9. Classes & Workshops

Dr Lorena Barba Speaks from the Heart

Dr. Barba visited Virginia Tech last October, 2017, for a series of 3 speaking events. This post is about the third event.

“Gender and Diversity in Engineering”

Student Feedback Forwarded from Susan Arnold-Christian, Associate Director – Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity at Virginia Tech, College of Engineering

Lorena’s third event was not only well attended, it was moving. In the student comments below, although result-oriented (as one would expect from VT engineers), one detects the emotional impact Lorena had on the students. I was there and observed her effective teaching through some serious moments of emotional student engagement that revealed her compassion for her students and mastery of the classroom learning environment. It was clear to all that Dr Lorena Barba speaks from the heart.

  • This event enhanced… my knowledge on how women engineers in real life are impacted by gender bias… I immensely enjoyed my experience, so much so I stayed around with the speaker and graduate students about thirty minutes after everything was over. Thank you for reaching out to me and have a great day.
  • This impacts me as an engineer because in the field of engineering [there] is a huge difference between men and women. Women have to work to get a higher post while men have it much easier because they look like stereotypical engineer. This discussion overall brought to my attention that women are not the only people that are suppressed in the engineering field. People of color are often not thought about and need to be thought of when creating new innovations.
  • This event will help me… remember to think of any biases I have before interacting with other members in a team project, so that hopefully I won’t act based on those biases.
  • I found Dr. Barba’s event to be very interesting and pertinent to my professional development as an engineer. Being a female, many of the topics that Dr. Barba spoke about, such as walking a tightrope between being assertive and remaining feminine really struck a chord with me… Understanding the inequalities that Dr. Barba spoke of, being a female in a male-dominant work place, better prepares me to be confident and assertive in my professional work. I also was inspired to persevere despite any hardships that may come my way and professionalism comes with allying with one and other to get rid of these inequalities.
  • I very much enjoyed hearing Dr. Barba speak and thought this was a good event. The reason that I think this event helps my professional development is I know what other women in my career are facing and what I may have to be prepared for. This impacts me because women and minorities are treated differently in the workplace and I need to stick up for myself and everyone else who is discriminated against or nothing will change.
  • It was very interesting to hear from Dr. Barba and others about their points of view on the topic. The topic of gender equality in the work place is very important because we are woefully uneducated about it and try to avoid conversation on the subject whenever possible… what Dr. Barba said about needing a few strong willed men to step up and challenge the gender biases that are present… was interesting… [and] that not only are human[s] biased in the way they look at people, but they are inadvertently training AI to think the same way. It is horrifying and enlightening that these things are occurring and we need to be educated more on ways to prevent our natural social biases. When researching some more about hidden biases, I found a website created by a group called Project Implicit. This site asks you a series of question as well as flashes symbols and word[s] across the screen to determine your hidden biases.
  • I am really glad I attended this event, as it taught me about the importance of reaching out and being inclusive with everyone. Moving forward in life as a colored woman in engineering, I will be mindful of those who are affected by the same problems as well as those who can help make a change to the problems.
  • I think this event will help my professional development because I am now aware of how important allies are in improving the workplace environment concerning diversity. A more inclusive and diverse work environment will yield better results, especially in engineering.
  • How and why this event impacts me academically is that it teaches me how to work with other students who may not be exactly like me. This event also helped me realize what types of bias on women in engineering there are and how to either stop them or even help tell others that what they are saying to someone else is wrong. This event does resonate with a lot of the female engineers or even international students because we are the minority. It is obvious we were all intelligent enough since we all got into VT. 
  • I think the biggest way it will help me is having a better understanding of these topics, allowing me to be more aware of what is happening around me. I will also now take the time to try and focus and notice when I am biased. The discussion really made me reflect on what I see around me and how I handle my own day to day situations. That same day after the talk I went to my friends and shared what I learned. It is definitely a great conversation starter into a more difficult topic.
  • I think this event impacts my professional development by learning and understanding what challenges I can face as a woman in the workplace, and to [beware] of that. This topic affects my professional development because these are issues that affect everyone that isn’t a straight white male, and it’s important to realize the value of diversity in engineering.
  • I think this topic impacts [me] as an engineer because many of my peers are women/minorities and one needs to be able to understand things from their perspective. This will also impact it by having knowledge on the subject, I can have conversations with them about topics like sexual harassment and misogyny which they might face in the future.
  • I completely side with Dr. Barba on the fact that this whole Gender and Diversity in the workplace topic and the problems associated with it aren’t just a women’s issue; it’s a world issue and as such, we should all, men and women, strive to find solutions by being vocal and exposing acts of racial and gender-based harassment (or any type of harassment). This will directly impact me as I am someone who in no way fits the ‘ideal’ stereotypical picture of an engineer. Not only am I [a] woman, I am also an Arab, veiled, Muslim woman. And so in my professional career, I am likely going to experience some sort of judgment based on bias. However, this discussion made me more aware of my own biases as well. It also encouraged me to address and expose these issues whenever I encounter them,  for example, I was inspired by… Dr. Barba’s [story about when she] confronted her director about even thinking of linking the word ‘flattery’ with her sexual harassment incident. Further, as a professional in the field of engineering, I plan to take into account how diverse our planet is and so when designing products, I will make sure that it meets the demands and is fit for the entire consumer base and not just [for] one specific category and neglect the rest (unlike the Apple Watch as discussed today). 
  • This event helped to broaden my understanding of the situations and emotions others face that I am unfamiliar with. This will help me to better interact and work with my peers as I continue my academic career.
  • Though I had to leave early for class, I thoroughly enjoyed this discussion-style event today with Dr. Barba because I learned very valuable information about the world around me in terms of gender and diversity issues like inequality and biased behavior. I was most intrigued by the comments made in the discussion around the room by my peers because they brought in facts and accounted experiences that I have never taken the time to learn or think of myself. I see what I learned from this event as Academic Support for my future as an engineer because it not only teaches me about the business world around me but also pushes me to work harder in the classroom, empowering me to prove myself as a capable student to my classmates no matter what race or gender I am.
  • The concept of diversity in engineering is a big one. I think its important to hold everyone [to] the same standards, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. This impacts my pro dev as an engineer by helping me respect everyone in and out of the workplace because it’s solely the right thing to do. I look forward to using the things I learned at today’s seminar to help me be a better engineer and a more accepting engineer.
  • Attending this event truly did impact me and I enjoyed discussing with Dr. Barba and the other Engineering students about the Gender and Diversity Issues in engineering. Being a minority in the Engineering area is definitely something I realize, and there are some days where the fact of me being a minority stands out more than others. I think the topic of Gender and Diversity Issues impacts my professional development as an engineer because it does have the impact of determining how you work as an engineer, whether you are accepted as a minority or not or discriminated against. I think it is very important to vocalize the issues with diversity and gender issues in engineering because everyone who wants to do engineering, or any other career in fact, should have the same fair advantage as the “majority.”
  • I believe the topic of Gender and Diversity helps [me] as an engineer because it better equips me to handle situations where I am working with people who are different from myself. This event gave me a better understanding of how to support people who are different from me, and, after attending, I feel more confident in my ability to handle a situation where I may be discriminated against.
  • As far as academic support, the topic of gender diversity (and general diversity because that came up a lot this morning as well) is important because it is almost impossible to work and be stressful in a highly stressful environment, like the one that is created when people are insensitive to issues and situations that arise surrounding those topics. You can’t learn if you can’t focus on learning. It was nice to [be] reminded that I’m not the only woman in engineering who walks into a room full of engineers and thinks about this, and that there are men, [although they are in the majority], who see it and will try to speak up.
  • I think this topic impacts m[me] as an engineer through knowing and understanding factors influencing women and minorities in engineering. It is important for everyone to recognize that different people come from different backgrounds and have different experiences, and one should think about how others will perceive things that they do in a professional environment, and be aware of others’ point of view.
  • WOW! I hope you enjoyed this event as much as I did. It was really eye opening to hear other people’s perspectives and listen to how small, overlooked details can largely impact people in society. I think this event aided [me] as an engineer because it covered Gender Discrimination in a classroom setting and how to deal with this problem. Mrs. Barba did a wonderful job doing this by sharing ideas on how to interact with people who may be a little judgmental based solely on being a woman. Also, I gained a valuable tip that men are part of the solution to greater women involvement in engineering. I know this event will help me both share my experiences with others to educate them and personally aid in my academic development by supplying me with these interactive skills.

