Monday, April 30, 2012


Access Records Management Department Well Represented at Spring Conferences:

Kathryn Lybarger’s  “Ebookmobile: Delivering Subject-Specific Ebooks to Your Inbox” was recently presented at the Kentucky Library Association Academic Library Section spring meeting, and will be presented at the Ohio Valley Group of Technical Services Librarians (OVGTSL) on May 3rd  and at the ExLibris Users Group (ELUNA) conference the 2nd week of May.  The Ebookmobile helps researchers become aware of new ebooks in the library collection in their specific area of interest, so they can start using them immediately.  Ebookmobile checks the catalog daily for newly cataloged ebooks and creates feeds for ranges in a classification scheme. 
                                      
Marsha Seamans will present “Synchronizing Holdings for Improved Discoverability” at OVGTSL on May 4th.  Marsha will be talking about UK’s OCLC batch reclamation project and its impact on discovery. The presentation will outline the planning process, the process itself, the results of the process, including reports and some unexpected consequences, and finally, the database maintenance projects that resulted.

At the ExLibris Bluegrass Users Group (EBug) meeting, Julene Jones will give an overview of the new Global Data Change client for batch editing in Voyager 8.0 and identify some best practices for its use.  Global Data Change permits flexible yet directed batch editing of MARC records. 

Beth Kraemer Publishes Article in Journal of Library Innovation:




  “Academic Librarians in Second Life,” co-authored with Denise Cote, Robin Ashford, and Diane Nahl, surveyed academic librarians working in Second Life to discover their perceptions of virtual world environments for teaching and learning and to gauge the impact of this technology on their work with faculty and students. Sixty-two librarians provided details on various aspects of their professional involvement in Second Life. Findings show that librarians from every type of academic institution, at all levels of advancement, and in every department participate in this virtual world.”

Here is the link:  http://www.libraryinnovation.org/article/view/87         

UKnowledge Launches Fourth Journal:

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that aims to shorten the turnaround time between research results and publication in a traditional journal. Frontiers is produced monthly through a collaboration of the Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks Program Office and the National Coordinating Center for Public Health Services and Systems Research. Both Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded centers are based at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. 

Frontiers features brief descriptions of preliminary findings from ongoing or recently completed studies and quality improvement projects that answer important questions regarding the organization, financing, and delivery of public health services; the structure, operation, and management of public health delivery systems; the application of quality improvement methods in public health settings; and the impact of these endeavors on population health. An editorial comment accompanies each article, highlighting the lessons for public health practice, policy, and future research.

Thanks to Robert Shapiro, Public Health Librarian in the Medical Center Library and Managing Editor of Frontiers, and Pat Wilson, Director of UKnowledge, for moving this initiative forward. 

Friday, April 20, 2012


Miranda Hinds Accepts Human Resources Position at BCTC:



Miranda Hines has resigned her Library Technician Senior position in Young Library Circulation to accept the position of Professional and Organizational Development Manager at Bluegrass Community and Technical College. Her last day at UK will be May 31st. Miranda completed her master's degree in her new field through UK's Employee Education Program while working full time as Reserves Supervisor.  She first worked for UK Libraries as a student assistant in Circulation and joined the staff in 1995. We thank Miranda for her many years of service and dedication to UK Libraries and wish her great success in her new career! 

Mary Geyer Retiring:



Mary Geyer, Library Technician in Monograph Acquisitions, Collections and Technical Services Division, has announced her retirement.  Mary has been with UK Libraries since August 1, 1978.  Although she has spent her library career primarily in Technical Services, her service has frequently extended outside her main assignment. Mary has worked at the Circulation Desk, helped with the computer roll-out, and assisted with countless library social events as a member of the Library Staff Organization and Hospitality Committee. In 2007 Mary received the 2007 Dean's Award for Outstanding Performance in recognition of her commitment and dedication.  We wish Mary a long and happy retirement and thank her for long service to UK Libraries.  Her last day of work will be July 5, 2012.  

