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UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY School of Library and Information Science Volume 30 Number 2 Greetings Fellow Alumni, I assumed the position of Director of the School of Library and Information Science the 15th of August, 21 years after I completed the School’s master’s-degree program. Needless to say, in August 1987 I never imagined that in August 2008 I would return to Lexington and the University of Kentucky as the School’s Chief Administrative Officer, but I am very pleased to have this opportunity to lead the SLIS and work with our fine faculty, staff, students, and you. As I settle into my new position and responsibilities, I’d like to share some thoughts with you, about library and information science, libraries, the rapidly changing information universe, and the School of Library and Information Science.

Emerging trends and technologies make this a particularly interesting and exciting time to work in the field of library and information science. However, the profession is facing what appears to be a variety of conflicting issues. For ex­ample, we continue to work toward providing seamless ac­cess to information resources. Yet at the same time, we are struggling with the concept of “library as space.” In many libraries and information centers, providing access to infor­mation resources regardless of geographic location has yielded reduced gate counts, lower circulation statistics, and fewer reference requests.

We have increased the use of virtual resources while lowering the use of physical re­sources. This now has us striving to re-imagine the work­place in order to maintain vibrant physical environments that attract our clients and patrons. Similarly, as we con­tinue to adopt Web-based resources, we have to determine better ways to bridge the digital divide. How do we support individuals who live in rural or remote areas where Internet access is often limited at best? How do we serve those por­tions of the population whose socioeconomic status makes home ac-

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Fall 2008 cess prohibitive? With the prevalence of e-mail and sites such as myspace and facebook, how do we change the misperception for some that the Web is simply a communi­cations forum or social networking resource – not a source of authoritative information? Even more challenging in the world of wikis, blogs, and podcasts, how do we serve those individuals who do not know how to – and do not want to learn how to – use the Web-based resources? To complicate things more, the current national economic downturn has yielded budget cuts that have directly affected local institu­tions. However, the expectation often is that service levels will be maintained and programs will continue to grow. But the cost of doing business continues to increase. The rising cost of fuel and energy has direct impact on our physical work environment. Subscription costs continue to rise de­spite various open access initiatives. And in many in­stances, the need to justify our existence has become even greater in light of shrinking revenue streams.

So, what is the School’s role in all of this? The SLIS fac­ ulty remains dedicated to preparing library and information science professionals who are competitive in today’s work­place. We will continue to monitor emerging trends and technologies, identify relevant issues, and adapt accord­ingly. We will continue an ongoing systematic review of the curriculum and make changes to course offerings and content as necessary. We will continue to seek input from prospective and current students, alumni, employers, and others to ensure that we are providing programs that meet the needs of our constituents. In short, we will continue to grow so that we may build on our rich history of serving the library and information science community in and around the state of Kentucky.

Best wishes, Jeff Huber

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Peripatetic Banquet Tries Campbell House in 2008; Moves to Radisson Plaza in 2009 SLIS’s Carlson Not Implicated in Lafayette Closing In the newsletter last fall we reported that, after years at Spindletop Hall, the Alumni and Awards Banquet in 2007 moved to the Lafayette Club. The relocation was due to uncertainty about the availability of Spindletop Hall when the banquet would be held. However, after the first of the year, and after Budget Officer Lousetta Carlson had reserved facilities at the Lafayette Club for the 2008 banquet, it abruptly closed. Lousetta reviewed several locations and reserved facilities at the Campbell House, where the banquet was held. Some readers may remember that the Campbell House has a large swimming pool within the building, and those of us who attended the 2008 banquet can attest that the pool attracted a number of children that Friday evening, and that they seemed to enjoy themselves and the pool. In spring 2009 the banquet moves again, to the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Lexington.

At this year’s banquet Mary Landrum received the LISSO Leadership Award and the Melody Trosper Award.

Cindy Edgington Miller (’82) received the Outstanding Alumna/us Award. Director Tim Sineath presented Professor Jackie White, who had announced her decision to retire, with a gift to recognize her contributions to the School and especially its School Media program. Professor Joe Miller presented Professor Timothy Sineath, who had announced his decision to leave the Director’s position, with a gift from faculty and staff to recognize his service as the School’s chief administrative officer.

Each year at the banquet, those who accept the invitation to join Beta Phi Mu are inducted in the international honor society for library and information studies and information technology. From the 2007-2008 graduating class, those invited to membership were: among August 2007 graduates, Clay Howard, Heather Petsche, Andrew Prellwitz, Sandy Rodriguez, Lise Tewes, and Christina Zavos.; among those who completed the program in December 2007, Laura Edwards, Karen Evans, Ruthie Maslin, Christy Morrow, Heidi Neltner, Sandra Nickell, Diane Owens, Christina Rodriguez, and Kathy Watson; among May 2008 graduates, Kristen Barras, Lesley Chapman, Bonnie Danner, Jennifer Hanneken, Peter Howard, Mary Landrum, Derrick Meads, Suzette Yetman.

Final Exam Study Wiki Released Surely, all graduates of the School remember the dreaded “comps” that must be contended with – the four-hour, threeessay exam that is a part of degree requirements. Over the years LISSO, the student organization, has arranged comps reviews, but this spring outgoing LISSO President Cheri Daniels took the review to the next level, when she released “the SLIS Comps Study Wiki.” Announcing the wiki, Cheri credited collaborator fellow student Jennifer Mattern.

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Banquet photos, top-to-bottom: LISSO President Cheri Daniels presents the Leadership Award to Mary Landrum; Director Tim Sineath presents the Mel­ody Trosper Award to Mary; Tim presents a gift to Prof Jackie White; Prof Joe Miller presents a gift to Director Sineath; Profs Stephanie Reynolds and Jackie White, Mary Landrum and her mother, Sarah Landrum.

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Please, we need your help.

We have begun to plan for the next accreditation review, and gathering information from graduates is an important step. Here is the URL for the alumni survey, which we ask you to complete. Thank you very much.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=zzcvAORduLbj05UV6xdJzQ_3d_3d

Prof Sujin Kim Receives Substantial Grant in Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program Massachusetts General Hospital, UK Markey Cancer Center, College of Health Sciences Collaborate On June 17, the Institute of Museum and Library Services announced Assistant Professor Sujin Kim was awarded a $339,420 research grant. The IMLS press release reads: “Project Title: ‘A STUDY OF METADATA FRAMEWORK FOR DIGITIZED PATHOLOGIC IMAGES’ This Early Career Development grant will provide support for Assistant Professor Sujin Kim to study four different existing methods of describing and representing medical pathology images, leading to one standardized descriptive framework so that clinicians and medical researchers can more readily share information about these images. The researcher will convene focus groups of experts from both the medical and information professions to inform the model, test that model against industry standards for pathologic imaging properties, and evaluate its effectiveness in data retrieval. This project will extend librarianship’s knowledge and skills to a non-traditional library ‘collection,’ while significantly aiding medical imaging through the creation of an integrated standard that will foster seamless searching across different image storage systems.”

