Eastern New York) Fall 2016
ACRL Chapter
Volume 41, Number 1
IN THIS ISSUE
Call for ENY/ACRL Nominations.
Computers in Libraries: 2016 .
A Brief History, of Gender-Neutral Pronoun:
Timely Library Marketing ....
From Nimble to Britt! jomplexity and its Surprising’Costs
to Libraries ....20%
Notes from, the Field
Letter from the President
Current ENY/ACRL President Kathryn Frederick is unfortunately resigning in order to pursue other
interests. Below is her message to the membership:
Dear ENY/ACRL members,
I am writing to you with a heavy heart because I am resigning from Skidmore
and from my position with ENY/ACRL. Thank you all so much for your support
and camaraderie over the six years I've been on the board. I've had such fun
getting to know many of you. I am deeply sorry for not finishing my term, but
I've decided to take a hiatus from the library world and start my own business
(crazy, I know!). I will miss this organization, and all of you, and wish you all the
very best.
I'm on Facebook if anyone would like to keep in touch.
Fondly, and with gratitude,
Kathryn
Please join us in wishing her all the best! For the remainder of Kathryn’s term, Vice President/President-
Elect/Program Chair Ali Larsen (Siena College) will be assuming the role of ENY/ACRL President. She
and the rest of the Board will be working together during this transition to ensure that ENY/ACRL can
continue to effectively serve the our membership.
SES L8H ——
Call for Board Member Nominations
Tarida Anantachai, ENY/ACRL Past President
Want to contribute to the growth of ENY/ACRL? Have some great ideas to share? We are now
soliciting nominations for Board members our upcoming spring elections. This year, the following
positions will be open:
.
Vice President/President-Elect/Program Chair (3-year term): Responsibilities include
coordinating the Spring 2018 conference and other programs (1% year as Program Chair),
then in leading and serving as the spokesperson of the organization (2 year as President),
and then overseeing the Board elections and Professional Development Grants (3 year as
Past President).
Communications Chair (2-year term): Responsibilities include coordinating the
organization's communications activities, including the newsletter, website, and social media
accounts.
Government Relations Chair (2-year term): Responsibilities include monitoring
information on any legislative issues related to libraries to share with the membership.
More information about the responsibilities of these positions is available on the Chapter Documents
section of our website at: http://enyacrl.org/site/chapter-documents
If you have enjoyed and benefited from your membership in ENY/ACRL, please consider giving back
by sharing your skills and running for a position. This is an incredible opportunity to get involved and
directly impact the continued development of our organization, while also working closely with a
dynamic and supportive group of your regional colleagues. If you have any questions, please feel
free to contact me at tanantac@syr.edu or 315-443-9780.
Thanks for your consideration!
Announcements
Joint ENY /ACRL-Northern New York Library Network
Information Literacy Discussion “Reboot the Mission”
On March 30" librarians from several colleges, St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES, and the Northern New York
Library Network met at the Northern New York Library Network for conversation on academic library
instruction. Topics ranged from the formation of plans to more accurately track information literacy
instruction, learning objects, ideas for dealing with varying degrees of library experience within groups of
students attending instruction sessions, pre and post assessment of library instruction classes, and
helpful resources for improving library instruction. Fostering collaboration of high school and college
information literacy efforts was also discussed and it seems future discussion and collaborative efforts
relating to library instruction and information literacy are likely.
Rescue Damaged Books tutorial from Syracuse University
The Preservation Unit at Syracuse University put together an informational video on how to rescue a
book that has been water damaged featuring staff and students. As a research library, we are proud to
raise awareness of the importance of preserving our collections, so we are passing along a fun tutorial on
what to do when your book gets wet and how to dry it the correct way to minimize long term damage.
If you have any questions contact Marianne Hanley, Preservation Librarian @ mhanley@syr.edu
ENY/ACRL Professional Development Grants:
Computers in Libraries Conference 2016
Yu-Hui Chen, Bibliographer and Outreach Librarian at SUNY Albany
With the help of an ENY/ACRL professional development grant, I was able to attend the
Computers in Libraries 2016 Annual Conference held from March 28th to the 30th in Washington, DC
to present my research and participate in work-related programs. The conference was packed with
good programs in various areas of library operations. I found the following sessions on user
experience, LibGuides design, evaluating and selecting Web-scale discovery services particularly
useful:
Amy Deschenes at Harvard University indicated that when conducting UX (User Experience)
Research, we should keep in mind that we are not our users, observing users is different from
asking their opinion, and self-reported data is typically 3 steps from the truth.
When conducting UX Research, start with our goal. Think about what do we want to learn from this
UX research? Be sure that we make our goals S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measureable, actionable,
relevant, and trackable), and avoid starting with methods.
Amy Deschenes introduced three UX research methods:
* The think aloud approach - giving real users some typical test tasks and asking them to think
out loud while they perform the tasks
* Paper prototyping - creating paper versions of user interfaces for real users to test them
before they are designed online.
