Welcome to SFA!

Stephen F. Austin State University kicked off the start of the fall semester yesterday. After a quiet summer, it's great to have our community back on campus - energy is high, classes are in session, and no one has any idea where anything is. (We're doing our best to point folks in the right direction!)

Last week, the Ralph W. Steen Library participated in New Faculty Orientation. We wrote and performed a short skit, introducing SFA's new professors to the many services and resources found within our library's walls. Digital Projects highlighted our three main services, which will prove to be the goals that guide us in the upcoming year. They are:

The TIDES Database. The cornerstone of the TIDES Program, our database is host to over 23,000 primary source images and documents, all of which are free for students, educators and the general public to access and use in any way they wish. Because of our diverse list of partners, we have content ranging from science to art to history. TIDES truly has something for everyone!

TIDES for Teachers. One of the most robust parts of TIDES is our teacher resource website. While this website is geared towards K-12 educators, it can also be used as a resource for pre-service teachers studying education at SFA (or anywhere, for that matter). Digital Projects works closely with East Texas' K-12 community, so if you have a project or an idea that deals with this group, let us know!

The TIDES Institutional Repository. Over the years, Digital Projects has formed partnerships and included materials in our database from SFA faculty, staff and students. Our goal for the next two years is to focus more heavily on our campus. We are working towards establishing TIDES as a true Institutional Repository which can be used to publish and promote the wealth of information produced right here at SFA. If you have a collection, a project, or research that you'd like to see in TIDES, let us know - we're saving a place just for you.

Welcome (and welcome back) to Stephen F. Austin State University! We know it's going to be a great year, and we excited to share the semester with you.

Changes, Inside and Out

The last few months for Digital Projects have been all about change, both inside and out. The biggest news is that Susan Clarke, our much loved and admired Director, has decided to offer her talents to the Reference and Instructional Services Department of the Steen Library, and has been Head of RIS since July 1st.

Digital Projects has not, however, been without a leader. Christine Hennessey (also known as me!) has stepped up to serve as Director. As the newest manager of one of the newest departments in the library, I've got some challenges to face and a lot of things to learn. But with a team as talented and dedicated as the one backing me, I know that we'll be able to build something truly amazing together.

In fact, changes are already starting! Last week we upgraded CONTENTdm, our database management system. In my next post, I'll go into more detail about what this means and what benefits our users will be reaping. Marty Prince, Digital Projects Specialist and an incredibly talented artist to boot, has been hard at work on a redesign of both the front page of TIDES and the database, which promises to be beautiful while taking "accessibility" to a whole new level.

We've got a few other tricks up our sleeves, but I think that's enough for one blog post. Until next time, send us your ideas, suggestions and comments. We're listening.

Camino Real Teacher Training Workshop

Are you an educator interested in local history and looking for exciting opportunities to earn continuing education credits? If so, consider joining the Stone Fort Museum and the National Park Service as they explore the Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail in a workshop planned exclusively for teachers, right here in Nacogdoches!

WHERE AND WHEN?
Tuesday, August 4th, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. & Wednesday, August 5th, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Stone Fort Museum & the Campus of Stephen F. Austin State University
Nacogdoches, Texas

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Public and private school educators, museum educators, and anyone involved in sharing the history of the Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail with other adults or youth.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
Get the know-how you need to educate others on the trail in one and one-half days of intensive learning, sharing and walking the Camino Real. Faculty, staff and researchers from SFASU and the National Park Service will provide instruction on the history of the trail’s development including the people and places along the trail, the historic landscape, and research methods currently in use to document trail resources; especially GIS mapping. Participants will take a field trip and tour a remnant of the trace and historic sites associated with the trail. Take home resources include a manual of speakers’ note, two DVD presentations on the history of the trail, prepared lesson plans, images and oversize maps for classroom use.

Participants earn 12 hours Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits. The Stone Fort Museum is a Department in the College of Liberal & Applied Arts at Stephen F. Austin State University, an approved provider of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits.

