As a new academic year approaches, it is a fitting time to refresh on the importance of branding and strategic communication. Purdue University Libraries consistently and intentionally promotes resources and services through a dedicated strategic communication and advancement team, while understanding that every Libraries faculty and staff member plays an important role in delivering the Libraries’ key messages.

Purdue University Libraries strives to develop and disseminate key messages to targeted audiences, including our university community, faculty and institutional peers. We have also taken steps to directly align with key university initiatives. As such, the Libraries’ communication is tied to a comprehensive strategic plan whose goals and objectives mirror those of the university, with a framework for identifying and implementing the unique roles of the Libraries within a campus context.

Maintaining the integrity of the Libraries’ brand is vitally important in all communication and outreach. This includes the proper use of logos, fonts, color palettes and all other communication tools. By adhering to the Libraries brand in all these efforts, we are able to heighten awareness, credibility and overall integrity of the Libraries’ and University’s brand. This will help the Libraries to “break through the clutter” of information that floods our audiences at a rapid rate and will help audiences quickly identify Libraries information.

A variety of tools, templates and guidelines are available to all Libraries employees on the Libraries “S” drive. In addition, don’t hesitate to contact at walker81@purdue.edu or 49-69610 with individual marketing and communication needs. Thank you for all your continued communication and outreach efforts that help support the Libraries’ strategic plan.

Purdue University Libraries’ Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center recently accepted the donation of an original 16 mm film showing Amelia Earhart and her Lockheed Electra as they were being photographed by Albert Bresnik, Earhart’s official photographer.

Earhart, who was a Purdue career counselor and adviser to the Department of Aeronautics from 1935 to 1937, was recruited by then-President Edward Elliott, who was impressed by her spirit of adventure and her message to women. In April 1936 an Amelia Earhart Fund for Aeronautical Research was created with the Purdue Research Foundation. The fund purchased the $80,000 Lockheed Electra that became known as Earhart’s flying laboratory. With navigator Fred Noonan, Earhart disappeared July 2, 1937, near the tiny Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean while attempting an around-the-world voyage.

The film was donated to Purdue by Douglas Westfall, owner and publisher at The Paragon Agency, which last month released a book, “Amelia Earhart’s Last Photo Shoot,” by Nicole Swinford.

According to Westfall, who acquired the film from John Bresnik Jr., the family believes the film footage was taken by Albert’s brother, John Bresnik. The film is unique in that it captures Earhart posing for publicity photos and interacting with her photographer and others at the Union Air Terminal in Burbank, California (today known as the Bob Hope Airport). The film shows clear and close-up shots of Earhart’s plane before her departure on her world flight attempt.

Purdue University Libraries Archives and Special Collections faculty and staff will take steps to preserve the film and make it accessible to students and researchers interested in scholarship on the many facets of the legacy of Amelia Earhart. The film will join the Amelia Earhart Papers in the Barron Hilton Flight and Space Exploration Archives within the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center, Purdue University Libraries.

To learn more about the collection visit http://collections.lib.purdue.edu/flight-and-space/.

The annual bepress Digital Commons IR All-Stars awards spotlight four individuals from the Digital Commons community who have demonstrated a unique, high-impact, and replicable approach to IR success, and have made a meaningful contribution to the scholarly communications community as a whole. The awards are not only to honor the accomplishments of individual members of the community, but also to help support and enable all Digital Commons admins to be IR All-Stars too.

The Digital Commons community as a whole is committed to building vibrant repository services and supporting campus needs. Nominations were made by members of the bepress Digital Commons Consulting Services team and final selections were chosen by a committee of bepress managers.

Selection Criteria

• At least 3 years as an IR manager.

• A track record of vibrant repository collection growth, and an innovative and tireless approach to engaging faculty and others on campus in order to support their scholarly communications needs.
  

• A demonstrated eagerness to share and teach others. This might take the form of a presentation, article, case study, or video that provides specifics and guidelines for best practices for others to learn from so they can replicate the strategies that made the IR manager an IR All-Star.

Dave Scherer joined Purdue University Libraries on December 12, 2011. He is a trained librarian and archivist who is in charge of the Purdue e-Pubs online publishing platform and Purdue research collection. He is an advocate around the University for Scholarly Publishing Services, and provides support for faculty, staff and student projects ranging from online conference proceedings to electronic theses and dissertations.

To read more about Dave and the other three award winners visit:
http://blog.digitalcommons.bepress.com/2015/07/21/2015-ir-all-star-dave-scherer-purdue-university/

Dale White
Purdue University Libraries
Auxiliary Services

Dale started working with Purdue Libraries Auxiliary Services on July 16, 2001. At that time we were moving all the fully loaded book ranges, many up to seven sections long, in HSSE Library. We had to move these three times to remove the old floor and install the new one while the Library remained open. During his time here he has been involved with many projects. The list includes the renovations of HSSE, Archives and Special Collections, Parrish, Hicks and its IMPACT classrooms, Vet Med and STEW 279. He was also instrumental in the installation of the HSSE, Rawls and Lynn repositories. Some less noticeable projects included the installation of fire alarms and sprinkler systems. Other Libraries also received improvements such as Engineering and Math. He was involved with closing libraries such as Psychology, Biochemistry and CFS.

