Monthly Archives: November 2018

The Informed Consumer Event Recap: Lean & Green Gift Making

By: Alyssa Leavens

TheUniversity Libraries hosted Lean & Green: Gift-making on a Budget on Tuesday, Nov. 6. This workshop is the first event of The Informed Consumer Series, an initiative designed to provide information and resources for students covering topics such as financial education, information literacy, health literacy, and entrepreneurship. The event included special guest Sylvia Rushing, resident instructor of floral design and botanical crafts at The Makery in State College. Sylvia instructed a group of 20 students on how to make mini succulent kokedamas (Japanese moss balls). Students learned that with just three simple and green items they could create an easy, decorative gift for friends or family. One succulent kokedama costs between $8-$10 keeping this project budget-friendly.

The event also offered a holiday vibe with hot chocolate, cookies, and festive music to help students de-stress. A book display with topics ranging from crafts to personal finance was also set up for students to browse and check-out. Students received two handouts with information on more budget friendly gift ideas, resources, and a budgeting worksheet specifically for the holiday season.

Look out for more events hosted by The Informed Consumer next semester. In the meantime, be sure to check out In the Know: Your Money Your Life, the blog associated with The Informed Consumer. The blog delves into various topics to help students take control of their lives and professional futures. Check out the blog’s latest post centered around the holiday season here.

Penn State University Press will showcase new titles at annual Holiday Book Sale, Dec. 4

By: Cate Fricke

Penn State University Press will host its annual Holiday Book Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4 in the Kern Building lobby, University Park. The one-day sale, featuring over
60 titles, is open to the University community and the general public.

The sale will include recently published books such as The Hidden Life of Life by New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, Shale Play: Poems and Photographs from the Fracking Fields by PSU professors Julia Spicher Kasdorf and Steven Rubin, and Evan Pugh’s Penn State by Roger Williams, former Executive Director of the Penn State Alumni Association;
graphic novels such as Escaping Wars and Waves and Don Quixote of La Mancha; and classic PSU Press books such as Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic and many more. All books will be available at 30–50% regular list price. There will also be a $5 book table featuring backlist titles on Pennsylvania history and other topics.

Shoppers can also purchase books through the Penn State University Press website. The Press offers free shipping to on-campus addresses; regular shipping charges apply everywhere else.

For information about Penn State University Press, visit http://www.psupress.org.

Customer Service Tip: Raising the customer experience bar by mapping unexpected journeys

By: Paul Selby (submitted by Carmen Gass)

I faced a dilemma recently. I had ordered something that would be delivered while I was out of town. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue; someone would eventually be home to retrieve the package from the porch. The problem was this was a valuable item and the package might sit for hours. With the holidays approaching making porch pirates a larger threat, I thought I’d see if any options might exist to address my concerns.

Like most customers, I started my quest online to see if I could find a solution to my problem. I tried the vendor first, but they didn’t offer any options once the item had left the warehouse.
Then I tried the shipper. Read more here.

Green Tip: Finding sustainable products in Ebuy and Penn State’s General Stores

By: Sarah Billman

Penn State’s General Stores’ Sustainable Products page encourages customers to order sustainable products. However, once a customer opens eBuy and navigates to the General Stores Office & Janitorial Supplies punchout page how can customers like us find sustainable products?

There are several tools available to find sustainable products. First, there is the Recycled Copier Paper Guide from the General Stores website, which is helpful when ordering copier paper. Next, there are some filters in the punchout that you can employ to help narrow your choices to view eco-conscious products:

or diversity suppliers:

Additionally, when looking at products look for the following labels:

Lastly, there is a Greener Office Products section of the supplies website. Currently, it’s a little harder to access.

To make it a little easier to find here are the steps to finding greener office supplies:

Go to the Supplies home screen and click on Office Supplies:

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Greener Office Products link under More Ways to Shop to display a list of available supplies:

Hosting a Libraries event?

