President's Corner: Summer Musings …… By Diane R. Schnurrpusch, dschnurr@dtic.mil When I was a youngster, summer was a time for relaxing, new adventures, and informal learning. During my years as a public school teacher, I could easily maintain that schedule. As a special librarian, I don’t have the summer off. However, I still try to keep some of that summertime spirit alive-- and I hope you do, too. If you attended the SLA Conference in Seattle, you should be off to a good start. Adventures were plentiful. The Space Needle, the architecturally interesting Seattle Central Library, a wide variety of tours, and cruises all drew SLA members like magnets. For those who did not venture far away, much fun and relaxation was flowing at breakfasts, receptions, open houses, and the closing party.
August 2008 Volume 69, No. 6 Inside this issue: President’s Corner …..……..1 Board Nominations Sought...3 Special Report: SLA 2009 DC/SLA Booth...…..……….4 Conference Reports…..…….5 PAM Update...……………...8 Meet the Candidates……....10
It’s not too late!
Chapter Book Club………..11
While we were gaining many new skills and ideas throughout the conference, we were also challenged by SLA to learn 23 Things in Web 2.0 technologies. As I write, I am still in the beginning stages of this program. But, summer is not over yet, and I plan to catch up. It reminds me of all my summer 4-H projects years ago. Those required some determination and the prodding of some great club leaders to keep me on track, but it was all worth it by summer’s end. Think of this SLA initiative as a similar project-- the 23 Things committee and your fellow participants will keep you moving along. At summer’s end, you won’t win a blue ribbon at the county fair, but you will have some new technology skills to show for it. If you do complete all 23 Things by September 15, you will receive a certificate and possibly a prize. As extra incentive, I invite you to tell me when you reach your goal. All chapter members completing 23 Things will be recognized in a future Chapter Notes issue. Please do not be shy. You will have every right to toot your own horn for this accomplishment. As I write this column, there are over 400 SLA members registered for the program. The DC Chapter should be well represented. To start, just go to the SLA homepage (www.sla.org) where you will see 23 Things listed under Useful Resources.
Upcoming Dine Arounds…11 Military Librarians’ Group..11 Conservation Events……...12 Spend a Day with a Special Librarian…….………….....13
Read about products and services from: • • • • •
Library Associates EOS International TRAK Companies Gale Digital Collections Research Solutions
Check us out on the Web! www.units.sla.org/Chapter/cdc
Chapter Notes is the newsletter of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the Special Libraries Association (SLA). It is distributed ten times per year—monthly, except for combined issues in June/ July and November/ December. Special Libraries Association assumes no responsibility for the statements and opinions advanced by the contributors to SLA’s publications. Editorial views do not necessarily represent the official views of SLA. Acceptance of advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product by SLA. Subscriptions: Chapter Notes is free to DC/SLA members. Subscriptions are available to non-members at a rate of $10 per year. The newsletter is also available electronically at the chapter's web site, www.units.sla.org/Chapter/cdc. Advertising: Advertising rates (effective September 1997) are: $95—1/4 page; $175—1/2 page; $290— full page. For information regarding advertisements, contact the DC/SLA Chapter Notes Business Manager, Charlotte White. The deadline for the September 2008 issue is August 20th. The issue will be distributed approximately one week after the deadline. The preferred submission format is a Word document sent via email. You should receive an email acknowledgement of your submission. Materials for Chapter Notes or requests for mailing address changes should be sent to the Editor.
