Library News - Top News

Lamp exhibit to light up Cabell Library

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:20:29 -0500

During the spring semester, a group of students from the Department of Interior Design and the Department of Crafts and Material Studies met in Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives to participate in a collaborative project inspired by Special Collections and Archives itself. The students worked in teams composed of two Interior Design graduate students and one Craft and Material Studies major, and each team selected a particular focus of Special Collections and Archives to serve as the catalyst for a design for a functional LED light fixture. With Cabell Library preparing for the construction of a major new building adjacent and attached to the existing structure, the teams also engaged with the vision for the new building, trying to imagine their completed light fixtures installed inside it and incorporated into the architecture.

The completed light fixtures will be on display on the first floor of Cabell Library from April 26 to May 10 for all patrons and visitors to see. An opening reception will take place on Friday, April 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the designers and to discuss the project. Both the exhibit and the opening reception will be free and open to the public.

A step up: Stairs get an update

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:46:02 -0500

For many years, visitors to Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences literally watched their step entering the building due to rough and uneven stairs.

No longer.

This spring, the stairs from the 1974 entrance addition were replaced. Over the years, the native limestone around the door and the plinths had eroded. The front steps had been patched with concrete that routinely peeled off.

With the 2013 renovation, the lower limestone panels of the building were removed and replaced with granite. The plinths bookending the steps had the exterior limestone removed before the stone masons added brick to the base and capped them with granite. The exterior steps and landing are now granite. In the vestibule, the treads were replaced with granite. New stair railings were cast and installed.

The work on the entrance is shown through photographs on Facebook.

Have your voices heard at Cabell Life Forum April 3

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:23:49 -0500

By Yusef Ariyibi
Member, Cabell Library Undergraduate Advisory Committee

As you may have heard, James Branch Cabell Library is preparing to undergo major changes. The plans for a new building have begun and many of us students are curious about what to expect. At 5 p.m., April 3 in the Multipurpose Room, 250, the Cabell Library Undergraduate Advisory Committee (CLUAC) and the VCU Student Government Association (SGA) will be co-sponsoring the 2013-2014 Cabell Life Forum.

Each year the Cabell Life Forum has been an amazing way for students and library administration to connect and discuss issues, share ideas and make suggestions. The Cabell Life Forum has covered various issues such as building hours and resources. The 24/5 library hours that we have been enjoying so much this past year came about, in part, due to discussions from prior Forums.

On April 3, Dennis Clark, the associate university librarian for public services, will be discussing the new library. This is an opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions on what you would like the new building to encompass. Cabell Library faculty want the new building to be the perfect place for VCU students to study, research and get the best learning experience possible. Your opinion is going to be taken into great consideration.

The Cabell Life Forums have always been a great experience in my past three years at VCU. If Cabell Library is like a second home to you, I would greatly recommend you come out and join this incredible discussion.

Registration Open: Digital Pragmata series for faculty and grad students

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 15:05:43 -0500

How scholars and artists share their work is changing. More and more, arts and humanities scholarship, creative activity and teaching occurs in the digital environment. VCU Libraries' new forum, "Digital Pragmata" (Digital Things) will explore these trends and techniques in modern scholarship, teaching and creative work.

"Digital pragmata flourish at the nexus of research, teaching and creativity," said John Glover, assistant professor and reference librarian for the humanities. Glover is organizing the sessions along with Kristina Keogh, assistant professor and reference librarian for the arts. Digital pragmata can be textual databases, creative visualizations of information, multimedia explorations, collaboratively annotated maps, course-related blogs and a thousand other projects. Digital objects can be wildly creative, deeply complex or simple communication tools.

"In working with faculty in various departments, we see a need to broaden the conversation about digital material," said Keogh, who is also a doctoral candidate in art history. Instructors requiring the creation of digital objects are scattered across all disciplines. "We want to bring together faculty and graduate students from a range of disciplines to learn and share ideas."

These sessions are free and open to all. Space is limited. Please register.

The March 26 and April 25 panels will be recorded and shared online.

