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February 10th, 2023
By: Ayn Reineke, in conversation with Professor Sarah Huber
A revolution in creative pedagogy is coming to the third floor of the Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC 3007). When the Libraries’ Knowledge Lab opens on February 14th, the Purdue community will have its first opportunity to engage with a brand new conceptual space on campus where students, staff, and faculty can explore a variety of maker tools and materials, get creative, and have fun while turning their ideas into rapid prototypes, podcasts, textile art, and more. Offering tutorials, guidance, and free low-stakes resources such as a vinyl cutter, sewing machine, Riso printer, a podcast booth, heat press, yarn, cardboard, and fabric, it will serve as a first stop in a pipeline of opportunities on campus to fully actualize an idea.
I had the privilege of sitting down with Sarah Huber, associate professor and faculty librarian supervisor of the Knowledge Lab, to discuss the new space in advance of the grand opening celebration on February 14th, 2023.
AR: As a creative person who would have absolutely loved having access to a resource like this as a student, it’s like walking into a toy store as a kid, but even better, it’s all free to use! How did this happen?
SH: That’s great to hear, and just the kind of impression we want people to have coming into the space. The Knowledge Lab is a natural extension of Libraries’ Mobile Making efforts. After five years of developing programming across campus, which included partnering with departments and the Purdue cultural centers, we kept asking, “Why do Making in an academic setting?” We know why people Make in a costume shop or an engineering lab, but why should we encourage and facilitate Making across all disciplines in academia? We realized that we needed space to explore this question in more depth.
AR: Interesting. How do you find an answer to that question?
SH: One experience in particular sparked me to dig deeper into the idea of Making in an academic setting. A couple years ago, I partnered with Dr. Pam Sari from the Asian American and Asian Resource Cultural Center (AAARCC) to host a podcast. The podcast was dedicated to examining the ideas of who is a Maker and what is the definition of Making.
AR: We should pause there. Could you define Making for readers who may not be familiar with the concept of Making with a capital M?
SH: Yes, traditionally, Making included areas such as robotics, 3D printing, and woodworking. It was often associated with males in the STEM fields. That wasn’t always the case in practice, of course, but that’s the reputation it gained.
AR: Thank you. So, what happened on the podcast?
SH: We took it in many fun directions, and I learned a lot. One guest, a PhD candidate at the time, Kadari Taylor Watson, talked about her exploration of African print fabrics as her scholarship. She didn’t want to dilute her work into a journal article—she wanted to present her work in the form of an exhibition, and that would be her scholarship. The episode is called Making with African Print Fabrics. That was it for me, the spark that set us on a path towards the Knowledge Lab.
I wanted our Maker programming to explore the idea of finding the best medium to deliver your content. I wanted us to host a space that facilitates the exploration of different mediums to deliver new knowledge. Plus, there’s no getting around it—it was not easy lugging equipment and materials all over campus. The Knowledge Lab allows us to provide a greater variety of Maker tools that are too heavy or impractical for Mobile Making, like our RISO printer, which is a printer that produces the look of digital screen printing. We’re hoping students will create zines and booklets with it.
AR: Right. I imagine a giant printer doesn’t travel well! In Libraries, we like to say that we are “More Than Books,” and that certainly applies here.
SH: Absolutely! The intention of the Knowledge Lab is for the Purdue community to experiment with different media as a means to express an idea, to test ideas under different circumstances to see what medium best serves that idea in a new and innovative way. We hope it will serve faculty and students as a space for discussions about alternative, non-traditional scholarship that will contribute to Purdue’s knowledge landscape. We want to facilitate a focus on process, not just product, so that an idea isn’t forced into an expected container, such as the traditional expectation of a journal article, but fully realized in a way where the creator and the audience can best connect with the intent and content.
AR: Was the Knowledge Lab inspired by the makerspaces we see popping up in cities around the world?
