Rick Anderson named University Librarian at BYU

Brigham Young University Academic Vice President Shane Reese has announced the appointment of Rick Anderson as university librarian at the Harold B. Lee Library. He succeeds Brian Rennick who has been interim university librarian since December 2019 following the passing of university librarian Jennifer Paustenbaugh in November.

The appointment will be effective September 1.

Anderson has been serving as associate dean for Collections & Scholarly Communication in the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah.

“Rick’s wealth of experience in libraries at other universities will prove a blessing to our students as he leads the library into the next phase of its development,” Reese said.

Anderson has worked previously as a bibliographer for YBP, Inc., as Head Acquisitions Librarian for the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and as Director of Resource Acquisition at the University of Nevada, Reno. He also serves as an unpaid advisor on the library boards of numerous publishers and organizations including biorXiv, Elsevier, JSTOR and Oxford University Press.

Anderson received his bachelor’s degree in family science and his master’s degree in library and information science from BYU.

By Natalie Ipson,

Harold B. Lee Library COVID-19 Update Friday, July 10

Limited Access

Due to health concerns the library is limiting access to university employees and students. You may be asked to show your BYU I.D. when entering the library.

Shifting to Virtual Services

Effective Friday, March 27, the library building will remain open during regular hours, but all service points will be closed and patrons will be referred to virtual platforms such as chat and email. The library hopes to eliminate, as much as possible, employees’ physical interactions with patrons.

Patrons will still be able to check out many of our physical items using the self-checkout machines and we will provide a phone number they can call for help if needed. We will continue to retrieve books requested through the online holds system. Patrons will be able to pick up their materials at the help desk on level 3. Patrons will then need to utilize the self-checkout machine before taking items from the building.

The level 3 help desk is also answering questions via Zoom. There will be no face-to-face help, but patrons can talk to library staff via the computer at the desk.

Do You Have Questions?

You can chat with librarians from home via https://lib.byu.edu/chat/?url=https://lib.byu.edu/

The specialized Help Desks are also available online to answer questions. Click on the area you are interested in.

Level 5 Humanities

Level 4 Music & Dance

Level 2 Science

Level 2 Religion & Family History

Level 1 Social Sciences

Hours

The library is open reduced hours, 7:45 am until 8:00 pm, Monday through Saturday.

This is subject to change.

We recommend checking the library hours page when planning a visit.

The library will be closed on Sundays until further notice.

All Help Desks, with the exception of the Main Help Desk on level 3, are closed.

The Main Help Desk will continue to operate using a Zoom system. There is no face-to-face help available.

Entrance

When necessary the library may close the south doors. We suggest patrons plan on using the library’s main entrance on the north side of the building (the glass atrium).

Help For Students

Students struggling with research are encouraged to contact subject librarians via their Research Guides. We also offer Chat with a librarian.

Limited Services

The L. Tom Perry Special Collections are accessible by appointment only, https://byu.libcal.com/booking/SC_Table_Reservations. Materials must be requested 24 hours prior to appointment. All patrons must wear masks in Special Collections and we will be observing social distancing protocols.

The Family Friendly Study Room is closed until further notice.

The Education in Zion Gallery in the JFSB has closed until further notice.

The RWC (Research and Writing Center) consultation space is closed to the public but services will continue to be provided online at rwc.byu.edu.

The library Group Study Rooms (GSRs) have been converted into “Media Studios” for instructors who need a space to teach online. Training for faculty and instructors who wish to use Zoom is available online or by contacting the Patron Service Department.

Faculty Delivery Services have changed. Due to the number of departments on campus that have closed we will no longer be able to deliver books to faculty. Books can still be requested and picked up in person at the Central Help Desk on level 3.

The library has multiple restrooms on each level. We are closing some restrooms on levels 1, 2, 4, and 5 to free up our building care team to sanitize more high-traffic areas. The small restrooms in the southwest corner of level 3 will also be closed.

Our support of the Federal Depository Library Program has been disrupted due to our closure of library service points. We will be unable to page government documents during the COVID-19 event.

Due Dates

The library is happy to adjust the due dates for your checked out items. Please call 801-422-6061 or email library@byu.edu.

Multimedia and Technology

The library’s “Experiential Lab” (formerly the Media Center), on level 4 is open from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm. The sound and production studios are open.  Equipment is available for checkout with priority given to faculty.

Software training classes have moved online and are available using Zoom. The iMacs from level 4 are being repurposed and relocated for instructors who need devices to teach online.

Remote Resources

The library’s online resources are available. BYU faculty, students, and staff can log in remotely for access to almost all of our resources. (Our team is looking into the few digital resources that are only accessible in our building.) Our databases, electronic journals, streaming services, and eBooks are available through our website, lib.byu.edu. We recommend that faculty and students visit the Research Guides for the topics related to their courses.

