Reference point

              REFERENCE POINT
U N I V E R S I T Y L I B R A R I E S N E W S L E T T E R • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 6
Continued on page 10
Clarke Historical Library showcases
prestigious Arthur Rackham exhibit
“Rackham’s true genius was
that, in his art, he epito-mized
what many people
already saw in nature and
exaggerated it to the point
where it became mythic.”
– Anne Alton, professor of English
Illustrator’s work a jewel of the
Clarke Library Children’s Collection
London-born artist and illustrator Arthur Rackham is considered one of the
greatest illustrators to ever put ink to pen, and now his playfully intricate and
richly textured world is coming to the Clarke Historical Library.
Rackham (1867-1939) was well-known for his illustrations of such books as
J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan of Kensington Gardens (1906), Aesop’s Fables (1912),
Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1928), and
The Arthur Rackham Fairy Book (1933).
The Clarke Historical Library’s recent acquisition of this
nationally recognized collection represents more than half
of the works Rackham is known to have published, and it
contains almost all of the works for which he was the sole
illustrator. The collection was purchased from Wright State
University with funds from the Friends of the Library.
“To this day, Rackham is a dearly beloved illustrator.
Peter Pan was popular when it was first published, but
the edition illustrated by Arthur Rackham became a
phenomenon,” said Frank Boles, director of Clarke Historical Library. “Rackham’s
Pan was the equivalent of today’s Xbox 360 in that both serve as platforms that
take illustration to new heights; although of the two, I have to admit, I prefer
Rackham.”
Books illustrated by Arthur Rackham, clockwise from top left: Washington Irving’s Legend of
Sleepy Hollow, 1928; J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, 1906; Aesop’s Fables,
1912; and one of Arthur Rackham’s homemade Christmas cards, 1911.
V o l u m e 3 , I s s u e 1
Dean’s Column
Tom Moore
REFERENCE POINT
2
Park Library:
An unrivaled campus center
On the cover of this issue of Reference Point, there’s
an article on our Clarke Historical Library’s exhibit,
which focuses on the delightful works of the English
illustrator, Arthur Rackham. The Rackham exhibit,
which runs through July 28, promises to attract
an appreciative audience, and it’s the latest in a
series of wonderful exhibits in the Clarke Library
that have highlighted aspects of this marvelous
treasury ranging from Native American portraits to
Ernest Hemingway’s Michigan connections and,
more recently, the history of the Michigan oil and
gas industry.
The Clarke Library exhibits are a key aspect of a
broader academic-cultural program of the Libraries,
involving regular art exhibits, film series, speakers,
and much more. These offerings and activities
valuably complement the more essential physical
and virtual library collections and services that are
the centerpiece of all that we do at the Charles V.
Park Library.
Currently, for example, in the Baber Room there’s
Journey, an exhibit of large, colorful, spiral-form
paintings by Kathy Jones of CMU’s Department
of Art. In the Extended Hours Study, there’s a
fascinating set of ceramics and prints by Lauren
Longton, a junior art major. And in our third floor
exhibit gallery there’s a moving display of photos
and text providing accounts and reflections relating
to the two atomic bombings of Japan at the end
of World War II. These exhibits, together with our
growing permanent collection of artworks, establish
a rich and vivid visual environment in Park Library.
In our Library Auditorium just
about every day there are
speakers, panel discussions,
films, and media presentations
sponsored by the Libraries or,
more often, by a host of CMU
academic departments, schools
and colleges, and campus offices
and organizations. Poets, artists,
storytellers, and visiting scholars
often appear, and occasionally a
Michigan governor or U.S. senator
as well. Days and evenings in our
meeting rooms and group study
rooms, clusters of campus leaders
and students gather to discuss, report, debate, and
learn. Baber Room receptions frequently provide
a unique setting for the social side of academic
events. In 2004-2005 our three largest rooms
alone were used by 500 groups, which combined
consisted of about 30,000 people.
