eNews Edition: Summer 2013
Even though retired librarians Ann and Dave Perkins recently relocated away from their long-time Northridge home, their continuing support of Library scholarships and their ongoing service to the campus as emeritus faculty keeps them closely tied to CSUN and the Oviatt.
Ann and Dave began working at the Oviatt Library in 1970. Dave worked as the Head of Collection Development for most of his years at CSUN. Ann was a Reference Librarian, and then Chair of Public Services for her last 15 years. Over the course of their long tenure at the Oviatt, the two found themselves front and center during a time of tremendous growth and change: the conversion of the card catalog to an electronic catalog; the transition of paper periodical indexes to online databases; the advent of internet search engines, which drastically changed the nature of research; and the addition of the Library's Automated Storage and Retrieval System in 1991, which allowed greater space in the open stacks for collection expansion.
After working together for 22 years, Ann and Dave married in 1992. The couple continued to work at the Oviatt until their retirement in 2002, and then went on to work half-time in the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP) for an additional 4 years. Ann and Dave recently moved from their home in Northridge to Encinitas, California, to be nearer to their daughter and grandchildren in San Diego, but they continue to make the trip to the San Fernando Valley once a month to attend various meetings. “We have not yet broken our ties with CSUN,” assures Ann, who has served on the Board of the Association of Retired Faculty for the past 10 years and continues to contribute her talents as editor of the ARF Newsletter. In addition, Ann and Dave both recently were appointed to the Foundation Board of Directors by CSUN President Dianne Harrison. When asked about the appointment, Ann says that she and her husband are looking forward to the additional opportunity to be of service to the University.
In their leisure time, the couple continues to indulge their passion for travel. “We are fortunate that we have been able to travel to many interesting locations,” says Ann, “including a trip to China in 1988 sponsored by the CSUN Library as part of an active campus exchange with China during the 1980's, and we have particularly enjoyed trips to Turkey – visiting Dave's son stationed in the Air Force there – and to Japan – visiting our daughter who was teaching in Sendai.” They also keep busy visiting and babysitting grandchildren, of whom they have five ranging in age from 1 to 12. Ann and Dave have spent a lot of time enjoying the Encinitas Public Library, with its view of the ocean, and plan to join the Friends of the Library there. They also enjoy hiking and climbing in the California desert; and they are leaders for the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, for which they occasionally lead trips into the desert.
Over the past years, the two have generously contributed funds for Library student employee scholarships, including four $1,000 awards that were distributed this past April 17 at the Library’s 13th Annual Student Employee Appreciation Ceremony. “We both feel that student support is very important, especially with the increase in tuition and other educational expenses, and we plan to continue our support through scholarships for Oviatt Library student assistants,” says Ann.
It is with great pride and deep gratitude that we say a very heartfelt thank you to Ann and Dave Perkins for their many dedicated years of service to the Oviatt Library, for their ongoing support of CSUN students, and for their continued efforts to ensure that our amazing institution continues to shine as brightly as ever.