2024-2025 Impact Report_final version

HELEN K. AND JAMES S. COPLEY LIBRARY IMPACT REPORT | 2024–2025 Elevating Research, Empowering Students

Contents Message from the Dean

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Meet Copley Library’s Associate Deans

The 2024-2025 Retreat: Supporting Neurodiverse College Students

in Academic Libraries Faculty Jennifer Bidwell

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Alma Ortega Laura Turner

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Catherine Paolillo

Enhancing Undergraduate Learning with Information Literacy Instruction Library Faculty Serve on National Science Foundation

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(NSF) Grant-Funded Research Team From Pilot to Signed MOU: the State Commission for Human Rights of Baja California (CEDH-BC) and USD Copley Library Human Rights Cases Digitization Project Hidden Poisons in the Stacks: Special Collections Investigates The Journey of a Collection: Honoring the Legacy of Fr. Mike Blastic

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Where Are They Now?

Copley Library Student Employees FY2024–2025

Student Awards

Celebrating Sister Virginia (Gina) Rodee on Her Retirement

Faculty Presentations Faculty Publications Copley Library Statistics

Top 10 Circulating LC Classification Subclasses Total Checkout

Top Ten Databases Used

Library Expenditures 2024–2025

Cover (left to right): Keana-Leoni Balalio (Class of 2025); Nathan Colberg (Class of 2029)

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Message from the Dean T he essence of Copley is “Elevating Research, Empowering Students.” Our students and faculty are why we come to work each day. We strive to provide you with excellent service by ensuring our library operates effectively and that we have a first-class management team. We hire the right faculty and staff to assist you with research. In this report, we highlight four dynamic faculty members as well as those supporting the University’s National Science Foundation-funded ResDataNexus initiative. The Coordinator of Instruction and Undergraduate Learning discusses information literacy. As a learning organization, we also prioritize professional development, both individually and in groups, and the annual retreat is the pinnacle of this training. Last year’s retreat focused on neurodiversity. In collection news, we received items from Father Mike Blastic’s personal library of religious and theology books. The library also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the State Commission for Human Rights of Baja California to digitize human-rights cases. To my surprise, the library owns 19th-century books that contain arsenic, which our Archivist featured in a display, “Arsenic and Old Books: Poisons Hiding in Victorian Era Publications.” Curious about poisonous books? You can read more in the featured article. Annually, the library sponsors three student awards, and you will meet the winners. In the piece, “Where are they now?” three former library student employees share insights into how working in Copley helped one develop valuable skills for her current job and helped two others excel in graduate school. Throughout the year, Copley hosts several events, including Tatiana Ortiz-Rubio’s “In Blue Time” artist’s talk and unveiling, the Provost’s Research and Scholarship Recognition Celebration, and the Pontem Partnership with Catholic Middle School students, all of which are highlighted in photos. Statistics and expenditures round out this report. As we reflect on these accomplishments, we celebrate Sister Virginia Rodee’s lifetime of service as a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ), wishing her well as she retires from campus to the RSCJ home. Dr. Theresa S. Byrd DEAN OF THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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Meet Copley Library’s Associate Deans

Laura Turner Associate Dean for Collections, Access, and Discovery

V. Dozier Associate Dean for Research and Instruction Engagement The Research and Instruction Engagement (RIE) Department, which includes the reference librarians and embedded librarian faculty, is responsible for elevating research and empowering undergraduate and graduate students through high impact, multipronged research consultations, information literacy instruction, and research technology expertise. We work with faculty, staff, and students to increase high-quality research productivity and future professional skills for every major, minor, and program at the University of San Diego.

Regina Gong Associate Dean for Student Success and Strategic Initiatives

The Collections, Access, and Discovery Department is the key to optimal access to library services, spaces, and resources. By expertly managing the entire resource pipeline (acquiring, licensing, cataloging, and maintaining all print and digital materials), we ensure that essential knowledge is always within reach for the USD community. In addition, our commitment to responsive service ensures that all faculty and students interact with our physical and virtual environments in ways that are effective, accessible, and timely for their success in research and the classroom.

As Associate Dean for Student Success and Strategic Initiatives, I champion student success to elevate research and empower students. Through student success workshops, sustained engagement with student organizations, collaborative partnerships with campus programs, and advocacy for open educational resources, I help remove financial barriers to learning materials and build students’ research confidence. My work centers on how academic libraries contribute to student success by connecting students with our collections, spaces, programs, and services so they feel welcome.

