Test Tiles Create “Visual Companion”

A collection glaze test tiles, sketchbooks, tools and artifacts of Val Cushing’s Pottery practice are currently on display on the main floor of Scholes Library.  The Test Tiles  represent the painstaking work of the Grinding Room to mix and fire all of the glazes from Cushing’s Handbook, Val Cushing’s 1994 seminal work. The tiles are a visual companion to the recipes in the handbook. The collection of artifacts are loan from Elsie and Eric Cushing.
        
Images of the tiles, such as the ones above, are available at the Alfred Grinding Room website.
Val Cushing was born in Rochester, New York, on January 28, 1931. He received his BFA in 1952 from the School of Art & Design at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He then served two years in the Army during the Korean War. Afterwards, he returned to Alfred to complete his MFA in 1956. After a short stint teaching in Illinois, he again returned to Alfred where he taught until retirement in 1997 when he was designated professor emeritus.

Cushing was renowned for his utilitarian stoneware vessels, such as the one pictured here, which were included in more than 200 exhibitions over his career. His work can be found in the collections of many public and private museums and galleries, including the Smithsonian, the Brooklyn Museum, the Cooper-Hewitt, and the Everson Museum of Art.
In addition to his studio work, Cushing devoted his life to teaching students at Alfred and various craft schools and schools throughout the world. In 1987 he was named a Fellow of the American Craft Council. Additional awards included an artist grant from the National Endowment of the Arts; a Fulbright grant for teaching and research in Manchester, England, and an artist-in-residence grant at the Archie Bray Foundation as well as at the University of Wolverhampton, England.
The display was made possible by the Grinding Room at Alfred University and Scholes Library.
 
Photo Credits

Val Cushing: https://craftcouncil.org/post/remembering-val-cushing

Covered Jar: https://digital.craftcouncil.org/digital/collection/p15785coll13/id/3631

Back by popular demand, the Alfred University Libraries will be hosting its second annual plant giveaway.

Come down to either Herrick or Scholes Library on Wednesday, October 2nd starting at 10am to learn about library services and receive a free plant for your office or residence hall room.
These are no ordinary plants!
Each plant is a cutting or root division from one of the many plants living in Herrick or Scholes Library.  Each day they plants bring the warmth of nature into our library environment.  Now you can take a small piece of that with you to your daily environment

 
The plant cuttings and divisions were started in recycled K-Cups from the libraries’ Keurig coffee machine in an effort to reduce waste.

 

AU Joins SUNY-Wide Roll Out of New Search Interface, Primo

The AU Libraries have migrated to a new search interface called Primo, which will improve library services to the campus. The Library staff will also be using a corresponding new platform, called Alma, which manages all of the libraries’ back-office functions, including circulation, the acquisition and cataloging of print and electronic resources, and resource sharing within SUNY.
Alma/Primo offers library users with several new features, including:

• Mobile-friendly design
• An integrated search of physical and print materials at both Scholes and Herrick (videos, articles, books, databases, etc.)
• Ability to login to your account and renew materials from your home or office.
• Ability to save favorite searches or articles as well as manage personal accounts for renewals and other circulation functions
• Ability to search across the collections of all SUNY Libraries (and beyond) with links to request materials for inter-library loan
• Ability to return AU Library materials to either Herrick or Scholes

The library staff have been working over the last year to prepare for this transition and ensure only minimal disruptions to our patrons. This transition brings exciting changes, so we appreciate your patience as we expand and improve our services. We are aware of some issues with Primo and are working with SUNY and the vendor, Ex Libris, to improve performance.
If you have any questions, please contact us. If you would like to a walk-through regarding Primo and its new features or if you need to report a problem, please don’t hesitate to contact the libraries directly at libraries@alfred.edu or 607-871-2184 (Herrick) or 607-871-2492 (Scholes).

The Alfred University Libraries are pleased to announce that Mechele Romanchock is the new Director of Libraries.

In this role, Mechele will be responsible for managing the internal day-to-day operations of the University Libraries, working alongside Brian Sullivan, Dean of Libraries, to lead our talented and dedicated group of staff and librarians at Herrick and Scholes.
Mechele has served as the User Services Librarian at Scholes Library since 2016. Prior to that, she worked in a variety of academic, school, and public libraries, bringing a rich user experience, customer service, and leadership background to this position.
Mechele obtained an M.S. in Library Science from Clarion University in 2010, and is an Alfred alumna who earned a B.A. in Comparative Cultures in 2002.
Mechele will be sharing her time between our two libraries. She can be found either in Scholes 114 or Herrick 110, or contacted at romanchockm@alfred.edu.
Please join us in congratulating Mechele on her new role!

Alfred University Libraries will be open the following hours for Summer 2019:

Herrick Library

Scholes Library

Both Libraries will be Closed:

Thursday, July 4 / Independence Day

ALFRED, NY — 18 students were recently inducted into the Alfred University chapter of the honor society Phi Kappa Phi.
The ceremony,  held Tuesday, April 2, was presided over by chapter President Stephen Crandall, dean emeritus of libraries at Alfred University.  He was assisted by Chapter Treasurer Brian Sullivan, interim director of Alfred University Libraries. Herrick Library staffer Natalie Skwarek, assisted with many important behind the scenes preparations.
Herrick Library student workers inducted include juniors Gabrielle A. Griffin of Sterling, NY  and Amanda Meehan of Whitesville, NY.

A complete list of students inducted this year can be found here.
Congratulations to everyone!

Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi recognizes and promotes academic excellence in all fields of higher education. The Greek letters of Phi Kappa Phi stand for the society’s motto, “Philosophia Krateito Photon,” which is freely translated, “Let the Love of Wisdom Rule Humanity.”
The Alfred University chapter was established in 1970. In its annual initiation ceremony, held in the Herrick Library Bookend Lounge, the chapter honored the academic accomplishments of its newly inducted members.
Pictured in the photo above are newly inducted members of the Alfred University chapter of Phi Kappa Phi: (front from left) Kayleah Aldrich, Megan Alper, Heidi Boettcher, Lauren Germain, Zachary Plesmid; and (back from left) Samantha Kotze, Lyndsey McCoy, Holly Passetti, Sarah Raeman, Aidan Saccucci-Bryan, Natalie Turco, Benjamin Yonko and Gabrielle Griffin. Missing from photo are Charles A. McAllister Jr., Amanda Meehan, Angelica Sudore, Nathaniel Skeele and Zachary Goodwin.