Daily Archives: October 3, 2016

“All In at Penn State” initiative kicks off with Oct. 6 event

graphic image with four individuals and text "we are all in" across each image

On Oct. 6 the Penn State community will come together to kick off an ongoing University-wide initiative that brings students, faculty, and staff together to show their commitment to cultivating a diverse and inclusive environment — respectful of everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, abilities, background, veteran’s status, political beliefs, and all the ways we differ.

“All In at Penn State: A Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion” will begin with a public event at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, in front of Old Main. The event will include remarks from President Eric Barron and Vice Provost for Educational Equity Marcus Whitehurst, along with music from the Essence of Joy choir; remarks by faculty member Susan Russell and undergraduate student Jin Brooke; and the announcement of a new “All In” Achievement Award to recognize a Penn State student, faculty, or staff member who has made a significant contribution to the yearlong celebration and whose life and work embody diversity, inclusion, and equity in all of its forms.

The Oct. 6 kick-off event will feature a unique multi-media presentation that will be shown across the front of Old Main and will highlight Penn State’s history, reflect on ways the University can foster dialogue and respect, and ask individuals “Are you all in?” — seeking acknowledgement that diversity, inclusion and equity must continue to be among the core values that drive Penn State’s future. The question also is meant to inspire action by community members to impact the world in positive and enduring ways through the creation of a welcoming and accepting environment.

Events will continue throughout the year, including National Coming Out Week Oct. 10-14; a First Amendment panel discussion Oct. 27 in the HUB-Robeson Center on the University Park campus; Military Appreciation Week Nov. 4-13; Black History Month in February; and more. The “All In” calendar is available online at http://equity.psu.edu/allin-calendar.

The full article is available on the Penn State News website.

“Disability in the Workplace: An Employment Perspective” panel discussion Oct. 13

“Disability in the Workplace: An Employment Perspective,” a panel discussion in support of diversability at Penn State and National Disability Employment Awareness Month, will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library. The public event also will be live-streamed online for Penn State Commonwealth Campus and World Campus faculty and students and other remote attendees through MediaSite Live.

Panelists will focus on employment opportunities as well as initiatives fostered through the U.S. Department of Labor. Lenny Pollack, professor of practice in Penn State’s School of Labor and Employment Relations, will serve as the event’s moderator.

Scheduled panelists include:

Taryn Williams, chief of staff, Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, and disability adviser (detailee) to President Barack Obama;
Stephen Verigood, Penn State human resources and employment relations graduate student, and 2013 alumnus with an undergraduate degree in psychology;
Bill Ritzman, ADA coordinator, Penn State Affirmative Action Office;
Caitlin Rabold, counselor, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry;
Allison Fleming, assistant professor of education, Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling and Special Education, Penn State College of Education.

Sponsored by Penn State’s Office for the Vice Provost for Educational Equity and the University Libraries’ Adaptive Technology and Services, the event aims to inform attendees, particularly students with disabilities, of their employment rights.

The entire article is available on the Penn State News website.

WPSU’s Blockson documentary wins an Emmy

In a ceremony held on Saturday, Sept. 24, in Philadelphia, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-Atlantic Chapter presented Emmy Awards in 78 different categories with WPSU winning for its documentary on the collection of Charles L. Blockson. “Holding History: The Collections of Charles L. Blockson,” co-written by Cole Cullen and Cherlaine Stanford and produced and directed by Stanford, won a 2016 Emmy Award in the Human Interest Program/Special category.

The original, short-form piece tells the story of Charles L. Blockson’s lifelong journey to unearth and preserve the history, culture, and contributions of people of African descent.

The Charles L. Blockson Collection of African-Americana and African Diaspora is one of the most requested collections for instruction in the Eberly Family Special Collections Library at the Penn State University Libraries.

– submitted by Julie Porterfield, Special Collections

University Libraries’ website migration completed

Friday, Sept. 30, marked the highly anticipated completion of the full migration of the Libraries’ website into Drupal. After nearly two years of hard work on the project, we were able to decommission our old Content Management System, Adobe CQ. The goal of the Libraries’ public website is to make our information, services, and resources easily discoverable and
accessible to all of our users. All internally facing content has been migrated into the staff site, designed specifically to serve the needs of the Libraries’ faculty and staff.

