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February 10th, 2025
Celebrate all things data with the 2025 Love Data Series, which features online collaborative sessions with Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies (West Lafayette) and Purdue Fort Wayne Libraries. The series will consist of five sessions on select Tuesdays, 3:00–4:00 P.M., from February through April.
Register now for the first session, “Love Data: Effective Research Data Management,” on Tuesday, February 11, 3:00–4:00 PM on Teams.
Be sure to mark your calendar with the full schedule, included below:
More details for each topic, registration, and guest speakers will be announced soon. For questions, contact Kelly Burns, research data management specialist, at burnsmk@purdue.edu, or Erika Mann, director of digital initiatives technology and scholarship, at manne@pfw.edu.
The Research Data Offices in STEW 242 will also have fun Love Data Week stickers available starting February 11. Be sure to stop by and grab some for yourself, your friends, or your students.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsFebruary 7th, 2025
On January 30, Libraries Associate Professor Michael Witt, alongside Engineering Education Professor Sean Brophy, and their Engineering in the World of Data learning community enjoyed a discussion with Will Sheley, Purdue alumnus and former senior vice president of Visa and JPMorgan, as part of the Executive in Residence (EiR) program. This program is part of Residence Academic Initiatives, a subset of University Residences.
The Engineering in the World of Data learning community, now in its eighth year, offers a unique opportunity for 100 first-year engineering students and faculty to live together in Shreve Hall and take five courses as a cohort. The EiR program invites prominent executives and Purdue alumni to live on campus for a week. Students interact with executives in various mentorship settings, enabling executives to give back to their alma mater and forge meaningful professional connections with students.
Witt meets with the executives before their discussion with his learning community to craft scenario-based learning opportunities for his students. At this session, Sheley gave a chalk talk and engaged in a corporate earnings challenge involving the students picking an industry—operating at a $10 billion a year revenue scale—and having them identify opportunities to increase earnings by 17 percent next year. Data was provided as an example from one of the companies where Sheley previously worked. After the session ended, Witt, Sheley, and the students enjoyed an informal dinner at Wiley Dining Court.
About the program
Witt carefully selects the most relevant executives for each session from a list provided to him each semester. He then meets with the incoming executive to collaborate on learning outcomes and scenario-based learning, typically as a challenge for his students based on their professional practice and experience. He assigns two students to host the executive, participate in the call, meet the executive when they arrive on campus, and escort them to other parts of their itinerary.
“The learning objectives are customized for each executive, but I always prompt them to talk about their leadership style and give examples of it. Then, I always ask students to reflect on their own ideas about what their style may be, compare it with the executive’s, and ask questions,” Witt said. This process empowers students to recognize and develop their own leadership styles, fostering personal growth and confidence.
Witt selects 12–20 students from his learning community to participate in each session. After introductions, students are split into gold and black teams. The executive then presents the scenario, and the teams work together to address it and pitch their solutions to the executive, gaining feedback and eventually learning how the problem was solved in the executive’s career. At the conclusion, the session adjourns for an informal dinner, providing a relaxed setting for students to network and build connections.
Witt has hosted other sessions this year with a diverse range of executives, including NASA astronaut Drew Feustel, AT&T’s former distinguished network architect Margaret Chiosi, and Accenture’s managing director of the communications and media industry in the northeast market unit Todd Montabana.
Visit the EiR website to learn more about Will Sheley, and follow the learning community’s Instagram to stay updated on their latest activities.
Filed under: general, News and Announcements, UncategorizedFebruary 6th, 2025
In today’s world, information shapes every aspect of our lives—from driving technological innovation to fueling the spread of misinformation. Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies is proud to offer an undergraduate minor in Information Studies, providing a unique opportunity to learn how to navigate and critically engage with the complex information landscape.
“The minor focuses on preparing students for the informed workplace,” said Heather Howard, director of undergraduate education at Libraries and School of Information Studies. “It’s designed to complement any major, from business, to engineering, to liberal arts, and more,” she said.
The Information Studies minor embodies the historical, technical, cultural, and ethical dimensions of information, equipping graduates with the skills to navigate today’s information landscape. The minor welcomed its first students at the beginning of the fall 2024 semester.
“Using information is essential in all professions,” said Dr. Clarence Maybee, Libraries and School of Information Studies associate dean for learning. “Basic information literacy skills are not enough anymore. Every company has a unique information and data landscape that students need to be equipped to navigate,” he said.
