EVENTS AND EXHIBITS @ KING LIBRARY
Lowrider Exhibit
December 2018 to March 2019
King Library, Special Collections Exhibit Area (fifth floor)
Join San José Public Library’s California Room and San José State University's Africana, Asian American, Chicano and Native American Studies Center (AAACNA) as we celebrate San José’s history of lowriding through photographs, film and other historical memorabilia.
The art of lowriding has deep roots in Chicano history and culture. San José was home to a vibrant lowrider scene, centered around the famous East Side intersection of Story and King. It was also the birthplace of the legendary Lowrider Magazine. Locally founded by Sonny Madrid and company, this unique publication documented not just the controversial culture of cruisin', but the sociopolitical issues facing contemporary Mexican-American culture.
This exhibit still has two speaker panel events coming up:
Lowrider Culture and Society, February 16, 2019
Low & Slow: The Future of Lowriding in San José, March 16, 2019
These events are in conjunction with the exhibit Lowrider Photography by Suzanne Lopez, on display in the DiNapoli Gallery (second floor) now through March 31, 2019.
Weeks of Welcome (WOW)
WOW Bubbles
Thurs., January 31, 2019, 1-3 p.m.
Meet new friends at the library bubble party. This is an event not to be missed!
Art in VR
Wed., February 6, 2019, 1-3 p.m.
King Library, KLEVR Lab (fourth floor)
The Hidden Library
Thurs., February 7, 2019, 4:30-6 p.m.
King Library, Special Collections & Archives (fifth floor)
Fun with Data
Tues., February 12, 2019, 2-4 p.m.
King Library, Lobby (first floor)
Work with our Data Services Librarian and explore tools for evaluating anything from Beyoncé lyrics to Donald Trump's speeches.
Virtual Reality in Space!
Wed., February 13, 2019, 1-3 p.m.
King Library, KLEVR Lab (fourth floor)
If you have ever wanted to experience the thrill of floating around our solar system and seeing the planets up close and personal, visit the KLEVR Lab!
Want to learn more about our Virtual and Augmented Reality resources? Check out our brief video about the KLEVR Lab:
Like what you saw? Reserve the KLEVR Lab at library.sjsu.edu/klevr.
Portraying Possibility: San José State University Presidential Portraits
Opening Reception
Wed., February 13, 2019, 3 p.m.
King Library, (fourth floor)
Please join us for the opening celebration, lecture and portrait gallery unveiling.
Portraying Possibility Exhibit
February 11 to March 22, 2019
King Library, Fourth Floor
A glimpse of San José State’s history can be seen through the portraits of the change-makers and leaders who believed in a future of possibility. That conviction continues to be rooted in the belief that what powers each of us as individuals can change our world. The portraits in this collection reflect the vision, values and dreams of the university’s presidents—including Dr. Mary A. Papazian, SJSU’s current president.
Exhibit & Programming Calendar
Africana, Asian American, Chicano & Native American (AAACNA) Studies Center, Fifth Floor
The AAACNA Center's annual exhibit and programming calendar has been finalized. Featuring U.S. race/ethnic culture, heritage and contributions, the exhibits and programs offer rich experiences that enhance the curriculum. We hope you will be able to not only visit our exhibits but also attend our programming. Here is the exhibit calendar for 2019:
February: In honor of African American Heritage Month an exhibit will highlight West African culinary traditions.
April & May: For Asian American Heritage Month the Center will host several exhibits, including "The Chinese and the Iron Road: 150th Anniversary of the Chinese working on the Transcontinental Railroad" and "50th Anniversary of Mexican American Studies at SJSU."
June & July: "The Root: Immigration stories from 7 families in the Silicon Valley Immigration." Photography by Andy Nguyen, SJSU student.
August/September: “¡El Mariachi!: Celebration and Culture” will be displayed during Chicano/Latino Heritage Month.
October: AAACNA will host one of the Center's most anticipated and popular displays: Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos Altars.
November: For Native American Heritage Month, the Center will be hosting an exhibit celebrating Native American heritage, art and culture.
December: The Center will again host its annual celebration of Kwanzaa, a week-long holiday honoring African culture and traditions.
Beethoven & Steinbeck: “The Art of Biography” Signature Exhibit
April 15 to July 31, 2019
King Library, Special Collections Exhibit Hall and Beethoven Center (fifth floor)
This exhibit features special materials from the Steinbeck Center and Beethoven Center, including the recently acquired collection of Beethoven biographer Alexander Wheelock Thayer. Sponsored by SVCreates and the College of Humanities & the Arts Artistic Excellence Programming Grant.
University Scholar Series
Co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost, university library, Office of Faculty Affairs, Office of Graduate Studies and Research, and 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.
Four Scholar Series events are planned for the spring of 2019 from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 225/229 (second floor).
