WPA Demonstration Project:

University of Kentucky senior Angelia Pulley, a history major working under the direction of Dr. Randolph Hollingsworth, Assistant Provost of Undergraduate Education, has joined several UK Libraries’ faculty and staff working with Works Progress Administration and Work Projects Administration (WPA) materials.

As part of an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant-funded demonstration project, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) is leading the development of “Centers of Excellence” (COE) which will manage, preserve, and provide access to collections of U.S. Government information from each Federal government agency. UK serves as a COE for the WPA.

Part of the project requires the COEs to “provide expert reference service for and promote the use of their collection.” Angelia’s work includes showcasing the historical importance of the WPA along with UK Libraries’ actual collections. Angelia will do this via the production of video displays in The Hub in Young Library along with physical and virtual library exhibits. She is also working toward the further development and expanded use of the WPA Research Guide, an instructional tool which is available for use by faculty and students alike. Additionally, Angelia will be involved in activities surrounding the culmination of the grant in September 2012.

More information about the project may be found at http://libguides.uky.edu/wpa.


Deirdre Scaggs Makes Founder’s Day Appearance on WUKY:

This past Wednesday, February 22 was UK’s 147th birthday. Deirdre Scaggs, Associate Dean for Special Collections, talked with UK Station Manager Tom Godell about the work of UK’s new Sesquicentennial Committee.
You can find the entire UK Perspectives segment here: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wuky/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1904519


Nunn Center Veteran Project Featured at National Symposium:

“Combat to Kentucky,” the Louie B. Nunn Oral History Center’s project on Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans, was featured at the recent Veteran Symposium for Higher Education held February 20-21. Thirteen speakers from across the United States made presentations regarding veteran issues and challenges. Dr. Doug Boyd, Director of the Nunn Center, discussed the UK project and how oral history helps returning veterans acclimate to college life and hopefully improves retention and graduation rates among veterans.


Academic Achievement Recognized at Founder’s Day Program:

The 2012 Founders Day Ceremony was held Thursday in the Worsham Theatre. The University of Kentucky celebrated 147 years of academic tradition by honoring faculty and instructors for their outstanding achievements and contributions in teaching, research, and service. UK Librarians Stacey Greenwell and Gail Kennedy were both listed in the program for awards they received this past year.


Lunch with the Dean:

I enjoyed lunch this past Thursday with Martha David, Kate Hesseldenz, and Sara Abdmishani Price. It is always fun to learn more about each other and talk about new ideas for UK Libraries. If you have already submitted your name, you are already eligible for future drawings. If you have not already done so, send Sherree you name and come have lunch with me!


Reminder:

UK Libraries faculty meeting, Monday, February 27, UKAA Auditorium, Young Library.


Thanks to Sandee McAninch and Mary McLaren for their contributions to this week’s review.



Terry Birdwhistell
Dean of Libraries

Mary Beth Thomson Selected for Prestigious UCLA Program:

UCLA announced this week that “fifteen top managers of academic research libraries have been appointed UCLA Senior Fellows for 2012 following an international competition. As Senior Fellows, the fifteen will attend the three-week program conducted at UCLA on July 30 – August 17.”

Mary Beth Thomson, Associate Dean for Collections and Technical Services, says that she “welcomes the opportunity to expand my knowledge of the opportunities and challenges facing deans and directors of research libraries and to discuss these and other issues impacting the future of academic libraries.” Mary Beth has played a key administrative role in the development of UKnowledge and is leading UK Libraries in the move towards open access for academic scholarship and research library collections.

The program was first established in 1982 with the support of the Council on Library Resources, UCLA, and the institutions represented by the participating fellows. Over 225 academic library leaders have participated in the program. 2012 marks the sixteenth year the program has been held.

Paul Willis, former Director of UK Libraries, participated in the first class of UCLA Fellows in 1982.

Congratulations Mary Beth.


