July Library Office Notes


ANNOUNCEMENTS

HR NEWS

IT NEWS

FACILITIES

EVENTS AND TRAINING


ANNOUNCEMENTS: University Librarian Note
Recently, Kyle Rimkus shared a document laying out a strategy for repository development. That document, the result of months of discussion and planning by the Library’s faculty and staff working on repository services, articulated a vision for something broader than a repository, a vision where we will commit ourselves to building and deploying “a single curation platform … that unifies archival management, institutional repository management, digital collections management, research data management, and digital preservation.” This is an exciting strategy and I want to share a few thoughts with you about the direction. Read more…
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Library Advancement Update
Scott Koeneman, Assistant Dean of Libraries for Advancement

Thanksgiving Card:
July is upon us with high temperatures and sweltering humidity. So, of course, it is time to be thinking about advancement’s annual “Thanksgiving” card. And we’d like your help identifying the artwork for this year.

Advancement sends these out every year, in lieu of a holiday card, just before Thanksgiving to say thank you to all of our donors and to encourage them to think of the University Library as they consider their year-end giving. In the past we have used art that has come from the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, the Student Life and Culture Archives, and others.

We are collecting suggestions for this year’s card cover. Is there something in your collection that illustrates giving thanks that you think would work? Please feel free to reach out to me or Heather Murphy with your suggestions.

Year End:
As we all know, July 1 marks the end of the fiscal year. I wanted to share with all of you our year-end numbers.

Annual Fund (current use cash gifts under $25,000)
Total Raised: $546,039.92
Total Unique Donors: 1,419
Total Unique Gifts: 2,031

New Business (including cash gifts, new endowments, and bequests)
Total Raised (FY2018): $4,443,361
Percent of Goal (2018): 177.73
Cumulative for Campaign: $14,701,839
Percent of Goal (Campaign): 42.01

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions, ideas or potential donor prospects you think we should be working with.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Style Guide and Templates Now Available
Heather Murphy, Chief Communications Officer

I’m pleased to announce the availability of some new tools to help Library staff produce more consistent and professional communications:
a style guide (for print) and templates (PPTs, brochures, bookmarks, digital signs, flyers, etc.).

You can find these on the internal Communications web page at:
https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/administration/communications/

Please note, the style guide is a dynamic document (e.g., additional proof points and naming conventions will be added).

Let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to your feedback on all of these new branding assets!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Note from the Organizational Development & Training Coordinator
Jake MacGregor, Organizational Development & Training Coordinator

I recently started as your Organizational Development & Training Coordinator. On both a professional and personal level, I’m excited about joining the Library – an organization that has played such an important role in my educational experiences at Illinois. If I haven’t met you yet, I hope to soon. I’m touring Library buildings and plan on visiting division meetings in the near future. In the meantime, please feel free to email me at jdmac@illinois.edu or visit me in 446 Main. As I settle into my new position, I will follow up with more information about the efforts with which I’m helping and my overall role. I look forward to working with you!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Robert Howerton Scholarship for Library Pre-Professional Graduate Assistant Research
Robert Howerton worked as a Senior Library Specialist at the University Library for 15 years. In this capacity, Robert cataloged Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies materials, and mentored graduate students in the pre-professional program. He was passionate about education, music, and public service. His generosity and remarkable patience helped graduate students thrive and succeed as young professionals. Some of these students are now librarians and catalogers. Robert’s story is a testament to the many positive roles played by civil service staff on a daily basis.

The scholarship is designed to support pre-professional graduate assistants as they do research projects in reference and technical services with the goal of publishing their work. The Research and Publications Committee will administer the scholarship. Please contact the Office of Library Advancement at 217-333-5682 if you would like to donate to this fund.

Eligibility requirements:

  • Restricted to students with a pre-professional graduate assistantship position at the University Library;
  • Candidates must intend to pursue a career as reference or technical service professionals, and to present their project findings in the form of a research paper at a local, regional, or international conference or in an LIS journal;
  • Research projects should target improving access to library services and collections.

Possible funding targets:

  • Travel to archives and other institutions for research;
  • Incentives for subject participation;
  • Purchase of materials or ancillary cost.

The number of proposals the committee approves will determine the amount of funding of up to $500 per grant.

This is not a travel grant. Please contact the iSchool or the Graduate College to learn about funding for conference-related travel grants.

Students should go to https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/4471890 to apply. The deadline for submission is September 1, 2018.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: New Safari Platform/Old Safari Sunset Date
Tom Teper, Associate Dean for Collections and Technical Services

Earlier this year, O’Reilly Media launched a new Safari interface. This platform provides comprehensive access to the ebooks as well as additional content. It also allows for unlimited simultaneous users.

However, the access mechanism used by Safari changed substantially, relying primarily upon the presence of MARC records within the catalog, rather than access via SFX. The platform itself is actually very different as well, integrating video content and other sorts of tutorials that are intended to provide users with additional mechanisms for learning about the particular topics of their choice.

