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Month: February

Exhibit Opening and Talk: Invasive Species in the Northeast

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Join us for the opening of Invasive Species: A Collaborative Exhibit in Mann Library! The opening events will start with a talk in Mann room 160 followed immediately by a reception in Mann Gallery on the second floor.

4-5 PM: Talk in Mann Library Room 160

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and Other Forest Threats: Engaging Science and Art to Meet the Challenge

Exhibit lecture by Grace Haynes (New York State Hemlock Initiative), with Johannes Lehmann (Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor, School of Integrative Plant Science, Soil and Crop Sciences Section & The Soil Factory); Zoom available.

 

Invasive pests are a growing threat to the health of forests both in the American Northeast and other regions of the world. How can we address this critical problem effectively? In a talk presented in conjunction with the opening of Mann’s newest Gallery exhibit, “Invasive Species: A Collaborative Exhibit,” Grace Haynes of the New York State Hemlock Initiative (NYSHI) will give an overview of what is currently known about key invasive forest insect pests in the northeastern United States, focusing primarily on the devastating hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) and its impact on our native hemlock forests. NYSHI has spent many years investigating the management of HWA, and there are important insights to share from this frontier in science. Communication and human imagination also have key roles to play in finding solutions, and Cornell professor of soil science Johannes Lehmann, a founding member of the vibrant art, science and sustainability collaboration space known as The Soil Factory in Ithaca, N.Y., will provide remarks that reflect on the new perspectives and fresh ways of engaging that emerge where science and the fine arts meet.

 

To attend this lecture virtually, please register here: bit.ly/3CZfpx9

5-6 PM: Reception in the Mann Gallery, Second Floor

5:15-5:30: Remarks by the contributing artists, Hovey Brock and students from Earth Projects (ENVS 3200) taught by Anna Davidson (Natural Resources & the Environment). Brock will comment on the importance of the arts as a communication tool for social engagement on the climate crisis.

 

This event is free and open to all. Refreshments will be served.

Library Hours for February Break

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We hope everyone is staying warm and safe during this chilly February break! We wish you some much needed rest and relaxation, and if you do end up spending some of your break at the library, please note that Mann Library will have adjusted hours from Friday, February 14 through Monday, February 17.

 

  • Friday, February 14, 8am to 5pm
  • Saturday, February 15, 1 to 5pm
  • Sunday, February 15, CLOSED
  • Monday, February 17, 8am to 5pm

We will returned to our regular semester hours on Tuesday, February 18. You can always find our most up-to-date hours information on our hours page: mann.library.cornell.edu/full-hours. And you can find hours for all campus library locations on the Cornell University Library site: library.cornell.edu/libraries/

Love Data Week 2025

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Spring 2025 Chats in the Stacks

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We’re excited to announce the schedule for Mann Library’s spring semester book talks! All our Chats in the Stacks book talks will start at 4:30pm and will be held in-person in Mann Library Room 160 as well as livestreamed. You can find all recordings of our past Chats in the Stacks on our YouTube channel. 

 

Thursday, February 20, 4:30pm

Mann Library, Room 160 and livestreamed

Biochar for Environmental Management: Science, Technology and Implementation

What is the importance of biochar to the health of the environment and what impact can a book about the topic have on the way soils are managed in the 21st century? In a live, hybrid Chats in the Stacks book talk, Cornell professor of soil and crop sciences Johannes Lehmann will address both questions as he discusses “Biochar for Environmental Management: Science, Technology and Implementation,” co-edited with fellow leading figure in the field, Stephen Joseph, professor of material science and engineering at the University of New South Wales. Now in its third edition (Routledge, 2024), “Biochar” is a systematic, comprehensive, and global examination of using black carbon produced from biomass sources to both improve soil health and sequester carbon. Lehmann will discuss lessons learned from publishing the book’s  third edition, and touch on general recommendations for considering book publications for research. 

 

Thursday, March 27, 4:30pm

Mann Library, Room 160 and livestreamed

George Masa: A Life Reimagined

Japanese-born photographer George Masa adopted Southern Appalachia as his home. Through his advocacy, dedication, and stunning photography, he helped ensure that large portions of the Great Smoky mountains would become a national park. Similarly, Masa labored long and hard to scout and mark the southern portion of the Appalachian Trail through the Smokies while inspiring others with his quips, “more walk, less talk” and “off your seats and on your feets.” Join us for a live, hybrid Chats in the Stacks book talk with Janet McCue, Associate University Librarian Emerita, for an exploration of George Masa: A Life Reimagined (Smokies Life, 2024) the first comprehensive biography of Masa, which McCue coauthored with documentary filmmaker Paul Bonesteel.

