A $40,000 grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will enable the West Virginia University Libraries, in collaboration with the Huntington Museum of Art, to help the state’s libraries, art and historical museums, and cultural heritage institutions identify their constraints and needs in caring for their collections.

“We need to be sure that future generations are able to see and use collections that are important to our history,” said Frances O’Brien, Dean of the WVU Libraries. “This planning grant will be the first step in identifying the preservation needs in West Virginia, and working toward the right kinds of care.”

The WVU Libraries and the Huntington Museum of Art will work closely with consultants from LYRASIS and the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA). LYRASIS is the nation’s largest regional membership organization for libraries and information professionals. CCAHA is the largest non-profit conservation and preservation facility in the nation.

The first stage of the project involves conducting a statewide survey of libraries, art and historical museums, and cultural heritage institutions to determine the state of collections care and preservation planning. Assisting in the process will be Tom Clareson, Senior Consultant for New Initiatives at LYRASIS and Project Manager for the grant, and Ingrid E. Bogel, Executive Director of CCAHA.

Next, a statewide focus group composed of representatives from archives, academic and public libraries, art museums and history museums, and historic sites will work together to gain further information about the needs of the collecting community.

In the final stage, Clareson and Bogel will use the findings to produce a comprehensive preservation plan.

“The partnership between WVU Libraries and the Huntington Museum of Art puts this effort on stable ground and the consortium of institutions across the state that has been created will ensure good solid information for the survey,” said Margaret Mary Layne, HMA Executive Director. “By working together on this project, we can create an environment where the treasures that are held dear by West Virginia will be cared for and available for generations to come.”

Preservation is a concern nationwide. Layne cited an IMLS study that estimates that more than 190 million cultural objects throughout the United States are at risk. In addition, the Heritage Health Index survey found that 80 of museums, archives, and libraries lack an emergency plan for their collections.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: www.imls.gov.

For more information about the project, a video is available: www.imls.gov/collections/about/video.htm

The Information Literacy Course Enhancement Program, a collaborative effort between the Libraries and the Provost’s Office, is focused on fulfilling the University’s 2010 Plan for information literacy to become a curriculum component across all disciplines.

“We have learned a great deal this year about designing discipline-specific lessons that address critical research components through active learning,” said Carroll Wilkinson, WVU Libraries’ Director of Instruction and Information Literacy. “I look forward to sharing our learning with the next group of participants in this program.”

This year’s participants are Dr. Brian Ballentine, assistant professor of English, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Louis McDonald, associate professor of plant and soil sciences, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design; Beth Nardella, instructor of exercise physiology, the Human Performance and Applied Exercise Science Department, School of Medicine; Dr. Melissa Olfert, assistant professor of human nutrition, Davis College; Dr. Kate Staples, assistant professor of history, Eberly College of Arts & Sciences; and Dr. Barbara Douglas, senior lecturer, nursing, WVU Institute of Technology.

They were chosen from among a field of applicants who submitted detailed plans for integrating information literacy into their classrooms.

Participants will work with Wilkinson and their librarian liaison to create discipline-specific active learning assignments that incorporate information literacy concepts. They will each earn a $3,000 stipend or, if a 12-month faculty member, other relevant professional remuneration.

This year’s librarian liaisons are Susan Arnold, Kevin Fredette, Grace Gmeindl, Noel Kopriva, Jessica Tapia, and, from WVU IT, Jewel Rucker.

Expectations are for the faculty to begin teaching the revised courses during the fall 2010 or spring 2011 semester and to take part in a Showcase of Information Literacy Learning Progress Forum during the 2011 academic year.

Courses to be enhanced include Exercise Physiology- ExPh 370 -Writing for Exercise Science (fall 2010 and spring 2011 course); History-HIST 346-Women, Family, and Gender in Premodern Europe; (fall 2010 course); Human Nutrition-Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences HNF 610-Nutrition and Fitness (fall 2010 course); Plant and Soil Sciences-AGRN 410-Soil Fertility (fall 2010 course); English-ENGL 303-Multimedia Writing (spring 2011 course); and WVU IT Nursing-NURS 442-Advanced Clinical Problem Solving (spring 2011 course).

Last year, five faculty members and five librarians participated in the program. Course enhancement grants will be offered again in the spring of 2011.

The Libraries will be open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday. The Finals Week operating schedule begins at 9 a.m. Sunday, and the Libraries will remain open until 8 pm. Friday, May 7.

For Dead Week, the Health Sciences Library will be open from 8 a.m.-midnight through Friday and from 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday. The Library will be open until 1 a.m. May 2-6.

