Lorraine J. Pellack (Knox)

Head, Science & Technology Department

Iowa State University Library

Associate Professor (tenured)

152 Parks Library

Ames, IA  50011-2140

 

 

 

 

Education:

Master of Library Science, 1982.  Emporia State University.

Bachelor of Science, 1981.  Major:  Biology.  Upper Iowa University.

 

 

Employment History:

9/98 to present:  Head, Science & Technology Department (tenured in 2005), Parks Library, Iowa State University. 

9/89 to 9/98: Assistant Science Librarian (tenured in 1994), Anschutz Science Library, University of Kansas. 

1/86 to 9/89: Physical Science Bibliographer/Reference Librarian & Branch Library Coordinator, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota. 

11/84 to 1/86: Life Science Bibliographer/Reference Librarian, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota. 

 

Job Duties:

Technically, I am the Head of the Science & Technology Department in the Parks Library.  Loosely translated, this means that I supervise the science portion of library staff, collections, and services.  I supervise 7 tenure-track science librarians (each with varying subject backgrounds and expertise who staff the Parks Library Help & Information Desk, teach library research skills, purchase materials for the collection, and conduct research in library science) and 2 paraprofessionals (in charge of maintaining the Reference Collection and other special projects).  I also currently serve as the subject specialist for two academic departments:  Geological & Atmospheric Sciences and Agricultural Education & Studies.  I fill in for other science subject areas during staff vacancies.   In the last 25+ years, I have become adept at working with research tools in almost every area of science & technology, including:  locating some of the most bizarrely-cited references, teaching researchers how to do cited reference searching, tracking down elusive conference proceedings, and working with technical reports, patents, industry standards, and dissertations.

 

 

Research Interests:

 

·         Impact of technostress and library anxiety on patrons

·         Recruitment and training of science librarians

·         Author name changes and impact on researchers

·         Specialized research tools – making them easier to use

·         Future of peer-review and alternative methods for showing research impact

 

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications:

 

Pellack, Lorraine J.  2006.  “Uncle Albert Needs You!  Individual Recruiting Efforts are a Necessity and an Obligation.”  Co-published simultaneously in Science & Technology Libraries, v. 27 (1/2): 55-70; and Recruiting, Training, and Retention of Science and Technology Librarians (ed. Patricia A. Kreitz and JoAnn DeVries), New York: Haworth Press, pp. 55-70.   Available as PDF file.  DOI:  10.1300/J122v27n01_05

 

Pellack, Lorraine J.  2005.  “Industry Standards in ARL Libraries:  Electronic and On-Demand,” Collection Building, v.24(1): 20-28.  Available as PDF file. 

 

Jackson, Rebecca and Pellack, Lorraine J. 2004.  ““Internet Subject Guides in Academic Libraries:  An Analysis of Contents, Practices, and Opinions,” Reference and User Services Quarterly, v. 43(4): 319-327. 

 

Pellack, Lorraine J.  2004.  “American Journal of Botany at 90:  A Librarian Perspective,” American Journal of Botany, v. 91(12): 1945-1948.  Invited Special Paper.  Available at: http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/reprint/91/12/1945

 

Pellack, Lorraine J.  2003.  “Interpersonal Skills in the Reference Workplace.”  Co-published simultaneously in The Reference Librarian, no. 83/84:  57-70; and Cooperative Reference: Social Interaction in the Workplace (ed. Celia Hales Mabry), New York: Haworth Press, pp. 57-70. Available as PDF file. 

 

Llewellyn, Richard D., Pellack, Lorraine J., and Shonrock, Diana D.  2002.  “The Use of Electronic-Only Journals in Scientific Research,” Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship no. 35 (Summer).  Available online:  http://www.istl.org/02-summer/refereed.html

 

Pellack, Lorraine J.  2002.  “Materials Science Resources on the Web,” Issues in Science & Technology Librarianship no. 34 (Spring).  Available online:  http://www.istl.org/02-spring/internet.html

 

Knox, Lorraine J.  1995.  "Aardvarks to Zoysia: A Primer on Genus Species Resources for the Non-Scientist."  RQ 34(3): 369-377.

