Clark Library 2024 Newsletter | University of Portland
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Clark Library 2024 Newsletter

It’s a Wrap! 2023-2024 Year in Review

This year, the Library advanced student and faculty research and coursework, through late-night study sessions in our new lounge, our vast offerings of online scholarly resources, and library instruction on diverse topics such as identifying misinformation and the ethical use of AI-generated content. Please enjoy these brief highlights of our 2023-2024 academic year!

This is my last annual newsletter as I move on to new opportunities, but I leave UP feeling deep appreciation and gratitude for the community’s support of the Library. The Clark Library stands in the center of the academic enterprise at UP and will continue to innovate in service of UP students and faculty for years to come.

Xan Arch
Dean, Clark Library

Student standing at service desk with Welcome to the Digital Lab on the monitor behind the desk

Digital Lab moves to new Shiley-Marcos Center for Design & Innovation

The Library’s Digital Lab moved to the new Shiley-Marcos Center for Design & Innovation. It continues to offer support to students, faculty, and staff working in multimedia with new and improved spaces, technology and updated equipment. Visit the Digital Lab website to learn more.

The former lab space in the Library has been converted to a comfortable Quiet Study Lounge. This expands options for students seeking another quiet space to do their work and has shown itself to be a popular study spot.

Library staff with DLSNC student worker in front of books

Selfie with a Supervisor!

The Library was first in line to join UP’s revived partnership with De La Salle North Catholic (DLSNC) high school, employing sophomore Jayson Gibson as a student worker. Jayson’s perspective has greatly enriched our work and we are proud to advance UP’s engagement with the local Portland community, through our support of this work-study program. Image: Jayson and his supervisor, Library Administrative Assistant Sarah Nuxoll

Read more in the DLSNC newsletter (scroll down)

graphic of computer

Inclusive Description in the Clark Library Catalog

Did you know that even the way books are described can show historical bias? Our library catalog contains many examples, either through problematic descriptions of a book’s subject or the deliberate omission of historically marginalized topics like LGBTQIA+ themes. Bonnie Parks, Collection Technology Librarian, completed a sabbatical project focused on researching and updating these terms to provide more equitable access and make our catalog more inclusive for faculty and student study and scholarship. This project has updated over 500 catalog records over the last year, and more are coming, to develop a catalog that is truly reflective of our institution and values.
black and white image of diverse people eating around a table

Historical Highlights of Service and Justice

This year’s exploration of the history of the Blanchet House, founded by UP alumni in 1952, was part of a PortLog series highlighting service and justice at the University of Portland. The Library’s Archives & Artifacts team focused their storytelling this year on the University's community connections, from the Moreau Center for Service and Justice to the PACE program. Through these historical documents and artifacts, today’s students can learn the history of UP and celebrate the University’s dedication to student involvement in service institutions.
Black student union group photo 1978

A New View on our Digital Collections

The Library’s digital collections and institutional repository Pilot Scholars migrated this year to a new online platform that features a modern interface, easier browsing, and full-text searching. We are committed to providing access to UP’s historical records and scholarly works for teaching, learning, and research, and the new platform will make history and scholarship accessible and engaging for viewers around the world. Browse this Liberated Archives exhibit to see the capability of the new platform and the Library’s commitment to bringing UP history and community together. Image credit: Black Student Union, 1978 LOG.
graphic with upward arrow and text The library is the only place where students can borrow laptops, hotspots, chargers, and headphones

Tech for All!

Student borrowing of tech equipment continues to rise across all items, with laptop demand up 30% over the previous year. We added mobile hotspots this year so students can do coursework from anywhere. As a central source on campus for access to equipment, we remain attuned to evolving student needs for loanable technology.
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