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Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News

Beth McNeil Assumes ACRL Presidency

Beth McNeil Assumes ACRL Presidency

July 28th, 2023

Beth McNeil, dean of Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies, has assumed the role of president of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL). ACRL, a division of the American Library Association, is committed to advancing learning, transforming scholarship, and creating diverse and inclusive communities—values Dean McNeil has also embodied at Purdue.

“It is my great honor and privilege to serve as the next president of ACRL. Throughout my career, ACRL has consistently provided me with professional growth opportunities and I have valued the chances to learn from ACRL programs and networking experiences that have led to invaluable mentoring relationships and life-long friends. Having served on several committees and the Board, ACRL has long been my professional home. I look forward to this new opportunity to give back to an organization that has given me so much, while listening and ensuring that all members find their own sense of belonging, community, professional growth, and success through their involvement with ACRL.”

Since becoming a member of ACRL in 1989, McNeil has held a variety of roles within the organization, most recently she served as vice-president. Building on her predecessors’ achievements, McNeil aims to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in the association and its member libraries as well as recognize and promote sustainable and open scholarship during her one-year tenure. “The move to open science/open scholarship will lead to fundamental changes for higher education and our libraries, and I believe that college and university librarians have a role and a responsibility in changing the model. I trust ACRL can continue to build its support and advocacy in this area, and I look forward to the challenge of helping to shift academic culture towards a more equitable, open future.” 

“I am pleased to welcome Beth McNeil to the ACRL Board of Directors,” ACRL interim executive director Allison Payne said. “ACRL is grateful for her many years of service and her valuable contributions to the association, including her service as a past Board member. ACRL members and the profession will benefit from her deep knowledge of our institution, academic librarianship and higher education. I look forward to working with McNeil in the coming years.”

About the Association of College & Research Libraries: The Association of College & Research Libraries is the higher education association for academic libraries and library workers. Founded in 1940 and representing more than 8,500 individuals and libraries, ACRL develops programs, products, and services to help those working in academic and research libraries learn, innovate, and lead within the academic community.


Purdue Student Developed “GripIt” Device-Holder Prototype with Purdue Libraries’ 3D Printing Resources; Launching Start-Up with Crowdfunding Campaign

June 1st, 2018

Purdue Univeristy student Jacob Nolley and Ball State University student Collin Clevenger, co-presidents of The Graphite Lab and developers of the GripIt mobile device holder.
Purdue University student Jacob Nolley and Ball State University student Collin Clevenger, co-presidents of The Graphite Lab and developers of the GripIt mobile device holder.

by Teresa Koltzenburg, Purdue Libraries

Purdue University senior Jacob Nolley is in no danger of lacking entrepreneurial ideas and endeavor. Nolley—a dual marketing and management major in the Purdue Krannert School of Management and president of the Purdue Honors College Mentor Council—and his business partner and best friend, Collin Clevenger (who attends Ball State University), have both embodied the entrepreneurial spirit since they were in fourth grade together many years ago. Back then, the Shelbyville (IN) natives started a business selling lollipops and pencil erasers to their elementary-school classmates. The pair’s business partnership continued into their high school years, when they founded a headband business together and sold their headband products to fellow students and friends.

The GripIt Mobile Device Holder
The GripIt mobile device holder

Most recently, Nolley and Clevenger started the product-development venture The Graphite Lab, through which they hope to help other young entrepreneurs take their product ideas to market successfully. As a proof of their product-development company concept, Nolley and Clevenger have developed their very own product, the GripIt, a holder for mobile devices, which they describe as “the most comfortable, customizable, and care-free way to hold your device.” Sleeker (for carrying a device in one’s pocket) than the popular pop-up holders—and still creating a more secure grip on one’s valuable mobile device—GripIt attaches easily to mobile devices (including tablets) and features 16 different band colors. Nolley said, too, those who order GripIt in bulk orders (for giveaways and brand awareness “swag”) will have even more customizable options (e.g., printing the bands and/or more color options).

