Towers
Newsletter of the Library Associates of the University of Idaho Library Spring 2011
Inside this issue:
Senator James A. McClure
Senator James A. McClure...........................1
The passing of Senator James A. McClure, a political icon and one of the University of Idaho’s most distinguished graduates, invites continued discussion and study of his long and storied career in public service. In the months and years ahead students, scholars and curious citizens throughout Idaho and the nation will be guided in their inquiries by the vast archival holdings in the University of Idaho Library that reflect, describe and illuminate Senator McClure’s career.
Reference Department Implements New Services.....................................................2 Book Donation and Endowment by Robert and Shirley Strom...................3 Theodore Roosevelt Exhibit ......................3 New IQ System................................................4 Faculty Highlights .........................................4 Foursquare........................................................4 Ways to Give.....................................................5 Dean’s Corner...................................................5 Thank you Fall 2010 Donors ......................5
To subscribe to Towers please visit us at www.lib.uidaho.edu/giving/
P.O. Box 442350 Moscow, ID 83844 Phone: (208) 885-6534 Email: librdean@uidaho.edu
The McClure Papers, donated by Jim and his wife, Louise , another distinguished Vandal alumna and state leader in her own right, provide valuable insight into some of the most important and dramatic political moments, issues and events in recent memory. Indeed, Senator McClure’s remarkable tenure in Congress stretched from the Vietnam War, Watergate and the Nixon Presidency, through the rise and reign of Ronald Reagan and the Iran-Contra scandal, to the election of close-friend George H. W. Bush, the destruction of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, to the election of Bill Clinton. Few periods in America’s political history can claim to share the boisterous hurly-burly of politics, the constitutional crises and the transformational international events that characterized Jim McClure’s years in Washington. These historic years, in addition to the many issues that dominated America’s politics across three decades, are embodied in the McClure Papers, which have been ably and skillfully
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Volume 13, Issue 3
Senator McClure from the James A. McClure Papers in Special Collections & Archives. catalogued by Library Dean, Lynn Baird, and her talented and professional staff. Those who peruse the Papers will find not only documents, memos and records that describe and detail the Senator’s engagement in the debates and controversies of his time, but also a treasure trove of insights into his celebrated position as Chairman of the powerful Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The many photographs of Senator McClure, moreover, with various presidents, including Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, as well as those that include national and world leaders, will serve to remind Idahoans of the influence and stature that Senator McClure enjoyed. continued on page 2
Special Collections continued from page 1
Senator McClure’s rich legacy of leadership includes an emphasis on civic engagement, the art of compromise and political civility. His leadership and exemplary dedication to public service reminded University of Idaho President, M. Duane Nellis, of President John Quincy Adams’s words: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” Jim McClure was, without question, a man of deeply conservative political principles and western values. He stood his ground and defended his principles, of course, but he was also pragmatic, and understood that in a Democracy, the path to policy solutions and good governance requires negotiation, compromise and bi-partisan cooperation. Humble enough to know that he did not have all the answers to the pressing issues of his time, he was a good listener, soaking up information and facts, as well as the views and opinions of those with whom he disagreed. He exhibited an ability to look beyond political differences in search of solutions, and was fond of saying, “ We have every right to disagree, but we should do so agreeably.” In a political climate marred
His leadership and exemplary deddication to public service reminded University of Idaho President, M. Duane Nellis, of President John Qunicy Adams’s words: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
by stridency, threats and volatility, and by growing disinterest in facts, evidence and tolerance, and at a moment in our nation’s history when the need for civil discourse and political civility has never been higher, there is much to be learned from the statesman from Payette, whose life in the arena was a model of decorum. -David Gray Adler James A. McClure Professor Director of the James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research
Senator McClure with 40th President, Ronald Reagan, from the James A. McClure Papers in Special Collections & Archives.