Over the last several months, personnel from the Library have worked quite a lot with O’Reilly Media to improve the new interface. While it does not offer everything that we like, the search functionality was deemed to be good. Piper Martin has prepared some updated information detailing how to access the new Safari platform, establish an account, and move forward with access. It is integrated into the existing Finding and Using Ebooks Libguide. The sun set on the old Safari platform on June 30, 2018.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Collection Development Committee Notes
The most recent meetings minutes of the CDC are posted at https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/collection-development-committee/.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Content Access Policy & Technology Meeting Minutes
The meetings minutes of CAPT (including work group reports) are posted at:
https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/content-access-policy-technology-capt/
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: Recognizing Excellence
The latest post to the Recognizing Excellence blog includes presentations by our Library colleagues at the 2018 American Library Association Conference (and the Rare Book and Manuscripts Section Conference):

Where to Find Us: University of Illinois Librarians Presenting at ALA Annual 2018

Please forward journal editorships or editorial board membership, elected and invited external service appointments, honors, and awards information to Heather Murphy.
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HR NEWS: Faculty and AP Searches
Below is a summary of current academic searches as of June 25, 2018 (click on the graphic below to enlarge). A more comprehensive listing is sent via LibNews each month.

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HR NEWS: Departures

  • Lura Joseph (April 30, 2018)
  • Pat Allen (May 31, 2018)
  • Scott Clemens (June 4, 2018)
  • Melanie Emerson (June 29, 2018)
  • Anna Trammell (July 13, 2018)
  • Hannah Stitzlein (July 24, 2018)
  • Harriett Green (August 31, 2018)

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HR NEWS: Vacancies

  • Library Specialist: CAM – Music Cataloger, job posting soon
  • Library Specialist: CAM – Music & Microfiche, job posting soon
  • Library Specialist: CAS, job posted, interviews soon

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HR NEWS: New Employees

  • Full-time at CAS: Matthew Green (July 2, 2018)
  • Full-time at ILL/DD: Paul Hollmann (July 9, 2018)
  • Full-time at Grainger: Robert Wallace (July 16, 2018)

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HR NEWS: In Memoriam

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IT NEWS: Staffing News
There have been a number of departures from Library IT in the past month:

  • Nick Ferraz’s last day with the Web Team was May 25.
  • Scott Clemens’s last day working for the Workstation and Network Support Team was June 4.
  • Cailin Hawthorne’s last day with the Workstation and Network Support Team was June 8.
  • Robert Slater’s last day with the Web Team was June 22.

A search for an IT Specialist has already begun to replace Scott Clemens. Robert’s and Nick’s departure from the Web Team, unfortunately, means that some of the Web Team’s projects will be delayed, but we are putting together a plan to ameliorate this as much as possible. Cailin was an IT Specialist assigned part-time to Grainger and part-time to the Main Library; other hourly staff should be able to cover her work at least through the summer.

If you have any concerns about recent departures or IT in general, please contact us: https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/it/.
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FACILITIES: Facility Project Updates

  • ACES Funk Library – Interior Signs – Revising main wayfinding signs – lower level through 5th floor.
  • Grainger Engineering Library – Cellular Signal Amplification – Technology Services is working with F&S, Verizon Wireless, and AT&T to install components in the lower level and exterior mechanical canyon to improve cell service in the lower level of the building.
  • Main Library – F&S – North, South & East Stairway “renovation” – stair tread cleaning and wall/ceiling painting – F&S funding approved. F&S Building Services Workers – Flooring Crew will start their work after July 4, 2018. 1st floor north and south stair vestibule ceiling painting July 2018.
  • Main Library – 1st Floor Central Service Point – Phase I remodeling given OK to proceed by Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Further review and approval will occur as architect completes designs. Architect hiring in progress.
  • Main Library – Elevator Upgrade – E5 (east) summer 2018.  The project is a Campus-wide multiple elevator upgrade project. The elevator cabs and controls for E5 elevator will be upgraded to provide reliable transportation throughout the Main Library. E5 is out of service. Construction mid-May – mid-August 2018.
  • Main Library Rooms 230 & 244 Remodeling – F&S shops completing phases of work. Completion – July 1, 2018.
  • Music and Performing Arts Library – Roof Replacement – Roof replacement of the portion of the building over the library has begun. Demolition complete and temporary roof in place.
  • Ricker Library – Flooring Replacement – Replace existing linoleum with polished concrete floor. Furniture, fixtures, and equipment have been moved out along with the majority of the collection to temporary space. Floor polishing is scheduled to be complete July 4, 2018. Reinstall furniture, fixtures, and collection beginning mid-July 2018.
  • Ricker Library – Shelving – Additional components have been ordered for the reuse of the Grainger Engineering cantilever shelving system to be installed after the flooring project is complete.
  • Undergraduate Library – Room 289 Conversion – Reviewing furniture and waiting for Technology Services to complete their removal of furniture, fixtures, and equipment – Summer 2018.
  • Undergraduate Library – Tech Desk and Media Commons Reconfiguration – Relocate the Tech Desk and reconfigure the Media Commons staff area. Furniture components ordered – Summer 2018.

