UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State University Libraries will present an open discussion on international academic libraries from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, in the Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library, on the University Park campus. The discussion is free and open to the public and walk-in guests are welcome.
Five panelists will devote the hour-long discussion to international academic libraries in Southeast Asia, Central America, Europe and Africa. The panelists will share their expertise on conducting research as an exchange student and provide information about navigating potentially unfamiliar academic terrain, a topic that's especially helpful for students planning to study abroad in the future. Following the discussion, audience members are invited to participate in a docent tour of the exhibit, “Academic Libraries Around the World,” located in the Diversity Studies Room, 203 Pattee Library.
The docent tour will provide visitors with a review of the “Academic Libraries Around the World” exhibit materials, which celebrate international libraries and the field of library science. The exhibit, which begins in Asia and then travels to select institutions in Africa and the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, features visual highlights of academic institutions on every continent except Antarctica, and including several Global Engagement Network partners.
The five open discussion panelists are University Libraries faculty members: Jade Atwill, Asian studies librarian; Sylvia Owiny, social sciences librarian; Manuel Ostos, librarian for romance languages and literature; Joi Jackson, reference and instruction librarian, Penn State Harrisburg; and Binh Le, reference and instruction librarian, Penn State Abington. The panelists will begin the discussion with a brief overview of their geographic areas of expertise, touching on topics such as lending and borrowing, collection development and access, library free or fee-based policies, and the availability of online and digital resources. Following the discussion’s introduction, the floor will be open to audience questions.
Libraries abroad can offer some unique challenges to students who expect the same services and policies as their home college and university libraries. For instance, some libraries overseas have closed stacks that prohibit users from browsing their collections, or do not offer the same breadth of reference services. Visitors attending the discussion will not only be able to prepare for conducting research and studies abroad but also expand their knowledge of international librarianship and information science.
Those interested in the topic but who are unable to attend the discussion can log on virtually via Adobe Connect. The University Libraries’ “Academic Libraries Around the World” exhibit will be open through Feb. 12 in the Diversity Studies Room, 203 Pattee Library, on the University Park campus. For questions or to obtain further information, contact Mark Mattson, global partnerships and outreach librarian, at mam1196@psu.edu or 814-863-2480.