Orientation introduces over 900 new students to Forsyth Library
Throughout the week of August 27th, over nine hundred freshmen visited Forsyth Library as part of their UNIV 101: Freshman Seminar classes. Students gathered in the South Study Area to complete a pre-test and be divided into groups, and then librarians, staff, and graduate student assistants rotated the freshmen through five stations to learn about the library website, the library catalog, the Learning Commons, keyword searching, and evaluating information sources. At the end, once students completed their post-tests, they were given stickers that read, “I love Forsyth Library!” Afterward, the library staff celebrated successfully teaching twenty hours of library orientation to forty-three course sections!
Mini-Golf event brings fun and games, and new students, to Forsyth
Nearly one hundred new Freshmen students made their way to Forsyth Library on September 4th for the annual Forsyth Library Mini-Golf Tournament, part of the university's First 40 Days community building events.
Nine complicated and colorful golf holes were found throughout the library, along with helpful information about the many valuable services offered by the library.
On par for the course, the amateur golfers retired to the "Clubhouse" in the Harsh Room for refreshments, prizes, and photo opportunities.
Special Exhibits Gallery Established in Forsyth Library
In May, Forsyth Library staff repurposed the area outside the Dean’s suite creating a Special Exhibits Gallery to showcase treasures from the Special Collections and University Archives. Along with walls lined with stretched-canvas archival photos detailing FHSU’s historic past, the gallery features thematic, rotating exhibits. Thanks to the generosity of alumni donors Larry and Lyn Fenwick, and former librarian Jerry Wilson, the library was 
also able to purchase three specially-designed cases that allows us to display environmentally sensitive materials.
Currently, the Special Exhibits Gallery features three Lutherbibeln (Luther Bibles) belonging to the library’s Rare Books Collection. These include a Kurfürstenbibel (Elector’s Bible) printed Nuremberg in 1656 and two 18th Century Saur Bibles. Visitors are welcome to tour the gallery during Forsyth Library’s normal operating hours.
Please check the library’s social media for information about new and upcoming exhibits.
Back to School Picnic Success
This year’s back to school picnic brought hundreds of new faces to the library booth exploring the services (and prizes) the library offers. Dean of the Library Deborah Ludwig, along with library faculty and staff volunteers Mary Radnor, Claire Nickerson, Cyndi Landis, Patty Nicholas, Brian Gribben, Andy Tinknell, Emily Roth, and MaryAlice Wade helped welcome students to an exciting new year at Fort Hays.
Students played Plinko, learned about library services, and upcoming library events.
Meet some of the new faces at Forsyth Library:
Crystal Hutchinson, M.L.S. joined the Forsyth Library staff as Access Services Specialist to replace Tom Lippert. She has a Master of Library Science degree from Emporia State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Fort Hays State University. Ms. Hutchinson oversees the Learning Commons Desk and the student employees who help with technology, check-out materials to patrons, and answer general library questions.
Cyndi Landis, M.L.S. is the new Instruction and Outreach Librarian, replacing Lynn Haggard. In addition to providing research help and library instruction, she is the liaison to the Agriculture, Chemistry, and Health and Human Performance departments. Cyndi formerly served as the Library Outreach Specialist.
Andrew Grubb is pursuing a Master of Science in Geosciences. He is originally from Ashland, Kentucky and received his Bachelor of Science in Geography from the University of Louisville. Andrew is one of Forsyth’s Graduate Teaching Assistants and is looking forward to learning more about library research.
Holly Ray returns this semester as one of the two Graduate Teaching Assistants helping with research questions, library instruction and more. She will be graduating this semester with a Master of Arts degree in English.
Forsyth Testimonial
Last spring, I attended a couple of informative sessions about Fair Use and OER at Forsyth Library. As I learn more about OER, I want to be certain that the materials I use in class are, aside from being effective and relevant, suitable in terms of copyright and permissions. The Forsyth Library staff have developed clear infographics illustrating the criteria I need to apply before I make a decision to use materials. I have gone back to the website to reference those infographics several times when I’ve had a question. The sessions held throughout the year gave me a chance to ask questions of people who specialize in understanding this complex educational issue. I will most likely hit at least one of those again this year.
I am going to try to use more OER resources in my classes, and Claire Nickerson has provided me with, not only starting points for adopting these materials, but also continued support and guidance. I’m not a tech native, so I’m not always confident about digital accessing, and Claire, who is the Learning Initiatives Librarian, makes me feel comfortable in asking questions that might be obvious to a more tech-savvy instructor.
Valerie Brown-Kuchera
Instructor of English
New Technology Makes Checking Out Library Materials Even Easier!
Over the summer, Library Operations Coordinator Lacey Wegner undertook the daunting task of assigning RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) microchips to General and Special Collections materials. Throughout June and July, Lacey and her intrepid band of student workers tagged more than 170,000 items. Their efforts greatly expedite the library patron’s experience when checking materials in and out at the Learning Commons Desk. Further, RFID tagging enhances the library staff’s ability to track materials in the stacks and conduct high-speed inventorying.
Joey Fu, who both worked on the project and currently assists patrons at the Learning Commons Desk, noted that tagging the collections kept student workers “busy, but [we had] a lot of fun.” Joey shared that she and her colleagues vied to best competing tandems’ daily totals of items tagged while meeting their quotas set by Lacey. When asked if RFID tagging had made it easier for patrons to check materials out from the Learning Commons Desk, Joey and her fellow student workers agreed that it is “lots easier!”
TigerPrint:
TigerPrint officially launched during Summer 2018. As the research and study hub of campus, Forsyth Library is proud to be the home of three TigerPrint stations. Additional TigerPrint stations are located are located in Memorial Union, Cunningham Hall 147A, and select study labs in McCartney Hall, Albertson Hall, and Cunningham Hall. Students, faculty, staff and community members can purchase TigerPrint credits at the Learning Commons Desk, at Memorial Union, or online. Learn more about TigerPrint at https://www.fhsu.edu/tigertech/Tiger-Print/.