Lichtenberger Engineering Library

Sep 16 2020

Build Your Own Robot Workshop Postponed

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Carol Johnk

Building Your Own: Object Avoiding Robot
Rescheduled for
Thursday, October 22^nd at 3:30 PM

We apologize for any inconvenience, but the Build Your Own Object Avoiding Robot workshop has been rescheduled for Thursday, October 22^nd at 3:30 PM.

During this workshop, you will learn to incorporate an Arduino with a range finder senor, wheels, and chassis into a great little object avoiding robot. This class will include building the robot and programming it. Taught by Issac Johnson, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Student Group.

Please note that an optional $55 kit is available from the Electronic Shop for purchase before the workshop, if you want to be able to build along! The kits can be purchased when registering for the workshop. The cost will be applied to your U-Bill and will be available to pick up in the Engineering Library. They must be ordered by October 15^th.

You may register here.

One part of this project is the need to solder a few wires together. There will be a workshop on soldering basics the week before. If you prefer, Jeremy Roszell from the Electronics Shop will (for free) solder the wires together for you.

Two items which will be needed but are NOT in the kit, may be checked out from the Tool Library or they are available to purchase from Electronic Shop:

Soldering Iron
Hot glue Gun

If you have questions please contact Kari Kozak at kari-kozak@uiowa.edu.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Kari Kozak, at kari-kozak@uiowa.edu in advance of the event.

Sep 11 2020

Rain, Rain, Go Away?

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Carol Johnk

Rain, Rain, Go Away?
or
Rain, Rain, Go Away? How about you come and stay?

Okay, we don’t really want the rain to come and stay, and stay, and stay . . . But wouldn’t it be nice to have access to that rainwater when the rain does go away? And the sun comes out and dries up all the rain? (my apologies to the nursery rhymes).

Have you thought about where the rain goes that runs off your roof and down the driveway? Or that seeps (or runs) into your basement? Wouldn’t it be nice to have that rain water available when it is pouring?

How about planting a rain garden? Creating Rain Gardens: Capturing the Rain for Your Own Water-Efficient Garden can help you do just that! Conservation experts, Cleo Woelfie-Erskine and Apryl Uncapher provide step-by step instructions for planning and building your own rain garden! Why let one of our most precious resources slip down our storm drains? The authors also talk about rain barrels, simple living roofs, permeable patios, and planters that help harvest run-off! There are even ideas about planting an edible rain garden!

Projects to Get You Off the Grid: Rain Barrels, Chicken Coops, and Solar Panels is another resource that is full of full-color photographs and instructions on how to collect run-off in rain barrels (among other ways to help you get off the grid!

Looking for ways to help provide urban water supplies? In Rainwater Tank Systems for Urban Water Supply the editors discuss how rain water tank systems have been adapted for use around the world. They can provide a safe local source of water in underdeveloped rural areas, a substitution for mains water for non potable end uses in water stressed urban areas, as well as providing flooding control.

Water is a finite resource, let’s do our part and use rain barrels and rain gardens.
And don’t forget to play a bit, too!

Resources:

Woelfie-Erskine, Cleo; Apryl Uncapher. 2012. Creating rain gardens : capturing rain for your own water-efficient garden. Portland : Timber Press. Engineering Library TD 657.4.W64 2012

Noah Weinstein, editor. 2013. Projects to get you off the grid : rain barrels, chicken coops, and solar panels. Selected by Instructables.com. New York : Skyhorse Publishing. Engineering Library TJ810.5 .P76 2013.

Ashok K Sharma (Ashok Kumar), editor; Donald Begbie, editor; Theordore Roosevelt Gardner, editor. 2015. Rainwater tank systems for urban water supply : design, yield, energy, health risks, economics, and social perceptions. London : IWA Publishing. Engineering Library TD418 .R35 2015

Sep 02 2020

Research Scholar Workshop!

Posted on September 2, 2020September 3, 2020 by Carol Johnk

We are excited to be offering a new group of workshops this fall!
Our first workshop will be presented on Wednesday, Sept, 9^th!

