Volume 26, No. 3, Fall 2009
Co-Editors: Linda Hartig, Carroll University, Julia Trojanowski, Northland College & Karen Dunn, UW-Madison
Thoughts from the WAAL Chair
--Dennis Unterholzner
Greetings to all of you. I hope everyone had a productive summer, catching up on all those projects that could not be completed during the spring term, as well as preparing for the fall term. By now, we are all back into our regular routines. Students are back on campus, classes are in full swing, and the library’s information desk is extremely busy.
This past summer the Board directed its activities toward several different projects. The WAAL Directory Committee put together a survey to help determine how our members use the WAAL Directory; thanks to all of you who completed the survey. The Committee also worked to update the library contact list and will now determine whether the contacts can help in keeping the directory up-to-date. The Communications Committee will be working on updating the WAAL brochure; it should be ready for distribution later this fall.
I hope you enjoyed the WLA Annual Conference. This year, the conference was held at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton, October 20-23. WAAL sponsored and co-sponsored several programs including "Changing Environment of Scholarly Communication & Publishing," "Open-source Library Automation: All Grown-Up," "Quick and Dirty Library Promotions That Really Work!," "Fantasy Soccer: The 2010 World Cup and Information Literacy," and "Collection Development and Resource Sharing: Confronting Problems While Creating Greater Access." There were many additional programs of interest to academic librarians, and, as always, it was a great opportunity for professional development, to see what others are doing in the profession, or just to renew acquaintances.
ACRL and ALA Conferences, 2009 Report
--Paige Mano, Reference and Instruction Librarian, UW-Parkside
As a recent graduate of UWM’s School of Information Studies and a first-year librarian, I was excited to be able to attend both the ACRL and ALA national conferences this year. Aside from the opportunities for networking and meeting colleagues from across the country (and around the world!), I was looking forward to learning what issues other academic librarians are facing and the kinds of programs they have instituted for their students. Although I was a little overwhelmed at first with the amount of information available (not to mention the number of attendees at the conferences!), I attended sessions on a variety of topics and came home ready to implement some interesting new ideas! I will share my summaries and thoughts regarding some of the programs I attended.
ACRL Conference, March 12 – 15, 2009, Seattle, WA
What I found especially interesting at ACRL were the sessions dealing with virtual reference and using Library 2.0 to reach students. At UW-Parkside, we already have a library blog and a Twitter feed, so I was eager to see what other options might be available for the future.
"Patrons Cataloging? The Role and Quality of Patron Tagging in Item Description"
--William Lund and Allyson Washburn, Brigham Young University
Based on the fact that users don’t normally search for items using unfamiliar controlled vocabulary, this session questioned the viability of patron tagging in library catalogs. Since students today are well-versed in social networking and Web 2.0, the presenters used a set of tags created by LibraryThing along with traditional LCSH’s in their catalog and evaluated students’ search success. Overall, users responded well to the user-created tags and looked forward to being able to add their own.
"Engaging Net Gen Students in Virtual Reference"
--Lynn Silipigni Connaway, OCLC
This session discussed academic librarians' new responsibility to communicate with users of the "'Net generation,” also called "Screenagers.” Connaway presented both the pros and cons of using virtual reference services since not all students/academic library users are “Net gens.” She concluded with the fact that whether interfacing face-to-face or via the Internet, librarians must use the same “etiquette” (or “netiquette”) to provide users the best service.
"Reinventing Research Guides: LibGuides at Two Academic Libraries"
--Laura Harris, Maura Seale, and Emily Frigo, Grand Valley State University; Ken Liss, Boston
College
Research guides, an indispensible part of the academic librarian’s “arsenal,” have taken many forms since their earliest incarnations. This program discussed the progression of the research guide from simple subject bibliography to pathfinders and "subject portals” with much more explicit research and resource help. Examples included research guides created with the LibGuides program; presenters emphasized the importance of keeping subject guides standardized, informative, and user-friendly.
