Recognition Is Best Served COLD
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In a referendum held March 13-14, 2002, SDSU students voted to recommend implementation of a student library use fee in support of longer library hours and increased access to materials beginning in fall 2002. If implemented by the chancellor, a $10 mandatory fee would be paid each semester by enrolled students, with a maximum $8 fee paid by summer enrollees. Based on current enrollment projections, this fee would add $657,000 next year to support enhanced library services. The Reserve Book Room would remain open 24 hours a day, while the Library and Student Computing Center would not close until 1:00 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays, adding 12.5 hours of Library and 5 hours of computing center operation. In its support of the fee, the Daily Aztec editorialized that "higher education is about self-teaching, but it becomes quite difficult to teach oneself when access to information is limited."

Librarians and library staff members are proud of their service-oriented profession and look forward to providing Library and computing services that will better meet the needs of SDSU students

New Special Collections Librarian Brings a Wealth of Experience to SDSU
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Cristina's resume would make many celebrities envious. After college, she was a substitute teacher with the Boston Public School System. In 1984, she helped to found Acme Artists, which was a theatre company in Boston that staged new and experimental plays. Also in Boston, she was the lead singer in a rock band comprised of library workers and local authors. In addition, she colored cartoon shorts.

Although Cristina has held several non-library jobs, she has spent most of her working life in libraries. Her first library job was at the Boston Public Library. "I started out as a library assistant and was lucky enough to be chosen for a new program that put two library employees a year through library school, and they rotated us through all sections of the library. I got a taste for all of the departments of a library, such as young adult and reference, as well as working in the branches. I was hooked from then on," she said. Her interest in archives began while working at the Andy Warhol Museum Archives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Not only is Cristina new to the SDSU Library, she is new to the West Coast. Cristina comes to us from Duke University in North Carolina, where she was the director of the Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture, which is part of the Duke Special Collections.

Below: Cristina Favretto in the Special Collections Department with a patron

It wasn't the warm weather or the proximity to the beaches that brought Cristina to SDSU; it was the SDSU Library's Special Collections and University Archives. "I was excited by the many opportunities inherent in this job and the great potential I see for Special Collections. I liked a lot of the faculty members I met during my visits here, and I was impressed with the interest in Special Collections and the opportunities to collaborate," Cristina said.

Cristina can be reached by e-mail at favretto@mail.sdsu.edu or by phone at (619) 594-1644.

A Partnership for Poetry
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"We bring poets and writers to campus who represent cultural and stylistic diversity in the contemporary literary scene and present these nationally and internationally known poets and authors to the students and wider San Diego community," said Victoria Featherstone, lecturer in English and faculty advisor for the Hugh Hyde series.

The Hugh C. Hyde Living Writers Series was endowed two and a half years ago by Hugh Hyde, a professor emeritus of English at Southwestern College. "I like to encourage students with their writing by having examples of people who are currently writing," Mr. Hyde said. "It feels good to be a part of a positive writing series that helps students."

The SDSU English and Comparative Literature Department sponsors the Hugh Hyde Writers Series, and the Library provides the venue, publicity, and logistics for the readings, said Markel Tumlin, reference librarian and liaison between the Library and the series sponsor. "I view this as a partnership. I can offer them (the English Department) a free space to put on the series. They can help us increase our visibility," Markel said.

Participating authors are selected by a committee of MFA students and their advisor. Last fall's roster of writers included novelist Richard Stern and poets Maggie Jaffe and Eduardo Arellano. Every reading has something different to offer, Victoria said.

"The readings are lively and inspiring. The writers are living and present and not just someone the students are experiencing in a book," Victoria said.

In fact, Victoria said that many of the student attendees previously had never been to a poetry reading. "Most students thought the readings would be boring, but they decided to give it a try. They have later told me how surprised they were by how much they enjoyed it," she added.

Aztec Shops provides books for sale at the reading if audience members wish to have the author sign a copy. There's no cost to attend the readings, which are held in Library Addition Room 2203. "We would like to invite everyone to attend. It can be an entertaining, fun evening of really good readings," Markel said.

In addition to the guest writer, Hugh Hyde usually makes an appearance and opens the event by reading a poem of his own. He remains active as a writer, penning poems in his Chula Vista home and regularly attending meetings of the San Diego Writers & Editors Guild.

Last revised February 19, 2003 by Laura Hudson