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FSU Campus Community Edition - April 2022

HENRY WHITTEMORE LIBRARY

Big picture
Millie Gonzalez

Thank you for your interest in the Library. This month’s newsletter covers a wide range of activities and services (including book and music recommendations), and highlights our new, amazing staff members.


Our Library recently celebrated National Library Week. It is important to recognize important issues facing libraries across the country. The American Library Association’s 2022 State of Libraries Report includes over 700 book challenges to school, public and universities. Most challenged books are about sexual health, and profiles or issues related to Black, people of color, and LGTBQIA+. PEN America’s report, Banned in the USA, has an index of all of the banned books in school libraries from July 2021 to March 2022. Fortunately, we have all of the top ten challenged books available in the Library or through our Overdrive subscription.


You can search for them in our catalog:

· Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

· Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison

· All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

· Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

· The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

· The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

· Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

· The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

· This Book is Gay by James Dawson


Please enjoy our newsletter!

- Millie

Millie Gonzalez
Millie Gonzalez

Breaking News!

Millie Gonzalez has been chosen as the new Library Dean! Please join us in congratulating the Library's new leader.


On August 8, 2020, following the retirement of long-time, beloved Library Dean, Bonnie Mitchell, Librarian Millie Gonzalez stepped into a new chapter of the Library as Interim Library Dean. She has been with FSU since 2007. Except for a brief step away in 2017 as FSU's Interim Chief Officer of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement, Millie has worked in the Library. Most recently, she served as the Emerging Technologies and Digital Services Librarian. We're grateful to Millie for serving as the Interim Library Dean so that the Library could move seamlessly through some challenging times while still maintaining and providing the excellent customer service and necessary resources that the FSU community relies on.


And now, we are very excited that Millie has been named as the permanent Library Dean. We look forward to her future accomplishments and know that the Library and our patrons are in good hands. Best wishes and much success, Millie!

Millie Gonzalez

*** Latest News ***

New Faces in the Library

Meet Barbara Ambos, Kate Davis and Kathleen Barnard.


Barbara is our part-time Grant Administrative Coordinator. She is assisting and supporting FSU and 5 institutions involved with implementing FSU's Open Education Resources textbook grant program. (The other 5 colleges are: Fitchburg State University, Holyoke Community College, Northern Essex Community College, Salem State University and Springfield Technical Community College.)


Kate works part-time in the Library in the evenings and weekends at the front desk as a Circulation Desk Supervisor for the Access Services Department. She's responsible for supporting FSU students and faculty with accessing relevant resources and technologies in the Library.


Kathleen is serving in a new full-time Library position within our Research & Learning Department, Student Engagement Coordinator. She's supporting programs and initiatives to improve student engagement. Kathleen has been very busy with a number of projects, including leading the 1619 Project discussions and working with Millie to coordinate National Library Week events. Want to know more? Read this recent interview in the Gatepost.

And Some Familiar Faces In New Roles

Please join us in congratulating Yoshio Shartin and Rebecca Dowgiert in their new roles.


Yoshio came to the Library last Fall as a student intern. During that time, he worked on a number of our LibGuides and helped to develop our Rams Renew Space LibGuide. He is now part of our Research & Learning Department as a part-time Reference Librarian. He assists patrons at the Research & Learning Help Desk and by phone, email and online chat during the day, in the evening and on weekends.


Rebecca has been at FSU for more than 3 years as a part-time Reference Librarian. She now works in our Research & Learning Department in a new full-time Library position, Scholarly Communications Librarian. She's the Library's OER Liaison - she has created a LibGuide about OER and also publishes a regular newsletter that contains news, tips and resources to help you navigate OER. Check out the latest issue.

Weeding Project

Weeding is an essential part of keeping a library’s print collection useable and current. The Whittemore Library staff is working hard on a massive weeding project of the print collection. This process will take 2-3 years to complete. We are working closely with faculty to ensure that each section has the most relevant, up to date books that are easy to locate and use.


