Art Exhibition at Wendt

Wendt Library is pleased to announce a student art exhibition, “Works on Paper,” by UW-Madison MA/MFA candidate, Willow Hagge. According to Wendt staffers who enjoyed a first peek, “Willow's prints blend the texture, dimension and detail of dried plants in an effect that is both dramatic and calming.”

The exhibition will run, in the main-floor alcove of Wendt Library, from March 24 through May 18.

The Wendt Library Art Committee is a collaborative effort of Wendt Library, Engineering External Relations, Tandem Press and Liberal Studies and the Arts - Division of Continuing Studies.

Opening reception: Friday, April 4 (5:00-7:00 PM)

Wisconsin Film Festival (April 3-6)

There are still tickets available for films at the tenth annual Wisconsin Film Festival (April 3-6). See the Guide for a list of films, venues and ticket availability. Tickets run $7.00 for the general public and $4.00 for students (additional discounts apply with the purchase of multiple tickets).

You may purchase online until Wednesday, April 2; some tickets may also become available at participating theaters, day-of-show. A special Festival box office window is open in Memorial Union, second floor, Annex Room, Monday & Tuesday (noon-8:00PM), Wednesday through Saturday (noon-5:00PM).

The Wisconsin Film Festival was founded in 1999 and features new American independent and world cinema (narrative, documentary, shorts, experimental), restored classics, and the work of Wisconsin filmmakers.

Lights Out!

Imagine what would happen if we all did it at the same time?! By participating in Earth Hour and putting out the lights for an hour, we can reflect upon the more apparent stars in the sky and some methods for how we may reduce our energy toll.

Earth Hour, as observed in the US, will happen on March 29, 8:00PM local time.

More than just an hour--suggestions for reducing your energy consumption.

And, of related interest:

Take Action List, from StopGlobalWarming.org

Culture of Sharing Forum (April 12)

UW-Madison Libraries are sponsoring a student forum on issues related to Web technologies, copyright, and open access--essentially, how and why it all matters. Come hear keynote speaker Nelson Pavlosky, activist with Students for Free Culture, and participate in breakout sessions.

Breakout sessions include:

• Remixes and mash-ups: YouTube, sampling and legal repurposing
• Peer-to-peer file sharing: What CAN you do?
• Sharing your work: including open access publishing options
• Open source: sharing programming solutions
• Digital rights management: DRM in CDs, DVDs, iTunes and more

Closing session will be facilitated by Gavin Baker, co-founder of Florida Free Culture.

The forum will be held, Saturday, April 12 (3:00-6:00 PM) at the Memorial Union.

For more information, visit the forum site:

Culture of Sharing: P2P, YouTube, Open Access, Open Source, Copyright, and Why it Matters to You!

This should be a fun and interesting event--hope you can make it!

Science Expeditions, 2008 (April 5)

With Science Expeditions, UW-Madison hosts an exciting day of hands-on Exploration Stations and “Science Spectaculars”—special demonstrations and lectures. All events are free and open to the public.

While the exploration stations and spectaculars will be held on the engineering campus (Engineering Hall, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Centers, Tong Auditorium), this is a great day to check out other campus science venues including the Geology Museum, the Botany Greenhouse and the Primate Center Learning Lobby.

View the schedule for the day; consult the map for venue.

Free Postcards!

Tell them where you study--with a complimentary postcard of the Allen Centennial Gardens--our neighbor to the immediate north and visible in their winter glory from second floor windows of the InfoLab. Stop by the Circulation and Information Services/Reference Desks to select a card (while supplies last). The postcards come to us from staff at the Gardens who initially produced the cards and posters (seen throughout the library) for the Garden Expo. The Gardens are also a popular lunch and study spot when warmer weather prevails.

Need stamps? Visit the Tripp Gatehouse postal unit—our closest source in the neighborhood.

Used Book Sale

The Friends of UW-Madison Libraries will host a used book sale March 26-29 in Room 116 of Memorial Library.

A preview sale, with $5.00 admission, will be held from 5:00 until 9:00 PM, Wednesday, March 26. The regular sale, which is open to all at no charge, will be held from 10:30 AM until 7:00 PM on Thursday and Friday, March 27-28.

On Saturday, March 29 (10:30 AM – 1:00 PM), you can bring a bag and fill it for $3.00. Between 1:05-2:00 PM, remaining books are free.

Care to donate? Donations of books, CDs, LPs and videos can be made any time during the year by leaving them in the Open Return book drops at campus libraries. Materials can also be dropped off at the Lake Street loading dock of Memorial Library between 7:00 AM and 3:30 PM weekdays. Book sales help support a Friends’ lecture series, special purchases for campus library collections and a visiting scholar support program.

