Spring 2012
Volume 22.2
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IN THIS ISSUE: 
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From the Director
Graduating Library Student Assistants
Second Annual Snow Bowl
Lincoln in the Library
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Library Services Staff News
What’s Happening in Instructional Media
Archives Exhibit
From the Archives
FROM THE DIRECTOR
As part of the College’s 150th celebration this year, dozens of pieces of history were chosen from
Oesterle Library’s Special Collections and the North Central College Archives. The selected pieces
were photographed, reproduced at a high resolution, framed, and hung in a special show in the
Schoenherr Gallery at the Fine Arts Center. The majority of those pieces were from the Sang Collection
of Presidential Signatures, which begins with George Washington and ranges through 31 of the first 37
presidents of the United States. Signatures from later Presidents were taken from other collections.
When the Schoenherr show concluded, the framed pieces were returned to Oesterle Library where they
now form a sort of free-form exhibit in the lower level lobby. An expanse of open wall space and the
popularity of the lounge space combined to make it a very good place to have a long term exhibit of
many of these examples of history.
Since the original pieces are fairly fragile and sensitive to light, they are rarely seen by the public. With the new exhibit,
the reproductions will be on display for all to see and enjoy. A key to the signatures will soon be added, as not all of them
are easily read, and a web page that will add additional detail about the collection and the individual works is planned. So
many of the materials that a library owns are somewhat hidden away, whether between the covers of books on the shelves,
within the electronic databases to which we subscribe, or in the carefully arranged and cataloged boxes of special
collections. We’re working as we can to bring some of the most interesting of these pieces out into the light for all to see.
John J. Small
Clare and Lucy Oesterle Director of Library Services
GRADUATING LIBRARY SERVICES STUDENT ASSISTANTS
Once again library staff members prepare to bid a group of dedicated student assistants farewell as they graduate and
move on to the next phase of their lives.
Stacey Apostol graduated in December, having worked 3½ years in the Library. She majored in English
with a secondary education minor, and is currently hoping to find a teaching job. Stacey will be
remembered by library staff for her exceptional skill at shelving and finding missing books.
When Becky Creamer graduates she plans on putting her degree in print journalism and interactive
media studies to good use in a writing/editing/publishing job in Chicago. Her major goal in life is to
“write and read as many books as possible.” Of all the library jobs Becky has held, “I loved working in
Technical Services. Working with new and old books kept each shift interesting. It’s the best place to
work. I love the staff and student workers. We are like a family and I made lifelong friends. The library
truly is the best place on campus.” Becky comments on a side benefit of working in the Library,
“Learning more about research and resources available in the library put me ahead of the average
student.”
Robin Gadient will graduate in June with a major in studio art and minors in art history and
environmental studies. Robin says that during her three years working in the Library, “I think my favorite
job has been processing in technical services. I enjoy working my way through each step and preparing
books for shelving. This may sound nerdy, but there is something very satisfying about attaching spine
labels and jacket covers to books.” Asked what special library memory she’ll take with her, Robin
recalled, “For some reason answering the phone is always exciting; you never know what kind of
question you’re going to get. Last year someone called and asked me if the science department would
like their dead goldfish.” What has she gained from the job? “I’ve definitely gained some customer
service skills from working at the front and periodicals desk (stressed students are not always the
happiest students), and time management skills from holding a job while going to school. I think one of the most
important things I learned while working at the library is that it is okay to ask for help when I need it, for example when I
don’t know the answer to a patron’s question.”
Ryan Mueller feels that his four years as a library student assistant, “have made it much easier for me to
interact with everyone, especially people I have never met before. It has also made me a more responsible
person overall.” Ryan hopes to earn a master of social work degree at UIC after graduating with a
bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish. Those degrees should equip him well for achieving his
dream of “making the world a better place.” Reflecting on time spent at the Information Services Desk,
“I most enjoyed working at the front desk and interacting with all the patrons: helping people out by
telling them about I-Share or just finding something that was difficult to find for a patron. Also, being
able to watch the U.S. beat Algeria in the World Cup at the library was pretty cool.” Any parting words
for our readers? “I certainly don’t want to tell them about the secret library treasure hunt that starts
somewhere in the upstairs stacks. Also, once I had a chance to hit my boss [Heidi Kaul, circulation and reserves assistant]
with a water balloon, and it BOUNCED OFF. That was pretty upsetting.”