The project is a three-year collaboration with the UK Markey Cancer Center, UK College of Health Sciences, and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Banquet photos, top-to-bottom: Terry Birdwhistell and Wayne Onkst; Joe Miller with Amy Laub, Kathy McCardwell, and Kristen Barras; Janice Birdwhistell, Jim and Becky Nelson, Joe Miller; Will Buntin and Shana Herron.

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Sujin explained her project for newsletter readers: The ability to represent relevant metadata for medical images is essential to many biomedical research endeavors in information retrieval. For any types of information-bearing entities, whether texts or images, the foremost step is to represent contained information into any formats of surrogate records, including library catalogs. With the advent of digital imaging in pathology, visual findings related to the diagnoses of disease are increasingly captured and stored in digitized formats. However, the descriptions of these images are not always linked to clinical records, specimen preparation information, and demographic information. This project is designed to address critically important needs of the biomedical imaging community for metadata tools supporting comprehensive biomedical image libraries.

According to IMLS, Sujin’s is one of 31 grants, totaling $20.3 million “as part of the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program.”

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McConnell Conference 2008: Weaving Worlds, Connecting Culture

Authors, Illustrators, and Attendees Celebrate Diversity We thank former McConnell Center Graduate Assistant Mary Landrum for the following account of the 2008 McConnell Children’s Literature Conference.

T

late. According to many attendees, this smaller session conhe 2008 McConnell Children’s Literature Conference tained practical tips for using picture books to engage young continued the School of Library and Information Scichildren with art and literature. ence’s storied tradition of bringing youth literature’s brightKentucky treasure George Ella Lyon gave the conferest stars to the heart of the Bluegrass. This year’s theme was ence’s luncheon speech. She celebrated the beauty of her “Weaving Worlds, Connecting Cultures,” and each presennative Eastern Kentucky mountains, and of the natural tation celebrated the concept of diversity, whether it be diworld in general. She also described the creative process versity of thought, ethnicity, or creative approaches to enthat resulted in her most recent picture book, My Friend, the gaging young people and books.

Starfinder.

The Conference began with dinner and the second annual Mrs. Fleming and Mrs. Lyon met with conference attenJoy Terhune Lecture. The lecture is named for Professor Emerita Joy Terhune, who, with colleague the late Professor dees in more intimate sessions after lunch. Participants also Emerita Anne McConnell, helped to make the conference could attend a presentation about library services to Latino the exciting professional development opportunity it is toyouth. This session, offered by staff from the Lexington day. This year’s lecturer was Public Library, provided beloved novelist and picture helpful ideas for how to make book author Pam Muñoz Ryan, members of this growing who shared comical letters that immigrant community feel her young fans have written to welcome in our state’s schools her over the years. and libraries.

The dinner was followed by The conference closed with a book signing and reception, the Author Round Robin, an where teachers and librarians opportunity for attendees to got to mix and mingle with a mix and mingle with local and variety of children’s literature national authors and illustraluminaries. Continuing a tors.

Kentucky authors Professor Stephanie Reynolds and Graduate Assistant popular tradition, books were Michael L. Cooper, Martha Mary Landrum flank Pam Muñon Ryan available for purchase thanks Bennett Stiles, and Patsi Trollto the Blue Marble Children’s Bookstore, an independent inger joined George Ella Lyon and Denise Fleming for a bookseller in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Betsy Groen and Tish casual hour of refreshments and conversation.

Gayle from the Blue Marble also contributed to the conference by presenting sessions about new and notable books McConnell Conference 2009 for young people. The conference would not have been Conference Coordinator Professor Stephanie Reynolds was possible without the support of The Blue Marble and many fortunate to provide this year’s attendees a sneak peek of wonderful volunteers. next year’s conference offering. Toward the end of the conThe conference continued the next day, with Pam Muñoz ference, she announced that Gary D. Schmidt would be a Ryan conducting a smaller breakout session where conferfeatured presenter in 2009. Schmidt won a 2008 Newbery ence attendees asked questions about her life and work. The Honor for his comic novel The Wednesday Wars. He also breakout sessions also continued the McConnell Conference received Newbery and Printz Honors for his 2005 novel, tradition of students in course LIS 611 Critical Analysis of Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. Dr. Reynolds has Youth Literature presenting the 2008 Caldecott, Newbery, since announced that renowned young adult author Chris and Printz Medal and Honor Books to professionals from Crutcher will speak at the 2009 conference, as will illustraacross the state. tor E. B. Lewis.

The mid-morning general session was presented by beEveryone involved with this year’s McConnell Conferloved picture book author and illustrator Denise Fleming, ence hopes that many will return next year for another excitwhose funny and dynamic stage presence was a hit with ing celebration of literature for young people. The 2009 conference attendees. She even lured a number of them to McConnell Conference will be February 27 – 28 at the Grifher afternoon breakout session with the promise of choco fin Gate Marriott in Lexington.

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UK Spared ‘Devastating’ Budget Reduction General Assembly Cuts in Half Governor Beshear’s Recommended 12% Reduction in State Funding

Budget Realities Force Newsletter Change To Reduce Cost, Future Issues to be Electronic

When Jeff Huber became Director of the School, on August 15, he discovered the budget projection for this fiscal year We reported in the spring that, in his January 29 budget showed a deficit of $31,500. Jeff and Budget Director address to the General Assembly, Kentucky Governor Steve Lousetta Carlson examined every facet of School activities Beshear proposed a 12 percent reduction in funding for to identify ways to decrease spending or increase revenue. higher education in the fiscal year beginning July 1, as one One painful decision was to end publication of the newsletof a number of steps to deal with substantial revenue shortter in paper format. The cost to print falls anticipated for fiscal years 2008-09 Please submit nominations and mail the newsletter has increased and 2009-10. The Governor had earlier announced a three percent cut in higher persistently, and the spring 2008 issue for the 2009 Outstanding education funding for fiscal 2007-08, in cost about $2500 to print and nearly Alumna/us Award response to a $434 million revenue short$1500 to mail. Income from alumni to Director Jeff Huber fall for that fiscal year. association dues falls far short of what is jeffrey.huber@uky.edu Immediately following Governor needed to sustain the newsletter.

by December 19.

Beshear’s budget mes­sage, President Todd If you would like to receive future Tell us why you believe the sent a message to the UK community: issues of the newsletter electronicalperson deserves the award. ly, please send your e-mail address to [I]f the Governor’s recommendation is Student Affairs Officer Will Buntin: enacted by the General As­sembly … it would have a devwill.buntin@uky.edu astating im­pact on our University. [T]he cuts the Gover-

nor proposes would require tough choices with damag­ing consequences. Because over 75% of our state appropria­ tions are used for salary and bene­fits, we would have to con­sider everything - including layoffs, salary and benefit freezes, and program closures…. * * * [T]he next two months will be full of debates in Frankfort and stories in the papers.

The “debates” President Todd referred to included a proposal for an increase in the tax on cigarettes as well as Governor Beshear’s proposal that a constitutional amendment be placed on the November ballot to permit ca­sino gambling. If the amendment passed, casino gambling was expected to generate substantial revenue for the State. However, the Governor’s proposal faced considerable opposition.