 Thanks to the following folks who made it possible for Lorena to touch the lives of our students:

  • The DAGGS Collaboration
    • Pamplin College of Business: Gina French, Svetlana Filatreau, Jennifer Clevenger
    • University Libraries:
      • DAGGS Committee: Gail McMillan, Yi Shen, Jonathan Petters, Peter Potter, Paul Hover
      • Scholarly Communications: Anita Walz, Philip Young
      • DSO: Elizabeth McVoy, Trevor Finney, Alec Masella
      • Ellen Krupar, Sita Williams, Brian Mathews, Robert Sebek, Larry Thompson, Carol Sinclair (and many more)
  • College of Engineering: Glenda Scales, Kim Lester, Susan Arnold-Christian
  • OIRED Women and Gender in International Development: Maria Elisa Christie
  • University Relations: Tracy Vosburgh

 

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IFLA 2017 Serials and Other Continuing Resources (SOCRS) Section Report

(Photograph above) Presenters at the SOCRS program are (left to right): Ming-Yueh Tsay (Graduate Institute of Library, Information and Archival Studies, National Chengchi University, Taiwan, Republic of China), Robin Kear (University of Pittsburgh, United States), Stacy Konkiel (Altmetric LLP, United States), Shima Moradi (National Research Institute for Science Policy, Iran, Islamic Republic of), Afsaneh Teymourikhani (National Library and Archives of Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran, Islamic Republic of), and Ifeanyi J Ezema (University of Nigeria and University of South Africa, South Africa).

