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A STAFF E-NEWSLETTER MARCH 5, 2018

RIGHTSIZING PROGRESS?

BY VICKI KILLION

Sammie MorrisSix library spaces minus four library spaces = three library collections

No, it isn’t new math; it’s what has been happening with the Rightsizing Project the past few months. As of February 2018, four libraries (CHEM, EAPS, PNHS, LIFE) are closed and vacated. That is, the spaces have been closed and vacated. PHYS will be vacated by this summer, but LIFE still exists as a library collection housed alongside the ENGR collection in Potter.

Several times in 2017, the space planning division of the University’s physical facilities unit approached us about vacating LIFE early. Since we were in the middle of moving into Wilmeth and vacating three other spaces, we said: “No, the date agreed upon was May 2018.” In mid-October we (Nanette Andersson and Vicki Killion) were directed to vacate LIFE by the end of the year, i.e., December 2017. The reason? The Agricultural and Biological Engineering building (ABE) would be undergoing a major renovation ($80 million, 2 years) and space was needed for the faculty, graduate students and staff.  LIFE was chosen and we needed to vacate.

After explaining that the process of selecting, withdrawing, and transferring thousands of volumes was detailed, data driven, time consuming, and demanded accurate editing of the Libraries’ database, we essentially said there was not enough time, staff, or Libraries funding to hire professional movers and meet the imposed deadline. And they replied that they would pay for professional movers!

We agreed the entry level of the library would be cleared by Libraries staff by November 17. Victoria Thomas and Robin Meher immediately began transferring/withdrawing the remaining reference books and indexes. The worst part of the process was probably the breakroom with its cabinets and shelves filled with remnants of supply orders and those left over bits and pieces that no one wanted, but no one ever threw away. Closets filled with boxes of agriculture extension publications that are probably duplicates, but that we need to compare to our existing print and digital collections; file cabinets holding CD-ROMs and microfiche; partition walls, service counter, desks, tables, chairs—all this and more were removed by Jacinda Laymon and her crew within a three-week time period.

The professional moving company from Indianapolis arrived on December 18 to begin what would be a week-long transfer of 4,200 linear feet of journals and books to ENGR. With only a few minor shelving mistakes, the collection from LIFE remained in call number order for the books and alphabetical order for the journal titles. The holdings still display in Primo and users can request items for check-out or document delivery.

We are gradually emptying PHYS and it will soon be home to some HKRP staff as the long anticipated and frequently delayed renovation is scheduled to begin over spring break. Staff continue to work on the LIFE and ENGR collections. The next big move will be when HKRP is finished and the collections in Potter are moved into the new shelving area sometime in the fall semester (hopefully).

MEET NIKKI JOHNSON, LIBRARIAN AT THE BLACK CULTURAL CENTER LIBRARY

Nikki Johnson, Black Cultural Center LibrarianThroughout history, libraries have often provided a way for historically disenfranchised individuals and groups to gain access to knowledge and information.

“So the library helps you to see, not only that you are not alone, but that you’re not really any different from everyone else,” noted the poet and author Maya Angelou in the 2014 “American Libraries” article “Remembering Maya Angelou.” In it, the author of the piece, Mariam Pera, looks back at how Angelou valued and spoke about libraries and education during her life.

A unique part of the overall Purdue Libraries’ collections at Purdue University are the materials in the Black Cultural Center Library, located on the second floor of the Black Cultural Center on campus. With more than 7,000 books, journals, and media, the BCC Library includes materials and information dedicated to African-American culture and experiences and his managed by BCC Librarian E. Nikki Johnson, who came to Purdue last November.

According to Johnson, last month (Black History Month), the BCC exhibited banned books written by African-American authors. Incidentally, Pera’s “American Libraries” article notes that Angelou has been “one of the most frequently challenged authors (and authors of color) of the 20th and 21st centuries,” per the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

“The goal [of this exhibit] was to stimulate discussion about the content of these literary works and why they were considered for censorship,” explained Johnson.

With the BCC’s 50th anniversary falling in 2019, Johnson has arrived at Purdue in time to help plan this important milestone celebration for the Black Cultural Center.

Below is a brief Q&A with Johnson, in which she shares a bit about her background and her interest in library and information science and African-American collections and studies and, briefly, plans for the Golden Anniversary milestone the Purdue community will commemorate next year.

Q. Tell me a little bit about your background and how you came to serve in your current position at Purdue.

Johnson: I have always been very strongly attached to the discipline of African-American history, culture, and social impact. As an undergraduate student, I declared a double major in political science and African and African-American studies. This decision caused me to fully appreciate and embrace my academic journey, and it helped me to define my professional goals.

