This spring, Professor Lee Norton brought his three English 110 classes to the library to visit Special Collections and Archives (SCA). As Norton explains in his syllabus, the theme of the course is to “investigate the manifold workings of collective memory: the places, practices, and stories that bind groups together through shared understandings of common past and present purpose.” Given this mission, a visit to a real-world archive is a key part of the curriculum, complementing readings and discussions that focus on sites of memory.

During the class sessions, the instructors (Archivists Annie Tummino and Olivia Zisman) used lecture, , and discussion to introduce students to archival concepts and questions, including:

• What do archivists do?
• What ends up in an archive? Who decides?
• What is missing?
• What stories do archives tell?
• How do archives shape history?

Next, we introduced students to the , a diverse collection of photographic prints (25 boxes) produced by the �춹��Ƶ publicity office from the founding of the college in 1937 to the early 2000s.  These images were used in brochures, course bulletins, leaflets, and other advertisements during a time when most marketing occurred in print. Many items contain visible evidence of their past function and use, such as handwritten captions, marginalia, and cropping instructions.

Hands on Activity

For the hands-on activity, we divided students into teams of 3-4 people and provided a single folder from the Creative Services Collection to examine in detail. Donning cotton gloves, the students carefully browsed the contents of their folder, typically comprised of 25-50 photographs, with subjects ranging from athletics to student protests to hanging on the quad. We asked students to hone their powers of observation. What activities did they see in the pictures? What clothes were people wearing? Could they identify the location of the picture? What could they infer about student life from the images?

Next, we asked the students to move from observation to curation. Each team was tasked with selecting a set of 4-8 images chronicling campus life, keeping in mind questions introduced earlier: Who is represented? Why? What narrative is conveyed? This allowed the students to exercise their creative muscles and curate their own stories. During the last part of class, students shared their selections with their classmates, leading to a lively show and tell. Overall, the archive visit and activity fit seamlessly in Norton’s syllabus, serving as a warm-up for the students’ next big English 110 assignment: creating a virtual exhibition, including writing introductory text and wall panels.

Students share their findings during class in the Tanenbaum Room

The creativity displayed by the students in class was impressive, deserving public access. Therefore, archives staff agreed to scan the images for posting. We are happy to announce that the image sets are now in the process of being shared !  Please follow our account to check out the students’ work and for more updates from SCA. If you would like to peruse more photographs documenting QC history, check out the “Life at �춹��Ƶ” .

By: Leila Walker, Assistant Professor Humanities & Digital Scholarship Librarian

A faculty development workshop about teaching with open pedagogy.

Facilitation and planning team: Leila Walker (Library), Eric Silberberg (Library), and Annie Tummino (Library)

This three-day, hybrid workshop invites QC faculty to redesign a course syllabus using free and open materials. CUNY students routinely report going into debt, foregoing necessities, or delaying academic progress due to the high cost of textbooks. Through a combination of hands-on skills workshops, interdisciplinary panels, and reflective practice in a supportive environment, participants in this fellowship will develop open pedagogical practices that engage students in the creation of knowledge and reduce economic barriers to academic success. By the end of the Fellowship, participants should have the outline of an openly licensed syllabus ready to run for the 2026-2027 academic year.

For examples of syllabi and other course materials developed through the OER Initiative at �춹��Ƶ, see our repository on .

Schedule

• Dates: In person June 8 and 9, with a 90-minute follow up over Zoom on June 12
• Time: 10am-1:30pm June 8 and 9, 10am-11:30am June 12
• Location: �춹��Ƶ campus (June 8 and 9) and Zoom (June 12)

This workshop will support faculty to:

• Learn how to apply the principles of open pedagogy in assignments and syllabi to disrupt the “banking model of education” and encourage student engagement
• Learn the basics of open educational resources, copyright and Creative Commons, and accessibility
• Find, adapt, and use open educational resources and zero-textbook-cost materials
• Enact social justice by lowering financial barriers to student success
• Build community with colleagues across the college

Faculty participants will commit to:

• Attend the workshop in-person on June 8 and 9
• Attend a follow-up meeting over Zoom on June 12
• Review workshop materials (e.g. readings, videos) as assigned
• Develop an openly licensed syllabus using zero-textbook-cost materials and upload a copy to CUNY Academic Works by August 1, 2026
• Share a brief reflection with the Library by August 1, 2026

Faculty that fulfill the above commitments will receive a $2000 stipend and a certificate of completion.