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The 2024-2025 Retreat: Supporting Neurodiverse College Students in Academic Libraries

Copley Library has hosted an organization-wide retreat annually for eight years. Professional development and continuous improvement are an important part of Copley. The 2024-2025 retreat focused on neurodiversity. Many librarians wanted to learn more about neurodiversity and how to support neurodivergent students. Since the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) had recently launched The Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity (CEEN) and hired the nationally renowned scholar Niki Elliott in this area, we asked her to facilitate our morning session. In her 75-minute in-person remarks, which included an interactive group component, faculty and staff learned key strategies for identifying and supporting neurodiverse students. According to Dr. Elliott, neurodiversity is a natural variation in brain function and behavior

that expresses with both challenges and natural advantages. It includes diagnoses such as autism, ADHD, SPD, HSP, PTSD, TBI, and dyslexia. She said it often occurs with a mental health diagnosis. 1 By session’s end, we understood that academic libraries face issues with inaccessible PDFs, slow access to accessible copies, poor accessibility in online services, inaccessible spaces, and insufficient assistive technology. Our second speaker was Dawn Behrend, Dean of the University Libraries at Lenoir-Rhyne University. In her 45-minute virtual talk, she shared several ideas for improving library environments to serve neurodiverse students. As a result of her presentation, employees gained practical strategies for reviewing policies, communicating effectively, and designing a more inclusive environment. Elliott’s and Behrend’s presentations complemented each other. The afternoon retreat portion consisted of a group lunch followed by bowling, a great team-building activity, which was a lot of fun. The retreat, held in January during intersession, is the one day each year when all library faculty and staff come together to connect, learn, and recharge. At their February faculty meeting, the library faculty assessed Copley’s library services in terms of our ability to meet the needs of neurodiverse students.

Retreat Committee Members: Cindy Espineli; Jennifer Bidwell; Kendall Olson; Dr. Niki Elliott (presenter); Alma Ortega; Dean Theresa Byrd; Carrie Fry

1 Elliott, N. 2025. Supporting neurodiverse college students in academic libraries . [PowerPoint Slides].

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Jennifer Bidwell

FUN FACT: I love singing in community choral groups. I was a

Hi, I’m Jennifer Bidwell, the Knauss School of Business (KSB) Business Librarian. I started in Copley Library in the Fall of 2022. It was an exciting time to join the library faculty as an embedded librarian in the school. Serving the KSB lets me work directly with students, faculty, and staff. I design programs and services that fit the school’s needs across classes, club meetings, trainings, workshops, and events. I support both undergraduate and graduate students. I hold a Master of Library & Information Science from San Jose State University and a Master of Arts (History) from Claremont Graduate University. I have over 12 years of professional experience as a librarian. Before joining USD, I served for two years as the Assistant Business Librarian at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Also, I worked as a Reference Librarian at multiple community colleges in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. Additionally, I was an Adjunct History Instructor at Citrus College in Glendora. I support one of the largest information literacy instruction areas, teaching up to 56 sessions annually and assisting students, faculty, and staff with their research inquiries in person and through Zoom, email, or Google Chat. I lead workshops, including Introducing Bloomberg Terminals , and recently co-taught an AI literacy session with my colleague, Michael Massaro, for students participating in the Fowler Business Concept Challenge, an annual business pitch competition. I participate in outreach by attending faculty research presentations and other KSB events to promote embedded librarian services and stay informed of the school’s needs. I am a contributing member of two library committees: AI and Retreat Committees. I chair the Elections Committee and am an alternate member of the University Senate this year. Professionally, I am an active member of the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS/ALA) — Student Travel Award Sponsored by SimplyAnalytics. I am also a member of the Business Librarians Affinity Group with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). My research interests focus on critical business information literacy and on leveraging technology to boost student engagement and learning. I am currently researching whether screen-casting videos, designed to answer a specific research question, improve information literacy outcomes for graduate students.

member of the soprano section of Chorale Bel Canto, a community chorus in Whittier, for five years. We sang choral works by Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel, as well as pieces by contemporary composers such as Ariel Ramirez and Eric Whitacre. We also performed Annelies by James Whitbourn, based on the Diary of Anne Frank , at the historic Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles.

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Alma Ortega, PhD

FUN FACT: I’ve visited all the continents except for one, Antarctica. It’s the only corner of the planet I’ve yet to reach but it’s on my bucket list!

I am one of the Research and Instruction Librarians of the newly created Research and Instruction Engagement Department at the library (Spring 2025). I am also the liaison to the Kroc School of Peace Studies. I serve as the liaison to Italian Studies and Spanish majors, the minors in Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Chinese, and to the Arabic and Japanese programs. I have also worked on special projects on the Border since Spring 2004. From the University of California at Berkeley, I have two BAs, one in Peace and Conflict Studies and another in Romance Languages – Spanish, Portuguese, and Catalan. My two master’s degrees are from UCLA: one an MLIS focused on research and collections, and the other an MA in Latin American Studies, with a concentration on Brazil and Mexico. I also earned a PhD in Leadership Studies from USD, where I combined librarianship and leadership studies for my dissertation on leadership styles. Since joining USD in 2003, I have built and maintained relationships with academic librarians in Baja California, including coordinating the Border Academic Librarians group, which recently celebrated its fourth meeting at the Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education in Ensenada (CICESE) with the theme: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the challenges and opportunities it brings to academic libraries . I also coordinated Zoom gatherings between Copley Library and Universidad de Monterrey Library, our Sister Library, for the past two years. Moreover, after 18 months of much back-and-forth, in June 2025, I successfully set up a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the la Comisión Estatal de los Derechos Humanos de Baja California (CEDH-BC), stemming from a 2017 digitization project. My research also focuses on the importance of research assistance to students and faculty, as well as on building collections with broad topics in area studies to enrich users’ research experience. I have presented at the Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge on the importance of Area Studies and how maintaining these collections provides another perspective on otherwise overlooked parts of the world. Over the past few years, the Seminar for the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials has allowed me to present on the processes required to digitize the CEDH-BC’s archived human rights cases. Along with two academic colleagues, I submitted and presented: The Forgotten Academic Educators: Academic/Research Librarians and their Role in the Adoption and Incorporation of AI tools in Library Instruction and Information Literacy in July 2025 at the 32nd International Conference on Learning. After 21 years at USD’s Copley Library, I still find much satisfaction in my consultations with students and faculty, collection management, and instruction.

