Book Sale Scheduled for April 9& 10

by Faith Morrison, Newsletter Editor

It's that time! Time for the Annual Book sale! The annual Friends of the Library Book Sale will take place this year on Wednesday, April 10, 2002 with a special pre-sale for members of the Friends on April 9. The presale will be from 5pm-7pm on Tuesday, April 9, and the sale will be 10am-4:30pm on April 10. From 3:30-4:30pm on April 10 will be our "bag sale", when we sell books at the bargain price of only two dollars for a full grocery bag. The book sale is brought to the local community by the Friends with substantial help from Tau Beta Pi and the Society of Intellectual Sisters.

The Friends Book Sale is a popular event that raises hundreds of dollars every year for the Library. Please come out and support this sale. If you have any books to donate to the sale, please bring them to the Van Pelt Library (either drop in the orange drop box in the foyer or bring to the circulation desk), or give us a call and we'll come and pick them up. Any quantity of books accepted! We also accept videos, CDs, and software, but no magazines. To arrange a pick up, please call Dana Richter (906-487-2149; dlrichte@mtu.edu) or Terry Reynolds (906-487-2113, treynold@mtu.edu.)

Not sure if you're a member in good standing? Soon we will post a listing of Friends on the web at http://www.chem.mtu.edu/~fmorriso/fvpl/members.htm. Or just come to the pre-sale and we will have a list of members there. If you are not a member, it is only $15 to join at the pre-sale, a bargain considering you will then have Friends-First access to the books at the book sale.

State Gives MTU $25 Million for CILIT - Includes Library Expansion and Renovation

by MTU News Service and Faith Morrison

Governor John Engler has approved a $25 million outlay for Michigan Tech to proceed with the Center for Integrated Learning and Information Technology. The complex will be completed in two phases: The initial grant will focus on improvements to the Van Pelt Library and the Department of Computer Science; additional funds will be sought for improvements to the Department of Physics and Mathematical Sciences, along with a connecting structure between Fisher Hall, the library, and Wadsworth Hall. Two alumni have contributed $5 million each toward the project, John '61 and Ruanne Opie, who indicated their support for a Library project, and Kanwal '69 and Ann Rekhi, who specified their donation to go towards a computer science project. Construction is expected to begin in 2003, with Phase 1 completed in 2005.

Planning Underway for CILIT (Library Expansion and Renovation)

by Phyllis Johnson, University Librarian

In December 2000, MTU received permission from the state to plan for a project to create an integrated learning facility costing $25 million in state money. The University has received an additional $10 million from private donors: $5 million to be used for the library and $5 million for computer science. The CILIT Committee that has been involved since 1999 in writing the program plan for the project selected the architectural firm SmithGroup to create schematics that will go to the State for the permission-to-build request.

The detailed planning process has begun. The architects from SmithGroup, technology consultants from Idea Reserve, and a library consultant from Northern Lights, Inc. first met with library staff, faculty from computer science, the CILIT steering committee, and students for three days in January 2002. The architects and consultants came back to campus in February for another three days at which time they had preliminary sketches to share with the MTU community. They carefully listened to comments, suggestions for changes, dreams, etc., and went away to plan some more. In March the architects and consultants came to campus again. They had more refined sketches that were shared with the campus at an open forum. They also met with library staff, computer science faculty, the steering committee, and students - again seeking input. As the plans move closer to completion those involved in the planning get more excited about the new and renovated space.

Key ideas in the current CILIT plans are that the Center will present a new face to the University along US 41. The space will be user-friendly, inviting, and awe-inspiring. SmithGroup and the consultants will be back on campus April 16, 17, and 18 to share what will become the final schematics. At the end of April the drawings of what the new Center for Integrated Learning and Information Technology will look like will go to the State with the formal request for the $25 million to build the project. We have high hopes.

New computers, partially funded by the Econo Foods program, get heavy use in the Van Pelt Library

Econo Foods Receipts

Through its Computers for Kids program Econo Foods donates 1% of the sum of all Econo receipts collected by the Friends. These funds are used to pay for computer systems in the Library. In 2000 the Friends of the Van Pelt Library collected Econo

receipts that totaled $30,361.11. As a result, Econo Foods donated 1% of that total, or $303.61, to the Friends. In 2001 the Friends collected receipts totaling $43,176 and received a donation of $431.76, representing a 42% increase over the previous year. Many thanks to those who participated last year, and a big "keep it up" to all collecting receipts for 2002.

