Goodbye Mr. Clare

Like most libraries, we check out a lot of books. Every year. It's one of the important things we do. Well at this library, nobody has checked out more books than Ken Clare. You may be one of the thousands of students who have had their books checked out by Ken over the years. Some time tomorrow, one of you will be the last.

That's because Ken is retiring. And we don't know who will miss him more - the people who work in the library or the people who use it.

Maybe you don't know Ken by name but you've probably seen him around - usually at the Circulation desk - that big guy with the big mustache. He's been lending journals, receiving books, collecting fines, forgiving fines and trading jokes with students (and supervising an entire department) for a very long time. Since 1982. Before most of you were born. So to say that he deserves his retirement is an understatement.

Have you ever seen a group of women wearing Boston Red Sox shirts and tiaras on their head wheel red book trucks in a sinuous, carefully choreographed modern dance interpretation, accompanied by drums and tambourines in the middle of a library? If you had been one of the baffled/amused crowd in this library around 10:00 this morning you would have. This was a surprise tribute to Ken, a diehard Sox fan. He was both charmed and appreciative. As we were to have worked with him.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hello LibGuides

Naturally, the spring and summer months are less hectic for us here at the library. Which gives us a chance to take a fresh look at our resources and services, even to develop new ones. This year Collette Saunders and Kate Stewart, from our Information Literacy program, have been busy creating what we think is a great new resource that Saint Mary's researchers are going to love. LibGuides are custom-made online research guides, tailored to the needs of our students, faculty and staff. We have them for 30 academic departments or programs, from Accounting to Women’s Studies! Each one lists subject-specific reference materials, journal or statistical databases, recommended web sites, new or featured books and highlighted e-books. They also include dynamic content such as videos, podcasts, images and RRS feeds as well as writing and research help, links to citation and style guides and tips on writing annotated bibliographies. You can find the LibGuides on the library's...
Read more

Undergrads & Technology Survey

Saint Mary's is part of a group of universities in the U.S. and Canada which is trying to find out how undergraduate students interact with information technology: what kind they use, how they use it and how often. Desktop, laptop or smart phone? Do you use Blackboard? How do you use the library's web site? Wish your profs used technology more? These are the kinds of questions to be found in a new online, anonymous, "no more than 15 minutes" survey our undergrads are being asked to complete. If you are an undergrad you should have received your invitation and a link to the survey by now (check your e-mail!). This feedback will go a long way towards shaping the kinds of information technology provided on our campus in the coming years. Which is why I'm urging you to take the time to participate. The Saint Mary's part of the survey is being run by ITSS, the Library and CAID (Centre for Academic and Instructional Development) so if you have any questions ge...
Read more

Books & Films - Our Latest Display Is Up

Image
Regular visitors to the Library will have noticed a special display area where we highlight parts of our collection.   It’s on the first floor, near the copiers. Each display is focused on a particular theme and they’re changed every month or so. Usually it’s comprised of just books.   But the one installed yesterday is titled “Books & Films” so there are a lot of DVDs in there too. You may be surprised to know that we have hundreds of films in our collection.   They are often used in English classes (where they study film as a medium).   But there are also many which address social and political issues.   So you can find anything from a Hollywood classic like Sunset Boulevard to the local documentary Speak It! From the Heart of Black Nova Scotia .  In fact, you don`t know what you`ll find until you drop by and have a look yourself.  Maybe watch Citizen Kane and then read the biography of William Randolph Hearst sitting next...
Read more