The General Assembly did not increase the cigarette tax, nor did it agree with the Governor’s proposal that a constitutional amendment be placed on the November ballot to permit ca­sino gambling in Kentucky. The budget the General Assembly developed and Governor Beshear signed into law reduces state funding for higher education by three percent.

When added to the three percent reduction Governor Beshear had imposed earlier, state funding for UK this fiscal year is down $20.2 million. The University responded by cutting 188 positions, raising tuition substantially, carrying some money over from fiscal 2007-2008, and announcing there would be no raises this fiscal year.

We noted, in the spring newsletter, that until UK knew state funding for the coming biennium, the School was unable to make an offer for the new faculty position whose incumbent would establish an information studies minor.

The work of that person would lay the foundation for entry to the undergraduate curriculum, seen as an essential step in the School’s evolution. However, the position was lost due to the budget cut.

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David Johnson to Leave Dean’s Position J. David Johnson, who came to the University of Kentucky in August 1998 as Dean of the College of Communications and Information Studies, has announced he will leave that position June 30, 2009, but remain at UK as a faculty member in the Department of Communication. (The School of Library and Information Science is within the College of Communications and Information Studies, along with the Department of Communication and the School of Journalism and Telecommunications.) The sustained applause Dean Johnson received at the August 25 College Assembly was an expression of thanks for his leadership. He has been a good friend of the School of Library and Information Science and a trieless advocate for, among other things, money from the University to complete the space on the third floor of Little Fine Arts Library building. UK Provost Kumble Subbaswamy will appoint a committee this fall to undertake a national search for the next Dean.

SLIS Fall Enrollment at Upper End of Ideal Enrollment in the School’s master’s-degree program this fall is 214, on a headcount basis, near the upper end of what is regarded to be the ideal range of 180-220. Enrollment last fall was 216. Several years ago, as one step in response to unsustainably high enrollment, faculty decided to suspend spring admission, with the thought some of those who might have applied to the School, when January admission was an option, would apply to other LIS programs. However, the number of fall applications since then suggests that did not happen. After further discussion we have decided to resume spring admission, as a way to reduce the large enrollment swing between fall and spring.

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Entering Student Jennifer Green Continues SLIS Success in Fellowship Competition Jennifer Green, who enrolled in the master’s-degree program this fall, continues the School’s excellent record of landing Graduate School Multi-Year Fellowships. The record is all the more impressive in that, in the competition for the awards, students in master’s programs compete with students in doctoral programs. Moreover, for this year, due to reduced state funding, the Graduate School awarded only three Multi-Year Fellowships among all graduate programs.

The Fellowship is for $18,000 plus a tuition scholarship.

Jennifer graduated from Campbellsville University, where she majored in communications and religion and earned a grade point average of 3.977. She subsequently earned a Master of Divinity degree at Duke University, where she established a grade point average of 3.78. Her Graduate Record Examination scores place her in the 99th percentile in the verbal test, 90th percentile in the quantitative text, and 96th percentile in the analytical writing test.

In her application to the School, Jennifer wrote: “I am very interested in public librarianship. Public access to information, community education, and outreach to both children and adult readers intersect in public libraries in a way that excites me. I am also particularly interested in focusing some of my study on children’s and young adult literature.”

News worth repeating

Newsletter in Paper Format Comes to an End, Another Victim of Financial Hard Times Please Send Us Your E-Mail Address This issue of the SLIS newsletter, volume 30 number 2, is the last issue to be published in paper. Over the years the gap has widened steadily between income from alumni association dues and the cost to print and mail the newsletter.

Last spring’s edition, for example, cost about $2500 to print and nearly $1500 to mail. And of course neither of those costs is going to decrease. The School can no longer make up the difference, and so, with volume 31 number 1, spring 2009, the newsletter will be published digitally.

We want to get it to you. The UK Alumni Association is the source of address labels, and that office has told College Development Officer Janice Birdwhistell the Alumni Association has e-mail addresses for many of our alumni. However, the number of e-mail addresses on file, 1,541, is fewer than half of the number of postal addresses the Association forwarded to us to mail this issue, 3,348.

To receive the newsletter electronically, please send your e-mail address to the School’s Student Affairs Officer, Will Buntin, who will pass it along to the Alumni Association.

Will’s address is: will.buntin@uky.edu

The School’s new quarters, clockwise from above: a view from the broad corridor into the reception area; the seating area in the spacious corridor; the School’s classroom with 28 work stations; the very attractive and large lounge; the seating area in the reception area.

Photos courtesy of Cindi Trainor (’94)

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AACR2, Catalog Cards and the Electric Eraser : Lessons from Library Automation Cindy Edgington Miller Cindy Edgington Miller (’82) received the School’s 2008 Outstanding Alumna/us Award. It was presented to her at the April Alumni and Awards Banquet, at which she delivered the Cobb Memorial Lecture. We thank Cindy for providing the text of her enjoyable talk, which we are pleased to make available to newsletter readers.

I cannot believe I am standing up here accepting this award. log. This task involved changing the old forms of corporate I am both honored and humbled. I don’t know which is names to the new ones. “California. University of. Davis.” more difficult to believe – that you all think I am a distinchanged to “University of California. Davis.” I later found ­guished alumna or that it has been over 25 years since I got out that this process was known as “desuperimposition.” In my MLS. a law library, just about every publication is produced by or When I spoke with Dennis about this talk, I offered that about a corporate author, so this change affected nearly maybe I could share a sentimental journey that touches on a every title in the collection. Here’s what I had to do: little history of the library automation industry and some of • My boss would give me the shelf list cards for a group the experiences that brought me to it. Thanks for indulging of titles that needed to change. She penciled in the new form me. of the name.

As I thought about this presentation, a mil­• I would pull the card sets from the card lion anecdotes came to mind. Like the time in catalog for each title.

1991 when my boss at NOTIS systems called • Using a tool called an electric eraser, I me into his office to see this new project from would erase the old form of the name on each the University of Illinois called “The World of the cards and type in the new form.

Wide Web.” Or the time in 1997 in Ardmore, • Now let me tell you a little about that Oklahoma when I saw a baby dancing over an elec­tric eraser. It was a device about the size experimental network that was wireless. Alas, of an old fashioned computer mouse with a most of these charming anecdotes just made metal bracket in the bottom. You inserted a me realize how easy it would be for this talk to special eraser – about the size of a pencil – descend into one of those dreaded old fogy plugged it in, turned the device on, and ran it ramblings about walking to school in the over the text you wanted to erase. If your hand freezing cold, uphill both ways. slipped, or the eraser wore unevenly, or you I’ll try not to bore you with the complete weren’t really paying attention, sometimes Cindy Miller delivers story of my life in library automation. Rather, what got erased was not the right text. I often the Cobb Lecture I’ve chosen a few lessons I learned, and will ended up with a diagonal blank line through try to offer a little advice to any of you who the text of the card and had to type just single might be interested in a non-traditional library career. But if letters on each line. anybody wants to hear old war stories about IBM main• When I had all of the cards erased and typed, I put them ­frame software that ran in 256K, including the operating back in the catalog in the appropriate location. This often system, just let me know. I also know where you can get a involved major shifting, since entries often moved from one 2MB hard drive for a DEC Rainbow personal computer. end of the catalog to another. Fortunately, I passed the filing

test by spring of my freshman year and was allowed to file Lesson #1: If something drives you crazy cards below the rod.

