Libraries Continue to Take Active Roles in the Classrooms

By TERESA BROWN

Megan Sapp Nelson, assistant professor of library sciences and coordinator of public services in the Engineering Library, has been actively involved in the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program since 2005.

EPICS is a unique program in which teams of undergraduates are designing, building, and deploying real systems to solve engineering-based problems for local community service and education organizations. EPICS was founded at Purdue University in Fall 1995.

Teams of eight to 18 students include freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Teams are advised by Purdue faculty, staff, and engineers from local industry, along with graduate teaching assistants. Students earn one or two academic credits each semester and may register for up to four years. Projects may last several years, so tasks of significant size and impact can be tackled. There are currently 29 teams.

Megan’s role as an advisor and instructor has given her the opportunity to make contacts with faculty and students from a variety of departments and disciplines across campus. “My involvement with the EPICS program allows me the opportunity to collaborate with engineering faculty and students to develop a curriculum where information literacy skills can be taught,” says Megan.

Megan co-advises the West Lafayette Public Library (WLPL) Team with Jeffrey Schwab, Research Data Networking Director at ITaP and Acting Director of Data Networking. “Having Megan with her background in library science with the team is an incredible asset with helping students relate to the real world issues and opportunities that libraries have to offer,” says Jeffrey.

The team works with the WLPL library director and staff, providing engineering solutions to provide better service to their patrons. Among the many projects of the WLPL team are the WLPL wireless networking system, Kid’s Interactive Display, and Music Kiosk. Kid’s Interactive Display allows young patrons to interact with a virtual environment and computer game using green screen technology. The Music Kiosk project is a ‘try before you borrow’ music-database system that patrons use to view and preview the library's database of music. The WLPL team intends to better equip the library with the necessary resources to continue serving the West Lafayette community with unmatched media access.

“My role as a co-advisor affords me the perfect opportunity to show faculty and students that information literacy can appear in many different guises,” says Megan. “Engineering faculty members identify the skills librarians teach as professional skills, and we call it information literacy.” Some of the skills Megan teaches include: goal setting and measuring success; how to conduct an interview with an engineering client; copyright and fair use issues for media based designs; a basic understanding of how library tools such as OPACs work; and general skills about using library resources and how to apply them.

Libraries Updates for the Fall Semester

Several campus libraries have implemented changes over the summer months. Here is a quick summary of some of those changes. Don't see your library's updates listed here? Email tmabrown@purdue.edu to have them included in the next issue of INSIDE.

Physics Library:

• The book collection has been moved from the second floor to the first floor, to make it easier for our staff to help locate books and for faculty to get to the books more quickly.  We found that the current journals, which did populate the first floor, weren’t being used, and our highest usage physical items are now our book collection.  We have received several positive comments even before we finished the move. 

EAS Library:

• The circulation/reference area has been redesigned. The taller circulation desk was replaced with a desk from the workroom and several pieces of workroom furniture were moved for better access. Thanks to Auxiliary Services for helping with the switch.

HSSE and UGRL:

• The core collection of UGRL is being transferred to HSSE. This consolidation will enable patrons to find many of their print resources in one location. The Contemporary Literature collection; media; and current periodicals, including newspapers will remain at UGRL.
• HSSE and UGRL have both moved to single service desks. Patrons now have access to a variety of services in one location, the iDesk. As an additional convenience, DLC media equipment is circulated at the UGRL iDesk on the main level.

MEL:

• Phase I renovation project is complete with the opening of the corporate study space and conference room and the Learn Lab.
• A new paging system for students waiting for reserve items already checked out has been instituted.

LIFE:

• All of the 4th floor journal collections have been (re-) shifted to create room and adequate growth space for the LC books.
•  A scanning project is ready to launch now that our weeding process is completed. This should last the semester and will also included PNHS library’s collection. 

Purdue University Library is the Federal Depository Library Spotlight for August 2009

Purdue University Libraries is being featured as the Federal Depository Library Spotlight for August 2009. Printed below is the article, featured on the FDLP Desktop. Click here to see the original article.

With 102 years of service since being designated a federal depository library in 1907, this large academic library has done an excellent job in maintaining a depository collection that best meets the needs of its students, faculty and general public.

This Land Grant University offers over 56 degrees and 5,800 courses, and enrolls more than 40,000 students on its West Lafayette campus. The depository collection is distributed among the numerous campus libraries, in order to disseminate information to the appropriate areas of need.

The depository has subject guides, course guides, and the maintenance of an ongoing list of “Frequently Asked Questions” that are of interest to people monitoring current events.

The library’s Government Documents Web page also promotes government information through the maintenance of a “Government Documents of the Week” and “Featured Sites of the Week” section. This enables people to explore topics of current or general interest through depository resources. Visitors may not even have known that government information played a part in the topic!

