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You’re Invited to the LSSPS Dinner @ Annual Conference

The Libraries Serving Special Populations Section (LSSPS) of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) invites all current and potential LSSPS members to its Annual Dinner.

The dinner will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 12, 2009 at Emilio’s Tapas Sol y Nieve, 215 East Ohio St., Chicago, and is an opportunity to visit with old colleagues and meet new ones who are employed in library services for special populations, including patrons with visual or physical impairments, the deaf and hard of hearing, incarcerated adults and youth and those with other special needs. Tickets for the event are $40 for ASCLA members, $45 for ALA members, $50 for non-members, and $35 for students.

Those interested in registering for the dinner and conference—or adding the dinner to their current meeting itinerary—can do so through Step 6 (“Your Events”) of the online registration form or by calling 1 (800) 974-3084. Those who are interested in only attending the dinner (event code SL3) must register using a printed registration form, which can then be submitted via mail or faxed per the instructions on the form.

Learn more about Emilio’s at the restaurant website. The restaurant is fully accessible, and is located just east of the intersection of North Michigan Avenue and East Ohio Street. The nearest El stop is Grand-Red Line, and a number of Michigan Avenue buses can also get you there. Plan your trip at www.transitchicago.com.

The complete schedule of ASCLA events at Annual is available on the ASCLA website.

Not an ASCLA member, but interested in discounted registration rates on conference, ASCLA preconferences and other ASCLA events? Join, renew or add ASCLA to your ALA membership at www.ala.org/membership.

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ASCLA Annual Conference programs highlight division’s areas of expertise

The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) invites all participating in the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Chicago to its programs addressing important topics such as services to special populations, collaboration and resource sharing.

By sharing the expertise of its members with conference attendees, ASCLA, a division of the ALA, provides opportunities for librarians and library staff in all types of libraries to acquire new skills to improve service delivery at their libraries, as well as gain information and learn about tools that will help them solve challenges they or their library may be facing.

    This year’s ASCLA programs include:

Moving Mountains: Latest Trends in the Physical Delivery of Library Materials
Saturday, July 11, 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
How do you move 5, 10, or even 20 million items a year between libraries? The 2008 Moving Mountains Symposium in Cincinnati explored the best methods for delivering materials between libraries as well as new trends in home delivery. A panel will present Symposium highlights including best practices in current delivery, future trends, home delivery, automated material handling systems, and ways to collaborate.

What Can $930 Million Do for Library Services Nationwide? The Impact and Future Directions of LSTA
Saturday, July 11, 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.
How do states use their LSTA dollars to improve library services? An IMLS study examined all of the states’ five-year evaluations and reported on the observed major trends. A panel of speakers will present new state projects in technology infrastructure, reference and information services, special populations outreach and literacy and reading development.

Large Print for All: Bigger is Better
Sunday, July 12, 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Aging baby boomers, struggling young readers, individuals with reading disabilities and persons with low vision are increasing demand for large print materials. Learn what publishers are producing in large print, how to display and promote large print collections for all ages and current research findings on the uses and benefits of large print.

ASCLA President’s Program: Revitalizing the Library Experience
Sunday, July 12, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
In a world where information is an off-shored commodity, where Google handles more questions in a second than a reference librarian will answer in a career and where social gatherings have migrated to online networks, how can our libraries thrive, how can we demonstrate the greatest return on funders’ investment? ASCLA President Carol Desch invites you to the President’s Program to discuss these questions with library pundits Joan Frye Williams and George Needham, who will challenge you to rethink library services, turning some old stereotypes on their ears while making our work more valuable and more fun.

Future Perspectives: Collaboration and Innovation
Sunday, July 12, 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
How do we nurture innovation? How do we advance library services that meet patron needs today and in the future? Join Brenda Bailey-Hainer, executive director, BCR, Lorcan Dempsey, vice-president of research and chief strategist, OCLC, and Veronda Pitchford, vice-president, membership and communications, Urban Libraries Council, in a panel presentation and discussion of the role of collaboration in strategic innovation as libraries strive to respond to the rapidly changing environment in which they now operate.

