New York Women

Students mark Women's History Month with Herrick displays

Students in Professor Vicki Eaklor’s Women in Society class have collaborated with Herrick Library to create some displays marking Women’s History Month.
Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress asked the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as Women’s History Week. Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as Women’s History Month.
New York Women
During the spring semester, students in Professor Eaklor’s class prepared group presentations on the following topics:

  • The history of campus violence and related laws in New York State
  • The contribution of women to New York State’s cultural history
  • The history of reproductive rights in New York State

Some of the books that the students consulted are included in the display case in Herrick’s main entrance. The student presentations are on display on the main floor of Herrick Library, near the computer lab.
student displayWomen in Society, an interdisciplinary course, is the foundation of Alfred University’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program. It examines the relationship of women worldwide to institutions and developments in the social, political, and economic spheres. Topics include biological issues, women and work, women as family members, media portrayal of women, and the origins and development of modern feminism.

New: subscription to the New York Times

Hi everyone! Just a quick note to let you know that students and staff now have full complimentary access to NYTimes.com and NYTimes mobile apps, thanks to our school-wide subscription.*
We encourage you to take advantage of The New York Times to enrich your educational experience.
NYTimes.com covers a variety of topics with quality and depth through breaking news articles, blogs, videos and interactive features. In addition, you will be able to share content on social networks, save articles of interest, subscribe to email newsletters and set up personalized alerts. Your access to NYTimes.com is available from any location, on or off campus.
Activate your Pass for free access to NYTimes.com by clicking here and following the simple instructions. You may also wish to view this short video.
 
* Users must have a valid email address from Alfred University. Mobile apps are not supported on all devices. Does not include e-reader editions, Times Premier content or digital versions of The New York Times Crossword. This program provides only select access to The New York Times Archive and does not replace database services to which your institution may currently subscribe. Other restrictions apply.

The Great Wall Revisited

Exploring Herrick's Confucius Collection

Fun Chinese for KidsWhen the Confucius Institute was established at Alfred University in 2008, Herrick Library received a collection of several thousand items about Chinese language, history and culture. The collection supports the Confucius Institute’s mission of teaching Chinese language and culture and furthering understanding of China today.
Everyday Chinese
The collection is wide-ranging, including hundreds of Chinese films and television programs, books on Chinese philosophy and art, classics of Chinese literature, reference books on Chinese medicine, travel guides, and, my personal favorite, cookbooks.
There is extensive material for learning Chinese language, including textbooks, workbooks, CDs, software, and flashcards. Some language material is designed specifically for children.
 
You can find the Confucius Collection on the lower level of Herrick Library. Materials may be checked out of the library.
The Great Wall Revisited
recipes
Chinese Paintings
 
 
– Ellen Bahr

How to print from a personal computer to a library printer

Beginning this fall, you can print from a personal computer to a library printer without having to download any software or printer drivers! Below are step-by-step instructions. If you need assistance, ask for help at the library’s front desk.
1. Go to http://my.alfred.edu. On the left-hand menu, hover your mouse over “My Printing” and select “Status.”
Go to http://my.alfred.edu and on the sidebar select  “My Printing” -> “Status”
2. Log into PaperCut using your Alfred University username and password. This is the same username and password that you use for AU email. Do NOT include @alfred.edu as part of your username.
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3. After logging in, select “Web Print” from the side menu.
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4. Click the link “Submit a Job” to get started with choosing a document to print.
submit a job
5. Select the printer you’d like to print to. The three printers highlighted in the image below are the printers available in Herrick.  After selecting the printer, click the “Print Options and Account Selection” button to continue.
Herrick printers
6. You will now be able to indicate the number of copies you’d like to print. Choose a number and place it in the box labeled “Copies.” Then click the button “Upload Documents.”
number of copies
7. Select the file(s) you’d like to print by selecting the “Choose Files” button. This will open a dialog box where you can select your file(s). You can also see which file types are accepted for web printing. After selecting the files, click the “Upload & Complete “ button to start printing.
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8. Your job should have been sent to the printer. PaperCut should display the status of your print job, as in the example below. Be patient for large files, which may take longer to print. To print another document, choose “Submit a Job” from this screen.
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— Brett Arno and Ellen Bahr

Who's Your Librarian?

