Freedman Center

Digital Library, Language Learning, & Multimedia Services Center

Freedman Fellows Program Awards Announced

The Freedman Center is very happy to announce the winners of the 2008 Freedman Fellows Program. The Samuel B. and Marian K. Freedman Digital Library, Language Learning, and Multimedia Services Center is a partnership between the College of Arts and Sciences and the Kelvin Smith Library. For the College of Arts and Sciences the Freedman Center is evidence of the College's commitment to the evolution of education and the integration of information technologies in its curriculum. For KSL the Freedman Center is the culmination of a ten-year vision for a center that provides faculty, students, and staff with the ability to utilize both analog and hardcopy information sources in digital works and presentations.

The Freedman Fellows Program is further evidence of the commitment of both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Library to revolutionizing eduction at Case Western Reserve University. This year, the Freedman Fellows Program will distribute six (6) $3,000 awards to successful fulltime faculty applicants who discuss and demonstrate how information technology will be used in teaching or research. Contributers to this program include the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE), and Instructional Technology and Academic Computing (ITAC).

The following is a list of the 2008 Freedman Fellows Program Award recipients:

Robert Brown, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Physics;
Daniel Goldmark, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Music;
Yanna Popova, D Phil, Assistant Professor, Department of Cognitive Science
Justin Sydnor, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Economics
Raymond Watkins, Ph.D., Fulltime Lecturer, Department of English
Martha Woodmansee, Ph.D., Professor of English and Law, Department of English; School of Law

It is with great pleasure that the Freedman Center, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Kelvin Smith Library welcome the award recipients to this program’s class of 2008.

The Freedman Center owes thanks to many people involved in making it possible to fund the six fellowship award for 2008; as well as the numerous people involved in making the Freedman Fellows Program Award selections, as well as those who will contribute to the Seminar Week, running June 16-20, 2008.

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Freedman Fellows Program 2008

The Samuel B. and Marian K. Freedman Digital Library, Language Learning, and Multimedia Services Center is a partnership between the College of Arts and Sciences and the Kelvin Smith Library. For the College of Arts and Sciences the Freedman Center is evidence of the College's commitment to the evolution of education and the integration of information technologies in its curriculum. For KSL the Freedman Center is the culmination of a ten-year vision for a center that provides faculty, students, and staff with the ability to utilize both analog and hard copy information sources in digital works and presentations.

The Freedman Fellows Program is further evidence of the commitment of both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Library to revolutionizing eduction at Case Western Reserve University. This year, the Freedman Fellows Program will distribute six (6) $3,000 awards to successful fulltime faculty applicants who discuss and demonstrate how he/she will use information technology in teaching or research. Contributers to this program include the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE).

For those interested in the Freedman Fellows Program, an information meeting will be held on Friday, April 4th, 2008, from 12:00-1:30 in the Kelvin Smith Library’s Room LL01. Interested fulltime facutly applicants must attend this meeting to be considered, and application instructions will be distributed at that time. Additionally, a general overview of the program will be given along with answers to any questions. Please RSVP to Thomas.Hayes@case.edu, as lunch will be provided (please include any dietary restrictions if applicable).

Six Freedman Fellows (faculty members) will be named in 2008 and each will receive a stipend of $3000 to be spent on projects. The award may be used to supplement salary. The Freedman Fellows program this year will require attendance at a week-long seminar, June 16th-June 20th, covering information technology and research principles, planning for the use of technology in curricular re-design, and hands-on access to and use of various technologies in the Freedman Center—-all centered on getting fulltime faculty the tools necessary to move forward with course or research enhancements.

The Freedman Fellows Program is intended to showcase the Freedman Center’s potential. The awards encourage the use of information and instructional technologies and the building of teaching and research tools that support the development of information and research skills objectives for students, faculty, and staff. As well, a new addition to this year's Freedman Fellows Program is the accent on Digital Case and the expectation that the outcomes of research or digitization efforts will include deposits of said materials in Digital Case: Case Western Reserve University's digital library, institutional repository and digital archive.

For more information please contact Tom Hayes, Freedman Center Managing Librarian and Head of Digital Library Programs. Click here to view the formal Freedman Fellows Program announcement.

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Tina Oestreich added to Freedman Center staff

As of September 10, 2007, Tina Oestreich will follow Justin Locsei as the Language Learning Manager for the Freedman Center, a partnership between the Kelvin Smith Library and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Tina brings a wealth of experience to this important position, including a Doctorate in Germanic Studies from the University of Texas at Austin as well as a minor in Instructional Technology.

