Libraries Role Supports Emerging
Bio-Med Technologies

BY GRANT FLORA

Mann HallPurdue Libraries played an instrumental research-partnership role in gathering information that led to securing $375,000 from the Alfred Mann Institute for Biomedical Development at Purdue (AMIPurdue).

The Libraries-Mann Institute relationship began last summer when Tomalee Doan (MEL and UGRL) and Vicki Killion (LIFE and PNHS) met with the Institute’s managing director Steve Mogensen. He needed information on the current and emerging markets for specific biomedical products now being developed by Purdue scientists.

Vicki researched biomedical databases and statistical resources to provide preliminary data. With input from management librarian Hal Kirkwood, Tomalee suggested Vicki search specialized market research databases available through the Libraries. This research provided the market analysis necessary to determine the proposed products’ potential for success if funded.  

This collaborative partnership illustrates how important Libraries faculty and staff can be to scientists and researchers. One of the three pillars of the University’s New Synergies strategic plan is “Discovery with Delivery,” and partnering with interdisciplinary research initiatives is integral to the Libraries own strategic plan.

The four life-science development projects the Mann Institute selected for funding are:  

  • an electrochemically-oriented collagen matrix to improve regeneration or replacement of tendons;
  • tissue scaffolds to improve damaged ligament reattachment to bone;
  • early detection of breast cancer using a biosensor that provides results in 10-15 minutes; and,
  • synthetic proteoglycans (“filler” between cells) that improve natural wound-healing and blood clotting.

The Alfred Mann Institute for Biomedical Development at Purdue’s Discovery Park was established in 2007 through a $100 million endowment from the Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Biomedical Engineering to support the rapid commercialization of life science technologies created at Purdue. AMIPurdue works with Purdue's Office of Technology Commercialization, which is part of the Purdue Research Foundation.

 

Spring Distinguished Lecture Series Speaker Announced

Robert LaughlinNobel Prize-winning physicist Robert Laughlin will be the fifth speaker in the Purdue Libraries Distinguished Lecture Series on March 31, 2009. Laughlin is a professor of physics at Stanford University and author of two books -- The Crime of Reason: And the Closing of the Scientific Mind and A Different Universe: Reinventing Physics from the Bottom Down.

His talk will focus on The Crime of Reason, described in this excerpt from Library Journal: "With humorous honesty (it can be fun to think apocalyptically from time to time), Laughlin uncovers the barriers scientists, engineers, and laypeople encounter when they try to learn how the world works by standing on the shoulders of giaCrime of Reasonnts, the discoveries of others…  His argument is profound and not easy to dismiss."

Laughlin won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1998 along with Horst L. Störmer of Columbia University and Daniel C. Tsui of Princeton University, for describing how electrons behave when they are exposed to extreme cold and strong magnetic fields.

The lecture will be held on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 in Loeb Playhouse. The event will be free and open to the public. Look for more details in the spring!

 

Kirkwood & Professor Dejoie Present at National Competition

Hal KirkwoodThe 39th Annual Meeting of the Decision Sciences Institute was held in Baltimore, MD from Nov. 22-25, 2008.

Professors Roy Dejoie, School of Management and Hal Kirkwood, Purdue Libraries, were one of three finalists in the Instructional Innovation Award Competition. The competition seeks to recognize outstanding contributions that advance instructional approaches within the decision sciences. The focus of this award is on innovation in college- or university-level teaching. The finalists were required to present to the judging panel during the conference on Sunday, Nov. 23. 

Professors Dejoie and Kirkwood presented on Life Lessons Using Technology: Helping (Underrepresented Minority) Freshmen Get Ahead Before They Have Even Started. After deliberation, they were awarded second place in the competition.

 

Scholarship Awarded to Dawn Stahura

Dawn StahuraDawn Stahura, UGRL reference assistant, has been awarded the Esther Schlundt Memorial Scholarship at the Indiana Library Federation’s Annual Conference Award and Honors Banquet held in November.

The award is presented to an applicant enrolled in an ALA-accredited graduate degree program in library information science or to an applicant enrolled in an Indiana State Library-approved library certification program. The fund was established in the memory of a Lafayette woman.

