Data visualizations can take many forms, from using maps and charts to timelines and graphs. Palladio, a data-driven tool developed by Standford University, uses a combination of these visualizations to analyze relationships across time. This free workshop is an opportunity for faculty, staff and students to learn and gain hands-on experience with the latest digital tools such as Palladio. For a theortical discussion on its use, consider attending the Digital Humanities Seminar Series on Friday, April 7th at 11:30am.

Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2017, 11:30am- 1:00pm

Location: Library 264A (Instruction Classroom)

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Workshop Details and Topics

Join us for an informal, hands-on exploration of Palladio (http://hdlab.stanford.edu/palladio), a digital visualization tool specially created by the Humanities+Design Lab at Stanford University for researchers in the humanities. Palladio is useful for visualizing complex data across time and space. Dr. Molly Taylor-Poleskey and Dr. Suzanne Sutherland will briefly outline how Palladio has been used in Stanford University’s Mapping the Republic of Letters digital humanities project. We will spend most of the session using sample data sets to create our own multi-dimensional visualizations. Feel free to bring your own data sets if you have them. Newcomers to the tool are also welcome.​

Have you ever wanted to learn graphic design techniques? Become more familiar with Adobe Illustrator? Need to create a poster for a presentation? Then join us for a hands-on workshop for Tips on Creating with Adobe Illustrator, with Hillary Yeager of the University Writing Center. This workshop is open to all MTSU faculty, staff and students.

Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2017, 11:30am- 1:00pm

Location: Library 264A (Instruction Classroom)

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Workshop Details and Topics

This informative workshop will cover how to design a poster presentation using Adobe Illustrator, with an emphasis on the humanities (although all disciplines are welcome). This is particularly useful for faculty and students getting ready for poster presentations at conferences, exhibitions like Scholars Week, or other colloquia or assignments requiring poster design. We will discuss some design basics (creating focal points, using fonts effectively, exploring color, maximizing spacing and developing an eye-catching layout) and provide an opportunity for hands-on application of skills. The workshop will also create a basic template for users to take and use for their own projects beyond the workshop.

Announcing the 2017 Digital Seed Grant Awards

The Digital Seed Grant had an impressive amount of applications for its inaugural year. Due to the quantity and quality of proposals, the Digital Seed Grant Review Committee and Dean of Libraries decided to award three grants for the 2017 calendar year. We are pleased to announce those winners in no particular order:

• Project: Tennessee Communication Association Journal Digitization Project led by Dr. Patrick Richey of the Communication Studies and Organizational Communication Department.  

          Project Website: http://libjournals.mtsu.edu/index.php/tcaj/about

• Project: Digitizing a Collection of Historic Clothing led by Dr. Teresa King of the Human Sciences Department.

          Project Website: http://dsi.mtsu.edu/clothing

          Collection Introduction: http://dsi.mtsu.edu/IntroducingHCC

          Project News: https://mtsunews.com/historic-fashions-collection-fall2018

• Project: MTSU Digital Literacy Initiative led by Dr. Molly Taylor-Poleskey of the History Department.

          Project News: The Lecture Series http://mtsunews.com/fake-news-lectures-spr2018

Congratulations to Professors Richey, Taylor-Poleskey and King. Brief summaries of their Final Projects are available here.

A Call for Proposals for next year will be announced later in spring 2018, available here.

This workshop will provide an introduction to two types of maps that can be used in historical research and in developing digital humanities projects. The workshop will be led by Ken Middleton and is open to all MTSU faculty, staff and students.

Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 11:30am- 1:00pm

Location: Library 264A (Instruction Classroom)

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Workshop Details and Topics

Sanborn maps can be used to locate specific properties and document the development of towns, large and small. The workshop will include hands-on exercises in using Walker Library’s subscription to Digital Sanborn Maps (black & white) in Tennessee and the Sanborn map digital collections (in color) at the Library of Congress and the University of Tennessee Libraries.

The USGS Historical Topographic Map Explorer (http://historicalmaps.arcgis.com/usgs/) provides access to more than 178,000 maps dating from 1884 to 2006. Hands-on exercises will cover site navigation and how to use the transparency tool to view both the historical map and the current landscape. The session will also include a brief demo of using the georeferenced images in web mapping applications (e.g., ArcGIS Online).

Annoucing a new library-hosted journal: Off Center. Volume 1, Issue 1 of the Off Center: A Writer's Magazine for the MTSU Community is now online. The journal is edited by Amy Harris-Aber and Hillary Yeager (MTSU Writing Center).

Walker Library offers free journal hosting services to members of the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) community. All of the journals we service are digital and open access (free to read online). Walker Library established this journal hosting program to meet the needs and support the mission, values and vision of the university. See more journals published at MTSU here. 

Volume 1, Issue 2 of the International Journal of the Whole Child is now online. The journal is edited by Dr. Kathleen G. Burriss (Middle Tennessee State University) and Dr. Sandra J. Stone (Northern Arizona University).

Walker Library offers free journal hosting services to members of the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) community. All of the journals we service are digital and open access (free to read online). Walker Library established this journal hosting program to meet the needs and support the mission, values and vision of the university. See more journals published at MTSU here. 

Are you a faculty member interested in using a mapping application as a course project or optional platform for an assignment? Are you a student in need of more training on mapping applications to complete an assignment? Are you just interested in learning more about GIS or other mapping alternatives? Looking for a place to start? Come learn about StoryMaps, an interactive mapping application by ESRI, from the Library's own Ken Middleton. Check out the schedule below.

Introduction to StoryMaps, Wednesday, September 21, 2016, 11:30am-1:00pm

StoryMaps Showcase Workshop, Wednesday, October 26, 2016, 11:30am-1:00pm

Location: Library 264A (Instruction Classroom)

REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Current Schedule for workshop on October 26:

Demonstrations of Story Map Projects (45 min. to 1 hour)
1. Northeast Nashville Community History Project
2. "Bright Side of Memphis" story map
3. Cemetery Community story map
4. Southeast Park (Nashville) Historical Resources
5. Rutherford County Services Story Map

Tools - Hands-on (30 to 45 min.)
1. Rutherford County GIS – the types of data and services offered by the county
2. USGS Historical Topographic Map Explorer
3. Social Explorer (mapping tool)

Scholars Week submissions for 2016, the list of winners, and a list of all participants is now available in JewlScholar at http://jewlscholar.mtsu.edu/handle/mtsu/4805. If you would like to submit your Scholars Week project, you may do so here.