Who should apply?

• This workshop is open to all faculty members, both full-time and contingent, at �춹��Ƶ.
• No expertise or previous training is necessary, and all disciplines are welcome.
• We especially encourage faculty to discuss with their departments how the materials generated through this Fellowship might be used across multiple sections.

Applications due Wednesday, April 15, 11:59 p.m.

By: Alex Crowley, Adjunct Visual & Performing Arts, Music Librarian

The QC Music Library would like to announce the return of the BOOK SALE to the Aaron Copland School of Music (ACSM). Items for sale will include Books, Scores, LPs, and CDs. The sale is CASH ONLY.

• Location: ACSM Atrium
• Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2026
• Time: 10am – 4pm

Please contact the Music Library if you have any questions about the event: musiclibrary@qc.cuny.edu.

See you then! 

By: Amerigo Cleffi and Kit Moszynski, Graduate Students, �춹��Ƶ School of Information Studies

An exhibition celebrating the bookplate is currently on display in the Rosenthal Library’s Barham Rotunda. Bookplates, also known as ex libris (Latin: “from the library of”), are slips affixed inside books to denote ownership. With origins in 15th century Europe, bookplates were, and are today, specially commissioned by book owners to reflect their tastes, interests, and identity.

The Bookplate: Imprints and Impressions was co-curated by Myra Rodriguez Campolo, Skye Chilberg, Amerigo Cleffi, Karin Fjellman, James Lowry, Natalia Maliga, Kit Moszynski, Karen Timko, and Nande Walters, and grew out of Dr. James Lowry’s spring 2025 Curatorial Studies course in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies (now the School of Information Studies).

The Bookplate: Imprints and Impressions exhibit.

The exhibition presents an overview of the history and artistry of bookplates. A case on imagery showcases common themes in the collection, such as skulls and Ancient Egyptian motifs. An overview of bookplate production is provided, touching on commonly used printing techniques such as intaglio, relief, and screenprinting, alongside examples of bookplates made with those techniques. The exhibition concludes with a look at bookplate collecting and scholarship, including books about bookplates and journals from bookplate societies.

The bookplates that make up the core of the exhibit came from the collection of Dr. Lowry, and students Nande Walters and Kit Moszynski also provided materials from their personal collections. During the semester, the class worked together to categorize the bookplates, noting common imagery and information on date, technique, and provenance when available. Alongside the bookplates, we incorporated additional materials to supplement the text and create more varied visual interest. This included books that highlight bookplate history and scholarship, including titles from the Rosenthal Library, as well as handmade and custom bookplates.

Our efforts were greatly aided by class participant Natalia Maliga, a book conservator with a background in printmaking and exhibitions. The design of each case was conceptualized as a group, and involved a good deal of physically trying different layouts to see what felt right.

The Bookplate: Imprints and Impressions aims to stimulate interest in bookplates among viewers with little-to-no familiarity with bookplates, while providing compelling material for current appreciators of the craft.

The Bookplate: Imprints and Impressions will be on view in the Barham Rotunda through Spring 2026.

By: Michelle Thomas, Adjunct Life Science Librarian

Learning about the world through stories, pictures, and real-world connections is a powerful way to capture attention and promote learning. �춹��Ƶ Library invites you to stop by and explore our newest 3rd floor display, “Our Amazing Ecosystems”.

The goal of this display is to spark curiosity through a selection of interesting and artistic books while also engaging readers in learning and understanding how plants, animals, and environments interact to create and maintain their ecosystems. From the tiniest insect in Insect-o-rama to the tallest tree in The Gift of the Tree, everything plays a role.

