In the Blue and Glowing Days

Great is the sun, and wise he goes
Through empty heaven without repose;
And in the blue and glowing days
More thick than rain he showers his rays.

-- Robert Louis Stevenson, from Summer Sun

Recalling a highly occupied library amid continuing conflict in Gaza and university campus closure this past Spring, the summer months saw some respite in the quieter reading rooms of the Gottesman Libraries. Even with a little repose, our treadmills whirred with the footsteps of students, and we maintained programming, partnerships, and services, despite shortages in staffing. This report highlights elements of the Gottesman Libraries' Education Program; reference and reader services; and leadership in preparing for the new academic year. 

Education Program

In ways that engage members of the community with one another and with a broad range of educational experts, the Gottesman Libraries Education Program informs students, faculty and staff about the latest thinking in education while celebrating the work and talents of our members. Exhibits, instructional offerings, live music, and talks contribute to quality programming that encourages the exchange of thoughts and ideas beyond the walls of the classroom.

Exhibits

Exhibits and displays are essential for promoting the collections and drawing attention to current affairs, historical topics of educational interest, and/or themes relevant to academic programs. 

Art ran throughout the library, taking advantage of both newly constructed and popular  areas. Student Voices in Print & Perpetuity, in the Third floor Curiosity Cabinets; Spectrum of Togetherness, a multimedia installation in Kasser that extended through late May; Award Winning Children's Literature in Art and Animation: Morton Schindel Animation Cels Collection and Growth, Part One: Select Works from the Ziegfeld Collection of International Children's Art ( First Floor); and Art from the Heart, the third annual multi-venue Artivism exposition, in Offit Gallery.

Books displays comprised monthly Staff Picks: Mom, Mama, Mother, curated by Abby McGuire (May) LGBTQ In the Classroom, by Gabby Evergreen (June); and Symptoms of Being Human, by Kunsang Palmo (Jul-Aug). In Everett Cafe and with continuing thanks to our design team (Ashley Wang and Souen Bae), we ran bi-monthly e-book displays: Thinking, Acting, and Learning: On Student Activism (May-Jun) and Memorable Memoirs (July-August). The Rocket Display on the second floor casually featured newly acquired award-winning children's books throughout the summer.

Library Associates curated the daily news in the Everett Cafe, selecting and displaying headlines for major stories drawn from Museum. We curated special news displays for "Today in History" via the blog on the following historical topics: Clara Barton Founds the Red Cross; U.S. Establishes Copyright Law; World Environment Day; Eulalie Spence Is Born; First Day of Summer; Protecting the Bald Eagle; Thoreau Moves to Walden Pond; Re-introducing Etch a Sketch; Rowing Across the Atlantic; Liberia Becomes Africa's First Republic; Summer Olympics Open in Berlin; Jean Piaget Was Born, and Remembering Margaret Mitchell.

Instructional Offerings

Instructional Offerings, including select library tours, were delivered by Ava Kaplan, Research and Instruction Librarian. "Your Research Journey" comprised a five-part series that repeated on Wednesdays throughout the summer: Charting Your Path: An Introduction to Library Research (5/29, 7/10, 8/14); Managing Your Citations with Zotero (6/5, 7/17); Searching Strategies (6/20, 7/24, 8/21); Article Screening for Literature Reviews (6/26, 7/31); and The Literature Review (7/2, 8/7). Building upon the foundational series, "Elevate Your Research" was held on select Thursdays:  Literature Reviews in the Health Sciences (6/6, 7/18); and Using PubMed for Research (6/27, 8/1).

Each month we featured databases on relevant, select topics that tied in with college and library programming: Alumni Resources (May); Conflict Resolution (June); Recreation & Leisure (July) and Developmental Psychology (August).

Live Music

Live musical performances saw returning musicians from the Claremont Strings & Ensemble (5/8, 6/11) and Nicholas Dimaria Trio (5/29 ) or Duet (6/24, 7/23).  Their classical and jazz pieces continued to draw eager listeners who shared their love for music and  brightened the Everett Cafe.

Talks

Talks supported Artivism: The Power of Art for Social Transformation, a collaboration between Adelphi University, Sing for Hope, and the Gottesman Librarians, as we wound down the season of weekly offerings. Michelle Anglisano spoke on Journey Past Anxiety, Panic & Acute Liver Failure with Biochemical Nutrition, and TC alumna Carolina Cambronero; Argie Agelarakis; and Jennifer Govan spoke, together with numerous artivists whose work was on display, at the opening of Art from the Heart.

Summary

Exhibits,  93

Art,  5

Book,  6

Regular News,  70   

Special News,  13  

Instruction,  23  (Attendees,  201)

Self Guided,  4 

Tours and Orientations,  3 (Attendees,  2)

Workshops,  16  (Attendees,  199)

Live Music,  5

Talks,  2  (Attendees,  16)

Total Offerings,  124 (Attendees,  261)

Though closer still the blinds we pull
To keep the shady parlour cool,
Yet he will find a chink or two
To slip his golden fingers through.