Look in your General Stores catalog to find the blue section labeled “PSU Janitorial and Break Room Solutions” blue section in the front of the catalog for competitively priced solutions including service ware, flatware, cutlery, as well as hot and cold beverage cups. Don’t have a General Stores Catalog? You can order one through General Stores.

Why should you look for sustainable products when ordering from General Stores?

The products are competitively priced, high quality, and help the Libraries and Penn State meet their sustainability goals. Additionally, buying recycled content products help “close the resource loop” and reduces energy, water, and chemical use, while reducing pollution and solid waste production. Lastly, it also helps boosts our regional economy because the majority of the RC paper at Penn State is purchased locally from American Eagle paper mill in Tyrone, PA.

Events: November 26

Fall 2018
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Sept. 5-Feb. 11, Exhibit: “Into the Woods: Nature in Your Library” Diversity Studies Room, 203 Pattee Library, Explore the Eastern Forest, its wildlife and botanical wealth. Libraries’ resources, services, unique collections and course materials will guide you on the trails of nature education and exploration. Discover local environmental programs. Be inspired by the instrumental work of women conservationists. Check out the related books, maps, movies and more, and get … Into the Woods.

Sept. 10-Jan. 13, 2019, Exhibit: “A Full Course: Encounters with Food” Eberly Family Special Collections Library, 102 Paterno Library, and Sidewater Commons, first floor Pattee Library. To survive and thrive, we must all consume food every day; eating is, therefore, one of the few universal human experiences. The exhibition will consider the more contested and continuing questions surrounding food: where does it come from, what and how do we cook and eat, and what role does food play in our collective imaginations? The books, manuscripts, posters, and ephemera on view will offer a feast for the eyes and food for thought!

Tuesday, November 27: Giving Tuesday. Save the date! Giving Tuesday is the biggest giving day of the year! Get ready to raise your voice and join Penn Staters in giving back. More info at: http://c-fund.us/gva #TextbookFund #PSUGivingTue

Sunday, Dec. 2: International Write-In. Use dedicated time to work on and complete writing assignments and projects throughout the evening, with reference librarians and writing consultants on hand for support, with snacks, coffee and pizza. Two sessions to choose from: Session One is 3:30-7:30 p.m. and Session Two is from 8 p.m. to midnight. Registration is recommended at http://tinyurl.com/psuwritein.

Wednesday, Dec. 5: Docunight: Iran Via Documentaries. On the first Wednesday of every month, featuring a documentary film about, around, or in Iran, or made Iranians. Docunight events are open to everyone, and all films have English subtitles. Co-sponsored by the Iranian Student Association and the University Libraries. 7 p.m. in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, University Park.

Sunday, December 9 — Tuesday, December 11: Destress Fest. Various locations across University Park campus Libraries. Games, stress-relieving activities, free coffee. snacks and extended hours.

Dec, 15-16: Commencement weekend.

Please submit event information — and all Library News submissions — to Public Relations and Marketing via the Library News submission form. *Please note: The content submissions process may be changing soon; please stay tuned for updates.*

Penn State University Press announces new books for spring/summer 2019

By: Cate Fricke

Penn State University Press has unveiled its Spring/Summer 2019 catalog featuring new general interest and scholarly books in the fields of art history, literature, Early American studies, European history, occult studies, medieval and early modern studies, and more.

Notable forthcoming titles include Pier Groups: Art and Sex Along the New York Waterfront, a vividly illustrated exploration of art-making and LGBTQ culture on the Hudson River piers in 1970s NYC by Jonathan Weinberg; The Lady Doctor, a hilarious graphic novel by Graphic Medicine pioneer Ian Williams; and Bret L. Rothstein’s The Shape of Difficulty: A Fan Letter to Unruly Objects, a fascinating meditation on puzzles and those who love to solve them.

