SLIS Newsletter Spring 2015

Volume 37 Number 1

Spring 2015

ALA Council Passes Resolution Honoring Prof. Emerita Lois Mai Chan “her outstanding contributions to the profession include her prolific writing on subject analysis and other library issues that helped shape the modern view of information organization” At the ALA Midwinter Meeting, Council passed a memorial resolution honoring Prof. Emerita Lois Chan. According to Gail Kennedy (’75), “Ed O'Neill, who was very close to Lois and co-authored books with her, was an excellent choice to author the resolution.” The resolution follows: A Memorial Resolution Honoring Lois Mai Chan Whereas Lois Mai Chan, a highly respected librarian, educator, researcher and author, died at the age of 80 on August 20, 2014, in Lexington, Kentucky; Whereas her outstanding contributions to the profession include her prolific writing on subject analysis and other library issues that helped shape the modern view of information organization; Whereas her outstanding contributions to the profession include her extensive research and writing about cataloging issues, which include more than 60 scholarly articles and numerous talks and lectures; Whereas since joining the faculty at the University of Kentucky in 1970, she shared her enthusiasm for subject analysis and educated several generations of librarians on the art and science of cataloging; Whereas for over thirty years her outstanding text books have made subject cataloging understandable to thousands of students and practicing librarians; Whereas she was [a] member of the American Library Association since 1960 serving on numerous committees including the Subject Analysis Committee, the International Relations Committee, and the Executive Committee of the Cataloging and Classification Section;

Whereas she was active in the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions where she [was] a member of the Classification and Indexing Standing Committee and Knowledge Management Standing Committee, and the Working Group on the Functional Requirements for Subject Authority Records (FRSAR); Whereas she contributed to the enhancement or creation of the major schemas for subject analysis as a consultant to the Library of Congress on the Library of Congress Subject Headings and the Library of Congress Classification and to OCLC on the Dewey Decimal Classification and the Faceted Application of Subject Terminology (FAST); Whereas she was the 1989 recipient of the Margaret Mann Citation, the highest honor in cataloging bestowed by the American Library Association and the 2006 recipient of the Beta Phi Mu Award, presented to a library school faculty member or to an individual for distinguished service to education in librarianship; and Whereas in her honor, the University of Kentucky School of Library and Information Science has established the Lois Mai Chan SLIS Student Enrichment Fund to be used for scholarships, student travel to professional meetings or student internship programs, and poster and paper presentations; now, therefore, be it Resolved, that the American Library Association (ALA), on behalf of its members: 1. recognizes Lois Chan's remarkable achievements; and 2. expresses its sincere sympathy to the Chan family, including her husband S. K., her daughter Jennifer and her son Michael.

ALA Approves Revised Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Studies UK SLIS Prepares for Accreditation Review Under 2015 Standards In February, Director Jeff Huber was informed the ALA Committee on Accreditation (COA) announced that ALA Council had approved revised Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Studies.

The COA announcement reads: “The ALA Committee on Accreditation is pleased to announce ALA Council approval of the 2015 Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Studies http://www.ala.org/accreditedprograms/standards.

“Brought forward into the new Standards with greater clarity is the emphasis on planning, assessment, and evaluation to sustain quality. The requirement to demonstrate how the results of evaluation are applied is now a culminating aspect of each of the standards.

“The five-plus-year review process, documented at http://www.oa.ala.org/accreditation/ resulted in three drafts issued for comment. The final, approved version reflects suggestions from all sectors of the profession, including, most notably, employers of LIS program graduates, LIS program faculty, students, the ALA Council and Executive Board, and affiliated associations.

“Implementation of the 2015 Standards will begin immediately only for those programs not already in the comprehensive review cycle. Specifically, “Programs scheduled for a comprehensive review visit in spring 2017 or later will begin reporting to the 2015 Standards beginning with narrative reports due in December 2015. That way, the narrative reports can aid development of the Program Presentation.”

In the 2015 Standards, Standard I, formerly Mission, Goals, and Objectives, has been revised and is now Systematic Planning. Standards II, III, and IV remain Curriculum, Faculty, and Students, respectively. In the 2015 Standards, what were Standard V Administration and Financial Support and Standard VI Physical Resources and Facilities have been combined in the new Standard V Administration, Finances, and Resources.

Asked about the next accreditation review of the School’s MSLS program, Director Huber replied: We started working on this this year since we have so many junior faculty members who’ve not been through the process before. To date, we have assigned working groups for each standard and asked those groups to review our last Program Presentation as well as one from other programs that were recently reaccredited. We plan to have working groups begin drafting narrative next fall, now that ALA has approved revised Standards.

Dr. Huber said the comprehensive review visit to SLIS is scheduled for 2017-2018, with the dates to be set.

Spring 2015

Dr. Sherali Zeadally Receives IEEE-USA Professional Achievement Award In December, the newsletter learned that Dr. Sherali Zeadally, Associate Professor in the School’s Information Communication Technology Program, had been selected by the American unit of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE-USA) to receive their prestigious 2014 IEEE-USA Professional Achievement Award, “for sustained, outstanding professional activities to promote education and research in the field of computer networking and information security.” The award will be presented at the IEEE-USA Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, WI, in May 2015. The following article appeared in UKNow, the University of Kentucky news service.

University of Kentucky Professor Receives Prestigious 2014 IEEE-USA Award LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 19, 2014) — Sherali Zeadally, associate professor in Information and Communication Technology at the University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information has been selected for the 2014 IEEE-USA Professional Achievement Award “for sustained, outstanding professional activities to promote education and research in the field of computer networking and information security” by IEEE-USA, The American Unit of the prestigious Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) – the world’s largest professional association for the advancement of technology.

IEEE-USA was created in 1973 to support the career and public policy interests of IEEE's U.S. members. IEEEUSA's mission is to recommend policies and implement programs specifically intended to serve and benefit the members, the profession, and the public in the United States in appropriate professional areas of economic, ethical, legislative, social and technology policy concern.

“I am honored to receive this prestigious award as one of my national accomplishments recognizing my contributions to research, teaching, and professional services in the areas of computer networking and information security over the last two decades both nationally and internationally,” Zeadally said, “and I am delighted to be recognized by IEEE for my work.”

Zeadally’s research activities span areas including computer networking (currently focusing on vehicular networking, energy-efficient networking, Internet of Things, etc.) and information security (in particular end-to-end security issues, cybersecurity, and privacy). To date, Zeadally has published more than 225 peer-reviewed technical publications including more than 117 peer-reviewed journal papers in prestigious engineering and computing international journals. Over the years, he has received several Outstanding Research Awards, Excellence in Teaching Awards, Distinguished Service Awards, and numerous prestigious national and international competitive fellowships. More information can be found on his web page at: http://www.uky.edu/~sze223/.

Reprinted with the permission of Ann Blackford, UKNow. Page 2

Dr. Namjoo Choi and Colleagues Publish Paper in Prestigious MIS Journal A paper written by SLIS Prof. Namjoo Choi and two colleagues has been accepted by the Journal of the Association for Information Systems, one of the most prestigious management information systems journals. The paper, Choi, N., Chengalur-Smith, I., & Nevo, S. Loyalty, Ideology and Identification: An Empirical Study of Passive Users of Open Source Software, is more than 16,000 words and went through three rounds of reviews over a period of 20 months.

Dr. Choi said he and his colleagues “identified a research gap, that extant research on open source software (OSS) has primarily focused on software developers and active users, but has paid limited attention to the less visible ‘passive’ users who form the silent majority of OSS communities.”

“Passive users play a critical role in the adoption and diffusion of OSS, and more research is needed to understand their behaviors and motivations. Drawing on the sociological theory of community markers as well as marketing literature, this study theorizes and empirically examines the impact of three community markers (i.e., loyalty, ideology, and identification) on four contributory behaviors of passive OSS users (i.e., users brand-extension, word-of-mouth, endorsement, and community involvement).”

