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Expand Your Research: The Creative Commons Certificate

Expand Your Research: The Creative Commons Certificate

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This past spring, Assistant Librarian of Access and Technical Services Beth South enrolled in the Creative Commons for Librarians certificate course with fellow librarian Peter Whiting from University of Southern Indiana and Instructional Designer Shannon Barnes from Earlham College. All three applied for a scholarship offered by Academic Libraries of Indiana’s (ALI) Affordable Learning Committee and the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) to participate in the rewarding experience. The Creative Commons (CC) started as a non-profit in 2001, and by 2002, created a set of open licenses that allowed content creators and researchers world-wide to openly share their work with the public, proactively giving people the ability to use the works to further their own creative and educational pursuits within … Continued
Freedom of Information

Freedom of Information

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A free society is predicated on transparency and access to information.  The ability to examine records generated by public entities can help expose controversies and keep people in power in check.  Moreover, a well-informed society is better equipped to make good decisions regarding its future.  These public records laws, known as “sunshine laws”, set ground rules for promoting and preserving access.  With National Freedom of Information Day on March 16, it is important to revisit the process of asking for public information, which is done through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The Freedom of Information Act was passed in 1966 and signed into law by then-president Lyndon Johnson.  It was updated in 2016 to accommodate electronic records.  With … Continued
Love the Open: Data and Folklore

Love the Open: Data and Folklore

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February is the month of “love” and besides Valentine’s Day, researchers and scholars can share their love of data and folklore. International Love Data Week (Feb. 12-16, 2024) and Wiki Loves Folklore (Feb. 1-March 31, 2024) share a common goal. Beth South, the IU East Access Services librarian, explains in this blog about various open access efforts. Beth’s work includes promoting open education and navigating copyright law. She is currently participating in the Creative Commons Certificate Program, focused on advancing open knowledge building and sharing while adhering to copyright law. The Creative Commons started as a non-profit in 2001, and by 2002, created a set of open licenses that allowed content creators and researchers world-wide to openly share their work … Continued
Creating Accessible Digital Content

Creating Accessible Digital Content

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This past summer, the Department of Justice released notice of proposed rulemaking for digital accessibility of state and local government entities that would require the adoption of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, Level AA as the technical standard for web content. This proposed rule is expected to take effect as early as summer of 2024, in which all Indiana University websites, digital content, and applications are expected to comply (although there are exceptions). Accessibility should be a concern for everyone involved in teaching and learning, not just web designers, learning technology consultants, or accessibility coordinators. If you are a content creator of any kind, whether student or faculty, you should check out our 2020 blog post on Accessibility … Continued
Research lifelines for 2024

Research lifelines for 2024

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A new year means new classes, new studies and maybe a new approach to doing research.  But all this newness can be difficult to navigate.  Thankfully, there is a solution, available to every student, faculty and staff member on campus.  The IU East Campus Library is here to help, with plenty of databases, finding aids and good advice to help students, staff and faculty in engaging with a new year’s worth of learning. The new A-Z list Looking for a more organized, simpler way to find important databases?  The library recently launched a revised Databases A-Z list, with numerous features that help with finding information.  The library includes databases for all subjects taught at IU East, along with broader spectrum … Continued