Past President's Report

Posted on July 15, 2009 by alaoadmin

Karen Wilhoit (Wright State)

At the end of June, ALAO held its annual board retreat where we installed new officers. I am pleased to be passing the title of President to Rob Withers. I would also like to welcome all of our new team members to the ALAO Executive Board.

Just prior to the Board Retreat, we learned that the Ohio College Association will be closing its offices at the end of September. OCA has served as ALAO’s fiscal agent since our organization’s inception. The services they have provided to ALAO have been invaluable over the years, and the ALAO Board will miss their support and guidance. I am chairing a small committee which is charged with determining how ALAO should move forward. The Board hopes to find another entity that will be willing to serve ALAO in the capacity of fiscal agent. JoAnn Calzonetti and Gaynelle Predmore are working with me on this effort, and we will keep the membership informed of our progress.

As Past President, I am also responsible for chairing the Nominating and Awards committees. If you are interested in serving ALAO in an elected position, or if you would like to nominate a colleague for an office, please contact me. Similarly, if you would like to nominate someone for the Jay Ladd award, please watch for the announcement, which will come out prior to the annual conference.

Posted in Vol. 27 no. 2 (Jul 2009) | Tagged | Leave a comment

ALA Legislative Day 2009 in Washington, D.C.

Posted on July 15, 2009 by alaoadmin

Joan Milligan, Legislative Day Award Recipient

When I read last winter that the ALAO was awarding a grant to a librarian interested in going to the ALA’s annual Legislative Day, I knew I had to apply. I was thrilled when I heard I had been awarded it. What an opportunity!

The ALA’s “Legislative Day” is actually a two-day event in May. On the first day we gathered at the Liason Hotel for several information sessions on particular bills and priority issues, plus we got some coaching on some basic lobbying do’s and don’ts.

On the second day we went to Capitol Hill. Lobbyists generally meet with representatives’ staff members, rather than with the representatives themselves. These are the people who have some expertise in the area and will know what particular points may interest their boss. These meetings are short, often no more than 10 to 15 minutes, so it is important to be organized, concise, and illustrative in a way that will catch the staffers’ attention. We were greeted with varying degrees of engagement and preparation. In fact, at my Congressional representative’s office my lobbying partner and I were passed off to a staff assistant’s assistant, a young man with just a few months’ experience.

However, we had a very positive experience at Sherrod Brown’s office, although the only place for us to gather was in the hallway. (We were told ahead of time this happens. Sometimes you’re asked to brief staffers on the go when they are on their way to their next meeting.) Brown’s staffer, Caroline Wells, was very interested in what we had to say and promised the senator would sign a letter in support of full funding for the LSTA program. She had his signature by the next day. That felt great.

Bill Morris, at the Ohio State Library, does an excellent job organizing almost everything for Ohio lobbyists and preparing the packets that are passed on to the representatives. Ann Watson, a multi-year “Leg Day” lobbyist, acted as my mentor, explaining the details and pointing me in the right direction. Ohio had 18 delegates this year, from the state library, public and academic libraries, and library organizations such as OPLIN, Ohio Library Council, and INFOhio. All of these were directors – except for me. I thought I was fitting in pretty well until the button popped off my suit right before our appointments. When I am cataloging books I can dress fairly casually, but my fellow lobbyist are people who are used to their suits!

For me, the best part of the experience was learning in detail about some of the key issues and requests our profession is seeking. Our central request was $300 million for LSTA grants and $100 million for school literacy programs—a drop in the budgetary bucket, I’d say. However, in May, when we were in Washington, the president’s proposed budget allowed only $217 million for LSTA. Some other issues:

· The excessive paperwork necessary for libraries to get special “E-rates,” which provide inexpensive broadband access, should be simplified so that more libraries can apply.

· A proposed bill that would stop the National Institute of Health’s current policy to post federally funded works online should be voted down. The fear is that if the NIH is stopped from doing this, other similar organizations won’t make their works available either, even though taxpayers are supporting the research.

· Access to federal reports should be made available to the public through a centralized electronic system.

· An exemption from the Consumer Production Safety Improvement act should be provided for children’s’ books. The regulation is about lead poisoning, a danger only if a child eats several old books in their entirety. New books don’t contain lead.

· Modifications of the Patriot Act should be made to protect readers’ privacy.

