<link>/</link> <description/> <language>en</language> <item> <title>Alison Ricker, Former Science Librarian, Dies at 70 /news/alison-ricker-former-science-librarian-dies-70 <span>Alison Ricker, Former Science Librarian, Dies at 70</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-16T11:18:49-04:00" title="Thursday, May 16, 2024 - 11:18">Thu, 05/16/2024 - 11:18</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Alison Ricker, Head of the سԹ College Science Library since 1983, passed away May 14 after suffering a fall in her home over the weekend. She was 70.</p> <p>Ricker retired from سԹ in August 2023, completing a 40-year career in which she played a pivotal role in the Science Library’s transition from a primarily print-based collection to being an invaluable resource for online research. In 2001, she ushered it into its current space in the then-newly built Science Center.</p> <p>Also that year, Ricker was honored with the Academic Library Association of Ohio’s Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award. Her years at سԹ were marked by extensive involvement in academic initiatives, campus organizations, and social causes.</p> <p>A longtime member of Musical Union, Ricker took part in the conservatory’s January 2023 tour to New York City, singing in the chorus on سԹ alum R. Nathaniel Dett’s <em>The Ordering of Moses</em> at Carnegie Hall.</p> <p>Ricker was a graduate of Alma College and earned a master’s degree in library science from the University of Rhode Island. Before arriving in سԹ, she was librarian at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah, Georgia.</p> <p>“Alison was the consummate Science Librarian, steeped in her subjects, always mindful of student and faculty needs, innovative, and collegial,” says <a href="/node/365211">Valerie Hotchkiss</a>, Azariah S. Root Director of Libraries. “And she did it all flawlessly while also serving as a leader in several civic welfare organizations and devoting herself to her family. We have lost a remarkable human being.”</p> <p>Ricker is survived by her husband, Azariah S. Root Emeritus Director of Libraries Ray English, and their sons, John and Michael.</p> <p>A funeral will be held at Christ Church (Episcopal) سԹ at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 22. It will be followed by a secular celebration of life at First Church in سԹ (UCC).</p> <p>Read Ricker’s full obituary in the <em><a href="https://chroniclet.com/news/392795/alison-scott-ricker/">Chronicle-Telegram</a></em>.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Forty-year employee led key library transitions, was active in numerous campus organizations.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2024-05-16T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/16/2024 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2412">Obituaries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2582">Science Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3449">سԹ College Libraries</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/allison_ricker_2019_by_tanya_rosen-jones_hi-res.jpg?itok=ekLg7rFv" width="760" height="570" alt="Alison Ricker."> </div> Thu, 16 May 2024 15:18:49 +0000 eburnett 472124 at Megan Mitchell Adds CODEX Project Director for the Ohio Five to Her Portfolio /news/megan-mitchell-adds-codex-project-director-ohio-five-her-portfolio <span>Megan Mitchell Adds CODEX Project Director for the Ohio Five to Her Portfolio</span> <span><span>rpeters</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-06-07T14:28:16-04:00" title="Tuesday, June 7, 2022 - 14:28">Tue, 06/07/2022 - 14:28</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Megan Mitchell, academic engagement &amp; digital initiatives coordinator for the Libraries, has added the role of CODEX Project Director for the Ohio Five to her portfolio, succeeding Jacob Heil of the College of Wooster in this position.&nbsp; Megan has been involved with CODEX (Collaborative for Digital Engagement and Experience) since its inception, has held leadership positions in Ohio Five Digital Collaborations and Digital Stewardship work groups, and is a steering committee member for Institute for Liberal Arts Digital Scholarship (ILiADS). We’re very fortunate to have Megan’s skill and experience to pilot CODEX.&nbsp;</p> <p>"This is the right moment for سԹ's Libraries to offer more tools and training in digital scholarship and to collaborate more closely with our peers on workshops and projects," says Director Of Libraries Valerie Hotchkiss.</p> <p>Mitchell will focus her teaching and liaison activities on digital scholarship for students and faculty, coordinating the work of many members of the libraries’ staff who are engaged with digital tools and platforms.</p> <p>Her leadership in this role will help the Libraries fulfill the mission of developing informed scholars, resourceful artists, and engaged citizens.