#paperwork

This is history, not bureaucracy, right? I am fairly certain that my methods professor did not mention anything about a thirty-page report, so why the paperwork? In order for Special Collections to request objects for loan from specific institutions, I have to complete what is called a "General Facility Report"  which is a comprehensive document that inquires about facility conditions. Why is this necessary for a history major to understand?

Well, let's say you have an object: a Civil War era surgical kit. Think of this kit as your child. If you want to send he/she/ze on a four month field trip, you will probably want to know the nature of the trip and the housing conditions in which your child will be staying. You will want to know if there is central air and heating, if there is adequate lighting for when it gets dark, if the beds are comfortable and clean, if the bathroom facilities are up to par, if the staff taking care of your offspring is gentle, encouraging, and compassionate. You will also want to know what food your child will consume during his/her/zed stay.

The receiving institution will also want to know information about your child. Does he/she/ze have health and/or dental insurance? Does he/she/ze have dietary restrictions or health concerns? The staff might like to know your child's gender and if he/she/ze plays well with the other children. Staff might also like to know your child's favorite color, food, sport, and nervous ticks.

This same type of information is useful to both the lending and receiving institutions involved in loan agreements. Old objects, like children, have certain needs and yes, often come with insurance plans. Lending museums or collectors need to know if our facility has temperature and light control, security, and proper equipment to take care of an object should something happen to it. They might also like to know how big the display case is and which other objects will be in the case with it. Certain items such as those made of cotton or linen are extremely sensitive to light, so the lending museum will need to know how long the object will be on display. Some artifacts are so well worn that they can only handle being in direct or indirect light for a few days before they are irreparably damaged.

My newest task is to complete the General Facility Report so that Special Collections can ask to loan certain objects that we do not have in our collection in Musselman.

While paperwork can be tedious, the most important priority is the safety of each and every object. Exhibits like this and the ones we see in museums are only possible because of the care paid to each artifact. The more we abuse objects from the past, the faster they will deteriorate and be useless to future generations.

Sometimes we have to trudge through unglamorous tasks to make something spectacular. And that is just what I'll do.





Titillating Medical Fact of the Week: Did you know that hospitals during the Civil War would reuse bed-sheets from soldiers no longer in the facility? Of course, they boiled them first, but if you were wounded, you could be sleeping on the sheets of a recent amputee. What's even more curious, these were often cleaner than new sheets! Since people during the 1860s did not yet know about germ theory, what they thought was simply cleaning linens to rid them of a stench actually sterilized them. You would want a boiled, used sheet if you were alive in the nineteenth century! The same idea goes for sutures. Typically, stitches would be made with thin silk thread that was dirty and caused infection. When supplies ran thin, surgeons would boil horsehair (to make it more pliable and less likely to break). They began to realize that patients who were sewn up with the horsehair had lower rates of infection than those treated with thread. Though they did not know the reason for this, they recognized the difference. Snaps for wartime innovation!

Open Access: Student Edition

This week, October 21-27 2013, is Open Access Week!

Does anyone know what ‘open access’ is? If you dissect the term, it sounds like being able to get to something that was previously closed. But what does the phrase “open access” refer to opening? government? college education? scripts for this season of the Walking Dead?

Don't be an information zombie.
Learn about Open Access!

From an academic standpoint, we’re talking about open access to information- “the free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research, and the right to use and re-use those results as you need." It’s a pretty sweet idea. Scholarly research freely available to the public in order learn from and build upon it. It seems like common sense, so what's the big deal?

The Publisher Blockade

The stalwart blockade of publishers

Believe it or not, access to scholarly information is stymied by a fierce blockade of publishers, shooting down attempts to use their hallowed knowledge by jacking up journal prices. I’m not being dramatic- numbers don’t lie. As a student, faculty or staff member at an academic institution, the library pays your passage through this publisher blockade, but that does not mean we agree with it. 

