Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the John B. McNair Learning Commons?
Our Learning Commons is a vibrant, student-centered learning space encompassing the first floor of Harriet Irving Library. There are many components to the Commons including print and electronic resources, group study rooms (with SMART™ Technology!), the Commons Café, comfy leather armchairs, the Service Desk, expert research help, UNB's ITS Help Desk, teaching rooms, wireless access, desktop computers offering access to email, Novell account and file storage space, software available on the student network, and printing and scanning. Collaborating with the Library to offer service in the Learning Commons are UNB's ITS Services and Writing Centre.
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2. When is the Learning Commons open?
The Learning Commons is open the same hours as Harriet Irving Library. See our hours of operation.
For hours of operations for specific service points, see below:
- Research Help Desk Hours of Operation
- http://www.lib.unb.ca/research/hilreference.html
- ITS Help Desk Hours
- http://www.lib.unb.ca/commons/ITS.php
- Visit the ITS website for complete hours listings by location.
- Accessibility Centre Hours
- http://www.lib.unb.ca/commons/accessibilitycentre.php
- The Accessibility Centre in the Learning Commons (Room 117) is open the same hours as the Harriet Irving Library.
- The Assistive Technology Lab on the third floor (Room 303) is open Monday to Friday, from 8:30am until 4:30pm.
- Writing Centre (Drop-in Hours)
- We offer drop-in service in the John B. McNair Learning Commons, Room 116. During the Fall 2010 term, drop-in hours will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 6 until 10pm.
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3. What kind of help is available?
Research Consultations: Expert guidance and instruction in the best use of digital and print resources is available at the Research Help Desk and by appointment with subject specialist librarians.
ITS Help Desk Service: Student Consultants provide assistance with computer and network related questions. This service begins at 10am and lasts until the Library closes. For more information visit the Help Desk website.
UNB Writing Centre Drop-In Service: Staff can help you with your questions on essay, report, and thesis writing, and also offer advice on effective note-taking, time management, active reading, and exam preparation. For more information, visit the website of the Writing & Study Skills Program.
Instruction Sessions (including RefWorks): Library instruction sessions, workshops, and Cool Tools presentations are offered to class groups and by individual registration. Register for Cool Tools.
Virtual Help: Ask for help by email (hilref@unb.ca), phone (453-3546), or Instant Messaging (IM).
The Commons Accessibility Centre (CAC) is located in Room 117 of the Learning Commons, near the Research Help Desk, and provides a variety of specialized assistive technology software. In the Commons Accessibility Centre, there are 3 workstations with large-screen monitors, scanners, USB headphones, 3 height adjustable tables, and an electronic video magnifier available for use. In the Third Floor Accessibility Centre, located in Room 303, there are 4 workstations, one of which is a Macintosh, all with large-screen monitors, scanners, USB headphones, 2 height adjustable tables, and an electronic video magnifier available for use.
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4. How do I print?
As a student you can print using Print Credits if you have logged on to your university Novell account, or using a purchased library copy card if you have not logged on but are working from a public access computer in the Commons. The computer you are using determines how you are able to print.
Print Credit: To print using your Print Credits, you must have Print Credits on your University account. (UNB: How do I get Print Credits and how much do they cost?) (STU: What do I need to know about printing?)
Print Credit printing is available from library-owned laptops, registered personal laptops, student network computers in the main Learning Commons area adjacent to the Research Help and ITS Help Desks, the Seminar Room, and the Learning Lab.
Choose PRINT as you normally would from the file menu. The proper local monochrome printer should already be set as the default, but it is a good idea to check.
Printing: The Learning Commons is normally two-sided. Follow posted instructions if you wish to print one side only.
Copy Card: You can purchase a Copy Card sold at the Commons Service Desk at a cost of of $5.00 for 35 copies and $20.00 for 206 copies. (These prices include a $1.00 refundable deposit. These are the same cards used for photocopying in the Libraries.)
Public access computers print using the copy card system.
Choose PRINT as you normally would from the file menu. You will be prompted to enter a unique password of your choosing when printing; wait a few seconds for the dialogue box to automatically appear. This same password will be needed at the print server next to and associated with the printer to uniquely identify and release your print job. Insert your copy card into the card reader to initiate the print process. Unprocessed print jobs are generally deleted each morning from the print queues.
