» Useful Tools Milne Library News and Events

From Agonized to Organized: Tips to Better Manage Files & Folders

November 3, 2016 by Tracy Paradis Leave a Comment

Please bring a laptop to the workshop!

This session provides a brief introduction to best practices for data management for undergraduate students in any discipline. Students will learn about basic data management concepts by working with data and files they already have. Discover useful tips for naming, organizing and preserving your files, photos and other digital content.
Instructor: Bonnie Swoger – Library Faculty, Milne Library

Thursday, November 10th
1:00 – 2:00 pm
MacVittie College Union
Room 322/323

[Register for Ruby Certificate Credit] *Required Workshop

Filed under GOLD, Research Management, Useful Tools, Workshops

Becoming an Uber Efficient Researcher

September 15, 2016 by Tracy Paradis Leave a Comment

Please bring a laptop to the workshop!

Find out how to use research management tools like Zotero to gather, organize and automatically create citations for research papers. In this workshop, you will learn about the options available and gain hands-on experience with one of these tools to capture, save and export citations into a word document in the citation style of your choice. Instructor: Tracy Paradis – Reference & Instruction Librarian, Milne Library

Becoming an Uber Efficient Researcher Using Research Management Tools
Wednesday, September 21
2:30 – 3:30 pm
MacVittie College Union Room 322/323

[Register for Ruby Certificate Credit]

Filed under Citation, Digital Scholarship, GOLD, Research, Research Management, Technology, Tools, Useful Tools, Workshop, Workshops

Local Resources: Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley

March 1, 2016 by Tracy Paradis Leave a Comment

Photo of the GAGV’s LGBTQ Resource Center’s new library.

If you are new to Western New York, you might not be privy to the city’s extensive history in the LGBTQ movement that formed what is known today as the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley (GAGV). The GAGV has been monumental in making Rochester a safer place to live for those who do not fall into a binary with regard to sexuality or gender expression.

You may have witnessed the impact of the GAGV right here on-campus: the rainbow signs hanging by many faculty and staff’s offices indicate they have received SafeZone Training. This training serves as an educational tool to educate supportive faculty, staff, and students on LGBTQ terminology, issues, and questions.

Recently, the GAGV has opened the doors of its new LGBTQ Resource Center at 100 College Avenue in Rochester. This resource center serves an educational and safe space for LGBTQ individuals as well as their allies. The center features a library, archives, and hosts weekly social events.

The library contains over 10,000 fiction and nonfiction books, periodicals, and DVDs, which are all available for you to borrow. You can browse the center’s collection online via LibraryThing.
The archives have plenty of historical material that help document the progression of the LGBTQ movement in Rochester, including The Empty Closet, the original publication used to advance the rights of so many individuals in Western New York.
The resource centers hours are:
Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00 pm &
Wednesdays, 6:00-8:00 pm.
Everyone is welcome!

The volunteer staff of the GAGV Library & Archives.

If you cannot make it all the way up to Rochester, no worries! Milne Library and SUNY Geneseo have many available LGBTQ resources. You can find many books on LGBTQ topics in Milne’s collection as well as specialized LGBTQ research databases. Aiden Cropsey, Coordinator of LGBTQ Programs and Services, along with the student-led Pride Alliance, host several events throughout the year, and even have their own floating book collection. You can also like and follow them on Facebook!

All photos and images used with permission from the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley.

~ written by Brandon West

Filed under Books, LGBTQ+, LibGuides, LibraryThing, Pride Alliance, Resources, Special Collections

“How Do I …” save time and frustration with research projects!

September 5, 2013 by L Argentieri Leave a Comment

So you’re new to campus and kinda new to the whole research paper thing. Or you’re not new but just a bit rusty, and that library skills class you took seems so long ago. Who can remember all that searching/citing/writing stuff anyway?

