Data in the Disciplines: Exploring Research Data Curation Best Practices for Chemistry & Ethnography

Posted on March 15, 2019 by jmkyoung

If you’re a researcher collecting data, what steps are you taking to keep that data safe? How have you organized it so that you can efficiently share it with colleagues or train new research partners to use? What do you expect will be the useful lifespan of your research data?

For the last three years, Collins Memorial Library has hosted summer workshops focusing on research data management and curation and invited students and faculty to come together to answer these questions. Over the course of these multi-day workshops, participants take a hard look at their current data wrangling strategies, learn about best practices for data management, and come away with some solid plans for upgrading their approach to handling their most valuable research asset: their data.

In 2019, Puget Sound students and faculty in chemistry, and those who conduct ethnographic research, will have an exciting new opportunity to travel to Portland, OR to attend data management workshops specifically addressing their particular data management needs.

Data management workshops at Puget Sound have always been open to researchers collecting any type of qualitative or quantitative data, and students and faculty from disciplines across campus have attended.  They were developed by science liaison librarian Eli Gandour-Rood, based on a curriculum developed in 2015 in partnership with other science & data librarians from colleges across the Pacific Northwest, supported by a grant from the Northwest Five Consortium.  Recently, librarians at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon secured a grant from the Institute for Museum & Library Studies to support additional collaborative work for local science and data librarians to develop a curricular model for research data management and data information literacy within two specific disciplinary domains: chemistry and ethnography.

Eli will be representing Collins Library on a team of science librarians from Lewis & Clark, Reed, Willamette, and Puget Sound to create these “data in the disciplines” workshops, in partnership with external consultants with domain-specific knowledge about the data curation concerns & challenges faced by chemists & ethnographers.

The first workshop will be focused on research data management in Chemistry and will be held at Lewis & Clark College on June 6th and 7th, 2019. There will be full funding for a team of faculty, summer research students, and librarians from Puget Sound to attend. The 1.5 day workshop will both advance the data management and curation skills of the faculty & student participants, and tap into their expertise. The first day will focus on data management best practices & skills, while the second day will be structured around collaborative development of an outline for a data literacy curriculum module that could potentially be brought back and incorporated into a chemistry curriculum.

The second workshop, yet to be scheduled, will take place in Fall 2019 at Lewis & Clark College. It will focus on the data curation needs of researchers doing ethnographic research or similar work with human subjects, such as those involving interviews, or oral history projects.

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From the Archives & Special Collections: Outreach on Campus

Posted on March 13, 2019 by jmkyoung

Access to materials is one of the core functions of all archives. Part of the way that we provide access to and knowledge about our materials is through outreach in the form of classes, events, exhibits, and presentations. These interactions help members of the community understand how our legacy informs our future and draw connections between the past and the present. In keeping with this mission, Archivist & Special Collections Librarian Adriana Flores ‘13 recently gave a presentation to the Division of Student Affairs on learning from the past to build the future, and led staff members on an interactive investigation of Puget Sound’s history.

To select materials for this workshop, we drew from three of our most frequently taught class sessions on fraternity integration, the Vietnam War’s impact on campus, and the history of the Gender & Queer Studies program. Participants split up into three groups, each of which examined materials related to one of the three topics covered. They discussed what change is portrayed in the documents, what surprised them about the documents, what questions they still had, and what connections they can draw between the documents and our campus today. This exploration sparked a lively discussion about how the records we create tell our story and create our legacy.

Is your campus group or department also looking to collaborate with the A&SC? Contact us at archives@pugetsound.edu to set up a similar workshop. We can also assist with presentations for individual departments or groups, workshops for work teams or student employees, displays and exhibits, research support, and transferring departmental materials.

The Archives & Special Collections is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM or by appointment.

By Julia Masur

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Beta Theta Pi Exhibit, Saturday, March 30, 2019, Gallery Room, Collins Library

Posted on March 11, 2019 by jmkyoung

March 30: Beta Theta Pi Exhibit, (March 30–April 13), Gallery Room, Collins Library.

