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Fall 2018

Academic Gateway Newsletter Header Image of Library Building

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

University Library Dean Tracy ElliottJoin us in celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Throughout the year, we will be celebrating our 15-year history and partnership between the city and the university. In this issue of "Academic Gateway," you can find information about the anniversary celebration as well as many other events and resources the library has to offer. One of the most important events this fall is San José State University’s Author and Artist Awards. This event is scheduled for the evening of November 2 in the grand reading room on the library’s eighth floor. The ceremony is hosted by the Office of the Provost, the university library and Spartan Bookstore. Join us as we recognize the accomplishments of faculty, staff and administrators who have authored a book or created a significant work of art. Seating will be limited, so be sure to respond quickly to the invitation from the Library Dean’s office, which will go out in October. Another important event this year is the recognition of the 1968 Olympic Project for Human Rights. The library will be exhibiting special collections on Dr. Harry Edwards, the athletes themselves, including Tommie Smith and John Carlos, and other artifacts from 50 years ago. Finally, we are excited to offer all library patrons a new type of collection for browsing and studying manufacturing materials. The Materials Library is the first of its kind to be open to the general public. Please read more about these wonderful events, the Materials Library, and all the other programs and resources brought to you this fall by the librarians, staff, administrators and our library partners here at the SJSU King Library.

 


Tracy Elliott
Dean, University Library

tracy.elliott@sjsu.edu
408-808-2419

 

EVENTS & EXHIBITS @ KING LIBRARY

Weeks of Welcome

#Madeit
Wed., August 29, 1 to 3 p.m. King Library, lower level
Get creative using the Library's new technologies including a laser cutter and 3D printing, and learn about different types of materials that you see or use everyday. Stop by the Library Material Lab to learn, design, and make something to take with you.

KLEVR Lab - A Mixed Reality Workspace 
Wed., August 29, 2-3:30 p.m. King Library, Room 455
Demo and overview of the King Library's new Virtual-Reality & Augmented-Reality workspace available to students on the 4th floor.

#WOW Bubbles 
Thurs., August 30, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Tower Lawn 
Come meet new friends at the library bubble party!

Coffee with a Librarian
Wed., September 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. King Library, fourth floor
Did you know there is a librarian for every major? Chat with your librarian over coffee and cookies and learn how the library can support your success. There will be an opportunity to win campus gift cards! 

Zine Making 
Wed., September 12, 2 to 4 p.m. King Library, fifth floor
Come to the library for this fun and artsy hands-on workshop. Make a zine (do-it-yourself magazine) to reflect on your first weeks at SJSU. Supplies and some light snacks will be provided. 
 

Weeks of Welcome ends September 21. See more events here.

MLK Library Celebrates Its 15th AnniversaryKing Library 15th Anniversary Celebration

Thurs., August 30, starting at 11 a.m.

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library officially opened its doors for the first time on August 16, 2003. 15 years later, the library will celebrate this anniversary with several events throughout the semester. The first event will be a community celebration in partnership with San José Public Library on August 30. Councilmember Raul Peralez, SJSU President Mary A. Papazian, SJSU Library Dean Tracy Elliott and San José Public Library Director Jill Bourne will give opening remarks to kick off the celebration. The day will include performances by the King Library Book Cart Drill Team, guitar duo Addison Rifkind and Yaxin Yang, and the Poets and Writers Coalition. 

University Scholar Series LogoUniversity Scholar Series

Co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the university library, the Office of Faculty Affairs, the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, and the Spartan Bookstore, the University Scholar Series showcases the important research and scholarly activities of SJSU faculty members. Speakers are recommended in collaboration with the RSCA Advisory Council. 

Three Scholar Series events are planned for the fall of 2018 from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 225 (second floor).

The speakers and dates are: 

Aaron Romanowsky, Department of Physics & Astronomy: September 26

Deepika Goyal, School of Nursing: October 24

Carlos Sanchez, Department of Philosophy: November 14

 

Photo of framed sketch of Norman Mineta Norman Yoshio Mineta Collection 

August 1 to November 1

Inside of the SJSU Special Collections Reading Room, this exhibit displays various items of historical significance detailing the life of former Secretary of Transportation and San José native Norman Mineta.

