Monthly Archives: November 2019

University Libraries United Way 2020 calendar

By: Heather Ross

The United Way is selling the 2020 University Libraries calendar. All photographs were taken by University Libraries employees.
Calendars are $15 each. Use this link to view the calendar proof.

Please pay by cash or check and make checks out to Heather Ross and send them to Donna Dean in 3 Paterno Library or via PayPal.  Please use this order form.

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 directly to your bank account.

Penn State University Press announces annual holiday sale & new titles for spring 2020

By: Cate Fricke

PSU Press Kern sale

Penn State University Press will host a Holiday Book Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, in the Kern Building lobby at University Park. The one-day sale, featuring more than 70 new and
bestselling PSU Press titles, is open to the University community and the general public.

An annual tradition, the sale will include recently published books such as “Pier Groups: Art and Sex Along the New York Waterfront” by eminent art historian Jonathan Weinberg, “Paul
Verlaine: A Bilingual Selection of His Verse, ” translated by Samuel N. Rosenberg, and “Picatrix: A Medieval Treatise on Astral Magic,” edited by Dan Attrell and David Porreca, as well as graphic novels such as “Us Two Together” by Belgian artist Ephameron and “The Lady Doctor” by Graphic Medicine pioneer Ian Williams. The sale will also include classic PSU Press books
such as “Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic,” “Lair of the Lion: A History of Beaver Stadium,” and many more.

All books will be available at 30–50 percent off the 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 at 30 percent off through the Penn State University Press website by using discount code NR18. The Press offers free shipping to on-campus addresses; regular shipping charges apply everywhere else.

The Press’s new catalog, featuring forthcoming books slated for release in Spring/Summer 2020, will be available at the sale as well as on the PSU Press website. Highlights include “Out in Central Pennsylvania: The History of an LGBTQ Community,” by William Burton and Barry Loveland; “Algériennes: The Forgotten Women of the Algerian Revolution,” a graphic novel by Swann Meralli and Deloupy; “Notre Dame Cathedral: Nine Centuries of History,” a visually rich exploration of the iconic cathedral by Dany Sandron and the late Andrew Tallon; and titles in Art History, Rhetoric, Philosophy, Anthropology, Medieval Studies, and more.

Visit psupress.org to view the Spring/Summer 2020 catalog.

Tech Tip: New PSU guest wireless to launch this week

By: Ryan Johnson

wifi logo

A new wireless network called “psu-guest” will be available at all campus locations on Nov. 26 and will offer all visitors a more reliable Penn State-provided wireless connection.

By the end of the year, this new network will replace the “attwifi” network currently used by University guests across every Penn State campus. While “attwifi” will be available until it is decommissioned on Jan. 2, 2020, visitors should connect to “psu-guest” when searching for a connection on campus.

Penn State IT piloted “psu-guest” alongside “attwifi” in all Penn State residence halls, the Penn Stater Hotel and the Nittany Lion Inn, and everywhere at Penn State Harrisburg and Great Valley. It will be accessible via any device’s wireless networks menu. After selecting “psu-guest” visitors only need to click “get connected” once their browsers prompt them.

For help and support, contact an IT Service Desk by phone at 814-865-4357 or by emailing ITservicedesk@psu.edu.

Events: November 25

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

Roots/Routes: Contested Histories, Contemporary Experiences exhibition graphic

Sept. 16 – Mar. 15, 2020, Exhibit: “Indigenous Roots/ Routes: Contested Histories, Contemporary Experiences.” Special Collections Exhibition Space, 104 Paterno Library. Reflections on the past five centuries of colonization and cultural exchange between Indigenous Peoples. Europeans, Africans, and later, Americans.

 
Tuesday, Dec. 3, Giving Tuesday. A global day of giving that encourages philanthropy and celebrates generosity across communities. Every year, the University Libraries raises money for the Textbook and Educational resources Endowment, aka: the “textbook Fund,” with matching from a variety of sponsors!
Tuesday, Dec. 3,  Giving Tuesday Student Outreach Event. A station will be set up in Pattee Library’s Franklin Atrium, featuring games, prizes, coffee, cider, and snacks for students who sign thank you cards to be mailed to Giving Tuesday donors. Make sure to bring a canned good to support The Lion’s Pantry! 10am-3pm.
Wednesday, Dec. 4, Green Gifts on a Lean Budget workshop. Students, stay on budget this holiday season with money saving tips, a presentation by master gardeners and a DIY air plant gift with Sylvia Rushing, resident instructor of floral design and botanical crafts at The Makery. 5-7 p.m. in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park.
Wednesday, Dec. 4. 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.
Sunday, Dec. 8, International Write-In. Free and open to Penn State undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff members, the write-in offers quiet writing spaces and areas for small-group collaboration, as well as support from reference librarians and writing consultants. Snacks, coffee and tea is provided throughout the event, as well as free pizza midway through the evening. 3-10 p.m. in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park campus.
Tuesday, Dec. 10-Tursday, Dec. 19, Destress Fest. During finals week, Penn State University Libraries is offering fun and relaxing De-Stress Fest activities, coffee and snacks to help students at the University Park campus relax and ease stress as they study for finals and complete end-of-semester papers and projects. Extended hours at all University Park Libraries branches, as well as continuous 24-hour access at Pattee and Paterno Libraries. End-of-semester hours at all Libraries locations University-wide are available at https://libraries.psu.edu/hours-and-locations.
Saturday, Dec. 21, Commencement