Encompassing Scholarly Communication, SOCRS Redefines its Reach in Wrocław

Encompassing Scholarly Communication, SOCRS Redefines its Reach in Wrocław: The IFLA Section on Serials and Other Continuing Resources  (SOCRS) has always concerned itself “with all issues which make serial publications unique in both the print and electronic environments.” Experience during the last few years creating IFLA WLIC programming, however, has shown us that our mission and scope is actually broader, more accurately “at the intersection of scholarly communication (SC) and continuing resources.”  SC topics reflect an emerging redefinition of our areas of expertise, and our main publications—even our jobs—are reshaping themselves to include them. Our Standing Committee took action, requesting from IFLA’s Professional Committee a name change to “Scholarly Communication and Continuing Resources.” (Details in our 2017 minutes.)

SOCRS Open Session Program and Satellite Meeting: The 83rd IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC), held in Wrocław (/ˈvrɒtswɑːf/), Poland, was themed “Libraries. Solidarity. Society.” Accordingly, we created our programs to explore solidarity with emerging, alternative forms of evaluating contributions to scholarly knowledge, and to the Open Access (OA) movement. Here is a list of our Open Session Program’s titles of guest speakers’ presentations, with links to their papers:

Session 080, Altmetrics: It’s Time to Take Action – Serials and Other Continuing Resources

  1. An Introduction to Altmetrics, Stacy Konkiel (Altmetric LLP, United States)
  2. Measuring Research Impact of Library and Information Science Journals: Citation verses Altmetrics, Ifeanyi J Ezema (University of Nigeria and University of South Africa, South Africa), Cyprian Ugwu (University of Nigeria and University of South Africa, South Africa). Paper in English
  3. Exploring Values-based (Alt)Metrics to Enhance Library Services, Stacy Konkiel (Altmetric LLP, United States), Rebecca Kennison (K|N Consultants, United States), Nicky Agate (Modern Language Association, United States), Christopher Long (Michigan State University, United States), Jason Rhody (Social Science Research Council, United States), Simone Sacchi (LIBER, Netherlands). Paper in English
  4. Web-based Citation: A New Metric for Evaluating Scientific Journals, Afsaneh Teymourikhani (National Library and Archives of Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran, Islamic Republic of). Paper in English
  5. Altmetrics and Library Publishing, Lauren Collister (University Library System, University of Pittsburgh, United States), Jessica Kirschner (University of Pittsburgh, United States), Michelle Bradbury (University of Pittsburgh, United States), Timothy S. Deliyannides (University of Pittsburgh, United States), Robin Kear (University of Pittsburgh, United States). Paper in English
  6. Developing an Academic Hub with Data Synchronization: Altmetrics Display and Added Value Information for Promoting Scholarly Communication Performance, Ming-Yueh Tsay (Graduate Institute of Library, Information and Archival Studies, National Chengchi University, Taiwan, Republic of China), Chih-Ming Chen (Graduate Institute of Library, Information and Archival Studies, National Chengchi University, Taiwan, Republic of China). Paper in English
  7. The Altmetrics of Retracted Articles in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Shima Moradi (National Research Institute for Science Policy, Iran, Islamic Republic of). Paper in English

Satellite Meeting: “Open Access: Action Required:” The Acquisition and Collection Development Section teamed up with SOCRS to co-sponsor a satellite meeting at the European Solidarity Center in Gdańsk, Poland. Huge thanks are due to Zuza Wiorogorska and Matylda Filas for their work on the Satellite, the content of which was excellent with a good mix of papers.  (Details here.)

Attendees of the second meeting of the of the Standing Committee are (from left to right, top):  Meg Mering, (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA), Secretary and incoming Chair;  Gaëlle Bequet (ISSN International Centre, France), incoming Secretary; Andrea Wirth (University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA); Ted Westervelt (Library of Congress, USA), blogger and incoming Information Coordinator; Beata Katrincova (University Library in Bratislava, Slovakia); Smita Joshipura (Arizona State University, USA), Facebook; Sharon Dyas-Correia (University of Toronto), outgoing Chair; Ezra Shiloba Gbaje (Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria); Fatmeh Charafeddine (American University of Beirut); and Zuzanna “Zuza” Wiorogorska (University of Warsaw, Poland). (From left to right, bottom): Karolina Minch (University of Warsaw, Poland); and Paul Hover (Virginia Tech, USA), Blogger.

SOCRS Committee Meetings: We had two section meetings during the congress. After electing our new officers (meet them in the photograph above), we discussed our current program, the mission and scope of the SOCRS Section, and the Satellite meeting. During the second meeting we talked about IFLA’s Global Vision, the importance of membership commitment, the SOCRS action plan, and our continuing welcome to new members. The fun part was helping to design a new logo for our shiny new (hopefully forthcoming soon) section name!

Planning for IFLA 2018 in Kuala Lumpur: We also discussed possible topics for the SOCRS open program at the 2018 conference, and tried out a few titles incorporating Scholarly Communications and Kuala Lumpur’s key theme of “transforming society.” Libraries-as-publishers is currently a topic of general interest, partly due to the fact that we had already organized a 2016 satellite meeting around it entitled “Libraries as Publishers: Building a Global Community” in collaboration with the  Acquisition and Collection Development Section. We are also planning to collaborate with the Science and Technology Section to co-sponsor a program on bringing Open Access to a new level.

