Daily Archives: February 17, 2014

Library News: Feb. 17

This week in Library News:

Four libraries honored for offering cutting-edge services

(from the ALA)

Today, the American Library Association (ALA) recognized four libraries for offering cutting-edge technologies in library services, honoring programs in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Bridgewater, New Jersey; Raleigh, North Carolina; and University Park, Pennsylvania.

The recognition, which is presented by the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy and the Library & Information Technology Association (LITA), showcases libraries that are serving their communities using novel and innovative methods. Libraries or library service areas selected will be highlighted through various ALA publications and featured in a program at the ALA Annual Conference 2014 in Las Vegas, June 26-July 1, 2014.

“This was a very competitive year for cutting-edge applicants. Those recognized today stood out in the ways they creatively solved problems, engaged library patrons, and strengthened library services and visibility,” said Marc Gartler of Madison Public Library (WI), who chaired the selection subcommittee. “We are excited to recognize these four projects, several of which already have proven their potential to be successfully replicated by libraries around the globe.”

  • “Me Card,” Edmonton Public Library, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
    Edmonton Public Library’s Me Card technology allows customers with a library card from one library to create an account with and access collections at another library with no staff intervention or additional library cards. The Me Card can work with any integrated library system (ILS) and does not require a shared ILS among participating libraries. More than 1,500 customers accessed the web-based service and registered for membership in the first two months of operation.
  • My #HuntLibrary, North Carolina State University (NCSU), Raleigh, NC.
    NCSU ensured that the story of their new library’s opening would be told through the words and images of the people that use it every day. The NCSU Libraries used Instagram’s API to develop an app that captured photos tagged with #HuntLibrary and displayed them online and in the library. Both a user engagement tool and digital preservation effort, the library received more than 3,200 images from more than 1,300 different users and recorded more than 235,000 page views.
  • One Button Studio, Penn State University Libraries, University Park, PA
    Penn State University Libraries, in partnership with Information Technology Services, enabled easy video creation for faculty and students across Penn State campuses. With only a flash drive and the push of a single button, users can activate a video camera, microphone and lights to begin recording. In its first year of use, 4,200 people created more than 270 hours of video. The app also reduces production costs due to changes in the type of equipment, as well as the number of staff needed.

Continue reading →

Libraries offer streaming video resources

A wide selection of streaming video resources are available to individuals with a Penn State access id.

Multi-subject resources include:

  • SWANK Motion Picture Digital Campus for faculty and instructor use only and offering more than 18,000 films from major Hollywood studios.
  • Docuseek2 News offers the best in social issue and documentary film with a growing list of more than 430 titles.
  • European Navigator (ENA) focuses on the formation of a united Europe from 1945 to present and includes 15,000+ photos, audio, video, press articles and more.
  • Filmakers Library Online (FLON) offers more than 1,000 award-winning documentaries across all disciplines.

University Libraries offer popular film and television collection

Do you like to relax watching television or films—like multiple seasons of “30 Rock,” the “Big Bang Theory,” “Downton Abbey;” movies like “Argo;” or the entire “Star Wars,” “Twilight,” or “Star Trek” series. Now you can borrow these and more for your enjoyment from the new Leisure Viewing Collection—Movies and TV Series in the Reading Room that houses the Leisure Reading Collection, first floor Pattee Library, central, near the library’s mall entrance. The DVD display is at the far end of the room on the right. Items can be checked out at the Commons Services Desk for a loan period of one week.

This initiative is a collaboration between Library Learning Services (LLS) and the Music and Media Center of the Arts and Humanities Library. LLS has taken the lead on implementing and developing the collection. Amanda Clossen and Glenn Masuchika are the selectors for the collection. The ordering and cataloging of DVDs will proceed as with other DVD collections in the Music and Media Center, the branches, and the campuses. The Music and Media Center will process the DVDs into security cases and prepare the artwork for the cases.

For more information or if you anticipate needing accessibility accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Megan Gilpin, mcg13@psu.edu or 814-867-0069. Additional title requests can be sent to UL-leisureviewing@lists.psu.edu

Bayard old-time music tunes available on YouTube

bayard

Famed folklorist Samuel Preston Bayard

The Eberly Family Special Collections Library at Penn State’s University Libraries announces the release of the Samuel Preston Bayard folklore recordings on YouTube. Treasured by folklorists, folk musicians, and American culturists, all sixty-one recordings from the Samuel Preston Bayard folklore recordings playlist are now digitized and available to the public for listening as a YouTube video playlist (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfkrWr_vIGB9l33oOjTC2M6JlhxfoPlQz.)

Among the tunes are “The Dublin Jig,” “Scotch Laddie,” “Irish Washerwoman,” “Froggie Went a Courting,” and “Down in Lock Haven.” The videos are structured by performing artist and, where available, feature images of sheet music, lyrics, and song title lists taken from Bayard’s own field notes.

