Cybersecurity Tips for Student Success

October is National Cybersecurity Month and today on campus is the Tenth Cybersecurity Day at IUP. Being smart about your online security is a step in the right direction leading to your future success. As supporters of that success, we’ve offered some tips on how to be more secure when online.

Earlier in the month, political science students put together presentations in the library all about cybersecurity. These tips have been pulled from their presentations and we’re now passing them on to you.

Know your cyber footprint.Protect your reputation.“THINK” before you post.

Create strong passwords.Protect your privacy.Remember when you’re online that what you post matters. It will matter now as a student and in your future when you’re looking for employment or applying to graduate school. You aren’t always as secure as you think you are. So be smart and be safe out there. We’re all rooting for you!

National Day on Writing Carnival

It could be said that without writing we wouldn’t have libraries. Sure, librarians could collect images, which we do, or other pieces of culture and education to preserve, but when one thinks of libraries, books, bound pages of written words, are often the first thoughts associated with libraries. So of course you know you’d find us at the National Day on Writing Carnival, a celebration of all things written, presented by IUP Writing Across the Curriculum.

 

Anyone walking by the HSS Building today was greeted with sounds of the carnival pouring out of speakers. It was easy to get pulled in and upon entering, difficult to leave and get back to work. (The cupcakes and popcorn made it especially difficult to go back.)

 

 

Booths were set up throughout the lobby, decorated with balloons, ready to teach passersby about elements of writing. Words like “idioms” and “salutations” were being tossed about while folks from throughout the campus waited for their turn to be wowed by Cirque de Papier artist Michael Roy or to try and win a prize at the Lucky Duck booth.

 

 

 

Our friends from the Kathleen Jones White Writing center were also at the carnival, giving attendees temporary tattoos. With the Haunted Hypertext and the Idiom Freak Show, the fun seemed endless and it was a delight to see so many coming out to support the power of writing.

 

Today is the National Day on Writing and throughout social media #WhyIWrite is trending. We’re interested in learning why you write. Share your reasons either as a comment on this blog post or using your favorite social media app. Tag us in it because we’re curious and love to see people celebrating writing. Write on!

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Added to Archival Collection

Just in time for Halloween…

The IUP Special Collections and University Archives recently acquired Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886).  This is part of the Rare Book Collection, which is funded by donations to the Bill LaFranchi Endowment.  This collection, although it does not circulate, is utilized for instruction and research purposes by our students, faculty, and visiting scholars.  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) is the first English edition of this title, although the first American edition was published less than a month earlier in 1885.  Robert Louis Stevenson also wrote Treasure Island and Kidnapped.  To learn more about the IUP Special Collections and University Archives, visit the department website, www.iup.edu/archives.

Keystone Library Network Catalogers and Archivists Conference Visits IUP

Over the past two days we’ve been hosting catalogers and archivists from the Keystone Library Network during their annual conference. Representatives from all libraries within the network attended sessions focusing on the Alma Primo system and what’s currently going on in the world of archives and special collections.

 

The conference began with tours of the library before the two groups went their separate ways to breakout sessions.

 

The first session for the archivists dealt with “Dismantling White Supremacy” in the archives, led by Janet Dotterer and Marilyn McKinley of Millersville University.

 

 

The catalogers first session was on the topic of Alma authority control, with discussion and demonstration led by Pat Newland of West Chester University. Alma Primo and e-resources was the topic for the second catalogers session.

 

The archivists were next taken to the library’s special collections area for a behind the scenes tour with our archivist, Harrison Wick. One of the items Wick had to show was a Torah, printed in 1566 and donated by the family of Fernand Fisel, a Holocaust survivor who taught French at IUP.

The conference fun continued today with catalogers continuing their discussions on Alma Primo and the archivists talking about digitization, among other topics. Before the conference came to an end, the two groups came together to discuss how the users, mainly students and faculty members, are adjusting when using the new system.

It was a pleasure having everyone here and we look forward to the next conference when we can gather together and learn from one another again.

10 Reasons Why IUP Libraries Is Part Of Your Path To Success

Whether you’re a first semester freshman or a semester away from graduating, being successful likely ranks high on your list of priorities.

(At least we hope it does.)

At IUP Libraries, we support your commitment to success in various ways. Studies have shown that using library resources can improve student retention, and raise your GPA!, which ultimately equals success not only for now, but for your future as well.

The following is a list of the many, but not all the ways, the library can be part of your success story. Throughout the year we’ll be highlighting and focusing on each of these areas. In the meantime, if you have any questions about something mentioned here, just ask us at the reference desk. We love reference questions!

1) Our dedicated library faculty, staff, and student workers.

Think of us as part of your personal support team. We want you to succeed not only at IUP, but when you leave our campus as well. Stuck on how to format a reference list in APA? We can help with that. Do you need to find resources that will take your assignment to the next level? We’ve got you covered. We’re always willing to help you, you’ve only got to ask.

2) Online resources, like databases and e-journals.

We provide access to over 63,000 journals, available on our on website, for your researching needs. These can be accessed directly by clicking on the e-journal tab or the library databases link. You can also find them using the library catalog, but if it’s all a little overwhelming at first, come by the reference desk and we’ll give you a brief tutorial.

