ASCLA is now accepting proposals for institutes for the 2014 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia and preconferences and programs for the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, May 15, 2013.

The best topics represent ASCLA’s core member areas–state library agencies, special populations librarians, independent librarians and library consultants, and resource-sharing librarians at networks and cooperatives–but are also of interest to librarians throughout the profession from all types of libraries. Keep in mind that topics should still be relevant in January and June 2014 when they are finally presented.

Any current ASCLA member can propose one of these events, however we strongly encourage support and sponsorship from one of the interest groups. If you are not yet an interest group member, consider joining one and using the group as a springboard for your conference event ideas. Check out the list of interest groups in this issue of Interface.

For more information about making the actual program submissions, check out the ASCLA Blog:

http://ascla.ala.org/blog/2013/04/call-for-proposals-ascla-2014-programs-preconferences-institutes/

There’s a link to both the online submission form and a PDF download of the form that you can use to prepare your submission.

Save the date! Registration for the 2013 ALA Annual Conference is open on January 14th.  Our next issue of Interface will include a preview of some of the programming and events at the conference.

Greetings ASCLA Members!

I was very happy to see so many of you in Anaheim. We had some great programs and pre-conferences that were very successful, not to mention our stellar President’s Program with John Jantsch and his great presentation on Duct Tape Marketing. I hope you were able to enjoy them.

Coming up this year and next are two more fun trips sponsored by ASCLA to Ireland in September, and Italy in April. I hope you will consider joining us – both promise to be terrific jaunts! The Paris in April trip was fantastic — there’s nothing as wonderful as traveling with a bunch of librarians — and we hope to have many trips in the future to make more happy memories! You do not have to be an ALA member to travel with us, so please feel free to forward this information.

Never say never! Although we thought our last offering of ASCLA’s most-popular-ever consulting preconference was in 2011, we have some very good news. The presenters have agreed to hold another one at annual conference 2013 in Chicago. Stay tuned for more details throughout the year.

Last but not least, please consider joining one of our interest groups (see the complete listing later in this issue).  This issue of Interface is chock-full of information about their activities. They are doing great things. Or, consider volunteering for an ASCLA committee for 2013-2014. Committee appointments will be made in the winter and spring next year for terms that start July 1, 2013, so be sure to sign up now.

I hope you all are having a wonderful summer. I look forward to seeing many of you in Seattle in January 2013 for the Midwinter conference. Have a great Fall!

Susan Hornung

ASCLA Executive Director

Contributed by Carol Desch

The ASCLA Library Consultants Interest Group (LCIG) offered a well-received array of programs and activities during the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. The upcoming 2012-2013 year looks to be even more active and fun, under the leadership of new Interest Group chairperson Jeannette Smithee.

There are now over fifty LCIG members and membership continues to grow. New or experienced library consultants, independent librarians and any other ALA members may sign up for the Interest Group on ALAConnect at http://connect.ala.org/node/151445. Be sure to select the option to automatically receive new postings so you can stay up to date on Interest Group activities, issues, and discussions.

Here is a snapshot of 2012 Anaheim highlights and some upcoming 2013 activities:

 •       The ASCLA Board unanimously approved the ASCLA Library Consultant Code of Ethics.

•        LCIG programs in Anaheim were very successful. Over 100 people attended the energizing ASCLA program Essential Facilitation and gave presenters Patty McManus of Interaction Associates, Nancy Bolt, and Ann Joslin high marks. The ASCLA program Consultants Give Back, cosponsored with PLA, continues to grow

•        The ASCLA Board approved all three of LCIG’s proposed 2013 programs for Annual Conference in Chicago. Look for more information in forthcoming issues of Interface.

•        Discussions are underway to once again offer the hugely popular Consultants Toolkit Preconference on Thursday and Friday morning at the 2013 Annual Conference in Chicago. Mark your calendars!

