Glen Ferdman quietly arrived at Park University this past summer. But, he has been making waves of changes in the underground as the new Park University McAfee Memorial library director.
Ferdman was appointed to replace Ann Schlutis who retired after 16 years of service as library director.
Ferdman has a quiet but friendly demeanor about him – perhaps it is an acquired habit that comes with living in libraries most of his adult life. Ferdman pauses often to greet a familiar face – a student here, a staff member there.
Ferdman most recently came to Park from Devry University where he served as university librarian. This meant though he was at the Downer’s, Ill., campus – he was actually in charge of library operations for a university system encompassing more than 80,000 students at more than 90 locations online and worldwide.
Ferdman’s experience with multi-campus locations and online learning would serve well at Park. Park University has an annual student headcount of more than 22,000. There are 40 campus centers.
The waves of changes Ferdman has been making began almost as soon as he arrived. He started making changes with elements that he thought he could change immediately and did not require budgetary maneuvering. The McAfee’s décor this fall is very different from last semester and there are bean bag chairs.
There is a space dedicated to popular titles now and a “Great Books” reading room. There are more study carrels that have been evenly distributed across the library. The library’s food and drink policy has been reversed. Where before, food and drink was prohibited in the library – it is permissible to have food now.
Ferdman has undertaken all these changes with the hopes to increase the foot traffic in the library.
“Anecdotally, it seems that library usage is up compared to last year,” he said.
The Library has increased its e-book collection by 139,000 as result of an associate membership with the Missouri Library Consortium (MOBIUS). These are academic e-books supporting most of Park programs.
Ferdman is working Ingrid Stolzel, Director of Park’s International Center of Music, to move some of the performances of the students into the library. The library has also hired new assistant librarians.
Mika Mahyenga, president of the Park Student Government Association, said he is pleased with the changes that Ferdman has been implementing in the library.
“He has eased communication between the staff and the work studies,” Mahyenga said.
There are still some changes that are slotted for the future. Stephanie Stone, one of the recently hired library assistants, said that she has been hired as a virtual librarian. She will participate in online chats assisting patrons with finding reference materials. She has also been charged with doing online guides.
Ferdman has a rich history before arriving at Park University including walking the hallowed halls of the Vatican Library. It was in 1978, during a trip to the tiny state that is the center of Catholic faith and home of the Pope.
He says it houses “a truly inspiring collection.”
Ferdman has also visited the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. He regards the New York Public Library as well as the University of Chicago Library which he has both visited as great libraries.
As a keeper of books Ferdman is the perfect person to ask on what to read. Ferdman recommends the President of the United States to read “A Mindful Nation” written by Congressman Tim Ryan. The book is a call to America and its leaders to slow down and meditate.
Ferdman recommends that college students familiarize themselves with knowledge of some of the world’s works of scriptures whether it is the “Bible”, the “Koran” or the “Dao De Jing.” He said thinks this is necessary because these books have had a tremendous influence on world culture, thought and politics.
And because of he was a philosophy major in college, he also recommends that folks read the great works of Eastern and Western philosophy.
Ferdman’s travels do not just confine him to libraries. Ferdman lived in Israel for three years while undertaking postgraduate studies there. His roommate then was a South African. Ferdman finds himself at home in Park’s multicultural environment of more than 100 countries.
“I think the diversity of the university is astounding,” he says.
He said he is impressed with Park’s history of inclusivity. He was referring to the acceptance of then Park President William Young to have the college keep Nisei students despite popular opposition in Parkville in 1942. The Nisei were second generation Japanese American students who escaped internment in various camps nationwide, established as a result of World War II by attending college.
However, Ferdman said he was a little apprehensive about coming to Kansas City as a Chicago native. He thought he would miss his beloved blues music. However, he has been pleasantly surprised and thrilled to find the blues community here is more thriving than in the windy city where he is from. Chicago is generally considered the blues capital of the world.
“I am a huge Bears fan, and I have a banner attached to the railing of my balcony to prove it,” Ferdman said of his Chicago loyalty.
Surprisingly even though he is a librarian and lives among books, Ferdman’s personal library is quite small. It all goes back to his life that has been full of travel. He has had to cull his print book collection to very modest levels. “Now my personal book collection now I am sad to say can fit on two shelves,” he said.
