Time to celebrate!

BY JIM MULLINS

PILLAR: Infrastructure

Sometimes it’s easy for us to take for granted something that is a part of our daily (or sometimes weekly) life. All too often we don’t realize how much these routine things mean to us until, for some reason they disappear. One such weekly occurrence that we would all miss is INSIDe, or until about six years ago, Inside Scoop.

INSIDe started twenty years ago as a mechanism to communicate in print within the Libraries and to enrich our work and personal lives — think recipes — and continues to do so in its attractive digital format. Whether we were welcoming newcomers or saying farewell to colleagues, INSIDe was our mechanism to do so.

With this issue we mark its 400th appearance! And, who, disguised as a mild mannered staff member, has been the guiding force behind the scenes for INSIDe? No one other than our own Teresa Brown. There is probably no person better qualified to be the editor of INSIDe than Brown, she has worked in every unit within the Libraries (well, maybe not every one, but nearly all). Every other week she brings together a new issue of INSIDe that informs, brings smiles to our faces and causes us to pause and consider how lucky we are to be working in a place like the Libraries at Purdue with the many colleagues we value. In my family my brother-in-law was the person who was always taking the family picture. Now, when my family looks back at pictures taken thirty, forty, fifty years ago, we see no record of his participation in the family, since he was the one capturing us. Brown has done that for us, recording our awards, milestones and celebrations.

So, now I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to the woman behind the curtain, Teresa Brown, for the outstanding record she has given us these past twenty years. Long live INSIDe (and, of course, Teresa Brown)!

Successful staff transitions

PILLAR: Infrastructure

Mary Sego
Library Assistant
Archives and Special Collections

My Libraries journey
I graduated from Purdue in 1982 with a BS in Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management, after transferring from the School of Management. During my undergrad years I spent many hours studying in the Management and Economics Library now the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management and Economics. In 1984 I decided I wanted to further my education, but I didn’t want to go into debt so I took Purdue’s standard clerical/typing test (long-time employees know what I am referring to) and was hired by Ruth Rothenberg in the Interlibrary Loan Office (ILL) where I stayed for twelve years with one interoffice position change. There were many changes happening in the Libraries during that time; doing away with the card catalog and transitioning to THOR, employees getting desk top computers, the first fax machine for ILL, and the list goes on. It was extremely challenging for all of us in ILL when Rothenberg unexpectedly passed away.

While working in ILL I was asked by a former co-worker if I would want to help the West Lafayette Public Library go online by helping enter data. It was the beginning of a thirteen year part-time job and the end to taking classes in Counseling and Personnel Services (I had hopes of helping some of the unhappy restaurant managers I had encountered). I enjoyed working circulation and reference in a public library setting and came to love library work even more. I also served on the first Libraries Clerical Service Staff Advisory Committee (LCSSAC) set up by Libraries Dean Emily Mobley in 1993.

In 1996 I accepted the job as Circulation/Student Supervisor in the Consumer and Family Sciences Library (CFS). I felt I was putting my RHI degree to use and I came to love the faculty and students who used the CFS Library. Along with student supervisor and circulation duties a part of my job was proofreading for the Lodging, Restaurant and Tourism Index — a huge task, but rewarding. While serving on the Circulation Reserve Team (CRT) in 2004 I presented the idea of a student worker award. I had the joy of working with CRT chair, Angie Ewing, and the rest of CRT to get the Purdue University Libraries’ Student Employee (PULSE) Award started. That year some of us on the team created an online student training module. I also had the opportunity to serve on LCSSAC, Inside Scoop Editorial Board, Voyager Support Team, Electronic Access Support Team, SFX task force and two search committees. I was also a part of the first group of digital reference folks who had to flex time and take a night shift to man Question Point.

In the winter of 2004 I got the bug to learn some new skills, so I applied for a position in the Engineering Library and was hired. Through the wonderful training of Amy Van Epps and Megan Sapp Nelson, I learned how to answer Engineering related reference questions and endure the end of the semester MET 102 Treasure Hunts. Under Sapp Nelson’s guidance I was also one of the few people that did reference outreach which always presented rewarding and unique experiences. I inventoried and entered about 10,000 British Standards into the Purdue Standards database and I was given the opportunity to explore my so-called artistic side as I was in charge of the Libraries display case, redesigned low budget signage in the library and helped with marketing and other tasks. At this time Judy Schumaker invited me to be a part of the Communications and Marketing Council (CMC), which I loved! Through the great leadership of Michael Fosmire, I was allowed to take a class, to explore the possibility of going back to school for an art related degree. I took one of Purdue’s first electronic media classes (view my projects) and ended up with an A in the class and learned that you can teach an old dog new tricks! I always appreciated Fosmire’s efforts with the Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology Division (PSET) and Ewing and Sandy Galloway’s efforts with the Staff Morale in the Libraries Environment (S.M.I.L.E.) program. Even though I am no longer a PSET member, I have kept these notes of appreciation on my desk at home. While I was at Engineering, I found myself on LCSSAC again, but had to give up my position, due to the next event.

