VOL. 4 NO. 5 OF THE UBC LIBRARY STAFF NEWSLETTER February 1968 February, and for ten whole days Spring appeared to have sprung in B.O.C. Since break-up, students have been able to throw people into ponds again, an amenity sadly missed during the frost. The Contemporary Arts Festival bloomed and your Ed. has learned to view piles of junk with a new eye. Education Week drew little comment from Biblos reporters, although the Display Case outside SSD shows that some 1ibrarians at least have not given up. Signs of Spring were noted. A dove (well, alright, a pigeon) visited the Catalogue Maintenance section, but went away again, A black cat appeared in Circulation, and a grey one in Sedgewick; what do we deduce from that? Serials automated their Kardex on St, Valentine's Day; your Ed, tried for a press release but could only get "No comment. We are just good friends," The midterm break was enjoyed vicariously, though the absence of cinnamon buns during the preceding week caused serious withdrawal symptoms in some cases. The Winter Olympic reports were a primary source of much interest, especially to one librarian who brought in a transistor; swing with the Pepsi generation! Nearer home, there were riots in Moncton, birthplace of librarians, but no statement was forthcoming from BSS. And here in Vancouver, there was candy all round to celebrate the arrival of Doug Mclnnes' daughter, on St. Valentine's Day, How's that for coordinated planning? FRONT-END REPORTS La Nouvelle Vague: The Library enters the audio-visual era, a la Expo. To help explain the Library to users, new equipment is being acquired: slide projectors, tape recorders, even closed- circuit TV and Videotape production facilities, Mclnnes Productions will be inaugurated this spring. Anyone for an underground library film? Apply to Casting Division, Everyone is wondering how the universities will fare in the 1968 Social Credit Co-prosperity Sphere. No elated cries were heard from the direction of the Administratjon Office when the Minister of Finance broke the news. It bodes ill. COFFEE BREAKS: Staff members are reminded that coffee breaks are fifteen minutes long, no longer. This period of time permits a sufficient turnover in the Coffee Room to give everyone a chance to sit. Staying longer complicates matters. Moreover, nine out of ten doctors say that extended coffee breaks cause vascular disease, lordosis and the vapours. Please note that it is not compulsory that individuals use fifteen minutes, if they are in a hurry to get back to work. FRONT OFFICE PUBLICATION: The University of British Columbia Library Classification and Job Description Manual: non-professional staff, 1967, has appeared. It contains an organizational chart of the Library and details of the Establishment in terms of professional and non-professional positions. Full descriptions of responsibility, supervision and duties of all non-professional positions by divisions follows. 8-j x 11, and a full inch thick, weighing a good two pounds; we cannot recommend it for reading in bed. LIBRARY ASSISTANT ASSOCIATION NEWS As of July 1st there will be a "sick bay" for use of the staff. Through the co-operation of Mr. B. Bell and the approval of Mr. Stuart-Stubbs a location will become available on that date. It is hoped that by then arrangements wi)l be completed to equip the room adequately for the comfort and convenience of the staff. - 3 - STAFF CHANGES A Wa rm We 1 come to - Phoebe Nahanni Clerk 1 Administration Fran Brafman L.A, 1 Cataloguing Bernard Olson L.A. 1 Circulation James Jones L.A. 1 Cataloguing Congratulations to - Marlene Pereverseff L.A, 1 to L.A. 11 Cataloguing Lynne Maclver Sec. II to Administrative Assistant Dawn Anderson L.A. 1 Social Work to L.A. II Math. Pat McArthur Sec. 1 to Sec. 11 Administration Jean Dutton KPO Systems to Senior KPO Systems Rick Crowe L.A. 1 to L.A. II Cataloguing 1 an Lee L.A. Ill Systems to Assistant Programmer Sh i rley 11 I c L.A. II to Sec. II Acquisitions We Say Good-bye to - Judy MacDermot Sec, 11 Acqui si tions Priscilla Harrington L.A, 11 Catalogui ng Roger Ten-Trey L.A, 1 Sedgewick Congratulations to Mr, and Mrs, Doug Mclnnes, on the arrival of a daughter, born on St. Valentine's Day! Latest report is that the name will be Ali son. - 4 - CENTENNIAL MEDALS. 