Author Archives: cboyce

Are you interested in being part of the Help@Ames team? We’re hiring!

The position of Help@Ames Student Assistant is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to develop important communication, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills in a customer service intensive environment. This position is also an opportunity for a student to acquire, demonstrate and develop a myriad of leadership skills. A successful applicant will need to demonstrate skill and polish in dealing with all types of IWU clients including students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, retirees and parents. Each assistant must be willing and able to learn new skills and have a desire to provide excellent customer service assistance. They must also possess a strong interest in technology and library research. The assistant must be willing to develop an extensive knowledge of Ames Library resources and IT services and be able to use this information to direct, assist and refer clients appropriately. The Help@Ames Student Assistant will participate in a thorough, progressive and ongoing training regimen to assist in developing the skills necessary for the position.

If you are interested in applying for this job in the library please fill out our application.

The World Digital Library (WDL) is a project of the U.S. Library of Congress, carried out with the support of the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO), and in cooperation with libraries, archives, museums, educational institutions, and international organizations from around the world.

The WDL makes available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from all countries and cultures.

The principal objectives of the WDL are to:

• Promote international and intercultural understanding;
• Expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet;
• Provide resources for educators, scholars, and general audiences;
• Build capacity in partner institutions to narrow the digital divide within and between countries.

The WDL makes it possible to discover, study, and enjoy cultural treasures and significant historical documents on one site, in a variety of ways. Content on the WDL includes books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, journals, prints and photographs, sound recordings, and films.

WDL items can be browsed by place, time, topic, type of item, language, and contributing institution. The search feature can be used to search all of the metadata and descriptions and the full text of printed books on the site.

Each item on the WDL is accompanied by an item-level description that explains its significance and historical context. Additional information about selected items is provided by curator videos. Other features include advanced image-viewing, timelines, interactive maps, and in-depth thematic sections on selected topics (in preparation).

All navigation tools, bibliographic information (also known as metadata), and content descriptions are provided in seven languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. Metadata and descriptions can be listened to on a text-to-voice conversion option that is available for every item in all seven interface languages.

Content on the WDL is selected by partner institutions in accordance with guidelines set by the WDL Content Selection Committee. Content is chosen for its cultural and historical importance, with due regard to recognition of the achievements of all countries and cultures over a wide range of time periods.

Books, manuscripts, maps, and other primary materials on the site are not translated but presented in their original languages. More than 100 languages are represented on the WDL, including many lesser known and endangered languages.

Partners

Partners are mainly libraries, archives, museums, or other institutions with collections of cultural content that they contribute to the WDL. Partners also may include institutions, foundations, and private companies that contribute to the project in other ways, for example by sharing technology, convening or co-sponsoring meetings, or contributing financially.

See a current list of all partners.

Organization, Governance, and Financial Support

The WDL is an international collaboration, led by the Library of Congress, with the support of UNESCO.

The WDL Charter, adopted in 2010, designates the Library of Congress as the Project Manager, and provides for an annual partner meeting and an Executive Council elected by the partners. Under the terms of the WDL Charter, the Executive Council provides leadership and direction to the WDL. The Executive Council is chaired by Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt, and includes members from Brazil, China, Germany, Qatar, the United States, and UNESCO. The WDL Director at the Library of Congress is Dr. John Van Oudenaren.

To carry out its responsibilities as Project Manager, and in particular to maintain the WDL website, the Library of Congress depends upon contributions from foundations, companies, and private individuals.

Digitization Centers

While many of the partners or prospective partners that wish to contribute content to the WDL have well-established digitization programs with dedicated staff and equipment, others, particularly in the developing world, do not have access to these capabilities. Over the years, the Library of Congress has provided partners in Brazil, Russia, Egypt, Iraq, and Uganda with equipment, software, training, and financial support to establish digital conversion centers to produce high-quality digital images. Much of the content on the WDL was digitized at these centers. The WDL currently supports and receives content from three digitization centers: at the Iraqi National Library and Archives in Baghdad, at the National Library and Archives of Egypt in Cairo, and at the National Library of Uganda in Kampala.