The cumulative addition of all these enriching
activities and programs to our primary, scholarly
information services and study facilities makes
Park Library a campus center unrivaled in breadth
and diversity of academic and cultural engagement
opportunities. I appreciate that this puts our library
at CMU firmly in a grand tradition of libraries going
back at least to ancient Alexandria.
Great libraries have been and continue to be
centers for study and learning, development and
preservation of knowledge, and exchange of ideas
and cultures. I’m proud that since 2002 our new
Park Library offers many of the academic and
cultural attributes of “place” that have made libraries
so valuable across centuries and societies.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Reference Point, which
will tell you much more about what’s going on at
Park Library. Feel free to share your comments, or
let us know if you’d like added information.
Tom Moore
Dean of Libraries
Reference Point is published twice
annually by University Libraries.
Address questions and suggestions to:
Office of the Dean
Park Library 407D
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
Editorial Board
Thomas J. Moore
Dean of Libraries
Anne Marie Casey
Associate Dean of Libraries
Brian Palmer
Director of Development
Gerry Edgar
Manager, Library Business Services
Reference Point Coordinator
Production
CMU Public Relations and Marketing
Writer
Joan Mathieu
Editor
Dan Digmann
Designer
Amy Gouin
Photographers
Peggy Brisbane and Robert Barclay
Printing
CMU Printing Services
Libraries Web Site
www.lib.cmich.edu
Academic Year Library Hours
Mon - Thurs: 7:50 a.m. - Midnight
Fri: 7:50 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sat: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sun: 10 a.m. - Midnight
Reference Desk
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libref@cmich.edu
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3
Thomas handles everything from
book triage to student safety
More than 70 student employees in Park
Library’s Access Services keep the library
running smoothly, from opening the
doors in the morning to making sure that
everyone is out of the library at closing.
Student employees
make everything possible
Thomas says that, without the 70-plus student
employees and the section supervisors in Access
Services, her job would be almost impossible.
“I wouldn’t be here if Park
Library wasn’t as great as
it is, but the main reason
I’ve stayed is because of the
student employees,” Thomas
said. “I like getting to know
them and sharing their lives.
They become a big part of
my life, and I miss them
when they leave.
“In turn, Access Services
student employees tend to
develop a strong relationship
with Park Library and
leave with many different
life skills,” she said. ��Most
student employees find the
work in Access Services satisfying, so they remain
with us their entire college career.”
Senior social science major Matt Matthews has
worked for Thomas in Access Services for four years.
“It has been a great experience. Diane is a great
supervisor who genuinely cares about her students,”
he said. “She is a great asset, helping us learn to
balance work, class, and other extracurriculars. I’ve
learned how to work with a diverse group of people,
be it patrons, coworkers, or supervisors.” •
Access Services staff keep track of
library’s physical needs
Diane Thomas oversees all physical aspects of Park
Library, from tracking down stray books to securing
the premises at night.
“I do a lot of troubleshooting that involves anything
to do with the maintenance of stacks and books,
periodicals and magazines, copiers, microforms,
reserves, book checkout, study rooms, and
security,” Thomas said. “I also do book triage, which
means I determine which books can be repaired
in-house and which ones need to be sent out to the
bindery for repair.
“Basically we make sure everything is where it
should be.”
Thomas has worked for Park Library for 29 years.
She began working there as a student employee
within Access Services.
“It’s always a challenge to make sure the library is
running smoothly, and sometimes I need to think
a step ahead,” she said. “We always have to have
a contingency plan in place for the what-ifs or
unforeseen circumstances.”
Many of the student employees like the work they do
in Access Services so much, they stay throughout their
entire college careers. Pictured from the left, Ashley
Carland, Connie Fitzpatrick, Jill Berry, access services
coordinator Diane Thomas, Nate Jarvie, Stacie Carlson,
Chan Phillips.
4
Park Library will celebrate National Library Week
with a number of fun events designed to highlight its
great services.
“The idea this year is to get people to come in and
enjoy fun activities that will have them learning
about the library as they use it,” said Associate Dean
of Libraries Anne Marie Casey. “For some of the
activities we will offer the incentive of a small prize,
like a gift certificate, and contestants will be entered
in a larger drawing for a gift that we have solicited
from local merchants.”
