Author Archives: Hannah Meyer

De-Stress with Scholarly Commons

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The end of the semester is a stressful time with finals and preparing for the summer. During this time it is especially important to take care of your mental health and take some time for yourself. Here are some ways to relax using equipment from Scholarly Commons:

  1. Check out a Tranquility Kit to help with mental health during the stress of finals. This kit includes a Happy Light, headphones, exercise bands and an exercise guide, stress ball, and fidget toys. One of these kits is also available in the Orange Room on the first floor of the library. 
tranquility kit showing happy light, stress ball, fidget toys and headphones
Photo Credit: Media Commons
  1. Read a book on an Amazon Kindle. The Kindles have 4GB memory storage which is enough storage for thousands of books. 
  2. Now that the weather is getting nice you can check out a camera and take a walk outside. Take pictures or videos of the campus or all the geese outside. 
image of Panasonic Lumix camera
Photo Credit: Media Commons
  1. Check out a projector and projector screen and watch a movie with friends.
  2. Try out our new Digital Drawing Kits with downloaded programs including Procreate, Sketchbook, Adobe Illustrator, Adult Coloring Book and Assembly.  
image of iPad with Apple Pencil
Photo Credit: Media Commons
  1. Check out Bluetooth speakers and headphones so that you can blast some music and have a dance party.
  2. Check out one of the sensory toys from the Orange Room while you study. Sensory toys available include a water wiggler, wacky tracks, and twisty tangles. Loanable technology from the Orange Room is available for two-hour check outs. 

Technology from Scholarly Commons is available for loans of up to 10 days. You can book in advance on the Scholarly Commons website or make a booking at the Tech Desk in room 306. To pick up equipment, make sure to bring a valid i-card. 

Good luck with finals! We’ll see you again next year!

Copyright and AI Technology

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On March 16, 2023, the U.S. Copyright Office announced the beginning of a study to examine potential issues caused by the growing use of artificial intelligence to create new works. These issues include whether work created by AI technologies are eligible for copyright protection and the use of  generative AI. Generative AI are technologies that create expressive works by viewing a large amount of human-created creative content. The U.S. Copyright Office also announced that they will be holding four public virtual listening sessions in spring to address the future of AI and copyright in creative fields including visual works and music and sound recordings. 

copyright symbol made up of puzzle pieces
“Large copyright sign made of jigsaw puzzle pieces” by Horia Varlan is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

What is Copyright?

According to the U.S. Copyright Office, copyright is “a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression”. To be considered an original work, the work must have a minimal degree of creativity. Everyone owns a copyright, as everyone has created their own original work whether through classes, work, or for fun. Copyright registration serves to protect the rights of the author. 

robot looking contemplative, background math equations
“Artificial Intelligence & AI & Machine Learning” by mikemacmarketing is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Who is an Author?

The term “author” which is used in both the Constitution and Copyright Act has historically been interpreted to only apply to humans. By this definition, works created solely by AI technology are not able to be copyrighted. The U.S. Copyright Office differentiates between works that are created using technology as an assisting device and works that use AI for the creative elements of the work. If AI is used for the creative elements of the work, but a human selects and arranges the work in a creative way, the work is copyrightable. If a human modifies a work created by AI, the human-modified aspects of the work are copyrightable.

Applications for registration of AI created works have already been sent to the U.S. Copyright Office. One of these applications was denied in 2018 because the content was entirely AI generated. In February 2023, a graphic novel which used AI-generated images was accepted for copyright, with the caveat that the individual images were not copyrightable. 

Applying for Copyright Protection 

To register for copyright protection for a piece of work created in part with the use of AI technology one should use the Standard Application for copyright registration. The registrant must disclose that AI technology was used and describe the extent of its use. The registrant must list the author and explain what aspects of the work were created by humans. AI technology and the companies that make it should not be listed under the “Author Created” field of the application. 

As AI technologies become used more frequently to create literary work, art and music, it will become more important to consider the growing copyright issues they create. To read the full policy statement from the U.S. Copyright Office about material generated by artificial intelligence go to https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-03-16/pdf/2023-05321.pdf. 

Data Storytelling with Scholarly Commons

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What is Data Storytelling? 

Oftentimes data is presented in a manner that is dry or incomprehensible to a general audience. Data storytelling is a more interactive and compelling way to present information. Data storytelling is defined as using visualizations to tell a narrative that communicates insights about data to a wider audience.  

Venn diagram with three circles which are narrative, visuals and data. Where visuals and narrative overlap says engage. Where visuals and data overlap says enlighten. Where narrative and data overlap says explain. In the intersection of all three circles says change.  
Brent Dykes, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons 
 

When writing a data story, start by collecting your data. Look for the most interesting trends and determine the main points you want to get across in your data story. A data story should have a complete narrative rather than being a series of barely connected data visualizations. Make sure the story you are telling is appropriate for your audience.  

Resources for Creating a Data Story: 

The Scholarly Commons Collection is located in the UIUC Main Stacks. Books in this collection are available to check out. The collection includes books that provide introductory information to data storytelling. 

