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August 29th, 2016
Welcome to Database of the Week, a feature from the Parrish Library. Each of these weekly snapshots will give you a very brief introduction to the basic features of one of our specialized subscription databases. This week’s database is Mergent Online brought to you by Mergent.
Link: http://guides.lib.purdue.edu/businessdatabases is the alphabetical list of the databases specially selected for those in a business program of study. Access the databases off-campus with your Purdue login and password.
Focus: Mergent Online provides access to financial statements, company news, industry analysis, historical information on M&A activity, country information, product and brand names, historical ratings, US executive biographies and compensation details, historical daily stock pricing back to 1925.
Search: Mergent Online allows users to search for companies by ticker, name, SIC, or NAICS code. This database also provides Advanced Search options and the ability to search for some private companies.
Click here to see the basics of searching Mergent or try our Guide on the Side with this link.
Why you should know this database: Mergent Online provides access to company business histories by year and business segments by time, scale, or type of currency. This database also provides annual reports, industry reports, equity reports, Mergent reports, and portraits.
Why students should know this database: Mergent Online is easy to use and navigate and features a “News” tab where students can easily find recent news headlines on companies, including historic news.
Cost: The Mergent Online access fee costs $2,500 paid for annually by Libraries.
Database of the Week comes to you from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics. If you would like more information about this database, or if you would like a demonstration of it for a class, contact parrlib@purdue.edu. Also let us know if you know of a colleague who would benefit from this weekly feature.
Since usage statistics are an important barometer when databases are up for renewal, tell us your favorite database, and we will gladly promote it. Send an email to parrlib@purdue.edu
Filed under: database, general, MGMTAugust 22nd, 2016
A new LibGuide provided by Purdue University Libraries Research Data and developed in collaboration with ITaP displays the variety of data storage options available to researchers at Purdue University. After conversations with new faculty and graduate students where specific information on the data storage options present at Purdue and the considerations that go into selecting an appropriate data storage solution for a given data set were requested, the LibGuide was designed to meet those needs for all researchers.
The primary page lists six of the most common selection criteria for all available storage solutions at Purdue, including price, available storage, primary use, backups, access after leaving Purdue’s campus, and access from and to high performance computing systems. Each storage solution then has a profile page that includes in-depth information on 23 selection criteria, to give researchers a comprehensive picture for each data storage solution.
A link to the LibGuide can be found here: http://guides.lib.purdue.edu/DataStorage
Filed under: ENGR, general, PSET, RSRCHAugust 15th, 2016
Discover a hidden facet of Indiana’s long agricultural history in Enriching the Hoosier Farm Family: A Photo History of Indiana’s Early County Extension Agents. Follow the story of early extension agents on their journey through rural farmland in never before seen photos. These agents worked hand in hand with local farmers to improve agricultural practices and the way of life across the state with research from Purdue University and other institutions.
Enriching the Hoosier Farm Family is an officially endorsed legacy project for Indiana’s Bicentennial illustrating the importance of agricultural development through technology, research and extension.
Two Purdue faculty members, Fredrick Whitford (F.W.) and David Hovde (D.H.) and archivist Neal Harmeyer (N.H.) worked together to compose this book. Each author spent countless hours in the Purdue University Libraries Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center discovering photos and weaving together the stories of Indiana’s Extension agents, farmers and agriculture history. Find out each of their motivations and insights on the book in our Q&A with the authors: Fred, David and Neal.
F.W.— While working on another book I noticed the wonderful photographs that the extension agents were taking as part of their annual reports. With the bicentennial coming up, it looked like a great time to showcase what some of the original Extension agents did as part of their efforts in getting the Extension service started in the state.
N.H. — This book came into being after it became apparent these images told the story of early 20th century Indiana agriculture. After discussing the sheer number of images, variety of subjects and activities captured, it became apparent a book would introduce readers to an important part of Hoosier history.
F.W.— We were lucky from the start, that these photos were saved in the archives. The photos are one of a kind treasures. The fact that they were in folders labeled by year helped immensely. What was really encouraging was that many had names associated with them. I have used these photos in the counties where these people lived and buildings once existed. People have seen relatives like great grandfathers that they had never seen before from the photos preserved in the archives.
N.H.— As Indiana celebrates its bicentennial in 2016, one naturally looks back to its centennial. A hundred years ago, which coincides with many of the images in the book, agriculture was a way of life for many Hoosiers. As the state looked ahead to its second century, changes in technology and the agricultural marketplace were beginning to take root. Generations of families farmed the same land, always striving to maintain their family heritage. My own family is one of those, and to catch even a glimpse into the world of my ancestors was special. I think readers of Enriching the Hoosier Farm Family will also uncover those familial connections and grow to understand the work ethic, ingenuity, and strength of our Hoosier forbearers.
D.H.— This books explores an often overlooked aspect of Indiana history. Indiana remains a state with a large agricultural economy. It tells the story of how the Purdue Extension agents helped farmers view what they were doing as a business. Also, it demonstrates how these agents, through their educational practices, improved the health of both the people and animals, the local economy, and welfare of the community as a whole.