"Power of Protest" 1968 Olympics Anniversary Exhibit

September 7 to November 15

Titled “The Power of Protest: Speed City and the Legacy of the Olympic Project for Human Rights,” this exhibit will feature select curated pieces from the Dr. Harry Edwards collection including original correspondence, photographs, articles, newspaper clippings, artifacts and copies of books written by Dr. Edwards.

 

Frankenstein Bicentennial Special Collections Exhibit 

September 1 to November 15 

Inside the cases outside of the fifth floor elevators, a variety of materials related to the 200 year anniversary of "Frankenstein" will be on display. In late October, the library will host a Halloween event in collaboration with the Department of English & Comparative Literature.

 

Author & Artist Awards 11/18Annual Author and Artist Awards

You are invited to the SJSU Annual Author and Artist Awards for 2018, an event that showcases current research and published work created by the SJSU community.

Friday, November 2, 2018

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

King Library, Grand Reading Room (eighth floor)

The SJSU Annual Author and Artist Awards honors SJSU faculty and staff who have published books or other significant works during the year for contributions to their field.

Other major works have included movies, plays and music.

For more information and to RSVP for free tickets, please contact Sylvia Ruiz, executive assistant to the dean, at sylvia.ruiz@sjsu.edu or 408-808-2107.

 

Events hosted by the Africana, Asian American, Chicano, & Native American (AAACNA) Studies Center 
 

Location: AAACNA Exhibit Space (fifth floor)

 

August & September:

Tales from la Vida: A Latinx Comics Exhibit

In the Latinx comics community, there is much to celebrate today, with more Latinx comic book artists than ever before. Tales from la Vida: A Latinx Comics Exhibit brings to the San José community these original comics that spring from the culture and history that inform Latinx identities and experiences across the nation. Tales from la Vida: A Latinx Comics Exhibit showcases the huge variety of styles and worldviews of today’s Latinx comic book creators. Professor Frederick Aldama, editor of this book, will be at the library for a book talk and signing in late September. 

 

October: 

Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead

Collaborating again with the San José Multicultural Artists Guild (SJMAG), AAACNA will host one of the Center's most anticipated and popular displays. The opening reception will include a presentation, music and hot chocolate with pan de muerto. And, do not forget the Día de los Muertos procession. Starting from downtown San José and ending on campus, the procession will feature arts and crafts vendors along with multicultural music and dance performances. Altars will be on display through November 2.

 

November:  

Native American Heritage Month 

As November is Native American Heritage Month, the Center will collaborate with SJSU's Native American Student Organization (NASO) and the community in hosting an exhibit celebrating Native American heritage, art and culture. The exhibit will last the entire month of November.

 

December: 

Kwanzaa 

The Center is pleased to be hosting and collaborating on two exhibits this month. The Center will again host its annual celebration of Kwanzaa, a week-long holiday honoring African culture and traditions. Nationally celebrated December 29 to January 1, our exhibit opens in early December to include our academic community. A reception will be hosted December 20. Details TBA.

Lowriders Exhibit 

Also opening in December is a celebration of San José's history of Lowriders. AAACNA director Kathryn Blackmer Reyes will collaborate with San José Public Library’s California Room to host an intriguing exhibit through March 2019. San José was the founding city of this distinguished Chicano art and the lowriding style that is nationally and internationally recognized through "Lowrider Magazine." Sonny Madrid and a team of young Chicanas and Chicanos founded and published this popular periodical locally for the first five years. The Lowrider artistic and cultural style of customized vehicles with a distinct look will be celebrated through ephemera, including photographs, film and historical memorabilia, along with a series of local and national speakers.  

 

DESIGNING OUR FUTURE: NEW MATERIALS LIBRARY AT SJSU

Materials Library Wide PhotoWe are very excited to offer King Library users access to SJSU's first materials library. 

The King Library now offers this materials collection for students, faculty and staff to view samples from Materials ConneXion, a consultancy that helps designers source advanced materials for their projects.

Pieces in the collection correspond with a full description of their properties in the Materials ConneXion database of over 8,000 polymers, glass, cement-based, metals, ceramics, carbon-based and process materials. The library’s collection currently contains 500 materials, with over 200 polymers, 120 natural samples, 60 process materials, 20 metals, and over a dozen glass, ceramics, cement-based and carbon-based samples.

Future plans include growing the collection to 1,500. This will allow the library to circulate smaller collections, like those in the industrial design lab, to other departments on campus. We hope the Materials Library will inspire our students to learn sustainable product design by understanding how the chemistry of these materials affect design and construction.  