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Laura Turner

FUN FACT: My favorite bedtime reading material includes crime noir translated into English. I love getting a deeper sense of the regional culture and idiosyncrasies that an international crime novelist brings to their writing. Some recent authors I’ve enjoyed include works by Karin Fossum (Norway), Natsuo Kirino (Japan), Camilla Läckberg (Sweden), Ragnar Jónasson (Iceland), Andrea Camilleri (Italian), and Deon Meyer (South Africa). This bedtime routine sometimes keeps me up too late!

I am the Associate Dean, Head of Collections, Access, and Discovery, and subject liaison to the Music Department. My main work involves managing the library’s materials budget and overseeing all activities of our access services and technical services units. These units provide circulation, interlibrary loan, collection management, print and electronic resources acquisitions and cataloging, database maintenance, and preservation services to the university community. I started at Copley Library in October 2012 after working for several years as Head of Technical Services at Washington and Lee University’s main library in Lexington, Virginia. I earned my Master in Library and Information Science with an endorsement in Technical Services from the University of Texas at Austin. As head of Copley Library’s largest department, I spend significant time managing library projects. These projects vary in size but typically focus on providing better access to resources and spaces or enhancing services to our library users. Major projects for me at Copley Library included extensive planning for the 2019-2020 library renovation, especially in my department; collaboration on a redesign of the library website; and our recent implementation of a new library catalog system. But small projects form a regular part of my job and are usually in collaboration with other folks in my department, including our student workers, who are essential to successful library operations. My experiences in library project management with the renovation inspired my recent research and scholarship, including writing a book chapter and co-presenting on different aspects of managing library projects. My research interests also include evaluating user discovery of and access to library resources, whether print or online. For my next research project, I am collaborating with Charissa Noble, USD Assistant Professor of Musicology. Dr. Noble and I secured funding to help the library acquire a near-complete print run of New Music: A Quarterly of Modern Compositions . Henry Cowell created and published it from 1927-1958 through the New Music Society. The journal offers scores of modern compositions from that time period rather than articles. Because the journal is not available online, I am working with Theodore Presser Company, the current copyright owner, to identify solutions for providing online access. I will also help Dr. Noble plan a 100th-anniversary celebration of New Music and highlight our work with the journal title in a future article. Through my role as the subject liaison to the Music Department, I also provide library instruction to music classes and acquire other materials requested for their curricular and scholarly needs. I love showing students how to begin research in the library, and I often take physical items, like Rolling Stone magazine and Journal of Music Theory , to show the differences and value of using both entertainment and scholarly publications in research.

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Catherine Paolillo

FUN FACTS: I am a printmaker and sculptor by training. I also paint, collage, draw, make my own hot sauce, and am an avid home baker. I love challenging myself with complex techniques, developing recipes, and trying interesting flavor combinations. I recently put my skills to the test by entering several of the Home Arts & Hobbies baking contests at the 2025 San Diego County Fair. I came away with a slew of ribbons, such as the “Best of Division — Breads and Rolls” and “Best of Division — Cakes and Cupcakes”.

