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October 2006In this issue:The Mentorship Program at Cornell University Library
The Mentorship Program at Cornell University Library: An Update and a Call for ParticipationBy Patrizia Sione
Are you part of CUL’s invisible support network?
What it is the Mentorship Program and how does it benefit librarians?Started in 1998 under the energetic leadership of Angela Horne (Management Library), then a member of the Committee on Professional Development, the Mentorship Program matches seasoned librarians with newcomers and other academics in need of support, direction, or advice about their careers at Cornell University Library. Who may benefit from participating as a “mentee?” Junior librarians looking for advice on how to network, staff who are considering a library degree, professionals who are preparing for the promotion process, or librarians and archivists who would like advice on how to “navigate” the system or tackle re-organizations can tap a rich pool of expertise at Cornell libraries and become more adjusted, successful, and integrated into the library community. Mentors benefit as well. The program offers a rewarding opportunity to provide service to the library community and assist with reaching its goals. Existing leaders may facilitate the professional growth of junior librarians, ensuring a successful transition to a new generation of leaders who will be well suited to guide the library through times of change. Mentors get to know colleagues from a variety of backgrounds and libraries, gaining fresh perspectives and a deeper insight into what those new to the profession have to offer. During its existence, the program has helped a number of librarians get acquainted with the system, network inside and outside Cornell, get published, and form stronger professional and sometimes personal bonds. How does the program work?Participation is voluntary. The coordinator evaluates applications from interested parties and makes suggestions for mentor/mentee pairings. The coordinator is a professional librarian, but works closely with the library’s Human Resource Department to obtain updated information on the available pool of expertise in the system. Archivists, librarians, and those who are considering entering the profession are eligible for the program. The mentoring “relationship” lasts one academic year, at the end of which it is dissolved unless both parties decide to continue for another year. If, for any reason, the match turns out to be non productive for either of the parties, the mentor or mentee should contact the mentorship program coordinator, who will evaluate the situation. No-fault conclusions are endorsed. In addition to finding appropriate mentors and mentees to be paired for the program, the coordinator organizes social gatherings and workshops of interest to librarians. Surveys and focus groups help the coordinator obtain input on desired programs. What’s new with the Mentorship Program?In the past, there were three “tracks” that mentees could choose to be placed on, depending on their needs—publication, orientation, and promotion. Now, mentees and mentors may still choose to focus on these areas, but they are not limited to a specific track. Individuals indicate on the program’s application form the area(s) of interest on which they would like to receive (or give) advice. A questionnaire is being circulated among past year’s participants, with the intent to gather feedback on past programs and suggestions for the future. The results of the survey will help plan program activities for the current academic year. Feedback is also sought from all members of the library community who have suggestions for events, workshops, and ways to improve the program. This input is highly appreciated and will be taken into serious consideration to improve the quality of the program. Librarians can look forward to more social gatherings and useful workshops. Please keep an eye out for announcements. If you wish to participate in the 2006/07 program as a mentor or mentee, please complete one of the two application forms that are online at: http://www.library.cornell.edu/pdc/Mentor.html (please scroll to the end of the page). If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about the program, please call or write to Patrizia Sione, Mentorship Program Coordinator, ps39, 255-3183. Editor’s note: see Angela Horne’s piece, Marvellous Mentoring, in the August 2001 issue of Kaleidoscope, for an earlier account of the program. Brochures with a list of events for the academic year 2006/07 were recently mailed to CUL staff. Moving Into the New AnnexBy Barbara Berger-Eden
One of the reasons why off-site storage works so well at Cornell is that we are employed on a campus with space for growth. We are able to construct buildings that are not far from central campus. As a result we are able to offer delivery to central campus within 24 hours, scanning of articles, and an accessible reading room (with free parking!) for users who want quick physical access to the collections housed there. The on-site reading room at the Annex is equipped with wireless access, computers, printers, copiers, and microform readers.
The staff at the Annex has a dedication to service that is exemplary. Despite the work pressures associated with this undertaking, service to patrons has not been interrupted at the Annex. The newly moved volumes are shelved in trays and sorted by size, and all are linked to an inventory control system. Upon transfer to the Annex the Voyager record is flipped and the new location becomes apparent to the patron within 48 hours after leaving central campus.
As we continue to plan for future building renovations and large scale digitization projects, having the Annex facility available is critical to our success. Editor’s note: as the Annex Moving Project comes up on its one-year anniversary, you can follow its progress and find more information at their attractive Web site.
Unit in the Spotlight: Library Annex From left to right: Saw Htoo, Brian Krawczyk, Michele Payne, LuAnn Beebe, Cammie Hoffmier, Ken Tiddick, John Howard, Richard Paige, Mike Strange, Troy Shaver, Paw Pha. Hiding behind Saw Htoo: Bob Scott. Missing: Wendy Thompson Frank A. Lee CelebrationBy Marty Schlabach
Frank Lee joined the Station as a chemist in 1936, before there was a Department of Food Science and Technology. He retired from that department in 1967, but remained active for many subsequent years. He was particularly known for his research on freezing and blanching in the early days of preserving food through freezing. Professor Lee wrote many articles for research and extension publications during his career, as well as two editions of the text book, Basic Food Chemistry. He spent long hours in his lab and in the Station Library, even during retirement. He specified that his gift be used to build the Library collection. This was apparently a reflection of how much he valued ready access to the scientific literature. The Experiment Station Library served him well during his research years, but occasional budget cuts resulted in journal cancellations and that was a frustration for him. He was also reminded of the strength of Geneva’s and Cornell’s library collections, while on sabbatical leave in Germany. Letters from Professor Lee while he was in Germany indicate that he sorely missed the Library back home. Recognizing the importance of a good library in support of good research, he made a gift that would help future researchers have access to the publications they need. Professor Lee most likely never had the slightest inkling that journal articles would someday be deliverable over a network via a computer. But, the combination of this gift and the advent of e-journals and other networked information resources, gives the Station community access to a larger collection of journals, books, and other scholarly content than at any time in the past.