Universities & college, publishers, public and academic libraries, cities and countries- even the United States government- have acknowledged the need for open access publications and archives. Institutions no longer want to provide passage through the publisher blockade. They want to dismantle it-  in a way they're sticking it to the "man" and by "the man" I mean the publishers. They are devising ways for scholarly research to be freely accessed and publicly evaluated.

Why should I care? 

During my internship, I've spent a good deal of time trying to translate all my new library knowledge into something students can relate to. I'm a recent college graduate, and most days I still think like a college student. I'm going to capitalize on that and explain why open access is important and cool.

Unpredictable Access

Eventually there will come a time in your life where an academic institution will not be there to shepherd you through the publisher blockade. Finding appropriate, scholarly research will become difficult and the day will come when you hit one of these boxes.

You will then proceed to slam your head against your laptop for twenty minutes, cursing your empty bank account and longing for your college years - the good old days of access. Believe me, I speak from experience.

Fear not frustrated researcher, open access will light the way. You benefit from open access to information every day without even realizing it. You see the results when you conduct Google Scholar search. Those full text PDF articles are the product of open access journals and repositories. But if you know that open access journal and repositories exist, you can cut out all the face-palming by going straight to them.

There are many open access options. Musselman library has its own open repository called The Cupola. It is meant to provide access to scholarly and creative work . The library not only supports open access to information but acts upon its beliefs. Currently, there are 124 faculty members represented in the Cupola that means the chances of finding an article by your professor is quite high. So the next time you're taking a Facebook break or stuck in a research slump, check out the Cupola.

You can participate!

The Altmetirc  donut of scholarly
awesome-ness 

A new research tool that goes hand in hand with open access is called 'altmetrics.' There are number of ways publishers measure a journals impact upon the academic community, which have not been updated to reflect the changing mediums of information.

Almetrics uses an article's online activity to measure its impact. It considers things like: How many people shared/liked/commented on this article in social media? Who interacted with this article? How many blog posts reference it? Is getting media attention? One way the variety of activity can be presented is by using media donuts like the one pictured. The more variety of color, the more diverse the attention.

When you see an article you like - tweet it, like it, reblog it, post it. You are contributing to the altmetric donut and furthering research.

For more information on Open Access week visit: http://www.openaccessweek.org/

Behind the Scenes: Secrets of preparing for successful research appointments

Paige Turner from PBS's Arthur

Have you ever noticed how librarians are stereo-typically portrayed in movies and on TV? There is the perception that librarians are extremely uptight, awkward, and boring, that they require nearly complete silence, and they rarely offer any actual help. That is definitely not what being an academic librarian is about.  For me, it’s about helping, learning new ideas, exchanging information, and making the research process (which I love!) a bit easier.  Remember the librarians in Matilda or on Arthur?  They were always willing to help and make the process of finding resources a little bit easier.  That’s what I want to do.  Over the last couple weeks, I have been helping students navigate the research process through one-on-one research appointments.

  
   With my background in secondary education, I enjoy the opportunity to teach others. The experience to lead research appointments is unique because it is a personalized chance to work with students and hone in on the availability of specific resources found in print or online. Students come with a wide variety of questions on a range of topics. I love doing pre-research to determine the best paths for information. Before this semester, I had little knowledge of the economic impact of machine guns on WWI, social perceptions of women with short hair, or 20th century architecture in Barcelona, but I do now! Students are writing on specific topics and need help refining their searches. I’m happy to be that person to help.

While every librarian’s style of preparing for a research appointment is slightly different, we all likely begin by gathering some background knowledge.  Where do you search for background knowledge?  How do you know the key terms, ideas, and figures that are part of any given topic?  I might start with a reference book like a general or specialized encyclopedia.  The reference collection on the main floor of the library has a plethora of sources to start any search.  Did you know that Musselman has an encyclopedia of hair? Nearly every discipline has a subject specific encyclopedia or dictionary.  Online, there’s also the Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) and the Oxford Reference Library that have sizable online reference collections that are easily keyword searchable. And, if you don’t tell anyone, my background research also might involve a visit to Wikipedia.  As you know, it’s not a source to be cited, but it can provide some useful context to a topic. From all of this pre-research, I find keywords, subject terms, dates, and figures that will be useful to a more thorough and advanced search.  After researching a bit about the topic, next I determine which databases may be relevant.  There are so many databases; how do I decide which one is best?  There is a LibGuide for that!  Every discipline has its own LibGuide that denotes relevant databases. 