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is
a national observance sponsored by the American
Library Association and libraries across the country
Park Library to celebrate
National Library Week, April 2–8
Stump the Librarian
Here are three “Stump the Librarian”
questions from last year:
• Can you specify a few links that
provide information related to the
technical explanation of the speech
recognition process in artificial
intelligence?
• How thick does neoprene sheeting
need to be in order to repel
hazardous biochemicals such as
anthrax?
• What was Oscar Wilde’s favorite tree?
Answers to these questions
(and others) can be found
online at www.lib.cmich.edu/
libraryweek/answers.htm
Famous “librarians”
A few of history’s famous librarians might
surprise you.
Giacomo Casanova, 1725-1798. Italian
adventurer, autobiographer, and famous lover. He
worked as a librarian for Count von Waldstein in
the Chateau of Dux in Bohemia in 1785.
August Strindberg, 1849-1912. Swedish
playwright and artist. Before achieving fame with
the novel The Red Room (Röda Rummet), he was an
assistant librarian at the Royal Library in Stockholm.
Pope Pius XI, 1857-1939. He served 19 years
as a member of the College of Doctors of the
Ambrosian Library in Milan and then became its
chief librarian. In 1911 he reorganized and updated
the Vatican Library. Four years later he became the
library’s prefect.
each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions
of the nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote
library use and support.
This year some of Park Library’s activities will include:
• Stump the Librarian
• Guess the number of book jackets in the
display case
• Answer the Riddle, in which contestants will
use the library to solve clues
• A short survey about what users need from
the library
• Computer training sessions
In conjunction with National
Library Week, the second annual
CMU Book Recognition event and
reception will be held on April 6
from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Park
Library’s Baber Room. Faculty,
staff, and emeriti who authored,
coauthored, edited, translated,
or illustrated a book published in
2005 are eligible for recognition. •
Mao Tse-Tung, 1893-1976. Chairman of the
Chinese Communist Party. He worked as an
assistant to the chief librarian of the University of
Peking.
J. Edgar Hoover,
1895-1972. Head of
the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. His first job
was as a Library of Congress
messenger and cataloger.
J. Edgar Hoover
5
“Mid-Michigan Reads” brings communities together
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the landmark novel
about censorship and defiance first published in
1953, soon will draw several communities together
in Mid-Michigan Reads – the area’s first community
reading program.
Initiated by Lise Mitchell, the director of Mount
Pleasant’s Chippewa River District Library system,
Mid-Michigan Reads will include Central Michigan
University, Mid Michigan Community College, and
the public libraries of Harrison and Clare.
The program is scheduled for early March through
April 8 and will feature lectures, discussions, and
other events, including a showing of Francois
Truffault’s 1966 film version of Fahrenheit 451.
“This kind of one-book reading program has been
done all over the country, so we thought we’d get
going on our own,” Mitchell said. “It’s a nice way
to engage adults and get people within and from
different communities talking. We’re excited and
fortunate to have CMU’s support and will draw on
their resources, students, and faculty members,
who will be able to speak to different aspects of
the book.”
Pamela Grudzien, head of technical services at Park
Library, sees this
collaboration as the
first of what will
become an annual
event.
“This program has
a lot to do with
oral traditions,
keeping memories
and stories alive
through storytelling,
which ties in with
the Michigan Story
Festival,” Grudzien
said. “It’s a very cool
event, and we’re excited to be part of it.”
Committee chooses Fahrenheit 451
Mitchell, Grudzien, and others in the planning
committee narrowed down their book selection
from a list that included Harper Lee’s To Kill a
Mockingbird, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were
Watching God, and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great
Gatsby.
“Through conversation we decided Fahrenheit 451
was a good book to start with because it lent itself
to a variety of programs and discussions. Next year
the community will be involved in selecting the book
through a voting process,” Grudzien said.
Mid-Michigan Reads
will play well into CMU
Dean of Libraries Tom
Moore’s mission to
make Park Library a
cultural center.