Several other former colleagues shared their memories. Former Director Don Barton, as well as former Lee colleagues Bob Labelle and Terry Acree, volunteered stories as well. In conclusion, Tom Burr expressed his appreciation for this generous gift to the Station community. Special thanks go to Library staff members, Holly King, Mike Fordon, and Jane Irwin for organizing the celebration, several staff members from the Administrative Services Center for helping with the event, and Director Tom Burr for his support. [Portions of this piece also appeared in the Experiment Station newsletter, Station News.] Women Swimmin’ for Hospicare: Carollers Swim in Honor of Carol BuckleyBy Sally Lockwood From left: Sally Lockwood and Suzanne Schwartz. In early June, I, Suzanne Schwartz, and Anne Becker decided to form the Carollers Women Swimmin’ Team to benefit Hospicare and Palliative Care Services of Tompkins County. Anne’s sister Carol Buckley passed away from ALS in June of 2005. (See Kaleidoscope) We were part of a 100-person care team that helped take care of Carol and her husband Paul during her illness. Paul, Anne, and the rest of Carol’s family simply could not have managed without the assistance and coaching from Carol’s Hospicare nurses, Pat and Sue. Also, the counselors visited regularly to make sure Carol had all the necessary equipment as her needs changed, and they provided emotional support her family needed to keep going. Their care continued when Carol passed away as they offer excellent bereavement services. When Hospicare announced that there would be a 3rd annual Women Swimmin’ event I immediately wanted to participate. I had always wanted to swim the width of Cayuga Lake but never found the opportunity. I don’t have a boat or a cottage on the lake and it is simply too dangerous to attempt alone. After several days of asking my library co-workers to join me as a swimmer, I got discouraged. It seems there are few swimmers in Olin. Luckily, Suzanne Schwartz said she would love to be a boater and she thought Anne Becker might like to as well. And the Carollers Women Swimmin’ Team was born! All of us who had the privilege of knowing Carol remember her ability to establish a deep connection with a wide range of people. She did this so effortlessly. Her words, painstakingly spelled out one letter at a time a few weeks before she passed away, inspired me to participate in this event: “I always felt I’d been blessed with incredible friends. What I’ve so enjoyed is seeing the crossover happen, where new friendships are being born, and those who barely knew one another (but care for me) are hugging. It’s truly beautiful. It helps me hang in there when I can see the good things in this mess, you know?” For me, a crossover solidified when we established ourselves as a team. We motivated each other. I hadn’t made the time to swim regularly in years and needed to get in shape. Suzanne politely but firmly reminded me several times that the August 12 event was getting closer. Anne kept Suzanne motivated to practice her canoeing skills and provided the transportation. The swim itself was a powerful experience. Over 200 women swimmers of varying ages and abilities, but all with staid determination, jumped into the water on the east shore as the rising sun painted the sky pink. Once in the 78 degree water and on our way each swimmer soon established her own pace. Some stayed in groups, others forged on ahead. Over 100 kayakers and canoers accompanied us and kept us from veering off course. They took their job seriously, frequently asking how we were doing and letting us know how far we’d gone. They communicated with each other as the pods split up so that those behind were accompanied and those who swam ahead were free to continue. Swimmers usually learn the buddy system early on so we watched out for each other too. Most everyone found someone swimming at a comparable pace and we kept each other company. When I arrived at the docks of the Ithaca Yacht Club, I didn’t want to get out of the water. Like a little kid, I was having too much fun to get out. The water was warm, I was swimming better than I anticipated, and I wanted to wait for the rest of my pod who were somewhere behind me. Since they were nowhere in sight, I climbed the dock ladder and hugged the Hospicare volunteer. When I met up with Suzanne and Anne I immediately felt a sense of completion. Not only were the Carollers Women Swimmin’ Team proud of what we had done, but also the other women swimmers, their supporters and Hospicare volunteers were proud too. Carol would have loved to be part of that crowd. On our way back into Ithaca, Suzanne said aloud what I was thinking, “We should do this again next year.” Anne and I quickly agreed. For me, it feels like an important step is completed and now we’re ready to take the next step. As a team, we can raise more money. As a swimmer, I can train to swim freestyle for longer distances. In a sense, a crossover had happened. Anne, Suzanne, and I had never collaborated before and now we’re a unique team dedicated to participation in this important fundraiser. I know it helps me hang in there when I see the good things happen after seeing a beloved friend and co-worker, in the prime of life, pass away from a serious illness. Women Swimmin’: A Boater’s PerspectiveBy Suzanne Schwartz When my alarm clock went off at 5:00 a.m. I felt the usual urge to hit the snooze button for just a few more minutes. But today was the day that I and my fellow teammates, Anne Becker and Sally Lockwood, were to embark on a journey on behalf of someone very important to us. I started the coffee and breakfast. Anne, the experienced canoeist, was up and ready to go. We had packed up the boat and most of our gear the night before. Boats of various configurations arrived at the Ithaca Yacht Club. Folks were focused but very kind and helpful. David Brumberg pointed to his one-man canoe made of fiberglass and said, “This weighs 17 lbs.” I pointed