Open Access Week 2009, organized by the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) of the Association of Research Libraries, is a week-long event held during the week of October 19-23, 2009. Participants at locations around the world have scheduled activities that will help to publicize open access as the principle of free access to knowledge and information generated by publicly-funded research. In observance of International Open Access Week, the LSU Libraries is scheduling several events to promote awareness and understanding of Open Access.

There will be information available for in the Middleton Library and Librarians will answer questions and engage discussions about open access. OnTuesday, October 20 there will be a short video showing of “Open Access – 101″ at 1:00 p.m. in Room 241A of the Middleton Library. On Wednesday, October 21 there will be a panel discussion at 1:00 p.m. in Room 241A of the Middleton Library featuring distinguished speakers from the LSU campus addressing the issue of open access at LSU. On Friday, October 23 there will be a presentation at 1:00 p.m. in Room 241A, Middleton Library, featuring openly accessible databases and resources that are freely available to anyone through the Library’s webpage.

These events are open to everyone and everyone is invited.  Open Access is important and it is our desire that everyone has unfettered access to public information.

CELEBRATE YOUR FREEDOM TO READ
VISIT THE VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE BANNED BOOK EXHIBIT!

SEPTEMBER 26-NOVEMBER 9, 2009

Banned Books Week kicks off a month-long exhibition on intellectual freedom

LSU Libraries will commemorate Banned Books Week with an exhibit in Education Resources, 227 Middleton Library.  Banned Books Week, an annual celebration of the freedom to read, will be observed Sept. 26-October 3 by libraries, bookstores, schools, and others concerned with freedom of speech.

Banned Books Week commemorates one of the most basic freedoms in a democratic society — freedom from censorship.  Since its inception in 1982, it has reminded us that while not every book is intended for every reader, each of us has the right to decide for ourselves.  The theme for this year’s observance is “Speak  ~ Read  ~ Know.”   The LSU Libraries exhibit is a month-long celebration of intellectual freedom, so will be available for viewing through October 26..

Browse the exhibit to learn about the most challenged books of 2008 including award winners and books challenged in Louisiana.  See the censorship map that illustrates censorship efforts across the country.  Learn the difference between banned and challenged books.  See the number of challenges by year, reason, institution, and initiator for 1990-2008.  Find information on books that were considered controversial when Middleton Library was dedicated in 1959.  Pick up a bookmark and a list of banned or challenged books.  You will be surprised by some of the titles!

Speak Your Mind ~ Read Banned Books ~ Know the First Amendment

Education Resources/ Exhibit Hours

Monday – Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sunday: 12:00 Noon – 10:00 p.m.

Please note: Library hours are subject to change. You can confirm hours by calling 578-8875 or  checking the web page at http://www.lib.lsu.edu/index.html

A new exhibit, “Inception to Renovation: The Music and Dramatic Arts Building” will be on display on the Middleton Library second floor from September 15 through October 20. Photos, drawings and artifacts from the opening of the LSU Music and Dramatic Arts Building in 1932 through its renovation will be available for visitors to view. The exhibit is made available in conjunction with the renovation and reopening of the Music Building on September 20. The exhibit is free and open to the public. The library is open 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday (on non-football Saturdays), noon to midnight on Sundays.

The opening is this Sunday, September 21, with a celebration at the Music and Dramatic Arts building, and tours at Middleton Library to follow.

Brand Names and Trademarks Presentation Flyer

Wednesday, August 5th, 6:30PM
Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library
9200 Bluebonnet Boulevard

Does your business have a unique name, brand or logo that you would like to protect? Attendees will learn about the application process and how to navigate the USPTO website and develop an effective trademark search strategy. Justin Ourso, trademark attorney at Jones Walker Law Firm will present to answer audience questions.

Please email Alexis Carrasquel at acarrasq@lsu.edu
or call 578-4680 to register for the workshop.

You can also register online at:
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/sci/ptdl/workshopregistration.htm

Louis Braille Bicentennial Exhibit

National Braille Press Celebrates Louis Braille’s 200th Birthday

National Braille Press, a non-profit braille publisher, has produced a 20-panel traveling exhibit to celebrate Louis Braille’s 200th birthday. The exhibit, in print and braille, takes a viewer through the highlights of Braille’s life, the braille production process, and why braille remains important today. It will be on display in the lobby of Middleton Library from June 18-July 12, 2009. This is one of only 20 appearances across the U.S.