HOW DO YOU REGISTER?
Registration is $50 per person and includes all sessions, a workshop manual and resources, a field trip and four meals. Click here for a printable registration form. Forward your completed form to the Museum by e-mail: stonefort@sfasu.edu, fax: 936-468-7084, or mail:

Stone Fort Museum
SFA Box 6075
Nacogdoches, TX 75962

Presenting at ALA!

Tomorrow morning, Susan and I are leaving for the American Library Association's Annual Conference, which is taking place this year in Chicago. We're very excited about seeing a new city, learning from all the great speakers and presenters that ALA has lined up, and taking part in a poster session, where we'll tell people about all the great things we're doing with TIDES. It should be an enlightening experience, and I'll be sure to report back here with the things I've learned and the resources that demand to be shared.

Are you going to ALA? If so, let us know in the comments or just be sure and stop by to say hello. Our session is on Saturday at 1:30pm. We hope to see you there!

2009 Curriculum Development Team

This past week, Digital Projects held a workshop for the educators taking part in our Curriculum Development Team for the Preserve America grant. We are working with four teachers this year, and we couldn't have asked for a better group.

Our workshop began on Tuesday morning and we spent a few hours in the library, going over contracts, the Google group we'll be using to discuss and share information, and the TIDES website. After that, it was off for a tour of the ETRC, a delicious lunch at Shelley's Bakery, a tour of the Stone Fort Museum, and finally an experiment in geocaching in downtown Nacogdoches with the guidance of the Columbia Geospatial Service Center. Despite the heat and humidity, our educators approached each new adventure with enthusiasm and high spirits!

On Wednesday, we loaded into two vans and had a whirlwind tour of cemeteries and historic sites along the El Camino Real. This included stops at Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site for a picnic lunch and brief tour, an exploration of Mission Dolores, and a walk through the Monroe-Crook House in Crockett. By the end of our second day, half the teachers were jotting down ideas for lesson plans. By the next morning, they were already brainstorming together through the Google group. All in all, it was a rewarding workshop and helped to renew our excitement for the Preserve America grant and the resources that will be added to TIDES throughout the project.

Thank you to Joy, Jeanell, Jacy and Mindy for a fun workshop and a great time! We can't wait to see what lessons and activities you develop for TIDES!

Cemeteries!

If you've been following our Twitter account, you know that the department has been spending a lot of time in cemeteries as of late, conducting research and getting acquainted with the communities participating in the Preserve America grant. Next week, we'll be back on the road with our 2009 Curriculum Development Team - four teachers who will be writing lesson plans based on local cemeteries and regional history. We're looking forward to the workshop and to the resources that we'll soon be adding to TIDES. For a sneak peek, here are some photos from last week's trip. I'll be sure to post images and stories from the Curriculum Development Team workshop next week!

Mission Dolores in San Augustine, Texas.

Behind the scenes at the Pinto Pony, possibly the best little cookie bakery in all of Texas!

The San Augustine City Cemetery - home to history AND beauty.

The William Gasby Cemetery was a peaceful stretch of land tucked away in Sabine County.

The McGowan Cemetery in San Jacinto County.

Happy Memorial Day!

After entering the Navy during World War II, James C. Owens, of the Shady Grove community in Nacogdoches County, was killed during the invasion on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. Owens was first buried on Iwo Jima, but four years later his remains were returned to the United States where he was given a military graveside service at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. View the James Carlton Owens collection on TIDES.

This Monday marks Memorial Day, which commemorates those men and women who died while in the military service. A national moment of remembrance will take place at 3:00pm Eastern Time, and the United States flag will be flown at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. In addition to remembering our fallen comrades, Memorial Day is also a reason to gather together with friends and family and celebrate the start of the summer season. While celebrations are important and joyful, it's just as important to acknowledge the real reason for this day of remembrance.

TIDES has some great images of soldiers as well as lessons and activities that can spark or enhance a Memorial Day classroom experience. Here's a sampling of some of the resources you can access - for free! - though TIDES for Teachers and the TIDES Digital Repository.

• A predefined search for the world "soldier."
• A collection of images and scrapbooks from the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, who trained at Stephen F. Austin State University during World War II.
• A lesson using oral histories to discuss "The Realities of War."
• A lesson exploring "The Legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen."
• A lesson about "The Second World War."