March 2024

Message from the Dean: Supporting Students in Snell and Beyond

Since our last newsletter, tremendous progress has been made on the renovation of Snell Library. We welcomed students back to a completely remade fourth floor, filled with comfortable, naturally lit spaces for quiet study and active collaboration. Our new lower level also reopened, providing additional seating, conference rooms, and a high-use book collection, and showcasing our incredible, unique archives and special collections. Next up: an exciting, glass-enclosed event space on the first floor, and entirely new second and third floors. We hope you’ll stop by to see the new Snell the next time you’re in Boston!

At the same time, our library services have continued to expand across Northeastern’s global campus network. In this newsletter, you will find updates about helpful student resources, support for advanced research, resources for alumni, and the depth and scope of our library in Oakland. The University Library System — our staff and collections — now reaches students and faculty in three countries and seven states.

We’re thrilled to be a key part of Northeastern’s expanding world of learning.

Dan Cohen
Dean of the Library

Please enjoy these photos of the popular new 4th floor of Snell Library:

New Hires

The Northeastern University Library has welcomed the following staff members in recent months:

La’a Anthony, Library Circulation Specialist, Oakland
Eleanor Davis, Library Specialist—Interlibrary Loan and Acquisitions, Oakland
Peter Fan, Collaborative Research Data Specialist, Boston
Andrew Henson, Collaborative Research Services Specialist, Boston
Matthew Hurley, Reference Librarian, Oakland
Joel Lee, Data Engineer, Boston
Caitlin Pollock, Associate Director—Digital Scholarship Group, Boston
Cristhel Santillan, User Experience/User Interface Specialist, Boston
Noah Snell, Evening & Weekend Monitor, Oakland
Joy Zanghi, Project Archivist—Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, Boston

New Library Program Managers Support Students in Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Online Learning

By Evan Simpson

The library is pleased to introduce our new program managers, demonstrating where we are investing in library services for our students and researchers. These new roles recognize the increasing amount of support required to keep pace with an expanding student body and research enterprise, particularly in engineering and business, and to support the growth of hybrid and online programs across the network.

 

Jodi Bolognese is the library’s new Library Program Manager for Engineering, leading a team that oversees library support for the College of Engineering. Jodi came to Northeastern in 2020 and has helped the library build support for first-year engineering students and provide access to specialized resources such as engineering standards.

 

 

 

Khyle Hannan is the library’s new Library Program Manager for Entrepreneurship. Khyle joined the library staff in 2018 and will coordinate support for the D’Amore-McKim School of Business and entrepreneurial initiatives at Northeastern, including student projects and incubators.

 

 

 

Dina Meky is the library’s new Library Program Manager for Online Learning. Dina joined the library in 2019 and is a graduate of Northeastern’s College of Education with a Master’s in Instructional Design. She will be ensuring high-quality library support for Northeastern’s online programs across the network.

 

 

 

 

Donor Spotlight: Salem Alnuaimi, DMSB’01

by Michal Biletzki

Salem Alnuaimi, DMSB’01, is a successful businessman in Abu Dhabi, serving as chairman of the Wio Bank UAE and managing director of the Abu Dhabi Pension Fund. Though he graduated less than a quarter century ago, Salem has already made his mark on Northeastern with a major gift in support of co-ops and the University Library system — a dual-purpose gift he considers to be what he owes Northeastern for giving him the tools, the community, and the experience he needed in order to be successful.

Salem began his undergraduate studies at Boston University, but quickly realized it wasn’t a good fit for him. The campus did not feel welcoming, classes were too big, and he did not find a community there. A year later, he transferred to Northeastern University and found what he was looking for.

“The classes were just the right size,” he reminisced. The campus was a community (and later a home-away-from-home when his brother became a Husky as well, at the College of Engineering), the library was at the center of it all, and of course, there was no equivalent anywhere else for the experience he gained through his co-ops at the Central Bank at the UAE and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

“Northeastern played a big part in getting me here,” he said. “Not only academically, but in preparing for the world in terms of welcoming me as a student and making me feel like I was part of a community.”

Several years ago, when he was in a position to give back, an email to alumni piqued his interest in supporting Northeastern and he chose the library as one of the beneficiaries of his monthly contribution. He recalls Snell Library always being central to his academic experience. Physically, it is the center of campus, and even if he wasn’t going to the library, he would pass by it and knew that everyone else did, too. If giving back meant allowing others to have the experience that he had, supporting the library allowed him to support all Northeastern’s students — the significance of the library to the campus and to the Northeastern Global Network meant that Salem’s gift was also important.

A few years later, through meeting with university leadership and staff, Salem inquired and learned more about the library’s role and how his gifts can have an impact on the Northeastern community. Salem chose to make an even larger gift, and now his endowed gift to the library will support new services, equipment, and events at Snell Library, and will be mostly designated to enhancing experiential student activities through the library.

Truly manifesting his own path through his gifts to Northeastern, Salem also asked about supporting the co-op program — a program that guided his own road to success and taught him many important corporate and business lessons as an undergraduate. Supporting the co-op program in the United Arab Emirates, his endowed gift will enable Northeastern to support students who choose to complete their co-op in the UAE and require additional funds to make their international co-op experience possible.

“It’s a privilege and it’s a responsibility that I feel I need to give back to the community that helped create and support me in the way that it did,” he said. Salem’s commitment and connection to Northeastern and the library is the strongest testament to the impact Northeastern has its students, and his generosity and thoughtfulness in giving back are sure to have an impact on the Husky community for many years to come.

