Daily Archives: January 16, 2017

Dean’s Doings

by Barbara I. Dewey, dean, University Libraries and Scholarly Communications

It’s a new year and I am trying a different kind of column highlighting selected activities I’m involved in as they happen. Nicki Hendrix and I just returned from a brief trip to Naples, Florida, where we visited with several alumni donors. We also attended the Naples Penn State Alumni Chapter where I gave a talk about the Libraries.

To read my comments given at the talk, open a browser to:
https://staff.libraries.psu.edu/system/files/Dewey-Naples-Penn-State-Alumni-Club-011017_0.pdf.

I focused on what students are doing in the library in their own words, highlights of Special Collections, and major initiatives including OER, the Campaign, our work supplying Penn State collections to the Commonwealth, and the 100 Years of the Pulitzer Exhibition. The chapter meeting was attended by about 40 Penn State alums.

Reminder: Dean’s Forums scheduled for Jan. 17 and Jan. 30

The Dean’s Diversity Forum will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17, in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, and available 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.”

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend the Dean’s Forum at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 30 in Foster Auditorium or via Mediasite Live. Dean Barbara I. Dewey will present an impressive list of kudos and the agenda continues with information on a collaboration between THON and the University Libraries presented by the THON Directors, an update on Penn State’s Voluntary Retirement Program, and a presentation by the Big Ten Academic Alliance Geospatial Team.

Libraries awarded $239,000 grant to digitize three U.S. labor union collections

Penn State University Libraries has been selected for one of just 17 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grants nationwide to make available online several of its special collections that document the historical connections among three important American labor organizations.

The grant, administered by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) and supported by the Mellon Foundation’s Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives awards program, totals $239,185 to fund the two-year digitization project. Penn State’s project, “Beneath the Surface and Cast in Steel: Forging the American Industrial Union Movement Digital Project,” was selected from among 144 proposals submitted in 2016. The University Libraries’ co-principal investigators include Karen Estlund, associate dean for technology and digital strategies; Sue Kellerman, the Judith O. Sieg Chair for Preservation; and James Quigel, head of Historical Collections and Labor Archives.

The 17 grants selected by CLIR in 2016 comprise the second group of projects supported by the Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives awards program, which is supported by funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The Digitizing Hidden Collections program supports the creation of digital representations of unique content of high scholarly significance that will be discoverable and usable as elements of a coherent national collection.

The full article about this grant available on Penn State News.

Jackson featured in ‘Archiving in Color’ profile

Athena Jackson, the Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair and Head of the Eberly Family Special Collections Library, was recently featured in the latest “Archiving in Color” profile from the Archivists and Archives of Color Section, an interest group within the Society of American Archivists.

To commemorate the Archivist and Archives of Color Section‘s 30th anniversary, the Archivists and Archives of Color seek to celebrate the contributions AAC members have made to the Society of American Archivists and the archival profession at large.

– submitted by Courtney Young, Penn State Greater Allegheny

New exhibit ‘From the Trenches: The Great War in Sepia’ opens

World War I soldiers standing in trenches

This image is one of 55 on display from original glass-plate stereographic photographs in the Keystone View Company’s World War I Stereographic Views Collection.

A view into the humanity and tragedy of World War I through rare battlefield images comprises “From the Trenches: The Great War in Sepia,” a new exhibit located in the Eberly Family Special Collections Library, 103 Paterno Library. The exhibit will be on display through Friday, May 5.

“From the Trenches: The Great War in Sepia,” recognizes the centennial anniversary of America’s entry into the “Great War,” and captures the perspective of the common foot soldier. The images on display draw from more than 350 archived images taken from the original glass-plate stereographic photographs in the Keystone View Company’s World War I Stereographic Views Collection.

Also on display in the Special Collections Library are World War I patriotic recruitment posters digitally reproduced from the originals in the War Posters Collection. The posters highlight the significant role women played in supporting the Allied war effort and reveal the government’s skillful appropriation of the feminine ideal for wartime propaganda.

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

Student engagement activities set for spring 2017 semester

Themed activities for Penn State students promote fun and learning in the University Libraries during the spring 2017 semester. “Who’s Got Game?” game night on Wednesday, Jan. 18, in the Paterno Library kicks off the four monthly events taking place in as part of the programming by Library Learning Services.

Students are invited to drop in between 7 and 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, for a board game night and enjoy snacks in the Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library. Scrabble, Settlers of Catan, Game of Thrones and many more board games will be available and set up on tables for groups or for individuals to join.

Upcoming events:
Feb. 6-17: “Blind Date with a Book”
March 20: Edible Book Contest
April 19: Poetry Slam

Additional details on the upcoming spring student engagement events are available in the Penn State News article.

