Friday, August 29, 2008

ALAO Annual Conference 2008

Registration is now open for the Academic Library Association of Ohio’s (ALAO) 34th Annual Conference; Connecting the Campus: Linking Users, Institutions and Information. This year's conference will take place on Friday, October 24th at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington, Ohio and features keynote speaker Dr. David Carr from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science.

The conference will be preceded on October 23rd by an OhioLINK-sponsored workshop and a preconference social. For more details:


The registration deadline is October 3rd, 2008.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Mindset List

The 2012 Mindset List, brought to us by Beloit College professors, Tom McBride and Ron Neif, is a list of "observations that help to identify the experiences that have shaped the lives–and formed the mindset—of students starting their post-secondary education this fall."
For the past 11 years Beloit College, in Beloit, WI has released this list to help remind educator's of the rapidly changing times and events that have helped make this year's freshman class who they are. They joke that it is not their intention to make readers of this list feel old!
I think the Mindset List is a wonderful way of giving us a frame of reference in which to provide the best possible service to each new class of students.

Mindset List for the Class of 2012
Students entering college for the first time this fall were generally born in 1990.
For these students, Sammy Davis Jr., Jim Henson, Ryan White, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Freddy Krueger have always been dead.

1) Harry Potter could be a classmate, playing on their Quidditch team.
2) Since they were in diapers, karaoke machines have been annoying people at parties.
3) They have always been looking for Carmen Sandiego.
4) GPS satellite navigation systems have always been available.
5) Coke and Pepsi have always used recycled plastic bottles.
6) Shampoo and conditioner have always been available in the same bottle.
7) Gas stations have never fixed flats, but most serve cappuccino.
8) Their parents may have dropped them in shock when they heard George Bush announce “tax revenue increases.”
9) Electronic filing of tax returns has always been an option.
10) Girls in head scarves have always been part of the school fashion scene.
11) All have had a relative--or known about a friend's relative--who died comfortably at home with Hospice.
12) As a precursor to “whatever,” they have recognized that some people “just don’t get it.”
13) Universal Studios has always offered an alternative to Mickey in Orlando.
14) Grandma has always had wheels on her walker.
15) Martha Stewart Living has always been setting the style.
16) Haagen-Dazs ice cream has always come in quarts.
17) Club Med resorts have always been places to take the whole family.
18) WWW has never stood for World Wide Wrestling.
19) Films have never been X rated, only NC-17.
20) The Warsaw Pact is as hazy for them as the League of Nations was for their parents.
21) Students have always been "Rocking the Vote.”
22) Clarence Thomas has always sat on the Supreme Court.
23) Schools have always been concerned about multiculturalism.
24) We have always known that “All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”
25) There have always been gay rabbis.
26) Wayne Newton has never had a mustache.
27) College grads have always been able to Teach for America.
28) IBM has never made typewriters.
29) Roseanne Barr has never been invited to sing the National Anthem again.
30) McDonald’s and Burger King have always used vegetable oil for cooking french fries.
31) They have never been able to color a tree using a raw umber Crayola.
32) There has always been Pearl Jam.
33) The Tonight Show has always been hosted by Jay Leno and started at 11:35 EST.
34) Pee-Wee has never been in his playhouse during the day.
35) They never tasted Benefit Cereal with psyllium.
36) They may have been given a Nintendo Game Boy to play with in the crib.
37) Authorities have always been building a wall across the Mexican border.
38) Lenin’s name has never been on a major city in Russia.
39) Employers have always been able to do credit checks on employees.
40) Balsamic vinegar has always been available in the U.S.
41) Macaulay Culkin has always been Home Alone.
42) Their parents may have watched The American Gladiators on TV the day they were born.
43) Personal privacy has always been threatened.
44) Caller ID has always been available on phones.
45) Living wills have always been asked for at hospital check-ins.
46) The Green Bay Packers (almost) always had the same starting quarterback.
47) They never heard an attendant ask “Want me to check under the hood?”
48) Iced tea has always come in cans and bottles.
49) Soft drink refills have always been free.
50) They have never known life without Seinfeld references from a show about “nothing.”
51) Windows 3.0 operating system made IBM PCs user-friendly the year they were born.
52) Muscovites have always been able to buy Big Macs.
53) The Royal New Zealand Navy has never been permitted a daily ration of rum.
54) The Hubble Space Telescope has always been eavesdropping on the heavens.
55) 98.6 F or otherwise has always been confirmed in the ear.
56) Michael Milken has always been a philanthropist promoting prostate cancer research.
57) Off-shore oil drilling in the United States has always been prohibited.
58) Radio stations have never been required to present both sides of public issues.
59) There have always been charter schools.
60) Students always had Goosebumps.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Sparky Award Web Tools

A message from Adam Burling at ALA:

The organizers of the Sparky Awards video contest have released several new resources to help college instructors and librarians engage students in an exploration of information sharing and copyright by encouraging their participation in the 2008 contest, “MindMashup: The Value of Information Sharing.” Contestants are invited to submit videos of two minutes or less that imaginatively portray the benefits of the open, legal exchange of information on the Internet. Mashup is an expression referring to a song, video, Web site, or software application that combines content from more than one source.

