Westcott Building Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida (Administration FSU) Library exchange for Susanne Hennig (14 th -18 th March 2016) I was the first exchange librarian in this American library. Many of my colleagues there had been informed that I was in the library that week. They held a Welcome Reception for me where I introduced our library in Bochum and myself. Abby Scheel, subject librarian for English, Classics, Religion and Philosophy, arranged a varied schedule of my choice and accompanied me.
The main library of the Florida State University has two big libraries: Strozier (named after one of the presidents of the University, Robert Manning Strozier, mandate 1957-1960) and Paul Dirac (physicist, Nobel Prize 1933). The two libraries are public. There are some specialist libraries within Tallahassees which belong to the library system (FAMU-FSU Engineering, Florida Agriculture and Mechanical Engineering), Claude Pepper, Music, Law, Goldstein (Children s and Information Studies) and Medical. Outside Tallahassees there are locations in Florence, Italy, London, England, Ringling Museum, Sarasota, FL und Panama City, Republic of Panama. Strozier has focused on literature of the humanities, Dirac on sciences. The libraries are very close, within 10 minutes walking distance. What they have in common is nearly the same number of students (about 40.000), being founded in the late fifies, early sixties and the book inventory of about 3 4 Mio books (together with the special libraries). Strozier Libary (Humanities) Panel at Dirac Library (Sciences) During the five days I limited my interest to these work fields: 1. Information desk, interior and facilities of the library 2. Interlibrary loan 3. Information literacy, courses for members of the University for research in databases and catalogues 4. Meetings of the library staff and meetings of faculty 5. Special colletions and archives 6. Interesting monuments in Tallahassee
Library interior and information desk with counters Training classroom in Strozier (Single place on the 3 rd floor of Strozier) As we do, too, the libraries are permanently improving their working space Working space in Dirac
Working space in Dirac with Café Carrels of the subject librarians in the basement of Strozier, the contact with the scholars is possible, because they learn in the working areas around them. The librarians of the Scholars Commons are in charge of the scholars, phds and faculty, the librarians of the Learning Commons are responsible for the starters.
There is a lot of advertising for the libraries and their offers. In attractive, but for us, quite unusually presented posters, screens and flyers, activities of all kinds are announced. For example library courses or workshops for students, authors days, which are carried out by subject librarians. A graphic designer creates all the advertisement media.
1.Information department with the counters In the foyer of Strozier there is an information desk for initial guidance. The staff are student workers. Behind that counter there are turnstiles where the customers have to pull through their students cards to enter the library. Then you reach the two service counters. One desk is for book issue and information, the other for special questions concerning research in databases. At Dirac there is only one desk for all services. I had the opportunity to look over the shoulders of some colleagues. I learned that we practise theses services in a similar way (book issue and book return with scanners, questions regarding stock and library etc.). When special questions occur concerning research, there is advice at the research desk just opposite. There a subject librarian is on duty. There is good service for borrowing technical equipment like laptops, cameras and charging equipment for smartphones etc. with a deposit. Turnstiles in Dirac Service desk at Strozier Research desk in Strozier (special questions for literature and database searches)
(Service desk with scanner for issuing books) Strozier and Dirac are open around the clock for five days., at least during the semester. Therefore the staff has two duty rosters.. At the desks reserved books are issued to the customers. The basement of Strozier is mostly used by the graduate students. There are special reading rooms they can enter with their student cards.the ground floor with the service desks, the big reading rooms, the Public Library and the Café is primarily for the undergraduate students. There is a special place where tutors wait for the starters to show them the library or to hold courses in literature research. In Dirac there are carrels, reading spaces, training rooms and a special room for veterans who study after their service in the army. Here you see a group working space in Dirac with screens and the option of writing on the walls during teamwork.
It noticed that the library offers a lot of courses, so that the students have a good start to their studies with helpful information. The advertisments in the libraries and faculties are striking and colored, but very attractive for the students. Often events are outside in Florida the weather is mostly fine for example the Spring Resources Fair. There are stands with librarians and faculty members on Landis Green where students get information concerning their studies.they are given sugar candies and drinks. With a card one can get stamps at the different stands and at the end there is the possibility of a prize. So everybody is encouraged to go everywhere Faculty and the Dean of the library Julia Zimmerman, are shown on posters the library with slogans like Empower, Equivocate and Question.I found that was very inspiring and the students already know these leading and teaching staff. Suggestions and criticism are welcome and on the Monopad, a screen near the entrance, students are invited to comment and give ideas and improvements to the library. (see ill.).
Hygiene, water dispenser, café and popular science books and journals one can use in the foyer of Strozier library. The Public library partly funded by Book sales of scientific books from Strozier and Dirac.
Spring Resource Fair on Landis Green in front of Strozier
Interlibrary loan These are the steps with interlibrary loan: 1. FSU Catalog Similar to our system the students at first check whether the literature is on the Campus or in Tallahassee. Unlike here books can be ordered by interlibrary loan when they are on loan for a long time. In that case the customer doesn t have to reserve the book or wait until it is returned, but can order it with Uborrow. This system manages the lending within the library system of Florida. Interlibrary loan is free. The high students fees make that possible. You can choose online where you would like to get the book.