Dawn is enrolled in graduate courses in Library and Information Sciences at IUPUI.  “Providing reference materials, diverse collections, internet access and more keeps our citizens informed, which strengthen our society and democracy as a whole. Being a librarian is one crucial cog in society’s information wheel,” says Dawn.

Mary Alice Bell, assistant professor in the School of Library and Information Sciences, Indiana University, says, “In all of my interactions with Dawn, I have been greatly impressed with her intellectual abilities, her interpersonal and communication skills, and her dedication to the profession. It is unusual to find library school students who think outside the box; Dawn is that type of creative thinker.”

Before joining the Libraries in August, Dawn worked for six years in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.  She is set to graduate with her master’s degree  in the fall of 2009.

 

Purdue & Community Libraries Receive ILF Award

Catherine RiehleThe Purdue University Libraries, along with the Tippecanoe County Public Library (TCPL) and the Ivy Tech Community College Library, received the Indiana Library Federation's 2008 Collaboration Award for a joint project. The award honors contributions in promoting library services in a community, region, or at the statewide level.

Catherine Fraser Riehle, Instructional Outreach Librarian, worked with Alexis Caudell at TCPL and Dennis Lawson at Ivy Tech to develop and implement a series of hands-on workshops for local homeschool teens and their parents. The program, entitled "Search it. Find it. Use it." covered core research and information literacy skills.

Participants got to experience three different sorts of libraries, as one session was held in each of the three partner libraries. Catherine developed and led the third session of the series, focusing on web site evaluation and avoiding plagiarism. “The partnership proved particularly valuable for homeschool learners, who don’t benefit from a school library or media center,” Catherine says. “These skills can be challenging to fit into homeschool curricula, but this program met some of these challenges while exposing homeschool families to valuable resources, such as Indiana’s INSPIRE portal.”

Catherine and her partner librarians are hoping to expand the program in the spring.

 

Emily Branson on Jeopardy!

Emily Branson and Alex TrebekAfter a seven year adventure of auditioning for one of television’s favorite game shows, Emily was selected to compete against other contestants from across the country on Jeopardy. She flew to California in November where she filmed her segment to be shown on TV on Tuesday, December 30.

How long have you been working at getting on the show?
My sister thought that I should try out and she told me that she would drive me to Chicago if I could get an audition there, so I held her to it—three times!

What about the show do you especially like?
I enjoy the thrill of getting a difficult question correct, especially when I have no idea how I know it. This happens with things like the periodic table; I never took a chemistry course in my life!

Did you get to meet Alex and what was that like?
I did not get to meet Alex Trebek until I was on stage. He is one of the few people with access to answers used in the show, and security is tight. I found him witty and kind and yes, ladies, he is even better-looking in person!

Where were your competitors from?
All over; we had people from a number of states, including Massachusetts, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. The contestant from Tennessee, a teacher, was amazed that I knew where her town was, but I once had a great-aunt who lived there and my mother lives not far away in Virginia.

What was the most interesting thing you experienced through the whole process?
I had such a good time that at this time; I cannot pick out the most interesting thing that happened to me. I will mention that I told my mother, shortly after coming home from surgery, that I thought “Jeopardy!” would call me while I was off recuperating.

What words of encouragement can you give to others who think they may want to audition for something like this?
Do it! Remember that your chances of succeeding may be slim, but I would have kicked myself if I had not kept trying

Would you do it again?
Absolutely! It was a dream come true. Now on to the next dream…

Join Emily in the main lounge at PMU on December 30, 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. for her television debut.

 

PULSE & Scholarships Announce Change

BY JUDY SCHUMAKER

The LAPSAC and LCSAC committees for the PULSE Award and Scholarships came together in November to discuss streamlining the annual promotion and selection processes. After much fruitful discussion, the committees decided to join efforts to form one committee. We worked on removing barriers to students, improving communication, and reducing the effort spent during the selection process, creating several enhancements to make the process easier for students and less time-consuming for staff.

Here are the improvements now being implemented:

  • One application form for both the McCaw/Viton Scholarships and the PULSE Award, instead of two separate forms.
  • Online accessibility of information and application from one web site off the Advancement homepage.
  • One online supervisor recommendation form for both; easy-to-fill-out form.
  • Consolidated guidelines on one page, making the Libraries’ total financial aid offerings easy to understand at a glance.
  • One central receiving point (electronic) of contact for all applications and evaluations.

