Fall 2017
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Extended! Now through Saturday, Dec. 8, “The Painted Photograph: Selections from the B. & H. Henisch Photo-History Collection exhibit,” Pattee Library operating hours, Paterno Family Reading Room, 201A Pattee Library, University Park.

Through Jan. 7, 2018: “William Styron: Books and Biography” exhibit, guest curator Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English James L.W. West III, Styron expert and biographer, Eberly Family Special Collections Library Exhibition Room, 104 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 21-30: Navaratri.

Tuesday, Sept. 26: Talk and exhibit opening: “William Styron: Books and Biography,” James L.W. West III, 4:30 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park. Reception following in the Mann Assembly Room, 105 Paterno Library.

Thursday, Sept. 28: Lynd Ward Prize event honoring author of Rolling Blackouts, Sarah Glidden, 4-5 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park and livestreamed via Mediasite Live.

Saturday, Sept. 30: Yom Kippur.

Wednesday, Oct. 4: Docunight: Iran via Documentaries, 7 p.m. Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Tuesday, Oct. 10: Geospatial Data: Diving into library resources and beyond, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 211A Pattee Library and online via Zoom.

Wednesday, Oct. 11: University Libraries 25-Year Service Awards, 3:30-4:30 p.m.,Foster Auditorium and/or Mann Assembly Room, 102/103 Paterno Library, University Park, final location to be determined. 

Wednesday, Oct. 11: National Coming Out Day, part of National Coming Out Week at Penn State, details TBA.

Thursday, Oct. 12: Lee Bennett Hopkins Award event honoring authors Jorge Argueta (winner) & Nikki Grimes (honor winner), hosted by Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Friday–Sunday, Oct. 13-15: Parents and Families Weekend, University Park.

Tuesday, Oct. 17: Geospatial Exploration: Explore mapping and location topics and applications, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 211A Pattee Library and online via Zoom.

Wednesday, Oct. 18: Promotion and Tenure Recognition Reception, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Paterno Family Humanities Reading Room, University Park.

Wednesday, Oct. 18: Tech Update, by I-Tech, 2-3 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Thursday, Oct. 19: Diwali, Hindu festival of lights, celebrated.

Tuesday, Oct. 24: Geospatial Analysis:Introduction to working with location data and demographic data, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 302 Paterno Library and online via Zoom.

Wednesday, Oct. 25: “What the Libraries Can Do for You,” library resources talk for Penn State faculty and staff, Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University and livestreamed via Mediasite Live.

Tuesday, Oct. 31: Geospatial Online: Overview of Online mapping options (ArcGIS Online and more), 3:30-4:30 p.m., 211A Pattee Library and online via Zoom.

Wednesday, Nov. 1: Docunight: Iran via Documentaries, 7 p.m. Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Sunday–Sunday, Nov. 5-12: Penn State Military Appreciation Week and Homecoming Week.

Monday, Nov. 6–Saturday, Dec. 16: NLM/NIH Traveling Exhibit: Opening Doors: Contemporary African American Surgeons, Life Sciences Library, 4th floor Paterno Library.

Saturday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day.

Monday–Friday, Nov. 13-17: International Education Week, details TBA.

Tuesday, Nov. 14: Penn State GIS Day, 1:30-5 p.m. speakers and lightning talks with 9 a.m.-5 p.m. poster display, Pattee Library and Paterno Library, University Park.

Nov. 19-25: Thanksgiving week break, no classes Nov. 20-24.

Thursday, Nov. 23: Thanksgiving Day holiday.

Wednesday, Dec. 6: Docunight: Iran via Documentaries, 7 p.m. Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Friday, Dec. 8: Last day of fall classes. 

Sunday–Tuesday, Dec. 10-12: De-Stress Fest, University Park locations.

Tuesday, Dec. 12: Tech Update, by I-Tech, 10-11 a.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Tuesday–Wednesday, Dec. 12-20: Hanukkah.

Saturday, Dec. 16: Fall commencement, University Park and other Penn State campuses; details and speaker information at multiple Penn State campuses TBA in December.

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

By Ryan Johnson

You can mark appointments as private to hide details of the appointment on your UCS calendar. A small lock icon appears next to the message on your calendar to show that this is a private appointment. Calendars that are shared with others show the appointment on your calendar but do not show any details.  By default, when you create or receive an appointment, it is marked as Public.

However, when sharing a calendar in UCS, you may want to allow certain individuals to view those private appointments.  You have the option to allow users to see appointments you mark private when sharing your calendar.