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-06-07T12:00:00Z">Tue, 06/07/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3449">سԹ College Libraries</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/meganmitchell-lpr.jpg?itok=b2L4SS60" width="760" height="568" alt="Headshot of Megan Mitchell"> </div> Tue, 07 Jun 2022 18:28:16 +0000 rpeters 413381 at This Week in Photos: Listening, bell /news/week-photos-listening-bell <span>This Week in Photos: Listening, bell</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-03-16T14:14:06-04:00" title="Wednesday, March 16, 2022 - 14:14">Wed, 03/16/2022 - 14:14</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"><img alt="A group of people listen to a student read a book in a library" height="570" src="/sites/default/files/content/news/images-2022/hooksreading.anokhav23.jpg" width="760"> <figcaption>Photo credit: Anokha Venugopal ’23</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p>With books in hand, members of the سԹ community gathered near the Reading Girl, and listened intently as their peers shared their favorite passages by hooks, and discussed the impact of those passages on their lives, work, scholarship, and activism.</p> <p>Before her six-year tenure as associate professor in English and women’s studies began at سԹ in 1988, hooks published a collection of poetry—<em>And There We Wept</em>—and a book on femenist history called <em>Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism</em>. She would later lend her hand to more than 30 works, including children’s books, literary criticism, poetry, and self-help literature. Among her acknowledgements, hooks was recognized as one of the most influential women of the past century by <a href="https://time.com/5793676/bell-hooks-100-women-of-the-year/" target="_blank"><em>TIME</em> in 2020</a>. She died in December 2021.</p> <p>See more photos from the read-in on <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzFKTg" target="_blank">سԹ’s Flickr page</a>.</p> <p>Next, we join students at the Welcome Nursing Home in سԹ, listen and learn from guest Kyle Kidd at the Cat in the Cream, get swept away by the سԹ Orchestra featuring professor Francesca dePasquale, get rhythm at the senior dance concert, and end with an <a href="/community-music-school" target="_blank">Community Music School</a> recital.</p> <hr> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"><img alt="A student and elder woman watch TV together." height="570" src="/sites/default/files/content/news/images-2022/welcomehouse.clarissaheart20.jpg" width="760"> <figcaption>Students <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzDGLp" target="_blank">spend time with residents</a> and work with staff at the Welcome Nursing Home in سԹ. Photo credit: Clarissa Heart ’20</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"><img alt="Two people talk on a stage." height="570" src="/sites/default/files/content/news/images-2022/mnimo.christychen22.jpg" width="760"> <figcaption>Artist Kyle Kidd is welcomed to the Cat in the Cream stage as a part of <a href="/mrc/signature-programs/my-name-my-own" target="_blank">My Name Is My Own</a>. MNIMO provides institutional support to سԹ communities that identify as queer and of color in the broadest senses of those words. The program includes public lectures, film screenings, artistic and activist performances. Photo credit: Christy Chen ’22</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"><img alt="A woman plays the violin in front of an orchestra." height="570" src="/sites/default/files/content/news/images-2022/francesca_depasquale.clarissaheart20.jpg" width="760"> <figcaption>The <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzFqSJ" target="_blank">سԹ Orchestra performs</a> under the direction of conductor Raphael Jiménez featuring Assistant Professor of Violin <a href="/francesca-depasquale" target="_blank">Francesca dePasquale</a>. Photo credit: Clarissa Heart ’20</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"><img alt="A group of students dance in front of a large aduience." height="570" src="/sites/default/files/content/news/images-2022/seniordanceconcert.anokha_venugopal23.jpg" width="760"> <figcaption>Members of the سԹ community celebrate the artistic growth and original choreography of <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzFHZ4" target="_blank">graduating seniors</a>. The concert featured Analise LaRiviere's Au Milieu and Jewel Cameron's Dance Stories. Photo credit: Anokha Venugopal '23</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"><img alt="Children sing in front of a church." height="570" src="/sites/default/files/content/news/images-2022/communitymusicschool.clarissaheart20.jpg" width="760"> <figcaption>More than 25 <a href="/community-music-school" target="_blank">Community Music School</a> (CMS) students gave <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzFSV8" target="_blank">a concert featuring underrepresented composers</a>. CMS students (who ranged from toddlers to teenagers) were accompanied by two سԹ Conservatory of Music students on guitar and piano and nine CMS faculty members who performed both solo and accompanimental works. Photo credit: Clarissa Heart ’20</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p><em>This Week in Photos is a selection of images and is not meant to represent a weekly timeline. Images highlight campus, community, people, and events related to سԹ College.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-03-16T12:00:00Z">Wed, 03/16/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Eboni Johnson, outreach and programming librarian, holds a hand to her ear as a student across the room reads literature written by bell hooks. The public read-in at Mudd Center’s academic commons&nbsp; honors this prolific writter during&nbsp; Women’s History Month. It also serves as inspiration for this week’s photo series.