Timeline
Announcement of Scholarships: January 7 and 21 INSIDE Newsletters
Applications: January 20 – February 15
Selection: March 13

Thanks to the committee, chaired by Elaine Bahler, for creating a new process for the scholarships and the PULSE. Members include Lori Bryant, Sandy Galloway, Rachel Moore, Rebecca Richardson, Ellen Risk, Laurie Sadler, Judy Schumaker, and Ann Swain. Watch Inside for more information.

 

New Faculty & Staff

Janese KlontzJANESE KLONTZ, UGRL

I recently joined the Hicks Undergraduate Library as the evening Circulation Supervisor. My primary responsibilities include supervising the students and their job tasks, troubleshooting copiers, printers and general building security.  

My family moved to Lafayette in 1995 when my husband accepted employment with Caterpillar. For the previous 10 years I worked in bank lending and supervision. I have been married to my husband David for 24 years, and we have three children. Maddison is a junior at Ball State University, Shane is a high school senior and Catherine is a high school junior.  In my free time I enjoy reading history, also researching foreign lands that I hope to explore someday.

My work space is located at the UGRL Circulation/Reserves desk and I can be reached at 49-48754 or jklontz@purdue.edu.

 

Ann O'DonnellANN O’DONNELL, UGRL/DLC

Hello everyone. It’s nice to be back at the Libraries. In June, I returned to the department after accepting a position as the DLC Billing Clerk. My duties include working at Circulation, Reference and Contemporary Literature desks, maintenance of the equipment in the DLC, and billing any overdue fees for late returns.

I started my career here at Purdue in 2002 at the Technical Information Service (TIS) after graduating from Saint Joseph’s College with a degree in English. After TIS, I moved to a position in Sponsored Program Services, where I worked as a Proposal Clerk in their Industrial/Foundations Group.

When I am not in here in the Libraries, I am usually in Monticello, my home for the last 20 years. I live there with my mother, Kathryn, and my cat, Sadie. I enjoy reading, writing, and working various different craft projects, which I hope to finish one day.

My office is loacted in the DLC, HIKS B853, and I can be reached at 49-61498 or atodonne@purdue.edu.

 

Green Tambourine

BY JANE KINKUS

I hope everybody had a very restful and recuperative Thanksgiving break.Jane Kinkus

This week Angie Ewing (MATH) recommends the web site Sustain Lane (http://www.sustainlane.com/), a “people powered sustainability guide.” The site is “people powered” because anybody can contribute a product review or recipe, or comment on articles or reviews written by others (hmm, sounds a bit like our own intranet!). There is a “go local” tab for limiting reviews and articles to regional business and events, but as yet there are only a handful of items for Indianapolis, and none for the Tippecanoe area. It would presumably only take a little time and effort for interested parties to put Lafayette/WL on the Sustain Lane map.

Many folks in the Libraries are gearing up for the Christmas holiday, which may lead some to ponder how to green-ify the Christmas tree. Slate magazine’s Green Lantern decides in favor of a real tree but with a few caveats (see http://www.slate.com/id/2180086/). And consider using strings of energy-saving LEDs and downsizing outdoor displays to lessen your holiday impact on the power grid.

Send your green tips for the office or home to Jane Kinkus at jkinkus@purdue.edu .

contents
  • Spring Distinguished Lecture Series
  • Kirkwood & Dejoie Place Second in Competition
  • Stahura Wins Scholarship
  • Outreach Librarian Earns Recognition for the Libraries
  • Emily Branson on Jeopardy
  • PULSE & Scholarships Update
  • New Faculty & Staff
  • Green Tambourine
  • Libraries in the News
  • Announcements
  • Libraries Staff A - Z
  • Student Staff
  • What's Cooking?