* Microfeedback — using microfeedback to collect user feedback. For example, using iPads with
stands to gather feedback on noise level at a site being renovated in the library.
She emphasized that before determining a method, think about the kind of data to be collected
and reported based on the goals (e.g., qualitative vs. quantitative).
Kris Markman at Harvard University shared her experience of redesigning Harvard’s LibGuides
with the audience. The think-aloud usability testing was performed on their library's LibGuides
version 1, eye-tracking method was used to test version 1 and version 2 of LibGuides, and guide
analytics and focus groups were employed to gather quantitative and qualitative data. The results
of the user studies showed that in terms of
* purpose: many users had no clue what a LibGuide was
* amount of content: the content of LibGuides presented the issue of information overload
* user need: many users thought the LibGuides complicated and there was a misalignment
between the content and their actual needs
* presentation: the fonts for version 1 were too small
* functionality: users preferred searching to browsing
* navigation: left navigation menu was much more favored over top tabs
* popularity: how-to guides were used significantly more than other types of guides
Kris Markman offered five pieces of advice for designing LibGuides:
Try to design guides that attract users’ attention
Authors of guides should organize and present the best and most relevant content
Designers and authors of LibGuides should follow principles of writing for the Web
Try to support searching functionality
Make online help for users intuitive.
Joseph Deodato at Rutgers University provided guidelines on best practices for evaluating and
selecting Web-scale discovery services. Deodato mentioned that building an evaluation process
involves the following steps:
Ts
Form an evaluation team that encompasses broad cross section of library units and
representatives, as well as key stakeholders including intended or potential users. Also, it is
critical to draft a charge defining the team’s vision and goals, tasks and responsibilities, and
timetable of deliverables.
Educate library stakeholders by providing product information, relevant literature, and results
of environmental scan. Additionally, keep library stakeholders informed through project
website, staff workshops, and progress reports.
Set the agenda for vendor demonstrations and schedule visits in close proximity. Record
each session for future reference, and invite feedback from the community.
. Assess user needs and develop a list of product requirements. Categorize the requirements,
and prioritize them within each category. Evaluate products to determine how well they
meet the requirements for each category.
Issue an RFP that includes an institutional profile, product requirements, timeline of
deliverables, as well as terms and conditions.
Get insights into strengths and weaknesses of the product from its current customers, their
experiences in working with the vendor, how well the product is received, data collected
from their user studies, and any implementation-related questions.
Set up trials and test the product with local collections, staff, and users on coverage,
usability, and relevance.
Use collected data to make an informed decision. When drafting a recommendation report,
document decisions and supporting data.
Deodato emphasized that being inclusive, goal-oriented, data-driven, user-centered, and
transparent are key principles for best practice.
At a subsequent presentation, Deodato reminded the audience that no matter how much
product evaluation we do before making a commitment, some problems won't be discovered until
well into (or after) product implementation. Thus, building partnership with the vendor based on a
shared interest in quality assurance is important. He presented a case study on testing the
discovery tool at his institution. The goals for their user testing were to: 1) identify issues that have
negative impacts on the user experience, and 2) recommend strategies for product customization,
product enhancement, and user education. Observations and recommendations shared by Deodato
were captured in the table below:
Observation
Recommendation for
User Education
Product
Customization
Most users rely on
natural language or
basic keyword
searching more often
than Boolean or field
searching
Improve user education
on search query
construction including
keyword selection, field
searching, search
operators, facets, and
limiters
Change default search
mode from Boolean/
Exact Phrase to Find
All My Search Terms
Most users have
difficulty searching for
known items even
when the exact title of
an article is entered
Improve searching
and relevance
ranking for known
items
Most users do not
navigate beyond the
first page of results
Increase number of
results per page
Replace paginated
results with infinite
scrolling
Most users have
difficulty
distinguishing
between content types
and formats
Improve user education
on content types and
formats
Improve format icons
and content type
definitions
Most users find the
interface to be too
cluttered, particularly
the right column of
the search results
screen
Remove the right
column to simplify the
search results screen
and find alternative
ways of integrating this
content using
contextual or on-
demand controls
Again, I am grateful to ENY/ACRL and the Professional Development Awards Committee for their
support in funding this professional development activity.
A brief history of gender-neutral pronouns
Debbie Krahmer, Associate Professor and Digital Learning & Media Librarian
at Colgate University
Starting the Spring of 2016, Colgate started to allow students, faculty and staff the option of
identifying a preferred pronoun on their banner information. Individuals have the option to select
“he/him/his,” “she/her/hers,” “ze/hir/hirs,” “they/them/theirs,” or one can request to be referred to
by only their name. This service is an outgrowth of the Preferred Name service already available at
Colgate.
The use of gender-neutral pronouns is becoming a norm for universities across the US, though some
have notably taken a step back from it. For example, UT Knoxville: chose to remove all references to
gender-neutral pronouns from their campus based on the generated controversy that rose up
around false reports that traditional pronouns were completely banned on campus.
