100 Years Young: The Libraries and Press Celebrate Purdue Extension

BY CHARLES WATKINSON

PILLAR: New Relationships

As the first small hints of spring appear, it’s an appropriate time to start the year’s celebration of 100 years of the College of Agriculture’s Extension service. Alongside the exhibition of “100 Years of Purdue Extension” on display in the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center, Mar. 3-May 31, Purdue University Press is publishing two books about some of the leading figures in Extension’s history. In March Divided Paths, Common Ground: The Story of Mary Matthews and Lella Gaddis: Pioneering Purdue Women Who Introduced Science into the Home, by Angie Klink will be published. This is followed by Just Call Me Orville: The Story of Orville Redenbacher, by the late Bob Topping, in July.

Angie Klink is a third generation Purdue alumna, best known up-until-now for her children’s book, Purdue Pete Finds His Hammer. Divided Paths, Common Ground is a much meatier book than Purdue Pete, but Klink retains the same light touch to produce a fascinating read that recreates the world of the twin cities and rural Indiana from the 1910s to the 1940s. She follows the intertwining lives of Lella Reed Gaddis, the first female Extension agent, and Mary Matthews, the first dean of the School of Home Economics, as they navigated their way through a male-dominated world and laid the foundations for women’s education at Purdue.

A simple biography full of names and dates could make for dry reading, but Klink writes in great color and detail. Read about the great Wabash flood of 1913, the establishment of the “Practice House” in 1919 (each Home Economics student spent 30 days there, learning the roles of hostess, housekeeper, assistant housekeeper, cook, assistant cook and waitress), the groundbreaking of the Purdue Memorial Union in 1922, the arrival of “Linco” the elephant at the Columbia Park Zoo in 1929 . . . these events come to life in the book’s pages.

Divided Paths, Common Ground was originally inspired by former Development Director Judy Schumaker’s conversations with Eva Goble, the retired dean of Home Economics who turned 100 years old last year. It was Eva who made the introductions to surviving members of the Mary Matthews Club and to Mimi Epple-Heath, Lella Gaddis' great niece. Klink was able to write much of her book from these interviews and archival research in the Libraries. However, it was the loan of a shoe box full of diaries sitting in Epple-Heath’s closet that allowed Klink to personally connect with the past. These contained brief day-to-day entries by Kate Gaddis, Lella Gaddis' sister. While often no longer than one line a day, these snippets are a social historian’s dream: Klink comments on local and international news, records her expenditures and describes the guests at their frequent dinners. They intersperse each chapter of the book, providing as much “illustration” as the photographs that the Archives staff provided.

Divided Paths, Common Ground will be formally published later in the spring, so look for it in bookshops. However, an advance reading copy is available free online on Purdue e-Pubs
(http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/purduepress_ebooks/21/) and there will be some opportunities to hear Angie talk about her work during the next few months. All of us at the Press hope you enjoy the book.

Student Awards and Scholarships Available for Libraries Student Staff

PILLAR: Infrastructure

It is time to encourage your student staff members to apply for the Purdue University Libraries' Student Awards, the Dorothy Newby McCaw Scholarship and the Dr. Albert Viton Scholarship. Michelle Conwell sent a liball message last week with the information for the online application process. A flyer was included for you to print and post in your area. Please share the information and encourage your students to apply for the appropriate award and/or scholarship.

This year there are six awards/scholarships available. The application deadline is March 11, 2011.

The PULSE Award
This award was created by the Purdue Libraries Circulation/Reserve Team in 2004. Initial funding was initiated through garage sales, a craft/bake sale and individual donations. In the first year, $1,445.80 was raised from 40 donors. Contributions continued to be added throughout the year with the goal of reaching the $20,000 amount necessary to endow the award. In 2004, Libraries Dean, Jim Mullins, led a fundraising challenge and agreed to match pledges from the Dean’s Fund dollar for dollar. In 2005, endowment efforts were achieved with the efforts and contributions of Purdue graduates Mike and Judy Humnicky of California, who both spent their time at Purdue (1966-70) employed by the Libraries. The first two awards were presented in May 2004. This year two $1000 awards are available.

