Ball State University Libraries Staff Collaborate to Make Middletown Digital Oral History Collection Searchable

Researchers can now search 42 oral history interviews in the Middletown Digital Oral History Collection, at http://libx.bsu.edu/MidOrHist/midorhist.php.

For the Middletown Jewish Oral History Project I, Dr. Warren Vander Hill conducted interviews with Martin Schwartz and Mort Pazol, among others. The Black Muncie Oral History Project, conducted by Hurley C. Goodall and J. Paul Mitchell, includes interviews with Muncie, Indiana citizens such as Ray Buley and Lucille Williams.

Each oral history interview includes a streaming wma audio file and a transcript in PDF format. The inclusion of transcripts makes it possible for researchers to read along as they listen to the interviews or identify specific sections of the interview for listening. By providing the transcripts in PDF format, users can also print them for further study and analysis.

The transcripts provide students and faculty with several ways to search the collection. They can search each transcript for subjects, names, or places as well as search across all of the oral history interviews and the larger Ball State University Digital Media Repository, a project of the University Libraries.

Writing transcripts to accompany the oral history interviews has been a combined effort of people throughout the University Libraries, including staff and student assistants from various units within these groups:
· Access Services
· Acquisitions Services
· Archives and Special Collections Research Center
· Cataloging and Metadata Services
· Center for Middletown Studies
· Geospatial Center and Map Collections
· Metadata and Digital Initiatives

These personnel have spent many hours listening to the interviews to ensure that the transcripts are accurate. The transcripts are then checked and rechecked at least twice by Archives and Special Collections Research Center and Collection Resources Management personnel for accuracy.

In our training for this project, we selected the Baylor University Institute for Oral History Transcribing Style Guide. This document guided us in transcribing the words, speech patterns, and thought patterns of the interviewees and interviewers in a way that is easy to read and uniform in structure. Copies of this guide were given to each project participant, and the guide has helped to answer many questions, such as when to include and when not to include crutch words, like ‘hm,’ ‘uh-hm,’ and ‘unh-uh.’

Metadata and Digital Initiatives personnel also created an Oral Histories Wiki which assisted in ongoing training,www.bsu.edu/libraries/wiki/index.php?title=Oral_Histories.

Using the Wiki, we share any areas not covered in the style guide with the personnel working on the project. For example, we have included “Common Capitalization and Spelling Questions,” a list of specific terms that have come up in the interviews, such as words related to Jewish and Catholic religious practices.

The City Directories and several other manuscript collections in the Archives and Special Collections Research Center have been useful in checking the spellings of names and places in Muncie, Indiana, that are often mentioned in the interviews. We have also used collections already available in the Digital Media Repository e.g., The Muncie Times and the Other Side of Middletown photographs.

To facilitate locating oral histories, metadata records have been created for each interview using Dublin Core, a back-end standard used to describe digital content in a consistent way. We created user-friendly fields, such as Interviewee, Interviewer, Date Recorded, Duration, and Subject.

In addition to providing useful information about the oral histories, metadata records allow the collection to be searched within the larger Ball State University Digital Media Repository. For example, if you do an exact phrase search for Marion, Indiana, you will find digital objects from several collections including oral histories, audio newscasts, and newspaper issues.

Another tool implemented in this collection is controlled vocabulary. In this case, controlled vocabulary refers to a standard list of authorized terms like names, places, and subjects used to describe digital artifacts in metadata records. While the Digital Media Repository can be searched using natural language, inputting descriptors in this controlled way makes it easier for researchers to find all the information related to a specific topic. For example, when referring to the Black Muncie History Project’s interviewer Hurley C. Goodall, we enter Goodall, Hurley C. Clicking on this personal name will bring up all of his interviews in the collection.

For information on the process of transcribing and describing oral history interviews, contact Amanda A. Hurford, Digital Initiatives Multimedia Developer, AAHurford@bsu.edu, (765) 285-3349 or Maren L. Read, Assistant Archivist for Manuscript Collections, MLRead@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5078.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 9; March 2007.

Ball State University's First Technology Enhanced Teaching in Distance Education Conference is Successful

Ball State University held its first Technology Enhanced Teaching in Distance Education Conference on Friday, February 16, 2007, at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. The event drew about 60 participants, despite the weather.

Attendees were very pleased with the conference format and more so with the content. One person commented "Well planned and organized conference, good sessions with good speakers," and everyone who filled out the conference evaluation form indicated they would attend again next year.

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Terry S. King opened the conference with his remarks about technology in teaching and learning. Interim Associate Provost and Dean of Extended Education Frank Sabatine addressed the attendees as he outlined Ball State's goals for increasing enrollment in distance education and laid the plans for future conferences.

During the morning session, Ball State faculty delivered presentations in nine topics such as course design, organization, evaluation, and technologies available for online teaching.

"Organized and informative" was a comment made for the majority of the sessions. One attendee wrote, "Really wonderful, very helpful," while another wrote, "nice job with good suggestions … ."

Assessing student performance is an issue of interest to many faculty members, particularly when students are not in a specific place at a specific time for test taking. Panelists provided the attendees with ideas for alternative assessments and shared experiences about academic dishonesty. In the panel discussion, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" panelists shared a variety of experiences they have had with their online students and provided a rich overview of what it is like to teach students who are located around the country.

The presenters at the event were
· Bryan Byers, Criminal Justice and Criminology
· Cheryll Adams, Center for Gifted Studies and Talent Development
· Greg Siering, Office of Teaching Learning Advancement
· Jerome Kotecki, Physiology and Health Science
· Jim Flowers, Sam Cotton, and Richard Seymour, Department of Technology
· Karen Ford and Susan Tancock, Elementary Education
· Kristin Ritchey, Psychological Science
· Marilyn Ryan and Linda Siktberg, Nursing
· Matthew Stuve, Educational Studies
· Melinda Messineo, Sociology
· Roch King, Physical Education
· Suzanne S. Rice and Yasemin Tunç, University Libraries
· Vinayak Tanksale, Computer Sciences

Judging from the success of this year’s event, and encouraged by attendees and administrators alike, John Burton (Director, Electronic Programs, School of Extended Education) and I have already started to work on our next conference. I will be facilitating the program for next year’s conference which we hope will be a statewide event.

