Promotions
We have one more promotion from the Spring. Here it is, last but not least ...
Associate Librarian
Christian Miller, Martin P. Catherwood Library
Since coming to Catherwood in May 2007 as the reference, instruction, and outreach coordinator for Catherwood Library, Chris has proved himself to be an energetic, active participant in Catherwood Library, the ILR School, and CUL. Chris’ outreach efforts to the ILR faculty have resulted in a steady stream of requests for in-class instruction as well as new workshop topics offered. He applied for and received a Faculty Innovation In Teaching grant to create a tutorial on academic integrity. Winning this award in his second year is a notable achievement and he is the first librarian to receive it at ILR. He works closely with our Web and Digital Projects group to introduce faculty to our institutional repository, a project that has had great success and is strongly supported by the ILR School leadership in the effort to promote the school, our scholarship, and our services. Chris has become a familiar face at ILR, whether it be behind the reference desk or behind a grill at ILR’s annual hot dog day. Chris has actively participated in pre-freshman, freshman, and graduate student orientations, working with the ILR Office of Student Services and the Graduate Office. He has given the well received presentation titled “Blogging the World of Work” for Alumni Weekend for the past two years.
Chris was a member of the Academic Assembly’s Professional Development Committee and has been elected co-chair for the last two years. He has been a member of the LibGuides committee, a group that recently had an ACRL paper, titled “Do the Outcomes Justify the Buzz?: An Assessment of LibGuides at Cornell University and Princeton University,” accepted for publication. He is also active in the Reference and Outreach Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the Upstate New York Chapter of the Special Libraries Association (UNYSLA), acting as the list manager and being elected treasurer for 2009.
Chris has become well known for his presentations at a number of venues locally and nationally. He presented a poster session on “Spanning the Technology Gap: Professional Development on 2.0” for the Social Science Division at the Special Libraries Association conference in Seattle in 2008, and coordinated "CyberInfrastructure and the New Construction of Knowledge: Will the University Survive?" featuring Chuck Henry, the president of the Council on Library and Information Resources, at the same conference in Washington in 2009. In 2009 at the State University of New York Librarians Association (SUNYLA) he gave a presentation entitled "Professional Development Programs on a Limited (or Non-Existent) Budget." Following a particular interest of his, he has presented at the Library Management Institute conference in 2008 (“Five Ideas for the Professional Development of Librarians”) and 2009 ("Collaborative Professional Development for Tough Economic Times").
Chris is open to new ideas and approaches, which will be increasingly important over the next few years at Cornell. His knowledge of the use of technology in public services will help position Catherwood and CUL for the future. (Deb Lamb-Deans; photograph provided by Chris Miller)
Service Awards 2009
40 Years
Jeff Diver with Anne Kenney
(Photograph by Michael Teti; all HR photographs by Michael Teti)
Gary Bogart, Law Library
Gary has worked in the Law Library for forty years, more than long enough to have witnessed the evolution of the Library from a completely paper-based institution where catalog cards were typed by hand and serials checked in on the Kardex, to the digitized environment we work in today. Like most people who work in technical services, he has worked quietly behind the scenes, performing tasks that are vital to the functioning of the Library – checking in and claiming serials, and routing hundreds of journals to the Law School faculty. He is one of the many Library employees whose contributions may sometimes be taken for granted, but without whom others would not be able to do their work and the Library would grind to a halt.
As the Library has evolved, so has Gary. His agility in adapting to our rapidly changing workplace is admirable. He is adept at using new technology and is generous in sharing his expertise with his co-workers. His in-depth knowledge and experience make him a valuable resource person for the entire Library staff. Since he is one of the very longest-serving employees on the Library staff, his “institutional memory” is irreplaceable. We extend our congratulations and thanks to Gary for forty years of diligence and hard work on behalf of the Law Library. (Jean Pajerek)
Jeffrey Diver, Mann Library
Jeff Diver has devoted the past forty years of continuous service to CUL, and I had the pleasure of supervising him from 2001 until recently when I changed jobs at Mann. I’ve supervised many people in my life and I can unhesitatingly say that so far Jeff has been my best employee, ever, period. He is one of those in our profession who truly “gets it” in regard to public service – his is a service ethic of surpassing the expectations of our users when they come into the Library. Jeff has also carried out many successful projects in his lengthy career and he has always adapted well to change, experiencing and actively participating in every phase of library automation. For example: according to Howard Raskin (his supervisor at the time), when CUL began using NOTIS in the late 1980s Jeff was the person who single-handedly figured out the system’s unwieldy Reserves module and created the documentation and procedures used by Mann and CUL. This was at a time when Reserves was several orders of magnitude larger than it is today, involving many more staff. Jan Olsen, former director of Mann, once commended Jeff for being “unflagging in his commitment” towards creating Mann’s emergency procedures manual.
I have seen Jeff go the extra mile so many times to assist people, to cover the Reference desk when someone called in sick, and to work late when the Stone Computing Center was just too busy for him to leave. I lost count of these selfless acts of service a long time ago. However, they are not lost on me, his colleagues, or most importantly our Library’s users.
I cannot emphasize enough the outstanding quality of Jeff’s work and the warm personality that goes with it. Jeff’s relationship with his co-workers deserves special recognition. His warmth and sense of humor make working with him truly a pleasure and he backs up his cordial approach with solid Reference and technical skills when they are needed. He is friendly yet firm in his relationship with Mann’s student workers, of which there are many: some semesters he approves COLTS for forty students. He acts both as supervisor and mentor to them, even staying in touch with some of them long after they have graduated. He is genuinely interested in cultivating the skills that they will need in the working world and naturally he instills a strong customer service attitude. Jeff’s positive attitude toward his work, his colleagues, and our users is one of his greatest strengths. He is respected by everyone who knows him, be they his colleagues at Mann, CALS/CHE faculty, students, or the general public. (Michael Cook)
Barbara Wilcox, Physical Sciences Library
Barb Wilcox has been a loyal and dedicated employee throughout her years at Cornell. She has worn many hats and is a very knowledgeable staff member. We have called on Barb through the years to help out at Engineering, Math, and Physical Sciences Libraries. She has always accepted the responsibility in a cheerful manner. Oftentimes if she notices we might be short-staffed she will offer to cover at one of the libraries before we even ask her.
Barb has worked with processing serials at all three libraries and has a good idea of where our magazines are and what titles are available. Currently Barb has taken on new tasks at Physical Sciences Library to help with processing new books and binding serials.
When she isn't working, Barb is a volunteer for the Friends of the Library Book Sale. She devotes many hours helping with the book sale each season. She also helps out at the Ithaca Kitchen Cupboard (food pantry) and helps with Cornell graduation each May.
I find it a pleasure to work with Barb. Her sense of humor and positive attitude help to make working with her enjoyable. Thank you, Barb, for all of your support through these many years. (Deb Muscato)
35 Years
From left: Don Schnedeker, Barb Tarbox, and Kadri Sercan
Don Schnedeker, Nestle (Hotel) Library
Don Schnedeker began his CUL career in 1974 as a library assistant at the Flower-Sprecher Library of Veterinary Medicine when Mia Reinap was librarian. In 1977 he was hired by Betsy Ann Olive as Assistant Librarian at the Johnson School’s Management Library and the rest is history. Working with Betsy Ann over the years provided the best possible training from one of the most senior and widely respected academic business librarians in the country. When Betsy Ann retired in 1987, Don succeeded to the directorship the following year and assumed the added responsibility for the Nestle Library in 2003. Then in 2007 he decided to focus his attention on the Nestle Library. That year he also assumed responsibility for the Diversity Fellows and New Librarians Programs within CUL.
Don’s academic training is tailored to his current work at Cornell. In addition to an undergraduate degree in economics and education he holds an MLS and an MBA, this latest graduate degree from the Johnson School in 1984. In 2002, the school honored him with its Team Award in recognition of the key role played by the Management Library, under his leadership, in supporting excellence in Johnson School programs. Don has also been very active in the Business & Finance Division of Special Libraries Association (SLA). For many years, he was responsible for collecting, editing, and distributing College and University Business Library Statistics. Collected from more than thirty of the nation’s top academic business libraries in the country, this comparative data on expenditures, information resources available for users, and staffing patterns proved invaluable to many of us who had to defend the budgets for our business libraries each year. In recognition of his long distinguished service to the profession, Don was honored at SLA’s 2002 conference with its Business & Finance Division’s “Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship.” Not content to rest on his laurels, Don has opened new forums for librarians in his current subject field and just moderated the first Hospitality and Tourism Management Roundtable at SLA’s conference in Washington, D.C. this past June.
Some of this same energy and commitment has been invested here at home in Ithaca. Don served as a trustee of The Tompkins County Public Library for over ten years. Last year, he and his wife, Cynthia, cycled around three of the Finger Lakes and will probably do a few more this year . . . not exactly Tour de France but close. And he has been working on a book of favorite recipes which will be self-published.
Many times over the years, I have benefitted from Don’s advice and counsel. He brings much experience and wisdom to any discussion of the moment and Cornell is fortunate to have held on to him for these past thirty-five years. (Gordon Law)
Kadri Sercan, Preservation and Collection Maintenance
Kadri Sercan stands at the center of Collection Maintenance. Every book added to Olin, Kroch, and Uris Libraries passes through his hands. He is our link to LTS, Commercial Binding, and Book Repair. He maintains the Olin Reference Serial collection and IS the Brittle Books Project. He is our in-house expert on Voyager. And he opens the library every single morning. This is all by way of job description. It doesn’t in any way tell you who Kadri is and what he means to those of us who work with him every day. The words ‘Corporate Memory’ will tell you that after thirty-five years he knows more than most about the ins and outs of our business, but it won’t tell you the depth of that accumulated knowledge or its necessity. Every new floor manager who meets and gets to know Kadri enters into an apprenticeship in ‘Pataphysics', which, according to its inventor the venerable Alfred Jarry, is the “Science of the particular, of laws governing exceptions. . . .” Kadri’s means are accuracy and consistency; the end is a library where patrons can find what they need when they need it.
I have known Kadri for approximately half of his time here. One of my first days in the stacks I returned to the office with a book I thought might have the wrong call number. In those days we had books with typed call number labels still, so there were many more typos and mismatched records. I forget if I was wrong or right, but he encouraged me to be a call number curmudgeon, to pay attention to WHAT I was shelving and not just WHERE I was shelving it. PS 8000? Not in our stacks. Three Cutters? Send it back.
Kadri has been more than a mentor and kindred spirit. He has also been a generous friend. He is the soul of our department and I feel privileged to work with him. I tried to figure out how many books he has processed in the past thirty-five years. When I mentioned this to him we had a long conversation about how the Library didn’t count books systematically until the eighties. It was an informative, amusing, and unstructured discussion about the history of Olin Library inventories. That would be the Corporate Memory. The library is not only a better place for his hard, patient, and superior work over the years; it is also a kinder, and more interesting one. (Jon Frankel)
Barb Tarbox, Database Management Services
There was once a time when Cornell’s “union catalog” consisted of hundreds of thousands of 3” x 5” catalog cards, stored in dozens of heavy card catalog cabinets. Catalog maintenance in those days consisted of filing new cards and removing obsolete ones from these cabinets. Catalog maintenance staff corrected small errors with an industrial-grade power eraser and a typewriter. For more serious problems, staff would sometimes retype the entire card. Filing the cards was itself a complicated operation, requiring more training than one might imagine and a fifty-page manual, the ALA Filing Rules. Catalog maintenance has changed a lot since those days, of course, and we now call it database management (DBM). The skills required to do this work have evolved, though successful DBM professionals must still be able to focus, in an organized way, for extended periods of time on nitty-gritty bibliographic detail.
When Barb Tarbox joined the Cornell University Library in the summer of 1973, David Kaser was serving his final days as University Librarian and the CUL Personnel Officer was Paul Eldridge. Elaine Walker was the Head of Cataloging in Olin Library, the department to which Barb first reported as a card filer, typist, and wielder of one of those industrial-grade erasers. So began what is undoubtedly one of the longest careers as a catalog maintenance / database management professional in the country, for Barb has been involved in this work ever since that July day in 1973, from its focus on card catalogs to the present, more complex, high-tech environment. Perhaps most noteworthy among her accomplishments, was her thirty-two-year involvement in retrospective conversion, the completion of which in 2007 marked a significant milestone in CUL cataloging history.
Barb is currently the administrative supervisor of LTS’s Database Enrichment Unit and a wonderfully rich source of institutional memory for CUL catalog maintenance and database management practice over the past thirty-five years. She is extremely well-organized, reliable, and dedicated. She sets high standards for herself and those who work for her, and both she and her unit have a well-earned reputation for quality and timely service. Barb cares a lot about her staff and works hard to ensure that they receive the recognition they deserve.
I have known Barb since I began my own career in CUL technical services many years ago and was, from the beginning, impressed with her knowledge, her organizational skills, and her sense of humor. She is a great colleague, and it’s an honor for me to congratulate her on thirty-five years of exceptional service to CUL and Cornell University. (Jim LeBlanc)
30 Years
From left: Jeri-Lynn Buchanan, Martha Walker holding Ann Beyer's certificate, Elaine Engst, Kathy Hartman
Elizabeth Ann Beyer, Fine Arts Library
Ann Beyer began her career at Cornell’s Fine Arts Library in 1978. With her thirty years of experience she has witnessed many changes and she is skilled in a range of library processes. Currently, Ann is our reference assistant. As well, she takes on many other tasks such as helping out at the circulation desk, supervision of student employees, faculty office deliveries, and the general organization of “behind-the-desk” operations. Ann often “connects the dots” between our users and staff directing patrons to the best source of information whether it is in print, online, or in person.
Ann is rarely idle. She likes to stay busy at work and, apparently, in her free time. Ann is an international traveler and has been to several locations many of us only dream of. When she does not have a full week at her disposal, it is not unusual for Ann to take a trip to Boston, New York, or Washington. Ann has participated in three marathons (Washington, Chicago, and most recently San Diego). When I asked Ann the mileage per marathon I learned something new – all marathons are precisely 26.2 miles. Naturally, in addition to travel, Ann spends a considerable amount of time training for the marathons.
Ann’s favorite quiet activities include: hiking, kayaking, canoeing, reading, baking (and eating).
Ann has an additional goal to challenge her physical conditioning: she wants to learn to pole vault!
An accomplished ceramicist, Ann would also like to learn the art of glass blowing.
Finally, Ann hopes someday to take oboe lessons. (This information may be of particular interest to her future housemates!)
I’m pleased to be able to publicly congratulate Ann on her thirty years of service to Cornell University Library. Her contributions are innumerable and her value to the productive and positive work culture of the FAL is inestimable. (Martha Walker)
Jeri-Lynn Buchanan, LTS Acquisitions
Jeri-Lynn retired in June. Please see the June issue of Kaleidoscope for her write-up.
George Cobb, Library Administrative Services
George retired in the early spring. We wish him all the best in his retirement!
Elaine Engst, Rare and Manuscript Collections
After receiving a B.A. in History from William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y. and an M.A. in History from Cornell, Elaine Engst joined the Cornell University Library in 1979. Her initial assignments focused on the New York Historical Resources Center, created by Herb Finch and directed by David Brumberg. As Assistant Director, Elaine oversaw a project to survey and make available in electronic form information about archival holdings across the state. In the process, Elaine became one of the pioneering experts in converting archival description from print to digital. The Historic Documents Inventory remains the basis for much historical research, and was awarded the C.F.W. Coker prize by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in 1991.
While working for the Historical Resources Center, Elaine also served as Technical Services Archivist in the Department of Manuscript and University Archives. With the formation of RMC in 1992, Elaine became Curator of Manuscripts and later University Archivist (a title she maintains). As University Archivist, Elaine is the "go-to" person for questions on Cornell history. Her lecture on "Green Dragons and Big Red Bears" is a favorite with alumni groups, and her publications on Cornell history have included Jewish Life at Cornell, 1865-2005 and 125 Years of Achievement: Cornell's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. For the past ten years, Elaine has served as Director of Rare and Manuscript Collections, the fifth largest library unit in CUL in terms of shelved material.
Elaine has been very active within the archival profession on both a local and national level. She has served on SAA's governing Council as well as chairing several of its committees. In 1996, SAA awarded her its highest honor by naming her a Fellow of the Society in recognition of her accomplishments and professional leadership. As an added note, Elaine she has been
incredibly welcoming and helpful to me in my new role as AUL for Scholarly Resources and Special Collections.
