College & Research Libraries News vol. 79, no. 1 (January 2018) C&RL News January 2018 6 N e w s f r o m t h e F i e l dDavid Free University of Oklahoma Libraries release open source Markdown Converter The University of Oklahoma (OU) Libraries recently announced the release of an open source Markdown Converter designed to help make open content, including open educational resources (OER), shareable to the fullest extent possible. By using the Markdown Converter, well-structured documents can be converted into PDF, HTML, EPUB, and DOCX file formats with an easy-to-use web interface instead of the command line. Markdown is a markup lan- guage that simplifies authoring for the web. Its syntax is both easy-to-read and easy-to- write using tools that come installed on all computers. Publishing OER in Markdown allows for easy editing, and then, using the Mark- down Converter to provide OER in multiple formats, enables students to access OER content more readily. The Markdown Con- verter, developed by OU Libraries Emerging Technologies Librarian Cody Taylor, is based on Pandoc, but provides access through a graphical interface. The Markdown Converter is available for anyone to use on the OU Libraries website at https://tools.libraries.ou.edu /markdown. The source code, openly licensed under an open source software license, for the converter can be obtained via GitHub at https://github.com/OULibraries /Pandoc-Web-Interface. The Markdown Con- verter can be viewed “in action” performing an upload and conversion process at www. youtube.com/.watch?v=tJCfXiLYUWE&t=2s. Nominations sought for ACRL Board of Directors The ACRL Leadership Recruitment and Nominations Committee (LRNC) encour- ages members to nominate themselves or others to run for the position of ACRL vice-president/president-elect, director-at- large, and councilor in the 2019 elections. LRNC will request a curriculum vita and/ or a statement of interest from selected individuals prior to developing a slate of candidates. To nominate an individual or to self-nom- inate, please submit the nomination form at www.surveymonkey.com/r/acrlboardnomi- nations. If you have any questions about the nominating or election process, please feel free to contact LRNC Chair Jennifer Nutefall at jnutefall@scu.edu. More information about the ACRL Board of Directors is available at www.ala.org/acrl /resources/policies/chapter2. The deadline for nominations is February 15, 2018. Three libraries sign GPO preservation steward agreements The William A. Wise Law Library at the University of Colorado Law School, Indi- ana State Library, and U.S. Merchant Ma- rine Academy Schuyler Otis Bland Memo- rial Library each signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Government Pub- lishing Office (GPO) to become preserva- tion stewards. To help federal depository libraries meet the needs of efficient government docu- ment stewardship in the digital era, GPO has established preservation stewards to support continued public access to his- toric U.S. government documents in print format. Preservation stewards contribute significantly to the effort to preserve printed documents, and GPO welcomes all federal depository libraries that wish to participate as Preservation Stewards. GPO provides for permanent public access to federal government information at no charge through www.govinfo.gov, partnerships with approximately 1,150 librar- ies nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program, and our secure https://tools.libraries.ou.edu/markdown https://tools.libraries.ou.edu/markdown https://github.com/OULibraries/Pandoc-Web-Interface https://github.com/OULibraries/Pandoc-Web-Interface http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJCfXiLYUWE&t=2s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJCfXiLYUWE&t=2s http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/acrlboardnominations http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/acrlboardnominations http://www.ala.org/acrl/resources/policies/chapter2 http://www.ala.org/acrl/resources/policies/chapter2 January 2018 7 C&RL News RCL commends peer reviewers in the arts and humanities Resources for College Libraries (RCL) identifies more than 85,000 essential titles for undergraduate research and teaching. Published by Choice/ACRL in partnership with ProQuest, each RCL subject collec- tion undergoes external peer review by academic librarians and faculty to ensure continued excellence. On behalf of the RCL editorial board and Choice/ACRL, we thank the referees from 2017 for their contributions to the profes- sion and the RCL core collection. Martha Adkins: University of San Diego Felicity Ann Brown: Library of Congress Megan Browndorf: Georgetown University Daria Carson-Dussán: Washington University in St. Louis Elizabeth Chase: Stonehill College Matthew Collins: Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Kristina M. De Voe: Temple University Keith Eiten: Wheaton College Joseph Galron-Goldschläger: Ohio State University Benjamin Garstad: MacEwan University Haim Gottschalk: Library of Congress Julianne Haahr: University of Wisconsin- Madison Peggy Keeran: University of Denver Brian Kooy: Georgia State University Library Stephanie Krueger: National Library of Technology Stacy Magedanz: California State University- San Bernadino Maureen Maryanski: Indiana University- Bloomington Jennifer Matthews: Rowan University Marty Miller: Louisiana State University Jennifer Newman: Hunter College, City Uni- versity of New York Gina Petrie: Catawba College Thomas Phillips: Claremont School of The- ology Charlotte Price: Barnard College Deb Raftus: University of Washington Gabriella Reznowski: Washington State University Matt Roberts: University of California- Irvine Michael Russo: Louisiana State University Amauri Serrano: Florida State University Nathalie Soini: Queen’s University Konstantin Starikov: Boston University Rebecca Stuhr: University of Pennsylvania Martha Tanner: Nebraska Wesleyan Univer- sity Roberto Vargas: Swarthmore College Gwen Vredevoogd: Marymount University Sarah G. Wenzel: University of Chicago Aparna Zambare: Central Michigan Uni- versity Alessia Zanin-Yost: Penn State-Altoona Learn more about RCL at http://rclinfo. net. For more information about participating in the editorial development of Resources for College Libraries, contact Anne Doherty, RCL project editor, at adoherty@ala-choice.org. http://rclinfo.net http://rclinfo.net mailto:adoherty%40ala-choice.org?subject= C&RL News January 2018 8 The Fun of Motivation: Crossing the Threshold Concepts ACRL announces the publication of The Fun of Motivation: Crossing the Threshold Concepts by Mary Francis, book number 71 in ACRL’s Publications in Librarianship series. This innovative book combines theory with specific lesson plans and assessment options to help readers