Jenny Colvin has joined the library as Music Librarian. She is a 2000 graduate of George Fox University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, and she received her Master of Library Science from Indiana University in 2006. Jenny worked at DePauw University where she served as Music Library Desk Supervisor and in the Music Instructional Technology Center. Jenny oversees the Robert J. Maxwell, Jr. Music Library and serves as the library's liaison to the Music Department.

Every year, Special Collections and Archives hires a recent Furman graduate to serve as an intern. This program is designed to give practical training and work experience to a student who is planning to go to graduate school. This year, our intern is Liz Meeker. She graduated in June of 2006 with a major in history and a concentration in Latin American studies. The focus of her internship will be to build and maintain the South Carolina Poetry Archives and the web site for Special Collections and Archives.

Elaina Griffith has joined the staff as Reference/Government Documents Assistant. Elaina has a bachelors degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and years of experience as a director of a small public library in Vermont. Her most recent work experience has been in the Access Services Department of the Greenville County Library (Hughes Library).

Online System Changes

This summer Alcuin received its first major facelift since the web-based library catalog was implemented in 1994. This change is functional as well as cosmetic. Some of the new search capabilities are quite powerful and include the ability to pre-limit, or "scope" searches to only films, sound recordings, music scores or other types of materials. In addition, when doing keyword searches you can use advanced techniques like combining words into phrases and limiting search terms to particular segments (e.g., author, title, subject or notes) of the keyword index. A concise summary of search tips is available on the keyword search page in Alcuin. Stay tuned for still more new features in the coming months.

Reference Blog Launched

The Reference Department launched "Reffitti" a blog intended to announce new arrivals in reference and multimedia, as well as featuring search techniques within various online resources. The librarians hope Reffitti will stimulate comments, suggestions, and questions from the university community opening a new avenue of dialog concerning the many resources available through the library. We are currently in the process of migrating Reffitti to a different platform so that we can offer RSS feeds to those users wishing to receive notices about certain subjects as they are addressed on Reffitti. There is currently a link to Reffitti on the Library's home page under "What's New", and the direct URL is http://palpage.blogspot.com/.

Music Library Blog Launched

The Music Library blog is a place where dynamic information will be provided, with the intent of adding to the content of the web site. The Music Librarian plans to feature books, scores, and sound recordings held by the library, make announcements about new items, provide links to internet resources, and offer research tips. The link to the music library blog is http://furmanmusiclibrary.blogspot.com/.

Science Library News

During the renovation of Plyer the collection of the Science Reading Room will be housed in both Plyler and the Main Library. The Bound Journals will be housed in the Science Reading Room in Plyler, Rm 121A until they are moved to the new basement in Plyler in August '07. All other science materials, including reference materials, books, and current journals, will be housed in the Main Library until the new Science Library opens in August '08. Victoria Welborn, the Science Librarian, will be working out of the Main Library and can be reached there or at x2342. To keep everyone up to date on Science Library planning and changes we will be announcing a Science Library blog during Fall term.

The Old & The Odd

Special Collections and Archives has a new exhibition which highlights the breadth and diversity of our collection. From an example of cuneiform several thousand years old to an eighteenth century page from the Koran to twentieth-century Colombian folk art, the current exhibition will be on display from September 8 through December 8. The opening reception will be September 22 from 2-4 pm in the Pitts Room.

Library Wins Sustainable Design Award

The James B. Duke Library has won the 2006 Sustainable Design Award from the Carolinas Chapter of the International Interior Design Association. The award recognizes environmentally friendly elements in the interior design of the recent expansion and renovation of the library building, such as use of recycled and low emission materials. The library congratulates the architects for the project, Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott of Boston and Neal Prince + Partners of Greenville. The award was announced during the Association's DesignWorks competition and recognition event held in May. DesignWorks recognizes and rewards professional excellence in the Carolinas design community through a professionally juried design competition. For more information on the green aspects of the library building see Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Furman Wins Library Public Relations Award

The James B. Duke Library is a 2006 winner of the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award, which recognizes and honors outstanding achievement in library public relations.

The Library won the award for ICU: Life in the Library and Year of the Library, a two-phase public relations program associated with the building renovation and expansion. Staff members developed a humorous medical theme to ease stress during the construction phase, which was followed by a yearlong celebration of the library, its new building and capabilities. The program, which ran from 2002 to 2005, was headed by Mary Fairbairn and Julie Carter with broad participation by members of the library faculty, staff, and student workers.

The award was announced at a meeting of the American Library Association in San Antonio on January 21. It is jointly sponsored by the H. W. Wilson Company and the H. W. Wilson Foundation with the Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and has been awarded continuously since 1946.

For more information see 2006 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award Winners Announced on the American Library Association website.