The IRC Online
ONLINE CATALOG: The IRC online catalog and item request portal is currently available at:
Background
The Information Resource Centre (IRC) has been an integral part of the Centre for Digital Media since the inauguration of the Masters program. Every year the IRC becomes a hub of student activity. Whether it is for research or recreation, the IRC is a favorite meeting place for students to share ideas, network with their peers, and experience all that campus life has to offer.
Mandate
The mandate of the IRC is to facilitate access to resources and services that support the research and knowledge acquisition of its patron base. The IRC also supports the aim of the Master’s program to foster the development of integrated, participatory-based production skills by virtue of offering students the materials and opportunity structures to come together as a community and build social networks that will invariably carry over into their professional lives.
Collection Development Policy
The IRC differs in many respects from the traditional library, particularly with regards to its collection development policy. Unlike most libraries which create their collections based on internally generated expectations of their patrons' needs, the IRC responds directly to the expressed interests and needs of faculty and curriculum, thus ensuing that the collection best reflects the needs of its patrons.
Collection Content
The IRC currently supports a collection of over 2,700 books, board games, feature films, educational tutorials, sound effects, and video games. The book collection has evolved to cover a wide spectrum of topics including game design, computer programming, film production, improvisational techniques, leadership skills, and marketing methodology. The film collection exists primarily to support students in their study of storytelling, however, it also offers students an opportunity to view industry-leading examples of CGI effects and animation. Consequently, the film collection is composed largely of works from great directors such as Kurosawa, Coppola, and Burton; or, which have a distinct video game or comic book theme. Board games and card games have also become an integral part of the collection with the intent of helping students explore the nature of game design. The jewel of the IRC collection however is its video game selection. Thanks in part to the generous donations made by our industry affiliate, Electronic Arts, the IRC has one of the largest video game collections of any post secondary institute in Canada. The extensive collection of video games supports a wide range of platforms including the Xbox 360, Xbox, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation, Nintendo 3DS, PSP, PC, Macintosh, and older platforms for the retro gamer.
Location
The IRC collection is located at the Centre for Digital Media. It is situated next to the student printer, just outside of the student lounge area.
Hours
Access to the physical stacks is available only on Wednesday's and Thursday's, during which time students are more than welcome to visit the IRC and browse the collection. During the rest of the week, students are required to use the online catalogue to search for and request IRC materials. Hours of operation are subject to change.