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Volume 17, Number 1 Fall 2007 NEWS from FONDREN A LIBRARY NEWSLETTER TO THE RICE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY Historic Treasures Emerge from Gym Daniel Webster once said, “What and brittle with age, had been stored is valuable is not new…” (Speech in the original field house and moved at Marshfield, Sept. 1, 1848). In the to the new gymnasium around 1950. Woodson Research Center, we are The locations of the discoveries, learning afresh the truth of that state- under the bleachers and in obscure ment as Rice’s rich historical record rooms at the very top of Autry in athletics slowly emerges through Court, suggest a reluctance to throw old, dirty, dusty, oftimes crumbling anything away. One room was above materials recently found in the the restrooms in the stadium, acces- recesses of the gymnasium. sible only by ladder. It took a lot of As renovation plans for the effort to get those boxes into such an athletic facility were finalized, staff out-of-the-way place. Artifacts found realized the need to retain valuable in various offices were likely kept for materials documenting Rice’s athlet- sentimental value or artistic form — ics programs through the years. Uni- trophies dating to 1915, a stuffed owl, versity historian Melissa Kean and a Rice owl decanter. university archivist Lee Pecht devised Responsibility for retaining and implemented a plan to transfer as written records mandated that certain many of the “finds” as possible to the files about sports programs be kept. Woodson Research Center. While However, over time staff retired or Dr. Kean conferred with athletics left Rice, records were inherited and staff to determine priorities and then interrelated files became separated. coordinated the move, Lee Pecht Southwest Conference relay trophy, 1928 Current athletics staff knew what and the Woodson staff were franti- they had but weren’t quite sure of cally searching for space to house the materials. With dumpsters and paper the institutional value. Once word shredders waiting outside the gym spread that the university archives and a fast-approaching deadline to wanted as much of the existing vacate the building, salvaging what documentation as possible, archivists INSIDE this ISSUE could be easily surveyed and ap- and movers were kept busy. Phones Athletic Treasures .................pg. 1 praised became the No. 1 priority. rang constantly asking if we wanted Music Research ..................pg. 3 That any records of historical this or that, and fragile items were Survey Informs Improvements .........pg. 4 value have survived 95 years on hand-carried to the library. Ongoing GIS/Data Center Aids Research .......pg. 7 campus is amazing. Most of the communication and cooperation Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic .....pg. 9 athletic items were put in storage among athletics staff and library staff Did You Know? ..................pg. 10 rooms and closets. Additional items will allow an organized record to be Dissertations Go Online .............pg. 10 were continually added, pushing older created from these files. Subject Specialists .................pg. 11 memorabilia to the bottom of the pile. Dilapidated boxes full of plaques, West Entrance Update ..............pg. 12 The earliest records, now yellowed uniforms, basketballs, footballs and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 game programs were interspersed with written and photographic Music Research in the Library records and arrived alongside bursting boxes of unused game tickets. A true surprise was a scrapbook and pho- tographs from Ye Olde College Inn, collected by George Martin, the inn’s The latest Fondren Library renova- these rare items may be used in the to be published by several different owner. The inn was once located tions inspired us to make changes in Woodson Research Center between publishers in slightly different ways across the street from Rice’s original the way our services were offered, 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through over a period of time. Each edition football stadium and the current track including a reorganization of the Friday. Other selected rare music of the work ends up having a slightly and was a popular gathering spot for Brown Fine Arts Library on Fon- materials are now permanently different title. For example, we have students. The scrapbook has wonder- dren’s third floor. For a number of located in the Woodson Research a number of printed editions of the ful views of the inn’s interior and also years, students had asked that the Center. Our newest and most ambi- Bach “Brandenburg Concertos” in pictures some trophies, one of which Fine Arts Library operate accord- tious acquisition is a first edition of the library. The title of one begins is now in Woodson. ing to the same 24-5 schedule as one of the foremost printed collections “Brandenburgische Konzert … .” From May through August the building. In August of 2006 all of late Renaissance motets, printed Another is, “The six Brandenburg 2007, roughly 350–400 cubic feet of circulation and reserves activity was by Antonio Gardano, 16th-century concertos.” Still another