Faculty & instructors guide

Library card

Your employee card is also your Library card. Employee ID cards are managed and issued by the Human Resources Department, but you don't have to go there in person to get one; the whole process of requesting a new or replacement card can be completed online. Fill in a form, upload your own photo, and within a few business days you'll have an employee card. If you are a current employee we already have your pertinent information in our database, so you can still borrow material until your card arrives.

Borrowing, requests and returns

Searching the collections

The Douglas College Library collection supports the teaching, learning, and research needs of our students, faculty, and staff, who have access to 140,000 physical items and over 600,000 online, which include:

Subject Librarian program

Questions about the liaison program or any library-related issue can be directed to your faculty subject liaison. We have created this group to:

  • Enhance communication between the Library and instructional faculty
  • Provide information about Library resources and services
  • Deliver workshops on research tools or on topics of special interest to faculty
  • Increase Library awareness of faculty and student needs
  • Improve Library services

Suggest a purchase

We encourage faculty and instructors to provide feedback on our collections and suggestions on materials you think would benefit your curriculum. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our PDF iconcollection development policy

Suggest a purchase

Off campus access

Current employees and students will be prompted to authenticate using their CNA credentials when accessing their personal library account and all online library collections from off campus. See more information about logging in, caveats about cookies, and troubleshooting tips.

Classroom lab materials

Departmental non-library materials are non-consumable items for use by more than one student or employee and intended to be housed in a classroom or an office. These items can be books, print subscriptions, or other media. Requests for preview of textbooks or ‘on approval’ materials need to be handled by individual departments. See more information on requesting materials for your class. 

Academic integrity

Academic Integrity is a complex and nuanced topic and is confusing to many students. In our regular instruction and reference interactions at the library, librarians speak to students about properly citing resources to avoid plagiarism but don’t delve into what academic integrity is or why it is important. If you would like to have an instructional session on academic integrity, please submit a request to our team. 

Book a session

Library research skills instruction

Library sessions focus on teaching students to critically evaluate information sources which can include guidance on using article databases, books, eBooks, subject-specific resources, and the web. Sessions can be delivered for both in-person and online classes. Scheduling sessions after students have been introduced to their research assignments ensures the most effective learning outcomes.

All first-year ENGL 1130 and BUSN 1210 courses will be supported by all librarians and can be booked using the class booking form. For other courses, please contact your Liaison Librarian to arrange a session using the appropriate booking form. The Library asks for a minimum of two weeks’ notice for instruction booking requests to ensure availability and preparation time.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity goes beyond just avoiding plagiarism—it's about building trust, accountability, and understanding what it means to do honest academic work. Librarians can deliver engaging 30-minute presentations to help your students navigate this complex topic, including contract cheating and institutional expectations.

These sessions are best scheduled early in the semester and can be booked separately from research and citation instruction for maximum impact.

Book a session

Course reserves

Would you like us to put a physical library item on reserve for your students? Do you have an instructor copy of a textbook that you’d like your students to be able to borrow?

Faculty can place physical items such as books and DVDs/Blu rays on short term loan in the library.

Requests are generally processed within five working days, but instructors are encouraged to submit their requests in advance.

Submit a course reserve


Course reserves help

For print reserves questions or support, email [email protected]

Talis Resource Lists LogoCourse resource lists

Would you like to have required and/or recommended course materials available via Blackboard?

Our course resource management tool integrates with Blackboard, providing you and your students with easy access to library resources, readings, videos, websites and other related materials. Lists can be organized by topic, week, and more. Students can track their reading progress, and instructors can provide guidance about particular resources, if desired.


Course materials help

Library staff can help you set up your list and add resources. For course resource list questions or support, email [email protected].

Visit our course materials resource lists guide for more information.

Open Educational Resources [OER] / Zero Textbook Cost [ZTC] Resources

Are you interested in providing students with no-cost course materials at no cost?  

Consider using a freely available open textbook and/or a combination of open and freely available content combined with print and/or digital Library resources that have already been paid for by the College!

The Library can help you find, create, adopt, or remix a textbook or other Open Educational Resources (OER) for your class. From Pressbooks to H5P, we have a dedicated team of knowledgeable individuals who can help you become an OER champion.

Visit our Open Education Resource guide for more information on what OERs are being used in Canada and see who at the College is using OERs to support their teaching and students.

For OER/ZTC resource questions or support, email [email protected]

Copyright at Douglas College

In Canada, copyright is automatic. As soon as a work is fixed in print or digital form, it is protected by copyright. Copyright protects all original literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works, sound recordings, performances, and communications, but there are also areas which are not covered. Learn about your rights with the Copyright act, what kind of educational exceptions there are, and how all this applies to your work here at Douglas College.

Contacts

  • General copyright questions
  • Michael Byun, Interim Manager, Facilities Services, responsible for the Bookstores, Print Shop, and Print Materials.
  • Tim Paul, Manager, Academic Technology Services, responsible for media recordings and online content used for instructional purposes.
  • Katharine Shipley, Associate Director of Learning Resources, responsible for copyright in relation to use of Library print and digital collections.
  • Alicia Arding, Open Education Librarian.

Open educational resources

Open educational resources are teaching, learning, and research resources that are created with the intention of being freely available to users anywhere. They may include, but are not limited to, textbooks, readings, multi-media files, software, assessment tools, and even entire courses. Most are covered by licenses that allow for using, re-mixing, and sharing. Explore the many tools available to educators and students.

Open access

Open access is the free, immediate, online availability of research articles combined with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment. It is the needed modern update for the communication of research that fully utilizes the Internet for what it was originally built to do—accelerate research.

The Open Movement

The Open Movement is an umbrella term for the concept that knowledge should be made freely available for all, and that it should be shared, developed and enriched in an "open," collaborative manner, free from restrictive copyright laws. This movement includes Open Education, Open Access, and much more. Dive into the many facets of the Open Movement for more information about the different Open concepts.