SH: I would say that we have built on the makerspace principles of building, creating things with your hands, and testing ideas. When people look into a makerspace and see students working through their ideas, I think the word “autonomy” often comes to mind. I think this is a very important facet of makerspaces, maybe the most important. Where we take a step in a different direction, I think, is by challenging students to answer the question, “How can your Making be considered scholarship?” or “How can it lead to a final outcome that is your scholarship?” It’s all about working through the creative process and approaching ideas from new angles, because that’s what drives innovation.
AR: What makes Libraries the best home for a space like this?
SH: As a faculty librarian, this is my elevator pitch, “We used to be the gatekeepers of knowledge, then we became the curators of knowledge, and now, libraries are both curators and facilitators of new knowledge.” Our libraries are inclusive places of information sharing, and the Knowledge Lab allows students and faculty to actively participate in information creation. We see and value students’ creative processes and output, and we want to facilitate and acknowledge their contribution to Purdue’s information landscape.
AR: My understanding is that everyone in the Purdue community can use Libraries resources, regardless of discipline, major, or degree. There’s no gatekeeping, no prerequisites. I imagine that the mission of the Knowledge Lab aligns well with that.
SH: Yes. We want everyone to feel comfortable visiting the Knowledge Lab, exploring their ideas and creative processes, and using our resources. You don’t need to be proficient in a particular software or enrolled in a specific academic program to find a place here. We encourage experimentation and discovery through trial and error because it’s all part of the innovation process. And our staff will help familiarize visitors with the resources we offer, or troubleshoot if they get stuck.
AR: Tell me more about the role staff will play.
SH: The Knowledge Lab Manager, Robin Meher, and her team will be present to help students safely use the equipment, software, and discover the materials to spark their creative thinking. If they’ve never used a particular tool, or simply have a great idea but no clue where to start, our staff is here to help. That said, we also understand that sometimes, you just need time and space to work out a problem or explore an idea independently, and we are sensitive to those needs, too. We are happy to provide as much or as little guidance as our visitors need.
AR: Will there be opportunities for more in-depth instruction if someone wants to build their skills with a particular resource?
SH: Yes, absolutely. We plan to invite campus experts, artists, and I hope, eventually, some of the talented students who use the Knowledge Lab, to give one-hour introductory tutorials and share their own creative and learning processes. Our first KNOW 101 session is already planned for March 9th. I’ll be teaching participants the basics of machine sewing. We’ll be making soft toys for their favorite cats and dogs.
AR: That sounds like a fun way to get comfortable with sewing machines, which, let’s face it, can sometimes be intimidating with their bobbins and needles to thread, and frustratingly vague instruction manuals.
SH: Ha! Yes, and we still have lots of vague instruction manuals throughout the space. The good news is—people will be here to help. Once you de-mystify the equipment for the user, it opens up a world of possibilities for innovation, ideation, and exploration. That’s something that is really important to us in the Knowledge Lab. We have the resources and expertise to help you learn and make things you may have previously taken for granted, like bags with different types of closures—zippers, snaps, buttons, etc. We don’t want any barriers to entry and welcome all ideas, no matter how “out there” you may think it is. We never want anyone to feel intimidated in our space. We are located in a beautiful corner space on the third floor of the Wilmeth Active Learning Center. Between the big sunny windows and the gorgeous views of campus, it’s a warm, welcoming space where we hope to build a community of makers, dreamers, and creative risk-takers.
AR: You mentioned community. With all these cozy nooks and open work stations, the space seems to invite conversation and idea sharing.
SH: Yes! Thank you for pointing that out. We want to encourage and nurture students in developing their ideas in tandem with others. We often focus on the digital, the data-driven. Of course I see the value and the place for that, but Information consumption and creation so often takes place by ourselves, in isolation, and is done almost entirely on screens. The research is there—working with our hands and bouncing ideas off each other helps us both process information and develop ideas. And honestly, it’s just fun. Bring your cup of coffee, sit in our textile section and knit with a classmate, share ideas, and give each other feedback on a way to deliver a math concept through knitting.
