Murphy Library Endowment: Projects & Activities

Maintaining the level of excellence expected in our academic community creates challenges for today's university libraries.  Take a tour of some of the projects and materials that are a direct result of your giving.  Please continue to help make a difference in the 21st century! Interest from the Endowment Fund is used on four main areas of need:

Collection Development | Equipment | Programming & Development | Facilities & Environmental Needs

Collection Development

Collection Development helps the Library to enhance the University curriculum or research collections by providing for purchase of and access to books, electronic resources, manuscripts, maps, documents, databases, photographs or other library resources.

Building K-12 Collections 2009/10

Preservation of 16mm films  2009/10

One-time purchase of Science Archives (1880-1996), 2007/2008

Digitization of UWL Racquet Newspaper 2007/2008; 2008/09; 2009/10
Check out all of what we have digitized.

K-12 Social Studies Books 2007/2008

Preserve 1891 La Crosse Map 2007/2008

Copying Negatives and Photographic Prints from 225 Glass Plate Negatives 2006/2007

Digitizing issues of the UWL Racquet Newspaper 2006/2007

Preservation of 16 mm films 2005/2006

OCLC WorldCat Collection sets 2005/2006

MARC records for the library catalog for several sets of materials available electronically 2005/2006

Award Winning and Top Rated Curriculum Resources 2005/2006
Purchased science materials in the Alice Hagar Curriculum Center

Printing Unprinted Steamboat Negatives 2005/2006

Fine Press Books Purchased 2004/2005
Four fine press book were purchased, including Cloister: A Vision of Abbot Morin published by Jeff Morin, sailorBoypress.

Award-Winning Curriculum Materials 2004/2005
Purchased award-winning science books for the Alice Hagar Curriculum Resource Center.

Digitizing 11 Books on La Crosse County 2004/2005
11 books on La Crosse County area history were digitized including titles such as From Sawmills to Sunfish: A History of Onalaska by John and Joan Dolbier and Leonard’s Dream: A History of West Salem by Errol R. Kindschy.

Digitizing The Racquet 2004/2005
UW-L’s Racquet from 2003/2004 and 2004/2005  are now available online.

Printing of Negatives 2004/2005
500 5”x7” steamboat prints from unprinted negatives.

Guatemalan Materials 2003/2004
Purchased Guatemalan materials for the collection.

Digitize Bryant's Memoirs of La Crosse County, 1907 2003/2004
A highly used resource for the study of La Crosse County history.  Northern Micrographics donated the scanning work and the Endowment fund purchased images for the web and OCR text.

Digitizing UWL Theses and Seminar Papers 2003/2004
Digitized 33 UWL theses and seminar papers on La Crosse history.

Printing of Negatives 2003/2004
500 5”x7” steamboat prints from unprinted negatives.

Digital Projects 2002/2003
Wisconsin Labor Advocate & History of La Crosse County:  UW - La Crosse has the only known copy of the complete run of Wisconsin Labor Advocate, a newspaper published in La Crosse in 1886-1887. La Crosse was a hotbed of labor political party activity in the 1880s and this was one of at least four area labor-related newspapers from that time. What makes the Labor Advocate noteworthy was its editor and owner—George Edwin Taylor, an African-American. He maintained a life-long interest in politics, becoming involved in an all African--American political party, the National Liberty Party. In 1904 he accepted the nomination as its Presidential candidate. In doing so, Taylor was the first candidate of a national African-American party for the U.S. presidency. 

Glass Plate Negative Reproductions 2002/2003
In 2002, Special Collections received a donation of a collection of glass plate negatives from Lansing, Iowa.  With assistance from the Murphy Library Endowment Fund, Special Collections has printed negatives and is in the process of identifying and arranging the images.

Collections 2002/2003
The Library’s budget for materials has remained static despite significant inflation for materials in all formats. This has resulted in a decrease in overall purchasing power. So, endowment monies are used to help erase collection deficiencies and create new collections. The funding has also helped enhance parts of the collection directly related to new curricular needs.  Recent Endowment funds were awarded to further develop Latina/Latino resources, many of which had a Midwestern emphasis. Since new faculty from various disciplines are now teaching in this area, having more resources for students was critical.  Funding was also requested for a newly created History of Archaeology course. These monies were used to replace, update, and expand Murphy Library’s valuable and unique collection of archaeology materials.  The Leisure Reading collection also received some monies to keep the collection current.