Beta Theta Pi-Delta Epsilon Chapter is going to have an alumni and campus event at the University of Puget Sound, to celebrate its 1000th member and 53rd anniversary.

The Delta Epsilon Chapter was established on December 1, 1961 and had operated until June 2011, when the National Fraternity closed the original chapter. However, two years later, forty-two strong had officially begun the process of re-colonization, and in the March of 2018, the Chapter was re-established.

Beta Theta Pi- Delta Epsilon Chapter is a vital member of the campus community. The Delta Epsilon has the highest GPA of all fraternities on the UPS campus and best risk management.

Beta Theta Pi-Delta Epsilon will host an exhibition in the Collins Memorial Library from March 30th to April 13th, 2019. The exhibition will feature the chapter’s historical artifacts, a banner with the Chapter’s notable alumni, and a giant flag featuring pictures of every member of the Delta Epsilon Chapter.

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The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

Posted on March 11, 2019 by jmkyoung

Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls living on the Korean island of Jeju, are best friends that come from very different backgrounds. When they are old enough, they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective, led by Young-sook’s mother. Despite their love for each other, Mi-ja and Young-sook’s differences are impossible to ignore. The Island of Sea Women is an epoch set over many decades, beginning during a period of Japanese colonialism in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by World War II, the Korean War and its aftermath, through the era of cell phones and wet suits for the women divers. Throughout this time, the residents of Jeju find themselves caught between warring empires. Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, and she will forever be marked by this association. Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her mother’s position leading the divers in their village. Little do the two friends know that after surviving hundreds of dives and developing the closest of bonds, forces outside their control will push their friendship to the breaking point.

Find this and more in the Popular Reading Collection!

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Collins Memorial Library Prepares to Meet the Needs of Student-Prisoners in FEPPS Program

Posted on March 8, 2019 by jmkyoung

Freedom Education Project Puget Sound (FEPPS) is a Civic Scholarship Initiative of the University of Puget Sound, an organization that offers undergraduate courses to prisoners Washington Corrections Center For Women (WCCW) in Gig Harbor. In cooperation with Tacoma Community College, the students can earn an Associate’s degree.

Instructors for the program represent a variety of colleges and university from around the Puget Sound region –  including many from University of Puget Sound. In addition to faculty involvement, students from Univ. of Puget Sound have also been involved as co-learners in Prof. Tanya Erzen’s Religion 307: Prisons, Gender and Education. Students enrolled in REL 307 participate in an experiential learning class that combines academic content and weekly participation in a college program at the Washington Center for Women, including participating in study halls with the FEPPS students at WCCW.

FEPPS is looking to expand its offerings to students at WCCW by adding a Bachelor of Arts program for students who have already completed their Associate’s degree. The new degree under consideration would be granted by the University of Puget Sound, and would require students to conduct a great deal more research than the current program. Current University of Puget Sound students can use Collins Memorial Library’s many print and electronic resources to meet their needs. However, students at WCCW have limited access to print materials and no access to the Internet. How will the library meet these unique information needs?

Collins Memorial Library has been partnering with co-learners from REL 307 to pilot a workflow to help students behind bars get the research materials they need. The process is a bit complicated. FEPPS students at WCCW submit a research request that is transmitted to co-learners on the Puget Sound campus. Students then identify research materials, and transmit them to student staff, who print the materials, and transfer them to instructors who deliver the printed materials to the incarcerated students.

While there is no indication that FEPPS students at WCCW will get access to computers any time soon, they may soon be able to use computers without Internet capability. Library staff are already working on a copy of our catalog to provide to FEPPS students, so they might request books to borrow, and an offline version of JSTOR, so they might identify scholarly articles to request.

Collins Memorial Library staff remain dedicated to providing innovative student-centered service, and we’ll be prepared to meet the challenge of serving this new population of students.

