Monthly Archives: October 2017

What the Libraries Can Do For You program looking for second cohort

submitted by: Megan  Gilpin

Are you proud of the top-ten ranked library that we call home and all we have
to offer? Do you wish you could help spread the word across the University
Park campus? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you might
want to consider joining the What the Libraries Can Do For You presentation
team. We are looking for a second cohort to assist with this exciting
opportunity!

What the Libraries Can Do For You is the first program to focus on educating
PSU staff on the many resources available to them. When you join the
presentation team, you are committing to the following:  First, attend a
training session with Liz Long and Megan Gilpin, who will orient you on your
expectations.  Second, devote some time (according to your schedule, of
course) to prepare and give presentations of library resources with another
member of the team.  Finally, be willing to contact and present to at least 2
campus departments during the remainder of the calendar year.

Training sessions are scheduled for the following dates and times:
Thursday, November 2, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Monday, November 6, 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
Thursday, November 9, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

If you are interested in participating, please check with your supervisor or
department head, and indicate your interest via by emailing Megan Gilpin
(mcg13@psu.edu) by Tuesday, October 31st.

Strategic Plan in Action : Open Access & OSTP/RDM Outreach

By Shea Wert

Thus far in our Strategic Plan in Action series, we’ve taken a look at many innovative ways the Libraries is evolving to meet users’ needs and the employees that make it all happen—from materials delivery expansion, 3D printing, to the Center for Humanities and Information. For this installment we’re looking at Open Access & OSTP/RDM Outreach.

Some terms to understand:

Open Access: The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) explains it as, “the free, immediate, online availability of research articles coupled with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment. Open Access ensures that anyone can access and use these results—to turn ideas into industries and breakthroughs into better lives.

 OSTP: The Office of Science and Technology. In this context OSTP is referring to the directive issued by the office in 2013 that addresses public access to the results of federally funded research. You can explore these here. (http://datasharing.sparcopen.org/)

 RDM: Research Data Management Services. At Penn State the RDM team is available to, “consult with questions about research data, including compliance with funding agency mandates.” Following the 2013 OSTP directive, in April of 2015 the University Faculty Senate unanimously passed an open access resolution that impacts all faculty at the university:

“This resolution calls upon Penn State faculty authors to consider and utilize available options for sharing our scholarly work…Taking advantage of open access opportunities when possible leads to ease of discovery and helps our scholarly contributions achieve greater recognition and impact through increased readership and citations.”

In response to these two directives, the work already being done here at Penn State in this area, and the growing trend of open access in general, a plan was created by the strategic action group of Tom Reinsfelder, Linda Friend, Esther Dell, Eric Novoty, Brandy Karl, Nan Butkovich, and Christina Wissinger.

The group’s plan aimed to “pursue an outreach program to increase awareness of OSTP requirements for public access as well as the University Faculty Senate open access resolution to help faculty and other researchers understand and comply with various regulations, and to encourage all Penn State faculty to choose open access publishing opportunities whenever possible.”

One particular way this goal has been met is through the successful development and hiring of a Scholarly Communications Librarian. The position has been filled, and the individual will begin towards the end of next summer.

According to Brandy Karl, of the newly expanded Office of Scholarly Communication and Copyright (formally the Copyright Office), the position, “will have the primary responsibility for open access matters as well as liaise with other groups in the library, like RDM, to present up-to-date cohesive information on OSTP mandates.”

For now, the mandates are maintained by RDM and you can you can find article sharing requirements at SPARC. If you have questions regarding open data and RDM, Rob Olendorf and the RDM team are available to help. For open access questions, Brandy Karl is your contact. Additionally, if you’re not sure where your question falls there is good news—there are plans to highlight the work of all of those working on “open” issues in one central area to  streamline services.

In addition to the new position that will connect the many folks working open access matters, the group’s plan also aims to promote open access initiatives and highlight holistic outreach efforts—including one-on-one consultations, brief and in-depth presentations and workshops, website content, and asynchronous training across the university. Keep an eye out for these opportunities to answer questions you may have or just to expand your knowledge!

GIS Day ‘Visualize the World’ to take place Nov. 14

GIS Day flyer - Tuesday, November 14, "Visualize the World"

The University Libraries will celebrate GIS Day on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at an event aimed to the broad audience of the Penn State community — students, staff, faculty and community members — with interests in learning about how geospatial information is being used on campus and beyond.

This year’s program, “Visualize the World: GIS, Maps, Drones, Virtual Reality, Location Intelligence,” explores the pervasive nature of geospatial information across new and emerging technologies — including drones and virtual reality — and how the geospatial revolution of interrelated technologies is enabling greater interaction with geospatial information on a daily basis.