Dig In! Community Gardens

As those near and dear can attest, this blog contributor is an ardent supporter of local economies and sustainable, healthy food options. In addition to local CSAs and farmers’ markets, the Madison community is also host to a constellation of some 31 community gardens where those who don’t mind digging in (literally and figuratively) can cultivate a useful life skill and satisfy that hunger for the freshest of tomatoes (or other garden favorite). See what garden spaces are available—contact garden registrars.

World Water Day, March 20

The United Nations, today, celebrates World Water Day with a focus upon issues of sanitation. In accordance with that focus, the Water Day site supplies links to photos, videos and factsheets regarding sanitation essentials and efforts by UN organizations to supply support and remediation.

Additionally, the UN Water site supplies links to reports and news about water scarcity, water quality, statistics and water policies. According to this site, “it is estimated that 88% of the global burden of disease is attributable to unsafe water supply, lack of sanitation and hygiene and is mostly concentrated on children in developing countries. Every day, this contributes to the deaths of 5,000 children from largely preventable causes, including diarrhoeal diseases and parasites.”

Additional links:

International Year of Sanitation

Water Resources Institute, University of Wisconsin

Databases for finding research literature on hydrology, sanitation and water resources (please consult with your librarian for other recommendations):

Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts

Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management

Geobase

Water Resources Abstracts

Sustaining Wisconsin's Environment and Economy (Conference)

Registration is now open for the second annual Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference, Sustaining Wisconsin’s Environment & Economy: Responding to Climate Change.

The conference, to be held April 16 at the Monona Terrace, will explore the potential impacts of climate change on Wisconsin and strategies that may be required in order to protect its health, natural resources and economy.

Browse conference program

Read speaker bios

All Sewn Up: Millinery, Dressmaking, Clothing and Costume

UW-Digital Collections is pleased to announce this new collection that explores the craft and profession of millinery, dressmaking, fashion, vocational history, drawing and design.

The books selected for the All Sewn Up collection were published between 1907 and the 1940s and include such titles as Practical Millinery, Textiles and Costume Design, Thrift Clothing and Woman as Decoration, among 32 others.

Click here to access the collection.

"If you are labouring under the delusion that the beret is merely a small round felt hat with a closely fitting headband, then my primary aim must be to disillusion you as quickly as possible."
[from Winifred Reiser’s Your Millinery, 1949; Chapter 6: The Beret, page 61]

Championship Cheese

The 2008 World Championship Cheese Contest was held at the Monona Terrace, March 11-13, hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. An international panel of 22 judges presented awards in 79 cheese (and butter) classes (cow’s milk classes—cheddar, colby…; goat’s milk classes—soft, flavored… etc.).

View all results by class; view top three winners in each class.

World Champion
Le Gruyere Switzerland
Made by Michael Spycher, Kaserei Fritzenhaus, Wasen, Switzerland

First Runner-Up
Gorgonzola
Made by CERPL Cheesemakers, CERPL for DCI Cheese Co., Bologna, Italy

Second Runner-Up
Emmentaler
Made by Bernhard Naf, Kaserei Guntershausen, Guntershausen, Switzerland

A Pie for a Pi

Mathematicians observe Pi Day today due to Pi being 3.14 (or extended as, 3.1415926535...). While you could commemorate the occasion with some clever calculations, I might suggest another formula. Check out some pie titles from Steenbock’s cookbook collection!

A few examples:

Title: Blue-ribbon pies / edited by Maria Polushkin Robbins.
Publisher: New York : St. Martin's Press, c1987.
Location: Steenbock Stacks -1st Floor
Call Number: TX773 B62 1987

Author: Chattman, Lauren.
Title: Icebox pies : 100 scrumptious recipes for no-bake, no-fail pies / Lauren Chattman.
Publisher: Boston, Mass. : Harvard Common Press, c2002.
Location: Steenbock Stacks -1st Floor
Call Number: TX773 C473 2002

Author: Cherkasky, Lisa, 1956-
Title: The artful pie : unforgettable recipes for creative cooks / by Lisa Cherkasky and Renée Comet.
Location: Steenbock Stacks -1st Floor
Call Number: TX773 C5218 1993

Title: Farm journal's complete pie cookbook; 700 best dessert and main-dish pies in the country. Edited by Nell B. Nichols, field food editor, with the assistance of the food staff of Farm Journal. Photography supervised by Al J. Reagan, art director.
Publisher: Garden City, N.Y., Doubleday [1965]
Location: Steenbock Stacks -1st Floor
Call Number: TX773 F33 1965

Author: Olstein, Judi.
Title: Desserts : pies, cakes, puddings, tarts, crêpes, sorbets, ice creams & cookies for the sweet tooth in all of us / Judi Olstein ; photographs by George G. Wieser.
Publisher: New York : Triangle Group, 1993.
Location: Steenbock Stacks -1st Floor
Call Number: TX773 O68 1993

Pi Day or Pie Day? Hmm!

