Onondaga update

[Angela Weiler]

Pauline Shostack has assumed the position of Chair at Coulter Library, and former Chair Jeff Harr has taken on Acquisitions in addition to Technical Services.

Frank Doble, Instruction and Reference Librarian, retired in June after 40 years at Coulter Library, so we are now down to four full-time librarians, as the library did not receive approval to refill his position this year. For these reasons, there has been some restructuring of librarian duties at Coulter: In addition to Pauline and Jeff’s new duties, Rob O’Boyle is now handling Circulation, Periodicals, and Archives, and Angela Weiler is covering Reference and Instruction. Coulter has also hired a new adjunct librarian, Penelope Klein, to help cover evenings.

Rob O’Boyle is serving this year as President of the Onondaga Community College Federation of Teachers and Administrators.

This summer Nadia Tressler developed Coulter Library’s Summer Photo Challenge Contest. Whether campus community members were taking summer classes, traveling the world, and/or working, we encouraged them to share a picture with us that depicted their summer adventures. We picked a winning staff and student photo at the beginning of the fall semester. The winning photos were then featured on our library website. You can see the winning photos on our library blog page and all photo submissions on our Flickr page.

Lisa Murphy of the Media Department suggested and organized a shifting of Coulter Library’s CD collection over the summer from shelving by number to shelving by genre. It was quite an extensive project, but now Coulter’s collection is much more enjoyable to browse.

Angela Weiler has organized a voter registration drive at Coulter Library. Registration forms are available on the first floor of the library, along with a drop box. The library then mails the registration forms for the students.

Dennis Thoryk has created online booking for Coulter Library’s group study rooms, enabling students to reserve rooms without actually coming into the library.

Pauline Shostack is again organizing the annual library orientation event for the campus community, which takes place on Sunday, September 30 from 6:30 – 8:30pm. This year there is an international theme, including games, crafts, food, and more.

[millerjaACC]

In July, the SUNY Adirondack Library added the LibAnswers service from Springshare. Librarians added over 100 questions to the knowledge base, and are promoting it as a 24/7 ready-answer service to students. Librarians are also using it as a way to list library policies, sources for specific research assignments and answers to often-asked questions about the campus in general. Students, staff and faculty have been readily using it. See the LibAnswers link on the SUNY Adirondack Library home page.

The new Wilton Center branch campus building, on Route 9 north of Saratoga Springs, has opened. Enrollments have been strong. 

Construction of student housing continued over the summer. The campus now has a new roundabout, replacing a congested three-way intersection near the new building. The dorms will open by the Fall of 2013. Details are available at https://www.sunyacc.edu/housing.

In celebration of N.Y.S. National Archives Month in October, the library's Hill Collection will host an open house on Friday, Oct. 19 and Saturday, Oct. 20. The Hill Collection contains historical materials from Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties, donated by the family of William Hart Hill. The collection is managed by historian Paul McCarty. Scholars from the Hill Collection Committee will greet visitors and answer questions.