Roland G. Parrish Library of Management and Economics to reopen

BY TOMALEE DOAN

PILLAR: Learning

Roland G. Parrish Library of Management and Economics is beginning to look like a library space again — this time with a look and usability appropriate for today’s students. Some of the features included in Phase 3 of the renovated management and economics library are booth seating; a café offering coffee, other beverages and snacks; couch seating; quick access email stations; three flat panels for business news and BoilerCast and a mini-classroom/conference room that accommodates twenty-four. The furniture for the new space has a contemporary feel; the design selection was based in part on the results of students voting on a selection of chairs and soft seating that were displayed in MEL. Stools and other tables have a variety of heights and each learning space has a unique color scheme and look. Also, Phase 2 cubicle areas are being redesigned to create a more open, collaborative-friendly space and are expected to be ready for opening.

Here are some dates that you may find useful to know:

• December 16: second and third floor faculty offices to be completed; be sure to check these out — definitely not your traditional cubicle
• Week of December 19: furniture expected to arrive — worth a trip just to see these unique, modern pieces
• First week of January: MEL materials, currently  housed in Hicks Undergraduate Library, moved to new space
• January 9 (first day of classes): — reopening; extended hours planned for the Parrish Library are 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday through Thursday
• January 27: Faculty/Staff Open House, 9-10:30 a.m.

Pictured is the new staff workroom area which will incorporate the latest trend in office workspace.

PILLAR: Infrastructure

Libraries continues to work with the Office of Marketing and Media to refresh the look and feel of Libraries materials to coordinate with the 2011-2016 strategic plan, as well as the current University-wide brand. The first piece published that reflects this new design is an update of the annual publication sent each fall semester. No longer will this piece be written as a newsletter, but as a piece that reflects the work we do to move our strategic plan forward.

The new annual publication, “VOLUMe,” is to be mailed out within the week, to peers, donors and campus administration. Click here to preview the piece before its delivery.

In January, the Advancement Office will begin to rollout brand guidelines to faculty and staff. If you have any questions or feedback on Libraries materials or publications, please contact Kate Kester at kkester@purdue.edu or 49-69610.

PILLAR: Learning

Forty-one librarians from Purdue and schools in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan attended the Purdue Libraries symposium on information literacy research in November. The presenter was Dr. Paulette Kerr, head of the Library and Information Studies Department at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica. Kerr received her PhD from Rutgers University in 2010 under the direction of Dr. Ross Todd. Todd was the presenter at the May 2010 Information Literacy Symposium.

Kerr discussed her study that compared what libraries espouse, or say they do, with what they actually do. To investigate this, she studied official documents of libraries and universities, such as mission statements, strategic plans, goals, learning outcomes, and definitions of information literacy. She compared these with library teaching tools (tutorials, resource guides, workshops, etc.) that were on the libraries’ websites. During the afternoon workshop, attendees examined their own official documents to consider how they aligned with their teaching resources.

This workshop provided great opportunities for networking with others who have an interest in information literacy research and practice. It also examined specific theories and research methods. It raised the participants’ awareness of the need to be consistent in what they espouse and what they actually do.

The slides from Kerr’s morning presentation are available on the Libraries’ “S” drive in the “Information Literacy” folder. Her dissertation, “Conceptions and Practice of Information Literacy in Academic Libraries: Espoused Theories and Theories-In-Use,” is available by clicking here.

New staff

William Ferrall
Library Assistant
Life Sciences Library

I started work at the Purdue Life Science Library in August of this year as the Information Services Assistant. I am a 2010 graduate of Otterbein College (now University) in Westerville, Ohio, where I earned my bachelor’s degrees in political science and international studies. I became interested in library work while employed at Otterbein’s Courtright Memorial Library, where I assisted in web design, circulation and reference duties.

When not at work, I enjoy playing drum-set, appreciating music, going on walks and reading/collecting books. I am also very interested in genocide, the United Nations, and world political affairs in general, and enjoy reading about these subjects, as well as trying to write satire about them. I am very recently married, so I am also adjusting to the new responsibilities and opportunities of married life. My wife is working towards a Master’s degree in English literature here at Purdue.

I am looking forward to working at Purdue, and appreciating the atmosphere of an active Big Ten school. My office is located in LILY 2400. I can be contacted at 49-42913 or wferrall@purdue.edu.

Carla Greene
Human Resources Assistant
Libraries Human Resource Office

I joined Purdue Libraries as a temporary employee in March of this year to help Julie Hillgrove with the mass amount of faculty searches that were taken place. On November 11 (11/11/11 for those of you who enjoy numbers) I became an official employee working in the Human Resources Department.

This is not my first job working in a library setting. After college, I worked as an assistant archivist for the Bryan-Lang Historical Library (now called the Bryan-Lang Historical Archives) in Southeast Georgia. While that job fed my love for history, I soon discovered that I was much more people oriented. Working here in the Human Resources office allows me to interact with and help a variety of people from student and staff to guests and potential employees in a way that makes every day a fun and interesting challenge.

I still get my history fix by collecting historical books and traveling around the country with my fiancé Jake to various cities of historical importance. In October, we went to Charleston South Carolina where we were able to visit Fort Sumter and a variety of other interesting sites.

We live in Lafayette and have been in Indiana for about a year (both of us having mainly lived in the South before this). We have two Dachshunds, Blue (a dapple) and Knightro (a black and tan), that I can talk your ear off about if given a chance.

