Volume 24, No. 3, Fall 2007
Co-Editors: Marlys Brunsting, UW-Green Bay and Karen Dunn, UW-Madison
Thoughts from the WAAL Chair
--Valerie Malzacher
A good colleague of mine likes to comment that there is no weather that displeases me. I enjoy them all…a hot, humid day in August, a spring thunderstorm, the deep freeze of January in Wisconsin. But, like many of us who choose to live “up north,” fall is my favorite. It’s not only the fall colors, the beautiful days of September, or the brisk temperatures that usher in October that are so wonderful. For all of us in higher education, it is the returning students and the bustle of the fall semester that define our days and that remind us why we choose to work in an academic library. Yes, there are frustrations that accompany the fall as well, particularly this year as we've entered October without a state budget in place. But our reference area computers are filled to capacity, our instruction librarians are busier than ever, we log thousands of searches in our popular databases, and I’ve even observed some lines at the Circulation Desk as students check out books.
The WAAL Board has been busy working to make YOUR association relevant to the work that you do supporting teaching and learning on your campus. Louise Diodato, WAALs’s Vice-Chair, has worked with the WLA Conference Planning Committee to arrange several WAAL sponsored programs at the WLA Conference. I hope to see many of you at this outstanding annual event! Louise is also busy working with the WAAL 2008 conference co-chairs, Sue Riehl and Maureen Olle-LaJoie, to plan the conference that will be held in Manitowoc next April. Conference planning really is a year-round effort for WAAL.
The WAAL Board is working to organize a mentoring program for newcomers to the academic library profession. Alberto Herrera, WAAL’s Past Chair, has developed this idea for an “informal” program as a way to match mentees with mentors by library type as well as specific library function such as technical services, public services, collection development, etc. Once matched, we expect that mentors and mentees will communicate via phone calls, email, and meetings at both state and national conferences. We hope that mentors and mentees will discuss all kinds of things: career choices, professional development, resume or job-seeking strategies, great new ideas for library service improvement, what conferences to attend and how best to prepare for conference attendance, etc. I think that all of us “long-timers” in the library profession can look back and remember a time when we would have appreciated the opportunity to ask questions or to talk about ideas or concerns with someone from outside of our institution. We are organizing this mentoring program to meet just that need and WAAL Board members will be the first to step up to the plate to serve as mentors. Watch for more information on the WAAL listserv and WAAL web page regarding this new initiative.
The WAAL Board continues to support the Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries, WLA’s successful program to develop and disseminate effective messages about the importance of Wisconsin libraries. We’ve made a $3,000 contribution to support the Campaign’s ongoing efforts to “keep us all in a better state." Take a moment today to take a look at the Campaign’s web page. While the temperatures may be dropping outside, the stories posted on this page will certainly warm you as you work through your busy fall days in your library.
ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award, Call for Nominations
--ACRL Call, Submitted by Nancy McClements, ACRL Liaison
Do you know the next award winners?! The ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award recognizes academic librarians and staff who work together as a team to develop academic libraries that are outstanding in furthering the educational missions of their institutions.
Academic libraries may demonstrate excellence through one or more of the following criteria, or in other ways that reflect the purpose and philosophy of this award:
Creativity and innovation in meeting the needs of their academic community
Leadership in developing and implementing exemplary programs that other libraries can emulate
Substantial and productive relationships with classroom faculty and students
Award: $3,000 and a plaque for each type of academic library (community college, college, and university), sponsored by Blackwell’s Book Services.
Send applications to:
Excellence in Academic Libraries Award
ACRL, 50 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611
Nominations due: December 7, 2007
Additional details are included in the Awards Section of the ACRL Web site: http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlawards/acrlawardsprogram.cfm
WAAL 2007-2008 Information Literacy Award: Call for Nominations
--Lynn Gilman, Information Literacy Committee
The WAAL Information Literacy Committee is pleased to announce the Fifth Annual WAAL Information Literacy Award.
This award recognizes a librarian or librarian-led team from any Wisconsin academic institution who has made innovative contributions in recent years to advance information literacy. This can be exemplified by the successful development and implementation of a special project or program, librarian/faculty collaboration that advances IL, or integration of IL into a non-library course and/or campus objectives. There are no restrictions as to the size of the instructional effort, discipline, target audience, or techniques employed. Self nominations, as well as nominations of colleagues, are encouraged. Prior nominees are also encouraged to apply.