Recently, the pair launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to help them purchase start-up capital, including a printer so they can make some of the product pieces themselves. But before they could start marketing GripIt (and the services of The Graphite Lab) and launch their Indiegogo campaign, Nolley and Clevenger needed a product prototype to show to prospective investors and to take to manufacturing partners. That’s where the 3D printing resources in the Purdue University Libraries’ Data-Visualization Experience Lab of Purdue (D-VELoP) proved to be integral. (D-VELoP is part of the Library of Engineering and Science in the Wilmeth Active Learning Center.) After creating a design using OnShape online product-design software, Nolley used D-VELoP’s 3D printing resources and the D-VELoP staff members’ expertise to help him hone the prototype.

(Top photo) Purdue Libraries Instructional Developer Aly Edmondson wearing a prototype pair of 3D-printed earrings she and her fellow Library of Engineering and Science (LoES) personnel (faculty and staff) produced. To demonstrate the resources in the Libraries' Data Visualization Experience Lab of Purdue (D-VELoP), Edmondson and LoES personnel offer a number of Mobile Making activities and events throughout the regular academic year at Purdue University. (Bottom photo) D-VELoP offers a number of data-visualization tools, including 3D printing, for research and development. Paired with the expertise of the LoES faculty and staff, D-VELoP offers many learning and research resources, tools, and services within the Purdue Libraries' Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC).
(Top photo) Purdue Libraries Instructional Developer Aly Edmondson wearing a prototype pair of 3D-printed earrings she and her fellow Library of Engineering and Science (LoES) personnel (faculty and staff) produced. To demonstrate the resources in the Libraries’ Data Visualization Experience Lab of Purdue (D-VELoP), Edmondson and LoES personnel offer a number of Mobile Making activities and events throughout the regular academic year at Purdue University. (Bottom photo) D-VELoP offers a number of data-visualization tools, including 3D printing, for research and development. Paired with the expertise of the LoES faculty and staff, D-VELoP offers many learning and research resources, tools, and services within the Purdue Libraries’ Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC).

“Libraries personnel, like [Instructional Developer] Aly Edmondson helped me a great deal,” Nolley explained. “I talked with her and other D-VELoP personnel about what they would recommend for this particular prototype design. Through this process, I learned how to design a product to be manufactured, as there are lot of different things that need to be implemented in this type of design—one that will be 3D printed and injection molded— for it to work. I went through about 25 iterations before I came to the final prototype design, and every time I sent a design to be 3D printed, I got it back promptly, and they gave me great feedback, which was super helpful,” he added.

Nolley—who is also minoring in creative writing and completed Purdue University’s Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program—not only credits D-VELoP’s resources and personnel for helping him and his partner get to this point with the start-up The Graphite Lab and the GripIt product, but he also noted that many people, resources, and services at Purdue have been invaluable during his college career.

“No one has helped me more at Purdue than Debbi Bearden, my academic advisor in the Krannert Leaders Academy. She has helped provide me with all the many, wonderful opportunities I have benefited from as a Purdue student. Debbi has made my time at Purdue absolutely the most fruitful experience I have had in my life,” he noted.

Nolley also took advantage of Purdue University’s Foundry, which, according to the Purdue Foundry website, “exists to help Purdue students, faculty, and local alumni move ideas to the marketplace more quickly.”

“My freshman year at Purdue, I founded ‘Jacob’s Loom,’ a start-up project that I ended up closing because of financing problems, which is part of the inspiration for using the crowdfunding approach for Collin’s and my current start-up project,” he explained. “The resources at the Purdue Foundry and the staff there—like Tim Peoples, Purdue Foundry managing director, and John Hanak, managing director of Purdue Ventures—were pivotal in providing me with the skills to be successful with The Graphite Lab and GripIt.”

Nolley also credits his former Purdue instructor Beth Carroll (who now works in the retail sector)—who taught courses in Purdue University’s Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program—for helping him learn and hone his entrepreneurial knowledge and skills.

Purdue University student Jacob Nolley and friends demonstrate how the GripIt product works to take a selfie.
Purdue University student Jacob Nolley and friends demonstrate how the GripIt product works to take a selfie.

“She is one of the most helpful faculty members I have ever worked with,” Nolley said.

Nolley and Clevenger launched their Indiegogo campaign just this week, and they only have short window, about a month, to get to their fundraising goal of $15,000. The good news is that, as of June 1, they already have close to 100 backers and have raised more than $1,000.

