Monthly Archives: March 2019

Save the Date! Tech Update – April 4

By: Melody Gehlbach

Tech Update, April 4, 10-11 a.m. in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library,
Stay tuned for the agenda!

Customer Service Tip: Amaze It Forward

By: Shep Hyken (submitted by Carmen Gass)

“Amaze It Forward” by showing appreciation to those who provide amazing service to you.
Read more here.

Events: March 25

Spring 2019
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Jan. 28-Sept. 1, 2019, Exhibit: “The Secret Lives of Girls and Women” Eberly Family Special Collections Library, 104 Paterno Library. Through the examination of books, letters, hand-written diaries and other archival materials, The Secret Lives of Girls and Women exposes a wide spectrum of feminine mysteries. The exhibition includes many hidden or concealed aspects of female life found within beauty secrets, secret languages created by women, literary secrets, social taboos and more throughout history. On display during Special Collections Library hours.

Mar. 11-Sept. 26, 2019, Exhibit: “The Future is Now.” Diversity Studies Room, 203 Pattee Library. Highlights from current and forthcoming equipment and assistance available to support students’ academic success from the Libraries’ Media and Technology Support Services and Adaptive Technology and Services departments.

Thursday, Feb. 7–Tuesday, Apr. 2: Spring 2019 Scholarly Communications Workshops. A series of workshops covering topics such as open access, copyright and fair use policies will be offered throughout the spring semester for students, faculty and staff. Coordinated and led by Ana Enriquez, scholarly communications outreach librarian, all workshops are free and take place either on Zoom or Paterno Library. Varying times in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library and via Zoom. To add this workshop series to your Facebook calendar, visit its Facebook Event online.

Monday, Mar. 25, International and Foreign Copyright: A U.S. Perspective. How does copyright law vary around the world? When you’re working across borders, which laws apply? Join us for a workshop on these and other questions. This is an interactive workshop wherein participants will work in small groups to address hypothetical copyright questions and then debrief their responses as a full group. 12:15-1:15 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park. Register HERE.

Wednesday, Mar. 27, Introduction to Copyright: Permission and Who Can Grant It. Have you ever wondered how things enter the public domain? What rights you have to control use of your work? What rights you have to use someone else’s work? Learn more about copyright law at this interactive workshop where participants will work in small groups to address hypothetical copyright questions and then debrief their responses as a full group.12:20-1:10 p.m. via Zoom. Register HERE.

Thursday, Mar. 28, The Charles W. Mann Jr. Lecture in the Book Arts. Jesse Ryan Erickson, coordinator of Special Collections and Digital Humanities, associate professor in the Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, and assistant director of The Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Center, University of Delaware, will offer a lecture titled A Different Kind of Reading: Victorian Popular Afterlives, providing an examination of the works of Victorian author Ouida (1839-1908), and exploring the ways in which racial consciousness affects one’s interaction and engagement with a text through its textual contents and materiality. 4:30-5:30 p.m., Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, immediately followed by a reception in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library.

Monday, Apr. 1,What is Sacred in Food Sovereignty Research. Megan Griffin, 2018 recipient of the Whiting Indigenous Knowledge Research Award, will present her research in a talk that will explore the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of sovereignty in agro-biodiversity conservation research, and is the first in the series of Whiting Indigenous Knowledge Student Research presentations for spring 2019. 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, on the University Park campus.

Monday, Apr. 1, Edible Book Festival. Students, faculty and staff are invited to submit a book- or reading-themed cake to win a gift card. Edible book awards will be presented in a variety of categories. The public is encouraged to vote for their favorites and have a cupcake to help celebrate the event. Sign up at: http://tinyurl.com/psulibsediblebook

Tuesday, Apr. 2, International and Foreign Copyright: A U.S. Perspective. Offered as part of the Spring 2019 Scholarly Communications Workshop series. 12:15-1:15 p.m. via Zoom. Register HERE.

Wednesday, Apr. 3: Docunight: Iran Via Documentaries. On the first Wednesday of every month, Docunight features a documentary film about, around, or in Iran, or made Iranians. All 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.

