Portrayed as big, bad and ravenous, the wolf in fairy tales is most often the villain, a beast who tricks and then devours both children and adults before meeting a violent end. “What Big Eyes You Have! Looking at the Wolf in Fairy Tales,” takes a close look at historical depictions of the wolf in well-known and lesser-known fairy tales, drawing from several sources among Special Collections Library materials.

Highlights include early illustrated editions of fairy tales — especially those collected by Charles Perrault and the Grimm Brothers — as well as unusual and visually engaging pop-up, shaped and artists’ books. The variety of books on view, from “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Three Little Pigs” to lesser-known titles, such as “The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids,” offer a trove of rich imagery for asking what the wolf symbolizes and what our complicated relationship with wolves — both real and imaginary — reveals about our own human nature.

“What Big Eyes You Have! Looking at the Wolf in Fairy Tales” is scheduled for display through Sunday, May 13, in the Eberly Family Special Collections Library Exhibition Room, 104 Paterno Library, on Penn State’s University Park campus.

Read more about the exhibit at Penn State News.

Wednesdays this February, and one in March, Penn State University Libraries will offer informational sessions relating to foundational map and geospatial topics. The sessions, which do not require registration, are open to all Penn State students, staff, faculty and visitors, and remote viewing is available online using Zoom. 

In addition, one-on-one map and geospatial research consultations are available through the Penn State Libraries Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information.

Geospatial Exploration: Explore mapping, location topics, applications
3-4 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 7, Pattee Library 211A and via Zoom

An overview of geographic information systems (GIS) concepts relevant to applying geospatial components in projects, and an introduction to geospatial data, introductory topics of projects, data manipulation, and geoprocessing techniques.

Exploring Open Source GIS: QGIS, 4-5 p.m., Wednesday,
Feb. 7, Pattee Library 211A and via Zoom

An introduction to using QGIS, an open source GIS software option. Learn more about QGIS from this website. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptop and if desired have QGIS installed to experience first-hand some of the software’s options for working with geospatial data.

Geospatial Online: Overview of Online mapping options (ArcGIS Online and more)
 3-4 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 14, Pattee Library 211A and via Zoom

An introduction to ArcGIS Online, a web mapping application which can be used to communicate many spatial research interests across the disciplines. Participants will explore applications created with ArcGIS Online and work with a sample dataset for Centre County, PA to learn the functionality of ArcGIS Online web maps and applications.

Geospatial Analysis: Introduction to Working with location data and demographic data (ArcGIS Desktop),
 4-5 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 14, Pattee Library 211A and via Zoom

An introduction to using ArcMap software to work with location data and demographic data. This session will work with sample data; however, participants are encouraged to consider and/or use their own data based on research, work, and/or teaching interests. This session will demonstrate general processes of working with location-based data, which may require additional instruction and follow-up in specific contexts, geographic regions, and disciplines.

Geospatial Data: Diving into Library Resources and beyond
3-4 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 21, Pattee Library 211A and via Zoom

An overview of geospatial data available from library databases, PolicyMap, SimplyAnalytics, Social Explorer, and Data-Planet. Additional United States and international organizations will be highlighted from maps and geospatial guides, and related resources to guide the user in locating geospatial data relevant to multiple disciplines. Participants will be encouraged to create their own map visualizations with mapping applications during the session.

Focus on PolicyMap: Data sources and visualization options
4-5 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 21, Pattee Library 211A and via Zoom

A focus on PolicyMap data sources and visualization options. Additional information will be provided on the reporting and data exports option available. Regardless of discipline, PolicyMap can be helpful to identify geospatial data sources, create maps for reporting geospatial trends, and gather demographic characteristics of locations of study.

Two map and geospatial informational sessions are part of the Humanities and Social Sciences Workshops:

QGIS:
 noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb.21, Paterno Library 403

Join a lunch-hour tutorial on QGIS, a free and open-source geographic information system for viewing, editing, and analyzing spatial data with graphical maps, with Zhiyue Xia.

Ggplot2: noon-1 p.m., Wednesday, March 14, Paterno Library 403

Join a lunch-hour tutorial featuring Ggplot2, and learn to make pretty, easily reproducible and modifiable graphs for publication.

For additional information, contact Tara Lalonde at 814-863-5753 or tll38@psu.edu.

