Firshein-4-20-90 and rosenbaum_2027 (credit
this photo to Bill Burkhart.)
FRIENDS OF THE WESLEYAN LIBRARY
CHECK
W
A PUBLIC ATION OF THE
e are delighted to announce and welcome new
Friends Board chair, Michael Meere. An assistant
professor of French, specializing in early modern French
studies with a focus on theater and performance, Meere
often brings his classes to Special Collections & Archives.
He looks forward to future Friends’ collaborations with
Ù Michael Meere
the campus and community.
If you would like to join the Friends, donate books, or make a gift towards special library projects or events, please contact me at [email protected] or visit
wesleyan.edu/libr/friends. In the spring, we were thankful to receive a gift in honor
of Clarence Walker. We were also proud to recognize almost 50 graduating library
student workers in Wesleyan’s Class of 2016. Student workers make important contributions to the services the library provides to all users, and the staff is happy to
train them in skills that will help them in their own studies and in future careers.
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
— JENNIFER HADLEY, FRIENDS OF THE WESLEYAN LIBRARY —
IT
OUT
FALL 2016
Ù Astronomy class, 1878–79, astronomy
SINCE 1998
professor John M. Van Vleck on top step.
T
NEW LIBRARY SYSTEM IN 2017
he CTW Library Consortium (CTW), consisting of Connecticut College, Trinity
College, and Wesleyan University, has signed a contract with Ex Libris, a Proquest
Company, to purchase Alma and Primo in order to provide a more powerful and
modern integrated library system to our campuses.
In the 13 years since we implemented our current system (Voyager), the library
environment has changed drastically—evolving from a primarily physical collection
to a mix of physical and digital resources. Simultaneously, purchase models have
changed from outright purchases to a wide variety of purchase, loan, and subscription models. CTW has adopted additional tools to help our staff and Wesleyan’s
researchers manage the proliferation of electronic resources and purchase types,
but over time this collection of tools has become inefficient and unwieldy.
Alma and Primo are designed for the new environment of changing formats
and purchase methods. Both of these products are designed for flexibility and have
the ability to grow with us into the future. In addition, both will result in cost savings to CTW and the individual libraries, allowing us to provide more services to
our campuses.
For library users, this change will simplify interactions with the library. Searching
for materials will be more unified across CTW, requesting materials will be simpler,
library accounts will be integrated with Wesleyan’s Single Sign On and InterLibrary
Loan, and we will be able to communicate the status of requested materials to our
borrowers in real-time.
For our staff, this change will streamline day-to-day workflows, provide tighter
integration with our content vendors and Wesleyan campus systems, and automate
many repetitive tasks so that staff are freed to focus on more impactful work. Staff
from the CTW libraries will be working on this system migration throughout the next
year. We look forward to our library users reaping the benefits for years to come.
EVENTS
— LORI STETHERS, SYSTEMS/EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES LIBRARIAN —
LIB16214_CIO_Fall2016_0902_am.indd 3-2
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16:Constitution Day lecture by Middletown Mayor
Daniel Drew
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28: Artist Talk by Nancy Ottman Albert MALS ’94,
’94,
former university coordinator of events, on the exhibition “Documents
in Black and White”
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29: Annual Friends Book Sale, as part of Wesleyan’s
Family Weekend
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5: New York City Grolier Exhibit and Print Fair Tour,
a joint event with the Friends of the Davison Art Center
P
HOTO FROM SPECIAL COLLECTIONS & ARCHIVES
LIBRARY HELPS CELEBRATE VAN VLECK CENTENNIAL
O
n June 16, the Astronomy Department rededicated the Van Vleck
Observatory. It brought to a conclusion more than a year’s worth of
planning and research conducted by faculty, staff, and students to mark the
centenary with a day-long symposium, events, and exhibitions.
Led by Roy Kilgard (support astronomer and research associate professor
of astronomy) and Amrys Williams (visiting assistant professor of history),
faculty, students, and staff used the observatory’s extensive collection of scientific instruments, teaching materials, photographs, drawings, and correspondence to create a new Van Vleck library exhibition, Under Connecticut
Skies, which illustrates the changes in astronomical research and teaching
over the past century. The team conducted many hours of research in Special
Collections & Archives, and reproductions of SC&A primary source materials are included in the exhibition. The project began in 2015 when a select
group of student researchers, under the direction of professors Kilgard,
Williams, and Paul Erickson, began a summer-long project to investigate
resources and develop conceptual outlines. Development of the exhibition continued through the academic year, culminating with the opening
on May 6. Throughout the process, University Archivist Leith Johnson contributed research advice and helped to identify resources. Digital Projects
Librarian Francesca Livermore, Library Assistant Malinda Johnston, and
Johnson provided digitization support. In a related activity, Collections
Conservator/Head of Preservation Services Michaelle Biddle conserved architectural drawings and documents related to the observatory that will be
added to the SC&A collection.
