April 2005

Volume 37
Back Issues: Past Library Links Articles

In this Issue

New Library Employees

Jason Helms
Library Administrative Services
Administrative Assistant
02/28/05

Gholamreza Yaghobi
Science Libraries
Library Services Assistant
02/27/05

Chi-wah Chan
East Asia Library
Librarian for the China Collection
03/01/05

Gretchen Gano
Social Science Library and Information Services
Data Services Librarian
03/07/05

Fantasia Thorne
Arts Library
Library Services Assistant
03/14/05

Lei Wang
Yale Medical Library
Instructional Design Librarian
03/15/05

Departing Staff

Shawn Steidinger
Integrated Library Technology Services
Systems Librarian
02/28/05

Antonia Caserta
Library Administration
Administrative Assistant
03/20/05

Todd Lane
Medical Library
Library Services Assistant
03/20/05

Raymond Daye
Library Shelving Facility
Materials Assistant
03/20/05

Andrew Hungaski
Beinecke Library
Photographer
03/20/05

Staff Members in Focus

Thirty years of service: Robert Killheffer

Robert originally intended to be a professor of European history, but a stint of teaching at the University of the Americas in Mexico convinced him that professors spend too much time with students, and too little time with books. After earning his library degree at the University of Buffalo, he came to the Yale library as a cataloger. Robert always hoped to stay at Yale for his entire career, and knock on wood, that's how things seem to be turning out.

Robert has seen a lot of changes at the library since 1974. Librarians who never touch computers and boxes of catalog cards waiting to be filed are some of the things that are now just memories.

As the Team Leader of the History and Social Sciences Team, Robert leads a group of catalogers who handle thousands of volumes every year in half a dozen European languages. Because he knows the ins and outs of Sterling so well, he has been for several years the liaison between the Catalog Dept, the Acquisitions Dept, and the Access Services Dept. He also is the unofficial "Backlog Czar", presiding over the tens of thousands of volumes in the library basement waiting to be processed.

Robert is also the cataloger for the Arts of the Book collection in Sterling. This special collection is made up of books that are literally works of art. These books are made by hand, in small quantities, with painstaking details like hand-colored illustrations and finely detailed leather bindings. Yale has one of the best collections in the world of these books, and if anyone would like a tour of this collection, just ask Robert.

Robert and his wife are also collectors of this type of book, and spend much of their free time visiting special bookstores or combing the internet for these treasures. Their personal collection lines the walls of their home. "I wanted to spend my life around books," Robert says, "And thankfully I've managed to do that in a most enjoyable way."

~ Claire Halloran

Thirty years of service: Martha Smalley

I began work at the Yale Divinity Library in 1975 while attending graduate school part time. In that era, the IBM Selectric typewriter was state of the art and the card catalog was the core of the library. In my job I processed archives, typed finding aids, answered postal letters while using carbon paper to make copies, used books to find information, and interacted with researchers who came to use the library’s archival collections. Slowly DOS-based computers came into use; the first word processing program I used was called WScript. Word processing was a great boon because archival finding aids and letters could be revised and amended without retyping. Eventually the Internet came into play, first with a Gopher interface and then Netscape. I distinctly remember the feeling of accomplishment I felt the first time I created an HTML page around 1994. My college-aged sons can hardly conceive of a world without cell phones, email, word processing, the Internet, and online databases, and I’m finding it harder and harder to remember it as well. It is certainly easier to do certain types of work now and so much easier to communicate with people, but the universe of things to know and skills to master keeps expanding exponentially.

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Event Highlights

CPR Certificate Ceremony & Tea

At Alice's Tea on Thursday, March 24, we recognized the 8 Library staff members who completed the First Aid Basics training on February 8 with a certificate and carnation. The next First Aid Basics training is scheduled for Thursday, June 23 1-4:30pm in the SML Lecture Hall.

HR in Focus

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New Human Resources Staff Members

Dayan Fitzpatrick

My responsibilities include: providing support for C&T and Managerial recruitment; creating and maintaining departmental, applicant, and position requisition files while serving as a specialized information source to staff and applicants; compiling, recording and logging information for travel and professional development; participating in administrative functions of recruitment including the requisition/ referral process for both internal and external applicants; coordinating training registration & attendance and processing salary changes.

Prior to working at Yale I worked at The University of North Texas Health Science Center supporting the physician billing department.

My outside interests include: Bike riding, Reading, Cooking and volunteer work with preschool age children.

Jason Helms

My current position at Yale University is as an Administrative Assistant in Library Human Resources at the Sterling Memorial Library. The general purpose for my position is to provide administrative support to the Library Human Resources with emphasis on information processing, customer service, scheduling and coordinating activities, and clerical support.

My prior position coming to the Yale Library was working for a non-profit organization called Community Solutions, Inc., located in Windsor, CT. This organization was dedicated to delivering supervision, treatment and comprehensive, individualized services to help socially disadvantaged adults and juveniles in need of supervision, support and treatment. At CSI, I worked in the Human Resources Department as a Human Resources Assistant. My position’s general purpose here was to assist the manager in administering comprehensive Human Resource policies, procedures, and specific tasks to guide the organization in achieving its strategic long range plans.

Interests & hobbies:
Redsox
Basketball
Music

Upcoming Events

Yale Holiday Calendar

Did you Know?

Learning Plan Highlights

If you have a Learning Plan success that you would like to share, contact Shaundolyn Slaughter at 432-1810.

For more information on the Learning Plan go to: http://www.library.yale.edu/training/stod/learningplan.html

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Letters to the Editor

Dear Sharon, Paula, and Claire,

I have always liked "Library Links," and used to compliment Jessica Linicus about it.

Since Jessica left, and you, Sharon, took over, I still like it very much. It is warmly written, friendly, and informative.

I very much liked Claire's article about Amanda Patrick in the previous issue.

And, this time, I want to thank Paula for the wonderful overview of her Yale career in the Medical Library. (I wish I had as clear an idea as you do about the next chapter in your life.)

Thank you, All.

Suzanna Lengyel

Tax Tips

Two articles by Jeff Schnepper:

10 big deductions too many people miss
If you don’t know about a potential tax break, you won’t take it. Here are the deductions that a lot of taxpayers seem to forget.

How many times have you done your taxes and, three weeks later, learned you had missed the opportunity for a deduction? Too many, I’m sure. How can you not miss these deductions the next time? Start planning now.

I’ve found a number of deductions that my own clients often miss. Here are 10 of them that can affect your tax bill for 2003 and your tax planning for 2004. View compete article at: http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Taxes/Cutyourtaxes/P71102.asp

Unlucky 7: The top taxpayer mistakes
Here's the lineup of the biggest mistakes taxpayers make. And here's what you can do to avoid them.

1. Bad math
According to the Internal Revenue Service, errors in addition and subtraction are the No. 1 mistake taxpayers make. All returns are examined for mathematical errors. Mistakes in arithmetic or in transferring figures from one schedule to another result in an immediate correction notice. If the error leads to a tax deficiency, you automatically receive a bill for that amount. If you overpaid, the excess is applied to future taxes, credited or refunded at your request. You can’t appeal such corrections, but you can ask in writing that they be reviewed if you think the IRS made a mistake.

Check the figures on the IRS correction notice. They have been known to make mistakes. Arithmetic mistakes alone rarely lead to a full audit. View compete article at: http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Taxes/Cutyourtaxes/P41352.asp

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