Videos of First Division Veterans Now Accessible

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.

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

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.

Chat Widgets Increase Number of Reference Questions at the Libraries

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.

Friends Program on John Steinbeck by Dr. Luchen Li

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.

Garnett Mystery Collection Comes to Ball State's University Libraries

A collection of almost 3,000 women-authored mystery novels was recently donated to Ball State University LIbraries. The Garnett Mystery Collection was originally donated to the Women's Studies Program in 1999 where it was housed in the Women's Studies Resource Center in the Burkhardt Building on the Ball State University campus.

Julee L. Rosser, Interim Director of the Women’s Studies Program, said, “The Garnett Mystery Collection offers unique research value. The members of the Women’s Studies Program are thrilled to share this resource with the community. We are thankful to the people at Bracken Library for all their work in transporting, cataloging, and everything else they are doing to make the collection available. We are also very grateful to the donor.”

When cataloging is complete, the volumes will be shelved together in an area on 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.

Meet Some Board of Governors Members, Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library

Board of Governors of the Friends of the Alexander M. Bracken Library plays an important role in helping the University Libraries achieve their objective for providing the best resources for research, teaching, and learning. Meet some of our board members:

Marilyn Carey’s experience of serving on community boards includes 12 years with Muncie Community Schools and two terms as a trustee member of the Muncie Public Library. She was a media specialist at Muncie Central High School and had the distinction as “First Lady” of Muncie for eight years while the late Mr. James P. Carey served as mayor. Her hobbies include looking for treasures at antique sales and auctions. Mrs. Carey’s term is 2007-2010.

Dr. Nicole Etcheson, Alexander M. Bracken Professor of History in Ball State’s Department of History, considers Bracken Library to be the most essential building on campus. “The staff in Interlibrary Loan Services have been exceptionally helpful and efficient. I couldn’t do my work without them. All of the staff at Bracken that I’ve worked with from circulation, projection services, maps, and archives have been very professional and gone out of their way to be helpful.” Dr. Etcheson teaches Civil War and Reconstruction, Indiana History, the U.S. history survey courses, and graduate courses with expertise in 19th century U.S. She is working on a book about the Civil War home front in Putnam County, Indiana. Dr. Etcheson’s previous book, Bleeding Kansas: Contested Liberty in the Civil War Era was a History Book Club selection in 2004. Dr. Etcheson’s term is 2006-2009.

Dr. Carol A. Flores, Department of Architecture at Ball State University, brings students to Bracken Library during her Symbolism and Meaning in Architecture class (ARCH 495). There are early publications and some primary architectural texts in the Archives and Special Collections unit which Dr. Flores shares with the class. She also visited the area frequently while writing Owen Jones: Design, Ornament, Architecture, and Theory in an Age in Transition.

“I enjoy being on the board because it is a great opportunity to meet other people who are interested in improving education and some of the services we deliver,” she said. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the members and I like the vision that the board is taking.” Dr. Flores’ term is 2007-2010.

Hank Milius, President and Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Services Corporation, worked with personnel in the Archives and Special Collections to prepare for an exhibit focusing on the 30th anniversary of the company. He was pleased that he found everything he needed for the exhibit. Meridian Services is a private, not-for-profit behavioral healthcare system. After the exhibit, he was asked to join the FAMBL board by John B. Straw. Hank and his wife, Terri, have four grown sons, two of whom are married and twins who recently graduated from Purdue University. He enjoys fly fishing in his spare time. Mr. Milius’ term is 2007-2010.

The Honorable Marianne L. Vorhees, a circuit court judge, joined the board in 2007. Her friend, Nancy Turner, former head of Archives and Special Collections at the Ball State University Libraries, encouraged her to get involved because of Marianne’s passion for libraries. “I really enjoyed the recent annual dinner and Andrew Dale’s program about his father’s fight against the Klan,” she said. Marianne and her husband, Skip, have three children: a daughter who will be a sophomore at Ball State, and sons in middle school and high school. Her term is 2007-2010.

Dr. Thomas H. Spotts, Associate Professor in Ball State’s Department of Technology, joined the board in 2007. He is the coordinator of the graphic arts management program at Ball State and currently teaches introduction classes and a printing management course. He often brings his Introduction to Graphic Arts class to the Archives and Special Collections for a presentation on early books. Dr. Spotts’ term is 2007-2010.

Additional members of the Board of Governors will be profiled in future issues of The Library Insider during 2008.

University Libraries Awarded LSTA Grant from Indiana State Library

An LSTA Digitization Grant award in the amount of $21,194 will be used to create a Middletown Women’s History Digital Collection to provide online access to archival materials documenting the experiences of women in Muncie, Indiana, from the 1880s through the 1930s. The resources will illuminate women’s history in the six areas of the seminal Middletown studies conducted in Muncie as a representative American community beginning in the 1920s: Getting a Living; Making a Home; Training the Young; Using Leisure; Engaging in Religious Practices; and Engaging in Community Activities.

Through increased access to diaries, correspondence, scrapbooks, and other records of women and women’s organizations, the resource will expand research opportunities in women’s studies, women’s history, U. S. history, sociology, and other disciplines. It will provide fresh historical perspective and new areas for investigation focusing on women in Middle America.

