Get Involved with ALAO Interest Groups!
ALAO has something for everyone! ALAO has 12 active special interest groups that have formed to discuss concerns and issues related to academic librarianship in Ohio. Interest groups hold regular events and offer a variety of leadership opportunities. Joining an interest group is a great way to get involved and network with fellow librarians and library staff. For more information visit the ALAO website https://www.alaoweb.org/igs/index.html.
–Sara Klink, Interest Group Coordinator, Stark State College
Collection Management Interest Group News
The Collection Management Interest Group is exploring ideas for a virtual 90-minute spring workshop that will focus on library and vendor partnerships. The idea is 3 presentations of about 15-minutes each followed by Q&A, open discussion, and group brainstorming on these topics. The presentations would look at various concepts embedded in close collaborations and be based on actual examples, best practices, and successful results.
As a group, we will explore:
· The benefit to vendors on collaboration & why they want to see partnerships.
· How librarians and staff can directly influence and direct the collections offered by vendors.
· How librarians and staff can push for change in how vendors interact with libraries and users, including communication, assessment, fiscal terms, behind-the-scene processes, automation, etc.
More details in the next few weeks!
–Sean Kennedy, CMIG Co-Chair, University of Akron
–Brian C. Gray, CMIG Co-Chair, Case Western Reserve University
Community and Two-Year College Interest Group (C2YCIG) News
Call for Workshop Volunteers
The Community and Two-Year College Interest Group (C2YCLIG) will be hosting an early summer, virtual workshop following the completion of our three-part book discussion series that wrapped up in February 2021. We will continue with the theme, Race in America, for the workshop. We would like to put a call out for volunteers for the workshop planning committee. If you are interested in volunteering please email C2YCLIG co-chairs at c2yclig-chairs@alaoweb.org.
–Megan Mamolen, C2YCLIG Co-Chair, Lakeland Community College
–Ragan Snead, C2YCLIG Co-Chair, Lakeland Community College
Special Collections and Archives Interest Group (SCAIG) News
The co-chairs of the Special Collections and Archives Interest Group thank Joshua Zeller and William Modrow for volunteering for the annual SCAig meeting planning committee! The virtual workshop, “Management in Many Forms: Coordinating People and Projects in Remote and Hybrid Environments,” will be a two-part webinar series in May 2021 focused on building and managing professional relationships in remote/hybrid environments. We have confirmed the speakers of the event and will be sending out a save the date soon.
-Rachel Makarowski, Special Collections and Archives IG Co-Chair, Miami University
-Henry Handley, Special Collections and Archives IG Co-Chair, University of Dayton
STEM Interest Group News (STEMIG)
STEMIG continues to hold open discussions for members (or anyone interested!) to drop in, connect with colleagues, and discuss whatever is on their minds. These virtual discussions take place at 11:00am on the second Friday of each month at this Zoom link. We will next be meeting on April 9th.
We are also planning to team up with SCIG for a late spring/early summer workshop. Stay on the lookout for more information to come!
Like the other IGs, STEMIG will soon be calling for nominations for our next co-chair. If you know (or are) a great science, technology, or engineering librarian who might be interested, please don’t hesitate to submit a nomination when the time comes. We are a small but active group, and the next co-chair will have a tremendous opportunity to chart the course for the future of the IG.
–Daniela Solomon, STEMIG Co-Chair, Case Western Reserve University
–Zach Sharrow, STEMIG Co-Chair, College of Wooster
Technical, Electronic, and Digital Services Interest Group (TEDSIG) News
Speculative Library Futures | Post-Pandemic Libraries
| “Futures are not a destination, but a medium for imaginative thought” – Anthony Dunne & Fiona Raby[1] |
The publication of Speculative Library Futures | Post-Pandemic Libraries is the apotheosis of TEDSIG’s yearlong exploration of speculative design and libraries. Beginning with TEDSIG 2020 in July of 2020, continued through an inspired Speculative Design and Climate Reading Group with LATITUDE | Chicago, and culminating with this publication in March of 2021.
If you want to hear from the contributors to TEDSIG’s upcoming publication, please register for the following event from Penn Libraries.
Speculative Design and Post-Pandemic Libraries
Date: April 7, 2021
URL: https://libcal.library.upenn.edu/event/7335121
–Derek C. Zoladz, TEDSIG Co-Chair, OhioNET
–Chris Deems, TEDSIG Co-Chair, Ohio Northern University
_________________________________
[1] Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona. (2013). Speculative Everything: Design, Fiction, and Social Dreaming. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
ALAO Newsletter 