November, 1999

The William Morris Hunt Memorial Library is the main Museum library, and has been an integral part of the Museum since its founding. In 1870 the Trustees of the Museum were incorporated by the Massachusetts legislature. The founding of a special library was one of their major goals for the new institution. Five years later, the sum of $1,000 given for the purchase of books made this goal a reality. In 1909 the Library was named the William Morris Hunt Memorial Library to honor this popular Boston artist and generous supporter of the Museum.

The Library collection of over 280,000 items reflects the strengths of the Museum's collections: Contemporary Art; Paintings; Drawings; Prints; Photographs; Decorative Arts; Textiles; Art of Asia, Oceania, Africa, Ancient America, and Ancient Egypt; and Classical Art.

The Library supports research on the Museum's permanent collections, special collections, and general art history.

The Library is located in the Museum at 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 02115-5523. It is open to the public for on-site use from 1:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. Museum admission is not required for access.

The Library's holdings are reflected in the Fenway Libraries Online (FLO) database, which can be reached via the WWW. Their telephone number is 617-369-3385; Fax: 617-247-9063. Nancy Allen is the Director of Information (nancyallen@mfa.org); Amy Lucker is the Associate Librarian (alucker@mfa.org); and Joanne Donovan (jdonovan@mfa.org) is the ILL contact. The Web site address is www.mfa.org.

NOTE: Last month we featured the Harriet M. Spaulding Library, of the New England Conservatory of Music. However, the contact information provided was out-of-date. Director Jean Morrow's e-mail address is jmorrow@newenglandconservatory.edu; the ILL contact is Maria Jane Loizou, mjloizou@newenglandconservatory.edu; the general telephone number (including ILL) is 617-585-1250; and the Library Director's phone number is 617-585-1247 (Fax: 617-585-1245). The Web site address is: http://www.newenglandconservatory.edu/libraries.

The Boston Region and the Boston Public Library Training Committee will be sponsoring an American Library Association/Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA) institute on Customer Service Excellence. The all-day workshop will be held at the Boston Public Library from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on December 7 and will be repeated on December 8.

The workshop, which has been presented throughout the country, should be of vital interest to member library staff because of its relevance to our success in serving our customers, whether those customers are the public or other staff members.

The presenter will be the nationally known speaker and consultant Dr. Darlene Weingand. Dr. Weingand is Professor Emerita, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Adjunct Professor, University of Hawaii at Manoa. She was previously Community Librarian and branch head for Minneapolis Public Library and Information Center and also has experience working in academic libraries, K-12 schools, and the private sector. She is the author of Customer Service Excellence: A Concise Guide for Libraries.

Some of the points covered will include: How to Define Excellence; the Service-Excellence Chain (relating customer service and employee satisfaction, and customer support and employee morale); Focusing on the Library Customer; and the Philosophy of Customer Service (responding to a changing world and service: libraries' traditional strength).

The Registration Flyer was distributed to all Boston Region member libraries during the week of November 15th.

The following individuals were elected to the Regional Advisory Council, for the 2000 - 2001 term, at the Annual Meeting held at the New England Aquarium on November 10, 1999:

Academic Library Representative	Brenda Collins, Director of Library Services, New England College of Optometry
At-Large Representative	Amy Wang, Manager, John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company: Business Research Services
Public Library Representative	Dolores Schueler, Curator, Boston Public Library: Kirstein Business Branch
School Library Representative	Suzanne Orlando, Director, Willauer School Library, Thompson Island
Special Library Representative	Anne Fladger, Librarian, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center: The Learning Center

Open Books, Open Frontiers is the theme of the Massachusetts Regional Library Systems' Y2K Statewide Reading Program. Watch for Open Frontiers: the Newsletter of the Massachusetts Regional Library Systems' Statewide Reading Program.

The first issue will feature a Y2K Program Materials Order Form that must be returned to the Regional Services Office by January 14, 2000.

Every member library will be receiving the first copy of the newsletter. There will be a box to check, if you would like to continue receiving it.

We still have some copies of the Massachusetts Directory of Programs and Performers for Children and Adults, 1999. The Directory is a 228-page resource which will be valuable to community groups with programming needs, such as schools, recreation departments, and other adult and youth services agencies.

The Directory includes performers in categories as diverse as authors and illustrators to clowns and jugglers. Programs for every age group, from preschool to adult, are listed. Entries include name, address, and other contact information for the performer, a description of the program, age level, length of program, special requirements, and fee.

