Spring 2020 Semester Newsletter

Welcome to the Spring 2020 Library Update!

When the campus transitioned to remote learning on March 23, the University Libraries sprang into action. Wasting no time, the Libraries eliminated fines and fees, extended due dates, and paused recalls for all loans to minimize the impact on students who were unable to return materials on time. Additionally, the Libraries collaborated with  Information Technology Services  to supply laptops and PCs to students in need of technology. By the close of business on March 20, the University Libraries moved to a completely virtual operation. 

See highlights from the University Libraries' semester, including:

• The Dewey Welcome Back Event
• Campus Conversations
• Darwin Day
• Art + Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
• Virtual Stress Less Month

On January 27, the American Library Association presented Alonso-Regalado with the I Love My Librarian Award. The recognition took place during the ALA Midwinter Meeting at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The prestigious award celebrates “…the accomplishments of exceptional public, school, college, community college, or university librarians.” Over 1,950 librarians from across the United States were nominated, yet only ten received the honor. 

"I have always wanted to visit Cuba for an acquisitions trip. Cuban books are not easy to buy from the United States. Libraries typically have to establish relations with vendors from other countries that supply Cuban books. For these vendors, the whole bureaucratic process of dealing with Cuban books can be extremely complex. Because of this, Cuban books are expensive and hard to find. U.S. librarians greatly appreciate the valuable contributions of these vendors facilitating the acquisitions of Cuban materials. Ideally, a combined effort of acquisitions via vendors and buying trips are key to creating robust Cuban collections."

Great traditions begin with a single action, the significance of which often goes unrecognized in the moment. When Regina Testa made a gift to the University at Albany in 1995, she didn’t expect it would result in her addressing an audience of faculty and staff donors, including the President, 25 years later. Yet that’s exactly where she found herself earlier this semester. 

Meet Angela Persico, the woman behind one of the University Libraries' most popular operations. 

Keerthi Padamata, who is pursuing a Master’s degree in Data Science from the Department of Mathematics, has been awarded the 2019/2020 Anna Radkowski-Lee Graduate Assistantship. The assistantship provides a graduate student with tuition support as well as professional experience working in an academic library. Anna Radkowski-Lee was the University Libraries’ Personnel Officer for 11 years. The assistantship was established by her brother, Roman Grygorcewicz, to honor her memory. 

The University at Albany Libraries are actively engaged in efforts to make learning at UAlbany more affordable. One such effort is supporting and promoting the adoption of Open Educational Resources (OERs) in courses across campus. To raise awareness about OERs and their role in student success and retention, the Libraries spearheaded a regional learning event for Open Education Week on Thursday, March 5. UAlbany Libraries joined forces with Educational Technology Services, Online Teaching and Learning, the Campus Bookstore, and University Auxiliary Services to host 39 attendees for the morning sessions. 

On March 3, 2020, the Alice Hastings Murphy Preservation Department in the University Libraries hosted a two-day workshop, Oversized Book Repair for General and Reference Collections. This was the most recent offering in the Preservation Department’s annual outreach programming for local, regional, and statewide organizations.

Here's what our faculty and staff published and presented during the Spring 2020 semester.

Welcoming new staff members to the University Libraries