 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
President's Musings
Greetings CARL Members,
Welcome to the new academic year. I hope that you were all able to engage in activities over the summer that reinvigorated you! We are living in “interesting” times, to say the least, with a major election on the horizon, a persistently sluggish economy, and retiring librarians that are not typically being replaced. However, an underlying theme of my presidency has been the resilience of and innovation demonstrated by library and information professionals.
The higher education literature often refers to the academic library as the “heart of the university.” In these difficult times, this idea is no longer received as gospel, as it has been in times past. Recently, I reviewed the Executive Summary of The Value of Academic Libraries report written by Dr. Megan Oakleaf for ACRL. My take-away from this report deals with libraries’ and librarians’ needs to tangibly demonstrate their value within the academy. This comes as no surprise for most that have witnessed the ever-rising accountability wave of the last decade (e.g. national bodies such as the Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education, accrediting agencies, and committees within our own institutions). The report does provide some concrete ideas for how we can assert our prominent role in our students’ success. However, a recent conversation with colleagues did leave me questioning how we can best collect metrics that quantify our contribution towards student success when we often don’t see students beyond the “one-shot” or at various service points in the library. While this is difficult, I think we must prevail, especially when there are naysayers who think that the Internet provides our citizenry with all the information they need at an easy tap of a few computer keys.
I encourage all of my colleagues to read or re-read the ACRL report and collaborate with stakeholders in your institutions to find approaches to ensure that faculty, students, administrators, staff, and your surrounding community understand and value what we do. Just as importantly, we must continually evaluate what we do to ensure that we are keeping pace with the need.
We are in exciting times and I look forward to our re-tooling ourselves so that our academic libraries emerge from this economic downturn stronger and more vibrant than ever.
Warmly,
Stephanie
Submitted by Stephanie Brasley, Los Angeles Southwest College, CARL President
back to top |
CARL Business
On January 1st, CARL started the year off with $12,937.49. To put this number in context: this represents nearly a year’s operating expenses! The CARL Executive Board had been extremely frugal for the last two years largely to compensate for the low membership fee. However, in Spring, 2012, we saw the full implementation of the new $40.00 membership fee.
The March 1st balance ($35,013.47) reflects the beginning of the registration for the April Conference, while the June 1st balance ($14,730.83) illustrates that CARL had almost cleared all of its expenses for the conference. The September 1st balance ($13,073.36) reflects what is left to cover the remainder of our fiscal year and to see us into the beginning of the next one.
The major upcoming activities for this fiscal year that will impact that remaining balance include: two in-person CARL Executive meetings; one CARL North membership meeting; ACRL chapter representative travel expenses; long-term conference planning expenses; mandated stipends; and advances to the SCIL early Spring workshop.
Submitted by Pam Howard, San Francsico State University, CARL Treasurer
Membership stands at 457. Of these, 409 are regular members, 10 are retired members and and 38 are student members.
Interest Group Memberships:
ABLE:
CARLDIG:
CARLIT:
CDIG:
DIAL:
SCIL:
SEAL:
TSIG:
CALM:
|
77
262
154
122
86
219
79
62
22 |
Now, September means back to school... and time to renew your CARL Membership! CARL has returned to a common annual renewal of 9/1 each year. Our calendar runs from September 1st to August 31st.
So, now is the time to renew your membership online. Thank you for your support!
Your CARL Membership comes with a nice bonus: you can belong to as many Interest Groups as you like (for no additional fee)! When you renew, please update your CARL membership record to include any of the following Interest Groups. Please note that we have a NEW Interest Group: California Academic Librarians in Management (CALM).
- Academic Business Librarians Exchange (ABLE): 77 members focusing on business.
- California Academic Reference Librarians Discussion Interest Group (CARLDIG): 262 members (mainly in the South) attending meetings and programs to discuss current reference issues.
- CARL Information Technology Interest Group (CARLIT): 154 members who receive news and professional development opportunities focused on information technology.
- Collection Development Interest Group (CDIG): 122 members who share topics of interest including collection development, electronic resources and scholarly communication.
- Diversity in Academic Libraries (DIAL): 86 members (mainly in the South) who advocate for equality and diversity within the library profession and academic libraries.
- Southern California Instruction Librarians (SCIL): 219 members sharing professional development and discussion opportunities focused on information literacy and instruction.
- Science & Engineering Academic Librarians (SEAL): 79 members who engage in discussion and professional development opportunities on service to the science and engineering communities.
- Technical Services Interest Group (TSIG): 62 members, organizing meetings and programs to discuss current technical services issues.
- NEW! California Academic Librarians in Management (CALM): 22 members (so far) who will discuss issues dealing with management in academic libraries.
Additionally, CARL Members can become Mentors! The Mentoring Program matches new California academic librarians with more experienced colleagues. If you would like be paired with a mentor, or want to help share your knowledge with others, this is your opportunity!
