The Winds of Change Have Arrived! University Library Digital Collections Receive Major Updates

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Rachel Senese

Big changes are happening within Digital Collections!  

The Digital Projects team has begun some maintenance and updates to the digital collections platform. The first step in the plan is merging some of our smaller collections into larger ones. This change will allow for easier navigation on the home page and for researchers to find related material together.  Most of the collections merged have been merged into the larger curatorial area collections so related collections can be viewed together in context.  We’ve also standardized our metadata fields across those collections for better searching.  We still have more work to do, but this is the first step towards a more user-friendly Digital Collections.  To see which collections have moved, see the list below: 

Donna Novak Coles Women’s Movement Archives
Georgia Women’s Movement Oral History Project		Archives for Research on Women and Gender
Activist Women Oral History Project
Karuna Counseling Oral History Project
Nancy N. Boothe Papers
Pro-Life Newsletter Collection
Samenia Wilson Limes Oral History Collection
LGBTQ+ Collection
Franklin Abbott Papers
Gender and Sexuality Oral History Project
LGBTQ T-Shirt Collection
Mike Maloney OutTV
Terri Wilder Papers		IAM Archives
IAM Canada
IAM Oral Histories
IAM Publications, District/Lodges
IAM Publications, Grand Lodges
Southern Labor Archives
African Americans In Transportation Oral Histories
Labor Prints
Voices of Labor		Southern Nursing Collection
Grady School of Nursing
South Carolina Nursing Association records
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Collection
ASO Sound Recordings		Atlanta Area Photographers
Ernest Welch
Atlanta Journal Constitution
Kay Cain		Social Change Collection
Harvey Newman Collection
In Whose Heart is a Highway
Harvey Newman Collection
We Love Buford Highway Oral History Project
Great Speckled Bird
Tom Coffin Photographs		The Signal
The Urbanite

If you have any questions or have difficulty finding material, please contact Digital Projects at digitalcollections@gsu.edu.

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Georgia State University Commits to Creating Data Literacy Curriculum for K-12 Instructors

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Ian Webb

Georgia State University is committed to data science education for all and has declared its commitment through the Data Science for Everyone (datascience4everyone.org) coalition. With a partnership between the College of Education & Human Development (CEHD) and the University Library, Georgia State University aims to become an industry leader in creating data literacy curriculum for K-12 instructors.

The Data Science for Everyone coalition is a national movement for advancing data literacy in our K-12 education system. Originally created by the University of Chicago Center for Radical Innovation for Social Change and inspired by economist Steve Levitt’s “Freakonomics” podcast on high school math, the movement is a coalition of 160+ educational leaders, policymakers, and industry partners pressing to make data literacy a national priority.

Georgia State University is seeking funding partners through the DSE program to support its commitment to making data literacy more accessible. Faculty from the College of Education & Human Development, working in collaboration with the University Library, will assemble an interdisciplinary team to create self-paced, online training modules for K-12 teachers. The curriculum will demonstrate the value and relevance of data literacy concepts across STEM, social science, business, and arts and humanities disciplines and prepare teachers to share these concepts with their students, in middle school and beyond.  

“These data science micro-credentialing classes will not only build data literacy concepts but will grow teachers’ capacity to incorporate data literacy into their teaching practices across disciplines,” said Dr. Lauren Margulieux, CEHD assistant professor.

“The College of Education & Human Development and the University Library are natural partners on this initiative,” said Bryan Sinclair, associate dean for public services at the University Library. Sinclair noted the past successes of CEHD faculty creating micro-credentialing programs for pre-service and in-service teachers and the University Library’s experience providing data literacy instruction, including the library’s current project to develop early college data science curriculum through its Public Interest Data Literacy (PIDLit) program. 

Georgia State University is committed to empowering teachers with data literacy concepts and lessons that will empower their students to be more effective as critical thinkers and data users. Expanding these efforts to the high schools is a logical next step for this initiative as Georgia State University faculty seeks to expand students’ college readiness and increase awareness of data science-related careers.

Media Contact:

Ian Webb
Director of Communications 
University Library 
404-413-2896
iwebb4@gsu.edu 		Angela Turk
Director of Communications 
College of Education & Human Development 
404-413-8114
aturk@gsu.edu   

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University Library Needs YOUR Input!