Louis Braille, born in France on January 4, 1809, became blind in an accident when he was three years old. The bright, creative student earned a scholarship the Royal Institution for Blind Youth in Paris. At age 15, he devised what is now known as braille, a tactile reading system using six raised dots to correspond to written language. Braille proved so flexible, that it has been adapted for virtually every language, as well as music, mathematics, and the sciences. Worldwide celebrations will be held all year to recognize his unparalleled contribution to literacy.

Several complementary exhibits will highlight resources from the LSU Libraries collections. Education Resources will focus on library services to patrons with disabilities through a variety of books, games, and equipment. Emphasis will be on services for the visually impaired, but resources for patrons with other disabilities will also be included. Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at the State Library of Louisiana is a major purveyor of library services for the disabled, and will also contribute materials and equipment for this display.

Government documents issued in braille will be on display in the Government Documents Department. Publications include lists of books in braille as well as those on human resources and social security. Of related interest are patents issued for equipment for the visually or physically impaired.

Special Collections in Hill Memorial Library will display braille materials from several archival collections. This shows its importance in a historical context.

Middleton Library hours, beginning June 8, are Monday-Thursday, 7:15 a.m.-10:00 p.m.; Friday, 7:15 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 12:00 noon-10:00 p.m. Hill Memorial Library hours are: Monday ,8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Tuesday, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Wednesday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

For additional information, please contact Peggy Chalaron, pchalar@lsu.edu, 225-578-7068 or Mitchell Fontenot, mfonten@lsu.edu, 225-578-7374..

The Scholarly Communication Road Show is coming to LSU!

When: Wednesday, June 17, 2009, from 1:00 – 5:00
Where: LSU Faculty Club
How Much: Workshop is FREE; Lunch is $15 for ACRL-LA Chapter Members, $35 for non-members (includes membership fee)

The ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) Scholarly Communication Road Show is a structured interactive overview of the scholarly communication system supports individual or institutional strategic planning and action. The workshop focuses on new methods of scholarly publishing and communication, open access and openness as a principle, copyright and intellectual property and economics, providing a foundational understanding for attendees.

Please see the flyer for more information and registration details:
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/ref/ROADSHOW_LSU.pdf

A Plant Patents presentation by Jan Thomas, LSU Libraries Patents and Trademarks librarian, and John Runnels of Taylor Porter Attorneys at Law will be held May 19 at 10:00 am in Coates Hall Room 202 on the LSU Baton Rouge campus. The presentation will include instruction on searching plant patents, information about patent law, and question and answer sessions with both Mr. Thomas and Mr. Runnels. To attend please register at: http://www.lib.lsu.edu/sci/ptdl/workshopregistration.htm

Trademark Workshop:

Tuesday, April 14th
12:30p – 2:30p (Register at 12p)
Louisiana Technical College, Room 116
1101 Bertrand Drive in Lafayette

SPEAKERS:

• Jan Thomas – Trademark Librarian, LSU-Baton Rouge
• Ted Anthony – Trademark Attorney

1st Hour:

• Trademark Overview
• Term Limits
• Trademark Requirements
• Detailed Search Techniques

2nd Hour:

• Application Process
• Inventor’s Notebook
• Trademark Q&A

Patent Workshop:

Tuesday, April 14th
3:30p – 5:30p (Register at 3p)
Louisiana Technical College, Room 116
1101 Bertrand Drive in Lafayette

SPEAKERS:

• Jan Thomas – Patent Librarian, LSU-Baton Rouge
• Ted Anthony – Patent Attorney

1st Hour:

• Patent Overview
• Term Limits
• Patent Requirements
• Detailed Search Techniques

2nd Hour:

• Application Process
• Myth of the “Postal Patent”
• Inventor’s Notebook
• Patent Q&A

March 2009 signifies the 23rd annual Women’s History Month. According to the National Women’s History Month Project website (http://www.nwhp.org/whm/history.php), women’s history has been celebrated since the 1970s, when the first “Women’s History Week” was celebrated in Sonoma County, CA. In 1987, the National Women’s History Month Project petitioned Congress to expand the celebration to the entire month of March; the resolution was approved in both the Senate and the House, and March is now nationally celebrated as Women’s History Month.
LSU Libraries has many unique resources for the study of women and women’s history:

18 Indexes & Databases offering resources on women and women’s history, including:

• North American Women’s Letters & Diaries
• North American Women’s Drama
• Women and Social Movements, 1600-2000

Other online resources at the LSU Libraries include:

• The Women’s and Gender Studies Subject Guide
• Louisiana Leaders: Notable Women in History

Be sure to visit Room 53 in Middleton Library, where a Women’s History Month display brightens the basement of the library. Additionally, Women’s History Month activities are taking place all over campus. Check out the Women’s History Month calendar of activities sponsored by the LSU Women’s Center.