Using the _ENREF_107 Mozilla Firefox Web browser as a specific OSS application, Prof. Choi conducted a paperbased survey with 346 college students. “I found that the three community markers have a positive impact on the four contributory behaviors. I also found that ideology and identification have a stronger impact on the demanding behaviors (i.e., endorsement and community involvement), relative to loyalty.”

Concluding, Dr. Choi suggested, “to the extent that OSS communities understand the factors that influence passive users’ willingness to engage in certain behaviors, they can focus their limited resources on the factors that better motivate their users to engage in those behaviors.”

Prof. Choi told the newsletter he “plans to continue probing into the role of passive users in OSS communities in order to promote a widespread use of OSS applications that are intended for passive users.”

Dr. Youngseek Kim’s Research Receives 2014 “Highly Commended” Award In February, Prof. Youngseek Kim learned that his dissertation research had been chosen as a “Highly Commended Award Winner” of the 2014 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards in the Information Science category. He received the following information from Jim Bowden, Academic Relations Manager | Emerald Group Publishing Limited: I am delighted to tell you that your research “Institutional and Individual Influences on Scientists’ Data Sharing Behaviors” has been chosen, by the editorial team of Journal of Documentation, as a Highly Commended Award winSpring 2015

ner of the 2014 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards in the Information Science category.

Your prize will include: • a certificate; • an award winner’s logo for use on correspondence.

According to information on the web site:* The entries are judged by the Editor(s) and at least one Editorial Advisory Board member of the sponsoring journal. Entries will be judged on the following criteria: • Significance/implications for theory and practice.

• Originality and innovation.

• Appropriateness and application of the methodology.

• Quality of data/research. *http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/research/awards/ odra.htm

Prof. Lisa O’Connor To Teach Summer Course in Ireland Prof. Lisa O’Connor, who taught a course in Northern Ireland in summer 2013, will teach a course, “The Power of Information: Preservation and Suppression of Irish Culture in Troubled Times,” in Ireland June 7-27. It will incorporate three cities, Belfast, Galway, and Dublin, and will include a number of cultural activities.

Following is the course description: The course will examine the relationships between information and cultural and political power in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We will consider how information is employed to both preserve and suppress indigenous culture, including language, music and art.

The critical role information (and its dissemination) plays in the politics of occupation, resistance and violence is an important theme, with a particular focus on media censorship during The Troubles. We will also consider the various roles information agencies, such as public and academic libraries and archives, have played in the preservation and suppression of Irish culture across history, with a particular focus on the impact of information services during periods of profound political unrest.

According to the draft syllabus, upon completion of the course, students will: • Be able to discuss the historical roles information agencies have played in civil unrest in Ireland and Northern Ireland and compare them to similar contexts in the U.S. • Understand the potential impact of political unrest on information agencies and describe the opportunities information agencies have to impact society during these times.

• Describe the relationships between the preservation of information and culture. Analyze how dominant cultures utilize information to reproduce culture and power while marginalized cultures use information as a form of resistance.

• Describe the use of censorship in Northern Ireland and Ireland during the Troubles and analyze its impact on society in times of political unrest.

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Dr. Jasmine McNealy Delivers Carter G. Woodson Lecture on Media Doxxing Prof. Jasmine McNealy, a faculty member in the School’s Information Communication Technology program, delivered a lecture, “Surveying the Wisdom of the Crowd: 4 Reactions to Media Doxxing,” in December in the Carter G. Woodson Lecture Series.* She defined doxxing as, “the finding and aggregating of personal information, and then publishing that information.” After introducing her subject, Prof. McNealy discussed four news outlets and examples of doxxing.

Corolla. The article includes a photo of Nakamoto’s home and reports: For the past 40 years, Satoshi Nakamoto has not used his birth name in his daily life. At the age of 23, after graduating from California State Polytechnic University, he changed his name to “Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto,” according to records filed with the U.S. District Court of Los Angeles in 1973. Since then, he has not used the name Satoshi but instead signs his name “Dorian S. Nakamoto.”

In Cleveland, OH, Judge Shirley Strickland Saffold was to preside over the trial of accused serial killer Anthony Sowell, and Cleveland.com, the online news source of The Plain On Gawker, Adrian Chen revealed he had uncovered the Dealer, reported: identity of Internet troll Violentacrez, Michael Brutsch. “His “Amid what could be the biggest, grisliest murder trial in specialty,” according to Chen in his Gawker post, “is disCleveland history, Common Pleas Judge Shirley Strickland tributing images of scantily-clad underage girls, but as VioSaffold has demonstrated an uncanny gift for making herlentacrez he also issued an unending fountain of racism, porn, self the story. gore, misogyny, incest, and exotic “Assigned to the Anthony Sowell abominations yet unnamed, all on the murder case, Saffold found herself in sprawling online community Reddit.” hot water over dozens of online comChen said he “became aware of ments left at Cleveland.com related to Violentacrez … when conproceedings in her courtroom — troversy erupted over a section, called comments The Plain Dealer traced ‘Jailbait,’ that Violentacrez had back to Saffold’s e-mail address. created on Reddit dedicated to “Judge Saffold admitted she and sexualized images of underaged other family members used the e-mail girls.” Chen included personal account, but she denied having made information about Brutsch, that he comments about the Sowell (or any worked as a programmer at a Texas other) case, and her 23-year-old financial services company, was 49, daughter, Sydney, said she was behind lived in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Prof. McNealy listens to a question the comments.” and loved cats. As a consequence of his during her Woodson Lecture.

In the article, Cleveland.com went being doxxed, Brutsch lost his job. beyond the Sowell case and reported “the honorable judge During Hurricane Sandy, Jack Stuef wrote in a BuzzFeed has racked up more than $1,000 in unpaid traffic fines in rearticle, “@comfortablysnug was the source of a load of cent years,” adding: frightening but false information about conditions in New But judicial scholars may recall that Saffold holds a longYork City that spread wildly on Twitter and onto news broadstanding patent on courtroom crazy, which can be traced at casts before Con Ed, the MTA, and Wall Street sources had least as far back as 1996. That’s when she used her position to take time out of the crisis situation to refute them.” The to advise one troubled teen to use what God gave her to false information was posted anonymously. “What land a man in a higher tax bracket. @comfortablysmug didn’t count on, apparently,” Stuef comJudge Saffold was removed from the Sowell case. mented, “was losing that anonymity. Based on photos he cenConcluding her discussion, Prof. McNealy said she was sored and posted to the account but I found unedited elseespecially concerned about media involvement in doxxing, where, @comfortablysmug is Shashank Tripathi the cam“because the media have a huge platform.” paign manager of Christopher R. Wight, this year’s RepubliWhile making it clear she does not necessarily criticize can candidate for the U.S. House from New York’s 12th Condoxxing, Dr. McNealy made it equally clear, “it can have gressional District.” Stuef also reported Tripathi’s age, 29, significant effects on those who are doxxed, as well as those and that “In 2008, he penned an entry for the [NYmag.com] connected to them.”

Although she favors “as many voices as popular sex diary feature that ‘detailed a week of obsession, possible,” she reminded the audience, “The Internet allows rough sex, and Ambien.’” access to information not available via traditional media.”

An article in the online version of Newsweek claimed to Prof. McNealy concluded her lecture with a rhetorical reveal the identity of the person who invented Bitcoin. Acquestion: “If you do something stupid online, and there is a cording to Newsweek, the person is Satoshi Nakamoto, who penalty, how long should it continue?” denied he had anything to do with introducing Bitcoin. The *The Carter G. Woodson Lecture Series, sponsored by the Newsweek article has personal information about Nakamoto.

