Environmental Sciences – Sciences Library News

Sep 16 2022

SciFinder Classic is Retiring

Posted on September 16, 2022September 16, 2022 by Laurie Neuerburg

If you are currently using the classic version of SciFinder, it is time to start using SciFinder-n. Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) will discontinue the “classic” SciFinder interface on Dec. 31, 2022.

SciFinder-n, will be the only SciFinder platform moving forward.

If you are already using SciFinder-n, you do not need to do anything.
Your SciFinder credentials will work with SciFinder-n. You do not need to register for a new account.
Any bookmarks will automatically redirect to SciFinder-n.
If you have saved answer sets and search alerts for the classic version of SciFinder, you will need to migrate them into SciFinder-n before Dec. 31, 2022.

To access SciFinder-n, go to the Sciences Library SciFinder guide. The link on this page will work from anywhere.

If you have any questions, or problems, please contact one of the sciences librarians here https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sciences/contact/.

You can also learn more about SciFinder-n on the above guide, or review the following pages at CAS:

- “Moving from SciFinder to CAS SciFinder-n” webinar recording that may be of interest during the transition phase.
- Informative brochure about SciFinder-n.
- On-demand SciFinder-n training resources.

Aug 22 2022

Tree Talk & Tour at the Sciences Library

Posted on August 22, 2022September 19, 2022 by Laurie Neuerburg

Join Arborist Andy Dahl for a tree talk and tour at the Sciences Library! This program will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. The tree talk will begin at 2 p.m. on the third floor of the Sciences Library. The walking tour of campus trees will begin at 3 p.m. at the Sciences Library. This program is free and open to the public. The Sciences Library is located at 120 Iowa Ave.

Tree Talk & Tour at the Sciences Library
120 Iowa Ave, Iowa City
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022
• 2 p.m.: Tree talk located on the 3rd floor of the Sciences Library
• 3 p.m: Walking tour of campus trees starting at the Sciences Library

The Arbor Day Foundation has designated the University of Iowa as a Tree Campus Higher Education institution, and the University of Iowa campus grounds are recognized as an arboretum by ArbNet, a professional network of arboreta and tree professionals. The University of Iowa campus showcases over 8,000 trees representing over 330 species.

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 at 319-467-0216 or laurie-neuerburg@uiowa.edu.

Jun 09 2022

Prairie Musings @ the Sciences Library

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Laurie Neuerburg

All are invited to a panel discussion about our campus prairie, the Ashton Research Prairie, featuring:

Mike Fallon, Earth and Environmental Sciences Instructor
Andrew Forbes, Associate Professor of Biology
Stratis Giannakouros, Director, Office of Sustainability and the Environment

Wednesday, July 6, 2022, 2:00-3:00 PM
Free & open to the public.
Light refreshments provided.
Sciences Library, 120 Iowa Ave
https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sciences

HawkSci Lit Book Club at the Sciences Library

Mar 09 2022

Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That’ll Improve and/or Ruin Everything (HawkSci Lit Book Club)

Posted on March 9, 2022March 30, 2022 by Laurie Neuerburg

Would you like to discuss a book written by one of our Iowa City Darwin Day speakers? Join the HawkSci Lit Book Club at the Sciences Library to discuss the delightful and witty book: Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That’ll Improve and/or Ruin Everything.

This book was co-authored by Dr. Kelly Weinersmith, featured speaker at Iowa City Darwin Day 2022, and Zach Weinersmith, author of the webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.

Thursday, April 7, 2022

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Sciences Library 3rd floor

120 Iowa Ave

This event is free & open to the public. Zoom link available upon request.

Jan 18 2022

Welcome back, Hawkeyes!

Posted on January 18, 2022January 18, 2022 by Laurie Neuerburg

Welcome back, Hawkeyes! We hope that you had a nice break, and we’re glad that you are back! Keep our Hawkeye community safe by getting your free COVID-19 vaccinations and booster if you have not done so yet.

Books, Articles, Laptops, and More

You can search InfoHawk+ to find books, articles, and other resources at the UI Libraries, and you can contact a sciences librarian to get expert help to use our resources.

We now have laptops that you can check out! Visit the Sciences Library Service Desk to check out a laptop. Laptops circulate for 3 days or for 3 weeks, depending on how long you need to use them.

Study Spaces

The Sciences Library offers a variety of study spaces that are available to you! If you are looking for a good place to study, we have study spots that include computer stations, study carrels, study booths, and large tables for group work. The Sciences Library is located at 120 Iowa Ave.

