Please join me in wishing Wendell Hogg well in his retirement from the University Library. For the past 30 years, Wendell has provided consistent and timely mail delivery and receipt of our precious packages of library materials and important documents. Wendell joined the library community in May of 1979, starting as a mail processor reporting to Albert Hawkins. In 1982 Wendell earned a reclassification to Senior Mail Processor and in 1985 was temporarily reclassified to Mail Room Supervisor, permanently earning this promotion in 1986.

In 1996 Wendell received a distinguished service award for meeting cost saving targets by reducing operations costs and improving services. Wendell implemented a number of mail processing systems/ techniques which greatly improved the timely delivery of mail, efficiency of mail services, and resulted in cost savings for the library.

Beginning November 1, 2009, Susan Francisco, who manages Mail and Transportation Services for the Library, will assume responsibility for the daily mail room operations in addition to her other duties. My thanks to Susan for her adoption of these new responsibilities to provide continuity in communications with library staff, and to Wendell for his many years of service to the Library.

Elise Woods
Chief Financial Officer                                                                                                                        

Two highly valued Preservation Department staff members are retiring as of October 31. Cameron Olen joined the Department in 1981, the days of typewriter ribbons and carbon copies, as deptartment administrative assistant, a position that morphed into office manager as the department grew during the late 80s and early 90s with grant-funded preservation projects. Keeping track of project expenses and funds was no small challenge; during many of those years over a half-dozen different grant-funded projects were simultaneously underway, in addition to Library-funded preservation activities. Cam frequently substituted for the department head, using her broad knowledge of the department and the Library to get things done. She will be much missed.

Charles Stewart has been a key member of the Library's photographic team and a specialist in preservation microfilming since 1978. A proponent of traditional wet photography for its unique advantages as a preservation tool, Charles developed methods for optimizing capture of difficult-to-image materials, including rare books and MSS, and developed a unique system using microfilm for copying photos in large numbers inexpensively. Charles brought recognition to the Preservation Department with his technical expertise by consulting with other preservation microfilming operations in the US and abroad and by producing technical reports for the preservation community. Among major career events, Charles remembers vividly his work to keep operations going during several Library construction projects by erecting camera operations under makeshift conditions in various library stacks and cubbyholes and, when need, by working in a hard hat! Charles's contributions have been many.

Begging November 1 Robert Byler in the Preservation Microfilming Lab will continue to provide as many of our preservation microfilming services as possible. Maxim Osinovsky will pick up some of Cam's duties by serving as deptartment office manager in addition to his ongoing assignment as unit head for the Preservation Replacement Division of the Department.

On behalf of the Preservation Department staff, congratulations and much appreciation to Cam and Charles for their non-stop contributions over decades, and many thanks to Max and Robert for stepping in behind them.

Barclay Ogden
Director for Library Preservation                                                                                                                                                                                   

Lee Leighton's last day in the Library was September 24, 2009. This marked the end of a distinguished era and the beginning of a new approach to managing Technical Services. In the reorganization of Technical Services, the Cataloging functions were regrouped into a new Catalog Department, which now reports to Bernie Hurley.

I am pleased to introduce the Cataloging Management Team, who will be working with me to plan, prioritize, and manage the activities of the Catalog department. This team includes:

• Armanda Barone, Head, Monographic Original Cataloging
• Tonette Mendoza, Head, Copy Cataloging (Tonnette will replace Sheila Wekselbaum, who is retiring at the end of this month. We'll miss you, Sheila!)
• Lupe Ochoa, Head, Monographic Recieving
• Lisa Rowlison de Ortiz, Head, Serials Cataloging
• Kai Stoeckenius, Principal Cataloger
• Bernie Hurley, Director, Cataloging Department

Dana Jemison, who works 50 percent for Cataloging, will also be reporting to me. Her duties will include being the liaison to our Library Systems Office and developing specifications for programmatic record loading and maintenance projects.

Please welcome our colleagues who will join with me to form our new Catalog department leadership team.

Bernie Hurley
Director for Library Technologies and the Northern Regional Library Facility