The library’s efforts to connect users to government information supports not only library users, but library staff as well, since much of the information is related to current events and hence may be harder for reference staff to track down.
Finally, the depository coordinator, Bert Chapman, is committed to providing detailed subject help through listserv postings as well as through the online reference service Government Information Online (GIO). By participating in these and other initiatives, he shares his vast knowledge by providing quality information and reference services to both library users and librarians nationwide.
The library’s Government Information at Purdue University Libraries Web page currently states:

“Government publications are a public asset that enhances individual and community knowledge of governmental activities and knowledge of U.S. History, the histories of U.S. states, and history of foreign countries. The Government Documents Department is prepared to assist you in meeting your government information needs.”

For all the energy directed to educating both users and librarians alike, GPO would like to thank the Purdue University Libraries. Their willingness to share their expertise benefits us all.

Congratulations to Government Documents faculty and staff.

Libraries Distinguished Lecture Features Purdue Alumna and NPR Host Moira Gunn

On September 14, 2009, the Libraries will present the seventh speaker in the Distinguished Lecture Series — Dr. Moira Gunn, host of NPR’s TechNation and a Purdue alumna, honorary doctorate, and College of Science laureate. Dr. Gunn’s talk will be called “The Future of Information,” looking at how global information systems will evolve in the next 10-20 years.

In addition to her honors from Purdue, Dr. Gunn is a former NASA scientist and engineer, and currently serves as the program director for Information Systems Programs at the University of San Francisco. She was the first woman to earn a PhD in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, where she also earned a master’s in computer science. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Her 2007 book Welcome to BioTech Nation ... My Unexpected Odyssey into the Land of Small Molecules, Lean Genes, and Big Ideas, is credited with making issues in biotechnology accessible for a wide audience.

See below for a full description of Dr. Gunn’s talk:

“Today’s tech-savvy are Linked-in, iPhone’d, IM’d and Never Lost. Texting has surpassed both voice and email as the communications conduit of choice worldwide, and the idea of complete strangers contacting you isn’t an invasion of privacy but a business opportunity … or perhaps a social opportunity. From Facebook to MySpace, on-demand person-to-person contact and instant 24/7 information gives us only an inkling of the depth of this digital revolution, and no area of society is immune. The wiki-fication of every imaginable task – from scheduling to document creation to project management to academia – has changed the basis for how humans interact, make agreements and take action. Grass-roots organizations recruit and involve new members without ever meeting, while political campaigns engineer flash crowds and seed Twitter rumors. Mainstream journalism has been forced to embrace volunteer videos, as YouTube becomes the front ranks of raw journalism.  At the same time, Global Information Systems are emerging, giving us global insight and making global strategy an imperative - all of this while science is uncovering the DNA of every living thing. Dr. Moira Gunn gives us insight into the future of information as finally … the planet is one, big network.”

All staff are invited to a reception from 5:00-6:30 p.m. in the HSSE Reading Room in Stewart Center, followed by the lecture, which begins at 7:00 p.m. in Fowler Hall. Dr. Gunn will be available to sign her 2007 book Welcome to BioTech Nation following the lecture.

To listen to archived programs of TechNation, visit http://www.technation.com/.

Libraries Welcome New Students

As freshmen, transfer students, and new graduate students arrive to campus this fall, Libraries faculty and staff are helping them get started on the right foot with various orientation activities. Keep your eye out for new students in the Libraries starting with Boiler Gold Rush (BGR) on August 17th, and see below for a list of orientation activities.

Monday, August 17 and Tuesday, August 18
BGR Special Interest Sessions featuring “Libraries Amazing Race” and “Libraries Amazing Race: Geocache”

Wednesday, August 19
BGR Spotlight Presentation for all incoming undergrads and transfer students
BGR Resource Fair – South Ballroom of PMU, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

For international students and scholars(separate from BGR) include:

Thursday, August 13
Presentation for incoming international grad students

Thursday, August 13 and Friday, August 14
Tours of subject-specialized libraries

Thursday, August 20
Tours of Undergraduate Library

Friday, August 21
Presentation for incoming international undergrad students

Common Reading Program Kicks Off with Convocation

This summer, thousands of first-year Purdue students were given a free copy of Purdue’s first Common Reading Program book selection Stealing Buddha’s Dinner. On August 23, students and the rest of campus will have a unique opportunity to hear the author Bich Mihn Nguyen, associate professor of English at Purdue, speak about her book in a kick-off convocation in the Elliott Hall of Music.

In order to allow all first year students and others from campus to attend, two convocations are being held — the first begins at 1:00 p.m., and the second at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday the 23rd. Seating preference will be given to first-year students but all of campus is invited to attend.

Nguyen’s remarks will be followed by a short address by Provost Randy Woodson, reinforcing the high academic expectations Purdue has for its students and encouraging students to participate in events planned throughout the year to further explore the book selection.

