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...]
Mold Preservation Workshop: Prevention and Treatment Strategies
November 19, 2014 By
In early November, library staff employees Sharon Byrd, Jean Coates, Michael Forney, Clara Nguyen, Denise Sherrill, and Alice Sloop attended a preservation workshop for mold prevention and treatment strategies. The workshop was presented by Adrienne Berney, a Collections Care Trainer from DCR Connecting to Collections, and hosted by Iredell Museums located in Statesville, NC. The workshop began with an introduction and tour of the premises by Debbie Newby, the museum director. Iredell Museums … [Read more...]
Pickles and Preservation
October 15, 2014 By
Have you wandered by the microfilm cabinets lately and thought that you smelled pickles? We aren't opening a deli in the basement. The odor is indeed vinegar-like, and it is a sign of a serious problem: the deterioration of our acetate-based microfilm, a condition known as "vinegar syndrome." Earlier this year, I wrote about mice and mold in the library. For certain kinds of microfilm and microfiche, vinegar syndrome is just as much of a threat and just as destructive as mold. Unlike mold, … [Read more...]
Institutional Repository Update
August 14, 2014 By
We are in the “dog days of summer” as we get ready for the semester in the heat and humidity of a Carolina’s August. This this is fine with “Flash,” but it means that while I want to write a meaningful blog entry, I’d like to minimize my effort. With this in mind, I’m going to offer an update on a project I am intimate with, Davidson’s Institutional Repository. Flash conserves energy during the “dog days” Our great summer students have made significant progress, and the hosting … [Read more...]
Of mice and mold
June 25, 2014 By
Libraries contain records that describe many "things wise and wonderful"; occasionally, however, we unwittingly house "creatures great and small" (mostly small). Over the years, our library has welcomed many visitors: prospective students and their parents, alumni returning for reunion, local researchers, notable authors and lecturers, and scholars visiting from overseas. We try to offer all a warm welcome, information about our services and resources, possibly a quick tour, and, on these hot … [Read more...]