Scholarly highlights include Against Our Will: Sexual Trauma in American Art Since 1970 by Vivien Green Fryd, an important look at feminist art through the lens of trauma theory; Troublesome
Women: Gender, Crime, and Punishment in Antebellum Pennsylvania by Erica Rhodes Hayden; Borges Beyond the Visible, a radical new interpretation by Max Ubelaker Andrade of some of Borges’s most beloved stories; and Picatrix: A Medieval Treatise on Astral Magic, a new English translation of one of the most revered medieval magical guides in Western esotericism. The catalog also includes new titles in ancient Near East and biblical studies from Eisenbrauns, which the Press acquired as an imprint in November 2017, and new titles in art and art history from National Gallery Singapore, now distributed by the Press.

To see all of Penn State University Press’s forthcoming Spring/Summer 2019 titles, visit:
https://www.psupress.org/catalogs/PDFs/SS19_web_links.pdf

Getting to Know You: Jen Jarson

By: Gale Biddle with Tracy Reilly

If you ever get the pleasure to meet Jen Jarson, Head Librarian at Lehigh Valley since August 2017, you will quickly sense her enthusiasm and passion for the Libraries and for helping people. A native of sunny San Diego, California, Jen came east to attend college at Swarthmore College and decided to stay. She worked in the library as a student, but it would not be until after graduation and a job in social work that she realized how much she enjoyed teaching and learning. It was then that she decided to become a Librarian.

Jen came to Penn State after spending 11 years working at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She found that Penn State offered the opportunity to learn how a huge institution works in the higher education landscape while also providing the close-knit feel of a smaller campus like Lehigh Valley. She’s a member of ACRL, Value of Academic Libraries Committee, and ACRLog.

For Jen, librarianship means having the unique vantage point of being a translator at the crossroads between students and faculty across various disciplines. Jen views the library as a formative partner in the teaching and learning process. Being able to understand how students learn and communicate helps her assist the students in their research process and allows her to connect that information to the faculty’s teaching endeavors. A great example of Jen putting this into action is a program she developed with the Instructional Design and Virtual Learning department where the goal is to “engage students, faculty, and staff in conversations about the processes behind scholarly and creative work while celebrating the accomplishments of members of our community.”

When she’s not busy at her Penn State job, Jen works with her husband to grow and sell produce from the small farm on their property to local farmer’s markets and restaurants. She developed a strong interest in children’s literature and has a goal to someday write children’s literature herself. She also enjoys being outdoors and traveling.

When asked what her favorite thing was about working for Penn State, Jen unreservedly answered, “getting to meet all the thoughtful and caring people who work in the Libraries.” She says that everyone she has met through the Libraries has been wonderful, and she looks forward to meeting more of you. After speaking with Jen, it is obvious that she, too, is one of those thoughtful and caring people.

Digital Scholarship & Data Services, November 2018 Update

By: Cynthia Vitale

Introducing Digital Scholarship & Data Services Summer of 2018 marked the official launch of the Digital Scholarship & Data Services department in PSU Libraries. This department pulls together 5 units and services areas under one umbrella department. The department enhances the technology-driven research capacity of the Penn State community. We partner with students, faculty, and staff to consult, provide training, and support projects in the areas of research data management, digital humanities, mapping, statistical analysis, and open publishing.

The new department includes:
– Data Learning Center: Lizhao Ge, Statistical Information Specialist
– Research Data Services: Robert Olendorf, Research Data Librarian, Seth Erickson, CLIR Software Curation Fellow & Hannah Hadley, IMLS Data Curation Workshops Project Manager
– Digital Humanities Services: John Russell, Digital Humanities Librarian & Heather Froehlich, Literary Informatics Librarian
– Maps & Geospatial Information: Nathan Piekielek, Geospatial Services Librarian, Heather Ross, Map Information Resources and Services Supervisor-Manager & Tara LaLonde, GIS Specialist
– Open Publishing: Allyson Laird, Open Publishing Production Specialist & Michele Barbin, Open Publishing Production Assistant

Please note, we are also considering a departmental name change, which you may have read about in the Admin Retreat notes. We’re still thinking through what this would mean – but will keep everyone updated!

