Greetings!
So it took longer than I had originally thought, but the search strategy tutorial is finished. I also designed a (very simple) postcard that we can have when we do screen printing with students this Thursday.
Please share with your students! The tutorial is modular in that students can look at the module for step 1 (keywords), or if they already looked at that section, they can jump ahead to step 3 (revising your search). There is also a table of contents at the bottom of each page so that the student can easily zero in on a specific part of the tutorial.
I would love to hear feedback about what works and what doesn’t work in this particular tutorial. We tried to make things visual, as evidenced by my attempt to diagram nested search terms, and easily navigable. The tutorial also includes 10 questions students can use to quiz themselves on the tutorial’s concepts.
Our wayfinding study is also underway. I’m excited to get more experience in conducting these types of studies and hearing from students about what works and doesn’t work in terms of navigating the physical library.
Open Educational Resources (OER) in the News
There has been ongoing, worldwide interest in Open Educational Resources (OER) since the term was coined in the early 2000’s. Let’s take a look at some of the recent news coverage.
Beyond Free Materials: OER Advocates Push For Inclusiveness in Teaching Practices – The article addresses a key concept within OER (and higher education at large), diversity and inclusiveness. As Jess Mitchell, senior manager of research and design at the Ontario College of Art and Design, asks: “Nothing is neutral….How are technology decisions being made at our institutions?” Creating new, open course content may be the primary goal of OER, but it takes additional work to avoid replicating dynamics of power and representation that were present in the original.
Does OER Actually Improve Learning? (EdSurge) – This article explores the common question of why or how open materials might enhance learning, either through improvements on content, or indirectly by making information more accessible.
Single Project Earns Federal OER Pilot Grant (InsideHigherEd) – The University of California- Davis has been awarded the entirety of a $4.9 million federal grant designed as a boost to OER efforts. UC-Davis will use the funding towards “a collection of publications on STEM and career and technical topics,” leading to a zero-textbook-cost degree option in Chemistry.
OER Across CUNY
OER Support at CUNY – This post provides an overview of the efforts currently underway, and how to get involved. And in the event that you teach at multiple campuses, reach out to your OER Representative for more information.
What’s New in the Library Midterm Edition
Research Help
Trying to find quality sources for your research paper or speech? There’s always a librarian ready (and happy) to help you at the reference desk. When you’re off-campus, try our 24-7 virtual chat reference service.
Want to ace your final research project? Come to a drop-in one-on-one research session. All drop-in sessions take place in the Small Library Classroom (L441). No appointment needed – just bring your research questions!
Nov. 26, 12-2 pm
Nov. 27, 1:30-3:30 pm
Nov. 28, 12:30-2:30 pm
Nov. 29, 10 am-12 pm
Nov. 30, 10 am-12 pm
Dec. 6, 10 am-12 pm
Upcoming Library Media Events
Voter Rights Media Making
Celebrate voter rights and learn about issues in the upcoming midterm elections while making posters and buttons with the City Tech Library and NYPIRG.
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- Where? Library Building Ground Floor Lounge
- When? Thursday, November 1st 12:45-2pm
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Cryptoparty
The Library is partnering with the Cypurr collective to host a Cryptoparty. Learn about cybersecurity and how to keep your information safe in digital environments.
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- Where? Library Projection Room
- When? November 1st 2:30-4 PM
- RSVP: nalmeida@citytech.cuny.edu
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Upcoming Student Citation Workshops
Creating a bibliography for a paper? Struggling with in text citations? Attend one of our upcoming citation workshops.
Citation Workshop
Learn the fundamentals of using the APA and the MLA styles.
- When? Thursday, November 15, 2018, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Where? Library Room 441A
- RSVP: nprince@citytech.cuny.edu
ZoteroBib Workshop – Find and Cite your Sources Quickly
ZoteroBib software generates citations and build a bibliography list in any of the popular styles, including APA and MLA instantly. Learn how to export your completed bibliography to your paper.