to my canoe, which Anne nick named the USS Yellow Belly, and said, “This weighs a ton. She’s a fine beast and her line is true, even though she isn’t much to look at.” We put in on the west side at about 6:30. Anne and I headed out with the first group of boaters. As we paddled I reached down and ran my hand in the water. It was nice and warm. The swimmers would have a good temperature to swim in. The hard part would be getting out. Mist hovered above the surface of the water in a dreamlike way. I looked up to see the sunrise. I could see brilliant orange yellow hues against a light to dark blue sky. Anne pointed to a blue heron soaring high overhead. I felt a sense of awe as I watched it fly. Anne and I made good time; about 20 minutes later we reached the east side of the lake. I ate my breakfast as I waited for our team of swimmers to arrive. In the distance I could see the M/V Manhattan bringing the first group of swimmers. The energy in the air was electric and wonderful. Each group had different colored swim caps on. Our group was blue. Our swimmers would be on the second boat, the M/V Haendel. Sally was on the second boat. She called out to us and informed us that she was assigned to the group after us. I hardly recognized her in her black bathing suit and yellow cap and goggles. She looked ready for the task set before her. Our Pod number was lucky 13. As we headed back to the west shore with our group, I looked up and could see the moon fading in the sky. Along the horizon I could see the flutter of many powerful arms cutting through the water. Within the first 15 minutes our group broke up into different speeds. We escorted one woman with a yellow cap, and one with a blue cap who chewed gum. Just after the first marker the blue cap stopped and said, “Oh shoot!” I asked if everything was ok. “I lost my gum,” she replied, “no wait, I found it!” She quickly popped it back into her mouth and continued her journey. Our swimmers thanked us for the escort and made their way to the dock and exited the water. Anne made tee shirts for our team with an image of her sister, the late Carol J. Buckley, ironed on to the back. Carol is shown sitting in the front seat of a canoe looking over her shoulder at the camera. As I searched for Sally, people commented with awe and remembrance of that truly fine individual. Before I met up with Sally I was lucky enough to see a member of the Library Team, Barbara Berger Eden, emerge triumphant from the water to be quickly surrounded by her swimming buddies. When I agreed to join the Carollers Team I did it with a great sense of honor. I knew Carol both from the Theater and the Cornell University Library community. Thanks to all the folks at the library, the many friends of Carol J. Buckley, and all the folks at Hospice who lovingly put this event together. Most of all, thanks to my teammates, Anne Becker and Sally J. Lockwood. As I sit this evening at my computer I wear my yellow Women Swimmin’ cap. My tee shirt has been washed and folded and is in a drawer upstairs awaiting my use next year. So . . . Anne, Sally, let’s do it again!
Olin Library swimmers Barbara Eden, Anne Kenney, and Carla DeMello. Carollers Update from Paul HeckathornPaul sent the following email to Sally Lockwood in reply to her inquiry about recent events held in memory of Carol. For the past two summers 'Carol's Team Too', organized by Jeanine Huber (Buffalo) participated in the 'Walk to D'Feet ALS', sponsored by, and in support of, the Upstate NY ALS Association. These were held in Delaware Park, Buffalo, on the last Sunday in August both years. We managed to raise over $4,000.00 this year and over $5,000.00 in 2005. In October of 2005, the last official meeting of the 'Carollers' was held at Hospicare. People shared some very special memories of their time with Carol and exchanged small gifts as mementos of the occasion. In June of 2006 a graduating IHS student received a $1000.00 award from the 'Carol J. Buckley Scholarship for Students in the Arts.' In July of 2006, the Kitchen Theatre donated the proceeds of one performance of the premiere production of 'Angle of the Sun' to the scholarship. A matching donation was received from an anonymous fan of Carol. Two babies were born to members of the Carollers: Clare Eileen Strollo - born to Katey Strollo, Carol's life-time best friend and former part-time library employee, and her husband Tom Strollo. Clare was born on June 14th, 2006. Aram Jack Steinhagen - born to Erica and Joey Steinhagen on August 29, 2006. Passing of Dan Booth, August 29, 2006 - Cornell employee and fellow performer. Dan performed in and directed many Cornell Savoyards performances with Carol, as well as the 'Brooktondale Barn Show.'
Carol Buckley canoeing on Lake George with her sister Anne. So that's it for now. If I think of anything else over the next couple of days, I'll be sure and let you know. Thanks to you (and Elizabeth - please tell her I say hi) for doing this. I like knowing that people are still interested in (and remembering, missing) all that Carol did for the Library, how much she loved it, and how much she gave of herself. xo, pjbh, September 2006 A Closely-Knit Community: An Interview with Nancy MooreFirst there was Marge Robinson in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. In the February 1998 issue of Kaleidoscope, we learned that she had knit 77 baby sweaters for friends and sold another 33 to a single client. There was also Diane Hillmann, Metadata Specialist formerly from Law and on loan to the NSDL for many years, whose beautiful quilts were described earlier in the March 1997 issue of Kaleidoscope. And there were the CUL-Quilters who raised funds for ALS in honor of Carol Buckley by selling raffle tickets for four beautiful quilts created for the occasion. When we learned in March 2004 that Marge had surpassed the 200th milestone for hand knit baby sweaters, we knew we had another story to tell. What Marge is to RMC, Nancy Moore is to Law.
