Greetings, Libraries staff and faculty,

If you are interested in the information discussed at the most recent Dean’s Library Council meeting, you can view the minutes at:

https://staff.libraries.psu.edu/deans-library-council/minutes/deans-library-council-minutes-november-19-2018

By: Sarah Bacon

What an incredible outpouring of support, time, and gifts were given on Nov 27 to the Textbook Fund. On behalf of the Development team, I’m very pleased to present our campaign debrief (attached), with a few highlights below.

• 170 gifts – 29 more, and 21% increase over 2017
• $44,708 raised for the Textbook Fund – $12,705 and 40% increase over 2017
• More than twice as many University Libraries employees gave this year (43) vs. 2017 (19)!
• 10 Libraries All Stars have given to the Textbook Fund each campaign (’15-’18):
The Penn State Bookstore, Jane and Jack Casey, Barbara and Bill Dewey, Dace and Andris Freivalds, Nicki Hendrix, Sue Kellerman, Michael Shanafelt, Jill Shockey, Linda Struble, Pattie and Ray Tiley
• With your help – University Libraries was #1 (out of 66) for money raised and tied for #2 for number of gifts. GO TEAM.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Lee R. Glatfelter Library team in York led by Barb Eshbach. They had the most gifts of any CCL. 15 of the 34 CCL gifts were from York. And, they were the only CCL with 5 or more gifts. As a result, they earned both $500 awards and will get $1,000 transferred to their collections budget for textbooks. Way to go!!

P.S. A few student thank you’s pulled from cards written at the Giving Tuesday event in Paterno Library…..

Dear Penn State Library Donors, Thank you so much for the services, events, and materials the library has to offer! I love the library and was very grateful today for help from IT services. – Carli

I would love to say thank you from all of Penn State. You are funding and shaping us for a  brighter future. Thank you and I hope I would be able to give back one day as well!! – Maquiyyah S.

Thank you for not only providing great education and experiences, but encouraging students to succeed academically and socially. – Tiffany V.

Dear Donor, Thank you so much for your generosity and compassion. College is a large financial burden for many and your contribution will greatly help Penn State families. Thank you & we are! – Caterina

Thank you so much for the text books! I never knew that you did this, but I think I will take advantage of it next semester. Thanks – Elena

Fall 2018
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Sept. 5-Feb. 11, Exhibit: “Into the Woods: Nature in Your Library” Diversity Studies Room, 203 Pattee Library, Explore the Eastern Forest, its wildlife and botanical wealth. Libraries’ resources, services, unique collections and course materials will guide you on the trails of nature education and exploration. Discover local environmental programs. Be inspired by the instrumental work of women conservationists. Check out the related books, maps, movies and more, and get … Into the Woods.

Sept. 10-Jan. 13, 2019, Exhibit: “A Full Course: Encounters with Food” Eberly Family Special Collections Library, 102 Paterno Library, and Sidewater Commons, first floor Pattee Library. To survive and thrive, we must all consume food every day; eating is, therefore, one of the few universal human experiences. The exhibition will consider the more contested and continuing questions surrounding food: where does it come from, what and how do we cook and eat, and what role does food play in our collective imaginations? The books, manuscripts, posters, and ephemera on view will offer a feast for the eyes and food for thought!

Fall 2018
Academic calendar information for all campuses is available online.

Sept. 5-Feb. 11, Exhibit: “Into the Woods: Nature in Your Library” Diversity Studies Room, 203 Pattee Library, Explore the Eastern Forest, its wildlife and botanical wealth. Libraries’ resources, services, unique collections and course materials will guide you on the trails of nature education and exploration. Discover local environmental programs. Be inspired by the instrumental work of women conservationists. Check out the related books, maps, movies and more, and get … Into the Woods.

Sept. 10-Jan. 13, 2019, Exhibit: “A Full Course: Encounters with Food” Eberly Family Special Collections Library, 102 Paterno Library, and Sidewater Commons, first floor Pattee Library. To survive and thrive, we must all consume food every day; eating is, therefore, one of the few universal human experiences. The exhibition will consider the more contested and continuing questions surrounding food: where does it come from, what and how do we cook and eat, and what role does food play in our collective imaginations? The books, manuscripts, posters, and ephemera on view will offer a feast for the eyes and food for thought!

Submitted By: Tracy Reilly

During the winter, it’s not unusual for the Penn State Behrend campus to be buried under a blanket of snow. For Matt Ciszek, Head Librarian at the John M. Lilley Library, it’s just like being home. Growing up in Niagara Falls, NY, Matt saw his share of blustery, freezing cold days. But in the summertime, he could open his windows and faintly hear the rush of water over the Falls, which were a mere 15 blocks from his childhood home. He says it was a great place to grow up, even with all the tourists.

Matt came to Penn State Behrend in January 2018 after spending 11 years as the Head Librarian at the Penn State Shenango campus. Before starting his career at Penn State, Matt spent several years troubleshooting problems at a company that produced library-related software, much like Workflows. Later, he decided to move into the academic side of library work. He spent a year working at the law library of The University of the District of Columbia, the only historically black, public land grant university in Washington, D.C., where he enjoyed the rich culture and long history of the university.

Matt has spent the last 8 years working in the policy making body of the ALA council. He says he finds it truly worthwhile to work with the leadership and members to create initiatives and policies. It’s also given him a chance to meet a lot of great people. But ALA isn’t the only place where he’s met great people. When it comes to being at Penn State, Matt says “the people at Penn State are what makes it worth the working.” He’s currently looking to do some renovations to the Lilley Library, as well as being in the beginning stages of developing a Knowledge Commons.

In his spare time, you can find Matt singing in the tenor section of his church’s choir. An avid photographer, he likes to take pictures of nature and, especially, buildings and architecture. Something else that Matt enjoys doing is working with stained glass. He took a class on making it and has loved it ever since. He hopes to soon have a house where he, along with his husband Michael, can have the space to create stained glass pieces and have an adorable miniature schnauzer running around the yard.

By: Nicole Gampe

Now is the time to purchase your 2019 University Libraries Calendar that benefits the Centre County United Way!

Go to: https://goo.gl/forms/tY3jHQ7exGRC5rbn1 to order yours today!

Calendars will also be available for viewing and purchase at the Craft Sale on December 18th in Mann Assembly Room.

Payment information is on the Google form. Contact Heather Ross (hdr10) or Nicole Gampe (nmg110) if you have any questions.

By: Cate Fricke

Eisenbrauns, a renowned publisher of books on biblical and Near East studies, has unveiled its spring/summer 2019 catalog featuring new titles on Hebrew scriptures, ancient languages,  archeological reports, and more. The publishing house, which became an imprint of Penn State University Press in Nov. 2017, celebrated its 43rd anniversary this year.

Notable new titles include the third volume in Bezalel Porten and Ada Yardeni’s Textbook of Aramaic Ostraca from Idumea; Studying Gender in the Ancient Near East, a collection of scholarly essays providing a model of a more productive agenda for understanding gender in ancient Near Eastern societies; Cuneiform in Canaan: The Next Generation, an updated version of the original volume published by the Israel Exploration Society and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2006; A Glossary of Old Syrian by Joaquín Sanmartín; and additions to the Bulletin for Biblical Research Supplement series and Siphrut: Literature and Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures series. The new catalog also includes distributed titles from Åbo Akademi University, the American Oriental Society, and the Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project.

To see all of Eisenbrauns’s new and forthcoming Spring/Summer 2019 titles, visit

Click to access Eisen_catalog_WEB.pdf

or https://www.eisenbrauns.org/