Tina's expertise, experience, and enthusiasm for lanauage learning is a valuable asset to the Freedman Center!

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Justin Locsei steps down as Language Learning Manager

Justin Locsei, Manager of Language Learning Services at the Freedman Center, will be stepping down as of August 31st, 2007.

Justin has accepted a position teaching English to high school children in Clermont-Ferrand, (Auvergne region, South-Central France).

The Freedman Center sincerely thanks Justin for his contribution to the Freedman Center, the Kelvin Smith Library, and the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Case, and we wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

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Freedman Fellows Program Awards Announced

The Freedman Center is very happy to announce its Freedman Fellows Program Award Recipients for 2007.

The Freedman Fellows Program is a collaborative effort between the Kelvin Smith Library (KSL), the College of Arts and Sciences, the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE), and the Information Technology and Academic Computing (ITAC) group. The Freedman Fellows Program is intended to showcase the Freedman Center’s potential. The awards encourage the use of information and instructional technologies and the building of teaching tools that support the development of information and research skills objectives for Case Western Reserve University students. The Freedman Fellows program is in its third year.

The following is a list of the 2007 Freedman Fellows Program Award recipients:

Linda Ehrlich, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Japanese, Associate Director of College Scholars, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures;
Anne Helmreich, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Art History;
Eva Holsinger, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics;
Peter McCall, JD, Ph.D., Professor, Geological Sciences; Director, Environmental Studies Program;
Brad Ricca, Ph.D., Fulltime Lecturer, Department of English;
Sara Waller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Science;

It is with great pleasure that the Freedman Center, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Kelvin Smith Library welcome the award recipients to this program’s class of 2007.

The Freedman Center owes thanks to many people involved in making it possible to fund the six fellowship award for 2007; as well as the numerous people involved in making the Freedman Fellows Program Award selections, as well as those who will contribute to the Seminar Week, running May 21-25. The Freedman Center specifically thanks contributors from Instructional Technology and Academic Computing, as well as the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education.

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Adobe Day, Wednesday, April 11, at KSL

If you design, edit, publish, illustrate your print or web publications, come to Adobe Day @ KSL this Wednesday, April 11, for free sessions that will give you real tips on how to best use the Adobe software suite tools.

The Adobe Education Team comes to Kelvin Smith Library's Dampeer Room to show you the potential for your projects, using applications on the Case Software Center. On Adobe Day you'll see how to use & integrate the products, and you'll see a preview the upcoming Creative Suite 3 applications. If you've ever been frustrated with forms, you'll also hear about the forms server that Case plans to implement so forms can be easily submitted online!

The Adobe Education Team knows what you need to do in a university environment. They teach practical tips on using the applications, and always welcome your questions!

Seating is available on a first-come basis for these four sessions:

Adobe Acrobat Professional: 8:30 a.m.- 10:00 a.m. or, 3:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.

Create & combine PDFs from your Microsoft, web, media, or other application that prints documents, images, and more. Collaborate for shared reviews. Collect forms, export into spreadsheets. Control access & use of PDFs, assign digital rights.

Adobe Creative Suite 3: 10:30 a.m.-Noon or, 1:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

See the introduction to the newest Adobe suite & learn about shared productivity. Integrated components help you focus on your project while using applications like Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks, Photoshop, Bridge, Contribute, and more.

Case Adobe Day is co-sponsored by the Kelvin Smith Library and Information Technology Services (ITS).

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Freedman Center Fellows Program 2007

The Kelvin Smith Library is pleased to announce the 2007 Freedman Fellows Program for faculty. The Freedman Fellows Program is sponsored by the Freedman Center, which is a partnership between the College of Arts and Sciences and the Kelvin Smith Library. The Freedman Fellows Program is a collaborative effort between the Kelvin Smith Library (KSL), the College of Arts and Sciences, the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE), and the Information Technology and Academic Computing (ITAC) group. The Freedman Center contains equipment, collections and personnel to provide a range of services related to multimedia creation as well as equipment for scanning and digitizing paper and other analog materials.

For those interested in the Freedman Fellows Program, an information meeting will be held on Friday, April 13th, 2007, from 12:30-2:00 in the Kelvin Smith Library’s Dampeer Room. Interested applicants must attend this meeting to be considered, and application instructions will be distributed at that time. Additionally, a general overview of the program will be given along with answers to any questions interested faculty may have. Please RSVP to Thomas.Hayes@case.edu, as lunch will be provided (please include any dietary restrictions if applicable).

