September 2008 Archives

September 2, 2008

Tours of Sterling Memorial and Bass Libraries

Tours of Sterling Memorial and Bass Libraries begin today, September 2nd. Additional tours are scheduled for Thursday, September 4th, Friday, September 5th, Thursday, September 11th, Friday, September 12th, Friday, September 19th, Friday September 26th, Thursday, October 2nd, and Friday October 3rd. Tours begin in the Sterling Memorial Library nave at 3:30 p.m. and are open to any member of the Yale community. No sign-up or advance registration is required. Please bring your Yale ID.

Posted by Yale University Library on September 2, 2008 10:38 AM

Trial Access to Routledge Reference Resources

The Yale community has trial access to the Religion Resources and Politics and International Relations subject collections of Routledge Reference Resources. The trial ends on September 21 and off-campus users will need to log-in to the proxy server or VPN before accessing the resources.

Although there’s a link only to Religion Resources on the product’s home page, you can access both of these collections (and more) by clicking on Subjects and choosing a subject from the list in the left column: Anthropology, Classical Studies, History, Philosophy, Politics and International Relations, and Sociology and Social Policy. There are a few titles under each subject, but Religion and Politics and International Relations are the collections that have the greatest number of titles available in their first releases. An Advanced Search option provides for full-text searching across all titles in a given subject collection.

Please contact Suzanne Lorimer with feedback, questions, and comments.

Posted by Yale University Library on September 2, 2008 4:44 PM

September 3, 2008

Library Launches Yufind Catalog Interface

The University Library has launched a beta version of Yufind, an experimental alternative interface to its catalog. Yufind is not a replacement for Orbis, the Library’s current catalog, but it provides a new kind of discovery experience for users, one that better fits current search expectations and incorporates a variety of Web 2.0 tools.

Orbis transaction logs show that searches often fail because of misspelled words, use of natural language (versus controlled vocabularies like Library of Congress Subject Headings), or information entered into the wrong search fields. Users also expect a Google-like interface that suggests alternate spellings and employs sophisticated relevancy ranking and faceted navigation to help display and narrow search results.

Yufind offers a powerful keyword relevancy ranking algorithm, RSS feeds, formatted export of bibliographic citations, integration of cover art, book reviews, sample book chapters, tables of contents, and real-time circulation status. Future enhancements will include the ability to bookmark and annotate records and send them to an e-mail address, cell phone, or PDA, while longer-term goals aim to integrate archival finding aids, visual image records, and new facets that will allow results to be narrowed by item availability and location.

The Library invites user feedback to help improve Yufind, and questions and comments can be sent to Daniel Lovins. For detailed information about Yufind and to contact members of the project team visit About Yufind.

Posted by Yale University Library on September 3, 2008 10:00 AM

New Netcast: Audubon's Birds of America at the Beinecke Library

In this new netcast, antiquarian bookseller William Reese, Yale class of 1977, discusses American naturalist and artist John James Audubon; Yale's copies of Audubon’s monumental work "Birds of America," and Audubon's contribution to American natural history.

You can listen to and download the netcast free via the Beinecke’s Blogs & Podcasts page or Yale's iTunesU web site.

Posted by Rebekah Irwin on September 3, 2008 10:27 AM

September 9, 2008

Yale University Library Program of Public Events 2008-09

Yale University Library is pleased to announce its program of lectures, exhibitions, and public events for the 2008-09 academic year. Detailed information and updates/changes to the schedule will be available on the Library's web site: www.library.yale.edu/librarynews.

Continue reading "Yale University Library Program of Public Events 2008-09" »

Posted by Yale University Library on September 9, 2008 4:57 PM

September 10, 2008

Unfolding the Corners: Intimacy in the Archive of Margaret Anderson at the Beinecke Library

Famous for her strong opinions about art as well as for her beauty and wit, radical editor Margaret Anderson was a key figure in American and European Modernism. Archivist Molly Wheeler speaks with Nancy Kuhl, Curator of the Yale Collection of American Literature, about this archival collection.

You can listen to and download the podcast free via the Beinecke’s Blogs & Podcasts page and Yale's iTunesU web site.

Posted by Rebekah Irwin on September 10, 2008 10:24 AM

September 15, 2008

Teaching w/Technology Tuesdays

The Collaborative Learning Center is offering a weekly program called Teaching w/ Technology Tuesdays. This program is for those teaching at Yale (staff, faculty, and students) interested in innovative instructional activities that utilize technology.