For more information, or to arrange for a technology consultation, contact Yasemin Tunç, Ball State University Libraries’ Director for Technology Training Support Services, YTunc@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5902.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 10; March 2007.

The University Libraries Conduct a Benefit-Cost Analysis to Examine the Issue of Not Turning off Public Computer Workstations at the End of the Day

The Ball State University Libraries recently conducted an economic evaluation as a metric to determine costs associated with turning off over 350 public workstations (computers and monitors) when the library closes at the end of its service day. Since the Libraries are open 120.5 hours per week, the workstations would be off less than 47.5 hours each week. At the beginning of the service day, personnel would have to turn them on so that the units would be available when students and faculty arrive to use them.

The idea behind a benefit cost analysis is to reduce all inputs and outcomes to a common impact unit, usually money. One then determines if the total money associated with the benefits is greater or less than the total money associated with the economic costs. Sometimes, a ratio between the benefits and costs is determined. A ratio greater than 1 suggests that the project or activity makes financial sense whereas an activity or project with a ratio of less than 1 does not. If several projects or activities are being considered, those with the highest ratios greater than 1 are superior to those with lower ratios or ratios less than 1. Of course, the critical part of a benefit cost analysis is that the analysis includes all benefits and all costs and that these be properly quantified. Intangibles need to be considered, too.

These are some of our reasons, or benefits, for leaving public computers and monitors on when the University Libraries are closed and a relatively short time. When the Libraries are closed for several days, such as over Thanksgiving or Christmas, the units are turned off.

· Availability of the computers when the facility is closed to permit the deployment of critical system updates, including the installation of new virus definitions
· Avoidance of the initial start-up power-spike, which is harmful to a computer’s internal components, exceeding costs for the wear associated with longer operation
· Maximum availability of technology services during the hours the University Libraries are scheduled open to benefit students and faculty
· Reducing wear and tear on the micro power switches, internal components, and peripherals caused by switching computers and monitors on and off
· Utilization of personnel time to perform other services rather than assigning people to circulate among the libraries’ floors to power-down and also to start-up the public access computers

In conducting our benefit cost analysis, we followed these steps:

· Defined the problem we wanted to study, keeping its focus narrow to allow us to identify only the monetary costs and benefits.
· Identified the benefit and cost components for analysis, including indirect and intangible costs
· Associated a financial dollar amount to all of the components of the benefits and costs
· Determined if the economic monetary cost of the benefits was greater or less than those associated with the costs
· Identified impacts of qualitative issues associated with the analysis, including who benefits and who does not

There are many good reasons for a librarian manager to apply benefit cost analysis as a metric. A major one is to estimate costs before implementing a program or service or to review it after implementation. A benefit cost analysis also allows a librarian to compare several proposed programs or services at the same time in terms of money to determine the one that provides the most financial value. Although activities are more difficult to reverse once implemented, analyzing costs helps a librarian identify what parts of the activity are more expensive and sheds light on the intervention level necessary to reduce costs to improve financial performance.

Another reason is that cost benefit analysis allows a librarian to examine all cost, often revealing hidden, elusive, or unexpected costs. I like to apply benefit cost analyses because it helps to focus attention on prioritized outcomes and it informs me about data that is necessary to examine as part of an ongoing analysis. Lastly, and importantly, I find that a benefit cost analysis is persuasive when presented to senior administrators.

For more information, contact Arthur W. Hafner Ph.D., M.B.A., Ball State University’s Dean of University Libraries, AHafner@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5277.

What Classroom Faculty at Ball State University Say about Library Instruction Services … Dr. Martha J. Payne

Dr. Martha J. Payne shares her perspective about the value and importance of the library instruction sessions at the Ball State University Libraries.

Library Instruction for English 103 and 104 is valuable because the Reference librarians are more familiar with the expanding databases than the classroom instructor is. In addition, the librarians help students determine search terms to help them find appropriate sources for their research topics. Last semester, librarians in Periodicals helped my students use the microfilm for past newspaper articles and the microfilm readers. Every time I bring my students for instruction, I, too, learn something new.

This is an excerpt from an article, which first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 4; March 2007.

What Classroom Faculty at Ball State University Say about Library Instruction Services … Dr. Michael W. Doyle

Dr. Michael W. Doyle shares his perspective about the value and importance of the library instruction sessions at the Ball State University Libraries.

Put simply, I could not adequately teach certain aspects of the courses I offer here at Ball State without the invaluable instructional workshops that you and your estimable colleagues have provided my students over the past eleven years. I have arranged for you to present specialized hour-long workshops on conducting historiographical research for my graduate seminars and on doing research in Indiana history for my upper-level undergraduates. Together you and I have produced three-page handouts that detail essential sources and databases on these topics for distribution to my students, and you have expertly initiated them to the most efficient means of locating relevant citations. There's never been any problem in scheduling these workshops, even when they have had to be arranged near the start of a semester when you have been inundated with other instructors' requests. I can hardly express how highly I regard your services. Thank you!


This is an excerpt from an article, which first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 4; March 2007.

What Classroom Faculty at Ball State University Say about Library Instruction Services … Dr. Pete J. Ellery

Dr. Pete J. Ellery, Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology, shares his perspective about the value and importance of library instruction sessions at the Ball State University Libraries.

I continue to use the Libraries’ services for two main reasons. First, the opportunity to work one-on-one with a librarian that has an in-depth knowledge of the information sources needed in research is invaluable. Students and faculty need this kind of support when conducting research, and this is especially important for students who are novices in research. The second reason is that I find that it is not only the students who learn new things; I do, too! I am always amazed at how many new information sources in my profession, or library technology resources are available each time I take a group to the library, and I find this process keeps me current as well.


This is an excerpt from an article, which first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 4; March 2007.

What Classroom Faculty at Ball State University Say about Library Instruction Services … Dr. Laura A. Snyder’s Perspective

Dr. Laura A. Snyder, Department of English, shared her perspective about the value and importance of the library instruction sessions at the Ball State University Libraries.

I have been delighted with how Library Instruction Services has tailored sessions to my students’ needs. When I bring classes to Bracken Library to address their various research projects, I know that Instructional Services’ librarians will provide the students with specific, detailed research strategies that help them with the general assignment I’ve given. Furthermore, the librarians also help me to stress how the specific research strategy we are employing is indicative of a pattern for research — from general reference sources in books and databases all the way through specific articles in journals and databases — that is useful across the curriculum.

