Environmental Sciences – Sciences Library News

Aug 23 2019

Welcome to the Sciences Library!

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Laurie Neuerburg

Hello, new & returning Hawkeyes!

Visit the Sciences Library this week to find a comfortable study spot, enjoy free coffee, and meet our staff! Our new exhibit showcases our staff, what they can do for you, and what they would like you to know about them! Stop by to find out who likes Quantum Darwinism, who likes photographing birds, who likes running marathons, and more! We would love to meet you and help you use the many services that the UI Libraries has to offer.

Here are 6 tips to help you get started!

You can meet with a librarian in a one-on-one research consultation to help you find books and articles that you need for a paper or project
You can search InfoHawk+ to find out what the UI Libraries has that you can use online or check out & take home, which includes print books, ebooks, newspapers, journals, and magazines (both print and online), DVDs and streaming videos
You can request that the library purchase something that we don’t have, or request to borrow something that we don’t have through Interlibrary Loan. (It’s free!)
You can access all of our ebooks, electronic journal articles, streaming videos, and online resources from off-campus by logging in with your HawkID
You can ask librarians for help about research and using the library whenever you need it through chat, email, in-person, or by phone!
You can hang out with our mascot Chauncey the gorilla!

Best wishes for a great semester! Go Hawks!

Jul 31 2019

Introducing Conrad Bendixen: Sciences Reference & Instruction Librarian

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Laurie Neuerburg

Picture of Conrad Bendixen The Sciences Library is pleased to introduce Conrad Bendixen, our new Sciences Reference & Instruction Librarian! Conrad comes to us from St. Ambrose University, where he was the liaison librarian in health sciences and biology for six years. Prior to that, he worked at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids and Central College in Pella. A longtime Hawkeye, Conrad’s undergraduate and graduate degrees are both from the University of Iowa, as well as his partner’s PhD! His return to campus feels like a welcome homecoming.

Conrad is looking forward to supporting and enhancing the work of the students and faculty in his liaison departments, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Mathematics. Conrad will be giving workshops, classroom instruction, reference help, and research consultations. He can create course materials that support information literacy and illustrate the use of library resources. Feel free to contact him at conrad-bendixen@uiowa.edu or 319-467-1395. Conrad’s office is room E237 in the Chemistry Building. Please stop by to say hello!

Jun 12 2019

EndNote Workshop

Posted on June 12, 2019June 12, 2019 by Laurie Neuerburg

The Sciences Library welcomes students, staff, and faculty to an EndNote Workshop on Wednesday, July 17 at 11:30 AM in room 102 of the Sciences Library. There is no need to register in advance.

In this workshop you will learn how to use 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.

EndNote Web is available for free to all members of the University of Iowa community. EndNote Desktop is available for free to all UI graduate students, faculty, and staff.

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 Laurie Neuerburg (319-467-0216 or laurie-neuerburg@uiowa.edu) for more information.

May 02 2019

Free Coffee, Compliments, & Brownie Bites: Study for Finals at the Sciences Library!

Posted on May 2, 2019May 30, 2019 by Laurie Neuerburg

Find your way to the Sciences Library to study for finals week! Fuel up with free refreshments: homemade brownie bites, cookies, coffee, and tea! Refresh with coloring, origami, and games. Give a friend a boost, or rejuvenate yourself with tear-off compliments! Choose from a variety of study spots: bean bag chairs, study carrels, computer stations, and large tables. Get last minute research help from your librarians. Good luck on your finals, Hawkeyes!

Image of various science symbols flying up from book on laptop screen

Mar 25 2019

Citizen Science Day 2019

Posted on March 25, 2019April 3, 2019 by Laurie Neuerburg

Science is for everyone! Citizen science projects give people from all walks of life the opportunity to participate in scientific research. According to CitizenScience.org, “Citizen Science Day is an annual event to celebrate and promote all things citizen science: amazing discoveries, incredible volunteers, hardworking practitioners, inspiring projects, and anything else citizen science-related!”

Celebrate Citizen Science Day 2019 at the Sciences Library! Join us Monday and Tuesday, April 8-9 from 12-2 PM on the 3rd floor of the Sciences Library. Enjoy free pizza and drinks while making a contribution to scientific knowledge! These events are free and open to all.

CITIZEN SCIENCE DAY: STALL CATCHERS MEGATHON
Play an online game called Stall Catchers to advance Alzheimer’s research! Join our team HawkeyesOnALZ!
Monday, April 8, 2019, 12-2 PM
Facebook event

CITIZEN SCIENCE DAY: [CITATION NEEDED]
Enhance Wikipedia articles about science!
Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 12-2 PM
Facebook event

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 or laurie-neuerburg@uiowa.edu.

