Did you know that recording artist, Stevie Wonder, created “Happy Birthday” as a single song in the early 80’s to promote the establishment of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a national holiday? This vinyl album is now on display in the library as part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrations on campus. Dr. Tae-Sun Kim, Director of Multicultural Affairs, has provided the library with content or has suggested content for two displays. The first can be found in the Library’s … [Read more...]
Browsing as Problem
I have long been fond of a 2010 article in American Libraries by Donald Barclay entitled “The Myth of Browsing.” Writing in reaction to faculty opposition to offsite storage of books and journals, Barclay pointed out that open stacks date back only to about 1940. He reminded readers that browsers are perusing whatever small segment of the information universe is owned by their library, that books can be shelved in only one place even if they cover many topics or perspectives, and that the most … [Read more...]
Constitution Week
On September 17, 1787, delegates gathered for a final time to sign the document they had created after four months of secret meetings, the Constitution. Much later, in 1956 Congress established Constitution Week to encourage all Americans to learn more about this historical document and the laws and values it imparts on our government and society. In the spirit of Constitution Week, the E.H. Little Library encourages students, faculty, staff, and visitors to explore the government documents … [Read more...]
Heart of the Campus: The Library as Place
In an age of virtual libraries, merged organizations, anytime, anywhere, 24/7 access to online resources, and even “bookless libraries,” it’s perhaps unfashionable to talk about the library as place. In the past decade, academic libraries have undergone dramatic changes; the library of 2015 is not the library of 2005, and that’s a good thing. The size of our collection, like the size of nearly every liberal arts college library, has grown exponentially with the release of new digital … [Read more...]
Stored and Storied: An Ode to JSTOR
There was a time when shelves their limits neared, packed tight, and many tomes in dust to me appeared unused, neglected, contents spurned; why must each store what's seldom needed, just in case? It is not now a student seeks out print and copier; online- only option their only desire, PDF reprint. JSTOR, JSTOR, how do students love thee? We can surely count the ways, but librarians' love for JSTOR is perhaps stronger and not as easily quantified. Certainly, everyone, students … [Read more...]