Nancy has long enjoyed knitting baby sweaters for family, friends, students, and co-workers, after a busy day of filling Inter- and Intra-Library Loan requests, Reference Desk duty, and Circulation Desk shifts at the Law Library. This is a day that includes a “lunch” break of Tae Kwon Do. No wonder she’s ready to sit still in the evening. When we read about Marge, we started to compile a list of lucky little recipients of Nancy’s sweaters. We remembered how Nancy had made two sweaters for Josiah and Xavier, sons of our Special Collections Assistant at the time, Lynn Lipkind, a hooded sweater and a fisherman knit cabled sweater. There was a hooded zipper sweater for Sheri Johnson’s daughter, Kalena, and three sweaters for Ellen Egan’s son, Ben. Dan Leonard’s girl and Gail Howser’s boy each got a yoke sweater, and Karen Wilson’s granddaughters both got hooded sweaters. Brandy’s Ellie got a hooded sweater too and Tara Maria’s son a cabled sweater. That’s twelve so far. Then there was Amira Aycock’s Noah, who got three, Mae Leckey’s Tahjay and Aysia who also got three total, Laurie Collingsworth’s Nathan and Hannah, twins who each got two (that’s four total), and Zach Shulman’s Kayla who got two. The Law School Cabaret folks were given two sweaters to auction off this year and one last year. Rose Merendino’s Max got several, three by now, and her Esme one. Sue Baudendistle’s grandson got one, as did Kevin Clermont’s Jian, Jane Deathe’s Chloe, and Kim Murphy’s Lucy. Then there was Erin and Jayson’s Chloe who got three and their Dhane who got one, Malissa (sic) and Sam’s Alexis who got three and their Ethan who got one, Nancy and Andy’s twins with one each, Dan’s Helen and Dan Jr. with one each, and Joanna and Tim’s Wren who got two. Did I mention Kathy Hartman’s Monica, Sue Hills’ Aidan and Christian, Patty Sipman’s Frits and Aubrey, Betsy Hand’s Peter, and Jane Deathe’s Jesse? Or Jen in Admissions and Stacey in Legal Aid who each got one for their babies? That’s 58. And Karen Wilson’s other grandchildren make it 61.
You see where all this is going—and I haven’t even mentioned the hat and mitten sets knit for our Adopt-A-Families over the last five years. Nancy hasn’t hit 200 yet, but the list is growing faster than we can compile it. And I haven’t got to the best part yet: aside from the wonderful memories of knitting sweaters for the children and grandchildren of students and staff in the Law School, Nancy recently set about to knit a sweater for arguably the best baby of all, Dominic, her first grandchild. When Dominic appeared in February of this year his baby sweater was ready and waiting for him. Well done, Nancy. We have one question: are you graduating to larger sweaters? ~Elizabeth Teskey People NewsWelcomeKaren Brummund is the new public services assistant in the Fine Arts Library. Karen has an undergraduate degree from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, and has recently completed her MFA at the University of East London. Her position is Digital Image Instruction Assistant and includes travelling to faculty offices across the arts quad to provide hands-on, one-on-one instruction in the use of CUL's many digital image resources (500,000 and growing) and in various image projection tools for faculty use in the classroom. Connie Finnerty is the new administrative assistant in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. Connie previously worked as a secretary at Craig’s Florist in Cortland. Her responsibilities include reception, inventory, and fulfilling patron requests. Shayla Harrington is the new public services assistant in O/K/U Access Services. Shayla previously worked at Covenant Love Community School, in Freeville, as a teacher. Shayla works nine months during the academic year as our night owl. In addition to building rounds and closing, Shayla provides Access and Information Services at the Circulation desks, and also assists with O/K/U course reserves. Jeannie Harsin is the new technical services assistant in Library Technical Services. Jeannie is the newest member of the Monograph Receiving Unit and processes books received on approval plans. She comes to us from the Cornell Publications office. Jeannie also worked as an administrative assistant at the Cornell Public Service Center. Joanna Hooste is the new public services assistant in the Law Library. Joanna has been working at the Cornell Law School as an administrative assistant since 2004 and comes to the Library highly recommended. She has a BS in American Studies from Utah State University. The folks at Law are delighted to welcome her as the new Night Supervisor. Rachel Inbar is the newest member of the Olin & Uris Reference team (Collections, Reference, Instruction and Outreach). She has a term position lasting until May 2007. Please welcome Rachel to the Library. Sophia Kramer is the new preservation assistant in Preservation and Collection Maintenance. Sophia previously did freelance book conservation and bookbinding. She is an assistant book conservator and will be primarily responsible for conservation treatment of the Native American Collection. Brian Krawczyk is the new public services assistant in the Annex Library. Brian recently received his MLS from Queens College. Welcome back to Meredith McClure-Scott who is the new collections assistant at the Adelson Library. Some of you may already know Meredith as she was an information assistant at Mann Library from 2003 to 2005. Meredith has a Master’s in Education in Secondary Social Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA in history with a minor in theater from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Sandra Sinclair is the new technical services assistant in Database Management Services in Olin LTS. She brings with her thirteen years of technical services experience from SUNY at Stony Brook. Her responsibilities include transferring selected Medium Rare materials to the Library Annex. Sandra previously worked as a substitute teacher and teacher’s aide for St. Mary’s Parochial School in Cortland. Michael Strange is the new public services assistant in the Annex Library. Michael has been working in the Annex as a temp since August 2006. Jairo Van Lunteren is the new Public Services Assistant in O/K/U Access Services. Jairo comes to us from the Ithaca Journal and Ithaca Times where he worked as a reporter. He is the second night owl that O/K/U Access Services welcomes, in addition to Shayla Harrington. You may never see them as they work during the academic year from 10:30 p.m.