“We used Indiegogo because we wanted to show it is possible that you do not have to sell your ideas and efforts to get your company off the ground. That is what we want to do with our customers of The Graphite Lab,” Nolley explained. “So, when people bring their products to us, we want to help them get their ideas off the ground and sell their products through our sales channels, but we do not want to own their products. Many times, what happens with young entrepreneurs, in order to get their ideas to market, they have to ‘sell their souls to the devil,’ so to speak, and sell off their companies and product-development ideas and efforts. So, in the long term, they do not earn those profits. We want to lead by example, and we are trying to show young entrepreneurs that they do not have to sell their companies and/or ideas. We are providing them with another option through The Graphite Lab.”

For more information, check out the GripIt Indiegogo campaign at www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-gripit-iphone-security#/ and/or contact Nolley at JacobNolley@gmail.com or Clevenger at CollinAClevenger@gmail.com.

 


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


Inform Purdue: Information Literacy and Librarians in Higher Ed

November 15th, 2017

On Tuesday (Nov. 14), Purdue University Libraries recognized the research contributions of Libraries faculty members during its annual “Celebrating Research” event. During the celebration, one of the presenters, Associate Professor and Information Literacy Specialist Clarence Maybee, talked about his new book, “IMPACT Learning: Librarians at the Forefront of Change in Higher Education,” which will be available in March 2018.

The book covers how librarians in academic libraries can help enable the success of college students “by creating or partnering with teaching and learning initiatives that support meaningful learning through engagement with information,” states the book’s description on the publisher’s website.

“Since the 1970s, the academic library community has been advocating and developing programming for information literacy. This book discusses existing models, extracting lessons from Purdue University Libraries’ partnership with other units to create a campus-wide course development program, Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation (IMPACT), which provides academic libraries with tools and strategies for working with faculty and departments to integrate information literacy into disciplinary courses,” the description continues.

At Purdue, Dr. Maybee is among the group of faculty members in the libraries and in other academic areas demonstrating the importance of information literacy not only for college students, but also for new graduates and mid-career and long-time professionals–indeed, for everyone.

To create awareness about this importance Maybee, Libraries Information Literacy Instructional Designer Rachel Fundator, with the help of Julia Smith, graduate assistant, and Teresa Koltzenburg, strategic communication director, implemented “Inform Purdue,” a social media campaign to “celebrate information literacy at Purdue. The campaign features interviews with Purdue students, alumni, and faculty in a series of videos and social media posts.

“Purdue Libraries’ approach to information literacy is to teach students to use information in the context of learning about something—much as they will do on the job, or to make personal decisions after graduation,” Maybee explained. “In the ‘Inform Purdue’ campaign, Purdue students, faculty, former faculty, and staff share their own ‘stories’ of teaching and learning about information literacy, and how it helps them to accomplish their educational and professional goals.”

The campaign concludes today with a final video featuring Dr. Maybee (see above).

You can catch more of the videos online at www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfiLH31ZZsO3vwygf_oblFiyZfqZzWV1k or via the Libraries’ news and announcements website at https://blogs.lib.purdue.edu/news/category/inform-purdue/.


Open House and Reception for “Missing You” Amelia Earhart Exhibit Set for Nov. 18 at Purdue University Archives

November 2nd, 2017

Missing You: Navigating Amelia Earhart's Last Flight and Enduring Legacy - Open House and Reception Set for Nov. 18

An Open House and Reception for the “Missing You: Navigating Amelia Earhart’s Last Flight and Enduring Legacy” exhibition at Purdue University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections (ASC) is set from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18. The ASC is located in the Humanities, Social Science, and Education (HSSE) Library, Stewart Center, on the fourth floor.

The family-friendly event will offer activities for kids and a chance for individuals to visit the “Missing You” exhibit before it closes Friday, Dec. 8.

Refreshments will also be served, and paid parking will be available in the Grant Street Garage across the street from the Purdue Memorial Union.

For more information, contact Tracy Grimm at grimm3@purdue.edu.


Purdue GIS Day Conference Set for Nov. 9; Conference Features Student Poster and GIS Software Competitions

October 9th, 2017

2017 Purdue GIS Day Conference

The 2017 Purdue GIS Day Conference is set from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9 in Stewart Center, rooms 206 and 214. The daylong event is open free to Purdue students, faculty, staff, and to the public.

