Top 10 Things to Know: UW-Archives

10. We’re right here on campus! Located on the fourth floor of Steenbock Library, the Archives is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8:00-4:30! Planning a trip to the Archives? Call 262-5629 or email in advance.

9. Researching a topic related to campus history? Many of our collections are cataloged into the library’s online catalog. Click here to begin a search.

8. Some of our most useful "foundation" resources have been digitized and are available online through the UW Digital Collections Center’s UW-Madison Collection.

7. Our collections include approximately 3,500 films, 1,200 oral history interviews and almost 1.5 million photos. That’s a whole lotta campus history! We can provide digital copies or facilitate viewing/listening to the original item depending on the format and your project needs.

6. Is your department or group celebrating an anniversary? Hosting a retirement event for an honored faculty or staff member? Planning a reunion? The UW-Madison Archives can help! Find out how, here.

5. Although we LOVE working with our colleagues over the hill, we’re not the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS). Located on Library Mall, the WHS archives collects and shares materials that document Wisconsin history. It’s importation to note that their collections do include materials related to campus so check both the UW-Madison Archives and WHS Library-Archives when researching such a topic.

4. We are actively collecting! In general, we collect materials that document UW-Madison, UW Extension, and UW System and Colleges administration history. As faculty and staff retire or move out of office space, sometimes materials of historic value are left behind. Feel free to call us (or share our contact information with colleagues) if you discover something "archives worthy". We are more than happy to meet and review your materials for potential inclusion in our collections.

3. Did you know we have a records manager who works with University departments to curate and manage "official business records" of the University? Contact Records Management or visit for more information.

2. Love social media? So do we! We’re on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and more. Follow us from the Archives home page.

1. We love a good history mystery! Got a question? A research challenge? Shoot us an email and we’ll do our best to find the answer. For more information about the UW-Madison Archives, visit our home page.

With thanks to Vicki T. for this blog post.

Take a Tour!

Come see what Steenbock Library has to offer with a tour of our facility. During an hour-long tour, Steenbock librarians will introduce tour participants to collections and service points.

Each tour will depart from the Information Services/Reference desk, second floor, across from the library’s main entrance.

Schedule:

Tuesday August 28:  2:00-3:00 PM and 3:00-4:00 PM

Thursday August 30:  2:00-3:00 PM and 3:00-4:00 PM

Thursday September 6:  2:00-3:00 PM and 3:00-4:00 PM

If you are unable to attend any of the scheduled tours, above, or wish to schedule a tour for a particular group, (class, research unit, new staff or dorm residents), do complete an online request form or phone our Library Instruction Coordinator at 263-2385 (or email).

The Mindset List

Welcome to college, Class of 2016!

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. Enjoy!

To learn more about the "minds" behind the Mindset List, take a look at a 2010 article from the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Get Acquainted; Plan an Orientation

Are you new to campus or do you have new staff or incoming graduate students? If so, you may wish to consult with your Steenbock library liaison to plan an orientation to library collections and services.

Steenbock librarians are happy to meet with new staff and students--be it for an individual consultation, small-group workshop, or as participant in a department welcome event. Complete a request form.

Additionally, library liaisons can provide the following services:

• Assist with library services and policies (e.g., Interlibrary Loan, UW System search and retrieval…etc.),
• Assist with customizing email alerts to keep you informed about new articles matching your topic criteria or with tables of contents to your favorite journals,
• Provide in-depth reference consultations--at our office or yours--(e.g., help with strategy and database choices, work with your citation management product…etc.),
• Supply customized instructional sessions and course Web pages for your students,
• Consult on questions related to publishing your research (e.g., identify target journals, manage copyright, measure research impact, or investigate open-access publishing options).

Watch for our Steenbock Drop-In Workshops and Tours | August/September Tours

Or see the campus-wide libraries’ Workshops/Classes/Tours calendar.

Get Your Employee Bus Pass!

Steenbock Library is pleased to serve as one of the pick-up sites for the UW-Madison Employee Bus Pass. The bus pass remains subsidized yet this year, 2012-2013, by Transportation Services and UW Health. 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 for the 2012-2013 bus pass will take place between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM at the following locations (do note dates):

• August 13 - 17: Memorial Library, West Corridor, Room 124
• August 20 - 24: Health Sciences Learning Center, Atrium
• August 27 - 31: Steenbock Library, Room 240
• September 4 - 7: WARF Building, Room 132

If an employee misses the initial distribution period for the complimentary bus pass, he/she can obtain one from Transportation Services after September 7, 2012.

For information about the distribution sites for the ASM Student Bus Pass, 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.

Call for Course Reserves, Fall Semester

The fall semester quickly approaches as does our Course Reserves deadline!

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, 2012.  Materials received after this date will be processed in the order in which they are received.

For more information, visit the Steenbock Course Reserves page, email, or complete an online request form.