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Join Division-Wide Committee for 2017-2019

A great way to enhance your experience with ASCLA is to join a division-wide committee! We are looking for committee members for 2017-2019. ASCLA committees offer a great way to get involved at the national level and make an impact, while meeting new people and having lots of fun. You can participate even if you can’t attend conferences; ALA’s online community, ALA Connect and other tools offered by the division make virtual participation easy and engaging.

ASCLA is seeking volunteers for committee terms beginning July 1, 2017 for one and two year terms (all terms start July 1 and end June 30)!

Below is a list of committees with current openings. There are lots of ways to share your talents, influence major decisions for the association and make a difference in the library profession. Choose a place where you fit!

If you are interested in serving on one of the committees listed above, login here with your ALA login, choose ASCLA from the drop-down list and complete the form.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Jeannette Smithee
ASCLA president-elect
smitheejp@gmail.com

Headshot_Jeannette Smithee_ASCLA President-Elect

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Message from ASCLA President, Michael Golrick

Dear ASCLA Members,

I invite you to volunteer for one of ASCLA’s committees or interest groups – we are still seeking volunteers for this year (2016-2017) to fill out our committees.

If you are not yet a member of any of our committees, please join by sending a note to the ASCLA office, ascla@ala.org stating which committee(s) you’re interested in. They will assist me to appoint you to committees that you have an interest in or affinity for, or suggest some that you might be interested in.  I will be appointing the committees for 2016 through June 30, 2017.  Tell us about your experience and why you can be of help to these groups in your note.

If you are already a committee or interest group volunteer, thank you for your service: you are so much appreciated!  Because of your contributions, our division accomplishes much. ASCLA, through its volunteers, has provided:

  • Member expertise on accessibility and diversity for ALA committees and work groups, such as the Advocacy Coordinating Group and the Working Group on Digital Content and Libraries
  • Standards and guidelines, such as those for libraries serving the blind and physically handicapped and for state library agencies
  • Outstanding conference programming
  • A great member newsletter
  • Assistance vetting online learning opportunities of value to ASCLA members
  • Special recognition of people and library services such as awards for specialized library services for people with disabilities or the homebound.

This is just a small sampling of what our volunteers plan and take part in, and what makes ASCLA a terrific place for opportunities for service, your professional growth, and networking with colleagues.

Thank you again to all our current, past and future volunteers – you are truly what makes ASCLA such a wonderful awesome, and fun, place to be!

Best Wishes,

Michael Golrick
ASCLA President
michael.golrick@gmail.com

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Kathleen Peiffer offers a fond farewell to ASCLA membership

Peiffer-013-Photo_Web

Dear ASCLA members:

At the end of Annual Conference I concluded my three year term as president elect/ president/past president. I want to thank everyone in the association, as well as the ASCLA office staff, for their support, friendship and willingness to serve the association in so many ways.

Our association continues to grow; however, I hope that we never get so large that members feel “lost”. There is still plenty of work to be done to keep our division “small but mighty”!

Please offer the new ASCLA president, Michael Golrick, your time and talent. We will all be richer for it.

Kathleen Peiffer
State Librarian
New Mexico State Library
Santa Fe, New Mexico

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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.

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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.

 

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ASCLA selects its 2016 award winners!

The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) has selected its 2016 Award winners. The awards program recognizes outstanding achievement within the library profession by librarians and libraries for significant current or past achievements, including publications, program development and leadership in the profession.

The Awards Ceremony and Reception will be held from 5:45 – 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, June 25 at the ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, FL at the Hyatt Regency Orlando, Room Plaza BR D. This event is co-sponsored by the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) and the Federal and Armed Forces Librarians Round Table (FAFLRT) and will include hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. All conference attendees are welcome!

The following recipients will be honored.

Chris Corrigan, Digital Reference Librarian of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress is the 2016 recipient of the Cathleen Bourdon Service Award, which is named after former ASCLA Executive Director Cathleen Bourdon. Chris was chosen for his sustained leadership and exceptional service enhancing the stature, strength and reputation of ASCLA to ALA Council, ALA Membership, and other ALA-affiliated organizations.

The recipient of the 2016 ASCLA Leadership and Professional Achievement Award is awarded to Cal Shepard, State Librarian, State Library of North Carolina. Ms. Shepard is recognized for her many years of service to the library profession and is specifically being honored for her accomplishment at the State Library of North Carolina in formulating a sunset plan to transition Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding for two large State Library projects to state funding. Through her leadership and vision, she opened up LSTA funding to be used by libraries across the state.

