Ball State University Libraries' News

University Libraries’ Instructional Services Program Reaches Across Ball State Campus with Research Strategies and Tools

2010-04-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

During February 2010, the University Libraries’ Information Services librarians conducted 129 instructional sessions that reached 2,377 students. These sessions are presented in academic partnership with classroom faculty. Librarians discuss the faculty member’s instructional objectives and then prepare a presentation specifically tailored to the assignment.

Of these 129 sessions, 69 were provided for core composition classes, and 48 were presented to undergraduate and graduate classes in a variety of academic disciplines. The remaining sessions were presentations to visiting high school groups and workshops on topics like thesis research, EndNote application usage, career research, and advanced Google usage.

Librarians teach students how to access peer-reviewed articles through subscription databases that access thousands of journal and magazine subscriptions not available freely on the Web. They also explain how to explore topics using library resources, find background information, track down statistical data, evaluate what one finds on the Web, and effectively use the right research tool for the task at hand. Frequently, instructors will inform the librarians, at the conclusion of the presentation, that they, too, learned something new. The focus of this instruction is to expand the student’s knowledge well beyond Google.

Library instruction also consists of hands-on time. After the librarian’s presentation, students have the chance to work on the topics for their research assignments while the librarian remains available in the room to answer questions and help guide individualized research endeavors.

University Libraries Professional Personnel to be Recognized for Years of Service

2010-04-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

Ball State University will host a formal luncheon on April 7, 2010, at the L. A. Pittenger Student Center to recognize and thank faculty and professional personnel for their years of service.

Several of the honorees are from the University Libraries. We happily recognize them for the professionalism, experience, and service they have provided to the Libraries and our academic community.

Rebecca S. Sheffeld, 35 years. Rebecca, “Becky,” first began working for Ball State as a student assistant in the “old library,” currently North Quad, while earning her Ball State degree in Elementary Education. Following graduation, she began full-time at the library in 1974, taking the position of Periodicals Receiving Clerk. Subsequently, Becky held a number of classified staff positions, including Technical Cataloging Assistant and Reference Services Supervisor, receiving a 1988 Meritorious Service Award in recognition of her expertise and strong customer service commitment. In 1992, Becky earned a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University – Bloomington and joined the professional ranks at the University Libraries as Library Instruction Librarian, then Assistant Acquisitions Librarian, and currently Head of Acquisitions Services, the position that she has held since 1999.

Brenda Yates Habich, 15 years. Brenda joined Ball State as an Assistant to the Directors of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in the English Department. After earning a Master’s Degree in Library Science, she joined University Libraries in 2003 as an Information Services Librarian. Brenda is frequently in demand for library instruction classes and research consultations because of her excellent teaching skills and friendly demeanor.

Kirk M. VanOoteghem, 15 years. Kirk is the University Libraries’ Lead Microcomputer/Systems/Network Analyst. He has been involved in the management, support, and configuration of public and staff workstations in the libraries since 1998. Kirk has also worked in the Educational Resources Collections and Support Services areas in the University Libraries. Kirk holds two degrees from Ball State University, is a member of Phi Kappa Phi (ΦΚΦ), and is a Certified Training Consultant. ◙

Study of University Libraries’ Computer Workstation Utilization Shows Location and Area Ambience as Key Factors

2010-04-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

Throughout the University Libraries, the computer workstations are always busy. Wherever you look, no matter what floor you are on, students are working individually or cooperatively in small and large groups on their scholarly pursuits and class projects that include creating documents and presentations, performing literature searches, checking assignment updates on Blackboard, viewing streaming video, engaging in videoconferencing, or performing a host of other educative activities. Students can also be seen staying in contact with friends and family via e-mail or instant messenger utilities and even participating in educational simulations and gaming.

This prompted me to wonder, “During an average session on one of the Libraries’ workstations, how much time do our students spend?”

In order to determine the answer to this question, James W. Hammons, Head of Library Technologies, analyzed data collected automatically by the Libraries from our 368 computer workstations. He selected the 54-day period of Monday, January 11 through Friday, March 5, 2010. In all, he analyzed 143,557 computer sessions for this period using statistical software such as SPSS and Excel.

Jim’s objective was to determine the median time that students spent at a workstation in Bracken Library and at the two branch libraries, the Architecture Library and the Science-Health Science Library. Additionally, by analyzing data by any given area within the University Libraries, he wanted to determine if students spent different amounts of time depending upon the location of where they chose to study.

The median was selected as the average measure since outliers at the extremes of the data do not influence it. That is, a very large value or small value cannot overly influence the median unlike it can the mean. Jim’s findings proved to be informative.

Analysis of the Median Time Spent at Workstations by Area
The accompanying bar graph and table (page 3) depict the breakdown by floor or area within the University Libraries. Overall, the median time spent by students using any of the Libraries’ 368 computer workstations was 22.1 minutes.

• Bracken’s Quiet Zone fourth floor (41 workstations available) — Students spent the longest median time here, 50.7 minutes.
• Bracken’s third floor (71 workstations) — Students working in small groups tend to be attracted to this area. The median time spent was 47.6 minutes.
• Bracken’s first floor east side (39 workstations) — In this relatively quiet area, the median time spent was 40.7 minutes.
• Bracken’s first floor west (105 workstations) — Often referred to as the Reference Learning Center because of its proximity to the Reference Desk, this area is the most visible to Bracken’s visitors and hosts most of the public printers. The median time was 18.8 minutes.
• Science-Health Science Library (11 workstations) — Median session time was 20.1 minutes.
• Architecture Library (14 workstations) — Median session time was 11.8 minutes.

Conclusion
These data show that ambience influenced by location is a prime factor in how students select computer workstations for use in the University Libraries. When students are working on activities that require
in-depth study, extended research, writing, and intricate computational analyses, among other tasks, they choose Bracken’s fourth floor Quiet Zone or some other generally quiet areas like first floor east, with its refined, artful decor. If they are working collaboratively, the third-floor cluster of workstations is a popular choice due to its projection as a collective study space.

The branch libraries and Bracken’s Reference area have proven to be highly functional places. Students stop in before or between classes to make final adjustments to assignments, printing papers or class notes, checking Blackboard or e-mail, posting remarks to Facebook, scanning drawings for projects, or reviewing course reserves, to name a few of the many endeavors that are being pursued.

For all of these activities, the University Libraries provide a setting to accommodate student’s needs by making it easy to access computer workstations and course-oriented software. The median time students spent at the workstations more than suggest that the workstations are an integral element for our student’s research, learning, and scholarly achievement.

We invite members of the academic community to visit the University Libraries often for their research and learning needs. ◙

Cardinal Scholar Repository: Opening Ball State Scholarship to the World

2010-04-02T10:43:00.001-04:00

Open access (OA) publishing is an emergent model of scholarly communication, which promotes the free, online availability of information. In February 2007, the University Libraries launched Cardinal Scholar (www.bsu.edu/cardinalscholar), Ball State’s institutional repository, establishing an OA digital archive for the deposit of intellectual capital developed at Ball State University and made available to a worldwide, Internet audience.

While Cardinal Scholar has experienced steady content growth, the adoption of an institution-wide Open Access Mandate could serve as a major catalyst in the expansion of the repository’s potential to be an integral element of the University’s research publishing distribution strategy and increase the reach and impact of the university’s scholarly product.

Open Access initiatives primarily respond to the growing scholarly communications crisis created by static resource budgets and exorbitant price increases imposed by journal publishers. Open Access mandates are a logical correlative of the OA journal model and have been implemented at several leading research universities including Stanford, Kansas, MIT, and Harvard. The implementation of an OA policy at Ball State University would offer our researchers a vehicle for increasing the discoverability and exposure of their publications through the Cardinal Scholar portal.

OA mandates do not impact an author’s ability to publish where s/he chooses, and the author retains all rights to his or her work. The OA policy serves as a pre-existing institutional license to make the article available to a worldwide audience and does not conflict with a publisher’s copyright requirements, protecting both the institution and the author from liability. Extant OA policies also include “opt out” provisions for faculty who may encounter extenuating requirements by a publisher.

Currently, discussions about a BSU Open Access mandate are occurring in appropriate University Senate committees. With the guidance of university administration and faculty stakeholders, the establishment of an OA policy at Ball State, coupled with the robust infrastructural capacity of Cardinal Scholar, represents an unprecedented opportunity for Ball State University to share the valuable intellectual capital of our distinguished faculty researchers, promoting scholarly exchange, collective innovation, and dynamic knowledge synthesis.

Through the aggregation and branding of our outstanding institutional contributions in scholarship and creative work through Cardinal Scholar, an Open Access mandate allows us to demonstrate and emphasize our distinctive and immersive model for teaching, learning, and collaboration, reaching well beyond the brick-and-mortar boundaries of our campus or the borders of our location to maximize the broader impact and inestimable potential and influence of Ball State University well into the future.

My Favorites Feature in CONTENTdm: Providing Students and Faculty with More Digital Library Power for Research and Study

2010-03-12T14:05:00.000-05:00

The Ball State University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository (DMR) system includes more than 200,000 digital assets across 89 collections. These digital resources, each of which has a research and teaching focus, can be searched, read, played, and captured for class presentations, lectures and other research endeavors. The My Favorites module in the CONTENTdm system includes a variety of useful tools for repurposing these digital assets for academic use.

The My Favorites link can be found on the Global Menu bar in the DMR, http://libx.bsu.edu. At this site, users are presented with the My Favorites page, which includes controls in the left column and any objects marked for inclusion in My Favorites on the right. Of course, users must select digital assets as they search or browse the DMR with the “add to favorites” option to populate My Favorites. CONTENTdm allows up to 100 digital objects to be saved in My Favorites.

The BSU PowerPoint Generator is the last option in the My Favorites left column. This powerful tool was developed by library personnel for use with the CONTENTdm system. The BSU PowerPoint Generator creates presentation files with images and metadata that can be used on Windows and Mac OS X systems. The Library Insider highlighted this timesaving tool in an article in the October 2009 issue, page 11, a link to which is available on the University Libraries’ homepage.

The first four options in the My Favorites left column are viewing and sorting features for digital objects:

Slideshow viewer – Create a display of digital image files saved in My Favorites for viewing in a new window with slideshow controls. Available within every installation of CONTENTdm.

Compare feature – Select two objects in My Favorites for a side-by-side comparison in a new window. From the new window, choose another digital image to compare.

Remove item – Easily remove items from My Favorites by selecting the object number and clicking the remove button. An “are you sure” prompt is presented before the object is removed from My Favorites.

Move item – Sort or rearrange items in My Favorites using their object numbers.

The fifth option in the left column, “Save as a Web page,” provides the opportunity to create a new Web page with links to objects in My Favorites. Click the “Create” button to build a custom HTML-formatted Web page that can be loaded into Blackboard or linked on a Web site for use by students or colleagues. The objects on the saved page are clickable, leading the viewer back to the record for the object in the DMR. The filename under which the file is saved will be used to create a title presented at the top of the page.

For more information, contact Bradley D. Faust, Assistant Dean for Library Information Technology Services, BFaust@bsu.edu, 765-285-8032.

University Libraries Utilize Facebook: Promoting Programs, Collections, and Services

2010-03-05T09:05:00.002-05:00

The University Libraries have recently revised their strategy for utilizing Facebook. Previously, Libraries staff updated the account periodically with photos and selected articles from the Library Insider, which were posted as photos. Beginning in December 2009, the Libraries began to keep the account more current and stepped up active promotion of the account in order to reach students, faculty, and other University Libraries fans.

The Ball State University Libraries’ Facebook account is ballstatelibraries. Anyone interested in following the Libraries can go to www.facebook.com/ballstatelibraries instead of having to search within Facebook.

Katie M. Bohnert, Marketing and Communications Manager, took on the task of regularly posting fresh and timely content to the Libraries’ Facebook account. New items and services, current and upcoming exhibits, workshops and instructional sessions have all been highlighted on the Libraries’ Facebook account. There are also reminders and links to timely services, such as reserving study rooms, checking print balances online, and employing wireless printing services. Katie also began posting selected Library Insider newsletter articles as notes instead of images, which makes the text searchable and more likely to be indexed by search engines such as Google.

Facebook also proved to be a valuable tool for communicating with students and faculty in December 2009, when the University’s Web site experienced a brief campus-wide interruption. The Libraries were able to share with our Facebook fans the direct links to unaffected resources, such as CardCat, Articles and Databases, E-Journals, and the Digital Media Repository. When service was restored, another posting alerted fans that the problem had been resolved and thanked them for their patience.

Future possibilities for the ballstatelibraries Facebook account include promotion of musical and theatrical previews in Bracken Library, taking advantage of the photo and video sharing capabilities native to Facebook, and using the Facebook Markup Language (FBML) to provide a way to search the online catalog, CardCat, as well as Articles and Databases from within Facebook, which would be especially helpful for those using mobile devices.

If you are a Facebook user and would like to be a fan of the University Libraries, join us at www.facebook.com/ballstatelibraries.

University Libraries Provide a New Look for e-Journal Access in the Online Catalog

2010-02-24T08:13:00.002-05:00

Users seeking electronic journals through the University Libraries’ online catalog, CardCat, have undoubtedly noticed a change in the way their search results are presented. Formerly, it was common practice to find a record on which multiple formats, print and electronic, were consolidated. Current searchers will discover separate entries for multiple formats, with e-journals now having a record of their own. These records are often identified by the presence of the word “Online” in parentheses following the title.

An even more significant improvement is within the bibliographic record itself. Now each record for an e-journal contains a single, convenient link to the University Libraries’ familiar MultiLink interface. MultiLink searches the Libraries’
e-collections for available full-text and will display multiple options for full-text access when available. Rather than seeing a list of various electronic links, users can now click one easily identified link to take advantage of the complete range of electronic full-text options offered by the University Libraries.

This results from the University Libraries’ relationship with SerialsSolutions, Inc., a Seattle-based e-resource access and management service provider. SerialsSolutions provides the University Libraries with the MultiLink and MultiSearch services. Bibliographic records in CardCat have been integrated into these services. From a user perspective, this results in a unified presentation of e-journal information. Whether users are searching for e-journals through CardCat, Citation Linker, the e-journals list, or MultiSearch, the results are displayed in the same way.

As a result of this integration, there are significant benefits to both users and librarians. All of the University Libraries’ e-journal services are now driven by the same underlying database that is maintained by SerialsSolutions, Inc. Rather than maintaining a separate database of electronic access points within CardCat, serials cataloging personnel can now perform all necessary maintenance within the SerialsSolutions database itself. This kind of “one-stop shopping” dramatically increases the efficiency of e-journal management and should greatly improve users’ success in obtaining electronic full-text.

Significant Gift to the Libraries Supports Classical Guitarists

2010-02-19T08:38:00.001-05:00

Ball State students studying classical guitar now have greatly expanded access to repertoire due to a generous gift by Dr. Peter A. McAllister.

Dr. McAllister, formerly Director of the School of Music in the College of Fine Arts, was a virtuoso guitarist before he moved into music education and administration. He gave concerts in both the U.S. and Europe, always to high acclaim, and premiered over 30 classical guitar compositions. He recorded professionally on Carleton Records and with Donald Wilson as a duo-guitarist on the Fanfare label.

The gift is Dr. McAllister’s private library of guitar music. Numbering nearly 400 items, it is mainly pieces for guitar solo, with some guitar duets and a sprinkling of technical exercises. The collection contains the works of the acknowledged Spanish and Italian masters of the guitar and also composers from all over Europe and the western hemisphere – a virtual who’s who of guitar composers. The collection is also rich in transcriptions for modern six-string guitar of pieces originally for similar earlier instruments: lute, the five-course baroque guitar, and the Spanish vihuela. Harpsichord music, especially that of J.S. Bach and Domenico Scarlatti, transfers well to guitar, and these types of pieces appear in the collection as well.

Once the gift arrived, the next step was to make it available. All 400 pieces were cataloged, folded into the regular work of two music catalogers. Since the pieces are typically only a few pages long, each was then protected by a slim, rigid binder and labeled. As Dr. McAllister intended, his library has now joined the Libraries’ Music Collection on the lower level of Bracken Library, for use by guitar majors and all interested in classical guitar.

“The legacy of music that Dr. McAllister so wonderfully donated to Ball State is quite extensive,” said Paul Reilly, professor of guitar. “A good deal of the music is material that has gone out-of-print and is therefore difficult to obtain. I will use this gift to the benefit of the Ball State guitar students as soon as possible.”

Expanded GIS Services Available at the University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection

2010-02-17T08:43:00.003-05:00

Students, faculty, and staff visiting the University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) on the second floor of Bracken Library, will find the space has been rearranged and transformed. Many important changes allow the facility to provide more access to GIS resources for the entire Ball State community, positioning the GRMC to meet campus needs for increased GIS-enabled research and instructional space.

The University Libraries have increased the amount of space devoted to the GIS research area. There is now nearly 1,200 square feet equipped with 28 high-end Lenovo ThinkCentre computers with dual 22” widescreen monitors. The units provide students and faculty with access to the type of software required for any GIS or mapping project, including the following:

• Adobe Design Premium CS3
• Autodesk AutoCAD 2009
• ERDAS Imagine 9.3 and
• ESRI ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1
• ESRI ArcPad 8.0
• Google Earth
• Google SketchUp
• Intergraph GeoMedia 6.1.6
• Rhino 4.0

Two LG 55” widescreen LED monitors and an ELMO projector are connected to an instructor station, facilitating the use of the equipment for workshops and classes. GRMC staff plan to offer workshops and tutorials and to facilitate instructional sessions in the space.

Ball State faculty and students who require GIS and other related geospatial software for instructional purposes can reserve the area. The space is also available for use by students and faculty for group and individual learning. A certified GIS staff member is available to answer questions and help users with their projects.

GIS-enabled computers are also available throughout Bracken Library since the software is deployed on more than 140 public workstations throughout the building. Visit the University Libraries’ Software Locator Web site to find these public access stations: www.bsu.edu/libraries/swsearch/swsearch.

The GRMC also provides users with access to a broad collection of over 145,000 print maps.

The GRMC provides members of the campus community with access to wide-format plotting and lamination services, both of which are offered at a modest cost.

For more information or to reserve the GIS Research Area for group projects, contact Angela Gibson, University Libraries’ GIS Specialist, ASGibson2@bsu.edu, 765-285-1097.

Ball State’s Digital Media Repository Receives New Public Interface:

2010-02-11T14:53:00.002-05:00

The Ball State Digital Media Repository (http://libx.bsu.edu), a project of the University Libraries, now has a new look. Students, faculty, and other researchers who use this online repository, which currently consists of 89 collections and almost 200,000 digital assets, will find many improvements, ranging from a new design to enhanced searching capabilities.

Some of the highlights to the new public interface for the DMR include these:

• Faceted and improved collection search options
• Improved navigation and browsing
• Implementation of Web 2.0 social networking tools
• An interactive media viewer on the homepage

One highly visible change is the use of cooliris media viewer to allow researchers new to the DMR to browse selected resources in an interactive environment. AddThis, a social bookmarking tool, lets users easily share DMR content on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Users will be able to search content by subject, location, format, contributor, and individual collections directly from the browse pages in the new interface.

A DMR Public Interface working group has been evaluating and designing the new look since September 2009. The working group consists of Eric B. Fisher, Information Services Librarian; Amanda A. Hurford (co-chair), Digital Initiatives Multimedia Developer; Carolyn F. Runyon (co-chair), Archivist for Digital Development and University Records; Amy E. Trendler, Architecture Librarian; and Budi Wibowo, Head of Digital Libraries and Web Services.

The working group conducted user surveys, analyzed use statistics, and surveyed other repositories to identify and select effective ways to enhance the usability of the DMR through the public interface. The new interface will provide better ways for students and faculty to select and utilize the rich digital resources available in the DMR for teaching, learning, and research.

Watch for an article with more descriptive details about the new interface in next month’s newsletter. And visit the new and improved DMR soon.

Bracken Library Will Host Marathon Screening of Ken Burns’ The War

2010-01-25T09:40:00.001-05:00

Bracken Library will host a two-day marathon showing of The War, a film by Ken Burns, on January 30-31, 2010, as part of the Muncie Public Library/Ball State Public History Program’s upcoming speakers series, “America and the World in the 1940s.” The film is fifteen hours long and was six years in the making.

Dr. Michael Doyle is the Academic Advisor for Adult Programming at Muncie Public Library. After making the decision to show the film to the public, he began looking for a place that had high student traffic, was conveniently accessible for Muncie community members, and comfortable for viewing such a long presentation. Bracken Library’s room 104 was the perfect choice. Dr. Doyle said, “I am always looking to foster more town and gown relationships for Ball State.”

With Bracken Library being so well-known by both students and community members, Doyle imagines that many people will find it convenient to slip in and slip out, as desired.

“World War II is a perennial subject of fascination,” says Dr. Doyle, since it touched everyone’s lives, whether soldiering in the European or Pacific Theaters or staying on the home front growing victory gardens, working in assembly plants, or watching loved ones go off to war. Doyle notes that through the years, many veterans of the war have not been talkative about their experiences in the war, which “enhances its mystique” for so many family members of all ages, from college students on up.

Dr. Doyle says that the Ken Burns film is the first in our generation to interweave the European, Pacific, and home front activities, rather than treat them separately. It “gives a sense of what it was like to be alive in the 1940s, when you did not know what would happen from one day to the next.” The film also pays special attention to the affect of the war on and the involvement of African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanic Americans.

When The War originally aired on PBS in September 2007, many local PBS stations were given the opportunity to develop related
programming. For WIPB, Ball State personnel directed and produced the Telly-winning Echoes of War, a live 60-minute interactive educational program (www.bsu.edu/wipb/echoesofwar/about.asp), which Ken Burns introduced and closed. Because of Burns’ involvement in 2007, he personally made the decision that his production company, Florentine Films, would waive the usual public screening fee for this upcoming 2010 showing of The War at Bracken Library.

The marathon screening of Ken Burns’ The War will take place in Bracken Library’s room 104 over the weekend of January 30-31, 2010, from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. both days. The War was directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.