Thursday, Apr. 11, Geospatial Analysis: Using GIS Desktop software. An introduction to geospatial processes in ArcGIS ArcMap and ArcPro software. This informational session introduces and utilizes key software terminology, along with examples of the functionality within the software. Maps and geospatial examples will be provided in an interdisciplinary manner. More information about GIS is available HERE. 3-5 p.m., 211A Pattee Library, University Park. No registration is required, open to all Penn State students, staff, faculty and visitors, with remote viewing available online using Zoom.

Thursday, Apr. 25, MediaTech Open House. Stop in to see how MediaTech can help you; learn about the many equipment and technologies options are available for student use, plus register for prize giveaways. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Wagner Annex, behind Wagner Building on Curtain Road. For more info, call 814-863-3202.

Friday-Sunday, May 3-5: Spring Commencement, University Park.

Monday, May 6: Technology Expo 2019. The annual Technology Expo hosted by Media Technology Services and Support (MediaTech) to bring vendors and state-of-the-art technology equipment to regional I.T. specialists, facilities managers, and others interested in the latest multimedia and related devices and products available for educational, nonprofit and commercial use. 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Presidents Hall, The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, Innovation Park, State College, Pa.

Please submit event information — and all Library News submissions — to Public Relations and Marketing via its Staff Site request form and selecting the “Library News blog article” button.

Events: March 18

Spring 2019
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Monday, Mar. 18, Copyright and Your Thesis or Dissertation. Offered as part of the Spring 2019 Scholarly Communications Workshop series. Join us for this interactive workshop wherein participants will work in small groups to address hypothetical copyright questions and then debrief their responses as a full group. 4-5 p.m., Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno, University Park. Register HERE.

Tuesday, March 19, Who Owns What. Offered as part of the Spring 2019 Scholarly Communications Workshop series. What does PSU policy have to say about the ownership of scholarly IP? Who gets to sign publishing agreements and make copyright decisions about published research? How does this interact with public access mandates from research funders? Join us for a brief overview of Penn State policy in this area, with time for questions.12:15-12:45 p.m. via Zoom. Register HERE.

Wednesday, Mar. 20, Introduction to Copyright: When You Don’t Need Permission. Offered as part of the Spring 2019 Scholarly Communications Workshop series. Have you ever wondered how things enter the public domain? What rights you have to control use of your work? What rights you have to use someone else’s work? Learn more about copyright law in an interactive workshop where participants will work in small groups to address hypothetical copyright questions and then debrief their responses as a full group.12:20-1:10 p.m. via Zoom. Register HERE.

Friday, Mar. 22, WGSS Wiki Edit-a-thon. A daylong event, open to all students, faculty and staff,to increase the presence of women artists online. Snacks will be provided; come for an hour or all day! 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.

Tuesday, Apr. 2, International and Foreign Copyright: A U.S. Perspective. Offered as part of the Spring 2019 Scholarly Communications Workshop series. 12:15-1:15 p.m. via Zoom. Register HERE.

Friday-Sunday, May 3-5: Spring Commencement, University Park.

Please submit event information — and all Library News submissions — to Public Relations and Marketing via its Staff Site request form and selecting the “Library News blog article” button.

COP March Online Discussion: Non-Required Reading

By: Emily Mross

Join COP Online Discussion Leaders Hailley Fargo and Emily Mross on Thursday, March 14 at 2 p.m. via Zoom for this month’s COP Online Discussion on leisure reading collections.

Penn State University Libraries across the Commonwealth are promoting xtracurricular reading through leisure collections, book clubs, campus reads programs and more. How are you building and assessing these collections and/or programs? Who uses them/participates and why? Join us to discuss non-required reading at your campus — what works, what doesn’t, and where you’re going next.

Customer Service Tip: Doing the Right Thing: A Habit Worth Mastering

By: Shep Hyken (submitted by Carmen Gass)

When it comes to taking care of customers, sometimes people go a little further than expected. When asked why, they often say, “It was the right thing to do.” There’s no incentive other than the desire to care for someone else. In a sense, that is what customer service is about. While we may be paid to do a job, sometimes doing something that is not required – and therefore not expected – is what the next level of a good customer service experience is all about.

I received a note from M. N. Rao, one of our subscribers to The Shepard Letter. He shared a story that perfectly makes this point. The short version is this: Read more here .

