Harvard Kennedy School

HKS Library Newsletter

December @ HKS Library ❄️

In this email you'll find:

Programming + Pizza next Tuesday 🍕
Data Carpentry: Registration open for January 📊
End-of-semester research resources 💻
Library Commons Gallery now online 🖼️
New Book Display: December Holidays 📚

Programming + Pizza next Tuesday 🍕

Visualizing economic data with Metroverse & Viz Hub

Programming + Pizza is an open, free-form space for those interested in programming tools and computational research to build skills and community. Folks of all experience levels are welcome to bring their data-centric questions, insights, and projects to these semi-monthly events, to learn from and collaborate with one another (and eat free pizza, of course).

Each session of Programming + Pizza also features a presentation from a person or team working on an interesting data project. This session will feature the Development & Design Team at the HKS Growth Lab, speaking about Metroverse (their most recent economic visualization tool) and other digital tools in their Viz Hub, including the Atlas of Economic Complexity. The Development & Design Team is made up of Annie White (Senior Product Manager), Steven Geofrey (Front-End Software Developer), Brendan Leonard (Back-End Developer & Data Specialist), and Nil Tuzcu (UX/UI & Data Visualization Designer).

Tuesday, December 13, 2022
5:00-7:00PM
Library Commons

Details & Registration

Programming + Pizza with the HKS Growth Lab Development & Design team.

Data Carpentry: Registration open for January 📊

The Carpentries teaches foundational coding and data science skills to researchers worldwide. Every semester, the HKS Library hosts a two-day, beginner-friendly Carpentries workshop that will give you the foundational knowledge to pursue data-intensive research with confidence.

In our Spring 2023 Data Carpentry workshop, you'll learn:

Spreadsheets - how to enter, format, and organize your data in preparation for analysis
OpenRefine - how to clean and fix errors in your data in preparation for analysis
R - how to start analyzing and visualizing your data

Tuesday, January 17 & Wednesday, January 18, 2023
9:00AM-4:30PM
Wexner 434

Details & Registration

(P.S. You can also volunteer as a Helper with Data Carpentry! Helpers are critical to the workshop's success, assisting learners who have encountered difficulties while enabling the Instructors to continue with the lesson. It's useful for Helpers to know a little about the tools we'll be teaching, but not necessary. We ask that Helpers commit to at least a half-day of the two-day workshop. Email james_adams@hks.harvard.edu with interest or questions.)

End-of-Semester Research Resources 💻

Gearing up for final papers and exams?

Start on your literature review with our subject-specific research guides.
Find data, start analyzing it, and get help with our data resources.
Find articles and books more easily by connecting Google Scholar to Harvard Library's collections.
Borrow a calculator for exam time (available for 24-hour loan).
Set up a meeting with a librarian and get your questions answered.

Library Commons Gallery now online 🖼️

The Library Commons Gallery is a project of the HKS Library. Since Spring 2022, the Gallery has hosted artwork by HKS community members to celebrate our school's creativity and vibrancy, and to offer a warm, colorful space for gathering. The Gallery's flagship, permanent exhibits are COLORS (Thomas Bishop, MC/MPA '22) and Body of Forensics (Anandana Kapur, MC/MPA '22). Both exhibits are explorations on race and belonging at HKS.

The Library Commons Gallery is now available for online viewing! You can explore both of our permanent exhibits on the HKS website. Huge thanks to our colleagues in the Office of Communications & Public Affairs for making the online exhibit a reality.

Exhibits up in the Library Commons Gallery

Selections from the HKS Library's December book display.

New Book Display: December Holidays 📚

Our December book display observes:

World AIDS Day (12/1)
International Day of Persons with Disabilities (12/3)
International Migrants Day (12/18)

In the display you'll find resources on historical responses to HIV/AIDS in the U.S., as well as on the experiences and sociopolitical frameworks of people with disabilities, immigrants to the U.S., and first-generation Americans.

Explore the display online where you can access ebooks, streaming films, and selections from our Political Buttons Collection. You can also visit the in-person display in the HKS Library.