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Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News

From the Archives: Paperwork

March 11th, 2018

In this image, many people have gathered to complete an important task that is a regular part of every student’s college experience.  What are they doing?  How was it organized?  Where is this? Share your ideas in the comments and check back on Thursday for the full story!

UPDATE:

For a large portion of Purdue’s history, course registration took place not on a computer or in a registrar’s office but in a large room alongside hundreds of potential classmates.  Beginning in 1926, registration took place in the Armory, where each of Purdue’s thousands of students arrived to sign up for classes at an assigned time during a three-day registration period.  Each department had its own table, identified by signs on tall stands, where students could ask questions and enroll in their preferred class sections.  After signing up for all their classes, students proceeded to a bursar’s table to pay their fees and finally to the registrar for schedule approval, all in one place.  The process changed slightly from year to year.  This large-scale registration event disappeared in the 1960s with the introduction of computer-based enrollment through the Registrar’s Office.

This image shows registration in the Armory, circa 1930s, with a large schedule board listing class sections along the back wall.  Below is a closer view of the schedule board being examined by President Frederick Hovde.

Join us again on March 26 for the next image From the Archives!


“IMPACT Learning: Librarians at the Forefront of Change” Book by Purdue Libraries Prof. Maybee Now Available

March 7th, 2018

Purdue University Libraries Information Literacy Specialist and Associate Professor Dr. Clarence Maybee’s new book, “IMPACT Learning: Librarians at the Forefront of Change in Higher Education,” presents the ways in which academic librarians are making a difference in student learning and success, using Purdue University’s IMPACT (Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation) program as an example.

Clarence Maybee, Information Literacy Specialist, Purdue University Libraries
Clarence Maybee, Information Literacy Specialist, Purdue University Libraries

Maybee’s book describes how academic libraries can enable the success of higher education students by creating or partnering with teaching and learning initiatives that support student learning through engagement with information.

In his book, the author discusses existing models, extracting lessons from Purdue Libraries’ partnership with other units to create a campus-wide course development program, IMPACT, to provide academic libraries with tools and strategies for working with faculty and departments to integrate information literacy into disciplinary courses.

The text will also helps teachers and students deal with information in the context of a discipline and its specific needs and presents an informed learning approach where students learn to use information as part of engagement with subject content.

To order the book, visit http://bit.ly/2oSMrWx. For more information about the information literacy resources offered by Purdue Libraries, visit www.lib.purdue.edu/infolit.


Database of the Month: Ad$pender

March 7th, 2018

Welcome to Database of the Month, a feature from the Parrish Library. Each of these monthly snapshots will give you a very brief introduction to the basic features of one of our specialized subscription databases. This month’s database is Ad$pender brought to you by Kantar Media.

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: Ad$pender is a tool that allows you to view a top-level summary of the multi-media advertising marketplace. Ad$pender monitors advertising expenditures and occurrence information for over 3 million brands across 18 media types.

Tutorial: Click here see the basics of searching Ad$pender.

Start with this hint: When selecting a product set you can search by brand name and then drill down to find categories, subcategories, or microcategories related to that brand.

Why you should know this database: Ad$pender is a fast and easy-to-use tool that allows you to break down information by category, parent, company, subsidiary and brand. Data is general available 4-8 weeks of air date and coverage spans from 1995-present.

Interested in Market Research?  

Some other databases you might want to check out, are:

  • Mintel, includes market research reports for Europe, the UK, and the US. Reports cover a variety of sectors including consumer goods, travel and tourism, financial industry, and more.
  • IBISWorld, includes both industry reports and procurement reports with information on over 700 US Industries in the US economy.
  • eMarketer, includes daily research articles, analyst reports, and a database of e-business and online marketing statistics from over 2,800 sources.

Database of the Month 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 monthly 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.


Purdue University Research Repository Gets Makeover

March 6th, 2018

Home page of the Purdue University Research Repository. Images that appear on the home page are part of datasets stored in PURR. This image is from "Biological, chemical and flow characteristics of five river sampling sites in the Wabash River watershed near Lafayette, Indiana – 2014."
Home page of the Purdue University Research Repository (PURR). Images that appear on the home page are part of datasets stored in PURR. This image is from “Biological, chemical and flow characteristics of five river sampling sites in the Wabash River watershed near Lafayette, Indiana – 2014.”

