Instruction

Welcome to New Rodgers Librarian

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Megan Carlton

Welcome to the newest librarian in Rodgers Library!  Megan Carlton joins us from the Walker Library at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU).  She hold a BS in Animal Science from MTSU and an MLIS from the University of Tennessee.  Megan’s professional interests include incorporating instructional technology into the classroom.

Megan is the Rodgers Library liaison to the Department of Biological Sciences and the College of Engineering.  She is available to faculty and students in those departments for research consultations and library instruction.  She can be reached at 348-2108 or jmcarlton1@ua.edu.

For a complete list of instruction options, please consult the Rodgers Library instruction guide.

3D Stereoscopic Vision Service Launched

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3D Stereoscopic Vision Service is now available in Rodgers Library for Science and Engineering. 3D stereoscopic vision allows users to view images and videos in three dimensions when using wireless glasses, 3D monitors, and specialized software. Rodgers Library has two workstations with six (6) 3D vision glasses. Recently, we hosted a biochemistry class that viewed biomacromolecules in 3D and a paleontology class that viewed CT scans of vertebrate fossils in 3D. We look forward to seeing many other applications of this technology in your teaching and research. This service is offered from the Rodgers Library 3D Printing Studio, located on the 1st floor of our building.  Please let us know if you are interested in learning more about this new service.

Contact:  Vincent Scalfani

vfscalfani@ua.edu

Software Training at Rodgers Library 2017

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Friday, February 10, 3:00-3:30 PM

SolidWorks Demo: How to Create a Wireframe Cube

This SolidWorks Demonstration is aimed at new users of SolidWorks and 3D Design. We will showcase how to use SolidWorks to design an open wireframe cube. Attendees will learn how to use the SolidWorks Sketch Plane, Extruder Boss, and Extruder Cut features. Lastly, we will explain how to prepare and export the wireframe cube for 3D printing.

Monday, February 13, 1:00-2:00 PM

Programmatic Access to Information Using Matlab

This workshop will be an introduction on how to programmatically access data and information from web APIs (Application program Interfaces) using Matlab. We will cover two examples using publically accessible U.S. Government data APIs. The first example will use the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle API to access data about vehicles such as manufacturer details, models, and vehicle identification numbers. The second example will demonstrate how to use the National Cancer Institute’s Chemical Identifier Resolver to acquire chemical substance information. Attendees should have some basic exposure to Matlab before attending this workshop.

Friday, February 17, 3:00-3:30 PM

SolidWorks Demo: How to Create a Double Cube Assembly

This SolidWorks Demonstration will build upon our prior Wireframe Cube Demonstration. Attendees will learn how to add moveable parts to their 3D objects. We will add a moveable cube inside of a wireframe cube using the Reference Geometry, Scale, Mirror and 3D Sketches tools within SolidWorks. Finally, we will cover how to prepare and export the double cube assembly for 3D printing.

Tuesday, February 21, 11:00-12:00 PM

Visualizing Data with Origin Pro

OriginPro is a scientific graphing and data analysis program. This workshop will introduce OriginPro and cover how to import data, graph data, and export figures for publication. We will look at an example of how to import data from Knovel (a UA Libraries provided database) and visualize the data with OriginPro. This workshop is for new OriginPro users; no prior experience is needed.

Tuesday, February 28, 3:30-4:30 PM

Text Analysis with Mathematica

Wolfram Mathematica is a technical computing program with a wide variety of applications in areas such as engineering, mathematics, data analysis, and text analysis. The workshop will introduce attendees to text analysis with Mathematica. We will select an eBook from Project Gutenberg, import the text into Mathematica, normalize the text, and then analyze the text finding the most common words and most common phrases. We will also look at how to create some basic visualizations of the text. This workshop is for new Mathematica users; no prior experience is needed.

All Demos/Workshops in the Rodgers Library Scholars’ Station (Room 119).  Contact: Vincent Scalfani, Science and Engineering Librarian, vfscalfani@ua.edu

Software Training for Fall semester Announced

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Schedule of University Libraries Academic Technologies Workshops Fall 2016. Registration is not required.

For workshop descriptions, visit the Academic Technologies blog: http://bit.ly/acadtech Questions? Contact Melissa Green, mfgreen1@ua.edu, 205-348-3423.