This is an excerpt from an article, which first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 4; March 2007.

Ball State University Libraries' Student Assistants Recognized for Academic Achievements and Service to the Libraries

In 1995, the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library established awards to recognize student assistants who have made significant achievements both in academics and in their work at the University Libraries.

Applicants are required to have at least a 3.0 grade point average, to have worked in the University Libraries for at least three semesters, and to be currently employed by the University Libraries.

This year, three outstanding students have been selected to receive Student Recognition Awards from the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library.

Amanda B. Ashton has worked in the Science-Health Science Library since February, 2005. Her supervisor says that Amanda demonstrates “… adaptability, willingness to work, and the initiative to learn the policies and procedures needed to do her job as well as communicating ideas to improve services.” Amanda is a senior majoring in Chemistry with a 3.061 grade point average.

Holli R. Botset has been a student assistant in the Educational Resources Center since January, 2005. Her supervisor says that Holli exhibits a professional work ethic and sets a good example for her co-workers. Holli is a senior majoring in Special Education and maintains a 3.222 grade point average.

Stacy L. Sowder began working at Bracken’s Main Circulation desk in June, 2005. Her supervisor describes Stacy as “… friendly and approachable … extremely reliable, works well with library patrons and with co-workers.” Stacy is a senior majoring in Telecommunications with a 3.105 grade point average.

The Friends’ Board of Governors will honor these students at the upcoming Friends’ annual dinner on March 28, 2007, held at the Ball State Alumni Center. Each will receive a certificate and check for $100.

For more information or to join the Friends, contact John B. Straw, Executive Secretary for the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library and Ball State University Libraries’ Director for Archives and Special Collections Research Center, JStraw@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5078.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 12; March 2007.

Profile of Deborah J. Woodfin: Ball State University Libraries’ Lead Acquisitions Assistant

Deborah J. Woodfin, Lead Acquisitions Assistant, who likes to be called Debbie by her friends, has seen many changes in the Ball State University Libraries over the past 30 years as a staff member.

Debbie began her employment April, 1977 as Acquisitions Clerk, responsible for monographs and went on to supervise the monograph receiving area where she was also responsible for standing order materials. In 1980, she was promoted to Lead Acquisitions Assistant. In her current position, she supervises the serials and periodicals receiving area, which includes two other staff members.

“The biggest change was moving to an automated system in 1986,” Debbie said. “Prior to that, I typed a packet of receiving slips for every single serial, monographic series, and set book that arrived, first on a manual typewriter, then, later, on an electric one.”

Employees used the tools of the time, which included sharp pencils, loads of paper forms, and approximately 50 typewriters in the area. “You can’t imagine the noise those typewriters made all day!” she adds.

Another notable change was migrating from print materials to digital, which Debbie recalls became a whole new world for libraries, scholars, and students – opening new opportunities for research, learning, and discovery for students and faculty.

In her job, Debbie enjoys the constant variety of work and the people with whom she works in the University Libraries and sees around campus.

Debbie stays on top of changes going on in acquisitions by reading vendor announcements and newsletters, checking the news on various publisher Web sites, and talking to customer service representatives.

“Our own librarians are an essential source of information for me, especially concerning digital resources,” Debbie said.

Debbie’s husband, Professor Dan Woodfin, teaches at Ball State’s College of Architecture and Planning in the Department of Architecture.

“We love to travel and manage to get to our place in the Utah desert each summer, plus some weekend jaunts around the Midwest,” said Debbie.

In her spare time, Debbie enjoys gardening, cooking, reading non-fiction, and entertaining for family, friends, and her husband’s students. Debbie is honorary housemother for Ball State’s Phi Gamma Delta (ΦΓΔ) fraternity. She helps chapter members with entertaining, teaches etiquette, and serves as “mom.” She and her husband are involved in several Ball State student organizations as advisors and help with Ball State’s Homecoming each year. Debbie also volunteers for the Delaware County Historical Society and at Oakhurst at Muncie’s Minnetrista Cultural Center.

One day when she retires, Debbie says she will work on a project close to her heart, which is organizing and transcribing a sizeable collection of letters from World War II exchanged between her dad and mom while her dad was in the U.S. Navy serving in the Solomon Islands.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 12; March 2007.

Exhibit at Ball State University Libraries Highlights Otis R. Bowen, Former Indiana Governor and Secretary, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services

Doc Bowen: From Indiana to Washington is an exhibit created by the University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections that will be available for viewing from March 19 through June 29, 2007, on Bracken Library’s second floor.

Viewers may also see an online exhibit and video highlighting photographs, documents, and political memorabilia from the Dr. Otis R. Bowen Papers. View these at this URL, www.bsu.edu/library/bowenpapers.

There will be a ceremony as part of the Bowen Institute on Political Participation’s announcement of the opening of the Papers. The event will be held at 4 p.m., March 23, 2007 at the Ball State University Indianapolis Center, 50 South Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204.

For more information, contact Maren L. Read, Ball State University Libraries’ Assistant Archivist for Manuscript Collections, at MLRead@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5078.

Blog Entries Provide Updates on Collection News; Profile of Media Finders Blog

Many of the Ball State University Libraries’ users have discovered our Media Finders, which are guided search pages focused on the University Libraries’ rich, broad collection of audiovisual and non-book materials. The Media Finders make it easier for library users to connect with these materials.

As another way of raising awareness among Ball State students, faculty, and staff about parts of our collections that might be useful to them, I have started the Media Finder Blog, http://bsumf.blogspot.com. The New Oxford American Dictionary, 2nd edition, defines blog (or weblog or Web log) as a “Web site on which an individual or group of users produces an ongoing narrative.”

The University Libraries already have a number of blogs, available at www.bsu.edu/library/rss. Blogs are being popularly used for many purposes, including personal diaries, news, professional and scholarly communication, and marketing tools. The goal of this new blog is to highlight new and featured materials from the Media Finders and to provide search tips and tricks to help users get more out of the Media Finders.

The first entry provided an overview of the existing Media Finders and the materials they search. The second entry discussed how to find both the newest theatrical releases and examples of very early film from the Movies & TV Programs (Fiction Video) Media Finder. Further entries featured materials related to Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, Presidents’ Day, Black History Month, and the weather (particularly the snowy, wintry weather of mid-February). These entries are all available at http://bsumf.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html.

