Daily Archives: January 9, 2017

University Libraries hosts Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoration events

The University Libraries will host four events, incorporating film, the arts and a featured speaker, to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King during Penn State’s 2017 Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Jan. 16-20 at the University Park campus.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 16) two events in Pattee Library and Paterno Library will include a 1994 documentary film and a choral concert. Hourly presentations of “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: A Historical Perspective” will be shown from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library. From 1 to 1:30 p.m. in Franklin Atrium, 106 Pattee Library, visitors can enjoy musical selections from Penn State’s Essence of Joy choral ensemble.

On Wednesday, Jan. 18, Tom Houck, a 1966-1968 aide to King and his family, will share his knowledge and passion on King’s life and times at 7:30 p.m. in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library. The event is co-sponsored by the Presidential Leadership Academy, Schreyer Honors College, Paterno Family Professorship, Hillel and the University Libraries.

In addition, the annual poster exhibit “University Libraries Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month” will be on display through Feb. 28 in the lobby display cases of central Pattee Library. The exhibit highlights graphic design entries by Penn State students for the 32nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration poster, this year designed by Hayle Stoner, senior graphic design major.

A complete list of events held on campus to celebrate the 32nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration at Penn State, visit mlk.psu.edu.

Libraries participates in geospatial initiative: The Big Ten Academic Alliance Geospatial Data Portal Project

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Geospatial Data Portal Project has launched an online spatial data discovery tool called the Big Ten Academic Alliance Geoportal. The tool is collectively managed by a task force of librarians and geospatial specialists at ten member institutions. Thousands of metadata records have been aggregated and edited to connect scholars across the Big Ten to geospatial data resources, including GIS datasets, web services, and digitized historical maps from multiple data clearinghouses and library catalogs or websites. The tool offers both place-based and text-based search options to accommodate different kinds of users and their familiarity with geospatial data. Item-level pages display descriptive metadata records along with external links to download, view a preview or read more about the resources that have been retrieved.

Background

The Big Ten Academic Alliance Geospatial Data Portal Project began in 2015 to provide discoverability, facilitate access to, and connect scholars across the Big Ten Academic Alliance to often scattered geospatial data resources. The project’s current outputs include a public geoportal, a harvestable collection of well over 3000 geospatial records in a uniform metadata standard, and workflow documentation.

Collaboration

At the core of this project is a fun and productive collaboration between individuals from ten different Big Ten Academic Alliance institutions and their libraries. There are more than 20 task force members working together in the planning and implementation of the project who are building a collection of metadata records that function to make spatial data and map images accessible via the geoportal. Over the past year, task force members have also worked together to deliver conference presentations and create/deliver posters, and publish papers about the project. A new blog was also recently launched.

Penn State’s participation in the Geoportal project has been a successful and broad collaboration of numerous departments and staff, both internal and external to the University Libraries. With the Libraries administration’s support, Paige Andrew, Linda Ballinger and Nathan Piekielek serve on the overall project Task Force while Nathan also serves on the project’s Collection Development Steering Committee. Library intern Sonia Kaufman has performed metadata work on the project in close collaboration with Linda Ballinger. Members of the Maps Cataloging Team in the Cataloging and Metadata Services Department have provided metadata enhancement support, the Eberly Family Special Collections Library has facilitated access to their Rare Maps Collection, the Department of Preservation, Digitization and Conservation is currently digitizing the Rare Maps Collection, and Heather Ross and the Maps Library have provided access to digitized maps. External to the University Libraries, the Penn State affiliated Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access (PASDA) and DataCommons team generously contributed all of their metadata records to the geoportal project. We continue to identify cartographic and spatial resources from the Libraries’ collections and beyond to add as new content to the geoportal.

Finally, the project has benefitted from many developments made across the growing geospatial data clearinghouse development community in recent years. In particular, it is indebted to the contributors to the national and international initiatives: OpenGeoportal, GeoBlacklight and OpenGeoMetadata.

In the coming year, the project hopes to secure continuation funding to add more metadata records, respond to user feedback on the existing interface, and expand the functionality of the geoportal.

– submitted by Paige Andrew, Cataloging and Metadata Services Maps Team, Cataloging and Metadata Services

University Libraries 2015-2016 Annual Report: Partners in Advancing Scholarship and Discovery

The University Libraries is pleased to share its 2015-2016 annual report, “Partners in Advancing Scholarship and Discovery.” The report highlights some of our accomplishments and initiatives during the past academic year as they relate to our strategic plan programmatic areas of Teaching and Learning; Discovery, Access, and Preservation; and Advancing University Research.