The award winner will present his/her winning information literacy contribution at the 2008 WAAL Conference in Manitowoc, April 15-18. The winner will receive one free registration for the WAAL conference and its Wednesday luncheon and will be recognized there for his/her achievement. The deadline for submission is Jan. 12, 2008.
To find out more about award criteria and to access the online nomination form, please see the WAAL Information Literacy Committee Web page: http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/waal/infolit/index.html
WAAL 2007-2008 Information Literacy Award Committee members:
Lynn Gilman, UW-Rock County (chair)
Steven Baumgart, UW-Madison
Erika Behling, UW-Parkside
SAILS, iSkills, ILT: It’s all about Student Choices
--Steven Baumgart, Memorial Library Instruction Coordinator, UW-Madison
For the past couple of years the Library Information Literacy Instruction (LILI) program at UW-Madison has attempted to determine the information literacy skills of its incoming freshman. Our primary focus has been the students associated with our communication general education required courses that 75% of our freshmen take during the first year of their academic career.
We began in the fall of 2006. In collaboration with the General Education Committee, and as part of their assessment efforts for re-accreditation, we examined several possible information literacy tests that included Kent State’s Project SAILS, James Madison University’s Information Literacy Test (ILT), as well as iSkills from ETS. In the end we went with Project SAILS. It provided a low-cost solution that focused directly on our needs. The average student could complete the exam in forty-five minutes and it cost $3 per student. Comparatively, iSkills takes ninety-five minutes and costs $22 per student. James Madison’s test was not seriously considered because it had only recently been developed. As a drawback, Project SAILS only provides cohort data comparative to other institutions, and does not track individual scores of students. Also, it does not give immediate results to participating institutions and waits to process its comparative analysis until the end of semesters. In essence, that meant we would have to be patient to get our answers. According to our GE partners we would need a sample of 200 respondents for valid results. In this first attempt we only had 32.
We did not have a mechanism by which to integrate the test directly into a course’s regular meeting time and thereby make it a requirement. This would have run into Internal Review Board resistance (if it was required, it would be coercive) as well as come into conflict with an already tight syllabus. So instead, we set up multiple test sites with multiple times outside of class. We sent out official letters from the provost inviting students to take the test. We provided monetary incentives and we talked with the course instructors and coordinators to insure they would promote the test to students. As it became clear we were failing to reach minimums we shifted our strategies. We increased incentives and re-issued invites, all to no avail. The lack of convenience and motivation for the students was what I would deem as one of our largest problems. At the start of a new fall semester, freshmen’s priorities are focused on adjusting to a new world of which the library is only a minor part initially. Also, many of the TAs are new as well and face an overwhelming amount of tasks and adjustments themselves.
So we tried again in the summer of 2007, with the same target goal of 200. We again partnered with the General Education Committee and added another partner to the mix, the Student Orientation and Registration Program (SOAR). We changed the way in which we offered the test. With our partners’ help, we hosted test sites in the same locale and time as the freshman orientation during the summer. This was a potential population of several thousand over a testing period of three weeks. We hoped the testing site would be more convenient and easier to find. We scheduled the test sessions when many students would have some down time after advising and might be looking for something to do. We were right there waiting to invite the students personally instead of relying on instructors to do the inviting as had been the case in the fall. With a more convenient test delivery method, we felt we would easily overcome last year’s barriers. However, in the end, while incorporating strong partnerships, we still only managed to get 73 respondents. Too many students declined our invitation. Our assumption that they would be looking for something to do was correct, but instead of taking a test, what they really wanted was down time or time to connect with their parents and family. While we expect that we will be able to learn something about our incoming students’ information literacy skills from the results when we receive them in January, they still are not the statistically valid sample we needed.
While we haven’t had the time yet to really examine our efforts, there seem to be some immediate lessons we can learn especially as the dialogue about testing information literacy skills gets greater air time within academic libraries. From my perspective, it’s not really about the test: iSkills or SAILS. It’s not really about its content: information literacy, technology literacy, scenario-based or multiple-choice. It isn’t about the partners: IT groups on campus, teaching partners, and others. It’s really about the students and what choices they make or can make. For us, despite our strong partnerships, and sound recruitment methods, the greatest challenge was the optionality of the test. Without somehow requiring the students to take the test, whether through the context of a course, dorm setting, competency testing, advising, etc., we weren’t able to recruit enough students needed for a valid sample. However, therein lies the rub: making the test a requirement might create an insurmountable barrier for many internal review boards. One of the basic principles of any human subject study requires the avoidance of coercion. A student being asked by a teacher to take a test during class, even if it is presented as optional, is fundamentally coercive because of the power relationship between the student and teacher. While I am of the opinion that information literacy testing is subject to an exemption from an internal review board, this is not a decision I’m allowed to make. So what are we left with? Requiring the test is essentially coercive and recruitment for testing (especially freshman) is very difficult. So regardless of the measure used, the primary question should not be what measurement, but when, where and how to measure. Without resolving the when, where, and how to get students, it doesn’t matter about the what.