Submitted by Kelly Janousek, California State University, Long Beach, CARL Membership Director
|
CARL Awards
We are very sorry to announce that the CARL Board has decided to defer the Research Award this year while it reviews the structure of the award process. As a result, we will not be accepting applications as was previously announced. We hope that the Board's review will ultimately result in a process that is more beneficial to the CARL membership.
Submitted by CARL Research Award Committee members: Alex Chappell, The Claremont Colleges; Aline Soules, CSU East Bay; and Stacy Russo, Chapman University.
|
Interest Group News
When: Friday, November 30, 2012
Where: PUENTE Learning Center, East Los Angeles
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (TBD)
On Friday, November 30th, CARLDIG-S and PUENTE Learning Center will co-host a half-day workshop, “Building Bridges: Academic Reference Services in the Community” at PUENTE Learning Center in East Los Angeles. Workshop attendees will hear from different presenters about academic librarians forming partnerships with other higher education institutions, within their own academic community or with their surrounding community. These partnerships may be designed, for example, to help support first-generation college students, foster an interest in college and research in young people, or provide reference services to low-income and diverse community populations. Information on the call for presenters is available through the appropriate listservs as well as via the CARLDIG-South web site.
Please remember that CARL members enjoy lower registration rates for programs. If you are not currently a CARL member and would like to join, you may do so online.
For more information, please contact Adolfo Prieto at (657) 278-5238 or aprieto@fullerton.edu. We hope to see you there!
Submitted by Adolfo Prieto, CSU Fullerton
In June, the CARL Board approved a petition to re-instate the California Academic Librarians in Management (CALM) Interest Group. A group of librarians is now working to develop a strong network of colleagues to share challenges and best practices of managing in academic libraries. A planning meeting was held in August, with in-person attendees: Tobeylynn Birch (Loyola Marymount University), Marianne Afifi (CSU Northridge), Laurel Crump (Whittier College), and virtual attendee: Juliana Morley (Biola University), Nedra Peterson (Woodbury University), Vinaya Tripuraneni (University of La Verne), Mary McMillan (Marymount College), Pat Vader (Western University of Health Sciences), and Marla Peppers (CSU Los Angeles).
Interim leadership positions were filled as follows:
Convener: Tobeylynn Birch, Loyola Marymount University
Secretary: Marla Peppers, CSU Los Angeles
Website/Social Media Coordinator: Vinaya Tripuraneni, University of La Verne
Listserv Manager: Marianne Afifi, CSU Northridge
With the advent of social media, much networking can now be conducted virtually, so the group’s preference is to maintain a statewide interest group, instead of dividing into North and South groups. We are looking for representatives from northern and central California to join the steering committee that will develop by-laws and operational procedures for CALM. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Tobeylynn Birch at: Tobeylynn.Birch@lmu.edu or (310) 338-3088.
However, the planning group also agreed that occasional face-to-face meetings help to develop group dynamics, so we have scheduled a couple of informal networking meetings in Southern California during the fall. The first meeting will be Monday, October 8, 2:00-4:00 pm, at the University of La Verne, hosted by Vinaya. The second meeting will be early in December at Whittier College, hosted by Laurel. Announcements of these meetings will be sent through the CALIBACA list. We hope that CALM members in other regions of the state will schedule similar meetings.
Whether you are directing a library, managing a department, leading a team, or planning for future advancement, please join us in revitalizing this interest group. Be sure to place a checkmark next to CALM when you renew your CARL membership, so you will be added to our listserv, and watch the CARL website for a link to a new CALM website.
Submitted by Tobeylynn Birch, Loyola Marymount University
|
|
Library Renewal
back to top
This fall, as students and faculty returned to campus at San Francisco State University (SF State), they had the opportunity to experience the thrill of a newly re-opened Library, with fresh and exciting services and public spaces. The building is now home to the University’s J. Paul Leonard Library (JPLL), Academic Technology and Sutro Library, a branch of the California State Library.
 Twelve long years in the making (2000-2012), the Library building project featured a retrofit, renovation and expansion of the old building. In the end, the project was completed ahead of schedule and received an award from the Design Build Institute of America. Upon learning that the project had been funded, those of us on the Library building team gladly seized upon the opportunity to rethink how to provide services into the future. What was wrong with the old building, and how could the Library take this opportunity to emerge improved? A primary goal for the Library was to provide better learning spaces for SF State students. The new JPLL provides over 3,000 seats on five floors, offering spaces for quiet individual study as well as varied kinds of collaborative spaces where students can meet to work on group projects. Another goal for the Library was to increase the Library’s collections capacity while also providing more efficient access. The Main collection stacks on the 3rd and 4th floors provide room for up to 250,000 volumes on open shelving. Volumes in open stacks are primarily titles that are in high use, recently published, or beg to be browsed (think: art books rife with inviting images). SF State also has an automated Library Retrieval System (LRS) that provides high density storage, similar to those at several other CSU libraries (Long Beach, Northridge and Sonoma). JPLL’s five-aisle system holds more than 1 million items. Stacking the Main collection open stacks on the building’s west side above the LRS will improve wayfinding for patrons browsing collections and has allowed the rest of the Library to be more open and inviting with expanded areas of open study.