I look forward to learning all that I can in the area of Human Resources and if I have not yet had the opportunity to help you, I look forward to doing so in the future.

My office is in STEW 265 and I can be reached at 49-42899 or green113@purdue.edu.

April Maybee
Account Clerk IV
Business Office

I am delighted to be working in the Libraries' Business Office. My part-time Account Clerk IV position allows me to make use of my many years of office administration experience, while letting me indulge my longstanding love of libraries.

I moved here from Central New York where I worked at Colgate University in the Special Events Department of the Advancement Office. My husband Clarence and I are really enjoying living in Indiana. For me, it is a welcome return to my mid-western roots! (I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota). I have a BA in Painting from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. In fact, that is where Clarence and I met while working in the college library.

I like parties and pretty things, and thus it follows that I am absolutely obsessed with historical costuming and reenactment events. However, I can and will turn my hand to pretty much any kind of creative activity. I am currently learning to make lace, working on a major appliquè project (a renaissance style tent) and contemplating making furniture. I like books and I read a lot, so I may frequently be spotted in the stacks in one of the libraries.

I am looking forward to getting to know everyone at the Purdue Libraries. In the mornings, you can find me in STEW 267. You can reach me at 49-66737 or by e-mail at amaybee@purdue.edu.

Robin Sipes
Secretary
Libraries Administration Office

I joined the Libraries Administration Office as secretary in late October, working part-time as clerical support staff for our four associate deans.

Although I am originally from Indiana, and for many years I called West Lafayette my home, the past six years I have lived and worked in and around Chicago. Go Cubs! I am so happy to be back in Boiler Country near my family and friends. I miss Chicago but for me, really, there’s no place like home.

I am a lover of all types of music, all kinds of books and all kinds of animals. I enjoy traveling, paper crafting, reading, watching documentaries and historical movies. In my spare time I can be found crafting, making jewelry or perhaps giving a beloved pet (canine only please) a new hair style. I groomed professionally for ten years. I have a six year old Persian cat named Max. He is furry, full of energy and loves catnip.

For the past eight years I have participated in the Indianapolis One America mini marathon. It is the largest half marathon in the nation. 35,000 people running and not one of them being chased!

It is a pleasure to be back in West Lafayette and to be working in the Libraries with so many warm and welcoming people.

My office is located in the Libraries Administration Office, STEW 271A. You may reach me at 49-42900 or at rsipes@purdue.edu.

Tao Zhang
Digital User Experience Specialist
Digital Programs and Information Access

I started as the Digital User Experience Specialist on October 15. I am very excited to join Purdue Libraries and work on user experience projects aimed at improving the library’s web presence, including web sites and web-facing services and collections. I will collaborate with library faculty and staff to develop information architecture and user interface for effective navigation and user interaction. I will also conduct research on user behavior and information organization and translate the results into future interface design guidelines.

I was born in a small town in eastern Sichuan province in China. I moved to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, after completing my elementary education. I received my B. S. and M. S. degrees in Industrial Engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. In fall 2006, I came to the United States and began my doctoral study in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina State University. At NCSU I was involved in two research projects focusing on human locomotion interfaces to virtual environments and human-robot interaction in health care operations. My dissertation was about applying measures of situation awareness to characterize mental models in inductive reasoning tasks. After graduating from NCSU in August 2009, I worked as a postdoctoral Research Associate in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at Vanderbilt University. My work at Vanderbilt was focused on interface design and user performance evaluation for human-robot interaction in emergency response scenarios.

Somewhat related to my interest in user experience, I am enthusiastic of all kinds of electronic gadgets. I am a daily reader of Engadget.com and “Ask the Pilot” on Salon.com. Outside work, I enjoy spending time with friends, reading, watching TV shows and movies and running on a treadmill. I also love traveling and landscape photography. I was a loyal fan of the Houston Rockets when Yao Ming played there.

My current office is in HIKS G935. You can reach me at 49-63869 or zhan1022@purdue.edu.

Celebrating our staff

The Libraries is recognizing these staff members for their many years of dedicated service to Purdue and the Libraries at the Annual Faculty & Staff Recognition on December 13, at 2:30 p.m. in STEW 279.

35 years
Gretchen Stephans

30 years
Diana Grove
Wendy Kelly

25 years
Emily Branson
James Derringer
Donna Ferrel
Pat Kantner
Sharon Sturgeon

20 years
Melinda Croker
Angie Ewing
Marilyn Rogers
Vicki Killion

15 years
Marjorie Boeckman
Mary Dugan
Robert Freeman
Stephan Miller
Rachel Moore
Laurie Sadler
Patricia Walkup

10 years
Sandy Galloway
Dawn Stahura
Victoria Thomas
Dale White
Jane Yatcilla
Cindy Yeoman

Graduating student staff honored

These graduating students were recognized by Dean Mullins for their dedicated service to the Purdue Libraries

Reedi Garrett, Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences
Shanna Rayburn, Veterinary Medical
Lacey Homes, Digital Initiatives
Derek Young, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Abdul Hakim Ab Rahim, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Chathrinie Silva, Hicks Undergraduate
Trevor Bolton, Engineering
Samuel Belteton, Humanities, Social Sciences and Education
Siddharth Kumar Singh, Research/D2C2
Sean Matti, Life Sciences (deceased)
JiHye Ann, Humanities, Social Sciences and Education

Each student and their immediate supervisor was invited to a luncheon with the Dean where they were presented with a Purdue mug, a letter of appreciation and a copy of the book plate that will be permanently placed in a Purdue Libraries book.