Daily Archives: September 28, 2015
Open Access Day special programming event
Web migration forum dates
The Web Implementation and Management Team (WIMT) has organized several sessions in the coming months to provide updates and take questions on the Drupal migration. The forums will be held in Foster Auditorium and MediaSite Live.
They are scheduled for the following dates and times:
Oct 13, 10:30 a.m.: General Update
Nov 13, 9-10 a.m.:Content Strategy
Dec 3 10-11:30 a.m.: Staff Site
Jan 13, 10-11:30 a.m.: Migration Timeline
iOS 9 Hidden Features
by Ryan Johnson, technology training coordinator
By now you probably have heard that iOS 9 was recently released. The new version has many new features that you can find more about here.
What you may not know about is some interesting hidden features:
Have you ever wanted to load the desktop version of a page that doesn’t quite look right on Mobile? There’s a quick shortcut for just that in iOS 9: Just hold the refresh button in the URL bar. After a second or two, a prompt will allow you to request the desktop version of the current page.
Sometimes the apps that eat your battery the most are the ones you actually see the least.
iOS has long been able to tell you how much battery each app was guilty of eating, but now it provides an extra bit of information: the amount of time you were actually looking at it, compared to how much time it spent just devouring juice in the background. To expose the new info, go to Settings > Battery, then tap the clock icon at the top of the app list.
Events: Sept. 28
Tues., Sept. 29, 2:00 p.m.: Dean’s Forum, Foster Auditorium and Media Site Live. Karen Estlund, associate dean for Technology and Digital Strategies will be introduced and talk to you about her recent activities and plans as she transitions into her new job at Penn State. Also: Comments and kudos from Dean Dewey and Space Planning Update by Kimlyn Patishnock
Thurs., Oct. 1, 2015, 3:00-4:00 p.m.: GIS interest group meeting, 126A Paterno Library. Agenda: discussion of updates from the PSU GIS Users Group, along with items of geospatial interest of attendees.
Thurs., Oct. 1, 4 p.m.: Kwame Alexander to accept the 2015 Lee Bennett Hopkins Award for Children’s Poetry for his book, The Crossover, which also won him the 2015 Newbery Award. A book sale and signing will follow. Foster Auditorium.
Fri., Oct. 2, 3:30 p.m.: “Marching Down Field: Preserving Penn State Football Memories II, Foster Auditorium and online. Featuring clips of historic games from the University Archives. Full story on Penn State News
Wed., Oct. 7, 5:30-6:30p.m.: Financial Literacy for Women (latest workshop in the Money Counts Series), Mann Assembly Room, Paterno Library.
Wed., Oct 7, 1-2:30 p.m.: Drupal Migration Forum, Foster Aud. and MediaSite Live. Presented by the WIMT. This is a general discussion session. Do you have a burning question related to the upcoming Drupal migration? If so, don’t miss this forum!
Mon., October 12, 9-11 a.m.: Open Access Day presentation in preparation for the internationally recognized Open Access Week (October 19-25). Penn State librarians and Associate Dean Anne Langley will share their expertise during this half-day program. Sessions will include “How to be an OA Ambassador” and “Implementing Our Policies” and others. More details in this Library News blog entry.
Tues., Oct. 13, 2:00–3:30 p.m.: Focus on ArcGIS Online: Web Mapping Tool for Interdisciplinary Applications, W211A Pattee Library and online at https://meeting.psu.edu/ssltraining/
Tues., Oct. 13, 7:30–8:30 p.m.: Penn State Reads presents “Meet Russell Gold, author of ‘The Boom’” in an interview by Katie O’Toole, Days Inn Penn State, 240 South Pugh Street. Open to the public. The event is sponsored by Penn State’s Institute for the Arts and Humanities (IAH), the Penn State Reads Program, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, the University Libraries, the Pennsylvania Humanities Council and Schlow Centre Region Library.
Sister Joan Chittister — image courtesy of Joan Chittister
Wed–Thurs, Oct. 14-15: Joan Chittister Symposium: Ancient Traditions, Contemporary Questions, Pasquerilla Spiritual Center and Foster Auditorium. See details in news story.