The Purdue University Research Repository, a research data-management resource for Purdue faculty, staff, and students, has been updated recently to better serve the University community.

PURR provides an online, collaborative workspace for Purdue researchers with tools for learning about data-management best practices, privately sharing research files, and publishing completed data sets. Its goal is to help researchers meet funders’ data-sharing requirements and to move science forward by publishing and preserving open data, says Sandi Caldrone, data repository outreach specialist in the Research Data unit of Purdue Libraries.

The improvements made to PURR include:

  • 10 times more storage space for private files;
  • full-featured datasets gallery on the home page;
  • consolidation of all instructions, guidelines, tips, and tricks to one “Help” section;
  • new videos and tutorials; and
  • easier access for graduate students.

The design was based on results from a usability study conducted in 2017. The website also has been streamlined so that it is much easier to navigate and use. It also is mobile-friendly.

Caldrone says that if someone has used PURR before, all of their data is still there. She also notes that published data sets are now called “Datasets,” instead of “Publications.”

The account registration process also has been streamlined for easier use. Purdue users can log in using their Purdue career accounts. Non-Purdue researchers can register for an account if they are invited by a Purdue researcher to collaborate on a project.

PURR is a collaboration among Purdue Libraries, ITaP, and the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research and Partnerships.

For more information, contact Caldrone at scaldron@purdue.edu or email PURR at purr@purdue.edu.

 

PURR (Purdue University Research Repository) enables users to explore the open data behind Purdue University's world-class research. PURR publishes and archives digital datasets from researchers across campus and welcomes all kinds of open data, from images and videos to spreadsheets and source code.
PURR (Purdue University Research Repository) enables users to explore the open data behind Purdue University’s world-class research. PURR publishes and archives digital datasets from researchers across campus and welcomes all kinds of open data, from images and videos to spreadsheets and source code.

Article courtesy of Megan Huckaby, Purdue University Marketing and Media


Mobile Making Workshops in March: 3D-Printed Jewelry and Keychains

March 2nd, 2018

Purdue Libraries: March 2018 Mobile Making Workshops

 

Faculty and staff in the Library of Engineering & Science & D-VELoP (Data-Visualization Experience Lab of Purdue) are hosting two more of the popular Mobile Making workshops in the Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC) in March.

This month, each workshop will feature 3D-printed jewelry- and keychain-making activities.

D-VELoP workshops, which are free and open to all those at Purdue University, are set from 1-4 p.m. Thursday, March 8 and Thursday, March 22, and are located just to the east of the first floor information desk in the WALC.

“We’ll have the 3D printed items already printed, so all you have to do is turn them into earrings or key chains,” noted Purdue Libraries Assistant Professor Sarah Huber.

Learn more about D-VELoP at www.lib.purdue.edu/d-velop.

 


From the Archives: An Active Classroom

February 25th, 2018

Purdue students have always enjoyed hands-on activities as part of their coursework, gaining real world experience as they prepare for their future careers.  What course of study are these students following?  What are they doing?  Where are they?  Share your ideas in the comments and check back on Friday for the reveal!

UPDATE:

These Dairy Production students are working in the Purdue Creamery in Agriculture Hall, which still exists today as Pfendler Hall.  In Purdue’s fully functioning dairy operation, College of Agriculture students gained practical experience making cheese, butter, and ice cream.  In this image, circa 1911, they are making and packaging butter, which was later sold to the public under the Purdue University Creamery label.  The dairy moved to Smith Hall when it opened in 1913 and continued selling dairy products to the public until 1969.

butter box

A butter box from the Purdue University Creamery

 

Join us on March 12 for the next From the Archives mystery photo.


Purdue’s Black Cultural Center Library: Collections Dedicated to African-American Culture and Experiences

February 22nd, 2018

Librarian E. Nikki Johnson, Purdue University Black Cultural Center Library
Black Cultural Center Library’s Nikki Johnson

Throughout history, libraries have often provided a way for historically disenfranchised individuals and groups to gain access to knowledge and information.

“So the library helps you to see, not only that you are not alone, but that you’re not really any different from everyone else,” noted the poet and author Maya Angelou in the 2014 “American Libraries” article “Remembering Maya Angelou.” In it, the author of the piece, Mariam Pera, looks back at how Angelou valued and spoke about libraries and education during her life.