Box Sharing with Box, Monday, Nov. 21, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; Communicating & Editing in Box, Monday, Nov. 28, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; Google Apps Academic Paper Formatting in Google Docs, Monday, Aug. 29, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 33 McLure Library; Academic Paper Formatting in Google Docs, Thursday, Sept. 1, 9:30-10:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; Microsoft Office Academic Paper Formatting in Microsoft Word, Monday, Aug. 22, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; Academic Paper Formatting in Microsoft Word, Thursday, Aug. 25, 9:30-10:30 a.m., 33 McLure Library; NVivo NVivo 11 Overview, Thursday, Sept. 22, 9:30-10:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; NVivo 11: Working with Text, Thursday, Sept. 29, 9:30-10:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; NVivo 11: Working with Audio, Video, and Images, Thursday, Oct. 6, 9:30-10:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; NVivo 11: Analysis & Visualization, Thursday, Nov. 3, 9:30-10:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; NVivo 11: Working with Social Media Data, Thursday, Nov. 10, 9:30-10:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; NVivo 11: Working with Survey Data, Thursday, Nov. 17, 9:30-10:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; NVivo for Literature Review, Thursday, Dec. 1, 9:30-10:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; Qualtrics Basic Qualtrics Survey Building & Distribution, Monday, Oct. 31, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; Advanced Qualtrics Survey Building, Monday, Nov. 7, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; Qualtrics Responses & Results Tools, Monday, Nov. 14, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 104 Gorgas Library; Reference Management Reference Management Basics, Thursday, Sept. 8, 9:30-10:30 a.m., 33 McLure Library; EndNote in 30 Minutes, Monday, Sept. 19, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 33 McLure Library; EndNote: Gathering & Working with Research Sources, Monday, Oct. 10, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 33 McLure Library; EndNote: Creating Bibliographies & Writing Papers, Monday, Oct. 24, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 33 McLure Library; RefWorks in 30 Minutes, Monday, Sept. 12, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 33 McLure Library; RefWorks: Gathering & Working with Research Sources, Monday, Sept. 26, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 33 McLure Library; RefWorks: Creating Bibliographies & Writing Papers, Monday, Oct. 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 33 McLure Library

Software Training Spring 2016

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Registration is not required.

NVivo

NVivo 11 Pro for Windows Overview

  • Monday, March 7, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., McLure Library Room 33
  • Wednesday, March 9, 5:00-6:30 p.m., McLure Library Room 33

 NVivo 11 Pro for Windows: Working with Text

  • Monday, March 21, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., McLure Library Room 33
  • Wednesday, March 23, 5:00-6:30 p.m., McLure Library Room 33

NVivo 11 Pro for Windows: Working with Audio, Video, and Images

  • Monday, March 28, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., McLure Library Room 33
  • Wednesday, March 30, 5:00-6:30 p.m., McLure Library Room 33

NVivo 11 Pro for Windows: Analysis and Visualization

  • Thursday, March 31, 9:30-11:00 a.m., McLure Library Room 33
  • Wednesday, April 6, 5:00-6:30 p.m., McLure Library Room 33

NVivo 11 Pro for Windows: Working with Social Media Data

  • Monday, April 11, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., McLure Library Room 33
  • Wednesday, April 13, 5:00-6:30 p.m., McLure Library Room 33

NVivo 11 Pro for Windows: Working with Survey Data

  • Monday, April 18, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., McLure Library Room 33
  • Wednesday, April 20, 5:00-6:30 p.m., McLure Library Room 33

NVivo for Literature Review

  • Monday, April 25, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., McLure Library Room 33
  • Wednesday, April 27, 5:00-6:30 p.m., McLure Library Room 33

Box

Sharing with Box

  • Thursday, March 10, 9:30-11:00 a.m., McLure Library Room 33

Communicating and Editing in Box

  • Thursday, March 24, 9:30-11:00 a.m., McLure Library Room 33

Qualtrics

Basic Qualtrics Survey Building and Distribution

  • Thursday, April 7, 9:30-11:00 a.m., McLure Library Room 33

Advanced Qualtrics Survey Building

  • Thursday, April 21, 9:30-11:00 a.m., McLure Library Room 33

Qualtrics Responses and Results Tools

  • Thursday, April 28, 9:30-11:00 a.m., McLure Library Room 33

UA Makerspace Workshops Spring 2016

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UA Makerspace Workshops Spring 2016

Wednesdays 2-3pm

Location: Rodgers Library, Scholars’ Station (Room 119), *unless noted below

Please Note: Space is limited, Scholars’s Station computers are available on a first-come first served basis.

