Monthly Archives: January 2017

Getting to Know You: Binh Le

by Tracy Reilly and Jennifer Cywinski

If you want to talk about library science with someone, you might choose a person with extensive experience like Binh Le. He’s had more than 25 years in the field. Between him and his wife, Christine, they combine for more than 50 years of experience! As Le says, “The library Gods have been very good to us,” and he just might be right!

Originally from Vietnam, Binh started out in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as a busboy at a Chinese restaurant in the late 1970s, which was his very first job. Fast forward to 2017 and you’ll find him working at Penn State Abington as an associate librarian and is a liaison to the Division of Social Sciences. Some of his responsibilities include coordinating reference and library services for ELS and international students. Binh is a member of the American Library Association, he is on the board for the Library and Education Foundation for Vietnam (LEAF-VN), and he is also very active in the Association of College and Research Libraries.

Binh doesn’t have any pets, but he has plenty of critters that live in his backyard including deer, foxes, raccoons, and lots of birds, but no bears … yet!

When Binh is not working, he enjoys being active in the outdoors doing activities such as skiing, hiking, walking, cycling, playing tennis, and, of course, he loves to travel.

Binh says that his favorite thing about working at Penn State is “working with colleagues in various disciplines and campuses/colleges.”

Inside Access: Interlibrary Loan Shipping Task Force: A cost savings initiative

by Carolyn Muse, Interlibrary Loan

The Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Shipping Task Force Committee was charged in August 2016 to reduce duplicate packages being shipped to the same institution on the same day. The members of this committee are: Bernie Whitehill (Chair), Tracy Deitrich, Carolyn Muse, Alissa Mann, Tracie Wickersham, and Jennifer Funk. This was a good time to examine ILL’s shipping practices since ILL recently moved shipping of all packages under the IDS (Interlibrary Delivery Service of Pennsylvania) Nationwide Shipping Initiative. The Initiative allows us, as an IDS member, to mail materials via IDS to libraries regardless if the library is an IDS member. The yearly IDS member fee is based on the number of packages sent the previous year. Reducing the number of packages shipped per day should result in overall IDS shipping cost savings.

The task force evaluated methods to improve distribution of out-going mail loads, reduce the number of duplicate packages, and to help ensure that packages adhere to a 30 lb. weight limit, an IDS restriction. The committee collaborated with Receiving Room staff to assign out-going ILL mail on separate carts, e.g. Big Ten, IDS and Commonwealth Campus Libraries (CCL), and designated specific pick-up times to suit the Receiving Room’s schedule.

The Interlibrary Loan Department and Receiving Room finalized the current out-going mail pick-up times in October:

Morning (~ 9:00 a.m.) —
First Class/International/UPS and materials with letter codes (e.g. CLU, TXA).
Afternoon (~1:00 p.m.) —
First Class, DSL-Carlisle and IDS materials with number codes (e.g. IDS 189 corresponds with University of Pennsylvania).
Afternoon (~2:00 p.m.) — Big Ten materials (formerly CIC).

IDS daily shipping reports were analyzed for one week in March and July, and then for each week in October and November. The data from March and July were pilot studies to compare a heavy work day for spring semester versus a slow work day during summer session II. The data from October and November were analyzed more in depth to determine any differences in package weights and duplicate packages. After implementing the current shipping methods in October:

Total duplicate instances decreased by 44 percent / CCL duplicate instances decreased
by 49 percent.
The occurrence of combined packages totaling over 30 lbs. decreased by 31percent. CCL packages totaling over 30 lbs. decreased by 40 percent.

Duplicate packages will not be completely eliminated due to other departments contributing to the daily out-going mail loads; however, Interlibrary Loan will continue the current shipping protocols in place and evaluate if any changes are needed.

‘Stand for State’ offers workshop Jan. 26

Penn State’s bystander intervention program, Stand for State, offers tools built around the 3 D’s — direct, distract and delegate — for stepping in when others are threatened.

Faculty and staff are invited to participate in the three-hour version of the student workshop, which will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Jan. 26, in 233A HUB-Robeson Center. Coffee and tea service will be provided. Participants can register by Jan. 23 at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b4aadaf2ca4f85-stand2.

Attendees will:

Learn warning signs of sexual and relationship violence
Learn how to safely and effectively practice to interrupt and defuse potentially risky situations
Consider values in regards to personal responsibility to intervene;

More info is available in this Penn State News story.

– submitted by Carmen Gass, User Training Services

Cato-2 Annex served as training site for K9 units

On Monday Jan. 9, the Penn State University Library Cato-2 Annex served as a training location for K9 Units consisting of one officer from the Penn State University Police and seven Pennsylvania State Police Troopers. The Annex provided a new environment for the K9 Dogs with lots of space to do their training.

The Annex is always honored and proud to collaborate with our emergency services personnel that play an important role in efforts to protect citizens and solve crimes.

– submitted by Verne Neff, Collection Maintenance, Annex

Responding thoughtfully

Communication is key to providing great customer service. When people listen supportively through Clarification, Reflection, Advising, and Probing, they will respond thoughtfully.

Cutting Edge Communication training videos are designed to provoke discussion and response. Contemporary, fast paced, short, character driven, sitcom-style comedies, these courses take an innovative approach to reaching today’s learners.

Watch this video and see how the group learns to respond thoughtfully.

– submitted by Carmen Gass, User Training Services

LHR News: 2017 Personal holiday hours

Full-time employees should add eight hours of personal holiday time (for 2017) when submitting the January attendance records at the end of this month. This is done on the accruals page that comes up when you click “Submit.”

New employees must wait until they have completed their first two full months of employment before they may add in the 2017 personal holiday time. Please keep in mind, if not used, the
personal holiday shall be carried over into the next calendar year but not thereafter.

Tech Tip: How to find your phone number on Android and iOS

by Ryan Johnson, I-Tech

Hopefully you know your own cell phone number, however there may be times you need to look up the number of the phone you are using or trying to return a lost phone.

On iOS, you can quickly see your number in two ways:

Open up the Phone app, then tab the Contacts tab at the bottom of the screen and your number appears right at the top.
Another way is to head to Settings -> Phone and look for My Number.

On Android, the process varies a bit thanks to hardware manufacturer differences. However, one of these ways should work:

Try tapping the Contacts app and look for the Me entry at the top of the list. You won’t find this on every phone, so you can utilize another method.
Browse to Settings -> About phone/device -> Status. You might see the number listed here. If not, tap the SIM status entry to open another menu. Scroll down a bit here and you should see My phone number.

Now you can easily find the number of any Android or iOS phone if you ever forget them!

LHR News: Jan. 23

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Part-time:
Hyeo Heo – Welcome Desk, Knowledge Commons
Hope Wilson – Interlibrary Loan Lending
Siddharth Yelwanda – Commons Services

Events: Jan. 23

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.

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.

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.

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

Thursday, Feb. 2: Dealing with Difficult People, 10-11 a.m., webinar.

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.

Tuesday, Feb. 7: Canvas UX Team presentation, 10:30 a.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park and Mediasite Live.

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 Adobe Connect.

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.

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 Adobe Connect.

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.

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

Saturday, Feb. 25: One-day workshop on Indigenous Knowledge, with Abderrahim Ouarghidi and Bronwen Powell, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., location TBA, 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, “Books, Bodies, and Circulations of Dancing in Early 18th-Century France and England,” 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 Capstone Conference, presentations by ten renowned scholars, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park. Register by March 17.

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.

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.