Category Archives: Ames Highlights - Page 4

Fact or Fiction Course Cluster Open House (December 4th)

Posted by Scott Walter on December 2, 2019 No comments

Please join us on on Wednesday, December 4th, from 11am to 1 pm, for an Open House for students and faculty participating in the Fact or Fiction Course Cluster. Each year, faculty in programs across the curriculum design courses and assignments aligned with Illinois Wesleyan University’s Annual Intellectual Theme, a strategic initiative designed to bring the campus community together around a common intellectual experience. Experiences such as these have been identified as a high-impact educational practice and provide important opportunities to advance the library’s mission to “[foster] inquiry and the pursuit of knowledge, intellectual and ethical integrity, excellence in teaching and learning, and respect for diverse points of view.”

Fact or Fiction is IWU’s intellectual theme for 2019-20, and invites multidisciplinary study of the critical need in the contemporary political environment for “an informed citizenry … equipped to discern between fact and fiction.” Students in Fall 2019 cluster courses such as Human Nature (Gateway 100), Human Nutrition (HLTH 230), Artificial Intelligence (CS 338), and Visual Ethnographic Methods (ANTH 380) explored issues of inquiry, critical thinking, and the construction of knowledge as part of the “Fact or Fiction” discussion, as well as the connections between these issues and the intellectual skills and concepts associated with The Ames Library’s information literacy program. At this week’s Open House, more than 100 students from 15 different courses will present research and creative work based on the annual theme.

With one-hour sessions scheduled to begin at 11 am and 12 pm, we encourage all members of the IWU community to join us at the Course Cluster Open House to learn how our students have engaged with the ideas and issues at the heart of the “Fact or Fiction” discussion and how this experience supports our mission as a liberal education institution to “[foster] creativity, critical thinking, effective communication, strength of character and a spirit of inquiry.”

Exhibit Opportunities and Student Learning

Posted by Meg Miner on November 27, 2019 No comments

La guerra civil en el arte y el cine -Photo credit: Carmela Ferradans

In November, the four exhibit cases and interactive wall in the library’s entry level showcased research done by students in SPAN 314: Iberian Culture & Civilization (follow link for more images). The focus of the exhibit was on four aspects related to The Legacy of the Spanish Civil War.

Exhibits are listed among the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&U) high-impact practices. This is a creative process, involving a deep understanding of one’s subject in order to distill it to brief but informative elements.

On December 2nd, students in ENGL 243: Survey of English Poetry, 1500-1700 will be installing an exhibit on the practice of Commonplace books.

Anyone in IWU’s community may use these spaces to promote student work, class
projects, guest speakers, organizations, events, achievements or any topic of interest you’d like
to share with the campus community. Contact Meg Miner (mminer@iwu.edu or x1538) to reserve a space!

New Writing Center Director “At Home” in the Library

Posted by Scott Walter on August 28, 2019 No comments

On August 1, Illinois Wesleyan University welcomed Anna Scanlon as the new Director of The Writing Center. Scanlon comes to IWU from Marquette University, where she was Assistant Director of the Norman H. Ott Memorial Writing Center. As at IWU, the Writing Center at Marquette was housed in the library, and we are excited to welcome a colleague with experience in promoting powerful partnerships between the library and the writing center to promote student success.

Dr. Scanlon has been a writing center tutor for the past seven years, both at Marquette and at the University of Akron, where she received her B.A. and M.A. degrees. At these institutions, she says, she saw the impact that writing centers can have on student learning when they are committed to adapting their programs to evolving student needs. At Illinois Wesleyan, Scanlon sees great potential for that same impact on student learning at an institution where written and oral communication skills are recognized as an essential component of a liberal education, and where there is a deep commitment to the ideas of peer mentoring and active and engaged learning across the curriculum essential to the tutoring process.

In addition to building on the history of continuing education and training for Writing Center tutors for which IWU has long been known, Scanlon is launching new initiatives this Fall, including a “Commenting on Prompts” (COP) program that will involve assisting faculty and staff in creating assignments that can “engage students in critical thinking, expand reflective practice, and increase writing skills across the university.” Alongside the COP, Scanlon plans to launch a new Online Tutoring Program (OTP), which will allow tutors to offer online tutoring to students, faculty, staff, and community members through the WCOnline appointment portal. Scanlon sees the expansion of online tutoring opportunities as an exciting opportunity to integrate Writing Center services into Illinois Wesleyan’s signature experiences, including Study Abroad and internships, as well as an opportunity to expand access to tutoring services to students who may face challenges in access to the current space and services.

The Writing Center has been one of the library’s most active partners for many years, including in the highly-successful Mellon Grant for Writing and Information Literacy in the Disciplines (2012-14). We look forward to the opportunity to continue that work with our new Writing Center Director, and to collaborate in the development of initiatives such as the Center for Engaged Learning.

Coming this Fall: The Soundstage

Posted by Scott Walter on July 11, 2019 No comments

The Ames Library is collaborating with the Office of the Provost, Information Technology Services, the School of Theatre Arts, and others to bring an exciting new space and set of services to the Illinois Wesleyan community in Fall 2019: The Soundstage.

