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This website is an informal communication forum for staff members of the University of Oregon Library Staff Association. Contents and opinions expressed herein or on linked personal or external pages are those of individual authors and do not represent official statements, policies, or positions of the Libraries, the University of Oregon, Oregon University System, or State of Oregon. Page maintained by the LSA Web Committee LSA News is published 8 times a year by the Library Staff Association of the University of Oregon Libraries. LSA News Team:Terry McQuilkin, Editor and chair Laura Damiani, Photography editor Jennifer Rowan, Editor Harriett Smith, Editor Jen Lindsey, Editor-Photographer Library Staff Association
Executive Council: Contributors
Glenda Claborne works in MSDP. She invites all interested to view her personal website, which she is currently reorganizing to better share resources on metadata. Megan Dazey works with funny formats in MSDP. She plays Texas hold 'em poker to supplement the champagne wishes and caviar dreams of her cats and fish. Elizabeth Duell has been dubbed the Mistress of Meetings and Admin Extraordinaire of Orbis Cascade Alliance. She is the proud new owner of a Boxwood hedge and has been known to say 'Ni.' Paul Frantz works in Reference Services and considers libraries and golf courses to be his natural habitats. Elizabeth Peterson is the subject specialist for Literature in the Reference Department. She is Chair of the Library Diversity Committee for 2008. She has been with the UO Libraries since August 2006.
Masthead Photo:
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LSA NewsNo. 93, November 2008If you have anything you want in the next newsletter, send it to lsaweb@lists.uoregon.edu
Metadata Jokes and Cataloging Tidbits Learned in Ohio
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The new wing of the Cleveland Public Library in downtown Cleveland photo by Megan Dazey |
Random things I learned at the conference (and in Cleveland): You can travel with a knife, duct tape and wire in your suitcase. Some people really hate mushrooms. There were 290 attendees with 168 first-timers and four countries represented at the conference.
A film is a motion picture/video/digital film, and TV is a work meant to be telecast (even if it wasn't). The Cleveland Art Museum is free to everybody. Children should not be allowed to attend an evening symphony performance (but helpful ushers will help you find new and better seats). An acronym for digital broadcasting will need to be added after the digital conversion in Feb. 2009. For electronic resources you don't need note to indicate "reproduction" if it was available in another format first. A good acronym related to FRBR (Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records) is WEMI (work, expression, manifestations, items). Slotmusic might be the next big thing, or completely forgotten soon after it is introduced. MARC update 8 will be out mid-2009. There seems to be a generation gap between those who fear RDA and those who accept it.
They came, they saw... They scrabbled.
A hardy group of headstrong harbingers of scintillating Scrabble sport gathered gleefully for the Scrabble Scramble on October 16th.
Fast and furious the fugacious frenzy of flying fragments fashioned forms and fabulous financial fulfillment for those fearless and foolhardy folks focused on finishing first.
Bestowal of bragging rights and winning wonders from the UO DuckStore were: Nathan Georgitis ($20 for first); Jeff Staiger ($10 for second) and Miriam Rigby ($5 for third). Other players were Peter Verrey, Rose Layton, Chris Tweeter, and Rosemary Nigro.
Generous sponsors who let us use their games were Rose Layton, Raina Smith, and Dave Baker. Thank you to all the folks that helped with this!
Will the Scrabble Scramble succeed in segueing into successive seasons? Stay sharp and scrutinize the staff bulletin for the story!
I recently had a chance to attend a two-day program, held October 20-21, titled "An Exploration of Academic Research Libraries in Cambridge". This is a joint program between the ALA's Spectrum Scholars Initiative and the ARL's Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce. There were 31 participants from all over the US — about half are finishing their MLIS and the rest are employed in academic or special libraries. I was the only one from the Pacific Northwest.
Day 1 was spent at Harvard. Nancy Cline, Librarian of Harvard College, gave us a history and overview of the Harvard College Library. This was followed by presentations by the heads of collection development, preservation and digitization, and teaching and learning. I tried my best to get past the overwhelming numbers that define institutions like Harvard — a 400-year history, 16 million volumes, 28 million annual budget (in change), etc. — and focused instead on how they are dealing with issues and challenges that the U of O also has to deal with. I guess the best part of the program at Harvard was the tour of their conservation and digitization labs. I can only envy their state of the art equipment, but there's something to be learned about how they assess the conservation aspects of any of their digitization projects and integrate these well into their workflows. Their basic philosophy is that a well-maintained physical collection or archive makes for better representation in digital format.
In each institution, we were paired with a mentor. At Harvard, my mentor was Virginia Smyers Buxton, manager of bibliographic services, preservation and imaging services at the Widener Library. She manages a team of about ten catalogers/metadata-ers within the preservation and imaging department. This group is separate from the main cataloging operation, which is housed almost separate from the rest of the Harvard Libraries. Their structure and workflows are mind-boggling.