The dusty attic spider-clad,
He, through the keyhole, maketh glad;
And through the broken edge of tiles,
Into the laddered hay-loft smiles.

Meantime his golden face around
He bares to all the garden ground,
And sheds a warm and glittering look
Among the ivy's inmost nook.

-- Robert Louis Stevenson, from Summer Sun

Leadership

While the Education Program is an important path to user engagement, library leadership embraces personnel, planning, special projects, and assurances in the delivery of resources and services. Bulleted below are examples of work conducted this summer.

Communications

• Provided content for the July-August electronic newsletter, Bookends and Beginnings, now browsable on the library website
• Revised Library User Guidelines in coordination with the Office of Student Affairs and Office of General Counsel
• Sent invitational reminders for Fall instruction and course reserves 
• Updated library bookmarks and website to reflect changes to library hours that met recommended budget appropriations for 2024-2025
• Maintained content for news, calendar listings, and boards to promote offerings of the library

Personnel

• Advocated to fill key positions (Head, Reference and Reader Services; Librarian for Circulation and User Experience) and coordinated with the Web Services and Systems Librarian to gather data justifying needs
• Welcomed and trained (or coordinated training) of new staff, including Deidre Thompson, Head of Technical Services and Metadata Librarian; Abby McGuire, Library Specialist for Circulation and User Experience; and Chyanika Bajaj, Carolina Bolivar, Kali Ebert, and Julia Levin, 4 new Library Associates (Reference and Reader Services), in addition to Zhen Li, Technical Services Associate
• Completed annual performance evaluations for 6 full time staff and 1 part-time staff
• Attended staff retreat to New York Public Library (8/20)
• Attended webinar on Demystifying AI (Clarivate, 8/28) to better understand the  potential impact of automation on  library databases and its implications for research

Planning

• Met weekly with all library units (Technical Services; Reference and Reader Services; Operations, Web, Systems; and Special and Digital Collections) to support, coach, and advise on projects, initiatives, and concerns
• Held the monthly Library Roundtable, and monthly meetings with library working groups: Technical Services; Reference and Reader Services; and Planning 
• Modified library opening hours for academic year 2024-2025 within planned budget 
• Addressed foreseen needs in research consultations by providing the availability of the Library Director and Senior Librarian 
• Reviewed the budget and prepared collections' appropriations for the new academic year
• In coordination with TC IT, reduced expenses through glacier storage of migrated collections and resources
• Consulted with College Administration on matters pertaining to responsible uses of electronic resources and procedures for reviewing license agreements and set recommendations in place
• Met with the Chief Information Officer to brief on technology initiates and collaborative projects

Special Projects

• Completed the 1st floor carpet installation (early June) in coordination with TC Senior Management and library staff in which we temporarily relocated the physical Reserve collection and services to the 2nd floor
• Submitted capital project requests to address necessary carpet refurbishment (2nd, 3rd floors) and upgraded conference technology in the large library classrooms, Russell 305 and 306
• Prepared the annual Myers Report on acquisitions, conservation, exhibition support, and commissioned art in anticipation of the September conference regarding art and art related library initiatives 
• Planned the re-installation of 13 Historic Portraits (formerly on display in the Trustees Room, Zankel Hall) to the 3rd floor reading room, in coordination with Cabinet, the library design team, and Office of Facilities
• Participated in periodic meetings for the September launch of 2024 commissioned artwork, Let Me Think About It, by Carina Maye

Additional - Reader Services 

In Summer 2024, the Gottesman Libraries recorded 1,910 physical items that circulated.  Our Library Associates paged 150 items from the stacks on behalf of our users.  In addition 1,467 items were returned to the Libraries; 410 items were auto renewed; 10 were manually renewed; 18 were recalled; and 9 were noted as lost.

During Summer library staff responded to 551 questions via Ask a Librarian;  attended to 750 (est.) questions at the services desk; conducted 65 chat interactions, and answered 150 (est.) phone calls.  

Please note that this information supplements the Research and Instruction Summer 2024 Report to represent the work of Reference and Reader Services.

For additional reports please see here.

Looking Ahead

We're looking towards sunny September skies, as we usher in  the new semester and warmly welcome students, faculty, and staff -- our patrons to whom we owe our sincere thanks for every opportunity to serve in the many capacities that we do. Without your interest and support, the Gottesman Libraries would be a much lesser place for learning, teaching, and research.

Heart and soul, the Library is yours.

Above the hills, along the blue,
Round the bright air with footing true,
To please the child, to paint the rose,
The gardener of the World, he goes.

-- Robert Louis Stevenson, from Summer Sun

Images:

• Landscape, by Stellan Widholm, 1955, from the Ziegfeld Collection of International Children's Art, Courtesy of Teachers College, Columbia University.
• Yellow Sunflower Field Under Blue Clouds and White Clouds, by Todd Trapani,  Courtesy of Pexels.
• Heart-Shaped Yellow Sunflower During Daytime, Courtesy of PickPick.