The following changes to subject liaison assignments took effect at the beginning of autumn quarter. We are in the process of updating the Librarians page on the web site and other publications.

Deidra Herring will become subject librarian for education (full-time). She will be working in this capacity with Gerry Greenberg until his retirement. Deidra and Gerry will serve these units within the College of Education and Human Ecology:

• School of Educational Policy and Leadership
• School of Physical Activity and Educational Services
• School of Teaching and Learning

Deidra will also have collection development responsibilities and retain her role as liaison to the P-12 community.

Leta Hendricks will become subject librarian for human ecology.  She will have liaison and collection development responsibilities for these units within the College of Education and Human Ecology:

• Department of Consumer Sciences (includes Consumer and Family Financial Services; Fashion and Retail Studies; Hospitality Management)
• Department of Human Development and Family Science

Leta has moved from Campbell Hall to 255B Thompson. Welcome back Leta!

Florian Diekmann will become subject librarian for agriculture. He has moved to the librarian office in the FAES Library and will have liaison and collection development responsibilities for most departments in FAES.

Jessica Page will retain her role as Veterinary Medicine librarian as well as liaison/collection responsibilities for these FAES departments: Animal Sciences, Environment and Natural Resources, and Food Science and Technology.  Her sole office will be in the Vet Med Library.

Ruth Gallegos-Samuels will add collection development responsibilities for business to her current liaison duties for Fisher College.

The Vocera project, which provided some Libraries staff with wireless communication devices designed to enhance customer service, will conclude at the end of the year.  Sarah Murphy, Coordinator of Research & Reference, who obtained funding for and administered the program, said that use of the technology did not pan out as hoped.

“Vocera did help us see that there is value in having a “point of need” communication system for our patrons,” Murphy said. “It also let us save a considerable amount of money by reducing the number of phone lines used in the buildings in which Vocera was operated.”

Libraries Director Carol Diedrichs said that she expects the Libraries to examine other approaches to supporting enhancing customer service, such as utilizing student workers to respond to printer/copier problems in the Thompson Library.  Carol commended Sarah on her objective evaluation of the project and her willingness to experiment with new technology.

Please share information about this program with the academic departments that you serve.

University Libraries is accepting proposals for the 2011 Course Enhancement Grant program. Grants of $2,000 will be given to instructors for the enhancement of courses by substantially integrating library resources and/or incorporating information literacy instruction. The award to collaborating librarians is a $1,000 research fund, which can be used to support professional development, travel, or purchase of equipment/software.

The deadline for proposals is Wednesday, October 27 for courses to be taught during winter, spring, summer, or autumn quarters 2011. For further details, see:

http://library.osu.edu/news/grants-awards/course-enhancement/

Research & Reference will be reinventing and reinstating the Student Helpers On The Spot (SHOTS) program this fall in the Thompson Library, using student workers currently employed by the department.

We initially intend to pilot this service during peak service hours, from 10am-4pm Monday through Friday.  One student employee will be positioned near the east entrance and one student employee near the west entrance to welcome patrons, provide directional assistance, facilitate question triage, and promote services such as daily lockers and the availability of LCD cables to use with study room television monitors.  To minimize the Libraries’ dependence on paper handouts and facilitate the recording of SHOTS interactions in the Ask Database, SHOTS employees will experiment with carrying iPads.  We hope to start experimenting with how we might effectively use iPads and other mobile technologies for reference.

If you have any programs or services you believe SHOTS students can help promote, please contact Alicia Perkins at perkins.12@osu.edu or 292-4089.

Seen alternately as a building no one thought OSU football games could fill and an engineering marvel comparable to the Coliseum of Rome, Ohio Stadium has reflected the changing ambitions and enthusiasms of the Ohio State community and the nation at large. Learn more about the history of Ohio Stadium on the University Archives‘ new web exhibit: A Walk in our ‘Shoe: the History of Ohio Stadium. Go to: http://library.osu.edu/projects/stadium/ This online exhibit takes a look at the athletic fields used prior to Ohio Stadium, the University’s nation-wide campaign effort, its construction, floods and fires in the Shoe, and much more. The web exhibit makes use of the Manuscripts and Photographs collections of The Ohio State University Archives.

This exhibit was created by Kenny Greer of the OSU Archives, and Kent State Library and Information Science practicum student David Staniunus.

Libraries and university employees now receive a 10% discount at all Campus Dining facilities, provided that they pay with cash coded on their Buck ID (or library staff ID).  Employees are now required by Campus Dining policy to use the debit feature in order to be eligible for the discount.

Check this list of Campus Dining locations.