Did you know you can configure Google Scholar to connect to our journals? Follow our instructions to set up Google Scholar on your device, and use your IWU NetID/password to access articles and more!
Setting up Google Scholar
Posted by Stephanie Davis-Kahl
on September 16, 2020
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Congratulations to Professor Tom Lutze!
Posted by Stephanie Davis-Kahl
on September 14, 2020
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Congratulations to Professor Tom Lutze, our newest Kemp Award Winner! We’re so happy to celebrate your many achievements and your dedicated support of students! To listen to President’s Convocation, please visit the IWU News site, and to view past Kemp Winner Honors Convocation talks, please see our collection on Digital Commons.
Writing Center Fall Workshops!
Posted by Stephanie Davis-Kahl
on September 7, 2020
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The Ames Library Writing Center’s Writers’ Workshops are back! Please see below for dates, times, and descriptions.
Workshops for the fall will be held online via Zoom. For Zoom links/passwords, or if you have questions, comments, or need assistance with registering for one of more of these workshops, please email Dr. Scanlon.
Friday September 4th 2 p.m. CDT MLA-Making Language Awesome [Passed]
Has your professor required you to write in MLA? Do you need a bit of help going over the basics of the citation style? Perhaps you have a few questions! Bring them and any citations you’ve worked on to this online writing workshop to gain insight and information on this awesome citation style! Email Dr. Scanlon for the recording.
Tuesday, September 8th 6 p.m. CDT APA No Way!: 6th versus 7th Edition [Upcoming]
Have you always written in 6th edition APA format and now your professor wants you to switch to the newer style? Perhaps you’re starting out and are unfamiliar with APA in general. This workshop is designed with you in mind! We’re here to take you through the general differences of each style as well as discuss pitfalls writers can avoid as they work through the process of writing. If you have questions or wish to attend, contact ascanlon@iwu.edu. Recording available after the event upon request if you email Dr. Scanlon.
Thursday, September 10th 7 p.m. CDT Writing for Protest [Upcoming]
Are you interested in social justice? Do you support a variety of causes but are feeling a bit hindered as a result of the COVID Pandemic? This writers’ group is for you. We’ll meet weekly (you don’t have to come every time!) and virtually to discuss inspirational protest writing and work on some of our own. If you have questions or wish to attend, contact Dr. Scanlon.
Tuesday, September 22nd 6 p.m. CDT Let’s Get Personal: Grad School Personal Statements [Upcoming]
Are you applying to graduate school? This workshop is for you! We’ll cover the ins and outs of writing personal statements, give you some tips from a pro, and answer any questions you have. We’ll also recommend tutors able to help you on your writing journey. If you have questions or wish to attend, contact ascanlon@iwu.edu. Recording available after the event upon request if you email Dr. Scanlon.
Tuesday, October 6th 6 p.m. CDT GREat Writing [Upcoming]
This workshop is designed to help writers tackle the analytical portion of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). We take writers through what good essays include, how to get a high score, and what resources are available both online on-campus and online in general. If you have questions or wish to attend, contact ascanlon@iwu.edu. Recording available after the event upon request if you email Dr. Scanlon.
Tuesday, October 27th 7 p.m. CDT Maybe Medicine? Moving from Maybe to Definitely with a Strong Personal Statement [Upcoming]
Are you thinking about applying to graduate school with a focus in medicine? Perhaps you want to become an advanced practice nurse? Maybe dentistry is more your speed? Does an MD appeal to you? This workshop will take you through the work done to craft a personal statement that will set you up for an interview with the college(s) of your choice. We’ve planned this one well before most application deadlines, too, so you can return to meet with a tutor several times before your final statement is due. If you have questions or wish to attend, contact ascanlon@iwu.edu. Recording available after the event upon request if you email Dr. Scanlon.
For all questions, comments, or for assistance with registering for one of more of these workshops, please email Dr. Scanlon at ascanlon@iwu.edu.
Thank you!
