Campus Housing, Historic Photos

This week on Flickr, University Archives features a small set of historic photos showing student campus housing from the late 1890s through 2008. How has "Move-in Week" and student accommodations changed during the years?! Be sure to take a peek (and reply to this post!)

100 Years of Student Housing at UW-Madison

The photos featured in this Flickr set will be added to UW Digital Collections-UW Madison Collection later this year.

For more information about the photo collections, visit the University Archives Images site.

With thanks to Vicki T., Images/Media Archivist, for this blog post.

#FindUW, Social Media Scavenger Hunt

Are you ready to play?! New and returning students are invited to take part in the first social media scavenger hunt. Play one or all three days, August 31-September 2, 2011.

In order to play, and to qualify for great prizes, follow @UWMadison on Twitter to receive clues to 17 campus locations. (Be sure to look for the red/white Buckys). Find the location and tweet your response to be entered to win. The more locations you find, the better your chances of winning.

If you do not have a smart phone, visit a campus computer lab to participate.

Visit the #FindUW site for more information and to review the rules for participation.

UW-Madison Libraries are among this event’s campus partners.

Mindset List (Class of 2015)

Welcome to college, Class of 2015!

Beloit College has released its annual Mindset list. While it is important to note that this list does not wholly account for knowledge and experience, it does serve to capture a state of affairs--be it from popular culture, technology or political situation--within the lifespan of the traditional, incoming college student.

It certainly lends itself well to discussion and to reflection upon where we've been and where we may be heading.

Noteworthy on this year’s list is a statement in its introduction to what has become ubiquitous--that being that this is the "first generation to grow up taking the word "online" for granted and for whom crossing the digital divide has redefined research, original sources and access to information, changing the central experiences and methods in their lives."

At the libraries, of course, we, your campus librarians, are not strangers to how online resources have transformed how we find and manage information. Should you need assistance in finding and using these resources, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are happy to supply that assistance.

Free Drop-In Workshops, Fall 2011

Steenbock Library offers free tours and drop-in workshops for students and staff!

Come learn about library resources and services that can make your work easier. We offer a variety of workshops to satisfy many interests, whether that is to harness a citation management product or to search more effectively using Google or the research literature databases.

Plan to attend any of the workshops on the current fall schedule (printable PDF). If you cannot attend one of these particular workshops, we can arrange individual or small group sessions. Send us your request using our online form.

All workshops are free and include hands-on time to explore the resource. No reservations are necessary. We look forward to seeing you there!

Graduate Support Series, Fall 2011

UW-Madison campus libraries have teamed to offer a series of free workshops for graduate students. As each workshop is designed to be a "stand-alone" presentation, students can choose to attend any number of them, in any combination.

Please visit the library workshop site or view the flyer (PDF) for the listing of workshops in the series. From "Keeping Current with the Literature" to "Finding Datasets"--there is something for you.

Do note date, time and library location. Registration is recommended; register with the GSC (Graduate Student Collaborative).

Employee Bus Pass Distribution

Steenbock Library is pleased to serve as one of the pick-up sites for the UW-Madison Employee Bus Pass. The bus pass from Transportation Services remains subsidized yet this year, 2011-2012. Eligible employees must present a valid UW Wiscard ID* or UW Hospital ID at one of the distribution locations in order to collect a bus pass.

Distribution of the 2011-2012 bus pass will take place between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM at the following locations (do note dates):

August 15-19: Memorial Union, TITU (800 Langdon Street)

August 22-26: UW Hospital and Clinics, H4/1 Elevator Lobby

August 29-Sept 2: Steenbock Library, Room 240 (550 Babcock Drive)

September 6-9: WARF, Room 132 (614 Walnut Street)
(Do note that there will not be distribution on Monday, September 5, Labor Day)

If an employee misses the initial distribution period for the complimentary bus pass, he/she can obtain one from Transportation Services.

For information about the distribution sites for the ASM Student Bus, visit this link for more information.