•        Two open discussion forums are in the works for 2013 Midwinter in Seattle. These are informal and fun discussions for new and practicing library consultants on topics of interest to library consultants. If you are interested in facilitating a discussion forum, please contact Jeannette.

—What do I do now? Best practices for handling ethical dilemmas faced by library consultants. 

—Can I promote my business on a shoestring? Best practices for promoting and marketing consulting businesses, with a focus on effective use of social media. 

•        The LCIG Leadership Team met to discuss plans for 2013 and beyond. 2012-2013 Leadership Team members currently include:

Jeanette Smithee, Chair

Allan Kleiman, Vice-Chair

Carol Ann Desch, Past Chair

Jean Porter, Secretary

Nancy Bolt, Member at Large

If you are interested in becoming involved in the ASCLA Library Consultants Interest Group Leadership Team, contact Jeannette Smithee at smithee@seflin.org.

 

Contributed by Jason Kucsma, Executive Director, Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO)

Thanks to those of you who were able to join us at ALA in Anaheim. If you’d like to receive updates on this group, please subscribe to the listserv here: http://lyralists.lyrasis.org/mailman/listinfo/collaborative-dig

We would like to thank Emily Gore (Associate Dean, Digital Scholarship & Technology Services, Florida State University) for leading a discussion on DPLA and how our digital collections might fit into the framework of the DPLA as it takes shape. We were fortunate to be joined by several members of DPLA workstreams, including Robin Dale, Maura Marx, and Rachel Frick. Rhonda Marker (Repository Collection Mgr and Head, Scholarly Communications Center at Rutgers University) has written up a recap you can review here: http://bit.ly/O8vw7t  

Rhonda Marker is now the chair of this august group. Thanks to Rhonda, this group will continue to be able to foster vibrant and informative discussions during our regularly scheduled  Saturday afternoon slot.

We look forward to seeing you all at Midwinter 2013!

Contributed by Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer

IMLS submitted their report ahead of the conference and it was sent to the coordinators’ listserv. Additional copies were available at the meeting. Michele Farrell and James Lonegan from IMLS were there to review the report and answer questions. Susan Hildreth sent her regrets at not being able to attend as well.

Representatives from the following states attended the meeting and reported on their state’s LSTA activities-Maine, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Alaska, New Jersey, Arizona, and New York. We are including brief highlights from the reports here for your information.

Maine:  All statewide projects. Cornerstones of Science: combination of books and scientific equipment for lending. State Library included in the Governor’s Broadband Task Force.

Pennsylvania:  Thirty-nine libraries are included so far in their statewide ILS, using Evergreen. Small LSTA grants are being awarded for “maker space” learning labs for children and adults. They are looking forward to working on preservation and disaster preparedness for local libraries.

Rhode Island:  Reduced LSTA funds will mean no sub-grants for the foreseeable future. Talking Books, youth services, CE for library staff and statewide databases will be funded. They are putting together Mother Goose brochures to place in low-income supermarkets. The Department of Labor will be placing twenty computers in public libraries for use only for workforce development as a supplement to One-Stop Centers.

Alaska:  Most LSTA funds are used for pass-through grants. One-third goes to statewide efforts, remainder to individual libraries of all types. Digitization is important, as are statewide databases, interlibrary loan and a reference toll-free number. They utilize Books by Mail and have a Ready to Read Resource Center. They convened electronic resource librarians. Alaska Native American Summit was held with follow-up workshops.

Arizona:  Sub-grants mostly were centered around the state centennial…centennial Summer Reading Program, centennial One Book, centennial kits to libraries. They have now had an Acting State Librarian for sixteen months. They are working on a Digital Arizona Library (similar to Colorado-Jamie LaRue model for digital downloads).

New York:  Statewide services and formula allocation grants are given (Summer Reading Program and service improvement grants). They have lots of new partnerships with 4H, Boys and Girls Clubs, the Hunger Project (which will provide SRP refreshments). They have a new statewide plan and vision with sixty recommendations. They are looking into re-inventing their early literacy program. They are developing statewide digital literacy training with BTOP funds-both standards and curriculum. Carol Desch will send the link for this initiative to LSTA Coordinators.

