or dissertation
    • Create your own survey using Qualtrics
    • Learn how to collect data from the web using web scraping and APIs

    GIS & Maps

    • Find and analyze geospatial data
    • Create maps using ArcGIS

    Clean & Prepare Data

    • Identify and fix errors and inconsistencies
    • Sort, filter, and tansform data from into usable formats

    Data Analysis

    • Select and use the right statistical software for your needs
    • Understand statistical tests
    • Analyze qualitative or quantitative data
    • Design experiments
    • We support R, SAS, SPSS, Stata, and Nvivo

    Data Visualization

    • Create a chart, table, graph, or infographic
    • We can provide helpful critiques of your visualizations
    • Learn to use Tableau, Excel, Gephi, R, Voyant, and others

    Please note: If you need help acquiring or installing software, visit the Computing and Communication Services (CCS) supported products page.
    Book a Data Appointment

Studying, Time Management, and Presentation Skills

  • Time Management & Procrastination

    Time Management & Procrastination

    Studying and Exam Preparation

    • Prepare for many different types of exams, including multiple choice
    • Read textbooks and scholarly articles more effectively
    • Take better notes and study efficiently
    • Improve your memory and concentration
    • Work more effectively in groups

    Time Management & Procrastination

    • Plan and use your time effectively
    • Control procrastination and perfectionism, and complete your assignments, thesis, or program on time

    Presentation Skills

    • Enhance your presentation skills, including strategies for managing nervousness
    • Practice your presentation and receive feedback from professional staff
    • Design and present academic posters

     

    Faculty and instructors can also request instruction sessions on the above topics.
    Book a Studying Appointment

Scholarship, Publishing, and Author Support

  • Scholarship

    Scholarship

    Systematic Reviews and Other Knowledge Syntheses

    • Select an appropriate type of review
    • Get started on a literature review, scoping review, or systematic review
    • Refine a review topic
    • Understand review methodologies and logistics
    • Develop a search strategy by choosing databases, generating keywords, and using controlled vocabulary, operators, and search modifiers
    Book a Research Assistance Appointment

  • Publishing & Author Support

    Publishing & Author Support

    Author Rights​

    • Ready to publish? We can help you keep your rights as authors and help you sort out the world of copyright, intellectual property, and author addenda

    Share & Publish Your Research​

    • We can give you the inside track on publishing in traditional journals, open access publishing, and other publishing formats (social media, podcasts, etc.)​
    • Host an online open access journal

    Preserve Your Research

    Track Your Research Impact​

    • Create researcher identifiers such as ORCID and ResearcherID ​
    • Analyze the impact of your published research

    Digital Scholarship Support

    • Planning for digital projects
    • Needs assessment and technology selection
    • Using specialized software and tools
    • Designing databases
    • Publishing and preserving your digital project
    • Creating online exhibits using Omeka, ArcGIS Online, and other publishing tools

    Open Educational Resources​ (OER)

    • Find, evaluate, and curate openly licensed textbooks, media, modules, and other educational resources for integration into your class
    • Migrate self-published materials into Pressbooks publishing software

    Research Data Management

    • Create a plan that describes how your research data will be collected, managed, and preserved throughout the research life cycle
    Book a Publishing Appointment

Archival & Special Collections

  • Access Materials in Our Reading Room

    Access Materials in Our Reading Room

    1. Register with us in advance if you are a first-time visitor.
    2. Book an appointment to visit the Reading Room
      • We will follow up with you for a research consultation to help you identify the materials you’d like to see during your appointment 
      • If you already know what you’d like to see, you can request the items. Please submit your request for materials by Wednesday of the week prior to your appointment
      • Appointments are available on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-3 p.m.
    Book an Appointment to Visit the Reading Room

  • Research Consultations, Donations, and Exhibits

    Research Consultations, Donations, and Exhibits

    Research Consultation

    • Meet with an Archival & Special Collections specialist to discuss your class, project, or research

    Suggest an Exhibit

    • We are currently not planning any physical exhibits for the Fall and Winter terms. If you have an idea for an exhibit to be launched later in 2021 (and beyond), check out our Exhibition Policies and get in touch

    Donate Rare Books or Archival Materials

    • Due to our reduced operating capacity during the ongoing pandemic, we are not currently accepting any new donations or accruals. Please feel free to review our donations policy and get in touch regarding the suitability of your deposit and our timelines for the resumption of donations
    Book an Appointment with an Archival & Special Collections Specialist

Library Accessibility Services

  • Library Accessibility Services

    Library Accessibility Services

    Library Accessibility Services (LAS) is a service for students who are registered with Student Accessibility Services (SAS).