Multiple Intelligences @ Your Library: A Tool for Better Services
Monday, July 13, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences can empower you to reach out and more effectively serve your entire community, including special populations. This panel discussion will present a brief theoretical overview and a practical showcase of services to children and youth. Attendees will learn how to improve readers’ advisory, programming outreach, reference, book discussion and collection development in public, school and academic libraries. Patrick Carman, award-winning author of the best-selling series The Land of Elyon, will speak about using technology with literature.

Libraries and Hospice: Developing a Vital Community Partnership
Monday, July 13, 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
As hospice care becomes an integral part of American family life, opportunities arise for program alliances with both academic and public libraries. This program highlights these partnerships and will feature representatives from hospice organizations as well as a panel of librarians who have worked with hospice on programs, collection development, and community education.

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Participation in any of these programs is included with annual conference registration. Register for the Annual Conference using the online registration form, by calling 1–800-974-3084, or by downloading a printed registration form, which can then be submitted via mail or faxed per the instructions on the form.

Not an ASCLA member, but interested in discounted registration rates on conference, ASCLA preconferences and other ASCLA events? Join, renew or add ASCLA to your ALA membership at www.ala.org/membership.

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ASCLA preconference provides tools for top-notch library customer service

What do libraries have in common with casinos? To succeed, each must keep their customers happy and keep them coming back. Library directors and management can learn how to cultivate happy customers by attending ”Be My Guest: Customer Service from the Best.”

This half-day preconference, offered by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) and held in conjunction with ALA’s Annual Conference, addresses what libraries can do to ensure a welcoming and positive library experience for patrons. Using models derived from the hospitality industry, participants will take away a variety of customer service models they can apply to their library to enhance the patron’s experience as a guest of the library. The content is based on a highly successful program previously hosted by the New Jersey State Library in partnership with Trump Entertainment Resorts in Atlantic City, N.J., and will be presented by Jennifer Babcock of the Trump Entertainment Resorts Human Resources Department.

The preconference will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, July 10 in Chicago. Advance registration rates, available until May 22, are $90 for ASCLA members, $135 for ALA members, $210 for non-members and $50 for students and retirees.

Annual Conference attendees interested in registering for the meeting and institute—or adding the institute to their current meeting itinerary—can do so through Step 6 (“Your Events”) of the online registration form or by calling 1 –(800) 974-3084. Those interested only in attending the preconference (event code AS2) must register using a printed registration form that can then be submitted via mail or faxed per the instructions on the form. On-site registration will be available the day of the event.

Find out the most up-to-date information about this and all of ASCLA’s Annual Conference events at the ASCLA events page.

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Collaborative digitization funding: find it now with help from ASCLA

Seeking sustainable funding options for collaborative digitization projects? Look no further—you’ll get the scoop on where to find them at “After the Grant Runs Out: Funding Collaborative Digitization.”

Directors and managers of library networks and cooperatives involved in or considering collaborative digitization projects will benefit from this 2009 ALA Annual preconference offered by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) Interlibrary Cooperation and Networking Section (ICAN) Collaborative Digitization Interest Group. Speakers will explore how to cultivate diverse revenue streams for funding sustainable collaborative digitization programs, including membership fees, fund raising and operating budgets.

The event features a group of presenters with extensive experiences and success in the field, including Kenning Arlitsch, University of Utah; Jim Neal, Columbia University Library; Dreanne Belden, University of North Texas Library; Liz Bishoff, BCR; Lucy Barber, National Historical Publications and Records Commission; Beth Joffrion, National Endowment for the Humanities; and Rachel Frick, Institute for Museum and Library Services.

The preconference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, July 10, 2009 in Chicago. Advance registration rates, available until May 22, are $135 for ASCLA members, $180 for ALA members, $225 for non-members and $70 for students and retirees.