DC/SLA on Facebook While I am on the subject of Web 2.0 technologies, I want to thank Erin Clougherty for starting a DC/SLA group in Facebook. There are over 100 members already! To join, go to http://www.facebook.com. It is free to sign up if you haven’t already. Then, search for the DC/SLA group (or follow this link). While you are there, view some pictures and a video from this year’s conference. Thanks to Karen Huffman for providing those. I hope there will be some discussions started soon. SLA Plans While at the conference, Greta Ober-Beauchesne (1st VP-President Elect) and I attended several sessions for chapter leaders. Several of the topics discussed have impact on our chapter: •
Chapter Notes Editor: Jenny O'Shea Library, U.S. News & World Report Phone: 202-955-2087 oshea.jenny@gmail.com Chapter Notes Business Manager: Charlotte White cwhite@fmc.gov DC/SLA Webmaster: Krista Mantsch National Geographic Society Libraries and Information Services 1145 17th St., NW Washington, DC 20036 Phone: 202-457-8450 kmantsch@ngs.org DC/SLA Listerv Manager: Gulnar Nagashybayeva Government Documents Librarian NOAA Central Library SSMC-3, 2nd fl., E/OC4 1315 East-West Hwy. Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301-713-2607, ext. 143 gulnar.nagashybayeva@noaa.gov
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First Five Task Force – The purpose of this group is to provide learning opportunities specifically aimed at students and members in their first five years in the profession. The intended outcome is that more new information professionals will join and remain in SLA. Members who have been in the profession longer than five years may benefit, too. This task force is divided up into three teams: Technology, Programming, and Advisory Board. From DC/SLA, Michelle Campbell is on the Technology Team. Patti Sanner and Eileen Boswell are on the Programming Team. For more background information on the entire initiative, see the May Interim Report to the Board of Directors. With mentoring as one aspect of this program, DC/SLA’s Mentoring Committee will be following progress closely while planning our own mentoring activities. Strategic Planning – Only one third of SLA Chapters or Divisions have strategic plans. Chapter leaders learned steps for developing such plans and setting objectives and goals. Fortunately, DC/SLA has been guided by strategic plans for a number of years. Our board will soon discuss a schedule for updating our existing strategic plan.
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Centennial Activities: A Gala event is planned at the 2009 conference on Sunday night at the National Building Museum. You will hear more about this later from the SLA Centennial Committee. However, Chapters and Divisions are encouraged to plan their own observances throughout the year. DC/SLA will soon have its own committee planning some activities to last throughout 2009-- not just during the conference. If you would like to serve on this committee, or offer some good ideas, please contact Diane at dschnurr@dtic.mil or Greta at gretaob@gmail.com.
Kudos to all Conference Volunteers As you read this issue, you will be keenly aware of the amount of work and professionalism contributed by a large number of people. Sharon Lenius, Nancy Minter, Barbie Keiser, Eileen Rourke, Karen Huffman, and countless others kept the DC Booth manned and a constant site of enthusiasm for next year’s conference. The 2009 Conference Wiki Committee had worked for nearly a year to have an informative site ready to debut as soon as the 2008 conference ended. The site went live right on time. Thanks, as well, to all who joined us for “Frozen in Place,” an amusing event to encourage members to join is in the capitol next year. Finally, thank you to Jenny O’Shea and all the contributors who bring you this interesting issue of Chapter Notes highlighting conference events.
Twelve Candidates Sought for Six DC/SLA Board Positions The 2008 Nominations Committee is looking for 12 members to run for six Board positions in the fall. The term of office will begin January 2009, and last for one or more years. Duties of each position are on the DC/SLA website at http://units.sla.org/chapter/cdc/board.html. If you would like to suggest someone to the committee, please contact Chair Shirley Loo via email (sloo@crs.loc.gov). Second Vice President one year Communications Secretary one year Recording Secretary two years Director two years Assistant Treasurer one year (then, two years as Treasurer) First Vice-President/ one year (then, second President-elect year as President and third year as Immediate Past President)
Traditional and Cutting-Edge Positions for Information Professionals Contract and Interim Staffing Executive Recruitment Outsourcing Solutions for Information & Knowledge Management Projects Global Information Solutions Contact us today:
Diane Schnurrpusch (center), President of the DC/SLA Chapter, welcomes the candidates for SLA President-Elect, Janice Anderson and Anne Caputo, to a Summertime Meet and Greet. See page 10 of this issue for more information about the event.
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West Coast 800-987-6794
East Coast 800-775-0388
www.libraryassociates.com
DC/SLA Booth a Success in Seattle By Sharon Lenius Many thanks to all who made the DC/SLA Information Booth a success in Seattle! Booth Manager Barbie Keiser had the booth set up and decorated on Saturday, and DC/SLA people were already providing information about the Washington area, the Centennial Celebration, conference hotels, and more. Special DC/SLA Lapel pins were available, as well as maps and brochures provided by Destination DC, the DC tourism bureau. Nancy Minter worked on acquiring the pins and butter mints that were given out. Funding for prizes for a daily drawing was provided by Basch Subscriptions. Many conferencegoers had their pictures taken beside the George Washington cutout. This was a hit, and drew people to our booth, which was located beyond the very busy Seattle Info Booth. Thanks to Pam Mandel for the suggestion! “George Washington” also attended the 2009 Planning Meeting and the “After the Conference Party” in the Washington Convention Center Atrium. Of course he had his special sign “C U N DC” in his bandaged hand….but that’s another story! Special DC Post Cards were given out showing a great DC scene and featuring the DC/SLA Wiki site, which is well worth your time and attention. Kudos go to Karen Huffman and the DC/SLA Wiki Committee. Check out the wiki at: http://wiki.sla.org/display/SLA2009/ . (If this is your first time accessing the SLA wiki, you may need to register.) Check back often-- additions to the wiki site will be made as questions are answered and interesting information about DC is discovered. Aaron Riggins of Destination DC was there to answer questions and assist the DC/SLA folks with a variety of tasks. The DC/SLA booth will also have the support of Destination DC here in Washington, DC in the coming year. These knowledgeable people are valuable partners in providing information to visitors.
