Syracuse University Libraries doubled the size of its Libraries Advisory Board to increase efforts to raise more money as new renovations in Bird Library begin.

SU wanted to enhance its resources and services while also improving the environment of its academic research libraries, said K. Matthew Dames, interim dean of Libraries and university librarian, in an email. Such projects are very expensive, so the board, which now consists of 12 members, will work to raise funds in order to provide services, resources and study spaces, he said.

The other focus of the advisory board is to benefit the students, said Laurence Bousquet, an alumnus from the Law School and one of the new members of the advisory board.

“The whole enterprise is student-centric. (We focus on) their experiences and their access to research and material and make a more valuable student research experience,” he said.

Pamela McLaughlin, director of communications and external relations at SU Libraries, said in an email that the application process to appoint the six new members was not formal. She added that some of the new board members were approached by the SU Board of Trustees and encouraged to join the advisory board because it might be of interest to them.

The new members on the Library Advisory Board are:

— Jennie Berkson, librarian at the Evanston Public Library in Evanston, Illinois and the wife of SU Trustee David Edelstein ’78.

— Laurence Bousquet ’80, attorney and managing member of the Bousquet Holstein PLLC law firm in Syracuse.

— Ann Thornton, the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries.

— Christine Turner and her husband Mark Turner, president, senior portfolio manager and founder of Turner Investments, an employee-owned, institutional equity manager based in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.

— Kathleen Walters ’73, a senior executive in the consumer products and paper industry.

Bousquet, said that while not all of the new members are librarians, each brings in different talents and outside connections. With the board members having varied careers and accomplishments, they bring fresh ideas and new perspectives, he said.

While a few of the members are SU alumni, Bousquet said having a diverse board is important for advocacy.

“All of the members are very involved and committed to the university and it is important to bring in other talents from outside sources,” he said.

The board’s expansion comes as renovations to libraries continue to develop around campus.

Some of the new improvements being brought to the SU Libraries include updates in the lower level of Bird Library by moving Acquisitions and Cataloging to that floor. There is also an addition of two classrooms to the lower level.

Other improvements include the newly constructed 20,000 square foot high-density storage facility called the Syracuse University Libraries Facility or “The Facility.” The new building will hold approximately 1.2 million volumes and will be located at 1556 Jamesville Ave. Last spring, Carnegie Library opened its doors for the first time after a three year renovation.

Bousquet said the expansion of access to materials and resources through databases are also improving SU Libraries.

“I think it is an exciting time to be involved in a library with the changing role of big data,” he said.

Published on September 22, 2014 at 12:01 am

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