Service Awards 2006
Photo gallery of the 2006 Service Awards.
50 Years
Marie Powers, O/K/U Access Services
Marie attended the service awards lunch to be honored for her fifty years of dedicated library service. She has been enjoying her retirement since November, has been on a cruise, and graduated from TC3 on the honor roll. Details about Marie's fifty years at Cornell can be found online.
~Carmen Blankinship
40 Years
Jacqueline Morris, Library Administrative Operations
I had the privilege of working with Jackie for the last fifteen years of her forty year career with the University. Jackie has always been an asset to Accounting Services; she is a hard working, organized, and creative person.
Jackie is very good at looking at procedures and forms and seeing ways to improve them for clarity and efficiency. She is always willing to take on additional work to help out when the office is short staffed and she is also a great trainer for new staff.
Jackie retired in January and the office is not the same without her. I miss her sense of humor (especially the jokes!). I find myself saying, "If Jackie were here she would know the answer," because she had such a tremendous amount of knowledge regarding the way things are done, were done, and maybe should be done.
I'm also wondering who will count the number of shopping days until Christmas. Jackie usually started 100 days out and placed her pine tree countdown wheel on top of her cubicle divider. It was a great reminder for us and everyone else who came to our office.
We all wish Jackie a happy and healthy retirement.
~ Susan Bristol
35 Years
Steve Rockey, Math Library
Steve Rockey came to Cornell as an undergraduate and has been here ever since. He spent two years after graduation in the Engineering Library as circulation/serials assistant. In 1972, he became Director of the Mathematics Library and continues in that position. Library functions and services have changed dramatically over the past thirty-five years and Steve has helped lead the changes at CUL.
Steve is one of CUL’s pioneering entrepreneurs. In the early 1990s CUL and Xerox Corporation, with support from the Commission on Preservation and Access, collaborated on a project to scan deteriorating books as digital images and produce high quality paper copies. About five hundred and fifty out-of-copyright math books were the core of this project. The Math Library has made print copies of the digitized books available to the world, selling hundreds of volumes most years. Under Steve’s leadership, the Math Library became one of the first to accept credit cards. The excellence of Cornell’s mathematics collection, Steve’s comfort with digital information, and his entrepreneurial outlook formed the beginnings of our very successful Project Euclid and have led to many strong relationships with peer institutions and publishers. Steve is always willing to lend his expertise to the project.
Mathematicians think of the library as their laboratory. In 1999, after too many years occupying deteriorating space in White Hall, the Mathematics Department and the Mathematics Library moved to Malott Hall. Finally, Steve and the Math Library staff and clients have adequate space for meetings, materials, research, and studying. In fact the “new” Math Library is a quiet and comfortable study space used by students from all over campus.
Steve is especially good at keeping in touch with faculty alums and graduated student assistants. He hosts an open house in the Math Library every Reunion Weekend. This and other outreach activities are the basis for endowments that help support Cornell math collections.
Steve is held in high regard by his fellow math librarians. He serves on the American Mathematical Society’s Library Advisory Committee as well as on the Mathematical Sciences Publishers Library Committee.
Skating and hiking are important pastimes for Steve. He’s been an avid Cornell hockey fan for many, many years. He’s camped and hiked with his family in the mountains of the Western U.S. and will tackle some trails in the Grand Tetons this summer.
Steve is the justifiably proud father of two Cornell grads and former library student assistants, Ben Rockey-Harris, ’04 and Kate Rockey-Harris, ’06.
Thank you, Steve, for your contributions to the Library and for your loyalty to Cornell.
~Jean Poland
30 Years
Lee Cartmill, Library Administration
Ten years ago, when I interviewed for the position of University Librarian, I spent about an hour meeting with Lee Cartmill, the Library's director of administration and finance. Talking with Lee, I realized one thing I would never have to worry about, as long as Lee was on hand, was the fiscal and administrative side of the Library. His low key, but thorough explanation of the mysteries of the complex budget provided an anchor for me personally, and has also benefited the Library and the university over his many years of service.
Lee is exceptionally competent and fair. He earns the trust of all who work with him for his calm demeanor and his ability to handle a multitude of challenging issues seemingly effortlessly. In reality, however, he is a hard and careful worker. He is very service-oriented and is never a bureaucrat who places obstacles in the way of getting things done, but rather is a quiet problem-solver who always delivers results. Despite these achievements, Lee is very modest. He acts the same way about his accomplishments outside the Library. Lee was a star football player at Middlebury College, and he still holds the record for the most touchdown passes received during a game (4) thirty-five years after graduation. He continues his athletic interests through his own golf games and through the careers of his children, also outstanding athletes. A list of club champions at the Robert Trent Jones Cornell Club includes Lee (1992), followed by sons Kevin (1994-5) and Chris (1999). Daughter Sarah Cartmill was Ithaca High's leading scorer in basketball and she went on to play with the Binghamton Bearcats. Lee attended hundreds of games and matches, always there as the solid support for his family and their teammates.
~ Sarah Thomas
25 Years
Howard Brentlinger, Collections, Reference, Instruction, & Outreach
For eighteen of Howard’s twenty-five years at CUL, he has run a service providing on-demand bibliographic searching in support of Olin Library collection development. Howard is a highly talented searcher and has recruited and trained successive teams of student assistants to search publishers’ offerings, vendor slips, antiquarian catalogs, gift titles, and other sources against the library catalog to help selectors identify gaps in the collection. Over the years, this operation has engaged as many as five student searchers at once on routine work as well as special projects. Howard has an uncanny ability to find and hire excellent student assistants for this rather demanding work, which calls for language skills to cover the diversity of the Olin collections. He is an outstanding trainer and supervisor of his student staff. One of Howard’s former supervisors recalled: “One student told me Howard was the best supervisor she had ever had, because he understood so thoroughly the work he was asking her to do.”
Howard takes on the most complex searching projects himself and delivers dependable, consistent, and accurate results. He is an expert at navigating the library catalog, as well as other bibliographic databases and print bibliographies, and his knowledge of the Olin stacks is legendary. Another former supervisor had this to say: “Howard’s knowledge of the stacks collections is astounding. He is the person I turned to for really tough searching—I was never sure that we didn’t have an item until Howard said so. Howard has a particular genius for finding misshelved materials.” Last year, Howard put this genius to work on a project he managed in collaboration with Collection Maintenance to locate in the Olin stacks books once thought to be missing. Howard supervised the work of five students in this project, which was a significant success—almost 20% of the 14,000 “missing” books were recovered.
It should be noted that Howard deserves considerable credit for the initial success of ITSO, the web-based system for distributing bibliographic records from LC and commercial vendors to CUL selectors; launched by Scott Wicks, Adam Chandler, and Pete Hoyt in 2004, ITSO is now being developed by OCLC as the new WorldCat Selection service. In 2002 Howard laid much of the bibliographic groundwork for ITSO, mapping LC classification numbers and key words to selectors. In ITSO’s first years, Howard took up much bibliographic slack by monitoring records that did not fit existing selector profiles and distributing them appropriately; his careful work refining the profiles has mostly eliminated the need for this kind of intervention.
The introduction of ITSO along with other, more gradual shifts in collection development practices at CUL have reduced (but certainly not replaced) selectors’ reliance on student help for routine searching. Howard is supervising fewer student searchers now, and in the context of the merged Collections, Reference, Instruction, and Outreach Department (CRIO), he is providing new kinds of bibliographic support to multi-tasking librarians. And since 2005, Howard is working half time in Olin’s Map and Geospatial Information Collection, where he assists with processing and management of the collection, and provides basic reference service for cartographic materials.
Howard is an Ithaca native and the product of a library household. His father was director of Tompkins County Public Library for many years; his mother was also a librarian there and, among other duties, staffed the library’s Book Mobile. In his first CUL position, Howard also took books on the road as a temporary library truck driver in Shipping. Following that short stint, he worked for seven years in Olin Access Services, where he trained and supervised student assistants at the circulation desk, the current periodicals room, and course reserves.
Howard is an avid reader and his work is informed by a love of books and maps. He is also the library’s resident expert on railroads and railroad history. CUL and library collections have greatly benefited from so many years of Howard’s calm and steady efforts behind the scenes.
~ Kizer Walker
Peter Campbell, Collections, Reference, Instruction, & Outreach
Peter Campbell began his career at Cornell in the Circulation Department in 1980 and was lured to the Reference Department in 1991. It is difficult to overstate just how much the library has changed during this time. Through all of the transformation and turmoil, Peter has maintained a sense of balance, a sense of humor, and a firm conviction in our core service values. It is equally difficult to overstate the value of having Peter on our staff as a Senior Reference Assistant these many years.
Peter is a trusted advisor to many of us in Reference for his excellent judgment, knowledge of resources, and skillful editing. Over the years, he has been a role model for many new Reference Assistants, as we learned the reference ropes. In addition to his knowledge of core resources and reference tools, Peter has exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Many of us look to Peter’s examples when crafting our own email responses to library patrons.
Given how much staff have gained from Peter’s fine example, and his many years of service at the reference desk and in our digital reference services center, Peter has probably made a greater impact upon the quality of our services, over time, than any other individual staff member. We hope he stays with us for many years to come!
By the way, rumor has it that Peter is the proud owner of one of those old, AT&T dial phones. Like Peter, those phones continue to retain their solid value, clarity, and reliability, and a no-bells-and-whistles connection to the high-tech world. The great irony is that, at work, Peter has taken on the responsibility for managing our complex Audix telephone greeting system in Olin and Uris Library.
~Lynn Thitchener
Robert Kibbee, Preservation & Collection Maintenance
Bob is the Map and Geospatial Information Librarian for Cornell University Library. Bob spent the majority of his career working in reference in Olin Library and many of you know Bob as an excellent instructor and mentor to numerous librarians. For the past eighteen years, Bob has taught an electronic genealogy class that is very popular with a wide variety of patrons. In his most recent position as Map Librarian, he has resurrected the exhibits program in the cases outside of the Olin media center. He has much enthusiasm for the collection, and Bob is a tireless advocate for collection improvements, software and hardware upgrades, and improved user services.
When he is not at work, you might spot Bob reading a book in Latin or you might hear Bob’s bagpipes in the hills of Tompkins County.
~Barbara Berger Eden
Miriam Scheraga, Library Technical Services
Miriam Scheraga began working for the former Central Technical Services in September 1980 as a Hebrew searcher in acquisitions. She had earned her MLS a few years earlier and had been working as a librarian in the Ithaca City School District before coming to CUL. Less than a year later, Miriam was promoted to academic cataloger, over time becoming the primary cataloger for Hebrew and Yiddish. She also worked on general humanities materials and on items for the Hotel Library.
Miriam’s contributions always extended beyond cataloging. She often served as a resource person for acquisitions, serials, reference, and ILL staff in her areas of language and subject expertise. Perhaps most importantly, Miriam has always been a friendly, welcoming person, offering assistance with a smile whenever possible. She is the kind of colleague everyone would like to have: cheerful, reliable, supportive, sensible, and warm.
Miriam retired from CUL on September 30, 2005 after twenty-five years of service. While we in LTS were very sad to see Miriam go, her absence was a short one. In mid-October, she returned to the department as a casual employee, working ten hours a week on Hebrew and Yiddish materials. She’ll continue her casual appointment into 2007. We are delighted that Miriam remains with us and extends her contributions to the Library.
~David Banush
Barbara Taylor, Library Technical Services
Before beginning her career at Cornell in 1980, Barbara worked for a year in Georgia as a Vista volunteer, then in the Hudson Valley with children in need. She began her library career in Olin Library, and she also worked in the CU Law Library from 1995 until 2003 when she returned to Olin Library. Barbara has been involved in several projects throughout her library career and served on numerous committees, which cover a broad spectrum. Barbara is committed to learning and takes every opportunity to further her knowledge and share that knowledge with others. In fact, this year, despite a heavy demand on her time with family commitments, she took an online class to acquire new skills to enhance her work at the library. Her enthusiasm for continuing education is admirable and it's easy for others to pick up on her zeal, thanks to her upbeat and positive attitude.
Barbara has a master's degree in education from Elmira College and has gained a reputation as a Mark Twain scholar, having written papers and made numerous presentations around the country on her areas of research. She is interested in anything about Mark Twain and his family and, when possible, travels all over the country to learn new things about him and to share them with other Mark Twain scholars. She is currently writing a book about Twain's daughter, Jean Clemens.
Barbara comes from a long line of Cornellians. She and her husband Dick live in Locke and have one son, Jeremy, a Cornell graduate who is working in the field of marine biology and is fortunate enough to have Hawaii as a home base. Her hobbies include playing with the bell choir in the Ithaca Congregational Church and doing special sewing projects to give as gifts to her family and friends; she is an avid reader. Barbara is very close to her extended family, often arranging trips and special family gatherings for them. She was especially thoughtful and caring during the last year when her mother was ill.
