Biology

KPU Librarians offer one-on-one appointments, chat assistance

Get help from librarians when you need it! Students have multiple service options when it comes to help with research and using the library. Students can:

• Book research consultations with their Liaison Librarian 
• Chat with a librarian through AskAway
• Email, call or or text us!

Visit the Library's Ask Us  page for all contact options.

Or you can embed our AskAway chat widget right into your Moodle site.

Do you send students to the library for a laptop? Read this!

KPU Library has a limited amount of laptops for students, so there may not be one available if you send them to the library for one!

Our laptops for students are loaned on a short term, first-come, first-served basis. We no longer offer loans on a semester basis.

For full information on how we lend laptops to students, visit Student Laptop Loans. 

Did you know you can borrow equipment from the Library?

We have everything from audio equipment, teaching equipment, presentation aids, and more!

For more information and a detailed list of what is available, click here. See below for some equipment highlights:

Voice Amplifier Use this to amplify your voice when giving a presentation or tour.
Wireless lavalier (clip-on lapel microphone) Use this to capture audio to a smartphone, tablet, DSLR camera, Camcorder or PC. Comes with shock mount with cold shoe adapter to attach to a variety of devices.
Portable Projection Screen Use this to display projected images. Variety of sizes and models available.

Want to borrow equipment from the library? Visit any campus library and ask at the Service Desk. You can also request equipment here.

Course Reserves vs. Link.Scan.Open: two options for course material 

Designating library material as a Course Reserve means that we limit the loan period of an item in our collection so it is available to a greater amount of students during the semester. This is often done for items that are part of your course readings or needed for class assignments or for reference.  However, Link.Scan.Open provides digital files or links to you so all your students can access them at the same time, rather than limiting access to one copy of a book. Your students will thank you!

Visit Course Reserves for Faculty to request to place an item on course reserve.

Visit Link.Scan.Open to request a link, PDF (within Fair Dealing), or open resource for class readings. 

Be Open to the Possibilities

OPUS can help with your online teaching and your scholarly publishing

The Library's Open Publishing Suite of services can help you:

• Create and adapt accessible open textbooks
• Create an eJournal where students can submit papers/assignments while participating in the Peer Review process online
• Search & discover the best OER for your teaching needs

Learn more at Library Support for Open Education.

All-night study sessions during Spring exams

Surrey Campus Library will once again remain open 24 hours during exam session this Spring. From April 11 - 22, our doors will remain open to KPU students who wish to do some late night studying.

Students must have their KPU Card for entry after 11pm and library services will be unavailable after 11pm.

Stay tuned for more details closer to April at kpu.ca/library.

Coming Soon: New Library Instruction Page 

We've updated our website to help KPU Instructors find the information they need! Did you know that:

• You can have a KPU Librarian visit your class and teach your students how to find research resources?
• You can bring your class to the library for a tour and orientation?
• You can ask a librarian for tailored, subject specific content to address a specific student research need?
• KPU Librarians also offer open educational resources, video tutorials, and other online content you can incorporate into your teaching?

Well now you do if you didn't! Our new Library Instruction page makes it easy for you to see what is available to you to support your teaching method and content.

Don't know where to start? Just contact the librarian in your area of study and we can go through your options and find a way to help that best suits your needs.  

Help your students learn how to research

Assign all - or parts - of our interactive information literacy tutorial

The Library's Doing Research: A Student's Guide to Finding and Using the Best Sources has four modules: 

1. Get Started on your Research 
2. Recognize Types of Information
3. Develop your Research Strategy
4. Evaluate your Sources

Every module should take approximately 20 minutes to complete and consists of written text, video, interactive H5P, activities and a short quiz (linked through your Moodle site) that will be graded.

These modules roughly follow the research process, so you can assign one or more of them to your students depending on the class/assignment requirements at any particular point in the course. We have instructions for embedding the modules, or component parts, into Moodle.

If you have questions about this tutorial or have trouble integrating it into your courses, please contact Celia at celia.brinkerhoff@kpu.ca.  

This tutorial is a great alternative to our in-person library research sessions, if you need a remote option. Want to know your options? Contact Your Librarian.

Equity & Inclusive Communities collection highlights

Led by our Indigenous, EDIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility) and Anthropology Liaison Librarian, Rachel Chong, and with funding from the Office of Research, KPU Library has been building its collection around topics such as anti-racism, accessibility and neurodiversity, gender, and sexual equity.  

Our Equity & Inclusive Communities Libguide is a place for KPU instructors as a starting point to explore resources in this area of study. Whether you're seeking material for self education, to incorporate it in your teaching, advocacy, or other needs, we encourage you to take a look! Here are some new titles we've just received:

APA Citation Sessions planned for Spring 2024

Students can drop-in online and ask their citation questions every week between January 18 and April 11.

KPU Librarian Ulrike Kestler will host these virtual sessions and students can drop in any time between 1-2pm on Thursdays with their questions! 

For more information on these sessions or other library events, visit KPU Library Events.