We are using circulation statistics (how many times a book has been checked out), the condition of the book, and whether it is relevant to the current curriculum to determine what will be weeded. The faculty then have an opportunity to look over the lists before books are pulled from the shelves. After the books are taken from the shelves and withdrawn, they are packed in boxes and shipped to Better World Books. Better World Books scans some of the books for the Internet Archives (available to everyone at this link: https://archive.org/ ) and others will be shipped to places in need. Anything not used, will be recycled. Faculty are also welcome to take some of the books for departmental use.


Although this is a huge undertaking, the library staff are very excited to be engaging in this project. We will have a well-cultivated and more usable collection by the end of the project. It will also allow us to see where there are gaps in our print collection and we will be able to add more resources for the FSU community to use for scholarly pursuits.


To learn more about Better World Books, please use this link:

https://www.betterworldbooks.com


For how Better World Books helps libraries with collection management projects, use this link: https://services.betterworldbooks.com/libraries/

drawing of an open book with digital symbols emanating from the book.

Digital Humanities Center In The Library

The Henry Whittemore Library has been collaborating with Dr. Bart Brinkman to create library support for the emerging Digital Humanities Center. Over the Spring 2022 semester, Librarians Hedda Monaghan, Abelard Newell, and Colleen Previte have worked together to acquire new exhibit materials, build Omeka exhibits, digitize materials, and supervise interns to support Digital Humanities using funding from a National Endowment for the Humanities grant. The library has two FSU student interns working on Digital Humanities projects, Meeghan Bresnahan and Kelsey Rhodes. The Henry Whittemore Library is excited to share the exciting digitization projects our interns have completed at the end of the semester!


To learn more about the $192,000 Digital Humanities Grant awarded to FSU by the National Endowment For The Humanities, which will be used to launch the Digital Humanities Center in the Library, read this article on the FSU website and this article in the MetroWest Daily News.

drawing of an open book with digital symbols emanating from the book.
Kathleen Barnard and Suzanne Meunier

Library Staff Check-In On Campus

On April 13th, the "FreshCheckDay: Checkin' With College Students" event was held in the Forum. Many FSU students attended the mental health "check-in" and enjoyed the interactive booths, prizes, and food. Library staff were there to greet students and promote the wellness benefits of the Library's "RAMS Renew Space". To reserve your time in the room, click on this link and make your reservation today!


(pictured l-r: Student Engagement Coordinator Kathleen Barnard, Librarian Suzanne Meunier)

Kathleen Barnard and Suzanne Meunier
black bordered sign. text on gold background "the whittemore library wellness room was made possible through the generous support of joan e. murtaugh '61".

RAMS Renew Space

A plaque to honor the generosity of donor and FSU alum, Joan Murtaugh, was recently installed in the Renew Space.


If you haven't visited the RAMS Renew Space...what are you waiting for? This room, on the Library's Upper Mezzanine floor, has a massage chair, meditation chair, yoga mat, fidget toys, coloring books, light therapy lamp, Bluetooth speakers, cozy blankets, and more. Watch these videos, Part 1 video and Part 2 video, for a tour of the room with student, Meeghan Bresnahan.


It's easy to claim your "me" time in the room - just go online to reserve a day and time. The website is https://framingham.libcal.com/reserve/WhittemoreLibrary/RamsRenew


You deserve it! Once you reserve your session, stop by the Library's front desk, show your reservation email, and get the room key (and prayer rug if needed).


(Remember these simple rules: One person in the room per session, no food, tidy up after your visit, please use headphones, and return the key to the front desk.)

black bordered sign. text on gold background "the whittemore library wellness room was made possible through the generous support of joan e. murtaugh '61".
image of kate burt leaning against a rock holding a statue of a ram outdoors. Large bronze statue of a ram, bare trees and brick building behind her outdoors.

Ram Award

In January, during the opening remarks of the 10th Annual Professional Development Days event, Assistant Vice President of Human Resources & Equal Opportunity, Kim Dexter, announced that the Library's admin assistant, Kate Burt, was a co-recipient of the annual RAM award. (She shares the award with Michael Labeach, Admin Assistant to the Deans of Arts & Humanities, Business, Education, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and STEM.)
image of kate burt leaning against a rock holding a statue of a ram outdoors. Large bronze statue of a ram, bare trees and brick building behind her outdoors.
image of three smiling women, Hedda Monaghan, Judea Blake and Kate Burt, standing in front of a brick wall.

