ANNOUNCEMENTS: Thank You!

A moment to recognize the people behind the Library’s work. Thank you to all of our employees for the talent, commitment, and collaboration you bring every day.

This photo was taken at the 2025 Summer Social in front of the Main Library’s east entrance. It was included in the time capsule installed in the building’s cornerstone this summer. See additional time capsule installation photos here.

Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Building Project Update

Tom Teper, Associate Dean and Associate University Librarian for Collections and Technical Services

Just a brief update this month. The project continues apace with work nearing the 60% completion point. There is, honestly, little to report as we continue to hit milestones that bring us closer to project completion.

The big news is that the University recently executed a contract with Hallett Movers to begin planning the move of collections starting in late summer/fall 2027. With that contract in place, meetings are starting with the firm to give them an understanding of the environment, us an intimate understanding of their workflow and procedures, and everyone an opportunity to begin building the working relationship necessary to ensure we are able to effectively relocate the collections once construction is completed.

There are no new photos this month, but we will have a large batch for October 1^st.

Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Illinois Data Bank Celebrates 10 Years

The Illinois Data Bank, a public access repository for publishing research data from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary. 

Managed by the Research Data Service at the University Library, the Illinois Data Bank leverages the Library’s digital preservation system and operates within a robust policy framework that articulates the University’s commitment to providing persistent and reliable access to research data. The Illinois Data Bank has collected more than 1,200 datasets since 2016. Read more…

Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Popular Culture Collections

Explore the Library’s growing Popular Culture collections! From cookbooks, comics, and Manga to movies, bestselling fiction and non-fiction, tabletop games, television series, video games, game consoles, and zines, there’s something for every interest. Browse materials from libraries and locations across campus and discover your next favorite read, watch, play, or creative inspiration.

Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Cheers for Peers

Library Human Resources is happy to announce this month’s Cheers for Peers submissions. The following Library employees have been cheered by their peers:

• Adrienne Esserine

To view the detailed Cheers for Peers submissions, please view the Growing People blog.

Back to Top

Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence

Please share your award, recognition, or grant! To initiate a request for publicity, employees (or their supervisors) should submit the Recognizing Excellence Submission Form.

Back to Top

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Meeting Minutes (SAT, CDC, CAPT)

Please see the following URLs for the most recent meeting minutes of these groups:

• Senior Administration Team (SAT): library.illinois.edu/committees/committees/senior-administration-team
• Collection Development Committee (CDC): library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/collection-development-committee/
• Content Access Policy & Technology (CAPT) (including workgroup reports): library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/content-access-policy-technology-capt/

Back to Top

FACILITIES NEWS: Facilities Update

Tim Newman, Assistant Dean of Libraries for Facilities

For a complete list of projects in planning and construction, please visit wordpress.library.illinois.edu/staff/facilities.

Back to Top

BUSINESS NEWS: Library Purchasing Process

Kim Johnson, Associate Director of Fiscal Operations

The University Library has 3 primary areas that make the bulk of the Library’s non-collection purchases: the Library Business Office, the Library Stores/Facilities, and Library IT.

Non-technology related purchases (items and services)* that have typically gone through the Library Business Office or the Library Stores/Facilities should be entered into the Purchasing App (my.library.illinois.edu/purchasing/), which is part of the My.Library portal. After using the Illinois Login, “Purchasing” is located under the Finance toolbar.  Once in the system, the request will be directed to the correct area (Business Office or Library Stores/Facilities) to process the order.

The Purchasing application provides a better process for sending requests through the approval queues, as well as tracking requests.  Requesters can see where their transaction is in the process.  Once the transaction/order has been processed, the application will be updated with the transaction number, and an email will be sent to the requester.

*Non-technology items include but are not limited to: office supplies, including paper, toner, ink; specialty department supplies; and office equipment. Services include but are not limited to: business cards; printing; transcription; contracts/service contracts; catering; travel/lodging for events; room rentals; sponsorships; writing services; advertising/marketing; travel awards; software usage licenses (paid on funds other than Library IT); conference registration; graphic design; employee reimbursements; bus rentals; and proofreading.

All technology-related purchases (equipment and software)** should go through Library IT.  Purchase inquiries should be directed to Library IT via the Library IT Help Desk, help@library.illinois.edu, TDX Ticket, or 217-244-4688.