March 3 & 30 location: The Cube, Hardaway 172.

March 2016

Wed. 3 – Introduction to Physical Computing with Arduino (session 1 of 2)

Level: Beginner

In the first part of this two part series, participants will learn the basics of physical computing: how microcontrollers like Arduinos work, what you can do with them, and what you need to get started.  *location: The Cube, Hardaway Hall Room 172

 

Wed. 9 – Capturing the Past: Scanning and Printing Fossils

Level: N/A

Follow the process of scanning and printing specimens from the collection of the Alabama Museum of Natural History.

 

Wed. 23 – Alternatives to 3D Printing: Creating 3D Structures Using Vector Art and 123DMake

Level: Intermediate

Looking for alternatives to 3D Printing? This workshop will demonstrate software and techniques to construct your 3D design using wood, paper and other materials. Participants should be familiar with the preparation of basic files suitable for 3D printing.

 

Wed. 30 – Introduction to Physical Computing with Arduino (session 2 of 2)

Level: Beginner

In the second part of this three part series, participants will get hands-on with an Arduino microcontroller, working with LED lights and analog sensors such as knobs, light sensors or pressure pads. *location: The Cube, Hardaway Hall Room 172

April 2016

Wed. 6 – 3D Modeling Software Options

Level: Beginner

Explore a variety of software packages suitable for generating 3D models.

 

Wed. 13 – Vector tools for Digital Fabrication

Level: Beginner

Transform simple hand drawings into useful digital designs for laser cutting rubber stamps, stencils, and more.

 

Wed. 20 – 3D Design using SketchUp: Symmetry in Design (session 3 of 3)

Level: Intermediate

Build complex forms using component tools and symmetry. Participants should have some familiarity with SketchUp or other 3D design software.

 

Wed. 27 – Generative Design

Level: Intermediate

Learn about the benefits and flexibility of designing with code. See real-world examples of how code can be used to create physical objects. Make a new design by “growing” it from a seed. Modify a design with randomness or noise. Participants should have some familiarity with Processing or another programming language.

 

Sponsored by College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Art and Art History, New College, The Cube, Creative Campus, University Libraries, Alabama Museum of Natural History

Ways to Achieve Success at the Library

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There are many things to consider for getting the best results when using Rodgers Library.  Here are a few:

1.  Get to know library staff
2.  Consult the UA Libraries’ Web pages
3.  Renew books to extend loan periods or return them when due
4.  Ask library staff about resources and services offered by the libraries
5.  Visit the UA libraries often (Gorgas, Bruno, McLure, Rodgers, Hoole)
6.  Consult library-prepared research guides for chemistry, nursing, and other subjects
7.  Identify the most important databases in your field
8.  Use Interlibrary loan (ILL) to get books and articles not found in local collections
9.  Use citation management tools – Refworks/Endnotes
10.  Understand locations (Annex, Rodgers, Gorgas) for print books and journals
11.  Learn how to access electronic books and journals
12.  Use free scanners / scan & deliver
13.  Login and use academic software
14.  Collaborate with others in Group Study Rooms

Rodgers Library for Science and Engineering

Effective Literature Searching

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Before you can make a successful search, analyze your topic.  Decide:

What are the main concepts?

What are the primary keywords related to each concept?

What alternative keywords or synonyms represent each of these concepts?

Normally, this will involve doing some reading about the topic in a source such as a review article or a textbook. If a review article or textbook is not helpful, a quick online search, may help you develop an initial understanding of the topic. The steps outlined below take you through these initial points and the subsequent steps of a literature search:

Literature Searching Tips:

  1. Select and identify your topic. What is the topic of your research?

Example: Grassland management and butterflies. What aspect of this topic are you particularly interested in? Example: Grassland management and butterfly diversity.

State your topic as a question: Does the way in which grassland are managed have an impact on butterfly diversity?

