Monthly Archives: May 2016

University Libraries Awards ceremony

group portrait of six adults standing next to each other in a straight line

Congratulations to the Libraries’ 2016 award recipients — recognized by Dean Barbara I. Dewey (center, in pink) on Tuesday, May 24 —  from left: John Meier, Wilson Hutton, Nancy Adams, Martha Ney, and Binh Le.

The University Libraries’ annual awards ceremony, announced along with the 2016 award winners, was held on Tuesday afternoon, May 24, in Foster Auditorium. Honored were this year’s recipients:

  • Margaret Knoll Spangler Oliver Award: Martha Ney, Administrative Support Coordinator, Dean’s Administrative Office, University Park
  • University Libraries Award: John Meier, Science Librarian, Physical & Mathematical Sciences, University Park
  • University Libraries Teaching Award: Nancy E. Adams, Associate Director and Coordinator of Education and Instruction at the Harrell Health Sciences Library, Hershey
  • University Libraries Diversity Award: Binh Le, Reference Librarian, Abington College Library, Administrative Fellow to the Executive Vice President and Provost
  • Shirley J. Davis Staff Excellence Award: K. Wilson Hutton, Visual Communications Specialist, Public Relations and Marketing, University Park

Dean Barbara I. Dewey expressed her thanks to the members of the award committee, chaired by Joe Fennewald, for their time and effort in making these challenging decisions among many deserving individuals nominated. Committee members also included Dawn Amsberry, Linda Friend, Megan MacGregor, Glenn Masuchika, Manuel Ostos, and Lauren Reiter.

More information about the University Libraries Awards is available on the staff site.

Drupal Update: Some Interesting Statistics

For this week’s Drupal update, we wanted to share a few interesting statistics …

1,800

We have migrated close to 1,800 pages into the new staff site and the same number in the public site …

40

… and 40 authors have been trained and are actively working on content in the staff site. (Remember — to get an author account, please fill out the account request form and Ryan Johnson will get you set up with training and your Drupal account!)

3

As part of the migration, we’ve worked hard to improve our page load speed, and we are happy to report that we are now the third-fastest Libraries website in the Big 10. That’s up from our No. 7 spot less than three weeks ago!

18

According to LibUX’s Alexa-ish Top 100 Library Websites, we are ranked 18th among the top 100 high-traffic library websites, which includes both academic and public libraries worldwide!

Questions? Comments? We’d love to hear from you!

– submitted by Binky Lush, I-Tech, on behalf of the WIMT committee

Discovery Day 2016 is this Thursday, June 2!

Just a reminder for Libraries employees at University Park to register for Discovery Day, which is this Thursday!

Please note: Classes are first come, first served unless otherwise noted in the program. There is no TechSmart registration.

Adding Discovery Day Sessions to Your LRN Transcript

Did you know that you can add your Discovery Day sessions to your Learning Resource Network (LRN) Transcript?  Step by step directions for manually adding your participation are available.

– submitted by Angel Peterson

Tech Tip: How to Send Attachments to a Helpdesk Ticket

By Ryan Johnson, I-Tech

square screen capture of Libraries helpdesk online intranet form

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you noticed that, when submitting a helpdesk ticket, there is not an option to include a image or screenshot?

While this is true, there is still a way to submit an image to a current ticket. Simply respond to any email regarding your ticket from our helpdesk system and attach the image. The image will automatically be placed into the ticketing system.

Note: Attach the image to your email, don’t insert the image into the body of the email.  Inserting the image will not allow the helpdesk system to add the image to the ticket.

LHR News: May 31

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Part-time:
Sonia Kaufman – Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library
Rachel Nill – Bednar Intern, Social Sciences Library
Jeffery Wagner – Special Collections Library
Jamilyn Houser – Cataloging and Metadata Services
Wishing the following employees well as they leave us:

Barb Woods – Interlibrary Loan
Gail Mancuso – Penn State Shenango

Events: May 31

Maymester / Summer 2016

Thursday, June 2: Discovery Day, University Park library locations; register online by May 27.

Monday, June 6: last day of Maymester classes, University Park.