 

Thursday, April 24, 4:30pm

Mann Library, Room 160 and livestreamed

Community Development and Schools: Conflict, Power and Promise

Schools hold promise and potential as critical community-development actors, but they face many challenges, according to Mildred Warner, Director of the Polson Institute for Global Development and professor in City and Regional Planning and the Department of Global Development. Join us for a live, hybrid Chats in the Stacks book talk with Warner on her recent publication Community Development and Schools: Conflict, Power and Promise (Routledge, 2024) coedited with Jason Reece and Xue Zhang.

Sustainable Agriculture Student Film Series

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Last semester, students in Professor Matt Ryan’s class Soil & Crop Sciences class, PLSCS 1900 “Sustainable Agriculture: Food, Farming, and the Future” created short documentaries addressing a topic of their choice, related to sustainable agriculture. Robin Gee and Ten van Winkle from Mann Library worked with the class by teaching workshops on videography skills – which included planning and storyboarding, producing video and audio, and using video editing software to create their final films, as well as the basics of copyright and fair use, and use of creative commons licenses. Students are encouraged to upload their films to Cornell eCommons, sharing a unique piece of scholarship with the Cornell community and beyond. 

 

At the end of the semester, the class gathered in Mann Library to enjoy popcorn and watch each other’s films. Each students’ film is judged by their classmates and instructors on quality, clarity of message, and creativity. Here are the top films from Fall 2023. The rest of the films from last semester, and many previous fall semesters, can be viewed on eCommons.  

 

Blooms of Doom: Unraveling the Mystery of Harmful Blue-Green Algae 

The Organic Revolution: Cultivating a Chemical-Free Future 

Oko Farms: Sustainable Agriculture in Practice 

Sustainable Agriculture at our Fingertips 

Dilmun Hill 

Sheer Sustainability 

Waves of Moo 

If you are interested in developing a similar multimedia project for your class, you can request assistance from our instruction team by filling out the instruction request form.

Spring 2024 Chats in the Stacks

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We’re pleased to share the line up of our spring semester book talks! This semester includes a talk by the 2023 Dean’s Fellow Kathleen McCormick, doctoral student in Psychology. All book talks will be held in-person in Mann Library Room 160 and livestreamed, and will start at 4:30pm. You can find all recordings of our past Chats in the Stacks on our YouTube channel. 

 

Thursday, March 28, 4:30pm

Mann Library, Room 160 and livestreamed

Growing Pains: The History of Human Development and The Future of The Field

In a 2003 interview psychologist Eleanor Gibson reflected on her long and celebrated career at Cornell, and her first years on campus, stating “When I first went to Cornell, Cornell University did not hire women” (Szokolszky, 2003). But Dr. Gibson was wrong. Across campus women worked as researchers and professors in the College of Home Economics, conducting interdisciplinary work designed to improve the lives of individuals and communities around them. This work went on to transform the field of psychology and the methods and theoretical orientation of developmental science. Join us for Growing Pains: The History of Human Development and The Future of The Field by 2023 Dean’s Fellow Kathleen McCormick, doctoral student in Psychology. In this talk McCormick will explore the history of human development and home economics, and the ways the field shaped and was shaped by the political environment of the postwar period.

 

Thursday, April 11, 4:30pm

Mann Library, Room 160 and livestreamed

The Consciousness Revolutions: From Amoeba Awareness to Human Emancipation

How it is that we share some aspects of consciousness with bacteria? How can consciousness arise in artificial machines? And what does consciousness have to do with our survival in the face of the unfolding climate catastrophe? These, and many other fundamental questions about consciousness, are explored in Shimon Edelman’s new book The Consciousness Revolutions: From Amoeba Awareness to Human Emancipation (Springer Nature, 2023). Edelman, professor in the Department of Psychology, will discuss how consciousness is fundamentally a kind of computation and how through the understanding of human consciousness we can develop better insights into the nature of our lived experience, our problems, our social dynamics, and our shared future.  

 

Thursday, April 18, 4:30pm

Mann Library, Room 160 and livestreamed

Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos

Join us in-person or virtually for a live book talk with Lisa Kaltenegger, associate professor in Astronomy and founding director of Cornell University’s Carl Sagan Institute, discussing her new book Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos (Macmillan Publishers, 2024). This talk is co-hosted by Mann Library and the Math Library. 

