Fall 2016 Message from the Dean Dear Friends and Colleagues, Welcome to the 2016–17 academic year at Bowling Green State University! I love this time of year at the University Libraries (UL). Everyone on campus is ready to embark on a new year of learning and discovery. Included in this issue of Bibliofiles, you will find a sampling of some brand-new endeavors at the University Libraries this semester: The University Libraries is proud to sponsor a dinner and presentation featuring Piper Kerman, author of Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, as this year's Ordinary People, Extraordinary Stories event. We welcome individuals and organizations to join us for this special evening in BGSU's Bowen-Thompson Student Union Lenhart Grand Ballroom. Tickets are available for purchase at the event website. The Wm. T. Jerome Library will be the home of the new Collab Lab. This space will be a hands-on, creative space for students, faculty, staff and community members to engage in collaborative work. Its goal will be to support teams of innovators working together to conceive, create, develop and refine new products and services that leverage the unique talents inherent to the University. Our student employees continue to be an integral part of our day-to-day operations and serve as the face of the library on campus. Each year, University Libraries awards competitive scholarships through the UL Student Employee Scholarship Fund. Donors can support students by committing $1,000 for three years for an undergraduate student or $1,500 for two years for a graduate student. Contributions of any amount are welcomed and are used to provide $100 awards to student employees in the Fall semester. These gifts truly make an impact on the academic success of our student employees.  If you are interested in supporting a student employee, click here. In addition, two student employees were recognized in April by the Friends of the University Libraries for their exemplary service. Undergraduate student, Laney Buechner and graduate student, Benjamin Zauski, received the Friends Student Employee Award. I encourage you to make us a part of your 2016 Homecoming activities. The University Libraries will host Great Lakes, Great Beers on the evening of Friday, September 30. After you take in the Homecoming Parade set sail with us for a nautical journey through the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes. Great Lakes-themed craft beer and food samplings will be available, all while exploring artifacts from the collection. In addition, join us Saturday, October 1 at Falcon Tailgate Park to cheer on the BGSU Falcon football team as they take on Eastern Michigan at Doyt Perry Stadium. I am also happy to introduce you to our new Director of Development, Brittany Powell. Previously, Brittany was the Assistant Director of Development in the Office of the President at BGSU. In her role as the liaison to the Office of Advancement, she oversees major gifts for the University Libraries, Student Affairs and the College of Arts & Sciences. We have a cohort of 18 students enrolled in the Falcon Learning Your Way (FLY) program. This program is an intensive, individualized academic support program for students with various levels of learning and attention differences. Each participant works directly with a full-time Learning Specialist within the BGSU Learning Commons, as well as an assigned tutor and writing consultant for each enrolled course. In 2017, the Wm. T. Jerome Library will celebrate our 50th anniversary. Our facilities, resources, special collections and public services have reached new heights of excellence. To commemorate this milestone, we are planning a very exciting schedule of events. Please look for upcoming announcements about activities celebrating this significant year. I thank each of you who continue to generously support the University Libraries. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you have about the University Libraries' collections, programs and services. Sara A. Bushong Dean, University Libraries Get Connected! Want to hear about what’s going on at the University Libraries? Meet up with us on our Bowling Green State University Libraries Facebook page or follow @BGSULibraries on Twitter to learn about new books, resources, services and upcoming events.