I am Copley’s Head of Access & Outreach Services Librarian. I oversee circulation, resource sharing, course reserves, building operations, our busy 24/7 schedule, and the Access & Outreach Services Department’s vital student assistant program. I am also responsible for the library’s social media presence, organizing outreach events such as our annual Banned Books Week celebrations, and assisting with promoting Copley’s collections, resources, and services to the USD community. I serve on several library committees, including Black History Month, Roy and Marian Holleman Copley Library Student Assistant Scholarship, User Experience (co-chair), and Website. I am also Copley’s First-Generation Student Liaison. I meet with first-generation students one-on-one, plan targeted outreach events, and serve as an active member of the campus-wide First Generation Action Team, which supports first-generation student success through proactive programming and partnerships. The best part of my job is working directly with students every day, whether supervising them, teaching a workshop, collaborating on projects, providing one-on-one help at the desk, or offering research consultations. In all aspects of my job, I am dedicated to fostering a sense of belonging for all students and ensuring they not only know what resources we offer but also how to leverage them to achieve their academic goals. I have been in this role for nearly a year. However, I previously served as Copley’s Visiting Evening Access Librarian (or “night librarian”) from 2018 to 2023. My fourteen years of library experience include roles at USD, a tenure-track position at California State University, Channel Islands, and library staff roles at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the University of California, San Diego. I am originally from Lake Tahoe, CA. I am a proud first-generation college graduate, having earned my bachelor’s in fine arts from California State University, Chico, and both my master’s in library and information science and master’s in art history from the Pratt Institute. I predominantly present and publish in library leadership and management, focusing on supervising, developing, and celebrating library student employees. I am also interested in investigating how library outreach and engagement support student success. Most recently, I presented a lightning talk at the Access Services in Libraries Conference on our transition from a simple training checklist to a dynamic Canvas course and served as a panelist on the conference’s “Special Topic Panel Discussion on Student Success.” Earlier this year, I co-authored a book chapter titled “We’re Not a Regular CoP, We’re a Cool CoP: How Joy and Equity Transform Outreach Innovation,” with California State University colleagues for the forthcoming publication, Cultivating Collaboration: Communities of Practice in Librarianship (Rowman & Littlefield). I will also co-present about San Diego’s Regional First-Generation Student Success Summit at the 45th Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience in Seattle, Washington, in February.

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Enhancing Undergraduate Learning with Information Literacy Instruction

Hugh Burkhart Coordinator of Instruction and Undergraduate Learning

The technologies and practices involved with academic research are complex and continuously evolving.

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Navigating the information ecosystem can be challenging for anyone seeking quality resources, whether it is finding an academic journal article in a library database or evaluating a news source from the multitude of media options available. This can be especially true for undergraduates, who often must find, evaluate, and apply scholarly and popular sources for papers and projects while also being mindful of academic integrity standards and the appropriate use of new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence (AI). Information literacy (IL) instruction is aimed at addressing this important component of academic life by equipping students with the knowledge necessary to search for sources across a variety of research contexts and to bring critical thinking skills to the evaluative process. Defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) as “the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning,” 1 information literacy is at the heart of library pedagogy. At USD, Information Literacy, or CILT, is one of the Competencies of the undergraduate Core Curriculum. Courses flagged for CILT across the academic disciplines share three common learning outcomes related to how students explore, evaluate, and apply sources of information. But information literacy instruction by Copley Library’s subject specialists goes beyond these flagged courses. The library’s instructional programming starts by introducing key concepts to new USD students in First Year Writing (FYW) classes as well as Living Learning and Transfer Learning Community (LLC and TLC) courses. Of the 201 total instruction sessions last year, 164 were for undergraduates. Thirty-six of those sessions were courses for first year students only. Through these FYW, LLC, and TLC alone, the library reached 741 new USD students. To provide overall context for IL instruction for the first year cohort, there were 1104 first-time, first-year students admitted in Fall 2024 and 345 transfers. Roughly half that number engaged in instruction sessions with a Copley subject specialist through one of these classes, while many more learned about library resources and gained foundational research skills in other classes.

Research and Instruction Librarian Martha Adkins, subject specialist for History, Philosophy, and Theology and Religious Studies, says that requests from faculty to provide “a basic introduction to the library and our services” are typically “for LLC or TLC classes.” In these sessions, she explains that she often adapts the library’s more standardized lesson plans “to course content at varying levels.” However, as is the case with many of the library’s subject specialists, she finds that instruction requests are usually geared toward equipping students with the tools necessary to conduct research for a specific task. “Instructors will often share their assignments with me so that I can prepare a session tailored to the class content and the aspects of the assignment. [They] often share that there are one or two databases in particular that they’d like students to learn to use for the assignment, so I prepare using those, and I’ll add a database if it seems like a good fit for the assignment.” – Martha Adkins, Research and Instruction Librarian Librarians working at the public Research Assistance Desk and the online chat service frequently field follow-up questions from students. Subject specialists also meet with students in one-on-one consultation sessions for more in-depth assistance. Aside from these consultations to augment instruction sessions, the library also offers several workshops each semester on a range of topics, from learning specific citation styles like Chicago/Turabian to using citation managers such as Zotero or leveraging the power of AI tools appropriately for research. Even as AI becomes more incorporated into higher education – whether for research or in the classroom – information literacy instruction remains an important part of helping students navigate research waters successfully. Libraries have always been at the forefront of technological change, and IL instruction remains a crucial way that academic libraries contribute to a college education.

1 https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework

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Library Faculty Serve on National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant-Funded Research The University of San Diego, in collaboration with Elon University and Pepperdine University, is leading the NSF-funded ResDataNexus initiative to support emerging research institutions. This project develops a scalable infrastructure and model to monitor research outputs, Research and Development (R&D) expenditures and grant activities. Through automated data collection, interactive dashboards and machine learning forecasting, ResDataNexus enables data-driven decision-making and strategic planning. The initiative also engages students in applied data analytics, fostering future research talent and enhancing institutional competitiveness.

