Meet Our Staff - Adam Keim

Adam Keim

Reference and Instruction Librarian

(254) 968-9987

Dick Smith Library - Main Floor - 110E

Hello, my name is Adam Keim. I am a Reference & Instruction Librarian and the liaison to the Psychology department here at Tarleton. Basically, I am here to help you with all of your research needs. I love the learning process and helping other people grow in their academic adventures. If you are wondering where to go with any kind of research, seek me out. I will probably be in the library – not too far from the coffee shop at any given time!

My own academic background is in the humanities (history, theology, and classical languages), but I love learning new things in any field…and I welcome any challenge. I am from the frigid environs of Minnesota, but I received my Masters of Library & Information Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I just moved down to the great state of Texas and I am excited to experience what y’all call “winter.”

I have an amazing wife and three beautiful little girls. If free time is something beyond myth, I enjoy reading and golfing, I am a coffee enthusiast, and I love to travel. See you at the Dick Smith Library!

Library Lavatory News

Some of the eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that the library's restrooms have recently been graced with a new publication known as the Library Lavatory News. This monthly newsletter is the brainchild of Ms. Amy Castillo, Manager of Electronic Resources & Scholarly Communication.

1.      How did you get the idea for Library Lavatory News?

I’ve had the idea in my head for a few years after hearing another library do something similar during a conference presentation. It just seemed like something worth trying to see if we could get some exposure on our library’s electronic resources.

2.      What kinds of stories are featured in the News?

Amy Castillo, Manager of Electronic
Resources & Scholarly Communication. 

While wanting to promote our e-resources was the source of the motivation to get the newsletter together I think it’s important to keep it fairly distributed to showcase several aspects of the library. I like to make sure the newsletter features a service, any upcoming events, and promotion of at least one e-resource. It’s even better if I can tie one of those areas to another. For example, in the September 2019 LLN the e-resource featured (LearningExpress Library) tied in with an event between the library and Career Services where the resource was going to be discussed. 

    3.   How long does it take to put an issue together?

It depends on what’s going on that month and whether I need to get some assistance. I have an amazing student worker, Landry Little, who will help interview library staff to feature a service they oversee. The October 2019 newsletter took about 3 hours to pull together. 

4.      Who creates the content, and how do you get ideas?

In regards to creating content: If it’s a service feature – it’s either written by Landry, myself, or we’ve gathered information from the library’s website; events come from the library events calendar; and e-resources, it’s usually a mix between myself and the information I get from the platform provider. I like to include a logo, if possible, to have a visual tie to the e-resource. Ideas usually come from the time of semester it seems good to promote something. October is American Archives Month so we featured the Archives & Special Collections Department.

5.      Have you gotten any feedback and, if so, what was said?

So far I’ve only received good feedback. I’ve heard from staff that said they’ve gotten questions at the reference desk about an event or an e-resource in that month’s newsletter. Earlier this year a student stopped by my office after seeing the newsletter that mentioned Mango Languages so I was able to show them a bit more about the mobile app. I’ve gotten some recommendations on things to feature in future issues which helps. If anyone has additional suggestions, please let me know!    

The October 2019 issue of the Library Lavatory News.

The Library Lavatory News is a great way to find out about library events and resources.
Do you have an idea for the newsletter? Contact Amy at (254 ) 968-9868.

How to Design a Research Poster Recap

Last  Monday the Scholarly Communication Librarian, Katie Pierce Farrier taught a session about how to design a research poster. In case you missed it, here is a brief summary. The full presentation can be found on here on Tarleton Libraries YouTube .

The library has a sample poster template available. Make sure you make it your own. Double check with your mentor or department that the template meets any additional guidelines for your chosen field. The template can be found here Download a poster template

When designing your poster don’t forget CRAP!

Contrast- Avoid dark backgrounds. Pick easy to read fonts and make your visuals the main focus of the poster. Use a flattering color scheme that lends to visibility, and use colors that are still readable if someone is colorblind.

Repetition- Use the same throughout. Same font, same color, same style. Leave some white/ negative space.

Alignment- Justify body text. Center the title. Use the guidance lines on PowerPoint to make sure you have everything aligned properly.  Separate information into three or four columns and order it logically.

Proximity – Placing information together indicates to the reader that there is a relationship between the two pieces of information. Don’t be too wordy. Space your visuals evenly throughout the text.

Don’t Forget!

Before:

Make sure you follow all given guidelines. Presentation guidelines for Pathways Student Symposium can be found here https://www.tamiu.edu/pathways/presentation-guidelines.shtml.

Cite your sources. Style guides can be found at the library reference desk.