TOME Open Access Subvention Grants – Applications Now Open!
Applications are currently being accepted for subvention grants to support open access monographs through the TOME initiative. TOME, or Towards an Open Access Monograph, provides grants of up to $15,000 to University presses publishing Penn State author’s
works for open access editions. For more information please see the website or email Ally Laird (alaird@psu.edu).

NVIVO Software Available on Library Computers
University faculty, students, and staff who want to analyze qualitative research now have access to the NVIVO software from public terminals on the 2nd floor of Paterno and within the Data Learning Center. Additional statistical and data analysis software on these computers include SAS, SPSS, and R, to name a few. Library support and services for NVIVO are in the works – stay tuned for more information!

Text Mining: web-based resources
If you know University faculty, staff, or students are interested in text mining, point them to the new guide developed by Literary Informatics Librarian, Heather Froehlich. This guide provides an overview of important considerations and resources for text and data mining – it should be used as a starting point.

Campus Maps Topic Guide
We often get questions asking about campus maps. Years ago we had scanned all our campus and State College maps to facilitate patron access but had never posted them. In conjunction with Special Collections, we now have one place we can point patrons to view a list of curated historic and current campus maps. https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/campusmaps

Service Spotlight: Data & Software Curation
Libraries have provided access and preservation to books, journals, and special collections for years, providing the same services for data, software, and other digital research assets is not so different. Data & Software curation is the encompassing work and actions taken by curators in order to provide meaningful and enduring access to the assets. These actions may be technology-based through the infrastructure provided by Digital Scholarship & Repository Development, and more hands-on, such as the treatments provided by Rob Olendorf & Seth Erickson. Hands-on curation activities may include checking the files and deposits for completeness, creating or enhancing read-me files and metadata, running code, and linking datasets and assets to related online resources (such as publications and grant award information).

DSDS Distinctions (2018-08-01 – 2018-10-30) Publications
LaLonde, T., & Piekielek, N., (2018). “Planning for Change: A Maps and Geospatial Information Services Survey,” Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, 90. DOI:10.5062/F43F4MW4

Huang, J., Bagher, M., Ross, H., Piekielek, N., Wallgrün, J. O., Zhao, J., & Klippel, A. (In Press). “From Archive, to Access, to Experience – Historical Documents as a Basis for Immersive
Virtual Reality,” Journal of Map & Geography Libraries.

Presentations, Posters, and Webinars
Froehlich, H., “Vocabulary for Madness, 1400-1800.” ThincLab, University of Guelph. Presentation. October 25, 2018.

Froehlich, H., “Co-ops to Post-Docs: Models of Labor in Digital Scholarship” Digital Library Federation Forum 2018, The Council on Library and Information Resources + Digital Library
Federation. Presentation. October 17, 2018.

Froehlich, H., “The Semantics of Whorishness in Jacobean Drama.” 20th International Conference on English Historical Linguistics, University of Edinburgh. Presentation. August 29, 2018.

Roth, M., Froehlich, H., Vitale, C.R.H., “SHARE-ing Omeka in the Web of Scholarship.” Association of Research Libraries Webinar. October 4, 2018.

Schwenter, K., & LaLonde, T., “When the Flash Burns Out: Migrating the Cultural and Literary Map of Pennsylvania from an Adobe Flash Platform to a Robust Content Management System.”
Pennsylvania Library Association Conference. Poster. October 16, 2018.

Olendorf, R., “Putting theory into practice: Lessons from the Data Curation Network” Digital Library Federation Forum 2018, The Council on Library and Information Resources + Digital Library Federation. Presentation. October 16, 2018.

Russell, J.E., “Pedagogy for Data-Driven Humanities.” Digital Art History Summer School, Malaga, Spain, Sept 3, 2018.

