2019 Research Grant Recipients Announced

Posted on June 14, 2019 by anitaslack

Some exciting news from the Research & Publications Committee.  We have completed the 2019 research grant cycle and are excited to announce the grant winners.  Both projects will be looking into really interesting aspects of librarianship.  We are proud that ALAO is able to support their projects.

  1. Jolene Miller, University of Toledo.  Research grant of $765.00 in support of the proposed research project, Health Science Librarians’ Engagement in Reflective Practice: A Qualitative Exploration of Why They Invest in Reflective Practice.
  2. Jessica Crossfield McIntosh, Otterbein University.  Research grant of $500.00 in support of the proposed research project, The Intersection of Social Justice and Public Services: An Action Plan for the Academic Library.

–Heidi Gauder, Research & Publications Committee Co-Chair, University of Dayton
–Brittany Brannon, Research & Publications Committee Co-Chair, OCLC

Posted in Vol. 37 no. 2 (June 2019) | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Member Spotlight

Posted on June 14, 2019 by anitaslack

Shaunda VasudevLet’s Shine the Member Spotlight on Shaunda Vasudev, Outreach & Engagement Librarian at Capital University!

What is your role(s) in academic libraries?

I am an Outreach & Engagement Librarian at Capital University. In this role I provide a library connection to various campus outlets. This includes creating library programs for students and collaborating with campus departments to promote library services. A big part of my role is working with these departments and student organizations to support student success initiatives through library outreach.

In addition to outreach, I offer liaison support and instruction to Education, Art, World Languages & Cultures, and History departments. I also provide an introduction to library services to first year seminar classes.

What do you like most about academic library work?

I enjoy interacting with users through a variety of experiences such as class visits, campus events, and cultural gatherings. Academic librarians are a valuable part of the academic community. We are not only assisting students, but also faculty.

Capital’s faculty engage in sabbatical presentations throughout the year and a Spanish professor invited me to hers. It blew me away…the presentation gave a global perspective on textile creation, waste, and gender identity. I’ve never looked at fashion and excess clothing in this way before. I left feeling empowered and it provided another means for me to connect with students. I want students to use the skills they obtain from information literacy instruction to produce a similar connection for their audience.

What are some interesting projects you’ve been involved with lately?

Our Center for Global Education has some amazing leadership and they really value librarians. I just completed a semester embedded in an Intensive English Language Program with non-native English speakers. The course focused on projects that begin with research consultations for all students. We ended with me attending the students final oral presentation and asking questions related to their research topic. This was a great opportunity to get to know those students better and learn more about their information seeking needs and behaviors.

Last summer I was new to my role and reached out to the Outreach Librarian at Oberlin College. They not only offered tremendous support to me, they had a brilliant idea to start a supportive community of practice for others in similar roles. We worked together with Ohio academic librarians to draft a proposal for the Programming, Outreach, and Marketing Interest Group  (PROMIG). In less than a year, the group has expanded its membership to include 32 librarians. We are so excited to move forward with creating a space where librarians can connect and share resources related to marketing, outreach, and programming.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I learned how to play guitar from my dad. He’s been playing as a hobby for years and bought me my first acoustic. It was pretty consistent with weekly lessons scheduled on Sundays for about a year. I got up to some beginners level barre chords and thought I was Hendrix.

What do you love about being an ALAO member?

I love attending the conference the most! It felt like a great balance of learning and getting to socialize with librarians from all over Ohio. It was easy to meet new people and as a result, I made some better connections with librarians in the central Ohio area.

–Anita Slack, Communications Editor, Capital University

Posted in Vol. 37 no. 2 (June 2019) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Membership Report

Posted on June 14, 2019 by anitaslack

The current membership of ALAO includes a total of 378 members consisting of 343 regular members, 2 retiree members, and 28 student members. We are excited to welcome our newest members!

