ANNOUNCEMENTS
- University Librarian Note
- Media Requests
- Revised Posting Policy
- Illinois Open Publishing Network: New Titles
- Cheers for Peers
- Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment
- Recognizing Excellence
- Senior Administrative Team Meeting Minutes
- Collection Development Committee Notes
- Content Access Policy & Technology Meeting Minutes
FACILITIES NEWS
BUSINESS NEWS
HR NEWS
- Filled Positions
- Departures
- Civil Service Vacancies
- Academic Professional and Faculty Open Postings
- In Memoriam
EVENTS AND TRAINING
- Staff Events Calendar
- AI Competencies for Library Workers (May 2)
- May 2025 Hub Trainings (May 2, 5, 9)
- Main Library Reading Room Closed (May 5)
- Let’s Have Coffee! (May 6, 20)
- Women in Science – May Lecture: Jennifer Hain Teper (May 6)
- De-Stress Fest (May 8)
- Critical Cataloging and the American Library Association Subject Analysis Committee (May 8)
- Preservation for ‘Hidden Spaces’: Working with LGBTQ+ Elders to Acquire, Process, Digitize, and Showcase Items on Queer Nightlife (May 13)
- Building Digital Archives with Minimal Staff (May 14–15)
- Bronze Tablet Viewing During Commencement (May 17–18)
- Library Instruction Collective Teaching Retreat (May 19–21)
- Library Diversity Residency Program Showcase (May 21)
- Reviving the Hennepin County Authority File (May 22)
- Performance Evaluation Training: Employee Sessions (May 27, 28, 29; June 3, 4, 5)
- Performance Evaluation Training: Supervisor Sessions (May 27, 28; June 3, 4, 5)
ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
I wish you a happy and productive May. This has been a difficult year for us all, with much uncertainty thanks to changes at the federal level. Thank you for continuing to push me for good information and for taking such good care of each other. I appreciate the stories and the concerns you have shared with me directly and hope our informal check-ins and more formal conversations in various settings are helping as much as anything can right now. Read more…
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Media Requests
Heather Murphy, Chief Communications Officer
If you are contacted by a journalist or student reporter, please let me know. In addition, you may find this “General Interview Notes and Reminders” document helpful: https://stratcom.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Media-Briefing-General-Interview-Notes-Reminders.docx
The campus-level Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing offers several media relations resources, including media training for faculty and interview preparation. Get in touch with me if you have an interest in either of these.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Revised Posting Policy
Mary Laskowski, Associate University Librarian for Operations and Services
The Administrative Council approved a new, revised University Library Posting Policy: https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/policy/university-library-posting-policy/. Please take a few minutes to read the new policy, and if you have any questions, please get in touch.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Illinois Open Publishing Network: New Titles
Dan Tracy, Head of Scholarly Communication and Publishing
The Illinois Open Publishing Network (IOPN) has published two new titles in April, one of which is part of the Mellon-funded AFRO PWW 2 grant in collaboration with the Department of African-American Studies. The second is a collaboration with our colleagues in the International and Area Studies Library. The titles and press releases can be found below.
- Peripheral Narratives and Knowledge Production in Soviet and Contemporary Central Asia, 1917–Present, edited by Eva Rogaar, Joe Lenkart, and Katherine Ashcraft (Read more about this title on the IOPN blog.)
- The Motherhood Aesthetic in Contemporary Black American Plays by La Tanya L. Reese Rogers and Tanya E. Walker (Read more about this title on the IOPN blog.)
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:
- Amy Dannowitz
- Damian Behymer
- JP Goguen
- Kristen Zidon
- Lincoln Machula
- Rhonda Jurinak
- Stuart Albert
To view the detailed Cheers for Peers submissions please view the Growing People blog.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Did You Know? A Monthly Factoid from Library Assessment

Following Preservation Services 90th anniversary and the exhibit celebrating their contributions to the Library, this month’s factoid will showcase some of the day-to-day work our colleagues put into keeping our physical collections healthy, intact, and accessible.
So far in FY25, Bindery Prep has processed 2,346 books and serials that now sit sturdy in the libraries. Most damaged general collections materials make their way to the commercial bindery if simple in-house triage is not sufficient, and Collections Care is responsible for assessing the damage, determining appropriate treatment, prepping the item for shipment and ensuring each item is ready to return to its home library.