Educators at all types of institution – including 4-year colleges and universities, community and junior colleges, art and film schools, and others – are invited to incorporate the contest into fall curricula, whether as a formal assignment or extracurricular activity. The following new resources are available to facilitate adoption of the contest:

• Video invitation to enter the Sparky Awards
• Sparky Awards promotional poster
• Educators’ Guide to Using the Sparky Awards in Your Classes
• Librarians’ Guide to Introducing the Sparky Awards on Your Campus
• Banner ad art to promote the Sparky Awards on Web sites

All tools are available for download and customization through the Sparky Awards Web site at http://www.sparkyawards.org, along with complete details on the awards.

The 2008 Sparky Awards are organized by SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) and cosponsored by the Association of College and Research Libraries, the Association of Research Libraries, Campus MovieFest, Penn Libraries, Students for Free Culture, and The Student PIRGs.

Love a Librarian

It seems almost redundant to post this to a librarian-run blog, but hey, we all know other librarians who might be deserving of this award - - -

CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK/NEW YORK TIMES
I LOVE MY LIBRARIAN AWARD ANNOUNCED
Nominations for public librarians open August 15

Carnegie Corporation of New York has awarded the American Library Association $489,000 to support the new Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award.

Administered by the ALA’s Public Information Office and Campaign for America’s Libraries, the award will launch this year and will continue annually through 2013. The award encourages library users to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their community.

Nominations for public librarians run from August 15 through October 1. Nominations for school and academic librarians begin September 2 and continue through October 15.

“In our democratic society, the library stands for hope, for learning, for progress, for literacy, for self-improvement and for civic engagement. The library is a symbol of opportunity, citizenship, equality, freedom of speech and freedom of thought, and hence, is a symbol for democracy itself,” said Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York.
"We’re thrilled to be working with the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the American Library Association to honor librarians who play such a vital role in our communities,” said Scott Heekin-Canedy, president of The New York Times. “What began as a local Times initiative in New York City seven years ago has grown to a national awards program and now we are proud to be co-presenting the award with the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the ALA.”

“This award will continue to raise awareness of the valuable contributions of today’s librarians and the ways they make a difference in people’s lives and their communities, schools and campuses,” said ALA President Jim Rettig.

Up to 10 librarians in public, school and academic libraries will be selected each year and each will be honored at a ceremony and reception in New York at TheTimesCenter, hosted by The New York Times. Each winner also will receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and a $500 travel stipend to attend the awards reception. In addition, a plaque will be given to each award winner’s library.

Nominees will be judged by a selection committee based on quality of service to library users, demonstrated knowledge of the library and its resources and commitment shown in helping library users.

Each nominee must be a librarian with a master’s degree from a program accredited by the ALA in library and information studies or a master’s degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. Nominees must be currently working in the United States in a public library, a library at an accredited two- or four-year college or university or at an accredited K-12 school.

For more information, visit www.ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian.

The Carnegie Corp. of New York was created by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote "the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding." For more than 95 years, the corporation has carried out Carnegie's vision of philanthropy by building on his two major concerns: international peace and advancing education and knowledge. As a private grant-making foundation, the corporation will invest more than $100 million this year in nonprofits to fulfill Carnegie's mission, "to do real and permanent good in this world." The corporation's capital fund, originally donated at a value of about $135 million, had a market value of $3 billion on Sept. 30, 2007.

The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company with 2007 revenues of $3.2 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 16 other daily newspapers, WQXR-FM and more than 50 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company’s core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 65,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.

Ohio Librarians - LSTA Minigrants Available

The State Library of Ohio is pleased to announce the availability of Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds for minigrant proposals. Under the minigrant program, any type of library may apply for funds in one of the following categories: Innovative Technology; Staff Development and Training; Services to Target Populations; and Services to Youth.

A maximum of $24,000 in federal funds may be requested. A cash match of 25% of the total project amount is required.