Glass Plate Negative Reproductions 2001/2002

In 2001, Special Collections received a donation of a collection of approximately 665 glass plate photographic negatives.   The images were made by the Taylor Brothers photographic studio Friendship, Wisconsin, circa 1910-1930.   The negatives range in size from 5” x 6” to 7” x 9”.  Most of the photos appear to have been taken in central Wisconsin, centering on Adams County and the county seat of Friendship.  This is a very comprehensive collection for its time and place.  Subjects are varied and include towns, buildings and street scenes in Adams County; teachers, classes, and other school related images; portraits of men, women, children and families; military units including World War I training; and farming scenes.   Also of note are images of Native Americans, mostly members of the Ho-Chunk nation, and some of these are individually identified.  With assistance from the Murphy Library Endowment Fund, Special Collections has printed 426 of the negatives and is in the process of identifying and arranging the images.

Digital Projects 2001/2002
Three digital projects were suggested.  The highest priority was to digitize a 35mm film of a patriotic parade on Main St. La Crosse, ca. 1916.  Once digitized, the video would be available on the Library's web page. 

Leisure Reading Collection 2001/2002
Additional funding was used to bolster the recently created Leisure Reading Collection.  The Collection, housed on the second floor of the Library, was dedicated to Karin Sandvik, retired Acquisition Librarian.  The collection is highly used and we have received numerous praises for this quality service.

Multicultural and Latino/Latina Materials 2001/2002
With new courses being taught involving diversity and Latino/Latina issues, funding was awarded to grow the collection in a timely manner in keeping with this new demand.

Endowment Funds Aid Special Collections 1999-2001
Murphy Library Endowment Fund awards helped preserve and made accessible material in the Special Collections Department of Murphy Library. $2,000 was awarded over two years to make prints of unprinted negatives from the Steamboat Collection. Special Collections has some 25,000 unprinted negatives of steamboats, and this award is the initial step in reducing that backlog. The staff of Special Collections has used the funds to select and print 194 new 5 x 7 inch prints as of February 2001. The staff is also using this opportunity to identify and compare all the photographic images of a steamboat, both prints and negatives, to select the best negatives to print and to weed out duplicate images.

Another award of $451 went to purchase new reel-to-reel tapes. Special Collections needed to acquire blank reel-to-reel tapes in order to transfer and preserve the oldest interviews in its oral history collection. Sixty-five interviews dating prior to 1970 needed to be transferred. The recommended lifespan of audio tape is 20 to 25 years and these tapes are all older than 30 years. Transferring these old interviews to new tape will also assist in the oral history cataloging project that is currently underway. With the assistance of a federal grant from the National Historical Publications Records Commission, Murphy Library hired a cataloger for a year to catalog the entire oral history collection. The preservation of the oral history collection is a necessary component of that project, and the Endowment Fund award has been instrumental in making that goal possible.

APS Funded 1999/00
Historians have long recognized the strong research value of periodicals as important source materials, but locating issues from rare 18th and 19th century periodicals has been a difficult and expensive research project, one that was simply out of reach for most students. Recognizing the problems associated with doing historical research, the University of Michigan’s William L. Clements Library and English Department partnered to start a microfilm project that would make these rare periodicals available to libraries everywhere. The resulting American Periodicals Series (APS) includes more than 1100 periodicals covering 1741-1900 and is divided into three sections: 18th Century, 1800-1850, and 1850-1900.

Murphy Library owned the first two sections of APS for many years. Library users, however, may not have known about this resource because the hundreds of microfilm reels were not included in the library catalog. With support from the Murphy Endowment Fund, the library was able to purchase bibliographic records for the series and load them into the library catalog.

Murphy Library holds the complete set for APS I (18th Century). Thirty-three microfilm reels containing 88 periodicals trace the evolution of the American magazine from two 1741 publications written by Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Bradford. Titles included in this set include the Columbian Magazine and the New York Magazine.

Murphy Library holds an incomplete set for APS II (1800-1850): we are missing units 26-48 (reel numbers 974-1966). Subjects include the westward expansion and the growth of nationalism. Many religious periodicals, and popular magazines are included. Godey’s Lady’s Book and Saturday Evening Post are two significant titles from this time period.

In addition to access through the library catalog, an index to the APS is located in the reference section at Z6951 .H65. This useful tool, titled American Periodicals 1741-1900: an Index to the Microfilm Collections, contains title, subject, editor, and reel number indexes.

