ALA Annual Conference

November 22, 2013

Meet Kara Riley, ASCLA’s newest Emerging Leader!

Kara Riley, customer development librarian at the Braille and Talking Book Library in Daytona Beach, FL has been selected as the 2014 Emerging Leader for the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA). The ALA Emerging Leaders (EL) program is a leadership development program which enables newer library workers from across the country to participate in problem-solving work groups, network with peers, gain insight of the ALA structure and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity.

Beginning at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, ELs will meet for a daylong introductory session followed by six months of project engagement through online learning and networking environments. At the end of the program, ELs will present their project results with a poster session display at the ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas. As the ASCLA Emerging Leader, Riley will collaborate with other ELs on the project of their choosing. Riley will also have the opportunity to work closely with ASCLA leadership throughout the year.

Riley received her MLIS in 2013 from the University of Alabama, and her BA double major in Mass Communication: Radio/Television/Film and Theatre Performance from Auburn University in 2010. Prior to her current position she worked as an intern and Librarian Specialist at the Braille and Talking Book Library where she was quickly promoted with more responsibilities. Riley participates in endless events and activities designed to disseminate information to people who need it; and most recently she has joined the local group, One Voice For Volusia, which unites non-profits in the Daytona Beach area to achieve county-wide goals. Riley, on the EL program, said, “I am very passionate about my field, I know that having diverse experiences will allow me to better serve my community.”

On behalf of the ASCLA community, welcome, Kara! We look forward to working with you!

April 30, 2013

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.

May 23, 2012May 23, 2012

Take a closer look: ASCLA workshops at ALA Annual Conference

Have you spent some time with the preconferences we’re hosting at the upcoming ALA Annual Conference?

ASCLA–the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies–is a division of ALA focused on the future of libraries, and committed to cultivating librarians and libraries that provide universal access for all library users.

Whether you are a public librarian in a small town, an academic librarian on a thriving college campus, a state librarian administering services to a wide variety of libraries, a librarian serving special populations…or anywhere in between, attending one of our preconferences will be an invaluable experience!

Our innovative half-day workshops deliver information from experts on the following topics:

Marketing the value of your library to your community, and developing a fundraising strategy that engages your entire staff in the financial future of the library. The marketing and development staff from the New Jersey State Library will review how they launched their successful Library Champions campaign to achieve both of these goals.
Delivering library services and books to those who cannot read traditional print books–including library users with disabilities–by using online resources and service delivery models. Learn from the New Jersey State Library how “The Outspoken Library” does exactly this through their Talking Book & Braille Center.
Creating literacy and reading programs for incarcerated adults and youth by cultivating partnerships between public libraries, prisons and jails. Hear from librarians who have developed these sorts of partnerships in their communities, with outstanding results.

More information about each event is below. You do not need to be registered for the Annual Conference in order to join us–simply select “Ticketed Events and Preconferences Only” as your registration type. If you’re already registered for the conference, you can add any of these events to your registration.

REGISTER NOW. If you’re not able to join us in Anaheim, we offer many other ways to engage with ASCLA colleagues from around the world: check out a complete list of our member-driven interest groups to find one or more that suit you, and join today!

A Marriage Made in Heaven: Combining Marketing and Development to Ensure the Future of Your Library

REGISTER NOW.
Develop a fundraising strategy and raise the awareness of the value your library with a library champions campaign! Learn how the New Jersey State Library launched a public awareness campaign designed to attract famous athletes and authors to serve as Library Champions, and with the help of marketing and development teams, leveraged those champions into an effective fundraising vehicle. We’ll cover how to recruit celebrity champions and local heroes; how to raise big money for your library; how to build a donor development strategy; and the essential publications your library must produce to secure funders.
Registration starts at $129 for ASCLA members. REGISTER NOW.

The Outspoken Library: A Gateway for Public Libraries to Services for the Visually and Physically Impaired

REGISTER NOW.
Looking for inventive ideas for promoting library services? The New Jersey State Library developed “The Outspoken Library” to promote free online services that are available for print-disabled people. This program allows library customers to access services administered through the State Library’s Talking Book & Braille Center (TBBC), including audio newspapers (TBBC’s Audiovision and NFB’s Newsline) and the Library of Congress’s Braille and Audio Reading Download service. Attend this preconference, and find out how to establish and market these valuable resources.
Registration starts at $129 for ASCLA members. REGISTER NOW.