 The building includes two large “commons” spaces where computers, scanners, network printers and general study areas are located. The ground floor Study Commons is open extended hours and is reserved for current SF State students, faculty and staff. It features desktop computers, media listening/viewing stations, a large quiet study room, group study rooms and general open study. The 1st floor Research Commons is the 24/7 space with over 300 seats and includes desktop computers, laptops to check out, group study rooms and quiet study. Librarians anticipated that the Research Commons would be a bustling area, so decided to offer in-person research assistance there. For a quick snack or light lunch and caffeine fix, students can head to Peet’s Coffee located near the entrance on the 1st floor. Book Pick up & Check Out and the New Book Browsing Collection are located just inside the secured part of the Library on the first floor. The Library and Academic Technology share the technology-focused 2nd floor. Library instruction rooms, conference rooms, Digital Media Studios and iLearn (the University’s learning management system) help desk are located here along with media:scapes and open group, collaborative study space. More traditional collections such as reference, maps, government publications, microforms and current periodicals are located on the 3rd floor along with open stacks. The Library’s multiple special collections including the Labor Archives, deBellis Collection, Bay Area TV Archives, and University Special Collections and Archives are housed on the 4th floor. Also on this floor are open stacks, the Faculty Graduate Reading Room and quiet open study areas. Sutro Library, a branch of the California State Library, occupies the 5th and 6th floors and brings to campus its rich collections of rare books and materials supporting genealogy research. To view floor plans of the J. Paul Leonard Library, please visit the web site.
SF State students working in the Library Retrieval System (LRS)
After years of planning and working with architects and the campus Capital Planning, Design & Construction (CPDC) office toward the realization of this project, we learned a few things along the way. If your library is planning to renovate an old building or build a new one, here are some tips gleaned from what we learned in the course of the Library project at San Francisco State University:
- Program planning led by someone who knows the current standards and trends impacting academic libraries helps the Library to prioritize needs and conceptualize their use of spaces.
- Providing opportunities for everyone on the library staff to brainstorm helps those working on the project to better understand operational issues for all areas of the library.
- If you buy furniture with wheels, beware: they are going to move! Although mobility and flexibility was what we were after, we were still a bit surprised by how quickly portable white boards and wheeled chairs took long sojourns to far reaches of the building. Regular study chairs and tables have also been on the move, re-arranged by students in their quest for proximity to power outlets.
- Providing enough power and data in a renovated building is a major challenge. Students need power to plug in their laptops, but also to charge all of their personal electronic devices. If at all possible, insist on flexible power everywhere, but especially for instruction rooms. There are major constraints in configuring rooms for computer-assisted instruction when your power source is limited to the outlets in surrounding walls.
- Don’t underestimate the amount of space needed for extended 24/7 access. (And make sure you can separate these spaces from the rest of the library and still provide restroom access!) At JPLL, over 700 seats are located outside the secured part of the main Library in areas that are opened extended hours.
- Shelving is often one aspect of a project that continually causes major headaches. Years ago in a “Construction 101” workshop we attended, we were warned that no one else will look after the thousand details related to shelving, so it is essential that the Library vigilantly maintain up-to-date shelving counts and provide exact shelving specifications to ensure that the right amount and kind of shelving shows up when you need it.
- Visit other new libraries and attend workshops and meetings about library design well in advance of planning a library. In the past twelve years, many librarians with new libraries have spent time with us, generously sharing lessons they learned in building or renovating their libraries. In turn, we invite others to visit the new Library at San Francisco State and we gladly will share our experiences with you!
Submitted by Darlene Tong , San Francisco State University
All photos in this article courtesy of Jeff Rosen, San Francisco State University
|
|
People News
The following posters by Harriet K. & Philip Pumerantz Library and College of Optometry faculty (Western University of Health Sciences) were accepted for presentation at the One HEALTH 2013 International Federated Conference, One HEALTH: Information in an Interdependent World:
Ruth Harris, Frances Chu, Rudy R. Barreras & Dr. Elizabeth Hoppe had their poster, “Librarians Collaborating with Faculty to Develop and Deliver an Evidence-Based Eye Care Course” recently accepted for presentation.
Pat Vader and Frances Chu also had their poster, “Diabetes Information Outreach to the Latino/Hispanic Population of Pomona, CA.”, recently accepted for presentation.
