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TECHNOLOGY UPDATES |
BY PAUL BRACKE |
This has been a busy spring for those of us (and that's all of us) working with technology in the Libraries. There has been a lot of excellent work happening in preparation for our launch of Alma on May 14. Testing has begun and is ongoing. Other aspects of the implementation, such as the installation of new printers at service points are also being prepared. Although Alma has been front and center in our thinking this year, it is not the only technology initiative you may be interested in. I'd like to take this opportunity to fill you in on some other happenings.
New Student Recruitment Tool
Libraries IT is working with HR to develop a new Student Recruitment Tool that will allow:
- Students to apply for jobs online
- Supervisors to review applicants and request interviews online
- HR to manage the student hiring process online
This should simplify the student hiring process and we anticipate it being ready for the Fall semester.
New security measures for networked printers/computers coming soon
Libraries IT is working with ITaP to participate in the new campus firewall project. When this project is completed this summer, it will allow the Libraries to place its computers and printers in a protected space, inaccessible from off-campus without a VPN connection. This move will better protect us from hackers and malware. Any faculty and staff who access their desktop or shared drives from off-campus will still be able to do so.
Intranet (Confluence) Software Upgrade
Libraries IT is in the process of installing a new version of Confluence which will give our site a new, cleaner look and provide some new tools for Intranet users. You should find this version faster and more consistent when used in different web browsers. The new version also makes it much easier to edit pages than previous versions.
Improvements to Supply Order Form
Libraries IT is working with Auxiliary Services (AUX) to make ordering toner cartridges easier. Soon, when staff log into the system, the online form will display the printers installed in your area so you’ll know which cartridges to request. This will be in place by the beginning of the fall semester.
Two additional Resources
Finally, I'd like to remind everyone of two resources. First is the IT Help Portal on the Intranet, located at http://intranet.lib.purdue.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=35225729 (login with career account). On this page, you'll find the answers to frequently asked technology trainings; manuals for software, printers and copiers; recommendations on web browsers; and more. Secondly, we do have a request form for Supervisors to request IT Equipment and Services for New Employees at http://oldsite.lib.purdue.edu/cso/rollon (login with career account). This is the best way to make sure that new hires have the resources they will need. |
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2013 ACRL STS INNOVATION AWARD GOES TO DISTRIBUTED DATA CURATION CENTER |
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The Purdue University Libraries Distributed Data Curation Center (D2C2) has been selected as the 2013 recipient of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Science and Technology Section (STS) Innovation in Science and Technology Librarianship Award for their work on the Data Curation Profiles Toolkit. The $3,000 cash award, donated by IEEE, will be presented during the 2013 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Chicago.
“The Data Curation Profiles Toolkit exemplifies innovation, providing a flexible and interactive framework for libraries to become involved in the data management needs of their campuses,” said award co-chairs, Elizabeth Berman of the University of Vermont and Rachel Borchardt of American University. “In particular, libraries and librarians can use this toolkit to begin meaningful conversations with faculty and administrators about the preservation of data, while building a community around data management.”
The Data Curation Profiles Toolkit is designed to capture requirements for specific data generated by researchers as articulated by the researchers themselves. It enables librarians and others to make informed decisions in working with data of this form, from this research area or sub-discipline. Profiles can be uploaded to the project’s website for public use.
The Distributed Data Curation Center is coordinated by Scott Brandt, associate dean for research and professor; Jake Carlson, associate professor and data services specialist; and Michael Witt, assistant professor and interdisciplinary research librarian, all of Purdue University. |
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2013 LIBRARY SCHOLARS GRANT RECIPIENTS |
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The Library Scholars Grant Program was established in 1985 by the 50th anniversary gift of members of the Class of 1935, and the class has been continuously supportive of this fund for the past 28 years. This program supports access to unique collections of information around the country and the world for untenured and recently tenured Purdue faculty in all disciplines, from the West Lafayette, Calumet, Fort Wayne IUPUI and North Central campuses. The grants cover the expenses associated with the cost of transportation, lodging, meals and fees charged by the library or the collection owner.
Recipients for this year will be recognized at a luncheon on April 3. Last year's recipients will make presentations about how the grant helped their research on April 18, 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the Swaim Instruction Center.
