Author: Amy Harrell (Page 1 of 3)

Happy Summer! Some of you may recall that the Trinity College Library joined the Boston Library Consortium (BLC) in 2022. Prior to this, we were members of the CTW Consortium that consisted of Connecticut College, Trinity College, and Wesleyan University. With Connecticut College and Wesleyan University, we are now fully integrated into the Boston Library Consortium and in late July, you will see this change reflected in your library OneSearch interface. This move represents an evolution of the three CTW member libraries into the BLC’s larger collective of schools in the northeast, providing benefits such as:

• In-person borrowing privileges at over 25 schools (https://blc.org/members)
• Faster delivery of print material through Interlibrary Loan
• Greater leverage in controlling the costs of digital subscriptions and fees
• Collaborative opportunities to reduce costs for shared services
• Professional development and networking opportunities for librarians

To complete the transition from CTW to BLC, we may experience downtime of the OneSearch Library catalog on July 27 – 28. After this time, you will not be able to see your CTW Borrower account, and Connecticut College and Wesleyan University collections will no longer appear in Trinity’s OneSearch interface. However, you will still be able to request materials in person and through inter-library loan from Connecticut College and Wesleyan University as well as the other 25 BLC institutions. We are so excited to be able to increase access to library materials through the Boston Library Consortium. While the changes to the interface are minor, we are here to help with this transition should you need any assistance.

Please direct questions to Christina Bleyer, College Librarian and/or Amy Harrell, Head of Collections, Research & Instruction.

Microsoft has released a new quarantine feature which you may receive an email message with the Subject: Microsoft 365 security: You have messages in quarantine.

Regular (safe) junk mail will continue to go to your Junk folder.

Phishing scams or malware emails deemed more dangerous will be placed in quarantine.

You can release any legit messages from quarantine. If you do nothing, messages get deleted after 15 days.

More information about quarantine and releasing emails to your Inbox can be found on our website: https://www.trincoll.edu/lits/technology/tech-support/email/quarantined-email/

This year’s theme for International Open Access Week is “Community Over Commercialization.” It encourages a candid conversation about which approaches to open scholarship prioritize the best interests of the public and the academic community—and which do not.

Please visit a poster display in the atrium of Raether LITC, for facts, statistics, and quotes, meant to inspire thought and conversation about how Trinity scholarship can most equitably reach a global audience.

See also:

• A compilation of articles and resources on Open Access issues, curated for Trinity faculty
• A list of the ways in which Trinity Library is contributing to Open Access efforts, including some publishers that waive APCs for Trinity authors with our subscriptions.

This Spring, we announced that Trinity is joining the Boston Library Consortium (BLC) as of June 1, 2023. As BLC members, we will enjoy expanded access to resources and services, better pricing for library materials, and many other advantages.

Because all three institutions under the CTW (Connecticut College, Trinity College, and Wesleyan University) consortium will be members of BLC, the CTW library consortium as a distinct organization is coming to an end. As CTW’s operations are folded into the BLC, we are making some necessary changes to the materials requesting process.

• As of July 1 2023, materials from Connecticut College or Wesleyan found in the OneSearch catalog will only be requestable using the link that says “Request through Interlibrary Loan”; you will no longer see an option to request the item specifically from Connecticut College or Wesleyan.
• You will continue to see catalog records for Connecticut College and Wesleyan materials, through Fall 2023.
• After July 1 2023, items borrowed from BLC Libraries will have a 16-week loan period for all users, renewable upon request.

If you have any questions please contact Amy Harrell amy.harrell@trincoll.edu, or Ann Marie Krupski Annmarie.krupski@trincoll.edu.

The College now subscribes to Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), which provides a blanket license for many sources used in course packets. An online workshop on Thursday May 11th at 11:00 will discuss how to use the CCC, and answer questions regarding course packet creation through the campus bookstore. Register for the workshop here.

Starting in Fall 2023, faculty may order course packets through the bookstore. While technically an option in the past, the cost was often prohibitive due to the copyright fees associated with printing.

The potential cost of course packets has been substantially lowered by the college’s new subscription to the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), which offers blanket copyright permissions for many sources to be used in course packets. Faculty will be able to search the CCC database to see if their readings are covered by this license. Costs of course packets containing covered material will be the cost of printing plus a modest surcharge per packet to cover the annual licensing fee. (Faculty participating in a pilot in Spring 2023 found their course packets ranged from $34-$55, depending on length).

This subscription allows a way for interested faculty to use course packets, which many prefer for pedagogical reasons. It also allows students to buy course packets along with their other books, which is more convenient and allows students whose scholarship covers books to purchase course packets more easily.