Colour Printing is available only if you are printing using Print Credits. You will need to choose to print to the colour printer.
Print jobs in the Learning Commons all print to the Print Hub beside the Research Help Desk.
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5. Can I eat in the Learning Commons?
You are welcome to eat in the Commons Café seating area. Beyond the Café, only covered drinks are permitted. In some areas of the Library, no food or drink is permitted. We ask that you follow the guidelines indicated on our signs.
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6. What services are available for students with disabilities?
UNB Libraries offer a range of services to persons with disabilities, including two Accessibility Centres located Harriet Irving Library and an accessible workstation located in the Science and Forestry Library, which have been developed in collaboration with the Student Accessibility Centre to provide a range of assistive software, equipment, and associated support for students with disabilities. HIL facilities include workstations with large-screen monitors, scanners, USB headphones, height-adjustable tables, and an electronic video magnifier (CCTV). In addition to Microsoft Office 2007, installed software includes:
- Kurzweil 3000 and 1000 (scanner/readers) Mac and PC
- JAWS (screen reader) PC
- ZoomText (screen magnifier) PC
- Magnifier for Macintosh
- Dragon NaturallySpeaking (speech recognition) PC
- MacSpeech Dictate (Speech Recognition) Mac
- Inspiration (mind and concept mapping) Mac and PC
The accessible workstation located in the Science and Forestry Library has a large-screen monitor, an electronic video magnifier (CCTV), and a scanner with paper feeder, and the software installed includes MS Office, Kurzweil 3000 (scanner) and ZoomText (screen magnifier).
An Assistive Technologist is available to answer any questions you may have. You can send questions or make appointments for individual training sessions with the Assistive Technologist by sending an e-mail to cac@unb.ca. Research help is available for students, faculty, and staff with disabilities. Contact the Research Help Desk for help with finding resources or using UNB Libraries' research databases.
Andrew Daley
Assistive Technologist, Coordinator
John B. McNair Learning Commons
Tel: (506) 447-3377
Email: adaley@unb.ca
Appointments: cac@unb.ca
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7. What kind of study space is available?
- Group Study Rooms are available for booking at the Commons Service Desk. Three of these rooms are equipped with SMART™ technology.
- Quiet study is available in the Learning Lab, the Milham Room, and the Seminar Room when these rooms are not booked for Instruction. An instruction schedule is posted at each door.
- Individual study carrels can be found at the end of our book stacks, on most floors of HIL.
- Soft seating is available at either end of the Commons.
Study space of different types is also available throughout Harriet Irving Library.
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8. How do I book a Group Study Room?
Students can book a Group Study Room at the Commons Service Desk for a two hour period. Three of the four rooms available in the Commons have SMART™ technology. To use the technology you will need to ask for a SMART™ kit when you pick up the room key. You will be asked to leave your ID card at the Service Desk for the duration of your booking.
Commons Service Desk: 453-4756, circhi@unb.ca
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9. What software is available on the computers?
A list of software available on student network machines is available through Lab Display.
Access to available research resources is available through the Library's web site, at http://www.lib.unb.ca/eresources/index.php as is RefWorks, bibliographic management software that will enable you to keep track of your sources and to format bibliographies.
Limited access to such databases as LexisNexis is available in the Learning Commons. Ask at the Research Help Desk in person, by phone at 453-3546, or by email hilref@unb.ca
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10. Where can I find films?
The Harriet Irving Library film collection consists of more that 1500 documentary and feature film titles in DVD and VHS formats. The collection is located in open stacks on the first floor. Browse the collection in person or search for films using Quest, the online catalogue in "Advanced Search" mode, including "videorecording" among search criteria, or go to the Film Resources web site.
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11. Can I view films in the library?
There is a viewing station in a group study room in the basement of the Harriet Irving Library. The station can be booked in tandem with a VHS or DVD film that is signed out at the Commons Service Desk. Note that some films have licensing restrictions (indicated by a red sticker on the case) such that they can only be viewed at home.