About the minor
Course requirements for the minor cover trending topics in today’s interconnected, technology-driven world. Specifically, the minor involves coursework that focuses on preparing students to:
After completing an introductory course and choosing a required course on either information culture or data tools and applications, students select three courses in topics such as data ethics and management, artificial intelligence (AI), business and technical information, digital humanities, misinformation and conspiracy theories, online culture, and archives and rare books.
Visit the Information Studies website to learn more about the minor and view course requirements. Email infostudies@purdue.edu for minor-related questions and contact your academic advisor to officially enroll in the Information Studies minor.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsJanuary 29th, 2025
Purdue Libraries invites you to attend a talk by Douglas Rushkoff, author and documentarian who studies human autonomy in a digital age, on Thursday, February 20, 5:15–6:15 PM in WALC 1132. The talk is titled “Program or Be Programmed: The Biases of Digital Media” and will be hosted by Libraries faculty member Melissa Chomintra and co-sponsored by Purdue University’s Tech Justice Lab.
About the talk
We continue to accept new technologies into our lives with little or no understanding of how these devices work and work on us. We do not know how to program our computers, nor do we care. We spend much more time and energy trying to figure out how to use them to program one another, instead—this is a potentially grave mistake.
Just as the invention of text utterly transformed human society, disconnecting us from much of what we held sacred, our migration to the digital realm will also require a new template for maintaining our humanity. In this talk, Rushkoff shares the biases of digital media, and what that means for how we should use them.
About Douglas Rushkoff
Douglas Rushkoff, named one of MIT’s “world’s ten most influential intellectuals,” is an author, documentarian, and expert on digital age autonomy. His twenty books include “Survival of the Richest” and “Team Human,” and he has produced PBS Frontline documentaries like “Generation Like” and “The Persuaders.” Rushkoff has coined terms such as “viral media” and “social currency” and advocates for using digital media for social justice. A professor at CUNY/Queens and research fellow at the Institute for the Future, he is also a columnist for Medium, with his novels and comics in development for film.
Visit Rushkoff’s website to learn more about him and his work.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsJanuary 27th, 2025
In honor of Black History Month, Purdue Libraries and the Black Cultural Center invites you to attend a lecture by Sheryll Cashin titled, “Residential caste: How West Lafayette can transcend segregation and opportunity hoarding” on Wednesday, February 19, 10:30–11:30 AM in STEW 202.
About the lecture
How does a community with a history of segregation and disenfranchisement move forward to heal, repair, and transform?
West Lafayette is not different from other cities where Black migrants landed. As a professor of law at Georgetown University, Cashin has experience applying her theories to the particulars of multiple communities, with examples of hope, transformation, and repair from other cities. Repair requires building a multiracial coalition that supports policies that include and lift up vulnerable people. Dismantling and repairing residential caste requires perfecting local mulitracial democracy, or what W. E. B. DuBois called abolition democracy.
About Sheryll Cashin
Author of works centered around race relations and inequality in America, Sheryll Cashin is a professor of law at Georgetown University. Her latest book “White Space, Black Hood: Opportunity Hoarding and Segregation in the Age of Inequality” published in September 2021 shows how the government created “ghettos” and affluent white space and entrenched a system of American residential caste that is the linchpin of U.S. inequality, while issuing a call for abolition.
Cashin is an active member of the Poverty and Race Research Action Council; worked in the Clinton White House as an advisor on urban and economic policy, particularly concerning community development in inner-city neighborhoods; and served as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. She was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, where her parents were political activists, and currently resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband and two sons.
View her website to learn more about Cashin and her work.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsJanuary 23rd, 2025
On January 14, a reception was held to celebrate former Dean Beth McNeil’s professional accomplishments and honor the relationships she built, the lives and careers she touched, and the legacy she leaves behind as she enters the next phase of her career.
Beth served as dean of Purdue Libraries for 5 ½ years. She first came to Purdue Libraries in 2007, serving as associate dean for information resources and scholarly communication, and became associate dean for academic affairs in 2009. She remained at Purdue for eight years, leaving in 2015 to become dean of library services and professor at Iowa State University. In 2019, Beth returned as dean of Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies and Esther Ellis Norton Professor of Library Science.
Throughout her tenure, Beth has led the Libraries to many accomplishments, including the launch of the 2022–2025 strategic plan, the formation of the new Information Studies minor, the expansion of Open Access opportunities for Purdue faculty and researchers, and the renovations of campus libraries. Her commitment to Purdue students will remain evident in library spaces that provide them with flexible study spaces, and the ongoing curriculum development to meet their academic needs.
