Monthly Archives: July 2020

Stephanie Davis-Kahl Named University Librarian

Stephanie Davis-Kahl, currently Collections and Scholarly Communications Librarian, and Professor, The Ames Library, has been named University Librarian and Copyright Officer, effective July 20, 2020. Ms. Davis-Kahl will succeed Scott Walter, who has been named Dean of Library and Information Access at San Diego State University.

A member of the library faculty since 2004, Stephanie is an active researcher in the field, drawing inspiration for many of her projects, including her two co-edited collections, Undergraduate Research and the Academic Librarian: Case Studies and Best Practices (2017), and Common Ground at the Nexus of Information Literacy and Scholarly Communication (2013) from her work with faculty and students at IWU. She has served on Curriculum Council, the Promotion and Tenure Committee, the Council for University Programs and Policies, and the Undergraduate Research Committee. She coordinated efforts to collect and archive exemplary student research and faculty scholarship in Digital Commons @ IWU, earning the “IR All Star Award” from bepress in 2013. She is active in the Association for College & Research Libraries, her professional home, and received the “Distinguished Education and Behavioral Sciences Librarian” award from the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Education and Behavioral Sciences Section in 2014.

Over the past several weeks, Stephanie has provided leadership for the strategic acquisition of digital content designed to support IWU faculty and students as they have adapted to the “online-only” model for teaching and learning during the coronavirus crisis, and is leading the planning and coordination to re-open the Ames Library for public services at the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester.

New Library Catalog (and More) Launched

With help from our colleagues at the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI), we have completed our migration to the new Ames Library catalog, I-Share catalog, and article databases, also known as “MegaSearch.” Launched on June 24th across the state, our new system provides enhanced searching, requesting, and delivery options for library users, and new tools for management of library resources for library faculty and staff.

While requests for materials from other library collections, both through I-Share and interlibrary loan, remain limited owing to the impact of the coronavirus on library services across the world, you can still use the new MegaSearch to discover and gain access to materials in the Ames Library collection (including curbside delivery, beginning July 7th), and to access digital resources including electronic journal articles, e-books, and streaming media. If you would like an introduction to the new system, please review this tutorial.

The migration to the new library catalog has been ongoing for over a year, and would not have been possible without the concerted efforts of library faculty and staff preparing materials, updating records, and trouble-shooting data and workflows. We look forward to introducing you and your students to the new system in the Fall. If you have any questions, please contact your liaison librarian.

Breezeway Pickup Begins July 7th

Beginning July 7th, we will offer “breezeway pickup” of books, music scores, DVDs, and other physical items from the Ames Library collection. To request an item for curbside delivery, please:

  • Search for an item in the Ames Catalog (available on the library home page)
  • Choose a record
  • If you are not logged into the system, choose “Sign In” and enter your IWU NetID and password
  • Select “Get It” from the navigation options
  • Click the “Request” link next to the option to “Request for IWU curbside pickup”

Please note that our catalog interface has recently changed. If you would like an introduction to our new system, please watch this video.

Once your item is charged to your account and ready for pick-up, you will receive an e-mail from a library staff member asking you to set up an appointment for pick-up. At your scheduled time, a library staff member will meet you at the entrance of the library with your materials. Please note that, per campus guidelines, social distancing measures will be in place and you will be required to wear a face mask when you arrive. Pick-up policies may evolve based on demand, staff availability, and any changes in campus plans for return to the workplace during the summer. Please continue to look for updates in the library’s FAQ.
If you have not received an e-mail confirmation of the availability of your requested materials within 2 business days, please contact the Library Services Desk at circ@iwu.edu. Please note that library staff are not available during weekends during the summer.
Items returned to the library will be placed in quarantine for 3 days following their return, and will not be available for further circulation until the quarantine period has ended.
Curbside delivery will be available Mondays through Fridays, between 8 am – 2 pm. The Ames Library is currently scheduled to return to broader availability of library services on August 10, 2020. Further information on library re-opening plans will be announced here, and as part of the university’s Fall 2020 re-opening plans.