The first lesson I’ll talk about is the one that ultimately This card catalog task was absolutely mind numbing. I drove my career. It’s best summed up as: “Identify procasked my boss why we couldn’t just type one extra card ­esses that drive you crazy, and come up with ways to with the new form of name for each title and add it to the change them.” card catalog. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I just When I was an undergraduate student, my work study job really wanted to add a new access point. She rightly pointed was in the Petit College of Law Library at Ohio Northern out that we just didn’t have the space in the cabinets for a hundred thousand new cards.

University. I worked there 20 hours a week for four years.

My job was to perform the “AACR2 flip” on the card cata­ I learned a great deal from Marcia, my boss at the law

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library. When I started undergrad, I fully intended to head on to law school. Money was very tight, and Marcia sug­gested I look into library schools. I started looking, liked what I saw and with the ink still wet on my diploma, I headed off to Lexington 18 days after graduation.

I started my MLS program during summer intersession, and my first class was Introduction to Cataloging, taught by that wonderful gentleman, the late John Bryant. I discovered that I really liked cataloging and classification, so there was no question in my mind that I would take Dr. Chan’s ad­vanced cataloging classes. I must have been a better student than I thought, because in later years, whenever I ran into Dr. Chan at conferences, she always offered to help me find a real job.

As a part of my financial aid package with UK, I had both a fellowship and a graduate assistantship. Both required that I work at M. I. King Library.

My first job was in the Government Docu­ments Unit, and I’ll talk a little about that one later. My second assistantship was in the SOLINET Processing Unit. Oh man, what a place! There was a glassed-in room full of enormous computer terminals -- all connected through each other through a giant modem to the Online Computer Library Center, and King Library used those machines to produce, not some, but all of their catalog cards. Once it became known that I had a classical music background, my focus became the huge backlog of musical scores. If there was cataloging copy on OCLC, good luck finding it.

Searching on OCLC required a search key contrived of a few letters from words in the title or author. Ask any older cataloger how you used to search OCLC, and you will hear the same thing: “Title: three comma two comma two comma one Author: four comma three comma one Author/title: four comma four” (These stand for number of letters in each word, followed by a comma, etc.)

Of course, the most direct way to search for anything (aside from OCLC number) was LCCN, the control number for the title in the Library of Congress catalog. But, LC didn’t catalog scores in the system that fed records into OCLC. Consequently, I did a lot of original cataloging of musical scores, and it was pretty darned hard, mostly be­cause there were so few examples in OCLC. Throughout library school, classes tantalized me with concepts like linked authority files and keyword searching.

Linked authority files, then provided only by the Washing­ton Library Network (WLN), made so much sense to me.

My course of study concentrated on cataloging and classifi­

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cation, and the idea of changing a heading one place and having it change everywhere seemed like it would solve a lot of problems with pulling up related titles, especially for music.

My years in library automation, first at Data Research Associates (DRA, now part of SirsiDynix), then NOTIS Systems (also part of SirsiDynix), then Endeavor Informa­tion Systems (now part of Ex Libris Group), were strongly influenced by everything that electric eraser represented.

Bibliographic data contained a wealth of information, and my goal as an analyst and designer was to make it easy to find data and efficient to change it. Authority files repre­sented a much easier way to change biblio­graphic headings everywhere they occur. It took me three systems and several years to pull it off, but when I actually watched Library of Congress staff fire up a live global subject headings change from “Electronic computers” to “Computers,” I finally exor­cised my electric eraser demon!

Lesson #2: What precedes why The next lesson I’d like to illustrate is a basic extension of the classic reference interview: “Ask what, then ask why.” If you should find yourself asked to define a new process or system, be sure you know why each step is important. During my ten­ure at DRA, I was tasked with designing a new acquisitions and serials module, so I did it. The programmers coded it, and the customers weren’t too thrilled. It was clunky and cumbersome, partly because of the lack of technology, but mostly because I did not have any conversations with the people who would use it.

By the NOTIS Horizon and Endeavor days, I figured out that the library staff that uses the software has a big stake in how it works. Endeavor’s design philosophy included cus­tomer feedback at every level, and I often traveled to differ­ent libraries to find out what they needed from their sys­tems.

I would scrawl a request for a title on a piece of paper and have acquisitions and serials staff tell me all of the steps they took from receiving the request, through ordering, re­ceipt, payment, and reporting. It was usually a fascinating and often an entertaining process. My favorite story from one of those sessions took place at a big Midwestern re­search library. We were talking about invoices, and a staff member was adamant that she required five printed copies of every invoice logged from the system. Her supervisor was appalled, and after some not-so-gentle probing on the supervisor’s part, we learned that each of those five copies was filed in a different place in a different way (e.g., by invoice number, order number, title, etc.). In an earlier life, I

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would have designed a flag that allowed the staff member to print five copies. Because we asked her why, we delivered a system with virtually unlimited access points for an invoice, and she quit filing any copies!

the user interface. This separation allowed us to access data in different ways, and we wanted to revolutionize how pa­trons found information. We commissioned a new search engine for the system just before Ameritech, our corporate owner, bought Dynix. There was a great deal of corporate Lesson #3: Past failures to new solutions wrangling for about a year, most of it involving the new The next lesson I’d like to talk about is “Use your past product from each company: Marquis from Dynix and NO­failures to verify new solutions.” As you may have already TIS Horizon. To make a long story short, Dynix won, NOfigured out, the technological landscape in my early years in ­TIS Horizon got killed, NOTIS Horizon customers lost their the profession was somewhat limited. As I mentioned a little software, Marquis got renamed Horizon, a bunch of people earlier, I also worked with government documents during lost their jobs (one of us over voice mail), and that custom library school. The Government Documents unit was an search engine was never delivered. amazing lesson in the value of description and access points.

