The Fine Print  
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Murphy Library University of Wisconsin - La Crosse N. 32 Fall 2003

Charles Marx to Retire

Charles MarxCharles Marx is retiring after twenty five years at Murphy Library. Charles came to UW-L in 1980 from Olivet College, Olivet, Michigan, where he served as the Technical Services Librarian.

Charles led cataloging at Murphy Library during the pivotal years in the 1980’s when the library converted its record keeping and catalog access from cards in drawers to an integrated online catalog and circulation system. In 1984/85, UW System grants and matching local funds allowed the library to launch a retrospective conversion project to transfer the information on catalog cards into the new computer system in MARC record format, facilitating the advent of the integrated online catalog. When funds for the two year project were no longer available after only one year, and 87,000 titles remained, Charles coordinated the 1985 all-out effort in which all library staff worked in shifts at two OCLC computer terminals in a valiant attempt to complete the project prior to the installation of the new computer system.

As a cataloger, Charles has been an influential voice in issues relating to shared bibliographic data, both in Wisconsin and nationally. Charles represented Wisconsin on the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) Cataloging Advisory Committee from 1981-1984. OCLC is a nonprofit computer library service organization used by more than 50,000 libraries in 84 countries. Charles has served as both Chair and Vice-Chair of the Peer Council for WILS, a consortium of member Wisconsin libraries. He has also taught workshops for WILS in MARC tagging for approximately five years.

Charles has also been active in professional organizations. He was elected to serve as the Chair of the Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians in 1991. He served on the board of the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) for two years. He was Chair of the WLA Technical Services Division from 1989 - 1990. He also served on many WLA committees including Resolutions, Conference Planning, and Nominations. In 1988 he co-chaired a five-state academic library conference, which was a joint effort of academic library associations in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. The conference, which was held in La Crosse and funded in part by the Association of College and Research Libraries, featured James Billington, Librarian of Congress as keynote speaker.

Charles has been active in the community. He has held many offices in the local Democratic party. He has served on the board of the Municipal Transit Authority since 1989.

What does he plan to do upon his retirement? Charles will certainly have more time for reading and community involvement. He will also probably continue competing in (and winning) national trivia contests. And we’ll probably continue to see Charles on his bicycle, whether riding through town or participating in the approximately 500-mile RAGBRAI bicycle ride across Iowa, as he has done in the past.

Charles will be missed at Murphy Library and on campus. He has served as the library’s institutional memory countless times. His has always been quick to volunteer when help was needed and has a well-earned reputation for seeking the most fair solutions to problems. He has been a wonderful colleague and we will miss him. We all wish Charles the best in his retirement!

 
Inside this issue:


Library Hours
Telephone Directory
Support Opportunities

 

Printable Copy (pdf)
Past Issues

 

 

We Asked, You Spoke:
LibQUAL+ Survey Results

Many thanks to everyone who participated in the LibQUAL+ library survey last April. Overall, user perceptions of the library’s resources, services, and space were above minimum expectations, but below user ideals. To review our executive summary and official results for UW-L and UW System, please visit our LibQUAL+ web page. Murphy Library’s actions in reply to your feedback, as well as additional results analysis are forthcoming.LibQUAL+

Should you have any questions, please contact a member of Murphy Library's LibQUAL+ Team: Galadriel Chilton, Michael Current, Anita Evans, and Cris Prucha.

 

 

La Crosse Unbound

La Crosse History Unbound

Looking for a trail guide to the La Crosse Myrick Marsh? Curious about murder stories from the La Crosse Tribune? Doing research on archaeology in La Crosse County? Want to look up some “True Tales” from Doug Connell’s out-of-print book by the same name? Have a passion for old maps? Looking for pictures of buildings or social life in La Crosse? Needing information of plant and animal life in La Crosse County? Then click on http://lacrossehistory.org and look through the listings of La Crosse History Unbound.

The digital materials found at La Crosse History Unbound are the result of a joint venture between the UW-La Crosse Murphy Library and the La Crosse Public Library. By combining resources, the two institutions are able to provide web access to digitized versions of original materials of historical significance while preserving the original materials. Many of the original materials have not been easily available because they may be rare, heavily used, not indexed, or overlooked for other reasons. Access is enhanced further as many of the original items now have full keyword-searchable text. For the fiDowntown La Crosserst time, both Murphy Library and La Crosse Public Library are able to provide some of these items in their entirety.

Resources can be browsed under topics such as: Mississippi River, Town Histories, Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the City of La Crosse, Businesses, Cemeteries, and many others.

The first joint project related to the La Crosse River Marsh (Myrick Marsh). The project now includes a multitude of resources including a trail guide, floral and animal life studies, flood information, environmental impact statements, land use plans, and more.

Check back often because new materials are added on an ongoing basis. For more information, contact Murphy Library at (608) 785-8399.
 


Database Tips

With more than 150 article databases to choose from, determining where to go for information such as book reviews, local industry information, or international statistics, can be challenging.