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The DC/SLA booth in Seattle. L-R: Aaron Riggins (Destination DC), Janice Pepper, Sharon Lenius, Phyllis Cassler (DC Chapter Volunteers). "George" is in the background standing above it all!
Organizers learned quite a lot from the Seattle Booth experience, which they look forward to applying in 2009. Volunteers are now being accepted. If you would like to help, contact Sharon Lenius (sharon.lenius@us.army.mil or 703 601-2710) or Nancy Minter (nminter@urban.org or 202-2615534).
Seattle Conference Reports Several Chapter members have shared highlights of their Seattle experiences here. Whether you made the trip yourself or remained here in DC, you are sure to find some useful information in these conference reports.
Additionally, having people describe how they do things is not as helpful as it may appear. The explanation is often not the same as how it is actually done. That is, what we can write down tends to be very limited, and it also takes a lot of time to do. In any case, merely imitating successful people won’t guarantee your success. One key point Snowden emphasized was that, because we as humans work on pattern recognition, the more experience we have, the more successfully we can draw on patterns. Tools You Can Use: Web Tools for Legal Researchers This information-packed, standing room-only session with Gary Price, Chief Editor with ResourceShelf.com, was one of the true highlights of the conference.
DC/SLA Conference Stipend recipients get together in Seattle. L-R: Larry Guthrie, Kendra Armwood, and Eileen Rourke.
Five Seattle Sessions By Louis Abramovitz Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP Knowledge Management at the Core: Facilitating Knowledge Sharing At this session, Cognitive Edge Founder Dave Snowden provided a refreshingly frank assessment of the current state of knowledge management and of the rapidly developing social computing realm. Snowden believes that KM is “a theory supported by dysfunctional technology,” while social computing (as good and valuable as it can be), is “increasingly functional without any clear theory or way of looking at the world.” Taking his observations a step further, he suggested that the question posed today, given the proliferation of social computing, is not whether people will share (the perpetual challenge with KM) but rather-- will people abuse the information if you do decide to share it. DC/SLA Chapter Notes | August 2008 | pg 5
Price strongly believes that open Web collection is not merely an option, but something we as information professionals have to embrace. And, as much as some of us would prefer to be quiet, behind-the-scenes types, we must stay current on the latest Web 2.0 tools AND learn to speak up! Price identified two major emerging trends. The first is the move toward mobile technology and devices. New software makes it easier for us to utilize these to reach our users. The other significant trend is related to real time information. Price gave Seattle’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) website as an example. The site lists emergency dispatches in every neighborhood, and is updated every 60 seconds. Just as he did during his 2.0 presentation at last year’s conference in Denver, Price shared a number of his favorite websites with the audience. Among these: Archive-it– Subscription service from the Internet Archive. Develop your own collection of born-digital content-no technical expertise required! CiteSeerX- Digital library and search engine; focused on computer and information science.
Hakia- A semantic search engine. Try a Hakia search side by side with Google. Jott- Free voice-to-text service; now available for BlackBerry. Jux2- Meta search, allows comparison of results from Google, MSN and Yahoo! NewsNow- Similar to Topix news search engine, but with the added bonus of pre-built topics. Onlinebooks-Free, open Web full-text book search. Very cool! Reuters Labs News Screener- In beta; treats news stories as a sortable data set. Information Professional: The New Private Investigator Howard Trivers, Senior Reference Librarian at Baker & Daniels, delivered one of the most lively presentations of the entire conference. Trivers shared some of his experiences as an investigative researcher for his law firm - a role he likes to refer to as that of “Dirtmeister.”
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Know emerging trends, such as cell phoneonly households.