In addition to providing timely updates on materials, the blog entries remain on the Web for future reference and the blog as a whole is searchable from a search box in the top left corner. Labels are used to help viewers find all of the posts of a certain type, such as all the “holiday” posts. I hope that the Ball State community will discover many interesting materials through the Media Finder Blog.

Use of the Media Finders continues to rise steadily. Comparing usage statistics for the Media Finders from September-December 2005 with the same period in 2006 shows a 55% increase in the total number of hits on the search pages. More searches were probably conducted as users often conduct more than one search from a given instance of the search page. However, it is impossible to say how many searches may have been conducted.

Of particular interest is the fact that the average monthly number of hits on the fiction video and “all video” search pages approximately doubled (2,044 to 4,034 and 493 to 1,006 respectively). The non-classical music search page showed a small monthly increase to 1,264 hits. The other finders continue to have a smaller number of hits as they cover more niche materials and thus have more limited target audiences.

For more information or to share ideas for future blog posts, contact Kelley C. McGrath, Cataloging and Metadata Services Librarian (Audio/Visual), Ball State University Libraries’ Collections Resources Management, KMcGrath@bsu.edu, (765) 285-3350.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 11; March 2007.

Valuable and Useful Features of Microsoft Vista Operating System Software

The Microsoft Windows Website, www.windows.com, lists 55 new or enhanced features for Vista, Microsoft’s newest version of its operating system software. While many of these are improvements upon features already available in XP, there are several new features worth mentioning.

The most noticeable change is the Windows Aero user interface. Aero boasts a customizable “glass” look that features translucent window borders and taskbar. Navigation between open applications has been enhanced to include live thumbnails via taskbar mouse-over and “Windows Flip,” ALT-TAB. A new, impressive looking navigational feature is “Windows Flip 3D,” START+TAB which presents a live, 3D rendering of open windows scrolled diagonally across the screen. Aero also offers a smoother, more dynamic look and feel. Animated fade effects are displayed when windows are closed or minimized, instead of simply disappearing, and windows glide smoothly across the screen when moved or resized without redraw effects, etc.

Vista is more intuitive and easier to use than previous versions of Windows. The new “Instant Search” provides improved search capabilities for finding files, e-mail, music, pictures, control panel applets, applications, among others. “Instant Search” is incorporated throughout the operating system, including in the start menu, Windows Explorer, control panel, contextual menus, etc. Revamped Start Menu, Windows Explorer, and Control Panel interfaces enhance usability by streamlining common actions and presenting users with intuitive options based on previous selections and other environmental variables.

Vista includes several new or enhanced auxiliary applications. New applications include DVD Maker, Meeting Space for group collaboration, Photo Gallery for photo organization/editing, and Sidebar/Gadgets (a widget engine with widgets). Improved/enhanced applications include Calendar, Defender anti-spyware, Internet Explorer, Mail (replacing Outlook Express), Media Player, Movie Maker, Security Center, Welcome Center, and others.

Security and safety are modestly improved in Vista. Although somewhat annoying, the enhanced user account control service prompts users to confirm various activities often exploited by spyware, worms, viruses, etc. Integrated dynamic security protection and anti-spyware software add to Vista security. Various built-in self-tuning and diagnostic services enhance safety by correcting certain problems or alerting users of their existence. An improved backup and restore in the Enterprise edition helps users keep their data safe from file corruption, accidents, and hardware failure.

For more information, contact Kirk M. VanOoteghem, Microcomputer/Systems/Network Analyst, Ball State University Libraries, Library Information Technology Services, KVanooteghem@bsu.edu, (765) 285-8032.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 10; March 2007.

Ball State University Libraries’ Friends of Alexander M. Bracken Library Annual Dinner and Kirkham Lecture Scheduled

The annual dinner and meeting of the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library will be held on the evening of March 28, 2007, at the Ball State University Alumni Center. A reception will begin at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.

At the business meeting following the meal, outgoing and incoming members of the Board of Governors will be recognized. Completing their three-year terms are Dr. Jayne Beilke, Mrs. Dorothy Danner, Mr. Larry Campbell, Mrs. Nancy Carlson, and Ms. Gretchen Cheesman. New Board members are Dr. Carol Flores, Mrs. Marilyn Carey, Mrs. Marianne Vorhees, Mr. Hank Milius, and Mr. Thomas Spotts.

Following the business meeting, the Kirkham Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Warren Vander Hill, Mr. Hurley C. Goodall, and Dr. John Weakland. The topic is “The Middletown Digital Oral History Collection,” which includes interviews with African-American, Jewish, and Catholic citizens of Muncie, Indiana, that were conducted from the 1970s through recent years. The University Libraries are now transcribing and digitizing these taped interviews as part of a $25,125 Library Services and Technology (LSTA) grant. The oral history collection will be available through the Ball State University Digital Media Repository, a project of the University Libraries, at http://libx.bsu.edu on the Web.

Dr. Vander Hill is Provost and Vice President Emeritus of Academic Affairs at Ball State. He conducted the two Jewish oral history projects. Mr. Goodall is a former Indiana state legislator and played pivotal roles in three different African American oral history projects. Dr. Weakland is Professor Emeritus of History. He coordinated the oral history project for the three Catholic churches in Muncie and conducted interviews for St. Mary Catholic Church.

The Kirkham Lecture is named for Dr. Bruce Kirkham, professor emeritus of English at Ball State. He was the founder and first Executive Secretary of the Friends, serving as Executive Secretary for 25 years. He retired from Ball State University in 2000.

Tickets for the dinner are $20. For information on joining the Friends or to purchase tickets, contact John B. Straw, Executive Secretary for the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library, at JStraw@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5078.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 8; March 2007.

African-American and Jewish Oral History Interviews from Muncie are Now Accessible through the Ball State University Digital Media Repository

Students, faculty, and researchers at Ball State University and from around the world can now hear the voices of Middletown USA as they tell the stories of the African-American and Jewish experience in Muncie, Indiana. The words illustrating the life and culture of persons past and present can be heard and read anywhere, anytime through a new collection that is now accessible through the Ball State University Digital Media Repository, a project of the University Libraries.

