November 10th, 2020 @ 9:32 am ›
Filed in Databases, James B. Duke Library
› Tagged with Home Page, IEW, International Education Week
It’s International Education Week. Time to learn a new language with Mango Languages! Mango Languages uses common, everyday conversations as the basis of each lesson, so you can start using and appreciating what you learn right away.
Mango has variety – Over 70 languages, including specialty language courses that focus on particular fields of work, such as Business Spanish, Medical Spanish and Legal Spanish, to meet all sorts of language learning goals. Mango has movies – Mango offers a selection of films that provide a breakdown of each line of dialogue and builds on all foundational language skills, including grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and culture. Mango has apps – for Iphone and Android, so it’s easy to track your progress.
Start a new language with Mango today and you could be fluent by the time travel restrictions are lifted.
Mango Languages is accessible from the library’s website. Furman students, faculty, and staff can create a free Mango account using your Furman email address.
November 9th, 2020 @ 9:33 am ›
Filed in James B. Duke Library
› Tagged with Home Page, IEW, International Education Week, James B. Duke Library
We won’t let COVID stop us from celebrating the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide!! We are hopeful for the future of international travel. We look forward to resuming our study abroad programs and welcoming many of our international students back to campus. We miss you!
Following is a schedule of events for November 9 – November 14:
Nov. 9: 6:30 p.m., International Trivia, Watkins Room, Trone Student Center. Students must register on SyncDin to participate.
Nov. 12: 7 p.m., International Film Series: Spanish Film Feature, “Ya no estory aqui,” Thomas Room, Trone Student Center, Room 208.
Nov. 14: 2 p.m., International Film Series: French Film Feature, “Intouchables,” Watkins Room, Trone Student Center.
Other events held all week are:
Stick a Pin in It (Duke Library)
International Authors Showcase (Duke Library)
International Flag Display (Duke Library)
Where in the World (social media showcase)
DH International Food Focus
On November 16th, the findings from the 2020 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange will be released. In the meantime, you can read the 2019 Fast Facts report or search the Open Doors data portal.
September 30th, 2020 @ 7:00 am ›
Filed in James B. Duke Library
› Tagged with Furman Alumni Librarians, Home Page
Kelly Leonard ’11
Thank you for following along with us during this twenty-two-week series highlighting a small handful of the inspirational alumni who work as library and information professionals. Whether you’re a student, faculty, staff, or community member, we hope this series has been entertaining and insightful. Please reach out to one of our librarians if you now find yourself interested in pursuing a career in the library and information science field. We would be happy to speak with you and point you towards some resources to help you discover more about librarianship.
For our final installment, we are pleased to feature Kelly Leonard, a 2011 alumna who works for Boomtown! A real estate software company. Leonard graduated with her bachelor’s degree in English. She then completed a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of South Carolina. You can view all of the posts in this series here.
What has been your professional path to your current position?
“After working in the library throughout the duration of my studies at Furman, I entered graduate school at the University of South Carolina in the Library and Information Science Master’s Degree program. I quickly realized my passion for organization & technical prowess was guiding me towards the technical services aspect of librarianship, so I focused on metadata & cataloging in my studies. As my program drew to a close, I was offered a job at a start up software company in Charleston, SC that provided software solutions to libraries and needed help formatting their MARC records. I took a leap of faith and joined their team, where I worked for a year and a half or so before moving to a new software company. While I still work in software, my current position involves managing the team that sets up metadata schemas for real estate listing data feeds across the nation — it may seem like a stretch, but the foundational concepts from my metadata courses have proven most helpful in my career!”
Tell us a little bit about how you chose to work as a library and information professional?
“As I mentioned, I worked in the James B. Duke Library for 4 years as a work study student. My major was in English, and while I’d entertained thoughts of getting into journalism, I ultimately realized I wanted to work with organizing information and the systems behind it. What institution does this better than a library?”
What is the most interesting library in which you’ve worked?
“The James B. Duke Library, of course ;)”
What is something you have been surprised by during your career?