Libraries’ Circulation Notices Sent to Students and Faculty by e-Mail Only

2010-01-13T13:50:00.001-05:00

In an important time- and cost-savings initiative, the University Libraries are now using e-mail as the primary means of communicating with students, faculty, and staff about circulation services. This initiative was implemented by using the SirsiDynix API and built-in reporting features of the Symphony integrated library management system.

Dr. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, said, “This action will eliminate about 90% of the average daily volume of mailed notices. And it will reduce paper, printer supplies, postage costs, and personnel time required to produce and process the notices.”

For many years, the University Libraries have sent electronic circulation notices for due date reminders, overdue notices, hold pickup alerts, recalls, and billing notifications. The Libraries duplicated most of these types of notices by also sending a printed letter through the mail.

With this change, the Libraries will send a duplicate notice only for recalls and overdue reserve item checkouts, both cases where there is a demonstrated high demand for an item. Otherwise, the only persons who will receive a letter through the mail about a borrowing transaction are those for whom the University Libraries have no e-mail address on file, mostly Indiana resident library cardholders who are not affiliated with Ball State.

Ball State students, faculty, and staff receive circulation notices at the e-mail address on file, which is their official Ball State account. To set up a Ball State e-mail forward to another account, visit the Ball State Email Support Console at www.bsu.edu/email.

For more information, contact James W. Hammons, Head of Library Technologies, JHammons@bsu.edu, 765-285-8032.

University Libraries Collaborate to Make Friends Memorial Church Records Available in Digital Media Repository

2010-01-08T09:55:00.002-05:00

When Muncie’s Friends Memorial Church celebrated their centennial in 2008 by removing the contents of a time capsule placed in the cornerstone of their building in 1908, they found an unpleasant surprise. Water had seeped in through a hole in the metal container holding the historical objects carefully placed there a hundred years before. Many of the items were damaged, mildewed, or moldy. Some seemed beyond repair or salvage.

Mrs. Pat Barnett and other members of the congregation contacted John Straw in the University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections to see what might be done to preserve these valuable relics of the church’s past. John Straw and Maren L. Read, Archivist for Manuscript Collections, paid a visit to inspect the items and provide professional advice. The result was a collaborative project between the Friends Memorial Church and the University Libraries to digitize the contents of the time capsule and make them available in the Digital Media Repository (http://libx.bsu.edu). The same was done for other items in the church’s archives and for materials in the Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections about the history of the church.

The Friends Memorial Church Collection is now available online at the following address:
http://libx.bsu.edu/collection.php?CISOROOT=/FrndsMem. Items in the digital collection include photographs, a handwritten church roster from 1906, the building contract, histories, directories, reports, and issues of the Muncie Evening Press and the Muncie Evening Star with articles and photographs about the church. The water damage done to the items is apparent in several of the digital images.

The Friends congregation held their first meeting in 1876. The first meetings were in a private home north of the Courthouse Square and later in a public hall above retail rooms across from the old Delaware County Courthouse in the 100 block of North High Street. The first church building was erected at Mulberry and Seymour streets in 1903, and the current church was built in 1908.

The Libraries’ collaboration with the Friends Memorial Church will continue as more items from their archives are digitized and made available over time.
For more information on the Digital Media Repository, contact John B. Straw, Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, JStraw@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078.

University Libraries’ Online Catalog CardCat Gets New Look and Feel

2010-01-04T15:49:00.001-05:00

Ball State University students, faculty, staff, and guests using CardCat, the University Libraries’ online catalog, will notice a new look and feel to the catalog at the start of Spring Semester. James W. Hammons, Head of Library Technologies, unveiled the redesigned catalog at a presentation for Libraries’ personnel on Thursday, December 17, 2009.

Major highlights of the new interface include these:

• Bookmarking of any page and easily viewing permanent links. Before, because each CardCat session has a different URL, users could not reliably bookmark items or search results. This new feature allows users to add bookmarks with a single mouse click or to view a persistent link to items or search results.

• Permanent Lists, for logged-in users. Users now have the ability to create, modify, and view lists of items without losing the lists after ending a CardCat session. Users can create several different lists. Temporary lists will still be available as well, for both logged-in and guest users.

• A new look and feel to the My Account section. Checkouts, holds, and bookings will display on different tabs, include links to item details, and feature sortable columns.

Throughout CardCat, users will notice a more streamlined look and feel, with text links replacing images, and design elements featured in other University Libraries’ services. Many customizations that the Libraries have added to CardCat will also appear in the new version, such as links to GoogleBooks and HathiTrust.

CardCat is the Libraries’ implementation of SirsiDynix’s e-Library, which replaces SirsiDynix’s iLink. Jim Hammons expects to put the new version of CardCat into production during the last week of December 2009. In addition to James W. Hammons, Katie M. Bohnert (in her previous position as Library Technologies Support Analyst), and Robert L. Seaton, Web Development Analyst, contributed to this project.

For more information, contact James W. Hammons, Head of Library Technologies, JHammons@bsu.edu, 765-285-8032.

The University Libraries Introduce OpenRoom, an Online Room Reservation Scheduling Software

2009-12-23T13:59:00.004-05:00

On November 9, 2009, the University Libraries released an upgraded version of OpenRoom, an online Web-based reservation software utility designed by Libraries’ personnel to aid with the management of study rooms in Bracken Library. An enhancement to this upgrade is that its source code can be shared with other organizations interested in using it.

OpenRoom offers many customizable features, such as themes for changing the look and feel of the interface, form customization for changing the type of information users must submit, and even flexibility for specifying the way users log into the system. If a feature is not available in OpenRoom, its modular design makes it easy to plug in a custom-made component.

Through the optimization of the code and the prominent use of AJAX—a set of popular Web development techniques—OpenRoom offers a fast load time and requires fewer page refreshes, providing its users with a faster and less confusing online reservation utility.

OpenRoom is configured to allow students and faculty to make reservations during the current year for the coming year. The OpenRoom system has many controls, including the earliest date a reservation can be made (e.g. 01/01/10) and the latest date a reservation can be made (e.g. 05/04/10.)

The first version of the software was originally introduced in early January 2008 to make it easier for students and faculty to reserve spaces in Bracken Library for study groups, meetings, and classes. Since its introduction, more than 3,500 users have made more than 22,000 reservations using the system, and that number is growing.

The University Libraries invite others who are interested to license this software for scheduling space and other resources. There is no cost to non-profit organizations. Please contact Bradley D. Faust, Assistant Dean for Library Information Technology Services, BFaust@bsu.edu, 765-285-8032.

If you have technical questions regarding OpenRoom, contact Robert L. Seaton, Web Development Analyst, RLSeaton@bsu.edu, 765-285-8032.

Librarians Participate in Ball State’s Diversity Research Symposium

2009-12-10T16:49:00.000-05:00

Brenda Yates Habich and Lisa Jarrell presented a workshop at Ball State’s first Diversity Research Symposium: Exploring Diversity Research and Writing Across Disciplines held on Saturday, November 14, 2009. The session, entitled “Publishing Diversity-Related Research,” described ways to identify journals for submitting manuscripts for publication. The librarians highlighted the many useful resources provided by the University Libraries to support scholars’ diversity-related research.

Habich and Jarrell discussed strategies for identifying journals that publish diversity-related research and described methods for determining the relative importance of a given journal in a discipline. They provided lists of impact scores for journals in a variety of fields, as well as other indicators of journal quality. “We wanted to provide people with a sense of what journals are out there and how to identify the best possible places for publication,” said Lisa Jarrell, Instructional Services Librarian.

The session was repeated twice throughout the day-long conference and attracted a number of participants. The audience members represented various universities, including the University of Louisville and the University of Cincinnati. Many Ball State faculty members also attended, representing various areas of study such as Architecture, English, and Social Work.

University Libraries Collaborate with Honors College Peer Mentor’s Program

2009-12-08T16:08:00.001-05:00

Recently, the Ball State University Libraries took part in the Honors College Peer Mentor’s Program by conducting 25 instructional sessions during September and October for new Honors College students and their mentors.

The Honors College is made up of freshmen through seniors who have met specific admission requirements, take a rigorous selection of Honors classes, and write a thesis. This year, more than 300 new students are enrolled in the Honors College.

Besides being assigned to specific advisors as freshmen, students also take part in the HONRS 100 course that provides a peer mentor for new students and an opportunity for students to work in small groups. The beauty of this design is that it provides for an in-depth orientation to the Honors College curriculum and expectations, and to Ball State’s campus. This semester, Library Information Services’ librarians had an increased role in helping these new Honors students learn about the library for important resources they are likely to need for their courses and various personal interests.

With the support of Dean James S. Ruebel, Associate Dean John W. Emert, and Dr. Laurie K. Lindberg, Coordinator of the Honors Peer Mentors Program, mentors coordinated with Brenda Yates Habich, Information Services Librarian and Lisa J. Jarrell, Instructional Services Librarian to arrange a time for their groups of new students to come to Bracken Library. The session was planned with individual mentors as a time for students to have a physical tour of the main library, followed by a “computer tour” in order for the students to learn how to locate various materials they will need for their research and learning. The librarians introduced students to different locations in Bracken where they can find CDs or DVDs, print posters for presentations, check out books and laptops, and find realia for use in their studies and presentations. The librarians also familiarized the students with the numerous academic databases available for their research.

This partnering enabled the honors students to become familiar with librarians who can assist them with their research. Several of the participating students commented that the tour and orientation helped them to feel more comfortable using Bracken Library and that they felt better informed about the resources available to them.

For more information, contact Brenda Yates Habich, Information Services Librarian, BHabich@bsu.edu, 765-285-3324.

Cultural Diversity for the Campus Community: International Festival (I-Fest) Hosted at Bracken Library

2009-12-03T08:46:00.002-05:00

Bracken Library hosted a glimpse of cultures from around the world on Friday, November 13, 2009. Booths spread across Bracken’s first floor, designed by Ball State’s international student population, represented about twenty countries in the annual International Festival (I-Fest), sponsored by the Rinker Center for International Programs.

Individuals wandering through the festival had the opportunity to learn about jewelry from Pakistan, scrolls from China, reggae and calypso music from the Caribbean, architecture in Russia, bracelets and women’s clothing from Kenya, calligraphy from South Korea, various forms of art and art techniques from Sri Lanka, architecture and terrain in Yemen, and so much more.

Food sampling included brie from France, a pastry called kush tili from Uzbekistan, shrimp chips from Vietnam, a whole buffet from Saudi Arabia, and onion glaze from India, as well as other delicious fare.

Just as important as the tables were the interactions between the students. Bracken was buzzing with activity throughout the event, which lasted from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., as students staffed their booths, visited others, took group photos, introduced themselves to American students and faculty, and explained their cultures and perspectives.

Jovid Kamolov (Tajikistan) and Farana Abdullayeva (Azerbaijan) were seated near each other. “I have enjoyed meeting a lot of new people,” Jovid said. Farana added, “I am looking forward to the next one,” and she already had ideas for improving her booth and presentation. Jovid made an observation that it was helpful to draw a map of the world for curious visitors to his booth “since Tajikistan is so small.” Both students were delighted to comment that their visitors were “extremely interested to learn more” about their countries and cultures.

Jonathan Pierrel (France) is an instructor in the English Department. He said, “I have enjoyed talking to many people.” For example, he had discussed “the Russian influence on certain parts of Turkey [with a student from Turkey] and the educational system in Kenya [at the Kenya table].”

Anca Topliceanu (Romania) was at her table for the entire event. Did she enjoy the I-Fest? “It has been very long, but very fun. I have talked with people the whole time and feel that I did not talk about the same thing more than once in six hours. Many people’s questions have helped me learn more about my own country. Their perceptions are different than mine. I have learned about what people find interesting about Romania, and we have talked about theater, music, sports, religion, not just political things. Romania is a very cultural country, and I am happy to talk about its culture.”

Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, said that the University Libraries were happy to host this event for the third consecutive year to promote international awareness and to help campus community members learn about the customs and traditions of Ball State’s international students.

I-Fest was organized this year by Trevor J. Foley, Events Coordinator at the Rinker Center for International Programs. His goal for the day was “to build awareness of the international community and opportunities that exist at Ball State and in the Muncie community.” He explained that the Rinker Center is looking to create connections between international students and domestic students as well as greater collaboration between programs and groups that already exist at our university.

Over 575 international students from 86 countries currently take classes at Ball State. To mobilize so many across campus, the Rinker Center contacted organized student groups, sent out emails, and shared the information through word of mouth about the opportunity to creatively design a presentation at the festival, making use of displays, food, clothing, maps, music, slideshows, cultural objects, or anything else the students could imagine.

I-Fest was part of Ball State’s Culture Week, November 9-14, designed by Ball State’s Multicultural Center to broaden the cultural horizons of Ball State’s students, faculty, and staff. The exciting day at Bracken Library was free and open to the public.

More Digital Resources Now Accessible through the University Libraries’ Public Catalog

2009-10-28T14:30:00.003-04:00

Three recent enhancements to the University Libraries’ public catalog, CardCat, dramatically enhance its power as a discovery tool for digital resources. Two of these involve links to two major, freely available repositories of digitized books. The third makes CardCat a comprehensive source for access to the University Libraries’ electronic journal collections.

Google Book Search Previews. Introduced in August 2009, CardCat now presents both a Google Preview search button and a preview pane on full-item views when an item is available in Google’s massive digital repository. CardCat users can browse the books directly in CardCat or follow the “More about this Book” link to use all the features of Google Book Search, including reviews, user tags, and links to related books. Limited previews are available for most Google Books, with many public domain books (items published prior to about 1924) available free in full text. In many cases, the Libraries’ local holdings of these titles are available in our Archives and Special Collections. The advantage of having digital access is that they are now freely available for access outside of the University Libraries.

Hathi Trust Digital Library. Added to CardCat in early October 2009, this new button leads to the growing Hathi Trust catalog of digitized books. According to its Web site, the Hathi Trust “was conceived as a collaboration of the thirteen universities of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) and the University of California system to establish a repository for these universities to archive and share their digitized collections.” The link button currently appears in over 15,000 CardCat records with matching titles in the Hathi Trust. All the titles we link to are in the public domain and can be freely accessed in full text. For more information about the Hathi Trust, see www.hathitrust.org.

Serials Solutions 360 MARC Updates Service. As a follow up to the suite of Serials Solutions products which the University Libraries rolled out during the spring and summer of 2009, including MultiSearch, MultiLink, and the re-launched Electronic Journals portal, the University Libraries have begun to catalog records for the electronic journals in MultiLink and the Electronic Journals portal. The new CardCat records link to the Electronic Journals portal will list one or more online sources for the journal title. With these 35,000-plus records, as well as monthly updates, CardCat now offers an additional, comprehensive access point for electronic journals.

Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, said that increasing access to informational resources at the desktop for students and faculty is one of the Libraries’ strategic initiatives. He said that these three enhancements to CardCat were achieved through the efforts of many personnel, particularly Kathryn M. Bohnert and James W. Hammons from Library Information Technology Services and Katharine D. James, Scott R. McFadden, and Kelley C. McGrath from Collection Resources Management.

For more information, contact James W. Hammons, Head of Library Technologies, JHammons@bsu.edu, 765-285-8032.

The Charles E. Bracker Collection Acquired: 30,000 Digital Photographs of Orchids at Ball State University Libraries

2009-10-22T11:49:00.003-04:00

The Ball State University Libraries are now the proud home of a collection of more than 30,000 digital photographs and nearly 2,000 prints of orchids. These outstandingly beautiful photographs are the work of Charles E. Bracker, retired professor of botany and plant pathology at Purdue University. The collection of digital photographs is being made available to students, researchers, and orchid-enthusiasts around the world through the Ball State Digital Media Repository (DMR), http://libxi.bsu.edu, a project of the University Libraries.

Dr. Bracker’s wife Anri began their personal collection of orchids in the late 1980s after purchasing two plants on a trip to Hawaii. After his wife passed away in 2001, Dr. Bracker wanted to keep her collection alive and thriving. He installed a basement greenhouse in his home and began adding orchids to the collection. He combined his passion for orchids and photography to create more than 30,000 stunning photographs of orchids.

In 2008, Professor Bracker donated 1,000 orchids to Ball State University’s nationally renowned Wheeler Orchid Collection and Species Bank. Recently, he also decided to give his collection of orchid photographs to Ball State University.

According to Cheryl M. LeBlanc, Wheeler Collection curator, “The combination of the plants and the photographs brings Ball State University to the forefront as having the largest university-based orchid collection in the country.”

The collection of prints and digital images are housed in the University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections. More than 300 of the images are now in the Charles E. Bracker Orchid Photographs collection in the DMR, http://libx.bsu.edu/collection.php?CISOROOT=/BrckrOrchd, and the remainder of the 30,000 images are being added to the collection.

The Bracker Orchid Photographs join a collection of rare orchid books held by Archives and Special Collections. One particularly interesting title is the four-volume set, Reichenbachia, a nineteenth century work containing magnificent color prints of orchids. The title comes from orchidologist Heinrich Gustave Reichenbach. Bound in leather with marbled end pages, these large books were published in two series with each volume dedicated to a queen or empress: Queen Victoria, the Empress of Germany and Queen of Persia, the Empress of Russia, and the Queen of Belgium.

Each book includes color lithography, notes on the orchid’s history and cultures, and structural drawings of each flower.

For more information, contact John B. Straw, Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, JStraw@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078.

Orchid Photographs on Exhibit

A selection of 60 Charles E. Bracker Orchid Photographs are on exhibit outside of the Archives and Special Collections, Bracken Library BL-210, and in exhibit cases on first floor east through December 2009.

The exhibit illustrates the diversity of orchids captured in Dr. Bracker’s superb photography. In a 2006 article in Purdue Agriculture Connections Magazine, Bracker was quoted as saying, “When I take pictures, I take a lot of them.” He said he typically took about 20 exposures for each flower.

Viewers of the exhibit will see that, as a rule, the flowers were only photographed when they were in full bloom. Dr. Bracker’s orchid photographs have been on exhibit in Hawaii, Massachusetts, and various other places in the past.

For more information on the exhibit, contact Lajmar D. Anderson, Archives and Special Collections Supervisor, LDAnderson@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078.

New Web Applications Improve Finding an Available Computer and Software in the University Libraries

2009-10-15T14:50:00.005-04:00

At the beginning of fall semester 2009, the Ball State University Libraries unveiled two new Web applications that allow students and faculty to find resources in Bracken Library and in the two branch libraries that are located in separate buildings, the Architecture Library and the Science-Health Science Library.

The Computer Availability application allows students and faculty to find available computer workstations in the three facilities. The second utility, Software Locator, helps them to find workstations that are equipped with the particular software that they need. These new utilities are found at the bottom right on the Student Virtual Library Web page, www.bsu.edu/library/svl.

Libraries’ Student Assistant Danielle Stewart describes the Computer Availability Web page as “…something students can really use.” This online interactive map of Bracken Library updates every five seconds, displaying available or open computers on each floor. Robert L. Seaton, Web Development Analyst, offers a more technical overview of the Web page: “An agent runs on every Public Access Computer (PAC) that reports that computer’s status to a server. The Web page simply requests availability information for each computer by its location and displays them on a map.” The result is that students, faculty, and staff coming to Bracken or one of the two branch libraries can find a computer for use quickly and efficiently without having to hunt for an available workstation. To test the Computer Availability utility, view www.bsu.edu/libraries/cas.

With Software Locator, users can quickly find workstations in any of the three libraries that have the particular software they require and can see if those computers are available for use. According to Seaton, “A database is kept up-to-date with information about each Public Access Computer, including its software and its physical location. When a search is performed, the Web page checks the database to identify what computers by their location have a particular piece of software installed. This data is then reported for viewing on the Computer Availability Web page for a map.” To test the Software Locator, view www.bsu.edu/libraries/swsearch.

Information Services Librarian Eric B. Fisher says, “That Software Locator is amazing. I had a student in this weekend [at the Reference Desk]. He was looking for Microsoft Project. I used the locator to find what computers have it loaded and was able to send him right to one that he could use.”

When modifications to software on any computer occur, updating of the database immediately reflects the new software availability in the system, eliminating any lag inherent in publishing a new software list.

For more information, contact Sean Walton, Emerging Technologies Librarian, SPWalton2@bsu.edu, 765-285-1101.

University Libraries’ Public Catalog Connects to Google Books

2009-09-18T11:33:00.002-04:00

The University Libraries have launched an exciting new discovery tool that increases the scope of desktop, point-and-click digital information delivery through the University Libraries, offering Ball State’s students and faculty a more robust and integrated virtual library experience.

This powerful new feature connects CardCat (the University Libraries online catalog) records to digital copies of books found in the expansive Google Book Search Project (GBSP). Now students and faculty performing research in CardCat can read excerpts or even the full-text of books by clicking on the Google Preview button or using the embedded Google Book’s reader located at the bottom of the record.

According to Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, “This innovative new application developed by our librarians greatly expands the volume of resources that the Libraries offer to Ball State students and faculty to achieve their educational and research objectives.”

The GBSP, a massive book digitization project begun in 2004, now includes nearly seven million books available through agreements with authors, publishers, and civic, academic, and special libraries. Through Google’s private contracts, library partnerships, and a pending legal settlement with authors, nearly 70% of the seven million books in GBSP are available for limited preview or full-text viewing. Limited previews of books are offered when a book is still in copyright. In this case, rights holders decide how much of the book will be made available online. Full-text viewing is available when a book is considered to be in the public domain, typically titles published before 1923.

While not all books in CardCat have a counterpart in Google Books, Google Preview greatly enhances the value of the Libraries’ catalog as a research portal for those items that have a link, creating a more engaging experience for the user. In addition to providing book covers, when available, students and faculty realize the real value of the service since they are able to browse or read books from their desktop. Researchers can evaluate a resource from the desktop and make informed research selections before visiting the Libraries’ stacks.

The University Libraries are fully invested in information-delivery innovations that help students and faculty discover the rich resources offered through our broad print and digital collections.

The launch of the Google Book Search Preview within the Libraries’ CardCat is just one more way in which the Libraries support teaching, learning, and research through the continual expansion of information access, redefining education and research in an environment of seamless knowledge discovery and increased digital integration.