ALA Conference, July 9 – 15, 2009, Chicago, IL
The most interesting sessions that I attended at ALA had to do largely with issues such as intellectual freedom and customer/user service.
"America’s War on Sex: The Demonization of Pornography”
--Dr. Marty Klein
Dr. Klein discussed America’s “obsession” with demonizing sexually explicit materials and what he terms “sex panics.” This is an especially important discussion for today’s librarians--both academic and public--as they strive to provide free and open access to all information, both in print and electronically.
"Listening to the Customer: Using Assessment Results to Make a Difference”
--Catherine Harris, CSU-LA; Richard Moniz, Johnson and Wales University; Annie Norman, State Library of Delaware
User assessment and feedback are essential to making the changes necessary to provide the best possible library service. This session explored the use of various assessment tools (LIB-QUAL, outcomes assessment, customer surveys) and how their results were used to implement positive changes in the library.
"Resuscitating the Catalog: Next–Generation Strategies for Keeping the Catalog Relevant”
--David Flaxbart, UT-Austin; Renee Register, OCLC; Beth Jefferson, BiblioCommons; Ellen Safley, UT-Dallas
As one of the presenters pointed out, “Students don’t require training to search Amazon.com’s catalog--so why do they need special training to search a library catalog?” This session featured examples of newly designed library catalogs that offer more interactivity for users as well as a more intuitive interface. The overall results seem to be more efficient, more successful user searches.
All in all, I had an excellent experience at both conferences, and I am grateful that I was able to attend both national events so early in my library career. I look forward to attending (and presenting at!) many more conferences in the future!
WLA Recruiting New Leaders and Mentors – Apply Now!
--Pamela O’Donnell, Chair, WeLead Task Force
We are extremely enthusiastic to announce that recruitment has begun for a new class of WeLeaders (Wisconsin Emerging Librarians Exploring and Developing). WeLead was an initiative that began in 2005 as part of the WLA Membership Committee. The program was created to cultivate a group of leaders who would, in turn, strengthen WLA. For 2010, we are accepting applications for three to five protégés. The WeLead program offers incredible benefits to the participants: the protégés receive a one-year WLA membership, stipends to attend the WLA annual conference for three years, a stipend to attend one additional conference (WAAL, WAPL, WEMA or SSS) during the three-year initiative, an appointment to a WLA committee, special leadership programming opportunities, and they are paired with a current leader within WLA to serve as their mentor.
Many of the previous protégés have become involved within the leadership of WLA, and we are proud of their accomplishments. Both Kelley Hinton and Kyle Neugebauer were on the planning committee for last year’s WAAL conference in Green Lake, and Melissa McLimans and Katharine Clark have joined WLA committees – MATS and P2C2, respectively. You learned more about the experiences of the current class if you attended their panel, After the Honeymoon: Strategies for Success as a New/Emerging Librarian, at the recent WLA conference.
We are also recruiting new mentors to work with our new class of protégés. The WeLead Task Force is indebted to the mentors who have partnered with the 2007 class: Claudia Backus, Emily Rogers, Deb Shapiro, and Linda Vincent. These mentors have been checking in with their protégés to ensure that any questions they have are answered and have been helping them to network within WLA. The program would not work without them. If you are interested in sharing your expertise, please consider applying to be a WeLead mentor. The return on your investment is enormous!
We also wish to thank the tireless WeLead task force: Jess Bruckner, Kirsten Houtman, Ann Hunt, Gretchen Revie, Tasha Saecker, Lisa Strand, and past chair Anna Lewis. WLA is supporting the protégés through generous contributions from WAAL, WAPL, Embury, Ltd., the WLA Foundation, and CSRT. A sincere and hearty thank you to the WeLead contributors!
For more information on the program, as well the application form (for both protégés and mentors), please visit http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/welead. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2010.
