Personnel Announcement: Preservation Services and Cataloging and Metadata Services

We are pleased to announce a change in Bill Ghezzi’s role and job assignment in the Library.  Effective immediately, Bill’s new title is Digital Production and Metadata Librarian.  Bill reports half-time to Barb Sagraves and half-time to Cecilia Tittemore.  This change represents a significant increase in Bill’s focus on work to support the Digital Library Program.

Since September 2012 Bill has been participating in a pilot project with a half-time assignment as Digital Production Manager in Preservation Services, and a half-time assignment as Cataloging and Metadata Services Librarian in Cataloging and Metadata Services.  Working together with Bill, we have assessed the impact of the pilot and determined that this division of Bill’s time, combined with his unique skill set, will help the Library move forward in fulfilling the ambitions of the Dartmouth Digital Library.  With this announcement, the pilot period draws to a successful close.

During the pilot Bill took over management of existing Digital Production Unit workflows including the complex Occom Circle Project, the long-term Photo Files Project, and has been responsible from the start for the Donella Meadows Project.  Bill has maintained his membership in the Digital Projects and Infrastructure Group (DPIG) and contributes his expertise as a cataloger and production manager to project planning and infrastructure development.  In the area of digital preservation Bill has been collaborating with Barb and Paul Merchant to develop a protocol for depositing masters and derivatives on the server for long-term storage.  Bill has worked with Ryland Ianelli and Barb Sagraves to ensure uniform application of digitization standards from project start-up.

This new position also includes an increased focus on defining standards and practices for metadata for Dartmouth Digital Library content, including local policies for object identifiers, and for ongoing management of library metadata.

Our thanks go to Bill for recognizing an opportunity for deep collaboration between our departments as the Digital Production Unit began to take shape, and we are extremely grateful to him for proposing this plan and seeing it through to a successful outcome.  Cataloging and Metadata Services will be making adjustments to assignments and priorities over the next few months to help support this important collaboration.  This change, together with the initiation in 2010 of the Text Markup Unit, managed by Mina Rakhra, represents significant support from Cataloging and Metadata Services for the work of the Dartmouth Digital Library. 

Cecilia P. Tittemore, Head, Cataloging and Metadata Services

Barb Sagraves, Head, Preservation Services  

New Hampshire - View from the Cheap Seats

Vox Clamantis in Deserto

I have a strong connection with Dartmouth's motto "a voice crying out in the wilderness", often recalling it over the past 30 or so years while hiking and photographing in and around the Northern New Hampshire wilderness. Having worked here at Dartmouth for more than 20 years, many new students, staff and visitors to the college often ask the question - "What is there to do up here in the woods?" Well, I think I have an answer for these folks. Having built up a rather large collection of outdoor photographs over the years reminds me what an excellent place NH is to live and explore. I'd like to share a few of these photos with those new to the area (or not so new) and provide commentary on them for anyone who may be interested in such things.

Enjoy!!

Champney Brook at Pitcher Falls gorge as seen from
the brook looking into the gorge from the
bottom of the falls.

Champney Falls Trail - The hike up Champney Falls Trail to the summit of Mt. Chocorua is approximately 3.5 miles. It is relatively moderate throughout, with the assistance of a long set of switchbacks, and includes a waterfalls edge climb at Champney Falls near the halfway point of the hike. The narrow and elongated summit area is open and rocky with easy footing and beautiful vistas in all directions. The trail head is located a few miles east of Bear Notch Road on the Kancamagus Highway.

A reverse angle of the same gorge
looking back towadrs the brook.

The early part of the hike is through open woods following the lower section of Champney Brook. The walking is at an easy grade, turning more moderate as you arrive at the point where the brook levels off. About halfway to the top is a side (loop) trail which leads to the base of Champney Falls, follows the main waterfall up and eventually reconnects with the main trail. Here you come to a wonder of nature that I never get tired of seeing in any season, called Pitcher Falls. The gigantic split in the rock and the soaring walls are best appreciated while standing at the bottom of the crevasse, or from the top looking back down towards the brook - if you dare! It is a great place to cool your heels on the way up, on the way down or perhaps just a nice spot to have a cold beer (in the winter months, warm beverages are OK too). The loop trail continues up the side of the waterfall for about a quarter mile with many interesting views of brook worn rock formations.

View from the summit of Middle Sister south
to Mt. Chocorua.

Shortly after the loop trail rejoins the main trail, there begin a series of switchbacks along a rather steep area, making the hike much more gradual. One can continue on up the main trail to the summit, or near the end of the switchbacks (about 2/3 of the way to the top), take a side path to Middle Sister, a lesser peak which has fine views of the summit from an interesting angle. Also providing fine views to the north and west, as well as a broken down foundation that was perhaps part of a tower or summit house once upon a time....?

View from Mt. Chocorua Summit looking south.