“This will draw people
in and make the
public aware that
they are welcome
here,” Grudzien said.
“This isn’t just a place
for CMU students
and faculty, but for
everyone.”
The committee is in the process of soliciting funds
from several sources including local Friends of the
Library groups, Michigan Center for the Book, and
the Michigan Humanities Council.
The committee already has secured program funding
from the Friends of Veterans Memorial Library and
the Mount Pleasant Area Community Foundation’s
Robert and Geraldine Kraphol Literacy Fund.
Additional sponsors are welcome. •
“I’ve always been so completely
devoted to libraries and books
and authors that I couldn’t stop
to consider for a moment that
I was being foolish. I only knew
that writing was in itself the
only way to live.”
– Fahrenheit 451 author Ray Bradbury
(from raybradbury.com)
Lise Mitchell, front row in blue shirt, and Pamela
Grudzien, front row in red shirt, worked together
to coordinate the area’s first Community Read
program. “Mid-Michigan Reads” will feature Ray
Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.
Park Library a vibrant and relaxing
community at night
6
1
2
3
7
1. Sophomore Alison Comer goes through
her Spanish flashcards in the quiet of
Park Library’s stacks.
“I love Park Library and its atmosphere.
Usually everyone there is working hard,
and it’s a great place to relax and do my
homework and study. Now that I live off
campus I come about every night to take
advantage of the great resources.”
2. Taryn Sutton, left, and Jill Reinbold go to
Park Library at night. When they study
with other people, Sutton always reserves
a study room by presenting her student
ID at the Book Checkout Desk.
“It’s nice to be able to talk to people and
study with someone else or a group of
people in a study room. You still get the
quiet library aspect, but you don’t have
to worry about disturbing others.”
3. Deborah Caraway and Nicholas Hewlett
help each other look up classes for next
semester.
4. Chad Burroughs searches the stacks for
his research paper about the 1967 Detroit
riot. He goes to the library at night twice
as much as he does during the day.
“It’s the best atmosphere for studying on
campus.”
5. Jennifer Calliea, far left, works on a
media campaign for her advertising
media campaign.
“The library is peaceful enough to work
in at night – not desolate and eerie like
some libraries. I like how there is a lot
of room to work and I have my own
space, yet I can still see other people.”
6. Ming Xu, left, and Cecily Shi spend most
of their time on the computer when they
work at the library. Ming Xu said he likes
coming here at night because it is quiet
and relaxing.
7. At night many CMU students get together
at Park Library to work on group projects.
These students discuss a project for their
communication in leadership course. •
4 5
6
7
8
Dan Gall goes to great lengths to get the
information his off-campus students are looking
for by finding information in databases, among the
stacks, and on the Web.
“With this job, I learn something new every day,”
Gall said. “I get psyched about being a reference
librarian because it’s cool. Today I helped a master
in education student look into virtual field trips and
discovered that you can go online and tour Bosnia
from the safety of your own home.”
Gall draws on his background in journalism and
history to dig deep through the reference materials
to which his distance-learning students have limited
access. In one case he spent time more than three
weeks providing materials science formulas to a
student in Traverse City because she was unable to
come to Park Library in person.
Have Internet,
Gall travels
Gall is one of six Off-Campus Library Services
librarians who travels to CMU classes around the
country, as well as Canada and Mexico, to teach
research skills and offer library orientations to
off-campus students. He spends an average three
or four days each month traveling to different
locations in Michigan. He also has traveled to CMU
locations in Georgia, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina,
and Louisiana.
Finding information
psyches up reference librarian
Gall goes a step further by “traveling” to online
classes, where he follows online tutorials for library
orientation with chat sessions or discussion boards
so the students can ask questions and get a more
personal experience.
“Tutorials are convenient, but no tutorial is going
to anticipate all the students’ questions,” Gall said.
“I’m proud of the good working relationships I’ve
developed with teachers working online.”
Gall enjoys the particular challenges of working with
distance education students.
“I’m impressed with their
dedication,” Gall said.