When not administering RMC, curating exhibitions, writing, or working on broader professional matters, Elaine spends time with her husband, Chris, and dog Wiley in their extensive vegetable garden at their hill-top home in Richford as well as serving as a doting grandmother to Tristan, Kit, and Leo. (John Saylor)
Kathy Hartman, Law Library
Kathy has worked for CUL for thirty years. In the course of that time, Kathy has reinvented herself by acquiring new skills and volunteering to assume new job responsibilities in response to the Law Library’s changing needs. After starting out at the Law Library as a cataloger, she now works full-time in Document Delivery and at the circulation desk, replacing a full-time staff member who recently retired. I sometimes refer to her as the “Swiss army knife” of Law Library employees because she is able to do so many jobs!
Kathy embodies the characteristics of an outstanding employee. She is hard-working, dedicated, flexible, and cooperative. She excels at identifying problems and developing solutions to them, instead of just complaining about them. Since I will no longer be Kathy’s supervisor, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my congratulations and thanks to Kathy for thirty years of excellence and outstanding work on behalf of CUL. (Jean Pajerek)
25 Years
From left: Judy Adams, Cindy Bosley, Ken Fung, Jim LeBlanc, Nancy Moore, Mary Patterson, Howard Raskin, Laurie Stevens
Judith Adams, LTS Acquisitions
Judy retired in December 2008. Please see the December issue of Kaleidoscope.
Karen Bobbett, Nestle (Hotel) Library
Twenty-five years! Twenty-five years ago, 1984, the U.S. economy was booming! We were not looking at budgets that year! Right now, a lot of us would like to go back to 1984.
Karen Bobbett began her career at Cornell in March of 1984. It was a good year. She started work as a Binding Assistant in Mann Library. This was truly an entry level position. Karen took full advantage. Her first supervisor wrote that she “knows how to handle and solve problems.” After about a year and a half, Karen transferred to Olin Library as a Records Assistant. Now her job title was Card Filer. You may know that the Cornell Library holds over 7MM books but you probably don’t know that at its peak, the Library’s card catalog held over 25MM cards. Karen was part of a team that maintained that catalog. You can see that this was a lateral move. In the face of filing cards, Karen’s supervisor remarked that she had a “positive attitude.” I think she was secretly planning her escape from the world of card filing. She picked up computer work very quickly, mastered the IBM PC, and was promoted to department secretary in 1987, and then to Administrative Assistant in 1993.
The following year, Karen took another promotion and moved to the Hotel Library as an Administrative Assistant and Office Manager. In 1997 she was promoted to her current position where she’s involved in some way in all of the day-to-day operations of the library, and the scope of her work in the library continues to change. This summer she will be working on the Supervisor Development Certificate Program. I’ll use the words of supervisors to describe Karen: “Remarkable initiative, enjoys solving problems, takes on projects with enthusiasm and diligence.” “Service oriented; excels in the ability to relate to students.”
Twenty-five years is an outstanding achievement. During her tenure here, she also raised her two sons, Jason and Nathan. My sincerest congratulations, Karen. (Don Schnedeker)
Cindy Bosley, Library Administrative Services
Cindy Bosley joined the Library business service center team in February 2007. Her Cornell career started in 1983 when she was hired by Cornell dining. She worked initially as a food service worker, and was promoted to a senior food service worker after a few years. She received another promotion to an accounts representative position in 2000. We were then fortunate to hire her at the library, where she currently provides financial reporting, invoicing, library materials payments, and accounts review and reconciliations.
Cindy brings many assets to the library. Her excellent customer service is always noted, as she is courteous and assists with questions from any number of individuals including librarians, book vendors, and staff from other departments. Cindy is known for her cheerful, can-do attitude and her varied interests outside of work as well. Cindy has been a wonderful addition to the Library business service group, and is a pleasure to work with. (Susan Bristol)
Ken Fung, Music Library
Ken retired in June. Please see the June issue of Kaleidoscope for his write-up.
Bill Kara, LTS E-Resources and Serials
When I began at Cornell er . . . a few years back, Bill was the first colleague to help me find my way both here at work and in town. He went out of his way to ensure I would feel welcome. It quickly became obvious to me that this was Bill’s way with his colleagues. More recently, Bill’s easy, thoughtful manner played an essential role in helping the Library to achieve technical services staff integration, freeing resources to attend to other Library priorities. Because Bill is able to understand both the big picture goals as well as attend to the often frustrating details that are important to achieving success, the transition for the staff was a (relatively) easy one. Most Library selectors will attest to the extensive efforts he and his staff undertake to help them make difficult decisions either to move print serials to e-only or to cancel a title outright. There is no magic involved, just Bill’s steady guidance and tenacity as they navigate a stormy sea of lengthy license agreements, complicated payment terms, shifting title packages, and tight deadlines for thousands of titles costing millions of dollars. There are many hands in the e-resource delivery chain, but few with Bill’s patience and perseverance. (Scott Wicks)
Jim LeBlanc, LTS Administration, Database Management and Metadata Services
What do bibliographic triage, the Dixie Chicks, LSD (large scale digitization), James Joyce, WorldCat Selection, and the Beatles have in common? Ah, but the header gives it away. . . . Jim LeBlanc isn’t just a first-rate, highly respected, overworked, effective, and trusted Library leader, he’s a Joyce scholar who also likes to examine song lyrics for deeper meaning. You may want to check out his vivo entry to see a sampling of his work.
But back here on the farm, Jim has a long history of helping to move the Library forward. Over a decade ago, his careful analysis to rethink and rework many of the cataloging workflows allowed the then existing staff to attack the massive backlog of uncataloged materials. His oversight with the decades-long RECON efforts allowed that activity to be completed in our lifetimes. In the more recent past, Jim has been a resource called on to consider how best to integrate often conflicting technical services operations into an effective and less resource-intensive processing unit. His efforts with the large scale digitization projects have allowed Cornell to respond to the ever changing bibliographic needs of our commercial partners. But Jim and his staff also have moved millions and millions of records to and fro, enriching them along the way, to better support resource discovery by our users. Jim makes it all seem easy. And it is, for you and me. (Scott Wicks)
Nancy Moore, Law Library
Nancy retired in June. Please see the June issue of Kaleidoscope for her write-up.
Mary Patterson, Engineering Library
Mary retired in June. Please see the June issue of Kaleidoscope for her write-up.
Howard Raskin, Mann Library
Howard Raskin joined the Mann Library staff in August 1983 as the Circulation/Reserve Librarian. That was in the long ago world of McBee cards and battleship-like stacks in the old Mann Library. Since then Howard has been instrumental in bringing many rounds of change to Mann and the Cornell University Library. Howard helped lead the implementation of the original NOTIS online circulation system in 1988 and helped to upgrade the system to Voyager. He also played a key role in selecting and implementing the ILLiad system for Interlibrary Loan. Through all of these changes Howard provided strong leadership for staff as they adapted to the various ways that automation changed their daily workflow.
Howard has orchestrated multiple collection moves over the years as the Mann addition and renovation changed the face and space of the Library. More recently Howard has brought the artist’s touch to Mann Library by collaborating with the Johnson Art Museum to bring art work to the Mann spaces and by developing the exhibits program for the new Mann Gallery, which opened in 2007. Howard has spearheaded a number of popular student and faculty exhibits linking art with science, including a show in January 2009 for Ithaca’s Light in Winter celebration. Now as Mann’s Head of Library Operations and Program Outreach, Howard helps carry out the Library’s mission as an educational hub for the upper campus and keeps us running smoothly on a daily basis. In these roles, Howard’s sense of humor even in the face of challenges is something we all appreciate. Congratulations to Howard on twenty-five years of service at Cornell! (Mary Ochs)
Jeffrey Shampnois, Nestle (Hotel) Library
Jeff started his career at Cornell in March of 1984 at Mann Library. Well, Jeff actually started his library career as a student employee in Mann Library. He graduated from Cornell in December 1983. He says on his job application that since he worked for three semesters they wouldn’t have to waste much time teaching him the job. His supervisor had high praise for Jeff -- he has a thorough understanding of the library operations, he does high quality work, and there was always a marked improvement when Jeff was assigned any task. He worked at Mann Library for five years; then we have this mysterious interlude where he transferred to the Plantations.
I understand that Karen Bobbett and Jeff actually met during their days in Mann Library. It’s more important to note that Jeff also met his wife, Margie, at Mann Library.
In November of 1989, Jeff started as the night supervisor in the Nestle Library. Again, he got high marks for initiative, motivation, service, and friendliness. After two years of working evenings, Jeff started working as an indexer for the Hospitality Index, published here in the School. Today we are overloaded with information, but before the Internet it was a real chore to find information. It was particularly difficult to find information on the hospitality industry. The first librarian in the Hotel School, Blanche Fickle, started compiling a list of books and articles that covered the hospitality industry. This bibliography was actually edited and published by the Hotel School Dean, Howard Meek, for many years. In 1997 Jeff became the editor for the Index. In 2003, the Hospitality Index was sold to a private company that that now sells access to this Index through the Internet. For over ten years, Jeff was an important part of this effort.
After the Index was sold, Jeff changed gears. Now he manages our information service for industry practitioners and alumni, keeps our Web site up to date, and spends more time helping students and faculty with their information research. He also teaches students to use the Hospitality and Tourism Index, now called Hospitality & Tourism Complete, that he helped to create.
I am very pleased to honor a valued colleague for his twenty-five years of service. (Don Schnedeker)
Laurie Stevens, LTS Cataloging
Laurie Stevens started working in technical services at Olin in 1983, even before she had a husband and two sons. While she managed her family's growth, she weathered several reorganizations in Olin technical services, held a variety of positions, and had several supervisors. In each position she learned new things and became more proficient in the workings of the department, as well as learning how to handle the many diverse situations she encounters in her daily work. As a result, she has experience to offer on all fronts. Laurie is unflappable, has plenty of energy, and responds positively to new assignments. She is also calm, organized, capable, and efficient. Those qualities make her extremely well suited to being the support person for the 80+ staff members in Library Technical Services, a role she fills in addition to her acquisitions and cataloging duties. All LTS staff, as well as staff from several other library divisions, have been beneficiaries of Laurie's careful party planning.
Laurie lives in Venice Center with her husband Gary, and two sons, Andrew and Brandon. Both her immediate family, and more extended one, mean very much to Laurie and she supports all of them in the same unfailingly helpful and cheerful manner that she supports library staff. Laurie does a good job balancing her mom career with her LTS career, and it's comforting to know that we can rely on her to know how to handle almost any situation we throw her way, even on very short notice. (Lois Purcell)
20 Years
From left: Tony Cosgrave, Anne Keville, Barb Morley, Dorothy Stiefel, Martha Walker, Cammie Wyckoff
Derick Brown, Nestle (Hotel) Library
Derrick Brown began his Cornell career here in Statler Hall working for the Cornell Quarterly. Somehow he caught the attention of the librarians and in 1991 he moved down to the library.
Derrick is a modest and self-effacing person who embodies the notion of ‘service to others.’ Though Derrick is seldom seen outside of the library, he is well-known among staff and faculty because he takes library research to new levels. You may remember the snow storm back in the winter of 2003. Derrick was here keeping the library open until the last student, preparing for an exam, headed for home. With a couple of feet of snow on the ground, Derrick spent the night here.
Michael Chiu ’66 from the Cornell Hotel Society acknowledges Derrick (among others) in the Introduction to Hospitality Goes Global, the history of the hotel school, for his substantial contribution to this publication. Among library staff Derrick has the best grasp of the hospitality information available in our books and electronic resources. Whether it’s digging information out of archives, hospitality publications, electronic resources, or our ‘secret’ library files, Derrick continues to surprise us with the information that he is able to find. (Don Schnedeker)
Anne Carson, LTS Cataloging
Over the course of her career at Cornell, Anne Carson has worked in the Law Library, in Olin Reference, in Central Technical Services, and now for Library Technical Services in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. She can look back with pride at many patrons helped, many books cataloged, and many cataloging errors set right (the numbers in these last two categories are in the thousands!). Her varied background in library work serves her well in her current position of Rare Materials Specialist, which combines acquisitions and cataloging with public services desk duty, interlibrary loan, and serving as RMC’s liaison with the Department of Preservation and Collection Maintenance. Anne brings to this work the friendliness, accessibility, and subject knowledge of a good reference librarian and the deep technical knowledge of a good cataloger. She enjoys the wide variety of materials she works with, ranging from 15th-century scientific and literary works to modern books and periodicals on topics such as hip-hop, digital art, and gay rights. As she says, “You never know what will come in the door.”
Besides the challenges of working with rare book dealers, independent-minded curators, and researchers, keeping her fellow rare book catalogers supplied with books, and singlehandedly ordering, receiving, and cataloging the vast majority of RMC’s print acquisitions each year, Anne also puzzles out how to house and shelve the pamphlets, maps, oddly shaped artist books, broadsides, movie posters, comic books, and the like that arrive on her doorstep for end-processing (along with regular books). She is truly one of those key people who make the wheels go round.
In her modest amount of spare time, Anne enjoys studying languages, and her knowledge of them extends beyond the usual French and German to Irish, Welsh, and Gaelic. She is also a serious belly-dancer, part of a group that performs at the Ithaca Festival every year. It’s hard to imagine anyone with a wider range of skills. Congratulations on twenty years at Cornell, Anne! (Margaret Nichols)
Tony Cosgrave, Research and Learning Services
Tony has been a mainstay of the reference and instruction programs in Olin and Uris libraries for twenty years now. When he joined the staff of Uris Library in 1989, he brought plenty of 5.25" floppy disks (storage capacity: 360k) and a fresh perspective on computing in the library. Never without his screwdriver, and officially dubbed Uris’s “information mechanic,” Tony helped set up the first CD-ROM station in Uris, and maintained the department’s Web site on a server in his own office. For the record: Tony insists that the machine no longer resides there. Seeing the immediate effects of his pioneer computing efforts on his patrons’ research convinced him that his career path would lie in user-focused reference and instruction. And so it has.
For many years, Tony has coordinated the instruction program for Uris (and now, Olin) library, and has been an active instructor for workshops and course-related classes, and has even taught several for-credit library classes. He conceived and implemented a plan for a collaborative learning center now known as CL3 (Cornell Library Collaborative Learning Computer Laboratory), in Uris Library. As chair of the PSEC Instruction committee, he has been involved in a variety of instruction-related programs across the library, from distance learning and Blackboard (and more recently, Moodle), to the Information Competency Initiative. Over the years, he has also been a key member of the Citation Management committee, has selected materials for the Olin and Uris collections—currently, in the fields of Psychology and Higher Education, and has worked extensively with the Knight Institute of Writing Across the Disciplines.
These days, Tony is still very much involved in the library’s computing and instruction initiatives. Never without a handheld device on his person, Tony is the mobile computing guru on the Library-Outside-the-Library committee. His lively sense of humor and fascination with technology trends contribute immeasurably to his work with patrons, students, and his colleagues. Tony Cosgrave exemplifies the blended librarian for the department of Research and Learning Services, and his colleagues are delighted to extend their congratulations on his twenty years of service and most excellent joke telling, and hope that this summer’s unusually damp weather will improve to allow Tony some quality sail time. (Susette Newberry)
Don Fenton, Library Administrative Services
Twenty years ago Don Fenton began his career at Cornell right where he is today – in the Shipping and Receiving Department of the Cornell Library. He began working as a Temporary Shipping Clerk and very quickly rose through the ranks, earning a number of well deserved promotions. He was named head of the department in 1999 and since that time has taken on added responsibilities as the opportunities have arisen. In addition to supervising the Shipping Department, he is currently directing the operations of the Library Copy Center. Over the years Don has instituted changes that have resulted in a very efficient operation within the Shipping Department. His vast knowledge of the technicalities of shipping and postal regulations is unparalleled. The members of his department have an enviable record of accuracy and customer satisfaction.
Don has an active life outside Cornell. He stays busy restoring old homes (he is working on his third at the present time) and plays harmonica in two very popular local bands, 505 Blues and The Melon Brothers. 505 is recording its first CD which will be released this fall. He is also in the process of forming an acoustic trio, focusing on another genre of music he loves. Along with his wife Bonnie, he enjoys collecting antiques, with which they have furnished their 1862 era farm house. He also buys and sells classic cars and is the proud owner of a beautiful 1946 Ford Deluxe Sedan.
