Interview with Michael Bernard Binder, June 11, 2013

Partial Transcript: Even when I was at NYU as an undergraduate, I was working. For example, one job I had was going down to the 92nd St. Y which has a beautiful concert hall, then I worked as an usher, so I'd go to classes and then at night I'd work as an usher.

Segment Synopsis: Dr. Binder describes his education and going on to graduate school.

Keywords: Arlington, Viriginia; Catalog cards; City College Engineeering Library in New York; Defence Intelligence Agency Library; Engineering students; Harvard Medical School Library; LeSieur, Robin; New York Public Research Library; New York University; Rutgers University Library; Summer camps; Swimming; Tennis; University of Pittsburgh Ph.D. program

Subjects: Academic Libraries Binder, Michael B., 1943- Library Administrators Library Deans Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries

Partial Transcript: And then I was recruited to work as the first director of the regional library in Bradford Pennsylvania of the University of Pittsburgh.

Segment Synopsis: Talks about his job experiences at universities in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York.

Keywords: Fairley Dickinson University; Graduate Assistantships; Ph.D. programs; Post-masters fellowships; Technical Services; University of Virginia

Subjects: Academic Libraries Binder, Michael B., 1943- Library Administrators Library Deans Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries

Partial Transcript: It was very difficult actually, because it was not well regarded by the university, and one of my goals, I had a lot of goals, but one of them was to try to raise that to a different level of prominence and visibility.

Segment Synopsis: His first years at WKU, the change from director to dean of the Libraries, and raising the status of the Kentucky Library and Museum.

Keywords: Cataloging; Earl Wassom; Kentucky Building; Kentucky Library; Kentucky Museum; Librarians - Faculty status; Library Directors; Riley Handy; Special Collections

Subjects: Academic Libraries Binder, Michael B., 1943- Library Administrators Library Deans Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries

Partial Transcript: I gave a paper in Boston one year at the Library Information Technology Association talking about our development on a panel and also in Charleston at the Off-Campus Library Services conference.

Segment Synopsis: Recounts his major accomplishments at WKU Libraries.

Keywords: Bowling Green Public Library; Digital Institutional Repository, Mobile websites; Information Portal; Integrated Library System; iPad app; iPhone app; Kentucky Virtual Library (KYVL); Outreach services; Public Services; Southern Kentucky Book Fest; Technical Services; Topper Info Portal (TIP); WKU Elizabethtown Regional Campus; WKU Glasgow Regional Camp

Subjects: Academic Libraries Binder, Michael B., 1943- Library Administrators Library Deans Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries

Partial Transcript: The main recurring cost is for recurring publications: newspapers, subscriptions to journals, both trade and academic, and the lack of recognition that that was as important as utilities drove me to a major innovation in a funding sense.

Segment Synopsis: Talks about the process of funding new library initiatives on campus.

Keywords: Academic libraries - funding; Electronic resources; Faculty Senate; Periodicals; Rising costs of library materials

Subjects: Academic Libraries Binder, Michael B., 1943- Library Administrators Library Deans Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries

Partial Transcript: We had a book and it was in the circulating stacks that was obtained because we were teaching the literature of pornography in one of the classes, and there was an objection.

Segment Synopsis: Talks about the few instances of challenged materials in WKU Libraries.

Keywords: Challenged materials policy; Community members; Jack Montgomery; Library Friends; literature of pornography; Playboy magazine

Subjects: Academic Libraries Binder, Michael B., 1943- Library Administrators Library Deans Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries

Partial Transcript: A very fine librarian by the name of John Cudd, and we don't know whether it was on purpose or accident; it was very warm, and the story was that he reached out of the window ... in his office to get air and he fell to his death.

Segment Synopsis: Tells about the Humanities librarian who either jumped or fell from his office window in Cravens.

Keywords: Deaths in libraries; John Cudd; Sally Ann Strickler

Subjects: Academic Libraries Binder, Michael B., 1943- Library Administrators Library Deans Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries

Partial Transcript: It wasn't unusual, and to this day continues that we would have headliners, two or three headliners, each year.

Segment Synopsis: Talks about the SOKY Book Fest's origins and main attractions.

Keywords: Author's reception; Authors appearances; Libraries - public programs; Lisa Scottolini; Literacy promotion; Nicholas Sparks; Southern Kentucky Book Fest

Subjects: Academic Libraries Binder, Michael B., 1943- Library Administrators Library Deans Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries

Partial Transcript: Our President stood up, Gary Ransdell, and made an amendment to the proposal that there be the development of a Kentucky Virtual Library as part of the Kentucky Virtual University.

Segment Synopsis:

Keywords: Chuck Anderson, former Vice President for Information Technology at WKU; Frankfort, KY; Gary Ransdell, President of WKU; Integrated Library System; Kentucky Virtual Library Advisory Committee; Kentucky Virtual University; State Assisted Academic Library Council of Kentucky; WKU Glasgow Regional Campus

Subjects: Academic Libraries Binder, Michael B., 1943- Library Administrators Library Deans Oral History Western Kentucky University Libraries