Reference point

              Collective efforts
Detailed process helps Park Library build its collection
David Ginsburg browses through the books shipped to the library. He uses his index finger to
push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. The Park Library reference librarian then gets to
work.
He pulls a hardcover book off the shelf. He flips through the pages, nods in approval, and
puts it back. With Ginsburg’s consent, the library will add the book to its collection.
Ginsburg monitors the library’s biology,
chemistry, geology, physics, mathematics,
and general science materials. Every week
he looks through potential new library items
in his expertise areas and chooses which
items will make it into the library collection.
Because of this responsibility, he is referred
to as a subject bibliographer.
“This is how we make sure that we get the
very best materials out there,” said Ginsburg,
who is one of many subject bibliographers at
Park Library.
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 • M A R C H 2 0 0 8
Continued on page 4
V o l u m e 5 , I s s u e 1
David Ginsburg, a Park Library reference librarian and science bibliographer,
determines whether to add new materials to the library collection.
2
Dean’s Column
Reference Point is published
biannually 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
Writers
Barbara Sutherland Chovanec
Sarah Chuby, ’03
Dan Digmann
Kristi DePaul Ries
Editor
Dan Digmann
Designer
Sydnee MacKay, ’98
Photographers
Robert Barclay
Peggy Brisbane
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: Noon - Midnight
Reference Desk
(989) 774-3470
libref@cmich.edu
Cover spine photo
Library 2007, pigment on aluminum
captured with camera obscura,
36” x 36”
By Al Wildey, Chair,
CMU Department of Art
CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively
strives to increase diversity within its community
(see www.cmich.edu/aaeo).
PRM 7798-4,675 (2/08)
REFERENCE POINT
Tom Moore
Dean of Libraries
Reference librarians offer patrons
knowledge, skill, and efficiency
When I was a young reference librarian, at
least a few years ago, the sporadic sounds
of card catalog drawers being handled was
common in the reference areas of university
libraries. Now, of course, in place of the
old “clack” of catalog drawers we have the
continuous “click” of keyboards.
In the last two decades the computer
technologies that eliminated card catalogs
have transformed library research and library
operating practices, almost entirely for the
better. Something that hasn’t changed,
however, is the vital role of the reference
librarian, the abidingly helpful human interface
between the academic interests and needs
of our students and faculty and the highly
dynamic and protean, technology-based
information resources.
Today reference librarians have never been
more valuable. While our less experienced
students can use, to varying degrees of
effectiveness, Web services like Google to
locate some types of information, even our
most experienced faculty often need the aid
of the experts in locating just the right piece
of information or in navigating the often
complex search processes and options for
retrieving elusive research materials.
Our reference librarians in Park Library, Off-
Campus Library Services, and the Clarke
Historical Library possess a wondrous
combination of bibliographic knowledge,
tech savvy, and enthusiasm for helping. At
the reference desk, in office consultations,
through e-mail, and on the telephone
with library users, they are the guides and
facilitators to a vast information system that
begins with our CMU
online systems, electronic
subscription services,
and fine print collections,
and extends almost
without end in the global
information Websphere.
Adhering to a time-honored
legacy of
individualized service,
reference librarians offer
to our library patrons
knowledge, skill, and
efficiency at every step in the learning and
library research processes.
Another important contribution of reference
and other librarians is the design of our
Web sites and customization of the search
interfaces for many computerized information
tools, beginning with Centra, our online
catalog. In this issue of Reference Point,
on page 10, you’ll learn about the recent
redesign of Centra, a project greatly informed
by reference librarians’ insights and their
extensive experiences aiding CMU’s library
clientele.
Teaching effective library use in classrooms
also is an integral part of the reference
librarian role. Through our popular 1-credit
library course, and through the hundreds of
class sessions of courses taught across the
undergraduate and graduate curricula, our
librarians instruct many thousands of students
every year about successful use of books,
journals, government documents, manuscripts,
and electronic resources. The emphasis always
is on the “quest for the best” in identifying and
evaluating information sources.
While powerful Web search tools have quickly
and dramatically established a worthwhile
place in library practice, they don’t provide
the human touch and talent that librarians
offer. Our reference librarians are one of our
most important expressions of a professional
tradition that determines library quality not by
the use of technology but rather by striving
to meet – individually and well – every library
research need.
