Bird's Eye View

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.