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LSU Libraries News
null September 2014

Access to Excellence

From the Dean

 

People matter, leadership matters. As I think about the state of the LSU Libraries, I am awestruck by the profound and positive impact of Elaine Smyth. Elaine's last day of work here was July 31st, and she's off to a happy retirement in the mountains of Asheville, NC. As I look around at what she's left behind here, it's clear how much of this library's nearly limitless potential for growth and leadership is the direct result of her vision and loving guidance. In so many ways, the work ahead of us will bear her imprint, as if she were still here.

 

Beginning with staffing she helped shape. The recession left the Libraries' staff badly depleted in terms of numbers, but its new hires and veterans alike are rich in talent and commitment, all making brilliant contributions and eager to move forward. It is no exaggeration to say that the success we achieve in the coming years will be well and truly theirs.

 

Faculty and students will come back to campus this fall to find that the Libraries' collections growth, anemic in recent years, has exploded with the addition of scholarly monographs in digital format, digital journal backfiles, and impressive new special collections in every format. Already we know that these collections are experiencing the off-the-charts use that you would expect in a flagship research institution.

 

Facilities at the LSU Libraries can be fairly said to be depleted as well, but here again, we benefit from Elaine's leadership. She initiated the process of consensus building and systematic planning (see "Report on Roadmap Project," below) focused on resolving our daunting facilities challenges. None of this was easy, coming as it did in an environment of institution-wide need.

 

If ever there were cause for discouragement in a research library setting, it would be surely be the condition of Middleton and the storage crisis at Hill. And yet there is no discouragement here. The opposite is true: Louisiana State University loves its libraries, and from every quarter we hear a deeply-felt longing for rebirth. In this, our facilities challenge is just a metaphor: in every aspect of our work, our collective challenge is nothing less than a renaissance of the LSU Libraries. What an honor to have such work, among such people, for such an institution. I thank Elaine Smyth for her inspired work in positioning us all for success.  

Welcome New Faculty
 
Tasha McClain joins us as the new Government Documents/ Microforms and Circulation Supervisor Librarian in the Government Documents department.

 

Originally from Alexandria, Louisiana, Tasha earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Northwestern State University of Louisiana before moving on to the University of North Texas to earn a Master's of Library Science as well as a graduate academic certificate in digital content management.

 

Previous to joining us at LSU, Tasha worked as a reference and instruction librarian at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas. At LSU, she will supervise students, provide reference services, and select library material for Asian Studies. Tasha's professional interests include digital content management, information retrieval, and information organization. She has been a member of both the American Library Association, and the Texas Library Association since 2010.

 

 

 

LSU welcomes Stanley Wilder as the new Dean of LSU Libraries. Wilder previously served as university librarian at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, and at the University of Rochester as associate dean of information management services, following 10 years at LSU.  

 

"We are pleased to have Stanley Wilder join LSU's leadership team as dean of LSU Libraries," said LSU President & Chancellor F. King Alexander. "Wilder understands the role that research libraries play in our fast-paced world, and we look forward to the vision he brings to our libraries."

 

Wilder is an active researcher and speaker. He has published many papers relating to collections and library technologies, this in addition to his controversial critique of the literature of information literacy, published in the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2005.

 

Report on Road Map Project

I
n June 2013, the Libraries engaged the architecture firm McMillan Pazdan Smith to produce a comprehensive master plan for library facilities. The challenge was to review the existing buildings, Hill and Middleton, with a mind to correcting structural problems, consolidating storage, study space, and service spaces, and designing new spaces capable of supporting 21st century research functions.

 

The resulting plan would also need to improve how Middleton articulates with surrounding quadrangles and buildings. And finally, it would need to segment its recommendations into phases, such that progress could be made even in the absence of full funding.

 

Existing footprint of Hill Memorial Library with proposed repository outlined in purple.

One year later, that planning process is complete in the form of a 116-page report detailing a systematic approach to meeting all of these needs. A rendering of a possible Middleton exterior (above) provides for a walkway along one axis of the old cruciform quadrangle, and glass on the east and west sides, providing a sense of transparency and connection, to say nothing of spectacular views.

   

The plan also calls for changes for Hill Memorial Library, with the construction of a large, modern repository, placed in the "C" of Hill Memorial Library (right), thereby addressing the collections space crisis there, and freeing up space for other uses. 

 

Interior space consolidation in Middleton Library would allow for dramatic increases in room for every function currently in place, and some that articulate well with library functions.

 

What, if anything, will become of these plans? While that difficult business is being discussed, the new LSU Libraries facilities master plan is a significant contribution, and a sign of intent to invest in this priceless and essential resource.

