Weekly Review

Grant Supports Expansion of Asian Studies Collection:

Thanks to the efforts of UK Librarians Kazuko Hioki and Gordon Hogg and Doug Slaymaker in Japan Studies, The North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources has awarded UK Libraries a Multi-Volume Sets (MVS) grant for 2010-11. The award, one of ten MVS grants awarded to U.S. institutions this year, allows UK Libraries to acquire Raiburari, Nihonjin no Furansu Taike, an important multi-volume resource for students and researchers working in Japanese Studies. This new resource is expected to be added to UK Libraries by July 1.

Through grant programs and by working with collaborating organizations in North America, Japan, and elsewhere, the North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources works to expand and improve access among North American library collections to library resources dealing with Japan.


UK Libraries National Advisory Board Annual Dinner:

April 13, 2011
The Signature Club
Featured Speaker, Dr. Eric Moyen, Frank L. McVey and the University of Kentucky: A Progressive President and the Modernization of a Southern University

Presentation of the UK Libraries Medallion for Intellectual Achievement to Adalin Wichman

For reservations please contact Sherree Osborne, (859) 257-0500, 2158


Troy Martin Receives “Make the Difference” Award:

Since 2004 UK has recognized employees who suggest new and better approaches to completing work tasks and solving work related problems. Earlier this month UK recognized Troy Martin who handles UK Libraries payroll for his suggestion regarding the payroll process.

Troy submitted a suggestion to lock out multiple cells in the timesheet spreadsheet so that the formulas could not be edited. This would prevent errors and mistakes if a user accidentally entered a number in those cells. He also suggested they put the time stamp on the timesheet so one could tell which version was the latest if you received multiple copies.

Stephen Sizemore, UK Libraries Budget Officer and Troy’s supervisor, noted, “This is just another example of how Troy continues to try different ways to improve the payroll process and help UK Libraries improve efficiencies.”


Remembering Margaret Isadora King:

During women’s history month I encourage you to consider the contributions of Margaret Isadora King (1879-1966) to the University of Kentucky. She graduated from UK in 1898 as salutatorian of her class and became UK’s first librarian in 1912. King received a B.S. degree in librarianship from Columbia University in 1929. She served as president of the Kentucky Library Association (1926-27) and as a member of the board of trustees of the Lexington Public Library. King was a part-time instructor in both library science and English at UK.

In June 1948, the main UK Library building was named in her honor. The Margaret I. King Building is now home to both Special Collections and the Science Library. King retired as librarian on September 1, 1949.



State of the Libraries, 2011:

I presented the “State of the UK Libraries” to the University Senate this past Monday. I have placed the PowerPoint presentation on SharePoint (Office of the Dean, State of the Libraries) and will discuss the document at next week’s faculty meeting. I am also sending copies of the presentation to UK Libraries National Advisory Board.


Major Changes to UK Undergraduate Education Underway:

In a very informative video, http://uknow.uky.edu/content/video-message-provost, Provost Kumble Subbaswamy discusses the importance of recent changes in UK’s general education program. He also encourages the campus to get involved in developing a name for these critically important reforms in undergraduate education.

UK Libraries continues to be integrally involved in the reform process as we look to improve library service and instruction to UK undergraduates.


Special Collections announces upcoming exhibit opening:

'Our only hope was in Kentucky': The Civil War Sesquicentennial

Exhibit Opening

& Lecture

“The Civil War in Black and White”

Rynetta Davis

Department of English

21 April 2011, 4:00 p.m.

Margaret I. King Building, Special Collections

RSVP by Friday, 15 April 2011

859.257.1742 or kate.hesseldenz@uky.edu

Reception and exhibition viewing to follow

Thanks to Heath Martin and Stephen Sizemore for their contributions to the Weekly Review.

Terry Birdwhistell

Dean of Libraries



Weekly Review

Nation of Nations Exhibit Coming to Young Library:

Nation of Nations, the most recent body of work by artist Marjorie Guyon, is scheduled to be installed April 22 in the University Drive entrance of the William T. Young Library across from the UKAA Auditorium.

A series of 10 multimedia works on panel, Nation of Nations offers a conceptual snapshot of America as a nation of nations—figures reflecting Incan, Senegalese, Hungarian and Italian, yellow, black, red and white. The exhibit will be utilized by several general education classes beginning next fall and will remain in Young Library through the 2011/12 academic year.

For additional information visit: http://www.marjorieguyon.com/Nation.pdf


Nigerian historian will visit UK Libraries next week:

Charles Adedeji Ogidan, Lecturer, Department of History, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria will visit UK Libraries next week. Ogidan is a History graduate of Lagos State University. He also holds Master of Science degree (International Relations) and Master of Philosophy (History) from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife, where he is also a Ph.D candidate. Ogiden will spend time in various areas of Special Collections and in Digital Library Services. He will tour Young Library next Wednesday afternoon.


Terry Birdwhistell
Dean of Libraries

UK Libraries Graduate Assistant Wins Competitive Grant:

Esta Day, graduate assistant in Electronic Resources, has received a NASIG student travel grant to attend the national conference. NASIG is “an independent, international organization committed to promoting communication and sharing of ideas among all people working with or concerned about serial publications.” Only four grants are awarded annually.

