Guest post by Will Dean, Research and Data Services Librarian 

Chase away the winter doldrums with data! Join Temple University Libraries for a week of educational and useful workshops and events. Our Research Data Services team is proud to present a week of virtual workshops and events that teach data skills as well as showcase the research and work of our academic community. 

Speakers will present on the use of data journalism to empower readers and the role of love in social science research. We will also cover varied topics like statistical analysis, choosing a repository to deposit your data, 3-D printing topographical maps, ethically sharing qualitative research data, and free data tools. Programs are open to everyone, and most of the in-person events will have a remote option. More information can be found on the schedule below and on this guide: https://guides.temple.edu/lovedataweek. 

Schedule of events:

Do you collect data in your research or classwork? This workshop will teach you about some of the data tools available to you at Temple. There are tools to help you with: 

• writing a data management plan 
• organizing your research project 
• collecting your data 
• analyzing your data 
• sharing and preserving your data 

Colin Evans, KLN ’21, came back to Klein in 2023 to mentor students working for the Logan Center and assist in its investigatory journalism. His work has ranged from reporting on schools to gun violence to homelessness, with bylines in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Billy Penn, and WHYY. He previously worked as the data reporter at LancasterOnline. In-person event registration is encouraged but not required. This event will also be streamed via Zoom. Please register to receive a link to attend remotely. 

This semester Temple University Libraries is launching an inspiring new series called A Time to Act: Responses to the Climate Crisis within and Beyond the University. This series will focus on various discussions about creating a sustainable and environmentally equitable university campus and community. Throughout the semester, we will cover topics related to climate action in the university and beyond, including Temple’s sustainability research agenda, and how we can translate climate scholarship for local impact.  

We will also discuss Temple’s physical plant, operations, and carbon future, as well as equity and community-focused planning strategies to build and strengthen climate justice and resilience in the Philadelphia region. This series is brought to you by Temple University Libraries, Temple’s Office of Sustainability, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, the Center for Sustainable for Communities, Tyler Climate Action Network, and the Department of Geography and Urban Studies.  

“The climate crisis is one of the fundamental realities of our time,” Dean of Libraries Joe Lucia said. “It requires the concerted engagement of people from many different fields and backgrounds to be effectively addressed. It is a key aspect of the library’s mission as a social connector to bring together experts and community members from across the university to share ideas and think through big challenges and big issues. We are very excited to be a partner in this important set of events that will become a continuing area of focus in our programming.” 

Further details of each event are listed below. 

Paul Robbins is the dean of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With decades of experience as a researcher and educator, Robbins specializes in the political entanglements of environmental conservation, wild species protection, and land management and control. His research has included investigations of the politics of forestry and wildlife conservation in rural India, elk management on the settled fringes of Yellowstone Park, consumer chemical risk behaviors in North America, mosquito management, and a multitude of other topics. A reception will be held afterwards with light refreshments served.  

Climate change is described in some quarters as a “crisis” and in others as a “hoax”, with a range of views in between. How can one square this with climate science, which should be more objective? This talk, led by Nadir Jeevanjee, will emphasize that there is a spectrum of climate science, ranging from well-established, “settled” science (such as global warming due to anthropogenic CO2) to highly uncertain frontier topics (such as various proposed “tipping points”). To properly interpret climate science, one must acknowledge the existence of this spectrum, and appropriately place climate and weather phenomena within it. 

Jeevanjee studies the physics of clouds, radiation, and climate, using a hierarchy of approaches ranging from pencil-and-paper theory to comprehensive computer simulations. He currently is a Research Physical Scientist at NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. This event will be co-sponsored by the Science, Technology, and Society network at Temple University.

Federal environmental and climate policy changes are intended to promote local and regional climate action, with a focus on equity and environmental justice. In this lecture, we will discuss if there is a need for more comprehensive and measurable strategies to ensure that cities and regions become truly equitable, environmentally just, and prepared for climate change. 

Featuring Chitra Kumar, Managing Director of the Climate and Energy Program from the Union of Concerned Scientists, Russell Zerbo, Advocate, Clean Air Council, and Associate Professor Christina Rosan, of Temple University’s Department of Geography and Urban Studies. This event will be co-sponsored by Geography and Urban Studies and the Center for Sustainable Communities. 