Dr. Sheryl Ehrman, Don Beall Dean of the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering remarked, “I think the Materials Library will be a game changer. Students and faculty might have an idea about what materials they could use for a project, and by now having access to the Materials Library, they can learn more about the material and get a physical sense of its properties. But even better, by being able to browse the collection, they might be inspired to try different materials they had not considered before, resulting in a better design outcome.”  

The idea for the Materials Library came from College of Humanities and Arts industrial design faculty members Kohar Scott and John McClusky. Scott and McClusky started the university’s first collection in the industrial design prototyping lab with 50 materials. According to Scott, “We are so excited to have the first ever publicly available materials library in King Library. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a material sample is worth a thousand pictures. Students and faculty will have the opportunity to be inspired, research and validate physical properties, attributes and finish of materials. The materials of today are solving problems through their physical properties and having access to that tangible experience is vital to cutting-edge, 21st century curriculum at SJSU for both students and faculty.” 

The Materials Library will also house the beginnings of a prototyping lab with several 3D printers and a Glowforge 3D laser cutter. The Materials Library and the prototyping lab are adjacent to the new incubation space sponsored by the SJSU Innovation Design Collaborative in the library’s lower level. Hours for the Materials Library are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The library will be hosting an open house for the collection in September.

 

POWER OF PROTEST: 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF MEXICO CITY OLYMPICS

Smith and Carlos raise fists during Olympics medal ceremonyTwo young men stand resolute on a podium with Olympic medals hanging from their necks, heads lowered in thoughtful reflection as “The Star-Spangled Banner” starts to play. As the first notes of the anthem ring out, both men raise black-glove-clad fists in the air. 

That moment on October 16, 1968, San José State alumni Tommie Smith and John Carlos received gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the 200-meter track and field event at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Their raised fists, considered the high-water mark of the Olympic Project for Human Rights, was an act of protest that would inflame controversy and criticism in the years that followed.

Today, it is considered an iconic and heroic act that increases in relevance as the worlds of sports and social justice become more interconnected.

Smith and Carlos, as well as many other exceptional runners, were coached by legendary San José State track and field coach Lloyd C. Winter, better known as “Bud.” This successful period in San José’s track history became known as “Speed City.”

“The Power of Protest: Speed City and the Legacy of the Olympic Project for Human Rights” will be an ongoing library exhibit in San José State Special Collections starting September 7 to November 15 in the Special Collections exhibit area on the fifth floor of King Library.

The exhibit will showcase select curated pieces from the Dr. Harry Edwards collection, some of which occupied seven cases on the fifth floor of King Library during the spring semester exhibit “Sports and Social Change: The Legacy of Dr. Harry Edwards.”

The exhibit includes original correspondence, photographs, articles, newspaper clippings, artifacts, and copies of books written by Dr. Edwards, all of which provide the historical and cultural context of the 1968 protest and illuminate its influence at the intersection of amateur and professional athletics, civil rights, and political activism today.

CELEBRATE 200 YEARS OF FRANKENSTEIN AT THE LIBRARY

200 Years of FrankensteinTwo hundred years after Mary Shelley completed her novel "Frankenstein"; or, "The Modern Prometheus," SJSU King Library celebrates this masterful work of science fiction and horror, as well as the unique genius of its creator. 

In 1818, English writer Mary Shelley completed "Frankenstein" and published it anonymously that year. She began writing it two years earlier, when she was 18 years old. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a prolific writer, thinker and advocate for social justice for women. Shelley was raised and educated in a literary environment where the art form of the novel was a brand new concept. Her novel broke new ground in the world of fiction as it is arguably the first horror novel ever written and the first ever science fiction novel.

This fall semester, the library will have several events tied to the Frankenstein Bicentennial, including an ongoing exhibit co-curated between the SJSU Special Collections and Archives and Department of English and Comparative Literature Dean’s Scholar Natalie Garcia and a Halloween event in late October. 

In the cases in front of the library’s fifth floor elevators, the exhibit will display a variety of materials related to 200 years of Frankenstein. Key pieces include a 200th anniversary edition of Mary Shelley’s manuscript of "Frankenstein" as well as an original copy of Mary Wollstonecraft’s "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman."