Program helps women prepare financially for life

“Financial Literacy for Women” will be presented Wednesday, March 5, 5:30–7 p.m., in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library. Presenter Dr. Daad Rizk, a Penn State financial literacy coordinator, will offer a practical workshop to help woman avoid what many fear in old age—the “bag-lady” syndrome. The fear is predicated by the facts that women carry the same debt as men or more, earn less over a life time, spend more years out of the workforce, save and invest little if any, and feel less confident than men in handling personal finances. Fifty percent of marriages end up in divorce, and 3 out of 4 married women end up widowed by age of 75.

The presentation is part of the Money Counts: a Financial Literacy Series, a collaborative effort of the Penn State Commission for Adult Learners and the University Libraries.

Registration and additional details are available at
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/researchguides/business/financialliteracy.html#moneycounts

Students asked to let research ROAR

Undergraduate students are asked to submit a recording of academic research or artistic rendition for a competition, “Let Yourself Roar.” Participants may use the One-Button Studio (http://mediacommons.psu.edu/faculty/one-button-studio/), available in the Knowledge Commons in 132 1nd 134 Pattee Library, west, and 109 Ag Sci and Industries Building, or their own personal recording device, including a phone. Cash prizes will be awarded, including $150 to first place winner and $75 to second place winner. Read the full story on Penn State News

Counseling and therapy video collection gets 120 new titles

Penn Staters with an access id can now get 120 new titles that include 117 hours of video in the University Libraries’ collection of Counseling and Therapy in Video Collection, Volume III, from Alexander Street Press. Volume III now has 234 titles and 253 hours of video and all materials are transcribed. The three volumes are available at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/databases.html

Newly added title include “Positive Psychotherapy: Helping People Thrive,” “Counseling Transgender People,” “Narrative Therapy for Eating Disorders” and “From Bullies to Buddies: From Problem Management to Developing Crucial Social Skills In All Children.” Read the full story on Penn State News.

Watch the Winter Olympic Games in NML

olympic ringsTwo ways to view the Winter Olympic Games action:

  • Live-stream: Through February 23, NBCOlympics.com/liveextra will be showing from early/mid-morning until mid-afternoon most days and with full sound in the Film/Video Viewing Room, News and Microforms Library, 22 West Pattee.
  • Televised: Also showing on one of the big screen TVs in the News & Microforms Library will be NBC’s Daytime televised Olympics coverage, beginning mid-afternoon, with NBC’s Primetime coverage beginning mid-evening (close captioned with limited headsets for sound).

For exact viewing times,  check the 2014 Winter Olympics schedule on the NML homepage at www.libraries.psu.edu/nml (schedules and availability subject to change). Contact Jackie Dillon-Fast for more information (jud18@psu.edu/814-865-9407). See a flyer for the event here: ACTIVE–POSTER 2014 Winter Olympics 

Events: Feb. 17

Ongoing: Watch the 2014 Winter Olympic Games on the big screen in the News and Microforms Library. See full story.

February 17, 3 p.m.: Strategic Planning Forum on Foundational Issues: Diversity; Ethics & Integrity; and Sustainability, Foster Auditorium/Media Site Live.

February 19, noon to 1 pm: “Wild Onion Nurse: Women as Healers in Traditional and Contemporary Societies,” presented by Judy Schaefer, a registered nurse and poet, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library. Sponsored by the Interinstitutional Consortium for Indigenous Knowledge and the University Libraries. Can also be viewed online at http://tinyurl.com/wildonionnurse.

February 19, 12:15 p.m.: Secret Life of Materials–Ceramics (film), EMS Museum, Deike Bldg. This film covers the history, production and use of ceramics.

February 24, 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Annual Dean’s Diversity Forum, Foster Auditorium (and on Media Site). Mark Puente, director of Diversity and Leadership Programs at the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) will be the speaker.

February 26, 12:15 p.m.: Secret Life of Materials–Metals (film), EMS Museum, Deike Bldg. Learn about the secrets of metal at the atomic level.

February 27, 10-11:30 a.m.: Introduction to Zotero, W315 Pattee. Register online.

February 27, 1- 4 p.m.:  “Diversity in Engineering” Open House, 325 Hammond.

‘Diversity in Engineering’ Open House

A “Diversity in Engineering” Open House will be held on February 27, from 1- 4 p.m., in the Engineering Library, 325 Hammond Building. This special event celebrates minorities in engineering and promotes services and resources that the library, college and University provide. Highlights of the event include a demonstration of the Libraries’ new “Diversity in Engineering” research guide (https://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/researchguides/enginist/diversity.html ) and a display of historical minority figures in the field. All students are invited to attend the Open House, have a slice of cake and ask library staff about the resources available. In addition, the incoming chair of the Libraries’ Diversity Committee, Dawn Amsberry, will be at the event from 1–2:30 p.m., and can answer questions about the Libraries’ diversity initiatives.

