New Library Website

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Our University libraries staff has been working diligently over the past five months to bring the Hatfield library website and the PNCA Albert Solheim library website together. The team considered the needs of all communities in order to create something that would increase access, simplify workflows, and allow for greater collaboration between libraries. 

New Hatfield Website

The fruits of that labor has paid off with this sparkling new website. This homepage will be the central hub for patrons’ needs on both campuses. Many thanks to Michael Spalti, Associate University Librarian for Systems, for coordinating this effort and implementing the new site. Also thank you to Shaleigh Westphall, Reference & Instruction Librarian (PNCA), for the design work on the background. We hope you will spend some time getting familiar with the new site and we encourage you to send your feedback on the changes to our email: library@willamette.edu

Most Influential Books

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This fall, the Hatfield Library offered our first-year and transfer students free ghost mugs stuffed with candy and other items such as pens and stickers. We also conducted a voluntary, informal survey– included in each mug was a slip of paper with a QR code to a survey question: “Which two books have influenced your life the most?” 

A special thank you to all those who participated in this survey! Here are the results:

  • Witches by Roald Dahl; Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy
  • Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien; The Shining by Stephen King
  • All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven; and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins!
  • Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell; and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
  • The Stranger by Albert Camus; Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
  • Warrior Cats by Erin Hunter; Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
  • Demian by Herman Hesse; 1984 by George Orwell
  • The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls; The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
  • The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver; A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Recycled and Improved?

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A slightly belated welcome back from the Mark O. Hatfield Library. With the Claremont School of Theology leaving this summer and removing their book collection, we have made significant changes to the first floor.  If you look behind the “Art Wall,” you will see that in the last few weeks we removed much of the shelving where the CST collection had been located and created a new seating area that is a mix of tables and comfortable seating.  This area has a spacious, open feel to it and benefits from wonderful lighting from nearby windows.  We are excited by the opportunity to establish a new, creative, mixed-use space for all to enjoy.  Come on by, check it out, and let us know what you think.

In the future we hope to provide other kinds of furniture and/or services in this area, so please feel free to share any ideas you have with us at library@willamette.edu.

For those of you who are budget or sustainability minded, please note that the removed shelving was recycled and the current furnishings came from existing furniture already in the Hatfield Library that was simply relocated.

Evolution of the change

Empty Shelving:  After the removal of the CST titles.

 

The shelving is almost gone:  Notice the interesting stripe pattern on the carpet–the dark stripes were where the shelving was located and the light stripes were the aisles.

 

Opening Days: A few stray items of furniture have wandered into the space.

 

Day after Labor Day: Movers brought more furniture from upstairs. 

 

 

Later in the Day: It didn’t take long for students to find the new seating.

 

 

 

Coming Soon to a Library Near You

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The University Libraries aspire to a number of goals as we develop services, collections, and library spaces.  These goals include ensuring that you have access to high quality information as easily and efficiently as possible.  Means of doing this include providing access to our catalog, online periodicals, and databases, or simply communicating when you have items waiting, and when we are open.  It also includes sharing news like this blog entry. There are many ways to accomplish our goals; our web presence and using email are among the most prevalent methods we use. Mobile Phone Interface

As smart phones and tablets have become more sophisticated and ubiquitous, we see that most individuals on campus own one or the other (or both).  A national trend shows that many users of these devices would prefer to use a downloaded App rather than view a website in a mobile browser to accomplish their transaction goals such as checking a bank balance or seeing if a requested book is ready to be picked up.  The individual Apps that many of us use for banking are a perfect example of this behavior.  While the University Libraries have long tried to make our websites accessible to smaller devices, we have decided to take the next step and roll out a Library App using Ex Libris’ Library Mobile service.

The App will be available on iOS and Android devices, and it will allow you to choose your home library (Law, PNCA or MOHL), access many of our resources and services including the catalog, find our hours, read our blog, sign up for notifications, allow us to inform you of your account status, and much more.  We anticipate going into beta testing in the next couple of weeks so watch for further announcements, download the App, try it out, and let us know what you think.  We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions!

Two Libraries Working Together

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By Craig Milberg, University Librarian

Everyone is aware that PNCA is now a discrete school within Willamette University (WU). What you might not realize is that as part of the merger, the greater WU gained access to a wonderful library, the PNCA Albert Solheim Library. The Mark O. Hatfield Library (MOHL) and the Solheim Library have merged administratively under an “University Libraries” structure.  Generally known as the “PNCA Library,” the Solheim Library brings terrific print collections, digital collections, and programming to the University.  Staff members from both libraries have worked diligently through the spring and summer, and the vast majority of PNCA’s collections are now discoverable and can be requested via WU’s existing library catalog.  PNCA students, faculty and staff may access the MOHL’s print collections as well. Equally exciting is that the entire WU community can access almost all of the electronic resources previously available at either institution via the existing A-Z listing of resources on our websites.

