EIU Booth Library

Booth CSI and Thomas Hall offer technology for checkout

Posted on February 23rd, 2021

Booth Library announces the opening of its Center for Student Innovation. The CSI includes a new Technology Checkout Station, an Active Learning Classroom and Design Lab. The CSI is located on the first floor of Booth Library, on the east side of the atrium.

In addition, a satellite CSI location has been opened on the lower level of Thomas Hall. A Technology Checkout Station and Design Lab are available.

Students with a valid Panther Card can check out the technology for a limited time period.

The following technology is available for checkout at the Booth CSI:

• Dell 3510 i3 256/16 laptops
• MiFi Hotspots (Mobile WiFi)
• Webcams
• Microphone/Speakers
• GoPro Fusion 360 cameras
• Canon (mirrorless) digital cameras – this equipment is not yet available

This technology is available for checkout at Thomas Hall:

• Surface Book 3 laptops
• Webcams
• Microphones
• Mini-tripods

Both Technology Checkout Stations are open from 3-8 p.m. Sunday-Thursday. For more information visit https://www.eiu.edu/booth/csi/tech.php. Funding for the technology checkout program was provided through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund.

“It became apparent at the start of the pandemic that many students didn’t have access to the technology they needed when all classes transitioned to remote learning,” said Zach Newell, dean of Library Services. “Thanks to GEER funding, we now can help alleviate that by offering various pieces of equipment available for checkout.”

Renovation of the first phase of the CSI project — the Active Learning Classroom, Design Lab and breakout rooms — was completed in November 2020 and was made possible thanks to a grant from the Charleston Area Charitable Foundation. The renovation included new flooring, electrical and Internet upgrades, updated lighting and paint.

The Design Lab is home to a variety of new technology, including a podcasting studio, gaming computers, 3D printers, Google jamboard, large computer monitors and a green screen, purchased with a grant from the Illinois State Library.

“Our goal is to provide our students and scholars with services and spaces to make their academic pursuits engaging, productive, and enjoyable,” Newell said. “Although the pandemic has delayed the implementation of activities in the CSI, we look forward to opening the space to students, faculty and the community so they can learn, experiment and innovate.”

For more information about the Center for Student Innovation, visit the web site at https://www.eiu.edu/booth/csi/index.php.

What’s Your Problem? Enter the CSI pitch competition

Posted on January 28th, 2021

The Center for Student Innovation (CSI) at Booth Library invites underrepresented, undergraduate student teams to share ideas and technologies that will solve a specific problem. Each team will pitch its idea of how to solve the problem that they identify and describe using the resources that are currently available in or could be purchased for the library’s CSI. Winning proposals will generate funds to purchase technology for the CSI Booth. In addition, winning team members will be awarded a scholarship toward their tuition.

TIMELINE

Application opens – November 16, 2020

Application deadline – Midnight CST on March 15, 2021 – deadline extended!

Winners announced – March 24, 2021

½ tuition stipend awarded – April 2021

½ tuition stipend awarded – September 2021

ELIGIBILITY

The competition is open to full-time freshmen, sophomores and juniors who will be enrolled at Eastern Illinois University during the spring and fall semesters of 2021. Teams are composed of a minimum of two students (no individual submissions allowed). The What’s your Problem? Pitch Competition is supported through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund, which is aimed at retaining students who are part of an under-represented population. Therefore, all members of your team must be BIPOC (Black, indigenous, or people of color), OR first-generation students, OR low-income (Pell-eligible) students. Cross-disciplinary teams are welcome.

RULES

Each team must identify a specific problem that can be solved using the resources that are currently available in or that could be purchased for the library’s CSI. A list of technology and resources available in the CSI is available here. Team members must identify the problem, describe the scope of the problem, explain how to solve the problem creatively and innovatively, and provide a list of equipment (hardware/software) or spaces that would be needed to successfully solve the problem. Examples of suggested projects are available here.

Teams may create their presentation using any software, apps or formats. All submissions must be readable on freely accessible EIU software or platforms. Proposals must be submitted by midnight CST on March 15, 2021.

For more information about the pitch competition, see the website here. Student may also email Catherine Polydore, professor of Counseling and Student Development, at cpolydore@eiu; Zach Newell, dean of Library Services, at znewell@eiu.edu; or Newton Key, director of the Faculty Development and Innovation Center, at nekey@eiu.edu. Or call Booth Library at 217-581-6061.

Awards for Excellence competition offers cash prizes

Posted on January 26th, 2021

Eastern Illinois University students who have used Booth Library resources to enhance their research are encouraged to enter the library’s Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creativity program.

The program is open to all Eastern Illinois University students who are/were enrolled during the current academic year. Cash prizes of up to $300 will be awarded, in addition to certificates of recognition.

The student entry may be a written work, art piece, exhibit, musical work, documentary, performance or another format.

