It's Academic

Make Room For DH: The Results of an Investigation

February 4, 2019

Duke University Libraries have published a report on their investigation into the surprisingly still immature space for Digital Humanities publishing, A Framework for Library Support of Expansive Digital Publishing.

Diagram from the Introduction of “A Framework for Library Support of Expansive Digital Publishing”
showing how 2 Duke publications relate to their publishing environment.

The report advocates adopting an “expansive digital publishing” model and proposes “a cohesive framework of support.” What do they mean by expansive digital publishing? “Online publications that challenge current systems and expectations of publishing, primarily because they push against and beyond the limits we typically use to successfully manage publications.” Why should we care? “Libraries have the capacity to drive positive change in several dimensions of digital publishing, including infrastructure, resource allocation, assessment, and long-term sustainability.” In fact, the report makes the case that it is already in the veins of library’s at colleges and universities. “Situating expansive digital publishing programs within scholarly environments provides the best way to ensure that they are guided by scholarly and academic values.”

It’s well written, not very long, realistic in it tone but exceptionally substantive and comprehensive, so it is highly recommended reading for any librarian interested in scholarly communication and library publishing as well as the future of DH.

Here is a Table of Contents for the Report:

Introduction
1. Planning for Expansive Digital Publications
2. Allocating Resources
3. Making Expansive Digital Publications Discoverable
4. Evaluating and Understanding Impact
5. Preserving and Sustaining Expansive Digital Publications
Conclusion

Ten ideas for library outreach to student organizations

February 1, 2019

tags: outreach

by Jessica Showalter

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

One way to boost outreach and engagement efforts at your library is to connect with student organizations. Traditionally librarians have been liaisons to academic departments; we can adapt those same strategies to being a library liaison to student organizations as well.

The potential benefits of outreach to student organizations might include increasing attendance at library events, connecting with students outside the classroom setting, creating opportunities for student-led programming, and building new collaborations with staff in the Student Life office at your campus.

Here’s a list of 10 strategies I’ll be experimenting with this year to reach out to student organizations:

Connect with student organizations at the Student Involvement Fair.
Meet regularly with your campus Director of Student Life to stay in the loop.
Attend events sponsored by student organizations.
Promote student organizations’ events with social media and physical signage at your library.
Serve as a guest speaker at one of their club meetings.
Offer library programming in the Residence Halls.
Get a library portal on Connect, OrgSync, or whichever online platform is used by the Student Life office at your campus.
Invite student organizations to co-host programming at the library.
Serve as faculty advisor for your campus’s Library Student Advisory Board–or, if your campus doesn’t have one, encourage students to start one.
Offer satellite reference service in the HUB or Student Union building during semester crunch times.

Please share your ideas for outreach to student organizations in the comments. Thanks!

Jessica Showalter is the Student Engagement & Outreach Librarian at Penn State Altoona’s Eiche Library. Say hello on Twitter @libraryjms

Science Information Literacy and First Year Students

January 30, 2019

by Andrea Pritt

In May 2018, I was hired as the new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Librarian at the Penn State Harrisburg Library. I have always had a love of and a passion for science, which led me to a bachelor’s degree in biology years ago. I have been working in libraries for close to ten years and while I enjoy working with students in all disciplines, I have a particular, nostalgic affinity for undergraduate science students. I remember those classes, those assignments, and those expensive textbooks. It is a familiar world and one that I truly enjoyed. In my new role as the STEM Librarian on campus, I am always looking for opportunities to share my love of science with undergraduate students.

Recently our campus’s quantitative skills coordinator approached me with an idea that led to a general discussion about science literacy, diversity in STEM fields, and our shared love of science. As we were chatting, we decided to create a first year seminar presentation geared toward science majors on our campus. I am interested in science literacy and science information literacy and she is interested in studying tactics and resources for undergraduate students. It seemed like the perfect collaboration for us and over the past few weeks, we have been brainstorming our presentation together.

