Collins Unbound

A Warm Welcome from Melanie Schaffer, Your Collins Library Peer Research Advisor!

Posted on August 24, 2015 by jmkyoung

To our new Loggers, welcome to Puget Sound! It’s only been a few days, but I hope you’re settling in nicely and finding a home here on campus. Right now your main focus might be getting to know new people and seeing all the cool and exciting things our school has to offer, and that’s just as it should be; this next week of Passages and Perspectives is meant for exactly that!

However, what I’m writing to you about has more to do with the academics here at Puget Sound, which is what you came here for anyway, right? After having gone through Prelude, you now have some kind of idea of what your academic life will look like during your time here, and some of you probably even met me already! I know some of you are really excited, and that’s awesome! Some of you may be feeling totally overwhelmed, and that’s okay, too. I remember not knowing if I could handle the workload that was coming my way, and not knowing what to do about it. That’s why I’m here to tell you now that I’m here to help! My job as Peer Research Advisor for Collins Memorial Library is to help you navigate what may be your first ever big research project. It’s a daunting task, but I’m here to help you with whatever you need. I can work with you to decide on a topic, figure out where to go to find sources, and help you determine if this or that source is really scholarly or not. Don’t forget, I’m also a student, and I’ve been exactly where you are. In fact, I’m still there a lot. That means I’m here to complain to about how frustrating research is, and I’ll celebrate with you when you make a breakthrough. Come stop by my office hours Sunday and Tuesday nights from 8-10pm, I’ll be in the Learning Commons ready to answer any and all questions you may have. Or, you can make an appointment with me by emailing me at peerresearch@pugetsound.edu.

I’m not the only cool thing about the library, though. Even though a lot of students seem to think the library is just a place to study quietly, we’re here for a lot of other things, too! For instance, there are places where students can go specifically to talk about group projects or presentations without having to worry about disturbing other people. We have study rooms all throughout the building and the learning commons is here for that specific reason!

Also, most students seem to think the library is confined to these walls, but we are so much more than that! Being a student at Puget Sound gives you access to tons of databases which will help you with your research. Because you are part of Collins Memorial, you can find practically anything you need for an assignment anywhere there’s WiFi.

On top of that, if you’re having trouble knowing which databases to use, how to use them, or even how to start your research, the library is here to help you! We have seven liaison librarians each with expertise in different fields whose job it is to help you with your research. You can find their info on the library website, so shoot them an email! I know from experience that they love talking with students. I know that busy schedules get in the way, but it’ll be worth it in the long run to get in contact with them when you’re able to cultivate better research more efficiently. Again, welcome to Puget Sound! I’m so excited to get to know you and help you learn to find research just as fun as I do!

–Melanie Schaffer ’16

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Collins Library Welcomes Tracie Clawson

Posted on August 17, 2015 by jmkyoung

Welcome to Tracie Clawson

Collins Library is pleased to welcome Tracie Clawson as our late evening supervisor. Tracie has worked at St. Martin’s University in a variety of positions including Administrative Assistant, O’Grady Library, Executive Assistant – Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Interlibrary Loan Coordinator. In addition she has worked at the Timberland Regional Library as well as the OCLC Western Service Center. Tracie attended Highline College in Des Moines, Washington and is a graduate of the Library and Information Services program.

What attracts you to Collins and Puget Sound
I was attracted to Collins because of the commitment it holds to working with students and faculty. Collins is highly regarded as being very innovative in its approach with faculty and students, and I’m excited to be part of a team that is so dedicated to fostering a passion for teaching and learning. I am really impressed by the ways that both Collins and University of Puget Sound involve themselves in the surrounding community, from the various events and exhibits that the library puts on to the community service and outreach programs that University of Puget Sound has been involved in. It is exciting to be part of an organization that is dedicated to seeking out and helping each person reach their fullest potential.

