News

  • Brock to the world and the world to Brock, one book and pdf at a time

    Monday, July 06, 2026 | By

    In 2025 Brock Library’s Interlibrary Loan Team sent over 6,400 items from our collection to partner libraries across the province and around the world. In return, our users received 6,930 books and digital files to support their coursework, research, and teaching.

    A new exhibit in the Learning Commons highlights the global (and local) impact our dedicated staff make on a daily basis.  Among the details we’ve included, you can read what your colleagues have to say about this service, get answers to your frequently asked questions, and read the charming thank-you notes we receive from across the globe. The exhibit runs to the end of July.

    Learn more about borrowing from other libraries on the library website.

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    Categories: Learning Commons, Main

  • Art, history, and visual culture collection

    Friday, July 03, 2026 | By

    Art is more than what hangs on a gallery wall. Art reflects history, culture, politics, and identity.  

    This collection brings together new books exploring art history and visual culture from around the globe. Discover the work of groundbreaking women artists, Indigenous and African American artists, Pop Art and Surrealism, Buddhist art, Japanese aesthetics, architecture, design, photography, and much more. If you’re researching, creating, or simply curious, this collection offers fresh perspectives on how art helps us understand the past and imagine the future. 

    Browse the display, borrow a book, and see where your next creative discovery takes you.

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    Categories: Featured Collections

  • A new look for EBSCO databases

    Monday, June 29, 2026 | By

    On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Brock Library’s EBSCO databases including Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, Education Source will transition to a new search interface.

    If you have a personal myEBSCO account and have saved items or searches, these should migrate automatically with the exception of custom folders. Here are further details about the migration of saved searches and items.

    The new interface offers an updated look and improved user experience while continuing to provide access to the same trusted library resources.

    What you need to know?

    • Existing links to EBSCO searches and individual records will automatically redirect to the new interface, so your saved links will continue to work.
    • If you have a personal myEBSCO account, your saved searches and saved items should migrate automatically.
    • Custom folders will not migrate automatically and will require additional action if you wish to keep their contents.

    Recommended actions.

    To ensure a smooth transition, we recommend that you:

    • Preview the new interface before July 14.
    • Sign in to your myEBSCO account to confirm that your saved searches and records have transferred successfully.
    • If you use custom folders, review the migration instructions and video tutorial to learn how to move or export your saved content.

    • If you use EBSCO databases for evidence synthesis, ensure that any saved searches are exported or documented elsewhere

    Learn more and get help.

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    Categories: Main

  • National Indigenous History Month Reading Collection

    Wednesday, June 03, 2026 | By

    June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to learn about and reflect on the histories, cultures, achievements, and ongoing contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. This collection brings together a range of Indigenous voices and perspectives through fiction, memoir, poetry, history, art, film, and scholarship.

    The books and resources featured explore themes of community, identity, language, storytelling, resilience, and creativity. They offer opportunities to engage with Indigenous experiences, celebrate Indigenous knowledge and cultures, and deepen our understanding of the diverse peoples and nations that have shaped and continue to shape Canada.

    We invite you to browse the collection, discover new authors and artists, and spend time with stories that challenge, inspire, and inform.

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    Categories: Featured Collections

  • On display: National Indigenous Histories Month

    Wednesday, June 03, 2026 | By

    Members of the Hadiya’dagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre set up a display at the Thistle entrance of the Library highlighting First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures and histories. This display marks National Indigenous Histories Month, and Indigenous Peoples Awareness Week.

    The display includes a variety of items including Wampum belts; a drum and rattle; beaded gloves and moccasins; seal and rabbit pelts; various Métis sashes; Inuit embroidery and carvings, and a variety of other tools and handcrafted items.

    Members of the Brock University and wider community are invited to a week full of learning, reflection and crafting during Indigenous Peoples Awareness Week, hosted by the Hadiya’dagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre beginning June 23rd. Students, staff, faculty and community members can visit brocku.universitytickets.com to see a full list of events and reserve their tickets now.

    Be sure to follow Hadiya’dagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre on Instagram and Facebook to be the first to hear about events, news and updates.

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    Categories: Learning Commons, Main, Uncategorised

  • On display: the works of Howard Engel

    Tuesday, May 26, 2026 | By

    Canadian mystery author, Howard Engel

    In 2022, the Archives & Special Collections in the Brock University Library acquired the personal library of Canadian mystery writer Howard Engel. Engel was born in St. Catharines and many of his books are set in Grantham City, a fictional pseudonym for where he grew up.

    Howard Engel has been termed by some as the father of Canadian mystery. From 1980 to 2015, Engel wrote 21 books, including 14 featuring Detective Benny Cooperman, his most famous character. Engel is credited with bringing international legitimacy to Canadian mystery writing and was a founding member of Crime Writers of Canada, inspiring new writers to take on the craft.

    When we opened the boxes from his estate, we found working copies, first prints off the press, and many of Engel’s books in various languages from across the globe. On display are selections from this collection, along with more details about Howard Engel, including the medical condition that threatened to end his writing career.

    Howard Engel items available for loan from Brock University Library.

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    Categories: Archives, Learning Commons, Main

  • Career opportunity: Head, User Services & Engagement

    Thursday, May 07, 2026 | By

    Icon of a person inside a magnifying gl

    Brock University Library invites applications for the full-time, permanent position of Head, User Services & Engagement.

