Monthly Archives: November 2017

Opening Doors: Contemporary African American Academic Surgeons exhibit

By: Sarah Billman

Visit the “Opening Doors: Contemporary African American Academic Surgeons”
exhibition celebrating the contributions of African American academic
surgeons to medicine and medical education. It tells the stories of four
pioneering African American surgeons and educators who exemplify excellence
in their fields and believe in continuing the journey of excellence through
the education and mentoring of younger physicians and surgeons.”

The exhibition, along with supporting library materials, is located on the
Life Sciences Library on 4th floor Paterno Library. It will be on display
through Dec. 16, 2017.

This exhibition was developed and produced by the National Library of
Medicine and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American
History and Culture, Baltimore. It is sponsored locally by the Life Sciences
Library and the Libraries Diversity Committee.

United Way Clothing Sale

By: Heather Ross

Forgot to order a t-shirt this fall? Now you can and so much more.

Use this lik to order: https://goo.gl/forms/9T5XbDTi8br8L6Ys1

Orders are due Dec. 1 by noon. Payment due by delivery (around Dec. 18 to UP and later that week to campus libraries.) Please make checks out to Heather Ross and send to Donna Dean (126 Paterno Library.)

I will have t-shirts in my office in 1 Pattee Library. Please contact me if you have a question about sizing.

New this year!! (see order form form images, sizing and prices.)
Puffy vests! Mens (navy) & Womens (navy and white)
White fleece (women only)
Messenger bags
softer t-shirts including womens cut

Oldies but goodies
Polo shirts – Mens and Womens
Fleece – Mens and Womens
Athletic full zip jackets- Mens and Womens
Cardigans (women’s only)

messenger bag

unisex tee

photo of women's fitted navy tee with University Libraries designs

women’s tee

Getting To Know You: Delia Tash

by: Jennifer Cywinski and Megan Donnelly

Delia Tash

Delia Tash is currently the Evening Supervisor at Penn State Abington’s Library, but she started out working at Penn State Great Valley in 2013 as a Reference Assistant. In addition to supervising staff and student workers, she serves on several committees, monitors the budget, and as of Fall 2016 she contributes to library instruction, collection development, and student and faculty engagement initiatives. Of her Penn State career Delia says, “I started as a part-time Reference Assistant at Great Valley and now am full-time at Abington and loving it!”

Delia is originally from Rockville, Maryland, though she grew up mostly in the Philadelphia area. She earned her master’s degree from Drexel University in Library and Information Science and her bachelor’s degree is in art, which she earned at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art.

Self portrait

She is an active artist and donated two paintings to the University Libraries United Way fall/Holiday Arts and Crafts sale last year. Recently she received a commission to paint portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama and she’s also recently sold a woodblock illustration inspired by the Princess and the Pea tale.

One thing you may not know about Delia is that she tried stand-up comedy at an open mic night twice. The first time went well, but the second did not. She’s still got plenty of other interests though! When she isn’t at work or honing her artistry, Delia enjoys being with family, especially her niece and nephew, going to concerts, and enjoying the outdoors. This past summer she went hiking in Ludlow Falls, Vermont and then swimming in Echo Lake.

Events: Nov. 27

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.

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

Sunday, Dec. 3: International Write-In, Session I 3:30-7:30 p.m. and Session II 8 p.m.-midnight in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

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.

Events: Nov. 20

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

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

Thursday, Nov. 23: Thanksgiving Day holiday.

Sunday, Dec. 3: International Write-In, Session I 3:30-7:30 p.m. and Session II 8 p.m.-midnight in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

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.

Share the word (or sign up) for the International Write-In!

By: Hailley Fargo

The Libraries, in collaboration with Penn State Learning and the Graduate Writing Center, will be hosting our International Write-In on Sunday, Dec. 3. Do you know of students, faculty, staff that need to get some end of semester writing done? Our International Write-In creates a productive atmosphere (with snacks and coffee!) to motivate writers to get some writing finished!