PNCA Library staff and friends.

Far more important than the merging of collections is the expertise each library gains from the other. From the MOHL perspective, the combined libraries have gained three wonderful colleagues in Portland. Sara Bystrom (Access Services Librarian), Serenity Ibsen (Director of Library Services), and Shaleigh Westphall (Reference & Instruction Librarian) all bring wonderful skills sets and experience to the combined University Libraries. Please join me in extending them a warm welcome.

Members of both libraries will continue to work diligently to combines our systems, services, and processes as the year progresses. For now, while anyone associated with any of WU’s schools is welcome to contact either library for help, we suggest that students, faculty and staff at PNCA will still find it most helpful to contact the PNCA library directly first, while Atkinson, CAS, and CST students should contact the MOHL first.  The staff of either library will direct you to the other library if we think it will be beneficial to meeting your needs.

The Call of Public Service

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Mark O. Hatfield’s lengthy career of representing Oregon is the subject of the Oregon Historical Society’s traveling exhibit now on display in Hatfield Library, 2nd floor.  The Call of Public Service: The Life and Legacy of Mark O. Hatfield explores his career and highlights the issues Hatfield championed including healthcare, education, equal rights, the environment and world peace.  The exhibit is on display through November 15, 2021.

Hatfield graduated from Willamette University in 1943. After serving in the U. S. Navy during World War II, he completed a Master’s Degree in political science at Stanford University, then returned to Willamette University as an assistant professor and dean of students. Hatfield began his political career at the age of 28, when he was elected to the Oregon State House of Representatives in 1950. During his forty-six year career, he served as Oregon’s Secretary of State, Governor, and U.S. Senator.

Hatfield, pictured to the right in front of the Oregon State Capitol, donated his papers to Willamette University Archives. The collection includes materials from his time as Oregon Secretary of State and governor through retirement. The bulk of the collection relates to his time in the U. S. Senate documenting his legislative work, constituent services, communications and media, and campaign efforts. The large collection is currently being processed and will open to researchers on July 12, 2022. For more information on the collection, contact archives@willamette.edu.

New Personal Librarians Program

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What are Personal Librarians?

We are launching our new Personal Librarian program this fall. Think of a Personal Librarian as a go-to person in the library. First-year and transfer students are paired up with a librarian to serve as an individual contact person in the library from day one. New students will have a name, face, and specific contact to help with any questions about the library, research, or collections.

Studies have shown (1)(2) that students do better when they have personal connections throughout their university community. The Personal Librarians will help our new students build their communities at WU, making their first experience more positive and less intimidating. It also gives librarians an additional opportunity to let students know what kinds of resources are available at the library. We provides services that students might not know to ask about, such as help with citations and even looking for resources outside of the libraries.

Personal Librarians will contact students three times during the first semester via email, and at least once during the spring semester. We hope to meet with each of our designated students individually (we might even have a special treat for them!)

For more information or how to find your Personal Librarian, visit: https://libguides.willamette.edu/personal-librarians

Mark O. Hatfield Library Sticker Design Contest

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The MOHL invites you to participate in our first annual sticker design contest.  Previously, the library created stickers to hand out to patrons using a design from some time ago.

We are ready to obtain more stickers to share, and would love to have a new design that reflects a student’s view of the library.

If you are a Willamette student who wants to exercise some creativity and would like a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card, please submit as many entries as you like by March 26th.

Further details may be obtained by clicking on this poster.

Study of Religion at Hatfield: Introducing the Claremont Collection

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By Maggie Froelich, Theology Librarian mfroelich@willamette.edu

The affiliation between Willamette University and the Claremont School of Theology continues to move forward, with many CST students, faculty, and staff now located here in Salem.CST at Willamette Logo

The uniting of our two institutions means a sharing of resources, and that’s true in the library, too. Two major benefits to the WU community are a greatly expanded collection of books related to religion, philosophy, ethics, and ministry; and a dedicated Theology Librarian.