For more information contact Glover at jglover2@vcu.edu or Keogh at keoghkm@vcu.edu.

March 26

1 to 3 p.m., followed by reception

Visualizing the Digital

Design, ideas and platforms

Edward L. Ayers, president, University of Richmond, pioneer in the digital humanities
Amanda French, THATCamp (The Humanities and Technology Camp) coordinator, Center for History and New Media, George Mason University
Emily Smith, executive director, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, curator and creator of InLight Richmond
Moderator: Roy D. McKelvey, associate professor, Department of Graphic Design, VCU, co-founder of Loop: AIGA Journal of Interactive Design Education

April 25

1 to 3 p.m., followed by a reception

Crafting Content

Creation, scholarship and organization

Ben Fino-Radin, digital conservator for Rhizome at the New Museum and manager of the Museum of Modern Art Digital Repository
Francesca Fiorani, associate professor, History of Art and Architecture, UVA, director of Leonardo da Vinci and His Treatise on Painting
Michael Poston, database applications associate, Folger Shakespeare Library
Moderator: Joshua Eckhardt, associate professor, Department of English, VCU, and founding, general co-editor of British Virginia

May 2

Noon to 2 p.m.

Funding Innovation

Avenues, resources and project support

Jessica Venable, grant analyst, Office of Research, VCU
David Holland, research and entrepreneurship specialist, School of the Arts, VCU

New "chat" service fields research questions in real time

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:40:17 -0500

Having trouble locating articles for your research project? Not sure how to focus your search? Wondering about library hours and services?

Now, you can get help in real time no matter where you are--at home or at lunch, in the campus connector bus or on the quiet floor at Cabell with your backpack, laptop and notes scattered around you.

To access chat: Go to the "Ask Us" web page and click on the chat bubble. A chat "box" will open for you to type in your question. A research librarian will help you.

Chat Hours

Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 6 - 10 p.m.

VCU Libraries has been testing the new chat service for months and it now makes its official debut. Chat, or instant messaging, is a fast track for answers. VCU Librarians also take questions by email, phone and, of course, face-to-face. Questions asked by email or left on voicemail are answered within 24 hours, except on weekends. Chat is anonymous: If you end the chat session before you're ready or get cut off, come back online.

Users are invited to give their feedback about the chat service by using chat.

Interactive exhibit asks: What books do you carry with you from childhood or youth?

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:59:22 -0500

Universities promote the reading of research papers, in-depth articles and sophisticated books of all varieties. But often books that a person reads early in life make significant impacts, too. That's the idea behind Books You Carry with You, an exhibition at James Branch Cabell Library through September.

On loan from and organized by the Richmond Public Library System and its Friends of the Library, the exhibition features some 50 Richmond leaders and their childhood book inspirations. People such as VCU President Rao, Rams Basketball Head Coach Shaka Smart, Richmond Schools Superintendent Yvonne Brandon, musician Jason Mraz and other interesting voices share the children's books that still inspire them.

Participants recall works including Shel Silverstein's "Where the Sidewalk Ends," Don Freeman's "Corduroy" and several titles by Dr. Seuss. Each poster offers a short essay about the book and how it has influenced its reader.

The VCU Libraries show seeks participation and invites everyone to share their reflections on books from childhood and youth that made lasting impressions.

How to participate in the exhibition and conversation

A dry board will be available for visitors to post titles of their favorites and note why they inspire them today.
Use the Cabell Twitter address, @VCUcabell, and the hashtag #VCUreads to tweet their thoughts.
Submit (anonymously or not) thoughts via this survey form. Library staff will post it to the board in the building.
Comment on the Cabell Facebook page.

Books You Carry with You will be on display during Library Fest on August 20, when some 1,000 new students will attend the annual VCU Libraries open house, and throughout September at James Branch Cabell Library on the Monroe Park campus, 901 Park Ave. The traveling exhibition previously was on view at Main Library and at the Children's Museum of Richmond. VCU Libraries thanks the staff and Friends of the Richmond Public Library for organizing, creating, and sharing this exhibit with the VCU community.

