Florida Gulf Coast University - Library News Spring 2023

LIBRA RY NEWS

FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY

A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

What an interesting year we are having here at the University Library. Thankfully, the library suffered minimal damage due to Hurricane Ian. The employees of the library have been incredibly resilient, and we were able to open the library for community members and students the weekend before classes resumed. I couldn’t be more honored than I am to be working with such an amazing library team.

Even with the hurricane we have been able to enhance our services and resources. You will be able to read all about them, including our new team members who started this Spring semester, in this issue of Library News.

For the first time ever, we have a data librarian, Dr. Hansen Zhang, who comes to us with a wealth of experience in research and data collection. Dr. Zhang collaborated with NYU staff to develop a data catalogue that makes the data the faculty and students at NYU more discoverable and accessible to researchers. He will be working on the same project for FGCU as well as bringing expertise in data management, data analysis and data visualization. We hope to have our first data lab here in the library in which faculty and students can get expert assistance.

We also welcome Susan Bernier, who will lead our technical services department. She brings expertise in metadata creation and electronic rights management. We look forward to Ms. Bernier helping us enhance the discovery of our collections and build our open access platforms.

In closing, I want to thank all of you who continue to support the university library. Your donations enhance the success of both our students and faculty and allow us to offer high quality programming.

Tracy Elliott

Dr. Tracy Elliott Dean, University Library

The Archives’ Spring Exhibition Brings an International Perspective

The University Archives and Special Collections is known for bringing thought-provoking and world-class exhibitions to Southwest Florida. This spring they’ll host acclaimed Norwegian letterpress artist Dr. Ane Thon Knutsen. Thon Knutsen is internationally known for her installations and artist books; she is also an associate professor of graphic design at the Oslo Academy of the Arts.

The exhibition, Printed Works: Adaptations of Virginia Woolf, will combine Thon Knutsen’s skills in letterpress printing and graphic design to bring an installation that will enfold visitors into the world and words of author Virginia Woolf. The exhibit will culminate with the 32nd annual international conference in Woolf’s honor, hosted by FGCU’s Department of Language and Literature from June 8-11, 2023.

Printed Works: Adaptations of Virginia Woolf will be on display in the University Archives and Special Collections on the third floor of the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library through June 12, 2023. The gallery will be open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

For information about the exhibition contact Bailey Rodgers at brodgers@fgcu.edu.

For information about the 32nd Annual International Conference on Virginia Woolf, contact Dr. Laci Mattison at lmattison@fgcu.edu.

Dr. Ane Thon Knutsen

Thon Knutsen’s archival collection from “The Mark on the Wall” exhibition

UASC Highlights SWFL Women’s Organizations

With Women’s History Month in March, we have been thinking a lot about women’s progress and advocacy work. Initially formed as one of the only ways that women could enact change outside of the home, women’s organizations remain a way for action-oriented women to work toward a common goal. Since the 1970s, there has been a growing movement within the field of archives and special collections to seek out and collect the records and materials of women and women’s organizations.

Continuing this movement, we are highlighting two collections on local women’s organizations at FGCU Archives and Special Collections. The archives has recently acquired, processed and published collections from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and FGCU’s Town and Gown. The collections document the work of the local branches of these two national associations dedicated to education.

One of the most notable points of overlap between the two organizations is their scholarship programs. Both devote significant time and effort toward fundraising for scholarships in support of female students.

AAUW often offers workshops for personal or professional development, while Town and Gown frequently supports other fundraising initiatives.

Together, these collections begin to shine a light on the work of women’s associations in Southwest Florida. Moving forward, Archives and Special Collections will continue to seek out collections from women’s organizations, especially those that reflect or are created by women from marginalized groups. The goal is to deepen understanding of the community work that women in Southwest Florida have done and continue to do.

Exhibiting the Heroism of the Passeurs

In April, the University Archives and Special Collections will conduct a research trip across France to prepare for its 2023-2024 exhibition. The exhibition will center on the heroism of the passeurs who would smuggle Jewish children in small groups across the Franco-Swiss border.

The exhibition is a successor to the acclaimed To Life: The Liberation of Ravensbrück (2020) exhibit and will feature the courageous people who risked and lost their lives saving the children of Vichy France: Marianne Cohn, Georges Loinger, Marcel Marceau, Mila Racine, and other members of the Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants (OSE).

Led by Director Melissa Minds VandeBurgt, the archives team will visit cities in the region formerly known as Vichy France (1940-1944) as well as Paris; stops on their itinerary include Lyon, Annecy, Annemasse, and Chamonix. The team will partner with French archives and museums, including the Archives de l’OSE, Memorial of the Shoah, the Resistance and Deportation History Museum and the House of Memory and Heritage. The group will follow in the footsteps of the passeurs and the children as they escaped the Third Reich and sought safety in Switzerland.