Winds of Change: Setting Sail for Manitowoc!
WAAL Annual Conference--April 15-18, 2008
Holiday Inn-Manitowoc
--Susan Riehl, Co-Chair, WAAL Conference Planning Committee 2008
Manitowoc...Not really so far away!
Do you know what the connection is between Sputnik IV and Wisconsin? Do you remember the aluminum Christmas trees and the colored light wheels of the early 1960s? Have you ever heard the story about the Christmas tree ship, the USS Rouse Simmons? The answers to all of these questions are in Manitowoc, Wisconsin where the next WAAL conference will be held. Manitowoc, a community of approximately 35,000, is located on the Lake Michigan shoreline between Sturgeon Bay and Milwaukee, approximately two and a half hours from Madison, an hour and a half from Milwaukee, an hour from Appleton, and one half hour from Green Bay. Its location makes it an easy travel destination from most Wisconsin locales. The conference site is located at the intersection of Interstate 43 and Highway 151.
A small, charming community whose history is tied to Lake Michigan, Manitowoc provides numerous attractions to explore. Downtown Manitowoc offers the Wisconsin Maritime Museum with the SS Cobia submarine, the Breakwater Light facility, the Public Library, the Rahr West Art Museum, and the Beerntsen's confectionary, an old fashioned candy store known for its handmade chocolates.
Take this opportunity to make new acquaintances, to greet old friends, and to strengthen existing relationships with your counterparts. We invite everyone to participate in sharing their experiences, their knowledge, and their ideas with each other to provide better service to our campus communities. The spring is a perfect time for each of you to re-energize and renew yourself with the challenges of new ideas and new possibilities. Your colleagues are waiting for you to join them in Manitowoc! Please join us for the next WAAL Conference, "Winds of Change: Setting Sail for Manitowoc," April 15-18, 2008, as we explore not only the changes in our libraries and the profession but also the City of Manitowoc. Who knows, along the way we may also discover the answers to the questions at the beginning of this article!
If you are interested in presenting a session at the conference, please contact Sheila Stoeckel by November 16th. If you are interested in presenting a poster session at the conference, please contact Emily Rogers.
To learn more about the history of Manitowoc please check out http://www.manitowoc.org/facts_history.html
To visit the conference Web site (in development), see: http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/waal/conferences/2008/
Call for Proposals, Winds of Change: Setting Sail for Manitowoc
Deadline for conference proposals: Friday, November 16
The 2008 WAAL Conference Planning Committee invites proposals for sessions to be held at the Holiday Inn in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Proposals and recommendations for presentations, panels, workshops, and poster sessions are welcome. Whether you’re a returning WAAL conference attendee or a new WAAL member please consider the opportunity to discover everything that WAAL 2008 offers by being an active participant!
The Winds of Change are constant in academic libraries. Today continuous changes in our users, technology, staff, environments, etc. create challenges and opportunities for libraries. Changes that you are experiencing in your library can inspire many great topics for a WAAL presentation, panel, workshop, or poster session. Below are just a few topic ideas:
Methods in training and engaging student workers and staff
Discovering new methods of outreach and marketing
Identifying trends in collection development and acquisitions
Navigating the private and public colleges in Wisconsin
Mentoring programs that engage staff and/or students
Workplace ergonomics
If you are interested in planning or presenting a program related to these suggested topics or another topic of your choice, please draft a brief proposal which details:
1. Abstract of the program (300 words or less)
2. Presenter names(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact information
3. Format (presentation, panel discussion, poster session, etc.)
4. Equipment needs
Send your programming ideas and suggested speaker names to Sheila Stoeckel sstoeckel@library.wisc.edu by November 16th.
Support Staff Section Seeks Programming Ideas
--Teresa Grimm, WLA SSS Secretary
The Support Staff section is currently seeking programming ideas for its May 2008 conference. Last year 42% of attendees at the Support Staff conference were from academic libraries, so the Board is eager to get input from academic library support personnel and their supervisors.
The conference will be held at Waukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, May 21, 2008. In addition to conference rooms, there will be access to a computer lab for hands-on computer training so do consider this as you begin sending your wonderful ideas our way. Sessions are typically scheduled for an hour and fifteen minutes.
