Dr. Janis Bandelin, Director of Libraries, has been elected to the board of directors of the Association of College and Research Libraries as Director-at-Large. She will serve a four year term steering this professional organization which is central to the work of college and university libraries throughout the country.

Library Hosts NEA Chair

Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, was the library's guest on May 9-10, 2005. Chairman Gioia is an internationally acclaimed poet, critic, educator, and former business executive who has chaired the NEA since 2003. During his visit he toured the library and met with civic and university leaders. A major topic of conversation was the landmark NEA study Reading at Risk.

OCLC President Visits Library

Jay Jordan, president and CEO of the Online Computer Library Center, met with personnel from the library and computing & information services during a visit on May 19, 2005. Jordan has served as president of OCLC since 1998. Topics discussed included the future of the book and OCLC's relationship with Google.

New Library Personnel

Lauren Wood has joined the library staff as Reference/Government Documents Assistant. Lauren is a 2005 graduate of Furman University in History. As a student Lauren worked in Government Documents and conducted GIS projects related to the library and history in conjunction with Steve Richardson. She also served as an intern at the U.S. State Department.

Andrew Prymak will be serving as Special Collections & Archives Intern for 2005-06. Andrew is a 2005 graduate of Furman University in History. He will help draft a taxonomy for University Archives and inventory materials already collected in University Archives utilizing this new taxonomy. Andrew will also help redesign the University Archives section of the library website and create a template for University Archives entries.

Melissa Bateman has moved into the position of University Collections Manager. Melissa is a 2002 graduate of Furman University in History who previously served as Special Collections & Archives Intern. She will maintain the inventory of decorative and fine art on campus. She will also serve as a campus resource regarding the care, conservation and preservation of these historic materials.

Science Library Planning Underway

Librarians have been working with science faculty members, architects, and others to plan a new science library as part of the expansion of science facilities and the renovation of Plyler Hall. To help visualize possibilities the university brought Alison Ricker, science librarian at Oberlin College, to campus to meet with faculty, students, librarians, and administrators. If you have ideas for the future science library, please contact Victoria Welborn, science librarian.

Year of the Library Programs

President Shi declared 2004-05 "The Year of the Library" in celebration of the completion of the expansion and renovation of the James B. Duke Library. This has included a wide variety of programs, including lectures, concerts, and other activities. The theme of several of the programs was based on a quote from our dedication speaker, Vartan Gregorian: "A library is a mirror to the past and a window to the future." For a complete list and details about events see Year of the Library.