News
This fall, I am working at the Labor Archives of Washington (LAW) in Special Collections at the University of Washington Libraries as their archivist-in-residence. Through a paid internship with Northwest Archivists, I have been processing the RIDGE records remotely from my home in Iowa. The newly-acquired collection documents land use activism in Kittitas County, WA. We selected this collection for processing because of its unique relationship to Washington State’s labor history. I was really drawn to working on this collection…
Research in the 21st century is based on interdisciplinary connections and relies on technology to create and share for the public good. We know that it can be challenging for students and faculty to connect across disciplines, access technology, learn relevant skills, and share research openly. We are excited to bring together a suite of services to more equitably support this work in the virtual Open Scholarship Commons (OSC). The OSC will provide a hub for cross-disciplinary knowledge creation and…
When UW Libraries buildings were closed at the start of the pandemic, our teams needed to respond quickly to adapt work for many employees whose jobs do not easily lend themselves to telework by identifying projects that could be completed remotely. At the start of the pandemic, we had multiple accessibility projects underway, but given the time-intensive nature of the work, progress was slow. With the increased availability of staff and student employees, there was an opportunity to tackle some…
International Open Access Week (October 19-25) is a coordinated annual effort by scholarly communities across the world to celebrate both our achievements and aspirations in making “openness” the default for research and ensuring that equity is at the center of this work. This year’s theme, Open with Purpose: Taking Action to Build Structural Equity and Inclusion, is especially relevant as the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of barrier-free access to trustworthy information and laid bare the inequities in our…
This summer, the Labor Archives of Washington (LAW) within the UW Libraries Special Collections, was lucky enough to have Diana Rocha, MLIS student from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, complete their final semester practicum with us. Working remotely, Diana enhanced access to several important collections documenting the histories of the Latinx community in Washington. These collections are of great significance for academic research at the UW and beyond. Students and faculty, historians, journalists and other researchers can use these…
The UW Libraries Cabinet has reviewed our current plan for phased re-opening, and have decided to maintain our approach at this time. Based on the protocols outlined within University of Washington COVID-19 Safe Start Phases, Libraries spaces will remain closed to the public during Phase 2. Per our current plan, limited study spaces will be opening up in Phase 3. As always, the health and safety of our UW community remains at the center of our planning decisions. Though the…
UW Libraries is pleased to announce the launch of no-contact pick-up service– now available on all three campuses– Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma! The health and safety of our UW community has been our number one priority in planning for this new service. Anyone with an active UW Libraries borrowers card or current UW student, staff and faculty can request materials. Before you request an item for pick-up, there are a few things you need to know to ensure a safe…
Calling all instructors! Are you looking for opportunities to teach digital and public scholarship skills in your classroom? Are you looking for alternatives to the traditional research paper? We’ve got you covered with WordPress site templates! WordPress templates are simple to set up and can be as easy to use as filling out a simple form. Templates (with examples from other institutions) include: Tru Collector, which collects student images and descriptions through a form submission and compiles them into a…
Hello Huskies! On behalf of UW Libraries–16 libraries across 3 campuses—a warm welcome to all new and returning students, faculty and staff. The start of the fall quarter always feels like a jumping off point – a time to learn new things, make new connections and refocus. The current remote learning circumstances are creating more opportunity for academic communities to adapt and learn differently. All of UW Libraries staff are actively building on our robust online capabilities to maximize support…
On Friday, September 4, the UW Libraries capped off its final session of the 2020 Graduate Student Research Institute (GSRI), a free and asynchronous five-day online workshop aimed at helping UW graduate students learn the tools and strategies they need to research “smarter, not harder.” First developed by the Libraries’ Instructional Design & Outreach Services team in 2016, GSRI has become a core part of the Libraries’ strategy for supporting students online, not only by providing students with flexible Canvas…