Two oral history collections from the University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections Research Center have been digitized and transcribed and are now available for study, research, and classroom instruction via the Internet. The audio and transcripts of the “Black Muncie Oral History Project Collection” and the “Middletown Jewish Oral History Project I Collection” can be accessed in the Digital Media Repository, http://libx.bsu.edu, under the “Middletown Digital Oral History Collection.”

The Black Muncie Oral History Project was conducted from 1971 to 1978 by Hurley C. Goodall, Ball State professor J. Paul Mitchell, and Ball State graduate students, with a grant from the Muncie Human Rights Commission. The interviews with long-time African-American residents of Muncie include discussions of subjects such as segregation, the Ku Klux Klan, the Great Depression, organized labor, and the economic, social, and religious experiences of African-Americans.

The Middletown Jewish Oral History Project I was conducted in 1978 and 1979 by Ball State University professors Warren Vander Hill and Dwight Hoover, under the sponsorship of Mr. Martin Schwartz. The interviews document Muncie’s Jewish community during the 1920s and 1930s. Topics discussed include anti-Semitism, the Ku Klux Klan, and other economic, social, and religious issues.

These two collections will be joined by two other African-American oral history collections, another Jewish one, and three collections of oral histories conducted with members from the parishes of the Catholic churches in Muncie to make up the Middletown Digital Oral History Collection.

The creation of this digital oral history resource was made possible by a $25,125 grant from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) that was awarded to the University Libraries by the State Library of Indiana for fiscal year 2006-2007. This is the second consecutive LSTA grant for digitization awarded to the University Libraries.

For more information, contact John B. Straw, Ball State University Libraries’ Director, Digital Media Repository, JStraw@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5078.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 8; March 2007.

Bracken Library's Lobby Provides Space for Students, Organizations to Meet

Personnel from the Ball State University Career Center set up an outreach table to connect with students who were visiting Bracken Library from February 20 through 23, 2007. They met with 141 students to critique their resumes, and they discussed careers and tips for interviewing and job hunting with an additional 74 students. Bracken Library was chosen as the sole location for Resumania outreach this year due to its high volume of visitors.

“Bracken Library remains a great location for outreach activities such as Resumania,” said Dr. Joseph P. Goodwin, Ball State University Career Center. “Students expressed their appreciation for the convenience of having their resumes reviewed there. We continue to appreciate the library’s support of our efforts.”

Libraries reinforce the spirit of learning and support knowledge-interaction whether the resource is a book, a journal, audiovisual media, or a discussion with one's study group. More than 4,600 students visit Bracken Library at Ball State University daily, making it a favorable location for outreach efforts by campus service offices.

For information on reserving space at Bracken Library, contact Denise W. Kinney, Secretary to Library Assistant Deans, DKinney@bsu.edu, (765) 285-1307.

This article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 7; March 2007.

Google Book Search Project: Its Promise for Ball State University's Students, Faculty for Research, Learning

Libraries without walls has become a catchphrase, the digital dream of making information available to anyone, anywhere, anytime. The Google Book Search Project (GBSP), a massive book digitization project begun in 2004, is taking us strides closer to that reality, http://books.google.com.

As part of Google’s newest partnership with Princeton University Library, Google plans to scan and make available one million titles over the next six years. Google has already established book digitization agreements with leading civic and national libraries like the New York Public Library and the National Library of Catalonia and academic libraries, including Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, University of Michigan, University of California, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Virginia, University of Texas at Austin, and Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Google has also announced that it will partner with Germany’s Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library).

Initially, Google adopted an aggressive, hotly contested, plan to digitize books indiscriminate of copyright. Google’s problematic proposal to digitize any book unless formally forbidden by contact from authors, publishers, or other copyright holders mired early digitization progress. However, the library partnerships quickly refocused digitization efforts on public domain titles, books published before 1924 that are no longer protected by copyright law.

To date, GBSP provides access to 524,600 full text, public domain books, fully searchable and available 24/7/365 to Ball State University students and faculty. This translates into unprecedented research access to both popular and rare titles from the period of 1521 - 1924. Whether looking for a 17th Century discourse on witchcraft, a cookery book from 1810, or a New York Times bestseller from 1900, Google Book Search Project is the place to go!

Locating a book is simple, and Google offers advanced search fields including author, title, ISBN, publication year, and publisher. For example, if you are only interested in antebellum writings on American slavery, you can enter your search terms and add a publication range of 1840 to 1860. Select “Full View” to limit searching only to public domain books, where full-text viewing is available to the user. Additionally, Google provides powerful right-hand navigation of a retrieved book and links the user to the book’s title page, table of contents, and index. A search box for full-text searching within the retrieved book allows a user to locate relevant parts of a text without browsing through page after page of the book. This functionality empowers Ball State students and faculty to conduct streamlined and precise textual research.

Another important long-term benefit of GBSP is the creation of digital surrogates for the increasing number of brittle books that are too fragile to circulate and are often stored for preservation with very limited physical access. GBSP is at once offering unprecedented access to aged texts and democratizing research, eliminating the need for rare book interlibrary loan borrowing fees or expensive travel to research repositories. Additionally, fragile books are protected from overuse and excessive handling.

As Ball State’s University Libraries continue to leverage the power of technology to organize and present access to dynamic learning and teaching resources, we recognize the value of directing our users to the GBSP as a growing and unequaled online research resource for pre-1924 texts.

To make this searching easier for students and faculty, the University Libraries provide ubiquitous linking from our site to this invaluable resource. Links are available through the Digital Commons on both the e-Books page and under each subject in the World Wide Web Resources page. The Google Book Search Project is an important asset to the University Libraries’ digital initiatives and enhances the rich print and digital collections already made available by the University Libraries for teaching, learning, and research.
For more information, contact Matthew C. Shaw, Ball State University Libraries’ Electronic Resources Librarian, MCShaw2@bsu.edu, (765) 285-1302.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 7; March 2007.

Discovering Family Picture in Ball State University Libraries' Archives

Who would have guessed that a routine trip to the periodicals section on Bracken Library’s second floor would result in me discovering a 1958 photograph of my Dad in an Archives’ exhibit?

Last Fall Semester 2006, the University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections Research Center displayed a special exhibit, Once There Was a Union Town: A History of Organized Labor in Muncie. As I began walking back to my office, the exhibit caught my eye, and I stopped to look at the photographs and read some of the commentary.

To my surprise, there was a photograph of officers and executive board members from Local 247 United Rubber Workers Union, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Even more surprising was that I saw my Dad, Glynson W. Story, in the photograph!

