McGill Library has recently installed the HTC Vive, a state-of-the-art virtual reality system, in a room in its Research Commons space (RM 22A, Research Commons Room B). The system uses a headset, motion controllers, and a room-scale tracking system to allow users to interact with and physically move around a virtual space. The system will be bookable during limited times by students who would like to try out some fascinating virtual reality experiences or would like to experiment with building their own.

In celebration of the launch of this new service the library is offering students the chance to try out Google Earth VR, software which can transport you to a wide range of interesting locations around the globe and allow you to experience them from many different perspectives: as a giant overlooking New York City, for instance, or as a person standing at the foot of the Pyramids of Giza.

If you’re interested in stepping into the virtual world, drop by Research Commons Room B in Redpath Library between 1 and 4PM on Tuesday, March 14th. See you there!

This week we started a pilot project to try out the meeScan self-serve checkout system. This system allows you to use the camera in your phone or tablet to scan in and checkout a book. You then use the meeScan station to demagnetize the book, and you’re all done!

In HSSL our meeScan station is located in the course reserves room.

The purpose of this pilot is for us to get feedback from our patrons on this service, what they like about it, what needs to be improved etc. So if you are someone who likes trying out new things, why not give it a try and let us know what you think!

You’ll find complete instructions, including an instructional video, on our meeScan trial page.

To send us your feedback on the meeScan service, use our Suggestion Form.

This semester we’ve decided to relaunch the McLennan Post as the best source of information for everything that is happening in and around the Humanities and Social Sciences Library!

In addition to information on events, new services, facilities updates, and new books and electronic resources, we’re also hoping we’ll be able to use this blog to give you a sense of what it is like to work and to study at HSSL.

If you want to follow the McLennan Post, you can either bookmark the blog or add our RSS feed to your news reader.

We also encourage you to follow the McGill Library over on Facebook or Twitter where a most of our posts will be shared.

Speaking of social media: As part of our renewed focus on this blog, we’ve decided to shut down the various Facebook pages associated with our branch (HSSL, Education, and Management) and to instead have our news and other posts shared on the main McGill Library accounts. We won’t be posting any new content to these pages, and we’ll be removing them entirely on June 1, 2017.

We hope that you’ll come to find the McLennan Post both informative and interesting, and we look forward to hearing your comments and feedback!