Please send suggestions to Danika Laine Morphew-Tarbuck. One of our goals this year is to increase the number of support staff that present programs. Supervisor and staff presenting together is also a welcome addition to the conference. Take this opportunity to spread your wings and become a presenter.
International Library Touring
--Patricia Kuntz, 2001 graduate, SLIS
During the summer 2007, Patricia Kuntz traveled to two countries to visit libraries as part of her interest in international librarianship. This fall issue of the WAAL Newsletter will describe visits to libraries in Scotland; the following issue, Cyprus.
SCOTLAND
Patricia joined Jane Pearlmutter (UW, SLIS) and fourteen other public and academic librarians in Scotland. The twelve-day tour of libraries featured the areas around Edinburgh, Ft. William, the Isle of Skye, and Glasgow. Libraries varied in scope and breadth. To keep the tour group abreast of Scotland, participants shared chapters of Michael Gardiners’s Modern Scottish Culture, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2005.
Dalkeith Manor House is the residence for the Wisconsin in Scotland (WIS) study abroad program. Its library provides a wide variety of recreational paperbacks and academic textbooks for the Wisconsin students residing on the grounds. Several librarians borrowed books during their stay for evening reading. The Dalkeith County Public Library is located several miles from the Dalkeith Manor House (palace). Additional information about Dalkeith can be obtained from the Dalkeith Historical Society.
The Abbotsford home of Sir Walter Scott contains a library and museum of artifacts. The Library is not open to the public; because of the priceless nature of the collection, both in terms of Scott and the books themselves, all advice has stressed the need to keep it as a conservation library. Researchers may ask permission of the Keeper of the Advocates Library and the Honorary Librarian to see the volumes they need. The tour group did enjoy an opportunity to look at the collection.
The National Library of Scotland was a major interest for all librarians in the group. Consequently, the group spent several hours touring the facilities and learning about the staff and services. This library is Scotland's equivalent to the U.S. Library of Congress. The John Murray Archive was most interesting since this company has published the majority of African-content materials beginning in 1768. The David Livingston collection was of particular interest. The map library is located in another building and unfortunately, the group did not have time to view this collection which spans 700 years.
Across the street is the Edinburgh Central Library, home to 850,000 items. The Fine Art library is on the top floor while the children’s and music collections are in another building “just down the street." Unlike most international collections, this library utilizes the Library of Congress classification system. The Edinburgh reading room was full of patrons and it was interesting to learn that most librarians are multilingual to better serve the immigrant community.
The Advocate's Library (Parliament) is one of the best law libraries in the country. It is now housed in the “old” Parliament building having been founded in 1682 by Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh. Many important Scots utilized this collection including Sir Walter Scott, Thomas Carlyle, and David Hume.
Innerpeffray
The next day, the tour was off to the rural treasure at Innerpeffray--a manor library for the peasant children adjacent to their school and chapel. This collection is housed in an 18th century building. Since 1680, when it was initially situated in the loft of the adjacent St. Mary's Chapel, the library (earliest in Scotland) has been lending books to citizens of Strathearn. It was founded by David Drummond, 3rd Lord Madertie. The borrowers’ ledger was kept from 1747 until 1968 when the library became a tourist destination. I found several books in Arabic and a couple in Swahili!
Ft. William Public Library is a member of the Highland Council and Network. It has a children’s collection as well as a Gaelic one. Staff provide all the services of any public library. The library also provides dedicated computers for distance education courses.
Sabhal Mor Ostaig (Gaelic College) Library in Sleat, Isle of Skye, a college library, serves not only students and faculty but the general public. Books are in English and Gaelic (the language of instruction). The special collections, MacCormick and Celtica Collections, are situated on the lower floor of the Library. The MacCormick Collection is one of the finest antiquarian collections of Gaelic and related materials, and will support research at the highest level. Interlibrary loan is available.
Armadale Castle Library, Sleat, Isle of Skye houses the Clan Donald collection of Highland genealogy. The 7000 titles are a unique collection of English and Gaelic resources. It also includes a Jacobite history collection. The archivist does searches for patrons seeking knowledge of their heritage as well as translations from Gaelic. Adjacent to the library is a museum illustrating the endeavors of the MacDonalds. This library complements the holdings found at Sabhal Mor Ostaig.
Mitchell Library (Glasgow Public) is in a huge setting that includes several buildings linked together. The original building opened in 1911 and was refurbished in 2005. This library provides all the services of a large city public library with materials, lectures, children’s programs, and tours. On the lower floor, one can view the old card catalog. Although library membership is free, one still needs a membership ID to use the on-line catalog. Materials here are cataloged in Dewey Decimal classification system.