The speakers and dates are:
Intersectional Pilgrims in Canterbury: The Story of America's First Female Academy for African-American Women, Jennifer Rycenga, Department of Humanities: Wed., February 20, 2019
Moving in Circles: the Beauty and Joy of Mathematics for Everyone, Tatiana Shubin, Department of Mathematics and Statistics: Wed., March 27, 2019
Coming of Age in the Era of Outrage: Digital Media and Youth Civic Development, Ellen Middaugh, Department of Child and Adolescent Development: Wed., April 24, 2019
Blockchain: Transformative Applications for Libraries and Education, Sandra Hirsh, School of Information: Wed., May 8, 2019
Please check out the University Scholar Series webpage for more information, library.sjsu.edu/uss.
Paseo Challenge Prototyping Events for Spring 2019
The San José State University Paseo Public Prototyping Challenge was created to address social and environmental challenges in the city of San José through multidisciplinary collaboration and technological innovation.
During the Paseo Prototyping Challenge, student teams at San José State University are selected and provided seed funding to develop civic innovation prototypes to serve the city of San José and its citizens. Students are mentored by civic leaders, local non-profits and SJSU faculty during a 9-month civic prototyping challenge.
All prototyping milestone events will be held in the new King Library incubator space. Milestone events are scheduled to enable students to receive invaluable advice and mentoring from our industry partners and experts. Four events are scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. in the incubator space, located in the lower level of the library.
Milestone #1: Fri., February 1, 2019
Milestone #2: Fri., March 8, 2019
Milestone #3: Fri., April 12, 2019
Milestone #4: Fri., May 3, 2019
#LoveDataWeek 2019
We love data, and you should too! Join us in February as we help faculty, staff and students learn how data and justice interact and how to increase data literacy.
Fun with Data
Tues., February 12, 2019, 2-4 p.m.
King Library, Lobby (first floor)
Work with the Data Services Librarian to explore tools for evaluating anything from Beyoncé lyrics to Donald Trump's speeches.
Cybersecurity 101 Speaker Panel
Thurs., February 14, 2019, 12-1 p.m.
King Library, Room 225 (second floor)
Celebrate #LoveDataWeek by learning the essentials of cybersecurity! This panel, led by Data Services Librarian Kate Barron, will explore common (mis)conceptions surrounding cybersecurity and personal data. The discussion will cover user experience in cybersecurity solutions; applications of machine learning and AI to cybersecurity; and cybersecurity jobs of the future. Panelists include Tom Austin, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science, Abbas Moallem from the Department of Industrial Systems & Engineering (and author of "Human-Computer Interaction & Cybersecurity Handbook"), as well as David Schuster, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology.
For more information about these and other public events or exhibits, visit the King Library website at library.sjsu.edu/events.
Collection Strategy Librarian, Cheng Cheng
Cheng Cheng is SJSU Library’s new Collection Strategy Librarian. Cheng received his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and a minor in history from Lingnan University in Hong Kong, China. Soon after he moved to the Big Apple and earned a Master of Library Science at the University at Buffalo, a public research university.
Prior to joining the SJSU Library, Cheng was an acquisition and e-resources librarian at the James M. Milne Library in Oneonta, NY, for almost four years. It was there that he initiated and led a university-wide research project on price changes of the library’s electronic resources and applied data mining to provide innovative solutions.
Cheng aims to create an innovative collaboration between King Library and its patrons by evaluating the library’s collections and resources to “satisfy the need and demand, while keeping the library a cutting-edge leader." He hopes to build a sustainable collection plan that will serve the campus community, faculty, staff and students.
"I see these challenges as opportunities to push us to develop collection strategy, fitting the role of a 21st century academic library," he said. Cheng will be working alongside the Acquisitions Department and leading efforts in collection analysis. He will also be serving as the Aerospace Engineering and Aviation & Technology department’s subject liaison librarian.
He shared that there are “a lot of challenges these days for collection strategy with emerging technology and budget constraints, but like a double-sided coin, collection strategy is an exciting opportunity to push us in the right direction."
Cheng, coming from the East Coast, is enjoying the change of scenery but especially the weather. “There is no snow on the ground, so I am not complaining." When he’s not strategizing, Cheng likes to take out his 35mm camera and shoot film photography. His favorite subjects to photograph are cars and people.
Part-Time Librarian, Jane Dodge
Jane Dodge just cannot stay away from libraries. She came out of semi-retirement in 2016 to work as a part-time branch librarian for the City of San José, and is delighted to be joining the academic side of the King Library as a part-time librarian assigned to support the Colleges of Social Sciences and Business.
After graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a Bachelor of Arts in English and history, Jane worked as an ESL teacher both here and abroad. She then joined Stanford, where she was the undergraduate student services specialist for the Department of History and later the program administrator for the Center for African Studies. An internship at Lucasfilm launched her career in librarianship when she became enamored with the special library at Skywalker Ranch.
After receiving her Master of Library Information Science from The University of Texas at Austin, Jane worked for over 20 years as a research librarian, consultant and taxonomy architect, primarily at software companies. She semi-retired from Microsoft as the long-time Research Manager at their Silicon Valley Campus.