Reception recap
Mark Puente, associate dean for organizational development, and Rebecca Richardson, associate dean for collections and access, began with opening remarks. Two of McNeil’s former colleagues submitted their remarks to be read in place of their absences: Scott Brandt, Libraries professor emeritus, and Jim Mullins, dean of Libraries emeritus and Esther Ellis Norton professor emeritus. Five additional speakers followed to commemorate and speak of Beth’s accomplishments, character, and friendship:
“She’s been an incredible advocate and mentor for faculty and staff. She encourages folks to take risks, embrace opportunities, and strive to be the best you can be while always keeping in mind that a work-life balance is important, too,” said Ferullo.
“There’s a lot that’s been said about her leadership, but to me, that’s the most impressive, “said Akridge. “She led with intelligence, passion, grace, and good humor.”
Beth has consistently led with integrity, vision, and care for everyone around her. Under Beth’s leadership, Libraries has experienced tremendous growth, innovation, and an enduring sense of belonging and purpose within the Purdue community.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsJanuary 8th, 2025
Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies and The Eleventh House coffee shop is proud to partner with Corey Ewing, Indiana visual artist, to bring an exciting poetry slam and workshop opportunity to the Lafayette area. We invite all members of the community to apply to be a part of a cohort of 20 people who will participate in the workshops and final poetry slam event!
Ewing will offer two poetry slam workshops and a community-wide poetry slam where participants will perform their poetry created in the workshops. Participants will also receive instruction on how to use the equipment in the letterpress studio in the John Martinson Honors College at Purdue (the PrintBay), so they can design and print a publication that showcases their work.
The workshop involves two sessions on March 6 and 7, 4:00–6:00 PM at The Eleventh House, 116 N. 3rd St., Lafayette, IN; the poetry slam will be held on Wednesday, April 16, 4:00–6:00 PM at The Eleventh House as well. If you would like to be considered as a participant for this event, please fill out this form by midnight on Monday, February 3.
Workshops
Dates: March 6 and 7, 2025
Time: 4:00–6:00 PM
Location: The Eleventh House
Poetry slam
Date: April 16, 2025
Time: 4:00–6:00 PM
Location: The Eleventh House
About the artist
Corey Ewing is a native of Indianapolis, IN and supports various poetic projects, including Indianapolis Poetry Slam, Word As Bond, Fighting Words Poetry, Cafe Creative and curates Vocab. Currently an artist at work with the Kheprw Institute, Ewing continues to teach, coach, and create as an interdisciplinary artist focusing on poetry and photography in Indy. Learn more about his work here.
January 7th, 2025
As part of its ongoing efforts to improve campus spaces and better serve students, Purdue Libraries has successfully relocated a significant portion of its collection to a new off-campus repository. This move, which took place throughout 2023 and 2024, helped to create more student-focused spaces within the HSSE Library in Stewart Center, freeing up room for additional seating and study areas.
The relocation process has been managed by Hallett Movers, a professional library moving company. The bulk of the move was completed in February 2024, and as of December 2024, over 70% of the relocated collection is now discoverable, a significant increase from the 52% available in August. This steady progress ensures that more materials are becoming accessible to patrons each day.
RaeLynn Boes, print collections manager, said “The biggest improvement was getting out of a basement that had leaks and no longer having to fight humidity. We had leaks from things like restrooms and when a pipe burst on Mitch Daniels Blvd., and we were constantly worrying about these materials being damaged.”
About the repository
The relocated materials are now housed at a new facility located at 2550 Northwestern Ave., in the former State Farm Insurance building. With nearly one million items now stored off-campus, this transition marks a major shift in how Purdue Libraries manages its collections. The majority of the materials that were transferred came from the HIKS and Archives repositories, as well as from the HSSE Library in Stewart Center itself.
In the new facility, Purdue Libraries has implemented a unique organizational system that departs from the traditional library classification methods. Instead of using call numbers and location codes, materials are organized by individual row numbers on shelves. While this approach may seem different from what students and faculty are accustomed to on campus, each item retains its original shelf number, ensuring a straightforward transition when retrieving materials.
How to access materials
Despite the materials now being housed off-campus, accessing books and other resources has not become more difficult for patrons. Purdue Libraries Facilities (PLF) makes two trips each day between the campus and the off-campus repository to retrieve requested items, which are then made available for pickup at the patron’s chosen library. More than 1,300 items were requested during the Fall 2024 semester, highlighting the continued demand for these resources.
