Students now have alternative to textbooks (from Purdue Exponent)
August 26th, 2014
Posted: Friday, August 22, 2014 10:00 am | Updated: 11:52 am, Fri Aug 22, 2014
From Purdue Exponent
By ALLIE HASTINGS Staff Reporter
Students looking to avoid the hassle of heavy backpacks this fall have an alternative to the traditional print textbooks: eBooks.
Electronic versions of textbooks are not only becoming popular among students, but within Purdue’s libraries as well. According to Suzanne Ward, the head of collection management of Purdue Libraries, the University has a growing collection of eBooks that students can access 24/7.
“The libraries are starting to make a conscious effort to buy eBook versions of books that are required for classes,” Ward said. “We’re trying our best to get e-versions of those that allow access by multiple people at the same time.”
She described some of the issues the libraries face in terms of acquiring textbooks. Most publishers refuse to sell small quantities of the textbooks to the University, so as a result, Ward and her colleagues began exploring the option of eBooks. Oftentimes publishers will release the electronic versions of their textbooks a year or two after the print version comes out, so a majority of the eBooks within Purdue Libraries fall under the “supplemental reading” category.
“Unfortunately, we can’t afford to get everything in both formats, so we have to do the best we can in choosing which format to get things in,” Ward said.
Aside from the benefit of a lighter backpack throughout the day, eBooks allow students to search for keywords that may not appear in the index, copy and paste passages for papers and highlight excerpts. Formats may differ depending on the publisher or vendor, but most versions are user-friendly.
Ward believes the availability of eBooks that allow multiple users to access a document at one time will become higher in the next five to ten years. To learn more about Purdue Libraries and how to access its resources, visit lib.purdue.edu.
Filed under: general
Students now have alternative to textbooks (from Purdue Exponent)
August 26th, 2014
Posted: Friday, August 22, 2014 10:00 am | Updated: 11:52 am, Fri Aug 22, 2014
From Purdue Exponent
By ALLIE HASTINGS Staff Reporter
Students looking to avoid the hassle of heavy backpacks this fall have an alternative to the traditional print textbooks: eBooks.
Electronic versions of textbooks are not only becoming popular among students, but within Purdue’s libraries as well. According to Suzanne Ward, the head of collection management of Purdue Libraries, the University has a growing collection of eBooks that students can access 24/7.
“The libraries are starting to make a conscious effort to buy eBook versions of books that are required for classes,” Ward said. “We’re trying our best to get e-versions of those that allow access by multiple people at the same time.”
She described some of the issues the libraries face in terms of acquiring textbooks. Most publishers refuse to sell small quantities of the textbooks to the University, so as a result, Ward and her colleagues began exploring the option of eBooks. Oftentimes publishers will release the electronic versions of their textbooks a year or two after the print version comes out, so a majority of the eBooks within Purdue Libraries fall under the “supplemental reading” category.
“Unfortunately, we can’t afford to get everything in both formats, so we have to do the best we can in choosing which format to get things in,” Ward said.
Aside from the benefit of a lighter backpack throughout the day, eBooks allow students to search for keywords that may not appear in the index, copy and paste passages for papers and highlight excerpts. Formats may differ depending on the publisher or vendor, but most versions are user-friendly.
Ward believes the availability of eBooks that allow multiple users to access a document at one time will become higher in the next five to ten years. To learn more about Purdue Libraries and how to access its resources, visit lib.purdue.edu.
Filed under: general
MarketLine Advantage Database Update
August 18th, 2014
The MarketLine Advantage database subscription was not renewed. Access to the resource ends Sunday, August 17th. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Rebecca Richardson, Electronic Resources Librarian, rarichar@purdue.edu.
Filed under: general
Purdue Libraries Seeking Participants for User Testing
July 31st, 2014
Description: Purdue University Libraries is conducting user evaluation for the library website (www.lib.purdue.edu). In the evaluation participants will be asked to complete a set of testing tasks with the website and provide feedback. The evaluation is expected to take up to 1 hour of time. Participants will receive $10 if they complete the evaluation.
Requirements: 1) currently enrolled students, staff or faculty at Purdue University, and 2) experience of using Purdue University Libraries website or other academic search websites.
Contact: Please contact Tao Zhang at zhan1022@purdue.edu to schedule an evaluation time.
Filed under: general
Indiana’s first female firefighter retires, donates uniform to Purdue Libraries
July 30th, 2014
Indiana’s first female firefighter retired on Tuesday with a crowd of friends and coworkers surrounding her as she gave her final speech.
Diana Hardy left behind 36 years of firefighting – 32 of them with Purdue – on Tuesday afternoon. Hardy paved the way for women in a traditionally male-dominated profession as the first female firefighter in Indiana. Her retirement also marks the loss of Purdue Fire Department’s longest-serving member.
