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You’re invited! ASCLA/COSLA Reception at 2013 ALA Annual Conference

Come celebrate and network with the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) at the ASCLA/COSLA Reception on Saturday, June 29, 5:45-7:30 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. Get the event details and specific room location in the ALA Conference Scheduler.

Why is this event so awesome, and why should you attend?

This is *the social event for ASCLA* at the ALA Annual Conference! Whether you’re a current member or you’re interested in our work with library services to people with disabilities, accessibility, state library agencies, library consultants and independent librarians, and networks, cooperatives and consortia, you are welcome to come to this event! Bring your business cards and come ready to see old friends and make new ones. ASCLA is known for being a friendly and welcoming division–come see what we mean! Add the event to your schedule now.

We’ll also be honoring our ASCLA award winners at this event:

  • Ruth J. Nussbaum, retired reference librarian, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress,will receive the 2013 Cathleen Bourdon Service Award for exceptional service to, and sustained leadership for ASCLA.
  • Jill Lewis, former director of the Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, will receive the 2013 recipient of the Francis Joseph Campbell Award—an annual honor presented to a person or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of library service for the blind and physically handicapped.
  • Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen, executive director of Mother Goose on the Loose, LLC, and early childhood specialist at the Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, will receive the 2013 ASCLA Leadership and Professional Achievement Award for her leadership and achievement in statewide services and programs and state library development.

This event includes hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Q&A: Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, incoming ASCLA Vice President/President-Elect

Congratulations to Kathi Moeller-Peiffer of the New Jersey State Library on her election to the ASCLA Vice President/President-Elect position! We asked Kathi some questions about her relationship with ASCLA and what she does when she’s not preoccupied with important library work. Swing by the ASCLA/COSLA Reception at the ALA Annual Conference to meet Kathi and other ASCLA members.

ASCLA Vice President/President-Elect Kathi Moeller-Peiffer
ASCLA Vice President/President-Elect Kathi Moeller-Peiffer

Why do you love ASCLA?

I love being an ASCLA member primarily due to the diversity of its membership. I’ve met librarians who work as independent consultants, at state library agencies, with cooperatives and consortia and as the main source of library service to underserved populations, such as the blind and physically handicapped and incarcerated youth and adults. I learn a little something from all of them.

What do you think the best parts of ASCLA are that would appeal to new members?

As mentioned above, the diversity. Also, it is one of the smaller ALA divisions which means that you get to know people more quickly and easily and can often find yourself being offered a leadership role in the organization sooner than in one of the large divisions. Finally, the very talented and bright people of both ASCLA and the ALA ASCLA office are a great benefit of membership!

In your opinion, how are current economic challenges affecting both the professions represented by ASCLA and the association itself?

It is stressful, no doubt about it. All of the professions represented by ASCLA are taking fiscal cuts which then impacts the number of librarians who can join the association, leading to fiscal implications for us as well. ASCLA professionals continue to advocate, educate and lobby funding bodies to restore monies cut. ASCLA as an association has been handling its finances very intelligently and has been creating money-making opportunities with webinars, pre-conferences and library trips abroad in order to weather these difficult fiscal times.

What is a significant change or improvement that you would like to see made within ASCLA during the next 3-5 years?

I would like to see the membership grow to the point where we have financial stability and therefore more time being allotted to us from ALA Headquarters. Right now we have 25% of our Director’s and Marketing Manager’s time. With just a small increase to 30% they could both do so much more in terms of fund-raising idea implementation.

What about the ALA Annual Conference are you looking forward to the most?

I am very much looking forward to the many groups that I’ll be meeting with for the first time in my role as vice president/president elect and the new knowledge that I’ll be gaining of both ASCLA and ALA. And, of course, the ASCLA/COSLA awards reception!

When you’re not spending your time at the library or at conferences, what do you like to do? Any hobbies?

Well, I do enjoy spending time with my husband’s and my three Labrador Retrievers. (That is not to say they couldn’t benefit from some time with the Dog Whisperer!) I also enjoy traveling, especially abroad. Over the past few years I’ve been to Hawaii, the Isle of Rhodes in Greece and Dubrovnik, Croatia and will be visiting Puerto Rico this fall.

Read any good books lately?

I’ve just started reading Karen White’s book After the Rain, which I’ll follow with her other recent books Sea Change and The Time Between. She is a tremendously gifted writer. Once I’ve started one of her books I simply cannot put it down.

If you had a superpower, what would it be and how would you use it?

I have never, ever been asked this question before…good job stumping me! I believe that I would want the ability to time travel, both into the past and the future. I would not use it to change anything, but simply to observe what is happening and learn more about myself and others.

