Library Dean Fulton, UNH
Library Dean Meeting Report
September 15, 2015
Mike Verney
On Tuesday morning, September 3, Ezra Temko and Mike Verney met with Dean
Tara Lynn Fulton in the Library to introduce her to the GSS leadership, hear about
her vision for library services and spaces, and discuss ways to make both more
useful and appealing to graduate students. Dean Fulton views her role as an
ambassador for the library, and is placing a premium on being in touch with the
various library stakeholders across campus, including undergraduate and graduate
students. She is also revitalizing the library’s liaison program, in which library
faculty are recruited in specialized areas and are designated as liaisons to related
departments and programs. Bill Ross, the head of Milne Special Collections and
University Archives, for example, is also serving as the liaison to the History
Department. They had just hired a new Life Sciences librarian and were searching
for a new business librarian. In this vein Mike and Ezra encouraged Fulton to
consider assigning graduate and undergraduate student liaisons as well. Dean
Fulton also relayed that a new instructional librarian, Catherine Avalott, has been
hired and will help students make better use of the library’s many services.
Fulton also wants to revamp some of the furniture and decorations of the Dimond
Library to make them more welcoming and less stark. She envisions putting in
wicker furniture, for example, in the children’s section of the library and employing
a beach theme there. She hopes to put more art and color around the library as well,
and envisions creative spaces where community members can learn about art, hear
more book talks, and/or participate in hands on activities.
Mike and Ezra were very responsive to these ideas, and also shared with her the
results of the GSS spring 2015 survey regarding library services. They relayed
graduate students’ interest in having another study room that, like the current grad
study carrels, would be just for graduate students but would be less formal and
more like a study lounge, with tables for collaborative work and couches for
comfortable studying. Dean Fulton was resistant to the concept of reserving specific
sections of the library for only specific types of patrons, and also expressed that
space was too much of an issue there. Having a rear entrance to the library was also
impractical given security and staffing concerns, as was creating additional space for
dining, which Dean Fulton thought would better belong in the MUB. Dean Fulton
and the GSS representatives found more common ground around the idea of
creating a 24-hour study space, which seemed to Fulton to be more feasible and
would meet both undergraduate and graduate student demands for longer library
hours. Still, Fulton asked if she could get a copy of our GSS survey results, which
Mike e-mailed to her after the meeting. In sum, the meeting was productive,
friendly, and yet also revealed some areas in which the desires of the graduate
student body and the capacities of the library are at odds.
Ezra’s notes:
Library has been undergoing a lot of transitions over the past decade; had an
interim director over the past two years. During this time, the library became more
internally focused and were not communicating and connecting enough with the
rest of the campus (lesson especially seen from dumpster book incident). Dean
Fulton feels she needs to be external and active around campus. Also a lot of
organizational work to do over the next few years and also a lot of energy and
potential and excitement / possibility.
Liaison program: Subject/specialty librarians: Have not hired for people with
special expertise. It has been more people just take what happens and if someone
has an expertise we match them up. Trying to hire a business librarian; new life
sciences librarian coming at end of October. Three more faculty librarians retiring at
the end of the year. This is 1/3 of the library faculty switching over a two year
period. Also more generally partnering more across campus, such as Academic
Technology.
Rethinking how we use and what our library space looks like: Color? Couches?
Making spaces more environments that feel good for studying. Art? Posters? Etc.?
Specific spaces etc.: Beach theme, wicker furniture. Also considering whether there
is 24 hour space somewhere on campus for folks to use?
Events – Libraries have lectures, book talks, etc. And now are having more active
learning and makerspaces (as opposed to just verbal exchange). We have not been
very involved with this. Things that may not happen in the individual departments,
but the library is a space/venue/organizer for where this is supposed to happen.
Recent hires:
 Catherine Avalott – hired about a year ago. Instruction Librarian. Joint
responsibility to make sure everyone has their information research skills
when they graduate. (Co-teaching methods course?) Through faculty and
academic programs is where this knowledge advancement is going to be
most effective. She is going to be a resource to subject librarians and working
on this project.
 Patti Condon: Three year person who has PhD in Data Management.
(quantitative and qualitative) – (Ezra may want to follow up re: qual
management software, which UNH does not have)
Facility things – follow up with Tracy about easy to do’s or things to
investigate.
Main thing for GSS right now – for interdisciplinary lectures or events that are
intellectual/academic things, library might be a better environment.