Call for Nominations: Jay Ladd Distinguished Service and Kathryn Venditti Mentoring Awards

Posted on September 18, 2024 by anitaslack
Mark Eddy, Past President

The ALAO Awards Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award and the Kathryn Venditti Mentoring Award.

The Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual who has:

  • Been an Academic Library Association of Ohio member for at least 5 years
  • Promoted academic libraries and librarianship on their own campus and within the state 
  • Provided sustained leadership in the promotion of Academic Library Association of Ohio, e.g., committee service, interest group chair, position on the Executive Board

Additional information about the Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award is available here. 

Please submit nominations for the Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award through the 2024 Jay Ladd Online Nomination Form. 

The Kathryn Venditti Mentoring Award recognizes an individual who has:

  • Demonstrated excellence as a mentor to a librarian, library worker, or library science student
  • A sustained record of effective mentorship, as demonstrated by activities that may include but not be limited to advising, developing, coaching, sponsoring, advocating, guiding, and/or supporting librarians, library workers, or library students

Additional information about the Kathryn Venditti Mentoring Award is available here.

Please submit nominations for the Kathryn Venditti Mentoring Award through the 2024 Kathryn Venditti Online Nomination Form. 

NOTE: You may nominate more than one person for each award! Your reasons for nominating your candidate(s) will be especially valuable to the Awards Committee so please be as detailed as possible.

Please submit your nominations by Friday, October 11, 2024.

Questions? Please contact Mark Eddy, ALAO Past President and 2024 Awards Committee Chair at mark.eddy@case.edu 

Thank you!

Posted in Vol. 43 no. 3 (Sept 2024) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Conference Planning Update: Save the Date!

Posted on September 18, 2024 by anitaslack
Paul Campbell, Vice President/President Elect

Mark your calendars! The 2025 ALAO Annual Conference will take place on November 6th & 7th, 2025 at the OCLC Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Our annual conference is a great opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the region, share ideas, and be part of inspiring conversations! Whether you attend in person or virtually, we will have options for everyone! Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to engage, learn, and grow together!

Posted in Vol. 43 no. 3 (Sept 2024) | Tagged | Leave a comment

ALAO Remembers and Honors Ann Marie Smeraldi

Posted on September 18, 2024 by anitaslack

Ann Marie Smeraldi, of Elyria passed away on Monday, September 2, 2024, at home with family. As an active member of ALAO many of us have had the pleasure to work with her on interest groups, conference planning committees and the ALAO board.

Ann Marie worked at Cleveland State University for 16 years and most recently served as their Interim Director of the Michael Schwartz Library and was the assistant Director of Public Services. Additionally, she oversaw the design of the Virginia McFrederick Group Study Center and the Committee for Reaccreditation of the university.

She was a member and frequent presenter for the American Library Association, Academic Library Association of Ohio, and the Association of College and Research Libraries. Ann Marie loved her work and will continue to be an inspiration to her colleagues and all the students she encountered.

–Sara Klink, ALAO President

Posted in Vol. 43 no. 3 (Sept 2024) | Leave a comment

Notes from the Trenches

Posted on September 18, 2024 by anitaslack

Join the AI Community of Practice (AI COP) for Academic Librarians

As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the landscape of academic libraries, many of us are seeking to understand and harness its potential. Enter AI COP (Community of Practice), a new group for academic librarians interested in AI organized by librarians at Carnegie Mellon University, The Ohio State University, and the Information Literacy Institute at Purdue.

Our goal is simple: to create a communal space where we can learn together, share ideas, develop resources, and collaborate on AI projects. Through fostering relationships and facilitating open dialogue, we aim to empower our community to collectively shape the future of AI in academic libraries. Whether you are brand new to recent AI developments or have years of experience, AI COP is for you.

How We Operate

For Fall 2024, we will have 10 synchronous meetings from Sept 24th through December 18th. Each meeting will focus on a theme and be capped at 100 attendees to ensure meaningful small group breakout discussions. One month, you might find yourself exploring AI-powered research tools; the next, discussing the impact of large language models on information literacy instruction.

Between these gatherings, our Discord server provides an asynchronous online space for ongoing conversations, resource sharing, and impromptu collaborations. Here, you can share your latest AI research, seek advice on implementing a new tool, or join a working group on AI ethics in libraries.

More Than Just Discussion

AI COP aims to be more than just a forum for discussion. It’s a launchpad for innovation, a support network for those venturing into new AI territories, and a collective hoping to push dialogue about AI forward in academic libraries. By leveraging new relationships and the collective wisdom of our community—now 900+ strong across at least 13 countries and 350+ unique institutions—we’re poised to make a significant impact.