Reference Department Implements New Services The University of Idaho Library implemented chat reference in the Fall of 2009, using the open source software Meebo. The service, which allows users to ask reference questions via instant message or chat, is available whenever the reference desk is staffed and is open to both university affiliates and community members. Since its launch, patron use of IM has been steadily increasing, with current reference statistics showing that IM questions now account for 9% of all questions asked, with 164 questions asked via IM during the first eight weeks of Spring Semester 2010. Our experience with IM has been such a success that the reference department began to explore other technological innovations in reference services in the Fall of 2010. The release of Google
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Voice provided us with a free, easy way to connect with users via SMS (short message service) without having to commit to a cellular contract or, more challenging, learn how to text! As with IM, text reference is available when the reference desk is open, and users can simply save our number (208.856.0814) to their phones and text us when they have questions. Since its implementation in January of 2010, the reference desk has answered 19 text questions. We hope that it will see as much success as our IM services, and are pleased to be able to reach our patrons in new ways, using new technologies. Many thanks to Jeremy Kenyon for his help with the implementation, technical and otherwise, of this service. -Kristin Henrich Reference Coordinator
Book Donation and Endowment by Robert and Shirley Strom The late Robert (BA ’49; JD ’52) and Shirley Longeteig (BA ’52) Strom have been history buffs all their lives. From the time they were married, they started collecting books on Idaho and Northwest history. Bob grew up in Kellogg, Idaho and was especially interested in northern Idaho mining history. Later, as attorney for the Nez Perce Tribe for 20 years, his interest in tribal history developed. Shirley’s special interest was in the early pioneers, especially women—like Eliza Hart Spalding and Narcissa Whitman, who with her husband, Marcus Whitman, founded the Protestant Whitman Mission near present day Walla Walla, Washington. Of their shared interests Shirley explained, “We visited second hand book stores wherever we went, and got catalogs from the publishers. A special occasion gift was often a special used book find.” Their lifelong pursuits resulted in a collection filling more than 11 boxes (over 200 volumes) at the point where Shirley decided it was time to donate it to the University of Idaho Library. Bob died in March 2008. Shirley recalled, “We always agreed that eventually whatever books they wanted would go to the University (always big Vandal fans!).” Within a year after Bob’s death Shirley said, “The time had come.”
Robert Strom from Gem of the Mountains 1952.
I would encourage anyone considering a gift to check that out.” The endowment is not just for the Strom donation, but to be used in the acquisition of additional special collections and archival tomes. The University of Idaho Library is extremely grateful to the Stroms for this wonderful gift of books and funds. Dean Lynn Baird remarked, “Shirley Strom has made an important contribution to our library. Her funds will continue to make a difference in the educational experience of future Vandal scholars.” -Ed McBride Gift Planning Services Office of Development Shirley Longeteig Strom from Special Collections & Archives. The Library Special Collections and Archives staff found virtually all the donated volumes to be in excellent condition and the entire collection was independently appraised for over $25,000. One book in particular was exceptionally valuable: a history of California’s early days by California Chief Justice Stephen J. Field, appointed in 1863 to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Abraham Lincoln. Field had given the book to his friend, Idaho Territorial Supreme Court Justice John R. McBride, and years later Mrs. McBride gave it to Bob. Shirley gave the Library the option of loaning, donating, selling or otherwise disposing of any books in the collection not found to be germane to its needs, but that has been the exception. Shirley didn’t stop with just contributing the collection, as generous as that gesture was. Realizing that keeping, cataloging and maintaining a collection takes money, she established an endowment concurrently with the book donation, named The Shirley Longeteig Strom and Robert C. Strom Library Special Collections Endowment, and has since added to it. She anticipates future additions. Says Shirley, “It has seemed easier and more tax efficient to give an annual gift rather than a lump sum, and
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Theodore Roosevelt Exhibit Currently, in the center of the Library and in the exhibit cases on the first floor, there is a display about Theodore Roosevelt’s visit in 1911. Roosevelt was the first president to visit the University on April 10, 2011. While he was here, he gave a speech in front of the Administration building and planted a tree near the Presidental Grove. The shovel he used is featured in the main display case. Photographs from the event are in Special Collections & Archives Historical Photograph Collection and have been digitized by Digital Iniatives. In the first floor hallway, books about the President are being showcased with a digital display of the pictures captured during the event. The digital display can be viewed from the library’s website at http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/ troosevelt/. Next month, student designed chairs from Interior Design 332, Furniture Design and Construction, will be showcased in the hallway.
Faculty Highlights: Idaho Library Association President New IQ System The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) donated a Mini CAVE, a small portable version of Cave Automatic Virtual Envirnment (CAVE) technology or IQ System. CAVE technology is a 3D visualization that allows scientists from a wide range of disciplines to see 3D images of their data. Using 3D glasses and a controller, a user can interact with the images and view the data from different perspectives. Up to four other people can view the same images.
One application for the new system would allow researchers to re-live earthquake events, by combining data sets from a variety of sources. This would allow them to understand what is happening below the surface during an earthquake leading to better predictions systems and creating better structural support for buildings. INL and CAES have given Boise State University and Idaho State University similar systems. Now, CAES and the three universities can work collaboratively on research projects. More information about the IQ System can be found on the Library website (http://www.lib. uidaho.edu/IQ/).
