Page 3 - Messenger fall 11.7

FROM THE UNIVERSITY L IBRARIAN
Dedicated to Success
T H E M E S S E N G E R , W I N T E R 2 0 1 3 3
elcome to 2013. It’s a
pleasure to share the
stories of our success at
Oregon State University
Libraries and Press. Our
accomplishments would not be possible
without supporters like you who share
our aspirations for excellence.
We had a busy fall and summer in
2012, as this Messenger issue will attest.
Our leadership in the state led to the creation and
implementation of the Oregon Tribal Archives Institute
(pg. 8). This Institute demanded a tremendous amount
of planning and coordination on the part of a team from
our Special Collections and Archives Research Center—
Natalia Fernandez, Tiah Edmunson- Morton,␣ Larry
Landis, and graduate student intern Laura Cray.
We participated in three national/international
events this fall celebrating various themes that all have
in common the very important concept of making
crucial information and resources more accessible to a
wider audience. Open Access Week celebrates increasing
the reach of research articles for the public while Uni-
versity Press Week recognizes the enormous benefits of
university press publishing and the staff who make this
publishing possible. National Archives Month gives us
yet another chance to share the wealth of our distinctive
special collections and archival holdings.
At our core, we remain dedicated to student success.
The stories about OSULP student workers, Steve Hill
and Amy Zhang epitomize the opportunities that our
student workers have to grow and develop their exper-
tise, knowledge, and sense of teamwork. Meanwhile we
improve our services, facilities and collections for all
OSU students and faculty so it is a win-win boon. Read
more about Steve’s work to develop a new study room
reservation system (pg. 10) and Amy’s involvement
integrating the Music Resource Center from Benton
Hall into the Valley Library collections.
I am especially proud that the Libraries’ Special
Collections and Archives Research Center became the
permanent home of the Albert and Ruth Parr Rare
Book Collection (pg. 6). We were fortunate to add this
incredible collection to our existing rare
book collection, the McDonald Collec-
tion. We expect the Parr Rare Book
Collection to create extraordinary op-
portunities for OSU students to pursue
meaningful research opportunities in
our Special Collections and University
Archives Research Center. From my
perspective, we were equally privileged
to have Al and Ruth Parr join our Li-
brary Advisory Council (LAC) in 2012. Comprised of
distinguished OSU alumni and friends of OSU, the
LAC is our principal volunteer leadership group. LAC
members are committed to helping advance the mission
and vision for the Libraries and Press through their
involvement and philanthropy. It is gratifying to me to
know dedicated individuals like the Parrs who have
given a lasting and transformative gift to OSU Libraries
and who also choose to devote their time and energy to
active engagement with our board.
This issue also acknowledges the extraordinary vision
and commitment of John Delton Gray. We are very
grateful to both John and Betty Gray for the endow-
ment that established the Gray Family Chair for Innova-
tive Library Services. This endowed position, truly one
of kind in U.S. research libraries, is designed to identify
innovative means for accessing and improving the deliv-
ery of information while moving OSU Libraries to the
forefront as an information provider.
Thank you all for the generosity you have shared with
us in 2012 as well as years past. May you enjoy this issue
of The Messenger. May you also gain insight into how
your support makes it possible for us to continue pro-
viding critical resources for the OSU campus commu-
nity and beyond.
Warmly,
Faye A. Chadwell
University Librarian/OSU Press Director