Don is a hard worker who has a lot of fun doing his job. We congratulate him on his twenty years at Cornell and look forward to the years to come. (Phil Koons)
Ali Houissa, LTS Cataloging
Ali has dual responsibilities in that he divides his time between original cataloging responsibilities primarily for Middle Eastern languages (except Hebrew) and French language materials which he balances with selection responsibilities for Middle Eastern and Islamic studies. He has recently served as president of the Middle East Librarians’ Association of North America, an organization in which he has been very active for years. In 2003, he was elected to ALA Council. Ali remains a member of the advisory board for Oxford University Press’s Oxford Islamic Studies Online project. As a writer, Ali has an article on librarianship, archives, and museum studies in Tunisia to be published in the Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science and continues to contribute book reviews to Library Journal. The prominence of Ali’s roles and activities are a measure of the regard in which he is held by peers throughout the country and the world. But locally, his Web site is considered an essential resource by students and specialists in the field. (Scott Wicks)
Annie Keville, Interlibrary Services
This year Annie Keville celebrated her twentieth year working in the Cornell Library. Annie performed a variety of jobs in her first few years in the library, including working in the old Library Annex and in Uris, before she began her job as Lending Coordinator in ILS sixteen years ago. She has weathered many changes in ILS in that time, including the beginnings of Borrow Direct and the ILLiad system, and her knowledge of the Library and ILS have been invaluable over the years. Anyone who has called or emailed Annie with a question about lending Cornell material to outside institutions knows that her answer will always be careful and thorough, and offered with a smile.
In her life outside the library Annie can be found a couple of times a week working evenings in the Trumansburg Pourhouse, and one Sunday each month she can be heard hosting The Salt Creek Show on WVBR radio. In the office we know her as the local expert on plants and flowers, and for her vast music collection and knowledge. Annie has a great appreciation for local music, and can always be spotted at The Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance during her vacation every July. (Caitlin Finlay)
Brenda Marston, Rare and Manuscript Collections
For twenty years Brenda Marston has served as Curator of the Human Sexuality Collection and as Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (FGSS) Selector. In those positions, she plays an important role in the activities of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections (RMC) and the Cornell University Library (CUL) as a whole.
As its founding curator, Brenda has had primary responsibility for developing the Library’s archival collection on the history of human sexuality. She has worked with non-traditional donors, frequently in difficult situations that required a high level of sensitivity and tact. Under her direction the collection has grown dramatically and now includes numerous collections of personal papers and organizational records, as well as books and periodicals. Among her most important acquisitions have been the extensive records of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Human Rights Campaign. She has been a very effective advocate for the collection and the Library, giving classes, workshops, and other presentations on campus and at national meetings. She has been responsible for the development of exhibitions and Web sites.
Within RMC, Brenda also has responsibility for acquiring local and regional history collections, and has taken a more major role in our “progressive” collections area in general. In her work as Women’s Studies Selector, she helped to build the Library’s general collection and to serve as an advocate for the academic program. She was involved in the evolution within the university from the Women’s Studies program to a broader Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program. Most recently, she was asked to take on additional responsibility for the acquisition of sexuality materials for the general collection, and she now serves as the Library’s Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Selector.
She has provided leadership within the library, serving as a member of the Professional Development Committee and as a member and chair of the Academic Assembly. She has chaired several search committees within RMC, co-chaired a Library Promotion Review Committee, and currently serves on the Library’s Job Review Committee.
Brenda has been particularly active and effective in improving the relationship between the University Library and the Cornell community. She was an active member of the Executive Board of the Cornell Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program, serving on various committees and as the Library’s liaison to the program. She chaired the University Assembly’s Child Care Committee, a group that helped shape the policy decisions and specifications for the building and playground of the university’s new day care center. She was also a member of the University’s AIDS Advisory Committee and assisted in drafting the campus-wide AIDS policy. She has earned the respect of both faculty and students for her work, and was recognized with the 1993 Cook Award by Cornell’s Advisory Committee for the Status of Women. In 2004, she received the Distinguished Alumna Award from Badger Pride, the University of Wisconsin Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Council. Also in 2004, she served as Associate Editor of Lgbt, Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered History in America, published in 2004.
Brenda is someone who cares deeply about RMC, the Library, the University, and the profession. I have always appreciated her intellectual curiosity, her deep caring for others, and her sense of humor. I’ve also been particularly impressed by the way she has balanced her work life and her family life - and of course, she has a terrific family: Sarah, Grady, and Matty! (Elaine Engst)
Barbara Morley, ILR Catherwood Library
Barb Morley began working at the Catherwood Library in 1988 and has worked in circulation, reference, and archives. After earning her MLS specializing in archival administration from the University of Albany in 1999, she became the Kheel Center's Media Curator and oversees a collection of over 375,000 photographs, posters, film, video, audio, textiles, memorabilia, and electronic files donated by a variety of labor unions, arbitrators, and management professionals and theorists.
Barb brings an infectious enthusiasm both for the subjects and the media that she works with. She possesses a knowledge of the collection one would expect from someone who has worked with a collection for much more than her decade's tenure. She is a strong advocate for the research potential inherent in the variety of materials that she works with and provides a high level of reference service on difficult to access materials. As audio, video, and still images lead the vanguard of our ever-increasing reliance on electronic files, I am looking forward to working with Barb as we wrestle with the vexing issues surrounding long-term preservation and access to the world's knowledge captured in these media forms. (Curtis Lyons)
Cheryl Rowland, Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cheryl Rowland is a Collections Assistant in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, but that modest title doesn’t do justice to the key role that she plays in keeping the Division’s public services operation going. Because RMC has a supervised reading room, materials have to be paged from the vault or ordered from the Annex by RMC staff, who also do any photocopying requested and reshelve the items when they go back to the vault. Besides playing a major role in paging, Cheryl oversees the movement of materials back and forth from the Annex to RMC, assigns box locations to the boxes for newly processed manuscript or archival collections, fields requests from some University offices for selected materials from their records in RMC, fills photocopy requests, and hunts down boxes that have gone astray.
Because Cheryl likes to work behind the scenes, it takes a bit of time to realize how much she does and how well she does it. But anytime she is away, we really miss her, and not only because she is such a nice person! She has a deep knowledge of the collections and their spatial requirements, and she keeps coming up with clever ways to save vault space. Her calm, easygoing temperament is also a good influence on all around her, appreciated especially when the reading room is busy and paging requests come thick and fast.
Cheryl works hard at home too, both as a busy grandmother and on family construction projects. (She spent one memorable “vacation” week putting a new roof on the house.) She is also a creative person; she does tatting, creating intricate, delicate designs, and she makes a personalized wall calendar every year that features photographs of her grandchildren. Congratulations on your twenty-year anniversary, Cheryl! (Margaret Nichols)
Dorothy Stiefel, LTS Cataloging
Words like 'industrious', 'versatile', and 'forthright' would be a good start to try and characterize twenty years of Dorothy's service in Olin LTS, but they'd also fall short of describing the breadth of her skills and impact here. With focus and dedication that have distinguished her work, Dorothy has checked-in, received, or cataloged just about every type of book, serial, document, and dissertation that moves through Acquisitions, and her careful approach has been a boon to supervisors who strive for accuracy in a high-volume world. As a member of Room 110’s “plant patrol”, she’s been equally assiduous in keeping our potted friends well fed and happy, just one facet of a wider horticultural life that keeps her busy at home, and takes her to flower shows nationwide.
Dorothy has worn many hats in as many units, and we’ve depended on her to handle a variety of changing responsibilities over the years. When we discuss how adding new tasks will affect her workflows, Dorothy’s honest, practical feedback carries a weight supported by a record of steadfast reliability, so I know to take heed, and I admire her sincerity. I also won’t forget that when I arrived here in 1996, Dorothy made me feel included and welcome with just a few interactions, an early sign of what has thankfully held throughout my experience with her: amidst a plot that twists abruptly, and chapters that may reorganize and redefine the narrative, with Dorothy there is no overwriting, and there are no wasted words. Congratulations on your service, Dorothy, and say hi to the horse for us! (Pedro Arroyo)
Dorothy retired in June. We wish her all the best in her retirement!
Cammie Wyckoff, Annex Library
Cammie is the Administrative Supervisor of the Library Annex. This facility houses the most volumes of any library at Cornell. Besides the challenges associated with the collection size, the Annex is a high-density warehouse where books are shelved by size in trays (not in call number order). It takes special skills to manage the Annex. As a past winner of the Staff Outstanding Performance Award, Cammie exemplifies dedication to public service, hard work, and organizational talent.
When not at work, Cammie loves to ride horses and work on home improvement projects. (Barbara B. Eden)
Martha Walker, Fine Arts Library
In the two decades that Martha has worked at Cornell, she’s had a variety of positions and a fine list of accomplishments. Martha started in 1989 as the Acting Assistant Slide Librarian, moved to a reference position when Uris was the undergraduate library; even added some Law Library reference duties to the mix. She became part of the O/K/U team when Olin, Uris, and Kroch merged. Since 2002, Martha has been the Fine Arts Librarian. It is this rich background that has helped Martha adapt to each of these environments and to make her mark. She put her fine arts background to work in nurturing the first professional signage package in Olin, Kroch, and Uris Libraries. Martha worked with Craig Mains to design and develop the sign system that you still see today. If you’ve ever had a meeting in 201 Olin Library and admired the bookplate display on the wall, you should also thank the same visual dynamic duo of Martha and Craig.
At the Fine Arts Library, Martha says she’s most proud of learning how to juggle multiple responsibilities: from consulting with a faculty member on appropriate materials for a new course to leaping behind the circulation desk to help an anxious undergraduate charge something out quickly because he or she is running late for a class. She also enjoys working with the students and community artists on the two or three (low-pressure/high-art) exhibits in the Fine Arts Library each year. To satisfy the consumer/bibliophile in her, she enjoys buying beautiful and meaningful books for the University. And, sheepishly, she says that she even enjoys committee work because she always learns something interesting from her colleagues.
Pat Schafer praises Martha’s ability to adapt. She said, “Martha, if you did not possess this quality in abundance, you would be the wrong person for the job of Fine Arts Librarian at this point in time.” Pat was referring to the complexity of the Milstein building project and the impact on the Fine Arts Library. In the seven years that Martha has been the director, there have been three deans; new architects; and several plans—some of which included the library, others which did not.
Martha has come full circle in many respects. Her undergraduate degree is in Fine Arts and she is now the Fine Arts Librarian. She started her Cornell career as the Assistant Slide Librarian and she is now working with her university colleagues to incorporate some of the services (e.g., a/v equipment loans—including slide projectors!) formerly performed by the Knight Visual Resources Facility (KVRF) into the Fine Arts Library circulation desk. She and Deb Schmidle have just co-authored an excellent report on outreach and instructional activities in support of digital image users.
Martha also has a life outside of work that includes a family (husband, John; two sons, Seth (20 yrs) and Lucas (17); Rosie (a four-year old Yorkshire Terrier) and Vigo (a one-year old African Grey Parrot). She and her husband also have renovated two nineteenth-century houses. Renovating an old house requires patience, flexibility, endurance, and vision. I am sure that the next few years will call on each of these attributes as the Milstein project unfolds and the services and collections of a twenty-first-century Fine Arts Library develop. Please join me in congratulating Martha on her twentieth anniversary! (Janet McCue)
15 Years
From left: Bill Kehoe, Bronwen Mohlke, Zsuzsa Koltay, Sonam Dongtoe, George Kozak, Yelena Kurbanova, CJ Lance, Lisa LeFever, Boris Michev, Jim Spear
Stuart Basefsky, ILR Catherwood Library
Stuart Basefsky has now been with Cornell and the Catherwood Library for fifteen years. Although I have not been around that long, my experience working with him for the last two-plus years can only make me realize what a valuable asset he has been since his arrival. Stuart approaches everything he does with an admirable mix of passion and knowledge, allowing him to pursue a wide range of initiatives that bring esteem and appreciation to the Catherwood Library and the ILR School. Two recent examples of this include having his article selected as the cover article in the November 2007 Information Outlook and being invited to be the keynote speaker for the CASLIN, the Czech and Slovak Library and Information Network, meeting this past June. I have a great appreciation for all of his many accomplishments in the last fifteen years and I look forward to continuing this relationship for many more years to come. (Chris Miller)
Sonam Dongtoe, Annex Library
Sonam worked at the Physical Sciences Library for over fifteen years until his recent move to Collection Maintenance in Olin Library. He has been a valued part of the library team. There have been many projects that he has supervised for PSL, from moving books to the Annex to moving glass plates from one end of the library to the other. Besides his general duties of evening supervisor, which includes the security of the library, Sonam effectively ran the reserves program. During the evenings he would oversee Document Delivery, Library to Library, and Interlibrary Loan request processing. Sonam kept the stacks at PSL in good order and took care of the bindery needs for our library. Sonam is always thoughtful, helpful, and conscientious. He took his responsibility here seriously and always exceeded expectations. Recently his cheerful face has reappeared in PSL to help with the final moves of this collection. Thanks for all of your efforts towards good service for the physical sciences community, Sonam! (Leah Solla)
Brian Eden, Law Library
Brian retired in June. Although he decided against a write-up, please see the June issue of Kaleidoscope for a photograph of Brian at his retirement party. We wish him all best in his retirement!
Claire Germain, Law Library
Not every library has a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur among its ranks but Cornell does. In July 2007, Claire Germain, the Law School’s Edward Cornell Law Librarian and professor of Law received France’s highest honor for her role in bridging American and French legal cultures. Claire is celebrating her fifteenth anniversary at Cornell and during this decade and a half, she has accomplished much.
The Spring 2009 Cornell Law Forum includes an excellent profile of Claire that highlights her academic background and her accomplishments. John J. Barceló, the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of International and Comparative Law, dubs Claire “a powerhouse.” In addition to being the director of the Law Library, Claire is the director of the dual degree programs between Cornell and the University of Paris I and Humboldt University in Berlin. Her leadership was pivotal in creating the Cornell Center for Documentation on American Law for France’s highest court. She teaches a course in French law, in Ithaca, and during the Paris Summer Institute. She has authored two books, including the award-winning Germain's Transnational Law Research, and numerous articles on legal research and comparative law, including one on French statutory interpretation, which appears in a leading comparative law casebook published by West. She and Thomas Mills just returned from a trip to Tanzania where they nurtured a collaboration to support an archive of materials related to the Rwandan genocide. Claire was elected President of her national association, the American Association of Law Libraries, in 2006 and has served on numerous national and international committees and boards.
Claire grew up in Paris where she received her B.A. in German and an LL.B degree from the University of Paris. It was the lure of a fellowship to study comparative law at Louisiana State University (LSU) that helped bring Claire to the States. Claire said that Louisiana had a special appeal since the state’s laws contain remnants of the Napoleonic civil law code. Her thesis which was a comparative study of French and Louisiana civil law systems related to contract law and consumer protection is still touted by her thesis advisor (Saúl Litvinoff) who said that “Claire was one of--if not 'the' most brilliant foreign graduate students I had the pleasure to teach.” The other lure that might have helped keep Claire in the United States was Stuart Basefsky whom she met while both were studying German at the University of Erlanger-Nurnberg. Claire and Stuart corresponded when he was studying at Duke and she at LSU and they married in 1976. Claire later added one more degree to her educational background with an MLL (Master of Law Librarianship) from the University of Denver.
Robert A. Hillman, the Edwin H. Woodruff Professor of Law, states that Claire “has a keen interest in the world of ideas and in their collection both digitally and in print, and that’s reflected in the superb service the Law Library offers to facilitate faculty research and support our scholarship needs.” Claire is quick to point out that she is very much a part of a team and that it is the experts at the Law School Library who offer these excellent services. Claire says that she “feels blessed to work with a wonderfully talented staff in an intellectually-stimulating and prestigious university which offers many opportunities for growth and service.”
Claire is a teacher and a researcher; a mentor and a facilitator (and we hear, a wonderful baker!) All would agree with Barceló’s assessment that she is a powerhouse. Please join me in congratulating Claire on her fifteen years of service to the University and please join me in imagining what accomplishments the next fifteen years might bring! (Janet McCue)
Bill Kehoe, Division of Library Information Technologies
Bill started at Mann Library where he worked on a number of projects including the Cornell University Geospatial Information Repository (CUGIR), the USDA Economics, Statistics and Market Information System, the Library Gateway, and Interlibrary Loan. In 2001 he moved to Olin and worked with DLIT and IRIS Research on projects including Project PRISM, Project Euclid and arXiv.