The 2021 guidelines can be found on Booth Library’s website at https://library.eiu.edu/awardsforexcellence/. All entries must be submitted electronically through EIU’s scholarship portal, https://eiu.academicworks.com/.

The deadline to enter is March 22. Recipients will be selected by April 1, and the winners will be honored during the Virtual Student Research and Creativity Discovery Conference on April 9. Works submitted for competition must have been completed within the last 12 months.

Selected entries will become a part of Booth Library’s Student Research and Creativity Collection.

For more information on the library, visit the website, www.library.eiu.edu; call 581-6072; or find the library on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Librarian Whisler retires after 39 years at Booth

Posted on January 25th, 2021

Librarian John Whisler retired from Booth Library on Dec. 31, 2020, after 39 years of service.

Professor Whisler served as head of the Cataloging Services department for many years. He previously served as the head of the Periodicals department and as a subject bibliographer for art, music and theater.

“John was tireless in his work to keep the Booth catalog accurate and up to date. If you ever wondered how you can find what you need here at Booth — either on the bookshelves or on the computer — that’s because of the hard work of John and his team in Cataloging,” said Zach Newell, dean of Library Services.

Whisler helped to re-catalog the library’s collection many times over the years, from the physical card catalog to the robust Alma library software system that came online in June 2020.

Whisler served for many years on the Technical Services Committee of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois. He held memberships in the American Library Association, Illinois Library Association, Illinois Library Computer Systems Organization and the Music Library Association, in addition to other professional organizations.

He received the Technical Services Award from the ILA and the Distinguished Contributor Award from ILCSO, both in 2002, and was named Illinois Academic Librarian of the Year by the Illinois Association of College and Research Libraries/ILA in 1997.

Whisler earned a master of arts in library science in 1977 from the University of Iowa, a master’s degree in music in 1975 from the University of Memphis, and a bachelor of science degree in music in 1973 from Manchester College.

Whisler previously served as a librarian at the Memphis/Shelby County Public Library and Information Center and began work at Booth Library on July 1, 1981.

Bookshelves closed for safety reasons, but we have you covered!

Posted on September 8th, 2020

Booth Library is open and ready to serve our patrons! However, due to COVID-19 safety precautions, access to our bookshelves is prohibited.

Don’t worry! Our staff will get you what you need! Patrons may request an item be pulled from the shelves by coming to the circulation desk in person; calling the circulation desk at 581-6071; sending an email to bthcirc@eiu.edu; or completing the book request form on the library website home page here. Patrons may also request the retrieval of Booth-owned items by using the request option in the library’s catalog, Primo.

Circulation staff members will email patrons and let them know when their materials are available for pickup. Materials requested by faculty will be delivered to their department office. Patrons picking up items at the circulation desk will need to bring their Panther Card for checkout. Materials will be available for pickup within 24 hours and generally are available within a couple hours.

Oral history cassettes are digitized

Posted on July 28th, 2020

Booth Library has recently completed a two-year project to digitize oral history interviews recorded on cassette tapes in the 1970s and 1980s. These oral history interviews can now be accessed in the Illinois Digital Archives at http://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/p16614coll47/search/.

The East Central Illinois Local History Oral Interviews project is a collection of 98 recorded interviews (including transcripts) with residents of East Central Illinois, particularly Coles County, as well as with important political figures and Eastern Illinois University faculty and staff.

The interviews were conducted mostly in the 1970s and 1980s by graduate students of History at EIU. Until now, the cassette tapes have been safely stored away but difficult to access in University Archives at Booth Library.

The participants in the interviews, many of them longtime residents of Coles County at the time of the interviews, represent firsthand accounts of such historical events as the Charleston-Mattoon tornado of 1917, rationing in Coles County during World War II, and insights into farming and domestic life as far back as the very early years of the 20th century. The interviews provide unique perspectives and observations from individuals who represent direct linkages to the past through their experiences.

Funding for the digitization of these cassette tapes was provided by a grant from the Illinois State Library, and the digitization project was managed at Booth Library by Bill Schultz, cataloging librarian, along with student Emily Sivia.

Booth wins national PR awards

Posted on July 1st, 2020

Booth Library has been named the winner of two awards in the 2020 PR Xchange Awards Competition sponsored by the American Library Association.

The PR Xchange competition allows libraries of all sizes from throughout the United States to enter their best public relations materials in both print and digital categories. Entries are evaluated on content, originality, and design by a team of experts in public relations, graphic design, communications, and marketing.

Two digital entries submitted by Booth Library were named winners.

