ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 1004 / C&RL News ■ November 2001 C o l l e g e & R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i e s News Photomicrographs, the NPR 100, and student teaching Library liaison ideas that really work by Katherine Furlong and Janelle Wertzberger I n 1997, Gettysburg C ollege’s Musselman Library revived a dormant liaison program. Librarians w ere assigned to each departm ent and program o n cam pus and e x p e cted to serve as the first point o f library contact for the teaching faculty. Som e core com m unications and activities em erged that w e n ow encou rage every liai­ so n to practice; attending departm ent m eet­ ings, sending reviews o f new materials, track­ ing faculty b o o k orders, and visiting faculty offices are se en as standard liaison activities. We w ere delighted to find that alm ost ev­ ery librarian had som e unique and interest­ ing ex p e rien ces to report. T h e authors co l­ lected these exp erien ces so that they could b e shared with the entire staff, especially new librarians w ho are just settling into their liai­ son responsibilities. Here w e share som e o f our favorite liaison stories from across the curriculum. Sciences O ne o f our m ore interesting liaison stories involves the electron m icroscopy lab in the biology department. W hen visiting the departm ental offices to co n fer with a p rofessor about a research in­ struction sessio n for another class, the b io l­ ogy liaison noticed a bulletin board filled with electron photomicrographs. The images, taken by students in the m icroscopy lab, w ere strik­ ingly beautiful and artistic. T h e b iology liai­ so n inquired about the photos and suggested that this w ork w ould m ake a unique exhibit in the library. T h e p rofessor immediately gave the liai­ so n a tour o f his m icroscopy lab and invited h er to attend a lab session later in the sem es­ ter, w hen the students w ould b e w ell-versed in scan n in g m ethod ology. T h e liaison a c ­ cep ted the invitation and spent three happy hours learning about electron m icroscop es and how m icroscop ic images are created. T h ere w ere only four students enrolled in the class, and the librarian spent o n e -o n -o n e time with ea ch o f them during the lab p e ­ riod. She learned about sam ple preparation, the d ifference b etw een a scanning electron m icro scop e and a transmitting electron mi­ crosco p e, and darkroom developm ent o f the photographs. She also had the rare opportunity to inter­ act with students in a different pow er dy­ nam ic— on this day, the students taught the librarian in a biology laboratory instead o f learning about research databases in the li­ brary. During these interactions, the students About the authors Katherine Furlong is reference/instruction librarian and coordinator o f instruction, and Janelle Wertzberger is head o f the reference/instruction department at Gettysburg College, e-mail: kfuriong@gettysburg.edu andjwertzbe@gettysburg.edu mailto:kfurlong@gettysburg.edu mailto:andjwertzbe@gettysburg.edu C&RL News ■ Novem ber 2001 / 1005 were very candid about their research needs and library usage patterns. Two o f them came to the reference desk later and asked for assistance with other bi­ ology projects. The liaison believes that their requests were influenced by her lab visit. Later in the semester, the library hosted an exhibit entitled “The Art o f Electron M i­ croscopy.” Information about the course and the lab were included with photographs of the students, the professor, the lab, and, of course, the photomicrographs themselves. We mounted the exhibit on an accordion-style display and positioned it just inside the front door. We plan to use this display for student work from different disciplines in the future. There is a short postscript to this story. Not long after the liaison’s lab experience, the library prepared a lighthearted newsletter piece about our food and drink policy. The article was inspired by an exhibit o f dam­ aged library materials. Included among those materials was a book that had a fungus growing on it. We took the book to the electron microscopy lab, where the professor took a sample o f the of­ fending growth, scanned it, and identified the fungus as a strain o f penicillin. We used his photomicrograph and comments in the news­ letter. Social sciences Our economics liaison found reaching fac­ ulty members via students is effective. By chance, he met with a number o f honors the­ sis writers through the Reference/Instruction Department’s Research Project Consultation service. He realized there was a need