~ Lois Purcell
Ubaldo Valli, Preservation & Collection Maintenance
Ubaldo appreciates the Library’s recognition but requests no write-up.
~Joel Copenhagen
F. Kaye Westfall, Library Technical Services
I have worked with Kaye in the physical processing department for the past three years. I rely on Kaye for her extensive knowledge of book plate funds, and ordering gift plates. In a department with an extremely heavy workload, Kaye has an uncanny ability to find patron tracer titles amid huge stacks of books. She will go above and beyond to provide excellent customer service.
In March, Kaye celebrated completion of an extensive six-month Office Professionals Certificate course which required quite a commitment of her time. I congratulate Kaye for her dedication and her commitment in completing this class.
For many years Kaye has volunteered for Cornell events and also does volunteer work in a local soup kitchen.
Kaye’s knowledge, dependability, and commitment to customer service are assets to the library and I look forward to many more years of working together.
Congratulations to Kaye for twenty-five years of excellent service to Cornell.
~ Debra Warfield
Robert Willits, Library Technical Services
Bob has worked all of his twenty-five years for CUL. We have been very fortunate to have Bob here in LTS Olin since March 2000 being our main, and now only, serials searcher for commercial publications. He is responsible for pre-catalog searching of new titles received in response to orders, changes of titles, and receiving and claiming of periodical and serial publications. He also solves complex searching problems occurring as part of the check-in process. Bob is an exceptional employee. He's always willing to assist in any given task that needs immediate attention. Without Bob it would be hard to function!
During his tenure at CUL, Bob worked from 1981 to1989 at Uris Library, first as a reserve assistant, then to Reserve Student Supervisor, and finally was promoted to Reserve Department Supervisor. From 1989 to 1999, he worked at the Hotel Library in Statler Hall. Most of those years he was Circulation/Reserve Supervisor. Later on he worked in non-supervisory positions as reserve processor, Current Awareness/Document Delivery contact, and he indexed journal articles for the National Hospitality Database. His long experience, reliability, and dedication make him a genuine asset to CUL.
Among Bob’s pastimes is his large collection of music from the '30s on. He focuses on jazz, big band, singers of the Great American Songbook (both past and present), '50s rock and roll, and Brazilian music. He enjoys living in the country with his partner, along with their seven-year old schipperke, in their large Victorian farmhouse in Bennettsburg, N.Y. Bob regularly enjoys walking on the Finger Lakes National Forest trails near his home and he volunteers at the Schuyler Country Historical Society and Museum.
I wish Bob all the best in hopefully many more years to come! Congratulations Bob!
~Lisa Maybury
20 Years
John Dean, Preservation & Collection Maintenance
John was recruited to come to Cornell in 1985, and established the Department of Preservation and Conservation. He was instrumental in building the program. In his career at Cornell, he has been the principle investigator on many successful grant proposals, traveled all over the world training staff in conservation, and has been a keynote speaker at numerous conferences. He has written several works on preservation, including online preservation tutorials for Southeast Asia and the Middle East. In 2004, John was the recipient of the Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris Preservation Award for national leadership in preservation and conservation. As a result of his leadership, the program at Cornell is one of the most respected in the world. John retired from Cornell in June of 2004, but we are fortunate to have John continue to work in the department on a part-time basis.
You may see John carousing with his family at one of the state parks or on the Commons on Sundays. Be sure to congratulate him on his twenty years at Cornell.
~Barbara Berger Eden
John Hoffmann, Library Administration Operations
John has been the "go to" person for any library facilities issues since his arrival in Olin Library twenty years ago. In addition to working on new construction projects, renovation of existing spaces, and all types of building maintenance issues, John has responsibility for a variety of services such as shipping and receiving and the Olin Library Copy Center. Some of the more visible projects that John has had a prominent and indispensable role in include the Carl A. Kroch Library, the Africana Library, the four new storage modules at the library Annex, the Kinkeldey and Austen rooms and the collaborative computing lab in Uris Library, the renovation of the Music and Engineering libraries, and Libe Cafe in Olin Library. In fact, it is fair to say that there is not a library on the Ithaca campus that has not benefited in some way from John's expertise and sound advice.
In addition to his facilities talents, John is an accomplished musician and fiddler extraordinaire. When not travelling and performing with his own band "Up South," John tends to his growing collection of fiddles and a budding fiddle restoration and repair business. He also enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and cross country skiing.
~Lee Cartmill
Debralyn Muscato, Fine Arts Library
Deb Muscato’s first day at the Fine Arts Library was October 17, 1985. To put this date in an historical context I offer the following tidbits of popular culture factoids: the guests on David Letterman that evening included George Burns, Julia Childs, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver (before they were married); on that day, Ronald Reagan issued Presidential Proclamation Number 5394, proclaiming October, National High Tech Month; Garrison Keillor, Joan Collins, Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Sidney Sheldon, and Larry McMurtry were all represented on the bestseller fiction list; A Passion for Excellence (Peters and Austin), Smart Women, Foolish Choices (Cowan and Kinder), and the Frugal Gourmet (Smith) were among the top contenders on the bestseller nonfiction list; the number one single was “Take on Me” by A-Ha; coming in at number seven was the theme from Miami Vice by Jan Hammer; the top grossing movie of the year was Back to the Future, starring Michael J. Fox; also in film history, 1985 is the birth year of actress Keira Knightley. (In poor reference form I will cite only one source for this information—the WWW.)
What does all this have to do with Deb Muscato’s contributions to the Fine Arts Library and to Cornell University Library you may ask? Plenty, I respond. It is my belief that steadfastness, reliability, honesty, integrity, and accuracy, as well as flexibility, task agility, and a sense of humor are all important character traits for thriving in a work place defined by constant change. Debbie has displayed all these traits over the past twenty years. What is even more impressive to me is that these character traits do not grow weak or get tarnished with time or when challenged. By applying these positive traits everyday that Deb comes into work, despite what is happening in the world around us, Debbie is helping to sustain the excellent level of service we strive to offer our patrons. This sort of quiet steadfastness, applied with skill, care, and consistency, can and should be recognized and celebrated.
Debbie was hired as a circulation and billing assistant. Over the years some of Debbie’s responsibilities have changed. She opens the library most mornings and helps out at the circulation desk, but she has also taken on the role of student supervisor. In this role, Debbie has thrived. Not only does she do an excellent job of screening and training our indispensable student staff, she injects some fun and good will into the work place by hosting three student employee events each year. These include a fall semester bowling party, a spring-time student design t-shirt contest, and she brings in snacks for our student employees during their rough study weeks at the end of the semester.
Photos by Matt Klein
Generous of spirit, Debbie does not withhold her abilities from the rest of the library system. Debbie currently serves on the Library Events Committee. She has contributed her substantial decorating talents, as well as her organizational skills, to many CUL-wide social events over the past three years. If you have enjoyed one of these events you may want to thank Debbie (and the others on the committee) for their skill and commitment to these important activities.
Debbie spends her spare time in a range of productive and even exhilarating ways. Debbie is an avid flower and vegetable gardener. As well, when the weather is pleasant on weekends, Debbie and her husband log sixty or more miles on their “hog.”
Back to the eighties with one more item of note: 1985 brought Deb Muscato to the Cornell University Library system. Indeed, and from that perspective alone, it was a very good year.
~ Martha Walker
Lydia Pettis, Digital Library & Information Technologies
For the last twenty years Lydia has served the Library by acting as a bridge between people and technology. Lydia joined the Library as a Microcomputer Specialist in 1986 when there were less than ten computers in the entire library system! Over the next three years she installed 200+ computers and taught more than 200 Library staff how to use computers by teaching programs in mainframe mail, word processing, spreadsheets, DOS, and file management. During this time Lydia’s keen ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels became clear as she guided staff through this major technological transition. Her sensitivity to the needs of other people helps her to assist in managing stress during periods of change.
Lydia soon moved into an Application Programmer role where her first major project was to act as the technical lead for the implementation of NOTIS circulation in the unit libraries in the early nineties. Here Lydia demonstrated what has become her signature style: she spent a great deal of time learning about circulation and workflow issues by asking circ staff questions about what they do, why they do it that way, and why what they do is important. In short, she became a circulation expert. This is a strategy that Lydia has adopted as she has faced each new challenge.
In the nineties Lydia was thrown into yet another new assignment, that of assisting with the creation of NOTIS reports. During this time period Lydia learned about cataloging and the MARC record, acquisitions, and the intricate details of ordering and invoicing. Lydia has often mentioned that a great deal of her success is due to the people who patiently answered her questions and took the time to explain the details of their daily work to her. Through this collaborative process Lydia developed a conceptual understanding of the whole Library system. This, combined with her powerful analytical ability, has given Lydia an in-depth knowledge of the interrelationships of all the functional components of the Library.
With the advent of Voyager, and the move to more accessible reporting options, Lydia has risen to the status of “The Data Queen.” Library Systems’ decision to decentralize reporting and to be responsive to the needs of the users returned Lydia to the teaching arena where she has given people the tools to do new things. Her ongoing Voyager Reporting User Group classes have taught Library staff, from every level and functional area, about problem-solving strategies and how to create queries and reports. These skills have given staff increased confidence and independence in their work. Understanding the intricate structure of our Library database helps staff to improve work flows and operate more efficiently.
Throughout her twenty years of service, Lydia has supported the Library mission and goals by helping people to function at or above the required level and to feel proud of their achievements and the service they provide. Her early work teaching people how to use computers laid the strong foundation which is the basis for today’s ubiquitous use of computers (most of the people in her classes then are still here today). The reports Lydia created are in daily use everywhere in the Library, from accounting to cataloging, acquisitions, and circulation. Special projects, such as the current move of one million volumes to the Annex, could not be completed without Lydia’s reports.
While she seldom toots her own horn, it can certainly be said that Lydia’s impact on the Library has been profound and far-reaching.
~Marcy Rosenkrantz
Jill Powell, Engineering & Computer Sciences Library
Jill Powell's enthusiasm and energetic presence have shaped the Engineering Library since 1986. Her association with Cornell goes even further back, though. Jill received her BA from Cornell with a double major in German and Economics and held various assistantships and internships at Cornell, including the Cornell University Press and various units of CUL. Except for a brief stint in California and Germany in the early eighties, she has lived in Ithaca since the late seventies.
As I write this, Jill is in Chicago wrapping up her duties as Division Chair of the American Association for Engineering Education, Engineering Libraries Division. This elected office is a well-deserved honor that recognizes Jill's abilities and high level of professional involvement over the past two decades. Last year she was Program Chair for the same division, pulling the national conference in Seattle together during some very busy months.
Everyone who knows Jill is aware of her interest in and adventurous spirit regarding technology. In 1994, when most of us were just considering the implications of the emerging Web, she had already completed a three-credit course at Syracuse University about building and managing Internet resources and gained skills that helped her contribute to the Engineering Library's early Web site, as well as our Web presence ever since. She was also the founder and first owner of CU-LIB, the communication channel that today we all take as much for granted as cars and telephones. Most recently she has been providing leadership to our outreach service, Research Connection @ Duffield and leading the cross-training effort in support of the integrated service desk. She is also participating in an ASTech-wide effort to develop a reference wiki.
Jill enjoys learning and keeping her skills up-to-date in our fast-changing profession. This energy and curiosity form the core of her numerous contributions to the Engineering Library, ASTech, CUL, and the profession.
~Zsuzsa Koltay
Deborah Schmidle, ILR Catherwood Library
My first impression of Deborah (Joseph) Schmidle, after interviewing her for a position at Catherwood, was that of a person with very broad experience in practically every aspect of library land. She started her CUL career in 1978 filing into the union catalog and inputting catalog records into OCLC. After a short stint as Circulation Reserve Assistant at Physical Sciences (1981-1982), she returned to Central Technical Services as a searcher and LC copy cataloger. In 1988, she moved to Olin’s Reference Department as a Senior Information Assistant. (During this period, she also worked as an archivist at the DeWitt Historical Society from 1988 to 1990.) Deb finished requirements for the MLS from Syracuse University in 1994, the following year became the CUL Borrowing Coordinator at Olin, and later accepted a reference position at Catherwood in 1997.