Posted in Vol. 27 no. 2 (Jul 2009) | Leave a comment

Membership Database Update

Posted on July 15, 2009 by alaoadmin

Brian Gray (Case Western)

ALAO is excited to be working on a new membership database that will greatly benefit all members. The service will roll out later this year and will allow members to go online to update their contact information and other important details tied to their ALAO membership. The new service will send out email reminders at renewal time. It will also distribute announcements for upcoming ALAO activities with the ability to register online for conferences and meetings. ALAO leadership can use the provided tools to track ACRL memberships and volunteer interests. The ALAO Board is also looking into the potential of allowing online credit card payments. Please watch for more details in the near future, including a message to log-in and verify your personal information.

Posted in Vol. 27 no. 2 (Jul 2009) | Leave a comment

Curriculum Materials Center Interest Group

Posted on July 15, 2009 by alaoadmin

Carolyn Sanders, Chair (Central State)

On May 15, 2009, twenty-two individuals attended the CMCIG Spring Workshop entitled Realigning the CMC. Eight of those in attendance made first time and/or renewed previous ALAO memberships.

As outlined in the March News Letter Kevin Stinson from Delta Education distributed batteries, light bulbs, and wire and challenged attendees to find multiple ways to complete an electrical circuit to light the bulb. He highlighted two Delta science programs, FOSS kits and science modules that encourage problem solving and promote active learning of science concepts.

Jack Helm from Wright Group McGraw Hill explained their research-based Everyday Mathematics program.

Lou Staffillino and Patty Griffin from the Ohio Department of Education, reviewed Governor Ted Strickland’s proposed PreK-12 education plan and its impact on teacher preparation programs. Most of the plan was part of House Bill #1 and is part of the governor’s budget approved by the legislature. Praxis III type evaluations of first year teachers will be completed by lead teachers in the district rather than by trained evaluators from higher education and other education based entities. Praxis II evaluations will remain the same.

Kathy Yoder, a registered attendee and presenter from Bowling Green State University, used Lib Guide software for her presentation of new children’s and young adult titles and demonstrated some Lib Guide features which may be helpful to curriculum librarians. New titles may be viewed at http://libguides.bgsu.edu/newbooks .

Dr. Deanna Romano from Ashland University and Diane Schrecker, a registered attendee, a presenter, and our host at Ashland University, demonstrated practical classroom applications of Web 2.0 technologies—blogging for reflection and community building, Wiki’s for collaboration, teacher and student tube videos for sharing information, RSS feeds to keep updated, and Lib Guides to assist patrons with information access. Information from their presentation may be perused here. Diane Schrecker led attendees on a tour of the Curriculum Resource Center after the presentations and before the board meeting.

During the board meeting Carolyn Sanders, Central State University, CMCIG co-chair, announced that Sara Bushong, Bowling Green State University, accepted the permanent position as Associate Dean of BGSU’s Jerome Library, and Kathy Yoder, Bowling Green State University, agreed to be Acting Head of BGSU’s Curriculum Resource Center for another year. Kathy is also the CMCIG co-chair for 2009-2010. Kathy plans to explore options for an online Ohio Curriculum Materials Centers’ Directory during her term in office. Photos from the May 15, 2009 workshop at Ashland University have been posted on the CMCIG blog.

The CMCIG will sponsor a session during the annual conference on October 30, 2009. The two preferred proposals are “Reinvigorating the Curriculum Center Collection: A Case Study” and “Redefining the Resource Page: Replacing Static Subject Guides with Dynamic Blogs”.

Posted in Vol. 27 no. 2 (Jul 2009) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Technical, Electronic, & Digital Services Interest Group

Posted on July 15, 2009 by alaoadmin

Kiffany Francis, Chair (Cleveland State)

TEDDY Award
ALAO TEDSIG seeks nominations for the first annual TEDDY Award.  This award recognizes an individual’s significant contributions to the technical, electronic or digital services fields. Contributions may include service, innovative practices, presentations, publications, and leadership in the profession.
 TEDSIG Co-Chairs will award the TEDDY during the ALAO Annual Conference. Along with an award plaque the recipient of the TEDDY will receive two free registrations to a future TEDSIG spring meeting workshop, one for themselves and the other for a colleague or library school student of their choice, and TEDS, the TEDSIG mascot.

To be eligible for the TEDDY, the nominee must be a current ALAO member, who has worked in or is currently working in an Ohio academic library in the area of technical, electronic, or digital services.

To nominate an individual please provide the following information:

Name of nominee
·
Nominee’s position title
·
Nominee’s college or university
·
Nominee’s ALAO and TEDSIG activities
·
Your rationale for nominating this individual.

Please include the nominee’s contributions to the field at the local, regional, and/or national level
 and your name and contact information, including phone and email

. You may nominate more than one person if desired. Current TEDSIG Co-Chairs
 are ineligible for the TEDDY.