 

 

Editorial Contributions:

 

Best Books for Academic Libraries – volume 1:  “Science, Technology, Agriculture.”  Temecula CA:  Best Books, Inc., 2002.

            Served as one of 12 Senior Advisors for volume 1. 

 

Union List of Geologic Field Trip Guidebooks of North America.  6th ed.  Compiled and edited by the Geoscience Information Society Guidebooks Committee, Richard Spohn, chair.  Alexandria, Va.: American Geological Institute, in cooperation with the Geoscience Information Society, c1996.

I was one of 11 committee members, each repre­senting a region of North America.  I was also one of four committee members who constructed the geographic index for this edition of the Union List.

 

 

Selected Committee Activities:

2008-2009 – Member, ILA/ACRL Mentoring Committee

5/05 to 4/09 – Member, ISU Library Promotion & Tenure Review Committee (2 year terms, elected by members of the ISU Library Faculty)

In 2007 – Chair of an ISU Library post-tenure review committee (elected by members of the committee)

In 2005 – Member of an ISU Library post-tenure review committee (appointed by the Dean of Libraries)

8/94 to 7/95 – Member, KU Libraries’ Committee on Promotion & Tenure - (elected by members of the KU Library Faculty Assembly) 

1/94 to 5/94 – Chair, Committee to Evaluate Service & Research - (elected by members of the KU Library Faculty Assembly).  We reviewed and provided merit ratings for the service and research files of all 43 librarians at KU.

 

Grant activities:

 

March 2003 --- Institute of Museum and Library Services grant for “Recruitment and Education of University Science and Health Sciences Librarians.”  This was a 5-year project for $392,347 with an additional $151,687 in matching funds.  The University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln joined together in this grant proposal.  The grant was designed to provide work experience via 9 assistantships (3 at each institution) targeted to library science students with undergraduate and graduate degrees in the sciences.  It is also designed to investigate alternative methods for recruiting new librarians in specialized subject areas such as science.  The Principal Investigator was from the University of Iowa.  I was listed as the library coordinator for the ISU Library portion of the project which involved supervising 3 student work experiences and working closely with librarians at the other 2 institutions to develop recruiting strategies.  (Funded)

 

November 2002 --- ISU Library Student Computer Fee Allocation Committee (CAC) funding - $12,969 to extend public computing and networked laser printing in the Parks Library, with Rebecca Jackson.  (Funded)

 

October 1999 --- CAC funding - $23,075 in for computer equipment additions for both the public area in Reference and laptops for instruction with Rebecca Jackson. (Funded)

 

March 1999 --- Internationalization/Globalization Grant from the ISU Council on International Programs - $17,000  to develop a web-based tutorial to provide library instruction to ISU international students.  Principal investigator was Rebecca Jackson.  Co-investigators were Lorraine Knox and Roberta Vann.  (Funded)

 

 

Web Pages:

 

Careers in Academic and Science Librarianship

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~pellack/AcadSciCareers.htm

 

Cited Reference Searching

http://ref.iastate.libguides.com/citedrefs

 

Current Awareness and Professional Aids for Science Librarians

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~pellack/CurrentAware.htm

 

Free Scientific Research Resources on the Web

http://ref.iastate.libguides.com/freescientific

 

How to Locate Conference Proceedings

http://ref.iastate.libguides.com/proceedings

 

Iowa-related Science Links

http://ref.iastate.libguides.com/iowascience 

 

Patent Information Guide

http://www.lib.iastate.edu/collections/eresourc/patents.html

 

Science Librarian Success Stories

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~pellack/SuccessStories.htm

 


Last updated:  May 12, 2008

©2008, Lorrie Pellack - Send questions or comments about this page

Personal webpage – http://www.public.iastate.edu/~pellack/

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