This one-hour workshops will be held on the 9^th, at 3:30 pm on Zoom. Anyone is welcome to join these workshops from graduate students, Iowa Honors Program, researchers, staff, and faculty. The Zoom link will be emailed to registered participants a few hours before the workshop starts.

Introduction to Comprehensive Literature Reviews

Have you ever struggled with doing literature reviews? Although you do not have to conduct a literature review as high quality as a systematic review, some strategies from systematic reviews (defined as “a research method that aims to locate and summarize all available evidence for a research question in order to guide decisions and practices”) may help you tackle your research question in a more rigorous way. This workshop will introduce three review types (literature reviews, scoping reviews and systematic reviews), the review process and research question frameworks, search strategy and some available resources and services.

Presented by Marina Zhang, Engineering & Informatics Librarian, Lichtenberger Engineering Library

If you have any questions or concerns, please email Marina Zhang (qianjin-zhang@uiowa.edu or lib-engineering@uiowa.edu).

Aug 26 2020

Overdue Interlibrary Loan?

Posted on August 26, 2020August 27, 2020 by Carol Johnk

Have you gotten an overdue notice from InterLibrary Loan?
There has been a glitch in the system! If you are unsure, log into your account to check.
Feel free to email us (lib-engineering@uiowa.edu) with questions!!

Aug 24 2020

Welcome to Fall 2020!

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Carol Johnk

Whether your classes will be held in-person, virtually, or a combination of both – WE’RE HERE FOR YOU!!

We have more online resources than you might realize – our website has tabs where you can access library guides, databases, information about patents & standards, and course reserves!

Our library guides have information about each area of study, plus information about patents, standards, and product liability! Want information about engineering ethics? We’ve got a complete guide which is complete with the code of ethics, case studies, information about copyright and plagiarism, and copyright basics. You can search for guides by subject or librarian, too!

Our lower level (book stacks) will be closed to the public, but never fear – all the books are still available! We have online access to more than 50% of our collection through HathiTrust Emergency Access Service (ETAS). For materials not available electronically, we will have library staff on-hand to retrieve your books for you. You have the option to request books in advance through Infohawk+. After requesting a book, you will then have the option of choosing from several ways to get the book. Faculty and staff can opt for delivery to campus offices. All borrowers can request delivery by mail to your preferred address. Our computers, scanners and printer station are still available.

Within the Library, Creative Space and the two group study rooms will be available by appointment only.

Masks will be required at all times in the library. If you do not have a mask we will have some available. Hand sanitizer will be available.

If you’d like to schedule a meeting with one of our librarians, they will be happy to set up a virtual appointment. Kari Kozak (kari-kozak@uiowa.edu) is the Head of the Lichtenberger Engineering Library and she loves to talk about standards and patents (among all things engineering!). Looking for help with informatics and data analysis? Qianjin (Marina) Zhang is the Engineering and Informatics Librarian. James Cox is the Public Services & Emerging Technologies Librarian, he loves to talk tools and tech! Email our departmental email address (lib-engineering@uiowa.edu) and we’ll be sure it gets to the right person to help you!

Beginning August 17^th, we are physically open from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday. While the Library is open we will have our virtual reference service “Live Chat” available and starting August 24^th we will be expanding Live Chat Hours to include 6pm-9pm M-Th and Sunday 1pm-5pm. The library will be closed during these hours but staff are still available to help! It is easy to contact us! Go to our homepage and click on one of the links – live chat, or text (319-250-2176), and there is always email.

We will be having virtual Learn & Create workshops and are adding Advanced Library Learning workshops. Both series of workshops are open to everyone, with the Advanced Library Learning workshops aimed at grad students who are working on writing thesis and dissertations. Watch for future blogs, Twitter, and Facebook posts for more information.

We are planning on several fun events – watch for information on a virtual escape room, a movie series, and a scavenger hunt!

And did you know that you have access to hundreds of feature films and documentaries? So, when you need a break from studying – check out this resource! There are animated, adventure, comedies, crime, documentaries, fantasy, history, horror, science fiction, and westerns (along with many, many more!). It has current releases – Bohemian Rhapsody, The Greatest Showman, JoJo Rabbit, Ford v Ferrari (and again, SO many more) – and classics like An Affair to Remember, The Innocents (1962), Captain from Castile (with Tyrone Power), Little Miss Broadway (Shirley Temple), African Queen, (and yes, many, many more!)