Kayleigh Pryzgoda, Multimedia Design Student Assistant, will graduate with a BA in interactive media
studies and a minor in marketing. Working with Aimee Walker, Coordinator of User Experience, on the
library website has given her the opportunity to hone her skills in her chosen field. “This has been an
immensely valuable experience.” After graduation, “I would love to work for a television network,
preferably directly on a fictional television show, or work in the music industry as a music video
director.” Kayleigh recalls from her 1½ years as a student assistant that “working on the library
promotional video was definitely one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had here. It was fun to work
with everyone in the library during the summer, and it seemed like everyone had a great time. I’m proud
of the final product, too.” (The library video can be viewed at http://youtu.be/y6D1aF2pj-M)
“Working at the library for four fabulous years was an exclusively positive experience. My job kept me
grounded, remained the sole consistent thing throughout my college experience, and gave me the
opportunity to meet some of my best friends, enthuses Lizzie Schultz, a sociology and anthropology
major with a minor in English writing. “Oesterle Library is undoubtedly the greatest thing about North
Central College. Working at the library helped reinforce the importance of time management, and
equipped me with skills that will give me an edge in this tumultuous job hunt.” After graduation, Lizzie
is moving to San Francisco, where, “I am hoping that my struggling artist life will be a little less struggle
and a lot more art.” She hopes ultimately to work in not-for-profit domestic abuse prevention. Her advice
to others? “College is lovely and fleeting, don’t rush it. Also, move to California.”
Multimedia Design Student Assistant Corinne Spagnola has enjoyed working on the library’s website “because it helps
me hone my web design and graphics skills. It is fantastic practice for future work. I intend to work in the
web design field post graduation and I really love helping to make the library’s website more interesting
and user friendly.” With a BA in interactive media studies and a minor in English writing, she feels lucky
to be graduating qualified to work in graphic and web design, video production, or writing. “While
working on the website I have gained huge amounts of experience with Drupal, PHP, CSS, and HTML
that have already proved useful in preparing me for (and possibly allowing me to get) my current
internship working at Molex in Lisle as their Corporate Communications Intern.” Corinne will also take
with her fond memories of “the numerous times Aimee [Walker, Coordinator of User Experience] and I
have had hilarious and fun conversations while working. I can’t say I’ve ever had another boss who was that fun to be
around.”
Becky Wagoner believes that “Working at the Library has been one of the best experiences of my life. I’ve meet so many
of my friends working at Oesterle, and the worst part about graduating is having to leave them and the
Library behind.” Becky hopes to use her BA in sociology with a community studies emphasis and a
minor in social change and public advocacy “to get a job in some sort of social work. I’d like to
eventually go back to school to get my masters and my doctorate to become a professor of Sociology. My
goal in life is to make an effect on my community. I want to make a difference in someone’s life for the
better. I’m hoping that social work will lead me on my way to doing that.”
After working a year as a student assistant, Becky was promoted to Student Coordinator. “Working at the
Library has made researching for any class so much easier. Being Student Coordinator has also given me
the benefit of learning to work with difficult patrons. I feel that both these skills not only help with my current jobs and
classes, but will also help in my future careers.”
Over the course of three years as a student assistant, Shalyn Wiseman has cross-trained in just about every library job
open to students, including transcribing oral histories for the College Archives. “Each one was interesting
to me and I enjoyed working in each equally because of my interest in library science! I’m going to
attend graduate school for a masters in library science and I’m applying for a library internship at the
Brookfield Zoo. I will hopefully find a library job soon after graduation as well.” Shalyn will graduate
with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a goal “to obtain a job that I enjoy working at (hopefully a
library director position) and traveling.” She reflects, “Working at the library is the best job I’ve had and
I’m so happy that I was able to work here. I’ve met some of the greatest people, made some best friends,
and I’m proud to call the library my second home.”
Of his four years working in a variety of student jobs, Ryan Wolf says, “I will always value my time at Oesterle Library.
An on-campus job is hard to come by, and being able to keep one for four years is an even rarer
occurrence. I’m grateful for the opportunity and security Oesterle has provided; I couldn’t have asked for
a friendlier group of people to work with.” After he graduates with an English writing major and
interactive media studies minor, Ryan states, “My first goal is to get a job. After that a place to live, and
then to do what I can to stand out from the crowd. To become a successful author is my dream; to be a
published author is my goal. I’d also like to become a comic strip author, but those are dying too quickly
to realize that goal.” Asked what he gained from working in the Library, Ryan replied, “I mainly gained
an understanding of how libraries run. I got to see the end of a book’s life cycle, processed book orders,
made sure shifts were covered, and oversaw closing the library on certain days. Though these might not
be directly marketable skills, they instill a sense of responsibility and value in the worker.”