As with any website migration, the work doesn’t end the day the migration is complete. The web is an ever-changing, iterative environment that requires consistent updates and improvements to content and functionality. This is where feedback is critical to the continued success of
our site! We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions, which will help us improve the site as we move forward. Please feel free to direct your feedback via the form at: https://libraries.psu.edu/website-feedback/. Feedback and requests will be reviewed and prioritized, and help guide us in planning the next steps for the site.

An effort of this magnitude doesn’t happen without a great team of supportive people! Thank you to everyone in the University Libraries who dedicated great amounts of time and energy to help make the migration a smooth one. Again, we look forward to your feedback as we continue to move forward.

– submitted by Karen Hackett, web content strategist, I-Tech

Sousanis to receive Lynd Ward Prize for “Unflattening” Oct. 6

The 2016 winner of the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year, Nick Sousanis, will receive the award at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library. A comics artist, educator and assistant professor in the departments of Humanities and Liberal Studies at San Francisco State University, Sousanis earned his doctorate in education, becoming the first person at Columbia University to produce his dissertation in comic book form. Sousanis will speak following the award ceremony and autograph copies of his winning graphic narrative, “Unflattening,” which will be available for sale.

The Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year is sponsored by the Penn State University Libraries and administered by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. It is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or nonfiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. or Canadian citizen or resident. The award’s selection jury includes representatives from various Penn State academic departments who use the graphic novel in their teaching or research as well as representatives with graphic novel expertise from among Penn State’s alumni and students.

The full article is available on the Penn State News website.

TEAM LIBRARY

“… we value an understanding of the unique characteristics of all people and strive for insight into what others are thinking and feeling as we work with them.”

– University Libraries Strategic Plan 2014-2019

What are the unique characteristics of your coworkers? What is their story?
Why does their story matter?
What is your story? What do you bring to the team?
Why does your story matter?

This series of team building activities will provide a safe place to explore and express thoughts and ideas about who you are and how we work together to implement strategic change.

Join us, share your story and learn how we all can work better together.

Visit TEAM LIBRARY to learn more and for application details.

Questions? Contact Carmen Gass, crg177@psu.edu, 814-867-2448

Fall blog series: Embedded librarian Lori Lysiak

This is the second in a series of posts about being an embedded librarian with reflections by Lori Lysiak, a reference and instruction librarian at Penn State Altoona. Lori has spent the past few months preparing for and being embedded in Political Science 412. One of the unique things Lori does for the course is post weekly information relevant to the library.

by Lori Lysiak, Penn State Altoona reference and instruction librarian

I jumped at the chance to be an embedded librarian this semester in PL SC 412 for World Campus students. It’s a pleasure to work with Torrie [Raish], the instructor Tamar London Palmer, and the designer Lisa Byrnes to pull everything together to launch an effective online presence. All of our planning and technical work were front-loaded over the summer before the course began. I found that our partnership in determining what level of support the students need and how best to deliver it works well, although there is a small measure of trial and error since Torrie’s embedded librarian program with World Campus is brand new.

There is a temptation on my part to perhaps be “too involved,” but the instructor ably identifies where and when I’m most needed. Zoom is a wonderful online tool to create a quick biography, and Camtasia is perfect for screen-casting teaching content. I used it as a video introduction to the Library Course Guide I created. Torrie and the instructional designer are great time-saving resources in adding the bells and whistles to Camtasia videos. They took care of editing mistakes, adding closed captioning, and inserting title slides and fun call-outs for extra pizzazz. The designer also advised on where all of the library content would be most discoverable in the Canvas environment.

Now that the course is in full swing, I manage a librarian chat forum. Each week I post FYI library information relevant to the current assignment and encourage questions and discussion. The traffic has been light, but I expect it to pick up when the students begin to focus on their research papers. A typical query is, “I want to identify 1-5 key domestic policy changes made over the last 100 years, and correlate them with international economic markers. What I need help with is finding a source to help me identify those key domestic policy changes.”

It’s my goal to make sure online students receive a personalized academic experience in their library interactions, so when students reach out, I encourage virtual consultations via Zoom so we can talk through their needs, just as if we were having a face-to-face consultation in my office. Aside from student consultations, I block out an hour or two every Thursday afternoon to make sure I’m keeping a consistent online presence. This is also a great time to catch up on evaluative metrics. Being an embedded librarian fits perfectly with my research interests in online learning. It’s an exciting time to mold best practices in equal access to library instruction, services, and resources for distance learners at Penn State; I’m fortunate to be a part of it.