Looking ahead
While the transition to the new facility is ongoing, the changes have already had a positive impact on the HSSE Library in Stewart Center’s environment. With more room for student study areas and collaborative spaces, the library continues to evolve to meet the needs of Purdue’s academic community.
For more information and instructions on how to request materials, please visit the Purdue Libraries borrowing website.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsDecember 20th, 2024
Effective January 2025, Dr. Beth McNeil is stepping away from her position as dean of Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies. She will begin a sabbatical and return in January 2026 to Libraries faculty.
Beth’s tenure
Beth has served as dean of Purdue Libraries for 5 ½ years. She first came to Purdue Libraries in 2007, serving as associate dean for information resources and scholarly communication, and became associate dean for academic affairs in 2009. She remained at Purdue for eight years, leaving in 2015 to become dean of library services and professor at Iowa State University. In 2019, Beth returned as dean of Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies and Esther Ellis Norton Professor of Library Science..
Throughout her tenure, Beth has led the Libraries to many accomplishments, including the launch of the 2022-2025 strategic plan, the formation of the new Information Studies minor, expanding Open Access opportunities for Purdue faculty and researchers, and the renovations in campus libraries. Her commitment to Purdue students will remain evident in library spaces that provide them with flexible study spaces, and the ongoing development of a curriculum to meet their academic needs.
Beth’s impact extended beyond Purdue’s campus; she served on the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) Steering Committee (2020–22) and remains a member of the Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) board. She is a past board member of the HathiTrust, the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA), Western Regional Storage Trust (WEST), the Rosemont Shared Print Alliance, and served as chair of the 2021 ACRL National Conference, “Ascending into an Open Future.” She serves on several BTAA Center for Library Programs committees, including as vice chair for the Executive Committee during 2024. She was elected to the Midwest Center for Library Services (MCLS) board in 2024. Additionally, Beth served as president-elect (July 2022–23), and president (July 2023–24), and is serving now as past president (2024-2025) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).
Joanne Troutner, chair of the Purdue Libraries Dean’s Advisory Council, reflects, “I have had the privilege of witnessing Dean McNeil’s steadfast support for staff and her ability to highlight the remarkable projects and achievements of the Purdue Libraries team. She has successfully steered the Information Studies minor through the rigorous approval process, further broadening academic opportunities for Purdue students. It has been both an honor and a pleasure to work alongside Beth and her vision, professionalism, and dedication.”
Willie Reed, dean emeritus of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and professor of comparative pathobiology, notes, “It has been an honor and privilege to work with Dean McNeil. She is a consummate professional who tirelessly worked to support Purdue faculty and students. Her efforts to enhance the learning environment for students will be impactful for many years to come. In the face of many obstacles, Dean McNeil never wavered in support of her team. She was a strong partner with the College of Veterinary Medicine and fully understood the unique needs of professional students. I am forever grateful for her support and friendship and will miss my interactions with her.”
During her sabbatical, Beth plans to work on editing a book on library leadership from a global perspective and write a 4th edition of “Fundamentals of Library Supervision.”
Interim leadership
Vice provost for faculty affairs Sunil Prabhakar will serve as interim leader of Purdue Libraries. Professor Prabhakar served as head of the Department of Computer Science during its time as a Purdue Move and was the inaugural director of Purdue’s Integrative Data Science Initiative (2019–20). Sunil’s interests and expertise in data, data science, and data literacy proved indispensable in his prior service on the search advisory committee that brought Dean McNeil back to Purdue.
The search for a new leader will commence in due course, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this transition.
Filed under: general, News and AnnouncementsDecember 18th, 2024
As of July 2024, UBorrow has been replaced with a new system for sharing materials that will happen seamlessly for requests submitted to interlibrary loan, where all incoming requests are now searched automatically against other Big Ten libraries’ catalogs. Purdue Libraries continues to prioritize libraries that lend materials for the longest period of time and requests will be filled as quickly as possible.
Purdue’s resource sharing agreement offers:
Reciprocal borrowing is the ability for Purdue users to borrow materials from BTAA libraries as though they were members of those libraries’ communities both in-person and online. Purdue’s commitment to its BTAA resource-sharing agreements includes several important priorities:
In summary, this shift represents a step forward in how Purdue Libraries supports resource sharing. As Libraries continues to strengthen its partnerships with BTAA libraries, users can expect even greater access to academic materials in the future.
For more information on how to use this service, visit the Purdue Libraries answers website or view the BTAA’s announcement.
Filed under: general, News and Announcements