This is a university-wide initiative led by the Provost’s Office, in close collaboration with the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the Office of Sponsored Programs, Institutional Research & Effectiveness, Copley Library, and Information Technology Services. Two Copley librarians are team members on the project: Amanda Makula, Digital Initiatives Librarian, and Amy Pham, Senior Electronic and Open Content Librarian. Makula, Associate Professor and Digital Initiatives Librarian, manages the institutional open access repository, Digital USD. She will contribute to the data sourcing of research publications and facilitate open access dissemination of developed tools and models. Pham, Associate Professor and Senior Electronic and Open Content Librarian, manages online resources and open access publishing agreements. She will contribute to the integration of database Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) into the ResDataNexus model with her extensive experience in library services and research. The work produced in this project will be made freely available to the public through the University’s open-access institutional repository, Digital USD. Digital USD is administered by the USD libraries, including Copley Library and Legal Research Center. It publishes, preserves and provides open online

Photo: Grace Goodale

ResDataNexus Initiative Team (from left to right): Amanda Makula (Associate Professor, Copley Library) , Margaret Leary (Assistant Provost, Institutional Research & Effectiveness) , Md Nafee Al Islam (Assistant Professor, Computer Science) , Jae Kim (Associate Professor, Industrial & Systems Engineering) , Truc Ngo (Vice Provost for Research and Administration) , Traci Merrill (Director, Office of Sponsored Programs) , Joy Brunetti (Web Manager, Information Technology Services) , Satish Attili (Enterprise Applications Team Lead, Information Technology Services) , Amy Pham (Associate Professor, Copley Library) . Not pictured: Megan Bailey (Web Developer/Programmer, ITS) , Holly Hoffman (Research Associate, IRE) , Bryan Teague (Sr. Web Administrator, ITS)

access to scholarships, creative work, original data sets and other archival materials produced by or affiliated with the USD community. To assist other Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs) in building their research capacity and infrastructure, the following materials will be made available on the Digital USD platform: survey tools, database SQL files, ER diagrams, Python scripts, and other relevant documents. GitHub will also be used to make the ResDataNexus model available to other institutions. The purpose of this open-access dissemination method is to lower the startup costs for other ERIs during their research data capacity and infrastructure building efforts. As a result, ERIs will be encouraged and face fewer challenges when launching their new research administration initiatives.

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From Pilot to Signed MOU: the State Commission for Human Rights of Baja California (CEDH-BC) and USD Copley Library Human Rights Cases Digitization Project

Since Fall 2016, Copley Library, under the direction of Dr. Ortega, has planned, supervised, and carried out the State Commission for Human Rights of Baja California (CEDH-BC) digitization project. The project digitized CEDH-BC’s paper case files from its human rights archives. These cases addressed topics such as school authority abuse of children, elderly abuse, police brutality (including both Mexican and American nationals’ cases), and various forms of discrimination throughout the State. When the project is completed, these documents will be included in Copley’s institutional repository, Digital USD, for worldwide researcher access. The Center for Research Libraries (CRL), Latin Americanist Research Resources Project (LARRP) awarded Dr. Ortega $46,000 in grant funding over three years to complete this initiative.

Left to right: Alma C. Ortega , Assistant Professor, Research and Instruction Librarian; María Elena Márquez Tavera , Coordinadora de Gabinete / President’s Commission Event Coordinator ; Theresa S. Byrd , Dean of the University Library ; Jorge Álvaro Ochoa Orduño , Presidente / President of the CEDH-BC ; Kathryn Roig , Vice President for Finance & Chief Financial Officer ; Ixchelt Guadalupe Barboza Romero , Secretaria Ejecutiva / Executive Secretary ; Julio César Paz Rodríguez , Visitador General Central / Central Chief Investigator

The project was divided into distinct phases, each building on the completion of the previous one. In Phase 1: Preparation, Dr. Ortega supervised Mexican nationals who cleaned and organized the case boxes and files. Once this preparation was complete, the project moved to Phase 2: Digitization, during which cases were digitized. After all files were digitized, Phase 3: Anonymization and Metadata Application began, where personal identifying information was redacted and metadata was applied to each case. With cases anonymized and metadata added, the transition to Phase 4: Repository Upload took place. Finally, Phase 5: Promotion will follow, publicizing the collection’s availability on Digital USD from late 2026 through 2027. On 11 June 2025, at the USD Copley Library, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the CEDH-BC and USD following extensive discussions and the successful drafting of a bilingual MOU. The signatories were Jorge A. Ochoa Orduño, President of the CEDH-BC, and Kathryn Roig, USD VP for Finance and CFO, with Ixchelt G. Barboza Romero, CEDH-BC Executive Secretary and Dr. Theresa Byrd, Dean of the University Library, serving as witness signees.

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Hidden Poisons in the Stacks: Special Collections Investigates!