For more information about the Frankenstein exhibit, contact Craig Simpson at craig.simpson@sjsu.edu or 408-808-2061. For additional information about all of the events SJSU will be putting on to celebrate 200 years of Frankenstein, contact English Professor Katherine Harris at katherine.harris@sjsu.edu.

 

 

RECOGNIZING FACULTY WHO VALUE TEXTBOOK AFFORDABILITY

Affordable Learning Solutions Faculty Recognition Reception: Last spring, the university library recognized faculty who participated in Affordable Learning $olutions’ (AL$) current Teaching with Engaging and Affordable Materials (TEAM) grant and contributed to student success by reducing the cost of textbooks and course materials. Since 2012, 89 faculty have participated in the AL$ initiative, saving an estimated 12,196 students $1.6 million in textbook costs.

For more information or to find out ways you can help students reduce cost of textbooks, contact AL$ co-coordinators Christa Bailey at christa.bailey@sjsu.edu, 408-808-2422 or Adriana Poo at adriana.poo@sjsu.edu, 408-808-2019.

Check out this video from last semester’s Textbook Affordability Week to hear from students about their #textbookbroke experiences.

Affordable Learning $olutions interview with Students from SJSU King Library on Vimeo.

 

MIKE HONDA COLLECTION

Written by Kate Steffens

Papers from former Congressman Mike Honda's time in office and political career are now available for viewing and research use in SJSU Special Collections and Archives. The finding aid can be viewed online. 

Mike Honda’s Congressional career ran from 2001-2017. He was involved in many committees and caucuses that covered a wide range of political subject matters. Some of the subjects covered in his papers include nanotechnology, World War II Prisoners of War and sexual slavery occurrences, airport security and climate change. Honda’s papers also cover issues central to San José, such as the VTA/BART expansion into Silicon Valley, and the clean-up of the former Air Force station atop Mt. Umunhum into a historical and environmental park. The collection also contains materials related to various other legislative, political, civil and international work that Honda was involved in, including issues like anti-bullying, transgender equality, the Peace Corps and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Visit the SJSU Special Collections and Archives on the fifth floor of King Library to view this collection and to discover more available collections.

 

FACULTY AND STAFF UPDATES

Photo of librarian Ann AgeeAnn Agee, Academic Liaison Librarian & Online Learning Librarian, received her tenure during the spring semester. Ann also presented at California Academic and Research Libraries’ (CARL) 2018 Conference in Redwood City from April 13-15, where she presented "Fake News and the Caulfield Technique."

Kate Barron, Data Services LibrarianKate Barron presented two posters about the library's burgeoning data services program. Kate presented the poster session titled "Assessing Campus and Library Needs in Order to Establish and Develop a Data Services Program" at the Research Data Access and Preservation Summit. She also presented "Seizing Opportunity and Building Consensus: Establishing a Data Services Program" to the California Academic and Research Libraries. Her poster presentations explored data services program development with regard to campus and library stakeholders.

Emily Chan and Susan KendallEmily Chan and Sue Kendall presented a paper at the Pacific Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS-Pacific Division Conference). AAAS-Pacific Division is an organization in its 108th year that supports communications between scientists and students. Emily and Sue presented the topic: Three Years After the Big Deal Cancellation: Examining the Data and Determining the Collection Development Implications.

The paper reports on development after January 2015, when San José State University canceled its big deal journal package with a major publisher. Three years after eliminating a major component of the electronic journal collection, SJSU Library continues to deal with the aftermath of the big deal cancellation, particularly on the numbers of interlibrary loan requests, full-text article turnaways and the library’s budget.

 

Michael Condon, Head of Access ServicesAfter many years of experience at King Library, Michael Condon is now the head of Access Services. Coming full circle, Access Services was where Mike first worked before spending time in Special Collections and then Reference for 17 years. As head of Access Services, Mike oversees five full-time staff members and one part-time staff member. Access Services is in charge of covering the library’s unified service point, stack maintenance, periodicals and course reserves. 

Photo of Aliza Elkin the New Liaison for the Art & Art History, Design and Humanities DepartmentsAliza Elkin presented at the New Librarian Summit (NLS) in August 2018. NLS is a conference for early career librarians to showcase their work and research. Aliza participated in two sessions: first she led a workshop on feminist pedagogy and teaching conscientious citational practices in information literacy instruction. Then, she convened a panel on mixed-race identity in librarianship. Aliza has also been accepted to present a short talk at the Critical Librarianship and Pedagogy Symposium hosted by the University of Arizona, Tucson in November 2018.

