Daily Archives: June 26, 2017

Seen at ALA Annual 2017: Two ALA presidents and the Nittany Lion

two African-American professional women holding vertical poster composed of hundreds of digitzed images from Penn State University Libraires' special collections, forming a composite image of Penn State's Nittany Lion Shrine stone sculpture. Poster is signed in silver ink by many Penn State Libraries employees.

Courtney Young, head librarian at Penn State University Libraries’ Kelly Library and professor of women’s studies at Penn State Greater Allegheny, as well as the 2014-2015 president of the American Library Association (ALA), presented a Penn State Libraries-employee-signed Nittany Lion Shrine composite-image poster to the current Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, at the 2017 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago (June 22-27). Hayden also was ALA president, during the 2003-2004 year.

On Sunday, June 25, Hayden received ALA’s 2017 Melvil Dewey Medal, in recognition of “creative leadership of high order, particularly in those fields in which Melvil Dewey was actively interested: library management, library training, cataloging and classification, and the tools and techniques of librarianship.” 

The Nittany Lion Shrine poster is composed of more than 750 digitized images representing several artifacts from among the University Libraries’ Special Collections. According to Young, Hayden loves it!

2017 ALA Annual Conference updates

As many Libraries employees may be aware, the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference is being held June 22-27 in Chicago. The following is a round-up of activities — including national leadership positions — many of our colleagues are participating in there, as well as at ALA-affiliated organizations’ June conferences. Thank you to those who submitted their activities for inclusion in this post, and congratulations to all who are representing Penn State University Libraries!

Ellysa Cahoy (education and behavioral sciences librarian and assistant director of the Pennsylvania Center for the Book) spoke Saturday on the panel “To Teach or Not To Teach Discovery Tools: Balancing Practical Instruction with the ACRL Information Literacy Framework,” which focused on challenges and potential best practices when using the ACRL Information Literacy Framework. She also is finishing her term as past chair of the ACRL Instruction Section.

Jennifer Gilley (head librarian, Elisabeth S. Blissell Library at Penn State New Kensington) is the chair of the Research Committee for the Women and Gender Studies Section and hosted the WGSS Forum on Saturday, June 24. Today she also is receiving the 2017 Association of College and Research Libraries Women and Gender Studies Section Career Achievement Award.

Today Athena Jackson (Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair and head of Special Collections) sat on the ALA Executive Committee meeting and received her gavel as incoming chair of ALA’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS).  Jackson also participated in a panel on Saturday titled “Reaching In to Reach Out: Examining the State of Inclusivity Across Libraries, Archives and Museums.” At the 2017 RBMS conference June 20-23, she sat on the panel session “Defining the Archive,” presented at the seminar “Leadership & Management In Special Collections: Becoming the Boss, The First Three Years and Beyond” and participated in a Q&A with RBMS leaders.

Jeff Knapp (Larry and Ellen Foster Communications Librarian) is finishing his term as ALA’s Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) president during its 40-year anniversary celebration, and presided over its executive board meeting today.

Megan Mac Gregor (student engagement and outreach librarian, Nesbitt Library at Penn State Wilkes-Barre) presented at two round tables at ALA Annual. The first, “Transforming Our Academic Outreach Practices: reaching Our Students, Faculty and Staff, and Administrators,” held on Sunday, included her presentation “Just Smile: A Soft Rebranding,” about the Nesbitt Library’s focus on customer service and iterative, incremental and user-driven changes. The second, “Where There is Thunder, There is Lightning: EDI and Change in Libraries,” was hosted on Sunday by the ALA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Implementation Working Group. It included her presentation “He-Women, Femme-Men and everything in between: Flipping traditional gender norms and a classroom by reaching out with library resources.” 

On Sunday, John Meier (science librarian, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library) attended the announcement of the first ever SEE-IT Award (Stories Engagingly Expressed – Illustratively Told) as part of its inaugural jury. The award will be given each year in collaboration between EBSCO and the CBC Graphic Novel Committee to celebrate the youth graphic novel with the highest literary quality. He also is attending the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Science and Technology Section (STS) leadership events, since he will become its chair-elect following ALA’s Annual Conference and serve as chair of STS next year.

Rebecca Miller (head of Library Learning Services) is serving on ALA Council as a councilor-at-large, which gives her voting privileges on ALA resolutions during council meetings at the conference. She also is chair of the ACRL New Publications Advisory Board, which met on Saturday. On Saturday morning, she was the invited speaker at “So, You’re a New Instruction Librarian,” based on her book The New Instruction Librarian, and on Saturday afternoon, Miller co-presented a poster (preview online) representing collaborative work with Steve Borrelli (head of Library Assessment), Victoria Raish (online learning librarian) and Christina Wissinger (health sciences liaison librarian). Today she is moderating an ACRL panel, “From Teaching to Leading: A Learning-Centered Management Bootcamp.”