We ended Day 1 with a reception at the MIT Museum where I met my MIT mentor, Robert Wolfe, a metadata specialist. We talked about the cost recovery structures that they use at MIT to make their metadata services self-sufficient. The model at Harvard is similar — these units act like internal vendors to other constituents in their university system. They emphasized though that these models have their own overheads that need to be managed just like any service model. For example, they need legal advice to make sure the pricing of their services as a non-profit does not undermine those of their commercial counterparts.
Day 2 was at MIT. It's only a few blocks from Harvard but it might as well have been on another planet. More metal, less brick. More infinite corridors, less hallowed halls.
The program at the MIT Libraries followed a different format. We were divided into three groups (along with our mentors) and we rotated through three tracks of presentations: collections, technology in libraries, and outreach, collaboration and instruction. In between were breaks and walks through campus with our mentors. The presentations at Harvard were given by the top administrators who emphasized library missions and visions. At MIT, we got to hear the "working" librarians talk about their work. Their director, Ann Wolpert, dropped in on the presentations — she joked that she needed to know too what her librarians are doing.
I think I was most impressed with the degree of collaboration and innovation among the MIT librarians. They do ethnographies as well as quick usability tests of their users and based on these, are able to interpose technology well into their users' research and learning behaviors. They like to experiment as can be seen in the MIT Libraries Beta, which is modeled after Google Labs. They have a wiki for staff to submit ideas that might be candidates for beta testing.
As to metadata, I think the MIT libraries aren't that any more advanced than most libraries. They're also struggling with how to integrate traditional cataloging practices and metadata practices. It is interesting though that MIT has a metadata services group that is outside the libraries — the libraries being only one of this unit's clients. My mentor is officially employed by this unit but has been "hired" by the libraries to help with metadata creation. One of the most interesting metadata-related projects they are doing is called FACADE — how do you describe CAD models? They're using locally-defined ontologies to identify and relate the objects that they want to describe and make accessible.
Well, I could go on and on... Please see some photos of the event on my Flickr account. (Notice that there are fewer pictures of the program at Harvard because picture-taking is generally not allowed inside Harvard buildings.)
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Giant sequoia |
Lueck started out by giving some background on the history of the trees of the Oregon campus. When the original campus was laid out in the 1870s, there were only two white oak trees. The hill on which the UO campus was situated was grassland, as was most of the Willamette valley, the product of annual burning by the Valley's first residents, the Native Americans. All of the trees we see around us have been purposely planted and represent species from all over the world. Thus the eight large trees in front of the library, four on each side of the Memorial Quad, are English oaks, planted in the 1940s. Lueck brought photos, taken at that time, that show a quad with small, newly-planted oaks.
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Big leaf maple |
Along the way Lueck talked about the hazards trees on campus face, not only the spectacular and historic ones of Columbus Day storms but the more insidious ones of the installation of irrigation ditches and new buildings on campus, the excavations of which can weaken a tree's root system. He talked about the proper way to cut off a tree branch and how local laboratories can cultivate members of a tree species that are more resistant to disease and fungus.
Finally, a tip for those in search of the more mystical aspect of trees: go to the eastern black walnut, at the southeast corner of Johnson Hall, while it is still in its yellow blaze. Stand underneath it and look up through its branches at the sunlight. You will not be the same.
There is a lot going on around campus this month to feed your diversity-related curiosity. Below is a generous helping of exhibits and events to keep you busy. All events are free unless otherwise noted.
all month
special events
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2008 Eugene Celebration Parade |
I believe it was six, so not many by family standards. We were all single folks on our own in Harrisonburg, Virginia so we banded together for the day. What stands out for me is that I didn't make turkey but rather "Leg of Lamb Arlesienne." This masterpiece involves a leg of lamb, both brandy and white wine, 52 cloves of garlic and a cooking time of 3 hours (basting every 15 minutes); so it's quite an effort. But good, very good.
—Ann Miller, Metadata Services and Digital Projects
Hmm I think maybe four people. I'm definitely a fan of the smaller gatherings (out of necessity more than anything, as our place is fairly small). That year we had a pretty traditional turkey dinner, though I really enjoy using different meal themes at Thanksgiving. Last year we did soul food, which was pretty amazing. The only thing that isn't optional is pumpkin pie, due mostly to the fact that I am in possession of The Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe Ever in the History of Mankind Forever (which is a slight adaptation of Best Ever Pumpkin Pie from Richard Sax's Classic Home Desserts).
—David Baker, Center for Media and Educational Technologies
The largest number of people I've cooked Thanksgiving for is 16. It didn't seem that big. When I was growing up Thanksgiving was generally 25-30 people.