 Please mail or email your nominations by OCTOBER 1, 2009 to:

Kiffany Francis
Michael Schwartz Library
Cleveland State University
2121 Euclid Ave., RT 305I
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
k.a.francis10@csuohio.edu

TEDSIG Spring Meeting

TEDSIG held its Spring Meeting with the theme, “Electronic Serials: Getting Them and Keeping Them,” at OCLC in Dublin, Ohio on Friday, April 24, 2009 from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm. The keynote speaker was Regina Romano Reynolds, ISSN Coordinator, from the Library of Congress who spoke on the topic of “Taming the E-Serials Beast: Challenges and Solutions.” We also convened a panel of Ohio academic librarians who deal with e-serials issues.

•    Susan Banoun, Cataloging Unit, Head, in the Serials and Electronic
•    Resource Dept, University of Cincinnati, “Catch a Tiger by its Tail?: The Challenges of Cataloging Electronic Resources.”
•    Barbara Dunham, Electronic Resources Librarian, The Ohio State University, “E-Serials Are Like Herding Cats.”
•    Deberah England, Electronic Resources Librarian, Wright State University, “Welcome to the jungle: E-beasts and the quest to cage them.”
•    Yuezeng Shen, Head of Cataloging, Cleveland State University, “Electronic serials: Collaborative management across departments.”

A NASIG Continuing Education Committee Grant provided additional financial support for the meeting. Our total attendance, including the speakers, was 66.  Eleven registered specifically as NASIG members, there were two students, 26 were non-members. We received a great deal of positive feedback about the meeting. Special recognition goes to TEDSIG member Cynthia Whitacre that helped with the local arrangements for the meeting and to Kristine Kinzer who recorded the meeting for a report for the “Serials Spoken Here” column in Serials Review.

New Co-Chair

In April, TEDSIG elected its new co-chair. Chris Thornton, Head of Serials at Case Western Reserve University, was elected TEDSIG co-chair as of this June. The 2009-2010 co-chairs would like to express appreciation to Rocki Strader for her dedication and hard work on behalf of TEDSIG this past year.

Posted in Vol. 27 no. 2 (Jul 2009) | Tagged | Leave a comment

Kathy Williams Wright Retires From OCA after 20+ years

Posted on July 15, 2009 by alaoadmin

Kathy Williams Wright, Executive Director for the Ohio College Association (OCA) retired on March 31, 2009. A reception in her honor was held on Tuesday, March 24th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. at The Blackwell Inn on the Ohio State University campus.  Kathy had been with the OCA for over 20 years, and had been chief staff officer/Executive Director since 1985. Below, Kathy is pictured with David Hopkins, President of OCA and Wright State University at her retirement reception.

Kathy Williams Wright and David Hopkins, President of OCA and Wright State University

She holds a B.S. in Education, M.A. in Higher Education Policy & Leadership, and M.A. in Public Administration from the Ohio State University, and attained the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 1996. Active in national, statewide, church and community organizations, Kathy served on several Boards and committees including: the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Society of Association Executives; the Governing Board of the Ohio Academy of Science; and the Executive Board of the Academic Library Association of Ohio (ex officio) where she has been an invaluable contributor for over 20 years to our organization.

Posted in Vol. 27 no. 2 (Jul 2009) | Leave a comment

Diversity Committee

Posted on July 15, 2009 by alaoadmin

Ken Burhanna, Chair (Kent State)

The Diversity Committee is pleased to award the annual ALAO Diversity Scholarship for 2009-2010 to Joshua Alvarez. Joshua recently graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Religious Studies and will be beginning his MLIS coursework this fall through Kent State University Columbus Program. His scholarship includes $1,500 towards tuition, complimentary registration for the ALAO annual conference in October and a year of mentoring with a selected ALAO member.

The Committee was impressed with the overall quality of this year’s applicant pool, but Joshua’s record of strong academic achievement and his demonstrated commitment to diversity helped his application stand out. His impressive academic record includes numerous appearances on the Dean’s list and several scholarships. He also studied abroad in Greece during spring 2008. While Joshua is only starting his library education, he already has library-related experience. He worked as a library assistant at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and served as an intern for the Ohio Historical Society.



Congratulations to Joshua Alvarez! The Committee is confident he will be a strong leader and advocate for diversity and inclusion in academic libraries.