You’ll find out about other interesting aspects
of our CMU library services in this issue of
Reference Point. Be sure to let us know if you
have questions or if you’d like more information
about any of the topics you see here.
Library committed to its legacy of service
Tom Moore
Morten Rishede, left, an international student from
Denmark, works with Aparna Zambare, Library
faculty member, at the Park Library reference desk.
3
Large number of music books
given to Park Library
In 2001, music faculty member Steven Egler
received a call from an estate executor that
his longtime friend and fellow organist –
Kent Dennis – wanted Egler to have his book
collection of organ history and scores.
Dennis, in his 70s, had moved into an
assisted living home because of an illness
and couldn’t take the collection with him.
“In the past Kent told me he wanted me to
have his Bach collection,” Egler said of the
friend he had met through the American
Guild of Organists-Saginaw Chapter. “So I
was not completely surprised by the call.”
That is until the estate executor told Egler
to come with at least one truck and time for
more than one trip to move the collection.
“Kent had decided to give me his entire
library, not just the Bach,” Egler said. “It was
in pristine condition. I’d like to believe that
Kent wanted me to have it because I’m an
educator, and he wanted his collection to live
on through me.”
Egler said Dennis had stored the collection in
his basement for years. At first Egler couldn’t
decide how to best preserve Dennis’ legacy
and make the music collection available to
budding organists.
He thought about sending it to Louisiana
after Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild music
collections that had been destroyed. He
also thought about sending it to Memorial
Presbyterian Church in Midland, where
Dennis had played the organ for almost
50 years.
But then, in 2007 – the year Dennis died
– Egler thought about CMU and how his
organ students could benefit from the rich
collection and decided to donate it to CMU.
“It is accessible to many people here,” he
said. “And now I can direct students to the
library so they can check out certain pieces
of music.”
Gift donations accepted
Beth Macleod, Park Library librarian and
music bibliographer, said the Kent Dennis
collection of organ music and history is
extraordinary. She said the books and scores
are in mint condition, and many are rare.
“Mr. Dennis’ collection has increased our
organ music collection by almost one-half,”
she said. “And we have yet to finish going
through it.”
Pamela Grudzien, head of technical services
at Park Library, said many people don’t realize
that donating their collections to the library is
an option.
The library only keeps donated materials
that do not duplicate anything that the library
already has, unless they are in high-demand
areas.
“Just like the new materials the library
receives, subject bibliographers can review
the gift collection and decide what they would
like to keep in the Library,” she said.
Grudzien said unusable items are saved to
sell in the library book sale. Or they are sent
to Better World Books, a company that sells
the items online, from which a portion of
the proceeds goes to a literacy nonprofit
organization and a portion comes to CMU.
And speaking of portions, Egler said he did
keep a small part of Dennis’ collection at his
home.
Just as he promised Dennis years ago,
Egler kept the Bach.•
A noted collection
Gift donations
For more information on gift
donation policies and how to
donate to CMU Libraries:
• Visit the Web site www.lib.
cmich.edu/policies/gift.htm
• Call Brian Palmer, Director
of Library Development and
Community Outreach, at
(989) 774-1826
Steven Egler, a CMU music faculty member,
reviews with Beth Macleod, CMU librarian, some
of the music collection he recently donated to the
CMU Libraries. Egler had received the extensive
book collection of organ history and scores from
his longtime friend Kent Dennis.
4
So approximately how many of the “very best
materials” does Park Library have? No, this
isn’t to test your trivia knowledge; it’s to let
you know what is available for you in the Park
Library collection:
• 1,100,000 books and bound journals
• 10,400 electronic books
• 48,000 electronic journals accessible
through subscriptions and aggregated
digital databases
• More than 120 databases available
through the CMU Libraries and the
Library of Michigan
• 47,500 maps
• 36,000 media resources
(DVDs, CDs, videos)
• 1,360,000 micro-format materials
(fiche, films, cards)
• 49 current newspapers
• 3,650 current periodical subscriptions
• 4,500 manuscript collections
And there are many more items in the
overall collection.
“Collections are the heart of the library. We
spend $10,000 a day on collections,” said
Libraries’ Dean Tom Moore. “Most of the
money is spent on publications that come
out on an annual basis, such as journals.
A smaller portion of the budget is dedicated
to one-time publications, such as monograph
books.”
Process ensures the library
adds only the best
There is a detailed system in place to
make sure that only the best materials are
chosen for the library’s collection, said
Pamela Grudzien, head of technical services.