Sciences Library Spring 2022 Hours

The Sciences Library is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 9:00 PM, Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sunday from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM for the spring semester. The Sciences Library is closed on Saturdays.

Study Help for BIOL 1411: Foundations of Biology

If you are taking BIOL:1411 Foundations of Biology, then you can take advantage of free study help with our Sciences Library Student Mentors!

Drop-in Tutoring for Foundations of Biology

Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesdays, & Thursday 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Ask to meet with the student mentor at the Sciences Library Service Desk.

Group Study Sessions for Foundations of Biology

Sundays, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM. The student mentor will lead a session to review material from the week’s lectures. This is located in room 102 at the Sciences Library.
Sundays, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM. The student mentor will provide help with lab content. This session will be held in room 102 at the Sciences Library.

Dec 06 2021

Finals Week Stress Relief at the Sciences Library: Fall 2021

Posted on December 6, 2021December 6, 2021 by Laurie Neuerburg

As we wrap up the Fall 2021 semester, a good place to study for final exams is the Sciences Library! Whether you need a quiet place to study, group space, or study break ideas, the Sciences Library has you covered! We have a variety of study spots to choose from including bean bag chairs, large tables, study carrels, and study booths. There are rolling dry erase boards, large TV monitors, computer stations, scanning stations, and print stations that you can use. If you need a rest, then we have coloring sheets, building blocks, and games available for you to use to give your brain a break. You can also check out our virtual Sciences Library’s Finals Week Stress Relief Guide. You can put together an online puzzle of a porcupine, print off science coloring sheets, and view an assortment of animal live cams. You will also find links to xkcd and other science comics that will make you laugh on the Stress Relief Guide!

Rover Replies comic — Source: xkcd.com/2517/

Sep 08 2021

Tree Tour & Talk at the Sciences Library

Posted on September 8, 2021September 8, 2021 by Laurie Neuerburg

Join Arborist Andy Dahl for a tree talk and tour at the Sciences Library! This program will be held on Friday, October 1, 2021. The tree talk will begin at 2:00 PM on the 3rd floor of the Sciences Library. There will be a short break at 2:45 PM for light refreshments. The walking tour of campus trees will begin at 3:00 PM at the Sciences Library. This program is free and open to the public. The Sciences Library is located at 120 Iowa Ave.

Tree Talk & Tour at the Sciences Library
120 Iowa Ave, Iowa City
Friday, October 1, 2021
• 2:00 PM: Tree talk located on the 3rd floor of the Sciences Library
• 2:45 PM: Break for light refreshments
• 3:00 PM: Walking tour of campus trees starting at the Sciences Library

Jul 15 2021

Explore Iowa’s Biodiversity with Bur Oak Guides & Books

Posted on July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 by Laurie Neuerburg

Guest Author: Kai Weatherman

Summer naturally finds us spending more time outdoors, which provides a multitude of opportunities to observe the diversity of plant and animal species that inhabit Iowa. Unless you are already a professional naturalist, you may occasionally wonder about the identity of some species you encounter. If you’d like to satisfy that curiosity without lugging around a bulky field guide, consider checking out one of the many Bur Oak Guides available at the Sciences Library.

Most Bur Oak Guides are easy to carry laminated foldout guides (roughly the size of a folded roadmap) published by the University of Iowa Press. They offer a handy way to identify the most likely species of plant or animal you will encounter in a variety of Iowa habitats. There are guides for birds, butterflies, fish, frogs, grasses, mushrooms, orchids, and trees, to mention just a few.

Unlike the laminated foldout guides mentioned above, there are some titles in this series published as full-length reference books that offer more detailed treatment of their subjects. Among them is a trio of beautifully illustrated books co-authored by Sylvan Runkel that describe the wildflowers and plants of Iowa’s wetlands, woodlands, and tallgrass prairie.

Since the month of July finds so many wildflower species of the tallgrass prairie in bloom, I would be remiss if I did not mention An Illustrated Guide to Iowa Prairie Plants by Paul Christiansen and Mark Müller, which was published in the Bur Oak Books series, a companion series to Bur Oak Guides.

Whereas Runkel’s books on Iowa’s wildflowers offer full color close-up views of each species with narrative that includes brief natural history, this black-and-white illustrated guide places greater emphasis on plant morphology and provides detailed line drawings that provide a fuller picture of various plant parts critical to properly identify particular species. This title has the added benefit of being available in a free online version created through a partnership between the University of Iowa Press and the UI Libraries.