Admittedly, I have a few lofty questions that I consider when I work with undergraduate science students. What are their feelings about science? Do they understand science in a general sense? Do they trust science? How does this trust (or distrust) manifest in their personal lives? In their educational careers? I recognize that this first year seminar session will not be sufficient to answer all of the questions I have. However, it is a good place to start for now.

Our plan is to begin the session by discussing junk science vs. legitimate science, how to locate relevant and trustworthy information, then allowing the discussion to chart the rest of the course. With a few planned stops relating to the ACRL Framework along the way. We are also designing a science related activity in which the students will gather in groups to complete the exercise. Our current idea is to present a problem and ask the students how to work through it utilizing the library resources at their disposal. For example, let us say that the students were given the OK to create a community garden on the roof of their dorm building. What plant(s) will they choose and will they grow in Central Pennsylvania? Do they have access to electricity or a water supply on the roof? If no, how will they design a system to ensure the garden is properly maintained?

Our hope is that this activity will appeal to all of the student participants. Perhaps the student is a biology major with an interest in botany. Maybe the engineering students in the session figure out a novel way to transport water onto the roof. The math student uses her geometry skills to create the optimum greenhouse layout for the roof size. We will be asking the groups to share their findings and ideas with the rest of the class and I am looking forward to hearing all of the responses. This session may not go as planned but sharing my interest in science literacy with even a few students will be meaningful for me. A brief assessment questionnaire will be given to the participants at the end of the session. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the responses will assist me in making this one of many first year seminars geared toward STEM related library resources. Additionally, I hope it will open the gates to future discussions surrounding science information literacy on our campus.

C&CS Digital Badges will be rescheduled due to weather

January 30, 2019

by Erin B.

Update: Session is rescheduled for February 26, 2019 (Tuesday)– at 2pm.

Registration link is still available here.

Stay warm and safe everyone. With most of Pennsylvania closed due to the polar vortex and snowstorms, we will be rescheduling the Digital Badges session with Torrie Raish and Emily Rimland. Stay tuned for more information.

Keeping Your Mind Sharp in the Stacks

January 25, 2019

by blj13

Considering we just flipped our calendars to 2019 (Ok, it’s been a couple of weeks, but close enough) you probably still have your New Year’s resolutions fresh in your mind. Surely, you’ve thought of the obvious ones: Get a better job or a promotion. Read more Lose weight. Exercise more. But what about exercising your mind?

So much of what we do in the library strains our mental muscles more than our physical ones. So it should be just as important to focus on your brain to keep it, well, focused.

Here are some things you can do to keep your mind sharp and keep yourself on task as you move through 2019:

Practice Attentive Listening

When having conversations with colleagues and students, remain engaged when listening by recapping what they are saying and using connecting words like, “Ok”, “I understand”, and “Yes”. While this is a very important skill to help with reference interactions and conversations with faculty, administration, and vendors, it will also help build and maintain focus.

Mindful Mediation

Mindful meditation is a form of relaxing your mind and refocusing your attention on the here and now. Meditation can come in many forms, such as a meditative body scan, focused breathing, and movement meditation (such as yoga). It can be very helpful in dealing with the anxiety of keeping track of all the things you have going on.

Read Long Books Slowly

Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? Reading a book or novel slowly may help us keep and build our attention spans. We often read so many short emails and articles online, that we often begin looking for the information we need quickly before moving on to something else. Reading a long book at a slow pace can help us move beyond basic facts and focus on more complex thoughts.

Focus on One Thing at a Time

While it may be hard to devote your attention to only one thing with so much going on, it can often be more productive. Instead of allowing yourself to be pulled in many directions, focus all your attention on completing a single task before moving on. This can often save time, and your sanity.

Take a Short Break

Even though we are often asked to do so much, there is also only so much that we can do. If you feel overwhelmed or can’t find your focus, take a 5-10 minute break to meditate, go for a walk, or just look out a window. It allows your brain to reset and recharge so you can come back more engaged and more effective.

Exercise (with your body)

Yes, this is a list about mental exercise but one of the most effective ways to keep your brain focused and in shape is by keeping your body in shape too. Studies have shown that even moderate exercise can help people ignore distractions better than if they didn’t exercise at all.