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Good News ! The Betsy Nield Nursing Heritage Library has become a reality. The dedication and opening of the library is scheduled for September 3, 2009 at 4:00PM at the URI College of Nursing in White Hall.
The Heritage Committee worked hard this year to sort, catalogue and update Delta Upsilon’s history collection. We were assisted by Sybil Akins ,outstanding librarian volunteer , who took on the task of setting up the library for us and providing the expertise to help us manage it. She was joined by Abigail Baker, a librarian student volunteer , who also contributed to our effort. The chapter appreciated that in addition to our required archives; the nursing historical collection of significant materials, including books in the Martha E. Barden Historical Room (dedicated in her honor in 1986) had expanded beyond the room’s capacity and realized that people lacked access. The decision was made to divide the collection into separate display and library rooms and to honor Betsy NIeld for her leadership in sustaining the growth of our chapter’s Heritage Program and being instrumental to Delta Upsilon receiving the Heritage Award from Sigma Theta Tau, Int’l in 1995. We are looking forward to nursing undergraduates and graduate students, faculty and the community accessing the materials and hope that they gain an appreciation and understanding of our past to help shape our future. We also plan to collect and preserve historically significant materials from closed schools of nursing and other health care institutions in Rhode Island to assure that current and future generations can appreciate the development of nursing and its valuable contributions throughout our history.
The Betsy Nield Nursing Heritage library was made possible by impressive support. We received a grant of $9000 from the Champlin Foundations for the furnishings and computer in December 2008. Delta Upsilon Chapter at Large and the URI College of Nursing provided generous funding for the additional items to complete the room. We cannot express our appreciation enough to Sybil Akins for her commitment and hard work in making the library possible and to Abigail Baker for her contribution. There were many others in the chapter and the college who provided the advice, support and assistance to enable the project. We thank everyone who made this library possible.
We plan next to refurbish the Martha E Barden Historical Room, complete the library and further the Heritage Program for the Chapter. To support this work of the committee and to honor them, The Barden-Nield Heritage Fund was established by Delta Upsilon. The fund will support these efforts and needs not covered by a grant or the chapter’s budget. Contributions to the fund will be greatly appreciated. Contribution checks should be made out to: Delta Upsilon Chapter at-Large with “Barden-Nield Heritage Fund” noted in the memo area. Send to The Barden-Nield Heritage Fund, Delta Upsilon Chapter at-Large, URI College of Nursing, White Hall, 2 Heathman Road, Kingston, RI 02881.
Heritage Committee members are: Barbara Colvin, Pauline Covington, Maureen McKenna, Lois Monteiro, Amie Richard, (Community representatives), Jacqueline Janicki from Salve Regina University), Nancy Blasdell and Claire Creamer (both from RIC), ecently resigned. We thank them all for their outstanding efforts in enriching our Heritage Program and the two wonderful Exhibits this year: “Nurses at War” and “Development of Critical Care Nursing.” We need faculty and student representatives from URI and RIC on the Heritage Committee to enable us to integrate our efforts and be meaningful for the member schools. Please join us. Become part of our dynamic committee.
Contact: Sandra Zion at sandrazhamolsky@cox.net or verizon.net
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