Latin American Titles Purchased 1999/00
The Endowment Fund made it possible to acquire books on Latin America to enrich the library's holdings in that area. During the summer of 1999 Isolina Battistozzi, Professor of Spanish, worked with Karin Sandvik, former Collection Development Librarian, to expand library holdings in Latin American topics. The goal was to provide students with an opportunity to examine the cultural life of countries with which UW-L has student exchange and intern programs. A University of Wisconsin System grant proposal to assist teachers in internationalizing the curriculum, which inluded expanding library holdings, was also a factor.

This project came to a sudden halt when Isolina died unexpectedly in January 2000. Library staff determined that a fitting way to honor her memory was to acquire at least some of the titles she had suggested. Collection Development turned to the Endowment Fund to request the resources to make it possible. Friends of Isolina, Drs. Gary Kuhn, History, Rich Pinnell, Music, and members of the Foreign Language Department made suggestions for materials to be included in the collection. The collection was created to reflect Isolina's vision and includes music of the area which Isolina loved, materials that address concerns of Latin American women, and art of the region.

The Library was fortunate enough to receive much of Dr. Battistozzi's personal library. With the help of the Endowment Fund we have both honored Isolina and made it possible for our students to better understand Latin American culture.

Fine Press Book Purchased 1998/99
Several university groups worked together to fund a very special fine press book that will be the centerpiece of the newly designated Emerson G. Wulling 20th Century Literary Fine Press Collection in Murphy Library Special Collections. The book, My Place Here Below - Fifteen Poems and Dry Points, by Gary Young, was provided for by the Murphy Library Endowment Fund, the Murphy Library Special Collections Department, and the UW-L English Department.

The book includes 15 poems and dry-point etchings and is hand-bound and hand-illustrated. It is written, illustrated, printed and published entirely by the author.

In addition to being of great value on its own merits, the book will also be of great use to students enrolled in English classes that examine books from fine presses.

Native American Books 1997/98
The Endowment Fund provided $855 for the pur­chase of materials in the area of Native American literature. Sun Tracks is a Native American literary series sponsored by the American Indian Studies Program and the Department of English at the Uni­versity of Arizona. The series publishes many im­portant poets and other writers, and is very much in tune with the latest themes in Native American literary intellectual circles.

The Library has purchased titles in this series over the years, but the library budget did not permit us to buy all of the titles published. Now that American Indian Literature will be taught within the English Department, it is important that we have as many authentic texts by Native Americans as possible. Dr. James Gray plans to have students do a great deal of independent research and these texts will be an important addition to the collection for this course and others.

The Endowment Fund has generously supported and funded efforts to develop and expand the book collection beyond the normal limits of the book budget. A newly developed course in Native American Literature, taught by Dr. James Gray of the English Department, could only be launched if the library added extensively to the existing collection of materials in this area. Under Dr. Gray's guidance, materials were chosen that best represent Native American literature, including many titles that were published in the Sun Tracks series by the University of Arizona Press.

Equipment

Equipment allows the Library to implement innovations in library services or address special needs, including technology to enhance library use.

Flip video cameras  2010/11

Digital microfilm scanner 2009/10

Hard Drive Storage Space for Libweb Server 2006/2007
For servers which host digital projects, proxy server and e-reserves.

Display Panels 2003/2004 
3 floor-standing divider panels for displays for use in the Curriculum area and for other display needs in the library.

Conference Phone 2003/2004 
With more meeting held via teleconference, an phone designed for multiple persons to listen and speak was needed.

Portable CD Players 2003/2004 
Available for checkout to patrons and to allow patrons to listen to music CDs within the library.

Wireless Network Card for Staff Laptop 2003/2004 
A wireless card was added to the staff laptop so that it is more versatile within the library and across campus.

Microform Table and Chairs 2003/2004 
4 tables and 3 chairs were replaced in the microform area.

Display Case 2002/2003  
Used to display 3-dimensional art work which was purchased or donated to the library.

Literature Rack 2001/2002 
Used to display brochures pertinent to Library users, the literature rack resides just inside the entrance to the Library.

Portable PA System 2000/01  
The PA system is used for library instruction sessions as well as to help library staff to conduct tours of the building during orientation sessions, campus events, and special presentations, such as guest speakers and the Murphy Award.