Gnome Bibliomancer.
High Elf Loremaster.
Undead Espier.
If these don’t sound like names that belong in an academic library, you probably just haven’t heard about the Personal Librarians Program yet. Starting this fall, incoming undergraduates will have one of seven librarians assigned to them as their “personal librarian,” a sort of academic advisor for library and research issues.  This librarian will be their primary contact point for a vast range of research help, ranging from how to sign up for InterLibrary Loan to help developing a bibliography to figuring out how to use the printers. To help publicize the program, the participating librarians have agreed to reveal their secret identities taken on new personas, ones that capture the essence of their specialized skills.  Without further ado, allow me to introduce the FELLOWSHIP OF THE LIBRARIANS:

Brian_tradingcard Brian_tradingcard_back

Brian, the Information Literacy Librarian at Herrick Library, has also become the Bibliomancer, a magic user committed to helping students find their way through the world of research and library skills.  In more mundane terms, that means he plans and teaches many library instruction sessions.  He’s also a subject specialist in Astronomy, English, Environmental Studies, Geology, History, Medieval Studies, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, and Religion.

Ellen_tradingcard Ellen_tradingcard_back

Technology can be difficult to pin down, and it can be even harder to make different technologies work together. Fortunately, we have Ellen, the Technology Tamer and one of our two technology experts. She forges new paths through the information wilderness by setting up and maintaining the software and programs needed for our search interfaces to work, among other things. Subject-wise, she specializes in Anthropology, Biology, Communications, Criminal Justice, Global Studies, Modern Languages, Psychology, School Psychology & Counseling, and Sociology.

Eva_tradingcard_35x25Game Cards Design Kit

Where the Bibliomancer acts as a light in the dark to guide lost and confused students, the Citation Hunter leads expeditions–sometimes large classes, sometimes journeys with a single other soul–to assess and track down the best sources for a given topic. This can take the form of instruction sessions or one on one reference questions. And that 90% survival rate isn’t bad. Eva has a special interest in Art, Art History, Medieval and Early Modern Art, Medieval History, and Illuminated Manuscripts.

John_tradingcardJohn_tradingcard_back

Grappling with the library’s voluminous image collection and with ever-changing image technologies, John the Imagemaster is to visual resources as Ellen the Technology Tamer is to our information systems. John captures new images for the collection and tames them, leaving them orderly and easily accessible for library users. He can also provide guidance on the various features of image use, such as creating Power Point presentations, using ARTstor or MDID to find images, or dealing with citations and copyright. His subject area of expertise is Visual Resources.

Laurie_tradingcardLaurie_tradingcard_back

Whatever ancient lore or dark secrets reside in the history of this village and its scholars, Laurie the Loremaster has the keys to uncover them. She guards the archives, keeping the hallowed records safe from harm, and also easing the path for those who seek to learn their secrets. The tales of figures vanished in the mists of time still live on in her files. Laurie’s subject specialties are Athletic Training, Chemistry, Education, Gerontology, and Women’s Studies.

Steve_tradingcard_35x25Steve_tradingcard_back

Someone has to build and protect the collections that these heroes navigate so deftly, and that someone is the Collection Defender. Steve manages the collection, ensuring both that it grows and flourishes, and that older and no longer relevant texts don’t gather dust on the shelves. As Library Director, he is also our fearless leader. Steve specializes in the subject areas of Business, Dance, Mathematics, Music, and Theater.

Trevor_tradingcardTrevor_tradingcard_back

The newest member of our team, Undead Espier Trevor Riley gazes into the future, scrying to determine our upcoming technological needs. With his sidekick “Data” and the powers of technomancy, he then works to alter our current technology, honing it to meet the requirements of the days to come.  As the Engineering Librarian and subject specialist, he is also the go-to librarian for Engineering students with research questions.

SO WHAT NEXT?
First off, find out who your personal librarian is here!

If you’re an incoming freshman, you’ll be receiving a packet in your campus mailbox at the start of the year telling you who your personal librarian is (and including a trading card of that librarian in character).  You can also pick up this information at freshman orientation on August 21st.

If you’re not an incoming freshman and are sad that you haven’t been assigned a librarian of your very own, never fear!  Any of these adventurers would be happy to help you, or even to serve as your library needs contact point for the rest of your Alfred University career.  Just find someone whose subject specialties match your needs and drop them a line using the contact information listed here.  You might not find a gigantic treasure chest full of loot, but your time as a student will probably be a LOT easier.

Hope to see you at orientation!

We love our student employees!

