Warm autumnal greetings from Healey Library! With the academic year in full swing, we wanted to provide some quick updates from the academic heart of our ever-changing campus and direct you to some resources in support of your research, teaching, and studying.
First of all, as many of you know, Daniel Ortiz, former Dean of University Libraries, retired in July after nearly 25 years of visionary leadership and service to Healey Library and UMass Boston. We miss him! I have assumed the role of Interim Dean of University Libraries, and Andrew Elder is serving as the Interim University Archivist and Curator of Special Collections; both of us would love to hear from you about your goals for this academic year and ways that the Library and the Archives might help you achieve them.
One of the initiatives that Dean Ortiz spearheaded before his departure was the start of a project to transform the information-discovery landscape for the campus. To that end, Healey Library is partnering with IT Services on a massive system upgrade which will result in the arrival in January 2018 of a long-awaited single-search box for library resources, to be known as (drumroll, please):
UMBrella:
the single search box covering all your research needs!
This delightful name and tagline were submitted by UMass Boston student Rachel Hoffman, hands-down winner of the naming contest we held this summer. Congratulations, and thank you, Rachel! (Honorable mention is hereby awarded to every person who suggested Searchy McSearchface, a close runner-up.) Stay tuned for much more information to come about the efficient, user-friendly and personalized discovery experience that UMBrella will offer you come spring semester. (Photo credit: by Alejandro Garrido Navarro on Unsplash)
Throughout this academic year, I hope that you will take advantage of all that Healey Library offers the UMass Boston community. Our handy Library Services Brochure includes a plethora of useful information about Interlibrary Loan, Ask-a-Librarian, Course Reserves, Collections, Research Guides, and so much more. For faculty, our Start-of-School Library Checklist runs through the essential steps for you to make good use of the Library and its offerings. We also offer a Library Syllabus Attachment that can give students a jump-start on searching library resources. Finally, the UMass Boston community is invited to review the University Libraries 2017 Annual Report, which includes Dean Daniel Ortiz’s final reflections on the Library’s many evolutions and his vision for its future.
As always, all of us at Healey Library look forward to partnering with you in your teaching, learning, scholarship, and service. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is anything you need as you leap into the academic year.
Joanne Riley
Interim Dean of University Libraries