Events

All library events for the semester have been cancelled. This includes lectures, music, films, workshops, and conferences. We are discouraging large groups from visiting the First Vision and other exhibitions in the library. We have created an online version of the First Vision exhibition for people to enjoy before conference week. Click here to see it.

Preventative Efforts

The library custodial staff has adjusted their routine to include more cleaning of door handles and frequently-touched surfaces. Hand sanitizer should be available at numerous locations throughout the building.

We are relocating sections of furniture to encourage individual study and asking patrons not to study in large groups. Guides to social distancing have been posted in all of the study areas and we are checking to make sure chairs are not being moved by patrons.

We have reduced our in-house staffing by having employees work off-site where possible. Check our Research Guides for your librarian’s contact information or use the chat system.

We encourage patrons to use online resources first. If a visit to the library building is necessary, we ask everyone to practice social distancing, avoid touching staff, and use hand sanitizer and/or wash hands frequently. Please visit the university’s Covid-19 information page for the latest on the university’s response.

The Library Will Remain Open

With the changes to campus in response to the COVID-19 virus people are curious about the state of the library.

At this time the library will remain open. We will offer limited services, not unlike a semester break or holiday. One notable exception is that the Family History Library will be closed. The Sunday opening planned for this weekend has been canceled.

The L. Tom Perry Special Collections may operate with reduced hours.

The library’s group study rooms will be repurposed to provide faculty with the technology to conduct online courses.

We’ll share more details as we settle in to the new situation.

We encourage everyone visiting the library to wash their hands and keep an appropriate distance from others where possible.

We also want to remind people that our online resources are available 24 hours a day through our website, lib.byu.edu.

The Experiential Studio Faculty Open House Has Been Postponed

Update:

The planned open house for the new Experiential Studio has been postponed due to health concerns.

The Experiential Studio web site, https://guides.lib.byu.edu/cid, is available for faculty who are interested.

The Harold B. Lee Library’s new Experiential Studio will hold an open house on Friday, March 27, from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm.

Located on level 4 of the library, the space, formally known as the Creativity, Innovation, and Design Studio (or more informally as the CID Studio) has been completely remodeled into an interdisciplinary design center where students, faculty, and librarians from multiple colleges and departments can work together on solving compelling social problems.

Faculty are invited to visit the studio where they can experience the spaces as well as learn about the technology and services that are available.

After visiting the studio, faculty are invited to submit applications to utilize the space via the Experiential Studio web site, https://guides.lib.byu.edu/cid.

The First Vision Goes to the Movies!

Dr. Casey Griffiths presents The First Vision Goes to the Movies!

In the 21st Century most people encounter Joseph Smith’s First Vision through the medium of film. How has the First Vision been depicted in film throughout the history of the Church? How did the filmmakers approach the translation of this sacred story from one medium to another? And how has film influenced our perception of Joseph Smith’s grand theophany?

Thursday, February 13 at 2:00 pm in the Alice Louise Reynolds Auditorium.

First Vision Lecture: Jan Martin

Dr. Jan J. Martin from the Department of Ancient Scripture will present a lecture, William Tyndale, Joseph Smith, and James 1:5, at 2:00 pm on January 30 in the Library’s Alice Louise Reynolds Auditorium.

Everyone is invited and admission is free.

Before or after the lecture you are invited to tour the exhibition in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections, A Pillar of Light: Celebrating 200 Years of the First Vision.

BYU Announces Interim University Librarian

On Thursday, Brigham Young University Academic Vice President C. Shane Reese announced that Brian Rennick, associate university librarian for library information and technology, has been named interim university librarian, following the passing of university librarian Jennifer Paustenbaugh last month.

Rennick began serving as interim university librarian on December 19, and will continue to serve until a permanent replacement is appointed.

For more information visit the BYU announcements page at https://news.byu.edu/announcements/byu-announces-interim-university-librarian.

In Memoriam: Jennifer Paustenbaugh

BYU’s University Librarian, Jennifer Ford Paustenbaugh, died on November 23, 2019, following a long battle with breast cancer.

In 2013, Dr. Paustenbaugh came to the library from Oklahoma State University where she was the Associate Dean of Libraries for Planning and Assessment.

Paustenbaugh leaves a legacy of making library services and programs more student focused. Her work led to new ways for students to access scholarly resources and to student-focused changes to the library building. Her ongoing plans for future improvements to the library ensure that students will benefit from her influence for years to come.

She represented the library and BYU in national associations such as the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), The Greater Wester Library Alliance (GWLA), the Utah Academic Library Consortium (UALC), The Consortium of Church Archives and Libraries (CCLA), and many other organizations. She will be missed by her colleagues both in the library and across the country.

An avid reader and thorough researcher, she enjoyed travel and was fluent in five languages.

She leaves behind a husband, two children, and one grandchild.

The library held a memorial for staff on November 25 and her funeral was held on December 2.

You can read her obituary here: https://www.utahvalleyfuneral.com/obituaries/Jennifer-Paustenbaugh/#!/Obituary