Dale was very proficient at acquiring used furniture, equipment and space from other departments around campus. He did all this while dealing with the everyday squeaky hinges and a multitude of “oh by the way’s.” You may remember a particular project you worked with him on that I have not mentioned and I’m sure that I have missed some.

“Dale was the glue that held this place together. He did a lot here and we will miss him. I will also miss his humorous side and his constant effort to play upon my fear of heights. His offer to buy me a ticket to walk on the glass ledge over the Grand Canyon always brought a look of torment to my face.”

If you would like to make a monetary contribution toward a gift card for Dale, please send your contribution to Dan Yeoman by July 24 to be applied towards a gift card. Cards and well wishes can be sent to his home at, 45 East Center Street, Williamsport IN 47993.

________________

To Purdue Libraries on behalf of Dale White 

Dale White and family would like to thank all of the Purdue Libraries staff for all the cards, letters of encouragement, prayers, visits, taking Dale out to lunch and the luncheon that was brought to our home. We would like to take the opportunity to formally notify Purdue Libraries staff in writing of Dale’s extended absence due to his disability. Dale has paraneoplastic syndrome, an autoimmune response, and has been traveling back and forth to Mayo Clinic for treatment. He has great difficulty walking, speaking clearly and has had some cognitive impairment. We do not know what the outcome will be, but we do know Who holds the future.

May we take this opportunity to thank Dean Mullins, Nancy, Brad and his fellow colleagues and student workers for the wonderful experiences he has had, the many friends and professional colleagues that he has made and the happy and productive years that he spent at Purdue.

Dale’s time at Libraries has played such an integral and pivotal role in his life and he and our family will fondly remember Purdue, and more importantly, the people in the years ahead. At the same time we are excited at the prospect of continuing treatment and beating this syndrome. For those of you that have been praying we want you to know we have felt your prayers, and we ask for your continuing prayers. It is our understanding and hope that after the cancer is found and treated the autoimmune response will stop.

We would like to extend our warmest wishes to everyone at Purdue Libraries for the future and we are sure that Purdue will continue to go from strength to strength. GO PURDUE!

Yours sincerely,
Dale White and Family

Cara Bradford
Acquisitions

Hello, everyone! I have just started working here at Purdue as a library assistant in Acquisitions. My work involves gathering usage statistics for our electronic resources and conducting analysis reports on our collection. Before coming to the Lafayette area, I lived in Washington State, where I earned my undergraduate degree in mathematics. People have often asked me why someone with a math degree would be interested in working in a library. But I think that math and library work actually have a lot in common — organization, structure and so on.

While I was still in college, I was fortunate enough to gain some experience working at my school's library. I began by working as an assistant on a local digitization project, the Kimble Northwest History Database. Later, I transitioned into working in Reference Services as well. I'm very excited to now be working in a department that is completely new to me!

Outside of work, I enjoy solving crossword puzzles, hiking and reading books. I am located in STEW 370 and may be reached at 49-42861 or by email at bradfor5@purdue.edu. I look forward to working with you all!

Alexandra Hoff
Purdue University Libraries Publishing Division

Hello! I recently started as an editorial assistant with the Purdue University Libraries Publishing Division. I work with the Joint Transportation Research Program (JTRP) technical report series as well as various journal and book projects.

I grew up in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, in a small town practically right in the middle of the state. I began my undergraduate studies at Purdue in the fall of 2011, majoring in English/Professional Writing and African American Studies, and graduated in May 2014 as a member of the College of Liberal Arts Honors Program and the recipient of the Outstanding Student Award for African American Studies as well as the School of Interdisciplinary Studies. As a student, I worked for the Purdue Writing Lab as a business writing consultant. In the summer of 2013, I joined Purdue University Press as a part-time assistant production editor to help with the production of JTRP technical reports. After I graduated, I was fortunate enough to continue with PUP as a temporary staff member, assisting with both JTRP and other editorial projects. In addition, in January 2015, I was appointed part-time head of the West Lafayette History and Research Center, where I work to help preserve the rich history of West Lafayette.

I am an avid reader and writer. During my senior year of high school, I published a series of 12 articles on rare cancers for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette as part of my senior project. Photography is another of my interests, and I am a 2015 alumna of ShutterFest, an intensive photographic education event focusing on photographic technique and business skills. I also love to travel and have been to Ireland, France, and Canada, as well as Costa Rica as part of the Pre-Freshmen Global Leadership trip hosted by Purdue Study Abroad.

I am happy to continue my affiliation with Purdue, and I look forward to contributing to its continued success! You can find me in STEW 190 and contact me at 49-42909 and hoff1@purdue.edu.

July 23, 2015
Hicks Undergraduate Library Tour
2:15-3:15 p.m.

Take a tour of the recent renovations, updates and services available at the Hicks Undergraduate Library. It is a great way to learn more about the space and to meet the staff. You can sign up for the tour here: https://purdue.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Cs2ssXdzh7Az5z

Also, we are always looking for new ideas for possible Lunch & Learns. If you would like to explain more about what your unit does, or if you have a special talent you would like to showcase to the rest of Libraries staff, please contact any member of LCSSAC or email: lcssac@purdue.edu.

Construction activity at the Thomas S. and Harvey D. Wilmeth Active Learning Center set to open in fall 2017.