News from the Mardigian Library

Director’s update…

Hello, my name is Elaine Logan. It is my privilege to serve as director of the Mardigian Library. I returned to the University of Michigan-Dearborn in early October after an absence of twenty years. UM-Dearborn is the same vibrant, welcoming community that I fondly remembered. I am enjoying getting to know library staff, campus leaders, faculty, and students – and hearing their ideas about the library. Continuing the tradition of retired director, Tim Richards, this is my first installment of Director's Update. I plan to use my updates to share my perspective and thoughts three or four times a year on library issues. I also hope that you will communicate your thoughts, questions, ideas, and suggestions to me in response to these updates.

It is no secret that technology is changing the way we all find, use, and create knowledge and information. One of the library’s key functions is to help you be successful in locating the information you need. We do this by providing discovery tools like Summon and by providing resources to make your searching successful. The library cannot own every resource in the world, but our participation in the “One University” initiative, with the Ann Arbor and Flint campus libraries, has vastly increased the depth and breadth of information resources immediately available to everyone on this campus. Did you know that through “One University” we’ve been able to increase access to over 240 online databases, over 20,000 electronic journals, and over 100,000 e-books to supplement the print materials in the Mardigian Library collections?

Of equal importance to supplying a wealth of information resources is our work with students to teach them how to critically evaluate and ethically use information. In the past, finding information was hard. Now with improved discovery tools, the finding is easy. What is hard is knowing how to filter and evaluate content so that its reliability and trustworthiness can be determined. We take great pride in our instructional role in the classroom, in small groups, and one-on-one sessions.

Academic libraries are changing in fundamental ways, but our underlying goals remain the same. We strive to provide the necessary tools, services, collections, expertise, and learning environments to ensure that your experience in the Mardigian Library is productive and academically enriching. We use our expertise and resources to inform, connect, and transform the lives of the people in our community. It is an exciting time to be at the Mardigian Library. I am proud to be leading the effort of continuing to maintain the library’s vital presence and purpose within the University of Michigan-Dearborn. In the next few months, we will be providing the entire campus community with a variety of opportunities to let us know your aspirations for our future.

Elaine Logan

Director, Mardigian Library

Printing at the Mardigian Library

In order to continue to provide some level of no-charge printing, the Mardigian Library will implement print quotas beginning January 9, 2012. Students, faculty, and staff will be allotted 300 pages per semester to use for printing library resources. Should a user reach the 300 page quota, additional pages can be purchased at the Circulation Desk for five cents per page. Library users also have the “green” alternative of saving materials via e-mail or to a USB drive. Guest printing will continue at five cents per page.

Voice/Vision Archive to sponsor three dance performances in January

In late January 2012, the Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive will co-sponsor three performances of the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company’s “Legacy Project” at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield.

Dorfman is the company’s director and a child of Holocaust survivors. She choreographed the dances that bring together her family’s stories, Jewish history, and the universal struggle for identity among immigrants. According to Dorfman, “the program takes us on a journey from the depths and pain of the Holocaust to the joys and complexities of immigration to America.”

The Legacy Project is presented in three parts. “My Father’s Solo” and “American Dream”, both excerpts from “Mayne Mentshn” (“My People”), focus on Dorfman’s personal and family history. The third part, “Cat’s Cradle”, tells the story of the Theresienstadt ghetto. The piece is set to music by Ilse Weber, composed while she was imprisoned in a ghetto. All three pieces will be narrated by Dorfman.

The three performances are scheduled for the following dates and times:

Thursday, January 26 – 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 27 – 10:00 a.m. (Family matinee)
Saturday, January 28 – 8:00 p.m.

For ticket information, please contact the Berman Center for the Performing Arts:

6600 W. Maple Rd., West Bloomfield, MI 48322
248-661-1000

http://bermancenter.jccdet.org/ticketing/

For more information on the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, including an artist’s statement, please visit:

http://cddc.info/

The Holocaust Memorial Center and the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit are also co-sponsoring these performances.

Tech tip – accessing library resources off campus

How off-campus access works

• You will be automatically asked for your Last Name, UMID, and library PIN after you click on a database or journal link. (For library PIN problems, see PIN Help)
• Use a current version of Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, or other browser.
• If you receive an error message, please contact the library for assistance.

If you are having problems

• You must allow cookies from our site in order to authenticate - check your browser privacy settings.
• If you still cannot authenticate, try setting up a VPN connection to the campus network. See VPN Configuration.
• Mac OS X users may need a plug-in to use eBook Collection - read more.

Still having problems?

• Visit http://library.umd.umich.edu/Help/articleshelp.php or contact the Library Research Center at: http://library.umd.umich.edu/Help/ask.php or phone 313-593-5563.