June Newsletter: Education Program

The Gottesman Libraries Education Program informs students, faculty and staff about the latest thinking in education, in ways that engage members of the community with one another and with a broad range of educational experts. The program also provides understanding of work being done throughout the college.

Read more about offerings in June!

Online Workshops

Regularly scheduled instructional offerings include workshops, tours, orientations, and course-specific instruction in coordination with staff and faculty of the College.

Cited Reference Searches, Wednesday, 6/9, 4-5pm

If you need to find the most highly cited articles and authors; are curious about who has cited you, or is writing on a similar topic; or wish to explore the impact factor for journals in your field, then join us! This workshop covers citation searches for scholarly journals, books, book series, reports, conferences, and much more. In this session you will learn some tips and tricks as discover your preferences in using key citation tools, namely: Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar.

Please rsvp by Monday, June 7th via online support, and we'll follow up with a Zoom link prior to the session. 

Introducing the Scoping Review, Thursday, 6/17, 4-5pm

This workshop focuses on strategies for conducting a scoping literature review, often adopted in research in the applied health sciences. We will focus on key medical databases, using a sample topic, and take you through the process of finding preliminary information for assessment. Stay tuned for the follow up workshop, Systematic Reviews, that focuses on more rigorous methodology.

Please rsvp by Tuesday, June 15th via online support, and we'll follow up with a Zoom link prior to the session. 

Managing Citations with Zotero, Wednesday, 6/23, 4-5pm

Zotero is a free, open-source bibliographic management program that allows you to collect, organize, cite, and share your research. In this workshop we will introduce you to this important tool, help you get started, and offer tips for effectively using Zotero in your studies and research so you can master the art of managing scholarly references.

You may rsvp by Monday, June 21st, and we'll follow up with a link to the session.

Deep Dive Into Dissertation Research, Wednesday, 6/30, 4-5pm

This workshop offers tools and strategies for searching and finding dissertations, works representing original research that is the culmination of a student's doctoral studies in a particular field or topic. You'll learn a few tips in using Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global, from searching by advisor and committee, even to not searching by full text. You will also learn about Pocketknowledge, the digital archive of Teachers College, which contains historical dissertations (Ed'D's 1930-1996), done at Teachers College, as well as select masters theses dating from the early 1900s to the present.

Please rsvp by Monday, June 28th, and we'll send a link to the workshop.

Online News Displays

Need to keep current, look to the past, teach a topic? The Everett Cafe features daily postings of news from around the world, and also promotes awareness of historical events from an educational context. Be sure to check the Cafe News postings on the library blog.

World Bicycle Day, Thursday, 6/3

Benjamin Franklin Flies a Kite, Thursday, 6/10

Happy Birthday, Dr. Edmund Gordon!, Sunday, 6/13

Garment Workers Strike in New York City, Thursday, 6/24

London's Globe Theater Burns Down, Tuesday, 6/29

Online Book Displays

We are pleased to host the following curated book displays that draw upon special and current topics of significance to teaching, learning, and research.

Staff Picks: School Librarian Perspectives: Advocacy

"A place for books and a haven for quiet study. A bustling makerspace where creative minds soar. A basecamp for Internet travelers, article seekers, gamers, crafters, fledgling and expert readers alike. A home for rigorous learning and critical thought. A pillar of support for young learners and the adults who guide them on their education journeys. All of this and more are what school libraries provide to their schools. Despite the importance of providing this crucial educational atmosphere, employment of school librarians is not ubiquitous among schools, as per the National Center for Education Statistics Digest of Education Statistics 2018. Just this year, the New York State budget proposed consolidating expense-based aid, which directly endangered funding for school libraries—funding which was originally mandated by the state itself. 

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) holds advocacy for the profession at the heart of the work of school librarians. As part of the completion of my Library Media Specialist degree at CUNY Queens College, I produced original research centering on the analysis of school library professionals' perceptions of their own advocacy. This project was inspired by Elizabeth Burns' Understanding Advocacy for Effective Action. I wanted to take the opportunity to share the wealth of resources available in our collection that I used to assist in my own discoveries. I hope that these perspectives provide solutions to common issues impacting school libraries, and ignite the spirit of collaboration between school communities at large and the librarians who work in them."