Over the past few years Bill has lead and contributed to several projects around enduring access, particularly focused on interoperable long-term digital preservation systems. From Project PRISM he went on to manage the MathArc Project, a collaboration with Goettingen State and University Library to create an interoperable preservation and dissemination system for mathematics serials. Bill participated in the LOCKSS Alliance (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) and manages a LOCKSS instance. He is currently Cornell's technical lead for the IMLS project, "Towards Interoperable Preservation Repositories" (TIPR), in collaboration with partners at the Florida Center for Library Automation and NYU. He provides valuable insight and input for our current effort to develop a CUL archival repository and associated preservation services.
Bill has been the technical lead in handling files associated with the Microsoft and Google Books large-scale digitization projects. (See the October 2007 Kaleidoscope). This has included not just receiving files but also validating and then feeding them on to Amazon for print-on-demand and to the Internet Archive for open-access. He has perhaps more experience with what it really means to handle multiple tera-bytes of data than anyone else in the library.
Bill is open and friendly, has broad technical knowledge, and an ability to explain ideas to others. He has been somewhat of a ringleader among the technical folks, organizing activities such as a book club and programmer meetings that encourage the sharing of technical knowledge and help everyone work together better. (Simeon Warner)
Zsuzsa Koltay, Research and Assessment
The Library made a great decision on 7/19/1993: it hired Zsuzsa for the position of Coordinator of Centers for Public Access to the Electronic Library. Starting out at Mann, she administered public computing, provided reference services and library instruction, and conducted collection development for application software and multimedia materials. Two years later, Jan Olsen, then Director of Mann Library, wrote in a letter, ". . . in the two years she [Zsuzsa] has been here, she has been . . . having her scope of responsibilities changed "mid-stream" to assist with some new directions at Mann. . . ." Well, that seems to have been the theme in Zsuzsa's entire career at CUL.
Over the past sixteen years, Zsuzsa has served the Library in multiple positions and with an ever expanding scope of responsibilities. I'd like to name a few to highlight the breadth and depth of her contributions. After her first job at Mann, she became the Numeric Files and Multimedia Librarian and managed the numeric files collection and services. During this time she worked on the revision of the EARL database; did CIT tape cleanup; and worked on the USDA enhancements and public support. Then, she moved on to be the Electronic Projects Coordinator. In that role, she coordinated all electronic projects in Mann with an eye toward integrating them into a cohesive Web Information System and she led the redesign of the Mann gateway. Her talents attracted DLIT's attention and her skill set matched the need DLIT had at the time. This is how Zsuzsa became the Coordinator of Electronic Publishing in DLIT.
During her tenure in this position, she led and coordinated work to establish an electronic publishing program at CUL; she made significant contributions to move Project Euclid forward. In 2002, Zsuzsa was given a great opportunity along with a great many challenges: serving as the Acting Director for the Engineering Library. Zsuzsa made this yet another productive period: she laid out a direction for the Engineering library, set measurable goals for the staff, and built strong relationships with the faculty. At the same time she also renovated the physical space of the Engineering Library, turning it into a favorite study and research spot for the students and faculty.
In 2006, Zsuzsua was appointed the Special Projects Librarian. During the two years that followed, she implemented FindIt!, and led the Library Web Vision team to launch a brand new, persona-research-based CUL Library Web site. This was a monumental task, given the complexity and coordination that was involved. Her performance was adequately reflected in the performance review her then supervisor, Ed Weissman, wrote: "you served as a “mover and shaker” in the Library through your leadership of the Web Vision Implementation Project and your service on the Olin Renovation Team. In combination with your other activities, you have provided outstanding service to the Library." In September 2008, Zsuzsa became the Director of the Research and Assessment Unit. She has been a quick learner and an idea-initiator, and has put her skills into improving RAU's workflow and planning within a short period of time after assuming the new role.
Last but not least, I'd like to mention that throughout this period, Zsuzsa has been tremendously active professionally both at Cornell and nationally. Her list of presentations and publications is equally impressive as her in-job performance at CUL. CUL is indeed very fortunate to have Zsuzsa on its staff. Thank you and congratulations, Zsuzsa! (Xin Li)
George Kozak, Division of Library Information Technologies
George Kozak was initially hired to write the NOTIS bibliographic record loader. The 'techies' among us appreciate the fact that this required the ultimate
technical expertise in assembly language programming. Even in those good old
days, many of us were not able to do this kind of programming. Later,
George played major roles in supporting the NOTIS system. He then moved to
provide technical support on the earliest incarnations of Cornell’s digital library projects. George also was a key member of both the ENCompass and Voyager
implementation teams. George is now a member of DLIT’s infrastructure group,
where he works on a variety of projects--everything from programming for eCommons and DLXS systems, to database development, to exploring new technologies and approaches and installing and maintaining new systems. He’s one of the most respected members of the DLIT staff, often helping his
colleagues on programming problems, adding his experience and analytical
mind to hard questions.
George is a devoted husband and father of six. And since his ordination in 1998, George has served first as a deacon ministering to the parishioners of Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca and now serves St. Anthony Church in Groton, Holy Cross Church in Dryden, and All Saints Church in Lansing. Deacon George’s duties include visiting the sick and homebound, assisting at mass, and officiating at communion and prayer services, funerals, baptisms, and weddings. Another really fascinating thing about George is that behind his mild mannered exterior is a guy who loves action figures; he has one of the coolest collections of them you’ll ever see. Finally, below are two examples of how George's colleagues feel about him and his work. (Surinder Ghangas)
George Kozak is among the most motivated, energetic, intelligent, and
friendly people who I've worked with during my career in the Cornell
University Library system. George is definitely a "go-to" person with a
"can do" attitude. I've worked with George on many projects and services
including the TULIP project (a project about electronic journals in the
mid 90's), the DAISY project (CUL's first attempt at electronic
dissertations), the Computer Science Technical Reports (CS-TR), the
Making of America collection, the Numerical Recipes Mirror service,
a digital collection of data concerning the electric power supply in the Northeast,
the KMODDL e-book Collection, DSpace and eCommons, interoperability between the CS-TRs and arXiv, interoperability between eCommons and arXiv, and many others. In all of these encounters George has been very patient and helpful to me. He is truly a person to value in our organization. (John Saylor)
George Kozak is a wonderful and generous colleague who consistently goes
above and beyond both in his work and to help his fellow employees. Over
the last six years, we have collaborated with George on a multitude of
complex projects, and he always takes the time to explain things clearly,
and executes his own tasks with great expertise and skill. He is patient,
reliable, and always keeps things in perspective (he has a great sense of
humor!). We feel incredibly fortunate to have him in our group. (Danielle Mericle)
Yelena Kurbanova, LTS Cataloging
Yelena Kurbanova has seen a lot since she joined us here in LTS fifteen years ago. She has held a variety of positions in a variety of units, from searcher in Acquisitions to copy cataloger, and then to original cataloger of Slavic materials in the Catalog Department. She has cataloged Cyrillic, Fine Arts, and Music materials. She has roller-coasted with us through our many reorganizations and has always gotten off the ride with a smile on her face.
Yelena brings a great deal of knowledge and skill to her work and she quite rightly takes pride in the service she provides to the University's collection of Slavic materials. She is also one of the department's most talented linguists. Her languages include but are not limited to English, Russian, Azeri, Turkish, French, Lezgian, Arabic, Armenian, Ukrainian, and Polish. Wow! She has also served the department by being a mentor and trainer to many a student and temporary staff that have worked on Slavic projects over the years.
Yelena's greatest commitment though, is to her family. She works very diligently on behalf of her extensive extended family and is devoted to her daughter, Lala, a 2009 Cornell graduate! (Pam Stansbury)
CJ Lance, Library Communications
CJ Lance began her career at Cornell in 1993 as business manager in the Water Resources Institute, and shortly thereafter became administrative manager in the Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. CJ’s many duties in this role included administrative support for RMC’s human resources, financial, and facilities operations as well as permissions, security and, not surprisingly, event planning. As CUL events became more complex and frequent, CJ’s talents in this area began to be in high demand, and she soon shifted her role to event and outreach coordinator in the newly formed Library Communications Department to better support key initiatives Library-wide.
CJ has managed many events in the Library over the years, from small and intimate dinners and receptions to large conferences such as the Janus Conference, from staff parties to large exhibitions with multiple associated events. The result is always high quality. Delicious food is often present and memorable, with CJ using her prior experience as a sous chef to inform choices and deliver a mouth-watering spread that is memorable and keeps people talking (recall last year’s Dinosaur BBQ staff picnic or the opening reception for any one of the many exhibitions).
Her work with the events surrounding the Native American Collections’ exhibition “Vanished Worlds, Enduring People” was “spectacular” according to a supervisor in a past performance review. A past interim director of the communications department said of CJ “she is great at putting events together; did a great job with the Edgar Allen Poe exhibition.” Most recently, CJ was instrumental in the success of the large-scale and detail-intensive events celebrating the Library’s acquisition of a unique hip hop collection; multiple exhibition openings in the past few years such as the celebrations for the Eastern Wine and Grape Archive, Lafayette, Ezra Cornell, and Charles Darwin collections; and last year’s Wason Conference.
You will also see CJ’s work in both Olin and Uris libraries with small displays that highlight some of the unique collections or activities of the Library. She represents the Library very well with her attention to detail and excellent customer service whether she is interfacing with program participants, students, alums, trustees, or other VIPs.
CJ spends her time outside of work with her daughter, gardening, and completing her close-to-being finished master's degree at Cornell. (Ellen Marsh)
Lisa LeFever, South Asia Collection
Lisa LeFever has been the good-natured Assistant and backup for three Curators of Cornell’s South Asia Collection in the last fifteen years. Lisa mediates between our materials—from five countries, in at least a dozen languages—and every department that handles them to make our books, journals, and films accessible to the Cornell community. She mans the Reading Room, supervises students, manages accounts, and troubleshoots as needed. Difficult customer? Missing package? Recalcitrant software? Administrative snag? “No worries,” she answers, and makes good every time.
Lisa knew little of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka when she started here, but she has learned a lot on the way. Lisa remembers Curator Ved Kayastha’s impromptu lectures as an ongoing crash course in Indian and world affairs. To deal with books from the subcontinent Lisa taught herself the Devanagari script used for Hindi, Nepali, Sanskrit, and other Indic languages. Last year she studied Bengali in coursework enlivened with skits and laughter.
Lisa loves her cats, sews costumes for the Renaissance Fair, and bakes a pumpkin roll cake to die for. What would we do without her? (Bronwen Bledsoe)
Shu-Jan Grace Lin, LTS Acquisitions
It has now been fifteen years that Grace has excelled in prioritizing and multi-tasking her many acquisitions duties. She is always ready to help us with many different tasks: not only to set up regular orders and to handle a considerable amount of procurement card requests, but also to assist us with receiving Monograph Standing Order titles from our German vendor. Recently she has taken upon herself to handle the receiving aspects of Chinese titles!
By that she has proven once more how willing she is to adapt to our constantly changing circumstances. The energy and care with which Grace deals with the large amount of Chinese order requests has gained her the respect and admiration of her fellow colleagues and selectors. She is responsible for the recruitment, training, and monitoring of a group of selected students and for coordinating their work. Even though it is not always an easy task, dealing with the students is source of pride and joy for Grace. I truly cannot picture us coping with the level of complexity involved in ordering these types of materials without Grace’s unique and daily contributions to the success of the process. It is clear that her past experience as a teacher is helping her to understand well their needs and to think about the best and easiest ways to explain difficult workflows.
In addition to all of that, Grace also loves to cook delicious dishes for our monthly birthday celebrations and takes extra care for the lovely plants around her cubicle! I feel very fortunate and proud to have such a dedicated and special person in the Acquisitions department and I would like to thank Grace for all of her past and future achievements with us. (Boaz Nadav-Manes)
Chun Mei Lyons, LTS Acquisitions
Chun Mei began her employment here at the library when she was hired by Barb Tarbox in bookmarking almost sixteen years ago. She soon moved on to the Wason collection for which her expertise is Chinese. She was, and continues to be, responsible for ordering, paying, receiving, and setting up preliminary records for Chinese serials. Chun Mei is also solely responsible for checking in all of the Chinese and Japanese serials and periodicals. Her attention to detail is outstanding. In 2005 Chun Mei moved to LTS when we initiated a big integration with other library technical services units on campus. I feel very fortunate to be Chun Mei’s supervisor for she makes my work life so much easier! Chun Mei is self motivated and a very hard worker. She’s very cooperative and willing to help in any area in the department that’s needed. She’s a team player and strives to do all she can in any given day.
Chun Mei, thank you for all you do and congratulations! I look forward to working with you many more years! (Lisa Maybury)
Boris Michev, Research and Learning Services, Maps and Media
Boris Michev joined the library in 1993 as night supervisor in Uris Library. He came prepared to respond to patron inquiries in seven languages (viz., Russian, French, Serbian, Croatian, Greek, Bulgarian, and English) and equipped with an M.A. in history from Sofia University (Sofia, Bulgaria). After several years working for circulation in Uris, and later in Olin library, Boris became the media assistant, and later head of the media department for both libraries. With all of his job responsibilities, Boris somehow found the time to go back to school and earn an M.L.S. from Syracuse University, and even to take courses in Cornell’s ILR and Law Schools.
Boris has been the point person for A/V collections for Olin and Uris, overseeing a sizeable budget for media equipment, managing faculty requests, and keeping track of a variety of cataloging and equipment issues, including making provisions for obsolete media formats. LPs, reel-to-reel, 16 mm, cassette tape, Betamax, VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray . . . Boris has dealt with them all! More recently, he has effortlessly taken over management of newspapers and media services, and I’m pleased to report that his responsibilities have increased even further. Since the first of July, Boris is not only the new head of the Maps and Media unit of Research and Learning Services; he is the new Maps and Geospatial Information Coordinator. In addition to developing strategic directions for the maps and media collection, Boris now selects for geography and urban studies, and is developing a series of workshops for cartographic and geographic information instruction, creating exhibitions, and navigating all kinds of globes. Atlases, quadrangles, cartograms, plats, orthographic projections, GIS . . . Boris knows all of them, too!
Throughout his fifteen years at Cornell, Boris Michev has impressed his colleagues with his intellectual curiosity, strong work ethic, and absolute commitment to the library and its patrons. Please join me in congratulating Boris on his excellent service to the Library, professional achievements, and exciting new job. (Susette Newberry)
Bronwen Mohlke, Division of Library Information Technologies
On behalf of DLIT and CUL, I would like to extend my congratulations and thanks to Bronwyn for her outstanding service to the library over the last fifteen years. Bronwyn is an exemplary employee--she is hardworking, collegial, and conscientious, and is an absolute pleasure to work with. She approaches her work with a positive attitude, and takes on new challenges and tasks with ease and enthusiasm. Ever generous with her time and knowledge, Bronwyn is always considerate of her fellow-employee. We feel very fortunate to have her in our unit.
Bronwyn began her tenure at the library in the Preservation Department, working on numerous microfilming initiatives as well the Making of America project. In 2003 she moved to the newly formed DCAPS, and has since worked in the Digital Media Group, overseeing structural metadata, quality control, and workflow for large monograph digitization projects. Recent initiatives she has worked on include the digitization of Huntington Free Library materials, Bolivian Pamphlets, and the Nuremburg papers. She is our resident Filemaker expert, and manages to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously and keep them all on track.
At home Bronwyn is the proud mother of two beautiful daughters. She is an accomplished quilter, an excellent cook and baker, and an avid reader. She also studies Welsh, and has taken a number of classes here at Cornell prior to her visits to her homeland. We hope that she stays with us for many more years to come! (Danielle Mericle)
Greg Nehler, LTS Cataloging
Greg Nehler has spent all of his CUL years in technical services, but has had a nice progression of zig zag lines, moving from one unit to another several times, each move designed to make the best use of Greg's talents. Greg is proficient in six languages in addition to his native English. His strongest is Hungarian. He lived in Hungary for several years, absorbing both the language and culture. He also learned to love the food, and in fact enjoys cooking it. Greg, who has a PhD in Hungarian studies, currently teaches a Hungarian language class at Cornell.