“Moving away from ‘traditional’ librarianship and working in software was definitely not on my original career path, but it’s been extremely satisfying thus far. It’s also amazing how applicable all of the frameworks I learned in school (specifically as it applies to metadata) can transcend industries — as I mentioned, I now work with real estate listing data. There will always be a need for those who have expertise in classification & organization, no matter the field.”
Is there a particularly fond memory from your time at Furman that you would be willing to share?
“I always loved my shifts during exam times! The energy in the library was varied and it was interesting to observe students’ study habits as finals descended upon them.”
September 23rd, 2020 @ 7:00 am ›
Filed in James B. Duke Library
› Tagged with Furman Alumni Librarians, Home Page
Heather Kanipe ’97
We are nearing the end of our summer series of blog posts in which we highlight some of the amazing Furman alumni who have gone on to work in library and information professions. If you have not been keeping up, you can view all previous posts here.
Heather Kanipe ’97 is our second to last alumni to be featured here. Kanipe completed a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and elementary education. She is a board-certified early childhood educator and holds two advanced degrees from the University of South Carolina: a master’s in library and information science and a master’s in elementary education. Kanipe currently serves as the library media specialist at Oakland Elementary in Spartanburg School District Two.
Tell us a little bit about how you chose to work as a library and information professional?
“I have always loved reading and books. I was even a “library helper” when I was in elementary school. I helped change the “due date” stamp each morning and also helped shelve and straighten books. I became interested in library science while taking education classes at Furman, specifically while enrolled in Nelly Hecker’s children’s lit class.”
What has been your professional path to your current position?
“I began my career teaching third grade at Chesnee Elementary. I worked on my Masters in Library and Information Science while teaching. A new elementary school was built in my district, and I was asked to fill the library position at the new school. I have been at this school ever since!”
What is the most interesting library in which you’ve worked?
“I have only been in one library… here at Oakland Elementary.”
What is something you have been surprised by during your career?
“I am sometimes surprised at how quickly technology has advanced in the library field, yet at the same time, both kids and adults still love to have a book in print!”
Is there a particularly fond memory from your time at Furman that you would be willing to share?
“Some of my favorite memories at Furman are from my freshman year. My freshman hall participated in many “bonding” activities. I was in Blackwell Hall, which was a co-ed dorm, so we also did a lot of fun things with our brother hall, too. Their hallway was right across the stairway from ours! Football games were also a highlight of my time at Furman.”
September 21st, 2020 @ 12:44 pm ›
Filed in Uncategorized
› Tagged with election, Home Page, voting, voting registration
No matter where your home is, Furman Students can vote in Greenville for the 2020 Presidential Election
If you are 18 or older; a United States citizen; not serving out a felony sentence; not declared mentally incompetant by a court of law; and live on campus, you can register to vote in Greenville. Out of state residents can only vote in the federal presidential election, not state and local elections.
With the deadline October 2nd at 5 pm, there are two weeks left to register.
What you need:
Identification such as (valid driver’s license OR social security card OR current passort) AND (Furman ID OR proof of residence at Furman)
Where to go:
Voter Registration Office in Suite 1900 of County Square which is located at 301 University Ridge (in downtown behind Falls Park and the Governor’s School.)
How to vote:
October 5th – Novemer 2nd “In-person” absentee voting at County Square M-F, 8:30-5
OR
November 3rd – GENERAL ELECTION DAY – Polling places open from 7 AM to 7 PM on Election Days.
Bring a valid photo ID (license, passport, DMV ID or SC Voter Photo ID) You may not use your student ID!
September 16th, 2020 @ 7:00 am ›
Filed in James B. Duke Library
› Tagged with Furman Alumni Librarians, Home Page
Sara DeSantis ’17
This is part 20 in our weekly summer blog series in which we highlight some of the amazing Furman alumni who have gone on to work in library and information professions. Click here to view all posts in this series.
