Library, Department & Team News
General News
Disability Awareness Award for Outstanding Service
David Horvath has been honored with the Disability Awareness Award for Outstanding Service for his strong advocacy and commitment in support of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance at the University. The Awards are sponsored by the University of Louisville Disability Resource Center. Three separate individuals nominated David. Gary Roedemeier of WHAS TV made the following remarks as the award was presented: "David has directed and supervised services for individuals with disabilities using library services for the past decade, providing adaptive equipment, special software and individual assistance. His initiatives have resulted in increased usage and awareness of library programs. Professor Horvath has served as liaison to the Interpreter Training program, making American Sign Language tapes available to students for viewing in the library. In addition, he led the collaborative effort involving the Disability Resource Center, the University Diversity Committee, Mr. Mitchell Payne and the ADA Committee, to identify and secure funding for purchase of a site license for software that provides computer access for persons with visual impairments."
Take Our Daughters to Work Day
As part of the nationwide "Take Our Daughters to Work" Day, the Women's Center had a "greetings" table in the Ekstrom Library lobby on Thursday, April 27, between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Parents and their daughters who participated in the event stopped by for light refreshment, information, and a souvenir of the day.
Assessment Team
On May 10, members of the very cool Assessment & Resource Planning Team will be attending a half day training session on using the Dey Systems database for creating reports about the Libraries' performance. On May 17-18, they will be attending a conference sponsored by Dey Systems. One of the conference tracks covers the use of assessment data in strategic planning.
For information about our current projects, see http://uofl.louisville.edu/library/teams/assess/projects.htm. If you are interested in participating in any of the A/RP projects, contact Melissa Laning at 852-8726.
Ekstrom Library
Media and Current Periodicals
British Manners
It has been a diverse month of travel and adventure for David Horvath. From March 31-April 8, he and his wife Mary, vacationed in Trinidad and Tobago to celebrate their 25th anniversary. This trip covered the same places as an earlier trip David made to T&T as a photographer's assistant a few years ago. Part of the stay was at the Asa Wright Nature Center located in the rainforest of Trinidad. It is a very British, very remote and isolated getaway, famous with birders who can spot hundreds of exotic tropical species without leaving the veranda of the guesthouse. The rest of the time was spent on the beach in Tobago, relaxing, snorkeling, and drinking rum punch. Since they had a car they were also able to explore the nooks and crannies of the small island, looking for local food and perfect beaches. Well, they found the perfect place tucked away on the north coast of the island. David said that he would share the location with anyone who wants to find a remote fishing village in the Caribbean with no phone, one local restaurant and nothing to do except relax. He will also throw in Tobago driving tips. The roads there are 1½ lanes wide, driving on the left side of the road, steering from the right of the car.
At the barricades
A little over a week later, David and about 90 other people from Kentucky, mostly students, were in Washington D.C. for the protests of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund meetings held there on April 16-17. The weekend began with an amazing series of workshops, lectures and debates that featured many of the world's most articulate and well-informed critics of these institutions. They included economists, academics, human rights and grass roots activists and officials from many non-governmental organizations around the world. As most people know, the demonstrations were intense and were largely successful in their primary goal of raising the issues of economic justice and the dangers of globalization. Most impressive was the fact that 95% of the tens of thousands of activists in D.C. were young people aged 19-23. Their commitment to economic justice for the poor of the world transcended more limited "causes." This commitment was strong enough to close 96 blocks in downtown D.C., risk arrest and the violent responses of the D.C. Police, U.S. Marshalls and the National Guard. There were many similarities to the Civil Rights struggles of the 1950s and 60s and the resistance to the Vietnam War. Despite the fact that the mainstream media focused on the violent confrontations with protestors, the vast majority of the protesters held closely to nonviolent, Ghandi-like principles.
David has also been named by President Shumaker to be part of the Code of Conduct Advisory Committee at the University of Louisville, charged with recommending ways the University can avoid purchasing products or licensing its name for products produced in sweatshop conditions. The Committee will make its recommendations in the fall. The use of sweatshop labor is one of the aspects of globalization being confronted by students at many universities across the country.
Office of the University Librarian
Faculty Promotions
Hearty congratulations to three of our faculty members who will be promoted on July 1st. Karen Feder and Kathie Johnson will be promoted to Assistant Professor (term). Karen Little will be promoted to Professor. The Board of Trustees granted final approval on April 24.
Resignations
Hugh McCarty was released from his position as Clerk Senior in Ekstrom Shipping & Receiving effective March 27, 2000.