Sabbaticals approved for Libraries faculty

By Barbara Dewey, dean, University Libraries and Scholarly Communications

I am pleased to announce that sabbatical leaves for the following University Libraries faculty have been approved:

Ann W. Copeland, Head, Cataloging and Metadata Services
April 1-Sept. 30, 2018 — To research serial publications that are manuscripts then finalize and publish rules for cataloging Manuscript Serials.

Jeffrey A. Knapp, Larry and Ellen Foster Communications Librarian
Sept. 1, 2017-Feb. 28, 2018 — To create an embedded information literacy program for the College of Communications.

Eric C. Novotny, Humanities Librarian
Jan. 1-June 30, 2018 — To explore the application of digital methodologies to ongoing research in library history.

Henry A. Pisciotta, Arts & Architecture Librarian
Sept. 1, 2017-May 31, 2018 — To determine the role aesthetics can and should have in the design of academic library facilities.

Geospatial sessions offered spring 2017

Three geospatial workshops are scheduled for this semester for faculty, staff, students and patrons with participation is available in person and remotely via Adobe Connect. Please consider attending and sharing with associated departments. No registration is required.

Additionally, one-on-one geospatial consultations are available through our booking site.

Once entering the Donald W. Hamer Maps Library floor, the instructional room is located across from the entrance to the collection, services, and reference area.

Thursday, Feb. 9: Getting to Know SimplyMap, Social Explorer and PolicyMap
3:30-4:30 p.m., Donald W. Hamer Maps Library, W13 Pattee Library, University Park and on Adobe Connect.

PolicyMap, SimplyMap, and Social Explorer are mapping applications available by subscription via the University Libraries. These web-based mapping platforms enable the user to use, visualize, and create map outputs in multiple formats. This workshop will consist of a series of presentation slides highlighting the key features, data sources, and display capabilities of each mapping application. Following the presentation materials, participants will complete a hands-on portion to gain experience navigating each application. Participants are encouraged to create a map using each application at the end of the session.

Thursday, Feb. 16: Getting to Know GIS: GIS Literacy
3:30-4:30 p.m., Donald W. Hamer Maps Library, W13 Pattee Library, University Park and on Adobe Connect.

This session will introduce participants to GIS concepts that form the foundation of working with spatial data. GIS topics will be discussed without reference to a specific software package. Participants will gain a greater understanding of GIS concepts, introductory concepts to different data models, manipulation, and analysis techniques.

Thursday, Feb. 23: Introduction to ArcGIS Online
3:30-4:30 p.m., Donald W. Hamer Maps Library, W13 Pattee Library, University Park and on Adobe Connect.

This session provides 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, Pennsylvania, to learn the functionality of ArcGIS Online web maps and applications. The ArcGIS Online Gallery features examples of the application.

– submitted by Tara LaLonde, Social Sciences Library

ICIK lecture to discuss representation for indigenous peoples of Mexico

woman with glasses standing in front of colorful background

María Muñoz’s research led her to examine the events that led to the first national congress of indigenous peoples and the developments after the assembly.

The efforts of the National Council of Indigenous Peoples (CNPI) will be the topic of a lecture by María Muñoz at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 25, in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library. Muñoz’s lecture, “The Politics of Struggle: The National Council of Indigenous Peoples (1970-1987),” is sponsored by Penn State’s Latin American Studies program, Department of History, and the Interinstitutional Center for Indigenous Knowledge.

Muñoz, an associate professor of history, associate director of the honors program, and a Winifred and Gustave Weber Fellow in humanities at Susquehanna University, will discuss how the leaders of CNPI struggled to bring to fruition a national organization that would safeguard the interests of a diverse national indigenous population within the Mexican state. Formed in 1975, the CNPI faced numerous challenges, but helped define the contours of the possible as well as the dreams for what might be.

The Penn State News article on this ICIK lecture includes more information on the topic and Muñoz.

Penn State University Press holds annual art and architecture sale

Penn State University Press is holding its annual art and architecture sale on psupress.org through Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, Feb. 14, with a discount of up to 75 percent on many selections.

Hundreds of classic PSU Press books relating to art, art history, and architecture, such as Heaven on Earth: Art and the Church in Byzantium by Linda Safran and Principles of Art History Writing by David Carrier, as well as new titles such as Graphic Passion: Matisse and the Book Arts by John Bidwell and The Surviving Image by Georges Didi-Huberman are included in the web sale.

Visit http://www.psupress.org/artsale2017.html to shop.

– submitted by Cate Fricke, Penn State University Press

How would you respond if asked: ‘What time is the three o’clock parade?’

“What time is the three o’clock parade?”

On any given day in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, you might hear guests asking the “cast members,” the term Disney uses for its employees, this seemingly peculiar question. While the question appears to have an obvious answer, we also know that frequently the true question lies beyond the obvious.