Course packets for Fall 2023 can be ordered by emailing a full pdf of the course packet to bookstore@trincoll.edu by August 1 to ensure time for printing.

Trinity faculty and staff can access the CCC database (The Copyright Clearance Center RightFind tool) by visiting https://academic.copyright.com/rs-ui-web/welcome and registering as a new user. A workshop demonstrating the CCC database and answering questions about course packet creation will be held on May 11 at 11:00am via Zoom.

Please register to attend the workshop.

For course packet printing and logistics, please contact Doug Stewart, at bookstore@trincoll.edu.

Please direct questions about the CCC to Amy Harrell amy.harrell@trincoll.edu.

The Library is expanding its resources for our maker-minded students. Creativity is a wonderful way to express ideas and de-stress, and we want to provide the space, how-to, and supplies for you to make something new!

The new library of arts & crafts supplies in the RLITC was inspired by Trinity’s Nest Artists and funded in part by a grant from the Wikimedia foundation on behalf of Art+Feminism. It includes a variety of materials for you to borrow or keep, such as paints, papers, brushes, easels, paint by number kits, hot glue gun, sewing machine, yarn, knitting needles, and more.

The arts & crafts library is located in room 134, RLITC Level 1, Center for Educational Technology, and is accessible 24 hours with your student ID.

Nearby on Level 1 right outside the Blume center, there is a new Creative Technology book collection! Here you will find a range of books to provide inspiration on podcasting, paper crafts, sewing, writing, and more. All books can be borrowed for 28 days.

Finally, if you are looking for a crochet or knitting group, bring your current work-in-progress Fridays from 3 – 5pm in RLITC Room 181.  You and your student colleagues can unwind, listen to music, work on your projects, and plan your weekend! Need Lessons? Contact Amy Harrell ahead of time and we’ll make sure you learn the skills you need.

Please join us on October 20 for a talk by Hartford advocate Sharon Lewis, Executive Director of the CT Coalition for Environmental and Economic Justice.  Local and federal environmental policy decisions disproportionately harm CT’s BIPOC and poor communities, and systemic racism means our already vulnerable populations are unfairly burdened by the effects of accelerating climate change.  Sharon will teach us about these ongoing inequities and how to be part of the solution.

When: Thursday, October 20th from 12:15 – 1:15
Where: Engelhard Reading Room on Level 1 of the Raether LITC
A sustainable lunch will be provided. Please bring a reusable water bottle and/or coffee mug for beverages.

Sharon Lewis is the recipient of the EPA’s 2022 Environmental Merit Award. As the Executive Director of the Coalition for Environmental and Economic Justice (CCEEJ), she leads a statewide coalition of diverse organizations that share the vision of abolishing the systemic and institutionalized rules, policies, and laws that give rise to unequal environmental burdens borne by low-income and people of color.  Sharon was instrumental in developing the “Citizen’s Guide to the Permitting Process,” a curriculum that taught state agencies to better communicate with those in Environmental Justice Communities. This became the cornerstone of CT’s 2009 Environmental Justice Law.  Sharon currently serves on numerous statewide committees and coalitions, and promotes a Zero Waste economy as key strategy to help ensure the human right to clean air, water, and lands.

This talk is inspired by the 2022 International Open Access Week theme, Open for Climate Justice. When pursued in an inclusive manner, Open Access publishing systems “can create pathways to more equitable knowledge sharing and serve as a means to address the inequities that shape the impacts of climate change and our response to them.”

Sponsored by the LITS Libraries & Digital Learning department.

Photo by veeterzy on Unsplash

Learn how to crochet with Isabelle Duval ’23 and create a tapestry that will be displayed at Trinity College Library.

• October 14, 12:00 – 1:00pm
• Raether LITC Room 181
• Yarn and supplies will be provided!

No experience necessary! All levels of crochet experience are invited to join. Bagged lunches will be available.

Please RSVP for this event. 

Faculty: Please join us  for JumpStart, Wednesday, August 24, 10am – 2pm in the Raether Center for Educational Technology. This event is designed to help you — and your syllabus — get ready for the fall semester. Join drop-in sessions with librarians and instructional technologists on FAQs like using Moodle, building research assignments, teaching with primary sources, and designing digital projects.

Event details

Please note: Masks are required for this event.

Library Tours will be available on the hour at 11:00, 12:00, and 1:00.

Drop in to ask questions in the following areas between 10:00 – 2:00. You can also meet with your library and instructional liaisons in one-on-one appointments. Can’t make JumpStart? Make an appointment with one of us.

Feel free to join us whenever your schedule allows, or stay for the full session. Morning coffee/pastries and to-go lunches provided.