UK African American and Africana Studies Program, is He is the eldest of three brothers and graduated from Calinamed for Dr. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950), the “Father fornia State Polytechnic University with a degree in physof Black History.” ics. He lives in Temple City, CA, and drives a silver Toyota Spring 2015

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Interview with Prof. Michael Tsikerdekis Dr. Michael Tsikerdekis, a native of Greece, joined SLIS the fall semester 2013 in the Information Communication Technology program. The newsletter thanks Dr. Tsikerdekis for agreeing to an interview.

that would have seemed funny even to me today. But, like I said, perseverance and nothing is written in stone. I went back to Greece, got my undergraduate degree, and then headed back to the Czech Republic.

Discussing Information Communication Technology at a Lunch-N-Learn, you addressed the question, How do I see ICT? and said, “I would describe it from the perspective Your undergraduate degree is in Forestry and Natural Enthat I am familiar with, socio-technical systems design.” vironment. How did you become interested in that program?

Would you explain what you mean?

Enrolling in Forestry and Natural Environment was in Technology professionals don’t work for the people. An many ways a choice but also in part a random selection. The ideal world for a technology professional is one where maacademic system in Greece uses a universal exam, like SAT. chines interact with their system. This is rarely the case, and we Everyone is examined at the same time and submits a form end up having a number of technology ideas, projects, compaof academic fields of study and school choices. nies that come to life and few thrive. During my Ph.D., I wonMy first choices were computer science and physics; later dered why some social media services fare better than others, choices included education, forestry, and natural environwhich led to the question, Can design affect the behaviors of ment. My “SAT” scores were not good enough for the most the online community? Spoiler alert and popular choices but were for forestry and probably no surprise, it does! What happens natural environment. I said “Well, I’ve when people have a difficult time getting hiked most of the Greek mountains and their work done or finding a button? like being outside as much as I like Frustration, which leads to anger, and then spending time in front of my computer your community is known for its angry mob screen programming, so, what the hell.” It mentality rather than for its cultural aptitude. was a great experience, and taught me that Perhaps, a decade or more ago, when nothing is written in stone and that we were building desktop applications perseverance is a recipe for success. aimed at a single user, things were After completing that program, you ensimpler. However, social applications rolled in a doctoral program in include a social component, which is not a informatics at Masaryk University in the side feature but a prominent part of the Czech Republic. What brought about your design. Imagine what Wikipedia would be interest in informatics? without its community members, or even While I was studying for my underFacebook without people social Prof. Michael Tsikerdekis graduate degree, and even before that, I networking. One may say, “Well, people was getting my hands on any computer and software I could want features so let’s just give them more.” But, feature find. I was putting in unpaid work time developing comcreep is not a good idea, in fact, it is bad idea for communiputer programs or viruses (nothing too damaging, but it was ties. the turn of the Millennium and every programmer wanted to The way that I like to imagine it is, you have a social ecotest their limits). Later, my interests shifted towards web desystem living in a virtual technology ecosystem (somewhere velopment and online communities. in this there is also an economic and legal component).

I never thought of the possibility of a Ph.D., but during Looking at it like that, your question is revised from “What my forestry years I had the opportunity to get into an exdo people want?” to “What does this ecosystem need to change program in forestry in the Czech Republic, which, in achieve equilibrium?” ICT transforms a technology profesa young person’s shallow brain, sounded like blond girls sional into an ICT professional, breaking barriers caused by and beer. Once there, during a lecture, one of my favorite a “tunnel” vision and enabling people to see the ecosystem. professors dropped the idea of a doctoral degree. It was just You have said that efforts to address ICT problems have a generic blur, but in my mind it sounded like an “aha!” been “reactive,” i.e., problems are solved “after they hapmoment. I was thinking, well, if I could work on what I pen.” What are examples of the problems you refer to? love, I can probably do this for another four years. All I had We spend more on law enforcement instead of education. to do was to find a professor willing to believe in me.

Is it a cheaper solution, and how can you value lives lost? The That same month I visited Masaryk University’s Faculty same goes for ICT. We have made major advances in techof Informatics and met with my to-be advisor Jiří Zlatuška. I nology that have transformed our lives for the better (aside said to him: “I have worked with online communities and from a puzzling productivity paradox). But, we have carried web development for a couple of years, and I would like to with us this reactionary mentality. How do you catch a do something with social networks.” He said that it is possihacker?

You wait until he attempts to do something bad and ble, although problems could arise because of the language then go through days of history logs to track him or her down. barrier. At that moment, I instantly replied in Czech “To Meanwhile, you may have been robbed of valuable data exnebude problém. Mluvím trochu česky” (It won’t be a probposing you and your customers and spend an x amount tracklem, I speak a bit of Czech). He laughed as he said, “Then it ing down the perpetrator. Wouldn’t it be better if your system is okay!” My Czech language skills were limited at best, and Spring 2015

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by design was more secure? This is the proactive approach in developing systems that has been neglected.

You also have said, “The big goal, and what ICT is for me, is a new approach, to try to block problems before they happen.” Is progress being made in this approach?

I am not expecting an epiphany where everyone says “Oh, so this is how we should do things from now on.”

Laziness will probably remain a factor affecting outcomes.

However, a shift in attitudes that is gradual is a more attainable goal. In the past, I focused on that kind of work, which in a commercial would sound something like this: “Are you tired of your users being aggressive towards others? Do your community members exhibit signs of bad decision-making and groupthink? Has it become too expensive to track down deceivers and fake accounts in your community? If yes, then PROACTIVA is for you!” More and more researchers from other fields realize the value of design in proactively eliminating programs where otherwise we would need to reactively spend a large amount of time and money to solve.

You said that when you saw the position for ICT at UK, “it was really interesting for me, because Information Communication Technology is perfect.” Would you elaborate?

Computer science feels to me like a prison cell within a dungeon. I am a passionate gamer and music metal head, so, this does sound awesome. However, there is always that window in your cell where other things exist. You get the breeze from social media, a few fallen leaves by online communities and water occasionally dripping from interaction design, social computing, etc. Are these parts of your prison cell? Partially yes, it is difficult to ignore them, yet, they are often ignored by many computer scientists. On the other hand, they are not completely within your prison cell, they belong to the outside world as well.

What we are trying to achieve in the ICT program is crack open that hole in the window and allow the inside and outside worlds to interact. Computer science has brought great things to us, and my Ph.D. is in computer science. But, there is so much more that can be achieved if we can just open our minds and get out of a conservative mentality where hard borders exist between scientific fields. The world has changed and is still rapidly changing. Social media has revolutionized how we interact with technology. Technology is everywhere and serves everyone. So as a researcher I feel that there are no limits to our creativity or imagination, only the ones that we impose on ourselves. I like to get out of my prison cell every now and then.

Would you describe your research focus?

My work falls somewhere between Social Computing and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). My focus in on social interaction design and social media, especially the design of interfaces in computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) that aim to enhance collaboration and reduce conflict. How do people work through social media and how can we make their work effective in order to get better outcomes? Are

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there conditions upon which a user’s performance, experience, or safety will be inhibited, and how can we prevent such conditions from occurring? These are some generic questions that I am always interested in answering.

You are a native of Greece, earned your PhD in the Czech Republic, married a Canadian, and are at an American university. Your daughter is a US citizen. Is this multiculturalism by design, or did it just happen?

If you were to say to a 17 year old version of me graduating from high school that this lies ahead for me, I would say you are nuts, yet also be intrigued. Was it by design? Some of my Greek friends say that I am the least Greek person they know, and there is undeniable truth there. I never felt at home in Greece and never felt in line with the culture. Some people like Greek salad others like Caesar. What does someone do when he is a cultural outcast? In my days, you watch international programming, learn other languages and get connected to the magical global network called the Internet.