Grudzien has monitored the library’s
collection since she started working at
CMU in 1985.
To stay on top of the latest materials and to
keep things up to date, the library has 17
subject bibliographers – like Ginsberg – who
have competence in their subject areas.
Grudzien, who is the subject bibliographer
for human environmental studies, library
and information sciences, and recreation/
parks/leisure, said the bibliographers stay
on top of the latest information by “keeping
their fingers on the pulse” of their respective
areas. Subject bibliographers review the
materials that come through the library’s
doors each week.
Collective efforts
Continued from page 1
Pamela Grudzien, Park Library head of technical
services, has monitored the library’s collection for
more than two decades.
Check them out
According to Pamela Grudzien, head of technical services and a subject
bibliographer, several types of resources and materials make up the Park
Library collection. They are:
��� Audio/DVDs. This is the CMU source for DVDs, CDs, and videos – about
36,000 of them. Patrons can search the titles online through Centra, the
CMU Libraries’ catalog, at catalog.lib.cmich.edu. “These are film titles
that faculty have chosen through the years to use in class,” Grudzien said.
• Books. Park Library on average receives eight boxes of new books per
week. Books then are displayed for subject bibliographers in the library’s
review room. In addition, when a subject bibliographer decides he or she
wants an older item, a search is done through online out-of-print dealers.
“This used to be time consuming, but with the Internet and searchable
Web sites, now it is marvelous,” Grudzien said.
• Government documents. Park Library is the mid-Michigan region’s
depository for U.S. government documents as well as information from
the state of Michigan, NASA, and the United Nations. While some of
the information and documents are located on the library’s second floor,
much of the collection’s more recent items are available online.
• Microfilm/Microfiche. Grudzien said microfilm and microfiche have been
used as archiving systems for decades, and these forms of archiving
aren’t going away anytime soon. She said microforms are the best ways
to keep the information found on the original paper items in pristine
condition while only taking up a little space.
• Online. Currently there is access to approximately 10,400 electronic
books and 48,000 electronic journals at Park Library. To make publications
available 24/7 and more interactive, the goal is to have 70 percent of the
library’s periodical collection available online-only by the end of 2008.
“Online has a lot of appeal because of its accessibility,” Grudzien said.
• Periodicals. In the Mary Dow Reading Room, the library has current
issues of printed magazines, newspapers, and journals from all over the
world. Retrospective issues of most journals – in bound volumes – are
available in the stacks on the east side of the third floor. •
The most common way for the library to
receive materials is to register with an
approval vendor service. The library has
established detailed profiles of materials
it is interested in adding to the collection.
The profiles are shared with Coutts Library
Services, a company that watches the
publishing world and sends the library new
materials weekly, Grudzien said.
“Because we crafted the profiles for what
the book company should send us very
carefully, 95 percent of the materials we
are sent are accepted by the subject
bibliographers,” she said. “The others are
sent back to the company.”
Grudzien said there are a variety of other
ways that materials are chosen for the
library collection, including donations and
faculty requests. •
Many resources and materials make up the
Park Library collection.
5
6
Endowments ensure quality services
Development Column
Financial support
exists in perpetuity
Each year, endowed scholarships enable
qualified students to attend Central Michigan
University by helping pay their tuition and
expenses. In a similar manner there are
endowments that benefit the CMU Libraries.
Annually the endowments produce funds to
offset the costs of the books, journals, online
resources, and services that we provide to
students and faculty.
A library endowment functions in much the
same way as a scholarship endowment.
The original gift is invested as principal,
and only earnings are released annually for
expenditure, according to the predetermined
criteria established by the donor. The
endowed funds invested by the university
produce a spendable payout of 4.5 percent.
So a $25,000 endowment with the library
provides roughly $1,125 annually.
These endowments can be designated to
suit the donor’s charitable interests. For
example, endowments can be earmarked
for the acquisition of materials in a
particular academic area such as history,
children’s literature, chemistry, or business.
Endowments can be set up to help cover
exhibit expenses within the Clarke Historical
Library or perhaps for visiting speaker fees.
They also can be used to provide funds for
online journal subscriptions relied on by our
ProfEd students. Endowments assure that
the libraries are able to continue serving our
CMU community for generations to come.
There are a number of ways in which a library
endowment can be funded to maximize
available tax benefits according to each
donor’s unique financial situation. Let’s look
at a few of the ways.
