UK Libraries congratulates Markey Cancer Center for NCI designation

Last week I had the privilege of attending the announcement that UK’s Markey Cancer Center achieved designation as a National Cancer Center.  There are only a handful of such institutions in the nation, and Markey is the only one in Kentucky.  This is an impressive achievement years in the making, and it is a powerful symbol of the university’s commitment to making the lives of the citizens of our commonwealth better. 

It is also an achievement of which all of us at UK and in UK Libraries can be rightly proud.  The Medical Center Library (MCL) not only ensured access to essential scholarly and informational resources during the review process, but it has additionally provided Medical Center Library faculty expertise in support of MCC’s education, research, and patient care mission.

Medical Center Library faculty member, Frank Davis, is the MCL’s liaison to MCC and provides many essential services:

• Serves as a member of the Markey Web and Newsletter Planning Group where he attends monthly meetings, provides support for issues related to web design, and assists with newsletter content.
• Maintains a regular current awareness service and EndNote library for MCC administration, including regular updates of publications by MCC authors.
• Provides on-demand research on issues related to grants, including animal welfare database searches, and patient care. The liaison may help with document delivery issues, and evaluate and suggest the best journals for publication submission.

In addition, the portion of the UK Libraries William T. Young Endowment dedicated to the Lucille P. Markey Cancer Center enhances translational medicine and science efforts, pushing advances more quickly from the laboratory into the patient care setting, by selecting and making available the highest quality oncology-related resources so critical in support of the research and patient care initiatives.  This past year the Young Endowment provided roughly $100,000 in direct support of the Markey Cancer Center.

The endowment provides access to scholarly journals needed for research and patient care.  Below are a few core titles reflecting the breadth of the collection:

• Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
• Investigational New Drugs
• Anticancer Research
• American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) suite of journals
• Journal of the National Cancer Institute
• Mutation Research
• Seminars in Oncology
• Cancer Investigation

 We are proud to contribute to the overall success of the Markey Cancer Center by ensuring that UK clinicians, researchers, and faculty have access to the scholarly and technical resources needed to be a world-class cancer research center.

Stacie Williams appointed to SAA committee

Stacie Williams, Special Collections Learning Lab Manager, has been appointed to the Society of American Archivists Mosaic Scholarship Selection Committee.  The SAA Council established the Mosaic Scholarship in August 2008 to advance the association’s Diversity Strategic Priority.  It provides financial and mentoring support to minority students pursuing graduate education in archival science, encourages students to pursue a career as an archivist, and promotes the diversification of the American archives profession.

Mosaic Scholarship recipients demonstrate excellent potential for scholastic and personal achievement and manifest a commitment both to the archives profession and to advancing diversity concerns within it.  Congratulations Stacie on being selected for this national committee!

ASERL Collection Development Initiative

Heath Martin, Director of Collections for UK Libraries, has been named co-chair of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) Collection Development Initiative.  Heath joins Connie Stovall, Assistant Director for Collection Management at Virginia Tech University, in the leadership role and his term will run from July 1, 2013, until June 30, 2015. 

The ASERL Collection Development Initiative, founded in 2005, identifies and negotiates collaborative purchasing/license agreements to benefit ASERL libraries and brings ASERL libraries and collection development leaders together to share knowledge and best practices concerning emerging issues in collection management, scholarly communication, and other related areas.

Digitized newspapers provide source for Humanities article

UK Libraries digital newspaper content was utilized extensively for a recent article in the NEH journal Humanities.  Marianne C. Walker’s article, “The Late Governor Goebel: He fought, killed, and was killed.”  http://www.neh.gov/humanities/2013/julyaugust/feature/the-late-governor-goebel tells the story of Kentucky’s only governor to be assassinated.  

 NEH shared with readers that, “More than six million pages of historic newspapers from 1836 to 1922 have been digitized through Chronicling America, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress. Thirty-two states are represented by state digitization projects, including Kentucky. In 2005, UK received the first of three grants, totaling $1.3 million, from NEH to digitize many of the newspapers that Marianne Walker mined for facts about Goebel’s career and assassination, such as the Hartford Herald, the Daily Commonwealth, and the Louisville Courier-Journal.”