When she started at ILR, the Web was new but its usefulness to practitioners and members of the labor movement was just beginning to emerge. Working with Suzanne Cohen, whom we hired that same year, Deb developed training programs to help human resource managers, as well as labor union leaders, use the Web to help them become more effective in their work. She and Suzanne developed a manual, Human Resources and the Internet, which has been in high demand ever since. As Suzanne devoted more of her time to serving faculty and students, Deb’s assignment focused on developing and administering our program of outreach services to the non-Cornell clientele. This involved significant travel throughout the state, instructing users how to gain access to the internet and search the Web. Her work contributed substantially to the course offerings and net revenue of the ILR Extension Division as well as helping the school maintain important relationships with union and management throughout New York. Teaching experience on campus included for-credit graduate level courses designed to teach students how to find, organize, and present information. As an adjunct professor, she has also taught a four-credit graduate level course in the School of Library and Information Science at the University at Albany.
When her husband, Tim, took a position in 2001 with the New York State Workers Compensation Division in Albany, Deb accepted a collection development position at the University of Albany, then later moved on to an assignment as Director of Library and Education Services at Nylink where she gained more management and planning experience. When Tim transferred back to Ithaca, we hired her to do collection development upon Phil Dankert’s retirement in late summer 2004.
Deb provides leadership through participation in a host of regional and professional associations. Her reputation as someone who gets things done often results in her being selected to chair the committee or the organization. For example, she is a past president of the Upstate New York Special Libraries Association, was a member of the ALA/ACRL Distance Learning Committee, and served as past chair of the Joint ALA/AFL-CIO Committee on Labor Education. She chaired the government relations section of the Upstate New York Chapter of Special Libraries Association and also co-chaired the Regional OCLC Network Director Advisory Committee (RONDAC) Web Education Task Force while at Nylink. Currently, she is a member of the ALA/Library Administration and Management Association Strategic Planning Implementation Committee. Even when she is not serving as chair or president of an organization, she often plays a key role in making things happen, the best recent example being her work in helping to plan the Fall Meeting of the Eastern New York/Association of College and Research Libraries conference last October in Poughkeepsie. Community service work includes her current term as president of the local chapter, Association of American University Women, and she also serves on the board of directors of the non-for-profit Loaves and Fishes of Tompkins County.
The quality which stands out most clearly about Deb Schmidle is high energy carefully invested in the organization. She shared much of the work load on the “Innovation without Burnout” Implementation Team and played a key role in designing and conducting training sessions for staff across the system on the use of the ITSO CUL selection tool. Most recently, she co-chaired the Social Science Study Group charged with reviewing current processes and practices of social sciences selectors. And she undertook the design and implementation of our faculty survey, building on her work as a member of the current LIBQual team, to learn more about how Catherwood users meet their needs for information.
Little wonder we were delighted she returned to Cornell and to Catherwood in particular.
~Gordon Law
15 Years
Patricia Court, Law Library
Pat Court has been with the Law Library since October 1990. She is an essential member of the Law Library team. As the Associate Law Librarian, she manages the daily operations of the Law Library and coordinates the multiple activities of a dynamic library. As a Lecturer in Law, she coordinates the Legal Research program and the courses taught by the Research Attorneys in the Law School curriculum.
She is a successful and popular teacher. She teaches legal research to the first year JD students as part of the Lawyering course. She also teaches a course on U.S. Legal Research to the LLM students who are known to offer her flowers at the end of her class as an expression of their gratitude.
Pat juggles many tasks, always with a smile and with consummate diplomacy.
In her spare time, she enjoys a variety of interests which include bird watching, reading, hiking, and travelling to far off places, as well as singing in choirs and volunteer work. She is a supporter of the SPCA and has adopted many homeless cats and dogs over the years. Pat loves to cook, and especially to bake, and is always part of the Christmas cookie exchange at the Law Library.
Thank you Pat for your fifteen years of service. We hope to benefit from many more.
~ Claire Germain
Michael Engle, Collections, Reference, Instruction & Outreach
After establishing a successful career as the Reader Services Librarian at Linfield College in Oregon, Michael came to Ithaca in 1990 and easily took up the reins of the reference service program and the highly regarded instruction program in Uris Library. In addition to his strength as a manager and consummate skill as a reference librarian, Michael’s initiative and aptitude for technology were also revealed in his early development of computer-based instruction and some of our original Web pages.
In 1993 we were very fortunate that Michael joined the ranks of the newly merged Olin and Uris Reference Services Department where his knowledge, skill, and thoughtful focus on meeting users’ needs helped to shape a newly evolving group dedicated to supporting the research and teaching needs of the Cornell community, and ensuring that undergraduates received seamless service as they transitioned between Uris and Olin Library.
As Michael’s colleague for many years, I have never ceased to be amazed by his versatility, eagerness to learn, and capacity to take on new challenges. He was responsible for collection development in Uris Library, then for the reference collections in Uris and Olin as they were being redefined by space pressures, changing research needs, and the explosion of electronic resources. He developed and manages the Electronic Text Center, deftly balancing service and technical needs as textual formats evolve rapidly over time.
When the profession was just beginning to formulate buzz words such as “disintermediation” and “patron empowerment,” Michael was already quietly developing a Web-based tutorial, designed to help students learn how to find information and do research on their own. Components of the tutorial received over a million hits last year and it has been adapted for use (with permission) by many other libraries!
Michael’s love of and skill in teaching imbues just about everything he does, from helping students focus their research at the reference desk or online through our digital reference services, to guiding hands-on search sessions in the Electronic Classroom or demonstrating search strategies for hundreds of students in their lecture halls. He is a mainstay of our course-related instruction program and also contributes extensively to our technology skills workshop series. In addition to helping educate thousands of patrons over the years, he has also made time to provide training for our staff on every imaginable topic from polling data to book review sources. Mentoring new librarians is also an invaluable role Michael has taken on in more recent years.
It is little wonder that Michael received the 2000 Librarian of the Year award by the Eastern New York chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries. But just in case anyone thinks that all he does is work, it is important to note that Michael has also raised three wonderful daughters, travels extensively, has great parties on his porch, and is learning Spanish in preparation for his next trip to Chile!
~Nancy Skipper
Oliver Habicht, Digital Library & Information Technologies
Service is both the motto and the ethos of Desktop Services. Students, staff, and faculty can count on the Library’s computers functioning as desired at all hours of the day and night. Of the library’s 800 machines, over 600 are supported by Desktop Services, and we all take for granted that each of these computers is properly equipped to support our various needs, that appropriate security features are maintained, and that if ever there is a problem, there is a prompt and courteous response. This is the mission of Oliver Habicht and his staff, and they do a wonderful job.
Each member of Oliver’s team brings unique strengths, and together they enable the efficiency and productivity of each staff member and user of library services, guaranteeing that the diverse resources of the library system are available at our fingertips. The smooth working of this committed team is coordinated and supported through Oliver’s knowledge and caring. In the six years that he has held this responsibility, the network of hardware and software has steadily expanded, and the service just keeps getting better.
After over seven years with Cornell Information Technologies (CIT), Oliver came to the Library at the end of 1997 as a Programmer/Systems Analyst for the Cornell Institute for Digital Collections. When an opening appeared in Desktop Services in the spring of 1999, Oliver was the perfect candidate, drawing on his experience running CIT Labs and his natural dedication to quality service. In addition to a growing array of new user support capabilities, the demands of distributed security protection have added further complexities, and Oliver has consistently pursued new technological efficiencies in addressing evolving challenges. While the Library has been the chief beneficiary of Oliver’s knowledge and skill, he also provides campus-wide leadership. He has co-chaired the Cornell Computing Directors and presently serves on the Campus IT Security Council.
When away from the Library, Oliver remains equally busy. With his wife and children, he is a world traveler. On some trips, he is also the pilot, having had a flying license for years. With his wife, he also runs marathons. He is also a long-time devoted member of the Varna Volunteer Fire Department. In all aspects of his life, Oliver is a dedicated contributor to the well being of those around him, an asset to his friends, his family, his colleagues, and his community.
~Thomas Hickerson
Sally Lockwood, Preservation & Collection Maintenance
In 2003 Sally joined the Database Management Services unit in Library Technical Services. In her position as Barcoding Operations Student Supervisor, Sally supervises many students. Her positive, cheerful attitude makes the students feel welcome, creating a good working relationship with them. Sally and her students are currently working on the Olin Ceased Serials Barcoding project. Her barcoding experience, enthusiasm, and commitment keep the students motivated to do a good job, contributing to the success of the project.
In August, Sally will be participating in the Women Swimmin' 2006 event to benefit Hospicare and Palliative Care Services of Tompkins County in memory of Carol Buckley. She will be swimming across Cayuga Lake along with other women swimmers. This will be Sally's first time swimming across Cayuga Lake. Good luck, Sally!
~Barbara Tarbox
Kathryn Hughes, Library Technical Services
Kathy was first hired by the registrar's office as a temporary employee but soon joined the Olin Library Serials Department. She then became a fast catalog specialist in the newly merged Serials/Acquisitions Department. She joined Collection Maintenance about four years ago as a stacks manager where she has shelved, shifted, and helped to maintain every level in Olin, Kroch, and Uris.
Kathy is friendly, positive, cooperative, and compassionate in her interactions with all staff and patrons with whom she comes in contact.
When she is not at work, Kathy is usually spending her time with her family which includes three children, two grandchildren, husband Darren, and parents (John Dean, CUL's Preservation and Conservation Librarian and Margaret Dean, formerly of the Hotel Library).
~Joel Copenhagen
Anna Korhonen, Library Technical Services
Anna is a living testament to what one can accomplish when sufficiently driven. Over the fifteen years she has been associated with the Library, she has moved from serials searcher to original cataloger to unit supervisor to documents librarian to her current assignment as CUL’s Head of Acquisitions, picking up her master of library science degree along the way.
When Anna faces a challenge, she looks for strategies to succeed. When she started out in government documents, she considered how best to serve the Cornell community. One answer was to enroll in a series of courses offered by the Government Department. Her course work helped her gain a better understanding of the context for the government documents held at CUL, but also allowed her to share with classmates and faculty what the Library can offer them as they continue their studies as well as insights for how they look for information.
She continues this life-long journey to learn from the profession through her participation at the national level in the American Library Association and both the Federal and State government document meetings.
Her current work has her investigating opportunities to enrich records in the OPAC. It’s still too soon to know what her recommendation will be, but we know the issue will be thoroughly examined and consider how best the Library may serve the user.
Congratulations to Anna for fifteen years of accomplishments!
~Scott Wicks
10 Years
Barbara Bartholomew, Management Library
Barbara started work at Cornell University in November of 1995 as the Reserves Specialist at the Johnson School Library. During the ten years she has been with us she has developed an excellent rapport with the faculty and staff of the Johnson School. Barbara has a strong personal dedication to customer service and excels in getting the reserve materials into the hands of the students exactly when they need them. She is innovative and brings a fresh perspective to her job. It was her initiative that started the series of Reserves Specialists teas that has brought those library staff members working most closely with reserves together to discuss their mutual questions in an informal setting.
Barbara has participated in the Johnson School Library's move from Malott to Sage Hall in 1998, and the changeover from Notis to Voyager in 2000, but when asked what she considered to be the change that has most affected her job in the last ten years, she responded that the increased emphasis on copyright law and the library's response to it has been the biggest challenge and has broadened the scope of her job to involve issues beyond the Management Library reserves. She has done an excellent job keeping us informed about current library copyright policy and practices.
Barbara has five children between the ages of 33 and 17 years old, the youngest of which just graduated from high school. She plays hockey with the Ithaca Furies in season, and keeps active biking with her teammates in the warmer months. She is an avid gardener and manages her own part-time gardening business, starting in the spring and continuing through to winter. In winter, she spins wool and knits.
~Lee Ringland
Lynn Bertoia, Library Administration
The Library is fortunate to have a person like Lynn Bertoia as an employee. During her ten years at CUL Lynn has displayed her skills in a variety of positions in several departments. Lynn came to Cornell in May of 1996 as an Administrative Assistant in the office of Olin/Kroch/Uris Administration, working for David Corson and Pat Schafer. In 2002, Lynn joined the staff of Library Administration where she often acts as the first point of contact for the Library. In representing the Library to users, visitors, and staff, whether in person, via email, or phone, Lynn is always extremely helpful. Her polite, professional manner is both welcoming and informative to the varied guests, from all over the international community, who visit Cornell Library.
In January 2005 Lynn ‘s duties were expanded to include support of the fledgling Communications department. In this dual role she has become the consummate team player. Her positive, supportive attitude and day-to-day flexibility has allowed for productivity and consistency for both Library Administration and Communications. In the not too distant future she will devote her time to being the Administrative Manager for Communications.
Lynn is a very talented graphic artist. She also enjoys gardening and figure skating. She and her husband Roberto have three daughters: Monica, a Cornell alumna, is a PhD student at Yale; Natalie, also a Cornell grad, is a Medical student at Rochester; and Lara is a rising freshman at Ithaca High School.
