And We’re Back! … Strozier Library Basement Officially Reopens

On June 28, 2023, the Strozier Library basement is officially reopened! 

Strozier Library experienced flooding in the lower level and subbasement due to an air handler coil freezing on the night of December 25, 2022. FSU Facilities worked with contractors to extract the water from the building and Libraries’ team members worked through the night and over the next days to protect and preserve collections. Due to the efforts of these Flood Heroes, damage to collections was minimized. However, the basement was closed for renovations during the spring semester.

We are happy to announce that the basement is now open. This is in thanks to the many colleagues at the Libraries and at FSU who helped not only on the night of the flood, but also throughout the spring semester. 

The reopening was marked by a ribbon cutting and celebration of the Flood Heroes. 

All faculty, staff, and students are invited to check out the newly renovated space.

FSU Libraries names new Associate Dean of Technology and Digital Scholarship

Florida State University Libraries has named Debra Hanken Kurtz as its new associate dean of technology and digital scholarship.

Kurtz comes to Florida State from Arizona State University (ASU), where she served most recently in the role of Director of Data Governance. She succeeds Jean Phillips, who has retired after ten years of service as associate dean at FSU Libraries.

Read more: https://news.fsu.edu/news/arts-humanities/2023/04/17/fsu-libraries-names-new-associate-dean-of-technology-and-digital-scholarship/.

FSU Libraries names new Associate Dean of Research and Learning Services

Florida State University Libraries has named Neelam Bharti as its new Associate Dean of Research and Learning Services. She will start Feb. 3, 2023.

Bharti comes to Florida State from Carnegie Mellon University, where she served as the Associate Dean for Liaison Services and the Senior Librarian for Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Material Science and Engineering since 2018.

Read more: https://news.fsu.edu/news/students-campus-life/2023/01/04/fsu-libraries-names-new-associate-dean-of-research-and-learning-services/.

Juneteenth Community Events & Resources

On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Texas to enforce the emancipation proclamation. This day, Juneteenth, celebrates the liberation of the last enslaved people in Texas. In 2021, the United States declared June 19 a federal holiday. There will be events in Tallahassee to celebrate Juneteenth, and there are many resources for you to learn more about the significance of this holiday.

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FSU Libraries Participates in Big Deal Report

FSU Libraries participated in the recently published Ithaka S+R report, “What’s the Big Deal? How Researchers Are Navigating Changes to Journal Access.” The article focuses on institutions who have cancelled big deal subscription packages and those who were ready to cancel. For this project, 11 academic libraries were selected to explore faculty research habits, how they obtain research materials, how they view academic publishing models, and how this informs the libraries’ ongoing strategic decision making about Big Deal journal subscriptions. 

In 2019, FSU Libraries was among the first to terminate their multi-title subscription package or “big deal” contract with the publisher Elsevier. By opting to subscribe to only the most highly-used Elsevier titles, FSU Libraries greatly reduced annual subscription costs, while providing new options to maintain the same level of access to researchers. In making this decision, FSU Libraries worked closely with faculty to explore big deal subscription models and costs associated with journal subscriptions. 

Valerie Boulos, Associate Dean for Resource Management & Discovery Services, Renaine Julian, director of STEM Libraries, and Scott Schmucker, Electronic Resources Librarian, participated in the project. Julian and Schmucker acted as research partners by interviewing FSU faculty, gathering data, and submitting their findings. Interview questions focused on measuring the impact of these decisions, the exploration of open access models, and how research occurs after cancellation.

The team was pleased to see that the experiences of FSU faculty were well represented in the overall results of the study, which gave insight into the discovery habits, publishing preferences, and appreciation of the library as aspects of faculty research.

To learn more about FSU’s Big Deal cancellation, click here

Read the Big Deal report here: https://sr.ithaka.org/publications/whats-the-big-deal/.

FSU Libraries Services Updates

As FSU kicks off summer sessions, FSU Libraries continue to update resources and services available to the campus community.