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NEWS: Consultants give back: free 30-minute sessions in Chicago co-sponsored by ASCLA and PLA

CHICAGO — The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies’ (ASCLA) Library Consultants Interest Group and the Public Library Association (PLA) are teaming up to offer “Consultants Give Back” at the ALA Annual Conference — an opportunity for libraries to receive free 30-minute consultation sessions from professional library consultants.

This event features consultants with expertise in a wide variety of topics like facilitation, leadership development and succession planning, library facility planning, marketing strategy, privacy, social media, program evaluation, services to multicultural communities, services to children, tweens and teens and other relevant topics. It’s an excellent opportunity for public libraries and other types of libraries to test drive library consulting services.

Consultants scheduled to participate in this event are: Lori Bowen Ayre of The Galecia Group; Liz Bishoff of The Bishoff Group; Carson Block, Carson Block Consulting Inc.; Nancy Bolt, Nancy Bolt & Associates; Yolanda J. Cuesta, Cuesta MultiCultural Consulting; Carole D. Fiore, Training and Library Consulting; Donna Fletcher, Donna E. Fletcher Consulting, Inc./Library Survey Consultants; Cheryl Gould, Fully Engaged Libraries; Catherine Hakala-Ausperk, Libraries Thrive Consulting; Stephen C. Maack, REAP Change Consultants; Gretchen McCord, Digital Information Law; Ruth Metz, Ruth Metz Associates; Sam McBane Mulford, ideation * collaborative; Kathy Page, Page + Morris; Paula M. Singer, The Singer Group, Inc.; Melissa Stockton, Quipu Group; and Richard L. Waters, Godfrey’s Associates.

Consultants will be available 1 – 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Jackson Park 10D. Many consultants are also available by appointment at other times and locations throughout the conference. Reserving your appointment ahead of the conference is highly recommended. A list of participating consultants’ contact information is available at www.consultantsgiveback.org.

ASCLA, a small, mighty and growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a diverse organization of librarians and support staff who work in academic and public libraries, state agencies, specialized libraries and cooperatives, as well as those who are self-employed. Our division’s work centers on member-driven interest groups that represent the diversity and important work of our engaged and active members. Learn more about ASCLA and how to join this innovative division.

PLA is a division of the American Library Association. PLA’s core purpose is to strengthen public libraries and their contribution to the communities they serve. Its mission is to enhance the development and effectiveness of public library staff and public library services. For more information, visit  www.pla.org.

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NEWS: Innovation at your library: ASCLA workshops, programming and events at the ALA Annual Conference

The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a small and mighty division of ALA, will offer innovative and insightful preconferences, programs and events at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference; this year’s topics include disaster response, leadership development, effective decision-making, accessibility, services to older adults, arts programs for incarcerated youth and service evaluation.

Participants in ASCLA’s preconferences will find themselves at the forefront of library trends, advocacy and self-empowerment. “Ports in a Storm: Your Library as Disaster Recovery Center” will revitalize the role libraries play in their community following a disaster and show you how to build partnerships and access resources to achieve this goal. Librarians can cultivate loyalty from employees and library users as they develop their servant leadership persona with the help of professional library trainer Linda Bruno at the “Servant Leadership in Your Library” preconference. “Discovery to Delivery: Rethinking Resource Sharing” will bring together resource sharing librarians from public and academic libraries to discuss innovations in discovery, trends in physical and virtual delivery, e-books and ILL finances. Review pricing and event details and register for these preconferences at the ASCLA website.

At the ASCLA’s President’s Program, ”Storytelling Mojo: Creating the 21st Century Library Narrative,” speaker Michael Margolis, CEO of Get Storied, will revolutionize your approach to promoting, communicating about and advocating for your library. The program will focus on how we can think strategically about how we communicate within and outside of our libraries more effectively. Through this engaging and interactive session, Margolis will provide simple ways to help design and deliver powerful messages. The ASCLA President’s Program will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Sunday, June 30, 2013 at McCormick Place Convention Center. Get program details and add the program to your schedule.

ASCLA’s conference programs will also offer a multitude of valuable, cutting edge ideas to transform libraries, librarian careers and the way we think about library services:

  • School and youth services librarians won’t want to miss “Arts + School Libraries Inside,” where we’ll discuss how school libraries serving incarcerated youth can create partnerships with arts organizations and non-profits and collaboration with art teachers. We’ll also cover collection development, programming and professional development.

  • Hear from the Institute of Museum and Library Services Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation how to improve the quality of program evaluation at “Do Those Evaluation Statistics Mean Anything?” Topics for discussion include strategies for improving the capacity of libraries to use evaluation by creating a network linking those producing evaluation with those who use the information to make better decisions.

