December 2012

Dear Friends,

As we approach the holidays, it’s a good time to pause and reflect on the past year. This has been another wonderful year for The Ohio State University Libraries, and I wanted to share some of the memorable events that have made 2012 such a noteworthy year for us.

The Libraries received important honors from two very significant sources. The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Investment Index ranked the OSU Libraries 5th among public university libraries and 14th among all 126 ARL member libraries. The university’s generous and continuing investment in the Libraries helped make this ranking possible, and has enabled us to move forward in building our system. We have also benefited from the strategic use of our resources and the thoughtful stewardship of the funds we have received.

The Thompson Library, renovated in 2009, was designated a “Landmark Library” by Library Journal. The designation is based on overall design and construction excellence, innovation, beauty and delight, and more. I am pleased that Thompson is a resource for our students and faculty, a popular destination for alumni and the central Ohio community, and a source of architectural inspiration for other libraries.

We continue making progress toward the challenge grant made by Jean Schulz, widow of Charles M. Schulz. Jean offered to match donations of up to $2.5 million for the renovation of Sullivant Hall, the future home of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (BICLM) as well as an outright gift of $1 million. The Sullivant Hall renovation is scheduled to be completed in 2013, and will be the home of the BICLM, The Ohio State University Department of Dance, ACAD and the Department of Art Education.

We enjoyed two “Tasteful Evenings” in 2012. An April event at the Hyde Park Golf and Country Club in Cincinnati—our first event in that city—provided more than 100 friends and alumni with an update on plans for the new home for the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum. The night included a scotch tasting and a hilarious, moving program from “Zits” cartoon creator, James Borgman. 

The annual Tasteful Evening program for Rare Books and Manuscripts, sponsored by J.C. Hanks and Paul Tingley at the Columbus Club, was a resounding success. Otto Penzler, owner, publisher and authority on mystery novels, was the speaker. You may recall that Rare Books acquired Mr. Penzler’s outstanding “Mysterious Press” collection last year. 

The Libraries supported a campus-wide initiative, “Conversation on Immigration,” providing resources from the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, and the East Asian/Chinese Studies collection. The yearlong series, developed by Ohio State’s Center for Ethics and Human Values, was designed to highlight the value of the university as a model of civil, informed discourse. We were honored to participate as partners.

The Friends of the Libraries presented four students with awards for essays on their book collecting activities. Prizes of $1,000 and $500 were presented in the undergraduate and graduate categories of the 2012 Ann W. and Emanuel D. Rudolph Student Book Collecting Awards. All the applicants received a Friends of The Ohio State University Libraries membership, encouraging their continued involvement with collecting and the Libraries.

We continue to enhance services to our customers. The Libraries began offering longer loan periods this summer as the university made its long-anticipated switch to a semester-based calendar. Subject librarians are now using iPads and tablet computers to provide on-site consultations and reference services at several departments and colleges. August saw the launch of library tutors in several residence halls.

Recent surveys indicated graduate students would like an enhanced level of service from the Libraries. A series of listening sessions were held for students in several programs in arts and humanities and social/behavioral sciences. The results of these conversations will help inform our decisions about how we can improve services to this important group of library customers in the year ahead.

In July, I led a small delegation to China to renew our longstanding exchange programs with two of the country’s largest libraries, Shanghai Library and Wuhan University. These programs enable us to share expertise between our organizations. The partnerships serve as a reminder of the impact of the work we do, and of Ohio State’s global presence.

On a personal note, I was honored to be elected Vice President/President Elect of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in October. As one of 126 members of this non-profit organization, ARL helps us advance our goals in public policy, fosters the exchange of ideas and expertise, and facilitates the emergence of new roles for research libraries. I will serve as president of ARL in 2014, when the organization brings their annual meeting to Columbus.

The coming year promises to be one of exciting challenges and opportunities. On behalf of my colleagues at University Libraries, thank you for your unwavering support. We continue to be mindful and appreciative of the generosity of our donors and the dedication of our volunteers. We could not accomplish all we do without you. May you and your family enjoy a joyous season.

Happy Holidays!

Carol Pitts Diedrichs
Director of Libraries