CUL NEWSLETTER

As many of you are aware, Fondren Public Services added two new librarians this fall: Julia Stewart as Social Science Reference Librarian for Government Information, Political Science, Business, and Economics, and Evelyn Day as Social Science Reference Librarian for Psychology, Sociology, Women’s Studies, and Education. We are excited about our new emphasis on reference librarians who participate in collection development and who are building liaison relationships with faculty across campus. Public Services is also currently searching for a Coordinator of Reference Services. This position will provide vision, creative leadership and expertise in developing programs for reference services. Public Services staff have been hard at work this semester revising and improving our services. Highlights include: extending the circulation period for audiovisual materials, extending the circulation period for graduate student checkout of restricted items, adding bound periodicals to items that can circulate to graduate students, adding computer workstations/new furniture on the Science/Engineering side of the Fondren Library Center, and rearranging and improving the seating/study area on the south side of the Information Commons. Public Services librarians have undertaken the massive task of assessing the print reference collection to determine which items may be moved to the circulating collection. At the completion of this project (hopefully next summer), we hope to reduce the print collection in reference by approximately 30%, allowing us to reclaim space for additional study tables, computer stations, and perhaps even reconfigure shelving to open up the space towards the south windows. We have also installed 41 six-outlet power strips with surge protectors in FLE/FLW to give patrons additional outlets for plugging in laptops and to hopefully reduce the tripping hazard caused by multiple power cords.

--Tim Silcox, Director of Public Services

DIVISION NEWS

NEW STAFF:

We are happy to announce that Mark Russell has been “promoted” from graduate student assistant to full time permanent status as the Library Specialist IV in Interlibrary Loan. He will be processing interlibrary loan borrowing requests in science, engineering and psychology.

He has been handling our lending operations in ILL since March, and as an SMU undergraduate, worked for three years in Science Periodicals. For you old-timers, he is the son of Martha Russell, who worked for many years in IIS.

Please stop by and welcome Mark in FLE105. His phone number is 8-3373 and his email is russellm@smu.edu. He is the CUL Mark Russell not the SMU PD Mark Russell.

Porcia Vaughn has joined us as the new Periodicals Office supervisor.

Porcia has experience in a variety of library and public services positions. She worked as a reference assistant at the University of New Mexico library and at the Arlington Public Library. Most recently, she's been working with the City of Grand Prairie Police Department as an emergency services dispatcher.

She will be working in SIC room 116. Her phone is 8-1839 and her email will be pvaughn@smu.edu. Please stop by to introduce yourself, and to welcome Porcia!

STAFF NEWS

THERE ARE MANY NAMES FOR "SNOW

I recently learned that Eskimos have many names for snow. This is of course natural in those extreme conditions. What I also came to think about is that in Finland (thought we have a little less demanding weather), we also name snow, "lumi", several times a day differently depending on the changing conditions. If you want to make snowballs it has to be "nuoska" snow. Should you want to go skiing, you would love it to be "pakkaslumi" with "kantohanki". If you are having a wonderful walk you need "puuterilumi". If you want to take a snow shower under a tree, you need "tykkylumi". If you want to admire ice formations in the window, they are "kuurankukat". When you want to make snow angels on the ground you definitely need big "nietos" and "kinos", where you can fall down to make your angel.

And finally, when "lumihiutaleet" are falling from above, you try to catch them and eat them fresh, so you will know the taste of winter.

And my final warning: stay away from "sohjo", "räntä" and "loska".

sohjo : snow that is blended with a lot of water, it becomes eventually very heavy vesihyhmää.
räntä : raining watery snow, which later on becomes "sohjo"
loska, söltsy : really watery snow, almost water
pakkaslumi, snow, which falls during very cold conditions
puuteri : powder like snow
tykkylumi: snow gathered on the tree branches
viti, nattura, utukka, höykkälumi : light newly fallen snow
nuoska, suojalumi, suvilumi, rääpäkkä, mätälumi, takkala : snow that has been softened by mild weather
kinos : longitudinal snow formation done by wind
nietos : see previous
kohva : water over ice that was mixed with snow
hanki : thick snow covering the ground ; when you it can carry your weight it is kantohanki, kestohanki, hankikanne; also surface of this is called hankiainen
huurre, härmä, kuura : little icicles formed due to differences in humidity conditions
kuurankukat: icy flowers formed by "kuura"
lumihiutale is a snowflake
siide : very very fine snow raining
riide, riitta, riitto : thin icy cover formed over snow

-Marja Rom-

SMU HISTORY TIDBITS

Football

On November17, 1916, during Southern Methodist University's second football season, the Rice Owls beat SMU 146-3, the worst defeat ever in SMU's football history ( and on of the worst in collegiate football history). Coach Ray Morrison was asked for his resignation at the end of the season.

