Sarah Dorpinghaus is director of Digital Services

Sarah Dorpinghaus

UK Libraries is pleased to announce that Sarah Dorpinghaus is joining the UK Libraries faculty as director of Digital Services. Faculty leadership in this critical area will permit UK Libraries to advance its strategic goals and provide a solid administrative structure within Special Collections Research Center.

Sarah brings 9 years of professional archival experience to this position. In addition to her work as Digital Archivist at UK, Sarah worked at the Jewish Heritage Collection and the Chicago History Museum. Sarah is already professionally engaged at the state, regional, and national levels. She has given numerous professional papers at the national level and was one of the first cohorts to successfully go through the Digital Archives Specialist curriculum and certificate program offered through the Society of American Archivists.

Please join me in welcoming Sarah to the UK Libraries faculty. She will begin her new position July 1.

Mary Beth Thomson elected president of ALCTS

Mary Beth Thomson 

Mary Beth Thomson, senior associate dean of Libraries for Collections, Digital Scholarship, and Technical Services, has been elected president of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) for 2017-2018. Congratulations Mary Beth and thank your for representing UK Libraries in this important leadership role. 

Troy Martin chairs UK Staff Senate

Troy Martin

Troy Martin, Human Resources and Payroll manager for UK Libraries Finance and Administration, is the newly-elected chair of the UK Staff Senate. He will serve from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017. Congratulations Troy!

Robert Shapiro named assistant director of Medical Center Library

Robert Shapiro

Robert Shapiro will assume new responsibilities at the Medical Center Library (MCL) beginning May 2. In his new role as assistant director for the Research, Education and Clinical Services Division, Robert will provide leadership for a team of librarians in providing research, instruction and liaison activities to ensure a high level of service to library patrons.

Robert joined the MCL in June of 2010 as the public health librarian. Since that time, Robert has been actively engaged in the profession at all levels and has volunteered and participated on a number of library committees. He has numerous publications to his credit where he has collaborated with colleagues on a variety of topics.

Robert is pursuing a Ph.D. in communication focused on health communication and information science with a cognate in public health. He will complete his coursework this semester and sit for his qualifying exams this winter. It is Robert’s hope that his research will contribute to a better understanding the impact health information has on the health and well-being of individuals and their communities.

I appreciate Robert’s willingness to take on this new assignment. I look forward to working with him and the entire MCL faculty and staff as we continue to move forward.

Dean Birdwhistell appears on "UK at the Half"

Dean Terry Birdwhistell

Dean Terry Birdwhistell was Carl Nathe's guest on UK at the Half, a radio program airing at halftime of the recent UK/Alabama men's basketball game. Dean Birdwhistell
highlighted UK Libraries' new Integrated Library System and the increased emphasis on international initiatives.

Listen to the complete interview online.

Heath Martin leaves UK Libraries

Heath Martin

Heath Martin, Director of Collections in the Collections, Digital Scholarship, and Technical Services division of UK Libraries, has accepted the position of Associate Dean for Collections Strategy and Management at Stony Brook University in New York. His last day at UK will be February 8, 2016.  

Heath’s understanding and extensive knowledge of collections in general, and of UK Libraries’ collections specifically, has been vital to our ability to continue building rich research collections. Please join me in thanking Heath for his contributions to UK Libraries and his terrific sense of humor, and in wishing him much success. 

Beth Fuchs to serve term on LOEX Advisory Council

Beth Fuchs, undergraduate learning librarian, will serve a three-year term on the LOEX Advisory Council. LOEX is the premier information literacy organization in the United States.  

The Advisory Council advises the LOEX director on all issues related to LOEX, including the conference, publications, website, and membership. Founded in 1971, LOEX is the premier information literacy organization in the United States.

UK Librarians lead at KLA/KASL conference

UK librarians took an active role in the recent Kentucky Library Association and Kentucky Association of Special Libraries joint conference held in Louisville, Kentucky last month.

Laura Whayne, head of the UK Transportation Center Library, presided as current president of KLA.

Valerie Perry, left, receives an award from
KLA President Laura Whayne

Valerie Perry, director of Branch Libraries and the Agricultural Information Center, received the prestigious Carol J. Parris Mentoring Award from the KLA. The Parris Mentoring Award is “presented to a Kentucky librarian who has exemplified the ability to assist and advise new members to the profession.” From the awards program: “…it is clear that Valerie has encouraged and inspired many…Valerie was described as genuine, generous, and supportive, but her ability to empower her colleagues seems to be her greatest gift.”