Posted in Vol. 27 no. 2 (Jul 2009) | Leave a comment

Upcoming Events

Posted on July 15, 2009 by alaoadmin

August 2-4, 2009
Ohio Library Support Staff Institute
Denison University
More information: http://www.olssi.org/index.htm

October 3-6, 2009
Midwest Chapter/MLA Annual Conference
Hyatt on Capitol Square, Columbus, OH
More information: http://midwestmla.org/conference2009/

October 30, 2009
 ALAO Annual Conference
Roberts Conference Centre, Wilmington, OH
Theme: At the Crossroads: Recharging, Redefining, and Realigning our Libraries
More information: http://www.alaoweb.org/conferences/conf2009/index.html

Posted in Vol. 27 no. 2 (Jul 2009) | Leave a comment

People and Library News

Posted on July 15, 2009 by alaoadmin

Ashland

As of July 1, Ed Krakora is the new library director at Ashland University. Ed come to Ashland from Heidelberg College where he was the library director since 1990

Bowling Green

Tom Atwood, Dean of Bowling Green State University Libraries, retired July 1. Atwood joined BGSU in June 2007 after serving as director of the Ocasek Medical Library at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM), in Rootstown. Under his leadership, the University Libraries improved computing technology in the library by incorporating two new computer classrooms into Jerome, upgrading the electronic reading room and expanding public computing in the lobby. Last fall, the libraries collaborated with the University Bookstore and some faculty members to pilot a textbook rental-reserve project to enable some students to rent textbooks on an hourly basis.

Sara Bushong has been appointed Interim Dean of the University Libraries effective July 1, 2009. Bushong joined the BGSU faculty in 2000, as Head Librarian of the Curriculum Resource Center in the University Libraries (UL). Prior to her appointment to the BGSU faculty, Bushong held posts as District Elementary Librarian and Technology Curriculum Coordinator for the Perrysburg Exempted Village Schools, and choral music teacher in Whigham, Georgia. Bushong earned a Master of Education degree in Library and Educational Media from BGSU, and a Master of Library Science degree from Kent State University. She has served as chair of the UL Archival Collections and Branches department since 2005. This past spring, after a national search, she accepted the appointment of Associate Dean. Bushong also teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in the School of Teaching and Learning at BGSU.

Juli McCarroll is the new  Coordinator of Circulation in Access Services.  McCarroll brings a wealth of leadership and technological experience through previous positions she has held and holds a MLIS from Drexel University.

Joelle Thomas began as the  Associate Librarian/Instructor in the Library Teaching & Learning department. Thomas brings a passion for and experience with both classroom teaching and one-on-one instruction, and has taught at Kent State University and in Japan.  Thomas holds an MLS from Kent State University.
Elisabeth Moser began as the Depository Supervisor in May.  Moser earned her MLIS Degree from Kent State University, and brings strong management and supervisory skills from her previous work experience, most recently as Adult and Technical Services Librarian at the Pemberville Public Library.

Case Western Reserve

Patricia Butts, Library Assistant in the Bibliographic and Metadata Services department, announced her retirement after 23 years at the library.

Earnestine Adeyemon, Electronic Resources Librarian, wrote the following article
Integrating Digital Literacies into Outreach Services for Underserved Youth Populations which appeared in the publication The Reference Librarian, 1541-1117, Volume 50, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 85 – 98

E. Gail Reese, Associate Director for Collections and Personnel, presented a poster session at the ACRL 2009 Conference in Seattle, “Future Connections@KSL, Creating Tomorrow’s Workforce through a Community Mentoring Program.” The Future Connections Program is in its 7th year at Kelvin Smith Library.  The Library hosts students selected by teachers and counselors in the Cleveland and suburban schools to participate in an eight week summer program.  The students, Juniors from their respective schools, are placed in cultural and educational institutions for the first four weeks and in a business setting for the final four weeks.  The Kelvin Smith Library component introduces the students to the library and its staff while they receive training in all aspects of a library’s operation.  The students are encouraged to consider librarianship as a future vocation.

Case Western Reserve University has been picked as one of five campuses to pilot the new Kindle DX this fall. The Kindles will be provided to up to 50 undergraduate students to explore their ability to serve as a textbook replacement and as an instructional tool. The experience will be tracked and assessed for how it may change the educational process. The Kelvin Smith Library will be promoting and exploring access to electronic information such as journals and e-books, and has already adapted the electronic reserve system to function with the Kindle. The idea percolated from simultaneous conversations that came together after the library staff had time to play with the first generation Kindle and a chemistry professor was exploring new technologies for his classroom.
Sharlane Gubkin, Head of Preservation, received word that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will be awarding a core set of Conservation books – the “Connecting to Collections Bookshelf”to the library.