Classroom Connect for October, 1999, has a good article in their "Guest Expert" section. Joyce Valenza, who writes a weekly column for the Philadelphia Enquirer and is also a librarian in Springfield Township High School in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania, has contributed "Invasion of the Research Slackers. Warning: Beware of G(r)eeks Bearing Gifts." The Web is great but it doesn't have access to the last 75 years of copyrighted literature, fiction and non-fiction. Students think that, if they found it on the Web, it must be fact. The result: a statement by a sixth-grader, who was researching Michelangelo, that the Sistine Chapel ceiling was commissioned by Julius Caesar. He got this information from a Web site put up by an eighth grader.

The Wheelock Family Theatre opens its nineteenth season with Thornton Wilder's classic Our Town. A multiracial cast is featured in this stirring story about everyday life in a small New Hampshire town.

Our Town asks each of us to "look at one another" and to enjoy every seemingly unimportant moment in life. Wheelock's production is true to the original, but takes a giant step with its colorful casting in presenting an Our Town that reflects the diversity of our times.

Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m.; they began on November 5th and run through the 28th. Tickets may be reserved by calling 617-734-4760, or they may be purchased at the door. Prices range from $10 to $17.

The Wheelock Family Theatre is a family-friendly, professional theatre committed to making theatre accessible to people of all backgrounds.

The following titles are available to the members of the Boston Region on a first-come-first-served basis, and may be requested through Ed Montana: tel: 617-536-4010; fax: 617-264-0364; or e-mail: emontana@bpl.org.

Director of Library Services, The New England College of Optometry.
Graduate library serving faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Library users include students in the 4-year O. D. program, residents, advanced degree candidates, and international students. Qualifications: ALA-accredited Masters in Library Science required, with significant experience in information skills education, management of electronic resources, planning, and administration. The successful candidate will demonstrate considerable knowledge of the health care information environment and be able to plan and implement creative approaches to the delivery of information, education, and services to students and faculty onsite, at external clinics, and at international locations. Salary: commensurate with experience. How to Apply: send letter of interest, resume, at least three professional references by December 15, 1999 to: Patricia Dahill, Director of Human Resources, New England College of Optometry, 424 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02115; fax or e-mail applications accepted at 617-424-9202 or at dahillp@ne-optometry.edu

Projects Supervisor, Acquisitions Department. Binding/Government Documents. Northeastern University.
To plan and execute managerial and operational programs and projects, including but not restricted to the Library's binding/preservation program, the U. S. Government Depository receipt program, and the maintenance of departmental databases; set priorities and direct areas of responsibilities to meet changing needs; hire, train, schedule, supervise, and evaluate part-time assistants; and other related duties. Qualifications: minimum of two years of college with Bachelor's Degree desirable; three years of library experience to include two years' experience in an automated technical services environment; experience with library binding standards and procedures desirable; aptitude for accurate, detailed, quantitative work is essential; supervisory and project management experience desirable; excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, planning, and analytical skills; self-motivated and able to set priorities and meet deadlines; ability to work effectively with a diverse staff and clientele; ability to perform moderate physical activities associated with lifting boxes of books and moving loaded book trucks. How to Apply: send/ fax resume to: Human Resources Management, Northeastern University, 250 CP, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115; fax: 617-373-5090; tel: 617-373-2230. (Please reference: Grade 5.1 Library Assistant V - Projects Supervisor, University Libraries, #004N (F53-026).

Serials Order Assistant, Acquisitions Department, Serials. Northeastern University.
To initiate and maintain the subscriptions, standing orders, memberships, and order plans for serials in Library collections; identify and resolve problems relating to serials orders; verify invoice accuracy for payment; oversee and monitor the accuracy and integrity of the serials database of the Libraries' integrated acquisitions system; assist in planning, testing, and implementing programs for the electronic transmission of data; and other related duties. Qualifications: some college required (2 years desirable); minimum of two years of related experience, including supervisory duties, preferably in a library or subscription agency; excellent organizational, analytical, communication, supervisory, and interpersonal skills; aptitude for accurate, detailed, quantitative work essential; ability to work independently, with frequent interruptions; flexibility to operate within a changing work environment; knowledge of bibliographic components, serials publishing, foreign languages, accounting principles, and relevant technology desirable; ability to work effectively with a diverse staff and clientele. How to Apply: send/fax resume to: Human Resources Management, Northeastern University, 250 CP, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115; fax: 617-373-5090; tel: 617-373-2230. (Please reference: Grade 5.0 Library Assistant IV - Serials Order Assistant, University Libraries, #016N (F53-002).