New members who joined between March 1, 2019 and May 29, 2019 are:

Marilla Antunez, University of Akron

Jennifer Babcock, University of Toledo

Corazon Britton, Kent State University School of Information

Jerome Conley, Miami University

Amanda Folk, Ohio State University

Kayla Hennis, Columbus State Community College

Tanela Hicks, Kent State University School of Information

Laura Miller, Ohio State University

Sarah Nagle, Miami University

Jeanna Purses, Lake Erie College

Laura Smith, Ohio University

Kapil Vasudev, Ohio State University

–Maureen Barry, Membership Chair, Bowling Green State University

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Notes from the Trenches: Leaving Ohio, but Staying Connected

Posted on June 14, 2019 by anitaslack

What a ride academic year 2018-19 was for me.  I left Ohio for a visiting librarian role in Maryland, yet felt more connected to ALAO than ever.  My membership in ALAO has provided networking, mentorship, and professional development during major changes in my career.

Throughout the year, I’ve had not one, but two library leaders helping me as part of the ALAO mentoring program: Debra Andreadis of Denison University and Krista McDonald of Miami University Hamilton.  From my mentors, I have gotten tips on meeting etiquette, salary negotiation, and writing cover letters–things that admittedly sound a bit dull on paper, but have made for great conversation and immensely useful meetings.  I have valued our brainstorming sessions, and I appreciate always having someone to turn to with my often highly specific questions.

In the same year, I went from a record of zero academic library conferences to attendance at both ALAO and ACRL.  I presented a poster at ALAO, learned what others are doing in their approaches to student employee training, and reconnected with people who had been my co-workers just a few months prior.  This marked my first poster presentation at a library conference, and I encountered so many peers with genuine interest in the work I have done and thoughtful questions that led to my own reflection.

To support my conference costs for ACRL, I earned a scholarship from ALAO, for which I am deeply grateful.  Attending ACRL, I saw so many Ohio colleagues from my master’s program, work, and networking–whether intentionally or not–and caught up on their personal and professional achievements.  I’m not an Ohioan anymore except in spirit, but I was overwhelmed with the number of wonderful colleagues who welcomed me back into the fold at the ALAO-sponsored taco party (which had great food along with the great company).  At ACRL’s trivia night, I marveled at my team’s impressive abilities to recall the most minute details about, among other things, Barry Goldwater.  One of my favorite things about librarianship is the general willingness to share ideas and grow the field, but I have a strong suspicion Ohio library people have the most fun.

As I’ve made the transition from assistant to librarian, Ohioan to Marylander, I have a dynamic network of Ohio colleagues (the best state for libraries, but don’t tell the others) whose influence spans state divides.  Even if I am in the trenches, I know there are excellent colleagues here alongside me.

–Jillian Sandy, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Posted in Vol. 37 no. 2 (June 2019) | Tagged | 1 Comment

Call for Mentors and Mentees

Posted on June 14, 2019 by anitaslack

The Academic Library Association of Ohio (ALAO) Professional Development Committee (PDC) is excited to announce this Call for Participation in our Mentorship Program for 2019-20.

We invite people interested in being mentors and mentees to complete the application:  https://forms.gle/AWxLw3YeJCTC2VdGA

Applications are due July 11, 2019.

Program Overview

The Academic Library Association of Ohio (ALAO) Professional Development Committee (PDC) reviews registration information and matches mentoring pairs over the summer months. Program participants are free to arrange times to talk or meet up as meets their needs. Watch for opportunities to catch-up at events like the spring IG workshops or the ALAO Annual conference. The annual program typically runs from August through early May, and participants will be invited to give feedback on their experience to allow the PDC to evaluate and update the program as needed.

Who Can Be a Mentee?

Everyone is welcome to be a mentee, whether you are a student, a newly minted professional, or a more seasoned librarian. This is a great opportunity to connect with someone in the field who will work with you to develop your career.

Who Can Be a Mentor?

We welcome mentors from all levels of professional experience in academic libraries. Mentoring offers a meaningful way to engage with a colleague, be a supportive listener, and help them identify and achieve their professional goals.

Interested in Both?