NIH Public Access Policy Information Session

In accordance with Division G, Title II, Section 218 of PL 110-161 (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008), the NIH voluntary Public Access Policy (NOT-OD-05-022) is now mandatory. The new policy is effective April 7, 2008.

An information session about the NIH Public Access Policy will be held for CALS:
Wednesday, March 19, (noon - 1:00 PM)
Room 1420, Microbial Sciences Building

The speaker will be Julie Schneider, Assistant Director for Scholarly Communications, Ebling Library

This presentation has been scheduled during spring break so as not to conflict with teaching schedules. PIs and others conducting research funded by the NIH are especially encouraged to attend.

Basics of the Policy

As of April 7, 2008, all investigators who are funded by NIH in whole or in part must submit their accepted, peer-reviewed manuscripts to PubMed Central upon acceptance for publication. These manuscripts will be made publicly available on PubMed Central within 12 months of the publication date.

Beginning May 25, 2008, all NIH applications, proposals, and progress reports must include the PubMed Central reference number (PMCID) when citing an article that falls under the policy and is authored or co-authored by the investigator or arose from the investigator's NIH award.

It is important to comply with this policy in its entirety. The NIH has indicated that a failure to comply with this statutory requirement may delay a future grant or jeopardize future research funding.

Benefits of the Policy

The policy mandate intends to lead to broader possibilities for advancing science through 24/7 worldwide access to research and scholarship.

• It will increase the visibility of your research.
• It will preserve research publications for the long term.

Articles in PubMed Central may be fully integrated with other databases developed and supported by the NIH including PubMed, GenBank, PubChem, and others.

Campus Libraries Will Help

UW-Madison Libraries have agreed to help campus implement this initiative. The Libraries’ Scholarly Communication & Publishing Committee (SCP) is working with Research and Sponsored Programs and faculty to develop services and educational materials to help researchers comply with this NIH mandate.

The Libraries can:

• Answer questions about the policy on a one-to-one basis.
• Meet with and present to groups or departments.
• Assist in amending a copyright transfer agreement or utilizing the campus copyright agreement.
• Submit a manuscript to PubMed Central on behalf of the author/co-author.
• Help grant submitters find citation information and PMCIDs.
• Provide additional information about the NIH mandatory policy through email and postings on the libraries' scholarly communication and publishing Website.

Links:

Campus Libraries NIH Public Access Policy Website
NIH Public Access Website

UW-Madison Libraries Scholarly Communication & Publishing NIH Subgroup:
Dorothea Salo, MINDS@UW; Julie Schneider, Ebling Library; Emily Wixson, Chemistry Library

Steenbock Liaison Librarians

Undergraduate Research Awards

College Library invites students to apply for its first annual Undergraduate Research Awards. The awards will celebrate excellence and creativity in using the library to complete an undergraduate research project.

(Examples may include a literature review for a lab study, the use of primary sources in a historical research paper, or the background research for a creative arts project).

Up to three Library Research Awards and one Research in Progress Award will be presented at the Undergraduate Symposium, April 16, 2008. (The Research in Progress Award is intended for projects that will not be completed before the award deadline).

Winners of Library Research Awards will receive a cash prize of $300. The winner of the Research in Progress Award will receive a cash prize of $150.

(Please note: The Financial Aid Office may need to modify your aid package if you were to receive outside aid, such as this cash prize).

Applications are due by April 1, 2008

How to Apply—the process:

Meet with a librarian or attend a drop-in information session to review and discuss your research.

Reflect on the various tools and strategies used to locate relevant materials.

Write a 600-800 word essay describing your research strategies and reflecting on your experience, noting the successes, difficulties, and surprises you encountered.

Submit an application, a statement of faculty support, a final version of your project, and the essay.

Drop-in information sessions will be held at College Library (1193D):

Tuesday, March 11th, 8:00-9:00 pm

Tuesday, March 25th, 5:00-6:00 pm

For more information, contact College librarian Kelli Keclik or College Library Director, Carrie Kruse.