--2:30 a.m. Both provide Access and Information Services at the Circulation desks, make security rounds of the buildings, and assist with closing. Jairo works year-round and also processes document delivery requests. Inbal Yaacobi is the new technical services assistant in Library Technical Services. Inbal comes to us from Tel Aviv, Israel where she worked as an Investment Advisor at Bank Hapoalim. New Staff in Library DevelopmentI write to share news of staff changes in Library Development. This summer, Cara Yates quietly left with her husband Brent Hannah, a newly minted PhD, to return to home to Melbourne, Australia. At the same time, our program assistant, Kathleen Gifford, accepted a full-time position with the Lab of Ornithology Citizen Science Program. Both are sorely missed but wished well in their new endeavors. I'm pleased to introduce you to the staff in Library Development. I'm sure you'll enjoy getting to know and working with them. Sharon Kendall has succeeded Cara and is fast learning about the Library and Alumni Affairs and Development. As office manager, she will respond to your requests for meetings, information about donors and alumni affairs programs, coordinate my calendar, supervise student employees, and manage the daunting task of gift account management for the Library and AAD. She's perfecting her PeopleSoft skills and has already mastered the myriad lists we produce. Sharon brings experience from previous assignments in AAD, and great public service skills from retail management. Please feel free to contact Sharon for any assistance you may need from our office. Sharon can be reached at stk22 and 255-9868. Alex Wolf '06 has succeeded Kathleen as program assistant. His main focus is to manage all aspects of the Library Advisory Council. Alex will also be working with selectors to produce those interesting and compelling stewardship letters to donors of our endowed funds. Since we're rapidly preparing for the late September Advisory Council meeting and have set a lofty goal for stewardship, many of you may expect to hear from Alex soon. Alex served on Sarah Thomas' Student Advisory Board so has familiarity with and a great deal of admiration for Cornell Library. And he's not afraid to tackle the AAD side of the house! He brings terrific skills and commitment to our tasks, and most recently completed a position as service clerk for The School of Criticism and Theory, where he managed a large conference. Alex will work 20 hours a week and may be reached at amw56 and 254-4746. Beth Fontana needs no introduction to many of you. She has recently returned to Library Development after assisting the Department of Communications and Marketing last year. Beth researches and writes our donor proposals, acknowledgement letters, campaign promotional material, manages mass solicitation mailings, special off campus events, and the Library's participation in University wide programs such as Homecoming, Council Weekend, and Reunion. Beth works 20 hours a week and may be reached at eaf3 and 255-3322. And I, Marisue, thank you all for your assistance, support, interest, and work for Cornell Library. Please feel free to contact me anytime! We're all housed here in 701 Olin Library and welcome visits, too. ~Marisue Taube, Director External Relations, Cornell University Library Transfers & PromotionsLynn Bertoia has transferred from Administration to Library Communications and has been promoted to Administrative Assistant IV. Michelle Eastman has transferred from DLIT to Library Administration and is the new Executive Staff Assistant II. Joe Richardson has been promoted to IT Support Assistant IV in DLIT. Staci Rogers has been promoted to Senior Assistant Librarian in the Nestle Library. We were fortunate to have Staci, a recent Master’s of Information Science graduate from Queens College, working as a public services assistant since January. In her new role, she will be supervising the circulation team in the Nestle Library and assuming new reference and instruction responsibilities. Congratulations to Staci on her promotion and welcome again to CUL. Deb Schmidle, formerly collection development librarian at Catherwood, has transferred to Collections, Reference, Instruction and Outreach (CRIO) as the new Social Sciences Coordinator. Adam Spry has been promoted to Mail Processor III in the Shipping and Receiving department. CongratulationsCongratulations to Rich Strassberg and Patricia Leary of the Kheel Center, Catherwood Library. In the August 2006 article in Smithsonian Magazine, Trial by Fire by David Von Drehle, the author discusses the important role that the Kheel Center, Catherwood Library is playing in making accessible to the world critical documentation about the Triangle Factory Fire and he specifically mentions Rich Strassberg and Patricia Leary. On page 98 [in the print edition], the article states: “Through the cooperation of NYCLA [New York County Lawyers' Association] and Cornell, my experience of reading the lost transcripts is now available to anyone with an Internet connection. In 2004, Kheel Center director Richard Strassberg carried the Steuer volumes to the Ithaca campus, where each page was scanned and digitized. Because the quality of the originals was so poor, the process captured only about 40 percent of the text. So Patricia Leary of the Kheel Center painstakingly corrected every page. Last autumn, after more than a year of effort, the Kheel Center posted the entire text on its Triangle fire Web site: ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire. The site, which receives some six million visitors each year, is a model for archivists who want to make their records available to students and researchers. By June, portions of the recovered record had been downloaded more than 1,100 times, Strassberg reports, including nearly 400 complete copies.” This is an interesting article about how David Von Drehle was able to find the documents he needed to write his book Triangle: the Fire That Changed America and the critical role librarians and archivists played. In the last paragraph of this article he states: “Those who experienced the horror firsthand could not have anticipated the impact. Nor could they have imagined that, someday—thanks to a lawyer's vanity, a buried footnote, a diligent librarian and the power of technology—their long-silent voices could speak directly of their experiences to readers around the world.” ~Submitted by Ed Weissman. Congratulations to Tom Clausen, Mann Library, Fred Muratori, CRIO, and Sasha Skenderija, Law Library, whose poems were included in a collection published by the offices of Humanities Communications and Publications and Marketing at Cornell University for the inauguration of President Skorton. The book of poems is called, “Like a Fragile Index of the World: Poems for David Skorton, Written by Cornellians, Past and Present, Selected by Alice Fulton.” The dedication in the small, elegant volume reads, “for David Skorton in celebration of his inauguration as the twelfth president of Cornell University September 7, 2006.” Congratulations to Beth Katzoff, Head of Public Services for the Asia Collections, and Trevor Morrison, Associate Professor at the Law School, on the birth of their daughter, Sophia Katzoff Morrison. Sophia was born on September 19 at 12:30 p.m., weighing 7 pounds 12 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.
