Month: February 2017

Hostage Negotiations with Homeland Security, or, Rare Book Buying, Italian Style

Special Collections visitors often ask how the rare books in our collection make their way onto our shelves, and indeed, the question of provenance is one of great importance in the world of antiquarian items. For the materials in Special Collections & Archives, the trajectories of their journeys range from rare books and maps donated…Continue Reading Hostage Negotiations with Homeland Security, or, Rare Book Buying, Italian Style

The Importance of Being Open

The library has just finished developing our budget proposal for next year. As part of the broad budget adjustments happening across the college, we submitted a budget that is 3% less than last year’s. Because the cost of library materials increases on average by 5% per year, a 3% reduction relative to last year could…Continue Reading The Importance of Being Open

Katrina Spencer

In each issue of Keynotes, we profile a staff member who works in the library or other related department. This issue features Katrina Spencer, Literatures & Cultures Librarian, who joined the Library staff just this month. Place of Origin: Los Angeles, California (not Venice, Rodeo Drive, The Hills, Hollywood, Compton, Watts, East L.A., the Tar…Continue Reading Katrina Spencer

Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) research tools

Now seems as appropriate a time as any to mention that Middlebury and MIIS students, faculty, and staff have access to the Digital National Security Archive, a database containing over 500,000 pages of declassified documents gathered through the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This resource contains policy documents such as presidential memos, meeting notes,…Continue Reading Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) research tools

Caitlin Myers

In each issue of Keynotes, we profile a faculty member who makes innovative use of the library and/or academic technology.  This issue features Caitlin Myers, Associate Professor of Economics and 2015-2016 Digital Liberal Arts Faculty Fellow. What is your current research project? I’m never working on just one thing!  But if I can pull one…Continue Reading Caitlin Myers

Sam Cartwright

In each issue of Keynotes, we profile one of the many student assistants who help make the Middlebury Libraries run smoothly. This issue features one of our Library Assistants in Special Collections and Archives, Sam Cartwright. Where are you from? I was born and raised in Ogden, Utah. It’s in a beautiful location, has a…Continue Reading Sam Cartwright

Canvas

In 2011, when Middlebury College adopted our previous learning management system (LMS) Moodle, we did so with the understanding that this decision would be revisited after 5 years.  While relatively new at the time we adopted Moodle, Canvas emerged as a new force in the LMS field between 2011-2015, with over 1200 institutions implementing the…Continue Reading Canvas

RIP NExpress

We are disappointed to share the news that 3 of the remaining 5 libraries are leaving NExpress (go\nexpress\) by summer 2017.  This is likely the (hopefully temporary) end of what was a very successful 10-year venture by Middlebury into “do-it-yourself” interlibrary loan (ILL). Middlebury College became a member of the already-thriving NExpress consortium in 2007, joining…Continue Reading RIP NExpress

Your Favorite Pop Culture Library

Earlier this month, the Student Engagement Committee greeted incoming the Feb class with a poll asking: “What’s your favorite pop culture library?”  We thought this would be both a fun way to link the Middlebury Libraries to the idea of the library in popular imagination, as well as an opportunity to test some new surveying…Continue Reading Your Favorite Pop Culture Library