Smithsonian Libraries

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Smithsonian Research Online

During the week of January 16-19th, I visited the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) to discuss several matters relating to the Smithsonian Research Online (SRO) program and to offer technical support and training to STRI library staff. I was accompanied from Washington by Digital Services Head, Martin Kalfatovic, who was to attend a three-day Encyclopedia-of-Life meeting at Barro-Colorado Island during the same week.

Together we met with Oris Sanjur (STRI Associate Director for Science Administration), Vielka Chang-Yau (STRI head librarian), Angel Aguirre (librarian), Klaus Winter (STRI scientist) and Eldredge Bermingham (STRI Director). Everyone was in agreement that STRI-authored publication data ought to be collected in one place and that the SIL is doing a good job of coordinating this program across all Institution units. The Director and Associate Director will discuss the specific needs of their unit and report back to SIL, who will propose a workflow to accomplish this.

Meanwhile, I held a brief introduction to the bibliographic tools, EndNote and Zotero for STRI library staff and volunteers. While we had a training room available to us, unfortunately there was not a copy of these programs available to all participants. But they were still able to see the possibilities of using these tools in day-to-day library services.

Alvin and Vielka review the SRO website and list of Smithsonian-authored publications using the newly-installed LCD screen in the STRI library. Photo courtesy of martin_kalfatovic via Flickr.

Finally, I met with Fernando Bouché (Head, Office of Information Technology) and STRI programmer, Carlos Caballero, to discuss the management of publication data, its re-use on the STRI web page and inclusion in the SI Collections search system (EDAN).

STRI scientists publish over 300 scholarly papers every year. Approximately 70% of them are captured automatically by the SRO via websites and associated tools. This circumvents the need for manual data entry. The inclusion of the complete corpus of work being done there is an essential part of representing the research being conducted at the Institution and the cooperation between the SI Libraries and STRI will bring the project to fruition.

 

 

 

Welcome Dave Opkins!

Hailing from Babylon, New York, Dave Opkins is the Smithsonian Libraries’ new Administrative Project Specialist. Dave joins the Libraries from the Freer and Sackler Galleries’ Office of Design, Publications and Web, where he previously worked as an office administrator. He earned a bachelor’s of business administration from George Washington University in 2000.

 

 

In his new post, Dave will oversee projects in finance, accounting and contract management for the Libraries. His goal is to provide good service for staff who rely on the Administrative Office, with a focus on dependability, accurate information and easy interactions.

Dave found his love for museums as a young child, when he and his father made an annual trip to New York City to visit the American Museum of Natural History. He plans to have a long career growing within the Smithsonian; he describes working for the Institution as a personal interest to being part of something great. Dave enjoys being with his wife and daughter, spending time outdoors and renovating his house on Capitol Hill.

 

Meet Tina Muracco!

Tina Muracco is the new Director of Development for the Libraries. She earned a B.A. in Media Studies from Penn State University and a J.D. from Widener University School of Law. In her new role at the Smithsonian, Tina hopes to educate donors and friends about the Libraries’ treasures and changing needs, collaborate with other Smithsonian units to expand the Libraries’ audience, and raise the necessary funds so that the Libraries can continue its role as a vital resource for people around the world. She is excited to once again fundraise for libraries, and has enjoyed meeting staff at several of our 20 locations.

Previously, she was a Director of Development at Catholic University of America (CUA), where she focused her efforts on building leadership networks and identifying major gifts for the School of Arts and Sciences. Prior to working for CUA, Tina was the Associate Director of Development for Penn State's University Libraries. At Penn State, Tina successfully secured both cash and planned gifts towards the University Libraries $40 million campaign goal. 

Tina is a cat-lover, and she and her husband Dominick are doting parents to three cats at their home in Alexandria, Va. Since moving to the DC area, Tina has enjoyed exploring the historic homes of Old Town Alexandria and touring the Smithsonian museums. Her next mission is to visit some of Virginia’s wineries. Tina’s hobbies also include collecting vintage cookbooks and traveling.

—Liz O'Brien

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• CUA SLIS 2011 Students Tour (smithsonianlibraries.si.edu)

Meet Alex Edezhath!

The Libraries welcomes new library technician Alex Edezhath! Alex’s position is in the original cataloging division. His primary duties included checking in and adding serials, managing the catalog records of serials, and assisting with Smithsonian Research Online.

Alex was born the youngest of nine children in Kochi, India, and lived there until he graduated from high school. Fluent in both English and his native Malayalam, Alex studied business at Montgomery College before embarking on a 10-year stint in Seattle, Washington, working in interlibrary loan for the University of Washington.

Alex is an avid music fan, with interests in all genres except country and rap (he even likes early medieval music!)  He enjoys cooking Indian and Italian cuisines. Alex’s go-to spots in the DC metro area are restaurants in Dupont Circle and Georgetown, the Shenandoah National Forest, hiking trails in Maryland and Virginia, and the Eastern Shore. His favorite places to travel are to Northern Italy, Northwest U.S. (and western Canada), and the Santa Catalina Islands.

—Liz O'Brien