Wood, Charles

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CommonKnowledge

Volume 21 , Number 2 Oregon Libraries: Ideas at Work | Pages 3 - 4
9-9-2015
Volume 21 Issue 2 Introduction
Charles Wood
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OLA Quarterly is an official publication of the Oregon Library Association | ISSN 1093-7374 | http://commons.pacificu.edu/olaq
Wood, C. (2015). Volume 21 Issue 2 Introduction. OLA Quarterly, 21(2), 3-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.7710/1093-7374.1795
 3
Oregon Libraries: Ideas at Work
Oregon is an inspiration. Whether you come to it, or are born to it, you become entranced  
by our state’s beauty, the opportunity she affords, and the independent spirit of her citizens.
—Tom mccall, Governor of Oregon from 1967 to 1975
Oregon is known for its natural beauty, its friendly people and their innovative ideas. The New York Times frequently writes 
about the state’s music, art and food scene, especially Oregon’s Pinots and Portland’s food carts. Oregon State University 
recently patented a strain of dulse seaweed that tastes like bacon (Oregon State University, 2015). Nike shoes and Intel com-
puter processors are known worldwide. There was even a Keep Portland Weird festival in Paris, France in 2012 (Moroz, 2012). 
State policy concepts such as Governor Oswald West’s plan in 1913 to designate the entire Oregon Coast as public property are 
concepts which Oregonians are thankful for today (Blakely, 2013). 
The uniqueness of these wonderful ideas naturally leads to wondering about the conditions that made them possible. One 
of my favorite examples from Oregon history regards the Civilian Public Service Camp near Waldport on the Oregon Coast that 
housed conscientious objectors during World War II. Many were writers and artists, so they organized art classes and theater pro-
ductions to pass the time. Some of their writings and paintings have been saved in the Special Collections of the Watzek Library 
at Lewis & Clark College (http://digitalcollections.lclark.edu/exhibits/show/civilian-public-service-collec/archival-collections). 
After the war many camp occupants went to San Francisco and started the counter-culture movement; they were the original 
beatniks (Kirkland, 2005). Oregon Poet Laureate William Stafford spent time in Civilian Public Service camps as well, but in 
Arkansas and California (Poetry Foundation, 2015).
Another example of Oregon innovation began when radio engineers Howard Vollum and Jack Murdock returned from 
World War II. Together they started Tektronix, an electronics company that produced the world’s finest oscilloscopes, criti-
cal for technological developments in telecommunications, computers, semiconductors, medicine, aviation and space explo-
ration. To encourage experimentation and product invention, Tektronix allowed every employee access to spare parts. Many 
Tektronix employees started their own companies, which led to a technology cluster in Oregon called the Silicon Forest. In 
addition to treating women as equals in this egalitarian company, Vollum and Murdock created a new management style 
based on trust, creativity and hard work which inspired their employees to invent products that would change the world 
(OPB, 2010). These values are similar to those espoused in the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association  
(http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics).
Can Oregon libraries create conditions that would similarly empower their employees to develop new ideas to serve their 