For more information, contact Matthew C. Shaw, Collections Development Librarian, MCShaw2@bsu.edu, 765-285-1302.

Students and Faculty Return to See New Carpeting on Bracken Library’s First Floor

2009-09-15T13:08:00.003-04:00

Students and faculty returning to the Ball State campus this fall discovered a few changes to one of their favorite destinations, Bracken Library. The most obvious was the newly completed replacement of the carpet on Bracken’s first floor and on the steps of its well-known spiral staircase.

Bracken’s new carpet is a welcome aesthetic improvement, chosen to match the permanent features of the building such as the concrete walls, brick, and oak. No matter what colors may adorn Bracken’s walls in the future, the woven carpet will match its surroundings, and its pattern will likely disguise wear from traffic patterns and will lessen any noticeable soiling.

Georgia Direct Carpet, Inc., Richmond, Indiana, installed the carpet, which was manufactured by Karastan Commercial Carpets, Inc. Part of the process of installing over 4,500 square yards of new carpet also included taking up the old carpet, some sections of which were over fifteen years old. Following removal, the old carpet was recycled or sent to a clean burn facility.

Installing carpet is a huge job that required a lot of planning, organization, and teamwork. Libraries’ personnel from various units within the Libraries were involved, including Book Stacks Management, Access Services, Support Services, and Information Services, along with team members from University Facilities and Dixie DeWitt from the Dean of Libraries’ Office. Tasks included moving several dozen ranges of books and periodicals from one end of the first floor to the other and then back. One book stack might take as many as eight people to push along using a range mover that was used to lift the stacks. Moving also involved the physical removal of thousands of boxes of microform, moving cabinets, and then the replacing the cabinets and replacing of all of the microform.

Another Libraries’ unit that was involved was Library Information Technology Services since they had to disconnect and reconnect over 150 public computer stations, nine printers and print release stations, and four scanners. There were hundreds of cables, cords, and plugs involved in moving the workstations. To minimize disruption to students and faculty, temporary computer access was added to stations on other floors, along with temporary scanning stations and moving of computer tables. After the new carpeting was in place, everything had to be set up again. As Kirk M. VanOoteghem, Lead Microcomputer/Systems/Network Analyst at the University Libraries, noted, “Taking machines out was the easy part. Putting them back together was much more time consuming because of having to measure out the proper cable lengths for network and power, having to tie up cables and lock down equipment, and getting the right machines back into the right locations.”

Along the way, Kirk and his team replaced all computers on Bracken’s first floor east and reimaged computers on first floor west. Added to that, they set up temporary office space in study rooms for several employees to work while their spaces and work areas were being carpeted, as well as a temporary circulation desk with mobile equipment while the main circulation counter area was being re-carpeted.

To keep everyone updated on the progress of the carpeting project, Reference Librarian Sean Walton made regular entries to the Libraries’ Facebook page . If you are on Facebook and want to be a fan of the University Libraries, just search Facebook for “Ball State University Libraries.” Photos can be found here.

University Libraries Continue Offering Free Printing Services, within Limits

2009-09-11T14:38:00.002-04:00

Beginning on the first day of fall semester classes, the University Libraries announced that we would continue to offer students and faculty “free” printing. A difference from past years is that users are limited to 1,000 “free pages” per semester. A page is the printing of one side of one sheet of paper.

When a person using our printing services reaches the 1,000 free pages limit, an electronic tally is kept and a charge of 5¢ per exposure over 1,000 is charged through the Bursar’s Office at the end of the semester.

Students and faculty may check personal print balances 24/7 by using the Check Print Balance link on the Libraries’ homepage, shown in the left column, www.bsu.edu/library. Similarly, there is a link prominently displayed at the bottom right of the Student Virtual Library page, www.bsu.edu/library/svl. The balance displayed is current through the previous day at midnight. Users with guest accounts can print up to 20 pages per day.

The 1,000 page “free” printing service is based upon data collected in the 2009-2010 time frame from 6.2 million pages printed by students and faculty. Of this printing, 97% fell under the 1,000 “free” page base. Allowing 1,000 pages may help to curb some past abuse of our printing service. Last spring semester, for example, ten students together printed 101,417 pages, with one of the students printing 54,279 pages.

Analysis of last fall’s printing data, published in the May 2009 issue of The Library Insider, revealed that seniors printed an average (mean) of 278 pages each, with 79.2% of senior students using the service. At the same time, graduate students printed an average of 446 pages each, with 62.8% of BSU’s graduate students using the service. Other classes of students printed fewer pages, on average. Word documents accounted for 36.4% of the printing, followed by PDFs (20.9%), PowerPoints (14.7%), and non-BSU Web pages (11.1%).

The University Libraries also provide students and faculty with access to more than 380 computer workstations, including 18 Mac units. The Libraries have 10 high-quality, fast laser printers that print documents from those workstations as well as wirelessly processed documents from personal laptops.

Bracken Library is open 120.5 hours weekly, with longer hours immediately before and during final exams. Between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009, Bracken was open 357 days to support academic achievement, research, and learning.

Helen B. and Martin D. Schwartz Special Collections and Digital Complex Dedication Held in Bracken Library

2009-09-09T14:45:00.002-04:00

The Helen B. and Martin D. Schwartz Special Collections and Digital Complex on the first floor of the Alexander M. Bracken Library was dedicated at 11:00 a.m. on August 17, 2009. The 30-minute ceremony included remarks from Ball State President Jo Ann Gora, Vice President for Information Technology Phil Repp, Dean of University Libraries Arthur Hafner, and Mr. Martin Schwartz.
The event was attended by Schwartz family members and friends and members of the Libraries and University administrations. Following the dedication ceremony, which included a short tribute video recognizing the Schwartz family for their long history of support of Ball State University and especially the University Libraries, guests toured the facility to see demonstrations of the technology and resources available in the areas of the Digital Complex.
The Schwartz Digital Complex is an innovative, collaborative, and interactive learning and teaching environment dedicated to serving the educational advancement of Ball State University students. This technology-rich facility in Bracken Library was made possible by a generous gift from Martin Schwartz in honor of his late wife, Helen.
In her remarks, President Gora said, “None of this would have been possible without the vision and philanthropic support of Helen B. and Martin D. Schwartz.” According to Vice President Phil Repp, the Schwartz Digital Complex will be “Ball State’s connection to the world, as well as the world’s connection to our unique collections, the kind of collections that Helen and Martin worked so hard to recognize and preserve.”
The Schwartz Digital Complex will provide a space that digitally connects students and faculty to the numerous digital media assets and special collections available through the University Libraries. It will be a place for students and faculty to reach across the globe to better understand the stories and customs of world cultures through digital media.
While making available the University Libraries’ rich array of digital media assets and special collections, the Complex also will provide access to media from around the world — a digital “newsstand” that provides access to international media, broadcasts, podcasts, and multimedia. It will be a global gallery that provides students and faculty with a media-rich gateway to connect visually and aurally to the artifacts that form the world’s cultures and societies. The Complex will also serve as an innovative and flexible space for fostering an undergraduate research culture.
The official opening of the Schwartz Digital Complex will be on September 17 as part of the first in a five-part series of Tech4U events sponsored by Information Technology and hosted in Bracken Library. The September 17 event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and is open to the public.
Copies of the DVD of the dedication ceremony and tribute video are available for viewing in Archives and Special Collections, and will soon be available on the University Libraries’ Web site, www.bsu.edu/library.
For more information, contact John B. Straw, Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, JStraw@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078.

Bracken Library Features New Art Exhibit on Children’s Literature

2009-08-24T09:51:00.003-04:00

Exploration of Narrative Art is on exhibit on Bracken’s first floor through fall semester 2009, thanks to Dr. Barbara Jo Giorgio-Booher, Assistant Professor in Ball State’s Department of Art. Paintings are on the wall and also featured in a display case.

In Professor Booher’s class, Drawing 3 (AFA 303), students read various classic children’s literature to learn how authors and illustrators use compositional elements in the creation of children’s books. They then select a story segment, line, or verse. Their objective is to comprehend the nature of the text and give life to that comprehension. The students used color, environment, figures, and common objects to explore how to support a narrative with art.

Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, developed and implemented the idea of sharing artwork with students, faculty, staff, and visitors at the University Libraries. He believes that students benefit from sharing their artistic creativity with a larger audience, and the displayed artwork in the University Libraries enhances the physical environment while also providing artists an opportunity to exhibit their work. The outreach program to students and faculty in the Department of Art as well as on campus in general has resulted in beautifying the Libraries’ walls on three floors. Artistic works include items ready to hang such as paintings, drawings, woodblock prints, and photography, in addition to handmade books and metal works measuring less than 8” high in order to fit into specific display cases.

The University Libraries invite Ball State students, faculty, and staff to display their artwork in Bracken Library. Similarly, the Libraries invite university community members who would like to provide live artistic performances. The artist or performer begins by completing an online form: www.bsu.edu/library/artwork. Dean Hafner said, “We have exhibited some spectacular artwork created by members of the University community. We have also hosted many live performances that have helped to expose our students and faculty to the performing arts.”

For more information about loaning artwork to Bracken Library or performing in Bracken Library, contact Hank Gerhart, FHGerhart@bsu.edu, 765-285-5277.

University Libraries Upgrade to N-Wireless Connectivity

2009-08-19T11:01:00.001-04:00

When using the University Libraries, students, faculty, staff, and other users of netbooks, notebooks, laptops, MacBooks, and other wireless hand-held devices will notice that they now have full access to n-level data network connectivity, technically known as 802.11n. This connectivity is accessible throughout the University Libraries, including the two branch libraries: Architecture Library and Science-Health Science Library.

The benefit to wireless-n device users is that the upgrade allows significantly faster network throughput. With n-wireless, for example, the theoretical capacity is 444 Mbps; whereas it was 54 Mbps with the g-wireless service. Each new access point supports 5.0 GHz band in addition to the 2.4 GHz band already in place. The 5 GHz band has substantial capacity and less radio interference. Because so many WiFi devices are b- or g-level compliant, a dual band wireless network is being configured. These features are important to Ball State students and faculty who increasingly are finding that the Internet is an indispensable tool for research and learning for accessing informational resources.

Students and faculty can also borrow laptops and MacBooks from the University Libraries for a period of up to 18 hours. This allows them to experience a laptop or substitutes one for their own that may be at home or in their residence hall room when visiting the Libraries. In addition, the Libraries provide access to almost 400 desktop computers that provide access to all of the common software used on campus to support project work and research.

Students and faculty using devices on the wireless network will also have access to the library laptop printing service through the Libraries’ homepage.

University Libraries’ Student Assistant is New Ball State Trustee

2009-08-10T07:45:00.002-04:00

Indiana’s Governor Mitch Daniels has appointed Nicole M. Vauter to serve on the Ball State University Board of Trustees. Nicole has worked in the University Libraries as a student assistant since the second semester of her freshman year.

Nicole, who hales from Hebron, Indiana, is a third year student, pursuing a double major in finance and economics. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees, Nicole has a fellowship at the Miller College of Business and is assigned to meet with prospective College of Business students and their families. She also keeps active with START, the Student-Alumni Relations Team, and Alpha Kappa Psi, a professional business fraternity. “I’m looking forward to learning more about all the different things I’m involved in,” says Nicole.

Nicole is a Circulation/Reserves Student Assistant in the University Libraries. This means that students and faculty may run into her the next time they check out a book or pick up an Interlibrary Loan item at Bracken’s Circulation Desk. Nicole can also be found creating network guest passes, organizing book trucks, and shifting books in the stacks.

About working at the University Libraries, Nicole says she likes the opportunity she has found to create so many fun and interesting relationships with the full-time personnel and student assistants. “I love the people I work with. It’s a fun atmosphere.”

Diane Frankland, Nicole’s supervisor, said that it is hard to put in just a few words an adequate description of Nicole. “Nicole is a very sweet person, and also diligent, caring, and responsible, with a lot to offer. I think she’ll go a long way.”

Ball State University Libraries Offer New User Experiences in Second Life

2009-07-31T09:43:00.001-04:00

Bracken Library now exists virtually as well as being a brick-and-mortar facility. The University Libraries’ collaboration with the Center for Middletown Studies and the Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts and Animation has resulted in the creation of Bracken Library in the virtual world of Second Life. Within this virtual world, archivists, historians, and virtual world modelers created the Middletown Studies Library and Archives.

Second Life is an online three-dimensional virtual world where users or “residents” use avatars to interact with one another. Ball State University Libraries Archivists Maren L. Read and Carolyn F. Runyon offer virtual reference services three times a week to support “in-world” researchers.

To chat with Em Ziplon, a.k.a. Archivist for Manuscript Collections Maren Read, visit Bracken Library in Second Life on Mondays and Fridays, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

To chat with Carolyn Runyon, a.k.a. Archivist for Digital Development and University Records, visit Bracken Library in Second Life on Tuesdays, 8 a.m. – 11 a.m.

The Middletown Studies Collection Library and Archives features exhibits displaying the unique resources available from Ball State University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections. Based on Robert and Helen Lynd’s sociological study of Muncie, Indiana, conducted in the 1920s, the exhibit features materials that revisit the six areas of life and culture studied by the Lynds:

1. Getting a Living
2. Making a Home
3. Training the Young
4. Using Leisure
5. Engaging in Religious Practices
6. Engaging in Community Activities

Materials exhibited include excerpts from oral histories and photographs, many of which are available from the Digital Media Repository, which is a digital resource available from the University Libraries at http://libx.bsu.edu. Additionally, the collection features the Bracken Library Theater that will play film footage available from Archives and Special Collections, including The Man Haters, a silent movie produced in Muncie, Indiana in 1915.

The new resources and services available from the Middletown Studies Collection Library and Archives in Second Life have been made possible through an Innovative Library Program Grant awarded to the Ball State University Libraries for 2008-2009. This grant is part of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), which is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Indiana State Library.

For more information, contact Maren L. Read, Archivist for Manuscript Collections, or Carolyn F. Runyon, Archivist for Digital Development and University Records, libarchives@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078.

20 Things to Do Outside of Bracken Library

2009-07-15T09:06:00.001-04:00

During the academic year, the doors of Bracken Library are in constant motion. It is at the library that one can get a snapshot of life on campus.

Indoors or out, Bracken Library is at the heart of the Ball State campus. With more than 1,000 square feet of open space on both the south and north plazas, there is plenty of space for students to enjoy fresh air and a myriad of activities.

20 Things to do on Bracken’s Plaza
- Study for a test
- Wait for a friend
- Sketch an assignment for art class
- Exercise your First Amendment rights
- Play four-square
- Sit on the lawn and discuss current events
- Take advantage of wireless outside and research on your laptop
- People-watch
- Research on your laptop
- Throw a Frisbee
- Work on a project with a classmate
- Play Hacky-sack
- Practice playing an instrument
Listen to the birds
Read a chapter in the latest bestseller
Sit on a bench and make a phone call
Study how the light changes on the building and take a series of photographs
Take a nap
Spread a blanket on the grass and enjoy a picnic
Have some quiet time for reflection

State University Libraries are Awarded Runner-up in IGI Global

2009-06-30T13:32:00.001-04:00

The Ball State University Libraries were recently recognized for technology excellence by IGI Global, an international publishing company specializing in research publications in the fields of computer science and information technology management.

The corporation created an award and recognition program for an organization judged to use and promote innovative technological programs or systems that have proven critical to the successful integration, implementation, and diffusion of electronic resources within an academic library setting.

The submission by Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, and John B. Straw, Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, focused on the Libraries’ development of the Digital Media Repository (DMR). The submission was sent to IGI Global on April 29, 2009. Dr. Hafner was notified of the award in May. The interested reader can learn more about it at
www.igi-global.com/campaign/award.asp.

The focus of the submission centered on Ball State University Libraries’ collaborative resource, the Digital Media Repository, http://libx.bsu.edu, which offers 72 collections with more than 120,000 digital objects.

It provides a centralized, coordinated, and user-focused resource to serve the teaching, learning, academic achievement, and research needs of students, faculty, and others. The DMR brings together the digital collections and projects of the University Libraries into a single, cohesive, accessible, easy to navigate, Web-based environment, while also providing access to external digital resources that support the educational processes for instructional objectives and learning outcomes.

An analysis of visits to the DMR during the seven-month period of September 2008 through March 2009 showed 286,476 hits. In March 2009, for example, there were 89,151 visits to different collections in the DMR. These statistics reflect use by Ball State students, faculty, international researchers, the media, and many other users who are both local and global.

The DMR is a key component of the Libraries’ goal to expand digital initiatives and facilitate development of emerging media opportunities for learning, research, and classroom enhancement and it continues to be a highly successful resource in the ongoing transition from print to digital resources that meet the expectations and information needs of the Ball State academic community and the continually growing international global research community.

As runner-up, the University Libraries received a plaque and the opportunity to publish an academic article featuring best practices and examples of transitions from print to electronic resources in one of IGI Global’s premier reference books.

Muncie’s Railroad History is Subject of New Publication, Exhibit, and Digital Collection

2009-06-30T13:27:00.002-04:00

As anyone driving around Muncie knows, railroads are very prominent in this community as they are in many cities and towns throughout the country. The many tracks you may cross each day are reminders of the importance of railroads in the history and development of our local community and our nation. As Michael L. Johnston states inhistory of railroads in Muncie, Indiana, “Throughout the history of the United States, the railroad industry has been a prominent contributor to the development and growth of states and communities.”

Thanks to Mr. Johnston, others can learn about the history of railroads in this locale by reading his publication in the Ball State Virtual Press,
www.bsu.edu/libraries/virtualpress/johnston/index.html.

This publication and a recent Friends of the Library program on the history of local railroads given by Larry Campbell are the inspirations for a forthcoming exhibit by Archives and Special Collections in Bracken Library. Railroads of Delaware County will feature photographs, timetables, histories, and other items documenting the history of the local railroad industry. It will run from July 1 through mid-September. A digital collection of railroad history materials is also planned for the Digital Media Repository, http://libx.bsu.edu.

According to Johnston’s history, the railroad industry began about 1810 in the United States, and railroad construction became rampant after the Civil War. He writes that Muncie attracted railroads earlier than many cities because of the gas boom and the resulting rapid industrial growth starting as early as 1848. The first railroad line in Delaware County was completed through Muncie in 1852. By 1902, six intercity railroads, a local industrial railroad, and a belt-switching railroad served Muncie. During the peak railroad period, Muncie had five railroad freight houses, five agency offices, and a railroad division headquarters. In the first half of the 20th century, Muncie enjoyed direct or indirect railroad passenger service to all major cities.

The railroad history by Michael Johnston published in the Ball State Virtual Press is just one more example of his and his wife’s many contributions to Ball State and the University Libraries. A Ball State alumnus with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration and marketing, Mr. Johnston served 20 years as an adjunct professor of international transportation in the Miller College of Business. He worked for many years in logistics and transportation.

Mr. Johnston is a member of the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library’s Board of Governors, and he serves on Ball State’s Beneficence Society Advisory Committee, the National Philanthropy Council of the Ball State University Foundation, and other university and community organizations. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston donated a collection of contemporary art works to the University Libraries in memory of their late son, Michael Gregory Johnston.

For more information on the Railroads of Delaware County exhibit, or railroad research materials in Archives and Special Collections, contact John B. Straw, Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, JStraw@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078.

Indiana Highlights in Ball State Libraries' Architecture Images Collection

2009-06-30T13:25:00.002-04:00

The Architecture Images Collection in the Digital Media Repository (DMR) is made up of images of buildings, gardens, parks, city streetscapes, and aerial photos of sites around the world. It also offers images of many sites closer to home. More than 7,500 images in the collection feature works in Indiana, from historic courthouses to modern architecture in Columbus and beyond.

There are world-renowned works in the collection such as Richard Meier’s Atheneum building in New Harmony, Indiana, which was awarded the American Institute of Architect’s Twenty-Five Year award in 2008 for architecture that has stood the test of time. The collection also offers images of typical local houses and views of ordinary main streets.

Users looking for Indiana images can search for specific buildings, like Meier’s Atheneum, or specific designers or firms such as the Indianapolis-based firm of Pierre & Wright. The rich metadata that accompanies every image in the collection also supports searches for building and site types as well as geographic areas. For example, by searching specific fields in the DMR, users can search for parks or courthouses in the state. Users may also wish to search by town or county for all of the images from the area. Combine these building type and geographic area searches and users are able to find churches in a particular county or houses in a specific town.

Many of the collection’s Indiana images were contributed by student and faculty photographers. Some were donated as 35mm slides and the University Libraries later created digital scans for online access. Old and new images of sites are both important parts of the collection. Historic images can help create a picture of how a site, such as a park, has changed over time or document a building that has been lost or significantly altered.

Take, for example, the Delaware County Courthouse. In the Architecture Images Collection, there are historic images of the 1837 courthouse that was demolished in 1884, images of the building that replaced it in 1885 as well as photographs taken as that courthouse was being demolished in 1966, and there are pictures of the courthouse as it stands in Muncie today.

Joseph Cezar Architectural Records Collection

2009-06-30T13:22:00.002-04:00

As you recline on a lawn chair in your backyard this summer, you might consider for a moment how you would design your own perfect lawn chair. A recent discovery in the Drawings and Documents Archive at Ball State University Libraries illustrates one architect’s classic, yet innovative, design for the perfect lawn chair.

One of many interesting items in the Joseph O. Cezar Architectural Records Collection, this 1943 drawing titled Lawn Chair is an interpretation of the classic Adirondack style chair with its sloping back, plank boards and wide armrests. The history of the Adirondack chair began, not surprisingly, in the Adirondack Mountain resort area of New York. Created in 1903, its popularity quickly spread throughout the country due to its rugged construction combined with the high level of comfort it provides despite its lack of cushions. Forty years later, Indianapolis architect Joseph O. Cezar (1903-1991) updated what was already a classic Adirondack design and incorporated two discrete wheels under the front chair legs for increased mobility. Clearly, he was familiar with the design but felt he could improve upon it by making a few alterations.

