Course Reserves: Online Alternatives vs. Equivalents
March 25, 2020
As we head into our online spring 2020 quarter, we know that instructors and students are searching for ways to access course texts and readings. At the same time, for the health and safety of all, UW Libraries’ physical spaces are closed to staff and users until further notice, and there is no access to physical library collections. The Libraries is asking everyone to work under an assumption that students will not have access to physical materials that would have been available for courses for spring 2020.
When it comes to previously-planned physical texts and course reserves materials, we are encouraging a motto of “first alternatives, then equivalents.”
Alternatives: We encourage all instructors to consider online alternatives to planned physical course texts and DVDs — alternatives include open textbooks, and e-books and streaming media already licensed by UW.
Why choose alternates over equivalents?
1) Ease of use. These resources are immediately available and will avoid potential delays that may occur in trying to source equivalent materials.
2) More equitable access for all. In particular, open textbooks provide students with equitable access to content in many subjects; they are available for free online; and students can have copies printed locally at low cost.
Information about these alternatives may be found on the “Online Resources for Teaching” and “Streaming Video” sections of the Libraries Services for Remote Learning page.
Equivalents: At this time, new course reserves requests are limited to electronic resources. For previously-submitted requests for required physical materials, librarians and staff are working to identify equivalent onlinee-book/streaming resources that are available from publishers. However, data show that online equivalents don’t exist for all physical texts; and, when equivalents do exist, licensing them will take additional time, so they may not be available for course use immediately.
The Internet Archives recently announced the creation of a National Emergency Library, opening up more than 1.4 million ebooks to address the increased global demand and need for electronic reading and research material to serve the nation’s displaced learners.
Why is this action important? Are others following suit?
Understanding the anticipated need for increased e-resources, earlier in the month, the UW Libraries officially endorsed the move to open the Internet Archives. The new National Emergency Library is a huge development in supporting our faculty and students in teaching and learning online in spring quarter. HathiTrust is also planning to expand fair use access to its corpus to ensure that the academic communities of its members can continue to utilize HathiTrust for teaching and learning. UW Libraries will continue to post news about access to these types of resources on our UW Libraries COVID-19 web page.
As a Librarian, how does this impact your work to facilitate e-book orders for classes?
UW Librarians have been fielding ebook requests for required textbooks over the last week. Before the Emergency Library was announced, Librarians faced a common challenge– in many cases, there was simply no multi-user ebook available for the Libraries to order — this changed dramatically with the opening of the National Emergency Library.
History Librarian, Theresa Mudrock says this has made a real difference, but challenges still exist.
“Today, I was able to inform 10 instructors that the books they needed were now available, whereas yesterday they were not,” said Mudrock.
“That said, this increased access will not address all of our needs for e-resources, particularly for certain disciplines.”
“All of us across the UW Libraries are working hard to identify alternative solutions and provide best practices for selecting e-resources which we will continue to document on our Libraries Services for Remote Learning Page,” noted Mudrock.
Some groups are criticizing the Internet Archive’s move to create the Emergency Library- what is the response to this criticism, and what are the facts?
The Internet Archives posted a new blog outlining its response to criticism, fact-checking misinformation about the Emergency Library. Updated FAQs are also posted here.
What should students and faculty be aware of when requesting ebooks?
Your librarian is the key to finding if an ebook is available. They can check to see if we already own a copy, check the National Emergency Library and other ebook collections, and if need be, order a multi-user ebook for your class needs. Keep in mind not every book will be available so flexibility is the key. Your librarian may also be able to suggest substitute readings.
Moving to Online Learning: Top 5 Resources For Faculty
March 20, 2020
The UW Libraries is committed to supporting UW students, staff, and faculty to prepare for online teaching and research in Spring 2020. We are continually evaluating our services and working with partners across the university to support faculty during this time of significant change. Please see also our LIBRARIES RESOURCES FOR REMOTE LEARNING page, accessible through on our main COVID-19 page. This page provides a centralized resource for finding tools and support for both students and faculty.
In addition to many remote resources that we routinely provide, we are working on some additional ways to adapt and respond to a remote teaching and learning environment. With the abundance of the information being shared, we want to make it easy for you to find what you need from the Libraries.
Our top 5 resources to help support a transition to remote teaching and research:
1. Research Guides Librarian-curated “Research Guides” provide links to subject specific journal databases, ebooks and more.
