Sara Scheib – Sciences Library News

Mar 29 2018

Chemists Celebrate Earth Day at the Sciences Library!

Posted on March 29, 2018April 30, 2018 by Sara Scheib

Join us at the Sciences Library on Friday, April 20th from 2-4 PM as we celebrate Earth Day! Explore climate science through hands-on experiments with chemists from Dr. Stone’s research group!

Did you ever wonder…

Why do some gases warm the atmosphere?
How do particles cool the earth?
How do clouds form?
Why are the oceans becoming more acidic?
What is albedo and how does it affect climate?

Activities for all ages. Bring your questions and join us for refreshments!

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 Laurie Neuerburg in advance at 319-467-0216.

Mar 02 2018

OpenRefine Workshop

Posted on March 2, 2018 by Sara Scheib

Cleaning up messy data with OpenRefine
Wednesday, April 4 at 11:30am – 12:30pm
Sciences Library room 102

Description: Do you record and work with data in spreadsheets or tabular files? You can save yourself a lot of time by using OpenRefine to review and clean up spreadsheet or tabular data. OpenRefine is free software that makes it easy to identify and fix problems in data. Automated functions easily and quickly handle common problems, such as splitting cells that contain multiple data values, detecting duplicates and typos, standardizing date formats, and trimming extra spaces from cells. OpenRefine also keeps track of all your steps, so you can easily reuse them or undo them if necessary.

Requirements: This is a hands-on session, in which you will use the software to review and edit data. Please bring your own laptop to the session, with OpenRefine installed. Installation instructions: https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/wiki/Installation-Instructions

Our workshops are open to everyone and there is no need to register. If you have any questions, please contact Sara Scheib.

Mar 01 2018

Climate for Change Exhibit

Posted on March 1, 2018March 2, 2018 by Sara Scheib

To celebrate this semester’s theme: Climate for Change, check out the Sciences Library’s new exhibit on climate change and sustainability!

In an interactive experiment, learn about the albedo effect: How light and dark colored surfaces, and their ability to reflect or absorb light and heat from the sun, can change the temperature.

In our climate change display, learn what is (and is not) a greenhouse gas, how researchers use air samplers to collect information about air pollution, and about some of the effects of climate change.

In our sustainability display, you can learn about some of the steps you can take as an individual, and the steps we’re taking as a campus, to become more sustainable.

Many thanks to the Office of Sustainability and the Stone and Hornbuckle Research Groups for their assistance and for loaning materials and equipment to us for this exhibit.

Jan 31 2018

Spring Workshops at the Sciences Library

Posted on January 31, 2018 by Sara Scheib

The following workshops will be offered at the Sciences Library during the Spring 2018 semester. Our workshops are open to everyone and there is no need to register. They will be held in room 102, the classroom on the first floor of the Sciences Library. If you have any questions, please contact Sara Scheib.

EndNote Web – Wednesday, February 21 at 11:30am to 12:20pm in 102 SL

In this workshop you will learn how to use the web-based version of EndNote to:

Collect references for articles, books, websites, and other sources using Google Scholar, InfoHawk+, and popular databases like Web of Science and Scopus;
Organize your references into groups and share those references with collaborators;
Use the Cite While You Write plugin for Microsoft Word to insert citations into your papers and format them into hundreds of different styles.

By using the web-based version of EndNote, you’ll be able to login to your account and edit, delete, or add to your references from any device with an internet connection, making it a convenient option for scholars on the go. EndNote Web is available to all UI students, faculty, and staff for free.

EndNote Desktop – Wednesday, March 7 at 11:30am to 12:20pm in 102 SL

In this workshop you will learn how to use the desktop version of EndNote to:

Collect references for articles, books, websites, and other sources using Google Scholar, InfoHawk+, and popular databases like Web of Science and Scopus;
Organize your references into groups and share your reference library with collaborators;
Use the Cite While You Write plugin for Microsoft Word to insert citations into your papers and format them into thousands of different styles.

By using the desktop version of EndNote, you’ll gain access to advanced features such as “Find Full Text” and the ability to customize citation styles. EndNote Desktop is available for free to all UI graduate students, faculty, and staff.