Russell, J.E., & Froehlich, H., “Digital Humanities in the Classroom.” Penn State Altoona Teaching and Learning Conference, August 15, 2018.

Vitale, C.R.H., Ruttenberg, J., “Enhancing the discovery of distributed scholarly assets: an exploration of requirements”, Bucknell University Digital Scholarship Conference. Lewisburg,
PA. Presentation. October 6, 2018.

Vitale, C.R.H., Cox, K., Darby, K., Spies, J., “Critical issues in Open Access infrastructure: metadata, licensing, and data archiving in the social sciences”, Open Scholarship in the Social Sciences (O3S). Baltimore, MD. Panelist. October 19, 2018.

Local and National Workshops Conducted
Ge, L., & Olendorf, R., “Introduction to R.” Pennsylvania State University. Workshop. October 9, 2018.

Ge, L., “Statistical Methods.” Schreyer Honors College, Pennsylvania State University. Workshop. October 2, 2018.

LaLonde, T., “Geospatial Exploration: Mapping and locations topics and applications.” Penn State University. Workshop. September 26, 2018.

LaLonde, T., “Geospatial Data: Library Resources and beyond.” Penn State University. Workshop. September 26, 2018.

LaLonde, T., “Geospatial Online: Overview of ArcGIS Online.” Penn State University. Workshop. October 3, 2018.

LaLonde, T., “Introduction to ArcGIS Pro.” Penn State University. Workshop. October 3, 2018.

LaLonde, T., “Geospatial Analysis: Using ArcGIS Desktop for location and demographic data.” Penn State University. Workshop. October 10, 2018.

LaLonde, T., “Open Source GIS: QGIS.” Penn State University. Workshop. October 10, 2018.

Vitale, C.R.H., Carlson, J., Fearon, D., Hadley, H., Johnston, L., Lafferty-Hess, S., Kozlowski, W., Moore, J., “Specialized Data Curation” [1.5 days]. Las Vegas, NV. Workshop. October 17 & 18, 2018.

New Service Appointments
Appointment: Russell, J.E. – Editor-in-Chief, dh+lib
Grant Peer Reviewer: Froehlich, H., – National Endowment for the Humanities (August 16, 2018)
Journal/Manuscript Peer Reviewer: Froehlich, H. – Mémoires de la Société Neophilologique (Modern Language Society of Finland) (October 2018)
LaLonde, T. Penn State University Libraries Instruction Steering Committee, at-large member
Ross, H., Penn State United Way Steering Committee member

Customer Service Tip: Conflict resolution foundations (Lynda.com)

By: Carmen Gass

Improve your relationships with your coworkers, clients, and managers and find your way through conflict back to cooperation. In this course, negotiation and leadership coach Lisa Gates shares the secrets of effective conflict resolution and reveals simple, repeatable techniques that apply in most business situations. Access the class here.

Events: November 19

Fall 2018
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Tuesday, Nov. 13: Penn State GIS Day. A one-day seminar for individuals working with GIS, geospatial technologies, remote sensing, maps, and location-based research on campus to foster greater geospatial awareness on campus, within the community, and beyond. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library and Franklin Atrium, Pattee Library, University Park campus.

Tuesday, November 13: The Many Faces of Intercultural Dialogue. To encourage Intercultural understanding and collaboration across the Penn State campus and the local community, 15 International students and their Penn State student partners will share posters about what they have learned from each other and their respective cultures during a program in Franklin Atrium, central Pattee Library. Questions and feedback is encouraged to foster dialogue. 3-4:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 16: Ithaka Faculty Survey brown bag on data management. Cynthia Vitale, Digital Scholarship and Data Services head, will present on findings related to questions on data management from the spring 2018 library survey of Penn State faculty. Noon – 1 p.m., Dean’s Conference Room, 510 Paterno Library, University Park campus.

Dec, 15-16: Commencement weekend.