Upcoming training sessions for November

Supervisor/Helping New Librarians
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2 p.m.
Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park and Mediasite Live.

Welcoming new colleagues to Penn State University Libraries is an essential part of bringing new ideas and energy into the organization. As we hire new professionals into entry-level positions, these new professionals are going through many transitions that can make their first professional experience more challenging than they may have anticipated. This session explores this period of transition by reviewing research on factors commonly associated with job satisfaction for new professionals and highlighting specific issues and situations associated with these factors. We will discuss solutions and strategies for supporting new librarians, and identify best practices for recruiting, retaining, and supporting new librarians.

Librarian/Helping New Librarians
Thursday, Nov. 3, 11 a.m.
Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park and Mediasite Live.

Stepping into your first — or second — professional position can be challenging. New professionals experience many transitions very quickly as they orient themselves to their new role, their new organization, and their new professional identity. If any of this sounds familiar, then this session is for you! During this session, we will discuss many of the issues that new professionals often experience, and identify factors related to these issues that can impact job satisfaction and performance. You can expect to leave this session with strategies for dealing with the transitions you’re facing, for proactively seeking job satisfaction and enjoyment, and for recognizing the support systems and community surrounding you.

Exhibition Information Literacy Class
Tuesday, Nov. 8, 11 a.m.-noon
Pattee Library 140 (Knowledge Commons)

During an average academic year, Library Learning Services engages with more than 250 students in ENG 015, CAS 100, ESL, and other classes identified as opportunities to integrate foundational-level information literacy concepts into a student’s experience. What actually happens in these classes? What sorts of things do we teach as part of our foundational-level program, and how do we teach them? If you’ve ever wondered what really goes on in these classes, then you’re invited to our first-ever Exhibition Information Literacy Class, where we will lift the veil and expose the ideas and strategies that we bring to these classes. Come prepared to experience some hands-on activities and to gain a new perspective on teaching and learning in the Libraries.

– submitted by Carmen Gass, User Training Services

USTEAC Library Professional Development Series – Week 11

The final Lynda.com training video in this installment of the User Services Training Employee Advisory Council (USTEAC) series focuses on managing customer expectations. This video can be viewed individually with the option to complete the module and apply what you have learned to your daily work.

The USTEAC recommended list of videos and modules for the 11-week professional development series is available for viewing at any time.

Week 11
The Manager’s Guide to Managing Customer Expectations
“Customer service managers may not be on the front lines, but they can create systems and processes that help ensure that the organization’s service promises match what it actually delivers.” The video entitled Understand the impact of unpleasant surprises is a great way to start this 26-minute course.

Tech Tip: Create a permanent meeting space in Zoom

By Ryan Johnson, I-Tech

Did you know you create a meeting space in Zoom that will always have the same Meeting ID number?

Your Personal Meeting ID (PMI) is a meeting ID that is unique to you. By default, the system selects one for you when you create your account. We recommend that you edit that PMI to be your office phone number. That way, it will be unique to you and you won’t forget it.

To edit your PMI, follow these steps:

Launch the Zoom application.
Select the Meetings tab.
You will see your PMI at the top.
Select Edit (you will need to hover over this location to see it).
Select Change your Personal Meeting ID.
Type in your office number and select Apply.
Select Save.
Close the window.

Below where your PMI is shown, there is a small box that says “Always use PMI for instant meetings on this computer.”

I would also suggest checking the box under Meeting Options, Enable join before host if you want to allow users to enter before you arrive.

**Be aware that when you use your PMI for a meeting, another participant could enter in the meeting with you if you are active and they know your PMI. Therefore, if you wish to use Zoom for confidential meetings or interviews, I would suggest either enforcing a password to enter the meeting or allowing the system to generate a unique meeting ID for you when you schedule those confidential meetings or interviews.

