What can we help you with?
Writing Appointments
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
We support R, SAS, SPSS, Stata, and Nvivo. statistics, t-test, anova, regression, experimental design, R, RStudio
Studying, Time Management, and Presentation Skills
Studying and Time Management
- Plan and use your time effectively
- Control procrastination and perfectionism, and complete your assignments, thesis, or program on time
- Set goals and maintain motivation
- Prepare for many different types of exams, including multiple choice
- Read textbooks and scholarly articles more effectively
- Take better notes and study efficiently
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
You can also book an appointment to discuss: Preparing for and writing exams, including multiple choice Reading and studying textbooks and scholarly articles Academic presentations, including poster presentations Working effectively in groups Listening and notetaking in lectures Memory and concentration
Research Consultations, Donations, and Exhibits
Research Consultation
- Meet with an Archival & Special Collections specialist to discuss your class, project, or research
Exhibits
- Check out our Exhibition Policy
Donate Rare Books or Archival Materials
- Please feel free to review our donations policy and get in touch regarding the suitability of your deposit
Access Materials in Our Reading Room
- Register with us in advance if you are a first-time visitor.
- 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.
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
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
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
Media Studio Space
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
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
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.
- Schedule an in-class workshop on media creation.
- 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.
Borrow Media Equipment
The media studio has a collection of circulating equipment that current students, faculty and staff can reserve and borrow for up to 2 days at a time.
Reserve equipment to:
- Record audio using the portable sound booth.
- Film an interview using a camera and microphone.
media equipment microphone podcasting camera camcorder tripod lightAbout 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.
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.
- Ask Chat is a collaborative service
- Ask Us Online Chat hours
- Contact Us