I think I’ve given away enough of my secrets for preparing for a research appointment for one day.  Just know, a lot of time and preparation goes into each one.  Part of the thrill of librarianship is the ability to continually learn.  Information and knowledge is endless.  For me, part of the process of being a reference intern is knowing what students are learning and what information needs they have.  Research appointments provide that glimpse into students’ academic life, their classes and assignments.  Learning about new topics at the same time as helping students make these discoveries is just one of the benefits of being a librarian.  

Toeing the Line between Offense and Education

Medical history can be gruesome. People shy away from blood and guts and images of death perhaps because it makes us question our own mortality or perhaps because it reminds us a bit too much about the origins of that hamburger we ate for lunch. Whatever the reason, a lot of humans cannot stomach the truly heinous. 

Being a generally squeamish person myself, I can absolutely understand the sentiment. Nothing makes me almost faint quite like the thought of needles. Yesterday I thought to myself, then why do you love learning about medical history? I think the key is this: firstly, I am not the one getting my arm amputated, and secondly I love to learn. That is ultimately what I want this exhibit to address. I want people to walk away from Special Collections in the Spring of 2014 with a deeper understanding of why history, and in this case medical history, is important and relevant to the twenty-first century. The bottom line is, history is important. 

I had a meeting yesterday with Robert Hicks and Evi Numen of the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia and I asked them how they navigate their exhibits -- all about medical history -- around what some people might consider offensive or frightful material. I think it is important to note that the Mütter, while an absolutely incredible museum for learning about how we can learn from medical history, is by no means easy on the senses, so the question itself was ironic. What Robert and Evi told me was that all of their material served a purpose. They never displayed anything that could not be used to advance someone's education and they advised that I do the same. "Never display something simply for shock value," Evi said. While I love staring at amputated limbs and pictures of surgery and the mortally wounded (I am completely serious. There is something about seeing it up close that provides so much insight into the delicacy of the human condition), I cannot throw a gangrenous finger into the display only because I think it is cool. I have to ask myself why should this be here and how will it serve to advance my overall mission? 

I went back to the drawing board today during work and listed out, case by case, the objects I want to use and why I want to use them. Under which theme do they fall? Are they the best objects to represent this topic? Will they enhance or detract from the overall exhibit? Though it is a rough sketch, I think I am onto something worthwhile. 

No material is truly offensive if it serves a greater purpose. Who knows what will end up in the exhibit cases in February? Swing by in five months to find out! 

Titillating Medical Fact of the Week: The College of Physicians of Philadelphia which was founded in 1787 and includes the Mütter Museum, is the oldest professional medical organization in the United States. To learn more, visit http://www.collegeofphysicians.org/ 

Hoodies and Stress: the dynamics of a library environment

As a college student, I worked at the circulation desk in the library. One cold December day during finals week, I was sitting at the desk and a professor walked in. Not an unusual occurrence. He approached the desk looking like he was in need of assistance. After a poignant pause, he said: “It smells like hoodies and stress in here.” I cracked up. It was true, and even more entertaining coming from the college’s lone anthropologist.

Most people, like the professor, focus on the academic atmosphere of the library. But a college library is not just place for scholarly activities. It’s a place for introspection, relaxation and, dare I say it, fun? We- student, faculty or staff- all  have informational and special needs ranging from educational to every day, and the library strives to meet those needs.

First, the library meets those needs by providing a comfortable environment. Yes, there is a reason we buy those comfy chairs and couches. It creates a space suitable for late night studying or perusing a magazine. The library’s space also extends outside. The front or back patio has tables ideal for working on a project or chatting with friends. A library space has many different purposes not all discovered yet.