LHR News: Oct. 3

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Full-time:
— at University Park:
Elise Gowen – Earth, Engineering, and Mineral Sciences Librarian, Earth and Mineral Sciences Library

Part-time:
— at University Park:
Mengyin Chen – Arts and Humanities Library

— at Commonwealth Campus Libraries:
Allison Williamson – Penn State Altoona
James Butterfield – Penn State Hershey
Sarah McNatt – Penn State Hershey
Gowri Reddy – Penn State Hershey
Kent Upham – Penn State Hershey
Charles Peters – Penn State Worthington Scranton
Ashley Rivera-Penson – Penn State Worthington Scranton

Events: Oct. 3

Fall 2016

Through Wednesday, Nov. 30: “Penn State Wilkes-Barre, 100 Years: 1916-2016” exhibit, Friedman Gallery, Academic Commons, Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus, Lehman.

Through Friday, Dec. 16: “Expanding Horizons: Penn Staters in the Olympics” exhibit, Special Collections Library, 104 Paterno Library, University Park.

Through Friday, Dec. 16: “Japanimation: Exploring Anime” exhibit, Sidewater Commons and central entrance, Pattee Library, University Park.

Monday, Oct. 3: Meditation techniques lecture, 12:20-1:10 p.m., Hazleton Library, L-12, Hazleton.

Tuesday, Oct. 4: Disability Awareness Month Event: Working with patrons with disabilities, Carmen Gass, Libraries’ User Services Training Coordinator, 10 a.m.-noon, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park, and MediaSite Live.

Wednesday, Oct. 5: Behrend Common Read Book Club, noon-1 p.m., Smith Chapel, Penn State Behrend, Erie.

Thursday, Oct. 6: Nick Sousanis will give a talk after accepting the Lynd Ward Prize for his graphic novel “Unflattening,” 4-5 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Friday, Oct. 7: GTA Workshop: Professional Development Conference for Grad Students and Postdocs, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library.

Monday-Friday, Oct. 10-14: Vairo Library Open House, Penn State Brandywine, Media.

Wednesday, Oct. 12: Getting to know GIS: GIS Literacy, 3:30-5 p.m., Donald W. Hamer Maps Library, W13 Pattee Library, University Park, and on Adobe Connect.

Thursday-Friday, Oct. 13-14 & Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 17-19: Libraries United Way Team Cookie Contest, 2-4 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, Oct. 13: Disability Awareness Month Panel Discussion: Disability in the Workplace, 6-7:30 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park, and MediaSite Live.

Friday, Oct. 14: Coffee with Carmen, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Saturday, Oct. 15: Penn State Harrisburg Library Open House, 7:45-9 a.m., Capitol Union Building, Harrisburg.

Sunday, Oct.16: Penn State Parents and Families Weekend events, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Pattee and Paterno Libraries Open House featuring refreshments, a gallery talk, book discussion and tours, University Park.

Sunday, Oct.16: Penn State Sports Archives at a Glance, 10-11 a.m., part of the Parents and Families Weekend events at Pattee and Paterno Libraries, presented by Sports Achivist Paul Dzyak, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Sunday, Oct.16: Penn State Reads: Parent Edition, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., part of the Parents and Families Weekend events at Pattee and Paterno Libraries, conversation and discussion about “The Circle” facilitated by Sue Paterno, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Sunday, Oct.16: Guided Tour, 1-2 p.m., part of the Parents and Families Weekend events at Pattee and Paterno Libraries, tour of the Tombros and McWhirter Knowledge Commons and Special Collections Library begins in the Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Tuesday, Oct. 18: Tech Update, by Libraries I-Tech staff, 3:00-4:00 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park, and MediaSite Live.

Tuesday, Oct. 18: Discovery Day Webinar Series: What the Library Can Do for You, presented by Liz Long and Megan Gilpin, 1-2 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park, and MediaSite Live.

Tuesday, Oct. 18: Team Library, 2-3:30 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Tuesday, Oct. 18: David DeNotaris speaks about employment opportunities for people with disabilities, 6:30 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park, and MediaSite Live.

Wednesday, Oct. 19: Space planning brown bag session, Libraries’ Space Steering Committee open discussion and Q & A, noon-1 p.m., 510A Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Oct. 19: Promotion and tenure recognition event, 4-6:30 p.m., Paterno Reading Room, University Park.

Thursday, Oct. 20: Pumpkin carving 101, by Terry Watson, noon-1 p.m., W23 Pattee Library, University Park.

