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Category Archives: Faculty/Staff
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Expanding Public Access to the Results of Federally Funded Research
Great news out of Washington, DC today:
“The Obama Administration is committed to the proposition that citizens deserve easy access to the results of scientific research their tax dollars have paid for. That’s why, in a policy memorandum released today, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director John Holdren has directed Federal agencies with more than $100M in R&D expenditures to develop plans to make the published results of federally funded research freely available to the public within one year of publication and requiring researchers to better account for and manage the digital data resulting from federally funded scientific research.”
The new policy comes after two rounds of requests for information from the White House, as well as a petition on “We The People,” which garnered over 60,000 signatures in support of public access to federally funded research. Dr. Holdren, in his response to the petition, stated:
“The logic behind enhanced public access is plain. We know that scientific research supported by the Federal Government spurs scientific breakthroughs and economic advances when research results are made available to innovators. Policies that mobilize these intellectual assets for re-use through broader access can accelerate scientific breakthroughs, increase innovation, and promote economic growth.”
You can read the memo from Dr. Holdren online, and visit the OSTP website for more information about the new policy.
Closer to home, two Illinois State Senators, Senator Bliss (D) and Senator Althoff (R), have introduced SB1900, which would create the “Open Access to Research Articles Act,” requiring public higher education institutions to develop an open access policy for research articles. For more information, please visit the Illinois State Senate website.
Fair Access to Science and Technology Research (FASTR) Act
The FASTR Act was introduced into both the House of Representatives and the Senate last week, sponsored by a bipartisan group of legislators: Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Representatives Mike Doyle (D-PA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Kevin Yoder (R-KS).
FASTR will require federal agencies that spend at least $100 million/year to fund extramural research to make the products of their funding, specifically peer reviewed, scholarly research articles, open access within six months of publication.
FASTR will provide near-immediate access to taxpayer-funded research, and will impact major federal agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information about FASTR, please see the FAQ developed by the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition or the Alliance for Taxpayer Access website.
Exploring Open Access
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Henning Room, Memorial Center
This forum will present an overview of how Open Access (OA) arose from significant disruptions to scholarly publishing, focusing on the current state of various advocacy efforts in the United States and globally. Opposing viewpoints to OA will also be discussed. Sponsored by the IWU Chapter of the AAUP and The Ames Library, this forum aims to start a conversation on campus about how IWU faculty, staff and students from all disciplines can contribute to the OA movement through individual and collective action and policy.
“A sneeze travels 20 feet!”
Don’t believe it? There are lots of gross-out videos on YouTube to illustrate…here’s just one (it’s actually kinda beautiful, too!) http://youtu.be/e2QAGVMlns4
The quote was spotted by one of our librarians in a local school and it seems like a helpful thing to remember since we’re all cooped up inside together. Then there’s the added joy that thoughts of the present flu season bring!
Not sure what to do? We made a resource guide with a collection of advice and links on the topic to think about, but our take away message to all staff and visitors at The Ames Library is to consider your own health as well as the well-being of those around you by remembering these tips:
1. Sneeze into your elbow (kleenex can’t stand the pressure!)
2. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently (there’s also a supply of alcohol wipes at the 1st floor information desk in the library if you want to wipe down a keyboard)
3. Go to IWU’s Arnold Health Service if you have a fever or need medical advice.
A visual representation of this message was designed by one of our talented Ames Library Student Assistants. Click on the image below to get a halfsheet-sized poster you can put in your room or office for others to see!
Put on a public display!
Does your RSO have guest speakers, events, achievements or other topics of interest you’d like to share with the campus community? Are you in a class with a displayable-project component? Is there a milestone to celebrate in your department or program? A topic you’d like to raise awareness about?
The Ames Library Exhibit Team invites the IWU community to contact us about utilizing display space in the library. There are several exhibit spaces in the library in a variety of sizes and locations.
If your group is interested in scheduling a display, please contact Meg Miner at mminer@iwu.edu or x1538.
October is Archives Awareness Month
Click on the image to read all about it!
The Return of Aphrodite
Aphrodite’s head – our campus “goddess of love” – has returned to the roof of the entryway to McPherson Hall. Vandalized in May, many of us missed seeing this surreal sculpture and we happily welcomed her back last week when she was hoisted to the roof once again. The Ames Library provides a perfect vantage point to enjoy her visage – a visit to The Thorpe Center on the third floor is a great place to contemplate the hows and whys of this Big Love theatre piece. Weighing in at over 200 pounds, Aphrodite sports a pale complexion, either from a stay indoors to read the classics or extensive use of SPF throughout the summer. Welcome back, Goddess!
Ames Library MegaSearch!
MegaSearch allows you to search both our physical library collection and most of our electronic databases at one time, all from a single search box. MegaSearch will be useful for student, faculty and staff research. The basic MegaSearch box is featured on the library homepage. Users are still able to access the traditional Ames Library catalog and I-Share catalog from the homepage as well.
If you are interested in learning more about MegaSearch, please contact your library liaison.
If you want to explore MegaSearch on your own, a basic guide is located here: http://www.iwu.edu/library/MegaSearch_Handout.pdf
Best,
The Ames Library Faculty
Snow day researching
So there you are, stuck at home on a snowy day with nothing to do…don’t despair, you can still use the library’s electronic resources!
If you can get to the homepage you can click on any of our e-resources and then a login page will automatically open. Simply use your login as if you were on campus and the next page you’ll see is the database you requested.
If you have any troubles, you can always contact us by the chat box located on the homepage or by calling 556-3350 for help.
Happy researching 🙂 but don’t forget to get out and have some snow day fun, too!