This is going to be a year not quite like any other
but we are here, have what you need, and have you covered!!

Welcome to Fall 2020!! We are so glad you are here!

Kari Kozak, Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library
kari-kozak@uiowa.edu
319.335.6046

Qianjin (Marina) Zhang
Engineering & Informatics Librarian
qianjin-zhang@uiowa.edu
319.335.5301

James M. Cox
Public Services & Emerging Technologies Librarian
james-m-cox@uiowa.edu
319.335.6047

Jul 02 2020

Fireworks!

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Carol Johnk

It is already July, when we would normally be thinking of parades, fireworks, and picnics.
Things will definitely be different this summer!

Many communities are looking for creative and safe alternatives to the traditional fireworks gatherings. The fear is there will more backyard firework displays – leading to more accidents and injuries. Some places – like Coralville – will be having fireworks this year, but held in an entirely different manner. There will be drive-by fireworks – spectators will be able to park and watch from their car, with strict social distancing guidelines. They will also live-stream the fireworks on Facebook. In other communities there will be vehicle parades – drive-by parades – for which residents will be able to safely view the parade in their own yards. Neighborhood residents are encouraged to decorate and enter their vehicle in the parades. Sadly, candy being thrown during the parades won’t be allowed.

If you are looking for information about the safe handling and treatment of waste fireworks, check out this EPA brochure. You’ll discover what you need to know to safely dispose of spent fireworks.

If you want to know the fireworks control laws for each individual state, the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) has the site for you! Click on your state and find the pertinent laws! Be sure to check out your state’s Fireworks Control Laws before deciding to do your own fireworks displays. Local municipalities also have laws that one must follow.

Here’s more in-depth information on safe fireworks displays.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1123: Code for Fireworks Display: (must be accessed through InfoHawk)
For specific information check out these specific chapters!

Chapter 4: construction requirements for the fireworks
Chapter 5: site selection
Chapter 6: launching fireworks from a boat (“Floating vessel”)
Chapter 10: qualifications needed to set off fireworks

NFPA 1124: Code for the Manufacture, Transportation, Storage, and Retail sales of Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles: (must be accessed through Infohawk)

Chapter 5: storage of fireworks
Chapter 8: transporting fireworks on Public Highways

Curious about the specifics of different types of fireworks? Check out the patents! Our patent guide will help direct you in your search!

How about this one from 2012? Described as an “Electronic toy with synchornized (sic) sound and lighting system that utilizes projectiles and method of use.”

It is described as: “An electronic toy with synchronized sound and lighting system that utilizes projectiles, and method, including a base, a projectile, pre-recorded sounds, a speaker, LED lights, and various circuitry.”

Or, there is this one from 1899: “Fireworks, i.e. pyrotechnic devices for amusement, display, illumination or signal purposes characterised by having holder or support other than casing, e.g. whirler or spike support.” This “invention relates to toy fireworks, and has for its object to produce a device for exhibiting pyrotechnic effects resembling pin or catharine wheels.”

When you are out celebrating and watching the displays and listening to the whistles and the booms (whether virtually or socially distanced), please be mindful of your neighbors and those around you. The United States Marine Corp has a webpage dedicated to raising awareness of how fireworks can affect veterans with PTSD. They aren’t asking that you forego your festivities, but be aware of where you are and what time of the day – or night – you are shooting off your fireworks. Fireworks also effect pets. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), has information on ways to keep your pets happy and healthy during the festivities. There is info on how to care for your pet during the celebration and also includes tips on preparation and cleanup after the celebration.

Wherever your fascination and interest with fireworks lie,
check out our webpage and discover all the resources that we have available!

RESOURCES:

EPA Fireworks Brochure. June 2017. Safe Handling and Treatment of Waste Fireworks. United States Environmental Protection Agency.

National Fire Codes. Accessible through our webpage (need Hawk ID and Password(=).

