JNIVERSITY
DUPONT - BALL LIBRARY
NEWSLETTER FALL 2014
Message from the Dean of the Library
and Digital Learning Resources
One of the biggest buzz words in higher education
these days is innovation. Every university wants to
be considered innovative and every academic library
wants to be on the cutting edge in the resources and
services it offers. Our library provides some great
learning technologies for our students and faculty to
explore - 3D scanning and printing, Google Glass, a
variety of tablets, and lifeloggers (small wearable
cameras that shoot series of high definition photo
shots that can be streamed live across the Internet)
among others. What we have discovered about
innovation, however, is that it is not the technology
of the moment that is important, but it is how we
teach our students to think and learn about using
ever-changing technologies. When we add a new
technology to the mix, we ask ourselves how it can
support the curriculum and our commitment to the
University's educational mission. The library recently
won an award for collaborating with faculty on
developing pedagogical applications for our 3D
printers (details at right). We are currently planning
for an Innovation Center in the library that will focus
on students learning how to think critically about
technologies and their uses. At the same time that
we are planning for this future space, we have
opened a small innovation laboratory for current
students (pictured below). Watching the students
create and discover new skills is great fun - stop by
and see our Innovation Lab next time you are in the
library.
Library Wins Innovation Award
The duPont-Ball Library was pleased to receive the
NEFLIN Annual Innovation Award this fall for our
project titled Developing Curricular Applications for
3D Printing in Academic Libraries. NEFLIN (a large
library consortium) Director
Brad Ward (right, presenting
the award to Library Dean
Susan Ryan) said that
Stetson's project "really
stood out" from many
excellent applications. The
library thanks its faculty and
student partners from the
Chemistry Department who
helped us discover the learning potential of 3D
printing.
The duPont-Ball Library Turns 50
This year, the library celebrates the 50th anniversary
of the construction of the duPont-Ball Library
building. We will celebrate the milestone during
Homecoming in November as we especially welcome
the Classes of 1964 through 1967 - the first students
to use the new library and the students who moved
the books by hand from the Sampson Library to the
duPont-Ball Library in the fondly remembered
Operation BookLift (see page 3).
Susan M. Ryan, Dean of the duPont-Ball Library
Follow the Library on Facebook
Stay up-to-date on library news.
Follow us on Facebook at
http://facebook.com/StetsonLibrary. The
library also maintains the John B. Stetson Facebook
page which posts Stetson-related items of current
and historical interest. Follow us at
http://facebook.com/iohnbstetsonl886.