2.UBorrow So if the book isn t on the Campus or in other libraries in Tallahassee or it would take too long to get it, you can use UBorrow. The screenshots above show how to choose the place to get the ordered book. 3.ILLIAD If the book isn t in Florida the order automatically comes to ILLIAD (Interlibrary Loan Internet Access Database).ILLIAD is a system which handles the orders in between the American state and international orders around the world. There is the form of ALA, American Library of America. Loan periods are thirty days. Before the loan period ends, it is possible to ask for an extention for the book at the giving library. Enrolled FSU students and Faculty member are allowed to use UBorrow and ILLIAD, no alumni, friends of the library or special customers. They have the opportunity to do interlibrary loan in the big public library of Tallahassee Leon County Public Library. As we do, the American libraries use the IFLA form for international orders. 4.LEDS: Library Express delivery service This service is for Faculty (PhDs, assistant-, associate- and full professors, postdoctorals). With help of a trolley, books are transported to the offices of the scholars. They order the media via email. Online articles are sent directly to the adresses of the Faculty staff (see ill. book trolley for getting the books inside the library and cart to transport them to the offices of the scholars).
Distant Learners Students who are not on the Campus, are given some priorities to get literature for their studies. When they live over thirty miles away from the FSU Campus, they are entitled with their account to order books with UBorrow and ILLIAD, which are delivered directly to their homes. Online-Information is guaranteed. The FSU has many offers online in Online distance learning (see videos and information under distance.fsu.edu ). 3.Training courses Already in my short report I mentioned a course which is based on a new concept. The training of the FSU is called Project Freshman. For five years subject librarians together with a professor of the Faculty of Criminology have been testing this learing option. During a whole semester students, two subject librarians and the professor work together several hours a week. Content is literacy programming, databases, catalogues. The students choose a subject and with the help of the professor and the librarians they write their reports. I had the opportunity to listen to an evaluation of this project after five years experience. The result is that students with this experience pass through with better grades. Above there are some sreenshots of this evaluating presentation. If somebody is interested in the complete presentation, please contact me and I will send you the complete power point version.
Other training courses are similiar to ours. Team teaching is not so popular. Most of the subject librarians do courses on their own in their subjects, sometimes in combination with information given by college lecturers and tutors. I found it very interesting that the library staff does not only offer courses in a special subject, but also workshops which last longer and have many exercises. Of course, that means more work and preparation for the subject librarians. 4.Meetings (Library staff and library staff with students or faculty) There is much communication among the library staff and together with librarians, faculty and students.
Here are two examples: Scholars Commons Library Meeting: That is a meeting of subject librarians to talk about new projects and discuss new developments.
Graduate Advisory Council Meeting: Abby Scheel, subject librarian for the humanities, did the moderation of this meeting. Graduate students participated together with members of the faculties who talked about events on the Campus and concerns. Together they discussed common events and improvements to the services of the library.
5.Archives and special collections I had the opportunity to participate in a new archive project. In a Presbitarian church which is on the Campus, there was a public meeting of interested citizens, faculty members and library staff. The subject was the new archive of the case Emmett Till. This black youngster was murded very brutally by two white men in 1955, because he had presumably pestered a young white woman. By means of a photo documentation the academic presented all these facts and gave answers to questions from the audience. In the next few months the archive will be built up in the FSU where all papers concerning the process, reports of the witnesses and articles of journals and magazins are collected. Claude Pepper Museum This museum is dedicated to the lawyer and politician Claude Pepper (1936-1989). In the compact shelves one can see correspondence, presents and cartoons of him during his mandate. The museum also collects pieces like paintings and a car which he used during his political campaigns.
The colleagues of the Special collection showed me some curiosities. For example I could see the manuscript of the physician Paul Dirac. A flyer and some advertisements on the gateway encourage patrons and students to use and have a look at these treasures without much bureaucracy.
University Archive The FSU has existed since 1851. From 1905 to 1947 the University was only for women and was called Florida Female College/Florida State College for Women. There is a university archive about this time. I could see the so-called scrapbooks, albums with fotos, texts etc. as remembrances of that time.
Since 1947 the University has admitted women and men.(see ill. from the Florida history book).
Tallahassee, capital of Florida Football stadium, Capitol, Statue of Independence Tallahassee has got about 200.000 inhabitants. There is the new and the old building of the Capitol. The old building was restored in 1902 and is used as a museum (history of the presidents, elections etc.). The new building is from the year 1978 and serves the Senate. Cupola Tallahassee was always a place where football is important. On the foto you can see the interior of the big stadium in the city. Statue for fairness in sport.
On the way from Strozier to Dirac you pass the Statue of Integration. This monument is meant as a sign for the striving for integration at the FSU and also all over America. The Homecoming princess (award for special efforts at the universities) wears the feathered headdress to show solidarity with the Indians.
Result of the exchange Many challenges, very nice colleagues, informative contacts with them in the different departments up to Dean Julia Zimmerman. Very relaxed atmosphere during the meetings where I could participate with the Scholars Commons, the Learning Commons and the group around Dean Zimmerman. Also the possibility to have a look at the buildings and the presentation of the library was very interesting. As I myself take many courses, the comparison of the FSU courses with the Bochum courses courses was very helpful. I thank my director Dr. Lapp for this chance of an international library exchange and Dean Julia Zimmerman for having me. Of course I say thank you to Abby Scheel, my wonderful colleague at FSU, who managed all the contacts in and around the library. I look forward to welcoming her here in Bochum! Susanne Hennig