Items to be digitized include:
Altrusa Club of Muncie, Inc., Records, 1923-45
Cassady/Nelson Family Collection, 1887-90, 1926
Grace Arthur School Memory Book, 1926-32
Louise Carey School Memory Book, 1915
Mae Evans Papers from the Fred and Penny Prow Collection, 1916-31
Marsh/Ryan Family Collection, 1902
McRae Club Records, 1894-1950
Mina McCormick Becket Diaries, 1933-34
Muncie Business and Professional Women’s Club Records, 1919-62
Reticule Circle Club Records, 1927-40
Riverside Culture Club Records, 1913-34
Unitarian Universalist Church Records, 1894-1942
Women’s Club of Muncie Records, 1876-1942
Women’s Franchise League of Muncie Records, 1912-19
YWCA – Muncie, Indiana Branch Records, 1911-38

Ball State’s Center for Middletown Studies and the Women’s Studies Program will be partners in the grant project. The resources will be part of a Web-based teaching tool under development by the Center for Middletown Studies in partnership with Archives and Special Collections. Ball State’s Women’s Studies Program will provide two student interns to assist with transcription of selected hand-written items and will promote the resource through their Web site and publications. Students from the program will also utilize the materials for classes and assignments.

Over the past several years, Ball State University Libraries have utilized more than $75,000 in Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants to create digital collections. These collections have ranged from U.S. Civil War documents to oral histories to an historic anti-Ku Klux Klan newspaper.

Danny L. Taylor Receives Prestigious Jane Morton Award

Danny L. Taylor, Periodical/Reserves Assistant at Ball State University Libraries, is the recipient of the A. Jane Morton Award for Excellence in Staff. Danny received the award during the 43rd Annual Staff Recognition and Retirement Award program on April 17, 2008.

With 37 years of service to the University, Danny is well known within the Ball State community for his optimistic attitude, dedication, and superior customer service skills. Former students frequently ask about Danny and comment on how he has inspired them to make positive differences in their own and other people's lives.

Kathleen Pickens-French, Access Services Evening Supervisor, nominated Danny for the award.

“Danny’s love of life, Ball State and Bracken, inspires the people he meets,” says Kathleen. “His dedication extends beyond the library’s walls and into the university community where he takes the time to meet with students and to talk to classes about working with people with disabilities. Students walk away from these brief encounters with altered perspectives, increased awareness, and renewed appreciation for their own lives.”

“It is a real pleasure to work in the library,” Danny said. “I get up every morning and look forward to coming to work at Ball State. It makes me feel like I’m part of a big family.”

The recipient of the A. Jane Morton award receives a $1,000 gift, a framed and engraved "Between the Buildings ... is the Life" print, and a book of nomination and support letters.

The A. Jane Morton Award recognizes one exemplary full-time staff person for demonstrating continuous commitment and service to all facets of the Ball State community. A committee analyzes the achievements and contributions of each nominee and determines who is most deserving for going above and beyond expectations at work, for their active involvement on campus, and for their service to the greater community.

Digital Policy Institute and Ball State University Libraries Partnership in Strategic Information Initiatives

Ball State University Libraries, with support and cooperation from the Digital Policy Institute (DPI), contribute to the strategic information initiatives of the University, as President, Dr. Jo Ann M. Gora, recently observed, "… [a] new strategic planning process … will increase the momentum the university has generated and will set a course by which the university can become truly distinctive."

The fundamental strategy for achieving the University Libraries' programs, services, and collections is that the Libraries not only partner for success but also serve the University community as a destination for research, learning, and friends. Both success and service are an integral part of the Libraries’ involvement in the Digital Policy Institute.

The DPI was formed in 2004 with a Provost Initiative Grant that was written by Dr. Dominic G. Caristi, Dr. Alan R. Richardson, both of the Department of Telecommunications, and Dr. Robert E. Yadon, Center for Information and Communication Sciences. Since its inception, the DPI has enjoyed statewide recognition in its role of telecommunications reform in Indiana through its input on House Enrolled Act 1279. This act eliminated the monopoly of cable providers, giving most Hoosiers a choice in video service. In February 2007, the DPI released a study stating that Hoosiers could save a total of $262 million on their cable bills annually as a result of new choices.

The Digital Policy Institute serves the 21st century Ball State University academic community as an interdisciplinary association of faculty with a collective research interest. These interests include the structure of, and competition within, electronic communications industries and includes the public policy issues of digital creation, storage, transmission, reception, consumption and legal intellectual property protection of information including written, voice, data, still images, video and computer graphics.

The DPI acts as a vehicle for faculty research in the areas of law, regulation, economics, and technology as these relate to public policy issues of local, state and national interests. The University Libraries act as an adjunct in this service and fully supports and enhances these state-wide initiatives.