• Library endowments can be funded by
outright, tax-deductible, cash gifts. These
gifts can be pledges that are spread out
over three, four, or even five years. This
can enable a donor to enjoy tax deduction
benefits over multiple years.
• Endowments can be created through
a planned gift as provided in a will or
family trust. We have brochures that offer
valuable information on how to avoid
pitfalls and complications when arranging
your will or family trust while satisfying
your charitable wishes.
• Charitable gift annuities can be set up
to guarantee supplemental income for
the life of the donor(s) while providing
significant tax breaks at the time of the
gift and each year thereafter.
Something not to be overlooked about
library endowments is that they exist
in perpetuity. A library endowment will
continue, year after year, to generate the
financial support the CMU Libraries need
to ensure we’re providing quality library
services.
If you would like to learn more about
creating an endowment in your’s or a loved
one’s name, please do not hesitate to
contact me for more information.
As always, thanks to all who’ve chosen to
support the CMU Libraries.
Brian A. Palmer
Director of Library Development and
Community Outreach
(989) 774-1826
palme1ba@cmich.edu
Brian Palmer
Historian to speak
at Friends luncheon
The Libraries are proud to
announce Francis X. Blouin, Jr.
as the keynote speaker for the
Friends of the Libraries annual
luncheon.
Blouin, University of Michigan’s
Bentley Historical Library director
and Society of American Archivists
member, will speak at 11 a.m.,
June 14 in the Park Library
Auditorium. Lunch will follow in
the Baber Room.
Blouin is interested in a
wide variety of archival
issues, particularly
from an international
perspective. He
is the author of
Vatican Archives: An
Inventory and Guide
to the Historical
Documents of the
Holy See, in which he presents the
first-ever conceptual overview of
papal archival records.
For questions about how to join
the Friends of the Libraries group
or this invitation-only event, please
contact Brian A. Palmer, director
of library development and
community outreach at
(989) 774-1826. •
7
Library dedicates Reserves Room
in memory of Cynthia Walker
Ken Walker smiled when he looked at the
newly mounted recognition plaque near the
door of the Park Library Reserves Room.
A crowd of family,
friends, and former
coworkers – nearly
four times the
number originally
anticipated –
gathered around him
for the ceremony
last December to
dedicate the area in
memory of his wife,
Cindy.
“She loved this place so much,” Walker, ’65,
M.A. ’75, said of his wife of 60 years. “I know
she’d be happy.
“I’m so proud for Cindy.”
Cindy Walker, who is fondly remembered
for her smile and warm spirit, had worked
closely with students in the Park Library as
reserves supervisor from 1968 to 1986.
One of her former student workers, Keith
Spycher, ’73, attended the dedication and
took a few moments afterward to share
some stories about his former supervisor.
“We laughed a lot, and I always heard about
Ken and their kids,” said Spycher, who after
graduation became a good friend of the
Walkers. “She was a great person to have as
a supervisor and as a friend because she had
such a positive outlook on everything.
“Even when she was ill, she always had a big
smile on her face.”
Walker Family
establishes endowment
Cindy Walker passed away in October 2007
after a long struggle with heart disease
and cancer. In her honor, the Walker Family
contributed a gift to the library to establish
the Cynthia E. Walker Family Endowment.
The Walkers had moved to Mount Pleasant
in 1963 after Ken’s service as a pilot in the
United States Air Force for 21 years. Ken had
met Cindy while he was stationed in Hawaii
during World War II and she was working for
the Civilian Corps at Hickham Air Force Base
in Honolulu.
Everlasting tribute
“We were out one day and I said, ‘Honey, let’s
get married,’” Ken said, explaining how he
soon sold his Model A Ford for $350 to buy
her a ring. “She and I were perfect together,
and we dedicated our lives to our three kids.”
Ken studied at CMU and received his
undergraduate and graduate degrees in
teaching. He taught high school social studies
and history in Mount Pleasant for 18 years
and retired the same year Cindy retired from
working in the library.
Ken remembers how much his wife enjoyed
the students and the library at CMU.
“This was a good honor to be bestowed on
her,” he said.
Tom Moore, dean of the CMU
Libraries, said he didn’t work with
Cindy Walker at the library, but he
did get to know her after she retired.
“I knew her to be a charming person
and knew from others that she was
a great supervisor to her students,”
he said. “I am so pleased that we
have this opportunity to honor and
remember Cindy in this way.”