– By Ben Tucker

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From the Archives & Special Collections: Women’s History Month

Posted on March 7, 2019 by jpelger

March is Women’s History Month and the Archives & Special Collections staff has put together a display of contemporary materials by and about women. On display in our Reading Room are approximately 20 zines from the Collins Library Zine Collection on subjects including feminism, race, body positivity, sexual assault and harassment, beauty, and women’s health issues including menstruation, birth control, and abortion. In addition to the zines, we also have some selections on display from our artists’ book collection. These books were created by women on subjects ranging from aging to the #metoo movement.

The Women’s History Month display is located in our Reading Room in the Archives & Special Collections on the second floor of the library through the month of March. If you are unable to stop by during our open hours (T/W/Th, 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM), just email us for an appointment!

The Archives & Special Collections is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM or by appointment.

By: Laura Edgar, Assistant Archivist

 

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Directory of Open Access Journals

Posted on March 4, 2019 by jmkyoung

University of Puget Sound supports student success by contributing modest funding to the Directory of Open Access Journals, where we are listed as a DOAJ Funder.  This directory is supported via donation, and Puget Sound is proud to be contributing.

DOAJ locates and evaluates open access journals across the world to find those peer reviewed titles of scholarly value.  The collection currently consists of over 12,500 journals (75% of the titles searchable at the article level) from 128 countries. These numbers change daily because the directory is actively maintained by DOAJ. The goal of the directory is to increase the visibility and ease of use of open access academic journals.  1,386 of the titles have the DOAJ seal of approval, which means they follow a high level of openness and adhere to best practices and high publishing standards.  The articles are indexed in our Primo search (Collins+Summit+Articles scope) at https://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/collins-memorial-library/

(DOAJ logo used with permission from DOAJ)

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Collins Library Links: What’s new for Spring Semester

Posted on March 4, 2019 by jmkyoung

2013_CollinsLibraryLink

What’s new for Spring Semester

Book Collecting Contest:  We are pleased to sponsor this contest. Established in 2010, the aim of this competition is to encourage full-time students at Puget Sound to read for enjoyment and to develop personal libraries throughout their lives, to appreciate the special qualities of printed or illustrated works, and to read, research and preserve the collected works for pleasure and scholarship. Collections can be on any subject and this contest is open to all full time students. Students receive a cash award and our winter is entered into the National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest.

Council of Independent Colleges Small Grant:  The Library has received a grant from the CIC to pilot a project to collection oral history narratives of Puget Sound students and alumni. We are partnering with Nancy Bristow, Andrew Gomez and LaToya Brackett to pilot the project this semester. As part of the grant, we are pleased to sponsor a workshop/lecture with Dr. Carol Baugh from Gannon University on March 29. Dr. Baugh leads a project titled Voices of Erie that collects stories of the immigrant population in and around Erie, PA with a focus on Syrian refugees.

Transforming Knowledge – Altered Encyclopedias:  What can happen to a book when it outlives its shelf life?  Stop by Collins and see the incredible transformation of single volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Over 30 local artists participated in this unique effort that will be on display until the end of the semester.

Behind the Archives Door:  Our featured guest this month is Regina Glenn.  While on campus in the late 1960s, Glenn was an active member of the Black Student Union, VP of ASUPS, president of the women’s business honorary society, Phi Chi Theta, and manager of the Puget Sound Bookstore. She went on to be invited to join the Puget Sound Board of Trustees and is the current President of the Black Alumni Union and the Class of 1970. Glenn will be speaking about her experiences and the importance of collecting documents to preserve our past and build our future. She will also be sharing how these historic documents can be used as unique marketing tools to engage current and graduating students, staff and supporters.