Wrocław: Where History Becomes Art

The Polish Art encountered around this beautiful city, nestled on islands in the Oder River, affected me on several levels. On my first jet-lagged sortie, 100 meters from my hotel, I came across perfectly lifelike statues of ordinary people descending into the sidewalk at a crossing of two busy avenues. From their demeanor one knows immediately that they are taking a tragic detour in their lives, some never to reemerge on the other side of the street. Known in English as “The Anonymous Pedestrians,” Przejście (literally “passage, transition”), by Polish artist Jerry Kalina, leaves no doubt in the observer’s mind that something sinister drove those people underground. Looking it up later, I found it refers to a deadly period of martial law that occured only a couple of decades ago.

Gripping Portrayal of the “1997 Flood of the River Oder” a Foreshadowing of Tragedy in Texas? I was still in Poland six days later when my heart sank on hearing that Hurricane Harvey had made landfall on August 26 at Rockport, Texas. A small town of shrimp boats and tourist shops, nobody has ever heard of Rockport, but I have—it’s where my Postmaster Dad’s “two-horse” U.S. Post Office is (was) located. Had the Opening Ceremony dazzled us only days earlier with a combination of theater, light, and dance, all performed before a giant screen playing historical clips of heart-wrenching scenes of watery misery? Entitled “Short Story of Wrocław: A theatrical show which presents the history of Wrocław,” I remember how the stage was engulfed in shades of deepest blue as our eyes took in the immensity of the disaster, so vast it was also known as the 1997 Central European Flood.

Thanks to the wonderful people of Wrocław for a memorable, artful, and friendly conference, and for heaps upon heaps of delicious pickles!

Submitted to the ALA ALCTS by Paul Hover

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IFLA in the USA: Friendly, Fun Columbus, Ohio

IFLA in the USA: Friendly, Fun Columbus, Ohio

(Photo above) Presenters at the Serials and other Continuing Resources program are (left to right) Sofie Wennström, Stockholm University Library; Anjana H. Bhatt, Florida Gulf Coast University; Clément Oury, ISSN International Centre; Gayle R.Y.C. Chan, University of Hong Kong Libraries; and Gaëlle Béquet, ISSN International Centre.

IFLA 2016 Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section Report: Program in Columbus, Ohio

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)  Section on Serials and Other Continuing Resources (SOCRS) “concerns itself with all issues which make serial publications unique in both the print and electronic environments.” We met twice during the 82nd World Library and Information Congress (WLIC). Working within the congress theme, “Connections. Collaboration. Community,” we organized Session 114, “The Role of Stakeholders in the New Serials World.” Here follows a list of titles and authors of our guest speakers’ presentations. For links to the authors’ papers, please check the SOCRS URL listed above for updates. (Gaëll’s paper is already linked below.)

  1. Open Access Collections: Current Scenario in American Academic Libraries and a Sample Work Flow, by Anjana H. Bhatt, Florida Gulf Coast University, United States
  2. Questionable Practices in Scholarly Publishing: The Stance of the ISSN Network (Paper in English), by Gaëlle Béquet, Director, ISSN International Centre, France
  3. Revising the ISSN: involving stakeholders to adapt a bibliographic standard to its ever-changing environment, by Clément Oury, ISSN International Centre, France
  4. Managing the Transitional Impact of Open Access Journals, by Gayle R.Y.C. Chan, Libraries, and Allan C.S. Cheung, Department of Chemistry, University of Hong Kong., Hong Kong
  5. Stockholm University Press – for researchers, by researchers – but what does the library publisher add? By Sofie Wennström and Birgitta Hellmark Lindgren, Stockholm University Library, Sweden

Satellite meetings: SOCRS also co-sponsored two satellite meetings this congress:

  1. “RDA in the Wider World:” SOCRS, along with the RDA Board, the RDA Steering Committee and the IFLA Cataloguing Section, sponsored this satellite meeting at OCLC’s headquarters.
  2. “Libraries as Publishers: Building a Global Community:” SOCRs co-sponsored this meeting with the Acquisition and Collection Development Section at the University of Michigan. Ann Okerson, our co-sponsor Chair, is working on forming a “Libraries as Publishers” special interest group.

Good Guy Buckeyes treat International Librarians to “Dime-a-Dogs” at a Columbus Clippers Game

International librarians waving from the bleachers in Huntington Park at a Columbus Clippers baseball game.
International librarians waving from the bleachers in Huntington Park at a Columbus Clippers baseball game.
Joey. Paul, and Norm pat each other on the backs in congratulations for “scoring” baskets of hot-dogs for US$ 0.10 each.
Joey. Paul, and Norm pat each other on
the backs in congratulations for “scoring”
baskets of hot-dogs for US$ 0.10 each.

International librarians: Michael Dowling, Director of the American Libraries Association’s International Relations Office, asked me to help Delin Guerra, Program Officer, and Beth Cramer, International Relations Round Table Chair, to “explain American baseball” to about 70 international librarians. He had tickets to a Columbus Clippers vs. Durham Bulls game! The librarians I met that night were amazing, some of whom, I realized, would become friends for life. Outside the stadium, I pointed to a sign announcing “Dime-A-Dog Night.” Try explaining THAT to a non-English speaking, first-time visitor!