The Nuts & Bolts of Building a Public Library/Jail/Prison Partnership

REGISTER NOW.
Hear from speakers who’ve successfully built public library/correctional setting partnerships, and learn how to build these kinds of relationships step-by-step. Public librarians and correctional librarians interested in creating literacy and reading program partnerships for youth in detention centers and adults in jails or prisons will not want to miss this half-day workshop that will cover such difficult issues as collection development, security, and staff interactions.
Registration starts at $129 for ASCLA members. REGISTER NOW.

May 9, 2012May 11, 2012

ASCLA workshops @ ALA Annual Conference: Advance registration ends Sunday, May 13!

We have an outstanding lineup of workshops awaiting you in Anaheim! Hear from experts in the field about how to cultivate marketing and fundraising activities at your library, including creating a library champions campaign; how to bring online services to your library for people unable to read traditional print books and how to effectively promote those services; and step-by-step guidance for building partnerships between public libraries and correctional facilities, including literacy and reading programs for incarcerated adults and youth. These events are open to all interested participants! Conference registration is not required. Read more about each event below, then reserve your seat at the ALA Annual Conference website.

A Marriage Made in Heaven: Combining Marketing and Development to Ensure the Future of Your Library

Friday, June 22, 8:00a.m.-12:00p.m.
REGISTER NOW.

Develop a fundraising strategy and raise the awareness of the value your library with a library champions campaign! Learn how the New Jersey State Library launched a public awareness campaign designed to attract famous athletes and authors to serve as Library Champions, and with the help of marketing and development teams, leveraged those champions into an effective fundraising vehicle. We’ll cover how to recruit celebrity champions and local heroes; how to raise big money for your library; how to build a donor development strategy; and the essential publications your library must produce to secure funders. Registration starts at $109 for ASCLA members–increases to $129 after May 13.

The Outspoken Library: A Gateway for Public Libraries to Services for the Visually and Physically Impaired

Friday, June 22, 1:00-4:00p.m.
REGISTER NOW.

Looking for inventive ideas for promoting library services? The New Jersey State Library developed “The Outspoken Library” to promote free online services that are available for print-disabled people. This program allows library customers to access services administered through the State Library’s Talking Book & Braille Center (TBBC), including audio newspapers (TBBC’s Audiovision and NFB’s Newsline) and the Library of Congress’s Braille and Audio Reading Download service. Attend this preconference, and find out how to establish and market these valuable resources. Registration starts at $109 for ASCLA members–increases to $129 after May 13.

The Nuts & Bolts of Building a Public Library/Jail/Prison Partnership

Friday, June 22, 8:00a.m.-12:00p.m.
REGISTER NOW.

Hear from speakers who’ve successfully built public library/correctional setting partnerships, and learn how to build these kinds of relationships step-by-step. Public librarians and correctional librarians interested in creating literacy and reading program partnerships for youth in detention centers and adults in jails or prisons will not want to miss this half-day workshop that will cover such difficult issues as collection development, security, and staff interactions. Registration starts at $109 for ASCLA members–increases to $129 after May 13.

ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition–Transforming Our Libraries, Ourselves

Find out about the many other ALA Annual Conference & Exhibits highlights as they’re added–speakers, events, networking opportunities, and more. And for general information about the meeting in Anaheim, CA, June 21-26, 2012, visit us at www.alaannual.org. Save money with Early Bird Registration, open until midnight, Sunday, May 13, 2012.

April 18, 2012April 19, 2012

ASCLA’s President’s Program features Duct Tape Marketing author John Jantsch

Dear ASCLA Members,

I am delighted to invite you to attend the 2012 ASCLA President’s Program in Anaheim at ALA’s Annual Conference. We have a fantastic speaker lined up for the program and a free gift for the first 200 people who attend.

Our speaker, John Jantsch, is the best-selling author of Duct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine. John will be taking his theories and applying them specifically to libraries for this special presentation. Don’t miss this opportunity to build a marketing strategy that will help your library realize its full marketing potential.

