ScholarWorks display in Special Collections and Archives

The ScholarWorks unit, in conjunction with Special Collections and Archives (SCA), has created a display showcasing many different types of Boise State scholarly outputs.

Both ScholarWorks and SCA are concerned with curating the scholarship of Boise State University, as such many of the collections presented have a physical component that is housed within archives and displayed alongside the more digital quality of ScholarWorks content.

The exhibit includes information about Boise State’s first e-Journal BOGA Basque Studies Consortium Journal, which just released its 4th issue. Several articles in BOGA discuss materials in the SCA collection, such as the Nor-Nun book which is also on display. Cabinets and windows feature books and other series written or produced by Boise State, which SCA collects and many are available to read online from the ScholarWorks website.

The purely digital nature of ScholarWorks presented a distinct challenge to create a physical display, which required collaboration with SCA and Library IT. Jim Duran, Cheryl Oestreicher, and Gwyn Hervochon from SCA helped find materials which would complement each window display, as well as provided tips to arrange and present the objects and information. Bill English from Library IT creatively found ways to incorporate digital components in the exhibit.

The unique aspect of this display is it is interactive with iPads and headphones provided to allow visitors to listen to the Idaho LGBTQ Oral History Project. Additional iPads are available for visitors to browse the ScholarWorks website to learn more about the collections on display. The library IT department also used Raspberry Pis to run a slideshow of art images on a 32” monitor.

The items selected for this display were chosen to showcase the wide variety of research from not only faculty and staff, but also students (undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels), and sometimes even the Boise community in relation to Boise State. Since 2009, ScholarWorks has been working to make Boise State’s scholarship openly accessible.

The largest collection is faculty publications and all of the collections combined have been downloaded over 1.5 million times from people all over the world. We hope this display helps provide you the viewer with more context as to what ScholarWorks is, does, and provides.

You can visit the display on the second floor of Albertsons Library anytime the library is open during the Spring 2016 semester, and checkout ScholarWorks online at scholarworks.boisestate.edu. We are also happy to answer any questions you may have in person (Library 217), on the phone (208-426-2581), or through email (scholarworks@boisestate.edu).

Kimberly Holling and Amber Sherman

Diaries: A Great Primary Source

Take a walk in someone else's shoes through the diaries of people throughout history, and the diaries of fictional characters. Diaries can be entertaining, educational, or an excellent primary source for research. 

Laura Coleman, Access Services, has created a display of some of our diaries in print, but Albertsons Library offers many different media formats. Here is a sampling of some of the items you can check out.

ebooks: 

Diary of a wimpy kid: the last straw http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/862083207

The Diary of a Superfluous Man: And Other Stories http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/769343968

Great Expectation: A Father's Diary http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/297117445

From Beacon Hill to the Crystal Palace: The 1851 Travel Diary of a Working-Class Woman http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/56109548

Audio Books: 

Zlata's diary http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/55730342

DVD: 

Diary of a Worm http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/57443088

Audrey Williams,
Access Services

New Workshops for Spring 2016!

 We're very excited to be offering a number of new workshops this semester! Workshops are:

• FREE!
• Only an hour
• Everyone is welcome, no experience is necessary
• All materials are provided

A listing of current workshops is available below, and on the MakerLab's Workshop page.

  

NEW Starting with Python Picking a programming language can be difficult, especially when there are so many languages and so many different applications out there. Not only is Python easy to learn and faster to program with, it is the first choice of organizations like Youtube, Reddit, and Industrial Light & Magic. This workshop will take you through the essentials of programming and get you started writing and editing your own programs. Register now for Friday, 2/12/2016, noon or Thursday, 3/17/2016, 11am. NEW Scientific origami Making origami can be fun and functional, but did you also know it can be scientific? Gain a whole new understanding of DNA by creating a 3D model with paper, while learning about DNA research being done by the The Nanoscale Materials and Device Group. Register now for Friday, 4/29/2016, 2:30pm.