Thurs., Oct. 22, 4 p.m.: Mariko Tamaki to accept the 2015 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize for “This One Summer.” Mariko and her cousin, artist Jillian Tamaki, also won a Printz Honor (for outstanding young adult literature) and a Caldecott Honor (for exceptional picture book art) for this book. A book sale and signing will follow. More details to come.
Thurs., Oct. 22, 10:00-11:30 a.m.: Mendeley, 302 Paterno Register online: Survey
Mon., Nov. 16, 1-2:30 p.m.: Mapping Applications: Getting to know SimplyMap, PolicyMap, and Social Explorer, 302, Paterno Library, and online at https://meeting.psu.edu/ssltraining/
Save the date:
Additional Drupal migration forums:
Nov 10, 10-11:30 a.m.: Content Strategy
Dec 3 10-11:30 a.m.: Staff Site
Jan 13, 10-11:30 a.m.: Migration Timeline
‘Getting to know you’: Andrea Pritt
by Barbara Kopshina, Penn State DuBois Campus Library
Ever wondered who the individuals are that put together the “Getting to Know You” columns? Well, I’d like to introduce my colleague and fellow collaborator, Andrea Pritt. Andrea has been at Mont Alto as a library staff member for five years. She was born and raised in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Penn State, University Park. During her time as a college student in the biology department, she worked as a teaching assistant. Shortly after graduation, Andrea joined the team at Penn State Mont Alto Campus Library. She has enjoyed her time in the library immensely and recently decided to start working towards her MLIS degree at the University of Pittsburgh.
Pritt…volunteers as a certified adult literacy tutor and teaches English to migrant workers
In her spare time, Andrea volunteers as a certified adult literacy tutor in Adams County. She works with a variety of people, including prisoners, to help them obtain their G.E.D. She also has her E.S.L. (English as a Second Language) certificate and volunteers to teach migrant workers in the area. Andrea feels strongly that people can better themselves through education and her volunteer work reflects that.
Andrea was just elected as the vice president of the Adams County Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association. She helps to select recipients for scholarships, and participates in fundraising and community outreach. Aside from volunteering, Andrea enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Riley, a Jack Russell/terrier mix, and Jackson, a boxer/lab mix, both of whom she rescued from the S.P.C.A.
2015-16 microgrant awards
The following grant proposals were accepted for the 2015-16 University Libraries Microgrant Program:
Francis, Matt: Exploring EAC-CPF at Penn State Special Collections Library
Abstract: This project aims to explore how Penn State can use Encoded Archival Context – Corporate Bodies, Person, and Families (EAC-CPF) records in order to enhance discovery and access of our archival collections. The project would help increase local knowledge of the EAC-CPF standard, the development of institutional best practices, the creation of a limited number of EAC-CPF records for a defined set of archival materials, and the exploration of how archival tools such as ArchiveSpace can support the creation and use of these records.
Imler, Bonnie: One Click Presentation/Project System for Collaborative Learning Environment
Abstract: The Eiche Library is creating a new collaborative meeting area that will provide a room on campus for our faculty with offices at our downtown location. Faculty will be able to meet individually or hold study sessions with students housed on campus. The new room is designed to have a clean, uncluttered look and still offer the latest in technological advances. The room would be enhanced by the purchase of a ClickShare system that allows multiple users to project with their own devise without wires, multiple steps, logins, or an overhead projector.
Piekielek, Nathan: A feasibility study of automating the georeferencing of historic aerial photographs
Abstract: Historical geographers, digital humanists and researchers from other disciplines are keenly interested in “unlocking” the wealth of data and information that is contained on historical print maps and aerial photographs. This project will contract with an outside entity to perform a feasibility study of implementing an automated georeferencing tool in the Donald W. Hamer Maps Library (MAPSL). Automation is required due to the laborious nature of georeferencing and the volume of the MAPSL collections. The study will conclude with a recommendation to the MAPSL on which tool to incorporate into their workflows.
Wilkins, Joshua: Exploring Chromebooks
Abstract: Supporting our patrons in their studies is becoming more about increasing their mobile access and giving them the ability to work wherever they are, any time of day. We provide laptop computers to access the resources they need, but there are alternative versions of these tools that are less expensive and more mobile, with better battery life and less upkeep for library staff. Chromebooks are set up for web browsing, running programs and apps, and give users tools for exploration, research, and document creation, these computers can function on and off the Internet, and are simple to maintain and replace.