We formed Endeavor Information Systems Inc. out of the As a US Federal, state, regional and selective UN docuwreckage of NOTIS in the summer and fall of 1994. One of ­ments repository, our unit received thousands of documents the first things we did was contact Jeff, our search engine every day. Finding the one or two items that patrons wanted guy, to have him finish it for our new system. He did, we sometimes took hours of poring over the GPO Monthly plugged it in, and I thought my searching trauma was finally Catalog or various volumes of Statistical Abstracts. Then over. there was the trip to the M. I. King basement to get the So what was the big deal about this search engine? Well, documents. Did I mention that I worked nights? Every time the first thing was that it indexed dynamically. When a new I headed down those dark stairs to record was added, the dictionary retrieve a document, I thought, updated automatically. No other “There has just got to be a better keyword search engine did that. But way….” the really big deal was that it used Online reference classes in library relevance feedback. Lycos, the first school were a revelation. We web-based relevance engine, learned to search online article abdebuted in the fall of 1994, so we stract data­bases provided by BRS were just months behind them when and Dialog with complicated, nested we first demonstrated our searching Boolean search strings. I was features. It was so very cool. By the fascinated by the concepts, but I way, Google came along in 1996. wasn’t very talented at implementing I was truly stunned at the negative Tim Sineath Presents the Outstanding Alumna Award to Cindy Miller them. In fact, the only C in my reactions we experienced with the academic career was in Symbolic relevance feedback. During a stand­ Logic, ironic indeed for someone who became a relational ing room only demonstration at a large research library, a database designer. I guess that’s why they call it applied prospective customer stood and shouted, “You people don’t science! know what you’re doing!” The negative sentiments were After I received my library degree, my stage was set. As expressed everywhere, and for a short time we were reviled the Assistant Librarian at Lexington Technical Institute in the library press. (now Bluegrass Community and Technical College), I was Fortunately, our first customer came to our rescue. Michi­ready to show off everything I had learned in library school. gan Technological University asked that we load their entire We began offering online searching for our faculty. One of bibliographic database prior to their committing to buy the our civil engineering professors was researching new con­ system. I was demonstrating with their data, and a really struction methods in reinforced concrete construction and contentious discussion started about the relevance ranking. I came to me for an online search. After over $200 in connect told everyone my shameful “concrete construction methods” time at 600 baud, I delivered only six citations that were story, and they challenged me to do the same search on their even remotely relevant. It’s a very good thing that the posidata. I typed in “reinforced concrete construction methods,” ­tion was tenure track – I could not be fired. Still, I was and they executed a complicated Boolean search on their pretty humiliated.

NOTIS system with the same data. I got one more relevant Fast forward to the early 1990’s, when I was designing hit and several others that bore investigation, and from that the new NOTIS Horizon system. This system was unlike moment, the folks at MTU were converts. any other in that the database side was totally separate from

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Lesson #4: Cool may not be enough We knew from its founding that we would eventually sell Fortunately, the search engine programmer had also deEndeavor. When you have a successful company, there are ­signed a Boolean layer, and once we turned that functional­ really only three options: go public, keep it, or sell it. Our ity on, the sales process got easier. Sure, we played down marketplace was too limited to sustain a public company, so the new technology somewhat, but we had to sell systems to any thoughts of an IPO were really pure fantasy. To keep stay in business. Another lesson learned: “Just because it’s Endeavor, we would have had to sustain our frantic pace, cool, it doesn’t mean people will like it.” and we were all getting a little older. The library market was

ready for new technology, including non-bibliographic col­ Lesson #5: There’s no substitute for timing lections, electronic resource management and digital rights No story I could tell you would be complete without a bit management. We needed a partner to help us expand the about the business at Endeavor. This final lesson applies to business into this arena. It was time to sell. We sold Enmy whole life: “Never discount being in the right place at ­deavor to Elsevier Science in April 2000. Once again, our the right time.” From the company’s timing was incredibly lucky. founding in 1994 until my retirement My professional involvement with in 2001, we designed, programmed Endeavor ended in June 2001. My and delivered a complete system from Endeavor life was lived in “dog scratch and sold and installed over years,” and all of the stress and travel 850 of those systems in over 1,000 exacted a physical toll. After my individual libraries. And it didn’t stop doctor “grounded” me indefinitely, I after I left. decided it was time to go.

How did we do it? First we had an

extremely talented and dedicated Final lesson: Change is the one Cindy and Paul Miller with staff, and we involved them in the constant Dean David Johnson business. Every employee was a So what was the point of this whole shareholder, and senior management rambling monologue? Throughout your took that responsibility very seriously. Secondly, we were careers, some of these lessons I’ve learned might come in profitable from our sec­ond full quarter of operations. We handy. Always try to identify processes that drive you crazy, avoided the Dot Com syndrome of endless rounds of venand come up with ways to change them. If you’re the person ture capital investment, because no one wanted to invest in a that has to carry out the process, talk it through, and suggest library software com­pany in the 1990s. Since we couldn’t constructive ways to improve. If you’re the “systems type” borrow money, we needed to sell and deliver systems. looking to design or code the improvements, talk to those Our staff was experienced in the library automation busipersons affected by your changes. Be sure to ask not only ­ness. Jane Burke, our President and CEO, had been in the what, but why. Use your previous failures when you evalubusiness for a very long time, as had I. We all had a pretty ate changes. Does a new process really make a task easier good understanding of what is an extremely complex techand yield better re­sults, or is it just cool? Perhaps most im­nical undertaking. Most of us had been together at NOTIS, portantly, pay atten­tion to time and place, and sometimes and some of the programmers went back even further to the you’ll be very lucky. days of the first ATM software in Chicago.

With the exception of OCLC, none of the companies I’ve Our customers helped us at every step and were truly mentioned still exists. Margaret I. King Library has been part­ners. The early adopters gave us valuable product feedreplaced as the main campus library by the extraordinary ­back and gave frank, yet favorable, references to their peer and beautiful Young Library. The former SOLINET Procinstitutions. Later customers joined a well-organized user ­essing Unit is the new home for the School of Library and community.

Information Science. Director Sineath is retiring. Change is Mostly though, Endeavor’s story is one of lessons learned the one constant in life. I sincerely hope that each of you and unbelievable timing. We started the company at a time takes a chance and brings about the next level of change in when there was an enormous market opportunity. With the the library world. But please, don’t ever bring back the eledemise of NOTIS Horizon, there was no system that used ctric eraser. new technology and was specifically geared to academic Thanks and best of luck to all of you. and research libraries. The time was right, and we built that system.

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Jonathon Erlen Reflects on Dual Careers

