Online Newsletter of Roxbury Community College Library

December 2005

FENWAY LIBRARIES FÊTE RCC

In October, the Fenway Library Consortium (FLC) sponsored a reception to celebrate RCC library as its newest member. Thirty librarians and library directors came to the RCC dance studio in Media Arts for the event. A contingent from Simmons walked over, including former RCC librarian Kelly Jo Woodside. FLC president and UMass Boston library director Daniel Ortiz officiated. RCC library director Mark Lawrence outlined library and college-wide developments over the last few years and then led a tour of the library. Most expressed themselves very impressed, especially those who had never been on campus before.

The most important feature of the Fenway Library Consortium is the joint sharing of library resources among the member libraries. Students, faculty members and staffs of all member institutions may use any library in the consortium and obtain borrowing rights.

Go to http://www.fenwaylibraries.org/ for the FLC home page and links to library catalogs including the Fenway Libraries Online (FLO) joint catalog used by 9 of the libraries. Below are the FLC member libraries. Those marked (FLO) also belong to the Fenway Libraries Online joint catalog.

· Brookline Public Library

· Emerson College (FLO)

· Emmanuel College (FLO)

· Hebrew College

· Lesley University (FLO)

· Massachusetts College of Art (FLO)

· Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (FLO)

· Museum of Fine Arts Museum School (FLO)

· New England Conservatory of Music (FLO)

· Roxbury Community College

· Simmons College

· Suffolk University

· University of Massachusetts Boston

· Wentworth Institute of Technology (FLO)

· Wheelock College (FLO)

NEW ONLINE ARCHIVES LINK

A new Archives and Special Collections link is now on the library web page, www.rcc.mass.edu/lib, thanks to Webmaster Thu Khong. It provides indexes to two different kinds of collections:

· The Archives link connects to indexes of the papers, pictures and other materials recently organized by the library that document the history of the college. There are two kinds of archival material: Publications and Record Group materials.

o Publications include such things as yearbooks, annual reports, college newsletter, student publications, and publications associated with events or departments.

o Record Group materials include non-publication papers such as Trustees reports, NEASC self-study documents and departments’ reports.

Most of the items in the Archives are paper documents. The online indexes let users know what the library has. There are also online document links, however. Online versions of student newspapers for the past two years are available. (To see them, go to Archives, choose RCC Publication Index, and then choose either PC 03.2 RCC Students Newsletter, 2003-2004 or PC 03.2 Gateway Gazette, 2004-2005). Online versions of the current Gateway Gazette and future issues will be added for permanent access. The library hopes to expand the number of documents in the Archives that document in one place the history of the college. Both paper and online documents and pictures are being sought.

· The Special Collections link connects to an index of the Boston Black United Front papers. Most of these date from 1968 to 1973. This collection documents the struggle in Boston for black community control by highlighting the political actions taken by the United Front, and the community development that evolved because of their actions. United Front members were also instrumental in bringing a community college to Roxbury.

Archivist Catherine (Cat) Lea Holbrook completed processing of the United Front papers in October and is now working on papers donated by former state representative (and former RCC adjunct professor) Mel King. These document his campaigns for Boston mayor. The library is seeking other collections that record the history of the Greater Roxbury area. For more information, contact Cat Holbrook at x5114 or cholbrook@rcc.mass.edu.

Archivist Cat Holbrook documents history of the college

HAVE YOU STARTED ORDERING BOOKS ONLINE YET?

Over 800,000 books and videos, from the Boston Public Library and other local libraries, can be ordered online through the RCC library. Books for class. Best sellers for pleasure. As close as your computer. Here’s how:

· Go to the library web site www.rcc.mass.edu/lib

· Choose Online Catalog

· Choose MBLN Online Catalog (at top of screen)

· Search for something

· Press the “Hold this for me” button for the book you want

· Fill in your RCC library barcode and PIN number.

If the item is available, it will be sent to the RCC library in about a week and you will be notified to come pick it up.

It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s convenient. Or, as Prof. David Becker of Nursing says:

“One of the great things about RCC is the ability to order books online and then walk down the hall to get them. For free! And when I’m done, they take them back! The books don’t clutter up my condo.”

If you haven’t ordered a book through the RCC library yet, do yourself a favor and try it today. If you don’t have an RCC barcode, come to the library and register. If you have a barcode but don’t know your PIN, inform the library RIGHT HERE and we’ll send it right back to you.

This service is made possible through RCCs membership in:

NEW LCD PROJECTORS

Because of a perfect storm of coincidences, the library recently found itself without any LCD projectors to loan out to the college. Quite an embarrassment!! Quick work by Chief IT Officer Walter Geer resulted in 3 more projectors being available in the library. There continues to be a great demand for AV equipment for classroom use. In response, over the past year, the library has bought more than 20 pieces of new equipment including DVD projectors, monitors, LCD projectors, overhead projectors and a digital camera. All are available for loan. Library Technician Rosa Morales manages the equipment loan program. It is one of the most popular services that the library offers.

Rosa Morales with new LCD

A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING THOUGHTFUL DONORS TO THE RCC LIBRARY DURING 2005.

^

Irma Cerese,

N. Easton, MA

Dee Dale, RCC / Mel King, Boston, MA

Phyllis Ewen, Somerville, MA / Linda O’Connor, RCC

Berta Golahny, Newton, MA / Fred Tahmasian, IT, RCC

Suzanne Hodes, Waltham, MA / Cesa Arieza, Boston, MA

Arnold Judson, Canton, MA / Carol Egan, Brookline, MA

Ruth Kiefson-Roberts, English Department, RCC

Judith Liberman, Newton, MA / Candy Nartonis, Boston, MA

Jo Ann Rothschild, Boston, MA / Eleanor Rubin, West Newton, MA

Anne Silber, Boston, MA / Durlabh Singh, London, UK

Ellen Sperling, Ipswich, MA / Nancy Webb, Somerville, MA

Boston Herald, Boston, MA / Mark Garth, Career & Transfer Services, RCC

Virgilio Acevedo, Social Sciences Department, RCC

Judy Pelletier, Nursing Department, RCC / Beth Bower, Suffolk University, Boston, MA

Rick Pierce, Roxbury Heritage Foundation, Roxbury, MA

Sterling Giles, ESL Department, RCC / Judy Kahalas, Writing Center, RCC

Shelly Johnson-Payne, Academic Affairs, RCC / Catherine Lea Holbrook, Library, RCC

Dorothy Arnold,

Boston, MA

NEW BEST-SELLERS

	FICTION		NON-FICTION
	The March E.L. Doctorow		A Briefer History of Time Stephen Hawking
	Son of a Witch Gregory Maguire		A Crack in the Edge of the World Simon Winchester
	Blue Smoke Nora Roberts		Do As I Say Peter Schweizer
	Anansi Boys Neil Gailman		Where GOD Was Born Bruce Feiler
	On Beauty Zadie Smith		Beethoven Edmund Morris
	The Assassins Oliver North		Planets Dava Sobel
	Julie and Romeo Get Lucky Jeanne Ray		No Excuses Kyle Maynard
	A Salty Piece of Land Jimmy Buffett		Never Have Your Dog Stuffed Alan Alda

To build a better college library and provide superior customer service, we need your comments. Send both praises and gripes to mlawrence@rcc.mass.edu.

If you missed earlier issues of Welcome to the Library, click on “Read the Library’s newsletter” on the library website http://www.rcc.mass.edu/lib.

Welcome to the Library, published by Roxbury Community College Library, Roxbury Crossing, MA

Mark Lawrence, Library Director