This drawing illustrates a period in Cezar’s life when he was establishing an architecture practice in Indiana and raising a growing family. Born in Austria in 1903, Cezar found his way to Indianapolis in 1938 after he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Chicago Technical College. He worked in architecture firms until he began his own practice in 1944.

Architecture and landscape architecture students and faculty can utilize design drawings, such as this one, to learn about the decision-making process involved in matching need, such as comfort in the out-of-doors, with a design solution, in this case a sturdy and mobile chair. The technology of creating a simple functional object like a chair that bears appropriate weight, maintains its shape, and is comfortably reliable for an extended use is communicated in the clear, concise drawing and exact specifications Cezar incorporated into his drawing.

Cezar’s creativity is evident in his creation of a chair design, but one can also see his superb artistic talents on display in other drawings often containing interior or exterior elevation drawings of the room or building, which serve to give the client a visual representation of the space that is often difficult to decipher solely from the architectural drawings. This extra touch must have been successful for Cezar, as the collection attests to clients who employed him for multiple jobs.

The Joseph O. Cezar Architectural Records Collection will soon be available for online viewing through the Ball State University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository, http://libx.bsu.edu.

University Libraries Featured in Digital Scanner’s Customer Profile

2009-06-30T13:20:00.001-04:00

Recently, the University Libraries were featured by Atiz Innovations, Inc., a scanning equipment manufacturer, in a profile of some of its customers,
www.atiz.com/customers.

The profile was about the company’s BookDrive DIY Scanner. This unit is one of the significant pieces of equipment used in the University Libraries’ Digitization Center that helps advance the creation of Ball State-produced digital content. The unit is like a double copy stand with two digital cameras set at 90 degree angles so that a book can be photographed in a cradle position rather than laid flat to protect the book’s spine. The unit produces a high quality digital image and minimizes damage to fragile pages.

Size, Versatility, Low Cost — Contributing Factors to Netbooks’ Popularity

2009-05-28T09:29:00.000-04:00

Recently, some of the University Libraries’ personnel spoke about how they use their netbooks, citing convenience and cost as top attributes. The name, netbook, is apt for this small-size laptop computer because of its reliance on an Internet connection.

James Bradley, Head of Metadata & Digital Initiatives, spent about $375 on his black ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Netbook. It features a 10-inch screen and wireless N connection with Bluetooth connectability. It has a battery life of over seven hours on a charge. He spent another $25 to upgrade the memory to 2 GB RAM.

“I love it,” he said. “During work hours, I use it for e-mail, Web, and word processing. It is portable and easy to take to meetings, thus my notes on a meeting can be saved to my main workstation when I return and then form an electronic and searchable archive of meeting notes and agendas.”

Jim said that, when away from work, he also uses his netbook to watch videos, such as YouTube or Hulu, and he uses Adobe PhotoShop and publishes family photos on his Web site.

When John Straw, Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, recently attended the 2009 annual meeting of the Academic Libraries of Indiana, he saw several people using netbooks to take notes, view Web sites that the speakers mentioned, and to keep up with their e-mail.

“I have one now, too,” he said. “I just used it at a meeting. It is very compact and useful to take to meetings and to work on-the-go.”

Denise Kinney, Secretary to Library Assistant Deans, really likes her ASUS Eee 1000HA. It features a 160 GB hard drive, sports 1 GB RAM, and offers wireless G capability.

“Big things come in small packages,” she said. “It weighs only three pounds and can operate for five or six hours on the fully charged six-cell battery.”

Denise used her netbook recently while on a trip to access "Microsoft Street Tips and Maps" to locate a library in Michigan and other locations. She has used the wireless connectivity to locate genealogy information and to download knitting and crochet patterns, which she reads as she knits. Like Jim, she enjoys staying in touch with her family and friends, watching movies through Hulu and YouTube, and viewing digital photographs.

“Truly, there is no limit as to what may be accessed or stored on this netbook,” she said. “I have the world at my fingertips through my netbook.”

Robert Seaton, University Libraries’ Web Development Specialist, said he likes the portability of his Acer Aspire One with its 10.1-inch screen and 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor. He paid about $350 for the sapphire blue unit.

“I can take it with me everywhere,” he said. “The size is small so it’s like carrying a paper notebook, and it is a fast machine. It’s small enough that I can take it to a meeting and it won’t be distracting.”

Robert said that his netbook even plays some of today’s more popular 3D games. The units do not come standard with a CD-ROM drive, although it makes up for that by having several USB ports and an SD card reader as well as a multi-card reader. It has built-in wireless so any software that he wants can usually be downloaded and installed.

Because the price of the netbook is so reasonable and its performance is so high, the unit seems to be perfectly suited for almost everyone. For less than $400, the user can have a powerful, portable computer that offers word processing, video playback, e-mail, and other functionality. From any WiFi hotspot or ubiquitous 3G network, the netbook is perfect for providing convenient access to the Internet from home, work, or school.

Libraries Provide Desktop and Wireless Printing Services for Students and Faculty

2009-05-28T09:26:00.000-04:00

The University Libraries provide students and faculty with access to more than 380 computer workstations, including 18 Mac units. All of the popular productivity software used across campus are accessible at these workstations through a key server. The Libraries also provide access to almost 200 specialized, research-oriented, information e-resources including Academic Search Premier, LexisNexis Academic, Web of Science, as well as access to over 16,701 unique full-text e-journals.

Throughout the Libraries, the public workstations are always busy. One sees students working collaboratively in groups or individually on Word documents, creating PowerPoints, performing literature searches, viewing streaming video, videoconferencing, or performing a host of other coursework or research activities. Students can also be seen writing or reading e-mail and staying in contact with friends and family via instant messenger utilities.

A highly used service that we provide clientele is our printing capabilities. The Libraries have 10 laser printers that print documents from students, faculty, and others using the public workstations or submitting wireless print jobs from their personal laptops.

During the 257 day period from August 25, 2008 to May 8, 2009, which spans a few days more than the fall and spring semesters, the Libraries’ users printed 6,212,041 pages for an average of 24,171 pages per day. Of these, 16,748 persons printed 51.2% of the pages during fall semester 2008 and 16,011 persons printed 48.8% of them during spring semester 2009.

The interested reader can find data for fiscal year 2007-2008 published in The Library Insider 6(8): 2, 2008.

The accompanying table reveals the breakdown by user classification for each semester for persons printing documents in the Libraries. This percentage can be interpreted as the Libraries’ penetration into each user group for providing printing services. For example, during fall semester, 64% of Ball State’s freshmen students printed at least one page in the Libraries. As a whole, during fall semester, 75.5% of Ball State’s undergraduate students used the Libraries to print documents, and 62.8% of the university’s graduate students used the service.

The table also shows the average number of pages printed by user group for each semester. For example, among undergraduates, seniors printed the most pages each semester, 277.7 pages in the fall and 264.5 in the spring.
Analysis of the Type of Documents Printed

An analysis of the types of documents printed, as identified by the VendPrint Print Management Solution software, shows similar results for each semester. For fall semester, for example, the breakdown was as follows: Word (36.4%), PDFs (20.9%), PowerPoint (14.7%), non-BSU Web pages (11.1%), BSU Web pages (2.4%) Photo/Images (1.7%), Excel (1.1%), Publisher (0.5%), Miscellaneous (0.1), and Other (11.1%). The first seven of these categories account for 88.3% of the types of documents.

These data show that making it easy for students and faculty to print their documents in the Libraries is an important part of shaping their informational activities and enhancing their overall library experiences. The volume and types of documents printed suggest that the Libraries’ printing service is an important element for students’ and faculty’s research, teaching, academic achievement, and learning needs.

Outside Furniture Provides Gathering Spaces, Expands Use of Plazas

2009-05-28T09:24:00.000-04:00

Recently, five outdoor tables were added to Bracken Library’s north and south plazas for student and faculty enjoyment. Already this furniture is popular with those who want to catch some sunshine while studying outside, taking a break, or grabbing a bite to eat al fresco.

Ball State University's plazas on the north and south sides of the library offer full wireless connectivity so that students and faculty can access the Libraries’ resources through their laptops or other portable devices. The tables are manufactured using 68% recycled material.

Providing the tables is another step toward making the University Libraries the most inviting, friendly space on campus for research, learning, and friends.

University Libraries’ Sixth Annual Faculty Technology Showcase a Success

2009-05-28T09:21:00.000-04:00

The sixth annual Faculty Technology Showcase featured one-on-one demonstrations of blogs, video, and iClicker at Bracken Library. This annual event, hosted by the Technology Training Support Services unit, is an exciting and popular event for those who want to see how technology is used in the classroom.

The showcase took place from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, 2009. Bracken Library’s New Books/Bestsellers corner was temporarily transformed into an area for discussions and demonstrations so faculty could share with others the many ways they use technology in the classroom.

The event was well attended and informative. The following faculty provided sessions:

* Dr. Timothy C. Carter, Assistant Professor of Biology, demonstrated the use of iClicker Classroom Response System.

* Drs. Alice A. Spangler and Sue H. Whitaker from the Department of Family & Consumer Sciences, with their research assistant Jamarcus L. Fanning, displayed a Community Outreach project that made use of blogs.

* Dr. Mathew J. Stuve, Associate Professor of Educational Technology, and Julie A. Biddle, an alum of the college, demonstrated the use of video in the student reflective process as a part of their development as educators. In absentia, Megan S. Noel contributed to the poster.

* Dr. Keith Kothman, Associate Professor of Music Composition and Music Technology, demonstrated how blogs are quick and easy tools which help one to stay organized and allow for posting of course materials. He also showed how he uses Ning.com (a do-it-yourself social networking site) for collaborative class projects.

Recent Art Purchase Award Helps to Beautify Bracken Library

2009-05-28T09:19:00.000-04:00

The 74th Annual Student Art Show, held at Ball State University’s Museum of Art, featured student artwork in all media, from painting and sculpture to video and furniture. Each year, a panel of jurors considers hundreds of student works for selection in this show, narrowing the final selection to between 100 and 125. The result is a student exhibition that showcases outstanding talent and quality artwork.

For purchase, the Ball State University Libraries selected New English by artist Michael R. Hurt, a senior from Redkey, Indiana. Originally, Professor Marilyn Derwenskus, Ball State Department of Art, started the painting. Upon her retirement this past year, she gave almost all of her unfinished sketches and paintings to students while encouraging them to reuse the canvas or paint over them, if desired. Michael chose this particular canvas for its composition and mysterious nature.

“I liked how the pillar on the left enclosed the scene while adding a sort of two-dimensional border uncommon to artworks,” he said. “I had sort of an immediate connection to this piece.”

Michael had always enjoyed the graffiti art found on railroad cars and in many urban settings. He was inspired by a graffiti artist named Heist from Toledo, Ohio. Michael commented that he had seen Heist paint whole freight train cars, from top to bottom and from side to side.

New English examines the differences and commonalities between two generations of artists – Marilyn’s generation, which covers periods of Abstract Expressionism, Neo-Expressionism, Pop Art, Op Art with influences from movements of the earlier 1900s, and Michael’s generation of graffiti artists who widely ignore the traditional artistic heritage in exchange for a self-satisfying culture.

“In the future, this style of art may be viewed as the most influential artistic movement in centuries,” he said. “Amidst this huge gap in artistic background, I think the piece holds together well while speaking volumes both conceptually and visually to the passing of the torch to a new set of artists and the remembrance of those who have come before us.”

The Libraries Upgrade E-Journal Access with MultiLink

2009-05-28T09:16:00.000-04:00

In January 2009, the University Libraries embarked on a major project to overhaul how we manage access to online journals. We are now achieving a major milestone with the unveiling of SerialsSolution’s 360 Link software, which we are calling MultiLink.

MultiLink succeeds FindIt@BSU. From a user’s perspective, it works much the same way. Something that the user will notice that is different with MultiLink is a new blue button with some of the citations. Clicking the button produces a menu of links to multiple options for obtaining the citation’s full text.

In many cases, the University Libraries provide direct access to journal articles on the Web. However, when we do not have access, ILLiad provides speedy access via interlibrary loan. As always, there is an option to check the online catalog, CardCat. With MultiLink, we have added some new alternatives, including WorldCat, a global database of library resources, and Google Scholar, which indexes both commercially published and open access scholarly materials.

While the basic operation of MultiLink is not new to the University Libraries, it represents several major improvements in access to online scholarship. For example, we have implemented a 1-Click feature, where a click of the MultiLink button goes straight to a full-text article when one is available. MultiLink, as before with FindIt@BSU, is also accessible with the Citation Linker and an integrated Electronic Journals portal.

Very significant benefits arise from the fact that MultiLink and the Electronic Journals portal are integrated. Both services are driven by the same underlying database – the massive electronic journals database maintained by the Seattle-based SerialsSolutions, Inc. Prior to beginning our relationship with SerialsSolutions, Inc., the Libraries maintained links to electronic journals in three different “silos,” not an efficient arrangement. The single Electronic Resource Management System streamlines maintenance and will dramatically improve accuracy, which should translate to increased user success in finding full text.

Another improvement in electronic resource management will come with an integrated usage statistics component. This component will increase our capacity to make optimal collection and spending decisions.

For more information, contact James W. Hammons, Head of Library Technologies, JHammons@bsu.edu, 765-285-8032.

Bracken Library Voted “Best Place to Study” by Ball State Community

2009-05-26T09:36:00.000-04:00

The Ball State Daily News, a student-run newspaper with a circulation of 14,000, recently asked the campus community to vote for the “best” in several categories. More than 2,000 votes were cast online and at various ballot boxes around campus.

With helpful librarians, outstanding digital and print resources, and hundreds of PC and Mac workstations, it is no wonder Bracken Library was voted Best Place to Study. Bracken Library, located in the heart of campus, is the place to meet friends, study, research, and to finalize projects. Our doors are in constant motion 120.5 hours per week.

The University Libraries’ tagline is “A destination for research, learning, and friends.” These seven words summarize and convey the personality of our brand and its promise. Students know when they visit Bracken they are at a place where they can accomplish their work and achieve what they set out to do.

Ball State University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections Now Providing Reference Services in Second Life

2009-05-26T09:34:00.000-04:00

Ball State University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections now offer reference hours in Second Life, a free online virtual world.

Archivists Maren Read, a.k.a. Em Ziplon, and Carolyn Runyon, a.k.a. Carolyn Robonaught, are available to answer questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon and Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. A “drop box” is also available at the reference desk to leave questions and comments about the University Libraries and the Middletown Studies Library and Archives 24/7.

This new service has been made possible, in part, through an Innovative Library Program Grant for 2008-09 to the University Libraries as part of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), funding for which was appropriated by the U.S. Congress in 1996 and administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Indiana State Library.

In collaboration with Ball State’s Center for Middletown Studies and the Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts and Animation (IDIAA), the University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections has been working this past year to develop the virtual Bracken Library and the virtual Middletown Studies Library and Archives on the Ball State University Island in Second Life.

When the project is complete in June 2009, students, faculty, and researchers will be able to chat with archivists, explore an exhibit on the history of Muncie as Middletown, watch films such as The Man Haters (35 mm silent movie filmed in Muncie in 1915) in the library screening room, and gather for classes and meetings “inworld.”

For more information, contact Maren L. Read, Archivist for Manuscript Collections, or Carolyn Runyon, Archivist for Digital Development and University Records, LibArchives@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078.

Scott McFadden Reaches Quarterfinals in Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest

2009-05-26T09:31:00.002-04:00

Scott McFadden, Head of Serials Cataloging at Ball State University Libraries, was named a quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. An excerpt of his unpublished novel, The Lover’s Tree, is available for free download from the Amazon.com Web site.

View http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UG39JW to be linked directly to the download page for McFadden’s excerpt. Readers are also able to post reviews of the excerpt on the Amazon site.

The contest, which culminates with the awarding of a $25,000 book contract from Penguin Group to the winning entry, is sponsored by Amazon.com in partnership with Penguin Group (USA) and CreateSpace. The entry period lasted for a week, or until 10,000 entries were received, whichever came first.

Entries consisted of a pitch, an excerpt of 3,000 to 5,000 words, and the complete manuscript of an original novel, as well as author biographical information.

As a quarterfinalist, Scott was one of 500 entrants to advance to this point in the contest. His pitch was judged by a panel of Amazon editors, and his excerpt was evaluated by a number of expert reviewers. Now the excerpt is available for download, and may be reviewed by any interested reader. Editors from Publishers Weekly will be reading the applicants’ full manuscript during this period.

The semi-finals were announced on April 15 and reduced the number of entrants to 100. Three finalists were announced on May 15. The finalists’ complete novels will be reviewed by a panel of judges which includes Sue Grafton, the well-known mystery writer, and Sue Monk Kidd, author of the best-selling novel The Secret Life of Bees. Amazon.com readers will also be able to vote for the winner from among the three finalists. All three finalists will be flown to Seattle, Washington to take part in an awards dinner and to hear the announcement of the winner.

Scott has been writing short stories and novels since he was a teenager. The Lover’s Tree, an urban fantasy that tells the story of a strong-willed newspaper reporter and her investigation of a series of mysterious deaths at an idyllic lakeside resort, is his second completed novel.

Profile: The University Libraries’ Metadata and Digital Initiatives Unit

2009-05-26T09:23:00.003-04:00

Ball State University Libraries offer an ever-expanding virtual collection for research and learning. In essence, today’s library increasingly comes into the consumer’s living and work space, making the library a virtual mobile resource – mobile and ubiquitous – or mobiquitous.

This mobiquitous environment is possible, in part, because of the tags that are embedded in digital content so that people can find the items easily online. Contributing to the anytime/anywhere access to data is a group of University Libraries employees who work behind the scenes. Over the past four years, the Metadata and Digital Initiatives (MADI) unit has expanded to six full-time employees, eight to ten student workers, and occasional grant-supported part-time contract personnel. The growth of this unit is because of the demand for digital assets.

James Bradley is head of Metadata & Digital Initiatives. He also serves as a liaison to Ball State’s academic departments and frequently collaborates with on-campus partners to bring classroom materials to the Web. Such projects enhance student learning by increasing accessibility and interactivity of educational media.

For example, a current project between the Department of Art and the University Libraries will allow students to view online specific art history images that coincide with their course needs and textbook illustrations. Other collaborative efforts in progress are with the Ball State Museum of Art, the Center for Media Design, and the Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts and Animation.

Jim and other MADI librarians, Jonathan Brinley and Amanda Hurford, apply digital standards and metadata sets which are used to create a digital collection that now contains more than 120,000 objects. They supervise the many processes through which digital assets must pass before they are added to online collections in a searchable format. Jim, Jonathan, and Amanda often give presentations and workshops to local, regional, and national groups. Their topics are often based on a variety of ongoing projects or problems they have encountered in working with digital assets.

MADI personnel digitize physical objects using various photographic and scanning technology. They describe and catalog the digital artifacts consistent with metadata Some items have never before been cataloged, so MADI and Cataloging and Metadata Services personnel collaborate in these instances to create new metadata records. Other items already have records in the Libraries’ catalog or in various other systems. These records often have to be cross-walked using a combination of custom programming and manual intervention, transforming the data into a new format for the Digital Media Repository.

Paraprofessionals Melanie Davis and Ken Fadely engage in digital processing – transforming traditional library materials into a digital form. Along with several student workers in their area, they digitize a variety of formats in large quantities. From text-based materials, to large-scale maps, to photographs and transparencies, MADI has the equipment and the expertise to convert them to digital formats.

Tony Reynolds, Digital Media Description Analyst, also participates in digitization in varying forms. He assists with scanning and photography for grant-based projects and other special or fragile materials. He often participates in metadata repurposing of catalog data and asset description, as well as optical character recognition (OCR) of text-based materials. OCR can turn a static image of a page into a searchable document suited for Web display.

Jim reports that the challenge in information technology, specifically with regard to digital access, is the issue of storing items in our system today and predicting what manner of storage will allow the items to be shared in other environments tomorrow.

“We are putting our digital assets into what might be thought of as containers, and we have to be sure that those containers are flexible enough to serve a wide variety of user needs,” Jim said.

Libraries’ Support a Teaching, Learning, and Research Environment

2009-03-17T14:18:00.002-04:00

Our librarians and paraprofessional personnel are committed to providing consistently gracious service to our students and faculty through our Roll Out the Red personal commitments of great care and through the Libraries’ many programs, services, and rich collections that are a strategic part of each student’s academic achievement and success plan.

Bracken Library supports immersive learning by being open Sunday nights through Thursday nights until 3 a.m. On Fridays, we open at 7 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. with Saturday hours from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Altogether, we provide 120.5 hours per week, which ranks us high among all U.S. libraries that support late hours.

Housed in modern and spacious facilities, our libraries provide students with access to rich resource collections of print and digital resources and assets. Our librarians help students with research projects and they also help find resources not owned by Ball State that are necessary for research, including obtaining print and digital items through interlibrary loan services.

Bracken Library offers public access to over 460 PC workstations and 20 Macs. These computers provide students and faculty with access to all of the common software used in courses across campus. Large format scanners are available at various locations for free use.

Bracken offers students a variety of spaces for collaborative group projects and individual study. The facility is wireless throughout. There are group study rooms that accommodate from 4 to 18 persons, videoconferencing rooms that support classroom instruction, and the Bookmark Café providing access to sandwiches, coffees, teas, and other beverages.

Laptops and other technologies are available for checkout. High volume laser printers offer free printing for students and faculty. All public workstations provide USB and audio cables at the desktop for alternative printing, storage, retrieval, as well as for listening to audio files and viewing video formats.

I personally invite students and faculty to check out the University Libraries as a destination for research, learning, and friends. The Libraries offer students and faculty access to personnel for research assistance, collections for discovery and exploration of ideas, and technology for learning, classroom assignment enhancements, and experimentation.

Videos of First Division Veterans Now Accessible

2009-03-17T14:16:00.002-04:00

Students, faculty, and other researchers worldwide now have 24/7 access to videotaped interviews with veterans of the United States Army’s First Infantry Division, commonly known as the “Big Red One.” Forty high definition videos, along with transcripts, comprise the Cantigny First Division Oral Histories Collection in the Ball State University Digital Media Repository,
http://libx.bsu.edu, a project of the University Libraries.