UK Libraries National Advisory Board Adds Two New Members:

Sharon Horner and former UK President Charles T. Wethington have joined the UK Libraries National Advisory Board.

Sharon Horner grew up in New York City and worked with IBM for 25 years in Sales, Education Development and Customer Briefings.  In 1992 Sharon relocated to Lexington to begin a second career with Lexmark International in Internal Real Estate Development. 

As UK President, Dr. Charles Wethington guided the funding and construction of the $58 –million William T. Young Library. By the end of his term, the UK Libraries collection endowment ranked first among public institutions of higher education and was second only to that of Harvard's among all college and university libraries. 

Three UK Librarians Awarded Sabbaticals for 2012-13:


Paula Hickner, Music Librarian, will use her sabbatical to continue her research on the tradition of the singing school in the Mid-South, 1860-1920. Kentucky was home to many singing schools, led by itinerant singing masters who traveled the region and offered winter singing schools with the goal of improving the quality of congregational singing. In addition to developing a more complete picture of the tradition of the singing school in rural society during this time period, the research will serve to increase awareness of the hymnals and tune books held in the Wilcox and Lair collections in the Lucille Little Fine Arts Library.

Gordon Hogg, Director of the Special Collections Library, will continue researching and writing a book with the working title of "Seven Nations before the Mast: the NATO Mixed Manning Demonstration and the MLF."  The primary resource for the Multilateral Force (MLF) project is the Thomas E. Fortson Collection in UK Libraries.  A second project of the sabbatical proposes to research and write a series of articles on the Italian commercial and military/naval presence in China and Japan from the 1880's until World War II. 

Judy Sackett, Director of Human Resources, will focus her sabbatical on diversity issues in large academic libraries.  Research will focus on UK Libraries and campus efforts and an analysis of past and current strategies used for increasing diversity among library faculty here and elsewhere.  Activities will include a review and update of UK Libraries' previously proposed two-year post-MLS residency program.  Judy intends to focus on recommendations for increasing success toward UK Libraries’ strategic goal of increasing diversity.  Judy will share her findings in an article as well as conference presentations.  

Each sabbatical has been approved for six months. Judy will begin her sabbatical July 1, 2012.  Paula and Gordon will begin their sabbaticals January 1, 2013.   

UK Libraries Annual Dinner:

Over 90 people attended last week’s UK Libraries Annual Dinner including members of UK Libraries National Advisory Board and other friends and supporters. 

 

Dr. John Anthony, UK Chemistry professor received the UK Medallion for Intellectual Achievement from Advisory Board President Brenda Lampton.  Alan Lowe, Director of the George W. Bush Library and Museum presented a fascinating talk about his work in presidential libraries and the challenges of building the Bush Library.


The Annual Dinner would not have been possible without the careful planning and hard work of UK Libraries staff Sherree Osborne, Kate Hesseldenz, Erin Miller, Lewis Warden, and Jeff Rion.  Thank you!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Nunn Center Director Lectures at China Symposium:



With the help of a generous grant from the U.S. State Department, UK has been able to forge a partnership across the Pacific. On March 29th, 2012, three UK scholars delivered lectures for the Inaugural Symposium for the American Studies Center at Shanghai. Rich Schein and Patricia Ehrkamp from the Department of Geography and Doug Boyd from the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries lectured on "Urbanization in the American South."

Doug’s talk focused on the use of oral history in documenting urban change. The three scholars also lectured at the US Embassy Cultural Center in Beijing

The symposium, was the first of its kind at Shanghai University, but will be followed later this semester with another series of presentations about Appalachian art, literature and culture in May and a kiosk will be installed at the American Studies Center in Shanghai containing significant material from special collections.

Additional information can be found on the College of Arts and Sciences website:
http://american-studies.as.uky.edu/american-studies-shanghai-university-andy-doolen
UK Libraries Supports Health Literacy Summit:


Jane Bryant, UK Medical Center Librarian, played a key role in planning and organizing the recent Health Literacy Summit held in Lexington.