* Faculty and staff who need a new or replacement ID card must present personal photo identification such as a driver's license, passport, or state ID to staff with the Wiscard Office, Union South. The Wiscard Office can produce a Faculty/Staff ID card once the employee's department has entered the appointment information (and proper authorization has been established) in the database. Visit the Wiscard site for more information.

UW-Madison Day at the State Fair (Aug 10)

Come celebrate UW-Madison’s history of service and outreach by visiting its Wisconsin State Fair event, August 10. Located on the fair ground’s Central Mall, the "UW-Madison Day" will feature staff and alumni demonstrating their expertise and inviting fairgoers to "jump around" and experience all that the university has to offer--be that to taste some Babcock Ice Cream or to witness the Wonders of Physics.

Be sure to look for your Steenbock librarians and their campus library colleagues! We will be on hand to distribute some library-themed fun and to answer your questions about how you may visit and access library resources.

The State Fair event will also be an opportunity to donate school supplies to Milwaukee-area students. By bringing a new school supply to the Fair admissions gate, you will receive a $5.00 voucher toward a Midway "Ride all Day" wristband. See the list of necessary school supplies.

For more information about the UW-Madison Day at the State Fair, visit this page.

Do Nothing but Read Day (Aug 6)

Enough said! Tomorrow is "Do Nothing but Read Day"--the brainchild of two UW-Madison alumni. And, as far as this librarian is concerned, no coaxing is required to devote some time to reading interests. As per usual, I am engaged with several texts simultaneously and look forward to making my way through some Forna, Ondaatje and Patchett.

Consult with your librarians for reading recommendations and to locate available copies from campus and public libraries.

Call for Course Reserves, Fall 2011

To ensure that your reserve materials are available in time for the first day of class, we invite you to submit your course reserve materials by our deadline date: August 10, 2011.

For more information, visit the Steenbock Course Reserves page, phone 263-7574 or email. Requests can also be placed by completing the Reserves Request Form. Note other deadlines and availability information.

Year of the Wisconsin Idea

How has the University of Wisconsin touched your life? During the academic year 2011-2012, UW-Madison will celebrate the "Year of the Wisconsin Idea" and how the university, with this particular philosophy of collaboration, outreach and service, continues to enrich Wisconsin communities.

The seeds of the Wisconsin Idea were sown in 1904 when UW President Charles Van Hise declared that he would "never be content until the beneficent influence of the University reaches every home in the state."

In its early days, this philosophy served to forge relationships with state government and to inform legislation, but would evolve to speak more fully to the university’s commitment to public service, translating research into action.

Visit the Wisconsin Idea Website for information about its history, projects, forthcoming events and opportunities to share your experience.

Save the date for the following events:

Aug 10, 2011--UW-Madison at the State Fair (and look for the Wisconsin Idea Story Booth!)
Sept 1, 2011--Chancellor’s Convocation
Sept 22, 2011--Morgridge Center for Public Service 15th anniversary
Sept 22-24, 2011--Science Festival, Humanities-Science-Art Interplay
Oct 15, 2011--100 Year Anniversary of the First UW Homecoming
Late Oct, 2011--Reexamination of the Wisconsin Idea in the 21st century: Engaged Scholarship
Nov 11, 2011--Wisconsin Idea Forum
Feb-Mar 2012--Founders Days
March 31, 2012--Science Expeditions
April 28-30, 2012--Alumni Weekend
April 22, 2012--Nelson Institute Earth Day Celebration

Library Resources for the New Grad

Congratulations graduates! Be sure to extend your access to our campus library system with a visit to the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s Library Resources page. This page supplies information about publicly-accessible online collections and association membership benefits that include access to two sizeable, article databases. If you have been a RefWorks user, do note that you will also be able to take your account with you. See the Alumni Program details page for more information.

Information is also available from our libraries’ website about borrowing privileges for residents (Wisconsin) and non-residents and fee-based document delivery services.

If you remain in the state of Wisconsin, you will also be able to use Badgerlink, a project from the Wisconsin DPI, Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning that supports access to a collection of online resources. See the Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.

Wherever you go, get to know your local public and academic libraries where you will often be able to visit and to access many of their resources, in-house and online.