SECOND ANNUAL SNOW BOWL
The second annual Snow Bowl to benefit the Dr. Lora L. Tyson Curriculum Center was held Friday, February 3 at
Brunswick Zone XL in Naperville. The over $5400 raised will go directly toward the purchase of materials and resources
for the Tyson Center. A raffle was a very popular new addition
to the Snow Bowl this year. The most hotly contested silent
auction item was "Downtown Bowl," which included four
Chicago Walking Tour Passes from the Chicago Architecture
Foundation and a framed Frank Lloyd Wright poster, "Imperial
Tokyo Japan," which was donated by Room and Board
Sixteen juvenile literature books were donated to the
Tyson Center by attendees.
In addition to raising money to benefit the Tyson Center,
the Snow Bowl has become a popular opportunity for
current and former education students to reconnect with
each other and with their professors.
President Wilde and Chippy congratulate committee
members Belinda Cheek, Maureen Kincaid, Sheryl
Finkle, Ruth Anerino, and Kelli Diaz.
LINCOLN IN THE LIBRARY
For many years a bronze bust of Abraham Lincoln has graced the entrance to Oesterle Library.
In preparation for a special College sesquicentennial show in the Schoenherr Gallery at the
Fine Arts Center which included the bust, College Archivist Kimberly Butler did some research
into its history. Donated to the Library by Phillip and Elsie Sang, noted philanthropists and
collectors, the bust is a bronze replica of an original sculpture created by Gutzon Burglum, who
is best known for his role in creating the memorial at Mount Rushmore. Burglum carved
Lincoln’s head out of a solid piece of white marble in 1908. The sculpture was first on display
in Theodore Roosevelt’s White House and later in the U.S. Capitol rotunda. In the early 20th
Century, several bronze casts were made of the marble bust. In addition to Oesterle Library’s
Abe, similar casts are housed at the Chicago History Museum and Lincoln’s Tomb in
Springfield.
LIBRARY SERVICES STAFF NEWS
Helen Valantinas has joined the Oesterle Library staff as a part-time Reference Services Librarian,
replacing Lisette Odegaard, who has taken a position in private industry. Helen earned both her
bachelor's degree in economics and her master's degree in library and information studies at Northern
Illinois University (NIU). She retired from Fountaindale Public Library District in Bolingbrook in 2007
and has also worked at Founders Memorial Library at NIU, the University of St. Francis in Joliet, and
DeVry University in Addison.
“I became a librarian because I love connecting people with ideas,” Helen states. “ It's an exciting
time to work in libraries as we integrate new information technologies with traditional resources.
Oesterle Library is a vibrant center of learning on the North Central College campus, and I look forward to being of
service to the NCC community.”
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA by Tom Gill
One of the most common problems Instructional Media (IM) and Information Technology Services
(ITS) encounter are disconnected equipment cables in classrooms. Some laptop computer users, or
adventurous individuals, unplug the cables running from the computer to the assortment of devices that
control data projection. More often than not, this leads to problems for that person, and the next
user. The cables are then plugged into the wrong ports, or simply left unplugged, leaving the equipment
disconnected from the data projector, and a "No Input" message on the screen.
To help alleviate this problem, IM has replaced most cables connecting the classroom equipment to the
data projection systems. The new cables require a tool to unplug them from the computer, monitor,
distribution amplifier and switcher. It is impossible to unscrew the cables by hand, therefore, the cables will always
remain connected to the proper devices.
Presenters may connect a laptop computer to any classroom data projector by locating the loose HD15 cable (labeled
"laptop") on the equipment cart. A device recognizes the laptop signal and automatically displays the laptop image on the
data projector. Unplugging the cable from the laptop automatically switches back to the desktop computer display.
Users of the projection equipment in Koten Chapel will be pleased to discover the addition of two data projector control
panels. These panels operate the two data projectors mounted high on the walls of the chapel, and take the place of the
remote control. One panel is located at the front of the room, allowing control of the projectors for people using a laptop
computer at the lectern. The other panel is located by the audio board, and gives the technician complete control of the
projectors from the back of the room.
If you have questions about any campus audiovisual equipment, please contact me at x5723.