Greg worked as a copy cataloger before being tapped to be one of the charter members of the LTS Metadata Department. After working on metadata initiatives for six years, Greg moved back to LTS Cataloging at the end of 2008. Cataloging is an excellent place for Greg since he is a careful cataloger, liking most to deal with the most complex items. Greg's propensity for complexity is undoubtedly what makes him enjoy the game Go so much as well. Go is one of his favorite pastimes. Greg also enjoys old movies and can almost always come up with an answer if a colleague is trying to remember who was in which film. (Lois Purcell)
Jim Spear, LTS E-Resources and Serials
During the last fifteen years Jim has transformed his position every few years. He's taken on new responsibilities and challenges and has eagerly incorporated new technologies to help streamline the processing of new acquisitions and provide access to new resources for the Library. His commitment to his job and co-workers has been outstanding and he has been willing and able to develop new technical skills. He's been a careful and effective trainer of other staff and is always willing to evaluate procedures and ask questions. Jim has acquired and cataloged monographs, first primarily for print materials, but now increasingly for their e-versions. He generates reports used in diverse projects, for record loads, record maintenance, and the review of accounts. Through his versatile skills and flexibility he has truly carved out a unique position in the Unit. Thank you, Jim, for your ongoing service and commitment to CUL. (Bill Kara)
10 Years
From left: Carla DeMello, Michele Hamill, Marty Kurth, Surinder Ghangas, Apikanya McCarty, David Ruddy, Will Sayers, Guy Smith, Leah Solla
Carla DeMello, Library Communications
Carla DeMello began her library career as a preservation assistant in the Preservation/Conservation Department, where she was responsible for a number of production scanning projects, assisted in developing a new digital imaging workshop, and soon became the department’s Webmaster. As her design and creative talents became more and more evident, Carla’s work shifted to designing Web sites and printed materials. She then went on to become an integral part of the newly formed IRIS as head of its design group.
For the past several years, Carla has been the graphic designer and publications manager for Library Communications. As part of a creative team, Carla’s design talents are put to good use in communicating the Library in a visually compelling way to target audiences. Her work is highly recognized not only throughout the Library but at the university as well. She designs the New Student Reading Project’s poster each year, which is mounted and displayed prominently in the CU president’s office. The design of the Library’s annual report last year drew accolades from colleagues around campus, netting a mention in the Cornell Chronicle and a design Award of Excellence in the category of annual/donor report by the University and College Designers Association; her design of the the A-Z Guide also won a design award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II Accolades & Achievements Awards.
Carla often says “I love the Library”, and this is illustrated through her efforts every day. She serves on committees that have impact Library-wide, most recently the Library Inclusiveness Task Force, and is always ready and willing to help. She works with clients to help determine the best way to deliver a message, whether it is through print or online communications, and the result often makes one take notice. Performance reviews from past supervisors consistently cite that she is “constituent-oriented,”“displays a strong talent for listening to others,”“shows initiative in developing new ways of doing things,” and “makes a great team member.”
Carla spends her time outside of work with her four children, ranging in age from 5 to 21, two dogs, and numerous cats. She applies her creative talents to painting murals in her home and other artistic pursuits.
So take a look around – you’ll see Carla’s work everywhere in the Library and the university. (Ellen Marsh)
Michele Hamill, Preservation and Collection Maintenance
As the Paper and Photograph Conservator for Cornell, Michele has made a major contribution in improving the collections primarily housed in the special collections in the library. In addition she plays an essential role in the education and training initiatives of the department. In her tenure at Cornell she has worked on treatment and rehousing of numerous collections which have included the Gettysburg Address, the Andrew Dickson White Photographic Collection, and the Susan Douglas Political Americana Collection.
Michele’s expertise is known system and campus wide, and she can also be counted on to advise people in the most thorough and professional manner.
When she is not at the library, she is the team manager at home and her active sons keep Michele very busy.
Congratulations on your ten years of service to the Library. (Barbara B. Eden)
Angela Horne, Johnson School Management Library
Angela has been at Cornell for a decade and a glance at her resume will show significant accomplishments for each one of those ten years. In June 2009, the Johnson School awarded her the Outstanding Contributor Award for 2009 (see below in People News); in 2008, she was strategically aligning the Library using the skills she had gained with the dual MBAs from the Cornell-Queen's Executive MBA Program which she earned in 2007. Earlier years show her accomplishments as the editor of Wordsmyth Watch; her success at presenting workshops to alumni groups and to graduate students; her awards from Canadian colleagues as the recipient of the OCLC/CLA Award for Promoting Technology in Libraries, etc.
Angela regularly receives praise from faculty, staff, and students who comment on her outstanding performance. Some reflections include--"an outstanding professional who gives one hundred percent to every assignment she undertakes;" others discuss her collaborative skills, her respect for others, and her ability to get things done: "she is most willing to partner, participate and shoulder responsibility." Angela is both a strong leader and an exceptional contributor.
We all know about Angela's Canadian background, her sense of humour, honour, and her love of colourful doodads in her office. What we all might not know as well are some of her outside accomplishments. Did you know that she once played violin for Princess Diana, Prince Charles, and Danny Kaye (not all at the same time!)? That she has lived in Moscow and that in another lifetime, she would love to travel the world as a photographer? We consult regularly with Angela about strategic planning, inclusiveness, financial analysis tools, and business vendors . . . but have you ever asked Angela about movies (she knows them all) or how to make a margarita (there is a rumour that hers are the best in Ithaca--maybe the world!). Stop by the Johnson School to learn more about each of these topics and when you do, congratulate her on her tenth anniversary! (Janet McCue)
Peter Hoyt, Division of Library Information Technologies
Peter Hoyt was hired as a temp in DLIT at CUL in August 1998 to help George Kozak with NOTIS assembly language programming and troubleshooting. As I mention in George’s award letter, programmers who could do assembly language programming were a rare breed in those days. Before coming to the library, Peter had worked in CIT in the 1980's as a programmer and had worked for private industry from 1988 through 1998.
In late 2000, Peter was appointed as a full-time, regular employee in the Library. Since his appointment, Peter has worked on many important projects. To name a few: Borrow Direct, EZProxy (which allows users to access CUL licensed resources from off campus), the daily feed of Cornell patron data into Voyager, the feed of Cornell Bursar data into Voyager, and many tools for Library Technical Services that make their jobs easier and their workflows more efficient.
Since the implementation of the Voyager system, Peter Hoyt is our main programmer for Voyager-related processes. In that role he has written numerous programs to load data into the Voyager system. As Voyager database administrator, I appreciate the great care he takes when he writes these data load programs. As a result, in the last ten years of Voyager as our integrated library system, we have never had to back out of the Voyager database because one of Peter’s data loads did not work correctly. That is something truly to be grateful for if you are a database administrator.
To get a better sense of Peter's work, I will let two colleagues who have worked with Peter extensively give you their impressions below. Besides his work, Peter loves to drive 18 wheel trucks. He keeps his license current and has occasionally picked up truck driving jobs when opportunities have presented themselves. Also, in 2007, Peter was elected councilman in the Town of Caroline, where he says his job is to keep the government out of the citizens' hair as much as possible. Peter is a single father of two wonderful children, Stephanie (12) and Patrick (11). They are the center of his life. They live with him in Brooktondale every other week of the year. As promised, see below for more on Peter’s contributions to CUL. (Surinder Ghangas)
Pete Hoyt has been working with LTS staff on dozens of batch extract, data load, reporting, and other data manipulation projects since 2000, when the Library implemented Voyager as its integrated library system. Although Library requests and projects for batch processing of catalog data often come to LTS, it is impossible for us to carry out many of these requests and projects without programming help from DLIT. Thus, our relationship with Pete over the past several years has been crucial for maintaining the integrity of the contents of our catalog and for sharing this data with OCLC and with others.
Our work with Pete has been collaborative. While LTS staff brings to the table our understanding of the MARC formats and the way we use them, Pete brings a programmer’s viewpoint on the best way to manipulate and leverage that data. Each job entails a back-and-forth process in which LTS seeks to define the goals of the project, while Pete strives not only to understand those goals but to question our assumptions, present options for greater efficiency, and recommend testing when appropriate. We have worked together to build a level of communication that is open and challenging, and I think the Library has benefited greatly from it.
Of particular note are the tools that Pete has created to allow the LTS Batch Processing Unit and other staff to develop and execute straightforward batch jobs ourselves, without the intervention of DLIT. Pete’s Harvest software, which now constitutes only one option in his broader suite of “Library Services (LS) Tools,” gives LTS staff a powerful querying option to supplement MS Access and Northwestern’s VgerSelect
software for querying Voyager tables. The import, export, and modification tools, as well as the shell scripts Pete has written for us to carry out regular weekly and monthly batch routines, have given LTS a level of processing independence unimagined in the NOTIS days.
Pete is a smart, innovative, and honest partner in this work. He is not territorial and helps to keep all of us focused on what is most important and efficient for the Library, not for LTS or for DLIT. He can be loud and sometimes gruff, but he is also dedicated and sophisticated in his approach to data problems. Pete is a character, but also a great asset to the Library, at least as far as his work with LTS is concerned. (Jim LeBlanc)
Over the course of the last eight years Pete and I have collaborated
on numerous tasks and projects, such as batch processing of MARC
records; a Web tool for managing batch jobs; development with Scott
Wicks of the ITSO CUL software that was later licensed to OCLC;
creation of a custom program for routing our patrons from the WorldCat
Local interface into Borrow Direct or interlibrary loan; and design and
implementation of our enterprise-wide system for managing Web usage
logs for the library.
I am most grateful that I have Pete as my colleague. We click
together. Our general approach to solving problems is to agree on a
framework, then work closely together on minor iterations until we
arrive at a solution. The key to making this work is close
communication and quick turnaround. Pete always holds up his side of
the bargain. He never holds a project up. Pete's efficient computer
programming goes beyond speed. His programs provide highly accurate
results and run reliably year after year. This kind of reliability is
critical because our library operations depend on dozens and dozens of
Pete's custom applications. I sincerely look forward to many more
years of creative collaboration. (Adam Chandler)
Marty Kurth, Division of Library Information Technologies
It is a great pleasure to celebrate Marty's tenth anniversary at the Library. He joined CUL in 1999 as the head of the Cataloging Unit in Central Technical Services. Since then, he has had a diverse career and contributed to several important library initiatives. Marty moved from his previous role as Head of Metadata Services to three successive director-level positions: Director of Discovery Systems and Services, Director of Digital Library and Discovery Services, and Director of IT Infrastructure. Each of these directorates has been marked by operational diversity and Marty has distinguished himself as a leader of technology-intensive programs and operations in each position. Currently, he oversees the Division of Library Information Technologies' (DLIT) technology infrastructure that undergirds the Library’s provision of services over the Web. These services include server hardware and software, enterprise-level systems, contracted data management services, digital media production facilities, public and staff desktop computing, and administrative computing.
In addition to his contributions to CUL, Marty also has had significant achievements that benefit the library community through his involvement in continuing education programs. He has participated in creating innovative educational opportunities that appeal to a broad array of library professionals. For instance, Marty led the Continuing Education Implementation Group, which developed a five-workshop series on metadata and digital libraries commissioned by the Library of Congress and the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS). He was recognized for his efforts in 2006 by a Library of Congress Certificate of Appreciation and an ALCTS Presidential Citation. Marty often presents in professional forums and has co-authored several articles.
Marty is a sought-after colleague both within and outside CUL. He has extraordinary gifts for working with people and bringing out the best in them. His colleagues often acknowledge his excellent leadership and interpersonal skills as one of the key ingredients in his successful career. He has used his excellent communication skills to build alliances, coach his staff, promote cooperation, and solve problems.
I wholeheartedly congratulate him on his tenth anniversary at the Library and wish him many more successful and enjoyable years. (Oya Y. Rieger)
Apikanya McCarty, LTS Cataloging
Apikanya is one of LTS’s original catalogers for Cornell’s premier Echols Collection, concentrating on Thai, Khmer, Laotian, and Cambodian language items. She continually proves herself to be an adaptable and supportive teammate in helping to meet our departmental priorities and her positive attitude makes her a great colleague. Her contributions are not limited to cataloging, however. Apikanya is always willing and anxious to help out whenever and wherever her language expertise is needed. She feels a strong sense of stewardship toward the Echols Collection and a loyalty to its patrons. She attends Southeast Asian Program events in order to become acquainted with the Program’s students, scholars, and professors and has been generous with her knowledge of the Thai, Khmer, and Cambodian language resources in Echols. In fact, she has been asked to be the faculty advisor to the Cornell Thai Association and this gives her even greater opportunity for promoting the Library’s Thai materials. (Pam Stansbury)
Jean Poland, Library Administration
Jean retired in June. Please see the June issue of Kaleidoscope for her write-up.
David Ruddy, Division of Library Information Technologies
David is a versatile and dedicated librarian who quickly wins the respect and trust of his colleagues and project partners. He started off in the library overseeing the move of Making of America to the DLXS software using text encoding skills gained while getting his MSI at Michigan. From there David branched out into new areas. He was one of the original working group members on a project that led to the development of the Archivists' Toolkit, and he was also involved in novel electronic publication projects.
David has been been involved with Project Euclid since its inception in 2000. Project Euclid was a complicated effort with very diverse partners and David showed himself adept in dealing with not only the technical, but also the social and political aspects of the project. He was the project lead for the DPubS system which now supports Euclid and several other publications, both here and at Penn State.
As Director of ePublishing Technologies, David continues to manage Project Euclid and a number of other electronic publishing projects. David recently added the eCommons Institutional Repository to his portfolio of responsibilities and is currently finalizing a revision of eCommons policies in collaboration with library stakeholders.
Peter Hirtle commented that the Library was very lucky to be able to add David's skill at exactly the right moment. Ten years on we are still very lucky to have David's skills and energy as part of our team. (Simeon Warner)
Will Sayers, Research and Learning
Will holds a unique position at Cornell as selector, an Adjunct Full Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the LTS Acquisitions team.
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to supervise Will twice in the last four years. His breadth of knowledge and expertise are unique and highly valued by his colleagues in the Acquisitions department and to the many patrons we serve daily. When a selector asks us to acquire a rare book in a remote location, he is our main specialist and will always take the extra steps to guarantee high rates of success. Whenever we need to purchase a hard to find book in a language that is not familiar to any of us, Will is known to be the ultimate resource. Always friendly and in good spirits and quick to switch between his different roles, Will truly defines what we mean when we seek to excel in a community as diverse as our Library.
Will's curiosity and interest is not limited to intellectual pursuits alone: he often immerses himself in intriguing conversations with his fellow workers about a wide variety of subjects that range from the lousy winter weather to art and even the design of ancient catapults! Will is more than the scholar that he appears. He is also a vibrant and caring person equipped with an excellent sense of humor and an acute understanding of life's many turns. Will's critical
approach combined with a healthy sense of justice lead him to routinely voice his opinions in work groups and meetings, often challenging but always polite and well reasoned. He never fears an undesired personal outcome--we highly respect him for that. Thank you Will for all your contributions big and small in the past ten years! (Boaz Nadav-Manes)
Will Sayers brings to the university an extensive arsenal of language skills, and a rich background--acquired in Canada, the U.S., and Sweden-in comparative literature and medieval studies. The library hired Will to select material for French and Italian language and literature in 1999, but his excellent work soon made it clear that his talents could be applied across a greater range of subject areas. Over the past ten years, his areas of responsibility have grown to include Modern Greek, Netherlandic, and Scandinavian languages, literatures, and history.
As an Adjunct Full Professor of Comparative Literature and an affiliate of Cornell’s Graduate Program in Medieval Studies, Will publishes a staggering number of book reviews, translations, literary analyses, and etymological explorations . . . every year. His areas of intellectual exploration range from Icelandic sagas to James Joyce, and include many guerrillas with the OED. Ask him sometime about the murky origins of the humble scone. You’ll get a very surprising response. Will brings great erudition to his published research as he does to building Cornell’s collections, and his colleagues salute him on his many accomplishments and contributions to scholarship at Cornell. (Susette Newberry)
Guy Smith, Mann Library
Guy Smith has worked in a variety of assignments in CUL since beginning as stacks supervisor in 1976. After a long interval away from Cornell working at Ithaca Paint and Decorating, he returned in 1996, both as a student and as a library assistant in Olin’s Preservation and Conservation Department. In 1999, as he was completing his Bachelor of Science degree in rural sociology, he began work at Mann Library as a temporary service worker with the Annex project. He later worked as preservation assistant with both the New York State Preservation Project and the Home Economics Archive, eventually becoming records management assistant for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). Most recently, Guy added the role of information assistant at the Mann Library Information and Research Help Desk.
