Libraries Honor the Fall Semester Library Student Assistant Award Recipients

The University Libraries held our biannual Library Student Assistant Award reception on November 4, 2022. Three students were selected for the Fall semester awards and received a $500 award for their excellent job performance in the University Libraries. Library Student Assistant Awards are funded by contributions to the Campus Scholarship Innovation Campaign from the University Libraries’ staff and other donors, and interest earned from the Friends of the Libraries endowment fund. To date, 427 awards have been distributed to 248 students totaling over $199,650.

University Libraries staff and the Friends of the Libraries Board would like to congratulate this semester’s winners:

Image of Mikai Dixon
Mikai Dixon

Mikai Dixon, a sophomore majoring in African American Studies, began working for the Resource and Delivery Services Department in the February of 2022. Mikai “Kai” is a fast learner, a hard worker and dependable. In the time that Kai has been working in the Libraries, Kai has quickly learned the library policies, procedures and how to process OhioLINK incoming items as well as returns. Kai volunteers to cover shifts and steps up when extra work is needed with a project. Kai’s positive and friendly attitude is always appreciated by co-workers and patrons who visit the libraries.

Image of Delia Hill
DeLia Hill

DeLia Hill is a senior majoring in Nursing who has worked for the Special Collections and Archives since December 2019.  In her many years of working for Special Collections and Archives, DeLia has become an invaluable student employee and a skilled scanning technician that always provides quality work. DeLia is kind to everyone, consistently prompt, always willing to lend a helping hand, and is responsible in her work. She has become a mainstay in the SC&A and will be missed when she graduates in the Spring.

Image of Julie Murphy
Julie Murphy

Julie Murphy is a junior majoring in Musical Theatre who has worked for the Resource and Delivery Services Department since August 2021.  In the time that Julie has been here she has quickly become one of RDS’ senior student employees. Her leadership and professionalism are evident in her willingness to help newer student employees learn all the innerworkings of the department such as co-shelving together book trucks and helping them sort recently returned books in the stacks. As one of RDS’ senior student employees, she is also in charge of processing OhioLINK, unpacking bags of incoming books and processing them with efficiency and ease. Julie has grown more comfortable assisting staff members at the desk and is quick to answer directional and general questions as if she’s has worked in the libraries forever. She is very dependable, flexible, and a valued part of the RDS department.

Meet Alexis Whitney, Digital Initiatives and Metadata Librarian

Image of Alexis Whitney
Alexis Whitney, Digital Initiatives & Metadata Librarian

The University Libraries are pleased to introduce the newest member of our staff, Alexis Whitney. As digital initiatives and metadata librarian, Alexis will be responsible for metadata creation and associated authority and quality control as well as enhancing the discovery, access, and delivery of content through our institutional repository, CORE Scholar.

Alexis holds a Masters in Library and Information Science with a focus in Digital Humanities, Special Collections and Archives, from Kent State University and a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati.

Invisible Child: Author Andrea Elliott campus lecture November 14

Cover art for book Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City.

On November 14, award-winning author Andrea Elliott will be at Wright State University for a public lecture and discussion about her book, Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City. Elliot is a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist who focuses on the lives of people on the margins of power. Invisible Child follows a child born in a homeless shelter in New York City as she and her family navigate the education, child welfare, substance abuse/mental health, and criminal justice systems over eight years.

 Invisible Child was named the 2022 Runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Non-fiction. Ellis was also awarded the 2022 General Nonfiction Pulitzer Prize, the 2022 J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, the 2022 Helen Bernstein Book Award, and the 2022 Gotham Book Prize for Invisible Child. Copies of the book are available for check-out at Dunbar Library, through OhioLINK, and SearchOhio.

The lecture is sponsored by the College of Health, Education, and Human Services in partnership with the Division of Inclusive Excellence and the University Libraries. The lecture will give the students, faculty, staff, and community an opportunity to learn more about the complexity and multidisciplinary implications of the social problems rooted in poverty. Educators, students, and social and human services providers will be encouraged to rethink their roles in addressing these issues, and to take steps to engage in the community for good.

The event will be Monday, November 14 from 9:15 – 10:15 am on the 4th floor of the Dunbar Library. It is free and open to the public. Visitors to campus are encouraged to get a visitor parking pass from the booth near the Student Union, and park in Lot 12, near the CAC and Dunbar Library.

All are encouraged to bring new socks for the CHEH Student Advisory Board Sock drive, in partnership with Shoes4theShoeless.

Celebrate National Friends of the Libraries Week

Since 2005, the American Library Association has promoted National Friends of the Libraries Week during the third week of October as a time to recognize the dedication of Friends groups across the nation.

The Wright State University Friends of the Libraries were established in 1978 and is a group of Wright State faculty, staff, retirees, alumni, and community members who are committed to supporting the unique needs of the Wright State University Libraries and its patrons.

A few of the ways they support the mission of the WSU Libraries to provide quality research services, materials, and library spaces for students, faculty, staff, and the Miami Valley community are:

  • The Friends support the library staff grants for research projects, new equipment and technology, staff development, and other special projects.
  • In collaboration with the Wright State University Retirees’ Association and the Wright State University Alumni Association they host a book club discussion on select evenings at 5:30 p.m. via WebEx.
  • In April they host an annual meeting and luncheon. For April 2022 they hosted a virtual “lunch-in”, Paul Laurence Dunbar, a Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of His Birth, featuring Herbert Woodward Martin, Professor Emeritus, University of Dayton.
  • Twice per year they award $500 scholarships to library student assistants in recognition of their outstanding job performance and contributions to the work of the Libraries.
  • Annually in April, the Friends of the Libraries honor the “Top Scholars” selected by the Dean’s Office in each college and the Lake Campus.
  • And more…

If you are not already a member, please consider joining or renewing your membership today. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate National Friends of the Libraries Week than welcoming you to our membership!