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Ian Webb

The University Library needs your input! We currently subscribe to the Web of Science citation database. Our license agreement is expiring, and we are considering whether to continue with Web of Science or switch to the Scopus citation database. We can only subscribe to one or the other, so we need your input on the decision.

While the relative cost of the databases will also be a factor, the usefulness of these resources in your research and for dossier development is important, and we need to hear from you!

Elsevier representatives presented a live demonstration of Scopus on Tuesday, June 8. Clarivate will be presenting a live demonstration of Web of Science on Tuesday, June 15 at 2:00 p.m.

Scopus Live Demo
Tuesday, June 8
2:00 p.m. 

Watch Meeting Recording
Request Training		Web of Science Live Demo
Tuesday, July 6
2:00 p.m. 

Watch Meeting Recording
(Use CampusID and
Password to access)

After the presentations, we ask for your feedback to help us make the decision about which database to go with. Feedback can be given in the survey linked here: https://lib.gsu.edu/NEgqy

We are here to support you and your research, and we deeply value your input in this decision making process.

Posted in Databases, For Faculty, Instruction, Publications and Research, Resources | Leave a comment

Over 60 New Primary Sources Now Available Through Adam Matthew Digital Partnership

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Lauren Bellard

Researchers now have access to even more engaging and extremely varied digital primary source materials! Georgia State University Library is happy to announce that it is now providing access to over sixty Adam Matthew Digital databases, made possible through GSU Library’s membership with the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL). ASERL is comprised of 37 research libraries in the southeastern United States. ASERL’s mission is to provide and maintain “top quality resources and services to students, faculty and citizens of their respective communities.”

Adam Matthew is a digital publisher of full-text primary source materials covering a vast array of topics within many disciplines. In addition to primary source material, many databases include interactive maps, galleries, and essays, all of which are enhanced through innovative technology, creativity, and collaborative partnership through groups such as ASERL.

Together, these databases contain over 12 million pages of content that are available now for researchers at Georgia State University to use. This new content may especially appeal to researchers in the Humanities, but topics are wide-ranging and access is available to any current GSU students and faculty. Some exciting highlights include, but are not limited to:

China: Culture and Society (Mid-18th – Early 20th century). Including: Addresses and Speeches; Essays; Guides and Manuals; Lecture notes; and more. Subjects: The Chinese Diaspora; Missionaries and Christianity; Language and Writing; Education; and more.

Defining Gender (Mid-15th – Early 20th century Britain). Including: Ephemera; Diaries; Conduct and advice literature; and more. Subjects: Conduct and Politeness; Domesticity and the Family; Consumption and Leisure; Education and Sensibility; The Body; and Religion and Morality.

First World War Portal (1914 – 1920s). Including: Artwork; Cartoons and comics; Newsletters; Maps; Postcards; Propaganda and recruiting posters; and more. Subjects: Daily life and routines in the army and auxiliary services; Trench warfare and conditions in the trenches; The Home Front; Peace negotiations; and more.

India, Raj and Empire (17th – 19th century). Including: Diaries and journals; Official and private papers; Letters; Sketches; Paintings; Original Indian documents containing histories and literary works; Subjects: The East India Company; government and Administration; The Mysore and Maratha Wars; Society, Travel and Leisure after 1858; and more.

London Low Life  (19th century). Including: Cartoons; Chapbooks; Swell’s guides to London prostitution, gambling, and drinking dens; and more. Subjects: Disreputable London; Politics, Scandal and the News; Sex, Prostitution and Obscenity; Work, Industry and Commerce; and more.

Meiji Japan (1856-1925). Including: Scrapbooks; Natural History; Japanese Pottery; Inventions; and more. Subjects: Art and architecture; Printing; Music; Carpentry; Agricultural tools; Shops; Fireworks; Artist’s studios; Games; The Ainu; Gardens; and Household construction.

Popular Medicine in America, 1800-1900. Including: Advertisements; Popular educational texts aimed at a non-professional audience; Writings on preventive medicine and guides to a health regimen; Ephemera and business documents; and “self-help” guides. Subjects: Botanic Medicine and Homeopathy; Women’s Health; Phrenology; Sexual Health; Children’s Health; and more.