The trip will culminate in a collection of artifacts brought to the University Archives and Special Collections for display in their upcoming exhibit which will run from October 2023 through April 2024. The exhibition will highlight the courageous acts of resistance that led to the survival of thousands of Jewish children. Many of the artifacts will be shown in the United States for the first time.

“Mascot Mischief” Escape Room Highlights the Fall 2022 Exhibition

The last week of October 2022, the UASC presented an escape room. All were welcome to solve the puzzles in a timed race. The event was created to coincide with the Wings Up: 25 Years of Student Life exhibition on display through the semester.

A hit with students, faculty and staff,, “Mascot Mischief” drew 100 participants.

FGCU Library’s Newest Members

The University Library has added two new librarians: Susan Bernier, head of collection strategy, and Hansen Zhang, data librarian. Both are excited to bring their experience and skillsets to the library team.

Hansen Zhang earned his Ph.D. in China and worked as a cancer researcher, an experience that instilled in him the importance of quality data. Eventually, he decided to explore new horizons and pursued a master’s degree in library science in the U.S., briefly working in Michigan before moving to Florida.

Bernier worked in theater before joining public libraries across Connecticut, predominantly in Manchester. She has improved libraries by developing systems to process books more efficiently and creating ways to adapt to staffing difficulties.

Recently, Bernier was inspired by her mother’s belief in the power of education, which led her to seek a position in our library. Bernier will provide leadership to a team that ensures the library effectively purchases resources, makes them available to our FGCU community and ensures that they continue to be accessible to our users.

Zhang enjoys working in the American library system, noting how raw data and information are readily available to the public. At FGCU, he hopes to collaborate with students and faculty on their research. By helping them to frame, analyze and interpret data, Zhang seeks to improve the flow of information on campus and foster a free exchange of ideas.

The University Library is happy to welcome our two new librarians. We look forward to their contributions in the continuing support of academic success.

Susan Bernier Dr. Hansen Zhang

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Outreach: Library Ambassadors and Marketing Team

Share Love for the Library

As the University Library continues to grow, we have added new, friendly faces in Library Marketing & Outreach to inform students and the FGCU community of the opportunities available to them. Our two teams of student interns, the Library Outreach Ambassadors and the Library Marketing Team, are ready to represent the library with a bright, friendly face.

On the ground are the Library Ambassadors: Talon Balakonis, John Cassidy, Amy Enberg, Haley Jarrett, Isaiah Drakeford King, Nahiara Melendez, Estrella Regalado, and Victoria Valero. You might find them creating book displays, prepping promotion materials for our special programs, working behind the desk to ensure students get the tools they need, and tabling at campus-wide events to spread the word about library resources. “The best part about being an ambassador is being the

connection between students and the amazing things the library has to offer,” says Haley Jarrett.

Behind the scenes, the Library Marketing Team works to prepare marketing and communications materials to promote library resources: photographer Michelle Cardenas, graphic designers Kassidy Grant and Lucia Navarette, and writer Brent Robbins. They work as a team to carry out marketing projects from conception to finished products, gaining real-world experience in the process. Their creativity is one of their strong suits: the team created a logo and promotional video for a national conference, produces regular content for social media channels and collaborated on the newsletter you are holding now.

With these student-centered teams, the University Library’s future is looking bright. Outreach, whether in-person or on Instagram, is the way to get out the word about our programs, services and resources. And these students are having fun doing just that.

Ambassador Amy Enberg at the Information Desk

University Library Marketing Team

Co-sponsored by the library and FGCU’s Office of Scholarly Innovation and Student Research, the Scholar Series is a monthly lunch and lecture event where FGCU professors share their expertise.

In August, the College of Education’s Dr. Debra Giambo and Dr. Tunde Szecsi joined forces to speak about educating students who speak English as a second language. In November, Dr. Derek Lura and Dr. Seneshaw Tsegaye shared their research and practical applications of sustainable food, water and energy.

In January Dr. Landon Frim, from the department of philosophy, presented the case for a human frame to the climate crisis. February brought Dr. Felix Jose from the department of marine science talking about the effects of Hurricanes Irma and Ian on Southwest Florida’s barrier islands.

We’d love to see you for the final two lectures. All are welcome and lunch is provided. For more information, please contact Heather Snapp at 239-745-4224.

Upcoming lectures:

March 29: Dr. Thomas Cimarusti, “Recent Discoveries Among the Koreshan Papers at FGCU”

April 19: Dr. Phil Allman, “Sea Turtle Conservation and Research in West Africa: Identifying Risks and Exploring Opportunities for Sea Turtle Protection in Ghana”

Dr. Debra Giambo and Dr. Tunde Szecsi take questions from the crowd

The University Library Hosts a “Makerpalooza” of Technology

On December 16, 2022, the University Library presented Makerpalooza, a day-long workshop displaying the latest developments in education and design technology hosted by the FGCU Library and the Southwest Florida Library Network (SWFLN). All day Library West was alive with activity while staff from local libraries enjoyed a series of presentations.