The Librarian on Lake Gennesaret, AKA the Sea of Galilee

The Librarian on Lake Gennesaret, AKA the Sea of Galilee

First, let me introduce myself. This summer I joined the library’s Public Services team as the Theology Librarian. I have a PhD in New Testament and Christian Origins, earned at CST. In my academic research I like to read our earliest Christian sources through historical Greco-Roman perspectives. My dissertation analyzed the Gospel of Mark as a response to war and defeat, and lately I’ve been getting really into the ways that the earliest Greek and Roman adherents to Jesus worship might have understood their new devotions. My latest article, “Sacrificed Meat in Corinth and Jesus Worship as a Cult among Cults,” is forthcoming from the Journal of Early Christian History

As a member of the library’s Public Services Division, I officially serve as the liaison librarian to the CST community and will soon begin serving the Religious Studies department, as well. No matter what department you’re in, if you’re interested in ancient Mediterranean history, classical literature, European and Near Eastern polytheism, the Bible, ancient Greek language, any aspect of religious studies, or Netflix’sThe Witcher, I want to talk to you.

But what about the books? As part of CST’s move to Salem, 50,000 volumes from the CST library collection came up here to Hatfield. That collection includes reference works, works by current and past CST faculty, works in Korean, and the collection of the Center for Process Studies, a Claremont faculty institute dedicated to process philosophy and theology. The CST library was southern California’s premier theology library, and the most important books from its collection are now at Willamette, where students, scholars, and ministers can research academic and professional topics in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and more. You can find the Claremont collection on the first floor of the Hatfield library.

I’ll continue to post here in coming months, highlighting some of the distinctive and interesting features of the Claremont collection, and a great place to start is the reference section. Here are some of the unique reference materials now available to the entire Willamette community:

  • The 20-volume Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts contains entries and photographs for important artists, architecture, paintings, sculpture, calligraphy, and styles from all over the Buddhist world.
  • Two editions of the Babylonian Talmud, an 18-volume English translation and a 41-volume Hebrew edition, are invaluable additions to our Jewish studies materials.
  • The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Law discusses topics from the early development of Torah to American Supreme Court cases, providing students a foothold in both biblical jurisprudence and issues of religion and state throughout history and across the globe.
  • The second edition of the Encyclopedia of Apocalypticism spans the history of apocalyptic movements from the Hellenistic period to the modern day, covering apocalypticism in Judaism and Christianity, art, and pop culture.

Fall Update

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Welcome to the Mark O. Hatfield Library (MOHL). We are thrilled to welcome all Bearcats, new and returning, as well as students and colleagues from CST. For some of you this update will reflect some changes to the way you are used to us doing things and for others it will be an introduction to us. For comprehensive information about the building, services, collections and policies please visit our website at http://library@willamette.edu.

Building:

The maximum occupancy of the MOHL is 100 people until further notice. Access to the building is restricted to current students, staff and faculty of Willamette University and Claremont School of Theology. Bring your ID card as a card swipe is required for access. Given campus rules and occupancy restrictions we can not welcome guests, children, spouses, etc. Circulation Desk

Fall hours reflect our attempts to balance student academic needs against employee and student health concerns. Hours may be adjusted as the campus and community health situation change.

August 17th to August 21st, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Regular hours (including the Fishbowl) starting on August 24th:

Monday to Thursday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Archives hours are by appointment only.

• Group and individual study rooms will be closed until further notice.

• Masks are required and seating has been arranged and marked so as to encourage social distancing of at least 6 feet.

• Closed container beverages are permitted but eating is prohibited until further notice. Water fountains have been shut off until further notice.

Circulation:

• Desk hours are the same as for the library.

• Please note that for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis, physical reserves have been suspended.

• Summit and ILL are active, but many higher education institutions are not yet participating.

• All items removed from the shelves, returned, or ordered vial ILL or Summit will be quarantined for 72 hours before being available. Please take account of this delay and plan accordingly.

• Contactless check out will remain available for those that request it in the front vestibule. You may access the vestibule with your valid ID 24 hours/day.

Reference and Instruction:

The majority of reference and instruction interactions will be virtual in the fall. We will use chat and Zoom for most of these interactions. Don’t worry if you don’t have a device with Zoom with you, we have workstations set up in the library you can use.

More details can be found on the library’s website. https://library.willamette.edu/

Collection Update:

Just a reminder that over the summer the majority of the bound periodicals moved to offsite storage. You can request articles using our ILL infrastructure.

The collection of monographs and thesis we received from CST arrived over the summer, are shelved as their own collection on the first floor of the library, and are available for browsing and borrowing. They may be found via our online catalog.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us at library@willamette.edu or 503-370-6018 with any questions.