OETDA President Angie McCutcheon praised Hagen for sharing his expertise in the field and for providing guidance in establishing the statewide organization.

“John’s in-depth knowledge of ETDs has been highly valuable to the Ohio ETD Association,” said OETDA President Angie McCutcheon. “John has been instrumental in assisting the Ohio ETD Association in getting started and in supporting the selection of topics that have been appropriate for our conferences for four years.”

Hagen began working with McCutcheon about five years ago. He offered his experience with ETDs at WVU and as a board member of the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD), an international consortium which promotes ETD program implementation and adoption of standards worldwide.

Hagen brought resources and direction that helped to smooth the process as the Ohio group implemented their program. He assisted them with the technical concerns of establishing an ETD program and provided insight in dealing with political and personality issues that often arise. Hagen has also delivered presentations at OETDA annual conferences.

“It’s a wonderful recognition and honor for my efforts in the past and will certainly make me much more enthusiastic to continue my involvement with ETDs on all levels,” Hagen said.

The WVU Libraries are in the second week of a national study, conducted by Project Information Literacy (PIL), to learn how college students conduct research in the digital age.

Last week, PIL sent an invitation to participate in a Web-based survey to 10,000 randomly selected WVU sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The survey, which takes 10-15 minutes to complete, consists of 22 questions that focus on how students find, evaluate, and integrate research sources used for course-related and everyday life research.

Molly Wilson, an Honor College junior with a triple major in Philosophy, Economics, and Women’s Studies, is trying to encourage her peers to set aside a few minutes to respond to the survey. Her name is on the survey invitation.

“I think the survey is really important, especially for a student who has a research-intensive major,” Wilson said. “It’s going to help the librarians tailor their services to students.”

Participants can reply through April 20. All respondents will have their names entered into a drawing for a $150 Amazon.com gift card.

PIL hopes to receive a sample of respondents from more than 30 colleges and universities across the nation. For an overview of the national project, visit http://projectinfolit.org/. PIL, funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is based at the University of Washington and is in its third and final year.

For questions or more information about WVU’s involvement in this study, contact Carroll Wilkinson, Director of Information Literacy for the Libraries: carroll.wilkinson@mail.wvu.edu.

The award, presented biannually, recognizes a faculty librarian who has made exceptional contributions toward the delivery, development, or expansion of library services or special programs for the constituencies of WVU.

“Linda exemplifies the very best in traditional librarianship while remaining alert to new technologies and trends,” said Penny Pugh, Head of the WVU Downtown Library Reference Department. “Linda possesses a breadth of vision, coupled with a keen analytical mind, and she is extraordinarily productive.”

The Faculty Assembly recognized Blake for her tireless work managing the libraries’ electronic journals collection, her work as a bibliographer for numerous science departments, her commitment to teaching, and her dedication to the profession. Blake’s leadership has significantly improved access to the Libraries’ ever-expanding electronic journal collection.

She was instrumental in the Libraries purchase of a management system that allows usage tracking and better content linking. Blake’s sustained collaboration with faculty in Geology and Geography, Biology, and Chemistry has become a model for instruction of information literacy and research skills.

In 2009, she collaborated with Associate Professor Tim Warner of Geology and Geography when he was awarded a grant to improve his course Introduction to Remote Sensing by developing a module on information literacy. Dr. Warner credits Blake’s work on the course for improving students’ research habits and the overall quality of their research papers.

Faculty members from the departments of Geology and Geography, Chemistry, Physics, Math, and Biology praise Blake’s efforts as a department liaison and instructor. Associate Professor of Chemistry George O’Doherty wrote that her collection development work has “truly expanded our department’s access to the chemical literature. There is no doubt in my mind that these efforts by Linda have made us a better chemistry teaching and research university.”

Geography Professor Gregory A. Elmes wrote: “Linda has helped us manage our limited budget to maximum effect for library acquisitions.”

Donna Ford-Werntz, Associate Professor of Biology, wrote: “She is genuinely concerned that all learn to make best use of the library resources for their research projects…. She goes beyond expectations in reaching out to educate and serve her constituents.”

Blake has also been quite active off campus. Through her work with the West Virginia Library Association and American Library Association, she has also done much to promote libraries in the region and nation. She has been an active member of the state association since 1984 and recently competed a several year term as the West Virginia Councilor to the American Library Association.

Blake came to the WVU Libraries in 1997. Previously to her current position, she managed the library at the NASA facility in Fairmont. She received her bachelor’s of arts in English and library science from Glenville State College and her master’s of library science from the University of Kentucky.

The Libraries will hold a reception to honor Blake in June.