“On a campus there is
an academic culture, and
the emphasis is on taking
classes, getting the degree,
and studying. Away from
campus, the emphasis
is on jobs, families, and
all the pressures of daily
life without the support of
fellow students.”
For the most part, Gall’s
contact with students is
by phone or e-mail. At a
recent graduation reception
given for distance-learning
students, one woman gave
Gall a big hug when she
realized he had been the
librarian who had helped
her many times in her
research.
“It’s so exciting when I learn how much I’ve helped
someone in getting a paper or presentation done.
But it can be tricky. I never decide for them what is
good, bad, or interesting. I doggedly get them the
information, but it’s their job as students to evaluate
the information,” Gall said. “There’s a lot of cool
information in the world, and I’m here to help the
students find it. Along the way, I get the chance to
learn a little bit about a lot of things.” •
Nighttime chat
sessions enlighten
online students
Off-campus Reference Librarian Dan
Gall uses nighttime chat sessions to
augment tutorials for online students
and to add a personal touch to the
learning experience. He answers
questions that range from book
mailing costs to identifying specific
databases.
“This kind of personal touch on the
chat rooms is irreplaceable; it’s that
extra step toward giving CMU students
the best service we can give them,”
Gall said.
Gall finds the chats with his students
quite lively, and the anonymity gives
shier students the chance to express
themselves. Currently, he is working
with three online instructors in the
M.S.A. program. Of these, two prefer
scheduled chats while the third prefers
discussion boards that students can
access at their convenience.
“I try to answer questions in the order
in which they are asked.” Gall said.
“There are often 15 to 25 participants
per session, and every time one
person types something and
hits ‘enter,’ it pops up on
everyone else’s screen. The
chat sessions and discussion
boards are ways for them to
share ideas and interact with
each other, and they often have
really good things to share.”
Theoretically, these sessions
can occur at any time in the
day, but generally most off-campus
students work during
the day, so the evening is a
better time for class meetings
and online chats.
“For my part, I think they see me as
a pleasant surprise – some librarian
who takes the time to offer helpful
information. I think they appreciate
that we go out of our way to work with
them, whether it’s in person or online,”
Gall said. •
9
Since 1997, Central
Michigan University’s
Writing Center has helped
students and faculty
make writing the core of
a solid college education.
Its satellite location at
Park Library has offered a
source of help for students
at night.
“The Writing Center is
an open place where
intellectual discussions
and comfortable one-on-one
learning come together,” said Mary Ann Crawford, CMU English associate professor and
director of the Writing Center. “The center at the library is a convenient location. Students are
already there at night, and if they need help they can drop in.”
Journalism senior Maria Carter has been a student consultant at the Writing Center for three
years.
“I work with students, just helping them rather than evaluating or telling them what to do,”
Carter said. “We’re investing in writers and giving them something that is very important.”
Students learn while consulting
Crawford believes the evening hours at the library location are especially helpful for
nontraditional students because it is within walking distance, and they can come in at the last
minute. English graduate student Yang Min first came to the Writing Center for help. Now she is
one of its almost 40 consultants.
“I came from China to study English literature and language. I got a lot of help from the
Writing Center because I wanted the correct language and words. Consultants helped me with
everything from grammar to getting me on the right track with a thesis,” Yang said.
Being a consultant is itself a learning experience.
“I have learned so much about all sorts of subjects just by reading and helping students in their
areas of interest,” Carter said. “And even though I’m a consultant, I still use the Writing Center
for my own papers.
We focus on what can
be done – it’s about
the power of positive
language.” •
Writing Center
shines a light for students
Dan Gall chats online with distance-learning students
from many locations throughout North America, including
Michigan, Virginia, Georgia, and Mexico.
“I came from China to study English
literature and language. I got a lot of
help from the Writing Center because
I wanted the correct language and
words …”
– Yang Min, English graduate student and current
Writing Center consultant
“I get psyched about being a
reference librarian … There’s
a lot of cool information in
the world, and I’m here to
help the students find it.”
