Leveraging Libraries buying power

BY HEATHER OAKLEY

PILLAR: Infrastructure

In February 2010, an initiative began at Purdue to improve the University’s Strategic Sourcing efforts. “Strategic Sourcing is the foundation for an institutional procurement process that continuously improves the procurement activities. Strategic Sourcing allows for leveraging buying power, reducing the number of suppliers, verifying vendor compliance to negotiated agreements and reducing the number of procurement transactions and cycle times.” *

The Libraries has been participating in Strategic Sourcing for some time now. The business office and Libraries IT have been working together to purchase items such as desktop computers/laptops, printers/copiers and IT peripherals through the University’s preferred vendors. In September, meetings were held for Libraries supply coordinators to discuss strategic sourcing as it pertains to office supplies. Denny Feldman, manager of Strategic Sourcing, and James Johnson, sourcing analyst, were in attendance to answer questions. Supply coordinators have been provided a core office supply list to order from to maximize buying power and streamline the ordering process.

What does this mean for the Libraries? Through our efforts, we are contributing to the overall University Strategic Sourcing initiative. We are also helping achieve the University’s goal of leveraging buying power and better pricing through our strategic alliances with preferred vendors. Our efforts can result in savings of time through streamlining of the ordering process. In addition, it can provide savings to departmental supplies and expense budgets from reduced pricing achieved through increased bargaining power with vendors.

* Sources:

• http://www.purdue.edu/business/procurement/Sourcing/index.html

PILLAR: Learning

The Purdue University Libraries contribution to the Committee on Institutional Cooperation’s (CIC) consortial project with Google Books was to supply selected U.S. government documents. These documents were de-selected from the campus libraries and from the two print repositories and sent to Google for scanning. The material will not be returned to us, but the digitized versions will soon begin to appear in the HathiTrust database (www.hathitrust.org).

On October 21, the Libraries sent the last of two shipments of documents to Google, bringing our total contribution to 57,320 pieces and concluding one of the largest projects that we’ve ever undertaken, involving staff in almost every department.

Many people contributed to the project’s success. While space precludes mentioning all of them, here are the names of the Libraries employees who contributed a significant amount of time and expertise to the project: Lori Bryant, Bert Chapma,; Patty Glasson, LuAnn Gooden, Brad Heiss, Pat Kantner, Wendy Kelly, Dean Lingley, Sue Long, Laurie Sadler, Libby Wahl, Dale White and Dan Yeoman. Many thanks to these staff for their dedication and stellar performance; to many others who were involved in support roles, including supervisors and also those who took on increased workloads so that co-workers on the Google Project Team could devote many hours to the work.

Grant to support aeronautics and astronautics collections

PILLAR: Scholarly Communication

Purdue Libraries will receive a $2 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to endow an archivist for the Neil Armstrong and Eugene Cernan archives and special collections at the university.

Conrad Hilton's son, Barron Hilton, is the retired chairman, president and CEO of Hilton Hotels Corp. An avid pilot and lifelong supporter of aviation, he said that he realizes the special educational and motivational value of these important collections.

"As someone who has been personally inspired by Neil Armstrong and Eugene Cernan, I am pleased that their personal papers and artifacts are entrusted to Purdue's professional care," Hilton said. "It is gratifying to know that the careers of these remarkable role models will continue to inspire citizens of the world for generations to come, thanks to Purdue Libraries."

Purdue President France A. Córdova said: "We are truly grateful to Mr. Hilton and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and honored that they are celebrating Purdue's history of achievement in space through this generous gift. Purdue has a reputation as 'the Cradle of Astronauts,' and we are building flight archives worthy of that reputation. We are thankful that Mr. Hilton will help provide us with this great resource to be able to reach flight enthusiasts and researchers around the world with our collection."

Purdue Libraries' division of Archives and Special Collections is home to the papers and artifacts of some of the most recognizable names in U.S. flight history. Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, and Cernan, the most recent person to do so, donated papers. Astronauts Janice Voss and Roy Bridges Jr. followed in donating personal collections.