To help point the way, we are pleased to introduce Murphy Library’s Databases Tips! Averaging just two pages, each tip names an article database, and includes concise instructions (text and screen images) on how to find specific information. Currently there are 17 tips that can be accessed via the Database Tips link under the “How To” navigation bar; at least two new tips are added each month.

If you have any questions or would like to request a Database Tip, please contact Galadriel Chilton (chilton.gala@uwlax.edu).




The Fine Print is published fall and spring terms for UW-La Crosse faculty, staff, students, and friends of Murphy Library.
 
Stefan Smith and Jenifer Holman, Editors

Paul Beck
 Department Chair

Anita Evans, Library Director
 

Murphy Library
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
1631 Pine Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
 
Funding UW Libraries: The 2005-2007 UW System Budget Request

At the August 19 meeting of the UW Board of Regents, President Katherine Lyall outlined the 2005-2007 UW System biennial budget request. In introducing the budget, she characterized it by saying, “It is our aspirations for our students and our state that drive this budget request and our continuing commitment to our public purpose.” Improving the university infrastructure, with a focus on UW Libraries and instructional technology, is one of the five major budget goals for the next biennium. The biennial library request, to fulfill the mission of providing core information resources to the campus research community and general citizens, would cover: cooperative collection development; strengthening the Shared Electronic Collections (SEC); funding for the rapid sharing of physical resources; and support for digital collections (University of Wisconsin Digital Collections).

With flat budgets over the last and this biennium, the squeeze on the SEC has meant that some titles offered in this System-wide collection of e-resources had to be canceled. To prevent a more significant deficit and impact, UW Libraries agreed last year to contribute funding to the SEC. Across the System on a proportionate basis, $100,000 was added to the SEC. While all campuses benefit from the greater purchasing power, there is less funding to spend locally. The budget request for the next biennium would help to shore up both the campus and UW System collections.

The budget items earmarked for the next biennium match the user perceptions of library collections and access measured in the LibQUAL+ survey conducted last spring. Both the graduate student and faculty populations surveyed indicated that the “print and/or electronic journal collections I require for my work,” and “the electronic information resources I need" were below the minimum expected. Undergraduate responses also registered that this student population found the collections and access to information less than what they desired to have. Survey comments reinforced that users were not satisfied with the collection of e-journals. Typical among graduate student comments were statements such as “more access to journal articles online would be very helpful.”

While seeking to increase the budget for libraries, the Council of University of Wisconsin Libraries (CUWL) also is pursuing efficiencies to ensure that current dollars are spent wisely. The newly formed CUWL Collection Management Task Force, working with campus collection development librarians, is studying collection overlap among institutions and how to increase the range of materials available in the UW System. With the growing use of Universal Borrowing and ILLiad document delivery services, users can get either physical pieces or electronic journal articles delivered to their desktop from other UW libraries in a matter of a few days or in some cases 24 hours.

Murphy Library subscribes to nearly 100 periodicals that cost $1000 or more; each year there is a substantial inflationary increase for periodicals, e-resources, and print materials. It is an ongoing challenge to maintain current collections and respond to curricular changes. More funding is critical, and with careful, ongoing oversight, campus and UW System funding will go even further.

 

GRAND EXCURSION REVIEW: JUNE 30, 2004

Staff members from Special Collections were part of the estimated crowd of 8,000 people that were in La Crosse’s Riverside Park on June 30, 2004, to welcome a flotilla of seven steamboats. The steamboats were part of the 2004 Grand Excursion, which was the 150th anniversary of an 1854 steamboat expedition from Rock Island, Illinois, to St. Paul. The 2004 version was intended as a vehicle to celebrate the renaissance of the entire upper Mississippi River region.

In addition to the passengers on the steamboats, other visitors to La Crosse on June 30 included passengers on a chartered train drawn by a steam locomotive; bicycle riders paralleling the entire route of the flotilla; and thousands of area residents curious to see the flotilla and be part of the festivities.

As part of the welcoming entourage for the Grand Excursion and to introduce to as many of the visitors as possible its nationally famous collection of historic steamboat photographs, Special Collections had prepared two displays of steamboat photographs for their viewing pleasure. One display was in a tent at Riverside Park, where Special Collections staff spent the entire day of June 30 inviting visitors to view the photos and answering questions about the collection and the original 1854 Grand Excursion. The staff also directed visitors to a larger display of steamboat photographs which was on exhibit at the Pump House Regional Art Center in downtown La Crosse for three weeks.

Grand ExcursionThe highlight of the exhibit was a reception held the night of June 30 at the Pump House, which featured a talk by Steven Keillor, author of a new book on the original 1854 event, Grand Excursion: Antebellum America Discovers the Upper Mississippi. The reception was well-attended and Mr. Keillor gave an informative, entertaining talk that was well-received by the audience. It was a fitting conclusion that capped-off a Grand day.
 