Join Us

The world of AI is vast, dynamic, and overwhelming. With AI COP, you don’t have to navigate it alone.

Here’s how to participate:

1. Join AI COP by filling out this Google form.

2. Connect with us on Discord to be part of the conversation and learn about resources, research, and collaboration opportunities here.

3. Questions? Email me directly at flierl.1@osu.edu.

Let’s explore AI together in alignment with our values as information professionals. Your voice and perspective are crucial as we shape the future of AI in academic libraries.

Michael Flierl flierl.1@osu.edu

Fellow at The Institute for Information Literacy at Purdue

Associate Professor and Student Learning Librarian, Ohio State University Libraries

Rebecca Fordon fordon.4@osu.edu;

Reference Librarian & Adjunct Professor

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

Emma Slayton, PhD. eslayton@andrew.cmu.edu

Data Education Librarian

Carnegie Mellon University Libraries 

-Stephanie Founds, ALAO Board Member at Large, The Ohio State University

Posted in Vol. 43 no. 3 (Sept 2024) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Member Spotlight

Posted on September 17, 2024 by anitaslack

Let’s shine the member spotlight on Vanessa Earp from Kent State University!

What is/are your role(s) in academic libraries?

In 2003 I started in my first professional library job as the Education Materials Center Librarian at Texas A&M Kingsville. In August of 2005 I moved back to Ohio and began work at Kent State as the Education Subject Librarian. Over time, as that college was reorganized and librarians retired, I took over as the subject librarian for the entire college of Education, Health, and Human Services. My role includes teaching one-shot library instruction sessions for undergraduate and graduate students. I also serve as an embedded librarian in graduate level classes in the college. In addition to instruction, I also conduct individual research consultations with students. In 2010, our library started offering Plagiarism School, which is a remediation program for students who have been sanctioned for plagiarism. Over the last decade my interest in academic integrity has led to an expansion of the library’s outreach in academic integrity. Due to the increase in my work on academic integrity initiatives, both for the library and the university, in 2022 my job title was updated to include Academic Integrity Librarian.

What do you like most about academic library work?

I had a professor in library school who said “if you don’t like change, you should not become a librarian.” I enjoy that the library and my work are constantly evolving.  Forming connections with students and watching them grow over their time at Kent State is very rewarding.

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

I am currently on a university task force that is working to revise our student cheating and plagiarism policy. This project is very important because we are shifting to a more student-first policy. While there are still consequences, some severe, for students, there are more educational remediation opportunities. This semester I am also teaching a section of Flashes 101, our orientation class for first-year students. Teaching this class every week gives me the chance to get to know the students on a more personal level.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I enjoy baking and often bring in cookies, cakes, and cupcakes for my coworkers and students. I even bake for my husband’s students at a different school and they call me “the cookie lady”.

Why did you join ALAO? 

I wanted to connect with librarians that are local to Ohio. I know that we have fantastic librarians at our institutions and am looking forward to learning from everyone in ALAO.

–Laura Birkenhauer, Membership Chair, Miami University

Posted in Vol. 43 no. 3 (Sept 2024) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Membership Report

Posted on September 17, 2024 by anitaslack

The current membership of ALAO includes a total of 285 members consisting of 240 regular members, 5 retiree members, and 40 student members. We are excited to welcome new members who joined between February 24, 2024 and August 29, 2024.

Emma Bapst, Cedarville University

Clinton Baugess, Oberlin College Libraries

Lori Boes, Kent State University

Jason Paul Bourgeois, Bowling Green State University

Lisa Britt Wernke, University of Cincinnati Law Library

Joshua Byerly, Ohio Dominican University

Meghan Crawford, Capital University

Jordan Davis, Cedarville University

Paul Earp, Fortis College Cuyahoga Falls

Vanessa Earp, Kent State University

Lauren Erdmann-Rued

John Ernst, Kent State University

Hector Escobar, University of Dayton Libraries

Madison Faulkner, Cedarville University

Gabrielle Fenyus                      

Emily Frasier, Cedarville University

Gabrielle Freshly                      

Beth Fridrick 

Heaven Herrold

Madison Kennedy, Cedarville University

Mary Kleemeier, Kent State University

Kathy Ladell, University of Cincinnati Clermont College

Hester Lambright                     

Erin McCusker

Ruth Monnier

Andria Morningstar-Gray, Hiram College Library

Gwendolyn Oeseburg, Oberlin College

Kathleen Siry

Masha Stepanova, Miami University

Ashley Tschakert Foertmeyer, Ohio Wesleyan University

Maya Ware, Columbus State Community College

Leticia Wiggins, The Ohio State University

Elizabeth Williams-Clymer, Kenyon College

–Laura Birkenhauer, Membership Chair, Miami University

Posted in Vol. 43 no. 3 (Sept 2024) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Interest Groups News

Posted on September 17, 2024 by anitaslack

Message from the Interest Group Coordinator

Greetings! I hope everyone is having a great start to their new academic years. I will be staying on as IG Coordinator until 2026 and I look forward to continuing working with ALAO’s interest groups in the coming two years.

