Academics

University Libraries leads through pursuit of presidential priorities

Penn State's University Libraries has long embraced each of President Barron's six themes in its mission and continues to exemplify them.

Penn State President Eric Barron chats with students in the Paterno Family Humanities Reading Room in Pattee Library. Standing are students Shihan Shoukath, a senior computer science major from Dubai; Azmina Mohideen, a senior studying economics, from Singapore; and Gina Sarkawi, a sophomore geoscience major from Jakarta. Seated are Lisa Vandetty, a senior studying political science, from Havertown, Pa., and Qihan Liang, a sophomore applied statistics major from China (town not provided). Credit: Wilson Hutton / University LibrariesAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Penn State President Eric Barron began his tenure in May 2014, he announced six major topics for University-wide consideration, termed “imperatives.” The University Libraries has long embraced each of these themes in its mission and continues to exemplify them.Excellence“As a University, we are the keepers, creators and transmitters of knowledge, and we must excel in each across a broad spectrum of fields,” the president wrote. In several regards, the Libraries demonstrates excellence through our service, not just its breadth of collections. For more than a decade, the Association of Research Libraries Library Investment Index has acknowledged the University Libraries consistently among the top 10 research libraries in North America.Many of our librarians also are recognized nationally and internationally for their leadership and expertise, including these recent highlights:

AccessibilityThe president’s theme of 
affordability and access
 to a Penn State education is one of the Libraries’ longstanding strengths. For more than 15 years, the Libraries’ textbook fund has supported free access to required textbooks and e-books for courses at all Penn State campuses. In August, the Penn State Press, a division of the University Libraries, announced its commitment to donate a portion of its proceeds to the fund. In addition, this fall, Penn State Annual Giving is promoting additional support for the textbook fund through its Giving Tuesday event culminating on Dec. 1. Also, the Libraries’ Open Access Policy, embraced University-wide by the University Faculty Senate through its own open access resolution, advocates the access to and use of scholarly content in the public domain via the Internet. The Libraries’ Open Educational Resource Task Force is working to expand awareness and use of freely accessible content for academic use. Accessibility also means supporting alternative access to educational materials to those with physical and learning challenges. The Libraries’ Marian McKinnon Adaptive Technology and Services department assists both faculty and staff in support of the University’s academic mission, providing assistive technology hardware and software, training and research assistance. Finally, Libraries awards — for indigenous knowledge research, information literacy, undergraduate sustainability research and outstanding undergraduate thesis — and endowed scholarships support both student access and success. Diversity and Demographics The Libraries’ partnership in the Interinstitutional Center for Indigenous Knowledge, or ICIK, is but one way the Libraries advocates perspectives of diverse cultures. ICIK studies native cultures’ ways of knowing, seeing, and thinking that are passed down orally through generations.ICIK’s co-directors are Amy Paster, head of the Life Sciences Library, Helen Sheehy, social sciences librarian, and Audrey Maretzki, pro­fessor emerita of food science and nutrition. The Libraries’ multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed open access journal, “IK: Other Ways of Knowing,” at journals.psu.edu/ik, shares its content freely for a greater global exchange of knowledge.Also, the Libraries’ Diversity Residency Program, now in its third year, helps prepare recent graduates for leadership positions in the field of librarianship, and helps librarians from diverse backgrounds better represent and reach multicultural library audiences. Finally, several of the Libraries’ collections emphasize the knowledge and experience of women, such as A Few Good Women: Advancing the Cause of Women in Government, 1969-74 and The Judy Chicago Art Education Collection, 1970-2011Student Career Success and Economic DevelopmentThe Libraries’ Research Hub offers students and faculty researchers specialized consultants who can help elevate their work for grants and commercial applications. The Libraries also is a Patent and Trademark Resource Center designated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to offer informational assistance — although not legal advice — to inventors, including students to help them protect their intellectual property. Tutoring services for writing and technology in the Knowledge Commons are offered through partnerships with Penn State Learning as well as Information Technology Services, where students offer peer assistance. Similarly, the Student Financial Education Center offers peer education in financial literacy, supported by the Schreyer Business Library and faculty and staff advisers. In addition, a partnership with Education Technology Services provides multimedia tutorials and training at the Libraries’ Media Commons, as well as One Button Studios for recording and practicing presentations and interviews. Student EngagementPresident Barron emphasized a commitment to more student involvement in activities beyond the classroom, including one­ on-one research opportunities and internships, all of which promote positive outcomes in their studies and experiences.Librarians and staff engage students daily inside and outside the classroom. In particular, the Libraries’ Bednar Internship Program was created in 2000 from an endowment established in 2000 by Donald Hamer and Marie Bednar, a former University Libraries cataloger and department head. The program offers undergraduates in their junior and senior years active and collaborative learning experiences and paid career experience in their fields of study while earning academic credit.TechnologyIn addition to initiatives, services, and training mentioned previously, the Libraries is a University-wide leader in online content delivery for on-campus and World Campus students, faculty, and staff. Ongoing growth of Libraries digital materials and collections is an important area of commitment.The Libraries offers online access to 749 databases, 110,000 e-journals, 541,864 e-books and more than 100 digital collections — numbers that continue to expand. In addition, the Libraries launched a search in summer 2015 for an online learning librarian, to expand online learning initiatives.* * *

Although the president’s imperatives will require additional commitments University-wide to achieve strategic goals to further strengthen the University, the Libraries is well positioned to do its part in leading Penn State toward greater academic and research success.

Last Updated May 4, 2016

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