 

CANCELLED Thursday, May 2, 4:30pm

Mann Library, Room 160 and livestreamed

Wildlife Disease and Health in Conservation

Most existing and emerging infectious diseases have their origin in animal populations. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic the need to understand the cause and impacts of wildlife diseases, as well as how to manage them, has only become increasingly salient. Join us for a live, hybrid book talk with Robin Radcliffe, associate professor of practice in Wildlife and Conservation Medicine in the Veterinary School, and David Jessup, former senior wildlife veterinarian of the California Department of Fish and Game and former executive manager of the Wildlife Disease Association, for a discussion of their new coedited volume Wildlife Disease and Health in Conservation (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2023).  

Spring 2024 Library Workshops

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Find your way with library workshops! Our spring semester workshops will help you gain valuable research skills and set you on the right path. In addition to the live workshops listed below, we also have a wide selection of pre-recorded workshops – including citation management software and research data management options – listed on our Workshops page. And be sure to check out our new workshop offerings, including the weekly Data & Donuts discussion series, and Communicating Your Research Through Comics!

NEW! Data & Donuts
Become a better data steward with Cornell Data Services! Join us for a weekly informal discussion series to work our way through the data lifecycle over donuts. From the planning stages of a research project, through closeout and data archiving, we will discuss best practices and point to resources on campus and beyond. There will be time for open conversation, questions, skill-building, and troubleshooting.

  • Spring semester 2024 | Thursdays 9:30-10:30am | Mann Library Rm 100
  • For all levels and disciplines; attend all or a few
  • Register to receive reminders at bit.ly/cudatadonuts

Introduction to Bloomberg
This is one of the best financial databases available and is widely used by finance and investment professionals. From company information to analyst advice, to mergers and acquisitions, few resources have either the range or depth of information of Bloomberg. Give yourself an edge in the job search by learning to use this powerful and sophisticated research tool.

NEW! Love Public Health Data
Thursday, February 15, 9:15-9:45am
Introduction to three high quality, less-commonly known public health data resources (including social and structural determinants of health): NaNDA, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, and Health Evidence. This is a hybrid workshop; please note that in-person attendees must have pre-existing card access to the CVM building.

PubMed Workshop
Thursday, February 29, 12-12:30pm
Whether you are new to using PubMed, need a refresher, or looking to improve your use of PubMed, this workshop is for you! We will start with the basics and then move into advanced search techniques to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your PubMed searches. This is a hybrid workshop; please note that in-person attendees must have pre-existing card access to the CVM building.

Introduction to Market Research
Tuesday, March 5, 5-6pm
Understanding the consumer is essential for any successful business. Market research encompasses several aspects critical to understanding the consumer, ranging from their demographic make-up to their attitudes and behavior regarding a product or service. This workshop will introduce attendees to the basics of market research, highlighting key concepts that dictate what information is available, and exposing attendees to Cornell’s top resources for discovering this information.

Zotero 101
Thursday, March 14, 12:30-1pm
Come and see why everyone is talking about how Zotero simplifies the research and writing process! Please create a free Zotero account and download both the desktop program and the Zotero connector (all free at Zotero.org) if you would like to follow along. This is a hybrid workshop; please note that in-person attendees must have pre-existing card access to the CVM building.

Intro to QGIS

Thursday, March 21, 2:30-4:30pm
This workshop will cover basic tasks using QGIS: loading data, changing the styles used to display the data on a map, installing plugins, using processing tools to do basic analysis, and exporting a finished map image.

Note: The Windows computers in Mann Library already have QGIS installed, but if you would like to use your own computer, please install QGIS on your computer **before** the workshop. QGIS is a free and open source geographic information system that runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux: qgis.org/

 

NEW! Communicating Your Research Through Comics
Wednesday, March 27, 4:30-5:30pm
Looking for a fun and unique way to communicate your research? Come and learn how to use comics to visually communicate scientific information – for conference posters, papers, and more. This is open to all skill levels, no experience drawing or graphics programs necessary!

Black Plant Scientists: A Traveling Exhibit from the Plant Cell Atlas (PCA) Initiative

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This February, the Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems (CROPPS) and Mann Library are hosting a month-long exhibit recognizing ground-breaking discoveries made by four Black pioneers in the study of plants and human well-being. The Cornell and Ithaca-area communities are cordially invited to browse a display created by artist Maxwell Eckelbarger and the non-profit Plant Cell Atlas Initiative featuring portraits and biographies of Marie Clark Taylor (plant photomorphogenesis); George Washington Carver (peanut-soybean-sweet potato crop rotation for improved soil and human health); Edmond Albius (vanilla orchid pollination); Percy Lavon Julian (synthesis of medicine from plants). The display will be viewable February 1 – 29 on Mann Library’s first floor.

