Learn the basics of coding while creating music! Using a Raspberry Pi, this workshop will have you making music in real-time. Each line of code you put in will change the song being heard. Taught by Jean-Francois Charles, School of Music.
Please be sure to bring your own laptop and pick up the beat with a new open source programming environment called Sonic Pi!
This workshop is FREE, but class size is limited, so register now!! Visit the Learn & Create webpage for more information on all the great workshops!
Creating Music with Sonic Pi
Tuesday, October 15th
5:00PM
Engineering Library Creative Space
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.
Featured image: By Les Pounder from Blackpool, UK – Screenshot-Sonic Pi, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67260553
Finding Company Information
Tuesday, October 1st; 5:00 p.m.
Engineering Library Creative Space
The Career Fair is coming up on Oct 3rd – want to get the inside scoop on the companies you’re interested in? Go in with background information on the companies you’ll be talking with! This workshop will teach you to use several different databases to find company information and data. Be prepared!!
This is a FREE workshop, but space is limited! Register now!!
Check out the Learn & Create webpage to discover all the workshops we have to offer this semester!!
Don’t miss out!!
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.
Banned Book Week, which was launched by the American Library Association (ALA) in 1982, “is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read.” Typically held the last week in September, Banned Book Week highlights the value of free and open access to information and the freedom to read. The Supreme Court case, Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982) ruled school officials can’t ban books in libraries because of their content.
You may have heard both the terms “challenged books,” and “banned books.” There is a difference, as the graphic (below) shows. A challenge is the attempt to remove or restrict materials, and a ban is the actual removal of the materials. Many books are challenged because they include (among other things) LGBTQIA+ content, transgendered characters, same-sex couples, profanity, violence, and religious viewpoints. ALA keeps track of books which are challenged and/or banned. However, ALA relies on voluntary challenge reports and media stories in order to track titles, therefore, the lists compiled are far from complete. Some surveys indicate the 82-97% of challenges go undocumented. Top 10 most challenged books going back to pre-1990s, are available on the ALA website. In 2018 the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 347 challenges in library, school, and university materials. In 2018, two of the top 11 books challenged or banned two were challenged and burned. This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten, and Two Boys Kissing by David Leviathan were both challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content.
The good news is that in a majority of cases the books have remained available. This is due in part to the awareness that Banned Books Week brings to this issue!
New books are added every year – and some never make it off the list (Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird are two examples). Many of the banned books are novels, but a number of science books have also been challenged.
Many classic books have been banned. According to the Office for Intellectual Freedom, at least 46 of the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century have been the target of ban attempts. See which books these are and learn the reasons for being banned at the following link: http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons
Here are a few of the many books related to Engineering and Science that have been banned at one time or another:
Any writing or discussion demonstrating the heliocentric nature of the universe was banned in 17th Century Europe.
Writings by physicist and astronomer Galileo Galilei were banned and he was charged and convicted of heresy by the Inquisition in 1632 for writing, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems.
Books and teaching materials on Darwinian evolution theory, including The Illustrated Origin of Species by Charles Darwin were banned in schools in Tennessee following the Butler Act of 1925.
The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments, written in 1960 by Robert Brent and illustrated by Harry Lazarus was banned in the United States for being too accurate in its scientific initiative.
Books and materials on Mendelian genetics have been banned from publication in Soviet-era USSR
If you are interested in exploring Leonardo da Vinci’s engineering works, check out Doing da Vinci. Four builders and engineers attempt to build never-before-constructed inventions! The 2-disc set looks at his armored tank, siege ladder, self-propelled carts and even a machine gun! Will his creations actually work? Doing da Vinci will show you!
We have many resources that relate to Darwin, Galileo, and da Vinci. Come explore our library and find these titles and more!
Resources:
Banned & Challenged Books. 2019. A Website of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. American Library Association (ALA).
Top Ten Most Challenged Books List. 2019. A Website of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. American Library Association (ALA).
Baron, Dennis. Webster’s banned for too much sex. Jan. 25, 2010. The Web of Language.
Other Resources:
25 Banned Books That You Should Read Today. March 2011. Learn.org
Chambers, Robert. 1846. Vestiges of the natural history of creation. E-Book available through The University of Iowa Libraries.