Glasgow School of Art has several libraries. The most interesting is the Mackintosh Library which contains historical documents. The wood interior and furnishings lend themselves to research. Patrons must obtain permission to use the collection. Across the street is the GSA Library with all the features and materials of an art library.
In summary, the tours to libraries in Scotland (and Cyprus--details in the next issue) served to elucidate the different attitudes that governments and citizens have toward libraries and information dissemination. In Scotland, libraries have long been an integrated component of society and many librarians are professionally-qualified by degree-granting institutions. The Dewey Decimal system rather than the Library of Congress classification system was used by many catalogers. And, of universal concern was that of funding for collections and services.
People & Places in the News
Carroll College
On July 27, 2007, Carroll College hosted an evidence-based practice (EBP) Workshop for Librarians from Wisconsin Medical and Academic Libraries. The workshop idea stemmed from the May, 2007 WAAL conference meeting of nursing and allied health librarians where attendees expressed a desire to get together during the summer to learn about EBP and how Nurses and Allied Health professionals are using research evidence to improve patient care. Ulrike Dieterle (UW-Madison), Mary Boulanger (UW-Milwaukee), and Susan Heffron (Carroll College) organized the event and extended an invitation to WAAL and Wisconsin Health Science Library Association (WHSLA) members.
Workshop participants in discussion.
The day began with presentations by Edward Maher, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy at Carroll College and Catherine Lageson, Assistant Professor of Nursing at UW-Milwaukee. Professor Maher spoke about Physical Therapy's Patient/Client Management Model and the types of research literature that PTs use to support patient care. He concluded by discussing the current actual and perceived barriers of EBP that are in the literature regarding physical therapy and how librarians can help.
Professor Lageson began her presentation with a historical review of nursing research and the recognition by the American Nurses Association (ANA) of the need for the registered nurse to integrate research findings into practice. She combined a scholarly explanation of evidence-based nursing with practical examples of how research evidence has been used in everyday clinical situations. Ed and Catherine inspired us all to learn more about evidence-based health care so that we can better assist practitioners in the process of finding high quality research in the medical literature.
If you are interested in joining Librarians Supporting Nursing Education (LibNEd), simply contact Ulrike Dieterle, Ebling Library, UW-Madison to be added to the list. And, no need to worry about a flood of email in your e-box. It is a low volume, high value list!
Gateway Technical College
“Librarians Spell for Literacy”
Staff members from Gateway Technical College Library in Kenosha and the WISPALS Technical College Library Consortium formed the Gateway Letterheads and participated in the Eighth Annual Community Spelling Bee benefiting the Kenosha Literacy Council. Team members included John Thibodeau, Associate Vice President of Student Learning, Rebecca Dougherty, WISPALS Coordinator, Judy Quinn, Library Cataloger, and Ellen Pedraza, Instruction & Reference Librarian. Behind the camera was Gary Flynn, Library Manager, who also serves on the Kenosha Literacy Council Board. Eleven community organizations and businesses participated in the event, including the Kenosha Public Library. The Letterheads placed fourth this year. Hey… have you ever tried spelling KAKISTOCRACY?
Lawrence University
Music Librarian Antoinette Powell published, "That Bloggin' Pneumonia!" in the June 1, 2007 issue of Library Journal.
(http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6446331.html)
The new Circulation and Interlibrary Loan Assistant is Angela Vanden Elzen. She was formerly the library's Night Supervisor and is currently enrolled in SOIS at UW-Milwaukee. The library is happy to have her on staff full-time.
Systems Librarian Kathy Isaacson developed several "New Library Materials RSS Feeds" (http://www.lawrence.edu/library/rss/) which allow users to get weekly updates of what is new in their subject areas.
Marquette University
Ed Sanchez has been appointed Coordinator of Library Information Technology. He was previously head of desktop and network support at the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Associate Dean Michael Pate retired at the end of July after 22 years with Marquette; a search for his replacement is ongoing.
The Libraries’ Funding Information Center (FIC) announces a completely new, 2007 edition of Foundations in Wisconsin, available in both print and online subscription formats. The directory profiles 1,251 foundations that collectively donated almost $479 million in grants. Information on ordering the directory or referring prospective visitors may be found on the FIC Web site.
Ex Libris, an occasional online newsletter featuring library staff reading recommendations, was issued in July. The fiction and nonfiction choices highlight the Browsing Collection and include recent books by alumni.