After finding our seats, I decided to invest in a couple “dawgs.” Making my way to the epic-sized concession stands, I was taken aback by equally epic queues waiting for the bargain-priced, American iconic culinary delights. But did you ever notice how waiting in line can be a great opportunity to meet people? The two “Buckeyes” (Ohio residents) who were standing in front of me were father and son baseball fans, and after I mentioned I was at the game with a group of international librarians at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, they busted out some good ol’ American hospitality. Norm explained that he and his son Joey always used to get 2 hot-dogs each, but since the stadium had initiated “Dime-A-Dog Night,” they had upped that to 3, which was plenty, even though the maximum allowed per customer was 5.

To my surprise, when we got to the front of the line, Norm ordered 15 hot-dogs! They wouldn’t let me pay a dime, and turned over most of their booty, mustard and all, to share with our international librarian guests. By the way, did I mention I am a Buckeye, too? Well, I am now.

SOCRS Committee MeetingsRead more…

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Scene from the coast of South Africa

Second Annual Virginia Tech / Cape Peninsula University of Technology Exchange Program: Call for Proposals

Call for Proposals, Second Year

Virginia Tech (VT) University Libraries and Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) Libraries

Library Faculty and Staff Exchange Program Grants

APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 31, 2016

Funding Period: Fall or Spring semesters, 2016/2017 academic year. Preference given to research projects in the months of November 2016 or February 2017 (in order to make use of the longer hours of daylight in South Africa).

[Note: changes to this CFP from the first one of the program (dated November 2014) consist in the time of stay in South Africa (was 8 weeks, is now 4 weeks) and the amount of housing subsidy (was $2,000, is now $1,000). These changes are the result of feedback from our two exchange librarians from the inaugural run of the program and were made in collaboration with our partners at CPUT.]

Introduction and background

The VT and CPUT libraries are providing funding to sustain and strengthen our international partnership. Having signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate and promote international librarianship, this exchange is part of a long-term strategic collaboration and globalization initiative of our academic libraries. We are in the second year of the program, and will publish results of the first year’s exchange as soon as all reports are completed.

Proposal criteria

Preference will be given to proposals that address a critical need in either the home or host institution, proposals that broaden the current scope and/or impact of the partnership, or proposals that advance international librarianship and/or the profession. Because this is only the second iteration of the program, proposals of all types will be considered. Please see the list “Areas of Strength at CPUT Libraries” (scroll down to the bottom of this blog post) to assist in identifying potential projects.

Who should apply?

Full-time employees, including academic librarians and non-academic staff members in the respective libraries, are eligible to apply.

Duration of exchange

The exchange will be for approximately 4 weeks. Permission from the appropriate supervisor is mandatory (a signature on the application form is required). If needed, the International Outreach Committee will work with the supervisor of the grant recipient to arrange for an emergency hire in the affected department for a training period of one month before departure to train for specific work duties that will be assigned during the duration of the exchange.

Grant information:

The grant will be up to $3,000 (the equivalent South African Rand amount will be determined). This amount is to cover the costs of one round-trip airline ticket between CPUT and VT per year from each institution, and provide a limited housing allowance. Anything over and above this amount is the responsibility of the recipient of the grant.

Application procedure and review process

  • Complete the application form by the set deadline and submit to Paul Hover at phover@vt.edu.
  • Proposals for collaborative projects will be vetted by both institutions’ International Outreach Committees, with final approvals by the Dean/Director of both university libraries.
  • Both universities have similar application processes and requirements for applicants. However, in order to ensure that expertise in the requested field is available, the hosting university will examine the areas in which the applicants propose to work before the applicants’ home university makes a final decision.
  • The chair of the respective committee will notify the applicants of the decision as soon as possible after the application deadline expires.

Planning the exchange:

This will include the finalization of the dates, flights, passport/visa and accommodation arrangements. The International Outreach Committees will assist in preparations and arrangements throughout the program, and a contact person at the hosting university will be assigned.

Reporting Requirement

The successful candidates will be expected to:

  • Make a presentation soon after arrival to the host library about the recipient’s home institution, her/his plans for activities during the exchange period, and expected outcomes.
  • Give a presentation on lessons learned and what could be implemented at the home institution within 2 months after recipient’s return.
  • Written progress reports 3-6 months after recipients’ return on areas that were selected and how they have been implemented, projects that were started because of the exchange, or other (planned) outcomes of the project.

 

CPUT Cape Town Campus is flanked by the city’s most notable landmark – Table Mountain. www.cput.ac.za
CPUT Cape Town Campus is flanked by the city’s most notable landmark – Table Mountain. www.cput.ac.za

Application form:

APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 31, 2016

VT-CPUT Exchange Application Form

Areas of strength at CPUT Libraries (2016):

(PLEASE NOTE: The following list is provided to assist applicants in formulating projects and is NOT intended as the final word on what can and cannot be accomplished on this exchange. Both academic libraries have formulated lists to give an idea of strong departments, trends, and future aspirations that may be used as indicators of possible projects the host institutions feel capable of accommodating. Nevertheless, creative proposals–whether based on traditional library skill-sets or innovative ideas–are encouraged, and all will be considered.)

