Libraries and DTC sponsor A Taste of Technology event
Posted: February 23, 2023 Filed under: Ekstrom Library, Events, Kornhauser Health Sciences Library, Services, Technology, University of Louisville, University of Louisville Libraries Leave a commentMany free resources are available to the UofL community that offer the digital skills needed in today’s workforce. UofL’s Digital Transformation Center and the University Libraries invite you to attend a free virtual two-day event, Taste of Technology, on March 2-March 3.
The Libraries will host a watch party on March 2 for UofL students, faculty, and staff from 9:45 am-2:45 pm on the first floor of Ekstrom Library in the CLC/117A. Reservations are not required, but an RSVP is appreciated.
Speakers from LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft, Adobe, and IBM will cover a variety of topics and discuss these free resources available to students, faculty, and staff. A conversation on ChatGPT concludes the event’s first day.
After registering, participants will receive one link to access the event at their convenience. The event will start at 9:45 am each day with a brief introduction, then on each hour, vendor partners of the University of Louisville will make presentations.
How to reserve a room in our libraries
Posted: February 14, 2022 Filed under: Art Library, Ekstrom Library, Kornhauser Health Sciences Library, Music Library, Services, Technology, University of Louisville Libraries, Web Site Leave a commentCurious about how to reserve a room in one of our libraries? It’s easy!
First, navigate to the University Libraries website: library.louisville.edu/home.
Next, click on the orange “Reserve a Room” box in the right hand column. This page should come up:
Then choose the library where you would like to reserve a room. Or if you prefer, you can limit your choices by room type: auditoriums, conference rooms, group study rooms, or instruction labs.
Some rooms are only available to be reserved by faculty or staff. Others are also open to students.
Descriptions of rooms may include a list of equipment and technology available within the space. For example, Art Library’s Room 102C includes:
- Movable furniture
- Control panel to turn on/off system
- 70″ mounted television monitor
- Mac computer
- Web conferencing camera
- CD/DVD player
- Screen mirroring software compatible with laptops, phones, and tablets
- Wireless keyboard and mouse
- Freestanding podium
- External speakers
- Mobile whiteboard and markers
Please remember to visit each library’s policies (Ekstrom; Kornhauser; Art; Music). Some rooms have specific policies which are included in the room description.
Free Adobe Creative Cloud software offered through May 30
Posted: March 24, 2020 Filed under: Ekstrom Library, Technology, University of Louisville Libraries | Tags: adobe, adobe creative cloud, adobe creative suite, Delphi Center, Digital Media Suite, remote work Leave a commentWhile most UofL students, faculty and staff are working from home, they may download Adobe’s Creative Cloud software to their personal devices for free, to be used until May 30, 2020.
How do people request individual access?
Anyone can complete the form at this link. Jason Zahrndt, of the Delphi Center’s Digital Media Suite, will then create the account and contact the individual within two business days.
How do I request access for my whole class?
Any faculty wanting all their students to have access can also complete the form and select the option to provide the class roster through a file upload. Zahrndt will then complete the account creation and email all the individuals with more info within two business days.
You all can also email the complete class roster (instructions for getting that roster here) to Zahrndt at jason.zahrndt@louisville.edu, so that he can add their accounts.
How do I complete the install and use the software?
When the Adobe user accounts are created, each person will receive a direct email with tutorials and guides for installation and use of the software (this page).
For more information, please contact Zahrndt at jason.zahrndt@louisville.edu.
ThinkIR Journal hosts UofL Scholarship on Novel Coronavirus
Posted: March 11, 2020 Filed under: Archives & Special Collections, Digital Collections, Digital Scholarship, Ekstrom Library, Librarianship / Archivy, Services, Technology, ThinkIR, University of Louisville Libraries | Tags: coronavirus, covid-19, covid19, epidemic, novel coronavirus, pandemic Leave a commentUofL scholarship is having an impact on the burgeoning coronavirus pandemic. Two studies on the novel coronavirus COVID19 have been downloaded hundreds of times from UofL’s institutional repository, ThinkIR. Community-Acquired Pneumonia due to Endemic Human Coronaviruses compared to 2019 Novel Coronavirus: A Review and Endemic Human Coronaviruses in Hospitalized Adults with Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Results from the Louisville Pneumonia Study are posted in the Journal of Respiratory Infections, an open access journal hosted by ThinkIR. Because the journal is open access and has no paywall, anyone may access this information from anywhere across the globe with an internet link.