- When? Friday, November 16, 2018, 10:00– 11:00 AM & Monday, November 19, 2018, 3:00– 4:00 PM
- Where? Library Room 441A
- RSVP:nprince@citytech.cuny.edu
Featured Eresources
Gale Access Program: City Tech Library now subscribes to all Gale product databases. Most of the resources are accessible via Gale Academic OneFile. http://cityte.ch/aof
Bloomsbury Food Library: If you are conducting food-related research, then BFL is a great place to start! http://cityte.ch/bfl
Oxford African American Studies Center: Includes reference material and primary source documents about the African American experience. http://cityte.ch/oaa
October is…LGBTQ History Month!
It’s October, which was designated LGBTQ History Month in 1994. The library has many great Ebooks, print books, and other resources on this topic. Let’s take a look!
Out in the Union: A Labor History of Queer America, by Miriam Frank
If you’re interested in the connections between worker’s rights and LGBTQ history, check out Out in the Union. This book covers the journey towards inclusivity by unions in the 1970s and 1980s.
Call number: HD6285.5 .U6 F73 2014
Transgender History, by Susan Stryker, is a great (and relatively short) primer on the subject. It mostly focuses on the post-World War II period to the present, with a few references to the experiences of trans people in the 19th century.
Call Number: HQ77.9 .S77 2008
Biographies and essays are other good windows into the past, such as The Truth that Never Hurts: Writings on Race, Gender, and Freedom, by Barbara Smith. It’s available as an Ebook, as well as a print book at the CityTech Library.
LGBTQ CUNY
And remember! If you’re looking to pursue queer studies at CUNY, there are many options. In particular, Brooklyn College offers a minor in LGBTQ Studies, and the Center for Gay and Lesbian Studies (CLAGS) offers year-round programming that is free and open to the public.
Student User Study at the City Tech Library
The City Tech Library is seeking ESOL students to explore the Library with a GoPro camera. If English is your second language, participate in a voluntary study lasting 1 hour (or less) and receive a $10 Starbucks gift card.
To sign-up, complete this short survey: http://cityte.ch/gopro
Eligible students will be contacted to set-up an appointment.
For more information, contact Prof. Kim Abrams at kabrams@citytech.cuny.edu
Latest update from the Instructional Design Intern
Greetings and happy Library Privacy Week!
I have been spending the majority of my time on finalizing the search strategy tutorial. It will hopefully be ready to unveil soon, and just in time for students working on research papers. The search goes into using keywords, boolean operators, and iterative searching. Right now I’m refining content and working on creating quiz questions.
Overall I think Twine has been a really flexible and customizable way to deliver tutorial content. It combines modularity (which students have indicated a preference for) with the flexibility to jump around to different parts of the tutorial. The fact that it’s open source is an added bonus.
After the search tutorial is done, I’ll be focusing on creating LibGuide content. Have a good weekend!
Spotlight on: Gale Virtual Reference Library
Let’s say that it’s 2am, and you’re deep in the middle of a research paper. Suddenly you hear the Professor’s voice in your head – “Don’t use…Wikipedia!”
But without Wikipedia, where can we swiftly glean that kind of detailed, fact-filled information – the exact height of a mountain, or the batting average of a 1950’s-era baseball star? For these types of facts, we can turn to a reference source!
Finding Reference Sources
An encyclopedia, atlas, biographical listing, or dictionary is a great place to find that type of information. And while many of these print sources are on the shelves at the Ursula C. Schwerin Library, today we’ll look at a handy form of electronic reference – Gale Virtual Reference Library!
This robust database is searching through hundreds of encyclopedias, ebooks, and more – all at once! It’s a great place to find information about:
- Short biographies of notable figures
- World religions
- Country-specific details, such as population, GDP, and governance structure.
- So much more!
In conclusion – if you’re seeking background information, give the Gale Virtual Reference Library a try! Just log in with the library barcode number, on your activated CityTech ID.