Amazing Ecosystems Library Book Display (3rd floor)

The display is thoughtfully arranged to showcase various ecosystems (safari, marine, grasslands) and elements (plants, animals, weather) allowing readers to “travel” from one environment to another by moving along the display. Visually rich non-fiction selections like, Perfectly Peculiar Plants and Secrets of the Sea introduce rare and unique species, while titles like Life on Earth: The Story of Evolution provide factual and striking imagery. Adventure-based science storytelling is also included in titles like, Planting the Wild Garden and What’s for Dinner?, which bridges imagination with scientific exploration.

To encourage deeper engagement, the display incorporates guiding questions:

• What happens when one species disappears?
  • See: Extinctopedia or Don’t Squish a Slug
• How do plants and animals depend on each other?
  • See: All the Water in the World or The Reason for a Flower
• Why do certain organisms thrive in specific climates?
  • See: Change is in the Air or Wiggling Worms at Work

Our 3rd floor display has something for everyone! Interesting facts, intriguing art, and fascinating discoveries. It is designed to teach in a way that feels visually inviting and intellectually engaging for learners while still resonating with the broader academic community. This display is an invitation to explore, learn, and appreciate the amazing ecosystems in the world we live in, we hope you enjoy!

See Our Amazing Ecosystem 3rd Floor Display information (PDF)

By: Q. Joan Xu, Assistant Professor, Data Services and Business Librarian

In the new year, the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research () continues to provide data users with new resources, including training and scholarship opportunities.

ICPSR Data Fair at Love Data Week

ICPSR hosts a virtual conference, the Data Fair, every other year. This year, will include 10+ webinars and activities, including:

• Feb 9, 12 p.m. ET:
• Feb 9, 2 p.m. ET:
• Feb 10, 1 p.m. ET:
• Feb 10, 3 p.m. ET:
• Feb 11, 12 p.m. ET:
• Feb 11, 1 p.m. ET:
• Feb 11, 2 p.m. ET:
• Feb 11, 3 p.m. ET:
• Feb 12, 12 pm ET:
• Feb 12, 1 p.m. ET:
• Feb 12, 2 p.m. ET:
• Feb 13, 12 p.m. ET:
• Feb 13, 2 p.m. ET:

ICPSR Scholarships

Data Communication Scholarship

is open to undergraduate and graduate students. This annual competition encourages participants to produce a dynamic, three-minute video that creatively showcases their data literacy by exploring ICPSR data, selecting a study of interest, and communicating its key features, significance, and potential uses.

Data Communication Scholarship submissions are due on February 23. To learn more, you can join an online webinar, “,” on February 9 at 2 pm.

ICPSR Summer Program and Scholarships

The is a training program offering online and in–person courses each summer. Courses include Machine Learning, Race, Ethnicity, and Quantitative Methodology, Multilevel Models, and more.

The Summer Program offers over $150,000 in scholarships, which is open to students, faculty, and researchers. The cover the registration fee for their , a comprehensive methods training program comprising classes in statistics, regression analysis, machine learning, network analysis, longitudinal analysis, time series analysis, formal models, data visualization, and more.

This year, all ICPSR scholarship application forms and materials (including letters of recommendation) are due on Sunday, March 1, 11:59 pm. To learn more, you can join an online webinar, “,” on February 11 at 3 pm.

Image courtesy QC Creative Services

From October 28th to November 24th, the Carole A. and Norman Barham Rotunda in Rosenthal Library became home to a Día de Muertos ofrenda (altar). The altar was designed and built by students enrolled in Prof. Sara Hinojos’ MEDST 225: Ethnicity in American Media course. These students first researched the origins and commercialization of Día de Muertos. Their work culminated in five distinct sections of the altar. These sections were dedicated not only to family members but also addressed broader themes such as social justice, personal stories of family immigration, and tributes to cultural luminaries important to Latinx communities.

Image courtesy QC Creative Services

​Día de Muertos is a Mexican holiday where families traditionally gather to pay respects and remember friends and family members who have died. Families customarily build home altars adorned with marigold flowers (cempazúchitl), decorative skulls (calaveras), and the departed’s favorite worldly foods and belongings.