The interviews were conducted by Ball State history students Chris Reidy, Steven Brown, and Rachel (Fulton) Coleman under the supervision of history professors Dr. Michael W. Doyle and Dr. David Ulbrich (now at Ohio University) as part of a project funded by the Chicago-based McCormick Foundation with administrative support from the staff of the First Division Museum. The goal of the project was to preserve the memories of First Division soldiers who have served around the globe since World War II. The interviews focus on veterans currently residing in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.

The University Teleplex Services videotaped the interviews and digitized them. Ball State University Libraries’ personnel transcribed the interviews so that they can be read and viewed simultaneously.

According to Professor Doyle in a press release about the project, “Even the youngest veterans who saw action in Operation Desert Storm are now approaching their 40s. We do not want to let these soldiers’ stories go unrecorded.”

He said that the Cantigny First Division Oral History Project was intended to do for newer generations what Ken Burns did for the World War II veterans.

You can learn more about the grant project by viewing the Conversations Across Generations: The Cantigny First Division Oral History Project video by Chris Reidy available on the collection splash page in the Digital Media Repository.

National Road Program to be Presented at Library Friends Annual Dinner

2009-03-17T14:15:00.002-04:00

Movers and Stakers: Stories Along the Indiana National Road will be the topic of the E. Bruce Kirkham Lecture given by Nancy B. Carlson, Associate Professor of Telecommunications, at the annual dinner of the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library, April 1, 2009. Mrs. Carlson will talk about and show clips from her upcoming documentary on the National Road, U.S. 40, in Indiana.

The Library Friends annual dinner will be held in the Ball State Alumni Center. A reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m., and then a brief business meeting followed by the Kirkham Lecture.

For more information on the dinner or joining the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library, contact John B. Straw, executive secretary of the Friends and Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, JStraw@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078.

Archetype: Future Designers Inspired by the Past on Exhibit in Bracken Library

2009-03-17T14:13:00.000-04:00

Starting April 6 through June 15, 2009, students and faculty, along with Muncie community members and visitors, are invited to view the University Libraries' exhibit which will showcase student artwork inspired by pop culture and the expressive graphic style of the '60s.

The exhibit titled Archetype: Future Designers Inspired by the Past will be on display in Bracken Library on the second floor area of Archives and Special Collections. This exhibit is in collaboration with Associate Professors Christine Satory and Sam Minor, Department of Art, and junior visual communication majors.

The exhibition is meant to allow students to display their artwork to inform and educate. Items to be featured from the Archives and Special Collections will be student publications, poetry, highlights from Robert Kennedy’s 1968 Muncie visit, and graphic design from the '60s.

Finale® Music Notation Software Added on Selected Music Collection Computers

2009-03-17T14:12:00.000-04:00

Four Windows-based and three Mac Pro computers now provide students and faculty with access to Finale® music notation software which allows them to compose, arrange, and notate their music.

Dr. Eleanor F. Trawick, Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Theory and Composition, said that students use Finale® to edit and hear a computer-generated playback of their music, a feature that helps them to make adjustments to their work. They can also print engraver-quality sheet music.

“Having Finale® available in the library will be extremely helpful for students” said Professor Trawick.

Several midi interface keyboards with high-quality headphones are available for checkout at the Music Collection counter. Staff are available to help students, faculty, and staff who wish to use the program.

For more information, contact Amy L. Edmonds, Ball State University’s Music Librarian, ALEdmonds@bsu.edu,
765-285-5065.

University Libraries Initiate an Events Calendar by Applying Google Apps Calendar and HTML

2009-03-17T14:10:00.001-04:00

To improve customer service and user experiences, the University Libraries recently introduced a Web-based events calendar for activities in Bracken Library.

The events calendar makes it easier for students, faculty, and visitors to find a meeting, locate an event, or learn what is happening in Bracken Library.

To develop the events calendar, we applied the powerful Google Apps Calendar program and some Web development experience. Our new directional application was online in less than 48 hours, and it already has proven to be successful. View it at www.bsu.edu/libraries/events

Ball State’s Music Librarian Presents Poster Session about Interlibrary Loan of Music CDs

2009-03-17T14:09:00.002-04:00

This past February 15-21, 2009, over 500 music librarians and exhibitors from around the world attended the 78th Annual Music Library Association Conference in Chicago. Ball State’s music librarian, Amy L. Edmonds presented a poster session with examples of the secure packaging used by Ball State’s Interlibrary Loan Services’ personnel to protect music CDs in transit when sharing them with other libraries.

The University Libraries began lending music CDs in July, 2007. Since that time, we have not had any breakage during transit despite the fragile nature of CDs and their jewel cases. This potential breakage is one of the reasons often given by many libraries for not lending CDs.

Many persons who saw Amy’s poster session commented that they were considering loaning their CDs and that this exhibit, Amy’s data, and actually viewing the packing materials, were helpful to them in considering their decision.

Amy studied the approximate 18-month period between late May 2007 and mid-November, 2008 during which time Amy determined that the University Libraries had loaned 380 music CDs to other libraries and borrowed 2,071 music CDs for use by Ball State students and faculty.

Other facts that Music Library Association conference attendees found interesting included:

- Only about 3% of libraries around the country lend CDs.
- Classical music was the most frequently borrowed category of music from Ball State, followed by popular music from before 1990.
- The protective cases we use cost $1.44 each and are reusable.
- We own about 15,900 CDs.
- In the past two years, only one CD booklet has been lost by an interlibrary loan borrower and no CDs have been returned damaged.

Web. 2.0: My Library @ BSU

2009-03-17T14:06:00.001-04:00

Ball State University Libraries are a great place for conducting research, working on assignments and papers, or finding a quiet place to study. The Libraries offer a vast array of top-quality resources to support student research in all subject areas. In today’s user-customizable, Web 2.0 environment, students need library resources to be organized around their needs for gathering information based on their classes. The University Libraries now offer an online tool that allows them to accomplish just that: My Library @ BSU.

My Library @ BSU is a customizable library Web portal page for students, inspired by iGoogle and MyYahoo. It is designed to create a one-stop shop for students who are seeking resources tailored to the courses they are taking.

When users first log on to the My Library @ BSU,
http://libix.bsu.edu/mylibrary, they are invited to select three subject areas that match the courses they are currently taking. Once selected, My Library creates a personalized library Web portal page with tabs for each subject, plus a customizable “My Stuff” tab.

Each subject tab contains a short list of links to specialized information resources, such as subscription databases and other e-resources in a given area. The “My Stuff” tab is customizable, allowing users to add links to other electronic resources such as RSS feeds (news feeds, blogs, etc.), library quick-search modules, and widgets of all kinds from sites such as Widgetbox, www.widgetbox.com. Future modules may include subject-relevant RSS feeds, summary of the user’s library account, and an “assignment calculator.” Tabs can be added and deleted as needed.

This release is a “beta” version of My Library, and we are seeking feedback on the usefulness of this tool. Students and faculty with a valid Ball State user ID and password are invited to create their own My Library @ BSU page, peruse the site, then send us feedback via the BSU Libraries Web Lab, www.bsu.edu/libraries/weblab/index.htm#mylibrary. A demo login will soon be available for those outside BSU who are interested.

For more information, contact Roy “Todd” Vandenbark, University Libraries’ Part-time Temporary Special Project Developer, RTVandenbark@bsu.edu, 765-285-8032.

Simultaneous Searching of Multiple Databases with the Libraries’ New MultiSearch Tool

2009-02-24T11:21:00.001-05:00

Since early January, students and faculty have had a powerful new tool available to them for conducting their research and learning with the introduction of MultiSearch. This software, developed by SerialsSolutions, Inc., allows for the simultaneous multiple searching of up to 50 specialized information resources, such as Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, the Web of Science, and the Libraries’ online CardCat.

Subject specific databases like America: History and Life and PsycINFO are also included.

“It’s one of the most significant improvements in providing access to information that this library has made recently,” said James W. Hammons, University Libraries’ Head of Library Technologies.

MultiSearch allows students and faculty to search databases produced by different vendors with one single search interface so that they no longer need to search each database individually. The product also allows users to access full-text articles and citations in a variety of disciplines with one search.

A significant feature of MultiSearch is that users can access it from remote locations such as residence halls, laboratories, classrooms, or off-campus.

MultiSearch is rapidly becoming popular with students and faculty. The University Libraries Instructional Services have offered a number of workshops to introduce MultiSearch. Students and faculty are impressed with the new resource.

Library 2.0: Evernote – Another Free and Useful Web 2.0 Tool

2009-02-24T11:19:00.000-05:00

by Roy “Todd” Vandenbark, Part-time Temporary Special Project Developer, Library Information Technology Services

Do you ever have a flash of inspiration yet lacked the means to record your idea? If you manage to record your inspiration, do you sometimes forget where you saved it among the multiple devices many of us own? Or have you been somewhere or seen something that you wanted to remember later? If so, then the Web 2.0 application Evernote may be just the tool you need.

Evernote is a free software application designed to help you capture information in any form, anytime, anywhere, using your preferred electronic device, and make it searchable and accessible. It is available online at www.evernote.com, and comes in versions for Windows and Mac computers, and many mobile devices including Windows Mobile phones, the iPhone, and iPod Touch. And Evernote organizes everything based on tags you add to each item, allowing you to search for items and group them into “notebooks.” You can publish any of your notebooks for others to see, and once published, it will be given its own unique URL and indexed by search engines. Way powerful!

Start by creating a free online account, and then add the “Clip to Evernote” button to your Web browser, just below the button bar. Evernote Web currently supports Firefox 2, Firefox 3, Internet Explorer 7, Safari 3, and Flock Web browsers. As you surf the Web and find items you want to remember, click and drag to highlight the item, and then click the button to add them to your library. In the resulting popup window, add one or more tags to the item to help you remember it and make it searchable in your account. If you want to remember an entire page, just click the button.

In addition to the tags you add to a new item, Evernote tags it with a number of useful attributes, date created, date modified, source, and the category of what it contains. The “contains” categories include images, audio, PDF, link, and to-do items.

Searches generate results as you type in terms and can be narrowed by clicking on different tags and attributes in the left sidebar. Evernote allows you to save searches and the results can be narrowed based on tags and attributes.

Download the software to your desktop or laptop computer, enter your account information, and you can drag-and-drop image, audio, PDF, or link files to Evernote. If you use more than one computer, install Evernote on each of them and you can search, view, and retrieve your notes wherever and whenever you want. The software will automatically synchronize and update your list of items each time you log in. If the computer you are using does not have Evernote, use the Web-based version to save information, or you can email clippings directly to your account.

Install Evernote on your mobile phone, and you can save photos directly to your library. Evernote’s recognition technology includes optical character recognition (OCR). It can recognize text in print, graphic images, and even some handwriting. Snap pictures of whiteboards in lectures, business cards, or labels of items you wish to buy and it will be available to refer to later, without the worry of lost notes or forgotten information.

Evernote offers two service plans, free and premium. The free account allows you to upload up to 40 MB of information per month, and is limited to images, audio files, link files, and PDFs. Notebooks published from any free account will include advertising in the margin. For $5 per month, or $45 per year, you can upload up to 500 MB of information in any file type, and they are secure socket layer (SSL) encrypted for added security during transfer. In addition, advertising is turned-off for premium users. The Web site offers some documentation and searchable support, and it includes a number of helpful tutorials.

Librarians Create a Mobiquitous Environment to Deliver Library and Information Services

2009-02-24T11:18:00.002-05:00

When using a new digital product or service, we rarely think about the behind-the-scenes work that went into creating and making it available. We just know we want an end result that is convenient, easy to use, trouble-free, and accessible. These same types of expectations come about when initiating library services and products.

Librarians and information professionals are continually creating and designing opportunities for students and faculty seamlessly to use digital products and collections for their research, learning, and entertainment needs. By providing ubiquitous, mobile access to information and digital products in an anytime, anywhere environment, librarians and information specialists serve as information architects who make a profound enhancement by designing and improving how people obtain and apply information.

Today’s library effectively comes into the consumer’s living and work space. In this context, the library is a virtual mobile resource that is mobiquitous because of its mobile and ubiquitous nature. This is because of the power of the Internet and 3G networks to deliver text, pictures, video, and data, along with the mobile phone’s features of portability, adaptability, and capability to perform Web-based information gathering applications. These combined characteristics have served to transform the mobile phone into a powerful small-screen, handheld, smart device for research and learning.

Providing our students and faculty with convenient access to an array of virtual library services means that people who use our resources do not necessarily have to walk in our front doors. It also means that they have 24-hour access to engage in the use of informational materials to meet their information needs.

Prior to today’s virtual library services, students and faculty accepted that making a trip to the library was absolutely necessary to fulfill their course-related information needs. Now, much of the information required for projects, classroom assignments, and timely scholarly research is available online through full-text specialized information resources such as databases, electronic catalogs, digital image collections, and document delivery services. Librarians have greatly facilitated the development of well-conceived and robust virtual collections while also improving customer service and providing outstanding information support to visitors who come into the physical library.

At the Ball State University Libraries, we continue to develop library applications that can be accessed by using small screen mobile devices such as iPhone, Blackberries, netbook computers, and other similar devices. Please view www.bsu.edu/libraries/mobile to see what is available for our mobile device user. Applications of this type build on our students’ experiences with using their mobile computing devices and digital technology as their information tool.

Cell Phones are Collaborative Tools Connecting People to Information

2009-02-24T11:15:00.003-05:00

Walking around the University Libraries, it is easy to see that cell phones are popular among students. They are constantly engaged in their use to call and text each other, listen and share information, take and send pictures, record sounds, transfer files, listen to music, e-mail, and use them for a variety of other information gathering functions. This is possible because of the power and adaptability of mobile phones.

With an average of 4,900 daily visitors to the University Libraries during the academic year, the challenge is how to manage the resulting levels of sound. While some would like to ban or greatly restrict cell phones use in any library as a nuisance, our librarians understand the value and importance of the cell phones in scholarly activities.

"We view cell phones as collaborative tools for learning," said Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of the University Libraries. "There are ways to remind students and library visitors about cell phone etiquette."

Periodically, at Bracken Library’s entrances and on various floors, we place large poster-size signs that encourage our visitors to use their cell phones responsibly and respectfully. The fourth floor remains a Quiet Zone.

The Libraries' professional and paraprofessionals want the BSU community to experience the University Libraries as a comfortable, productive destination for research, learning, and friends while using the Libraries' programs, services, and collections. To accomplish this, the University Libraries promote the use of cell phone activity that aids our students in their scholarly activities and pursuit of learning.

Perspective Following ALA Mid-Winter Conference

2009-02-24T10:38:00.002-05:00

by Marcy L. Simons, Head of Access Services
The American Library Association’s Mid-Winter conference has long been a staple for the “think-tanks” behind the association, its members, and committees. Unquestionably, the theme of this year’s mid-winter was budget-cuts and how to deal with them.

Whether in a discussion with colleagues, during a more formal presentation, or in round-table discussion groups, an item on every agenda was how to deal with shrinking budgets.

The attendance numbers have been confirmed – 7,905 actual attendees – a far cry from the almost 11,000 who registered for the conference. Cancellations of discussion groups, panel sessions, and committee meetings were many due to panel members not able to travel, and, even in some cases, chairpersons having to give up their positions because they would not be able to attend the 2009 conferences.

As so many of our colleagues commented, there is strength in numbers, and there is no better way to jumpstart creativity than by spending time with like-minded people who all have the same goal: providing information and services that our users need and want. On everyone’s agenda was the question of how libraries prepare for, and implement, budget reductions while still taking advantage of future trends to support student and faculty research and learning. Below is a brief list of some of the interesting take-aways that I heard.

Librarians should anticipate an insistence on data management for all types of libraries. For academic libraries, this means measuring our impact on the educational experience of our users.

Today’s practicing librarians have a stake in what is being taught to future librarians in our graduate library schools. The curriculum needs to include course topics such as the following:
- evaluation of library services using well understood metrics
- evaluation of the “user experience”
- community service
- “each one reach one” mentoring programs
- library service advocacy

Librarians need to become more experienced at advocating for their library’s programs and services. In addition to receiving training to accomplish this, practicing librarians at all levels need to get out among their community of members to inform people about libraries and the services available to them.
Librarian administrators, deans, and public service directors spoke about various ways to manage budget reductions. Some of the more creative ways were the following:

- shared print repositories and consortia making “group” collection decisions
- creating formal assessment tools/programs to answer the “how do you provide
value” questions coming from boards, trustees, and others
- using today’s uncertainties as a qualified opportunity for reevaluating programs
and services and for re-structuring and right-sizing for organizational efficiency

There is more interest on developing an interface to efficiently deliver more mobile content for small-screen mobile devices such as the iPhone or iTouch, Blackberry, PDAs, smart watches, and other devices with restricted processing, memory, screen size, and bandwidth.

Librarians need to direct more attention to enhancing and evaluating the user’s library experience by actively employing collection techniques that go beyond placing posters throughout the library soliciting comments.

As a new professional to librarianship, the most important thing I learned was the importance and value of practicing librarians sharing our stories among each other so that we can capitalize on our successes for providing library programs and services.

Greek Organizations + Library = A Good Partnership

2009-02-23T16:36:00.001-05:00

A large portion of the third floor at Bracken Library is known as the “Greek floor” because so many members of Ball State’s sororities and fraternities meet there to study and work on projects. There is also a log book at the circulation counter for members to sign so a record is maintained by the sororities and fraternities.

In 2006, we created posters with several sorority and fraternity members shown using resources at Bracken. The posters added color and interest to the walls, and the idea went over well with members of the Greek community. We are scheduling new photo sessions with the fraternities and sororities of to update our 24”x36” posters in Bracken Library.

Brittany Blake, a member of Sigma Kappa sorority, who also works as an intern with the Office of Student Life, promotes Greek life on the Ball State campus. She is helping to organize the photo shoot. In the future, Brittany would like to have a poster recognizing those in Greek organizations who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or better.

“The third floor is a popular area with Greeks,” she said. “I come here with my sorority sisters to work on projects and get things done and I want to think of ways I can promote the library to others.”

Historic Presidential Inauguration Viewed at Bracken Library

2009-01-23T14:56:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, January 20, about 100 students stopped by Bracken Library during the late morning to watch the inauguration of Barack H. Obama as the 44th president of the United States. The large TV screen in Bracken’s Lower Level accommodated the crowd with a spillover group moving to the e-classroom, also in the Lower Level. Many students purchased lunch in The Bookmark Café to watch the new president’s inauguration.

Personnel at the University Libraries were pleased to offer the opportunity for students and faculty to gather and be a part of the historic inauguration.

Ball State University Libraries: A Place to Experience Critical Thinking and Visual Rhetoric

2009-01-23T12:28:00.002-05:00

A recent conversation with Dr. Adrienne L. Bliss, Assistant Professor at Ball State’s Department of English, revealed information about the University Libraries’ broader, richer scope, and its role on campus beyond serving as a resource for research and learning.

“The library supports the concept of learning in that it enhances critical thinking,” she said. “Critical thinking is about interacting with the world and problem solving, so when students visit the library, they learn how to find the information they need to solve problems and that includes using the maps, the technology, the physical space, and even the café.”

Dr. Bliss mentioned the trend of visual rhetoric being modeled in the library. Visual rhetoric is the study of how document design communicates through the use of illustrations, graphs, typography, and layout. Visual rhetoric also examines the relationship between images and writing. In this regard, the library’s signage and slides shown on the plasma screens communicate a range of important messages, including the slides that welcome students in a variety of languages, thus recognizing the importance of international students.

The library’s signage reminds visitors about vending machines in Bracken’s lower level, the availability of help from librarians, the range of resources, such as new collections, international films, DVDs, and laptops for check-out, and
the importance of not leaving personal belongings unattended.

Dr. Bliss believes that the library plays a significant role in the successful retention of freshmen and that reference librarians are key providers of library and information service to the campus community. She encourages students in her English composition classes to seek advice from librarians if they are stuck on a research project or if they need to narrow a topic for a paper. She tries to put a face on the library by personalizing the services offered by our librarians, and she encourages students to talk with librarians by saying, “They are your librarians. Go talk to them!”

On many mornings, one finds students working on their English papers in the New Books and Bestsellers corner while Dr. Bliss confers with others. She keeps “office” hours there on occasion because students prefer to meet with her in the convenient, comfortable setting of Bracken, which is centrally located on campus.

“Everything we need is here: technology, research tools, music, movies, even comfy chairs,” she said.
The scope of library services utilized by Dr. Bliss goes beyond the first floor. She takes students to instruction sessions offered by Technology Training Support Services, such as a Web design class. She also looks for ways to engage library personnel in her classroom, such as a visit early each semester by Dr. Fritz Dolak, University Libraries’ Copyright and Intellectual Property Manager, who discusses copyright issues with students.

The University Libraries continue to explore ways to serve the campus community and to support endeavors in teaching, learning, and research.

The University Libraries’ Garnett Mystery Collection: A Collection Management Perspective

2009-01-23T12:25:00.002-05:00

Everyone likes to receive gifts, and the University Libraries are no exception. Donations of library materials or monetary contributions assist us in our efforts to provide a rich array of resources and services for our students and faculty despite rising costs and tightening budgets. Over the years the Libraries have received a number of gift collections that have strengthened our holdings for specific subject disciplines, such as music, architecture, history, and military history, among others.

Few gifts, however, have caused as much happy excitement as a recent donation of over 2,800 mystery books written by about 450 contemporary, women authors. The books are the gift of an anonymous Ball State alumna who originally gave her collection to the Women’s Studies Program to be made available for others to enjoy. Realizing that the University Libraries are better prepared to circulate books, the Women’s Studies office made arrangements last July to turn the collection over to the Libraries. The original donor is still reading mysteries, and she expects to contribute more books in the future.

Because of its popular nature, the donation, now dubbed the Garnett Mystery Collection, raised some interesting questions from a collection management perspective. Who would be most likely to use these books? And for what purposes? How should they be organized to facilitate use? Where should they be located? And what about preservation? Over two-thirds of the collection consisted of paperbacks that surely would not survive repeated circulations.