In the winter of 2009 I got the bug yet again — wanting to learn new things. The Archives and Special Collections Research Center had an opening that I applied for and got. I feel like I have transitioned well into this new role under the great leadership of Elizabeth Wilkinson, Sammie Morris and all the Archives staff. This has been one of my bigger challenges since I had never worked with archival materials before, other than overseeing the former Goss Room in Engineering. Susan Calvert was transitioning to the Archives from the Hicks Undergraduate Library at about the same time and we have enjoyed being a great source of support for each other — she makes each day a pleasure! I have had the opportunity and honor to process many interesting and great collections; Orville Redenbacher papers, Ralph Johnson papers and Purdue University College of Agriculture Extension reports, to name a few. I have entered close to 400 alumni and faculty folders, which in turn has led to an increase in reference requests when people do Google searches of relatives. I was very fortunate to discover a picture of my Dad as a 14-year-old 4-Her (I used his picture for the finding aid). Finding this picture made my day, maybe even my year! Another highlight of the past year was applying for and getting a scholarship from the Society of Indiana Archivist for their fall 2011 workshop. And, I will always look back fondly on the grand opening of Archives. Coming from a big clan of Purdue grads, I love the thought that I am helping future generations gain access to their Purdue roots. Each day is an adventure! Other activities, such as chairing LCSSAC, being on the Safety/Ergo Committee and being a part of a search committee, which brought Morris back to Purdue, have been challenging, yet rewarding.

I have held many menial jobs in the past, everything from hotel maid, waitress, assembly-line worker, etc. and I have learned that any job can be fun with the right attitude. After losing many key people in my life, I have also learned that when we check out of this life, nobody is going to care if we made 5 cents an hour or $50 an hour, but they will remember how we approached life and how we treated other people!

If you'd like to share your Libraries experience, please contact Teresa Brown at tmabrown@purdue.edu.

PILLAR: Infrastructure

June 2012 is my last month at Purdue University, ending a return to the Midwest that has enriched the lives of my wife and I to a degree we could not have imagined. I expect Purdue to forever be the defining moment of my career as a librarian, having afforded me vast opportunities to engage top-notch researchers and students and to grow my technical acumen to meet their needs. Imparted to me (sometimes without asking!) was sage advice and guidance from laid-back, but remarkably effective supervisors, troubadouristic deans, sympathetic colleagues, and even limerickists (which I didn't even know existed). I owe Libraries a severe debt of gratitude for the opportunities to travel, present and learn, but mostly to wander around a lovely campus doing what I hope was good work.

Trumping all of this, however (no offense), was the grand arrival of my son in 2009. The mechanics of the adoption process are almost laughably complex, but it boggles my tiny brain to think of how all of those gears and wheels and pulleys brought that hilarious little maniac into our lives. For this reason alone Purdue will always be dear to me, but it's definitely a luxury to know that whatever becomes of me professionally I can always say I was once a member of the Purdue Libraries faculty.

Scott Brandt’s Limerick
You’re going two degrees and some tenths further north,
And luckily fifteen further east, for what it’s worth…
But Chris, may you always cogitate
Forty° four two’ fifty eight”
Eighty six° nine one’ thirty eight” as you sally forth.

[Type: 40.4258 -86.9138  into Google maps]

Camera available for documenting Libraries activities

PILLAR: Infrastructure

The Advancement Office has a Canon Power Shot SD750 available for check out for photographing your Libraries sponsored needs. The camera is available to all Libraries staff and may be scheduled by contacting Development Coordinator Kim Weldy at weldy@purdue.edu or 49-40975.

The Advancement Office will continue to photograph events and activities when staffing is available and requested. However, there may be times when each unit would like to document a project or activity they are working on or attending and therefore the Canon camera is being made available. A reservation/checkout sheet will be maintained by the Development Coordinator and will require contact information, use date, event or activity and return date. In her absence any member of the Advancement team will be able to assist you. All photos that remain on the memory card will become part of the Advancement archived photo collection and then deleted from the memory card.

The goal of the Advancement Office is to document Libraries events and activities for archival and promotional purposes. If you have questions about photographing an activity or event please contact Teresa Brown at tmabrown@purdue.edu.

Libraries Staff A-Z

Dan Rotello
Shipping/Receiving
Auxiliary Services

Q. What do you enjoy most about your job and why?
A. I love the fact that every day is different and I’m not tied to a desk or office. I also like the academic atmosphere and working with and for the undergraduate students.

Q. How long have you worked in the Libraries and at Purdue?
A. Almost 23 years; three as a student worker, over a year as a temp and 19 years as a staff member come October.

Q. What is one unforgettable experience that has happened to you or your coworkers while working in the library?
A. My two road trips for the Libraries have been extremely cool. The first was to Portland, Oregon to pack up a collection of gifts for Archives and Special Collections from Lyle Cummins, whose father invented the Cummins diesel engine. The second was to Houston, Texas to retrieve a large gift from Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, for our Barron Hilton Flight and Space Exploration Archives.

Q. What’s your favorite book, website, movie or database?
A. I have two favorite authors, J.R.R. Tolkien and Mark Twain. Though very different, they were masters in their respective genres. Can’t wait for December when part one of Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” comes to the big screen!

Q. Coffee, tea, water or soft drink?
A. Sadly too many soft drinks or here as they say in the Midwest — pop!

Q. What do you like to do for fun?
A. I love sports, history, travel and my dog Lilly. I’m also fascinated by ancient history, especially of the Near East, Greece and Rome. I even studied Latin and Greek in high school and college. I’ve also traveled to all 50 States and over 25 foreign countries. (My dad works for United Airlines, so travel was cheap!)

Q. Feel free to include any information about yourself that you would like to share with the staff?
A. I work most Purdue Athletic events including Women’s Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball and Softball and Men’s Football, Basketball, Wrestling and Baseball. I’ve also worked golf tournaments, swim meets, track and field events, Big Ten and NCAA Championship events, and even a couple Chicago Bears’ games and a Chicago Cubs’ playoff game.