Two more events will be held this semester—a Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Open House, on Tuesday, March 25, from 1–4p.m., and a Sustainable Engineering Open House, on Thursday, April 17, from 1–4 p.m. More information will be provided closer to the event dates.

For more information, contact the Engineering Library at 814-865-3451 or UL-ENGR@lists.psu.edu, or Vanessa Eyer vld5011@psu.edu. Click here to view the flyer for the event: Flyer_Diversity Engineering_Open_ House

How to determine a floating book’s location

By Trish Notartomas

Now that 19 campus libraries participate in the floating collection initiative and 950,000 items have the potential to float, you need to modify your thinking when interpreting Workflows item records. In order to determine where a BOOKFLOAT item “lives” at any particular time, look beyond the home location to the call/item library. You can no longer rely solely on the home location.

In this example, the home location (STACKS-YK) only represents the item’s original owning library. The call/item library denotes that York’s copy of this book has floated to Fayette. (click on image for a larger picture)

floating screenshotIn The CAT, there is no confusion. The book is in Fayette’s stacks.

floating screenshot again

Tip: BOOKFLOAT items are monographs and found only in STACKS-XX locations.

For additional information, please refer to Training Bulletin #31.

LHR News: Feb. 17

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Full-time:
2/17/14 Corey Wetherington – Information Resources and Services Support Specialist, Penn State Berks Thun Library

Part-time:
Robert Goddu, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library
Ryan Scardigli, Fletcher L. Byrom Earth and Mineral Sciences Library

Internal moves
2/17/14 Rachelle Eisenhower – Administrative Support Coordinator, Media & Technology Support Services

Introducing Rita Buhite, the new training coordinator

Submitted by Ann Snowman

buhite We welcome Rita Buhite (left) to the University Libraries staff. Rita is our new – and very first – user services training coordinator. The user services training coordinator is responsible for developing, directing, and coordinating training activities for the University Libraries to ensure the delivery of excellent customer service. She will help us build a curriculum of core competencies and learn to deliver training to faculty and staff in a variety of settings including face-to-face, online, groups of all sizes, libraries-wide.

Rita comes to us from Ridgway Area School District where she was a computer and mathematics teacher. In addition she trained other teachers to provide instruction for the district’s virtual academy. She was also an adjunct professor at Gannon University where she created and facilitated the Advanced Educational Computing course that introduces current technology and its application in the classroom to teachers.

Rita has a B.S. in education from Mansfield University, an M. Ed. from Gannon University and holds graduate certificates in educational technology and online learning from Antioch University and technology integration from Boise State.

Rita began her introductory training with University Libraries in October under the guidance of Stephanie Movahedi-Lankarani at the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library where she was introduced to library services and gained direct experience with our users. In February, she integrated into the Knowledge Commons rotation and will continue to work at both locations through the spring semester.

When she is not providing user services, she is busy researching and developing training modules to help us meet the goals of the strategic plan by “emphasizing continued employee development and training programs to improve skills and knowledge to better serve patrons.” You can expect to see the training modules begin to roll out after spring break. Say hello to Rita at Discovery Day where she is working on the program planning subcommittee.

Countdown to Discovery Day

Register today on TechSmart!

How about signing up for one of the many classes taught by our librarians? Ann Snowman will start us off with a few Discovery Day observations in Mann while you munch on the goodies.

As mentioned last week, Henry Pisciotta, with Tim Auman, will help you find visual resources in “Images Databases101.” Sandy Stelts and Meredith Weber will show off the Henisch Photo Collection, and Angela Davis will lead a discussion on outreach efforts in the Engineering Library.

Sylvia Owiny will present findings on her research into the state of libraries in Uganda. Get comfy and cozy when Rachel Smith shows you how to Feng Shui your library space. Doris Malkmus will lead the gang to “Stump Al and the Green Team” with recycling questions.

Lauren Reiter will showcase the new Student Financial Education Center in Shreyer Business Library. Mining with (Linda) Musser, Pennsylvania Mining that is, has a few openings left. Patricia Hswe and Linda Musser will co-present a freshly minted, hot-off-the-press class on data management – more information is coming soon. Watch for the email.

We still have openings in many other classes. For example, why not show off some pop culture savvy after attending Nicole NiCastro’s “Pop Culture Catchup” class? If you do not understand why there is a Discovery Day class called “Zombie Apocalypse Meets GIS,” you need this class. Pattee (Way) After Dark has some spooky data for you as described by the ever eerie Chris Holobar. Sign up for these and other classes in TechSmart . — submitted by the Discovery Day Project Team