University developing strategy as part of Tri-Agency policy; survey now live

A working group with pan-University representation has started laying the groundwork for an institutional strategy on research data management (RDM) at McMaster University. 

RDM is the active organization and maintenance of data throughout its life cycle — from study design and planning, to collection and interpretation, to dissemination, long-term preservation, and reuse.

While RDM doesn’t make headlines here at McMaster, we would have few research stories to share without it.

The Lyons New Media Centre is celebrating the birthday of one of its namesakes this week.

Keiko Margaret Lyons (née Inouye; 1923-2019) graduated from McMaster University in 1949 with a degree in political economy — and went on to a four-decade career in broadcast journalism, first with the BBC and then the CBC. Along the way, she broke new ground for women in broadcasting.

Known to many as Margaret, she received an honorary degree from McMaster University in 1996 and was invested as a member of the Order of Canada in 2010.

It isn’t always easy to know whether a research publication is legitimate, so McMaster University Libraries has released a research guide to help.

Deceptive publishers, commonly referred to as “predatory journals”, are for-profit entities that purport to publish high-quality academic research, but do not follow accepted scholarly practices.

The McMaster online resource, available on the libraries’ website, will help the research community spot a predatory publisher or conference.

Users at Mills and Thode libraries will see a familiar face around these spaces.

A life-size cut-out of Maud, the library mascot, is part of a new initiative called #MaskUpWithMaud to remind users to always keep their masks on in the libraries.

The Lyons New Media Centre staff is the creative team behind the initiative.

“Maud is our beloved library mascot, so who better to remind users about the importance of masking in our spaces,” said Kelly Penfold, library media specialist at Lyons and Maud’s artistic handler.

The McMaster community now has access to a tailored version of a web publishing platform called Omeka S, thanks to a partnership between the Lewis & Ruth Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship and the William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections at McMaster University Library.

Omeka S is an open-source tool used by universities, libraries, archives, galleries, and museums. It allows users to create digital exhibits that share a collaboratively built pool of items and their metadata.

Carol and Victor (Vic) Nunn dedicated their careers to McMaster University Library, and now their memory will live on in an extraordinary way.

The late retirees bequeathed close to $1.1 million, making it one of the largest gifts in the library’s recent history. 

“We are moved beyond words by the generosity of Carol and Vic,” said Vivian Lewis, McMaster University Librarian. “Gifts such as this reinforce the ongoing dedication of our retirees to the life of the library.”

Hours at Mills Learning Commons are being extended to give students more options for late-night essay writing and studying. Please note this is not a silent library space.

New hours effective Monday, Nov. 1:

Mills Learning Commons only

Enter via southeast tower of Mills Library 

Library Pets is returning at McMaster University Library just in time for the bustling second half of the fall term.

Each week, McMaster students, as well as faculty and staff, are invited to an informal, virtual drop-in to meet library staff and their pets.

Meet Lavanya Sinha and Noor Latif, our ambassadors for the 2021-22 academic year at McMaster University Library.

Both third-year students in the Faculty of Science, the duo will plan events, support social media initiatives and spend time in our spaces to help McMaster students, especially those in their first year, navigate the library.

We spoke with Lavanya and Noor about why they wanted to represent the library, where their favourite study spot can be found and what we can expect from the ambassador program in the coming year at McMaster. 

What makes dialogue work? How does dialogue advance a story?

Pasha Malla, the 2021-22 Mabel Pugh Taylor Writer in Residence, is hosting a virtual writing workshop on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. that will examine the uses, practices, and craft of dialogue in fiction.

Malla will also guide participants through writing a scene of dialogue that moves through various dynamics and shifts of power around a central conflict.