This year’s conference will be held in St. Louis. Ms. Day will attend the conference and submit a brief written report to NASIG following the conference ends. The written reports are then excerpted in the NASIG Newsletter.

In her recommendation letter UK Librarian Stephanie Aken, Electronic Resources Coordinator noted:

“Esta has the ability to set goals and work tirelessly toward achieving them. She is not only interested in mastering job skills related to Electronic Resources but also in analyzing the how ER fits into the broader picture. She is continually striving to improve not only our unit procedures, but she also identifies problems throughout the library system and suggests possible solutions. We need more professionals who have a vision for serials in the electronic age and who are not willing to keep doing things the same old way because that is the way they have always been done. She is keenly aware of many current issues, and I envision her always being at the forefront.”

We are extremely proud of Esta!


Nancy DeMarcus and UK Libraries Records Program Receive Accolades:

“I am writing to let you know how much I appreciate Nancy DeMarcus. I have been put in charge of purging records at University Health Services. Needless to say, I had no idea where to begin. I was given Nancy’s name from another co-worker. She absolutely went above and beyond to help me. Today, she spent over an hour on the phone with me helping me figure things out. I truly appreciate the work she did for me. Not to mention she was so kind and patient with me while helping me find our lost inventory lists.

In today’s busy society it’s not too often that you find someone that is willing to go that extra mile to help someone. Nancy has been our little angel this week. She located all of our missing inventory and then made sure we understood how to use it. Thank you again Nancy!!!! I really appreciate everything that you did for us!!!”

Shaylin Floyd, University Health Services Medical Records Department


Spring Break:

To everyone away from campus for the week please have a fun and safe spring break. For those of us staying here, just remember: better parking, fewer meetings, and a great time to catch up on important initiatives.

Thanks to Stephanie Aken and Shaylyn Floyd for their contributions to the Weekly Review.

Terry Birdwhistell
Dean of Libraries

Weekly Review

UK Libraries Cultural Diversity Events:

UK Libraries celebrates cultural diversity on campus by offering a number of displays and exhibits in several libraries. In William T. Young Library two displays are presented in the Hub.

A Century of African American Photographs 1880s-1980s on the video windows

The World@UK Libraries, a PowerPoint presentation of the cultural diverse resources both created and offered by UK Libraries. This presentation runs continuously on the monitor in Core 4

Other UK Library exhibits include:

• The Cultural Diversity of Special Collections in the lobby of the Margaret I. King Building

• Promoting Health Literacy Locally and Globally in display cases outside the Medical Center Library

• Asian Arts and Performance lobby of the Little Fine Arts Library beginning on March 7th

• On March 18th, an exhibit opens in the Art Museum of French and American World War I posters from the Special Collections Library. This exhibit will run through May 8th and is sponsored jointly with the UK English Department and the Art Museum


Work of English Romantics Exhibit at UK Libraries:

The Special Collections Library holds one of the world's most distinguished collections of original letters from the early English Romantics and they are currently being displayed for the public. From now through the month of March visitors can view some of the original work from the foremost British writers of the 19th century. The free exhibition, "The English Romantics in First Editions and Manuscripts: An Exhibition," is being displayed in the Great Hall of the Special Collections Library located on the second floor of the Margaret I. King Building.

This new exhibit, prepared by Dr. James D. Birchfield, Curator of Rare Books, showcases original manuscripts and first editions of various English Romantic writers. Included are Robert Burns, William Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Robert Southey, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, John Keats, Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelly, Maria Edgeworth, and others.

The pieces featured in "The English Romantics in First Editions and Manuscripts" were a gift from W. Hugh Peal, a 1922 graduate of the UK's School of Business (now part of the Carol Martin Gatton College of Business and Economics). Peal worked under UK’s first librarian, Margaret I. King, as a student and went on to become one of Kentucky's first Rhodes Scholars at England's Oxford University. He then practiced law in New York.

Peal donated his important collection to the UK Libraries in 1982. An endowment funds occasional additions to the W. Hugh Peal Collection.

The entire press release can be found at: http://uknow.uky.edu/content/work-english-romantics-exhibits-uk-libraries


Mary Molinaro Invited to National Digital Library Session at Harvard:

At a meeting this week at Harvard University Mary Molinaro, Associate Dean for Library Technologies, and other digital library leaders from across the United States explored best practices for capturing published and archival collections into a National Digital Library.

Historic newspaper collections will be an important part of any National Digital Library and UK Libraries has been a national leader in newspaper digitization.

Mary notes that the Kentuckiana Digital Library, administered by UK Libraries, will provide an excellent framework for how Kentucky and other states can best organize their collections for inclusion into a National Digital Library.

Below are links to additional information regarding the need for a National Digital Library:

http://chronicle.com/article/Its-Time-for-a-National/126489/

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/oct/28/can-we-create-national-digital-library/



Thanks to for their Whitney Hale and Toni Greider for their contributions to the Weekly Review.


Terry Birdwhistell
Dean of Libraries