Daily Archives: March 8, 2021

Diversity Week is coming May 17-21!

By: Jackie Dillon-Fast

The Diversity Week planning committee is hard at work crafting a week of diverse speakers and virtual events for the 2021 Diversity Week, May 17 – 21, 2021!

Here’s one of the upcoming scheduled events:
A DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE BOOK DISCUSSION
We invite you to “listen in” and engage in a discussion of Allison Maxwell’s book Listen In: Crucial Conversations on Race in the Workplace. This intriguing work of business fiction picks up where research and scorecards leave off. It follows five African American characters as they exchange personal experiences that happen behind the research, data, and attempts at best practices. You will meet a curious CEO who overhears one of their conversations and blazes a trail to accelerate progress on the diversity goals his company has been struggling with for years.

[Please note: This event requires early pre-registration to allow for time to order print copies of the books and to allow you adequate reading time. To receive a print copy of the book, you
must register by Friday March 19, 2021. Registration is capped at 20 participants.]
Register here.

Reminder: Nominations for Outstanding Student Employee Awards due March 12

By: Jeffrey Stainbrook

Do you know of a student employee who consistently exhibits a deep understanding of the library while providing excellent patron service? Do you work with a student employee who is
passionate about their responsibilities, and often provides constructive feedback? Is there a student employee who produces quality work, and is viewed as a leader among their peers and
colleagues?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Penn State Libraries wants to celebrate the student’s accomplishments and achievements! Nomination letters for the Libraries’
Outstanding Student Employee Award are being accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, March
12, 2021.

Outstanding Student Employee Award Categories:
Outstanding Service – Recognizes a student who exceeds expectations in library customer service. This individual displays a positive and empathetic attitude, going above and beyond their assigned responsibilities by contributing their time, energy, and talents to further the growth and development of the University Libraries’ service.

Libraries’ Outreach – Recognizes a student that has been successful in special efforts or initiatives that create, convey, and enhance knowledge and communication between library
departments, the University, and beyond.

Libraries’ Innovation – Recognizes a student that has displayed a significant level of innovation and creativity. The recipient should demonstrate initiative and insight through technology, innovative ideas, or other creative projects.

Student Leadership – Recognizes a student who demonstrates a commitment to leadership amongst their peers and various library departments. The recipient will be an imaginative leader dedicated to supporting and promoting the values of University Libraries.

For information concerning eligibility, timeline, criteria, the nomination process, and more, please visit the Libraries’ Outstanding Student Employee Awards Intranet page.

We look forward to every nomination, and to celebrating each and every student for their dedication to the Libraries, their academics, and to the ethos of Penn State University.

Sincerely,
The 2021 Awards Committee:
Paul Burnell, co-chair
Danica White, co-chair
Alexandra Kowsh, Branch SAT representative
Melissa Millar, CCL SAT representative
James Harlan
Rob Peterson
Jeffrey Stainbrook

Tech Tip: How to enable Dark Mode in Microsoft Office

By: Ryan Johnson

Microsoft Office includes black and dark gray themes for Office apps like Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

To change your theme, click the “File” menu at the top left corner of an Office application like Word, Excel, Outlook, or PowerPoint.

dark mode screenshot for tech tip

Click the “Account” option in the sidebar. On the right, open the “Office Theme” dropdown menu, and then select your desired theme.

dark mode screenshot 2 for tech tip

To enable dark mode, select “Black” for the darkest possible Office style.

You can also select “Dark Gray.” This theme uses lighter dark grays, which you might prefer if you find the Black theme too dark.

You can select a different “Office Background” from here, too. For example, if you’d rather not see a design behind Office’s ribbon bar, click the “Office Background” box and select “No Background.”

These theme and background settings affect all Microsoft Office applications on your system. They even affect Office applications on other Windows PCs, assuming you sign into them with the same Microsoft account.