Portland State University PDXScholar

Library Newsletters University Library

Spring 2011 Portland State Library Update: News for Supporters and Friends; Spring 2011

Portland State University Library

Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/ulib_news Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y

Recommended Citation Portland State University Library, "Portland State Library Update: News for Supporters and Friends; Spring 2011" (2011). Library Newsletters. 2. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/ulib_news/2

This Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Library Newsletters by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. news for supporters and friends Left: Roberts Spring 2011 became involved Portland State University Library: in public service as an advocate Excellence and Innovation in Teaching, for handicapped Learning and Research Support children. She became an unpaid The Portland State University Library is at the heart of the Portland State The Portland State Library Update is lobbyist in 1969, community, and is committed to providing excellence and innovation in published bi-annually to promote research, teaching, and learning support. Along with its diverse collection the services, collections and spurred by of information resources, the University Library offers special collections programs of the Portland State concerns for her and archives that feature unique materials of regional and scholarly interest; University Library. autistic son, Mike produces an extensive array of user-centered information services; and Donor Spotlight: Governor Sanders. Mike and delivers a strong instruction program dedicated to improving students’ Jennifer Wilkerson, Editor Barbara recently academic success. Located in an iconic building in the beautiful South Park Contributors: In the library world we often find that extensive collection and that it needed to visited the Special Blocks, the Portland State University Library serves the largest student body Adriene Lim people are either “savers” or “spring be preserved and shared. Collections and in the University System, providing collaborative study spaces and Nathan Mealey cleaners.” Special Collections and All 89 boxes are stored on-site University Archives technology-enabled environments designed to enhance students’ learning Stephanie Moss University Archives depend on donations at the University Library and prove Reading Room to experiences. Cris Paschild from generous “savers” to keep history invaluable to researchers and students. identify images Kim Willson-St. Clair alive and accessible to our current and The collection supports the increased from her collection future students, faculty and greater understanding of women’s roles in the to use in her new Upcoming Library Event Design: Bravefish Design Northwest community. worlds of politics and policy with the book. Photography: Jennifer Wilkerson, May 12 Lincoln Hall, Room 75, 7pm try to exceed our users’ expectations every Governor Barbara Roberts is one of goal of developing the next generation Edis Jurcys from the Professor Scott Burns and Professor Marjorie Burns will day. Our Library Research Center is abuzz those “savers” who generously donated of women leaders who will serve the city, Interim University Librarian her collection to the University Library as state, region and nation. Gov. Roberts’s present on the second edition of their book, Cataclysms on with learning activities, our computer part of the Oregon Political Leadership Archive. collection is heavily used and serves to the Columbia. Book signing and light refreshments after the In this Issue Many of us in higher education are facing labs are the most heavily used across the Her collection includes personal papers, greatly enhance what is already known lecture. daunting challenges, with some of these campus, and there is rarely an empty seat newspaper clippings, campaign materials, about this great public figure. Focus On Service: challenges created by shifting economic, in our group study rooms. It’s an exciting memorabilia, photographs, and public For the last five and a half years, Gov. Technologies social, and technological conditions. time to be here at the Library and to be speeches from over 30 years of public life. Roberts has been working on her second We at the Portland State Library have part of this vibrant urban campus as it Barbara Roberts was elected the first book Up the Capitol Steps, an autobiography Focus on worked hard to turn these challenges into grows. woman Governor of the state of Oregon to be published this fall. This book Librarianship: exciting opportunities for collaborative Our donors have supported many in 1990, serving from 1991 through 1995. details much more of her personal life Professor Sharon improvements and innovation, focusing initiatives through gifts to the Library Prior to her tenure as Governor, Barbara and her work as governor – it is filled Portland State Elteto on the unique resources and services that Fund. With your help, we have been able Roberts was a member of the Oregon with topics she found challenging and at University Library Portland State students, faculty, and staff to maximize student access to information House and was Oregon’s first female times emotional to write. But, the end Governor Roberts Focus on need to succeed. I believe this ingenuity by increasing our online holdings and House Majority Leader from 1983 to result is a truly inspiring account of her chose to donate her Post Office Box 1151 Collections: and dedication are what make PSU unique expanding access to unique campus 1984. She was elected the first Democratic path from a small town girl to Governor materials to PSU Portland, OR 97207-1151 Oregon Political and have helped our University evolve from resources and scholarly materials. Our female Secretary of State in 1984 and the of Oregon. Gov. Roberts was one of because “it felt like 1875 SW Park Avenue Leadership Archive its beginnings as the Vanport Extension librarians and technologists have developed Center to the internationally recognized custom searching tools and dynamic first Democrat elected to the office in 110 the first 10 women to be elected in her home.” Portland, OR 97201 years. She was reelected to that position own right to the position of governor Donor Spotlight: urban campus we know today. research guides to help students navigate The University Library is evolving, too, an increasingly complex digital world. in 1988. in the and hers will be the library.pdx.edu/support.html Governor Barbara Gov. Roberts carried the boxes of her second gubernatorial memoir published to address rapid technological changes There are many opportunities to support [email protected] Roberts collection with her on every move, 89 from this elite group of groundbreaking and new forms of research and scholarly this great campus here at the University boxes total. She called them, “the boxes women. communication. Core to this evolution Library, and I invite you to contact us to of my life.” After she laid out all the 503.725.4509 is a continuing commitment to provide get to know the Library more. boxes she quickly realized she had a rich, exemplary library resources, services and Thank you for your support of the instruction. It’s a tall, exciting order and we University Library. -Adriene Lim Focus on Service: University Library Technologies Focus on Librarianship: Professor Sharon Elteto