This year the library’s Special Collections inspired by the University of Delaware’s Poison Book Project took a closer look at our collections to identify Victorian era books whose bindings might have been made using toxic pigments. These dyes were produced using heavy metal compounds that created vibrantly colored cloth for book covers: red from mercury, blue from lead, yellow from chromium and most toxic of all—emerald green book covers from an arsenic and copper compound. Products made with dangerous arsenic compounds were by far the most popular. Household items, toys, clothing and even medicines were commonly manufactured using arsenic. For example, the arsenic based Paris Green color was in demand for paint and wallpaper that was used extensively in homes throughout Europe and North America. Proximity to this poisonous décor

Diane Maher , Head of Archives, Special Collections, and Digital Initiatives

caused reactions that ranged from mild to severe including headaches, fainting, chronic illnesses and even death. By the early twentieth century, the danger, especially of green dye made with arsenic became known and newer safer dyes took their place. Unfortunately, libraries with nineteenth-century books in their collections had forgotten the danger and were unknowingly harboring poisonous books in their stacks. A chance encounter in 2019 with a nineteenth century book led a conservator at the University of Delaware to discover the lethal toxicity lurking in these attractive bindings. This publicized rediscovery led us to examine the collection of nineteenth century books both in our general and rare book collections. We used a freely available bookmark that provides

a visual guide to arsenic book cloth, as well as the Poison Book Project’s database of known poison book titles as well as a description of likely publications that included imprints from Britain and North America published between 1840 and 1860. While we cannot be certain without having these books undergo chemical analysis using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, we were able to identify some likely culprits and to quarantine them in our vault. Unlike other heavy metals used in making book cloth, the arsenic dyed book cloth sheds arsenic so nitrile gloves are a necessary precaution when handling them. Handwashing after use is recommended when holding any nineteenth century book that might contain heavy metal dyes in their bindings. The identification of our very own poison books led to a library exhibit, Arsenic and Old Books: Poisons Hiding in Victorian Era Publications featuring some suspicious books from our collection. If you are wondering whether you own a poison book, you can request a bookmark with color swatches from the Poison Book Project. You can search for your book’s title in the growing Arsenical Books Database compiled by the project. Should you discover that you own a poison book, their website also includes tips for storage and handling so you can safely enjoy your vintage book.

Poison Books Display

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The Journey of a Collection Honoring the Legacy of Fr. Mike Blastic

While library users see new titles appear in the catalog daily, the journey from library donation to placement on the shelf involves a rigorous, collaborative process behind the scenes. This was especially true for the significant bequest of Father Mike Blastic. Following Fr. Blastic’s sudden passing in December 2023, his extensive personal library was donated to the Franciscan School of Theology (FST) at the University of San Diego. The donation directly supported the FST’s teaching and scholarship goals. Aligning donations with these collection management priorities is essential for maintaining a vibrant library to serve its community. Over the following 18 months, a joint effort between FST and Copley Library ensured this scholarly treasure was preserved and integrated into our collections. Evaluation and Selection The process began with an in situ inventory led by Sister Juliet Mousseau, PhD, FST’s Vice President for Academic Affairs, who confirmed the collection’s scholarly depth. Martha Adkins, Liaison Librarian to FST, then collaborated with Sr. Mousseau and Joe Lonergan, Director of Student Services and Spiritual Formation, to establish evaluation criteria. Over several months, FST staff and students reviewed each volume to identify subject gaps in the library catalog and avoid unnecessary duplication. Their selections from the bequest significantly bolster our library resources in medieval history and theology, Franciscan primary and secondary sources, and biographies of Saint Francis and his followers, and include rare volumes in Italian, French, German, and Latin.

Cataloging and Integration Once selected, the books were moved to Copley Library for cataloging and processing. To honor Fr. Blastic, the library’s cataloging team, led by Millie Fullmer, Acquisition and Cataloging Librarian, added the catalog records, applied custom bookplates, and created a “local tracing” designation with Fr. Blastic’s name in the library catalog. This note of provenance allows future researchers to identify books specifically from Fr. Blastic’s estate. The Final Sort In Summer 2025, the project entered its final phase. Martha Adkins performed one last curation, dividing the titles between two distinct areas: • FST General Collection: Supporting broad research in theology and religious studies. • Franciscana Collection: A specialized designation for materials vital to the study of Franciscan history and theology worldwide. Conclusion Today, Fr. Blastic’s collection is cataloged and available to the USD community and global scholars. This achievement stands as a testament to the seamless collaboration between FST and Copley Library, ensuring that Fr. Blastic’s intellectual legacy continues to inspire students and scholars for generations to come.

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Where Are They Now?

Teddy Fisher

I graduated from USD in 2018. I worked at Copley all four years in Access Services as an undergraduate student assistant and then for another six months after graduation as a Night and Weekend supervisor. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in Neuroscience at McGill University. The best thing about working at Copley that prepared me for the workforce was learning to interact with anyone who came into the library. Any job you have, no matter what you do, involves people. Whether it’s client-facing or just collaborating with colleagues, you’ll always benefit from being able to interact with lots of different people. Copley

is one of the few places on campus where you see the whole Linda Vista community, both those affiliated with the university and other community members. Being the first face people see when they walk through those doors gives you a rare opportunity to make people feel welcome on campus and in Copley. And you get a fun opportunity to talk with people you might not otherwise. The best advice for new Copley Library student assistants is to just slow down and enjoy your time at Copley. Have fun with your co-workers and really engage with everyone who comes up to the desk. It’s the best job on campus, and once you’re done at USD, I think you’ll look back fondly on your time at Copley. My favorite memories of Copley were working the closing shifts on the weekends and talking with all the regulars who came in every Friday or Saturday night.

