Ask A Librarian

Susan Arnold Named Librarian of the Year

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
December 16th, 2011

The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Medical Library Association recently named Susan Arnold, Director of the WVU Health Sciences Library, its Librarian of the Year.

Jana Liebermann, chair of the MAC awards committee, said the award reflects Arnold’s accomplishments over the past few years. Liebermann praised Arnold’s involvement with the library’s move into the new Health Sciences Learning Center in 2007, the migration from print to electronic resources, and a phenomenal increase in the use of the Libraries’ electronic resources.

“Being recognized by a group of colleagues from regional institutions means a lot to me,” Arnold said. “I am really honored and humbled.”

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A Centuries-Old Mystery Hidden in Rare Book Room

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
December 14th, 2011

Diane Mazzella, WVU Today

The mystery began more than 500 years ago in England.

But it surfaced in recent months in an unlikely place – the Rare Book Room in West Virginia University’s Charles C. Wise Library.

It remains unsolved.

Was Elizabeth Dacre’s poem an academic exercise in copying the style of love?

Or was the erotic poem telling her own story?

Even with these unanswered questions, the discovery goes beyond a captivating tale and points to the practical concerns of today’s research University: the need for research in every discipline, the importance of gifts to a University and the sheer surprise of what might hide around the next corner or on the next page.

But that is jumping ahead of the story.

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Summon Helps Users to Discover Resources

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
September 7th, 2011

Where do you look for information when you start a new assignment? Do you look for books or journals first? Has anyone written about this before? Is there a dissertation? Did your professor mention something about a documentary?

Don’t panic. Just summon the information.

Summon, a new research tool available on the WVU Libraries’ website, www.libraries.wvu.edu, is a powerful search engine that scours a very large database covering all types of materials and every academic subject. It is sometimes called a “discovery” service because it allows library researchers to use a single search box to discover material of all sorts.

“Summon reveals what is available at the WVU Libraries and offers fast access to content such as e-journal articles and digitized information, usually with a single click,” said Penny Pugh, Head of Reference for the Downtown Campus Library.

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Three Freshmen Win Prizes at Library Event

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
September 6th, 2011

A visit to the WVU Libraries has already paid off for three freshmen. They are beginning the semester with some new electronic gear.

Robert Frevel, from Baltimore, won an iPad, Katelyn Amato, from East Liverpool, OH, went home with a Sony Reader, and Jayshawn Thomas, from Annapolis, MD, is now listening to music on an iPod Shuffle.

Their names were picked in a drawing of students who participated in “Discover! WVU Libraries,” part of the 2011 First Year Academy. The Libraries sponsored the event to introduce students to the library in order to assist them through their academic endeavors at WVU.

Freshmen Robert Frevel,  Jayshawn Thomas, and Katelyn Amato display the prizes they won as part of  the “Discover! WVU Libraries” event at the start of the semester.

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WVU Libraries Receives Grant to Digitize Newspapers

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
August 18th, 2011

The WVU Libraries have received a $266,000 grant from National Endowment for the Humanities to digitize 100,000 pages of newspapers published in West Virginia from 1836 to 1922.

“I was thrilled to hear that we received this grant because it represents an opportunity for us to take our unique holdings in this area and transform them into a resource that’s easy to use,” said John Cuthbert, Curator of the West Virginia and Regional History Collection.

The WVU Libraries’ effort will be part of the National Digital Newspaper Program. The NEH and the Library of Congress are partnering with libraries and institutions from around the country to provide enhanced access to historical United States newspapers.

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Pledge-per-TD will aid WVU Libraries

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
August 17th, 2011

The Dominion Post
August 17, 2011

Fans aren’t the only ones counting on the WVU football team to put a lot of points on the scoreboard this season: The University’s libraries are banking on the Mountaineers as well.

Frances O’Brien, dean of the WVU Libraries, and WVU sports marketing director Matt Wells unveiled the Mountaineer Touchdown Challenge, a joint initiative between the WVU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the libraries, on Tuesday. The program allows fans to pledge a donation for every touchdown the Mountaineers score this season, with all of the proceeds going directly to WVU’s libraries.

“A great university needs a great library,” O’Brien said. “And it made sense to us that when fans cheer for the Mountaineers and support the team, they could put some of that energy into supporting every school, every academic department, every student, every faculty member and every researcher here on campus.”

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WVU Athletics and Libraries partner for Mountaineer Touchdown Challenge

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
August 16th, 2011

WVU Today

The West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is teaming up with the WVU Libraries to launch a fundraising campaign to benefit the Libraries.

