ALAO Newsletter

Ginna Witte, Cincinnati State
Derek Malone, Ohio University

Thank you to everyone who made it to the 2013 annual conference. The co-chairs really enjoyed speaking with (and meeting) all of the SSIG members who stopped by our interest group table. SSIG was thrilled to sponsor the session, “Better Together: Reimagining Library Social Media Content Through Student Collaboration” presented by Jessica Hagman and Janet Carleton of Ohio University. These two presenters gave a wonderful overview with lots of concrete examples of the many ways they’ve used students to generate, post and guide library social media content.
We’d also like to congratulate the winner of our 2013 Support Staff Presenter Grant. Donald Pearson is the Knowledge Management & Information Technology Specialist at the Mount Carmel Heath Sciences library. He offered an extremely helpful session on the use of cloud computing in academic libraries. Congrats, Donald!

The co-chairs are currently investigating topics and locations for a Spring workshop. Details will be announced as they come available.

Sharon Purtee, University of Cincinnati

TEDSIG sponsored a well-attended session at the annual meeting presented by Susannah Cleveland, Nancy Down and Elizabeth Hertenstein of Bowling Green State University. Their talk was titled Enacted metadata: using video to highlight special collections. They demonstrated and discussed their work on an exhibit from the popular collection and how they embedded videos into the description to enhance the visitors’ experiences.

We also staffed a (beautifully decorated) table at the conference and engaged with attendees.

We would also like to acknowledge and congratulate the winner of the 2013 Teddy award, Jeanne Langendorfer, Coordinator of Serials & Government Documents at Bowling Green State University. Jeanne was presented with a lovely plaque and our signature Teddy Bear.

TEDSIG and SCAIG are collaborating on a spring workshop. Details will be announced early in 2014.

Library Leadership Ohio offers participants the opportunity to develop leadership skills, network and collaborate with their peers, and discuss issues important to the future of Ohio libraries. This unique program is facilitated by the nationally recognized consultants Ivy Library (a division of The Ivy Group). This immersive three day program will shape future leaders for Ohio libraries, assist Ohio library staff in becoming leaders in the communities they serve, and provide the chance to work collaboratively on projects of important to Ohio libraries.

Library Leadership Ohio recognizes that individuals can “lead from any position.” For that reason we would like to stress that any library staff member in any type of library is eligible to apply. All that’s required is the desire to lead. We expect many individuals will be ready to take the next step toward becoming an Ohio library leader. To assist in getting the word out about this opportunity we would appreciate if you could share information about this program with your members. Please feel free to reproduce and redistribute this information through any and all communication channels at your disposal.

Library Leadership Ohio
When: July 22 – 25, 2014
Where: Holiday Inn Worthington
Facilitators: Ivy Library
Cost: $425.00
Applications are due: December 16, 2013

You can find all of the details about Library Leadership Ohio, including the application, on the website at: http://www.libraryleadershipohio.org.

You won’t want to miss this exciting opportunity. So, start working on your essays and request your letter of support from your supervisor or director today.

Questions about Library Leadership Ohio 2014 can be directed to Missy Lodge, mlodge@library.ohio.gov.

The State Library of Ohio, OHIONET, and OLC are collaborating to bring you Library Leadership Ohio, with additional support from ALAO. LLO 2014 is funded in part by LSTA funds awarded to OHIONET by the State Library of Ohio.

Betsy Blankenship, The Ohio State University Marion

I am always amazed at how giving library staff are – they give their time, their talents, their money, and most importantly, their wisdom and suggestions. At the annual conference, we asked attendees to visit several Expression Walls we had set up. Each was different and we asked them to post their thoughts, suggestions, ideas. I thought I would share them with everyone – there are some great tips and suggestions we can all use!

Tips for enjoying the conference

• Introduce yourself to at least three new people
• Don’t be afraid to share your new skills with experienced librarians – they can learn from you, too!
• Get enough sleep!
• Don’t be afraid to skip a presentation to talk to someone you miss or just met. Ideas are born there.
• Ask questions at presentations
• Attend sessions on topics brand new to you
• Step outside your com fort zone
• Talk to people! There are so many “AHA” moments & opportunities for collaboration that you can find
  out about . . . just by saying hi to someone!

Don’t just go to presentations where the topic is something you are already doing – you learn a lot from sessions w/brand new topics

• Eat cookies, drink coffee and talk to the many awes me librarians!

Suggestions for new Librarians

• Smile – and often!
• Learn something new everyday
• Go to conferences & join groups /committees!
• Meet as many people as you can & network!
• Learn to code!
• Love what you do. Do what you love
• Sit with people you don’t know and talk to them, don’t play/use your phone
• Meet faculty – they think you’re smarter than you think they do!
  Try to get involved even at a basic level. It helps you meet folks at other libraries and learn new things.
  Be a good co-worker! Teamwork is essential to success.
• Get out from behind your desk & into the classroom/lab/President’s office at your institution!
  Be enthusiastic about teaching!
• Don’t hesitate to speak-up. New ideas are welcome!
• What Buildings lie between the pathway that students use to get to
  take note of real time current treads (sic) of discussion
• Make the “3C’s” your go-to words: Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate!

