Elizabeth South

Elizabeth South

Mastering Library Speak

Mastering Library Speak

Now that we are approaching fall break, we hope you’ve had a chance to visit your Campus Library, whether online or in person. We are available by phone, email, or in-person and sometimes we can use some unusual terms in our efforts to assist you. When it comes to reference or locating a book, here are some common words you may hear and what they mean. 1. Boolean Search– Using the operators of AND, OR, and NOT  as well as quotation marks (“ ”), parentheses (), and asterisk(*) in keyword searching. These operators help you refine your search results: a. AND: Narrows your search by including results that contain all the specified keywords. Example: nutrition AND exercise will return results that include … Continued
Celebrating 237 years of the U.S. Constitution

Celebrating 237 years of the U.S. Constitution

On September 17, 1787, thirty-nine delegates of the Constitutional Convention, our founding fathers, signed and enacted the United States Constitution. This document establishes the “checks and balances” system among the three branches of government: Judicial, Executive, and Legislative. We have celebrated this milestone with Constitution Day on September 17th each year, marking 237 years in 2024. The celebration began in 1940 as “I Am an American Day,” following a resolution by Congress and President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was observed on the third Sunday in May. In 1952, it was renamed “Constitution Day” and moved to September 17th to honor the original signing date. In 2004, Congress renamed it again to “Constitution and Citizenship Day” to also recognize new U.S. … Continued
Graphic Narratives: Exploring the Visual Stories at Our Library

Graphic Narratives: Exploring the Visual Stories at Our Library

The IU East Campus Library is expanding its graphic novel collection! Although graphic novels have been around for some time, the past decade has seen a surge in the variety of stories, ideas, and subjects conveyed through visual illustrations. Even classic novels are getting the graphic novel treatment, inspiring a new generation of readers, or reengaging long-time fans. Graphic novels are an exciting and engaging medium that combines visual art with narrative text, offering a unique reading experience that can enhance literacy. They present stories through a sequence of illustrations and text, often leading to a more immersive and interactive form of storytelling. This visual aspect can be particularly beneficial for reluctant readers or those struggling with traditional texts or … Continued
The Synergy of Communities of Practice and Mentoring

The Synergy of Communities of Practice and Mentoring

On July 18th, two IU East Librarians will be attending the Academic Libraries of Indiana’s (ALI) Unconference on Communities of Practice and Mentorship. Assistant Librarian of Access Services Beth South currently chairs ALI’s Mentorship Committee and will be presenting on the work of the mentorship committee and mentoring within libraries. Assistant Librarian of Instruction KT Lowe is also a member of the mentorship committee and will discuss communities of practice within libraries. In terms of personal and professional development Communities of Practice (CoPs) and mentoring are two powerful tools that everyone should consider taking part in at some point in their studies or career. Each concept has its own strength and can stand well on its own, but when combined, … Continued
Expand Your Research: The Creative Commons Certificate

Expand Your Research: The Creative Commons Certificate

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