Ruth J. Nussbaum retired Dec 31, 2012 after 25 years, as reference librarian at the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS/BPH), Library of Congress. She continues to be active in ASCLA remaining on two committees, and is a new member of Retired Members roundtable.

 Rand Simmons was appointed Washington State Librarian.

Robert Maier retired as director of the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners on March 15.

 

Please send your news to the ASCLA Interface Editor for the next issue.

We welcome the following new members to ASCLA! Do you recognize anyone here? We encourage you to connect with these new colleagues! Send them an email or, if they happen to be in your office, drop by their workspace and say hello!

Alexander Andrasik

Alicia V. Zuniga

Andrea G. Barkley

Art Spanjer

Basheer L. Kareem

Brandon Cal

Brenda Carrillo

Cari Pat Rerat

Caroline Dechert

Charlotte Roh

Cindie Gaither

Claudia A. Perry

Connie F. Thompson

Corey Christians

Courtney L. Young

Dawn Amsberry

Diana Maria Rojas

Elissa Skye Corey

Elizabeth Jean Brumfield

Eva M L Rios-Alvarado

Ivelisse Maldonado

James C. Clifford

Jami Shafer

Janet McKenney

Jeanette Mancusi

Jordan Boaz

Julie Ann Winkelstein

June P. Thammasnong

Justin D. Mitchell

Kate Laughlin

Katherine Kimball Adelberg

Keith Gresham

Kelly Jean Knudsen

Kimberly A. Kelly

Kirk G. McLeod

Krystin Mavity

Laura J. White

Laura K. Probst

Lauren Mae Peters

Leonor Mabel Cortina

Levertes Ragland, Jr

Linda M. Barbero

Liza Booker

Lori E. Harris

Marcia C. McIntosh

Marisa L. Mendez-Brady

Melleny Alene Thomasson

Orolando Augustus Duffus

Patricia A. Wand

Raina Uheina Tuakoi

Robert Cale Oldfield

Robert M. Baker

Rosa Cesaretti

Saira Raza

Samantha L. Hager

Sylvie Merlier-Rowen

Tony Landolt

Vivienne E. Layne

Wilhelmina Hargrave

Submitted by Patricia M. Hogan, Administrative Librarian, Poplar Creek Public Library District, Streamwood, Illinois

When ASCLA announced its plans for an October, 2012 trip to Ireland, I was thrilled that I would have a chance to return to the Emerald Isle and to travel to places like Dublin that I  had missed in my first venture there years ago.   There were many things that appealed, from the Long Room at Trinity College, Dublin, to the wonderful grounds of Adare and the landscapes of Powerscourt.  But for me it was the chance to walk about in Youghal, to look out and try to imagine the tenders who came in to pick up people who were going to the Titanic on their way to America That truly gave me a thrill.  And as we drove by bus down Seafield Road I realized that somewhere along the way was the house where my cousins had lived and from which they ventured out into the world. 

When we stopped in Killarney there was a chance to walk the High Street, stop in a café (named Sceale Eile, or Another story!), and experience tea time.  While I was out on one of my walks, I looked up to see a sign that pointed to Hogan’s Alley, sort of a side street.  My dad had told me “Hogan” was  a more common name in Ireland and here was proof.  Further down the street I discovered a wonderful landscape photographer’s shop, Peter Cox Gallery, which provided wonderful views of Ireland, rural as well as times primitive or historic (Ross Castle). 

The trip was just the right length. Our Irish guide, Mr. Moran, was both talkative and at times serious. The mix of people was quite interesting.  We saw the country side, visited libraries, and found both the expected (Blarney Castle) and the unexpected ( a man playing a concertina with a variety of animals beside him, including a lamb and a doe, as well as a cat and a dog in the Dingle Peninsula.)  It was a trip that made memories and provided different approaches to each of the travelers.  Kudos to the planners and to ASCLA for making this possible. I would also like to thank those who not only traveled but also strongly support ASCLA  to be part of this a adventure.

