NIU Today

University Libraries has launched Huskie Commons, a new online repository featuring NIU student theses and dissertations and faculty members’ publications in peer-reviewed journals. While outreach to NIU faculty is just beginning, Huskie Commons already contains full text versions of more than 60 faculty publications and links to more than 4,000 theses and dissertations. In the...

NIU faculty standout William Baker, who holds a joint appointment with University Libraries and the Department of English, will present a Board of Trustees Professorship Seminar at noon Monday, Oct. 1, in the Capitol Room of the Holmes Student Center. The event is open to the public, with refreshments to be served before the seminar,...

Friends of the NIU Libraries will host a faculty wine tasting from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13. The event will take place in Rare Books & Special Collections (Room 403 of Founders Memorial Library) and will feature wines and cheeses from Hy-Vee in Sycamore. No RSVP is required. Founded in 1983 as an...

In 1875, Robert Todd Lincoln, the only surviving son of Abraham Lincoln, petitioned to have his mother institutionalized for insanity. Mary Lincoln had no knowledge of her son’s intentions until Chicago police officers showed up outside of her hotel to escort her to the courthouse. For three hours, 17 witnesses testified to Mary Lincoln’s erratic behavior...

Members of the so-called “thumb generation” are known for their skills with digital devices and surfing the Internet. But research shows college students struggle in the area of “information literacy,” or the ability to locate, understand, evaluate and use informational resources necessary for university-level coursework. The ease of Internet access to information such as advertisements,...

The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded Northern Illinois University Libraries with a National Leadership Grant of $575,000 to investigate affordable digital preservation solutions for small and medium-sized college and university libraries. Because technology changes so rapidly, libraries nationwide are becoming increasingly concerned about the preservation of their digital materials, including...

NIU Libraries will introduce a new service this semester called “Primo.” Primo incorporates the most advanced developments in search engine technology with the aim of furnishing an easier and more intuitive process for locating academic literature. In effect, the database combines all NIU books, full-text articles and digital resources into a single search index and...

Lynne M. Thomas, curator of Rare Books and Special Collections at NIU Libraries, garnered international acclaim from the science fiction world this month for her editing work on the book, “Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It”(Mad Norwegian Press). Thomas and her editing colleague, Tara O’Shea, received...

Friends of the NIU Libraries will host a faculty wine tasting from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1. The event will take place in Rare Books & Special Collections (Room 402 of Founders Memorial Library) and will feature wines and cheeses from Hy-Vee in Sycamore. No RSVP is required. Founded in 1983 as an...

A new online library for NIU’s scholarly materials and products, the Huskie Commons Digital Repository, is being developed by the University Libraries and Information Technology Services (ITS). Once completed, this repository will “provide a long-term secure digital space where faculty and staff can place their publications, data sets and other research materials,” said Patrick Dawson,...

Founders Memorial Library has begun to circulate netbooks for student and faculty use. The six netbooks, which can be checked out at the library circulation desk, are available for in-library use and will circulate for two-hour periods. Depending on demand, users may renew the computers for an additional two hours. The purpose of the netbooks is not...

When students and faculty return to campus this month, they will see significant changes to the NIU Libraries’ website and have easier access to library information. The Libraries’ website will feature a new design and new layout, which will make accessing information easier for users. In addition to the aesthetic changes, the Libraries’ website also will...