Friends of the Van Pelt Library, Michigan Technological University

Volume 1, Number 1, March 1996

Contents

From the Chairman of the Board
Annual Meeting
Tech Tea
Afghan Fund-Raiser
The Sometimes Annual Book Sale
Membership
Have some ideas?

From the Chairman of the Board

Faith A. Morrison

I'm delighted to be introducing you to the Friends of the Van Pelt Library (FVPL) through this, our first newsletter. As a member of the Michigan Tech faculty and a bibliophile, I know that libraries are an important part of any academic institution, and they are key community resources as well. In this first newsletter I would like to put down my thoughts on why the Van Pelt Library needs a Friends group and what we can do together to maintain and improve this important resource.

The traditional role of the library in a community is to collect and manage information for use by citizens. The book buildings which we know as libraries have been important in community life as a source of needed information in the form of books and other media, but they have also provided expertise on the retrieval of informaiton in the persons of librarians and library staff. In the 20th and 21st centuries the mode of storage and retrieval of information is changing, but the need for accurate and accessible informaiton has, if anything, grown. The role of libraries will continue to be to make all manner of information accessible to the public and to educate library users on locating and managing information.

The academic library has had, by its very nature, and additional mission which is to support the intellectual pursuits of students and faculty at the university. This goal influences the personality of an academic library, but the overall mission is the same as for a community library -- to collect and manage information for use by a constituency.

The J. Robert Van Pelt Library functions in the dual role as academic library for Michigan Technological University and as a community library. Due to the remoteness of the Kewwnaw, the Van Pelt Library forms a critical link in the information chain for the extended community of the western Upper Peninsula. We all have a stake in maintaining the vitality of this library.

To support the Van Pelt Library, the FVPL has been formed. The next question to ask is, "So, where do we go from here?" The Board of Directors has been addressing that question, and you will find some of our answers in this newsletter. We have an ambitious list of planned activities, and we need your help and participation. Read on to see what the Friends have in store for you. To get involved and to contribute your ideas to the Friends of the Van Pelt Library, call me at 906-487-2050 or contact any Board members. Thank you again for becoming a Friend.

Annual Meeting

The first annual meeting of the Friends of the Van Pelt Library was held on November 30, 1995, at the home of Curt and Kathy Tompkins. Harley Sachs read his story "David's Tree," from his recently published collection of short stories, Threads of the Covenant. This collection contains many stories related to growing up Jewish in small-town America. The story was very well received by the Friends in attendance. Business transiacted at that meeting included the adoption of the by-laws for the Friends and the election of the first Board of Directors. The membership of the Board is listed below, followed by the year in which each board member's term expires. At the first meeting of the Friends Board, officers were elected as indicated below:

Nancy Fisher (1997), Treasurer
June Hawthorne (1997), vice Chairman
Kim Hoagland (1999)
George Love (1997)
Faith Morrison (1996), Chairman
Betzabe Praeger (1998) Terry Reynolds (1997)
Peter Van Pelt (1998)
Edward Yarbrough (1996), Secretary
Raymond Yarbrough (1998)
Phyllis Johnson, University Librarian, ex officio
Fred Dobney, Provost, Michigan Tech, ex officio
Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of the by-laws is asked to contact Faith Morrison (906-487-2050 or fmorriso@mtu.edu).

Tech Tea

The Friends of the Van Pelt Library invite you to attend Tech Tea on Wednesday, March 27, 1996, from 4:00 to 5:00 pm in the Alumni Lounge at the Memorial Union Building, Michigan Technological University, for a program on "The Future of the University Library." The speaker will be Dr. Don Riggs, who is Dean of the University Libraries at the University of Michigan. A discussion panel will consist of faculty from Michigan Tech and the Michigan Tech University Librarian, Phyllis Johnson. Com, bring your questions, and learn what the Michigan Tech Library may be like in 2020 and beyond. Refreshments will be served.

Afghan Fund-Raiser

the Friends Board has approved the development and design of the first MTU afghan. This custom-made, 100% cotton, woven afghan will be a generous 48 inches by 65 inches and is machine-washable. The afghan will feature four old and four new buildings from the MTU campus, woven in Williamsburg blue and navy on a cream background. The afghan will also be accented by the four logos that MTU has had over its 110 year history. We expect delivery of the inital 200 MTU afghans by May, 1996, in time for graduation. To reserve your afghan, please call Nancy Fisher, 906-296-9141, or write to: 
Friends of the Van Pelt Library
J. Robert Van Pelt Library
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, MI  49931

The Sometimes Annual Book Sale

The spring book sale, otherwise known as the Sometimes Annual Book Sale, will be held in the Michigan Tech University Memorial Union Building, ballroom A on Thursday, April 11, from 8 am -- 5 pm. On Wednesday, April 10 from 5-7 pm, a pre-sale will be held, open only to members of the Friends of the Van Pelt Library.

The Library staff will be assisted this year in this important fund-raiser by the Friends of the Van Pelt Library. To volunteer, please call Faith Morrison (906-487-2050). The Friends Book Sale Committee is soliciting books for the sale and providing posters and other materials for the event. If you have books you would like to donate to the library, please call Library Assistant Bob Marr at 906-487-2899. All proceeds of the book sale benefit the Van Pelt Library.

Membership

Not yet a member? To join the Friends of the Van Pelt Library, simply remit your tax-deductible contribution to the Friends at: 
Friends of the Van Pelt Library
J. Robert Van Pelt Library
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, MI  49931
There are several membership categories:
Student $10
Senior Citizen $10
Individual $15
Family $25
Patron $50
Benefactor $100
Book Sponsor $250
Corporate $1000
Please make checks payable to the Michigan Tech Fund -- FVPL. All contributions are Federal tax deductible. Michigan residents benefit, in addition, from the Michigan Tax Credit. The allowable credit is 50% of the gift but may not exceed $200 for a joint return and $100 for a single return.

Have some ideas?

The Friends welcome all suggestions, ideas, help, comments, and contribution. We need active participants and enthusiastic library supporters. To find out more about the Friends of the Van Pelt Library, please contact Faith Morrison, 906-487-2050, by email at fmorriso@mtu.edu, or write to the Friends at: 
Friends of the Van Pelt Library
J. Robert Van Pelt Library
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, MI  49931


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