Whether you are a first year student new to college or a transfer student new to Miami, we are here to help! This guide is here to show you how the Libraries and its staff, resources and services can help you transition, learn and succeed in college.
Whether you're just beginning your college experience at Miami or returning after summer break, the Libraries are here to start you off right with a series of fall workshops open to all Miami students, faculty and staff. We're covering topics ranging from digital skills like the best mobile apps and software for research and academics, video editing and 3D printing to essentials like personal finance, digital wellness and deciphering cursive handwriting.
Several workshops are co-sponsored by the Rinella Learning Center. Advance registration is welcome for all workshops, and required for Making Maps and Beginning Arduino.
Tuesday, Sept. 3 • 5-6 p.m.
B.E.S.T. Library • Laws 116
Learn about Libraries' "drop-off" 3D printing service and how it can benefit you. This workshop will cover the Libraries' 3D printing capabilities and how this service can work for you in your classwork and personal life.
Instructor: John Williams
Co-sponsored by the Rinella Learning Center — pre-register for this workshop
Wednesday, Sept. 4 • 5-6 p.m.
King Library 134
Learn about the best apps for success as a college student in this interactive workshop. Bring your mobile device!
Instructor: Nate Floyd
Co-sponsored by the Rinella Learning Center — pre-register for this workshop
Monday, Sept. 9 • 5-6 p.m.
King Library 303
The Libraries' Makerspace is an interdisciplinary creation space where students, faculty and staff of all skill levels can come together to learn about, share and create things for both academic and personal use. The Makerspace houses 3D printers, Carvey CNC machines, sewing and embroidery machines, virtual reality equipment and more. Learn about the machinery, tools and software available in the Makerspace and find out how to become a maker with the Libraries.
Instructor: Sarah Nagle
Co-sponsored by the Rinella Learning Center — pre-register for this workshop
The Insider's Guide to the Libraries
Tuesday, Sept. 10 • 5-6 p.m.
King Library 110
New to the Libraries, or unsure of the sorts of services and resources the Libraries have to offer? In this workshop, get a behind-the-scenes look and answers to questions like: which course textbooks are available from reserve? What equipment is available for free checkout? Where are the Libraries' study rooms, and how do I reserve them? How can I obtain a book or journal that's already checked out or not in the Libraries?
Instructor: Rob Withers
Co-sponsored by the Rinella Learning Center — pre-register for this workshop
It All Adds Up: Practical Personal Finance
Wednesday, Sept. 11 • 5-6 p.m.
B.E.S.T. Library • Laws 116
Establish good lifelong money habits with this personal finance workshop. We will cover setting up personal bank accounts and applying for your first credit card and give you plenty of additional resources to plan your financial future.
Instructors: Abi Morgan and Susan Hurst
Monday, Sept. 16 • 5-6 p.m.
King Library 303
Learn how to make maps using your own data, census data and current marketing data. A range of mapping tools will be explored ranging from simple to more complex. You can create maps for geographic analysis or imaginary maps useful for game play. Participants will be able to produce a map with legend ready for use in their own presentation or publication.
Instructor: Eric Johnson
Wednesday, Sept. 18 • 5-6 p.m.
King Library 110
Smartphone and social media use (and overuse) is a way of life these days. Why are we hooked, what is the impact and how can we unplug to find balance? This workshop teaches techniques and shares resources for building a healthy relationship with technology.
Instructor: Laura Birkenhauer
Co-sponsored by the Rinella Learning Center — pre-register for this workshop
Citing in APA Style
Monday, Sept. 23 • 5-6 p.m.
B.E.S.T. Library • Laws 116
New to using the American Psychological Association (APA) citation style or need a refresher? Join us for the Libraries' "Citing in APA Style" workshop.
Instructor: Anna Liss Jacobsen
Co-sponsored by the Rinella Learning Center — pre-register for this workshop
The Insider's Guide to Finding Books & Articles
Tuesday, Sept. 24 • 5-6 p.m.