Library Publishing Coalition launches new website

UK Libraries’ publishing profile is one of the features of the new Library Publishing Coalition website:  www.librarypublishing.org. 

By September the LPC plans to offer the first ever Directory of Library Publishing Services which “which will raise the visibility of this emerging field; help identify trends, practices, and models; and encourage the development of library publishing services.  An LPC Forum scheduled for March 2014, “will provide a space for libraries to share their activities and goals with each other and the broader field. 

A Shared Documentation Portal which debuted this week “will host a variety of model documents that help our libraries benefit from the expertise and experience of their colleagues.”

Julene Jones presents at ALA

Julene Jones, Head of Database Integrity, gave a presentation entitled "Batch Editing: software and regular expressions at UK Libraries" at the American Library Association (ALA) 2013 Annual Conference in Chicago. The presentation was delivered at the Catalog Management Interest Group meeting of the Cataloging and Classification Section (CCS) of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS). 

Julene’s presentation, which discussed the batch editing software MarcEdit, MacroExpress and Global Data Change and includes a short tutorial on regular expressions, is available on UKnowledge http://works.bepress.com/julene/8.  Synopses of the presentations given at this Interest Group are expected to appear in Technical Services Quarterly.  Julene has also been appointed to serve on the ALA New Members Round Table (NMRT) Annual Conference Professional Development Attendance Award Committee for 2013-2014.

UK Faculty provide leadership at SLA Annual Conference

Several UK Libraries faculty participated in the SLA Annual Conference in San Diego last month.  The conference’s theme, Connect, Collaborate & Strategize, resonated throughout the meeting, beginning with Keynote Speaker Mike Walsh who inspired librarians to be more visionary to the closing panel of SLA leaders who participated in a candid discussion of critical challenges to librarians and information professionals.  UK librarians participated in cabinet meetings and various unit board meetings, in addition to their varied specific conference roles.

·         Alex Grigg – Information Technology Division Chair and Kentucky Chapter Treasurer

·         Jason Keinsley –  Information Technology Division Conference Planner for San Diego 2013 and  Academic Division Membership Chair

·         Valerie Perry –SLA Board of Directors Candidate and Kentucky Chapter Past President

·         Stacey Greenwell – Academic Division Awards Committee, Professional Development Advisory Council, and 2014 Annual Conference Contributed Papers Chair

Transitions

Electronic Resources Unit is delighted to welcome Jeff Dycus as the new Library Specialist beginning Monday, July 22.  Jeff earned his BA from Morehead State University with a major in philosophy and a minor in computer science. Jeff received a Master’s degree from UK in May 2012 from the School of Library and Information Science in May 2012 with a focus on information technology.

Jeff designed and implemented an automated web-based relational database for Kentucky’s Homeless & Housing Coalition in order to track activity and generate reports for the 50-member AmeriCorps program.  As the Tenant Outreach Program Coordinator, he used ACCESS to compile information on affordable rental housing across the state. He has also done some grant-writing and supervised AmeriCorps VISTA national service members.  He is a member of ALA and the Society of American Archivists.

Jason Boczar has been promoted to the Library Technician Senior position in Digital Scholarship.  He will begin working in Digital Scholarship on July 28^th.  Jason has a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Kentucky and has been working as the invoice technician in the Acquisitions Department’s serials unit since June 2011.

 Stacy Yelton has been hired as the Library Technician in Digital Library Services (this position is funded by the NEH Coal, Camps and Railroads grant project).  She primarily will be imaging collections.  Stacy began work on July 15^th and before that was working through STEPS in Digital Library Services (since December 2012).

Jaime Marie Bradley joined UK Libraries July 15 as the Education and Outreach Manager in Special Collections.  Jamie received a B.A. in History from Berea College and an M.A. in Historical Studies and Public History from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where her research interests have included environmental history, African-American studies, and American labor and social history from the Gilded Age and Progressive Era through the 20th century. 