However, by the time I was an undergraduate, I was still living in a mono-cultural bubble which felt like the recent Lego movie with everyone singing “Everything is awesome!” The defining moment that changed my life was that exchange program in the Czech Republic. Some may have seen it as merely a study abroad, but to me it was an experience abroad program. Mind altering, thought provoking and utterly eye opening. I got to experience a completely different culture and through that culture I was able to look at myself.

I didn’t initially know that my wife was Canadian (in fact I spoke to her in Czech at the beginning of our relationship) but loved the fact that she was as culturally adventurous as I was. When I pitched the idea of going to the United States, she was more like, “when are we packing?” Having our daughter was the best thing that has ever happened to us!

She will not carry only the Greek, Canadian and Czech heritage of her parents, but also be an American, revolutionary, resilient, adventurous and diverse.

Is there friction with multiculturalism? Sure there is, especially given my obsessive need for a scientific basis for virtually everything in life. But, the alternative is a world where everyone listens to the same singer, dresses the same, thinks the same, and so on. We are keeping it interesting in the Tsikerdekis family, that is for sure.

Is it possible that your wife, a Canadian, was responsible for the extreme cold and abundance of snow Lexington experienced the winters of 2013-14 and 2014-15?

I sincerely believe in my heart (although I have yet to find scientific evidence for it) that Canadians invented the cold as a method of torture for Americans. They just wish cold into existence! Funny thing is though, my wife hates the cold. I guess each Canadian inherits a sack of cold every now and then that he or she needs to release into the wild wherever they are. Will she do it to us again next winter?

Hmmm…can you say climate change? Here is to hoping she doesn’t, but as long as I keep her happy it should be fine!

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Air Force Veteran Dan Collins Is Information Communication Technology Major “I love the ICT program, especially the faculty.”

In recent years numerous articles have appeared about former members of the armed forces attending college. At the University of Kentucky, according to Anthony Dotson, the Veterans Resource Center currently serves approximately 350 student veterans, in addition to 50 military students (National Guard or Reserve) and 350 dependents. One example is Air Force veteran Dan Collins, who is majoring in the School’s Information Communication Technology program and minoring in computer science.

A Lexington native, Dan joined the Air Force at age 20 in December 2004 and “volunteered to become a 1C4X1, better known as TACP (Tactical Air Control Party).” Although in the Air Force, Dan’s first duty assignment was Ft. Campbell, KY, in support of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division.

That an airman would be assigned to an army unit makes sense when the work of TACP is explained. According to the official version, TACP “Supervises and performs interservice liaison activities to ensure effective integration of combat air resources on the battlefield. Provides Air Force expertise essential to joint combat operations.”

Dan deployed to Iraq in 2006 in support of the 101st as a TACP Apprentice, serving under a more senior TACP, or JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller). In 2007 he qualified as a JTAC and deployed to Afghanistan, once again in support of the 101st Airborne Division. Shortly after returning to the US, in 2009, he “was tapped to be a TACP Schoolhouse instructor in Hurlburt Field, FL.” He left active duty and returned to Lexington “with my wife and son in 2011. We've since welcomed our second, a girl.”

Asked if his Air Force experience led to his choice of UK major and minor, Dan replied: While in the Air Force I earned two AAS degrees through the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF): Information Systems Technology and Instruction of Military Science. My prior experience with Information Systems influenced me to further pursue an education in technology. I was particularly drawn to the new ICT program because it offers (in my opinion) a good balance between technical knowledge and practical application, to include more abstract concepts like the societal implications of emerging technologies. Dr. [Jasmine] McNealy's ICT 300 course, ICT in Society, does an amazing job exploring those topics.

In March, Dan was offered a position as a security analyst intern at SDGblue. According to its web site, “SDGblue provides security and compliance consulting services to minimize the IT risks your organization faces, focusing on improving your security posture while achieving regulatory compliance.” The Lexington-based firm, which was established in 1991, has clients in 25 states, in financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and government. Dan explained how his interest in the work of SDGblue came about:

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I first took interest in security in 2013 when taking Dr. Ken Calvert's [computer science] special topics course on Network Security. Dr. Calvert is an excellent lecturer, which made the content very engaging. I had a classmate named Michael Denny that I worked with on group projects, who was an intern at SDGblue.

About a year later I took Technology Security (ICT 351) with Dr. [Sherali] Zeadally. Like Dr. Calvert, Dr. Zeadally is a masterful lecturer. I really enjoyed the material, and spent a lot of time talking with Dr. Zeadally outside of class about related issues.

Dr. [Michael] Tsikerdekis also has a wealth of knowledge regarding security and really emphasizes safe practices when designing databases and web applications in his courses.

Both Dr. Zeadally and Dr. Tsikerdekis had agreed to further mentor me to help fulfill my graduation requirements, so when Michael Denny reached out and told me SDGblue was looking for applicants it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Asked what he does in the internship, Dan replied: I will be working with the consulting group under the mentorship of senior security analysts. The group performs tasks related to security and compliance. These tasks include assessments, security plan development and review, risk analysis, and banking/healthcare compliance consulting services. At this stage of the internship I'm just a sponge, attempting to soak up an incredibly intimidating (but wonderfully engaging) amount of information.

On track to graduate in August, Dan said that following graduation: I would like to continue working with SDGblue in whatever capacity they will allow, but I also have aspirations to enroll in the ICT master's degree program. I love the ICT program, especially the faculty. Dr. Tsikerdekis and Dr. Zeadally have both become invaluable mentors.

SLIS Spring-Break Internships Continue A meeting in summer 2010 between SLIS Director Jeff Huber and Deanna Marcum (’71), who was then Associate Librarian of Congress for Library Services, opened the way for students in the School’s MSLS program to participate in the Library of Congress Alternative Spring Break Internship Program, beginning in 2011. The first year five SLIS students spent the week of March 14-18 in LC internships. Subsequently, the National Library of Medicine and the Smithsonian Institution joined LC as sites for internships The Alternative Spring Break Internship Program continues, and this spring the following students had internships at the Smithsonian Institution: Carlee Cutchin, Anna Gault, Brittany Netherton, Margaret Roulett, Cecilia Virtue, and Whitney Waddell. The following had internships at the National Library of Medicine: Teresa McGinley and Matthew Noe. The School continued the policy of providing a scholarship to each student, to offset the cost.

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sion Visions magazine) because of the positive impact she is having on student learning in her building. It’s not every day that a school librarian gets asked to represent her profession by hosting principals from area districts in order for Carol Bredemeyer (’81) was one of four recipients of the them to see what a well-run, flexibly scheduled library American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) 2014 Hall should look like. However, for our school librarian, this is of Fame Award. Carol is Assistant Director for Faculty Serall in a day’s work. My nominee, Ms. Jessica Holmes, devices at Chase College of Law Library, Northern Kentucky serves to be selected for this award because she truly emUniversity. bodies what an excellent school librarian should be. Her According to information on the AALL web site, “The incredible work ethic, creativity, and passion for her library Hall of Fame was established in 2009 to recognize those and programs, numerous hands-on endeavors, and knowlmembers whose contributions to the profession and service edge of both library and classroom content are why the stuto the Association have been significant, dents and teachers at Westridge LOVE substantial and long-standing.”

OUR LIBRARIAN!” To be nominated for the award, a person In his nomination, Mr. Lovell quoted must: Charley Preston, Assistant Superintendent: • be or have been a member in good “Ms. Holmes inherited a dismal library at standing of AALL for twenty-five years or Westridge that was only minimally used by more; students and staff. In less than one year, she • have provided distinguished service to transformed the library into a warm and the Association over a substantial portion of inviting place for all.” his or her period of membership; and The nomination also includes comments • have made significant contributions to from Westridge parent Angela Shouse: the profession.