  1. Find Background Information: Once you have identified the key terms or subjects for your topic, look for them in a textbook, general or subject encyclopedia, or subject glossary.
  2. Deciding which databases to use. The most effective way to search journal articles on a topic is to use a database such as PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar or Scopus.
  3. Develop a search strategy. Develop an initial list of keywords that can be used to research your topic. Search the Scout Catalog and other databases using those keywords. Revise your keywords as needed to broaden or narrow the search. Use Boolean operators (AND, OR and NOT). Boolean operators allow you to combine your search terms in many different combinations. Databases often contain buttons or drop-down menus that allow you to select for Boolean operators.
  4. Refine your search: If your initial search brought up few results try these tips: Try alternative less specific keywords; check spelling, Use OR to include synonyms, and include more database coverage. If you have too many results try: more specific keywords. Use AND to include additional keywords, and use NOT to exclude certain words.
  5. Saving your Search: The databases may have the option to create a personal account that allows you to save a copy of your search. This is strongly recommended. Always save or print the useful articles that you find. In many databases you can export your articles to reference management software such as EndNote.
  6. Managing your information: EndNote helps you to store and manage your references. EndNote is also built into the Microsoft Word. One can automatically insert citations and create a bibliography using this feature. The University of Alabama maintains a site license agreement for EndNote, which provides unlimited licensing for faculty, staff, and students. http://oit.ua.edu/oit/services/software-licensing/endnote/

In summary here are the 5 key tips for effective literature searches:

  1. Make a start with Scout from UA libraries. http://www.lib.ua.edu/#/home  At Scout you can search the library’s collection in print and online, from manuscripts to books to individual and journal articles.
  2. Follow the Literature searching tips as described above.
  3. See resources for your subject areas. These resources are tailored library guides for each discipline to help you find the key databases and information sources that are relevant to your research area.  http://guides.lib.ua.edu/
  4. Get the full text of an article through many of our databases. http://www.lib.ua.edu/#/databases?page=1
  5. Use the Inter-library Loan services if the University of Alabama Libraries do not have any item you need.  https://ua.illiad.oclc.org/illiad/

Created by Arian Abdulla

Rodgers Library Workshops Set for Spring 2016

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Date Time Workshop Instructor
Jan 28 2:00 PM Creating Scientific Graphs in QtiPlot and Basic Graphic Skills for Scientists and Engineers Vincent F. Scalfani
Feb 2 3:00 PM Effective Scientific Presentations Arian Abdulla
Feb 11 2:00 PM Introduction to Adobe Muse Website Design Vincent F. Scalfani
Feb 16 3:00PM Managing your References with EndNote Arian Abdulla
Feb 18 2:00 PM Introduction to Matlab Vincent F. Scalfani
Feb 23 3:00PM PubMed Search Arian Abdulla
Feb 25 2:00 PM 3D Design in Google SketchUp Vincent F. Scalfani
Mar 1 3:00PM Science and Engineering Online Presence Arian Abdulla
Mar 3 2:00 PM Introduction to Matlab Vincent F. Scalfani
Mar 22 3:00PM CVs vs Resumes Arian Abdulla
Mar 24 2:00 PM Chemical Information Resources Vincent F. Scalfani
Mar 29 3:00 PM Working with Google Docs Arian Abdulla
Mar 31 2:00 PM Endnote Reference Management Software Vincent F. Scalfani
Apr 5 3:00PM Web of Science Primary Literature Search Arian Abdulla
Apr 7 2:00 PM Locating and Discovering Science and Engineering Patents Vincent F. Scalfani
Apr 10 3:00PM MathSciNet Arian Abdulla
Apr 19 2:00 PM Searching for Chemical Property Data and Spectra Vincent F. Scalfani
Apr 21 2:00 PM Searching for Inorganic and Organometallic Substances in SciFinder and Reaxys Vincent F. Scalfani
Apr 26 3:00PM Creating Scientific Figures in Excel Arian Abdulla
Apr 28 2:00 PM Searching for Polymers in SciFinder and Reaxys Vincent F. Scalfani

 

Tip 13: 3D Printing

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Tip 13:  3D Printing.  About three years ago we opened a 3D Printing Studio in Rodgers Library.  Services offered include: 3D printing, 3D scanning, training workshops, and do it yourself 3D printing.  Supporting 3D design and conversion software is installed on the workstations within the 3D Studio. The 3D printers are capable of creating a multitude of 3D plastic objects.

GO to Rodgers 3-D printing.

Go to College of Engineering 3-D printing.

Tip 12: Course Reserves

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Tip 12:  Course Reserves.    Many faculty use extra materials to enhance   instruction in the classroom.  In the library, we refer to these materials as course reserves.  Commonly faculty put books from the Rodgers Library collection or personal copies of books on reserve.  Other materials may be appropriate too.  If the content you want to use is in digital format it is probably more convenient to link digital content in your class syllabus or Blackboard Learn.  Learn more about how we handle course reserves.