Trivers strongly recommends trying out some commercial databases beyond those offered by the largest vendors. For instance, KnowX and LocatePLUS may have cell phone numbers and other information not available elsewhere, and may therefore be well worth the added expense. At the same time, Trivers said, there is a lot of good information on the Internet that is also free. Free portals such as SearchSystems.net can be excellent sources of a wide array of public records information. Government websites (such as those operated by departments of correction and county tax offices) can also be very helpful, in terms of locating criminal or real estate records. Current employment data may be available on popular social networking sites such as LinkedIn. Trivers offered two pieces of parting advice for his audience of super sleuths-in-training: Do not be afraid to pick up the phone and start dialing, and (just as he has done on occasion), get out of the office and do some old-fashioned gumshoe work! Emerging Technologies Breakfast
Trivers believes investigative research skills offer a terrific opportunity for librarians to take on a valueadded role within their organizations. For instance, a paralegal may hop on Choice Point or Accurint, and consider his or her work done. On the other hand, a true information professional should view these tools as starting points. A few of his suggestions: • Think about and draw on alternative sources as well as the standard ones. There is definitely an art to finding information about people. • Gather as much pertinent information from your client as you can at the outset. Reference interviews are very important. • Know your community and state well. Much of this research is local. • Be aware of differences in database coverage (for example, the three major credit bureaus may provide divergent information on the same individual). DC/SLA Chapter Notes | August 2008 | pg 6
One of the highlights of the panel discussion was the discussion of wikis, an “adolescent” technology on which companies are devoting more resources than almost any other. Wikis can provide a great opportunity for librarians to raise their profiles within their organizations by “scaffolding,” that is, providing structure and classification. Librarians can, for example, facilitate construction of folksonomies or perhaps a (vetted) collabulary. In a university setting, a wiki could be used to create a staff procedures manual, thereby creating a living document. In a law firm, wikis could be set up to allow attorneys to input and share their research strategies. One of the many pluses of wikis is the fact they are “magically intuitive,” - one of the easiest tools to work with since the invention of email, and the fact they can be used as a knowledge base.
On the other hand, they require buy-in. In short, don’t expect the “Field of Dreams” approach to work-instead, actively promote the project and, at minimum, host a launch meeting to generate excitement. A wiki tutorial available on YouTube, “Wikis in Plain English,” came highly recommended. In addition, the SLA Innovation Lab has a sandbox feature where SLA members can test-drive various applications. Another topic of discussion at this session was Justin-Time learning. This is the concept of delivering training and instruction to users when and where they need it most, including on portable devices and company intranets. While it can allow users to learn on their own terms and spend less time away from the office, there are some major drawbacks, including the lack of teacher-student exchanges, and the fact it does not really address differences in learning levels among users. Two of the most popular just-in-time learning applications are Camtasia software, which is available from TechSmith.com, and a Web-based application, ePath Learning (available at epathlearning.com). The New Face of the Special Librarian: Lessons from Solos This session’s featured speakers included CATO Institute’s Manuela Fortenberry, Paul Jackson of Trescott Research and Beth Maser from the History Factory. All three emphasized the idea that solos must be willing to learn on the job. While this can be very stressful, it can also be personally and professionally rewarding. Fortenberry, for instance, took computer classes in PHP and SQL, and learned how to negotiate vendor contracts-saving her employer a lot of money in the process. Solos must also find ways to build bridges to the outside world, including reaching out to other libraries. For instance, Fortenberry established an ILL program, which her library did not have when she started, while Maser developed relationships with local historical societies for a tobacco-related history project. DC/SLA Chapter Notes | August 2008 | pg 7
Managing users’ expectations and prioritizing requests is another important part of being a successful solo librarian. This may require admitting to yourself you cannot do it all. You might decide, for example, to hire a service to deal with subscriptions, rather than trying to handle all the renewals yourself. During quieter periods, you might be able to borrow staff from other parts of your organization to help out in the library. This could be sold as, at least arguably, a form of job enrichment. The most important takeaway from this session was that we as information professionals need to remember that everything we do makes us more valuable to our organization (job security!) Then, when the time comes to move on, we should strive to leave things in better shape than when we started.
Conference Notes from NGS Staff Susan Fifer Canby, Maggie Turqman, and Karen Huffman of the National Geographic Society attended the SLA conference in Seattle. (Turqman and Huffman also led workshops.) Here are some of their conference highlights: • • •
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Be a lifelong learner. Experiment. Take risks. (These themes were echoed by SLA President Stephen Abram and others.) Mary Ellen Bates presented on the millennial generation-- these digital natives learn by doing, and don’t mind experimenting. Try out new technologies. SLA’s “23 Things” is a good place to start. There were also a number of new tools demonstrated in the “Technology Free for All” session. Keynote speaker Vint Cerf and others spoke about new delivery modes. Keep up with: social networks, portability of content, customization. Closing speaker Seth Godin talked about marketing your work. Connect to your users, and help them connect to information-- and each other. Globalization was a theme across several workshops. Be aware of different customs and expectations across cultures. Still crucial: trust and respect.