The WDL supports UNESCO’s mission of capacity building in developing countries, and seeks to work with partners in these countries and external funders to establish additional digital conversion centers throughout the world. These centers will produce content not only for the WDL, but for other national and international projects as well.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., during his campus visit for the Religious Emphasis Banquet, 2/14/1961

There are numerous events commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Consider attending the Teach-In in the Hansen Center. This year’s theme is Voting Rights and Social Justice. All are welcome. Each session will feature table discussion and dialogue with the whole group. This event is sponsored by the Action Research Center (ARC). The 1 p.m. panel commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It features a keynote address by Vernon Burton, professor of humanities at Clemson University and professor emeritus of history at the University of Illinois. Professor Burton will speak on “The Voting Rights Act of 1965 in Historical Context.” The 2 pm. panel features a lecture on “Defending Voting Rights after Shelby County” by Ed Yohnka, director of communications and public policy at the Illinois American Civil Liberties Union. In the landmark case Shelby County v. Holder (2013), the Supreme Court held that Congress needed better evidence of racial discrimination to require seven Southern states (along with Arizona and Alaska) to submit redistricting plans to the federal Justice Department for preclearance. Mr. Yohnka will discuss the case and its impact on the current debate over voting rights law. The 3 p.m. panel will feature a debate between the College Republicans and the College Democrats on the issue of voter identification laws. The question for debate is “Should Illinois Adopt a Voter ID Law?” The debate is sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA), the political science honorary society. The debate will be moderated by Chair and Professor of Political Science Greg Shaw.

Westbrook Auditorium, 4pm – This year marks the 25th annual Gospel Festival, founded by the United Community Gospel Singers of Bloomington-Normal and co-sponsored by Illinois Wesleyan University. Admission is free.

While many libraries have been named in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The King Library and Archives in Atlanta is “the largest repository of primary source materials on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the American Civil Rights Movement in the world. Significant records which document the social, cultural, economic and political impact of the civil rights movement are housed at the King Library and Archives.” Learn more about their mission and holdings by getting in contact with an Ames Librarian.

Beckman Auditorium, Tuesday, 4pm – Part of the Perspectives on Civil Rights and Race Lecture Series sponsored by the Political Science Department, this lecture will be presented by Vernon Burton, professor of history, sociology and computer science, Clemson University. These lectures are made possible through generous grants provided by the Betty Ritchie-Birrer ’47 and Ivan Birrer Endowment Fund, the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Beckman Auditorium, Thursday, 7pm – “Man of Iron” (1981, Poland), presented by Associate Professor of Political Science Kathleen Montgomery.

Instruction Lab, Room 129

• Monday, 1pm – Psychology 321
• Tuesday, 7pm – Environmental Studies Senior Seminar
• Wednesday, 10:30am – OU Training
• Wednesday, 2pm – Nursing 485
• Thursday, 10:50am – Economics 370
• Thursday, 1:10pm – History 316
• Thursday, 3:30 – Rockin Resumes – Create a resume that employers will notice. This workshop outlines how to write a great resume and explains what makes a resume stand out from the employer’s perspective.
• Friday, 10am – Prof. Chaulagain’s Gateway

Beckman Auditorium

• Monday, 10am – United Way Leadership Program
• Tuesday, 4pm – “From Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address to the March on Washington
• Tuesday, 7pm – International Politics
• Wednesday, 6pm – Gateway: Controversies in Women’s Health
• Thursday, 7pm – International Film Series

Meeting Room, 214

• Tuesday, 1pm – Assessment Committee
• Tuesday, 4:30pm – Star Literacy
• Wednesday, 11:30am – Theatre Recruitment
• Wednesday, 2pm – CUPP
• Thursday, 1pm – CUPP
• Thursday, 4:30pm – Star Literacy
• Friday, 10am – Campus Climate Assessment Committee

The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore, by Michael Dylan Foster

Check out one of the newly published titles, available through the CARLI e-book program. Available to use as an electronic resource, all you have to do is follow the prompts to check out this book on the creatures of Japanese folklore, written by the same author who brought us Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yokai, published in 2008.

From Amazon.com:

“Monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of Japan. Broadly labeled yokai, these creatures come in infinite shapes and sizes, from tengu mountain goblins and kappawater spirits to shape-shifting foxes and long-tongued ceiling-lickers. Currently popular in anime, manga, film, and computer games, many yokai originated in local legends, folktales, and regional ghost stories.