Today our featured alumni is Sara DeSantis ’17. She graduated from Furman with a bachelor’s degree in political science & philosophy. In 2018 she completed her master’s in library and information science through the University of South Carolina. DeSantis has worked in both academic and public libraries including the Furman University Libraries and Greenville County Library System. Currently, she serves as a reference and research librarian at the University of South Carolina Upstate where she specializes in social media, marketing, and outreach.
What has been your professional path to your current position?
“While at Furman I was an intern for the Library. I also worked as a student worker. I did that my Junior and Senior year. Right after I graduated from Furman I went to get my masters. During that time I also worked at the public library, and I did one year of working in the evenings as a library outreach assistant for Furman – what a year! Right after I finished my MLIS I was offered a job at USC Upstate as a Reference and Research Librarian – I have just passed my one year work anniversary!”
Tell us a little bit about how you chose to work as a library and information professional?
“I went to Furman with the plan to be a biology major and becoming a dentist. I realized I was terrible and chemistry and that this was not the right route for me. I did enjoy research though and have always had a love for researching. I went to the career services center to take a test for what I should do in my life. Librarian was the #1 result and I dismissed it because I thought librarians just told people to “shh…” – well I was wrong! It wasn’t until the summer after my Sophomore year that I really considered this. My dad told me I should reach out to the librarians at Furman and to talk to my advisor. My advisor thought this would be the best career for me because she did see I enjoyed researching. I emailed a few different librarians at Furman and talked to them about what they did. I had no idea librarians got a master’s degree and that academic librarians could be involved in so many areas of campus! I loved this and knew that I would enjoy a job as an academic librarian! I was given the opportunity to intern at the Furman library and to be a student worker. All of the Furman librarians and staff were so helpful and encouraging – I knew that libraries brought together such nice, interesting, and fun people to work with! The irony is that I am now the Chemistry Liaison and I love helping students with these types of research problems, but am so happy I am not the student!”
What is the most interesting library in which you’ve worked?
“The Five Forks Library for the Greenville County Library System. I was part of the first staff to work at this new branch! It was such a great experience because I helped put new books on the shelf, I gave input on how we should run our branch, and I worked with an amazing staff (Miles was there!). This branch was brand new and has amazing technology, like an automated system for returning books. It’s a beautiful building and is the library of the future. I would encourage anyone in the Upstate area to visit the library – it’s like nothing you have seen!”
What is something you have been surprised by during your career?
“What’s surprised me about my career is the different things I can do! While I am a librarian and I do research, I also teach. I teach information literacy to freshman English classes, subject specific literacy skills to upper level chemistry, and even designed and taught a Personal Financial Literacy course that was a 1 credit online course this spring! I also was surprised at how creative I have to be in my role – I get to do social media and other graphic design projects which is amazing. My job is never boring! One day I can be on the desk all day, another day I could be teaching a class or in a committee meeting for the university or designing a digital display graphic to promote a library resource – I love this about my job!”
Is there a particularly fond memory from your time at Furman that you would be willing to share?
“There are so many great memories about Furman and the library that I am so fond of. One is when I took a reading course with Jenny Colvin during May-X. She helped me find my passion for reading for fun again! I used to only read non-fiction books, but since that course I’ve become a huge fan of Romance novels! Another memory I have is the summer when I was an intern – I got to know all of the librarians and staff at the library. I remember being trained on the reference desk with all of the outreach librarians. I remember doing fun projects in archives and digital collections. Having the weekly social events was so fun! I got to know everyone at the library and I felt like this was where I was always meant to be! Everyone at the Furman library has been so influential to me and has been a great mentor! I’ve celebrated so many huge accomplishments with them from graduating Furman, to getting into Library school, to finishing library school, to finally being a librarian!”
September 9th, 2020 @ 7:00 am ›
Filed in James B. Duke Library
› Tagged with Furman Alumni Librarians, Home Page
Jayne Moorman ’99
This is part 19 in our weekly summer blog series in which we highlight some of the amazing Furman alumni who have gone on to work in library and information professions. Click here to view all posts in this series.
Today we are highlighting Jayne Moorman ’99, a local librarian who serves as an assistant county librarian for the Spartanburg County Public Libraries. Moorman graduated from Furman University with a bachelor’s degree in English. In 2001 she completed her master’s in library and information science through the University of South Carolina.