Thank you Lynn for being a dedicated employee and an ideal colleague.
~Andrea Barnett
Michelle Brown, Preservation & Collection Maintenance
Michele is a book conservator working on the special collections of the Cornell University Library. Using her talents she has restored important works that have included, the King James Bible, the Nuremberg Chronicle, Besler’s Herbal, and the Jonsbok. Michele plays an important role in all of the training and education initiatives for the department, and she is on the central disaster response team.
Outside of work you might see Michele birding, gardening, or at the Lost Dog listening to her son’s band.
~Barbara Berger Eden
John Howard, Annex Library
John Howard began his career at CUL in November of 1995 in Shipping and Receiving Services. Of necessity, John’s position kept him on the move, connecting with staff throughout the Library. With his big smile and good humor, it did not take long for John to become a guaranteed bright spot in everyone’s day. In 1999 John joined the Library Annex staff, and is still very well known within the Library system for his sense of humor, friendly nature, hard work, and strong customer service commitment. He continues to be a joy to have around with his upbeat personality and helps make the Library Annex an enjoyable place to work.
Outside of work, John enjoys spending time at the Cape with his two young children.
~Cammie Hoffmier
Frederick Kotas, Wason E. Asia Collection
Fred Kotas joined the library staff as the Assistant Curator and Japanese bibliographer in the Wason Collection on East Asia. He is currently the Acting Wason Curator. As a scholar and "bookman," Fred has built the Japanese holdings in the past decade by more than 50%, passing long-established collections at Hawaii and Washington. He has done this through the solicitation of gifts, external funding, an exchange program with Waseda University, and contacts within academia and the book trade. His crowning achievement was to acquire the Maeda Collection, a 10,000 volume collection on Japanese literature and popular culture. He works closely with faculty and graduate students, teaches Japanese bibliography and research methodology, and serves on the graduate faculty in Asian Studies. In his spare time, Fred enjoys fine arts, folk art, ceramics (especially Japanese); cooking; gardening; film; baroque music, Astor Piazolla, and Gustav Mahler.
~Anne Kenney
Nelli Kurbanova, Library Technical Services
Nelli came to CUL in the fall of 1995. Nelli is the Slavic languages specialist in the Monograph Receiving Unit in Library Technical Services. She works with all types of orders including, firm, approval, standing, and subscriptions. She is responsible for ordering and claiming Slavic materials as well as receiving them. Her language skills plus her background in the arts and music make her a valuable asset to the library. I value Nelli as an employee and recognize the significant contributions she makes to the library system as well as to the unit.
Outside of work, Nelli is busy raising an active family plus she plays a significant role in taking care of members of her extended family. Nelli is also an avid cook and baker and sometimes we get to sample some of her unique cuisine. In her spare time (what is that, she asks) she is a music teacher and gives piano lessons. This last year a puppy has joined the Kurbanova repertoire making life even more hectic, interesting, and fun!
~Mary Wesche
Swe Swe Myint, Library Technical Services
Swe Swe came to CUL in the fall of 1995. Until April of 1999 Swe served as a Reserve Assistant and Translator for Kroch and Uris Libraries in the Circulation Department. Since then Swe has become our expert for processing books received on all domestic and many of our foreign approval plans. She is also our in-house Burmese language specialist. Swe has been promoted to coordinator of the Gifts and Exchange Unit in Olin Technical Services. She is a self directed, organized, accurate worker. I will miss her in the Monograph Receiving Unit.
Swe is the mother of two college-age children whom she continually coaches to be the best they can in all aspects of their lives. She spends time as main caretaker of lawn and home and grows beautiful flowers, often bringing them to work to adorn her small office space. Felix her poodle also holds a special place in her heart. I would like to congratulate Swe on just becoming an American citizen and also on her promotion. She works hard in all aspects of her life and is reaping the rewards!
~Mary Wesche
Katherine Reagan, Rare & Manuscript Collections
Katherine Reagan has been a member of the staff of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections for ten years. She currently serves as the Ernest L. Stern ’56 Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts and as RMC’s Assistant Director for Collections. As curator, she is responsible for RMC’s rare book collections as well as historical and literary manuscript collections. She manages the rare book endowments and coordinates overall collection development activities for RMC. She has worked creatively and imaginatively to build the collections, building on existing strengths and developing new areas, including children’s literature, food and wine, recreation and sports, popular culture, and travel and tourism. She has played a leading role in bringing many important gifts to the Library, most recently the Huntington Free Library Native American Collection, the Jon A. Lindseth ’56 Russian fable collection, and the Susan Jaffe Tane Collection on Herman Melville.
From 1995 to 1999, Katherine served as RMC’s Head of Public Services. She continues to provide expert reference services, and she is also a very effective teacher, presenting numerous classes and tours for a wide variety of audiences, from freshman writing classes to graduate seminars. She teaches courses in the History of the Book in the English Department and Cornell Adult University. She also plays a major role in RMC’s exhibition program, curating numerous exhibitions, most recently, “In the Founders Footsteps: Builders of the Cornell University Library.” Additionally, she served as project manager on Cornell’s NEH grant to complete retrospective conversion and preservation of Cornell’s Witchcraft Collection, and on Cornell’s Save America’s Treasures grant to digitize the Library’s Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery collection.
Katherine has worked to enhance the profile of Special Collections within the Cornell Library, currently serving on the Collection Development Executive Committee. She has been professionally active, this year chairing the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the American Library Association. Under her leadership, RBMS developed a successful Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant that provides thirty scholarships allowing new library, archives, and museum professionals to attend the annual meeting in Austin, Texas. Additionally, in recognition of her professional achievements, the Grolier Club, an organization of distinguished collectors, librarians, scholars, printers, and other bibliophiles, elected her to membership.
Katherine has been a valued colleague and friend for the past ten years. It’s been a pleasure to have worked with her, and we look forward to the next decade.
~Elaine Engst
Bethany Silfer, O/K/U Access Services
Bethany is a highly valued member of the IRIS management team and campus-wide access services community. In the ten years she has worked in Olin/Kroch/Uris Access Services, she has held a variety of positions, all of which she accomplished so well that she has consistently been given and assumed increased leadership responsibility.
Currently she is the administrative supervisor of Olin/Kroch/Uris Access Services, supervising ten staff and sixty-five student assistants, ensuring quality public service and the coverage of four Olin/Uris access services public services points for 223 hours a week during fall and spring semesters. She commands the respect of peers, staff, and administration because of her management capability and her organizational skills. She is known for her work on teams and committees as being extremely organized, quickly and thoroughly following up on all assignments unfailingly, and working with others in a cooperative, dependable manner.
One of Bethany’s outstanding assets is her ability to embrace and facilitate the necessary changes in access services, which are constant to meet users' needs. When not at work, Bethany is busy as the mother of an active, beautiful two-year old.
~Carmen Blankinship
Staff Outstanding Performance Awards 2006
The outstanding staff performance awards were established in 1998 through the generosity of the Boissonnas family whose gift established an endowment for an annual award. To be eligible the employee must be a regular, non-academic full-time or part-time member of the library staff. The award of up to $1,000 may be in the form of cash or financial support for professional travel or training opportunities. While there is no minimum length of service required, special consideration is given to long-term employees. This year there were two winners who received the award at the annual Service Awards luncheon in June.
Lucy Burgess, Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Lucy Burgess has been a member of the Cornell Library since 1978. In her twenty-eight years of service she has worked in the Department of Rare Books, then in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, and now in Library Technical Services. She originally joined the library as a secretary, but with her excellent organizational skills, outstanding productivity, and her ability to juggle multiple projects, she has come to single-handedly be in charge of the entire rare books processing operation.
Her supervisor, Margaret Nichols, applauds Lucy because in spite of the variety and quantity of duties assigned to her, “she still manages to consistently juggle her responsibilities so well, she makes it look easy.” Her work consists of technical services, public services, collection management, and collection development. Back in 1997, it was her idea to be trained as a cataloger and since then she has eliminated 90% of the rare book backlog, providing easier access to the collection.
Lucy is a dedicated, deeply knowledgeable, and extraordinarily productive member of the library. But most importantly, she is a “people person.” She is easygoing and delightfully pleasant to work with. She has friends throughout the library and is unanimously regarded with respect and affection.
~ Nominated by Margaret Nichols
Crystal Hackett, Law Library
Crystal celebrates forty-one years of service at Cornell University. She whole-heartedly embraces change and always adds the human and personal touch to what she does. Forty-one years ago she started as a stenographer, and over time moved on to learn how to use computers and do word processing while acquiring other advanced desktop publishing skills. She also embodies the best attributes of a mentor. She is willing to mentor both upward and downward. Whatever she knows, she will happily share. Everyone learns from her, from the director to newly hired employees.
Crystal is responsible for managing the Law Library’s administrative office, both personnel and business operations, and acts as the contact person within the library and with external entities, including CUL and the Law School. Crystal is hard-working, capable, and dependable, exercising sound judgment in the execution of her duties. Being diplomatic and discreet, she has garnered the trust and respect of every member of the library staff. She readily assumes new responsibilities and excels at multi-tasking. Her strong service orientation is evident in everything she undertakes.
Crystal is an exemplary staff member, and Claire Germain notes that she is one of the most professional people she knows. “She is committed to the success of the Law Library and the quality and quantity of her work contributions are truly amazing.”
~ Nominated by Claire Germain
Unit in the Spotlight: Weill Cornell Medical Library
(From upper left) Computer Services: Dan Sienkiewicz, Octavio Morales, Roberto Capungcol; Administration: Kristine Alpi, Angela Reyes, Anny Khoubesserian, Carolyn Reid; Courtesy Desk: Jennifer Rodriguez, Theresa Watkins.
(Center left to right) Collection Development: Mark Funk, Michael Wood, Jose Medina, Jacqueline Heller (seated left), Vergie Savage-Branch (seated right); Access Services: Circulation Day Staff: Danita Norville-Defreitas, Yingjie Li, Loretta Merlo (seated left), Bernardo Santiago, John McCauley (seated right); Circulation Evening Staff: Tywe Harrison, Eric Siu (seated), Rachel Williamson; ILL (beginning left in red): Kamaria Romeo, Bruce Silberman, Edsel Watkins, Diana Delgado (seated), Shauntae Brown.
(Bottom left to right) Cataloging: Richard Reyes, Mira Myhre; Information Services: Sherisse Brown, Antonia Ramos, Kevin Pain, helen-ann brown (seated left), Pattie Mongelia (seated right).
Camera shy: Circulation Weekend Staff: William Fisk, James Wright, Denise Perry.
Photo Collage by Loretta Merlo
Librarians Run Half Marathons in Lake Placid and San Diego
In June four CUL librarians took part in half marathons in Lake Placid and San Diego to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This group is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education, and patient services. Each of them participated in honor of individuals who are battling blood and other cancers; in the Library we have suffered several losses to cancer and ALS in the last year. Below are their stories about the experience.
Camille
“Yeah! Go Team in Training!” the runners passing us yelled in solidarity. We were walking the hill in the last mile of the Lake Placid half marathon on our way to the victory lap in the stadium track. Getting encouragement from those who were running or had just run the whole half-marathon was simply typical of the spirit of Team in Training; our coach even came back to walk the last part with us. It was all for one and one for all, and all of your efforts were appreciated. While walking 13.1 miles doesn’t seem like a lot, it was the longest I’d ever walked, being the original couch potato. When Nan Hyland suggested we sign up for the American Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s half marathon, I thought it would be a good way to become physically active again after a long engagement with my couch and to raise funds for a great cause. I had had two friends who had had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and gone into remission and numerous family members who had battled cancer, and given recent losses in the Library, I thought this would be a good way to help address an important cause and get active myself with the kind of extensive support that the Team in Training program provides.
Though I didn’t participate in most of the group training runs on Saturdays, the training program that they provided was essential and checking in with my team members on our progress helped keep me motivated and provided a lot of support. The fundraising support LLS gave was also extensive and sending out 
the call brought me into contact with old friends and brought out stories I hadn’t heard from the new ones. I was amazed and humbled by the generosity of everyone who contributed and am truly thankful for their support of myself and the Society.
The event itself with the whole group was simply an amazing and inspirational experience. At the start line, hundreds of purple Team in Training shirts were dotted throughout the crowd, everyone packed together in the drizzle and shuffling feet to the dance music. Then we were off, one huge moving herd. The energy of so many people coming together for a common cause was palpable and made it more than just a sporting event but an experience I won’t forget. On the walk, new friends and old shared their stories of who they were walking for and why, including a woman walking for her daughter who was in remission and a man who had had knee surgery pushing through in memory of a friend who had passed. We encouraged each other when we were tired or injured, promising each other drinks at the end, and cheered each other as we crossed the finish line. Overall, the Team in Training experience is one I would recommend to anyone, no matter what level of fitness or age, for the activity, the camaraderie, the vision, and the purpose.