Annual Conference attendees interested in registering for the meeting and institute—or adding the institute to their current meeting itinerary—can do so through Step 6 (“Your Events”) of the online registration form or by calling 1 –(800) 974-3084. Those who are interested in only attending the preconference (event code AS1) must register using a printed registration form, which can then be submitted via mail or faxed per the instructions on the form. On-site registration will be available the day of the event. Lunch is included.

Find out the most up-to-date information about this and all of ASCLA’s Annual Conference events at the ASCLA events page.

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How to register for the 2009 ALA Annual Conference, Chicago, July 9-15 and associated events

So you may have heard about some of ASCLA’s awesome preconferences and programs happening here in Chicago this July as a part of the 2009 ALA Annual Conference. We’re glad you’re interested! Now we’d like to tell you how to register.

There are three options for registering for the conference and additional ticketed events: online, in print, and by phone.

Online
Access the online registration form. You’ll be prompted to create a login and password. Follow the step-by-step process. Purchase tickets for ASCLA preconferences under “Step 6 – Your Events”.

By Phone
Call 1-800-974-3084.

By Mail or Fax
Download the print registration form, fill it out, and mail or fax it in according to the instructions on the form.

I’ve already registered for Annual and I’d like to purchase a ticket for a special event or preconference.
Great! You can log back into the online form and add the event(s) under “Step 6 – Your Events”, then proceed to checkout.

The preconferences look fascinating! I’d like to attend one, but I’m not interested in attending the entire conference.
We can help with that. Preconference-only participants can register using the print registration form, which can be returned via e-mail or fax. Download the form for full instructions.

Questions? Contact Experient customer service at (800) 974-3084 or (847) 996-5876 (International).

See you in Chicago!

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More learning opportunities from our ALA colleagues

Our friends down the hall at the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) have some pretty awesome online courses starting next Monday, Feb. 9. Brief descriptions are below, but you can read full descriptions and register at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/edcareeers/profdevelopment/alscweb/index.cfm

Fees are $95 for personal ALSC members; $145 for personal ALA members; and $165 for non-members.

Questions? Please contact Aimee Strittmatter, ALSC Deputy Director, at astrittmatter@ala.org or (312) 280-2164.

Courses include:
The Tech Savvy Booktalker
Get children excited about books by using booktalks. Booktalks are not book reviews but short promos that tease the child into wanting to know more. Why not jazz up the booktalks by adding a technology component? During this course, learn how to make use of available technology to enhance integration for student success. From podcasts to Powerpoint, from MovieMaker to Photostory, Nancy Keane, author of fourteen books, will share ideas that will help you become the Tech-Savvy Booktalker.
Instructor: Nancy J. Keane, Library Media Specialist, Rundlett Middle School

Sharing Poetry with Children
This course offers an introduction to the major poets, titles, and anthologies of contemporary poetry published for children with a focus on interactive and participatory techniques and approaches for sharing poetry with children and fostering their responses to poetry. For librarians and library aides who work with children ages 5-12.
Instructor: Sylvia M. Vardell, Professor, Texas Woman’s University

The Newbery Medal: Past, Present and Future
What does it mean when we recommend Newbery Award winners to the children in our communities? Should the ALA seal of approval stand for 100 years? Why is that gold medal often considered the “kiss of death” by kids? How can we help parents and teachers understand what the Newbery Medal is – and isn’t? This 6-week online course will give participants a solid grounding in the history of the Medal and how it’s changed over time; an opportunity to read, discuss and consider past and present Newbery winners with their colleagues from across the nation; a chance to talk to former Newbery Committee members and a Newbery author, and suggestions for programming using Newbery-winning books.
Instructor: Kathleen T. Horning, Director, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, University of Wisconsin- Madison

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Change of date: Annual Conference registration opens Jan. 5

Due to a scheduled closing of the ALA headquarters on Friday, Jan. 2 for the New Year holiday, the opening date for registration and housing for the 2009 ALA Annual Conference has been moved to Monday, Jan. 5, 2009.