Printer for Adaptive Computer 1998/99

Laptop Computer Purchased 1997/98  
Librarians are finding more and more opportunities to teach and present workshops in locations outside of Murphy Library. With the laptop computer, purchased by the Endowment Fund, and an existing portable projector, librarians have been able to create and present visually pleasing, realistic library instruction sessions in student classrooms, faculty meeting rooms, campus centers, and local and regional conferences. The laptop has been used extensively in these situations already, and will continue to open more opportunities in the future.

Adaptive Computer Workstation Purchased 1996/1997  
In June 1997, the library purchased equipment for an adaptive workstation which can be used to read scanned print aloud. The Adaptive Technology Workstation was jointly funded by the Murphy Library Endowment Fund and library building funds related to the remodeling project. The total cost of the purchase was $7,413. The Endowment Fund paid $3,290, LRC monies paid $4,048, and the $75 customer training was paid by Disability Resource Services.

Housed in Room 25, now called the Adaptive Tech­nology Room, the workstation is available all hours that the library is open. Staff as well as students may use the equipment. The Government Docu­ments Office can provide some patron assistance and Disability Resource Services is assisting with referrals and training.

LCD Projector for Instruction and Outreach 1997/98

Programming & Development

Programming and Development will significantly enhance library service, including workshops, conferences, professional meetings, internships and scholarships. Also included are such other purposes as special events, public programs, research and scholarship and publications.

Multicultural Children's Literature Program - Latino 2010/11

Multicultural Children's Literature Program -Native Americans 2009/10

Curriculum Program on Hmong Literature 2007/2008

Prizes for LibQual Survey 2007/2008

International Children’s Literature Event 2006/2007

Customized Campus-Specific READ Posters 2006/2007

Graduate Student Information Literacy Survey Expenses 2005/2006

Note Cards with a Steamboat Image 2004/2005

Training Session of Professional Writing 2001/2002

Technical Manuals for Library Staff 2001/2002

Microsoft Outlook Training for Library Staff 2000/01

 

Gary Young, Book Artist and Poet, Visits UW-La Crosse 1999/00  
Gary Young, poet, editor, printer, and book artist from California, visited the UW-La Crosse campus the week of April 10-14, 2000. Mr. Young’s visit to UW-La Crosse was sponsored by the Murphy Library Endowment Fund with additional support from the College of Liberal Studies; UW-L Foundation; and Sutton Hoo Press.

Mr. Young has won the Peregrin Smith Poetry Prize for his book Braver Deeds, the James D. Phelan Award, a Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He has also received several Book of the Year awards from the American Institute of Graphic Artists.

As reflected by his various talents in the book arts, Gary was involved in a variety of programming activities while on campus. During the week, Gary led printing demonstrations at Professor Chad Oness’ Sutton Hoo Press in Wing Communications Center. As part of the College of Liberal Studies and School of Arts and Communication “Voices of Our Time” lecture series, Gary gave a poetry reading.

The highlight of his visit was on April 12 when Gary gave the second annual Emerson G. Wulling Lecture in the Art and History of the Book in the Cleary Alumni Center Conference Room. The topic of the lecture was "Mallerme and the World of the Book." Gary’s own book, My Place Here Below, was purchased for Special Collections in part by the Murphy Library Endowment Fund and was the centerpiece for the reception at the first annual Wulling Lecture in 1999.

Librarians Learn to Teach 1998/99  
Each year, almost 5,000 people receive formal classroom training by Murphy librarians through the Murphy Library Instruction program. This year, thanks to the Endowment Fund, Murphy Library staff and other library staff in the community were able to spend a day with an expert in libraries and learning, Gail Junion Metz.

Ms. Metz, head of Information Age Consultants in Pennsylvania, has published several books on using internet resources for learning, and is a regular contributor to library and teaching-related magazines and journals. She is active in the library profession, both having had a career as an academic librarian and having a reputation as a highly sought-after speaker, trainer, and consultant at libraries and library conferences throughout the United States.

On May 18, 1999, Ms. Metz spent the day speaking about practical ways to address different learning styles within the context of library instruction. During the morning session, which was open to library employees throughout the Coulee Region, she analyzed instruction techniques and methods in use at Murphy Library and offered suggestions and comments based on her philosophies of learning. During the afternoon session, she met with Murphy librarians and worked on individual techniques to improve teaching and learning.