  1. Effective data storytelling : how to drive change with data, narrative and visuals 

This resource is available to UIUC faculty, staff, and students online. It focuses especially on the narrative aspects of data storytelling rather than the visualization aspect. This book explains the psychology of why storytelling is such an effective communication tool.  

  1. Storytelling with data : a data visualization guide for business professionals 

This resource is only available as a physical book. Data storytelling is a method often used by business professionals to impart information in a more meaningful and persuasive way. This book speaks specifically to business professionals and explains how to consider context, determine the appropriate format for the story, and speak to an audience in a compelling way.  

  1. Storytelling with data : let’s practice! 

This book is also available online with an active illinois.edu email address. It provides over 100 hands-on exercises to help you to gain practice in choosing effective visuals, keeping your visualizations clean, and telling a story.  

Scholarly Commons also provides access to various software that can be accessed on the computers in Main Library room 220. These tools can also be accessed through UIUC Anyware. Useful software for data storytelling includes: 

  1. Tableau Public

Tableau is a popular data visualization tool with many features useful for making many types of visualizations, such as histograms, pie charts, and boxplots. Tableau also allows users to create dashboards which create a comprehensive story by combining visuals and data.  

 Dashboard created in Tableau
Marissa-anna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 

  1. ArcGIS 

ArcGIS software allows you to create maps and add data to them. This tool would be especially useful if your data is geographically focused. ArcGIS StoryMaps is an additional tool that allows you to create a story using images, texts, maps, lists, videos and other forms of media.  

Map of Covid cases created in ArcGIS

Dennis Sylvester Hurd, CC-BY 2.0, via Flickr 

If you have data you need to share with an audience, consider sharing it through a data story. Data stories are often more visually appealing and engaging than other methods of sharing data. The Scholarly Commons has lots of useful tools to help you create a data story! 

Spaces Highlight: Interview in a Self-Use Media Booth

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Media booth interior

Getting an interview is both exciting and nerve-wracking. While I was excited for the opportunity, I knew I would have to deal with the stressors involved with interviewing on Zoom: what to say, what to wear, and where to do the interview. I wanted a place where I could be sure I would not be interrupted, would not have to deal with loud noises, and that would look professional to the interviewers. I decided to take advantage of my workplace’s resources and try out the self-use media studios in Scholarly Commons. I made my appointment on the Scholarly Commons website. 

The self-use media studios are sound isolation booths with features including two Shure MV7 microphones, Insta360 4k Webcam, LED light banks, three large screens, mac studio, headphones, powered speakers, and Stream Deck. The studios are designed for video recording, podcasting, oral histories, streaming, interviews, video editing, and more. 

I checked into the booth thirty minutes before the start of my interview. The signs posted around the booth told me how to log in, control the audio, and adjust the camera to follow my movements. I experienced a small challenge, when I could not figure out how to get the camera to turn on. But, with the help of Scholarly Commons staff I was able to begin my interview on time and confident in both myself and the technology I was using. 

One of the first things the interviewers asked me was where I was zooming in from. They were extremely impressed with the set up and the professional setting helped me to stand out as a candidate. I felt comfortable speaking at a regular volume, trusting that those outside could not hear what I was saying as I could not hear anything from outside of the booth. The audio was clear on both my side and the interviewers’. 

If you are using the media studios for the first time, you might find these tips helpful: 

  1. Book in advance- the booths are first-come, first-serve and can fill up quickly
  2. Make your booking earlier than your meeting so that you have time to set up and be prepared in case of any challenges
  3. Make sure to read all the signage as they have instructions, helpful tips, and images which help make the booths easier to navigate
  4. If you are having difficulty, ask a staff member as they are happy to help

I found the self-use media studios in Scholarly Commons to be an excellent place to do my interview. If you have an interview coming up or a project that would benefit from the use of an audio booth, I would highly recommend booking one of the media studios. 

Meet Our Graduate Assistants: Hannah Meyer

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Photo of Hannah in front of Main Library

What is your educational and/or professional background? 

I went to Elon University for my undergraduate degree, where I majored in psychology with minors in teaching & learning and literature. While at Elon, I worked at their library which cemented my desire to work at a library. Other professional experiences have included working at local bookstores during the summer.  

What led you to your field? 

I grew up going to my local public library. I have always loved reading and knew I could not picture a future where I did not spend my workday surrounded by books. I enjoy doing research and helping patrons find what they are looking for.  

What is your specialty within the Scholarly Commons? 

I am a shift supervisor at Scholarly Commons. I supervise student assistants during weekend and evening hours. I also work on various projects within the department including working on LibGuides and scheduling. 

What Scholarly Commons resource are you most excited to learn about? 

I am most excited about learning about all the loanable technology that Scholarly Commons has to offer! It has been interesting getting to see the different options for equipment to check out and to learn the difference between them.  

What do you hope to do after graduation? 

I am still undecided on what kind of library I would like to work at after graduation. Right now, I am considering working at either an academic, community college or public library.