Information Literacy (IL)

Training skills of librarians

All librarians who teach have completed an accredited “Train-the-Trainer” qualification to ensure a high standard of teaching. A “peer-observation” system was implemented during 2014 as another mechanism to improve the teaching skills of librarians. This is an area CPUT excels in, with consistency across all campuses. Even though there are different subject areas, the core elements are taught.  A few examples of projects that could benefit VT include:

  • Explore how the a train-the-trainer series has been implemented for their IL courses.
  • Examine the impacts of the train-the-trainer model.
  • Examine how buy-in from teaching faculty to incorporate train-the-trainer teaching models has been obtained.
  • Investigate CPUT’s program to train all employees in the library to gain a base set of skills and information.

Research Data Management (RDM)

The University is embarking on a RDM process under leadership of the library to provide a platform for all research data. The library initiated policies on Open Access and Research Data Management that have been accepted by the University. The RDM project is being developed in collaboration with TUM (Technische Universität München) in Germany using their platform, MediaTUM. One research department is currently working with the library to pilot the project. The pilot will test the software and assist in developing a workflow before it is rolled-out within the university. Work is also being done on the skills needed by librarians to support and assist researchers with RDM.

  • Explore CPUT’s alternative software packages for managing and storing data, identify systems that may work at VT.
  • Determine if any of the administrative policies concerning data storage and access could be implemented at VT.
  • Examine outreach efforts by CPUT librarians to teaching/research faculty regarding data initiatives and services provided by the library.

Library related research

Various research studies are currently being undertaken by CPUT librarians. Areas covered include: Information Literacy (IL); Return on Investment (ROI); Value of CPUT libraries; and Studying CPUT students.  CPUT reviews their library’s processes, outcomes, and programs in depth, with strong statistical analysis, and with an eye towards implementing change and reviewing those outcomes again. This is an area at which they particularly excel. Examples of areas where projects could be conducted include:

  • Implement a review method used by CPUT to assess a VT library process/service/program.
  • Investigate assessment options for specific programs and indicate which methods would be applicable to VT.
  • Identify methods used to implement change effectively.
  • Explore a specific opportunity to conduct a review, self-study, or incorporate specific techniques that could lead both to improvements in VT’s library and scholarly output as a result of a local review.

Faculty liaison

The embedding of the library within the faculties has strengthened over the years. The library is represented at faculty board meetings and various other forums within the faculties. The library structure has been adapted to support and strengthened faculty liaison.   The marketing of library services and online resources such as e-books and databases has improved. CPUT’s wide user types are similar to our distance learners.

  • Examine marketing strategies of library resources, collections, and services to campus users.
  • Examine marketing strategies of library resources, collections, and services to distance learners.

Library IT

Library IT at CPUT is undergoing change as the nature of their library moves into the e-world. Their responses to this change are worth reviewing.

  • Explore how CPUT’s IT implements new technologies into the library
  • Review CPUT’s response to information moving into an e-world.
  • Investigate CPUT’s IT structure and support services.

Mobile technologies

Adoption of mobile technologies among CPUT students is ahead of VT (and American colleges in general). Reviewing how the CPUT library is responding to the need to support mobile has application locally as our mobile usage should increase in the near future.

  • Explore how CPUT has implemented mobile technologies to address student demands for this type of access.
  • Investigate CPUT’s management of services offered through mobile technologies.
  • Examine CPUT students’ usage of mobile technologies to access information.

Good luck!

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Samantha Winn presents in Spanish at the “Itinerant Archivists” Project in Ecuador

“Behind me is Quito’s historic center down Calle Garcia Moreno,” Sam writes, pictured above on the Quito city tour bus. “Far in the distance behind me is El Panecillo where the massive Virgen de Quito statue stands.”

Sam is the second recipient of the University Libraries’ International Travel Supplementary Fund

Sam was a participant of the pilot program for the Itinerant Archivists Project. Her agenda included repository visits to: ● Central University of Ecuador and its incredible conservation research lab; ● the legislative library and archives of the National Assembly; ● Metropolitan Archives of History in Quito; ● Archivo Blomberg (a private archives for esteemed photographer Rolf Blomberg and his wife, the Constructivist painter Araceli Gilbert); ● Museo Municipal Remigio Crespo (city museum of Cuenca and an architectural monument honoring a renowned Ecuadorian poet); ● Casa de la Cultura and the Municipal Archives of Cañar; and ● Convento Las Conceptas (a religious repository in the heart of Cuenca).

SamWinn4
Sam presented “Los Archivos Arquitectónicos en Virginia Tech” in Spanish.

Using materials available for research on the Virginia Tech campus in the University Libraries’ Special Collections’ “International Archive of Women Architects,” Sam presented for an international lecture series held by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Ecuador. Her presentation, entitled “Los archivos históricos: socialización de experiencias profesionales entre Estados Unidos y Ecuador,” was presented entirely in the Spanish language.