Meknes Libraries, Travel Reflections
--Patricia S. Kuntz, (UW-SLIS) MATC/MMSD
Meknes is one of the oldest cities of Morocco, dating back a thousand years. Moulay Ismail assumed power in 1672, reigning for 55 years during a period of unification.* Once it became the capital of the Alawite Dynasty, it was long associated with the military. Beginning in 1912, under the Protectorate, the French used the city as its military headquarters, which it has continued to do to the present time. Today, this administrative capital has a population of 536,232.
Although Meknes is not known as the intellectual capital, it plays host to numerous family collections of manuscripts dating to the 14th century. Increasingly, families are donating their family collections of manuscripts to libraries, which are better prepared to conserve and preserve them. Some manuscripts have been housed in one of seven mosques located in the old city.
In summer 2009, I traveled to Meknes to visit libraries and to study Arabic as a continuation of my 2008 trip to Mali, where I visited libraries acquiring ancient manuscripts written in Arabic. Many of the Malian manuscripts that originated in Morocco were subsequently transported by Tuaregs to Timbuktu (Hunwick & Boye, 2008).
Prior to my departure, I conducted a library search for articles using several databases. I also corresponded with several librarians in the African and Middle East Section of the Library of Congress and members of the Africana Librarian Council (African Studies Association). My Meknes host, a former library assistant and assistant dean, chauffeured me to several libraries in the new city, while the director of the Arab-American Language Institute of Morocco and I arranged visits in the old city. In sum, I visited six libraries where potential manuscripts might be located. I did not visit any pre-collegiate school libraries since schools were not in session. Likewise, I did not inquire about manuscripts in bookstores.
Old City Great Mosque Library
Although the Great Mosque is more than 300 years old, the current library building is relatively new and adjacent to the mosque. The facility is comprised of a director’s office, an audio-visual room, a large reading room with natural lighting that seats 30 patrons, and a storage room. Patrons obtain an identification card, which they show upon arrival, to use the materials. They also complete a slip of paper for each item that they wish to use. The signage is in Arabic for the major Dewey Decimal labels. The books are recorded in an acquisition book and then recorded by author and title (not subject) on cards for the card catalog. The books are identified by subject or topic on paper lists. During my first visit, I spent more than an hour browsing the books and speaking with the technician.
During my second visit, with a group of U.S. students, the staff were not as welcoming. They forbade photographs and touching books. When students asked questions, the staff were not very responsive nor did they explain any of the services. Staff informed the guide that manuscripts were in Fez for preservation (microfilming).
Meknes Public Library
The Meknes Public/Municipal Library is located on the first floor of the City Hall. Founded by the French provincial government to house government documents, it remains essentially that with legal tomes in Arabic and French, a large collection of maps from the colonial period, and a few, additional recreational items in French. Some reference materials are available in the reading room. It is a non-lending library with closed stacks. There is a card catalog room where patrons can locate materials by author and title. A reference librarian or another staff person assists patrons as needed. The facility also maintains a large conservation room for covering documents and repairing others.
The staff was most helpful and interested in discussing other library policies. Neither of the staff I met had received formal library training, nor did their city budget permit them to visit other similar libraries.
French Institute Library
The French Institute Library is a service of the French Embassy and reflects the liberties of that government. There are twelve Institute libraries in Morocco. The service, though, is at cost and not free. Decisions regarding collections and materials are made by the librarians, unlike decisions made at other libraries I visited. The librarians make purchases from booksellers in France and are not restricted by import duties and the censorship common to the other libraries. The library supports the programs and events of the Institute including films, theater and art exhibits.
The children’s program attracts a wide variety of children and parents throughout the academic year. The director encouraged me to go through his boxes of photographs documenting the annual activities. The children’s section of the library offered a huge collection of graphic novels/comics in various formats. Young patrons used the computers to play video games.
In addition to books, the library supplied journals, newspapers, videos/CDs/DVDs for children and adults. The two-story facility had reference librarians on both floors. Several of my colleagues in Meknes mentioned that they were members of the French Institute in order to support family activities and to maintain their French by access to French-language materials.