Makerspace:  A lot is happening in the space from making marbled paper and zines to creating a 3D printed prosthetic  hand. Check out some recent creations:  https://blogs.pugetsound.edu/collinsunbound/come-explore-the-makerspace/

Media Purchases and Support:  We know this is complicated issue and of great concern to many of you. Please take a moment to review documentation and please do not hesitate to contact your liaison librarian with any questions or concerns. http://research.pugetsound.edu/c.php?g=716426&p=6441782

Did you know?  The Collins Library maintained open hours during the recent snow storm?  Students found their “3rd” space” during the recent campus closure and thanks are extended to our dedicated staff – librarians and student employees.

Need Information? Don’t forget the Collins Memorial Library – Library Guides
Questions? Contact your liaison librarian
Comments: Contact Jane Carlin, library director
Remember – Your best search engine is a librarian!

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Refugee Narratives and the Digital Humanities, presentation by Professor Carolyn Baugh, March 29th, 1:30-3:00pm, Archives Seminar Room, 2nd Floor Collins Library

Posted on March 4, 2019 by jmkyoung

Carolyn Baugh is the Associate Professor of History at Gannon University, the Director of the Women’s Studies Program, as well as the Director of the Refugee Oral History Program. Dr. Baugh will focus on the Voice of Erie Oral History Project in which students at Gannon University work to preserve refugees’ personal histories and experiences.

This presentation is funded by the Council of Independent Colleges in Support of the Collins Library Finding Voice: Digital Narratives Project.

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From the Archives & Special Collections: The Past and Present of Greek Life on Campus

Posted on February 27, 2019 by jpelger

This semester I have been invited by multiple Greek houses to discuss the importance of revisiting our history and preserving the documents we create. These two acts are central to the work we do in the archives and I’m happy to help others through this process. I thought I’d share the heart of my presentation through this blog post, to hopefully help others learn a bit about our past and think critically about our future.

A Brief History of Greek Life at Puget Sound

In the early 1900s, students began forming literary societies to promote friendship and social interaction. By 1926, eight local social fraternities and sororities had formed, several tracing their roots to the literary societies. Beginning in the late 1940s, the local groups began to affiliate with national organizations. By 1966, there were eight fraternities and seven sororities, all with national affiliations. A great example of this is the history of our chapter of Phi Delta Theta. In 1905, the Philomathean Literary Society was founded. In 1922, the local fraternity Delta Kappa Phi was founded by the men of the Philomathean Literary Society. By 1952, Delta Kappa Phi became the Washington Delta chapter of the national Phi Delta Theta fraternity, which continues on campus to this day. If you’d like to learn more about the history of specific Greek houses on campus, read University of Puget Sound: From the Archives—People, Places, and Stories by John Finney.

Researching Greek Life on Campus

If you’re interesting in investigating the history of Greek life on campus, the Archives & Special Collections has multiple resources for you. As well as the above publication, I recommend searching The Trail online for old articles referencing Greek life or individual houses. You can also search for images from our historic photo collection online on A Sound Past. There are also physical collections that you can investigate in our office, including our complete set of yearbooks.

Preserving Documents for the Future

In order to have historical documents in the archives and within Greek organizations, people need to collect and preserve the documents they create. For any Greek organization, or student group in general, I’d recommend the following best practices for preserving your history:

 

  • Organize what you have. This applies to photo books, event fliers, chapter minutes, etc. Make sure you know what you have and organize it in a clear and consistent way.
  • Keep it in a secure location. That means safe/locked as well as in a dry, cool, and dark place. Don’t keep things in a corner of the house that is known to flood, has bugs, etc.

 

  • Create a system or routine. Make sure that system is then clear for others to follow.
  • Build the system into leadership positions/workflows. Make a system and make it easy to follow for future generations.
  • Ask for help when you need it! I’m always available for consultation.

Our campus history is useless unless we pay attention to it. Whether we’re reminiscing or critiquing it, the past can inform the work we’re doing. If you’d like to do your own research, reach out to the Archives & Special Collections—we’d be happy to help!

The Archives & Special Collections is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM or by appointment.

By: Adriana Flores, Archivist & Special Collections Librarian

 

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