Library Newsletter Spring 2025

News

Data Rescue and Archiving 

Screenshot of The White House's 404 Page

We are monitoring changes at the federal level that may affect access to critical government data for research. Below is a brief list of data and government website archiving efforts that we encourage researchers to explore:

Read about these programs and more in our blog post.

Image: Screenshot of The White House’s 404 page.

An exhibit at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSUJust Playin’ Around                                             

After seeing Just Playin’ Around, the current exhibition at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU, check out our new Library Guide featuring books related to the exhibit for both kids and grownups! The exhibit and library reading lists are a peek into the ways that art is play, play is art, and both are in all of us. Visit the exhibit through April 26th!

 

Partnership with AnswerlandGraphic that says Do you have questions? We have answers! Visit answerland.org. Chat with a librarian, Answers to your questions, Help with search tools, Everyday, 24 hours a day

One of the ways that PSU Library supports students, faculty, and staff is through 24/7 online chat reference. This service is staffed by folks at PSU Library during typical business hours and into the early evening. After hours, we rely on our partners at Answerland to answer chat questions from Portland State. 

In 2024 alone, Answerland librarians answered 884 questions from PSU users when our librarians were unavailable. Answerland is supported by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Learn more about the Library’s partnership with Answerland on our blog.

Library Instruction Survey

We surveyed faculty who incorporated library instruction into their course in the last year and found notable satisfaction! Every respondent felt that students’ research skills improved after library instruction, and overall satisfaction with library instruction was 4.76 out of 5.
 
One of our Senate Library Committee members added that “Students leave these sessions with much more confidence in exploring scholarly research in the field that they are then able to apply in other assignments. Library instruction has been a huge asset for this course.”
 

PSU Librarian Kim Willson standing in front of a large photograph of actor Clark GableCongratulations Kim Willson

Congratulations to Kimberly Willson-St. Clair on her retirement and appointment to Emerita status! Kim has brought dedication and intellectual curiosity to her long career at the PSU Library, promoting critical thinking and effective use of library resources, along with her strong focus on student success, particularly as an advocate for students from vulnerable populations.