NEW Knitting as code

Get your knit on while discussing the similarities between knitting instructions and a variety of coding languages. All materials provided, and no experience necessary. Register now for Friday, 1/29/2016, 3pm. NEW Paper Baskets Desk Set

Are you constantly misplacing your keys? Need something to corral your pens? Don’t spend a fortune buying something, make it out of paper! Learn how to use the library’s Silhouette cutter and let your imagination go wild. Register now for Thursday, 3/10/2016, 1pm. Lean, Mean, Green Screen Machine

Your imagination is the only limit when learning to create your own images to superimpose. Use lighting and camera techniques to take an effective green screen photo! Using equipment available to everyone at the library, you can use a DSLR and the library’s green screen to learn. Register now for Wednesday, 3/2/2016, 1pm. Getting in Touch with Your Arduino

Have you ever thought about learning to code? Many people want to learn, but never do because they can’t see how it could fit into their everyday life. This workshop will teach you the basics of Arduino coding, electronics and breadboard prototyping. By using capacitive touch sensors, you can interface the Arduino with objects all around you! Register now for Saturday, 1/23/2016, noon or Friday 3/4/2016 noon. We even have a new type of unworkshop for those who don't have more than a few minutes to spare. Pop-up events! No registration required. NEW Pop-up Event: Carrot piano

Have you heard of twinkling the ivories? Well, you can twinkle carrots instead! We'll have the MakeyMakey piano set up to play a few notes. Take a quick break and play for a minute, or borrow one from the front desk to make your own piano at home! NEW Pop-up Event: Numbers and blinks with Arduino

Have a quick look at an Arduino microcontroller and see if you can make the light blink slower or faster. How about a fade? Take a quick break and play for a minute, or borrow one from the front desk to make your own piano at home! NEW Pop-up Event: Play with a Sphero ball

We'll have the Sphero ball all charged up and rolling in the library. Take a quick break and stop by and play for a minute.

Win a gift card

In coordination with the Campus Read, Matt Richtel’s A Deadly Wandering, this stuffed car is traveling all over the library and you might be surprised where it can be found.

If you find the car, bring it to the Circulation Desk. You will receive a ticket to fill out as an entry into a drawing for a $10 Starbucks gift card.

Find the car as many times as you can--entries will remain in the box till the end of the scheduled drawings.

The drawings will take place on Jan. 29th, Feb. 19th,  Mar. 18th, and Apr. 15th. Winners will be notified via email, and need not be present to win.

Good luck!
Audrey Williams,
Access Services

Get organized for the new semester!

A new year, a new semester, and class has started! Staying on top of assignments and projects can help make the semester go more smoothly. Albertsons Library offers lots of materials to help you stay organized and on point, not only with school work, but also on the job and in your personal life. Check out these ebooks:

Let's stop meeting like this: tools to save time and get more done
http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/882551279

Personal productivity secrets: Do what you never thought possible with your time and attention ... and regain control of your life
http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/787842587

ZIP! Tips: the fastest way to get more done
http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/84443428

Get productive!: boosting your productivity and getting things done
http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/795645172

More time for you: a powerful system to organize your work and get things done
http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/680277440

Chaos to control: a practical guide to getting things done
http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/870599931

The procrastinator's guide to getting things done
http://boisestate.worldcat.org/oclc/499176008

You can find many helpful and encouraging titles in print on display at the circulation counter.
Laura Coleman, a work study student at the library (and coordinator of the circulation counter displays) has also found these campus resources to be very helpful:

Career Center - career.boisestate.edu - resources for planning your career
Writing Center - writingcenter.boisestate.edu - writing resources
Advising and Academic Enhancement - aae.boisestate.edu - degree planning, tutoring (in-person and online), academic success resources

Laura Coleman and Audrey Williams
Access Services

Spring Semester at Albertsons Library!

We're excited to have you back on campus and to showcase what resources are available to you. We strive to make your research and study spaces as comfortable and useful as possible, so here's what you can find at the library:

• All wireless, all the time
• Access to over 320+ research databases
• A computer lab on the first & second floors running the latest Microsoft Office suite
• Check out Mac and PC laptops, as well as iPads, chargers, headphones & other gear from the Circulation desk on the first floor
• More open seating areas and portable outlets
• Scanners and multiple BroncoPrint stations, including wireless printing
• Streaming video databases on a wide range of subjects--watch online or on your portable device
• Reserve study rooms in the library
• Interested in 3D printing, video production? We have options!
• Browse Boise State research and scholarship via ScholarWorks
• Growing collection of eBooks via the library catalog
• Extensive subject guides in fields such as Anthropology, Raptor Studies, Criminal Justice, Management, and many more
• Starbucks on the first floor, next to the library's entrance
• Library hours for the semester are listed in our calendar
• Have questions about research, campus, or anything at all? We’re available to help you via our Help page or our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram 
• In a rush? Text us your questions at (208) 546-9982

 Welcome to your Boise State Library. We hope you have a fantastic Spring semester!