Head of Technical Services, Brockton Public Library.
To supervise department personnel and coordinate full range of technical services in a member of the Old Colony Network. Qualifications: MLS required. Familiarity with reference methods and cataloging in an automated library desirable; one year of successful experience as a library supervisor and a reading knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese, and/or French highly desirable. Afternoon and Saturday hours in the Reference Department. Starting Salary: $29,837 with annual $1,400 bonus for MLS. How to Apply: send resume and letter of application by January 7, 2000 to: Diane Pacheco, Director, Brockton Public Library, 304 Main St., Brockton, MA 02301. City of Brockton requires residency within one year of appointment.

Reference Librarian - Part-Time, Ludcke Library, Lesley College.
12 - 15 hours per week. To answer reference questions, instruct patrons in the use of online databases, and compile pathfinders and bibliographies. Hours are flexible but must include a regular Saturday shift. Salary Range: $13.00 - $15.00 per hour, depending on experience. Position available immediately. How to Apply: send application to: Kathy Holmes, Assistant Library Director, Ludcke Library, 30 Mellen St., Cambridge, MA 02138-2790; 617-349-8870; kholmes@mail.lesley.edu.

Instruction Coordinator and Subject Specialist (Librarian I or II), MIT, Dewey Library for Management and Social Sciences.
Responsible for the coordination of the instructional activities for Dewey Library and for collection services for the MIT economics community. Qualifications: MLS/MLIS from an ALA-accredited library school; experience providing library instruction; demonstrated knowledge of current and emerging library technologies and their applications; familiarity with HTML and Web page design; outstanding oral and written communications skills; well-developed interpersonal skills; flexibility and initiative, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively; all required. Desirable: a degree or background in economics; experience providing reference service in a research library; experience with collections management, preferably in economics or a business-related field; a demonstrated interest in professional involvement. (Three years' professional experience is required for appointment at the Librarian II level, as is a record of professional involvement.) Salary: $32,000 minimum (Librarian I); $35,000 minimum (Librarian II). Actual salary will depend on experience. How to Apply: applications must include a cover letter, resume, and names and addresses of three current references and should be mailed to: Search Committee for Instruction Coordinator (LOC), The Libraries, Room 14S-216, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139-4307; applications may also be faxed to 617-253-8894. Review of applications will begin on December 20, 1999.

Special Collections Cataloging Assistant, John J. Burns Library of Rare Books and Special Collections, Boston College, Chestnut Hill.
To assist senior cataloging librarian in the preparation of catalog records for external and internal use in machine readable format; other related duties. Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree strongly desirable; copy cataloging experience using an online system; 2 - 3 years' experience with complex cataloging, including familiarity with the USMARC format; computer (PC) experience; experience with national online databases (OCLC or RLIN); excellent interpersonal and communications skills; foreign language capability desirable. This is a full-time, 35-hour per week position. How to Apply: contact the Department of Human Resources, More Hall, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.

Children's Librarian, Part-Time Position. Winchester Public Library.
15 hours a week, including evening and Saturday rotation.; three-day schedule. Duties: reference work, planning, programming, outreach, coverage, storytimes, and selection under the supervision of the Head of Children's Services. Qualifications: MLS; experience in Children's Services; familiarity with automated library systems; ability to work cooperatively as a team; ability to communicate effectively with diverse age groups; excellent public service skills. Salary: $17.80 an hour; vacation and holiday benefits are prorated. Deadline for Applications: December 6, 1999. How to Apply: send letter of application and resume to: Barbara Yuan, Assistant Director, Winchester Public Library, 80 Washington St., Winchester, MA 01890; tel: 781-721-7171, ext. 18.

Boston Region BRiefly is produced by the Boston Public Library's Regional Services Office to inform Boston Region member libraries of timely, general interest news. Contributions and suggestions are welcome. Direct inquires to Ed Montana, Editor, Regional Services Office, Boston Public Library, Boston MA, 02116. Tel: 617-536-4010; fax: 617-267-0364; email: emontana@bpl.org.

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