History of the VCU Seal

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 13:03:42 -0500

In his July update to the University community, President Michael Rao unveiled a new University seal and explained the importance of such symbols. He wrote:

"As we move into the ranks of nationally competitive universities, it is more important than ever that we communicate with one voice in a strong, compelling and consistent way that conveys our unique character and academic quality. ... Toward that end, a new university seal and brand mark have been developed and approved by the Board of Visitors. The new seal and brand mark are the result of quantitative and qualitative surveys and significant input from members of the university community, including students, faculty, staff and alumni. ... The new university seal ... reflects the unity of VCU while maintaining its grand historical significance."

A new Web page in Tompkins-McCaw Library's Special Collections and Archives section details the history of the MCV and VCU seals and institutional symbols. Research was provided by VCU Libraries' Jodi Koste and Ray Bonis. History of the Seal (Below is an early MCV symbol of science and medicine.)

VCU Libraries receives funds to save rare films of Richmond urban life and street scenes in 1920-30s

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 14:53:54 -0500

Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries has been awarded a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation to preserve select films from the Harris H. Stilson film collection. Grants were awarded to 35 projects--including preservation of a newly discovered film by composer John Cage--in 22 states. VCU is the first university in the commonwealth to receive a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation. For more information

Stilson (1868-1934) was a Richmond streetcar conductor, later a motorman, and amateur photographer and film documentarian. His films offer a rarely-seen visual record of Richmond 1929-31. Highlights of the collection are street scenes of black and white citizens, streetcars and buildings and leisure life at Byrd Park and Shields Lake.

"The Stilson work is a unique treasure," said Wesley J. Chenault, head of Special Collections and Archives at James Branch Cabell Library. "Film footage of the city is rare and our research suggests that these films are among the oldest, if not the oldest, held by any local or regional cultural institution in the commonwealth."

Adding to the historic value are provenance and documentation. The donor is the filmmaker's great-granddaughter, Kitty Snow. Recognizing the importance of this record, she has actively worked to locate and preserve Stilson's collection, which includes some 3,000 photographs and negatives that document the ordinary lives of Richmonders, including African American and Jewish communities and individuals from his streetcar routes. It also contains meticulous records - ledgers, receipts, notes - that identify who and what Stilson captured through his lenses.

Snow says her great-grandfather (at left) "was the poor man's photographer, selling pictures for 20 cents to pay for his cameras, film, and developing materials. He was also an innovative photographer, hand-coloring and even inserting a missing relative's face into a family portrait, sort of an early 'Photoshopped' picture." A selection of his images is the subject of Snow's forthcoming book "From a Richmond Streetcar." The film collection at VCU Libraries represents his only known surviving film work. VCU Libraries is working with Snow to acquire the photographs, negatives and personal papers, which will add immense historical depth and context.

The Kodacolor films in the collection will be the first to be preserved. Introduced for 16 mm film in 1928, this Kodak brand was associated with an early color process known as lenticular. After being cleaned and preserved, the films will be made available for public research and use in Special Collections and Archives at James Branch Cabell Library and online through VCU Libraries Digital Collections.

The film collection is expected to have broad research interest to scholars, students, documentarians and others interested in early 20th century urban life, Virginia and Richmond history, race relations, urban studies, architectural history and more.

Created by the U.S. Congress in 1996 to save the nation's film heritage, the National Film Preservation Foundation is affiliated with the Library of Congress's National Film Preservation Board. It awards basic preservation grants to nonprofit and public institutions for laboratory work to preserve culturally and historically significant films.

In the News: Richmond Times-Dispatch features cartoon on key anniversary

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 11:04:37 -0500

The Sunday, June 24, 2012 Richmond Times-Dispatch editorial page featured this historic cartoon. First published in June 1948 as commentary about a tense moment in the early days of the Cold War, it chronicles the start of the Berlin Blockade. Western powers squared off against the Soviets, who blocked access to rails, roads and waterways to control supply lines into Berlin. In response, Western Allies organized the Berlin Airlift to provide needed supplies to the people of West Berlin. The blockade, which started on June 24, 1948 and ended the following May, resulted in the creation of two German states and a divided Berlin.

