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Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News

Do Engineers and Technologists Solve Problems in the Same Way?

Do Engineers and Technologists Solve Problems in the Same Way?

May 8th, 2012


2012 Libraries faculty promotions

May 7th, 2012

Congratulations to all Libraries faculty promoted in 2012!

Promoted to Professor of Library Science
Michael Fosmire

Promoted to Associate Professor of Library Science
Christopher C. Miller
Catherine Fraser Riehle
Maribeth Slebodnick


Parrish Library’s database of the week (5/4/12): FAOSTAT

May 4th, 2012

Welcome to Database of the Week — a feature from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics.

This Week’s Featured Database: FAOSTAT, from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Link: www.lib.purdue.edu/mel, in the pull down Quick Access to Business Databases alpha list right below the Libraries’ search box.

Description/focus: FAOSTAT provides world data on food and agriculture production, prices, and trade.

Start with this hint: The FAOSTAT home page is a portal to datasets and databases that let you view canned charts or build customized spreadsheets and reports. For example, if you select the major topic Resources,  you are offered further options for Population or Investment, which includes Capital Stock and Machinery.  Other topics are Food Security, Prices, and others.  Click here to see the basics of searching FAOSTAT.

Why you should know this database: FAOSTAT supplies data on over 200 countries.  Data can be downloaded in CSV format. The FAO Statistical Yearbook can be downloaded in sections as PDFs.

How this database can be integrated into the curriculum: FAOSTAT databases let students compare the agriculture, food, and livestock production of a country to other countries as well as see changes in a country’s production across time.

Cost: Paid by the Libraries annually. For more information contact mdugan@purdue.edu.

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Database of the Week comes to you from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics. Our intent is to give you a brief introduction to a database that you may not know.  If you would like more information about this database, or if you would like a demonstration of it for a class, contact kranlib@purdue.edu.  Database of the Week is archived  at https://blogs.lib.purdue.edu/news/category/MGMT/.  For more Purdue Libraries news, follow us on Twitter (@PurdueLibraries).


Copyright in the News: International Copyright

May 2nd, 2012

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case on whether or not it is legal to purchase copyrighted materials manufactured outside the United States and resell them in the U.S. without the permission of the copyright owner. The case is Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons and involves a Thai National who attended school in the U.S. Kirtsaeng thought to help pay for his education by having his family purchase overseas editions of textbooks and send them to him in the U.S. where he then sold them to fellow students for a profit. Wiley, the publisher of the textbooks, sued Kirtsaeng in federal court in New York for copyright infringement. Kirtsaeng claimed that his activities were covered by the first sale doctrine of the U.S. Copyright Act. However, the jury disagreed and found him guilty of copyright infringement on eight books and awarded Wiley $75,000 for each book for a total of $600,000. Kirtsaeng appealed but the Second Circuit agreed with the lower court that the first sale doctrine does not apply to goods made in a foreign country.

The Circuit Courts have now split three ways on this issue. As indicated above, the Second Circuit has ruled that copyrighted works manufactured outside the U.S. can never be resold in the U.S. without the copyright owner’s permission. The Ninth Circuit takes a slightly different approach. They ruled that a foreign work can be resold in the U.S. without permission but only after the copyright owner has approved a prior sale inside the U.S. The Third Circuit has ruled that foreign works can be resold in the U.S. without permission provided that the copyright owner authorized the first sale of the work wherever the work was manufactured. The U.S. Supreme Court did review this issue with the Ninth Circuit case of Costco v. Omega but the Court split with a 4-4 tie. Justice Elena Kagan had to recuse herself since she was involved in the case prior to becoming a Supreme Court justice. When the U.S. Supreme Court splits on a decision, then the Circuit Court decision stands.

This case has the potential to greatly impact how libraries do business. Many of the books libraries purchase are manufactured outside of the United States. Libraries rely upon the first sale doctrine of the U.S. Copyright Act to loan those books. First sale allows the copyright owner to determine when their work will be made available to the public but once that occurs then the copyright owner does not have any control over the resale or the loan of their work. This is how libraries and used book stores can stay in business.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the fall with a ruling to follow in June 2013.

