Happy New Year and welcome to the Spring 2017 edition of the Library Faculty Staff Newsletter. As you know, Will Wakeling retired in December as Dean of Libraries at Northeastern. My name is Amira Aaron and I am now serving as Interim Dean of Libraries while the search for a new Dean is actively progressing. I have been at Snell Library since 2010 as the Associate Dean for Scholarly Resources. Together with my colleagues on the Library Administrative team, we are working hard to build upon the strong services, resources and collaborative efforts developed by the Libraries over the past few years under Dean Wakeling’s leadership, some of which are described further in this newsletter. If you have questions or ideas for future initiatives, I invite you to contact me at [email protected], or to speak with one of our Associate Deans or your departmental library liaison. We all look forward to partnering with you and supporting your research, teaching and student learning needs this coming semester.

I’m writing a grant proposal. I’ve never written a data management plan and I don’t know where to begin! Is there documentation somewhere that addresses data management plans?  

Yes - check out our data management for research guide for this kind of information. Once you have a draft of your DMP, I’d be glad to look it over and offer comments and suggestions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
Do you have any sample data management plans specific to my funding agency/directorate?

Yes -  DMPTool is a good place to find these. If you can’t find an appropriate example, let  Jen Ferguson, the  Research Data Management Librarian know.  She can help you locate one.

Is there a ready-made data management plan for Northeastern that I can plug my project specifics into?

No - it doesn’t quite work that way. One reason is that DMP requirements of different funders vary quite a bit, so there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Every project is so unique that it would be impossible to cover all the bases and do your project justice with a ready-made plan.  Having said that, the  DMPTool does a nice job of stepping you through the parts of the data management plan appropriate to your funding agency, and offers ‘plain English’ commentary along the way to help flesh out the sections of a DMP in a more structured way.

We’re interested in uploading some of our data to the Digital Repository Service once we’ve finished our project. Do you have a passage that describes the DRS?

Yes - see the first couple of paragraphs here. That page also has links to more information about the DRS as well as contact information for the DRS staff.

This list of newly acquired library materials is updated monthly and includes both physical and online resources. Click the title of an item to view the catalog record. From the catalog record, you can quickly access an online item or determine the call number and location of a physical item. If you are looking for items in specific formats, specific subject areas, or at specific libraries, you can limit your search using the “Material Type,” “LC Class,” and “Library” links. If you have questions or need help using this list, please Ask a Librarian!

Faculty and staff, It’s not too late to submit your course reserve requests for Spring 2017!  Classes have just started, and the sooner we receive your materials, the sooner we’ll have them ready for students to borrow. To request library materials for reserve, submit this form (myNEU login required). The library doesn’t purchase textbooks for courses, but we’d be happy to add your personal copies to our catalog; just print out the request form and drop it off with your textbooks at the Help and Information desk on the 1st floor.

Quick intro/meet your librarian: invite your librarian to the classroom so students know who they can turn to for support. A quick introduction to essential resources/research tools for the class can help set the stage for the semester. 

In-depth exploration/discussion: arrange for an in-depth exploration of resources and research tools or a “Library Q&A” where students can ask anything they want about their library.

Hands-on research lab: hands-on research labs give students the opportunity to develop topics, get started finding information or using research tools such as citation managers, while consulting with their librarian(s) along the way. 

1:1/small group research consultations with librarians help students dive deep into topics, resources, and tools. Appointments can now be made online by visiting individual Research Subject Guides and clicking on the “Schedule Appointment” button.

Support for 3D printing and digital/multimedia class projects: 3D Printing Studio and DMC Recording Studios staff help students create new knowledge through the use of 3D printing technologies and digital/multimedia resources and design principles. Projects range from digital stories, oral histories, and short video/audio projects, to slideshows, photo essays and more. Click here for more information about the 3D Printing Studio and here for more information about the DMC Recording Studios.

To read more about how the library supports you and your students visit the Classes and Workshops page. To connect with your librarian, click here.

EVENTS AT SNELL LIBRARY

Northeastern University Libraries continues to develop and provide programming for you and your students' scholarly needs. We offer a wide array of workshops and events in areas such as 3D printing, Data Visualization, Geographic Information Systems, and Media Recording. In addition to these offerings, we will be continuing our Neighborhood Matters and NuVis Speaker Series.