In celebration of the release of John’s newly revised and updated version of Duct Tape Marketing, *LibraryAware is donating books to the first 200 people to attend the program. John will sign the books after he speaks.

John Jantsch is currently involved in a number of marketing projects with Intuit, Microsoft, Sage Software, HP, AT&T and American Express. His very popular blog was chosen as a Forbes favorite for marketing and small business. His podcast, a top-ten marketing show on iTunes, was called a “must listen” by Fast Company.

In today’s marketing-savvy world, everyone wants to know the one thing they can do or the magic pill they can take that will make their marketing efforts successful. John gives sage and practical advice, and tips for how to uncover what works.

Please join me for this very informative and entertaining program in Ballroom B of the Anaheim Convention Center on Sunday, June 24, 2012, 10:30 a.m. -12 p.m. in Anaheim.

Sincerely,
Norma Blake, New Jersey State Librarian
ASCLA President, 2011-2012

Access more information about:
John Jantsch
Duct Tape Marketing
ALA Annual Conference registration

*LibraryAware is NoveList’s new marketing software designed to help libraries easily create, deliver and measure their promotional campaigns.

April 17, 2012April 17, 2012

ASCLA award for innovative universal access project shared by ‘Books for Dessert’ program and ‘Digital Access Project’

Read the official ALA press release.

This year’s ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award, an annual honor presented by the Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), will be presented to two organizations that produced noteworthy services and programming for library users with disabilities: the Port Washington (N.Y.) Public Library for its “Books for Dessert” Program, and the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library and the Boston Public Library Digital Access Project.

The award is supported by ASCLA, home to accessibility issues and advocacy within ALA, Keystone Library Automation Systems (KLAS) and the National Organization for Disabilities (NOD), with the $1000 prize donated by KLAS. The award recognizes an institution for an innovative and well-organized project that successfully developed or expanded services for people with disabilities and has made its total services more accessible through changing physical and/or attitudinal barriers. Faced with an overwhelming number of outstanding award applications for 2012, the committee chose two recipients for this year’s honor. Each winner will receive a citation and split the award money, receiving $500 each.

The Port Washington Public Library’s “Books for Dessert” program makes the riches of the public library accessible to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities by sharing the joy of reading in a relaxed, social and supportive environment. Launched as a pilot program in 2003 with initial funding support from New York State, “Books for Dessert” has expanded from one group with eight participants to three groups, two evening and one morning, with about 50 participants. Program participants range in age from their early-20s to mid-60s. The club gathers once a week between September and June to read aloud from books like “The Pearl” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” learn vocabulary and enjoy refreshments and good conversation. At the completion of the book, a video of the same title may be shown. The group compares the book and the video, stimulating discussion and reinforcing comprehension of the material. In addition to these educational benefits, library usage has increased among registered Book Club members, as well as their friends, housemates and the agency staff driving club members to the meetings.

The “Books for Dessert” program receives support from community partners, including Community Mainstreaming Associates, Inc. and the Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRC), an advisory board of parents, library staff, experts in the field and certified special education teachers to bring a reading and discussion experience to adults with ID/DD. High school students also support the teachers during each session by answering questions and helping participants follow along in the book while someone else is reading. The Advisory Board has created a manual that will allow other libraries to replicate this program—more information is available by accessing “Books for Dessert” at www.pwpl.org.

“The Port Washington Public Library’s ‘Books for Dessert’ program has championed the idea that literacy for individuals over the age of 21 with intellectual and developmental disabilities is important and achievable,” said ASCLA President Norma Blake. “’Books for Dessert’ is an outstanding example of local public library innovation and ingenuity, and the library is to be commended not only for developing this highly successful program, but also for developing a program guide to help other public libraries across the nation to replicate the program in their local communities.”

The “Digital Access Project” is a collaborative activity of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library (BTBL) and the Boston Public Library, with additional involvement from the Internet Archive of San Francisco. Through this joint initiative, patrons of the BTBL who are unable to read traditional printed text can quickly access print books available in the huge collection of the Boston Public Library within 24 hours. Access is made possible by the digital scanning of the print text in the scanning lab of the Internet Archive at the Boston Public Library, where a six-person staff uses semi-automated equipment to scan the requested book, page by page.