This second side trail continues on and rejoins the main trail to the summit as well. The summit area is totally open, although a bit narrow and rocky, which can be intimidating if there are high winds, this due to the steep drop-off from the summit cone and a lack of trees for protection.

View from Mt. Chocorua Summit looking west.

All in all, it is a spectacular hike with a bit of something for everyone that is well worth the effort.

Pitcher Falls in winter, from the top.

Midway up Pitcher Falls during the winter.

Amazing ice formations at Pitcher Falls

I hope this blog post along with the photographs will encourage one to get out there and enjoy the natural wonders we in New Hampshire have fallen in love with.

By Brian Markee

Book Arts Prize Winners for 2013

The Book Arts Prize is a juried award given every year in recognition of excellence in the creation of a hand printed and bound book made in the Book Arts Studio by a Dartmouth College undergraduate.  The cash prizes are made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Library.  The winners are:

First Prize in Hand Bookbinding

Callista Womick, ‘13

You Can’t Take It With You

$150 award

First Prize in Letterpress Printing

Malika Khurana, ‘15

Prayer

$150 award

Honorable Mention in Letterpress Printing

Julie Skinner, Grad

Julie Skinner Manegold 2012-2013 Portfolio

$75 award

The Book Arts Program is fortunate to enjoy the participation of local bookbinders, printers, and amateur book artists.  This year the competition was opened to the community to recognize and reward excellence in their work. 

First Prize in Community Excellence

James Graham

Six From Winter

$150 award

Honorable Mention in Community Excellence

Dana Burrell

Deco Circles

$75 award

All the winning entries are on display in the Treasure Room cases in Baker Library 

beginning Saturday, June 8. 

Congratulations to all the contestants!

Barb Sagraves

Head, Preservation Services

& The Book Arts Program

Learn and Practice the Book Arts Over The Summer

During the academic year, the Dartmouth College Library Book Arts Program offers workshops and open studio opportunities that allow for the advancement of skills and knowledge. Most summers we take a break from the full range of opportunities, and this summer is no exception. Our program will only offer a single class: The Letterpress Intensive, but that doesn't mean the learning fun has to stop! Whether you will be in Hanover, back in your hometown, or in a city somewhere around the globe, chances are there is a way to practice the book arts. Here are a few suggestions to expand your knowledge until we are fully open again in the fall, or if you happen to be away from Hanover. Here are suggestions of workshop locations, as well ideas for self-study. There are many more possibilities for learning than what I have mentioned here so I have included some general links to more listings of book arts study opportunities.

If you are looking for others to teach you:

There may be a book arts center where you are going. Multi-week, weekend, and one-day programs can be found through these places, including:

• Lovely in the Home Press/Erin Sweeney (NH)
• Book Arts Guild of Vermont   (VT)
• Otter Pond Bindery/Susan Bonthron (VT)
• Center for Book Arts (NY)
• Wide Awake Garage/Daniel Kelm (MA)
• North Bennet Street School (MA)
• Wells College Book Arts Summer Institute (NY)
• Morgan Conservatory (OH)
• Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper (IL)
• Minnesota Center for the Book (MN)
• San Francisco Center for the Book (CA)
• London Centre for Book Arts (UK)

If you are willing to teach yourself:

I am a big advocate for self-study. There is so much out there, whether on the Internet or on library shelves, available for free if you take the time to watch or read. Nothing beats hands-on demonstration and practice with a knowledgeable and gifted teacher, but sometimes it is not very practical. So get your Google skills fired up and search the web for those resources. A good place to start is checking out the great information on Peter Verheyen's Book Arts Web. For letterpress printing, try the Boxcar Press's website and their blog,

Ladies of Letterpress, and Briar Press. Some book artists blog about the practical skills that are part of their art practice, including Sarah Bryant of Big Jump Press, Carmencho Arregui, and Jana Pullman.

If you want to learn a particular binding or technique, use both the traditional web search and use an image search. Sometimes we don't have the words to describe what we know visually, so an image search can be useful, as the image can link back to more information. You can also search specifically for tutorials, or just Google your question.

For a link into the community of bookbinding and book arts, check out the Guild of Book Workers and the College Book Arts Association. These organizations offer information and networking opportunities.

Stop in at your local library, whether a small public or large institution, and see what might be on the shelves. Remember that many libraries have inter-library loans and can help you get a title to borrow. Also, your local bookstore may have a volume you want to purchase. The Dartmouth College Library has many books on printing, binding and other book arts that can be checked out, including the Ray Nash Collection, housed in the Current Periodicals Room.

Don't forget you can sign up for our list serv and we will be alert you to any book arts opportunities that arise here at Dartmouth. Check out our webpage and see what's up!

This fall we'll have the addition of our new Book Arts Special Instructor Sarah Smith. She will be in the shop and bindery, with a new line-up of opportunities to learn and practice the book arts. We look forward to seeing you then.

By Stephanie Wolff