The Libraries’ fall newsletter is online; read about new electronic resources, new staff, events, new READ posters, and more.
SLIS
Barbara Arnold has announced her upcoming retirement after more than thirty years of service to the state of Wisconsin and University; twenty-two years in her current position with the School of Library and Information Studies. Her plan to enter retirement is slated for December 14, 2007. As Barbara states....
"This has been the greatest job I could have ever imagined. I loved working hard, playing hard, learning and sharing with everyone. It has been a great honor to serve my profession and my school. It is time to start a new phase in my life.
I will continue to serve WLA as a volunteer after some time away. It will be nice to step away from the academic calendar and make my own schedule, to be able to travel with my family and to return to my artistic roots."
She is considering establishing a Networking and Professional Development Fund that would be used to help fund SLIS celebrations and reunions, recruit students, fund speakers and events, support student and academic staff travel to professional development activities, and bolster SLIS outreach efforts related to natural resources and environmental sciences. As this effort takes shape, she will look to recruit volunteers. Additional information regarding this fund and SLIS events will be posted to the SLIS Web site. Contact Barbara at: bjarnold@wisc.edu
UW-Green Bay
Nancy Weidner, Cataloging Assistant, recently retired after thirty-nine years of service to the university community. Nancy began her work with the Library before there was even a UW-Green Bay campus and Cofrin Library as we know it today. Nancy was involved with cataloging materials, repair work and processing new acquisitions.
Over the summer and with the combined efforts of the Cataloging, Acquisitions and Access Services departments, the staff and students of the library completed large portions of an inventory project. This had been a goal of the library staff for a while, and thanks to lots of advice and tips from colleagues at UW-River Falls, the library was able to inventory the IMC, IMC Reading, Music Scores, Music Recordings, Remote Storage, Popular Reading, Oversize and Reference collections. The final stage of the inventory, Stacks, will be completed later in the fall semester. Much information was gained during the process which will help with acquisition decisions and future inventory projects.
The reference staff will begin a "Roving Reference" service this semester. At various times during the week, a member of the reference staff will set up shop in the student union, coffee shop or commons area in student housing. With the use of a wireless laptop, they will be able to provide on-line research help, citation assistance and catalog searches.
In order to clear out the over abundance of donations, the library held a Book Salepalooza for one week over the summer. Over $300 was raised and a lot of books found new homes in the process.
UW-Madison
The Business Library welcomes two librarians to its staff. Debra Ahrens, a recent graduate of SLIS, is the new Public Access Librarian. Peggy Smith brings ten years of experience as a librarian and researcher with CUNA Mutual to her new position.
Jaqui Alvarez has departed UW-Madison for a new position with the University of Puerto Rico. She served as the head of the Reserves Acquisitions unit for College Library and as subject liaison for Asian American Studies and Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies. Carrie Nelson, formerly a late evening public services librarian with College Library, has stepped in as the new Head of Reserves Acquisitions. Cory Whipkey joined the Reserves Acquisitions office in June as a Library Services Assistant/Advanced, replacing Jackie Zook, who transferred to a position in Central Technical Services. Cory also will be providing Reference/Information service at College Library.
Ian Benton has been hired as the new Late Evening Public Services Librarian at College Library. He is a 2006 graduate of the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies and received his BS in History from UW-Stevens Point in 2002. As a graduate student, he held student positions at College Library working in Reference, Circulation and Reserves, as well as working at the Memorial Library Information Desk.
Jeanette Casey has been hired as the new head of the Mills Music Library. Jeanette will begin her new duties on September 3, 2007. She earned a master's degree in Musicology from Northwestern University and a master's degree in Library Science from the State University of New York. She brings with her an extensive background in collection development, reference, and teaching. Jeanette has held positions at Northwestern University, the Chicago Public Library's Music Information Center, and Dominican University in Chicago.
In March 2007, Abbie Loomis was bestowed the title of Distinguished Academic Librarian, a title reserved for a "small number of academic staff whose superlative accomplishments are evidenced by widespread peer recognition" (from the official title description). After superlative service to the UW-Madison community in her efforts to incorporate library and information literacy instruction into the general curriculum and building a community of librarians so devoted, Abbie celebrated the launch of her voyage to retirement with a festive gathering September 21. Read more about Abbie's lasting legacy.