Scholz, Matthias Paul. 2007. Advanced NXT : the da Vinci inventions book. Berkeley, CA : Apress : New York : Distributed by Springer-Verlag. Engineering Library TJ211.15 .S36 2007
Letze, Otto, editor. 1997. Leonardo da Vinci : scientist, inventor, artist. Ostfildern-Ruit, Germany : Verlag Gerd Hatje : New York, NY : Distribution Art Publishers. Engineering Library N6923.L33 A4 1997
D’Onofrio, Mauro, Burigana, Carlo, editors. 2009. Question of modern cosmology : Galileo’s legacy. Berlin : Springer. Engineering Library QB981 .Q47 2009
Brasier, M.D. 2009. Darwin’s lost world : the hidden history of animal life. Oxford, NY : Oxford University Press. Engineering Library QE653 .B736 2009
Soldering Basics – Surface Mount
Tuesday, September 24th; 5:00 p.m.
Engineering Library Creative Space
Soldering is one of the most fundamental skills needed to dabble in the world of electronics. The two go together like peas and carrots. And, although it is possible to learn about, and build, electronics without needing to pick up a soldering iron, you’ll soon discover that a whole new world is opened with this one simple skill. This workshop will focus on doing surface mount soldering.
Jeremy Roszell, Electronics Electronics Shop, will be teach this workshop.
This workshop is FREE but space is limited – be sure to register now!
Check the Learn & Create webpage for more information on all the workshops coming up!
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.
Soldering is one of the most fundamental skills needed to dabble in the world of electronics. The two go together like peas and carrots. And, although it is possible to learn about, and build, electronics without needing to pick up a soldering iron, you’ll soon discover that a whole new world is opened with this one simple skill. This class will focus on doing surface mount soldering.
Jeremy Roszell, Engineering Electronics Shop, will be teaching this workshop!
This is a FREE workshop, but space is limited! Be sure to register today!! Visit the Learn & Create webpage for more information on all these great workshops!
Soldering Basics – Through Hole
Tuesday, September 17th; 5:00 p.m.
Engineering Library Creative Space
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.
Hey students! Are you interested in giving your idea, project, or invention a kick-start? Want to make that project a reality?
Registration is now open for the Kick-Start program! The Engineering Library and the Engineering Technology Center (ETC), are pleased to once again present the Creative Kick-Start program! Applications will be accepted through October 25th.
The program is designed so engineering students (undergraduate and graduate) may request funding to pay for prototyping and/or finishing projects – using the services offered through ETC and the Library Creative Space,
There will be ten $500 awards!!How exciting is that!?
Five 3D printers available in the Engineering Electronics Shop (EES)
Since there will only be 10 awards, this is a competitive process! Make sure you check the Kick-Start webpage to get complete details and get your application in soon!
Briefly, any graduate or undergraduate engineering student may apply for a Kick-Start award. You come up with an idea which can be completed in roughly 3 months, find a faculty or staff sponsor, complete an online application form, attend an in-person workshop (approximately an hour), hand in a progress report, and present your project in April!
There are a few requirements which include (but aren’t limited to) keeping receipts and a record of all expenses (a budget spreadsheet template will be be provided). A post-project survey of the Kick-Start program will also be required.
You are strongly encouraged to visit the Hanson Center for Technical Communication for assistance with writing your proposal before it is submitted. We also suggest you fill out a hackaday.io page and use it to post regular, substantial updates on the status of your project. Each update should include photos – of your project, notes or sketches – and text explaining your progress. Invite a university photographer to take photos while you are working on your project (contact info will be provided later).
There are a few restrictions, one of which is you may not already be receiving funding for this project from any other source. There can only be one idea per submission and a student may only be the primary investigator on one Kick-Start per year. Students may be co-investigators on more than one project. Be sure to check the Kick-Start webpage for more information.
So what else do you need to know?
Creative Kick-Start Innovation Kit!
The idea for the project is yours, and may be a finished product or a prototype. You maintain ownership of your idea and anything you build during the project. A team may work on the project together, but one student must be designated as the primary investigator. A primary investigator may be a co-investigator on another project.
You may keep any materials you purchase for your project, but tools purchased should be turned in to the Creative Space for use by future makers. Knowing what items must be returned can be a gray area, so please direct any questions about what should be returned to lib-engineering@uiowa.edu. The $500 award may only be used in ETC for materials, tools, and labor, etc. Any unused funds will revert back to the program and will go toward helping another future maker build their idea. There also are many tools in the Tool Library which are available to check out.
You are required to have a sponsor who will review the requirements of the Kick-Start program and review your application before it is submitted. The sponsorship officially ends with the presentation in April, but the sponsor and student(s) are free to continue to work on the project if they so choose.
