Welcome Back to the Scholarly Commons!

Posted on October 7, 2022 by Ryan Yoakum

The Scholarly Commons is excited to announce we have merged with the Media Commons! Our units have united to provide equitable access to innovative spaces, digital tools, and assistance for media creation, data visualization, and digital storytelling. We launched a new website this summer, and we’re thrilled to announce a new showcase initiative that highlights digital projects created by faculty and students. Please consider submitting your work to be featured on our website or digital displays.

Looking to change up your office hours? Room 220 in the Main Library is a mixed-used space with comfortable seating and access to computers and screen-sharing technology that can be a great spot for holding office hours with students.

Media Spaces

We are excited to announce new media spaces! These spaces are designed for video and audio recordings and equipped to meet different needs depending on the type of production. For quick and simple video projects, Room 220 has a green-screen wall on the southeast side of the room (adjacent to the Reading Room). The space allows anyone to have fun with video editing. You can use your phone to shoot a video of yourself in front of the green wall and use software to replace the green with a background of your choosing to be transported anywhere. No reservations required.

Green Screen Wall in Room 220. Next to it is some insignificant text for design purposes.

For a sound-isolated media experience, we are also introducing Self-Use Media Studios in Rooms 220 and 306 of the Main Library. These booths will be reservable and are equipped with an M1 Mac Studio computer, two professional microphones, 4K video capture, dual color-corrected monitors, an additional large TV display, and studio-quality speakers. Record a podcast or voiceover, collect interviews or oral histories, capture a video or give a remote stream presentation, and more at the Self-Use Media Studios.

Finally, we are introducing the Video Production Studio in Room 308. This is a high-end media creation studio complete with two 6K cameras, an 4K overhead camera, video inputs for computer-based presentation, professional microphones, studio-lighting, multiple backdrops, and a live-switching video controller for real-time presentation capture or streaming. Additionally, an M1 Mac Studio computer provides plenty of power to enable high-resolution video project editing. The Video Production Studio can be scheduled by arranged appointment and will be operated by Scholarly Commons staff once the space is ready to open.

Stay tuned to our spaces page for more information about reserving these resources.

Loanable Tech

The Scholarly and Media Commons are pleased to announce the re-opening of loanable technology in Room 306 of the Main Library. Members of the UIUC community can borrow items such as cameras, phone chargers, laptops, and more from our loanable technology desk. The loanable technology desk is open 10:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Fridays, and 2-6:30 p.m. on Sundays. Check out the complete list of loanable items for more on the range of technology we provide.

Drop-in Consultation Hours

Drop-in consultations have returned to Room 220. Consultations this semester include:

GIS with Wenjie Wang – Tuesdays 1 – 3 p.m. in Consultation Room A.
Copyright with Sara Benson – Tuesdays 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. in Consultation Room A.
Media and design with JP Goguen – Thursdays 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. in Consultation Room A.
Data analysis with the Cline Center for Advanced Social Research – Thursdays 1 – 3 p.m. in Consultation Room A.
Statistical consulting with the Center for Innovation, Technology, and Learning (CITL) – 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, as well as 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesdays in Consultation Room B.

Finally, a Technology Services help desk has moved into Room 220. They are available 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays to assist patrons with questions about password security, email access, and other technology needs.

Spatial Computing and Immersive Media Studio

Later this fall, we will launch the Spatial Computing and Immersive Media Studio (SCIM Studio) in Grainger Library. SCIM Studio is a black-box space focused on emerging technologies in multimedia and human-centered computing. Equipped with 8K 360 cameras, VR and AR hardware, a 22-channel speaker system, Azure Kinect Depth Cameras, Greenscreen, and a Multi-Camera and display system for Video Capture & Livestreaming, SCIM Studio will cater to researchers and students interested in utilizing the cutting edge of multimedia technology. The Core i9 workstation equipped with Nvidia A6000 48GB GPU will allow for 3D modeling, Computer Vision processing, Virtual Production compositing, Data Visualization/Sonification, and Machine Learning workflows. Please reach out to Jake Metz if you have questions or a project you would like to pursue at the SCIM Studio and keep your eye on our website for launch information.

Have Questions?