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3452">Community Music School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3155">سԹ Orchestra</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2763">Multicultural Resource Commons</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2495">Black History Month</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3793">Women's History Month</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2382">Community Service</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3515">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3449">سԹ College Libraries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2546">Photo Feature</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/francesca-depasquale" hreflang="und">Francesca dePasquale</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/eboni-johnson" hreflang="und">Eboni A. Johnson ’97</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/dance" hreflang="und">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Eboni Johnson, outreach and programming librarian, holds a hand to her ear.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Anokha Venugopal ’23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/images-2022/bellhooksread-in.anokha_venugopal_23.jpg?itok=vPweJBt-" width="760" height="570" alt="A woman holds her hand to her ear as if trying to listen."> </div> Wed, 16 Mar 2022 18:14:06 +0000 ygay 393671 at سԹ College Libraries Receives Gift of Sato Collection of Japanese Literature /news/oberlin-college-libraries-receives-gift-sato-collection-japanese-literature <span>سԹ College Libraries Receives Gift of Sato Collection of Japanese Literature</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-09-10T13:20:29-04:00" title="Friday, September 10, 2021 - 13:20">Fri, 09/10/2021 - 13:20</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The سԹ College Libraries has received a gift from&nbsp;Nancy Rossiter ’67 and Hiroaki Sato of the Sato family's&nbsp;literature collection, which consists of 40 hardcover and 39 softcover Japanese language monographs and one cassette tape. The collection ranges from important Japanese classics to modern Japanese literature.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Because of their genoristy, students and faculty will have access to this distinctive collection of Japanese books through the سԹ College Libraries, says&nbsp;Professor of East Asian Studies Ann Sherif.</p> <p>“The books reveal the research and reading essential to the influential career of Hiroaki Sato, poet and renowned translator of more than 25 volumes of Japanese poetry and prose fiction," Sherif says.&nbsp;"For more than half a century, Sato’s engaging translations have introduced English-speaking readers to the richness of Japan’s literary heritage, from Basho’s beloved haiku and poetic travel journals, Mishima Yukio’s controversial modern fiction and Noh plays, and the Chinese verse of Ema Saikō, one of the few known early 19th century woman poets, along with the classical canon of Japanese waka poetry.”</p> <p>Assistant Professor of East Asian Religions Andrew Macomber says the&nbsp;Sato donation greatly expands the library's collection of offerings in modern Japanese literature, especially into the life and work of Yukio Mishima.&nbsp;"Of personal interest for my research on Japanese medical history, the gift also includes an important edition of the diary of Fujiwara Teika&nbsp;(1162–1241), an aristocrat who not only got sick frequently but also—thankfully for historians—loved to write about it. I'm excited students will be able to make use of these materials in their own research.”</p> <p>Rossiter majored in art history&nbsp;and subsequently worked in the art world in a number of roles, including as a printmaker and a design assistant.&nbsp;After moving to New York, she completed a master’s degree at Hunter College. She paints regularly and&nbsp;is an art gallery enthusiast.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Sato was born in Taiwan to Japanese parents.&nbsp;He attended Doshisha University&nbsp;in Kyoto, receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English literature.&nbsp;He moved to the United States in 1968, and worked for the Japan External Trade Organization for 44 years.&nbsp;He is one of the leading translators of Japanese literature into English and the winner of many awards, including the PEN Translation Prize. He has has published more than 50 books, mainly translations of Japanese poetry and prose.</p> <p>Rossiter and Sato&nbsp;have worked together on a number of books, most recently <em>So Happy to See Cherry Blossoms: Haiku from the Year of the Great Earthquake and Tsunami</em> (Red Moon Press, 2014).&nbsp;They currently live in New York City.&nbsp;</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-09-10T12:00:00Z">Fri, 09/10/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3449">سԹ College Libraries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2419">Giving</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25336">East Asian Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/east-asian-studies" hreflang="und">East Asian Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">A display case featuring covers from the Sato book donation.