For the past six years Jamie has served as College Archivist/Assistant Professor at Berea College.  Prior to working at Berea, Jaime Marie held several positions in Maryland, including Archivist/Curator at the Sykesville Gate House Museum, Archivist and Executive Data Assistant with the Vane Brothers Company, and Assistant Special Collections Librarian at the Maryland Historical Society.  She also spent two years working in finance and insurance at the NSA.  As an eclectic learner and fervent advocate for liberal education, Jaime Marie choose a career in public history as an alternative route into the classroom and feels grateful to continue the pursuit of her passion for engaging people with the challenges and lessons of our past at UK Libraries.

Kopana Terry will begin her new position August 1 as Oral History Archivist-Library Manager in the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History.  Kopana brings a wealth of experience to the position and over the past several years shared her time and knowledge with the Nunn Center at critical times.  She has a Master’s in Library and Information Science from UK.  She has been instrumental in the development of UK Libraries participation in the National Digital Newspaper Project serving as Program Manager for the NEH grant supported initiative since September 2007.  

Observations and Reflections

Heading into the last half of summer (by the academic calendar) it is a perfect time for UK Libraries faculty and staff to pause and reflect on the past year and continue planning for the year ahead.  2013 has been a challenging year but we remain strong and committed to being a nationally recognized research library that takes leadership roles in important areas of scholarship and technology. 

Our ability to continue advancing is directly related to the commitment of our faculty and staff who contribute everyday to the reputation of UK Libraries on campus and beyond.  As importantly, our UK Libraries supporters who have demonstrated their generosity over and over again, have provided the support needed to maintain critical services and collections and to continually transform student learning spaces that benefit today’s UK student.

Curator of Books announces retirement

Dr. Jim Birchfield will retire from UK Libraries in October.  For over three decades he directed the development of an internationally recognized collection of rare books and manuscripts.  He became an expert on printing in Kentucky and Kentucky’s literary and cultural heritage.  Jim was instrumental in bringing the W. Hugh Peal Collection to UK Libraries and subsequently produced a Catalog of an Exhibition from the W. Hugh Peal Collection.  His knowledge and expertise will be impossible to replace. 

In addition to his role in Special Collections, Jim also served several years as Assistant Director for Collection Development, managing the collections budget for UK Libraries and directing the growth of UK Libraries’ general collection.  He served as Executive Secretary of the Library Associates and editor of The Kentucky Review.

Beyond UK Libraries he served as president of the UK chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, chair of the UK Art Museum Board, a visiting scholar at the University of Rome, and as an elected member of the University Senate.  Jim served as guest curator of two major exhibitions at the UK Art Museum as well as others at the Speed Museum in Louisville as well as museums New York and Nantucket. 

Jim has prepared innumerable library exhibitions and over fifty seminars in the book arts for the King Library Press.  He brought to campus leading figures from the White House, the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, the Pierpont Morgan Library, Castle Howard, Colonial Williamsburg, England, Italy, to name a few. 

Jim was elected to membership in the Grolier Club of New York and published Clay Lancaster’s Kentucky with the University Press of Kentucky.  He served as president of Clay Lancaster’s Warwick Foundation and served on the boards of the Blue Grass Trust and the Henry Clay Memorial Foundation.

William T. Young Library at the end of the rainbow

Rain washed out many outdoor plans this Fourth of July weekend but when the skies cleared we were treated to a beautiful rainbow seen here in a photo provided by Kelley Bozeman, UKPR.

UK Libraries supports Study Abroad

Debbi Lloyd, former UK Libraries graduate assistant in Information Services, spent the spring semester with the Education Abroad Office developing a resource to provide basic UK Libraries information for UK students studying abroad.  The resulting libguide: Education Abroad: Research Resources is now available in the electronic orientation guide provided to study abroad students.   The guide has been very popular and is being heavily promoted though the Education Abroad Office. 

 Debbi’s work was part of a LIS625 Field Experience under the direction of Toni Greider, Director of International Programs.  The overall objective of the project was to provide a good resource for our students going abroad and also to demonstrate the value added that UK Libraries offers to academic service areas.  Tony Ogden, Director of Education Abroad, thanked Debbie for her “excellent and innovative work…aligning the library services to education abroad.”