~Camille Andrews
Nan
After six months of meeting at 7 a.m. on Saturday to run in the ice and snow, seeing sports medicine specialists, and getting cortisone injections in my knee, I was really glad that the half marathon was at hand. Another team member and I who run and get injured at about the same pace tried to keep talking ourselves into it the day before. “We'll just try to run half of it and walk the rest. It's just a hike in the Adirondacks during which we run a little bit of it. . . .” It was a cold 
rainy day but that worked to my advantage since I ran just about all of my training runs in cold rainy weather. Much to my surprise, I was able to run/jog the whole way. At about mile 8 or so I thought to myself, "hey! I'm still running!" and I just kept it up. My knee held out and I was able to make it up the final hill to the Olympic speed skating stadium for the final lap. I had been convinced that I’d have to be picked up by the police at the end of the race but I ended up placing 79th in my age group out of 97 (a big deal to me but probably not to anyone else).
I was able to surpass my fund raising goal. There were two Team in Training teams (about 150 individuals) at the race. Team in Training does a great job of getting everyone through the race and creating cheering sections! Many people stood in the rain for hours to cheer us on which really helped me to keep going. Many of them yelled, "Looking good," even though I wasn't. We all really looked more like drowned rats—but it made me feel a lot better. As of April 2006, the Central New York team had raised $171,000 for Leukemia/Lymphoma research and I know a lot more came in after that.
Team in Training began with a group training for the 1988 New York City Marathon. That first team raised $322,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Since then, more than a quarter million people have participated in an event raising over 660 million dollars.
~Nan Hyland
Petrina
“Have you lost your mind?” This was my friend’s reaction when I told him that I was training for a half marathon on behalf of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program (TNT). Although I was taken aback, his reaction did have some credence because the last time I had worked out extensively was seven or eight years ago, when I hired a personal trainer to whip me into shape so I could fit into a bridesmaid’s dress that I, suffering from a strong case of denial, ordered two sizes too small. Also, I have always had “special” feet, which required a double bunionectomy several years ago. However despite these physical limitations, I was determined to run. This belief that I could complete a half marathon grew at the TNT informational meeting held in Ithaca. At the meeting, the Central New York TNT coaches, staff, and former participants reiterated that with proper training all participants, including novices, would cross the finish line. Armed with that encouragement and a full heart wanting to be a part of something greater than myself, my only concern was raising the required $3,900 to participate in San Diego’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon as a member of TNT.
Training
Training was a challenging, yet invigorating eighteen-week process. During the week, we ran three days of short runs, individually. On the weekend, we ran a long run with the entire team. For me, the long runs were grueling. However, because at least one of the coaches, my mentor, and the team were always present, the long runs were survivable. Nothing could prepare me for the cold February morning air hitting my lungs and how out of shape I was. I remember hearing my coach say, “You should be running at a conversational pace." If I could, I would have laughed because, as a result of my fatigue, I could not run and talk at the same time. When I would get winded, I would stop and walk. I used the stop and walk “method” a great deal during my training, especially at the beginning. Initially, my body would not allow me to run three, four, five, six miles straight through. In addition to the physical battle, my ego and I had to deal with the fact that I was consistently in the back of the pack (sometimes I fought to be second to last). In many cases, my teammates were either much stronger, fit, or more seasoned runners. For instance, my coach, who turned sixty during the season, had run dozens of marathons, including Boston and New York. He was lean and could run seemingly without getting tired. Also, some of my teammates would announce how out of shape they were and then would leave me in the dust. I had to tell myself to keep running my own race, do the best I can, keep praying, and I will be fine. Thankfully, this self-talk worked, and my endurance grew every week. However, as my endurance grew, I noticed that my left ankle was becoming swollen and started having a dull ache that increased in painfulness after every run.
Injury
After seven or eights weeks of training, I finally went to a sports medicine doctor and was diagnosed with posterior tibialis tendonitis or, in layman’s terms, tendonitis of the ankle. I asked my doctor, who is a marathon runner and a triathlete, why did I get the injury and if I could continue training. He responded (paraphrase), “Conventional wisdom tells us that when we begin training it is best to gradually build your way up. In your case, you violated all rules by going from doing nothing to doing an intense training program. Your tendon was taking all of the impact of the pounding and it was too much.” He told me that other doctors might advise me otherwise, but if I took medication; wore an AFO (boot that restricts movement of the ankle); gave my ankle daily ice massages; and did cross-training instead of short runs during the week, but maintained my long runs, I should be able to continue with no permanent damage. He added that if I didn’t set an unrealistic time goal and allowed myself to walk during the marathon, I should definitely be able to cross the finish line. Since I had never timed myself during training and had always walked a little during training, I could follow his advice. So I trained for the complete eighteen weeks and, although I was extremely anxious and limping, my coaches were convinced that I was prepared to run at San Diego’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. I was not exactly sure what to expect, but I figured they could not be wrong.
Race
On June 4, 2006 when I woke up the day of the marathon and put on my running shoes, I felt really steady on my feet. That was a relief because I had a bit of a meltdown the previous day. My ankle was hurting more than ever and it was fatigued. I kept thinking to myself, "How are you going to run this race? Are you insane?" But after talking to my mother and some friends, shedding more tears than I would like to admit, and doing some serious prayer, I calmed down.
We had to be on the buses to go to the marathon starting line at 4:30 a.m., and it was already uncommonly humid. By 6:30 a.m., signaled by the Marine Corps band, the race began. I was one of 22,000 runners and part of over 4,000 TNT runners from all over the country. I was so excited that I took my camera along with me to document the race. I knew enough to take pictures early on because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to lift my arms by the end of the race. Besides being a bit hot, I was okay. My major challenge was not having any of my teammates around me during the entire run. Doing long runs with the team during training, even though I was in the back of the pack, was encouraging and comforting. Now I was in a sea of people, but felt very alone. With no teammates around me, it was me and God running this race, but I sensed that would be enough.
During the race I was not overly tired until about mile 8 or 9. At that point my ankle was a bit aggravated too, so I walked and ran between mile 9 and mile 11. When I hit mile 11, I knew I would make it. At that point, I had started running with an experienced marathoner from Virginia, who told me it was important to enjoy the experience and not put too much pressure on myself. I thought it was really great for her to encourage me. I was so close to the 13.1 finish line, while she had over 13 miles to go (she was running the entire marathon, all 26.2 miles). Still, she nudged me on. At mile 12, I started picking up my pace, but quickly slowed down when my heart started racing (the result of taking a high carbohydrate substance which looks and tastes similar to cake icing, but that is topic for another day) and my ankle started protesting. Then I saw the TNT Half Marathon Finish Line, and I could not have felt more sober, solitary, yet satisfied. It was a weird mix of emotions, but I was relieved that I had made it over the finish line.
After the Race
After the race, I was hardly able to walk. My ankle was in a complete state of outrage, and most of my movements took a great deal of strategy and negotiation. I was experiencing the “tin man” effect. In order not to completely stiffen, I had to keep moving. The pain was so remarkable that the only thing that could get me out of my hotel room several hours after the race was my motivation to buy Aleve and a Haagen-Dazs ice cream bar from the gift shop. At that moment, those two items of relief and comfort were the best purchases of my life.
I returned home wearing my boot and still in pain. Nine weeks later, I still walk with a little limp and look forward to physical therapy. Do I regret participating in TNT? Absolutely not. If I had to do it all over again, I would. I knew the training and the race would challenge me physically, but I had no idea of the emotional challenge it would force me to confront. That was a good thing. It is a bit of a cliché, but there is nothing like setting and accomplishing a goal that is difficult yet worthy. Most importantly, TNT raised more than 12.5 million dollars for blood cancer research for San Diego’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon alone. All of those who sponsored me donated over $4,100 of that total amount. The feeling I get from being a part of helping researchers and doctors find a cure will far outlive the discomfort I feel in my ankle.
~Petrina Jackson
Elaine
Why did I run the Lake Placid Half Marathon? It all began with Nan Hyland and Camille Andrews, two highly persuasive individuals! They convinced me to run and raise the money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I was convinced that raising money for a good cause was cool, but I was not too excited about the running part. Obviously I got over it and convinced Petrina Jackson to do the same.
Although I stay active throughout the year playing and coaching basketball, as well as enjoying golf and the occasional bicycle ride, long distance running was not what I considered a favorite activity. What’s more, I grossly underestimated the amount of preparation that it would take to run a half marathon and discovered a number of challenges that would repeatedly test my fortitude and commitment.
Challenge #1 - 7:00 a.m. runs five days a week
Most folks know that I am NOT a morning person. The thought of getting up at 6:00 a.m. to run makes me ill. Nevertheless, training started in January.
Challenge #2 - Lifestyle Changes
I had to introduce two things into my life: breakfast and rest. For the first time in twenty years, I began to eat breakfast. You can’t eat like a bird when you are training so I also changed my diet. I eradicated a lot of bad foods (soda, high fat foods, fried foods) and adopted a low fat, high carbohydrate diet. This required me to cook and eat more. For a night owl the thought of going to bed at 10:00 p.m. sounds crazy, but I had to get rest, especially the nights before the longer runs.
Challenge #3 – Injuries
I became totally obsessed with avoiding injuries and nursing the ones that popped up throughout the course of the training. It became clear that I had to increase my weight training (weak hips lead to knee problems) and flexibility through stretching (increases speed and naturally prevents injuries). I also had to promote recovery through constant icing of the knees, quads, hamstrings, and plantar fascia tendons.
Challenge #4 – Time
Obviously all of the three challenges above placed heavy demands upon my time. I had to integrate training into my already busy life. For example, at the same time that I began training, I also committed to coaching a girls basketball team (12 year olds) from April to June. All but one of the tournaments were out of town (Scranton, Geneva, Binghamton) and the games and travel consumed my entire weekend; plus there was practice two evenings per week.
Was it worth it? Absolutely! The satisfaction that I got from raising the money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was incredible. What’s more, I love a challenge and running introduced many benefits. I was very fit and healthy during my training and the level of fitness improved my other sports—golf, cycling, and basketball. I had more energy that I could apply to work and general activities in my life. Running forced me to become disciplined and focused. Although I am not running as much as I did when I was preparing for the half marathon, I still run and I love it. It’s the challenges that make life interesting.
~Elaine Westbrooks
Postscript: Chris Philipp from Library Communications will be running in her first-ever marathon in October as a member of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training to raise money for blood cancer research. To support Chris' run in The Marine Corps Marathon, go to her team training page.
Fuerst Awards
Photo Gallery of 2006 Fuerst Awards
2006 brought the Twelfth annual Fuerst Outstanding Library Student Employee Awards. Mr. William F. Fuerst, Jr. '39, who died in June 2003, endowed a fund to recognize the achievements of library undergraduate student employees. Fuerst Award winners were selected by a committee with representatives from throughout the library system on the basis of their exceptional performance, initiative, and service to the Library. At a reception held in their honor in April, each of the five students received a $500 award.
William F. Fuerst, Jr. '39 (1917—2003)
A graduate of the College of Agriculture and Life Science, Bill Fuerst was a devoted supporter of Cornell University Library, ALS, Big Red Athletics, and Cornell Plantations. He was named a Foremost Benefactor of Cornell in 1989.
Bill was best known for his special kinship with students. A long time Ithaca resident, most of his volunteer efforts were dedicated to programs and activities to improve the Cornell experience for undergraduates. In 2000, he received the Frank H. T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award in recognition of extraordinary service and leadership.
Bill created the Fuerst Outstanding Library Student Employee Awards in 1995. Each year nominations are sought from library supervisors across campus and five students are recognized for their exceptional performance, leadership, and library service to the campus. Thanks to Bill’s gift, the Fuerst Awards are the most financially generous student employee awards on campus.
The Awards and Criteria for Selection
Student employees, numbering over 500, are of vital importance to the Library. We rely upon students for office support, technological services, preservation and conservation work, circulation, for opening and closing the libraries, and for information assistance.
The Fuerst Awards allow us to recognize our top student employees with the largest monetary award on campus. Mr. Fuerst's gift generously provides us with money to issue five awards. This year there were eighteen students nominated, many by more than one nominator, by their supervisors and other library staff. The nominations were reviewed by a selection committee who had the very difficult task of selecting five among the extraordinary group of employees.
