In This Newsletter
A message from the Chair…
We have four wonderful Friends Authors Talks planned for this spring. On February 3rd, Hassan Abbas, a Fletcher Ph.D. student, will speak on his recently published book on Pakistani extremism. On February 24th, Arts & Sciences Overseer Dan Cohen A74, producer of a documentary on Lynne Cox, will sponsor an Authors Talk by the author of Swimming to Antarctica. On March 30th, Christopher Castellani, G96, will give a talk on his book, A Kiss for Maddalena, which recently received the 2004 Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction. At this talk, the fourth Maxine Newberg Gordon, J70, Book Prize will be awarded to a mathematics major who has demonstrated a love of reading, literature and poetry. On April 6th , Franz Wright, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 2004 for Walking to Martha's Vineyard, will give the first John Holmes Memorial Poetry Reading, sponsored jointly by the Friends and the English Department, to celebrate Tufts' poetry reading tradition.
I am delighted to tell you that alumni access to selected electronic databases will be piloted this spring. While some of us already have access to popular databases through our local libraries, every Friend of Tufts Libraries as well as all Tufts alumni will now have access to scholarly journals wherever we log onto the internet. The Friends and Alumni Relations are providing funding for the pilot.
I want to thank each of you for supporting Tufts libraries. I hope you get as much pleasure as I do when I hear what our support has added to the libraries and when I visit campus and hear reports from our students and faculty on the improvements in the collections and services. Without a doubt, the Friends are truly making a difference in what the libraries provide. I am grateful for all we've been able to accomplish working together as Friends of the Tufts Libraries.
Joann Wellner, J63, Chair
Friends of Tufts Libraries
Status Report on Pilot Alumni Access to Databases
The Tufts libraries have been working with the Office of Alumni Relations to pilot remote alumni access to selected periodical databases. After much negotiation, the libraries are happy to announce that, beginning this spring, Tufts alumni will be able to access ABI-Inform and Expanded Academic Index anywhere 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! This initiative puts Tufts University in the forefront of its peers in providing services to alumni.
ABI-Inform and Expanded Academic Index were selected because of their universal appeal. ABI-Inform is a popular business database that offers full-text articles from over 500 premier journals in all business fields. Expanded Academic Index covers 15,000 scholarly and popular journals in a wide variety of disciplines, as well as general news magazines such as Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report.
Alumni will be able to access these resources from each of the libraries' homepage or from the Tufts University Alumni homepage. Alumni will register through the Tufts Alumni Online Community. Upon registration, they will be given a password that will allow them access to the databases and to all other alumni services.
The medical and veterinary libraries are currently looking into providing alumni access to a key medical database.
Look for a special mailing in the spring with specific details about setting up access.
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News From Tisch Library
Robert A. Salvatore answering questions from the audience during his Authors Talk on Parents Weekend on how his love affair with fantasy began in college when he was given a copy of the Lord of the Rings. Photo credit: J.D. Sloan
The new Tower café is already realizing its role as the intellectual center for the Medford campus. Recent events in the café have included the following: a visiting speaker met with students before the official talk on campus, a Trustee scholarship donor met with his student scholars, Dean Glaser scheduled a monthly chat with faculty, almost 100 faculty have invited students to meet over a free beverage, and many students meet informally about group projects in the cafe. The Tower has gotten off to an excellent start and Dining Services reports that business has been better than projected.
Bronze sculpture of a woman seated on a bench reading a book given to Tisch Library by the Kroll family. The sculpture is life-sized and interactive with room for two other people to sit on the bench. Photo credit: J.D. Sloan
Jonathan Tisch addressing Friends at his Authors Talk in Tisch Library on November 9th, 2004 featuring his new book, The Power of We, Succeeding through Partnerships. Photo credit: George J. Riley
Dorothy McMahon, Tufts Bookstore Trade Books Manager, and Sol Gittleman did a brisk business at the book signing following his Authors Talk. Photo credit: J.D. Sloan
Sol Gittleman in front of his portrait painted by artist Lou Gippetti. The portrait was unveiled at a Tisch Library reception during Parents Weekend, October 23, 2004 and will hang in Tisch Library. Photo credit: J. D. Sloan
Abe and Marianna Dranetz cutting the ribbon at the Grand Opening of The Tower, the new café in Tisch Library's Dranetz Tower. Photo credit: J.D. Sloan
News from Ginn Library
On Thursday, February 3, Fletcher PhD candidate Hassan Abbas will discuss his recently published book: Pakistan's Drift Into Extremism: Allah, The Army, And America's War On Terror. The talk will take place in the Edwin Ginn Library at 4:30 and will be followed by a reception cosponsored by Professor Andrew Hess's Southwest and Central Asia Program at Fletcher.