When she’s not at work, Jane is at her other job as a chauffeur for her teenage sons.
Technology Labs Coordinator, Jon Oakes
Jon Oakes joined the King Library as supervisor for Student Computing Services, the KLEVR Lab and potentially other technology services available in the future.
For the past five years or so, Jon has worked with Virtual Reality (VR) creators and has gained valuable experience in helping kickstart the VR industry. He considers his work experience as deeply integrated in Silicon Valley startup culture. In joining SJSU, he hopes to make a significant impact by bringing the VR industry into the library and especially on campus. One of his goals is to help faculty and students realize how VR can be incorporated in the physical atmosphere.
“A big reason I chose to come to SJSU in this role is to use my experience in AR and VR and presence in the industry to put SJSU faculty and students on the radar of the VR community as much as possible,” said Jon.
For example, VR can be used in teaching curriculum in subjects like healthcare, neurology and even dance and history courses. Jon wants all students and faculty to realize how VR allows you to explore a different visual experience, find creative teaching opportunities and create physical places and objects in an interactive and immersive environment.
He loves libraries because of the community resources available and appreciates free resources that eliminate barriers to learning. He remarked, “there is little understanding of what libraries can do” and there are opportunities to “actively engage in resources that go beyond the shelves.” However, Jon still enjoys cracking open a good book.
Open Education Librarian, Mantra Roy
Hailing from Kolkata, the cultural capital of India, Open Education Librarian Mantra Roy believes in open access resources for all. The ability to extend affordability and accessibility to an array of channels of information for SJSU students and faculty is important to her. As a child, Mantra was a voracious reader and lover of the arts. “Shakespeare and Tagore shared the same shelf” in her childhood home, she said. Mantra attributes her love of libraries to her upbringing and also to her previous careers, all of which have led her to spend hours upon hours inside libraries, learning and researching.
Mantra earned her Ph.D. in English from the University of South Florida, and holds a Master of Library Science from the University of Washington. She was previously a Humanities Outreach Librarian at the University of Rochester. Mantra is the subject liaison librarian for Educational Leadership and Child and Adolescent Development. She is excited to collaborate with Adriana Poo and Christa Bailey in the Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) Program in her role as the Open Education Librarian. One of the goals Mantra hopes to accomplish is to widen student and faculty access to content, specifically in the range of content offered.
Mantra has had a variety of positions outside academia, in institutions such as the Global Libraries Program (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), WebJunction (OCLC), and the Borgen Project, a non-profit focused on global poverty. Mantra said these programs deepened her appreciation for open access to information, and are ultimately what led her to work here at SJSU Library. “Education is power,” Mantra said.
In her free time, the extroverted, altruistic librarian enjoys painting, listening to Eastern and Western Classical music, and reading books to her 16-month-old son in English, Hindi and Bengali, her mother tongue. Mantra’s favorite authors are Toni Morrison and Ernest Hemingway.
Part-Time Librarian, Rachel Silverstein
Rachel loves libraries. So much so that after receiving a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from the University of California, Davis, she went on to earn a Master of Library and Information Science at San José State University. A recent alumna, she is happy to continue her journey at SJSU providing reference services, teaching information literacy sessions, performing collection management activities and developing online resources.
Rachel also volunteers as a computer instructor in the SJSU King Library with the Partners in Reading program. A Bay Area native, she loves to explore from Santa Cruz to San Francisco and anywhere in between.
Part-Time Librarian, DeeAnn Tran
DeeAnn Herrera Tran is the new liaison librarian for Teacher and Special Education. She has over fifteen years of experience working in public and independent school libraries and is a Fall 2017 graduate of the Master of Library Information Science Program at SJSU.
DeeAnn moved to the Bay Area from Utah over twenty years ago and can honestly say that she does not miss the cold and snowy winters, although winter tends to be the season she returns to Utah to visit family.
Before joining SJSU King Library, she worked in elementary and high school libraries. During her time in elementary school libraries, she enjoyed introducing students to new books and nurturing the love of reading in students. While working in a high school library, she joined colleagues in fostering an atmosphere where all students feel welcomed. She enjoyed discussing and sharing ideas with students about their latest reads. DeeAnn was also involved with the planning and implementation of information and research instruction.
DeeAnn will coordinate library instruction for English 1B and 2, perform collection development activities and provide reference services. She looks forward to supporting colleagues and students with their individual needs.
After seven years serving the SJSU King Library, Linda Crotty retired as an Academic Liaison Librarian for General, Mechanical, Electrical and Industrial and Systems Engineering. Linda had formerly worked as a reference intern at the King Library and received her Master of Library and Information Science from SJSU’s School of Library and Information Science in 2009.
As a librarian, Linda worked closely with faculty and students from the College of Engineering by helping them find resources, navigating through the library’s databases and assisting them in their school projects. One notable project was when a group of computer science graduate students created an app for the King Library. Linda and the Director of Information Technology Services, Christina Mune, worked on categorizing library data with the graduate students. She was also heavily involved in outreach, served on the university committee that established the Big Data/Cybersecurity Program at SJSU and was a part of the committee that pushed for our King Library Experiential Virtual Reality (KLEVR) Lab.