Events: November 12

Fall 2018
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Dec, 15-16: Commencement weekend.

University Libraries supports Centre County United Way!

University Libraries staff and faculty show support for United Way outside Pattee Library

Last week, UP Libraries employees posed for a group photo to show our support of the Centre County United Way. The photo is part of the #LIveTheShirt social media fundraising event. For every #LiveTheShirt media post, the CCUW received $25 from a targeted gift. Each share received $15 and $1 for each like or comment.

On Thursday afternoon I posted the photo, tagged my friends, and made it public ($25.) By Friday afternoon it has 14 shares ($210), 3 comments and 45 likes ($48.) That’s $283 from just my post! The photo has been posted by many employees who also have shares and likes and comments. The photo has gone viral all for a good cause. Feel free to post to your social media (making it public) and watch the money roll in!

The United Way provides Health, Financial Stability and Educational assistance to our Centre County neighbors. Whether it’s the Food Bank, after school programs, job retraining or health care, we all benefit when our neighbors stable.

Consider some of your small expenses like a cup of coffee. Just one $5 cup of coffee per week gives 25 meals to a family of four.

At University Park, you should have received a payroll deduction form in the mail. If you give monthly through payroll, Thank you! If you have questions about how to donate, contact me (hdr10@psu.edu.) You can tailor your gift in many ways to meet your vision (to another county, to a specific agency.) You can send a lump sum to the United Way on their website and reference Penn State to have it count against our campaign.

To view the Penn State campaign, you can track the progress here. http://unitedway.psu.edu/

You can view details on where the money goes here. http://www.ccunitedway.org/

Thanks you for your continuing support of the United Way.

University Libraries United Way Committee

Heather Ross, co-chair

Nicole Gampe, co-chair

Donna Dean

Robert Freeborn

Matthew Mangarella

Kelly Riley

University Libraries holiday clothing sale

By: Heather Ross

It’s winter time and time to bundle up! This time we are selling long sleeve t-shirts with the UL mark, hoodies, zippered sweatshirts and athletic jackets, vests and ladies blazers and cardigans. The t-shirt and hoodie are both screen printed and everything else is embroidered.

See prices below and more details on the order form.

Orders are due by 11/19 at noon. Payment is due by delivery. Payment by cash and PayPal is preferred. If paying by check, please make the checks out to Heather Ross, and send to Donna
Dean, 3 Paterno Library.

If paying by PayPal – Click on Send or Request money –>Send money–>enter email hdr10psu@gmail.com–>sending to a friend. Enter the amount and put your name in the notes field. You may be charged a small fee if you are using your bank card to pay but it’s a small amount. There is no fee if link your PayPal account to your bank account.

All proceeds benefit the Centre County United Way. Thank you for your continued support.

Heather Ross for the UL United Way Committee

Tech Tip: Kaltura —Tagging media best practice and tips

Name: Ryan Johnson

When you first upload a video to My Media in Canvas or Penn State’s MediaSpace, Kaltura gives you the opportunity to add tags to your video so you and your viewers may easily find it. You can also add tags to your media after you upload it.

A tag is a label attached to something, in this case a video or media file. Tagging something classifies it to make it easier to find. Kaltura uses metadata, like tags, to classify and describe items, making browsing and searching easier. Tags are a great way to navigate and find your content in Kaltura. You should make tags as meaningful and relevant to the media as possible so that they can provide useful search results.

Unlike hashtags, which omit spaces, tags in Kaltura allow spaces between words. For example, a hashtag like #libraries in social media could just be libraries in Kaltura. You don’t have to worry about capitalizing your tags either. You can capitalize if you choose, without changing the search results.

Whenever you upload a media file to Kaltura, you can add your tags in the Tags field. You can also add tags later by editing the media details page.