September 16: Facebook

Facebook is an online social networking website that was launched in 2004. The New Media Consortium’s 2008 Horizon Report designated Social Operating Systems, like Facebook, one of the 6 emerging technologies of 2008 likely to be widely implemented in educational contexts in the next 4-5 years. This session will orient you to the Facebook topography and showcase how it is being used by faculty and library instructors. Please come to our fall inaugural Teaching w/ Technology Tuesday, if you have ever wondered what all the fuss is about Facebook, or how it might be used for instruction.

When? Tuesday from 1:00 - 2:00pm

Where? Bass Library room L01 (lower level of the Bass Library)

Who? Robin Ladouceur, Instructional Design Specialist, will introduce Facebook. Michael Farina of the Italian Department and Geoffrey Little, Communications Coordinator in the Library, will demonstrate how they use Facebook for instructional purposes.

Fall 2008 Schedule

September
16 Facebook
23 Geospatial Data Collection
30 Ynote (collaborative research database tool)

October
07 Wikis
14 Teaching w/ Digital Images
21 Viddler
28 Student Created Video

November
04 Tablets
11 What's on the Horizon - Bryan Alexander, NITLE
25 RSS and Alerts

For more information visit http://clc.yale.edu or e-mailclc@yale.edu.

Posted by Yale University Library on September 15, 2008 8:58 AM

September 17, 2008

Library Celebrates 80th Anniversary of the OED

Yale University Library and Oxford University Press will mark the 80th anniversary of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) with a symposium featuring four “word-renowned” experts on October 1.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the Sterling-Sheffield-Strathcona lecture hall, 1 Prospect Street. The speakers are Fred Shapiro, Associate Librarian at the Yale Law School and editor of The Yale Book of Quotations; Simon Winchester, author of The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary and The Professor and the Madman; Jesse Sheidlower, the OED’s editor-at-large; and Ammon Shea, author of Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages.

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Posted by Yale University Library on September 17, 2008 2:06 PM

September 19, 2008

Map Department GIS Workshops

The Yale Map Department is offering a number of GIS workshops throughout the term. All workshops will be held in the Bass Library Electronic Classroom L06 (Lower Level) from 1:00-4:00 p.m. For more information, contact Stacey Maples.

Register for the workshops here.
(Please note that the registration page currently only works with Internet Explorer with pop-ups enabled.)

Introduction to GIS Mapping and ESRI’s ArcGIS Software

An introduction to the basic concepts of creating, managing and analyzing explicitly spatial data within a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) framework. Included is a step-by-step, "hands on" introduction to using spatial data within ESRI's ArcGIS software. Topics will include: Spatial Data Models, Spatial Relationships, The ArcMap User Interface, Thematic Mapping Using Symbology, and Simple Analysis Using Complex Selection Methods.

Dates:

Wednesday, September 24
Friday, October 17
Wednesday, November
Thursday, December 3

Finding GIS and Census Data & Preparing It for Use

Geographic data can come from a variety of sources, including your own database files and spreadsheets, federal, state and local governmental agencies and commercial vendors. This workshop will focus upon dependable sources of commonly used GIS data, common data file formats, projections & coordinate systems, scale, aggregation, metadata, and issues of sources and citation. Special Attention will be given to downloading and preparing Census data for use in GIS software.

Date:

Wednesday, October 1

From Non-Spatial Data to Spatial Data: Geocoding & Georeferencing in ArcGIS

This workshop provides the skills necessary for turning non-spatial data, such as street addresses and scanned maps, into explicitly spatial data for use in GIS analysis. Topics include: The TIGER Data Model, Collecting Useable Address Data, The Geocoding Process, Troubleshooting Problem Addresses, Using Offsets, Scanning and Georeferencing of Paper Maps, and Display of XY Data.

Date:

Wednesday, October 8

Raster: The ‘Other’ GIS Data

The Raster Data Model provided an effective means of characterizing spatially continuous phenomena, such as elevation, temperature, precipitation and other environmental and climatic characteristics. This workshop provides a targeted introduction to the tools available in ArcGIS for creating, managing and analyzing data in raster form. Topics include: Introduction to Spatial Analyst, Map Algebra and the Raster Calculator, Surface Analysis, and Combining Vector & Raster Data in Analysis.