Highlights of the program in Paterno Library’s Foster auditorium include speakers from the Philadelphia Department of Health and Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc. (Esri), as well as “lightning talks” on how geospatial information is used in research, operations and teaching experiences from multiple Penn State units. In addition, GIS research poster displays will be available for viewing in the Franklin Atrium, Pattee Library.

All programs during the day-long event are free and open to the public, and are co-sponsored by the Department of Geography and the University Libraries. If you or a representative from your unit is interested in participating as a lightning talk speaker, please contact Tara LaLonde at tll38@psu.edu.

A complete schedule of events and presenter information for Penn State’s GIS Day activities is available at http://sites.psu.edu/gisday/.

MediaSite Live will be available to view speaker presentations remotely:

– GIS Day speakers, session 1: 1:30-3 p.m.: http://live.libraries.psu.edu/Mediasite/Play/085dde2ec9b34552a496a54c5a30b4711d?catalog=8376d4b2-4dd1-457e-a3bf-e4cf9163feda

– GIS Day speakers, session 2: 3:30-5 p.m.: http://live.libraries.psu.edu/Mediasite/Play/98b507ea38e242d68247f6a992062e081d?catalog=8376d4b2-4dd1-457e-a3bf-e4cf9163feda

 

Getting To Know You: Yumi Rudy

By: Jen Cywinski and Megan Donnelly

Photo of Yumi Rudy and her 4 children

Yumi and her children, wearing her homemade outfits

Originally from Japan, Yumi Rudy has been a part-time Information Resources and Services Specialist at the Penn State Harrisburg Library since 2016. However, she isn’t new to Penn State! She first worked at Harrisburg’s library in 2003 as a graduate student, where she met her husband Glenn, also a graduate student. She has also worked part-time for Fredricksen Library in Camp Hill for the last 13 years.

Yumi graduated from Soka University in Tokyo with a B.A. in Education and earned her M.A. in American Studies at Penn State Harrisburg. She is also certified to teach the Japanese language to non-Japanese speakers and, along with her husband, translated all of the dialogue from the video game Wachenroder for fun.

Yumi has always been interested in life outside of Japan and in 1996 studied at Oxford University Hartford College for the summer. The next year she spent six months in Tennessee where she learned to make quilts by hand. She says of her experience, “Those two places were very much different. I enjoyed the British atmosphere yet still I loved the southern culture in Tennessee and I felt very much comfortable being there.”

In her free time, Yumi enjoys sewing, knitting, and reading biographies or historical books, particularly about the U.S. Civil War. She’s also considering combining her interests by creating a quilt using Civil War reproduction fabric. You might be wondering how she makes time for work, her husband, her four kids, and her hobbies. The answer is that Yumi wakes at 3 a.m. every morning to enjoy her interests, even when she closed the Harrisburg library at 11 p.m. the previous night!

Earth and Mineral Science Library’s One Button Studio to open on Nov. 1

"video recording doesn't have to be terrifying"
By: Elizabeth Long
The Earth and Mineral Sciences Library (EMSL) in 105 Deike Building will be opening a new One Button Studio (OBS) on November 1. Celebrating the opening, they will be holding a Halloween-themed event 4-6 p.m. on October 31, with demonstrations of the room’s functions, examples of recordings, and giveaways (limited supply) of flash drives and candy. All are encouraged to dress up if they wish and stop by to learn more about the room.
The OBS project is a set of video recording booths created with the goal of recording high-quality video with minimal technical knowledge needed to function. The EMSL room is the newest addition to the growing number of OBS rooms available across all Penn State campuses. The rooms are automated so that when a USB flash drive is inserted, it’s Lights, Camera, Action! Lights turn on, a camera preview appears, and when ready, a push of a button counts down and records video assignments, group projects, job interview practice, course instruction, or anything else that is needed. The Earth and Mineral Sciences Library’s One Button Studio in 105D Deike also features a green screen/chroma key system to allow for adding backgrounds to recorded videos post-processing and the ability to project PowerPoint or browser windows while recording.
The EMSL OBS will be available Sunday–Friday by appointment. Hours may vary around holidays, summer terms, or when classes are not in session. Reservations can be requested online up to two weeks in advance by completing the online form, and staff will be in contact within 24-48 hours.
For more information on this service, or for questions about accommodations and the physical access provided, contact Elizabeth Long, Information Resources and Services Supervisor-Manager, at 814-865-3720 or ul-ems@lists.psu.edu in advance of your session.