http://www.hsls.pitt.edu/guides/histmed/research resources/dissertations/index_html John has published in several formats – books, jourScholar – Librarian Touts Importance of nal articles, book reviews, videotapes, and audiotapes. He Advanced Degree in Subject Field for has published four books, ranging from an extensive bibProspective Academic Librarians liography of history of medicine secondary sources, to mid-17th century medical treatments for the public in Not long after the fall 2007 issue of the newsletter England, and the evolution of American federal policy on appeared, we learned of the career of Jonathon Erlen illicit drugs in the 20th century. His most significant work (’73). A Google search produced more than 4,100 hits, is his co-editorship of an issue of the Magazine of Hisone of which included John’s e-mail address at his curtory for the Organization of American Histo­rians which rent employer, the University of Pittsburgh. We sent an explains how history of medicine can be incorporated e-mail to him, explained that we write the UK SLIS into general American History survey courses. alumni newsletter, and said we’d like to include informaEarly this year we had a delightful phone conversation about his work in the publication. We asked John if tion with John. He said he had been fortunate, in his he’d be willing to provide information about his career, work, to be able to combine two different but related caand he sent us his CV. reers, one in librarianship and one in teaching and scholJohn earned a BA in history at Indiana University in arship. He said it was the doctorate in history that paved 1968 and then came to the University of Ken­tucky for the way for his teaching career and graduate school. At UK he earned an MA in history in 1970 and en- Because of my scholarship, I know established a solid foundation for scholarship, and he urged anyone rolled in the MSLS pro­gram while enough to truly help those who wanting to pursue a career in acaworking on a doctorate in American come to me for history of the health ­demic librarianship to have at least colonial history. In 1973 he was sciences information – help in the a master’s degree in a subject field. awarded both the Ph.D. in history As a librarian, John works prinand the MSLS. While at UK he was sense of professional guidance. ­cipally with physicians and medical a Teaching Assistant in the History Department and dis­covered his love for teaching. Followstudents, but also with graduate students, and, to a lesser ing graduate school he went to Paducah Community Coldegree, with undergraduates. “Because of my scholarlege, in far western Kentucky, where he held joint apship, I know enough to truly help those who come to me pointments as Head Librarian and Assistant Professor. for history of the health sciences information – help in In 1975 John went to the University of Texas Health the sense of professional guidance. I can help pa­trons Science Center in Dallas [UTHSCD]. There he created craft the historically related questions they want to examnew courses in the history of medicine and biomedical ine and then assist them in finding the primary and secethics for several universities in the Dallas/Ft. Worth reondary sources needed to answer their questions.” gion while serving as the History of the Health Sciences In 2004 John received the Excellence in Education Librarian at UTHSCD. During the period 1981-1983 he Award presented by the School of Medicine Cur­riculum held joint appointments, as Associate Professor in the Committee, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Department of Health Care Administration at the UniverThat same year he was elected to be a member of the sity of Texas at Dallas and Adjunct Assistant Professor in prestigious Minute Men of the Pitt School of Medicine, a the Department of Anthropology at SMU. group of senior medical school educators.

In 1983 John moved to Pittsburgh and was appointed John has been an active participant in a number of History of Medicine Librarian in the Falk Li­brary of the international medical humanities related societies, includHealth Sciences, Health Sciences Library System, Uniing the American Association for the History of Mediversity of Pittsburgh. He currently is offering history of cine, the Southern Association for the His­tory of Medimedicine courses in Pitt’s School of Medicine, the Unicine and Science, the American Osler Society, and the versity Honors College, and in Pitt’s History Department.

Archivists and Librarians in the History of the Health Sciences. In 1995 he organized and was Local ArrangeHe holds faculty positions in the Faculty of Arts and Sciments Chair of the largest history of medicine meeting to ences graduate faculty, the History Department, the Socibe held in North America, with over 800 attendees from ology Department, and the University Honors College. sixteen history of medicine related societies holding a John’s main scholarly pursuit is his monthly searching special joint meeting in Pittsburgh. He is the secrethrough the volumes of Dissertation Abstracts to locate tary/treasurer of the nation’s largest regional history of recent doctoral dissertations worldwide on various topics medicine society, the C. F. Reynolds Medical History within the medical humanities. He shares these titles with Society, which sponsors five annual lectures/dinners fura wide variety of journals, databases, and as part of his thering the scholarship in the history of medicine. library’s homepage. You can find this resource at:

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O’Neal’s Promise: Cold One in Refrigerator In August, we received a delightful report from Amy O’Neal (’03), librarian at Washington County Library, Plymouth, NC: We had a successful fund drive around Valentine’s Day. We mailed Valentines to Chamber of Commerce members and various wealthy citizens asking them to donate to replace the carpet in the children’s room. Wound up with enough money to recarpet, buy all new bookcases -- blue, red and green -- as well as furniture and many new books. A quilter is working on a deep sea design that will incorporate the names of the donors and hang as a wall decoration until some other librarian comes along in 40 years and decides to recarpet the children’s area.

New computers arrived this week through an LSTA grant.

We have wireless, too. Our computer use far outnumbers our circulation and our program attendance. So we’re trying to figure out how to prove our worth to the community. If you run across any literature you think might help me, I’d appreciate an e-mail attachment.

My last contact with Nancy Fawley (’03) was a Christmas e-mail. I talked with Ania Lasota (’03) in June; she’s at one of the Tennessee universities? Said she’s the youngest member of the staff! I was delighted to hear from Carolina Fernandez (’08) recently. We lived in the same apartment building in Lexington. Imagine my surprise that she went through the library program. She e-mailed today to say she’s had a promotion.

I had thought politics would be lots of fun this year, then…. Sure wish I could have said all this over a beer. If you get to eastern North Carolina one day, I’ll have a cold one waiting for you in the refrigerator.

Desert Sailor Truly Retired – Well, Sort of When he read the spring issue of the newsletter, Charley Seavey (’74), aka Desert Sailor, filed this report: I saw the little blurb about my classmate John Erlen (‘74) in the newsletter- pass along my regards if you get a chance.

John’s first job was at a medical library in Texas- we started calling him “Texas John.” He and I went to the ‘74 Indy 500 together- slept in the back of my Volvo station wagon and ate breakfast at a Taco Bell because it was the only joint we could find open. An interesting trip, to be sure.

I am now well and truly sort of retired. I left the University of Missouri SISLT in December of ‘06, and moved back to Santa Fe, NM, in May. Pat Seavey is head of reference and children’s services at the south side branch of Santa Fe PL. After doing all the house projects, and learning how to use my retirement present to myself (10mp camera) I started getting antsy so now I am volunteering at the State Library of New Mexico taking care of their map collection, and occasionally offering advice about government documents.

I’m glad to see the director search is over. I trust everybody will remember it is a school for librarians, not infor-

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mation geeks. It is becoming increasingly evident, to me anyway, that we badly need to remember our roots.

And Lois Chan is the only faculty member left from my days. Hardly seems possible.

Oberc Reveals Secret to Art-Show Success Larry Oberc (’84) filed this report last spring: I just recently shifted into a new position at Columbia College Chicago: Events/Gifts Librarian. Basically starting from an idea that Jo Cates (director of the library at the time) had we created Art of the Library which featured four art shows, composed of faculty, staff and student work, a year. As this evolved we pulled in other departments on campus and these days I am coordinating around ten art shows a year with each one having a great opening.

Being on the marketing committee we have just begun a DIY (Do Indie Yourself based on do it yourself, a punk rock ethnic back in the 1980s) series. The first one was based on poetry and we created our first ipod cast by recording the panel discussion that took place. The next DIY event will have several well known comic artists and push this idea further. In the fall we will attack the DIY fashion industry with another panel discussion.

The library has integrated itself into the community that surrounds it, basically an art school with many mediums, and become a part of its events on literally a weekly basis.

This field is filled with a lot of creative folks these days including musicians, artists, dancers, poets, fiction writers, and more mediums than I can list here. We also have our share of computer nerds. I think we’re headed in a good direction as this field evolves.

If you’re going to do art shows here is the secret, alcohol. The wine drinkers will head out after an hour, but if you buy imported beer you’ll get a two hour opening. Also go for an interesting combination of art. This means integrating work that is totally unrelated in concept into a space where it makes sense. You may need a person with gallery experience to pull it off, but it seems like we got our fair share of artists in the field these days that can help out. Anyway, this is an update of where I am these days.

