Dean's Newsletter, January 2008
Dean's Newsletter
January 31, 2008
Vol. 3, No. 6
We received some great news recently. The Princeton Review annual survey of students rated UT Libraries in the top 20 for library facilities of US colleges and university libraries!
I wanted to update you on some campus-wide matters. Provost Holub is moving forward with the campus strategic planning effort. You can review progress at http://provost.utk.edu/strategic/. I am pleased to report that we have library representation on several strategic planning subcommittees. Jill Keally and Val Hodge are on the Disability Subcommittee. Jill is also on the Expansion of Facilities Subcommittee. Rita Smith is on the Central Academic Programs for Undergraduates Subcommittee. Jane Row is on the Globalization and Interculturalism Subcommittee. Ellie Read is on the Economic Development Subcommittee. Pauline Bayne is on the Research Productivity and Facilities Subcommittee. Jennifer Beals is on the Interdisciplinary Directions Subcommittee. I am on the Graduate Education Subcommittee. Thanks to everyone who accepted the Provost's call to serve. Let me know if I missed anyone who is also serving on a subcommittee.
I am a member of the Chancellor's Search Committee and would welcome feedback from you on what you would like to see in our next Chancellor. Of course I would also like your suggestions on potential candidates. Dr. "Hap" McSween is our excellent chair and he will be providing regular updates on the search progress to faculty and staff.
Commons Opening
Although January 22nd began badly with the ice storm it ended wonderfully with the exciting Commons opening. Teresa Walker and her army of volunteers (thanks to all of you!) did a terrific job. The place was rocking! I also want to thank Jan Simek, Acting Chancellor and Denise Barlow, Vice Chancellor for Finance, who took time out of their busy schedules to attend.
Visitors
Yesterday, Susan Miller, from the University of Manitoba Libraries, visited Hodges Library particularly to see the Commons.
We will be hosting members of the current class of the ARL Leadership and Career Development Program in February. LCDP is an 18-month program to prepare midcareer librarians from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to take on increasingly demanding leadership roles in ARL libraries. Anthony Smith is part of this program. Also, Aisha Harvey, Duke University, who recently visited UT, is part of the program. The 20 participants will be attending a workshop at the Crowne Plaza Hotel for part of the visit and on February 21st will spend a day at Hodges Library. Please help me welcome back Anthony, Aisha, and the rest of the participants.
Greetings from Uganda
I received a wonderful Christmas card from our friend, Dr. Maria Musoke. It said, "Makerere University Library wishes you a Merry Christmas, Peace and Quality Information in 2008 as we Keep the Library on the Agenda."
Scholarly Communications
Linda Phillips alerted us that the ARL SPEC Kit 299 "Scholarly Communication Education Initiatives." published in August 2007, highlighted the University of Tennessee Libraries "Scholarly Communication Issues website among 7 representative web sites from across the U.S.
Kudos and Congratulations
Anne Bridges and Ken Wise's project on Arrowmont received great publicity recently in a special outreach issue of the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Val Hodge is now on the Employee Relations Advisory Board (ERAB) at the UT system level.
Allison Bolorizadeh received a note from Inskip School. "Thanks for once again reaching out to the community and doing a terrific job with and for the kids from Inskip School. You and your staff tuned into the kids and did a fine job explaining what a library is about." Pictures and an article about the children's visit also appeared in the Halls Shopper-News.
Greg March conducted a session, "Lost! But Now Found," to help participants learn to navigate the wilderness using a compass, a topographic map, and GPS unit as part of the UT RecSports program. The session was done in the woods.
Farewell
Pam Sedgewick is now married and living in the Atlanta area.
Tom Smith is now working for the Union Workers.
Kristin Bullard has taken a position with Northern Arizona University Libraries.
Hello
Mark Burns is Interim Library Development Director
Please send items for the February newsletter to bdewey@utk.edu by February 20th.