Please continue to contact us through email (sc@library.illinois.edu) for any questions about the Scholarly and Media Commons this year. Finally, you can check out the new Scholarly Commons webpage for more information about our services, as well as our staff directory to set up consultations for specific services.

We wish you all a wonderful semester and look forward to seeing you here at the Scholarly and Media Commons!

Introducing Drop-In Consultation Hours at the Scholarly Commons!

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Ryan Yoakum

Do you have a burning question about data management, copyright, or even how to work Adobe Photoshop but do not have the time to set up an appointment? This semester, the Scholarly Commons is happy to introduce our new drop-in consultation hours! Each weekday, we will have an expert from a different scholarly subject have an open hour or two where you can bring any question you have about that’s expert’s specialty. These will all take place in room 220 in the Main Library in Group Room A (right next to the Scholarly Commons help desk). Here is more about each session:

Mondays 11 AM – 1 PM: Data Management with Sandi Caldrone

Starting us off, we have Sandi Caldrone from Research Data Services offering consultation hours on data management. Sandi can help with topics such as creating a data management plan, organizing/storing your data, data curation, and more. She can also help with questions around the Illinois Data Bank and the Dryad Repository.

Tuesdays 11 AM – 1 PM: GIS with Wenjie Wang

Next up, we have Wenjie Wang from the Scholarly Commons to offer consultation about Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Have a question about geocoding, geospatial analysis, or even where to locate GIS data? Wenjie can help! He can also answer any questions related to using ArcGIS or QGIS.

Wednesdays 11 AM – 12 PM: Copyright with Sara Benson

Do you have questions relating to copyright and your dissertation, negotiating an author’s agreement, or seeking permission to include an image in your own work? Feel free to drop in during Copyright Librarian Sara Benson’s open copyright hours to discuss any copyright questions you may have.

Thursdays 1-3 PM: Qualitative Data Analysis with Jess Hagman

Jess Hagman from the Social Science, Health, and Education Library is here to help with questions related to performing qualitative data analysis (QDA). She can walk you through any stage of the qualitative data analysis process regardless of data or methodology. She can also assist in operating QDA software including NVivo, Atlas.ti, MAXQDA, Taguette, and many more! For more information, you can also visit the qualitative data analysis LibGuide.

Fridays 10 AM – 12 PM: Graphic Design and Multimedia with JP Goguen

To end the week, we have JP Goguen from the Scholarly/Media Commons with consultation hours related to graphic design and multimedia. Come to JP with any questions you may have about design or photo/video editing. You can also bring JP any questions related to software found on the Adobe Creative Cloud (such as Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, etc.).

Have another Scholarly Inquiry?

If there is another service you need help with, you are always welcome to stop by the Scholarly Commons help desk in room 220 of the Main Library between 10 AM – 6 PM Monday-Friday. From here, we can get you in contact with another specialist to guide you through your research inquiry. Whatever your question may be, we are happy to help you!

Copyright Librarian Sara Benson’s YouTube Channel

Posted on June 21, 2017 by C. Berman

Guest post written by Treasa Bane

Sara Benson—lawyer, librarian, and assistant professor—is UIUC’s secret weapon. Within the Scholarly Communications and Publishing department, she provides consultations, workshops, lectures, and guides concerning copyright. As research methods and means of accessing reliable information rapidly change, copyright grows more complex. Every institution needs an intermediary between information producers and consumers to reliably and accurately educate others about the ethical use of copyrighted materials, and UIUC has one: Sara Benson.

As a library science student, I’m aware of Sara’s vital role at our university, but most other UIUC students in other disciplines may not be. Combining the worlds of copyright and librarianship results in a set of service skills applicable for all disciplines that academics can and should use. A student should not struggle through the process of building his or her ideas for a project, nor should new professors and researchers get all the way to the stage of publishing their work and not know how to negotiate a contract.

If you are an author, educator, researcher, student, or community member (Sara doesn’t close her doors to anyone not affiliated with UIUC), and you cannot find the time the attend one of Sara’s workshops or read one of her LibGuides in its entirety, but you’re overwhelmed with what you need to learn about navigating copyright, you should start with Sara’s YouTube Channel. Sara’s YouTube channel is an excellent supplement to her services and is an introduction to what she offers UIUC.

