We have two new activities underway in Scholarly Publishing this summer, both in keeping with Purdue University Libraries’ signature innovation and collaboration across campus..

Mellon Award
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded $750,000 to support our unique approach to global grand challenges research and publishing at Purdue. The approach is unique in two ways. First, it catalyzes the involvement of humanists and social scientists in grand challenges research, innovation and policy formation. Next, it embeds publishing professionals, libraries faculty and policy experts in the scholarly communications process.

Purdue University Libraries’ Scholarly Publishing Division, the Purdue Policy Research Institute (PPRI) in Discovery Park, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Purdue Systems Collaboratory are all collaborative partners on the grant. Laurel Weldon, director of the Purdue Policy Research Institute, and I will both serve as principal investigators.

A kickoff conference is planned for September 8 with an impressive lineup of speakers, including social activist and critic, Naomi Klein, as our keynote, as well as Barbara Kline Pope, executive director of the National Academies Press, and others. Liaisons, please start your engines! Save the date, and contact me with suggestions for folks we should invite from your disciplines! More News to follow.

Series Editors Retreat
For the first time in the Press’ history, and indeed as a documented ‘first’ for any university press in North America, and we believe the world — although we are hard at work with UN translators to confirm this fact — we will be bringing all Purdue University Press’ Book Series Editors together for an editorial strategy, best-practices and networking retreat.

Faculty from across campus and the country will join us on August 23. At this private event staff from the Press and seasoned editors will speak on a range of subjects, including acquisitions best practices, as well as marketing, accessibility and permissions-related issues. We will also be welcoming a few new series editors to the fold. News to follow here as well!

Both of the above take collaboration as a given to drive innovation at Purdue into interesting new areas: Hallmarks of all of the divisions, staff and faculty of the Purdue University Libraries.

Provost Debasish Dutta has approved the Libraries Strategic Plan, 2016 – 2019. He did ask that one objective be further strengthened, therefore, you will see that Goal Three, Objective One, has been made more aggressive and descriptive in its intent and outcome. In light of that, during the next few months, I will be bringing together a task force with members within and outside Libraries to address the potential creation of the College of Information Studies, as called for in the objective. This is an exciting opportunity to take a leadership role in defining how the knowledge and experience of our Libraries faculty and staff can be more formally integrated into the offerings of Purdue through the development of a graduate degree in information studies/knowledge management. This would not be the traditional MLS degree, rather it would be something else: a degree not only needed within academia but the governmental, commercial and corporate worlds as well. What that something else is, we will need to define and determine.

This Strategic Plan is our road map to help us navigate the next three years, thus enabling wise and best choices when we reach difficult intersections. It will help us all advance the Libraries in the same direction. 
Please place a copy of the Libraries Strategic Plan, 2016-2019 where you will see it often, and, of course, look to see what your own role will be to advance the Libraries strategic goals and objectives. The plan is also available from the Libraries’ website www.lib.purdue.edu/sites/default/files/libraries/plan2019.pdf.

This plan has been the work of many individuals on the Steering Committee, however, participation from all of you, during various staff meetings, was essential. Thank you for making this a dynamic and innovative strategic plan!

After ten years at Purdue University Libraries Tomalee Doan has accepted the position of associate university librarian for public services at Arizona State University Libraries. Tomalee joined the Libraries staff in May 2006 as head, Management and Economics Library. She felt it was most important to build a relationship with the Krannert department and to redefine the library space to meet students’ needs in the 21st century. Moving forward she was able to envision what was to become the Roland Parrish Library for Management and Economics, help redefine the teaching role of Libraries faculty and demonstrate the advantages of creating active learning spaces within the library. “When I walk into Parrish, it feels good. I am continually reminded of what a great space it is and am pleased with the active role Libraries continues to take in embedding librarians into classroom instruction,” said Tomalee.

She is thankful for the opportunity she was given to redesign the Hicks Undergraduate Library into a student-centered facility and later serve as head, Humanities, Social Sciences, Education and Business division. In 2015 she added the role of associate dean for academic affairs to her long list of achievements. “My current role in Libraries has allowed for more personal interactions with the staff which I have enjoyed and has been helpful to me. It has provided me with a greater appreciation for what we did as a team to meet the needs of our students. 