Copyright in the News is written by University Copyright Office Director, Donna Ferullo. www.lib.purdue.edu/uco 


Picking Up Momentum – Information Literacy State Proclamation Initiative

May 1st, 2012

Empowering educational and workplace communities around the nation – over 26 states are in the process of securing a gubernatorial information literacy public policy proclamation.

PRLog (Press Release)Apr 30, 2012
The National Forum on Information Literacy (NFIL) is leading an initiative to raise awareness of information literacy among state policymakers, starting with each state’s governor’s office.  Our goal is for designated information literacy advocates in all U.S. states and territories to submit recommendations for a public policy proclamation to their governors’ offices that will declare October as Information Literacy Awareness Month.   State public policy influences and impacts public practice and what better place to start to build a 21st century information literacy culture than at the state level.

“To prosper in the Digital Age, people must become masters of information,”

says Dr. Caroline Stern of Ferris State University, a former Michigan Association of Governing Boards’ Teacher of the Year recipient and a UNESCO information literacy expert and trainer. In becoming masters of information, learners and workers must incorporate information literacy practice within their individual skill sets. Today’s digital universe requires that learners and workers must not only have the ability to assess and manage the myriad of information and social media resources available in today’s academic and workplace environments, but also how to utilize that skill set effectively in delivering  informed solutions and productive outcomes. Employers across America are demanding that workers must possess this skill set if we, as a nation, are to sustain our competitive advantage worldwide.

NFIL began this initiative with a recommendation to President Barack Obama, who issued a national proclamation in 2009.  The President of NFIL, Dr. Lana W. Jackman, made a request to Governor Deval  L. Patrick, who issued a proclamation in 2011.  So far, twenty-six  states and one U.S. territory have committed to draft and seek  gubernatorial information literacy proclamations:  Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Utah, Wyoming, and the Virgin Islands.

If you would like to work with the project coordinators in one of these states, or if you would like to initiate the process in a state or territory that has not yet committed to draft a proclamation, please contact Dr. Sharon Weiner, Vice-President of the National Forum on Information Literacy, Professor of Library Science, and W. Wayne Booker Chair in Information Literacy at Purdue University at sweiner@purdue.edu.

Established in 1989, the National Forum on Information Literacy is one of the premier organizations promoting information literacy philosophy and practice.  For more information, please visit www.infolit.org.


Picking Up Momentum – Information Literacy State Proclamation Initiative

May 1st, 2012

Empowering educational and workplace communities around the nation – over 26 states are in the process of securing a gubernatorial information literacy public policy proclamation.

PRLog (Press Release)Apr 30, 2012
The National Forum on Information Literacy (NFIL) is leading an initiative to raise awareness of information literacy among state policymakers, starting with each state’s governor’s office.  Our goal is for designated information literacy advocates in all U.S. states and territories to submit recommendations for a public policy proclamation to their governors’ offices that will declare October as Information Literacy Awareness Month.   State public policy influences and impacts public practice and what better place to start to build a 21st century information literacy culture than at the state level.

“To prosper in the Digital Age, people must become masters of information,”

says Dr. Caroline Stern of Ferris State University, a former Michigan Association of Governing Boards’ Teacher of the Year recipient and a UNESCO information literacy expert and trainer. In becoming masters of information, learners and workers must incorporate information literacy practice within their individual skill sets. Today’s digital universe requires that learners and workers must not only have the ability to assess and manage the myriad of information and social media resources available in today’s academic and workplace environments, but also how to utilize that skill set effectively in delivering  informed solutions and productive outcomes. Employers across America are demanding that workers must possess this skill set if we, as a nation, are to sustain our competitive advantage worldwide.

NFIL began this initiative with a recommendation to President Barack Obama, who issued a national proclamation in 2009.  The President of NFIL, Dr. Lana W. Jackman, made a request to Governor Deval  L. Patrick, who issued a proclamation in 2011.  So far, twenty-six  states and one U.S. territory have committed to draft and seek  gubernatorial information literacy proclamations:  Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Utah, Wyoming, and the Virgin Islands.