—Nancy Slight Gibney, Library Administration
12 guests, but 14 mouths to feed if you count my husband and myself. It was memorable in that there were four generations of my family present (parents, sister, niece, nephew, and great nephew).
—Barbara Butler, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology Library
I've co-hosted Thanksgiving dinner with a very good friend for many years. We typically have 22-30 guests, with 2-3 long tables set end to end, making one long bounteous table that often stretches through her dining and living room and into the foyer. One year the guest seated at the far end could answer the door without getting up.
One of the very best parts of it is the menu planning. The two of us sit down at her kitchen table on a blustery day with piles of November issues of Gourmet (going back twenty-some years, now dog-eared and marked up) and other assorted cookbooks and seasonal magazines, and hash out every detail over pots and pots of steaming Darjeeling and tea-snacky things. We are rather dictatorial in what dishes we dole out and to whom. Which is what you can do when you're the host. One year a woman charged with mashed potatoes walked in with a bag of unwashed, unpeeled potatoes. She was relegated to cheese and crackers the next year. We do make exceptions for those who have a compelling emotional affinity for that special family dish which they must evoke, even if it does involve a can of Campbell's®.
—Cathy Flynn, Metadata and Digital Library Services
Last year my new community in Cottage Grove participated in a progressive Thanksgiving celebration. Four homes of friends hosted different parts of the meal, and we all moved from home to home...mostly on foot, some by bike, and those of us carrying food items by car or carpool.
Salad and hors d'oeuvres at one house, main meal items at a second, dessert at my house, and then the after party, leftovers and second helpings at one other home. Needless the say the homemade wine and other beverages were flowing, and each of us hosted up to 30 people as they came and went over the course of a couple hours at each home. It was a fantastic way to share the Holiday with friends and family, and one of my most memorable.
—Stacy DeHart, Center for Media and Educational Technologies
That will have to be this upcoming Thanksgiving. Not only will my mom be down from Seattle, but one set of my in-laws (I have two sets) will be coming up from California, with my son, step-sons, their girlfriends and friends, my best friend, I think we're up to about 14 people now.
Needless to say, I'm taking vacation days Thanksgiving week.
But, in the spirit of Thanksgiving Day, it's about giving thanks, the good food, and being with friends and family. I'll have plenty of help (my step-sons are good cooks and have both worked in the restaurant business) and I'm sure all will go well.
—Rose Layton, Acquisitions
As well as featuring upcoming LSA events, we'd like to get the word out about events staff are involved in that might be of interest to co-workers. If you'd like the world, or at least your co-workers, to know about something cool coming up, please email Harriett Smith or lsaweb.
LSA EVENTS
Tuesday, November 18, 2008: Find treasures and treats at the annual Library Staff Association Holiday Sale. Pottery, fabric arts, cards, edible treats, jewelry, jams, and interesting rummage table offerings are among the many items usually available. This autumn's Sale raffle will feature a dessert by Heghine Hakobyan — be sure to budget enough for several raffle tickets at $1 each! Oddly enough, no books will be on sale unless they are hand-bound or private press books printed by our co-workers. Since the Sale will be held earlier than usual in November, checks will also be held, until after December 1. Doors will open at 11 a.m. and the Sale will conclude at 1:30 p.m. For more information, or to volunteer to help, email Pam DeLaittre or phone her at 346-1826.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008: Gray skies got you down? Holiday stress wreaking havoc with your nerves? Relax with friends and co-workers from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Knight Browsing Room at the annual LSA Holiday Potluck! LSA will provide beverages and all of us will bring some of our favourite foods to share. You are welcome to bring friends and family with you to the Potluck (but please bring a little extra food if you do). If you have questions or would like to help with the Holiday Potluck, please email Sherra Hopkins in Acquisitions, or phone her at 346-3096. If you are former faculty or staff and need a ride to the Potluck, please email Shirien Chappell or phone her at 346-1914. The Holiday Potluck is brought to you by the LSA Social Committee.
NON-LSA EVENTS
There were no events submitted for November.
LSA Membership Drive is Launched. Are you looking for a safe financial investment in these turbulent times? Look no further than the Library Staff Association! For a mere $6.00 you can see a return on your investment that pays out in FUN! Events such as the "Scrabble Scramble" Speed Scrabble Tournament, the highly anticipated Tree Walks, and venerable (if not always honorable) events such as the Holiday Potluck and the Gonzo are supported by your membership dollars. Don't forget you can watch your more traditional investments swish down the drain in the newspapers provided for you in the Knight Staff Lounge — all paid for by LSA membership dues! Act now on this great offer, and the Library will contribute an additional $3.00 for each membership paid for by December 31! If you didn't pay dues at the All-Staff Meeting, you can do it at the LSA Holiday Sale. But why wait? You can send your dues at any time to LSA Treasurer Pam DeLaittre in Acquisitions. Join the bull market of dues-payers and reap dividends of enjoyment!