She said working at the SJSU King Library taught her the importance of collaboration and communication because that creates a better environment for students to succeed. “The library is a living organism, meeting the needs of students, faculty and the community,” she said. “My colleagues have helped me become a better librarian and meeting those needs. I had a lot of great experiences and I really loved the opportunity to work here.”
Some of Linda’s plans after retirement are to go hiking more and to travel for longer periods of time. She has already scheduled a trip to Southeast Asia and Germany. Thank you Linda for your service to SJSU Library.
Sue Kendall retired after 18 years as an Academic Liaison Librarian, primarily in education, and as coordinator of government publications. Previously, Sue worked at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), the University of Dallas and the Nevada State Library and Archives.
During her time at SJSU, Sue was responsible for working with the faculty and students of the Connie L. Lurie College of Education. This included teaching library information literacy skills and purchasing library resources needed to support the new Ed.D. program and the departments of Educational Leadership and Child and Adolescent Development. Sue met with students not only during regular library hours, but often as early as 7 a.m. and on weekends.
Sue also worked on several library and university committees, including the University Retention, Tenure and Promotion Committee and the Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Committee. She has several book chapters, journal articles and presentations to her name, and she also collaborated with the interim library associate dean to present at the Pacific Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on issues surrounding journal prices and the impact on library resources. Sue was recently honored with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for her service to the university from Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren. Sue has personally seen the construction of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, the new Ed.D. program in the Lurie College of Education and the success of our Education and Child and Adolescent Development students.
Thank you, Sue, for your astounding service to the SJSU Library. We sincerely hope you enjoy your trips to Spain and England in the coming year, and spending time with your sons in Washington.
Rae Ann Stahl, Associate Dean of Technology and Information Services, retired after 31 years at the SJSU Library. During those years, she contributed her expertise to many library innovations and services. She recently led projects such as the King Library Experiential Virtual Reality Lab and the launch of the Writing Center’s services in King Library. Most notably, Rae Ann led the entire California State University (CSU) migration to a Unified Library Management System (ULMS), OneSearch. She has chaired the Request For Proposal Committee, designed and coordinated the statewide system training and served as one of only two members from SJSU on the CSU ULMS Steering Committee.
However, Rae Ann’s reach and impact on this library is much greater than this. During her 31 years of service, she has overseen innovations and processes that have enhanced this library’s overall effectiveness and efficiency. Under her leadership and hard work, the SJSU Library has thrived in areas like library technologies, technical services and systems integrations.
Rae Ann has also been an integral piece in the ongoing success of the joint-use library partnership. Her expertise and deep respect for learning have increased and broadened library innovations for students, faculty and community patrons here at SJSU. She has truly been an amazing leader and has helped put the library on the map regionally and nationally.
Thank you, Rae Ann, for all that you have done for this library.
Rae Ann's future plans include spending more time performing with her Indonesian gamelan group, Pusaka Sunda, frequent travels to Java and more hours swimming with the YMCA masters program.
LOWRIDER EXHIBIT
Written By Kathryn Blackmer-Reyes
Director of the Africana, Asian American, Chicano & Native American Studies Center
Do you remember the first time you saw a lowrider car? Perhaps you remember a vintage baby blue Impala, a cherry apple Coupe de Ville or a bright glitter green Fleetline.
I grew up in San Francisco and my long-lasting memory of my first sighting was as a high school student—right in front of Mission High School.There was a beautiful midnight black lowrider cruising down 18th Street, the car’s hydraulics “jumping,” bouncing the car up and down at a stop sign. I was in awe and that was the moment I knew these cars symbolized a vision of art and culture taking shape on four wheels.
"Story and King: San José’s Lowrider Culture," a collaboration between San José Public Library and SJSU Library, is an exhibit that captures the vision of a San José community passionate about the culture of cars. I invite you to explore the important lowrider history and stories rooted in San José Chicana/o culture through March 2019.
An important aspect of the exhibit features the legendary Lowrider Magazine, created in San José, which remains the premier magazine focusing on this artform. Lowrider Magazine’s co-founder, Sonny Madrid, and many of its writers, graphic artists and photographers, are SJSU alumni. It is said that Madrid received SJSU Associated Students funds to help start up the publication and the magazine’s first office was located at 9th and San Fernando, on the corner of campus.
The Lowrider Magazine was actually the catalyst for the exhibit, when two years ago a patron contacted the California Room searching for issues. The Africana, Asian American, Chicano & Native American Studies Center (AAACNA) had several back issues in their collection and thus was ignited another successful King Library collaboration.
At its height, lowrider “cruisin” in San José was a regular form of leisure, socializing and community. The exhibit highlights this with photos, memorabilia, models and bright colored promotional posters advertising lowrider gatherings. I have had many conversations with San José residents who remember lowriders as a wonderful example of community and pride on Friday and Saturday nights parading downtown.
