Reference Point

Spring 2011

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> Dean's Column Online challenge accepted Libraries aggressively responding to increased course off erings Reference Point is pub lished biannually by University Libraries. Address questions and suggestions to: Offi ce of the Dean Park Library 407D Central Michigan Uni ver si ty Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 Editorial Board Thomas J. Moore Dean of Libraries Richard Cochran Associate Dean of Libraries Megan Moreno, '06 Director of Development and Community Outreach Gerry Edgar Manager, Library Business Services Reference Point Coordinator Production CMU University Communications Writers Dan Digmann Sharasa Henley Kelly Kobylczyk Kayla Rusin Jennifer Sula Editor Dan Digmann Designer Amy Gouin Photographers Robert Barclay Peggy Brisbane Printing CMU Printing Services Libraries' website lib.cmich.edu Academic Year Library Hours Mon - Thurs: 7:50 a.m. - Midnight Fri: 7:50 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sat: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sun: Noon - Midnight Reference Desk 989-774-3470 libref@cmich.edu Tom Moore lots of opportunities to test our talents and use our resources smartly to serve students and faculty. In the CMU Libraries we like challenges, and we have plenty of them. Keeping up with steadily advancing scholarly information needs at the university and responding proactively to ceaseless technological change provide An area of challenge on which the Libraries have put special attention this past year is furnishing more integrated service to students enrolled in CMU's burgeoning online classes. Did you know that CMU off ers 203 diff erent courses online? How about a dozen degree programs wholly or mostly online, including an M.B.A. and the doctor of health administration? Last semester there were 7,168 registrations for online courses. Moreover, for several academic years there's been a 20 percent rate of growth in online courses off ered over the past academic year. Since students enrolled in online courses and programs can be anywhere in the world, including on campus in Mount Pleasant, you can imagine there are legions of implications for library services. Fortunately we have a long, and truly venerable, practice of serving students at a distance from campus through Off -Campus Library Services. When online courses began emerging in numbers several years ago, OCLS librarians took the lead to address the needs of their students. Yet, with the recent tremendous growth of online courses across disciplines, and more Mount Pleasant students taking them, we decided to deploy extra support. Reference Services librarians recently have joined hands with OCLS librarians to focus on online courses and to strive together for a high-quality, seamless approach regardless of student location. What's more, our document delivery services have also become more integrated, resulting in enhanced effi ciency in addition to continued superior services. Online student support is one area of CMU library services achieving noteworthy progress. Remembering Norman Clarke Jr. and John Cumming I'm saddened to report that two people instrumental to the growth of the Clarke Historical Library died in November. Norman Clarke Jr., whose father provided the original gift and thereby the name for the Clarke Historical Library, was an active, valued member of the Clarke Library Board of Governors for 25 years. John Cumming was director of the Library from 1961 to 1982, after which he maintained the role of director emeritus and inimitable member of the university community. With their passing, so passes as well the early era of this marvelous library. I hope you like the articles, and extra features available online, in this issue of Reference Point. Let us know your thoughts and if you have questions. Tom Moore Dean of Libraries 2 CMU, an AA/EO in sti tu tion, strong ly and ac tive ly strives to in crease diversity within its com mu ni ty (see cmich.edu/aaeo). UComm 8455-4,106 (3/11)

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