The DPI consists of a Board of Directors of three University deans:
Dr. Rodney E. Davis, Dean, Miller College of Business
Dr. Arthur W. Hafner, Dean, University Libraries
Dr. Roger M. Lavery, Dean, College of Communications, Information and Media

Since the DPI's inception, Fritz Dolak, Manager of the Copyright Office, has served as one of the Research Fellows. The complete list of DPI Research Fellows include:
Dominic G. Caristi, Associate Professor of Telecommunications
Cecil E. Bohanon, Professor of Economics
Jay E. Gillette, Professor of Information and Communication Sciences
Michael L. Hanley, Assistant Professor of Journalism
Stephan S. Jones, Director of CICS, Professor of Information and Communication Sciences
Alan R. Richardson, Professor of Telecommunications
Barry D. Umansky, J.D., Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Professor of Telecommunications
Robert E. Yadon, Professor of Information and Communication Sciences, Director of Applied Research Institute
Ryan R. Wolfgang, Research Associate

The University Libraries contributes to Ball State University's strategic information initiative through an active, collaborative, and collegial participation with the Digital Policy Institute that is truly distinctive.

For additional information about the DPI, including its White Papers, articles, audio interview and more, view www.bsu.edu/digitalpolicy.

Ball State University Libraries’ Ongoing Collaboration with Center for Middletown Studies Promotes Learning, Teaching, and Research

Ball State University Libraries seeks to support the learning, teaching, and research missions of Ball State University through collaboration with academic units.

One long-standing example of this type of collaborative work has been the relationship between the Center for Middletown Studies and the University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections.

Archives and Special Collections personnel serve as ex-officio members of the Advisory Board for the Center for Middletown Studies. At the fall meeting of the Board on December 10, 2007, evidence of the ongoing collaboration between the two units was highlighted in several ways.

Philip James Deloria, archivist for digital projects and university records, gave a presentation on a project to establish a University Libraries’ presence in Second Life, a multi-user virtual environment. The goal of the collaborative project with the Center for Middletown Studies is to create a Middletown Library and Archives, which will consist of an exhibit space and reference area showcasing Middletown Studies resources from Archives and Special Collections.

Deloria presented a tour of the virtual world of Second Life for Board members. He provided examples of compelling educational applications of the technology to present resources for students, faculty, and researchers in this virtual environment. A front page article on the University Libraries’ Second Life project appeared in the Ball State Daily News on the same day as the meeting.

Maren L. Read, archivist for manuscript collections, and John B. Straw, assistant dean for digital initiatives and special collections, reported on activities, acquisitions, outreach, and use related to Middletown research in Archives and Special Collections.

Middletown and local history materials accounted for 26% of the total use in Archives and Special Collections from June through November 2007. Two Educational Foundations classes used these resources for an immersive learning project on Washington Carver and South View elementary schools. Fourteen significant collections related to Middletown and Muncie history were added to Archives and Special Collections in the last six months.

Several new collaborative initiatives are planned between the University Libraries and the Center for Middletown Studies for the new year, including grant proposals to create a multi-dimensional Middletown Digital Teaching Archive.

Students, Faculty, Community Visiting Bracken Library Experience Cultural Diversity at Ball State's International Festival

Friday, November 9, 2007 was the day when students, faculty, and community visitors could travel around the world without leaving Bracken Library thanks to personnel from the Rinker Center for International Programs.

International students from 35 countries decorated tables in Bracken’s lobby with items from their homelands. Exhibits featured music and food samples to engage visitors and to raise awareness about the diversity of international students who are attending Ball State University.

Visitors could sample tea from Japan, coffee from Iraq, chocolates from Germany, rice from India, and sweets from Kazakhstan, just to name a few. A fashion show held at noon highlighted both modern and traditional dress from several countries.

Flags from the countries adorned Bracken Library’s mezzanine and tables were stationed around the lobby’s exterior. The International Festival is an annual celebration of cultures at Ball State that has gone on for more than 50 years.

“There are 91 countries represented from around the world here at Ball State,” said Martin A. Bennett, Director of International Services. “Having the International Festival at Bracken Library is absolutely the best.” Mr. Bennett began the day dressed in a Turkish vest and hat and made changes throughout the day, wearing a Chinese jacket, an Indian wrap, and an Arab robe.

Leticia Tourn from Uruguay offered visitors a taste of maté, a strong, hot beverage made from tea leaves. A Fulbright scholarship recipient, Leticia is an elementary education teacher who is currently working toward a graduate degree. She has only been in the United States for three months, and she said one of the things she first noticed and likes about Americans is how forthcoming and direct they are when communicating. She also appreciates that in higher education a person can obtain a minor in one area and a major in another area, then can change fields later and choose to diversify the person’s education even further.

Visitors to Bracken were invited to get a “passport” stamped during their stops at tables. This then qualified them for discounts in The Bookmark Café and they became eligible to win prizes provided by the café.

Participants said that the turnout and interaction with American students were great. Bracken Library was chosen as the site for the International Festival because of its central campus location, size of exhibit space, and the large number of daily visitors.

From the Rinker Center for International Programs, Debra L. Goens, Foreign Student Advisor/Immigration Specialist, and two graduate students, Ramia S. Badri from Iraq and Yunxue Ding from China, organized the large-scale event. Other personnel from International Programs welcomed students and helped with various aspects of the event.

To view 111 photos from the day, visit www.bsu.edu/library/festival/international.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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