Image courtesy QC Creative Services

The holiday’s origins are debated with some tracing its roots to Indigenous Mexican traditions and others viewing it as a local expression of Christian practices. At its core is a profound recognition of the continuous cycle of life and death. During the late 1960s, Mexican American artists in Southern California began transforming the tradition, turning the ofrenda into a public display of cultural pride, grief, and political expression in community centers, parks, and libraries. Even as Día de Muertos becomes more commercialized in the U.S. context, its spirit makes space for meaningful expression of shared, intercultural experiences of the �춹��Ƶ community.

English 162w is a General Education Pathways course that offers a writing-intensive curriculum. Quiltmaking addresses a key learning object of the course, “Asking analytical, argument-driven questions about literature and culture” through close reading of poems and creative process essays then, creating a quilt piece based on a concrete or abstract image suggested by the poem.

(1917-2014), the late Teachers College, Columbia, educational philosopher argued that, “If it weren’t for imagination, people would be in a box all the time.”. For the poetry quilt, students used materials from the QC Makerspace to imagine and create individual works of art, which were then combined to create a collective quilt on the course theme of , a quality or place that turns seemingly ordinary occasions into moments of transformation.

QC Makerspace provided all quilting materials for the students, and  offered a congenial workspace where students had an opportunity to collaborate on reading, interpreting, and writing, as well as quilting. In their writing, students observed that the QC Makerspace serves as an excellent example of liminal space, an on-campus location outside of the classroom that offers opportunities for reflection, collaboration, and ultimately, an embodied experience with the power of poetry to inspire personal and collective transformation.

Representing a collaboration of many hands, quilters used textiles, beads, paper, rubber gloves, masks, and other found objects to craft individual patches, then worked collectively to design and stitch the quilt. Displaying words and images, the poetry quilt is an illustration of the creative process at work. As Hunter College Professor (1934-1992) affirms, “Poetry is not a luxury,” but a necessity for everyday life.

Students’ artwork used with permission

2025 QCL Assessment Poster

The data dashboards in the poster show that from fiscal 2020 to 2025, overcoming the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the library has continued to provide the QC community with substantive instructional, research, and informational support by curating accessible library resources, services, and spaces. The dashboards also reveal distinct changes in the usage of library digital resources since 2020, when its operations transitioned in response to COVID-19. Since 2020, LibGuides views have increased sharply, peaking in 2021; OneSearch sessions have grown rapidly, peaking in 2022.

The visualized longitudinal library data provide meaningful insights into assessing library support. The findings suggest that multiple factors could impact the use of an academic library’s services and resources. A well-functioning online catalog and well-developed subject-based content are the most robust library resources. Sufficient professional librarians are the backbone of an academic library.

Some Assessment Showcase attendees made positive comments on this data-informed poster, including “Great job and very useful data collections,” “Really good data collection,” and “Very nice graphs!” “Great work on the research! LibGuides are so useful!” and “Love the multi-dimensional data dashboards with various metrics of student success!”

The second-annual �춹��Ƶ Assessment Showcase provides an opportunity to have the Library’s substantive support more visible in the community. The Showcase attendees’ inspiring comments and the “Excellence in Assessment” award will motivate Library staff to improve assessment practices further and enhance library support for the College’s curricular and research activities.

Today, we are all experiencing the change that generative AI has brought into our personal and professional lives.  As faculty, we are figuring out ways to address generative AI in our classrooms as it relates to our teaching, but we also need to address our own experience with generative AI in our daily life and work.  Generative AI is not only changing writing courses, it is also changing daily work and life across all professions.

Faculty AI User Experience image created by Canva GenAI

The Forum on Faculty AI User Experience is a two-part discussion focused on learning about the �춹��Ƶ faculty and staff experience of AI as it relates to daily work and life.  The series will have two discussions during the Fall 2025 semester.  The first forum will be an open discussion with faculty regarding their AI user experience and the library with a goal of understanding how the library can support faculty going forward.  The second forum, based on the results of the first will expand the discussion towards creating concrete outcomes.