Congratulations to the 2006 Recipients
Martha Clark ’06, Olin/Kroch/Uris Access Services
Nominated by Darla Critchfield and Bethany Silfer
Aaron Dulles-Coelho ’06, Engineering Library
Nominated by Annemarie Morse
Noel Flores ’06, Library Human Resources
Nominated by Aimee Barhite and Linda Bryan
Elaine Guidero ’06, Mann Library
Nominated by Baseema Banoo Krkoska
Lindsay Wilczynski ’06, Nestle Hotel Library
Nominated by Karen Bobbett, Staci Rogers, and John Cohen
Martha Clark has been working for the Access Services department in Uris Library since February 2004. In her role as a Circulation and Security Desk Assistant, Martha has assisted in placing thousands of electronic reserves, books, and media on course reserve. She has demonstrated a great desire to work and has worked numerous hours during breaks from school, serving as a consistent source of knowledge to the department. Martha’s commitment and contributions have been exemplary and will not be forgotten by Uris Access Services.
Aaron Dulles has been an integral part of the Engineering Library since the fall of 2004. Aaron is a key component in providing and maintaining the 125 computers available to the library’s patrons. He has been known to pick up extra hours for other students, as well as stay late when emergencies arise. Aaron’s role as a senior ACCEL consultant has given him the opportunity to provide the library with his knowledge and technical skills surrounding the computing facility, including hardware, software repair, and maintenance. His patience, hard work, and positive attitude have been an asset to the Engineering Library these past few years.
Noel Flores has been a crucial member of the Human Resources department in CUL. Since beginning work his freshman year, Noel has exemplified strong levels of dedication and maturity in his role as a student assistant. His initiative, accuracy, and efficiency have been crucial to many key projects for not only Library HR, but also for Library Administration. Noel’s commitment has extended into extra hours, especially during school breaks and staff vacations. Noel has been a consistent source of enthusiasm, intelligence, and innovation and will be greatly missed next year.
Elaine Guidero has been a library assistant for Mann Library’s Access Services since January 2004. Elaine’s strong critical thinking skills coupled with her intense desire to work and learn have been an exceptional gift to Mann Library. Her can do attitude and team player ability allowed Elaine the opportunity to take on a role within Mann’s ILS department. There, Elaine has been a crucial instrument in the creation and execution of the Cornell Lending Web site, which makes it easier for outsiders to borrow library materials from Cornell. Elaine will surely be missed at Mann next year.
Lindsay Wilcynzski began working in the hotel school’s Nestle Library in the fall of 2002 as a freshman. Her promotion to her current rank of student supervisor is among the fastest yet. This was a result of Lindsay’s outstanding initiative and hard work. Lindsay has been known to put in extra time to complete projects and has also volunteered for numerous responsibilities. Lindsay has also been extremely useful to the Hotel School Library staff as a source of feedback on new procedures or expectations for student employees; her opinions and ideas are welcomed by those around her. Lindsay’s positive attitude, dedication, and reliability have all set a standard for the other Nestle Library student workers that will follow in her footsteps.
Book Collection Contest 2006
In 2003 the Library and the Library Advisory Council sponsored what would become an annual book collection contest. This year there were twenty-two entries in the fourth Cornell University Library and Library Advisory Council Book Collection Contest. All contest participants received a copy of a special book plate that was designed by Carla DeMello. These book plates will be placed in future new Library acquisitions to honor our student book collectors.
UNDERGRADUATE
First Prize
Corey Ryan Earle
Collection: The Builders of Cornell University
Second Prize
Erika Jo Brown
Collection: Living Poetries
Third Prize
David Krause
Collection: The Shakers: A Simple Quest for Perfection
GRADUATE
First Prize – Tie
David Rando
Collection: The Books at the Wake
Daniel and Kumiko McKee
Collection: Raising the Civilized Mind: Educational Books of the Meiji Period (1868-1912)
Second Prize
Joseph W. Yarbrough
Collection: Leo and His Latin Legacy
Third Prize
Lawrence and Jane Bruce-Robertson
Collection: Author as Illustrator; Artist as Writer
ADDENDUM: GRADUATE WINNERS WIN FIRST AND THIRD IN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
First Prize winners were entered into the first annual Collegiate Book Collecting Championship, established and sponsored by Fine Books & Collections Magazine. Prizes for this event will be awarded in September but we are happy to announce that our graduate winners, Daniel McKee and David Rando, who were selected as two of the five finalists from among forty-four entries nationwide, will be receiving first and third prizes. The contest organizers invite anyone in the New York area to join them at the Grolier Club on September 16 at 6:00 pm for the awards ceremony. A profile of each winner and a sample essay will be published in the September/October issue of Fine Books & Collections.
Congratulations to Daniel and David! See below for the list of national winners.
First Place
Daniel McKee, Cornell University
Collection: Educational Books of Japan's Meiji Period
Prize: $2,500; trip to the awards ceremony; one-year membership in the Grolier Club; $1,000 donation in his name to Cornell University Library.
Second Place & Editor's Choice Award
William Miglore, Amherst College
Collection: Ray Bradbury
Prize: $1,000; trip to the awards ceremony; expense-paid scholarship to the Rare Book School; $500 donation in his name to the Amherst College Library.
Third Place
David Rando, Cornell University
Collection: Finnegans Wake Reference Books
Prize: $500; trip to the awards ceremony; $250 donation in his name to the Cornell Library (David Rando and Daniel McKee tied for first place in Cornell's competition).
Honorable Mention
Sabahat Adil, University of Chicago
Collection: Travel Writing
Adam Doskey, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Collection: Malcolm Lowry
People News August 2006
Welcome
Bronwen Bledsoe, who was mentioned briefly in our April issue, took up her post as the new Curator for the South Asia Collection in Kroch Library effective April 1st. Dr. Bledsoe received her PhD from the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago in 2004, with a dissertation on medieval history of the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. Dr. Bledsoe has facility with a number of Indo-European languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Nepali, Bengali, and other languages of northern India in particular. Her disciplinary specializations are textual studies, history, anthropology, and religions, as well as the humanities and social sciences more broadly construed.
Evan Earle is the new collections assistant in RMC. He has been working as a temp in RMC since January of 2005. Evan received his BS from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University in 2002.
Diana Goodrich is the new public services assistant in O/K/U Access Services. She has been working as a temp in Access Services since January 2006. Before coming to Cornell, Diana worked as an Outreach Coordinator at Tribe of Heart, Ltd.
Gregory Green is the new Curator of the John M. Echols Collection on Southeast Asia. He comes to Cornell from Northern Illinois University Libraries where he held a similar position as Curator of the Donn V. Hart Southeast Asia Collection. Before his time at NIU, Greg worked at Arizona State University Libraries as the Southeast Asia Bibliographer while attending the University of Arizona's School of Information Resources and Library Science. His graduation in December 2003 added the MLS degree to a previous MA in Asian Studies from the University of California at Berkeley (1999) and a BA in History and Asian Studies from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah (1995).
Rachel Inbar is the new public services assistant in Collections, Reference, Instruction and Outreach (CRIO). She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio University in 1998.
Sharon Kendall is the new administrative assistant and Office Manager in Library Alumni Affairs and Development. Prior to coming to CUL, Sharon held temporary appointments in the University's Campaign Office, Law School Admissions, and JGSM Alumni Affairs. Prior to her Cornell appointments, Sharon gained valuable experience in retail management and as an administration assistant. Originally from Cape Cod, she has attended college in Boston and, most recently, at Binghamton University.
Welcome to Mary Novitsky, the new half-time Outreach Services Assistant in the Veterinary Library. Mary’s initial responsibility is to develop educational materials in support of the Outreach Services program. This is a temporary position that goes through to the end of June 2007. Mary is a great fit for this veterinary medicine-related position as evidenced by her devotion to animal-related work. She has a BA in Biology and has worked at the Buffalo Zoological Gardens and at AmClare Veterinary Hospital. She also has an MA in Humanities. Mary spends the second half of her day in Cornell’s Asian Studies department supporting the Full-Year Asian Language Concentration (FALCON) program.
Chris Philipp is the new staff writer in Library Communications. Chris has more than a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and public liaison in newspapers and nonprofits. She holds a bachelor's degree from American University in Communication. She will write articles and press releases and assist with the production of publications, reports, and materials that promote CUL. Readers may have already seen her first piece on the new student reading project in the July issue of InsideCUL.
Rachel Williamson recently joined the Weill Cornell Medical Library as Evening Circulation Assistant. Rachel worked with us as a temporary employee for the past two years and brings nineteen years of additional health sciences library experience to the position.
Angela Zoss is the new Consultant Advisor for the ArXiv in DLIT. Angela is currently working to complete her Masters in Communication at Cornell. She received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University with majors in Cognitive Science and Communication and Culture. Angela will be responsible for the daily administration and management of <arXiv.org>, a heavily used, automated electronic archive and distribution server for research papers in physics, mathematics, computer science, and related disciplines.
Promotions
Gary Branch has been promoted to Library Administrator II in LTS-Acquisitions.
Anne Carson has been promoted to Collections Assistant IV in LTS-Cataloging.
CJ Lance has been promoted to Events and Outreach Manager, Conference Coordinator II, in Library Communications.
Liz Muller has been promoted to Technical Services Assistant IV in LTS-Database Management Services.
Swe Swe Myint has been promoted to Technical Services Assistant IV in LTS-Acquisitions. Swe-Swe is the new Gifts and Exchange Coordinator, following Paul Heckathorn’s departure from the Library.
Ecaterina Petrina has been promoted to Technical Services Assistant III in LTS-Acquisitions.
Kornelia Tancheva is the new Director of Collections, Reference, Instruction, and Outreach (CRIO) in IRIS.
Bryan Vliet has been promoted to Administrative Assistant IV in RMC.
Congratulations
Librarian Virginia Cole was recently quoted in the Chronicle of Higher Education [June 9, 2006]. Vincent Kiernan, Information Technology Editor for the Chronicle of Higher Education, interviewed Virginia about RefWorks and EndNote, two citation management software programs. Virginia is very knowledgeable about both programs and, along with many other CUL reference colleagues, supports their use at Cornell. In addition to being quoted in the article, Virginia was also instrumental in putting Kiernan in contact with Cornell faculty and students who use these programs.
Congratulations to Diane Hillmann for her appointment to the new position of Standards Coordinator for the ALA Library and Information Technology Association (LITA). Diane's two-year term began in June at the conclusion of ALA's Annual Conference. Diane has been involved with standards during most of her professional career. Her interests have included serial and non-serial holdings, authorities, and a strong interest and involvement with the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative. Recently Diane began work on an NSF-funded metadata registry project, one of the first production registries to use Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS), a standard which provides a machine-encoded method for bringing standard thesauri and ontologies to the Web.
Congratulations to Jean Poland on her election to OCLC Members Council in Nylink. The OCLC Members Council Delegates include Stewart Bodner, New York Public Library [second term], Julie Cunningham, CUNY Graduate Center, and Jean Poland, Cornell University.
Congratulations to Leah Solla who has been appointed to three committees in ACS with a 3-yr appointment (2006-2008): American Chemical Society Joint Board-Council Committee on Publications; the Subcommittee on Copyright; and the Editorial Board of Chemical & Engineering News.
Congratulations to Kornelia Tancheva who has received the 2006 SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship. Kornelia was recognized for her exceptional contributions to the library, the profession, and Cornell University. Kornelia was nominated by Janet McCue who says, “Kornelia is intelligent, thoughtful, well-organized and committed to excellence. She can take a strong program and make it shine; she can take a group of individuals and make a team.” In the five years that she has been a librarian, Kornelia has been a leader in instruction, a partner with faculty in both the Race and Religion Project and IS 425 (Human Computer Interaction & Design), and a trusted colleague throughout the campus. She has developed a strong program of collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension and been the coordinator for the CALS research portal. Janet says, “It is this intellectual engagement, her boundless energy, and strong interpersonal skills that make Kornelia an outstanding librarian and the perfect candidate for the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Librarianship."
Announcements
New Communications Web Site
Dear colleagues and friends:
As a follow-up to Sarah's town hall meetings and announcements, it is with pleasure that I announce the launch of the Library Communications Web site. The creation of this site has been a work-in-progress over the past couple of months but we feel that we are now ready for prime time. Kudos for developing our site goes to our Web Manager, Jenn Colt-Demaree.
We are excited about our Web presence as it brings our unit to the forefront and provides our community with a home for library-based news, helpful tools for generating press releases, contact information, and links to popular and useful sites, such as the StaffWeb which is also undergoing revisions. Suggestions for improving content and/or navigation of either resource are welcome.
In a system as large and diverse as ours it is often the case that "news" is generated at the local department/unit level and does not always go through Library Communications. We encourage and welcome the posting of all library related news on the Library Communications' site. Please send your news items to our department email address, libcomm@cornell.edu. We are still populating various sections on our site, including "news & events", and we plan to continue to do so until we capture all the publicity that has been generated since the start of the calendar year.