2013 recipients
Mita Choudhury, associate professor of English at Calumet, received a Library Scholars' Grant to complete archival research related to the chapter titled "The Cultural Logic of Museology and the Idea of a British Museum." Anchored by the foundational principles of The British Museum (established in 1753), the argument in this chapter will focus on the relationships between scientific progress and the art of exhibition, between exhibition and the strategic uses of museum space, between the act of spectatorship and the science of system, and between cataloguing and narrating. As a "secular" and "public" space for the display of printed books, manuscripts, coins, medals, jewels, pictures, as well as natural and artificial curiosities, the British Museum was the first of its kind. The objects on display at this national repository came to play a critical role in the narrative of Enlightenment where individual collections and archives (Sloan, Cottonian, Harleian and so on) assumed greater significance than merely the sum of their parts. The "preservation, duration and security of the several parts of the collection" — as described by John Ward, Trustee of the British Museum, circa 1759 — depended upon the strategic use of museum space described meticulously in organizational as well as architectural plans. Part of the purpose of the research trip to London is to study the "Flitcroft" (Henry Flitcroft, 1697-1769) floor plans of Montagu House — architectural plans that provide the most comprehensive view of the grand narrative that was to become the British Museum.
Catherine Dossin, assistant professor of Art History, was awarded $2,915 to travel to the Archives de la critique d’art in Rennes (France) to review the personal papers of several art critics who witnessed and reported on the arrival of American art in Western Europe, most notably Michel Ragon, Pierre Restany, Otto Han and Alain Jouffroy. This research trip has two main objectives: first, to finish collecting quantitative data for the "Triumph of American Art," a web-mapping interface she is developing with Nicole Kong, Geographic Information Systems Specialist and assistant professor of Library Science, and Sorin A. Matei, associate professor of Communication, in collaboration with the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris; second, to collect qualitative data for a book-length manuscript, tentatively titled Beyond the Triumph of American Art: A Geopolitical Study of American Art in Postwar Western Europe, 1945-1970.
Rebekah Klein-Pejšová, assistant professor of History, was awarded $5,000 to travel to the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research archives at the Center for Jewish History in New York City to support research on her project Across the Iron Curtain: Hungarian Jewish Refugees, 1945-1951. This research belongs to her second manuscript work examining the efforts of Jews remaining inside Cold War era Eastern Bloc countries, specifically Czechoslovakia and Hungary, to maintain contact with Jews outside of it and their implications for postwar Jewish/state relations. This study seeks to open up our understanding of the continuities of Jewish life in central and eastern Europe after the Holocaust, while confronting its radical and tragic transformation. Klein-Pejšová will study the extensive "Displaced Persons Camps and Centers in Austria: Records, 1945-1951" collection, unique to YIVO, focusing on materials concerning Hungarian Jews in the displaced persons camps and individuals (family, friends, colleagues), institutions and communal bodies just on the opposite side of the steadily closing border. Klein-Pejšová will present on this topic at the March 2014 conference "The Holocaust in Hungary: Seventy Years Later" at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Klein-Pejšová will conduct this research during the summer of 2013.
Jonathan Swarts, associate professor of Political Science at Purdue North Central, was awarded $5000 to travel to the UK National Archives in June where he will conduct research for a manuscript project entitled Friends and Allies: The Greek Military Junta and the United States. This work uses official government documents to examine United States policy towards the 1967-74 military dictatorship in Greece. Despite the nearly universal belief in Greece (and beyond) that the United States orchestrated the April 21, 1967, coup there and was fully supportive of the colonels' regime thereafter, virtually no documentary evidence has been produced to support these contentions. This project thus examines official documents and other primary sources with the intent of writing what would be the first comprehensive account of the U.S. government's role (if any) in the coup and its policy towards the subsequent military dictatorship. Given the close alliance between the United States and Britain, as well as the substantial involvement of Britain in Greek affairs in the interwar and post-war periods, it is imperative to also examine the archives of the British government. While Swarts has already collected the relevant American documents from the U.S. National Archives and the Johnson and Nixon Presidential Libraries, he will use the British archives to examine how British diplomats and policy-makers viewed the coup in Greece and how they perceived (and reported on) the involvement of their U.S. allies in the coup and subsequent dictatorship. |
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LIBRARIES CO-SPONSOR LITERARY AWARDS |
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The Department of English and Purdue University Libraries are pleased to announce the speaker for the 82nd Annual Literary Awards Banquet will be poet Mark Doty.