However, history tells another side to the story, when strained relations between the public, the police and the Chicano youth ushered in harsh regulations that made lowriding a criminal act. “No Cruising” signs were posted around downtown San José and on the East Side. The lowrider scene changed forever. Despite this change, there are still active clubs and gatherings today. The love and appreciation for the Lowrider culture is international and spreads Chicano/Mexican American awareness beyond its local roots.
I hope that you take the time to learn about this culture and history by visiting the “Story and King” exhibit, which is on display through March 31st, 2019 on the fifth floor of the King Library. There is also a coinciding exhibit on the second floor of King Library featuring lowrider photography from Suzanne Lopez. In addition, the AAACNA Center will host a photo exhibit in March to support the California Room’s exhibit. On February 16th and March 16th from 3 to 5 p.m. two speaker panels will provide insider knowledge on how Lowriders contribute to scholarship and culture. I welcome you to join us at these special events and exhibits.
SJSU HEX BADGE PROGRAM PROMOTES SPARTAN PRIDE
SJSU HEX BADGE PROGRAM PROMOTES SPARTAN PRIDE
The SJSU King Library is excited to announce the new online repository for the San José State University Hex Badge Program, an initiative designed for students to collect badges (stickers) to showcase their involvement with departments, campus clubs and projects around SJSU. The online repository will be an excellent resource to collect and track campus involvement.
The program was launched back in October 2018 releasing 8,700 badges from 37 different campus groups to students and spartan community.
Dan Nathan-Roberts, assistant professor in the department of industrial and systems engineering initiated the foundation of the program back in August 2018. In an interview with Spartan Daily he said, “A résumé is such a formal way of communicating. I wanted students to show off their alliances and I realized that so many of them put stickers on their laptop[s].”
The hex-shape badges when placed together highlight a network of pride and identity which can be used to promote services like the library’s 24-Hour extended study, participation in clubs like the Game Development Club and interest in community like the Chicanx/Latinx Student Success Center. Or like the Career Center, the Hex Badge Program can be used as an incentive for students to complete their Career Readiness Program.
“We all have our domains of expertise but we also want to be ‘T-shaped’ professionals that have depth of expertise in one field but a wide breadth of knowledge across different areas,” Nathan-Roberts said. “It’s crucial for success, and even different industries want to come to campus to get students to develop more types of skills.”
With so much initial campus involvement, the SJSU King Library saw the opportunity to create an online repository that would not only collect the badges but also encourage other groups to get involved in the program.
“Instead of just collecting and recording all the badges, our aim was to make a visually appealing website that could also guide in developing new hex badges for SJSU. The website not only informs but connects students to potential new interests and interdisciplinary opportunities,” said Project and Communication Manager Lesley Seacrist, who was delegated the task of creating the website.
Along with managing the online repository, the SJSU King Library created three badges for students to collect and showcase: the main SJSU King Library badge, the KLEVR Lab badge and the open 24-hour extended study badge. The main SJSU King Library and open 24-hour extended study badges can be acquired at the front desk on the first floor in the library, whereas the KLEVR Lab badge is available on the fourth floor at Student Computing Services after reserving the KLEVR Lab. The SJSU Library plans to design more to highlight the other great services they offer, such as the Materials Library and 3D printers.
Check out the SJSU Hex Badge Program's online repository to learn more about how to make and print your own hex badges. Share with us your designs and what makes you proud to be a Spartan by tagging @sjsulibrary with the hashtag #SJSUHex.
SJSU CELEBRATES 2018 AUTHORS AND ARTISTS
Written By David Goll
When they are not preparing the next generation of Silicon Valley students for momentous futures, San José State University’s faculty are researching some of the world’s most topical issues.
The published and performed work of more than two dozen San José State University faculty members were celebrated during a November 2 ceremony at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. More than 100 people turned up for the event to recognize the efforts involved in editing and authoring scholarly books on topics ranging from politics to 3D printing to cybersecurity, creating celebrated theater stage design and writing an adaptation of an internationally acclaimed play.
The seventh annual Author and Artist Awards presentation was held in the library’s spacious eighth floor Grand Reading Room, where 29 pieces by 26 authors and artists were recognized.
“The work you do has such an impact on students,” said Joan Ficke, interim provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, during her welcome remarks. “It benefits all of us. The research is what is actually important. The students follow in your footsteps.”
Of the 26 faculty members recognized, two honorees were asked to make extended presentations of their work.
“Here we are in the spectacular Grand Reading Room, the crowning glory of our library,” said University Library Dean Tracy Elliott said. “The perfect place to honor the best of the best. [They] are the reason San José State is considered one of the top public universities for academic research.”
Associate Professor Virginia San Fratello, who teaches interior design, presented the book she co-authored entitled Printing Architecture: Innovative Recipes for 3D Printing. She noted it’s now possible to 3D print an entire structure. Taking advantage of the city of Oakland’s liberal review process for small residential units to help combat the housing crisis, San Fratello displayed such a home created by 3D-printed tiles.
