Newman Library Contributes to ITHAKA S+R’s Study of Business Instruction

Logo of ITHAKA S+RThe Newman Library is one of sixteen institutions nationwide that participated in a research study of the teaching practices and needs of instructors teaching in business and business related disciplines.  The final report of the study, Teaching Business: Looking at the Support Needs of Instructors, has been published by ITHAKA S+R, which organized the project.  Three of our business librarians, Ryan Phillips, Louise Klusek and Charles Terng conducted faculty interviews, analyzed the responses, and wrote a report of their findings that were incorporated in the final report from ITHAKA S+R.  The report of the Newman Library team, Supporting the Changing Practices of Teaching in Business, will also help guide the development and delivery of library services to the College’s Zicklin School of Business.

A New Master Plan for the Library – Input from Library Users Needed

Baruch College is undertaking an important study aimed at aligning our Library spaces with the changing needs of our users. The ultimate goal is to create a framework for phased renovation, adapting to the changing trends in how we teach and learn in a 21st century academic environment, that will enable increased collaborative and individual study, provide new and enhanced learning technologies and library services, and provide greater flexibility and choice of places to study and do work while maximizing the utilization of our space resources.

One of the critical first steps in exploring opportunities for improvement is to understand users’ needs and preferences. Over the next 3 months, we will conduct a number of activities aimed at better understanding these needs, including:

  1. Interviews and Workshops
  2. Online Library Performance Survey for Students, Faculty and Staff
  3. Observational Studies

Invitations for participation in these activities will be sent to members of the Baruch Community  shortly. Your input and support will be essential to the success of this transformational initiative.

New Credit Courses: Information Futures, Local History Detective, & Image as Information.

The Newman Library is offering three new three-credit courses as part of its Minor in Information Studies.

  • INFORMATION FUTURES
    Students will examine ideas about the impact of information on the future. The course will be structured around the speculative literature from the past and the present, and will engage students in a model of predictive research to imagine the impact of information on the future. The past, present, and future will be examined through three prisms: information artifacts, human activities, and societal structures (social, economic, cultural, and political). Visual media, fiction, and analytical resources will be used to discover how people and groups have thought about information and its capacity to change who we are and how we live.
  • LOCAL HISTORY DETECTIVE
    This course is designed to provide students with an overview of how the history of a community can be revealed through the use of primary materials. From Colonial Times to the present, American settlers have had the foresight to save remnants of their history for future generations. In addition, independent historical societies and early museums, as well as local and federal governments have played significant roles in preserving the past. Specialized collections, real and virtual repositories, and the many kinds of sources valuable to local history research will be explored.
  • IMAGE AS INFORMATION: Image-Based information & Resources
    This course examines theoretical principles and practical approaches to visual-based information retrieval, evaluation, and use in academic, professional, and daily-life activities. Students will gain a greater understanding and awareness of social, ethical, and structural issues related to participating in a visual-interactive information culture as informed producers/consumers (prosumers). Visual literacy and presumption literature concepts will be applied to exploring, creating, and evaluating image-based information and resources.

For more information, contact Professor Randy Hensley, Head of Instruction for the Newman Library