Deeper into searches–Update from Instructional Design Intern
Hi everyone,
Sorry for the late post! This week I created a draft of a survey we want to distribute to the faculty who use our library instruction services, but most of my time was spent on finishing up the search tutorial.
What I like about the interactive storytelling method is that you can add depth to sections where needed without the tutorial seeming weighted down. Each page will have a table of contents at the bottom in order to maximize navigability. This will allow students who return to the tutorial to easily find the specific issue they are looking for without having to go through the other material.
This week’s focus has been on developing the content for the section about revising your searches and developing a little quiz so students can test their boolean knowledge. I haven’t fully decided on the best format for the quiz yet, but it won’t be anything too complicated.
Have a good weekend!
Academic Libraries of Brooklyn (ALB)
As a CityTech student, you’re surrounded by a wealth of library resources – both within the Ursula C. Schwerin Library, the 31 CUNY campus libraries, and the surrounding Brooklyn Public Library and New York Public Libary systems.
You also have the ability to visit a few other, non-CUNY college libraries in Brooklyn! This is made possible through a partnership known as the Academic Libraries of Brooklyn (ALB).
The Ursula C. Schwerin Library is a member of ALB, which means that you will be able to study at the other member libraries as well. If you like, you will be able to borrow up to two (2) books at a time from these locations.
Before Your Visit
First, request an ALB ard at the “Ask A Librarian” desk of the CityTech Library. With this card, you’ll be able to visit the following non-CUNY libraries:
There are two other libraries with exceptions:
SUNY Downstate Medical Center– You can visit the library but cannot check out books.
NYU Tandon School of Engineering – You will need to request advance permission to visit NYU Tandon. Visit the “Ask a Librarian” desk at CityTech to make the request.
The ALB offers a great way to check out what types of resources are available at nearby academic libraries. Unlike a public library, these locations are focused on college-level research, and may have items specific to your field of study.
Gale Access Program
While Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) has long been the standard database used for introductory research, Academic One File (Gale) is now just about as robust. This is thanks to a negotiation with Gale to provide access to all of CUNY to all the databases they offer. Access has been set-up to seamlessly search across most of the databases in Academic One File, but subject specific database access is also on the database A-Z list. The list of databases, which are largely new to City Tech are listed below:
| Biography And Genealogy Master Index |
| Book Review Index Online (Full Text) |
| Business Collection |
| Chiltonlibrary.Com |
| Gale Biography In Context |
| Gale Business Insights: Global |
| Gale Science In Context |
| Gale US History In Context |
| Gale World History In Context |
| Gender Studies Collection |
| Global Issues In Context |
| GREENR (Global Reference On The Environment/Energy/And Natural Resources) |
| Health & Wellness Resource Center |
| InfoTrac Agriculture Collection |
| InfoTrac Business Economics & Theory Collection |
| InfoTrac Communications & Mass Media Collection |
| InfoTrac Criminal Justice Collection |
| InfoTrac Culinary Arts Collection |
| InfoTrac Diversity Studies Collection |
| InfoTrac Environmental Issues & Policy Collection |
| InfoTrac Fine Arts & Music Collection |
| InfoTrac Gardening/Landscape & Horticulture Collection |
| InfoTrac Information Science & Library Issues Collection |
| InfoTrac Nursing & Allied Health Collection |
| InfoTrac Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Collection |
| InfoTrac Pop Culture Collection |
| InfoTrac Psychology Collection |
| InfoTrac Religion & Philosophy Collection |
| InfoTrac Small Business Collection |
| InfoTrac Tourism/Hospitality & Leisure Collection |
| InfoTrac US History Collection |
| InfoTrac Vocations/Careers & Technical Education Collection |
| InfoTrac War & Terrorism Collection |
| InfoTrac World History Collection |
| LEGALTRAC |
| Litfinder |
| Military And Intelligence Database |
| RDS Contemporary Womens Issues |
| RDS Tablebase |
| World Scholar: Latin America And The Caribbean Regional Portal Subscription |