Just over a decade ago, Portland State research, writing, and technology support Associate Professor Sharon Elteto University Library was coming to grips with to students. Throughout the Library retired from the Library in Fall Term Left: As a Left: Hon. Betty the effects of technological revolutions there are also group study rooms where 2010, after 32 years of dedicated service to collection Roberts with Hon. that were fundamentally altering library students can take advantage of a number Portland State. There were many changes developer for Jean Lewis and services. The most significant was the of technologies to support their studies, that occurred in the Library during her English, Sharon Hon. Helen Frye, impact of the World Wide Web on scholarly including computers, projectors, and video career, but one thing remains the same: maintained a high- 1982 communication. Within just a few years, recorders for practicing presentations. Sharon’s passion for making a difference in quality collection the lives of all students she encounters. and was a staunch Papers, Sharon joined the Portland State Library advocate for Special Collections, The Library’s as a part-time Clerical Assistant in 1978 and the necessity Portland State online environment was hired as Instruction Librarian in 1997, University Library after completing her Master of Library of maintaining provides Science degree. Sharon fell in love with a strong book patrons with a collection for the complementary libraries at an early age, as she explains, “I wondered if the books changed once they humanities. Focus on Collections: experience through were ‘branded’ by this or that category. As its extensive and I grew older, I questioned if thought itself Oregon Political Leadership Archive fruitful use of could become caught in predetermined technology. The University Library, the Center for neighborhoods and cities. While many patterns, forever beholden to imposed Women, Politics & Policy, the Department administrative documents reside in the systems…Those were my rebellious years.” of History and the Black Studies region’s government repositories, Portland Access includes: Sharon firmly believes in the importance and memories, such as an English major Department have partnered to build a State’s holdings provide a unique and of teaching students about fundamental thanking me for recommending a book growing archive of political papers from important supplement, bringing a kind of • 300 searchable research practices. During her tenure, that helped her win a prestigious writing Oregon’s trailblazing women leaders. The historical insight that can only be drawn databases teaching the “Basic Library Skills” class award; or a student emailing a message to Oregon Political Leadership Archive is from the personal reflections, photographs, granted her the opportunity to watch me to say ‘you have an incredible gift to part of Portland State Library’s Special annotated copies, correspondence, notes, the Library’s efforts shifted towards the With each passing year, the Library’s • 60,000 electronic students mature in their understanding genuinely care about your students and to Collections and includes approximately reports and memorabilia that are retained provision of online resources and services, dedication to innovative technology enables journals of the organization of knowledge, and to calm a room of dizziness.’ ” Humor was my steadfast 162 boxes of primary documents and in an individual’s papers and are often and the staffing and infrastructure changes it to play a dynamic role for the university’s witness their emerging skills in manipulating On receiving the Butler Award for original materials, representing items from lacking from the official public record. This one-of-a-kind necessary to accomplish these new projects. changing needs. As the student population • 20,000 electronic the scholarship produced by the academic Excellence in Library Service in 2002, teaching partner: six important women in Oregon’s political What makes the Archive special is that it archive provides Today the Library continues to grapple continues to increase, as greater numbers books world. As the students thrived, she thrived; Sharon was proud, but she was more