The Purdue GIS Day Conference 2017 includes a variety of events and activities, including the 10 a.m. keynote presentation, “Spatiotemporal Computing for Enabling Scientific Research and Engineering Development” by Chaowei (Phil) Yang, Professor of Geography and Geoinformation Science, George Mason University, and Purdue University Honor College’s Visiting Scholar.

The conference also includes career discussions, a GIS Career Luncheon, student lightning talk presentations, a poster competition, and, new this year, the Esri Development Center (EDC) Student of the Year Award at Purdue, which will recognize one Purdue University student who demonstrates advanced GIS knowledge and innovation with an emphasis on development and programming (see below or www.lib.purdue.edu/gis/edc for more information).

The full 2017 Purdue GIS Day Conference schedule is below, with links to: the Career Luncheon registration (required) and the instructions and entry form for lightning talk and poster presentations, which are due by 11:59 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3.

EDC Student of the Year Award Competition

More information about the EDC Student of the Year at Purdue Award competition is available at www.lib.purdue.edu/gis/edc.

Entries are due by 11:59 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3 and should be entered via the online form at https://purdue.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6mtqdiq7mvDG6tT.

The winner of the EDC Student of the Year at Purdue contest will be awarded limited travel reimbursement (from Purdue Libraries) to attend the Esri International Developer Summit in Palm Springs, CA, during the spring of 2018.

GIS Day: A Global Celebration

Across the globe, GIS Day is a celebration of geospatial research and geographic information systems technology. At Purdue University, Purdue Libraries faculty and staff work with the GIS Day planning committee, which is comprised of faculty, staff, and graduate students from various departments across the University, to organize this multidisciplinary, campus-wide event.

For more information, contact Nicole Kong, GIS specialist at Purdue Libraries, at geohelp@purdue.edu.


Purdue GIS Day Conference 2017 Schedule

9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9
Stewart Center, rooms 206 and 214

  • 9-9:30 a.m. – Coffee Social and Poster Presentation Sessions Setup
  • 9:30-10 a.m. – Lightning Talk Presentations: Submit 250-word abstract by 11:59 p.m. Nov. 3 at https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3ldwBIgBm1OaG57&Q_JFE=0
  • 10-11 a.m. – Keynote Address: “Spatiotemporal Computing for Enabling Scientific Research and Engineering Development,” by Chaowei (Phil) Yang, Professor of Geography and Geoinformation Science, George Mason University and Purdue University Honor College’s Visiting Scholar
  • 11 a.m.-noon – GIS Presentations: “Leveraging Space Observations for Understanding the Changing Planet,” by Kumar Navulur, Director of Next Generation Products in Labs, Digital Global; as well as others
  • Noon-1 p.m. – GIS Career Luncheon. Please register at https://purdue.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1TZ0EBCFmtc7Zjv. Registration is required.
  • 1-1:30 p.m. – Poster Presentations: Submit 250-word abstract by 11:59 p.m. Nov. 3 at https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3ldwBIgBm1OaG57&Q_JFE=0
  • 1:30-2 p.m. – What Are the Exciting GIS Resources at Purdue?
    Presented by Purdue University Libraries and Information Technology at Purdue (ITaP)
  • 2-3 p.m. – First Round of Display Table and Lightning Talks*
  • 3-4 p.m. – Second Round of Display Table and Lightning Talks*
  • 4-4:30 p.m. – Award Ceremony: Poster Session Competition and EDC Contest

* Featured roundtable discussions include:


Kirkwood Elected President of Special Libraries Assn.

September 21st, 2017

Hal Kirkwood, Purdue University Libraries
Hal Kirkwood, Purdue University Libraries

Hal Kirkwood, associate professor and business information specialist at the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics at Purdue University Libraries, was recently elected the president of the Special Libraries Association; he will serve as the SLA’s president in 2019.

Since joining SLA in 1992, Kirkwood has held several leadership roles within the association, including serving as president of the Indiana Chapter, chair of the Business & Finance Division, and director on the SLA Board of Directors (2012-2014). He will rejoin the SLA Board of Directors January 1, 2018, and serve as president-elect in 2018, president in 2019, and past president in 2020.

