Clemson Libraries Partners with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Social Media Listening Center Opens in Cooper Library
the history of Clemson University and the surrounding area, as well as South Carolina history. Community residents and OLLI members can also request and return other Clemson Libraries materials from this location. “OLLI has more than 1,000 members, and the vast majority of them are not originally from South Carolina and are not Clemson alumni. This partnership will help them get a better understanding and create a sense of place about where they have chosen to retire,” said OLLI Director Julie Vidotto. “It is also a wonderful way to introduce people to the way libraries work today and give them a stronger connection to the university.” Clemson alumni Roger and Kathy Troutman, both members of the Class of 1974, donated $5,000 to the Libraries to establish the satellite library at the Cheezem Center. “We are honored to provide the financial resources for Clemson Libraries and OLLI to team together to better serve our local community,” said Roger Troutman. “We’re always excited to support Clemson University as a high seminary of learning with its mission to advance knowledge at any and every level.” The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Clemson University is a membership community of nearly 1,100 Upstate residents dedicated to lifelong learning. OLLI offers 350 academic and recreational programs per year.
The Social Media Listening Center (SMLC) has a new home on the fifth floor of the R.M. Cooper Library, next to Starbucks. Previously located in Daniel Hall, the SMLC is part of the Department of Communication in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. It opened in 2012 as an interdisciplinary laboratory to monitor, measure and engage in social media conversations across channels. In 2021, the SMLC partnered with Sprinklr, one of the world’s premier social analytics and listening platforms. The SMLC provides students and researchers with tools and techniques to assist with content analysis, sentiment analysis, network analysis and more. “Our new location in Cooper Library provides so many exciting opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration,” said Brandon Boatwright, assistant professor of communication and director of the SMLC. “There are so many wonderful partners in the library that we can’t wait to work with, and our location on the fifth floor next to Starbucks will provide some excellent visibility for the space. Ultimately, we are thrilled to continue our work in a new space that affords us the chance to really grow and expand our operation.” The new center in Cooper features an interactive video wall, a lounge, collaborative work areas, and office and meeting spaces. “The mission of the SMLC is to equip Clemson University students, faculty, staff and community stakeholders with knowledge and resources that promote high-quality social media research and practice,” said Boatwright. “We’re developing a wide range of programs that will support faculty research, result in higher levels of student engagement, and allow us to partner with clients on a variety of projects. We’ve always aimed to be at the cutting edge of social media scholarship and practice since the inception of the SMLC, and we’re poised to remain among the top social media analytics centers in the country.”
Clemson Libraries has partnered with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) to offer a community outreach center at the OLLI headquarters located at the Cheezem Education Center in Patrick Square. The partnership allows OLLI members and other community residents access to a selection of library materials and other resources. Items selected for the small satellite library will relate to OLLI course offerings, allowing OLLI members to enhance what they are learning and enabling community residents to take advantage of other resources and services available at Clemson Libraries. The collection also features books related to
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