The Kept-Up Academic Librarian

Pop-Up Books Are Popular At This Academic Library

A college library might not be the first place you'd look to find colorful pop-up books of Charlie Brown, Darth Vader and the X-Men. But Florida Atlantic University's Wimberly Library has become a showroom for these colorful, movable, three-dimensional creations. The university's Arthur Jaffe Center for Book Arts has received a collection of about 450 pop-up titles during the past year, including some of the most popular and unusual books ever produced. But pop-up books aren't just for kids. The FAU collection features every genre found in regular books, including history, cooking, celebrities, geography, religion, health and art. Read more at:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-fau-popup-books-20120523,0,3552780.story 

 

The Libraries Are Transforming To The Library At UC San Diego

Thousands of students, faculty, staff and community members use the UC San Diego Libraries every day.  The Libraries provide more than 7 million digital and print volumes, journals and multimedia materials, and its resources and services are accessed on the Web almost 90,000 times a day.  Ever-evolving shifts in user needs and the continuous decline in state funding, have led the Libraries to implement a number of changes, including the consolidation of some library buildings and collections.  Brian E. C. Schottlaender, who joined the campus in 1999 as University Librarian and is the first holder of The Audrey Geisel University Librarianship, talks about the challenges and opportunities that come with organizational change, and how the Libraries will be transitioning over the next year. Read more at:
http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/features/qa_with_brian_schottlaender/

University Of Colorado Advocates For Public Access Legislation

University of Colorado leaders are advocating for a legislative bill that, if passed by Congress, would make academic journals -- which have been soaring in cost -- more accessible. The Federal Research Public Access Act of 2012 would require that taxpayer-funded manuscripts be made available to the public online at no cost and within six months of the article being published in a peer-reviewed journal. Both the CU Student Government and the United Government of Graduate Students have become Right to Research members. Right to Research is an international student coalition focused on open access to research. Read more at:
http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_20556453/cu-leaders-back-bill-that-would-increase-access

College Libraries Offer Puppies, Massages, Yoga And More To Help Students Cope With Finals Week Stress

Anyone who's suffered through finals week knows just how stressful it can be. But bring puppies into the mix and, at least for a moment, the stress evaporates. The library brought in the puppies to help students ease their stress as they prepare for finals next week. Organizers also are offering yoga classes, free 10-minute massages and a paper airplane contest today. "Working in the library, you can feel the anxiety level leap," librarian Jennifer Petersen said. "This is a real stressful week for them." Read more at:
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/may/03/college-brings-in-puppies-to-ease-students/

 

Academic Libraries And Foodservice Departments Make Good Campus Partners

There was a time when food in a library was definitely considered a no-no, but as technology has changed libraries have become more welcoming of foodservice as a way to bring traffic back to the stacks. Although there are still some campuses with libraries that are resistant to foodservices, operators say there can be no denying that library cafés build buzz. Menuwise, library cafés keep things simple. Coffee, tea, bottled beverages, pastries, grab-and-go sandwiches and salads are standard issue, along with some specialty items such as soups, brownies and chocolates. At UConn Pierce says the department has introduced two new options to their library café. Read more at:
http://www.foodservicedirector.com/trends/retail-experience/articles/library-cafes-balance-large-volume-small-spaces#.T5AoVm-Jqsc.facebook

Broadcast Pioneer Donates His Papers To Temple University's Archives

A man long associated with the history of broadcasting in Philadelphia has donated his personal archives to Temple University. "It's been a great time, and it's been a great experience," said broadcast pioneer Lew Klein.  For 60 years, a large collection of pictures sat piled in his basement, keepsakes too treasured to throw away. Now they will live forever. Donated to Temple University's archives, these testaments to his past will be part of the students' future. His later work would spur countless more to buy TV sets and want to be on them. As one of Channel 6's earliest employees, he produced all kinds of shows, including Bandstand, which went on to become American Bandstand with Dick Clark. Read and watch more at:
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8616007

Moving Books To Robotic Storage Is Cause For Cheers And Jeers

San Francisco State University has been renovating and expanding its library since 2008, and now the overhauled building is finally finished and partly open to students. But some who enter its newly pristine doors may notice something lacking: books. In a move that has thrilled some university employees and horrified others, only 25 percent of the collection of more than a million books and other materials will be available for browsing. San Francisco State is not alone; experts say there is a national trend toward digitizing university libraries. Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/us/at-san-francisco-state-a-split-over-its-high-tech-library.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss 

 

Student Use More Than Doubles At Renovated College Library

With the addition of the hip Global Village Cafe, the McHenry Library fully reopened last summer after six years of renovation and new construction costing $100 million. With laptop bars, couches for gathering, long study tables and an outdoor reading porch perched high among the redwoods, student use of the 47-year-old campus landmark has more than doubled since before the renovation. The overhaul began in 2005, when construction of an 81,000-square-foot addition got under way. Read more at:
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_19995664

Community College Plans A Dual-Use Library For Campus And Community

A massive skeletal structure has been growing over the corner of Tidewater Community College's campus on Rosemont Road near Dam Neck Road.Two stories high and sprawling across 120,000 square feet, the building soon will house an unusual dual-use library shared by the college and the city. Once completed - probably in about a year - the library will offer the popular titles and movies of a public library, plus the academic journals and resources of a college library. The partnership that led to the $53 million library is functional and financial, she said. The city contributed $11 million and the state provided $42 million. Read more at:
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/02/tccvirginia-beach-joint-library-sees-groundbreaking-event

Havard Announces It Will Reorganize Its Library System

Harvard University announced yesterday a sweeping overhaul of its labyrinthine library system, including the consolidation of services, the shuffling of many of its 900-plus employees, and offers of buyouts to others.Details will be finalized over the next few weeks, but the changes will affect staff at every level, provost Alan Garber said in a statement. With 73 semiautonomous branches, the library is the world’s largest academic collection, a point of pride at the school. But its size and structure have held back efforts to adapt to digital technology and the increasingly high cost of academic journals. Read more:
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/cambridge/articles/2012/02/11/harvard_plans_to_consolidate_libraries_shuffle_employees/