King Library 110
You’ve conducted a search in a database and obtained search results - but how do you find and access the books and articles you need? You’ll learn about identifying and locating books and articles distributed among four libraries and 50+ locations, obtaining books and articles NOT in the Libraries at no cost to you, and seeking in-depth research assistance from librarians.
Instructor: Rob Withers
Discovering Research through Primary Resources
Wednesday, Sept. 25 • 5-6 p.m.
King Library 320
In this hands-on workshop, attendees are guided through analysis of both print and digital primary materials. We'll highlight materials from the University Libraries' Special Collections and Archives.
Instructor: Bill Modrow
Citing in MLA Style
Wednesday, Oct. 2 • 5-6 p.m.
King Library 110
New to using the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation style or need a refresher? Join us for the Libraries' "Citing in MLA Style" workshop.
Instructor: Mark Dahlquist
Co-sponsored by the Rinella Learning Center — pre-register for this workshop
Beginning Arduino: Make It Blink
Monday, Oct. 7 • 5-6 p.m.
King Library 303
In this fun and hands-on workshop, participants will learn the basics of Arduino, an open-source electronics platform for creating interactive electronic objects. Attendees will build a circuit and test code to blink a 3-color LED. All materials provided & no experience necessary.
Instructor: Eric Johnson
Co-sponsored by the Rinella Learning Center — Advance registration required
Tips & Tricks: Citation Management
Wednesday, Oct. 9 • 5-6 p.m.
B.E.S.T. Library • Laws 116
This workshop is for those who've ever gone back to re-find a source found for a paper a month ago, are tired of keeping your reference lists in a confusing Google Doc, or want to streamline the writing and citing process. We'll cover the basics of citation management, and you will leave armed with a bunch of new techniques to help you keep your sources organized.
Instructor: Ginny Boehme
Co-sponsored by the Rinella Learning Center — pre-register for this workshop
Wednesday, Oct. 16 • 5-6 p.m.
B.E.S.T. Library • Laws 116
Take a deep dive into Zotero, a popular and robust tool created to help simplify the citation management process. We’ll go over how to install and set up the software, and you’ll get hands-on experience.
Instructor: Ginny Boehme
Co-sponsored by the Rinella Learning Center — pre-register for this workshop
How to Read Cursive Handwriting 101: The Basics
Thursday, Oct. 17 • 5-6 p.m.
King Library 320
Have you come across handwriting that you cannot read that you need to for a class assignment or personal research, or even a birthday card from grandparents? Come to this session to learn the basics of cursive handwriting! Attendees will learn cursive letter forms and how to recognize words and begin to practice reading cursive. Prior knowledge about or experience with cursive is not necessary.
Instructor: Rachel Makarowski
Wednesday, Oct. 23 • 5-6 p.m.
King Library 110
Are you interested in getting started with making and editing video or audio? This workshop provides an introduction to video editing. We will use the WeVideo editing tool — available to all Miami students — and learn techniques common to most video editing platforms.
Instructor: Mark Dahlquist
How to Read Cursive Handwriting 102: Reading and Transcription
Thursday, Oct. 24 • 5-6 p.m.
King Library 320
This session will review the basics of cursive handwriting and introduce the basics of transcription. Attendees of this session will gain experience in transcribing documents written in cursive, with a focus on historical documents. Prior knowledge about or experience with cursive is not necessary.
Instructor: Mark Dahlquist
Business Resources for Engineers
Tuesday, Oct. 29 • 5-6 p.m.
B.E.S.T. Library • Laws 116
Being successful in today's engineering careers involves not only technical skills, but also a grounding in business research tools. This workshop is an introduction to those resources, including tools for evaluating potential employers, finding patents, understanding industries and more.
Instructor: Matt Benzing
Co-sponsored by the Rinella Learning Center — pre-register for this workshop