Skip to main content

Welcome to LSU Libraries

News & Notes
Gina Costello
Gina Costello Elected to ALA Core Board of Directors

Gina CostelloGina Costello, LSU Libraries’ Associate Dean of Technology and Special Collections, has been elected to serve as a Director-at-Large on the Core Board of Directors, a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Her three-year term will begin during the ALA annual conference in June 2025.

Costello has been a dedicated member of Core since its founding and previously participated in both the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) and the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA), which merged to form Core. Inspired by the merger, she became more active in the organization and has served on the planning committees for the last three annual conferences, bringing collaboration and enthusiasm to her service.

In this new role, Costello is honored to represent LSU and hopes to support and enhance Core’s strengths while helping the growing organization remain flexible and responsive to member needs. 

“The opportunities within Core have helped me develop leadership skills and expand my knowledge, which ultimately serve to further one of LSU Libraries’ missions to lead and innovate across the profession,” she said. 

Costello’s continued involvement in Core will help ensure that LSU Libraries remains engaged with national conversations around library innovation, leadership, and professional development, bringing back ideas and insights that benefit the entire LSU community. 
Isabella Rodriguez
Meet LSU Libraries’ 2025 Zamin Scholar: Isabella Rodriguez

Isabella Rodriguez
Isabella Rodriguez; Credit: Behnoush Tavasolinia, LSU Libraries

LSU Libraries is proud to announce Isabella Rodriguez as the recipient of the 2025 Zamin Scholarship. Now in its eleventh year, the Zamin Scholarship is a $1,000 annual award that recognizes student employees who reflect General Syed Ali Zamin’s work ethic and love for LSU.

Rodriguez is a theatre major who works behind the scenes on lighting and sound for productions at LSU, in Baton Rouge, and in theatres across the greater New Orleans area. She has served as a dedicated student employee in Library Technology Support for three years and embodies the core values that the scholarship honors: leadership, courage, and customer service.

“[LSU Libraries] has offered me much more than just employment—it has provided me with friendships, personal growth, and a sense of purpose,” Rodriguez said. “Reflecting on my progress, I realize that I am no longer the shy freshman I once was.”

LSU Libraries enables student employees to work in an environment that understands their needs as students while providing them with the practical workplace experience they need to succeed in their careers. For example, Rodriguez’ role in Library Technology Support has given her opportunities to take on leadership responsibilities and develop professional confidence. 

“Leadership is not just about giving orders; it’s about leading by example,” she said. “I believe in the value of teamwork and collaboration, and I’m fortunate to work with a team of incredible individuals.”

According to Matthew LeBlanc, Technology Support Manager and Rodriguez’ supervisor, “Bella brings warmth and kindness to the Library Technology Support team. She excels at tackling problems with a smile, all while balancing her classes, her many theatre performances, and three jobs! Her commitment to excellence in both her personal and professional life truly exemplifies the qualities General Zamin was known for.”

General Syed Ali Zamin, for whom the scholarship was named, worked in the LSU Libraries for 14 years following an illustrious career serving in the Pakistan army and later served as a Pakistani ambassador to four countries. At LSU, he was known for his commitment to serving as custodian of the library’s materials and for his extraordinary customer service orientation.

As she continues to grow as a student, stage technician, and professional, Rodriguez exemplifies the impact student employees have on the Libraries and how the Libraries can shape them in return.

Map
LSU Receives Grant from Coypu Foundation to Restore Rare Louisiana Maps

A generous $20,000 grant from the Coypu Foundation will allow LSU Libraries’ Special Collections to professionally restore two rare, early nineteenth-century maps. 

John La Tourrette’s Reference Map of the State of Louisiana (1845) and Catesby Graham’s Map of the State of Louisiana on an Enlarged and Improved Plan (1838) are significant cartographic works that provide invaluable historical insights into the state's geography, settlement patterns, and land use during the 1800s.

“Both maps set themselves up against two rather difficult problems,” said John Miles, Special Collections’ Curator of Books and Head of Instruction. “On one hand, the need to accurately represent the notoriously mutable land and waterways of Louisiana using the surveying equipment available at the time, as well as the technical difficulties of engraving and reproducing a large-format map — a highly specialized skill at the time.”

Each map is rich in detailed geographic data and is also visually striking, featuring hand-coloring and artistic embellishments that depict the state’s early geography. To do so, both maps are large: La Tourrette’s map is roughly four and a half feet wide and four feet tall, while Graham's is almost five feet wide and a whopping six feet tall. 

“While this large format allows for a surprising level of geographic detail, it does pose problems for conservation, as working with such large, fragile, multi-sheet maps is ungainly and difficult. As the maps close in on two centuries of use, it is well time for some professional attention,” Miles said.

La Tourette's Reference Map of the State of Louisiana (1845)
La Tourrette's Reference Map of the State of Louisiana (1845); Photo Credit: Behnoush Tavasolinia, LSU Libraries

La Tourrette’s Reference Map of the State of Louisiana (1845) features early plots of newly established parishes and detailed depictions of plantations throughout the state, providing a unique glimpse into Louisiana’s development at that time.

Graham Catesby's Map of the State of Louisiana on an Enlarged and Improved Plan (1838)
Catesby Graham’s Map of the State of Louisiana on an Enlarged and Improved Plan (1838); Photo Credit: Behnoush Tavasolinia, LSU Libraries

 

Catesby Graham’s Map of the State of Louisiana on an Enlarged and Improved Plan (1838) is a hand-colored, highly detailed map. Currently divided into six separate sheets, this map is difficult to use and display in its current state. 

“Because both are so rare, and because they both contain a level of geographic detail not available on any other maps from this period, we thought they were ideal candidates for professional restoration,” said John Miles, Special Collections’ Curator of Books and Head of Instruction. “Given the Coypu Foundation's dedication to preserving the natural history of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, we thought they would be ideal partners in this endeavor.”

The Coypu Foundation supports research related to wildlife ecology and was established by John Stauffer (“Jack”) McIlhenny (1909-1997) upon his death. His dedication to LSU and the sciences is memorialized by Special Collections' E. A. McIlhenny Natural History Collection, given in honor of Jack’s uncle, Edward Avery (1872-1949).

Once restored, both maps will be available to the public in Special Collections’ reading room. For more information about LSU Libraries Special Collections, visit lib.lsu.edu/special.

expand
People troubleshooting on a computer
Ask Us
Service
Check our FAQs, submit a question using our form, or launch the chat widget to find help.