We also have access to dissertations, written by former IUP students, as well as those from other institutions. In addition, students could also find dissertations in our Knowledge Repository, where scholarship by the IUP campus is housed. Access to these services can be found on the library’s homepage or clicking on the links above.

3) Books! But of course.

What kind of library would we be if we didn’t mention our books? We have a collection of 426,000 books AND 277,194 e-books on just about any subject you need to research. Use the library catalog feature on our home page to search and remember to use the refining tools on the right to narrow your search.However, we can’t hold everything, physically and electronically, so if there is something you’re looking for that we don’t have, use our interlibrary loan service and we’ll be happy to get you the materials you need. Request forms can be filled out online for both books and journal articles.

4) Media resources.

Some projects require more that just knowledge found inside a text. Sometimes you have to get creative, but you don’t have a camera or a projector. No worries! We’ve got you covered. Check out the various items we have to loan out at our Media Services Department.

5) Quiet study areas.

The first floor is a busy place and there are times when you’ll need somewhere that’s much more quiet. Visit our other floors for more quiet areas, the second floor is designated specifically as a quiet study space, not to mention our public study carrels, open on a first come first serve basis, and private study carrels for doctoral students. To get more information or ask any questions you have, stop by the circulation desk.

6) Studio 1b.

Did you know that with the push of just one button you can unleash your creativity and add an extra element to your projects? Yes, it’s really that easy. Located within the Stabley Library on the second floor, this production studio is limited only by your imagination. Wanna check it out? Simply reserve a time online and remember to bring a USB thumb drive.

7) Research guides.

Stuck on a project and don’t know where to turn for research? While you could come into the library, we aren’t going to be around at 1:00 in the morning, not that we know anything about writing research papers at 1:00 in the morning. 🙂 But, don’t let that stop you from succeeding! Check out our list of research guides, located on the home page, full of research tips and links to get you the help you need, whenever that may be.

8) Special collections and archives.

The image above is from our special collections from 1907 of Sutton Hall when it was the main dormitory on campus as part of the State Normal School. This is one of many items our archives and special collections hold. In addition to 600,000 images, the archives also contains 300,000 books, including a rare book collection, publications specific to the history of Pennsylvania, along with digital collections. More information on how to browse and use the collections can be found using this link.

9) The Orendorff Music Library.

Located in the Cogswell Music Building, the Orendorff Music Library is the place to begin your musical research. Headed by Dr. Carl Rahkonen, is home to 7,000 circulating books, 15,000 scores, 12,500 sound recordings, on both LP and compact disks. In addition, the library has access to various online resources and databases, which can be accessed on their home page.

10) Bring your assignment instruction services.

While you can always just drop by the reference desk, you can also make an appointment to work one-on-one with a librarian specializing in your assignment’s subject area. We can help you come up with search strategies, brainstorm keywords for your assignment, and identify the best resources to get the job done. Setting up an appointment is easy to do. Click on this link to find the librarian best suited to help you and you’ll find out the best way to get in touch with them.

*11) How could we forget one of the most essential elements to success? Caffeine. No matter your drink of choice, Java City, located on the first floor of the library, has you covered. Stop in for an early morning pick me up or a late night boost of energy and brilliance.

Check back on our blog and social media accounts as we’ll be continuing to explore these themes on student success throughout the year.

Privacy Presentations in the Library

This morning, visitors to the library were educated on a range of topics dealing with privacy. Dr. Perry’s Political Science 111 classes brought their classroom to the library, presenting posters on chosen topics.

 

Many of the posters dealt with the impact of the 4th Amendment in regards to privacy while online. One student described laws covering privacy online as, “something that was never stated, because who would have known that technology was going to be where it is today, but something we’ve come to expect.”

Social media, the usage of specific apps, and just how private we all are, or aren’t, made up the majority of the posters. According to a student who focused primarily on Snapchat, “There’s the idea that the photo you take on Snapchat will be gone after ten seconds, but actually it exists in a server and will eventually be deleted, but it’s more permanent than you may think.”

Other topics for consideration included the lack of privacy concerning what future employers have access to once it’s been posted online. “The expectation of having privacy concerning employer access is actually really low,” one student studying criminology stated.

 

 

 

 

 

So what do you think about privacy, or the lack thereof, while online? Does data collection stop you from posting or using any applications? Why or why not?

Scroll through for more pictures of today’s event:

We’re Back!

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Have you missed us? We’ve missed you.

And that’s why we’re back! Well, one of the reasons.

Our mission here is to provide the campus with outstanding resources in support of academic pursuits and student success while being an active member of our university community.

So, we decided we would start blogging again in order to achieve our mission.

This blog will be a living newsletter of sorts, full of posts updating IUP’s community on what we’re doing here to support the mission, along with activities and events going on in the library, and on occasion a place where we can have fun. (We’re suckers for personality quizzes, too.)

We hope you’ll join us by subscribing to our blog, by following us on social media, and of course by stopping in at the library to see us.

We’ll only shush you on the second floor.