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University of Iowa

University Libraries

Aug 1 2008

Kraft and McCartney Part of Rebuild Iowa Task Force

Nancy E. Kraft, Head of Preservation and David McCartney, University Archivist in the University of Iowa Libraries have been asked to participate in Governor Culver’s Rebuild Iowa project. They are part of the Cultural Heritage and Records Retention Task Forces.

Each of the nine Rebuild Iowa Task Forces is charged with developing and setting out a plan for action in a specific issue-area integral to Iowa’s rebuilding efforts. This charge and a list of Rebuild Iowa Task Forces are detailed in Executive Order Number 7, signed into law effective June 27, 2008 by Governor Culver.

The Cultural Heritage Task Force will consider the impact natural disasters of summer 2008 had (or continue to have) on cultural organizations and individuals associated with the arts, history and culture in Iowa. The Task Force will recommend immediate action steps needed, articulate unmet technical and financial needs, and recommend policies for long-term rebuilding efforts that incorporate arts, history and culture.

The Records Retention Task Force will consider the issue of records physical and electronic storage. Such documents may include historical records, vital records, court documents, private business records and others. The Task Force will consider how the recent natural disasters have impacted physical preservation of such records, best practices for records retention, and the dual needs of digitization and hard-copy retention.

These task forces also are collecting imput from Iowa citizens at local listening sessions. All of this gathered information and recommendations will be presented to the Governor in a report at the beginning of September.

Jul 31 2008

Faculty Proxy for Interlibrary Loan

On August 1st, faculty members will be able to authorize a designated person (proxy) to request and pick-up materials in their name for Interlibrary Loan materials. An online request form is available at http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/forms/ill.html.

    All notices will be sent to the faculty member and to the proxy.

    A list of items checked out or requested via the Proxy card can be viewed by logging in to the Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery system.

    To access the proxy account use the three sets of three numbers from the pink barcode number on the Circulation-issued proxy card as the Hawk ID. The password will be emailed to you shortly after submission of this form.

If you later wish to have the account cancelled, please contact interlibrary loan staff to cancel the account and prohibit any further checkouts or requests.

Jul 15 2008

Revised Library Material Due Dates

To best support our library users needs and accommodate difficulties they had returning materials while the Main Library was evacuated (the period from Friday, June 13 through Wednesday, July 9), we have adjusted the following due dates.

    Faculty loans that have not been recalled are now due June 1, 2009.
    Graduate loans that have not been recalled are now due January 28, 2009.
    Short term loans that were due between June 12 and July 9 are now due August 1, 2008.
    Items that were recalled and were due between June 12 and July 9 are now due August 1, 2008.

This week we will begin processing recalls and sending notices that were received while the Main Library was closed.

If you have any questions about due dates, you can “Check My Account” from the Libraries’ website. You may also contact Main Library Circulation staff at lib-maincirc@uiowa.edu or 319-335-5912.

Jul 9 2008

Volunteers at Main Library – UPDATED

Moving Special Collections materials to the lower-level storage area has progressed very quickly, and we expect to have the third floor hallway cleared today.

However a few volunteers are needed Thursday afternoon and Friday. Please call the Main Library Information Desk at 319-335-5299 to sign-up for a shift on Thursday or Friday.

NO volunteers are needed over the weekend.

While we resume business as usual in the Main Library, library staff is also trying to return evacuated materials to their appropriate places in the lower-level storage space. Returning the materials will be a much slower process than taking them out to make sure that items are retreivable.

We could use a few volunteers to help with this effort over the next week. Only 30-40 people are needed at a time. We will be moving materials only during the Main Library’s modified summer schedule:

    Wednesday, July 9 until 9 p.m.
    Thursday, July 10 – 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
    Friday, July 11 – 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
    Saturday, July 12 – 12 p.m. until 6 p.m.
    Sunday, July 13 – 12 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Jul 7 2008

Frost Saving Libraries in Peru

Last November, University Conservator Gary Frost visited Arequipa, Peru, at former UI Librarian Helen Ryan’s invitation to assist in preservation assessment of the historical libraries in the area. Gary has returned to Arequipa to provide further assistance along with a couple of his colleagues from other universities. A major activity will be moving an entire collection out of a condemned, earthquake damaged library.