Go to Course Reserves.

Tip 8: Instruction

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Tip 8:  Instruction.  Rodgers Library likes to share information about its services and collections and further help users achieve information competencies.  We can prepare custom lectures or workshops focused on any topic of interest.  If you choose, a librarian can come to one of your departmental meetings or a class which you teach to do a presentation.  In addition, we often conduct instruction inside Rodgers Library on high-interest topics.  If you have a request, please contact us or submit a request using this form.

Go to Instruction Request.

Academic Software Training

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The University Libraries provides access to more than 150 academic software packages to support a variety of academic disciplines and programs. Our Academic Technologies blog  provides information about and resources to support the use of these software packages and other technologies that have a primary relationship to research and scholarship. For more information go to Academic Technologies blog.

Evidence Based Databases – Nursing & Allied Health

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Nursing and Health Sciences Resources available from UA Libraries that addresses ………..

What is Evidence Based?
Which databases cover Evidence based articles?
Who can use the evidence based resources?
What is a systematic review?

The Joanna Briggs Institute’s Evidence Based Practice database of systematic reviews and Cochrane Library are available and they complement each other to investigate the evidenced based literature in the field. UA Libraries now subscribes to both resources.

Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) on OVID
JBI’s evidence-based practice model is considered a benchmark in the healthcare industry—encouraging healthcare professionals to implement an effective evidence-based practice program to provide the best possible patient care. It provides a detailed searching demonstration of this resource and includes information on the subject based nodes along with a review of the seven different publication types (including Best Practice Information Sheets, Evidence–Based Recommended Practices and Consumer Information Sheets) that can be used immediately to inform treatment and guide practice.

Cochrane Library
Cochrane Collection Plus is the most comprehensive collection of databases from the Cochrane Library. This is an essential source of high quality health care data for providers, patients and those responsible for researching, teaching, funding and administrating at all levels of the medical profession. Cochrane Collection Plus combines the NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED) and Health Technology Assessments (HTA) with the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Systematic reviews are found in two of these databases: the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE).

Master Databases and Learn About Research Tools

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Librarians at Rodgers Library for Science & Engineering are offering spring classes.  Is it that time of the year to start a literature review for your papers/projects? The ability to scan the literature efficiently and identify useful resources is vital.  You can learn how to apply principles of analysis to identify unbiased and valid studies.

The following classes are offered several times during the semester for your convenience:
1. Introduction to Science & Engineering Information Resources
2. Chemical & Biological Information resources
3. Physics & Astronomy Information Resources
4. Mathematics Information Resources
5. Web of Science Database
6. PubMed (Cover Systematic Review, Integrated Literature Review)
7. RefWorks
8. Introduction to Scientific Writing
9. Scientific Presentations
10. 3D Printing Training Session

For questions regarding the classes, contact Vincent F. Scalfani, vfscalfani@ua.edu
If the above classes are not what you are looking for, suggest one or request the one you want and we will be glad to assist. Contact one of the subject specialists at Rodgers anytime:
John Sandy jsandy@ua.edu

Faculty, Students, and Symbiosis

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When dining out, celebrities often sit at a table near the front door – to see and be seen.  Visibility is a large part of success in our world.   What does this have to do with libraries?  Assume for a moment that interaction (of any kind) between faculty and students can help boost student performance.  I want to make the case that our students who spend many hours in Rodgers Library would benefit if teaching faculty would visit the library more often.  For our part, casual interaction with students as we go about doing our regular work pays dividends.  Teaching faculty mingling with students at the library would likely do the same.  Rodgers Library is a nice and neutral ground to connect with others.   Faculty welcome!

Chinese, Hindi, and Japanese classes Offered at Rodgers Library

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About 835 international students from the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and other regions around the world attend UA. From my experience, most of these students speak English reasonably well. But most library personnel and academic faculty in other departments are not familiar with the critical foreign languages spoken by these students. During normal operations, staff  talk to international students on a regular basis.  The conversation is fully in English.  Dialog in English is generally satisfactory for describing academic programs and services.  However, communication with international students would be better and improve if our staff had some ability to reciprocate by speaking to the students in their native languages. As a way to “build bridges” to our international students Rodgers Library is offering elementary conversational Chinese, Hindi and Japanese classes for faculty and staff in our science, engineering, and nursing  departments and also for faculty and staff in the University Libraries.  Native language speakers will teach the classes. The classes promise to be educational and enjoyable for all.