ThinkIR is an open-access digital repository that provides worldwide access to the scholarship of the University of Louisville community. Through ThinkIR, faculty and graduates can highlight their scholarship, accomplishments, and successes as researchers for a global audience, increasing their visibility and making new connections. As a core commitment of University Libraries, ThinkIR also preserves that scholarship for future researchers. ThinkIR currently includes student dissertations, theses, faculty publications, and freestanding open access journals produced at or hosted by the University of Louisville.
In addition to this research, Kornhauser Health Sciences Library has created a Library Guide on the Novel Coronavirus that offers a variety of information related to COVID19, including curated scholarship, links to national, local and regional resources, tips and other sources of information: https://library.louisville.edu/kornhauser/covid19.
Top Five Reasons Ekstrom’s Interlibrary Loan Staff Cancel Requests
Posted: September 10, 2019 Filed under: Books, Collections, Ekstrom Library, Literature, Primary Sources, Services, Technology, University of Louisville, University of Louisville Libraries | Tags: Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Leave a commentBy Andy Huff
Many UofL faculty, staff and students have used the University Libraries’ Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service to request materials from other academic and public libraries in the United States. Over the past year, our staff has fulfilled 14,612 requests for materials. ILL also includes document delivery services: our staff scan articles from our bound and electronic holdings and deliver them as PDFs to your ILL account.
Unfortunately, among these numerous requests, we had to cancel 1,811, or more than 12%. Our mission is to provide research materials to patrons when and where they need them, and while we have an exceptional fill rate of 88%, my team and I want to do even better. To that end, I have complied the top five reasons why we cancel requests so that you know what may have happened to your last request, and what is involved in the decision-making process of our ILL staff.
- We have exhausted all possible sources (475 requests or 26%)
In this context, ‘sources’ are other libraries we contact to get the materials you’re looking for. If you get this notice, it is because we could not find a library that could supply the item you requested. Sometimes it is because the only libraries that have the item are overseas; at other times, it is because a lending library is not willing to supply their materials via ILL.
- Other (384 requests or 21%)
This one is a bit trickier. We typically categorize some items as ‘other’ for specific reasons that do not fall under our normal cancellation categories. For example, we received a blank request, an item is available online (such as a journal article or e-book that is either public domain or owned by UofL), or an item is at the Law or Art library, in which case we refer them to that library.
- Textbooks (239 requests or 13%)
While we wish we could use ILL as an avenue for students to acquire textbooks, we have found that the shipping and handling costs, renewal rate, and sheer volume of requests would quickly swamp our department. Some professors assign new textbooks every semester, or they assign the most recent edition, and editions are constantly being updated; to keep the latest version of all assigned textbooks would be impossible.
- Unable to verify your request (212 requests or 11.7%)
We cancel requests when we are unable to find material based on the citation provided to us. This generally happens when we receive too little information and we cannot match what you have given us to a specific item, or the citation is too broad and fits too many items). We send out an will e-mail you when we are unable to verify a citation and give you 48 hours to respond back to us before canceling the request.
- Too new for an interlibrary loan (145 requests or 8%)
This happens when a book is forthcoming, the book is on order at other libraries and has not arrived there yet, or other libraries are unable to provide us the book because of age limitations on the material. Many libraries will restrict the use of new release books and will not allow them to circulate for a year so that their local patrons can use them. Ekstrom Library does the same thing for books in the Browsing Collection so that you have time to read them before we send them to requesting libraries.
We hope students, faculty and staff will continue to use the ILL for their scholarly work. To learn more, please visit http://library.louisville.edu/ill/policy.
ThinkIR’s 1 Millionth Download a Major Milestone in Bringing UofL Scholarship to Global Audience
Posted: March 14, 2019 Filed under: Archives & Special Collections, Art Library, Digital Scholarship, Ekstrom Library, Kornhauser Health Sciences Library, Law Library, Literature, Music Library, People, Primary Sources, Services, Technology, ThinkIR, University Archives & Records Center, University of Louisville Libraries | Tags: institutional repository, University of Louisville, University of Louisville faculty, University of Louisville students, uofl scholarship Leave a commentUofL’s Institutional Repository, ThinkIR – a digital platform which hosts and offers open access to scholarship of UofL’s faculty, researchers and students – has passed the one-million mark for downloaded scholarship. As of March 12, some 5,136 research papers, thesis and dissertations have been downloaded by a worldwide audience.