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">سԹ College Libraries</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/image/sato_display_news.jpg?itok=6sA6QU34" width="570" height="760" alt="A library display case of the Sato book donation."> </div> Fri, 10 Sep 2021 17:20:29 +0000 anagy 361061 at This Week in Photos: Summer Semester Finals /news/week-photos-summer-semester-finals <span>This Week in Photos: Summer Semester Finals</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-08-30T14:54:54-04:00" title="Monday, August 30, 2021 - 14:54">Mon, 08/30/2021 - 14:54</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A top floor lounge in the Science Center surrounded by glowing sunlight through a wall of windows serves as the perfect study nest for this student. It also serves as inspiration for this week’s photo series.</p> <p>After classes ended on August 24, students spent several days preparing for final exams. Libraries, porches, patios, residence halls, and other spaces were transformed into reading nooks and study circles. At the end of each semester, students are given about four days to prepare for their final exams. This time is commonly known as the Reading Period. This semester, finals will take place August 29 to September 2.&nbsp;</p> <p>Visit سԹ’s Flickr page to see more <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWACE7Z" target="_blank">study photos</a>.</p> <hr> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"><img alt="A male student studies at a long table." height="570" src="/sites/default/files/content/news/images-2021/summerfinals1.tanyarj.jpg" width="762"> <figcaption>A student studies in the Science Center Commons. Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"><img alt="A student sits in a library while tapping on his cell phone." height="570" src="/sites/default/files/content/news/images-2021/summerfinals4.tanyarj.jpg" width="760"> <figcaption>Studying in the stacks of Mudd Center. Photo credit: Tanys Rosen-Jones ’97</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"><img alt="Groups of students study at tables in a library." height="570" src="/sites/default/files/content/news/images-2021/summerfinals5.tanyarj.jpg" width="761"> <figcaption>Study circles at the Mary Church Terrell Main Library.&nbsp; Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"><img alt="A male student studies at a desk in a library at night." height="570" src="/sites/default/files/content/news/images-2021/summerfinals3.tanyarj.jpg" width="760"> <figcaption>Night studying in Mudd Center. Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="obj-center"> <figure class="captioned-image"><img alt="A student studies at a wooden table on a porch at night." height="570" src="/sites/default/files/content/news/images-2021/summerfinals6.tanyarj.jpg" width="760"> <figcaption>The porch of Wilder Hall. Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97</figcaption> </figure> </div> <p><br> &nbsp;</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-08-30T12:00:00Z">Mon, 08/30/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2379">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2546">Photo Feature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3449">سԹ College Libraries</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/images-2021/summerfinals2.tanyarj.jpg?itok=Sl5A37LK" width="760" height="570" alt="A student lounging in a chair while working on a laptop."> </div> Mon, 30 Aug 2021 18:54:54 +0000 ygay 352026 at سԹ College Selects Highly Accomplished Library Director and Book Scholar Valerie Hotchkiss as Director of Libraries /news/oberlin-college-selects-highly-accomplished-library-director-and-book-scholar-valerie-hotchkiss <span>سԹ College Selects Highly Accomplished Library Director and Book Scholar Valerie Hotchkiss as Director of Libraries</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-08-16T14:11:58-04:00" title="Monday, August 16, 2021 - 14:11">Mon, 08/16/2021 - 14:11</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>After a national search, Valerie Hotchkiss has been appointed the Azariah S. Root Director of Libraries.&nbsp;</p> <p>For the past five years, Hotchkiss served as university librarian at Vanderbilt University. Prior to that, she led Bridwell Library at Southern Methodist University and the Rare Book &amp; Manuscript Library at the University of Illinois. In all these roles, she has championed issues of access, public programming, and curricular connections.</p> <p>Under her leadership at Vanderbilt, the university’s libraries rose an unprecedented 22 places in national rankings. At all three institutions she has led, Hotchkiss has focused on making collections more accessible through cataloging and digitization projects and by expanding public outreach. She has also worked closely with faculty to incorporate library resources and services into as many classes as possible. She believes that a commitment to staff development was key to success in these libraries.