The labor–climate movement in the U.S. laid the groundwork for the Green New Deal by building a base within labor for supporting climate protection as a vehicle for good jobs. But as we confront the climate crisis and seek environmental justice, a “jobs vs. environment” discourse often pits workers against climate activists. How can we make a “just transition” moving away from fossil fuels, while also compensating for the human cost when jobs are lost or displaced? 

In his timely book, Clean Air and Good Jobs, Todd Vachon examines the labor–climate movement and demonstrates what can be envisioned and accomplished when climate justice is on labor’s agenda and unions work together with other social movements to formulate bold solutions to the climate crisis. In this lecture, Vachon profiles the workers and union leaders who have been waging a slow, but steadily growing revolution within their unions to make labor as a whole an active and progressive champion for both workers and the environment. 

See the full list of events and register here! 

Temple University Libraries has an exciting lineup of qualitative research-related workshops and events this semester! See the full list and register here.  

Staff members from the Libraries offer help with qualitative data, analysis, and QDA software and tools. Learn more about our support for qualitative research on the Libraries’ website.  Keep reading to learn more about the events we have planned this semester to bring together qualitative researchers at Temple. 

Join us for the keynote presentation of Love Data Week, with Temple University Department of Criminal Justice Associate Professor and qualitative researcher Dr. Jamie Fader. 

Most researchers learn from our earliest training about the importance of objectivity in our work. As scholars attempting to analyze the social justice movements of our time, however, we may also ask whether love may inform our research in meaningful ways. Dr. Fader will discuss the role of love (e.g., empathy, humanity, and connectedness) in qualitative social research and make the case that both validity and equity can be served by drawing on love as a research tool. To make the case love should be a component of our research toolkits, Dr. Fader will draw on her research on justice system-impacted Philadelphians.

Jamie Fader is a sociologist, book author, and ethnographer in Temple’s Department of Criminal Justice. Her research examines the lived experience of criminal legal system involvement, especially on members of vulnerable communities, such as adolescents, boys and men of color, and LGBTQ emerging adults. Her upcoming book On Shifting Ground: Constructing Manhood on the Margins was published by the University of California Press in December.  

This online workshop, presented by the Qualitative Data Repository Associate Director Dr. Sebastian Karcher, will address the ethical and logistical challenges of sharing qualitative research data. 

In 2022, the US government announced stringent requirements for data sharing for all recipients of federal grants. The requirements have been in place for National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants since early 2023 and have just been announced by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for 2025. These new requirements pose challenges to qualitative research, where data has, in the past, rarely been shared. In this workshop, Dr. Karcher will discuss some of the ways to address the ethical and logistical challenges of sharing qualitative research data. Attendees will learn practical, hands-on strategies to facilitate both responsible research and data sharing spanning the entire course of research: research design, informed consent, documentation, and data publication.  

Sebastian Karcher is the Associate Director of the Qualitative Data Repository and Research Assistant Professor of Political Science at Syracuse University. His research focuses on research transparency, management, and curation of qualitative data and the intersection of digital technology and scholarship. The Qualitative Data Repository (QDR) is a dedicated archive for sharing qualitative and multi-method research data and is hosted by the Center for Qualitative and Multi-Method Inquiry, a unit of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Learn more about Temple’s QDR membership on the Libraries’ QDR guide.  

Join us for other online workshops on qualitative data analysis this semester, taught by members of Temple Libraries’ qualitative research support team: 

This image was created using Adobe Firefly and is in the public domain.

Guest post by Kristina De Voe, English and communication librarian

Temple University Libraries is celebrating National News Literacy Week from January 22 to January 26, 2024. National News Literacy Week is an annual initiative that turns a spotlight on local news and its role in a healthy democracy.

What is News Literacy?

News literacy, according to News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education nonprofit, is “the ability to determine the credibility of news and other information and to recognize the standards of fact-based journalism to know what to trust, share and act on.”

In our current era of mis-and disinformation, news literacy is a critical skill. It teaches you how to think about the news and information you come across daily but not necessarily what to think about any particular source. News literacy also helps you develop a healthy skepticism about the quality of news and information you encounter, without becoming cynical about it.

Access Digital Newspapers and Magazines

Do you know that the Libraries offer access to many digital newspapers and magazines? Titles including The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The Washington Post are freely available to the Temple community via our library databases. These digital resources can help you stay up to date on news, current events, and timely conversations all from your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Discover our news-focused databases using our Find Newspapers guide.