New Jersey:  Primarily statewide projects: Evanced Solutions for Summer Reading Program statistics; Counting Opinions for public library statistics; Talking Book and Braille Center; statewide databases; JerseyConnect (statewide technology infrastructure). Two continuing education opportunities funded: “Shake It Up”, a rap and hip-hop event for librarians and the “Boomer Conference” on service to this age group.

Contributed by Nancy Bolt

The ASCLA Library Consultants Interest Group sponsored a program at the ALA conference in Anaheim on facilitation skills on leading groups to success.  Over 100 people attended the program.  The program was presented by Patty McManus from Interaction Associates, internationally known trainers in facilitation.  Following the McManus presentation, Nancy Bolt of Nancy Bolt and Associates and Ann Joslin, Director of the Idaho Commission for Libraries discussed their own experiences with the techniques presented by McManus.

McManus lead a very interactive session where attendees were asked to participate in dyads and triads to discuss work problems they face, based on the information being presented.

McManus began by saying that setting up for a good decision making process required three tasks:  be specific about the decision to be made, be clear who the ultimate decision maker is, and decide how to involve others in the decision making process.   She went on to discuss five levels of decision making and involvement of others:

•        Decide and announce occurs when someone makes the decision alone and announces it to others without input.  This often occurs where there is a short timeline.

•        Gather input from individuals and decide.

•        Gather input from groups and decide.

•        Consensus, when the group comes to a decision that all members of the group can support outside the group.

•        Delegation to a group or person with parameters or constraints such as budget, timeline, etc.

If the consensus method is chosen, it is critical that a fallback method be chosen in case a consensus cannot be reached and the fallback decision-maker is clear.  People like to know that they have had input into a decision, even if they are not the decision-maker.

McManus then turned her presentation to the stages in a decision including opening a discussion and getting many ideas on the table; narrowing the options using multiple techniques, and then closing the discussion with a decision or recommendation.  In building toward an agreement, McManus suggested presenting a proposal, ensuring understanding of the proposal¸ revising as necessary, and the three techniques for closing a discussion and coming to agreement.

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

The 2012 ASCLA President’s Program in Anaheim at ALA’s Annual Conference is not to be missed! 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. LibraryAware is NoveList’s new marketing software designed to help libraries easily create, deliver and measure their promotional campaigns.

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. -12:00 p.m. in Anaheim.

Have you heard? Author John Jantsch will be speaking at this year’s ASCLA President’s Program!

John Jantsch is the author of “Duct Tape Marketing” and “The Referral Engine.” More information about John and his presentation, which will be tailored specifically to libraries, can be found at the ASCLA blog: http://ascla.ala.org/blog/2012/04/asclaprezprog2012-johnjantsch/

It pays to arrive early! We’ll have a limited number of free copies of “Duct Tape Marketing” on hand thanks to generous sponsorship support from LibraryAware (www.libraryaware.com). John will sign books at the conclusion of the program.

Make sure to save the date for this exciting ALA Annual Conference program, which will prepare you to revolutionize the marketing strategy for your library, your department, or your particular area of library services.

ASCLA President’s Program: Duct Tape Marketing and Advocacy

10:30 a.m. -12:00 noon.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Ballroom B, Anaheim Convention Center

Register for conference now: http://www.alaannual.org/content/register-now-0

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.

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

Friday, June 22, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

REGISTER NOW: http://www.alaannual.org/content/register-now-0

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 is $129 for ASCLA members.

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

Friday, June 22, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

REGISTER NOW: http://www.alaannual.org/content/register-now-0

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 is $129 for ASCLA members.

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

Friday, June 22, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

REGISTER NOW: http://www.alaannual.org/content/register-now-0  

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 is $129 for ASCLA members.