I have been a librarian at the University of Idaho Library since May 2006, working as a Reference Librarian until taking over as Head of Cataloging & Collections in June of 2009. I was recently elected President of the Idaho Librarian Association, and In October of 2010 I began my one-year term. The Idaho Library Association is Idaho’s state chapter of the American Library Association, and boasts over 400 current members. Our activities include hiring and working with a lobbyist in Boise to promote library funding and programs and monitor issues related to libraries; sponsoring and organizing an annual conference in the fall and multiple regional conferences in the spring; publishing the peer-reviewed, open-access journal The Idaho Librarian; sponsoring numerous scholarships and awards; and generally serving to help connect librarians throughout Idaho through educational and networking opportunities. As I serve my term, I have had the great pleasure of working with fellow board members from across this state to implement a new strategic planning process, work toward initiating a large-scale push for new members, and to
closely monitor and engage with issues in the state legislature including our recent work with legislators and citizens to reach a compromise on a controversial internet filtering bill affecting public libraries. - Ben Hunter ILA President Head of Cataloging & Collections University of Idaho Library
Ben Hunter, ILA President
Foursquare If you walk around campus and into the Library, you might notice “Foursquare CheckIn” stickers. So, what is Foursquare? According to the about page on the Foursquare website: “Foursquare is a location-based mobile platform that makes cities easier to use and more interesting to explore. By “checking in” via a smartphone app or SMS, users share their location with friends while collecting points and virtual badges. Foursquare guides real-world experiences by allowing users to bookmark information about venues that they want to visit and surfacing relevant suggestions about nearby venues.” Additionally, why would anyone use Foursquare? On April 15, 2011, the Telegraph, a UK based news source, published “The Top Five Reasons Why Foursquare’s Mainstream Success Is Inevitable”, a list of the best reasons on why to use Foursquare.
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Discounts and rewards. Checking in gives you access to special deals. Winning the game. People compete to gain the Mayor badge as well as other badges. Honest place reviews. Although not a unique function, it does give information about nearby locations. Efficiently managing the city. Websites, like the Wall Stret Journal, are making it easy to add reviews of restuarants and places to your “to-do” list. Increasingly insightful search. By indexing the information in Foursquare search engines can show trends and optomize real time results.
In short, it is like Facebook Places with competition through the accumulation of badges and a “to-do” list function.
Dean’s Corner We celebrate many accomplishments in April and none more important than the inaugural meeting of our new Library Advisory Board. Nearly a dozen library supporters will convene later this month to explore ways they can help us create the library our students and faculty deserve and need.
Ways to Give For more information on giving options and ensuring your gift is used exactly the way you want it to be, contact Dean Lynn Baird at (208) 885-6534. • Cash Gifts
Students use and value our library, evidenced by our recent recognition as “The Best Place to Study 2011”, a competition run by the Argonaut. We haven’t been an automatic winner in this category and I am convinced our excellent staff creates the welcoming environment that led to our award.
• Planned Giving • In-kind Gifts (Materials and Personal Collections) • Tax Benefits Appreciated Assets • Memorial or Honorary Gifts Lynn Baird, Dean of Library Services
Thank you for your continued support of the library. You are our partners in success.
Visit us online:
-Lynn Baird Dean of Library Services
www.lib.uidaho.edu
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Thank you Fall 2010 Donors Richard Abbott Donald Aiman and Margene Aiman Debra Arstein Verne Blalack and Judith Blalack Roberta Bonaminio and Edward Bonaminio Howbert Bonnett and Mary Bonnett Rhonda Brammer Michael Domy and Debora Domy Terry Eckwright and Gail Eckwright Leif Erickson and Julie Erickson Donna Fitzgerald Nick Fluge Ronald Force and Jo Ellen Force Gerald Funke John Galli Irene Gaskins Larry Godfrey and Arla Godfrey Terry Gray and Christine Gray Janet Greever John Haire and Jodi Haire Orval Hansen James Hertel and Jacqueline Hertel Mark Hirst and Barbara Hirst
For more information, please visit: www.lib.uidaho.edu/giving/ways. html
Wayne Hoss Wallace Johnson and Elaine Johnson Leonard Johnson Robert Klamt and Jacqueline Klamt James Larson Cecil Leonard and Ruth Leonard David Levine andJulie Levine Margaret Nell Longeteig Ronald Magden Marian Murta-Bell and Timothy Bell Madeline Naser James Neese Batric Pesic and Slavica Pesic Wellington Pierce and Bee Pierce Thomas Priest and Joan Priest Karin Rebuldela William Saul Joseph Schwartz and Katherine Aiken Peter Siems and Willemina Siems Elizabeth South and Peter South Robert Steele Gary Strong and Carolyn Strong Raymond Tjulander Boyd Yee and Daisy Yee
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P.O. Box 442350 Moscow, ID 83844 Phone: (208) 885-6534 Email: librdean@uidaho.edu