ACTIVE LEARNING CENTER...FULL STEAM AHEAD

As we begin 2014 you might notice a certain and purposeful surge of fundraising activity surrounding the Active Learning Center (ALC). Dean Mullins and I, along with the efforts of our Libraries Special Events Coordinator, Becky Bunch, will become road warriors as we embark on a series of eight to twelve "Meet the Dean" events in major cities across the country.

These "Meet the Dean" events will be held in major cities where we have a large number of Purdue alumni and will allow us to present this exciting project to a group of engaged, interested alumni and friends whom we hope will ultimately become donors to this #1 University building project.

Through the means of 1) a brief video highlighting faculty and students testimonials, or should I say "success stories" in support of the new IMPACT/Active Learning courses, 2) a presentation by Dean Mullins on how the ALC is necessary to support the growth of IMPACT/Active Learning on campus combined with a synergistic integration of Libraries into the instruction, learning and study undertaken in the ALC, 3) strategic individual conversations with attendees and 4) take home ALC brochures, we will work strategically and efficiently during these one and a half hour presentations to provide the salient information critical to the understanding of the significance and impact and importance of the Active Learning Center.

This program will further serve our development mission by demonstrating the critical nature of this project, how the ALC connects with President Daniels’ “Purdue Moves” initiatives and how this building will elevate Purdue to a leadership position among our peers as we are changing how learning occurs in higher education. All of this while simultaneously enhancing students’ academic experience at Purdue and providing work-ready leaders to future employers!

Now, you might be wondering just how much we need to fundraise to support the ALC. And, possibly, you have heard that the state has already approved $50M of this $66M project. The "Meet the Dean" events will assist us in accomplishing the private fundraising goal (what we need to raise from our alumni, donors and friends) of $16,000,000. To date, we have raised $2.5M of the required $16M and are actively advancing our efforts to discover those individuals who are uniquely interested in and enthusiastic about the needs of our students and faculty, the ALC and being a part of “Purdue Moves” initiatives to change how learning occurs. Once identified and engaged it will be these individuals will be solicited for a commitment who are able and willing to provide gifts that support the remaining $13.5M.

Yes, we certainly have some "heavy lifting" to accomplish! However, Dean Mullins and I know that with the help of the President, fellow development officers, faculty and students, we will accomplish our goal of raising the entire $16M in private funds.

So, as 2014 moves forward and into 2015 rest assured that Dean Mullins and I will be working in concert to engage Purdue alumni and friends as donors to the Active Learning Center.

UBORROW — A CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCCESS STORY

Purdue University Libraries belongs to the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) comprised of all universities in the Big Ten as well as the University of Chicago. Together, the CIC implemented a federated catalog and direct consortial borrowing service known as UBorrow. This system allows users to search for, and request, available books from all CIC libraries and the Center for Research Libraries. The process is much like traditional ILL for book loans, but with a couple of major benefits. First, items requested through UBorrow are guaranteed a 12 week loan period with one 4 week renewal period. Second, because availability is determined as the request is submitted, items should be received within 5-7 days maximum.

Through UBorrow, Purdue users can request print books that are available in circulating collections that are not owned by Purdue or are currently unavailable at Purdue — checked out, missing, or on order. To use UBorrow, go to  http://go.lib.purdue.edu/uborrow to search for and request items. This link is located under “Services” on the Libraries’ home page. If an item searched by a Purdue borrower is available at Purdue, UBorrow provides a link “Available at the PURDUE Library” that takes the user directly to our catalog record. If all CIC copies are unavailable, UBorrow automatically makes the request a traditional Interlibrary Loan request. Requests that must be filled through traditional Interlibrary Loan channels will have varying loan periods and turnaround times. Interlibrary Loan staff is happy to answer questions from Libraries’ staff or Libraries’ users regarding the UBorrow service.

Interlibrary Loan’s New Year’s Resolution — Improve Service to External Customers
On January 13, 2014, Purdue Libraries’ Interlibrary Loan (ILL) lending department began giving twelve week loans, with an optional four week renewal, for all requests from other institutions for items from our core book collections. Libraries Planning and Operations Council (POC) agreed to this change in December 2013. Previously, these longer loans had only been given to our CIC partners per a reciprocal agreement initiated when UBorrow was developed. Extending the loan period for all loan transactions will improve service to our non-CIC Indiana partners as well as our partners in the RAPID reciprocal delivery service. Loans to these partner groups account for approximately 50% of ILL’s lending loan volume. Purdue’s new loan period will extend to all of our ILL partners the longer access to our materials previously available to only our CIC partners.

List of UBorrow Participants

• University of Chicago
• Indiana University
• University of Iowa
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• University of Michigan
• Michigan State University
• University of Minnesota
• University of Nebraska
• Northwestern University
• Ohio State University
• Penn State University
• Purdue University
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Center for Research Libraries

RESEARCH GRANT AWARDED TO LIBRARIES FACULTY

The most recent research proposal was reviewed by Research Council and approved for research support.