Daryl Waldrop has taken a position in Information Technology. He left his position as Technology Consultant I at Kornhauser Library effective April 19, 2000.
Sally Wren resigned as Program Assistant II in the Office of the University Librarian effective April 21, 2000.
Reference
Travels
Glenda Neely and her husband, Randy, spent the first weekend of April in Asheville North Carolina, where they visited the Biltmore Estate, including the home, gardens, and winery. It is a glorious escape in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the "house" is actually a grand 250-room chateau built over 100 years ago. For those of you who haven't visited the Biltmore in a while, the third floor has been restored and opened for tours since last July. They still conduct Rooftop Tours and Behind-the-Scenes Tours in addition to the main tours. The grounds cover 8,000 acres, including formal and natural plantings, forests, and trails, created according to the master plan of Frederick Law Olmstead — the landscape architect who created Louisville's park system, Central Park in NYC, and many others.
Anna Marie Johnson and Glenda Neely attended the Joint Spring Conference of the Kentucky Library Association (KLA) Academic and Special Sections and the Special Library Association (SLA) Kentucky Chapter held at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, April 12-14. The theme was "Millennium Madness: Technology Trends in the Year 2000." Keynote speaker, Stephen Eggleston of the Eggleston Group, Nuance Data Systems, was informative as well as entertaining. Breakout sessions presented by librarians included, "Rethinking the Reference Desk," "Training for Technical Competency," "Digital Library Programs," "Local Access to Internet Information by ARL Libraries," and five others.
Mark Paul recently vacationed in Tampa, Florida. While there he served as the "Best Man" at a friend's wedding. The reception was held in Ybor City, a Cuban-American section of Tampa that offers a wealth of restaurants, bars, and cultural experiences. Also in Ybor City, there is a hotel where Teddy Roosevelt stayed during his years as a "Rough Rider." Mark stayed at a hotel that is located next to Busch Gardens.
Disco Divas Unite
The library's very own lyrical trio!! For those of you who missed it, Rebecca Maddox, Latisha Reynolds, and Cece Railey debuted in their first karaoke performance on April 19 at The Red Barn during the Campus-Wide Arts Day celebration. Stay tuned for their next show … Just kidding!!!
Special Collections
Andy Anderson worked at one of the University's "Afternoon With UofL" programs, this one for African American students and parents from regional high schools. He distributed Library Guides, maps, electronic database help sheets and other information and spoke with students and parents when they visited our literature table.
It's Later than (Some of) You Think
Photographic Archives has received a request from Bi-Fokal Productions, Inc., a Madison, Wisconsin firm that produces multimedia kits used in "Reminiscence Therapy" in senior citizen homes. The item requested by Bi-Fokal is a 1955 photograph of Elvis Presley taken at the Mary Anderson Theater in Louisville during an annual country music show sponsored by Philip Morris (Lin Caufield Collection, Special Collections).
Our student assistants, all born after 1980, saw nothing odd in the words "Elvis" and "seniors" appearing in the same sentence. Andy Anderson seemed a little shocked, though, and speculated that there might even be other employees in the Libraries who remember Elvis.
Kersey Library
TLC
Well, here it is time for finals again! It's hard to believe the spring semester is coming to a close! Kersey Library is setting up our TLC Exam Post for the students. They really look forward to the coffee and cookies to help them through the "terrible finals."
Conference
Carol Brinkman attended the KLA Spring Conference at the Jenny Wiley State Park.
Time Off
Bryson Lewis, one of our student assistants, will be going home to Virginia Beach for some fun time this summer! Terry Trowell, another one of our student assistants, will be leaving us for the summer to join the Navy Reserves.
May Birthdays
Kersey Library wishes Songsook (Mong) Khasisaeng, one of our student assistants, a very Happy Birthday. We extend that wish to all of you in the libraries celebrating your very special day this month.
Kornhauser Library
Staff News
April 19 was a bittersweet day for the staff at KHSL, for it was the last day of work for Daryl Waldrop, Library Systems Coordinator. Daryl has moved on up to a position as Program Analyst 1, Miller Information Technology Center. The following haiku is in honor of his departure.
