Current Students

iSkills Co-Curricular Workshops

iSkills workshops enable current students and alumni to learn professional, academic, and technical skills beyond the classroom. We offer workshops during the Fall and Winter terms.  

This page includes information related to our current roster. Further information will be provided via email. 

support.iskills@utoronto.ca

Overview

University of Toronto and Faculty of Information professors, librarians, staff, current students, alumni, and a collective of professionals and academics worked together to create the iSkills roster of workshops listed below. Together with the required curricula, these workshops create a unique and enriching educational experience. They address academic, professional, and technical competencies that can fill gaps in your resume and can support your in-class learning and professional endeavours. iSkills workshops are optional but encouraged! 

To view a catalogue of our past sessions, please view the Historical iSkills Catalogue (last updated August 2024). 

For students and alumni looking for workshop materials from previous sessions, including slides and handouts, please contact the iSkills Program Coordinator at support.iskills@utoronto.ca. 

  • Registration is required for all workshops. 
  • BI, MI, MMSt and PhD students are eligible to register for all iSkills workshops. Faculty of Information alumni are eligible to register for most iSkills workshops. 
  • Students and alumni will receive an email from the iSkills Program Coordinator with the calendar and registration links at the start of the Fall and Winter semesters. 
  • If a workshop is full, be sure to sign up for the waitlist.  We work hard to open spots for waitlisted registrants. 
  • Students can view the catalogue of Fall 2024 iSkills workshops below. Registration links can be found within each workshop page. Students can also view the entire calendar directly on LibCal. 
  • Student registration for Fall 2024 opens on Wednesday September 4, 2024, at 8:00 AM EDT. 
  • Alumni registration opens on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 8:00 AM EDT. Alumni can register on Eventbrite. 

Cancellations

If you are unable to attend a workshop for which you have signed up, be sure to cancel your registration at least 48 hours prior to the session. Avoiding last-minute cancellations helps ensure that other students and alumni on the waitlist have a chance to attend the workshop in your place and that instructors can accurately predict the number of attendees. 

To cancel your workshop registration, please use the link provided in your initial registration confirmation email for the workshop, and follow the on-screen instructions. If you need to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances fewer than 48 hours before the scheduled workshop, please cancel your registration with the same link, but also please email support.iskills@utoronto.ca to let us know. 

No-shows 

If you fail to attend two workshops you have registered for, you will be sent a warning email from support.iskills@utoronto.ca. After receiving this warning email, if you miss a third workshop without advance notice, you may be removed from future workshop registration lists to make room for other attendees. 

Please ensure your Zoom display name and/or the name you write on the in-person attendance sheet matches the name you registered under on LibCal or Eventbrite. This helps us accurately cross-check registration and attendance data.  

General Etiquette 

Aim to arrive 10 minutes early for in-person workshops.  If you need to leave the workshop before it ends, notify the instructor at the beginning of the session. 

iSkills workshops are not recorded.  Do not ask instructors to record their workshops. 

All questions, comments, and suggestions related to iSkills workshops can be directed to the iSkills Program Coordinator at support.iskills@utoronto.ca. 

Upcoming iSkills Workshops

Stay tuned for more upcoming iSkills workshops happening in the Fall term.

For more information and to register for workshops, visit the University of Toronto Libraries events calendar.

Showing 1-18 of 20 Workshops

Writing Policy Briefs

Instructor: Kaushar Mahetaji, PhD Student, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Policy briefs are a distinct genre of writing; they differ from academic research papers in tone, audience, and format. Typically, policy briefs include an executive summary with an overview of the key issue and its significance, research findings, possible options to address the issue, recommendations, appendices, and references. These components are combined in a short document intended for decision makers.

Understanding how to write effective policy briefs is helpful for professional roles in government, non-profit organizations, and corporations. More generally, policy briefs are useful for learning how to write concisely for public audiences.

No software required. Students may download citation management software Zotero prior to the workshop.

Time
1 to 3:30 PM
Alumni Registration
www.eventbrite.com

Online 2024-09-12

Cybersecurity: An Introduction

Instructor: Stephen Perelgut, Owner, Bleeding Edge Consulting

Cybersecurity is what we call a wide range of security topics involving computers. Everyone is going to be coming into this workshop with some notions about some of these topics – some of you will be right and some will be buying into a limited viewpoint offered by ill-prepared press, bloggers, and pundits. We’ll break down various topics under the Cybersecurity umbrella and learn what the salient points are related to network security, system security, application security, and data security. The workshop will also outline some of the careers within the Cybersecurity realm.

Time
10 AM to 12 PM
Alumni Registration
www.eventbrite.com

Online 2024-09-14

Zotero: Introducing Citation and Reference Management Tools

Instructor: Arun Jacob, PhD Student, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Citation management software helps you organize references, take notes on references, format bibliographies and autogenerate in-text citations in several citations styles. If you need to manage large numbers of references and citations as part of your research, teaching or administrative work, citation management tools are for you. These tools provide a simple way to store, organize and retrieve your citations in an effective manner, and can also help you in formatting in-text citations and bibliographies in your work. This practical workshop briefly introduces the main concepts of citation management and common tools and gives detailed instructions for installing and using Zotero, one of the most popular citation management tools.