In honor of Hardy’s service, Sen. Ron Alting and Rep. Sheila Klinker presented her with Indiana’s Sagamore of the Wabash award.
“This is the highest honor we can get in the State of Indiana,” Alting said during the presentation. “People like Neil Armstrong, a Boilermaker, was presented this award. Being a Boilermaker myself, (Hardy is) representing our great University and more importantly, this is history today.”
Accolades aside, Hardy said her biggest reward isn’t the praise or recognition itself, but the example she is leaving behind for girls and other women. The Logansport, Ind. Native will be donating her uniform to Purdue Libraries to be put on display with items from other influential women, including pilot Amelia Earhart.
“It’s a women’s history project. They’ve wanted to do that for a while now, but I’ve kind of held them off for a little bit because I felt like it was something I wanted to do after retirement,” Hardy said. “I really wanted to wait until all was said and done, and then kind of share the whole experience. It’s pretty cool to know that I’m going to be in a display and somewhere, sometime, some little girl is going to see that and it may change her life.”
Hardy described her retirement as bittersweet; she said the department’s camaraderie, football and basketball games and tours with local children are what she will miss the most.
“It’s a career that you really have to be devoted to because it’s a lifetime career. You’re always a firefighter,” Hardy said. “I feel like I’m not really leaving the department, I’m just taking the uniform off.”
Filed under: general, SPEC
Roland G. Parrish Library of Management and Economics Ranks 11th in ‘Top 30 Most Impressive University Business School Libraries’ Ranking
July 24th, 2014
Purdue’s own Roland G. Parrish Library of Management and Economics was ranked #11 on Business Research Guide’s (BRG) “30 Most Impressive University Business School Libraries”: http://www.businessresearchguide.com/30-most-impressive-university-business-school-libraries/?fb_action_ids=10202473850743564&fb_action_types=og.likes
Filed under: general, MGMT, press_release
Daniels hopes center becomes model for other universities (WLFI TV 18)
July 8th, 2014
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – One of the major projects on Purdue’s campus this summer is the demolition of two buildings to make way for a brand new one, one that President Mitch Daniels hopes becomes a model for schools around the country.
The Engineering Administration Building or ENAD and the old power plant are being torn down this summer to make way for a new active learning center.
Daniels tells News 18 he hopes the center helps Purdue become a leader in modern higher education by providing a valuable and interactive campus experience. He said the active learning center is like a 21st century update to a library, by being technology-based, fully digital, with space for groups to meet both in the same room and around the globe.
“We’re very excited about this,” said Daniels. “We think it will be the first of its kind in the country. If we’ve guessed correctly, it will show the way to a new and improved way of teaching and learning.”
Daniels said he hopes to set up similar spaces in multiple campus buildings including residence halls. He hopes it helps justify the residential university experience.
______________________________________________
By Dan Klein
Published: July 4, 2014, 7:53 pm
http://wlfi.com/2014/07/04/daniels-hopes-center-becomes-model-for-other-universities/
Filed under: general, press_release
Active Learning Center increases truck traffic through campus (From Purdue Today)
June 19th, 2014
Active Learning Center increases truck traffic through campus
The demolition of the Engineering Administration Building (ENAD) and the retired Heating and Power Plant North (HPN) to allow for the construction of the new Active Learning Center will begin in June. As a result, there will be increased truck traffic to and from the project site. The maps below display the routes from June 23 through August 15, 2014 and from August 16, 2014 through the duration of the project.
The construction traffic routes will be clearly marked, but pedestrians and motorists should be cautious in the area and obey all posted signs.
Construction traffic from June 23 through August 15, 2014
Construction traffic after August 15, 2014
Questions may be directed to Rustin Meister, project manager, at (765) 496-9477.
Filed under: general, press_release
Active Learning Center increases truck traffic through campus (From Purdue Today)
June 19th, 2014
Active Learning Center increases truck traffic through campus
The demolition of the Engineering Administration Building (ENAD) and the retired Heating and Power Plant North (HPN) to allow for the construction of the new Active Learning Center will begin in June. As a result, there will be increased truck traffic to and from the project site. The maps below display the routes from June 23 through August 15, 2014 and from August 16, 2014 through the duration of the project.
The construction traffic routes will be clearly marked, but pedestrians and motorists should be cautious in the area and obey all posted signs.
Construction traffic from June 23 through August 15, 2014
Construction traffic after August 15, 2014
Questions may be directed to Rustin Meister, project manager, at (765) 496-9477.