Monday, Oct. 24, through Saturday, Dec. 3: “Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature” exhibit, Penn State Hazleton Library, Hazleton.

Tuesday, Oct. 25: Patron privacy training, presented by Ann Snowman, 3-4 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park and Mediasite Live.

Wednesday, Oct. 26: Dean’s Forum, 10-11 a.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park, and MediaSite Live.

Wednesday, Oct. 26: Penn State Beaver Library Open House, noon-1:30 p.m., Beaver campus library.

Wednesday, Oct. 26: Customer service training, User Services Training by Aaron Procious, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, Oct. 27: Penn State Hazleton Library Game Night, 7-10 p.m., Hazleton campus library.

Friday, Oct. 28: Interdisciplinary Research Colloquium, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Morrison Gallery, Penn State Harrisburg Library.

Wednesday, Nov. 1: Penn State Wilkes-Barre Centennial anniversary gala, 6-9 p.m., by invitation only, for more information, contact Rachel Olszewski-Rybicki at 100YearCelebration@psu.edu, Genetti Hotel and Conference Center, Wilkes-Barre.

Wednesday, Nov. 2: Supervisor: Helping New Librarians Find Success and Satisfaction in the Academic Library, 2 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park, and MediaSite Live.

Wednesday, Nov. 2: Website building 101 (for the non-coder), User Training Services event presented by Hailley Foster, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Nov. 2: Archaeological Institute of America Public Lecture, 5:30-7 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, Nov. 3: Librarians: Helping New Librarians Find Success and Satisfaction in the Academic Library, 2 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park, and MediaSite Live.

Tuesday, Nov. 8: New employee orientation, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Tuesday, Nov. 8: Library Learning Services: Exhibition information literacy class, 10 a.m., 140 Pattee Library, University Park.

Tuesday, Nov. 8: Meditation techniques lecture, 12:20-1:10 p.m., Hazleton Library, L-12, Hazleton.

Tuesday, Nov. 8: “Poetry without Borders,” poetry reading and reception, 6-7 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library; 7-8 p.m. reception in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Nov. 9: Behrend Common Read Book Club, with author Will Allen, noon-1 p.m., Smith Chapel, Penn State Behrend, Erie.

Thursday, Nov. 10: Beating Burnout, 10 a.m.,Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park, and MediaSite Live.

Thursday, Nov. 10: Biology seminar about El Niño, presented by Illiana Baums, Penn State associate professor of biology, 4-5 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Friday, Nov. 11: Coffee with Carmen, with special guests Dean Barbara Dewey and Associate Dean Anne Langley, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, University Park.

Tuesday, Nov. 15: International Education Week presentation, featuring either Ron Redwing or Vickie Sanchez as speaker, 2-3 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Nov. 16: Space planning brown bag session, Libraries’ Space Steering Committee open discussion and Q & A, noon-1 p.m., 510A Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, Nov. 17: Team Library, 2-3:30 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Friday, Nov. 18: International Education Week presentation, featuring speakers Sarah Shear and Madison Miller, 10 a.m.-noon., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Sunday-Saturday, Nov. 20-26: Thanksgiving holiday, no classes.

Saturday, Nov. 26: Huddle with the faculty, “Thou Didst Mold Us: Penn State Accomplishments Through the Decades: 1855-2016, presented by Jackie Esposito, 8:30-10 a.m., Nittany Lion Inn, University Park.

Wednesday, Dec. 7: Meditation techniques lecture, 12:20-1:10 p.m., Hazleton Library, L-12, Hazleton.

Friday, Dec. 9: Last day of fall classes.

Sunday-Tuesday, Dec. 11-13: DeStress Fest, 3-8 p.m., University Park library locations.

Monday-Friday, Dec. 12-16: Final exams.

Wednesday, Dec. 14: Tech Update, by Libraries I-Tech staff, 1-2:30 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, and MediaSite Live.

Thursday, Dec. 15: Coffee with Carmen, with special guest Steven Herb speaking about storytelling, 1-2:30 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, and MediaSite Live.

Saturday, Dec. 17: Fall Commencement, University Park and several Commonwealth Campus locations.

Wednesday, Dec. 21: Space planning brown bag session, Libraries’ Space Steering Committee open discussion and Q & A, noon-1 p.m., 510A Paterno Library, University Park.

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