A newsletter for the Friends of the Oberlin College Libraries Library Perspectives Fall 2018, Issue 59 Enhancing Access to Maria Balinska to Speak Student Publications at Friends Dinner ince its inception, the Oberlin aria Balinska, co-CEO and editor SCollege Archives has, as part of its Mof the United States edition of The core mission, collected materials that Conversation (theconversation.com/ document the life of college students us) will be the featured speaker at the as represented in newspapers, literary annual Friends of the Libraries dinner on journals, current events magazines, Saturday, November 3. The Conversation and other student publications. While U.S. arose out of “deep-seated concerns Archives staff maintain a comprehensive for the fading quality of our public inventory of some 200 student discourse — and recognition of the vital publications held in its collection, until role that academic experts can play in the public arena. Independent and not- for-profit, it is part of a global network of newsrooms first launched in Australia in 2011.” Director of Libraries Alexia Hudson-Ward serves on the Board of Trustees of The Conversation U.S. Balinska previously worked at the BBC in London where for 10 years she was editor of World Current Affairs Radio. A 2010 Nieman Fellow at Harvard, she Maria Balinska is also the founder of Latitude News, a digital platform that introduced new ways of covering world affairs for American audiences. She is the author of The Honoring Bagel: The Surprising History of a Modest Bread (Yale University Press, 2009). At Mary Church Terrell the Friends dinner, Balinska will discuss the need for infusing quality back into Alternatives (1976-1982) provided a forum for progressive campus activism. the public discourse by encouraging academics to engage in forums like recently it indicated only titles and The Conversation. As stated on the issues held. While useful, this bare-bones website, “The Conversation’s mission is checklist made it virtually impossible particularly resonant in the U.S., where for researchers to identify student people universally sense that the country’s publications of a particular genre or social fabric is strained and the common subject focus, or even determine which ground people share is shrinking.” One student organizations published them, remedy for this unraveling is providing without having to retrieve materials from freely available information and scholarly the vault for closer examination. articles based on academic expert Under the direction of Associate knowledge through The Conversation’s Story on page 4 Archivist Anne Salsich, access to student “deliberate and collaborative editorial process.” The Conversation began Mary Eliza Church, senior portrait, Continued on page 6 its U.S. operations in 2014. Oberlin College Class of 1884 1 Recent Gifts The Libraries gratefully acknowledge the following significant monetary gifts and gifts-in-kind. Friends Update Major monetary gifts: Gifts-in-kind: he Friends of the Libraries • Jade Tree Foundation, for the Friends • Claudia Macdonald, Professor Treceived $68,457 in monetary gifts of the Libraries. Emerita of Musicology, donated during the 2017-18 academic year. • Dorothy Olson ’39, for the Friends of books, scores and recordings to the Membership in the Friends totaled 498, the Libraries. Conservatory Library. including 287 regular members who • Steven Woodbury ’68, for the • Robert Rotberg ’55 donated books contributed directly to the Friends, Librarian’s Discretionary Fund. about Africa. 153 members who donated to other • Paula Newberg donated a large library funds or made gifts-in-kind, 33 Generous monetary gifts: number of books about India. life members, 12 honorary members, • Scott Bennett ’60, for the Librarian’s • Gene Woodling donated books and and 13 members who are students Discretionary Fund. films in support of the Gene Woodling or recent graduates. Gifts-in-kind • Dean S. Edmonds Foundation, for the Collection of Gay Fiction. exceeded 14,300 items. Friends of the Conservatory Special Book Fund. • Suzanne Gay, Professor Emerita Libraries Council approved spending • Andrew Manshel ’78, for the Friends of of East Asian Studies and History, $40,355 of Friends funds to purchase the Libraries. donated books to the East Asian rare materials for special collections, • Paulina Marks ’45, for the Friends of collection. plus major multidisciplinary resources the Libraries. • Bruce Simonson, Professor of and significant works to support • Emily McClintock ’76, for the Friends Geology, continues to donate books of research and the curriculum in art, of the Libraries. various topics for the Science Library. music, and science (see Library • Hamilton Moses, former student, for • Steve Woodbury ’68 donated his