AR: Sounds like the Knowledge Lab encourages a much more active, creative ideation process. I’d like to think there could be social and mental health benefits, too.
SH: I hope so. This is a space where students can talk through and explore their ideas without the pressure of a letter grade. It’s just for them, for the benefit of their own creative process and idea actualization. I know for myself, when I work with my hands, it activates something in me that helps calm me and takes my mind off of something stressful I may be going through.
AR: Speaking of letter grades, how will faculty and instructors use the Knowledge Lab?
SH: First and foremost, I hope they come to explore the space. I hope they reach out to me for a conversation on how to integrate Making into their course design. Ultimately, we want this to become a service that the Lab offers in the future. And I’d like them to understand that the heart of this space is inclusion. That inclusion relates to valuing the different ways students exist in the world. So, let’s give them opportunities to express that in the classroom, in their course deliverables, in their scholarship.
AR: How will you assess the impact and learning taking shape here?
SH: I hope the Lab will foster discussions on how to assess diverse deliverables. We know how to assess a paper or a PPT, but how do we assess something Made, something exhibited? Well, we can learn from teaching and learning practices of faculty across different disciplines. I want to make one clarification, though—this effort is not intended to be prescriptive. When I look back on my most impactful instructors, they knew their content well and they taught it in very different ways from one another. I respect that if faculty believe the best way for students to learn a section of their content is through a specific format, their experience and knowledge informed that decision. This space and concept is for instructors who want to experiment with ways to give autonomy to students in their course deliverables.
AR: Having sat through many dry final project slide-based presentations as a student, I can’t tell you how much more engaged I would have been if, after having all learned the same content, my classmates and I were given the freedom to demonstrate our learning proficiency in ways that excited and inspired us as individuals.
SH: Exactly. To take one concept and see it actualized not only in data or a research paper, but also in art, robotics, music, you name it—that depth and creativity breeds synthesis, reflection, and innovation. And once they have taken their ideas as far as they can go in the Knowledge Lab, we will help students confidently connect to other resources for the next phase of their actualization journey on campus, if they choose to take it further. There is no pressure.
AR: So, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey?
SH: Very much so.
AR: Lastly, why should people come to the grand opening on Valentine’s Day? Besides free food and coffee and the opportunity to design the DIY mug of their dreams.
SH: (laughing) Because it’s amazing, of course! Come and see what we’re doing. We want to hear your thoughts, get the conversations, and the Making, started!
AR: Thank you so much for your time.
The grand opening of the Knowledge Lab will take place in WALC 3007, on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. All members of the Purdue community are invited to drop in, explore the space, enjoy snacks, and participate in maker activities. For more information about the Knowledge Lab, upcoming tutorial sessions, and hours, please visit our website at https://www.lib.purdue.edu/KnowledgeLab.
Filed under: events, faculty_staff, general, News and Announcements, press_release, services, WALCFebruary 1st, 2023
The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research has released a new opinion poll database, the Health Poll Database , dealing with health related survey questions. It is included in the Purdue University Libraries’ subscription to the Roper Center’s iPoll Databank .
Filed under: collections, general
January 26th, 2023
Humanities, Social Science and Education Library’s Featured Database will give you a brief introduction to the basic features of one of our specialized subscription databases. This time we’re featuring Newspaper Source Plus database, brought to you by Alexander Street.
Link: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/db/db234
Access the databases off-campus with your Purdue login and password.
Focus: This database provides more than 860 full-text newspapers, including regional, national, and international newspapers. It also provides newswire coverage, which includes AP Online (Associated Press), Asia Pulse, Canadian Press Wire, and the World Stream Newswires.
Tutorial: Click here see the basics of using the Newspaper Source Plus database.
Why you should know this database: This database provides a full-text digital collection of the world’s major news content. It includes millions of articles from newspapers and newswires and offers television and radio transcripts and ongoing daily updates from popular news sources. provides. In addition, the database has more than 850,000 television and radio news reports.