If you are interested in both mentoring someone and being mentored, simply submit the form twice—once for your preferences as a mentee and once for your preferences as a mentor.

Other Questions?

Please contact Heather Crozier, h-crozier@onu.edu

–Beate Gersch, Professional Development Committee Co-Chair, Harvard University
–Heather Crozier, Professional Development Committee Co-Chair, Ohio Northern University

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Continuing Education Grant Update

Posted on June 14, 2019 by anitaslack

Due to unforeseen circumstances Jane Wu is unable to accept her continuing education award. However, the ALAO Professional Development Committee is happy to support Matt Francis, Ohio Northern University, with an award of $500 to attend the 2019 Joint Annual Meeting of the Council of State Archivists (CoSA) and the Society of American Archivists (SAA).

–Beate Gersch, Professional Development Committee Co-Chair, Harvard University
–Heather Crozier, Professional Development Committee Co-Chair, Ohio Northern University

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Interest Groups News

Posted on June 14, 2019 by anitaslack

Assessment IG News

The Assessment Interest Group (AIG) is pleased to have partnered with Michigan Academic Library Association (MiALA) Assessment Interest Group and University of Toledo Libraries to present the workshop: Practical Assessment: From Beginner to Expert, held on March 8, 2019. At this workshop, librarians from Michigan, Ohio, and beyond discussed assessment methods in various areas of librarianship.

New Upcoming Co-Chair for ALAO AIG

Jennifer Starkey and I are pleased to announce that Elizabeth Sullivan, Assessment and User Experience Librarian, at Oberlin College has accepted the position as the new ALAO AIG Co-Chair.

Stay tuned for more news and please feel free to contact the co-chairs at aig-chairs@alaoweb.org to request information.

-Anna Liss Jacobsen, Assessment IG Co-Chair, Miami University
-Jennifer Starkey, Assessment IG Co-Chair, Case Western Reserve University

 Collection Management IG News

CMIG and OhioLINK cosponsored the webinar “Managing the Flood: Collection and Budgeting Issues with Streaming Video Resources” on May 14.  Brian Gray (CWRU) and Linda Brown (BGSU) covered vendors, acquisition models, and budgeting issues, while Amy Pawlowski and Joanna Voss addressed challenges to consortia in acquiring streaming content for the 84 participants.

–Sean Kennedy, co-chair, Collection Management IG Co-Chair, University of Akron
–Fred Jenkins, co-chair, Collection Management IG Co-Chair, University of Dayton

 Community & Two Year Colleges IG News

It’s Summer!  And that means it is time for a Summer Sound Off!  Join the Community & Two Year College Interest Group for their upcoming Summer Sound Off! — an opportunity to share ideas and discuss challenges with colleagues from around the state.  Sound Offs are online discussions — sound capabilities (speaker and microphone) are needed, video is optional.  No registration is required.  No recording will be made.

Join us on Wednesday, July 24 from 10 – 11am as we talk about Connecting with High School Librarians and Students.  Tracy Kemp and Wendy Harper from Columbus State Library will share their experiences.  Learn about their program, share what you’ve done or bring your questions.

Plan to join the conversation to share your experiences and ask questions to help share expertise with other ALAO members.

To logon, http://tinyurl.com/SaraK-CGuest
For more details, contact co-chairs Sara Klink, Stark State, sklink@starkstate.edu, or Julie McDaniel, Sinclair Community College, julie.mcdaniel@sinclair.edu

–Sara Klink, Community & Two Year Colleges IG Co-Chair, Stark State College
–Julie McDaniel, Community & Two Year Colleges IG Co-Chair, Sinclair Community College

Instruction Interest Group News

The Instruction Interest Group, along with the Distance Learning Interest Group, co-hosted a Spring Workshop held on April 26th at the Shepard Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. The workshop, Back to Basics: Active Learning & Instructional Design, was led by two instructional designers: Carolyn Kraut of the University of Findlay, and Hanna Primeau of Ohio State University. We had 39 attendees.