2020 State Fireworks Control Laws. American Pyrotechnics Association.

Electronic toy with synchorized (sic) sound and lighting system that utilizes projectiles and method of use. Patent US20140187119A1

Toy fireworks. Patent US638416A. United States.

Marine Corps Community Services. 2016. Fireworks and PTSD: How to Raise Awareness. United States Marine Corp. (Accessed July 2020)

American Veterinary Medical Association. 2020. July 4 Safety. AVMA; American Veterinary Medical Association.

Jun 22 2020

Need to Return Some Library Material?

Posted on June 22, 2020June 23, 2020 by Carol Johnk

Wondering about returning the resources you’ve borrowed from the library?
It may be easier than you think!

University of Iowa students can return items to the Lichtenberger Engineering Library and to any of the UI Libraries from afar! You may drop items off at one of 46 participating libraries across the state and region. See a map of these locations or the list of locations at the end of this article. If you are without access to a drop-off library and live further than 30 miles from Iowa City can request a UPS shipping label.

Have tools or electronics you need to return? Schedule a time for a drop-off by emailing lib-engineering@uiowa.edu

Live near campus? Return books at the Main Library drop box (125 W. Washington Street, return slots available at both the south and north entrances) or the Hardin Library drop box (600 Newton Road, next to the entrance that faces University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics).

Before returning library items, please observe the following safe-handling practices:

Do not clean, disinfect, or microwave library materials before returning them. For example, do not use water, Lysol, or any other cleaner on materials.
If you or your family members are sick or have been sick, seal materials in a zip-lock style bag if possible before returning.
Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before handling library materials for return and again after you have completed the return.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact us! You may email us at: lib-engineering@uiowa.edu. We have online chat available Mon-Fri from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. You may access this by going to our homepage and clicking on the link “Chat with a Librarian.” During those same hours you may text us at 319.250.2176.

List of locations for materials return

Iowa State University Parks Library, 701 Morrill Road, Ames, IA
DMACC Ankeny campus Library Bldg 6, 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd, Ankeny, IA
Scott Community College Library, 500 Belmont Rd, Bettendorf, IA
DMACC Boone campus Library, 1125 Hancock Drive, Boone, IA
Northeast Iowa Community College Library Student Center, 1625 Hwy 150 S., Calmar, IA
DMACC Carroll campus Library, 906 North Grant Rd., Carroll, IA
University of Northern Iowa Rod Library, 1227 W 27th Street, Cedar Falls, IA
Mount Mercy University Busse Library, 1330 Elmhurst Drive NE, Cedar Rapids, IA
Kirkwood Community College Library Benton Hall, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA
Clinton Community College Library, 1000 Lincoln Blvd, Clinton, IA
Coralville Public Library, 1401 5th Street, Coralville, IA
Southwestern Community College Library, 1501 W. Townline Street, Creston, IA
Saint Ambrose University Library, 518 W. Locust Street, Davenport, IA
DMACC Urban/Des Moines campus Library Bldg 1, 1100 7th Street, Des Moines, IA
Drake University Cowles Library, 2725 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA
Grand View University Library, 1350 Morton Avenue, Des Moines, IA
Mercy College of Health Sciences Library Sullivan Center, 928 6th Avenue, Des Moines, IA
Loras College Library, 1450 Alta Vista, Dubuque, IA
University of Dubuque Charles C. Myers Library, 2195 Grace Street, Dubuque, IA
Grinnell College Library, 1111 6th Ave, Grinnell, IA
Simpson College Dunn Library, 508 N C Street, Indianola, IA
Kirkwood Community College Library, 1816 Lower Muscatine Rd, Iowa City, IA
University of Iowa Hardin Library, 600 Newtown Road, Iowa City, IA
University of Iowa Main Library, 125 W. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA
Southeastern Community College Fred Karre Memorial Library, 335 Messenger Rd, Keokuk, IA
Cornell College Cole Library, 320 3rd Street SW, Mount Vernon, IA
Muscatine Community College Library, 152 Colorado Street, Muscatine, IA
North Liberty Public Library, 520 W. Cherry Street, North Liberty, IA
Northwestern College DeWitt Library, 101 7th Street SW, Orange City, IA
William Penn University Wilcox Library, 201 Trueblood Avenue, Oskaloosa, IA
Indian Hills Community College Library, 525 Grandview Avenue, Ottumwa, IA
Northeast Iowa Community College Library, 8342 NICC Drive, Peosta, IA
Dordt University Hulst Library, 700 7th Street NE, Sioux Center, IA
Briar Cliff University Bishop Mueller Library, 3303 Rebecca Street, Sioux City, IA
Morningside College Library, 1501 Morningside Avenue, Sioux City, IA
Hawkeye Community College Library Main Campus, 1501 East Orange Road, Waterloo, IA
Wartburg College Vogel Library, 100 Wartburg Blvd, Waverly, IA
University of Illinois Main Library, 1408 W Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL
Indiana University Wells Library, 1320 E. Tenth Street, Bloomington, IN
Purdue University Library, West State Street, West Lafayette, IN
University of Michigan Hatcher Graduate Library, 913 S. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI
Michigan State University Main Library, 366 W. Circle Drive, East Lansing, MI
University of Minnesota Wilson Library, 309 19th Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN
University of Nebraska Love Library, 13th & R Street, Lincoln, NE
University of Wisconsin Memorial Library, 728 State Street, Madison, WI

