Library Research Class

In my Library Research class, University 106, I ask the students to revise the rubric for their final assignment. During the course they must come up with a topic they are passionate about, and then investigate it. They always end up learning a lot and it has been a pivotal point for many of my students. We debate issues and take current news article and try to determine if they are true or not - or at least establish the bias in the articles.

Since they are mostly marketing students I asked Leigh Ann Duferrena, Boise State's Digital Communications Specialist, to stop by and talk about her work. I am pleasantly surprised with her capture of our class!

Students in UNIV106 are proactive in planning their final projects and expectations. @BSULibrary #boisestate pic.twitter.com/ZEdHf8lNw1
— Boise State (@boisestatelive) February 27, 2014

New look for Current Periodicals section

Chris next to the Current Periodicals section,
on the library's 1st floor.

Displays have been added that highlight the Current Periodicals section of the library. The displays feature the covers from different journals and magazines to showcase an overlooked resource available to students.

The Current Periodicals section has many uses; one is its ability to conjure up inspiration for research papers. Another, as Chris Felt can attest to, is to discover a favorite magazine such as Maclean’s. A Canadian news magazine, Maclean’s publishes articles on current events and issues. According to Chris, “Maclean’s is like Time Magazine except you  have a better chance of finding interesting articles.”

Additionally Chris uses the Current Periodicals as an opportunity to find new topics of interest, such as coming across an issue of Earth First! which lead Chris to a new area of research: radical environmentalism.

So, If you need a topic for a research paper or want to find a new favorite magazine, come to the Current Periodicals section of the library.

Chris Felt and Audrey Williams,
Access Services

5000 historic images and documents online

This week Albertsons Library Digital Collections grew to over 5000 historic images and documents online. Researchers seeking primary sources mostly relating to the history of Boise State and/or Idaho can browse these collections for inspiration for writing topics or to complement their research. Some examples of topics you will find include:

• Bronco Stadium
• Idaho’s 1990s Gay Rights legislation
• Aerial views of Boise
• Cowboy Hats
• Pre-1910 photography

Stop by the Library’s Special Collections and Archives office to see even more historic photograph collections (Library Room 222).

Jim Duran,

Special Collections and Archives

Library Closed for Presidents' Day

The Boise State campus will be closed for the Presidents' Day holiday on Monday, February 17th 2014. Our hours and online collections can be accessed at http://library.boisestate.edu/.

In the meantime, spend some time reading about the weather in February 1775, thanks to this entry from George Washington himself:

George Washington, Diary, January 1, 1775 - June 19, 1775
Image 23 of 110

Access the George Washington Papers 1741-1799 at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwhome.html

New eBooks at the Library!

When you walk into the library, it's easy to see all the new print books that we buy. But now we're getting more ebooks. Check this out! It's a list of all of the new ebooks coming to Boise State!

http://bit.ly/albertsonsebooks

Getting Started on Developing a Research Project

Attention students! Have you been curious about conducting your own original research, but aren't sure how to get started? Are you thinking about submitting a Student Research Initiative proposal? Want to participate in the Undergraduate Research Conference?

Join the Albertsons Library and the Student Research Initiative on March 5th to get a head start on putting together a great research project. Topics covered will include:

• Brainstorming and developing research questions,
• Finding materials and resources on your topic,
• Locating a mentor to support your research.

By attending you will gain experience with researching background information on your topic, and make connections with faculty members from across campus.

The workshop will be held from 4:00 - 5:00 pm on March 5th in room 203, second floor of the library.

Michelle Armstrong,
Scholarly Communications and Data Management Librarian

Amy Vecchione,
Digital Access Librarian/Assistant Professor

University Author Recognition Event

Albertsons Library celebrates all Boise State University authors who published articles, books, or creative works during the past year in an annual University Author Recognition (UAR) event. This event traditionally consists of a bibliography of Boise State University authors compiled by Albertsons Library staff, a display of scholarly and creative works, and a reception where the university community is invited to meet authors and recognize their scholarly contributions.

This year the UAR will also include a Scholars’ Panel Discussion starting at 4pm and a “photo booth” where participants can have their photo taken and receive a photo frame commemorating the event. Photos can then be downloaded or printed from an album on the library’s Facebook page. In more social media opportunities for the UAR, we’ll be live Tweeting at #UAR2014. Please join us! The 9th Annual University Author Recognition will take place on Wednesday, February 19th in the McCain Room from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

LEAP Motion - a gesture computing device - at the Library!

A student plays with the LEAP Motion game. 

Student Assistant Helena created this Sea Monster on Mars!

Here's another view of the Sea Monster on Mars. 

Albertsons Library has added a LEAP Motion device to the lab area. We encourage students to use the gesture based device, which is connected to a large screen. We will all start seeing more gesture based computing to manipulate data on computers. Researchers are designing apps using this technology, too.

It's cool! Come play and take a look!

The LEAP Motion is located on the first floor of the library near the Computer Assistant station. Let us know what you think! Let us know what you learn!!