“Each year our daughter, Nikki, receives new teachers, but Ms. Holmes remains a Carol has chaired numerous AALL constant. Last year, Nikki joined the committees and served on the Executive Student Technology Leadership Program Board from 2008 to 2011. When she (directed

by Ms. Holmes) and now has a learned she had received the award, she Carol Bredemeyer newfound love of technology. Under the said: direction of Ms. Holmes, Nikki produced a feature film, I am proud to be in the company of my fellow nominees. I made it to state (competition), and came in 3rd. The encourplan to continue my activity in AALL – and assist the oragement and guidance given by Ms. Holmes has introduced ganization in promoting the value law librarians provide Nikki to a new passion and career option.” to the institutions they serve. The value I have received When she returned from the awards ceremony, Jessica from my membership is priceless. told Kentucky Department of Education’s Kentucky Jessica Holmes Receives Carnegie Corporation/ Teacher: It was an unforgettable trip, and I am truly honored to New York Times I Love My Librarian Award have been selected by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, The New York Times, the American Library AssoJessica Holmes (’07) is one of 10 librarians from across the ciation, and the selection committee. It was inspirational nation selected to receive the 2014 Carnegie Corporation of to hear the backgrounds of the other winners and to learn New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award. about the contributions those librarians are making in Jessica is librarian at Westridge Elementary School Library their libraries and communities.

Media Center in Frankfort, KY. According to the Carnegie She said, too: Corporation announcement, the 2014 recipients were chosen It is such a rewarding profession. I treasure each and from more than 1,000 nominations, and “each awardee was every day with my students. I am fortunate to work at a chosen for demonstrating the critical role librarians play in school where my creativity is supported by administration transforming lives and communities through education and and where my teachers are flexible and willing to try new lifelong learning.” Each recipient received a $5,000 cash things. I do not know if I would have been as successful award, a plaque, and a stipend to attend the December 2 at any other school. My Westridge family has helped me awards ceremony and reception in New York City, hosted to be the best librarian I can be.

by The New York Times.

Jessica is the third SLIS graduate to be honored by The Jessica was nominated by Joe Lovell, a fifth grade social New York Times. Julia Allegrini (’01) was among those studies teacher at Westridge Elementary School. In his who received the I Love My Librarian Award in 2013.

1,850 word nomination, he wrote: Sarah Mackey (’95) was among those who received the “It’s not every day that a school librarian is selected by 2003 New York Times Librarian Award. In 2008, the Carneher colleagues as the Teacher of the Year at her school. It’s gie Corporation joined The New York Times in sponsoring not every day that a school librarian is chosen to be featured the I Love My Librarian Award program. in a state-wide publication (Kentucky Educational Televi-

Carol Bredemeyer Receives Law Libraries Association Hall of Fame Award

Spring 2015

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Judge Jennifer Coffman Is Among Hall of Distinguished Alumni Inductees

April Ritchie Has Sister Libraries Chapter in Management of Small Public Libraries

Jennifer Coffman (’71), who was a US District Court April Ritchie (’98), who was instrumental in the introducjudge from 1993 until 2013, and who received the School tion of the Kentucky Sister Library Project (KSLP) in 2010, of Library and Information Science Outstanding has a chapter on sister libraries in the volume Creative Alumna/us Award 2013, is among the 2015 class of inducManagement of Small Public Libraries in the 21st Century, tees in the UK Alumni Association Hall of Distinguished which Rowman & Littlefield released in December 2014.

Alumni. Events are scheduled Thursday, April 16, through April begins her chapter by describing the realities faced by Saturday, April 18, with induction to take place at a receplibrarians managing small institutions: tion, dinner, and ceremony on Friday, April 17.

In order to ensure smooth day-to-day operations, those managing public libraries with limited resources are often According to information on the Association web site: forced to find creative strategies. The various aspects of The Hall of Distinguished Alumni of the University of running a facility, from workflow to Kentucky Alumni Association was maintenance, are often the responsibilities of established to pay tribute to those UK one or two people, perhaps the director and alumni who have distinguished themthe assistant director or some similar combiselves and their alma mater through their nation. I know directors who, out of sheer contribution to the welfare of the necessity, wear many hats on any given day. commonwealth and nation in arts, sciPulled in multiple directions, librarians may ences, business, industry, engineering, have to choose working the circulation desk journalism, politics, military science, or dealing with a broken furnace rather than religion, agriculture, labor or other fields focusing on strategic planning or creating of endeavor. exciting new programs.

Every five years the University of After noting that she works in a larger Kentucky Alumni Association recognizes library, as Adult Services Manager at the a select group of outstanding alumni and Erlanger Branch of Kenton County Public honors them by inducting them into the Library, in northern Kentucky, April Hall of Distinguished Alumni. explains: Nominations are carefully considered by … I am aware of the challenges that librarians a special committee composed of members Judge Jennifer Coffman in small and rural libraries face. Several years of the past presidents of the association, ago I began thinking more about this issue, for I had a members of the board of directors, past inductees and hunch that members of the Kentucky library community university representatives. could do more through a structured program to help one Also according to the web site, another.

The UK Alumni Association Hall of Distinguished April’s “hunch” led to creation of the KSLP, which “was Alumni was established in 1965 as a part of the univerintended to help build up all libraries in Kentucky, espesity’s centennial celebration and additional selections cially the ones with the fewest resources.” In 2010 the first have been made every five years. With the 2015 honorpartnership was formed, between April’s Kenton County ees, the total number of alumni honored to date is 306 Public Library and Carter County Public Library. Today, 26 from more than 220,000 UK graduates.

Kentucky public libraries participate in the program.

In addition to earning an MLS degree at UK, Jennifer also April believes libraries beyond Kentucky would benefit has a BA from UK, in English, and a JD. After law school, from a sister library program, and she concludes her chapter she worked in private practice in Lexington. In 1993 the by urging others: late Kentucky Senator Wendell Ford recommended to Administrators seeking innovative strategies now have President Bill Clinton that Jennifer be appointed to the US an option with demonstrated success. The sister libraries District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the concept is an ideal problem-solving tool because it is a US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. win-win proposition and a blueprint for the program is alPresident Clinton nominated her for the positions, and the ready available. With nothing to lose, and everything to US Senate confirmed her appointment on September 30, gain, those willing to experiment with this fresh perspec1993. tive are likely to reap benefits beyond their highest exAt the time of her appointment, Judge Coffman was the pectations. first female federal judge in Kentucky. In 2007, she beApril previously discussed the Kentucky Sister Library came the first female federal chief judge in Kentucky. In Project in a feature article, “O Sister Library, Where Art May 2011, she was appointed to the US Foreign InThou?” that appeared in the January/February 2012 issue telligence Surveillance Court, while continuing to serve on of American Libraries. That same year she was a Library the District Court. She retired from the bench on January Journal Mover and Shaker.

8, 2013.

Spring 2015

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Rowman & Littlefield Publishes Rawlins’ Mobile Device Guide for Librarians In December of last year, Rowman & Littlefield published Ben Rawlins’ (’09) Mobile Devices: A Practical Guide for Librarians. Student Affairs Officer Heather Burke wrote the following and made it available to the newsletter.

Ben Rawlins graduated from SLIS’ Library & Information Science (LIS) program in 2009. He now works as Assistant Library Director and Digital Services Coordinator at Ensor Learning Resource Center, Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky. Adding to the list of his professional titles, Rawlins is also an author: his first work, Mobile Devices: A Practical Guide for Librarians, was released in December 2014 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Rawlins spoke with SLIS about his recent publication, what he’s working on next, and his advice for up-andcoming library professionals.

wearable technology and the impact it could have on our profession.

You're currently working on a guide to mobile technologies for librarians. Would you tell us a bit more about this project?