**All information technology equipment (computers, laptops, scanners, printers, bar code readers, cameras, etc.) and software paid for with Library IT funds (software licenses, software as a service subscription, etc.)

The exceptions to the technology purchases are:

• Standard meeting/phone devices for individual users on the predefined list may be ordered by Library Stores/Facilities through the Purchasing App.
• Staff printer supplies (paper, toner, ink, etc.) may be ordered by Library Stores/facilities through the Purchasing App using your Unit’s C-FOP.
  • For Public Printers, please submit a ticket to Library IT to request toner.
• Media Commons and IDEA Lab related purchases should be ordered by Business Office through the Purchasing App.
• Personal purchases can be made on the WebStore by individuals.

Any Library Collection item will continue to be purchased through Acquisitions/Collections. See the Acquisitions page for additional information: library.illinois.edu/staff/acquisitions/

Directions on how to submit a request in the Purchasing App can be found on the Library Business Office website: library.illinois.edu/staff/bhrsc-business-services/.  If you have questions on how to use the Purchasing App, please contact the Business Office (bhrsc@library.illinois.edu).

Back to Top

HR NEWS: Filled Positions

• Sara Ostermeier – Visiting Music & Performing Arts Special Collections Librarian – MPAL – started August 16, 2026
• Amahlia Su – Library Specialist, Overnights – GELIC – starting August 25, 2026

Back to Top

HR NEWS: Departures

• Susanne Belovari – FAC – University Archives – Retiring, last day September 25, 2026
• Christina Bonse – Office Support Associate – Main Library Amin – Resigned, Last day August 28, 2026
• Hannah Burnett – Library Specialist – Funk ACES Library – Resigned, last day August 14, 2026
• Victor Riveros Silvero – Sr Web App Developer – Library IT – Resigned, last day August 14, 2026 

Back to Top

HR NEWS: Civil Service Vacancies

• Senior Library Specialist – Funk ACES Library – Interviewing
• Accountant I – BHRSC – Interviewing

Back to Top

HR NEWS:  Academic Professional and Faculty Open Postings

• Engineering Instruction and Outreach Librarian – Grainger Library – Finalizing Search

Back to Top

HR NEWS: In Memoriam

• D’Anne Winston

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar

To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit libcal.library.illinois.edu/calendar/staff.

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Word for Intermediates – Microsoft 365

September 1 at 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Registration/More Information

CARLI PDA Event. This session is part of the Microsoft 365 for SEFLIN Libraries Series, an 8-week professional development program for SEFLIN librarians, educators, and library staff. Designed to enhance productivity and service delivery, each 60-minute session combines direct instruction with hands-on practice. Hosted by SEFLIN. Presenter: Jonathan Gordon

Week 8: Word for Intermediates

• Focus: Building complex documents and streamlining repetitive tasks.
• Styles and Themes: Using styles and generating a Table of Contents.
• Structural Layout: Using Section Breaks.
• Mail Merge: Creating personalized outreach communications.
• Collaboration: Track Changes and Comments.
• Practice (15 mins): Apply heading styles and insert an automatic Table of Contents.

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Preparing for April: Developing Workflows & Quick Wins with Web Accessibility

September 2 at 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Registration/More Information

The April 2027 digital accessibility deadline is approaching quickly. If you are feeling overwhelmed by compliance requirements, you aren’t alone. The secret to meeting accessibility standards without burning out your staff is shifting from a mindset of panic to one of sustainable progress. Web accessibility isn’t a one-and-done project; it is an ongoing process built on small, manageable habits.

Designed specifically for public libraries and smaller academic institutions operating with limited staff and resources, this session breaks down daunting standards into clear, bite-sized action plans. You will learn how to audit your current digital footprint, establish realistic workflows, and secure early “quick wins” that make an immediate impact for your patrons.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the core principles of accessibility in The POUR Framework (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust) in plain, practical terms:
• Shift your organizational mindset to focus on incremental improvements that prevent compliance panic.
• Discover strategies to build team-wide buy-in and share the responsibility across departments.
• Learn how to audit your website’s content and build workflows that keep future content accessible.
• Get introduced to free and low-cost tools to simplify testing and streamline your everyday tasks.

