From the Dean's Desk
Friends of the Library,
As an ally and a leader at IUPUI, I want to affirm my personal, and our organizational dedication to equity and valuing diversity. I know I am not alone in despondence over the killing of George Floyd and the too numerous to count Black and Brown lives that have been taken by similar means for decades. I take to heart that we are a part of an organization that does not ignore these issues because they are hard.
As a University Library community, we have made diversity one of our core Values:
We acknowledge that systemic, detrimental bias against individuals from underrepresented groups exists. We are intentional in embracing diversity and eradicating human value disparity through our teaching endeavors, content provision, daily interactions with colleagues and communities served, as well as our hiring and retention efforts, training and professional development.
As a University Library community, we have made equity a Strategic Priority:
We are dedicated to: recognizing and addressing bias and structural inequalities, working towards equity of access to information for all individuals, and valuing the diversity of human experience. This dedication is purposefully embedded in our organizational culture, daily operations, structures, teaching methods, hiring and retention practices, collection development, and daily operations.
I also recognize that making statements is not enough. Eradicating systemic inequality requires daily effort on all our parts and I am proud to be a part of a supportive organization made of individuals that have committed to this daily pursuit.
The University Library Diversity Council met recently to define additional steps that we will take as an organization in support of anti-racism including: an internal, reflective review of our various policies and procedures, seeking to root out unintentional bias in our systems; and an enhancement of our open scholarship, open digital collections, and open data repositories with equity, diversity, and inclusion content as a focus.
We are also working on the University Library’s reopening plan as Fall approaches and some students return to campus. IUPUI will have a mix of in person and online courses through the beginning of February and then move entirely online for a newly developed Winter term. The University Library will continue to support the campus and community with open, but limited hours and services for the Fall semester. I encourage you to take a look at IU’s Restart Committee Recommendations Report as well as IUPUI’s Return to Campus Plan.
In solidarity,
Kristi L. Palmer
Herbert Simon Dean of IUPUI University Library
Covid-19
As of now, University Library is planning to re-open to students, faculty, staff, and the public on Monday, August 3rd. For information on what to expect when we re-open such as our new hours, available services, and safety precautions, please visit the IUPUI University Library Coronavirus website.
Campus Campaign Kickoff
We welcomed a special guest to our 2020 Campus Campaign Kickoff – Chancellor Nasser Paydar! University Library was one of six stops on the Chancellor’s tour of Campus Campaign Kickoffs. Attendees were treated to breakfast and an inspiring talk from the Chancellor about the importance of supporting the Campus Campaign. Look at this photo from the event and see how many Jaguar spots you can spot.
Faculty and Staff Recognition
Our Library has some pretty awesome faculty & staff members that are constantly serving as leaders, not just at University Library, but also in the overall academic library world. Please help us celebrate recent accomplishments by our some of our beloved faculty & staff members.
- Willie Miller has been promoted from the Informatics/Journalism Librarian to the Associate Dean for Communications & Technology.
- Gemmicka Piper (Humanities Librarian) was recognized at the inaugural Celebration of Teaching and Engaged Learning for her participation in the 2018-2019 ACUE Course on Effective Teaching Practices. This event recognized faculty and staff who have participated in sustained professional development during the 2018-2019 academic year that resulted in a change to a course or experience that increased student engagement, learning, and success. Their efforts have had an important and meaningful impact in elevating the importance of effective teaching and student engagement at IUPUI. Gemmicka has also been accepted into the Harvard School of Law’s CopyrightX 2020 Libraries course and will be an adjunct professor in the IUPUI School of Liberal Arts Africana Studies program.
- Rachel Hinrichs (Health Sciences Librarian) has been awarded a DART (Data Analytics Training) Fellowship, funded by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. The DART Fellowship is a 6-week cohort training and development program, providing a guided pathway for information professionals to acquire data literacy skills using common methodologies applied towards public health efforts.
- Mahasin Ameen has been promoted from Visiting Librarian to a permanent, tenure-track position with the title of Teaching & Learning Librarian. Mahasin will be a liaison to the following schools: Social Work; Tourism, Event & Sport Management; Journalism; Informatics.
