Elizabeth South

Elizabeth South

The Synergy of Communities of Practice and Mentoring

The Synergy of Communities of Practice and Mentoring

, , outreach
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

, , Website
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
Cicada Broods and Beyond: Navigating Scientific Journals for Rare Natural Wonders

Cicada Broods and Beyond: Navigating Scientific Journals for Rare Natural Wonders

, , Library Resources
On April 8, 2024, a large swath of Indiana was treated to a total solar eclipse, a rare event that last happened in 1869. And in May, parts of Indiana are experiencing another rare occurrence in nature – the emergence of two different cicada broods. In the north and southwest counties of Indiana there is the emergence of Brood XIII (17-year brood) and Brood XIX (13-year brood), a happening last took place in 1803. It will be another 221 years before these two broods sync again (Burga). Over a trillion red-eyed cicadas across the Midwest will emerge from underground burrows, where four U.S. cicada species live for 13 years and three U.S. species live for 17 years. They will spend … Continued
Public Health and Climate Change

Public Health and Climate Change

, Library Resources, outreach
Earlier this semester, students from the Animals and Earth Club at IU East and faculty from the Sustainability Council, including Assistant Librarian of Access Services Beth South, had the opportunity to attend the Indiana Sustainability and Resilience Conference (ISRC) on February 9th at IU Indianapolis. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about sustainability efforts happening in Indiana and regionally from presenters that included architects, city planners, engineers, non-profit organizers, state park employees, social workers, business leaders, public policy advocates, and educators. It’s impossible to attend every session, but a common theme that emerged from many of the presentations, including from keynote speaker Michelle Moore, CEO of Groundswell, and former White House official during the Obama administration, is that … Continued
Get Inspired with General Reference Resources

Get Inspired with General Reference Resources

, , , Library Resources
INSPIRE is a collection of academic databases and other information resources provided by the Indiana State Library and is accessible to all Indiana residents. As a public Indiana institution, the IU East Campus Library can share access to these resources from IUCAT as well as our A-Z List to IU East students, whether they live in Indiana or not. What are “reference” resources? The type of information you find in the reference section of a library would be resources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, indexes, directories, atlases, biographies, and bibliographies. While not usually in depth, these resources often provide a general overview of a subject and can be a great place to begin exploring a topic, place, or person. For regular … Continued