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.

Save the Date: Giving Tuesday 2019

By: Alexandra Boyda

Giving Tuesday logo

Giving Tuesday 2019 is almost here!

Help empower students on the global day of giving by supporting our Textbook and Educational Resources Endowment – frequently referred to as the “Textbook Fund.” The funds provided by the endowment each year allow the University Libraries to purchase more textbooks, electronic and educational materials. Students can borrow these materials, which may make the difference between taking and not taking a class, and helps make Penn State more affordable and accessible to our students. This year, we are partnering with The Lion’s Pantry and collecting canned goods for students at the two University Park events below.

The Libraries Giving Tuesday page is viewable but not live until 6:55pm Dec 2nd through 11:59pm Dec 3rd. The Libraries goal is 185 gifts – with gifts starting at $5. Every gift makes a difference. Help share the Giving Tuesday page far and wide at http://c-fund.us/nme

Maximize your impact by using hashtags like #TextbookFund, #PSUGivingTue, @PSUlibs, and tagging @RaisePennState. With your support, we can make this the best Giving Tuesday yet!

Lookout for some of our University Park hosted events on campus. All are invited!

November 20, 3-5pm: Giving Tuesday Kickoff Party Come celebrate Giving Tuesday by attending our kickoff event in the Mann Assembly Room (103 Paterno Library). Enjoy FREE FOOD and meet past donors, students, and librarians. Also available for viewing is the “gallery of student impact,” which includes various forms of media showcasing the importance and significance
of philanthropy and the Course Reserves. Make sure to bring a canned good to support The Lion’s Pantry!

December 3, 10am-3pm: Giving Tuesday Student Outreach Event A Giving Tuesday station will be set up in the Franklin Atrium (Pattee Library). Games, prizes, coffee, cider, and snacks for
students will be available! Students will be invited to sign thank you cards to be mailed to Giving Tuesday donors. Volunteers will work the station: handing out flyers, interacting with students, talking about the importance of the Course Reserves and the Textbook Fund, and most importantly, having fun! Make sure to bring a canned good to support The Lion’s Pantry!

Tech Tip: Google’s G Suite is here!

By: Ryan Johnson

G Suite logo

Penn State Information Technology has partnered with Google to offer a suite of applications that will help improve collaboration and productivity at no additional cost to students, faculty and staff.

G-Suite for Education includes several of Google’s most popular tools — Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Forms, Groups, Hangouts Chat, Hangouts Meet, Sites and Jamboard.  The suite may be accessed by students, faculty and staff who have a valid Penn State email address.

Note: Penn State’s License for G Suite does NOT include Gmail and Calendaring

Users may activate their Penn State G Suite account by visiting the G Suite for Education website, clicking on the “Launch” button and signing in with their Penn State email address (e.g., abc123@psu.edu). Step-by-step instructions to Access Your Penn State G Suite for Education Account also are available on the Knowledge Base.

A list of applications and training resources is available and allows users to browse training tutorials by app or job function. Beginner, intermediate and expert learning paths are available for each app. IT Learning and Development (ITLD) also has created a learning resource that will help you get up to speed.

Customer Service Tip: Why gemba is the best way to solve service failures

By: Jeff Toister (submitted by Carmen Gass)

The CEO called me with an urgent training project.

Our parking management firm was in danger of losing an important contract at a hotel where we managed the valet and self-parking operation. The client was unhappy about poor service quality and gave us thirty days to improve.

The CEO told me to go to the hotel and train the staff and the manager. He wanted me to show them how to deliver service the right way, and then make sure they did it. This was going to be
my priority for the next 30 days.

I decided to meet the parking manager and take a gemba walk. It was fortunate that I did, because it quickly became clear that training was not the problem. Read more here.

Events: November 18

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

Roots/Routes: Contested Histories, Contemporary Experiences exhibition graphic

Sept. 16 – Mar. 15, 2020, Exhibit: “Indigenous Roots/ Routes: Contested Histories, Contemporary Experiences.” Special Collections Exhibition Space, 104 Paterno Library. Reflections on the past five centuries of colonization and cultural exchange between Indigenous Peoples. Europeans, Africans, and later, Americans.