UK Libraries Phonathon Exceeds Expectations:

Director of Development for UK Libraries, Greg Casey, announced this week the results of the most recent UK Libraries phonathon. Total gifts were down after the fall phonathon and UK Libraries decided to participate in UK’s phonathon expansion into the spring which provided the following increases:

• 9.3% increase in dollars
• Only 11 pledges shy of last year’s total
• 6.3% increase in credit card gifts
• 26.2% increase in credit card dollars
• percentage of those contacted who made a pledge increased by 10 points

Greg Laur, Director of UK Annual giving noted that the percentage increase in giving “not only represents success of our callers and their high quality, but I also think this shows that there must be a bit of a buzz about what is going on at UK Libraries.” Thanks to all of UK Libraries donors including our own faculty and staff! And a special thanks to the UK students who spend evenings in Central Development talking with our donors and sharing the exciting developments within UK Libraries!


New African-American History Resource Available:

Heath Martin, Director of Collections for UK Libraries, announced this week a valuable new digital collections, Black Thought and Culture, being featured on UK Libraries homepage during Black History Month.

“Speeches, essays, articles, letters, leaflets, trials, interviews, monographs and periodicals written by leaders within the black community from 1700 to 2005. Over 100,000 pages illustrate the evolution of what it means to "be black." Authors include teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, war veterans, and entertainers. Find influences and read history in their words.”
http://libraries.uky.edu/record.php?lir_id=948


UK Libraries Special Collections Highlight Black History Month:

Oliver Street Colored School

Winchester, Kentucky

1892-1956

1923 Blue Grass League Champions under Coach E. J. Hooper (#7)

UK Special Collections Audio-Visual Archives

See Coach Hooper entry in the Notable Kentucky African Americans Database: http://www.uky.edu/Libraries/NKAA/record.php?note_id=2568

Rita Tobin Announces Retirement:

Rita Tobin, Library Technician Senior in the Medical Center Library, will retire from UK Libraries on May 18 after more than 23 years of service. Many of her years were spent providing excellent assistance in the MCL A/V Library. She was named the Chandler Medical Center Chancellor's Division Employee of the Quarter for October-December 1999, and was nominated for the Dean's Staff Award in 2009. We thank Rita for her many contributions to UK Libraries and wish her much happiness in her retirement.


Deirdre Scaggs Profiles “Smiley Pete” for Archival Publication:

In "Our Beloved Friend: Life in a Newspaper Photographic Morgue," Associate Dean for Special Collections Deirdre Scaggs shares the story of Smiley Pete, a stray dog that became a downtown Lexington institution. Deirdre “discovered” Smiley Pete several years ago while serving as Project Archivist for the Lexington Herald-Leader Photographic Collection. The article is in the most recent issue of Views, Newsletter of the Visual Materials Section of the Society of American Archivists.
http://www.archivesinaction.com/VIEWS_Feb_2012.pdf


UK Libraries Co-Sponsors Documentary:

Toni Greider, Director of International Programs, has arranged for UK Libraries to join with Latin American Studies and the College of Communications and Information Studies to present a screening of Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo & the Search for Identity. This award winning documentary was produced by University of North Carolina journalism professor C.T. Tuggle and his two daughters and tells the story of Argentinian grandmothers (Las Abuelas) who are looking for their grandchildren.

The viewing is scheduled for Friday, February 24th from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Student Center Worsham Theater and is free and open to the public. More detailed information about Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo and biographies of the people interviewed can be found at their website http://www.searchforidentitydocumentary.com/ and viewer comments can be found on their Facebook event page https://www.facebook.com/events/126829517424666/


ARL Joins Nine Organizations in Supporting FRPAA:

This week the Association of Research Libraries partnered with nine other organizations on letters to Congress in support of the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA). On February 9, 2012, Sens. Cornyn (R-TX), Wyden (D-OR), and Hutchinson (R-TX) and Reps. Doyle (D-PA), Yoder (R-KS), and Clay (D-MO) introduced the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA, S. 2096 and H.R. 4004), companion bills that would ensure free, timely, online access to the published results of research funded by 11 US federal agencies.


Sesquicentennial Plans Featured on WUKY:

On UK Perspectives, Station Manager Tom Godell talked with Deirdre Scaggs, Co-Chair of UK’s Sesquicentennial Committee about upcoming events for UK150. You can find the entire program here: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wuky/news.newsmain?action=section&SECTION_ID=986


Good Advice:

Jeff Suchanek, Special Collections, shared the following quote this week: "If you don't like change, you're going to like irrelevance even less." General Eric Shinseki, former U.S. Army Chief of Staff


Thanks to Greg Casey, Toni Greider, Heath Martin, Judy Sackett and Jeff Suchanek for their contributions to this week’s review.