Erica Skerven

I graduated from USD in 2019 and attended USD’s law school from 2019 to 2022. I first started working at the library during my first semester at USD (in 2015!) and worked there for four years. My first two semesters, I worked at the front desk in Access Services and then I transferred downstairs to Technical Services where we ordered books, performed all the labeling and stamping. Currently, I work for the County of San Diego as a lawyer, where I defend the County in lawsuits and, ultimately, take cases to trial. My work as a Copley Library Student Assistant greatly helped prepare me for the workforce. Working

at the front desk prepared me for the customer service aspect of “real-life” and the unanticipated nature that I often face. I never quite knew who would show up at the front desk which really helped me improve my adaptability. Working “downstairs,” as I always called it, really honed my attention to detail and uniformity. While it was fascinating to take a look behind the curtain, the level of detail necessary to process each book surprised me at first, but soon became second nature. As a lawyer, my adaptability and attention to detail have helped me enormously. My advice for any new Copley Library student assistant is to take advantage of the 10pm to 2am shift! It might sound crazy but when I was super busy with schoolwork, that shift was a saving grace. It was quiet enough that I could get all my library work done and then crack open a book to study for class. Also, note the flyers on the bulletin board and get to know people. You never know who you’ll meet at the library or what you’ll find to do! My favorite library experiences were always the holiday parties. I loved the opportunity to see everyone (while not working), watch a movie, and snack!

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Sherry Khalil

I graduated from USD in Spring 2025. I worked at Copley for all four years of my undergraduate studies at the Access Services desk. I am currently a Ph.D. student in organic chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Copley Library was a supportive environment even before it became my workplace providing valuable opportunities to develop professional communication skills through interactions with staff, students, and public patrons. Over the years, I encountered situations that needed professionalism, patience, and clear communication, even during challenging interactions.

I also developed attention to detail through responsibilities such as book shelving, which has come in handy when running lab experiments! Copley helped me build a sense of workplace accountability by emphasizing reliability, punctuality, and responsibility. End-of-semester evaluations encouraged me to seek feedback and improve. I also learned how to set professional boundaries: when to escalate an issue and when to handle it independently. I developed multitasking skills during peak times when assisting patrons, answering calls, and managing traffic, even when understaffed. Advice for new Copley Library student assistants: Copley offers flexible work hours that accommodate different schedules, whether you are a morning person, a night owl, or prefer weekends. Planning my semester early and tracking deadlines helped me balance work and academics effectively. Communicate with your supervisor in advance if your coursework becomes overwhelming or if you need a mental health break. Take advantage of the positive work environment, build friendships, and use quieter shifts (when allowed) to get ahead in your studies. My favorite memories: I would say meeting my long-time friend and roommate while working there. I also loved our end-of-semester gatherings across departments to celebrate graduating students. The quieter weekend shifts with fun conversations and meeting prospective students touring campus were among my favorite moments as well.

COPLEY LIBRARY STUDENT EMPLOYEES FY2024-2025

Federal Work Study Students Alexcia Doak Alexia Avila Amanda Moreno Amari Esper Andrea Rangel Armando Munoz Carlie Hall

Grace Szpila Hailey Solley Isaiah Smith

Sherry Khalil Slater Rubio-Williams Thanya Gethsemane Hawkins Yliana La Cross

Jayson Winstead Karin Sherif Awad Keana-Leoni Balalio Kylie Lynne Reyes Leila Loya Lily Daniels-Diehl Maria Perez Maya Tschetter Mayte Guzman Nathalie Diazgranados Peter Allan Davis II Raymond Ruvalcaba Rebeca Sánchez Solana

Graduate Students Dionisio Saucedo Emily Carter

Cecelia Baker Chantelle Tiya Christian Gomez Cynthia Gonzalez-Millan Danielle DePinto Eduard Hovhannisyan Erique Balumbu Garrett Lindaman

ROTC Fellows Caedman Welch David Ordaz Gunner Zoch Kara Curry Nicolo Posehn

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PHOTOS: 1. Copley faculty at Hugh Burkhart’s full professor celebration 2. Black History Month/Women’s History Month Event–Dr. Theresa Byrd, Dean of the University Library; Megan Giddings, speaker; Misty Jones, Director, San Diego Public Library 3. Veterans for Peace event–Jan Ruhman, speaker 4. Copley Library Unveils In Blue Time by Artist Tatiana Ortiz-Rubio 5. Bowling at Copley Library Retreat 6. Research & Scholarship Recogniton Reception 7. Filipino American History Month (FAHM) Celebration with Dr. Allyson Tintiangco Cubales 8. Fireside Chat with California Secretary of State, Dr. Shirley Weber 9. 2025 Copley graduating student assistants 10. Knauss MKTG 308 project featuring Copley Library 11. Students from Pontem Path program