Tell us a little bit about how you chose to work as a library and information professional?
“I worked as a Student Assistant in the James B. Duke Library during my junior and senior years at Furman because I was curious about the Librarian profession. To me, it was the ideal career because there are so many different tracks that you can pursue (e.g. Academic, Public, Corporate, Archival, School Media, etc.). You are always learning something new while always helping other people. It’s the best combination for a rewarding career!”
What has been your professional path to your current position?
“While in graduate school at USC, I assisted with processing collections at both the Caroliniana Library and the Law Library. During the summers, I would work in the Public Library. I wanted to see as many types of library environments as I could. After graduating from the MLIS program in May, 2001, I was selected to be a Fellow at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. While at the LOC, I worked in the Prints and Photographs Division and processed and cataloged the LOOK Magazine photography collection. It was a very rewarding experience, but my heart was always with the public service aspect of Librarianship. I returned to South Carolina and starting working as a Government Documents Librarian at the Spartanburg County Public Libraries. In 2005, I was promoted to Assistant Director, and now I oversee all operations of a 10-branch, 250-employee public library system. In this position, I am involved in all aspects of library operations!”
What is the most interesting library in which you’ve worked?
“It is definitely the Library of Congress.”
What is something you have been surprised by during your career?
“I was surprised at the importance of good library administrative practices. Behind all of the research, programs, and archives, Libraries run just like a business. If the “business part” of Libraries is not run well, all of the good services that Libraries provide will not be effective. Also, I was surprised at how important Libraries continue to be in communities. It doesn’t matter if the community consists of homeless patrons, university students, or corporate employees. They all need access to quality resources and information, and they need to access the resources in a safe, welcoming environment.”
Is there a particularly fond memory from your time at Furman that you would be willing to share?
“Who doesn’t love the campus? It was a pleasure to spend four years on such a beautiful campus with great people.”
September 3rd, 2020 @ 3:35 pm ›
Filed in Events, Exhibits, Library in the News, Special Collections
› Tagged with Home Page
On exhibit August 26 – December 1, 2020
James B. Duke Library, Second Floor Gallery
In accordance with the centennial of the 19th Amendment, “The Simple Ground of Justice”: Greenvillians in the Fight for Women’s Suffrage will open on August 26 and be on display until December 2020. Curated by Dr. Courtney Tollison, Distinguished University Public Historian and Scholar, and Furman’s Special Collections and University Archives, the exhibit features a collection of suffrage postcards, a 1917 “blue book” on the national women’s suffrage movement, images of and writings from Greenville Woman’s College Principal Mary C. Judson, the 1915 Bonhomie, and an artifact from the Thursday Club, a Greenville women’s club founded in 1889 that remains in existence.
Though the Rollin sisters, five African American sisters in Columbia, organized the first statewide suffrage organization in the early 1870s and were early advocates of both African American and women’s rights in the state, the suffrage movement did not come to Greenville until 1890, when a small group of white women and at least one man held a women’s rights convention and established the South Carolina Equal Rights Association. Greenville women such as Mary P. Gridley, A. Viola Neblett, and Helen E. Vaughan led the local movement, which switched its affiliation from the more mainstream National American Woman Suffrage Organization to the more radical National Woman’s Party in 1917.
The 19th Amendment was formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution on August 26, 1920, and women across the country were eligible to vote in the presidential election on November 2 that year. Women’s suffrage in southern states like South Carolina, however, meant suffrage for white women only. African American women endured and won a much longer fight that culminated in the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The South Carolina legislature rejected the 19th Amendment in January 1920, and soon after it became federal law, the General Assembly passed legislation that deemed women ineligible for jury duty. This law remained in place until 1967. In 1969, the year before the 50th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, six states, including South Carolina, had yet to rubber stamp the 19th Amendment. The SC General Assembly did so that year, long after most states but before Georgia and Louisiana (1970), North Carolina (1971), and Mississippi (1984).