The cartoonist Fred O. Seibel was the newspaper's editorial cartoonist for more than 40 years.

The Fred O. Seibel Papers are housed in the James Branch Cabell Library's Special Collections and Archives. The collection is part of the library's Comic Arts Collection which includes the papers of several cartoonists, a collection of comic books and a significant collection of reference materials that focus on the comic arts and its history.

The Seibel collection includes correspondence to Seibel, a complete set of his published cartoons, 34 thirty-four original Seibel cartoons and other items. More

Richmond cartoonist Chick Larsen featured in Cabell exhibit

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 12:55:39 -0500

Longtime Richmond Times-Dispatch cartoonist Chick Larsen is the subject of a small exhibition in the Fourth Floor Gallery of James Branch Cabell Library.

From 1950 to 1954, Carl E. "Chick" Larsen (1923-1991) studied commercial art at Richmond Professional Institute (RPI), the forerunner to VCU. He worked for the Richmond Times-Dispatch for more than 35 years.

He worked in the pre-digital age when X-ACTO knives and India ink were among the trade's tools. Some of those art supplies are on display along with samples of his work for various clients and his student work.

Also on view are clippings of the color comic strip he created around a newspaper delivery carrier. "Carrier-Toons" ran in newspapers nationwide from 1979-84.

The materials on view are from the Carl "Chick" Larsen Papers housed in VCU Libraries Special Collections and Archives in James Branch Cabell Library. The materials in the exhibit were donated by Larsen's family to VCU Libraries. The collection documents Larsen's career as a professional artist and contains materials ranging from Larsen's original art work to the art supplies he used during the 1950s through the 1980s. The photograph of Larsen, left, was taken in 1978.

* * *

VCU Libraries' Comic Arts Collection, housed in Special Collections and Archives at James Branch Cabell Library, consists of some 100,000 items, including more than 40,000 comic books, graphic novels, editorial cartoons, comic strips, memorabilia, comic journals, fanzines and an array of reference materials. In addition to the growing, comprehensive collections for the study of comic arts, VCU Libraries is the repository for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Archives.

Cabell Library stars in video

Wed, 02 May 2012 09:42:12 -0500

This video captures some of the energy of academic life on campus. James Branch Cabell Library is featured in this one-minute production for VCU admissions.

Libraries now loan RamBikes

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:46:01 -0500

VCU Libraries now offers bicycles for patrons to borrow for 24 hours. The bike loan program is a joint project of VCU RamBikes and VCU Goes Green.

The project is designed to make getting across campus easier and faster for students who have occasional need of two-wheel transportation.

The bicycles are Sun Atlas coasters with foot breaks and without gears.

There are four bikes available at James Branch Cabell Library and another four bikes available at Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences.

Bikes must be returned to the location where they were borrowed.
Bikes are loaned for 24 hours; patrons can renew them for an additional 24 hours using My Library Record or by calling the service desk at either library (Cabell Library 828-1111; Tompkins-McCaw Library 828-0636).
Overdue fines of $25 per day or portion of a day are assessed on bikes not returned by the date and time due.
Helmets are loaned with the bikes, and are available in small/medium and large/extra large; both are adjustable.
The seat height is also adjustable, and an Allen wrench (also known as a hex key) is available for patrons to use.
Bikes are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Patrons are required to sign a waiver of liability statement before they can check out the key to the lock securing a particular bike to the rack in front of the library building.

Numbers up for late-night use during Week No. 1

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:22:35 -0500

James Branch Cabell Library on March 18 began extended operations, opening earlier on Sundays (10 a.m. compared to 11 a.m.) and closing later on Fridays and Saturdays, at 10 p.m. rather than 6 p.m.

Students apparently welcome the change. Data from the first week of extended services shows library use that compares favorably to library use during the beginning and end of previous extended hours during exams.