According to Kirkwood, the Special Libraries Association is an international and interdisciplinary organization representing information professionals in academic, corporate, government, intergovernmental, and other areas often not fully represented by the American Library Association, the other national organization that represents information professionals.

“As SLA president, I hope to influence its role, services, and mission by seeking creative solutions, developing unique collaborations, and listening to the members to fulfill their expectations and needs,” he noted.

For more information, see the official SLA release at www.sla.org/hal-kirkwood-lead-sla-2019/.


Purdue Libraries to Host “Xenophilia: How the Love of Difference Is Essential for Information Literacy” Lecture Aug. 29 in PMU

August 9th, 2017

Andrew Whitworth
Andrew Whitworth

Later this month, the Purdue Libraries Seminar Committee will present “Xenophilia: How the Love of Difference Is Essential for Information Literacy,” a lecture delivered by Andrew Whitworth, director of teaching and learning strategy, Manchester Institute of Education, University of Manchester, U.K.

Whitworth’s talk, which is set from 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 in the Purdue Memorial Union’s West Faculty Lounge, will focus on the notion of “xenophilia” and how it can support information literacy practices. Online registration is available at https://purdue.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1MTFxeCG7hEppVb.

“We should see information literacy as a set of practices that emerge as practitioners in various settings learn to navigate ‘information landscapes.’ As with real landscapes, while these may come in particular types, each is essentially unique; thus, information literacy—the ability to make critical judgments about the relevance of informational resources—is a set of context-specific practices,” Whitworth explained.

According to Whitworth, although this view compels attention to the role of brokers and boundary zones that allow dialogue between different contexts, in these zones, different practices are negotiated and shared visions can potentially emerge.

“What is required to make best use of these zones is not an information literacy focused on searching strategies, but on an openness to difference and variation—thus ‘xenophilia’: the love of difference,” he added.

Whitworth’s presentation will expand on the notion of xenophilia—not only how it can be defined as a moral and ethical principle, but also as a pedagogy and a feature that can be designed into information systems.

“In a world where political currents took notable shifts toward insularity in 2016, it may be one basis for practical strategies of resistance to these trends,” Whitworth said.

Whitworth, whose scholarship focuses on critical theory and education, information practice and information literacy, mapping of information landscapes, and workplace and community learning, is the author of two books on digital and information literacy, “Information Obesity” (2009) and “Radical Information Literacy” (2014). He is also a co-author of the 2012 “Moscow Declaration on Media and Information Literacy.”

For more information, contact Clarence Maybee, associate professor and information literacy specialist, at (765) 494-7603 or via email at cmaybee@purdue.edu.


Wilmeth Active Learning Center Open August 7

August 2nd, 2017

The Wilmeth Active Learning Center houses the Library of Engineering and Science.
The Wilmeth Active Learning Center houses the Library of Engineering and Science. Photo courtesy of Trevor Mahlmann.

Purdue University’s newest building, the Thomas S. and Harvey D. Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC) will open to the public Monday, August 7.

Over the summer, Purdue Libraries faculty and staff consolidated the Chemistry; Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS); Engineering; Life Sciences; Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health Sciences; and Physics libraries to form the Library of Engineering and Science in one location at the heart of campus.

The WALC houses 27 collaborative active-learning classrooms and will be a daily academic destination for approximately 5,000 Purdue students and faculty. (Read more about the background of the facility at www.lib.purdue.edu/walc/.)

The WALC exemplifies Purdue University’s commitment to undergraduate education. The 1924 Heat and Power Plant (HPN), with its iconic smoke stack, stood for nearly 90 years on the site of the WALC. HPN not only provided power and heat to the dynamic university community, but it also served as a laboratory for engineering students. Today, we would refer to that learning experience as “active learning.”

Below are some FAQs about the new facility.

.Q. What does the Library of Engineering and Science offer?

A. The Library of Engineering and Science (LOES) in the WALC holds approximately 30,000 print volumes, emphasizes the focus on provision of digital resources, and consolidates the holdings and services of six formerly separate libraries into one easily accessible location.