If you want to allow a user to view private appointments when sharing your calendar, make sure to check Allow users to see my private appointments in the share properties window(see below).

Updated Reserve a Group Study Room business-size promotional cards, posters and social media graphics help promote the new URL redirect — https://libraries.psu.edu/studyrooms — which goes to the LibCal system and is available to implement across all Libraries locations with group study rooms.

All Penn State students now can schedule library group study rooms through a single online system,  and soon faculty and staff will see updates to how they request use of Foster Auditorium and what expectations the Libraries has for its use.

Group study rooms now reserved via LibCal
At the start of the fall 2017 semester, the Libraries began using a new room reservation system for students booking library group study rooms. The previous system, EMS, was replaced by LibCal (Springshare’s Equipment & Spaces module) at the end of the spring 2017 semester.

Ann Thompson, the Libraries’ LibCal product owner, worked with I-Tech and ITS to enable student users to access the reservation system using their Penn State credentials without creating an account, an improvement over previous requirements. As before, students can book group study rooms for up to three hours per day and two weeks in advance.

Students at all Libraries locations with group study rooms eventually will be able to use the same online system for reservations. Currently, students at Altoona, Beaver, Berks, Harrisburg, University Park and York are using LibCal for group study room reservations. The system is set up in 15-minute intervals with a booking default to a three-hour reservation, and students can easily change the length of time while making reservations.

LibCal sends a confirmation email to the student containing the reservation information as well as a link to cancel their booking. Online reservations can be made only by students at https://libraries.psu.edu/studyrooms.

Updates coming to Foster Auditorium request procedure and expectations for use
In other scheduling news, the Libraries soon will begin using the CollegeNET platform to schedule Foster Auditorium for both internal Libraries use and for external requests. Currently in the midst of a transitional phase toward full use by June 2018, CollegeNET is being implemented for event management use University-wide and already is being used for academic (classroom) scheduling at all campuses.

In recent months, a working group under the leadership of Associate Dean Anne Langley has been working on an update to Guideline UL-ADG03, “Use of Foster Auditorium.” The group, including Thompson, Emma Davidson, Athena Jackson, Rebecca Miller and Jill Shockey, has clarified priority uses, limitations/expectations and procedures for requesting and advertising use of the space. It is anticipated to be reviewed and approved at an upcoming Dean’s Library Council meeting.

The revised guideline has been updated to give external requesters a better understanding of Foster Auditorium’s primary purpose — for Libraries events, teaching and training — and outlines the Libraries’ expectations and best practices for its use.

Following the updated guideline’s approval, a date will be announced after which all requests for using Foster Auditorium must be submitted using CollegeNET. At the same time, Foster Auditorium will be removed from the UCS list of reservable locations. Please note: all existing UCS reservations will be migrated to CollegeNET.

Please watch for an announcement of a future Tech Update that will provide an overview of both LibCal and CollegeNET.

– submitted by Ann Thompson and Jill Shockey

The first phase of the digital signage pilot program includes static sign information with frequently refreshed computer availability and time and weather data.

A Digital Signage task force chaired by Kimlyn Patishnock, senior director of administrative and financial services, recently has been examining the University Libraries’ next phase of digital signage.

A pilot program began at the start of the Fall 2017 semester with the installation of two large, freestanding digital screens at the two main entrances of Pattee Library and Paterno Library near each welcome desk.

Each of the screens is installed vertically in orientation and displays the current time, weather information, the current day and next day’s hours of operation, computer availability by floor, as well as brief information about next five library events.

Prior to the screens’ rollout and screen content’s design, the task force sought user experience research from the Libraries’ Assessment Department.

The screens are touchscreen capable, and future phases of design during the pilot will explore interactive uses of the screen and its information.

Update, Sept. 13: Unfortunately, the Fan Fest event has been canceled. 

Football fans who will be attending the Sept. 16 game against Georgia State University are able to meet Lee Stout and Harry H. West, authors of Lair of the Lion: A History of Beaver Stadium, at the PSU Press Fan Fest tent.

Featuring more than 200 photos, Lair of the Lion is the first-ever history of the home of the Nittany Lions. It includes a look at the current stadium’s predecessors, “Old” Beaver Field, built in 1893 on a site northeast of Old Main, and “New” Beaver Field, built on the northwest corner of campus in 1909. The book, written by two longtime Penn Staters, Librarian Emeritus Lee Stout and Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering Harry H. West, was published in July by Penn State University Press.