Jun 09 2020

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Antiracism Resources

Posted on June 9, 2020June 10, 2020 by Kari Kozak

Antiracism is more than simply not being racist. This list is intended to provide general information about anti-oppression, racism, privilege, and inclusion, especially in terms of higher education in the STEM fields as well as information and resources for the social justice issues key to current dialogues within the University of Iowa community and beyond. This list is by no means an exhaustive list of antiracism resources nor does it capture all of the many facets of the larger conversations about the issues listed here. This list serves as an introduction to these issues and as a starting place for finding information from a variety of sources.

Definition: Anti-racism can be defined as some form of focused and sustained action, which includes inter-cultural, inter-faith, multi-lingual and inter-abled (i.e. differently abled) communities with the intent to change a system or an institutional policy, practice, or procedure which has racist effects. (Anti-racism Digital Library)

Journals:

Chronicle of Higher Education
Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering
New York Times
NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers) Magazine
SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) Magazine
SWE (Society of Women Engineers) Magazine

Articles:

Chotiner, Issac. “A Black Lives Matter Co-founder Explains Why This Time is Different.” New Yorker. June 3, 2020.
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. “The Case for Reparations.” The Atlantic, June 2014. Access The Atlantic.
Frederick, Angela, and Dara Shifrer. “Race and Disability: From Analogy to Intersectionality.” Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, vol. 5, no. 2, 2019, pp. 200–214.
Gibbs, Kenneth, Jr. “Diversity in STEM: What It Is and Why It Matters.” Scientific American Blogs. September 10, 2014.
Harmon, Amy. 2019 “For a Black Mathematician, What It’s Like to Be the ‘Only One’.” New York Times, February 18, 2019. Access to New York Times
Hurtado, Sylvia, et al. “‘We Do Science Here’: Underrepresented Students’ Interactions with Faculty in Different College Contexts.” Journal of Social Issues, vol. 67, no. 3, 2011, pp. 553–579.
Jack, Anthony Abraham. 2019. “I was a Low-Income College Student. Classes Weren’t the Hard Part.” New York Times, September 10, 2019. Access to New York Times
Lang, James M. 2019. “Do you Truly Grasp Why That Student Keeps Missing Class?” The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Malcom, Shirley M, and Lindsey E Malcom-Piqueux. “Critical Mass Revisited: Learning Lessons From Research on Diversity in STEM Fields.” Educational Researcher, vol. 42, no. 3, 2013, pp. 176–178.
Oluo, Ijeoma. “Welcome To The Anti-Racism Movement — Here’s What You’ve Missed.” The Establishment. April 15, 2019.
O’Meara, KerryAnn. “Undoing the Can of Worms.” Inside Higher Ed, July 27, 2018
O’Meara, KerryAnn , Audrey Jaeger, Joy Misra, Courtney Lennarz, and Alexandra Kuvaeva. 2018. “Undoing disparities in faculty workloads: A randomized trial experiment.” PLoS ONE 13(12): e0207316
Johnson, Catherine M., Carrie B. Myers,Kelly Ward, Nick Sanyal and Dusten Hollist. “American Indian/Alaska Native Graduate Students: Fostering Indigenous Perspectives in STEM” Journal of American Indian Education Vol. 56, No. 3 (Fall 2017), pp. 34-5