Efforts to raise the awareness around and availability of preferred pronouns are more about allowing
people to self-identify the ways they wish to be referred, rather than mandating university-wide
usage of those pronouns in everything from official policies to research papers. For many years,
everyone at Colgate has been allowed to select a preferred name. But as the announcements about
the changes were made, many people asked, why are we bringing in more options for pronouns?
He, she... doesn’t that cover everyone?
“They” used to be the common singular gender-neutral pronoun for English, according to the OED,
starting from the 14th century. An oft-cited passage in Chaucer's Pardoner’s Prologue is used to
illustrate this typical use: And whoso fyndeth hym out of swich blame,/They wol come up...
Interestingly enough, most copies I could find of this line had actually translated it as “He wol...” I
had to use an 1892 microfiche copy: of an older manuscript in our collection to find the original text.
This is because in the 1700s and 1800s, many grammarians advocated for “he” to replace the
singular “they.” For example, Josua Poole’ stated in his grammar of 1646, “The Masculine gender is
more worthy than the Feminine...” as justification for using “he” as a generic pronoun. This type of
thinking carried forward quite a bit in the dominant English grammar in the US. Using “he” to refer
to any single person of indeterminate gender in legal materials was made part of Federal Law in the
US Code: through the “Dictionary Act” in 1871.
The singular “they” never really went out of style; writers such as Austen and Swift used it regularly,
and the OED: cites examples throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Many linguists and feminists
of the 1970s and 1980s advocated heavily for a return to the singular “they.” In her article
“Androcentrism in Prescriptive Grammar,” Ann Bodine: examined 33 grammar textbooks being used
in American junior and senior high schools in the 1970s. She reported that 28 of them “condemn
both 'he or she' and singular 'they', the former because it is clumsy and the latter because it is
inaccurate. And then the pupils are taught to achieve both elegance of expression and accuracy by
referring to women as 'he'.” New Fowler’s Modern English Usage lists it as being back into common
usage as early as 1984.
Dennis Baron, Professor of English & Linguistics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, even
selected the singular “they” as the Word of the Year in 2015:, pointing out that it first appeared in
English in 1365. His article making the announcement has an excellent summary of the use of “they”
in English.
So if we have a perfectly fine singular gender-neutral pronoun, then why do we need something
else? If one looks back through the scholarship as well as the general conversation around
pronouns, one will find many references to the need for an ‘epicene’ pronoun. Epicene, essentially
meaning gender-neutral, pronouns were pointed out as necessary as far back as 1839 in the United
States, and even further back as referenced by Baron:, because grammarians had reduced the
singular pronouns for humans to just he and she.
Other words that had some following but never really caught on to mainstream usage include
“thon,” “e/ey,” “co,” and the “sie/zie/xie/se/ze/xe” variants. These words may have roots as far back
as the 1880s, and most gained some notoriety in the 1970s and 1980s. Ze/hir has a deep history in
trans communities. Trans activists such as Leslie Feinberg» and Kate Bornstein popularized the
“sie/zie/ze/hir” construction through their publications in the 1990s. Trans and intersex communities
have embraced and developed gender-neutral pronouns to the point that several are in common
usage today, though ze/hir and xe/xir continue to be the most popular ones.
(Pronunciation of ze and xe has changed over the decades, but the most common current usage is
“zee.” Hir is commonly pronounced “hear,” while xir is “zear.”)
Why is it important for librarians to be aware of the complexities of preferred pronouns? An
enduring theme of librarianship has always been “Libraries Change Lives.” For marginalized persons,
especially transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, libraries can serve as a safe space
where one can explore vast information resources during the process of discovering one’s gender
identity. Being aware of gender-neutral pronouns and the ways that people might refer to
themselves is one way librarians can show others that their libraries are a place open to all people.
One way to ease into using gender-neutral pronouns is to start using the singular “they” in
conversations. If anyone tells you it’s wrong, then it’s a great time to direct them to some
information resources on gender-neutral pronouns.
For a fascinating and well-researched look at the history of these and other non-binary pronouns,
check out Dennis Baron’s ongoing timeline <http://www.english. illinois.edu/-people-
/faculty/debaron/essays/epicene.htm>. Developed originally for his book Grammar and Gender,
Baron has continued to update it. This, along with many other bibliographies and similar works, can
be found on the Colgate University LGBTQ Studies Guide Pronoun page:
<http://libquides.colgate.edu/Igbtq/pronouns>
Bibliography:
1. Jaschik, Scott. “Fear of New Pronouns.” Inside Higher Education, September 8, 2015.
<https://www.insidehighered.c '2015/09/08/u: -guide-pronouns-preferred-some-
transgender-people>
2. Chaucer, Geoffrey. Specimens of All the Accessible Unprinted Manuscripts of the Canterbury Tales: The Doctor-
Pardoner Link, and Pardoner's Prologue and Tale, edited by Julius Zupita. England: Chaucer Society, First Series,
no 81, pt. 1, card 2 of 30. <http://library.colgate.edu/record=b1736309~S5>
3. Poole, Josua. The English Accidence. London: Scolar Press facsimile, reprint of 1st edition, 1646.
4. 10U.S. Code § 1 <https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/1/1>
5.
