Daily Archives: May 4, 2020

Maps and GIS Assistant projects: fall and spring updates

By: Tara Anthony

Maps and GIS Assistant Projects: Fall and Spring Updates

The Maps and GIS Assistants of the Donald W. Hamer Center for Maps and Geospatial Information focused on the following collaborative ArcGIS Online StoryMap projects during the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters. Maps and GIS Assistants contributing to these projects included Ishaan Anavkar, Zhaogeng Ding, Jamie Friedken, Nicholas Friedken, Katie Giesa, Milan Liu, Daniel Valadas, Brittany Waltemate, and Thomas Whalon.

Office of Strategic Services (OSS) World War II Maps Project: These print maps in the collection were scanned previously, which were used in this project focused on georeferencing and digitizing content. This collection includes an international focus and represents multiple geospatial themes. This project was both an exercise for Maps and GIS Assistants to become more familiar with the process of georeferencing and digitizing, but also the process of creating ArcGIS online layers and a collective ArcGIS Online StoryMap. Example themes of OSS World War II maps include agricultural, transportation, and military topics.  See this page for more information on the project.

World War II OSS Maps StoryMap title page

Historic Altoona, Pennsylvania Landmarks Project: This project focused on 1909 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps from the Penn State Libraries’ Digital Collection as the source of geospatial information for the creation of an ArcGIS StoryMap using a newer interface. This project focused on the newer functionality built into ArcGIS StoryMaps including the creation of a guided tour and functionality for scrolling media and text content. Maps and GIS Assistants chose landmarks and buildings of interest to highlight from these Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps to learn more about features of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and the setting of Altoona, Pennsylvania in the 1909 timeframe. See this page for more information on the project.

Historic Altoona, Pennsylvania Landmarks StoryMap title page

Historic Altoona, Pennsylvania Landmarks StoryMap title page

Access Services Training Bulletin update

By: Lisa Moyer

Access Service Training Bulletin #10, Accepting Replacement Copies, has been updated to reflect that patrons will not be charged a rebind fee when providing a replacement book. The
binding fee will remain on the fee schedule and may be applied if necessary and at the discretion of the owning library. If the replacement copy needs to be bound, the patron is responsible for the cost of binding.

The complete training bulletin can be found on the Access Services training bulletin web page at
https://staff.libraries.psu.edu/access-services-council/training-bulletins-numerical.

Tech Tip: Outlook training

By: Ryan Johnson

Please join me for Getting Started with OneDrive training this Wednesday, May 6, at 10 a.m.

During this session, I will discuss current backup options, including what the current status of Box, Google Drive (part of GSuite) and OneDrive. I will also review the basics of OneDrive and how to get started and using it.

All training(s) will occur in my zoom room at https://psu.zoom.us/my/ultraining or by entering the meeting ID of 8148674095.

The session will be recorded and shared after the session for all of those who can’t attend live.

Events: May 4

Spring 2020
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

UPDATE: In light of the University’s March 11 announcement regarding measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic, nonessential events and meetings scheduled at University Libraries locations throughout the spring semester have been canceled, rescheduled or will be offered virtually. 

Earth Archives exhibition posterEXHIBITION: Earth Archives: Stories of Human Impact. To coincide with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Earth Archives explores the intersection of the environment, human activity, and the documentary record. Highlights of the virtual exhibition include representations of varied print, manuscript, and art works that invites the viewer to consider a range of environmental-related topics and will serve as a growing, centralized resource.

 

buttons from INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY: Highlights From the Ken Lawrence Collection

EXHIBITION: International Solidarity: Highlights from the Ken Lawrence Collection. A virtual look at the visual culture of political protest in the late 20th-century, to provoke thought about international solidarity in our own time, including human and civil rights, immigration, and independence movements.

 

Wednesdays, Apr. 22-June 10, Remote Research Webinar Series. Free webinars to assist Penn State researchers with shifting their research from onsite to offsite. The series highlights various University services and infrastructure to support remote research. All sessions will be held via Zoom. Additional resources for remote research may be found at https://remoteresearch.psu.edu.

Thursdays, Apr. 23-June 4, Research Data Skills for Graduate Students. Learn more about and improve skills in the areas of data management, data analysis, data visualization and data publishing. in collaboration with the Institutes of Energy and the Environment, the free virtual seminars highlight essential data skills that graduate students can utilize throughout the research data life cycle.All sessions begin at 3 p.m. Advance registration is required.  

Through Friday, May 8, Online De-Stress Fest. A virtual version of the popular end-of-semester event to help students relax and unwind while completing end-of-term reports and studying for final exams. Visit Online Destress Fest for a curated list of links, tutorials and homegrown videos that showcase the talents of University Libraries’ faculty and staff.

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.