We’ll be hosting two writing sessions on Dec. 3, the first session from 3:30-7:30 p.m. and the second session from 8-midnight. Pizza will be provided to all registered participants at 7:30 p.m.

Interested writers can sign up today, by going to: http://tinyurl.com/psuwritein

Tech tip: Use good chat etiquette in the workplace

By: Ryan T. Johnson

The use of instant message, typically referred to as IM, can save a lot of time at work. Instead of walking over to someone’s desk, you can send them an online chat to get a quick response.

Despite its ease and quickness, professionals should still be mindful of basic etiquette rules when using IM in the office.

Below are some good rules to follow:

Start with a Short greeting when starting a conversation over IM. Say “Hi” or “Hello” to check and make sure it’s a good time to chat. Otherwise you may be interrupting them.
Be aware of a status message. Do not send someone an online chat if their status is “away” or “busy.” You may be disrupting their work by popping up in the middle of their computer screen.
Never write anything you wouldn’t say aloud. Privacy isn’t guaranteed on chat. It’s easy to send a message to the wrong person by mistake, misread the privacy settings of a group, or even misinterpret a quick note. Remember that work chat is not the same as texting on your personal cell phone or talking at happy hour. So keep it professional.

A good rule: Don’t say anything you wouldn’t want your boss to read over your shoulder.

Remember the human behind the chat. This is especially important if you’re providing customer service, live chatting about a help desk ticket, or otherwise interacting in a service capacity. Part of being professional is being respectful and friendly. Don’t abandon basic manners like greeting your recipient, saying please and thank you, and so on. If you’re chatting with someone for the first time, introduce yourself rather than immediately making a request.
Slack, like all electronic means of communication, is available to support business purposes. Although chat usage may be very casual outside work, all communications in the workplace should be professional, considerate, and work-related. Remember, information from Slack and other chat services can be subpoenaed.
Be particularly cautious about joking, humorous comments, and sharing personal information – not all coworkers welcome these comments. You may not even know if you have offended someone.
Do not share sensitive or confidential information. Use more secure means to communicate this info.
Whenever possible, talk face-to-face. The nature of Slack messages (very brief) and lack of tone or facial cues make misunderstandings commonplace. Always think about the best means to communicate your message.
Remember Slack (or other chat tools) should be used for business purposes only. Information from Slack and other chat services can be subpoenaed.

Students say thanks on Day of Philanthropy at the Libraries

Photo credit: Amy Miller

By Sarah Bacon

University Libraries celebrated the Day of Philanthropy on November 15, 2017, at Pattee Library and Paterno Library and the Earth and Mineral Sciences Library by talking to students about the significant impact philanthropy and private giving has had at the Libraries, and on them. Library volunteers also talked about upcoming participation in Giving Tuesday on November 28, where all money raised will support the Textbook and Educational Resources Fund (http://cfund.us/com).

The students were more than happy to say thank you to library donors and share what they appreciate most. During the four-hour Day of Philanthropy event, 287 unique, thoughtful, and inspiring comments and testimonials were collected. Here is a small sampling of what students had to say about the Libraries.

“Group study spaces allow me to grow and learn with my peers. That’s one of the greatest gifts of all! Thank you! Without the technology available to us, I wouldn’t be in the same position I am today.”

“Penn State has what we need before we know we need it. TY!”

“Amazing selection of materials! I actually was able to get the only copy of a
dissertation from Germany through ILLIAD that I needed for my research!”

“I come to the library every day, all of my 4 years here! I am so thankful!”

“I’ve never met a nicer and more helpful staff. Thank you!”

“Textbook reserves and laptop rental saved my life on many occasions!”

“Group study spaces are what got me through the hardest semester of college. It has been a very convenient and helpful study space. Thank you for giving me a second home!”

“Thank you for opening our minds to knowledge and innovation to prosper in this 21st century!”