The end of the academic year is a good time for us to reflect on the many benefits of having student employees in the libraries. Graduation is a bittersweet time for us – we’re excited to see many of our students moving on to the next phase of their lives but we also know that their shoes are going to be hard to fill.
Brian and Natalie at Herrick's front deskThe benefits of having student employees in the libraries are many! It’s no exaggeration to say that we couldn’t maintain our current service levels and open hours without the help of student workers. Together, Herrick and Scholes Libraries are open almost 200 hours per week during the academic year. During any given semester, we employ nearly 100 students. In addition to staffing our front desks, students serve in a variety of other roles in the libraries, from preparing materials for circulation to doing data entry, assisting with projects, shelving, and much more.
The relationship between student workers and the libraries is symbiotic: students gain valuable work experience and we benefit in numerous ways from having them here. After all, most of our patrons are students, and our student employees are their peers. Natalie Skwarek, who supervises students at Herrick’s front desk, notes that, “because student workers are students, our patrons, who are also mostly students, feel comfortable approaching them with comments and questions.” Student employees frequently find creative and unconventional solutions to problems, and make suggestions for improving library services.
Because our student employees are here to learn, and not just to work in the libraries, we do our best to provide a supportive work environment. This means giving constructive feedback, and ensuring that each student has an opportunity to grow. Librarian Brian Sullivan, who coordinates Herrick’s front desk, says, “I believe in empowering student workers to come up with creative solutions to the various situations they encounter at the front desk. This gives them opportunities to build their problem solving and leadership skills while they are here.” Herrick's front desk
Steve Crandall, Director of Herrick Library and Dean of Libraries, describes the libraries’ approach to student employment, saying, “We try to do everything we can to make it a real job, not just a way to collect work-study money. We make sure that the students know how important they are to us. We try to be clear about expectations and provide good training, infusing it with humor to make it memorable.”
Connections between the libraries and their student workers often endure beyond graduation. “The relationships we foster with our student workers can prove helpful in securing future employment,” says Dave Snyder, Access Services Coordinator at Herrick. Prospective employers regularly contact library staff for references and Snyder says that, because he works so closely with the students, he can often relay a story that illustrates a student’s positive character traits and capacity for growth.
As we move towards the start of a new academic year, we look forward to hiring a new group of students who will become part of this ongoing cycle. If you are an incoming student who is interested in working in the libraries, we invite you to stop by to see us after you’ve arrived on campus.
– Ellen Bahr

Oceana Wilson

Former student library employees pay it forward

Anyone who visits the Alfred University libraries is sure to notice the helpful students working at our front desks. You might be surprised to learn, though, that the Alfred University libraries employ nearly 100 students in a typical semester. That’s a lot of students!
I contacted some former student employees to ask how the experience of working in the libraries impacted their job searches and career plans after graduation. As the following examples illustrate, students gain highly marketable skills while working in the libraries and the experience can have a strong influence on their eventual career plans.

Catherine Dillon

Catherine Dillon


Working at Herrick Library had a big impact on Catherine Dillon’s career aspirations after graduation. She says, “I have a great amount of respect for my supervisors at Herrick Library and they were key figures in guiding my career focus.” After graduation, Catherine became an evening and weekend supervisor at Binghamton University’s Bartle Library, and was later promoted to Library Reader Services Coordinator. She is working towards a Master of Library and Information Services degree at the University of Buffalo. She credits her time at Herrick with helping her to “learn to approach work with an open and flexible mindset, which in this job market is key.”
For Kristin Eklin, working as a student supervisor at Herrick Library made her realize that she wanted to eventually work in a leadership or management position. Working with student supervisees and patrons gave her a chance to sharpen her communication skills and helped prepare her for her current position in event planning and marketing at St. John’s Foundation in Rochester. Kristin says that her experience at Herrick was “extremely valuable during job interviews. Many employers prefer job candidates that have maintained steady employment through out college and demonstrated growth in to the role of supervisor. This position also displayed my ability to work with peers, faculty, and staff.”
Olivia "Liv" Tsistinas

Olivia “Liv” Tsistinas


After graduating from Alfred with a BFA, Olivia “Liv” Tsistinas wasn’t sure what she would do next. Her experience at Herrick Library helped her to land a job as an evening and weekend supervisor in a library. She went on to earn a Master of Library Science degree and is now a Clinical/Outreach Librarian at Upstate Medical University’s Health Science Library. While it may seem a long way from art school, Liv says that she has found ways to use her background in art, including coordinating library exhibitions in two gallery spaces. She says, “I love being able to incorporate all the facets of my Alfred University experience into what I do!”
Caitlin Brown, who works as a monograph cataloger at the Indiana University law library, says that she “liked working in the library so much that I got an MLS and became a librarian!” At the Scholes circulation desk, where she worked from 2006 to 2008, she found herself “kind of in the middle of everything” and used the experience to improve her research skills. In grad school, where positions were very competitive, she found that her experience at Scholes was a definite plus.
Oceana Wilson