She showed striking photographs of more whimsical printed objects, too, including coffee cups and coffee pots made of coffee “flour,” sugar spoons spun out of the granulated sweet stuff, and saltshakers constructed of salt.
“I approach these tasks like a chef in the kitchen,” she said.
Matthew Spangler, an associate professor of communication studies, also shared information about his creative work. He first read the book The Kite Runner in 2005. The 2003 novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini detailed the tumultuous political and social events in his native country along with the exodus of refugees from Afghanistan to Pakistan and the United States—including the Bay Area.
The book changed Spangler’s life. He wrote a stage play based on the novel, which was first presented by SJSU students in 2007.
“Thirteen years later, 44 theater groups have done 15 different productions of the play worldwide,” Spangler said, including the theater capital of London last year. Other productions have been presented in Cleveland, Calgary, Tel Aviv, Liverpool and Nottingham. “Over 400,000 people have seen those plays,” he said. “That’s way more read than my scholarly articles and books.”
College deans introduced each of the other authors and artists, sharing a few notes about their scholarly and creative endeavors. See the list of all authors and artists on the SJSU Library website.
CONQUER YOUR FEARS! A NEW PRESENTATION PRACTICE ROOM
Did you know that the #1 fear for Americans is public speaking? In fact, nearly 50% of employed Americans believe presentations are key to their success at work (Source: MarketWired, 2014). In 2018, a survey of nearly 1,000 employers who recruit at business school campuses ranked communication skills at the top of their list and presentation skills as #5, from a total of twenty-five skills (Source: Graduate Management Admission Council, 2018). Public speaking is one of the most effective ways to share knowledge and resources. The King Library is the heart of resource sharing across campus and we want to encourage students to improve this valuable skill and thrive as they share what they have learned to the university community and beyond.
Funded by a Kline Family Foundation grant, the King Library's new Presentation Practice Room offers an easy-to-use space for practicing, reviewing and recording presentations and pitches. To record, students can either plug in their own phone or tablet or they can use our Panasonic Lumix GH4 Body 4K Mirrorless camera and Rode VideoMic provided in the room. Students can also display slides or play videos behind them on a the large Samsung 4K HD Smart TV or use a green screen that allows custom backdrops.
The room includes a Samsung 4K Confidence monitor to preview the video, three-point lighting for the best visual results and an iMac with Camtasia to capture and edit the recording. The room is simple to use and is a great solution to improve public speaking. We would like to thank information technology analysts Neil Ordinario and Cameron Wiegel for setting up the room and equipment.
Students can begin reserving the room for 2-hour periods starting Spring 2019. We are excited to announce the launch of this new space to the university community and hope that many of you take the opportunity to use it.
A NEW COLLABORATIVE SPACE: UPDATING STUDENT COMPUTING SERVICES
Student Computing Services (SCS) was recently redesigned and now has a collaborative space where students can work on research and technology projects with peer experts. New group work tables and cabinets have been added to store projects, tools and parts necessary for design, engineering, prototyping and other hands-on work. Now, SCS can do more than just check out a laptop for you—they can help you fix your laptop, build a robot or crunch research data on a high-performance computer using specialized statistical software applications. The new space can be found on the fourth floor of King Library! New services launching Spring 2019.
Spartans certainly love their technology. SCS has a variety of technology and tools to help a wide range of disciplines and needs. Take a look at our infographic to see how many times students borrowed some of our most popular items during 2017-2018.
Want to learn more about SCS’s equipment, lending policies, loan periods and late fees? Go to library.sjsu.edu/scs. They are open 7 days a week during regular SJSU King Library hours.
KING LIBRARY INCUBATOR SPACE
The King Library incubator space is a new interdisciplinary hub for students, staff and faculty to work together, explore and test out ideas. Since its soft launch in June 2018, different clubs and groups have successfully used this space for group collaboration and innovation.
The Game Development Club began in the early 2000s and has typically had 20-30 active members in diverse disciplines such as computer engineering, art, computer science, design and business. Members of the club form into teams at the beginning of the semester and collaborate to complete a project to develop a game.
The club meets in the King Library incubator space to provide application workshops covering topics such as 3D design, 2D design and the use of applications like Blender and Photoshop. The purpose is not to push certain development tools, but rather to provide a space to help students explore options.
Team members also give brief presentations and updates about their team projects throughout the semester to encourage collaboration and problem-solving. Students are encouraged to give feedback on other teams’ projects and share ideas to inspire other teams. Members of the club learn from each other’s expertise and ultimately develop a deeper and richer set of skills.
James Morgan, a lecturer in the Art Department and faculty advisor of the Game Development Club, says, “When students adapt to what the team needs and determine how they contribute, all they need to do is learn to collaborate effectively.”
