Fogler Library Friends - The OliveTree

VOLUME 17 NUMBER 2, FALL 2009

Message from Library Dean Joyce Rumery

The beautiful fall semester at the University has begun with the changing leaves and cooler days. Once again we welcome both our new and returning students to a successful academic year. We began the year with Maine Hello day early in September and in the library we saw the students immediately using the resources and services we provide. I expect a fulfilling and exciting semester for both the library staff and the university community. While each year brings challenges we hope to take advantage of all opportunities to make the Library a great resource for all of our users.

As part of our goal to respond to user needs, we are continuing our dialogue with our students via flip charts where they can write their ideas or comments regarding the Library. This has opened up another way for us to communicate with the students and a way for us to make the services and library spaces work better for them. As a result of the comments we have received we have added power strips to each floor so that they can more effectively use their laptops. We reconfigured the first floor and provided a casual reading area, complete with rocking and easy chairs. We combined the departments of the Media Resource Center and Circulation – this created a one-stop service site for the students where they can find all of their reserve materials, check out a laptop, watch a movie, and still get the help they need to locate books and other materials in the building. This change also meant that we could create another study area on the second floor, which is now heavily used. We plan to continue this dialogue and to respond to the needs of the students throughout the year.

Our scanning projects have continued with the Maine Town Reports and books on the Wabanaki. We are now moving to the next project, the Agricultural Experiment Station reports. This work provides public access to resources that would not otherwise be available to many users and we feel these projects help showcase the riches of the collections at Fogler and in the State.

We would love to have you visit us and see for yourself the changes we have made and the services and resources we offer the students. Please let us know if you are planning to visit and I would be pleased to give you a tour of the library so you can meet the staff and see the changes we have made. I hope you are pleased with what we are doing and you will continue to support us into the future. Thank you for your support.

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