  • Learn how to make decisions more nimbly and confidently with speaker Joan Frye Williams at “Beyond Brainstorming: Making More Effective Decisions.” Williams will present new strategies for decision-making that address modern pressures of time, finances and transparency, as well as the increased pace of change in our professional environments.

  • Help your library serve all people, regardless of abilities, with the tools and tips presented at “Easy and Affordable Accessibility.” Libraries of all sizes will benefit from hearing the lists of go-to resources, easy-to-use adaptive equipment and ways to make your library environment more user-friendly to everyone that will be shared at this session.

  • Interested in new programming ideas for serving older adults? Add “Boomers to Seniors: Library Models for Serving and Engaging Older Adults” to your schedule.The program will highlight two complementary IMLS-funded model programs targeting Baby Boomers–adults born between 1946 and 1964–in a variety of settings inside and outside the library.

Conference participants are also invited to celebrate ASCLA’s 2013 award winners and network with the vibrant membership community at the ASCLA/COSLA Reception, 5:45 – 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 29. Register for the ALA Annual Conference now to participate in conference programming and events. Conference registration is not required in order to register for preconferences–select “Ticketed Events and Preconferences Only” as your registration type.

ASCLA, a small, mighty and growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a diverse organization of librarians and support staff who work in academic and public libraries, state agencies, specialized libraries and cooperatives, as well as those who are self-employed. Our division’s work centers on member-driven interest groups that represent the diversity and important work of our engaged and active members. Learn more about ASCLA and how to join this innovative division.

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NEWS: New ASCLA webinar provides practical tools for increasing usability and accessibility of websites

CHICAGO — “Accessibility is Usability,” a new webinar hosted by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), will tackle Web accessibility and its strong connection to usability and will also discuss adaptive technologies, how to write accessible website code and how to check a website for accessibility.

“Accessibility is Usability” will cover key concepts of accessible Web design, parallels between accessibility and universal design and how to test websites for accessibility. Participants will also learn how websites designed with accessibility in mind can lead to cleaner interfaces that work on multiple monitor sizes, search engine optimization and faster download speeds – features that benefit all website users, regardless of ability. Other topics to be covered include what is meant by “accessibility” in websites; laws governing accessibility; types of disabilities and how people with disabilities use the Web; different adaptive technologies; how to write accessible code and coding’s relationship to universal access. The webinar will be presented by ASCLA member Christopher Corrigan – learn more about Corrigan and this webinar at the ASCLA website.

Public, academic and state libraries will benefit from this webinar, as will libraries serving people with disabilities and librarians charged with creating and disseminating digital content. This webinar is also an excellent opportunity to kickstart discussions of accessibility at your library by bringing a group together for this presentation. A recording of this session will be available to paid registrants following the session.

“Accessibility is Usability” will be held from 1 – 2:15 p.m. Central time on Friday, May 31, 2013. Registration rates start at $40 for ASCLA members, and registration will close on Thursday, May 30. Register online for this webinar now. Group rates are available, with either single login or multiple login options. Get group registration information at ASCLA’s Online Learning page.

ASCLA, a small, mighty and growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), is a diverse organization of librarians and support staff who work in academic and public libraries, state agencies, specialized libraries and cooperatives, as well as those who are self-employed. Our division’s work centers on member-driven interest groups that represent the diversity and important work of our engaged and active members. Learn more about ASCLA and how to join this innovative division.

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ASCLA hosts prison library tour at 2013 ALA Annual Conference

Going to ALA Annual 2013 in Chicago? Want to find out more about the world of juvenile corrections & juvenile correctional librarianship in general? Are you already working in the field, and interested in seeing how another juvenile correctional facility library operates?  ASCLA and Library Services for Youth in Custody (LSYC) are co-sponsoring and hosting a Juvenile Detention Facility Tour at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and its library on Monday, July 1st, from 8:45am-12:30pm.

The Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and its library, operated by Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative School, are located on the west side of Chicago. Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center is one of the largest youth detention centers in the country. The school and library are operated by Chicago Public Schools and the library is staffed by a full-time, certified school library media specialist. Megan Cusick, Nancy B. Jefferson school librarian, and Camden Tadhg, logistics team chair of LSYC, will be running the tour.

TO REGISTER FOR THE TOUR, PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM BY 5PM CENTRAL TIME ON FRIDAY, JUNE 7.

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ASCLA 2013 Elections: Congratulations to new officers!

Here are the results for 2013 elections for ASCLA–congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all those who stood for election!