Cole Pergerson and Thomas Zakh are an example of two students with different majors working together on a common goal. Cole is a digital media arts major and Thomas is a computer science major. How do they make it work? As a team of two, Cole and Thomas made a game for the 2018 Game Maker’s Toolkit Game Jam. They only had 48 hours to complete the project and were under significant time restraints to make a finished product. They quickly learned to compromise and settle on one direction in order for their project to make any progress. While Cole sees these games as a chance to learn more about art or coding, Thomas hopes to build his portfolio. So, could you say this collaboration was a success? We think so. You can now find their game, "Grungeon," at the local art gallery Kaleid.
The collaborative nature of the space allows club members to thrive because of the variety of tools available and the open area that’s convenient for sharing. Students are able to work individually on their laptops or display their progress to the whole group on the monitors. James notes, “The incubator space allows for large or small group configurations, enabling collaborative conversations or individual work spaces.”
BMEidea is a student research organization that aims to enhance the research experience of San José State University’s students. BME stands for Biomedical Engineering but the club is open to all students with research interests in medical devices. Dr. Guna Selvaduray, the Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, is the advisor of the organization. The organization offers an avenue for students to discuss topics related to research methods, documentations, budgeting, experimental procedures and practice public speaking with their peers, graduate students and professors.
In Fall 2018, the members of the organization met monthly in the King Library incubator space to engage in research activities on topics such as pressure mapping residual limb sleeves, sclera blood vessel-based glucose meters, wearable ECG ergonomic design and electrode replacement, metal ion-based hydrogel bandages for improved wound healing, and quadriceps muscle stability braces and trainers.
Project review workshops were held where professors and graduate students reviewed undergraduate research projects and gave tailored feedback to teams on possible avenues that were not explored. These workshops developed amazing collaborations between the Biomedical Engineering Department and the Kinesiology Department.
Pranit Ravuri, the President of BMEidea, believes that the organization plays an important role in bringing students together where they develop skills that are usually not offered in the classroom. He expresses his gratitude to Dr. Tracy Elliott, the Dean of the Library, and Dr. Anamika Megwalu, the liaison librarian for biomedical engineering, for allowing BMEidea to use the incubator space and for supplemental research support. Movable and ergonomic furniture, large whiteboards, electrical outlets, and big screens make group work and presentations possible.
What interdisciplinary solutions would you like to discover in the King Library? Request to use the King Library incubator space by submitting this form.
LIBRARY DATA DASHBOARD IS LIVE
The Library Data Dashboard shows data visualizations of the library’s collections, circulation & usage, services and ScholarWorks. A big shout out goes to library systems analyst Micah Jeffries, data management coordinator Karen Schlesser and library systems coordinator Natasha Allen for taking on this monumental project. Below is a peek at just a few of the data visualizations available. To view all of them, please go to: library.sjsu.edu/library-dashboard/library-dashboard.
EXPLORE OUR ELECTRONIC DATABASES
Pivot
Need help finding funding opportunities? Pivot provides information on global funding opportunities from government and private sources. Integrated with scholar profiles, Pivot provides researchers with the ability to find collaborators and funding opportunities. Please note that the URL has recently changed, so update your bookmarks!
Like other library resources, the featured database may be accessed from both the library's online catalog, OneSearch, and the library's Articles & Databases page.
THANK YOU TO OUR SJSU FACULTY
We would like to thank the faculty that took the time to complete the SJSU Faculty Survey we disbursed in the Fall 2018 semester. We are very pleased to announce that we reached a 19% completion rate! We heard from a diverse group of faculty across all colleges. We are currently reviewing the data and hope to follow up soon about what we have learned and our next steps to better serve our SJSU faculty. The winner of the random drawing and $250 Amazon gift card is Dr. Lili He, from the department of electrical engineering. Congratulations!
Academic Liaison Librarians Christa Bailey and Adriana Poo presented “Red Light, Green Light: The Intersection of Libraries, Vendors, Apps, and OER” at the Charleston Conference held in November 2018. The presentation discussed how the maturing field of Open Educational Resources (OER) is now intersecting with libraries, vendors and apps. Participants learned about developments in OER discovery, particularly the growing interest of commercial vendors.
Christa and Adriana also published “TEAMing Up with Faculty: A New Tactic in the Textbook Battle” which was featured in the November 2018 issue of Against the Grain. The article is an update on the Affordable Learning $olutions initiative at San José State. The article highlights the program’s challenges and successes. Table 1 shows the program’s impact from Fall 2016 to Spring 2018.
Thank you Ashour Benjamin for reshelving and reorganizing the Big Books section in the lower level. The collection holds 969 Fiction, Nonfiction and Language Arts books. The collection is predominantly used by students in the College of Education who incorporate the books into student curriculum and clinical teaching, though parents, educators and local teachers often check out books from the collection as well. The project started in late October 2018 and was finished in just four weeks, due largely to the determination of Ashour and three student assistants. New signage for each genre and the flat organization of the books now makes it easier for patrons to find what they are looking for. Take a look at the before and after photos to see the transformation.