Want to help? Please collect your receipts from Econo Foods and send them to us. Econo will accept only receipts dated Sept. 1, 2001, through June 30, 2002. We will take care of getting them to Econo. Please send your receipts by intercampus mail to either Udaya Kalluri (Forestry) or Faith Morrison (Chemical Engineering). Want to help more? Put out a collection box in your area and encourage your coworkers to bring in their receipts for our Library. There are drop boxes in the chemical engineering office (203 Chem Sci), the chemistry office (607 Chem Sci), at the Library circulation desk, in the coffee Room on the 2nd floor of the admin building, and in the basement of the EERC. Every little bit helps.

The 2000 and 2001 Econo Foods donations were used to help fund the purchase of 8 new computers for the first floor of the Van Pelt Library. The computers and new computer furniture funded by the Friends were available for use at the end of November 2001. The additional computers help ensure that students will have quick access to library resources. Thank you Econo Foods! Thanks to everyone who is collecting receipts for the Friends.

New Friends Lounge provides convenient and comfortable seating on the Library's first floor. Funding for the lounge was provided by the Friends.

Library Friend passes away

On November 23, 2001 Joseph A. Romig, Professor Emeritus of Michigan Technological University, died peacefully in Superior, Wisconsin, according to a report in the Houghton Daily Mining Gazette (DMG 11/27/01). Professor Romig was a book lover and a friend of the Van Pelt Library. Professor Romig received his LLB (Bachelor of Laws) from the University of Pennsylvania and his LLM (Master of Laws) from the University of Wisconsin and taught at Syracuse and Ohio Universities before coming to MTU. At MTU Professor Romig served as Professor, Secretary to the Board of Control, Assistant to the President, and Vice-President of Academic Affairs. A memorial service was held December 1, 2001 at the Portage Lake United Church, and memorials were specified to be sent to the Michigan Tech Fund for the J. Robert Van Pelt Library.

Annual meeting held

by Amy Hughes and Faith Morrison

The Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Van Pelt Library was held on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2001 5-6 p.m. in the newly opened Friends Lounge on the first floor of the J. Robert Van Pelt Library. Dean of Sciences and Arts Max Seel gave a presentation on plans for the new library and Fisher additions called the Center for Integrated Learning and Information Technology, CILIT. Board members provided homemade refreshments.

At the business meeting board chairman Dee Vincent introduced the members of the board who were present, and thanked former board member Erin Minne for her service to the Friends. Dee Vincent also made the following comments: "In this last year, the friends have made significant gifts to the library. Where we are now, the Friends Lounge, has been in the works for a couple of years and has finally been completed (even has a cappuccino machine). It has been a great asset for the students. We have also given money to purchase new computer furniture. The Friends also fund two archival grant programs. One is a travel fellowship for researchers and the other is a local history grant program. We also fund the rental of the Library Popular Collection and fund the paperback collection. Thanks to Friends members and supporters, we could not have done it without you!"

Vincent also reported that the 2001 Annual Friends Book Sale netted $2644, the Book Cart made $800, and the Computers for Kids donation from Econo Food receipts brought in $431.

Elections were also conducted at the Annual Meeting. Board member Peck Cho was re-elected to the Board of the Friends. New board member Gail Mroz was also elected. Board officers were chosen, and the following individuals will serve:

Chair Dee Vincent
Vice Chair Karen Hubbard
Secretary Amy Hughes
Treasurer Terry Reynolds
Newsletter Faith Morrison

MTU Archives Announces Research Travel Awards

by Erik Nordberg, University Archivist

The MTU Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections has announced the recipients of its 2002 Research Travel Award program. The program is designed to provide support for travel, food, and lodging to carry out research using the collections of the MTU Archives. The Friends of the Van Pelt Library provide financial support for the travel award program.

The first of this year’s two $600 awards will be presented to Dag Avango, a doctoral student in the Department of History and of Science and Technology at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. The award will support his research into the development of the Swedish coal mining industry in Svalbard, an arctic archipelago of islands above Scandinavia.

Also known as Spitsbergen, the Svalbard archipelago contained economic reserves of coal that proved increasingly strategic during the early Twentieth Century. The region’s inhospitable climate and competing claims of ownership presented a complex puzzle for mineral extraction. Avango’s research will examine records at the MTU Archives pertaining to the Arctic Coal Company, a successful American venture funded by John Munroe Longyear of Marquette and other Michigan capitalists.