Pro Tip: Curious whether the Libraries offer access to a particular magazine or newspaper online? You can search Library Search by title to find out. If the library has a particular publication, there will be a list of the databases to which the library provides access along with a link to the publication.

National News Literacy Events at Temple

To mark National News Literacy Week, the Libraries will offer the following online workshops:

Guest post by Kristina De Voe, English and communication librarian with the Open Education Group 

Did you know that each semester Temple University Libraries provide a list of textbooks that are available as library ebooks? The list is based on information Temple faculty submit to the campus bookstore. These materials are free for Temple students. Use our Etextbooks Available Through the Libraries page to find your course and see if your textbook is on the list! 

Why the Libraries Collect Textbooks 

Since 2017, the Libraries have purchased ebook copies of course texts whenever possible. The Libraries are committed to reducing barriers to access a rich array of resources for our campus and the wider community. One way we work to achieve this is by supporting textbook affordability. For example, in the 2022-23 academic year, the Libraries offered electronic access to 33% of course texts, saving students an estimated $732,500. 

The number of ebooks that the Libraries acquire each semester varies as not everything is available in electronic format. Textbook publishers like Pearson or Cengage usually do not sell ebooks to libraries. When an ebook is available to us, we prefer to get licenses that allow multiple simultaneous users, however, in some cases, we need to purchase single-user licenses, which means they can only be read or used by one person at a time.  

Get Help 

Students: Have questions about whether a textbook for your Temple class is available via the Libraries? Contact us!

Faculty: Did you know you can use the Barnes & Noble Adoption Insight Portal (AIP) to adopt a library ebook for your course? Have questions about whether the Libraries can purchase materials for your class? Need help determining what is already available? Looking for instructions on how to link a library ebook in Canvas? Contact your subject librarian or specialist.  

My name is Emily Foster, and I’ve had the honor of completing my field study for my Master of Library & Information Sciences from the University of Maryland at the Ginsburg Health Sciences Library this semester. Being at Temple for these past few months has been a strange kind of homecoming for me, since I’m originally a Temple owl (History ‘21)! 

Medical librarianship isn’t a particularly popular career goal in my cohort (in fact, as far as I know, I’m the only one pursuing it!) but after working for two years as an emergency department technician, then a public library assistant, I got to thinking: is there a way to combine these two interests? After starting my MLIS and realizing this was something I’d like to do, I reached out to Rebecca Lloyd, the History Subject Librarian at Charles Library, and she put me in contact with Jenny Pierce, Head of Research, Education and Outreach Services at Ginsburg Library, and the rest is history. 

I feel so lucky to have experienced so many different things at the Health Sciences Libraries. One of the major projects I worked on was entering metadata for research posters created by new-to-practice nurses in the nurse residency program at Temple University Hospital. This evidence-based research is conducted over one year and culminates in a poster highlighting a problem—and a potential solution to that problem—identified within the hospital, typically on the floor that nurse resident works on. The nurses are then expected to implement their findings on their floors. The metadata I generated was used to enter the posters into TUScholarShare, Temple’s institutional repository. This was a really exciting project because not only does it showcase the hard work of past nurse residents, but it also makes the results of their research available to future scholars. 

Ginsburg Library is truly fascinating behind the scenes. I met everyone who works here, got my hands on a little bit of everything, and received patient and extremely knowledgeable guidance along the way. I was given an amazing chance to put into practice the skills I gained during my program, as well as to add new skills that only on-the-job training could provide. While leaving is bittersweet, I’m so happy and grateful for the time I spent here. 

It’s that time of the semester—when research papers are due, exams are taken, and you need to hunker down and finish up your work. We are here to remind you that the Libraries have the resources you need to help you finish the semester strong.

A good place to start is our website, where you can use Library Search for all your questions. You can also see our hours (including extended hour offerings) for all library locations. Or you can go directly to our undergraduate and graduate user guides containing details of library resources tailored for you!

Ways to De-Stress

We are hosting a few opportunities for you to take a break from the busyness of this time of year that we hope you’ll take advantage of!  

On Friday, December 12 at 2pm, stop by the Makerspace for our Holiday Décor Workshop. Make gifts and décor for the holidays with help from staff on the laser cutter and 3D printers. Some possible ideas include: 3D printed trinkets, custom greeting cards, 3D printed cookie cutters, laser cut ornaments, and more. 