Emily Mross (business and public administration librarian, Penn State Harrisburg Library) and Christina Riehman-Murphy (reference and instruction librarian, Abington College Library) presented a poster “Spirituality in the Stacks: A Study of Student Prayer in Academic Libraries” on Saturday. The poster (preview online) highlights research conducted to understand where and why students pray in their campus libraries.

Riehman-Murphy also presented a poster at Saturday’s ACRL Women and Gender Studies Section (WGSS) General Membership Forum. Her poster, “And the Award Goes to?: Awarding adherence to femininity during the first wave of feminism in the Ogontz Archives,” examines the discourses of femininity as found in the digitized award-winning and non-award-winning essays from the Ada Pierce McCormick Collection of the Ogontz School for Young Ladies Archive, housed at Penn State Abington College Library.

In addition, Riehman-Murphy and Jennifer Hunter (reference and instruction librarian, Penn State Abington College Library) received the 2017 ACRL College Libraries Section Innovation in College Librarianship Award on Friday evening, June 23.

Amy Rustic (reference librarian, Elisabeth S. Blissell Library at Penn State New Kensington) is concluding her year as 2016-2017 chair of the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Reference Service Section. In this role at ALA Annual, she is leading section meetings, including the all-committee meeting and open house, serving as a member of RUSA Board, and participating in meetings with other section leaders, among other duties.

Ann Snowman was a panelist on Saturday during the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) Technology Community of Practice’s program To Fine or Not to Fine: That is the Question.” The panel examined current research and practice on the topic, and she shared information about payroll deduction and use of a collection agency.

Christopher Walker (serials cataloging librarian) is the invited speaker, with a colleague from the National Library of Medicine, this afternoon at this year’s Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) Continuing Resources Cataloging Forum. They are speaking on the topic, “The Serialist Mindset: Working with Continuing Resources and other Unsolvable Problems.”

Six pop-up library events introduce resources and collections to LEAP students

 

A pop-up library will greet Penn State students participating in the Learning Edge Academic Program (LEAP) for six afternoons this summer as the University Libraries introduce its services and resources. All pop-up library events will be held weekly from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. beginning Thursday, July 6, in the Redifer Commons lobby area on the University Park campus.

Each week, the pop-up library will feature collections, titles and items from various subject libraries and units as well as from University Libraries’ leisure reading and viewing collections. Penn State students can also learn about the Libraries’ extensive online resources such as academic journals, databases and the Ask A Librarian service.

The six dates for the pop-up library events are:

  • Thursday, July 6
  • Thursday, July 13
  • Thursday, July 20
  • Thursday, July 27
  • Wednesday, Aug. 2
  • Thursday, Aug. 10

Free coffee and snacks will be provided at the special pop-up library event on Aug. 10, similar to the Libraries’ DeStress Fest held at the end of each semester.

For more information on this event, or for questions about accommodations or the physical access provided, contact Hailley Fargo (hmf14@psu.edu/814-865-1850) or Megan Gilpin (mcg13@psu.edu/814-867-0069) in advance of the event.

Creative, scientific process helps EMS graduate student bake edible book winner

by David Kubarek, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences for Penn State News

Preeya Kuray, a third-year doctoral student majoring in materials science and engineering at Penn State, was thrilled to win the People’s Choice Award at the inaugural Edible Book Festival, so also winning “Best Depiction of a Classic” was, so to speak, the icing on the cake.

Kuray was awarded for crafting a cake tribute to the cover of “A Wrinkle in Time,” illustrated by Peter Sis, one her favorite artists. The event was hosted this spring by Penn State University Libraries.

In two days, Kuray meticulously constructed the edible creation. First, she baked a chocolate cake and cut it into a prism. She then covered the cake in buttercream frosting, followed by white fondant so that it resembled a book. With the blank canvas in place, she spent the second day painting the cover using edible watercolors that she made using food coloring and vodka.

“Cake decorating is one of my favorite hobbies, so I like to make cakes that will teach me new skills that push me past my limits,” Kuray said.

Winning two of the five categories surprised Kuray, who said there were parts of the cake she wished that she could have done better.

“Painting with vodka is a very unforgiving technique,” Kuray said. “Once you make a stroke, you can’t undo it and are forced to improvise on ways to cover up mistakes. But I think the occasional feeling of dissatisfaction with your work is universal among artists and serves as a driving force to improve. There’s nothing better than looking back on past work and seeing how far you’ve come.”

two women standing behind beautiful baked goods

Lourdes Bobbio with her Quidditch World Cupcakes, winner of the “Most Appetizing” category, and Kuray with her award-winning creation.