   

Upcoming Events in Special Collections

September


Wed. Sept. 3, 10:30 a.m.
Hill Memorial Library
Lecture Hall
Barry Cowan, Assistant University Archivist, will present the history of the university, illustrated with photographs and papers that document LSU's faculty, students, athletes, buildings and various campuses from its founding in 1859 through the present.
Ongoing through the end of November
The lecture hall exhibition "The Greater University" features historical documents and photographs from the University Archives that tell the story of LSU's expansion and move to the present campus from downtown Baton Rouge in 1926. This is a unique opportunity for incoming students to learn about the history of LSU and the resources available at Hill Memorial Library, and to view some of the university's treasures up close.
Sept. 22 - Jan. 24
Hill Memorial Library

Cooperative Extension at LSU: Commemorating the Centennial of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914

A cooperative exhibition presented by LSU Libraries, LSU College of Agriculture, and the LSU AgCenter, commemorates the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which provided funding for outreach endeavors at the Land-Grant Universities founded by the Morrill Act of 1862.  

October  - -0 0

Tues. Oct. 7
3-6 p.m.
Hill Memorial Library

Special Collections Open House.  The open house has a STEM theme - learn more about science, natural history, photography, and more, as they are reflected in Hill Memorial Library's rich collections.

 

Thurs. Oct. 16
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Hill Memorial Library
Opening reception for Cooperative Extension exhibit (see above for description).


Check the online Special Collections calendar regularly for events that are added throughout the year.

Newly Available Collection Highlights Lumber and Oil Industries in Louisiana

The lumber and oil industries in Louisiana have had a major economic, social, and environmental impact on the state, and the Brownell Land Company Records, a newly-processed collection in Special Collections, offer a new and rich resource on the study of the history of these industries.  

 

The Brownell Land Company was the 21st century legacy of the numerous business ventures of the Brownell family in Louisiana beginning in 1880. The family's association with the state began when Charles Richard Brownell and Robert M. Moore, both Michigan lumbermen, purchased large tracts of land in the Atchafalaya Basin and organized the Berwick Lumber Company in 1886, based in Morgan City. They soon expanded their interests, opening the Peoples Ice and Cold Storage Company in Morgan City, which manufactured and supplied ice predominately to local shrimpers. The lumber side of their interests evolved and operated under several names over the years, but as the timber supply declined because of deforestation, the family formed the Brownell-Kidd Company and moved into leasing their land to the oil, gas, and mineral industry for exploration and drilling. Eventually the Brownell Land Company was established to manage the ongoing interests and property, which increasingly was used for hunting leases.

                                                                                                 

The Brownell Land Company records date from 1843 to 1997, with the bulk of the records dating 1890 to 1970. They reveal the Brownell family's development from lumbermen to oil lessors and help illustrate the environmental impact of timber and oil and gas extraction in St. Martin, Assumption, St. Mary, Iberia, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, and Terrebonne Parishes. The records also reflect the commodification of natural resources and the evolution of industry in the state from the late 19th through the 20th-centuries. For additional information, see the complete description of the collection at http://lib.lsu.edu/special/findaid/5112.pdf.

 

Michael Vanover, CEO of Brownell Land Company and the grandson of Dr. Charles Russell Brownell, Jr., donated the collection in 2013. Don Davis, Emeritus Director of the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, and Carl Brasseaux, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Louisiana Lafayette assisted in the acquisition.

 

43,000 New E-Books 

Unlimited Users, Printing, and Downloading
 

Forty-three thousand new e-books, with unlimited printing, downloading, and users, are newly available to LSU students, faculty, and staff this fall, with the purchase of three important e-book collections. 

 

The UPCC (University Press Content Consortium) Book Collections on Project MUSE include 30,000 titles from more than 100 scholarly and non-profit publishers, including Louisiana State University Press, Johns Hopkins University Press, The MIT Press, and many others. 

 

More than 11,000 e-books from John Wiley & Sons provide coverage of agriculture, analytical chemistry, architecture, chemical engineering, ecology, history, materials science, mathematics, mechanical engineering, philosophy, physics, and religion.

             

Finally, the Harvard University Press eBook Archive includes 2,795 titles published by the university press from 1896 to 2006, and covering subjects like art, music, classical and ancient near eastern studies, history, law, linguistics, communications, literary studies, medicine, natural sciences, philosophy, social sciences, and religion.   

 

Journal Transformation

In recent years, LSU Libraries has purchased electronic backfiles of journals from major publishers Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, and the American Chemical Society, providing wider, 24/7 access to scientific literature, filling in missing and damaged journal issues, and freeing up physical space in Middleton Library.  