The Soundstage will be a 750–square-foot film and sound recording facility that will be used by students in the Film Studies minor (as well as other courses), and by student groups with an interest in film, video, and media production, including Titan TV.

Media literacy – “the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and create media in a variety of forms” – is a critical component of undergraduate education in the 21^st century, and a essential to the information literacy program at IWU, which is designed to shape students both as critical consumers and creative creators of information, scholarly work, and creative activity. The Soundstage will complement existing production resources in The Ames Library, including the One-Button Studio (and the upcoming Light Board Studio), audio and video editing hardware and software, and equipment available for use outside the library, including digital cameras, camcorders, GoPros, and more. More information on specialized film production equipment available for use outside the library through a dedicated Soundstage service desk will be announced in the Fall. Film Studies students, as well as other users of The Soundstage, will also have access to the Beckman Auditorium, an ideal space for both the presentation and discussion of film. According to Tom Quinn, core faculty member for the Film Studies minor: “The addition of The Soundstage to The Ames Library will revolutionize the study of videographic arts and technologies at Illinois Wesleyan. Within this new space, students will master technical skills, and explore the power of motion pictures through the creation of dramatic fiction, documentaries, educational films, and commercial communication”

The Soundstage will be located on the lower level of The Ames Library, and collections are currently being reviewed and shifted in order to make space for production space and related equipment. If you have any questions about The Soundstage, please contact Tom Quinn, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts or Scott Walter, University Librarian. If you have questions about collections being moved for construction of The Soundstage, please contact Stephanie Davis-Kahl, Collections and Scholarly Communications Librarian.

“The Place to Ask for Help”: New Video Tour of The Ames Library

Posted by Scott Walter on June 12, 2019 No comments

With our ongoing review of library spaces, and innovation in library services and campus services available through the library, 2019 was a perfect time to update and enhance our video introduction to The Ames Library. Library staff collaborated with Curtis Kelch, Director of Web Services and IWU students; Justin Piotrowski ’21, Rachel McCarthy ’21, and Will Mueller ’19 to produce this new introduction to the library.

Whether you (or your students) want to know about the range of materials you can borrow from the library, the ways librarians can help you to answer the most complex research questions or integrate information and digital literacy skills into your assignments, or the unique spaces and resources available in our circulating and special collections, this video will give you a place to start. And, if you would like to learn more about how to make videos like this one for your own classes, you can also find out more about IT resources in the library, including the One-Button Studio. Whether you are new to campus or simply new to our expanding array of spaces and services, we hope you will enjoy (and share) our new orientation video!

If you would like to learn more about library services or to further explore library spaces, please visit the Ames Library web site or contact your liaison librarian.

Celebrate Pride Month with Some Awesome Films!

Posted by slindenb on June 5, 2019 No comments

With Pride Month upon us and summer just around the corner, it’s a great time to catch up on some films. If you’re looking for recommendations, Kanopy has put together a collection of LGBTQ-centric films.

Kanopy is proudly celebrating Pride Month and honoring the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising by highlighting some of the incredible, award-winning LGBTQ cinema available to stream right now. From moving and groundbreaking narratives to eye-opening documentaries about the historical and ongoing struggles that the community has endured, we’re thrilled to showcase some of the most unique, compelling, and essential voices in filmmaking. Browse our picks below and discover more essential LGBTQ films on Kanopy.

As we frequently remind our readers, Kanopy is like Netflix for foreign, independent, documentary, and classic films, and is free for all Illinois Wesleyan faculty, staff, and students. You can watch off-campus, too—just make sure to log in via proxy. (Hint: Go to the A-Z Resources tab on our main page and find Kanopy there.)

Before Dr. Vandana Shiva’s Stevenson Address, Watch This Film!

Posted by slindenb on April 10, 2019 No comments

On Monday, April 15th, author and activist Dr. Vandana Shiva will present a talk “The Future of Food” as part of the Adlai E. Stevenson Memorial Lecture Series. We wanted to make you aware that the 2016 Collective Eye film SEED: The Untold Story, which features Shiva, is available for through our streaming video service Kanopy.

Says Kanopy:

Few things on Earth are as miraculous and vital as seeds, worshiped and treasured since the dawn of humankind. SEED: The Untold Story follows passionate seed keepers protecting our 12,000 year-old food legacy. In the last century, 94% of our seed varieties have disappeared. As biotech chemical companies control the majority of our seeds, farmers, scientists, lawyers, and indigenous seed keepers fight a David and Goliath battle to defend the future of our food. In a harrowing and heartening story, these heroes rekindle a lost connection to our most treasured resource and revive a culture connected to seeds.

Check it out here and be sure not to miss Dr. Shiva’s talk next Monday!

Miniature Therapy Horses at the Library for Finals

Posted by slindenb on April 3, 2019 2 comments

Nothing cures finals stress better than therapy dogs–except for maybe therapy horses!

You heard right. On April 23rd from 11:30AM to 2:30PM, The Ames Library is hosting Heartland Mini Hoofs. Take a break from studying to meet their miniature therapy horses on the Ames Plaza; the event is free and open to the campus community. We hope to see you there!