Electronic Books:

Alexander, Michelle. The New Jim Crow : Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. New Press, 2010. (Online Access)
Branche, et al. Diversity across the Curriculum : a Guide for Faculty in Higher Education. Anker Pub. Co., 2007. (Online Access)
Diangelo, Robin. White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism. 2018. (Online Access)
Kendi, Ibram X. How to Be an Antiracist. First ed., One World, 2019.
Landreman, Lisa M. The Art of Effective Facilitation : Reflections from Social Justice Educators. First ed., Stylus Publishing, 2013. (Online Access)
Lareau, Annette. Unequal Childhoods Class, Race, and Family Life. 2nd ed., University of California Press, 2011. (Online Access)
Mayhew, Matthew J., et al. How College Affects Students. Volume 3, 21st Century Evidence That Higher Education Works. First ed., Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Brand, 2016. (Online Access)
Pearson, et al. Changing the Face of Engineering The African American Experience / Edited by John Brooks Slaughter, Yu Tao, Willie Pearson, Jr. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015. (Online Access)
Packard, Becky Wai-Ling, and Norman L. Fortenberry. Successful STEM Mentoring Initiatives for Underrepresented Students : a Research-Based Guide for Faculty and Administrators. Stylus, 2016. (Online Access)
Smith, Daryl G. Diversity’s Promise for Higher Education Making It Work. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009. (Online Access)
Stewart, Abigail J., and Virginia Valian. An Inclusive Academy : Achieving Diversity and Excellence. The MIT Press, 2018. (Online Access)
Tatum, Beverly Daniel. “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” : and Other Conversations about Race. Basic Books, 2003. (Online Access)

Print Books:

Bell, Ella L. J. Edmondson, and Stella M. Nkomo. Our Separate Ways : Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity. Harvard Business School Press, 2001.
Eddo-Lodge, Reni. Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race. Bloomsbury Circus, 2017.
Kendi, Ibram X. Stamped from the Beginning : the Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. Nation Books, 2016.
Oluo, Ijeoma. So You Want to Talk about Race. First ed., Seal Press, 2018.
Shukla, Nikesh, et al. The Good Immigrant : 26 Writers Reflect on America First ed., Little, Brown and Company, 2019.

This list was created with the assistance of Dr. Jennifer Fiegel and Kristin Lang.

Jun 05 2020

Designing Disney!

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Carol Johnk

It’s (almost) summer and time to think of vacations.
Do you love amusement parks?

It may be a little more difficult to go to an amusement park this summer, but when you are waiting in line for the your chance at surviving the Rock N Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith, have you ever wondered how secure that seat belt actually is? The “Pressure activated seat belt locking mechanism,” you know, the one that allows the operator to lock the seat belt from a remote location? It was invented by Alexander Burkat for the Disney Corporation. The patent application was filed by the Walt Disney Company in 1991 and granted in 1993.

Want something a bit tamer than the Rock N Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith? The Teacups more your style? They could still move pretty quickly – and if you get dizzy they might not be a treat, but they don’t go upside down like roller coasters… Or, maybe you’d like the teacups if they weren’t quite so predictable and had a little more excitement? Well, in 2013 a patent was issued to Disney for a “Turntable racing system.” They created a teacup-like ride that incorporated a screen on the walls to provide imagery or a show element to the ride. There is a racing element to is because it also provides “selective vehicle orienting” so it also has a translational movement to each pod.

The summary section of the patent states: “The translational movement is used to allow the vehicles to be repositioned throughout the ride such that the vehicles may take turns leading, trailing, or being in the pack of vehicles as well as being near either side of the vehicle pack and display or show elements provided on the sidewall(s) of the ride facility.”