2. Our Librarians:
Subject librarians have expertise in specific areas and are available for remote consultations via phone, email, or online (e.g. Zoom). Contact your UW Seattle, UW Bothell, or UW Tacoma Subject Librarian to schedule a consultation.
Chat with a librarian 24/7! This service is staffed by UW Librarians but at peak service times or off-hours you may be chatting with a librarian from another academic library.
3. E-Resources for your class. We are expanding purchasing of e-resources to support remote teaching. When requested and available we will be purchasing multi-user e-books and removing restrictions on duplicating print reserve items. Check-out our ebooks guide here. Before you make course reserve requests, a few important things to note:
Not all resources are available to purchase for online, educational or classroom use.
With Libraries buildings closed, students will be unable to borrow physical copies of library course reserve textbooks — a challenge especially for those who are unable to afford the expense. Traditionally, textbook publishers do not sell e-books to libraries, but check out our Resources for Remote Learning -Online Resources for Teaching to see what you can do — and how the library can help.
You may want to explore alternatives like Open Educational Resources (freely available, openly licensed materials) for use in your course. Use the search tools available on our guides UW Seattle OER Guide , UW Bothell OER Guide , UW Tacoma OER Guide to find existing open textbooks or create and publish your own open resources for your course. Curious about creating or revising existing OER? Sign up for spring quarter Pressbooks workshops (there is one happening next week!) https://tinyurl.com/uwpressbooks
4) Streaming Video: The Libraries already provides access to thousands of streaming videos that you can use to support online learning. We are also expanding purchasing of streaming media as much as possible including strategies to expand the corpus of films, documentaries, and other streaming media available to faculty to use in their classes.
5) Libraries in Canvas. The Libraries supports instructors using Canvas in many ways, including a “UW Libraries” page which can be added to the navigation of any Canvas course. For more customized content or assistance, instructors can add a Subject Librarian to their course using the “Librarian” Canvas role. The Libraries also provides instructors with research-specific course content via the Canvas Commons repository.
Other Important Things to Know:
UW Bothell and Tacoma Libraries may have campus-specific resources and guidance. Be sure to check UW Bothell and UW Tacoma Libraries websites for the most up-to-date information.
The Libraries works very closely with the Center for Teaching and Learning, and this page Teaching during the coronavirus outbreak is a great resource to address many questions outside the Libraries, including CANVAS.
Thank you for your patience and support as we navigate these unusual circumstances, and please continue to share your ideas and questions by contacting us here.
#YourLibrary – We are here to help!
Stories
A Message from the Dean: FAQ and Libraries Response To COVID-19
March 15, 2020
Lizabeth (Betsy) Wilson is the Vice Provost for Digital Initiatives and Dean of University Libraries at the University of Washington in Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma.
This post was updated on 3/21/20 6:40PM .
Along with many other public institutions, businesses and community members in our region, UW Libraries has been working continuously to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak in accordance with the University’s and Public Health – Seattle & King County guidelines. We recently announced additional changes to operations this week – all tri-campus Libraries are closed to the public effective 5PM March 17th. We are working at the forefront of this response, together with the University leadership and other partners, developing new policies and procedures and evolving our approach in real-time based on new data and information as it becomes available. While the University remains open, facilitating remote coursework and alternate ways to conclude the quarter, this is certainly not business as usual.
Changes will continue to happen quickly, and at times, without notice. We acknowledge the challenges of an unpredictable environment and the hardships that everyone in our community is facing in finding alternative options for working, studying and simply living life in this new normal. It’s not easy. That said, I know that the collective ingenuity, creativity and generosity of our community will prevail, helping us all to move through these challenges together. I am inspired by the work that is happening in the Libraries and across campus that demonstrates this resolve and perseverance.
When it comes to operations planning and ensuring the safety and well-being of our staff and users, many factors go into the decision-making process and approach. When changes happen, we expect questions. To provide some context and insight into our process, a few of the most frequently asked questions are highlighted here:
How do you make the decision to close Libraries?
Recent closures reflect real-time decision making – where information and input received changes the approach from one day to the next. Balancing the critical needs of students during finals week with the ever-evolving situation in our community is an hour-by-hour, day-by-day assessment.
Last week, a very limited operational schedule was implemented, considering the current student demand, available staff, new information, and our robust capacity to use an online service model. The decision allowed for some modicum of technology access for those students who need it as well as faculty consultations for teaching and learning through finals week.