Kate DeVoe, Youth Services Librarian and Kelly Doolittle, Library Assistant, both of Tompkins County Public Library (NY) are the recipients of the 2016 ASCLA/Keystone Library Automation System (KLAS) & National Organization on Disability (NOD) Award. They are recognized for providing vital services to children through their project, “Adapt and Include: Library Programs for Children with Sensory Integration Challenges.” The award consists of $1,000 and a citation supported by Kay and David Holloman of Keystone Systems, developer of the Keystone Library Automation System (KLAS), and the National Organization on Disability.

Stephen Prine, Assistant Chief, Network Division, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is the recipient of ASCLA’s 2016 Francis Joseph Campbell Award for outstanding contributions to the advancement of library service for people with physical disabilities and/or physical impairments. Mr. Prine is recognized for his many years of exemplary service to the print disabled community, as well as to his colleagues across the country and within ASCLA.

The 2016 ASCLA Exceptional Service Award is presented to the Marshes of Glynn Library System in Brunswick, Georgia for implementing the ALA Every Child Ready to Read program at their local jail. This innovative project teaching incarcerated parents and other caregivers how to support the early literacy development of their children is an exceptional example of how libraries can transform lives.  It also serves as an example of a program able to be replicated in other libraries.

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Call for ASCLA Online Learning Proposals!

Submit by March 8, 2016 

Access the online course submission form here.

Download this PDF of the online course form to help you prepare your submission.

ASCLA invites ALA members who are subject matter experts and experienced librarians with knowledge of interest to ASCLA members, to submit proposals for ASCLA online learning to be presented between April 2016 and August 2016, as a part of ASCLA’s outstanding online learning offerings. See the list of suggested hot topics below. All proposals must be submitted electronically.

ASCLA members include, but are not limited to: 

  • Library staff providing services to special populations, including library users with disabilities and adults and youth who are incarcerated or detained
  • Independent librarians and consultants
  • State libraries and their employees
  • Public libraries serving or working with the populations above
  • Library networks and cooperatives

What courses are we currently offering? Check them out at the ASCLA online learning webpage.
Webinar presenters and online learning instructors are compensated for their work and will receive training and support for Adobe Connect, the webinar technology platform used by the division.

Proposal topics for courses and webinars may include, but are not limited to the following:

  • ADA updates for libraries
  • Assessing accessibility knowledge
  • Basics and best practices for prison/jail libraries
  • Basics of running a hospital/medical library
  • Benchmarks and evaluation
  • Budgeting for the first time manager
  • Collaborative digitization
  • Adult programming in correctional libraries
  • Correctional/prison librarianship 101
  • Creating training for patrons who use accessibility tools
  • Data analysis and assessment
  • Designing effective surveys
  • E-books and cooperatives –  best practices
  • Future trends in library service
  • Grants: how to find grant funding and write your proposal
  • Helping library users with learning disabilities
  • How to be a consultant
  • How to be a futurist
  • How to deliver online training
  • How to hire a library consultant
  • Innovative service ideas for library cooperatives
  • Law librarianship for correctional librarians
  • Library cooperatives: basics of managing services
  • Low-literacy adults
  • Marketing library services to special needs populations
  • Marketing on a shoestring budget
  • Mobile and emerging technologies for those with special needs, including apps and ipads
  • Nonprofit leadership
  • Outcomes-based education
  • Outreach to visually or physically handicapped populations
  • Partnering with community organizations
  • Serving library patrons with cognitive or mental impairments
  • Standards and guidelines to improve library services
  • Training staff to serve library users with disabilities
  • Utilizing focus groups to prioritize services for people with disabilities
  • Working with refugees

Questions about submissions or about ASCLA’s online learning programs should be sent to Andrea Hill, ASCLA web manager and primary online learning contact at ahill@ala.org

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Board & Committee Meetings at the 2016 Midwinter Meeting.

Board of Directors Meeting I and II

  • Board I – Saturday, January 9, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m., Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, room 205 A
    Board II – Monday, January 11, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, room 203

ASCLA Board of Director meetings are open and any individual registered for the Midwinter Meeting may sit in on the meetings. The meeting’s topics are set aside for visitors and board members to use as an ‘open forum’ where anyone can share information, ask questions, etc. The agenda and documents are completed prior to the conference. Anyone interested in viewing the agenda for the meeting, as well as the documents that accompany the agenda items, may view or download them from ALA Connect. If you or your constituency develops a document for board consideration, please give it to the ASCLA staff at least two hours before a board meeting. Hope to see you there!

Leadership Session – Special Guest, Stephanie Capparell
Saturday, January 9, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m., Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, room 205 B
All members are invited to join us for a riveting discussion with Stephanie Capparell, coauthor of the international bestseller Shackleton’s Way.

