Peabody Library Annual Report 2004/2005
By Sharon Weiner, Director
"I never realized how much I would value the library staff!!!"
Leadership, Policy and Organization Studies graduate student
"I really appreciated all of your help during my graduate school experience."
Human and Organization Development student
"I thank you very much--delayed and so doubly felt--for the APA
presentation you gave last Tuesday. I am especially grateful that you
were willing to do this at 7 p.m.!
Special Education graduate student
"If it hadn't been for you I would have given up,
which would have been too bad - it was worth the trouble. Thanks
again."
Student
"What a joy it was to walk in my office and find a treasure
trove of new audiovisuals for my Fall classes. Thanks, again!"
Special Education faculty
"I wanted to thank you for your help at the library last week.
Without your help we would have had to move into the library for
a week."
Clarksville attorney
"It has been about 4 years since I spent any time in
the Peabody library and things have definitely changed during that interval. Beyond the
cosmetic and comfort renovations that have occurred, the level of
technology and ease of interface was exciting to see and definitely
made the research process more user friendly. Most importantly, it
is great to see such dedicated professionals at the help desk on a
Sunday evening."
Special Education alumnus
"I've been meaning to email you for quite some time to let you know how appreciative and impressed I am with the level of services provided by the Peabody library staff. I find the faculty delivery service particularly helpful and have made frequent use of it. The staff are always most helpful and pleasant. If only all organizations and bureaucracies operated that smoothly..."
Human and Organization Development Faculty
"One of the nicest things about being employed at Vanderbilt is the
fact that we have wonderful resources. You
have proven yourself to be one of those "valuable resources."
Please keep up the good work!"
VU Medical Center staff
"I
appreciate all that you have done to open up the Library so much to those of
us on campus that depend on it for our work."
Leadership, Policy and Organization Studies graduate student
"THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow, that was really thoughtful of you."
Psychology and Human Development faculty
"I would like to thank you for all your technical support throughout the year. You were so knowledgeable, flexible, and patient! Your support was central in creating a supportive and challenging learning environment for my students."
Teaching and Learning faculty
"Thanks very much for following through and finding this for me. I
appreciate the tenacity. Good work."
Heard Library staff
"I am deeply grateful for your superb accomplishments in creating a user-friendly, responsive, efficient library for the College."
Psychology and Human Development faculty
Introduction.
This was a year of celebrations and record-breaking statistics!
Our beautifully renovated facility was the highlight of the year! We are very proud of the improvements to the building, the new terrace, and the sculpture garden. Students like it so much that at some times of the year, every seat is taken. Some faculty routinely use the library and the terrace to hold classes. The Iris Cafe opened on August 23 and is very popular. People from the entire Vanderbilt community, alumni, and our neighbors at the University School of Nashville meet there and share a cup coffee or a sandwich. Mark and Terry and the Cafe staff do so much to help make the Library an inviting, welcoming place. This year, the Library has realized the vision of becoming a community gathering-place and a place for scholarly inquiry.
Dean Benbow recognized donors to the renovation project at an elegant formal dinner held in the Grand Reading Room during Reunion events. In recognition of the Dean's support for the Library, the staff presented her with a photo that has a place of honor on the second floor of the Library.
We celebrated the renovation of the Curriculum Center, Design Studio, and Youth Collection with an open house on March 31. Children's literature author Michael Shoulders gave an engaging presentation. A panel of students related their curriculum needs. Professor Tisha Bennett (Teaching and Learning) hosted the event.
Another highlight of the year was the vist of Special Libraries Association President Ethel Salonen to the Library for a program of the Southern Appalachian Chapter.
Statistics.
197,126 patrons entered the library (increase of 86% over 2003/04)
779 room reservations made
7,890 questions were answered (increase of 9% over 2003/04)
1,739 reference questions were answered (increase of 26% over 2003/04)
213 funding announcements distributed
47 research consultations (decrease of 51% over 2003/04)
15,455 items charged out (increase of 15% over 2003/04)
1,544 laptop charge-outs
2,581 interlibrary loans filled (decrease of 21% over 2003/04)
244 Peabody items were requested from the Annex
49 library instruction sessions for 948 people (sessions decreased by 26% over 2003/04)
24 tours
for 79 people (increase of 26% over 2003/04)
23,066 electronic reserve pages scanned (increase of 11% over 2003/04)
65 print/media reserves processed
89 faculty delivery requests
There are 221 seats and
43 public workstations
in the Library.
The Library was open 107.5 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters. The Library was open 24/7 during exam period.
Collaborations and Outreach.
The Office of Development and Alumni Relations created a discussion list for more than 600 Library Science alumni who returned response cards listing their email addresses. The Dean hosted several luncheons in the Fireside Room for pre-merger alumni.
Dr. Hal Ramer, 1947 Peabody alumnus and retired founding President of Volunteer State Community College, made a generous donation to support an oral history project. People who were closely involved with the merger of Peabody College for Teachers and Vanderbilt University will be interviewed. This is a joint project of Peabody Library, Special Collections/University Archives, Library and Information Technology Services, and Peabody Technology Support Center.
