Women's Archives Development Council Established

BY JUDY SCHUMAKER

The Women’s Archives Development Council came to campus during Women’s History Month for its inaugural meeting on March 4. Co-chaired by alumnae Susan Bulkeley Butler and Tamara E. Morse, the council consists of alumnae whose purpose is to advocate for the women’s archives and strengthen the financial base of support for the archives. 

The council is comprised of at least eight alumnae and friends who share a passion for the University and have a special interest in preserving the history of its women graduates and faculty, as well as their contributions to the University, their communities, businesses, professions and to society at large. Members are appointed by the dean of Libraries for terms of three years and may be invited to serve an additional three-year-term. They will attend one meeting per year on campus.

The Susan Bulkeley Butler Women’s Archives was established in 2006 to preserve and share with the world the accomplishments of the women who helped shape Purdue and Indiana history. The Women’s Archives is an important and authoritative resource for information about the roles of women in Purdue and Indiana history. 

The mission of the Susan Bulkeley Butler Women's Archives is to collect, preserve, and make available primary source materials on women’s history at Purdue and in Indiana in order to recognize the contributions of Purdue and Indiana women to society. As part of this mission, the Women’s Archives documents and shares with the world the rich legacy of the lives and accomplishments of these women.

In the photo are charter members: (l. to r.) Jim Mullins, Betty Nelson, Judy Schumaker, Beth McNeil, Barbara Edmondson, Tamara Morse, Vanessa Castagna, Judy Herd, Susan Erler, Susan Bulkeley Butler, Stephanie Schmitz and Sammie Morris. (Not in the photo are members Priscilla Gerde and Carol Murrel.)

Opening Reception for Earhart Exhibit

The Libraries hosted a reception for "Amelia Earhart: the Aviator, the Advocate, and the Icon," an exhibit in the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Center. The exhibit features items from the George Putnam Collection of Amelia Earhart Papers, part of the the Susan Bulkeley Butler Women's Archives. The reception was the opening event for "Purdue's Women's History Month: Telling our Story." The exhibit will be on display through May 28, 2010.

Sarah Studzinski, a senior in the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue, wrote an article on the exhibit and reception for her journalism writing class.

Purdue Libraries to Host Information Literacy-themed Workshops in May 2010

Purdue Libraries will host a series of information literacy programs in May in coordination with the USAIN conference (May 9-12) and the National Forum on Information Literacy.

On May 13, Dr. Ross Todd, associate professor in the School of Communication, Information, & Library Studies at Rutgers University, and Director of the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries (CISSL), will present the workshop “New Foundations: Building an Inquiry-based Information Literacy Agenda.” This workshop is being coordinated by the Libraries Seminar Committee with Sharon Weiner and is designed for librarians in higher education with a basic knowledge of information literacy who want to expand their skills and understanding of pedagogy. Sharon Weiner is the W. Wayne Booker Endowed Chair for Information Literacy.

From May 13-14, the National Forum on Information Literacy (NFIL) will hold their spring meeting at Purdue’s campus. The meeting is open to all who are interested in information literacy efforts. Please extend an invitation to faculty, staff, and librarians you know to attend. Dr. Sharon Weiner is the Vice President of the NFIL. Presentations during the NFIL’s spring meeting will cover agriculture and health literacy, and lifelong learning.

Early bird registration rates are available for both events through March 31. Limited free registrations for the workshop will be provided to Libraries faculty and staff engaged in information literacy delivery. Further information regarding complimentary registration is forthcoming.

Registration for both events is available at www.conf.purdue.edu/infolit. A PDF flyer with more information on the presentations is available at www.lib.purdue.edu/info/InfoLitWorkshops.pdf.

2020 Seed Grant Awarded for Advancement of Information Literacy

Michael Fosmire, Monica Cardella and Senay Purzer, Engineering Education (ENE), received an 'Engineer of 2020 Seed Grant' from the College of Engineering, for their proposal:  "Developing Curious and Persistent Continuous Learners: Articulating and Assessing the Role of Information Skills in the First-Year Engineering Curriculum." The grant amount is for $39,149.

“It is understood that, in addition to disciplinary knowledge, students need to 'learn how to learn' in order to remain competitive and current in the rapidly changing technology marketplace, and information literacy competencies play a large role in this process,” says Michael Fosmire, Head, PSET Division.

The results of this research project will help articulate which information literacy competencies are most important for engineering students to develop, assess which skills first-year students possess, and investigate how to increase those skills in their first-year experience at Purdue.

"Harry Potter" Exhibit in the Undergraduate Library

The exhibit "Harry Potter's World: Renaissance Science, Magic and Medicine" tells the story of “Harry Potter” and its connections to Renaissance traditions and the history of science, and is on display in the John W. Hicks Undergraduate Library through April 8.

A grand opening celebration is scheduled for Saturday, March 27, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. in UnderGrounds. It is free and open to the public and will include family-friendly activities.

Purdue is one of 12 libraries in the nation selected to participate in the traveling exhibition tour coordinated by the American Library Association.

