Library Newsletter Fall 2018

NEWSLETTER FALL 2018 Message from the Dean of the Library and Learning Technologies Susan M. Ryan With the opening this fall of the beautiful newly-renovated Carlton Union Building that includes many student-centered spaces, we wondered if the library would see a drop-off in use of our facilities for study and group projects. As we pass the mid-point of fall semester, the answer is definitely no. The students apparently still see the library as a central gathering place and the place for quiet study. Our second largest freshmen class in recent history, along with their upperclassmen counterparts, have filled the library every day. The students returned from summer break to find new carpet on the main floor which made the building even more inviting – and brightened the space. The carpet is thanks to a generous donor who is also funding some new furniture that should be in place by the start of spring semester. We are always looking to make our facility, our collections, our technologies, and our services better – and we succeed with help from many friends of the library. We thank all of you who have helped us create a student-centered library. JOHN B. STETSON BRONZE SCULPTURE The University, with funding from Troy (’82) and Sissy Templeton, has commissioned a 130% life-size bronze sculpture of John B. Stetson that will be installed on the edge of the Palm Court. Material from the library’s archives has been instrumental in ensuring that the details of the sculpture are as historically accurate as possible. Archives staff sent the sculptor, Erik Blome (www.figurativeartstudio.com/), a hat that belonged to John B. Stetson’s youngest son, as well as some period-appropriate shoes produced by the Stetson Shoe Company (owned by a relative of John B. Stetson) to use as models for his work. We also used photography, as well as the height of some of John B. Stetson’s known descendants, to determine John B.’s possible height. We believe that he was quite tall for the time – likely about 6’ tall or slightly taller. The only known group photo (bottom left) that includes John B. Stetson (and, ironically, the only known photo of John B. in a hat) was taken right here on the DeLand campus – on the steps of Elizabeth Hall. We look forward to the installation of the piece, which is expected in August 2019. FACULTY MEMBERS HONORED The library has a tradition of honoring faculty members at our annual August reception who have been recently tenured and/or promoted. We ask each faculty member to choose a book that has been particularly meaningful to them in their personal or professional lives and we add that book to our collection with a commemorative bookplate. Giovanni Fernandez, tenured and promoted to Associate Professor of Finance: “The book I choose is Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. This book was influential for me because it reframed a lot of my thinking, helping me question many things I held to be self-evident. While it is a historical work, it reveals many reasons why we, Homo Sapiens, act and think the way we do.” Deborah Goldring, tenured and promoted to Associate Professor of Marketing: “This book [The Art of Typewriting by Ruth and Marvin Sackner] is both personally and professionally influential to me because it was written by my parents. They have been a continuing source of inspiration and motivation throughout my life and have instilled in me a sense of purpose, wonder, and gratitude. They also purchased my first IBM Selectric typewriter for me during college, on which I only typed papers, not art!” Doug Phillips, tenured and promoted to Associate Professor of Music: “Similar to other artists, educators, and scholars, there are many books that have had and will continue to have an important and lasting impact on my professional and personal life. More specifically, as a music educator and performing musician, many of the most important ‘books’ that have influenced and shaped my professional world are not what most might consider the traditional book. These sources are the musical scores themselves. The score I have chosen, Symphonies of Winds Instruments (1920, revised 1947) by Igor Stravinsky, is considered to be one of the masterworks written for wind instruments. In all honesty, for a long time this piece was not necessarily one of my favorite compositions in terms of the aesthetic experience that ‘I’ thought it provided. Its austerity and seemingly unsentimental nature did not immediately speak to me. However, it is a composition that continued to call me back to it time and time again until I finally ‘got it’ and was brave enough to prepare and perform this piece during my doctoral work at the University of Miami. I have since prepared and performed this work again, with my students in the Stetson University Symphonic Band – February 23, 2018. Over time I have continued to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of Stravinsky’s masterful demonstration of compositional craft and beauty in its most pure form. It is my hope that the critical edition of this Stravinsky masterwork, and its inclusion in the duPont-Ball Library, will have a similar impact on future generations of Stetson students and those with whom they share their musical and life experiences.” Maria Rickling, tenured and promoted to Associate Professor of Accounting: “Within me lives a sailor who has learned to adjust her sails in the storms she cannot avoid, an academic who is in continuous pursuit of intellectual advancement, a mystic who believes there are some truths that are beyond intellect, and an accountant who finds passion in recording the experiences and telling the story. This book [Into the Bermuda Triangle by Gian J. Quasar] spoke to all of me, even when some of me I had yet to meet.” Julie Schmitt, Promoted to Professor of Theatre Arts: "Over the years, I’ve tried to better understand the reason that Anne Bogart’s work [A Director Prepares] has had such a profound impact on