Guy’s interests lie in the areas of arts and the humanities. For several years, he contributed his good judgment to Mann’s Art Committee, choosing artwork from the Johnson Museum to hang on the walls of the library and helping with the installation of class-related art exhibits. He has also shared his love of history while working at various RMC Open Houses and Reunion Weekends. Colleagues describe him as easy to work with, good-humored, reassuring, and thoughtful—a person who always thinks of the good of the community. Congratulations to Guy on his ten years of service to CUL! (Linda Stewart)
Guy retired in June. Please see the June issue of Kaleidoscope for another tribute from his supervisor.
Leah Solla, Physical Sciences Library
I met Leah when I was on the search committee to hire a new Chemistry Librarian in 1999. On paper it looked like we had a group of viable candidates but as we proceeded it became clear that Leah was head and shoulders above the rest. I spent most of the time I had with her in the interview process trying to convince her that Ithaca was where she wanted to be. Since she has arrived she has become the exemplar of what a Chemistry Librarian should be. Upon her arrival at Cornell she took over a chemistry materials budget that was in disarray and brought it into balance and became a skilled and respected bibliographer for the subject. She has developed a close professional relationship with the Chemistry Department and other departments that use chemistry literature. She teaches a 6000 level credit-bearing course on the use of the chemistry literature in addition to other instruction sessions.
Leah has been the leader, chair, and member of library committees far numerous to mention, always bringing her intelligence, passion, and hard work to bear. In 2006 she became the Coordinator for the Physical Sciences Library and in early 2009 she envisioned the Edna McConnell Clark Physical Sciences Virtual Library to provide 24x7 electronic access to scholarly literature and information sources in astronomy, chemistry, and physics for the Cornell community. As is often the case, no good deed goes unpunished, and she has led the effort to turn this vision into a reality by the end of this year. The speed of this transition has required a lot of her but Leah is no stranger to hard work and long hours. Outside of Cornell she has been a very active member of the American Chemical Society. She was most recently program chair of the American Chemical Society Chemical Information Division and is a member of other divisions and committees with a history of leadership. This is her ten-year anniversary but when I look at her accomplishments it looks to me like she has crammed a lot in these years. (Steve Rockey)
Kizer Walker, Scholarly Resources
I am genuinely pleased to honor Kizer Walker's ten-year anniversary at Cornell. From the beginning, he has been a major contributor to the successes of this library system.
I first met Kizer Walker in 2001 when he was hired as Digital Projects Librarian for Cornell's Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences Libraries. He had just graduated with an MLS from Syracuse University's School of Information Science. I was immediately impressed by his warm demeanor, pleasant humor, and thoughtful intellect. In this position, he played a key role in two major international scholarly communications projects in mathematics on which Cornell University Library was a collaborator: the NSF funded Digital Mathematics Library project and the Electronic Mathematics Archiving Network Initiative (EMANI). Together he and I wrote a successful grant proposal to the National Science Foundation in 2002 to build the Kinematic Models for Design Digital Library (KMODDL). Kizer served as project manager on this $750K effort comprised of faculty and librarians. In 2004 we earned a $500K IMLS grant to extend KMODDL. Kizer was instrumental in making this a highly successful collaboration to build a valuable scholarly resource.
Since that time he served as an instruction librarian in the Department of Instruction and Learning in IRIS and as Collections Coordinator in the Department of Research and Learning Services (formerly Collections, Reference, Instruction, and Outreach Department). Since 2003 he has also been bibliographer and selector for Classics, Near Eastern Studies, and Archeology and, since 2005, for German Studies. He not only contributes to but also provides intellectual leadership across the system in the areas of collection development and scholarly communication. He has served on many CUL and national committees including a major role on the Collection Development Executive Committee. In February 2009 Kizer joined the Scholarly Resources and Special Collections unit and became the Assistant to the Associate University Librarian.
A faculty member in Classics recently had this to say about Kizer: " Kizer is extraordinary in that he knows the department very well, and takes great pains to make sure that we are in good contact. Kizer has managed to keep up his excellent relations with the department despite the extremely testing circumstances this year brought about by the budget cuts this year. He has done this by showing a sort of sympathy and understanding of the goals and views of my colleagues in Classics which is unusual and exemplary. So I think he has done an excellent job."
To add to his busy schedule, in the Fall of 2008 Kizer also became an adjunct faculty member at the Syracuse School of Information Studies where he taught a course on collection development. He also serves as managing editor of a major collaboration in digital publishing between Cornell Library and Cornell University Press known as Signale: Modern German Letters, Cultures, and Thought. The editor is Cornell Professor Peter Hohendahl.
He has translated the book Class Cleansing: The Massacre at Katyn by Victor Zaslavsky (Author) which recounts the chilling history of the 1940 massacre of over 20,000 Polish officers and leaders by Stalin's regime. This translation was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2008 London Book Festival.
He holds a Ph.D. in German Studies from Cornell, completed in 1999 under David Bathrick. His dissertation, Weimar Wars of Position: The First World War and Discursive Mobilizations on the Left, addresses relations among warfare, memory, language, and political mobilization in a number of texts--literary, theoretical, and polemical--engaged with the First World War in the late Weimar period. Scholarly interests include critical theory, Marxism, German-Jewish studies, history of technology, and media studies. Kizer is particularly interested in the changing role of the research library and library collections in the transnational university and in issues surrounding scholarly communications in the electronic environment.
In addition to this impressive resume, Kizer is the father of two wonderful children, Uriel and Amalia, and married to Carmel Orenstein who works in Cornell's Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors. (John Saylor)
All HR photographs by Michael Teti.
Staff Outstanding Performance Award 2009
Anne Kenney with Nancy Solla; photograph by Michael Teti
Nancy Solla, Library Technical Services
Nominated by Gary Branch
Nancy Solla has consistently exemplified the traits of a great team player. Nancy’s nomination included praise from many of her direct supervisors as well as some colleagues, who noted her ability to juggle many tasks with a cheerful attitude and insightful contributions. Gary stated, “her ability to work with others is one of her strongest assets.”
Nancy began in LTS as a receiver, processing firm order receipts and checking in serials. During this time period she became part of the LTS NetAdmin Team. From there she went to Metadata Services, learning various software and schemas for the many varieties of metadata. She also joined the LTS Web Team and became an administrator for the Confluence wiki platform. She was and still is the chief designer for the Metadata Services Web site. From her job in Metadata Services to her current position in Batch Processing, Nancy has had to juggle multiple responsibilities and assignments. Her work in LTS, both inside and outside the library, is astounding. Nancy has demonstrated superb leadership and initiative in her various roles, highlighted by her significant contribution to the Web Vision project in the past year.
Zsuzsa Koltay, the Web project leader, stated, “Nancy’s role of populating the site, still under development, with content coming together piece by piece, and a user interface going through multiple iterations, turned out to be a crucial role with a complexity beyond my initial expectations . . . I have often commented that my best decision during the entire implementation project was to get Nancy involved.”
Elaine Westbrooks, a previous supervisor in 2008 wrote, “Nancy has been consistently flexible, productive, and efficient in her new role as Project Euclid/Dpubs Production Manager. Since Nancy has assumed this role, Metadata Services has reduced the production costs by 20%. We are more responsive to our clients and the workflow more efficient than ever.”
Nancy’s consistent ability to prioritize her work and give each task the attention it deserves shows her overwhelming drive and dedication to the libraries. Her talent for successfully producing the best result possible--from any task assigned to her--is very much appreciated.
Thank you and congratulations Nancy!
There is much to celebrate among the Library staff. Other nominees for the 2009 Outstanding Performance Award are noted below. Though they were runners-up in this competition, they are outstanding staff members every day. The library values and salutes their many contributions!
Holly Mistlebauer – Mann Library / Nominated by Jon Corson-Rikert
Helen Hamilton – ILR Catherwood Library / Nominated by Gordon Law
Mike Rose, Ian Grippo, and Peter Schlough – Administrative Operations Shipping Department / Nominated by Don Fenton
The Library celebrated each of these outstanding staff members with a letter and a gift card.
Fuerst Awards 2009
Kaleidoscope has had the pleasure to report on the Fuerst Awards since their inception fifteen years ago.
The award was established by William F. Fuerst, Jr. '39, to recognize the contributions of library undergraduate student employees. Student employees in the Library rival the number of staff, with over 500 engaged in office support, circulation, technical services, preservation and conservation, technological services, opening and closing libraries, and information assistance. Fuerst Award winners were selected by a committee with representatives from throughout the library system. Each of the students received a $500 award, the largest monetary award on campus. Congratulations to the winners for 2009.
Fuerst Award 2009 winners, from left:
Rachael Moxley, Physical Sciences;
Matthew Stukus, O/K/U Access Services;
Annie Kearns, Facilities & Business Operations;
William Chen, Fine Arts Library;
Kristen Alldredge, Library Technical Services; and University Librarian Anne Kenney (photograph by Carla DeMello)
Kristen L. Alldredge – Class of ‘09
Kristen started working as a Library Technical Services Assistant in LTS as a freshman four years ago. Since that time she has gained a deep understanding of LTS workflows, progressing to the point where she has worked with materials from every source and in nearly every language and format. She has personally processed the records of over 20,000 resources online--a very impressive total. Her personal references played a role in the hiring of two fellow LTS student employees, both of whom are successful four-year staff in their own right. Her supervisor, Pedro Arroyo, states that “in ten years of student supervision, I haven’t worked with one [student] who has demonstrated her combined strengths in the areas of production, commitment, attitude, recruitment, dependability, and longevity, and Kristen deserves special recognition for this.”
William Chen – Class of ‘09
William began working at the Fine Arts Library as a Public Services Assistant in 2006, and he has become a great asset to the library system as well as a role model for other student employees. His nomination was a collaborative effort, receiving input and support from various FAL staff members. Comments ranged from how he has taken every project assigned to him and met all demands without complaint or error, and his positive attitude despite the heat and dusty conditions during a summer book-shifting project (FAL has no air-conditioning), to praise for his work with Martha Walker on a 360 degree panoramic photo project of the main reading room. Brennen Feint expressed “concern about overworking him in comparison to other student assistants simply because he could get so much done efficiently and accurately.” Brennen summed up the nomination by saying, “With such a small permanent staff, the Fine Arts Library is fortunate to have Will employed. His work facilitates greater productivity for the staff and greater customer service for patrons. I believe I speak for the entire FAL staff when I say that we believe Will Chen fully deserves the Fuerst Award.”
Annie Kearns – Class of ‘09
Annie was jointly nominated by staff from the Facilities and Business Operations office and the Shipping and Receiving division. She began her tenure with the library’s Shipping and Receiving division during the fall of 2005, where she quickly learned the various duties and was soon working alongside the regular shipping staff. Don Fenton described her as “the best student employee I’ve ever had.” After working in Shipping for three consecutive years, she was offered a position as an office assistant with the Facilities and Business Operations office. While there, she completed general office tasks, as well as helping to develop building evacuation floor plans, working on the reorganization of the filing systems (electronic and hard copy), and assisting the director with tasks related to Olin Library renovation. She enthusiastically helped to fill the gap that was created due to recent staff changes in that office; no small feat for a student working 10-12 hours each week. Her nominators appreciate Annie’s contributions and truly believe she deserves the Fuerst Award.
Rachael Moxley – Class of ‘09
Rachael’s nomination was jointly submitted by staff from the Physical Sciences Library where she has been a dedicated employee since her freshman year at Cornell. Deb Muscato, who joined PSL in 2008, said she immediately noticed Rachael “consistently offering to cover extra shifts and work on special projects.” Long-time PSL staff told her that Rachael was someone she could count on. Pat Viele noted that, “Rachael is the ideal student worker in that she is friendly, helpful, and eager to learn.” Sonam Dongtoe added that he “admired her consistent efforts in performing the job.” In addition to her regular duties, Rachael helped update the Student Employee Handbook, updated the statistics spreadsheet, and has even been serving as a student supervisor, which involves working additional hours to assist with the training of newly hired student employees. Rachael’s reliability and quality of work are not to be overlooked. Deb notes that “if attitudes could be measured, Rachael’s would be six feet tall,” and concludes that they would “be honored if Rachael were to win this award.”
Matthew Stukus – Class of ‘09
Matthew began working in the O/K/U Access Services department in August 2005. Student employees are expected to possess strong interpersonal and communication skills, be able to work independently and exercise good judgment, and be reliable and pay attention to detail. New students have an eleven-page training packet that they must carry with them during all shifts until training is completed and it was soon noticed that Matthew quickly mastered the basics and looked for additional work. Darla Critchfield, who nominated Matthew, provided these comments: “If he is in the library as a patron and notices we are short-staffed, he will abandon his free time to help us out.” “He is a service-minded team player who shows initiative, seeks opportunities for continuous learning, and demonstrates the knowledge and skills required to perform his job.” “We often forget that Matthew is not a full-time staff member. We have come to rely on him so much that I am already wondering what we will do without him when he graduates this May.” She concludes that, “out of 32 student assistants that are working this semester, I have chosen Matthew as my student to nominate. Everyone in our department is hoping that Matthew’s nomination wins, because we feel he really deserves it for his continued dedication to his job.”
Thank you to all the student employees for their dedication and involvement with the Library. A special thanks to the supervisors who took the time to nominate their outstanding student staff.
Book Collection Contest 2009
Introduced in 2003,
this annual competition for Cornell students interested in books and book collecting is sponsored by Cornell University Library and the Library Advisory Council. It continues the tradition of the Arthur H. Dean and Mary Marden Dean Book Collection Contest, which was held in Uris Library from 1966 to 1987. Although Kaleidoscope has reported from the beginning on this competition, the Library has established a lovely homepage for the contest. For this year's winners see here.
Library Picnic
People News
Promotions
Please join me in congratulating Nanci Trapani on her new position as Electronic Resources Specialist. Nanci was offered and accepted the position after a search that included a number of other well qualified applicants. Her experience in electronic resources, customer service, and technical troubleshooting will serve CUL well as she expands her roles in the Electronic Resource and Serials Management Unit. Nanci's prior position, Serials and E-resources Assistant, is currently under review in the department. (Jesse Koennecke)
Transfers
Sonam Dongtoe has transferred from Physical Sciences Library to O/K/U Collection Maintenance.
Nathan Miner has transferred from O/K/U Collection Maintenance to the Annex Library.
Ira Revels hs transferred from Research and Learning Services to DLIT.
Congratulations
Janet McCue Wins SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service
It's a pleasure to announce that Janet is a recipient of the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service for 2008/2009. The award acknowledges her leadership, extensive service to the campus, and her professional achievements, as well as the respect and esteem of colleagues and students who nominated her. If you are in the 201 Olin Library vicinity sometime next week, you might stop by and congratulate Janet! (Anne Kenney, Announcement to CULIB, May 1, 2009)
Suzanne Cohen and Janet McCue with their medals; photograph by Gwen Glazer
Suzanne Cohen Wins SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship
Talk about good news . . . we learned recently that Suzanne Cohen, Collection Development Librarian at Catherwood, has won the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship. This award recognizes exemplary skill in librarianship, outstanding service to the university community and to the profession, and significant scholarship and professional growth. Please join me in congratulating Suzanne on this important career achievement. The actual presentation will be made by Dean Katz at the ILR School Employee Recognition Celebration on Monday, 18 May 09 in 105 Ives Hall. (Gordon Law, Announcement to CULIB, May 6, 2009)
Angela Horne Wins Johnson School's Outstanding Contributor Award
Although I don't have any fireworks embedded in this message, it is my pleasure to announce that Angela Horne, Director of the Management Library, is the recipient of the Johnson School's Outstanding Contributor Award for 2009. This award is given to staff in the Johnson School who demonstrate strong leadership and are exceptional contributors; they are collaborators and professionals; show mutual respect and are accountable.
Many in the library community know Angela's leadership of the Strategic Alignment Group and other library initiatives. For me, it was also a pleasure to read the praises of the faculty, staff, and students in the Johnson School who contributed to the nomination. To them, she is "an outstanding professional who gives one hundred percent to every assignment she undertakes," she "always goes the extra mile to assist them . . . and, she does it with a smile," "she is most willing to partner, participate and shoulder responsibility."