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We are thrilled that Valerie has chosen to bring her expertise in and passion for libraries to سԹ College,” says Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences David Kamitsuka. “In the libraries she has directed, Hotchkiss has broken new ground in digital scholarship, renovated facilities, and has been a very successful fundraiser. She has deep appreciation for the essential role of libraries for a liberal arts education, and is a strong proponent of teaching with primary sources. Bill Quillen, Dean of the Conservatory of Music, and I are deeply grateful to the Library Director Search Committee, chaired by Associate Dean Laura Baudot, for their excellent work.”</p> <p>Baudot says Hotchkiss is a visionary leader, scholar, and author who rose to the top of an exceptionally strong selection of candidates. “Valerie’s extraordinary expertise and leadership will enhance and elevate the national reputation of our libraries.”</p> <p>In addition to leading the Vanderbilt Libraries, Hotchkiss served as professor of English at Vanderbilt. She earned a bachelor’s in classics at the University of Cincinnati (which awarded her a distinguished alumna award), a master’s in library science, and a Ph.D in medieval studies at Yale University. She is the author or coauthor of numerous books and articles on medieval cultural history, women's studies, and topics on the history of books and printing, including&nbsp;<em>Clothes Make the Man: Female Transvestism in Medieval Europe</em>&nbsp;(Routledge Press),&nbsp;<em>Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition</em>&nbsp;(Yale University Press), and&nbsp;<em>English in Print from Caxton to Shakespeare to Milton</em> (University of Illinois Press), as well as the digital edition series&nbsp;<em>Women in Print</em>.</p> <p>“Valerie has the acuity necessary to lead سԹ’s libraries during a time of unprecedented challenges in higher education,” says Dean Quillen. “Her vision and creativity are transformative, and I look forward to collaborating with her.”</p> <p>Hotchkiss says she is excited for the opportunity to work with the سԹ College Libraries starting this Fall. “سԹ libraries have so many strengths: the expert library staff, great spaces, and devoted students, professors, alumni, and friends who care deeply about the work of the library and its place in the larger educational mission.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-08-16T12:00:00Z">Mon, 08/16/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2359">Administration</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3449">سԹ College Libraries</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Valerie Hotchkiss is the new Azariah S. Root Director of Libraries.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">John Russell/Vanderbilt University</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/valerie_hotchkiss_news.jpg?itok=5MdS1hQ7" width="760" height="570" alt="Valerie Hotchkiss"> </div> Mon, 16 Aug 2021 18:11:58 +0000 anagy 351436 at Who is Eboni Johnson? /news/who-eboni-johnson <span>Who is Eboni Johnson?</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-06-30T16:00:32-04:00" title="Wednesday, June 30, 2021 - 16:00">Wed, 06/30/2021 - 16:00</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Find out why To Kill a Mockingbird is Eboni Johnson’s favorite book and movie in this installment of Who Am I?</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Full Name:</strong> <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/about/contact-us/eboni-johnson" target="_blank">Eboni A. Johnson</a></p> <p><strong>Department and location on campus:</strong> Mary Church Terrell Main Library in the Mudd Center</p> <p><strong>Job title:</strong> Outreach and Programming Librarian</p> <p><strong>What does your job entail?</strong> Essentially, my job involves three main areas: to serve as a reference and instruction librarian and support the research, teaching, and learning efforts of our faculty and students; to coordinate <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/" target="_blank">سԹ College Libraries</a>' (OCL) programming activities; and to promote OCL's resources, programs, and services across campus and the community-at-large. Basically, my job is to develop relationships, seek out opportunities, and organize and facilitate the delivery of initiatives that meet the goals of OCL and سԹ College.</p> <p><strong>How many years at سԹ?</strong> 12 years this coming August. August 24, to be precise.</p> <p><strong>Favorite book and why?</strong> <em>To Kill A Mockingbird</em> by Harper Lee. It was written a long time ago, and takes place in a time long before that. Still, the theme resonates as if the book could have taken place right now.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Favorite author and why?</strong> Oh, that's a tough one.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Favorite movie?</strong> <em>The Color Purple</em> and <em>To Kill A Mockingbird</em>.</p> <p><strong>Favorite place in سԹ and why?</strong> The Arbs. Both of them—the new restaurant on West College Street AND the beautiful arboretum on Morgan Street.</p> <p><strong>The most memorable performance or event you ever attended was:</strong> At سԹ, probably the time my family saw Take Six at Finney Chapel when I was in high school.