The Mountaineer Touchdown Challenge is a new initiative that enables alumni and fans to support the Libraries while cheering for the Gold and Blue.

Challenge participants pledge a certain dollar figure per touchdown the Mountaineers score during the 2011 season and in any subsequent bowl game. Funds raised will go to establish the Mountaineer Athletics Library Fund, which will benefit students.

“We are all anticipating an exciting football season as the Mountaineers transform under head coach Dana Holgorsen’s high-speed offense,” said Athletic Director Oliver Luck. “Making a pledge in the Mountaineer Touchdown Challenge is a great way to show one’s support for all of WVU.”

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Libraries Invite New Students to Discover!

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
August 2nd, 2011

Imagine being perfectly prepared for a long road trip. You have an up-to-date map; detailed directions that identify the best roads, fabulous restaurants, the cheapest gas stations, and alternate routes you can take if needed; brochures for dozens of attractions; a digital camera with 10 gigs of memory; and your favorite caffeinated beverage.

Now, imagine what it would take for a student to get off to a good start on his or her academic voyage.

The West Virginia University Libraries want to help. As part of the 2011 First Year Academy, the Libraries are sponsoring “Discover! WVU Libraries” to support the University’s initiative to enhance the First Year Experience program.

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Librarian Receives Excellence Award

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
July 11th, 2011

Penny Pugh, Head of Reference for the Downtown Campus Library, has received national recognition for work benefiting the libraries at WVU and around the state.

LYRASIS, an organization for librarians and information professionals that serves more than 6,000 institutions, has named Pugh its Excellence Award winner for 2011 based on her dedication to libraries of all kinds and for her work with the statewide database program, as well as her enthusiasm, vision and dedication to forwarding the success of libraries.

“One of the reasons we selected Ms. Pugh is the breadth of the impact she has had and the transformational work she has done,” said Kate Nevins, LYRASIS chief executive officer. “We were able to see the positive effects she has had at WVU and statewide.”

Penny Pugh

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WVU Sends Civil War Telegrams to Cyberspace

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
July 6th, 2011

BY ALEX LANG
The Dominion Post

Thanks to WVU, the telegrams exchanged between generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee prior to the surrender that led to the end of the Civil War can be viewed online.

“I propose to receive the surrender of the Army of Northern Va on the following terms to with Rolls of the all officers and men to be made in duplicate,” Union Gen. Grant telegrammed Confederate Gen. Lee hours before the Appomattox, Va., surrender.


Ron Rittenhouse/The Dominion Post Civil War-era telegrams and a telegraph machine are on display in WVU’s downtown library. The telegrams have been uploaded to a public website.

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Civil War Artifacts on Display

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
June 21st, 2011

BY ALEX LANG
The Dominion Post

A grainy black-and-white photo on the sixth floor of WVU’s downtown library shows a much different High Street than is seen today.

Rows of men, holding their guns, line up across the street from the courthouse.

They were Union recruits in 1861.

The photograph is one of dozens of Civil War-era artifacts on display at the West Virginia and Regional History Collection which opened Monday. Other items included weapons, letters and music.

The collection’s debut was part of WVU Library’s West Virginia Day celebration. It was one of several local events marking the state’s 148th anniversary.

Ron Rittenhouse/The Dominion Post
Nikki Cannon looks at an advertisement authorized by Gov. Pierpoint wanting 1,010 brave men. On the wall is a photograph of men ready to fight in the Civil War lined up on High Street.

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WVU Libraries Present West Virginia Day Celebration

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
June 14th, 2011

Broadsides tacked on buildings and telegraph poles spoke to the fierce debate swirling around western Virginia at the start of the Civil War in 1861. While one poster rallied citizens to follow their brothers in Richmond and join the Confederacy, another called for people to remain loyal to the United States and stand firm against their treasonous eastern brethren.

“When Virginia’s Richmond leaders decided to join the Confederacy, citizens who were loyal to the United States were faced with a dilemma,” said John Cuthbert, Curator of the West Virginia and Regional History Collection. “They didn’t want to be part of a Virginia that was not going to be part of the United States.”

A broadside posted in Morgantown by Gen. James Evans at the start of the Civil War.

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Faculty Academy Spotlights Information Literacy Achievements

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
May 6th, 2011

A Faculty Academy program will showcase the successes of the faculty and librarians who participated in the second year of the WVU Libraries’ information literacy initiative.

Hosted by the Libraries in the Downtown Campus Library on May 10, the morning will consist of poster sessions by program participants and a presentation by Mary Stansbury, Chair of the Department of Library and Information Sciences at the University of Denver, and a leader in the information literacy field. There are two opportunities to attend the poster sessions.