While the collection is not without potential research and instructional value for such areas as Women’s Studies, Creative Writing, or Sociology, the largest readership was deemed to be mystery lovers pursuing recreational reading – readers who probably also enjoy the Bestsellers Collection on Bracken Library’s 1-East area. It seemed prudent, then, to keep the Garnett books together as a collection and locate them near the Bestsellers where several ranges of shelving were already in place that would provide sufficient space for the current collection and still accommodate its anticipated future growth.

On the assumption that most people like to browse popular fiction collections, a simplified call number schema was devised to arrange the collection in alphabetical order by author’s last name and then, for each author, alphabetically by title. Of course, bibliographic records were also added to the Libraries’ online catalog, CardCat, to assist readers looking for particular mystery writers or fictional detectives in whatever Libraries’ collection they might be – bestsellers, audio books, or general collections’ literature sections.

A renewable two-week loan period was established to provide circulation opportunities to as many people as possible for what is expected to be a high-demand collection.

Preservation was one of the more difficult issues to resolve. There was little doubt that some kind of binding would be necessary if the collection was to endure, yet part of the appeal of a browsing collection is its colorful book covers and the information that publishers often provide on them.

We did not want to sacrifice these features, even though the solution came with a cost both in money and staff time. For the hardbacks with dust jackets, library staff performed the time-consuming process of applying plastic covers to the original jackets. The paperbacks were sent to the Libraries’ commercial bindery where they received a special type of binding called DigiCovers. Unlike the typical library buckrum binding process, which removes and destroys the cover, the DigiCover process makes a digital copy of the book’s original cover before removing it and then incorporates the digital image as part of the outside of the bound volume. The result of these decisions is a mystery collection that is both durable and visually appealing.

To identify the collection, library staff also designed special bookplates, even acquiring new labeling software so as to be able to create bookplates small enough to use in the paperbacks.

One final consideration in processing this collection was timeliness. Recognizing the potential appeal of the mysteries to our students and faculty and the donor’s desire that the books be made available for others’ enjoyment, it was important to make the collection available to the public in as short a time as possible. To accomplish this, both streamlined procedures and efficient use of available staff were required.

The normal cataloging process was expedited by the decision to download full bibliographic records from OCLC’s WorldCat into CardCat with minimal local revisions. In this we were fortunate that all but nine of the over 2,800 titles had usable records in WorldCat. Assignment of the locally devised call numbers was partially automated using an Access database developed by one of the Libraries’ catalogers. Other processes, such as binding and physical processing, did not lend themselves to shortcuts and were accomplished with great efficiency and much hard work on the part of the responsible library staff.

For more information, contact Sharon A. Roberts, Assistant Dean for Collection Resources Management, SRoberts@bsu.edu, 765-285-1305.

Creating a Web Laboratory

2009-01-23T12:23:00.002-05:00

by Roy “Todd” Vandenbark, Part-time Temporary Special Project Developer, Library Information Technology Services

I recently attended the Library Information Technology Association (LITA) Forum. Some of the sessions I attended were about topics such as distance learning, hacking prevention for Web 2.0 applications, and optimizing library resources for persons who read on screen.

One of the sessions most directly applicable to my work in the University Libraries was Jason Battles’ and Jody Combs’ session, “Building a Web-based Laboratory for Library Users.” As library technology staff develop new products and services, a major question is how to test and market the products effectively to students and faculty. To address this problem, Battles and Combs may have adopted an idea from Google that will prove useful in libraries.

Google Labs is a site that showcases prototypes of software, or beta versions. These are available to the public for “test driving” in return for feedback about the experience. Battles and Combs adapted this for the Vanderbilt University Libraries to seek suggestions for new services, highlight and seek feedback on projects under development, and recruit participants for usability studies and focus groups. This online “Web laboratory” is organized similar to a blog, with an RSS feed to allow visitors to track updates and additions to the site.

It also includes an integrated feedback mechanism in the form of comment boxes for each item and for the site as a whole. Responses are recorded in a database where administrators can track and analyze user comments. Their concept has proven so successful that four additional academic libraries in addition to Vanderbilt are using it: the University of Alabama, the University of Alberta, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Virginia.
Advantages of a Web Lab

A library’s “Web lab” offers a number of advantages available to institutions of any size. Because it can be set up in a blog format, its implementation is quick, easy, and does not require technical staff. It also frees libraries from forcing innovations to fit an academic calendar. Online testing and feedback also helps the library serve distance learners who do not necessarily use the physical library, allowing them to see and comment on how the library serves them. Feedback on major projects such as redesigning a Web site or library catalog interface can be honed for greater success, avoiding mistakes in interface design and functionality, and tailoring services to better meet the changing needs of patrons.

Ball State University Libraries’ efforts to remain at the cutting edge of innovation include adopting successful concepts developed at other institutions. Our Libraries’ version of this Web Lab is currently under development, visit www.bsu.edu/libraries/weblab.

For more information, contact Roy “Todd” Vandenbark, University Libraries’ Part-time Temporary Special Project Developer, RTVandenbark@bsu.edu, 765-285-8032.

University Libraries by the Numbers, Fiscal Year 2007-2008

2009-01-23T12:22:00.002-05:00

1,311,438
Visitors per year based on turnstile count

1,119,415
Books, bound journals, and serial volumes (and counting)

300,618
Items circulated

12th century illuminated manuscript
Century when Libraries’ oldest item was published

52
Pre-17th Century items (6 books, 11 illuminated manuscripts, 35 individual leaves)

101,032
Reference requests made to the Libraries

2,701
Reference requests made to the Archives and Special Collections last year

5,320
Items used in Archives and Special Collections last year

University Libraries Experience Digital Development Success in Past Year and Plan for Initiatives in New Year

2009-01-23T12:18:00.001-05:00

Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, outlined the Libraries’ strategic goals in the June 2008 issue of this newsletter. One of those five goals was to expand the Libraries’ digital initiatives and facilitate development of emerging media opportunities for learning, research, and classroom enhancement.

The beginning of a new year provides us an opportunity to review progress on this goal and to look ahead and make plans for further achieving our goals.

The Ball State University Libraries have made many exciting advancements toward accomplishing digital initiatives in the past year, including:

Increasing the number of digital objects in the Digital Media Repository (DMR) to over 112,000 items to support research, learning, and teaching
- Designing a new DMR public interface with enhanced features, new content, expanded menus, and improved navigability
- Implementing Zoomify in DMR collections to allow users to view, zoom, and pan detailed images in a quick and efficient manner
- Enhancing DMR collections by creating Google interactive maps for selected collections, such as Muncie Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and the Man Haters Film Collection
- Developing the Cardinal Scholar Institutional Repository to provide global access to Ball State’s student and faculty work

In total, 14 new digital collections have been made available for global access in the Digital Media Repository (http://libx.bsu.edu), bringing the total to 72.

Here are a few digital developments to watch for in 2009:
- An emerging media project to create educational applications using Digital Media Repository collections and other University Libraries’ digital resources through Microsoft Surface™ that will allow for data and digital asset manipulation by students for class projects
- A partnership to create a digital collection of Delaware County aerial plat maps that illustrate property changes between 1976 and 2006, including land development and use, zoning changes, and urban sprawl
- Collaborative grant projects with other institutions for the University Libraries to provide digitization services and host their digital collections
- New enhancements to Digital Media Repository collections, including a portal to U.S. Veterans digital resources
- New collections in the Digital Media Repository, including digital audio and video interviews with United States military veterans, Ball State University monographs, early issues of the Ball State Daily News (then called the Easterner), Indiana archeological surveys, and rare books from Archives and Special Collections
- The opening of the Helen B. and Martin D. Schwartz Special Collections and Global Digital Complex on the first floor of Bracken Library

For more information, contact John B. Straw, Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, JStraw@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078.

Exhibit at Bracken Library: Making a Difference: Voices of Freedom throughout African American History

2009-01-23T12:15:00.001-05:00

Celebrate Black History Month and explore resources by and about those who have changed, inspired, and affected African American history. The exhibit will feature abolitionists and slavery opponents such as Harriet Beecher Stowe and Robert D. Owen, publications such as The Muncie Times, and writings by Muncie’s own Hurley Goodall and others.

Making a Difference: Voices of Freedom throughout African American History will be on display in the Archives and Special Collections on the second floor of Bracken Library through the month of February.

For more information, please contact Lajmar Anderson, Archives and Special Collections Supervisor, LDAnderson@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078.

Grant-Supported Projects Build Digital Resources for Learning, Teaching, and Research

2008-12-18T09:54:00.001-05:00

The Ball State University Libraries have received several Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) digitization grants over the past five years to develop digital resources to support the academic pursuits of Ball State students and faculty. These grants have made it possible for the Libraries to provide 24/7 access to rich research materials for the citizens of Muncie, the state of Indiana, and scholars around the world.

As a result of the current LSTA digitization grant, the University Libraries have acquired a BookDrive DIY scanner that is being used to digitize deteriorating minute books of women’s organizations and diaries of local women as part of the Middletown Women’s History Digital Collection project.

This high performance book scanning platform allows personnel to scan the fragile pages of the volumes in a safe manner that protects the historical documents and provides a high quality digital image.

The scanner is like a double copy stand with two digital cameras set at 90 degree angles so that books can be photographed in a cradle rather than laid flat like they would be with a traditional flatbed scanner. This “cradling” protects the spines of fragile books by putting less stress on them.

Highlights from Ball State University Libraries (November 2008)

2008-12-18T09:51:00.000-05:00

Enhanced Library Materials Request online form now available for use by academic departmental library representatives and others who select materials for the Libraries’ collections

French Revolution Pamphlet and Fisher WWII Scrapbook collections in the Digital Media Repository expanded with another 40 and 279 digital images, respectively
800 metadata records for the DMR’s Museum of Art Collection enriched and standardized

The exhibit Native America at the Crossroad: Resources Celebrating Native American Heritage Month officially opened on November 12. The display is a collaborative project among Archives and Special Collections, Educational Resources Collection,

Author Stan Huseland donated audiotapes of interviews with 29 prominent Indiana political and business leaders, including former governors Otis Bowen and Edgar Whitcomb, Lt. Gov. John Mutz, and current U. S. Sen. Richard Lugar. These interviews will be digitized, transcribed, and made available in the Digital Media Repository for learning, teaching, and research

Dr. Kenan L. Metzger, Assistant Professor of English at Ball State, spoke on Indigenizing the Academy: A Call to Move from the Eurocentric to En’owkin

Created electronic copyright permission forms for use with online course reserves

Borrowed 2,153 items for BSU students and faculty and loaned 2,502 items via Interlibrary Loan

Answered 562 questions via Ask A Librarian: Live Chat, a 60% increase in live chat use over November 2007

Conducted 53 course-related library instruction sessions, including outreach sessions to student groups from Delta, Blue River Valley and Eastern Hancock high schools

Provided access to the RapidWeaver Web site editing software on the Libraries’ Mac computers

Installed Archivists' Toolkit, an open source software application, on staff workstations in Archives and Special Collections for evaluation as a means of enhancing management and manipulation of archival resources and increasing access through production of Encoded Archival Description finding aids that meet national standards

Released an updated Citation Linker to provide easier access from citation information to online full text available from the University Libraries

University Libraries Update the CitationLinker

2008-12-18T09:48:00.000-05:00

The University Libraries unveiled an updated version of CitationLinker in early December. Designed to work seamlessly with FindIt@BSU, CitationLinker, an ExLibris product, allows students and faculty to locate available online full text using citation information. The new version is available at
http://sfx4.exlibrisgroup.com:3210/bsu/az/?&¶m_perform_value=citation.

The new CitationLinker features a more streamlined appearance than the previous version. Additionally, the form accommodates Digital Object Idenitifers (DOIs) and PubMed IDs (PMIDs). These unique numbers have grown in use and acceptance in the past few years, and users who have a DOI or PMID (used in PubMed databases) do not need any other citation information to find their articles. If users do not have a DOI or PMID, they can still enter other citation information to use the form.

Another key feature of the updated CitationLinker allows users online to locate FindIt-enabled journals or eBook titles either by title or by subject category. Searching by title is much easier with the AJAX Auto-Complete feature. As users type titles, a preview list of results appears, which they can use to select a title or to get ideas for other searches. The category tab also features subcategories, and encourages exploration of journal and eBook titles.

New Library Materials Request Form Improves Communication with Faculty Members

2008-12-18T09:44:00.001-05:00

Acquisitions Services and Library Information Technology Services (LITS) personnel have collaborated over the past several weeks to enhance the current Library Materials Request System (LMRS). In response to faculty requests to have more communication from the Libraries regarding the status of materials they have requested, Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, tasked the group with developing new notification functionality within the LMRS.

The newly revised LMRS form will automatically pull information from the Sirsi/Dynix Symphony integrated library system and present it via e-mail messages. Each requestor will receive weekly e-mails when their requested titles have been ordered and when their requests are received and are available for use. In addition to informing requestors of the status of their items, departmental library representatives will receive a monthly e-mail that will summarize the items ordered using their departmental library allocations and items that were received and are now ready for use.

Included in the enhancements is the ability to notify requestors more efficiently and quickly of requested materials that are already held by the University Libraries. This will provide speedier feedback allowing funds to be re-deployed for other requests from the department. Another enhancement expedites the Acquisitions Department’s handling of submitted requests.

The new LMRS, implemented at the beginning of December, already is proving to enhance communication with faculty and increase the effectiveness of Acquisitions Services. The new form is located on the Acquisitions Services’ Web page at www.bsu.edu/library/acquisitions.

For more information regarding the LMRS, contact Michael W. Twigg, Assistant Head of Acquisitions Services, MTwigg@bsu.edu, 765-285-8030.

Campus Community Experiences Diversity at Bracken Library

2008-12-17T09:18:00.001-05:00

The Ball State University campus community enjoyed the sights, tastes, and sounds of other cultures on Friday, November 7 at Bracken Library during the International Festival. Sponsored by the Rinker Center for International Programs, international students from 25 countries decorated tables in Bracken’s lobby with items from their homelands, offering students, faculty, staff, and community visitors a chance to visit with them about various customs from around the world.

The annual celebration of cultures at Ball State has been a tradition for more than 50 years. Its purpose is to raise awareness about the diversity of international students attending Ball State.

Participants said that the turnout and interactions with American students were positive. The all-day event was attended by more than 600 people, including classes from Burris Laboratory School and community visitors.

Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, said that the Libraries’ were happy to host this event for the second consecutive year to promote international awareness and to help campus community members learn about the customs and traditions of Ball State’s international students.

Kue Ziao, a graduate student from China, said the international festival is a window to all international students through which we can see and experience different cultures. He said that each year he meets new friends and learns something new at the festival.

Inasi Nilanka, a graduate student from Sri Lanka agrees. “Most people do not know about Sri Lanka, and I am proud to be a Sri Lankan,” she said. “The International Festival is one of the best opportunities to tell about my country's culture and beauty, and I also learn about other countries!" Inasi’s presentations resulted in many people saying they were interested in visiting Sri Lanka someday.

Visitors to the library sampled tea from Japan, coffee from Iraq, chocolates from Germany, a meat dish from Russia, and rice from India, to name just a few. A fashion show held at noon highlighted both modern and traditional dress from several countries.

From the Rinker Center for International Programs, Debra L. Goens, Interim Director of International Student Services, and two graduate students, Ramia S. Badri from Iraq and Vijay Mandadi from India, organized the event. The event was co-sponsored by University Program Board and Bracken Library.

For photos: www.bsu.edu/library/festival/international08

Bracken Library is 'Second Home' to Students During Finals Week

2008-12-17T09:13:00.001-05:00

Ball State University’s Final Examination Week is in progress and the whole campus feels different. For the past few weeks, students are busy in the Library completing term papers and group projects, meeting in study groups to review notes and quiz each other, finalizing research for creative projects, and also taking online final examinations.

It is very satisfying as a librarian and administrator to see our students and faculty using the Libraries during finals as well as throughout the semester. This activity shows that the University Libraries are a destination for research, learning, and friends. The constant use of the University Libraries’ extensive resources (personnel, collections, technology, spaces for studying, meeting rooms) reassures our Libraries’ professional and paraprofessional personnel of the value and importance of our fundamental service objective to support students’ pursuits of academic success and greater personal awareness as well as our faculty’s endeavors for the creation of new knowledge, classroom instruction, and enhancement of academic learning outcomes.

OVERHEARD ON CAMPUS:Recent Quotes about the University Libraries Reported in The Ball State Daily News

I always come to the library throughout the semester, and then during Finals Week everyone comes and takes all my spots. There are so many people it’s like a social occasion. It’s like they think it’s Club Bracken.

(Luke M. Boggess, junior, responds to the question, “What stresses you out the
most about Finals Week?” Dec. 12, 2008, pg. 9).

It’s coming to that time of the semester where everyone is living at their second home, Bracken Library.

(Anonymous student letter to the editor, Dec. 10, 2008, pg. 4).

University’s President Selects Vice President for Information Technology

2008-12-17T09:10:00.001-05:00

Philip C. Repp accepted the position of Vice President for Information Technology, a position which encompasses providing leadership for the Teleplex Services (including Indiana Public Radio-National Public Radio and WIPB-Public Broadcasting Station), University Computing Services, and the University Libraries. The Vice President is also a member of President Jo Ann Gora’s cabinet.

Mr. Repp, who was recently recognized by Campus Technology magazine as one of its 2008 innovators of the year for the development of Ball State's Digital Corps, has held a variety of administrative positions at Ball State, including interim Vice President when Dr. H. O’Neal Smitherman vacated the position 13 months ago, and Associate Vice President for Information Technology prior to that beginning in 2002.

He joined Ball State in 1981 in the Department of Art. He has served the University as department chairman, associate dean of Sciences and Humanities, and director of the Visualization, Animation and Imaging Lab.

Mr. Repp was a contributing author of two digital technology grants from the Lilly Endowment totaling $40 million. He now will help oversee implementation of a new $17.7 million Emerging Media Initiative meant to focus and accelerate the university's expertise in the field while spurring economic development through innovation, technology transfer, and the enhanced skills of a 21st century workforce.

Dr. Gora commended Mr. Repp for his work with the David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series, which will help bring nationally recognized media professionals to Ball State. He assisted with the Emerging Media Initiative, which stemmed from a $17.7 million Lilly Endowment grant and will go toward improving media programs at Ball State. He also led the university's digital media storage project in collaboration with Network Appliance, which received an award from InfoWorld as an example of outstanding enterprise, innovation, and information technology leadership. As well, he spearheaded the campus-wide strategic planning process for the Office of Information Technology.

Mr. Repp said that he looks forward to advancing the university’s new technologies and emerging media missions and facilitating the use of advanced technologies in teaching, learning, and research.

Among his accomplishments during 2008, Mr. Repp assisted the University Libraries in obtaining a large donation for the Helen B. and Martin D. Schwartz Special Collections and Digital Complex which will be completed in 2009 at Bracken Library, purchase of technology for public areas of the Libraries, and he has supported expansion of the Archives and Special Collections through renovation of facilities.

Chat Widgets Increase Number of Reference Questions at the Libraries

2008-12-17T09:07:00.001-05:00

by Stacy B. Chaney-Blankenship, Information Services Librarian

In an effort to provide better services to our students, faculty, and staff, Information Services librarians at Ball State University Libraries have placed chat widgets on the Web site.

Chat widgets are a way for students and faculty to send instant messages directly from a Web page. Widgets do not require an account with a chat service provider nor do they depend on chat software being installed on the user’s computer station. Rather, chat widgets are put in place by the Web page creator. The user, who is assigned a “guest” account by the chat service provider, can interact with the widget provider directly from that page. In this case, personnel at the reference desk are contacted by students and researchers from the Libraries’ Web page.

The ever-popular chat service provides an easy way for users to get help from a librarian, and widgets can increase chat use by putting the service directly within the context of the Libraries’ Web site and making it easy for users to ask research questions.

The Ball State University Libraries have Wimzi widgets on the main Ask a Librarian page at
www.bsu.edu/library/askalibrarian, on the Libraries’ Articles and Databases page at
www.bsu.edu/libraries/databases/index.php, within the Libraries’ online subject guide system at
http://bsu.libguides.com, and on the Libraries’ MySpace page.

It did not take long for students and others to begin using the widgets. The University Libraries’ statistics on chat use increased immediately following implementation. The first widget went live on the Ask a Librarian page in late August 2007, and the following month showed a 33% increase in chats overall.

Another chat widget on the Articles and Databases page has accounted for 5% to 10% of all chat sessions received at the Bracken Library Reference and Information Desk since the widget’s introduction in September 2008.

In November 2008, sessions that originated from chat widgets accounted for 68% of the more than 400 total chat sessions overall. These chats are received at the reference desk in conjunction with other chat questions being sent from the users’ own AIM, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo chat accounts to our chat accounts, all with the username BSULibrarian and managed at the desk using Trillian software.

For more information, contact Stacy B. Chaney-Blankenship, Information Services Librarian, SBChaney@bsu.edu, 765-285-1101.

Ball State Librarians Contribute to Book on Digital Scholarship

2008-12-17T09:04:00.001-05:00

James A. Bradley, Head of Metadata and Digital Initiatives, and John B. Straw, Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, contributed chapters to a new book entitled Digital Scholarship, published by Routledge as part of their Studies in Library and Information Science series.

The book presents ten original essays by librarians and archivists detailing both challenges and proven solutions in establishing, maintaining, and servicing digital scholarship in the humanities. The authors report progress and problems, examine new business models, new forms of partnerships, and new technologies and resources.

Bradley’s chapter, “The Russian Doll Effect: Making the Most of Your Digital Assets” explains that digital artifacts will find themselves repurposed and repackaged several times over for a variety of environments, gateways, and diverse user types. He demonstrates that careful attention to metadata in the project planning stage will yield extremely flexible digital objects. His findings are illuminated using specific examples drawn from Ball State University’s Digital Media Repository.

Straw’s chapter, “Digital Partnerships: Collaborating to Build Digital Resources” explores issues of digital project collaborations including advantages and disadvantages, politics, pitfalls, potential partnerships, project management, communication, resource sharing, written agreements, and promotion and publicity. Examples are cited from Ball State University Libraries’ experiences in developing a Digital Media Repository (http://libx.bsu.edu) and specifically from a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) digitization grant project involving multiple partners.

