Join Milner Library for a series of events and workshops to explore sharing knowledge during Open Access Week 2021. Open Access Week is an international recognition week that highlights the benefits of making information free, online, and open for all to use. This important observance gives campus the opportunity to learn, share, help, and transform the way research is conducted.

This year, Open Access Week takes place October 25-31. The 2021 theme is “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity.” Throughout the week Milner Library will highlight the importance of open access materials, information, and issues.

Open Access Week events

Open Access Week Keynote: Opening Science with Dr. Cassidy Sugimoto
Monday, October 25, from noon to 1 p.m.
Join the talk: https://illinoisstate.zoom.us/j/91982205058
Join Dr. Cassidy Sugimoto in exploring the multidimensional aspects of open science. Openness should include who has access to participate in science, the mechanisms by which science is evaluated, as well as the means by which it is produced and disseminated. Underlying all of this must be an infrastructure for openness that serves as a foundation for a fully open scientific system. This talk will provide an analysis of the disparities that exist in the system at each level—in terms of participation, open data, open evaluation, and open access—as well as discuss mechanisms by which we can reclaim some of the closed systems of science and make them more open. Lastly, this keynote will explore how to work together toward a more robust and equitable open science environment. This event is sponsored by the Harold K. Sage Foundation and the Illinois State University Foundation Fund. This event is also supported by the Alice and Fannie Fell Trust.

Dr. Cassidy Sugimoto

About the speaker
Dr. Cassidy R. Sugimoto is professor and Tom and Marie Patton School Chair in the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Her research examines the formal and informal ways in which knowledge is produced, disseminated, consumed, and supported, with an emphasis on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Sugimoto was a professor of Informatics in the School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at Indiana University Bloomington from 2010–2021 and served as the program director for the Science of Science and Innovation Policy program at the National Science Foundation from 2018–2020. She has received the Indiana University Trustees Teaching award (2014), a national service award from the Association for Information Science and Technology (2009), and a Bicentennial Award for service from Indiana University (2020). She holds a bachelor’s in music performance, a master’s in library science, and a doctoral degree in information and library science all from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Additional workshops

Making Course Materials More Affordable for Students
Synchronous sessions: Wednesday, October 27, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. (virtual)
Asynchronous Work: October 20–26 and October 28–November 3
Facilitators: Heather Koopmans, fine arts librarian, and Lindsay Skaggs, instructional design librarian
Held in conjunction with the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology

In a 2019 survey, 73 percent of Illinois State University students reported that they did not acquire a textbook or course materials due to cost. Textbook costs have risen more than 150 percent since 2000, and many students are struggling to keep up with the overall rising cost of education. This workshop will examine attitudes towards textbook and materials costs and explore resources that are available to instructors who want to make their course materials more affordable for students. At the end of the workshop, participants will develop an action plan to integrate affordable materials into their course(s). Register by Friday, October 15.

3D Printing at Milner Library
Thursday, October 28, from noon to 12:45 p.m.
Join the workshop: https://illinoisstate.zoom.us/j/92953963022  
Facilitator: Steve Koehler, digital media specialist

Join us virtually to explore the world of 3D printing with Milner Library’s Steve Koehler. Koehler will give an overview of 3D printing at Milner Library; how students and faculty have used 3D printing in the classroom, labs, and beyond; and how you can find open-source 3D printing plans to submit projects of your own. Koehler will also show some of the interesting items that have been printed over the years. If you are unable to make this session and would like access to a recording, please email ellink@illinoisstate.edu.  

Teaching with Text Analysis (Introduction)
Synchronous session: Friday, October 29, from 10 to 11 a.m. (virtual)
Facilitators: Rebecca Fitzsimmons, special collections librarian, and Anne Shelley, scholarly communication librarian
Held in conjunction with the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology

Text mining and text analysis involve processes in which computers are used to find patterns and relationships in text, often examining a large corpus of texts. Text analysis techniques are useful in a wide range of subject areas and can reveal information and patterns that could otherwise be difficult to identify when reading through individual material. Text analysis can provide students with opportunities to visualize text or explore sources in a new way, such as through distant reading practices. Visualizing text can also provide new insights that may otherwise be easy to overlook during research, and these insights may lead to the development of further research questions. This hands-on workshop will cover different approaches to text analysis, such as word frequency and topic modeling, along with easy-to-use digital tools and resources that are freely available. We will have suggestions for incorporating these tools and resources into classes. After the workshop, an optional working session will provide additional time for participants to continue exploring the resources covered in the workshop. Registration is required.

Learn more

Learn more about Open Access information through this online library guide or by contacting scholarly communication librarian Anne Shelley.