Please download Zotero in advance of this workshop.

Time
3 to 6 PM
Alumni Registration
www.eventbrite.com

Online 2024-09-16

Cite in APA (Online)

Instructor: Ben Harvey, Librarian

APA is one of the most popular citation styles for academic documentation and is the preferred style of many iSchool faculty members. You will be expected to know how to use this style for many of the papers you will write. This workshop will cover citation practices for both paper and electronic sources, with myriad examples and practical exercises.

Please have a pen and scrap paper handy for this workshop.

Time
4 to 5:30 PM

Online 2024-09-17

Cite in APA (In-Person)

APA is one of the most popular citation styles for academic documentation and is the preferred style of many iSchool faculty members. You will be expected to know how to use this style for many of the papers you will write. This workshop will cover citation practices for both paper and electronic sources, with myriad examples and practical exercises.

Please have a pen and scrap paper handy for this workshop.

Time
1 to 2:30 PM

Location tbd 2024-09-19

Retention and Disposition in the Government of Canada: Practical Applications of Directives, Standards, and Workflows

Instructor: Sam Rowlandson-O’Hara, Information Technician at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, Government of Canada

This workshop summarizes retention and disposition requirements for Government of Canada offices. It will define the differences between large scale directives and policies, disposition authorizations, and institution specific standards as well as up and coming reporting requirements that impact Federal recordkeeping. Finally, using an example records retention schedule, it will describe the lifecycle and subsequent workflows of different record types produced in the GC.

Time
4 to 6 PM
Alumni Registration
www.eventbrite.com

Online 2024-09-19

Introduction to Data Analysis with SQL and MySQL

Instructor: Ramaravind Kommiya Mothilal, PhD student, Faculty of Information

Managing data effectively is crucial for many applications in today’s world. MySQL is a database management system (DBMS) that allows one to store, retrieve, analyze, and manage data in tabular formats. SQL is one of the most popular and widely used programming languages that enables these functions in a DBMS. This iSkills workshop will introduce participants to the basics of SQL and MySQL and equip them to quickly understand advanced concepts in practical database management.

Time
2:30 to 5 PM
Alumni Registration
www.eventbrite.com

Online 2024-09-23

Children’s Learning in the 21st Century Museum

Instructor: Kiron Mukherjee, ROMKids Coordinator & Camp Director, Royal Ontario Museum

This is an in person workshop, hosted at the Royal Ontario Museum.

Museums make the best classrooms– what better place to learn about world cultures and natural history than to be surrounded by it? In this workshop, designed for museum studies students and educators, participants will learn about the importance of museums to children’s development and learning of science, art, and history, and how best to create their own dynamic lesson plans for their school visits, camps, and field trips. They will also get the opportunity to explore the ROM’s classrooms and hands-on spaces.

Time
1 to 4 PM

This is an in person workshop, hosted at the Royal Ontario Museum. 2024-09-26

HTML & CSS 101: Learn How Websites are Built

Instructor: Asad Ansari, Systems Technician, E. J. Pratt Library

HTML and CSS are both considered the backbone of all websites on the internet. Command of HTML and CSS along with a programming language like JavaScript or PHP can enable anyone to create powerful web applications. HTML is seen as a markup language used to describe the structure of documents on the web. On the other hand, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) are used to describe the presentation (i.e. look and feel) of an HTML document. In this workshop you will learn the basics of HTML and CSS. No prior programming experience is required for this workshop. This workshop is highly recommended for those who are interested in attending the WordPress 101 and 102 workshops hosted later in the semester.

Time
11 AM to 2 PM
Alumni Registration
www.eventbrite.com

Online 2024-09-28

Advanced Data Analysis with SQL and MySQL

Instructor: Ramaravind Kommiya Mothilal, PhD student, Faculty of Information

This iSkills workshop is a follow-up to the introductory session on SQL and MySQL. It is designed to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of advanced concepts such as stored procedures and window functions. Attendees are expected to have a foundational understanding of SQL, including the ability to retrieve data and apply basic filtering techniques. The workshop will culminate in a hands-on collaborative activity aimed at tackling a practical problem that requires the application of the learned advanced concepts. Participants are required to have MySQL installed and operational before the workshop.

Time
2:30 to 5 PM
Alumni Registration
www.eventbrite.com

Online 2024-09-30

Data Visualization in R: The Very (Very!) Basics

Instructor: Ciara Zogheib, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

“A picture is worth a thousand words,” but only if the picture is actually communicating the information you intend to share! This iSkills workshop will serve as an introduction to making data visualizations using R, while providing tips and resources for more effective data visualization in general.

