September 4, 2001
Dear
ENY/ACRL Members,
Once
again last spring we had a well attended and well organized
conference—Tomorrow’s Librarians: You Can Get There From Here—at Le Moyne
College in Syracuse, NY. More than
half the attendees rated the conference as excellent, with another 47% rating it
as good. Comments such as “good
flow,” “timely topic,” “great speakers” are welcome words of
encouragement to our hard working Program Committee.
Program
Chair Kristin Strohmeyer is busily putting the final touches on the fall
conference—Exploring Diversity in Academic Libraries: Whose Needs are We
Meeting? It will be held on October 22, 2001 at the University of Albany
Library; Jerry Burke is the local arrangements chair. Please watch your mailboxes for the conference brochure and
registration form, and check the website for further information.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Barbara
Norelli (Past President) and I represented ENY/ACRL at the Chapter Councils
meeting at ALA in San Francisco on June 17, 2001. Although we were successful in obtaining a speaker (Althea
Jenkins) through the ACRL Speakers Bureau for our conference at Le Moyne, I once
again suggested that ACRL revise their timetable for making such requests.
At present, they require a year’s notice—unrealistic for Chapters,
and thereby discouraging to applicants. I
will continue to make this appeal at future meetings.
I took copies of the program schedule from our last two conferences to
distribute at the meeting, as did several other institutions. This is an excellent way to see what Chapters are doing
throughout the country. Also of
note at the Chapters Council meeting was an update on incorporation:
Of the total 42 Chapters, all but one is now incorporated or is part of
the state’s association (and the one remaining Chapter is in the process of
incorporation). Lastly, I
ran—unsuccessfully—for ACRL Chapters Council Vice Chair/Chair Elect.
I will consider running again next June, in the hope of better
representing our Chapter at the national level.
The
ENY/ACRL Board of Directors met on June 25, 2001 and will meet next in early
November, following the fall conference. The
latest revision of the Officer's Handbook is nearly complete.
I’m
pleased to report that Cornell University will be hosting the Spring Conference,
on Monday, May 6, 2002. My
colleague, Martha Walker, will be the Local Arrangements Chair.
I know she and the Program Committee will put together another exciting
conference—at a great location!
The 2001-2002 Nominations Committee, Michael Engle of Cornell University, Kate Moss of the College of St. Rose, and Barbara Norelli of Skidmore College, invite you to submit nominations for ENY/ACRL's Librarian of theYear. It is easy to nominate someone and just think how happy you can make your deserving colleague when they are presented with the $250 honorarium. The ENY/ACRL website provides information on the award, including criteria, at: http://enyacrl.org/loy.html. The LOY nomination form, may be found at: http://enyacrl.org/LOYform.html .
Please send completed nomination forms no later than February 1, 2002 to:
Looking for a few good people who are willing to work for
free, want to work with talented and dedicated librarians from throughout the
region, enjoy a good meal at the pre-conference dinner, and are willing to run
for one of the following ENY/ACRL Board of Directors positions:
§ Vice-President/Program
Chair/President Elect (3yr. Term) Year One - Oversees the planning process
for the fall and spring conferences, locates host institutions, contacts
speakers, prepares publicity, and prepares conference budget. Convenes meetings
of the program committee as necessary (generally 3 times per year) to develop
conference themes. May represent chapter at the ACRL Chapters Council Meeting at
ALA (midwinter and summer). Year Two - Serves as official spokesperson for the
chapter and as chair of the Board of Directors. Represents (or designates
someone to represent) chapter at the ACRL Chapters Council meetings at ALA
midwinter and annual conferences. Year Three - Solicits nominations and conducts
elections for chapter Board of Directors, and serves as Chair of the Librarian
of the Year Award Selection Committee.
§ Government
Relations Chair (2yr. Term) Monitors legislative and other governmental
activities of importance to academic libraries; coordinates activities with the
legislative and governmental affairs committees of other library organizations;
serves as liaison to the ACRL Government Relations Committee.
§ Membership
Chair (2yr. Term) Solicits memberships for chapter, maintains membership
database, supplys mailing labels as needed, publishes the annual chapter
directory, and interacts with campus liaisons. Knowledge of Filemaker Pro
software helpful. Chapter will purchase the program if necessary.
§ Treasurer (2yr.
Term) Handles the financial matters of the chapter including maintenance of the
chapter checking account, paying chapter expenses, providing receipts for
members attending conferences, and prepares an annual report for inclusion in
the Chapter records. Also, serves on the Janice Newkirk award committee.
The Board of Directors generally meets three times
per year. Board members also play important roles at the fall and spring
conferences.
All candidates will be asked to submit a brief
Candidate's statement, which will be sent to chapter members, along with the
ballots, in February of 2002. Terms of office will commence after the spring ENY/ACRL
conference in May 2002.