College of Arts and Sciences, Humanities Library, Moulay Idriss University
In 1998-99, Moulay Ismail University enrolled more than 22,000 students (Ofori-Attah, 2008: 66). Since that year, the enrollment has nearly doubled. The demand placed on library services has increased, even with extensive use of personal computers and other technologies. Many students depend on the Internet for information. As the current library does not have wireless service or multiple electrical outlets, these students work from their rooms rather than at the library. A new modern library is in demand.
The library collection is comprised of books in Arabic on a variety of subjects. There are also dissertations stacked to the ceiling and a collection of maps. Unfortunately, the rooms are not climatized so there is some deterioration of materials from insect pests.
As there is not an online catalog, the students and staff make inquiries about books on a given topic. A staff member brings materials to the patron from closed stacks.
Médiathèque Mohammed Lamnouni
In contrast to the French Institute Library, the Médiathèque Mohammed Lamnouni Library provides similar services, but in Arabic. As in the case of the French Institute, this library is adjacent to a municipal theater. A patron must descend a staircase into the library (which is built on the edge of a wadi). On the left is the catalog room and to the right, a director's suite. The current collection is shelved in metal bookcases throughout the room on the left. Several computers allow for on-line searches, as well as personal work. There is also a children’s room. Most of the children’s books are in French. While the Arabic children's titles may be few, the newly hired children’s librarian is eager to increase that collection.
A room in the back holds the 19th century books donated by various families and a locked, climate-controlled room secures manuscripts from the 14th-18th centuries. The librarian has invited consultants to present ideas on preservation and conservation of the manuscripts. Because of the low humidity, some recommend fans and humidifiers, while others insist on total darkness and air conditioning. In any case, the cost does prove high for maintaining such a valuable collection.
Ministry of Islamic Affairs Library
The library at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs opened in January 2009 for public use. Many of its patrons were from the University seeking a quiet study space and participation in its ten annual lecture programs. At the time of my visit, computers were in place, but software had not yet been installed on them. The children’s section had few materials, and its shelves were storing a private collection of 19th century manuscripts. Patrons are required to stow their bags in the facility and are not permitted to take photos. The director was protective of his beautiful facility, including its lecture hall (600 seats), meeting rooms, reception room, and cafeteria.
The library itself was located in one wing of the building. Collections by subject were found in various reading rooms, with a desk for a reference librarian in each. Cataloging and acquisitions were managed in a basement room. The five subject specialists and three professional catalogers were engaged with original cataloging as materials from the Ministry have not come shelf-ready. One of the librarians indicated that library staff has been asking for funding to support library database access.
In summary, I found the libraries and librarians to have several common characteristics. For example, nearly every library did own an operational computer for administrative work. The librarians at the French Institute and the College of Arts and Science stated that many patrons had their own computers and did not need to come to the library to use the library computers. Few libraries had online catalogs other than the French Institute.
Selection of current materials, as well as older items, was the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture or a government agency. Librarians had a very limited budget. Several of the librarians wanting to build a children’s collection complained about the difficulty in locating books for children and youth in Arabic.
Most libraries were non-circulating and/or closed stacks. The staff explained that Moroccans were new to the library concept of borrowing. They claimed that many patrons would abuse the books if they were allowed to take them away from the building. Perhaps this sentiment reflects the estimated literacy rate for Morocco: about 75% for men and 40% for women. Nevertheless, Meknes is a large, educated population. Many families living in the new city use the French Institute library because it circulates its materials.
Professional development is limited. Although Morocco has a library school at Mohammed V University in Rabat, few administrators hold formal degrees from the institution. Even with an organization for professional librarians, few attend its events or programs for reasons of funding and time. While several formally-trained librarians indicated an interest to participate in a Fulbright-type exchange program, they also admitted that it would be difficult to leave their family and professional duties. The librarians at the French Institute were trained in France and participate in professional development activities organized by French Institute librarians around the world.