I am currently working on my second book, Mobile Technology in Libraries: A LITA Guide, which will be out later this year or early 2016. This book focuses on how libraries are incorporating mobile technology into their services and how mobile technology has changed our information seeking behaviors. The book will also cover topics such as the digital divide and mobile devices, wearable technology, what the future of mobile technology has in store, and the challenges and opportunities that mobile technology presents to libraries and librarians.”

What advice do you have for librarians just starting out?

Librarians starting out should take every opportunity to get involved in the profession. Attend conferences, present, and look for ways to get involved in the What drew you to the topic of mobile professional associations like KLA, devices?

ALA, LITA, ACRL, and others. It’s My fascination with mobile devices important to know what other libraries began when I purchased my first and librarians are doing in the profesiPhone, around the time I got my first lision. You also find out about the brarian job as a Systems Librarian. I was different products and resources that captivated with the capabilities of the Ben Rawlins vendors offer. It helps to foster ideas that iPhone. With such a small device, I could you can take back to your library, and perform a multitude of tasks. When I began my Systems helps you network with other librarians. Networking is exLibrarian job, I did not have much of a technical backtremely valuable because you never know when you might ground (my other degrees are in History), but in that posineed to contact another librarian with a question about a tion I was able to spend time exploring mobile technology project that you are working on or when you go to apply for and its uses in libraries. I learned how to build mobile weba library job. sites and apps for my library, and I absolutely loved it. I still spend a lot of time learning about different aspects of moSLIS congratulates Ben Rawlins on his current research, bile development even when I am at home. I was also drawn publishing, and on his work at Georgetown College. He can to mobile devices because I saw the potential that they held be reached at Ben_Rawlins@georgetowncollege.edu. For for libraries and our users, and I wanted to make an impact more information on his latest book, visit Mobile Devices: on the profession in some way. Developing for mobile deA Practical Guide for Librarians on Rowman & Littlefield vices offered me that opportunity. I started submitting proPublishers’ website. We wish him continued success in his posals to present at conferences with my colleagues, and research and writing…. was able to publish a few articles and a book chapter. One of the conference presentations led to an offer to publish a Julie Howe Is KLA President-Elect book on mobile devices.

My passion continues to grow as I witness new developStudent Affairs Officer Heather Burke wrote the following ments in mobile technology. I have been blessed to work for the SLIS web site and granted permission to reprint it. with such great colleagues that understand the value of moJulie Howe (MSLS, Class of 2010) is Director of E-Learnbile devices in the library setting and who have been willing ing and Health Science Librarian at Somerset Community to work with me on various mobile projects. It has come to College in London, Kentucky. In addition, she is Presidenta point now where my friends, family, and colleagues will Elect of the Kentucky Library Association. SLIS spoke with call, text, or stop by my office to ask me questions about Ms. Howe about leadership, librarianship, getting involved their mobile devices. I have even had people call me from at the student level and more. across the country when they have an issue with their mobile devices. Mobile technology has become my niche, and I How did you get started in KLA? Did you become involved am very excited about its potential in the future, such as as a student or when you began working?

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My mentor, Terry Buckner, got me involved once I got a full-time position at Somerset Community College, although I wish I’d known the opportunities I’d had available to me as a student! I was aware of KLA at the time, but I wasn’t sure exactly how I would fit in. Now that I’ve been involved for several years, I understand how much our association provides: the opportunity to make connections, advocate for yourself, and build long-lasting relationships throughout the state and beyond! I have met incredible people through this organization that have led me to opportunities that I never would have had on my own.

you had. Because I’ve said yes and volunteered for opportunities, I have had the great fortune to represent Kentucky at ALA. If I had said no, I would never have gotten this incredible chance. There are a wealth of roundtables and sections that are always welcoming of new members.

Are there benefits to becoming a member of a state-level library association? Any opportunities for students?

Making connections is essential, and one of the best benefits of joining. Volunteering for a round table or section position will give you connections that you will be able to carry for years, particularly when you’re looking As President-Elect of KLA, what sort of responsibilities do for your first professional position. If you’re interested in you have? What would you say to other information progetting a position in-state, networking and demonstrating fessionals looking to develop leadership skills? collaboration are excellent ways to get to know others in Currently, my role as President-Elect includes the primary the profession and make good connections. I also cannot responsibility for fall conference planning, but I have the emphasize the value of library students and new librarians, support of an excellent and the importance of your planning committee. For me, voices and perspectives. LiStay in touch with UK SLIS. this is a big undertaking, and brarianship needs those Keep up with what is going on at the School, I’m trying to make conscious diverse perspectives, and with former classmates and current students. choices for a new, fresh your stories are just as Check our web site for updates. perspective, while keeping our important as anyone else’s. https://ci.uky.edu/lis/ theme in mind: Standing Up Our conferences also offer Follow us on Facebook & Twitter. and Standing Out: Advocating great opportunities for Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/UK.SLIS and Innovating for Kentucky’s professional presentations, as Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/UK_SLIS Libraries. Additional a poster presentation, miniSign up for the SLIS graduate listserv. responsibilities I hold include session, or Speed Geek Listserv: Send email to listserv@lsv.uky.edu representing Kentucky at ALA (imagine a poster Leave subject blank; in the body, type conferences. I recently just got presentation with a subscribe SLIS-ALUMS-L YourFirstName YourLastName back from ALA Midwinter in technological twist). We are snowy Chicago, where I particularly excited about this attended a chapter leader forum, chapter relations sessions, year’s Speed Geek, which will have a makerspace focus! and recruited vendors to attend our fall conference. I am Presenting is a great resume builder and helps you gather working actively with our president, Laura Whayne, and an audience with whom you can network! past-president, Brenda Metzger on some of the suggestions What advice do you have for librarians just starting out?

I’ve received from this experience to better improve your Networking is the best thing you can do in librarianship.

KLA experience. One new project we are excited about is With such a fiercely competitive job market right now, our partnership with Teach for America-Appalachia, as well new librarians need to make connections, follow up, and as other state-wide organizations, to help promote a statemake good impressions. Often, the difference between wide literacy campaign. The campaign is crowdsourcing an getting that second call-back or interview is how you preanswer to one question: “What’s the 1 book every Kensent yourself and the atmosphere of the library you’re intuckian should read in their lifetime?” Anyone can vote and terested in. Get LinkedIn, post on social media and make all voters are eligible to win a Kindle: librarian friends. There are lots of professional librarians www.yourschoolsyourcall.org. It runs through March 16th. on Twitter and Tumblr (#tumblarians) that can give you We are particularly excited about this because the top book inspiration, or even a job lead. Take advantage of low-cost will be donated to 24 schools in eastern Kentucky, and it professional development opportunities like our Library will continue to spark a dialogue about great books and the Instruction Round Table retreat, which I personally atimportance of literacy while benefiting local students. Additended and found very informative! Additionally, our KLA tionally, I am actively soliciting ideas for ways to present Academic/Special Library Section joint spring conference more added value to your KLA membership, whether it be is a low-pressure way to get some presentation experience, professional development, or other ways to provide you and meet others in a less pressure-packed environment. with the tools and skills you need to be the best librarians Our fall conference is going to be excellent, and you can you can be and keep our libraries vital and essential. meet librarians of every background and glean a lot of proIf I were to recommend some things to information professional information from our sessions. We are working fessionals looking for leadership skills, I would recommend diligently to help you! If you can find roommates or cargetting involved in a bigger organization in an area that you pool together, you can save money and build networking love. Following your passions can lead to connections that experiences at the same time. can last, and opportunities that you may never realize that Spring 2015

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Constance Ard: Life as Answer Maven After completing the School’s MSLS program, Constance Ard (’96) worked briefly at Bank One, before joining the law firm of Greenebaum Doll and McDonald (now Bingham Greenebaum Doll). At the law firm, she started as an assistant librarian and eventually managed the largest branch in Louisville and became Head of the Library and Information Services Training Program. She was at the firm from November 1996 to April 2008, when she left to establish Answer Maven http//answermaven.com/ which “offers business and technology consulting and research services” and “Strategic Social Media plans and related services to help businesses find powerful ways to participate in today’s online communities in a useful, applicable way.” Constance agreed to write about her experiences as Answer Maven for the newsletter.