Special Issue of Oral History Review focuses on Digital Age

Dr. Doug Boyd, Director of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, recently served as Guest Editor for the latest issue of the Oral History Review, [Winter-Spring 2013 40(1)], a special issue dedicated to the Oral History in the Digital Age, a project managed by Dr. Boyd.  The special issue contains 14 articles on various aspects of collecting, curating and disseminating oral history, including Doug's article OHMS: Enhancing Access to Oral History for Free.  

In addition to containing 14 articles, the largest number of articles of any issue of the Oral History Review to date, six articles available online without subscription.  You can access the issue online at http://ohr.oxfordjournals.org.

Paris 1937

Just in time for Bastille Day, or La Fete Nationale, the Lucille Little Fine Arts Library is exhibiting our copy of Paris 1937.  This book was commissioned at the time of the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (International Exposition dedicated to Art and Technology in Modern Life), which was held from May to November of 1937.  Prominent artists and writers of the day contributed, etchings, essays, and poetry for the publication, which was limited to 500 copies.  The exhibit features the prints by Matisse, Dufy, Bonnard, Laurencin, Moreau , Marquet and other artists.

OHMS “revolutionary” approach highlighted

UK Libraries was recently featured by an article in the Lexington Herald- Leader: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/06/30/2699101/university-of-kentuckys-oral-history.html . The article highlights the impact of OHMS, (the Oral History Metadata Synchronizer), the open source system developed by the Nunn Center and Digital Library Services.  OHMS connects an online search term to the corresponding moment in an oral history interview and creates the model for hosting oral history interviews in an online repository.  OHMS is currently being prepared for public distribution as part of a National Leadership Grant provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.  

Congratulations to everyone involved in this innovative project!

Associate Dean selected for SEC leadership program

The Southeast Conference Academic Consortium Leadership Development Program (SECAC ALDP) was established in 2007 to prepare current and potential university leaders to meet the challenges of the 21st century.  Deirdre Scaggs, Associate Dean for Special Collections, will join UK faculty colleagues Dr. Nancy Jones (Fine Arts), Dr. Sue Roberts (Arts and Sciences), and Dr. Doug Kalika (Engineering) as 2013-14 SECU ALDP Fellows representing the University of Kentucky.

 Among a busy schedule of activities and assignments, the UK Fellows will meet with their counterparts from the other SEC universities in October at the University of Georgia and in February at the University of South Carolina.

Congratulations Deirdre!

SAVE THE DATE!

                                                      UK Libraries Retreat

July 25, 2013

E. S. Good Barn

Promotion and Tenure Appointment

Mary Molinaro has been appointed by President Eli Capilouto to the Senate Advisory Committee on Privilege and Tenure (SACPT) for a three year term beginning September 1, 2013 through August 31, 2016.

AIC Presentation at 2013 KLA Library Instruction Roundtable Retreat

The 2013 Kentucky Library Association Library Instruction Roundtable Retreat held last week at Eastern Kentucky University drew librarians from throughout the commonwealth to share strategies for advancing information literacy.  The UK Agricultural Information Center (AIC) librarians, Jason Keinsley and Valerie Perry, and graduate student Renae Newhouse participated in two of the eight presentations: 

·         50 Minute Concurrent Session:  Using a “Train-the-Trainer” Model and Active Learning to Reach Biology Freshmen – Valerie Perry, Jason Keinsley and Renae Newhouse. [Recent SLIS graduates Patricia Hartman and Meghan Moran participated in the project but were not presenters.] http://go.uky.edu/nu

·         25 Minute Panel Session:  Edging Into Course-Integration Information Literacy Instruction through Graduate Teaching Assistants – Renae Newhouse  http://go.uky.edu/nv

Heath Martin Appointed to ALCTS Post

Heath Martin, Director of Collections for UK Libraries, has been appointed to the Fundraising Committee of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).  The appointment is a renewable two-year term beginning July 1.  

 The ALCTS Fundraising Committee builds relationships between ALCTS and the commercial and private sectors, pursues financial and other support for ALCTS programs and activities, develops an overall fundraising plan for the division, and advises the ALCTS board of directors on fundraising goals and priorities in support of the association’s strategic and financial plans.