Drawing on years of research in Japan, Michael Dylan Foster unpacks the history and cultural context of yokai, tracing their roots, interpreting their meanings, and introducing people who have hunted them through the ages. In this delightful and accessible narrative, readers will explore the roles played by these mysterious beings within Japanese culture and will also learn of their abundance and variety through detailed entries, some with original illustrations, on more than fifty individual creatures. The Book of Yokai provides a lively excursion into Japanese folklore and its ever-expanding influence on global popular culture. It also invites readers to examine how people create, transmit, and collect folklore, and how they make sense of the mysteries in the world around them. By exploring yokai as a concept, we can better understand broader processes of tradition, innovation, storytelling, and individual and communal creativity.”

It’s the time of year when protecting yourself is of the utmost concern. It’s cold out, so you have to protect yourself from the weather. You’re spending lots of time in close proximity of others, so you should probably get a flu shot (it’s not too late to get one if you haven’t yet). Most of the local pharmacies can get you covered with little to no money down, depending on your health care coverage. Either way, make sure to wash your hands well, and often, with antibacterial soap.

Just as important as protecting yourself from disease and the elements, you need to make sure you’re protecting your computer and personal devices from viruses and corruption. The Help@Ames desk, located on the library’s entry level, can give you a FREE copy of McAfee AntiVirus for your personal laptop or computer. McAfee is rated as one of the better antivirus softwares, according to PC Magazine. In addition to installing McAfee for free, Help@Ames can also facilitate a virus scan, should you suspect any malware or bad files on your computer.

In addition to protecting your devices with antivirus software, make sure you’re also using the strongest possible passwords for your various accounts. If you use the same password for banking, email, interlibrary loan, and social media you’re probably setting yourself up for failure. Access to your IWU Gmail, myIWU, Moodle, and wifi are all regulated by the same system. Consider taking a minute and updating your password to something unique from other passwords, taking care to make it as strong as possible. To update your password, go to passchange.iwu.edu and use the following rules to make it as strong as possible. You should probably do this for all of your accounts every once in a while.

As a caveat, if you suspect your computer or phone has been comprimised by a virus, don’t use that computer to update your passwords! Use another secure terminal to do so, while Help@Ames gets you set up with virus scans and new antivirus software. And remember – Information Technology will NEVER ask you for your password or personal information in an email, so DON’T respond to these kinds of requests.

Password Rules

It’s important to make sure that your password is strong. If someone else can guess it, or if you ever share it with anyone, that person can log in as you and wreak havoc in your name. Here are some tips for choosing a good password that nobody will be likely to guess:

• Use at least eight characters. A shorter password can be guessed in almost no time at all. All passwords at Illinois Wesleyan must be at least seven characters, but longer is better.
• Use different types of characters. A password that consists only of lowercase letters is easiest to enter, but it’s also one of the first things a password cracker might try. All passwords at Illinois Wesleyan must include at least one digit. Your password should also contain a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters. Symbols are a great idea, too.

Image Credit: http://wanna-joke.com/evening-jokes-20-pics-120/

Ahh, Mondays. And today, the first in a whole semester of Mondays. Campus covered in a soft blanket of snow, at least the temperatures are above 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

It’s an exciting week in the library, as we really push things into gear for the semester. If you haven’t already, check out our IDEA WALL, located across from the Help@Ames Desk. Grab a star and share one of your New Year’s Resolutions with the campus. We want to fill the wall and see what everyone is doing – maybe you’ll get some ideas.

While you’re at the desk, check out our newest team member – WiFi, the Help@Ames Beta Fish. Feedings occur everyday around noon, so come and catch the show!

Instruction Lab, Room 129

• Tuesday, 10am – Spanish 101
• Tuesday, 1pm – Spanish 101
• Wednesday, 8, 9, 10am, 1pm – Spanish 201
• Wednesday, 2pm – Sociology 492
• Wednesday, 3:30pm – OU Training
• Thursday, 10:50am – Psychology 351
• Thursday, 1:10pm – English 344
• Friday, 8am – Hispanic Studies 280

Meeting Room 214

• Tuesday, 4:30pm – Star Literacy
• Wednesday, 1pm – Workflow Meeting
• Wednesday, 2pm – CUPP
• Thursday, 1pm – CUPP
• Thursday, 4:30pm – Star Literacy

Beckman Auditorium

• Monday, 1pm – English, Literature of the Iraq War
• Tuesday, 8am – Nursing Pre-Clinical Lectures
• Tuesday, 7pm – International Politics of East Asia
• Wednesday, 4pm – Admissions
• Thursday, 8am – Nursing Pre-Clinical Lectures
• Thursday, 7pm – International Film Series