To join Salem in supporting the Northeastern University Library, visit our support page or email Michal Biletzki at [email protected].

Mills College Library Special Collections Hold Unique Treasures

By Janice Braun

The F. W. Olin Library serves the Oakland campus and the global network of Northeastern University. With its creekside location and two-story windows, the library is a much-used and appreciated study space. Strengths of the circulating collection include performing and fine arts, women’s studies, ethnic studies, and California history.

The Oakland library is also home to Special Collections and the Elinor Raas Heller Rare Book Room. The Heller Room, which serves as the reading room for Special Collections, welcomes individuals and classes who consult rare books, archives, and manuscripts for assignments, research, and other projects. Events are also held in this spacious and inviting room, such as the annual faculty author program, which takes place during National Library Week.

The rare book collection was started in 1920 by Mills College benefactor Albert M. Bender with an initial donation of six volumes. Bender ultimately made many donations and was in frequent communication with then-President Aurelia Henry Reinhardt. In one letter, he writes, “I have been figuring on a visit to the College for the last few weeks. My desk is loaded with gifts for the little collection, and I am anxious to put them in their permanent home.” Bender supported many bibliophilic and other endeavors as well as individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. The F. W. Olin Library houses Bender’s papers, which are a fascinating record of his philanthropic and social activities, with correspondence from artists, writers, fine press printers, and others. The papers include letters, cards, and photographs from Ansel Adams, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Robinson and Una Jeffers, Georgia O’Keeffe, and John Steinbeck.

In addition to the Bender Papers, Oakland’s Special Collections has a number of other archives. One in frequent use is the Pauline Oliveros Papers. Pauline Oliveros was a pioneer in the field of electronic music, co-founding the San Francisco Tape Music Center (later the Center for Contemporary Music) in 1961. Her papers include manuscript scores, photographs, programs, and ephemera. Another notable archive is the Beate Sirota Gordon Papers. After graduating from Mills College in 1943, she worked extensively on the post-World War II research for the Japanese Constitution, was a translator for part of the negotiations, and authored Article 24 on women’s rights. She later worked with the Japan Society and Asia Society in bringing performers from all over Asia to the United States.

There are more than a dozen discrete rare book collections. The Early Printed Books collection has several volumes from the 15th century including a leaf from a Gutenberg Bible (circa 1455). There are also a dozen early printed books by women printers and publishers. Other rare books are on the subjects of dance, women’s history, bookbinding and papermaking, and the artist and musician, Patti Smith.

The Fine Press and Artists’ Books collection, with over 5,000 volumes and a considerable array of fine press ephemera, is a strength of Special Collections. Books date from the late 19th century to the present, with a wide variety of examples both domestic and international presses and artists. While some presses are represented by one or two books, many are more comprehensive, such as Claire Van Vliet’s Janus Press, with work across several decades. Similarly, Julie Chen’s Flying Fish Press has books spanning the 20th and 21st centuries. Chen received her master’s degree from Mills College and was on the faculty for many years. Her work exemplifies the idea of an artist’s book: merging innovative structure and content into the handmade book that draws the individual into the reading experience. Her book Panorama, stretching out to five feet in length with two large-format pop-ups, addresses the subject of climate change.

William Morris’ late-19th century Kelmscott press is well-represented with about half of the press’ output. The stunning masterpiece, The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, commonly known as the Kelmscott Chaucer (published in 1896 in a limited edition of 425 copies) is one such book. This book contains 87 illustrations by Edward Burne-Jones and multiple borders and other decorative elements by Morris. A current exhibition in the library on artists’ books draws from this and other presses presenting them within a historical context.

The above description is just a sampling of the offerings in Oakland. Students, faculty, and staff from Northeastern’s global network are encouraged to make use of the Special Collections. Many opportunities abound for studying the continuity of history, artistic expression, and material culture.

Alumni Resources

Alumni of Northeastern University retain access to a selection of library resources. Learn more here.

Access

Alumni can access selected library resources with a Northeastern alumni account.

If you graduated in 2013 or later, your login and password for the library remain the same as your student account. Please submit this form for continued access.

If you graduated before 2013, visit the Office of Alumni Relations website to retrieve your username and password.

OverDrive

Looking for your next great read? Northeastern University Library is proud to announce our new OverDrive platform, which offers a dynamic collection of e-books and audiobooks to all members of the Northeastern community. Enjoy curated selections of new fiction, popular nonfiction, classic works, and audiobooks. It works in conjunction with the Libby app!

Databases

Many business and entrepreneurship resources are available, including:

• BCC Research, containing market research reports and forecasts
• Mergent Intellect, allowing users to access active and inactive company info, search public companies, and generate industry and investment analyses
• Sloan Management Review, the leading source of business news and professional literature.

Connect to more online resources available to Northeastern alumni on our Online Research for Alumni page.

Giving Day 2024

Get ready: Giving Day is almost here!

On Thursday, April 11, the Northeastern community will reunite for an exciting day filled with challenges and celebrations. Through this 24-hour celebration of philanthropy, and with your support of the library, we will be able to continue to provide our students and faculty with top-notch services and resources — in Boston and across the Northeastern Global Network. A small gesture goes a long way, and together, we will make this the best Giving Day yet!

Want to get in early? Visit our website at givingday.northeastern.edu to make your gift. And come back often to check an ever-growing roster of Giving Day challenges that can help your gift make an even bigger impact.