Abbas's important book examines the rise of religious extremism in Pakistan and analyzes its connections to Pakistan Army's policies and the fluctuating U.S.-Pakistan relations. It includes profiles of leading Pakistani Jihadi groups with details of their origins, development, and capabilities based on interviews with Pakistani intelligence officials and operators of the militant groups. Abbas, a former Pakistan police officer, provides illuminating inside information on many major Pakistan officials.
The Edwin Ginn Library faces a major renovation during the summer of 2005. Current plans call for the library to be closed during that summer with a grand opening of the renovated facility scheduled for late August - just in time for returning students.
Jessica Ingari has joined the Ginn Library staff as Assistant Webmaster for the Fletcher School. She has recently returned form a Peace Corps tour in Kenya and most recently worked on the website for Harvard's Center for European Studies.
News from Vet Library
Dean Webster was recently honored at the American Textile History Museum in Lowell with the 2004 Community Service Award. In recognition of Mr. Webster's support for the School of Veterinary Medicine and especially his support for library technology, the Webster Family Veterinary Library was named in 1993. Recent enhancements to the Webster Library include new furnishings for the reading room and updated computing equipment. Photo credit: PEI/John Gillooly.
Upcoming Authors Talks
February 3, 200 Drift into Extremism: Allah, The Army and America's War on Terror,
4:30, Ginn Library, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Medford
Fletcher PhD candidate Hassan Abbas will discuss his recently published book, Pakistan's Drift Into Extremism: Allah, The Army, And America's War On Terror, which examines the rise of religious extremism in Pakistan and analyzes its connections to the Pakistan Army's policies and fluctuating U.S.-Pakistan relations. It includes profiles of leading Pakistani Jihadi groups with details of their origins, development, and capabilities based on interviews with Pakistani intelligence officials and militant leaders.
In addition to a detailed profile of General Musharraf, the book evaluates India-Pakistan relations vis-a-vis the Kashmir conflict as well as Dr. A. Q. Khan's nuclear proliferation crisis, and also offers predictions for Pakistan's domestic and regional prospects.
Abbas has an MA in Political Science from Punjab University, an LLM in International Law from University of Nottingham, and a MALD degree from the Fletcher School, where he is currently a PhD candidate. He served in the government of Pakistan for ten years. The talk will be followed by a reception cosponsored by Professor Andrew Hess's Southwest and Central Asia Program at Fletcher.
"...Hassan Abbas …knows the country and especially its Islamic radicals from the inside. This book not only traces Pakistan's trajectory over the last forty years, but it provides valuable insights into the workings of its establishment..."
February 24, 2005 Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long Distance Swimmer
3:30-4:30, Hirsh Reading Room, Tisch Library, Medford
Lynne Cox is the only known person to have swum a mile in the frigid waters of Antarctica without a wet-suit; she has also swum in many other virtually unswimmable waters around the world, from the Mediterranean to China. She details her experiences in Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long Distance Swimmer, an inspiring account of her career since she began training with an Olympic coach at age nine.
Tufts Arts & Sciences Overseer Dan Cohen A74, who produced a documentary about Ms. Cox that received significant media coverage, is sponsoring Lynne's talk.
During his long tenure as Provost, Sol Gittleman taught at Tufts; he continues to do so. Upon stepping down as Provost, he was named Alice and Nathan Gantcher University Professor, a coveted honor at Tufts. He is the author of books on German literature, East European Jewish literature, and the American immigrant experience, and the recipient pf two Fulbright awards, the Harbison Prize of the Danforth Foundation for Outstanding Teaching. and a citation as Professor of the Year from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
"In this extraordinary book, the world's most extraordinary distance swimmer writes about her emotional and spiritual need to swim and about the almost mystical act of swimming itself."
"For thrills and inspiration, it's hard to find anyone better than Lynne Cox."
Cosponsored by Tufts Career Services, Tufts Strong Women, Tufts Women's Center and Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
March 30, 2005 A Kiss from Maddalena
3:30-4:30, Austin Conference Room, Tisch Library, Medford
Christopher Castellani G96 will discuss A Kiss from Maddalena, which recently received the 2004 Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction. Set in Santa Cecilia, Italy, in the spring of 1943, the novel centers on the courtship of Vito Leone, "a scrawny, clownish boy," and "the town beauty, Maddalena Piccinelli, daughter of the region's most successful merchant," amid the chaos of World War II.
Christopher Castellani was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware. His parents immigrated to the United States from a small village in Italy in the years following World War II, and their experiences as adolescents in Italy have been a significant inspiration. He was educated at Swarthmore College, received his Masters in English Literature from Tufts University and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Boston University. He is currently at work on his second novel-a follow-up to A Kiss from Maddalena. He lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, where he is head instructor at grub street, a nonprofit creative writing center.
