The Library has secured a site license for the APA Style Manual. This resource has the same content as the print version of the APA Style Guide and also includes lessons and quizzes that are related to APA Style and academic writing.
Sage Business Case Studies includes reputable and peer-reviewed case studies on a variety of topics related to Business, Management, and other topics. If you'd like to use a case study for a course, please let us know if you need any help.
Affordability Initiatives
The Affordability Program is now tracking cost savings more effectively, with expanded dashboards in development to monitor NOTX and OER course tagging in Banner. The library supported multiple course revisions this month, ensuring that 65% of courses remain “affordable” through use of OER, library-licensed ebooks, or zero-cost materials. Outreach to students included preparing a half-hour presentation on the program’s benefits, with a focus on the financial impact for non-traditional learners. We’ll soon be updating with our newest percentage numbers for the fall 2025 semester.
Open Educational Resources (OER)
Faculty engagement with OER continues to grow. Several new projects under the Joyce McKnight Fellowship advanced this month, including work on adapting and translating existing OER for wider student access. Library staff provided early consultations to faculty beginning OER projects, emphasizing planning for accessibility, publication format, and sustainability. These conversations have strengthened the library’s position as an essential partner in course design and student success. We thank faculty partners for continuing to work with the library and trusting us to act as partners to bring their projects over the finish line.
Scholarly Communications
The Faculty Publishing Support Series is expanding, with recent work focusing on data management tools—from small-scale researcher needs to large repository solutions—and evaluating costs and options for faculty. The team also delivered resources on predatory publishing awareness and journal selection, building on earlier sessions about author rights and ORCID. Please join us for a new series on scholarship at Empire starting September 25. For details, email jennifer.collins@sunyempire.edu.
The first submissions of the semester from the library's APA Quick Tips handout quiz are in. Most students passed the 7-question quiz easily, with the average score = 77% (median score = 83%), from 45 submissions. The tricky questions some students struggled with?
One thing to keep in mind: student learning effectiveness is much stronger when such quizzes are part of a course's grades. If you might be interested in building a library quiz or custom information literacy learning activity into your course's grade book, please reach out to: librarian@sunyempire.edu and a librarian can discuss options with you.
You can also see examples of information literacy learning objects and quizzes.
The library advisory board is welcoming new members. This advisory board helps to shape library initiatives and priorities by offering perspectives from around the university. If you would like to self-nominate, tell us a little about yourself and your role at Empire. Also feel free to recommend (with permission) a student you believe would be good in this role. Email sara.hull@sunyempire.edu with names and details.
To support incoming students who are part of the new Bachelor of Business Administration in Spanish, the library established a Spanish version of the library home page. This includes a new live chat widget which will put those students in touch with Spanish-speaking librarians who are part of AskUs 24/7's Cooperativa en Espanol.
Last year, the librarians responded to over 2300 reference questions. The vast majority of these involved assisting faculty and students with advanced research and orienting new users to library resources and services. Among the top reasons new users reach out:
If you would like to work with a librarian to make your textbooks or other readings easily available or to make your course and assignments more accessible, please email us at librarian@sunyempire.edu.
Banned Books Week is approaching, and this year's theme is "Censorship Is So 1984; Read for Your Rights." The American Library Association created Banned Books Week in 1982 in response to an increase in banning attempts with the goal of raising awareness about censorship, intellectual freedom, and First Amendment rights to information. Check out the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024 and get ready to read from October 5th-11th.
We released the new library homepage in May 2025 based on usability testing data and feedback from students, faculty, and staff. A new round of usability testing is planned to continue to make library website improvements for our university community.
In support of the Spanish BBA program, the library released a Spanish version of the library homepage and a listing of Spanish language databases in the A-Z databases list.
The Ebook Central Reader App went live Aug 13. The app is an improvement for accessibility standards. It is downloadable on all Windows-based SUNY Empire ITS-supplied computers and you can download the app on up to 6 personal computers or devices.
We are working with Springshare to implement an additional LTI Integration tool for Brightspace that will better serve the needs of instructional design and course revision work.
If you have a quick question, Ask a Librarian via chat, email or phone.
If you would like to discuss something more complex via MS Teams, schedule a 30-minute Library Consultation!