David McCord Scholarship

Each year, the Library awards a $500 scholarship to a full-time FSU undergrad student Library assistant and is in good academic standing. The student must submit an application, letter of recommendation, and an essay on how the Library has impacted their academic career and how they have contributed to the Library’s mission.


This year we are pleased to announce that Judea Blake has been selected as the recipient of the David McCord Scholarship. Judea works in our Access Services department as an assistant at the Circulation Desk. According to Karin Medin, Access Services Librarian, the department can always count on Judea. Additionally, "Her work in Access Services has been truly amazing. She is always extremely friendly and outgoing...She surely has a great future in front of her..." Very high praise, indeed! Judea has proven to be a student that the Library wants to recognize and encourage to continue her educational efforts.


Please join us in wishing Judea continued success throughout her academic career. Congrats Judea! A very well-deserved recognition.


(pictured l-r: Librarian Hedda Monaghan, Judea Blake, Admin Assistant Kate Burt)
image of three smiling women, Hedda Monaghan, Judea Blake and Kate Burt, standing in front of a brick wall.

Did You Know?

Digital Collection: CoVid-19 Community Collection Project

The Library commemorates the anniversary of the coronavirus shutdown. We honor the experiences of our campus community by sharing the online collection of the CoVid-19 Community Collecting Project: http://omeka.flo.org/fsu/s/covid2020/page/welcome. This collection captures the impact of the CoVID-19 pandemic on the lives of the campus community (students, faculty, staff) through images, written work, and student assignments.


To learn more about this ongoing project, please visit the guide on https://libguides.framingham.edu/covid19project. We continue to accept submissions.

Special Collections & Archives

The Special Collections and University Archives are located in Room 110, which is on the first floor on the side opposite the entrance to the Henry Whittemore Library. Materials in the collections are available for research use from 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday, or by appointment. Materials are non-circulating. Titles in the O'Connor Collection of modern American poetry and travel are searchable through the Library's online catalog. To request titles in the other collections, please consult the Special Collections staff.

Colleen Previte

Special Collections and Archives Librarian

Colleen Previte

Hi! I'm Colleen Previte, Special Collections Librarian and Archivist.


If you have any questions, please reach out to me. I'll be happy to assist you!

cprevite@framingham.edu (508) 626-4648
Nancy Hanley

Special Collections Assistant

Nancy Hanley

Hello! I'm Nancy Hanley, Library Assistant in the Special Collections and Archives Department.


If you have any questions or need additional information, please let me know.

nhanley@framingham.edu (508) 626-4691
image of 3 shelf bookcase filled with books indoors.

Faculty Publications

Publications from FSU faculty are on display in our lobby. Stop by our circulation desk and check-out these books:


  • Dr. Joseph Adelman, Associate Professor of History
Revolutionary networks: the business and politics of printing the news, 1763- 1789, 2019
Historians on Hamilton: how a blockbuster musical is restaging America’s past, 2018

  • Edited by Dr. Sarah Mulhall Adelman, Associate Professor of History and Dr. Jon Huibregtse, Professor of History

Pioneers in Education, 1839-2014: a history of Framingham State University celebrating One Hundred and Seventy-Five Years in Excellence of Education, 2014

  • Dr. Richard Allen, Professor of History

Slavery and bonded labor in Asia, 1250-1900, 2022

  • Dr. Bart Brinkman, Associate Professor of English

Poetic modernism in the culture of mass print, 2017

  • Jennifer DeLeon, Assistant Professor of English

Don’t ask me where I’m from, 2020

  • Dr. Lucas Dietrich, Visiting Lecturer, English Department

Writing across the color line: U.S. print culture and the rise of ethnic literature, 1877-1920, 2020