    Learn about Brock University Library, the responsibilities of the role, qualifications required, and compensation by viewing the full posting. Apply by 12:01 am on June 7, 2026.

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    Categories: Main

  • On display: Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

    Thursday, April 30, 2026 | By

    A cardboard castle represents Germany in the Modern Languages, Literature, Cultures display

    “Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”  ― Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad.

    The Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (MLLC) welcomes you to browse through its latest exhibit in the Library and at the Thistle entrance to the Learning Commons. The display exemplifies the languages and unique cultures explored by students in our courses. May your curiosity be piqued! Perhaps some of the questions rooted in the history of these cultures will be raised by the materials on display.

    The exhibit runs from May 4 to 22, 2026.

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    Categories: Learning Commons, Main

  • Exploring Law, Policy, and Migrant Justice

    Friday, April 10, 2026 | By

    Senior citizens holding banners protest in a public space

    Brock Library thanks Dorothy Sierra-Gutierrez, recent graduate, Teaching Assistant, and Researcher for this display and blog post. Visit Dorothy’s exhibit in the Matheson Learning Commons and at the Thistle entrance until May 1.

    This community display is named after my directed studies project, Exploring Law, Policy, and Migrant Justice, supervised by Dr. Julie Ham in the Department of Sociology and Criminology. This project examines the legal, social, and cultural dimensions of migrant farmworkers in Canada, with a focus on the Niagara Region. It emphasizes research ethics, reflexivity, and the student-researcher experience, guiding learners through the creation of a practical toolkit for ethical engagement, alongside recommendations for how Brock students can better recognize and support migrant workers in the region.

    What began as an academic interest quickly became something much more personal, grounded in lived experiences, community relationships, and a deeper understanding of how essential yet underrepresented migrant workers are in Canada.

    Through my studies, it became clear that migrant farmworkers play a critical role in sustaining our food systems. Across Canada, many workers from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America labour in agriculture through programs such as the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). In regions like Niagara, their contributions include planting, harvesting, and pruning in agricultural sectors such as wineries. Yet despite their essential role, many face precarious working and living conditions, limited access to healthcare, and systemic barriers tied to their temporary immigration status.

    My interest in this topic deepened through my involvement with the Migrant Farmworkers Project in Niagara. While volunteering at the community hub, I supported the distribution of food, clothing, and hygiene products, and connected with workers in Spanish. These experiences allowed me to better understand the needs of migrant workers in the region, as well as the important role that local organizations and community partners play in supporting them.

    Through this directed studies project, I wanted to create something that was not only academic, but also accessible and practical. The result is an annotated bibliography and a Migrant Farmworker Justice Toolkit, now featured as part of the Brock University Library display. The annotated bibliography reviews key literature on migrant issues and policy developments, while also including prompts to encourage deeper student engagement. The Justice Toolkit brings together research, community knowledge, and practical resources to help students learn about migrant workers’ experiences and the broader systems that shape them.

    The toolkit explores key questions: Who are migrant farmworkers in the Niagara context? What challenges do they face? How can student researchers ethically engage with and learn from migrant communities? It also highlights local organizations and initiatives that support migrant workers. Importantly, the project centers both academic research and experiential knowledge, recognizing that meaningful understanding requires listening to those directly affected.

    One of my main goals was to challenge dominant narratives that portray migrant workers solely as vulnerable or passive. While vulnerability is an important part of the conversation, it is equally necessary to recognize migrant workers’ resilience, agency, and contributions. This project aims to move beyond simplified narratives and instead offer a more nuanced and humanizing perspective.

    Creating this toolkit also pushed me to reflect critically on my own role as a researcher. How do we engage ethically with communities? How can research be mobilized in ways that extend beyond the classroom? These questions shaped both the content of the project and its presentation in this display, designed to invite reflection, learning, and action.

    By sharing this work, I hope to contribute to a broader understanding of migrant justice and encourage others to think more critically about the systems that shape our agricultural food systems and immigration policies.

    If you have the chance, I invite you to visit the display, engage with the toolkit and annotated bibliography, and reflect on how Brock University, as an institution, can contribute to advancing migrant justice in the Niagara Region.

    Bio:
    Brock University Teaching Assistant, Dorothy Sierra-Gutierrez    Dorothy Sierra-Gutierrez

    Teaching Assistant
    NCLC Board Member
    Brock University
    Undergraduate Sociology (Honours) Co-op
    Concentration in Criminology
    Double Minors in French Studies and Women and Gender Studies

     

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    Categories: Learning Commons, Main

  • Spring Featured Collection

    Monday, March 30, 2026 | By

    Spring is here, and there’s no better time to reconnect with the natural world. We invite you to explore a curated selection of books to inspire everything from backyard planting to a deeper appreciation of the environment around us. 

    Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just getting started, this collection features guides on sustainable gardening, plant care, native species, and nature writing that celebrates the beauty of the outdoors. Discover practical tips, creative inspiration, and stories that will help you see Niagara’s landscapes in a whole new way. 

    Ready to get outside? Borrow one of our Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) passes and explore local conservation areas from peaceful forests to scenic trails, completely free. It’s the perfect way to bring what you’re reading to life. 

    Don’t forget to check out our Seed Library, where you can pick up free seeds to start your own garden. Whether you’re planting herbs on a windowsill or building a backyard garden, it’s a simple way to grow something of your own this season. 

    Stop by the library to browse the collection, borrow a pass, and pick up seeds—everything you need to make this spring a season of growth.  

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    Categories: Featured Collections

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