The materials selected for the physical collection of the Library of Engineering and Science have been evaluated by Libraries faculty with input from departmental faculty. The books, reference collection, and standards have been identified as high-use, high-demand materials that best support the teaching and learning goals of the curricula within the schools and departments.

LOES also houses Libraries faculty and staff members, who specialize in access to information resources in engineering and science, as well as in instructing students on how to identify, locate, critique, and retrieve scholarly information. In collaboration with their faculty colleagues in the colleges and schools, the Libraries faculty teach specialized courses and/or participate as team faculty members.

Although the focus of LOES is to provide access to information in engineering and science, the use of resources and space is open to all Purdue students and faculty.

The Library of Engineering and Science is located on the second floor of the WALC.
The Library of Engineering and Science is located on the second floor of the WALC.

Q. How are the active-learning classrooms different from what many would consider a “traditional” classroom, with student seating and a lectern for the instructor?

WALC’s design reflects the most contemporary methods for teaching and learning. The 27 active-learning classrooms are designed with flexible, collaborative seating options that offer a range of team-based learning experiences. Library spaces are adjacent to classrooms throughout the WALC.

At the close of regular instructional hours, the entire WALC, including the classrooms, becomes a library, with all spaces providing opportunities for individual and collaborative study. The WALC is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week nearly the entire year, with a few exceptions.*

Q. What else does the Wilmeth Active Learning Center offer for Purdue students and faculty?

View of the Purdue University Bell Tower from inside the Wilmeth Active Learning Center's Reading Room.
View of the Purdue University Bell Tower from inside the Wilmeth Active Learning Center’s Reading Room.

Reading Room: Since their inception, a traditional element of libraries has been the large reading room. Here, students and faculty can consult materials held by the library, as well as work in a space designed to be conducive to thinking, reflection, and writing. The Reading Room in the WALC serves as a link between the historic role of libraries and the dynamics of an active-learning environment. The view of the iconic Clock Tower, with its bells denoting each hour and at the beginning and end of a class session, serves as a unique reminder that one is truly at Purdue University.

Data Visualization Experience Lab of PurdueData Visualization Experience Lab of Purdue (D-VELoP): D-VELoP provides a space where students, staff and faculty can explore different visualization tools designed to turn their data into knowledge. D-VELoP includes a staffed, open-use 16-seat teaching computer lab. The computers are loaded with visualization programs, and each set up includes large and/or multiple monitors enabling the viewing of data at different scales. A 3×3 tile wall of 4k monitors can be used for presentations, class discussions, or exhibits of data visualizations. Technological tools, such as micro-controller kits and GoPro cameras, allow students to experiment without having to purchase their own. Additionally, four Lulzbot TAZ6 3d printers allow students to visualize their data and designs in a tactile, manipulatable format.

Robust workshops and training programs, in coordination with other maker-related units on campus, help students and faculty to become familiar with technologies they can employ in order to carry out their class projects, pursue personal interests, or advance their research programs.

Hiler Theater: Designed to accommodate an audience of 308 people, the Hiler Theater can serve as a venue for such active-learning instructional activities as drama, film, and lectures during the day, as well as special evening programs for the campus and community. The seats are equipped with tablet arms to accommodate note-taking during presentations and lectures.

Artifacts and Audio Tour: The walls of the WALC are rich with reproductions of historic photographs of the Purdue University campus from the Purdue University Libraries’ Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center. Artifacts and photographs from the working 1924 Power and Heating Plant can be found throughout the building. These items memorialize the rich legacy of this central site on the Purdue campus.

A smartphone tour enhances the exhibits in the WALC by providing information and interactive activities designed to make a visitor’s experience an extension of the WALC active-learning philosophy.

An Au Bon Pain Café is located on the main level of the WALC. It is known for serving fresh baked goods, as well as other morning and lunchtime sandwiches.

Additionally, the 164,000-square-foot facility offers 100 ITaP computers,  both open and enclosed group study spaces, large monitors/screens and whiteboards for group collaboration, poster printing and other printing resources, and much more!

Purdue students can work together in groups in the study spaces offered in the Purdue University's new Wilmeth Active Learning Center.
Purdue students can work together in groups in the study spaces offered in the Purdue University’s new Wilmeth Active Learning Center.