Revision of Standards Meeting I, II* & III 

  • January 9, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Hyatt Regency Boston, Quincy, lower level
  • January 10, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Hyatt Regency Boston, Quincy, lower level* 
  • January 11, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Hyatt Regency Boston, Rockport Room, lower level
Note that the Revision of Standards Meeting II is a Team and Advisory Committee Meeting* 

Finance and Planning / All-Committee Meeting
Saturday, January 9, 3:00 – 5:30 p.m. Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, room 254 A
Meeting to review, recommend and plan goals, objectives, and priorities for the division as they relate to the ASCLA’s budgetary matters.

Interest groups and committee meetings scheduled during All Committee:

  • Accessibility Assembly
  • Finance and Planning
  • Conference Programming Committee
  • Membership Promotion Committee
  • Library Consultants Interest Group
  • Web Presence Committee Group
  • LSTA Coordinators Interest Group
  • Awards Committee
  • Future of Libraries Interest Group
  • Library Services to People with Visual or Physical Disabilities that Prevent them from Reading Standard Print Interest Group
  • Intellectual Freedom for Youth in Custody Discussion forum

Various Committee & Interest Group Meetings

Friday, January 8

  • Consortial e-books Interest Group
    2:30 – 4:00 p.m., Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, room 152

Saturday, January 9

  • Universal Accessibility Interest Group, (ASCLA, LITA, ACRL)
    1:00 – 2:30 p.m., Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, room 153 C
  • Library Services for the Incarcerated and Detained Interest Group
    2:00 – 3:00 p.m., Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, room 254 B

Sunday, January 10

  • Physical Delivery Interest Group meeting
    10:00 – 11:30 a.m., Seaport Hotel,  Harborview 2
  • State Library, Library Development Interest Group Hot Topic Discussion Group
    10:00 – 11:30 a.m., Seaport Hotel, Congress Boardroom
  • Youth Services Consultants Interest Group meeting
    3:00 – 4:00 p.m., Seaport Hotel, Congress Boardroom
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ASCLA 2016 Midwinter Meeting Institutes!

*Assembling a Consulting Toolkit: What You Need to Know to be a Successful Library Consultant
Ticket Purchase Required
Our full day workshop will help the current and prospective library consultant create a business that is sustainable and most of all useful to the profession.

Sponsored by the Association of the Library Consultants Interest Group of  ASCLA.
Read more. Purchase a ticket.

Friday, January 8, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, room 155

*Sustainable Staff Development: 5 Steps to Create a Culture of Learning
Ticket Purchase Required
ASCLA’s interactive half day workshop addresses the ongoing need that all libraries face to encourage professional development and growth amongst staff.

Sponsored by the State Library Development Interest Group of ASCLA.
Read more. Register here.

Friday, January 8, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, room 156 C

*You do not need to register for the 2016 Midwinter Meeting in order to purchase a ticket for this event! Select “Ticketed Events and Institutes Only” as your registration type to buy tickets for just this event. Register now

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ASCLA Institutes, “Assembling a Consulting Toolkit” & “Sustainable Staff Development,” @ 2016 ALA Midwinter Meeting!

ASCLA’s full-day Institute, “Assembling a Consulting Toolkit” will be held from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 8 and is designed to prepare participants to begin – or advance – a successful consulting career. Seasoned consultants Nancy Bolt and Liz Bishoff will present an overview of the consultant’s role and guide participants through a self-assessment. This Institute will appeal to librarians from all realms: School, Public, Academic, and Special, with varying degrees of experience. Sponsored by the Association of the Library Consultants Interest Group of the Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies, (ASCLA) Division. Purchase ticket here.

ASCLA’s half-day Institute, “Sustainable Staff Development” will be held from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 8. Push boundaries, drive change and transform your library! This interactive workshop will show how to implement five simple, practical steps to grow and sustain a learning culture in your library. ASCLA’s half day workshop addresses the ongoing need that all libraries face to encourage professional development and growth amongst staff. This workshop will appeal to those working in Public, Academic, State and Cooperative Library Agencies, as well as those with Library Directors, Managers, Supervisors, Continuing Education/Professional Coordinators, Librarian Trainers, Training Consultants and HR Specialists positions. Sponsored by the State Library Development Interest Group of the Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies, (ASCLA) Division. Purchase ticket here.

Both Institutes will take place at an ALA Conference hotel, which will be determined by early December. These events require advance ticket purchase, but registration for the 2016 Midwinter Meeting is not required in order to purchase a ticket. Membership in ASCLA is not required in order to participate, but ASCLA members receive the best registration rates on all of these events