ASCLA President-Elect: Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer

Director-at-Large: Lisa Priebe

Director-at-Large: Cheryl O’Connor

Designated Director, Special Populations Constituency: Christopher J. Corrigan

Designated Director, Library Consultants Constituency: Allan M. Kleiman

 

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Contribute to the discussion: Consortium Management Interest Group meeting at ALA Annual Conference

If you are interested in sharing an update on your library consortium at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference–whether it is a new direction, a new service or a new approach to providing services, or even to demonstrate the challenges you are facing–please contact Sheryl Knab, chair of the ASCLA Consortium Management Interest Group and executive director of the Western New York Library Resources Council, at sknab@wnylrc.org. Sheryl will be providing an update on the NY 3Rs and their I2NY project–an investigation into the proposed New York State Information Infrastructure initiative.

The Consortium Management Interest Group will be meeting Sunday, June 30, 2013 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm in the Hilton Chicago, Grand Tradition room, 720 South Michigan Ave–add the discussion to your schedule. Presentations should be no more than 10-12 minutes long. A projector will be available for those who wish to use PowerPoint slides; you’ll need to bring your own computer for your presentation. (If you plan to bring a Mac laptop, you’ll need to bring your own dongle to connect to the projector.)

Contact Sheryl ASAP if you’d like to make a presentation.

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Collaborative Digitization: Call for Presentations

ASCLA’s ICAN (Interlibrary Cooperation and Networking) Collaborative Digitization Interest Group is soliciting proposals for presentations at its meeting at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, Saturday, June 29, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Add the meeting to your conference schedule (ALA Connect login required).

Presentation topics should be of interest to librarians, archivists, curators, and developers working across a diverse array of consortia, libraries, archives, museums, and cultural heritage institutions.

We especially welcome overviews or demonstrations of ongoing or completed collaborative digitization projects. Other possible topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Governance and sustainability models
  • Partner / participant agreements
  • Digitization standards: multimedia resources, text, still images
  • Advice for new collaborative digitization projects
  • Non-traditional digitization projects
  • Centralized or decentralized services
  • Staffing
  • Budgets, costs, and charges

Presentations should be approximately 12-15 minutes in length. We will allow time for questions and answers. Speakers are encouraged to lead discussions.

To submit a proposal for presentation, please email a brief description of your proposed topic to Rhonda Marker, chair of the Collaborative Digitization Interest Group, by May 17, 2013. Send submissions to to rmarker@rci.rutgers.edu.

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“Ports in a Storm” Preconference: A new, community-focused approach to library disaster planning

When disaster strikes, where can the members of your community go for assistance?

What does your community need in the wake of a hurricane, an earthquake or terrorist attack?

How can you prepare your library to provide the answers to both of these highly relevant questions?

On Friday, June 28, the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) will host a revolutionary workshop ALA Annual Conference Chicago logothat takes a completely new approach to disaster planning: it focuses on how your library can serve as an ad hoc Disaster Response Center, providing information, services and respite to those in need after any kind of disaster.

The valuable content of this preconference, “Ports in a Storm: Your Library as a Disaster Recovery Center”is even more relevant in light of the recent emergency events in Boston and in West, Texas. The event connects librarians with the emergency planning community, first responders, public health workers and community-based and faith-based groups with disaster-related responsibilities, and discusses the roles libraries and information professionals can play in supporting future disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

The New Jersey State Library–the developers of this preconference content–recently ran this event in New Jersey and received rave reviews from FEMA representatives:
“You librarians really get it. We couldn’t have done it better ourselves.”

Register for the event now (event code ASC2).

At “Ports in a Storm”, library directors and branch managers will learn how to position their staff and facility to serve as an unofficial disaster recovery center after an incident, and hear about collaborative projects between librarians and community partners tasked with disaster-related responsibilities. Reference staff will especially be interested in learning about free health information tools and resources developed by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) to assist the public after a disaster. Check out these photos collected by the New Jersey State Library to see how people flocked to libraries following Hurricane Sandy.

Speakers at this event have firsthand experience providing these services after Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey and New York in late October 2012, and expert knowledge of the subject:

  • Thomas W. Galante, president and CEO of Queens Library, Queens County, NY
  • Michele Stricker, associate director, Library Development Bureau, New Jersey State Library
  • Lori Foley, vice president of emergency programs at Heritage Preservation
  • Dan Wilson, associate director for collections and library services at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Library.

You–and your community–can’t afford to miss this event.

Register now.

Additional event details:
Ports in a Storm: Your Library as a Disaster Recovery Center
Friday, June 28, 8am-12pm
McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago, IL
Registration Rates: $179, ASCLA member. $209, ALA member. $249, non-member. $159, ALA Retired and Student members.
You must register in advance, however you can register for this event without registering for the entire ALA Annual Conference–simply selected “Preconferences and Ticketed Events Only” as your registration type.