Six Freedman Fellows (faculty members) will be named in 2007 and each will receive a stipend of $3000 to be spent on curricular re-design projects. The award may be used to supplement salary. The Freedman Fellows program this year will require faculty attendance at a week-long seminar, May 21st-May 25th, covering instructional design and learning principles, planning for the use of technology in curricular re-design, and hands-on access to and use of various technologies in the Freedman Center—-all centered on getting faculty the tools necessary to move forward with course enhancement.

For more information please contact Tom Hayes, Freedman Center Librarian (Thomas.Hayes@case.edu).

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Multimedia Blowout!!

Learn, learn, learn how to create with video, audio, and digital images! The Freedman Center offers a special section on working with multimedia in the CaseLearns program.

Are you the next Bergman? Scorsese? Kubrick? Don’t care at all and just want to put a bleedin’ video into your PowerPoint presentation?

Come to these courses and learn the intricacies and finer points of multimedia production with Jared Bendis, the New Media specialist in the Freedman Center.

Courses range over any number of dates and include evenings and weekends. See the CaseLearns schedule (pdf) for more details. Still not good enough? Contact the freedmancenter@case.edu to make an appointment. You’ll be glad you did!

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Freedman Center now offering Premium Services

In response to comments from the campus community, The Freedman Center is piloting a new series of Premium Services.

Starting this semester, the Freedman Center will offer patrons Scanning, Audio & Video Digitization, and Photo Printing Services. These services are designed to help patrons who have a need for the digitization of materials but lack the time to convert these resources themselves.

For more details as well as the pricing structure, please refer to the Freedman Center website at the following address: http://fc.case.edu/PremiumServices.html.

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Freedman Center now offering Supplies

Forget to bring a blank CD or DVD? Don’t want to run to Walmart to buy a MiniDV Tape? Well we are here to help! The Freedman Center now sells these supplies at the cost of $1/CD, $2/DVD, and $7/MiniDV Tape.

We hope this will help patrons in their moment of need, and we are developing plans to assist those working on larger projects: who may have other storage requirements.

For more details and pricing information, please refer to the Freedman Center website at the following address: http://fc.case.edu/Supplies.html.

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Jared Bendis added to Freedman Center staff

As of December 1, 2006, Jared Bendis, Creative Director of New Media at Case Western Reserve University, has accepted a fulltime position in the Freedman Center, a partnership between the Kelvin Smith Library and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Jared is both Creative Director of New Media for the Freedman Center and the Virtual Reality Specialist at the Cleveland Museum of Art. In both capacities Jared weaves together cutting edge technologies with proven and innovative pedagogical strategies to create rich educational experiences.

As a specialist in photography, virtual reality, and computer graphics, Jared instructs courses and workshops in digital media, Director, and Flash, manages the creative and technical aspects of immersive virtual reality, 3D experiences and PDA projects, authors training materials and articles for the popular press, and presents on the use of technology in instruction.

Jared's vision and expertise is a welcome addition to the Freedman Center.

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Aaron Shaffer steps down as Multimedia Manager

Aaron Shaffer, Manager of Multimedia Services at the Freedman Center, announced Monday, October 16th, that he will be stepping down as manager as of October 31st to resume his studies as a fulltime student. We wish Aaron all the best and thank him for his dedication in helping to establish this ground-breaking multimedia and language learning center.

The Freedman Center will be seeking a new Operations Manager and will provide updates when the job is posted by Human Resources.

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Freedman Center Discussion for ALA's Library 2.0

Brian Gray is participating in ALA's Library 2.0 Project. The group had some questions about the Freedman Center so Brian Gray, Thomas Hayes, and I sat down for a quick 30 minute discussion.

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Video Podcast in Honor of Samuel B. Freedman: 1915-2006

In honor of Samuel B. Freedman, we present to you Case's first video podcast: the Freedman Center Grand Opening. (Subscribe in iTunes )

The Samuel B. and Marian K. Freedman Digital Library, Language Learning, and Multimedia Services Center owes its existence to the generosity of two Case alumni. Samuel Freedman graduated from Adelbert College in 1937 with a bachelor’s degree in economics; Marian Freedman graduated the same year from Flora Stone Mather College with a bachelor’s degree in English.