The science-minded Kuray has used her expertise to improve her baking skills, too. She’s always tasting her creations and plotting experiments to improve her edibles. She discovered overmixed batter, which excessively activated the gluten, was the culprit for an undesirable chewy, dense texture. To promote even baking throughout, she places metal flower nails in the cake center that are easily removed after the cake cools.

“When I make cakes, I try to think about what is happening at a fundamental level in order to troubleshoot when things go wrong. Cake making is a science,” Kuray said. “It’s incredibly satisfying when you understand the reason why things are going wrong and figure out a solution to move forward. It is similar to doing research, in that sense.”

For more on the contest and to view the other winners, click here.

Docunight presents touching portrait of cinema giant Kiarostami July 5

Just one day after the one-year anniversary of the death of world-renowned filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, “76 Minutes and 15 Seconds with Abbas Kiarostami” will be featured for Docunight: Iran via Documentaries. The film will be shown at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5 in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, on the University Park campus. Co-sponsored by the Iranian Student Association and Penn State University Libraries, Docunight events are scheduled for the first Wednesday of each month and are free and open to the public.

Acclaimed photographer Seifollah Semadian, long-time collaborator with Kiarostami, turned years of behind-the-scenes footage shot during their close creative partnership into a beautiful, understated and inspiring tribute to this giant of cinema by simply allowing the audience to watch Kiarostami at work. Kiarostami was a visionary, known for his films “Koker Trilogy” (1987), “Close-up” (1990), “Taste of Cherry” (1997), which was awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and “The Wind Will Carry Us” (1999), a Silver Lion winner at the Venice Film Festival, among many others.

The entire Penn State News article can be viewed online. An 8.5×11 promotional poster for “76′ 15″ with Abbas Kiarostami” is available as a downloadable PDF to print or share. For more information on this event, or for questions about accommodations or the physical access provided, contact Mark Mattson, global partnerships and outreach librarian, at 814-863-2480 or mam1196@psu.edu in advance of the event.

Application period for Innovation Microgrant Program begins July 3

The application period for the 2017-18 UL Innovation Microgrant Program begins on Monday, July 3, 2017. If you or your team have unique ideas that would foster innovation in support of the University Libraries, begin brainstorming now!

This program is open to all faculty and staff across the University Libraries and the Penn State Press, and collaboration among colleagues is highly encouraged.

The application form, judging criteria, and additional information about the award may be found on our intranet site at https://staff.libraries.psu.edu/deans-administrative-office/library-staff-and-faculty-awards/microgrants. Depending on the nature of the proposal, some projects may require approval from I-tech and/or IRB, so please plan accordingly.

If you have questions, email the Microgrant Committee at ul-microgrants@lists.psu.edu.

The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 26.

– information from Carmen Cole on behalf of the 2017-2018 UL Innovation Microgrant Program Committee

Save the Date: Open House volunteer kickoff ice cream party July 26

One month from today, on Wednesday, July 26, the Open House Steering Committee will host the volunteer kickoff ice cream party in the Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

The Open House volunteer kickoff party begins at 3 p.m. with a selection of Berkey Creamery ice cream and Rita’s Italian Ice as well as information about upcoming training sessions and Open House activities.

This fun event is just the beginning as University Park Libraries’ Open House volunteers will help welcome more than 3,000 students Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 6-7 and introduce them to the services and resources we provide. The Open House is our biggest outreach event of the year—
come find out how you can make a difference!

Time slots for volunteer signups will be available at the party.

We appreciate the support this event has received through the years and look forward to having another great Open House in 2017!

– submitted by Ali Zawoyski, Open House Steering Committee (ajz12@psu.edu).

What happens backstage will not remain backstage in customer service

In any field of customer service, or in any job, what happens “backstage” at work matters.

“Backstage” refers to anything that happens behind the scenes from the customers. This can be something that influences the culture in the smallest of ways, as Jenny Dempsey explains in her article, “What happens backstage will not remain backstage in customer service.”

– submitted by Carmen Gass, User Training Services

Tech Tip: Getting ready for Windows 10?

by Ryan Johnson, I-Tech

Windows 10 will begin to roll out to campuses and University Park this summer and into the fall semester. Over the summer, I will offer tech tips on what to look for in Windows 10.

My first tech tip will feature the new Windows 10 start menu. The Start menu looks very different then it does in Windows 7. When you left click, a long list of programs will appear. Two new sections exist, Life at a glance and Play and Explore. The live tiles (some are pulling data from the Internet) found in these sections can be removed, just right-click them and remove them. If you want to add a commonly accessed program, just drop and drag a program from the left menu into these sections.