Staff Development Funded 1998/99  
The Endowment Fund helped library staff become more efficient by providing for a staff workshop titled An Amazing Feat: Running an Effective Meeting. The presenter was Kathy Pletcher, Associate Provost for Information Services at UW-Green Bay. The event, which had an excellent turnout and many positive comments, was offered to Murphy Library employees, UW-L faculty and staff, and staff at area libraries.

Emerson Wulling Honored 1998/99  
A special program and reception to honor Emerson G. Wulling, Emeritus Professor, English Department, was held on Thursday, April 29, 1999 in the Cleary Center. The program was a joint effort of the UW-L English Department and Murphy Library.

Over the years, Professor Wulling has been a key benefactor of the Murphy Library Endowment Fund and especially supportive of the Special Collections Department. He has been a catalyst in the development of the fine press collections in Special Collections. Professor Wulling’s own private press, the Sumac Press, and his overall interest in fine press printing inspired a generation of students.

To honor his influence, teaching, work, and contributions to the book arts, the fine press collections in Special Collections was named the Emerson G. Wulling 20th Century Literary Fine Press Collection during the program. The fine press book, My Place Here Below, by Gary Young, which was in part purchased by the Endowment Fund, was unveiled during the program. The keynote speaker was Michael Piech, a fine press printer from Pennsylvania.

We thank Professor Wulling for all he has done for the library, the university and the countless lives he has touched with his work, teaching, and generosity.

Facility & Environmental Needs

The Library aims to provide an environment conducive to learning and scholarly activities which significantly affect library service. Such needs include furniture, shelving, art work, displays and exhibits, signboards and safety and comfort concerns.

Furniture for new book alcove  2007/08

Framing for 13-14 selected Japanese prints 2007/2008

First Floor Remodeling Project Furnishings 2006/2007

New furniture for the first floor 2005/2006

2 Tables and 8 Upholstered Chairs 2005/2006
Replaces Carrels in second floor.

Funds for Commission of a Painting by Matt Duckett 2005/2006

Student Art Work 2004/2005

Enlarged Photographs 2003/2004 
20 enlarged photographs for display at the Pump House for the Grand Excursion and other future exhibits.

Study Tables 2003/2004
2 study tables (42”D x 60”W) were purchased in an ongoing effort to replace unused study carrels to high demand study tables.

Picture Molding 2003/2004 
Purchase and installation of picture molding and wire for the southeast corner of the first floor to accommodate the new student art exhibit area.

Student Art Work 2003/2004 
Will acquire additional student art work to permanently house in the library.

Student Art Work for the Library 2002/2003 
Murphy Library acquired two additional pieces of student art work.  Wood sculpture by Ken Rowe, class of 2003, entitled Pattern #1 and an intaglio print by Misha Welch entitled The Affect of Teenage Curosity.

Student Art Work for the Library 2001/2002
Murphy Library is pleased to announce the acquisition of a painting by UW-L senior Kim Van Someren.   The piece, entitled Hoc Voluerunt, was purchased from the All-Student Juried Exhibition held in the University Art Gallery in 2002.  Kim Van Someren, class of  2002, will be continuing her studies in graduate school.  The painting, which represents New York City after September 11th, is on display on the main floor of the library near the reference desk.

Acrylic Display Case for Special Collections 1998/99  

Original Local Artwork Funded 1998/1999

An original Hmong art quilt was created by several local Hmong women artists who have combined efforts to produce beautiful quilts on display elsewhere in the area. The quilt was sewn with cloth and string that has been imported from Asia specifically for this work. It uses "story cloths," which depict historical Hmong events and experiences. The quilt is mounted on the wall near the library entrance, and a ceremony celebrating the quilt was held in the library on November 3, 1999. Each of the 20 sections of the quilt depicts a separate story representing Hmong history and tradition, and will be a lasting testament to the rich heritage of the people that make up the Coulee Region.

Library Display Case Easels and Supplies 1997/98

Library Kiosk 1995/96  
The inaugural purchase made possible with fund earnings was an information kiosk. Upon entering the library, users see a kiosk displaying an array of literature assisting them with finding their way around library and explaining library services. Floor plan maps, walking tours, research guides, and library handouts will be available in this prominent location. The kiosk features the same design elements of the lobby kiosks, including the newel post which has been incorporated into the new library logo. It is appropriate that this first purchase is one which will be universally useful to a wide range of users and will serve as a visible and attractive reminder of the fund’s benefit to the user community.

 

Murphy Library
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
1725 State St., La Crosse, WI 54601, USA
(608) 785-8505