Six New Things to Look for at the Penn Libraries This Year

Stories

The new semester is about to begin! Whether you’ve just arrived at Penn or are gearing up for another academic year, we’re excited to share some of our newest services, collections, and features with you. Here’s just a taste of what we have to offer.

Find books, articles, and more with the Penn Libraries new search tool

Have you heard? The Penn Libraries catalog has gotten a makeover! Discover library materials and manage your library account in a more streamlined, user-focused fashion. Keep an eye on all your due dates on the My Account page, use a simple form to request materials from other libraries, and have books sent to your preferred location in fewer steps.

We’ll continue to adapt the search tool to patrons’ evolving needs. See the release notes if you’re interested in reading about the latest changes, and use this form to alert us to bugs, suggest improvements, or ask questions.

Check out our new displays celebrating scientific accomplishments

A person stands in a room beside a glass display case containing various items. On the wall behind, there are colorful cut-out illustrations of science-related items such as beakers, test tubes, and a microscope, along with posters that include text. One poster says ‘Science ROCKSTARS’ and another appears to be an educational or informational poster.

When you’re next in the Chemistry Library take a moment to peruse our new display, Chemistry Rockstars. History books are full of the chemistry discoveries of white men, while the crucial contributions of non-white chemists are often ignored. From forensic science to environmentally sustainable material development, the five featured rockstars of chemistry (including Dr. Malika Jeffries-EL, shown here) demonstrate a range of experiences, accomplishments, and future pathways for aspiring chemists.

Also new is a display in the Holman Biotech Commons showcasing distinguished faculty who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Lay down a track in our newly-soundproofed recording studios

A person is seated at a desk in a room with soundproofing panels on the walls. In front of the individual is a computer monitor displaying a digital audio workstation with a multitrack session open. To the left of the monitor, there’s an audio interface and to the right, there are two microphones positioned on stands. The person is using a MIDI keyboard connected to the computer setup, likely engaged in music production or recording.

Hoping to launch a podcast this summer? Need to record music for a class—or just for fun? Book a session in one of the studios in the Ormandy Music and Media Center, which were outfitted with soundproof tiles and doors in the spring.

The studios come equipped with the fundamental tools needed to create a high-quality recording, including microphones, headphones, and computers with editing software.

The Glossberg Recording Room is perfect for recording spoken word, while Recording Room 424.6 is specifically outfitted for music recording, ideal for enthusiasts looking for a small-scale recording area outside of their home or office. This studio features broadcast microphones, small diaphragm condenser mics, stands, cabling, and a four-channel Audient interface.

Read comics from all over the world

A close-up view of a shelf in a bookstore filled with various comic and manga books. The books are predominantly in Japanese, as indicated by the characters on the spines, and they are arranged in numerical order showcasing different volumes of series. The vibrant colors and bold titles on the spines stand out against the white shelving.

Good news for fans of the popular East Asia Comics Collection: it's joining a new, growing global comics collection on the fifth floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center! Our new collection of global comics includes graphic novels and comic books in 13 languages. Language learners, comics lovers, and scholars of popular culture are all sure to find something worth reading. Librarians in the Center for Global Collections are excited to continue expanding this collection in years to come, so check back often for more!

Charge up your devices without leaving your seat

A charging station in a library setting with a sign that reads ‘Charge Here! Place your device on top of the charging pad or use one of the cables.’ A smartphone is placed on top of a black charging pad connected to cables. Next to the charging station, there are three stacked books with visible titles, ‘My Name Is Barbra,’ ‘THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES,’ and another partially obscured title starting with ‘The Art of.’ The setting includes a wooden table and purple chairs in the background.

Picture this: you’re studying late in Van Pelt Library and your phone runs out of battery! Now there’s a solution. We’re adding 28 charging hubs to desks and carrels on the ground, first, and fourth floors of Van Pelt. Charge your device in two ways: either plug your device into the compatible cable (iPhone lightning cable, micro USB, or USB-C), or place it on the handy charging pad to charge it wirelessly.

Explore even more of our collections online

Aged, yellowed strip of paper with handwritten text in an antique script. The paper has rough edges and is placed on a neutral background. A ruler below the paper shows its length to be approximately 25 centimeters.

We’re always working to expand the collections we make available online, and in the last year, our staff has been particularly busy! Since February, nearly 15,000 individual items have been added to Colenda, our main digital image repository. Highlights of our recent additions include photographs by Philadelphia activist Harvey Finkle, a collection of Bengali Muslim manuscripts, and Penn’s primary collection of Benjamin Franklin papers.

Author

Rebecca Ortenberg

Digital Content Manager

Date

August 21, 2024