Wednesday, June 8: Maymester finals day, University Park.

Thursday, June 9: User Services Training: 25 Tips for Defusing Anger, 2:30-4 p.m., Mann Assembly Room or online at https://meeting.psu.edu/usersvcs/.

Thursday, June 16: Coffee with Carmen, the Libraries’ User Services Training Coordinator, 2-3 p.m., PAMS Library, University Park.

Tuesday, June 21, 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Tech Update, by Libraries I-Tech staff, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library and MediaSite Live.

Wednesday, June 22, 5:30-6:30 p.m.: MoneyCounts: Debt Management program, Mann Assembly Room, Paterno Library.

Friday, June 24: last day of classes, first six weeks summer session, University Park.

Monday, June 27: finals day, first six weeks summer session, University Park.

Wednesday, June 29: first day, second six weeks summer session, University Park.

Monday, July 4: Independence Day, no classes.

Wednesday-Sunday, July 13-17, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts 50th anniversary, Children’s Day July 13, BookFest July 16, State College and University Park campus.

Tuesday, July 19: Coffee with Carmen, the Libraries’ User Services Training Coordinator, 9-10 a.m., Engineering Library.

Thursday, July 21, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.: PA Forward Information Literacy Summit, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library.

Wednesday, August 10: last day of summer classes, University Park.

Friday, August 12: finals day, second six weeks summer session, University Park.

Saturday, August 13: Summer commencement, University Park.

August 18, 10:30-11:30 a.m.: Tech Update, by Libraries I-Tech staff, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, and MediaSite Live.

Fall 2016 semester

Friday-Sunday, August 19-21: Arrival days.

Monday, August 22: First day of classes.

Monday, September 5: Labor Day, no classes.

September 7-8: Open House, University Park Libraries locations.

Please submit event information to Public Relations and Marketing via the Library News submission form.

Drupal migration highlights: May 23

Policies and Guidelines
With the exception of three “staff only” policies that are on the staff site, all of our Libraries policies are available to the public. Because they are frequently accessed, the public Policies and Guidelines are linked in the footer on every page (staff and public)!

Staff Directory
Thank you for the updates and feedback you have submitted regarding the staff directory. We are working with Human Resources to make changes to individual, department and library entries in LDAP (the database behind the directory). We have a link to the Staff Directory in the footer of every page (staff and public).

We are excited about the changes happening to both the public and staff sites and to be improving the user experience for both our internal and external users! Please send your questions and feedback via the Website Feedback link at the bottom of every page on the Libraries’ site!

Thank you for your support as we continue to make our site better for all of our users!

– submitted by Binky Lush on behalf of the Web Implementation and Management Team and the Development Team

Please visit the staff website’s training area

by Ryan Johnson, I-Tech

Have you tried out the new Training section on the staff site?screen capture of Libraries intranet staff site's Training section

In addition to the staff site search (located in the upper right-hand corner of every page) you can search the new training section by type of training (including my technology training pages) or search by training topics. Training topics are tags that can be used to help narrow your search topic on any training page.

screen capture of Libraries intranet home screen

University Libraries staff site’s Training section

When a training topic is chosen, the display will show you every webpage available.

25 tips for defusing anger

When was the last time you aasot mad? We’ve all been there; no one is immune.

Who was it that really pushed your buttons and you totally lost it? Were
you at work or at home? Did you regret it later? Did you say to yourself,
“I wish I didn’t let [insert name here] get under my skin… I know I can
do better.”

If you did, this is the perfect training for you. In this interactive
session we will discuss and practice tips for defusing anger in both your
personal and professional life.

Join us 2:30-4 p.m. Thursday, June 9, in Mann Assembly Room or online at https://meeting.psu.edu/usersvcs/.

The Pennsylvania State University encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Carmen Gass (crg177@psu.edu or 814-867-2448) in advance of your participation or visit.

– submitted by Carmen Gass, user services training coordinator

Events: May 23

Maymester / Summer 2016

Monday, May 23, 2:00–3:30 p.m.; Libraries’ annual Diversity Research and Programming Colloquium, Foster Auditorium and MediaSite Live.