The talks covered beginner through advanced knowledge levels, including AI, game design and video editing. FGCU Librarian Kaleena Rivera and library marketing assistants Kassidy Grant and Lucia Navarette demonstrated using the app Procreate to design a logo.

FGCU Library’s Creative Commons Coordinator Matt Losey spent his day highlighting our Makerspace resources, including sessions on the Glowforge laser cutter and Bantam CNC milling machine.

For hands-on experiences, the computer lab was converted into a bank of interactive displays of educational robots and computer programs. Toys like Tonies and Buildy Bots were on hand as well as a Cricut Machine and a 3Doodler 3D Printing Pen. These gadgets all come from SWFLN’s circulating collection.

The University Library was delighted to host the event. As Associate Dean Jeremy Brown explains, we are eager to deepen connections with SWFLN libraries as they both strive “to make experiential learning and prototyping a greater part of the educational landscape in libraries across Southwest Florida.” This goal was a success. Together, FGCU and SWFLN are working to bring the newest technology to local libraries.

The Friends of the Florida Gulf Coast University Library is an association of patrons, alumni, faculty, staff and community partners dedicated to supporting and promoting the library.

Only with members’ contributions will the library be able to augment its limited funds to provide students and faculty access to specialized technology to inspire innovation, secure acquisitions of rare and unique materials to encourage scholarship and ensure the preservation and conservation of collections for future generations.

The library’s lectures, receptions and exhibitions are paid for entirely from private contributions.

Your annual gift to the Friends of the Library supports academic success for our 16,000 students, 500 faculty and our extended community of scholars. Through giving and advocacy, the Friends of the Library is essential to our growth.

There are many benefits to becoming a member. Here are just a few:

• Courtesy borrowing privileges

• Access to University Archives and Special Collections

• Access to subscription databases from within the library

• Subscription to the library’s newsletter and FGCU360, including information about exhibits, lectures and other happenings

• Invitations to special events and programming

• Reference and research assistance

• Behind-the-scenes tours

• Friends of the Library annual reception

It is easy to be friends with us. Go to https://library.fgcu.edu/giving today.

Students Helping Students: Library Interns

At the University Library, we strive to be the ultimate resource when it comes to offering academic support. Our librarians are dedicated to the academic success of students by providing support in their research and help navigating library resources. Now, a new program allows future librarians to help us with our mission.

The Research, Scholarship and Instruction Department has hired two part-time interns to support students, faculty and staff in their academic endeavors.

As graduate students of library science, their internships will help prepare them for future work in academic libraries. The interns monitor the virtual chat desk and engage with remote patrons to answer their

questions. They help maintain research guides, create video tutorials and assist with adding useful and appropriate items to the library’s collections.

The 2022-23 interns, Kelli Lewis and Leigh Ann Newman, help the entire University Library community while gaining relevant

experience in academic librarianship. Lewis, a recent alumna of Florida State University’s master of information in science program, is especially appreciative of the diversity within the FGCU community. “I get to learn from people who bring many backgrounds and experiences to the job of librarianship,” she said.

Newman is in her second semester at the same program at FSU, while her daughter is a dual-enrollment student at FGCU. She gives her daughter the same advice she has for FGCU students: “Utilize the librarians, because we are an amazing resource.”

The interns hired by the Research, Scholarship and Instruction Department will help the University Library offer academic support today while helping create the next generation of librarians.

Kelli Lewis

Leigh Ann Newman

Gifts to the FGCU University Library

We have ambitious priorities to support new modes of teaching, learning and empowering our students to succeed in an increasingly digital world. Your support will help create exciting growth opportunities at FGCU.

GIVING TO THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FUND is one of the most important ways to support the FGCU University Library. These dedicated funds can be used quickly to provide new equipment and other services.

CREATIVE COMMONS — an interdisciplinary experiential learning space. This is a facility where students create tangible versions of their ideas with a variety of technology and equipment including 3D printers, scanners, electronics kits and laser cutters. Students create audiovisual productions utilizing industry-standard software and hardware, an augmented reality/virtual reality laboratory for research in gaming, 3D video and more in accessible, co-working spaces for small group work.

RESEARCH COMMONS — a collaborative space for research and instruction librarians to engage faculty and students to produce and showcase exciting research, scholarship and innovation. Services include: research support, funding search tools, publication assistance and next steps to establishing a scholarly identity.

UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS – support the preservation and promotion of collections especially relevant to Southwest Florida. Unique opportunities exist for exhibitions, collection acquisitions, gallery and reading room lighting and vault expansion.

Please consider making your gift today to support our efforts. Visit library.fgcu.edu/giving or contact either Melissa Minds

VandeBurgt at mvandeburgt@fgcu.edu, 239.590.7658, or Dr. Tracy Elliott at telliott@fgcu.edu, 239.590.7602.