Upon completion of my degree, I became both familiar with and fond of the authentic academic research process, which led me to my interest in library and information science. I was encouraged by my undergraduate professor and mentor to consider a career as an academic librarian, as she recognized my desire to cultivate a professional presence within a scholarly environment. I was grateful for her direction because it provided me with purpose for my goals, and I gladly accepted her guidance and completed my graduate degree in library and information science.

Considering how these experiences and ambitions culminated, pursuing the position of librarian at Purdue’s Black Cultural Center felt incredibly consistent with my academic and professional journey, and I am privileged to serve and develop within this role.

Q. What are some of your favorite materials in the BCC Library’s collections?

Johnson: I am still in the preliminary stage of exploring our collection, but at this time I am most fond of our assortment of vinyl records. I have a collection very similar to it at home, and I closely identify with the genre of music within it.

Q. What is information about the BCC Library you would like to impart to the Purdue campus, perhaps information that may not be widely known?

Johnson: The BCC Library has a collection of “Debris” yearbooks that are available for circulation. The issues that we have available to patrons date back to 1955.

Q. In 2019, the BCC will have reached an important milestone at Purdue. What are the plans to celebrate the BCC and BCC Library?

Johnson: Next year, the BCC will celebrate its 50th Anniversary as a vital resource to Purdue University. We are working to create a calendar of events that will commemorate the existence and contributions of the Black Cultural Center and how it has served and will continue to impact this campus and community.

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS

Tracy GrimmCarly DearbornLast week, Tracy Grimm (left), Barron Hilton Archivist for Flight and Space Exploration, and Carly Dearborn (right), Digital Preservation and Electronic Records Archivist, spoke at the opening panel session of “To Boldly Preserve: Archiving for the Next Half-Century of Space Flight” Conference. The conference’s opening panel session also featured NASA Chief Historian Dr. Bill Barry and Head Archivist for the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Archives Marilyn Graskowiak.

Invited to present at the conference, Tracy and Carly delivered “The Best of Our Energies and Skills: Coordinated & Sustainable Preservation of Aerospace History.”

To Boldly Preserve was sponsored by the National Science Foundation and was held at the American Institute for Physics in College Park, Maryland.

 

 

 

CONTENTS

 

STRATEGIC GOAL ICONS

You will notice the use of these icons before the article that are symbolic of our Libraries strategic goals.

SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATION: We enhance the spectrum of scholarly communication from discovery to delivery through the provision of information resources, services, research, partnerships, and national and international leadership. We advocate the change in scholarly communication to promote economic sustainability, effective use of copyright, and open access to knowledge for all.

ENGAGEMENT AND EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES:We commit our resources and expertise in Library, Information, and Archival Sciences to advance the profession and contribute to the welfare and economic development of the citizens and state of Indiana, the nation, and the world.

LEARNING:We contribute to student success and lifelong learning through innovative educational practices. Our research-based information literacy programming empowers Purdue's diverse communities of learners to use information critically to learn and to create new knowledge. Our learning spaces, both virtual and physical, align with evolving curricula and student learning needs.

INFRASTRUCTURE: Libraries staff working together to enhance the users experience, raise awareness of Purdue Libraries and recognize the continued learning and successes of our staff.

 

OFF THE SHELF

NEW STAFF
Matthew Hannah, Digital Humanities Specialist/Assistant Professor, HSSEB – March 1, 2018

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Graduating Student Assistant Recognition
Deadline: Friday, March 9
Questions to Elaine Bahler
ECBahler@prf.org

 

EVENTS AND EXHIBITS

Women’s History Month; Leaders Who Shaped Purdue
Mullins Reading Room, LIbrary of Engineering and Science, Wilmeth Active Learning Center (starting ~March 9)

Mobile Making Workshop: 3D-Printed Jewelry and Keychains
1-4 p.m. Thursday, March 8 and 22
WALC, first floor

Annual Staff Awards Luncheon
11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Tuesday, March 27
South Ballroom, PMU

One Book Higher Poster Session
10-11:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 27
South Ballroom, PMU

 

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

Clarence Maybee published IMPACT Learning: Librarians at the Forefront of Change in Higher Education (Chandos Publishing)

Tracy Grimm and Carly Dearborn presented at the "To Boldly Preserve" Conference in College Park, Maryland. Their presentation was titled: "The Best of our Energies and Skills: Coordinated and Sustainable Preservation of Aerospace History"

 

LIBRARIES IN THE NEWS

Purdue Today
Purdue University Research Repository Gets a Makeover (March 6)

 

LINK LETTER

Submit your LINK Letter here

 

SMILE AWARD

Submit your SMILE nomination here

 

WHAT'S COOKING?

Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe – 5 Ingredients

 

COPY DEADLINE

Copy for the next issue is due by noon, Monday, March 12. Send to Teresa Koltzenburg at tkoltzen@purdue.edu