A unique part of the overall Purdue Libraries’ collections at Purdue University are the materials in the Black Cultural Center Library, located on the second floor of the Black Cultural Center on campus. With more than 7,000 books, journals, and media, the BCC Library includes materials and information dedicated to African-American culture and experiences and his managed by BCC Librarian E. Nikki Johnson, who came to Purdue last November.

According to Johnson, in addition to a slate of events commemorating Black History Month (held throughout February), the BCC also has an exhibit of banned books written by African-American authors. Incidentally, Pera’s “American Libraries” article notes that Angelou has been “one of the most frequently challenged authors (and authors of color) of the 20th and 21st centuries,” per the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

“The goal [of this exhibit] is to stimulate discussion about the content of these literary works and why they were considered for censorship,” explained Johnson.

Purdue Black Cultural Center Library
Purdue Black Cultural Center Library

With the BCC’s 50th anniversary falling in 2019, Johnson has arrived at Purdue in time to help plan this important milestone celebration for the Black Cultural Center. Below is a brief Q&A with Johnson, in which she shares a bit about her background and her interest in library and information science and African-American collections and studies and, briefly, plans for the Golden Anniversary milestone the Purdue community will commemorate next year.

Q. Tell me a little bit about your background and how you came to serve in your current position at Purdue.

Johnson: I have always been very strongly attached to the discipline of African-American history, culture, and social impact. As an undergraduate student, I declared a double major in political science and African and African-American studies. This decision caused me to fully appreciate and embrace my academic journey, and it helped me to define my professional goals.

Upon completion of my degree, I became both familiar with and fond of the authentic academic research process, which led me to my interest in library and information science. I was encouraged by my undergraduate professor and mentor to consider a career as an academic librarian, as she recognized my desire to cultivate a professional presence within a scholarly environment. I was grateful for her direction because it provided me with purpose for my goals, and I gladly accepted her guidance and completed my graduate degree in library and information science.

Considering how these experiences and ambitions culminated, pursuing the position of librarian at Purdue’s Black Cultural Center felt incredibly consistent with my academic and professional journey, and I am privileged to serve and develop within this role.

Displays in the Black Cultural Center Library at Purdue
Displays in the Black Cultural Center Library

Q. What are some of your favorite materials in the BCC Library’s collections?

Johnson: I am still in the preliminary stage of exploring our collection, but at this time I am most fond of our assortment of vinyl records. I have a collection very similar to it at home, and I closely identify with the genre of music within it.

Q. What is information about the BCC Library you would like to impart to the Purdue campus, perhaps information that may not be widely known?

Johnson: The BCC Library has a collection of “Debris” yearbooks that are available for circulation. The issues that we have available to patrons date back to 1955.

Q. In 2019, the BCC will have reached an important milestone at Purdue. What are the plans to celebrate the BCC and BCC Library?

Johnson: Next year, the BCC will celebrate its 50th Anniversary as a vital resource to Purdue University. We are working to create a calendar of events that will commemorate the existence and contributions of the Black Cultural Center and how it has served and will continue to impact this campus and community.


Editor’s Note: Another interesting exhibit to check out at the BCC is “We Wear the Mask: The Black Heroes and Sheroes of the Comic Book Universe.” The exhibit includes comic books and action figures of popular and lesser known comic book heroes and sheroes. Some of the items in the exhibit are featured in the photos below.

Black Panther in Purdue Black Cultural Center Exhibit: We Wear the Mask: The Black Heroes and Sheroes of the Comic Book Universe”
Black Panther poster in Purdue Black Cultural Center Exhibit, “We Wear the Mask: The Black Heroes and Sheroes of the Comic Book Universe”

Purdue Black Cultural Center Exhibit: We Wear the Mask: The Black Heroes and Sheroes of the Comic Book Universe”


Black Panther in Purdue Black Cultural Center Exhibit: We Wear the Mask: The Black Heroes and Sheroes of the Comic Book Universe”


Purdue Black Cultural Center Exhibit: We Wear the Mask: The Black Heroes and Sheroes of the Comic Book Universe”


Purdue Black Cultural Center Exhibit: We Wear the Mask: The Black Heroes and Sheroes of the Comic Book Universe”


6 Ways to Show Your Data Some Love: Love Data Week ’18

February 14th, 2018

Show your data some love during this week, “Love Data Week” (or LDW) and all year long using the six tips listed in the graphic below.