2.0,000 Canadians have received Centennial Medals to commemorate t~ie one hundredth anniversary of Confederation. The medals are "a token acknowledgement of meritorious service by a Canadian in a certain field, and nominations are limited to various levels of government, their agencies, the professions, arts, science, welfare and charitable organizations, and other bodies." A fairly generous limitation, you will ag ree. About one in every 1,000 Canadians will have received a medal; which means there are about four to five hundred in greater Vancouver. And the U.B.C. Library has cornered three Basil Stuart-Stubbs, Robert M. Hamilton and Les Kalinski are the chosen ones. They have been remarkably modest in admitting which of their many services to the nation won them this honour, (indeed, Mr. Hamilton is not even sure which nation he may have served!), but we did pry a few facts out of them. &#i:..'J>''' 4*-"M '& Les, after an exciting career as an escaped P0W in Poland, service in the Polish Army attached to the British 8th Army, a wound in Tobruk and participation in the North African an< Italian campaigns, came to Canada 11 years ago and joined the Reserves, He is now the longest-serving Polish Canadian in the Reserve Army and is troup sergeant in No. 3 Area Signal Squadron of the Royal Canadian Signals. During I967 he worked for the Tattoo, across B.C., in charge of communications. He will add the Centennial Award to his previous collection of twelve medals, three of which are Polish and the rest British There is t ri-cultural i sm for you. The picture gives the impression that RMH and BSS had to share a medal. We hasten to reassure you that they got one apiece. Mr, Hamilton was head of the Library of Parliament from 1946- 1961, during which time he rebuilt much of the collection after a serious fi re. He was al so president of CLA for 1961-62 and largely responsible for starting the Canadian newspaper microfilming project. However, rumour has it that the medal was actually given for his part in breeding a large, red and white, bi-lingual, maple-leaf-shaped orchid. BSS, of course, primarily won his medal for putting up with us. But in addition he is on the Council of CLA and the Advisory Board for the National Library, plus a host of other worthy causes designed to improve university libraries throughout Canada. What more meritorious service? HC LIBRARY SCHOOL LECTURE: Contrasts between European and North American University libraries were emphasized in a lecture given to Library School students and members of the Library staff, by Dr. J, Periam Danton of U.C. Berkeley, European university libraries typically have higher educational requirements for their professional staff, especially bibliographers; small collections, without duplication; closed stack systems; and minimal reference service. This type of library service accords with the European university. The North American campus has no exact counterpart in Europe and has evolved library systems of a very different nature. PW Sept 18 '67 p 79 VEKUA, Ilia Nestorovich New methods for solving elliptic equations by I.N. Vekua; tr. from Russian by D.E. Brown. Amsterdam, New Holland Pub. Co., I967, xii, 358 p., 23 cm. Tr. of (womanized) Nove Tietody resheniia ell ipt icheski kh urayenii. y^yr£ "Stop calling me J.B.! My name is Jumping Bear.' - 7 BIOGRAPHY Rein Brongers, Head of Science Divisi on :\ - ^ in 1957 in British Col More years of en don't read?—he found her in--permanently, notwithstanding—was t No regrets so fa only one year old. umb ia ginee a Lib Event aken r. bu Wilder Penfield has suggested that every man should have a "second career" to be started after retirement at sixty-five. Why wait for Fall? Do it now! Rein Brongers chose to start his second career not quite in Spring but at least in Summer and, if life begins at forty, he can claim to have been born a Librarian—produced after the usual nine months in the UBC Library School at just about that age. Prior to this he was born, more conventionally, in Rotterdam; after which it took him some twenty-five years to become a Civil Engineer--labelled "Delft". A label which proved acceptable to the New Zealand government and got him a free passage to the antipodes in return for a promise to stay at least three years. Three years became five. He saw New Zealand at Her Majesty's expense and, one long glorious summer, circled the world at his own. Perhaps it was this trip which re-kindled a longing for other shores, found ring in Vancouver where--who says engineers rary and took out a Librarian, later to take ually he in turn—wifely warnings in by Li brari ansh ip. ,. t then—if life does begin at forty—he is CATALOGUER COMMENTS: Cataloguers have always longed to make use of the L.C. subject head ing: Plants - Irritability and movements. Could this be their opportunity? SYMPOSIUM ON THE MECHANICAL BARKING OF TIMBER. 