Just settle down, breathe deeply, turn on your computer, and bring up Milne Library’s homepage. See that list over there on the right, called Quick Links? About half way down is the one you want – “How do I …”

Click on it and you’ll find all you need to help you through your research project, no matter which stage it’s at. Just about everything is covered, from “Begin My Research” to “Edit and Proofread My Writing.” Need help distinguishing scholarly from popular (or primary from secondary) sources? There’s a guide for that! Need some guidance on which databases to use, and how to do a really great search? Yep – there’s a guide for that, too.

When asking a librarian is just not an option – whether because it’s 2 a.m. and you need help NOW, or because you’re more of a DIYer – Milne’s “How do I …” guides will help see you through the research, citing, and writing of your paper or project. (But do try to ask a librarian, too, OK?)

Filed under Advice, LibGuides, Milne Library, Reference, Research, Resources, Useful Tools

Infographics Get A Second Wind

April 11, 2013 by J Elmore Leave a Comment

Infographics have been around for centuries, from ancient cave paintings to modern subway maps to (probably the most recognizable infograph of all time) the Periodic Table published back in 1869.

Recently, infographics and info-art have gotten a second wind. Data visualization has have become a popular trend for folks who want to quickly and easily present complex information. It’s no wonder since we live in an age where data is being produced at exponential rates. In fact, Google executives estimate that every two days, we create as much data as we did between the “dawn of time through 2003.” Every two days! Much of this is generated from social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Four Square and the like.

The increasing number of easy-to-use tools available has also made it easier for those without a degree in design to generate creative infographics; and to share them with the masses via social media.

Here’s a few tools that you might try:

Find even more tools on our Census & Data Library Guide.

Filed under Data, Information Visualization, Issues, Social Media, TechByte, Technology, Tools, Useful Tools, Web Design

Understanding Citations: The Tutorial

November 9, 2012 by Tracy Paradis Leave a Comment

Citation Tutorial

Keyword searching via Google or one of Milne Library’s many databases is probably the first and most heavily used method in an undergrad student’s research toolkit. Are you finding the right mix of terms and search tools to locate the most appropriate sources? Do you spend hours at a computer trying to identify and connect “like-minded” articles?

A primary method in a scholar’s research toolkit is to track down citations within a relevant source’s bibliography. It stands to reason that the research a scholar used to inform his/her work would be related to that author’s initial topic and can thus be found in the comprehensive works cited list. In other words, find one perfect article and its bibliography will lead you to many more related sources.

The trick, however, is to know how to read a citation, no matter what writing style it’s in – APA, MLA, Turabian, NLM – to know what type of source you’re dealing with (e.g. journal or newspaper article, book, book chapter, legal case) in order to then locate and get your hands on that source.

If you are confused by the various structures of the myriad citation writing styles, check out this self-paced tutorial for a complete lesson (including interactive exercises) on reading different citations.

After this lesson, you should be reading citations and locating the necessary material like a pro!

Filed under Citation, Instruction, Useful Tools, Writing

Voicethread workshop

November 7, 2012 by Tracy Paradis Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever used electronic discussion boards, e-mail lists, blogs or wikis to stimulate class discussion beyond the classroom, you might know that these tools entail a lot of reading, clicking back and forth to follow the conversation and may lack in expression and student emphasis (and meaning) based on how he/she writes.

Voicethread, a collaborative “spoken” discussion space, allows participants to record, phone-in and even visually present (via webcam) their thoughts and reactions. While still asynchronous, students are able to hear their classmates’ comments and then react with further responses.

Join members of the Teaching & Learning Center and Milne Library’s Instructional Design Team to learn more about this emerging technology and discuss ways in which it can be used to enliven discussions outside of classtime.

Voicethread workshop, sponsored by the TLC and Milne Library’s Instructional Design Team
Thursday, November 15, 2012
2:30-3:30 pm, Milne 208
Please RSVP by 11/13, [email protected]

Light refreshments will be served.