Since launching in 2015, ThinkIR has become a major open-access source for scholarship from UofL faculty and graduates, averaging more than 1,000 downloads per day, reaching world-wide audiences, and increasing UofL scholars’ visibility.
“This milestone represents the 1 million people who have been able to access scholarship at UofL from all over the world, for free,” said Bob Fox, dean of the University Libraries, which sponsored and funded the creation of the institutional repository.
“You can see by looking at the world map on the site where all the scholarship is being downloaded,” said Sarah Frankel, Open Access and Repository Coordinator for the University Libraries. “The dots on the map represent real-time downloads, so we know who is interested in our scholars’ research.
“The scholarship is much more discoverable through Google searches if it is hosted on ThinkIR; the search engine optimization ensures that items appear near the top of search results,” Frankel continued.
Formerly a Technical Services staff member, Frankel as OAR coordinator assists faculty in depositing their scholarship into ThinkIR and oversees the approval and publishing of graduate and undergraduate student self-submitted theses and dissertations. She creates profiles for each faculty scholar, helping them post biographical information and navigating copyright restrictions relating to their scholarship.
The repository’s name evokes the Rodin statue that graces the front steps of Grawemeyer Hall.
Currently, the top downloaded work is a 2012 Master’s Thesis from the Department of Pan African Studies: “The hidden help : black domestic workers in the civil rights movement” by Trena Easley Armstrong, followed closely by another Master’s Thesis from 2012, from the Sociology Department: “An analysis of Hindi women-centric films in India” by Srijita Sarkar – both titles have been downloaded more than 11,000 times since February 12, 2015!
In addition to providing access to UofL scholarship, ThinkIR also hosts peer-reviewed open-access journals. These journals are managed by UofL faculty and staff with support from Libraries staff. While most peer-reviewed academic journals are subscription-based, requiring high fees from hosting institutions, these journals are free and open to the public.
Navigating Ekstrom via Online 360° Views
Posted: June 20, 2018 Filed under: Ekstrom Library, Services, Technology, University of Louisville Libraries, Web Site | Tags: navigation, wayfinding Leave a commentEkstrom Library’s website now offers an online 360° feature that will help students navigate the library’s interior spaces. The feature includes information “bubbles” that allow users to click to learn more about a certain area. For example, on the first floor-east side, informative hubs are provided for Research Assistants and Instruction (RAI), the Digital Media Suite (DMS), REACH, and the Writing Center.
The project resulted from feedback gleaned during the University Libraries’ Library Student Advisory Board (LSAB) meetings in which students expressed a need for clearer ways to navigate the library. Jason Zahrndt, of the DMS, created a prototype of the Learning Commons in Ekstrom (first floor-east) using the application RoundMe. Libraries Website Director Terri Holtze embedded it into Ekstrom’s webpage.
The feature is linked to the site’s floor plans and currently offers 360° views of the first and second floors. Further floors are currently in the works.
Research DIY: Self-Guided Library
Posted: September 5, 2017 Filed under: Books, Collections, Databases, Ekstrom Library, Primary Sources, Research Tips, Services, Teaching Ideas, Technology, University of Louisville Libraries, Writing | Tags: information literacy, librarians, Project Information Literacy Freshman Study, research, Research DIY, Research Guides Leave a commentBy Amber Willenborg
Research assignments can lead to enlightenment, but, as the scholarship on information literacy indicates, the path isn’t easy. The Project Information Literacy Freshmen Study found that students face many challenges with finding and using information, from locating appropriate databases to reading research articles and evaluating information. With this in mind, and in direct response to faculty requests for a one-stop research resource for students, the library has unveiled our new Research DIY website.
Research DIY is an online tool featuring visually appealing infographics, videos, and step-by-step instructions to help students get started with a wide variety of research tasks. The PIL Freshmen Study revealed that students struggle most with formulating online searches, selecting and locating research resources, and reading and comprehending materials. On the DIY website, students will find resources that directly address these struggles: a video on generating keywords for searching, numerous videos with instructions for finding a variety of source types like scholarly articles, and an infographic on how to approach reading research articles. Research DIY also includes content created in conjunction with the University Writing Center to help students appropriately integrate sources into their research papers.
