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NEWSLETTER Spring 2003
Message from the Library Director
This has been an interesting fall term which
started with a reception honoring the ten
University faculty who had received
promotion and/ortenure. More than 150
Library Associates, faculty, and staff
attended. Each honoree had been asked to
provide the name of an author who had
been most influential in his/her life, and the
Library created a display of works by the
selected authors that generated much
interest - choices ranged from Carolyn
Keene to Hawthorne to John Dewey.
As is the case with many universities today,
Stetson is undergoing a "Budget
Stabilization Process" to cut costs due to
decreased endowment value. As we
worked with a Library materials budget
which had been reduced for the year by
$100,000, faculty looked carefully at their
journals lists and began to pare them down
to assist in meeting the decreased budget.
Many departments now have little or no
money for books due to the expense of their
journals. Our faculty are very involved in
development of the Library's collections,
and their understanding of this situation and
their knowledge of the collection and our
curriculum needs were evident in their
decisions. As you will see below, two
alumni, identifying the importance of the
Library to the academic mission of the
University, came forward with assistance.
Another alumnus, aware of the unfunded
Library technology needs, is helping us
create a special computer research area for
our students.
We often receive offers of books to be given
to the Library. We accept, with the
understanding that as the recipient we
cannot evaluate the gifts for IRS purposes
and that if we do not need them for our
collections, they will be placed on our Book
Sale rack. As the income from those sales
is used for Library purchases, most donors
completely understand. As you will see
below, we received several especially nice
collections in 2002.
The Spring 2003 Reception for Library
Associates and Friends will be held 5:30-
7:30 p.m., Friday, April 11, 2003. We hope
you will reserve this date and plan to attend
Betty D. Johnson, Library Director
Stetson
Alumnus
Aids
Sciences
Sage Hall (Science Building)
A Stetson alumnus approached Library
Director Betty Johnson in November to
discuss the large cutback in the Library's
materials budget and to offer his assistance
where it was most needed. Johnson
explained that Chemistry and Biology had
been the most negatively affected, as their
journals are very expensive, but that onetime gifts could not be used for such
recurring expenses. The alumnus, who
insists on anonymity, said he would give
$5,000 this year and would continue to do
so each year to assist these departments.
This generous, ongoing gift enabled the
departments to reinstate a subscription to
Biochemistry ($2,906) and some other
important titles.