 

An opening reception for the exhibit will take place in the Mann Library lobby on Friday, February 2, 2024, 11am – 2pm. Please join us for the opening festivities to view the display, celebrate, and learn more about BIPOC engagement at the frontiers of work in the life sciences, here at Cornell and beyond. 

Your Art, Our Elevators! 2023 Elevator Art Contest at Mann & Olin Libraries

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Cornell University Library is calling for submissions of original artwork to adorn the first-floor elevator doors in Mann Library and Olin Library. Winners will each also receive a Cornell Store prize, valued at $100 (with gift receipt).

 

Our theme and prompt this year is “backstory,” which Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as “a story that tells what led up to the main story or plot (as of a film).” What backstory has defined your life, or what backstory reveals an important aspect of the world?

 

Entries will be judged both by visual appeal and by how creatively they’ve explored the prompt. Winning artworks will be installed starting in April 2023.

 

Who’s eligible: Currently enrolled undergraduate, graduate, or professional school students at Cornell.

Deadline: 11:59 p.m., E.T., March 14, 2023. The winners will be chosen by March 20.

How to submit: Use the submission form below to provide basic information about you and a paragraph describing how your entry supports the theme. Upload a high-resolution, digital file of your artwork. You must also attest that your work (including all images contained in it) is original and solely made and owned by you. Any inaccurate information could disqualify your submission. Multiple submissions are allowed.

Image file requirements and recommendations:

  • File name must include your NetID, for example “cd58_TitleOfWork.jpg”.
  • Final size of decal is 88 inches high x 42 inches wide (split down the middle to allow doors to open).
  • Portrait orientation works best.
  • File format must be vector (e.g. PDF, EPS, AI or SVG), or high-resolution raster, larger than 20MB (e.g. JPEG, TIFF, PSD).

If your image is a photograph, please provide the location where your photograph was taken (city, country, and landmark). Consideration will be given, in part, to the location where the photograph was taken and any legal restrictions on the use of images of individuals from that location.

 

Submit your entry!

Spring 2023 Workshops @ Mann Library

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Check out our spring semester workshop schedule and learn about all the ways you can level up your research skills! Click the links below to register for these in-person workshops. To see the full list of Cornell University Library spring semester workshops, visit bit.ly/workshops-cul.

 

And be sure to check out our Workshops page for our full listing of pre-recorded workshops, including help with searching and literature reviews, citation management software (Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote), the nuts and bolts of systematic reviews, and research data management.

 

Writing a Data Management and Sharing Plan for Grant Applications

Tuesday, February 14, 12-1pm

Stone Classroom, Mann 103

This class covers the basics of writing a successful data management and sharing plan for federal funding agencies such as the NEH, NSF, NIH, NASA, and others. Attendees will learn about the different requirements funding agencies have for your research data as well as how to best meet those obligations within your lab or research group.

 

 

CANCELLED—Introduction to Bloomberg

Wednesday, February 15, 4:30-5:30pm

Stone Classroom, Mann 103

Hundreds of thousands of investment professionals rely on the most comprehensive financial research tool on the market – Bloomberg. Give yourself a competitive advantage by learning the basics of how to navigate Bloomberg quickly and efficiently.

 

Introduction to Market Research

Tuesday, February 28, 4:30-5:30pm

Stone Classroom, Mann 103

Understanding the consumer is essential for any successful business. Market research encompasses a number of aspects critical to understanding the consumer, ranging from their demographic make-up, to their attitudes and behavior regarding a product or service. This workshop will introduce attendees to the basics of market research, highlighting key concepts that dictate what information is available, and exposing attendees to Cornell’s top resources for discovering this information.

 

Introduction to Bloomberg

Tuesday, March 7, 12-1pm

Stone Classroom, Mann 103

Hundreds of thousands of investment professionals rely on the most comprehensive financial research tool on the market – Bloomberg. Give yourself a competitive advantage by learning the basics of how to navigate Bloomberg quickly and efficiently.

 

Sew Creative: Hands-on workshop in the techniques of basic stitching

Friday, April 14, 12-2pm

Mann 102

Interested in trying your hand at some fiber arts but don’t have a sewing machine? No problem! Learn the basics of hand stitching in this in-person workshop. You will learn the running stitch, back stitch, invisible (hem) stitch, blanket stitch, and chain stitch. We will also discuss applications for each. No prior sewing experience is required. Materials for the class will be provided.  (This workshop is being offered in conjunction with the exhibit “Threading the Needle: Weaving Traditions into Contemporary Textile Art” on display in the Mann Gallery through August 2023.)