The Marie Jepson Scian Memorial PULSE Award
In 2010, Lucy Scian-Allen, retired Libraries employee, committed to fund a total of six individual student awards over the next three years in memory of her foster mother, Marie Jepson Scian. Allen worked in the Hicks Undergraduate Library for 15 years as the night coordinator and student supervisor. She loved her job and most of all working with the student staff. As a thank you to the many students she worked with and to honor her foster mother’s 44-year dedication to teaching, she established the Marie Jepson Scian PULSE Award. There are two awards of $1000 available this year.

The Dorothy Newby McCaw Scholarship
In 2004, Dorothy Newby McCaw found a meaningful way to honor her friend: she endowed the Dorothy Newby McCaw Scholarship for Libraries Student Workers in honor of Emily R. Mobley, former Libraries Dean. McCaw established the scholarship in honor of Dean Mobley’s retirement as a way to recognize her many accomplishments during the 12 years of her deanship. The scholarship fulfilled one of Mobley’s goals as Dean — to recognize top student workers in the Libraries. The first scholarship was awarded in 2007. This year, a $2500 scholarship is available.

The Dr. Albert Viton Scholarship
In 2006, Dr. Albert Viton, author and retired economist, endowed a scholarship to be awarded annually to a student employee from the Purdue University Press or the Libraries. His desire is that this scholarship will make a significant impact on students’ lives and education while at Purdue Viton became associated with the Press with the publication of his book, The International Sugar Agreements: Promise and Reality, in 2004. The first scholarship was awarded in 2007. This year, a $2500 scholarship is available.

Important Information

• All student staff members should receive e-mail notification of this opportunity but please make sure that they are aware of these awards and scholarships and of the Mar. 11 deadline.
• Supervisors be aware of your part of the application process and the deadline. Students will not be considered without your portion of the application process.

Selection committee members include: Brenda Meagher, Chair; Shauna Borger, Marianne Bracke, Becki Corbin, Linda Foster, Amanda Gill, Cheryl Oliver, Marilyn Rogers and Donna Slone. If you have questions please contact Brenda Meagher at bmeaghe2@purdue.edu.

South African Librarians Visit Purdue Libraries

PILLAR: New Relationships

Nine South African university librarians visited Purdue Libraries on Feb. 18. They were here as part of a grant from the Carnegie Corporation to their universities to develop new methods of library support for research in South Africa. Their day was spent in the MEL LearnLab learning about Purdue Libraries with presentations and comments from the Dean, Tomalee Doan, Sharon Weiner, Scott Brandt and Meagan Sapp Nelson. They also toured the Humanities, Social Science and Education Library and the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special collections Research Center.

Following their two weeks at the Mortenson Center, the South African librarians will each be going to a research library in the United States to spend one month. These host libraries are Duke University, North Carolina State University, Purdue University, Texas A&M, University of Arizona, University of California Davis, University of Kansas and University of Washington. Sunette Steynberg from the University of Pretoria will be coming to Purdue on Mar. 2 with Engineering Librarian Charlotte Erdmann serving as her host.

The purpose of the Mortenson Center program is to expose the group to library support strategies for research in U. S. academic libraries and to prepare them for their upcoming internship.

Front Row (Left to Right): Barbara Ford, Director, Mortenson Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Sunette Steynberg, University of Pretoria; Roshini Pather, University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Back Row (Left to Right): Solvej Vorster, University of Cape Town; Biziwe Tembe, University of Witswatersand; Linda Cartwright, Rhodes University Library; Lucia Schoombee, Stellenbosch University; Naomi Vorster, Stellenbosch University; Fiona Still-Drewett, Rhodes University; Marguerite Nel, University of Pretoria.

PILLAR: Campuswide Information Literacy

For more information on the 2011-12 Purdue Common Reading Program book selection, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks check out:

/www.purdue.edu/newsroom/students/2011/110216CarpenterReading.html

Books will be available for check-out in our Libraries. I encourage all of you to read this amazing true story! There will be programs based on the book beginning in August.