Would you like to learn more about the management of ASCLA? You are invited to attend the Board meetings held during the ALA Annual Conference.  The following is the schedule for the ASCLA board meetings in Anaheim:

 ASCLA Board I: Saturday, June 23, 2012, 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. PT

ASCLA Board II: Monday, June 25, 2012, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT

(Please note that Board II will be listed in the program book as 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., however it will not actually start until 9:00 a.m.)

The Library Consultants Interest Group will be sponsoring two programs at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim.

Essential Facilitation:  Practical Tools for Guiding Groups is on Monday, June 25th from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon. The featured speaker, Patty McManus from Interaction Associates, will speak on Decision Making without Pain: Tips and tools for Leading Groups to Success. She writes: “Everyone knows the agony of endless efforts to reach decisions in groups. Join LCIP and Interaction Associates to learn some practical tools for leaders and consultants. In this session, we’ll cover: Setting up decision making for success; Choosing a decision-making process that fits the situation; Structuring group discussions that make progress; Finally, hear how a state library and a library consultant have implemented this material for greater effectiveness in their groups.

Interaction Associates supposes global leadership development through training, consulting, and facilitation. As a Senior Consultant to Interaction Associates, Patty McManus works to develop leaders who are equipped to embrace both the responsibilities and the potential of their roles. She works at the levels of values, skills, and commitment to support leaders’ organizational and personal success. Ms. McManus has worked in the fields of organization development and leadership development for twenty years. Before joining Interaction Associates, she was an internal organization development consultant at Apple Inc., Kaiser Permanente, and the University of California. Her coaching enabled successful management transitions and assimilation of new leaders. Accomplished in team building, she helped develop management, technical, cross-functional, globally dispersed teams.  

Sharing the podium with Ms McManus will be Ann Joslin, Director of the Idaho Commission for Libraries and Nancy Bolt, President of Nancy Bolt & Associates. Both Ms Joslin and Ms Bolt have had extensive Interaction Associates training and use it in their daily work.

The second program is Consultants Giving Back on Sunday, June 24, from 12:00 noon – 5:00 p.m. 

ASCLA and the Public Library Association (PLA) are teaming up to offer “Consultants Give Back” at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim.  This is an opportunity for libraries to receive free 30-minute consultation sessions from professional library consultants.  Consultants interested in offering their services as a part of this event can now register online.

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 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. in Room 203B of the Anaheim Convention Center on Sunday, June 24 or at other times throughout the conference. Registration for consultants wishing to offer services as a part of this exciting event can be accessed online.

For those seeking consulting services, a list of participating consultants and their availability can be found on the ASCLA website. Those interested in booking a session should contact the consultant of their choice no later than Monday, June 20.

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.

This year’s ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award 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 $1,000 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 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012. 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 is available at www.ala.org/asclain.  

More information on each of these award-winning programs can be found in full articles in this issue of Interface.

This year’s ASCLA Awards will be presented at the ASCLA/COSLA Networking Party and Awards Reception, which will be held 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 23, 2012 at the ALA Annual Conference.

This year’s winners are:

ASCLA/KLAS/NOD Award: Port Washington Public Library’s “Books for Dessert” program and the “Digital Access Project”.

Francis Joseph Campbell Award: Includes a citation and a medal, and is presented to a person or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of library service for blind and physically handicapped people. ASCLA, Keystone Automated Systems (KLAS) and the Southern Conference of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped co-sponsor this award. This year’s winner is Carole Rose, who recently retired as a librarian at the Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library.

Cathleen Bourdon Service Award: The award, which is named for former ASCLA Executive Director Cathleen Bourdon, is a citation 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. Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, associate state librarian, New Jersey State Library, is this year’s winner.

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. The 2012 winner is Laura Sherbo, branch library services program manager at the Washington State Library.