for bet­ ter faculty-librarian collaboration if students were to successfully complete their econom­ ics honors research. The liaison approached the faculty mem­ ber involved and asked if he could attend the students’ end-of-semester research pre­ sentations. His request was granted. This meeting began a discussion between the fac­ ulty member and the librarian about actual and expected student research skills. A few short weeks later, the economics liaison found himself meeting with three eco­ nomics professors to design a research com­ ponent for senior majors. Economics majors participate in a fall senior seminar class and then write honors papers in the spring. The professors felt that research assistance was needed throughout that final year. The meeting also gave the liaison another chance to refresh faculty members’ familiar­ ity with the myriad of library resources pro­ vided for their discipline. The economics liai­ son has high hopes that the department will integrate research competencies into the se­ nior year and then populate the lower-divi­ sion courses. Our education liaison had a similar expe­ rience with student presentations. She at­ tended student teachers’ presentations o f their final portfolios. She was impressed by the quality of work and wanted to showcase it in the libraiy. Faculty and students were en­ thused by this opportunity to display their work. We used the accordion-style display near the library entrance to exhibit photo­ graphs o f student teachers in the classroom, as well as statements o f their teaching phi­ losophies and reflections o f their time spent student teaching. Hum anities Gettysburg College has a strong history pro­ gram and, not surprisingly, a vested interest in the Civil War. To meet the needs of schol­ ars and students, the Civil W ar Era Studies Program was established in 1998 and is dedi­ cated to the interdisciplinary study of mid- 19th-century America. Although librarians at Gettysburg do not hold faculty status, the history liaison jumped at the opportunity to attend and participate in workshops held for faculty teaching or those planning to teach in this new program. By attending the workshops, she was able to effectively determine how the library, and the library’s Special Collections, could con­ tribute to the learning process. She determined that the library owned many primary materi­ als that could be used in innovative ways by students and scholars. By participating in pedagogical discussions, the liaison success­ fully marketed the library’s collections and services to faculty from a variety of disciplines. Use of Special Collections and Archives has increased as a direct result o f participation in these faculty workshops. The liaison for Japanese Studies has found great success by actively participating in the campus Japan Club. From inviting club mem­ bers to her house to make sushi to going on 1006 / C&RL News ■ November 2001 field trips to view the cherry blossom s in W ashington, D.C., she has learned that for this departm ent, social interaction is key. The liaison has the opportunity to explore new and exciting places, foods, and trad i­ tions. A t the sam e time, she m akes sure that library resources are visible and ac­ cessible. Fine a rts Collection D evelopm ent through Info rm a­ tion Literacy? It can be done! W hen ap­ proached by a faculty m em ber fo r help in integrating research skills into the m usic m a jo r s ’ c u rric u lu m , th e m u sic lia is o n stum bled upon an interesting idea fo r get­ ting help in updating the lib rary’s CD co l­ lection. An assignm ent was developed using Na­ tional Public R ad io ’s (NPR) list o f “The 100 M ost Im portant A m erican M usical Works o f the 20th C e n tu ry ”1. Stu den ts researched each o f the songs, learning key reference and bibliographic sources in music. As part o f the assignm ent, stu dents d eterm in ed w hether the library ow ned a recording and score o f the m usical work. If the library d id n ’t ow n an item, students searched for the best recording or score, w rote a ju stifi­ catio n for th eir decision, and subm itted their requests to the library for purchase. Library staff fast-tracked the acquisition and p rocessing o f this m aterial, m aking sure that recordings w ere available for stu­ dents in time for their end-of-sem ester pre­ sentations. The eclectic NPR list (everything from Santana to Sam uel Barber) provided a w ell-needed boost to the lib rary ’s co n­ tem porary m usic holdings. Students felt a real sense o f ow nership and pride in the collection. The faculty m em ber has become a vocal sup porter o f