The file is subsequently converted into a copyright-protected DAISY (Digital Audio Information System) file that can only be accessed by eligible users of the NLSBPH (National Library Service for the Blind & Physically Handicapped) program network using a special digital key and authorized compatible digital players like the Victor Stream, the BookSense and the Bookport Plus. Within hours, the Internet Archive sends a Web link to Boston Public Library and it is forwarded back to Perkins indicating where the protected DAISY version of the book can be downloaded. Perkins staff download the book files from the provided link, and the Library then forwards the .zip file to the patron. The patron can then listen to it on their adaptive technology utilizing text-to-speech synthetic voice technology. In most cases, this process of converting a print book to an accessible DAISY file moves so efficiently that patrons receive access to the requested book within 24 hours.

“Using existing resources, the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library and the Boston Public Library, along with the Internet Archive, are successfully demonstrating both the power of collaboration and the power of technology in making print library collections accessible to people with disabilities,” said Tom Blake, digital projects manager at the Boston Public Library.

“The technology used in this innovative project not only removes barriers to print access for patrons with disabilities, it delivers the final accessible product with great speed! This type of information integration is pivotal to our fast-paced society where ready access to information is vital for success in a 21st century world,” states Kim Charlson, director of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library.

This year’s awards will be presented at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012 at one of the ALA Annual Conference hotels in Anaheim, Calif. All conference attendees are invited to this event, which will celebrate this year’s ASCLA award winners and also feature peer-to-peer networking activities. More information will be available at www.ala.org/asclain late spring.

April 17, 2012

New Jersey State Library’s Moeller-Peiffer honored with Cathleen Bourdon Service Award for contributions to ASCLA

Read the official ALA press release here.

Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, associate state librarian, New Jersey State Library, is the 2012 recipient of the Cathleen Bourdon Service Award, an annual achievement award given by the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of the American Library Association.

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

As an ASCLA member, Moeller-Peiffer has worked tirelessly on programs and activities that inform and strengthen the professional contributions of ASCLA and its members in the community at large and within ALA. As a part of ASCLA’s Legislative Advocacy Committee and ALA’s Advocacy Coordinating Group, she has communicated with policy makers at all levels of government on the value and strength of libraries. Through her role on ALA’s E-rate Task Force she has conveyed to federal officials the concerns of libraries and schools on the discounted telecommunication rate program.

Moeller-Peiffer has also strengthened ASCLA as an organization through her service as chair of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Coordinators Group and chair of ASCLA’s State Library Agency Section (SLAS), and her membership on numerous committees, forums and programs. During her time as chair of ASCLA’s Membership Committee, she developed the Value Proposition Report that analyzed the benefits of ASCLA membership and developed proposals for promoting and expanding membership.

Moeller-Peiffer will receive her award at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012 at one of the ALA Annual Conference hotels in Anaheim, Calif. All conference attendees are invited to this event, which will celebrate this year’s ASCLA award winners and also feature peer-to-peer networking activities. More information will be available at www.ala.org/ascla in late spring.

April 17, 2012April 17, 2012

Washington State Library’s Laura Sherbo receives leadership award from ASCLA

Read the official ALA press release here.

Laura Sherbo, branch library services program manager at the Washington State Library, is the 2012 recipient of the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) Leadership and Professional Achievement Award – an annual award presented to an ASCLA member who exemplifies leadership and achievement in consulting, library cooperation, networking, statewide service and programs and/or state library development.

According to her colleagues at the Washington State Library and leaders of institutional libraries in the State of Washington, Sherbo has accomplished miracles in the world of library services for incarcerated populations with her tenacity, her calm and focused negotiation and strategic communication skills. Her leadership skills and her efforts to foster collaboration and engineer change have helped maintain a high level of service and staff performance even in the face of seemingly insurmountable changes. For two decades, the Institutional Services Division of the Washington State Library has endured budget cuts that laid off staff and closed branches. Despite these challenges, Sherbo inspired her team to re-prioritize library functions to meet the most critical needs of those institutionalized in correctional facilities, including uniformity of branch library procedures and an emphasis on collection development in parenting, substance abuse recovery, job training and employment.