To read the full article from the Disney Institute, click here.

– submitted by Carmen Gass, User Training Services

Green Tips: Sustainable resolutions

by Sarah Billman for the University Libraries Green Team

By taking some easy steps to be more sustainable, you can have a greener 2017 and the Libraries Green Committee has some ideas to help you start your new year.

Bring a reusable water bottle from home instead of buying bottled water
Today there are a myriad of choices and styles to fit your lifestyle and water intake needs. With many places offering water bottle refilling stations, it’s an easy switch to make. Some basic qualities to look for in a good water bottle are:

BPA, phthalates, and chemical free
Leak and spill proof
Double-walled vacuum insulated
Dishwasher safe

Skip the plastic bag and bring your own bag instead
Compact, foldable bags come in lots of great colors and sizes. Buy a couple and toss them in your favorite coat, your desk drawer or in your vehicle so you always have one available when you need it.

Eliminate phantom power at work and at home by unplugging wall chargers when not in use.

Many device chargers today continue to draw electricity as long as the wall charger is plugged in not just when you’re charging your device.

Bring your own utensils instead of using the plastic disposable ones
Keep a set of bamboo or metal utensils or a spork in your desk drawer or bag and reach for it when plastic disposable utensils are available.

Take public transportation
Check with Penn State Transportation Services or your local HR Representative to find out about public transportation options available in your area.

Participate in a ridesharing program if available in your area
Rideshare participants find there are numerous reasons why ridesharing is beneficial to them and their community. For example:

Financial savings due to shared commuting costs
Decreased personal vehicle maintenance and wear and tear
Improved air quality resulting from fewer auto emissions
Reduced traffic congestion
More free time for riders

Not sure if ridesharing is for you? Try a Zimride or check with CATA for more information about ridesharing around Centre and surrounding counties

Borrow a Kill-A-Watt Electricity Usage Monitor from the Libraries to identify opportunities for electricity reduction in your home.

The Kill-A-Watt Electricity Usage Monitors come with instructions for how to use them as information how to access the Electricity Calculator

Divert your trash from landfills by composting your food scraps and recycling

Tech Tip: Wrap text by default in Excel 16

by Ryan Johnson, I-Tech

If a string exceeds the width of a cell, then it will extend into those adjacent. This can be overcome by wrapping the text so it fits within a single cell.

To have text wrapping enabled by default, first load a new spreadsheet and go to the Home tab on the ribbon and within the Styles group right-click Normal. Click Modify… and then Format. Switch to the Alignment tab, tick Wrap text and click OK twice.

This will change the setting on the current spreadsheet only.

LHR News: Jan. 16

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Full-time:
Susanna Cronin, Associate Director, Development

Part-time:
Alonso Alzua – Earth and Mineral Sciences Library
Sujata Chhetri – Penn State Behrend
Sudesh Kesarkar – Commons Services
Sakthi Kumar Arul Prakash – Commons Services
Cassandra McCowin – Penn State Shenango
Kevin Mechlenburg – Peer Educator Intern, Schreyer Business Library
Luke Nero – Penn State Behrend
Douglas Uhazie – Peer Educator Intern, Schreyer Business Library

Events: Jan. 16

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.

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. 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: 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 and Mediasite Live.

Wednesday, Jan. 25: Trauma Informed Services in the Library: Understanding and Serving our Community, webinar presentation by Elissa Hardy, 3-4 p.m., W23 Pattee Library, University Park, and via desktop (account creation required, contact Carmen Gass for the link).

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.

Thursday, Feb. 2: Discovery Day open forum, 3-4 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

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

Friday, Feb. 10: The Galapagos Challenge: Stewardship in an Evolving Socio-ecological System, presentation by William Durham, 4-5 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park and Mediasite Live.

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: Tech Update, by Libraries I-Tech staff, 10-11 a.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, and Mediasite Live.

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

Wednesday, Feb. 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 and Mediasite Live.

Friday, Feb. 17: Harrell Health Sciences Library Research and Learning Commons dedication, ribbon cutting and open house, noon-5 p.m., Harrell Health Sciences Library Research and Learning Commons, Hershey. Space is limited for keynote address and ribbon cutting ceremony. Please RSVP by Feb. 10.

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.

Monday, March 20: Edible Book Contest judging, noon-1:00 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

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

Thursday, March 30: Charles W. Mann Jr. Lecture in the Book Arts, presentation by Linda Tomko, 4:30 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 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.

Tuesday, April 18: Tech Update, by Libraries I-Tech staff, 2-3 a.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, and Mediasite Live.

Wednesday, April 19: Poetry Slam, 7-9 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 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, 3-8 p.m, University Park library locations.

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.