6.
Oxford English Dictionary Online, s.v. “they.” <http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/200700>
Bodine, Ann. “Androcentrism in Prescriptive Grammar: Singular ‘They’, Sex-Indefinite ‘He’, and ‘He or She.
Language in Society, 4 (2): 138. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/416680
Burchfield, R.W. The New Fowler's Modern English Usage, 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998, 776.
Baron, Dennis. “Singular They is the Word of the Year,” The Web of Language (blog), November 19, 2015.
<https://illinois.edu/blog/view/25/280996>
9. Baron, Dennis. Grammar and Gender. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1986.
10. Feinberg, Leslie. Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue. Boston: Beacon Press, 1998.
11. Bornstein, Kate. My Gender Workbook: How to Become a Real Man, a Real Woman, the Real You, or Something
Else Entirely. New York: Routledge, 1997.
Timety Library Marketing
Johanna MacKay, Instructional Design Librarian,
and Barbara Norelli, Instructional Services and Social Sciences Librarian,
at Skidmore College
During the 2015-2016 academic year, Lucy Scribner Library (Skidmore College) experimented with
several timely marketing campaigns targeted toward our students, a primarily traditional
undergraduate population. Barbara Norelli and Johanna MacKay presented a poster at the 2016
ENYACRL Conference held at Skidmore College that illustrated the most successful of these
promotions including book displays, creative contests, and collection celebrations. The poster
quantified the programming by preparation time and budget in an effort to share some of the
logistical aspects that should be considered when undertaking a marketing event. The poster also
illustrated how to best align outreach and marketing throughout an academic year. In addition to
descriptions of the events, activities, and displays, the poster highlighted what worked best and
what Scribner Library plans to improve.
The following campaigns were some of the most successful in reaching our targeted market:
LC Stack Signage & Magnets
Abraham
Lincoln
Stack signs and magnets provide navigation and help to
promote parts of the collection. Take advantage of Flickr
Creative Commons or Pixabay for images.
Promotion / Easy /$$$$/ DOO®D
Astronomy
& Physics
A favorite bimonthly
display features our
popular fiction collection
(McNaughton), which
includes an iPad to
browse this collection’s
LibGuide by genre.
In general displays showcasing Lj
popular fiction, graphic novels, films, <=". * ats
and poetry are the most borrowed.
Display / Easy /$ /@)
While Scribner Library will continue some of these marketing campaigns in their current form this
year, others will be modified or expanded based on feedback, participation, and priorities. For
instance the 50" library building anniversary celebration included a popular altered books contest,
which will debut on its own as a signature event in the spring.
One of the primary library goals this year is to increase students’ use of reference services including
the research help desk and one-on-one research consultations. As a result signage highlighting
subject librarians will be incorporated within the current LC stack signage. A new marketing
10
campaign utilizes the fictitious illness Research Insufficiency Syndrome (RIS), which occurs when an
individual is unable to conduct effective research because of a lack of appropriate resources.
Launched in September, the campaign incorporates videos, posters, displays, giveaways,
preSCRIBtion pads, and a spring event, the Research-a-thon. Visit lib.skidmore.edu/RIS for more
information and click here to view the entire poster.
My RIS Solution:
Research Help Desk
When | nooded p iowed articles, ! stopped by the
Research Help desk to find out what peer review is and
, Bide to find that type of article in the databases.
From Nimble to Brittle: Complexity
and its Surprising Costs to Libraries
Mark Wolfe, Curator of Digital Collections, University at Albany, SUNY
When annual library budgets are cut, library personnel are required to do more with less. While
alternative revenue streams and new efficacies may plug budget gaps, why does it seem that library
function costs seem to increase, often in an unpredictable manner? I have been researching issues
surrounding sustainability in the library and archival professions since 2008. I have recently
discovered the research of noted anthropologist, Joseph Tainter who may benefit librarians who
grapple with sustaining library automation systems and digital repositories, as well as other
functions in the library. I will highlight the evolution of library standards and technologies, and how
they can evolve from simple and affordable standards to ones that are brittle and costly. MAchine-
Readable Cataloging (MARC) and the Integrated Library System (ILS) are used to explore this
concept under discussion.
Institutions tend to rely on complexity to solve problems. As challenges emerge, we tend to select
inexpensive solutions first. Over time, problem-solving becomes a more expensive process as
managers deal with the deleterious effects of solutions that have mounded up over time.