ASCLA Exceptional Service Award: A citation presented to recognize exceptional service to patients, to the homebound, to people of all ages who live in group homes or residences and to inmates, as well as to recognize professional leadership, effective interpretation of programs, pioneering activity and significant research of experimental projects. This year’s award is presented to Kathleen Hegarty, who passed away in January 2012. “Kathleen’s pioneering efforts at the Boston Public Library and her dedication to improving services for older adults and persons with disabilities has insured continued leadership, professional growth and sustainability within the profession,” said Norma Blake, ASCLA president. “She also worked tirelessly to enhance the stature, reputation and overall strength of ASCLA, and we are so grateful for her investment in our organization.”

Program proposals are now being accepted for ASCLA programs at the 2013 Annual Conference. Please access the program planning page, where you’ll find the proposal form link and more information about programming: http://www.ala.org/ascla/accessascla/programplanning

Here’s a direct link to the online proposal form: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ascla2013programprecon_proposals

There is one form for all types of offerings (preconferences, programs, institutes). All proposals must be submitted via the online form.

There have been some major changes to Annual Conference, including the elimination of 2 hour programming time blocks. We look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to contact Liz Markel, lmarkel@ala.org, if you have any questions.

Dear ASCLA Members:

What an exciting ALA Midwinter Conference for ASCLA!  The drafts of both the Interest Group Guidebook and the Consultants’ Code of Ethics are moving forward.  The ASCLA/COSLA reception was lovely.  Many of the formal discussions of committees and interest groups were carried on more informally at the reception.  Also, ASCLA’s strategic plan was finalized and approved, incorporating your thoughts from the member survey.

Speaking of the survey, the board has heard from you loudly and clearly that you are looking for more networking opportunities.  To this end, we are moving the ASCLA/COSLA reception at the ALA Annual Conference to Saturday, June 23^rd at 5:45-7:30 p.m., immediately after the ASCLA board meeting.  Thanks to our event supporter, Novelist’s LibraryAware, we will be able to offer heartier hors d’oeuvres after an exhausting afternoon of quality programming.  Following COSLA’s greetings and the unveiling of ASCLA’s awards, the rest of the social will be devoted to networking time.   We envision people grouping around the topics that interest them the most:  e-books, fundraising, marketing, advocacy, etc.  The ASCLA membership committee has some surprises in store for us as well!

I hope you will be able to join us at ALA Annual for the ASCLA/COSLA networking social.  If you are not able to get to the annual conference, please participate in ASCLA in other ways– through webinars, online courses, committee or interest group calls and chats.  Look for information about attending ASCLA board meetings by conference calling as well.  ASCLA needs your thoughts and ideas.

Best wishes,

Norma Blake, NJ State Librarian and ASCLA President

We have lots of exciting programming coming up at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim! A list of program titles is below. You can get more information about these programs at the ASCLA website. This year’s ASCLA President’s Program: Duct Tape Marketing and Advocacy will feature John Jantasch, author of “Duct Tape Marketing” and “The Referral Engine”. Jantasch will apply his “marketing as system, not as event” theory to libraries as a part of this program, which will take place from 10:30 a.m.-noon on Sunday, June 24.

We’re also looking forward to seeing you at the ASCLA/COSLA reception, which is scheduled on a new day and time: Saturday, June 23, 5:30-7:30pm! Our annual awards presentation will kick off at 5:45, and after that we’ll have networking activities. More details on this event to come, but in the meantime please mark your calendars and plan to join us!

A preliminary Annual Conference schedule is available here.  This year’s ASCLA programs are:

●      ASCLA President’s Program: Duct Tape Marketing and Advocacy, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-noon

●      Writing a Way Out: The Success of Writing Programs in Correctional Settings, Saturday, 8:00-10:00 a.m.