-- Rachel Altvater, Assistant Research and Information Services Librarian

The Gottesman Libraries serve students who are completing masters and doctoral studies, as well as professors shaping their courses and continuing their own research. The data depicted above highlights services used by our patrons over the past semester. Strong academic library users didn't earn their research and information literacy skills overnight: careful instruction, practice seeking and using resources, and encouragement of curiosity are constant endeavors. School libraries set the foundations for learners to prepare for high-level inquiry. They are truly a testament to the foundations of lifelong learning.

Staff Picks is curated and designed each month by the Gottesman Libraries' staff to highlight resources on educational topics and themes of special interest.

Everett Cafe: Understanding Vaccines

In a recent interview, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to the President, said, "It would be terrible, with a tool as good as that, if people don't utilize that tool." Meaning, vaccines.

Thanks to strong governmental support and advances in medical research, more and more Americans are getting vaccinated against COVID 19, a viral disease which has claimed roughly 600,000 lives in our nation, and 2.92 million, worldwide. Despite the growth of variant strains of the virus, vaccination with a goal of "herd immunity" remains our best option for beating the global pandemic which began in 2019 and altered our daily lives-- from whom we see and what we do, to how we work and learn.

Understanding Vaccines takes a look at the history of immunization, from the eighteenth century to the present day; the controversies, myths, and fears that have ensued; and the future of inoculation as a public health imperative grounded in the broadest form of education: our experience and knowledge. While smallpox, polio, and measles have been eradicated through widespread immunization, infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites remain, along with the need for continuing research, tailored communication, and optimal access to vaccines.

At the Everett News Cafe, you'll find a new book collection every few weeks that relates to current affairs, education, or learning environments.

Online Exhibit: Warping the Future

Warping the Future: How Craft Led To the Digital World As We Know It, is an interactive exhibition that explores the history of crafting and the history of computing. It is presented in three stations: "Humans as Machines" exploring the history of weaving by interacting with a variety of looms, including the backstrap loom, warp-weighted loom, tapestry loom, floor loom, and Jacquard loom; visitors will learn about the origin of weaving, how ancient societies used them and which materials they weaved with. "Humans Automating Machines" delves into the "punch card way" as the core intersection between programmed computers and looms; visitors are exposed to the origins of programming by learning the logic behind the punch cards. In "Machines as Humans", viewers can search for curated collection of projects that illustrate more contemporary connections between ancient and new technologies.

Francesca Rodriguez Sawaya is a Peruvian creative producer and educator based in Brooklyn, New York. Francesca is a Lead Teacher in NYC First where she develops curriculum, manage a Maker Space and teach STEAM related subjects to low income communities. Her workshops include Creativity Lab at Brooklyn Museum and Tangible Data in Ahmedabad, India. Francesca earned an MPS in Interactive Telecommunications from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, a BA in Communication from the University of Lima, and a Diploma in Audiovisual Education from the University of Salamanca.

Renata de Carvalho Gaui is a Brazilian designer, artist, and creative technologist based in Brooklyn, New York. A "jill of all trades within art, design, and technology," Renata has engaged in numerous projects with positive educational impact, including Beyond Punch Cards, Weaving to Code, Coding to Weave; and The Art of Living, the 2018 Myers Fund Art Commission. She holds an MPS in Interactive Telecommunications from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, and a BFA in Design and Digital Media from Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.

Highlighted Databases: Biodiversity: Life's Library

In June we highlight databases that provide insight into the literature of biodiversity, the joining of different living species and forms of life, including animals, plants, and insects, in a single ecosystem or habitat, and whose dynamics of evolution ensure the richness and variety of life on Earth. Read more on the library's news page.

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To request disability-related accommodations contact OASID at oasid@tc.edu, (212) 678-3689, or (646) 755-3144 video phone, as early as possible.