Daily Archives: April 8, 2019

Penn State Wilkes-Barre All Gender Restrooms

By: Megan Mac Gregor
Nesbitt Library Penn State Wilkes-Barre

For the majority of the population, using a public restroom is a simple and mundane process. You locate, you enter, you use, you continue with your day.

But for 1.4 million adults this is not the case. Using a public restroom, at the very least, can be a heart pounding, slightly degrading but necessary choice. In the worst cases, 12% of the 1.4 million people who are transgender, gender variant, or just don’t look male or female enough, may experience verbal harassment, physical violence, or sexual assault. For this population, the fear of what might happen causes over half of them to choose not use public restrooms at all, which often leads to not eating or drinking while out in public.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s Nesbitt Library, as part of a university-wide initiative, chose to update its two gender-specific restrooms (women and men) to two gender-neutral restrooms. These are the first gender-neutral restrooms on the Wilkes-Barre campus, joined by the PSW-B Health Services Office’s single stall restroom, which is located in the Athletics and Recreation Building (ARB).

Megan MacGregor, acting head librarian of Nesbitt Library, felt it was very appropriate for the library to have gender-neutral restrooms. “Libraries have a long history of promoting equality and neutrality. We have always strived to provide access to information regardless of a person’s background, economic status, etc. so why not provide equal access to restrooms?” said MacGregor. The new gender-neutral restrooms provide a comfortable and safe option for all members of the Penn State Wilkes-Barre community.

In 2016, Penn State University Park campus re-designated 57 gender-specific, single stall restrooms to gender-neutral restrooms. Megan Mac Gregor and Jackie Warnick-Piatt, PSW-B Student Activities Coordinator, co-chairs of the campuses Gender and Sexuality Alliance, with the help of Wanda Ochei, Director of Student Services and Engagement, Sarah Luvender-Newman, Personal Counselor, and Gary Beisel, Director of Business Services, collaborated to upgrade the two bathrooms in the Nesbitt Library.

 

Discovery Day Testimonial

By: Carmen Gass

Discovery Day 2018, Karen Hackett, presenter

“Discovery Day provides an excellent way to connect with colleagues in the library – it’s a great platform for learning about the work that we all do, in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. At the 2018 Discovery Day, I had the opportunity to present,”Whats new with content strategy;” which became a really good (and productive ) conversation about our approach to web content  strategy, what’s next, and how to get assistance with web content needs. I truly valued the time people took to attend and participate, and it gave me the opportunity to learn about my
colleagues’ web content needs.” Karen Hackett, Web Content Strategist

Short Edition Spring 2019 Updates

By: Hailley Fargo

With our Short Edition program continuing to expand, we wanted to provide some updates to the Libraries. Some highlights include: • Launching our second writing contest with a “Lost &
Found” theme. We had 42 submissions and added 14 new stories to our dispensers.

• Continuing our collaboration with Schlow to open up our submissions to allow anyone with a Centre County zip code to contribute content to our website and dispensers

• Lending one of our dispensers to State College High, in order for them to test out the machine and run a writing contest of their own

• Deploying five new dispensers to campus locations including Abington, Behrend, Berks, Brandywine, and Harrisburg. These dispensers will rotate on a semester and or yearly basis and we are seeking campuses with a desire to integrate Short Edition into the curriculum and co-curricular activities

• Expanding our Short Edition website to include a new Partnership page. We are continuing to explore and test out ways to integrate Short Edition with our curriculum. Many faculty members at multiple campuses have expressed interest in this (and some have already implemented Short Edition in their syllabi)

• Launching “The Other Side,” our third writing contest. Submissions are due April 12!

For library colleagues interested in learning more about the Short Edition program, please visit our page on the Libraries’ Intranet. For questions about the programmatic direction of this
project and the student-run Editorial Board, contact Hailley Fargo (hmf14), Student Engagement & Outreach Librarian. Questions about the dispensers across the Commonwealth can be directed to Matt Ciszek (mpc16), Head Librarian, John M. Lilley Library, Penn State Behrend.

Customer Service Tip: The Power of a Smile

By: Shep Hyken (submitted by Carmen Gass)

“Smile and the world smiles with you.” That is part of a longer quote attributed to Stanley Gordon West. It became the topic of conversation while on a New York subway with my
daughter, Alex, when I noticed her smile at someone who, in turn, smiled back. I complimented her on the small but kind gesture, and it started a great conversation about life and customer
service.

Now, some of you may be thinking, “Big deal. It was just a smile.” But it is a big deal. Alex shared the story about where she learned about the power of a smile.

Arrivals and Departures

By: Robert Harris

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

In March we did not have any new employees.(Stay tuned for a busy April!)

We said good-bye to:
Christine Boughton – Knowledge Commons
Joi Jackson – Harrisburg
Mike Pazmino – MTSS
Barry Carolus – MTSS
Jill Weaver – Acquisitions

Tech Tip: Check your JUNK folder in Outlook

By: Ryan Johnson

junk folder screenshot for tech tip.

Missing any email that you were expecting?  Check your JUNK folder in Outlook.  Any email that is suspected to be Junk will appear in this folder.  If you find an email that should appear in your inbox, mark it as NOT junk or SPAM.  The next time an email is received from this sender, it will appear in your inbox.

Note: This content in this folder will automatically be deleted every 30 days.

junk folder screenshot info for tech tip

Events: April 8

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

promotional poster - Secret Lives of Girls and Women

 

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.

 

The Future is Now, exhibit graphic

 

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, 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.

Technology Expo 2019 graphic, Monday, May 6 11 A M to 3 P M Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in Innovation 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.