Thursday, Sept. 12-Thursday, Nov. 21, Fall Scholarly Communications Workshops. Featuring in-person workshops at Penn State Behrend, Penn State Scranton, and Penn State Harrisburg, as well as a full roster of Zoom workshops, including our popular trainings on complying with public access policies from federal agencies. Specialized workshops for thesis and dissertation writers, instructional designers, and scholarly authors are included.

Wednesday, Nov. 20, Giving Tuesday Kickoff Party. Celebrate Giving Tuesday with past donors, students and librarians, and FREE food! View the “Gallery of Student Impact,” showcasing the importance and significance of philanthropy and course reserves. Bring a canned good to support Lions’s Pantry. 3-5 p.m. in Mann Assembly Room, Paterno Library on the University Park campus.

Tuesday, Dec. 3, Giving Tuesday. A global day of giving that encourages philanthropy and celebrates generosity across communities. Every year, the University Libraries raises money for the Textbook and Educational resources Endowment, aka: the “textbook Fund,” with matching from a variety of sponsors!
Tuesday, Dec. 3,  Giving Tuesday Student Outreach Event. A station will be set up in Pattee Library’s Franklin Atrium, featuring games, prizes, coffee, cider, and snacks for students who sign thank you cards to be mailed to Giving Tuesday donors. Make sure to bring a canned good to support The Lion’s Pantry! 10am-3pm.
Wednesday, Dec. 4. 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.
Sunday, Dec. 8, International Write-In. Free and open to Penn State undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff members, the write-in offers quiet writing spaces and areas for small-group collaboration, as well as support from reference librarians and writing consultants. Snacks, coffee and tea is provided throughout the event, as well as free pizza midway through the evening. 3-10 p.m. in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park campus.
Saturday, Dec. 21, Commencement

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.

Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO) is now a publication of Penn State University Libraries

The Libraries Open Publishing Program is pleased to announce the publication of Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO), an open access resource for educators. EMRO, which was previously published by the State University of New York at Buffalo Libraries, has been transferred to the Penn State University Libraries, with Angela Davis, Reference and Instruction Librarian at Penn State Behrend, serving as the new editor. Davis served as the social media editor since 2011, and has now taken on the role of Editor for the full publication.

Former Editor Lori Widzinski commented, “Little did I know when I started EMRO that my Editorship would last 22 years. As I transitioned to a new role as Technology Project Manager for the University Libraries at UB, it was time for EMRO to change as well. Having worked with Angela for several years, I knew the database would be in good hands and I was thrilled to see it move to the Penn State Libraries Open Publishing Program where it would retain its focus on open access.”

“EMRO is a unique resource that is used by libraries and educators of all types,” said Angela Davis, editor of EMRO. “It is one of the only places to find reviews of media produced by all the major distributors and from independent filmmakers, which may not be reviewed anywhere else. I am pleased that Penn State can continue on the important work EMRO does.”

Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO) is an open access database of critical reviews of media from major educational and documentary distributors and independent filmmakers. The reviews are written by librarians and teaching faculty from across the United States and Canada. The EMRO database began in 1997 as the AV Review Database, part of the peer-reviewed publication, MC Journal: The Journal of Academic Media Librarianship, an electronic journal devoted to issues in media librarianship. When the journal ceased publication in January 2002, the AV Review Database continued on as Educational Media Reviews Online. Each review is given one of five ratings, from “Highly Recommended” to “Not Recommended”.

“EMRO is a fantastic resource that serves numerous educators across the country and around the world. We are so happy to be providing support for this publication, and are especially thankful that EMRO has been publishing Open Access since its inception,” said Ally Laird, Open Publishing Program Specialist. “Publishing the content openly, without a subscription, allows for educators from all types of institutions, both public and private schools, to access quality reviews of educational media.”

EMRO is always looking for new reviewers, and encourages those who are interested to contact Angela Davis at emro@psu.edu. EMRO reviews published in 2019 or later are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (CC BY 4.0), which means that anyone can use these reviews, so long as they comply with the terms of the license. Earlier EMRO reviews are not under the CC BY 4.0 license, but distributors are able to use portions of earlier reviews for promotional purposes, as long as the name of the database and the name of the reviewer are cited.

The Libraries Open Publishing Program, a part of the Research Informatics and Publishing department, currently publishes ten Open Access journals, five bibliographies, EMRO and other topical web portal publications, and two Open Access monographs. For more information on the Open Publishing Program, please visit openpublishing.psu.edu, or contact Ally Laird at alaird@psu.edu.