“The Harry Potter book and movie series have captivated adults and children all over the world, and we’re delighted to be able to bring the exhibit to Purdue,” said Dawn Stahura, the exhibit’s on-site coordinator. “We’re excited because we’re partnering with organizations in Greater Lafayette on activities that will take this beyond the physical exhibit.”

The West Lafayette Public Library, Tippecanoe County Arts Federation and Columbian Park Zoo in Lafayette all will host related programs. A complete listing of the events is available at http://www.lib.purdue.edu/info/harrypotter.

The National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., organized the exhibition. The tour is coordinated by the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office in Chicago. More information about the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health is available online at http://www.nlm.nih.gov.

Pictured above are students in Forensic Science from Beacon Academy in West Lafayette.

Thank You from Tom Haworth

Dear Folks,

Many thanks to all the Libraries faculty and staff for my retirement reception, gifts, cards, and well wishes! I will truly miss working with all of you. As I said, you are working in the best place on campus and I wish all of you will have as many pleasant memories as I have been fortunate to enjoy over the last 30 plus years! You’re all a great group of people.

Sincerely,
Tom Haworth

Tom proudly displays his engraved spatula presented to him from LCSSAC for all his grilling expertise at the Annual Staff Fall Picnics.

Business Office Updates Intranet Site

The Business Office has recently updated their Intranet pages. Please use it as a resource to get the most updated forms such as 17, 25 and 33. Also on the page is information about payroll, travel, purchasing and OnePurdue.Our contact information as well as specific job duties are included at the bottom of the page. Contact the Business Office at librbuso@purdue.edu if you have any questions.

Let’s talk about (looks left and right and whispers)—toilet paper.

Short version: Over 90% of toilet paper is made from virgin trees *; less than 2% is made from 100% recycled paper and of the recycled paper, not all contain large amounts of post-consumer recycled paper or use earth-friendly processing.

For the longer version, check this recent article: http://earth911.com/news/2009/11/09/the-411-on-toilet-paper/. In the article, Lori Brown gives links to two product guides. The ratings will no doubt be changing over the next few years as Kimberly-Clark implements its new policy announced August 2009: http://www.kleercut.net/en/ .  

Greenpeace provided this undated link:  http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/forests/tissue-guide. In addition to the guide—available to download to mobile devices or print—the page includes the criteria: 100% recycled, 50% or more post-consumer, and bleached without toxic chlorine products. It also includes a brief discussion of method. Whereas Greenpeace assumed when a company did not respond, Grinning Planet (2005) simply recorded question marks (scroll to the bottom) http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/05-03/clear-cut-old-growth-forests-article.htm. Note that between 2005 and the Greenpeace guide Green Forest brand increased its percentage of post-consumer recycled paper from 40% minimum to 90%.

This article from the Guardian is a year old, but it is still a good read. It clarifies the difference between virgin forest and virgin wood at the end: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/feb/26/toilet-roll-america .

* "Virgin trees," "virgin wood," and“virgin forest" are not the same. See the correction at the end of the Guardian article.

Libraries Staff A-Z

CONNIE FARRIS
Auxiliary Services
Shipping & Receiving Clerk

Q.  What do you enjoy most about your job and why?
A.  Being able to move around and do different jobs and meet and talk to people.

Q.  How long have you worked in the Libraries and at Purdue?
A.  28 years – all in the library – crazy, I know!

Q.  What is one unforgettable experience that has happened to you or your coworkers while working in the library?
A.  There are way too many. When I tripped backwards over boxes while talking to Connie Richards, or the time I had a broken foot and Connie Richards had to push me up inside our truck, or the time we sent Connie Richards up in the lift and Maxine and Sue opened the door and there was Connie and it scared the crap out of them. Lots to choose from!

Q.  What’s your favorite book, Web site, movie, or database?
A.  Dirty Dancing.

Q.  Coffee, tea, water, or soft drink?
A.  Diet Coke

Q.  What do you like to do for fun?
A.  Fishing, camping, hanging out with my kids and grand kids, and having girl’s slumber parties.

Q.  Feel free to include any information about yourself that you would like to share with the staff?  
A.  My dream job would be a full-time comedian.Working here in the libraries, you can get quite a bit of funny material. I perform for birthday parties and other events as Hortense (think Mimi from the Drew Carry Show), Cinnamon (a special stripper girl), and Ebenezer Clod Hopper. Contact me if you’d like more information.

HSSEB Staff Participates in Wellness Program

Recently the HSSEB division invited Branna Smith, WorkLife Specialist, to present the topic, "Stress and the Communication Gap." The topic emphasized good communication is critical for “working well” in reducing an individual’s stress. The presentation focused on identifying key characteristics of all four generations in the workplace and how the differences may currently affect relationships in the workplace. The staff discovered the key is to take to into consideration that differences can and should enhance the productivity, and that stress can be significantly reduced through better understanding.

Staff Awards' Deadline Date

Please note that the deadline for Staff Awards nominations is Friday, March 12, 2010.

• Joseph M. Dagnese Award: clerical, service, and administrative professionals
• John H. Moriarty Award:  faculty
• Dean’s Awards: all Libraries staff

Please contact Michelle Conwell with questions and copies of the application forms.