AnnouncementsNew Award Honors Ross Atkinson On September 14, 2006, the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), a division of the American Library Association, announced an award in honor of Ross Atkinson. The press release begins: “In conjunction with its 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2007, the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) is pleased to announce the establishment of the Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award. This new award honors the legacy of Ross Atkinson, distinguished library leader, author and scholar whose extraordinary service to ALCTS and the library community at-large serves as a model for those in the field.” This news follows the ALA memorial resolution passed in June and published in the August issue of ALCTS Newsletter Online that begins:
And ends:
For the entire resolution and written tribute see the September issue of InsideCUL. For more information on the Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement award see the entire press release. New Catherwood Web Site
The new Catherwood Library Web site, implemented using the CommonSpot content management system, was released in August. Under the leadership of Mary Newhart, Web and Digital Projects Manager, a redesign team consisting of Suzanne Cohen, Jim Del Rosso, Deb Lamb-Deans, Fran Secord, Patrizia Sione, and Chris Hamilton from the ILR web team were hard at work throughout the spring and summer months revising content, analyzing layout considerations, performing user tests, and selecting photos for the site drawn from the collection of over 360,000 images documenting the labor movement. Special thanks are due to Jason Criss, David DeMello, Jean Gustafson, Caroline Hecht, Joanne Kenyon, Sean O’Leary, Jennifer Lin, and Rebecca Younes in ILR Web Studios for their technical expertise and support. For more details, see their home page at http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/library/. New Mann Web Site
The new Mann Library Web site was unveiled in August 2006. After many months of hard work, the Mann Library Web Site Re-Design Committee created an elegant and easily navigable site that addresses users' needs for a research oriented Web site. The Mann Library Web Site Re-Design Committee included Nick Cappadona, Michael Cook, Eveline Ferretti, Keith Jenkins, Nicole Joos, Jeff Piestrak, Howard Raskin (Chair), and Kornelia Tancheva. The Committee thanks all of their Mann colleagues who contributed to this successful launch, and to the CUL CommonSpot team of Surinder Ghangas, Paul Houle and Jim Reidy. You can find their new page at http://mannlib.cornell.edu. Cool Sites of the Day Congratulations to the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections and to all those who worked on the exhibition site for the exhibition, "Vanished Worlds, Enduring People." It was chosen by the Cool Site of the Day folks as the site of the day for September 6, 2006. Visitors to the site had a chance to vote or rate the site and its final score was 6.950 out of a possible 10. It was not possible to vote more than once. In a surprising turn of events, the Web site for the exhibition, "Get Out the Vote! Campaigning for the U. S. Presidency," was featured as the Cool Site of the Day one week later, on September 13, 2006, even though the site is two years old. Viewers gave it a score of 5.995. Special credit for both sites goes to Ken Williams. VIVO To Be Expanded
Congratulations to the Life Sciences Working Group and all those who have worked on VIVO, a curated index to life sciences research at Cornell. Recognizing its power to increase connections and collaborations between major campus units, the Provost's office has decided to fund the proposal to extend and enhance VIVO beyond the life sciences. The success of the proposal owes much to Medha Devare and Jon Corson-Rikert, the commitment of the Life Sciences Working Group, and the impressive programming work of Jon Corson-Rikert, Brian Caruso, and Brian Lowe. For an account of the creation of VIVO see the March issue of InsideCUL http://www.library.cornell.edu/insidecul/200503/vivo.html. Librarians March on Inauguration Day
For more photos see 2006 Inauguration: A Great Library / A Great University Maps and the Great Gatsby: The Geography of Privilege Don’t miss the display from the Maps and Geospatial Information Collection, “Maps and the Great Gatsby: The Geography of Privilege,” on the lower level of Olin Library. Created to coincide with the New Student Reading Project this year, the display examines the geographical framework of the novel and how it contributes to the clash between Midwestern values and those of the East. Congratulations to the entire M&GIC staff, especially Susann Argetsinger whose careful reading of the novel led to inspired selections and their brilliant organization. Thanks are also due to Pat Fox, Howard Brentlinger, and Elaine Guidero who also worked on the exhibit. It will be up until mid-November.