These are all things that we know and I'm glad that the community in the Johnson School values these attributes as well. Please join me in congratulating Angela on her Outstanding Contributor Award! (Janet McCue, Announcement to CULIB, July 2, 2009)
Susan LaCette Honored with ILR Employee Recognition Award
Congratulations to Susan LaCette who was awarded the ILR Employee Recognition Award. The award recognizes “individuals or work groups for contributions which go above and beyond the normal expectations of their job position toward fulfilling the ILR mission.” Susan is a dedicated, knowledgeable team player who has contributed great ideas and excellent support for faculty, staff, and students in her almost thirty years working at the Catherwood Library. I can truly say that she is a tremendous asset to the Catherwood Library and the ILR School and exemplifies the criteria set forth for this award. I have witnessed the great lengths that she has gone to ensure that library patrons leave with their information needs fulfilled. She also provides this consistently high quality service to all patrons, regardless of whether they are faculty, staff, student, visitor, or alumnus. Susan is also constantly seeking opportunities to improve her ability to assist others by taking classes and keeping up to date on new and innovative resources for reaching out to patrons. (Christian Miller)
Adam Chandler, Database Management and E-Resources Librarian in Central Library Operations (CLO), gave two presentations at this year’s ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, both related to his recent work on improvement of OpenURL protocols. At the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services/Library and Information Technology Association (ALCTS/LITA) Electronic Resources Management Interest Group, Adam spoke on “Results of OpenURL Quality Investigation,” and as part of the ALCTS program “Promoting Best Practices for E-Serials” Adam gave a talk entitled “Towards OpenURL Quality Metrics: Initial Findings.” (Jim LeBlanc)
Dianne Dietrich, Research Data and Metadata Librarian in Central Library Operations (CLO), was the recipient of a Digital Library Federation Forum Fellowship for Librarians New to the Profession, an award that helped to fund her attendance at the DLF Spring Forum in Raleigh, North Carolina in May. (Jim LeBlanc)
Jim LeBlanc, Director of Central Library Operations (CLO) Delivery and Metadata Management Services, delivered papers at three recent international conferences. In May, Jim gave a talk entitled “The Acrophobe and the Funambulist: An Existential Phenomenological Look at Fear, Anxiety, and Postmodern Panic” at the conference Phobia: Constructing the Phenomenology of Chronic Fear, 1789 to the Present, which took place at the Glamorgan Research Centre for Literature, Arts and Science in Cardiff, Wales. In June, Jim spoke on “Allusions to ‘Eveline’ in Finnegans Wake I.8” at the 2009 North American James Joyce Conference in Buffalo. Finally, in July, Jim presented a paper entitled “’Dare To Be Free’: The Dixie Chicks’ Existential Conversion” at a meeting of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM), held at the University of Liverpool (England). (Jim LeBlanc)
Liz Muller, Metadata Librarian in Central Library Operations (CLO) Metadata and Batch Processing Services, was one of 23 individuals selected from a national pool of applicants to attend the Summer Institute for Humanities Data Curation, held in May at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Liz was also awarded a Rare Book School Fellowship, given to selected early-career librarians and scholars to attend the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. Liz used the award to attend the course Electronic Texts and Images in June. (Jim LeBlanc)
Boaz Nadav-Manes, Head of Central Library Operations (CLO) Acquisitions Services, gave a presentation at the WorldCat Selection Users Meeting at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago entitled “Selected Selector Selections: Post-Selection Ordering Workflows at Cornell.” (Jim LeBlanc)
Teresa Whitaker, office manager at the Johnson School Management Library and a trained emergency medical technician, was once again the first responder to a student in distress. Terri provided immediate medical assistance and stabilized the patient prior to the arrival of the paramedics. "It certainly makes me feel more comfortable having a trained EMT in the building," says a Johnson School staff member. "Thank you, Teresa, for being you." (Elena MacGurn)
Glen Wiley, Central Library Operations Chief Metadata Specialist, has been appointed to the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC)/OCLC Task Group on Automated Record Enhancement in WorldCat. This group promises to be influential in the development and review of guidelines for increasing the availability of locally created bibliographic data in our WorldCat Local catalog. (Jim LeBlanc)
CUL Quad Completes YMCA Triathalon
From left: Michelle Eastman, Tiffany Howe, Rachel Brill, Chris Miller
Congratulations to the library’s newest triathletes! Rachel Brill, Tiffany Howe and Michelle Eastman all competed in the 11th Annual Tri-for-the-Y on May 3, 2009, which consisted of a ¼ mile swim followed by a sixteen-mile bike ride and then a five-mile run. It seemed daunting when milling around in the cool morning air with hundreds of other participants and I could tell they were wondering what they had gotten themselves into, but once it got under way they were all business and made it look easy. So next time you see Rachel, Tiffany, or Michelle, ask them about their experience and congratulate them on becoming a triathlete! (Chris Miller)
Editor's note: In January of this year Chris proposed a Library Triathalon Club for those interested in training together and providing motivation and support for each other. This was Chris's fourth triathalon since he started participating in them last year.
Announcements & Reorganizations
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009
To: cu-lib
From: Bill Kara
Subject: New Electronic Resources Librarian
I am very pleased to announce that Jesse Koennecke has accepted the position of Electronic Resources Librarian in the LTS E-Resources and Serials Management Unit. Jesse, currently the Head of Access Services at the Albert R. Mann Library, is well known to the CUL community through his work in circulation, reserves, document delivery and ILL services.
Jesse is active within CUL and in the larger profession and has been particularly interested in examining and applying new technologies to streamline procedures and enhance services. His strong commitment to enhancing the Library's services is clear through his work as the Team Leader for the Get it! Team. Jesse has also been a member of several teams to further improve access to our online collections including the WebFeat Implementation Team, the WebBridge Implementation Team and the group implementing the III ERM at Cornell. With his work in e-document delivery and e-reserves Jesse has also been interested and involved in the licensing issues for these important services. E-Resources and how they are accessed and acquired are continuing to evolve and Jesse will bring strong skills to the Unit.
Jesse will begin his appointment as Electronic Resources Librarian half-time beginning May 16 and full-time beginning June 1. Please join me in congratulating Jesse on his new appointment.
***
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2009
To: cu-lib@cornell.edu
From: Scott Wicks
Subject: Changes in Central Library Operations
I wanted to alert you to some changes being made in Central Library Operations (CLO) in order to respond to the Library’s budget reduction goals for FY09/10. As Anne has stated in her messages (adapting a quote from the Provost), the Library will do less with less.
The changes outlined below are not necessarily ones we would propose in better economic times, but they do allow for cost reduction while continuing support for core services. Each of the functional changes outlined below leads to a corresponding reduction in the staffing levels in CLO.
Monographic Series Standing Orders
Effective immediately, there will be no new standing orders for monographic series. Over the next several weeks, Library Technical Services (LTS) will communicate with its vendor partners to inform them that all standing orders will be cancelled effective immediately with the expectation that no volumes will be billed after July 1, 2009. Staff from LTS are currently working with Kizer Walker and will be attending the next meeting sponsored by the Selector Training Committee (tentatively scheduled for April 14) to respond to questions and to discuss how best to make the transition. It’s anticipated that the majority of monographic series standing order volumes can be moved to an approval plan structure, once selectors affirm continued interest in the publications. LTS and Kizer are working with Lydia Pettis to produce lists for each selector’s review.
Library Exchanges Program
Effective immediately, all future library exchanges activity will be frozen. Over the next several weeks LTS will communicate with the Library's exchange partners to inform them that Cornell will be ending all existing exchange arrangements.
Reductions in Binding and Stiffening
While a reduction to the stiffening operation has already been enacted (see Berger-Eden's January 22 message to CU-LIB), other reductions in commercial binding of periodicals will result from a more aggressive shift to electronic journals and some changes to the selection criteria used to determine which titles receive permanent bindings.
Routine Out-of-Print Ordering / Special Ordering
Over the next several weeks, the routine search and placement for out-of-print title orders will be phased out. Where possible, Cornell will establish arrangements and guidelines with existing vendors to acquire titles automatically that are reported as out-of-print.
Reduced Cataloging Effort
Effective July 1, 2009, the cataloging output from LTS will be adjusted to mitigate a permanent staffing reduction. In order to avoid a re-creation of the cataloging backlog, catalogers will use all tools at their disposal to ensure timely access to new receipts is provided both online and at the shelves.
Reductions in Conservation
Effective July 1, 2009 Preservation and Conservation will close the Annex Conservation Lab and make a reduction to the staffing associated with the conservation program.
If you have questions about the changes to these functions, please contact me or your resident AUL. Over the next few weeks, there will be opportunities for comment and input into how the changes to processes outlined will be implemented. If you would like to participate in those discussions, please let us know.
***
Date: Fri, 05 Jun 2009
To: cu-lib@cornell.edu
From: Scott Wicks
Subject: Central Library Operations Reorganization
Dear Colleagues:
Even though Central Library Operations (CLO) has been in existence for only a short while (about eight months), no one should be surprised that with all of the staffing changes about to unfold effective with the new fiscal year, a CLO reorganization would be in the works. The new organizational structure responds to the goal to bring the related individual units closer together while also addressing the reality of staff reductions.
There are likely to be some processing bumps as the new organization adjusts to staff reductions and the filling of a few vacancies with new people. Your patience and acceptance will be much appreciated.
Effective July 1, Central Library Operations will consist of three divisions: Cataloging Services, Delivery and Metadata Management, and Preservation and Collection Maintenance. The CLO Senior Management Team will include Scott Wicks, Jim LeBlanc, Barbara Berger-Eden, and the Director of Cataloging Services (currently vacant).
Cataloging Services
We will be posting an ad for a Director of Cataloging Services within the next few weeks. Cataloging Services includes both original and copy cataloging as well as the Music Cataloging and Special Collections units with Lois Purcell, Pam Stansbury, Margaret Nichols, and Jim Alberts as unit managers.
Delivery and Metadata Management
Jim LeBlanc will be director of Delivery and Metadata Management. This group will feature:
- Acquisitions Services headed by Boaz Nadav-Manes
- Interlibrary Services managed by Caitlin Finlay
- Electronic Resources and Serials Management led by Bill Kara
- Metadata Services and Batch Processing managed by Glen Wiley
- Database Quality will be run by Barb Tarbox
- Adam Chandler as Electronic Resources and Database Management Librarian
Preservation and Collection Maintenance
Barbara Berger-Eden continues to direct the Preservation and Collection Maintenance staff with some minor changes. This division includes:
- The Library Annex managed by Cammie Wyckoff
- Book Conservation led by Michele Brown
- Paper and Photo Conservation run by Michele Hamill
- Binding and Physical Processing operations will merge under Susie Cobb's management
- Stacks Management for Olin, Uris, and Kroch Asia libraries is led by Jon Frankel
- The Special Projects unit managed by John Marmora
Below is a graphic representation of the CLO organization for 2009/2010. Please contact me with any questions. Thank you.
***
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009
To: cu-lib
From: Oya Rieger
Subject: Announcing New Web Team Structure
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to inform you that we now have a team structure in place to continue the wonderful work the Web Vision team has completed in January 2009. The new team is composed of three complementary groups:
CUL Web Development Team
Ongoing development of CUL’s Web site and Web services is a strategic priority for our library. In order to provide steady and focused leadership in support of this goal, we have a new group in place. The CUL Web Development Team is co-directed by Nan Hyland (Mann) and Adam Smith (DLIT) with programming and technical support provided by Matt Connolly and Rick Silterra from DLIT. Nan and Adam's charge is to oversee the development, maintenance, and assessment of the Library's home page and to continue building a virtual library that responds to evolving user needs and use patterns. In addition to this core team, we will form project groups as needed to support different development cycles that require a larger group effort. You can send questions, comments, and suggestions to the CUL Web Development Team using the "Send us feedback"" form at http://www.library.cornell.edu/fdbkform.
CUL Usability Group
In an effort to keep the usability issues at the forefront of our development decisions, we also formed a usability group chaired by Kathy Chiang (Mann). The group is composed of Adam Chandler (LTS), Matt Connolly (DLIT), Gaby Castro Gessner (Research and Learning), and Mary Beth Lyons (DLIT). Working closely with Adam Smith and Nan Hyland, the usability team will develop and oversee a usability assessment program in support of our digital initiatives. The recommendation to form this group came from the PSEC Usability and User Studies Committee based on their two years of work in this domain. Our goal is replacing the committee-based efforts with a rotating group of "usability associates" and a core team of library staff with usability responsibilities factored into their job descriptions in order to create a sustainable service model. We are in the process of defining usability services, and the team and usability associate's responsibilities. We will be sending out a call for usability associates in the near future. Kathy Chiang <ksc3@cornell.edu> is the contact person for the group.
Library-Outside-the-Library (LOL)
The Library-outside-the-library (LOL), originally formed as a sub-group of the Web Vision Team, continues their work after the launch of CUL's new Web site. The team is advised by Dean Krafft, the Chief Technology Strategist. LOL is continuing its exciting work under a new chair, Baseema Banoo Krkoska (Mann), and with an expanded group of members: Tony Cosgrave (Research and Learning), Jeremy Cusker (Engineering), Dianne Dietrich (LTS Metadata), and Rick Silterra (DLIT). LOL's charge is to to collaborate with other units/teams on campus to identify, assess, configure, and distribute electronic tools and services to extend the library to where users are--often in digital spaces outside of CUL's traditional reach. In the next few months, the group will be investigating mobile services and exploring Flickr as a channel to expose library image collections. In the past two years and under the leadership of Susette Newberry, LOL created the CUL Labs ( http://labs.library.cornell.edu) and used it to introduce tools, such as Libx and Passkey, to the Cornell community. We would like to thank Susette Newberry for her leadership. You can contact LOL at cul-labs@cornell.edu.
As the Library Executive Group liaisons, we are excited to work with this stellar group of colleagues in further development and refinement of our virtual library and associated services.
Best,
Janet McCue, AUL, Teaching, Research, Outreach, and Learning Services
Oya Y. Rieger, AUL, Information Technologies
***
Date: Fri, 29 May 2009
To: cu-lib@cornell.edu
From: Mary Ochs
Subject: New Assignments at Mann
Dear CUL Staff,
In this time of many changes, Mann Library has a few new staff assignments to announce:
- Michael Cook will be our new Head of Access Services and Media Support. Michael will oversee Mann circulation, ILL and the new media support group coming to Mann from the CALS Office of Academic Programs.
- Greg Lawrence will be Mann's new Head of Public Computing, taking on Michael's former role. Greg will also continue to serve as one of Mann's selectors.
- Baseema Krkoska will be our Reference and Instruction Coordinator, taking on responsibility for coordinating our Instruction Program in addition to her current role coordinating our Reference Services. She will also continue in her role as the liaison to the departments of Applied Economics and Management in CALS and Policy Analysis and Management in CHE.
- Camille Andrews will be our Learning Technologies and Assessment Librarian. Her role will be 1) to explore new learning technologies for possible implementation in Mann's instruction programs/public computing services and 2) to assess the effectiveness of Mann's instruction programs. Camille will also continue in her role as the co-coordinator for the Cornell Information Competency Institute.
- Joy Paulson will be taking on some new responsibilities in Mann Collection Development, assisting with the integration of print collections coming into Mann from other libraries and helping to develop ways to provide greater access to our digital collections.
- Medha Devare will take a lead role coordinating Mann's various international initiatives.
- Jaron Porciello was appointed as the new TEEAL Project Director as of April 1.
All of these new assignments should be fully in place by July 1. Many thanks to all of these staff members for their willingness to take on these new challenges!
***
Date: Thu, 04 Jun 2009
To: Cornell University Library
From: Janet McCue
Subject: Organizational structure for Teaching, Research, Outreach & Learning Services
Dear Colleagues,
Attached is an organizational chart reflecting the structure of Teaching, Research, Outreach, and Learning Services. In creating this structure, I tried to reflect the characteristics of Cornell's library system--from large units to smaller, from statutory to endowed, from the sciences to the humanities--as well as develop an administrative team that would foster communication, collaboration, interdisciplinary work, and innovation across all the units. I have discussed this structure with the Library Executive Group, it met with the approval of the Deans, and I was pleased that the library directors supported it as well.
You might also note that I've asked Steve Rockey to be the director of both the Math and Engineering Libraries. Steve has done a terrific job leading these libraries as the interim director and I know that he will be even more effective in this permanent role. Please welcome Steve to this new role and offer him your support.
