Fondren's Bird Books
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
NEWS FROM FONDREN Volume 24, No. 1 • Fall 2014 Fondren’s Bird Books Many beautiful bird books are available limited edition is one Ibis (the journal of the in the Woodson Research Center, of only 500 made, and British Ornithologists’ including groundbreaking scientific features 10 landscape Union) and tomes as well as art books celebrating plates and 40 bird plates Proceedings of the beauty of birds in their native in a linen portfolio box, the Zoological landscapes. Here are some examples, with printing by David Society of London. and more can be found by using the Holman of Wind River The prints date online catalog’s Advanced Press, Austin, Texas. from 1859 to 1915 Search with bird This volume is a and feature birds, bird keywords, limiting joy for anyone who eggs and other animals. the search to enjoys sweeping Theft correspondence and research locations Texas landscapes dates from 1980–2004 and represents “Woodson and the birds Fondren Library’s efforts to cooperate Research who call them with and assist in the FBI’s Center” home. (Call investigation. or LSC- # N7665 WRC, the .G427 1986, Amanda Focke location for location LSC- Assistant Head of Special Collections Woodson’s WRC) materials in Exquisite the offsite full-color Library Service engravings Center. and paintings CHECK IT OUT! “The of birds have a Ornithology of Francis monetary value, in Willughby,” published in addition to their research Pg. 2 Fondren Helps Mint 1678 in London, represents very value and beauty, making New Librarians early ornithology in Europe. This book them a target for criminals. Fondren introduced the organization of species Library’s collections were attacked Pg. 5 Meet the Wizards according to physical characteristics in this manner in the 1980s, when Behind the Curtain as well as the concept that swallows hundreds of plates were sliced out migrated rather than hibernated. (Call of journals by a thief who was later # QL673 .W74, location Woodson caught by the FBI and served prison Pg. 7 New Wave of Study Room Renovations Research Center.) time. The Bird and Small Mammal “Of Birds and Texas,” by painters Prints Theft Collection (MS 544 – Stuart and Scott Gentling, includes an finding aid online at http://library. essay, “Recollections of a Texas Bird rice.edu/collections/WRC/finding- Glimpser,” by Texas author and Rice aids/manuscripts/0544), consists of alum John Graves ’42 and a foreword approximately 700 color prints stolen by Harry Tennison. This 1986 oversized from Fondren’s copies of the journals Images (L to R) from “A Monograph of the Nectariniidae, or Family of Sun-birds” by Fondren Library G.E. Shelley and “A Monograph of the Birds of Prey,” Volume 1, by H. Kirke Swann OUTREACH Fondren Helps Mint New Librarians Creating a podcast featuring an illuminated folio from a late medieval Spanish choirbook, using music from the choirbook performed by the Shepherd School of Music; analyzing the usefulness of software that quantifies qualitative survey data and presenting the analysis to library professionals; unprecedented access to interview library administration — all these activities and more have been performed by graduate students participating in internships or practicums at Fondren Library. Fondren is committed to help develop future library professionals as part of its outreach to the community and makes every effort to provide meaningful library work to students in a master’s program in library and information science to experience. Flannery reviews a practicum student’s project The program matches students with opportunities corresponding to their tools we provide from the perspective experience; some have worked in interests and goals, generally providing of the patron.” Susan Kirby, a recent libraries for years, while others are them with 120 hours of work under the practicum student in the Woodson completely new to the environment. guidance of a Fondren staff member. Research Center, created an online Matching these students to appropriate Melinda Flannery, assistant university exhibit featuring the “History of projects is an important part of the librarian for technical services, serves Science” rare book collection. Susan program. Occasionally students need as the informational contact for most chose to intern at Rice because of its more advice on where to spend their students who request a practicum at institutional reputation and “because time in a practicum, and may even Rice. As Flannery noted, “it’s critical Fonden was flexible enough to be referred to a different library more that students get a taste of what it’s let me work in areas that were fitting for their career goals. Some like to work as a librarian, honing their interesting to me.” students come to Fondren with clear skills and understanding in a library Over the past five years, 17 ideas of the area they intend to pursue setting before seeking employment in graduate students have inquired and are easily matched to specific the profession.” about Fondren internships and most departments. Some prefer to broaden The successful internship have ended up completing