Jon Noland Reflects on 40-Year Career In September we received a note from Jon F Noland (’68): It seems to have been a very short time ago that I was there on campus studying will Dr. L. Allen, Dr. G. Bobinski, Dr. W. Katz and others. I should have written earlier, but I was having too good of a time with the benefits I received from my MSLS. For the initial investment of just over $1,000, I have built up a [substantial] retirement fund. (In 1967/1968, during my early 20’s, I could not even comprehend the term TIAACREF!) While in the graduate school, I married Soraya QaimMagami who earned her PhD from SUNY @ Buffalo in 1976.

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During my career, I worked for 14.5 years in community colleges located CA, FL and KS. I have 14.5 years of experiences in four-year academic libraries. Some of this experience took place in large state universities while other years were spent in private colleges. For 11 years I worked in public libraries. I earned tenure at Iowa State University and Riverside (CA) Community College, but never developed a feeling of roots in any organization. Geographically I have worked in Canada, Iran, and the United States.

In 1984, I received an MA from Iowa State University.

Currently, I am employed as the Library Director at Seward County Community College/Area Technical School in Liberal KS. The MSLS has been a wonderful career choice and investment; I do not have any plans for retirement, but do own a condo in lovely Deland FL; it’s just across the street from Stetson University.

Alumni Activities Brenda Nostrant Dutton (’71) is Branch Manager, Franklinton Branch, Columbus Metropolitan Library, OH. Brenda wrote: “In late 2007 I was given the Franklin Co. Children Services 2007 National Family Advocacy Week Award.”

We especially appreciate Patricia Piermatti’s (’72) taking the time to write the following and mail it to the newsletter: On April 1, 2008, I retired from the Rutgers University Libraries, having served nearly 35 years as the Pharmaceutical Sciences Librarian. The instruction I received at UK was excellent preparation for my career.

In retirement I will continue to pursue my hobbies of digital photography, hiking, reading and travel.

We thank Marilyn Genther (’74) for this news: In February (08) I was awarded the ‘Toast of the Town’ award by the Village of Mount Prospect [IL] for my work with the Library and my community service work in Rotary and the Mount Prospect Historical Society. In June (08) I was given a Community Leader Award by my undergraduate school, DePauw University, also for my work with the Library as well as my volunteer efforts in the Village of Mount Prospect. The Library was renovated and expanded for 20.5 million dollars in 2004 as a result of a successful referendum. I’ve been director since 1992 and with the Library since 1986.

James Powers (’74) wrote: “After 4 years of retirement, I returned to the Boyd Co Library [Ashland, KY] part time as a genealogy specialist. I serve as President of the Friends of Ky Public Archives, Chair, Ashland Planning Commission, [and] member of Boyd Co Election Board.”

In July Governor Steve Beshear appointed Karen McDan­iel (’75) to the Kentucky Humanities Council.

We have learned that as of June 30, 2007, Margaret N Kunz (’76) retired as Head, Acquisitions for the National Institutes of Health Library, Bethesda, MD. Prior to her 28

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years at NIH, she worked for more than eight years at the Louisville Free Public Library, KY. Judith Gibbons (’78) article, “Kentucky’s Public Library Standards,” was published in interface, volume 29, number 3 (fall 2007). Judith is Director of Field Services, Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.

After 8 years of retirement Dottie Wolf (’78) became a parttime Adult Services Librarian at the new Finksburg Branch, Carroll County Public Library, MD. Dottie’s daughter, Tracey Knott, entered Oberlin College this fall.

We thank Alex Pittman (’79) for passing along the news that he received the 2007-2008 Presidential Award for Ex­ cellence in Service from Wright State University, Dayton, OH. Alex wrote: “I am the Librarian and Adj. Ass’t. Professor at Wright State University -- Lake Campus in Celina, OH. I live with my wife and son in St. Marys, OH. I will always appreciate what UK and especially the SLIS has done for me, both personally and professionally.”

And we always appreciate such kind comments.

We thank Carol Bredemeyer (’81) for the following: I have been elected to a 3 year term on the Executive Board of the American Association of Law Libraries beginning in July [2008]. I have also been promoted to Professor of Library Services at Northern Kentucky University, effective July 1 [2008]. My current position is Assistant Director for Faculty Services at the Salmon P Chase College of Law Library.

Robin Harris (’81) is reprising her role as Editor of Ken­tucky Libraries. However, in spite of the riches that accom­pany the position, Robin has retained her day job, as Public Services Librarian, Brandeis School of Law, University of Louisville.

Bruce Wilson (’87) let us know that in December of last year he was awarded the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Bruce added, “I had taken all my courses over the Web. (The CAS is 24 graduate hours beyond the MSLS.)” Bert Chapman (’89) let us know in March his book Space Warfare and Defense: A Historical Encyclopedia and Research Guide had just been published by ABC-CLIO. Information about the book can be found through the publisher’s website www.abc-clio.com/ Also in the spring, he did a presentation about the book at the Federal Depository Library Conference in Kansas City. Bert is Government Information/Political Science Librarian/Associate Professor of Library Science, Humanities, Social Science & Education Library, Purdue University.

Suzanne Durham (’89) is now Head of Special Collections, University of West Georgia. Suzanne wrote: “On the move again – took a job as head of special collections, UWG in Carrollton, last fall. Stand-out collections are po-

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litical – Newt Gingrich, Bob Barr & a host of Georgia politicians. It’s good to be back in academia….”

In July, we had occasion to get in touch with Monica Brooks (’90), who passed along this news: I no longer work in the libraries at Marshall [University]!

Just this past spring, I moved into the position of director for the university’s online course program which includes a faculty training center, a new embedded librarian/information literacy initiative, and responsibilities for over-all IT assessment. It’s a new and exciting opportunity for me and I am thrilled to have a chance to learn new things. This is a growing and lucrative area so it’s a nice change to be looking at creative ways to invest ecourse revenue funds back into the university and faculty rather than face annual cuts like we do in libraries.

We thank Matt Von Hendy (’91) for the e-mail in August.

Matt wrote: I have switched jobs since we last talked. I am working as a Research Li­brarian at the National Academies here in Washington and have been here for about the last year and a half. (The Na­tional Academies consists of the National Research Council, the Institute of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering and the Transportation Research Board). It’s one of the best jobs that I’ve had as a librarian – great boss and resources, interesting projects.

We have learned that Dan Frilling (’92), who worked at BWI while that firm was in Lexington, relocated to Illi­nois when the company moved there.

We had a delightful conversation with Phil Hanna (’92) on the last day of April, when he accompanied a young man who is interested in the master’s-degree program. Phil is Library Director at Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, KY. Stephanie Midkiff (’94) wrote: I ran into Lois Chan at the American Assn of Law Libraries annual meeting in Portland OR in July & had a nice chat with her. I was on the Local Arrangements Committee & was co-chair of the Registration Committee.

Sharon Brock (’97) let us know that on November 1, 2007, she accepted a position as Processing Archivist, Missouri Digital Heritage, Missouri State Archives. Sharon added that the Missouri Digital Heritage Institute is a joint project of the Missouri State Archives and Missouri State Library, and is sponsored by the Secretary of State’s Office.