Perspectives, Spring 2018). the Conservatory Special Book Fund. collection of paper cut books and Friends programs last year included • Mark Smith ’90, for the Art Library artwork for the Art Library and Special book talks by Sebastiaan Faber, Special Book Fund. Collections. Professor and Chair of Hispanic Studies; Eboni Johnson, Outreach and Programming Librarian; Scott Smith In Memoriam and Mohammad Jafar Mahallati, Presidential Scholar in Islamic Studies Oberlin College lost one of the libraries’ North America and visited libraries and Nancy Schrom Dye Chair in Middle strongest supporters on March 21, 2018 across the U.S. and abroad from China East and North African Studies. Other when Scott Alan Smith ’79 passed away to Arabia. Later he earned an M.S. in programs sponsored or co-sponsored in Oregon. Born in Zanesville, Ohio librarianship and served as the town by the Friends were talks by John in 1956, Scott majored in German at librarian in Langlois, Oregon. Scott was a Harwood, University of Toronto, on Oberlin. With language skills and a love faithful member and chair of the Friends “Thomas Jefferson’s Library and the of travel, libraries, and learning, Scott Acquisitions Committee from the 1990s Roots of American Architecture,” and became a library representative for until recently. His wit, knowledge, and Kee Il Choi, Leiden University, on Vases the academic book retailer Blackwell dedication will be greatly missed. Chinois. Bernard F. Reilly, Center for Research Libraries, spoke on “Digital Amnesia” at the Future of Libraries Symposium and Denise Gigante, Library Perspectives Stanford University, delivered the Harold Jantz Memorial Lecture. Clifford Cynthia Comer Heath Patten Thompson ’85 was the featured speaker Ken Grossi Alison Ricker at the annual Friends dinner and visited Alexia Hudson-Ward Jeremy Smith classes in Africana studies and creative Editors writing to share his experiences as an artist, author, editor, and essayist. William Ruth, Copy Editor Wendy Donkin, Graphic Designer, Production Editor A newsletter for users and Friends of the Oberlin College Libraries, Library Perspectives is issued two times a year. Printed from an endowed fund established by Benjamin and Emiko Custer. 2 Graduate Library School Scholarship Winners 2017-2018 Alexandra Howard Claire Payne Friends Council lexandra (Alex) Howard ’14 and Claire justice and critical pedagogy.” Howard A Payne ’15 are winners of 2018 Friends volunteers at a branch library of Belmont Officers of the Libraries Graduate Library School University, working with digital media Robert Taylor Scholarships in the amount of $3,500 and researching “evolving forms of digital President each. For the fifth consecutive year, two inquiry.” She very recently began a new Wendy Wasman ’85 scholarships were awarded from among a position as Patron Services Assistant at Vice President strong applicant pool. the Social Law Library in Boston. Howard majored in Africana studies Payne majored in history at Oberlin Eric Carpenter at Oberlin and received a Friends of with minors in art history and French. Secretary the Libraries Excellence in Research She currently attends the University Award in 2013 for her digital exhibition of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Members “Bone Throwing, Bible Toting” (see expects to complete master’s degrees in Stephanie Davis-Kahl ’94 Perspectives, Spring 2014). Much of her both information science and art history Sebastiaan Faber work since graduation has focused on by May 2019. Her library experience Robert Follet ’64 community empowerment and the began as a student assistant at the Main Jennifer Graham criminal justice system, from helping Library circulation desk. Since then, Rod Knight to produce the documentary From Payne has worked in or volunteered for Gary Kornblith the Inside Out, to serving as the Youth two archives, two public libraries, and Tom Lopez ’89 Advisory Board Coordinator in San three academic libraries. Her experience Pablo Mitchell Francisco, to working very recently as also includes service in two separate Ann Sherif a criminal investigator with the Public AmeriCorps programs. In her application, Steve Volk Defender’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. Payne noted that she is “interested in Her Oberlin College experience as co- the library as a space that lies at the Ex-Officio and facilitator for an autobiography class intersection of preservation and progress, Appointed Members in the Grafton Correctional Institution serving as a hub for new technologies.” provided a springboard for those She hopes to be an “active participant Gillian Johns endeavors. Howard will attend Simmons in ever-vital conversations about the General Faculty Library Committee Chair University in Boston, where she will