What do you like about libraries?
I fell in love with libraries – and librarians! – when in first grade the librarian allowed me to check out Susan Cooper’s Over Sea, Under Stone, even though it was in the older children’s section. It was from that moment on that I knew that my career would have something to do with books and students. I volunteered in my school library clear through high school, and then began working in a public library when I turned 18. I love that fact that libraries encourage and enable everyone to explore and expand their interest and knowledge without limits.

Anything else you would like to share (being a night owl, personal interests, etc.)
I find that my mind works best at night, when all is quiet and clear. Perhaps this is because I grew up in a very large family, and the only quiet time I could find was in the middle of the night! I have lived the majority of my life in the Pacific Northwest, and while I love the mountains and the gorge, my favorite place is the beach. I’m an avid genealogist and love the research it involves. Most recently though, I can be found re-watching X-Files on Netflix in preparation for the new season coming out in January.

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Collins Library Welcomes Katy Curtis – Humanities Librarian

Posted on August 6, 2015 by jmkyoung

Welcome to Katy Curtis

Collins Memorial Library is delighted to welcome Katy Curtis as our new humanities librarian. Katy will join the liaison team and will be responsible for services in support of English, French Studies, Hispanic Studies, German Studies, Latina/o Studies, Philosophy as well as support the first-year seminars. Katy received her Master of Library and Information Sciences from the University of Washington and her Master of Arts in Modern Languages and Literatures from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has a Bachelor of Arts in French language and literature from the University of South Florida.

Katy most recently served as a graduate reference assistant at the UW-Tacoma Library, where she provided instruction and reference and participated in collection projects in Hispanic Studies and Life Skills. While a student at UW she also collaborated with the Romance Languages and Literature Librarian on a variety of projects, served as a volunteer for the Internet Public Library, and taught information literacy classes.

What excites you about joining Collins?
I’m really excited to be joining the Collins Library and the University of Puget Sound because of their commitment to fostering a community of learning through strong liberal arts programs and an interdisciplinary approach to education. Building and furthering strong connections with students, faculty, staff, and our community is something that I’m excited to pursue when I arrive on campus this fall. The Collins librarians and staff are enthusiastic, active, and engaged with the campus and the larger academic community and I’m looking forward to working closely them to connect users with their resources.

What appeals to you about the position?
I’m thrilled to be joining the Collins Library as a humanities librarian because I believe that the humanities offer a wide range of exciting, engaging, and diverse research possibilities that are deeply connected to our lived experiences. Studying and building upon our cultural record allows students (myself included!) to experience a sense of connection with our contemporaries and those who came before us. Exploring the humanities helps us learn how to think creatively and critically, to acknowledge ambiguities, and to ask questions – all of which help us engage with each other and sustain lifelong learning. I’m looking forward to supporting students at Puget Sound as they build their understanding of information and refine skills for understanding, evaluating, and putting our cultural documents to use in traditional and innovative ways.

Anything you would like to share.
I am originally from central Florida and I moved to Washington four years ago, after a brief stop in Nebraska. I love the Puget Sound area and in my spare time, I spend a lot of time exploring – suggestions are welcome!

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Welcome Loggers! Enjoy the Collins Library Top Ten tips!

Posted on July 29, 2015 by jmkyoung

Need a break from homework? We’ve got hundreds of movies on DVD, and everything from mysteries to science fiction novels in our popular reading collection.
We’ve got a ton of different places to study, whether you want to curl up in a rocking chair or spread out over a desk.
Library Class-on-Demand! Request a group of four or more students to learn more about library research tools.
Online subject guides! No matter what your major is or what classes you’re taking, we’ve created these to provide you with step-by-step research help!
Stay in the loop! Keep up with our new exhibits and upcoming events through our blogs & Facebook page!
Got a question–any question–about the library or your research? Try our 24/7 Ask-a-Librarian online chat service!
Group Study: We’ve got what you need to get group work done, including collaboration spaces, whiteboards, group study rooms, and more.
Looking for something in particular? Primo Search is your starting point for finding books, media, articles and more!
Curious about University of Puget Sound history? Check out the digitized back issues of The Trail, our student newspaper, or browse the historic photographs in our digital collections!
Librarians are your new best friends! We are here for you, and we are never too busy to help!