Stacey McKenna, Reference and Instruction Librarian at OSU-Newark has agreed to be the new co-chair for the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 academic years to replace Mandi Goodsett.

Blog for us!

IIG is looking for ALAO members who have instructional strategies, teaching experiences, or useful educational frameworks to share! Contact either of the IIG Co-chairs if you have a story or reflection you’d like to share on our blog, or even if you have an idea of a potential blog post and would like some feedback. We also welcome you to contact us with questions or interest in finding out more about the IIG!

–Lindsay Miller, Instruction Interest Group Co-Chair, Miami University
–Mandi Goodsett, Instruction Interest Group Co-Chair, Cleveland State University

Special Collections and Archives Interest Group News

The Special Collections and Archives Interest Group (SCAIG) held its annual workshop on May 29th at the University of Cincinnati’s Archives and Rare Book Library.  The workshop focused on teaching with primary sources and was taught by a team from the University Libraries at the University of Dayton, including Heidi Gauder (Coordinator of Research and Instruction), Kayla Harris (Librarian/Archivist, Marian Library), and Stephanie Shreffler (Collections Librarian/Archivist).  The workshop was attended by thirty library and archives professionals from Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.

SCAIG will also be holding an election to appoint its new incoming co-chair for the 2019-2021 term.  The new co-chair will replace current senior co-chair Nick Pavlik of Bowling Green State University Libraries, whose term will end in July 2019.

–Nick Pavlik, Special Collections and Archives IG Co-Chair, Bowling Green State University
–Suzanne Reller, Special Collections and Archives IG Co-Chair, University of Cincinnati

Posted in Vol. 37 no. 2 (June 2019) | Tagged | Leave a comment

People & Library News

Posted on June 14, 2019 by anitaslack

Marietta College News

Marietta College’s Legacy Library is hosting an exhibit entitled: Ohio Pioneers: “From such beginnings, much may be expected.”  The focus of the exhibit will be on the initial expansion of the country from the original states into the “old Northwest” with the establishment of Marietta, the “first permanent settlement in the territory northwest of the Ohio.”  Inspired by the publication of David McCullough’s new book, The Pioneers, the exhibit presents historical documents and artwork from the Library’s Special Collections and will run through October 15th.

Katy Scullin has joined the staff of the Legacy Library as Special Collections Librarian in March.  She will be responsible for overall management of the library’s special collections and archives and will lead in the development of a digitization program.  Katy was most recently employed at the Ohio State University where she served as Archival Description Project Coordinator.

Susie Scott joined the staff in December as Evening Reference Assistant.  Most recently she was a Library-Media Specialist at Shenandoah High School in the Noble Local School District.

–Doug Anderson, Marietta College

 

Miami University NewsBeth Tumbleson

Beth Tumbleson, Associate Librarian, retired from Miami University Middletown’s Gardner-Harvey Library on May 31, 2019.  She served as Assistant Library Director for nearly 12 years.  Congratulations, Beth!

–John Burke, Miami University

 

University of Dayton News

Christina (Tina) Beis, Kayla Harris, and Stephanie Shreffler recently published an article with the Journal of Web Librarianship titled, “Accessing Web Archives: Integrating an Archive-It Collection into EBSCO Discovery Service.” The article expands on a presentation given at the ALAO Annual Conference in 2018 and a poster at ACRL 2019 in Cleveland.

–Kayla Harris, Procedures Manual Coordinator, University of Dayton

 

Wright State University News joanna_anderson wright state

Wright State University Libraries are pleased to introduce the newest member of our staff, Joanna Anderson. As the Medical and Human Services Librarian, she will be the liaison to the Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Human Services programs in the College of Education and Human Services.

A native Ohioan, Joanna holds two Bachelors Degrees from The Ohio State University and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Kent State University. She has worked in library reference and instruction at colleges and universities for over ten years. For the past eight years she has been at East Tennessee State University, where she was an Associate Professor and Distance Education Librarian, and liaison to the Schools of Nursing, Public Health, and Health Sciences.