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Any recent achievements you would like to tell us about?</strong> I’m not sure this can be counted as an achievement quite yet, but I'm currently writing an article on Virginia Proctor Powell Florence. She was an alumna from the Class of 1919. In 1923, she became the first Black woman to earn a degree in library science. It's due to be published next year.</p> <p><strong>Hobbies?</strong> Cooking (and eating!), reading, knitting, swimming, and home improvement stuff (if that can be considered a hobby).</p> <p><strong>Nickname(s)?</strong> That's classified. Most people on campus call me Ms. Eboni. That's not a nickname, exactly, but I will answer.</p> <p><strong>Favorite food? </strong>Soul food / comfort food. One of my very favorite meals is fried chicken and waffles, even though I mostly follow a plant-based, dairy-free diet.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Favorite Quote?</strong> "Be smart. Be strategic. Be selective,” by Yvette McGee Brown.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-06-30T12:00:00Z">Wed, 06/30/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2551">Staff</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3449">سԹ College Libraries</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Eboni Johnson, outreach and programming librarian.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/images-2021/ebonijohnson.tanyarosen-jones97.jpg?itok=1IDpgq5Q" width="760" height="570" alt="A portrait of a woman wearing a pearl necklace and glasses."> </div> Wed, 30 Jun 2021 20:00:32 +0000 ygay 349271 at Who is Heath Patten? /news/who-heath-patten <span>Who is Heath Patten?</span> <span><span>ygay</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-05-25T12:33:36-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 25, 2021 - 12:33">Tue, 05/25/2021 - 12:33</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Heath Patten, curator of visual resources, is an antique-chasing ghost hunter, with an appetite for the quintessential American Thanksgiving meal. Curious? Find out more in this installment of Who Am I?</p> <p><strong>Name:</strong> <a href="/heath-patten" target="_blank">Heath Patten</a></p> <p><strong>Job title:</strong> Curator of <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/collections/visual-resources-collection" target="_blank">Visual Resources</a></p> <p><strong>Department and location on campus:</strong> <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/archives" target="_blank">سԹ College Archives</a> in the <a href="https://libraries.oberlin.edu/libraries/mary-church-terrell" target="_blank">Mary Church Terrell Main Library</a> and Visual Resources in the Ward Art Building</p> <p><strong>What does your job entail?</strong> As the visual resources curator, I develop and maintain the libraries' visual resources collection, which includes physical and digital images and equipment. I assist all campus communities to identify, access, support, and integrate their visual resources needs into course curricula and their scholastic pursuits, often in partnership with other relevant سԹ College library staff. Also, I serve as the program director for the libraries' traveling exhibitions and their management. I am the libraries' visual literacy lead consultant advising on and creating exhibition displays, materials, and management. I develop educational and promotional materials (physical and digital) for the libraries, often in collaboration with the college’s <a href="/communications" target="_blank">Office of Communications</a>. I am also one of the editors for <em>Library Perspectives</em> and the libraries' liaison for the <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/classics" target="_blank">Classics Department</a>.</p> <p><strong>How many years at سԹ?</strong> 18 and ½ years</p> <p><strong>What are your hobbies?</strong> I enjoy antiquing in search of curiosities (e.g., early photography, pre-1940s Halloween decorations, and costumes), creating art, studying folklore and myths, and exploring old buildings and cemeteries through "ghost hunting."&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Favorite food?</strong> I don't really have a favorite food, but I have a favorite meal: The quintessential&nbsp;American Thanksgiving dinner—from the turkey to the oyster stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberries, etc. I love it all!</p> <p><strong>Favorite Quote?</strong> “Creativity takes courage,” by Henri Matisse.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-05-25T12:00:00Z">Tue, 05/25/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yvonne Gay</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3449">سԹ College Libraries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2551">Staff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/classics" hreflang="und">Classics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Heath Patten, curator of visual resources.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Patten</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/width_760/public/content/news/images-2021/heathpatten.tanyarosen-jones97.jpg?itok=FUO-GGPQ" width="760" height="540" alt="A portrait of a man wearing a sweater."> </div> Tue, 25 May 2021 16:33:36 +0000 ygay 332506 at