Second, the library provides resources for everyday information and entertainment. The Browsing room contains recent and popular titles. There is a display of daily newspapers and periodicals on the main floor. And we have a growing feature film and music collection. So while the library may not be the place for a heavy metal mosh pit, we can definitely supply the tracks. We have the Black Sabbath album “Live Evil” and band selections available for streaming in Music Online.

On a personal note- thinking about the library environment gives me an idea for a project this spring. Possibly a study on how patrons use the library? Or maybe marketing the diversity of library space?

Anyway, next time you’re trying to get away from work or studying, try the library!

Tips on How to De-stress in Library:

• Go get coffee or a snack - There is a coffee vending machine on the main floor behind the printers and the snack machines are in the stairwell on the ground floor. There is also a coffee and tea cart that comes out around midnight during the week.

• Take a nap in the comfy armchairs- There are new ones on the second floor!

• Check out the exhibits- Special Collections on the fourth floor has two exhibit: Slaves, Soldiers, Citizens: African American Artifacts of the Civil War and Guardians of Gettysburg. There are Lincoln book ends outside the Browsing room and a collection of photographs in the stairwell.

• Get some fresh air on the patio- weather permitting of course

• Read for fun- If you want to get away from academic reading for a while, visit the Browsing Room to check out the library’s selection of popular titles.

• Check out the artwork on the second floor

• Watch a movie on your laptop- visit Gettflix or browse the DVD collection find to a title that interests you. Headphones are available for checkout at the circulation desk.

Tips courtesy of Stephanie Bowen and Lauren Rodener

A New Face at the Reference Desk

Hi there! I’m Sarah and I’m a graduate reference intern this fall at the Musselman Library.  I’m currently in my last semester of completing my Master of Library Science degree with Clarion University of Pennsylvania.  I graduated from Susquehanna University with a degree in history.  I wanted a profession that combines my love of research with my passion for teaching so that’s how I found my way to library science.  My professors and librarians at Susquehanna were helpful in guiding me to this profession where I will never stop learning.

                My passion for history is balanced with a desire to help others to learn in or outside of the classroom.   I really enjoy the opportunities that higher education provides, especially in its ability to empower lives through access to knowledge and experiences.  I find the transformation that occurs over four years to be incredible.  I've been a volunteer and employee in several libraries, and no matter the setting, I enjoy the ability to provide exemplary service and continually explore better ways to make quality information accessible.  I hope you can hear my enthusiasm as you read, because I am genuinely excited about making the library a great place to be and ensuring that libraries continue to meet users’ changing, evolving information needs. 

As a reference intern this semester, I am providing reference assistance and delivering individualized research appointments in a variety of subjects.  You’ll be able to find me at the reference desk every Tuesday and Wednesday.  I’d love to help answer any questions you might have.  Come say hello!

                Before I wrap this up, I’ll share with you some fun, library-related facts about myself:

Favorite book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

                I love Fitzgerald for many reasons, but I love him even more since learning that my great-grandfather was one of his childhood friends in St. Paul, Minnesota.  How did I find this out?!  Fitzgerald mentioned him directly in his thoughtbook.

Favorite children’s book:  It’s a tie between Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss and the American Girl series. 

Besides the fact that my family always has instilled in me a love for history, the American Girl series really made history come to life.  I was a huge fan of Felicity, Kirsten, and Molly.  My family even vacationed in Williamsburg so I could explore the place where Felicity lived. 

Oh the Places You’ll Go exemplifies my life’s motto.  Rarely a book can have such significance that transcends age.  “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

Favorite library: Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

                The LOC is beautiful, inside and out.  With marble, mosaics, and stained glass, America’s largest library has 147 million items with 33 million books.  I always get a special feeling sitting in the main reading room.  Being surrounded by so much knowledge is empowering.  I also love that they have Thomas Jefferson’s original library on display.  He sold it to the government when the Capitol, the Library’s first home, was burnt in 1814.  It was my pleasure to work there over the summer as a Junior Fellow and I was privileged to see some of the world's greatest treasures up close. 

Library I wish I could visit: Trinity College Library at University of Dublin — Dublin, Ireland

                Just look at it! 