Oceana Wilson


Working at Herrick Library was the first step in a career in libraries for Oceana Wilson, eventually leading to her current position as Director of Library and Information Services at Bennington College. While at Herrick, she had the opportunity “to see some of the behind the scenes work that went into creating the innovative services and responsive environment of Herrick Library. “ It was getting to know the librarians at Herrick that encouraged her to become a librarian. She says, “They really believed in the work that they were doing and that was very inspiring.”
When Jessie Baldwin sought work at Scholes Library, she already knew that she wanted to be a librarian. She gained lots of practical experience at Scholes, from working at the circulation desk, to helping students to find books, and being responsible for opening the library.
Jessie Baldwin

Jessie Baldwin


The experience helped her to get into a library science graduate program and, while she was still in school, to be hired at the Upstate Medical Library. She says, “I learned a ton that I still carry with me. I always felt I had one of the best work study jobs at Alfred.”
At Herrick Library, Greg Arnold gained skills in customer service and staff supervision, both of which helped him to land his current position as Lead Library Assistant at the Werner Medical Library in Rochester. He says that he wouldn’t have known where to start if he hadn’t “supervised student workers, handled patron questions and complaints, interacted and communicated with my supervisors, and dealt with the occasional craziness that comes with libraries.” Greg’s experience at Herrick gave him a greater appreciation for what libraries do and helped to clarify his career goals, which includes a desire to own his own business one day.
Joy Thomas with her husband

Joy Thomas with her husband


After graduating from Alfred University, Joy Thomas worked briefly in retail before taking a position at the Cornell University Library, first in access services and, for the last six years, as Borrowing Coordinator for Interlibrary Loan. She says that it was her experience working in access services at Herrick Library helped her to get her first library position. She “really loves working in the library and can’t see that ending anytime soon.”
These are just some examples of ways in which students have benefited from the experience of working in the Alfred University libraries. Of course, the libraries benefit as well! Without student employees, the libraries couldn’t function at anywhere near their current levels of service – students open and close the libraries, and provide essential services in the evenings and on weekends when full-time staff and librarians have gone home. Students bring other benefits to the libraries, too. As Herrick librarian Brian Sullivan notes, “Student workers keep the library’s culture, perspective, and values centered on our primary patrons, AU students!”
— Ellen Bahr

New e-book collection at Herrick

For patrons who prefer reading and doing research online, there is great news!
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Herrick has recently subscribed to EBSCOhost’s eBook Academic Collection, which contains about 120,000 e-books! This is in addition to the 10,000 e-books already available through our general EBSCOhost eBook Collection and is included in the over 370,000 e-books offered in total.
Our new Academic Collection consists of a variety of multifaceted eBook titles that pertain but are not limited to academic subjects such as: art, business and economics, education, language arts, literary criticism, medicine, performing arts, philosophy, poetry, political science, religion, social science, and technology and engineering.
Titles are added to our extensive collection each month, ensuring that users have access to the most current resources that are relevant to their research needs. All titles are available to users with free, equal and unlimited access.
To browse through our eBook Academic Collection, please click here:  http://ezproxy.alfred.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=ehost&defaultdb=e000xna
–Natalie Skwarek

Welcome to the Alfred University Library News Blog!

This blog, which we’ll more fully start posting to in January, is a replacement for the previously separate Herrick and Scholes Library blogs.  Since much of our news was relevant to both libraries, we decided to consolidate!

While we’ll certainly be using this blog to keep you up to date on official library news, it will also be much more than that.  We’ll be covering everything from our collections and services to theme posts dealing with university events, interviews with students and faculty, and, of course, news about upcoming library events or policy changes.  This eclectic mix will be made even more varied by our range of contributors, librarians and staff members from both the Scholes and Herrick Libraries.  Though many of our posts will be relevant to both libraries, some will give you the opportunity to explore a facet of one of the libraries more in-depth.

We welcome your feedback and questions in the comments section, and, while we’re at it, any suggestions for future blog posts!  Feel free to leave us a note about anything you think we should write about in the future.

More coming soon!