-from archives by Joan Gosnell-

Happy Birthday!!!...& many more...

Jorge Cruz - December 16th

Sandra Zucker - December 19th

Julia Stewart - January 1st

Mary Queyrouze - January 10th

Curt Holleman - January 22nd

@@@

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EXHIBITS & PROGRAMS

Autumn 2007

DEGOLYER LIBRARY

Merchandise for the Millions: American Trade Catalogs
October 9-February 15, 2007

http://www.smu.edu/cul/degolyer/exhibits.htm

HAMON ARTS LIBRARY - HAWN GALLERY

Upcoming exhibition:

Leonard Stokes: Collages

January 28 through March 15, 2008

BRIDWELL LIBRARY PRESENTS:

http://www.smu.edu/bridwell/exhibits/christianwritersexhibit.htm

CONFERENCE NEWS

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Introducing Porcia Vaughn, Periodicals Office supervisor

Professional/Educational background:

I grew up in the area 30 minutes north of Santa Fe & about 30 minutes south of Taos, both in the state of New Mexico. I attend Pojoaque High School were I got my secondary education where I was actively involved in many student activities such as a student aide for the school library for over 4 years (middle school I was also involved with the high school library). I then went on to attend the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque. While attending UNM I was working on a Bachelors of Science in Biology. While going to school I worked for the College of Education Tireman Library as a Reference Assistant. I ended up moving to Texas after 2 1/2 years at UNM & end up transferring to University of Texas Arlington. While attending UTA I worked for the City of Arlington Public library first as a clerk/page & then worked my way up to Children's Reference Assistant & Young Adult reference. I also worked at Barnes & Noble as a seasonal Book Seller. I am looking forward to returning to school & continuing a career in library work.

Hobbies and interests:

I really enjoy traveling. In the last 3 years my husband & I have traveled to Bora Bora, Tahiti & Malolo, Fiji. Both those places were amazing & can't wait to go on the next adventure. We have a big list of places we want to see & it seems that the list just keeps getting longer. I also enjoy outside activities like hiking, water sports & soccer. As for readings, I enjoy reading children's books & possible may want to write a children's book, but that is still a work in progress.

Interesting facts about you:

I would say that one of the interesting things about me would be my prior occupation before coming to SMU. I worked as a 911 operator & Police, Fire, Medical dispatcher. I have handled many kinds of emergencies & non-emergencies & it has really shaped me as a person. I also worked there with my husband who is a Police Officer (Peace Officer as they are know officially in Texas). I meet him while attending UNM. I have to many stories to list but if anyone wants to hear any let me know.

Book or website you would like to recommend:

I would like to recommend a book: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams. It is a Science Fiction Comedy and part of the series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It was very much a good laugh.

STAFF RECOMMENDS:

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Book jacket summary:

The inspiring account of one man's campaign to build schools in the most dangerous, remote, and anti-American reaches of Asia

In 1993 Greg Mortenson was the exhausted survivor of a failed attempt to ascend K2, an American climbing bum wandering emaciated and lost through Pakistan's Karakoram Himalaya. After he was taken in and nursed back to health by the people of an impoverished Pakistani village, Mortenson promised to return one day and build them a school. From that rash, earnest promise grew one of the most incredible humanitarian campaigns of our time—Greg Mortenson's one-man mission to counteract extremism by building schools, especially for girls, throughout the breeding ground of the Taliban.

Award-winning journalist David Oliver Relin has collaborated on this spellbinding account of Mortenson's incredible accomplishments in a region where Americans are often feared and hated. In pursuit of his goal, Mortenson has survived kidnapping, fatwas issued by enraged mullahs, repeated death threats, and wrenching separations from his wife and children. But his success speaks for itself. At last count, his Central Asia Institute had built fifty-five schools. Three Cups of Tea is at once an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the world—one school at a time.

-Marna Morland recommends-

WEBSITES:

There is still time to write a letter to the real Santa Claus in Lapland.

http://www.santaclaus.fi/

http://www.santaclaus.fi/?deptid=14561

Make sure you use the Christmas Navigator!

LIBRARY HOURS

http://calendar.smu.edu/libraryhours.asp

CLASSIFIEDS

CONTACT NEWSLETTER EDITOR

If you have comments, suggestions, or requests about the content of the newsletter, please contact Marja Pietilainen-Rom at x83700 or mprom@mail.smu.edu

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