Terry Birdwhistell
Dean of Libraries

Gloria Singletary:

Gloria Singletary’s passing is a sad moment for the University of Kentucky. During her years in Kentucky Ms. Singletary’s giving personality made everything and everyone around her better. Whether it was participating at an assortment of UK functions, being a devoted supporter of women’s athletics, volunteering at the UK Medical Center, or supporting Lexington’s Living Arts and Science Center, Gloria Singletary gave unselfishly.

Perhaps the first important decision Gloria and Otis Singletary made when they came to Kentucky in 1969 was their decision to live in Maxwell Place. Town/gown relations were at a low ebb in the late 60’s and the Singletary’s decision to move their young family into Maxwell Place was good for both the community and the university and probably saved Maxwell Place which had earlier been targeted for demolition.

A newspaper article reported that “The Singletary children are allowed a free run of the UK campus, although Mrs. Singletary said she encouraged the children to stay out of the buildings and to avoid congested areas as they ride their bikes and walk across the campus.”

Admiration and respect for Ms. Singletary came from all areas of the university and the commonwealth for her many contributions of support and service. At one point, after learning that President Singletary might accept another presidency and leave, one UK faculty member said, “Well, if Otis leaves make Gloria president - she can do it!”

In the early 1990’s Ms. Singletary shared her memories of her time at UK during almost 25 hours of oral history interviews for UK Libraries Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History. Her story will be an inspiration for generations to come.


UK Librarians Present at International Meetings:

Katie Henningsen, Access Archivist in Special Collections, just returned from the International Federation of Library Association's midterm meeting that was held at the University of Antwerp (Belgium). The theme of the meeting was "Ambassadors of the Book, Competences for Heritage Librarians." Katie was selected to present her paper, “Preparing librarians technologically for the 21st century” in which she discussed emerging technologies.

Doug Boyd, Director of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, was invited to Istanbul, Turkey to participate in a Hollings Center dialogue entitled The Future of Oral History in the Middle East and Central Asia. The dialogue is a gathering of a diverse group of professionals from the US, Middle East, and Central Asia. Part of the dialogue will cover digital preservation and technology issues that affect oral history and Doug Boyd was invited because of his national leadership in this area.


Looking to the Future of UK Libraries Facilities:

It might be hard to believe but it will soon be 14 years since the opening dedication of the William T. Young Library. The facility remains one of the most impressive university library buildings anywhere. However, libraries are changing dramatically and students’ leaning needs continue to evolve making it imperative that we strive to anticipate how our library facilities can best serve students, faculty, and researchers.

As UK makes building modern dormitories, classrooms, and laboratories a priority, we are also reviewing our own facilities. A meeting this week with Bob Wiseman, UK Vice President for Facilities Management, included a wide ranging discussion about UK Libraries facilities. Additional issues and questions were raised during this week’s Executive Committee discussion.

• What is the current cost for constructing an off-site storage facility and where might it be located?
• What are the costs and timelines for merging the Engineering and Science libraries and the Design and Little Fine Arts libraries?
• Would collections already at Kentucky Underground Storage be moved immediately into a new off-site facility or transferred over time?
• Would an off-site storage facility provide space for archival processing and preservation?
• Would an off-site facility allow for the move of the Special Collections Library and Research Room to Young Library?
• Should an off-site data center for UKIT be included in the off-site facility?
• As UK Libraries locations on the central campus are relocated, how might those space best serve undergraduate education?

Over the next several weeks there will be further study and discussions regarding these questions. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions as we move through this process.


Civil War Collections Digitized:

Digital Library Services is now mass digitizing archival collections with a workflow designed to support getting materials online as quickly as possible. Some of the first collections that have been processed in this way include two sizeable Civil War collections and a collection of letters. The collections are being processed at the folder level, recorded in Archivists Toolkit, digitized, and then put online.