me, and I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that it’s less about the work she produces and more about her sheer audacity in making it in the first place. She is fearless, and her work always exemplifies a courageous journey into the unknown. While every production may not be a commercial (or even a critical success), they are always emblematic of those elements that make theatre such a powerful medium: collaboration, and intense interrogation of cultural norms (past, present and future). Even the title of this book (which freely borrows from the most famous theatre treatise on acting entitled An Actor Prepares by Stanislavsky) serves as evidence of the way in which Bogart looks to honor the work of theatre practitioners of the past while challenging long held beliefs that have been so powerful in their ability to re-inscribe racist, sexist and homophobic thought." Paul Sibbald, tenured and promoted to Associate Professor of Chemistry. “When I started practicing organic chemistry, I approached it in a very traditional fashion. I would review the reactions I knew whenever I needed to synthesize a new molecule and then string together a set of reactions to change one part of the molecule at a time. While this is the most common approach, it is also slow and methodical with frequent dead ends and low yields. K.C. Nicolaou's Classics in Total Synthesis fundamentally changed the way I thought about creating new molecules. The book describes the synthesis of important molecules by the masters of organic chemistry. More importantly, it gives insight into the thought process behind the sequence of reactions used. Instead of adding one new chemical bond at a time, many of the examples in this book showed cleverly designed reactions that would make changes across the entire molecule. This book described the first examples of important techniques like bio-mimetic cascade reactions, targeted reaction development, and the use of directing groups. Reading Nicolaou's book showed me the artistry and eloquence that could be expressed in the creation of new molecules. For me, it changed organic chemistry from a technical discipline into an outlet for my creativity. This book stoked my passion for organic chemistry and played an important role in shaping me into the chemist I am today.” Ram Subramanian, tenured at the rank of Professor of Leadership: “The protagonist [in Joseph O’Neill’s Netherland] is a Dutch national who spends several years as an expatriate in New York City. His years in NYC straddle 9/11. What struck me about this book was O’Neill’s portrayal of the expat community in the city, particularly, Chuck Ramkissoon, a kind of low rent Gatsby, and how expats walk the fine line between immersing themselves in their adopted country and managing the heartstrings that seem to tether them to their place of birth. This is not a page turner, and I say this with great respect and in a positive way. I found myself reading it slowly, often putting it down to savor a pitch-perfect sentiment or a wonderful turn of phrase!” In addition to our DeLand campus faculty, we congratulate our promoted colleagues at the College of Law in Gulfport. Jason R. Bent and Ciara Torres-Spelliscy were both promoted to the rank of Professor. FACULTY AUTHORS Also celebrated at the library’s August reception were those faculty members who wrote or edited a book in the past year: Jesus Alfonzo (Music), Chris Colwell (Education), Paul Croce (History), Clay Henderson (Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience), Nancy Vosburg (World Languages and Cultures), and Terri Witek (English). Congratulations! DUPONT-BALL LIBRARY BOOK CLUB Jessica Black, Library Acquisitions Specialist who is currently studying for her Masters in Library and Information Science, wanted to start a library book club for students. To kick off her effort, she picked Karen McManus’ book One of Us is Lying, an award-winning young adult fiction title on the New York Times bestseller list, and advertised for interested readers. Students who signed up for the book club received a free copy of the book and met as a group to discuss the story. Students enjoyed the club, with several commenting that escaping to some reading for pleasure was a nice change from their textbooks. The success of the first group has encouraged the library to do it again, and Jessica is surveying the participants to see what they would like to read next. We expect the initial club group to grow as word spreads. The Book Club is sponsored by Jean Greenlaw (’62, ’65) who spent her professional career teaching students about children’s literature. Jean has been instrumental in supporting our excellent collection of Children’s and Young Adult literature for many years, and we thank her for expanding her support to the Book Club. INNOVATION LAB As befits a place called the “Innovation” Lab, we are constantly adding new equipment and new capabilities to our creative and entrepreneurial space. This summer, at the request of students and faculty, we added 3D printers that could print taller (see student Michael Gruber’s Periodic Table of the Elements, left) and wider objects, as well as print objects in clay that can later be fired. (The two vases below are out of the printer ready to fire.) Recently we have added the ability to print in multiple colors – which is very helpful in making items like molecules (below) more effective as teaching tools. We also added a high-end 3D scanner that is especially good for scanning small objects that require the capture of fine detail. Students flock to the Lab and at any given time, numerous interesting projects are under development. For more about our Lab, go to stetson.edu/library/innovation-lab/ or contact Lab Manager Tony Ganus, [email protected]. Facebook.com/StetsonLibrary duPont-Ball Library • Stetson University • 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Unit 8418 • DeLand, FL 32723 (386)822-7183 • stetson.edu/library • facebook.com/StetsonLibrary