As you know Ed Weissman has agreed to serve as interim director of library communications until the search for the new director comes to a successful conclusion. As my "second" retirement draws near I just want to take a moment to thank everyone for this wonderful opportunity to serve as your interim director and to especially thank the communications team for their support, dedication, and friendship—you're the best!
Lynn Brown
In the Founders' Footsteps
Don’t miss the latest exhibition at RMC, In the Founders’ Footsteps: Builders of the Cornell University Library, on display from June 8 through September 23, 2006
On display from June 8 through September 23, 2006, In the Founders' Footsteps celebrates contributions from the dedicated collectors and donors who have enriched Cornell University Library's spectacular rare book and manuscript collections. Cornell's first president, Andrew Dickson White, and first librarian, Willard Fiske, donated their unsurpassed collections to Cornell more than a century ago. Generations of devoted alumni have followed in their footsteps, building Cornell's collections with gifts that have made the Library a vital center for the study, enjoyment, and preservation of our cultural heritage.
New Student Reading Project
Congratulations to Carla DeMello, publications and graphic design manager for Library Communications, who illustrated and designed this year’s poster for the new student reading project, The Great Gatsby. Her poster is featured prominently around campus and is also displayed in the University President’s Office.
Congratulations also to Lance Heidig and Jenn Colt-Demaree who, together with Carla, worked closely with the Provost’s Office in planning, designing, and developing the reading project Web site and its accompanying bookmarks and posters. Thanks to them direct links to Ask a Librarian, the Library help service, and the Library Gateway put the Library’s resources at the fingertips of new students. See the July issue of InsideCUL for Chris Philipp’s article on the Library’s contribution to the project.
Annual CUL Staff Picnic 2006
2006 Library Picnic
Good-bye
Good-bye and good luck to Andrea Barnett from Library Administration, Phil Davis from Mann Library, Thad Dickinson from Hotel, Michael Fromerth from DLIT, Kathleen Gifford from Library Alumni Affairs and Development, Thomas Hahn from Wason, Alex Hamel from O/K/U Access Services, Paul Heckathorn from LTS, Thomas Hickerson from DLIT, Sonia Hizi from LTS-Database Management, Michal Jacyna from LTS-Database Management, Christopher Kluz from the Law Library, Ida Martinez from IRIS, Rich McGowan, Information Services Librarian at Weill Cornell Medical Library, Aaron Nye from O/K/U Access Services, Katie Williams from Echols, and Cara Yates from Library Alumni Affairs and Development, who recently left the Library.
The folks at Weill Cornell Medical Library will also miss Annie Cusenza, from the Palmer School of Library and Information Science at Long Island University, who interned at the Medical Library from May through August. Annie contributed to serial cataloging, clinical medical librarianship outreach, and the preparation of the Medical Library's forthcoming five-year report.
Phil Davis
A farewell reception for Phil Davis was held on June 1 in the Second Floor Assembly Area of Mann Library. After more than ten years of service to the Library, Phil was accepted into the doctoral program in the Cornell Department of Communication and will begin his program this fall. Phil's last day at Mann Library was Friday, June 2. Phil’s contributions to the Library are numerous and lasting. As Life Sciences Bibliographer he left his mark on the collections at Mann, he was promoted to Librarian in 1995, he was named a “Mover and Shaker” in 2004 by Library Journal, and his research included the startling discovery of unethical publishing practices at Emerald (see June 2004 issue of Kaleidoscope). We will miss his valuable contributions but we wish him well in his new career.
Thad Dickinson
With very mixed feelings, I announce that Thad Dickinson has accepted a new position as Off-Campus Librarian for Central Michigan University's Atlanta Metro Center. CMU Off-Campus Programs began in 1970 serving military bases and CMU now has more than 60 locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, serving more than 8,000 adult students a year. Thad will be providing research and instruction services to distance education students primarily in and around Atlanta, the Southeast, and the Eastern Seaboard, including Washington, D.C., with the occasional trip to Hawaii!
I have enjoyed working with Thad over the past few years. He has contributed to a wide range of projects and efforts in the Library and the Hotel School. I wish him the best of luck with his new position in Atlanta. His last day at Cornell will be August 18.
~ Don Schnedeker
Paul Heckathorn
Paul Heckathorn has decided to follow his dreams and make some drastic changes for his future endeavors that, unfortunately for us, do not include the CU Library. He has resigned his position as Coordinator of Gifts and Exchange. His last day was Friday, May 19th. To respect his wishes, there was no farewell party.
However, our paths with Paul may converge in the future should any one need carpentry work, painting, renovation or home improvement projects done. Please keep in touch with him!
With sincere thanks for his many jobs well done and best wishes for a good start of his entrepreneurial career.
~ Anna Korhonen
Tom Hickerson
Tom has served Cornell University Library for over thirty-two years with distinction in a variety of positions in which his responsibility has steadily grown. The list is impressive: Supervisor of Technical Operations, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives; Chair of the Department of Manuscripts and University Archives; Assistant Director of the John M. Olin Library; Director of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections; Co-Director of the Digital Access Coalition; Director of the Cornell Institute for Digital Collections; Acting Associate University Librarian for Library Information Technology; Associate University Librarian for Special Collections; and since 1999, Associate University Librarian for Information Technologies and Special Collections and Director of the Division of Digital Library and Information Technologies. It will be hard to imagine Cornell University Library without Tom Hickerson, but we wish him the greatest success.
See below for an account of his farewell reception and the photo gallery of Tom's farewell party.
Ida Martinez
Ida, the Outreach Coordinator at the Department of Collections, Reference, Instruction, and Outreach (CRIO) with IRIS, is leaving Cornell on August 18 to pursue other professional opportunities in Atlanta, G.A. Ida began her career at Cornell as a recipient of a Library Minority Fellowship and upon completion of only one year of her two-year term was offered the position of Outreach Coordinator in 2003. In the approximately three years since then, Ida not only participated fully in the traditional activities in the department—reference instruction, and later selection—but also introduced some novel initiatives, like the Research Strategies for Latino Studies credit course that she taught with great success. Ida conceptualized the role of the Outreach Coordinator and became an indispensable part of the Library liaison-to-department program. Her good humor, boundless energy, and innovative ideas will be sorely missed. We all wish her continued success and will eagerly follow her future career.
~Kornelia Tancheva
Retirements
Andrea Barnett, Library Administration
Andrea Barnett retired July 14 and was honored by a large gathering of her friends and co-workers. Also attending Andrea’s fete were her husband, Bill Barnett, and her sons Tyler (Northwestern ’04, Cornell Law ’09) and Alex (Ithaca High School ’06, Northwestern ’10).
Andrea actually began working at Cornell in 1974, thirty-two years ago, in the Law Library as a Public services Assistant. She worked at the Law Library for two years while Bill was a graduate student at Cornell. From 1976 to 1988, she worked part-time at the Judicial Administration Office, the Dean of Faculty Office at Day Hall, and was the Court Clerk for the Village of Cayuga Heights. In 1988 she moved to Athens, Georgia with her husband. In 1990, she returned to Ithaca and became Carl Sagan's assistant. Her appointment became a permanent full-time position in 1994 when her official "twelve years of continuous service" began at Cornell. After Carl's death in December of 1996, Andrea became the new Executive Assistant to the University Librarian. Andrea is looking forward to spending this summer with her family and children, before the boys begin their fall semesters at Cornell and Northwestern. She is planning to spend some time at the beach with her extended family at their cottage in Ohio this month and then at a cottage in Delaware in August.
I first met Andrea Barnett nine years ago when the library was exploring the possibility of acquiring the Carl Sagan papers. Andrea had been his assistant, and she participated in a meeting that Tom Hickerson, Elaine Engst, and I had with Carl Sagan’s widow Ann Druyan in the former Sphinx House, perched on the edge of the gorge by the Stewart Avenue bridge, where most of Sagan’s archives were located. We didn’t get the papers, but we did get Andrea, and what a treasure she’s been.
Andrea has all the qualities you want in an executive assistant: she can keep confidences; she can soothe faculty with ruffled feathers; and she can be equally poised and helpful speaking with a 95-year-old alumnus or a university president. Andrea can find the file that I am frantically searching for amidst stacks of paper, and she spends hours juggling appointments and nailing down participants for meetings. She is the Queen of the Conflict of Interest forms, always getting those pesky forms submitted on time, with 100% compliance in the Library.
What I hadn’t realized I was getting with Andrea was a friend and confidant, someone who was almost the same age as I and with two sons almost the same ages as my boys. It was Andrea who always knew the best teachers, and which ones to avoid. It was Andrea who I began to put down as my emergency contact on school forms. I soon discovered that Andrea knows everyone in Ithaca. The school nurse, who needed to get my permission about something for Carter when I was away, yielded instantly when she heard Andrea’s voice. When a friend of Peter’s had a Cornell son who was having panic attacks, Andrea suggested a therapist. When a foreign houseguest turned out to be a manic depressive who had come to see the fall foliage without any medication, and failed to be able to leave her bed, we called Andrea to get a recommendation on a psychiatrist. When we needed a will, we sought Andrea’s advice on an attorney. Restaurants, movies, hockey tickets—you name it, Andrea’s got a lock on it.
It’s also Andrea who gives me birthday cards like, “55 and Still Alive!” Well, now she’s turned 55 and she’s going to live it up by retiring early. We’ll miss you terribly, Andrea, but we wish you all the best.
~
Sarah Thomas
Andrea’s job, as mine, is to provide support for Sarah, and we have worked well together in this endeavor. But, I want to say that in taking wonderful care of Sarah, Andrea also “took wonderful care of me.” This might take the form of: “Sarah said she needed this by Monday—you’re working on it, right?”—an opportune question especially if this was something that had dropped off my radar. Or, it might be the two of us strategizing about how best to get something done. Andrea and I have been partners and it’s a partnership I have enjoyed and will miss greatly.
But, more than being a partner, Andrea has been a source of all kinds of useful information about Cornell, about Ithaca, about movies, about, well, almost anything. She seems to have sources everywhere. General Michael Hayden, the new Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, should be so fortunate as to have the kind of effective sources of information that Andrea has. So, go ahead, ask Andrea about anything before you leave today’s reception and she’ll probably be able to give you an answer.
And information is not all that Andrea shares. Some of the best jokes I have ever heard have been delivered to me via email courtesy of Andrea. I would like to read one I particularly liked that Andrea sent me back in 1999.
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 13:58:04 -0500
To: esw3@cornell.edu (Edward Stephen Weissman)
From: Andrea Barnett ajb17@cornell.edu
Subject: Groaner Alert!
The Cleveland Symphony was performing Beethoven's Ninth. In the piece, there's a long passage—about 20 minutes—during which the bass players have nothing to do. Rather than sit around the whole time looking stupid, some bassists decided to sneak offstage and go to the tavern next door for a quick one. After slamming several beers in quick succession, one of them looked at his watch. "Hey! We need to get back!" "No need to panic," said a fellow bassist. "I thought we might need some extra time, so I tied the last few pages of the conductor's score together with string. It'll take him a few minutes to get it untangled." A few moments later they staggered back to the concert hall and took their places in the orchestra. About this time, a member of the audience noticed the conductor seemed a bit edgy and said as much to her companion. "Well, of course," said her companion. "Don't you see? It's the bottom of the Ninth, the score is tied, and the bassists are loaded."
Andrea, partner, I am already missing you a lot but I am happy that you’re able to retire now and enjoy more time with your family and friends. Congratulations and enjoy.
~ Ed Weissman
Dear Library Friends,
Hello All—I just wanted to say thank you so much for your kind words of sendoff, the great party, and the beautiful earrings. Glancing around the room on Monday, seeing all of your smiling faces, confirmed what I have always felt—I'm lucky to know you all.
Thanks again. I'll be in touch.
~ Andrea
Farewell to Tom Hickerson
On July 14, 2006 colleagues, family, and friends gathered in the Memorial Room at Willard Straight Hall to say farewell to Tom Hickerson. After thirty-two years at CUL Tom is heading out to the University of Calgary to become Director of Information Resources. Amidst a beautiful western-themed reception arranged by CJ Lance and a slide show created by Ken Williams of Tom at various points in his CUL career, colleagues expressed their gratitude and thanks for many years of service.
Sarah Thomas introduced the speakers. They included Patrick Stevens, who conveyed best wishes from the Deputy National Librarian of Iceland, Þorsteinn Hallgrímsson; Karen Calhoun with a Roast; Anne Kenney; Elaine Engst; Oya Rieger; Mark Dimunation, former Director of RMC, who recounted the story of how he was lured away from the urban life by Tom; Marcy Rosenkrantz, who offered Tom a Primer on Canadian English; and Ed Weissman, who could not be there but had prepared a PowerPoint presentation of Tom’s changing fashions through the decades. Sarah presented an Amazon.com gift certificate to Tom and suggested possible choices including a down jacket good for sub zero Arctic temperatures and lined buffalo leather chaps.
