SJRLC Connections

ALA/WHCLIST NLLD AWARD

ANNOUNCEMENT: ALA/WHCLIST NLLD AWARD

The ALA Washington Office in conjunction with the White House Conference on Library and Information Services Taskforce (WHCLIST) is pleased to announce that a monetary award has been created to help pay for a  participant to attend National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) held annually in Washington DC. WHCLIST was an effective force in library advocacy nationally, statewide, and locally, following the
White House Conferences of 1979 and 1991.

  Criteria:

• The recipient should be a library supporter (trustee, Friend, general supporter), not a  professional librarian.
• Priority will be given to those who are first-time attendees to National Library Legislative Day.
• Recipient should include a letter of reference from a library director, school librarian,trustee board Chair, Friends Group Chair, or other library person.    
• Recipient must be willing to continue to advocate for library services.

The Washington Office will contact the recipient's Senators and Member of Congress to announce
the award. Two WHCLIST leaders and one member of the Washington Office staff will choose the recipient each year.

ALA and WHCLIST are committed to ensuring that the American people get the best library services possible. These funds will be used to further those efforts.

If you or someone you know might be interested, please send a letter explaining why you should be chosen, your letter of reference, and a completed NLLD registration form to:

Rosalind Reynolds, Government Relations Specialist
1615 New Hampshire Ave NW , First Floor
Washington, DC 20009
rreynolds[at]alawash.org
202-628-8419

NLLD registration form can be found at:
http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/washevents/nlld/registrationa/registration.cfm

ALA Spectrum Scholarship

YALSA will be funding one ALA Spectrum Scholar for the 2008 year who is interested in pursuing a career in young adult librarianship or secondary school librarianship.  Spectrum Scholars receive a $5,000 scholarship towards the completion of a masters in library science.  The deadline to apply is March 1, 2008.

Spectrum's major drive is to recruit applicants and award scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students.  YALSA will provide a one-year $5,000 scholarship and over $1,500 in professional development opportunities to one eligible student planning to attend an ALA-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an ALA-recognized NCATE School Library Media program for the purpose of securing a job in a public or school library that serves teens.

To be eligible for a Spectrum Scholarship:

• Applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. or Canada.
• Applicant must be American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander.
• Applicant must attend an ALA-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an ALA-recognized NCATE School Library Media program.
• Applicant shall have completed no more than a third of the credit requirements toward her/his MLIS or school library media degree at the time of award, June 1st.
• Applicant must be enrolled in an accredited program and begin school no later than September 1st or the Fall Semester immediately following the award.
• Applicants may have full or part time status.

Apply today via the online form at http://tinyurl.com/ywfula

Please direct questions to Gwendolyn Prellwitz, Program Officer, ALA Office for Diversity & Spectrum, by emailing spectrum[at]ala.org or calling 1-800-545-2433 ext. 5048

2008 Emerging Leaders Program Information

2008 Emerging Leaders Program Information
wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders

When and where:
Friday, January 11, 2008  in Philadelphia   8:30-5:00  and
Friday, June 27, 2008 in Anaheim  8:30-5:00 with Virtual workgroups between the two sessions.
          
What:
Two workshop days with Maureen Sullivan and Connie Paul, participating in projects, networking with 119 of your peers, getting an inside look into ALA structure, and having an opportunity to serve your profession.  Regular conference fees apply. There is no additional cost to attend the Friday programs.

Why:
To enable 120 new librarians to get on the fast track to ALA and professional leadership.

Who: 

Up to 120 participants (60 sponsored and 60 open)

1. ALA member, and
2. Young (under 35 years) or new librarians of any age with fewer than 5 years post-MLS experience, and
3. Recent MLS degree from an ALA or NCATE accredited program or in an MLS program currently, and
4. Able to attend both ALA conferences and work virtually in between, and
5. Ready to commit to serve on an ALA, Division, Chapter, or Round Table committee, taskforce or workgroup upon completion of program.

How:
Application will be available online July 1, 2007 at:  wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders .  Deadline for submission will be:  August 15, 2007.

1. 60 open application candidates will be chosen.  Every effort will be made to get representation by type of library, geography, and diversity.
2. 60 sponsored candidates will be chosen by the following formula:  Divisions and Round tables:  26; Ethnic affiliates 10; Chapters and AASL Affiliates: 24.

To be sponsored, apply directly to your division, chapter, or round table.  Each sponsor will contribute $1000 for expenses ($500 each conference) and will choose whether to participate and how much support to offer.  A full list of sponsoring units will be included as part of the online application.

Program information will be available and updated at: wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders.  For additional questions regarding the program, contact: Lorelle Swader at: lswader [at] ala.org. 

Navigating ALA in DC

John Chrastka, ALA's crackerjack Manager for Membership Development, just sent out this very helpful email.  Great information for anyone planning on heading down to DC this June. Thanks John!

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ALA Annual Conference is just six weeks away.  We want to provide you with email orientations between now and then that will help you get the most out of your conference experience.  Today's email will focus on navigating the program tracks and the city, plus a few "don't miss" activities.  As always, if you have questions about conference, you can visit the website at www.ala.org/annual, and the conference wiki at http://wikis.ala.org/annual2007, or you can email registration [at] ala.org.

Preliminary Program and Track Descriptions http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2007a/sessions.htm 

Nine tracks feature almost 200 specialized programs from leaders in the field, providing you with rich and interesting content for building your skills and enhancing library services.  The preliminary program descriptions are organized by track and by day.  Programs in a track are generally located in nearby rooms or hotels, making it easy to move between sessions quickly.

Travel to and from Area Airports
http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2007a/travel.htm#airport 

Taxi, shuttle service and public transportation serve all major D.C. area airports.  Contact information and pricing (when available) is provided for pre-arrival and departure planning. 