 

Rhea Joyce Rubin

Rhea Joyce Rubin retired on December 31, 2012 after 38 years as a librarian, with the last 22 years as an independent library consultant. Her consultancy specialized in extending library services to non-traditional users including people with disabilities, adult new readers, and residents of correctional or mental health institutions, as well as planning and evaluation, cultural programming and outcome measurement. She has provided training or consulting in 44 states, trained over 10,000 librarians and paraprofessionals, and is the author of 13 books, two of which received the ALA Shaw Award for Library Literature.

Active in ALA since 1974, she centered most of her activities in ASCLA. After serving on ALA Council, she served on the ASCLA Board twice and chaired numerous ASCLA committees, notably the Accessibility Assembly and the Bibliotherapy Committee, which she chaired repeatedly. Recipient of the ASCLA Exceptional Service Award in 1993 and the ASCLA Service Award in 2006, she is most proud of her role in editing and shepherding the ALA policy on Serving People with Disabilities to passage by ALA Council in 2001.

 

Tell Us About YOU

Do you have news to share with the ASCLA membership?  Send it to the editor at any time and we can include it in a future issue.

 

Sara Gaar Laughlin, director of the Monroe County Indiana Public Library and longtime member of ALA and ASCLA, will serve as the next vice-president/president-elect of ASCLA. In her new leadership role, Laughlin hopes to provide strong and creative leadership that will tap into ASCLA members’ deep commitment to the library mission, as well as their strong expertise and broad professional networks—three unique attributes of ASCLA members that will help the division evolve in the face of rapid changes in publishing, technology and funding.

Laughlin joined ASCLA more than three decades ago when she took on a coordinator position at the Stone Hills Library Network. She has served both the library profession and the division in a broad variety of capacities: as a member of the Independent Librarians’ Exchange (ILEX) Executive Committee—now Library Consultants Interest Group; as section chair for the Interlibrary Cooperation and Networking (ICAN) Section; and as longtime editor of Interface (2001-08), ASCLA’s newsletter. She has also presented many programs and preconferences, including partnering with ASCLA consulting colleagues to produce the sold-out “Assembling a Consulting Toolkit” preconference which was offered in 2010 and 2011. For her service, she received the 2004 ASCLA Service Award.  She has also served as president of the Indiana Library Federation and the Friends of Indiana Libraries.

Laughlin received the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. She co-authored two books with ALA: “Quality Library: A Guide to Staff-driver Improvement, Better Efficiency, and Happier Customers” (2008) and “Library’s Continuous Improvement Fieldbook: 29 Ready-to-Use Tools” (2003).

Prior to her current position at Monroe County Public Library, she served on the library’s Board of Trustees. Her prior professional experience includes serving as President of Sara Laughlin & Associates, Inc. from 1997-2007.  She earned both an MLS and MA in Art History from Indiana University and a BA in History from the University of Cincinnati.

Congratulations to the new ASCLA leaders. Come see them in action in Anaheim!

Vice-President/President-Elect: Sara G. Laughlin, Monroe County (Ind.) Public Library

Director-at-Large: Martha L. Goddard, San Francisco Public Library

Director-at-Large: Lisa Ann Priebe, Colorado Library Consortium

Director-at-Large: Hulen E. Bivins, North Dakota State Library

Division Councilor: Liz Bishoff, The Bishoff Group

Designated Director, Special Populations Constituency: Lori Allen Guenthner, Maryland Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

Secretary: Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, New Jersey State Library

ASCLA Member Carrie Banks has been named one of the Movers and Shakers for 2012.  You can see the full list here:   http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/03/people/movers-shakers/movers-shakers-2012/

ASCLA Member Anne Abate has been selected to be the next Chair of the CPLA Certification Review Committee.  Her term will begin at the end of the 2012 ALA Annual Conference.

Have you made the news?  Have you been appointed to a committee?  Do you have anything else to tell the ASCLA members?  Send it in to the Interface editor for the next issue!