  • Jennifer Coleman Dowling, Professor of Art & Music

Multimedia demystified, 2012

  • Dr. Zeynep Gonen, Assistant Professor of Sociology

The politics of crime in Turkey; neoliberalism, police and urban poor, 2017

  • Dr. Xavier Guadalupe-Diaz, Associate Professor of Sociology

Transgressed: intimate partner violence in transgender lives, 2019

  • Shin Freedman, Head of Scholarly Resources & Collections, Whittemore Library

Becoming a library leader: seven stages of leadership development for academic Librarians, 2020

  • Edited by Shin Freedman, Head of Scholarly Resources & Collections, Whittemore Library

Narrative Inquiries from Fulbright Lecturers in China: Cross-Cultural Connections in Higher Education

  • Dr. Gregory Halfond, Professor of History

Archeology of Frankish Church Councils, 511-768, 2010

  • Patricia Horvath, Associate Professor of English

All the difference, 2017

  • Dr. Thomas Koshy, Professor of Math

Fibonacci & Lucas numbers with Applications v. 1 & v. 2, 2018

  • Dr. Kelly Ann Kolodny, Professor of Education

Moments that matter in the learning and development of children: reflections from educators, 2020

  • Dr. Robert Krim, Associate Professor of Management & Business IT

Boston made: from revolution to robotics – innovations that changed the world, 2021

  • Dr. Kelly Matthews, Associate Professor of English

The Bell magazine and the representation of Irish identity: open windows, 2012

  • Virginia Noon, Associate Professor, Fashion Design & Retail

The Great Lawrence Textile Strike of 1912: a new scholarship on the Bread & Roses Strike, 2014

  • Dr. Evelyn Perry, Professor of English

Robin Hood in popular culture; violence, transgression and justice, 2000

  • Dr. Virginia Rutter, Professor of Sociology

Families as they really are, 2015

  • Dr. Erika Schneider, Professor of Art & Music

The representation of the struggling artist in America, 1800-1865, 2015

  • Dr. Vandana Singh, Professor of Physics and Earth Science

Ambiguity machines & other stories, 2018

  • Dr. Claudia Springer, Professor of English

Acting / edited by Claudia Springer and Julie Levinson, 2015

  • Dr. Rachel Trousdale, Associate Professor of English

Antiphonal Fugue for Marx Brothers, Elephant, and Slide Trombone, 2015

  • Sam Witt, Associate Professor of English

Little Domesday Clock, 2017

Devouring the green: fear of a human planet, 2015

image of 3 shelf bookcase filled with books indoors.

***Recent Events At The Library***

image of cover of book, "The 1619 Project"

The 1619 Project Book Discussion

In February, Student Engagement Coordinator, Kathleen Barnard, led a series of 3 virtual discussions on The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, created by Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times Magazine. This groundbreaking work brings together 19 essays and 36 poems and short fiction pieces to re-frame and re-examine American history and what it means to be a Black American. If you missed the discussions or would like to learn more, there is additional content available in our 1619 research guide.

image of cover of book, "The 1619 Project"

Button Party in The Library - February 10

image of poster promoting button party event, february 10, 2022, 12:30-1:30pm, whittemore library foyer, its fun, easy and free! one button per person. image of young masked woman assisting young masked man making a button on a white covered table.
image of group of masked people together in an indoor classroom.

From Chile to Framingham - February, 2022

In February, the Whittemore Library staff and librarians welcomed to the Library teachers from Chile who were visiting FSU.
image of group of masked people together in an indoor classroom.
image of printed words in blue against a white background, text "art free!", "open educational resources...", "can be print, digital, audio & more!", can be made to the same standards as commercial textbooks!", "can be retained, reused, revised, remixed, & redistributed", "OEweek 2022".

Open Education Week - March 7-11

On March 7 and March 10, Scholarly Communications Librarian Rebecca Dowgiert set up a table in the McCarthy Center in order to interact with students and faculty. She assisted them with learning about the free Open Education Resources ("OER") textbooks being developed at FSU this year.