By: Jessica Showalter

The Penn State Altoona Library recently acquired a life size torso model, a muscular model, and a molecular model kit to support the campus’s Nursing, Biology, and newly accredited Kinesiology programs. These models add to the library’s existing collection of anatomical realia, which previously included a life-size full skeleton as well as two hearts, a skull, and a brain.

Library Director Bonnie Imler collaborated with Mary Kananen, assistant teaching professor of biology, to process the purchase requests. Imler also consulted with campus carpenter Tom Vogel. Vogel custom-built a wheeled cart for the heavy torso model to make it easier for circulation staff to lend it to patrons. Most of the models are on 2-hour course reserve. The torso is a 4-hour reserve to give students ample time to study its meticulously detailed parts.

Imler says, “We were happy to help out Mary and her students. These large, take-apart anatomical models are expensive. Even in cases where the department owns a model, offering them at the library improves service because they can be borrowed at any time the library is open.”

Kananen adds, “I can’t express how appreciative I am of how supportive the library has been. Having these models in the library is an enormous help. I’ve had students tell me how much they appreciate it. The library has invested in laboratory quality models that will be used by students at all levels for decades.” Kananen notes that in addition to science courses, the
models could also be used by art and even Spanish courses.

To promote the new additions, Imler created an eye-catching display near the Service Desk. She showcased the torso with the sign, “Caught you checking me out! Ask to borrow me at the desk.” Many students stopped to check out the model or even snap a selfie with it as they passed by during the first two weeks of the spring semester.

By: Jessica  Showalter

Penn State Altoona’s Library recently acquired new equipment that enables patrons to make fully immersive 360-degree videos. The library offers two Nikon KeyMission 360 cameras, a variety of specialized clamps and stabilizers, and two View-Master Deluxe VR Viewer Headsets for viewing the videos.

The library purchased the gear to support an innovative assignment for lecturer Bryan Schlake’s fall 2017 Rail Transportation Engineering (RTE) 303 course. Schlake’s students worked in groups to record 360-degree videos of railroad routes.

Schlake first contacted Altoona Library director Bonnie Imler about the purchase request over the summer. Imler then reached out to Nick Smerker from Media Commons and Dan Getz from the Immersive Experiences Lab. Smerker says, “Bryan wanted to acquire the gear for his RTE students, but he also wanted to include it in the general loaner pool to share with everyone at
Altoona.” Getz met with Schlake several times, offered recommendations, and visited Schlake’s class to teach the students how to edit the videos with Premiere Pro.

Imler says, “Nick and Dan were great—they helped us acquire all the cameras and accessories Bryan needed. This new equipment will enable our library to support Altoona’s newly accredited Rail Transportation Engineering program, as well as other patron projects.”

Getz explains, “Our goal is to make this technology accessible to the broader Penn State population. While the physical Immersive Experiences Lab itself is located at University Park, the service runs across the entire commonwealth. Like the regular Media Commons offerings, faculty members will have the ability to get help creating assignments and schedule workshops and then send their students for one-on-one appointments. We can offer training on equipment, editing 360-degree, or you can just explore a variety of 360-degree video and VR experiences if you’re just testing the waters.”

Smerker adds that students at commonwealth locations can also get support remotely. He says, “I am always available to travel or connect via tools like Zoom, and our hotline is available for student questions into the evenings and on weekends.”

Spring 2018
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Through Feb. 12: “Academic Libraries Around the World” exhibit, Diversity Studies Room, 203 Pattee Library, University Park.

 

 

 

Through Feb. 28: “Deconstructing the Dream: At Whose Expense?” student poster exhibition, Sidewater Commons, with adjacent central entrance exhibit case chronicling the life and work of King using University Libraries resources, first floor Central Pattee Library, University Park.

 

 

Jan. 16–May 13, “What Big Eyes You Have! Looking at the Wolf in Fairy Tales”exhibition, Eberly Family Special Collections Library Exhibition Room, 104 Paterno Library.

 

 

 

Through Feb. 8: Faculty, Staff and Student Show: A variety of works on display during library hours. John M. Lilley Library, Penn State Behrend; Free.

Wednesday, Jan. 31: Software in the Humanities and Social Sciences Workshop – Databrary, a digital data library developed at PSU for storing, sharing and annotating video and audio recordings, with Rick Gilmore . Bring a bag lunch. 403 Paterno Library, noon-1 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 6: The Trajectory of Document Preservation in Brazil Through the 21st Century, with Visiting Scholar Fabiana Franco Barbosa Oda. Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, 2-3 p.m. and MediaSite.