8 - NEW OFFICES *"•*&&- Resplendant in beamed ceiling, oak panelling and ten-foot windows, a new suite of offices has come into being in the north wing off the main concourse. Housed there - reading clockwise from the doorway - are the Catalogue Maintenance group, the secretary, Doug Mclnnes, Gerry Dobbin, Bob MacDonald, Bill Watson, and the programmers. Lighting, which was not satisfactory when the new quarters were first occupied, is now at a good level. In the photo at the left, a member of the maintenance staff is seen in the background about to mount a ladder to deal with one of the fixtures. Remaining as something of a problem is the noise-level of the suite. The baronial beamed ceiling has been discovered to provide marvelous accoustical effects, A paper clip dropped in one room can be heard ringing throughout the wing. Private conversations are best held elsewhere. Noise aside, all occupants agree that they are well accommodated, thank you. - 9 - Demosthenes Button, Penny Damm was recently given the Demosthenes Society award "for literary, artistic or governmental contributions to student life," She is the first non-student to achieve these heights. Penny attributes it to her student work with AMS and to two 'Philippics' to Ubyssey which were, in the words of the scroll citation, "of outstanding literary achievement over and above the call of duty," So if you see Penny down on the beach with a pebble in her mouth, declaiming to the waves, you'll know why! "I suggest you take a few weeks away from your office. You have data poisoning." A Book-Worms's Eye View You'd scarce believe the diet strange Th-o1 which the Bookworm now must range Cotton paper was plaguy stuff, And linen rag was bad enough, But things have come to such a pass That paper's made of straw and grass Espartom Ramie, young Bamboo, All these and more I've eaten thro'! But soft; for now I must relate Th' apotheosis of my fate: Dyspeptic 'mid these modern books, I sought old haunts and shady nooks Intent on ancient tomes forgot That oft had been knocked down by lot But mov'd - by what I cannot tell — Unless its most unusual smell — I tried a book of goodly size, The hardest it of all my tries! Away I bored, but I was floored, Ye Gods! the thing was made of BOARD! Yes, Wood must now their paper give — Stuff that ye may not eat, and live! In fearful pain I lay me down, * And dreamt as people do who drown: I dreamt of Egypt's sunny clime, The Bookworm's ancient halcyon time, Of modern ink the first time quaffed, And once more rued the fiery draught. This strange admixture seems to be Much like the mortal's Eau de Vie; It makes one gay and feel so queer, I oft have crow'd like chanticleer! It is of course possible that woody ** Ignorant as we are of the fibre would cause acute dyspepsia exact physiological nature in the worm;: bjjTt we incline to^thjak- of the insect book-worm, the effect was due to the adulterants we have no positive reason employed in latter-day paper-making. to doubt the alleged effect produced by it upon that organi sm. 11 Once more 'mid cobwebs, dry-rot, dust, I bored thro' Gutenberg & Fust, On Caxton fed and Pynson too, And many an Elzevir drilled thro'; So dreaming, I quite vainly tried To rouse myself - I nearly died! For SOMETHING held me in its thrall That made me grow both stout and tall! Then I awoke, and with a shock - It was the hand of Basil Stubbs; I rubb'd my eyes and gaz'd around! Books lin'd the walls from ceil to ground! Thro' many I had bor'd my way! You'll scarce believe me when I say The knowledge I had eaten thro' Straight to my brain now upward flew! New life and purpose thro' me ran - I found myself a living man! Stubbs moved his hand, and, smiling, said: "Interpret now the mighty dead! "The world we live in disbelieves "In ancient books and yellow leaves: "Arise! unlock the Bookworm's store, "And tell us of the books of yore!" He gave me paper, pens, and ink, While I could only stare and blink; Command and will were in Basil's eye, As he resum'd, without reply: "Once foe of books, as friend now live! "To all who need, good book-lore give! "Then you we'll hail as chief book-lover, "And place your portrait on the Biblos cover!1 So here the BOOKWORM toiling spins, to expiate his many sins. Anon. & Trad. - 12 - "SOUR POWER" HOUR Cataloguing maintenance is a serious business. SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION READING ROOM A portrait of Justice Nathan T. Nemetz, Chairman of the Board of Governors at U.B.C. since 1965, has been added to the collection of paintings in the Ridington Room. - 13 DISPLAY ON LEVEL 5 Jennifer Gallup and Linda Kwong have constructed a valuable and informative display on the PRIMARY SOURCE, in the display case on Level 5. Jennifer feels, and many will agree with her, that a display of this sort could well be shown each year, because the problem of explaining to students just what is a primary literature source comes up again and again. The display is self-explanatory, but Jennifer would like to point out that it is not easy to define the term and she feels there may still be room for misunderstanding. For instance, records are often transmitted orally from generation to generation until someone finally writes them down; this someone is obviously not an eye-witness to all he records, and yet we may call his account a "primary source" in the sense that it is the first available source. This is brought out in the "Evidences of History" chart. A DOUKHOBOR BIBLIOGRAPHY. Part 1, books and periodical articles, of Maria Horvath's Dou khobo r B i b1i og raphy has now been published as Reference Publication No, 22, All the material cited is available here in the Library and the bibliography gives call numbers. Part 2 will be a listing of further contents of the Special Collections "Doukhobor File". SAD SPRING Recently, in the course of conversation with an East Indian grad. student a librarian asked, "How can you study in all this sunshine weather?" He replied, "Without a friend, this is no lovely weather for me," KK 14 - We finally got one! LETTER TO THE ED, Dear Ed. A short time ago miniskirted girls were criticised for showing their garters when they bent over, and a suggestion was made that skirts be worn a little longer. The sight of a prettily underweared mini-skirter is really not too bad compared with some of the displays in the staff lunch room when feet are put up onto tables. Apart from the fact that I dislike putting my lunch bag on the coffee tables after dirty feet have been on them, I object to having to view these sights; I do not know how the boys feel, or anyone else for that matter. So how about a bit more finess, gals? 'That's a fairly new degree. It's a doctorate in Consciousness Expansion.'* - 15 BLUEPRINT FOR A BIBLOS COMMITTEE MEMBER The following editorial advertisement was published by an'-lllinois journalist, on assuming the duties of chief of the staff in the mid 1800's. It gives you an idea of the abilities required of all journalists, including your untiring Biblos Staff. Sensational, distressing details of revolting murders and shocking suicides respectfully solicited. Bible class presentations and ministerial donation parties will be "done" with promptness and despatch.' Keno banks andjtheir operations made a speciality. Accurate reports of Sunday School anniversaries guaranteed. The local editor will cheerfully walk 17 miles after Sunday school to see and report a prize fight. Funerals and all other mel ancljo'ly occasions written up in a manner to challenge admiration. Horse races reported in the highest style of the rep'prtorial art. Domestic broils and conjugal felicities sought'" for with untiring avidity. Police court proceedings and sermons reported in a manner well calculated to astonish the prisoner, magistrate, and preacher. From: Sutphen, Dick Mad old ads, McGraw, I967 p. 65 JUST OUT WITH THE BOYS It's strange How In the raucous company Of a few Card playing friends You can Prosti tute Your most quiet thought For a laugh And sometimes Not even regret it afterwards, B.W. Stephenson - 16 - THE WELLCOME LIBRARY ON THE HI STORY OF MED I CINE AND SCIENCE. On Wednesday, 14th February, Dr. Noel Poynter, of the Wellcome Museum and Library on the history of medicine and allied sciences, gave an informal talk to librarians in the Memorial Room of the Woodward Library. His subject, the history and current status of the Wellcome Library, was most interesting and quite illuminating to at least one member of his audience, to whom the Wellcome Trust had been little more than a name. Sir Henry Wellcome, 1853-1946, an American-born pharmacist who lived most of his life in England and became a British subject, created an international pharmaceutical empire, the dividends from which went to a trust fund devoted to libraries and museums in the history of medicine. The Bur roughs-Well come company, the