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!

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.