We have moved our blog!

Thank you for following our Boise State library news and resources blog for the past 10 years here on Blogger. Now another chapter begins as the Albertsons Library blog, "At The Library" moves to its new home at WordPress. Our new site is located at https://library.boisestate.edu/at-the-library/

Memo Cordova,
Associate Professor/Librarian

Goodbye Blogger! Hello WordPress!

After 10 years of using Blogger to disseminate news and information about Albertsons Library, we are excited to make the move to WordPress and become part of a unified campus-wide branding platform.

We will unveil the new Albertsons Library blog in the coming weeks once the migration of our content is completed. The URL http://albertsonslibrary.blogspot.com/ will no longer be updated.

Stay tuned for our new web address coming soon!

Road Trip!

"Road" by Susanne Nilsson is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Laura Coleman has mapped out a great display of road tripping books and materials at the Circulation desk for our first month of summer. In addition the library ebook collection has a number of resources that might spark your travel bug:

• Winnebago Nation: The RV in American Culture http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/900214879 
• Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/436734223

This website has ideas for eats along the way: 
Road Food https://roadfood.com/state/

If you’re thinking of exploring the great state of Idaho, Visit Idaho has maps and more at https://visitidaho.org/explore-idaho/maps-and-publications/

And, if you’d like to check your route or view a live feed from a roadside camera there’s the Idaho 511 Traveler Information site: http://bit.ly/1RR0UG7

Audrey Williams,
Access Services

New Digital Theatre Arts Costume Collection

Millie, Act II, Scenes iv-viii
by Darrin J. Pufall
doi: 10.18122/B2VC7T

Kimberly Holling, Library Assistant III for the Data Management and Scholarly Communications unit recently helped launch a new Theatre Arts Costume Collection in ScholarWorks. The collection was organized and implemented by Ms. Holling for her 2016 Master of Library and Information Science Capstone Project with the University of Washington. As a growing number of institutions are creating digital collections of historical clothing, the same cannot be said for theatrical costumes.

This form of non-traditional academic scholarship continues to go unmarked in the world of repositories with the exception of small collections of production stills. While theatre is a collaborative effort, there are technical elements (ex. scenery or costumes) that need to be documented with context in order to support the study and ongoing recognition of their corresponding designers. Constructed garments are often altered and reused for subsequent performances making these pieces ephemeral in nature.

This collection increases awareness not only of the designer’s work, but also to Boise State University’s contributions to the theatre arts. Initially intended as a form of archival collection, it quickly presented itself as a digital publishing opportunity for the library. The collection currently houses 63 digitally published records containing the costume designs of Darrin J. Pufall for the 2013 Boise State production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. These records are a combination of Mr. Pufall’s personal costume renderings and Ms. Holling’s photographs of selected garments from the show.

Finished garment of
displayed rendering
doi: 10.18122/B2S88J

To add further value to these records a statement from the designer himself provides additional context to understand why certain features were chosen and the overall premise the designer was going for. Ms. Holling herself has a background in both apparel design and theatre (performance and costume design) and provided her expertise to help breakdown the primary construction techniques and features of the photographed garments, along with measurements and the fabric content whenever possible.

The additional insight of Keri Fitch, the manager of the Theatre Arts Costume Shop, provided further background for alterations in the final design of certain garments from the original rendering, which is information that is generally left unknown to those outside of the technical production of a show.

The collection demonstrates the on-going efforts of the Data Management and Scholarly Communications unit to support Boise State's arts and humanities scholarship while expanding its original, open access publishing services.

Building upon traditional library cataloging description practices, Ms. Holling utilized a standards-based metadata schema to represent the theatrical costume designs and increase discovery of the work. Additionally, unlike other online costume collections which are no longer accessible, the library's stewardship and support of this work ensures permanent, world-wide access to Boise State scholarship.

Come visit the new Theatre Arts Costume Collection online at: http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/millie_2013_costumes

Bosnia and Herzegovina in Posters at the Library

The library is happy to host a new display of posters created by Boise State Service Learning students. Project leader and student in the MBA program, Maya Duratovic, provides some background on the project:

The Bosnian and Herzegovinian Cultural Center of Idaho received a grant from The Idaho State Historical Society to create a traveling museum of Bosnian and Herzegovinian history. Boise State Service Learning students worked together with the members of the Cultural Center to find ways to present the history in visually appealing posters. This project is only one of its kind that showcases the tradition and heritage that Bosnian refugees brought to the state. Idaho has been influenced by waves of immigrants, each contributing in some way to the history of the state. Bosnians are a modern day example of how history develops in Idaho, and this traveling history museum will help to preserve the rich Bosnian heritage brought to the American melting pot of cultures.