– Dan Gall, off-campus reference librarian
10
Graduate pledges lifelong
commitment to Park Library
Assistant General Counsel for the University of
Michigan, Stan Bies, ’72, recognizes that his Central
Michigan University education and the hours he put
in studying at the library helped shape his career.
In turn, he and his wife, Sandra, make yearly
donations and have earmarked a portion of their
estate for Park Library.
“We are very committed
to CMU and Park Library.
It’s the hub of the campus.
It’s a place that’s not just
about books – it’s about
the information and the
facilities, and it’s where
students of all different
backgrounds come to
learn,” Bies said.
Collection blends professor’s
literary passions
Central Michigan University professor of English
Anne Alton spent several months developing the
catalogue copy for the Rackham exhibition in the
Clarke Historical Library.
“Arthur Rackham was one of the most significant
artists and illustrators of his day. His books and
artwork sold very well during his lifetime – and
even better after his death,” Alton said. “Rackham
provided in each of his pictures an idiosyncratic
vision of the world seen through the lenses of his
own particular imagination.
“Rackham’s true genius was that, in his art, he
epitomized what many people already saw in nature
and exaggerated it to the point where it became
mythic.”
The collection, which includes a small selection of
original art, has special significance for Alton in that
it combines her two areas of expertise – Victorian
and children’s literature.
Arthur Rackham exhibit
Continued from page 1
As an economics major, Bies spent long evenings at
the library, and it paid off for him. After graduating
from CMU, he worked for the Internal Revenue
Service before earning his law degree from Catholic
University in Washington, D.C., and a master’s
degree in taxation from Georgetown University.
He worked as a lawyer in private practice and for
corporations before taking his current position at the
University of Michigan.
“I wanted to work in the nonprofit sector for a while
as a way of giving back to higher education,” he
said.
Over the years Bies has watched Park Library
expand and, as a member of the university’s
campaign committee for the library, gives his time
and talent in developing ways to raise money.
“Park Library is well beyond being just a place to
study – it’s performing a much broader service
for the university,” Bies said. “It’s the heart of the
university. By pledging a gift specifically to the
library, I feel I’m helping every CMU student.” •
“This is an incredibly good, hands-on collection.
It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to work
directly with the materials in the collection, which
include a variety of deluxe signed editions and
British and American first trade editions,” Alton said.
“This exhibition highlights Rackham’s significant
contributions to children’s literature, fairy tales,
music, and British, American, and European
literature.”
The Rackham exhibit opened to the public Friday,
February 24, with a presentation about the collection
in the library at 4 p.m. by Alton and Mary Lou White,
Wright State University professor emeritus.
The Rackham exhibit will close July 28. •
Friends luncheon
to feature Broder
Join us April 13 for the next Friends of
the Library luncheon, featuring Pulitzer
Prize-winner David S. Broder, columnist
and national political correspondent for
the Washington Post.
Broder is a regular commentator
on CNN’s Inside Politics and makes
frequent appearances on NBC’s
Meet the Press and Washington Week
in Review. He is author or coauthor of
seven books.
Broder and his wife, Ann, also are
donors to the Clarke Historical Library.
They recently have given valuable
historical documentation about
Michigan’s Beaver Island by Ann’s
mother, Helen Collar, to the library and
have supported the transcription of it
for use by researchers.
Broder received an honorary doctor
of humane letters degree from CMU
in August 2003. •
Stan Bies
11
Library offers faculty members
valuable resources for research
As the heart of Central Michigan University, Park
Library serves as a crucial support for faculty
research. Staff members work hard to provide the
best tools and materials to help achieve research
excellence. They are sharp, flexible, and tenacious.
“Park Library supports three important aspects
of the university’s new 2010 Vision campaign:
teaching, learning, and research,” said Tom Moore,
dean of libraries. “In support of CMU’s research
activities, we are building collections and watching
where the university and the faculty are going
academically. We are willing and able to assist
toward the university’s challenging goals.”
The following CMU faculty members are just a few
who have benefited from the outstanding service
Park Library offers.