 

The Life of a Holley Intern

Greetings!

I'm Steph Bowen, this year's Barbara Holley Library Intern. What is the Holley internship you might ask? It's a one year, full time, paid internship for a recent college graduate interested in becoming a librarian! Thanks to a gracious endowment from Barbara Holley, I will get wide variety of library experience.

Fred escorts the Eisenhower into the Chapel.

Thus far into my internship, I spent my summer  in Special Collections processing a collection of papers donated by alum Frederick Weiser '57. Fred's collection was full of genealogical research, correspondence in Pennsylvania Dutch and photos from his years at Gettysburg.

I also completely rebound a book...I literally sewed the pages back together and made a new cover. I digitized portion of the George Washington Beidelman letters. George was a young man from Bloomsburg, PA who served in the 71st  Pennsylvania volunteers during the Civil War.  Reading George's letters was the most fun I had all summer. He's a very thoughtful and religious young man who is experiencing severe homesickness and the horrors of war, yet still manages to write about meeting pretty girls.

This semester you can find me at the Reference Desk. I've spent a good deal of time becoming familiar with the resources Musselman library has to offer. Stop by the desk one afternoon and put me to the test. I welcome the challenge of great questions! I'm also working in Technical Services. To me its the place that keeps the library running. They purchase books and databases, catalog new materials, monitor the electronic resources, AND they do it all with the user in mind. It's truly awesome.

Digging in Montoursville, PA

As for me, I'm a 2013 graduate of Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA. I was an Archaeology and American studies major, so clearly I need to become a librarian (sarcasm intended). I realized archaeology wasn't for me when I got heat exhaustion on my first dig. On the bright side, I loved my work study job at Lycoming's library and decided to investigate becoming a librarian. Based on my experience so far, spending the rest of my life in a library sounds good to me.

Fun facts about me:
- My favorite book (of all time) is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- I love jazz music, particularly hard bop and free jazz.
- I'm currently reading dystopian fiction (Hunger Games, Brave World New type books)
- I'm a huge Philadelphia Flyers fan.

Look for me on the Reference Desk!
-Steph

Do You Doodle?

If you were, are, or will become a student, then you have probably thought about doodling during class. Fear not! We are not the only generation to draw in the midst of a lecture.

Today's research escapade led me to investigate George Currier's notes from his time as a student at the Medical Department of Pennsylvania College.

Note the sketch of Currier's Professor, William Darrach, M.D., who taught
the Principles and Practice of Medicine.

The notebooks span the years 1849-1850 and include information on diseases, "materia medica," and surgery.

Oftentimes when I think about history and the people who lived "back then," I put them on a metaphorical pedestal. They were a perfect representation of a flawless society -- minus their poor hygienics. As I perused Dr. Currier's notes, I realized that he was no different than students today. Perhaps his doodles were a bit more sophisticated than the average lecture art, but the premise is the same. If nothing else, his intricate drawings (ships, primarily) indicate that he had to focus even more on the details of his pictures than a twenty-first student sketching a flower.

This sketch depicts a row of ships in the harbor. The lecture was about
Chicken Pox.

Though this is merely speculation, Currier's notes provide tangible evidence that people seldom change as a whole, no matter how much time has passed. We might know more about germs now than they did in the 1800s, but we're still the same at heart!

Look for Currier's notes in the exhibit when it opens in February 2014!

Until next time,
Natalie








Titillating Medical Fact of the Week: If you were a surgeon during the American Civil War and followed Joseph Janvier Woodward's Hospital Steward's Manual, the Civil War guide on how to properly run military hospitals, this is how you would clean your tools: "Surgical instruments should be invariably cleaned immediately after using. Tepid water answers very well for this purpose: hot water is injurious to the handles; with cold it is more difficult to remove dried blood. A little castile soap may be employed to get rid of the grease."**


**Joseph Janvier Woodward, M.D., The Hospital Steward's Manual: For the Instruction of Hospital Stewards, Ward-Masters, and Attendants, in their Several Duties (San Francisco, CA: Norman Publishing, 1991), p274.