The volume editor is Marta M. Deyrup, Associate Professor at Seton Hall University Libraries, South Orange, New Jersey. [Publication Information: Deyrup, Marta Mestrovic, ed. Digital Scholarship. Routledge Studies in Library and Information Science Series. New York: Routledge, 2009.]

Ball State Librarians Present at Indiana Library Federation’s Annual Conference

2008-12-17T09:01:00.001-05:00

Diane L. Calvin, Head of Information Services, participated in a panel discussion called Let’s Chat about Chat. She described University Libraries’ success with a live chat reference service as usage continues to grow for this service.

Stacy B. Chaney-Blankenship, Information Services Librarian, presented a session entitled Virtual Pathfinders and LibGuides. She discussed options for updating online library subject guides, including the University Libraries’ use of the LibGuides system.

Maren L. Read, Archivist for Manuscript Collections, and Amanda A. Hurford, Digital Initiatives Multimedia Developer, presented Not Just Old News: Virtual Access to Historic Newspapers through Digitization. They discussed the steps to make the Muncie Post-Democrat Newspaper Collection available to a global audience, including preparing the collection, digitization, Optical Character Recognition, metadata creation, and online display.

Scott R. McFadden, Head of Serials Cataloging, presented The CONSER Standard Record: A New Approach to Serials Cataloging. The session explained the CONSER Standard Record, a minimum standard for cataloging serials, recently introduced by CONSER (Cooperative Online Serials program).

Matthew C. Shaw, Collections Development Librarian, presented Please Visit our Google Branch: Supplementing Traditional Collections with Google Book Search Project to an audience of 70. He discussed practical ways for academic, public, and school libraries to take advantage of the digitization of millions of books by Google Inc.

Bracken Library Hosts Successful Technology Showcase "Tech4U"

2008-11-18T14:50:00.001-05:00

Bracken Library was privileged to host Tech4U, an information technology showcase of emerging media and other technologies that included Microsoft Surface,™ a robot, and Nintendo® Wii™ on October 23, 2008.

The event was sponsored by the Vice President’s Office for Information Technology, which includes Teleplex Services, University Computing Services, and the University Libraries.

Bracken Library was selected as the site for the Tech4U fair for many reasons, including the University Libraries’ rich dynamic research resources and cutting-edge technologies. The Libraries provide an environment conducive to student creativity, learning, and collaboration. Other factors included the Libraries’ focus on engaging students, committed professional and paraprofessional personnel, and Bracken Library’s centralized location on campus.

Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, said, “Bracken Library was a perfect setting for the technology showcase. It is the place on campus where large numbers of students and faculty interact with digital content, where they can explore emerging technologies and media formats. Examples include video editing and animation using intensive media computing, exploring educational simulations and gaming, Second Life, and utilizing a variety of Web 2.0 social networking utilities.”

More than 30 members of the University Libraries’ professional and paraprofessional personnel contributed to the success of the event by participating in planning, arranging the physical space, presenting sessions to demonstrate curriculum solutions, and other activities to increase student achievement.

Highlights of the showcase included the Microsoft Surface™ display that looks like an electronic coffee table and that offers new and interesting ways to interact with data. It was just one of 60 information booths showcasing technologies and interactive demonstrations during the day-long fair. During the Tech4U fair, 35 technology leaders and nationally recognized faculty from Ball State University presented seminars to show and discuss how interactive technologies affect and impact how people communicate, teach, learn, create and collaborate.

Philip C. Repp, Ball State’s Interim Vice President for Information Technology, stated, “I was impressed with the number of people and with the energy, excitement, and many positive comments generated by all of the exhibits and presentations.”

Mr. Repp added that the university has the reputation, faculty expertise, technical support, and industry partnerships that allow for the effective integration of technology and emerging media in higher education.

In addition to 22 commercial vendors, there were 28 tables consisting of four specific hubs located on the library’s first floor, most of which shared emerging technologies with educational applications.

The four hub areas included “The Digital Classroom,” “Digital Media/Art,” “Emerging Communications for Students,” and “Games and Development.”

The main presentations included:
- Justin Beck and Dan Peters, Blackboard Senior Solutions Engineers, “Blackboard Solutions in the Digital Classroom”
- Larry Johnson, CEO of New Media Consortium, “The Horizon Metatrends: What We’ve Learned from Five Years on the Horizon Project”
- Matt Hitts, Live@edu Specialist, “Emerging Communications for Students”
- Jonathan B. Huer along with other Ball State Digital Product Corps members, “Games and Development”

A sampling of the day’s mini-sessions included:
- An “Emerging Communications” series with a variety of information booths, such as the Google Apps where Ball State students learned about the launching of a service where they can merge their Ball State e-mail address with a Google Apps account
- Ball State Virtual Campus and Second Life Initiatives
- Digital Classroom Technology
- Digital Media/Art presentations
- Interactive and sensory exhibits customized for the Muncie Children’s Museum and a variety of projects and 3D demonstrations
- Technology Tips with the Libraries’ Technology Training Support Specialists
- University Libraries’ Emerging Media Initiatives, such as the Cardinal Scholar Institutional Repository, the Digital Media Repository, and Geographic Information Systems.

John B. Straw, University Libraries’ Assistant Dean for Digital Initiatives and Special Collections, said, “We appreciate the demonstrations that were presented by so many personnel from the University Libraries to help make Tech4U a success and Bracken Library a great venue for presenting emerging technologies and media.”

Bracken’s turnstiles recorded 5,281 people between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. during the Tech4U fair. The count was 692 over the daily average for the same time period on Tuesday and Wednesday.

To view a Tech4U Photo Galleria slide show, visit www.bsu.edu/library/tech4uphotos.

Applying Metrics to Measure Outcomes

2008-11-18T14:44:00.004-05:00

by Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of Ball State University Libraries

The University Libraries are committed to providing a rich array of library and information services for students, faculty, staff, and others in the academic community. To measure our success toward achieving various objectives that are part of our strategic plan, we use metrics.

Some of these metrics include analyzing circulation, use of computer workstations, or the volume of desktop and laptop printing by customer segments — freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate, staff, faculty. We also collect statistics on the number of persons who pass through our turnstiles.

The accompanying chart makes use of turnstile data that has been collected hourly and then aggregated into weekly, monthly, and annual tables. Such data helps to inform the library administration about staffing requirements for peak periods, among other uses.

The chart shows a bar graph of the university’s fiscal year enrollment during the periods from 2003-04 through a projection for 2008-09. It also shows a line graph of the Libraries’ turnstile count per capita. The per capita graph is an upward sloping line. The data points for it are calculated by dividing the annual turnstile count by its respective annual enrollment. For example, for 2008-09, the turnstile count is estimated at 1,350,000 and enrollment is 20,243. The Per Capita Turnstile Count is 66.7 [1,350,000/20,243 = 66.7], average visits per person enrolled.

Since 2003-04, the turnstile per capita count has increased each year. The values are {45.2, 55.5, 62.4, 65.0. 66.1, 66.7}.

The interpretation of the chart is that the University Libraries have successfully attracted more students each year through our programs, services, and collections. The result is that the average attendance per student has increased. Their repeat visits show that they value our resources, which impact their productivity and success.

Technology Training Support Services: Making an Impact

2008-11-18T14:41:00.001-05:00

In the five years since its inception as a unit within the University Libraries, Technology Training Support Services (TTSS) has grown in scope. Today the unit offers individual faculty and staff consultations, faculty-requested student training, a comprehensive Web site, walk-in clinics, special projects, a newsletter, and an annual technology fair for faculty.

The unit’s core activities continue to be instructor-led workshops providing a myriad of technology sessions to faculty and staff, according to Yasemin Tunç, director.

Since 2003, there have been 2,804 technology training sessions. These have been held at Bracken Library. Attendance at these events stands at 9,710 faculty and staff, many of whom have attended multiple sessions.

Dr. Deborah A. Ceglowski, associate professor in the Department of Elementary Education, said that since joining the Ball State faculty this academic year she has had more training in technology than in her previous 13 years of higher education experience elsewhere. “That sets the stage for how Ball State Libraries is providing support and training to faculty members,” she said. “I appreciate what they do.”

Dr. Susan A. McDowell, associate professor in the Department of Biology, said that she has learned how to use her iLocker, create a blog, and develop interactive PowerPoint presentations, thanks in part to the training services of TTSS. “The training and support I have received has made it easy for me to provide high quality presentations in all of my classes,” she said.

Dr. McDowell reports that the skills that graduate and undergraduate students gained from attending a PowerPoint “how-to” session were valuable to them in making posters. This skill will allow them to participate more easily in poster sessions at local, regional, national, and international meetings.

The unit’s decisions about which training sessions to offer and when depend on changes and updates in technology. For example, during last spring semester with the introduction of Sitecore — the University’s new content management system — new sessions in that technology were offered.

Similarly, sessions for Microsoft Office 2007 became in demand as more departments began to use the MS 2007 productivity suite. Generally, the weeks prior to fall and spring semesters result in an increase in the number of sessions on Blackboard, Gradebook, inQsit, and PowerPoint. All sessions are offered frequently to accommodate the schedules of busy faculty and staff.

French Revolution Pamphlets Available in the Digital Media Repository for Teaching, Learning, and Research

2008-11-18T14:40:00.000-05:00

A collection of rare pamphlets from the French Revolution period is now available in digital format. Students, faculty, staff, and researchers globally may access these documents anytime from anywhere, 24/7/365. The French Revolution Pamphlet Collection can be found in the Ball State University Digital Media Repository, a project of the University Libraries, at http://libx.bsu.edu.

The collection contains pamphlets published from 1779 through 1815. Although the French Revolution occurred from 1789 to 1799, this collection documents the time leading up to the revolution through the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815). Often privately printed due to newspaper censure by the French monarchy, the pamphlets were used to disseminate information and ideas concerning nationalism, citizenship, personal freedom, and social injustice.

The French Revolution Pamphlet Collection, which is housed in the Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections, was originally purchased from Mrs. Frances Reynolds in 1973. The University acquired it to assist an increasing number of history and French students in their research and studies. While it has served that purpose on several occasions since, the digital version will now make the collection available to a world-wide audience of students and researchers, anytime, anywhere. The collection will have new life for Ball State students and faculty who probably were not aware of this potentially research-rich resource.

The effects of the French Revolution were far-reaching and global. The resulting wars propelled Britain to global dominance. Many historians consider the French Revolution as the beginning of modern Europe. Much like the American Revolution, it was a movement of the masses. Since newspapers were heavily censored, the French revolutionaries turned to pamphlets to disseminate political discourse. Pamphlets became the most important tool for propaganda and political discourse.

The collection contains 544 pamphlets. Digitizing is continuing and the entire collection will ultimately be available in the Digital Media Repository. While the pamphlets are in French, an English title is provided as well as the French one. A link to a finding aid in English for the entire collection is available on the splash page. Our objective is to eventually provide a translation of each document.

University Libraries: Involved in Conserving Paper, Recycling Efforts

2008-11-18T14:36:00.001-05:00

The University Libraries’ scanning stations are busy humming as students scan papers and research materials and then save their documents to their 2 GB iLocker digital storage space (provided to all Ball State students, faculty, and staff.)

At the University Libraries, visitors are encouraged to help reduce waste and slash disposal costs by saving portable document files (PDFs) to computers and thumb drives instead of printing them. This initiative has been successful as more people become comfortable with both reading and writing on screen.

Additionally, students are asked to limit their printing to 30 pages per day and to place any waste paper or unwanted documents into any one of 25 recycling containers located in Bracken Library.

The University Libraries’ personnel routinely recycle photocopy and printer cartridges.

“We’re already in the habit of recycling paper. The discarded pages are turned into notepads and many staff use the back side of pages for printing,” said Susan G. Akers, Marketing Communications Manager.

Another recycling effort is to encourage students, faculty, and staff to leave magazines at a large magazine rack in Bracken’s lower level for others to enjoy.

Other conservation-minded measures include using equipment that features the Energy Star or other power management functionality to conserve electricity and by asking employees to turn-off their desktop computers and office lights when they leave for the day to conserve energy by thinking green.

Ball State University Libraries’ Interlibrary Loan Services: Helping Others around the Country and World

2008-11-18T14:32:00.000-05:00

Ball State University Libraries’ Interlibrary Loan Services reputation for quality service helps place it as the second highest academic lender of materials in Indiana, just behind Indiana University-Bloomington with respect to the number of items loaned to other libraries.

“We have loaned materials to people from Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, Lebanon, and Norway, to mention a few countries,” said Elaine S. Nelson, Interlibrary Loan Supervisor. “Over the past fiscal year, we have experienced an increase of about 1.8% in the number of borrowing requests from other libraries. For the same period, our borrowing from other libraries has increased by 15.6%.”

The installation of a Direct Request feature in February 2006 allows the automatic submission of a student or faculty member’s request to the libraries once certain criteria are met. This is a “transparent feature” so that when a person submits a request, it automatically forwards to a library that owns the item.

This means that Interlibrary Loan staff do not handle the request until the item physically arrives at the University Libraries, thereby reducing the time the requestor has to wait by about 1.8 days. ILLiad has proven to be an essential technology in helping our staff to service an increasing number of requests.

The unit receives many types of thank you letters, mostly by e-mail, in which people share their appreciation for Interlibrary Loan Services.

One customer wrote, “This is my first time to deal with Ball State, having heard David Letterman crow about it for years. It’s been wonderful doing business with you!”

Interlibrary Loan Services has supplied six articles to the Executive Office of the President of the United States over the past few years. The unit also finds materials for Ball State students and faculty. For example, a student recently needed a book for his research that unit personnel found and borrowed from a library in South Africa.

Through Interlibrary Loan Services, students and faculty may
- Obtain books, articles, videos, software, and music from other libraries
- Obtain materials listed as “Checked Out” in our online public catalog
- Obtain most requested materials in less than 10 days
- Access requested articles may have articles delivered online.

For more information, contact Elaine S. Nelson, the University Libraries’ Interlibrary Loan Supervisor, ENelson@bsu.edu, 765-285-1323.

Native America at the Crossroads: Resources Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

2008-11-18T14:29:00.001-05:00

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month and explore the multitude of resources available on Native American history by visiting the University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections located on the second floor of Bracken Library.

The exhibit, Native America at the Crossroad: Resources Celebrating Native American Heritage Month, will be on display through December 31, 2008.

This exhibit is in collaboration with the Department of Anthropology, the University Libraries’ Geospatial Resources and Map Collection, and the Educational Resources Collections.

Items on exhibit include maps featuring Delaware County settlements along the White River and Native Americans of North America, photographs from the Miami Indian photo collection, documents from the Indian Reserves Collection, historical texts documenting Native Americans in the U.S., a copy of Richard Greene’s booklet on the Delaware Indians in Muncie, a rawhide rattle and peace pipe from Educational Resources Collections, and pottery sherds and arrowheads from the Department of Anthropology.

For more information, contact Lajmar D. Anderson, University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections Supervisor, LDAnderson@bsu.edu, 765-285

Librarians Speak to Oral History Association about Oral Histories in the Digital Age

2008-11-18T14:23:00.000-05:00

Maren L. Read, Archivist for Manuscript Collections, and Amanda A. Hurford, Digital Initiatives Multimedia Developer, shared their experience and expertise on digital oral histories at the Oral History Association 2008 Annual Meeting held in Pittsburgh, Penn this past October. It drew oral historians, archivists, and librarians alike from around the United States and countries such as Great Britain, Finland, and Iraq.

The meeting featured a range of speakers addressing the theme of “Oral History in the Digital Age.” Read and Hurford presented as part of a panel discussion on organizing and using large oral history collections. Their paper, “Voices Representing Middletown: An Oral History Project for the Digital Age,” focused on the advantages of using a digital content management system, such as CONTENTdm, to present, store, and access digital oral history interviews and transcripts. The Middletown Digital Oral History Collections,
http://libx.bsu.edu/collection.php?CISOROOT=/MidOrHis, were showcased as part of Ball State University Libraries’ Digital Media Repository and as a model for using a digital content management system.

Their talk addressed how the system allows students and researchers to search for, obtain, and use digital oral histories more effectively — making use of digital age technologies, customizability, and the ability to access resources within the context of a larger digital library.

Attending the OHA Conference also provided them opportunities to learn how oral historians and information professionals are providing access to oral history collections online. Some of the sessions of particular interest were “Challenges of Digital Collections” and “Collecting, Sharing, and Teaching Oral History in the Digital Age.”

Issues such as copyright, transcribing digital oral histories, and providing access to clips of interviews versus full interviews were topics of lively discussion in many sessions.

New Video Shares Student Testimony

2008-10-21T10:23:00.000-04:00

This past summer, Alexander Newman, a graduate student in Ball State’s organizational communication program, told me he loved Bracken Library so much that if there were beds at the facility, he’d live here!

The timing of our conversation could not have been better because I was looking for a student to help with a promotional video for the Libraries. I asked Alexander to think about how he would sum up his view of the University Libraries in 30 seconds or so, and since he was captain of Ball State’s award-winning debate team, I knew he had excellent communication skills and could do this.

We asked Alex Amira, the University Libraries’ Part-time Temporary Desktop Computer Technician, to videotape the public service announcement. See this 50-second production at www.bsu.edu/library/librarynews/videos.

Alexander’s presentation engages the viewer and shares his enthusiasm for the University Libraries’ resources and services through his words and testimony.

Using Testimonials in Marketing

Letting satisfied library users share their stories helps the library to “tell the tale” and builds credibility and trust within a promotional message. A testimonial or endorsement consists of a written or spoken statement, sometimes from a public figure and sometimes from a private citizen.

The value of a testimonial is that it “grabs” the listener or encourages the person to listen. Adding a testimonial to your library’s Web site is an economical, powerful way to inform others about the value of the academic library’s services, programs, and collections.

While your library may already have developed a tagline or catchy slogan to promote services, it is worthwhile to think of creative ways to use a satisfied user’s personal recommendation. It is an excellent way to promote the library to that person’s peer group.

Some helpful tips for developing a testimonial video spot are the following:

Rehearse the comments several times and be sure the volunteer is relaxed in front of the camera. There can be several takes before you capture the essence of the message, so practice beforehand. (Of course, editing can be done afterward for a polished production).
The best comments are in the customer’s voice, so it is best to tweak their script instead of handing them your script.
Having your volunteer’s full name on the screen even momentarily adds credibility to the production.
Be sure to obtain a signed video or photograph release form for your files.

For more information, contact Susan G. Akers, Marketing Communications Manager, SAkers@bsu.edu, 765-285-5031.

Ball State Libraries Promote Undergraduate Research Culture

2008-10-21T09:40:00.002-04:00

Ball State University Libraries’ programs, services, and rich collections of digital and print resources provide a productive environment to nurture and advance an undergraduate research culture that supports immersive learning experiences for Ball State students.

We continually seek ways to enhance students’ undergraduate educational experiences for learning and discovery a focus of the University’s objective to provide immersive learning opportunities that meld content, skills, societal need, and students’ interests into an intense, real-world transformative experience. Development of an undergraduate research agenda is a valuable tool and opportunity for the University Libraries to support students’ academic plans and immersive experiences at Ball State as they prepare to advance to graduate study and/or to succeed in the workforce. They will develop and enhance problem-solving skills, improve communication skills, and learn to work collaboratively.

Selective examples of how the University Libraries advance and promote an undergraduate research culture that assists in promoting immersive learning include:
• Access to an ever expanding universe of sophisticated digital information resources
• Global resources available 24/7/365 at student and faculty desktops
• Accessibility to the latest computer technology to support classroom learning, research projects, and utilization of emerging technologies
• Physical environment that promotes collaborative and individual learning
• Expert librarians who provide help and guidance to students and faculty for research projects

In June, 2006, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) published a research paper, "A Culture of Evidence: Postsecondary Assessment and Learning Outcomes." It identifies four dimensions of student learning:

• Workplace readiness and general education skills
• Content knowledge/discipline-specific knowledge and skills
• “Soft skills," or non-cognitive skills such as teamwork, communication, and creativity and
Student engagement.

The University Libraries greatly assist Ball State students in these four dimensions of student learning by means of dynamic research resources, cutting-edge technologies, an environment conducive to student creativity and collaboration, and committed professional and paraprofessional personnel.

Our technologies and classroom-critical electronic academic databases and the array of educational resources greatly conserves our students’ research time while also providing them with rich and relevant resources for added depth and specificity for their research. Convenient access to excellent computer technology and productivity software allows students opportunities to conduct sophisticated analyses, synthesize research, and create high-quality work.

Specific examples of these resources and tools provided by the University Libraries in support of workplace readiness, knowledge and skills development, soft skills enhancement, cooperative learning, and student engagement for creating an undergraduate research culture and augmenting immersive learning include:

• 363 public access computers, including 19 Mac systems, that are available 120.5 hours each week for student use
• Flatbed scanners, film scanners, digital video cameras, and circulating laptops available to support student research projects
• FindIt@BSU, an open URL link resolver technology that links database citations to full-text articles from almost 13,500 e-journals and to interlibrary loan services
• Software available on public access computers to support research including statistical packages such as SPSS, Minitab, and Fathom; design programs Adobe InDesign, Printshop, and Illustrator; and video processing applications Adobe Premier, Sony Vegas, and Final Cut Studio
• More than 105,000 digital objects in the Libraries’ Digital Media Repository that include scholarly journals, audio and video files, newspapers, photographs, maps, and much more
• Subscriptions to over 200 excellent academic databases, including Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, Lexis Nexis, and Web of Science to provide students and faculty with point-and-click access to millions of full-text journal articles and scholarly citations as well as thousands of e-books, newspapers, and digital images for research and learning
• SerialsSolution’s 360Search, a federated search utility that allows students to search multiple electronic collections of e-resources simultaneously and present results in an organized results set
• Free public printing from the University Libraries’ desktops or individual’s laptops
• Nearly 844,000 books, 276,000 print journal volumes, and 231,500 microforms to support research and learning
• Expert librarians who help students by providing in-person and personal research and reference assistance as well as answer questions, provide guidance, and share their expertise both in person and through Live Chat.