The delay assures that all of our staff will be available to answer any questions or solve any problems you might have from day one of the registration process.

Registrants for Annual who opted for bundled registration will also be able to reserve their housing and sign up for pre-conferences and additional events on Jan. 5.

Questions about this change can be directed to Deidre Ross, director of Conference Services, at dross@ala.org.

Learn more about ALA’s 2009 Annual Conference.

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ASCLA ramps up fundraising efforts for Century Scholarship

The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) will hold a silent auction at the 2009 Midwinter Meeting’s ASCLA/COSLA reception to benefit the ASCLA Century Scholarship.

The scholarship is an initiative of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), the Library Service to Special Populations Section (LSSPS) of ASCLA and the Library Service to People with Visual or Physical Disabilities Forum, and was established in 2000 through the generosity of an anonymous donor. It fulfills ALA’s mission to cultivate a field of library professionals that more accurately reflects the diversity of the communities and populations it serves. Proceeds from the auction directly benefit the scholarship fund and promote its long-term financial viability.

Contributions of goods or services to the auction list are welcome from both vendors and individuals, and will be accepted until Jan. 5, 2009. Interested contributors should complete the silent auction donation form. Questions about the event should be directed to Liz Markel, ASCLA marketing specialist and event coordinator.

The reception, a networking event open to all conference attendees, will be held Sunday, Jan. 25, from 9:00 p.m. to midnight in the Capitol Peak Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt Denver, 1750 Welton Street, Denver.

Library and information science students with access needs—including veterans—are encourage to apply for the scholarship, a one-time $2,500 award funding necessary services or accommodations to enable the winner to complete a Master’s or Doctoral program in the field. Complete information about scholarship eligibility and application instructions are available at the scholarship webpage on the ASCLA site. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2009.

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Reminder: Award deadline is Monday, Dec. 15

Don’t forget that Monday, Dec. 15–one week from today–is the nomination deadline for ASCLA awards.

At the ASCLA Awards page, you can learn more about these awards. Scroll down to the “Use the following links” heading to access complete pages for each award, including nomination forms and eligibility information.

The awards are:

  • ASCLA Exceptional Service Award
  • ASCLA Leadership & Professional Achievement Award
  • Cathleen Bourdon Service Award
  • ASCLA/Keystone Library Automation System (KLAS)/National Organization on Disability (NOD) Award
  • Francis Joseph Campbell Award

Questions about awards should be sent to Liz Markel, ASCLA Marketing Specialist, at lmarkel@ala.org.

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ASCLA seeks nominations for service, leadership awards

The Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) is now accepting nominations for the Leadership and Professional Achievement Award, the Exceptional Service Award, and the Cathleen Bourdon Service Award for 2009.

Those interested in submitting a nomination can download the award nomination form from the awards section of the ASCLA website or request the form from Liz Markel, ASCLA Marketing Specialist, via e-mail at lmarkel@ala.org. All nominations must be received by December 15, 2008.
These three awards recognize accomplishments in the following areas:

Cooperative, Consulting, Multi-type and State Library Services
The Leadership and Professional Achievement Award is presented to one or more ASCLA members exemplifying leadership and achievement in the following areas: consulting, multitype library cooperation, networking, statewide service and programs and state library development.

Extension and Outreach Services
The Exceptional Service Award recognizes exceptional service to patients in a medical facility, to persons who are homebound, to inmates, to older adults, and adults with a physical or mental disability, who live in group homes or residences, as well as to recognize professional leadership, effective interpretation of programs, pioneering activity, and significant research.

Service to ASCLA
The Cathleen Bourdon Service Award is presented to an ASCLA personal member for exceptional service and sustained leadership to the division. This includes participation in activities which have enhanced the stature, reputation and overall strength of ASCLA, and have also cultivated the division’s relationship with other appropriate organizations, institutions or governmental agencies.