Sustainability emerges from the ongoing act of solving day-to-day problems, not as a result of
passively consuming fewer resources. Problem-solving (i.e., sustainability) is so common in the
library profession that we rarely reflect on its long-term benefits, and especially its costs. As
challenges emerge, we tend to select solutions that are the quickest to adopt and cheapest to
implement. As Joseph Tainter states: “Human societies often seem to become progressively more
complex— this is, comprised of more parts, more kinds of parts, and greater integration of parts."[1]
In the daily work life of a librarian, these “parts” may be understood in how we adopt new
procedures to processing workflows, and new software applications, to name just a few. Complexity
extends beyond the daily work of a librarian. As each moving “part” is added to the library
profession over time, it has increased the costs of the profession in a myriad of ways:
* new education requirements (credentials and training);
* increased flow of information (conferences and journals);
* more staffing and specialized roles;
* increased organization and oversight (standards bodies and councils).
Indeed, our profession has become increasingly complex. Yet, if complexity is harmful to the long-
term sustainability of organizations, why is it so widely employed? Tainter notes:
“It is important to emphasize that complexity is not inherently detrimental. If it were, we
would not resort to it so readily. Complexity is always a benefit-cost function. We increase
complexity to solve problems because most of the time it works, and the costs either seem
affordable, are not evident or can be shifted onto others or the future. It is the cumulative
cost of complexity that causes damage.” [2]
As the library profession grows, the act of sustainability (i.e., problem-solving) leads to an
accumulation of solutions, which may become pernicious over time. Paradoxically, managers follow
conventional wisdom by often choosing simplest solutions available, so complexity is not a choice,
but rather a result of solution(s) that are employed over time. The economic function of our problem
solving, Tainter suggests, is not a static or linear one; problem-solving tends to follow an arc, which
eventually reaches a point of diminishing returns over time. As library institutions become more
complex, inexpensive and highly effective solutions of the past gradually disappear, which compels
the librarian to move to the next level of more costly and less effective problem-solving. Each new
level of complexity, according to Tainter, yields a little less in return.
Case Example: Library Standards
Our profession’s problem-solving may be seen in the proliferation of standards and technologies.
The advent of MARC and its various versions have brought unprecedented efficiencies to managing
and providing access to book collections. The MARC standard was arguably one of the biggest and
most speedy technical leaps made in the profession of cultural heritage organizations in recent
history. MARC was almost largely conceived and developed by Henriette Avram in 1966, which
emerged at a time when few standards existed, and when the library profession had few moving
parts to wrangle. Combined with the advent of computer terminals and later PCs, libraries were able
to electronically disseminate library holdings locally and online.
Discussion
MARC's successful run in the library community is unparalleled, and its success is perhaps part of its
current day problem—MARC is everywhere. The push to do retrospective conversion of the old card
catalogs to online is mostly complete. The profession’s foray into cataloging and descriptive
standards might be better understood using Tainter’s diagram, seen below. Initially, MARC resided
at the Complexity 1 (B1 C1) level where marginal benefits were high and the costs were low, at
which point MARC might be understood as the “low hanging fruit” of solutions.
fa
Benefits to Complexity
@
Ci C2 c3
Levels of Complexity
As libraries respond to challenges and seek opportunities, MARC and the traditional ILS
environment, have become increasingly brittle due to technical lock-in. Rather than reinventing the
wheel, institutions tend to build new solutions on past successes. For example, patrons expect
Google-like search and the ability to access all information silos in the library. Rather than
reengineer the ILS or the MARC format, the profession developed discovery layer software that
works in tandem with legacy systems. As Tainter points out, “increases in complexity work in part
because they are implemented rapidly, and typically build on what was developed before.”[3]
In contrast to the birth of MARC, developing today’s standards must be done in a packed field of
other interrelated standards, each one having to be interoperable with the other. As standards
(markup or content) grow in number and in size, they tend to require increased oversight, more
consultants and coordination that cross national and professional boundaries. Managers prefer the
ability to freely swap out processes or parts in a system. But, as complexity grows, those parts
become interdependent. In Roy Tennant’s “MARC must Die” article, he suggests that as the ILS has
become more tightly coupled with cataloging standards, the process may be too costly to untangle
and require starting over from scratch.[4] It is not just AACR2 or RDA, today’s typical ILS ecosystem
is surrounded by applications that all must walk in lockstep together. According to Tainter’s chart,
where might today’s librarian assign the cost/benefit ratio of MARC and the traditional ILS?
Conclusion
As library technology and standards become increasingly integrated with Web standards such as
Linked Data, complexity will inevitably rise. The only precedent as costly and complex as getting out
of MARC was our profession’s push to get into it in the first place. BIBFRAME promises modern
access to book collections, but its benefits must be weighed against its costs to implementation.
Repositories that migrate to the next markup standard must invest in new technical and procedural
steps, IT infrastructure, staff training, and new lines of communication among disparate
departments.