Wednesday, Feb 7: Software in the Humanities and Social Sciences Workshop – OpenRefine, a free and open-source resource for cleaning, regularizing, and organizing complex data, with Jose Guerrero. Bring a bag lunch. 403 Paterno Library, noon-1 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 7: Geospatial Exploration — Explore mapping and location topics and applications. An introduction to geospatial data, introductory topics of projects, data manipulation, and geoprocessing techniques. Pattee Library 211A, 3-4 p.m. and Zoom. 

Wednesday, Feb. 7: Exploring Open Source GIS — QGIS. An introduction to using QGIS; Participants are encouraged to bring their laptop and if desired have QGIS installed to experience first-hand some of the software’s options. Pattee Library 211A, 4-5 p.m. and Zoom.

Wednesday, Feb 14: Software in the Humanities and Social Sciences Workshop – Upwork, a network for building and establishing a writing portfolio, with Jenna Spinelle. Bring a bag lunch. 403 Paterno Library, noon-1 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 14: Geospatial Online: Overview of Online mapping options. An introduction to ArcGIS Online, used to communicate spatial research interests across the disciplines. 211A Pattee Library, 3-4 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 14: Geospatial Analysis — Introduction to Working with location data and demographic data. An introduction to using ArcMap software to work with location data and demographic data.  211A Pattee Library, 4-5 p.m.,

Thursday, Feb. 15, 3-5 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 21, 5-7 p.m.: “Faster, Higher, Stronger,” A Winter Olympics Pop-up Exhibit, featuring books, materials, artifacts and memorabilia from the history of the Olympic Games. Mann Assembly Room, 102 Paterno Library.

Feb. 20: Hindi Pronunciation Workshop

Wednesday, Feb 21: Software in the Humanities and Social Sciences Workshop – QGIS, a free and open-source geographic information system for viewing, editing, and analyzing spatial data with graphical maps, with Zhiyue Xia. Bring a bag lunch. 403 Paterno Library, noon-1 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 21: Geospatial Data: Diving into Library Resources and beyond. 3-4 p.m., 211A Pattee Library.

Wednesday, Feb. 21: Focus on PolicyMap — Data sources and visualization options. 4-5 p.m., 211A Pattee Library.

Wednesday, Feb. 21: Mary Gaitskill 2017 Fisher Famiy Writer in Residence Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, 7:30-9 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb 28: Software in the Humanities and Social Sciences Workshop – Hadoop, a way to process very large datasets efficiently, with Juniun Yin. Bring a bag lunch. 403 Paterno Library, noon-1 p.m.

Wednesday, Mar. 7: Software in the Humanities and Social Sciences Workshop – PGP (Pretty Good Privacy), a popular program for encryption and authentication of digital messages like email, with Andrew Singer. Bring a bag lunch. 403 Paterno Library, noon-1 p.m.

Wednesday, Mar. 14: Software in the Humanities and Social Sciences Workshop – ggplot2, makes pretty, easily reproducible and modifiable graphs for publication, with Nathan Piekielek. Bring a bag lunch. 403 Paterno Library, noon-1 p.m.   

Wednesday, Mar. 21: Software in the Humanities and Social Sciences Workshop – Pandoc,  convert documents from one file type to another and back again, all from the command line, with Grant Wythoff. Bring a bag lunch. 403 Paterno Library, noon-1 p.m.

Tuesday, Apr. 3: Jillian Cantor to read as part of the Mary E Rolling Reading Series, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, 7:30-9 p.m.

Wednesday, Apr. 4: Software in the Humanities and Social Sciences Workshop – IIIF, with Karen Estlund. Bring a bag lunch. 403 Paterno Library, noon-1 p.m.

Thursday, Apr. 5: Lecture by Professor Leo Bersani, “Force in Progress”.  Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, 5-7 p.m.

Sunday, Apr. 22: International Write-In. Two sessions, 3:30-7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.-midnight. Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library. Interested writers can sign up today at: http://tinyurl.com/psuwritein

Please submit event information — and all Library News submissions — to Public Relations and Marketing via the Library News submission form. *Please note: The content submissions process may be changing soon; please stay tuned for updates.*