You can also pin them to the start menu or taskbar by right-clicking any item in the start menu.

While the Start menu looks a bit different, it has all the usual features you’d expect — a list of all your installed applications as well as power options for shutting down or restarting your PC.

Move your mouse to any edge of the Start menu and you’ll be able to resize it. The left side of the menu brings a sense of continuity with Windows 7 in that it contains options for regularly used apps, File explorer, Settings, and a Search bar.

Note: The calendar and mail applications located in the start menu are not associated with UCS.

Events: June 26

Summer 2017

Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Through Sunday, July 30, “The Painted Photograph: Selections from the B. & H. Henisch Photo-History Collection,” Pattee Library operating hours, Paterno Family Reading Room, 201A Pattee Library, University Park.

Through Wednesday, August 9, 2017: “Plastics: Knowledge and Information Taking Shape” exhibit, Pattee Library operating hours, Sidewater Commons and central entrance, Pattee Library, University Park.

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

Through Sunday, September 10, 2017: “ABC: An Abecedarium from the 15th to the 21st Century” exhibit, Eberly Family Special Collections Library, 104 Paterno Library, Paterno Library operating hours, University Park.

Monday, June 26: final exams, first six-week summer session, University Park.

Wednesday, June 28: first day of classes, second six-week summer session, University Park.

Tuesday, July 4: Independence Day, no classes.

Wednesday, July 5: Docunight: Iran via Documentaries: 76 minutes 15 seconds with Abbas Kiarostami,” documentary screening of a film about, around, or in Iran, or made by Iranians, 7 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, July 6: Pop-Up Library (for LEAP), 4-6 p.m., Redifer Commons lobby area, University Park.

Monday, July 10, Data Days, various locations at Pattee Library and Paterno Library, University Park. Register here.

Thursday, July 13: Pop-Up Library (for LEAP), 4-6 p.m., Redifer Commons lobby area, University Park.

Wednesday-Sunday, July 13-16, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, Children’s Day July 12, BookFest July 15, State College and University Park campus.

Tuesday, July 18: Summer Academy for the Blind at Penn State, 90-minute discussion, 1:30-3 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, July 19: PA Forward Information Literacy Summit, Pattee Library and Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, July 20: Special Collections Library Research Travel Awards “Learn at Lunch” presentation, by Albert M. Petska Eighth Air Force Archives winner Marla Okner, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, July 20: Dean’s Forum, 1 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park, and via Mediasite Live.

Thursday, July 20: Pop-Up Library (for LEAP), 4-6 p.m., Redifer Commons lobby area, University Park.

Wednesday, July 26: Open House Volunteer Kickoff Party, 3 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, July 27: Special Collections Library Research Travel Awards “Learn at Lunch” presentation, by Mary Ann O’Brian Malkin Research Award winner Tilden Russell, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, July 27: Pop-Up Library (for LEAP), 4-6 p.m., Redifer Commons lobby area, University Park.

Wednesday, Aug. 2: Special Collections Library Research Travel Awards “Learn at Lunch” presentation, by Dorothy Foehr Huck Research Award winner Kinohi Nishikawa, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Aug. 2: Docunight: Iran via Documentaries, documentary screening of a film about, around, or in Iran, or made by Iranians, 7 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Aug. 2: Pop-Up Library (for LEAP), 4-6 p.m., Redifer Commons lobby area, University Park.

Friday, Aug. 4: Special Collections Library Research Travel Awards “Learn at Lunch” presentation, by Dorothy Foehr Huck Research Award winner Kristoffer Smemo, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, Aug. 9: last day of classes, second six-week summer session, University Park.

Thursday, Aug.10: study day, second six-week summer session, University Park.

Wednesday, Aug. 10: Pop-Up Library (for LEAP), 4-6 p.m., special pop-up event with coffee and snacks, Redifer Commons lobby area, University Park.

Friday, August 11: Final examssecond six-week summer session, University Park.

Friday, Aug. 11: Special Collections Library Research Travel Awards “Learn at Lunch” presentation, by Through the Flower Research Travel Award winner Monica Steinberg, noon-1 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Saturday, August 12: Summer Commencement, University Park.

Tuesday, August 15: Tech Update, by I-Tech, 10-11 a.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, August 16: University Libraries Picnic, 5-8 p.m., Holmes-Foster Park, State College. All University Libraries current and retired employees and their families invited. RSVP details to come.

Friday-Sunday, August 18-20: Arrival days

Monday, August 21: First day of fall semester classes

Tuesday, August 29: Open House Volunteer Training, 2-3 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Wednesday, August 30: Open House Volunteer Training, 11 a.m.-noon, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

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