Article Category: Announcement

Tech Tip: Downloading and Connecting to a Solstice Pod Using a Computer (Windows/Mac)

By: Ryan Johnson

Open a Web Browser and go to the URL shown on the Solstice Pod welcome screen
Click “Get the app and connect!” button in the middle of the screen.
After the software finishes downloading, click to install and run the Solstice Client software.
Run the Solstice client. On first launch, you will be prompted to enter your name.
The client will automatically detect available Solstice Pods in your area. Click on the Solstice Pod name you wish to connect to.
Enter the 4 Character access code listed on the Solstice Pod’s welcome screen
Pick a sharing method. You can share your entire desktop, an open application window, or stream a media file directly from your hard drive. To learn more about Solstice or download a quickstart guide, please visit the Solstice Training page on the staff site.

April is Disability Awareness Month

By: Dawn Amsberry

April is Disability Awareness Month, also called Diversability Month, at Penn State. The theme “Diversability” emphasizes the various abilities and talents of people with disabilities.

In recognition of Diversability Month, Student Disability Resources and the Libraries Accessibility Committee are sponsoring a panel presentation titled “Life Transitions for Students with Intellectual Disabilities from High School to College to Work.” The panel will feature students from the LifeLink program, faculty involved with the WorkLink program, and community employers such as Good Day Café and Tap Root Kitchen. LifeLink, a partnership between the State College Area School District and the Penn State College of Education, helps SCASD students with disabilities ages 18-21 enroll in classes at University Park, and matches them with Penn State student volunteer mentors.

The event will be held Tuesday April 2 2019 from 2-4 pm in Foster Auditorium and via MediaSite Live. More information about this program and other Diversibility Month events is available on the Penn State Diversability web page.

Getting to Know You: Jenny Cifelli

“Just so you know, I’m boring.” These were the first words Jenny Cifelli, assistant editor for Public Relations and Marketing for the Libraries, said when I called her for this interview. I assured her that many people may think that about themselves, but it’s rarely true. We’ve all got interesting stories to tell. That’s certainly true of Jenny’s case. From massage therapy to the oil business to public relations, Jenny’s career path has some fun twists and turns that has led her here to Penn State.

Jenny grew up on the Lakeshore area of Chicago. She loved living there, but she wasn’t crazy about the weather. During high school, she worked at a bath store where she would blend the customer’s choices from the perfume bar to create their unique shampoo, conditioner, or lotion. Let’s just say that some patrons’ choices were a little more “unique” than others! But she loved the job, and it would influence her later career choices. A friend would eventually purchase the store, and sometimes Jenny gets to go back and run the it for a bit. From there, she went on to become a massage therapist and lived in New Jersey, California, and Oregon. She also spent some time working in the oil business.

It was in September of 2017 that Jenny joined the Penn State family. She was already familiar with the State College area since her father had grown up around there, and she had visited as a child. She began working in the Public Relations and Marketing Department where she provides promotion, public relations, and communications from the all the libraries to the faculty, staff, and students via press releases and social media. When I asked her what part of working for Penn State she enjoys most, she said she loves being able to hear and tell all the stories that people create. She feels like she gets to know people based off the classes and work that they produce. She said, “There’s a lot of excited librarians around. I love it!”

When she’s procrastinating from something she doesn’t want to do, Jenny likes to organize. She says there’s nothing like cleaning out a closet! But her biggest passion is all things wellness. She teaches yoga classes, and although she gave up her massage therapy license, she still enjoys giving massages for fun. She’s a member of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, which aims to integrate aromatherapy into complimentary healthcare practices. With a little bit of luck, Jenny will hopefully have a little pet therapy soon, as well. She’s searching rescue sites with the hope of adopting an Australian Shepherd dog.

So, when you need to get the word out about your class or event, let Jenny know. And if you need a nice, relaxing massage while the sweet smell of lavender wafts through the air, maybe let her know that, too! (I can’t make any promises but it’s worth a try, right?!)