Conservation has a vital role in keeping general collections materials healthy and handleable. Out of the 518 conservation treatments completed up through March, 200 were for general collections materials, including books, pamphlets, music, and maps. In the chart above, you can see general collections treatments are relatively quick, with 69% of treatments taking between 15 minutes and 2 hours, and 26% being even swifter. Of course, Conservation will spend as much time as it needs to restore an item, with 5% of general collections materials requiring extended treatment.
Special collections materials account for the 318 other treatments, often receiving repair and care during larger workflows like exhibit preparations or rehousing. Included in the chart are the 43 special collections treatments completed independently of these larger activities, including 39 “medium rare” treatments, an in-house category for special collections that have less complex requirements.
Thank you to Rachel Miller-Haughton, Quinn Ferris, Shelby Strommer, and Alyssa Brown for providing statistics and insight. Graphic created and text written by Gabriel Foster, Library Assessment Graduate Assistant.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence
- Lynne M. Thomas Finalist for 2025 Hugo Awards
- Stephanie M. Luke selected to 2025 Archives Leadership Institute at the University of Virginia
- Fall 2024 Library Instructors Ranked as Excellent
- Murphy Receives Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award
Please share your award, recognition, or grant! To initiate a request for publicity, employees (or their supervisors) should submit this Awards/Recognitions/Grants Publicity Request Form.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Senior Administrative Team Meeting Minutes
There are no new meeting minutes to share.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Collection Development Committee Notes
The most recent meeting minutes of the CDC are posted at:
https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/collection-development-committee/
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Content Access Policy & Technology Meeting Minutes
The meeting minutes of CAPT (including workgroup reports) are posted at:
https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/content-access-policy-technology-capt/
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.
BUSINESS NEWS: Professional Development Funds
Kim Johnson, Associate Director of Fiscal Operations
The last date that the Business Office will make travel arrangements is June 13, 2025. Please make sure you have your Professional Development form submitted, approved and a travel arrangement meeting scheduled before June 13.
To request use of Professional Development fund, please submit a Professional Development Funding and Travel Form.
Please note that the Business Office only approves the funding source and amount of the funds, we are not approving the actual travel and time away from the office. Travel should be approved by your supervisor prior to submitting the Professional Development Funding and Travel Form.
Borrowing from future funds is not allowed. The new allotment for FY26 Professional Development funds starts July 1, 2025.
BUSINESS NEWS: Real ID
Kim Johnson, Associate Director of Fiscal Operations
On May 7, 2025, U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities. Please review the information provided by the State of Illinois and share it with those in your unit who engage in university business travel and those who process travel reimbursements.
BUSINESS NEWS: Grants
Kim Johnson, Associate Director of Fiscal Operations
Due to changes at SPA, the Library Business Office requires that all complete proposal is provided to the Grants and Contracts Coordinator seven (7) business days in advance of the sponsor’s deadline in order to meet the new deadline requirements.
BUSINESS NEWS: Electronic Travel Authorization for UK Travel
Kim Johnson, Associate Director of Fiscal Operations
Starting January 8, 2025, U.S. citizens traveling to the United Kingdom for short visits, tourism, or business, including those just passing through UK airports, will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) if they do not have a UK visa or legal residency in the UK or the Republic of Ireland. This requirement applies to all parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland. The ETA is similar to the U.S. ESTA system and acts as a pre-clearance for travel. This change is part of the UK’s move towards a digital border system.
An Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA):
- May take up to three working days to process.
- Costs £10 ($12.75).
- Is required for travelers of all ages.
- Is valid for two years or the remaining period of validity on a passport, whichever is shorter; and
- Does not require travel details.
One does not need an ETA if they already have a visa, an exempt vignette, or have a British or Irish passport. Other nationalities that ordinarily require a visa to visit the UK will continue to do so and should not obtain an ETA.
For more information – and to apply for an ETA – go to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta.
