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Category: Staff Notes

Meet Jackie Chapman!

IMG_1812A dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom, Jackie Chapman joined Smithsonian Libraries staff in February. Jackie received an undergraduate degree in the College of Letters from Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) and a Master of Science in Library Science degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Most recently, she worked at the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center, a statewide digitization project capturing the cultural history of North Carolina, where she spent almost two years immersed in digitization, digitization work flows, metadata and social media for the organization.

Smithsonian Libraries and the Digital Public Library of America

Rachel Frisk and Martin Kalfatovic at DPLA launch event.
Rachel Frick and Martin Kalfatovic at DPLA launch event.

The Smithsonian Institution recently announced that it will join with the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) to provide links to a wealth of the Institution’s cultural and scientific content. The DPLA pilot project, which combines and centralizes links to the collections of participating cultural institutions, launched April 18.

Le Vatican et la basilique de Saint-Pierre de Rome Finds New Home

NuncioGiftJohn Dick, head of gifts and exchanges at Smithsonian Libraries, recently contacted the Roman Catholic Nunciature (the representative of the Holy See in the United States) to offer Le Vatican et la basilique de Saint-Pierre de Rome – a four-volume, oversized publication on interior decoration in the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica, published in Paris in 1882.

Staff Spotlight: Professional Growth Through Mentorship

Dave Opkins and Bianca Crowley, Smithsonian Libraries staff
Dave Opkins and Bianca Crowley

The Smithsonian Institution Mentorship Program is an annual 9-month program dedicated to “developing leaders throughout the Institution” through professional development in the areas of networking, interpersonal skills, coaching, and institutional engagement. This past year, 60 participants, consisting of 30 mentors and 30 “mentees,” were selected as a result of a competitive application process. In addition to a curriculum of monthly training courses, the program provided rare opportunities for behind-the-scenes tours and meetings with notable leaders across the Institution including Secretary Clough. Mentees worked with their mentors to achieve a set of personal goals through a variety of learning opportunities, thus each experience of the program was unique. Smithsonian Libraries was proud to have 2 mentees in the 2012 Mentorship program, Bianca Crowley and Dave Opkins. Below, each will describe their experiences working with their mentors and their key takeaways.

Resolution: Read More!

Photo of booksSo have you made your New Year’s resolutions? We’ve got a suggestion that might be easier than losing 10 pounds or finally getting your life organized. Read more! To help you with this resolution, we asked Smithsonian Libraries staff for a list of books worth reading. (A few couldn’t resist making more than one recommendation!) The list includes fun reads as well as some that are more scholarly, so there should be something for just about everyone. We’ve included links to help you find the books in a local library or, in some cases, online. And feel free to share your own suggestions in the Comment field. We’d love to know what’s on your reading list!

In Memoriam of Russell Train

Dr. Nancy E. Gwinn, Roger and Vicki Sant, Russell and Aileen Train, and Dr. Wade Davis at the “Art of African Exploration” opening reception in December of 2008.

It is with great sadness that I tell you of the death of Russell Train, one of the Libraries’ major benefactors. Russell was a close friend of Joseph F. Cullman 3rd and it was Joe’s suggestion that brought Russell to us and ultimately resulted in his donation of the Russell E. Train Africana Collection, which resides in the Cullman Library. The donation was singular since it came with a full inventory of the collection, which he developed, including evaluations of individual items.