Kentucky is a delightful place to live. I was having an early dinner with a colleague a while back and ran into Dennis and Jennie Carrigan. The thing about Kentucky is you will usually run into someone you know and probably haven’t seen in quite some time if you are out and about.

Following that chance encounter Dennis asked me to write up article about my experiences as Answer Maven.

So here goes a rambling through the past 6 years of my professional life as an independent information professional.

Scary Decision Hanging out my own shingle was a scary decision to make.

It might have been even scarier if I hadn’t had an incredible network of information professionals and other supporters standing in front, beside, and behind me, helping me navigate this brave new world.

The importance of colleagues from all walks of life should never be underestimated. Legal and accounting advisors offered guidance. Fellow business owners provided words of wisdom and encouragement. Information professional colleagues shared potential project proposals and other things that the Answer Maven might be able to do. It was as though I had a hundred sets of eyes looking out for me and opportunities for my business.

Perhaps the single greatest boost to my early days was the connection fellow information professional and colleague, Ulla de Stricker made on my behalf. She introduced me to Stephen Arnold and my life was forever changed in such a tremendously positive way that I’ll never be able to thank Ulla or Steve enough. The things they taught me and the opportunities they presented me are indeed a key component of the success of Answer Maven.

Finding My Perfect Fit The thing about launching into a brave new world is that you truly are exploring. At first you think you need to say yes to everything. What if nothing else comes along?

Trust me and every other entrepreneur out there that says so, something will always come along. I began my career as a Law Librarian. When I launched Answer Maven I started marketing to attorneys but my heart wasn’t in it. So I said Spring 2015

yes when attorneys or other legal professionals called me for assistance but I didn’t actively seek them.

By the end of my first quarter I was working with a client on his own projects. I was diving deep into analysis of companies and their technical capabilities, I was writing technical reports and I was learning all about the world of start-up technology companies. I was moving from project to project and I was learning new things on an hourly basis. I was being challenged and I was thrilled.

The discovery I made was that I really like projects. Set goals, define the process, estimate the time it will take to accomplish the goals, deliver high quality products (reports, improved systems, workflows, etc.) and move on to the next project.

The Downside and Turning the Corner Not everything was wine and roses at the start. I had some times where I took on part-time jobs to make ends meet.

Those were also learning opportunities. Marketing, customer relations, and even sales techniques were picked up in the positions I held while building Answer Maven.

It was hard to split my focus from business building to positions that took time away from Answer Maven. That’s when I called on the support of a career advisor. With an hour of his time and a few direct questions I was able to realize the need to concentrate on the work that a) I was good at b) and made me happy.

This refocus came at a time when new opportunities were abounding. I began offering social media services to small businesses. In addition, I began serving as the chief operations officer for a content management company. The joy of this work was that I was still doing projects, although longer-term ones and it was more traditional work.

The Highlights Landing my first “big” solo project happened early on and was a huge boost to Answer Maven’s book of business and my ego. I learned about the project through a colleague and when I was awarded the project I applied information professional skills that spanned from creating custom taxonomies to records management practices.

Working with international clients is thrilling and boring all at the same time. Organizational issues are shared no matter the location or size. It all comes down to understanding capabilities, the company culture, and finding out how to solve your customer’s pain. Sitting down with company presidents is no longer a big deal, they have relied upon my advice to solve their problems and we are equals.

Three books under my belt. I never dreamed I would be the author of three books dedicated to corporate libraries.

The Ark Group reached out to me in the summer of 2009, seemingly out of the blue and my first book was published late that year. My latest book Corporate Libraries Basic Principles in a Changing Landscape was published in February 2014.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of the Answer Maven journey is in progress right now, or maybe it will be what happens in three years. I am thrilled to be the lead report writer for the American Association of Law Libraries Economic Value of Law Libraries study that concluded in November Page 12

2014. The client published the report in January 2015. I know that work will help law librarians communicate their worth in ways that resonate with their stakeholders. This report, and the things that develop from it, is certain to be a professional career highlight.

The journey continues. Each new project teaches me new things and I’m loving this new phase of focus that makes the best of my expertise. I love referring projects I’m not able to or interested in doing to the network of colleagues that I have developed.

Answer Maven was not what I planned to do when I finished my Master’s in Library and Information Science but I’m certainly glad that I landed this gig!

Advancing Faculty Excellence. Annalisa’s work in Appalachia (yes, Tompkins County [NY] is in Appalachia!) blends academic and activist passions for regional resilience, place-based learning, and civic leadership development. …

“Annalisa’s research interests lie at the intersection of the public realm and situated knowledge creation for social action. Her portfolio includes work in: democratic placemaking, public space and public life, syntheses of evaluative and design thinking, scholarship of engagement, scholarship of teaching & learning, civic democracy, theory construction in emergent research, and context-sensitive data for decisionmaking.”

Annalisa Raymer: Cornell, University of Alaska, Back to Cornell, and “A Librarianship Connection”

* Asked on what basis the Cornell library is “second only in the US to the Library of Congress,” Annalisa replied: “The claim is specifically for Cornell’s Labor & Industry library, the Martin P. Catherwood Library, one of Cornell’s 19 various libraries.

Early in December of last year the following email arrived from Annalisa Raymer (’84): Greetings, Fellow SLIS-ians, I was in Kentucky for Thanksgiving, and it was great to be back home. The SLIS newsletter just came today – how nice!

Today is the first day of my new position at Cornell University, and it has a librarianship connection. I’m teaching Adult Education and directing an adult learning program and a small resource center. The program, Community Learning and Service Partnership (CLASP), is really cool; Cornell undergrads who take my courses are matched up with Cornell service workers and the dynamic duos become learning partner teams.

And the perks – being at the University with the library second only in the US to the Library of Congress is a bit of alright!* Best wishes to all, Annalisa Annalisa’s email was the first of several between her and SLIS, in which she patiently answered questions, and we learned that Annalisa is now Dr. Raymer, having completed a PhD at Cornell University during an earlier stint there. We also learned: “Annalisa L. Raymer leads the public engagement research program for Engaged Learning + Research. Working collaboratively with teams from university-community collaborations, Annalisa designs and conducts evaluation and inquiry into outcomes of engagement and outreach initiatives of Cornell University. Additionally, Annalisa is a process designer, program planner, and a resource person for faculty development in civic engagement.

“Before returning to Ithaca in 2013, Annalisa taught in Alaska and Appalachia. Her doctoral work, which she completed at Cornell in 2007, focused on practices of civic democracy and drew from the fields of evaluation, adult education, development sociology, planning, and anthropology.

At the University of Alaska, she nurtured a new minor in Civic Engagement and served as an advisor to the Center for Spring 2015

Judith Gibbons Interviews Susan Moore The fall 2014 newsletter has an article by Judith Gibbons (’78), in which she reflects on retirement. After noting that “Writing is … a constant” and mentioning several examples, she adds: MLS: Marketing Library Services* is home to my regular column called “Interviews with Marketing Masters”. Primarily written via email, this focuses on showcasing the work of outstanding marketing professionals in all types of libraries. *http://infotoday.stores.yahoo.net/gensym-4.html The March/April 2015 issue of Marketing Library Services has Judith’s interview with Susan Moore (’93), which follows:

Susan Moore: One Logo, 1,000 Books, Five Mohawks Name: Susan Moore Title: Deputy Director Library: San Diego County Library Public Population Served: 1,029,071 Email: Susan.Moore@sdcounty.ca.gov Website: www.sdcl.org In the early 1990s, I had the opportunity to meet Susan Moore as a student in my University of Kentucky Adult Services graduate school class. After finishing the semester, Susan did a practicum at the library where I was director.