Quick tip: If you notice to the right side of the screen, you will see a list of tools. On that list, there is a button called “Export.” You can use this tool to download the information directly to the citation management software of your choosing. Popular options include EndNote and Zotero, but there is also a generic option that can be used with other software.
Related Resources:
Other databases you might want to explore are:
ProQuest Newstream: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/db/pqn
NexusUni: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/nexisuni
January 20th, 2023
Parrish Library’s Featured Database will give you a very brief introduction to the basic features of one of our specialized subscription databases. This time we’re featuring Hospitality & Tourism Complete brought to you by EBSCO Information Services, a division of EBSCO Industries, Inc.
Hospitality & Tourism Complete covers scholarly research and industry news relating to all areas of hospitality and tourism. This collection contains more than 828,000 records, with coverage dating as far back as 1965. There is full text for more than 490 publications, including periodicals, company and country reports, and books.
The List of Business Databases 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 Career Account.
Click Getting Started with Hospitality & Tourism Complete to see the basics of using this database.
Some other resources you might want to explore are:
Featured Database 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, or future Featured Databases.
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, MGMTNovember 1st, 2022
International Open Access Week is upon us! Open Access removes “reader pays” access barriers to scholarly research, allowing wider dissemination, access, and use of scholarly works. Scholarly research published using an Open Access pathway is free for anyone to read and reuse. International Open Access Week is an opportunity for academic and research communities to learn about the benefits of Open Scholarship and inspire wider participation in Open Access.
Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies provides support for Purdue authors to participate in Open Access. Through a series of Open Access Publisher Partnerships, Purdue authors can choose to publish openly—at no cost to themselves–in journals managed by our publishing partners. This includes journals published by PLoS, Cambridge University Press, Association for Computing Machinery, and Wiley. In addition, Purdue authors can apply for funding from the Open Access Publishing Fund to cover article processing charges (APCs) in journals that make all their content immediately Open Access. For approved applicants, this fund will cover up to $2,500 toward APCs while funds are available. Details, as well as a link to apply for funding, are available at https://www.lib.purdue.edu/openaccess/fund. Questions and requests for in-person question and answer sessions about these agreements can be directed to Nina Collins, Scholarly Publishing Specialist, nkcollin@purdue.edu.
In addition to providing support for born-open scholarship, Purdue Libraries provides support for Green Open Access—archiving works on the institutional repository—and retroactive opening of gated scholarship. A vast majority of publishers support Green Open Access sharing policies. These policies allow authors to post their works to Purdue e-Pubs, the institutional repository for Purdue University. The Purdue e-Pubs team offers a free, publisher sharing policy review service. The team reviews sharing policies of publishers, provides a list of your works that can be opened, and will manage all the uploads and publisher fine print. Purdue authors who wish to retroactively open their works can email a list of publications, or a link to one, to epubs@purdue.edu to request this free service.
Scholarly works posted to Purdue e-Pubs are freely available to a global audience and auto-indexed in Google Scholar, increasing discoverability. Authors receive monthly auto-notices that include COUNTER-compliant usage statistics and access to the Author Dashboard. This provides insights for authors such as where their work is being downloaded and how frequently. Purdue e-Pubs also includes a PlumX Analytics integration. PlumX is an altmetric tracking tool that collects mentions of individual works on social media, blogs, news sites, and more. The Unpaywall browser extension further enhances discoverability of works in Purdue e-Pubs by directing users from the publisher’s version of record to our Open Access version. For further information on Purdue e-Pubs, Green Open Access, or to request a free review of your publications, contact Nina Collins or epubs@purdue.edu.