During her tenure, Sherbo has also encouraged her staff to pursue training and projects that would benefit host institutions and library services. This encouragement has produced presentations at library conferences, visiting institutional services librarians, volunteering at host institutions for reading programs and historical preservation efforts, a library-sponsored book club and a pilot law library program. Under her leadership, Sherbo’s division team has achieved goals that exemplify the Library Bill of Rights, including privacy protection and access to interests, information from various viewpoints and enlightenment for all persons of the library community. For her successful efforts, she is well respected by the prison administrators and among the offender populations served by the libraries.

“Laura Sherbo has dedicated her professional career to ensuring that inmates of correctional centers and patients at two state hospitals receive the highest quality library services,” said ASCLA President Norma Blake. “Because of her inspirational leadership, libraries flourish in Washington’s major prisons.”

Sherbo earned her MLS from Western Michigan University. She worked as the head librarian at Logan Correctional Center, Lincoln, Ill. (1978-82) and subsequently as a librarian and branch manager at McNeil Island Corrections Center, McNeil Island, Wash. until 2002, when she took on her current role as branch library services program manager.

Sherbo will receive her award at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012 at one of the ALAAnnual Conference hotels in Anaheim, Calif. All conference attendees are invited to this event, which will celebrate this year’s ASCLA award winners and also feature peer-to-peer networking activities. More information will be available at www.ala.org/ascla in late spring.

April 11, 2012

Library consultants! Sign up now to offer free services as part of “Consultants Give Back” at ALA Annual Conference

The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) and the Public Library Association (PLA) are teaming up to offer “Consultants Give Back” at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif.—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 RFID, marketing and communications, executive searches, buildings and facilities, strategic planning and library trends, among many others. Participating consultants will be available during the “Consultants Give Back” office hours, 1:30-5:30 p.m. in room 203B of the Anaheim Convention Center on Sunday, June 24 or at other times throughout the conference. Registration is now open for consultants wishing to offer services as a part of this exciting event. Access the consultant registration form here.

For those seeking consulting services, a list of participating consultants and their availability will be available on the ASCLA website in early May, and will be promoted via the ASCLA blog, ASCLA Facebook page and ASCLA Twitter feed. Those interested in booking a session should contact the consultant of their choice no later than Monday, June 20, 2012.

Questions about the consultation sessions should be directed to Nancy Bolt at nancybolt@earthlink.net or Paula Singer pmsinger@singergrp.com. Consultants interested in engaging and networking with library consulting peers for the benefit of all independent library professionals should join ASCLA’s Library Consultants Interest Group.

April 10, 2012

ASCLA Workshop: Marketing, Development and Building a Library Champions Campaign

There has never been a better time to pursue a Library Champions campaign! Library Champions can promote the value of your library to your community while delivering maximum fundraising impact. Participate in this ASCLA workshop and you’ll learn from the experts how to execute a successful marketing and development campaign, from soup to nuts.

“A Marriage Made in Heaven: Combining Marketing and Development to Ensure the Future of Your Library”
Friday, June 22, 8:00a.m.-12:00p.m.
Anaheim, Calif. in conjunction with the ALA Annual Conferece
REGISTER NOW.
This workshop will be an incredibly valuable experience for public and special library directors, development staff, public relations staff, foundation members, and library trustees.

Two years ago, the New Jersey State Library launched a public awareness campaign designed to attract famous athletes and authors to serve as Library Champions, and with the help of marketing and development teams, leveraged those champions into an effective fundraising vehicle. Nancy Dowd, former NJSL director of marketing, and Erin MacCord, NJSL development director, will present on the following topics:

How to recruit celebrity champions and local heroes to promote your library;
How to leverage library champions, build a donor database and raise big money for your library;
How to build a donor development strategy for everyone in your library;
The essential publications your library must produce to secure funders.

Registration Rates: Through May 13: ASCLA members, $109; ALA members, $129; non-members, $149; Student and Retired ALA members, $99.
May 14 through June 15: ASCLA members, $129; ALA members, $149; non-members, $169; Student and Retired ALA members, $109.REGISTER NOW.

ASCLA Conference Events

There’s lots happening with ASCLA in Anaheim! Access our conference information page on our website, which will provide you with access to our other preconference offerings; our exciting programs which include the ASCLA President’s Program, featuring John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing; and fun events like the ASCLA/COSLA Awards Reception and Networking event.