The library staff organized a holiday lunch in December for friends.
Our 10 staff attended 145 meetings sponsored by Heard Library this year.
Services.
The following services were implemented or improved this year:
- Implemented Document Delivery Service for Peabody College faculty
- Implemented Faculty Book Delivery service
- Provided data services through HOD Graduate Assistant Brian Christens, Director of the Vanderbilt Census Information Center
- Opened 24/7 during exam period
- Re-designed Library web site
- Created web pages on the following topics: bibliography of alumni authors; art at Peabody Library; alternatives to the ERIC database during the ERIC restructuring; and higher education resources
- Added automatic searching of ACORN to resource guides
- Installed Vanderbilt Card readers on photocopiers
- Received large-page plotter printer from the Census Bureau
- Acquired color laser printer and additional die cuts for the Curriculum Design Studio
- Assumed responsibility for charging and discharging interlibrary loan materials from Peabody Library. This task had been done by the central ILL office in the past
- Activated USB ports on public workstations
Curriculum Support.
We opened the Learning Commons on October 21. It is the first "information commons" in Tennessee. The room is equipped with 18 Dell workstations that have MS Office, ArcGIS, SPSS, SAS, andPhotoshop software; an instructor workstation and projection equipment; and scanners. Chris Benda and Ralph Knapp (Peabody Technology Support Center) are Co-Managers of the Learning Commons.
We worked with several Peabody College committees to consider ways that the Library can help to address students' writing and information literacy needs.
Collections and Electronic Resources.
To feature Peabody alumni who had written books, we prepared an exhibit of books during the Reunion weekend. Lara Beth Lehman prepared several exhibits of children's books throughout the year. Other activities included:
- Mounted exhibit of Peabody memorabilia
- Mounted exhibit on Bert Roller Collection
- Received donations from Dr. Woody Caine; the Department of Human and Organization Development; the Tennessee Textbook Commission
- Collaborated with other Vanderbilt libraries to add subscriptions to Business Source Premier and Library Literature
- Continued to catalog old Peabody master's theses
- Withdrew outdated Youth Collection and Curriculum Center materials
- Assumed responsibility for Curriculum Center record creation that had formerly been done by Technical Services staff
- Improved processing procedures for gift textbooks
- Sent Kennedy Center audiotapes from the former Library Science program to Special Collections/University Archives
- Sent selected bound journals to Annex storage facility; began to shift the stacks accordingly
We initiated subscriptions to 14 new journals this year at the request of faculty:
Disability and Society
Education Libraries
Educational Policy (reinstate)
Infancy: The official journal of the International Society on Infant Studies
Journal of At-Risk Issues
Journal of Black Psychology
Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology
Journal of Early Childhood Literacy
Journal of School Counseling
Journal of Social Service Research
Organizational Ethics: Healthcare, Business & Policy
Pedagogies: An International Journal
Urban Education
Young Exceptional Children
We cancelled subscriptions to:
ECER (no longer produced)
Educause Quarterly (available free online)
Gallaudet Today (available free online)
Canadian Journal of Education (sporadic publishing cycle; in ProQuest & Education FullText)
Communication Education
ERIC on Silverplatter (duplicated FirstSearch ERIC)
Families in Society (available free online)
Journal of Pediatric Psychology
Journal of Nonverbal Behavior (available online)
Family Relations (available online but 1 year delay)
Family Therapy
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry (available online and at Biomedical Library)
Library Hi Tech (available online and at Law Library)
Reference Services Review: RSR (available online and at Central Library)
Budget.
Dean Benbow approved additional funds for the purchase of books and videos for the collection. This increase was imperative because of the recent increase in faculty and programs at Peabody.
We received $6,000 from a Heard Library endowment fund to purchase videos in support of teaching at Peabody.
Lee Ann Lannom and Lara Beth Lehman organized Scholastic Book Fairs in October and February, which raised $700 for us to purchase children's literature and teacher resource materials.
Salary increases were handled differently this spring. The Office of the University Librarian centralized the 2005/06 salary increase money from all of the libraries except Biomedical and re-distributed it to staff according to recommendations by Library Directors.
Facility.