Ten Random Questions with Jenny Cifelli

Favorite Color? Aqua & Orange
Best gift you ever received? A car from her aunt—it gave her the opportunity to travel.
Favorite food? Salmon… but better yet, lobster & champagne!!
First thing you would do if you won the lottery? Take a world tour. Travel to every continent.
Talent you wished you had? To sing
Least favorite word? Tummy
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be? The Rain Song by Led Zeppelin
Toilet Paper—Over or Under? Over
If you left on a desert island, what one item would you have to have with you? Headphones & music
Last concert you attended? Dead & Company (The Grateful Dead with John Mayer)

The Library Instruction Reboot in three words

By: Anne Behler

As the momentum of the semester paused for Spring Break, LLS Department Head Rebecca Waltz took a moment to reflect on the Reboot project, and share more about how it is “situated within the larger structure and goals of Library Learning Services and how this time has already started shaping our approach to instruction–and beyond!”

Check out her blog post to learn what those three words are, and how they are shaping our future work!

Instructional Reboot in Three Words: Intentional, Meaningful, and Strategic

Tech Tip: Introducing Box Feed

By: Ryan Johnson

Box Feed is now available to all Penn State Faculty and Staff.

This new feature provides an alternate way of viewing your content in the Box Web app. Feed assesses each document’s relevance based on what you’re working on and who you work most closely with. Then Feed presents one centralized view from which you can access, share, sort, and comment on all these documents – in effect automatically curating a collection of your most relevant content

You can modify what you see in your feed – AND you can modify what activity of yours is visible in others’ feeds. For example, you can:

Modify sorting to display posts based on the most recent and relevant action taken.
- If multiple relevant actions are taken on a file, it still appears in the feed only once. However, the frequency of relevant actions does boost a post’s relevance and, as a result, its placement in your feed. This is similar to the way a Web site’s activity boosts its position in a Google search.
Hide a file or folder such that it never appears in your feed.
Hide your own activity so that it doesn’t appear in others’ feeds.

Finally, Feed also respects privacy (yours and everyone else’s). It retains each file’s existing Box permissions, so nobody sees anything they’re not supposed to see.

To learn more about how to use Box feed, check out this article.

Special Collections Library offers summer research travel awards

The Eberly Family Special Collections Library invites applications for its annual Summer Research Travel Awards. The awards are available in five different categories to applicants who reside outside a 100-mile radius of State College, Pa., and who are not Penn State faculty, staff or students.

For more information on the five categories of awards and additional requirements, or to apply online, visit: https://libraries.psu.edu/about/libraries/special-collections-library/apply-travel-grant.

Applications are due by April 1, and recipients will be notified by May 1. Contact Instruction & Outreach Specialist Katelyn Town at kmd5013@psu.edu with any questions.

Events: March 11

Spring 2019
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Tuesday, Mar. 12, Complying with NIH Public Access Policy. Offered as part of the Spring 2019 Scholarly Communications Workshop series. Do you understand the public access requirements for your NIH-funded research? Under NIH’s public access policy, publications based on NIH-supported research must be deposited in PubMed Central upon acceptance for publication, to be made publicly available no later than 12 months after the official date of publication. Join us for a brief overview of grant recipients’ obligations, with time for questions. 12:15-12:45 p.m. via Zoom. Register HERE.

Wednesday, Mar. 13, Introduction to Copyright: What’s Protected? Offered as part of the Spring 2019 Scholarly Communications Workshop series. more about copyright law at this interactive workshop. Throughout it, participants will work in small groups to address hypothetical copyright questions and then debrief their responses as a full group. 12:20-1:10 p.m. via Zoom. Register HERE.

Thursday, Mar. 14, Geospatial Online: Overview of ArcGIS Online. An Introduction to ArcGIS Online, a web mapping application which can be used to communicate spatial research interests across the disciplines. Participants will explore applications created with ArGIS Online and work with a sample dataset. More information about GIS is available HERE. 3-5 p.m., 211A Pattee Library, University Park. No registration is required, open to all Penn State students, staff, faculty and visitors, with remote viewing available online using Zoom.

Tuesday, Apr. 2, International and Foreign Copyright: A U.S. Perspective. Offered as part of the Spring 2019 Scholarly Communications Workshop series. 12:15-1:15 p.m. via Zoom. Register HERE.