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Libraries Celebrate GLBT Book Month

Posted on June 8, 2015 by jmkyoung

Libraries are open to all. They are welcoming places where people of all ages and cultures are comfortable. For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender individuals, libraries provide valuable information and resources, in particular promoting GLBT literature in their collections.

This month, libraries throughout the nation will be acknowledging that role by celebrating June as GLBT Book Month™. Originally established in the early 1990s by The Publishing Triangle as National Lesbian and Gay Book Month, the annual celebration will be held this year for the first time under the umbrella of the American Library Association (ALA).

The nationwide celebration of the authors and writings that reflect the lives and experiences of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community is coordinated through the ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT). The GLBTRT is the oldest LGBT professional organization in the United States. Over the years, the ALA has supported LGBT literature, establishing in 1971 the Stonewall Book Awards and, in 2011, launching the Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award, which is part of the association’s annual Youth Media Awards celebration.

Read more of the ilovelibraries article Libraries celebrate GLBT Book Month.

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Behind the Archives Door Series: Fall 2015 Events

Posted on June 1, 2015 by jmkyoung

Image of the Shelmidine Stained Glass

Each month, the Archives & Special Collections will hold a series of informal presentations on current research, unique resources, and rare books. Join us for informal discussion, refreshments, and the opportunity to handle documents and artifacts hundreds of years old!

9/10: ‘I was cut out for the wilds’: The Landscape of Gender in the Journals of Abby Williams Hill – Tiffany MacBain, Associate Professor of English.
Join us for a look into the ongoing research of Tiffany MacBain, Associate Professor of English, as she draws on the Abby Williams Hill collection in the Archives & Special Collections. Many know 19th-century Tacoma local Abby Williams Hill as a painter of landscapes, but her journals reveal a woman anything but genteel. In the wilds, Hill enacts her project of gender critique and revision, and urges others to follow suit. Light refreshments will be served.

10/6 (time change to 4:30 p.m.): A Musings in honor of Aileen Kane – Suzanne Moore.
Suzanne Moore is a letter artist, painter, and printmaker whose eclectic interests meld in the diversity of her artists’ books. Her books blend abstract and representational imagery, rich color and surface treatments with textual content and contemporary lettering to create work that obscures the line between word and image. Moore recently completed her work celebrating Aileen Kane, centered on the letter “A.” Moore uses historical, symbolic, and spiritual aspects of the letter A in her work, A Musings for Aileen. The book was commissioned by the Collins Library, and will serve as a reminder of Aileen’s dedication to language and literacy as well as offering students a contemporary example of historical manuscript principles.

After our regular lecture all are invited to a reception at 5:30 to celebrate Aileen and completion of Suzanne Moore’s book, A Musings for Aileen.

11/3: Abecedarian Gallery, Denver, Colorado – Alicia Bailey.
Alicia has a particular passion for works that include elements beyond surface printed images and text; that move beyond traditional book forms and embrace presentation flexibility, rigid page construction and use of alternative materials. For this presentation, Alicia will bring selections from Abecedarian Gallery’s recent exhibition Content: Artifact, her own collection, and her own work, to share. After a brief overview of her involvement with contemporary book arts, Alicia will talk about specific individual works, their construction, appeal and relevance, with opportunities for questions from the audience and hands on examination of some very special book works.

Alicia is affiliated with several artists’ book professional organizations and has served on the Executive Committee of Guild of Book Workers since 1998. She is owner/director of Abecedarian Gallery in Denver, Colorado, founded in 2007 and focused on the exhibition, promotion and sale of contemporary artists’ book works. Alicia also acts as an independent curator/juror, instructor/mentor and regional events coordinator in the book arts. In her studio work, she has focused on book arts since the mid-nineties, producing artists’ books, sculptural books and limited edition books. Her work has been featured in dozens of solo and group exhibits throughout the world and is held in numerous public, private and special collections.

http://www.abecedariangallery.com

Pugetsound.edu/library

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House of Twenty Thousand Books

Posted on May 18, 2015 by jmkyoung

There is no end to the praise of books, to the value of the library. Who shall estimate their influence on our population where all the millions read and write ?
~Ralph Waldo Emerson in “Address at the Opening of Concord Free Public Library”

I was having dinner last week with a neighbor who, with his team, recently had a meeting with Bill Gates to discuss their project within the Gates Foundation. One of the words he used to describe Gates was “polymath.”