Librarians also provide instruction in a variety of formats, including sessions tailored to meet the individual needs of academic classes In addition to facilitating easy access to the University Libraries’ resources and tools that serve to strengthen Ball State’s undergraduate students’ research and immersive learning experiences, the ETS paper emphasizes the importance of students’ developing their “soft skills” for communication, creativity, and collaboration.

To accomplish this, the University Libraries strive to create an environment of community conducive to collaboration and creativity for students. For example, the popular Bookmark Café @ Bracken Library is a place where our students can grab a cup of coffee or tea, a variety of snacks, and meet to talk with friends or colleagues. In addition, the Libraries offer other gathering spaces with comfortable furniture where students can watch world news or other television programming, and where they can chat and discuss issues of all types with each other.

Ball State University Libraries take a progressive, mission-driven approach to re-imagining the academic library as a hub for scholarship, collaboration, and networking. The conceptualization of the University Libraries as “a destination for research, learning, and friends” demonstrates our on-going commitment to creating and sustaining an undergraduate research culture as a vital part of immersive learning experiences and cooperative learning supported by the Libraries’ rich collections, excellent services, and advanced technologies.

For more information, contact Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of Ball State University Libraries, AHafner@bsu.edu, 765-285-5277.

Election Resources Available in the Geospatial Resources and Map Collection

2008-10-21T09:37:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, November 4, 2008, is Election Day in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for president of the United States and many other offices. Maps are an ideal tool for illustrating information and statistics about elections. The widely-used "blue states and red states" explanation of states' party affiliations has become a cultural phrase made popular by an election map from the 2000 presidential election.

The University Libraries’ Geospatial Resources and Map Collection (GRMC) houses many maps, atlases, and other resources about elections. These maps are both current and historical. Maps depicting newly-drawn Congressional districts, maps showing election results, and maps of local election precincts are available for research in the GRMC.

One of the most popular election maps is National Atlas of the United States of America: Presidential Elections, 1789-2000. This map, published by the federal government, shows how each state voted in every presidential election since 1789. “Red” states are depicted as Democratic Party states and “blue” states as Republican Party. It features a larger map of the election results of the controversial 2000 election. The main map displays the popular vote by county; an inset map shows the results of the electoral vote. Indiana presents an interesting study in cultural history on the map: Indiana has voted for the Republican Party candidate in all but four presidential elections since 1896.

The Atlas Collection provides excellent election resources. Atlas of American Politics, 1960-2000 features several maps about elections, including voter turnout. Readers can use the atlas to find maps illustrating important events such as the impeachment vote of President Bill Clinton and topics such as the environment, capital punishment, abortion, and the number of women serving in state legislatures. The Atlas Collection also includes election resources from other countries, including the first elections in Kosovo and Poland.

Students, faculty, and others can now access a new study guide, Cartographic Resources for Political Science and Election Research, at www.bsu.edu/library/mediapdfpoliscienceresourcesguide.pdf.

For more information contact Melissa S. Gentry, University Libraries’ Map Collections Assistant, MGentry@bsu.edu, 765-285-1097.

Ball State Libraries' Displays Promote Collection

2008-10-21T09:36:00.000-04:00

Ball State University Libraries’ collections contain resources that touch on every topic imaginable. The challenge for librarians is how to expose students, faculty, and community members to the breadth of the collections in a way that captures their interests and imagination without diverting them from their primary research needs.

On some level, this is the same dilemma faced by retail storeowners who must market a large inventory to consumers who are often focused only on a specific purchase.

While a library is far different from a commercial business, the University Libraries have seen positive benefits from developing eye-catching displays similar to retailers. Visitors to the main lobby can browse from a table of books and media chosen by librarians on topics relevant to the season or corresponding to commemorations designated by Congress or others.

For example, a recent display acknowledged the start of the semester with a collection of items on developing good study skills. Banned Books Week, sponsored by the American Library Association, prompted an array of notable books receiving challenges, such as The Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird. Of increasingly timely interest is Bracken Library’s current display of resources on elections and issues which the candidates are discussing.

Library users are often seen thumbing through titles, and the presence of empty book holders confirms that titles make their way into stacks of items being checked out.

In addition, the Libraries’ specialized collections regularly draw attention to materials in their areas by mounting topic-specific displays. The Architecture Library is currently featuring titles on sustainability in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning. The Educational Resources Collections are featuring colorful exhibitions of 3-D realia in addition to books of interest to young students. Spooky topics are in vogue as Halloween approaches.

Attractive posters and book jackets are displayed elsewhere in the University Libraries and prompt requests for items. Throughout, the approach is to appeal to students and faculty where they are – pausing to meet a classmate, waiting for the elevator, passing through the halls – and draws attention to topics and resources that might be of interest. It is a low-key method that has successfully garnered results and positive comments.

Steinbeck Lecture Series to Feature Dr. Barbara Heavilin

2008-10-21T09:33:00.000-04:00

Dr. Barbara A. Heavilin, co-founder and co-editor of the Steinbeck Review, will deliver this year’s Steinbeck Lecture on October 30, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. in Bracken Library’s Forum Room, BL-225. Her topic is John Steinbeck as Mr. American Spectator.

Dr. Heavilin is Associate Professor of English at Taylor University. She has published numerous articles and books on Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck, including The Critical Response to John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath: A Reference Guide. She has served as editor of the Steinbeck Yearbook series. Her latest book, A John Steinbeck Reader: Essays in Honor of Stephen A. George, will be published by Scarecrow Press this fall.

The Steinbeck Lecture Series was founded by Dr. and Mrs. Tetsumaro Hayashi in honor of Dr. Richard W. and Mrs. Dorothy Burkhardt and Dr. John J and Mrs. Angeline R. Pruis, whose generosity has helped Ball State University to recognize internationally prominent Steinbeck scholars and educators for 30 years. Dr. Hayashi is a noted Steinbeck scholar and past president of the Steinbeck Society of America, and the founder of the Steinbeck Research Institute at Ball State University.

The Steinbeck Lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact John B. Straw, JStraw@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078 or Dr. Robert Habich, RHabich@bsu.edu, 765-285-8407.

Garnett Mystery Collection Opens for Circulation at Bracken Library

2008-10-21T09:29:00.000-04:00

Visitors to Bracken Library’s first floor East will find a new resource – the Garnett Mystery Collection. The collection came to the University Libraries from Ball State’s Women’s Studies Program, to which it was donated in 1999. Transferring the collection to the University Libraries furthers the goals of the donor by offering greater public exposure to many female writers.

“Classic” works by Ellis Peters, Ngaio Marsh, P.D. James, Dorothy Gilman will be found in the collection alongside the more contemporary views of Donna Andrews, Laura Childs, Susan Wittig Albert, Laurie King, and others. The focus is on titles published in the United States since the 1970s.

The collection should appeal to students of relevant academic disciplines as well as casual readers in search of a good “whodunit.”

“There are literally hundreds of titles I didn’t know existed. There should be plenty to keep me happy through the winter,” said Cheryl Shull, a mystery buff.

Over 2,400 titles have been cataloged so far with about 600 titles in process. Paperback editions are receiving durable bindings. The Advanced Search mode in CardCat is also an excellent way to search the collection – choose “Garnett Mystery Collection, Bracken 1-East” from the drop-down box of locations.

Love of History Leads to Career Choice as Archivist

2008-10-21T09:27:00.000-04:00

Brian Knowles, University Libraries’ Part-time Temporary Assistant Archivist, remembers watching public television programming with his grandmother and one of the memorable documentaries he viewed was about World War II. The program sparked a lifelong interest in history. This passion propelled him to obtain a dual degree in historic preservation and history from Southeast Missouri State University.

While a civilian, Brian worked as an intern at the Archives at the Marine Corps Base Quantico, located in Quantico, Virginia, which is about 35 miles south of Washington D.C. While there, he assisted researchers, accessioned documents and materials, and helped organize Command Chronologies for transition to the National Archives and Records Administration.

The highlight of his internship was processing and digitally scanning World War II photograph albums. Within those albums were rare photographs of the American flags raised at various sites on Iwo Jima in 1945. Other photographs show the daily life in and out of combat as Marines served on Okinawa and Iwo Jima.

Brian’s appreciation and passion for history led him to serve as a volunteer at the Cape River Girardeau Heritage Museum, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and at Trial of Tears State Park, Jackson, Missouri. With almost seven years of service with the U.S. Marines Corps Reserve, Brian has trained throughout the U.S. and was activated for deployment to Iraq in 2004 for one year.

Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean of University Libraries, said, “We are glad Brian is at Ball State University Libraries while he is earning a master’s degree in history because he is bringing us his considerable experience working with archival materials and knowledge of historic preservation.”

Brian is currently working on projects in the College of Architecture and Planning’s Drawings and Documents Archive where he utilizes his archive experience and educational background in historic preservation. One significant project is adding architectural renderings and drawings of the Joseph Cezar Collection to the archive’s database. Cezar was an illustrious architect, from the 1930s into the 1970s, who worked extensively in Indiana, designing offices, buildings, churches, and houses.

In the future, Brian’s vocational objective is to apply the experience and new skills gained while working in the Ball State University Libraries to a career in the Archives at the Marine Corps Base Quantico.

Ball State University’s Institutional Repository Promotes the University’s Intellectual Capital

2008-10-21T09:25:00.001-04:00

Cardinal Scholar, Ball State University’s institutional repository, serves as a digital drop box for students, faculty, and staff to preserve their scholarly achievements. In keeping with the entrepreneurial spirit on which Ball State is founded, Cardinal Scholar also strives to highlight the intellectual capital generated by student and faculty researchers. By documenting the official and business-related output of Ball State administrators, the repository also serves an important collection development function by capturing the institutional history and memory of the University.

The addition of presentations, data sets, papers, compositions, performances, and exhibits from the campus community fosters a unique environment for idea exchange and publication distribution. Additionally, Cardinal Scholar creates a digital space for administrators to preserve and provide access to electronic records such as technical reports, documentation, meeting minutes, annual reports, and manuals.

Students and faculty benefit from Cardinal Scholar in the following ways:

• The repository provides a persistent URL to deposited items, providing a stable link for everything from electronic portfolios to Web browser book marks.
• Cardinal Scholar is an easy way for depositors to document and historicize their intellectual or administrative contributions to Ball State University in a secure electronic environment that is committed to a digital preservation schedule.
• As Ball State University’s institutional repository is indexed by Google and other search engines, researchers outside of the University are able to find and access materials deposited in Cardinal Scholar.

Premiering in January 2008, Cardinal Scholar now contains over 150 deposits. To promote and increase the use of Cardinal Scholar, the University Libraries are embarking on a campaign to promote the institutional repository to student groups, administrators, and faculty around campus. The University Libraries offer one-on-one and group instruction sessions and consultations for Cardinal Scholar.

To learn more, contact Carolyn F. Runyon, Archivist for Digital Development and University Records, CFRunyon@bsu.edu, 765-285-5078.

Library Participates in Welcome Week

2008-09-18T10:54:00.009-04:00

The week prior to the start of fall semester is an exciting time when students move in, buy books, meet new friends, and scope out the quickest route to classes. At Ball State, this time is also known as Welcome Week and is chock full of activities designed to help newcomers settle in and become better acquainted with their peers and life on a university campus.

The University Libraries’ personnel recognize this as an excellent time to introduce freshmen, transfer students, and new graduate students to the many library and informational resources and services available to support academic pursuits. During this time, many of the University Libraries’ personnel actively met students in a variety ways:

Creating a “Welcome Week” display in the lobby of Bracken Library with a variety of the Libraries’ eye-catching brochures, including a Top 10 Things You Should Know About the University Libraries list

Conducting drop-in mini-workshops about the libraries' resources and services

Presenting an overview of relevant services and collections at the Graduate Student Development Conference and staffing an information booth at the graduate student resources fair

Holding an orientation session for new and returning graduate assistants and others associated with the English Department’s Writing Program

Meeting with international students for an orientation and tour of Bracken Library and related services

Hosting a laptop clinic to introduce library information technology programs and services while also providing assistance installing the University’s Symantec Antivirus client and Microsoft Office 2007 applications

Participating as book discussion group leaders for the Freshman Connections Common Reader program.

The Libraries’ outreach and instruction continue throughout the semester in a variety of formats, including sessions tailored to meet the individual needs of academic classes.

Welcome to New and Returning Students and Special

2008-09-18T10:54:00.008-04:00

Ball State University’s Fall Semester 2008 classes began Monday, August 25, 2008. Our librarians, professional personnel, and paraprofessional personnel are delighted to welcome everyone. We hope we will see you often in the University Libraries and that you will find the Libraries to be your destination for research, learning, and friends.

The Libraries are filled with the sights and sounds of learning. These sounds are the voices of students asking librarians questions, conversations about projects, clicks from the keyboards of students preparing papers or finding Web sites, the whirl of photocopy machines or the swishing of scanners, the hum of high speed laser printers, and the greetings exchanged between classmates, fraternity/sorority members, acquaintances, and others.

Students and faculty access the Libraries’ rich print and digital collections, seek help from librarians with their assignments and research projects, prepare papers and analyses using any one of the Libraries’ 351 public PCs or 27 Macs, and they print their projects or store them in an iLocker digital storage space that is provided for free to all students and faculty.

The Libraries are wireless throughout so that students can be anywhere in the Libraries and make use of their own laptops, personal assistants, or other small-screen smart devices.

Of course, books, journals, music CDs, movies and educational presentations in DVD and VHS formats, maps, laptops, and a variety of items in an assortment of formats are popular for check-out.

The University Libraries offer a variety of comfortable spaces for collaborative and individual study and a number of small to large group study rooms for practicing presentations and listening/viewing assigned materials for music and cinema classes. Group study rooms can be reserved online. Bracken Library’s fourth floor is designated as a Quiet Zone. While the sounds from students are noticeably low on Bracken’s second floor and on the basement level, Bracken’s first and third floors are known to students as places to see and be seen, where students can work alone – yet welcome interruptions – or collaborate with others on papers and projects.

The Libraries’ subscription databases of full-text articles, abstracts, and citations can be accessed from anywhere in the Libraries. They can also be accessed remotely from anywhere on campus or off-campus through an Internet connection.

The popular Bookmark Café @ Bracken Library is a place where our students can grab a cup of coffee or tea, talk with friends or colleagues. Students see the University Libraries as a place to develop their skills for scholarship and their soft skills that involve community, communication, and creativity.

Dr. Luchen Li Receives Ditsky Award for Steinbeck Research at Ball State University Libraries

2008-09-18T10:54:00.007-04:00

Through the generosity of donors, the Ball State University Libraries provide opportunities for students and scholars to advance their education and research. An outstanding example is the Steinbeck Research Fund in Honor of Dr. John M. Ditsky that was established by his wife, Mrs. C. Suzette Ditsky of Detroit, Michigan.

Dr. Luchen Li is this year’s recipient of the Ditsky Award. He will visit the University Libraries during the week of September 29 through October 3, 2008 to conduct intensive research on Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck, using the Steinbeck Collection in the Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections.

Dr. Li is Associate Professor of Humanities and Communication and Director of the Office of International Programs at Kettering University, Flint, Michigan. He has authored numerous Steinbeck-related publications, including A Critical Companion to John Steinbeck (co-authored with Geoffrey Schutz) and John Steinbeck: A Documentary Volume. He serves as Vice President of the International Programs for the John Steinbeck Society of America.

The topic of Dr. Li’s research is the ethical dimensions of John Steinbeck’s world. Examining Steinbeck’s works, he will focus on the author’s personal ethics and societal ethics concerning business, war, politics, and ethnicity. He will research how Steinbeck offers “a unique set of moral discourses – novels, novelettes, short stories, plays, scripts, and essays – that have helped define much of our own American ethics while providing contemporary insight for negotiating our moral responsibilities to our own fellow human beings, society, and environment.”

The Steinbeck Research Fund established by Mrs. Ditsky in honor of her late husband is intended to assist and encourage emerging Steinbeck visiting scholars and/or doctoral candidates in conducting research in Ball State University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections on an appropriate topic related to author John Steinbeck.

Dr. John Michael Ditsky (March 9, 1938 – May 15, 2006) was Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He was a world-renowned Steinbeck scholar, Vice President of the International Steinbeck Society, President of the New Steinbeck Society of America, a poet and poetry editor, a music critic, and Chair of the Editorial Board of the Steinbeck Quarterly.

Dr. and Mrs. Ditsky were long-time friends and colleagues of noted Steinbeck scholar and Ball State University professor Dr. Tetsumaro Hayashi who was instrumental in establishing the outstanding Steinbeck Collection in the University Libraries. Mrs. Ditsky recently donated her husband’s papers and books to Archives and Special Collections to augment and strengthen the Steinbeck Collection.

Friends Program on John Steinbeck by Dr. Luchen Li

2008-09-18T10:54:00.006-04:00

Dr. Luchen Li, Associate Professor of Humanities and Communication and Director of the Office of International Programs at Kettering University, Flint, Michigan, will deliver a talk entitled, “John Steinbeck’s View of the American Presidency” in Bracken Library’s Forum Room at 7:30 p.m. on October 1, 2008.

The free program is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library and by the Department of English, and is open to the public. 765-285-5078.

Varga Sculpture Donated to Ball State Libraries

2008-09-18T10:54:00.005-04:00

Students, faculty, alumni, and visitors to the Alexander M. Bracken Library are now able to see and study a work of art depicting an important part of the history of the Jewish people and the Holocaust.

Martin D. Schwartz, local businessman and philanthropist, donated a bronze sculpture by Hungarian artist Imre Varga, perhaps Hungary’s best-known contemporary sculptor, entitled Raoul Wallenberg in Budapest. The work is one of nine smaller versions created by Varga from the original work found in Budapest that was erected on a small patch of grass beside a roadway on the Buda side of the Danube River.

Raoul Wallenberg (August, 1912 – July 17, 1947) was a Swedish humanitarian sent to Budpest under diplomatic cover to rescue Jews from being sent to death camps in the later stages of World War II. He issued them protective passports from the Swedish embassy that identified the bearers as Swedish nationals awaiting repatriation.

Wallenberg was arrested on January 17, 1945, by order of Soviet Deputy Commissar for Defense Nikolai Bulganin. In 1957, the Soviets responded to diplomatic pressure and announced that Wallenberg had died of a heart attack in 1947 in Lubyanka prison in Moscow, but that has been disputed.

Sculptor Imre Varga was born in Hungary, November 1, 1923. He served as an air officer in World War II and returned to Hungary from captivity in 1945. He has won many awards for his work over the years and his work has appeared in numerous European museums.

Varga said of the Wallenberg sculpture that it served dual purposes. First it is a tribute to Raoul Wallenberg who Varga said “showed the way of honesty, the way of real heroes.” The other reason was more personal. Varga’s former professor, and later friend, Pál Pátzay, made the first Wallenberg monument and Varga made the second.

The sculpture was given by Mr. Schwartz in honor of his late wife Helen. They acquired the work of art when they were in Budapest around 1987 when the original monument was erected. It resided in their home until he recently gave it to the University Libraries.

The bronze sculpture is 25.5 inches in height by 16.5 inches in width and 12.75 inches in depth. It is currently on display outside of the Archives and Special Collections on the second floor of Bracken Library. When the Helen B. and Martin D. Schwartz Special Collections and Global Digital Complex is completed on Bracken Library’s first floor sometime during Spring Semester 2009, the sculpture will be located in that space.

Getting to Know the Basics of Copyright Law

2008-09-18T10:54:00.004-04:00

Our digital world immerses us 24/7 in intellectual property and it is prudent to know how the Copyright Law applies to these copyrighted materials, particularly to basic questions, such as these:
How long does copyright on an item last?
What is public domain?
What materials are copyrightable?
Is copyright automatic?
Do you need to register at the US Copyright Office?
What does the Copyright Law tell me about ownership?

The answers to these questions can be found at the Copyright Office’s Copyright Basics page, www.bsu.edu/library/article/0,,14494--,00.html.

For additional information about intellectual property issues, please visit the University Libraries’ Copyright Office homepage,
www.bsu.edu/library/collections/copyright.

For more information, contact the University Libraries’ Copyright and Intellectual Property Manager, Dr. Fritz Dolak, FDolak@bsu.edu, 765-285-5330.

Cardinals through the Decades: 90 Years of Ball State University on Exhibit in Bracken Library

2008-09-18T10:54:00.002-04:00

Beginning September 15 through October 31, 2008, the Archives and Special Collections will feature an exhibit, Cardinals through the Decades: 90 Years of Ball State University. The exhibit will be located on the second floor of Bracken Library.

Showing history and memories of Ball State from 1918-2008, the exhibit will feature memorabilia, artifacts, and historical items. The display includes:
photographs of the dedication of Beneficence in 1937
a glass time capsule from Burris
75th anniversary memorabilia, miniature staff-student B-Book directories
1940’s wooden scrapbook from Lucina Hall
Orient yearbooks, and other historical documents
books exploring the history of Ball State from its beginnings in the late 1800s

Librarian Liaisons Promote Resources to Faculty

2008-09-18T10:54:00.001-04:00

Whether it’s an instruction class, a newsletter, or a subject guide, librarian liaisons seek out many opportunities to encourage and facilitate communication between the University Libraries and the academic departments that participate in the program.

“Being a library liaison offers the opportunity to open lines of communication between the Libraries and teaching faculty,” says liaison Diane E. Hill, Media Librarian.

Diane works with the Departments of Education Studies and Elementary Education. She finds that teaching instruction sessions that focus on the collections in the Libraries’ Educational Resources Collection is a perfect opportunity for working with faculty.
Science librarian Kevin E. Brooks agrees. “The faculty search me out for instruction, research consultation, even help fleshing out courses and assignments,” he said. “The librarian liaison program has given me another avenue to interact with faculty about what we can do for them.”

The University Libraries’ LibGuides offer librarian liaisons an opportunity to create or promote subject guides for the academic departments they serve. To date, over 75 popular LibGuides have been created for subjects ranging from accounting to women’s studies, http://bsu.edu/library/electronicresources/researchguides. Librarian liaisons also use Web sites and newsletters to highlight resources.