If you are interested in serving on the Board, or if
you know someone who might, please contact a member of the 2001-2002 Nominations
Committee:
Michael Engle (Cornell University) Email: moe1@cornell.edu
Kate Moss (College of St. Rose) Email: mossk@mail.strose.edu
Barbara Norelli, Chair (Skidmore College) Email:bnorelli@skidmore.edu
The Fall Conference will take place on
Monday, October 22, at the University of Albany. The title of
the conference is “Exploring Diversity in Academic Libraries: Whose
Needs are We Meeting?” Our keynote speaker, Dr. Hope Olson, from the
University of Alberta, will be speaking on the construction of meaning in
libraries. Dr. Olson states that we shape information by the context we
give it in our collections, in our catalogues, and in our interactions with
users. Thinking about libraries in this way aids in our understanding the
implications of our systems and services for diverse perspectives and
communities. Also speaking is Sandra Rios Balderrama,
Director of the Office for Diversity at the American Library Association, on
recruiting. Other speaker topics include diversity in collection
development, library services to users with special needs, and lesbian, gay and
transgender issues in academic libraries. We will continue our celebration
of ENY/ACRL’s 25th Anniversary luncheon
speaker Anne Roberts, chair of the Steering Committee that originally formed ENY/ACRL.
Keep your eye out for the conference registration brochures, which will be sent
by mail.
Jean L. Root Mahalov received a Documentary Heritage Program (DHP) grant for $1,422. The project's title is Documentation Meeting for the Capital District. The Project Director (Jean L. Root Mahalov), with the help of an Advisory Committee, will plan and host a professionally facilitated meeting of archivists, records users, historians, educators, and representatives of underdocumented groups to identify documentation priorities in the Capital District. The results will be disseminated to records creators and repositories through multiple channels to guide their efforts in documenting vital aspects of the region's history. Jean was also re-elected President of the Capital Area Archivists of New York, online at http://www.albany.edu/sisp/people/students/saa/CAA/index.htm.
Our new Librarian for Public Services is Mary Mullin, who started working here in August. She has come to us from Middlesex County College in Edison, New Jersey.
After 31 years at the Hudson Valley Community College Marvin Library, Susan Blandy has retired.
The library has hired two new librarians: Anne Labelle, formerly of the Shenendahowa Public Library, and Candace Lind, former director of the Castleton Public Library.
Patricia Miranda, Adjunct Lecturer, was awarded the State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching that was designated for part-time faculty only. There was only one award per campus and Pat won it at Plattsburgh State. Pat has taught LIB101 as an adjunct for more than 15 years. Hearty congratulations to a most deserving award winner!
Ravil Veli, Associate Librarian, was appointed editor of the ACRL e-publication _In Print_ at ALA San Francisco. The publication is described by ACRL as one which : "addresses publishing opportunities for aspiring writers at all levels, [and] is intended to encourage articles in the journal literature by and about college librarians and the issues they consider relevant to their professional lives. InPrint lists journals in library and information science, higher education, computer technology, and other related areas and includes such relevant information as acceptance rate, response time, preferred article length, and whether the publication is refereed. A brief description of the editorial policy, topics covered, style, and audience is included along with contact information for each publication. Bibliography and index."
Ravil also was appointed Chair of ALA's International Relations Round Table (IRRT) membership subcommittee.
Debra Kimok was appointed Visiting Assistant Librarian for the academic year 2001-2002. This is her second appointment as a Visiting faculty member at Feinberg.
Patty Bentley, Librarian, was appointed to the (National) AAUP Government Relations Committee. Most recently staff and committee members participated in discussions and hearings on intellectual property and copyright and are working with the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) on a joint conference on Distance Education.
Patty was also re-elected to a two year term on the Executive Board of United University Professions. She has served since the Fal of 1997 as the Chair of the UUP Legislation Committee, which adovcates for state and federal support for public Higher Education. Patty is currently engaged in research and writing on feminism and unionism in the academy and evidence of spurned offers or missed opportunities.
Sara Kelly Johns, Adjunct Lecturer, was elected as a Member-at-Large to the ALA Council for 2001-2004. Sara is a very active member of ALA and NYLA, having served as the President of the School Library Media Section (SLMS).
The Sage Colleges has added a new information system encompassing email as well as course-related and other administrative capabilities. It is called Campus Cruiser, and is produced by Datatel which also produces the administrative computing software in use at the Colleges. This system has provides web-based email and offers space for all campus communities to post and share news, notes, files, photos etc. Eventually faculty will be doing academic advisement through the system. Students currently receive information regarding courses they are taking and professors have the option of posting course notes and hosting discussions via chat or bulletin board.
Sheldon Wein is convening a group of librarians working to develop library tutorials to be used with the system.