• Cooper-Phillips family papers, 1839-1911 http://eris.uky.edu/exploreuk/catalog/xt7mw6693p5m
• Collins family papers, 1808-1895 http://eris.uky.edu/exploreuk/catalog/xt763x83jp2d
• Clay and Russell family letters, 1830s-1880s http://eris.uky.edu/exploreuk/catalog/xt74qr4nkp43

Jane Bryant Announces Retirement:

Jane Bryant, Health Literacy Librarian in the Medical Center Library since 1999, will retire from UK in late summer. After an early career in nursing, Jane earned a master’s in Library and Information Science from UK in 1984. She has worked as a Medical Librarian at UK since 1991.

Jane’s assignments have included Outreach Librarian, Web Librarian, Information Services Team Leader and Health Literacy Librarian. Among her other activities, she provides library services in the Don and Cathy Jacobs Health Education Center, a center specifically for patients and families. She makes presentations throughout Kentucky on the topic of health literacy. Recently Jane was awarded a "Kentucky Health Literacy for the Community" sub-grant from the University of Illinois in the amount of $23,800.

We thank Jane for her good work for UK Libraries and wish her a happy retirement back home in California!


Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce Call for Applications - Deadline May 1, 2012

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is accepting applications for the Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce (IRDW), a program designed to recruit master of library and information science (MLIS) students from traditionally underrepresented ethnic and racial minority groups into careers in research libraries. The IRDW includes a stipend up to $10,000 over two years, leadership and career development training, financial support for skills development, and a formal mentorship program.

The IRDW is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and ARL member libraries. This program reflects the commitment of ARL members to create a diverse research library community that will better meet the challenges of changing demographics in higher education and the emphasis of global perspectives in the academy.

The application form is online at http://www.arl.org/diversity/init/IRDWapp.shtml. For more information about the program, see the IRDW website http://www.arl.org/diversity/init/.


New Staff in Dean’s Office:

Erin Miller will begin work on Monday, February 13, as a Staff Support Associate II in the Dean’s Office. Her duties will include assistance with accounting, payroll, procurement, and development. In addition Erin will provide front desk coverage and general office support.


Thanks to Mary Molinaro and Judy Sackett for their contributions to this week’s review.


Terry Birdwhistell
Dean of Libraries

Toni Greider’s International Initiatives Featured in Global KY:

The current issue of Global KY, a quarterly publication highlighting interna¬tional initiatives at the University of Kentucky, features Toni Greider’s work supporting international education at UK. Toni has developed The China Portal, a new research guide, connecting faculty and students with all things Chinese available in UK Libraries. Developed over the past several months, the China Portal “provides an interface in both English and Chinese that helps researchers studying a particular aspect of China navigate UK Libraries print and digital material, find useful resources, and, perhaps most importantly, be connected with a subject specialist who can provide more information than they could ever want.”

The entire article can be found here: http://www.uky.edu/IntlAffairs/globalky/newsletter/2011%20Winter%20GlobalKY.pdf


Kathryn Lybarger Offers Insights into Cataloging Challenges at National Meeting:

At the recent American Library Association Mid-Winter Meeting in Dallas, Kathryn Lybarger, Coordinator for Cataloging and Metadata, spoke to the Cataloging & Classification Interest Group. In her talk, "Fast But Accurate? Pitfalls of Batch Metadata Editing", she reviewed problems and inconsistencies in MARC records for electronic resource packages that may be unexpected and difficult to reconcile using batch processes. She also shared tips on how to process record batches to help maintain an accurate catalog, while taking advantage of the efficiency enabled by batch editing.


Senate Library Committee Meets:

At this week’s Senate Library Committee meeting members heard updates from Stephen Sizemore regarding UK Libraries’ budget and from Greg Casey about development initiatives. The Senate Library Committee is charged by the University Senate Council “with the responsibility for recommending to the University Senate policies to promote the educational interests of the University as a whole with respect to UK Libraries.”

The committee is chaired by Dr. Tracy Campbell (History). Other members include Beverly Hilton (UK Libraries), Dr. Armando Prats (English), Dr. Margaret Bausch (Special Education), Dr. Al Lederer (Management), Dr. Matt Webster (Behavioral Science), Dr. Aaron Yelowitz (Economics), Dr. Terry
Conners (Forestry), Dr. Jonathan Allison (English), and Dr. Julia Smyth-Pinney (Architecture).


