Dear Deans, Chairs, and Faculty Library Liaisons,
Happy February! We have a few exciting announcements this month.
ProQuest AI Tools
ProQuest has enabled some AI features in all of their ProQuest Central databases as of February 4th.
- Additional search terms are displayed that can be added to an existing search.
- “Key takeaways” provide a brief summary of the selected article.
- Suggested sources and indexing terms from the selected article that you can use to search for other related sources.
- Brainstorming suggestions for research topics related to the selected article.
- Important concepts explain broad vocabulary terms that are covered in the selected article.
- ProQuest has a brief video (2 min.) showing these in action.
Faculty Book Grant
Do you see a gap in the library’s collections? The Friends of Chambers Library supports growth in needed areas of the Library's collection by offering two grant opportunities. Two $1,000 grants will be awarded to the faculty members who submit the best proposals identifying a specific need or gap in the Library's collections. These funds will be used to purchase titles in the deficient areas. To participate, submit a one-page essay by Friday, February 21, 2025, describing a subject area need with a list of titles you would like to see purchased. Submissions should be sent to libdev@uco.edu.
Spring Workshops
Library instruction workshops that are open to everyone continue in February! These upcoming sessions are in person and online at 10am and 5pm. Information is available on the Library Events - Workshops page.
- Organize More! A Deep Dive into Zotero – Tuesday 2/11
- AI for Everyone: Exploring AI Tools – Tuesday 2/25
Innovation Studio Open House
The Innovation Studio hosts an open house every month highlighting a different tool available. The next one will be February 19th 5-6pm. Bring your laptop and design a bookmark to be cut out on the Cricut! The Cricut is very popular right now as a DIY tool. They allow you to program in a design and then have it cut out on your preferred medium, such as cardstock, vinyl, sticker paper, and iron-on transfers.
Just for Two or Just for You
With February comes that special time – Valentine’s Day! Whether you’re celebrating with a beloved, doing a GALentine’s Day, or just staying in on your own with your cat, there are lots of cookbook options to cook for two servings. You might also try out the Best Steak Marinade from Cooking Classy and Chef John’s Twice Baked Potatoes, both of which I have found adapt well from 4 servings to other multiples of 2.
Stay warm and dry this week!
Thanks,
Risa Jensen-Jones
Director of Research and User Engagement
Max Chambers Library
University of Central Oklahoma