Here are a few notable updates: 

  • The stacks are open! Access to our physical collections in Strozier, Dirac, and the FAMU-FSU Engineering Library has resumed. 
  • Curbside and in-library pick-up services will also continue. 
  • HathiTrust Digital Library Emergency Temporary Access Service (ETAS) has ended. Click here to learn more. However, our extensive online resources are always available both on- and off-campus.
  • UBorrow has been suspended until mid-July due to the state-wide discovery system migration. To learn more about this upgrade and what it means for you, visit https://www.lib.fsu.edu/catalog-and-discovery-upgrades.
  • Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services for both electronic and print resources have resumed. However, there may be fulfillment delays due to library closures nationwide. Please contact lib-borrowing@fsu.edu with any questions.
  • Physical Course Reserves remain suspended until further notice. We anticipate offering physical reserves in the fall if quarantining returned print materials is no longer a necessity.
  • For updates on Special Collections & Archives, click here.

For the most update to date information, visit https://www.lib.fsu.edu/news/covid-19

FSU Libraries to Upgrade Catalog and Discovery Interface This Summer

In July 2021, FSU Libraries is introducing a next-generation catalog and discovery interface. This upgraded OneSearch system will optimize your ability to find and request items on our website, lib.fsu.edu. It will also provide a robust new search experience, allowing you to search across our collections and many databases from a single interface.

To learn more about this upgrade and what it means for you, visit https://www.lib.fsu.edu/catalog-and-discovery-upgrades.

More information about new search features and related services will be coming soon!

Questions? Our subject librariansAsk-A-Librarian team, and implementation leaders Lindsey WhartonMason Hall, and Valerie Boulos are available to assist you and answer your questions.

FSU Author’s Day 2020

Every year, the FSU Libraries and the Office of Faculty Development and Advancement host FSU Author’s Day to celebrate the published accomplishments by FSU faculty and staff. This year, in lieu of a reception, we are honoring our authors digitally. 

“Every year since we began the FSU Authors Day celebration, people have asked ‘Why the book?’ It is true that FSU faculty publish many more articles than books and that they publish other things, too: films, podcast series, websites, datasets, concerts, and exhibits. However, the book is perhaps the longest-lived form of academic communication and idea exchange,” said Margaret Wright-Cleveland, Office of Faculty Development and Advancement’s director of faculty development. “Its physical presence has grown with the times (e-books and interactive books) while its cultural importance reaches back centuries. These books by FSU authors will bring ideas and beauty to colleagues, students, and the general public for years. We celebrate the effort, the accomplishment, and the conversation. Congratulations, FSU faculty authors.”

The published works displayed below represent endless hours of research and learning as well as sacrifice, dedication, and grit. They also showcase the diversity and variety of scholarship at Florida State University. We congratulate the authors on their hard work and significant contributions to scholarship!

“The Libraries are delighted to recognize and celebrate our FSU Authors. The creation of new knowledge and scholarship is an important achievement and it is especially appropriate for the Libraries to recognize and honor our faculty and preserve their scholarly works,” said Gale Etschmaier, dean of FSU Libraries.

RECOGNIZING THE PUBLISHED WORK OF 
FSU FACULTY AND STAFF

Spoiler Alert: A Critical Guide
Aaron Jaffe 
English Department
Blood Brothers and Peace Pipes: Performing the Wild in German Festivals
Alina Dana Weber
Department of Modern Languages & Linguistics
Assessing Spirituality in a Diversified World
Amy L. Ai (FSU), Paul Wink, Raymond Paloutzian, and Kevin A. Harris
College of Social Work
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FSU First Impressions Contest

As part of the Seminole First Impressions contest, FSU Facilities encouraged students, faculty, staff, and alumni to submit their ideas for campus beautification projects.

We all absolutely love Strozier Library, but definitely think there is some room for improvements. These improvements would provide a better experience for the many students, faculty, staff, and community who visit Strozier every year to study, research, grab a coffee, or just hang out.

Check out our First Impressions video entries for the FSU Libraries Service Desk; the Strozier Lobby; and the Special Collections & Archives Research Center.



New FSU Libraries and GEOSET Podcast Highlights FSU Community

FSU Libraries and GEOSET are excited to announce the debut of a new podcast, Sources Cited. Season one of Sources Cited is titled “Academically Distanced.” In these first six episodes, manager of GEOSET studios and podcast host Tom Cruz, interviews members of the FSU community on their experiences in academia during the time of COVID-19 and how they are living, working, and coping during the strangeness of a pandemic. 

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