Full descriptions of individual titles in both series can be found at Bur Oak Guides and Bur Oak Books at the University of Iowa Press website.

Featured Titles

Butterflies of Iowa

The Elemental Prairie

Forest and Shade Trees of Iowa

The Guide to Iowa’s State Preserves

The Raptors of Iowa

Feb 04 2021

Groundhog Day 2021: Anticipating a beautiful & bright spring!

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Laurie Neuerburg

While there is no consensus among groundhogs this week about exactly when spring will arrive, there is the reminder that spring will come, and as Punxsutawney Phil would like us to know, “you’re looking forward to one of the most beautiful and brightest springs you’ve ever seen.” Check out the table below to see how groundhogs all over North America have faced (or not faced) their darkest shadows to bring us their prediction! Under the column “2021 Prediction,” you can find a link to an article or video of these famous whistle pigs and other prophetic creatures making their most recent forecast!

Name	Location	2021 Prediction
Punxsutawney Phil	Punxsutawney, PA	6 more weeks of winter
Bay Beach Bobbie	Green Bay, WI	Early spring
Staten Island Chuck	Staten Island, NY	Early spring
Holtsville Hal	Long Island, NY	Early spring
Malverne Mel	Long Island, NY	Early spring
Dunkirk Dave	Dunkirk, NY	Early spring
Milltown Mel	Milltown, NJ	Early spring
Phoebe the Hedgehog	Manchester, CT	6 more weeks of winter
Buckeye Chuck	Marion, OH	Early spring
Woodstock Willie	Woodstock, IL	Early spring
Murray the Groundhog	Alton, IL	Took the day off?
Unadilla Bill	Unadilla, NE	Final prediction of early spring before retirement
Shubenacadie Sam	Nova Scotia, Canada	Early spring
Fred La Marmotte	Val d’Espoir, Quebec, Canada	Early spring
Wiarton Willie	Wiarton, Ontario, Canada	His prediction was replaced by a fur hat toss this year
Greta the Groundhog	Chimney Rock, NC	6 more weeks of winter
Queen Charlotte	Charlotte, NC	6 more weeks of winter
Sir Walter Wally	Raleigh, NC	Early spring
‘Stumptown Phil’ aka Filbert the beaver	Portland, OR	6 more weeks of winter
Mojave Maxine the tortoise	Palm Desert, CA	Early spring

The 1993 film Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray is on DVD for checkout at the UI Libraries!

Image of Darwin inside the shape of Iowa

Jan 28 2021

Iowa City Darwin Day 2021

Posted on January 28, 2021July 20, 2022 by Laurie Neuerburg

Iowa City Darwin Day celebrates the benefits of science for humanity, and all are invited to celebrate this year by attending virtual talks by prestigious scientists! All Iowa City Darwin Day events are free and open to the public.

Erich Jarvis’ talk “Evolution of Brain Pathways for Vocal Learning and Spoken Language” will be on Friday, February 12 at 12 PM CST. Erich Jarvis is a professor and head of the Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language at the Rockefeller University. He uses song-learning birds and other species as models to study the molecular and genetic mechanisms that underlie vocal learning, including how humans learn spoken language. He chairs the international Vertebrate Genomes Project which studies how species are genetically related and how unique characteristics evolve. Jarvis also collaborates on a project to generate a new human pangenome reference that will represent over 90% of genetic diversity.

Dr. Jarvis is the 2002 recipient of the National Science Foundation Alan T. Waterman Award and was awarded the Director’s Pioneer Award by the National Institutes of Health in 2008. He received the NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award in 2019

Charmaine Royal’s talk “Race, Genetics, and Health” followed by a panel discussion will be on Friday, February 19 at 4 PM CST.

Charmaine Royal is a 2020 Ida Cordelia Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor. She is Associate Professor of African & African American Studies, Biology, Global Health, and Family Medicine & Community Health at Duke University. She is also core faculty in the Duke Initiative for Science & Society, senior fellow in Kenan Institute for Ethics, and faculty in the Social Science Research Institute where she directs the Center on Genomics, Race, Identity, Difference and the Center for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation. Dr. Royal’s research, scholarship, and teaching focus on ethical, legal, and social issues in genetics and genomics, particularly the intersection of race and genetics and its policy implications and practical interventions.

Panelists:
UI Professor of History Mariola Espinosa
UI Visiting Professor of Law Phoebe Jean-Pierre
Dr. Brian Donovan , BSCS
Moderator: UI Associate Professor of Law Anya Prince

The University of Iowa Libraries

Sciences Library News

Category: Environmental Sciences