Here, There, and Everywhere at Wayne State University, Detroit MI

October 21, 2014

The main elements of the Here, There, and Everywhere (HTE) exhibit were installed in the atrium of the David Adamany Undergraduate library on Friday, September 5. The exhibit opened to the public on Monday, September 6 and remained in the atrium for three weeks until its removal on Friday, September 26. We estimate that, due to the high volume of fall-semester student traffic in the atrium, the main exhibit was viewed by about 55,000 library patrons during the three-week period.

Feedback was overall positive, with many high marks for interest and learning dimensions.

Related Events and Efforts:

-An online guide to the exhibit was prepared for communication and promotional purposes (http://guides.lib.wayne.edu/HTE)

-A subject of the month display for the month of September was coordinated with the exhibit; using the theme of “Get Physical”, materials from the Physics and Astronomy collection were placed on display at the Purdy-Kresge library, and an online guide was created.

-On 9/17, Dr. Ed Cackett of the WSU Department of Physics and Astronomy provided a lecture entitled “Neutron Stars: Humanity in a Sugar Cube” which was attended by about (20) WSU faculty, students and staff. Attendance at the lecture was required for students in PHY 1001 (Freshman Perspectives in Physics, Biomedical Physics, and Astronomy), who accompanied their instructor Dr. Paul Karchin on a tour and discussion of the main exhibit.

-On Saturday 9/20, College of Education professor Peggy Miller-Zelinko conducted her regular weekly class session in SCE 5020 (Physical Sciences for Elementary and Middle School Teachers) using the HTE exhibit and activities. The class of (23) students toured and discussed the main exhibit, then divided up into groups to operate/critique the hands-on activities, and reported out their experience and observations to the class. Survey forms and exhibit-themed giveaway items were provided to the class, and we collected survey forms from these students.

-During the week from 9/17 to 9/25, librarians volunteered, received training and demonstrated selected hands-on HTE activities in “pop-up” sessions in the UGL atrium adjacent to the exhibit; eight hours of such sessions were delivered, engaging about (40) patrons in discussions and demonstrations on the HTE themes.

-Announcements were made about the exhibition and events on the library website, Today@Wayne, and WSU events calendar

Exhibit installed in the UGL Atrium

Exhibit installed in the UGL Atrium

Promo for the astrophysics lecture

Professor Ed Cackett engaging the audience

Astrophysics lecture audience in the UGL Community Room

WSU Professor Paul Karchin and PHY 1001 students discussing the HTE exhibit

Librarian facilitating a hand-on activity session in the UGL Atrium

-R. Clark / J. Van Loon
WSU Library System