I was happily surprised, to say the least. Being raised in a hard working, blue-collar family, I always knew my parents appreciated the value of labor unions, yet I had no idea my Dad served in a union leadership role as a member of the executive board, nor had I ever seen this photograph. It turns out that the photograph had appeared in the 1958 Labor Directory and Buyer’s Guide, compiled by the Delaware County Industrial Union Council C.I.O.

Dad came to Muncie, Indiana, after World War II, along with many other Kentucky and Tennessee residents who were seeking better employment. His first job was in Muncie, with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, which was located on West 23rd Street, where he worked in the 1950s and 1960s. The local plant manufactured tread for military vehicles. Although I was thrilled and proud that my Dad was part of this exhibit, I felt sad because he passed away (at age 82) only two months earlier. I regret that I could not share this special experience with him.

I brought Mom and my sister to see the exhibit. Mom recognized many of the other people in the photograph because she had been a Goodyear employee, too, and that is where she met Dad. I am grateful that I learned something new about him and am proud to add a copy of this photograph to my collection.

The serendipity of finding this photograph reminds me that libraries serve as valuable educational resources for research and learning in the university community and for members of the community at large, as well. They offer helpful librarians, a variety of spaces for collaboration and individual study, access to print and digital collections, and wonderful programs such as exhibits, lectures, and special events. All of these provide learning and discovery opportunities and ways to connect with persons from all walks of life.

For information, contact Teresa L. Story, Collections Development Assistant, TStory@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5444.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 6; March 2007.

Course Reserves Support Teaching, Learning at Ball State University Libraries

One of the University Libraries’ most popular services is print and e-reserves for courses. They are a vital part of the University Libraries’ services since faculty count on course reserves to make accessible specific materials that are related to their classes.

“For items that are heavily in demand, students benefit from having course reserve loan periods that are shorter than the norm,” said Jan A. Vance, Periodical/Reserve/Microforms Collection Supervisor. In the case of print items, a short borrowing period, such as two hours, allows more students access to the materials since they are required for the whole class. Faculty set the actual loan period, the most common choices being two hours, four hours or one, three, or seven days.

Christy A. Groves, Head of Access Services, points out that a number of different formats are used for course reserves, primarily library-owned materials, such as articles, books, pictures, realia, and music as well as faculty members’ personal materials, such as course notes.

Recently, electronic access has become popular, especially for journal and newspaper articles. Students benefit from convenient, 24/7 access to articles on course reserve, allowing students access to reserves from any computer connected to the Internet.

When faculty identify an article for course reserve, personnel in the University Libraries are available to scan the item. When requested, Libraries’ personnel will provide full-color scanning since color may be an important part of the item. Fritz Dolak, Manager for Ball State’s University Copyright Center, points out that fair use of copyright is to limit each e-reserve of a digital item to one article from a journal issue, or one chapter or 10% of a book. These limits do not apply to a physical item that is placed on reserve.

The following units within the University Libraries process course reserves:
· Access Services
· Architecture Library
· Educational Resources Center
· Music Collection
· Science-Health Science Library

This semester, the Music Collection has been especially busy with reserves. “I’ve processed over 1,100 items this semester which is a record for us,” said D. Jason Smith, Music Collection Coordinator.

“Faculty, particularly those in music theory and music history, typically request a wide range of formats, including books, scores, recordings, and articles,” said Keith H. Cochran, Music Librarian.

The popularity of digital course reserves has increased significantly — over 240% from 805 in fiscal year 2002-2003 to 1,932 in fiscal year 2005-2006 in Access Services alone.

A significant reason for the increase may be because of the convenience that digital reserves provide students for their research and learning.

For more information, contact Dr. Keith H. Cochran, Ball State University Libraries’ Music Librarian, KCochran@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5065.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 6; March 2007.

Ball State's Bracken Library Showcases Students' Artwork from "Introduction to Metals" Class

Copper, brass, wood, and semi-precious stones are incorporated into beautiful pieces of artwork by students in Introduction to Metals (ACR 221). The class is taught by Professor Patricia A. Nelson, Department of Art at Ball State University. Several items are on display in Bracken Library, 1-E, through the end of April, 2007.

“Working with metal demands precision and patience,” said Prof. Nelson. “Most of these students have never used metalsmithing tools before this course.”

The students’ art pieces that are on exhibit in Bracken Library represent samples of various techniques that the they are learning in class, ranging from cold connections and sawing to soldering and stone setting.

The University Libraries take pride in exhibiting student-produced materials such as artwork, models, photography, and more. Viewing these exhibits stimulates interest in subject areas to study and helps to make other students aware of the skills and talents of fellow students.

For information on displays and exhibits, contact Susan G. Akers, University Libraries’ Marketing Communications Manager, SAkers@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5031.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 5; March 2007.

Ball State University Libraries' Educational Resources Center Provides Educational Materials in Variety of Formats for Research, Learning

The Educational Resources Center has material in dozens of formats, such as microscope slides, globes, kits, educational toys, and more to support learning, research, and classroom instruction. Ranging from abaci to zygotes, the collections allow faculty to enhance classroom presentations and facilitate students’ personal study by engaging a variety of senses in the learning process.

Models are available to demonstrate difficult geologic concepts, such as syncline and isostasy. Study of Native American ceremonial rites can be enhanced by using kits that contain dancing bells, colored sand, drums, and accompanying guides. The Battle for Middle Earth may be waged again and again with The Lord of the Rings computer simulation program.

“We see study groups, for example, nursing classes viewing anatomy models and drawing classes working with realia. We also see many students engaged in independent study with the materials,” said Julie Nelson, ERC Information/Circulation Supervisor.

The ERC’s realia collection is a gem. It contains thousands of objects to supplement study, such as a working depth gauge, bust of Queen Nefertiti, Bolivian chajcha, African talking drum, a Black Widow spider, and more.

In the College of Architecture and Planning’s CAP 161 class, Design Communications Media 1, students have an assignment where they create contour drawings of still lifes that they have created.

“The assignment includes setting up a still life. I got tired of seeing lots of rolls of masking tape, cell phones, and things from the studio,” said Cynthia A. McHone, Instructor. “I found out about the collections in Educational Resources and now some of the students get really motivated — they often create a theme using a mix of materials. This is a wonderful resource, and the staff are nice, too.”

