Member Spotlight: Kendall College

by Jeannie Dilger-Hill, MLS

Since the year 1934, Kendall College (www.kendall.edu) has offered engaging, specialized fields of study with a strong emphasis on “immersive” learning.  Kendall has supported the acclaimed School of Culinary Arts since 1985, as well as the world-renowned Les Roches School of Hospitality Management, and a School of Early Childhood Education.

The School of Culinary Arts operates a student-run, Zagat-rated fine dining room open to the public, which provides students the opportunity to gain real-world experience in a professionally run restaurant under the supervision of Kendall's experienced faculty. Menus are available at http://culinary.kendall.edu/news-and-events/the-dining-room/. 

Typical courses for culinary students include:

• Intro to Stocks, Sauces & Soups
• Quantity Food Production
• Baking & Pastry
• Wines, Spirits, and Food Affinities

Early Childhood Education students take such courses as "Teaching Children with Special Needs" and "Technology in the Classroom." Hospitality students study Service Techniques, Marketing, and Management.

Library
The Kendall College Library (http://www.kendall.edu/academics/academic-resources/kendall-library/kendall-library-resources/), on the sixth floor of the building, supports all these programs with a unique collection. Director Iva Freeman and Public Services Librarian Judith Mayzel, along with student employees, operate the library Monday through Saturday to serve the needs of Kendall College students, faculty and staff. 

Working at a culinary school library can be very interesting since the environment is one of creativity and high energy.  Students often share their work with the library staff. This includes delicious and surprising results from the Kendall kitchens.  Freeman commented that students have also been known to walk into the library carrying a spoon, saying “Here, taste this sauce!” 

Collections
The Kendall Library has a number of unique resources in the collection.  The most heavily used is the culinary reference collection.  Students frequently need photos of presentation techniques and the plating of food, which they can’t find on the internet.  The reference collection contains books with photos, including the necessary steps for ice carving or plating samples.  Other collections include:

• a collection of cookbooks from before 1950
• a curriculum collection to support the early childhood education program
• a collection of circulating popular fiction, mostly mysteries and suspense

The library subscribes to a number of culinary and hospitality journals.  In addition to the usual databases, the library offers access to EBSCO’s Hospitality and Tourism Complete.  Freeman commented that she wished there was a similar database for culinary industry.

The college is on a quarterly schedule, which can be a challenge for faculty and library staff.  The timing of classes is also an issue:  many classes begin as early as 5 a.m., to prepare breakfast for the Kendall cafeteria.   

Reference
Reference questions cover all aspects of food and wine.  A food history class will come to the library looking for information on the history of cocoa or the origins of chili.  Other students might be interested in baking science and need more information regarding the fermentation of yeast.  Hospitality students might be interested in hotel and restaurant security, or locating the most recent articles about immigration.  Students who are graduating soon may be interested in job and career information.  Some are looking to start their own restaurant and need assistance with writing a business plan. 

Freeman and Mayzel work hard to keep up with the latest in the industry.  Recently, they attended the National Restaurant Association show here in Chicago.  They made a number of contacts, found some new journals to consider, and had a good time trying samples.  

For more information about the Kendall College Library, contact Iva Freeman at ifreeman@kendall.edu.

Kendall College Library

Published June 20, 2007 in vol. 1, iss. 11 [View]