Based on site evaluations, even in this limited capacity, it was untenable to support stronger recommendations from public health for social distancing, and together with UW’s tri-campus leadership, the decision was made to close all Libraries.
Given that the University has provided free access to collaboration tools, it is possible for all students and faculty to continue collaborative work remotely in order to complete required work through the end of the quarter.
Is the policy the same for UW Tacoma and UW Bothell Libraries?
At this time, UW Tacoma and UW Bothell have announced closures to campus Libraries. Campus web sites should be consulted for the most up-to-date information on operational changes. That said, depending on the circumstances, campus Libraries may make different decisions at different times in consideration of the unique nature of the campus environment, capacity and governance structures.
How can Libraries support faculty and students?
While physical buildings will be closed for onsite use, the Libraries will fully staff our digital services such as 24/7 chat services, research consultations offered through Zoom, and so on. We are confident we will be able to provide high quality support for teaching, research and clinical care, albeit remotely.
We are also expanding our bandwidth for working with faculty as they move their courses to online modalities. We’re expanding purchasing of ebooks of class readings and streaming media to support remote teaching. Services and guidance for both students and faculty are outlined on the Libraries Services for Remote Learning. This page provides one, centralized resource to help support you as we move into a completely online spring quarter.
These modified operational changes allow us to continue to serve students, staff and faculty but also reduce risks for our users and our staff.
Where else can students access computers and technology equipment?
The student-run UW Student Technology Loan Program is allowing students to continue to check out equipment through the end of the quarter.
Will the Libraries re-open at the start of the quarter?
At this time, the Libraries will continue with its existing operational plan until the beginning of spring quarter.
As the University’s policies for classroom learning evolve, the Libraries will work in coordination to reassess and evaluate when and how to adjust operations as the situation evolves. We have not yet made a decision on whether or not to adjust our operational plan for spring quarter. Priorities and decision-making are continually evolving as the situation evolves – on our campus, in our local community, and at the national/global level. We are taking steps to prepare and think through a variety of scenarios that include a case for extended remote services during spring quarter. Above all, the health and wellbeing of our staff and users are at the center of these decisions.
How are Libraries staff able to work remotely?
The Libraries already had an existing and robust online service delivery model with a host of online services, and a campus community adept at accessing collections and services remotely. Many of our Librarians routinely work remotely via online chat, phone or email consultations, so that part of our work remains unchanged.
Thanks to the University of Washington’s robust infrastructure – IT, communications, professional expertise across diverse industries, and lightning fast work to make teleworking capabilities available, it was possible to execute a remote workforce plan essential for a successful and timely response across the University, including the Libraries. The majority of our staff our working remotely to provide a continuity in service that is possible as outlined here.
How can UW Libraries work with other Libraries to share information and tools?
By responding as quickly as possible to our colleague’s questions and participating in industry forums to share what we have learned through the process, we hope to contribute to the documentation on best practices that are being developed and honed in real time. I want to underscore however, that every institution is unique. The size of an organization (and/or its user base), the timing of the academic year or other external factors, the existing infrastructure to execute system-wide implementation of new policies and procedures—these are just a few factors that could influence planning in a particular context. As with most solutions, there is no one singular approach that is going to be right for all, but we can help each other by sharing resources, tools and insights as we move forward collectively along the same path.
I have a question about Libraries operations- where can I go?
First, be sure to check out Libraries’ COVIV-19 web page and Libraries Services for Remote Learning. We welcome input, questions and opportunities for collaboration as we continue to learn from and respond to this unprecedented situation. If you have new ideas for how the Libraries can improve digital and remote services, or any other questions, please send your comments to us.
Thank you.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to UW Libraries staff, facilities crews and UW leadership for their support, guidance and overtime hours spent helping our community manage and respond to COVID-19.
As a reminder, the Libraries Coronavirus Update page is the best source for real-time updates and changes to UW Libraries operations.
###
Stories
The Top 5 Things You Should Know About the Census
March 5, 2020
UPDATED 3/31/2020
April 1st is Census Day! The 2020 Census kicked off mid-March and runs through July 2020. UW Libraries is here to help you understand all the ins and outs about the Census, how to do it and why it’s important. Check it out:
1. The COVID-19 pandemic won’t change a lot about how you fill out the census.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, you might be wondering where you should be counted or what might have changed about the census. The answer is not too much. Due to your ability to complete the census online, you can do your civic duty from the comfort of your own home and continue to help stop the spread of COVID-19! If you are wondering about where to count yourself continue reading below and visit this site that will help you know where you should be counted.