Physics, Astronomy, and Math Division (PAM) Conference Update By Sally Bosken PAM secretary US Naval Observatory Library The Physics, Astronomy and Math Division (PAM) had a wonderful time in Seattle this year. Our meetings had record breaking attendance. Our International award winner, Mandy Taha (Senior Research Services Librarian, Bibliotheca Alexandrina) presented information about libraries and librarians in Egypt. In recognition of her service to the Division and leadership in mathematics librarianship, the 2008 PAM achievement award was presented to Martha Tucker of the University of Washington. We had twenty three first time attendees enjoy our annual newcomers lunch the first day of the conference. Our first session, “The Science of Coffee,” had an overflow group of people wanting to learn about the fascinating history of the beverage. Our next session, cosponsored with others, was “Games for Training: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” We learned about using commercial game technology to deliver experiential learning, placing emphasis on “gains,” not “games.” We had five roundtable sessions and a poster presentation.
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DC/SLA members volunteer at the chapter’s booth in Seattle.
Our active book club read a mystery about Seattle and discussed it over dinner at one of Seattle's great restaurants. We joined with two other divisions to host an open house and dance called "Under the Sea, Come Dance with Me!" We had PAM people dancing the night away! Many networking opportunities and lots of learning went on.
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Summertime Happy Hour is a Chance to Meet SLA Officer Candidates By Lorraine Bell
Both of the candidates say that they are honored to have been asked to run for the position of PresidentElect. They see this as an opportunity to give back to the association that has supported them throughout their careers. To learn more about the candidates, you can read their biographies and listen to their candidate speeches at the SLA web site. Don’t forget to vote in September!
SLA President-Elect candidates Anne Caputo and Janice Anderson address questions from chapter members.
The DC/SLA Chapter hosted a Meet and Greet Summertime Happy Hour for the 2009 SLA President-Elect candidates, Anne Caputo and Janice Anderson. More than 40 chapter members attended the event, which was held at the Elephant & Castle Restaurant in Washington, DC. Those in attendance had the chance to ask questions and listen to the candidates’ views about the association. The candidates were asked what, if anything, they would change about SLA. Anne Caputo stated, “We need to change the perception that some employers have about information professionals. We are the gods and goddesses of the information world and employers need to understand the tremendous value and benefits that the information professional brings to the organization.” Janice Anderson answered, “We need to change the way we talk about ourselves in order to make the association appealing to a broader base. IT, content and data management people have a lot of relevant work needs that an association like ours can address.”
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Chapter members listen as the candidates give their views about the Association.
Chapter members Larry Guthrie, Peggy Garvin, and Sharon Lenius enjoy the camaraderie and the refreshments during the Meet and Greet.
DC/SLA Book Club Talks Tagging Layla Voll DC/SLA Book Club Chair A small but lively group of both old and new members used Gene Smith’s Tagging as a jumping off point to discuss everything from technical aspects of tagging, to whether our users really want to have the library “given back” to them. We also discussed tagging and the book club, and there is now a LibraryThing account for the DC SLA Book Club. Go to LibraryThing, and sign in with the user name DCSLABookClub and the password DCSLA (no spaces, and note that the user name and password are case-sensitive). All the books we have read are tagged as “read.” Feel free to comment on the books we’ve read with tags of your own, or to add suggested books to the library with the tag “suggested.” Look for the suggested books and tag them with comments-- or check out what other book club members have said. The book club’s next meeting will be in mid to late October, with the specific date and place to be decided. Please contact me (Layla_Voll@hotmail.com) if you have any questions.
Coming Up: September Dine Arounds The DC/SLA fall dine around series will be held again this September. Members who enjoy meeting other colleagues are invited to play host for an entertaining evening full of sparkling conversation. We are also seeking restaurant recommendations for our Dine Arounds. We'd like to focus on neighborhoods within walking distance of the Convention Center, but any restaurants are welcome. (We are compiling a list of restaurants near the Convention Center to be recommended to SLA 2009 conference attendees.) Please contact Lea.Wade at gmail.com if you'd like to host, or if you have restaurant suggestions.