For more information or for ways to support Penn State students through the
University Libraries, please contact University Libraries Development at
814-865-2258, sac210@psu.edu.

Penn State University Press to showcase new titles at annual Holiday Book Sale

By: Cate Fricke

Penn State University Press will showcase their newest titles at their Annual Holiday Book Sale on Tuesday, Dec. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Kern Building lobby, University Park. The one-day event is open to the University community and the general public.

Visitors will receive a 30 percent discount on some of the Press’s newest titles, including Lair of the Lion: A History of Beaver Stadium, Among the Woo People, Henry James and American Painting, books from the Graphic Medicine series, and the revised and expanded edition of Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic. There will also be a $5 book table.

Shoppers can also purchase books through the Penn State Press website, using the code HS2017 for 25 percent off beginning Friday, Dec. 1. The Press offers free shipping to on-campus addresses; regular shipping charges apply everywhere else. For information on any of Penn State University Press’s titles, visit http://www.psupress.org or call 814-865-1327.

Overview of Library Database & Directory Listing Project

By: Hailley Fargo

The Library Database & Directory Listing Project is a group working to improve the Penn State University Libraries’ database, staff profile and library guide discovery interfaces.

Our team includes:
Rebecca Miller
Charlie Morris
Hailley Fargo
Joe Fennewald
Binky Lush
Julia Proctor

As we move forward on this project, we are guided by the following project outcomes:
Viewable web changes such as:
– Browse databases by subjects (and other associated metadata)
– Browse experts by subjects (i.e., subject specialists)
– Enhanced database page
– Enhanced staff profile page (expert)
– Update the homepage below the search tabs and the research landing page links

And other outcomes such as:
– The definition of a database
– A flat subject taxonomy
– Use-case scenarios and audience definition
– A weeded database list
– A content strategy for databases
– Pre-implementation user test (baseline)
– Post-implementation user test
– Determine Google Analytics KPIs

This project is very collaborative and involves many stakeholders in library as we work towards these outcomes. Our colleagues will be involved with card sorting and other user experience activities.

For more information, see our staff page:
https://staff.libraries.psu.edu/databases-and-directory-listing-project and be on the lookout for future presentations and communication.

Customer service tip: The attitude anchor

By: Jeff Toister

The Attitude Anchor is a great way to keep our own negative feelings
neutralized, especially when dealing with an upset or difficult customer.

The concept works by focusing on something positive that “anchors” your
attitude where it needs to be to deliver outstanding service. You can use
Attitude Anchors to maintain a positive attitude or to help recover your
positive attitude after a difficult interaction.

Attitude Anchors can vary widely from person to person, but here are a few
examples:
* Pictures of family or friends
* Inspirational (or funny) quotes
* Upbeat music
* Conversation with family or friends
* Humor, including jokes and cartoons
* Going for a walk

Bonus Info: You can learn more about the Attitude Anchor by watching this
short training video

Diversity Committee guest speaker to focus on ‘inreach’

By Lana Munip

The Diversity Committee’s next monthly meeting on Wednesday, November 15, at 1-2
p.m., is open to all library employees — please join us on Zoom (https://psu.zoom.us/j/8148650402), or in person (510 Paterno).

Guest speaker Leslie Laing will focus on “inreach”: how to better engage
students in our spaces, and how to fully embrace diversity initiatives at
work. Leslie is the director of Adult Learner Programs and Services in
Student Affairs at University Park and serves the adult and veteran
population. She is a long-standing member and past president of the Forum on
Black Affairs (FOBA) and a member of the Community Diversity Group in State
College. In addition, Leslie has chaired the local Diversity Conference for
Embracing & Implementing Inclusion, and played a central role in planning the
University-wide Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations for many years. There
will be time for questions, and then we’ll round out the meeting with brief
reports from our four subcommittees — Civility, Programming, Collections,
and Strategic Action.

