Library Dean Fulton, UNH

Library Dean Meeting Report

September 15, 2015

Mike Verney

On Tuesday morning, September 3, Ezra Temko and Mike Verney met with Dean Tara Lynn Fulton in theLibrary to introduce her to the GSS leadership, hear about her vision for library services and spaces, and discuss ways to make both more useful and appealing to graduate students. Dean Fulton views her role as an ambassador for the library, and is placing a premium on being in touch with the various librarystakeholders across campus, including undergraduate and graduate students. She is also revitalizing the library’s liaison program, in which library faculty are recruited in specialized areas and are designated as liaisons to related departments and programs. Bill Ross, the head of Milne Special Collections and University Archives, for example, is also serving as the liaison to the History Department. They had just hired a new Life Sciences librarian and were searching for a new businesslibrarian. In this vein Mike and Ezra encouraged Fulton to consider assigning graduate and undergraduate student liaisons as well. Dean Fulton also relayed that a new instructional librarian, Catherine Avalott, has been hired and will help students make better use of the library’s many services.

Fulton also wants to revamp some of the furniture and decorations of the Dimond Library to make them more welcoming and less stark. She envisions putting in wicker furniture, for example, in the children’s section of the library and employing a beach theme there. She hopes to put more art and color around the library as well, and envisions creative spaces where community members can learn about art, hear more book talks, and/or participate in hands on activities.

Mike and Ezra were very responsive to these ideas, and also shared with her the results of the GSS spring 2015 survey regarding library services. They relayed graduate students’ interest in having another study room that, like the current grad study carrels, would be just for graduate students but would be less formal and more like a study lounge, with tables for collaborative work and couches for comfortable studying. Dean Fulton was resistant to the concept of reserving specific sections of thelibrary for only specific types of patrons, and also expressed that space was too much of an issue there. Having a rear entrance to the library was also impractical given security and staffing concerns, as was creating additional space for dining, which Dean Fulton thought would better belong in the MUB. Dean Fulton and the GSS representatives found more common ground around the idea of creating a 24-hour study space, which seemed to Fulton to be more feasible and would meet both undergraduate and graduate student demands for longer library hours. Still, Fulton asked if she could get a copy of our GSS survey results, which Mike e-mailed to her after the meeting. In sum, the meeting was productive, friendly, and yet also revealed some areas in which the desires of the graduate student body and the capacities of the library are at odds.

Ezra’s notes:

Library has been undergoing a lot of transitions over the past decade; had an interim director over the past two years. During this time, the library became more internally focused and were not communicating and connecting enough with the rest of the campus (lesson especially seen from dumpster book incident). Dean Fulton feels she needs to be external and active around campus. Also a lot of organizational work to do over the next few years and also a lot of energy and potential and excitement / possibility.

Liaison program: Subject/specialty librarians: Have not hired for people with special expertise. It has been more people just take what happens and if someone has an expertise we match them up. Trying to hire a business librarian; new life sciences librarian coming at end of October. Three more faculty librarians retiring at the end of the year. This is 1/3 of the library faculty switching over a two year period. Also more generally partnering more across campus, such as Academic Technology.

Rethinking how we use and what our library space looks like: Color? Couches? Making spaces more environments that feel good for studying. Art? Posters? Etc.? Specific spaces etc.: Beach theme, wicker furniture. Also considering whether there is 24 hour space somewhere on campus for folks to use?

Events – Libraries have lectures, book talks, etc. And now are having more active learning and makerspaces (as opposed to just verbal exchange). We have not been very involved with this. Things that may not happen in the individual departments, but the library is a space/venue/organizer for where this is supposed to happen.

Recent hires:

  • Catherine Avalott – hired about a year ago. Instruction Librarian. Joint responsibility to make sure everyone has their information research skills when they graduate. (Co-teaching methods course?) Through faculty and academic programs is where this knowledge advancement is going to be most effective. She is going to be a resource to subject librarians and working on this project.
  • Patti Condon: Three year person who has PhD in Data Management. (quantitative and qualitative) – (Ezra may want to follow up re: qual management software, which UNH does not have)

Facility things – follow up with Tracy about easy to do’s or things to investigate.

Main thing for GSS right now – for interdisciplinary lectures or events that are intellectual/academic things, library might be a better environment.