Some of you may have become aware that Purdue cares a little bit about data and data science. The past several months, University-level focus groups, working groups, forums, etc., have dotted our calendars, and just recently, Purdue announced an Integrative Data Science Initiative to provide campus-level coordination of activities. During this process, librarians have been deeply embedded in all these activities to articulate our role in teaching data management and curation across many disciplines.

Within the PSET division, we have been madly collaborating with a variety of faculty to address the recent call for proposals for developing, or at least contributing to, an Integrated Data Science Education Ecosystem. Building on our foundation of data courses — such as LIBR/ILS 595 ("Data Science at the Bench," Megan and Pete), ILS 695 ("Introduction to Data Literacy," Megan), and ANTH 592 and FNR 598 GIS courses (Nicole), as well as embedded data content in courses like CHM 513 (Dave), Vertically Integrated Projects (Wei), and NUC 480/580 (Margaret and Sarah), not to mention all the GRIP data programs provided by librarians from all the divisions — we are well positioned to leverage those experiences into collaborative teaching experiences.

We have several proposals in the works, spanning the undergraduate and graduate areas, integrating each discipline's areas of expertise into a combined, coherent, holistic approach to data-literacy skills. Even if the proposals are not funded, the initiative has already led to commitments for coordinated for-credit courses in the Fall and Spring semesters, including, a) a one-credit seminar as part of a learning community for first-year engineering that focuses on the "why" of data literacy (Michael Witt and Nastasha); and b) a "stackable" one-credit course offered in conjunction with two others (Sarah and Wei)…really a "braided one" that is intertwined with the other courses via common case studies to explore ethical, organizational, and analytical approaches to data.

This is an exciting time for the Libraries, as data-literacy awareness explodes across campus, and we are actively staking our claim to the areas of data literacy in which we have expertise, both within the PSET division and across the entire Libraries' system.

As April comes rapidly to a close and I head off on a sabbatical, I do want offer a quick valediction (mostly because I've always wanted to use that word in a sentence), although my farewell is only temporary. I want to thank Vicki Killion for agreeing to handle all things administrative during my absence (without any arm-twisting at all!), and, of course, to my amazing and creative faculty and staff, who make it so easy for Vicki to say yes to take responsibility for the division.

I'm looking forward to following all the progress the Libraries will be making over the next six months, as we work through all the transitions and opportunities in front of us.   

Learn about how faculty and staff at Johns Hopkins University Sheridan Libraries are building research infrastructure to support open scholarship for a range of disciplines—spanning the sciences to the humanities—at the Purdue University Libraries’ upcoming guest talk by Sayeed Choudhury.

The Associate Dean for Research Data Management and Hodson Director of the Digital Research and Curation Center at Johns Hopkins University Sheridan Libraries, Choudhury will present “Research Infrastructure for Open Scholarship” at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 26 in Stewart Center, room 320. The talk is free and open to the public.

“Over the course of 20 years, at the Sheridan Libraries, we have learned and adapted our approach based on both local developments on university campuses and broader developments within the private sector and government sector (including data management plans, in the latter case). While there are multiple units on any research campus that play an important role in building and supporting research infrastructure, the library may be uniquely positioned to support a diverse set of researchers, and perhaps more importantly, to identify possible interrelationships or connections between those disciplines,” he explained.

This talk offers an opportunity to hear about the Sheridan Libraries as a case study within the broader context of open scholarship and research infrastructure.

G. Sayeed Choudhury, who is a President Obama appointee to the National Museum and Library Services Board, is a member of the Executive Committee for the Institute of Data Intensive Engineering and Science (IDIES) based at Johns Hopkins. He is also a member of the Board of the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) and a member of the Advisory Board for OpenAIRE2020. He has been a member of the National Academies Board on Research Data and Information, the ICPSR Council, the DuraSpace Board, Digital Library Federation advisory committee, Library of Congress’ National Digital Stewardship Alliance Coordinating Committee, Federation of Earth Scientists Information Partnership (ESIP) Executive Committee and the Project MUSE Advisory Board.

Additionally, he has served as Senior Presidential Fellow with the Council on Library and Information Resources, a Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins and a Research Fellow at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the recipient of the 2012 OCLC/LITA Kilgour Award. For more information about Choudhury, see www.library.jhu.edu/staff/g-sayeed-choudhury/ and https://members.educause.edu/sayeed-choudhury.

Choudhury’s talk is sponsored the Purdue Libraries Seminar Committee.