He spoke of Gates as having an incredibly deep knowledge in a wide variety of subject matter and how he can comprehend and discuss numerous topics at the highest level.

Chimen Abramsky also has the polymath gene and in The House of Twenty Thousand Books noted journalist, author and Abramsky’s grandson, Sasha Abramsky, gives us a moving and stimulating look at his grandfather and the books that surrounded and sustained his life.

This is first and foremost a love story of a man and his books.

Read more of the Book Patrol article: House of Twenty Thousand Books

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From the Archives: Congratulations 2015 Puget Sound Graduates!!

Posted on May 14, 2015 by jmkyoung

Academic Procession to Memorial Fieldhouse, Class of 1949

You made it!

What an outstanding achievement! Your success is well deserved and all of your hard work certainly does not go unnoticed by your fellow Loggers. Now is the time to take all of what you’ve learned here at the University and use that knowledge to spread your wings and make your dreams a reality. You are all such unique, talented, intelligent individuals, and you have support from all of us here at Puget Sound. Good luck with all of your future endeavors as you enter the next exciting chapter of your lives. You rock Class of 2015!!

And remember… once a Logger, always a Logger! Hack hack, chop chop!

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Presentation by Paper and Book Artist Helen Hiebert, Monday, June 29th, 12:30 – 2 p.m., Library Room 020

Posted on May 12, 2015 by jmkyoung

Artist Books from Helen Hiebert Studio (http://helenhiebertstudio.com/)

Artist Books from helenhiebertstudio.com

Nationally recognized paper and book artist, Helen Hiebert of Edwards, Colorado will share examples from her studio practice, including Interluceo, her newest artists’ book about paper, geometry and light, and The Wish, a community installation project that resides in a Denver library, as well as her efforts to put hand papermaking on the map through her how-to books and blog. Helen will also bring copies of several of her other artists’ books to show.

Helen Hiebert is a Colorado artist who constructs installations, sculptures, films and artist books using handmade paper, thread and light. She teaches and lectures about papermaking and lampmaking and exhibits her work internationally. She is author of the books Papermaking with Plants, The Papermaker’s Companion, Paper Illuminated, Playing With Paper, and Playing With Pop-Ups. Helen has an extensive network of paper colleagues around the world and her interest in how things are made (from paper) keeps her up-to-date on current paper trends, which she writes about in her weekly blog post called The Sunday Paper. Helen’s most recent installation, The Wish, is a giant dandelion sculpture at Anythink Huron Street Library in Thornton. She holds an annual paper retreat in her Red Cliff studio each September.

Sponsored by the Collins Memorial Library, in association with the Puget Sound Book Artists.

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“Cover Page Markings” Date Back to Libraries Before Computers

Posted on May 11, 2015 by jmkyoung

Pencil markings on cover page. (Indicated by red arrows)

Did you know that Markings found on cover pages in books date back to libraries before computers? Back then, library staff created cataloging (to help our users find our books) which had to be typed on cards and filed manually in the card catalog. This means there were limited “retrieval points.” But if we needed to remove a book from the collection, we needed to find and remove all the cards in the card catalog for that book. Every book had at least a main entry card, which was the most important card of all, because it told us how many other cards were in the catalog for that book, and what they were. The three dashes you see on the title pages of books indicate the start of the main entry that was used on that all important card (which is usually the main author or sometimes the title). Frequently, the main entry was obvious, but cataloging rules sometimes made it a bit obscure. The underlining is the start of the title.

We no longer need to follow this practice because technology means we have multiple ways to find and remove the cataloging records from our catalog.