In cases where the technical complexity is pushed onto a cloud based service model, what new
costs will arise in yearly licenses and vendor library coordination? The Library Services Platform
approach promises new efficiencies, but what happens if the vendor fees become unaffordable? Will
vendors provide exit strategies when their customers suffer financial hardship? If the promise of
Linked Data is not fully realized, Angela Kroeger suggests that “BIBFRAME might only move library
bibliographic data from the MARC silo into a different silo.”[5]
Notes
[1] Tainter, Joseph “Problem solving: complexity, history, sustainability” Population and Environment Vol 22 No 1, 2000
(p.6)
[2] Tainter, Joseph “Social complexity and sustainability” Ecological Complexity Vol.3 No. 2 (p. 99)
[3] Ibid, (p.93)
[4] Tennant, Roy “MARC Must Die” Library Journal, October 15, 2002 (p. 26)
[5] Kroeger, Angela, “The Road to BIBFRAME: The Evolution of the Idea of Bibliographic Transition into a Post-MARC
Future,” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 51:8, (p.884)
Notes from the Field
University at Albany
Recent Publications
Alonso-Regalado, Jestis. “Latin American Online
Videos.” In Handbook of Latin American Studies,
edited by Katherine D. McCann and Tracy North,
605-614. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2015.
Fuller-Thomson, Esme, Senyo Agbeyaka, Deborah
LaFond, and Mercedes Bern-Klug. “Flourishing
After Depression: Factors Associated with
Achieving Complete Mental Health Among Those
with a History of Depression.” Psychiatry Research
242 (August 2016): 111-120.
doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.04.041
Poehlmann, Nancy M., and Christian H.
Poehlmann. “Involving Subject Librarians in
Batchloading.” Technical Services Quarterly 33,
no. 3 (June 2016): 227-239.
doi:10.1080/07317131.2016.1169777
New Hires/Appointments
Stephanie Sampsen was hired on May 5, 2016
as the Lending & Access Services Clerk, at the
Science Library. Stephanie worked previously as a
Library Clerk at the Guilderland Public Library.
Cathy Dwyer was appointed Director of Scholarly
Communications and Head, Dewey Graduate
Library, effective July 14, 2016. In this role, Cathy
will oversee scholarly communication and research
data management initiatives, including the
Libraries’ institutional repository, Scholars Archive.
She will also provide administrative leadership,
develop goals and objectives, and monitor
progress for the Dewey Graduate Library. Cathy
will continue to serve as a member of the Library
Policy Group.
David H. Dickinson was hired as Interactive
Media Center Training Specialist on July 28, 2016.
David has an MA in Interactive Multimedia from
Long Island University and a BA in
Communications from SUNY Plattsburgh and is
currently pursuing a PhD in Educational
Leadership. Prior to joining the University
Libraries, he taught media at Snow College in
Utah.
Kelsey O’Brien was hired on August 10, 2016 as
Information Literacy Librarian. Kelsey had been
Visiting Assistant Librarian, Information Literacy,
since August 2013. Kelsey has an MS in
Information Science from the University at Albany
and a BA in English from Siena College.
Camille Chesley was hired on August 11, 2016
as Reference Librarian. Camille has a BA from
Oberlin College in East Asian Studies and an MS in
Library and Information Science from the
University of Illinois at Urbana—Champaign. Prior
to joining the University Libraries, Camille was the
Reference and Instruction Librarian at the
University of Montevallo in Alabama and before
that, the Learning Commons Librarian at Syracuse
University.
Jennifer Moore was hired as part-time reference
librarian on August 11. Jennifer also works part-
time as a reference librarian at Siena College.
Rebecca Mugridge was appointed Dean of
University Libraries effective August 26, 2016.
Mugridge has served in the capacity of Interim
Dean & Director of the University Libraries since
July 2015. She joined the University at Albany
Libraries in 2013 as Associate Director for
Technical Services and Library Systems. Prior to
her appointment at the University at Albany, she
held positions at a number of academic libraries,
including The Pennsylvania State University, Yale
University, Robert Morris University, and the
University of Pittsburgh.
Binghamton University
Binghamton University Libraries welcome the
following new librarians:
In August, Heather Hannan became Head of the
Science Library. She recently worked at George
Mason University.
In August, Rachel Turner became Cataloging
Librarian. She is a recent graduate of the MSIS
program at the University of Texas.
In August, Julia Glauberman became
Instructional Outreach Librarian. She is a recent
graduate of the MSLS program at the University of
North Carolina.
In September, David Schuster became Director
of Library Technology and Special Collections. He
recently worked at Texas Women’s University.
In November, Neyda Gilman will become
Pharmacy and Nursing Librarian. She is currently
Assistant Professor-Liaison Librarian at Colorado
State University.
Colgate University
Michelle Smith joins us as the new Collections
Archivist. She comes most recently from the
Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American
Jewish Archives in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Emily Brock is Colgate’s Digital History Project
Manager for our bicentennial projects. She was
recently the Photo Archivist for the New Mexico
History Museum in Santa Fe.
Anastasia Wells is our Temporary Reference and
Cataloging Librarian, joining us from DePauw
University libraries in Greencastle, Indiana.
Hamilton College
Gisella Stalloch was appointed to the position of
Metadata & Cataloging Librarian, effective July 1.