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Military Librarians’ Group Plans Visit to Masonic Memorial On Saturday, August 9th, the Military Librarians' Group of DC/SLA has planned a tour of the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Old Town Alexandria. Following breakfast, the group will enjoy a guided tour of the Memorial. After the tour, the group is invited to lunch at a local restaurant to continue the discussion with their guide. Deborah Keller is the organizer for this special event. To RSVP, contact her at deborah.eb.keller@us.army.mil or 703-428-7432.
Conservation Programs DC/SLA members are invited to enroll in the following programs presented by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts. A Space Odyssey: Storage Strategies for Cultural Collections Presented by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts Philadelphia, PA September 23 & 24, 2008 Learn how to maximize the use of your storage areas, improve your facilities and perhaps plan for new storage locations. CCAHA convenes experts in the fields of design, space planning, and environmental control and modification for two days to speak about practical methods and applications for enhancing storage spaces for cultural collections. Day One - Planning for storage projects Day Two - Environmental control and implementation The fee for this two-day conference is $225 for CCAHA members and $250 for non-members. Each additional registrant from an institution will receive a $25.00 discount.
Preparing for the Unexpected: Protecting Collections and Staff from Disaster Presented by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts October 27 & 28, 2008 Poughkeepsie, NY Discover how to assess vulnerabilities and make institutional changes to protect people and collections, find out the most effective ways to talk to the press and other constituencies during an
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emergency, and get your hands wet in an exercise recovering paper-based materials at this two-day conference. Day One – Disaster mitigation, crisis communication, hands-on recovery exercise Day Two – Fire safety, health and human safety The fee for this two-day program is $215 for both CCAHA and Lower Hudson Conference member institutions and $240 for non-members. Everyone enjoys half-price registration for a second participant from the same institution!
A Race against Time: Preserving Our Audiovisual Media Presented by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts November 6 & 7, 2008 San Francisco, CA Through lectures and discussion, learn the basic principles for managing audiovisual collections that contain historic formats from nationally known experts at this two-day program. Day One – AV media overview, identification, surveying and selecting for preservation and access Day Two - Reformatting options, copyright issues and contracting for preservation services The fee for this two-day program is $200. Stipends are available; see brochure for eligibility and more information. Register now at http://www.ccaha.org/education/program-calendar for these comprehensive two-day conferences for museums, libraries and archives of all sizes. For more information and to register, go to www.ccaha.org, call 215-545-0613 or email pso@ccaha.org
“Spend a Day with a Special Librarian” Program Completes another Successful Spring By the DC/SLA Mentoring Committee: Michele Masias, Britton Perry, and Dave Shumaker
Once again, DC/SLA had a very successful “Spend a Day with A Special Librarian” program during the spring semester 2008. Led by the Mentoring Committee, the program enables students enrolled in Library and Information Science Master’s programs to visit special libraries and learn about the role and operation of these libraries. Its goals are to inform students and to encourage them to consider a special librarianship career. During the spring term, 51 students from Catholic University, University of Maryland, and one or two others, were given the chance to visit 45 different libraries and information services. Visits took place from early April until the last week of May.
About half of the respondents said they were more interested in special libraries as a career option as a result of their visit, while 11 said their interest was about the same. (None expressed less interest than before.) And almost all of them would strongly recommend the program to other students. Hosts also found the experience enjoyable and valuable. Of those responding to the survey: • 12 rated the experience very positive • 6 rated it positive • 1 rated it neutral • There were no negative ratings Also: • 14 said they are strongly interested in hosting again • 5 said they are probably interested • 1 was neutral • There were no negative responses Comments included:
Feedback from both students and hosts was overwhelmingly positive. On a 5-point scale, with 5 being the most positive rating, students completing the participant survey said that: My host made me feel welcome (5.0) I was able to learn about topics I was interested in (4.83) Their comments included: "The visit wasn't exactly what I expected: It was MUCH better than that!” "The visit sincerely exceeded my expectations!" "It was a wonderful and extremely useful experience."
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"A library school student spent a good part of the day with me, getting a tour/ overview of what we do at our facility for our library users at the site as well as around the world. A lot of good discussions took place between the Library Staff and student. We even learned some tips from the student to better our work processes.” "It was a delightful opportunity." "This was a good experience for us as we learned about some of the Library School classes …" One of SLA’s most important goals is to recruit capable professionals into special librarianship and our Association, and the “Spend a Day” program is an important way to do that. The Mentoring Committee plans to do it again next spring, so watch for your invitation to participate. We hope even more DC/SLA members will volunteer to host students in 2009!