Assistance:
State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
HR NEWS: Filled Positions
- Nick Day – Senior Audio, Video, and Emerging Technology Specialist – Library IT – Started April 7, 2025
- Mackenzie Williams – Senior Library Specialist – Complex Ordering and Management – Acquisitions and Cataloging Services – Starting April 28, 2025
- Nolan Vallier – Clinical Assistant Prof – Sousa Archives and Center for American Music – Starting May 19, 2025
- Julian Carrero – Library Specialist – Latin American and Western European Ordering/Cataloging with Language Specialty – Acquisitions and Cataloging Services – Starting June 9, 2025
HR NEWS: Departures
- Lisa Renee Kemplin – Library Operations Associate – IAS Library – Retiring, last day April 30, 2025
- Rachel Miller -Haughton – Visiting Faculty – Preservation Services – Resignation, last day May 2, 2025
- Laura Eichelberger – Accounting Officer – Business and Human Resources Service Center – Resignation, last day June 20, 2025
- David Lottes – Senior Library Specialist – ACS – Retiring, last day July 31, 2025
HR NEWS: Civil Service Vacancies
- Library Specialist – Slavic Cataloging – Acquisitions and Cataloging Services – Interviewing
HR NEWS: Academic Professional and Faculty Open Postings
- Medical & Biomedicine Librarian – Grainger Engineering Library – Closed without hire
- Applied Health Sciences Librarian – SSHEL – Pending Board of Trustee Approval
- Head – Acquisitions & Cataloging Services Librarian – ACS – Interviewing
HR NEWS: In Memoriam
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar
To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
EVENTS AND TRAINING: AI Competencies for Library Workers
May 2 at 1:00–2:30 p.m.
Registration
At the start of his term in June 2024, ACRL President Leo Lo established a task force to develop comprehensive AI competencies for library workers, aligning with the evolving needs of academic libraries. In this session, Dr. Lo and the co-chairs of the task force— Keven Jeffery and Jason Coleman—will present the most recent draft of the competencies, describe the processes used to create them, and discuss how they can be applied by library administrators, educators, faculty, and staff to help us and our patrons adapt to new ways of creating, consuming, analyzing, and describing information.
EVENTS AND TRAINING: May 2025 Hub Trainings
The Reference Management Team will be holding Spring 2025 Hub Trainings. The May sessions are listed below as well as in the Staff Calendar and on the welcome page for the Canvas course (see below).
We will once again be having one in-person session and one held via Zoom for each topic, with sessions taking place on Mondays from 2-3 p.m. and Fridays from 3-4 p.m. The same content is presented in both sessions so you can attend either the Monday or the Friday session. Registration is not required (Civil Service non-exempt staff should get permission from their supervisor before planning to attend).
If you have questions, you may contact the Reference Management Team (rmt@library.illinois.edu).
To enroll in the Canvas course associated with Hub Training, use this link: https://canvas.illinois.edu/enroll/YYL6RR. The course includes materials and recordings from past Hub Training sessions and will be updated to include the Spring 2025 sessions.
- May 2 at 3 PM: Searching with The Lens: The open source answer to comprehensive scholarly searching
- May 5 at 2 PM and May 9 at 3 PM: Exploring Bloomberg Law: An Introductory Guide
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Main Library Reading Room Closed
May 5 at 12:00–7:00 p.m.
More information
The Reading Room will be closed for a private event on May 5 from noon to 7pm. Before noon the study space will be limited to the South side of the room. Normal hours resume May 6. The Main Library building will be open normal hours May 5, with all other service points accessible to patrons. Parking in Lot E3 may be limited. Library digital resources remain available and can be accessed through the Library Gateway. Please adjust your schedule.
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Let’s Have Coffee!
These coffees are designed to help me get to know Library faculty, professional and Civil Service staff better. These are approved events; Civil Service non-exempt staff should get permission from their supervisor before signing up.
May 6 at 9:00–10:00 a.m.
Registration
Let Claire buy you a beverage (1:1): You pick, I buy! This one-on-one meeting will let us venture out together for get-to-know-you conversation. You pick the location and the beverage, Claire picks up the tab. We can leave campus, go for a walk-and-talk, hole up in your favorite campus café nook, connect over smoothies, or whatever you decide. If your plans change, you can cancel or reschedule any time before the event.
May 20 at 9:00–10:00 a.m.
Registration
Let’s have coffee! Coffee for 5 with Claire (small group): This monthly gathering is designed for casual, small-group conversations. These will be virtual on Teams and we hope you can join us there.
