Call for 2018 Conference Proposals

Annual Conference 2018 logo for New Orleans

crowd clapping during a programALA is now accepting program proposals for the 2018 annual conference. Please refer to the following for additional information:

Deadline to submit proposals for a 2018 program is September 5, 2017. When submitting, please choose ASCLA as the division you’re proposing your program to. The link to the submission site will redirect to the ALA log-in page.  All submitters are required to have an ALA profile, but are not required to be ALA members. See the submission site for additional instructions and how to submit.  

Please contact the committee with any questions.

Sign up for National Library Legislative Day 2017.

2017 National Library Legislative Day Logo
Registration for National Library Legislative Day 2017 is open! To find information about the event, to register, or to book a room in the hotel block, please visit ala.org/nlld.

As with previous years, National Library Legislative Day 2017 will be held at the Liaison Hotel in Washington, DC. Briefing day will take place on May 1st, and includes informational sessions about each of the most important legislation issues libraries are facing, as well as advocacy training with experts from the Campaign Workshop. On May 2nd, each state delegation will go to their meetings on the Hill with their elected officials.
Featured issues include:

  • Library funding
  • Privacy and surveillance reform
  • Copyright modernization
  • Access to government information
  • Affordable broadband access
  • Net neutrality protection

Registration this year is $50 and includes entry into a reception held on Capitol Hill, along with a folder full of briefing materials, talking points, and other resources.

To learn more about the event, check out our blog post on District Dispatch.

As always, please feel free to reach out to Lisa Lindle at llindle@alawash.org if you have any questions!

Deadline Approaching (12/1) – Travel to The Netherlands & Belgium with ASCLA

Tulips in full bloom on the river in The Netherlands with river boats on the water

The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) will be traveling to The Netherlands and Belgium during Tulip Time as their annual fundraiser. Hosted by AMA Waterways, this seven night river cruise from April 3-10, 2017 is one not to be missed! Deadline to book this trip of a lifetime is December 1, 2016. This adventure is open to the library community and their family and friends. There are no membership requirements in order to participate. Come along and travel the world with us!

Travelers will arrive and depart from Amsterdam, a modern city with a rich and fascinating 700-year old history with time to explore its unique and elegant architecture, lively cafés and markets, and vibrant nightlife. Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges and Rotterdam are some of the towns that travelers will be able to explore. A tulip farm, the Royal Palace, the Van Gogh collection at the Kröller Müller Museum, Antwerp Castle in Belgium, Belgian chocolate tasting, guided bike rides, and The Hague, are just a few of the choices travelers may choose to tour during this cruise. A complete, detailed itinerary can be found here.

Cost: Staterooms have sold out. Next cheapest, French Balcony, starts at $3,666 per person, but only one left! 20 meals are included (see itinerary). Nonrefundable deposits are due upon booking – $400 per person. Port charges are $168 per person. These are LAND ONLY prices, airfare is not included (once airfare is purchased, it’s not refundable unless refundable tickets were requested). For single people, room sharing is available; otherwise the Single Supplement applies.

Reserve a space TODAY: For more information on stateroom costs and deck plans, and to book a space on the river cruise, please contact Deb Gisby, 847-579-9898 at Frosch or email deb.gisby@frosch.com.

ASCLA, a 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. More information about ASCLA can be found at www.ala.org/ascla.

ASCLA’s Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Interest Group (IGARD) Presents Poster Session at IFLA

The Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Interest Group (IGARD) of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) Division of the American Library Association (ALA) successfully presented a poster at the IFLA WLIC 2016 which was held in Columbus, Ohio from Aug. 13-19, 2016. The poster was entitled “Reconnecting Persons with Dementia to their Libraries: Using Library Materials to Improve the Quality of Life for People Living with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias”. Approximately 3,100 people from 137 countries visited the Congress.The IGARD poster was one of 203 posters displayed for three days (Aug. 15-17, 2016) within the Exhibition Hall. This location near the vendors ensured high visibility among attendees. During two, two-hour sessions on Aug. 15 and Aug. 16, Mary Beth Riedner and IGARD member Erik Johansen chatted about the poster with many interested parties. Over 125 printed handouts were distributed to those who wanted additional information. The poster can be found here: http://library.ifla.org/1574/.

Comments Invited for the First Draft of the 2011 Standards and Guidelines of Service for the Library of Congress Network of Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

The Working Team for the revision of the 2011 Standards and Guidelines of Service for the Library of Congress Network of Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped would like to accept comments on the first, revised draft of the standards. The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress, is the administrator for the free informational and recreational reading resources for residents of the United States who are unable to read or use standard print materials because of visual or physical impairment.

For those seeking a better understanding of the NLS service, the following promotional videos give a picture of the patrons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udZ6NO5_x-Q and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIKG2HxnYMk.