In addition to these changes, we will be making some modifications to the Public Services Executive Committee (PSEC). These upcoming modifications will reflect not only the new organizational structure in Teaching, Research, Outreach, and Learning Services but also some of the recommendations put forth by the Strategic Alignment Group and the Inclusiveness Task Force. Beginning July 1st, we will broaden our membership of the PSEC group to include the chairs of each of the PSEC Standing Committees (Reference and Outreach, Instruction, Public Computing), a Web Development Team co-director, as well as representatives from each of the six domain clusters in Teaching, Research, Outreach, and Learning Services.
I've been in my position for eight months and been continually impressed by the commitment and creativity of the staff. We work and live in an incredibly exciting information and technology environment.
Recently, I read an article on Google's new Wave. The Wave creators (the same brothers who brought us Google maps) asked themselves the question, "What would this look like if we invented it today instead of twenty-five years ago?" I like this question and think it has relevance for our information systems, our discovery systems, and our communication channels. What does the Library look like in the Cloud? What should our discovery systems look like in the Wave? I certainly don't know the answers but I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues to help us find our way in the Cloud and on the Wave!
***
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009
To: cu-lib@cornell.edu
From: "John M. Saylor"
Subject: Changes in Selection Responsibilities
The new fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009 will bring with it quite a few changes in selection responsibilities in the Cornell University Library. These changes are the result of several factors including position restructuring, retirements, and some redefinition of selection areas. We are deeply indebted to those who have done this selection previously as well as those who are taking the challenge of doing this in the future. I want to personally thank the following selectors who are leaving CUL this summer for all the outstanding contributions they have made over the years to building the Library's collections:
David Block, Bob Kibbee, Marty Crowe, Anna Korhonen, Mary Patterson, Pat Viele, Wanda Wawro, Xian Wu.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Cheers- john
The subject areas and selectors included in these changes are:
American Indian History - selection will be done by Maureen Morris taking over from David Block.
Bibliography (History of the Book) - Peter Hirtle will continue his selection responsibility for this but will no longer select for Library Science.
Library Science - selection will be done by Wendy Wilcox taking over from Peter Hirtle.
British History - selection will be done by Virginia Cole taking over from Sarah How. Virginia will concentrate on history of the British Isles. Peter Hirtle will select for Canadian History as part of his North American History responsibilities.
European Social Sciences- Sarah How's selection responsibilities for Western European Social Sciences will be expanded to include Eastern and Central European Social Sciences (in Western languages) as well, which has been covered by Wanda Wawro.
General Social Sciences- selection will be done by Kaila Bussert taking over from Deb Schmidle.
Geography - selection will be done by Boris Michev taking over from Bob Kibbee.
Maps - selection will be done by Boris Michev taking over from Bob Kibbee.
Urban Studies - selection will be done by Boris Michev taking over from Kornelia Tancheva.
Linguistics - selection will be done by Kornelia Tancheva taking over from Wanda Wawro.
Philosophy - selection will be done by Boaz Nadav-Manes taking over from Wanda Wawro.
Newspapers (North American) - selection will be done by Michael Engle taking over from Sarah How.
Government Documents - selection will be done by Lynn Thitchener taking over from Anna Korhonen.
Physics - selection will be temporarily done by Leah Solla taking over from Pat Viele.
Religion - funds and selection will be dispersed into Classics (Kizer Walker), Philosophy (Boaz Nadav-Manes), and Medieval Studies (Virginia Cole).
There are several areas which we are still working out selection responsibilities for. The existing approval plans for these areas listed below will remain in place and we will respond to user requests for purchases but at this time we are not refilling the positions currently held by David Block and Wanda Wawro. These areas include:
Latin American Studies
Iberian History
Iberian Language & Literature
Post Soviet Studies and Eastern and Central European Studies (non-Western languages)
***
Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2009
To: CU-LIB@cornell.edu
From: Lee Cartmill
Subject: John Hoffmann and Library Facilities Update
As I'm sure many of you know, John Hoffmann will be retiring effective June 26, 2009 after twenty-three years of service to the library. We will be having a celebration sometime in the future to commemorate this milestone. I wanted to let you know my plans for filling the significant gap that John's retirement presents. Effective July 1, Phil Koons will assume the role as head of the library facilities and business operations department. Phil will assume responsibility for most of the functions that John currently has including facilities management and maintenance, capital/renovation projects, life safety and security, shipping and receiving, and serving as chief liaison with the university facilities group. Phil will also oversee the office operation and supervision of Jon Ladley. Certain business functions such as the oversight of the public photocopy and micrographic programs and the relationship with Cornell Dining for Libe Cafe will shift to the library business service center, headed by Tami Magnus. We will continue to evaluate other responsibilities over the next few months to determine the appropriate types and level of service and who should manage these. John will be returning later in July on a casual basis to help with this evaluation and transition. I will not be filling John's position per se as this line will be used to help meet the library's budget reduction target. Please feel free to share any thoughts or recommendations you may have concerning our facilities operation as we transition into this new staffing and service model. Thanks.
***
Date: Thu, 09 Jul 2009
To: cu-lib@cornell.edu
From: Kornelia Tancheva
Subject: Some Personnel and Organizational Changes in Olin/Uris
Hi all,
Just a quick update on how the SRI program has affected the administrative structure, responsibilities, and physical location of the Olin/Uris Libraries staff.
With the retirement of Bob Kibbee, the Maps and Geospatial Information Librarian, the coordination of the Maps collection in Olin, as well as the geography and cartography selection will be assumed by Boris Michev, who will be the Maps and Media Center Coordinator. The O/U Maps and Media Center will now be part of the O/U Research and Learning Services Department, headed by Deb Schmidle. Boris will be physically located in Bob's old office, Olin B016. His phone number is 5-9566. The O/U Access Services Department will assume some parts of the media coordination that Boris was doing previously: booking reserve videos, videos in the Media Center, and Uris Media Classroom and Olin 106 for showing of media. We are still working on other parts but if you have any O/U Media-related questions, information for the public is here and feel free to contact either Boris or Carmen Blankinship.
In physical moves, in the Research and Learning Services Department, with the retirement of Wanda Wawro, Wendy Wilcox will now be sitting in Wanda's old office in 106 Olin. Wendy will keep her phone number: 4-6241. Ryan Krolick will move to Wendy's old office in 106 F and keep his phone number: 4-2999.
There are also a lot of changes in selection responsibilities--however since John sent those some time ago, I am not going to include them here. Please let me know if you have any questions or are unsure who to contact for what. Thanks.
Good-bye
Good-bye and good luck to
Ariel Ecklund (Preservation and Collection Maintenance); Eileen Heeran (Rare and Manuscript Collections); Kirsten Hensley (Physical Sciences); Julie Jones (Law Library); Ivis Kim (Preservation and Collection Maintenance);
Somaly Kim (Library Fellow);
Holly King (Lee Library); Yan Yun Mi (LTS Acquisitions); Bridgette Sharpe (O/K/U Access Services); Xian Wu (Wason); and Ed Zieba (LTS-E Resources and Serials) who recently left the Library.
Farewell
Eileen Heeran, Rare and Manuscript Collections
Eileen Heeran worked at CUL for two and a half years as Assistant Curator and Exhibitions Manager in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. In her brief time at CUL, she made many friends. She served as member, and later chair, of the Academic Assembly Steering Committee, to which she brought her characteristic brand of hard work, cheerfulness, and enthusiasm. Before arriving at Cornell in November 2006, Eileen held a position as special collections cataloger at the University of Michigan. In May of this year Eileen elected to return to her technical services roots (and in a warmer climate), accepting a new position as Assistant Head of Technical Services, Special Collections, at UNC Chapel Hill. Eileen will be sorely missed by her many colleagues and friends, who wish her much success in her new life in North Carolina. (Katherine Reagan; photographs by Ana Guimaraes)
Many of you have already learned of the sad news that Eileen Heeran, Assistant Curator in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, has accepted a new position as Assistant Head of Technical Services, Special Collections, at UNC Chapel Hill.
Please stop by this Friday afternoon to say good-bye and wish Eileen well in her exciting new position.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Kroch Library level 2B
Lecture Room
2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Kirsten Hensley, Physical Sciences Library
Kirsten Hensley, Outreach Services Specialist in the Physical Sciences Library, is leaving her position in CUL to head West. She first joined the Cornell University Library in 2004 as the Access Services Supervisor in the Physical Sciences Library and became the Outreach Services Specialist for ASTech in 2008. During this time, she earned her MLS from Syracuse University, including an internship at Mann Library. Most recently she has been supporting instruction and Web site development at PSL and she will be continuing her work remotely to help us shape the new Clark Physical Sciences Virtual Library. Kirsten always brings fresh ideas and good energy to her work. We will miss her smile and we are delighted she will stay connected with the community for a bit longer. Best of luck with the future, Kirsten! (Leah Solla; photograph by Chris Hensley)
Julie Jones, Law Library
Dear Colleagues,
It is both with pride and regret that I would like to announce that Julie Jones, Head of Information Services and Lecturer in Law, has accepted the position of Associate Director for Library Services at the University of Connecticut School of Law. It is a major promotion for her career as a law librarian, as she moves up into the management of a large academic research library. Many of you have interacted with Julie and know that she is a great faculty liaison, popular instructor, and excellent researcher. She was also instrumental in developing new technologies to assist library users. Julie has been a wonderful asset to the law library, the law school, and CUL, and we will miss her very much. Julie will be at Cornell until the end of May. We wish her all the best in her new position! (Claire Germain, Announcement to CULIB, April 2, 2009)
Julie in one of her favorite preoccupations; photograph provided by Julie Jones
Holly King, Lee Library
Holly King, who has been on the Lee Library staff for six years, has recently transferred from the library to the Administrative Service Center at the Experiment Station in Geneva. The move in March followed the decision last fall to reduce the staffing of Lee Library and consolidate the collections at the Station. Holly began at the Experiment Station sixteen years ago in 1993 counting bugs in the insect rearing lab of Professor Wendell Roelofs in the Department of Entomology. After that auspicious start she held several Accounts Representative positions in the Departments of Entomology and of Horticultural Sciences at Geneva, before joining Lee Library.
We were delighted when she joined the Library in 2003, in that she not only brought with her a degree in business, but experience with fund management within the Cornell accounting system, excellent organizing skills, a creative spirit, and an affinity to public service. Her contributions have been many and as is the case in small libraries, her involvements have been diverse. 
In addition to her regular day-to-day tasks, she took on many other responsibilities such as organizing the annual library book sale, leading the organization of many library events, and in particular she took a lead role in planning and managing the two day Wine Librarians Association meeting hosted by Lee Library in 2008. Her creative side found expression in various exhibits, displays, and other visual efforts in the Library. In addition to her Library responsibilities, she has been an active participant in the Station community. Bring a Child to Work Day, the Experiment Station’s 125th Anniversary celebration, and Parrott Hall restoration efforts are several prominent samples of her broader involvement.
It is with regret and a sense of loss that we announce Holly’s transfer, but CU Library has benefitted greatly, as has the community at the Experiment Station, from Holly’s diligence, hard work, creativity, teamwork, and commitment to service during her tenure at Lee Library. And we are pleased that her new job is such a good fit with her experience and skills and that she will continue to be a part of the Station community. Plus, with her office just downstairs from the Library, we get to easily tap her memory and expertise when a question comes up. We wish the best to Holly in her new position. (Marty Schlabach; group photo of Geneva crew in former days, from left:
Jane Irwin who retired in 2006, Marty Schlabach, Mike Fordon, and Holly King; photographs provided)
Xian Wu, Wason Collection on East Asia
Dear Library and East Asia Program Colleagues:
Please join us
at the Wason Collection Farewell Party
for Xian Wu and Yan Yun Mi
Monday, June 22, 2009
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Cho Room, Kroch Library
(B59, Level - B1)
To bid them good-bye and wish them the best
at Michigan State University Library!
Dr. Xian Wu, Chinese Bibliographer and Electronic Resources Librarian at the Wason Collection on East Asia, has accepted an offer to be Pan-Asia Librarian at Michigan State University Library and resigned from Cornell University Library effective on July 29, 2009. Dr. Wu joined Cornell University Library in 2003. During the past six years, he has provided outstanding service to Cornell. We will fondly remember his wonderful contributions and we wish him the best at Michigan State! (Liren Zheng)
Xian Wu and colleagues at Kroch Asia, from left: Xian Wu, Jeffrey Petersen, Yan Yun Mi, Greg Green, Carole Atkinson, Dan McKee, Bronwen Bledsoe, Lorena Dremel, Liren Zheng, Carrie Yang (photograph by Sarah How)
Obituaries
Betsy Ann Olive, 1923-2009
Betsy Ann Olive, the first female faculty member of the Business School at Cornell, died on June 12, 2009. She also served as librarian and head librarian from 1966 on in the Johnson Graduate School of Management. She received her BA from Duke in 1945 and her Library Science degree from UNC in 1949. Before coming to Cornell in the early fifties she worked for ten years in the banking industry in New York City, in furniture and design, and in the Government Documents section of the UNC Libraries.
She was an extraordinarily energetic and gifted librarian and scholar, serving as consultant to various college and university business collections while teaching often concurrently at Syracuse University, the University of Maryland, and Cornell. She helped establish overseas business administration libraries at the University of Indonesia in Djakarta, the American University in Beirut, the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, and a specialized collection on ports and customs administration in Bahrain. After she retired in 1988 and moved to North Carolina she raised over a million dollars for the building of the Northeast Branch of the New Hanover County Library. She wrote widely; one of her best known works is the Executive's Guide to Information Sources, which later became the Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources.
Her family has suggested three charities for those who wish to make memorial gifts: The Library Foundation of New Hanover County, the Music-Organ Pipe Fund at the Windermere Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, N.C., and the Besty Ann Olive Book Fund at the Johnson Graduate School of Management. (Excerpted from the Ithaca Journal 06/20/09)
Robin Louise Shoemaker, 1961-2009
Robin Shoemaker was a dedicated member of the CUL staff for over twenty-five years. Many students, faculty, and staff depended on her knowledge, skills, and support.
Robin began her career at Cornell in the Registrar’s Office, then moved to Central Technical Services in Olin Library as a serials assistant, checking in serials in the kardex. In 1990 she moved to the Management Library and became involved in circulation activities. She saw the kardex and the serials catalog replaced by their electronic counterparts and helped move these operations online. She enjoyed working with computer technology and pursued her interest by attending extensive trainings to master the difficult art of technical support.
As network administrator for the department, Robin took pride in sharing her knowledge with her colleagues. She gradually improved our comfort with computer issues by sending weekly technology tips and approaching each question with a smile, good sense of humor, and respect. She worked hard to train her colleagues in the nuances of Voyager serials check-in and exhibited tremendous endurance and adaptability when dealing with unexpected computer breakdowns. When most sane people were ready to throw a PC through a window, Robin doggedly pounded away at the machines until software was installed, specialty business databases behaved, and viruses were vanquished.
Like the tricky computers, business serials and specialty items often require a bit of detective work and determination to find out if a) the product is still published; b) did we pay for it; and c) why haven’t we gotten it yet? Robin kept after the serials to ensure that the most recent issue was available to our patrons so they didn’t have to wait. The Management Library staff knew and relied on her amazing ability to almost immediately get answers regarding the status of a serial. She had an incredible sense of duty and responsibility. Her values were always strong. Her punctuality--always remarkable.
A lifelong resident of Trumansburg, Robin was a graduate of Trumansburg High School and Tompkins Cortland Community College. She enjoyed spending time with family, researched family genealogy, and often spoke about her nephew Mark. She loved getting him gifts that she knew were the exact thing he was wishing for.
Robin loved her two Boston Terriers, Gracie and Stitch, and regarded them as individuals who were an important part of her family. Her tender and often funny stories of them revealed sharp personalities with moments when they were naughty, sweet, or cranky. Each day would have a different picture of a dog on her calendar page and Robin shared the ones that she thought were particularly cute or funny. A few of these ended up on our office doors. Others are used as bookmarks and serve to amuse as we open some text and see a picture of a goofy puppy.
Robin liked to laugh. She had a great sense of humor and enjoyed a good joke. We knew we could always rely on her to get the job done right, efficiently, with a laugh and a knowing look.
We miss you, Robin. Thank you for all the great memories that you gave us.
(Management Library Staff)
Credits: Kaleidoscope is published bi-monthly except June and July
by Cornell University Library. Editor: Elizabeth Teskey, Layout: Carla DeMello and Jenn Colt-Demaree