Users can access all of the new Adam Matthew collections through GSU Library’s A-Z Database list by either searching for a specific subject or browsing through the entire list of collections.

Posted in Databases, Digital Collections, For Faculty, For Graduate Students, General News, Publications and Research, Resources | Leave a comment

Biltmore Radio & University Library Reach Agreement to Stream the Archive of Don Kennedy’s ‘Big Band Jump’ Program

Posted on May 25, 2021 by Ian Webb

Station president Don Kennedy reading a morning broadcast for the Georgia Network

Don Kennedy reading a newscast

Streaming radio station Biltmore Radio has reached an agreement with the Georgia State University Library’s Special Collections and Archives which will allow the station to broadcast the archive of Atlanta broadcast icon Don Kennedy’s Big Band music program, ‘Big Band Jump’. The agreement is for two years, with hopes of continuing indefinitely.

“We couldn’t be more excited to have come to this agreement with the University Library Special Collections and Archives, along with the Kennedy family, to air these wonderful shows,” said Benji Kurtz, co-founder of Biltmore Radio. “Ever since we started the station a couple years ago, we kept hearing from our fans – ‘Are you going to get Big Band Jump on the air?’ – and now we will be able to enthusiastically say ‘YES!’”

Kurtz continued, “With Mr. Kennedy’s iconic history in Atlanta broadcasting, as well as his long affiliation with the WSB call letters – we think that Biltmore Radio will able to pay this legend and his program the respect that they have earned.”

‘Big Band Jump’ ran for more than 25 years, first on Georgia State University’s student radio station WRAS as ‘One o’Clock Jump’ on weekends, and later nationally via syndication.

“Several years ago, we acquired the papers of Don Kennedy which includes more than 600 two-hour ‘Big Band Jump’ programs, and this seems like the ideal channel to get these historic programs out to the public once again,” said Kevin Fleming, Archivist for the Music and Radio Broadcasting Collections. “Mr. Kennedy’s papers also include the scripts, cue sheets, and newsletters in relation to the ‘Big Band Jump’ program, as well as interviews with musicians and other big band-era figures.”

Two WSB radio antenna towers on the roof of the Atlanta Biltmore Hotel. Writing on the photo gives the span between the towers as 312 feet and 6 inches, and also reads: Station WSB, The Atlanta Journal at the Atlanta Biltmore Hotel, erected by H. J. Carr & Co., Atlanta, GA.

Two WSB radio antenna towers on the roof of the Atlanta Biltmore Hotel

Biltmore Radio was founded to honor the history of The Biltmore in Midtown Atlanta, a former hotel (now Class A office space and condominium residences) which housed the WSB Radio studios from 1925-1955. For a time, its transmitter was also atop the historic building (the two towers which held the transmission lines are still a part of the Midtown Atlanta skyline today). The streaming station, broadcasting from The Biltmore, features Big Band and music from the Great American Songbook, creatively reimagining broadcasts from years gone by.

The Music and Radio Broadcasting Collections at the Georgia State University Library was established in 1981 with the task of collecting and preserving unique historical materials documenting 20th-century American music and radio broadcasting. The collection began with the acquisition of the Johnny Mercer papers and expanded to include other artists from his era, as well as early country, bluegrass, and Southern gospel music; the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; and radio broadcasting in Georgia. Learn more about the Music and Radio Broadcasting Collections at https://lib.gsu.edu/musicradio.

Biltmore Radio can be found on iHeartRadio, TuneIn, via the Biltmore Radio app in the Apple and Google Play stores, and at biltmoreradio.org.

Posted in General News, Resources, Special Collections & Archives | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Congrats to our Spring 2021 RDS@GSU Data Certificate awardees!

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh

The Library’s Research Data Services (RDS) Team completed another successful round of the RDS@GSU Data Certificate program. 82 people earned certificates in the Spring 2021 certificate period. Because we’re all about data, we want to share some data about our awardees to highlight their accomplishment.