Filed under Useful Tools, Workshops

Tech byte: Doodle is quick and easy scheduling

September 12, 2012 by Tracy Paradis Leave a Comment

Doodle scheduling poll

We all know what a pain it can be when you’re trying to get even a small group of people together. Tools like Google Calendar certainly make it easier for tracking our own commitments, but comparing schedules back and forth can bring on a headache like no other. This is where Doodle steps in to make this onerous task simple.

In three easy steps, set up a poll and once everyone’s responded, see what time works best for everyone, and confirm the final details. No fuss, no muss. You don’t even need to register, although doing so will allow for some added functionality. And it’s free!

Registering with the service gets you a MyDoodle account, which allows you to connect with Google Calendar, iCal, or Outlook and maintains a history of the polls you’ve sent. Whether it’s for scheduling group study time or figuring out the best available time for a club meeting, we’re sure you can save yourself time and grief with this simple tool.

For those needing more advanced features, there’s also a Premium (paid) account to track who’s missing, request additional info (phone #), and sending reminders to poll recipients. Check out the promotional video below for more details.

Your first steps with Doodle from Doodle AG on Vimeo.

Filed under TechByte, Useful Tools

New Home in Milne for Digital Media Lab

August 29, 2012 by Steve D Leave a Comment

The Digital Media Lab in Milne Library, a collaboration between CIT and Milne, had a very successful inaugural year. This past summer, the DML moved to a new location in Milne to meet the growing needs of the campus community and to give users an even better experience. The renovated DML now occupies the former location of the Center for Academic Excellence, an enclosed area with more space, on the library’s main level next to the new office of Dave Parfitt (Director of the Teaching and Learning Center).

Renovated and Newly Located DML in Milne

The DML was created to give students a place to design and create exciting media projects for their classes and to support faculty as they continue to expand their use of instructional technologies. The lab is open during the same hours as the library; professional staff and students are available to help the Geneseo campus community with their digital media needs through consultations and workshops. Several types of media equipment (video cameras, portable hard disk drives, etc.) are available for signout at the service desk. More information about the Digital Media Lab, along with a list of equipment for signout, can be found at http://www.geneseo.edu/dml.

Filed under Changes, CIT, Renovation, Technology, Technology Consultations, Useful Tools

New Copiers and Microform Scanners Come to Milne

August 24, 2012 by Steve D Leave a Comment

Copiers

Gone are the days of bringing coins to Milne Library or asking for change at the service desk in order to use the copy machines in Milne. New for the start of the Fall 2012 semester, students, staff and faculty will be able to use the copiers in Milne simply by entering their SUNY Geneseo username and password on a touch screen display or by passing their SUNY Geneseo ID cards in front of an attached card reader. Cost of the copies will be automatically deducted from their printer balance.

Coin Free Copiers

Each floor of the library has one copier:

Lower Floor: black & white copier located along the wall between the Microforms and Indexes & Guides.
Main Floor: color/black & white copier located in the study area. This copier automatically detects whether you are printing color or black and white and charges the appropriate amount.
Upper Floor: black & white copier located in the new Census and Data Demographics Data room.

Community guests will have access to the copiers too. They will need to stop at the Service Desk in Milne so a staff member can get them logged in to the copier.

Microform Readers

If you have been hesitant to view and scan microform (microfilm, microfiche & microcard) because of big, bulky equipment, hesitate no more.

ST ViewScan Microform Scanner

Milne Library has replaced its large microform readers/scanners with two state-of- the-art, all-digital ST ViewScan scanners, giving users greater flexibility in how they scan microform. These scanners, located on the lower level, are fast and produce excellent high quality scans.

ST ViewScan Scanner Station

The scanners are equipped with their own MS Windows software that is easy to use so you can get the exact scan you need, plus the ability to easily save your scans (right to your Google Drive, if you like). Stop in soon and give one a try — you won’t be disappointed.

Filed under Changes, Renovation, Students, Technology, Useful Tools

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