–Mandy Shannon, Wright State University

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President’s Report

Posted on March 13, 2019 by anitaslack

Report from February 26 Board Meeting

Eric_Resnis-6149

Eric Resnis, President

Website Redesign Project

The board approved to enter into a contract with Merge Creative for assistance with redesigning the ALAO web presence.  Merge Creative works extensively with customers that use Wild Apricot, which ALAO uses to manage webpages and membership data.

Approved New Sustainability Interest Group

The board approved to create a new interest group that focuses on sustainability issues in libraries.

Online Meeting Software Working Group

A group of board members was formed to determine if it is feasible for ALAO to purchase or subscribe to meeting software that would be used for virtual board meetings and online programming. A report will be presented at the April Board Meeting.

Strategic Planning Update

ALAO membership will be e-mailed a brief survey in March that seeks feedback on the future of ALAO.  We are still on track for a final strategic plan to be presented to the Board at the July retreat.

Posted in Vol. 37 no. 1 (March 2019) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Vote in the ALAO 2019 Election

Posted on March 13, 2019 by anitaslack

Calling all ALAO members: It’s time to vote for elected leadership positions!

headshot-square-kelly

Katy Kelly, Past President

The 2019 ALAO election takes place March 15 to April 15, 2019. You must be a member to vote, so now is the perfect time to join or renew.

There are multiple candidates for each position: two for Vice President/President-Elect, two for Treasurer, three for PR Coordinator and 12 for Board Member at Large (three positions). For more information on each position, review the procedures manual.

Voting will take place online. Candidate biographical information and statements are available on the ALAO website (login required) and the ballot is a SurveyMonkey form. Enter your name and email address at the top of the ballot; this information is used to validate your vote.

The ballot will open at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, March 15 and close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, April 15.

Thank you in advance for participating in this important process. Your vote ensures that ALAO will continue to have strong leadership into the future! And, special thanks to the candidates who stepped up to run this year:

Vice President/President-Elect
Jessica Crossfield McIntosh, Public Services Librarian, Otterbein University
Mandi Goodsett, Performing Arts & Humanities Librarian, Cleveland State University

Treasurer
Don Appleby, Library Specialist, University of Akron
Ash Faulkner, Business Librarian, The Ohio State University Libraries

PR Coordinator
Drew Balduff, Electronic Resources Librarian, University of Findlay
Melissa Cox Norris, Director of Library Communications, University of Cincinnati
Laura Sheets, Reference & Instruction Librarian, Bowling Green State University

Board Member At Large (3 positions)
Amanda Black, Coordinator of Access Services, University of Dayton
Michael Dziabiak, Cataloging and Metadata Librarian, Shafer Library, University of Findlay
Pamela Espinosa de los Monteros, Assistant Professor, Latin American Studies Librarian, The Ohio State University
Jane Hammons, Teaching and Learning Engagement Librarian, Ohio State University
Jennifer L Hicks, Circulation Supervisor, Miami University
Alea Henle, Head of Access & Borrow, Miami University
Zachary Lewis, Student Success Librarian and Assistant Professor, University of Dayton
David Luftig, Assistant Professor and Research Services Librarian, University of Dayton
Jennifer Starkey, Research Services Librarian, Case Western Reserve University
Jennine Vlach, Team Leader, Access & Delivery Services, Case Western Reserve University, Kelvin Smith Library
Amy Wainwright, Outreach and Student Engagement Librarian, John Carroll University
Sarah Whybrew, Digital Initiatives Librarian, Otterbein University

Lastly, thanks goes out to the 2019 nominating committee for helping connect colleagues to these leadership opportunities: Maureen Barry, Bowling Green State University; Stefanie Hilles, Miami University; Yuimi Hlasten, Denison University; Eboni Johnson, Oberlin College; Katy Kelly (chair), University of Dayton; Christine Morris, OhioNET; and Edith Scarletto, Bowling Green State University.

-Katy Kelly, Past President, University of Dayton

Posted in Vol. 37 no. 1 (March 2019) | Tagged | Leave a comment