While the website is easy for students to find and use on their own, we encourage instructors to link to the site on Blackboard or in their syllabus, or direct students to sections of the website that would be helpful for particular assignments. In addition to Research DIY, the library offers a variety of teaching tools including online learning modules for practice with information literacy concepts and research guides for more in-depth information on research topics and resources. Librarians are also available to create custom content tailored to your class or assignment. The path may not be easy, but the library is here to illuminate your way forward to success.
May I Help You? How Ekstrom Responds, Analyzes and Acts on Your Questions
Posted: April 3, 2017 Filed under: Ekstrom Library, Technology, University of Louisville Libraries | Tags: gimlet Leave a commentBy Matt Goldberg, Head, Access and User Services
Have you ever stopped at a desk in Ekstrom Library to ask a question, such as: Do you have any copies of Dan Brown’s new book? Where’s the bathroom? What time does the library close? If you have, our desk staff have carefully recorded the question and answer so that we can determine trends in patron needs and service requests in an effort to improve how our library operates.
Using a program called Gimlet, the Access and User Services Department (AUS) records every question and answer asked at the west, east, and technology desks, and this data is reviewed weekly by departmental staff. Beyond looking to make sure our staff is giving correct information, we do significant work to refine, manipulate, and extrapolate the hundreds of questions asked per week.
The collection of these questions is quite labor-intensive, thanks to the frequency of questions asked by patrons. From June 2015 to May 2016, there were nearly 32,000 questions asked at the desks, an average of more than 2,600 per month, or about 90 per day. Each question is tagged by the desk staff to group them into easily sortable categories (internal directions, policy, technology, research, etc.) so that we can go back and look for data trends.
You might wonder how we use these trends to make decisions. For instance, in early 2015, we noticed that there were an abnormally high number of printing and copying questions being handled by desk staff at the east and west desks. To alleviate this we opened the technology desk in the computer commons to give students more direct technology help. In another instance, high levels of directional questions have led to improved signage across the building to help patrons find what they are looking for with more visual cues.
We routinely examine trends in the data to examine our own processes and policies. Last semester we opened the east side of the building until 2 a.m., a move that was fueled by a combination of student suggestions, gate count data, and Gimlet numbers that showed students in the building later in the evening than usual. We periodically run visualization reports of the data to see how users are asking their questions, producing word clouds like the one above.
So the next time you ask a question in Ekstrom, just know, we are listening and always looking to be of better assistance!
Wikipedians Unite at UofL Libraries
Posted: March 27, 2017 Filed under: Art Library, Digital Scholarship, Events, Technology, University of Louisville, Writing | Tags: Sarah Carter Leave a commentBy Sarah Carter
March 27, 2017
2017 is the second year that UofL’s Margaret M. Bridwell Art Library hosted community members to learn about how to edit Wikipedia. Over a dozen people attended this event to combat gender disparity in the art world.
Artist Elizabeth Catlett wrote “No other field is closed to those who are not white and male as is the visual arts. After I decided to be an artist, the first thing I had to believe was that I, a black woman, could penetrate the art scene, and that, further, I could do so without sacrificing one iota of my blackness or my femaleness or my humanity.”1
Not only is the field of contemporary art difficult for women and non-binary people to break into, but the highly-masculine culture of Wikipedia is also a barrier to gender equality. For example, articles about topics typically associated with females (Polly Pocket) are typically shorter and link to fewer references, while those associated with males (Nerf) are longer, and include more references.
In a 2011 survey, Wikimedia found that less than 13% of its contributors were female.
Art+Feminism is a global, grassroots campaign to end gender disparity within Wikipedia, not only in terms of the number or articles about women in the visual arts, but more importantly the number of female editors. Attendees gathered to attend a training about how to edit Wikipedia articles before beginning to make edits of their own. In Louisville, attendees included UofL students, professors, and local St. Francis School high school students. New editors corrected facts, added citations to existing article, and ultimately created two new articles.
Articles improved include those about African-American artists Senga Nengudi and Elizabeth Catlett. Both are sculptors, and known for their work on themes of race, gender, and class.
- Farris, Phoebe. Women Artists of Color: A Bio-critical Sourcebook to 20th Century Artists in the Americas. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1999.
University of Louisville Libraries News 