Friends of the UNCG Libraries

Librarians from across the U.S. gathered in Washington, D.C. on May 1 and 2 to visit with lawmakers as part of the American Library Association's National Library Legislative Day. This year, representatives from University Libraries,  the Master of Library and Information Studies program in UNCG's School of Education, the North Carolina Library Association and the State Library of North Carolina represented North Carolina with students and families to visit their representatives on Capital Hill.  Current issues for 2017 included continued funding for libraries, which was at the center of every conversation with lawmakers. Advocates asked Congress to fully fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) at $186.6 million, to reauthorize  the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) and to appropriate $27 million for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy  (IAL) program.  LSTA is the only federal funding program for libraries. Most of its resources flow t...

Jennifer Motszko presents award to Ryan Ridpath Assistant Dean Michael Crumpton and Undergraduate Research Award Committee Chair Jennifer Motszko presented the 2017 University Libraries’ Undergraduate Research Award to Ryan Ridpath on May 3 at the Student Honors Convocation. This award is given in recognition of an outstanding original research project or paper written by an undergraduate student or students at UNCG. A successful project demonstrates sophistication, creativity, originality and depth or breadth in the use of library collections and scholarly resources, an exceptional ability to use these resources in the creation of an original research project or paper and responsible use of information including appropriate and accurate citations and credits.   In his paper, Ridpath explores “women’s roles and the emotions attributed to them, comparing them to men in Njal’s Saga , and analyzing the sorts of gendered language and insults hurled by both genders” to “derive ...

Jennifer Koenig, Chair Jennifer Koenig has been named Chair of the Friends of the UNCG Libraries. She is an attorney with Shell Bray Attorneys and Counselors at Law in the trusts and estates practice group. She also has extensive experience representing charitable organizations and corporate fiduciaries. In addition to representing public charities, Koenig assists clients in creating private foundations and other charitable entities. In her free time, Koenig enjoys spending time with her husband, Dan, and their daughter, Nel. She is on the Business Ethics Award Committee and serves on many volunteer boards in the Greensboro community, including the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro's Future Fund Steering Committee and its Professional Advisors' Committee.  Elizabeth Hudson, Vice-Chair Elizabeth Hudson has been named Vice-Chair of the Friends of the UNCG Libraries. She is a native of North Carolina who grew up in the small community of Farmer, near Ashebo...

University Libraries’ held its Third Annual Members’ Choice Event on April 20. This exclusive event for the Jackson Society, allows members to vote on their preferred selection of books to be added to the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives . These additions, many of which are first editions, will commemorate the 125 th anniversary of UNCG and help grow the collection as it strives to meet the needs of current and future faculty and students, as well as the broader community. The items recently added to UNCG’s Special Collections and University Archives are listed below: •          Isaac Johnson, Slavery Days in Old Kentucky                                 •          Thomas H. Jones, The Experience of Thomas H. J...

David Arneke, Krystal Speights and Kathy Crowe University Libraries is pleased to announce Krystal Speights as the 2017 Outstanding Student Library Worker Award (OSLWA) winner! Speights is a graduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program in the School of Health and Human Sciences at UNCG. She has been working in Jackson Library for more than four years.  She currently serves as Student Manager in Access Services and is responsible for supervising other students, responding to chat and email requests on behalf of the Check Out Desk, opening and closing the library and reporting on service, facilities and security issues. “Krystal has a sunny nature and is always smiling and happy,” said Marilyn Hanichak, Desk Manager in Access Services and Speights' supervisor. “Krystal inspires others to do well. Her friendly attitude fosters sociable relationships among the students, which helps build the team. She encourages the students to rely on one another,...

University Libraries’ faculty were recently honored by the Provost's Office on April 4. The event was sponsored by Provost Dana Dunn and recognized the outstanding contributions and achievements of UNCG faculty in research and creative activity.  Omar Ali and Beth Bernhardt Beth Bernhardt─Co-PI on a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the State Library of North Carolina for “The Alternative Textbooks Project” awarded a grant to librarians from J.Y. Joyner Library at East Carolina University and Jackson Library at UNCG to develop a two-pronged approach to alternative textbooks. $184,332 including matching funds over two years. Kathryn Crowe─Co-editor, The Future of Library Space . (Advances in Library Administration and Organizations v. 36) Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2016 . Jennifer Motszko and Michael Crumpton David Gwynn─Co-PI wi...

Tech Savvy is a daylong Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)   career conference desi gned to attract girls in sixth through ninth grades to these fields and inform families about STEM education and careers. The national event also provides instruction to parents encouraging them to reinforce their daughters’ interest in STEM. The event is hosted by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Greensboro Chapter.  The day also included savvy skills classes designed to help, them gain knowledge and confidence to enhance their success. This year, University Libraries taught a course on April 1 on information literacy titled, “Fake, Fact or Somewhere in Between.” Librarians at the UNCG University Libraries work closely with students and community members of all ages to help them evaluate and select reliable information sources. With more than 1,000 instruction sessions each year on campus and in the community, including online tutorials and more than ...