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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

Ball State University Libraries Offer New User Experiences in Second Life

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

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

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

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.

Libraries’ Support a Teaching, Learning, and Research Environment

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.

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

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.

Campus Community Experiences Diversity at Bracken Library

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

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).

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

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

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

New Video Shares Student Testimony

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.

Garnett Mystery Collection Opens for Circulation at Bracken Library

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.

Welcome to New and Returning Students and Special

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.

Collaborative Exhibit at Bracken Library Focuses on History of Printed Word

The Ball State University Libraries and the Department of Art’s Visual Communications Program are jointly participating in a collaborative exhibit. Called Archetype: The Social Revolution of Writing, the exhibit runs through April 30, 2008.

Encompassing two floors at Bracken Library, the exhibit includes unique items from the Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections and artwork created by students under the guidance of Prof. Christine L. Satory. Student Casara K. Heaton helped to develop the concept of the exhibition and designed all of the print material.

“This is an example of an immersive learning experience as Casara was a full collaborator during the course of two semesters,” said Prof. Satory.

Students in Prof. Satory’s class created several multi-media works of art for the exhibit, which help to explore the various ways people have historically used symbols, typography, and the visual arts to communicate.

The University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections included illuminated manuscripts, a page from the Gutenberg Bible, a double fore-edge painted book, an illustration by Salvador Dali from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, a chained lectern book from 1506, chapbooks, and hornbooks. Other popular items include an antique typewriter and an early Macintosh computer (circa 1987) complete with a small screen, printer, and mouse.

The Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library sponsored an evening program on March 18, 2008, to support the exhibit. Prof. Christine L. Satory and Philip J. Deloria, Archivist for Digital Projects and University Records, discussed the history and development of the printed word from cave paintings through the alphabets and the Gutenberg Press to the invention of the personal computer and the World Wide Web.

Prof. Satory and Philip discussed communication’s role as “… the glue that holds society together” and the disruptive nature of new communication technologies. They believe that people are becoming more visually oriented and less textually oriented.

The exhibit can be seen on Bracken Library’s first floor east and in wall display cases next to the Archives and Special Collections area on the second floor.

Ball State's Bracken Library: The Place to go to Get Work Done

Bracken Library is commonly viewed by students as the place to go to successfully complete all types of projects and assignments.
Whether students want to study early or late, alone or together, whether they want multimedia tools or quiet space to just read or think about a project, we accommodate them. In addition to friendly librarians, we offer comfortable spaces for individual or group study and access to the best in print and digital collections. The hours are also great for busy students.

At the University Libraries, students have the latest and best technology, software, and equipment to create multimedia presentations, DVDs, podcasts, and blogs, just to name a few.

Students can scan images, create short videos, use geospatial datasets, and design creative projects. And technology specialists are never far away. Several hundred thousand digital resources are accessible through the Libraries’ digital media repositories and digital commons, including videos, photographs, and Web sites. These resources are also accessible to students and faculty from off-campus.

Technological tools are available for check out, including laptops, video and digital cameras, Web cams, and more. There are 350 public workstations that feature both Windows and Mac platforms, many with dual monitor configurations for multiple software applications.

The University Libraries merge 21st century digital resources with print collections and new media to provide all the common software used on campus to assist our students in achieving success.