Workshops in the Library at lunchtime

Whether you are new to tertiary study or want to brush up on some of your study skills, we have workshops in the Library every lunchtime which you are welcome to bring your lunch to.

Workshop topics

These include:

• Getting ready for study – to help you log in for the first time and set up your Moodle, portal, email, wifi and OneDrive access.
• Introduction to academic writing workshop
• Improve your formal writing style
• Essay writing
• APA referencing
• Paraphrasing

In March we will also be adding

• Using the library website
• Using library databases

Bring your tricky topics and find how to get the best information using our library website and databases.

Q & A sessions

These are themed sessions where you can bring your writing and learning questions and a learning advisor will  showcase our online and print resources to help you answer your questions.

Find the timetables for workshops at the Christchurch and Timaru campuses on Campus Life.

 

 

 

International Mother Language Day

The theme for International Mother Language Day this year is preserving linguistic diversity and promoting multilingualism.

We in the Library would like to invite everyone, students and staff alike to take a few moments today to celebrate their mother language. Please come to the Library and write a greeting or phrase in your mother language and share it on the board, and whilst you are here put a pin in our world map indicating your country of origin. We would also love you to share on the Library Facebook page images or videos of yourselves saying a greeting in your mother tongue. Look at some of last years’ student and staff contributions here and  here

International Mother Language Day has been observed every year since February 2000. The United Nations by establishing International Mother Language Day wishes to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

It is through the mastery of our first language, or mother tongue that the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy are acquired. Local languages, especially minority and indigenous, transmit cultures, values and traditional knowledge creating rich cultural diversity.

More than 50 per cent of the approximately 7,000 languages spoken in the world are likely to die out within a few generations, and 96 per cent of these languages are spoken by a mere 4 per cent of the world’s population.

Whilst English is the most widely spoken language in New Zealand, it is not one of the two ‘official’ languages of New Zealand: they are Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, which became the official languages in 1987 and 2006 respectively.

Māori Language Week was established in 1975, and celebrates the use of Te Reo Māori and will be held 10-16 September this year. In 2013, there were around 125,000 speakers of Māori in New Zealand representing about 21 per cent of the Māori population and 3 per cent of all New Zealanders (2013 census). In 1986, the Waitangi Tribunal recognised Te reo Māori as a taonga (treasure).

New Zealand Sign Language is the natural language of deaf New Zealanders and is used daily by more than 20,000 Kiwis. Rather than simply being a signed representation of spoken English, NZSL is a separate language, with its own structure and grammar (2013 census).

New Zealand Sign Language Week celebrates one of New Zealand’s official languages, held 7 to 13 May 2018. NZSL Week raises awareness of New Zealand’s Deaf community and provides a platform for Deaf people to promote their language and culture.

 

Learn with Lynda.com

By Colleen Finnerty, Knowledge Advisor

Change in life is unavoidable and can often be uncomfortable. One area in life that is constantly changing is technology. It just seems the other day that I was borrowing VHS videos at the video store, yes videos, not DVD’s.

Not all technical change is bad or uncomfortable. In fact, usually it can make life much easier once you get the “gist” of it. To help you navigate the choppy waters of technical change we have Lynda.com – an online resource that allows you to watch videos and complete exercises to develop your knowledge and skills in your own time. Here are some examples of the 83,000 instructional videos in Lynda.com:

• B2B Foundations: Social Media Marketing – Learn how social media marketing works
• Learn Excel Online – My least favourite software explained!
• AutoCAD 2018 Essential training – A powerful designing and drafting software
• Illustrator for fashion design : Drawing flats – Drawing for fashion
• Whitening teeth in Photoshop – Um?

Whatever your course is there is something to help, from figuring out how to perfect a Word document to doing something with Python, a readable object-oriented language in this instance, not the snake.

Your library provides access to a number of online resources to aid you in your change from knowledge navigator to captain of your own destiny.

Get to know Lynda.com and us.

Upgrades

Next week, 12-16 February, Ara Library is getting a new, improved library management system – the computer system that allows us to keep track of all our books, ebooks, journals, websites, students, staff, databases, and so on. We’re looking forward to this new system, Alma – it has a number of features we’ve been wanting for a while.

We believe that there will be little to no disruption to access to library resources over this week. Primo library search will still work, and you will still be able to access our electronic resources. You may notice some changes if you come in to the library, and unfortunately we will be unable to place requests, renew items, or access your library account online. We have also had to stop sending text alerts. Please watch this space for updates about when we will start these again. In the meantime, please watch your student email address for library notices.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Weekend studying is the best

Ara Christchurch city campus is open in the weekends and this is a great time to study and get yourself sorted if you are new to Ara. The library is at its quietest and there are plenty of study rooms available for you to work collaboratively in. We even have a spanking new outdoor space for you to eat your lunch on and do some stretches, or basketball shots if you feel the need. Come and see us we are open from 10-5pm Saturdays and 12-5pm Sundays. If you feel like staying later the POD is open 24 hours, you  just have to bring your student card for swipe access into the room.