Sarah McDaniel has accepted the position of Campus Coordinator for the Library & Information Literacy Instruction program, beginning her duties September 24, 2007. Sarah comes to UW-Madison from her position as Interim Head of Instructional Services for Doe/Moffitt Libraries at UC-Berkeley. Prior to her work at UC-Berkeley, she was the Instructional Services Coordinator at the University of Southern California. Sarah received her B.A. in French from UW-Madison, and a double masters degree (M.L.I.S./M.A.) in Library & Information Science and Foreign Languages & Literature (French) from UW-Milwaukee. She has also begun a term as the Vice Chair/Chair Elect of ACRL's Instruction Section.
Trisha Prosise has joined the library instruction teams for College and Steenbock libraries as a full-time research intern. She will contribute to instruction, assist in management of the instructional programs for the libraries and maintain the online CLUE tutorial. She is a May 2007 graduate of the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies.
Anne Rauh has joined the staff of Wendt Library. She will divide her time between Wisconsin TechSearch and the reference and library instruction programs. Annie earned a Master’s Degree from SLIS and a B.A. in International Studies from UW-Madison. Most recently, she held the position of Records Manager for the UW School of Nursing.
Leah Ujda has joined the UW Digital Collections Center as Research Intern. She completed her MLS from SLIS with an emphasis in digital librarianship and has worked for the MATC library, the Primate Research Center Jacobsen Library, and the Art Institute of Chicago. She also attended Rare Book School at the University of Virginia in 2006 and was a 2004 Newberry Library Undergraduate Seminar Fellow.
UW-Marinette
John F. Kuhlmann joined the staff on August 20, 2007 as the new Associate Academic Librarian. He began his studies at UW-Sheboygan and transferred to UW-Oshkosh where he completed his BA in International Studies and later his teaching license for grades 6-12. He received his MA in History at UW-Eau Claire and his MLIS from UW-Milwaukee. He formerly worked at Ebling Library, UW-Madison, as an Access Services Library Assistant providing reference, circulation, and interlibrary loan services.
UW-Milwaukee
Krystyna Matusiak, the Libraries’ Digital Collections Librarian, traveled to Ulan Bator, Mongolia, to assist librarians in digitizing rare periodicals and building the Digital Archive of Mongolian Newspapers. The two-year undertaking was supported by a grant from the Endangered Archive Programme of the British Library. The Archive currently contains forty-five newspaper titles with over 20,000 pages. The wide range of newspapers included in the collection represents unique historical material documenting the transformation of Mongolia after the fall of Communism in the early 1990s. The Archive is available at
http://www.pressinst.org.mn/elib/gsdl/cgi-bin/library.
The Libraries' Outstanding Staff Achievement awards were presented by Provost Rita Cheng at a ceremony on August 23, 2007. The honorees were Catherine Loomis, classified staff; Ahmed Kraima, academic staff; and Sarah Kober, student employee.
The Libraries announces its acquisition of the personal papers and library of Eldon Murray, Milwaukee resident and nationally recognized figure in the gay rights movement. The personal papers are housed in the Archives Department and his library is available for research in Special Collections.
The Archives also finished processing a collection of images captured by Milwaukeean Dennis Wierzba that document life in Milwaukee in the 1940s and 1950s, particularly the city’s south side. The collection neatly picks up where the popular Roman B. J. Kwasniewski collection of early twentieth-century south side photographs leaves off.
Carolynne Rosenberger retired in June after working eight years as a cataloger in the Monographs Department. Before coming to the Libraries, Carolynn worked for the Waukesha County Technical College for eighteen years.
Jeannette Robinson joined the Technical Services staff in August. Jeanette has been a student employee in the Libraries and was recently a Monographs intern. She received her MLIS from UW-Milwaukee in May.
Kate Ganski is the new Instructional Services Librarian. Kate has worked in theological libraries as well as archives. She completed her MLS at Southern Connecticut State University in August 2006.
For more news, visit the UWM Libraries Newsletter, Fall 2007 issue.
UW-Parkside
Vanaja Menon is the new Director of Library at UW-Parkside. She has served as the Interim Director since last October. Vanaja came to Parkside from UW-Milwaukee where she was the Assistant Director for Public Services for seven and a half years. She has a masters degree in Indian Language and Literature from the University of Kerala, India, and a master's degree in Library Science from the University of Chicago.
Richard Krause has been appointed as Electronic Resources Coordinator and Reference Librarian for 2007-2008. Rick has a masters degree in Library and Information Science from UW-Milwaukee. He worked as an Intern at UWM Libraries and also served as a temporary part-time reference librarian at UW-Parkside prior to this appointment.