The gift to the library
was automatically
increased because it
was given during the
Annual University
Campaign, and
therefore the
university provided
a 50 percent match
for each donation
given by CMU
faculty, staff, and
retirees, according
to Brian Palmer,
director of library
development
and community
outreach. The annual
earnings on the endowment will provide
unrestricted support for library services.
“Everything with this gift to honor Cynthia
Walker just fit,” Palmer said, pointing out that
the room dedicated in her honor includes a
view of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, where she
enjoyed being a member. •
Cynthia E. Walker
Members of the Walker Family
attending the dedication of the Park
Library Reserves Room in memory
of Cynthia E. Walker were, from left,
Cindy’s son Mike, grandson and Mike
Walker’s son Chris, daughter Patricia,
MA ’81, husband Ken, and son Ken, Jr.,
’71, MA ’74. ‘This all is very moving,’
Patricia said of the ceremony and
room dedication.
8
Tim Peters is new director of Off-Campus Library Services
On any given day when Tim Peters logs in for his reference desk duties, questions and
requests await him from CMU students and faculty members around the country.
Peters is the new director of Off-Campus Library Services, and he and his staff take turns
working the reference desk by phone, e-mail, and through online chat sessions. Students
request help with everything from finding journal articles to citing references in papers properly.
OCLS serves the needs of 7,000 off-campus
students who can’t get to Park Library but
who need library services for CMU courses
they’re taking online or at off-campus
locations. The students often are busy
professionals who welcome the help.
“We’ll do the search for them and give
them a tailored list of articles and citations
to choose from,” Peters said. “They’ll get
the citations and abstracts to choose what
articles they want.”
The OCLS document delivery office then
retrieves the items from the collections,
scans the chosen articles, and e-mails
them to the students who requested the
materials.
Through recent surveys, students and
faculty have asked for more e-books to be
available and for streaming videos – two
collection areas where OCLS is expanding.
Peters said e-books especially are handy
because they’re accessible anywhere, and
they’re electronically searchable.
“It’s really a perfect technology for off-campus
folks,” he said. “It provides
immediate access, and it ends the shuttling
back and forth of printed books.”
CMU is devoted to serving off-campus library patrons
Peters earned his master’s degree in library science from Louisiana State University and came
to CMU after working for two community colleges – Southwestern Michigan Community
College in Dowagiac and North Hennepin Community College in suburban Minneapolis.
He said he’s excited to be working at CMU – a leader in offering library services for off-campus
patrons.
“This type of information delivery is more and more what libraries are getting into,” Peters
said. “CMU has been a leader in this field for a long time. We actually have an entire
department devoted to serving our off-campus students and faculty. It’s exciting to be on the
front end of where libraries are going.” •
Ready to help off-campus students
Leading the way
CMU’s Off-Campus Library
Services department hosts a
biennial international conference
for librarians who specialize in
off-campus services to gather.
This year’s conference is April
23 through 25 in Salt Lake City,
Utah, where nearly 300 librarians
from the United States, Canada,
and Asia are expected to gather
and share ideas.
“CMU is looked at as a leader
in off-campus library services,”
said Tim Peters, director of
Off-Campus Library Services.
“It’s fitting for us to offer this
conference. It keeps us out there
as a leader.”
For more information about the
conference, visit ocls.cmich.
edu/conference/index.html.
Tim Peters, the new director of Off-Campus Library
Services, sits at the computer and telephone in his
Park Library office to work his shift on the reference
desk for off-campus students. Other off-campus
librarians also can complete their reference desk
duties from the comfort of their individual offices.
9
Library’s browsing
collection encourages
reading habits
Newspapers. Books. Even the back
of the cereal box.
These are some of the places that
Gary Shapiro gets his dose of daily
reading.
And every few weeks, the dean
of the College of Humanities and
Social and Behavioral Sciences
makes it to Park Library’s browsing
collection and picks out five or six
selections.
“I read just about anything,” Shapiro
said. “Even when I’m busy, I find
time for reading. Reading is so
relaxing. Why wouldn’t you make
time for it?”
According to the results of the
National Endowment for the
Arts’ Reading at Risk survey
“To Read or Not to Read,” Shapiro
reads far more than the national
average. The survey found that 57 percent
of adults read a book in 2002, and 47 percent
of those surveyed read fiction.