PILLAR: Robust Research & Scholarship Program

The following requests for research support have been reviewed and awarded.

Research Support Grants
These grants are provided by the Libraries to enable and support research to advance projects and initiatives within the Libraries strategic plan emphasizing e‐science, information literacy, scholarly communication and data curation/management. The number of incentive awards is based on monies within the Associate Dean for Research’s budget supplemented by indirect cost returns and cost savings from grants funded research.

• Jeremy Garritano. “Using Data Curation Profiles as a means of raising data management awareness.” American Chemical Society National Meeting. Anaheim, CA, Mar. 27-31, 2011. $1000
• Marianne Stowell Bracke, ““Getting on Track with Tenure.” (with  Jim Mullins) ACRL Research Program Committee. ALA, New Orleans, LA, June 23–29, 2011. $1000

International Travel Grants
These grants are provided annually by Purdue Research Foundation to help cover the costs to those who have an active role (presenting papers or serving as officials) at recognized international meetings.

• Sharon Weiner.  “Institutionalizing Information Literacy.” 2011 Librarians and Information Literacy Annual Conference. London, England. Apr. 18‐20, 2011 $1000
• D. Scott Brandt. “Addressing the NSF’s data management plan “mandate.’” JISC Managing Research Data Workshop. Birmingham, UK, Mar. 28-29, 2011 $1000

On Mar. 1, work will begin on Stewart Center (STEW) to repair the gutters; under contractual agreement, the work will continue until completion, scheduled for Jun. 25.

In getting this message out now, we, as Libraries, can plan ahead to be sure that we are aware of what is happening as questions from visitors and students are sure to arise.

Gathered from input from others who have received the renovation, we can expect an odor to permeate the building while adhesive is being applied. (Note: the contractor will not be applying adhesive during finals week) Radiological and Environmental Management, Construction Health and Safety, has confirmed that the odor does not present a hazard to our health. Those who feel like an odor may interfere with their work on a daily basis should contact their supervisor to make any necessary accommodations.

This can is also a good time to think about any meetings or events you have scheduled in STEW during the renovation; consider the accommodations of those attending.

Please be aware that at times, access to entrances may be limited, but the building will not be closed due to, or during construction. Keep in mind, that due to contractual agreements and for your safety, workers are not to respond to those who are making direct requests to them about the renovation.

If supervisors have questions they can contact me at 46935 or bheiss@purdue.edu.

PILLAR:Campuswide Information Literacy

In keeping with the mission of the University Copyright Office to educate faculty and students on their rights and responsibilities under current copyright law, we just completed a 15,600-piece mailing of our often requested Author Rights brochure to the faculty and graduate students at all Purdue campuses.

A copy of the brochure is available in the literature rack outside my door, room 264A. Copies are also available in a single brochure stand for anyone who wants to keep a supply in their area or on a library counter.  Please contact JoAnne Carow at jcarow@purdue.edu if you are interested.

There is also a link on the UCO web site:  www.lib.purdue.edu/uco/files/Author%20Rights.pdf

2011 One Book Higher Poster Session

PILLAR: Infrastructure

Have you worked on an interesting project lately? Has your library or unit implemented a new and innovative service or practice? Share your experience with the rest of your colleagues at the 4th annual One Book Higher poster session on Apr. 25, in the PMU North Ballroom, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

The Dean will present poster awards during the luncheon.

To present a poster, email this information to Angie Ewing (aewing@purdue.edu) before April 11:

1. Title of poster
2. Presenter(s)
3. Estimated cost if supplies are needed
4. If you will need electricity; an electrical outlet.
5. If you will need a table or display stand

Supplies for posters will be ordered through your area designated supply coordinator, indicating they are for One Book Higher. Deadline for ordering supplies is April 11th.

Information will be posted to the One Book Higher intranet site, which will be updated with new submissions as they are received: http://intranet.lib.purdue.edu/display/HOME/One+Book+Higher+Information

Please contact one of the OBH committee if you have any questions: Sharon Sturgeon, Angie Ewing, Lil Conarroe or Rachel Moore.