Remember that ‘failure’ is part of the creative process. The important thing is you learn from these failures and therefore are better prepared for future projects. You will still be required to present your project in April – your presentation can deal with what went wrong, how it could be fixed, what you would do differently, and what you learned through the process. As Elon Musk said, “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”
Ellis mitre band saw in the Engineering Machine shop (ETC).
There are so many resources to help you complete your project! Our Creative Space is a great place to begin! Two collaboration tables, each with a quad-screen monitor will help your team work together to imagine your project. There are 4 modeling stations with the high-powered software you need. 3D cameras, a 4400 Dell computer with a video card, Leap Motion controllers and an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and controllers can help you manipulate your project in virtual reality (check the Tool Library resources!). ETC hasthe equipment you need to take your project from virtual reality to reality! EES provides circuit board fabrication, dye sublimation printing, PC board prototypes, laser cutting and etching and 3D printing (among other things!). There are also sheet metal tools, power hand tools, computer controlled machine tools (and more!) ETC staff are happy to answer questions and provide guidance!
The funds for this project are generously provided by the Engineering Technology Centers.
Application Review Committee is Kari Kozak (Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library), Jeff Nock (Entrepreneur in Residence/Lecturer, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center), and Spencer Stumpf (Inventions Manager, UI Research Foundation).
“Body Betty” created by Caroline Chelsvig & Emily Leibold“Root Canal Pal” Ethan Slater, Collin Zweifel, Annie Cahill, Shao Yang Zhang, & Nina VanDerZanden
Here are two of the groups which have received Kick-Start awards! You could be an award winner, too! Get your application in before Oct. 25th and start making your vision a reality!
We look forward to seeing your projects and working with you to make them a reality!
What is a patent and how the heck can you find one? Kari Kozak, Head Lichtenberger Engineering Librarian, will be leading a FREE workshop on those very questions (and more!)
Come and explore the hidden resources of patents! About 85% of the technical information in patents is found nowhere else. This workshop will feature a basic introduction to what a patent is, the various types of patents in existence, and how to complete patents searches. In addition to providing inventor exclusive rights to products they produce, patents also give great detailed information on certain products and method.
The workshop is FREE – but space is limited, so be sure to register today! For more information about all our Learn & Create workshops, go to our webpage
Now is your chance to learn about the breadth of resources available in the engineering library, from the online databases and books to technical reports and standards. Get a tour of the space and learn about the over 230 tools now available for checkout including new 3D scanners, EEG, oscilloscope, and VR headsets, just to name a few items.
Registration is limited, so register now! Get this fall started off right by meeting Kari and learning about all we have to offer!
Check out the amazing lineup of Learn & Create Workshops we have this fall! They will be held on Tuesdays at 5:00 pm in the Lichtenberger Library Creative Space. Workshops are sponsored by the Engineering Electronics Shop, Lichtenberger Engineering Library, NEXUS, and the Department of Music. Class size is limited to 25 participants – so sign up today!!
Sept 3 – What’s Happening in the Engineering Library
Learn about the breadth of resources in the engineering library, from the online databases and books to technical reports and standards. Get a tour of the space and learn about the over 230 tools now available for checkout including new 3D scanners, EEG, oscilloscope, and VR headsets, just to name a few items. Taught by Kari Kozak, Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
Explore the hidden resources of patents. About 85% of the technical information in patents is found nowhere else. This workshop will feature a basic introduction to what a patent is, the various types of patents in existence, and how to complete patents searches. In addition to providing inventor exclusive rights to products they produce, patents also give great detailed information on certain products and methods. Taught by Kari Kozak, Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
Soldering is one of the most fundamental skills needed to dabble in the world of electronics. The two go together like peas and carrots. And, although it is possible to learn about, and build, electronics without needing to pick up a soldering iron, you’ll soon discover that a whole new world is opened with this one simple skill. This class will focus on doing through hole soldering. Taught by Jeremy Roszell, Engineering Electronics Shop.
Soldering is one of the most fundamental skills needed to dabble in the world of electronics. The two go together like peas and carrots. And, although it is possible to learn about, and build, electronics without needing to pick up a soldering iron, you’ll soon discover that a whole new world is opened with this one simple skill. This class will focus on doing surface mount soldering. Taught by Jeremy Roszell, Engineering Electronics Shop.
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/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.
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/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.
Pick up the beat with this new open source programing environment called Sonic Pi. Learn the basics of coding while creating music! Using a Raspberry Pi, this class will have you making music in real-time. Each line of code you put in will change the song being heard. Taught by Jean-Francois Charles, School of Music.