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Women in Science – May Lecture: Jennifer Hain Teper
May 6 at 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Registration
The May edition of the Women in Science Lecture Series will be given by Jennifer Hain Teper, Head of Preservation Services at the University of Illinois Library, who will discuss how she uses science in her work to conserve library collections and special collections. It will be held at 12pm CDT on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Please note this lecture will be hybrid – you can either attend in person in the University Archives (room 146, Main Library) or via Zoom (a link will be emailed to you after registration).
Contact Bethany Anderson (bgandrsn@illinois.edu) or Kristen Allen Wilson (klallen3@illinois.edu) with any questions.
EVENTS AND TRAINING: De-Stress Fest
May 8 at 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
More information
On Reading Day, take a study break to relax and refresh at the library’s end-of-semester tradition, De-Stress Fest! From animals, crafts, a film screening, music, VR, snacks, academic support, and more, there is something for everyone! Locations include: Funk Library – Grainger Engineering Library – Main Library – Music & Performing Arts Library. We hope to see you there!
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Critical Cataloging and the American Library Association Subject Analysis Committee
May 8 at 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Registration
There are many, many ways to contribute to “critical cataloging” efforts, from applying inclusive principles to daily cataloging work to participation in national and international organizations. Tina Gross will discuss some of the opportunities presented by the American Library Association Subject Analysis Committee (SAC) and its various sub-groups and activities, and reflect on her own experiences of attempting to make cataloging tools and practices more inclusive and user-focused through participation in such work.
This event is part of the Engaging with Critical Cataloging Past and Present webinar series which introduces Library of Congress Subject Headings from the perspective of catalogers engaged in subject authority work. Learn about some of the key historical figures and projects in Minnesota radical cataloging. Hear from contemporary catalogers inspired by this radical history to continue working towards critical, equitable, and respectful cataloging standards.
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Preservation for ‘Hidden Spaces’: Working with LGBTQ+ Elders to Acquire, Process, Digitize, and Showcase Items on Queer Nightlife
May 13 at 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Registration
Adam Beaty will detail his experiences as an MSLIS student independently leading two archival projects focused on LGBTQ materials: a digital collection named “Queer Nightlife in Champaign-Urbana, IL: 1973-2000”, and a digital exhibit named “LGBTQ Spaces in Champaign County”. He will discuss the project’s trajectory from archival research, connecting with community members, assessing materials, reformatting loaned items, writing inclusive metadata, and creating publicly accessible collections with limited resources. By discussing his experience, challenges, lessons learned, and implications for the field, Adam aims to highlight the importance of community-centered practices, ethical decision-making, and preservation strategies when working with archival materials from marginalized communities. Pat Cain, Archives Manager at the Champaign County Historical Archives, will provide insight about supporting student projects in community archives.
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Building Digital Archives with Minimal Staff
May 14–15 at 1:00–4:00 p.m.
Registration
Digitization can help bring your archival materials to life by making them accessible and easy to use in a variety of projects and settings. There are many reasons to start digitizing your institution’s holdings, and likely just as many stakeholders who would like to see this work performed. If you don’t have a digitization department this work can seem daunting—even if you do have a digitization department you might have good reasons to supplement their output. This workshop will cover getting started on digitization projects in the archives when you don’t have many resources.
We will cover equipment recommendations, digitization workflows, metadata, and platforms and tools for managing, accessing, and working with digitized or born digital materials. During the workshop we will discuss advocating for resources, project planning, and documentation, along with demonstrations and time for hands-on exploration of several content management systems.
This two-day workshop will be held on May 14 and May 15, 2025 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. (CDT) on each day. All sessions will be recorded. Here are the session descriptions for May 15, 2025.
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Bronze Tablet Viewing During Commencement
May 17–18 at 1:00–4:00 p.m.
More information
The Main Library first floor north-south corridor will be open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the Saturday and Sunday of Commencement weekend for photo opportunities with the Bronze Tablets.
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Library Instruction Collective Teaching Retreat
May 19–21 at 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
- May 19: Join us for a celebration of instruction over the past academic year with food and morning beverages! We’ll share teaching successes and winning approaches for library instruction lesson plan design and delivery. Next we’ll lay the groundwork for the following two days of the retreat, focusing on library instruction assessment and addressing AI in our instruction.