She was very involved in extending marketing and outreach efforts. Now, more than 20 years later, it is a joy to see how Susan still melds theory and practice in an award-winning California library.

Susan, tell us about your educational background.

I have an undergraduate degree in marketing from the University of Louisville and a graduate degree in library science from the University of Kentucky. As a lifelong learner and mentor, my education has been enhanced through some key opportunities. As an ALA Emerging Leader (1997), I was introduced to the many opportunities Page 13

for professional development at the national level. As a leader, I’ve continued to broaden my perspectives, learning as many lessons from experience as through formal learning.

Visiting best-practice libraries has been instructive in developing new approaches to marketing library services, especially if we ask, “How can we innovate to make this a success locally?” Teaching graduate courses about public libraries, literature, storytelling, and programming face to face, online, and via distance learning has provided opportunities to learn how technology and social media impact learning. Educating youth, teachers, community providers, and library staff has resulted in a commitment to highquality learning experiences. To me, clear intentional development and education are key aspects of successful marketing and good librarianship. By educating our community and ourselves, we can help build better communities and act as thought leaders who stand in front of change shaping the future.

What is your marketing background? Do you have formal training, or are you an accidental marketer?

I am formally trained with an undergraduate degree in marketing, but as all of us who work in libraries know, it’s what you learn after you get the degree that gives substance to theory. What I have discovered is that all knowledge is valuable and builds as we learn.

One of the most compelling ways we are all “accidental marketers” is when we create a memorable experience. We see this with Harry Potter, where people of all ages got more excited with each new book, and public libraries became part of the happening, offering book release parties, costume events, film screenings, and other programs that opened the doors of public libraries just a little bit wider to folks who hadn’t visited before. When you do this, the real marketing opportunity lies in what you do next to build the relationship with the new customers you attracted.

At SDCL, we are creating our own happening for reading with our new 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten campaign.

This is part of an intentional, strategic effort on the part of SDCL to build our community of readers. With 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, we are offering families an early learning experience and a memorable event as children are transformed into new readers. You can create happenings that invite new people through the doors of the library by developing programs that speak to real community needs.

How large is your department?

The library has 32 branches, support services, and four regional principal librarians. As deputy director, I oversee support services, two regional principal librarians, and eight library branches, collaborating with the rest of our executive team to provide seamless service. Support services includes community relations (marketing), program services, facilities, collection development, technical services, and circulation services. Our community relations (marketing) department is comprised of 1.75 FTE and is supplemented by student interns (50 hours/week).

Spring 2015

How many staffers are at your library?

SDCL has 297 staff members.

What percentage of the total organization budget is dedicated to marketing?

The budget for community relations is 0.5% of SDCL’s total budget, which includes salaries and benefits.

What was your most successful library campaign?

We recently launched our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten campaign, and it is already successful (www.sdcl.org/1000books). Artwork was created by an SDCL home- schooler who learned to draw at the library. A shy youngster, today she is an engaged teen contracting with the library as she continues to develop. In preparation for the project, we created a complete branding package— reading logs, promotional door hangers, posters, branded prizes, website, etc. We ordered 10,000 reading logs to start with, and we’re already running out—it’s only been 3 weeks!

A key to this success has been taking time with research and development to make sure we got it right. As a result, we created a series of reading logs that are like growth charts for reading to make reading 1,000 books fun. One way we got the momentum going was by encouraging staff to send us pictures of the first person at each branch to sign up for the program. We also encouraged customers to send us photos, and we’ve been featuring them all on our website and social media.

Another recent success was our Mohawks for a Million campaign. Our Vista branch was determined to set a new circulation record last year—1 million checkouts in 1 year—and five staff members signed up to cut their hair into mohawks if the record was met. Our library director even joined in on the promise! For months, we sent out press releases and developed posters and fliers encouraging customers to check out items, sharing the most popular books and movies at that branch, and sharing the story of the customer who had checked out the most items ever at that location.

The local newspaper picked up the story and wrote an article every few weeks documenting the progress. Once the branch hit the million, we kicked the campaign into high gear and got the community really excited for the big mohawk event. Hundreds of people came out to watch staffers get their haircuts. Indeed, it was such a success that we had every local television station there. It was truly a community affair, and the public took complete ownership of their library and its success.

What was your biggest challenge? What did you learn from it?

When I became the principal librarian of the community relations department in 2010, my director tasked me with rebranding SDCL. The catch was that it had to be free. I convinced a local marketing firm (Departure; www.dptr.co) to sponsor us by providing a logo package free of charge.

Once we had our new logo and the associated color scheme, I looked around at our staff and the community and realized that SDCL’s brand is truly the faces of the people we help each day. It was through that realization that SDCL’s photo Page 14

branding was born. Since photography had been a hobby of mine, I put that interest to work and began taking photos of staff and customers and using those images on our promotional materials. We now put real photos of our customers on all of our promotional materials and share personal success stories to contextualize the impact the library has on the community.

While rebranding SDCL without a budget was a definite challenge, I learned a few very valuable lessons in the process. First, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The library is a trusted institution, and people often want to help us out; we just have to ask. Asking Departure for a free logo package was essential to our rebranding journey. Second, look at yourself and your staff to see what skills and hobbies are just waiting to be leveraged for your library system.

has made SDCL one of the top 10 libraries nationwide in terms of programs. SDCL was named the 2012 Library of the Year for our ability to innovate and build community partnerships (http://tinyurl.com/6s57wma).

By taking the time to build strong partnerships, you will be able to bring your message to new audiences more easily to create win-win results for all concerned.

What technology has helped you reach new audiences?

SDCL uses social media (specifically Facebook and Twitter), our mobile app, and e-blasts to reach new audiences.

We have found that people like to receive information in all sorts of ways, so we try to rebroadcast our messages through multiple mediums to have the maximum impact.

Judith Gibbons is a library consultant and freelance writer based in Versailles, Ky. She is retired from Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, where she coordinated the public library program. She holds an M.L.S. from the University of Kentucky and a master’s in public administration from Kentucky State University. She has won a John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award. Gibbons is now an adjunct faculty member at the University of Kentucky and Bluegrass Community and Technical College.

Her email address is jagibbons@windstream.net.

Discuss some of your productive partnerships.

One of our most productive partnerships is our ongoing relationship with the Housing Opportunities Collaborative (HOC). During the Great Recession, we worked together to provide over $2.4 million in free housing assistance at county branches, garnering a 2011 California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Challenge award, a 2010 National Association of Counties award, and the 2012 PLA Highsmith Innovation Award. More recently, we rekindled that partnership with the HOC by launching the Virtual Counseling Network at six of our branches, bringing free, secure, real-time counseling virtually from a variety of trusted local nonprofit agencies.

Another productive partnership we have is with two local music collaborations: eliteAudience and the San Diego Bluegrass Society. Over the course of the last 5 years, we have collaborated, building SDCL’s award-winning Acoustic Showcase series. We’ve had 343 shows with a total attendance of 17,117. This partnership brings local music to branches throughout the county, and each participating branch is able to customize the types of shows to their community’s interests.

SDCL has a commitment to serving our diverse community. One of the ways we open the doors of the library is by building partnerships. Our success in building partnerships

Spring 2015

What guidance would you give a fledgling marketer?

As I mentioned above, I recommend creating a community of practice where you study best-practice libraries, learn about your community, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and leverage skills in and outside your organization. Finally, build partnerships to bring your message to new audiences, and celebrate your successes by sharing your stories with your staff and the library community.

MLS

First published by Information Today, Inc. Republished with permission. All rights reserved.

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