Last spring John Schlipp (’00) was awarded a grant from the Cincinnati Bar Foundation to prepare a series of films and class curriculum materials to be posted on a website for regional schools, to use for copyright and plagiarism awareness among teens and young adults. John is Extended Collection Services Librarian, Steely Library, Northern Kentucky University.

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In April we received e-mail from Della Phipps (’02), who let us know: I am now living and working in Chattanooga TN at the Chattanooga Hamilton County Bicentennial Library. I work in the reference department but I also do teen programming, and order teen fiction books. I’ve been here almost a year now. I have a little girl now, not sure if you knew that or not. She’s a stinker and loves chocolate like someone else I know.

In August we asked Della if she had additional news, and she wrote: You can add that we are working on opening up a brand new teen center in the library, and I’m ordering all teen books now including fiction and non-fiction.

Alyssa, my little one, just turned 2.

Tammy Kirk (’04) was kind to let us know, in July, that in September she would move to a librarian position at the Defense Language Institute (Army Libraries).

We received the following report and thank John for it: John H. Bondurant (‘05) and his wife Beth welcomed their son William Dickerson Bondurant into the world on June 11, 2008 at 11:47 AM. Will is 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long with dark brown hair. Everyone is well and resting at 104 Terri Avenue, Berea KY 40403. John is the Audio Preservation Archivist at Berea College, Hutchins Li­brary, Special Collections & Archives and can be reached at bondu­rantj@berea.edu. Beth is at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea.

We learned in August that Sandy Rodriguez (’05) had been appointed to the position of Special Project Cataloger in the University of Missouri-Kansas City Libraries. The an­ nouncement read: Sandy Rodriguez [is] the new Special Project Cataloger for the J. David Goldin Collection of historic radio pro­grams in the Marr Sound Archives of the Kenneth J. La­ Budde De­partment of Special Collections, at the Univer­sity of Mis­souri-Kansas City Libraries. The UMKC Uni­ versity Li­braries received a ($502,000) grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to improve access to the Goldin collec­tion. The nearly 10,000 items donated to the Marr Sound Archives consist of 16-inch instantaneous cut acetate discs and pressed recordings – dating from 1935 to 1950 – each 30 minutes in length and produced for broadcast. These deli­cate recordings are not preserved in any other form or for­mat.

Since February 2007 Janet Arno (’06) has been Adult Services Librarian, Cold Spring Branch, Campbell County Public Library, KY. Janet transferred from the Fort Thomas Branch, where she was a Reference Librarian. She added that her “work involves reference services, adult programming, computer instruction and areas of collection development.”

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Bonnie Danner (’07) has joined the reference staff at Jessamine County Public Library, Nicholasville, KY.

Carol Connor is a Children’s Librarian, Cold Spring Branch, Campbell County Public Library, KY.

Ben Hall (’07) this summer was appointed Director of the Florence Public Library, SC.

Rachel Delaney is Reference Librarian, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH.

In August, we received a good report from Rob Langenderfer (’07): Earlier this week I was offered and have accepted a position as the Evening Librarian at Brown Mackie College Library in Ft. Mitchell, KY. I start on Tuesday.

This new job will allow me to still continue to edit John Holway’s baseball history and other manuscripts that I have been doing since January (I have proofread and edited two manuscripts of Negro League player interviews and the revised edition of his book Red Tails, Black Wings: The Men of America’s Black Air Force on the Tuskegeee airmen) as well as the online research that I have been doing for the last year for an HR consulting firm. I am still definitely hoping to eventually get fulltime library work, but at least this is a step in the right direction. My article on Madeleine L’Engle was not accepted for publication, but I have continued to read her works, and I am currently in the middle of A Ring of Endless Light, having read the earlier Austin books and The Arm of the Starfish.

Jennifer Dolan is Library Media Specialist, Buckner Ele­ mentary School, Buckner, KY.

In July, Wisconsin native and unofficial Leinenkugel spokesperson Andrew Prellwitz (’07) filed a report: I’ve found myself some permanent walls here at Ripon College [WI]. As you may recall, late last summer I took a gamble on a one-year adjunct instructor in German position with some library work thrown in on the side. I sweated through several cataloging projects hoping to use the position to find something more permanent. It ended up paying off this past June when I was hired on full-time as “Assistant Librarian – User Services” – a nice generic title for the guy in charge of the college archives and the coordinator of the instruction program. I will continue to teach at least one German course a semester although it may become more next spring when the school’s full time German faculty member goes on sabbatical. I’m really excited about the position and I’ve enjoyed it so far. My teaching experience and my internship with the NDNP [National Digital Newspaper Project at UK] were the things that really helped me land the position. I’d recommend making LIS 675 a requirement of all graduates if possible.

Among recent graduates Erik Ainsworth is on the staff of Louisville Free Public Library.

Chelsea Almer is Library Media Specialist, St Dominic School, Cincinnati, OH. Lesley Chapman is Visual Resources Curator, Department of Art, University of Kentucky.

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Carolina Fernandez is Multicultural Liaison, Lexington Public Library.

Jessica Hall is a teacher in the Powell County, KY, school system.

Carly Horine is a teacher in the Oak Hills Local School District, Cincinnati, OH. Peter Howard is a Children’s Librarian, Louisville Free Public Library.

Angela Kennedy is on the library staff at Jefferson Com­munity and Technical College, Louisville.

Teresa King is on the staff at Louisville Free Public Li­brary.

Mary Landrum is a Children’s Librarian at Lexington Public Library’s Northside Branch.

The 1st of September Kathy McCardwell joined the staff at Duggan Library, Hanover College, IN, as Rivers/Collection Development Librarian. After a couple of weeks we heard from Library Director Ken Gibson (’94), who said of Kathy, “she is still getting her feet wet before diving into collection development activities.”

Melissa McCullough is on the children’s services staff at Louisville Free Public Library.

Derrick Meads is Visual Resources Curator, College of Design, University of Kentucky.

Bethany Miller is Library Media Specialist, Northwest High School, Cincinnati, OH. Adrianne Phillips is Circulation Manager, College of Law Library, University of Kentucky.

Kopana Terry is Project Manager, National Digital Newspaper Project, University of Kentucky Libraries.

Lindsay Wallace is on the staff at Louisville Free Public Library We learned last spring, but too late for that issue of the newsletter, thatRichard Spohn (’91) passed away on April 18, in his sleep. He was 63 years old. Richard’s brother reported the sad news to us, and he wrote: “This came as a complete shock to all of us, as Richard had been apparently healthy until then. At this time we are still awaiting the results of the autopsy to find out what caused it.”

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ME MBERSHIP DUDUES ES - 2-02009 08 MEMBERSHIP

Alumni Association Alumni Association School of of Library and Information Science School Library and Information Science UnUniversity iversity of of KeKentucky ntucky 32320 0 LitLittle tle Lib rary Library LeLexington, xington, KeKentucky ntucky 4040506-0224 506-0224

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