the library, and has praised our instruction, acquisitions, and processing departm ents across campus. Conclusion We share these stories w ith you because ( c o n t i n u e d o n p a g e 1 0 2 0 ) C&RL News ■ November 2001 /1 0 0 7 1020 / C&RL News ■ Novem ber 2001 o p p osite ends o f the e a rth ’s orbit. B ut this is no t a static tale o f in stru m en ts and dry calcu latio n s; H irsh feld brin gs the pioneers o f p arallax to life, p o rtrayin g them as en­ th usiastic innovators w ith hum an flaw s and aspirations. Today w e take fo r g ranted that the stars are m illio ns o f m iles aw ay, but reaching that conclusion and proving it was no sim ple task. $23.95. W. H. Freeman. ISBN 0-7167-3711-6. A Question o f M anhood, Volum e 2: The 19th Century, fro m Emancipation to Jim C row , edited by Earnestine Je n k in s and Darlene Clark Hine (482 pages, May 2001), continues the analysis o f black masculinity begun in volume 1 for the pre-Civil War pe­ riod. Culled from various history journals, the 20 essays focus on w hat it was like to be an African-American man during Reconstruction and the years im m ediately following. Topics include black politicians in Reconstruction South Carolina, black policem en in New Or­ leans, black cowboys and convicts, black law­ yers and physicians in the New South, black soldiers in the Spanish-American War, and the real m an behind the legendary Stagger Lee. A w e ll-re fe re n c e d , fin e -tu n e d sele ctio n . $59-95- In d ian a U n iv e rsity . ISB N 0-253- 33924-3. W om en o f th e Book: Jewish Artists, Jew­ ish Themes, by Judith A. Hoffberg (96 pages, M arch 2001), is the catalog o f a traveling ex­ hibition o f works o f art in book form created by 90 Jew ish women artists. Curated by art­ ist-book expert Hoffberg, the exhibition fea­ tured themes on family rituals, traditions, and liturgy; the Holocaust; the integration o f Je w ­ ish culture into art; humorous takes on being “Jew ish ”; cultural memory; and the celebra­ tion o f festivals. $23-95. Florida Atlantic Uni­ versity Libraries, P.O. Box 3092, Boca Raton, FL 33431-0992. ISBN 0-9706189-0-5. ■ ( “P h o t o m i c r o g r a p h s . . c o n t i n u e d f r o m p a g e 1 0 0 6 ) th ey illu strate a few w ays th at tru st can be b u ilt betw een lib rarian s and d ep artm en ts (here, bo th facu lty and stu dents). It is cru ­ cial th at lib rarian s fin d creative w ays to keep the lib rary relevan t to cam p us life. C o n fe re n c e p re s e n ta tio n s in d ic a te a gro u n d sw ell o f in terest on the to p ic o f li­ aisons and cam p us p artn e rsh ip s.2 C reative ideas for collaboration are all around us; we sim ply need to find new w ays o f telling our library stories across campus. Librarians at Gettysburg don’t just visit the departments and send out new book lists. Librarians attend classes, go on field trips, serve as research assistants, vote on com m it­ tees, sing in choirs, and participate in labs. As a result, our liaison program is becoming more vital every year. The stories we have shared are replicable. Show some interest! Get out, get active, and get involved. For many o f us, it’s the best and m ost rewarding part o f being a college librarian. N otes 1. Visit http://www.npr.org/programs/spe- cials/vote/listlOO.html for N PR’s list. 2. ACRL’s 10th National Conference, Cross­ ing the Divide (Denver, M arch 15-18, 2001), included several programs on this topic, in­ cluding: Susan Sykes Berry, Trisha Mileham, and Jo an Ruelle, “Playing Well w ith Others: Ideas to Increase Your Campus Libraiy Part­ nerships,” panel presentation (Denver, ACRL 10th National Conference, March 16, 2001); Susan Ariew et al., “Creating Successful Li­ brarian-Faculty Collaborations: The State o f the A rt,” panel presentation (Denver, ACRL 10th National Conference, March 17, 2001); and Terri Holtze, “50 Ways to Reach Your Faculty,” poster session, (Denver, ACRL 10th National Conference, March 17, 2001). ■ ( “P r e s e r v a t i o n N e w s ” c o n t . f r o m p a g e 1 0 1 4 ) guide to choosing easy and relatively inex­ pensive storage enclosures and locations that w ill preserve this type o f art. Copies are available for $8, plus shipping, from the GSLIS Publication Office, UIUC, 501 E. Daniel St., Champaign, IL 61820; phone: (217) 333-1359; fax: (217) 244-7329; e-mail: p u b o ff@ a le x ia .lis .u iu c .e d u ; U RL: h ttp :// w w w .lis.uiuc.edu/puboff. Prepaym ent is re­ quired. ■ http://www.npr.org/programs/spe-cials/vote/listlOO.html http://www.npr.org/programs/spe-cials/vote/listlOO.html mailto:puboff@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/puboff