Michael Lorenzen, Park Library’s head
of reference services, said the browsing
collection encourages reading for pleasure
and gives people access to current popular
fiction and nonfiction.
“It’s a leased collection,” Lorenzen said. “It’s
rotated continuously, and we keep books for
two years. That way we always have popular
fiction and nonfiction based on current best-sellers���
lists.”
Reading more
in more different ways
Lorenzen said he encourages book reading,
and he believes that people, in general, read
more than they used to.
“I think books are an important reading
format, but we need to realize that people
are reading,” Lorenzen said. “They are
reading on the Internet. Actually, I think
people are reading more, just in a different
way.”
Standing near the library’s browsing
collection, Shapiro said he does read online.
But for pleasure, he’ll keep picking up the
traditional book format.
Time to read
Shifting to his side, Shapiro stopped at a
shelf and pulled a few book titles out. He
reviewed the covers and returned one.
Shapiro said he has favorite authors, but
when it comes to finding new reading
materials, he usually leaves it to chance.
“If I find out I don’t like something after I start
reading, I don’t finish, and I’ll take it back to
the library and check something else out,” he
said. “There is no risk to try something new
because it’s free. This library really has a nice
browsing collection.”
Shapiro says his life – just like everyone
else’s – is very busy, and sometimes he has
to put down whatever he is reading.
But that’s what bookmarks are for. So is
turning down the top corner of the page.
Yes, even Shapiro turns down the top corner
to mark his spot.
“I have been known to do that,” he said
with a laugh. “My other trick is using the
magazine tear-outs as bookmarks. Those
also work well.” •
Gary Shapiro, left, always finds time
to read. The dean of the College of
Humanities and Social and Behavioral
Sciences said he tries to visit Park
Library’s first floor browsing collection
every few weeks to find new books.
‘There is no risk to try something new
because it’s free,’ he said. ‘This library
really has a nice browsing collection.’
10
Improved online service launched
When Central Michigan University Libraries
hired Krista Graham nearly a decade ago, she
led the design efforts for the implementation
of Centra, the library’s online catalog. It was
a sophisticated search engine for its time,
but nothing like the newly designed Centra,
which went live just before winter break.
Graham and others began discussing the
major overhaul early in 2007. Their goal
was to apply to the catalog speedier, more
efficient, and user-friendly capabilities of
current technology. Advanced features
needed were suggestive spell-checker,
patron-initiated reservations, and a feed that
sends subscribers a list of new library books
in their areas of interest.
Improving the system involved a number of
personnel with different areas of expertise.
Graham, who served as team leader,
worked with library systems administrator
Ruth Helwig, library services programmer
Eric Willoughby, Honors student Lauren
Campbell, and Thad Dickinson, a CMU
off-campus librarian in Atlanta, Georgia.
Library administrators and service personnel
were consulted on policy-related issues and
suggestions.
Redesigning Centra
Technology aided
by student research
Campbell led a student-centered focus group
to collect suggestions that were considered
for Centra’s new design, and she also
conducted a usability study to determine
how library patrons reacted to the new
design’s ease of use.
“This was a wonderful opportunity for me
to learn about the process of making a
major change in the way library services are
presented,” Campbell said. “It was a unique
research opportunity, which was especially
appropriate for me because of my interest in
becoming a librarian.”
A new look and feel
Revamping Centra was a strategic move for
Park Library, and initial reactions have been
very positive. Staff members continue to use
lower-traffic times to work out kinks.
The new system is more intuitive and easier
to use, with multiple tabs giving users more
options in their quest for library materials.
Fields prompt for keywords and make it
possible to search for books or journals by
author, subject, or ISBN. Queries produce
more specific results.
Students can continue to use My Centra
to record their online activity. Students
also can fine-tune their search skills in
the introduction to library and information
research classes offered every semester.
“We put a lot of thought and effort into
changing these settings, and many changes
were direct implementations of the focus
group’s requests,” Graham said. “Everything
we do as library personnel is directed at the
end result of making searches easier for
students and faculty.”
Graham and Campbell will present their user
feedback process this May at the national
Innovative Users Group Conference in
Washington, D.C. •
CMU Honors student Lauren
Campbell, left, and CMU Librarian
Krista Graham were among the
leaders of the team that recently
revamped Centra, the library’s
online catalog.