patrons? What kind of ideas will Oregonians have as a result of visiting their local libraries?  These are questions that will con-
tinue to be answered by librarians long after this issue is published.
This issue of the OLAQ is intended to be a summer potluck, except instead of food, librarians have brought their latest 
ideas to share with colleagues around our beautiful state. Many of these ideas were born in response to challenges these libraries 
face, challenges that may be similar to issues that your library is working to resolve. The following five articles candidly describe 
the authors’ experiences implementing their ideas, including practicalities and pitfalls they faced. These stories may help oth-
 4
O R E G O N  L I B R A R Y  A S S O C I A T I O N
ers save time, money and effort while providing inspiration from their successes. 
Molly Gunderson and Turner Masland describe an electronic document delivery 
service they developed for Portland State University to reduce the time and effort 
expended to fulfill article requests from students and faculty. Kelly Peterson-
Fairchild and Aja Bettencourt-McCarthy discuss their use of a general education 
review at Oregon Tech as an opportunity to advocate for, and implement more 
Information Literacy instruction throughout the curriculum. Lydia Harlan and 
Miriam Rigby detail the complex process of the University of Oregon Librar-
ies’ response to student interest in the development of a comprehensive Popular 
Reading Collection. Stephanie Chase, Karen Muller and Erin Sharwell report on 
exciting and innovative new developments at the Hillsboro Public Library, includ-
ing reorganizing children’s books by subject matter for easier access, creating new 
ways of getting books to the public via book vending machines and mobile collec-
tions, and expanding their “library of things” collection to include kitchen gadgets, 
programmable robots, and outdoor recreation equipment. Heather McNeil rounds 
out the issue with wonderful news regarding the creation of early learning spaces 
in Deschutes County Public Libraries, where the community has come together to 
support children’s early learning through creative play, discovery and exploration. 
We hope you find the Summer 2015 issue of the OLAQ useful and interesting. 
Please enjoy the rest of your summer! 
—charles Wood 
OLAQ Guest Editor
Volunteer Librarian
Aloha Community Library
Drexel University, MSLIS 2010
References
Blakely, J. (2013, February 5). The History of Oregon’s Public Shore. Retrieved September 1, 2015,  
from http://celebratetheshore.org/history/
Kirkland, K. (2005, January 19). Objectors to War. Retrieved September 1, 2015,  
from https://www.pdx.edu/magazine/news/objectors-to-war
Moroz, S. (2012, April 24). Paris Festival Looks Beyond Borders to Portland, Ore. The New York Times.  
Retrieved September 1, 2015,  
from http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/24/paris-festival-looks-beyond-borders-to-portland-ore/?_r=0
OSU researchers discover the unicorn—seaweed that tastes like bacon! (2015, July 14). Retrieved September 1, 2015, 
from http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2015/jul/osu-researchers-discover-unicorn-–-seaweed-tastes-bacon
The Spirit of Tek. (2010, May 3). Retrieved September 1, 2015,  
from http://www.opb.org/television/programs/oregonexperience/segment/the-spirit-of-tek-/
William E. Stafford. (2015). Retrieved September 1, 2015,  
from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/william-e-stafford


