Category Archives: Library Staff News

“Teaching Across Difference” – The New England Library Instruction Group’s Annual Meeting Is Being Held at UMass Dartmouth on June 6th

NELIG Logo and Picture of Registration Desk @ UMassD

Teaching Across Difference is the theme for this year’s New England Library Instruction Group (NELIG) annual meeting being held at UMass Dartmouth. The program for this year’s meeting was inspired by keynote speaker, Yu-Hui Chen and the article she co-authored with Mary K. Van Ullen, “Helping International Students Succeed Academically through Research Process and Plagiarism Workshops”.

The program as described on the NELIG web site says:

We will share and explore how instruction librarians negotiate the many differences we encounter in our work, be they one-on-one, collaborative or in the classroom. For example, do you have a technique for dealing with a particular difference in your library instruction sessions? How do you incorporate your own differences into teaching information literacy skills to students? What collaborative partnerships have you developed on your campus to accommodate difference into your information literacy program?

Presentations will address differences of:

Ability
Potential
English Language Proficiency
Location (Distance/Online)
Educational Background (ex: first generation, public/private, adult)
Learning Style
Culture

See https://nelig.acrlnec.org/content/nelig-annual-program-june-6-2014 for full program and agenda.

 

And Now the Video! Carney Library’s Mass State Book Cart Drill Team Championship Performance Captured For Your Viewing Pleasure!

Book Cart Drill Team image and link to video

You’ve read about it. You’ve longed to see it. And now it is here!

The UMass Dartmouth Carney Library’s State Champion Book Cart Drill Team championship performance comes to a screen near you!

Yes today you can view the whole electrifying performance by just going to:

https://www.wccatv.com/video/specials/GALAAWARDSDINNERMLA

Watch the whole Massachusetts Library Association Gala Awards Dinner OR move the video control bar to about minute 3:45 on the dial and sit back (or stand up and clap with them) and enjoy!

And a big Thank you to Worcester Community Access Television for bringing us this wonderful video, though we’re sure their ratings will rise significantly during this showing period 😉

The UMass Dartmouth Carney Library Corsairs Book Cart Drill Team Rolled Over the Competition at the Recent Massachusetts Library Association Annual Conference

Images from UMass Dartmouth Carney Library Corsairs Book Cart DImages from UMass Dartmouth Carney Library Corsairs Book Cart Drill Team MLA Competionrill Team MLA Competion

The Carney Library Corsairs wowed the judges with their precision choreography, upbeat musical interpretation, awesome costumes, pirate-y cart decoration and overall flair and enthusiasm. They had just four minutes to impress, but impress they did, as they sailed away from the rest of the competition with our own Arnie the Corsair helping to bring home the gold.

The UMass Dartmouth Carney Library Corsairs Book Cart Drill Team members that won it all were: Library Staff Members Amy Lawton and Kayla Faught-Hodgson, Library Student Assistants Kelsey Szarek and Jovietthe Ramos, and the campus’ one and only Arnie the Corsair!

Look for the winning performance to be displayed on Worcester Public Access Television service in the coming weeks!

Damaris Berner, Cataloger Exemplar, Retires! She Will Be Missed!

Pictures of Damaris Chapin-Berner on her last day as UMassD Cataloger

 

Damaris Berner rolled her last cart of newly cataloged books out of her office last Tuesday, completing her story at UMassD and beginning the next chapter of her life. During her time here, Damaris helped move the library forward in many ways, including  creating metadata for a wide array of print and electronic resources and through her  collaborative work on projects throughout the library. Most recently she served as a key team member on several vital library projects such as the merger of the UMass Law School Library collection into the Claire T. Carney Library‘s integrated library system, the library renovation collection relocation project and her efforts as a core member of the team that implemented library’s next generation Alma Unified Resource Management system and the Primo discovery and delivery system. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t note her remarkable efforts in support of the Claire T. Carney Library Associates. From books to eBooks to born digital objects Damaris endeavored to make the library’s resources findable and retrievable to all students, researchers and readers alike. She will be missed by all!

Library Staff Holiday Ugly Sweater Contest – And the Winner Is …

Ugly_Sweater_2013

It was a difficult contest to judge and, well, frankly hard to look at … but the winner is:

Sonia Pacheco. And she is (somehow) so proud!

