In 1989, local Portland television station KGW donated 512 U-matic videotapes to the Oregon Historical Society (OHS). Shot between 1983 and 1985, the collection consists of more than 300 hours of footage related to the Rajneesh movement in Oregon—when followers of the spiritual teacher Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh set up an intentional community three hours southeast from Portland. The...
Hospital librarians address a wide array of information needs. They help nurses figure out how to take care of patients, help physicians with difficult cases, help families get reliable health information, and sometimes the information they provide even helps save a life. They also play an important role in training the next generation of doctors. At one hospital in Oregon...
Oregon’s genealogical societies come in all shapes and sizes, and their collections and services are just as varied. Some societies operate and maintain a standalone library; others’ holdings are part of a private or public library system, or housed in alternative public or private buildings. One thing all have in common, though, is that their unique materials are made available...
When the first few folks who gathered together in Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley to share their interest in genealogy and family research wrapped up their meetings back in the late 1960s, their “president,” Ora Strom, tucked their shared reference books under her bed for storage. Little did that small group know that they would come to embody the proverb, “From humble beginnings...
Over the summer of 2017, I had the unique pleasure of documenting the workflow of a retiring serials technician who had been at Oregon State University’s (OSU) Valley Library in Corvallis for nearly 37 years. During her tenure, she took part in no fewer than seven online database system transitions and created a one-of-a-kind serials check-in workflow for each new system with her...
During my 2009 interview for a librarian position at the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the panel members laughingly admitted that the BPA Library needed “a facelift.” I could see what they meant—the space, crowded with stacks, did not contain a seating area and lacked a “modern technology” feel. Instead, the team had focused its energy on something very important...
Libraries with specialized collections often face unique challenges to providing access to their materials. Cataloging tools, including subject headings and classification systems, are often better suited for less focused collections. Call number classification systems in particular are problematic for libraries with greater depth in certain subject areas. Users expect to be able...
Founded on the summit of Mount Hood in 1894, the Mazamas is a non-profit mountaineering organization with a legacy of promoting the Northwest culture of exploration and stewardship of its mountain environments. Headquartered in Portland, the Mazamas leads over 700 hikes and 350 climbs annually. It offers a variety of classes and activities for every skill and fitness level, all...
When I entered graduate school at the University of Washington (UW) in 2000, I knew I wanted to be a public librarian. However, with an undergraduate minor in art and a pervasive interest in museums, I remained secretly fascinated by special libraries. I mean, how cool would it be to work at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library & Archives (http://library.rockhall.com/home) or...
The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library (CBCPL) has been hosting action-packed after-hours events for all ages since July 2017. Referred to as Takeovers, these events involve crafts, video games, Nerf games, and more—all while the library is closed. Each Takeover event is tailored to a specific age group (either tweens, teens, or adults) and people from outside that age group...