A University Libraries-wide committee, appointed by the Libraries leadership team, contributed content and reviewed the report, which also was informed by the dean’s annual activity report, the Ithaka S+R survey and additional data-driven sources. Committee members included Steve Borrelli, Chris Holobar, Joe Fennewald, Brent Hurley (succeeded by Nicki Hendrix), Athena Jackson, Sue Kellerman, Binky Lush, Tom Reinsfelder, Emily Rimland and Jill Shockey. Committee members sought input from units in an effort for content to be as widely representative of the Libraries’ achievements and activities as possible.

The annual report may be viewed online or downloaded as a PDF file. Print copies of the annual report are sent to targeted donors and prospective donors, peer institutions and others at Libraries leadership and Development’s discretion. The PDF also has been shared with members of Penn State’s academic leadership.

Quarterly HR Climate Report

In July 2016, Libraries HR started sharing quarterly reports about climate-and civility-related issues that are reported. Below is a summary of issues reported in 2016, by quarter.

Issues included in the report are those that involved conduct contrary to the Libraries’ Civility Statement, incidents of bullying, concerns about work climate, and similar issues. Concerns brought directly to Libraries HR or Libraries Administration are included, as well as concerns shared through other reporting mechanisms that are brought to our attention (such as the Employee Relations department, Affirmative Action, or the Ethics Hotline).

Outcomes are categorized as:

Corrective Action/Performance Discussion – the employee committing the action is advised that their behavior is unacceptable. Expectations for the future are shared. Consequences of further inappropriate behavior are explained.
Coaching and/or Counseling – the employee committing the action is provided with coaching and advice on how to improve their interactions with others
Provided advice/support for employee to take action – some employees bring issues seeking advice on how they can take action themselves to address and improve the situation
No action desired/required – this could include situations in which the employee expressing the concern has asked that no action be taken at this time, where there is a lack of supporting information to substantiate that the concern is valid, or where there is not enough information to act on. Additional categories may be added if needed in the future.

Incidents reported in 2016 are summarized as follows:	4Q 2016	3Q 2016	2Q 2016	1Q 2016
# Reported Incidents Characterized as culture-related (incivility or bullying)	2	5	3	2
Status:		;
Open	0	0	0	1
Resolved	2	5	3	1
Outcome:
Corrective Action/Performance Discussion	0	1	1	0
Coaching and/or counseling	0	0	0	1
Provided advice/support for employee to take action	0	1	0	0
No action desired/required	2	3	2	0

– submitted by Rob Harris, Human Resources

Next Dean’s Forum set for Tuesday, Jan. 17

Please plan to attend a Dean’s Diversity Forum at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, and via Mediasite Live. Moses K. Davis, director of the Penn State Multicultural Resource Center, will present on the topic: “Growing up Moses: Why I Show Up in Love.”

Why your team needs customer service refresher training

Jeff Toister, founder of Toister Performance Solutions, has been helping organizations through employee training, customer service surveys and helping clients develop customer-focused cultures for more than 20 years.

His article, “Why your team needs customer service refresher training,” begins with his initial appraisal of annual refresher training. He wrote, “Quite frankly, I used to think annual refresher training was worthless.”

Conducting these workshops was part of Toister’s job years ago when he was the Director of Training for Ace Parking, a parking management company. The training was a requirement written into the management contract for many of the company’s locations.

Toister quickly noticed something important. The parking managers who readily scheduled the training with him had higher customer service levels than the few managers who didn’t do the annual refresher.

Check out his article and accompanying materials and learn why you really need annual refresher training for your team, when you should do it, and how you can get it done.

– submitted by Carmen Gass, User Services Training

Delivering a strong customer service experience is no longer a choice, but a necessity

Though debate still rages around whether or not to treat students like customers inside the walls of the academy, most learners have already made up their minds. With the majority of today’s students designated as non-traditional learners, their expectations line up more closely to those of a consumer making a major purchase. That’s not to say they’re looking to “buy a degree”—simply that they want to be regarded as customers and treated with the respect that comes with that title.

Read this interview with Diane Johnson as she reflects on some of the factors that have led to this shift and shares a few ways that college and university leaders can ensure their institutions are meeting the needs of today’s students.

– submitted by Carmen Gass, User Services Training

Tech Tip: Accessing, hiding and showing the ribbon in Office 2016

by Ryan Johnson, I-Tech

In the Office 2016 applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, accessing and customizing the ribbon and menu items is performed the same way. What differs are the customization options available within each application.

To hide or show the ribbon, click the Ribbon Display Options button from the top right of your application. You then have three options for your ribbon display:

If you choose Auto-hide Ribbon, this will provide you with the most work space and lets you display the ribbon when needed by clicking on the top of the application.
If you choose Show Tabs, this also provides you with more workspace by removing the commands, but keeps the tabs at the top for easy access with a click.
If you choose Show Tabs and Commands, this will show both the tabs and the commands at the same time.