begins materials were accessioned by the moved to the main circulation desk Venetian music printer. Other “Concerto da Camera… .” For this center. Records of Jess Neely’s tenure on Fondren’s first floor to eliminate items in the rare music collection reason, search by the “words every- as athletics director from 1942–67 the need for constant staffing of the include a beautiful facsimile of the where” option in WebCat, instead of were previously thought destroyed but Border Olympics Golf Trophy, 2000 area. When you enter the Fine Arts Squarcialupi Codex, a wonderfully by title, and don’t hesitate to contact were discovered, albeit incomplete. Library these days, you’ll find that the ornate collection of Renaissance vocal Fondren’s music specialists for more Records for football and basketball doors are open no matter what day music; many early printed editions of information. were expected to exist, but materials or time it is. Although there won’t be 19th-century French operas; and the The librarian responsible for for swimming, soccer, golf, tennis anyone staffing the old circulation Bartlett collection of Beethoven scores the care and feeding of Fondren’s and track and field were a pleasant desk, there are signs pointing the way and books. music collection is Mary Du Mont. surprise, as were those for both men’s to the offices of the music and art/ People often have difficulty A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Mary and women’s intramurals. Acquiring Gift of George Washington University architecture librarians, who still work locating music scores and recordings has a background in vocal perfor- a succession of sports uniforms was Rouser’s Club, 1935 in the department during normal in library collections. Such difficulty mance and musicology and has extremely appealing; opening sealed business hours. Music books and is understandable, because it is not been Fondren’s music librarian for plastic bins full of unwashed jerseys forgotten and neglected mass. Wood- reference materials, periodicals and unusual for the same musical work seven years. In addition to acquiring and shorts was not. Administrative son’s storage room is overflowing scores remain in their usual locations CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 records detailing budgets; recruiting; with the raw material from which in the Fine Arts Library. The sound awards; NCAA, SWC, and WAC great quantities of long-lost historical and video recordings, along with rosters and regulations; media guides; sports facts can be mined. With the course reserve materials, have moved committee records; scholarships; eli- cooperation of campus staff, working to the first floor — you can request gibility and participation reports; and alongside Woodson’s archivists, Rice’s them at the main circulation desk. We facilities upgrades await evaluation. special collections unit will likely have have audio listening carrels near the Chronological arrangement of some one of the best-documented athletics first floor circulation desk as well as 2,000 game tapes also lies ahead. programs at the college and university in the Fine Arts Library, so you can Unidentified photographs must be level anywhere. listen to music in either location. scrutinized for clues as to approxi- There also is a growing collection mate dates. Panoramic team photos Shirley Wetzel of rare music books and scores that stuck to glass will need preservation Database Management Coordinator was previously housed in the closed work, as will photographs glued to [email protected] Southwest Conference Cross Country Trophy, stacks of the Fine Arts Library. Since damaging acidic plywood. Insect- and 1926 our reorganization, most of these rodent-eaten records warrant wary Lee Pecht volumes have been relocated to the examination. Director, Woodson Research Center Library Service Center. You can find Slowly and methodically, an [email protected] them by searching WebCat and using organized and detailed account of the “place hold” feature to request sports at Rice will emerge from a them from the LSC. Once requested, Mary Du Mont shows graduate student Ruya Saner a manuscript in facsimile. NEWS from FONDREN 2 FALL 2007 3 Library Improves Services Through User Survey you can access almost 37,000 As we continue to plan for Fondren minimum acceptable level of service egories: technology, customer service, electronic journals? Library’s future it is vital to under- and the perceived level of service physical space, collections (electronic), stand users’ needs and expectations (adequacy gap), as well as the differ- physical collections (management in order to provide relevant and ence between a user’s highest desired of) and WebCat (the library’s online dynamic services and collections. level of service and the perceived level catalog). Thus, for the first time this past of service (superiority gap). Using a combination of these spring, Fondren Library participated The LibQUAL+ survey also new groups and existing committees, in LibQUAL+, a Web based total included additional items addressing the library is working diligently to market survey administered by the information literacy, library use and respond to user priorities.