Arrivals and Departures

By: Robert Harris

In October we welcomed the following new employees to the Libraries:
Marty Coyle – Music and AV Cataloger
Mihoko Hosoi – Associate Dean for Research, Collections and Scholarly Communication
Brendan Johnson – Reference and Instruction Librarian, Abington
James McCready – Information Resources and Services Support Specialist
Robert Scheller – Information Resources and Services Support Specialist, Scranton

We said good-bye to:
Cheri Banks
Ruben Calvo
Pam Reed

Penn State GIS Day: Exploring the world through geovisualization: Tuesday, Nov. 12

By: Tara Anthony

Penn State GIS Day will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 12, with events that are open to faculty, staff, students, and the community.

Penn State GIS Day is co-sponsored by the Department of Geography and the University Libraries. Penn State GIS Day events aim to create geospatial awareness of geospatial technologies across disciplines, and serve as a way to connect with others who are using geospatial technologies.

This year’s events include speakers from Esri, Maxar, and multiple Penn State departments. See full listing of speakers on the Penn State GIS Day site.

Events include:
11 a.m.–noon: Geospatial Technology Demonstration, Collaboration Commons Atrium.

1:30–2 p.m.: “ArcGIS Online: Changing the Way Governments Do GIS.” Keith Swavely, Esri. Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library; viewable via Mediasite Live.

2–3 p.m.: Lightning Talk Presentations. Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library; viewable via Mediasite Live.

3–4 p.m.: Networking and Refreshments. Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information, 1 Pattee Library.

3–6 p.m.: Center for Immersive Experiences Open House. Collaboration Commons Atrium, 3 Pattee Library.

 

 

Customer Service Tip: Is automation good or bad for customer experience?

By: Jeff Toister (submitted by Carmen Gass)

The discussion about automation often focuses on jobs.

A 2019 study by Indeed showed 60 percent of Americans think automation will put a significant number of jobs at risk. This certainly includes customer service jobs. You see machines replacing humans in parking garages, at supermarkets, and in customer service departments.

But is automation making customer experience any better? Read more here.

Tech Tip: Open Multiple Windows in Outlook (Desktop)

By Ryan Johnson

You can open Outlook in multiple windows – one window displaying your inbox, for example, one window displaying your calendar, one window displaying your contacts. It can be far easier to switch between windows than to switch from one section of Outlook to another.

The simplest way to do that: right click on the name of an Outlook folder and click on Open in New Window.

Note: On a Mac use CTRL+Mouse Click

tech tip Outlook screen shot

 

Events: November 11

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

Roots/Routes: Contested Histories, Contemporary Experiences exhibition graphic

Sept. 16 – Mar. 15, 2020, Exhibit: “Indigenous Roots/ Routes: Contested Histories, Contemporary Experiences.” Special Collections Exhibition Space, 104 Paterno Library. Reflections on the past five centuries of colonization and cultural exchange between Indigenous Peoples. Europeans, Africans, and later, Americans.

Thursday, Sept. 12-Thursday, Nov. 21, Fall Scholarly Communications Workshops. Featuring in-person workshops at Penn State Behrend, Penn State Scranton, and Penn State Harrisburg, as well as a full roster of Zoom workshops, including our popular trainings on complying with public access policies from federal agencies. Specialized workshops for thesis and dissertation writers, instructional designers, and scholarly authors are included.
Tuesday, Nov. 12, Penn State GIS Day. Open to faculty, staff, students, and the public, an event to bring together those who work with GIS, geospatial technologies, remote sensing, maps and location-based research across disciplines. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. in various locations throughout Pattee and Paterno Libraries on the University Park campus. Visit Penn State GIS Day for information and schedule of events.
Thursday, Nov. 14, Military Appreciation Week: MRE Breakfast & Pop-up Exhibition. Join us for breakfast and get the opportunity to sample the MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) that our armed forces eat in the field. After, view a curated selection of materials from the Eberly Family Special Collections Library celebrating the Greatest Generation. 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Mann Assembly Room and Special Collections Exhibition space, 103-104 Paterno Library, University Park campus.
Tuesday, Dec. 3, Giving Tuesday. A global day of giving that encourages philanthropy and celebrates generosity across communities. Every year, the University Libraries raises money for the Textbook and Educational resources Endowment, aka: the “textbook Fund,” with matching from a variety of sponsors!
Wednesday, Dec. 4. 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.
Sunday, Dec. 8, International Write-In. Free and open to Penn State undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff members, the write-in offers quiet writing spaces and areas for small-group collaboration, as well as support from reference librarians and writing consultants. Snacks, coffee and tea is provided throughout the event, as well as free pizza midway through the evening. 3-10 p.m. in Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, University Park campus.
Saturday, Dec. 21, Commencement

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.