Wednesday, May 25, 9:30-10:30 a.m.: Coffee with Carmen, the Libraries’ User Services Training Coordinator, will present results from the Libraries Training Assessment Survey, Mann Assembly Room.

Monday, May 30: Memorial Day, no classes, library locations except Hershey closed.

Thursday, June 2: Discovery Day, University Park library locations; register online by May 27.

Thursday, June 9: User Services Training: 25 Tips for Defusing Anger, 2:30-4 p.m., Mann Assembly Room or online at https://meeting.psu.edu/usersvcs/.

Thursday, June 16: Coffee with Carmen, the Libraries’ User Services Training Coordinator, 2-3 p.m., PAMS Library, University Park.

Tuesday, June 21, 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Tech Update, by Libraries I-Tech staff, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library and MediaSite Live.

Wednesday, June 22, 5:30-6:30 p.m.: MoneyCounts: Debt Management program, Mann Assembly Room, Paterno Library.

Wednesday, June 29: first day, second six weeks summer session, University Park.

Monday, July 4: Independence Day, no classes.

Wednesday-Sunday, July 13-17, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts 50th anniversary, Children’s Day July 13, BookFest July 16, State College and University Park campus.

Tuesday, July 19: Coffee with Carmen, the Libraries’ User Services Training Coordinator, 9-10 a.m., Engineering Library.

Thursday, July 21, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.: PA Forward Information Literacy Summit, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library.

Wednesday, August 10: last day of summer classes, University Park.

Saturday, August 13: Summer commencement, University Park.

August 18, 10:30-11:30 a.m.: Tech Update, by Libraries I-Tech staff, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, and MediaSite Live.

Please submit event information to Public Relations and Marketing via the Library News submission form.

ACRL Immersion comes to Penn State

Beginning tomorrow, May 17, nearly fifty of our Libraries faculty and staff will be gathering at the Nittany Lion Inn at University Park to participate in a four-day, customized version of the Association of College & Research Libraries Information Literacy Immersion Program. This program, often simply called Immersion, provides instruction librarians the opportunity to work intensely over the course of several days on many different aspects of information literacy.

There are now six different tracks, including Teacher, Program, Assessment, and Intentional Teaching, that individuals can select if they travel to one of the national Immersion opportunities that take place around the country. A full description of the Immersion program and its six tracks is available: http://www.ala.org/acrl/immersion

Here at Penn State, we are welcoming three Immersion faculty — Lisa Hinchliffe, Karen Nicholson, and Craig Gibson — for an Immersion track customized to Penn State University Libraries and the needs we have identified for evolving our teaching and learning.

Beginning at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17, the customized Penn State Immersion will focus on three main areas: classroom assessment techniques, collaboration with disciplinary faculty, and interactive and engaging learning design, including instructional technology. The program will run through the afternoon on Friday, May 20.

If you are unable to attend but would like to following along with the discussion, follow our Twitter hashtag, #immersionPSU.

Many thanks to Joe Salem for supporting this initiative, and to the Penn State Immersion Planning Committee, led by Amy Deuink and including the following members: Anne Behler, Nancy Dewald, Russ Hall, Glenn Masuchika, Rebecca Miller, Rebecca Peterson, and Beth Theobald.

– submitted by Rebecca Miller, Library Learning Services

Website Update: May 16

We hope by now you’ve had a chance to explore the new Staff Site, which will be going live and replacing the current intranet on Wednesday, May 18. We’ve been getting some great feedback from you — thank you! In addition to some really kind words, we’ve heard the following comments and questions:

  1. We need the fuller list of staff tools. We will be adding an updated list of the resources from the current intranet.
  2. Why are certain forms and groups appearing on the home page? By default, these lists show in order of last created on the Staff Site home page. Moving forward, we will list them by most popular, based on statistics.
  3. Where is my content? We have migrated all of the CQ intranet content into the new Staff Site. The preview was a great way for everyone to double-check their content, and we found a few things that didn’t come across quite as expected. Please check your content to make sure it appears as it should be and let us know if you have any questions or concerns!
  4. Our library/department does not currently have an intranet presence on CQ. Can we create one? Yes! Any area that has not had an intranet presence in the past can request accounts and training for authors. We will create a space for your Library or department to which you can add content. Please request staff site author accounts using the Account Request Form. Once accounts have been requested, Ryan Johnson will schedule training.
  5. We love the new Staff Site Search! We do, too! If you haven’t already tested out the new SOLR search, we encourage you to give it a try.

