Welcome
Welcome to the subject guide for the Teaching & Learning Masters Program. In this guide we will introduce you to some of the library resources that you are most likely to use in your courses. We will describe the content included in these resources along with basic information about how to use the resources, including searching, sharing content, and other features. This guide also includes tutorials and activities to give you practice in using the resources.
Remember that your librarian can be your best ally as you pursue your graduate work. We can help you get started on a course or research project, but we can also provide advice and guidance on exploring the resources and methodologies in your chosen discipline. We like exploring with students and we can save you time and frustration as you develop your research skills. We're available virtually, by phone, and in person and we look forward to working with you!
Justin McDowell- jmcdowel@cord.edu
Your Concordia email credentials will give you access (from any location) to all of the library databases, journals, ebooks, and online media content. Always start from the library home page and when you get to content that is not publicly accessible you will be prompted to enter your userid/password. Some individual databases (such as Ebook Central) also provide an option for you to create an individual account (usually to allow you to save links, searches, and content). For these accounts, you should create a separate userid/password (not your CC credentials) to protect your network security.
The library licenses many databases, journals, ebooks, and media resources for use by Concordia students, faculty, and staff. Most of the online content available through the library is not publicly accessible on the Internet. It is restricted to educational (and other) institutions that pay for access. Using these library resources in your coursework and research offers several benefits:
- Ease of access to scholarly content that isn’t always available on the open web
- Confidence in the authority and authenticity of the information – These curated collections are compiled by academic publishers and other scholarly/academic organizations. While we all must assess any published information using critical evaluation skills, our confidence is higher when using library resources because we know that they have been produced using peer review and other mechanisms and practices in scholarly communication and publishing.
- Content found in library databases is licensed for educational use, so it is generally easier to understand your rights in using the content in your research, teaching, and learning. Knowing your rights for content that you find on the Internet can be complicated, but most of the time – even though the content appears to be freely available – you do not have the rights to use that content (making a digital copy, for example).