    We provide adaptive technology access and instruction, accessible study space, and other services designed to help with reading, writing, note-taking, and studying.

    Book an appointment or contact us:

    Phone: 519-824-4120 ext 52312

    Email: las@uoguelph.ca

    Drop in to the LAS area on the first floor of the Library during our staffed hours.

    Learn more about how the Library supports accessibility for all users with disabilities.

  • Alternate-Format Text and Multimedia

    Alternate-Format Text and Multimedia

    Brooke Hiemstra provides:

    • Course textbooks and readings in alternate formates (e.g., digitized text, audio books, Braille, and tactile images)
    • Captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions for course-based audio-visual materials
    Book an Alternate-Format Text Appointment

  • Access Technology

    Access Technology

    Athol Gow provides:

    • Library Accessibility Services orientation for new students
    • Training in the use of access technology, software, and mobile apps that support reading, writing, note-taking, and studying
    • Digital recorder, smart pen, and tablet loans
    Book an Access Technology Appointment

Media Studio

  • About the Media Studio

    About the Media Studio

    The Media Studio provides access to state-of-the-art technology required for the creation of digital projects. Media Studio staff provides support in the development of digital literacy and media creation skills.

    Learn more about the Media Studio.

  • Consultations for Faculty and Instructors

    Consultations for Faculty and Instructors

    The Media Studio assists faculty and instructors on integrating digital media skills into their courses.

    Book an appointment to:

    • Discuss designing a digital assignment for your course.
    • Reserve access to web-based video creation accounts. A limited number of seats are available each semester.
    • Request a custom help guide for your students tailored to your assignment requirements.
    Book a Faculty or Instructor Consultation

  • Consultations for Students

    Consultations for Students

    The Media Studio provides support for undergraduate and graduate students as they develop digital literacy and media creation skills. We support digital media assignments such as videos, digital storytelling, podcasts, blogging and more.

    Book an appointment to:

    • Get help with learning a new tool
    • Selecting the best tool for your project
    • Troubleshoot issues with a tool
    Book a Student Consultation

  • Media Studio Space and Equipment

    Media Studio Space and Equipment

    The media studio has space, equipment, and software available to work on media projects such as videos, digital storytelling, podcasts, and vlogging.

    Book an appointment to:

    • Film a project in the filming studio
    • Record audio in the sound booth
    • Edit a project with the studio’s editing suites
    Book a Media Studio Space

In-class Instruction Session

  • In-class Instruction Session

    In-class Instruction Session

    We offer a variety of in-class instruction sessions depending on your class’s needs. Below is a non-exhaustive list of topics we have delivered in-class sessions on in the past. Feel free to request a session on other topics and we will do our best to accommodate. We can also assist with developing learning outcomes, assignments, and assessment tools. 

    To schedule a session on one of the following topics, follow the links below:

    • Writing skills, including academic writing, writing in the sciences, academic integrity, project management for writing projects, and English as an Additional Language Support.
    • Learning and studying skills, including presentation skills, critical and strategic reading of scholarly articles, note-taking from articles, building academic resilience and coping with failure and stress, effective group work and conflict management, study strategies, exam preparation, and poster design.
    • Research skills, including using Omni and other databases, narrowing a research topic, learning advanced search skills, getting started on a literature or scoping review or knowledge synthesis project, and using Zotero, Mendeley or EndNote.
    • Data skills, including survey design, data analysis, data cleaning and preparation, GIS and ArcGIS, data visualization, using software packages like Excel, Qualtrics, R, SAS, Python, Tableau, and more. 
    • Support for researchers and authors on research data management, preserving, publishing and sharing your research, open educational resources, digital scholarship, and more.
    • Using Archives & Special Collections
    • Media skills, including instruction on planning and creating digital projects, like podcasts, videos, digital stories, and digital posters, as well as different tools, including Audacity, Canva, Powtoon and WeVideo. We also offer support around digital identity, finding media and graphic design.

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