Filed under: faculty_staff, general, News and Announcements, Open_Access, scholcommNovember 1st, 2022
Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies is pleased to recognize two individuals with the 2022 Leadership in Open Access Award: Dr. Harry Denny, Professor of English and Director of the Writing Lab and Dr. Yung-Hsiang Lu, Professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The Leadership in Open Access award is given annually in recognition of exceptional commitment to broadening the reach of scholarship by making Purdue research freely accessible online. This award is granted to nominees who have worked in collaboration with one or more repositories supported by Purdue Libraries, such as Purdue e-Pubs, Purdue University Research Repository (PURR), or Purdue e-Archives.
Denny, along with his fellow journal editors of the Writing Center Journal, successfully transitioned this formerly closed access, print journal to an Open Access journal. The journal was made openly available in Purdue e-Pubs through a partnership with Purdue University Press. In addition to publishing all forthcoming content from the Writing Center Journal, all back issue content has also been made available on the Open Access site and provided with DOIs, making the journal’s legacy stable and globally accessible. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/wcj/
Lu has been the lead organizer of the annual IEEE Low-Power Computer Vision Challenge since 2015. Between 2015-2021, 108 international teams submitted more than 500 solutions. Since 2019, winners have to release their solutions and present their solutions in conference. The winners’ solutions are collected and published in a book “Low-Power Computer Vision Improve the Efficiency of Artificial Intelligence”, Chapman and Hall/CRC, ISBN 978-0-3677-4470-0, February 23, 2022. For transparency, the referee system’s source code as well as reference solutions are released before the challenges (https://github.com/lpcvai). The reference solution serves as the basis for participants to improve upon. Lu is also a strong proponent of Open Access to research software. Each of his research papers is accompanied with a github repository of the software used for generating the data presented in the research paper. Most important, Lu promotes Open Access in his courses. He teaches students the concepts of Open Access and explains the tools for managing Open Access—including software and data. In the past 5 years, more than 1,000 students have learned the skills to manage and share Open Access information.
Dr. Harry Denny and Dr. Yung-Hsiang Lu join the growing list of previous recipients of the Leadership in Open Access Award.
Filed under: faculty_staff, general, News and Announcements, Open_Access, scholcommNovember 1st, 2022
Parrish Library’s Featured Database will give you a very brief introduction to the basic features of one of our specialized subscription databases. This time we’re featuring Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) developed by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Wharton Research Data Services, also known as WRDS, is a data management and research tool that provides single-point access to over 350 terabytes of data across multiple disciplines, including finance, marketing, and economics.
The List of Business Databases 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 Career Account.
Click Getting Started with Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) to see the basics of using this database.
Some other resources you might want to explore are:
Featured Database 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, or future Featured Databases.
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, MGMTOctober 27th, 2022
Humanities, Social Science and Education Library’s Featured Database will give you a brief introduction to the basic features of one of our specialized subscription databases. This time we’re featuring Oxford Art Online database.
Link: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/db/oxfordart
Access the databases off-campus with your Purdue login and password.
Focus: Oxford Art Online is an innovative gateway that offers users the ability to access and search the vast content of Grove Art Online and Oxford art reference in one location. With the 2008 complete redesign of Grove Art Online, as well as the addition of substantial new Oxford reference content, Oxford Art Online offers the most extensive and easily searchable online art resource available today, a virtual art reference library of unparalleled scope and depth.
Tutorial: Click here see the basics of using the Drama Online database.
Why you should know this database: This database combines the Grove Dictionary of Art and Benezit Dictionary of Artists into an innovative gateway that offers users the ability to access and search the vast content. It is regularly updated and includes over 200,000 articles that span ancient to contemporary art and architecture.
Quick tip: At the bottom of the article, there is a section called Bibliography. This lists the source where the information from the article was obtained. You can click on the link beneath the citation to see if the item is available at our library. This can help expand the resources for your research.
Related Resources:
Other databases you might want to explore are:
Art Full-Text: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/db/aft
Gale OneFile – Fine Arts: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/db/gppfa
October 4th, 2022
Parrish Library’s Featured Database will give you a very brief introduction to the basic features of one of our specialized subscription databases. This time we’re featuring Frost & Sullivan brought to you by the global research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.