Schedule:

8 a.m. – Brunch and poster sessions, Milano Reading Room, Wise Library

9 a.m. – Speaker, Room 104, Downtown Campus Library

11 a.m. – Poster sessions, Milano Reading Room.

Registration deadline is May 9. More info, contact Carroll Wilkinson, the Libraries’ Director of Instruction and Information Literacy: carroll.wilkinson@mail.wvu.edu.

Films on Demand Available through Libraries

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
May 2nd, 2011

Consider it Netflix for academia. Films on Demand provides instant access to more than 6,000 films and 65,000 video segments and is now available to WVU students, faculty, and staff.

“More and more faculty have asked about streaming video from our collection,” said Jessica Tapia, Media Services Librarian. “We’re happy to make this great resource available to the WVU community.”

The Libraries offered the streaming video database on a trial basis in March and chose to retain it after receiving a flood of positive feedback.

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Information Literacy Initiative Begins Third Year

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
May 2nd, 2011

Five faculty members will each spend the summer working with a librarian to enhance course curriculum to help students improve their research skills and become more discerning when searching for information.

Their efforts are part of the Information Literacy Course Enhancement Program, a collaborative endeavor between the Libraries and the Provost’s Office. The initiative focuses on fulfilling the University’s 2020 Plan which calls for “engaging undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in a challenging academic environment.” Information literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, and effectively use information.

“During the first two years of the program, we have learned a great deal about designing and teaching discipline-specific lessons that address critical elements of the research process,” said Carroll Wilkinson, WVU Libraries’ Director of Instruction and Information Literacy. “I look forward to encouraging collaboration among participants in the third cohort.”

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Libraries Open Extended Hours for Dead and Finals Weeks

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
April 19th, 2011

The Downtown Campus and Evansdale libraries will remain open for extended hours during Dead and Finals weeks.

On Sunday, the Evansdale Library will open at noon and the Downtown Campus Library will open at 1 p.m., and they will remain open until 10 p.m. Friday, April 29. Both will be open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, April 30.

For Finals Week, both libraries will open at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 1, and remain open until 10 p.m. Friday, May 6.

For more information, check out the Libraries’ calendar: www.libraries.wvu.edu/hours

WVU is New Home to More Than 600 Asimov Books, Items

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
March 29th, 2011

By Alicia Elkin
The Daily Athenaeum
March 29, 2011

More than 600 books by renowned science fiction writer Isaac Asimov were donated to the West Virginia University Wise Library’s Rare Book Collection.

WVU alumnus Larry Shaver contacted WVU in 2003 to ask if they were interested in the books he had collected by Asimov. Over the years Shaver has donated more than 600 books and more than 50 other items such as games, audio recordings, videos and wall charts, said Harold Forbes, WVU’s rare books curator.

Shaver said he began collecting the books when he was in high school with his first purchase of “The Fountain Trilogy.”

“I was intrigued by the covers mostly I must admit, but once I had read them, I was hooked,” Shaver said.

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WVU Libraries Participate in National Assessment Project

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
March 10th, 2011

The long line outside of a restaurant hints that the food is delicious. A thumbs up from Roger Ebert carries the promise of a good movie. A string of impressive touchdown passes signifies a great quarterback.

Identifying quality research sources online, though, is more difficult.

“It’s not hard to find information; it’s hard to find good information. You have to know the difference and then how to use the good information ethically,” said Megan Oakleaf, an assistant professor at Syracuse University School of Information Studies.

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Applications Being Accepted for Information Literacy Enhancement Program

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
February 28th, 2011

The initiative between the WVU Libraries and the Provost’s Office will again help up to five faculty members enhance their courses while earning a $3,000 stipend this summer.

The WVU Libraries’ Information Literacy Course Enhancement Program is focused on integrating information literacy into the classroom to enrich student learning. The program began as a response to the 2010 Plan and now addresses “engaging undergraduates in a challenging academic environment,” the first goal of WVU’s 2020 Strategic Plan.

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QR Codes Connect Students with Library Resources

Posted by Monte Maxwell.
February 9th, 2011

The WVU Libraries are using QR codes to help students easily connect with a variety of library resources.

“We’re trying to reach users,” said David Roth, Library Associate at the Evansdale Library. “They’re excited about mobile devices, so QR codes are a great way for them to access resources. Increasingly, information is mobile.”

QR codes look like a square version of the barcode. When scanned by a mobile device’s camera and decoder app, the digital link takes the user to a mobile website. The page can offer a coupon, a video, or information about a product.

Miriam Newman, a graphic design junior, uses her iPhone to reserve a study room at the Evansdale Library.

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