On your mark! Get Set! Ready! Go! The next six months will be one of the most memorable in the remarkable history of the Purdue Libraries. During this time, we all will be involved in assessing, integrating and implementing our move of six libraries into the new Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC) and HKRP in Hicks. Even though we have been preparing and living the WALC for several years, the impending move is no longer a distant, non-reality. It will be upon us almost nearly as soon as the basketball season is over (and we all know how fast the basketball season proceeds, making cold, dark winter days bearable).

Although the greatest impact will be upon those who will be moving to the WALC, most of the faculty and staff of the HLS and PSET Divisions, the preparation for the move and subsequent change in services and location of materials will affect many of us now and for the foreseeable future, at least until mid-2018.

Understanding that this transition is not without some stress, I do want to assure everyone that major changes such as this have been undertaken before, and once completed, the new environment provides a supportive and unique experience not possible in a former location. Assuming new roles and expanding collaborative relationships will be the hallmark of the Engineering and Science Library within the WALC.

The timeline indicates that the building will be substantially completed by the end of March, with the punch list being completed by the end of April. During May, possession of the building will be transferred from the contractor to the University. Furniture will be delivered and installed beginning mid-May, with furnishing being completed by the third week of June. After occupancy is approved by the various building agencies, we will start to occupy the building in late June and early July. A soft opening will take place during July, which means the building will be open but services and access may not be ready for prime time. Officially we will open the building on or around August 1 in preparation for the beginning of class in August.

As weeks tick down to the completion of the WALC and our move into it, more details will emerge to keep everyone informed and up to date as we make this exciting next step into the future. Let me take this opportunity to thank everyone inside and outside Libraries who have committed energy, insights and time to making this transition to an outstanding facility possible.

I close with two quotes:

Change is the law of life.
And those who look only to the past or the present
are certain to miss the future. – John F. Kennedy

The most effective way to do it is to do it. – Amelia Earhart.

Our efforts to improve communication in the workplace are continuing! Thirty-two of our thirty-four Libraries supervisors attended a workshop for supervisors on improving workplace communication through performance expectations. Alvin Lee and Sharon Williams (Employee Relations) conducted the workshops which were held on November 28 and January 10. The purpose of the 2-hour program was to provide a platform for discussion about creating a positive workplace climate; effective workplace communication including email and social media; performance goals, evaluations, and training resources; dealing with communication/conflict in the workplace; training staff on good customer service; and university resources that are available to us.

On behalf of the Scholarship & Awards Committee, we are pleased to announce there are six (6) awards/scholarships available this year. Supervisors and students will be receiving an email this week about the application process. Please encourage our student staff members to apply for the appropriate award and/or scholarship. The application deadline is February 3, 2017.
  
The PULSE Award
This award was created by the Purdue Libraries Circulation/Reserve Team in 2004. Initial funding was initiated through garage sales, a craft/bake sale and individual donations. In the first year, $1,445.80 was raised from 40 donors. Contributions continued to be added throughout the year with the goal of reaching the $20,000 amount necessary to endow the award. In 2004, Libraries Dean, Jim Mullins, led a fundraising challenge and agreed to match pledges from the Dean's Fund dollar for dollar. In 2005, endowment efforts were achieved with the efforts and contributions of Purdue graduates Mike and Judy Humnicky of California, who both spent their time at Purdue (1966-70) employed by the Libraries. The first two awards were presented in May 2004. This year four $1000 awards are available.

The Dorothy Newby McCaw Scholarship
In 2004, Dorothy Newby McCaw found a meaningful way to honor her friend: she endowed the Dorothy Newby McCaw Scholarship for Libraries Student Workers in honor of Emily R. Mobley, former Libraries Dean. McCaw established the scholarship in honor of Dean Mobley's retirement as a way to recognize her many accomplishments during the 12 years of her deanship. The scholarship fulfilled one of Mobley's goals as Dean — to recognize top student workers in the Libraries. The first scholarship was awarded in 2007. This year one $2500 scholarships is available.

The Dr. Albert Viton Scholarship
In 2006, Dr. Albert Viton, author and retired economist, endowed a scholarship to be awarded annually to a student employee from the Purdue University Press or the Libraries. His desire is that this scholarship will make a significant impact on students' lives and education while at Purdue. Viton became associated with the Press with the publication of his book, The International Sugar Agreements: Promise and Reality, in 2004. The first scholarship was awarded in 2007. This year one $2500 scholarships is available.
 
Important Information 

• All student staff members should receive e-mail notification of this opportunity but please make sure that they are aware of these awards and scholarships and of the February 3 deadline.
• Supervisors, please be aware of your part of the application process and the deadline of February 17. Students will not be considered without your portion of the application process.
• The URL for the information and applications is http://www.lib.purdue.edu/pulsescholar
• Remind your student staff who are in their senior year that they are eligible for the PULSE award if they meet the other criteria.
   