Purdue Libraries Assistant Professor Sarah Huber (pictured on the right) and her talented team have hosted several Mobile Making events in the Wilmeth Active Learning Center since it opened this academic year. This week, they bring their events to Hicks Undergraduate Library for the end-of-the-semester Hicks Study Breaks events, which are designed to help students relax and take a break from their final exam preparation.

Sarah answered a few questions about the many Mobile Making events they have hosted and what is coming up at Hicks and for the future of these fun, engaging activities that showcase the tools the Data-Visualization Experience Lab of Purdue (D-VELoP) has to offer for research and learning.

Q. Tell me how the idea for the Mobile Making activities/events came about?

Sarah Huber: Our supervisor, Michael Fosmire, wanted to bring Makerspace activities to the Library of Engineering and Science, so he asked if I would lead in developing them. I asked if I could work with the very creative and talented, Aly Edmondson (in the photo on the left, wearing 3D-printed earrings from a Mobile Making event). She agreed and suggested Liz Lukens, Robin Meher, and Lil Conarroe join us. Everyone has brought creativity and Making skills with them to D-VELoP, and we're implementing what we consider to be engaging, thought-provoking, and fun Making events in the beautiful new Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC).

Bringing Makerspace activities to the Purdue Libraries provides a way to engage with students to not only have fun, but to also introduce students to tools we have available to them. The WALC is full every day, yet if we were to host Making activities in a single room, we may not get the traffic we need to get visibility. By making the activities mobile--hence "Mobile Making"--we are able to host the event anywhere in the WALC. We have found a home on the first floor by the reference desk we really like, though, so that is where you can usually find us.

Q. What kinds of events/activities have you hosted/implemented so far? How do you choose what kinds of activities you host? What kinds of projects are you planning to tackle for future events?

SH: We have done quite a bit with 3D printing. The Library of Engineering and Science specializes in having unique materials to print with, and we have a generous printing allowance each month: 50 grams of material per print and 100 grams per month.

Our 3D-printing activities have included 3D-printed jewelry, keychains, and using a handheld 3D scanner to scan students' faces for them to print a head-to-shoulder replica of themselves. We also collaborated with Archives and Special Collections to make zines using old images, such as Amelia Earhart photos (see photo below).).

We purchased the Inventables' Carvey, which has allowed us to host an event where students can create a design carved into wood. Other events have included stop-motion photography, playing with 3D pens, and Ozobot races. 

For generating ideas, we meet as a team, take inventory of what we have available for students to check out, and brainstorm activities to highlight those items. Everyone in the group brings with them a host of great ideas. In the future, we are hoping to reach out for more collaborations with other programs, such as the Bechtel Innovation Design Center, to host an event on wearable electronics, for example.

Q. Students seem to enjoy the events (when I have attended them, I always see students engaged with them). How do the events help the students learn about the tools available in D-VELoP and through the Library of Engineering and Science?

SH: Students really are engaged! And we have to say, we enjoy that time of playing, too. We get to talk to students and have fun in a different way than our usual interactions. This kind of interaction allows us to talk with students in a more relaxed way, so we have the opportunity to talk about what we have available, and answer any questions they may have. 

Q. What kinds of tools are available for students to check out/use in D-VELoP?

SH: We have so many cool tools! Some of what we have include GoPro cameras, 360 degree Ricoh Theta cameras, handheld 3D scanners, 3D pens, photography light boxes, Raspberry Pi kits, among others. Check out our Libguide for details on what is available. We allow for a one-week check out of every item.

Q. What kind of Mobile Making activities will you be doing at Hicks Study Break events this week and next?

SH: We will be there 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, April 26 and Thursday, May 3. We plan to have out our photography lightboxes and Play-Doh for some stop motion fun, Ozobots for races, and 3D pens for 3D drawing. We are looking forward to letting off some steam and having fun with the students!

Students pose for a Purdue Day of Giving "Most Creative Instagram" Photo Challenge at the Hicks Undergraduate Library P-DOG Pop-Up and Hicks Study Break events on the Purdue Day of Giving (April 25, 2018).

Robin Meher, Liz Lukens, Sandy Galloway, and Angie Ewing pose with the “Goodie” bags they made for the HLPSET students for finals week.

"We have been doing this at the end of the Spring semester for many years," Angie explained. "This year we made bags for 33 student employees.This is a group effort, and all of the items were brought in by HLPSET members to show our students how much we appreciate them," she added.