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Faculty Resources

Introduction to the Library

In line with UNF's digital mindset, the Library's extensive collection of over 500,000 academic resources is fully online. Curated to suit the needs of UNF's programs and courses, the full collection can be accessed with one convenient search from the Library's catalogue.

The Library's space is dedicated to meeting students' needs by offering computer workstations, printer access, individual and collaborative study spaces, Research and Instruction Services (RIS), and the Library Services Desk. 

Meet our Staff

A smiling woman with curly hair.
Leeanne Romane
University Librarian
 
A smiling woman with glasses and long dark hair.
Sam Fritz
Research & Instruction 
Librarian
 

Dan Lota
Research & Instruction 
Librarian
A smiling woman with short dark hair.
Aleks Skrba
Writing Advisor
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Rachel MacIvor
Writing Advisor
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Emily McKay
Library Assistant
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Martha Muszycka-Jones
Library Assistant

Finding Digital Resources

The UNF Library collection is a fully digital collection that brings together resources from over 100 academic databases and open access repositories. Use the search bar at the top of the Library website to search across all library resources, or use the A-Z database list to find individual databases. The list can be filtered by subject or searched by keyword to help you identify the best database for your needs. 

For in-depth instructions on searching the Library collection, see our Searching the Library Collection: Faculty Edition PDF guide.

A login is required to access Library resources – use your UNF email and password.

Featured Databases

The Library subscribes to the following databases on teaching and education and research. These may be helpful in supporting course development, research, and continuing education:

  • ERIC: Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) is an authoritative database of indexed and full-text education literature and resources
  • Teacher Reference Centre: A research database for teachers, Teacher Reference Centre provides access to more than 320 peer-reviewed journals covering subjects such as curriculum development, instructional media, and more. 

Requesting a Purchase or Subscription

Is there an eBook, eJournal, open educational resource (OER), or database that you would like to see added to the Library's collection? The Library is a dynamic collection - new resources are added regularly to best meet the needs of UNF's students, faculty, and staff. Use the Request a Purchase form to request a resource.

Make a Purchase Request

To allow time for investigation, purchase, and integration to the collection, please submit the form at least 2 weeks prior to when the resource is needed. 

Please note that, while we do our best to accommodate requests, not all resources can be purchased due to budget or licensing constraints. 

Equipment Loans

The Library lends out a variety of equipment, including:

  • Laptops
  • Chargers
  • Power banks
  • Headphones
  • Calculators
  • Whiteboard markers
  • And more!

To borrow an item, come to the Library Services desk with your Faculty ID card. For faculty, loan times are typically 2 days, with the exception of whiteboard markers, which are loaned until the end of the day due to high demand.  

Please note that equipment cannot be reserved.

Selecting Course Resources

UNF is a textbook free campus. This means that students are never required to purchase books or other resources to complete their coursework. Instead, all course readings are obtained from the Library collection, from open access repositories, or from the web.

Course resources are selected during course development. If you would like to add or change a resource for a course, contact your course lead or the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE).

When selecting course resources, follow our How to Find Resources Workflow:

  1. 1. Identify your topic

    Use course planning materials to identify the topics covered. Identify the keywords that describe the topic.
  2. 2. Search the UNF Library

    Enter your keywords in the Library's Advanced Search interface. Use the filters to limit your results.
  3. 3. Search OER Repositories

    Use the OER LibGuide to 
    find OER Repositories. Recommended: Pressbooks, DOAB, Open Research Library, and OAPEN.
  4. 4. Search the Web

    Search the web for your keywords followed by “open access book”.

Tips

  • When searching for resources in OER repositories or on the web, always check for licensing or permissions to ensure its use is allowable under copyright. If no copyright information can be found on the document or on the host site, it may not be a legal copy.
  • If you would like the Library to purchase a resource, submit the Request a Purchase form - the Library will investigate availability. Please submit the form at least 2 weeks prior to when the resource is needed to allow time for investigation, purchase and integration to the collection.

Copyright Considerations

When selecting course resources, it's vital to ensure that they can be used under copyright law. For a resource to be used, at least one of the following must apply:

The resource is owned by UNF
UNF has paid a licensing fee that allows us to distribute the resource to students. Resources in the Library collection are an example of this.
The resource is published as open access
Open access means the publisher has made the resource freely accessible, with no costs or other access barriers for readers. 
Tip: Free access is not the same as open access. Free access means that the publisher has made the resource freely accessible, but only temporarily.
The resource is published under a creative commons license
Creative commons licenses allow the author to grant permission for their to be used in certain ways. For example, for non-commercial use with attribution given to the author.
Fair dealing applies

Fair dealing allows copyrighted resources to be used for educational purposes. For fair dealing to apply, all of the following conditions must be met:

  • The source is legally owned (samples, previews, and unauthorized copies cannot be distributed)
  • The source is properly cited
  • 10% or less of the resource is used (i.e. no more than one chapter of a book, one article in a periodical, or one entry in an encyclopedia)

For more information on Copyright, see our Copyright Guide, or the Copyright Act. For questions, email the Library at library@unfc.ca.

Build Students' Research Skills

RIS (Research & Instruction) librarians collaborate with faculty to design and deliver information literacy and research skills instruction to support students’ academic and research success.

We guide students in developing the ability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively and ethically, emphasizing critical thinking and the assessment of sources for credibility, relevance, and accuracy.

Invite a librarian into your class for a course-integrated research session tailored to your learning outcomes. Requests should be submitted at least two weeks in advance to ensure content is tailored to your course.

Sessions help students:

  • Develop research questions and search strategies
  • Navigate scholarly databases and academic search engines
  • Differentiate scholarly, trade, and popular sources
  • Critically evaluate credibility and relevance
  • Cite accurately using style guides and tools like Zotero

Explore the full range of session topics on the RIS Services page, and use the Request a Research Skills Session Form to book with a RIS librarian.

Examples of Previous Course-Integrated Session

Research Support

RIS librarians also support faculty research through one-on-one consultations. These sessions provide space to:

  • Explore advanced search strategies to stay current in your field
  • Identify specialized or interdisciplinary sources, including datasets
  • Manage references and research workflows with tools like Zotero
  • Talk through publishing options and peer review pathways
  • Discuss research profile tools such as ORCID or Google Scholar to increase visibility

Schedule a Research Consultation with a librarian to chat about your research or publishing goals.

Please note, while the focus of RIS is in supporting student learning and research skills, librarians are also glad to assist faculty where possible. As our services grow, full research support may be limited in scope.

Request an Academic Writing Skills Session

If you have an assignment in your class or a particular writing skill that you would like a Writing Advisor to visit your classroom to discuss with/teach students about, you may book an Academic Writing Skills Session.

To request a session with a Writing Advisor, please fill out the Request an Academic Writing Skills Session form.

Typically, we ask that faculty fill out the form at least 2 weeks ahead of the requested session. This ensures that the Writing Advisors can customize the session for your students and meet your learning objectives. Exceptions can be made in extenuating circumstances.

If you have questions or would simply like to discuss an idea you have with a Writing Advisor, please feel free to reach out via email to Rachel at rachel.macivor@unfc.ca or Aleks at aleksandra.skrba@unfc.ca to set up a meeting. 

Featured Guides

For our full collection of guides, including course guides, academic writing guides, and more, see our Research Guides page.