Library Newsletter Spring 2017

NEWSLETTER SPRING 2017 Message from the Dean of the Library and Learning Technologies Susan M. Ryan The spring semester has ended and the library has gone from a fully packed house during final exams to a much quieter summer mode. But that does not mean we are taking a break! Summers in the library usually involve some type of renovation project that makes our facilities better for our students and faculty. This summer we will be remodeling a portion of the ground floor to provide about 3,000 additional square feet of quiet study space. A generous donor has provided funding to carpet the tile floor, and we will be buying new furniture with funding from the Student Government Association and the John Haire Family Endowment. The area should be ready by the start of classes in August. Library staff will also stay busy planning for the coming academic year - this year we will be focusing on implementing a marketing strategy based on a study done by some of our librarians (read more later in the newsletter). Our students’ needs constantly evolve and we do our best to keep up with the facilities, technologies, and collections that they need to be successful learners. If you are in town this summer, stop by the library and say hello. We wish all Hatters a safe and relaxing summer. Students Enjoy Cookies & Milk in the Library during Final Exams Greenlaw Children’s Literature Corner Dedicated On April 28th, the University dedicated a newly renovated area on the library mezzanine as the Greenlaw Children’s Literature Corner. Funded by a generous gift by alumna Dr. Jean Greenlaw (’62, ’65), tall book stacks were removed and replaced with lower rolling book carts, new carpeting was installed, and child-friendly (and student-friendly) brightly colored furniture was added. The children’s literature collection is widely used by both Teacher Education students and Stetson families, and is now housed in a much more inviting space. Jean, an expert in children’s literature and reading, taught in public schools and was an active member of the University of North Texas faculty for many years. The International Reading Association chose her as the Arbuthnot Award winner in 1992, honoring her as an outstanding teacher of children’s and young adults’ literature. Jean (below at the dedication) has been known to say “Stetson has my heart!” She has shown her love for the University in many ways, but has been especially generous to our library. We thank her for making the Children’s Literature Corner a special place for the Stetson community. John B. Stetson Visits Campus! The University community was excited to have John B. Stetson back on campus in March. In this case, it was not our well-known benefactor, hat manufacturer and philanthropist John B. Stetson, coming back from the past, but rather his great-grandson, John B. Stetson IV. John and his wife Solveig, who live outside Philadelphia and have been married for more than 50 years, spent a few days in DeLand touring the campus, the Stetson Mansion (winter home of John B. Stetson), and the town. John enjoyed a long career as an architect, managing projects ranging from Independence Mall in Philadelphia to city transit systems, international airports, and government buildings across the country. After a stint of active duty in the Navy, he served as a Navy reservist, retiring as a commander after 21 years of service. Solveig served for a number of years as executive director of the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools, and has been active in supporting our Armed Forces. The Stetsons have three sons, including John B. Stetson V. Although we were disappointed to learn that there is no John B. Stetson VI, John and Solveig’s four grandchildren may eventually pass on the Stetson name. Grandson Jack Batterson Stetson is the last male in the long line of John B. Stetson direct descendants who may have children with the last name Stetson. Jack’s two sisters and a female cousin also still have the Stetson name, so perhaps one of them may choose to pass the name on as well. Stetson Family Gift When they were on campus, John and Solveig Stetson donated to the library more than 400 items of memorabilia pertaining to the Stetson family. Included were beautiful inscribed family Bibles; a bound volume of John B. Stetson obituaries from around the country (below); Elizabeth Stetson’s diary that chronicled her voyage across the sea in 1917 to see her dying second husband, the Count of Santa Eulalia; Elizabeth’s black lace mourning parasol (below); medals and certificates that belonged to John B. Stetson, Jr., who served as Minister to Poland and Finland in the 1920s; Stetson Company documents; and hundreds of family photos. Housed in the library’s Archives, the family treasures can be viewed online at archives.stetson.edu (click on “Contributors” at the bottom of the page and select John B. Stetson IV). We thank the Stetson family for this gift that ensures that the family history will be preserved for many years to come. Staff Retirement Linda Zack, the library’s long-time Acquisitions Specialist, retired at the end of May. Linda joined the library team in 2002, and soon proved to be a highly valued staff member. Debbi Dinkins, Associate Library Dean, says of Linda, “For many years she has been an essential part of the acquisitions team in the library. Her expertise in purchasing was an invaluable addition and she helped us refine workflow and develop new processes that saved the library both time and money. I am very sorry to see Linda leave us, but I understand her decision to start a new chapter in her life, filled with family (especially her grandchildren), travel, and her beloved pets.” In 2014, Linda won Stetson’s Adapter of the Year award as part of the University’s recognition of Quality of Service. We will miss Linda’s efficiency, effectiveness, and positive attitude. We wish her a happy, fun retirement! _____________________________________ New Innovation Lab Manager Tony Ganus, who has been working for the past year as the night Library Technology Specialist, is moving to the Innovation Lab Manager position. In his new role, Tony will help the Library Dean develop the strategic direction for our Lab, incorporate new learning technologies, and help students, faculty, and staff use all of the great technology found in the Lab. We have 3D printers and scanners, virtual reality workstations and headsets, and much more. We invite you to tour our Lab and see all of the equipment available to enhance learning at Stetson. See stetson.edu/library/innovation-lab for more info. Library Research Prizes Each spring the library awards the Evans C. Johnson Research Prize to encourage the thorough, effective, creative, and ethical use of research resources. The contest is sponsored by the library and is funded by a donor in memory of long-time Stetson history professor Evans Johnson. The winner receives a monetary award and an engraved plaque. The 2017 Evans C. Johnson Prize went to Patrick Sheridan (above, with his family) for his paper, Spiritual Landscape of Anglesey, written for Dr. Kimberly Reiter’s class, “English Historical Landscape.” We congratulate Patrick! Read more about the prize at stetson.edu/library/resources/research-prizes. _______________________________________ Marketing the Library In January, the duPont-Ball Library was one of ten libraries awarded a marketing grant from the Northeast Florida Library Information Network (NEFLIN) to develop skills to better market library services and resources. Working with nationally-recognized consultant Nancy Dowd (next page, second from left), our team includes Jennifer Corbin, Director of Public Services; Molly Brown, User Experience & Outreach Librarian; Debbi Dinkins, Associate Dean of the Library; and Grace Kaletski, Learning & Information Literacy Librarian. Throughout the spring semester and during the summer months, our group will develop a marketing plan and promotional materials to increase awareness and use of the research services available to the Stetson Community. The marketing plan will be implemented in the fall semester. The librarians will present the marketing plan and preliminary data on the impact of the plan at the NEFLIN annual meeting in September. The Library’s Marketing Project Team ___________________________________________ New 3D Scanner in the Library The Library has recently added an Artec Eva 3D Scanner to our Innovation Lab offerings. The high-end scanner will allow students, faculty, and staff to scan larger objects than previously possible. This scanner can be used to scan museum pieces, for example, and even humans - it is the same brand of scanner that the Smithsonian used to create a 3D rendering of President Obama. Files resulting from the scan can be 3D printed on one of the Lab’s eight printers. A classic bronze bust of John B. Stetson was the library’s first scanning attempt with the results shown at right. Our Circulation Services Coordinator, Brandi Faulkner, became our first human scanning subject, also seen at right. Both 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies are rapidly becoming more sophisticated and prices are falling. We look forward to our faculty and students finding new ways to incorporate these tools into their coursework and research. We are also experimenting with virtual reality applications. We will keep you posted on innovative developments in our Lab. duPont-Ball Library • Stetson University • 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Unit 8418 • DeLand, FL 32723 (386)822-7183 • stetson.edu/library • facebook.com/StetsonLibrary The Artec Eva 3D scanner scans large objects, including humans