 

Off the shelf

Continuing Vacancies

  • ITRS
    Network Systems Administrator (University posting #0801442)
  • Archives and Special Collections Digital Collections Coordinator (University posting #0801592)
  • Archives & Special Collections
    Library Assistant IV (University posting #0801622)
  • University Copyright Office Secretary IV (part-time) (University posting #0801749)

Resignations

  • Mary Aagard, Access Services

To view all Purdue job postings visit the Purdue employment page. If you have additional questions, contact Tom Haworth, 494-2903.

 

Libraries in the news

Journal & Courier, Nov.  4, 2008
Local libraries earn state award
(3rd item listed)

UNS Press Release, Dec.  1, 2008
Purdue Libraries to extend hours as students prepare for semester finals

UNS Press Release, Dec. 3, 2008
Purdue Libraries switching to Library of Congress classification for new materials

Purdue Today appointments, honors and activities, Dec. 5, 2008
Purdue Libraries receive ILF Collaboration Award

 

Announcements

Annual Staff Recognition
Monday, December 15, 2008
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
STEW 279

Presentation of Certificates
2:15 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Tours of Archives & Special Collections
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

To sign up for a tour of the new 4th floor Archives and Special Collections please visit the intranet page for sign ups.

 

Libraries Staff a - Z

Elaine BahlerELAINE BAHLER
Reference Assistant
Hicks Undergraduate Library

Q.  What do you enjoy most about your job and why?
A.  The students – they make life interesting, and my co-workers – they’re great to work with.

Q.  How long have you worked in the Libraries and at Purdue?    
A. 13 years.

Q.  What is one unforgettable experience that has happened to you or your coworkers while working in the library?   
A.  I was the only full-time staff member working on a Sunday when a student had a seizure.  Trying to keep everyone else calm when I was in a panic was a challenge!

Q.  What’s your favorite book, Web site, movie, or database?  
A.  Google – it’s become a habit.

Q.  Have you been in all the Purdue Libraries?    
A.  Yes, including the ones that no longer exist (CFS, PSYC, Biochemistry).

Q.  Coffee, tea, water, or soft drink?  
A.  Soft drink.

Q.  What do you like to do for fun?    
A.  Read, shop, play the piano, hang out with family and friends.


 

Student Staff

Chassidy GlazeCHASSIDY “CHAZZ’ GLAZE
Junior
English Education & Creative Writing

Q.  What Library do you work in?
A.  Siegesmund Engineering

Q.  Where is your hometown?
A.  Greenville, Ohio

Q.  What do you like about the Purdue Libraries?
A.  In terms of working at the libraries, I like the friendships I have made in working with other students the most. But I also appreciate the flexibility in scheduling and support I receive from my supervisors.
As a patron, I like that there are different libraries for different subjects. I also like the different atmospheres of each. For example, Undergrad is friendlier for group studying, whereas the Engineering library is very quiet for those times when I really need to buckle down. Having so many libraries also allows for more flexible hours.

Q.  What’s your favorite book?
A.  If I have to pick just one, I would say The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie.

Q.  If you could add a class to Purdue’s curriculum, what would it be?
A.  Welding as an art form.

Q.  What’s the best birthday present you’ve received?
A.  For my 6th birthday, I got the pink Barbie corvette power wheels car; it made me feel like I was the coolest kid and the neighborhood (and I was…for about a day anyways).

Q.  Do you use Facebook or MySpace?
A.  I used to use both, but then I got rid of them.

Q.  Who would like to meet and have dinner with?
A.  Ellen DeGeneres. I watch her show every chance I get. She’s the closest thing to a hero that I have. She has earned fame and fortune, but continues to do good through it all. She constantly faces discrimination because of her sexual orientation, but she keeps her humor, and lives to make other people laugh.

Q.  What do you do for fun?
A.  My all time favorite thing to do is try something new. I’m very creative, so I like to do things like paint pottery on the levee. But I’m also athletic and active, so I go bowling a lot. When I just want to relax and be alone, I like to stay at home and read, write, or watch movies.

If you are interested in featuring one of your student assistants, please contact Teresa Brown at tmabrown@purdue.edu

 

What's Cooking?

Parmesan Popovers

Visit the Libraries Intranet site for directions on how to make this recipe posted by George Bergstrom.

 

Copy Deadline

Copy for the next issue is due by December 15, 2008.

Send to tmabrown@purdue.edu.