Jen Bartlett, head of William T. Young Reference, attended as outgoing chair of the Resource Sharing Round Table. Marsha Seamans, director of Cataloging & Database Integrity, attended as chair of the Academic Section Professional Development Committee. Sandee McAninch, head of the Federal Depository Unit, attended to give the Regional Depository report at the Government Documents Round Table meeting. Laura Hall, Young Library reference and periodicals, attended as a conference participant.

Judy Sackett, oral history librarian, and Peter Hesseldenz, reference librarian and business and economics liaison, presented on: “Innovating for Diversity: UK Libraries Undergraduate Diversity Scholars Internship Program.”

Beth Kraemer, information literacy librarian, and Beth Fuchs, undergraduate learning librarian, presented on: “We’ll Show You Ours if You Show Us Yours! Favorite Technologies to Support Information Literacy.”

Julene Jones, head of Database Integrity, gave the talk: “Many Hands Make Light Work, part II: NACO at UK Libraries.”

Jen Martin appointed to LBGTQ* faculty/staff advisory board

Jen Martin

Jen Martin, assistant head of circulation at William T. Young Library, is a member of the faculty/staff advisory board for the newly-formed UK Office of LGBTQ* Resources. She was appointed in August 2015 to serve a one-year term.

The board supports the work of the Office of LGBTQ* Resources in its mission to highlight LGBTQ* experiences while decreasing marginalization on campus. Board members represent and promote the Office of LGBTQ* Resources, attend at least six to eight meetings of the board per year, and volunteer for at least one Office of LGBTQ* Resources event per academic semester.

Thanks to Jen for representing UK Libraries on this important UK committee.

ARL Director of Diversity and Leadership Programs visits UK Libraries

Left to right: Judy Sackett, Sarah Pham,
Mark Puente, LaTrisha Blunt, and Dean Bob Fox

UK Libraries hosted Mark Puente, director of diversity and leadership programs for the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), for a visit on July 15, 2015. Puente, who received the EMIERT Distinguished Librarian Award earlier in 2015, is widely recognized for his work in improving, spreading, and promoting multicultural leadership. He visited UK Libraries to meet with this year’s ARL Career Enhancement Program Fellows and their mentors and to speak with UK Libraries faculty and staff about fostering a climate of inclusion. Puente stressed the importance of inclusion and diversity in creating a vibrant, successful library organization.

Puente first met with Dean of Libraries Terry Birdwhistell and oral history librarian Judy Sackett, who serves as the ARL CEP coordinator for UK Libraries. He then met ARL CEP fellows LaTrisha Blunt and Sarah Pham, as well as their supervisors in the Special Collections Research Center: Cindy Cline, Megan Mummey, and Sarah Dorpinghaus. Dean Bob Fox of the University of Louisville Libraries also met with Puente and Dean Birdwhistell.

I am very pleased that Mark Puente was able to visit us and share his knowledge and experiences.  I am also very appreciative of all that Judy Sackett and our faculty and staff do to make the ARL Career Enhancement Program Fellows experiences here at UK beneficial.  

Steve Wrinn leaving University Press of Kentucky

Steve Wrinn

The email below went to members of the University Press of Kentucky Board and the UPK Editorial Committee on July 10 after I learned that Steve Wrinn, director of UPK, will be leaving the university. Soon we will announce the date and time of an event to recognize Steve and thank him for his service.

 ______________________________________________________________

July 10, 2015

Dear Friends of the University Press of Kentucky,

It is with mixed emotions that I write to inform you of the departure of Steve Wrinn from the University Press of Kentucky. After more than 13 years as the Press director, Steve informed me that he is leaving to become director of the University of Notre Dame Press.

Steve’s last official day at the University Press of Kentucky will be August 14. I will appoint an interim director within the next few weeks and we will initiate a national search for a permanent director as soon as possible. I will work closely with Steve and the UPK staff to assure a smooth transition.

Steve leaves the University Press of Kentucky on a strong foundation. During his nearly 14 years with the UPK Steve guided the press through a monumental transition in academic publishing.  He was a national leader among academic presses in moving UPK to electronic publishing.

One of the hallmarks of Steve’s tenure will be his successful efforts to publish books that focused on the academic, historical, and cultural strengths of Kentucky. His commitment to the intellectual life of the commonwealth will be sorely missed.

As an important supporter of the UPK I wanted you to know about this transition as soon as possible. Your support of the Press has been instrumental to its success and I know that you will continue that support going forward.

Please join me in thanking Steve for his leadership and service and wishing him much success in the future.

Sincerely,

Terry L. Birdwhistell, Ed.D.

Dean of Libraries and

William T. Young Endowed Chair

University of Kentucky