 

As a result of these purchases, carefully selected print versions of some journal titles can be removed from Middleton Library. The FAQ webpage about the project describes in detail what kinds of journals have changed to electronic-only, and the process for keeping the university community informed. Some journals, such as popular magazines, local/regional publications, image-intensive journals, or journals that lack adequate preservation, are important to keep in paper format, and will not be removed.

 

LSU Libraries is working closely with the Campus Sustainability Initiative to recycle the paper versions of the titles in an environment-friendly way.

 

Questions or comments that are not covered by the FAQ webpage can be directed to either Tom Diamond, Head of Collection Development, or  Stanley Wilder, Dean of Libraries.

Moodle Reading List Tool
Create One-Click Access to Course Readings

LSU Libraries, partnering with Moodle developers in Information Technology Services, has implemented an integrated tool to create linked lists of library e-books and e-journals in Moodle. With the Reading List Tool, instructors can easily set up reading lists in Moodle that link directly to library resources. The tool saves time, eliminates copyright concerns, and includes features like annotations with notes and instructions, sharing, and copying. And students have one-click access to the resources, even when off-campus.   

 



The Libraries has set up a webpage with instructions, and a GROK article is also available. Additional assistance can be provided by the Libraries' research desk at (225)-578-8875 or online.



William Barth Photographs of Mississippi and Atchafalaya River Operations

When the levees along the Mississippi and in the Atchafalaya Basin were constructed, William Barth was there to photograph the heavy machinery, excavation towers, elevating graders, and Caterpillar tractors. Now, LSU Libraries has digitized nearly 250 of his photographs, adding them to the Louisiana Digital Library in the new collection entitled "William Barth Photographs of Mississippi and Atchafalaya River Operations."

 

This digital collection is part of the manuscript collection William Barth Papers, 1917-1959 located in LSU Libraries Special Collections Hill Memorial Library. The images, from the subseries "Photographs of levee work, ca. 1928-1945," depict various stages and types of work on the levees of the lower Mississippi River and Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin. Most of the larger photographs involve revetment (retaining wall) work on the levees on the Mississippi River from around Natchez down to the New Orleans area. Various revetment types (including those using wood, concrete, and asphalt) appear in this series. Also depicted are the procurement of loess and sand for various construction projects on the river. The smaller photographs show construction of levees in the Atchafalaya Basin; with photographs of heavy machinery such as excavation towers, elevating graders, and Caterpillar tractors.

 

The photographer, William Barth, was born in New York City on December 22, 1898 to German immigrants. Barth worked for the Interstate Commerce Commission, traveling the eastern seaboard to survey railroad tracks. In 1928 he took a position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Natchez, Mississippi, and for thirty years he worked on flood control of both the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers and helped with major projects such as the Bonnet Carre Spillway. During World War II, he received a commendation for meritorious civilian service since he helped control flood waters that could have damaged crops and held back war production. He died February 17, 1982.

Photographs of Standard Oil in Baton Rouge
Historic Photos Donated to LSU Libraries Special Collections

Few entities have shaped Baton Rouge as much as the ExxonMobil refinery, and LSU Special Collections recently acquired a collection, the John Adam Bechtold Photographs, that documents its earliest days.

 

The company name has changed over its long history in the city, but the refinery first opened as a part of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. In 1909, Standard Oil executive John Adam Bechtold was one of a team sent to establish operations in Baton Rouge. Bechtold, an amateur photographer, was fascinated by the great adventure of building a refinery. He focused his lens on the operation's construction, catching mule teams as they graded earth to build the refinery, men as they wait to be paid, the destruction caused by the 1909 hurricane, and the arrival of the first trainload of crude from Muskogee, Oklahoma. He also photographed Louisiana State University and downtown Baton Rouge scenes, boats at anchor on the Mississippi River, and family and friends, giving us a glimpse of the city at a time when horses and mules still provided much of the transportation in town and the Stanocola Band provided entertainment at civic events.  

 

Comprising two photograph albums and about 135 additional loose photographs, the John Adam Bechtold Photographs date from 1909 to about 1940. They are a gift from Marna Bass Shortess of Baton Rouge, who is a grand-daughter of J.A. Bechtold. Thanks to a previous loan from Mrs. Shortess, a portion of the collection was displayed in the 2009 Special Collections exhibition "From Crude to Refined: Standard Oil in Baton Rouge," which marked the 100th anniversary of the opening of the refinery.

For additional information about the collection, contact Curator of Manuscripts Tara Laver, [email protected]  or 225-578-6546.

 

  



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