Lisa Zilinski was awarded a Research and Scholarship Support Grant to present a poster and participate on a panel for the Research Data Access and Preservation (RDAP) Summit in San Diego, California, March 26-28, 2014.

LIBRARIES NEW STAFF

Tiffany Eakin
Library Assistant IV
Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Science Library and Life Sciences Library

I began working within Purdue Libraries three years ago as a student worker. When I graduated from Purdue this past December I was fortunate enough to have been chosen for a library assistant position that had recently become available. My duties now consist of circulation and reference assistance and user service to patrons, web resource development and maintenance, and assisting patrons in locating and effectively using information and technology resources within both libraries. I will also be maintaining the collections of periodicals and other materials within PNHS while serving as the liaison for Acquisitions and Interlibrary Loan departments as needed.

I am originally from western Pennsylvania and recently graduated from Purdue University with a BA in History and a minor in Anthropology. This is my first professional appointment within a library, although I did spend some time as a child dusting the stacks of the library my aunt worked at in Ohio. I am also a third generation library employee so I guess you could say its genetic! I look forward to building on the skills I learned in my youth and as a student employee so that I might further Purdue’s students and staff in their quest for knowledge and excellence and by extension the University itself.

My current interests include gardening, hiking, skeet shooting, photography, volleyball, bowling and of course reading! In the near future I plan to advance my education in the hopes of obtaining my MLIS degree. I am also the proud mother of three teenage daughters who are equally as nutty about books as I am. We also enjoy swimming, exploring and plan to begin graveyard restorations this year as soon as the weather permits.

I can be reached mornings at the PNHS library at 49-41416 and during the afternoons you can call me at the Life Sciences library at 49-42913 or email me at teakinwy@purdue.edu. I look forward to meeting all of you!

LIBRARIES DISPLAYS HONOR DR. KING'S LEGACY

Several of Purdue University Libraries have created displays centered on the week-long celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Using materials from their library’s collection, staff members have created a number of displays related to the university-wide theme “The Fierce Urgency of Now: A Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Check out this week’s activities and events at: http://www.purdue.edu/diversity-inclusion/mlk/.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Libraries 2014 Displays

Black Cultural Center Library
Black Cultural Center
The Black Freedom Struggle across America
January 15-February 28
By Jamillah R. Gabriel

M.G. Mellon Library of Chemistry
Wetherill
Features Julian Bond, an American social activist and leader in the American civil rights movement
January 13-31
By Becky Hunt

Siegesmund Engineering Library
Potter
Features Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes
January 13-31
By Sandy Galloway

Humanities, Social Sciences & Education Library
Stewart Center
Featuring Zora Neale Hurston, an American folklorist, anthropologist and author
January 20-31
By Patrick Whalen

Math Sciences Library
Math, 3rd floor Display Case
"What do Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein have in Common?"
January 20-February 28
By Nastasha Johnson and Angie Ewing

Physics Library
Physics
Features Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center
January 13-31
By Becky Hunt

Hicks Undergraduate Library
Hicks
Media Display “Triumph over Fear” features Nelson Mandela’s quest for social justice in South Africa
January 13-31
By Ann O’Donnell

Engineering Library display outside of the library's entrance was created by Sandy Galloway.

LIBRARIES STAFF A-Z

Tao Zhang
Digital User Experience Specialist and Assistant Professor of Library Science
Libraries Administration

Q. What do you enjoy most about your job and why?
A. I enjoy working with our users to understand what they need from the library website and how they expect things to work. I learn a lot by just talking to our users and observing how they interact with the website, which is critical to the user-centered design process I follow. I want to make meaningful connections with our users and make sure my research and design can make their lives simple and enjoyable.

Q. How long have you worked in the Libraries and at Purdue?
A. More than two years, since October 2011.

Q. What is one unforgettable experience that has happened to you or your coworkers while working in the library?
A. The launch of the new library website in January 2013. I was nervous to see how our users would react to the new design even though I had tested it with a sample of users. I know website change is not always easy for users. Fortunately most of the feedback from our users was supportive and encouraging. Here I would like to thank Sam Wehrspann and Matt Riehle, who worked relentlessly on the design and development of the new website.

Q. What is your favorite book, website, movie or database?
A. My favorite book is “White Space is Not Your Enemy” by Rebecca Hagen and Kim Golombisky. This book is my primary guide to visual design and communication.

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

Q. What do you like to do for fun?
A. If the weather permits, I like going out and hiking in the parks.

Q. Feel free to include any information about yourself that you would like to share with the staff?
A. I cannot eat food that is too spicy, even though I am from Chengdu, China, a place known for spicy food (hotpot, anyone?).