Presentation Topic: Blind Dates at the Library

 

Melissa Pomeroy: Special Collections Curator at the Library

Booking a reservation at the archives can be a bit intimidating, so the Library is working to set up "Blind Dates"

When you walk in:

Menu to choose from, rather than the entire catalog (that's overwhelming!)

Less pressure to navigate it on your own

Open to staff, faculty, classes, and the public

You get to act like a researcher and learn the system

Great way to interact with primary sources if you never have before!

Located: 2nd floor of MSU library

Open during construction! Just have to meet your librarian at the front desk

There is also the digital "talk to a librarian" version of the menu located outside of the archives

Kept at 65*, so a great activity for the summer ;)

 

Yellowstone collection:

Scrapbook from the 1890s of a young man who visited the park with his college

Also extensive collections on MSU, Bozeman, Women in Montana, etc.

 

From Jan:

The library also hosts book clubs! 

Could be a cool opportunity for team building to visit the archives and learn more about MSU or any topic of interest, really

*They can point anyone to other digital collections and archives

 

Questions from the group:

How do you curate the collection?

General / Regional - when a donor comes with an item, they cross-check their current archive to see what we might need/want

What's the weirdest thing in the archives?

Trout and Salmonic collection - species, fly fishing, etc. - some of the literature is …questionable

Student jobs/internships/volunteer opportunities?

Yes! Most students are trained to pull and process collections and digitization

Spring internships - 1 per spring for course credit

 

For the Good of the Order:

OSE: Kelsey - new grad student at OSE - studying family/marriage counseling

MSU Debut calendar is up on the website (not fully fleshed out yet)

Big change: M Photo/first meal/convocation are at the field - students only, no parents/community

 

Disability Services: hearing impairment technology access - Assistive Listening Systems (direct amplification into headphones), thanks to a grant they're able to update!

Classrooms that can fit 50 or more

By this fall, a few classrooms will be piloting the new technology 

While they're updating, if we know of any students who might benefit from the upgrade/trial, let office of disability services know!

 

Writing Center is hiring: 1-2 grad students, any major - apps are due August 1st

Position open for a GRA: CLS grad students only

 

Success Advising: Trisheena Kills Pretty Enemy - newest Success Advisor!

 

Housing: Korinn is leaving :/ but the celebration is Friday afternoon in Hannon

Zach Dovenbarger is stepping up for the time being

Orientation is going well! Shout outs :)

New position in Apartments: Community Director - already up and running, crushing it!

Demolition of West Side Houses is starting 27th of July - replaced by a 305 suite style building in fall of '29

 

DOS: Assistant Dean/Case Management search is winding down (had interviews this week and last)

Amber King is leaving August 5th (7 years!) - what to do with her position? Should we adjust?

Exponent Internship for our two new editors - send Matt a note if you'd like to meet them!

 

Campus Rec: Super busy during orientation - 51 students showed up for 6am Yoga - wow!

Expeditions MSU program is this Thursday into the Elkhorn mts, another 30 will go out in O4 next month

 

Jessica Duquette - our new Assistant Director of the Health Professions Resource Center!