Gail Kennedy Begins New Position in Special Collections:

Gail Kennedy began her new position this week as the Arts and Outreach Librarian for Special Collections. Her initial focus will be on a variety of arts-related primary source material. Specific projects will include processing the John Arthur Dearinger Theater Collection, indexing 40 hours of the John Jacob Niles Oral History Collection, and organizing an exhibit and other dedicatory events in support of the Joseph Baber Collection (UK music department faculty member and composer).

Generally, Gail will be creating and coordinating opportunities to connect Special Collections to arts-related UK students, faculty, and other groups. Her new office will be on the fourth floor of Special Collections (401B). Gail will be full-time until July 1 when she begins phased retirement at half time.


UK Libraries Joins National Digital Preservation Initiative:

Mary Molinaro, Associate Dean for Library Technologies, participated in an invitation-only meeting last week to explore creation of a Digital Preservation Network (DPN) comprised of the leading research universities and libraries nationally. DPN is an initiative to build a digital preservation framework to insure very long term preservation (100s of years). Flexibility and the ability to adapt over time and to still preserve the intellectual output of the academy is a fundamental assumption in this plan.

DPN seeks to ensure that the objects and meta-data of research and scholarship are replicated and preserved across diverse:

• software architectures
 • organizations
• geographic regions
• political environments (after first launching within U.S.)

The system will seek to insure sustainability and longevity by building a framework that can scale and evolve over time, formats, and organizations. UK Libraries participation in DPN is made possible by financial support from Provost Kumble Subbaswamy.


Becky Ryder Named Director of Keeneland Library:

Becky Ryder will take early retirement from UK to become Director of the Keeneland Library. Becky has been on special assignment to Keeneland for the last two years as we partnered to improve library services at Keeneland.

Becky administered Preservation Services from 1992-2010 and also served as a preservation resource for other state and regional institutions. She was the principal investigator for several major grants including the "Daily Racing Form Preservation Project," and the IMLS- funded "Beyond the Shelf: Serving Historic Kentuckiana Through Virtual Access." She also directed the SOLINET Cooperative Preservation Microfilming Project, 1992-2004.

We thank Becky for her service to UK Libraries and wish her well in her new position. Her last day with UK Libraries will be May 2.


Library Manager for Digital Projects:

Sarah Dorpinghaus will begin her new position as Library Manager for Digital Projects in Digital Library Services on March 1. A graduate of the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Iowa, she is currently the Jewish Heritage Collection Project Archivist at the College of Charleston. Previously Sarah served as an NHPRC-funded Project Archivist at the Chicago History Museum, a John M. Presson Archival Fellow at the College of William and Mary, and a Graduate Assistant in Digital Library Services for the Iowa Digital Library.


Library Technician Hired in ILL:

Sarah Conn will join the Inter-Library Loan Department February 20. A graduate of Transylvania University, Sarah gained library experience working in the Transylvania Library and Archives.


ASERL Signs Berlin Declaration on Open Access:

At its recent Membership meeting in Atlanta, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) endorsed the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities. Of the approximately 360 signatories, ASERL became only the 25th US academic organization – and the 14th library consortium – to officially endorse the Berlin Declaration.

The Berlin Declaration was first authored in 2003 and has attracted more than 350 signatories from around the world. Its creators seek the deposit of scholarly works and supporting materials in a sustainable, online repository that enables “open access, unrestricted distribution, interoperability, and long-term archiving.” See http://bit.ly/nyYx9d for the full text of the Berlin Declaration and the complete list of signatories. See http://www.aserl.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ASERL-Signs-Berlin-Declaration.pdf for the ASERL Berlin Declaration press release.

Provost Kumble Subbaswamy signed the declaration on behalf of the University of Kentucky several weeks ago.


Doug Boyd Named Editor for National Journal:

Dr. Kathryn Nasstrom, Associate Professor of History at the University of San Francisco and Editor of the Oral History Review, announced this week that Dr. Doug Boyd, Director of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, has been named Digital Initiatives Editor for the OHR. According to Dr. Nasstrom, Doug will “take the lead in transforming the Review into a multimedia journal.” Dr. Nasstrom added that the new position “requires the knowledge and skills of both an oral historian and a digital scholar—exactly what you (Doug) offer us.”

Congratulations Doug.


Thanks to John Burger, Mary Molinaro, Judy Sackett, and Mary Beth Thomson for their contributions to this week’s review.


Terry Birdwhistell
Dean of Libraries