“It was a matter of chance that I should have rented a house in one of the strangest communities in North America. It was on that slender riotous island which extends itself due east of New York--and where there are, among other natural curiosities, two unusual formations of land. Twenty miles from the city a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay jut out in the most domesticated bay of salt water in the Western Hemisphere, the great wet barnyard of Long Island Sound” (p.4 of the Cornell edition of The Great Gatsby, New York: Scribner, 2006). This tongue-in-cheek map of Great Neck on Long Island--the thinly-disguised site of "West Egg"--was created ("engrossed") by John Held, Jr., a well-known illustrator of the flapper era. The map appeared originally in the New Yorker for July 16, 1927. This copy has been scanned from The Most of John Held, Jr, Brattleboro, Vt: The Stephen Greene Press, 1972, p. 39. Current RMC Exhibition
Don’t miss the current exhibition in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, "Nevermore: The Edgar Allan Poe Collection of Susan Jaffe Tane." The exhibition features highlights on loan from the Tane collection, the best collection on Poe and his work still in private hands. The exhibition features many of Poe’s unique manuscripts, scarce copies of his first editions, rare examples of his contributions to newspapers and magazines, and editions of his most famous poem, “The Raven.” You can also see it online at http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/poe/. Thank YouThank you to Vanessa Ng, Kaleidoscope photographer for the last year and print layout designer for three years, for all her work on our newsletter. Vanessa stepped up to the plate when our original layout editor Chris Bucko left the newsletter (see below) and saw us through uncertain times and the transition to an online format. Readers can thank Vanessa especially for all her picnic and holiday photos and we thank her for the special touch she brought to the newsletter. Vanessa is leaving the newsletter but not CUL so you have a chance still to thank Vanessa yourself. Good-byeGood-bye and good luck to Chris Bucko, Patti Burns, Paul Houle, and Aaron Suggs from DLIT, Nancy McGovern from Research, and Kari Smith from Rare and Manuscript Collections, who recently left the Library.
Colleagues bid a fond farewell to Christina Bucko on Monday, August 28th in 703 Olin Library. People expressed their appreciation for the many facets of Chris's sixteen years of service to the Library. Oliver Habicht presented her with a beautiful, waterfalls screensaver and Rick Lightbody gave her a gift card for the Cornell Store from her current colleagues in DLIT. Rick mentioned her work on the former IRIS Technology Support Team and then in Desktop Services. Elizabeth Teskey thanked her for her many years of service on Kaleidoscope. See below for Oliver’s original announcement and for Elizabeth’s remarks. It is with mixed emotions that I let you all know of Christina Bucko's announced resignation from Desktop Services after 16 1/2 years working in our Library. We will miss her stellar service ethic (and so much more we are grateful for!), but we are very pleased for her in accepting a position within CIT providing IT support for many of the folks in Day Hall. Chris's last day in the office will be August 31st (Thursday), so please take the opportunity to say good-bye. Since Chris has had such a large impact on so many folks throughout the Library over the years, DLIT will be holding a going-away party at the end of August. We'll send out additional details when we are further along with our planning. Chris: we wish you all the best, and don't be a stranger! ~Oliver Habicht Kaleidoscope was created by Catherine Murray Rust in the spring of 1992. By January 1993 there was a small core group involved in the new internal newsletter--Catherine, Marty Crowe, Barbara Berger, Cecilia Sercan, myself, and Chris. Chris was responsible for the layout of our paper newsletter for ten years. Without Chris it would never have gotten off the ground. Under Chris’s expert hand it went from a small black and white newsletter to a more vibrant and interesting publication in color. It was a small group and as it turns out it kept getting smaller (Cecilia left the newsletter after three years and Catherine left the University in 1998), but we managed and adjusted, even after Chris left us. We turned her leaving the newsletter into an opportunity to publish her story about Surviving Boot Camp when she joined the Naval Reserves, and it was a great story. Now she’s leaving the Library but we’ll have to wait to see how this story turns out. Thanks for all your hard work Chris, and good luck in your new job. ~Elizabeth Teskey
Obituaries
Arthur Kulp, 1921-2006Arthur Claude Kulp, 85, died on Saturday, September 23, 2006 in Ithaca. He was born in Ithaca on April 4, 1921 and graduated from Ithaca High School in 1938. He received his BA in history in 1942 from Cornell University and served in the US Army Air Corps during World War II. He was an Aerial Gunner and a Navigator with the rank of Second Lieutenant upon discharge, and earned the rank of Major while serving in the US Air Force Reserves after the war. Art received a BA in Library Science from Columbia in 1947 and an MA in Library Science from the University of Illinois in 1954 (excerpted from the Ithaca Journal). The Claude L. Kulp Auditorium at Ithaca High School is named after his father who was Superintendent of Schools for over twenty years. Art started his career in the Library as an undergraduate student when he worked as a page in Uris (then the University Library). He was appointed Assistant Circulation Librarian in 1947 and promoted to Circulation Librarian in 1950. He continued as Head of Circulation in the new Olin Library which opened in February 1961. He held this latter post until 1975 when Director J. Gormly Miller, recognizing his great administrative experience, appointed him to the post of Coordinator of Space Planning and also assigned him the responsibilities of Associate Personnel Officer and Facilities Coordinator. Art retired on September 30, 1985 after thirty-eight years of service to CUL. From the beginning of his library career, Art grappled with the problem of how to provide user access to a growing and inadequately housed book collection. In fact, his Master's thesis at Illinois analyzed collection storage in libraries, and proposed compact storage solutions. He was intimately involved in the long and detailed planning for the Olin Library, and in charge of the monumental book move into the new building. From November 1960, to opening day in February 1961, a total of 1,300,000 volumes were moved into Olin. The major component, 800,000 volumes, was transported from the old library to Olin via cars moving on the tracks installed in a tunnel built between the buildings. Additionally, 500,000 volumes were retrieved from various storage locations