The second of this year’s awards is to be presented to Aaron Shapiro, a doctoral candidate in the Department of History at the University of Chicago. The travel grant will support Shapiro’s research into the development of vacationing and tourism in the Upper Midwest from World War one to the 1950s.

During the early part of the Twentieth Century vacationing developed as a mass phenomenon. An increasing number of Americans received time off from work and promoters marketed extended vacations to urban dwellers as a way to improve health, productivity, and family life by providing an escape from the city to a more natural environment. From the perspective of rural areas and small towns, tourism was viewed as a way to revive and diversify sagging economies. Shapiro’s research will examine a variety of historical records at the MTU Archives documenting tourism activities in the Copper Country.

The two award recipients plan to visit Houghton over the summer to conduct research in the collections of the MTU Archives. Both research projects have immediate short-term publication goals with the possibility of book-length work developing from this grant-funded travel. Both researchers also plan to make public presentations about their research while they are in Houghton.

This is the fifth annual cycle for the MTU Archives Travel Award Program. Previous awards have supported research into the development of company housing at Hecla Location near Calumet, the role that fraternal orders have played in Lake Superior mining communities, and the adoption of the English language by European transplants to Michigan’s Copper Country. This year’s awards committee consisted of three individuals: Larry Lankton from the MTU Social Sciences Department, Kim Hoagland of the Friends of the Van Pelt Library, and Erik Nordberg, representing the MTU Archives. For further information about the awards program or about the collections of the MTU Archives, call 906-487-2505.

Book Cart Update for 2001-2

by Terry Reynolds

Almost two years ago, the Friends' Board approved the idea of selling used books on a book cart placed in the main lobby of the Van Pelt Library relying on the honor and honesty of purchasers. The Board's experiment in patron honesty has been a success netting over $800 last year and $590 this year through March 2002. This year Tau Beta Pi took on the management of the book cart with members stocking the cart and keeping it in tip-top shape. Next time you are in the Van Pelt Library, take a little time to look over the 'treasures' on the sales cart. Maybe even drop in a bit of your extra change...

Library Budget Update

by Ellen Seidel and Faith Morrison

The Library received their budget for the year 2001-2002 in late September 2001. Although Michigan Tech is experiencing severe financial difficulties, the library's acquisitions budgets were exempted from the 5% cut-backs required of other campus units. In addition, journal costs for subscription year 2002 were met with no additional cancellations.

Due to the ongoing budget problems at MTU, however, the Library staff anticipates a journal cut for subscription year 2003. Collections Management Librarian Ellen Seidel and her staff are working with campus departments to develop contingency cancellation lists. Because the Library needs to commit to next years subscriptions by August 2002, they feel it prudent to prepare lists that reflect an estimated shortfall.

Library Open House

The MTU Admissions Office is sponsoring an all-day open house for prospective students on April 27, 2002. The Van Pelt Library will be participating in the campus wide open house with a reception in the Friends Lounge from noon to 4:00pm on that day.

From 9:30 to noon on April 27 librarians from the Van Pelt Library will be available at the All-Departments Expo sponsored by the Admissions Office, taking place in the lobby of the Rosza Center at Michigan Tech. The librarians will highlight the resources that the Van Pelt Library has to offer students. The reception in the Friends lounge will follow, from noon until 4:00pm, cosponsored by the Library and the Friends. Refreshments will be available and will be provided by the Friends. Information about the current plans for the new Library, a.k.a the Center for Integrated Learning and Information Technology (CILIT), will be on display at the reception. For more information contact Teresa Spence (906-487-3208, tspence@mtu.edu).

Blankets and Note Cards Available

by Faith Morrison

As always, Friends blankets and note cards are available for sale. Check out the designs on the web at the following addresses:

http://www.chem.mtu.edu/~fmorriso/fvpl/note_cards.html
http://www.chem.mtu.edu/~fmorriso/fvpl/blanket.htm

We'll ship them anywhere if you have a visa/master card. To order your MTU blanket (100% cotton; $65 plus tax/shipping) or Keweenaw historical note cards ($12 plus tax/shipping per set of 12) contact Terry Reynolds, (906-487-2113, treynold@mtu.edu) or visit the web pages above.