The Council of Botanical & Horticultural Libraries annual meeting in Denver, CO, May 25-28, 2022, will focus on the theme of “Elevate Change,” which highlights both Denver Botanic Gardens' location in a high-desert environment at 5,280 feet, and the many changes that COVID-19 has brought to our profession of librarianship.
The last few years have been challenging, but botanical/horticultural libraries, all libraries, have found new ways and new paths to embrace and adapt our work environments, our collections, and our interactions with the changing world. As we do, we have kept an eye on the long-term goal of growing, maintaining, and preserving our physical heritage of books and the invaluable knowledge they contain. In Denver, we will share our best practices in remote work, collections care and management, trends in technology and user engagement, and fresh strategies for adapting and flourishing in an ever-changing digital landscape.
Wednesday, May 25th
2:45 pm-- A Nature Boost: Using Forest Bathing in the Classroom, Kristen Mastel, University of Minnesota (in person)
Forest therapy, also known as shinrin yoku, improves physical and mental health through sensory mindfulness activities in nature. This makes it the perfect application to combat student burnout and chronic stress. Learn how an outreach librarian became a guide and put these skills into practice not only as a library outreach opportunity but also integrated them into the classroom. Forest therapy has been integrated into the architecture, family social science, public health, and environmental science coursework, along with the mental health services and Extension at this large research university.
3:15pm--Chronicle of the Exhibition “Botanical Art & Illustrations Through the Ages” at MSU Libraries, Suzi Teghtmeyer, Michigan State University (in person)
The Michigan State University Libraries (MSUL) does not leap to the top of minds when they think of a large botanical collection. I am trying to change that. In my (almost) 15 years at MSUL I’ve been purchasing rare, unique, and exquisite materials for our researchers and students to study and enjoy. This spring I’ve had the pleasure of installing a large exhibit in our ‘newer’ Special Collections Gallery, finally able to promote and showcase many of these vibrant treasure my predecessors and I have acquired. This talk will describe how my co-workers and I, despite social distancing, quarantines, working remotely, and poor catalog records, were able to assemble and mount “Botanical Art & Illustrations Through the Ages,” a colorful exhibition welcoming people back to campus post-pandemic. Over thirty items are arranged in 11 protective cases, including an herbal written in 1552, a Japanese scroll of botanical watercolors on mica paper, a volume of the Transylvania Florilegium, and works by Darwin, Linnaeus and Wm. Hooker. Please join me for a chronicle from exhibit planning during a global pandemic, through re-opening the doors to patrons and guests to a visual floral wonderland.
Thursday, May 26th
10am--Unearthing a Garden Legacy at the University of Denver, Meg Eastwood University of Denver, (in person)
The University of Denver today has very few medical or horticultural programs, despite our beautiful on-campus arboretum and strong organismal biology programs. After using the DU Libraries’ Cutler Family Papers collection to answer a reference question related to the history of the “University of Denver rose,” developed by DU botanist Ira E. Cutler, our DU archivist kindly informed me that the Cutler Family Papers include materials describing a botanical and pharmaceutical garden which once lived on our campus. The garden was created circa 1916, and our records include an overview of the garden planting of the era. In my presentation, I will trace the history of our almost-forgotten garden, explore the history of pharmaceutical gardens in the United States, and wrestle with Dr. Cutler’s unfortunate history in the field of eugenics in addition to his work in botany.
10:30am-- Creating Collaborations: Elevating Library Services Through Internal Partnerships, Eva Stefanski, Olbrich Botanical Gardens (zoom)
Now more than ever, we need active partners to help us reimagine and reinvigorate our services as we welcome back people to the library. After being closed 16 months due to Covid, Schumacher Library needed a focused and determined effort to re-open its doors and integrate its services into the Olbrich community. By building internal collaborative relationships and introducing new services, the effort has begun to see successful returns. For the first time, the library now has a resource-sharing partnership with the gift shop, educational partnerships staff horticulturalists, and a plant society pilot program to share society collections with library patrons. I will speak specifically to these collaborative partnerships that have elevated the library’s services – how they came about, what challenges arose, and where they are headed.
11am-- Reference Sources in the Digital Age: The Plant Humanities Research Portal, Taylor Johnson, Dumbarton Oaks (in person)
What is the role of traditional reference sources and bibliographies in the current research environment, and how can we adapt these materials for the digital age? This presentation proposes a model for updating traditional reference works, outlining the development of a new digital tool for botanical research in the humanities. The tool, the Plant Humanities Research Portal, analyzes published bibliographies of botanical literature, such as Pritzel’s Thesaurus literaturae botanicae omnium gentium, to create a searchable database. My talk lays out how this collaborative online project streamlines the research process by linking users directly to digitized materials and compiling resources in a single location. It concludes by considering how clear tagging and metadata can be used to improve search functionality.