Presenter: Craig Hayward. Hosted by NC LIVE. CARLI PDA Event

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Devi S. Laskar presents Midnight at the War

September 9 at 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Registration/More Information

Join us for a lively and timely talk with award-winning author and Illinois’ alumna Devi Laskar on her new novel Midnight, At the War. Set in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, an event which had a profound impact on U.S. engagement and policy in the Middle East and South Asia, Laskar’s novel is informed by her own experiences as a journalist in the 1990s and early aughts. Her newest novel follows the story of Rita Das, a foreign correspondent working in the Middle East who must grapple not only with the cultural and political changes sweeping through the United States at that time, but also with her own complicated relationships with family and grief. 

This talk will be featured in person and on Zoom. There will be a reception and book signing following the talk. For those who can’t attend in person, you can join us on Zoom for a live stream of the lecture portion of the event. This event is free and open to the public.

We welcome walk-ins and encourage registrations so we can plan accordingly: RSVP here to attend in person or join on Zoom. This program was made possible thanks to the support of the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and the Asian American Cultural Center.

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Coffee for 5 with Claire

• September 10 at 9:00–10:00 a.m.
• September 23 at 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Let’s have a chat! This gathering is designed for casual, small-group conversations. These will be held virtually on Zoom. 

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Training that Sticks – Improving Onboarding for Staff Online

September 10 at 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Registration/More Information

This program will examine the successes and failures of training new employees. Attendees will learn barriers to training, common mistakes to avoid, effective training strategies to implement, appropriate training timelines, and how to create a more effective training program for their library staff.

Presenter: Madeline Sims. Hosted by FLVC. CARLI PDA Event.

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Storytelling with Impact: Using Data and Community Voices to Strengthen Your Library

September 10 at 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Registration/More Information

Libraries collect meaningful data every day, but data alone rarely inspires action. This webinar explores how to combine quantitative evidence with authentic community stories to communicate your library’s impact, advocate for resources, build partnerships, and engage stakeholders. Drawing from real-world examples from libraries and community initiatives across North Carolina, participants will learn a practical framework for identifying compelling stories, incorporating publicly available and local data, and tailoring messages to different audiences – from funders and policymakers to community members and staff. Whether you’re writing a grant, presenting to a board, or sharing your library’s successes, you’ll leave with strategies for creating stories that are both evidence-based and memorable.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize opportunities to use storytelling to strengthen advocacy, strategic planning, community engagement, and partnership development.
• Identify the essential elements of an effective, data-informed story that communicates library impact.
• Locate and incorporate meaningful data sources, including library metrics, community data, and publicly available datasets, to strengthen storytelling.
• Develop audience-specific messages that resonate with funders, policymakers, community partners, library boards, staff, and patrons.
• Apply a practical storytelling framework to create a compelling story that highlights a program, service, or community partnership from their own library.

Presenter: Erin Huggins. Hosted by NC LIVE. CARLI PDA Event.

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Purchasing App Training

September 10 at 2:30–3:30 p.m.
Registration/More Information

Please join us to learn how to better use the purchasing app. A representative from the Business Office will walk you through the process for using the purchasing app. If you have questions, please reach out to Melanie Kuehn at mkuehn@illinois.edu.

Upcoming Trainings

• Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 2:30–3:30 p.m. – Main Library 314
• Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 2:30–3:30 p.m. – Online. This training will have a special focus on the ILA conference.
• Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 2:30–3:30 p.m. – Online

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Global CU: Neighbors Connecting Through Cultures and Stories

September 13 at 2:00–4:30 p.m.
Registration/More Information

Explore the World Through Conversations and Fun! Inspired by the Human Library®, have a conversation with international neighbors and celebrate the diverse origins of everyone in our community! Neighbors at this event will be sharing various aspects about their personal stories and heritage cultures. Adults and kids are welcome to learn about different countries’ culture, language, cuisine, and more!

Join us for this free event co-sponsored by the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs; Illinois International: Office of Global Relations; Urbana Free Library; and New American Welcome Center, University YMCA as part of Welcoming Week 2026.

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Library Friends Webinar – The Alchemy of Preservation: The Journey of Sir Isaac Newton’s Alchemical Manuscript at Illinois

September 17 at 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Registration/More Information

Join Lynne M. Thomas, Head of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Ruthann Mowry, Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, and Quinn Ferris, Senior Conservator in the department of Library Preservation, for a roundtable discussion of the historical context, acquisition and intensive conservation process for Sir Isaac Newton’s manuscript translation of an alchemical text, Opus Galli anonymi, (ca. 1650), held in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. In addition to this object requiring a chemically complex intervention to stabilize the degradation of Iron Gall Ink, Conservation staff planned, scripted, filmed, and edited the treatment into a feature-length documentary, which is now freely available on The University of Illinois Preservation’s YouTube page.

