The Olive Tree

Staff News

Francesca Ruggieri from our Special Collections department had her article, “I Remember Papa” published in the July-September issue of Echos magazine. Ruggieri was born and raised in Bangor, Maine, where she was in the first class to graduate from John Bapst High Memorial High School in 1929. She trained to become a nun with the Sisters of Mercy in Portland, and served 36 years. She joined the staff at Fogler Library in the 1970s as a librarian in the Documents Department, a position she held for 17 years. After a brief “retirement” she returned to the library as a volunteer in Special Collections. 

Library staff member Pauline Mitchell’s photograph, “Sunset over Penobscot River” was selected for an Outstanding Achievement in Photography Silver Award by the International Society of Photographers.
In talking about the photograph, Mitchell said, “This picture is very special for me. It was taken the day after my first grandchild was born. I was crossing over the Penobscot River on the bridge that connects Indian Island to Old Town. At one time there was no bridge between the island and Old Town. Crossing over was by canoe, ferry, or the ice in winter time. The Penobscot people used the river for food, travel, and part of the work. The history of the river is rich for the people and part of that history was made when I took this awesome picture of the sunset.”


Joe Fernandez joined the Reference Department on September 27th, 2004. His subject specialties are: Anthropology, Communication and Journalism, Art, Dance, Theatre, Maps and Atlases, and Travel. His duties include library instruction, collection development, and reference service.
Joe has a Master of Library Science degree and a Master of Arts degree in linguistics from Northern Illinois University. Before coming to the University of Maine, Joe has worked as a reference librarian at the State University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia and at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. He may be reached at joe.fernandez@umit.maine.edu or at 581-3611.


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