Mardigian Library Newsletter
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University of Michigan-Dearborn Mardigian Library Spring 2016 Inside this issue: Save the Date: Christopher Paul Curtis is Coming!! Save the Date: We are thrilled 2013 was added to the New York Public Christopher Paul Curtis is to announce that Library’s list of “100 Great Children’s Coming………………1 Newbery Medal Books” in the last 100 years. winner Christo- Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, Pardon our Dust and pher Paul Curtis Mr. Curtis is a graduate of the University Noise…………………1 will be our guest of Michigan-Flint. You can read more A Collector’s Living author and speaker about him at his website: Room: at the 2016 Young www.nobodybutcurtis.com Honoring Richard and Authors’ Festival This year’s festival is sure to be Louise Abrahams…..….2 on Saturday, Nov. popular and space will be limited! If you 12! Mr. Curtis would like to receive e-mail information How Are We Christopher Paul Curtis won both the about the festival and Doing?..…………..…...3 Newbery Medal associated writing and the Coretta Scott King Book Award contest for children in A New Café in the in 2000 for his book “Bud, Not Buddy.” grades three through Library…………………..3 In 2008, “Elijah of Buxton” won the five, please send your Coretta Scott King Book Award and was Digital Library Branch is named a Newbery Honor book. Mr. e-mail address to Here.……………..…..…..3 Curtis’s first book “The Watsons Go to Barbara Kriigel at Birmingham—1963” won numerous [email protected] Two Librarians Join the Mardigian Library awards, was made into a movie, and in Team……………………..4 Pardon Our Dust and Noise Vision Statement Progress and Learning and the Mardigian Library. It The Mardigian Library is improvements are will provide a place for faculty to try in- an essential part of the often a bit messy novative interactive teaching techniques UM-Dearborn experience; and sometimes and engage with emerging learning tech- a gathering place for noisy, so when you visit the Mardigian nologies. We will be adding electricity, learners, a campus hub for Library this May and June you will need computer networking, and some new fur- academic success and in- to pardon our dust and noise. Two very nishings as part of our “Learning Com- terdisciplinary collabora- exciting improvement projects will be mons” pilot on the second floor. The cor- tion, and a catalyst for integrated learning and underway during spring semester. These nerstones of this new learning space will community engagement. two projects provide support for the key be access to 20 new computers and flexi- campus strategic priorities of excellence ble, with configurable furniture to sup- in teaching and student success. The cre- port group study We will share pictures ation of the Experimental Classroom will of both of be underway on the first floor of the li- these newly brary. This highly flexible, technology improved spac- rich learning environment is a partner- es in our next ship between the HUB for Teaching and newsletter. 1 A Collector’s Living Room: Honoring Richard and Louise Abrahams Glass as a material for UM-Dearborn had contemporary art is like no decided to make other. Artists revel in its studio glass a unique ability to change major collecting color and to hold and focus. reflect light. Glass art can Richard and be opaque or translucent, Louise Abrahams solid or hollow, curvy and purchased their smooth, simple, solid and first piece of glass, Janet Kelman Slumped and etched glass geometric, or fragile and Taketori Tale by Gift of Richard and Louise Abrahams decorative. Glass is a me- Kyohei Fujita, after dium suited for true artistic falling in love with the medium at the 1997 SOFA experimentation and (Sculpture Objects Functional Art and Design) expression. exhibition. For many years after, the Abrahams The University of travelled the world and built the extraordinary, I Scott Gamble Glass Michigan-Dearborn is for- nternational studio glass collection that is partly on Gift of Richard and Louise Abrahams tunate to be located within view in the new exhibition “A Collector’s Living one of the most important regions in the country for Room: Honoring Richard and Louise Abrahams.” The glass art. The high concentration of glass studios, couple collected pieces from all over the United States galleries, museums, and artists in the area is reflected and many other countries including Australia, in the university’s prized permanent glass collection. Denmark, and Scotland. When they first met, Richard The birthplace of the American studio glass move- and Louise found their taste in painting to be quite ment is located a short distance away in Toledo, Ohio. different. However, they shared a passion for glass. It all started in 1962 with two glass workshops held at We decided early on in our