Featured This Issue - September 2024
Staff picks: Food and food for thought!
When you think of library resources, your mind may go to books or maybe magazines and journals. You may know that we also have technology, and reservable study rooms. Maybe you’ve even heard of our Culture Passes, tickets to area museums and gardens. But do you know that we also have the priceless resource of knowledgeable employees? We’ll be featuring employee suggestions for area restaurants along with some books on our regional food scene!
Click on the books to see availability!
OER Saves Students Money & Supports Student Success!
On August 26, Inside Higher Ed published an article titled, “Survey: Cost of Course Materials Impacts Student Success” calling attention to how students make course decisions based on textbook costs rather than academic interests or career goals. In the National Course Materials Survey 2023 referenced, over half (53%) of students said the cost of course materials had caused them to take fewer courses or to not register for a specific course. In a separate survey by the National Association of College Stores, almost two-thirds of faculty members cited textbook affordability as a top priority. Beyond textbooks, students may also have to pay for lab fees and physical materials, digital homework systems, testing systems and printing fees at the library.
The steering committee of Driving OER Sustainability for Student Success (DOERS3) responded to the Inside Higher Ed article with a letter to the editor, “With OER, Students Don't Choose between Academic Goals and Financial Well-being,” highlighting the benefits of faculty choosing free, customizable Open Educational Resources (OERs) for their course texts and supplementary material. The DOERS3 committee wrote, “With OER, students no longer have to choose between their academic goals and their financial well-being.”
If you’re interested in adopting free and open resources for your courses, or you just want to find out more about OERs, please reach out to Kris Swank, Faculty Librarian & Open Education Lead in the PCC Libraries (kswank@pima.edu), or to Chelsea James, PCC Director of Open Educational Resources (cjames2@pima.edu).
Apply for the Certificate in Open Pedagogy through the Open Education Network
The Call for Applications for the Certificate in Open Pedagogy program through the Open Education Network is now open until Nov. 1, 2024. The Certificate in Open Pedagogy is a professional development program that will create actionable pathways for faculty/faculty partner pairs to implement open education for the transformation of learning.
Faculty and their partners (librarians, instructional designers, etc.) will complete a nine-week long, asynchronous course together in the spring of 2025 about the range of open educational practices with modules on the hallmarks of open education, copyright and Creative Commons licensing, the hallmarks of open pedagogy, the benefits and limitations of OEP, accessibility, and student empowerment and agency. Together, the faculty/faculty partner pairs will create an Action Plan to be implemented the following spring that seeks to transform learning through the power of open education.
For more information on the program and an application form, CLICK HERE.
You might know about Libby for ebooks, but did you know Libby is awesome for audiobooks too? We currently have over 600 audio titles in Libby.
Libby audiobooks work just like the audiobooks in Audible or Spotify you might be used to--you just download the Libby app, sign in to your PCC library account, and choose a title to start listening on your phone. The interface is very user-friendly--you can sample an audiobook before you check it out, change the playback narration speed, and download content to listen offline.
If you want to take a look at our collection, check out the gallery below, or try this search to see our collection ranked by most popular titles. We also have audio versions of many of the required books for reading and literature classes in Libby.
Click on the books to see availability!
Welcome New Library and Makerspace Staff!!!
Lupita Angulo: West Campus Library Specialist
Hello! My name is Lupita and I was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, I have an associates in Liberal Arts from Pima Community College and am working on my Bachelor’s in Applied Human Behavior at Northern Arizona University. I have always been passionate about reading and serving the community, which is why I am happy to be a Library Specialist. I started as a Student Aide in 2021at the Desert Vista Library, then moved onto the Service Technician position at Northwest Campus Library. I was a tech for 2 years and I have now started my newest chapter as a Campus Library Specialist at the West Campus Library. Outside of work I like going to the movies to catch the newest films, going out with friends, and spending time with my dog.
Sydney Harrison: East Campus Makerspace Technician
I’m so happy to join the PCC Library team at the East Campus! When I’m not helping people make cool things in our Makerspace, I’m at Tucson Village Farm, learning about sustainable urban farming and teaching kids about healthy, local food systems. In my free time, I enjoy creating things with my hands, playing instruments, eating dessert, and watching Dungeons & Dragons comedy shows.