Traveling Around DC
http://wikis.ala.org/annual2007/index.php/Conference_Center_411 

Information about driving and parking, or using the Metro to/from the Washington Convention Center is on the wiki.  The closest METRO stop to the Convention Center is Mt. Vernon Square - 7th St.  The Convention Center is on the Yellow and Green Lines: http://www.wmata.com/default.cfm.  Thompson Gale will again sponsor shuttle bus services within the ALA Hotel Block.  The shuttle schedule will be available soon.

Restaurants - Affordable to High End
http://wikis.ala.org/annual2007/index.php/Restaurants 

The D.C. Local Arrangements Committee has put together a list of restaurants for the budget conscious attendee.  The Convention Center offers a list of 'walkable' restaurants (with price guide) at http://www.dcconvention.com/attendees/restaurants.asp.  And more info on nightlife and cultural attractions is linked from the Wiki homepage.

Maps - Convention Center, Hotels and the City http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2007a/hotelinfo.htm
 

A map of ALA Hotels with major landmarks and the Convention Center is available in .pdf format.  Metro system maps are online at http://www.wmata.com/maps/maps.cfm?fromMenu=MapsAndStations.0

Accessibility Services    

We ask that if you have a physical or communications need which affects your ability to partricipate in confernce that you contact Laura Gallegos in ALA Conference Services by May 18th at 800-545-2433 ext 3220 or lgallegos [at] ala.org to arrange for services.  In addition, the Washington Convention Center site has a comprehensive overview of access and accomodations provided to all guests with disabilities at http://www.dcconvention.com/attendees/disabilities.asp

World Premiere of "The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians Through Film"
http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2007a/specialevents.htm#hollywood 

Friday, June 22, 2007, 8:00 pm Doors open at 7:30 pm with a red-carpet walk. The film premiere will begin at 8:00 pm.  This is a no-charge event, however attendees must have a conference or exhibits badge, or be the guest of a person with a badge. Black Tie optional.

ALA/ProQuest CSA Scholarship Event    

Business Tomorrow... Comedy Tonight!!!  Featuring: Mark Russell and The Capitol Steps, Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 8:00 pm.  Have a great time and support future librarians. Tickets are only $35.00 and available through ALA registration. Bring your friends and family. It's fun for all.

Third Annual Bookcart Drill Team World Championship    

Sunday, June 24, 2007, 4:00 - 5:30 pm at the Convention Center The Third Annual Bookcart Drill Team World Championship will take place during the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. This event is always a great time....

Meetings of the Membership
http://wikis.ala.org/annual2007/index.php/Meeting_of_the_Membership

As a member organization, ALA is responsive to the needs and interests of the membership.  Plan to attend at least one Meeting of the Membership and take part in the discussions about the future of the association, our place in society and have your voice heard.   ALA Membership Meeting I, Saturday, June 23 , 3:30-5:00 pm  and ALA Membership Meeting II, Monday, June 25, 11:30am-1pm.

The Annual Conference Wiki is your space to ask, find, comment, and promote.  Visit http://wikis.ala.org/annual2007 to read, write and connect with other attendees, exhibitors and the city of Washington D.C.

We look forward to welcoming you at Annual Conference in June.  Every other Tuesday, please look for a brief email focusing on programs, activities, events and exhibitors about ALA Annual Conference.  We want this to be the best experience possible for you.

Best regards,

John Chrastka, Manager for Membership Development

P.S. - We are looking for another dozen long-time attendees to volunteer to be an ALA Ambassador for this conference.  Check out http://www.ala.org/ala/ourassociation/membership/ALAAmbassadors.htm for information and drop me an email if interested.   - JFC

Who's watching your space?

Check out this nicely done video summary of OCLC's Symposium, "Who's Watching Your Space?", held on January 19, 2007 at ALA's Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. 

The speakers, each one as engaging as the next...

• Michael Stephens, Instructor, Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican
• Howard Rheingold, A leading thinker on the cultural, social and political implications of communications media and virtual communities
• Danah Boyd, PhD candidate at the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley and Fellow at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center for Communications
• Marc Smith, Senior Research Sociologist, who leads the Community Technologies Group at Microsoft Research

(The full webcast is also available here.)

Karen noted in AL Direct and PLA Blog

Those of you who get AL Direct delivered to your email may have noticed a familiar face--our own Karen Hyman was noted for her talk, "The Customer-Centered Library: How to Stop Tweaking and Start Doing It with 12 New Steps", which she delivered recently at the PLA Spring Symposium in San Jose.

The blurb links out to a longer, and quite positive posting at the PLA blog.  Take a look!

Leslie Burger featured on Google Blog

By way of It's All Good, I just found out that Leslie Burger's post on Banned Books week is being featured on the GoogleBlog. 

The GoogleBlog is ranked #22 in Technorati, with 17,053 links from 7053 blogs.  In other words it is one of the most widely subscribed to blogs in the blogosphere, so Leslie's post will do a great job in raising awareness of censorship issues, ALA, and, of course, libraries.

Way to go Leslie!!

New ALA Members Blog

ALA has created a new "Member Blog" available at http://blogs.ala.org/memberblog.php.   

ALA members have an immediate, dynamic impact on the quality of life in a community; on successful student learning outcomes; on the sustainability of critical engagements with the past and the extending access to tools for charting a new future; and on the usefulness of work/life in every field of human endeavor. And this blog would like to show them off.

If you want to add the feed to you bloglines account or other aggregator, enter this feed address: http://blogs.ala.org/xmlsrv/rss2.php?blog=12.

If you're interested in attending the ALA Conference in Washington DC in 2007, don't miss the post on travel awards for the conference.