 

Anamika Megwalu, Assessment & Engineering Librarian, published her article “Collecting to the Core — Social Media in Education, Healthcare, and Marketing” in Against the Grain, a journal linking publishers, vendors and librarians. She was also invited to present at a webinar series titled “Instruction & Outreach for Diverse Populations” hosted by Association of College & Research Libraries / Instruction Section’s Instruction for Diverse Populations Committee and ACRL Library Marketing and Outreach Interest Group. The webinar was attended by 150 attendees and was covered in the ACRL IS Spring 2018 Newsletter

Anamika Megwalu collaborated with Diana Wu, Christa Bailey, Linda Crotty and Adriana Poo in contributing to the book “Profiles for Academic Library Services for International Students,” published by Primary Research Group Inc. The chapter they wrote is called “San José State University: Energetic Teamwork.” The chapter highlights King Library's successful efforts in engaging and connecting with SJSU's international students.

 

Evelia SanchezEvelia Sanchez, Library Human Resources Specialist, received a staff professional development grant by the Office of the Provost to cover exam fees and study guides for the Senior Professional in Human Resources certification. She wishes to express her thanks and gratitude for being given this opportunity to learn more about her field.   

 

SJSU Library Attendees at Ex Libris Users North America Annual Conference 2018

SJSU Library was well represented at the Ex Libris Users North America Annual Conference, held May 1-4 in Spokane, Washington. Staff members Natasha Allen, Jessie Cai, Mike Condon, Carole Correa-Morris, Christine Holmes, Micah Jeffries, Karen Schlesser and Elena Seto attended sessions and networked. Natasha, Christine, Karen and Elena were awarded Academic Affairs Professional Development Grants for funding. Also at the conference, Carole and Micah presented “Getting Your Money’s Worth: Exporting Invoices from Alma to PeopleSoft,” and Christine, along with two other California State University colleagues, presented “Ready, Set Go: Preparing for a Successful E-Resource Management Migration.” The presentations have been posted in SJSU ScholarWorks under Faculty and Staff Publications.

 

NEW TECHNOLOGY SERVICES DEVISED FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

Check out the video below to see all of the services available for students on the fourth floor of the King Library, including the new virtual and augmented reality KLEVR Lab:

SJSU King Library 2018 Fourth Floor Tour from SJSU King Library on Vimeo.

EXPLORE THE NEW ELECTRONIC DATABASES

American Antiquarian Society Historical Periodicals Collection 

Looking for a new resource for American history research? American Antiquarian Society Historical Periodicals Collection  partners with the American Antiquarian Society, a library documenting the life of America's people from the Colonial Era through the Civil War and Reconstruction, and through EBSCO provides digital access to a comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1684 and 1912. This database includes digitized images of the pages of American magazines and journals not available from any other source and provides rich content detailing American history and culture from the mid 18th century through the late 19th century. These specialized collections cover advertising, health, women's issues, science, the history of slavery, industry and professions, religious issues, culture and the arts and more. 

American Antiquarian Society Historical Periodicals Collection (Series 1-5) is now available on the A-Z List of Databases. A title list from each collection and a description of each series is available from EBSCO.

SAGE Research Methods

SAGE Research Methods is a library with more than 1,000 books, reference works, journal articles and instructional videos by world-leading academics from across the social sciences. The collection provides 1,100+ case studies, showing the challenges and successes of doing research, written by the researchers themselves. SAGE Research Methods Datasets  is a collection of teaching datasets and instructional guides that gives students a chance to learn data analysis by practicing themselves. Videos contain more than 125 hours of video, including tutorials, case study videos, expert interviews and more, covering the entire research methods and statistics curriculum.

Scopus

Scopus, an abstract and citation database covers thousands of scholarly journals, books and conference proceedings. Covering a broad range of disciplines, Scopus enables one to track, analyze and visualize research. Output data at the institutional and author levels are available. Authors will find h-index, Source Normalized Impact per Paper, and citation counts helpful in demonstrating the impact of their work.

 

SJSU LIBRARY OPEN 24 HOURS

Did you know the King Library is open 24 hours, Sunday to Thursday? Just remember to bring your SJSU Tower Card! Check it out:

SJSU King Library Open 24 Hours from SJSU King Library on Vimeo.