You can follow the progress of the team on Gary’s blog.

Arequipa is in the southern region of Peru near the border with Chile. With a population of one million, it is the second largest city. The city is 40 miles from the coast and surrounded by volcanoes and expansive canyon lands. The region has had long pre-Incan settlement with an archeological record of more than 6,000 years. The Incan intrusion began in the 14th century. Spanish settlement was established in 1539.

Libraries for the education of clerics were founded beginning in the mid 17th century. Subsequent acquisition programs have continued to build the collections bringing together printed books imported to Peru as well as those printed in Peru over a period of five centuries. The genres collected include civil and canon law, theology, ecclesiastic history, philosophy, sociology, and linguistics. The church libraries have also served as repositories for magazines, newspapers and regional imprints of various kinds.

The project team will demonstrate actions needed to preserve these historical libraries. Specialists Chela Metzger from the Kilgarlin Center for the Preservation of the Cultural Record, University of Texas at Austin, Anna Embree, from the School of Library and Information Studies, The University of Alabama and project director Gary Frost, UICB Instructor and University of Iowa Libraries Conservator will demonstrate non-damaging exhibit installation, methods for preservation of historical libraries and cleaning and stabilization of book collections. The team will also participate in salvage of collections from earthquake damage.

Jun 30 2008

Retrieving Teaching/Research Materials from Main Library – UPDATED

Since the Main Library will be closed longer than previously hoped, we are setting up a process for library staff to go into Main Library once a day, Monday-Friday, to retrieve teaching/research materials.

    Print materials – please use the delivery service request form (http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/forms/deliveryrequest.html).

    Media materials – please contact Media Services staff by emailing lib-media-services@uiowa.edu or calling 335-5944.

In both cases, please provide as much information as possible about your needs – class date, best location for delivery, whether the materials should also be placed on Reserve, etc.

We are being allowed into Main Library for only 30 minutes each day, and are not able using the building elevators, so will need to prioritize requests in order to best meet the needs of as many of our users as possible.

If you have questions, please contact Library Circulation staff at lib-maincirc@uiowa.edu or (319) 335-5912.

Jun 30 2008

Wet, Muddy, Damaged Library Books?

If you have library books that were damaged in flooding, there are several options for returning them the UI Libraries.

    DRY/UNDAMAGED BOOKS — return to Hardin or one of the branch libraries or wait until the Main Library is open.

    SLIGHTLY WET/DAMP BUT NOT MUDDY — wrap in wax paper and put in your freezer. Contact Main Library Circulation lib-maincirc@uiowa.edu or 319-335-5912. We will coordinate the retrieval of the damaged materials.

    MUDDY/ICKY BOOKS and live in the Iowa City area — rinse as best you can, put in freezer bag and freeze. Wear gloves when handling books to protect yourself. Contact Main Library Circulation lib-maincirc@uiowa.edu or 319-335-5912. We will coordinate the retrieval of the damaged materials.

    BOOKS TOSSED/LOST DURING RECOVERY EFFORTS OF HOME — contact Main Library Circulation lib-maincirc@uiowa.edu or 319-335-5912. Staff will retrieve title information and start the replacement process.

The Libraries Damaged Library Materials Policy states “When a fire, flood, or some other event, beyond the control of the user, causes damage to library materials, the Libraries’ response will vary depending on the individual situation. If the user has access to property insurance, the library will charge the user the cost of repair or replacement and provide them with a price estimate statement for the insurance company. If the user has no insurance, the library will not charge for replacement of the damaged materials. However, library staff can consider fines and/or additional damage in determining whether to charge users beyond the basic cost of repair or replacement.”