Margaret Lanoue, formerly Electronic Resources Librarian, has accepted the position of Access Services Librarian. Interviews will begin shortly for a new Electronic Resources Librarian.
The Albany Library underwent construction over the summer. Wooden wheelchair ramps were removed and the library added a new entrance with a lift to the main floor and an elevator serving all floors. With fresh paint, some carpeting, and relocation of offices, the main floor looks completely different.
SCCC welcomes a new part-time librarian. Her name is Jane Kessler, MLS from SUNY Albany, 2000. She received an MBA from Rutgers University in 1991. She will provide reference and instruction services.
Also, Peter Barvoets, who has been a part-time librarian here for several years, will be working a ½ position providing reference and instruction as well as web design of our Library's website.
We are all looking forward to the opening of "The Stockade Building" on our campus in October. Construction is almost complete.
Catherine Crohan has been promoted from Associate Librarian to Librarian.
Ruth Copans, former Humanities and Special Collections Librarian, was appointed College Librarian effective August 10, 2001. Ruth replaces Barbara Doyle-Wilch who left to become Dean of Library & Information Services at Middlebury College.
New Librarians:
Edward Adams, Reference Bibliographer for Physical Education, Recreation & Exercise Science
Karen Coombs, Information Technology & Instruction Librarian ("WebMistress')
Amanda Johnson, Composition Library Instruction Program Coordinator & History Bibliographer
Lorraine Melita, Access Services Librarian & Teacher Materials Center
Marc Wildman, Technical Services Librarian
Computer and Information Literacy Instructors: Mark Connell and Jon Clippinger
Retirements:
Lauren Stiles, Access Services & Humanities Bibliographer
David Kreh, Education Bibliographer
Tom Bonn, Reference Bibliographer for PE, Recreation & Exercise Science
Mary Lynn Bensen, associate librarian in the Reference Department, was awarded a Ph.D. in English Literature from SUNY Binghamton. She also was promoted to the rank of librarian this summer.
Patricia Keegan, senior assistant librarian in Cataloging, has returned from an educational leave.
Janet Potter, Library Director, was elected to serve a one-year term as Vice Chair/Chair-Elect of the SUNY Connect Advisory Council, the governance body for SUNYConnect.
Dan Kissane, senior assistant librarian in the Reference Department and Nancy Cannon, also a senior assistant librarian in the Reference Department both presented at CIT 2001 at SUNY Geneseo in May. Dan also gave a presentation at SUNYLA at Corning Community College in June.
Christine Bulson, librarian and Assistant Director for Reference and Circulation Services, had a review of the New Grove Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition and the New Grove Online published in Booklist May 15, 2001.
In August 2000, Milne Library received a grant from the New York State Program for the Conservation and Preservation of Library Research Materials to fund a general preservation survey of the library's special collections. The purpose of the program is to "encourage the proper care and accessibility of research materials in the State, to promote the use and development of guidelines and standards for conservation/preservation work, and to support the growth of local and cooperative preservation programs." Project manager and co-author of the grant application, Pat Keegan, along with Mary Lynn Bensen and Elaine Downing, has begun to implement recommendations made in a report by conservator Nelly Balloffet, who conducted the preservation survey in October 2000. With the help of the conservator, librarians have identified a space in which to relocate the special collections, and will next seek funding for a survey to assess the library's environmental conditions.
John Thomas has joined SUNY Oswego's Penfield library as assistant Systems librarian. John was previously at SUNY Canton, and began his appointment at Oswego in June.
Diane Willman is our new serials librarian, coming from Anchorage, Alaska. She is adjusting to the 'warmer' weather and Penfield Library wonderfully.
SUNY Oswego has implemented the ExLibris ALEPH 500 Library Management System and was one of the first SUNY schools to 'go live' with this product. Something new for everyone!
SUNY Potsdam is pleased to welcome Edward M. Komara as music librarian, heading the Crane Music Library located in the Crane School of Music complex. Ed comes to Potsdam from the University of Mississippi, where he served as Music Librarian/Blues Archivist in the Music Library and Blues Archive. He holds a B.A. degree from Saint John's College in Maryland, and M.A. in Music History and M.L.S. degrees from State University of New York at Buffalo.
J. Rebecca Thompson has been appointed Director of the SUNY Potsdam Libraries.
Keith Compeau, professional staff member, is on a study leave for the fall semester to research the optimal uses of library space.
Jane Subramanian, Associate Librarian, has been selected to serve on the SUNYConnect Data Management Working Group.
The Reference Department welcomes:
Michael Pasqualoni, Political Science/Public Administration/Economics Librarian
Nancy Pitre, Business/Management Librarian
Lyndsie Heyduk and Jacquelyn Kowalczyk, temporary reference librarians
The Science and Technology Library welcomes Maryjane Poulin, Engineering and Computer Science Librarian.