explore, imple- ment, and assess this powerful means of motivation. What’s the place of fun in education? When stu- dents learn something new, they reach a learning edge, a threshold, where learning becomes uncomfortable be- cause the material is difficult or beyond their understand- ing. To avoid this discomfort, some students can simply fall back on what they already know. This is a critical point, because if they do not move beyond the edge, they are stuck with both limited knowledge and a negative feeling about learning. Fun can be used as a motivating technique to help stu- dents get past this learning edge, and to meet an established goal or learning objective. The Fun of Motivation: Crossing the Threshold Concepts is organized into two parts. Part I examines the theories behind motivation and fun in the classroom, and offers three instructional techniques that highlight their benefits. Part II is the application of the theories explored in Part I, and its six chapters each address one of the threshold concepts provided in ACRL’s Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Each chapter contains three lesson plans addressing the threshold concept, one for each of the three fun instruc- tional techniques. Assessment opportunities are provided throughout, with formative assessment strategies as well as summative assessments, including sample rubrics to apply to a range of student work. Each lesson plan ends with a section on possible modifications and accommo- dations and additional ideas on how to adapt the lesson for different student populations. The threshold concepts within the Framework need to be facilitated with deliberation by librarians in- tegrating them into their instruction sessions. Students must be motivated to learn these concepts that help them master skills across disciplines. The Fun of Motivation can help you use this compelling means of motivation. The Fun of Motivation: Crossing the Threshold Concepts is available for purchase in print and as an ebook through the ALA Online Store and by telephone order at (866) 746-7252 in the United States or (770) 442- 8633 for international customers. online bookstore. For more information, please visit www.gpo.gov. CLIR invites Recordings at Risk applications The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is now accepting appli- cations from collecting institutions for the digital reformatting of audiovisual materials in its third call for the Recordings at Risk grant program. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Recordings at Risk is focused on digitizing “at-risk” audiovisual materials of high scholarly value. For the third call, CLIR will award grants of between $10,000 and $50,000 for digital reformatting projects between 3 and 12 months carried out between May 2018 and April 2019. All audiovisual formats are eligible, though applicants must partner with a qualified external service provider that can http://www.gpo.gov January 2018 9 C&RL News perform technically competent and cost-effective digital reformatting for the nominated format(s). Information for applicants, including a link to the online application form, is available on CLIR’s website at www.clir.org /recordings-at-risk/. The application deadline for the third call is February 9, 2018. Awards will be announced April 30, 2018. 2018 ACRL Immersion Program The ACRL Immersion Program is all new for 2018. The four-and-a-half- day program will take place at the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minnesota, from July 29 to August 3, 2018. The new, more central location will provide easy travel access, while still providing the small campus feel with nearby urban amenities. The 2018 ACRL Immersion Pro- gram will launch a major curriculum revision. The Immersion Faculty are responding to feedback from teaching librarians, including past Immersion Program participants, in order to de- sign a learning experience that meets current challenges, is responsive and flexible, enables participant-driven learning goals and experiences, and pro- vides opportunities to develop a critical reflective practice. The program is not just for instruction or information literacy librarians or instruc- tion coordinators. It is designed for anyone engaged in the educational role of libraries in higher education, including librarians from all library areas that engage in teach- ing and learning practices, such as offering workshops, designing library assignments, and creating exhibits. Applicants may register for the program on a first-come, first-served basis in early 2018. Some scholarships will be available; scholarship details will also be available in early 2018. More information is available on the ACRL website at www.ala.org/acrl /immersion. ARL selects 2018–19 Leadership Fellows The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Leadership Fellows program facilitates the development of future senior-level lead- ers in large research libraries and archives. ARL has selected 30 individuals to partici- pate in the 2018–19 cohort of this execu- tive leadership program. In response to a continued need to develop future lead- ers of ARL member institutions, the ARL Leadership Fellows program is designed to build on self-assessment and reflection and to explore a personal/professional area of interest in the context of a group setting. More information, including a list of fellows, is available at www.arl.org / n e w s / a r l - n e w s / 4 4 4 0 - a r l - l e a d e r s h i p -fellows-2018-2019-selected. Tech Bits . . . Brought to you by the ACRL ULS Tech- nology in University Libraries Commit- tee For most people, when it comes to de- sign, a blank canvas inspires dread. Many times, I have needed to design a sign to highlight a library event; however, I strug- gled with choosing the best color theme to use. Pictaculous, a web-based tool by MailChimp, can help. Both free and easy to use, simply upload your image, which must be a .png, .gif, or .jpg no larger than 500k, and click the palette button. Pic- taculous provides a primary color swatch along with the hex color codes. Down- load the Adobe swatch file to import into Adobe or email it to yourself and use the hex color codes in PowerPoint. Five additional complementary color swatches appear below the primary, one so there are multiple options to consider. —Melissa Johnson Southern Methodist University . . . Pictaculous http://www.pictaculous.com/ http://www.clir.org/recordings-at-risk/ http://www.clir.org/recordings-at-risk/ http://www.ala.org/acrl/immersion http://www.ala.org/acrl/immersion http://www.arl.org/news/arl-news/4440-arl-leadership-fellows-2018-2019-selected http://www.arl.org/news/arl-news/4440-arl-leadership-fellows-2018-2019-selected http://www.arl.org/news/arl-news/4440-arl-leadership-fellows-2018-2019-selected http://www.pictaculous.com/