●      Patron Driven Acquisition in Consortia, Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-noon

●      Innovative Programs Impacting Rural and Urban Libraries Funded Through LSTA: Preschool Connections, Mother Goose Alive, and Brain Boxes Collaboration, Saturday, 10:30 a.m.–noon

●      Successful Collaboration in Good Times and Bad, Saturday 10:30 a.m.–noon

●      Library of the Future, Saturday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

●      Touching Literacy:  iPads in the School Library Serving Incarcerated and Detained Youth, Sunday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

●      Train the Technology Trainer: Developing 21st Century Library Staff, Monday, 8:00-10:00 a.m.

●      Virtual Faiths: Cooperative Digitization Projects, Monday, 8:00-10:00 a.m.

●      Essential Facilitation: Practical Tools for Guiding Groups, Monday, 10:30 a.m.-noon

●      Locked Up!: Go Inside a Juvenile Detention Center, Monday, 12:00-5:00 p.m.

The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) will host three half-day workshops in at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim covering library marketing and development, public library services to the visually and physically impaired and public library partnerships with jails and prisons. These preconferences highlight a few of ASCLA’s areas of expertise and are an opportunity for other members of the library community to benefit from this knowledge and experience. This year’s topics are particularly relevant to public libraries, public librarians and library supporters, but all interested participants are welcome and can register for these events with or without registering for the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif.

 

Conference registration information is available here at the ALA Annual Conference website, www.alaannual.org. This year’s ASCLA Annual Conference workshops are:

 

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

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

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. Find out how to establish and market these valuable resources. Who should attend: Libraries whose customers and communities include individuals who qualify for services from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, including public libraries, school libraries, academic libraries and NLS regional and subregional libraries.

Registration Rates:

Jan. 3 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 online now.

Speakers: Adam Szczepaniak, associate state librarian and director, New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center; Elizabeth Burns, youth services consultant for the New Jersey State Library Talking Book & Braille Center; Brian Auger, director, Somerset County Library System

 

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

Friday, June 22, 8:00 a.m.-noon

Hear from speakers who have 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 of collection development, security and staff interactions. Who should attend: Public librarians and correctional librarians interested on creating literacy and reading program partnerships for youth and adults in jails or prisons.

Registration Rates:

Jan. 3 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 online now.

Speakers: Kathleen Houlihan, youth outreach librarian, Austin Public Library, Second Change Books; Amy Cheney, Alameda County Library, Write to Read program Juvenile Hall Literacy

 

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

Friday, June 22, 8:00 a.m.-noon

Has your library stalled in its attempt to develop a fundraising strategy? Are you trying to raise the awareness of the value your library offers your community? It may be time to start a library champion campaign. 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 fund raising vehicle. Workshop participants will learn 1) how to recruit celebrity champions and local heroes to promote your library; 2) how to leverage library champions, build a donor database and raise big money for your library; 3) how to build a donor development strategy for everyone in your library; and 4) the essential publications your library must produce to secure funders. Who should attend: Public and special library directors, development staff, public relations staff, foundation members, trustees

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 online now.

Speakers: Nancy Dowd and Erin MacCord

Do you want to become more active in ASCLA? It’s easy to do! Just show up at the ASCLA All Committee Meeting during the Annual Conference and join in.

If you have never attended one of these in the past, it could be quite daunting. You will enter a large room with about a dozen round tables. At most of these, there will be five or six people chatting away. Don’t let this deter you! Walk up to a table, and ask which committee is meeting there. Most committees will grab you faster than you can imagine! Help is needed in all areas.

The ASCLA All Committee meeting will be on Sunday, June 24, 2012, from 4:00 p.m. until about 5:30 p.m. Check the program booklet or the online planner for the exact location. This is your year to become more involved!

The ASCLA Board meets two times during the ALA Annual Conference. All members are encouraged to attend and learn more about how ASCLA is governed. The following is the schedule for the ASCLA board meetings in Anaheim for the 2012 ALA Conference:

ASCLA Board I: Saturday, June 23, 2012, 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. PT 

ASCLA Board II: Monday, June 25, 2012, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT

Please note that Board II will be listed in the program book as 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., however it will not actually start until 9:00 a.m.