For more resources, see our OER libguide and check out the Open Ed Week Flyer below.

image of printed words in blue against a white background, text "art free!", "open educational resources...", "can be print, digital, audio & more!", can be made to the same standards as commercial textbooks!", "can be retained, reused, revised, remixed, & redistributed", "OEweek 2022".

National Library Week - April 3-9

The Whittemore Library joined libraries nationwide in celebrating National Library Week. This annual event, which has been held for more than 60 years, highlights the valuable role libraries have in their communities.This year's theme was "Connect With Your Library" - actress and comedian Molly Shannon was the Honorary Chair.


We hosted events and welcomed our patrons to join in the festivities:

  • Literary cake contest
  • Library Student Worker Appreciation Day with cake!
  • Create a READ poster
  • Librarian research presentation
  • Reiki in the Renew Space
  • Faculty, Staff and Student art exhibit


We hope you enjoyed participating in them!

image of a poster. text reads "national library week @ whittemore library".

Student Library Workers Appreciation Day

Let them eat cake! Access Services Librarian Karin Medin and Student Engagement Coordinator Kathleen Barnard kicked off National Library Week by providing cake to patrons in honor of the wonderful students who work in the Library on “Student Library Workers Appreciation Day"!

Karin Medin and Kathleen Barnard

Story Time!

Two groups of children from the Child Development Lab stopped by the Library during National Library Week. Curriculum Librarian Sam Westall read The Library Book by Tom Chapin to the children.

image of pair of human hands against a blue starry background. image of floating of clip art woman with flowing hair and 7 colored chakra points on her body suspended between the hands.

Reiki

Reiki Master Susan Clark provided amazing hands-on, energy healing Reiki sessions in the RAMS Renew Space to many grateful members of the FSU community. In fact, all of the available time slots were filled within 24 hours of the Library's announcement of Susan's visit to the Library on April 6.


The term “reiki” comes from the Japanese words “rei,” (universal) and “ki,” (energy that flows through all living things). With Reiki, the body can restore balance to the mind, body and spirit resulting in harmony and positivity. It also leads to relaxation and the release of tension. We're sure everyone left their session feeling revitalized! Thanks Susan!


(pictured below l-r: Kathleen Barnard and Susan Clark)

image of pair of human hands against a blue starry background. image of floating of clip art woman with flowing hair and 7 colored chakra points on her body suspended between the hands.
l-r Kathleen Barnard, Susan Clark
Robin's literary cake

Literary Cake Contest!

The 12th Annual Literary Cake Contest was held on April 7th. This year, we had 4 entrants who were required to decorate a cake to represent a scene or character from a book. Visitors to the Library viewed the cakes and voted for the one they thought was the best cake. The contestants this year were:


1. The Eye of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings books by J.R.R. Tolkien - created by Barbara Ambos, Library OER Grant Coordinator

2. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak - created by Colleen Previte, Librarian: Archives and Special Collections

3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl - created by Robin Kurkomelis from the Dean of Students' Office

4. Swimming by Leo Lionni - created by the children from the Child Development Lab


After the multitude of ballots were tallied, a winner, was announced. The champion of the 2022 Literary Cake Contest is....Charlie and the Chocolate Factory !


Congratulations Robin! Your cake was both magnificent outside as well as inside. And thanks to all the bakers who took part, to all the patrons who voted, and to all of those who enjoyed eating these scrumptious creations!

Robin's literary cake
text "connect with whittemore library", "national library week 2022"

Library Research Presentation

On April 8, a virtual event was held - Librarians Karin Medin, Hedda Monaghan and Sandra Rothenberg presented on their interesting previous, current and future research endeavors.


  • Hedda discussed her research into a citation network that investigates the scholarly literature on the practice of mending.


  • Karin Medin spoke about her research into developing a best practice for the reporting structure of Resource Sharing. There is no current best practice in the library literature. The literature does indicate that the department head should develop scenarios where constant communication is required. Also, the department head should share expertise in systems that are utilized.


  • Sandra presented on the book reviews on art and fashion books she has been writing for Library Journal for over 22 years. She also writes less frequent book reviews for the Art Libraries of North America's (ARLIS/NA) Reviews Online. Lastly, in the past she has written encyclopedia articles on art topics for Salem Press.

