5.29.2015

Albertsons Library Wins Lulzbot



Deana Brown, assistant professor and librarian at Albertsons Library, entered a contest to win a LulzBot 3D printer.

This LulzBot is a mini, with a smaller bed than our other printer, but similarly to our original 3D Printer, DooDad, this one is also open source and non-proprietary. We are so excited to learn all about it. The team was especially excited to see the neat poster that explains all of the parts of the printing.

To learn more about 3D printing visit our LibGuide: http://guides.boisestate.edu/3Dprinter

Making room for the College of Innovation and Design

Did you read the Update news blurb about changes and improvements to Albertsons Library this summer? We're making room for more than just the MakerLab! The last paragraph states, "The library will also host the College of Innovation and Design (COID) offices on the second floor. In order to make room for the new college, the library will be relocating furniture and collections."  

Well, what does that mean? It means the Curriculum Resource Center (CRC) on the second floor of the library is shifting and moving to make space for the COID dean's office, associate dean's office, administrative assistant area, conference room, and a collaborative lab space. These offices will be located on the North side of the 2nd floor. This construction project will begin next week, and conclude sometime during the Fall semester.   

What is moving where?

Here is a what will remain the same:
  • Dewey​/Curriculum​ collection (​p​K-12) will remain on the 2nd floor, just shifted a little bit
  • ​p​K-12 Idaho adoption textbooks will ​still be on the 2nd floor near the Dewey collection
  • You can still check-out ​p​K-12 materials at the circulation desk on the 1st floor​ (and return them there)​

Here is what will change:
  • Non-K-12 DVDs and CDs will move to the 3rd floor
  • Margie Ruppel's office will now be on the first floor, near Starbuck's. She will continue to be the library liaison to the College of Education.
  • Roberta Pena's considerable experience and skills are being transferred to a new position in our Technical Services unit
  • Assistance with K-12 materials will now be provided from the 1st floor reference desk, where there are a variety of ways to contact us, or just stop by!
Margie Rupple and Mary Aagard waiting to assist you at the reference desk
Library faculty members and staff are excited to partner with and host the COID. We can't wait to see what this new college brings to Boise State!

Follow along with this project, and construction on the first floor, as Albertsons Library makes room for the MakerLab (and the COID).


5.24.2015

Albertsons Library Closed for Memorial Day


The Library and the rest of campus will be closed on Monday, May 25th for the Memorial Day holiday. Find online resources at our website at http://library.boisestate.edu/ and library hours at http://library.boisestate.edu/about/hours.php  

5.21.2015

Albertsons Library Faculty: Advisors for the New Creative Technologies Association

Student learns about why bananas are conductive, and plays Tetris with bananas and MaKey MaKeys. You can check out your own MaKey MaKey at the library's Circulation Desk!
When the library purchased a 3D printer and began providing a service, the library faculty working with this device met a group of passionate students who wanted to pursue creative technologies outside their coursework. Scott Schmader, Greg Brasier, Elle (Michelle) Pyles, Veronica Blake, and Ian Gilman are the founding officers of the Creative Technologies Association (CTA), each coming from a different major and background. The CTA was recognized by ASBSU in Spring 2015.

Working together and collaboratively, this group of students has already been instrumental in providing workshops for their peers, hosting a MaKey MaKey build night and assisting Albertsons Library with the development of the MakerLab and with the 3D printer services.

Library faculty Deana Brown and Amy Vecchione are the faculty advisors for this group. As part of this network, we actively seek to engage fellow makers from the community, and from campus, to help create new knowledge through the process of critical making.

Many of the students that are members have worked on creative and technical projects: inventions, new designs, entrepreneurial business ideas. Each of them enjoy the aspects of critical making, reflecting back on what, of their projects, worked and what did not. 

To learn more about the organization visit OrgSync. From the constitution, they state that: 
The purpose of this organization shall be to: provide students and faculty with a campus-wide network of informational, social, and physical resources that will allow them to explore and expand their individual and group interests in the field of creative technology through various independently initiated projects. Furthermore, members will develop and use creative thinking skills that are highly applicable to a multitude of modern careers - ultimately being able to present their work in the CTA as part of a resume to future employers.
We are very excited to welcome this group to the Boise State campus.

There are several skill sets that the CTA wishes to learn more about including projection mapping, creating digital experiences, user experience design, building a quadcopter, and creating their own filament for 3d printing. Please get in touch if you want to work together and learn!

Contact Amy Vecchione amyvecchione@boisestate.edu and Deana Brown deanabrown@boisestate.edu to learn more!

5.19.2015

Changes Around the First Floor

You'll start seeing some changes around the first floor due to the construction taking place. Here are some snapshots of what's been changing so far since the summer session began.

The browsing collection, full of great reads, is now located near the Starbucks.

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The Browsing Collection has moved to a new nook on the first floor!

Microfilm cabinets are moving into the space where these books used to be. 

Microfilm cabinets are moving in.
This area is now cleared for the MakerLab!

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This room will house the Albertsons Library's MakerLab and the GIMM Lab. 

5.18.2015

Albertsons Library Makes Way for the MakerLab

Albertsons Library will see some exciting changes over the summer months.

Construction soon will start on the first floor to make room for the library’s MakerLab, a student center for creation, innovation and experimentation. The lab will feature technology such as 3D printers, vinyl cutters, Raspberry Pi (an extremely powerful, small cluster computer), Arduinos (a tool for making computers that can sense and control more of the physical world than your desktop computer), squishy circuits and more.

Space also is being created for a new Gaming Interactive Media and Mobile (GIMM) technology degree program. The GIMM classroom and lab space are part of the new College of Innovation and Design (COID) and classes will start in fall 2015.

The library also will host the COID offices on the second floor. In order to make room for the new college, the library will be relocating furniture and collections. In some cases, where the library has permanent electronic versions of journals, large duplicate journal sets will be withdrawn in favor of electronic access.

Follow Albertsons Library on Twitter, Facebook or on this very blog for updates on these exciting changes.

5.11.2015

Summer & The Albertsons Library


Welcome to the Summer session, Boise State! We're glad to have you in our temperature controlled, Wi-Fi enabled, air-conditioned building! We strive to make your research and study spaces as comfortable and useful as possible. Enjoy:
  • When is the library open? Check here http://library.boisestate.edu/about/hours.php
  • Access articles from journals and magazines from 280+ research databases
  • Hundreds of computers running Microsoft Office, Mac and PC laptops for checkout, scanners, and multiple BroncoPrint stations, including wireless printing from your laptop
  • Printing stations on 1st and 2nd floors, and color printing on the 1st floor
  • Check out iPads, MacBooks, and netbooks from the Circulation desk on the first floor
  • Streaming video databases on a wide range of subjects--watch online or on your portable device
  • The library catalog sports a large & growing collection of eBooks--read books online or download it to your portable device
  • Did we mention a Starbucks in the building? First floor, next to the library's entrance
  • Extensive subject guides in fields such as Public Administration, Anthropology, Kinesiology, Educational Technology and many more, via the library's subject guides
  • A collaboration room (L109C) with scanners & computers
  • Have questions about research, campus, or anything at all? We’re available to help you via our Help page, on Facebook, and on Twitter. We're well represented on Pinterest and Instagram too. Or you can text us your questions at (208) 546-9982
Here's to a fun & research-rich summer semester!