And what’s a better way to take your mind off things than playing around….with our games. Calling all game players…digital and board! On December 13 starting at 11 am, we’ll have our Virtual Reality Lab open and ready for video gaming on the consoles and PC,  as well as some tables set aside for playing board games. Bring your study group for a much needed break, or play some library staff and fellow students. You can see some of the games we have available to play and check out in the library’s online catalog.

24/7 Live Online Chat

Want to get online help right now…anytime on any day? You can contact us 24/7 via chat to get answers to your questions.

Find Your Study Space

Both Charles Library and Ginsburg Library have rooms that you can book to work alone or in a group. At Charles Library, you choose what kind of studying environment you like best–—whether that’s a quiet place to study, a view of our green roof on the fourth floor, or you prefer to plop down in a comfy bean bag chair, we have you covered. 

Snack cart

During the week of December 11, be on the lookout for the snack cart at Charles Library. We’ll be giving out free goodies to help you stay fueled and focused. We will also be available to answer questions and point you in the right direction regarding library resources. 

Wellness Resource Center

Our friends at the Wellness Resource Center have several offerings to help you through this time of the semester. You can get details on their various activities planned for the week of December 11. Be sure to also look into other campus resources designed to help students de-stress and take preventive measures to avoid end-of-the-semester burnout.  

The End Is Near

We know this time of year can be difficult. We hope this roundup of library assistance gives you some relief. And if not, just know that soon you’ll be heading into your well-deserved winter break. Even then, the Libraries will be here for you during break and when we return for the spring. You got this!

On October 24^th, 2023 Charles Library hosted the first ever Research Resources Day, a collaboration between Temple University Libraries and University Press (TULUP), the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), and Information Technology Services (ITS). The two-and-a-half hour catered event showcased the resources and tools available to researchers to help them throughout the research lifecycle.  

Library staff members, Felipe Valdez and Van Tran, greet attendees at the welcome table
(photo credit: Olivia Given Castello)

Brief speeches from three campus research and technology leaders, Josh Gladden, vice-president for research, Dean Joe Lucia, Temple Libraries, and Larry Brandolph, vice-president for information technologies, addressed the importance of collaboration and information sharing across the University, along with adapting to the changing needs of the research community. Though this was the first event of its kind, the three leaders pledged to work closely to meet the needs of researchers, and continue hosting similar public events to promote resources, build connections, and provide support. 

Tables from the triumvirate of support departments advertised a wide variety of resources to assist researchers with their work regardless of their field and method of research. Services and topics that were highlighted included: Pivot, SciENcv, Grants Administration, Research Compliance, Innovation Nest, ERA, research data management, planning and sharing, LabArchives, ORCID, TUScholarShare, GIS and mapping, publishing support, qualitative data support, the evidence synthesis and systematic reviews service, Microsoft Teams, storing data, HIPAA compliance, and sharing data with external entities. 

From conceptualizing research ideas and applying for funding to sharing and preserving research data, support staff were on hand with information and answers to a broad swath of research-related questions. The fifty or so attendees spanned Temple’s schools and campuses, represented researchers from the Fox School of Business, the Lew Klein College of Media and Communication, the College of Public Health, and the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. The discussion and questions covered an array of topics, such as how to manage research funding, the grant application process, open access publishing, secure data storage, choosing an appropriate data repository, and the importance of registering for an ORCID iD. 

Library staff members Rebecca Lloyd, Alicia Pucci and Travis Nace share information about ORCID iDs
(photo credit: Olivia Given Castello)

For those that missed the inaugural event, future iterations are planned in different locations across the University. Consider attending to learn about the available resources and meet people who can help support Temple research projects. 

Thanks to funding from the Libraries, Temple University recently became an institutional member of the Qualitative Data Repository (QDR). QDR is a dedicated archive for storing and sharing qualitative and mixed-method research data, and accompanying documentation, hosted by the Center for Qualitative and Multi-Method Inquiry at Syracuse University. 

Temple researchers can discover qualitative datasets in QDR for research and teaching.  Temple affiliates can also share and preserve their own research data in QDR to satisfy publisher and funder requirements, including the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy. QDR is a CoreTrustSeal certified repository that helps researchers share data responsibly and has the infrastructure and expertise to host sensitive data with restricted access. 