But the other contestants (Joanne Mello, Heather Tripp, Kayla Hodgson, Yueqing Chen, and Susanne Andrews) have nothing to be ashamed about. OK, they do, those were some pretty UGLY sweaters! Congratulations ALL! Happy Holidays!

 

 

Book and Toy Drive @ The Claire T. Carney Library – Help Bring Holiday Cheer To Local Families!

Images of Toys and Teddy Bear walking - Toy & Book Drive - CTC Library 2013A children’s books and toy collection is underway until Dec 11th at the Claire T. Carney Library. Please bring new children’s books and toys to the library and place them in the collection box near the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor. The donated items will be distributed to local families for the holidays. Let’s help to bring some holiday cheer to local families in need.

The event is sponsored by the Claire T. Carney Library.

For more information, please contact Catherine Fortier-Barnes at cfortier@umassd.edu or Ext. 8665.

 

CARES – Chancellor’s Award Recognizing Excellence in Service – Congratulations Kathy Bancroft!

Yay! Kathy Way to Rep the Library!

Chancellor's Award
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,Please join me in congratulating Kathy Bancroft, Assistant Manager for Computer Operations in the Learning Commons as the October recipient of CARES (Chancellor’s Award Recognizing Excellence in Service).Kathy was nominated by a fellow colleague within the Library who has witnessed on many occasions how Kathy does not hesitate to reach out and put a student’s needs first. “Kathy continually goes above and beyond to assist students with issues even when it is outside her area.”Kathleen BancroftRecently, after a full day when Kathy had been organizing and running placement exams, an incoming student and her mother appeared frustrated in attempts to secure computer access. The pair had been between departments trying to get answers, and they were both understandably irritable. Kathy did not hesitate to stop what she was doing to assist them. She made several phone calls on their behalf and was successful in securing them answers without sending them on multiple trips around campus. Both parent and student were thankful and grateful to Ms. Bancroft for her assistance.

According to the nomination, this is just one example of her dedication to the patrons and students of the Library. Most nights and weekends, Kathy does not hesitate to respond to inquiries to assist students with issues as they arise.

Thank you, Kathy, for taking the time to turn a frustrating situation into a very pleasant one. By extraordinary example, you have demonstrated to the UMass Dartmouth campus how to go above and beyond to make a difference for a student and her family.

I am so proud of Kathy and look forward to learning of the next CARES recipient. If you know someone deserving of this recognition, please let us know by completing a nomination form. Please follow the link: https://www.umassd.edu/hr/.

Sincerely,

Chancellor's Signature
UMass Dartmouth Logo

Paige Gibbs Receives the Homer I. Bernhardt Distinguished Service Award

ELD

Paige Gibbs

Congratulations to our colleague Paige Gibbs on receiving the  Homer I. Bernhardt Distinguished Service Award. The award has been described as the Engineering Libraries Division’s “Hall of Fame.” Receipt of this award is testimony to the respect and appreciation of a librarian’s peers. It is given to librarians who have made significant professional contributions.

The librarian who nominated Paige wrote “I believe her ongoing contributions over the years since she joined in 1982 have been key to nurturing the group where networking, friendship, and the exchange of ideas flourish. Paige exemplifies the energy, dedication, and enthusiasm of an engineering librarian. She is an excellent role model for outreach and participation. Hence I nominate her for the Homer I. Bernhardt award.”

Join us in congratulating Paige on her hard-earned, well-deserved award!

Children’s Books and Toy Collection – Claire T. Carney Library – Bring Them In NOW!

What: Children’s Books and Toy Collection
Where: Claire T. Carney Library – 1st Floor – Near Circulation Desk
When: NOW until December 16th

A children’s books and toy collection is underway at the Claire T. Carney Library.  Please bring new children’s books and toys to the library and place them in the collection box near the Circulation Desk on the first floor.  The donated items will be distributed to local families for the holidays.  Let’s help to bring some holiday cheer to local families in need.  Items will be collected until December 16.

The event is sponsored by the Claire T. Carney Library and the UMassD Dept of Public Safety.