Writing Center Staff 2020-2021
“Supporting Teaching with Primary Sources at Illinois Wesleyan University”
Posted by Stephanie Davis-Kahl
on August 31, 2020
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Last fall, our Archivist & Special Collections Librarian Meg Miner participated in a multi-institution project sponsored by Ithaka S+R to explore “pedagogical practices of humanities and social sciences instructors teaching with primary sources at the undergraduate level. The goal of the study is to understand instructors’ undergraduate teaching processes toward developing resources and services to support them in
their work.” (Ithaka S+R) IWU joined with colleagues from 25 academic institutions, two of which are located in the United Kingdom, for this work. Two other participants in this project also offer
undergraduate-only liberal arts programs.
Her report, “Supporting Teaching with Primary Sources at Illinois Wesleyan University” is now available online, and presents the results of her interviews with our faculty. Congratulations to Meg on this accomplishment, our gratitude to the faculty who participated, and many thanks to Ithaka S&R for including the liberal arts perspective in their research!
Archives for the Centennial of Women’s Right to Vote
Posted by Meg Miner
on August 27, 2020
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This post is from a news release courtesy of the Society of American Archivists’s Committee on Public Awareness. Be sure to visit the poster exhibit on The Ames Library’s entry level, too!
Archives contain primary sources such as letters, photographs, and audio and video footage that document the work of early suffragists such as Carrie Chapman Catt, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Minnie Fisher Cunningham, Angelina Weld Grimke, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. In making these materials available, archivists hope to remind the public of the long history of the battle for the right to vote and the suffragists’ roles in the fight for equality.
Here are a few archives and history organizations that are remembering the suffrage centennial via online exhibits, social media, and lesson plans. You are invited to join in the celebration!
- The National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, created Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote, a 3,000-square-foot exhibit that draws from more than 90 documents, photographs, and artifacts in its collection – including the original Nineteenth Amendment, which will be on limited display. Check out the virtual exhibit led by archivist and curator Corinne Potter. The National Archives also has created a nationwide traveling exhibit, pop-up displays for classroom use, and educational resources and lesson plans for educators to incorporate into their curriculum.
- The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission was established by Congress in April 2017 “to commemorate and coordinate the nationwide celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment.” The non-partisan commission has created a federal legislative tracker to note all suffrage-related congressional legislation, as well as a chronological list of press releases on suffrage news, programs, and events.
- The National Organization of Women is highlighting past and present “sheroes” via its Sisters in Suffrage website and social media campaign. Each day in the 100 days leading up to the anniversary of the vote, NOW has released a new image and biographical sketch that illustrate the extraordinary work of these remarkable and diverse women. The public is encouraged to participate and follow along via social media with the hashtags #sistersinsuffrage, #Celebrating100, #righttovote.
- The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum is celebrating the centennial via a Google Arts and Culture exhibit about Rosalynn Carter’s fight for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA); an article for The Text Message, the blog of the National Archives and Records Administration, about President Carter meeting an original suffragist prior to the Alice Paul Memorial March of 1977; and a new interview of Rosalynn Carter by her former daughter-in-law, Judy Langford Carter, about the fight for ERA.
- The Radcliffe Institute’s Schlesinger Library at Harvard University has invited researchers, writers, and teachers to create a series of digital teaching modules for its Suffrage School. Each lesson connects to the library’s Long 19th Amendment Project, tackling the tangled history of gender and American citizenship, and includes a short video in which the instructor shares a primary source from the Schlesinger’s collections. Lessons include a link to the digitized documents, questions to guide further reflection, and additional readings.
- The National Women’s History Museum provides a wide variety of lesson plans, modules, downloadable documents, PowerPoints, and videos for educators wanting to integrate the history of Women’s Suffrage into their educational curriculums. Each specific lesson plan is tailored to meet the requirements of students from grades 6 to 12. Additionally, a timeline of the suffrage movement and corresponding educational activities test students’ knowledge of the timeline.
- The National Park Service, through its 20 Suffragists to Know for 2020 profiles, spotlights the biographies of diverse women of color, such as Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin, Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, Nina Otero-Warren, and Zitkala-Ša, whose work contributed to the passage of the 19th Amendment even as they waged their own battles against racism and discrimination.
Newspaper archive database to explore
Posted by Meg Miner
on August 21, 2020
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Extra! Extra!