The following events are planned:
- April 8, 4:30 p.m. — Literary Awards pre-dinner reception, Anniversary Drawing Room, Purdue Memorial Union (included with the ticket price for the banquet).
- April 8, 5:30 p.m. — Literary Awards Banquet, North Ballroom, Purdue Memorial Union. The Banquet includes dinner, the Literary Awards ceremony and remarks from Mark Doty about the creative process. Tickets can be purchased in Room 324, Heavilon Hall.
- April 8, 8:00 p.m. — Mark Doty Reading, Fowler Hall, Stewart Center. Free and open to the public.
For more information on the Literary Awards visit http://www.cla.purdue.edu/english/literaryawards/index.html |
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LIBRARIES EXTENDED HOURS CALL OUT |
BY BETH McNEIL |
The end of the semester is almost here once again and Purdue Libraries will be extending hours in four libraries: Engineering (ENGR) and Hicks will be open 24-hours beginning Sunday, April 21 and Humanities, Social Science and Education (HSSE) and Parrish Library of Management and Economics (Parrish) will extend their hours beginning Friday, April 26 — Saturday, May 4 and finals week. All other libraries will remain open normal hours.
This schedule will have participating libraries open for many additional hours and staff are needed to help cover some of the extended hours. No reference experience is required. Training in circulation, building and emergency procedures and food and drink policies will be provided if necessary. Typically, shifts are scheduled to allow for maximum coverage. If possible, a regular staff member will be present for each shift.
ENGR is seeking staff from throughout Purdue Libraries:
Monday — Friday midnight-8 a.m.
Friday 6 p.m. — Saturday 11 a.m.
Saturday 5 p.m. — Sunday 11 a.m.
Contact Amanda Gill
Hicks is seeking staff from throughout Purdue Libraries:
Monday — Friday 2-7 a.m.
Friday 6 p.m. — Saturday 9 a.m.
Saturday 10 p.m. — Sunday 1 p.m.
Contact RaeLynn Boes
HSSE is seeking staff from HSSE staff and faculty — work with Linda Rose to cover extended hours
Parrish is seeking staff from Parrish staff and faculty — work with RaeLynn Boes to cover extended hours
If you are interested in participating or have questions, please send an email by Friday, April 12 to Amanda Gill for ENGR or RaeLynn Boes for Hicks.
A combination of overtime and flex scheduling is possible, consistent with the pay period and supervisor's permission. Biweekly staff and monthly non-exempt staff members who work hours in excess of 40 in a workweek (Monday through Sunday) will be paid time-and-a-half. No employee may work more than 16 hours (regular and overtime) in a 24-hour period. The maximum overtime an employee may work in any workweek is 20 hours. Monthly exempt staff and faculty could adjust their schedules as appropriate.
Thank you so much to everyone who has helped keep the Libraries open in the past and to new volunteers who are able to contribute a few hours of time at the end of this semester. This greatly appreciated initiative would not be possible without your help!
For a list of all library hours click here. |
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FORMER ASTRONAUT, CHILDREN'S MUSEUM AND PURDUE FORM PARTNERSHIP |
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The world's largest children's museum is over the moon about its first Extraordinary Scientist-in-Residence — former astronaut and Purdue alumnus, Dr. David Wolf. Adding to the excitement is an additional announcement of a new partnership with Purdue University in conjunction with Purdue Libraries and its Barron Hilton Flight and Space Exploration Archives (part of the Virginia Kelley Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center). Future programs and exhibits will be developed, that will focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) principles as well as space exploration, the International Space Station, the Shuttle program and experiments in zero gravity featuring the work of Indiana astronauts and Purdue University.