September 2nd, 2020 @ 7:00 am ›
Filed in James B. Duke Library
› Tagged with Furman Alumni Librarians, Home Page
Steven Feyl ’94
This is part 18 in our weekly summer blog series in which we highlight some of the amazing Furman alumni who have gone on to work in library and information professions. Click here to view all posts in this series.
Today our featured alumni is Steven Feyl ’94. Feyl graduated from Furman with a bachelor’s degree in history. Then in 1995, he completed his master’s in library science at Simmons College. He has worked in both academic and public libraries including the New York Public Library system. He currently serves as a university librarian at Pace University.
Tell us a little bit about how you chose to work as a library and information professional?
“In truth the profession chose me. I’ve continually worked in libraries since I was 14 years old when I started as a library page at my hometown local public library in Old Greenwich, CT. It was only after I got to Furman that I had an “a-ha” moment and realized that I could work in a library as a career (I began at Furman thinking that I would major in chemistry but when I could barely get through introductory chemistry I realized that I had to think about alternatives and “Voila!” librarianship!)”
What is the most interesting library in which you’ve worked?
“Working in the branch library system of the New York Public Library was a fascinating experience for me. The people that come into the branch libraries in New York City are a fascinating group of people to work with. Ranging from the wonderful, the heartbreaking, the engaging (and the insane!) everyday there was a surprise and an adventure that is hard to describe and duplicate.”
What is something you have been surprised by during your career?
“I am surprised by how much and how fast libraries have changed in the course of my career. When I first started we were in the death knell phase of the card catalog and now we are talking maker spaces and 3D printers in the library. So much change! Even with all of this rapid change and development, I find there is still something timeless about the library that hasn’t changed and remains the same. I try in my library to preserve both spirits the best that I can.”
Is there a particularly fond memory from your time at Furman that you would be willing to share?
“I have such fond memories of my time working in the old James Buchanan Duke Library as a student worker. I had so much fun working in the library and I can’t state how much these experiences contributed to me becoming a librarian. I remember our library intramural softball team (called “Long Overdue”) and how bad we were. I remember having shelving cart races on the second floor with other student employees after we were done shelving our books (you sit on it like a horse and pull yourself down the shelving aisles with your arms.) I also remember all of the wonderful library staff at Furman that mentored me and nurtured me along the way to become a librarian. Those little moments had a big impact on my career. I try to make sure to make the time to have these moments the best that I can with my current student employees here at Pace University. I dream of someday “spawning” a new librarian into the field and I currently have a couple of student employees hoping to head to library school soon!”
August 26th, 2020 @ 7:00 am ›
Filed in James B. Duke Library
› Tagged with Furman Alumni Librarians, Home Page
Steve Richardson ’77
This is part 17 in our weekly summer blog series in which we highlight some of the amazing Furman alumni who have gone on to work in library and information professions. Click here to view all posts in this series. This week we are highlighting Steve Richardson ’77.
Richardson has worked for the Furman University Libraries for 33 years. Prior to beginning at Furman he worked for the Greenville County Library System. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Furman University, and in 1982 he graduated from the University of South Carolina with his master’s in library and information science. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of working with him, you know he’s an excellent librarian who goes above and beyond.
What has been your professional path to your current position?
“I was employed as Reference Librarian at the Greenville County Library, 1982-1986.”
Tell us a little bit about how you chose to work as a library and information professional?
“I began a degree in Librarianship in order to provide me means for pursuing work in Archives and Special Records. As I mixed graduate courses in Library Science and History I discovered that I could find opportunities for applying both fields through professional work in different types of libraries. I therefore considered the most beneficial track for me would be to secure a professional library position which would offer these opportunities.”
What is the most interesting library in which you’ve worked?
“James B. Duke Library at Furman University.”
What is something you have been surprised by during your career?
“I was surprised by the enormous range of interests and projects I could pursue through applying library skills in a university community.”
Is there a particularly fond memory from your time at Furman that you would be willing to share?
“The overall sense of collegiality I enjoyed with all the Furman faculty, staff and students.”
