Data Day is a one day symposium is intended to cover topics surrounding the use of data in humanities and social sciences research.  The event is organized by Research Data Services and the Humanities Research Bridge and sponsored by the UW CIO and Vice Provost for IT and the General Library System.

Almost 50 squares!

Back in November, we shared the news about Steenbock Library’s lunchtime charity knitting program which supports Warm Up America, a non-profit that provides blankets for people in need.  Now, we’re delighted to share the news that the lunchtime Knitting Social at Steenbock  will continue into the spring semester!

The group attracts more than 20 knitters weekly, including students, campus librarians, university staff and library users. Participants knit or crochet squares that are sewn together to create blankets.  The first charity afghan the group made is in the process of being stitched together, and Chemistry Librarian Ariel Neff reports that they have enough squares for a second blanket as well!

Local residents and The Sow’s Ear, a knitting and coffee shop in Verona, have donated yarn and supplies to the cause, allowing the program to continue. The club will meet through March 22 on Fridays from 12pm-1pm at Steenbock Library, Room 240.  Beginners are welcome!  If you’re just getting started, the Library offers knitting kits and librarians have created a display of knitting books.

The group will be selecting another charity project for the Fall 2013 semester.

At A Glance

• What: Knitting Social
• When: Noon to 1 p.m. Fridays through March 22.
• Where: Room 240, Steenbock Memorial Library, 550 Babcock Drive
• Cost: Free

Call 608-262-4423 for information.

Photo opportunities: Media are welcome to attend any Knitting Social for photographs and interviews. Photos also are available upon request.

The squares pile up for Warm Up America.

It’s a given that our campus libraries provide access to lots and lots of digital and print information. This fall, the kind staff at Steenbock Library are offering access to hands-on learning, too! Every Friday until December 14, students and staff are invited to the library to participate in a lunchtime knitting extravaganza.

The events are being held in support of Warm Up America, a non-profit organization that provides blankets for people in need, while at the same time promoting education about knitting and other fiber arts.

Knitters (and crochet-ers!) come together to create individual squares that will be joined together to make a full blanket. Don’t know how to knit or crochet? No problem – library staff are on hand to show you how to wield the needles. Supplies are donated by area businesses and individuals.

Get your knit on at Steenbock Library, every Friday at lunchtime.

The first Fridays of the series were well attended by students and staff from all over campus – see more photos from the event on Flickr.

Event information:

Warm Up America Knitting Socials
Steenbock Library Room 240
Fridays, 12-1 p.m.

For more information:

• Exercise Your Craftivism! post on the Steenbock Library blog
• Warm Up America program through the Craft Yarn Council
• Questions? Write to Ariel Neff, Chemistry Librarian, at aneff@library.wisc.edu

Library workshops are offered at libraries all over campus.

We’re well into the fall semester (if you can believe it!)…get ready for final projects and papers well in advance with a library workshop!

Upcoming workshop topics include:

• Strategies and tools for managing your citations
• How to make the most of Google for your academic research
• Finding grants and other funding for your education or special projects

Find out more:

To see a full list of workshops by topic and date, visit the Library Workshop webpage.

You can also subscribe to the full workshop schedule in the UW campus calendar.

Need help starting or polishing up your research project or paper? Check out the UW-Madison Writing Center for individual assistance and writing workshops.

Many library workshops take place in Memorial Library’s second floor classroom.

The Graduate Support Series is a special set of workshops offered by the UW-Madison Libraries in conjunction with the Graduate Student Collaborative and other graduate school departments. These workshops are part of the Graduate Student Professional Development Workshop Series.

The library workshops in the Graduate Support Series are specially tailored to those engaged with graduate study, and cover topics like:

• Finding external funding for graduate study
• Organizing your research materials with citation managers (such as Mendeley, EndNote, or Zotero)
• Researching the literature in different subject areas, from life sciences to the arts and humanities

Check out the Graduate Support Series workshop page for the complete fall schedule. Registration is recommended for these workshops!

Want to learn more about library workshops and tours? We’ve organized our page so that you can find workshops by date, workshops by topic/subject, and library tours.

And…don’t forget, if you can’t find what you’re looking for right away, you can always Ask a Librarian.