“I presented in Spanish on the unique challenges of architectural archives and our work with the International Archive of Women Architects. Later in the week, I gave a separate lecture in Spanish on the importance of archives to the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Cuenca. In addition to these activities, our group met with with several Cañari leaders at the Instituto Quilloac (an indigenous bilingual school) and municipal leaders in the town of Cañar to discuss the creation of a community archives. The final event on our agenda was an afternoon conference and reception at the Museo Pumapungo in Cuenca, hosted by the Ministry of Culture. We met with nearly fifty archivists and cultural heritage professionals from across southern Ecuador to discuss the future of the archival profession in the country.”

 

 Final thoughts on her Trip

“I believe our visit laid the groundwork for many future projects between Pan­American archivists. While some Latin American and Caribbean countries have established archival science as a profession, the vocation is still emerging as a distinct field in Ecuador. In this respect and many others, the challenges faced by archives in Ecuador were very familiar to us. We observed a broad spectrum of institutional capacities and funding, from the necessity-­driven innovations employed by a small private foundation to the cutting edge interdisciplinary research undertaken by a well-funded state university. Our group returned to the U.S. with many new ideas and connections. Overall, this trip gave me an opportunity to represent American archivists and live out Ut Prosim beyond borders. I found it immensely rewarding as an individual and a professional.”

Nice work, archivist and bilingual international librarian Sam Winn!

 

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LANDSCAPES OF CHINA: VT in China 2016 travels across China to far-flung vineyards, studies business, language, and culture

University Libraries invites Dept. of Geography and Pamplin College of Business to team up to tackle the academic challenges at VT’s elite Chinese strategic partner of five years, the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei, Anhui Province, China, for Education Abroad in Summer I, 2016

 

The next info sessions are this coming Wednesday, November 18, at 5:30 and 6:00 PM in Pamplin 2002. The course is open to all majors. If you cannot make it to an info session, please drop by Paul Hover’s office in Newman Library room 100X, or email him or one of the two other Faculty Guides as listed above. Number of participant students is limited to 30-35 for this exceptional learning experience.

Thanks to Brian Craig and the Creative Services Team for the awesome artwork. I owe you one–how about some tea, all the way from China…

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Joanne Presents on South Africa, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and her Libraries’ Vision

It was a busy week for CPUT’s Wellington Campus Head Librarian Joanne Arendse!

This is Joanne's shared Google calendar of her first week's visiting scholar activities. The agenda is the result of a collaboration of about 12 persons, including Rebecca Miller, Assistant Director, Learning Services; the International Outreach Committee, consisting of Collin Brittle, Kira Dietz, Ron Mechem, Leslie O'Brien, Steve Tatum, and Paul Hover; and Therese Walters and Inga Haugen.
This is Joanne’s shared Google calendar of her first week’s visiting scholar activities. The agenda is the result of a collaboration of about 12 persons, including Rebecca Miller, Assistant Director, Learning Services; the International Outreach Committee, consisting of Collin Brittle, Kira Dietz, Ron Mechem, Leslie O’Brien, Steve Tatum, and Paul Hover; and Therese Walters and Inga Haugen. (Please zoom in on the calendar to view details.)

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2012-07-03 10.18.41

International Travel Supplementary Funding from the University Libraries at Virginia Tech

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS (ONGOING)

PLEASE NOTE WE ARE ACCEPTING COMPLETED FUNDING REQUESTS AS THEY COME IN FOR ALL PERIODS, INCLUDING PERIODS ALREADY AWARDED, AND MAINTAIN WAITING LISTS IN CASE THE AWARDED REQUESTS ARE FOR SOME REASON NOT DISBURSED.

FIRST FUNDING PERIOD: 2015 SPRING SEMESTER funding (2X $500): March 2015– August 23, 2015 (one awarded, one disbursed, surplus partially used).

SECOND FUNDING PERIOD: 2015-2016 FALL SEMESTER funding (2X $500): August 24, 2015—January 18, 2016 (two awarded, two disbursed).

THIRD FUNDING PERIOD: 2016 SPRING SEMESTER funding (2X $500): Jan. 19, 2016—July 4, 2016 (one awarded, one disbursed).

FOURTH FUNDING PERIOD: 2016-2017 FALL SEMESTER funding (2X $500): July 5, 2016—Jan. 16, 2017 (none awarded).

FIFTH FUNDING PERIOD:  2017 SPRING-SUMMER I SEMESTER funding (2X $500): Jan. 17, 2017—July 4, 2017 (two awarded, two disbursed).

SIXTH FUNDING PERIOD: 2017-2018 SUMMER II-FALL SEMESTER funding (2X $500): July 5, 2017—Jan. 14, 2018 (two awarded, two disbursed).

SEVENTH FUNDING PERIOD:  2018 SPRING-SUMMER I SEMESTER funding (2X $500): Jan. 15, 2018—July 1, 2018. (two awarded)

EIGHTH FUNDING PERIOD: (to be confirmed–please inquire with Paul at phover@vt.edu)

(These periods are designed to cover approximately half a year each so as to distribute the funding equally over the year for various conferences, etc.)

 

PURPOSE OF UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SUPPLEMENTARY FUNDING

The University Libraries is providing funding to strengthen the internationalization of the library and librarianship. The funding will be used to enable library staff and faculty to supplement available LFA, LSA, or departmental funds, and/or funding from other professional sources to assist them to meet the increased costs of traveling abroad to conferences, workshops, or events for professional development.