READ Posters

Our Librarians and Staff, along with student Library assistants, FSU students, faculty and Sodexo staff, submitted pictures to become a star in their own READ poster! It was a fun, creative way for everyone to promote reading. The personalized posters were produced by Student Engagement Coordinator Kathleen Barnard, Emerging Technologies and Digital Services Librarian Abe Newell and student Library assistant, Patrick Brady. We shared these awesome creations on social media and posted them on a bulletin board in our lobby.

text "faculty, staff & student art & craft exhibition"

Faculty, Staff and Student Art Exhibit

Artwork from talented Faculty, Staff and Students is on display in the Library throughout the month of April.
text "faculty, staff & student art & craft exhibition"

***Upcoming Events At The Library***

DIA! - April 29

Día is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. It is a daily commitment to linking children and their families to diverse books, languages and cultures.


Join Sam, Curriculum Librarian, for a special story time to celebrate Dia, Children's Book Day. Friday, April 29, 2022 at 11:00am in Curriculum Library. Kids ages 2-6 and their caregivers are welcome! For more info, contact Sam Westall (swestall@framingham.edu).


DÍA'S GOALS:

• Celebrate children and connect them to the world of learning through books, stories and libraries.

• Nurture cognitive and literacy development in ways that honor and embrace a child’s home language and culture.

• Introduce families to community resources that provide opportunities for learning through multiple literacies.

• Recognize and respect culture, heritage and language as powerful tools for strengthening families and communities.

February Heritage Month

image of black covered bulletin board with photos of people. text reads "celebrate black history month, health and wellness"

Featured Health Professionals and Institutions

  • Dr. Robert Fulton Boyd
  • Dr. William Montague Cobb
  • Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler
  • Dr. Mae Jemison
  • Nurse Mary Eliza Mahoney
  • Dr. Daniel Hale Williams


  • Howard University College of Medicine
  • Meharry Medical College
  • Morehouse School of Medicine
  • Provident Hospital of Cook Count

March Heritage Month

image of purple covered bulletin board with photos of people. text reads "early women activists".

Featured Activists:

  • Susan B. Anthony
  • Ida B. Wells Barnett
  • Anna J. Cooper
  • Maria Guadalupe Evangelina de Lopez
  • Abby Kelley Foster
  • Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
  • Jovita Idlar
  • Lucretia Mott
  • Mabel Pink-Hua Lee
  • Elizabeth Cady Stanton
  • Lucy Stone
  • Mary Church Terrell
  • Sojourner Truth

April is for Poetry

image of black covered bulletin board with photos of people. text reads "National poetry month"
Featured Poets:

Featured Poets:

From the FSU English Department, Assistant Professor Colleen Coyne and Dr. Rachel Trousdale! Also shown, are poets:
  • Elizabeth Bishop
  • Anne Bradstreet
  • Emily Dickinson
  • Jack Kerouac
  • Stanley Kunitz
  • Robert Lowell
  • Sylvia Plath
  • Tracey K. Smith
  • William Stanley
  • Phillis Wheatley
Featured Poets:
image of books, people reading, woman at desk, person pushing book cart. text is poem "don't go into the library by alberto rios".
Noelle Muenier

Student Library Assistant Profile

Noelle Muenier

I’m Noelle Meunier - a Framingham native and junior majoring in Management with a minor in Art. I aspire to become a human resource professional but hope to one day open a daycare center. I'm the treasurer of the Nutrition Club and have an intership - next semester I'll be an SI for a favorite professor. I spend my free time at the library and with my daughter.