scattered across the campus. Full circulation services resumed, after a weekend hiatus, on opening day. ~Caroline Spicer Art was known for his willingness to pitch in wherever he was needed, both on campus and off. He was very involved in volunteer work with the Boy Scouts, at the hospital, with Meals on Wheels, United Way, and many committees at the University. The Library was enriched immeasurably by his many contributions and exceptionally long career. Josephine Tharpe, 1910-2006Josephine Mathews Tharpe, 96, died on Wednesday, September 13, 2006 in Tallahassee, Florida. She was born March 30, 1910, in Locust Grove, Georgia. Her family moved to Tallahassee in 1916 where she graduated from Leon High School in 1927 and Florida State College for Women (now FSU) in 1931. She received her MA from the University of Illinois and was a librarian at Duke University before coming to Cornell. She was Graduate reference librarian at Cornell University and retired from Cornell in 1975. Additionally she taught Latin, French, and mathematics in Graceville and Chattahoochee and at Leon High School in Tallahassee (excerpted from the Tallahassee Democrat). Josephine Tharpe came to Cornell in 1948, at a time of major change for the University Library, then located in what is now Uris Library. Starting in 1946, Stephen A. McCarthy, as Director of Libraries, reorganized the disparate and semi-independent libraries on campus into an integrated system, augmented staff, and initiated planning for a new Graduate Library on the Arts Quad. Josephine Tharpe was appointed Head of the newly formed Reference Department, where her bibliographic knowledge and reference skills were focused on providing service to an active and demanding clientele of faculty and graduate students in the humanities and social sciences. She was instrumental in planning for a consolidated and augmented Reference Collection in the new Olin Library, and an accessible and functional Reference Reading Room. Reference service continued uninterrupted when Olin opened in February 1961. Josephine Tharpe worked closely and patiently with her staff. She initiated them into the mysteries of bibliographic verification at a time before consolidated printed union catalogs; she encouraged them to explore the incredible range of subject sources available at Cornell. She set high standards for herself and others, and was a strong advocate for the Department and the staff. During her later tenure as University Bibliographer she worked closely with Dr. Felix Reichmann, Assistant Director for Collection Development, and continued her long-standing interest in organizing the United Nations Depository Collection. She gave the Cornell Library twenty-seven years of service and left our collections and services the stronger for it. ~Caroline Spicer 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 |
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In the past 21 years I have been working at the library, I have witnessed a succession of projects that are built on the knowledge learned from previous ones. A classic case is the current move of library materials to the new Annex modules. This project is progressing smoothly because we learned so much from the Annex move in the late 1990s. We learned how to work as a team, how to streamline workflows, and how to move 2000 volumes per day. As a result of this history the current move (begun in November 2005) is incredibly efficient. Approximately 2000 volumes per day are being moved to the new Annex modules. This is all without major disruptions in our day-to-day library operations.
Much credit goes to the hard work of the Annex planning committee; current members are Barbara Berger Eden (chair), John Hoffmann, Cammie Hoffmier, John Marmora, Lydia Pettis, Margaret Nichols, Pat Schafer, and Zoe Stewart-Marshall. Susan Currie and subsequently Xin Li previously chaired the group. In addition, there are numerous library staff working on this project, and each one has a cooperative spirit and outstanding work ethic.
If you have not been to the Annex it is located next to the Cornell Orchard, and it’s a state of the art, environmentally controlled high-density facility, with a steady stacks temperature of 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit and 35% relative humidity. It is a clean and secure home for library materials in various formats. It is designed differently than our traditional libraries. The library is not browsable since it is a high-density warehouse.
The three new modules provide a total capacity of 4.6 million volumes. We should all feel grateful that library growth is accommodated by this expanded facility. We have experienced for a long period of time overcrowded book stacks, and the new modules are providing relief in these areas. To justify the need for additional Annex modules and determine the moving quotas, book shelves were measured in all of the libraries in 2003-2004. The moving schedule was developed based on immediate space pressures, loading dock accessibility, and volume of materials to be moved from each library. We are also prepared to accommodate any unexpected or emergency moves that are required by the libraries. 
Titles being chosen are primarily ceased serials, medium-rare volumes, and titles that have not circulated within the past ten years. 
Staff, faculty, and students of the Station community were joined by former faculty and staff in a celebration of the naming of the Frank A. Lee Library and the placing of a plaque near the entrance to the library. Both honors are in recognition of former Professor Frank A. Lee bequeathing, at the time of his death in 1999, $2.3 million from his estate to the Library at the Experiment Station. The celebration was held on August 4, within days of what would have been his 105th birthday.
The celebration included a birthday cake in the shape of an open book, as well as other snacks and beverages. Memories of Professor Lee were shared by Professor Emeritus Bob Shallenberger. In addition to reflecting on Professor Lee’s research, Professor Shallenberger related several more personal experiences and observations. He described Professor Lee as secretive, unforgettable, and finally, grateful. He was secretive in that he shared little about his past or present personal life with colleagues, though some were invited to join him on hunting or fishing trips or for a dinner he prepared where the desserts were especially memorable. In providing an example of being unforgettable, Professor Shallenberger stated that Frank Lee’s “laboratory partner in Sturtevant Hall once stated that when he told a fellow scientist some of the lore surrounding Frank, the fellow drove from Chicago to Geneva just to confirm that Frank was real.” Professor Shallenberger concluded by saying that Frank Lee was very grateful for the extensive help he received from Library personnel during his years of research and writing, which was demonstrated by his gift to the Library.