May in Motion--Busing it to Work

Riding the bus to work is an easy, inexpensive, and low-stress way to commute. However, it can be a little confusing if you haven’t ever ridden before. Here are a few insider tips from a frequent traveler to help you get started.

Catching the Bus

• Valley Ride has a lot of routes throughout Boise and the surrounding areas. A complete list of options can be found on the Valley Ride website.
• To figure out which routes are closest to you, first look over the Valley Ride system map. Once you’ve found the specific route you need, look at the map for that particular route. It will list all the official stops allowing you to figure out where you need to go to catch the bus.
• Some stops are covered by multiple routes. If that is the case, the bus stop sign will list the numbers of the routes that go by that location. Pay close attention to the different schedules as buses run at different times. One route may run throughout the day, while another only runs during rush hours.The maps will also provide Time Points along those routes. Time Points, marked with a number in a square and highlighted in bold, are stops along the route when the bus is supposed to depart at a specific time. This is how Valley Ride builds-in flexibility for things like traffic or weather delays. If a bus is ahead of schedule, it will pause at the Time Point stop until the depart time. If they are running late, they will treat it like a regular stop.
• You can use the Time Points to estimate when the bus will come by your specific stop. It’s always a good idea to arrive several minutes early to make certain you don’t miss your bus.
• Another useful tool is the Bus Locator Portal. If you have internet access, you can track your bus as it moves along its route.
• Riding the bus is great, but sometimes you need to go a little further where there is no route. Bringing your bike is a great solution, but it may seem a little cumbersome when you first try to put your bike on the front of the bus. Check out this video for a quick How To:
  

Riding the Bus

• As a member of the Boise State community, you get to ride the bus for free! Stop by the Information Desk in the Student Union and pick up a bus sticker for your ID, then show that to the driver when you get on. If the bus isn’t very full, feel free to spread out and use the seats around you for your bags and extra things. However, keep an eye out for when more passengers get on. If the bus starts to fill up, be sure to move your belongings.
• Don’t make it difficult for another passenger to sit down by refusing to move over from the aisle seat. Buses aren’t airplanes. The drivers can’t wait for everyone to get perfectly settled before taking off. Hogging two seats is especially annoying during rush hour.
• If you see a friend on the bus, move over to chat with them. One of the great benefits of riding the bus is time to catch up with folks. However, it’s not fun for other passengers when they have to listen to you yelling/talking loudly down the length of the bus.
• Be prepared to give up your seat for passengers using wheelchairs, scooters, or other similar equipment. This is an official Valley Ride rule.
• Offer to give up your seat to those with greater need: parents with strollers/multiple kids, passengers with many/heavy packages, etc. Generally being thoughtful of your fellow passengers will always earn you some good karma points.

Exiting the Bus

• It can be easy to get absorbed in your favorite book, so be sure to keep an eye out for your desired stop.
• When you get a block or two from your stop, pull the yellow cord which is strung along the side of the bus. A red light in the front of the bus will come on which will notify the driver that you would like to get off.
• Preferably exit off the back of the bus, especially if there are a passengers waiting outside to get on.
• If you brought your bike, notify the driver that you need to grab your bike. This is helpful as they may not be aware that you are going to step in front of the bus.
• When leaving, be sure to offer your thanks to your driver. Not only is it a nice thing for your hard working driver to hear, it's good form as courteous passenger.

A Few Extra Tips

• Drivers are great source of information and when not driving are usually able to answer any questions you have.
• Some of your fellow passengers may be Travel Information Volunteers who are available to help riders navigate the bus system. Look for the Travel Information Volunteer vest the next time you get on the bus.
  

  

  From 'Travel Training" page at Valley Ride

   

Michelle Armstrong,
Head, Scholarly Communications and Data Management

EBooks on Gardening Display

Service-Learning students, Chunkit Li, Boise Urban Garden School,
Franklin Rd, Photo by Patrick Sweeney

Access Services staff member Laura Coleman has created a growing display of gardening sources for you to enjoy at the Circulation desk. Keep on checking the display as a variety of items will pop up as it is tended to.

The library’s collection offers a bounty of ebook inspiration for growing a garden or to just dream about them: 

• Apartment gardening : plants, projects, and recipes for growing food in your urban home http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/759838812 
• Growing vegetables in town and city http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/794182633 
• Small green roofs: low tech options for greener living http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/776997338 

And check out these garden sites too: 

• Student Union Rooftop Garden and Bee Farm http://sub.boisestate.edu/sustainability/ 
• City of Boise Community Gardens https://parks.cityofboise.org/parks-locations/community-gardens/ 

 Finally, just for fun, a little music from John Denver and Guy Clark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJxsxaCzeRE

Audrey Williams,
Access Services