ELIGIBILITY

All full-time staff and faculty of the VT University Libraries traveling internationally and receiving major departmental and/or other professional funding support are eligible.

FUNDING

Up to $2,000 will be awarded per academic year. The committee will designate up to four (4) awards per year of $500 each, two per semester. If fewer than four qualified applications are submitted, additional funding may be available. Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, and must be expended in accordance with university and library policies.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please submit copies of the library’s travel forms, found in the Travel and Education Center, and the Virginia Tech Travel Estimate and Approval Form to Paul Hover (phover@vt.edu). Travelers must first get approval from supervisors and primary funding sources before requesting International Travel Supplementary Funding from this program.  IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE OBTAIN TRAVEL APPROVALS ACCORDING TO THE MOST RECENT UNIVERSITY AND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES PROCEDURES, AS  (INTERNATIONAL) TRAVEL PROCEDURES HAVE CHANGED AND MAY CHANGE AGAIN AS THEY EVOLVE. PLEASE USE THE CORRECT ACCOUNT NUMBER WHEN REQUESTING AUTHORIZATION.

The University Libraries International Outreach Committee, comprised of both staff and faculty, will award grants as applications are received. The process is not an evaluation of the applicants’ conference, workshop, or other professional development event requiring international travel, and all completed applications will therefore be considered equally. Applicants will be notified as soon as this process is completed.

REPORTING REQUIREMENT

A brief report of results must be submitted to The University Libraries International Outreach Committee no later than 30 days following completion of activities.

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VTIC Julianne at Yellow Mountain

Virginia Tech in China 2015 Summer II Course: July 5–Aug. 12

VTIC CLASSROOM VISITS AND INFORMATION SESSIONS WEEKS OF FEBRUARY 9th–20th

• NEW DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: FEB. 25, 2015
• INFO SESSIONS:
o MONDAY FEB. 16, 5—7 pm in room 421 Major Williams
o TUESDAY FEB. 17, all day (9 am—5 pm) in room 100X Newman Library
o FRIDAY FEB. 20, 11 am—1 pm in room 100X Newman Library
• REGISTRATION here.
• COST of the study abroad course here.
• FINANCIAL AID information here.

Travel in CHINA while earning 9 CREDITS in 5½  weeks:

  1. Mandarin Chinese intensive language training taught by specially trained native speakers—3 credits
  2. Chinese culture—hands-on professional instruction covering a broad range of topics—3 credits
  3. Contemporary history of China—taught by Dr. Helen Schneider, VT Professor of History—3 credits
  4. Guaranteed short internships in Chinese businesses and organizations
  5. Excursions to four major cities and extraordinary manmade and natural wonders
  6. You will be enrolled at one of China’s “C9” top-ranked universities

Need help deciding? Listen to VT students who went before you here (scroll down to “Interviews with students of VT in China”).

Please feel free to contact any of the VTIC Faculty Guides as follows:
o Zhange “Nicole” Ni, Assistant Professor, Department of Religion and Culture (nizhange@vt.edu)
o Helen Schneider, Associate Professor, Department of History (hms@vt.edu)
o Paul Hover, Assistant Director for International Outreach, University Libraries (phover@vt.edu)

Kind regards,
Paul

VTIC students at Anhui Radio Broadcasting Corp
VTIC students and USTC faculty at Anhui Radio & TV Broadcasting Corporation

 

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Gennie at 2015 Advancing Diversity Workshop

Opening Knowledge to Global Communities

Life Science and Scholarly Communication Librarian Virginia “Ginny” Pannabecker presents Opening Knowledge poster at VT’s 2015 Advancing Diversity Workshop

Opening Knowledge to Local and Global Communities
Opening Knowledge to Local and Global Communities (click to enlarge photo)

The twelfth annual Advancing Diversity at Virginia Tech workshop was held on Monday, January 12, 2015, at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. A large contingent of VT University Librarians attended, and one of them, Ginny Pannabecker, presented a poster featuring ways the University Libraries support open data, research, publishing, teaching, and conferences.

Ginny, who works in the Scholarly Communications Unit, is one of a number of our librarians promoting Open Access. Philip Young writes the Open@VT blog (https://blogs.lt.vt.edu/openvt/), and organizes VT’s Open Access Week; Andi Ogier and Natsuko Nicholls produce the Data@VT Blog (http://datablog.lib.vt.edu/aboutus/), and organize the Data Book Camp; and Anita Walz created and updates the Open Educational Resource Guide (http://guides.lib.vt.edu/oer).

Philip Young presents on "Student Publishing Skills: An Open, Global Learning Module" at Virginia Tech's 2014 Deans' Forum on Global Engagement
Philip Young presents on “Student Publishing Skills: An Open, Global Learning Module” at Virginia Tech’s 2014 Deans’ Forum on Global Engagement (click to enlarge photo)

Open Education Week is scheduled for the week of February 23rd-27th (http://guides.lib.vt.edu/oer/oeweek), and more information can be found on the Open Access website (http://www.lib.vt.edu/openaccess/).

(Thanks to Natsuko Nicholls for the photos of Ginny and her poster.)

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