Maybe your tastes run a little more toward the carousel or merry-go-round. Disney has updated those, too – making them less predictable and more interactive.

How about trying a “Ring carousel ride?” What makes it a “ring” carousel ride? From the patent:”…The new ride described may be labeled a ring carousel ride because the ride includes two or more ring-shaped vehicle support surfaces that are concentric and that are independently driven….” Each ring of the ride can go in the same or opposite directions and the speed of each ring can vary. With all the rings moving in the same direction and at varying speeds it can provide a racing experience – including head-to-head racing and passing!

These are just 3 of the innovative and fun amusement park experiences that Disney has worked on! They developed haptic floor systems with a quake plate for virtual rides, avatar personalization, systems for adaptive gaming experiences, to name just a few more! Interested in exploring more Disney patents? Check our guide on patents. You can learn about what patents are, the most effective ways to search for them, and where to search! (And they don’t have to be only Disney patents – we have (and therefore YOU have) access to patents from all over the world! The European Patent Office has access to over 90 million patents!

Now, whenever you go to an amusement park and get on a ride (or just watch from the sideline!), you can think of all the engineering and innovation that goes into those rides – and where to find the information!!

Resources:

Burkat, Alexander, inventor. Pressure activated seat belt locking mechanism. Current Assignee: Disney Enterprise Inc. Patent number: US5182836A.

Baxter, Anthony W., Edward A. Nemeth, Alfredo M. Ayala, inventors. Turntable racing system. Current Assignee: Disney Enterprise Inc. Patent number: US20140261052A1

Crawford, David W., Edward A. Nemeth, inventors. Ring carousel ride. Current Assignee: Disney Enterprise Inc. Patent Number: US20130040744A1

Patents; Library Guide. Lichtenberger Engineering Library.

Jun 01 2020

Virtual Boot Camp! UPDATED

Posted on June 1, 2020June 10, 2020 by Carol Johnk

In conjunction with the #ShutDownAcademia, #ShutDownSTEM, and #Strike4BlackLives initiatives, the workshop has been postponed until tomorrow, June 11^th, at 2 pm. We encourage everyone to take today and consider ways to combat the racism that is pervasive in the academia, the community, and our country. The Engineering Library has helped to compile an introductory reading list at https://bit.ly/37ibjf5.

Virtual Boot Coming to a Computer Near You!
Wednesdays, June 10 – July 29
2:00 – 2:30 pm (CDT)

Calling all graduate and undergraduate students, researchers, faculty and staff!

Are you working on your thesis, dissertation, research paper, or an article to publish
and want some help putting it together?

We’ve developed an informative series of eight workshops designed to aid researchers – at all levels – with technical writing tips, library resources, literature reviews, searches, citations, and more! Our goal? To help you write a more polished paper!

Virtual Boot Camp sessions will be on Wednesdays, beginning June 10^th with the final one on July 29^th. They will be held live from 2:00 to 2:30 pm, with the videos available later if you were unable to make the session, or if you’d like to review the information!

Registration is required for each individual live session. Once you are registered a link will be emailed to you an hour before the session begins! Check out the Virtual Boot Camp website for complete information!

If any questions or concerns, please email Kari Kozak (kari-kozak@uiowa.edu or lib-engineering@uiowa.edu). Presenters include those from: Lichtenberger Engineering Library, Graduate College, and the Writing Center.

Scheduled Sessions:

June 10: Finding Articles, Journals, Government Reports – Library Introduction

Learn about the breadth of resources available in the engineering library – from the online databases and books to technical reports and standards. Uncover the mysteries around how to access everything remotely. Discover the 265+ tools now available for checkout, including new 3D scanners, EEG, oscilloscope, and VR headsets, just to name a few! Learn how you can gain access to these items.

Taught by Kari Kozak, Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
Register here

June 17: Introduction to Comprehensive Literature Reviews

Have you ever struggled with doing literature reviews? Although you do not have to conduct a literature review as thoroughly as a systematic review, some strategies from systematic reviews (defined as “a research method that aims to locate and summarize all available evidence for a research question in order to guide decisions and practices”) may help you tackle your research question in a more rigorous way This workshop will introduce three review types (literature reviews, scoping/mapping reviews and systematic reviews), the review process and research question frameworks, search strategy and some available resources and services.