Places News
Laurie A. Borchard is now a Digital Learning Initiatives Librarian at the Delmar T. Oviatt Library at California State University, Northridge. She began her appointment on July 16, 2012. Ms. Borchard graduated from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in 2012 with an MLIS. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Media with a minor in English from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Her current research interests are in digital libraries, instructional design and information literacy, and user behavior intersections in academic libraries.
 Annaliese Fidgeon is now a Digital Learning Initiatives Librarian at the Delmar T. Oviatt Library at California State University, Northridge. She began her appointment on July 16, 2012. Ms. Fidgeon graduated from The University of Texas at Austin School of Information with an MLIS in May 2012. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Women Studies with a Minor in Anthropology from the University of Washington, Seattle. Her current research interests are in studying how undergraduate students work with online instructional content within an academic setting.
Norma Juarez Durian was hired in June 2012, as Chapman University's Dual Immersion Librarian, providing reference and instruction services in English and Spanish. She will be working with a new college, Ameritas College (offering AA and BA degrees), that is part of the Brandman University system of Chapman University.
The Sonoma State University Library welcomes Carrie McDade, as a new Instruction & Outreach Librarian. Prior to returning to California, Carrie was the Fine Arts & Architecture Librarian at the University of Utah, where she managed outreach activities targeting students and faculty on campus as well as off-campus communities. She brings with her extensive public service and teaching experience, having managed outreach and research programs as the Assistant Curator of UC Berkeley’s Environmental Design Archives and having taught art history courses at community colleges in the Bay Area. In addition to her MLIS from San Jose State University, Carrie holds a graduate degree in Art History from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Marymount College librarians Mary McMillan, Darren Hall and Melanie Sellar have been awarded the rank of Assistant Professor of Information Literacy. This development marks the first time librarians at the college have been granted faculty rank and information literacy deemed a formal part of the curriculum.
Lisa Burgert was hired in July as the Education/Psychology Librarian at the University of San Diego's Copley Library. Prior to her time at USD, Lisa worked at National University as a Reference Librarian for 5 years. She is pleased to be working at Copley Library with many dedicated faculty and staff who are working under the experienced leadership of Dr. Theresa Byrd.
Janet Pinkley will be moving into a tenure-track Reference Coordinator position at CSU Channel Islands. She earned an M.L.I.S. from San Jose State University and a B.S. in Communicative Disorders with an emphasis in speech therapy from CSU Fresno. Janet serves as faculty co-advisor for CI's Rotaract Club and Mortar Board honor society. She enjoys working with the students to promote literacy and develop community programs. Currently, Janet is the California Academic Reference Librarians Discussion Interest Group (CARL-DIG) chair-elect and serves as the CARL Campus Liaison for CSU Channel Islands.
Monica Pereira joins CSU Channel Islands as the new Information Literacy Coordinator. She earned an M.L.I.S. from University of Wisconsin, Madison, an M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from University of Georgia, an M.A. in English from Marquette University, and a B.A. in English & Speech from Creighton University. Monica last served as a Reference Librarian in the Sciences at the University of Georgia where she provided reference using various media and collection development for the STEM disciplines. Monica loves to explore, read and learn, and lives a life that is open to different experiences, continued learning and moderate risk-taking.
Christina Salazar joins CSU Channel Islands as the new Systems Librarian. Christina, a librarian for the past 12 years, absolutely loves the profession! She earned an M.L.I.S. degree and a B.A. in English from UCLA. Previously, Christina was the sole librarian at the Art Institute of California, Hollywood, where she was responsible for all aspects of library operations. Prior to that, she was a Senior Applications Systems Analyst at the Getty Research Institute. A first-time mom, Christina loves spending time with her one-year-old daughter, Rosalina.
Photo courtesy of Tom Stough, Oxnard College
The new Library Learning Resource Center at Oxnard College opened its doors on June 18, 2012. It provides 38,000 square feet of space and includes a Math Center, Writing Center, open computer lab, large and small group study rooms, instructional media collection, reference collection with support space, electronic classroom, tutorial and study areas, office space, distance learning services, and faculty resource center. To see more pictures of the building and the dedication ceremony, visit Thomas Stough’s blog.
The construction project was funded through Measure S Bond funds to serve students and the community. Make sure to stop by and visit when you’re in town!
Submitted by Tom Stough, Oxnard College
back to top
|
About the CARL Newsletter
The CARL Newsletter (ISSN: 1090-9982) is the official publication of the California Academic & Research Libraries organization and is published online quarterly. The RSS feed  for this newsletter is available at http://www.carl-acrl.org/newsletter/feed.xml.
Deadlines for submissions: February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15.
Newsletter submissions, including creative contributions, People News and Places News should be sent to carlnewsletter@gmail.com. For corrections, questions and comments please contact the Editor, Nicole Allensworth (nallensw@sfsu.edu), J. Paul Leonard Library, San Francisco State University, 1630 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