As a companion to Under Connecticut Skies and the Van Vleck centenary,
Johnson and Sarah Harper ’16 curated an exhibition in Olin Library, A Stellar
Education: Astronomy at Wesleyan, 1831–1916, which explores the study
of astronomy at Wesleyan from the University’s founding in 1831 through
the construction of the observatory. Items on display include atlases, textbooks, photographs, an original Henry Bacon Van Vleck Observatory architectural drawing, and more. It will be on view until September 26. Johnson
also presented an illustrated talk based on the exhibition as part of the
June 16 symposium.
— LEITH JOHNSON, UNIVERSITY ARCHIVIST —
9/2/16 4:45 PM
BIDDLE SPEAKS AT HENRY BACON
PLAQUE DEDICATION
DIANNE
KELLY
× FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
RETIREMENTS
Helen Aiello, 2016
Sally Grucan, 2015
Dianne Kelly, 1994
HELEN An integral member of the library staff, Helen Aiello, acquisitions and
AIELLO e-resources librarian, retired on July 5. During her 35-year tenure, she
— EUNJOO LEE, HEAD OF ACCESS SERVICES —
Ù
guided the library from paper format serials through the constantly
evolving world of electronic journals, databases, streaming resources,
and e-books. When Helen began in 1981, the library had 3,000 paper
titles; most recently she was managing 900 paper journals, over 200
databases, and more than 75,000 electronic titles.
Helen has worn many hats while working at Olin Library. Besides
overseeing serials/acquisitions and microforms, she could also be
found answering questions at the reference desk and often was seen
assisting patrons in the use of the microform equipment. Helen has
been an active member in the ACRL/New England Serials Interest
Group, as well as the North American Serials Interest Group. Most
recently, she co-presented a talk at the annual Charleston Acquisition
Conference on issues facing the management and interpretation of
usage reports for national surveys.
Helen’s dedication, awe-inspiring depth of knowledge, formidable tenacity, and wonderful sense of humor will be greatly missed.
She has been an extraordinary colleague and friend. We wish her
many happy, enjoyable years of retirement!
Dianne Kelly retired on June 20, completing 31 years of productive service at Olin Library. She began her library career as Circulation Library
Assistant II in May 1985 and became Circulation Library Assistant V.
Throughout this time, Dianne was central to the daily operation of Access
Services by opening Olin Library at 8:30 a.m. and closing at 2 a.m. Dianne
was well-known to her students with a “three-strike rule” for being on
time. At the same time, she embraced her student workers with her warm
and cheerful personality. From the pre-digital period in the mid-80s to
the digital era of today, Dianne managed to keep the spirit of excellent
customer service by circulating materials on an average of 100,000 items
per year to the Wesleyan community. She was a remarkable member of
the social committee and helped to host many library parties and events.
She was also an active member of the AFCA (Administrators and Faculty
of Color Alliance) on campus.
Dianne’s strong personality, collegiality, enthusiasm, and contributions to the library will be greatly missed. Congratulations and best
wishes to Dianne Kelly in her retirement!
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Mitchell Bence, vice president of the Historical Society;
Roland Light, president of the Old Courthouse Museum; Bob Harwood,
mayor of Watseka; Michaelle Biddle; Stuart Fliege, chair of the Illinois
State Historical Societies Historical Markers program; and
Rolfe Jaremus, member of the Iroquois County Historical
Society and advocate for the historical marker.
ON JULY 4, a historical marker was
dedicated to honor Iroquois County
native son Henry Bacon, architect of
the Lincoln Memorial in Washington,
D.C., and of Eclectic House, Van Vleck
Observatory, Clark Hall, and the original plans for Olin Memorial Library at
Wesleyan. The plaque is installed adjacent to the Old Courthouse Museum
in Watseka, Illinois. Michaelle Biddle,
the library’s collections conservator
and head of Preservation Services,
was invited to speak on Bacon’s longterm relationship with the University.
Wesleyan’s Special Collections &
Archives holds Bacon’s library, and the
largest collection of his plans, drawings,
scrapbooks, photos, and letters.
— MICHAELLE BIDDLE,
COLLECTIONS CONSERVATOR/HEAD OF
PRESERVATION SERVICES —
— ELIZABETH MAINELLA, SERIALS ADMINISTRATOR/MICROFORMS —
STUDENT’S DRAWINGS OF OLIN CONSIDER
DIGITIZATION’S EFFECT ON SOCIETY’S
RELATIONSHIP TO INFORMATION
Ù “Card Catalog” by Voranan
arly in the 2016 spring semester, Voranan
Vaan Taepaisitphongse ’17,
Vaan Taepaisitphongse ’17 asked Art
shown finished and in progress.