Proposals are due at the State Library by 4:00 p.m. October 29, 2008.
Approved proposals will run from April 1, 2009 through August 31, 2009.

The Request for Proposal, Application Guidelines and other documents to assist with preparing the application can be found at www.library.ohio.gov/publib/lstamini.html

If you have any questions about the LSTA Minigrants or the LSTA program in general, please contact Missy Lodge, Head, Library Programs and Development at mlodge@sloma.state.oh.us, 614-644-6914 or 800-686-1532.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Keeping Cool

I recently received the July/August issue of Consumer's Corner, a newsletter from the Office of the Ohio Consumer's Counsel and in it contained a list of ways to save money on summer cooling bills. While most libraries have no control over the general environment of the library itself and cannot lower thermostat and install energy-saving features, we can pass along to our users ideas and tips to help them save.

10 ways to save money on your summer cooling bills:
1. Get an air-conditioning tune-up
2. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs
3. Conserve water
4. Use the OCC's Smart Energy House (an interactive tool that breaks down
how much an energy appliance use)
5. Use shading to keep heat out
6. Install a programmable thermostat
7. Take advantage of utility-sponsored programs
8. Add more insulation
9. Open windows, raise thermostat
10. Use ventilation fans sparingly

I wonder if there is a list of ways to conserve energy in libraries? What would you do in your library?

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Resource Opportunity

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), in cooperation with the ALA Public Programs Office, is now accepting applications for the second round of Picturing America. Online applications will be accepted through Oct. 31 at http://picturingamerica.neh.org.

Picturing America is a free educational resource that helps teach American history and culture by bringing some of our nation’s greatest works of art directly to classrooms and libraries. At no cost, recipients will receive a set of high-quality reproductions of 40 pieces of great American art (each approximately 24 inches by 36 inches) and an illustrated teachers resource book with information about the artists and artwork and lesson ideas for all grade levels to facilitate the use of the reproductions in core subject areas. Delivery of these materials is scheduled for spring 2009. Additional educational resources are also available through the Picturing America Web site, http://picturingamerica.neh.gov. Resources to support public library programming will be added in the spring.

All public libraries, schools (K–12, public, private, parochial, charter and home school consortia) in the United States and its territories who have not previously received Picturing America may apply for the program through Oct. 31 at http://picturingamerica.neh.gov.


Additionally, other libraries (academic, special, research) with programs and collections for the general public are eligible to apply. Please note that previous recipients of the Picturing America collection are not eligible for a second award.

With questions, contact the ALA Public Programs office at publicprograms@ala.org.

Article opportunity

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

College & Undergraduate Libraries presents

"Agility by Design: New Roles for Academic Libraries on Campus and Beyond"

College & Undergraduate Libraries, a peer-reviewed Taylor and Francis publication, invites proposals for articles to be published in a special issue focusing on emerging and perhaps unconventional roles of the academic library, both on campus and beyond. The growing intensity of users’ modern-day information needs coupled with an information technology landscape that is open and ever-changing, is facilitating administrative, organizational and programmatic changes within many academic libraries. In many cases, this is best illustrated by staff with new or unusual qualifications, backgrounds, or position descriptions; cutting edge services that are out of the mainstream; traditional services offered in innovative ways; new staffing configurations; new collaborations both on and off campus; and new roles on campus.

Would you describe your library as having any of these features? If so, then you may have an article to contribute to College & Undergraduate Libraries.

The special issue will be edited by Scottie Cochrane from Denison University (cochrane@denison.edu) and Valeda F. Dent of Rutgers University (vdent@rutgers.edu).

In their pieces, authors should focus solely on those aspects that might be defined as unconventional or nontraditional in any area of library operations, programs, services, or administration. Authors are invited to submit articles/proposals for pieces such as:

1. theoretical, philosophical, or ideological discussions of the transition from traditional library roles, services, practices and organizational structures, to the more nontraditional/unconventional
2. opinion or position papers
3. case studies
4. collaboration or relationships between librarians and other campus partners
5. collaboration or relationships between librarians and off-campus partners
6. research studies dealing with the impact of nontraditional/unconventional roles, services, practices or organizational structures
7. annotated reviews of the literature.

We welcome proposals from librarians and campus and off-campus collaborators, individually and as teams. The proposal should consist of an abstract of 500 words together will all author contact information. Articles should run at least 20 double-spaced pages in length.

For additional information, please contact either editor. Please submit proposals to Scottie Cochrane or Valeda Dent by August 18, 2008. Selected proposals will be announced September 5, 2008, and first drafts of accepted proposals will be due by December 5, 2008.

Scottie Cochrane Valeda F. Dent