Want to learn quick and easy ways to spice up your Halloween costumes? Learn to incorporate nano pixels, lights and sound into your Halloween costumes. Taught by John Kostman, Engineering Electronics Shop.
Oct 29 – Standards: Guides and Regulations for Building and Testing
From medical devices to concrete in walkways, standards are part of our everyday life. This workshop will allow you to gain an introduction to standards and specifications. You will learn about standard that are both government mandated as well as voluntary. The library provides access to over 100,000 standards including ASTM, ISO, ADA, NFPA (Fluid), and the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. Taught by Kari Kozak, Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
Nov 5 – Creating Citations Quickly & Easily with Endnote
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, 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. Taught by Marina Zhang, Engineering & Informatics Librarian, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
The web version of Endnote Basic will be taught: not the full client version.
Learn to create a mini piano! Learn all the steps to make your own mini piano using an Arduino and circuit board. This lightweight keyboard allows you to play an octave worth of notes using capacitive touch, no strings or hammers required! This class will walk through the basic programming and ways to personalize the keyboard. Taught by Jeremy Roszell, Engineering Electronics Shop.
Want to impress your friends and family with fun and unique greeting cards? Learn about paper folding to create a pop-up cards with lights. Taught by Deanne Wortman, NEXUS.
Remember when you were in grade, middle, and high school? Remember the lists of supplies you needed? The excitement of new notebooks, pens, and new backpacks? All those things designed to help make you more successful in your school career? We don’t have a list of supplies you’ll need to purchase for the new school year, but we do have so much that will help you be successful through this academic year!
When you start those classes you’ll no doubt find your professors have resources they have put “on reserve.” That means we have them here in the library and available for you to check out. Check our website for complete information about our circulation policies for all our materials – including course reserves!
Forgot your charging cable for your laptop? Guess what – you can check one out! We have over 230 tools available! We also have cables and cords – I’m guessing we have the exact one you need! Head to our Tool Library webpage – we have everything from 3D scanners, 360 Degree Cameras, Go Pro, computer mice, creative boxes to help you with programming & circuits, hammers, screwdrivers, phone & computer chargers, and SO much more! And, we add more tools all the time! New tools for this fall include an Oculus Quest – no wires! And that means we know have both the Oculus AND the Oculus Quest!!! We also now have a Muse – a headband which tracks your brain signals. It measures brain signals much like a heart monitor senses your heartbeat.
And, our tools go perfectly with our Creative Space! We have a virtual reality station, collaboration tables, modeling stations and a prototyping station – the perfect place to collaborate with team members on class projects! It is also the perfect place to tinker and be creative! As Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” So, stop in, be creative – who knows what you’ll invent!
If you want to work together as a team, but need a space that is a bit quieter – we’ve got 2 study pods! Pod 1 has a white board and Media:Scape! Media:Scape is designed for easy collaboration – up to 6 electronic devices can be connected to the large screen monitor! Pod 2 is smaller but has a large white board, Markers are available to check out in the Tool Library! The pods may be reserved – go to the Group Study Rooms webpage for instructions! We also have 27 ITC computers, 2 scanners, and 2 printers!
In all, we have over 140 seats available in 8 different types of seating! We have study carrels, easy chairs, bean bags, gamer chairs, not to mention the all the computers!
Need a quiet place to study? Our lower level (where all the books are located!) is a dedicated quiet space. All the study carrels and the new easy chairs have access to electrical outlets for that all-important charging! We also have both gaming chairs and bean bags! A new feature this year are two faux-fireplaces! Feel free to come, sit in our easy chairs and study before a (fake) fire!
Did you know we have a youtube channel? We do! Subscribe to us – UIEngLib! We are adding more and more videos all the time – an overview of the library, instructional videos on resources such as Endnote Basic – AND we’ve added a Detective Jones series! Watch the short video which will pose a question at the end, choose the answer you believe is the best and it will take you to the next video! Stay tuned – there will more cases for you and Detective Jones to solve!
If you want up-to-date information about all we have going on, be sure to follow us on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook (@UIEngLib). You’ll get the scoop on special events (like Learn & Create classes, Pi Day, new resources…).
We have over 145,o00 print resources and over 800 electronic journals! Need help navigating all that information? Check our LibGuide page. Our Head Librarian, Kari Kozak and Informatics Librarian, Qianijn (Marina) Zhang, are also available for research consultations! And all our staff are available to help you find the resources you need!
Welcome back! Stop in and see all we have to offer!!
Resources:
Notebook photo: By Sfoerster – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15504332