Here are a few more tips:

Tags can be a useful way to group media. Using Kaltura in Canvas, instructors may want to choose tags related to their course syllabus. For example, if you want your students to watch a reading of The Tell-Tale Heart in your section on Edgar Allen Poe, an appropriate tag might be poe. Your students can search the course Media Gallery for poe and find all the media files with that tag attached.
If you have several pieces of media for one course, it is a good idea to tag them with the same course title/code and semester so that they can be located together in a search. This allows you to quickly locate specific course media on your My Media page. For example,ENG30 Fall 2018.
You can also tag media by topic. Some examples of topics include “weekly summaries,” “lab demonstrations,” “lesson number,” and “lectures.”
If you are collaborating on media with others, consider establishing a common tagging system with your development team to ensure that tags are consistently created and applied to your group’s media. Having a tagging system in place makes finding your content faster and easier.
If you are creating content for faculty, a good method of tagging is to use the course number, the instructor’s last name, and a subject area. Using this method, an appropriate tag for course EE200 taught by James Murphy, may look like this:
ee200 murphy electrical engineering.
If you have content that is captioned for accessibility, you can add the tag “ADA” to your regular tags so people know it is accessible to viewers with disabilities.

Customer Service Tip: Three lessons from Apple on how to amaze your customers

By: Shep Hyken (submitted by Carmen Gass)

There is a lot we can learn from great companies, big and small. Many books have been written about companies like Disney, Nordstrom, Ritz-Carlton and Apple. And, once we learn how they do it, the key is making it work for our companies. It’s not about just learning, but also about executing what we learned. Read more:

Three Lessons from Apple on How to Amaze Your Customers

Tech Tip: Office 365 (Outlook on the web) – Respond to a meeting request

By: Ryan Johnson

Even if you don’t organize meetings and send invitations in Office 365, you may get invited to meetings now and then, so it’s a good idea to know how to respond to a meeting request if you get one.

When you’ve been invited to a meeting, you get a special e-mail message that offers these buttons:

Accept: Outlook on the web automatically adds the meeting to your schedule and creates a new e-mail message to the person who organized the meeting, telling that person your decision.
Tentative: The meeting’s automatically added to your schedule. A new e-mail message goes to the person who organized the meeting.
Decline: Just can’t make it? If you click Decline, Outlook sends a message to the meeting organizer to convey the bad news. The meeting invite will disappear from your calendar.
Propose New Time: If the meeting organizer chose an inconvenient time, you can suggest another by clicking Propose New Time.

Important: If you do not send your response back to the organizer, they will not be able to track your response. In other words, it will appear as though you have not responded even though you had accepted or declined the meeting request.

Arrivals and Departures

By: Rob Harris

Starting this semester we will try to provide monthly updates of full-time employees who have joined or left the University Libraries.

In October we welcomed the following new employees:
Curtis Hill – Records Management
Brenda Witmer – Receiving Room

We said good-bye to:
Michelle Criley – Greater Allegheny

Customer Service Tip: Acknowledge and refocus

By: Jeff Toister (submitted by Carmen Gass)

Taking ownership is sometimes confused with being blamed, but it’s really about accepting responsibility for solving a problem.

A great way to take ownership (and diffuse any anger) is through the Acknowledge and Refocus technique. * Acknowledge the problem or service failure. This conveys empathy and helps the customer feel valued. * Refocus on a solution. Being solution-oriented prevents you from getting stuck on discussing blame and will give your customer the confidence that you are here to help.

Sound too easy? Here’s two ways it can go wrong if you aren’t careful:
1. You say, “I’m sorry” but your customer doesn’t feel acknowledged. Be sure your tone and body language convey just as much empathy as your words.

2. You get stuck playing the ‘blame game’. It’s easier than you think. Phrases like “Who told you that?” or “Well, I didn’t do that!” are good signs that you are playing the ‘blame game’ rather than focusing on a solution!

Fall 2018 Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Fall 2018 Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Fall 2018 Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Fall 2018
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Fall 2018
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Fall 2018
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.