Also attending were Samanthi Hewakapuge, (second from left) Greater Midwest Region representative of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and UK Medical Center Librarians, (L-R) Janet Stith, Rick Brewer and Mary Congleton
UK Librarians Featured at Upcoming Ex Libris Meeting:



Tari Keller and Kate Seago will be presenting at the annual Ex Libris Bluegrass Users Group (http://libwired.info/ebug/) on June 1, 2012 at Somerset Community College in Somerset, Kentucky. Tari is presenting on “We’re ALL in the cloud- What’s next” which builds on her presentation to the ELUNA (Ex Libris User’s of North America) in May where she will discuss “Moving a Voyager Consortium to the Cloud”. Kate will be presenting on “Finding the Silver Lining in the Cloud” where she will outline her experiences in getting local programs working again with our new Voyager server.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Sixth Annual Library Career Day:


On March 24, 2012, the Annual Library Career Day was held for the UK Minority College Awareness Program (MCAP). The event is coordinated each year by UK librarian Reinette Jones and Mildred Bailey, Director of UK MCAP. Christopher Johnson and Carlos Marin, both with the Area Health Education Center, co-sponsored the career day program. The event was held from 9:00 a.m. to noon in the College of Medicine

Presentations were delivered by UK librarian Mary Congleton as well as other UK faculty and staff. UK MCAP was established by the Council on Postsecondary Education in 1986. The programs prepare African American and other under-represented students for success in post-secondary education.

Mary Congleton
Mildred Bailey noted that, “Reinette Jones has made a definite and permanent impact on our program. We appreciate the way Reinette actually embraced all librarians in our area to participate and share the love of libraries that she has with our young people.”

Reinette Jones
Deirdre Scaggs Named Co-Director of Wendell H. Ford Public Policy Research Center:



Deirdre Scaggs, Associate Dean for Special Collections, will now also serve as Co-Director of the Wendell H. Ford Public Policy Research Center. Established in 1999, the Ford Center seeks to support research and programming dealing with issues relating to public policy, politics, and Congress. The Center also promotes access to UK Libraries’ large Public Policy Archives. Tracy Campbell, UK Professor of History, serves as the other Co-Director of the Center. The Center is named for Wendell H. Ford who represented Kentucky in the United States Senate for twenty-four years and served as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Kentucky.
Robert Post Reception:



UK Libraries Special Collections will host a reception for Robert C. Post, Dean and Sol and Lillian Goldman Professor of Law, Yale Law School, Thursday, April 12, 2012 in Special Collections, Margaret I. King Building from 5:15 to 6:15 pm. An exhibit featuring items from the collections former Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson and former Supreme Court Justice Stanley F. Reed will be on view. The UK College of Law is hosting Dean Post as its Roy R. and Virginia F. Ray Distinguished Lecturer. Please RSVP to Kate Hesseldenz (kate.hesseldenz@uky.edu).
New Director of Digital Scholarship:



Adrian Ho will join UK Libraries faculty as Director of Digital Scholarship, Collections and Technical Services Division, effective May 1. He brings to the job a strong professional background as a serials cataloger, technical processing librarian, social sciences librarian, and collection development coordinator. Since 2008, Adrian has been Scholarly Communication Librarian at the University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada, where he launched, developed, and managed that institution's institutional repository.

He is professionally active in the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), and the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA), and was an Association of Research Libraries' Leadership and Career Development Program Fellow. Adrian earned his MLIS degree from McGill University, and holds an MA in Communications Studies from the University of Calgary. We look forward to Adrian's arrival!

Many thanks to the members of the Digital Scholarship Search Committee: Kate Seago, Chair, Doug Boyd, Kathryn Lybarger, Jen Martin, Eric Weig, and Judy Sackett, ex officio.