Students frequently use materials from the ERC’s collections as visual or tactile aids for classroom presentations. Others take them beyond the campus to classrooms around the state as they engage in student teaching.

To view the array of available items, choose the “Advanced Search” function of CardCat and make your selection from the “Format” drop-down box.

For additional information, contact Diane E. Hill, Ball State University’s Media Librarian, DHill@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5333.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 5; March 2007. Sketch by Lauren Comes, student in the College of Architecture and Planning’s CAP 161 course.

Ball State University's Student Participation in Library Instruction is High

The University Libraries’ Library Instruction Program introduces new researchers to the world of online and print resources in addition to providing advanced searching techniques to upper-level undergraduates and graduate students. It uses a multi-faceted approach of classroom and one-on-one instruction in the libraries as well as visiting academic classrooms on campus.

Bracken Library is equipped with two e-classrooms devoted to library instruction sessions. A review of e-classroom use during the Fall Semester 2006, as gauged by computer log-ins during the sessions, revealed interesting details about class participation and the University Libraries’ efforts to provide students with the tools and skills needed for research.

Forty-two percent (2,023) of the freshman class of 4,838 attended instruction sessions last fall. Entry-level students are the focus of the outreach efforts with the goal of providing Freshmen with basic research skills upon which they can build throughout their academic careers. This high level of involvement underscores the broad participation of introductory English classes and collaboration with their faculty.

The number of participants follows an inverse relationship; that is, as students progress from one year to the next and gain confidence in their research abilities, they participate less in formal library instruction sessions. Participation rates for students in Ball State’s other classes logging-in to the e-classrooms were Sophomores, 19%; Juniors, 14%; and Seniors, 9%.

Ten percent of the University’s graduate students were involved in e-classroom sessions during the same period. While smaller in number than the sweeping efforts with the Freshman class, upper-level instruction sessions are devoted to area-specific resources and provide the greater depth needed for concentrated academic pursuits.

The numbers cited above provide an interesting picture of the University Libraries’ Library Instruction Program. Equally insightful and important are comments garnered from faculty whose students make use of the sessions. They underscore the value of the skills and knowledge students gain during the sessions and reinforce the partnerships forged between the faculty and librarians.

For more information, contact Jeremiah S. Kinney, Library Teaching Assistant in Ball State University Libraries’ Information Services, JSKinney2@bsu.edu, (765) 285-8017.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 4; March 2007.

4th Annual Faculty Technology Showcase Highlights Use of Technology for Classroom Instruction at Ball State University

At the Fourth Annual Faculty Technology Showcase, held Wednesday afternoon, March 7, 2007 at Ball State University’s Bracken Library, several classroom faculty shared their use of technology in teaching and learning with the campus community through their interactive exhibits.

Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, said that the annual Faculty Technology Showcases are very popular and are well attended by other faculty. “Using this forum is an excellent way for faculty to share their experiences with others and to promote technology.”

Attendees were offered a unique opportunity to discuss the projects one-on-one with presenters and to see demonstrations of how specific technology is used in the classroom and on campus.

“Faculty teaching faculty has always been a successful approach to creating an enriched classroom,” said Dr. David R. Pearson, Associate Professor of Physical Education and chairperson for the Information Technology Advisory Group (ITAG).

“It was a great showcase,” said Ball State University President Jo Ann Gora, who spent time talking with several faculty and studying their exhibits. “I learned a lot.”

Dr. Donald E. Van Meter, Associate Dean of the College of Sciences and Humanities, said, “The Showcase was an excellent chance for me to see how faculty are using technology in teaching. I was especially interested in the ways Dr. Guohe Zheng uses a Tablet PC to teach his Japanese language classes. I was also quite interested in learning how GIS is being used in journalism classes.”

Yasemin Tunç, Director, University Libraries’ Technology Training Support Services, coordinated the popular fourth annual event with assistance from Technology Training Specialists Linda M. Putman and Barbara R. Wills. The unit’s personnel continually offer sessions to assist faculty and staff in learning about a variety of software and hardware for classroom instruction and office productivity.

A new concept called Distributed Podcasting was presented by Dr. Matthew J. Stuve, Department of Educational Studies and demonstrated by Van Hnem Bualteng, a graduate student enrolled in Dr. Stuve’s EdTec 485 class, Distance Learning and School Infrastructures. Attendees learned how anyone with a BookPod account can publish content to a common podcast.

Using Wikis for Collaboration was the focus of the exhibit by Dr. John B. Horowitz, Department of Economics. In his classes, he uses wikis to post topics and discussions in the classroom. He reports that students find the wikis a convenient “go to” site to review terms and concepts.

Dr. Lisa F. Huffman, Department of Educational Psychology, and Mark J. Lora, Assessment System Programmer, Teachers College, demonstrated Rubric-Based Assessment with rGrade. The rGrade software has all of the features of a grade book with the added power to include performance-based rubrics linked to course standards and objectives. Students can use this information to follow their own progress as they move through the course. “This means increased accountability for both instructors and students,” said Dr. Huffman.

Sheryl A. Swingley, Instructor, Department of Journalism, and Angela S. Gibson, University Libraries’ Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist, demonstrated the Use of Geographic Information Systems in Journalism. The exhibit featured their collaboration in the classroom to show students how GIS software can be used in researching and reporting news to illustrate data or to show trends by creating data-driven maps.

Dr. Guohe Zheng, Modern Languages and Classics, featured Using a Tablet PC in the Classroom. “Thanks to a powerful PC featured called Phoentic Guide of Asian Language, students can visit various Japanese newspaper Web sites, copy any article they wish to read, then a Word file provides the pronunciation of all of the kanji or characters by using only a few clicks of the mouse,” he said. Dr. Zheng also uses the Tablet PC to input Japanese characters, teach note-taking by handwriting, mark lecture notes, convert handwritten texts into printed ones, and add pronunciation notes to kanji.

For more information, or to arrange for a technology consultation, contact Yasemin Tunç, Ball State University Libraries’ Director for Technology Training Support Services, YTunc@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5902.

This article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 3; March 2007.

Tax Forms Available for Download from Ball State University Libraries' Homepage

In an effort to provide excellent customer service to the Ball State community, the University Libraries have created a link on the Libraries’ webpage, www.bsu.edu/library, to U.S. federal and state tax forms. This link is listed under “News Gallery” in the lower right corner of the webpage.

