Chester Fritz Library celebrates achievements
On Dec.5, Provost Thomas DiLorenzo joined Dean of Libraries & Information Resources Stephanie Walker in marking the accomplishments of the University of North Dakota Libraries. Addressing a group of over 20 library staff and friends, DiLorenzo extolled the innovations that Walker, who arrived at UND in 2015, has spearheaded.
“She is constantly coming up with ways to make improvements whether it is with technology, structurally, or within her staff,” he said.
One of Walker’s projects – the introduction of open educational resources (OERs) – has saved millions of dollars for students and garnered the attention of Congress, which mentioned North Dakota in the establishment of its OER grant program.
Other innovations include the creation of the One Button Studio, where student and faculty can promptly record video, the Scholarly Commons, a repository of UND research, and the upcoming V-Lab with capabilities for data visualization, virtual reality, robotics and digital content management.
Such novel developments earned the Chester Fritz Library the 2018 Most Innovative Library Award from the 12-state Mountain Plains Library Association.
Another major cause for celebration is the renovation of the Chester Fritz Library, which is already underway and will include a technology update from the current 100 MB to 1 GB.
DiLorenzo also congratulated Laurie McHenry, head of technical services at UND’s Thormodsgard Law Library, on being recognized as the 2018 North Dakota Librarian of the Year by the North Dakota Library Association.