Evening RefWorks Workshop, March 11

Have you discovered RefWorks?! Organize a personal database and format bibliographies with ease.

This workshop will cover the basic features of using RefWorks, including organizing, searching and sorting records, importing records from MadCat and journal databases, and preparing bibliographies. Hands-on practice will be included.

Managing Your Citations with RefWorks
Tuesday, March 11 (7:00-8:30 PM)
Room 105, Steenbock Library

No registration is necessary in order to attend, and all workshops are free to students, faculty and staff. This is the final RefWorks workshop scheduled for Steenbock this semester. Check the campus libraries workshops page for information and dates for upcoming RefWorks workshops at other libraries.

Spring Break Hours (March 14-23)

Steenbock Library will observe the following hours during spring break, March 14-23, 2008:

Friday, March 14: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Saturday - Sunday, March 15 - 16: CLOSED

Monday - Friday, March 17 - 21: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Saturday - Sunday, March 22 - 23: CLOSED

Classes and spring semester hours resume, Monday, March 24, 2008

Consult the campus libraries' page for information about spring break hours at other library locations.

Wind Chill Factor

UW-Madison graduate students were invited to lend their creative-writing talents to an exhibit featuring texts documenting their experiences of a Wisconsin winter. Memorial Library contributed to this dialogue about the cold and wintry mix by including a selection of books from its collections that treat this topic in some fashion. Visit the exhibit at Memorial Library in the front entrance corridor or enjoy the texts online.

A reading and reception will be held on Tuesday, March 11 from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Tripp Commons, Memorial Union. Memorial Library expresses its appreciation to Global Studies, a co-sponsor for the event, and to Mexican writer Cristina Rivera Garza who will be the special guest for the reading.

Wind Chill Factor, Reading and Reception
Tuesday, March 11
7:00-9:00 PM
Tripp Commons, Memorial Union

A Cappella Showcase

Looking to attend a great live show? Support some local causes? If so, then head down to the Wisconsin Union Theater (Memorial Union) on Friday, March 7 to take in the A Cappella Showcase.

All four UW-Madison a cappella groups will perform (show begins at 7:00 PM). Proceeds will be donated to local charities including the American Red Cross (Madison chapter), Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, Relay for Life and the St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry.
(Tickets are $7.00 for students; $10.00 for faculty/staff/community)

See the Wisconsin State Journal article!

Links to the a cappella groups:

Fundamentally Sound

The MadHatters

Redefined

Tangled Up in Blue

Carson Gulley Cookbook Collection

When was the last time you enjoyed some fudge-bottom pie on campus? This signature dessert was just one of the creations attributed to chef Carson Gulley (1897-1962) (his original recipe does differ, though, from the ones currently-served on campus).

Not only was Carson Gulley renown as head chef of the Housing Division’s food service from 1927 until his retirement in 1954, but he also contributed to several instructional programs, managed a catering service, and published his recipes.

For the first time, these recipes are going online as the Carson Gulley Cookbook Collection. Click here to savor the collection.

Job Hunting (Workshop, March 6)

Discover resources and strategies for job hunting on the Internet/Web. The workshop will cover resume writing resources, databases for job postings, tips for finding non-advertised jobs, and methods for researching potential employers. There will be time for hands-on exploration.

Job Hunting on the Internet

Thursday, March 6 (4:00-5:15 PM)

Steenbock Library, Room 105

No registration is necessary in order to attend. All workshops are free to students, faculty and staff.

Encyclopedia of Life

Content from the immense Encyclopedia of Life can now be accessed. This ambitious Encyclopedia project intends to honor biodiversity by making information available, online, about every living organism, known to science, inhabiting the planet. Pages for each organism will supply taxonomy, imagery, habitat and geographic distribution, genetics and evolutionary history, behavior, and information about ecological relationships to other organisms.

Browse or search the site by organism. Register to select preferences for your use and to receive EOL updates.

See the BBC News story about the project.

Cell Phones and the No-Call List

On the anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell’s birth*, and while the telephone is an amazing invention to be sure, it may be nice to remind all about a handy means in Wisconsin to reduce intrusive phone calls.

By visiting Wisconsin’s No-Call page, residential phone customers can register a phone number to signify that they do not wish to receive calls from telemarketers. Many will also be pleased to note that the State Senate has recently voted unanimously to expand this protection to cell phones!
Click here to view an article about this development from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

*Alexander Graham Bell was born March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh. View a brief biography from the Inventor of the Week Archive, Lemelson-MIT Program.