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Copley Library 2025 Student Award Winners COPLEY LIBRARY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AWARDS

The Copley Library Undergraduate Research Awards were established in Spring 2020 to recognize students’ exceptional research papers using library resources and services. The award winning papers will be included in our Digital USD online repository. Nicole Cockie paper titled “Counseling for College: The Impact of High School Counselor Visits on Postsecondary Enrollment” was the winner of our 400-level award ($1,000) Emilie McClellan paper titled “The Master’s Tools Cannot Dismantle the Master’s Dollhouse” was the winner of our 300-level award ($800).

ROY AND MARIAN HOLLEMAN | COPLEY LIBRARY STUDENT ASSISTANT SCHOLARSHIP

The Roy and Marian Holleman Copley Library Student Assistant Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship awarded annually to five Copley Library Federal Work Study students. The 2025 winners are: Keana-Leoni Balalio | Nathalie Diazgranados | Garrett Lindaman | Kylie Reyes | Grace Szpila

ALLEN AND DONNA BAYTOP ENDOWED LIBRARY SCHOLARSHIP AWARD The Allen and Donna Baytop Endowed Library Scholarship Award is a $1,200 scholarship awarded annually to a financial aid student who works in the library. Maya G. Tschetter , a junior, marketing major, was the 2025 recipient of the award.

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Celebrating Sister Virginia (Gina) Rodee on Her Retirement

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1) Sr. Gina Rodee, second from left photographed with Bishop Charles Buddy and the 1957 Senior Class of the San Diego College for Women. 2) Virginia Marie Rodee’s senior picture from the 1957 College for Women yearbook noting that she was President of the Student Body of the San Diego College for Women and a member of the Children of Marie of the Sacred Heart (E. de M.) and a Music Major with a Minor in English. 3) Photograph from the 1957 yearbook of students at the entrance of the College for Women. Sr. Gina with her luggage is on the far left. 4) Sr. Gina with her students in South Korea circa 1968. 5) Sr. Gina with Korean students circa 1982. 6) Sr. Gina from a 2014 interview on her experiences at USD. 7) Sr. Gina giving a tour of Founders Chapel in 2000. 8) San Diego College for Women Student Council, 1955-1956. Sr. Gina is on the far left.

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Faculty Scholarship Presentations July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025 Jennifer Bidwell

Bidwell, J. (2024, December 6). Leveling up email reference consultations with customized videos [Conference Presentation]. “21st Century Toolkit: Empower Your Inquiry!,”CARLDIG-S 2024 Fall Program, Citrus College, Glendora, CA, United States Bidwell, J. (2025, June 7-10) Enhancing information literacy with customized videos for faculty and students [Poster presentation] 2025 Special Libraries Association (SLA) Annual Conference and Expo, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. https://sla2025.eventscribe.net/index.asp Millie Fullmer Fullmer, M. (2024, October 6-9). Censoring creators in times of conflict: Visual art and social media suppression [Conference presentation]. Illuminating Perspectives through Critical Visual Literacy: 56th Annual IVLA Conference 2025, San Diego, California. https://ivla.org/conference-2024/ Regina Gong Gong, R. (2025, June 5). Celebrating the contributions of Filipinos in the U.S . Keynote speech for the Philippine Independence Day luncheon celebration. Sponsored by the City of San Diego Filipino American Employees Association. Gong, R. , & Dozier, V. (2025, April 11). Empowering Women of Color faculty: The transformative role of academic librarians . Future World Changers in the Academy National Conference. Arlington, VA. Gong, R. (2025, March 13). Forging connections, inspiring partnerships, uplifting communities: The enduring mission of libraries . Seguimos Creando Enlaces Binational Library Conference. San Diego, CA and Tijuana, Mexico. Gong, R. (2025, January 30). OER advocacy for and with students: Partnerships and collaboration strategies . American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) Institute on OER Webinar. Gong, R. (2025, January 22). Building your scholarly identity and impact . 2025 Winter Intercession Writing Bootcamp. University of San Diego. Gong, R. , Oates, E. (2024, July 16). BIPOC leaders reimagining change to advance diversity, equity, and student success . Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility in Libraries and Archives (IDEAL) Conference. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Amanda Makula Makula, A. , Gibney, M., Laughtin-Dunker, K. & Wong, E. (2024, November 8). Open scholarship & educational content: SCELC member context for publicizing, populating, and publishing [Webinar]. Southern California Electronic Library Consortium (SCELC). Makula, A. & Alperin, J. P. (2024, November 12). The role of open access in review, promotion, and tenure (RPT) [Webinar]. Coalition of Open Access Policy Institutions (COAPI). Makula, A. (2024, December 6). The library leads the way: A cross-campus effort to curate and celebrate intellectual output at the University of San Diego [Conference session]. Northeast Institutional Repository Day (NIRD).

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