Gisella has been our part-time Metadata and
Cataloging Assistant since 2012, supported by the
DHi grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Prior to coming to Hamilton College, she held
positions with the Syracuse University School of
Information Studies, Rocky Mountain Herbarium,
O'Brien and Gere Life Science Laboratories, and
SUNY College of Environmental Science and
Forestry Library. Gisella received her M.S. in
Library and Information Science from the Syracuse
University School of Information Studies in 2012.
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Greg Lord was appointed to the position of DHi
Lead Designer & Software Engineer, effective July
1. Since 2010, Greg's work in Hamilton's Digital
Humanities Initiative (DHi) has been funded by a
grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Greg will continue to support the mission of DHi
through his work in the design and development
of interfaces for digital scholarship and his
innovative approaches to virtual reality and game
development. Greg has a background in creative
writing and worked at the Maryland Institute for
Technology in the Humanities (MITH) prior to
coming to Hamilton College.
Aaron Neslin joined Hamilton College as
Discovery and Delivery Systems Analyst on
September 12th. In this position he will oversee
the integrated library system, support the library's
technical infrastructure and collaborate on digital
projects. Aaron previously worked at Onondaga
County Public Libraries, where he managed the
integrated library system, performed collection
analysis and provided technical support for 32
libraries. Aaron received his M.S. in Library and
Information Science from Syracuse University in
2013.
A chapter written by Lisa McFall, Janet Simons,
Greg Lord, Peter MacDonald, Angel David
Nieves, and Steve Young was published in the
book Technology-Centered Academic Library
Partnerships and Collaborations, edited by Brian
Doherty and published by IGI Global, 2016. The
chapter, titled "Collaborations in Liberal Arts
Colleges in Support of Digital Humanities" presents
the model developed by the Digital Humanities
Initiative at Hamilton College and focuses on the
role of collaboration within and across institutions
to support research in digital humanities.
Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute (RPI)
Andrew White joined Rensselaer as director of
the Rensselaer Libraries this summer. He most
recently served as associate chief information
officer for health sciences at Stony Brook
University. Previously he held positions of
increasing responsibility in various Stony Brook
libraries, including interim dean and director of
university libraries. He has also served as
Associate Dean for Technical and Automated
Services at Adelphi University Libraries. White
holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music
from Stony Brook University, a master’s in library
science from Queens College, and a doctorate in
historical musicology from the Graduate Center of
the City University of New York.
Siena College
Alison Larsen, Serials Librarian, published an
article. "To Plan, or Not to Plan, Is There Even a
Question? A Select Annotated Bibliography of
Urban Studies Periodicals Focused on Planning" in
the 71 (1) issue of The Serials Librarian.
Kelly MacWatters, Coordinator of Reference &
Electronic Resources, and Alison
Larsen presented "The ABC's of EBSCO
Subscriptions & Services at Siena College: an
Analysis of Accessibility, Budget and Content" at
the EBSCO User Group Conference held in Boston
in May 2016.
Jennifer Fairall, Coordinator of Cataloging and
Metadata Services, spoke about the Library of
Congress Digital Preservation Outreach and
Education (DPOE) curriculum at A Look at Digital
Preservation, a program sponsored by the Capital
District Library Council on September 13,
2016. Jennifer also participated on a panel about
recording retentions at the EAST member meeting
in Boston on October 14, 2016.
Skidmore College
Scribner Library welcomed new staff member
Warren Schultz, on October 14" to the position
of Weekend Public Services Coordinator. Warren
previously worked in library circulation
departments at Saint Michael’s College and
Champlain College. He is also an award-winning
writer (including a James Beard award!) who has
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worked extensively in magazine publishing, public
relations, and college communications and
marketing over the years. Just days before his job
interview at Skidmore, Warren returned from a
Peace Corps volunteer assignment in Senegal.
Scribner Library launched a new marketing
campaign to help students overcome their “RIS”
(Research Insufficiency Syndrome), a condition
which affects us all from time to time. This fall
the focus is on identifying RIS and the many
treatment options available. In the spring we are
holding a Research-a-thon to help in the fight
against RIS. Learn more at lib.skidmore.edu/RIS
SUNY Oswego
It's been a busy several months at Penfield
Library! Over the summer, we said goodbye to
Barbara Shaffer as she retired from the position of
Library Director. Tempering that, we've also
gotten to say hello to several new librarians:
Sarah Weisman is the new Library Director. For
the last 10 years, Sarah was the Associate Dean of
Learning Resources at Corning Community College
in Corning, NY, overseeing the library and a
number of other departments. While at CCC,
Sarah played a key role in the total renovation and
expansion of CCC's library and established many
successful partnerships with faculty and staff
across campus. Sa-rah has Master's degrees in
Library Science and Information Resources
Management from Syracuse University and her
undergraduate degree from Barnard College. She
is thrilled to join the talented library team at SUNY
Oswego!
In August Tim Berge began working at Penfield
as the new Temporary Instruction, Reference, and
Collection Development Librarian. He will work as
a liaison to the Biological Sciences and Art
departments providing collection development and
instruction. He comes to Oswego fresh from
Bloomington, Indiana where he spent the last two
years at Indiana University earning his Master's in
Library Science. Before that he lived in Idaho. He
is happy to be at SUNY Oswego and looks forward
to cut-ting his library teeth at Penfield Library.