InfoHawk+ – Wednesday, March 28 at 11:30am to 12:20pm in 102 SL

InfoHawk+ is the public interface to search the UI Libraries catalog, including our book and media collection, ebooks and journals titles, plus some of our most used and useful databases. You can find the books we own and the journals we subscribe to, but you can also find articles available through some of our database subscriptions.

In this workshop, you will learn how to:

Use InfoHawk+ to search for physical and electronic materials in the UI Libraries collection;
Login to your account to view your current loans and renew your materials;
Request to have items held for you at the service desk or delivered to your preferred library or campus mailbox.

When Google Lets You Down – Wednesday, April 11 at 11:30am to 12:20pm in 102 SL

What do you do when “Googling it” doesn’t work?

In this workshop, you’ll learn:

What Google is, and isn’t, good for;
How to optimize your settings in Google Scholar to get the results you need;
How to use credible alternatives to Google; such as subject-specific dictionaries and encyclopedias, and databases like Web of Sciences and Scopus.

If you’re interested, but unable to attend these workshops, private appointments and webinars can be arranged. If you have any questions or if you’d like to request a workshop for your class or group, please contact Sara Scheib for more information.

Nov 30 2017

Finals Week at the Sciences Library

Posted on November 30, 2017December 17, 2017 by Sara Scheib

No need to stress out about Finals Week, the Sciences Library has you covered! Our quiet study spaces will be open 1 – 5 PM on Saturday, 1 – 10 PM on Sunday, 8:30 AM – 10 PM Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 AM – 5 PM on Friday.

When you need some brain fuel, help yourselves to our free coffee and tea, and make sure to try Pam’s famous homemade mini-brownies!

And when you need to take a break, we have building toys like Legos and K’Nex, card games like UNO and Phase 10, and coloring/activity pages to help you relax.

Good luck with finals! You’ve got this!

Nov 30 2017

Winter Exhibit

Posted on November 30, 2017November 30, 2017 by Sara Scheib

Stop by the Sciences Library to see our new winter exhibit: Colors of Winter.

We normally think of the colors of winter as rather dull and drab, at least until the first snowfall. But the plumage of birds and coats of small mammals often change dramatically during the winter months, allowing them to blend in better with their surroundings.

In our cases, you’ll find birds and other animals in their winter colors, and their summer colors for comparison. Come check it out! And as always, many thanks to the Museum of Natural History for loaning us several specimens from their collections.

Nov 08 2017

New Reaxys

Posted on November 8, 2017November 8, 2017 by Sara Scheib

Reaxys is switching to a new, dramatically streamlined interface which defaults to a “Quick Search” with keyword search functionality, as well as the ability to search by drawing a structure or reaction. You can see the Promo for the New Reaxys interface or go to the Reaxys Support Center for more in-depth documentation, FAQs, manuals, video tutorials, and access to training webinars.

The legacy interface will only be available until January 31, 2018, so you may want to try the New Reaxys soon. If you have any questions, would like to learn more, or want a demonstration of the new interface, please contact the Sciences Library for assistance.

Oct 30 2017

Halloween Exhibit

Posted on October 30, 2017November 1, 2017 by Sara Scheib

Are you ready for Halloween? Check out our “Creepy Creatures” exhibit at the Sciences Library and get in the Halloween spirit!

Many thanks to the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History for loaning us the specimens for our displays.

Sep 22 2017

EndNote Workshop Rescheduled

Posted on September 22, 2017October 13, 2017 by Sara Scheib

Yesterday’s workshop, “Saving Time (and Citations) with EndNote” has been rescheduled for Monday, October 16 at 2 – 2:50 PM in the third floor computer room. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you need assistance with references, citations, or EndNote, private appointments and webinars are also available. Please contact Sara Scheib for assistance.

Sep 08 2017

New Exhibit: Go Hawks!

Posted on September 8, 2017November 1, 2017 by Sara Scheib

Introducing our new exhibit: Go Hawks!

In Iowa City, Herky is famous, but you may be less familiar other members of his family. Red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawks, and others are often spotted in Johnson County. These beautiful birds are accomplished predators, feeding on smaller birds and small mammals. Come see two impressive specimens up close at the Sciences Library.

Red-tailed Hawk egg — Red-tailed hawk egg

Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk — Harlan's red-tailed hawk

Many thanks to the Museum of Natural History for the loan of the hawks and hawk egg, to the University Archives for the homecoming buttons, and to wildlife photographer James Scheib for the beautiful photos.