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| Chris Cosler - Portland Library and Learning Commons
Date started: September 2, 2008 Job Title: Digital Media Production Specialist Previously: I'm a native Oregonian and have split my residency between the Ashland and Portland areas at various times. My previous job was Multimedia Lab Technician at Portland State from 2004-2008. Education: I started my college years at Southern Oregon University and graduated from Portland State. I studied Biology and Multimedia, and ultimately received a degree in General Science (which is the polite, academic way of admitting one's fear of, and ultimate defeat by, calculus-based Physics). Pets: I have a pet lizard (Leopard Gecko) named Sméagol (as he has not yet turned evil). Best way to spend the weekend: . My hobbies include reading, photography, filmmaking, music production, and baking. Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption.
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Photo provided by Chris Cosler
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| Miriam Rigby - Reference
Date started: September 29, 2008 Job Title: Social Sciences Librarian, (Anthropology, Sociology & Ethnic Studies Subject Specialist) Previously: I was in Seattle, WA, where I just completed my MLIS degree. While I was in school I spent time working for the Seattle Art Museum and Seattle University among other places. I spent 2 years in Seattle, and prior to that I'm mostly from Portland, though I've spent good chunks of time in Chicago, Vancouver, B.C. and Eau Claire, WI. Education: I attended the UW iSchool for my MLIS. Prior to that I had earned my MA in the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago, and my BA in Cultural Anthropology at Reed College. Family: My fiance Robin (we're getting married in January), and two 4-year-old cats (Robespierre and Soma). Best way to spend the weekend: I've been enjoying biking and hiking around Eugene, and I've also got a side hobby of seeking out good breakfast spots. I also like doing crafty things ranging from collaging to sewing, but lately all of that energy has been going into wedding preparations. Favorite movie: It's a tie between The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension.
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photo by Michael Thompson
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| Erik Dahl - AAA Library Previously in the library: AAA Library Manager, 2000-2008 (there were a handful of other titles in Knight Access Services before that too). Last day in the libraries was October 24. Currently: Seattle (UW Libraries) Best thing you accomplished at the library: I'd hate to declare anything best, but one accomplishment was helping make much more of the AAA collection readily accessible both locally and to Summit partners through less restrictive loan policies. Favorite thing about UO campus: Voracious giant squirrels. What you'll miss the most: A lot of really great people. Most exciting thing about the next step: Seattle! Any last words: Not yet, I hope!
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Photo by Melissa Logan |
| Rick Gersbach - Image Services Center Rick Gersbach resigned his position as a photographer in the Image Services Center as of September 30. He began working in the UO Libraries in a full-time capacity in May of 2005, though he was a temporary staff member prior to that time. Best wishes in the years to come!
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photo provided by Rick Gersbach |
| Shayne Huddleston - CMET Shayne Huddleston resigned his position in Interactive Media as of August 22. He leaves to take a promotion at Oregon State University in Valley Library. Shayne began working for the UO Libraries in July 2006. Congratulations on this next step! |
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| Melissa Logan - Access Services Previously in the library: Personnel Specialist, Library Personnel, beginning in August 2004. Video Clerk, Access Services from November 2005 until leaving UO last month. Last day at UO Libraries was October 9. Currently: Video Clerk, at the Health Sciences Library, University of Washington, Seattle. Best thing you accomplished at UO Libraries: I can't think of anything I've done all by myself. All of the cool things I've done have been collaborations, with help from other people. Favorite thing about UO campus: The trees. In the spring, the oaks in front of the library, their leaves coming in fuller every day, and the magnolias/tulip trees when they have no leaves and are nothing but petals. In the summer, the giant maple in front of Deady and the large dawn redwood in the Science Complex. (It's a deciduous and a conifer, so the needles are lime green in the summer, and turn to a rich terracotta.) In the fall, the ginkgo between Villard and Lawrence (with cute yellow berries), the persimmon tucked into the courtyard between Straub, the EMU and the rec center, and the walnuts along Gerlinger when their leaves turn sunshine yellow. What you'll miss the most: My little sister and family, our cute little three-story apartment. Most exciting thing about the next step: Living by the arboretum, working on the UW web development committee, collaborating with my cool new supervisor Mary, new things and new challenges, regular access to ferry boats, and picking up fresh fruits and veggies at Pike Place every Saturday with Erik, our new bedroom window bench. Any last words? I love this place's ability to accept growth and change. I've been proud to be a part of progress here and hope things keep on getting better.
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Photo by Melissa Logan |
Staff announcements and photos by Jen Lindsey unless otherwise indicated