Our 2017/18 minutes: https://psu.box.com/s/2tnd64kjk1eem3thjop6x82mwq46ko18

Opening Doors: Contemporary African American Academic Surgeons exhibit

By: Sarah Billman

The exhibition, along with supporting library materials, is located on the
Life Sciences Library on 4th floor Paterno Library. It will be on display
from Nov. 6, 2017 until Dec. 16, 2017.

Tech tip: What is Office 365?

By: Ryan T Johnson

Office 365 is a subscription service from Microsoft which is essentially a package of a bunch of different programs and services that Microsoft has put together. Penn State is focusing on moving our email and calendaring to this new service early next year for the University libraries and will replace our use of UCS.

One advantage of Penn State’s Office 365 Subscription will be providing access to Office products to each user’s personal computers, tablets and mobile devices. This will include Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

Finally, integration with other applications including Canvas, Box and Yammer will provide opportunities for faculty and student collaboration.

Events: Nov. 13

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

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.

Sunday-Thursday, Nov. 12-16: Global Entrepreneur Week Penn State (GEW). Events at various locations including University Libraries, Schlow Centre Region Library and Happy Valley LaunchBox.

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.

2017 Penn State University librarian-led Global Entrepreneur Week (GEW)

Local libraries entice thinkers to “Start Something Here”

GEW Penn State hosts one of the largest GEW events in the country, connecting members of local entrepreneurial communities and the University, with a shared vision of building relationships and cultivating access to ideas and innovation. Join the University Libraries and Schlow Centre Region Library for any or all of the following presentations during Penn State’s GEW Week.

For a complete listing of all GEW Penn State events, visit: https://gew.psu.edu/attend/schedule/

SCORE: Speed Counseling for Businesses and Nonprofits
Monday, Nov. 13, 12 – 2 p.m, Downsbrough Community Room, Schlow Centre Region Library

Are you looking to start or grow your business or nonprofit? Meet one-on-one with a SCORE mentor and receive expert counseling and advice on business planning, nonprofit management and growth. SCORE is a nonprofit association of business counselors who foster business and nonprofit communities through mentoring and education. Appointments are offered on a first come, first serve basis.

Pennsylvania Business Resources
with LaMonica Wiggins, Entrepreneurship Librarian, Penn State University Libraries
Monday, Nov. 13, 6:30-7 p.m, Downsbrough Community Room, Schlow Centre Region Library

Are you interested in starting a small business in Pennsylvania? Come learn about the extensive business resources available to residents, how to conduct industry research, find business plans and collect local and national demographics and statistics.

Overview of Foundation Directory Online for Nonprofits & Individuals
With Karen Lambert, Adult Services Librarian, Schlow Centre Region Library
Monday, Nov. 13, 7-7:30 p.m, Downsbrough Community Room, Schlow Centre Region Library

Are you a student, artist, or researcher? Is your nonprofit looking for grants? This session will offer a brief glimpse of the Foundation Directories where nonprofits and individuals can find info on grant makers, grants, and additional funding resources. Free access to the Directories is now available within Schlow Library at all public computing stations.

Non-Patent Literature Searching using Government Resources
With Angela R. Davis, Engineering Liaison Librarian, Penn State University Libraries
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 6-7 p.m., Willard Building, Penn State, University Park

Searching for non-patent literature will help you identify examples of prior art, become aware of industry jargon, search the market for existing products, devices, or technology, and consumer interest. Learn how to locate this information using freely available government resources.

Marketing Research
With Kevin Harwell, Business Librarian, Penn State University Libraries
Wednesday: Nov. 15, 2:45-3:30 p.m., W211A Pattee Library, Penn State, University Park

Mintel Academic, eMarketer and Passport GMID provide market research information that can be useful for a variety of business applications, including product development and market planning. They can provide insight into consumer behavior and lifestyle related choices, brand performance, and industry trends. Please note that access to these databases is limited to students working on projects with direct connection to the Penn State curriculum.

