University Libraries Newsletter
August 2023
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Maureen Sacramona Retires After Working Over 25 Years
in the Marx Library and the Mitchell College
of Business Library
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Maureen Sacramona and Amia Baker |
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Maureen Sacramona retired from the University of South Alabama on August 25, 2023. She was a long-time employee of the Libraries, having worked 17 years in the Marx Library and over nine years in the MCOB Library. During that time, she made many friends among the faculty, staff, student assistants, and patrons.
Maureen started her career at USA in the mid-'90s as a part-time student assistant in the Marx Library. She then worked her way up to a full-time job in the Circulation Department. Maureen eventually moved into a position in Collection Management working with serials, which is where she spent most of her career. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts and the decline in print serials over the years, her position was cut in late 2012.
When the MCOB Library was looking for a part-time library assistant in January 2014, we were extremely lucky to welcome Maureen back to South, where she has been a bright spot for many years. She is known for her welcoming smile and helpful nature. At our reference desk, Maureen has assisted innumerable business students over the years with the MGT 300 Company Analysis paper and the MKT 310 Country Data reports. And she was able to continue her work with serials, keeping our small MCOB print collection in order.
Although we are going to miss Maureen terribly, we wish her well in her retirement. She plans on spending more time with her family and becoming more involved with her church. We look forward to hearing about it as she embarks on this new chapter.
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Marx Library Acquires a New High-Performance
Microform Scanner
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USA’s Marx Library is excited to offer a new high-performance microform scanner to its community. As the library’s older machines have become difficult to maintain and more difficult to use, a variety of patrons/researchers, both from campus and from the general public, have approached library staff about possible alternatives. In early May, the university approved the purchase of a new ScanPro 3500 machine, capable of more than simply viewing the library’s collection of microfilm, microfiche, and ultrafiche.
The ScanPro 3500 is the same model available for use in Mobile Public Library’s History & Genealogy Library, making it a recognizable tool for many patrons coming in to do personal research. The scanner itself includes high-quality resolution that allows for greatly enhanced imaging, and provides more sophisticated tools that allow users to do more than simply adjust brightness or add contrast. Additionally, images can be saved digitally to a flash drive or even emailed.
The ScanPro 3500 microform scanner is now available for public use during regular business hours in Marx Library’s Documents & Serials area, located on 2nd Floor South. For more information, call the Gov Docs and Serials Department at (251) 460-7024.
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McCall Library Promotes Community Collaboration
Through the Alabama Jewish Culture and
History Symposium
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Planning Committee for the Symposium led by Emily Blejwas, Director of the Alabama Folklife Association: (back row, l to r) Larry Brook, Dr. Daniel Levine, Dr. Amy Milligan, Dr. Dan Puckett, Nora Katz (at front), Blejwas (center) and Deborah Gurt. This event was funded by the Alabama Folklife Association, and the Alabama State Council on the Arts. |
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The first Alabama Jewish Culture and History Symposium took place on July 25, 2023, at Montgomery, Alabama’s Temple Beth Or. McCall Library Interim Director Deborah Gurt took part as both a member of the planning team and a presenter at the event which drew 70 attendees. The event was conceived as an opportunity for community members, researchers, and scholars to collaborate and share information about aspects of Alabama Jewish culture and history. The program included talks on community projects, guidance and information about accessing archival collections and how communities should preserve their assets, and presentations on scholarly research underway. The attendees were also treated to a musical performance by Alabama folk duo Dahlia Road who blend beautiful harmonies with traditional Jewish prayers and themes.
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The McCall Library hosts Oral Historian
Alissa Rae Funderburk
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With support from our NEH award, Alissa Rae Funderburk was invited for two days of consulting on best practices for transcription of oral history interviews with specific attention to dialect. Funderburk currently serves as Oral Historian for the Margaret Walker Center at the HBCU Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. In addition to reviewing our transcription style guide and a few sample transcripts, she led a workshop for students, faculty, and staff that explored considerations in the transcription of oral history to help us more accurately portray the authentic voices of narrators. Look for our new interviews and transcripts, coming soon to JagWorks.
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Serving the Public Health Workforce in Alabama |
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The Charles M. Baugh Biomedical Library at the University of South Alabama was selected to serve as the Partner Library for the Public Health Digital Library program hosted by the National Public Health Coordination Office of the Network of the National Library of Medicine. The Public Health Digital Library (PHDL) provides public health departments access to evidence-based resources and research. The role of the Partner Libraries is to supply document delivery services in the event that a PHDL member needs resources that are unavailable through the Digital Library. The Alabama Department of Public Health is a new member of the Public Health Digital Library program and the Baugh Biomedical Library is pleased to be able to provide this service to assist in the provision of public health information and services throughout the state of Alabama.
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University Libraries Publications & Staff Updates |
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Deborah Gurt - Deborah Gurt, Interim Director of the McCall Library, was invited to speak to the New England Archivists (NEA) Knowledge Share/Reading Group about her recent article in the Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies. Participation is open to the public. https://newenglandarchivists.org/event-5356124
Kaitlyn Moody - Kaitlyn Moody, LTA II, Government Documents/Serials, was appointed to the Web Committee for ALA's Rainbow Roundtable (RRT).
Nancy Pugh - Nancy Pugh, Library Supervisor at the Baugh Biomedical Library, successfully renewed her Consumer Health Information Specialization, Level II. Maintaining a CHIS credential shows Nancy’s commitment to offering quality consumer health information services and to staying current with developments in consumer health information resources, technologies, and services. A Level II credential demonstrates skills in all competencies. The credential is valid for three years. Nancy joins over 1,300 medical, public, and consumer health librarians, and allied health and information professionals who have earned a CHIS certificate.
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USA Libraries Exhibits & Events
September/October 2023
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USA Libraries to Exhibit Art & Memorabilia from the
Hank Williams Museum
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USA Libraries is pleased to host an exhibit of memorabilia from the collections of the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, Alabama in celebration of what would have been the 100th birthday of the famed singer-songwriter, who was born September 17, 1923, in Butler County. Clothing, music, and other items will be displayed in the Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Roding Gallery of Art in Marx Library, along with art inspired by the life and music of Williams, who died January 1, 1953. In addition, a replica of the blue Cadillac in which Williams died while en route to a scheduled performance in West Virginia will be on exhibit.
Mobile native Bobby Tomberlin, whose songs have been recorded by Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Kenny Rogers, and many others, will present 100 Years of Hank on September 7 at 6:00 p.m. in the Marx Library Auditorium. Concert tickets are available at Eventbrite. An exhibit reception will precede the performance at 5:00 pm in the third-floor Rodning Gallery.
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Key Points & Happenings August 2023 |
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JagWorks Monthly Readership Totals, July 2023 |
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Last month, JagWorks@USA had 5,803 full-text downloads, with 164 new submissions posted, bringing the total works in the repository to 3,547. University of South Alabama scholarship was read by 136 institutions across 77 countries. |
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The most popular papers were:
The most popular publications were:
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USA Libraries Social Media Links |
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Have you checked out our Social Media sites?
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