Selection committee members include: chair Frances Christman, Becki Corbin, Angie Ewing, Hal Kirkwood, Katherine Purple, Danielle Schiewer and Anna Subramaniam.

If you have questions please contact Frances Christman at frances@purdue.edu or Becki Corbin at rlcorbin@purdue.edu.

Teresa Koltzenburg
Director of Strategic Communication
Purdue University Libraries

My love for storytelling most likely took root in my early elementary years. I relished the grade-school morning show-and-tell sessions, and I often delivered my “shows” and “tells” in broadcast news anchor style. Once, I even composed a written “show-and-tell” piece, with illustrations, and read the entire story to my third-grade class. This resulted in a particularly lengthy show-and-tell session (and was the first and last time my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Allen, let that happen).

During my early storytelling years, I now recognize my content dissemination tactics yielded many stories with more style than substance. (I tried to be creative when crafting the all-important updates about Mr. and Mrs. Mittens, my cat protagonists, but let’s face it...their lives spent lounging on windowsills could only be covered in so many ways.)

These days, when planning and developing content, stories and communications in my daily work, I strive for quality and impact in both areas. I am thrilled that I get to continue to practice my love for and interest in telling stories and crafting communications here at Purdue University Libraries, where there are many amazing stories to share with Purdue students, alumni, faculty, staff and indeed, with people everywhere.

Over the last 10 years, I worked in media relations in higher education, as well as for a small to mid-size newspaper. Most recently, I served as the assistant director in Western Illinois University Relations’ office and as WIU’s social media manager. During that time, I also worked for “The Hawk Eye” — “Iowa’s oldest newspaper” — located in southeast Iowa, as that newspaper’s first new media manager. Because I was there in early 2008 for the Iowa caucuses, in the summer and fall of 2007, I had the opportunity to meet and interview President (then candidate) Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Fred Thompson, and John Edwards. That was an exciting job for a while!

From 2004-07, I served as the editor of a unit in the American Library Association’s publishing division/department in Chicago. The unit, ALA TechSource, at the time, published the journal “Library Technology Reports” and “Smart Libraries Newsletter.” In 2005, with four librarian authors, I founded and established the ALA TechSource Blog — the first blog to be published by the ALA.

Prior to working at the ALA, I worked as a writer/editor in business-to-business publishing, as well as in educational publishing, in Chicago. I started my media/publishing/communications career as a reporter for a small radio station in rural Illinois.

I grew up in a rural Illinois community along the banks of the Mississippi River. I also lived in Chicago for 11 years, and I like both rural and urban life. (The West Lafayette/Lafayette area seems to offer the best of both worlds.) Additionally, I am an animal lover (my family members frequently tease me about my “rescuing habits”), and I enjoy spending a lot of time with my pets (both cats and dogs). I also enjoy bicycling, walking/hiking in nature, reading and watching historical fiction, and spending time with my four nephews (who are 18, 16, 10 and 6) and my partner, Anthony, whose work for the International Ironworkers’ Union takes him all over the U.S.

My office is located in STEW 276 and I can be reached at tkoltzen@purdue.edu or 49-40069.

On Friday, January 6, Patty Glasson retired from her position as Head of Metadata Services after 10 years of service with the Purdue University Libraries.

Patty was hired in August 2006 as the Serials Cataloging Specialist by Pat Kantner, the then-Head of Technical Services. In 2009, Patty was promoted to Head of Metadata Services, and in 2012 she assumed responsibility of the Digital Initiatives unit (now Digital Programs) while also still overseeing the Metadata Services department. In both instances, staff left and Patty stepped in to take over leadership and management. We are very appreciative of Patty’s dedication and commitment to service to the Libraries, the profession, and her departments.

During the past 10 years, Patty has served on numerous committees: the Alma Development Team, the Primo Oversight Committee, the Big Ten Academic Alliance Heads of Cataloging group, and various search committees. Prior to Purdue, Patty worked as the Technical Services Librarian at Hanover College in Hanover, IN (1998-2006) as well as at the Jackson County Public Library in Seymour, IN (1993-1998).

Please join with me in recognizing Patty for her dedication and commitment to Purdue and our Libraries. Send your best wishes and congratulations to Patty at pjglasson@purdue.edu.

Jenny Jackson’s name was randomly drawn from all those who were SMILED upon in December. She received a $25 Von’s Book Shop gift certificate.

All faculty, administration and staff are invited to send a note of appreciation for a kindness or thoughtfulness given, assistance provided to or by a Libraries, Press or Copyright Office colleague.

To learn more about how to participate in our SMILE Program, please visit and bookmark this page on the Libraries intranet: http://intranet.lib.purdue.edu/display/HR/SMILE+Program/

Math Sciences Library display honoring Dr. King's legacy

"Hidden Figures: The Forgotten African American Women Mathematicians Who were Instrumental in Launching Early Space Flight." Created by Angie Ewing and Nastasha Johnson.