Lou Libby: East Campus Library Specialist
I joined the PCC Library team at East Campus in June, and I’m so excited to be here 🐢 Before joining the East Campus Library, I worked for Connect Arizona Digital Navigators and the Pima County Public Library. I have a Bachelor's degree in Information Science and the Arts, as well as a minor in Environmental History and Geography. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I worked and volunteered with the Community Foodbank of Southern Arizona, which kickstarted my lifelong passion for free food programs and community access to locally sourced, fresh produce. Ask me LGBTQ+ reference questions and for LGBTQ+ book recommendations!
Mark Willett: Downtown Campus Library Technician
My name is Mark Willett and I am happy to be joining the Downtown campus team as a library technician! I am a recent graduate of the University of Arizona's MA LIS program and also have a background in History and Museum Studies. I am a big fan of a variety of literature from the 20th century and earlier, particularly science fiction, fantasy and horror novels, in addition to more recent nonfiction books about history, anthropology and world cultures. I look forward to helping Pima students and other users accomplish their research goals, as well as doing my part to maintain the library space as a safe, fun and effective environment for learning, research and recreation.
Julia Waters: Northwest Campus Library Technician
Northwest Campus Library Technician started in 2024 with her position as Library Technician at the Northwest Campus Library & love, love, loves it! She has always felt deep connections with media (especially books) & community & is so excited to be a part of such a lovely crew. She's been a student at Pima since 2021 & is working towards a Bachelor's degree within theater arts. While not at the library or school, she's usually seen with her guitar, or watching the Twilight series over & over again.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!
September 15th through October 15th
Click on the books to see availability!
Programs, Events and Displays
West Campus Library Happenings
Click on the images to enlarge
Join West Campus for some horror movie fun! October 30th at 7pm, RSVP required!
Desert Vista Campus Library Happenings
Click on the images to enlarge
Spiderweb Macramé! Finish off your spooky displays with some macramé!
October 30st in the Desert Vista Library at 2pm!
Desert Vista Book Sale!
WHEN:
Wednesday Nov. 13th @ 11am-5pm
Thursday Nov. 14th @ 11am-5:30pm
WHERE:
Desert Vista Campus, 5901 S Calle Santa Cruz, Community Room F123
Featured LibGuide: Elections, Voting and Campaigns
Check out the PCC Library’s LibGuide on “Elections, Voting and Campaigns”. Learn how to register to vote, where to vote, and how to make informed decisions on the candidates and issues on your ballot in November! Newly updated for the 2024 election season.
East Campus Makerspace
Click images to enlarge
Visit the Makerspace Guide for more information on technologies and events!
Downtown Campus Library Happenings
Click on the images to enlarge
Silent Book Club Wednesday, October 6th at Downtown Campus Library from 5:30PM - 7:00PM!
Distance Education Library
Enhancing Online Education Through Technology: Supporting Academic Leaders with Audio Solutions
Scroll through to learn more!
As PimaOnline, PCC’s Ecampus evolves, there are demands that faculty have access to high-quality audio and visual technology to engage students effectively. Recognizing this need, the Distance Education Library has played a critical role in supporting two department heads—Denise Reilly and Randall Brookshier. Both were equipped with professional tools to enhance their online teaching and also virtual meetings.
Both Denise and Randall were provided with Yeti professional microphones, a powerful solution designed to significantly improve the quality of their audio during virtual lectures, meetings, and student interactions. This investment in audio technology ensures that their communication is clear, professional, and more impactful, ultimately creating a better learning experience for online students.
Denise Reilly, Education Department Head, noted that the improved sound quality made her online lectures feel more personal and engaging, allowing students to focus on the content without distractions caused by poor audio. Similarly, Randall Brookshier, who is the Accounting Department Head, expressed that the Yeti microphone has gained positive comments due to the strong audio.
By facilitating this technological upgrade, the Distance Education Library has reinforced its commitment to providing resources that empower faculty to deliver high-quality online education. This initiative not only strengthens the connection between faculty and students but also strengthens the library’s role as a key partner in academic success.