TOP PHOTO BY TAEPAISITPHONGSE ’17,
Librarian Susanne Javorski to borrow a card
BOTTOM PHOTO BY CINDY HORNG ’17
catalog drawer for a Drawing 2 art project. In
May, Javorski was delighted to see the finished project when the drawer was
returned. Taepaisitphongse kept the drawings and wrote about the inspiration for her project:
“While sitting in Olin, reading an electronic copy of my Qualitative
Research Methods textbook on my laptop, it occurred to me that I was sitting
in a three-story building filled with books—and yet, I was reading everything
from the screen of my laptop. This got me thinking about how technology
transformed our educational system, especially how we interact with texts.
“Less than a few decades ago, books were found using 3 x 5-inch cards,
which were categorized by author, title, and subject. Now card catalogs are
obscured and obsolete—most of us do not know what card catalogs are, and
that they even exist. This invention outdated by technology may foreshadow
the future of books—where books are no longer recognized in their original,
tangible form. We may only know of “books” as another app on our screens.”
E
— VORANAN VAAN TAEPAISITPHONGSE ’17 —
LIB16214_CIO_Fall2016_0902_am.indd 2-3
SALLY Sally Grucan, one of the library’s most valued colleagues, retired on
GRUCAN July 5 of this year, after 32 years of service to Wesleyan University. She
started working at Olin Library in December 1983 as the systems planning and head catalog librarian. Back in those days, there were nine
people in the department, and everything in the catalog was paperbased. Since those early card-catalog days, Sally oversaw the implementation of three computer-based library catalog systems: NOTIS,
Sirsi, and then Voyager. She also directed major projects such as barcoding more than 300,000 volumes and entering more than 340,000
titles into the first online catalog. As she has said, “There was a strong
sense of camaraderie, since all the staff participated, along with a
good number of student workers. Weekly pizza parties helped!”
Sally has always been forward-thinking and on the cutting edge
of library technology, making Wesleyan one of the first libraries in
the area to implement time-saving programs such as PromptCat,
BibNote, and LTI Authority Control. These terms may not be recognized by non-technical services staff, but they meant a huge savings
of time for the catalogers, letting us focus on many other projects.
In the last couple of years, she was one of the library’s key point
people, serving on the Weeding Project committee, the Library SelfStudy committee, and the Search Committee for Wesleyan’s new
university librarian.
Sally’s expertise, vision, and dedication will be sorely missed. We
wish her many happy years of retirement!
— REBECCA MCCALLUM, INTERIM HEAD OF CATALOGING,
JODY SCHENKER, LIBRARY ASSISTANT, CATALOGING —
I’D LIKE TO GIVE A WARM WELCOME to
everyone reading this; as warm a welcome
as I myself have received from everyone at
Wesleyan so far. As I write this I am only finishing up my second week as the new Caleb
T. Winchester University Librarian, yet even
in that short time, I have seen so many wonderful and innovative projects being done
by our remarkable librarians and staff here
FROM THE
on the Wesleyan campus and beyond. And I
UNIVERSITY
know that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
I am eagerly looking forward to learning
LIBRARIAN
even more and being part of it, as well.
And what better group to share this connection than with the Friends of
the Library, an integral part of Wesleyan? In many institutions, Friends groups
often disappear or get relegated to one small event, but I can see the breadth
of activity and the support that comes from the Friends of the Wesleyan Library.
It makes me both incredibly happy and excited that I will see such input into our
great libraries.
This upcoming year will see some major changes, both from a technological
and usability side of our collections. I look forward to filling everyone in on
those innovations as they happen.
Please feel free to come by and visit me in my office, although you’ll most
likely catch me wandering around the campus, getting to know everyone.
— DAN CHERUBIN, CALEB T. WINCHESTER UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN —
Funding for Check It Out
is provided by the
Friends of the Wesleyan Library.
EDITOR:
fri end s of t he
w e s l e y a n
LIBRARY
Jennifer Hadley
Friends of the Wesleyan Library
[email protected]
(860) 685-3897
CONTRIBUTORS:
Library staff and the
Wesleyan community
If you would like to contribute to the work of the Friends
through membership or specific donations towards our
digitization, preservation and archival projects, creative
fellowship program for students, or events, please e-mail
[email protected] or visit wesleyan.edu/libr/friends.
9/2/16 4:45 PM