Image of bismuth crystals in multiple colors

Mar 08 2019

Celebrating the International Year of the Periodic Table

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Laurie Neuerburg

Colored bismuth crystals, bright copper, silicon circuits, and more shine in our new exhibit celebrating 2019: The International Year of the Periodic Table! One hundred and fifty years ago, Dmitri Mendeleev published a draft of the first Periodic Table. Mendeleev also wrote “Knowing how contented, free and joyful is life in the realms of science, one fervently wishes that many would enter their portals” in his text Principles of Chemistry. Enter the portal to the Sciences Library to test your knowledge of the elements present in household items, to view our humorous periodic tables, and to see several elements in their pure form! Thank you to Dr. Lou Messerle for loaning us his collection of element samples!

Mar 01 2019

Scientists Celebrate Earth Day at the Sciences Library!

Posted on March 1, 2019April 9, 2019 by Laurie Neuerburg

Join us at the Sciences Library on Friday, April 26^th from 2-5 pm as we celebrate Earth Day! Explore climate science through hands-on experiments with Dr. Stone’s chemistry research group, the Iowa City Science Booster Club, and Earth & Environmental scientists!

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?
What lessens the heat island effect?

Activities for all ages. This is a free event. Bring your questions and join us for refreshments!

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1092145187640366/

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.

Image of Charles Darwin and the Beagle Adventure book cover

Feb 21 2019

Iowa City Darwin Day 2019

Posted on February 21, 2019 by Laurie Neuerburg

Iowa City Darwin Day celebrates science, evolution, and Darwin’s birthday this week! Sharon DeWitte and Ana Duggan will give talks about their research into epidemics and infectious diseases. Jeanne Serb will speak about the evolution of vision in animals, and Nicholas Strausfeld will present on the evolution of insect brains. There will be cake at Darwin’s birthday party on Saturday! The events will wrap up with a screening of the movie Contagion at FilmScene and a discussion led by Black Death expert Sharon DeWitte.

The UI Libraries offers numerous books, movies, and articles pertinent to Iowa City Darwin Day! We have the movie Contagion on DVD/Blu-ray, the Greatest Show on Earth and other works on evolution, the complete works of Charles Darwin and the graphic adaptation of On the Origin of Species, and much more in our Iowa City Darwin Day guide!

Feb 11 2019

Spring 2019 Workshops at the Sciences Library

Posted on February 11, 2019February 11, 2019 by Laurie Neuerburg

The following workshops are open to all students, faculty, and staff. There is no need to register in advance.

EndNote Workshop – Thursday, March 7, 2-3 PM, BB B20

In this workshop you will learn how to use 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.

EndNote Web is available for free to all members of the University of Iowa community. EndNote Desktop is available for free to all UI graduate students, faculty, and staff.

EndNote Workshop – Wednesday, April 10, 3:30-4:30 PM, CB W238

In this workshop you will learn how to use 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.

EndNote Web is available for free to all members of the University of Iowa community. EndNote Desktop is available for free to all UI graduate students, faculty, and staff.

Image of ECS's The 90 natural elements that make up everything

Jan 23 2019

2019: The International Year of the Periodic Table

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Laurie Neuerburg

In 1869, chemist Dmitri Mendeleev discovered patterns among elements that led him to arrange elements according to their properties into the very first periodic table.

Several years later in 1885, the Periodische Gesetzmässigkeit der Elemente nach Mendeleiff was created, which was recently found at the University of St Andrews. This is thought to be the oldest surviving periodic table in the world!

Now, 150 years later after Mendeleev’s discovery, the UN and UNESCO have declared 2019 to be The International Year of the Periodic Table. Learn about each of the elements through IUPAC’s interactive Periodic Table!

Would you like to read more about the Periodic Table? Check out some of our books:

The Periodic Table and a Missed Nobel Prize

Facilitating Conceptual Change in Students’ Understanding of the Periodic Table

Periodic Table: A Very Short Introduction

Here is a version of the Periodic Table showing endangered elements:

Elements marked with gray are from conflict minerals, all of which are used in smartphones. Elements in red are the most at risk of running out. Would you miss any of these elements if they were gone? Is there more that we can do to recycle and reuse these naturally-occurring elements?

Here is the most up-to-date version of the Periodic Table:

Image of 2018 IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements — Image credit: IUPAC. https://iupac.org/what-we-do/periodic-table-of-elements/

There are now 118 elements, and the newest elements are nihonium (Nh), moscovium (Mc), tennessine (Ts), and oganesson (Og). These four new elements were created synthetically.

Interested in a competing for a limited edition Periodic Table signed by a Chemistry Nobel Laureate? Take IUPAC’s Periodic Table Challenge and enter their Nobelium Contest for a chance to win!