Please keep the feedback coming via the website feedback link on the bottom of every page (public and staff site) or come talk to us! We will be holding drop-in Q & A sessions in the I-Tech Training Room and via Adobe Connect and phone (888-644-0576) on the following dates this week:

11am-noon Tuesday, May 17 
2-3 p.m. Friday, May 20

Thank you in advance for your help in making the website the best it can be for our users!
– Binky Lush, 
on behalf of the Web Implementation and Management Team and the Development Team

Access Services recognizes employees

horizontal group photo portrait of 34 people standing in Pattee Library's Franklin Atrium

Access Services, seen here in the Franklin Atrium, Pattee Library, held its annual award luncheon on May 10.

Access Services held its Annual Service Awards and Luncheon on May 10.

Staff recognized for reaching library service milestones include:
25 years: Barbara Coopey and Verne Neff
20 Years: Shane Burris
5 Years: Katherine Crissy, Alissa Mann, and Tracie WickershamNew staff members Douglas Burchill, Carmen Gass, Rachel White, Ethan Eissenstat, Nicole Schwindenhammer, and Nichole Corrigan were welcomed to Access Services.
Joseph Salem, Associate Dean for Learning, Undergraduate Services and Commonwealth Campuses, was the guest speaker.
– submitted by Barbara Coopey

Tech Tip: Test your settings in Adobe Connect

by Ryan Johnson, I-Tech

screen capture from Meeting@PennState verifying connection settings on Adobe Connect

Look for this screen to verify your connection settings on Adobe Connect.

Adobe Connect has a meeting connection diagnostic page to test and ensure your computer and network connections are properly configured for Adobe Connect.

To run this test, please use the following URL:

Meeting Connection Diagnostic page

For this and more information on Adobe Connect, please visit the training page on the new staff site.

Events: May 16

Maymester / Summer 2016

Monday, May 16: first day of classes, first six weeks summer session, University Park. Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Tuesday, May 17, through Friday, May 20: ACRL Immersion at Penn State, Nittany Lion Inn, University Park. See blog post for details.

Wednesday, May 18, 5:30-6:30 p.m.: MoneyCounts: Strategies for Success: Student Loan Repayment, Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library.

Monday, May 23, 2:00–3:30 p.m.; Libraries’ annual Diversity Research and Programming Colloquium, Foster Auditorium and MediaSite Live.

Wednesday, May 25, 9:30-10:30 a.m.: Coffee with Carmen, the Libraries’ User Services Training Coordinator, will present results from theLibraries Training Assessment Survey, Mann Assembly Room.

Monday, May 30: Memorial Day, no classes, library locations except Hershey closed.

Thursday, June 2: Discovery Day, University Park library locations; register online by May 27.

Tuesday, June 21, 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Tech Update, by Libraries I-Tech staff, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library and MediaSite Live.

Wednesday, June 22, 5:30-6:30 p.m.: MoneyCounts: Debt Management program, Mann Assembly Room, Paterno Library.

Wednesday, June 29: first day, second six weeks summer session, University Park.

Monday, July 4: Independence Day, no classes.

Wednesday-Sunday, July 13-17, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts 50th anniversary, Children’s Day July 13, BookFest July 16, State College and University Park campus.

Thursday, July 21, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.: PA Forward Information Literacy Summit, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library.

Wednesday, August 10: last day of summer classes, University Park.

Saturday, August 13: Summer commencement, University Park.

August 18, 10:30-11:30 a.m.: Tech Update, by Libraries I-Tech staff, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, and MediaSite Live.

Please submit event information to Public Relations and Marketing via email.