The following were activities related to the facility:
- Installed Sylvia Hyman sculpture in Grand Reading Room
- Restored skylight
- Installed automatic door opener on Cafe door
- Exhibited art works of HOD student Sean Kelley who modeled his works after those of artist Sylvia Hyman
- Installed Peabody Library Terrace webcam
- Framed and hung autographed photo of Helen Keller
- Hung portrait of Julia Sears, Peabody professor for 32 years and the first U.S. female public college President at Minnesota State Normal College at Mankato
- Replaced first floor iMacs with new models and DVD burners; replaced 8 PC workstations
- Installed a double-sided printer
- Installed new signage; developed policies and procedures for use of the Library's rooms
- Installed drainage tiles around exterior foundation
- Repaired ceiling leak in Grand Reading Room; replaced Staff Room carpet due to water leak
- Repaired Staff Room HVAC duct
- Sustained $1,500 damage to the book collection from an overflow of the third floor restroom (reimbursed by contractor)
- Painted second floor copy room
779 room reservations were made this year. The following are some of the groups that reserved meeting rooms and event space:
Center for Teaching
Council for Exceptional Children
Department of Leadership, Policy and Organization Studies
Department of Special Education
EDUC 3210
EDUC 3900
ENGL 272
HDC 3760
HOD 1700
HOD 3620
Ingram Scholars
Kennedy Center Reading Group
LPO 3460
LPO 3600
NAEYC Student Group
Peabody Committee on Teaching
Peabody Office of Alumni and Development
Principals Leadership Academy
Quantitative Working Group
SPED 2030
SPED 3018
SPED 3130
VABA Reading Group
Vanderbilt Community Giving Campaign
Vanderbilt Women's Dissertation Group
The following are some of the events that were held in the library:
Chancellor's Cup reception
George Peabody Birthday Celebration
HealthPlus Blood Pressure Screening
LPO Dissertation Group
Orientation for new Leadership, Policy and Organization Studies Students
Parents Weekend reception
Peabody College Reunion
Peabody Dissertation Brown Bag lunches
Peabody dissertation defenses
Peabody Faculty meetings
Peabody Library Advisory Committee
Peabody Honors Scholars reception
Pre-K Institute
Pre-merger Alumni Luncheons
PreVU
Scholastic Book Fair
Study Groups
U.S. Department of Education IDEA public meeting
Vanderbilt Town Hall meeting
Planning.
We completed the majority of the goals we established in our 2003-06 strategic plan and so began to develop a new one.
Staff completed assessment instruments for each of the teams on which they serve. Team leaders developed plans for improving the functioning of their teams.
Library Advisory Committee.
We are very grateful to the members of the Library Advisory Committee for their advice and guidance this year: Ann Neely (Chair), Mark Bandas (Assistant Vice Chancellor, Housing and Residential Education), Prof. Stephen Heyneman (LPO), Ralph Knapp (Peabody College Assistant Director of Information Technology), Prof. Kim Paulsen (SPED), Prof. Georgene Pion (P&HD), Prof. Isaac Prilleltensky (HOD), Prof. Debbie Rowe (T&L), and Student Representatives Kristen Closson, Tina Camba, and Cornelia Taylor.
The Committee discussed the library renovations, the new ETS ICT test, impact of the freshmen commons, 10-year budget trends, and the implementation of pay-for-printing.
Library Staff.
- Library Associate Stacy Owens won the Tennessee Library Association Support Staff Member award
- Chris Benda was recognized by the University of Tennessee School of Information Sciences for writing one of the three best papers. His paper was on "Bestsellers and Contemporary Book Publishing"
- Lee Ann Lannom was recognized for five years of employment at Vanderbilt
- Sharon Weiner was appointed Co-Chair of the National Forum on Information Literacy
- Chris Benda assumed responsibility for co-managing the Learning Commons with Ralph Knapp (Peabody Technology Support Center)
- Leslie Boyd assumed responsibility for training student assistants
New staff: Brian Christens, Eli Moody, Karen Swoopes
Departures: Graeme Dennis, Bill Dwyer, Stephanie Fuson, Leigh Gostowski, Cyndi Taylor
We are grateful to the excellent student assistants who helped us this year:
Brown, Chris
Childress, Anne
Drovnikova, Leyla
Fry, Allyson
Griner, Therese
Kouladis, Ereni
Murphy, Katherine
Ortel, Amanda
Reif, Adrian
Richards, James
Skelton, Emily
Solimani, Leon
Still, Meghan
Professional Development.
Stacy Owens organized a summer series of public services staff development programs. Walker Library staff joined us.
We initiated a Journal Club to prepare ourselves for summer strategic planning. We invited Heard Library staff to join us. More than 20 staff participated in the 4 monthly discussions of readings about changes in university libraries. Chris Benda and Sharon Weiner facilitated the meetings.
Sharon Weiner attended an invited symposium on the future of education resources at Harvard University. Staff also attended meetings of the American Library Association, Special Libraries Association, and Tennessee Library Association.
Publications.
Weiner, Sharon Gray. "The History of Academic Libraries in the United States: A Review of the Literature." Library Philosophy and Practice 7(2), Spring 2005.
http://libr.unl.edu:2000/LPP/lppv7n2.htm
Weiner, Sharon Gray, "Leadership of Academic Libraries: A Literature Review." Education Libraries Winter 2003, 26(2):5-19.
Goals for 2005/2006:
Complete Peabody Library strategic plan.
Increase outreach.
Increase instruction.
Survey patrons to gather data about users of the library building.
Improve access to career materials.