collecting that we both the Toledo Museum of Art taught by Harvey Littleton had to love the piece before we could buy it. We also and Dominick Labino. These two innovators I tried not to have more than two from any artist. We ntroduced the first small glass furnace, which made it definitely could be called glassaholics. It’s similar to possible for artists to create glass art in their home stu- going into a candy store and saying I would like one dios. This was the beginning of a major shift for many of these and one of those, etc. The artists and gallery glass artists from producing utilitarian pieces in facto- owners are very special people and became great ries to a world of endless creative possibilities for friends. ---Louise Abrahams making glass art in independent studios. In 1963, Lit- This exhibition, on view in the Alfred Berkowitz tleton introduced the first university program for glass Gallery from February 19 to June 15, highlights only a in the United States at the University of Wisconsin. portion of the remarkable studio glass collection that My aim has been to demonstrate that the modern has been gifted to the university by Richard and potter, artist-craftsman, teacher, could easily learn Louise Abrahams. It is intended to honor their signifi- the skills of working with hot cant contribution and provide the glass, develop equipment, and viewer with a rare glimpse into the develop techniques for working living room of a private collector. alone….. and further, that there Sonja Blomdahl, Lucio Bubacco, were unique possibilities for aes- Ben Edols, Kathy Elliott, Petr thetic expression in this material Hora, Janet Kelman, Harvey that were beyond the limits of Littleton, Colin Reid, and Richard economic industrial production. Ritter are just a few of the world- ---Harvey Littleton renowned glass artists highlighted The studio glass movement in the exhibition. It is a pleasure to quickly spread to the surrounding Te Rito Pod (Kelp) share these treasured works with Ann Robinson, Cast crystal glass states and, by the 1980s, Gift of Richard and Louise Abrahams the campus and greater community. 2 How Are We Doing? This winter we began a assessment strategies for each of the three areas. This library-wide project to review test will help determine the success of a strategy and and revise our assessment its sustainability as we move forward in our effort to strategies for evaluating how re-design our assessment tools. well our services support our Our project ties in with the campus-wide initiative students and the missions of to look at reviewing learning outcomes and the best both the library and ways to assess student success. Assessment is more university. Teams of staff than just numbers, it must be members are currently meaningful and relatable in looking at three areas: addition to being measurable. It Instruction and Learning should also be sustainable and Services (instruction in the classroom), our manageable so we can compare collection (electronic and physical), and our user services (in-person and virtual reference help, data over time to see trends and circulation of materials, building usage). make informed decisions in how Each team is researching ways to assess the we help our students and use our resources wisely. impact of their area on student success. This spring Stay tuned, we will be reporting on our progress in and summer, we will be pilot testing several the near future! A New Café in the Library This past fall, the snacks, smoothies, and Starbucks coffee at the library Mardigian Library six days a week. Beverage and snack vending ma- welcomed Picasso chines have also been added next to the café to pro- Restaurant Group (PRG) vide quick snacks for students at any time during into the library as the the library’s regular hours. food service vendor for PRG has several food service operations in the library café. The Southeast Michigan, including at the University of conversion of the library Michigan Law School and the UM Health System in café to PRG from a previous vendor has allowed the Ann Arbor. PRG is owned by Mr. university to reach its goal of a single food service Gerald Attee, formerly a Dearborn provider for all of campus. PRG took over operation resident. His sons, Allen and Michael, of McKinley Café in the University Center and Picas- are also principals in the company. so Deli in Fairlane Center during the summer of 2014. Allen is a graduate of the University Students can now enjoy grab-and-go sandwiches, of Michigan-Dearborn. Digital Library Branch is Here! Digital library branch and achievements. Two is here! After 18 special areas were months of campus developed specifically for focus groups and our students and faculty. student usability testing The Student and Faculty the library has launched sections are tailored to the its virtual branch.