The Seen and Unseen: Shelley
Newman Stevens Paintings
Paintings by Mount Pleasant-based artist
• March 5 through May 13
• Baber Room, Park Library
Hateful Things
Minority Student Services-sponsored exhibit
from the Jim Crow Museum of Racist
Memorabilia at Ferris State University
• March 18 through April 4
• Third Floor Exhibit Area, Park Library
Central Michigan
International Film Festival
Festival celebrating more than 20 domestic
and international films
• March 27 through April 6
• Park Library Auditorium; Broadway
Theatre; and Celebration! Cinema,
Mount Pleasant
• For event information, visit the Web site
cmfilmfestival.com or call (989) 774-2694
Selections from Park Library’s
Permanent Collection
Various works representing a variety of
artistic approaches
• May 14 through August 2008
• Baber Room, Park Library
When France Claimed Michigan:
1608-1763
Featuring materials documenting the period
of French presence in Michigan
• April 1 through July 25
• Clarke Historical Library, Park Library
National Library Week
CMU celebration spotlighting the importance
of the country’s libraries
• April 13 through 19
• Events to include special exhibits and the
annual CMU Book Recognition Event
(see back cover for related story)
• Visit www.lib.cmich.edu for more
information
Clarke exhibit highlights French/Michigan history
If you are a Michigander, you know the drill.
People ask you where you work or attend school and you hold out your hand. Using
the other hand you point to the location: “Here is Central Michigan University.”
Frank Boles, Clarke Historical Library director, said if you had lived in Michigan
during the 1700s, you would have had to change your approach.
Picking pieces for the Clarke’s next exhibit, When France Claimed Michigan:
1608-1763, Boles found a replica of a mid-1700s Michigan map with a noticeable
difference.
“It almost looks like a blob,” he said. “The French, and the British for that matter,
didn’t know how to map longitude well, and to make things even worse, they didn’t
know the exact location of the lakes. So they guessed.”
In addition to maps, the exhibit will feature other items from the library’s extensive
collection of material documenting the period of French rule in Michigan. It will
examine Native American relations, European exploration of the Great Lakes,
the fur trade, settlement patterns, and the ultimate end of French rule in North
America. The exhibit runs April 1 to July 25. Boles said the exhibit’s purpose is to
acknowledge and prioritize Michigan’s long history.
“For many of us, it seems that I-75 always ran up the middle of the state and the
Mackinac Bridge always connected the Upper and Lower peninsulas,” he said. “But
life was very different 300 to 400 years ago in the areas that we are so familiar with.
I want for us to take time and recognize who called this place home and why.” •
When France Claimed Michigan ... CMU Libraries’ exhibits
and events calendar
The Clarke Historical Library exhibit, When France Claimed Michigan: 1608-1763,
will run from April 1 to July 25.
11
University Libraries
Park Library 407
Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
Non-profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
Permit No. 93
CMU community members recognized for published works
After English faculty member Ron Primeau published his book, Herbert Woodward
Martin and the African American Tradition in Poetry (Atlas Books, 2004), it was
featured in displays of scholarly
work at professional conferences
and even generated interest in
making a movie about Martin’s life.
A year later, Primeau’s book, along
with works by 135 other CMU
community members, also received
formal recognition in the first annual
Book Recognition Event. The event
now is one of the most important
celebrations of CMU’s contributions
to scholarship.
The fourth annual Book Recognition
Event, honoring the faculty and staff
whose books were published in
2007, will be held from 3:30 to
5 p.m., April 17 in Park Library’s
Baber Room. The event takes place
during National Library Week.
���It is important for all in any
university community to recognize
each others’ efforts,” Primeau said.
The Book Recognition Event was organized by Libraries’ Dean Tom Moore and
former Provost Tom Storch to honor CMU faculty, staff, and emeriti who had
authored, coauthored, edited, translated, or illustrated published books during the
previous year.
“It is important to honor faculty publication in a special way at the library,” said Rui
Wang, 2008 book recognition committee member. “Celebrating the faculty and
staff’s book publications not only highlights the significance of CMU research and
creative activity, but also places this local activity in the broader stream of intellectual
creativity and disseminating of human knowledge represented by the library.”
A committee of faculty members and librarians coordinates this event. •
Author appreciation
The annual Book Recognition Event celebrates
CMU’s contributions to scholarship. The fourth
annual event, which will honor the faculty and
staff whose works were published during 2007, is
scheduled for April 17 in Park Library’s Baber Room.