2.You should participate in the Census.
Responding to the census is required by law, however, you should complete your census form for many other reasons as well. The results of the census help to determine how many seats your state has in the House of Representatives. If your state is counted incorrectly, it might not gain another seat, even if its actual population merits one. The results are also used by state governments to redraw the boundaries of their congressional and state legislative districts. Not only does responding to the census make sure you are represented fairly, but it also helps to create data that can be used to impact funding for things like federal financial aid, school safety, student wellness programs, and more! In fact, because UW is a public institution and receives federal funding, the census results will directly impact us in many ways.
3. You can complete the census online, but beware of email scams!
This year is the first year that households are invited to complete the census online instead of on paper. Beginning around March 12th households throughout Seattle and the country will begin to receive these invitations in the mail. These invitations will have instructions for how to fill out the census online. It is important to note that the Census Bureau will NEVER send you anything through email, so just keep an eye out for a letter in the regular old snail mail!
4. How you complete the census depends on where you are living on April 1st.
The Census Bureau defines where you live as where you sleep most of the time. So, If you live with your parents, you will be counted in their household. If you live in the dorms, you will get an email from housing and food services that will let you know what you need to do. This still applies to those of you who might have moved home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although you might be at home with your parents on April 1st (Census Day) you will still be counted at the dorms. Similarly, if you live in Greek housing, the Census Bureau will be contacting each of the houses to make sure you are also correctly counted. If you live with roommates or housemates off-campus you can fill out the online form together. If you choose this option you will need to coordinate with them and decide when to fill it out together. You could even make a party out of the occasion! However, if you are all busy and can’t find time to get together you can just individually fill out the form, only answering the questions about yourself and skipping the rest. The Census Bureau wants to count everyone who is living in the U.S. on April 1st, so International students should fill out the census as well. For more information about this please read this press release from the Census Bureau about how to be counted correctly.
5. It only takes 10 minutes to complete.
It only takes 10 minutes. Perhaps you need a break from studying or have a spare 10 minutes during your day, then fill out the census! The census helps to shape so many things about our future, the future of our university, and the future of our country. It’s really important and 10 minutes is worth being able to shape our future.
If you would like to learn more, visit the census website here. You can also read this blog post written by President Cauce about the importance of participating in the census, and check out UW Libraries Digital Exhibit and Guide: Census 2020!
Stories
HEALWA: The On-Call Library for Washington State Healthcare Practitioners
February 14, 2020
Medicine, more so than many other disciplines, is a rapidly changing field. According to some estimates, medical knowledge doubles every few months, up from the fifty years it took to double in 1950.1 Using evidenced-based resources to provide the best care is imperative in the healthcare industry. Yet, unless healthcare workers are affiliated with an academic medical center or clinic, (or work in a large hospital system) they may not have access to a medical library and the up-to-date information, tools and subscription-based resources they need. From a small urban clinic to the sole provider serving a rural community, to your local hospital; HEALWA is an essential tool for healthcare professionals.
The HEALWA project (“Heal” Washington) was created in Washington State to ensure that providers, regardless of their location or size, can access these critical tools. HEALWA is a portal to online resources for selected medical professions in Washington State. It is funded by a portion of the professional license fees. HEALWA provides online access to journal articles, databases, and other tools needed for evidence-based practice and research.
However, the HEALWA initiative is much more than a collection of tools and resources. We are also educators and advocates working to increase awareness and access to HEALWA for all medical professions.
Currently, 27 professions are served by HEALWA representing a wide range of providers and specialties and 219,287 eligible users. As part of our mission, we are continually working to increase outreach and access to HEALWA across the state. One of our most recent focus areas is Eastern Washington. Working in collaboration with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine Pacific Northwest Region (NNLM PNR) and Washington State University (WSU) Spokane, HEALWA partners taught webinars and workshops and engaged with stakeholders across the region to introduce and increase access to HEALWA.
HEALWA, UW and UW LIBRARIES
The project is conducted under a contract between the University of Washington and the Washington State Department of Health. It was started by a former director of the UW Health Sciences Library, Sherri Fuller, and Peter Dunbar, a former president of the Washington Medical Association. They approached the legislature and were successful in getting the original legislation passed in 2007, and the HEALWA website launched in 2009. Today, HEALWA continues to be managed by our own UW Health Sciences Librarians’ who are uniquely qualified to create and maintain the online library that is HEALWA.
