Bibliocycle

Libraries have always conducted periodic inventories to identify items that have gone missing since the last count. A decade ago we would automatically replace most of the missing items. This year, when I received the results of the summer inventory of the 900′s, (that’s the history collection in “Dewey”) I was able to take a very different approach, replacing only a fraction of the “missing” books.

What changed? Two important things. First, we now offer a shared collection. Since 2003 we have been part of the NOBLE library consortium. Our users have access to the combined collections of 27 libraries. So the first step in evaluating inventory results is to check each missing title to see how many copies are available through NOBLE. For many titles, there were 5 or more copies available. I consider that adequate access for our students, so those missing books were not replaced. Second, our online catalog allows us to provide links to electronic, full-text books. Some of the books that are missing are old enough to be “in the public domain.” For these books, copyright restrictions no longer apply. In most cases they are included in one of the large online collections of books like the Internet Archive and Google Books. These collections offer linking at the item level through a unique URL. Consequently, we can provide access to the book by adding that URL to the catalog record for the missing book. So these books, which would likely have been very expensive and hard to find, were also not replaced.

These two factors produce a win/win. We can provide an excellent collection in support of the interests and needs of our users, and at the same time save precious financial resources for other priorities.

Our students have grown up believing that just about any information they need can be obtained quickly and easily using Google and Wikipedia.  They are not alone, since several recent studies that have determined that about 75% of college students begin their academic research assignments using Google.  At the OWHL, we want to make sure that our students learn to identify, locate, and use a wide range of scholarly sources, most of which are not available on the free Internet.  But to convince busy students to use those sources, we have to make them quick and easy to find.

Last fall the OWHL purchased a new tool to help us achieve this goal.  This relatively new product, called LibGuides, has quickly become very popular in academic libraries.  Our version is dubbed OWHLGuides, and it helps us build web pages to organize and promote the electronic resources that we pay for along with the best of the free Internet.   Individual OWHLGuides are created for specific assignments, and are typically organized by source type.   In addition to links to books, reference sources, images, and materials in other media, they contain citation support and link to a comprehensive discussion of the Research process.

Are OWHLGuides working? They are certainly getting used.  We currently have 49 “published” guides, in support of seven academic disciplines.  The top ten guides have a total of 13,133 hits! As an illustration, the two guides that we made in support of the BIO 100 Disease Project have been viewed by the students taking BIO 100 4,160 times.  These numbers suggest that the students are finding the OWHLGuides helpful, and are returning several times over the course of their research to find additional information.  We will continue to monitor the use of the OWHLGuides, and will continue to improve our existing guides, and create more.  If you are a PA teacher, we’d be happy to create one for your class.

Can you go to PA if you don’t exist?  Apparently you can, at least if you are J. Montague Fitzpatrick.  Roger Corman Kiley, a member of the Class of 1940, invented Fitzpatrick in 1936 and he became a phantom honorary member of the class.  Kiley gave the fictional student his name, and then set out to weave a life for him.  His fabrication was quite elaborate, and included the submission of papers for classes he was supposedly taking.  Kiley also diligently produced fake cut slips for classes missed and excused absences for missing athletics because of a conflict with band practice.  He even went so far as to fabricate letters which he mailed to the school that were supposedly from Fitzpatrick’s mother wondering why her beloved J. Montague was not writing home.  Fitzpatrick was the subject of many Phillipian articles and appeared in various other school publications.  Several versions of the fictitious student (with various attributed graduation years) appear on the Internet on Classmates.com.  If you are interested in learning more about him or his creator, stop by the Archive and ask for him by name.

The OWHL is pleased to announce that we have recently purchased Accessible Archives, a new electronic database filled with primary sources that “contain the rich, comprehensive material found in leading historic periodicals and books.”  Search this resource to find “eyewitness accounts of historical events, vivid descriptions of daily life, editorial observations, and commerce as seen through advertisements and genealogical records.”  Accessible Archives includes the full text of many well-known publications including Godey’s Lady’s Book, The Liberator, The Pennsylvania Gazette, The Virginia Gazette, and other 19th century African American newspapers.  Visit the OWHL A-Z e-Resources page or go directly to Accessible Archives

Four librarians from the OWHL traveled to Hotchkiss last week to attend the annual conference of the New England Association of Independent School Libraries. More than 100 independent school librarians from across New England were treated to keynote remarks by Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian for Research and Instructional Services at Temple University, who spoke on “Designing the Future-Proof Library.” Concurrent sessions throughout the day focused on topics from assessing instruction to running an Archive. OWHL Associate Director Jeffrey Marzluft and Instructional Librarian Sara Ciaburri engaged with Hotchkiss colleagues Eric Styles, Instruction Librarian, and Tom Drake, Instructor in History, in considering “Student Collaborative Learning and Information Literacy.” OWHL Archivist Tim Sprattler attended a round table discussion for independent school Archivists. OWHL Director Elisabeth Tully attended an extended session for Directors of the Libraries of the Eight Schools, centering on topics of current interest, including mobile computing and electronic books.