Date:

Wednesday, October 15

GPS & GIS: Collecting Spatial Coordinates and Using them in ArcGIS

A workshop designed to introduce the participant to the use of consumer-grade GPS equipment for the collection of explicitly spatial data for analysis within a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) framework. Topics include: The Global Positioning Satellite System, Coordinate Systems, Minimizing Measurement Error, and Converting Tabular Data to ESRI Shapefiles.

Date:

Wednesday, October 22

Editing in ArcGIS: Creating and Altering Spatial Data

The objective of this workshop is to provide participants with hands on experience with editing in ArcGIS (or doing "heads-up" digitizing), to provide an appreciation of the issues involved in editing to maintain topological consistency and to demonstrate the steps which may be involved in creating a new, spatially accurate coverage.

Date:

Wednesday, October 29

Creating Map Layouts in ArcGIS

This workshop will introduce the ArcGIS tools available for creating effective map layouts that are capable of clearly conveying the results of GIS analysis to an audience. Topics include: Symbolization, Advanced Labeling, Annotation, Using Graphics in Layouts, Cartographic Elements, and Grids & Graticules.

Date:

Wednesday, November 5

Classic Cartographic Techniques in ArcGIS

One of the drawbacks of the computer revolution in mapping is the decline in attention to cartography as a graphic art. Working in the Yale Map Collection exposes one to the most beautiful cartography ever produced. This workshop is intended to provide the participant with an appreciation of the graphic and cartographic techniques used in classic cartography and the tools to reproduce some of these elements in their own cartographic work. Topics will include: Coastal & Lacustrine Vignettes, Depiction of Topography and Use of Color in Thematic Mapping, Decorative Typography and Creating Custom Cartographic Elements. This workshop is being presented as part of the activities celebrating GIS Day 2008.

Date:

Wednesday, November 19

Posted by Yale University Library on September 19, 2008 10:05 AM

September 24, 2008

Springer Medicine and Life Sciences E-Books

The Cushing/Whitney Medical Library and the Kline Science Library have purchased access to more than 2,000 e-books in the Springer Medicine and Life Sciences packages. They can be accessed through SpringerLink. Each title will eventually be represented in Orbis, Yale Library's online catalog.

Posted by Yale University Library on September 24, 2008 1:37 PM

September 26, 2008

Noah Webster: American Patriot and Yale Loyalist

An exhibition celebrating the 250th birthday of lexicographer Noah Webster has opened in the Memorabilia Room in Sterling Memorial Library. Titled "Noah Webster: American Patriot and Yale Loyalist," the exhibition demonstrates that Webster, Yale class of 1778, M.A. 1781, and Honorary Doctor of Laws 1823, was far more than just a brilliant compiler of dictionaries. His astoundingly various contributions to his country and his proud identity as a Yale man are vividly displayed in this collection of manuscripts, books, and artifacts, reflecting a lifetime of accomplishment, innovation, and unflagging patriotism.

Webster played a major role in the drafting and ratification of the Constitution and played a crucial impact on the development of the American educational system. The father of copyright legislation in the United States, Webster also served in elected offices both in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and played an important role in the creation of Amherst College.

These diverse achievements and more are represented in the sections like Webster the Yale Man, Webster the Patriot, and Webster the Historian, but Noah Webster was also a lawyer, a teacher, an ecologist, a geographer, a moralist, and above all a founding "uncle," if not a founding father, of his country. His triumphant achievement as a landmark lexicographer of the English language has hitherto overshadowed his many and important accomplishments in other areas.

The exhibition will be on display through the end of November. It is free and open to the public during scheduled library hours. Sterling Memorial Library is located at 120 High Street, New Haven, Connecticut.

Posted by Yale University Library on September 26, 2008 11:41 AM

September 29, 2008

Library Receives Grant to Investigate Topic Modeling

Yale University Library has received a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for Improving Search and Discovery of Digital Resources Using Topic Modeling, a unique research project that will attempt to improve the search and discovery of digital resources. The project will leverage the enormous textual output from mass digitization efforts and the popularity of social tagging to improve the searchability and usability of digital library and museum collections. Partners in the project include the University of Michigan and the University of California, Irvine.

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Posted by Yale University Library on September 29, 2008 2:21 PM

September 30, 2008

Extended Hours in Manuscripts and Archives

Beginning on September 29 and for the remainder of the fall term, Manuscripts and Archives will remain open for research until 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. Hours of operation are also extended to Sunday afternoons from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Readers may use previously paged collection material, but there is no additional reference or paging service available during these times.

Posted by Yale University Library on September 30, 2008 11:30 AM