Filed under: general, press_release
Purdue Libraries Seeks Director, Purdue University Press & Head, Scholarly Publishing Services
May 30th, 2014
Director, Purdue University Press & Head, Scholarly Publishing Services
Purdue University seeks a highly motivated and forward-thinking publishing professional to take Purdue University Press and Scholarly Publishing Services (PUP/SPS) to the next level. Reporting to the Dean of Libraries and an integral member of the Libraries’ senior leadership team, the successful candidate will be responsible for a publishing division that is gaining international recognition for its success in combining skills and infrastructure from both library and publishing contexts to better serve the needs of academic authors in a changing scholarly communication environment. The position is responsible not only for Purdue University Press but also for Scholarly Publishing Services, which includes Purdue e-Pubs, the University’s institutional repository. The relationship between PUP and SPS is articulated at http://lib.purdue.edu/publishing.
Purdue University Press (http://press.purdue.edu), founded in 1960, publishes 25-30 books a year as well as several journals, both subscription-based (e.g., Shofar) and Open Access (e.g., the Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-based Learning). All books and journals published under the Press imprint are peer-reviewed, edited, and designed to the highest standards. The University Press operates on a business model that relies on earned revenue to cover direct program costs. Manuscripts published come from scholars based outside as well as inside Purdue University, and the Press is a proud and active member of the Association of American University Presses. Over recent years the Press has built on strong lists in traditional humanities and social sciences areas, such as European history and Jewish studies, to develop programs aligned with Purdue as a land-grant, STEM-focused institution. Promising lists are currently being developed in library science, science and engineering education, construction management and civil engineering, aviation and astronautics, and veterinary studies. There is also a strong regional studies program, focused on the history, culture, and natural history of Indiana.
Scholarly Publishing Services focuses on supporting the publication efforts of various centers and departments within the Purdue system. The primary publishing platform used is Purdue e-Pubs (http://docs.lib.purdue.edu) and the majority of products created are openly accessible to readers. These include technical reports, niche faculty journals, student publications, and conference proceedings. Open Access is made possible by the financial support of partners, foundations, and Purdue University Libraries. Purdue e-Pubs, built on Digital Commons, is also the University’s institutional repository and the successful candidate will be responsible for encouraging Open Access to materials published elsewhere by Purdue University faculty. Through Purdue e-Pubs, users worldwide get free access to around 40,000 documents which are downloaded over 2.6 million times a year. Purdue is one of the founding members of the Library Publishing Coalition.
PUP/SPS operations are funded by a mixture of earned revenue and university support, in cash and in kind. This ensures financial stability while also facilitating the development of sustainable Open Access strategies. Collaborative relationships across Purdue ensure that there is substantial institutional support and PUP/SPS is situated at the center of the attractive, West Lafayette campus. The integration into the Libraries of the publishing function ensures that this position offers exciting opportunities to be a member of a group of information professionals who are redefining the ways in which scholarly information is managed, preserved, and disseminated. Purdue University Libraries is well-known as a leader in expanding the role of libraries in areas such as research data management, information literacy instruction, and re-conceptualizing options in scholarly communication and the use of library spaces.
Qualifications
Required:
- A minimum of five years of progressively more responsible experience in publishing.
- A bachelor’s degree, and preferably a post-graduate qualification in publishing, business, or a field related to the publishing program.
- Experience in managing a budget, with preference to a publishing related budget, to ensure financial viability and long-term growth.
- Project management expertise.
- Experience in negotiating, preparing, and administering author and editor contracts, agency agreements for a suite of publishing services, and distribution relationships.
- Demonstrable success in developing and implementing collaborative ventures and long-term relationships with partners with whom there is mutual benefit.
- Experience in pursuing and selecting manuscripts to be assessed by the Editorial Board.
- Knowledge necessary to expand and develop digital initiatives.
- Understanding of production and sales and marketing roles.
- Knowledge of current issues and trends in scholarly communications.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Strong interpersonal and leadership skills.
Preferred:
- Experience of publishing in science, engineering, or related STEM fields.
- Demonstrated understanding of the missions and functions of a large research library.
- Record of successful grant management.
Application Process
To be considered for the position, applications must be made through Purdue University’s employment web site at: www.purdue.edu/hr/careers and reference position ID 11488. Please include a cover letter with your application outlining your qualifications for this position. Review of applications will begin June 13, 2014, and will continue until the position is filled. Nominations and/or questions can be directed to: Ferullo@purdue.edu. Resumés or CVs sent to this email address cannot be considered. Please put “PUP/SPS” in the title of all email correspondence. A background check is required for this position.
Purdue University is an EEO/AA employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.
Filed under: faculty_staff, general, press_release, scholcomm
Article tags: PUP