We are currently in the midst of the Academy’s annual staff performance appraisal process, and so I have been thinking about the things (besides money) that motivate the OWHL staff. I have always believed that people work more enthusiastically and productively when they understand, and believe in, the purpose of their organization. It also helps if they have had a hand in defining what that purpose is. The OWHL is in the third year of a five year strategic plan, so this summer we will be creating an action plan for year 4. When we commenced this planning cycle, we revisited, and reconfirmed, our mission.
The Oliver Wendell Holmes Library helps to prepare students for creative and independent lifelong learning by providing a place where they can read, think, and interact with a rich array of resources under the guidance of talented and knowledgeable information professionals.

But we haven’t talked about our purpose since we went through the original exercise. We have hired a couple of new staff members since then, and there have been profound changes in the library environment.  So it seemed a good time for us,  as a team, to revisit our purpose. We only have a full staff meetings once a month,  and at the last one I gave everyone an index card, and asked them to write down one or two sentences capturing the purpose of the OWHL.  After I collected the cards, I decided to try using Survey Monkey, a free, online survey tool to share the answers anonymously and begin the process of gaining consensus.  I typed all of the responses in a survey, and asked everyone to identify their top five.  The didn’t have to rank them, just select them.  In the second round, the five top vote-getters were listed, and responders were asked to pick three.  In the final round, I asked people to rank those three.

This exercise has been interesting, and I think that the results will be very useful.  Each person was given the opportunity to think about, and put into words, their idea of our purpose.  Then they had the chance to compare their ideas with those of their peers (without attribution) and to indicate their preferences.  The process has been easy (I emailed a link to each version of the survey to our staff email distribution list.)  The tool is free and easy to use.  We have had full participation in the exercise, and no complaints.  In fact, people seem very interested in the results, and been positive about the process.  There is probably no actual substitute for face-to-face brainstorming, but it is unlikely, given the frenetic pace of spring term that we would have been able to do this exercise in that way.

If you were playing word association, and the word was “Librarian,” would “books” be the first word that occurs to you?” That wouldn’t be surprising. However, the word that the OWH librarians would like you to think of is “Teacher.” The seven members of the Instructional Team at the OWHL (all with Master’s degrees) are, first and foremost, teachers. We have developed a fully articulated curriculum in the area of information fluency – an essential skill set for 20th century life-long learning and effective global citizenship.

Despite their prior experiences with technology, students do not arrive at Andover with these skills. Worse, they arrive not knowing what they don’t know. They are not scheduled for classes devoted to the acquisition of the skills—rather, we partner with faculty members in many academic departments to teach students how to identify a rich array of resources beyond the Internet, and how to effectively and ethically use those resources. If we are not yet working with your classes, we’d like to invite you to explore with us how we might reinforce your curricular objectives while supporting our students in building an information skills toolkit.

We can work with you whether or not your kids are engaged in a formal research project. Information is almost always needed to support critical thinking in life and in scholarship. We have some self-contained sessions in which we can teach your kids a useful skill (like how to become a Google power-searcher) or give them supported time to explore an excellent resource (like our new collection of 48,000 electronic books.) While we prefer that you attend the class with your students, we can often accommodate a class on short notice in your absence. We can provide a value-added alternative to a “free-cut.” So think of the OWHL when you are putting together a list of topics to engage your students after the AP test. Think of us when you need a back-up plan. And especially, think of us when your curriculum requires the students to engage in critical thinking about unfamiliar material. We are teachers, and we’d love to be your partners.

The World Tai Chi and Qi Gong Day is celebrated on the last Saturday of April around the world. This year, OWH librarian and Tai Chi teacher Sharon Pei will participate in the event, and invites members of the PA community to join her. You can learn more about the organization sponsoring this event and view video clips showing people around the world celebrating World Tai Chi and Qi Gong Day at this website: According to Pei, “We truly believe the world would become a better place if we think positively and act harmoniously.” Contact Sharon at spei@andover.edu for information about the celebration planned for April 24th.

On behalf of the OWHL staff, I am delighted to congratulate you on having been selected for School Year Abroad. We know that you will make the most of this extraordinary opportunity. Though you will be gone from our campus next year, you will not be forgotten. In particular, I want to remind you that many of the services and resources provided by the OWHL are available to you electronically. If you need help on a research assignment, we’d be happy to assist you over email or Skype. In addition, nearly one third (48,000+ titles) of our collection of academic materials is now in ebook format, making it possible for you to continue to use many of the rich resources of the OWHL in support of your academic work on the other side of the globe. Your PA ID card is your library card number, and will authenticate you as a member of our community no matter where in the world you log in. If you have any questions about using our “virtual” collections and services, please stop by the OWHL sometime this term to speak with us about it.

An in the meantime, please accept our sincere congratulations on your accomplishment. Adventures await, and we’d like to help you make the most of them.

The following resources by Proquest are free during National Library Week — just in time to be helpful for History 310 projects. Try these resources and then let us know which ones you think that we should purchase.

ProQuest® African American Heritage (try it now | learn more is a groundbreaking resource that brings together records critical to African American family history research and connects users to a community of research experts.

ProQuest Historical Newspapers™ – Black Newspapers (learn more) for eye-witness accounts of history being made, start here. Search and browse continuous runs of the following full-image Historical Newspapers:

* The Baltimore Afro-American (try it now | 1893-1988)
* Chicago Defender (try it now | 1910-1975)
* Los Angeles Sentinel (try it now | 1934-2005)
* New York Amsterdam News (try it now | 1922-1993)