Tomalee expressed her appreciation to the faculty and staff for making many adjustments to their working environments and noted how well everyone adapted to new roles, assignments and in some instances, locations. “I am so proud of how the faculty and staff took ownership of library spaces and embraced the mission of the Libraries and continue to do so every day. I have a great respect for everyone. I am very grateful for Jim’s phenomenal support and allowing me to forge ahead with my vision and creative suggestions. Thank you to everyone for your support, encouragement and friendship. This has been, without a doubt, the best 10 working years of my career.”

A reception for Tomalee will be held today
Wednesday, July 20
3-4:30 p.m.
Remarks at 3:45 p.m.
Parrish Library of Management and Economics
Krannert Building, 2nd floor

Jo Carow began her career in the Purdue Libraries as secretary IV in the University Copyright Office in 2009. “Her phenomenal organizational skills, marketing savvy, intellectual inquisitiveness, common sense and superior interpersonal skills made her an invaluable partner to me and asset to the Office and the Libraries. In 2011, it was with mixed emotions that I wished her well as she was promoted to Dean Mullins’ assistant. As she begins this next chapter in her life, I know that she will bring to it all the passion, dedication and good humor that she has so generously shared with us over the past seven years. Good luck, Jo and I will miss you,” said Director, University Copyright Office, Donna L. Ferullo.

“Jo kept me aware of the many activities on my calendar and what needed to be completed by various deadlines. Her commitment to the Libraries and Purdue University comes from her own education and experience within the Krannert School as an undergraduate. When she was in Krannert, she was one of only a few women in the program, often being the only woman in the class,” said Dean of Libraries, Jim Mullins.

Congratulations Jo on your retirement and thank you for your dedication to the Libraries.

Heather Howard
Assistant Professor
Business Information Specialist

As a native Hoosier, I’ve asked or been asked the question, “Purdue or IU?” for as long as I can remember. My answer 16 years ago was Purdue, and I’m now thrilled to be back at my alma mater as a professional. When I graduated from Purdue and eventually moved away from Lafayette, I never saw myself coming back, but would occasionally say to my husband, “Boy, I sure loved living in Lafayette. There’s not a lot of places I’ve lived that I would want to move back to, but I really did like living there.” Little did I know that more than a decade later I’d be back as a librarian!

I took the usual career path that librarians take to get here: restaurant manager to steelworker to advertising account manager to running a property management company to librarian. That’s what you all did, right? My path may not have been the most direct, but it did make me very well suited for the business librarian world. My BS from Purdue is in Organizational Leadership & Supervision with a minor in Computer Programming Technology (though don’t ask me to do much programming these days), and I obtained my MLS from IUPUI in 2014. I know it’s an IU degree, but IUPUI still has ‘Purdue’ in the name, so I figure it’s still okay.

I am originally from northwest Indiana, but have spent most of my post-college life living in Indianapolis. I most recently spent a year in Fort Wayne, and while I enjoyed my time up there, I am certainly glad to be back in this part of the state closer to family. It also makes it easier to hop down to Indy to help with an annual event I co-founded, the Indianapolis Literary Pub Crawl (if you want to know more, please come talk to me!).

On a personal note, I own three adorable kitties: Brynn, Tambourine and Tumbleweed. Tumbleweed has cerebellar hypoplasia, meaning the part of his brain that controls balance never developed correctly so he is a little wobbly. He has his own Facebook page under the name Tumbleweed the Magnificent, and I’m hoping he’ll be the next Lil Bub and make me enough money so I can retire to Spain. In the meantime, I am thrilled to be here at the Purdue Libraries!

Rightsizing — Engineering Library

The rightsizing project is moving along at a steady pace in the Engineering Library. Dianna Deputy and Sandy Galloway have been working together to pull and process materials quickly and accurately. In these pictures, you see D-containers that are designated for recycling and for Better World Books.