Tuesday Times

UARK Libraries Website Design Highlighted at National Conference
Kathleen Lehman reports a sighting of the Libraries website during a presentation at the Innovative Users Group Conference last week in San Francisco. Joel Tonyan, Systems Librarian from University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, gave a presentation titled “Optimizing your OPAC: Letting Library Users Drive Development.”  Lehman reports that during the presentation, Tonyan displayed views of the Libraries’ webpage as a prime example of well-done, responsive design.  Way to go, Dylan!

Joshua Youngblood Teaches OLLI Participants about their History Using Folklore Archives
Next Wednesday, Joshua Youngblood is leading an OLLI class on researching personal and local history with folklore collections in Special Collections. Using folk music, folklore, print material, photographs, and digital collections, the class will see how work in the archives can be used to find out more about family histories, as well as achieve a better understanding of local and regional history and culture. Students will have a guided tour through the digital Ozark Folksong Collection and hands-on learning with examples from a range of Libraries’ folklife collections. Sounds so fun, Joshua!

Fritz Represents Special Collections at Diplomacy Summit, Participants Set to Visit SpeColl
Angela Fritz reports that she will speak at Diplomacy Begins Here: Tulsa!, a Global Ties U.S. 2016 Regional Summit, about J. William Fulbright’s legacy. Fritz will speak at 11:30am on Thursday, March 31 at the Gilcrease Museum in downtown Tulsa. On April 1, summit participants will travel to Fayetteville to tour Special Collections and explore Fulbright’s work through his papers and associated collections. Joshua Youngblood, Research and Outreach Services Librarian, and Vera Ekechukwu, Fulbright Papers Research Assistant will provide the tour. Great work, team!

New Deal in Arkansas Documented in Latest Special Collections’ Exhibit
Tiny but powerful, the exhibit cases in Mullins’ main lobby showcase fascinating resources from our Special Collections. The latest exhibit documents the New Deal’s effect on Arkansas. New Deal programs were implemented between Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inauguration in 1933 and the beginning of World War II, to help revive the nation’s economy. At U of A, Vol Walker Hall and Razorback Stadium are the result of the WPA. In Special Collections, the New Deal’s impact is preserved in scrapbooks from the CCC, Arkansas: a Guide, and WPA Slave narratives created as part of the Federal Writer’s Projects, as well as in major archival collections such as the papers of US Senator Joseph T. Robinson. Find out more about all these acronyms by exploring the exhibit! Thank you, Special Collections Exhibit Committee!

Libraries on Track to Implement Summon Discovery Service
Kathleen Lehman and Joel Thornton report that the Discovery Implementation Steering Committee held a kickoff phone call with Summon Implementation Manager, Brad Stone. Stone reviewed the overall process and potential timeline with the group. Next step: the basic configuration worksheet.  Next week: news on how to register to follow the progress on Basecamp. The Discovery Implementation Steering Team includes Kathleen Lehman and Joel Thornton, co-chairs, with members Mary Gilbertson, Dylan Hurd, and Beth Juhl.  The Steering Committee will be inviting staff to participate and offer input at each phase of the project.  Thanks for your work, committee!

Just Mercy Announced as One Book, One Community Selection
Just Mercy is a memoir by Bryan Stevenson, describing his life-long crusade to find justice in the legal system for low income and minority defendants, as well as the wrongly condemned. It has been chosen for the U of A’s One Book, One Community program for the fall semester. If you work at the Libraries and would like a free copy, please email Molly Boyd by March 31.

Staff Senate Elections Coming Soon – Nomination Period in Early April
Stephanie Freedle reports that though full details aren’t out yet on how exactly elections will be done this year, the nomination period will be the week of April 4th. Staff members with the most nominations will be placed on the election ballot. Elections will be held the week of April 25th. Staff members in the University Libraries must be 100% appointed with at least one year of employment as of 1/31/16 and are eligible to run in the Academic Affairs and At-Large divisions. Get approval of your supervisor and start drumming up support now! To find out more about Staff Senate, check out staffsenate.uark.edu or on Facebook or Twitter. And Stephanie is happy to answer questions – thanks, Steph!

Reminders and Such:

• ALPS Conference Award Applications Due 4/1, Registration Deadline 4/30: The 2016 Arkansas Library Paraprofessionals Spring Conference is May 18-20 in Hot Springs. Get some help getting there by applying for an award.
• Are You All In For Arkansas?: Next Tuesday is the University of Arkansas’ 145^th birthday, and “All in for Arkansas” is a fast-paced online fundraiser set to run for just 1,871 minutes – in honor of the University’s founding year. This virtual party, sponsored by University Development, will unite Arkansas alumni and friends across the country with faculty and staff on campus. If you’re on Facebook, check out the event invitation to get involved and stay up to date. #allin4arkansas
• Please remember to COPY the person or people who are serving as your back-ups in your out-of-office emails to me. It serves as not only an excellent last minute confirmation for you, but also a handy way for me to procure the contact info that I add to each entry. Thank you!

Out of Office Notices

Calendar of Libraries’ Events – Mark Your Personal Calendars!

Webinar Schedule