Research libraries, indeed scholars worldwide – past and present, owe a great debt of gratitude to Sam Freedman. As one reads about the Micro Photo, Inc, Research Publications, Inc, and Primary Source Microfilm publications, it is evident that the Freedman’s gift to Case Western Reserve University of a state-of-the-art digital library, language learning and multimedia center perpetuates the values of the Freedman micro-publishing companies that is:

Entrepreneurial use of technology
Employment of strategic partnerships
Democratic approach to access
Preservation of scholarly resources

Fifty years ago microfilm was, in terms of access and preservation, the most significant technological development to affect the scholarly community since the invention of the printing press. Repeatedly we discovered statements by scholars and librarians expressing gratitude for the Freedman microfilming projects.

For example, in an introduction to the “League of Nations Documents and Publications", 1919-1946, one reads: “Very special thanks are due to Mr. Samuel Freedman, then president and now Chairman of the Board of Research Publications who gave unstintingly of his time and other no less important resources throughout the entire filming and bibliographical enterprise. The reason that the League Documents had remained un-filmed for so long was the knowledge that anyone who wanted to film them would be faced with the enormous expense of subsidizing their calendaring. It is a tribute to Mr. Freedman’s concern for scholarly standards that he was willing to accept this responsibility.” This is but one of many testimonials to Sam Freedman.

Research libraries today are a combination of the past (print collections and analog media) and the present (new digital information technologies) with microfilm serving as a transition, a precursor to early computer-based information systems. Like micro-publishing, Sam and Marian Freedman’s gift of the Freedman Center acts as a bridge and a catalyst to transform the Library into a dynamic resource where the production of digital materials extends access to unique local collections and supports innovative approaches to learning, teaching, and research.

The essence of the Freedman Center – its theme “from inspiration to presentation,” is at the heart of Kelvin Smith Library’s mission “to educate the university community in the effective use of information resources.” The Freedman Center is the only location on campus where new and emerging technologies may be combined with traditional information formats such as print, microfilm, and audio recordings, in a user-focused space. Transforming materials from analog to digital formats and an ability to manage the process is critical to success in today’s world. This aspect of the Freedman Center aligns the library and its partners with the transformational learning mission of the University.

If one analogy between the Freedman microfilming projects and the Freedman Center is an entrepreneurial approach to technology, a second similarity is collaboration and strategic partnerships. I am reminded of the opening paragraphs of a wonderful article by Sam Freedman about the indexing and microfilming (really the rescue and preservation of the Archives in Parral, Mexico) that have subsequently been referred to by one scholar as “one of the most complete and valuable collections of documentary material on the history of northern New Spain,” It reads, “there were four of us that night …at the Camino Real Motel in Parral, Mexico who pledged ourselves to the project of indexing and microfilming, ….. Without knowing it we were pledging ourselves, with a handshake, to undertake a job that would have many complications….”

The collaboration between the Kelvin Smith Library, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Instructional Technologies and Academic Computing unit (ITAC) began in a similarly informal manner with an eclectic group. We consider Sam and Marian Freedman partners, -- until recently my contact with the Freedman’s has been through letters or phone calls and until several months ago I felt it only appropriate to address Sam as Mr. Freedman. Sometime this spring he said to me, “Joanne if we are going to be partners, you better call me Sam.”

The outcome of our partnership is a state-of-the art facility where the library, the College of Arts & Sciences and ITAC share resources (equipment, expertise, space), learn from each other, and offer a unique learning environment for the campus. Our approach to access is democratic. In the Freedman Center all members of the university community no matter what their affiliation or status may use the latest technology, acquire experience creating and manipulating digital content and gain the competitive advantage they need in the workplace.

We also thank Marian and Sam Freedman for their foresight in designating a portion of their gift as the Samuel B and Marian K Freedman Creative Technology Endowment Fund, an endowment that we will make the focus of future fund-raising efforts. The Freedman Creative Technology Endowment assures the means to keep Freedman Center technology cutting-edge into the future.

Joanne Eustis, PhD
University Librarian

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Award Winners' DVD's Authored Here!

Two Freedman Center patrons recently won 1st place awards in piano competitions!

Dmitri Levkovich was awarded 1st place at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, winning a Carnegie Hall debut and bringing home a $15,000 cash prize. Zsolt Bognar was awarded 1st place at the 30th Annual Concerto Competition in Kankakee, bringing home a $1000 cash prize.

For the first round of the competitions they were required to submit DVDs of their performances. Often the audio of these performances is recorded at high-fidelity for CD production, while a separate video recording is done with a standard MiniDV camera. We helped these two students strip the audio off of the MiniDV video, replace it and sync it with the high-fidelity audio, then author it to DVD.

A special thanks goes to Jared Bendis for helping with the more advanced details on this project.

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