Neal Nixon and Nancy Utterback both went to the Voyager Users Group Meeting in Chicago recently. While there Neal and Tyler Goldberg divulged some scintillating secrets from technical services with their presentation "The Shocking Truth About Managing Electronic Journals!" The titillating truth was well received by the audience, and Neal and Tyler have been contacted by several institutions since returning from the conference. Not one to give up the limelight so quickly, Neal will collaborate with Nancy Utterback, to present a similar topic at the Medical Library Association conference to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, May 8-12. The presentation is entitled, "Taming the Dragon to Create a Harmonious Online Catalog."
Judy Wulff and Elizabeth Smigielski cleared the air regarding the purpose and goals of the IAIMS grant, with a presentation entitled "Integrating Health Information at the Louisville Medical Center" at the KLA Academic and Special Library Sections and SLA-Kentucky Chapter spring conference at Jenny Wiley State Park, April 12-14.
Wild hair Kathy Rogers whooped it up while on vacation in New Orleans. Never fear, the trip wasn't entirely one of slinging hurricanes and eating at Emeril's. She sated her educational and cultural desires with a trip to the Battle of New Orleans National Park.
New Students
Public Access Services extends a warm welcome to four new student employees: Yan Zhang, Natalie Owens, Tanapun Karunanont, and Donna Coleman. Their help at the circulation desk is much appreciated.
Law Library
Expecting
Janissa Moore and her husband, Chris, are expecting their first child in September. They are "very, very excited and feel extremely blessed."
On the Road Again
In early April, Miriam Schusler Williams attended the Pigtown Fling in Cincinnati. For those unfamiliar with the Fling, it is a weekend dedicated to contradancing. (The contradance, or "country dance," is a folk dance in which the partners form two facing lines.) Miriam traveled to Cincinnati with her "dance gypsy" friend, schoolteacher Jamie Hounchell.
There is an active contradance community in Louisville. The Louisville Country Dancers meet every Monday night and every third Saturday from 8:15 - 10:30pm at St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Woodbourne Avenue. For more information, go to group's website http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/d_johnson/z-lcd.htm
Ballooning
Paul and Melissa Shuter took their first hot air balloon ride Wednesday,
April 26. The serene flight over eastern Jefferson County was relaxing
and exciting at the same time. Paul and Melissa have also had the
opportunity to crew for the balloon, experiencing the thrill of the chase!
Wine Appreciation
When Paul and Melissa have their feet on the ground they can be found on
Tuesday nights in UofL's Continuing Education course, Wine Appreciation.
The class introduces you to between ten and twenty wines in an evening (spit
cups are provided). Blind tastings give everyone a chance to appreciate the
wines without the dollars, as good wines can be found in all price ranges.
This class includes as much personal research and homework as you like. If
you have ever been curious about wine, this is a great class!
Music Library
Our intrepid student assistants, who give us so much at the desk and in the stacks, actually have a life outside the library! Here is a brief and non-comprehensive list of some of the accomplishments of some of our students in the last few weeks.
Collegiate Chorale in Orlando, Florida | 3/2 |
Piano Recital | 4/14 |
accompanied other performers | 4/10, 4/17, 4/20 |
Collegiate Chorale in Orlando, Florida | 3/2 |
Opera Workshop, Suor Angelica | 3/24-25 |
Early Music Ensemble | 3/31 |
Student Composers Recital, Concrete Vapors | 4/5 |
Convocation | 4/20 |
Student Composers Recital | 4/5 |
University Symphony Orchestra | 4/16 |
Convocation | 4/20 |
UofL Softball team, 1.000 field percentage (no errors); team is 25-20 overall |
University Archives
Tom Owen, backed by images from the Photographic Archives, taped a video interview for broadcast on the Web via MSNBC. It will be available during Derby week as part of a Kentucky Derby package.
Kathie and Ron Johnson spent a few days reliving their youth on a trip to Minnesota in early April. Kathie is a native Minnesotan and Ron spent his senior year of high school and his college years there. While in St. Paul, they visited two of Kathie's brothers, shopped at the Mall of America (it is huge), spent time browsing and eating along Grand Ave. (the trendy area of town with boutiques and coffeehouses), and of course, visited the Minnesota History Center, which was fabulous. They then drove down U.S. 61 along the Mississippi River (listed as one of the ten most scenic drives in the U.S.) to their college town of Winona, with an overnight stop in Wabasha (the setting of the movies Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men). A visit to the campus of Winona State University was very nostalgic, as was walking around the town, and eating at one of the old hang-outs, Shorty's Bar and Grill (which had not changed a bit). The differences that they noticed were that the beautiful bed and breakfast where they stayed was much classier than the dorm rooms, and they weren't carded at Shorty's.