Frost & Sullivan’s business intelligence portfolio provides practical industry insights and analysis with real-world statistics and research results. Industries covered include communications and IT, transportation, consumer products, healthcare, environment and energy, aerospace and defense, electronics and semiconductors, chemicals, materials, and food.
The List of Business Databases 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 Career Account.
Click Getting Started with Frost & Sullivan to see the basics of using this database.
Some other resources you might want to explore are:
Featured Database 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, or future Featured Databases.
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, MGMT, UncategorizedSeptember 15th, 2022
Purdue University Press spoke with author Charles J. Murray about his new book, Long Hard Road: The Lithium-Ion Battery and the Electric Car.
Q: Could you give a brief description of your book?
The first half of the book takes the reader through the piece-by-piece invention of the lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion had many inventors around the world, but mostly in the US, UK, France, and Japan. The inventors in those countries are profiled, and the book details their contributions between 1972 and 1991. The second half of the book is about the electric car, and the auto industry’s adoption of lithium-ion. It describes all the different chemistries that automotive engineers tried before they settled on lithium-ion. The consistent thread to this story is the battery. There is no single main character in this book; the lithium-ion battery is really the star.
Q: What is the goal of your book? What motivated you to write it?
I wanted to write this because I thought the electric car and the lithium-ion battery were misunderstood. In popular culture, the electric car is a new idea. But in truth the manufacturable electric car is 138 years old. And the rechargeable lithium battery is 50 years old this year. This isn’t a story about a new idea. It’s a story about an old, failed idea that was successfully brought back to life.
Q: What are a few things that are being studied for the first time in this book?
The biggest thing is the contribution by Japanese companies. If not for two companies, Asahi Chemical and Sony Corporation, we might not have a lithium-ion battery today. During the 1970s and ‘80s, critical concepts were invented and patented in the US and UK. And then they were ignored. Scientists in the UK were shocked when Sony came along and wanted to license a British patent for lithium-ion that had been gathering dust for eight years. The Japanese companies used that patented technology, then added their own inventions, and created a commercial product. This turns out to have been a critical moment in technological history.
The other unknown story was the creation of the first pre-production battery in Boston. It turns out that Asahi Chemical had a working prototype battery in its lab, but its scientists didn’t know how to build a commercial cell, like the kind you might buy at a grocery store. And they didn’t want to ask for help in Japan because they feared their idea would be stolen. So in 1986 they flew out to Boston with three jars of slurry and asked a company there to turn their slurry into 200 working cells. The whole affair was so secret that even some of the scientists who worked on it in Boston were unaware that they had participated in the creation of the first lithium-ion production batteries. The owner of the company in Boston never divulged the secret until recently, and the story hasn’t been told until now.
Q: Is there anything that shocked or surprised you while working on this project?
I never knew that Thomas Edison and Henry Ford partnered on an electric car in 1913. Ford seldom gets credit for his efforts in this area. It’s often assumed that he disliked electric cars. But he wanted to build and sell electric cars; he even planned to have his son, Edsel Ford, serve as head of manufacturing. But the partnership flopped when Edison’s nickel-iron battery performed poorly in Michigan’s cold winter climate.
The other thing that surprised me was the role of a company called AC Propulsion in the development of Tesla’s first electric car, the Roadster. AC Propulsion created the powertrain that served as the model for the Roadster, which came out in 2009. The Roadster’s powertrain was very similar to AC Propulsion’s, but was redesigned so it could be manufactured in large volumes. Obviously, Tesla deserves enormous credit for what it did. But the initial spark of genius really came from AC Propulsion.
You can get 30% off Long Hard Road: The Lithium-Ion Battery and the Electric Car and any other Purdue University Press book by ordering from our website and using the code PURDUE30 at checkout.
Filed under: PurduePress