Grand Excursion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grand Excursion

ERIC Update

 

Dale Montgomery, Artist

ERIC, the primary education database from the U.S. Department of Education, has undergone significant changes during 2004. The ERIC system has closed all of its subject-oriented clearinghouses and has consolidated journal and non-journal materials into a central repository/database. September 1st marked the introduction of the new ERIC website at http://www.eric.ed.gov/. The AskEric website and the ERIC Digests are no longer available.

ERIC HomepageOn October 1, 2004, ERIC introduced free full-text non-journal ERIC resources. These materials include more than 107,000 full-text documents authorized for electronic ERIC distribution during 1993 - July 2004, that were previously sold through the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS), E*Subscribe. In December, ERIC will add new bibliographic records and full-text journal and non-journal resources published in 2004.

Similar to the earlier version, the new ERIC does not offer 100% full-text availability. Newly indexed materials that are not available free-of-charge will be made accessible through database links to commercial sources. Older materials may have a link “Full text from ERIC,” but may lead to a page that says “The document you requested is not available in the ERIC Online system.” In those instances, we will most likely have the document on microfiche in the Alice Hagar Curriculum Resource Center on the second floor of Murphy Library.

Via the new Website, journal articles (identified as such by an EJ number, i.e. EJ154987) are currently indexed only. However, ERIC will begin to include links to external sources of full-text articles in December 2004. For enhanced access to education articles, use the ERIC database available through EBSCOhost or select EBSCOhost’s Professional Development Collection, where you will find links to full-text for many articles.
 

Dale Montgomery, who was the Director of Murphy Library for 20 years, Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Services (1998 - 99), and Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology Services (1996-1998) at UW-La Crosse, has not let the grass grow under his feet. Becoming an artist is only one of the things he identified as "projects for retirement."
 
Dale Montgomery Art

Dale began his art studies 5 years ago by taking workshops in drawing and watercolor painting. Upon the completion of several painting courses at UW-La Crosse, he focused on abstract painting. He received a Wisconsin Regional Art Program Honorable Mention in 2002 for his work “Study in Black.” In 2003, “Receding Glacier” was selected from a regional art exhibit to be exhibited in the Pyle Center at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Last summer, Dale's works were on display in Murphy Library. His works have also been displayed at the La Crosse Public Library Gallery, Pump House Western Wisconsin Regional Art Center (La Crosse), The Black River Falls Public Library, the Pyle Center on the University of Wisconsin Madison Campus, the Odin Gallery (La Crosse), Gundersen-Lutheran Medical Clinic 4th Floor Gallery (La Crosse).

Congratulations to Dale Montgomery on this successful new career, and best wishes for his next!

Dale Montgomery Art

On October 13, 2004 an awards ceremony and reception was held in Special Collections, Murphy Library, in honor of Mr. Ralph DuPae, co-winner of the 2004 Governor’s Award in Archival Advocacy. The Governor’s Archival Awards program is presented by the Wisconsin Historical Records Advisory Board and the Wisconsin Historical Society. The award for Archival Advocacy is given to an individual who has provided distinguished leadership or support for the improvement of Wisconsin’s historical records or archival programs. Mr. DuPae, now retired as a chief engineer for the Northern Engraving Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin, received the award in recognition of his 37 years of volunteer efforts to collect historical photographs of steamboats for Murphy Library’s Special Collections.

Largely through Ralph DuPae’s tireless volunteer efforts, Murphy Library boasts one of the largest collections of inland river steamboat photogRalph DuPaeraphs. Comprising over 50,000 images, the “Steamboat Collection” serves as a valuable tool for researchers who have utilized the photographs to solve ancient puzzles and quell decades-long arguments about steamboats, such as the famous steamboat race between the Natchez and the Robt. E. Lee in 1875. The photographs have been used in numerous books and journals and as illustrations for TV and video programs such as The History Channel and The American Experience. The library’s collection of steamboat and river-related photographs is nationally recognized for its comprehensiveness, scope, and accessibility.

Remarks at the awards ceremony were made by Anita Evans, Director of Murphy Library; Elizabeth Hitch, Provost of UW-La Crosse; and Paul Beck and Ed Hill, the current and former Special Collection Librarians at Murphy Library, respectively. The 2004 Governor’s Award in Archival Advocacy award was then presented to Mr. DuPae by Peter Gottlieb, State Archivist of Wisconsin. Ralph responded with a heartfelt statement that highlighted the many friendships he had made over the years in the pursuit of ever elusive steamboat photographs. After the remarks, the reception ended on a warm note as attendees mingled, ate cake, and further reminisced with Ralph about his remarkable “second career” as a steamboat sleuth.

Murphy Library was honored to host this event and pleased that Ralph received the 2004 Governor’s Award in Archival Advocacy as the Steamboat Collection that Ralph helped create has brought recognition to Murphy Library, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and the La Crosse community.