Comments Off on Sign Up for Spring 2016 Business Research Workshop

By jlmille5, December 9, 2015 12:00 pm

Sign up now for the Spring 2016 Business Research Workshop sponsored by Butler University Libraries. This free workshop provides training on business information resources that can be freely accessed after graduation, including government search portals, industry and trade sites, and public library offerings for the business community.  Students also learn about advanced Google search techniques for business research.

Six of the ten participants in the Fall 2015 Business Research Workshop

This non-credit workshop is open to Butler students, faculty, and staff. Taught by Butler Business Librarian Teresa Williams, the workshop meets four times (two face-to-face meetings and two via Moodle).

Previous participants report the workshop has had immediate benefits.  According to one student, “It has given me a big edge in classes when it comes to research projects and other assignments!  I am able to share parts of what I learned with other students to help them out as well.”

For another student, ehealth pharmacy the workshop was a point of distinction in a job interview. “I have it on my resume and when I was in a job interview I was able to talk about it, and the company seemed interested in what I had done with it and learned from it.”

For more information about participating in the Business Research Workshop, please contact Teresa Williams at twilliam@butler.edu.

Comments (1)

By jlmille5, November 9, 2015 8:04 pm

By popular demand, Irwin Library will again host 24-hour study on Sunday, Dec. 13, and Monday, Dec. 14.  We are also providing some stress-less activities:

Students taking a break with the Paws & Think therapy dogs last December

Dec. 13 – Free pizza and soda at 9:00 pm (Irwin Atrium) & mini-massages (tentatively scheduled – hours TBD)

Dec. 14 -Paws and Think therapy dogs (tentatively scheduled Irwin Atrium- hours TBD).

Free coffee will be available smart drugs guide from Midnight to 7:30 am on both nights. Library staff will also be available to provide research assistance and encouragement at the Information Commons desk.

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By jlmille5, October 20, 2015 7:14 pm

If you’ve visited the 3rd Floor of Irwin Library recently, you’ve probably noticed that two quads on the north end of the building have been emptied of book stacks.  The library received capital project funding to renovate the northwest quad for relocation of the Center for Academic Technology (CAT) from the basement of Jordan Hall.  The move is scheduled for the beginning of spring semester.

The Center for Academic Technology provides expertise and leadership in the intersections of technology, teaching, and learning in support of the academic mission of Butler University. CAT employees support faculty and staff through consulting and development opportunities and student academic success through the Information Commons program.  CAT employs thirty Information Commons student associates, offering Butler students work experience in a professional environment.

This rendering shows the Information Commons workstations in the CAT office.

The CAT office will include a demonstration theatre for presentations about and using instructional technologies.

Phase One of the project (currently under way) includes adding electrical and data infrastructure to support the expanded use of technology in this area. Electricians and network technicians will be installing an additional electrical panel, and  Room IL-116 (currently a small individual study room) will be converted into a data closet. This work includes drilling into concrete walls. Library staff will notify the Butler community in advance about anticipated noise levels whenever possible.

Phase Two will include moving furniture out of the two quads in order to paint the walls and to replace the carpet. We anticipate the painting to take place the week of Nov. 16th, with carpet removal and installation to begin on Nov. 23rd.

Phase Three begins after fall semester ends.  Rather than construct walls within the open quads, we will use a modular frame-and-panel system to create an open-plan office, including: a demonstration theatre and a “genius bar” for exploring new instructional technologies; workstations where Information Commons students will work with faculty on projects; an equipment charging and storage area; a “huddle space” for small group meetings and collaboration; and office spaces for CAT employees. This flexible system may be reconfigured depending upon future needs

Concurrently, starting in November the restrooms in the basement and on the 3rd floor of Irwin Library will be closed for renovation. This much-needed update will include new fixtures, stall partitions, ceiling tiles, and more.  Public restrooms will still be available on the 2nd floor of Irwin during November and December.

The northeast quad of Irwin will also be about painted and re-carpeted as part of this project. Study tables and soft seating will be placed in this quad for Spring Semester, pending approval of a capital proposal to install a library instruction room in this space in 2016-17.

For more information about this project, please contact Heather Vaughn at 940-9926.

Comments Off on Don’t Miss the Duck Drop at Irwin Library Aug. 22

By jlmille5, August 10, 2015 8:22 pm

Make a splash! New students and their families are invited to participate in the annual Welcome Week Duck Drop at Irwin Library on Saturday, Aug. 22 from 2:00-4:00 pm!

Sponsored by the Butler University Libraries, the Duck Drop is a chance to cool off, have some fun, and perhaps win some Butler swag.

Each new student gets to select 3 rubber duckies to throw into the library’s fountain from the 3rd floor.  If you hit three targets, your name is entered in a drawing for a gift basket.

The library will also have free frozen treats for everyone.  We hope to see you there!

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By jlmille5, December 11, 2014 6:47 pm

It’s that time of year again! Study spaces are becoming harder to find, as students begin to buckle down in preparation for finals week. Although many students have been working on group projects and papers throughout the year, here are some updates about Irwin Library that you can use to help you get through the end of the semester!

Use our new study spaces

The new bar stools at the Irwin Library “charge bar.”

We have updated and added new study spaces at  Irwin, making them more comfortable and visually appealing to students, especially those who are in for the long haul. After students voted on the carpet of their choice, Irwin staff jumped at the opportunity to make this request a reality. The carpet also matches the comfortable new barstools at Irwin Library, which made their debut earlier this week. If you would like a comfortable way to study, charge your devices, and to store your belongings, the bar stools are the best way to go.

Collaborate as a group

Irwin Library has two collaboration stations for group project work.

If you have a group presentation or project to work on, Irwin Library’s collaboration stations are the most convenient and effective spaces on campus. They allow groups to view presentations, footage, and to make critiques while they information is displayed on a monitors. With these stations, students are able to listen to audio together with multiple head-phone jacks, and can connect their computers or iPads to the monitors.

Make those last minute video edits

If you have to work with media or digital technology at the end of the semester, you no longer have to go to Fairbanks to do so! The rich media center in the “tech quad” on the first floor allows students to make edits to video projects, convert VHS tapes into .mp4 format, and to transcribe audio into a text document–all of which are quite helpful to students under a deadline.

And finally, don’t forget to take a break and breathe

Because students have requested more extended library hours, Irwin Library has decided to host two 24-hour stress-less events this semester!

The Paws and Think therapy dogs at the Spring ’14 Stress-Less event.

Join us for our annual 24-hour stress-less events on Dec. 14^th and Dec. 15^th.

The first night, Sunday, December 14^th, the therapy dogs from Paws and Think will visit from 6-8:00 p.m, followed by free pizza at 8:30 p.m. Last year the the therapy dogs provided students a different type of study break that for many felt like home. The organization often helps groups with post-traumatic stress disorder and disabilities, as the dogs offer a sense of love and relief.

On Monday, December 15^th, we are serving holiday cookies and having mini massages from 8:00 p.m. to midnight. There will also be festive holiday coloring sheets for students to color and display in the library. We will also allow students to get free coffee from midnight to 1:00 a.m.

Good luck with finals, and I hope to see you at this year’s stress-less events!

—Akeira Jennings

  Library Student Liaison