Anne Rasmussen is the new Serials Librarian at UW-Parkside. She participates in reference desk duties and will also be the library liaison to the Art department. Anne had previously worked at Ohio State University. She has a masters degree in Art History from Indiana University-Bloomington and a master's degree in Library Science from Kent State University.
UW-Platteville
John-Leonard Berg, Senior Academic Librarian was elected President of DALINC for a one year term. DALINC is a consortium of academic, public, school and special libraries in the tri-state area of Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. The purpose of the organization is to provide leadership and programming that benefit the advancement of libraries and library services. The major agenda for 2007-08 is to plan and host MILC (Midwest Interlibrary Loan Conference) at Loras College in the spring of 2008.
John-Leonard was also the keynote speaker at the annual symposium of the German Bohemian Historical Society. The daylong event included research seminars, cultural displays and ethnic foods. His banquet presentation was entitled, “Patterns of Nineteenth Century German Emigration from the Port of Bremerhaven." The purpose of the symposium is to encourage the study of culture, folklore, genealogy and language of the German Bohemian element in North America.
UW-Sheboygan
Library & Acuity Technology Center
The new University Library opened in May, and an Open House and dedication ceremony for the Library and the Acuity Technology Center was held on September 20, 2007. In addition to the library, the Acuity Technology Center includes new computer classrooms, distance education classrooms, and modern conference facilities and IT staff work areas. Funding for construction of the 28,300 square-foot building was provided by Sheboygan County and a generous donation from Sheboygan-based Acuity Insurance.
The 19,000 square-foot library includes plentiful space and varied seating options for users in a comfortable, attractive and technology-equipped setting, a 36-workstation BI classroom and computer lab, small-group study rooms with complete multimedia technology, improved staff offices and public service areas, and expanded and more accessible shelving for collections. Wireless network access is available throughout the building, with laptops available for checkout in the library.
UW-Stout
Sue Lindahl has joined the library staff as Access Services/Library Systems Librarian. She had been working at the library on a temporary basis in several capacities: cataloging, reference and interlibrary loan. She received her BS from UW-Stevens Point with majors in Biology and Natural Science. She earned her master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Peggy Klein is the library’s Circulation Library Services Assistant-Advanced/Lead. In that capacity she performs tasks related to circulation and billing and provides some direction for Circulation student assistants. She is currently working to complete her MLIS degree from UW-Milwaukee.
Josh Steans is working in Interlibrary Loan. He comes to UW-Stout from L.E. Phillips Memorial library in Eau Claire where he performed a variety of jobs including ILL, Technical Service Processor and Public Relations/Programming Services Assistant, as well as working at the circulation desk. He graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a major in English and a minor in History.
WISPALS
The WISPALS (Wisconsin Project for Automated Libraries) Consortium has a new website. Please check it out at www.wispals.org. You will find the latest about the WISPALS mission, history, purpose, members, membership levels and subscriptions among other important information. Take a look and learn more about Wisconsin’s technical college libraries.
WLA Office
The Awards & Honors Committee has announced the 2007 winners of WLA's annual awards:
Library of the Year, Middleton Public Library
DEMCO Librarian of the Year, Alice Sturzl, Laona School District
Trustee of the Year, Lowell Wilson, Lakeshores Library System
Citation of Merit, Frank Fiorenza, President, Village of Potosi
Highsmith Award, Hedberg Library Friday Family Fun Night, Carthage College, Kenosha
Muriel Fuller Award, Bea Lebal, Director, T.B. Scott Free Library, Merrill
The Media and Technology Section (MATS) has announced the winners of the 2007 Webbies Awards for excellence in Wisconsin web site design.
Best Reference Site: InfoSoup
Webmaster: Beth Carpenter
Best Site for Kids: Menasha Public Library
Webmaster: Jody Cleveland
Coolest Design: Northern Waters Library Service
Webmaster: Marsha Sorensen
Most Accessible Site: L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library "Fun and Games" Page
Webmaster: Jeff Burns
Best of the Best: Menasha Public Library
Webmaster: Jody Cleveland
Calendar of Meetings & Events
| Wisconsin Book Festival | October 10-14, 2007 |
| WLA Annual Conference | October 16-19, 2007 Regency Suites, Green Bay |
| WAAL Annual Conference | April 15-18, 2008 Holiday Inn, Manitowoc |
Education & Enrichment Opportunities
| CCBC Calendar & Events | SOIS Podcasts |
| e-Learning from ACRL | SOIS Professional Development Institute |
| SLIS Continuing Education, Online Short Courses | Wisconsin State Law Library Classes and Tours |