“HEALWA is managed by our own UW Health Sciences Librarians’ who are uniquely qualified to create and maintain the online library that is HEALWA.”
Each biennium, the legislature approves our funding to continue, and additional professions are also added by legislation, as a result of partnerships between HEALWA and the professional associations of the provider groups.
When students graduate, if they are licensed in Washington, they will have access to HEALWA.
Tania Bardyn, Associate Dean of University Libraries and Director, Health Sciences Library, is the Principal Investigator for HEALWA
Patricia Devine, Community Outreach Coordinator, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of HEALWA.
Densen, Peter. “Challenges and opportunities facing medical education.” Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association 122 (2011): 48-58.
Stories
The Seattle Sound: A Tribute to Kearney Barton
February 7, 2020
Album cover of the new compilation to be released by Light in the Attic Records February 21st. On Saturday, March 7 (2-4 pm), Light in the Attic Records (LITA) will host a record-release party with KEXP DJ Greg Vandy. Several of the musicians on the comp are expected to attend and sign records.
Seattle’s Evening show on KING 5 recently visited the UW Libraries to uncover the story behind the soon-to-be released tribute album Kearney Barton: Architect of the Northwest Sound. The album was made possible through the generous donation of Kearney’s masters and support to UW Libraries from Barton’s niece, Patricia Maltsberger (THANK YOU!). This work is one of the many ways UW Libraries protects and preserves the works that shape our local culture and reflect local history.
We caught up with UW Libraries’ ethnomusicologist and curator, John Vallier, to learn more about this important documentation of Kearney’s legacy.
Why is this collection and record release important?
Say “Seattle Sound” and most think grunge. No doubt, Seattle based bands such as Nirvana, Mudhoney, and Soundgarden helped define that vintage punk infused sludge rock genre. But if you dig deeper and look for a broader understanding of the “Seattle Sound” you’ll find more than just one genre. From jazz to folk, soul to funk, avant garde noise to synth pop and beyond, what one discovers are Seattle sounds.
Seattle-based recording engineer and producer Kearney Barton (1931-2012) embodied this diversity of sounds. While he is considered the so-called Godfather of the “original Northwest sound”–a raw and reverberating analog sonic signature considered to be a 1950s and 1960s precursor to grunge–he is also known for recording across a constellation of genres and styles in his Seattle studios: opera, sitar rock, lounge, calypso, piano jazz, funk, synth pop, doo-wop, garage rock, brass band, prog rock, and so on. In short, Kearney Barton’s lifework reflects the manifold nature Seattle’s past.
With Kearney Barton: Architect of the Northwest Sound a curated selection of tunes have been re-mastered into a double LP release. Its 29 tracks give the listener a representative sample of his collection without having to dive into the archives. However, if what that listener needs is more Kearny Barton, no worries. The UW Ethnomusicology Archives can provide it by way of the over 11,000 items in the Kearney Barton Collection of Pacific Northwest Music.[1]
Why is this collection at the UW Libraries?
UW Libraries’ ethnomusicologist and curator, John Vallier displays Kearney-related items from the UW Libraries collections
In 2010 Kearney Barton, age 79, thought it was time to retire and move his collection of recordings out of his home/studio to UW. Matt Sullivan at Light in the Attic Records and mutual friend Scott Colburn of Gravelvoice Recordings contacted me. I had started a local music preservation project at UW a few years earlier, so Barton’s collection seemed like it would be a good fit. Barton agreed. A short time later, thanks to some initial seed funding from the UW Simpson Center for the Humanities, a small legion of student workers helped move and process the materials on the Seattle campus.
Sadly, in 2012, Kearney Barton passed away but at least he knew his legacy would live on at UW. His collection is now a cornerstone of the Seattle Sounds Archiving and Preservation Project (SSAPP).[2] SSAPP is a part of the UW Ethnomusicology Archives and includes many other collections, such as the Crocodile Café and 206 Hip Hop collections.
UW Libraries’ Ethnomusicology Archives (UWEA) includes music from around the globe and around the block.[3] It is one of the largest collections of its kind with some 50,000 recordings. The newly added BA degree in UW’s Ethnomusicology Program is drawing in undergraduate students who are intrigued by the diversity of the world’s musical expressions and are interested in interdisciplinary perspectives that illuminate music’s cultural contexts and meanings. Learn more about the BA in Ethnomusicology.