The new Extraordinary Scientist-in-Residence at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis will bring the real-world experience of space and innovative science to millions of children and their families. Already home to the nation's only biotechnology laboratory created especially for children and families, The Children's Museum will capture the intrigue of space and STEM-based learning first-hand. Families and children will be able to conduct hands-on science experiments and develop critical problem-solving skills modeled after experiments completed on the International Space Station. New programs dealing with cell growth, electronics, the impact of zero gravity and how GPS navigation works will be relevant to our changing world while piquing fascination in the naturally curious minds of the children and families who visit the museum.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for children to be inspired at the world’s largest children's museum," said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. "Young people can share the same dreams that touched astronauts and scientists like David Wolf and learn how to launch those dreams in the classroom, much as he did during his time at Purdue.”
The museum is also pleased to announce a partnership with Purdue University to explore new opportunities in the space and engineering areas and collaborate on future programs and exhibits in conjunction with Purdue University Libraries and its Barron Hilton Flight and Space Exploration Archives, part of the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center. |
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LIBRARIES NEW STAFF |
Shannon Walker
Director of Strategic Communications
I had the privilege to join Purdue Libraries on Feb. 25 as Director of Strategic Communications. In this new role, my job is to streamline, generate and maximize Purdue Libraries' communications through a variety of different mediums and support communications and promotional efforts on behalf of Purdue Libraries faculty.
I am personally grateful to be working at Purdue University because I have always had a passion for higher education and find the academic environment to be dynamic, evolving and ever-changing. Ultimately, the work we do is helping to shape and change lives for the future, and I try to keep this in mind every day to keep perspective.
Prior to my role at Libraries, I worked in Corporate Communications for Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. in Lafayette where I managed internal communications, served as editor and designer of the weekly employee newsletter, managed the company’s intranet and also managed the SIA Foundation.
My favorite aspect of working in marketing and communications is being able to help convey the "big picture" of what the Libraries are all about to our different audiences. I also am able to meet unique students, faculty and alumni who are helping to blaze the trail for Purdue Libraries future initiatives. There is never a dull moment and I try to learn something from everyone I encounter.
I am originally from Chicago and moved to northwest Indiana during high school. I completed my undergraduate degrees in Journalism, Public Relations and Advertising from Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana — just 20 minutes south of Indianapolis. I am finishing my master's degree in Technology, Leadership and Innovation here at Purdue University. During my free time, I spend as much time as possible with my two-year old daughter, Evangeline (Eva). I also love to run, take walks and enjoy the outdoors. One of my newer hobbies is refinishing unique pieces of furniture. I also really enjoy going to vintage clothing, furniture and antique stores.
My office is located in STEW 264 and I can be reached at 49-69610 or walker81@purdue.edu. |
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MARCH'S SMILE AWARD |
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Carly Dearborn's name was randomly drawn from all those who were SMILED upon in March. She received a $25 Von's Book Shop gift certificate.
All faculty, administrators and staff are invited to send a note of appreciation for a kindness or thoughtfulness given, assistance provided to or by a Libraries, Press or Copyright colleague.
To learn more about how to participate in our SMILE Program, please visit and bookmark this page on the Libraries Intranet: http://intranet.lib.purdue.edu/display/HR/SMILE+Program |
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LIBRARIES STAFF A-Z |
Amy Storms
Account Assistant
Business Office
Q. What do you enjoy most about your job and why?
A. I like that there is plenty of work to do and there is always an opportunity to help someone. Staying busy makes the day go well and helping people is always a great thing to add into the workload!
Q. How long have you worked in the Libraries and at Purdue?
A. I have worked in the Libraries one year and Purdue a little over 10 years.
Q. What is one unforgettable experience that has happened to you or your coworkers while working in the library?
A. Well this one is really easy. We were having a 9 a.m. Friday morning meeting in our office and all of a sudden someone said is that a bird? We didn’t have much of a chance to look and see what it was when it flew right over our heads and it sure wasn’t a bird! It was a bat and I am sure whoever was around heard a few screams. That was quite an experience. Pest control came but they were not able to find the bat.
Q. What is your favorite book, website, movie or database?
A. My favorite movie is "Courageous."
Q. Coffee, tea, water or soft drink?
A. I really like coffee, but I am trying to drink more water.
Q. What do you like to do for fun?
A. Spend lots of time with my husband and do all the following with him, church and any events associated with it, travel, read, bowling shop-browse. |
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