APRIL/MAY 2011
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Director's Corner
According to the New York Times, Amazon has announced that for the first time, since April 1, more ebooks were sold than
print books. And with summer vacations coming on, I don't doubt it. But the article goes on to caution that ebooks still
account for only 14% of overall sales. My guess? Readers like me will be reading on paper, iPads, Blackberries — whatever
comes along, and libraries will keep up with the trends. Happy summer reading!
— Nancy E. Gwinn, Director
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SIL Welcomes First Penick Scholar
The Smithsonian Libraries has awarded
Dr. Kevin R. Hardwick
with the first
Margaret Henry Dabney Penick Fellowship,
a scholar program that supports research into the legacy of
Patrick Henry,
his political circle, and the early political history of Virginia and Colonial America. Hardwick
is taking a hiatus from his post as Associate Professor at
James Madison University
in Harrisonburg, Virginia to complete the fellowship. He earned his bachelor's degree at
Swarthmore College, and his master and doctoral degrees in Early American History from the
University of Maryland at College Park.
Hardwick has been interested in Patrick Henry for his entire career, and will present
the Libraries with a thesis about the ethic of gentility and "a life well lived" in colonial Virginia.
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L-R: Librarian Doug Litts; Secretary Wayne Clough; Libraries' Director Nancy Gwinn
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SIL Breaks CFC Record
In the fall 2010 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC),
many of our staff gave generously. They contributed to a variety of charities via payroll
deduction and one-time giving, exceeding the projected goal by 172%! Because of this
generosity, which helped the Libraries exceed its goal, the Libraries was one of eleven
Smithsonian units to receive a Merit Award at the CFC awards ceremony on March 29. Many
thanks to all the keyworkers and librarian Doug Litts for coordinating SIL's effort!
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SIL Celebrates SERC Groundbreaking
On May 6, staff from SIL attended the opening of the Charles McC. Mathias Laboratory
at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
(SERC). This laboratory is coined as the most energy efficient and environmentally
progressive research laboratory in the United States. Attendees included SERC Librarian
Angela Haggins and SIL Deputy Director Mary Augusta Thomas. The
SERC library was founded in 1977
at the Chesapeake Bay Center for Environmental Studies (CBCES; later named SERC) to support
the Center's research and education programs. The SERC Library collections provide support
for the scientists studying coastal zone ecosystems and the education staff, which conveys
information gleaned from SERC research on the human impact on the environment to the public,
particularly children in grades K-12.
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ALSO OF INTEREST
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Construction has begun on the Libraries' redesigned hallway! We are in the National
Museum of Natural History Museum's swing space for the next 16 months or so, but will
keep you updated on the progress of our new space with behind-the-scenes shots!
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Did you know that the Smithsonian Libraries holds the world's largest book? Measuring
a full five by seven feet when open and weighing 133 pounds, Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey
Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom by Michael Hawley is a visually stunning photography
book, capturing more than 100 images of the small Asian country's rich landscape and culture.
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