Wednesday, Apr. 3: Docunight: Iran Via Documentaries. On the first Wednesday of every month, Docunight features a documentary film about, around, or in Iran, or made Iranians. All 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.

Friday-Sunday, May 3-5: Spring Commencement, University Park.

Please submit event information — and all Library News submissions — to Public Relations and Marketing via its Staff Site request form and selecting the “Library News blog article” button.

Customer Service Tip: Weird research—The most dangerous time for customer service

By: Jeff Toister (submitted by Carmen Gass)

What time of day are you at your best?

It’s just after 7am as I write this post, because that’s when I’m most productive at writing. It would take me forever to write the same thing if I tried to do it just after lunch.

We all have a circadian rhythm, which causes us to experience different levels of energy throughout the day. This can impact us in innocent ways, such as productivity.

Time of day may have even graver implications. Read more here.

Pattee and Paterno Libraries will be the newest CAPS Chat location

By: Carmen Gass

Pattee and Paterno Libraries will be the newest CAPS Chat location starting Wednesday, March 13. CAPS Chat provides informal, drop-in consultation for students with counselors from Penn State Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

Sessions are free and no appointment is necessary. Students are seen on a first-come, first-served basis and meetings are no longer than 30 minutes. CAPS Chat hours will be Wednesday afternoons from noon to 2 p.m. in 208K Paterno.

Learn more about CAPS Chat here.

Large-scale graduate and professional student survey opens March 18

By: Lana Munip

The University Libraries will conduct a survey of graduate and professional students on a range of topics, including library resource use, perceptions of service and current and future needs. The survey will run from March 18, 2019, to April 15, 2019, and will be administered in partnership with a national research organization, Ithaka S+R.

This is the first large-scale survey of graduate and professional students conducted by the University Libraries. The results will inform service, space and resource planning and will enable the Libraries to make targeted enhancements based on student needs. A sample of graduate and professional students will receive an email invitation to participate in the survey on Mar. 18.

For each completed response received, the University Libraries will donate $2 to the Lion’s Pantry, the University’s student food pantry.

For more information about the survey, please contact Steve Borrelli, head, Library Assessment, smb96@psu.edu/814-863-1909.

Arrivals and Departures

By: Robert Harris

This is a monthly update of full-time employees that have joined or left the University Libraries.

In February we welcomed the following new employees:
Lexy DeGraffenreid – Processing Archivist, Specialist Collections
Paul McMonigle – Instruction Librarian, Engineering
Alison Newman – Information Resources and Services Support Specialist, Greater Allegheny
Terry Schiavonoe – Information Resources and Services Support Specialist, Digitization & Preservation

We said good-bye to:
Jose Guerrero – Diversity Resident Librarian
Cynthia Robinson – Director, Harrell Health Sciences Library at Hershey

Tech Tip: What do I need to do For Enterprise Active Directory Migration?

By: Ryan Johnson

Has your machine been migrated to Enterprise Active Directory (EAD) yet? If not the instructions below are what will be sent to your area before the migration.

Check out the instructions below so you can be ready!

Before Migration

The night before your migration, leave your machine turned onand logged off. If you have a laptop, please leave the machine at the Libraries and docked.
Your machine’s migration to EAD will move faster if you clear your web browser cacheand cleanup your Downloads and My Documents Please use the following instructions to clear your browser cache.

How to Clear Cache in Microsoft Edge

How to Clear Firefox Cache (PC and Mac)

How to Clear Cache in Google Chrome (PC and Mac)

Review Username’s and Passwords for common applications you use and websites you visit. You will need to re-authenticate after the migration is complete.

During Migration

Your machine will not be accessible for 1-2 hoursand will restart several times. Your department manager and/or Tech Liaison will be notified when the migration is complete. Please do not attempt to use your machine until the process is complete you have been given approval.

After Migration

After the EAD migration, you will need to re-authenticate any application or website behind WebAccess. In addition, additional non-PSU websites you use will on your libraries machine will need to have the password re-entered.
Defendpoint (Privilege Guard) will be disabled temporarily. You will need to submit a helpdesk ticket to install or update applications. This service will be restored as soon as we are able.

Spring 2019 Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Spring 2019 Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Spring 2019 Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Spring 2019
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Spring 2019
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Spring 2019
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.