Because I have a 4-year-old it's hard for me to find a lot of free time but I like to hike and take pictures outside of bugs in the warm seasons. I have a few pets: praying mantis, crested gecko, leopard gecko and a cat, Blue. When I find time to watch TV and relax, I like Parks and Recreation and New Girl . I watch Sailor Moon with my daughter – something we both enjoy! My favorite movie is nostalgic for me: Spirited Away – it reminds me of watching it when I was growing up - I still enjoy it as an adult. I don't have a lot of time to read but I've been using The Hidden Beauty of the Microscopic World by James Weiss as a reference for my paintings. It has stunning images and is a really fun read about the author's journey following a passion for microorganisms. My musical taste is pretty broad: I like listening and singing along to 60s/70s pop/rock, Fleetwood Mac, Abba and The Mamas and Papas.


Three people I’d like to have dinner with: 1) Maya Angelou - I've been inspired by her since I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in my freshman year of high school; 2) My Grandfather - He passed away when I was in high school and I have so many questions I would like to ask him; and 3) Someone I lost during the pandemic - It'd be so nice to have another dinner with them.


I work at the circulation desk and am a student liaison on the Library’s student advisory committee. Because I'm a busy person, it took me a while to feel like part of the FSU community because I didn’t have much time to participate in functions or clubs. But being at the Library, I feel like I belong. I help patrons with everything from checking out books to giving directions to the dining hall. I organize books in the drop-off bins, return books to shelves or find books that patrons request. I once assisted a patron on the phone who was looking for a quote from a book. I found the book and chatted with him while I searched for the words he wanted. It turned out to be more than just helping someone – it became a really nice conversation with a patron!


I've learned a lot about how a Library works. I was surprised and fascinated to find out how books mysteriously get sorted and delivered to the Whittemore Library and to other Minuteman Libraries. I've received many opportunities because of the relationships I have developed at the Library. I feel welcomed by the staff – they chat with me, listen to me, even if it’s about our pets or kids or to share ideas or just when I need to vent. I'll miss working in the Library after I graduate.

image of book shelves and blue lounge chairs with ottomons.

Book Recommendations From Your Library Staff

Acquisitions Library Assistant Allyson Duval recommends the following books that are available in the McNaughton section on the first floor of the Library (across from the Circulation desk):

  • Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
  • Mercy Street by Jennifer Haigh


Curriculum Library Assistant Kim Carney recommends Lowering Days by Gregory Brown. She also recommends any book by author Nadia Hashimi, including Sparks Like Stars.


Access Services Supervisor Lori Wolfe recommends The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. She also recommends Gone For Good and Last Seen Alive by local author Joanna Schauffhausen.


Student Engagement Coordinator Kathleen Barnard recommends:
  • Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (Upcoming film directed by Martin Scorsese slated to be released this year)
  • Paradise by Lizzie Johnson
  • South to America by Imani Perry


The Library has also offered books from time to time by popular authors like Harlan Cobin, Michel Connelly, Patricia Cornwell, Louise Erdich, Sally Hepworth, Lisa Jewell, Steven King, Shari Lapena, Brad Meltzer, Lisa Scottoline, and Elizabeth Strout.


COMING SOON!

  • The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon (publish date: April)
  • The Lioness: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian (publish date: May)
  • 22 Seconds by James Patterson (publish date: May)
  • The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand (publish date: June)
image of book shelves and blue lounge chairs with ottomons.
image of open book, cup. text reads "as the page turns".

We're happy to announce that we are now offering a reader advisory service. Need a good book? Not sure where to start with the McNaughton collection? Ask Kathleen Barnard (kbarnard@framingham.edu) for a book recommendation! To kick off this new service for our patrons, Kathleen offers the following book reviews:


  • Booth by Karen Joy Fowler
Today, the Booth name is synonymous with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Before that, it was synonymous with the stage. Booth follows the lives of the family of John Wilkes, taking the reader on a trip through 19th century America. This sprawling novel will introduce you to John Wilkes Booth’s eccentric actor father and brother, his hard-working mother, and his spirited sisters. Their family name may be forever associated with one moment in history, but this novel will open your eyes to the lesser-known (and much more interesting) members of the Booth family.


  • True Biz by Sara Nović (On order-will be on our shelves soon!)