LHR News: Jan. 9

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Part-time:
Arrick Lanfranchi – Pattee/Paterno Welcome Desk
Addeson McAninch – Penn State Behrend
Laura Presby – Penn State Great Valley

Events: Jan. 9

Spring 2017

Through Tuesday, Feb. 28: Poster Exhibit: University Libraries Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month, posters designed by Penn State students for 32nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration poster design competition, Pattee Library, Central Lobby (mall entrance), University Park.

Through Friday, August 30, 2017: “100 Years of the Pulitzers: Celebrating Our Humanity,” exhibit, Arts and Humanities Library operating hours, Diversity Studies Room, 203 Patee Library, University Park.

Monday, Jan. 9 through Friday, May 5: “From the Trenches: The Great War in Sepia” exhibit, spring semester hours, Special Collections Library, 104 Paterno Library, University Park.

Monday, Jan. 9: First day of spring classes.

Monday, Jan. 16: Hourly presentations of “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: a Historical Perspective,” 1994 documentary tracing the life of Dr. King and the development of his nonviolent philosophies over the course of the historic Civil Rights Movement, with political and social context, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Monday, Jan. 16: Musical selections from Penn State choir Essence of Joy, directed by Dr. Anthony Leach, 1-1:30 p.m., Franklin Atrium, W106 Pattee Library, University Park.

Monday, January 16 through Friday, May 5: “Research Wrapped in Aesthetics: The Air Wall,” documentary exhibit, spring operating hours, Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library, 111 Stuckeman Family Building, University Park.

Tuesday, Jan. 17: Dean’s Diversity Forum, “Growing up Moses: Why I show up in love,” by Moses Davis, director of the Multicultural Resource Center, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park and Mediasite Live.

Wednesday, Jan. 18: — POSTPONED until February 15 — “Studying African Indigenous Knowledge for Improved Health and Biodiversity,” with Abderrahim Ouarghidi and Bronwen Powell, 3-4 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Jan. 18: State College Young Professionals introduction to library and reception, 4:30-6 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Jan. 18: Speaker Tom Houck, a 1966-1968 aide to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a strong advocate and volunteer for civil and human rights, will share his knowledge and passion on King’s life and times, 7:30 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Jan. 18: Who’s Got Game? Board Game Night, 7-9 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Jan. 25: M.G. Whiting Award Winner presentation, with Annie Marcinek, noon-1 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Jan. 25: “The Politics of Struggle: The National Council of Indigenous Peoples in Mexico,“ 4-5 p.m., presentation by Maria Muñoz, Susquehanna University, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park and Mediasite Live.

Thursday, Jan. 26: TEAM Library, 2-3:30 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library & Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Friday, Jan. 27: Coffee with Carmen: Diversity Component, noon-1 p.m., with speakers Alia Gant, Jose Guerrero and Athena Jackson, Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Friday, Jan. 27: Making $ense with Digital Badges, noon-1 p.m., Lori Lysiak and Lauren Reiter will speak about Penn State’s digital badge initiative, Room 202 Eiche, Robert E. Eiche Library, Altoona. Registration deadline is Wednesday, Jan. 25.

Monday, Jan. 30: Dean’s Forum, 10 a.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park and Mediasite Live.

Monday-Friday, Feb. 6-17: Blind Date with a Book, Franklin Atrium, W106 Pattee Library, University Park.

Tuesday, Feb. 14: Centre County Reads: Panel discussion of Stacey Lee’s “Under a Painted Sky,” 4-5:30 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Feb. 15: Human Library, 1-7 p.m., multiple locations at University Park.

Wednesday, Feb. 22: Coffee with Carmen: Morgan Academic Support Center for Student-Athletes, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Feb. 22: Dean Dewey’s Annual Open House, 2-3 p.m., 510 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, Feb. 23: TEAM Library, 2-3:30 p.m., with Moses Davis, Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Saturday, Feb. 25: One-day workshop on Indigenous Knowledge, with Abderrahim Ouarghidi and Bronwen Powell, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park. RSVP to Mark Mattson at mam1196@psu.edu.

Sunday-Saturday, March 5-11: Spring break, no classes.

Thursday, March 23: TEAM Library, 2-3:30 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Friday-Saturday, April 7-8: “Boundaries of the Human in the Age of the Life Sciences,” 4-5 p.m., with speaker Scott Gilbert, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, April 20: 2017 Public Poetry Contest winners public reading, 7:30-8:30 p.m.,
Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Friday, April 28: Last day of spring classes.

Sunday-Tuesday, April 30-May 2: DeStress Fest.

Monday-Friday, May 1-5: Final exams.

Friday-Sunday, May 5-7: Spring commencement weekend, most campuses.

Tuesday, May 9: COP Workshop, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

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