original firm, invented "tabloid" medicine, accurate dosage, and indeed pioneered "scientific" pharmacy. During the early years most drugs were derived from plant alkaloids and in the course of his travels in search of these Sir Henry became an inveterate collector. After the development of his business "empire", agents kept Sir Henry informed of interesting collections of museum items or books, which went to swell his London stock. His first big book purchase was in 1895 when the William Morris collection, containing many incunabula, was sold. Fifteen years later the Wellcome Trust bought up the entire library of Joseph F. Payne, a noted collector of English medical books, much to the chagrin of William Osier and other would-be purchasers. Another important acquisition of 120 incunabula was made in Vienna in 1921, and again when the Lichtenstein library was sold, many incunabula in untouched and perfect condition were added to the (literally) mountains of books in store in London. Over the years systematic additions were made; for instance the reconstruction of the private libraries of physicians and men of science was attempted, providing valuable material for scholastic research. Eooks were thus continually arriving from all parts of the world, from business agents and scholars. For instance, Sir Henry employed an Indian doctor to help build up the Sanskrit and Indian collection; armed with a letter from Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India, and 19 shillings a day to pay for all expenses including wages, this doctor accompanied by 40 bearers and mules scoured India and even penetrated Himalayan monasteries in search of rare materials. However, the books received little attention in the London storehouses; Dr. Poynter remembers vividly the dust on the piles of books to be listed, when he joined the staff in 1930. As there had never - 17 - been any form of catalogue, many duplicates, triplicates and even quadruplicates were found to have been purchased. This was partly the result of buying whole collections. Today, of course, up-to- date card catalogues are to be found in the library, including a chronological index subdivided in recent years by country. The staff are able to cope with all European languages and a Sanskrit scholar was engaged to catalogue the Indian material. Oxford University Press has undertaken to publish the catalogues in book form, and by 1973 everything prior to 1850 should be so listed. The Catalogue of Arabic Manuscripts was published last year, but as this covers only medical and scientific material there is still a great deal of material not listed in published catalogues. Most of thi s wi11 be sold. Subject indexing of the collection is difficult; each title needs at least 12 headings and the further back one goes the less specific the books become. The older material is less scientific, more philosophical or theological, and less certainly the preserve of the Wellcome Library. Sir Henry Wellcome drew no hard and fast lines for his collection; much borderline travel material has been retained because of its relation to early drug research, but a vast library on USA and Canada was sold very cheaply at the beginning of the war, for fear of bomb damage. At the same time, much museum material was also dispersed. The Trustees of the Wellcome Fund, besides maintaining the London Library and Museum, and a large current collection of reference material, support and assist libraries of the history of medicine throughout the world. Dr. Poynter recently offici ated at the opening of a branch library in Melbourne. Assistance was given to rehabilitate the old-established but neglected institution libraries in England, most of which now have published catalogues as a result of Wellcome help. UBC I ibrary was given several thousand dollars in the early days of its medical collection,"for the purchase of books. In addition, the Wellcome Trust is generous in grants for travel and research to scholars working on projects in the history of science and medicine. HC 18 THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTHS Books - Lighthouses erected in the sea of time. E.P. Whipple. J- Ji- *'- J- Except a living man, there is nothing more wonderful than a book. Charles Kingsley THE VALUE OF RESEARCH IN LIBRARIANSHIP Dr. J. Periam Danton, lecturing on Thursday, 22 February, to the Library School began by outlining the history of the scholarly, non- pragmatic approach to librarianship. He pointed out the recent origin of this "new era", in the late 1930's and mentioned significant publications. The number of doctoral graduates in the field is few, perhaps 230-240 in the world, and many of these have little time for research, so that there is much scope for investigation. Dr. Danton itemized the benefits of research to the profession; he mentioned the mutual advantage to all disciplines of scholarly research, not least the contribution from librarianship. He noted that no profession has advanced significantly wholly on the basis of its practice; the questions "why" and "with what result" must be studied. An added benefit is the increased understanding of the methods of investigation into the subject, and the effect of the discipline on the mind and critical awareness of the student. And it cannot be forgotten that research has prestige value; an improved image results in better support for libraries and their aims. Discussion covered the types of degrees available on this continent. ^^T9~^ LIBRARY SALARIES While browsing through ancierO; bound issues of the BCLA Bulletin (October 1949), we came across an article entitled "Salaries in the Libraries of British Columbia." Although four/fifths of the article consisted of statistical tables, there were remarkable conclusions to be drawn from those pages of almost twenty years ago. While today the "decided trend" is towards criticism of any salary, regardless of amount, '49 librarians were refreshingly optimistic about their pay scale: "The decided upward trend of salaries shown in 1948 continues strongly in the current year. The larger libraries are now paying, in most cases, much higher salaries than those recommended by the B,C. Library Association at its 1948 convention,,." We have extracted the 1949 figures pertaining to UBC's library and here reprint them for public perusal: Monthly Salary Chief Librarian $532 Department and Division Heads 216-276 Assistant [librarians (1st Asst.) 186-191 Senior Librarians 176-181 Junior Librarians 165-176 Sub-professionals 121-137 Secretaries 176 Senior Clericals 126-159 Junior Clericals 99-126 One last statistic - the TOTAL STAFF (including janitors and engineers) reached the astounding figure of 48!!! The "remarkable conclusions" at which we hinted earlier, are left to the reader to make for himself. SH BALLOT-COUNTING If you are among the hardier types who managed to wade through last month's monstrous issue of B'BLOS to the back page, you will have noticed our "Choose (not follow) -the-leader" Game. Judging by the meagre results of this advance poll, you either never got as far as the last page, or were too exhausted by then to respond. We received only 26 ballots, and had this been anything more formal than a "game" a good percentage of them would have been disqualified. However, for those good-sports who took the trouble to cast their votes, we offer the results - such as they are: BALLOTS GIVING AGE GRCUP: 20 - 30 years Trudeau 5 Stanfield (??) 1 30 - 40 years Trudeau 4 40 - 50 years Trudeau 3 Tu rne r 1 BALLOTS WITHOUT AGE GROUPS: MISCELLANEOUS CASTINS: Drapeau (l) 1 Trudeau 2 Kierans 1 Martin 1 No-one! The Conservatives are a shoo-in! Me, of course 1 Mr, Len Hutson 1 You 1 Janet Lenko (Sedgewick) 2 Mao Tse-Tung 1 Well, the Library seems to agree with Allan Fotheringham of .the Sun, who claimed on February 12th the 'Pierre Elliott Trudeau [is] still out there walking on the water,,. ' S.H.
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Title | Biblos |
Alternate Title | UBC Library Staff Newsletter |
Publisher | Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library |
Date Issued | 1968-02 |
Subject |
University of British Columbia. Library |
Geographic Location |
Vancouver (B.C.) |
Genre |
Periodicals |
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Text |
FileFormat | application/pdf |
Language | English |
Identifier | Z671 .B5 Z671_B5_1968_04_05 |
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University Publications |
Source | Original Format: University of British Columbia. Archives. |
Date Available | 2015-07-13 |
Provider | Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library |
Rights | Images provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy, or otherwise use these images must be obtained from the Unviersity of British Columbia Library. |
CatalogueRecord | http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=1216361 |
DOI | 10.14288/1.0190820 |
AggregatedSourceRepository | CONTENTdm |
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