          • 2010 people were in the building during the 2 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. period during the first week.
          • During a census taken Monday, March 26 at 3:45 a.m., 105 people were studying in the building, about half in the second floor Cabell Learning Commons.
          • The census on Monday showed that 10 out of 14 study rooms on the second floor were in use at 3:45 a.m.

Weekend use is also up by more than 1,000 patrons.

          • 472 patrons used the library during the new 6 to 10 p.m. Friday night hours. Previously, Cabell closed at 6 p.m.
          • 588 patrons used the library during the new 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday night hours. Previously, Cabell closed at 6 p.m.

March 30: Open access scholarly publishing workshop

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 16:08:37 -0500

Is your scholarly research only for those wealthy enough to afford the journal you publish in? How many in your local community can access your research published in expensive online journals? How many in your professional community without well-funded library access can read your work? How about your school's alumni? Would you rather have your work freely accessible to all without charge, while still published in a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal?

On Friday, March 30, from 3 to 4 p.m. VCU Libraries presents a workshop for faculty (but open to all) entitled "Open Access Scholarly Publishing for Faculty."

The workshop will be conducted by Dan Ream, VCU librarian and past president of the VCU Faculty Senate.

As journal subscription costs have increased dramatically, fewer and fewer libraries can afford every journal that is needed, including some that are considered prestigious and essential. Faculty worldwide, especially in the sciences, but also increasingly in the social sciences and humanities, have responded by creating and publishing their research in open access, peer-reviewed journals that charge no fee to their readers.

Faculty senates from Harvard to Berkeley to the University of Virginia have endorsed open access publishing for their faculty.

This one-hour session will introduce faculty to this revolution in publishing of open access, peer-reviewed journals and demonstrate how to locate them in almost any discipline, as well as discuss the potential benefits of worldwide free access to faculty research. Options for faculty retention of copyright will also be discussed.

This workshop will be held in library classroom/lab 319 on the third floor of James Branch Cabell Library. No advance registration is necessary. Address questions to Dan Ream, or call 828-6545 for more information.

Cabell open around-the-clock, 10 a.m. Sunday to 10 p.m. Friday

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:04:57 -0500

VCU Libraries will expand its around-the-clock service at James Branch Cabell Library on the Monroe Park campus March 18.

For some five years during semester-end, high-need periods, Cabell Library has expanded service hours from Sunday morning to Friday evening to better serve students.

Adding more hours of service has been the student body's No. 1 request for years.

The Office of the Provost is funding the pilot program, beginning this semester and continuing during the 2012-13 academic year to assess actual demand during these longer hours. Whether the program continues beyond the first year will depend on how it's used by students.

Cabell Library will launch the new service hours immediately after spring break: March 18. Cabell will operate without closing from 10 a.m. Sunday to 10 p.m. Friday. The library will be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays. During the summer, the hours of operation may be reduced to match the lower student enrollment during the summer months.

VCU Libraries named "Center of Excellence" for homeland security collection

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:45:12 -0500

VCU Libraries has been named a Center of Excellence for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as designated by The Association of Southeastern Research Libraries.

ASERL, which has some 40 members, represents the region's top research institutions. These members of the largest regional research library consortium in the United States work together to provide and maintain top quality resources and services for the students, faculty and citizens of their communities.

The new Center of Excellence program focuses on government materials. Wise stewardship of resources and greater access to government documents in the Southeast are the program's goals. Center of Excellence status carries with it the role of becoming a "regional expert" for that agency or subject matter. Expertise includes gathering a collection that is as complete as possible, creating access to that collection and providing service to the collection by professional staff. Expertise is also maintained through the sharing of information among partner institutions and astute professional management of the collection.

Overseeing the Homeland Security Collection at VCU is Mary Ellen Spencer, head librarian for research and instructional services at VCU Libraries' James Branch Cabell Library. An assistant professor, she has deep experience in managing government and public documents and collections in the social sciences.