- Jenny Johnson has been promoted from Interim Co-Director of the Center for Digital Scholarship to the Innovative Technologies Outreach Librarian.
- Ted Polley (Liberal Arts Librarian) has accepted the role as Director of the Center for Digital Scholarship.
- The IUPUI Office for Women and the Division of Student Affairs announced Kindra Orr (Assistant Dean for Administration) as an Outstanding IUPUI Woman Leader in the “Veteran Staff” category for the 2020 Women’s History Month Leadership Awards.
- Caitlin Pike (Health Studies Librarian) & Rachel Hinrichs (Health Sciences Librarian) are partnering with other librarians, The Indiana Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the Family and Social Services Administration of Indiana to create a COVID-19 Evidence Based Rapid Response Team. The team will help answer COVID-19 related questions from state leaders and health care professionals. For more information, click here.
- Sara Lowe (Associate Dean for Educational Services) has achieved tenure.
Saying Goodbye to Glenda Armstrong
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of recently-retired University Library staff member Glenda Armstrong. With nearly 50 years of service at the Library, Glenda was our longest serving employee. Her warmth and knowledge made her one of the most treasured gems at University Library. To learn more about Glenda’s storied life or to share your memories of her, visit the Glenda Armstrong Remembrance page.
In her honor, we have created the “Glenda Armstrong Community Contributor Award”. This award will be given to University Library employees who exemplify the same qualities that Glenda demonstrated, including:
- A caring disposition towards colleagues and library users.
- A strong work ethic through collaboration and cooperative problem-solving.
- Serves as an inspiration to colleagues to work hard for the benefit of the library organization and its users.
- Demonstrates commitment to their work through attention to detail, effective follow through, and reflective daily practice.
- Uses their voice to speak up about problems and potential process improvements, while supporting the concerns of colleagues.
- Embodies qualities reminiscent of Glenda’s authentic and supportive professional stance.
The inaugural winners, who were announced earlier this year, are Jennifer James and Kevin Petsche. Congratulations!
An Exhibit Highlighting African American Academic Surgeons
We at University Library are proud to be one of several IUPUI campus buildings that displayed a nationally traveling exhibit, highlighting past and present African American academic surgeons. Several of the featured surgeons have ties to the IU School of Medicine. Learn more about the exhibit, titled “Opening Doors: Contemporary African American Academic Surgeons” in this feature story.
All of Us Ambassador Award
In our last issue, we reported that University Library was a recipient of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine’s All of Us Ambassador Award, which will allow us to support the consumer health needs of Indianapolis residents. We are happy to report that the following programming has occurred thus far in regards to the grant:
- Staff members created 150 care bags for our homeless patrons, consisting of: socks, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, etc.
- Implemented community information table events
- Hosted public discussions about childhood obesity and healthy aging
We look forward to providing more programming in the near future.
TSW Utility Solutions, Inc.
The Library is excited to announce our new partnership with TSW Utility Solutions Inc. TSW is now the sponsor of our annual Herron School of Art and Design student atrium sculpture competition. Thanks to community board member John Trypus for facilitating this relationship.
Library Cards for Residents
Residents of the State of Indiana aged 18 years or older can get an IUPUI University Library Borrower’s Card if they visit our Reference Desk to complete an Indiana Resident Library Card/User Agreement and provide a photo ID and proof of current address.
Would you Like to Make a Gift?
If you are interested in making a gift to University Library, contact Cortnee Yarbrough (Director of Development) at (317) 274-8061 or cortnee@iupui.edu. You can also visit our Make A Gift page for additional information.
Historical Wisecrackers
Historical Wisecrackers, put on by the IUPUI University Library Special Collections and Archives Department, is a chance to attach your funny captions to some of our favorite silly IUPUI photos from our huge collection. Each month, the funniest caption (as judged by the expert judges in Special Collections and Archives) wins a fabulous prize! Click here to add your caption to this month’s photo and review previous months.