ARCHIVES EXHIBIT: REV. GEORGE ST. ANGELO ’43: COLLEGE CHAPLAIN, 1955-1966
Former College chaplain, Rev. George St. Angelo passed away March 4, 2012. As the first chaplain at the College (prior
to that time, the role had been performed ad-hoc by faculty), St. Angelo introduced a decade of
North Central College students to his ideas of social justice and service. The chapel
convocation series, which students were required to attend, brought in very important speakers
to campus, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Henry Kissinger, and James Farmer, thus
opening students’ minds to issues of the larger world. St. Angelo supported mission service
trips, both into the city of Chicago and as far afield as Selma, Alabama in 1965, and initiated an
exchange program with two Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Spelman and Morris Brown, both in Atlanta. In
addition to his service as chaplain, St. Angelo was also an alumnus of the College in the Class of 1943. After service in
World War II, St. Angelo returned to Naperville and attended the Evangelical Theological Seminary, becoming an
ordained minister in the Evangelical United Brethren Church. He was not the first of his family to attend North Central –
both of his parents and both of his younger brothers, as well as his wife (Betty Gibson ’48 St. Angelo) are alumni. In
2006, the College named the ministry and services offices in Kiekhofer Hall in honor of Rev. St. Angelo’s continued
involvement and impact at the College. The Archives exhibit will feature photographs, sermons, newspapers, and flyers
from Rev. St. Angelo’s time here as College chaplain.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SERVICE by Kim Butler
Service trips at North Central College began in January 1966 when College chaplain Rev. George St.
Angelo ‘43 inspired six students and sent them to an Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) mission trip
in the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico. The six students, Lynn Pries, Stewart Allen, Larry Adkison,
Dianne Brause, Roger Holdeman, and Judy Brown, traveled for 24 hours straight to get to New
Mexico, where they worked and learned about the mission for 3 ½ weeks. EUB mission fields included
the Appalachian mountains in Kentucky, where the work included a high school and a hospital. One
year, NCC students spent the service trip digging ditches to connect waterlines of a house under
construction to the community well. Chaplain Barbara Isaacs continued the tradition that started with
George St. Angelo. Traveling with NCC students to the Appalachians in December 1989, she realized
“You get a sense of yourself and your ability to respond to the social justice theme of the gospel.”
On March 7, 1965, nonviolent civil rights
activists marched from Selma to Montgomery.
As they crossed the arched Edmund Pettus
Bridge at the edge of Selma, they encountered
an army of Alabama state troopers who
attacked the marchers with tear gas, nightsticks, and bullwhips. This day has since been
known as “Bloody Sunday.” Television coverage brought these images into the living rooms of America and prodded
many to action in ways they had not previously contemplated. James Farmer, founder of the Congress on Racial Equality,
was a scheduled speaker in the spring chapel-convocation series on civil rights. During his speech on March 18, 1965, he
told students that to be a spectator was no longer an option; “one can’t be neutral today…if you are a bystander, you are
not innocent…the greatest crime of all is the crime of silence.” In response to this message, a group of students and
faculty organized a bus trip to Selma, Alabama to participate in the first day of the successful march to Montgomery to
support voters’ registration rights. No person who attended the march was left unaffected. One adult chaperone on the trip,
Kitty Agne ‘60 Dutenhaver, remembers the emotions of hearing Dr. King address the marchers and the feeling of stepping
across the Pettus bridge.
In 1960, St. Angelo organized an exchange program with Spelman
College, an historically black women’s college in Atlanta, Georgia.
The purpose of the exchange program was to “ acquaint students
with the problems involved in the racial situation of our country, and
through inter-cultural living their lives would be enriched and their
appreciations deepened.” The exchange program broadened to
include men through a program with Morris Brown College, also in
Atlanta. Through the exchanges, equal numbers of students would be
sent from North Central to the Atlanta school and vice versa for a
semester. All reports by the students reflect an incredibly eyeopening and educational experience. The last mention of the program
was a call for interested students to apply in November 1968 and the
two exchange students attending North Central in the spring of 1968
were likely the last participants of the program.
(Selma March summary contributed by Sean Hankin, Class of 2010)
EX LIBRIS: From the Library is published Fall, Winter and Spring Terms.
Also available online at the Library's Web site:
http://Library.noctrl.edu/about_the_Library/ex_libris.shtml
Editor: Rosemary Henders; Graphics: Tom Gill and Aimee Walker
Oesterle Library/ North Central College, 320 E. School St., Naperville, IL
60540 Telephone: (630) 637-5700