This link provides access to all U.S. federal tax forms and direct links to the departments of revenue or taxation for all 50 states. The due date for filing 2006 taxes this year is Monday, April 16 since April 15 falls on a Sunday.

The University Libraries are no longer able to provide access to paper tax forms because of a change in policy by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service about supplying individual tax forms to larger academic libraries. Indiana tax forms in paper format are still available at the Reference/Information Desk at Bracken Library.

For more information, contact Diane Calvin, University Libraries’ Head of Information Services, DCalvin@bsu.edu, (765) 285-3327.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3):2; March 2007.

Ball State University Classes Cancelled due to Severe Winter Storm; Library Remains Open Except for 3 Hours

On Tuesday, February 13, 2007, Muncie, Indiana received 11 to 12 inches of snow or more, depending on where you were in the city or surrounding area. This was the region’s third largest snowfall in 60 years, according to the National Weather Service. The snow fell on top of an existing four-inch base. Wind gusts exceeded 41 mph on Tuesday afternoon, with visibility dropping to less than a quarter mile, and continued to blow causing drifting through the evening and Wednesday.

Ball State University cancelled classes on Tuesday; however, all Ball State offices remained open, including Bracken Library. As the day went on, Libraries’ staff called to report that they could not drive to work because of the inclement weather and poor condition of local streets and county roads. For this reason, Bracken closed at midnight rather than at its usual closing time of 3 a.m.

Late Tuesday evening, University President Jo Ann Gora announced that the University was closed, effective at 10:30 p.m. and that it would remain closed until Wednesday noon. As conditions worsened, this announcement was later modified to an all-campus closing of offices and classes until Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. The exception was that essential services personnel were required to report for work during the closure. The University’s Essential Services Units include:
· Residence and Dining Halls
· Public Safety
· University Computing Services
· Bracken Library
· Health Center
· Switchboard
· Student Center Hotel
· Heat Plant
· University Gyms
· WIPB-TV
· Indiana Public Radio

Special thanks are due to Suzanne S. Rice, Assistant Dean for Public Services; Jan A. Vance, Periodical/Reserve/Microforms Collection Supervisor; and student assistants Laura E. Shackelford and Max F. Hackman who worked Tuesday night until midnight. Similarly, Suzanne and Jan were first on hand Wednesday morning for Bracken Library’s 7 a.m. opening. They were joined by Diane L. Frankland, Circulation Supervisor, and Bradley C. Johnston, Educational Resources Center Booking/Reserves Assistant, both of whom walked to work to help open Bracken. Additional essential staff members arrived through the day as soon as they could find means to do so.

Thanks are also due to the University’s 28-person grounds crew who worked tirelessly to clear sidewalks, streets, and parking lots to allow students to park and move around campus. This included cleaning the walks leading to Bracken Library’s north and south entrances.

Thanks are also due to the University Libraries’ personnel who, despite the really bad weather, made it possible for the Libraries to provide our students and faculty with services for research and learning.

For more information, contact Arthur W. Hafner, Ph.D., M.B.A., Ball State University’s Dean of University Libraries, AHafner@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5277.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 2; March 2007. Photo courtesy of Derick L. Brattain.

Ball State University Libraries' Popular Bookmark Cafe Demonstrates Elements of Libraries' Destination Tagline

Nearly two years ago, Ball State University Dining conducted a survey about locating a café in Bracken Library. The idea received enthusiastic support from students and faculty. Their responses demonstrated that a café offering a hot and cold menu, beverages, and other items would prove to be a significant and worthwhile addition to their Bracken Library experience.

The Bookmark Café provides another important facet in the Ball State University dynamics of educational and social convergence. By fostering group interactivity in a relaxed setting where food and conversation are welcome and part of the academic library experience, the Bookmark Café expands the meaning of the University Libraries’ tag line, A destination for research, learning, and friends.

The Bookmark Café opened in early January near the start of Spring Semester 2007. The Café is an inviting facility of 900 square feet conveniently located at the southeast corner of Bracken’s first floor. Its menu consists of a wide variety of hot and cold beverages, and an appealing selection of sandwiches, desserts, soups, and salads. Café choices can be enjoyed sitting at one of the many comfortable chairs and tables inside the Café or just outside its doors or elsewhere throughout Bracken. Besides cash, students can also use their meal cards or pay with their credit or debit card.

In commenting about the significance of the Bookmark Café for the Libraries’ users, Dean of University Libraries Dr. Arthur W. Hafner said, “Students, faculty, and staff use this new, engaging café space as a unique social milieu to talk, share experiences, and discuss various and sundry matters such as academic, social, and political issues. In this way, the Bookmark Café contributes to the continuing transformation of the University Libraries as the primary, social, learning, and gathering space on campus for teamwork, communication, and creative student engagement.”

Ball State University President Jo Ann Gora attended the official opening of the Bookmark Cafe on March 7, 2007. In commenting about the importance of this new social space, she said, “The Café is an element in Ball State’s Strategic Plan for improving the university community’s quality of life through new construction and renovations of campus facilities to best support learning, scholarship, and institutional effectiveness as well as increase the vitality of the campus social and cultural life.”

Historically, coffee houses and libraries have served as egalitarian meeting places where community members could hear political debates, poets, writers, artists, and scientists talk and freely share their thoughts and ideas. The popularity of the Bookmark Café shows that people still need and enjoy informal gathering spots that provide a sense of community. Our new Café benefits and enhances our students’ learning, research, and social experiences while studying in Bracken Library.

Each day during the fall and spring academic semesters, over 4,600 persons use Bracken Library. Students, faculty, and staff come to talk with our librarians who help them with their research projects and assignments, to take advantage of the comfortable and friendly atmosphere for individual and collaborative learning, to access the print and digital collections, and to use the excellent technology, software, and printing that is freely accessible to them.

Plan to stop by the Bookmark Café during your next visit to Bracken Library to enjoy the friendliness and conviviality that shows the University Libraries continues to be A destination for research, learning, and friends.

For more information, contact Arthur W. Hafner, Ph.D., M.B.A., Ball State University’s Dean of University Libraries, AHafner@bsu.edu, (765) 285-5277.

This newsletter article first appeared in The Library Insider 5(3): 1; March 2007.