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Newsletter Home ∙ Building a Learning Commons
Building a Learning Commons: A 21st century pedagogical and technological
model in the heart of CSUN’s campus.
The Oviatt Library is embarking on a number of initiatives that will change the face of our facility and our services. Perhaps our most ambitious
endeavor is the new Learning Commons which is due to begin construction in June 2013. The introduction of the Learning Commons will be the first
phase in our state-of-the-art transformation to meet the growth of internet-based research and instruction, facilitate an increase in student
collaborative projects, and integrate the Library's resources and services into campus wide partnerships to further student learning and respond to
faculty needs. The Learning Commons, which will extend throughout the 1st floor of the Oviatt (including the Core and both Wings), will integrate
the new skillsets of librarians with 21st century technologies; provide students with ergonomic, portable, and flexible furniture; create a light and
open space; be food friendly with an expanded Freudian Sip cafe; and facilitate a teaching and learning dynamic. We have high hopes for the
Learning Commons as a new pedagogical and technological model for the 21st century academic library.
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Oviatt Library E-News
Building a Learning Commons
The Oviatt Library is embarking on a number of initiatives that will change the face of our facility and our
services. Perhaps our most ambitious endeavor is the new Learning Commons which is due to begin
construction in June 2013. Read more . . .
What's Up
Science fiction literature, one of the most popular and entertaining genres in modern fiction, has been read and
loved by children and adults for decades. From the earliest pulp publications to modern masterpieces, science
fiction short stories and novels have often functioned as a lens through which we express our sense of wonder,
marvel at the possibilities of new technologies, and engage in our wildest imaginings. Read more . . .
Oviatt Spotlight
Thanks to Librarian Andrew Weiss the Oviatt Library has been selected as one of this year’s recipients of books
through The Nippon Foundation’s Read Japan Book Donation Program. The Read Japan program aims to make a
wide variety of books from Japan available to foreign audiences by working in partnership with libraries,
publishers, authors and translators. Every year university libraries are invited to apply for a donation of up to
100 informative books on contemporary Japan in English. Read more . . .
Thanks & Recognition
The Oviatt Library recently received a $161,000 gift from The Jack and Florence Ferman Foundation for the
Ferman Endowment. The purpose of the gift is to support the continued processing and ongoing curation of the
many unique treasures that are housed in the Special Collections of the library. Read more . . .
We would like you to meet. . .
Our heartfelt congratulations go out to the Oviatt’s own Iris Caplan who was honored along with recipients from
colleges across the campus at the Volunteer Service Awards banquet on November 1 at the Airtel Plaza Hotel.
The library is proud to introduce you to Iris Caplan Read more . . .
Message from the Dean
University libraries are in a state of tumultuous change today. Technology has radically changed the way that librarians,
students, and faculty think about searching for information. Mobile computing is on the rise, and scholarly communication and
publication is becoming a much more open enterprise. Funding (or the lack thereof) has placed state universities in a precarious
situation in regard to planning for the future and sustainability. Library spaces are evolving from solitary study areas surrounded
by hundreds of thousands of books to collaborative spaces where print materials may be superseded in some cases by electronic
resources. Read more . . .
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Newsletter Home ∙ What's Up
Fantastic and Strange: Reflections of Self in Science Fiction Literature continues
September 18, 2012 – July 26, 2013 in the C.K. and Teresa Tseng Gallery.
Science fiction literature, one of the most popular and
entertaining genres in modern fiction, has been read and
loved by children and adults for decades. From the earliest
pulp publications to modern masterpieces, science fiction
short stories and novels have often functioned as a lens
through which we express our sense of wonder, marvel at
the possibilities of new technologies, and engage in our
wildest imaginings.
The modern genre of science fiction began when Hugo
Gernsback published Amazing Stories, the first publication
devoted to science fiction literature, in 1926. In his opening
essay Gernsback described the genre as encompassing "…the
Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and Edgar Allan Poe type of story—a
charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and
prophetic vision." Since that time, science fiction has come to encompass a broad swath of fiction, which, in addition to serving as an outlet for
expressions of joy, imagination, and creativity, has functioned as a tool we use to explore and more fully understand ourselves. Whether questioning
our confidence that humanity is capable of coping with the problems of science and technology, or examining faith and belief versus evidence,
science fiction literature has been a space in which we are free to imagine and explore.
On display in the C.K. and Teresa Tseng Gallery are numerous pulp publications, short story collections, novels, and other science fiction works by
over 100 authors, most of which were generously donated by Milt Stevens (CSUN class of 1965), a long-time member of the Los Angeles Science
Fantasy Society. Join us as we celebrate the fantastic and strange in science fiction literature. For more information call (818) 677-2638. This exhibit
is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Oviatt Library.
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Newsletter Home ∙ Oviatt Spotlight
The Oviatt Shines: Librarian Andrew Weiss secures a grant from the Nippon
Foundation to enrich CSUN’s resources and spark new interest in Contemporary
Japanese Studies.
Thanks to Librarian Andrew Weiss the Oviatt Library has been
selected as one of this year’s recipients of books through The
Nippon Foundation’s Read Japan Book Donation Program. The
Read Japan program aims to make a wide variety of books
from Japan available to foreign audiences by working in
partnership with libraries, publishers, authors and translators.