The ‘story behind the story’ of No-No Boy: Shawn Wong Impresses at this Year’s Friends of the Libraries Lecture
February 6, 2020
Stunning. Provocative. Unselfish. What a treat for the record-breaking attendance at the Friends of Libraries Annual Lecture last week.
Author Shawn Wong at his IBM typewriter in his San Francisco apartment at 780 Chestnut Street #3 in 1974. The images counterclockwise over his head are: a poster from the First Asian American Writers’ Conference at the Oakland Museum, a snapshot of Shawn as a child wearing a sailor’s outfit, an oil painting by his mother of his grandfather, and a black and white photo of friend, Nancy Wong from 1969. PHOTO BY NANCY WONG
UW’s Professor Shawn Wong showed an audience of almost 500 that words matter in every generation. As keynote for the 2020 Friends of UW Libraries Annual Lecture, Shawn shared how “The publishing history of No-No Boy by John Okada is part of Asian American literary history, and that story is almost as important as the novel itself.”
Wong took the audience on a highly entertaining look back at the journey of No-No Boy – from Wong’s days as an English major at UC Berkeley, eager to discover and share Asian American literature– to the battle royale de copyright against publishing behemoth, Penguin Books, nearly 50 years later.
Through Shawn’s eyes, the audience got to go behind the New York Times headlines to truly understand how powerful and important this book is to the history of Asian American literature.
As Nicole Mitchell, Director of the UW Press noted, “Asian American literary history dawned with UW Professor Shawn Wong.”
Wong shares a photo of hundreds of letters requesting a copy of No No Boy. PHOTO: Bruce Hemingway, University of Washington
Throughout the lecture, Wong expertly wove together his experiences in a way that authentically and humbly underscored his life’s work to preserve the integrity of No-No Boy. From his painstaking quest to find Okada, to dealing with rejection from every publisher he met, to eventually going it alone and distributing books out of the trunk of his 1966 Mustang. Perhaps one of the most compelling moments was seeing hundreds of hand-written letters to Wong, effectively a word-of-mouth mail order system to distribute the book in the mid 1970s. These letters were written by a generation hungry for their own stories — letters Wong keeps in his office to this day.
While the legal argument over No-No Boy’s copyright dominated the media narrative, Wong’s lecture gave us unique insight into his hard-fought battle that eventually resulted in victory—including his first foray into social media as an advocacy tool, and the invaluable support of one of the nation’s leading copyright experts. But the lecture didn’t leave the audience pondering at the incomprehension of Penguin’s selfish and tone-deaf defense; rather, it reminded us of the importance of continuing to work with, not against, those who have the platform to reach a broad audience, and to continue to invest in authors and publishers who give voice to the stories of underrepresented populations — publishers like UW Press.
On behalf of UW Libraries, Friends of the Libraries and UW Press, we are honored and grateful to Professor Wong for sharing ‘the story behind the story’ of “No-No Boy by John Okada: The Story of How a Novel Goes from 1,500 Copies Sold to 158,000 Copies.”
No-No Boy, and other UW faculty-authored books are available for purchase through UW Press here.
Videotape of the presentation will soon be available online. If you would like to receive a link to the video, please provide your name and email address to Deb Hemingway, [email protected].
The UW Friends of Libraries helps stimulate private support and encourages an appreciation of current and evolving library resources and services. Learn More
“The Legacy of No-No Boy” by Vince Schleitwiler in the University of Washington alumni magazine.
Stories
Five Things You May Not Know About the Tateuchi East Asia Library
February 4, 2020
We are celebrating our new name at the Tateuchi East Asia Library in conjunction with the recently announced endowmentfrom the Tateuchi Foundation – a transformative investment that will help us grow and provide more services and programs. Our dynamic librarian staff are always thinking of new ways to engage students, faculty, and the community to “raise the bar” of excellence in support of East Asia studies, including some things you may not know!
Did you Know?
1) We like to sing! When it comes to supporting language learning, singing is one of the most fun ways to engage students — from last year’s open-mic Karaoke program to this quarter’s Korean Singing Club led by Professor EunYoung Won from the Asian Languages & Literature department, the library isn’t just for reading anymore!
2) Our student employees are AMAZING. From taking inventory of more than 97,000 volumes last quarter to cataloging rare, ancient Chinese inscription rubbings, our students perform all kinds of critical operational and research tasks that are vital to our mission. Thank you student employees!
Student employee Xianda “Nick” Hou examines Chinese stelae inscription rubbings
3) We are teachers. Our libraries staff teach all kinds of classes and workshops. One of our recent initiatives is Digital Scholarship for East Asia Studies, a program designed to introduce digital resources and methodologies relevant to ALL scholars of East Asian studies. Workshops are led by our librarians, specialists or invited experts, and provide students the opportunity to discuss or present their own research. With twenty-one workshops per year, this ambitious undertaking will have a considerable impact on UW’s East Asian studies graduate student community. Check the EAL calendar and our Facebook for event details. Upcoming workshops:
4) We love book clubs. From Booksori, a series of Korean-language book talks — to Japanese Tadoku Club and a soon-to-be established Chinese Reading Club, we are committed to making the Tateuchi East Asia Library a place to build community with all of our patrons, inside and outside UW.
Dr. Fu Hsiung Shen alumnus and former faculty of the UW School of Medicine and political activist, shares recollections on August 25, 2019 through the library’s East Asia Oral History Project.
5) We are history keepers. The library is home to the East Asia Library Oral History Project at the University of Washington Libraries to document the life and experiences of Seattle’s Chinese immigrant community from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and other areas of the world. We host Community Forums for members of Seattle’s Taiwanese and Chinese community to share their stories and experiences with one another, to receive updates on the project, and to learn from and exchange knowledge with guest speakers — academics, oral historians, and community leaders with specialized knowledge.
Okay, it’s actually six (6) things you didn’t know about the Tateuchi East Asia Library — we can’t leave this last one out!
6) Our team wins awards! In 2019, we celebrated our award-winning staff:
University of Washington Libraries’ 2019 Distinguished Librarian Award, the highest honor available to a UW librarian went to Hyokyoung Yi, Korean Studies Librarian and Head of Public Services.
Zhijia Shen, Director and Chinese Studies Librarian received the 2018 Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) Distinguished Service Award, one of the five ethnic caucuses of American Library Association, and is the highest recognition given by the Association “to individuals who consistently demonstrate outstanding leadership and achievement in library and information services at the national and/ or international level.”
To learn more about the Tateuchi East Asia Library, come visit us on the 3rd floor of Gowen Hall or learn more online here.
Stories
Founding Stories: The Origin of UW Tacoma
February 4, 2020
On the eve of our 30th anniversary, the UW Tacoma Library is spearheading a project to document the origins and development of UW Tacoma through oral history.
Gathering the Voices of Those who Built UW Tacoma
Nearly 30 years ago, in March 1990, the News Tribune asked residents of the Tacoma area where the new “branch campus” should be located. Folks could choose among the four locations under consideration: available farmland in Fife, an area on the Tacoma Community College campus, a site in the Hilltop neighborhood, or a location in downtown Tacoma. As the numbers came in, residents clearly favored the Fife and TCC locations over the downtown site.
Clips from two Morning News Tribune stories about the site selection for the UW Tacoma campus. Left, from March 15, 1990; right, from March 17, 1990.
With the University of Washington Tacoma campus so firmly placed in downtown Tacoma, these numbers might seem surprising today, but they show just how hard it was to imagine a university in downtown Tacoma 30 years ago.
Even as the News Tribune story ran, the legislature had already approved funding to start the campus. Its new temporary quarters in the Perkins Building in downtown Tacoma were already under construction and 13 new faculty had been hired to begin teaching classes.
In the face of clear location preferences among the public, how did the university and the legislature ultimately settle on downtown as the place for the permanent campus?
As UW Tacoma approaches its 30th anniversary, it is an opportune time to begin asking this and many other questions about the beginnings of what was then referred to as a “UW branch.” UW Tacoma Oral History: The Founding Stories aims to do just that: inquire into the origins and influence of this campus by gathering the voices of students, faculty, staff and community members who have shaped it over the years.
Thanks to generous support from Rod Hagenbuch, the Founding Stories project publicly launched in the fall of 2019 with the aim of collecting several dozen oral history interviews. Led by Joan Hua, oral history project manager, it will focus on people who can provide insights into the founding and development of campus: early graduates, founding faculty of the academic programs, campus administrators, long-serving staff members, and community members. All of these oral history interviews will be transcribed, publicly available and searchable in a digital collection hosted by the UW Libraries. Together, they will begin to create a collective portrait of individual experiences of the birth, evolution, and impact of the UW Tacoma campus.