The Special Collections Department welcomes Kenneth Lavender, temporary librarian. and Donia Conn, Assistant Conservator.
Denise Marshall, temporary librarian in the Reference Department, has accepted a position as Public Services Librarian at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan.
June 15 marked Terry Keenan's last day with the Department of Special Collections.
Several SUL staffers attended the first annual Cornell University Library Showcase held in Willard Straight Hall. The showcase consisted of poster sessions presented by CUL staff on a number of innovative projects and services. Participants included Michael DeSalvo, Peter Graham, Peter McDonald, Pamela McLaughlin, Sue Miller, Barbara Opar, Suzanne Preate, and Pam Thomas.
John Olson, Maps/GIS Librarian and Elizabeth Wallace, Earth Sciences Librarian, recently attended the 21st Annual ESRI Users Conference in San Diego, CA.
Nancy Begg joined the University Libraries on May 10, 2001 as a half-time monographic cataloger. Nancy holds an MS in Educational Administration and Policy and an MLS from the University at Albany as well as a BA in Psychology from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. Nancy has previously worked at Schenectady County Community College as a Grants Coordinator and also at the New York State Library where she was a supervising cataloger.
Fred Jeziorkowski joined the University Libraries on July 5, 2001 as a Windows NT Programmer Analyst. Fred earned his Bachelor of Arts degrees in Biology and Sociology from the University at Albany. Fred previously worked at PowerAdz.com of Rensselaer where he worked as a Systems Administrator, and at Manpower Technical of Schenectady where he worked as a Computer Technician.
Deborah Schmidle joined the University Libraries on July 5, 2001 as the new Reference Librarian/Bibliographer at the Dewey Graduate Library. Deb comes to us from Cornell University's Martin P. Catherwood Library where she taught and provided reference services. She holds an MLS from Syracuse University and a BS in History from Binghamton University.
Roger Lipera joined the University Libraries on July 19, 2001 as the new part-time Interactive Media Center Training Specialist. He holds a Master of Science in Theater from Illinois State University at Normal and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.
Karen Brown also joined the University Libraries on July 19, 2001 as our new Preservation Librarian. Karen came to us from the North East Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) where she worked as a field service representative. Prior to that, she was a conservator at the Provincial Archives in New Brunswick. She holds a Master of Library and Information Studies from Dalhousie University; a Master of Art Conservation from Queen's University Art Conservation program in Kingston, Ontario; and, a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cooper Union in New York City.
Jane Kessler joined the University Libraries on August 30, 2001 as a new half-time Reference Librarian. Jane holds an MLS from the University at Albany; an MBA with Honors from Rutgers University; and, a BS in Business and Economics from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Jane's professional background includes working as a temporary, part-time Reference Librarian at the Dewey Graduate Library. Prior to her career as a Librarian, Jane worked as a Financial Analyst at Miracle-Ear, Inc., and at General Electric (GE).
Otis Chadley left the University Libraries to accept a position at the University at Maryland, College Park after seventeen years of service.
Eleanor Gossen has retired from the University Libraries, effective August 16, 2001 and has moved to Dyer, Nevada where she will work at Deep Springs College. Her many years of service and dedication to the University and to the Libraries were celebrated at a reception in her honor in August.
Candace Merbler attended the 2001 ACRL Immersion Institute held at SUNY Plattsburgh from August 3-8, 2001 as a Track 1 participant.
Publications and Activities
Laura Cohen published the bibliographic essay, "Finding it All on the Web: Search Tools and Strategies" in Choice 38 Supplement (2001): 13-27. She spoke at this year's annual conference of the SUNY Librarians Association on "Foolproof Techniques for Teaching How to Search the Web." One of Laura's Internet Tutorials was cited in the LangaList on July 30, http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2001/2001-07-30.htm. Also, Laura was interviewed for an article published in The Philadelphia Inquirer on May 17, "Searches change, so Web users must."
Laura Cohen received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship and the University at Albany President's Award for Excellence in Librarianship for 2000-2001. Finally, Laura was inducted into the Internet Librarian Hall of Fame on August 20, http://www.rlc.dcccd.edu/lrc/hofprevious.htm.
Marjorie Benedict has announced the availability of her book-length bibliography: Gabrielle Roy: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Studies about the Author and Her Works, which is now available on the Internet: http://www.albany.edu/~mb648/Roy/
Trudi E. Jacobson, Partnerships between Library Instruction Units and Campus Teaching Centers, Journal of Academic Librarianship 27 (July, 2000): 311-316.
Trudi E. Jacobson and Timothy H. Gatti, eds. Teaching Information Literacy Concepts: Activities and Frameworks from the Field. Pittsburgh: Library Instruction Publications, 2001.