Volume 21 Issue 2 Introduction

OJS at Oregondigital.org (Oregon State University / University of Oregon)

OLA Quarterly Volume 21 Number 2 Oregon Libraries: Ideas at Work 9-9-2015 Volume 21 Issue 2 Introduction Charles Wood Recommended Citation Wood, C. (2015). Volume 21 Issue 2 Introduction. OLA Quarterly, 21(2), 3-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.7710/1093-7374.1795 © 2015 by the author(s). OLA Quarterly is an official publication of the Oregon Library Association | ISSN 1093-7374  3Oregon Libraries: Ideas at WorkOregon is an inspiration. Whether you come to it, or are born to it, you become entranced  by our state’s beauty, the opportunity she affords, and the independent spirit of her citizens.—Tom mccall, Governor of Oregon from 1967 to 1975Oregon is known for its natural beauty, its friendly people and their innovative ideas. The New York Times frequently writes about the state’s music, art and food scene, especially Oregon’s Pinots and Portland’s food carts. Oregon State University recently patented a strain of dulse seaweed that tastes like bacon (Oregon State University, 2015). Nike shoes and Intel com-puter processors are known worldwide. There was even a Keep Portland Weird festival in Paris, France in 2012 (Moroz, 2012). State policy concepts such as Governor Oswald West’s plan in 1913 to designate the entire Oregon Coast as public property are concepts which Oregonians are thankful for today (Blakely, 2013). The uniqueness of these wonderful ideas naturally leads to wondering about the conditions that made them possible. One of my favorite examples from Oregon history regards the Civilian Public Service Camp near Waldport on the Oregon Coast that housed conscientious objectors during World War II. Many were writers and artists, so they organized art classes and theater pro-ductions to pass the time. Some of their writings and paintings have been saved in the Special Collections of the Watzek Library at Lewis & Clark College (http://digitalcollections.lclark.edu/exhibits/show/civilian-public-service-collec/archival-collections). After the war many camp occupants went to San Francisco and started the counter-culture movement; they were the original beatniks (Kirkland, 2005). Oregon Poet Laureate William Stafford spent time in Civilian Public Service camps as well, but in Arkansas and California (Poetry Foundation, 2015).Another example of Oregon innovation began when radio engineers Howard Vollum and Jack Murdock returned from World War II. Together they started Tektronix, an electronics company that produced the world’s finest oscilloscopes, criti-cal for technological developments in telecommunications, computers, semiconductors, medicine, aviation and space explo-ration. To encourage experimentation and product invention, Tektronix allowed every employee access to spare parts. Many Tektronix employees started their own companies, which led to a technology cluster in Oregon called the Silicon Forest. In addition to treating women as equals in this egalitarian company, Vollum and Murdock created a new management style based on trust, creativity and hard work which inspired their employees to invent products that would change the world (OPB, 2010). These values are similar to those espoused in the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association  (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics).Can Oregon libraries create conditions that would similarly empower their employees to develop new ideas to serve their patrons? What kind of ideas will Oregonians have as a result of visiting their local libraries?  These are questions that will con-tinue to be answered by librarians long after this issue is published.This issue of the OLAQ is intended to be a summer potluck, except instead of food, librarians have brought their latest ideas to share with colleagues around our beautiful state. Many of these ideas were born in response to challenges these libraries face, challenges that may be similar to issues that your library is working to resolve. The following five articles candidly describe the authors’ experiences implementing their ideas, including practicalities and pitfalls they faced. These stories may help oth- 4O R E G O N  L I B R A R Y  A S S O C I A T I O Ners save time, money and effort while providing inspiration from their successes. Molly Gunderson and Turner Masland describe an electronic document delivery service they developed for Portland State University to reduce the time and effort expended to fulfill article requests from students and faculty. Kelly Peterson-Fairchild and Aja Bettencourt-McCarthy discuss their use of a general education review at Oregon Tech as an opportunity to advocate for, and implement more Information Literacy instruction throughout the curriculum. Lydia Harlan and Miriam Rigby detail the complex process of the University of Oregon Librar-ies’ response to student interest in the development of a comprehensive Popular Reading Collection. Stephanie Chase, Karen Muller and Erin Sharwell report on exciting and innovative new developments at the Hillsboro Public Library, includ-ing reorganizing children’s books by subject matter for easier access, creating new ways of getting books to the public via book vending machines and mobile collec-tions, and expanding their “library of things” collection to include kitchen gadgets, programmable robots, and outdoor recreation equipment. Heather McNeil rounds out the issue with wonderful news regarding the creation of early learning spaces in Deschutes County Public Libraries, where the community has come together to support children’s early learning through creative play, discovery and exploration. We hope you find the Summer 2015 issue of the OLAQ useful and interesting. Please enjoy the rest of your summer! —charles Wood OLAQ Guest EditorVolunteer LibrarianAloha Community LibraryDrexel University, MSLIS 2010ReferencesBlakely, J. (2013, February 5). The History of Oregon’s Public Shore. Retrieved September 1, 2015,  from http://celebratetheshore.org/history/Kirkland, K. (2005, January 19). Objectors to War. Retrieved September 1, 2015,  from https://www.pdx.edu/magazine/news/objectors-to-warMoroz, S. (2012, April 24). Paris Festival Looks Beyond Borders to Portland, Ore. The New York Times.  Retrieved September 1, 2015,  from http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/24/paris-festival-looks-beyond-borders-to-portland-ore/?_r=0OSU researchers discover the unicorn—seaweed that tastes like bacon! (2015, July 14). Retrieved September 1, 2015, from http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2015/jul/osu-researchers-discover-unicorn-–-seaweed-tastes-baconThe Spirit of Tek. (2010, May 3). Retrieved September 1, 2015,  from http://www.opb.org/television/programs/oregonexperience/segment/the-spirit-of-tek-/William E. Stafford. (2015). Retrieved September 1, 2015,  from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/william-e-stafford

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