For a complete list of projects in planning and construction, please see:
https://wordpress.library.illinois.edu/staff/facilities/.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Staff Events Calendar
To see the most up-to-date staff events calendar, please visit https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: “I Shall Never Be Able to Forget What I Saw”: A Brief History of Illinois Disasters

The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections presents “‘I Shall Never Be Able to Forget What I Saw’: A Brief History of Illinois Disasters,” an exhibit featuring materials on six tragedies from Illinois’s past. Our state has seen tornados, fires, mining disasters, riots, epidemics and many other catastrophic happenings that have shaped its history. The items on display illustrate some of these events through firsthand accounts and contemporary photographs, offering insight into these catastrophes through the eyes of those who endured them.

The exhibit was curated by IHLC graduate student employees Michelle Miller and Anna Yacullo and will be on display in the IHLC reading room (room 324) on the third floor of the Main Library from June through August 2018. IHLC summer hours are 1-5pm, Monday-Friday. Please stop by and check it out!
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: ART + BOOKS
June 15 – August 15
Rare Book & Manuscript Library, 346 Main Library

This exhibition highlights creations by selected book artists and presses from the Rare Book & Manuscript Library collections: Loujon Press, Bea Nettles, Flying Fish Press, Amos Paul Kennedy Jr, Rusell Maret, and Jana Sim.

The works on display range from the 1960s to the present, and feature many variations on alphabets, typeface and calligraphy, colors and photography, and structures, from seemingly simple business cards, tarot cards, posters, and broadsides, to complex codex, accordions, Möbius strips, and Jacob’s ladders.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Library Blood Drive
Blood mobile will be parked in the Undergraduate Library circle drive from 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., July 10. Sign up on the Staff Calendar, https://uiuc.libcal.com/calendar/staff.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Tech Talk – Jing
Thursday, July 12
10:00 – 11:00 a.m., 314 Library

Would you like to add a visual element to your online presence or conversations?
Then please join Staff Development and Training for a workshop lead by JJ Pionke on using Jing. Jing is a free software program that takes screenshots and records screen videos easily.

Have other suggestions for tech talks? Please email training@library.illinois.edu.
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Creative Connections
Thursday, July 12
Wednesday, July 25
12:00 – 1:00 p.m., 428 Library
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EVENTS AND TRAINING: Framing Information Literacy Webcast Series
Many librarians struggle with the best methods, activities, and practices for teaching information literacy. Developing learning outcomes and activities, overcoming student and faculty apathy toward information literacy instruction, and meeting instruction and institutional goals can be difficult if you’re feeling overwhelmed with instructional jargon, or uncertain in your teaching due to no formal training. The Framing Information Literacy webcast series shares lesson plans grounded in theory and the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. This six-part webcast series provides approachable explanations of the ACRL Frames, various learning theory, pedagogy, and instructional strategies, and how they are used to inform the development of information literacy lesson plans and learning activities.

Webcast 3: Information Has Value
Thursday, July 12, 2018
1:00 – 2:00 p.m., 106 Library

The presenters will discuss the design, implementation, and assessment of a scalable lesson plan that addresses concepts and skills within the Information Has Value frame. Though it was created for a science for non-majors biology class, we will show that the plan can be adapted within other disciplinary contexts.
Presenters: Nora Belzowski, Assistant Professor of Library Services/Science Librarian, Valparaiso University; Kristi Bugajski, Valparaiso University

Webcast 4: Searching for Strategic Exploration – Guiding Students on Their Research Quest
Thursday, July 19, 2018
1:00 – 2:00 p.m., 106 Library

How do we motivate student researchers to go beyond Google? As librarians and composition teachers, we serve as guides for student writers on their research quests. To find a variety of articles, students need to search in a variety of places and prepare a variety of search terms. During this interactive webcast, the presenters will explore the frame Searching as Strategic Exploration.
Presenters: Laura Brady, Eberly Professor of Outstanding Teaching, West Virginia University; Kelly Diamond, Head of the Libraries’ Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support, West Virginia University

Webcast 5: Scholarship as Conversation
Thursday, July 26, 2018
1:00 – 2:00 p.m., 106 Library

Scholarship IS a Conversation, and one our students can discover and join. This webcast features lesson plans in which students identify, reconstruct, and engage specific scholarly conversations. Learn to develop these lesson plans, adapt them to different student populations, and tailor them to reflect different pedagogies.
Presenters: Helen McManus, Policy, Government & International Affairs Librarian, George Mason University; Andrea Wright, Furman University
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If you would like to submit content for the August issue of Library Office Notes, please submit it to Heather Murphy or Tom Teper by Friday, July 20, 2018.