Taught by Marina Zhang, Engineering & Informatics Librarian, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
Register here

June 24: Submitting Your Thesis/Dissertation

Learn about the thesis submission process, issues related to copyright and embargo, and additional resources available from the Graduate College. Learn more about the Microsoft Word tools you can use to format your thesis.

Taught by Erin Kaufman, Graduate College
Register here

July 1: Saving Time (& Citations) with Endnote Desktop

Want to make your research and writing more efficient? Hate the last-minute rush of trying to create a correctly formatted bibliography? This workshop is for you! We will introduce Endnote Desktop, a citation management tool that can help you import, organize, share, and manage your citations and documents, as well as create correctly formatted in-text citations and bibliographies in almost any style — in seconds. Install Endnote Desktop before the class: this interactive workshop will cover everything that you need to know to get up and running with Endnote.

Please download EndNote onto your computer before the class. The full version of EndNote will be taught – the desktop version is freely available to graduate students, staff, and faculty.

Video Tutorial on Downloading Endnote

Taught by Marina Zhang, Engineering & Informatics Librarian, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
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July 8: Lions and Tigers and Predatory Journals, Oh My!

In this workshop, you will learn strategies for navigating through the jungle of scholarly publishing. Have you ever wondered how to identify which journal to publish in? Want to learn how to avoid predatory publishers? What is the difference between traditional publishing and open access? This workshop will provide answers to these questions and more. Bring your own questions too!

Taught by Kari Kozak, Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
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July 15: Demystifying Scholarly Metrics

How do you make a list of every single paper that cites you? How do you gather evidence and demonstrate potential values and research impact? This workshop will help you understand how to interpret “standard” scholarly metrics (h-index, impact factor, CiteScore etc.) and where to find them, explore three major sources of citation data (Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar), and identify best practices on broadening your research impact.

Taught by Marina Zhang, Engineering & Informatics Librarian, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
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July 22: Keeping up to date: Searching while you are sleeping (Alerts and Notifications)

Are you overwhelmed trying to keep up on the recent research done in your area? Many of the library’s databases allow you to set up alerts and notifications. Alerts can tell you when there is a new issue of your favorite journal, when work by a particular author is available, when a specific article is cited, and when new articles are published that match a saved search. These searches will run automatically overnight and will send you an email with the results. Learn how to set up these alerts and notifications so you can really learn to search while you sleep!

Taught by Kari Kozak, Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
Register here

July 29: Finding and Using a Good Writing Model

In this workshop, we will discuss common challenges faced by students writing at the graduate level, and we will learn various ways to energize and organize your writing. Discover techniques to give your project momentum and motivate daily writing during this phase of your graduate research.

Taught by Deirdre Egan, The Writing Center
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Let us help you with your research paper!
Register today!!

Building Your Own: Object Avoiding Robot Rescheduled for Thursday, October 22nd at 3:30 PM

Rain, Rain, Go Away? or Rain, Rain, Go Away? How about you come and stay?

We are excited to be offering a new group of workshops this fall! Our first workshop will be presented on Wednesday, Sept, 9th!

Introduction to Comprehensive Literature Reviews

List of locations for materials return

It’s (almost) summer and time to think of vacations. Do you love amusement parks?

Virtual Boot Coming to a Computer Near You! Wednesdays, June 10 – July 29 2:00 – 2:30 pm (CDT)

Building Your Own: Object Avoiding Robot
Rescheduled for
Thursday, October 22^nd at 3:30 PM

Rain, Rain, Go Away?
or
Rain, Rain, Go Away? How about you come and stay?

We are excited to be offering a new group of workshops this fall!
Our first workshop will be presented on Wednesday, Sept, 9^th!

It’s (almost) summer and time to think of vacations.
Do you love amusement parks?

Virtual Boot Coming to a Computer Near You!
Wednesdays, June 10 – July 29
2:00 – 2:30 pm (CDT)