Focus on Assessment: In Support of International Students, Multi-Campus Perspectives

Submitted by Carmen Gass

Join us for “Focus on Assessment: In Support of International Students, Multi-Campus Perspectives,” 2 p.m. Tuesday, October 31, in Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, and via Mediasite Live.

http://live.libraries.psu.edu/Mediasite/Play/565c7e0120c24f70aef89cbbad5131b41d?catalog=8376d4b2-4dd1-457e-a3bf-e4cf9163feda)

Customer service tip: Avoid quoting policy (even when it’s policy)

by Jeff Toister

Customers often bristle at the word “policy” because it is usually used to
tell customers they can’t do something they want to do. Artful customer
service reps sidestep any potential anger by helping customers understand the
benefits.

Here are a few options you can choose rather than stating “It’s our policy”:
* Safety. Some policies are designed with safety in mind. Explain to your
customer that you want them to be safe.
* Efficiency. Policies are sometimes put in place so you can service
customers more efficiently. Tell your customer how she will receive better
service by doing it your way.
* Fairness. A few policies are put in place to make things fair for all
customers. If this is the case, try to help your customer understand the
bigger picture.

Bonus Info: Employees sometimes quote policy when they don’t feel empowered.
Here are five reasons why:
http://www.toistersolutions.com/blog/2015/3/9/five-reasons-why-managers-dont-empower-employees)

Events: Oct. 30

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

horizontal exhibit graphic for The Painted Photograph: Selections from the B & H Henisch Photo-History Collection, extended through September 30, 2017, room 201A Pattee Library, displays five black-and-white historic photo portraits and their encased frames

 

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.

book jacket front and back of novel "Sophie's Choice" by William Styron, plus black-and-white photo of author

 

 

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.

 

snowy black and white photo with label in front, text reads "The History of Pattee Library and Paterno Library," exhibit, Aug. 21, 2017 through Jan. 15, 2018, in Pattee Library central entrance exhibit cases and adjacent Sidewater Commons, first floor Pattee Library, University Park.

 

Through Jan. 15, 2018: “The History of Pattee Library and Paterno Library” exhibitPattee Library’s central entrance exhibit cases and adjacent Sidewater Commons, first floor Pattee Library, University Park.

 

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.

Penn State celebrates International Education Week Oct. 22-27

International Education Week logo

International Education Week (IEW) is an opportunity for the Penn State community to celebrate and promote the benefits of global education and worldwide exchange throughout its colleges, campuses and community organizations.

This year Penn State, sponsored by Global Programs will celebrate IEW week Oct. 22-27, to recognize Penn State’s international students from more than 100 countries around the world, as well as those studying abroad each year. The week-long event takes place in advance of the scheduled national event, a joint initiative of the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Education.

University Libraries will host The Many Faces of Intercultural Dialogue: A Showcase, a free public event to encourage cross-cultural communication between students, faculty and members of the Penn State Community.  Hear from international conversation partner poster presenters and find out more about multicultural resources available for the campus and community. Thursday, Oct. 26, 2:30-4 p.m. Franklin Atrium, Pattee Library and Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library. Learn more here.

A complete listing of all IEW events located across the University Park campus can be found here.

For additional 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 events.

New services and spaces in Central: Center for Maps & Geospatial Information and Library Learning Services

By: Heather Ross

Join staff from the Center for Maps & Geospatial Information and Library Learning Services on 11/1 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. to explore newly updated spaces and services in W-1 and W-13 Pattee.

The Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps & Geospatial Information (formerly the Maps Library) reflects a reorganization of maps and geospatial personnel and services into 1 Pattee Library. Join us to explore our new space and learn how our staff promotes and facilitates the use of maps and geospatial information in research, teaching and learning at Penn State.

And while you’re there, you can check out the updates to the W13 Pattee classroom. This space has been “refreshed” with new carpet, whiteboards, and flexible tables and chairs. It now includes laptops, Little Bits kits, and mini-whiteboards to provide more options for instructional innovation.

Light refreshments will be served.

Penn State University Press acquires Eisenbrauns as new imprint

By: Cate  Fricke

The Pennsylvania State University Press is pleased to announce that Eisenbrauns is now an imprint of Penn State University Press. This new partnership ensures the continuation of Eisenbrauns’s internationally renowned publishing program and reaffirms PSU Press’s commitment to relevant, foundational scholarship.

Eisenbrauns president Jim Eisenbraun, who founded the publishing organization in 1975, will work as a consultant with PSU Press to guide and expand the imprint. “This partnership will enable the Eisenbrauns publishing program to move forward in a cooperative and very complementary fashion, leveraging the strengths of both organizations to serve the academic community even better,” he says.

The extensive catalog of ancient Near Eastern history, linguistics, archaeology, and biblical studies that Eisenbrauns has amassed will complement PSU Press’s lists in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. “We will be able to further expand our mission in these vital areas of
research,” remarks PSU Press director Patrick H. Alexander, “and will ensure that the invaluable Eisenbrauns publications will continue to serve a global audience.”