According to the LDW website, the event is designed “to raise awareness and build a community to engage on topics related to research data management, sharing, preservation, reuse, and library-based research data services.”

“We believe research data are the foundation of the scholarly record and crucial for advancing our knowledge of the world around us,” notes the LDW organizers on the website.

For more information from Purdue Libraries, visit our “Data Management for Undergraduate Researchers: Introduction” LibGuide, at http://guides.lib.purdue.edu/undergraddata, and learn more about our Data Visualization Experience Lab of Purdue (D-VELoP) at www.lib.purdue.edu/d-velop.

6 Ways to Show Your Data Some Love: 1. Use open source/non-proprietary and uncompressed data formats for long-term accessibility; 2. Create an organizational scheme and consistent naming convention to manage your files; 3. Find connections in your data in the Purdue Libraries' Data Visualization Experience lab (D-VELoP); 4. Create a "data dictionary" to unambiguously define (and remember) the meaning of your variables; 5. Make sure you have two or three backups in different physical locations; 6. Share your data in an organized, secure repository... like the Purdue University Research Repository (PURR)


From the Archives: A Campus House

February 11th, 2018

Many buildings have housed Purdue’s departments and organizations.  Those that are gone often played an important role in the foundation and growth of programs that still exist on campus today.  Do you know what organization was based in this structure?  How long was this building its home?  Where was it located?  Share your ideas in the comments and we’ll reveal the story behind this image on Friday.

UPDATE:

The Black Cultural Center (BCC) was established in 1969 and moved into its first home, this house at 315 University Street, in late 1970.  At that time, coordinator of black student programs Dr. Singer A. Buchanan said the BCC would be a place “where anyone feels welcome to come in for discussions, readings, social events – or to just sit down and talk for a while.  If people…can get to know a bit more about each other it will go a long way toward mutual understanding and appreciation” (Journal & Courier, Dec. 14, 1970).  The house included offices, meeting rooms, kitchen facilities, lounges, and space for events and presentations.

This remained the home of the BCC until the current Black Cultural Center building opened at the corner of Russell and 3rd Streets in 1999.  Centrally located between the academic and residential communities of Purdue, the BCC features distinctive architectural design inspired by the art and architecture of ancient Africa.

Black Cultural Center, 2001

Today, the Black Cultural Center “provides purposeful, holistic, scholarly and co-curricular programming designed to strengthen understanding of African American heritage.  It enhances the academic, cultural and social development of the entire Purdue community.”


Database of the Month: SimplyAnalytics

February 7th, 2018

Welcome to Database of the Month, a feature from the Parrish Library. Each of these monthly snapshots will give you a very brief introduction to the basic features of one of our specialized subscription databases. This month’s database is SimplyAnalytics brought to you by SimplyAnalytics, Inc.

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: SimplyAnalytics enables non-technical users to quickly create professional quality thematic maps and reports using extensive demographic, business and marketing data.

Search: Click here to see the basics of searching SimplyAnalytics.

Start with this hint: SimplyAnalytics works best with the creation of a personal account, but you can login as a guest to try it out. To begin, create a new project by searching for the location or locations you’d like to analyze, then select variables such as population, income, or education. There are thousands of data variables which you can select once you’ve created your project.

Why you should know this database: SimplyAnalytics currently offers 75,000 data variables related to demographics, employment, housing, market segments, business, consumer spending, brand preferences, public health and more; and everything you create in SimplyAnalytics can be exported or emailed to any email address.

Interested in Consumer and Market Research?  

Some other databases you might want to check out, are:

  • Mediamark Internet Reporter, provides information on demographics, lifestyles, product and brand usage, and advertising media preferences reported by a sample of over 25,000 United State consumers.
  • com Academic, contains comprehensive full-text market research reports with broad range of coverage on markets, industries, and companies worldwide.
  • Passport, an online business information system providing business intelligence on countries, consumers and industries.
  • Mintel, includes market research reports from Europe, the UK, and the US. Reports cover a variety of sectors including consumer goods, travel and tourism, financial industry, internet industry, retail, food & drink.

Database of the Month 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 monthly 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.