Stephen Wagner
Associate Professor,
Department of Psychology
“I do meta-analytic research. This involves
combining the results of many studies that have
been conducted on a particular topic. The library
has helped me in numerous ways with this
research. They have made tremendous advances in
making journal articles and dissertations available
in full-text form over the Internet. When a source
is not available at our library, the process for
making an interlibrary loan request has been made
convenient on the library’s Web site. The statistical
procedures for conducting meta-analyses have
evolved over time, and the librarian for the social
sciences, Rui Wang, has been very responsive to
my acquisition requests for the latest textbooks on
meta-analysis. She also designed a training session
on conducting literature searches for a graduate
seminar I did on meta-analysis. She worked with
me to design the content of the training to ensure
that it was advanced enough to be useful for
graduate students.”
Jean Toner
Assistant Professor, Department of
Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work
“Library staff has been enormously supportive to
me as a new assistant professor in my efforts to
implement training and socialization of my 100-
level students into library research processes. In
keeping with Vision 2010 priorities directing efforts
toward increased opportunities and application of
research experiences, integrating such training
into course content at such an early stage has
contributed to our university goal of fostering
excellence in undergraduate student research. I look
forward to continuing such efforts and to expanding
a collaborative relationship in support of my own
research agenda.”
Dillip Mohanty
Professor of Chemistry
“For the past 19 years I have relied exclusively
on librarian David Ginsburg and the staff of the
Interlibrary Loan department. All of them have
been friendly, efficient, and highly professional in
helping me with my research. It would have been
very difficult to accomplish what I, and hence CMU,
have been able to do to date without their continuing
support. My hat’s off to all of them.”
Anne Alton
Professor of English
“Robert Faleer and Aparna Zambare, two reference
librarians, have been incredibly supportive, and the
Interlibrary Loan people always track down anything
I need.”
Rui Wang
Reference librarian,
social sciences bibliographer
“I work with faculty members who give their students
assignments that require them to conduct in-depth
research. I go to the classroom and show the
students how to set up research strategies.” •
Rui Wang, a Park Library reference librarian,
helps familiarize students in Jean Toner’s
social work class with researching specific
topics using various social work databases.
University Libraries
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In January the Clarke Historical Library
welcomed its new reference librarian
and bibliographer, John Fierst.
Fierst, who most recently served as
the head of public services at the
Capital Area District Library in Lansing,
brings an extensive background in
research, writing, editing, and project
management to his position with the
Clarke Historical Library.
He received his M.A. in history from
the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg,
Canada, and his M.L.S. from Kent
State University in Ohio.
“I had done research at Clarke
Historical Library before, so I had a
special interest in the collection before coming here.
It’s an ideal fit for me,” Fierst said. “Park Library is
absolutely wonderful, and getting the chance to see
what’s here has been quite amazing.”
Before coming to Michigan, Fierst was editor
and project director of the John Tanner Project, a
grant-funded initiative to develop a new annotated
edition of Tanner’s A Narrative of the Captivity and
Adventures of John Tanner during Thirty Years
Residence Among the Indians. This narrative was
first published in 1830 and is a primary source
in the study of Anishinabe history and culture. It
provides a different perspective on the early years
of the Canadian fur trade because it was written
from the Native American point of view.
Prior to this project, Fierst served for several years
as research librarian at the James J. Hill Reference
Library in St. Paul, Minnesota – one of the most
comprehensive business libraries in the country.
Clarke Historical Library
welcomes new reference librarian
Fierst has knowledge of Great Lakes history and
library reference services, and he has written a
number of successful grant proposals, including a
National Endowment for the Humanities award for
the John Tanner Project. His professional affiliations
include the American Library Association, the
American Historical Association, and the Association
for Documentary Editing.
As reference librarian, Fierst’s duties include
management and oversight of the reading room
and promotion of the Clarke Historical Library’s
collections through public outreach, exhibits, and
other educational programs. He also is responsible
for adding to and maintaining the Clarke Historical
Library’s book and periodical resources.
Fierst succeeds Jeff Hancks, who has assumed
the directorship of the Western Illinois University
Archives and Special Collections. •
John Fierst