Looking at ALAO in 2020

• More virtual content
• Hands on programs (preservation?)
• OHIO ACAD LIBRNS are the best! Reach out to your statewide peers anytime you have a Q!
• More cat videos (Upvote!)
• Wear comfy shoes!
• More about distance ed librarianship
• More sessions w/ideas for small schools w/small staff & budgets [Betsy’s note: this was marked with yes! and this!]
• New formats, new resources, new questions, new problems!
• Mentoring program
• Have presentations online in one place
• Streamlined Discovery & Smart Search
• We’ll have our own maker workshop
• Streaming sessions for those who can’t physically attend [Betsy’s note: this was marked with +1 and I agree!]
• Create writing & research groups

Bowling Green State University

Mat Sweet is the new Library Associate 1 for Collections & Technical Services (CATS) effective in September 2013. Mat has had previous experience working with electronic resources. He previously worked at the Northwest Ohio Regional Book Depository.

John Eggenton is the new Library Information Technology Services (LITS) Manager for the University Libraries. Previously, John was the Assistant Director of Systems for Student Financial Aid at BGSU. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Toledo and a Master of Business Administration from BGSU. He has a broad depth of experience in large scale implementation projects, along with experience with document imaging, content management systems, large relational databases, departmental web sites and web applications.

The Student Technology Assistance Center (STAC) opened in the William T. Jerome Library in August 2013. STAC offers peer-to-peer instruction on a variety of software applications for undergraduate, graduate and distance students. Assistance is available by appointment, through drop-in visits, one-on-one, in small groups or through class visits.

Case Western Reserve University

Kelvin Smith Library staff, Stephen Toombs (Research Services Librarian, Performing Arts & Classics) and Roger Zender (Team Leader for Digital Learning & Scholarship), presented with Dr. Stephen Hefling (CWRU Professor, Musicology) at the Music Library Association’s recent Midwest Chapter conference. The group spoke about their involvement with a project entitled, “Continuation of the Reilly Digital Catalogue of Mahler’s Musical Manuscripts.” The presentation included an overview of how library staff assisted Hefling in translating scholar Edward R. Reilly’s catalogue raisonné of composer Gustav Mahler’s manuscripts into an Oracle database, which will become the foundation of a searchable online catalogue.

This October, Kelvin Smith Library celebrated its 100th anniversary as a Federal Depository Library. To honor the occasion, a ceremony was held at KSL that included a presentation by George Barnum – Agency Historian at the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) – that surveyed a handful of days and events in the GPO’s history and explored the history of the depository at Case Western Reserve University. Audrey Hall, State Library of Ohio Consultant/Government Documents Librarian, was also in attendance to present KSL with a plaque from GPO to commemorate this milestone.

John Carroll University

Cindy Lenox presented “Library Programs to Aid in Student Retention” at the “Brick & Click Symposium” at Northwest Missouri State University.

Five Colleges of Ohio

Jacob Heil is the new Mellon Digital Scholar for the Five Colleges of Ohio Consortium (College of Wooster, Denison University, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University). He manages a new three-year project, titled “Digital Collections: from Projects to Pedagogy and Scholarship” and funded by a $775,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The grant continues the three-year “Next Steps in the Next Generation Library” grant, which enabled librarians, faculty, and students to produce more than 50 digitization projects in a wide range of disciplines. Many are showcased in a public portal. Jacob, who holds a PhD in English from Texas A&M University, is based at the College of Wooster. He travels weekly to each of the five colleges, to work with faculty and library staff to advance the study and practice of digital scholarship in both teaching and research contexts.

Miami University Libraries

Miami Libraries recently welcomed several new employees: Tyne Lowe, Senior Library Technician; Jennifer Natale, Academic Resident Librarian; Sabrina Smith, Senior Library Assistant; Kim Taylor, Library Associate; and Eric Weaver, Library Associate.

Judy Buttery, Special Assistant to the Dean, retires in December after 31 years of service to the University Libraries, and 41 years working at Miami University.
Judy Johnson, Program Associate in the Libraries Dean’s Office, will also be retiring in December after 20 years of service to the University Libraries. Both will be greatly missed, and we wish them the best in their retirement!

The Miami Libraries Outreach Cluster recently hosted an event as a part of ALA’s International Game Day. Over 60 students, faculty, and community members came together to enjoy an evening of video and board games. Many of the games are a part of the collection in the Libraries’ gaming lab and Instructional Materials Center collections.

Southern State Community College

Angel Mootispaw is the new librarian at SSCC. Angel currently serves as the LRC Manager for the North campus. Prior to coming to SSCC, Angel worked as the Instructional Designer at Ohio University in Chillicothe. While at OUC she developed faculty and student workshops for Learning Management Systems and online research. Angel earned her Master’s in Information Sciences from the University of North Texas in 2012, and her M.Ed. in Instructional Design and Online Learning from Capella University in 2009 after completing her BSS in English and Education from Ohio University.