I will always history. will provide a new lens with which to view access to the gratified to learn that she had been “ with the same challenges and opportunities, of students move to online courses, a true sign of every great teacher. remember the The Archive includes the papers the creation of public policy, rounding out decision-making but with a whole new set of technological and as technology becomes increasingly • An online system An alumna of Portland State, Sharon nominated and supported by many others laughter I evoked of Eleanor Davis, Hon. , the official record and the media narrative and intellectual tools. To meet the diverse needs of its embedded in the curriculum, the Library’s to reserve group developed close ties with the English throughout the University. when asking a Hon. , Hon. Vera with the many details and complexities development of patrons, the PSU Library’s technology technology needs will also evolve into even study rooms department and relished the opportunity As the saying goes, “old librarians classroom filled Katz, Hon. Barbara Roberts, and Hon. of how policy gets made. In the Archive our public officials infrastructure has grown to encompass greater needs. to serve as the English Librarian. She don’t die, they just get re-shelved.” Sharon with freshmen Betty Roberts. The materials within this you might find a printed document with and teaches us everything from desktop computers to It’s impossible to predict how the worked closely with faculty teaching continues to work on a book project with who else played collection hold particular cultural and the margin notes of the elected official’s how their thinking custom-developed web applications. Library will be using technology fifteen, “Critical Approaches to Literature,” the Portland State’s Fine and Performing Arts World of Warcraft. historical significance, as these women personal thoughts, a note for them to call evolved over Effective and innovative use of technology ten, or even five years from now. But what undergraduate requirement for English Librarian, Associate Professor Kris Kern. Telling them we represent some of the first to hold elected someone to follow up on an issue, or drafts time, bringing the has enabled the Library to offer an we can safely predict is that technology will majors, stressing the need for research The project will result in a full history of were on another office at the state and national level. By of speeches illustrating the development complete story interactive, resource-rich experience to continue to be a key factor in shaping the competencies to preserve the integrity of the Portland State University Library, and quest: an instant generously donating materials, these of ideas. These primary materials and the of political life in patrons, whether in-person or online. Library’s future. scholarship. She also worked closely with will be yet another legacy left by Sharon for barrier breaker.” elected women hope to allow current and unique insights they share are a rich resource Oregon to life. The Library building offers an Writing faculty who adopted research the entire community. We are honored to future generations access to papers and for original and new research. Seeing hand- increasingly technology-rich environment. competencies as a program goal. have had Sharon as a colleague and friend other documents from an important time written letters from constituents, thank The 1st floor and 2nd floors contain When asked about the highlights of her these many years and thank her for her in Oregon’s history. you notes with personal photos or artwork dedicated computer labs that offer career, she responds, “Of course, having many contributions to the Library and the Our students and faculty are constantly or newspaper clippings saved creates a computers, scanners, and printers been granted tenure was an enormous campus. seeking access to primary documents visual texture to the archive – a powerful alongside service points where Library and milestone, but what primarily emerges are reflecting the dynamics of implementing, experience for students and researchers. Technology staff collaborate to provide snippets, an odd assortment of images managing, and effecting change within our