• The booklet titled Center for Student Innovation: Creating a Cross-Disciplinary Hub for Active Student Learning in Booth Library won in the Advocacy/Fundraising/Annual Reports/Strategic Plans category. This project was designed to explain the vision and plans for the creation of a Center for Student Innovation at the library. The booklet was completed by an architectural consultant and edited by Zach Newell, dean of Library Services, and Newton Key, director of the Faculty Development and Innovation Center. It can be accessed online via The Keep, EIU’s institutional repository, here.
• The documentary “To the Moon and Back” won in the Special Events and Exhibits category. The film was created in conjunction with WEIU-TV and the EIU Department of History to complement and promote the library’s spring 2019 exhibit, “On the Shoulders of Giants: The Moon and Beyond,” which celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the lunar landing. Andy Cougill, Booth librarian and exhibits coordinator, led development of both the exhibit and the documentary. “To the Moon and Back” serves as an oral history project, featuring interviews from several Coles County residents about their memories of the 1969 moon landing. The film is available to view online here.

The PR Xchange Awards are typically presented during the American Library Association’s annual conference; however, the in-person conference was canceled this year due to COVID-19. A virtual awards ceremony will take place at a later date. The awards program is managed by the PR Xchange Committee, part of the ALA’s Library Leadership and Management Association’s Marketing and Communications Community of Practice.

Library catalog search updated

Posted on June 11th, 2020

In collaboration with the 90+ Illinois academic libraries in the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI), Booth Library’s catalog search, I-Share request system and user account system was updated to the Ex Libris company’s Alma/Primo VE Integrated Library System on June 24, 2020.

The change came after more than 18 months of planning and preparation.

Booth library’s homepage remained largely the same, with only the “Books and Movies” tab searching the new catalog system. The Booth Library catalog includes searching for books, videos, CDs, and more in our local collection, as well as the option to expand your search to request items from our I-Share network of 90+ academic and research libraries throughout the state.
Library users will find all their current circulation information up to date and current in the new system, so you don’t need to worry about materials you have checked out. Booth Library’s Research Engagement and Scholarship group will be releasing additional information about how to use the system and about changes you might not have anticipated. You may always contact us with questions.

One of the improvements is a streamlined login process that allows you to manage your library loans, make new requests, save searches and create lists and favorites. Another advantage of the new search interface is one you will discover quickly once you perform a search. Whereas the library catalog search previously was limited to searching for books and other materials held in Booth Library, now have the option to search for articles and books in a single search box.
Booth’s Articles tab will remain the same this summer, searching selected EBSCO databases as well as the option to search JSTOR or Google Scholar, but the new catalog search will provide an additional point to search across many of the library’s databases and subscription content. More information on that expanded search capability will be forthcoming.
Access to Booth Library’s research databases remain accessible and unchanged. As always, the librarians at Booth are working hard to provide EIU with the best and most convenient access to information. You may get help right away, make an appointment, request instruction for yourself or for your class, or collaborate with a librarian on delivering specialized content and instruction.

Periodical Review lists have been posted

Posted on May 4th, 2020

The periodical review for 2020 is underway. The lists of periodical and standing order titles proposed for cancellation can be found here.

Awards for Excellence winners announced

Posted on April 13th, 2020

The Library Advisory Board of Booth Library honored nine students as winners of the 2020 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creativity.

Graduate division:

Jennifer Coryell of Wheaton, Public Administration/Public Policy, won first place for her video, Plastic Pollution PSA.

Godwin Gyimah of Charleston, History, won first place for his paper, Into the World We Go, the Peace Corps Program as a Facet of America-Ghana Relations.

Md Nurul Islam of Bangladesh, Business Administration: Research, won third place for The Impact of Board Composition and Activity on Non-Performing Loans.

Tiffany Clapp of Olney, History, won honorable mention for her paper, Between the Waves: A Historiographical Analysis of the Long Women’s Movement.

Undergraduate division:

Maya Hunter of Charleston, Political Science, won first place for her paper, The Role of Language Education in Peacebuilding: The Case of Cyprus.

Haley Pierce of Lockport, SPE, ECSE/EC, won second place for her paper, Increasing On-Task Behavior with the Utilization of a Verbal and Visual Prompt.

Brooke Bayles of Flora, SPE: Early Childhood, won third place for her paper, Using Positive Reinforcement to Increase On-Task Behavior of a First Grade Student.

Cynthia Kmety of Peotone, Health Communication, won third place for her paper, Hypochondria and Interpersonal Relationships.

Sarah Mummel of Charleston, Environmental Biology, won honorable mention for her paper, The Effects of Gall Formation due to Gall-Inducing Insects on Solidago Altissima’s Stem Height.

The Booth Library Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creativity program promotes and recognizes excellence in student research. The program encourages students to enhance their studies by utilizing the wealth of information available at Booth Library and other research venues.

All entries were original works completed by Eastern students within the last 12 months. The award recipients were selected on the basis of excellence, creativity and the use of research resources. A digital copy of award entries are part of the Library’s institutional repository, The Keep, found at https://thekeep.eiu.edu/lib_awards_2020_docs/