- May 20: We will focus on library instruction assessment with Lisa Hinchliffe.
- May 21: We will focus on how to include AI in our library instruction–yes, you can do it!–with David Ward and Yali Feng.
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Library Diversity Residency Program Showcase
May 21 at 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Residents for 2022-2025:
- Grainger IDEA Lab Experiential Learning and Engagement Librarian: Celenia Graves
- Preservation Outreach and Engagement Librarian: Rachel Miller-Haughton
The University Library’s Residency Program is designed to expand professional pathways for early-career librarians from historically underrepresented backgrounds. This program provides residents with hands-on professional experience, mentorship, and career development opportunities in academic librarianship. As a member of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Diversity Alliance, the University Library supports its mission to promote inclusive hiring practices and professional growth in the field. More information about the ACRL Diversity Alliance can be found at www.ala.org/acrl/issues/diversityalliance.
What attendees can expect:
- For each resident: 10 minute presentation, 5 minute Q&A
- Showcase flyers: wall space or trifolds
- Time for attendees to examine physical portfolio pieces: Celenia’s residency poster, Rachel’s preservation workshop demos
- Light refreshments
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Reviving the Hennepin County Authority File
May 22 at 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Registration
Sanford Berman and his colleagues at Hennepin County Library (HCL) created a unique subject authority file for the HCL collection (1973 to 1999) and demonstrated that a catalog is far more than a list of holdings or a list of terms. David Lesniaski will give a short overview of the process used to recreate this catalog, but will focus on examples demonstrating the utility of a catalog that links subject headings to each other and to relevant bibliographic records in a coherent and user-friendly manner. He argues that a catalog, at its best, shows relationships between terms and leads users from what they know to an expanded conceptual map of vocabulary, concepts, and bibliographic items relevant to their inquiry. The HCL catalog and subject authority file can still serve as a model for subject authority practice today, because of the sustained intellectual effort of Sanford and his colleagues over several decades. A catalog of alternative terms that show conceptual relationships could be more useful to practicing catalogers than the plethora of vocabulary lists currently circulating.
This event is part of the Engaging with Critical Cataloging Past and Present webinar series which introduces Library of Congress Subject Headings from the perspective of catalogers engaged in subject authority work. Learn about some of the key historical figures and projects in Minnesota radical cataloging. Hear from contemporary catalogers inspired by this radical history to continue working towards critical, equitable, and respectful cataloging standards.
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Performance Evaluation Training: Employee Sessions
This training is intended for all Library Academic Professionals and Civil Service employees. It will provide an overview of the new performance evaluation form with updated criteria and ratings that will be used starting in 2025-2026 evaluation year. Attendance is strongly recommended to learn about these changes and their impact to you as the employee. A total of 6 training sessions are offered for employees (4 in-person, 2 virtual). All cover the same material so you only need to attend one session. Please arrange your work schedule and responsibilities with your supervisor so you can attend a session. For any questions, please contact susanb3@illinois.edu.
- May 27 at 1:00–2:00 p.m. – Main Library 106 [In-Person]
- May 28 at 2:00–3:00 p.m. – Main Library 106 [In-Person]
- May 29 at 3:00–4:00 p.m. – Main Library 106 [In-Person]
- June 3 at 10:00–11:00 a.m. – Main Library 428 [In-Person]
- June 4 at 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. – Virtual
- June 5 at 4:00–5:00 p.m. – Virtual
EVENTS AND TRAINING: Performance Evaluation Training: Supervisor Sessions
This training is intended for Library supervisors of Academic Professionals and Civil Service employees. It will provide an overview of the new performance evaluation form with updated criteria and ratings that will be used starting in 2025-2026 evaluation year. Attendance is strongly recommended to learn about these changes and their impact to you as the supervisor. A total of 5 training sessions are offered (3 in-person, 2 virtual). All cover the same material so you only need to attend one session. For any questions, please contact susanb3@illinois.edu.
Library Office Notes will be distributed via the liballemployee listserv beginning with the November 2024 edition.
If you would like to submit content for the June issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy and Marisa Modugno by May 27, 2025.