Reference Point

longevity Library Responding to today's challenges through four decades of experience By using home computers, cell phones, iPads, iPods and other electronic devices, students have myriad information sources readily available with the click of a button. But increasingly convenient technology hasn't kept students away from the library. Ask David Shirley and Pat Thelen, and they'll say they've seen the tides of technology over the past four decades make the libraries even more invaluable. Shirley and Thelen both recently celebrated working more than 40 years at Park Library. Shirley is the government documents librarian, and Thelen is the Clarke Historical Library scanning and digitalizing specialist. "With the increase of information, librarians are more important than ever, "We act as go-betweens and interpreters. We all have our areas of expertise. " Shirley says. " In addition to responding to the expanded technology, Thelen also is responding to patrons' increased interest in genealogy. "People increasingly are looking for digital images of our state's history, whether for a term paper or family research, and that's where our digitizing area meets the needs of a changing demographic. " From the beginning Since Shirley started working for the library in August 1970, he has seen the library develop from having a huge card catalog on the second fl oor to 1988 when CMU got its fi rst automated, integrated library system – based on mainframe computing – to 1998 when CMU got the system it uses today. Shirley serves as a reference librarian as well as manager of CMU's Federal Depository Library collection. The Federal Depository Library Program identifi es, catalogs and ensures permanent public access to government publications. "While my main responsibility is serving as government documents librarian and manager of our Federal Depository collection, my secondary work and more recent responsibility is serving as the foreign languages and geography subject librarian," says Shirley. When Thelen fi rst started with the Libraries, she worked as an offi ce manager and then transitioned to library technical services. For the past eight years Thelen has worked in Clarke Historical Library, where her responsibilities include maintaining its website and digitizing and scanning photographs from patrons and within the Clarke collection. David Shirley shares his insights about the Libraries' Federal Depository collection with student employee Stefan Borghesani. "One of my favorite things is seeing someone's face light up when they fi nd a picture of a relative in a book, and I get the opportunity to scan and duplicate that picture for them," Thelen says. Shirley and Thelen work in diff erent areas of the Libraries, but they say they've invested so many years because they enjoy their colleagues and the services the Libraries provide. "Over the years the library staff 's level of enthusiasm has never ceased to amaze me, " Shirley says. In addition to serving members of the university and area communities, Thelen says she is thankful for the opportunity to work directly with students. "The student interns I have had have kept in touch,'' she says. "It's great to see students succeed. " • Pat Thelen displays a photograph she is digitizing in Clarke Historical Library. 3

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