Tag Archives: academic library

Visits

Visit to Macalester College’s Library

CMLE was so happy to present at the 2018 LibTech Conference in March! (We got to talk about our adventures in podcasting!) This conference takes place at Macalester College and of course, we were so excited to check out their library!

As we entered the library, the staff there were so friendly and welcoming and acknowledged that they had been dealing with excited librarians all day. We began to look around and right away noticed some excellent features designed to meet the needs of this academic library’s community.

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Also located on the first floor were several spaces that could be adjusted to meet the needs of students or faculty:

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Of course, we were extra excited to see their newly renovated second floor space! We had heard the library had incorporated some Maker space ideas along with adding collaborative learning spaces and even a meditation chair! And we were not disappointed:

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We appreciated the staff member that spoke to us about all the work that went into renovating the floor. Hearing about all the collections that needed to be relocated, the collaborations with different departments, and even how the ceiling needed to be redone, we were even more impressed with everything!

Once we were able to tear ourselves away from the Idea Lab (it wasn’t easy) we got to admire the rest of the floor.

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And finally, we got to see the meditation chair! Of course the schedule was packed and we didn’t get to experience the chair itself, but the person currently meditating looked extremely cozy and at peace! Meditation has so many health benefits and it’s fantastic to see the library providing these opportunities for self-care.

 

Well, we clearly enjoyed our visit to the DeWitt Wallace Library at Macalester College. This library is reaching out to their students and community in a variety of awesome ways and showing that libraries contain SO MUCH MORE than “just” books!

Have we been to visit your library yet? We would love to come see all the great ways you are connecting with your community! Email us at admin@cmle.org and we’ll setup a time that works for you! 🙂

 

 

Academic, Conference, Services, Training

Technologies that Enhance the First Year Experience

Barnstar of One Year Diligence

From RUSA Update, By Lily Todonirova

“Systems for Services and Discovery (RUSA Emerging Technologies Section) is organizing a panel session during the upcoming ALA Conference in Chicago. We are very excited for the sponsorship of Library H3lp and will be giving away 10 $30 Amazon giftcards to audience members. We hope you can join us!

The first years of college present many opportunities for libraries to make an impact on students’ development. Creative librarians in small and large academic institutions are employing technologies, such as library tours via mobile apps, digital collaboration tools, research suite services and tutorials, and innovative discovery tool technologies, among others. In this panel presentation, we will highlight three examples of ways libraries are using emerging technologies to enhance the first year experience of students. The speakers will be Michelle Bishop (SUNY Oswego), David Sharp (Carleton), and Sarah LeMire (Texas A&M University).

Technologies that Enhance the First Year Experience
When: Saturday, June 24, 1:00pm
Where: McCormick Place, W193

Hope to see you there!”

Academic, Programs, Resources

“Human Libraries” work to confront stereotypes

You may remember in our very first episode of our CMLE podcast we discussed how Penn State is using the concept of “Human books” to build connections between people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. (Find that article here).

Since we think this idea is so interesting and smart, we were excited to see it back in the news again with this article from American Libraries Magazine. The article shares some history about the concept of Human Libraries and also describes how Williams College in Massachusetts is implementing it as a program in their academic library in order to “confront prejudice and stereotypes.”

From the article:
“Globally, Human Libraries have taken off in a big way. More than 2,000 Human Library events have been hosted in 84 countries since the project first started 17 years ago, according to Ronni Abergel, founder of the international Human Library network, who cohosted the first Human Library in Copenhagen.  Once the four-day gathering ended, Abergel says he couldn’t let go of the vital conversations that arose between his living “books” and “readers,” especially one between a police officer and a group of antifascist youth, a pairing whose relationship grew from antagonistic to productive within an hour.”

Read more about how to apply to be a Human Library and tips for “developing” your collection!

 

 

Academic, Policies

Strengthening the Voice for Sustainability How academic librarians can share resources with stakeholders

(From American Libraries, by )

This column is one in a multipart American Libraries series that explores the library profession’s relationship to sustainability.

Academic librarians have a notable opportunity to take the lead in ensuring reliable information enters the hands of community members, including leaders and activists. One area for improvement is the topic of sustainability—an issue not just for those interested or working in the sciences, but one for every living, breathing being.

Libraries can move toward providing a fact-based voice in fighting climate change in their communities. One way to do this is by more proactively collecting and disseminating information to stakeholders involved in local sustainability efforts. A recent study from Lisa Dilling and John Berggren at the University of Colorado finds, “there is substantial capacity to provide the needed data, modeling, and knowledge, but … stakeholders may be encountering barriers in locating data, finding experts, or simply knowing whom to contact as a first step.” Libraries can curate and actively market meaningful data and resources to those seeking information.

Continue reading Strengthening the Voice for Sustainability How academic librarians can share resources with stakeholders →

Academic, Communication, Research

Academic Libraries: Looking for Info on Scholarly Research!

From researcher Laura I. Spears, PhD:

“Dear Colleagues:

Thanks to those who have already participated and for your responses to us about this study!  PLEASE share this link with ALL of your institution’s librarians and professional staff professional-level library employees regardless of appointment status, job type or educational credential – a diverse data pool
is key to our query!

Background:
In light of the increasing demand for scholarly research in libraries, we are seeking to explore the research training and supports for academic librarians to help effectively meet evidence-based decision making requirements and to balance human subject research standards.

This multi-method approach includes a survey of academic librarians; and, an examination of IRB standards and digital data collection research practices in ARL libraries.

You may access the online survey by clicking on this link or by copying and pasting the URL below into your Internet browser. The survey will close on Friday, May 5, 2017 at 11:59 PM EST.

Follow this link to the Survey:
https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4PLeZDdtTj6uUXb

This study has been approved by the UF Institutional Review Board
(IRB201700941). If you would like more information about this study, please contact Dr. Laura Spears, at laura.spears@ufl.edu or (352) 273-2711.

Thank you and best regards!

Laura I. Spears, PhD
Assessment Librarian
University of Florida Smathers Libraries
LW519
(352) 273-2711