Francesca Yates also began in August as a part
time reference librarian. She grew up in the
Central New York area. As an undergraduate, she
attended SUNY New Paltz. Francesca completed
her master’s degree in Library and Information
Science at the University of Pittsburgh, with a
specialization in health resources and services.
She also substitutes part time at the public
libraries in Syracuse.
We've also been growing Penfield’s Maker
Services. Our Learning Technologies Librarian,
Sharona Ginsberg, is piloting a 3D printer
training program for students and other library
users. We're offering more making-related items
for checkout, too: patrons can now check out
circuitry kits, Arduino kits, crochet hooks, and
knitting needles.
Syracuse University
Michael Pasqualoni partnered with the
Newhouse School of Public Communications,
Public Relations Department, in presenting
Avoiding Plagiarism workshops for that program’s
entering graduate students.
At the 2016 ALA Annual Conference, Tarida
Anantachai co-presented a poster, "Selfies,
Hashtags, and Zombies, Oh My! Instagram as a
Tool for Interactive Library Orientations."
At the National Diversity in Libraries Conference,
Tarida Anantachai co-presented both a panel,
"ACRL Diversity Standards Revised: Intersectional
Approaches to Cultural Competency," as well as a
roundtable discussion, "Grow Your Community: An
Exploration of Peer Mentoring for People of Color."
Tarida Anantachai co-wrote a chapter,
“Establishing a Communal Network for
Professional Advancement among Librarians of
Color," published in Where Are All the Librarians of
Color: The Experiences of People of Color in
Academia, a Library Juice Press title edited by
Rebecca Hankins and Miguel Juarez.
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Tarida Anantachai was also awarded an IFLA
2016 National Committee Fellowship Grant to
support her attendance at the IFLA 2016 World
Library and Information Congress.
Nicolette A. Dobrowolski was appointed
Assistant Director of Collections and Access
Services for the Special Collections Research
Center (SCRC) at Syracuse University Libraries.
Dobrowolski will lead the department's strategic
plans to assess and continuously improve
management of the collections held in the SCRC,
Belfer Audio Archive, and University Archives. By
providing key oversight for thousands of linear
feet of unique and rare materials and ensuring
that those treasures will be preserved in the state-
of-the-art addition to the Syracuse University
Libraries Facility, this position aligns with Libraries’
strategic goal to enable learning, scholarship, and
the creation of new knowledge through our rich
collections.
Peter Verheyen is the recipient of the Guild of
Book Workers 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award
for his pioneering use of digital technology to build
community by sharing information and
encouraging discourse on all aspects of the book
arts. In 2009 he was awarded the Laura Young
Award, which recognizes members who have
made an outstanding contribution of service to the
Guild of Book Workers. The Guild's 2016 Lifetime
Achievement Award recognizes the global impact
of his work. From the official announcement and
article written by Karen Hanmer in the Guild of
Book Workers Newsletter, August 2016. The Guild
of Book Workers is the national organization for
bookbinding and the book arts in the United
States).
Anne E. Rauh and Stephanie JH McReynolds
co-authored a case study about the DRS blog,
titled Telling Our Story: A Case Study of a
Collaborative Departmental Blog at Syracuse
University Libraries, which was published in the
“Academic Librarians as Communicators" themed
issue of the New Review of Academic
Librarianship.
On Sunday, August 21st, Anne Rauh presented
an invited talk entitled, "Altmetrics in the library"
at the American Chemical Society National Meeting
in Philadelphia, PA. This talk was part of the
symposium, "Beyond Citations: Challenges &
Opportunities in Altmetrics" organized by the
Chemical Information Division. Other speakers in
the symposium included Todd Carpenter,
Executive Director, NISO; William Gunn, Director
of Scholarly Communications, Mendeley; Stuart
Cantrill, Chief Editor, Nature Chemistry; Matthew
Hartings, Associate Professor of Chemistry,
American University; Antony Williams, National
Center of Computational Toxicology at EPA; and
Jeff Lang, Assistant Director of Platform
Development, American Chemical Society.
Patrick Williams’s book chapter “What Is
Possible: Setting the Stage for Co-Exploration in
Archives and Special Collections” was published in
Pagowsky, N. & McElroy, K. (2016) Critical Library
Pedagogy Handbook, Volume 1: Essays and
Workbook Activities. ACRL
Press. http://www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID
=11883
Patrick Williams attended the Digital Humanities
2016 conference in Krakow, Poland in July. With
colleagues from dh+lib and the ADHO Special
Interest Group Global Outlooks:: Digital
Humanities, he led a workshop entitled Translation
Hack-a-thon!: Applying the Translation Toolkit to a
Global dh+lib, in which participants designed
workflows for lightweight translation and engaged
in collaborative translation activities intended to
encourage broader linguistic diversity among DH
communities.