By valuing both creativity and preservation, universities can ensure their stories endure. Attendees will leave with ideas for fostering partnerships that not only document the present but also preserve it for the future.

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Archives and Special Collections Building Tour

• September 17 at 3:00–4:00 p.m.
• September 29 at 10:00–11:00 a.m.

Tom Teper and Tim Newman are leading a series of tours for Library employees to view the new Archives and Special Collections Building. Attendees will meet in the Library Gallery to begin.

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Flying by the Seat of Our Pants: Assessing Early Career Librarians’ Readiness for Management Roles

September 22 at 2:00–3:00 p.m.
Registration/More Information

As academic libraries face ongoing retirements and organizational restructuring, early career librarians are increasingly assuming supervisory or managerial responsibilities earlier in their careers. Yet questions remain about how prepared they feel for these roles and what kind of support contributes most to their confidence and effectiveness. This presentation reports the results of a national survey conducted in 2024 exploring early career academic librarians’ perceptions of their readiness for management. The survey gathered quantitative and qualitative data from over 70 respondents with fewer than ten years of professional experience across a range of academic library settings. Findings suggest that while many early career librarians find themselves in management positions, fewer feel adequately equipped to take them on.

This presentation will share key data themes on how library managers did and did not feel prepared, highlight respondent narratives, and discuss possible implications for library administrators, professional associations, and LIS programs. There will also be opportunities for participants to discuss their own management situations and brainstorm how to best support new incoming managers. Attendees will gain insight into how institutions can better support leadership development for early career professionals and foster more intentional management onboarding within academic libraries.

Presenters: Cathy Austin & Lauren Geiger. Hosted by FLVC. CARLI PDA Event.

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Plain Language Toolkit for Librarians: Practical Tools to Improve Understanding, Engagement, and Trust

September 24 at 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Registration/More Information

Effective communication is at the heart of every library service. This webinar explores practical plain language strategies and introduces librarians to tools that support clear, accessible communication across programs, instruction, outreach, and resource development. Participants will learn how to transform complex information into user-friendly content, enhance the readability and visual design of library materials, and foster a culture of clear communication among staff. Through real-world examples and actionable techniques, attendees will discover how plain language promotes equity, improves user experiences, and strengthens the library’s role as a trusted community resource.

Learning Objectives:

• Define the principles of plain language and explain its role in improving access, engagement, and trust in library services.
• Apply practical strategies to simplify complex information while maintaining accuracy and meaning.
• Evaluate and enhance the readability and visual design of library materials, programs, and communications.
• Identify tools and techniques that support staff training and the integration of plain language into library instruction, outreach, and resource creation

Presenter: Jessica Daly. Hosted by FLVC. CARLI PDA Event.

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Exhibit Opening — “I could people the hours with creations”: Celebrating Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

September 24 at 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Registration/More Information

Please join us for an opening reception to celebrate the acquisition of the first edition of Frankenstein and explore the life and career of Mary Shelley. Exhibit curator Lynne Thomas will give brief remarks, and refreshments will be served. This exhibit will be on display through Summer 2027.

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: 36th Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture

September 26 at 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Registration/More Information

Jeff Chiba Stearns, Animation and Documentary Filmmaker, Author and Illustrator, will present the 36th Annual Mortenson Distinguished Lecture, Animation Meditation: 25 Years of Exploring Mixed-Race Identity and Japanese Canadian History Through Visual Storytelling. This year’s Lecture also serves as the keynote speech for the Youth Literature Festival community day. This is a hybrid event; please join us at the I Hotel or online via Zoom.

Also, don’t miss a film screening of “One Big Hapa Family” and a discussion on September 24 at 5:45 p.m. at the School of Information Sciences.

Back to Top

EVENTS AND TRAINING: Youth Literature Festival Community Day

September 26
Registration/More Information

The Youth Literature Festival, co-sponsored by the University Library, brings award-winning authors of youth literature to area schools in a three-day event, culminating in a Community Day Celebration on September 26 with author panels, activities for kids, and performances to share with the whole family. A biennial event, the Festival is provided without cost to participants or school districts thanks to volunteers and generous sponsors.

Back to Top