them their experience by exploring areas experience benefits the library as well here. Fondren has welcomed library of library practice that are unfamiliar as the student, bringing enthusiasm students from a range of institutions, to them. Additional information about and skills from new professionals. including the University of Texas, the the internship/practicum program is Recent intern Kari Beets, who University of North Texas at Denton, available at http://library.rice.edu/ interned in the user experience office, Texas Women’s University, Drexel about/employment/volunteering-and- worked on a usability study of the University, Syracuse University, the internships/volunteering-internships. library catalog. Beets found “the University of South Florida and the Fondren environment welcoming and University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. Dara Flinn informative, and was able to see the The students have varied levels of Archivist/Special Collections Librarian 2 www.library.rice.edu OUTREACH / COLLABORATION High School Student Wins With Fondren Check out how the library helped a local high school student win a national history prize: http://bit.ly/117eIKo Humanities Research Center and Fondren in the News Learn how Fondren library staff are collaborating with the Humanities Research Center (HRC): http://bit.ly/1yFVQwI NEWS from FONDREN • Fall 2014 3 TECHNOLOGY Get a Room: The Birth of a New Room Reservation System at Fondren Last spring, Fondren IT and user desired descriptions/images of rooms, experience staff took on the challenge knowledge of reservation policies and of creating a new reservation system preferred calendar format. located at http://library.rice.edu/ Testing showed that most students services/study-rooms that would used a search engine to access the link with the library’s existing library site, preferably Chrome. Desired management system (LMS). The room information was only what existing room reservation system had made each room distinctive, e.g. outlived its usefulness and an inspiring technology features, seating capacity. precursor had been created for the Only full-room photos were seen as computer science department’s 2014 useful. Testing also revealed that users’ HackRice event. One of the competing understanding of reservation policies Staff testing used scripts to ensure that reservations made, edited or deleted using various interfaces were accurately displayed elsewhere. Improvements in staff functions resulted from these tests. Security testing analyzed data synchronization between the LMS and the new reservation system. Back-end interfaces are being used to pinpoint the exact location at which requests are activated. The resulting product is the result of participatory design processes and human-centered computing and has dramatically improved user experiences and circulation desk efficiency. student teams had designed a new could be sharpened by showing only Debra Kolah study room finder built around room the standard three-day reservation User Experience Librarian availability rather than comprehensive window and the maximum time block access to all rooms at all times, many of four hours. Testing later in the Mitchell Massey of which were already booked. process allowed improvements to the User Experience Office Assistant The new system is fast and simple wording of user messages. and validates methodologies new to Remote testing involved having Fondren for collecting data from users. all participating students use a beta Initial onsite student testing focused version of the system simultaneously on comparing student interaction to try to reserve the same room. with the original and the new study This load test allowed measuring the room reservation systems. Researchers system’s security and durability, as were looking for answers regarding well as the students’ ability to receive methods of access, degree of success, and send system messages. 4 www.library.rice.edu TECHNOLOGY Meet the Wizards Behind the Curtain Fondren Library has more than 100 staff members, and many of those you can meet on a regular basis in our public areas. However, Fondren has essential departments that operate mostly behind the scenes. The work of the library systems department is critical to running the systems of the library — the library catalog, the website, our interlibrary loan software and even our study room reservation system. Please meet Mang Sun, Denis Galvin, Jeff Koffler, Hanjun Lee and Arnold Chee. The library management system (LMS) is a large, complex system that underpins essential library functions. This system allows you to check materials in and out and also manages purchasing materials, fines, notices and patron accounts. It also provides the data that fuels the library catalog. Most of the LMSs were written about 20 to 25 years ago; the market is starting to see new software to accommodate newer workflows as well as changing library materials and business practices. Fondren’s library systems staff are interested in adopting new standards and building standards-compliant systems to offer Fondren Library users the best management of library resources.