At the conclusion of the convocation, attendees will be encouraged to suggest books for next year's program using an online form.

This year marks the first year of Purdue’s Common Reading Program, which is partially funded by the Office of the Provost and coordinated by the Student Access, Transition and Success Programs department and the Purdue Libraries. The book was selected from more than 100 titles by a campus-wide committee.

For more information about the program, visit www.purdue.edu/sats/commonreading. Copies of the book are on reserve or reference in all of our libraries, with the largest number of copies available in the Hicks Undergraduate Library.

A pedestrian is injured in a traffic crash every eight minutes (source).
Between drivers distracted by cell phones and texting, and pedestrians absorbed in iPods and their own phone conversations, it is surprising there are not more accidents. Accidents between pedestrians and vehicles on campus typically fall into the 'least serious' category from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, which included the following (source):

          • Vehicle turning at intersection (18.4% serious and fatal injury)
          • Backing vehicle (22.5% serious and fatal injury)
          • Bus-related (22.7% serious and fatal injury)
          • Driver violation at intersection (27.8% serious and fatal injury)

Test your pedestrian safety savvy with this interactive web site, Safer Journey: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferjourney. Once at the site, start with the Journey to learn basic safety rules, follow up with the Quiz to see what you recall from the Journey, then visit the Library for additional resources.

Here are some tips to decrease your chances of being the victim of a vehicle/pedestrian accident:

• Cross at intersections.
• Look both ways and behind you, even if the walk light is illuminated.  
• Make eye contact with drivers who are stopped alongside or behind you at an intersection waiting to make a right hand turn across your path. 
• Make eye contact with drivers who are across from you waiting to make a left hand turn that will take them across your path.  
• When walking after dark, wear reflective clothing and/or carry a flashlight.

In the event of an accident:
According to Kristi Evans of Purdue Radiological and Environmental Management, if you are involved in a pedestrian/vehicle accident, please follow these guidelines:

• Call 911 for campus medical transport at no charge to Home Hospital, Saint Elizabeth Hospital, or Clarian Arnett.  
• Report all injuries to your supervisor. Be sure you and your supervisor complete a First Report of Injury form available on the REM web site: http://www.purdue.edu/rem or call 49-41430. (In the Libraries, the first reporting call should be to Tom Haworth/Lib HR.)
• Employees who are injured at work may be covered under Purdue's workers compensation insurance, even when walking to work from your vehicle or leaving from work to your vehicle location.

Some safety measures that are being considered to further protect campus pedestrians are recommendations to make the main part of campus pedestrian-only by redirecting all major vehicle traffic to the outskirts, to enable scramble timing for crosswalks which gives an all red signal for vehicles and offers pedestrian crossing in any direction - even diagonally, and to lengthen the pedestrian light timing at larger intersections to allow enough time to safely cross. 

With the increasing number of pedestrians on campus each semester, it is imperative that a solution be reached to make the campus safer for pedestrians and drivers alike. 

Additional links related to pedestrian safety - 

Tippecanoe County Seasonally Adjusted Average Daily Traffic (1999-2008) - this map shows traffic numbers on Purdue University Campus in 2008 to be averaging around 20,000 counts and higher along State Street and Northwestern Avenue.  http://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/apc/trafficcounts/ADT_T23NR4W_SW.pdf

Tippecanoe County 2008 Transportation Hot Spot List - submitted online by the public and by a citizen participation committee (CPC), some areas mentioned are related to campus area concerns.  http://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/egov/docs/1227131050_811798.pdf

Purdue University Physical Facilities Pedestrian Traffic Impact Map - map of campus construction that will impact pedestrian traffic
http://www.purdue.edu/physicalfacilities/campusconstruction/summer_map.htm

Pedestrian Road Safety Audit Guidelines and Prompt Lists, July 2007 – statistics on pedestrian behaviors that lead to crashes and ways to improve safety http://drusilla.hsrc.unc.edu/cms/downloads/PedRSA.reduced.pdf

PEDSAFE: Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System - Crash statistics, crash analysis, and objectives all give information and recommendations on pedestrian safety.  http://www.walkinginfo.org/pedsafe /

Pedestrian Safety Report to Congress, Aug 2008 by the U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration -
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedrpt/pedrpt_0808/pedrept_0808.pdf

Indiana Pedestrian Stats 2004 http://www.in.gov/cji/files/2004Pedestrian_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Indiana Code related to pedestrians - http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title9/ar21/ch17.html

University Press Moves to STEW

Libraries Auxiliary Staff began moving Purdue University Press offices from SCC-E on Monday, August 10 to their new location in Stewart Center 370-373. Staff moving include Bryan Shaffer, Katherine Purple, Becky Corbin, and Beth Robertson.

AUX student staff conducting the move include David Solomon, John Nguyen, and Kody Hall.