Every year university libraries are invited to apply for a
donation of up to 100 informative books on contemporary
Japan in English. The 100 books, selected by a committee of Japanese and
foreign scholars and journalists, cover five categories: politics
and international relations, economy and business, society
and culture, literature and arts, and history. In addition to
significantly supplementing the Oviatt’s holdings in the area
of Japanese Studies, one of the important goals in securing this diverse collection of important books, according to Andrew, is to encourage student
interest in the study of Japanese culture across the colleges. Andrew Weiss is a digital Services Librarian and one of the curators of the institutional repository, CSUN ScholarWorks. His work focuses on digital
collection development and digitization (including theses and dissertations), consultation on issues of academic publishing (copyright clearance, fair
use, open-access publishing and Creative Commons licensing), and reference and bibliographic instruction (including English and Japanese). Andrew
is currently working on the retrospective digitization of ETDs, he is a member of the Library’s Assessment Team, and does outreach demonstrations,
workshops and tutorials for ScholarWorks. He holds a B.A. in English Literature from Kenyon College, a M.A. in English Literature from Temple
University, and a MLISc in Library and Information Science from University of Hawaii at Manoa.
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Newsletter Home ∙ Thanks and Recognition
Thanks and Recognition
A gift from long-time friends of the university, Jack and Florence Ferman, helps to support
Special Collections in the Oviatt Library.
The Oviatt Library recently received a $161,000 gift from
The Jack and Florence Ferman Foundation for the
Ferman Endowment. The purpose of the gift is to support the
continued processing and ongoing curation of the many
unique treasures that are housed in the Special Collections of
the library. The Fermans were long-time friends of the
Library who passed away a few years ago. Jack Ferman was
a businessman, and Florence (a CSUN alumna) was an artist,
but both were obviously philanthropists at heart. Since their
passing, through their generous bequests, they have given
over $2 million to CSUN. Florence Ferman’s artwork,
including both oil paintings and ceramics, can be viewed in
the foyer of the Ferman Presentation Room on the Garden
Level of the library.
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Newsletter Home ∙ We would like you to meet...
We would like you to meet…
…Iris Caplan, the library’s Volunteer Service Award recipient for 2012.
Our heartfelt congratulations go out to the Oviatt’s own Iris
Caplan who was honored along with recipients from colleges
across the campus at the Volunteer Service Awards banquet
on November 1 at the Airtel Plaza Hotel. The library is proud
to introduce you to Iris Caplan who has been a faithful and
committed member of the Friends of the Library board over
the past few years, where she served as Hospitality Chair.
“I’ve always thought that being involved at a university with
staff, students, and community maintained one’s
contemporary awareness,” Iris shared when asked what
prompted her to begin her volunteer work at the Library.
“After retiring, I attended one of the Oviatt programs that
Joyclyn (Dunham) was hosting. During a brief chat, Friends
of the Library and volunteer opportunities were mentioned,
and I was introduced to a few members. They seemed genuinely eager to have me visit the bookstore, and join them I did.” Iris credits Joyclyn, the
Oviatt Library’s Projects and Programs coordinator, with introducing her to the wonderful resources and volunteer opportunities available through the
Friends of the Library group.
Iris also assists in the Friends of the Library bookstore on a regular basis to help raise funds for the Oviatt Library. In addition to her other
volunteer work, Iris has served on the Oviatt Library Student Scholarship Committee. Prior to her retirement, Iris worked for thirty-five years as a
school teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District. She is the proud mother of two sons, and a very proud grandmother of two.
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Newsletter Home ∙ A Message from the Dean
A Message from the Dean
Our library’s past and future.
University libraries are in a state of tumultuous change today. Technology has radically changed the way that librarians,
students, and faculty think about searching for information. Mobile computing is on the rise, and scholarly communication and
publication is becoming a much more open enterprise. Funding (or the lack thereof) has placed state universities in a
precarious situation in regard to planning for the future and sustainability. Library spaces are evolving from solitary study
areas surrounded by hundreds of thousands of books to collaborative spaces where print materials may be superseded in some
cases by electronic resources. In addition, most libraries now allow food and drink, and indeed, many libraries (including the
Oviatt) contain coffee houses. This transformation is all very exciting to me, as well as somewhat anxiety-provoking. While it is undeniably true that many changes are afoot, I am comforted in the fact that there are also many facets of the Oviatt Library that will
continue to adhere to traditional best practices and the symbolic Library of the past. One good example of this is the Robert Gohstand and Maureen
Kelly Reading Room, which encourages a love for reading in a tranquil, comfortable environment. Other quiet areas are also available throughout
the Library, along with group study rooms, and a variety of computer workstations. Most importantly, the invaluable and irreplaceable human
element remains steadfast. Expert librarians, a dedicated staff, and a friendly team of student assistants are always on hand to enthusiastically
support CSUN’s continued excellence. Yes, there are many challenges on the horizon for academic libraries, but many opportunities as well. We in the university community can rise to
the occasion, or we can be paralyzed by fear and misplaced caution. I invite you to join the Oviatt as we eagerly move to combine the time-proven
practices of libraries past with the limitless prospects of our library’s future. Sincerely,
Mark Stover, Ph.D.
Dean, Oviatt Library
CSU Northridge Oviatt Library
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