Time
4 to 6 PM
Alumni Registration
www.eventbrite.com

Online 2024-10-02

Introduction to Bookbinding

Instructor: Andrew Huot, Conservator, Big River Bindery

Join us for introduction to the Book Arts. We will learn about the tools and materials you’ll need and make some cool books. We’ll concentrate on different styles and construction of books. Once the workshop is completed, you’ll have a stable base to make books the way you want them.

Time
3:30 to 6 PM

Bissell Building, Learning Hub, 4th floor 2024-10-03

Introduction to Data Management and Statistical Analysis with SPSS

Instructor: Leanne Trimble, Data & Statistics Librarian, Map & Data Library, University of Toronto Libraries

Information professionals regularly work with data, whether you are supporting users, assessing library programs and services, or conducting your own research. This workshop provides an introduction to using SPSS to perform common data management and basic statistical analysis tasks.

Participants will work through hands-on exercises in SPSS, and will learn to import spreadsheets, manage and edit data, create charts and other visualizations, and run descriptive statistical tests.

Prior to attending this workshop, students should download the free trial of SPSS.

Time
1 to 3 PM

Online 2024-10-07

Introduction to Web Accessibility for Information Organizations

Instructor: James Mackey, Analyst Planning & Design at Shared Services Canada, Government of Canada

The technologies which structure our digitally-connected world are exposed to hugely diverse audiences. We particularly rely on web and internet technologies to be universally available and comprehensible, but too often they fail in this regard. This workshop will introduce students to the best practices and knowledge necessary to guide the accessibility of their organizations’ web technologies at all stages of the software development lifecycle. It begins by reviewing the policy conventions and organizational underpinnings of web accessibility, followed by an assessment of common industry enforcement practices. This is an introductory workshop and will be useful to all involved in information organizations from working, to management, to executive levels. Individuals interested in pursuing practical auditing skills may choose to continue with “Web Accessibility Analysis and Auditing”.

This workshop is accessible to all levels of technical knowledge, but a basic understanding of HTML and CSS will help guide learning.

Time
6 to 9 PM
Alumni Registration
www.eventbrite.com

Online 2024-10-07

Introduction to Making Accessible Word Documents and PowerPoint Slides

Instructor: Aneta Kwak, Information Services and Instruction Librarian, University of Toronto Libraries

Interested in learning how you can improve the accessibility of your Word documents (e.g., reports) and your PowerPoint Presentations (e.g., conference presentations)? This workshop will provide an introduction to key accessibility considerations, including heading structures, alt text, and more! The workshop will also provide practical techniques to make your Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files accessible for everyone. This workshop is for individuals who are new to learning about accessible electronic resources or for those who would like a refresher on accessibility considerations when creating electronic resources.

Experience using and access to Microsoft Word and PowerPoint is required. Techniques covered in this workshop can be applied to other tools; however, examples and the hands-on components will be using Microsoft products. Existing UofT student, faculty and staff can download these products by from the EASI Microsoft 365 page.

Time
1 to 4 PM
Alumni Registration
www.eventbrite.ca

Online 2024-10-10

WordPress 101

Instructor: Asad Ansari, Systems Technician, E. J. Pratt Library

WordPress powers approximately 43% of all websites in the world [1]. Many institutions rely exclusively on WordPress to maintain an internet presence. In this workshop you will learn the basics of managing and creating content with WordPress. This workshop assumes prior knowledge of topics discussed in HTML & CSS 101.

Time
11 AM to 2 PM
Alumni Registration
www.eventbrite.com

Online 2024-10-19

Crash Course in Library of Congress Classification System

Instructors: Anna Slawek, Cataloguing Librarian, and Fabiano Rocha, Librarian, Japan Studies/Collection & Cataloguing Services, University of Toronto Libraries

Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is a notational system for organizing and arranging the book collections of the Library of Congress. Since its creation in 1898 as a local classification scheme, many academic and research libraries across the United States and Canada have adopted the system.

This workshop introduces participants to the basic structure and principles of LCC. Throughout the workshop, participants will have opportunities to classify topics using the LCC schedules (https://www.loc.gov/aba/publications/FreeLCC/freelcc.html).

Time
10 AM to 12 PM

Online 2024-10-21

Web Accessibility Analysis and Auditing

Instructor: James Mackey, Analyst Planning & Design at Shared Services Canada, Government of Canada

The technologies which structure our digitally-connected world are exposed to hugely diverse audiences. We particularly rely on web and internet technologies to be universally available and comprehensible, but too often they fail in this regard. This workshop will introduce students to the practical skills necessary to make web technologies more accessible. It begins with a review of conventions and frameworks for accessibility analysis, and focuses on a detailed study of web accessibility auditing practices based on WCAG 2.1 guidelines. This workshop is intended for individuals at the working level to conduct accessibility analyses of web technologies and to guide their related work. It is recommended that students first attend “Introduction to Web Accessibility for Information Organizations” to get the most out of this workshop.

Time
6 to 9 PM
Alumni Registration
www.eventbrite.com

Online 2024-10-21