The students at River Valley School for the Deaf navigate love, school, and the hearing world in this wonderful coming-of-age novel. Charlie is the new girl at school, and River Valley is her first experience being around other Deaf kids and teachers. As the school year goes on, Charlie and her friends and teachers must navigate personal and political changes that will forever alter their lives. This fast-paced novel will have you laughing and crying along with the students as you follow them through a life-changing year.


  • Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult tackles the Covid-19 pandemic with her trademark style. Diana O’Toole’s life is perfectly on track until she finds herself isolated in the Galapagos at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Half a world away from her boyfriend in New York, Diana does what she can to make a life for herself once the borders close and she finds herself on an island under quarantine. As the world shuts down, Diana begins to discover more about herself than she could have ever anticipated.

image of a turntable against a blue background. text " alex's audio lab".

Alex Young, the Library's Inter-Library Loan Coordinator, is our resident musicologist. He recommends the following mellifluous tunes:


Dig into this recent gritty release from the Buffalo rapper Conway the Machine:

Album: God Don’t Make Mistakes (2022)

Song: Tear Gas


How about something current? Put on your headphones and tune in to this introspective offering from Bon Iver:

Album: Bon Iver (2011)

Song: Holocene


And for those longing to take a nostalgic road trip, let this classic by Simon & Garfunkel take you back in time:

Album: Bookends (1968)

Song: America


And while you're at it, click on the button below and check out our curated Spotify List.

Whittemore Library Spotify List

Favorite songs and albums curated by the Library staff

♪ Bibliophilic Song Titles ♪

  • Paperback Writer – The Beatles
  • 1984 – David Bowie
  • Love In The Library - Jimmy Buffet
  • Wuthering Heights – Kate Bush
  • My Back Pages – The Byrds
  • The Summer I Read Collette – Rosanne Cash
  • Library Song – Tom Chapin
  • I Could Write A Book – Harry Connick, Jr.
  • Every Day I Write The Book – Elvis Costello
  • Read It In Books – Echo and The Bunnymen
  • Book of Days – Enya
  • At The Library and Who Wrote Holden Caulfield - Green Day
  • Read My Mind – The Killers
  • Picture Book – The Kinks
  • If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot
  • Never Ending Story – Limahl
  • Library Rap - MC Poindexter and The Study Club
  • Book of Love – The Monotones
  • Read The Book – Nazareth
  • Story of My Life – One Direction
  • Please Read The Letter – Robert Plant
  • The Book I Read – The Talking Heads
  • Please Read Me – Nina Simone
  • Every Picture Tells a Story – Rod Stewart
  • Love Story – Taylor Swift
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Our Hours - Spring and Summer

Spring 2022 -


Library -


Monday - Thursday: 8:00am - 11:00pm

Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm

Saturday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Sunday: 1:00pm - 11:00pm


Research & Learning -

Reference Librarians are available to answer questions and book research appointments during the following days/times:


Monday - Thursday: 10:00am - 9:00pm

Friday: 10:00am - 2:00pm

Saturday: 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Sunday: 1:00pm - 9:00pm


Spring/Summer 2022 -


From May 13 until September 6, the Library will be open during the following days/times:


Monday-Friday: 8:00am-5:00pm

Saturday-Sunday: Closed


* For complete listing, please see our hours page - days/hours may vary for holidays and intersessions.
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Library Policies

Information about the Library's policies regarding access, borrowing, reference, interlibrary loan, circulation of materials, reserves, confidentiality of records, fines, public computers, diversity, and censorship can be found in this guide.


Answers to frequently asked questions are available in this guide.

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We look forward to seeing you at the Library! Follow us on social media (@WhittemoreLib) to learn more about Library events, changes to our hours of operation, and to keep up with the latest news from the Whittemore Library!

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Henry Whittemore Library

Picture of Whittemore Library building.

Instagram: @whittemorelib


This newsletter is created and published by the Library's Social Media Committee and the Library Dean. If you have any questions, suggestions or concerns about this newsletter, please reach out to us. Thank you.


Chair of the Social Media Committee: Kate Burt.

Henry Whittemore Library, State Street, Framingham, MA, USA kburt2@framingham.edu 508-626-4651 framingham.edu/academics/henry-whittemore-library/