Q. With the consolidation of libraries, how many libraries are open on the West Lafayette Campus?

A. Below is a list of the libraries on Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus before and after the WALC:

The Purdue Libraries on West Lafayette campus before WALC
The list of Purdue Libraries as of August 2017 (opening of WALC)
Archives and Special Collections Archives and Special Collections
Aviation Technology Aviation Technology
Black Cultural Center Black Cultural Center
Chemistry* Engineering and Science**
Earth, Atmospheric, Planetary Sciences (EAPS)* Hicks Undergraduate
Engineering* Humanities, Social Science, and Education (HSSE)
Hicks Undergraduate Mathematical Sciences
Humanities, Social Science, and Education (HSSE) Parrish Management and Economics
Life Sciences* Veterinary Medical
Mathematical Sciences
Parrish Management and Economics
Pharmacy, Nursing, Health*
Physics*
Veterinary Medical

* These libraries were combined in the new Library of Engineering and Science** in the Wilmeth Active Learning Center.

Q. What are the libraries’ hours?

A. The hours of each of Purdue University Libraries are listed at www.lib.purdue.edu/hoursList.

*After the Fall 2017 semester begins, the WALC will remain open 24 hours per day (with PUID card swipe), and, as of Sunday, Aug. 20, the Hicks Undergraduate Library will no longer be open 24 hours per day.

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Libraries Search Interface to be Updated 7/21; Results Display Redesigned with User Experience in Mind

July 19th, 2017

“It is important to note the underlying search ranking algorithm is not changing, just the way those results are presented to the user.” — Dean Lingley, Chair, Libraries Search Oversight Committee

Purdue University Libraries SearchThis Friday, when searching for materials in and through Purdue University Libraries, you may notice a difference in the aesthetics of the search results’ display.

That’s because, as of Friday, July 21, “Libraries Search,” the large field on on the Purdue Libraries’ home page that instructs users to “Find Articles, Books, Media, Journals, Collections & Archives,” will take users to search results’ pages that display an updated interface based on a new, responsive web design — all done with the user experience mind.

At Purdue Libraries, a team of faculty and staff, the “Libraries Search Oversight Committee,” has been working on the update to the Libraries Search functionality, and Dean Lingley, chair of that group, provided a brief overview of the update to Libraries Search (see Q&A below) and explained how the update will affect users.

Q. What is “Libraries Search” at Purdue University Libraries?

Dean Lingley: Libraries search allows library patrons to not only search the local, physical and electronic holdings of Purdue University Libraries, but it also enables users to search millions more articles and citations from journal vendors and database providers–all in one easy-to-use interface. Libraries Search will link patrons directly to the electronic copy of the specific article, when available, licensed by Purdue Libraries. If the article is not available immediately in electronic format, the patron can request the material from another institution via a simple link to our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service.

Q. How does it work to find materials in the libraries and at other library institutions?

Dean Lingley: Materials held locally are indexed locally, and articles and citations from journal and database vendors are stored in a central index. When a user performs a search, the results from our local collection and central index are blended to give the patron the search results most relevant to the search terms.

Q. Why is the interface being updated/changed?

Dean Lingley: The interface is being updated to keep up with web design changes that have been occurring over the past several years.

Q. How is the new interface different from the one that is replacing? What are the benefits of the updated interface to users?

Dean Lingley: The new interface is different in the fact that it features a responsive web design. This allows patrons to have similar search experiences whether they are searching from their desktops, tablets, or phones. The interface was redesigned by our vendor with user experience in mind, and the new interface should provide an easier-to-navigate set of search results for our patrons. It is important to note that the underlying search ranking algorithm is not changing, just the way those results are presented to the user.

Purdue University Libraries Search Interface Before July 21, 2017
Purdue University “Libraries Search”: Default Results Display Before July 21, 2017
Purdue University Libraries Search Interface On and After July 21, 2017
Purdue University “Libraries Search”: Results Display On and After July 21, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q. When will Purdue Libraries switch to the new interface permanently?

Dean Lingley: The new interface will become the default search interface this Friday (July 21). There is a feedback link available at the top of the new interface, so please feel free to use it for any comments or questions you might have.