The first draft of the revised standards is here: http://ascla.ala.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/NLSStandardsandGuidelinesRevision2017-FirstDraft_August2016.pdf.

Comments on the first draft of the revised standards can be provided using the following form: https://goo.gl/forms/rSn2UItG4SY5khUt2.

The 2011 version of the standards is here: http://bit.ly/2cji6br

This revision is supported by a grant from the Library of Congress and administered by ASCLA.

Working Team

  • Eura Ryan Szuwalski, Project Director
  • Danielle H. Miller, Director & Regional Librarian, Washington Talking Book & Braille Library. Representing the Western Conference
  • Will Reed, OLBPD Manager, Cleveland Public Library/Ohio Library for the Blind & Physically Disabled. Representing the Midlands Conference
  • Advisory Team
  • Eura Ryan Szuwalski, Project Director
  • Adam Szczepaniak, New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center. Representing the Northern Conference
  • Dr. Nancy Pack, Director, Alabama Public Library Service. Representing Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA)
  • Kim Charlson, President, American Council of the Blind. Representing the American Council of the Blind
  • David Hyde, Chairperson, Library Services Committee Chairperson. Representing the National Federation of the Blind
  • Melanie Brunson, Director, Government Relations. Representing the Blinded Veterans Association
  • Ava M. Smith, Division Director, Talking Book Program, Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Representing the Southern Conference

Active Shooter Awareness Training!

In light of the recent events in Orlando that have become far too common in our society, ASCLA would like to invite you to an active shooter awareness training at Annual this year. In addition, our past president was featured on the Dewey Decibels podcast in May discussing this topic. Information about the program and access to the podcast are below.

Active Shooter Policies in Libraries Program: Be able to complete an environmental scan to identify potential risk areas at your library, as well as write an active shooter policy/procedure for your library. Most libraries have policies dealing with a problem or unruly patrons. Find out how to protect your patrons and staff from a darker problem, someone intent on inflicting actual physical harm. The NDSL active shooter procedure will be presented as a model as well as tips for writing your policy. Speaker:  BreAnne Meier, North Dakota State Library, Date: Saturday, June 25, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Location: Orange County Convention Center, W101B. Schedule it.

ASCLA Past-President in the News: Active Shooter Training: ASCLA Past-President Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer (director of New Mexico State Library) speaks in the Dewey Decibels, episode 2 podcast, May 23, 2016, about library security and making your space safer!  Listen to the podcast here (at about 38.23) as Kathleen explains about some of the active shooter training programs she made available to her staff at the New Mexico and New Jersey state libraries. She talks about the programs’ usefulness for frontline staff and the model that was used at Scott County (Ky.) Public Library.

Calling for 2017 Program, Preconference, Institute Proposals

Do you have innovative ideas, services and programs to share with your library colleagues? Why not present one at the 2017 ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conferences? Submit a proposal to the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) today!

The 2017 Midwinter Meeting, January 20 – 24, 2017 will be in Atlanta GA, and the Annual Conference, June 22 – 27, 2017 will be in Chicago IL.

The deadline to receive online proposals for 2017 is June 13, 2016. 

The link to submit a conference program/preconference/institute proposal is here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ASCLA2017Proposals.  

Once collected, the ASCLA office will send the proposals to the ASCLA Conference Programming Committee to oversee, organize and recommend for approval to the ASCLA board at Board Meeting II at the Annual Conference in Orlando FL, 2016.

Please spread the word to anyone who you think would like to present a valuable program for ASCLA. Our conference program committee is specifically looking for proposals that would appeal to:

  • ASCLA interest group members.
  • Librarians who serve people or youth who are incarcerated or in detention
  • Library consultants and independent librarians
  • Library staff who serve people with disabilities
  • Staff of library cooperatives and consortium
  • State library staff

Please feel free to contact Susan Hornung at shornung@ala.org if you have any questions.

 

In the Margins Book Award and Committee Press Release!

The In the Margins Book Award and Selection Committee, (ITM) a committee under the umbrella of Library Services for Youth in Custody (LYSC) http://youthlibraries.org/  selected their top fiction book, Tattooed Teardrops by PD Workman and non-fiction book, America’s Massacre: The Audacity of Despair and a Message of Hope by Tewhan Butler  as well as a Top Ten http://youthlibraries.org/2016-margins-top-ten  And official list http://youthlibraries.org/2016-margins-official-list-0. ITM strives to find the best books for teens living in poverty, on the streets, in custody – or a cycle of all three.

Please read the full press release here.

 

 

ASCLA has a new strategic plan!

The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) has announced a new strategic plan to guide the organization in its planning, activities, and initiatives. The strategic plan includes the organization’s mission, vision, strategic priorities, goals, and key objectives.

Read all about it here: http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaourassoc/asclastratplan