Each librarian expressed several concerns. One concern was funding for library collections. Even the new Islamic Library director felt that he did not have sufficient funding for the maintenance, technology, and the staffing of his library. Other librarians expressed a disappointment in the lack of participation and use. A third concern was the lack of training in addition to the in-house experience.
* Interestingly, the Sultan of Morocco was the first leader to recognize the United States as an independent nation in 1776. The United States created one of its first embassies in Tangier known as the American Legation. It now houses a museum, library, and the headquarters for the American Institute of Maghrebi Studies.
Bibliography
Hunwick, J.O. & Boye, A.J. (2008). The hidden treasures of Timbuktu: Rediscovering Africa’s literary culture. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson.
Ofori-Attah, K.D. (2008). Going to school in the Middle East and North Africa. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. [pp. 14, 66-69, 106]
Service de Coopération et d’Action Culturelle. (2007). Le guide: Médiathèques de reseau culturel français au Maroc. Rabat: Ambassade de France au Maroc.
Ministry of Culture - Libraries (2009/9/9)
C Helen Party!
--Kelli Keclik and Pamela O' Donnell, Helen C. White (College) Library, UW-Madison
On Thursday, September 10, College Library, the undergraduate library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, held the first ever Helen C. House Party. Created to celebrate the start of the school year and welcome new students to the library, the Helen C. House Party was a great success with more than 1000 students stopping by between 7 and 11 pm. The library remained open for normal business during the party (and some students continued studying throughout the party chaos), but the majority of staff and patrons were on hand to partake of the free food and fun.
Almost every area of College Library was transformed for the party. The courtyard became a small carnival with free coffee, cotton candy, music from our student radio station, games, and balloon art. The first floor was packed with people waiting in line for free pizza and palm readings. The library also showcased video games from its collection on the first floor, including the newly released Beatles Rock Band on PlayStation 3, NCAA Football on Xbox and Mario Kart and Boom Blox on Wii. The second floor hosted a poker tournament and dance party. Students were able to catch a viewing of the movie Iron Man, play ninja tag in the dark, and get crafty with tote bags and friendship bracelets on the third floor.
The Helen C. House Party was sponsored by the Center for the First Year Experience at UW-Madison and was listed as an official Wisconsin Welcome event. It also received generous support through food donations from Pepsi, Frito Lay, and dozens of local restaurants. Within the first 20 minutes of the party, more than 35 pizzas were consumed, or more aptly, inhaled.
The party was set up and staffed by a team of librarians and student assistants. Everyone involved had a great time, and we’re already excited to begin planning for next year. If you have any questions or comments about the Helen C. House Party, please contact Kelli Keclik or Pamela O’Donnell. To see images from the event, check out College Library’s Flickr photostream.
People & Places in the News
Marquette University
The libraries announce a new discovery interface for the campus catalog, MARQCAT, that implements Innovative Interfaces Inc’s Encore platform. The new interface offers exciting new features that augment, but not entirely replace, the familiar catalog--a Google-style search box, smarter searching, facets and tag clouds for limiting and expanding, cover graphics, and a display of recently added items. The key innovation of the new catalog is its ability to retrieve items in the libraries’ digital collections.
Three new librarians were appointed in August. Judith Carter has been appointed head of Technical Services. She leads a newly formed department consisting of the acquisitions, cataloging, and serials areas. For the past five years, Judith was head of Bibliographic and Metadata Services at the University of Nevada Las Vegas Libraries and for eight years prior to that, worked at OCLC, where she was a product manager. Sue Peacock has assumed the newly-defined position of e-learning and instruction librarian in the Research & Instructional Services department. Following graduate school at UW-Milwaukee, Sue worked in Chicago: first at DePaul University Libraries as reference and instruction librarian, then as coordinator of Web services and reference/instruction librarian at Columbia College Chicago Library. From 2007, until her new appointment, she served as digital collections and Web services consultant for the Art Institute of Chicago. Faith Steele has been appointed to a new two-year library residency, assigned to the Research & Instructional Services department. She is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where she received her Bachelor in Nutrition and Food Science and Master's in Library Science as a Lyman T. Johnson Fellowship Recipient. She was also awarded the first Kentucky Library Association Minority Scholarship and the Lyman T. Johnson Torchbearer award. During her residency, Faith will provide reference services, participate in the information literacy and instruction programs with Marquette students, and assist in collection development.