Kathryn Blackmer Reyes, Director of the Africana, Asian American, Chicano/a & Native American (AAACNA) Studies Center, and Emily Chan, Interim Associate Dean for Research & Scholarship, presented “Leveraging an Institutional Repository to Build Ethnically Diverse Collections” at the Joint Conference for Librarians of Color in Albuquerque, New Mexico in September 2018. Their presentation centered on how the campus institutional repository, SJSU ScholarWorks, could be used to digitally archive, preserve and promote ethnic collections. AAACNA and SJSU ScholarWorks have teamed up to provide access to digitized historical materials from the AAACNA collections.
Student Success Librarian Laurie Borchard attended the 17th annual Hawaii International Conference on Education held in Honolulu, Hawaii. During the four-day conference Laurie shared with fellow educators a case study discussing library contributions to student success through predictive analytic tools used to address student retention and graduation rates. This effort has been identified as a top priority by public universities across the United States. Libraries are an important campus entity that contribute to student success and retention. However, it has always been a challenge to provide hard evidence of their contributions. Consequently, more libraries are using predictive analytic tools to measure student engagement. In collaboration with Assessment & Engineering Librarian, Anamika Megwalu, the two discussed a case study in their paper “Library Contributions to Student Success Through Predictive Analytic Tools” highlighting the implementation process, unforeseen institutional challenges and possible solutions to using a large-scale collaborative assessment tool.
At the 17th annual Hawaii International Conference on Education, Academic Liaison Librarian Silke Higgins presented “Integrating Sociocultural Theory in the Information Literacy Classroom: A Review and Analysis of the Pertinent Literature.” The presentation based on the literature review and analysis paper provides an introduction to the concept of integrating sociocultural theory into the multicultural (information literacy) classroom. The aim is to spread awareness about the benefits of teaching and supporting such classroom environments, and to create an exchange among the attendees about their experiences.
Reference and Instruction Librarian Paul Kauppila will be serving as the new Government Information Librarian at the San José State University Library. He would like to personally thank his esteemed colleague Sue Kendall for her many years of service to the university and the Federal Depository Library Program. Paul has learned so much from her regarding the world of government information.
In October 2018 he attended the Federal Depository Library Conference in Arlington, Virginia. Some of the panels he attended were a session for new attendees, a keynote speech by Kate Zwaard of the Library of Congress, and sessions on researching Russian intelligence in America, the Government Printing Office’s Preservation Steward program, legislative research, the University of California’s Federal Documents Archive and the Federal Depository Library Program’s eXchange initiative.
He also networked informally with other California Government Information librarians from various CSU and UC campuses and from other California government information repositories, including the California State Library in Sacramento.
Paul would like to thank the San José State University Library administration for providing him with the financial support to attend this conference. If you have any questions regarding government information please feel free to contact Paul at paul.kauppila@sjsu.edu or 408-808-2042.
Anamika Megwalu, Assessment & Engineering Librarian presented "Triangulation in the Assessment of One-Shot Information Literacy Classes" at the Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy in September 2018. The triangulated assessment method has helped librarians recognize areas for improvement and demonstrate the value of Information Literacy classes to course instructors.
Information Technology Analyst Neil Ordinario presented a poster session titled “Integrating Circulated Technology into the Library Collection Development Plan” at the 17th annual Hawaii International Conference on Education. Neil argues as technology becomes more commonplace as a circulated resource in academic libraries, this technology needs to be standardized as part of the collection. The inclusion of technology will enable the library to use collection development strategies to continually assess their users’ needs and evaluate their collection in meeting those needs.
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BOARD
The University Library Board (ULB) is a policy-making committee consisting of faculty representatives from all of the colleges and schools at San José State University. The committee also includes library faculty, the university library dean, an undergraduate student representative and a graduate student representative. Nick Taylor has represented the College of Humanities & the Arts on ULB since 2016 and this is his second year as chair.
During the 2018-2019 Academic Year, ULB has been focusing on two topics of interest to faculty: predatory journals and retention of post-publication rights.
Predatory journals employ deceptive or fraudulent practices and can often appear on the surface to be academic journals when they are not. Junior faculty looking to accumulate publication credits are especially vulnerable to appeals from these journals. The ULB recently sent out an information sheet to all faculty explaining how to use the library's resources to verify the legitimacy of a journal before submitting work.
Post-publication rights refers to the ability of academic researchers to upload versions of their published works to a campus repository, for example SJSU ScholarWorks, where they can be viewed free of charge by the campus community. In general, scholars must retain this right when they sign publishing agreements. The ULB plans to send another information sheet explaining to faculty how to handle this negotiation with their publishers.
Currently, ULB has representative vacancies for the College of Engineering, the College of Science and an undergraduate student. If you interested in filling any of these vacancies, want to learn more about predatory journals and retention of post-publication rights, or want to learn more about what the University Library Board is doing, please contact ULB chair Nick Taylor at nicholas.taylor@sjsu.edu or 408-808-2067.
ON A BUDGET? FREE ETEXTBOOKS LIST NOW AVAILABLE
You can now find a direct link on the library's main site to a list of free eTextbooks for the Spring 2019 semester.