Miami University Middletown


John Burke, library director at the Middletown regional campus of Miami University, was promoted to associate librarian and granted continuing contract effective July 1, 2009.  John joined the staff of the Middletown campus in 2002 and was named director in 2006.  He has just published a third edition of his book, the Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion: a Basic Guide for Library Staff (Neal-Schuman Publishers,2009).

Oberlin College


Ray English, Azariah Smith Root director of libraries at Oberlin College, was named the 2009 winner of the Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award. English received a cash award and a citation during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, at the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) President’s Program held Monday, July 13.

The Atkinson Award, which recognizes an academic librarian who has made significant contributions in the area of library automation, library management, or library development and research, is jointly sponsored by four ALA divisions.

“Ray English has provided transformative leadership within his own institution, his state and region, in ACRL [the Association of College and Research Libraries] and as a national leader in scholarly communications,” said Sarah Michalak, Hugh C. Atkinson Memorial Award Committee Chair and University Librarian at the University of North
Carolina-Chapel Hill. “The award has been given to a college librarian only once before in its 21 year history.”

Ohio Northern

Jenny Kunkler is originally from Stone Mountain, Georgia. She received her BA in English from the College of Wooster, and later her MLIS from Kent State. At Ohio Northern University she will be the Cataloging and Serials Librarian, and she is looking forward to the challenging aspects that may arise from both sides of the position. When not buried in books and serials at work, she is usually found spending time with her many  pets or going for a long run around the village of Ada.

The Ohio State University


 Betsy Blankenship of the OSU Marion campus recently co-authored with with Patricia S. Wood Electronic Reserve on a Regional Campus: The Evolution of the Service. Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve. 19(2), April, p. 131-135.

Southern State Community College


 The library staff at Southern State Community College accompanied several students taking children’s literature to the ALA annual conference in Chicago July 9-15th.  A total of 18 from SSCC attended ALA this year, visiting the exhibits and attending sessions.  Louis Mays, professor and librarian, co-presented with Paula Deal (INFOhio) and others at an early morning session.  His program was entitled “Closing the Gap: Making Information Literacy Seamless Across K-16”.   Students spent their time visiting exhibits and getting autographed copies of their favorite books for children and young adults.  In addition to library staff and students, faculty members in education and chemistry also attend ALA this year.
The Fayette Campus in Washington Court House has been renovated and expanded to double the previous size.  If you are in the Fayette County area, please stop by the campus to see the new community room, classrooms, and offices.  The library at Fayette Campus recently moved to a new location, and once the renovation is completed, the library will have more room overall.  Stop by the campus and visit with Carissa Thatcher and her staff for a tour of the facility.  The grand opening will take place in August.
Wittenberg University
Doug Lehman, Director of Thomas Library, was elected to serve a one-year term as Secretary of the College Libraries Section of ACRL for 2009-10. Doug will also serve of as chair of the SOCHE Library Council for 2009-10.

Posted in Vol. 27 no. 2 (Jul 2009) | Tagged | Leave a comment

President's Report

Posted on April 2, 2009 by alaoadmin

Karen Wilhoit, Wright State University

Looking Ahead to 2009:

It’s hard to believe that we are already three months into the new year.  ALAO is moving forward on many fronts.  Our annual elections will be underway soon.  Doug Morrison has worked hard to put together a slate of candidates for 2009/2010, and I hope that all ALAO members to participate in the election.  I would also encourage you to consider becoming involved in ALAO by running for office in the future.  ALAO is strengthened when new people become involved in the organization, and service to ALAO is one way to start becoming involved in the profession.

There is a lot going on in ALAO this spring.  The Diversity Committee and the Interest Groups are offering (or have already held) their spring workshops.  These are always well-planned, interesting, and timely continuing education opportunities.  The board continues to work on plans for a membership database so that we can better serve member needs.  In addition, we are talking about opportunities and services for retired and student members, updating the website, and making the ALAO archives more accessible.

Finally, I want to thank Kathy Wright, who is retiring as Executive Director of the Ohio College Association, for her many years of service to ALAO.   OCA serves as the fiscal agent for ALAO, but Kathy’s service to our association has gone far beyond managing our funds.  She attends our board meetings and conferences, offering advice and guidance as well as perspective on how the association has developed over the years.  Those of us who have served with her on the board think of her as the memory of ALAO.  I hope all of you will join me in wishing Kathy a long, fulfilling, and happy retirement.  Kathy, ALAO will miss you.

 

 

Posted in Vol. 27 no. 1 (March 2009) | Tagged | Leave a comment