Benefits of QDR 

Sharing qualitative data takes advanced preparation to ensure participant consent is in place, and that data has been properly prepared and anonymized. QDR staff specialize in qualitative research methods and data curation and are able to assist Temple researchers throughout the research process.  

Benefits of using QDR include: 

• Detailed data curation assistance to ensure deposited data is fully de-identified, annotated, and ready for sharing 
• Tiered levels of data access including the ability to restrict access to sensitive data 
• Persistent identifiers to make data discoverable and citable 
• Data metrics including views, downloads, and citations to track impact 
• Guidance and documentation on qualitative research and data management topic such as working with human participant data, data management planning, deidentifying data, and conducting disclosure risk review  

Our membership supports a limited number of no-cost data deposits per year by Temple researchers. Researchers should register for a QDR account using their Temple email address to download or deposit data.  

Ideally, potential depositors should contact QDR early in their project, before data collection occurs, to receive guidance on designing data collection and data management planning for grant submissions.  

If you are applying for a large or multi-year grant, please consult with QDR before designating them as a repository. There may be additional costs for large-scale or multi-year projects. 

Data Sharing at Temple 

Given the increase in funder-mandated data management planning and sharing requirements, researchers must carefully consider how they will responsibly share their research data. In addition to the Qualitative Data Repository, Temple University is also a member of ICPSR, and has its own institutional repository, TUScholarShare, that can curate deidentified data. We also provide guidance on selecting the right general or disciplinary repository for your data. 

Get Help 

Have questions about sharing data or using QDR? See our guide to the Qualitative Data Repository, or contact Temple’s institutional representative, Olivia Given Castello, at olivia.castello@temple.edu. 

To learn more about data management planning, see our research data management guide and tutorials on data management planning with DMPTool. To learn more about qualitative data, see our qualitative data analysis (QDA) guide and consider attending one of our upcoming library workshops on QDA. 

Welcome to the fall 2023 semester at Temple University! Temple Libraries is here to support you with a variety of resources, materials, and services to get you started and keep you on track as the semester unfolds. 

This post highlights just a few of the ways you can use the Libraries this academic year. Be sure to check our website for more resources, and visit our contact us page to learn about all the ways to get in touch to ask questions. 

Find the materials you need 

The Libraries provide access to a broad range of physical and online materials—including books, journals, articles, music, and movies—all searchable through our website: library.temple.edu. 

If it’s rare or unique archival materials you’re after, learn more about the Special Collections Research Center and the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection and peruse our digital collections. 

Each semester the Libraries compiles a list of digitally available textbooks that may substitute for required or recommended course textbooks. They are available to students at no cost.

Get personalized research help 

Librarians are here to offer personalized assistance as you work on your research papers and projects. No matter what you are studying or what major you pursue, we have a librarian who specializes in your field. 

Getting in touch with your librarian is easy: you can chat, email, or schedule a virtual or in-person appointment. Our chat service is 24/7, so no matter when you are working, someone will be here to answer your questions. 

Research, at your pace 

Once you’ve scoped out your syllabi, head over to our comprehensive Research Guides for each of your course subjects (curated by our subject librarians!).  

Our self-paced library tutorials can you help you develop your research skills. 

We also have tailored undergraduate and graduate user guides to help get you started. 

Explore spaces to study and work 

We offer a variety of open seating options to satisfy student needs for individual and group study. Students can book study rooms ahead of time at Charles Library and the Ginsburg Health Sciences Library. 

If you are interested in making use of the Libraries’ advanced equipment and technology, visit the Loretta C. Duckworth Scholars Studio in Charles Library and the Innovation Space at Ginsburg Health Sciences Library. 

Access tech 

Need to print or use a computer? Take advantage of the laptop lending program and charging options, and look into Temple’s Print on the Go service for all your printing needs. 

Attend free events and workshops  

We host a variety of events and workshops throughout the academic year. In addition, we’ll be offering a lineup of concerts, conversations, and specialized workshops, on everything from CV writing to graphic design for visual abstracts to 3D printing. 

As always, our events and workshops are free and open to all. 

Stay up to date! 

Follow us on social media and sign up for our mailing list to get future updates from the Libraries, including upcoming events, featured resources, and more.