F.W.— The first Extension educators were at the forefront of modern farming. They were seeing the first introductions of lime, tractors, hybrid corn, and much more.
D.H. — The subject of the book is a part of Purdue University’s and Indiana’s history I knew little about. It was a fascinating exploration into the rural Midwestern life of the early twentieth century. It features some aspects of the technology and culture that had changed little from the pioneer period.
N.H.— My favorite part was learning more about how different parts of Indiana worked together through Purdue Extension to improve not only their farms and way of life, but the way of life for people across the United States and the world. The ability for a farmer to take part in cutting-edge research in a controlled and targeted way meant that farmers were no longer at the whim of the elements. Instead, farmers were able to work with allies to strengthen their ability to make a living. That was, and still is, exciting and tremendously enjoyable to read and learn more about during the process of creating this book.
D.H. — I enjoyed looking deep into the photographs, examining the details of the material culture, the clothing, the technology, the activities and the expression on peoples’ faces. Many times we had discussions over which one of a half dozen images would best show the topic we were discussing. Many times it was a hard decision.
Fredrick Whitford
Frederick Whitford works for the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service in the College of Agriculture. He received a BS in wildlife management from Louisiana Tech University, and an MS and PhD in entomology from Iowa State University. He has authored more than 250 research, extension, and regulatory publications, and has delivered at least 5,000 presentations to a wide array of audiences. He has written several other books about the history of Indiana agriculture, all published by Purdue University Press.
Neal Harmeyer
Neal Harmeyer is an archivist at Purdue University Archives and Special Collections. Harmeyer grew up on a multigenerational family farm in northeastern Fayette County, Indiana, where he helped raise animals. He earned a BA degree in history from Purdue and an MLS degree from Indiana University.
David M. Hovde
David M. Hovde, the research and instruction librarian in the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center, is an associate professor of library science and has been at Purdue University since 1989. He has authored or coauthored numerous monographs, books, book chapters, and articles in archaeology, history, semiotics, and pedagogy.
August 4th, 2016
Standing in front of the classroom as an instructor can be a lonely experience, but faculty who partner with Purdue’s IMPACT program are learning how sharing their knowledge and insights can help themselves, and others, create engaging learning environments at Purdue.
More than 100 Purdue faculty members recently attended the 2016 IMPACT symposium to share and learn from one another about the high-impact educational practices used in courses at Purdue to create meaningful student engagement and how to increase the effectiveness of learning activities in their own classrooms.
Purdue’s IMPACT program (Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation) is a University-wide initiative which brings instructors together to redesign foundational courses to make them more student-centered. Since 2011, more than 200 faculty members have participated in IMPACT, during which they gather in regular cohort meetings, develop a course redesign plan and collaborate with ITaP educational technologists, faculty from the Purdue Libraries and instructional developers from the Center for Instructional Excellence.
Faculty interested in participating, or learning more about the IMPACT program, should visit the IMPACT website.
George Kuh, the symposium’s keynote speaker and the director of the National Survey of Student Engagement, (watch his keynote speech here) emphasized the need for students to reflect on their experiences in and out of the classroom, apply what they have learned to new challenges, and integrate what they are learning from different courses and out-of-class experiences.
After the presentation, faculty members split into discussion groups to talk about three themes from Kuh’s talk: fostering student success, empowering diverse learners and forging tomorrow’s workplace. The symposium planning group, comprised of Libraries faculty Clarence Maybee, the group’s chair, and Michael Flierl, and ITaP staff members Suzanne Ahlersmeyer and Sheree Buikema, saw a number of great ideas generated from the discussion groups
Buikema, an ITaP instructional designer, says faculty discussing how to foster student success emphasized the need to make learning relevant by providing practical examples and experiences – for example, by partnering with organizations to give students opportunities to engage with professionals in the field. Other items discussed included creating a culture where students worked together, giving up some instructional control to empower students to take control of their learning, and setting up clear expectations and avenues for feedback.
Faculty discussing how to empower diverse learners said it was important to motivate students by explaining the “why” behind instructional activities, says Flierl, an assistant professor with the Libraries. Also key: relating material to real-world contexts and recording lectures so students can go back and listen to them again.
Real-life activities were also the focus of discussion for faculty members looking at how to forge tomorrow’s workplace. Maybee, assistant professor of Libraries, says several faculty members described class activities and projects that helped students prepare for their professional lives after graduation. For example, one instructor developed a quantitative reasoning course so that non-majors could have a math experience more representative of what they may encounter in the workforce. Another has students in a capstone course model research and prepare literature-based presentations like they might at a conference.
Ultimately, the symposium helped remind faculty that if creating an engaging learning environment for students isn’t an easy task, it is one that can be accomplished by working together.
“I think mainly I was reminded that, from the lens of the student, every course, instructor, is part of a single broader learning environment that, if successful, should culminate in student growth,” says Ben Wiles, Purdue’s director of institutional effectiveness. “We need to continue to actively collaborate to ensure a cohesive, coherent, and productive experience for our students.”
Writer: David Stephens, technology writer, Information Technology at Purdue (ITaP), 765-496-7998, steph103@purdue.edu
Last updated: July 28, 2016
Filed under: faculty_staff, general