Warning: Sara’s videos might make you more interested in law-related material than expected. Sara’s videos are instructional, digestible, and engaging and conversational. While your understanding of copyright increases, you will not find yourself bored by legalese. Her first video on her YouTube channel defines copyright and the requirements in order to own it, the rights attached to it, and then how those rights are protected while also making a work available. While this particular video may be more appropriate for students and beginners, new authors might also want to review what rights apply to their work.

As someone who attended her fair use workshop, I found that her ten-minute Fair Use video manages to cover the most important aspects of Fair Use about as well as a full-length workshop. The “Do You Know Your Fair Use Rights?” video demonstrates how to weigh the four factors of fair use—for example, the more commercial a project is, the less likely it is to be in fair use, but the more educational it is, the more likely it is to be in fair use. To demonstrate transformative use, she explains the differences between parody and satire—an important and also complicated factor to determine in court cases. In the end, she summarizes her most important point that fair use is a right. Even if you ask for permission to use something and your request is declined, you can still use it if it’s sufficiently transformative—whether it’s for commercial use or you make copies or you use an entire work. Again, the nice thing about Sara’s guides are that they apply to anyone, but her fellow librarians might find this a particularly succinct resource to use or point to when advising patrons.

Her “1923-1978 and public domain” video navigates the copyright challenges brought on during this period, which entails how the copyright symbol was used, giving reasonable notice of copyright protection, and registration and renewal at the copyright office. Not only does she chart what’s in the public domain herself based on these criteria, but she directs you to cheat sheets and databases, such as the Stanford Copyright Renewal Database, and shows you how to navigate within and between them. She ends by pointing to one of her LibGuides called Copyright Reference Guide.

Ethical practice plays a huge role when you’re producing and sharing your work, whether it’s working with records, computer programs, publications, media, or chemical or biological materials. Check out Sara’s YouTube Channel—while new, she’s quickly adding videos—or reach out to Sara herself in order to build your confidence by better understanding Creative Commons licensing, international markets, university policies, orphan works, the TEACH Act, patents, registered and unregistered copyright, and more.

Introducing Sara Benson, Copyright Librarian & Assistant Professor, Scholarly Communications and Publishing Unit

Posted on October 11, 2016 by C. Berman

Today we’re welcoming Sara Benson as a Scholarly Commons affiliate. While Sara has been at the University of Illinois for over ten years, she joined the library staff this August as our Copyright Librarian & Assistant Professor in the Scholarly Communications and Publishing Unit. Keep reading to get to know Sara.

What is your background education and work experience?

I am a lawyer with ten years of experience teaching at the law school level at the University of Illinois College of Law. Prior to joining the College of Law, I worked both in a large international law firm and a small boutique non-profit law firm.

What led you to this field?

When people turn forty, they examine their life and their career goals. The same was true for me. I decided to add to my existing legal knowledge by joining the MLIS program at the iSchool part-time.Through the iSchool, I learned that I could combine my passion for the law with my new love of librarianship by working as a Copyright Librarian—and here I am!

What is your research agenda?

Right now I am working on a large-scale project to study the effectiveness of fair use training on librarians. I believe that fair use can and should be taught to librarians and, despite the fact that it is a complicated area of the law, I think librarians can digest and apply the information in their everyday jobs. Thus, I am currently working on a study to test the outcome of a fair use training session for librarians.

Do you have any favorite work-related duties?

Yes. I already love helping to provide guidance to researchers, students, and scholars about copyright related information. I helped secure the right to film an Indian film at the Tagore Festival and the patron I assisted invited me to take part in the festivities. So, already I am receiving such positive results and feedback, which makes my job a pure joy.

What are some of your favorite underutilized resources that you would recommend to researchers?

I think fair use is not utilized enough in research and teaching as a whole to justify transformative aspects of our jobs as professors and scholars. I think we (as a University) should take advantage of the fair use defense to the full extent of the law.

If you could recommend only one book to beginning researchers in your field, what would you recommend?

I would recommend Kevin L. Smith’s book titled: “Owning and Using Scholarship: An IP Handbook for Teachers and Researchers.” I just read it over the summer prior to beginning my position and it is invaluable.

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