I want to thank all the new incoming IG co-chairs for volunteering their time and expertise to our interest groups. 

ALAO has a variety of special interest groups that have formed to discuss concerns, issues, and new trends related to academic librarianship in Ohio. Joining an interest group is a great way to participate in leadership events and network with fellow librarians and library staff. 

For more information visit the ALAO website https://www.alaoweb.org/igs/index.html or contact Abi Morgan, Interest Group Coordinator at morgan55@miamioh.edu

–Abi Morgan, Interest Group Coordinator, Miami University

Sustainability Interest Group (SUSIG) News

The Sustainability Interest Group is excited to announce our new incoming co-chair, Lori Chapin! Lori is the Manager of Innovative Spaces at Miami University in Oxford. SUS-IG will once again be hosting a swap table at the annual ALAO conference in November. Keep an eye out for more information in the coming weeks and if you would like to help, please reach out at susig-chairs@alaoweb.org. 

–Megan Jaskowiak, Sustainability Interest Group (SUSIG) Chair, Miami University

Technical, Electronic, and Digital Services Interest Group (TEDSIG) News

Presenter Award goes to Rachel Littleton (Library Paraprofessional, Circulation and Acquisitions at Wittenberg University ). She is presenting In the Closet as a Neurodivergent: How We can Transform our Libraries to Become a Better Place to Work for Neurodivergent Staff and a Poster: DIY Digitization: How Library Support Staff Collaborated to Build a Digitization Tool on a Shoestring Budget.

–Simon Robins, Technical, Electronic, and Digital Services Interest Group (TEDSIG), University of Dayton

Congratulations to the recipients of the ALAO Support Staff Conference Grant

In 2022 the ALAO Board decided to expand the number of support staff conference grants which we could offer. We plan to offer at least two awards at least through 2028. This year we are happy to announce that three people could be awarded funding to attend the 50th ALAO conference on November 8th. 

The grants committee is pleased to recognize Gregg Harris (University of Akron), Elizabeth Staarmann (Miami University), and Jennifer Smith (Case Western Reserve University) as the awardees for 2024. Additionally, Gregg will be co-presenting at the conference with Marilia Y. Antunez during concurrent session 3 on “The good, the bad, and the questionable: How unauthorized and pirate websites are confusing researchers and the library’s role.”

Congratulations to all our award winners. 

–Allen Reichert, Professional Development Committee Co-Chair, Otterbein University.

Posted in Vol. 43 no. 3 (Sept 2024) | Tagged | Leave a comment

People & Library News

Posted on September 17, 2024 by anitaslack

Bryant & Stratton College News

Joseph Dudley (Bryant & Stratton College) is serving on the 2024 LD4 Conference Planning Committee and Social Subcommittee.  This year’s LD4 theme is Building Community for Linked Open Data, and the conference will take place virtually on October 7th – 11th.  The conference website is https://sites.google.com/view/2024-ld4-conference/home

–Joseph Dudley, Bryant & Stratton College

Case Western Reserve University News

Kate Ozment, PhD has recently joined Kelvin Smith Library (Case Western Reserve University) to lead the Digital Scholarship team. Working collaboratively with the library and campus partners, her primary role is to establish a new vision for our Freedman Center for Digital Scholarship.  She’s coming to CWRU with extensive teaching and research experience from Cal Poly Pomona as an Associate Professor of English, and has served as co-editor of the Women in Book History Bibliography and contributing editor for the Women in Print History Project.

–Halle Novotny, Case Western Reserve University

Denison University News

Denison Libraries is pleased to welcome Patricia “Tricia” McEldowney as Denison’s new Archivist & Special Collections Librarian, beginning Sept. 2. Tricia will play a pivotal role across campus in collecting and promoting the history of the college. 

Tricia most recently worked as the Collections Management Archivist at Ohio State University. Her breadth of experiences include Archivist and Special Collections Librarian at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and Assistant Manager in the corporate archives of the J.M. Smucker Company. She holds a B.A. in history from the University of Toledo and an M.A. in public history from Wright State University.