"The Bush administration formed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2002 in the wake of the 9/11 attacks," Spencer said. "VCU Libraries receives all government publications associated with the agency, most of them born digital. At present, the collection includes over 3,400 titles, including The 9/11 Commission Report:."

VCU Libraries was selected to focus on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security materials because of its strong academic programs in homeland security, emergency preparedness and public health.

The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs offers a bachelor's of arts degree in homeland security and emergency preparedness. After introducing the B.A. in 2005, the school added a graduate certificate program and a master's program in 2007.
The Department of Epidemiology and Community Health offers two tracks in its master of public health program, one focusing on public health practice and one focusing on epidemiology. Graduates are prepared to work on multi-disciplinary teams in government agencies at the state, federal and international levels or in service arms of private sectors.
The Wilder School also houses the National Homeland Security Project, which researches policy and management related to security and preparedness, including assessing Virginia programs.
VCU is also uniquely situated geographically--in the military and intelligence crescent from the CIA in Langley to Arlington's Pentagon to Newport News' shipbuilding operations to Virginia Beach's massive naval installations. Located in the state capital, in a city that houses the Fifth District Federal Reserve and located just 100 miles south of Washington, VCU's central location offers students and faculty easy access to homeland security institutions and professionals.

ASERL's Centers of Excellence program is funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. For more information, please contact Mary Ellen Spencer at mespencer@vcu.edu.

Donna Coghill to receive 2012 Burnside Watstein Award

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:56:18 -0500

Librarian Donna E. Coghill, an advocate for diversity initiatives in the university and Richmond communities, is a 2012 recipient of the Burnside Watstein LGBT Award.

The award is given annually by the LGBT Subcommitee of VCU's Equity and Diversity Committee to one or more individuals who enrich the community at VCU and make a significant difference in the lives of LGBT faculty, staff and students. In addition to Coghill, graduate student Morgan Krug and Dorothy Fillmore, associate director of academic operations for the department of psychology, also will be honored at a public ceremony March 29 at 3:30 p.m. at the Scott House, 909 W. Franklin St.

"In recognizing Donna, the committee has chosen one of VCU's most energetic, dedicated, and creative supporters of the LGBT community," said University Librarian John E. Ulmschneider in his announcement of Coghill's honor to VCU Libraries staff and faculty.

He wrote: "Donna long has been an inspired voice for equality and diversity at VCU, and has been unstinting of her time and energy in her work on a broad range of activities in support of the LGBT community. She has been a long-term member of the Provost's Equity and Diversity Committee and its LGBT Subcommittee, serving as its first secretary and also as co-chair. Her focused and principled work ethic has been a driving engine for many of the subcommittee's initiatives and accomplishments, from the ice cream socials and the Safe Zone Training Program to Pridefest and more. Her exceptional interpersonal skills have brought together scores of students, faculty, and staff to support the LGBT community in myriad ways, all the while with a freshness of spirit and engagement that has inspired even more members of the VCU and broader community to lend their support."

As VCU Libraries' First Year Student Programs Librarian, Coghill has broad responsibilities for helping new students learn research practices and making them feel welcome and confident in library and class settings. She teaches library classes and works closely with projects that orient and support new students.

As a double alumna, she has close ties to VCU. She holds a B.F.A. in theater and a M.F.A. in directing. She has served in varied positions at VCU Libraries. Previously, she worked in arts education. She is active in Richmond theater.

This honor for Coghill has special cachet for VCU Libraries. The award was named in part for Sarah Barbara Watstein, who is the University Librarian at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Previously, she was Associate University Librarian at VCU. The award is also named for Chris Burnside, choreographer, performer and a former dance professor. Burnside worked with Special Collections and Archives at Cabell Library to deposit an exceptional collection of videos, papers and other materials documenting his influential work in dance.

Said Ulmschneider: "Together, Chris and Sarah earned the lasting esteem and respect of their colleagues throughout the university in their steadfast pursuit of fairness and equity for all members of the VCU community. The distinguished heritage of the Burnside Watstein Award makes this recognition of our library colleague especially meaningful for all of us in the VCU Libraries."

Coghill's cv
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