Together, Penn State University Press and Eisenbrauns will continue to support and publish scholarship on the ancient Near East and biblical studies for the twenty-first century.

To browse titles and place orders, visit www.eisenbrauns.org

For media inquiries, please contact Cate Fricke at 814.865.1329 or by email at crf16@psu.edu.

Multicultural event encourages dialogues on campus and in community

The Many Faces of Intercultural Dialogue poster. Thursday, Oct. 26, 2:30-4 p.m. in Franklin Atrium

Building connections through shared experience is objective at Oct. 26 event.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Encouraging intercultural dialogues and conversations, the Penn State University Libraries joins three organizations, the Intensive English Communication Program (IECP), English for Professional Purposes Intercultural Center (EPPIC), and Global Connections, for an event to showcase intercultural dialogues facilitated and supported by the three organizations, both on campus and in the community.
“The Many Faces of Intercultural Dialogue” will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Franklin Atrium, Pattee Library, on Penn State’s University Park Campus. IECP international students and their Penn State student partners will share posters about what they have learned about each other and their respective cultures during their conversation
partner program.
The event will also serve as a venue for EPPIC and Global Connections to present the many resources and opportunities available for the university and the community. The three groups will share their experiences and ongoing opportunities for intercultural connections with Penn State students, faculty, staff and area residents. Each semester, through the IECP, international and domestic students are paired and together produce a poster that documents what they have learned about each other and themselves during conversations about assigned cultural topics. The international students and domestic partners think about how to portray what they have learned in a short amount of time to a diverse audience.
Questions and feedback from these public poster sessions help the international students develop proficiencies and confidence in non-native spoken interactions while this rewarding experience also engages individuals seeking to develop a deeper intercultural awareness.
Following the brief poster sessions, the students and visitors often continue their conversations, learning about their backgrounds as well as similarities and differences in traditions, families, food and holiday celebrations. The IECP, EPPIC and Global Connections have provided incredible services and support for international students, faculty and families in our area.
In teaching and service, the mission of the IECP is to provide outstanding instruction in academic English communication to adult English language learners so that they can successfully participate in American institutions of higher education.
A community-based, nonprofit organization affiliated with the United Way of Centre County and Penn State, Global Connections serves thousands of individuals and families each year, Global Connections helps foster intercultural understanding to build a strong, inclusive community across cultures in Centre County and beyond.
  
EPPIC serves the multilingual international community at Penn State through advanced English language and culture support services with intercultural conversation groups, workshops, customized programs and tutoring. 
For additional 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.

Humanities and Social Sciences workshops

By: Heather  Froehlich

Dear All,

I am delighted to invite you to attend a recurring series of Software in the Humanities and Social Sciences Workshops. This series will highlight a range of software and resources used by faculty and staff across the disciplines.

Dates, speakers and the names of resources being presented are below. Please note that that there will be no presentations on November 8 and 22. All presentations will take place in 403 Paterno Library (University Park Campus) on Wednesdays from 12-1 pm; all are welcome. No registration is required.

25 October Austin Boyle – Text Expander

1 November Kaitlin Cannava – DOCTR

8 November NO PRESENTATION

15 November Jason Reuscher – Juxta Editions

22 November NO PRESENTATION (Thanksgiving break)

29 November Grant Wythoff – Pandoc

6 December Jake van der Kolk – Github

13 December Lise Nelson – Altas.ti

—- winter break —

24 January Brett Spencer – Ancestry.com

31 January Rick Gilmore – Databrary

7 February Jose Guerrero – OpenRefine

14 February Jenna Spinelle – Upwork

21 February Zhiyue Xia – QGIS

28 February Junjun Yin – Hadoop

7 March Andrew Singer – PGP (pretty good privacy)

14 March Nathan Piekielek – ggplot2

A zoom link will be available from https://psu.zoom.us/j/914950827 for
virtual attendance.

Library Pride roars through a successful first year!

By: Megan  Gilpin

Congratulations to the first cohort of Library Pride Tour guides! In the past 12 months, Library Pride members have provided 18 tours to a variety of Penn State and community groups – that’s just over 200 people to whom we’ve “shown off” our fabulous facility!

If you’re proud of the top-ten ranked library that we call home and want to help show it off, why not join us?  When you join Library Pride, you commit to participating in a  training session with Megan Gilpin, being available (according to your schedule, of course) to give tours of the library through the end of the 2017-18 academic year, and to leading at least 2-3 tours during this time period.

If you are interested in participating in Library Pride, please check with your supervisor or department head, then email Megan Gilpin (mcg13@psu.edu) to set up a training time. Let’s let our Library Pride roar loud and clear this year!