Changing the World: Resources Available for Developing a Start-Up Company
With members of the Happy Valley LaunchBox team and LaMonica Wiggins, Entrepreneurship Librarian, Penn State University Libraries, Moderator: Vanessa Eyer, Engineering Librarian, Penn State University Libraries
Wednesday, Nov. 15, 6-8 p.m., 325 Hammond, Engineering Library, Penn State University

Interested in building a start-up company but don’t know where or how to start? Happy Valley LaunchBox can help! Presenters will discuss resources and services that can assist in your efforts to develop a start-up company, with time to network and ask questions. Light refreshments will be served. Please contact the Engineering Library at 814-865-3451, UL-ENGR@lists.psu.edu, or Vanessa Eyer vld5011@psu.edu for more information.

Understanding Patents and Intellectual Property
John J Meier, Patent and Trademark Resource Center Librarian, Penn State University Libraries
Thursday, Nov. 16, 1:30-2:30 p.m., 211A West Pattee Library, Penn State, University Park

This hands-on workshop will focus on understanding what patents are, the basic process of obtaining a patent and online searching of prior art (previous inventions). Attendees should have an interest in patents and be prepared to do practice searching in Google Patents and international patent offices.

Enhancing discovery and access of Libraries’ resources

By: Dace Freivalds

Ensuring that users can easily find and access our resources is critical to meeting the Libraries’ mission. LionSearch, The CAT, Google Books and Google Scholar are but a few of the many tools that our users employ to search our resources. While each of these tools is effective in its own way and for a particular audience, in keeping with the Libraries Strategic Plan goal to “simplify finding and access to collections and other information sources” in late 2016 Associate Dean for Technology and Digital Strategies Karen Estlund charged the Discovery Solutions Working Group with assessing the discovery landscape and recommending a discovery solution for the Libraries that is based on user experience and sustainable principles.

The group’s charge was to focus on indexing, relevancy, and coverage issues in assessing a discovery solution. Our literature review and responses from vendors showed that there is no compelling evidence that one discovery solution is inherently superior to another when it comes to indexing, relevancy and coverage. Survey results, benchmarking and anecdotal evidence from colleagues made plain that PSUL faculty and staff feel strongly that there is no demonstrated need to move from LionSearch to another system. However, based on evidence that arose during our research, we recommended that adjustments be made to our discovery interfaces in order to provide a cohesive, modern, intuitive interface for users to find and access items.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Discovery Brown Bags and responded to our surveys. Your input was invaluable in helping inform our work which led to two major recommendations:

1. Retain LionSearch (Summon)

2. Implement a “Bento Box” with a seamless and consistent presentation of search results regardless of the source of data

These and additional recommendations are detailed in our final report which
is available in Box at https://psu.box.com/s/huy5bnuvnaouzp284zbx07t7j6rd0nxj.

To learn more about the Discovery Solutions Working Group findings, recommendations and next steps, please join us at the:

LFO Fall Colloquium
Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.
Foster Auditorium and on Mediasite

Submitted by Dace Freivalds, Chair, on behalf of the Discovery Solutions Working Group (Zoe Chao, Marie Cirelli, Jennie Levine Knies, Eric Novotny, Banu Kutlu, Jeff Edmunds and James eyzer-Andre†)

‘The Library’ Fall 2017 donor newsletter now online

“The Library” donor newsletter, Fall 2017 edition

The Fall 2017 online version of The Library, a newsletter for the University Libraries’ donor audience, is now available for download as an accessible PDF on the Development, Giving to the Libraries, and News and Events pages of the Libraries’ website.

The cover story features limited-time opportunities for supporters of Penn State to secure University-provided matching funds for certain scholarships, early career professorship/librarianship positions, and other endowments and financial gifts, all of which are part of Penn State’s current capital campaign, “A Greater Penn State for 21st-Century Excellence.”

The newsletter is produced by Public Relations and Marketing in collaboration with and support from the Libraries’ Office of Development and Alumni Relations.