The Libraries' fall newsletter announces a partnership with the Archdiocese of Milwaukee that has led to the transfer of St. Francis Seminary’s Salzmann Library rare books collection to Marquette’s Department of Special Collections. The arrangement offers more convenient access for advanced scholars and preservation of a significant collection in an environmentally-controlled vault. The collection, numbering 900 volumes, has special strengths in early Bibles and other incunabula, canon law, and Jesuitica. The collection will be highlighted in a November 4th presentation by Marquette Associate Professor of Theology Dr. Wanda Zemler-Cizewski, who has used the rare book collection extensively for both research and instruction.
The Libraries’ Funding Information Center announces publication of the 2009 Foundations in Wisconsin. The directory, which is available in both paper and electronic subscription formats, includes current information on 1,286 foundations (54 new foundations) that are responsible for a total of $508 million in grants (7% increase over the previous directory data).
In late September, the Marquette Libraries joined with Milwaukee Public Library and UW-Milwaukee Libraries to host American Library Association president Camila Alire in a one-day workshop, “Library Advocacy in Action.” In addition to Alire, presenters included Tony Driessen of DeWitt Ross & Stevens, Marci Merola, Director of the ALA Office for Library Advocacy; and Patty Wong, Director of Yolo County (CA) Library.
To read newsletters and news releases on these and other library issues visit the newsletter archive.
Mount Mary College
Volker Kriegisch has retired following 26 years as Director of Haggerty Library. In his stead, Julie Kamikawa has been named Interim Director.
UW-Madison
Stephanie Harris has accepted the position of Access Services Librarian for Memorial Library. She has worked as a Research Intern for Interlibrary Loan at Memorial Library and contributed to reference and instruction at College Library. She also has the distinguished honor of being an ARL Fellow.
Emilie Ngo-Nguidjol was honored by the Academic Staff Executive Committee with its "Good Works" award. The intent of the award is to celebrate the good works performed by academic staff. Emilie received the award in recognition of her efforts in founding AFRICaide, an organization that supports efforts in rural African communities.
Julie Schneider has accepted the position of Director for the Ebling Health Sciences Library.
UW-Milwaukee
After more than two years of planning and construction, the new Daniel M. Soref Learning Commons opened on August 24, 2009. The beautiful and expansive space provides more than 200 computers, reserve-able and first-come-first-served group study rooms, a variety of comfortable seating options, and an expanded coffee shop. The response from students and faculty has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. A dedication is planned for later this fall.
A set of unique photographs documenting the Nazi invasion of Poland (September, 1939) was recently discovered in the American Geographical Society (AGS) Library. The images are part of the extensive Harrison Forman Collection that was donated to the AGS Library in 1987 and are now available online in the digital collection Nazi Invasion of Poland in 1939.
The history of the Milwaukee Gay Peoples Union (GPU) is documented in a new digital collection from source material provided by the UWM Libraries. GPU was the most important gay and lesbian rights organization in Wisconsin in the 1970s. The digital collection is available online via the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections. Original source materials are open for research in the Division of Archives and Special Collections.
A map acquired by the American Geographical Society in 1895, and now part of the AGS Library, was recently identified by researchers from the Korean Consulate in Chicago as the Daedong yeojido, or Territorial Map of the Great East--designated a National Treasure in Korea. Along with several other maps, an atlas, and 43 photographs of Korea, the Daedong yeojido, created in 1861 by Kim Jeong-ho, was owned by American diplomat George C. Foulk. The photographs and two of Foulk’s maps (though not the Daedong yeojido) are available for viewing at the UWM Libraries Digital Collections.
