Department libraries complement the Gleeson Library collection by offering specially curated resources for shorter circulation periods or in multiple copies. Recent visits to the in-house libraries at the Department of English and the Center for Teaching Excellence highlighted how Gleeson librarians can work with departments to share knowledge in both directions. Program assistants who maintain libraries are a powerful contact for librarians to advertise new Gleeson holdings and get recommendations for new acquisitions.
Kimberly Garrett, Program Assistant for the Department of English and Honors Program in the Humanities, maintains the English Department library. She encourages students to visit the department library first to “get their feet wet” with the small, focused collection. After that introduction, they can expand their research at Gleeson Library by delving into literary criticism and related works.
Kimberly Garrett and the Department of English Library
Although Kimberly received her degree here at USF in History and Politics, she displays an equal love of literature and has developed sharp instincts. She knows of new works before they’ve become the talk of the literary world. She started the library in 2009 to collect the latest literary highlights, works from the annual Emerging Writers Festival, and faculty recommendations.
As she develops the collection, one of Kimberly’s focal points is multicultural literature from around the world to balance the program’s heavy focus on American and British literature. In addition to literature, essays, and poetry, the library contains creative writing reference and how-to guides, literature theory to help write papers, and works by USF English Department faculty.
Faculty and students learn about the latest acquisitions in the monthly department newsletter. Colette Hayes, Reference Librarian and new Liaison for the Department of English, is happy to be given space in the newsletter to highlight new resources at Gleeson. She and Kimberly plan to work closely to share recommendations.
Katie Hoffman, Program Assistant for the Center for Teaching Excellence (and USF Department of English alumna), started the CTE Lending Library in 2014 as a way to store and distribute works covered in the CTE Summer Book Club. She contacted Gina Solares, Head of Cataloging and Metadata Management, for advice on organizing the collection. Katie continues to collect every book used in a faculty teaching workshop as well as other faculty recommendations.
Katie Hoffman and the Center for Teaching Excellence Library
Faculty are encouraged to stop by the CTE Office and can view the collection’s holdings online. The small collection—let’s call it efficient—focuses on teaching practice and current issues facing universities. In addition to books, CTE has an online collection of interviews with faculty discussing a wide range of topics. Recordings can be streamed or downloaded.
Does your department have a library? We’d love to hear about it. Contact Justine Withers, Electronic and Continuing Resources Catalog Librarian, at jwithers2@usfca.edu.
Just the Facts
| Department of English | Center for Teaching Excellence | |
|---|---|---|
| Started | Fall 2009 | 2014 |
| Size | Three bookcases | Two shelves and online podcast collection |
| Open to | English majors, minors, faculty and staff, and Honors students in Humanities | All faculty |
| Circulation policy | Two weeks plus one renewal of two weeks | As long as needed |
| Collection | Literature, essays, poetry, creative writing reference and how-to, literature theory | Teaching practice and current issues in higher education |