If you would like to work with the project coordinators in one of these states, or if you would like to initiate the process in a state or territory that has not yet committed to draft a proclamation, please contact Dr. Sharon Weiner, Vice-President of the National Forum on Information Literacy, Professor of Library Science, and W. Wayne Booker Chair in Information Literacy at Purdue University at sweiner@purdue.edu.

Established in 1989, the National Forum on Information Literacy is one of the premier organizations promoting information literacy philosophy and practice.  For more information, please visit www.infolit.org.


Purdue dedicates renovated, newly named Roland G. Parrish library

April 27th, 2012


Parrish Library’s database of the week (4/27/12): MarketResearch.com

April 27th, 2012

Welcome to Database of the Week — a feature from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics.

This Week’s Featured Database:  MarketResearch.com Academic.

Link:  www.lib.purdue.edu/mel, in the pull down Quick Access to Business Databases alpha list right below the Libraries’ search box.

Description/focus: MarketResearch.com Academic provides market research reports.

Start with this hint: MarketResearch.com Academic home page has a search field if your research focus is on a specific product or company.  Enter the keyword for a list of reports.  Browse the list or refine your search with a new search phrase.  The home page also offers a list of industries to browse.  When a report is displayed, the cost of the report is displayed (though there is no cost to Purdue-affiliated researchers) so the value of the report to real-world businesses can be seen. Click here to see the basics of searching MarketResearch.com Academic.

Why you should know this database:  MarketResearch.com Academic reports are more detailed than those offered by most other services and include world markets when appropriate.

How this will help students:  Before downloading an entire report, students can see the Table of Contents to determine if the report covers the information they need. MarketResearch.com Academic

Cost: Paid annually by the Libraries and the Krannert School of Management.

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Database of the Week comes to you from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics. Our intent is to give you a brief introduction to a database that you may not know.  If you would like more information about this database, or if you would like a demonstration of it for a class, contact kranlib@purdue.edu.  Database of the Week is archived  at https://blogs.lib.purdue.edu/news/category/MGMT/.  For more Purdue Libraries news, follow us on Twitter (@PurdueLibraries).

If you would like us to promote your favorite database, send an email to mdugan@purdue.edu.


The Future is Now: Roland G. Parrish Library of Management and Economics

April 23rd, 2012


Parrish Library’s database of the week (4/20/12): AgEcon Search

April 20th, 2012

Welcome to Database of the Week — a feature from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics.

Link:  www.lib.purdue.edu/mel, in the pull down Quick Access to Business Databases alpha list right below the Libraries’ search box.

Description/focus: AgEcon Search is an open access database covering agricultural and applied economics.

Start with this hint: AgEcon Search home page displays the search box.  Fill in your subject of interest, Purdue for example, and the results are displayed.  Results include working papers, conference papers and posters, and journal articles.  AgEcon Search covers the fields of agricultural, consumer, energy, environmental and resource economics. Subjects include agribusiness, farm management, marketing, teaching.  Click here to see the basics of searching AgEcon Search.

Why you should know this database: By completing a simple registration process, you can submit your own papers and articles to be added to AgEcon Search, similar to the process of adding your papers to Purdue’s institutional repository, e-Pubs. As an open access database, AgEcon Search does not require a Purdue login and password, so the research you have done can be shared with anyone who has an Internet connection.

How this database can be integrated into the curriculum:  With a simple search in AgEcon Search students can get results that are international in scope, with results from academic institutions, government agencies, and professional organizations.

Cost: There is no cost for access to AgEcon Search.

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Database of the Week comes to you from the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics. Our intent is to give you a brief introduction to a database that you may not know.  If you would like more information about this database, or if you would like a demonstration of it for a class, contact kranlib@purdue.edu.  Database of the Week is archived  at https://blogs.lib.purdue.edu/news/category/MGMT/. For more Purdue Libraries news, follow us on Twitter (@PurdueLibraries).

If you would like us to promote your favorite database, send an email to mdugan@purdue.edu.