The George Palmer Putnam Collection of Amelia Earhart Papers - the world's largest compilation of papers, memorabilia and artifacts related to the late aviator - along with papers from 1930 graduate and aviation pioneer Ralph Johnson, also are housed there.

"This endowed position will give us the ability to devote someone full time to building upon our tremendous collection of Purdue flight history," said James L. Mullins, Purdue Libraries dean. "This process of making Purdue Archives and Special Collections a destination for those wanting a true sense of U.S. flight history is going to grow, thanks to Mr. Hilton and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation."

Photo caption: At the recent President’s Council annual dinner announcing the gift, Eugene Cernan, Purdue alumnus and the last man to walk on the moon, joined Hilton Foundation Representative, Patrick Berry, President Córdova, and Dean Mullins, to speak of his support of the collection.

Libraries Staff A-Z

LARRY MYKYTIUK
Associate Professor of Library Science and History Librarian
HSSE Library

Q. What do you enjoy most about your job and why?
A. They pay me to do what I love. It could be helping a student find elusive information (the thrill of the hunt), teaching a class (seeing “the lights go on” for people), or doing my own research and writing for publication. Taming and smoothing out a difficult article is like pin striping a Harley and roaring into the sunset; what had been difficult becomes your power. The perks of my job are bright, helpful colleagues, my office computer setup and superb tech support!

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

Q. What is one unforgettable experience that has happened to you or your coworkers while working in the library?
A. I could say coming face to face with a full-grown rat as I entered the HSSE third floor men’s room. We each quickly went the opposite way. The reference staff called in a man who caught it with a bucket. Don’t worry; they covered his entrance hole with sheet metal. Or I could say the time we called the police from the reference desk and caught a counterfeiter trying to use a HSSE computer to print phony checks. He was wanted in two other states. Can’t decide which experience to choose. At least the rat was making an honest living as a rat.

Q. What’s your favorite book, web site, movie or database?
A. Tough question. I’ve gone from e. e. cummings’ poetry to Hemingway’s novels and Plato’s Republic to John’s Gospel to Matthew’s to Isaiah and the book of Psalms. My research has gotten me into the books of Kings and Jeremiah in ways I had not imagined, so overall, I’d have to say the Hebrew Bible. But I still feel free to range about. Lately, I’ve been into a sale copy of Thomas Armstrong, The Human Odyssey: Navigating the Twelve Stages of Life.

Q. Coffee, tea, water or soft drink?
A. For me, a spot of tea with cream is the best there is, but if you want to work beyond 3:00 a.m., there’s nothing like a “leaded,” industrial-flavor, off-brand soft drink.

Q. What do you like to do for fun?
A. I enjoy hiking, listening to music and getting people to laugh. My most rapt enjoyment came from learning to sail at a summer camp. I started out sitting alone in a sail dinghy at the lee end of a quiet lake. While experimenting, positioning the boat and the sail in different ways, I heard a bubbling sound. I was amazed to see that it was coming from the stern, created by a wake. In magical silence, the sailboat had started moving—upwind. I sailed for hours.

Q. Feel free to include any information about yourself that you would like to share with the staff?
A. Mykytiuk is a Ukrainian name meaning “little winner.”

Day in the Life Series: Archives and Special Collections

PILLAR: Infrastructure

Libraries Clerical Service Staff Advisory Committee (LCSSAC) recently hosted "Day in the Life Series: Archives and Special Collections." Archives and Special Collections staff members talked about their roles in receiving and processing collections and artifacts into the library. They also discussed some of the current collections, answering reference questions and providing classroom instruction. In the photo below Susan Calvert talks about receiving materials into Archives and Special Collections.

Watch for an announcement about the next "Day in the Life Series: Interlibrary Loan, February 1, 2012.

The next Lunch and Learn will feature Judy Nixon sharing her collection of "Night Before Christmas books" on December 5, 12-1 p.m. in the HSSE Conference Room. A flyer and invitation will be sent to all staff.