To earn the RDS@GSU Data Certificate: Awardees have to attend a minimum of five unique Research Data Services (RDS) workshops offered in the areas of data analysis tools, methods for data analysis & collection, or mapping & data visualization during the certificate period. They can attend live online workshops, or they can watch recorded workshops at their convenience. Awardees are sent PDFs of their certificates, listing the individual workshops they attended.

Our 82 RDS@GSU Data Certificate awardees attended 569 workshops in total, averaging roughly 7 workshops per awardee. Awardees attended workshops across a wide variety of topics offered by the RDS Team, with the Python, R, Tableau, and SPSS workshops being most popular among awardees.

While 39 (47.6%) completed the required minimum of five workshops, the remaining 43 (52.4%) awardees attended six or more. And the three outliers to the right on the histogram below are two awardees who attended 28 workshops and one awardee who attended 29 workshops. Quite impressive!

Georgia State University (GSU) students were the largest awardee group, representing 52 (63.4%) of the total awardees, with 35 (42.7%) graduate students, 15 (18.3%) undergraduates, and 2 (2.4%) post-baccalaureate. GSU staff, faculty, and alumni represented 8 (9.8%) of the total awardees. Non-GSU awardees represented a sizable portion, at 22 (26.8%) of the total awardees.

Most of the GSU Colleges and Schools had representation among our awardees, as did some administrative offices and the University Library (“Other GSU” category below), with the Robinson College of Business (RCB) having the most representation. Varieties of academic departments were represented from the various GSU Colleges & Schools.

Congratulations to our RDS@GSU Data Certificate awardees!

Because of the COVID-19 social distancing requirements, we weren’t able to have our certificate ceremony — but here is a virtual cake to congratulate our data nerds! We commend you for your commitment to becoming data savvy, and we know what you’ve learned will benefit you in your studies and career.

Interested in getting RDS@GSU Data Certified? Learn more here.

Posted in Data Services, For Faculty, For Graduate Students, For Students, General News, Services | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Curating Women in Sports Exhibit

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Guy Conn

Samantha Harvel has been working in Special Collections for five years – first as an Honors College student and then as a Graduate Research Assistant. Throughout those years, Sam has done amazing work, arranging and describing collections, and creating our annual women’s exhibits. We are proud to share Samantha’s thoughts about her most recent exhibit, “Equal Playing Fields.”

Georgia State University women’s basketball players celebrating after defeating the University of Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, January 6, 1982.

Being from the rural South, I have been instilled with a robust knowledge of college football. However, my familiarity with sports ends there. When I started working on this exhibit, I was embarrassed to realize how much I did not know about women’s sports and their history. Growing up in the late 90s through the 2010s, I was surrounded by opportunities to play sports of all kinds. Though I chose not to participate in most of them, their existence is something that I took for granted.

Atlanta, 1940s

In the early 1900s, there was a popular belief that intense sporting activity would be harmful to the female body, especially to their reproductive organs. This meant that contact sports were strongly discouraged, as were competitive sports. It wasn’t until World War II, when a significant number of American men were gone, that professional women’s sports gained any sort of traction and national attention in the form of baseball.

Working on the exhibit, I learned that as recently as 50 years ago, K-12 and intercollegiate sports for girls and women were extremely limited in many areas, with schools often only offering one or two options, if any. Even in schools with more opportunities, the funding disparity between women’s and men’s sports was significant. After Title IX, there was a marked improvement in sports equality. However, in 2000, Georgia passed the Equity in Sports Act because a majority of schools in the states were not in compliance with the law even after almost 30 years.

Agnes Scott, 1959

My research for this exhibit showed that this is an issue that legislation alone cannot fix. Equality between men and women’s sports requires cultural change. Even with all these advances, there are still countless instances of inequity, as we’ve seen recently in the news with controversies surrounding Serena Williams, transgender athletes, and the NCAA Women’s Championship. Nevertheless, girls today have grown up with far more female athlete role models than their grandmothers had. The progress we’ve made in the last 50 years gives me hope for the future, but there are fundamental beliefs about sports that need to change to achieve truly Equal Playing Fields.

Posted in Digital Collections, For Faculty, For Graduate Students, For Students, Kinesiology & Health Education, Primary Resources, Special Collections & Archives, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments