Monthly Archives: July 2009

Mike Binder, Dean of WKU Libraries, met Erwin Woodye, Chief Librarian, University of Belize

From July 20 through 31, 2009, Erwin Woodye, Chief Librarian of University of Belize, visited Bowling Green and was oriented to WKU Libraries. He met Mike Binder, Dean of Libraries as well as other librarians and staff and visited different areas of the Libraries.

On Thursday morning, July 30, 2009, WKU Libraries threw a farewell party for Erwin Woodye. Dean Binder gave him a book and a Big Red T-shirt as presents after Mr. Woodye made an enthusiastic remark about his experience with the visit and extended his thankfulness to the dean and those who had helped him. Refreshments, mostly made by staff of the Dean’s Office, were served at the party.

At noon the same day, WKU faculty who had visited Belize ate lunch with Erwin Woodye at the house of Peggy Wright, a WKU librarian who had helped plan three libraries in Belize and co-authored books about the country with Brian Coutts, Head of Department of Library Public Services, WKU. Also present at the lunch were Lynn Austin, Head of Allied Health; David Keeling, Head of Geography & Geology; Cornell Menking, Chief International Officer; Emmanuel Iyiegbuniwe, Public Health Department; Daniel Carter, Allied Health Department; Mike Binder, Dean of WKU Libraries; and Haiwang Yuan, Special Assistant to the Dean of Libraries.

More Photos: Farewell Party | Lunch | Tour of WKU Libraries | Erwin with Dean Binder

The Kentucky Library & Museum is offering a Batik Silk Dying Workshop with Dr. Laura McGee on Saturday, August 15 from 10 am- 12 noon. “We always look forward to working with Laura,” says Lynne Ferguson, WKU Libraries Artist-in-Residence. “She’s a very talented artist and brings her wealth of experience to the community.”

McGee is a Modern Languages Associate Professor at WKU and has taught silk painting and dying workshops at the Kentucky Library & Museum previously. With the upcoming Batik Workshop, participants will complete the painting of an 11”x60” crepe de chine silk scarf. Crepe de chine is sometimes called the “Mercedes” of silks because it drapes so beautifully.

The Batik Workshop is a part of the Kentucky Library & Museum’s fall workshop series. The course fee is $50 and includes all the materials including one scarf. For more information or to register for the workshop, go to www.wku.edu/library/kylm/education.

WKU Libraries is hosting Erwin Woodye, Chief Librarian, from the University of Belize as part of an administrator exchange program sponsored by COBEC (Consortium for Belize Educational Cooperation). Established in the late 1980s, COBEC’s purpose is to link post-secondary educational institutions in Belize and other countries to strengthen and expand their capabilities in higher education.

When asked why he chose WKU to visit, Woodye said there were several factors including the positive response he received working with the university as well as WKU’s library science program. He hopes to collaborate with WKU Libraries in the future. “It has been a great learning experience and everyone has been so hospitable,” says Woodye. “The only thing I would recommend is that the program be longer. There’s so much to absorb; a semester would be better.”

“We have enjoyed having Erwin with us this week,” says Dr. Mike Binder, Dean of WKU Libraries. “He is here from July 21-31 to gather information and learn about our programs, operations, policies and services, some of which may find application to his library system.”

Erwin Woodye, Chief Librarian of the University of Belize, is currently visiting WKU Libraries. He arrived on Monday, July 20, 2009.

On the evening of July 23, Erwin was invited to the home of librarian Haiwang Yuan and treated to a table of homemade Chinese dinner.

More Photos

Dr. Bryan Carson, Special Assistant to the Dean of Libraries for Grants and Projects, was recently elected to a three-year term as Director-at-Large on the Board of the EPSCoR Scientific Information Group (ESIG), a national consortium of librarians that are eligible to receive National Science Foundation EBSCoR Grants. The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (known as EPSCoR) is a federal program for university researchers located in states that receive less than the median amount of federal research grant funding. Researchers in EPSCoR states have access to special grant opportunities. The purpose of ESIG is to enable libraries at EPSCoR-eligible universities to better provide scientific information to their researchers. Dr. Carson replaces Mary Beth Thompson at the University of Kentucky.

“I am looking forward to participating on the board,” says Carson. “Working with libraries from across the country is beneficial on many levels. Not only do we receive costs savings on group subscriptions, but also learn of new opportunities for accessing scientific research information that will be useful for our researchers.”