The Ames Library has acquired temporary access to a collection of historical newspapers from the NewspaperArchive.com.
Dating from 1607-2020, the database contains more than 15,495+ different titles from every US state and twenty-eight other countries around the world. Every newspaper in the archive is fully searchable by keyword, date, place, and title making it easy for you to quickly see if we have the article you’re seeking.
Test it out and let us know what you think!
Welcome Back, Titans!
Posted by Stephanie Davis-Kahl
on August 18, 2020
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We are so happy to have students back! The library may look different, but please know our new setup is designed to keep you safe and healthy. You can find more information about the changes we’ve made for health and safety, access to the building, services, and more in our Fall Semester FAQ.
If you have any questions over the semester, please remember that Ames Librarians are here to help. You can connect with us online or in-person during our on call hours, Monday – Friday, 1-4 pm, or during our office hours, or you can just send us an email! We look forward to seeing you, whether you are on campus or learning from home this semester!
Being a Successful Online Student webinar!
Posted by Stephanie Davis-Kahl
on August 11, 2020
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Interested in learning how to manage your time, boost your study skills, and engage thoughtfully in your online courses?
As we prepare for a semester with many online and hybrid classes, we know that learning and engaging electronically can require different skills and strategies. In light of that, we hope you’ll attend this one hour webinar “Being a Successful Online Student.” This webinar will cover study, organization and engagement strategies to help you get the most out of your online class. You’ll also hear more about one-on-one tutoring for academic skills being offered this year by new Student Success Tutors.
Register online, and join us on Aug 16, 2020 at 2:00 PM Central Time in Zoom!
Questions? Contact Bevin Choban at bchoban@iwu.edu for more information or for access to the recording!
Stephanie Davis-Kahl Named University Librarian
Posted by Scott Walter
on July 9, 2020
1 comment
Stephanie Davis-Kahl, currently Collections and Scholarly Communications Librarian, and Professor, The Ames Library, has been named University Librarian and Copyright Officer, effective July 20, 2020. Ms. Davis-Kahl will succeed Scott Walter, who has been named Dean of Library and Information Access at San Diego State University.
A member of the library faculty since 2004, Stephanie is an active researcher in the field, drawing inspiration for many of her projects, including her two co-edited collections, Undergraduate Research and the Academic Librarian: Case Studies and Best Practices (2017), and Common Ground at the Nexus of Information Literacy and Scholarly Communication (2013) from her work with faculty and students at IWU. She has served on Curriculum Council, the Promotion and Tenure Committee, the Council for University Programs and Policies, and the Undergraduate Research Committee. She coordinated efforts to collect and archive exemplary student research and faculty scholarship in Digital Commons @ IWU, earning the “IR All Star Award” from bepress in 2013. She is active in the Association for College & Research Libraries, her professional home, and received the “Distinguished Education and Behavioral Sciences Librarian” award from the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Education and Behavioral Sciences Section in 2014.
Over the past several weeks, Stephanie has provided leadership for the strategic acquisition of digital content designed to support IWU faculty and students as they have adapted to the “online-only” model for teaching and learning during the coronavirus crisis, and is leading the planning and coordination to re-open the Ames Library for public services at the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester.
New Library Catalog (and More) Launched
Posted by Scott Walter
on July 2, 2020
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With help from our colleagues at the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI), we have completed our migration to the new Ames Library catalog, I-Share catalog, and article databases, also known as “MegaSearch.” Launched on June 24th across the state, our new system provides enhanced searching, requesting, and delivery options for library users, and new tools for management of library resources for library faculty and staff.
While requests for materials from other library collections, both through I-Share and interlibrary loan, remain limited owing to the impact of the coronavirus on library services across the world, you can still use the new MegaSearch to discover and gain access to materials in the Ames Library collection (including curbside delivery, beginning July 7th), and to access digital resources including electronic journal articles, e-books, and streaming media. If you would like an introduction to the new system, please review this tutorial.
The migration to the new library catalog has been ongoing for over a year, and would not have been possible without the concerted efforts of library faculty and staff preparing materials, updating records, and trouble-shooting data and workflows. We look forward to introducing you and your students to the new system in the Fall. If you have any questions, please contact your liaison librarian.