Stout and West will be available to meet people and sign copies of the book from 5:00-6:30 p.m. on Sept. 16.

Lair of the Lion is available online from psupress.org, or at the following local State College retailers: Ace Hardware, The Corner Room, The Family Clothesline, Harper’s, Lion’s Pride, McLanahan’s Penn State Room, Old State Clothing, Rapid Transit Sports, The Student Book Store, and the Tavern Restaurant.

– submitted by Cate Fricke

Athena Jackson, Dorothy Foehr Huck Chair and Head of Special Collections (far left), and Jackie Esposito, University archivist (far right), receive Gen. James A. Beaver’s “The Story of our Regiment: A History of the 148th Pennsylvania Volunteers” from sisters Stephanie Dinges Bender and Cathy Dinges Torsell.

Sisters Stephanie Dinges Bender and Cathy Dinges Torsell presented a unique copy of Gen. James A. Beaver’s “The Story of our Regiment: A History of the 148th Pennsylvania Volunteers” to the Special Collections Library on Wednesday, Aug. 9. The item was donated from the estate of their parents, Robert H. and Edith Hopple Dinges of Bellefonte, Pa.

This volume of the regimental history was presented by Gen. Beaver to his wife, Mary McAllister Beaver, and was inscribed “To my dear wife, Mary McAllister Beaver, With the love of her husband James A. Beaver, Bellefonte, Pa 8 April 1905.”

In addition to serving in the U.S. Civil War as Commander of the 148th Pennsylvania Volunteers, Beaver was President of the Penn State Board of Trustees for two terms (1874-1882 and 1898-1914), acting President of the College from 19096 to 1908 and is the namesake for the University’s football stadium. Beaver also served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as its 20th Governor (1887-1891).

For additional information about this unique donation, contact the Eberly Family Special Collections Library at ul-spcolref@lists.psu.edu or 814-865-1793.

Members of the Department gathered on July 13 to honor colleagues for many
years of service to the University Libraries:

John Hamilton – 30 years; Sharon Smith – 30 years; Valerie Allen – 25 years;
Rob Freeborn – 20 years; Jaime Jamison – 15 years; Sara Hassinger -10 years;
Bei Jiang – 10 years; Steve Kroger – 10 years; Anne Belden – 5 years; Leah
Oakes – 5 years; Kim Warren – 5 years.

We thank them for all that they do to acquire and make our research
collections discoverable!

– submitted by Ann Copeland

Fall 2017 Map and Geospatial Sessions

This Fall 2017, four open map and geospatial sessions will be offered to Penn State students (undergraduate and graduate), staff, faculty and beyond around foundational geospatial topics. Please share with associated departments as we encourage participation across disciplines and campus locations. All sessions have in-person offerings, along with an available remote viewing option using Zoom. In addition to these sessions, individualized and group research consultations are available.

Geospatial Data: Diving into library resources and beyond
Tuesday, Oct. 10, 3:30 -4:30 p.m., 211A Pattee Library

This session will provide an overview of geospatial data available from library databases, PolicyMap, SimplyAnalytics, Social Explorer, and Data-Planet. Additional United States and International organizations will be highlighted from maps and geospatial guides, and related resources to guide the user in locating geospatial data relevant to multiple disciplines. Participants will be encouraged to create their own map visualizations with mapping applications during the session.

Geospatial Exploration: Explore mapping and location topics and applications
Tuesday, Oct. 17, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 211A Pattee Library

This session provides an overview of geographic information systems (GIS) concepts relevant to applying geospatial components in projects. This session will provide an introduction to geospatial data, introductory topics of projects, data manipulation, and geoprocessing techniques

Geospatial Analysis: Introduction to working with location data and demographic data
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 302 Paterno Library

This session will provide an introduction to using ArcMap software to work with location data and demographic data. This session will work with sample data; however, participants are encouraged to consider and/or use their own data based on research, work, and/or teaching interests. This session will demonstrate general processes of working with location-based data, which may require additional instruction and follow-up in specific contexts, geographic regions, and disciplines.

Geospatial Online: Overview of Online mapping options (ArcGIS Online and more)
Tuesday, Oct. 31, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Location: 211A Pattee Library

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, PA to learn the functionality of ArcGIS Online web maps and applications.

– submitted by Tara LaLonde, GIS Specialist, Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information