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ASU Library opens new spaces, services for fall semester

August 22, 2019

There are many ways to reinvent a library. This academic year, the Arizona State University Library will introduce you to a few of them.   

Just in time for the start of the fall semester, and amidst a major renovation, Hayden Library has opened the Concourse level, the first newly designed space of the Hayden2020 reinvention project.

The Concourse connects the lower levels of ASU’s largest library to its four-story, above-ground tower, set to open its doors this January.

“The ASU community will be glad to know that the Hayden Library has grown bigger this semester, not smaller,” said Tomalee Doan, associate university librarian for Engagement and Learning Services. “With the opening of the Concourse level, and as we get closer to 2020, students can expect to see greater options for studying, learning and research support.”

Eight new classrooms have been added to Hayden Library's Concourse, along with a new library entrance on the north side of the library near the School of Life Sciences. 

In addition to the new classrooms, Hayden Library now features more meeting and study space with enhanced casual seating options to make students feel more comfortable and supported during their study sessions and group work. 

Students looking to take a break and relax now have the option to browse a variety of themed book collections scattered throughout the new space or get a bite to eat at the P.O.D market.

The Hayden Library Concourse also houses an interfaith reflection room, for prayer and meditation, a wellness room and gender-inclusive restrooms. 

“We are nearing the finish line of the transformation of Hayden Library, and the new spaces that have opened this semester are a reflection of that,” Doan said. “It’s just the beginning of what’s to come.”

No more paywall 

If you are a current student, faculty or staff member enjoying your free digital access to the New York Times, then you will be happy to know that you also have free digital access to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

All you need to do is activate the account

The WSJ service can be accessed via tablet, smartphone app or the web, and the service includes resources for faculty to seamlessly integrate content into course pages in facilitating classroom discussion of relevant and timely news stories. 

Student accounts will stay active until their graduation date, while faculty and staff will need to validate their memberships once a year.  

For ASU students, faculty and staff seeking thoughtful entertainment — everything from Chaplin to foreign and independent films — high quality video content is available to stream free of charge via the Kanopy platform.

An on-demand streaming service for public libraries and universities, Kanopy features a large, curated collection of diverse, unique and award-winning films and documentaries.

To start streaming, all you need to do is sign up.

Boost your research

Several new support offerings for researchers are available through the ASU Library this semester.

Among them is Researcher Support, offering ASU researchers guidance across the research lifecycle, from planning to data storage, in an effort to maximize the quality, productivity and accessibility of ASU research.

For ASU students looking to gain the research skills that will help them succeed in graduate school, the Graduate Scholars Toolkit is a series of one-hour workshops offered at various times throughout the semester on a variety of topics, including copyright, citation management, collaboration and data sharing tools, data visualization and text analysis.

The workshops are offered on all campuses with more online offerings to come.

For students, faculty and staff looking for research opportunities in data science, the Unit for Data Science and Analytics is launching its Open Lab for the 2019–20 academic year. 

A weekly event in Hayden Library, the Open Lab brings together researchers interested in collaborating and learning new skills with ongoing and available projects that engage machine learning, data visualization, text and data mining, network analysis and more.

In addition to Open Lab, the Unit for Data Science and Analytics is also open for collaborations with faculty and staff. 

“Our model is to do great work in interdisciplinary data science, and we want to make sure we include as many people as possible, whether faculty, student or staff,” said Michael Simeone, director of data science for the ASU Library.

The lab also directly mentors students and teams, meeting by appointment for developing their experiments and studies. All skill levels are welcome. 

Interested in data science and/or Open Lab? Reach out to the team for more information. 

Get your books delivered 

Need to pick up some books but can’t make it to the library?

Get them delivered!  

Secure, self-service book delivery lockers are now available in Armstrong Hall on the Tempe campus to allow for the quick and convenient picking up and returning of library materials. 

All you need is your Sun Card. 

Top photo: Student worker Max Stokes, a junior in global studies, shelves book collections related to the content to be taught in nearby classrooms. Photo by Charlie Leight/ASU Now

ASU alum’s short film selected for Oaxaca FilmFest in Mexico


August 22, 2019

The Oaxaca FilmFest international film festival in Mexico has featured the work of Guillermo Del Toro, Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese. And now Martín González, who graduated with a degree in film and media production from Arizona State University's School of Film, Dance and Theatre in 2018, can add his name to that list. 

González recently announced that his short film “The (Dis)united States” is an official selection for the Oaxaca FilmFest, which has been praised by MovieMaker magazine as one of the top festivals in the world.  Martín González on the set of his film Martín González on the set of his film. Photo by Haylee Finn Download Full Image

González said his film is based on true events that occurred in 2009 and in 2013 in Arizona, when two different car washes were raided by the sheriff and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

“In that situation, many workers were detained due to their immigration status,” he said. “This in result tore many families apart, which led to children coming home to no parent or guardian in sight. The log line for my film is: 'When a young man's family is on the verge of being torn apart, he makes one last plea for their freedom.'”

González, a first-generation American whose family migrated to the U.S. about 25 years ago in search of a better life, said the film means a lot to him. 

“I made this film because it is a subject that is not only personal to me, but to the people around me as well,” he said. “I am also close with plenty of people who are also immigrants. This film is my way of raising awareness for those who have been silenced due to the political climate and political challenges we are still facing to this day.”

He hopes the film creates an important conversation on the current immigration issues.

“I ask for those who don’t agree as well as for those who agree with different policies to give me 11 minutes of their time and watch the film,” he said. “Every solution starts with a conversation.”

González said he made the film while he was a student in the School of Film, Dance and Theatre because he wanted to make a difference with his work — something he encourages other filmmakers at ASU to do. 

“Create the stories that you know will make a difference, whether big or small,” he said. “Filmmaking is a way to express your feelings to the world. Never hold back and always remember you can only get better at your craft if you keep creating. Intimidation is a feeling you should use as an advantage to prove to yourself you can do it and you will.”

González’s time at ASU helped him push through his own intimidation and determine his course as a director. 

“Being a student at Herberger Institute helped me craft my art and also helped me realize what kind of artist I wanted to be,” he said. “It gave me the chance to test the waters in almost every aspect of film, and throughout my four years there, I fell in love with direction and the ability to make films that challenge not only the artist, but the viewer.”

He started drafting the idea for the film “The (Dis)united States” in his junior year, and finished production in his senior year for his capstone project. The piece was selected to screen in the School of Film, Dance and Theatre’s 2018 Fall Film Showcase, where it received the F. Miguel Valenti Award for Ethical Filmmaking. Named for the first assistant director of film at the school, who created the framework of the film program’s focus on ethical filmmaking practices, the award is presented to a project that substantially and significantly represents issues and themes related to ethical inquiries, and/or complex and difficult subject matter, in an ethically responsible and compelling manner. 

“The award meant a lot to me,” González said. “It gave me the push I needed to get my film out there and have my voice heard.” 

Since then, González and his team have been submitting the film to festivals. It was exactly one year after González wrapped work on “The (Dis)united States” that he received the news it had been accepted to Oaxaca FilmFest.

“I felt very happy within that moment but also sad,” González said. “I was glad that I had finally been accepted to be a part of a prestigious festival, but sad that I knew certain family members as well as friends would not be able to support me by my side in Mexico due to their immigration statuses. Although it was a day filled with mixed emotions, it also gave me the strength I needed to keep pushing this story forward and try to make some kind of change, big or small.”

Sarah A. McCarty

Marketing and communications coordinator, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

480-727-4433