Funding Opportunities (research &pub grant, continuing ed. grant, student/support presentation grants, etc.)

–Peggy Rector, Denison University

Posted in Vol. 43 no. 3 (Sept 2024) | Tagged | Leave a comment

President’s Report

Posted on June 18, 2024 by anitaslack

Summer in Ohio is Here!

Mark Eddy, ALAO President

Time again to close out another academic year at our institutions, and contemplate all those summer projects we’ve been meaning to get to.  One for me is keeping up with the front and back lawns at home, which seem to be growing twice as fast this year!  Hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather, and remember, don’t forget your sunscreen!  

We have new Board members!  Welcome, Welcome!  I’m so looking forward to meeting and working with everyone as together we envision the next few years for the Association.  See details about this and other goings-on below.

2024-2025 ALAO Executive Board Election Results

On behalf of myself and ALAO Past President, Jerry Natal, I am delighted to announce the new members of the Executive Board for 2024-2025.  Please join me in congratulating,

  • Vice President/President Elect: Paul C. Campbell, Social Sciences & Assessment Librarian, Kent State University
  • Secretary: Mira Scarnecchia, OER Librarian, Columbus State Community College
  • Treasurer: Don Appleby, Library Specialist, University of Akron
  • Board Members-at-Large:
    • Stephanie Founds, FYE Specialist, Ohio State University
    • Kathy Ladell, Student Success Librarian, University of Cincinnati
    • Edith Scarletto, Reference & Instruction Librarian, Bowling Green State University
  • Membership Chair: Laura Birkenhauer, Student Success Librarian for Campus Engagement, Miami University

Please also join Jerry and I in thanking our fellow Nominating Committee members for their hard work and dedication in executing this year’s election cycle:

  • Katy Tucker, Electronic Resources and Acquisitions Librarian, Xavier University
  • Jason Wardell, Health & Life Sciences Librarian University of Dayton
  • Rich Wisneski, Electronic Resources, Miami University
  • Beronica Avila, Outreach & Engagement Librarian, Denison University
  • Laura Birkenhauer, Student Success Librarian for Campus Engagement, Miami University

Let me offer sincere thanks as well to all the candidates who participated in this year’s election.  Your willingness to serve is truly commendable!  Please consider running again in a future election, as the organization benefits tremendously from a diversity of new ideas and perspectives.

Association members can also get involved in a variety of other ways.  Check out our interest groups and committees, and consider joining!

2024 ALAO Annual Conference Update

Our 2024 Conference Planning Committee continues to make great progress!  The CPC recently completed the Conference session proposal review process, and is on pace with arrangements for our 50th Anniversary event at the OCLC Conference Center in the greater Columbus area on November 7 & 8th.  Please see the report below from Sara Klink, our CPC Chair and Vice President/President Elect, for additional planning updates.

Executive Board Meeting & Activities

My sincere thanks to the members of an Executive Board Task Force which was formed this past April to create and distribute a new ALAO Membership survey. Your responses will play a central role in the Board’s drafting of a new 5-year strategic plan for the Association this summer.

My heartfelt thanks as well to the members of a separate Board working group formed this past May that is investigating new ways we can welcome and onboard Association members, those in appointed positions, and our elected officers.  Their work will also factor directly into the Board’s strategic planning activities this summer.

And, I want to express special gratitude to ALAO Past President, Jerry Natal, who generously took on the role earlier this year of interim Public Relations Coordinator for the Association.  Thank you so much, Jerry!

Have a fantastic summer, everyone!

Posted in Vol. 42 no. 2 (June 2024) | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Vice President/President Elect Report

Posted on June 18, 2024 by anitaslack

Conference Date: November 7th Preconference and November 8th Conference, 2023

Sara Klink, ALAO Vice President/President Elect

Conference Location: OCLC main campus in Dublin, Ohio

On behalf of the 2024 Conference Planning Committee, I want to thank everyone who submitted session proposals for this year’s Conference!  We are currently notifying those presenters that had sessions accepted. The Conference will feature a keynote, traditional presentations, lightning talk sessions, poster sessions, panel and discussion sessions and a full hybrid track for those that choose to attend virtually.

Please keep an eye on our event website for more information and registration details. The Conference Planning Committee has a few things up their sleeves in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary event. We look forward to welcoming and celebrating with presenters and attendees from Ohio and surrounding area libraries!

Posted in Vol. 42 no. 2 (June 2024) | Tagged | Leave a comment