See below for the original announcement from Sarah Thomas and various speeches from the reception.
Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 12:00:09
To: Cornell University Library
From: Sarah Thomas
Subject: Tom Hickerson Heads off to Calgary
Dear Colleagues,
It is with a bittersweet mixture of happiness and sadness that I am announcing Tom Hickerson's departure for Calgary, where he is being appointed Director of Information Resources, and where he will oversee the University Library, the Nickle Arts Museum, University of Calgary Press, the Image Centre, and the University Archives. This is a wonderful position that is a perfect fit for Tom, bringing together as it does his three decades of experience in libraries and archives, his unparalleled leadership in electronic publishing and digitization, and his interests in cultural heritage, arts, and the humanities.
Tom has served the Cornell University Library for over thirty-two years with distinction in a variety of positions in which his responsibility has steadily grown. The list is impressive: Supervisor of Technical Operations, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives; Chair of the Department of Manuscripts and University Archives; Assistant Director of the John M. Olin Library; Director of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections; Co-Director of the Digital Access Coalition; Director of the Cornell Institute for Digital Collections; Acting Associate University Librarian for Library Information Technology; Associate University Librarian for Special Collections; and since 1999, Associate University Librarian for Information Technologies and Special Collections and Director of the Division of Digital Library and Information Technologies.
During the past ten years in which I have had the pleasure of working closely with Tom Hickerson, I have admired his vision, his ability to seek pragmatic solutions, and his willingness to adapt with grace and flexibility to every new assignment and task, no matter how complex. Tom has been very successful in attracting funding to support new initiatives. Most recently Sun Microsystems signed on as a corporate sponsor of DPubs, the Library's open source content management system, as a result of a proposal from Tom. He has led and contributed to numerous IMLS, Mellon, and NEH grants, and he has worked very effectively with alumni to garner their support for the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.
Tom served as the President of the Society of American Archivists and is a Fellow of the Society. In addition, he is a member of the executive committee of the International Council on Archives. In 1976 he co-authored the first general review of archival automation in the United States and was named a 2001 Computerworld Honors Program Laureate in recognition of his contributions to the use of information technologies for the benefit of society.
It will be hard to imagine the Cornell University Library without Tom Hickerson, but we wish him the greatest success in his new role. I know Calgary's a very attractive city, so I hope he'll always have the welcome mat out for old friends and Cornell colleagues.
~ Sarah
Remarks from Þorsteinn Hallgrímsson, Deputy National Librarian of Iceland and Co-Director of the SagaNet project
Patrick Stevens
I would appreciate if you could at the occasion express my, and the National Library of Iceland's, gratitude for the part Tom played in starting and implementing the Saganet. This as well applies to all the people involved at Cornell and we really appreciated working with all of you. But Tom's support and work were crucial for the project and without his support and work it probably would not have started. In our application to the A. W. Mellon Foundation Tom put in a sentence stating that the Saganet would be the first step towards the Icelandic National Digital Library. I must confess I thought that somewhat of a hype and did not think anyone would believe it but Tom was right because now almost ten years after we started I find it especially gratifying to report that this was the real start of the National Library digitisation effort. Just last month the National Library decided that it would strive for digitisation of all Icelandic newspapers before 1900 within three years and manuscripts and Icelandic books before 1920 within five years. There is still a small problem with funding but we will somehow manage that.
I and the National Library of Iceland wish Tom all the best in his new position and are confident that he will do a good job there.
Tom Hickerson’s Roast, July 14, 2006
Karen Calhoun
With help from my colleagues I have been most fortunate to discover valuable documents of Tom’s early automation work which will serve me as key planning materials as I take up my new duties in Digital Library and Information Technologies. I would like to read you just a few of the remarkably insightful pearls of wisdom from Tom’s early writings.
Tom, at this time the head of technical services in the Department of Manuscripts and University Archives, reported “in August 1975, following an eight year involvement in the development of computer-assisted methods . . . the Department of Manuscripts and University Archives . . . completed its first computer-generated archival finding aid.”
This just goes to show that automation takes time and we should manage our expectations accordingly! I am reminded of the perseverance of another young man, Thomas Edison, who responded to accusations of no results for lots of effort by saying, “Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work.”
Under Tom’s guidance, Cornell was an early adopter of SPINDEX (Selective Permutation Indexing), a system for automating archival indexing. The experience with SPINDEX—and not less, the experience of being a risk-taking early adopter of new technology—led Tom to these words of typically paradoxical wisdom: “That SPINDEX has not transformed archival practice is not surprising, but the nature of its failure . . . has had far-reaching effects.”
A certain kind of bravery and fierce optimism are required to push the state of technological art, and Tom was displaying this kind of courage from the beginning. He said, “Cornell had received a copy of the [SPINDEX] operating system package and draft documentation . . . and using test data that had been punched onto cards three years earlier, a test run was made. The system was found to contain several bugs, and the documentation was inadequate, but it did work.”
By March 1978, Tom was welcoming and facilitating a conference of some forty people here in Ithaca to discuss the use of SPINDEX. At this conference, Tom’s energy and devotion, tendency to run over time limits, and talent for enjoyment and conviviality were all in full evidence. In fact, at the end of the conference’s first day Tom remarked, “We must leave before they lock the doors. Tonight’s dinner is in the West Lounge of the Statler. . . . The bar opens at 7:00.”
Tom took his role as a visionary leader in the application of technology to archives with a deep measure of professional responsibility. In 1981 the Society of American Archivists published, Archives & Manuscripts: an Introduction to Automated Access, by H. Thomas Hickerson. Of great personal use to me as I take on my new role in DLIT will be his chapters, “Computers and how they work” and “Archivists and computers.” But perhaps Tom’s most telling insight from this seminal work is this: “An important system characteristic is record length; almost all systems have a specified number of characters that can be included in each record. Though archivists are sometimes verbose, they do have a legitimate need for ample . . . capacities.”
Seriously, while I have had the good fortune of only ten years working with Tom, I have learned a great deal from him and have the greatest respect for the major accomplishments of his impressive career. Thank you, Tom, for being my guide, colleague and friend. Calgary is very lucky to get you.
~ Karen Calhoun
Primer on Canadian English and Other Things Uniquely Canadian
Marcy Rosenkrantz
Spelling
Color is spelled colour
Odor is spelled odour
Honor is spelled honour
But or is still spelled or and
Dour is still dour
Center is centre
Program has two ems and an ee
Organize has an ess not a z
You have the mechanic check your oil but you pay the cashier by cheque
The best defence is a good offence, both with c’s not s’s
When in doubt use the diphthong—aesthetic, manoeuvre
Words
You sit on a chesterfield, not a couch.
When I was growing up, the Front room was the room where the chesterfield was, no matter what part of the house it was in.
Football is played with a spherical ball not an ellipsoid and it is kicked or butted with one’s head.
The game played with the ellipsoid is called Canadian Football, not to be confused with the game played with the same ellipsoid in the U.S. They are two very different games.
Sneakers are running shoes or just plain runners, whether or not you run or sneak in them.
A serviette is a paper table napkin.
A napkin is something you put on a baby’s bottom.
A keener is a brown nose.
A riding is like a congressional district, only different.
A toque is a knitted woolen cap. In Calgary, you’ll need one. That last sentence is a Yiddish construct. Sorry about that.
Eh? Is pronounced like the French word et. It means “don’t you think?” But depending on the intonation it can also mean “huh?” Eh?
Pronunciations
House rhymes with moose.
Out is oot. Eh?
Embedded T’s are pronounced like soft d’s. The capital of Canada is Oddawa. Odd, eh?
The Parliament of the Province of Ontario meets in Tranna.
Money
First came the one dollar coin with the image of a loon on it. It’s a little bigger than a quarter, copper coloured, and is affectionately known as a Loonie.
Then there is the two dollar coin with an image of a polar bear called a twonee. Eh?
Culture
Inuit is a plural noun. Its singular form is Inuk.
Canada has prairies. Here, they’re the Great Plains.
Canadian Indians or native Canadians who live on reserves, not reservations, are called the First Nations Peoples.
Tim Horton’s restaurants are like Starbucks in Seattle. They are everywhere.
Whatever you do, don’t forget—You come from the States, not America!
Measurements
Canada uses the Metric system. Volume is measured in litres, weight in grams or kilograms (one of which is a little more than two pounds). A button weighs about a gram. Distance is in kilometers. If you drive at the speed limit of 100 km/hr you’ll be passed left and right. Better to drive at about 110-120 km/hr. But you don’t really want to know how fast you’re going anyway.
Finally, it gets cold in Canada but it’s hard to tell since they use the Centigrade scale so it will always seem cold. Here are a few benchmarks:
Water freezes at zero.
Room temperature is about 20.
Normal body temperature is about 37.
Here’s the approximate conversion formula from Centigrade to Fahrenheit. Take the centigrade temperature, double it and add 30. Unless it’s below zero. Then change the sign of the temperature, subtract 30 and take half. Except if it gets to minus 40—don’t bother with a conversion. They’re the same. All hell breaks loose below minus 40. And you don’t really want to know if it’s colder than that anyway. You’ll need two toques, eh?
RMC PowerPoint slide show by Ken Williams. (These will take a few moments to load.)
Ed Weissman’s PowerPoint of Tom’s changing fashions.
GIFT SUGGESTIONS by Sarah Thomas
Suggested purchases with your Amazon Card Note: Expedited shipping may not be available for some variations of these items to: Canada
ESSENTIAL GEAR
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or for something a little cheaper:
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Books
Frommer's(r) Calgary (Paperback)
By Darlene West
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Buy together with Calgary: An Altitude Superguide (Altitude Superguides (Paperback) and get the 2 together for only
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Best of Alberta Day Trips from Calgary (Best of Alberta) (Paperback)
By Bill Corbett
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This updated edition of a regional bestseller is the insider's handbook to discovering the best routes and destinations within a two-hour drive of the Stampede City. Locals and visitors, seniors and families, avid naturalists and hikers alike need only a tank of gas, a road map and perhaps a picnic lunch and a pair of hiking shoes to make the most of this insightful guide.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
 Get out of the city., November 20, 2002
Having lived in Calgary for close to 10 years I thought I knew all there was to do in the Calgary region. 'Day Trips From Calgary' opened my eyes to many more adventures within a 2 hour drive from Calgary, away from the well beaten paths to Banff and Kananaskis Country. It also provides some insight to the surprisingly long and colorful history of the area.
You don't have to spend a fortune to have a great time around Calgary! |
Celebrating the Calgary Stampede: The Story of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth (Amazing Stories) (Hardcover)
by Joan Dixon, Tracy Read
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Discover the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" like you've never seen it before, packed with vibrant photographs and fascinating information, this book is an exciting journey through the history of the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede. This is a complete behind-the-scenes look at everything from the Rodeo and the Midway, featuring the incredible staff and volunteers who make it all happen each year.
French Made Easy—Beginners : Book & 2-40 minute Cassettes (Audio Cassette)
by Francois Makowski
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Book Description
This program is for those who have never studied French or have forgotten most of what they learned at school. Forty-five brief, effectively presented lessons cover the main grammatical structures, key expressions, and vocabulary used in everyday French. Cassettes reproduce authentic accents, while the book provides a grammar summary, verb charts, and a 1000-word-plus bilingual dictionary. Frequent short tests help students check their progress.
All kidding aside, we'll miss you, Tom.
Credits: Kaleidoscope is published bi-monthly except June and July
by Cornell University Library. Editor: Elizabeth Teskey, Photography: Cynthia Lange, Layout: Carla DeMello and Jenn Colt-Demaree
On September 7 Cornell University will inaugurate Dr. David Skorton as Cornell’s 12th president. With Dr. Skorton’s appointment, a new chapter of Cornell history will begin. The Library will live that history and become part of it. The future that extends before us is full of promise. Perhaps someone who is using the Library’s information resources to support her thinking about a scientific problem today will win the Nobel Prize twenty years from now. A student entering with the Class of 2010 who frequents the café and browses our stacks might, four years from now, become a Rhodes Scholar. The services you, the staff of the Library, provide are essential for the success of the university’s academic program. More than that, the libraries and units that form the Cornell University Library help build a strong and caring community. They become second homes for students and faculty. The Library is also the custodian of history, too, receiving the archives of departing presidents, and mining its rich documentary resources for information about the past that will help us as we celebrate Dr. Skorton’s investiture and as we look forward to Ezra Cornell’s two hundredth birthday in January 2007.