Students can print posters for free at the Office of Research and Innovation, or for a small fee at the Dick Smith Library. Poster size is 36”x48”.

During:

Treat your presentation like an interview. Dress for success.

Maintain friendly eye contact and speak with confidence.

Last but not least, Good luck!

If you have any questions, please contact Katie Pierce Farrier at kpierce@tarleton.edu

Top Five Fun and Spooky Books at Rickett Library

Here are five spooky and fun books that you can find in the Rickett Library!


1. Coraline by Neil Gaiman with illustrations by Dave McKean

Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenged a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.

You can find Coraline with the call number:
PZ7 .G1273 CO 2003









2. Aliens: Extraterrestrial Tales of Terror by Don Wulffson

This is a collection of scary stories you may remember from your childhood. It's centered around aliens who come from planets both known and unknown. This book includes: Scientific Examination, An Eye for an Eye, The Killer of Fayetville, Bones, The Invisible Terror, and Ancestral Aliens.

You can find Aliens with the call number:
PZ7 .W96373 AL 1996











3. A Fate Totally Worse Than Death by Paul Fleischman

In this horror novel parody, three self-centered members of Cliffside Highschool's ruling clique, who are beginning to age rapidly, become convinced that the beautiful new exchange student is the ghost of a girl whose death they caused the year before.

You can find A Fate Totally Worse Than Death with the call number:
PZ7 .F59918 FAT 1995














4. Jade Green: A Ghost Story by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

While living with her uncle in a house haunted by the ghost of a young woman, recently orphaned Judith Sparrow wonders if her one small transgression causes mysterious happenings.

You can find Jade Green with the call number:
PZ7 .N24 JAD 2002











5. The Night Gardener: A Scary Story by Jonathan Auxier

Irish orphans, Molly, fourteen, and Kip, ten, travel to England to work as servants in a crumbling house where nothing is quite what it seems to be, and soon the siblings are confronted by a mysterious stranger and secrets of the cursed house.

You can find The Night Gardener with the call number:
PZ7 .A9314 NIG 2014

National Mental Illness Awareness Week

Image from nami.org

October 6th-12th is National Mental Illness Awareness Week. Mental Illness Awareness Week was established in 1990 by Congress in order to recognize the efforts of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) who educate and inform others about mental illness.  You can find out more about NAMI by clicking here.

Each year, 1 in 5 Americans experience mental illness. This means that 19.1% of American adults experienced mental illness in 2018. National Mental Illness Awareness Week encourages community awareness in order to break the stigma and advocate for recovery and treatment (Source).

Tarleton State University Student Counseling Services provides services for students which include individual counseling, couple counseling, and group counseling. You can also find a list of community and campus resources here.

Image from nami.org

Here is a list of Counseling events at Tarleton State University which includes Mental Health First Aid training held on Fridays in October from 12pm until 2pm and Green Dot training from October 8th to the 10th for National Mental Illness Awareness Week and various days throughout the semester.

Tarleton University libraries provides a subject guide for Psychology and Counseling Research for those who wish to find resources.

We also have a variety of books and electronic resources on stress management, relaxation, anxiety, depression, and domestic violence.

#MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek #MentalHealthDay #WhyCare

The Top Five Horror Books at the Dick Smith Library

It's finally October! So get ready for Halloween by reading the top five checked out horror books in the Dick Smith Library!






1. Misery by Stephen King


Writer Paul Sheldon wants to stop writing about his historic romance character Misery Chastain and start writing literary fiction. Annie Wilkes, Sheldon's number one fan, rescues him from a car crash and has her own ideas for Misery.

You can find Misery in the General Stacks upstairs with the call number: PS3561 .I483 M5 1987

2. Hideaway by Dean Koontz 

After a car accident leaves him clinically dead for eighty minutes, Hatch Harrison wakes up with a new found lease on life and a horrifying telepathic connection with a serial killer.

You can find Hideaway in the stacks with the call number: PS3561 .O55 H5 1992

3. House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker

House follows two couples who find themselves trapped in a deadly game. The killer has set the rules and the only way out is to go into the house.

You can find House in the stacks with the call number: PS3566 .E691217 H68 2006C
















4. Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley


A monster assembled by a scientist from dead body parts learns to think for himself and decides to take revenge against the man who created him.

You can find Frankenstein with the call number:
 PR5397 .F7 1988















5. The Fall of the House of Usher and Four Other Tales, stories by Edgar Allen Poe and illustrated by Rick Schreiter

This book contains some of Poe's greatest and scariest works including The Black Cat, Ms. Found in a Bottle, Three Sundays in a Week, and The Oval Portrait.

You can find this book of tales in the Education section with the call number: PZ3 .P752 FAL9