U.S. Senator Russ Feingold will be the speaker for the 40th annual presentation of the Morris Fromkin Memorial Lecture. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Morris Fromkin Collection of American Social Justice at the UW-Milwaukee Libraries. The presentation will be held in the afternoon on Saturday, November 14, 2009.
Susanna Pathak is the new Associate Director of the Libraries. Prior to accepting her position at UW-Milwaukee, Susanna was Planning and Assessment Librarian at Virginia Commonwealth University, and before that, Head of Collection Management Services. She also served as Resource Services Librarian at Johns Hopkins University, and as Humanities Librarian at the University of Tennessee.
Theresa Beaulieu has joined the Research and Instructional Support (RIS) Department. Theresa was previously Initial Teacher Certification Program Manager at Arizona State University. She has also taught children's literature courses at the university level and been a youth services librarian. She worked in Wisconsin before as Director of Education and Cultural Affairs for the Stockbridge-Munsee Community.
Molly Mathias has been appointed as the Daniel M. Soref Learning Commons Coordinator. Molly has worked as Reference Librarian and Instruction Coordinator in RIS for the last five years.
Ahmed Kraima is now the permanent Multicultural Studies Librarian, after serving as interim in that position for the past year, as well as RIS Outreach Librarian. Ahmed has worked at the Libraries for 19 years.
Kate Ganski is the new Library Instruction Coordinator in RIS. Kate joined the UWM Libraries staff as an Instruction Services Librarian in 2007.
Jeannette Robinson has been appointed Cataloger/Metadata Librarian in Technical Services. Previously, Jeannette held a post-graduate position in Technical Services.
UW-Platteville
The Elton S. Karrmann Library has a new director, Zora Sampson. Zora comes to UWP from UW-Barron County where she was the Director of the Library and Information and Instructional Technology.
Zora earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts and her Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to serving UW-Barron County, Zora has also worked for the State Historical Society of Wisconsin in Madison.
Zora is very involved in librarianship on the local, state and national levels. She is an active supporter of the American Library Association’s Black Caucus and also ALA’s affiliate, the American Indian Library Association (AILA). She serves on the ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services. She has been a field reviewer for Native American Enhancement Grants for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Additionally, Zora has served on many campus steering committees in her previous positions.
At the Karrmann Library, Zora will direct the day-to-day operations of the library and work to promote services and resources that best serve the needs of the library staff and its patrons, the university community. “I hope to be involved in many student groups. Everything works better when we work together,” Zora states.
Zora believes that the library and its Reference Desk are vital places on any campus. “We want to make sure that students feel at home in this library, that the library is the students’ academic home, and that they’ll find the support they need here.”
She summarizes her attitude as the new library director by smiling and saying, “The library is beautiful, decorated with students. I love working with young people, and I think I’m going to enjoy this job very much.”
Calendar of Meetings & Events
| WAAL Annual Conference | April 20-23, 2010, Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, Milwaukee |
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 |
The WAAL Newsletter welcomes articles of interest to academic librarians. Please consider sharing summaries of research or research in progress, announcements/results of meetings or conferences, and news of staff changes and/or accomplishments.
Deadline for the next issue: January 16, 2010
WAAL Communications Committee:
Peter Gilbert (Chair), Linda Hartig, Julia Trojanowski & Karen Dunn (Newsletter Co-Editors)
© 2009 Wisconsin Library Association. ISSN 0743-3468
Portions may be quoted or copied if credit is given. Contact the WLA Executive Director when quoting or reproducing extensively. WLA Phone: (608) 245-3640; Fax: (608) 245-3646
Send questions or comments regarding these newsletter pages to Karen Dunn
Page revised: November 9, 2009