"Memorable…subtle and satisfying."
"Castellani's debut carries echoes of other love and war stories, such as Chocolat, Birdsong and Corelli's Mandolin."
April 6, 2005 John Holmes Memorial Poetry Reading
4:00-5:30, Coolidge Room, Ballou Hall, Medford
Franz Wright, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 2004 for Walking to Martha's Vineyard, will give the first John Holmes Memorial Poetry Reading, sponsored jointly by the Friends and the English Department, to celebrate Tufts' poetry reading tradition. The poetry reading is named for John Holmes, the first Tufts Poet and professor of English from 1930-1962, who hosted frequent poetry readings by local poets in the Coolidge Room.
The son of poet James Wright, Franz Wright was born in Vienna in 1953. During his youth, his family moved to the Northwest United States, the Midwest, and northern California. In addition to Walking to Martha's Vineyard, his most recent collections of poetry include The Beforelife (2001), Ill Lit: New and Selected Poems (1998), Rorschach Test (1995), The Night World and the Word Night (1993), and Midnight Postscript (1993). He lives in Waltham, Massachusetts.
A book signing sponsored by Tufts University Bookstore will follow these talks. To order the author's books, call Tufts University Bookstore, General Book Dept., 617-627-2060. Please RSVP by calling 1-800-326-4001. Suggestions for future Authors Talks are welcomed. Come with a Friend or bring a potential Friend. Hope to see you there!
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Calender of Events
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January 14 - August 25, 2005 Corridor to Dranetz Tower Tisch Library Medford campus |
The 2005 Reunion Classes Exhibit will highlight people, places and events selected by this year's reunion classes to share with others what was special about their time at Tufts. |
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February 3, 2005 4:30 pm Ginn Library The Fletcher School Medford campus |
Fletcher Ph.D. candidate Hassan Abbas will discuss his recently published book, Pakistan's Drift Into Extremism: Allah, The Army, and America's War On Terror. A reception cosponsored by Professor Andrew Hess's Southwest and Central Asia Program at Fletcher will follow the talk |
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February 13 - May 7, 2005 Corridor beside Reference Desk Tisch Library Medford campus |
Petticoats and Slide Rules, a traveling exhibit from the archives of the Society of Women Engineers will be hosted in Tisch Library. Sponsored by the Diversity in Science and Engineering Program from Tufts' School of Engineering, Petticoats explores the role of women in engineering by celebrating women's technological achievements, personal experiences and equal rights struggles. |
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February 24, 2005 3:30-4:30 pm Hirsh Reading Room Tisch Library Medford campus |
Lynne Cox, a world-class swimmer, has broken all records of swimming in cold water and is the only known human to have swum one mile in the coldest waters on earth-Antarctica. Dan Cohen A74, Tufts A&S Overseer, who produced a video about Ms. Cox that has received significant media coverage, will sponsor her talk on her book, Swimming to Antarctica. A book signing sponsored by the Tufts University Bookstore and reception will follow the talk. |
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March 30, 2005 3:30-4:30 pm Austin Room Tisch Library Medford campus |
Friends Authors Talk by Christopher Castellani, G96, entitled A Kiss for Maddalena. Book signing sponsored by Tufts University Bookstore and reception follow talk. Exhibit in Tisch Library lobby March 1st - March 31st , 2005. The fourth Maxine Newberg Gordon, J70, Book Prize will be awarded before the Authors Talk to a mathematics major who has demonstrated a love of reading, literature and poetry. |
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April 6, 2005 4:00-5:30 pm Coolidge Room Ballou Hall Medford campus |
Frantz Wright, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 2004 for Walking to Martha's Vineyard, will give the first John Holmes Memorial Poetry Reading, sponsored jointly by the Friends and the English Department, to celebrate Tufts poetry reading tradition. The poetry reading is named for John Holmes, the first Tufts Poet and professor of English from 1930-1962, who hosted frequent poetry readings by local poets in the Coolidge Room. Book signing sponsored by Tufts University Bookstore and reception follow talk. Exhibit in Tisch Library lobby April 1st - April 15th, 2005 |
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May 21, 2005 10 am-5 pm Tisch Library |
Tisch Library Open House for Friends and Alumni provides the opportunity for self-guided tours of Tisch Library all day. Come and see the 2005 Reunion Classes exhibit and the new café! |
Complete list of Friends events with the latest information at http://www.library.tufts.edu/friends/events.html
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Friends is published twice annually by the
Friends of Tufts Library
We welcome letters and suggestions.
Correspondence should be sent to:
Jo-Ann Michalak, Editor
Director of Tisch Library
Professors Row, Medford, Ma 02155
617-627-3345;
jo-ann.michalak@tufts.edu
Graphic Design:
Lynda Gutowski (J61) Publications, Arlington, MA