ALAO - Newsletter December1999

Alison Ricker receives the service award plague from Past President Carolyn Radcliff Carolyn Radcliff, right, presents the service award to Alison Ricker. Photo by Haipeng Li

Alison Ricker Receives Jay Ladd Service Award

Carolyn Radcliff, Past President
Kent State University

Commitment. Leadership. Dedication. These are the elements the Awards Committee looks for in a potential recipient of the Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award. We were successful this year in finding a deserving winner who embodies these characteristics--the fact that she is also talented, graceful, creative, and hard-working is just a bonus!

It's been almost ten years since Alison Ricker (Oberlin College) was president of this organization. The term of president, though technically an office held for one year, is actually a three-year commitment as vice president/president elect, president, and past president. Alison completed all phases of this office capably and with integrity. Alison joined ALAO at the 1983 conference, just months after moving to Ohio, and her nearly continuous service on the executive board began as an elected board member-at-large in 1988. Since that time she has served on three annual conference program committees, the budget and planning committee, research and publications committee, Instruction Interest Group workshop planning committee, and as chair of the public relations, awards, communications review, and nominating committees. Her current position as co-editor of this Newsletter began in 1997. Alison also served as the interim Newsletter editor in 1992/93, concurrent with her term as president. Her year as vice president was devoted to helping to plan the last joint conference of ALAO with the Ohio Library Association (now Ohio Library Council) and Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA). Hers is a record of exemplary service, the kind that leads directly to ALAO's effectiveness as an organization.

In the words of one person who nominated Alison for this award, "One thing that I admire about Alison is that she takes her professional service and commitments very seriously. She is an active participant at Board meetings and is not afraid to tackle 'thorny' issues or ask difficult questions at these meetings. She has been a leader and strong voice within ALAO for many years, and I believe that she is very deserving of this award." The Awards Committee couldn't agree more. At the 27th Annual Conference of the Academic Library Association of Ohio, it was my very great pleasure to present the Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award to Alison Ricker, in recognition of an extensive record of leadership and dedicated service that has furthered the mission of ALAO to the considerable benefit of its members, and that has advanced academic libraries and librarianship throughout the state. Thank you, Alison, and congratulations!

Although the weather was chilly and blustery, the 27th ALAO Annual Conference "Thriving on Chaos, Leading Change," received warm reviews. Based on the returned evaluations, attendees overwhelmingly rated it a success. Attendance was 295. A spectacular planning committee helped make the conference such a success. The committee members were:

Jeanne Langendorfer - BGSU	Jacky Johnson - Miami
Nancy Emrick - Owens Com. College	Susan DiRenzo - Akron
Raida Bahhur - Kent State	Ruth Fenske - John Carroll
Cindy Kristof - Kent State	Eve Davis - EBSCO
Cyndi Preston - OSU	Erica Lilly - Kent State
Cliff Glaviano - BGSU	Lisa O'Connor - Kent State

Emily Mobley, Dean of Libraries at Purdue University, presented the keynote speech. Her PowerPoint presentation is posted on the ALAO Website. Find it and links to other presentations at http://www.alaoweb.org/01conf/links.html.

In recognition of her exemplary service to ALAO, Alison Ricker (Oberlin College) was the recipient of the 2001 Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award.

Carolyn Radcliff, Julie Gedeon, and Lisa O'Connor, all from Kent State, received the 2001 Research Grant award from Meri Meredith, Chair of the Research and Publications Committee.

Three drawings were held after the business meeting. Elizabeth Burns (OSU-Mansfield) won a Palm Pilot personal data assistant in a drawing of all persons registered for the conference. Sherri Saines (Ohio University) won a one-year subscription to American Film Institute Online from Proquest. Rory Patterson (Cedarville University) won the reference book, Facts about the World's Languages, from H. W. Wilson.

Conference attendees chose from 29 presentations, including those sponsored by each of the five interest groups. Thirteen vendors and nine poster sessions filled the perimeter of the Alumni Room where several ALAO committees, interest groups, and other organizations staffed information tables. In keeping with the conference theme of chaos and the stress it can cause, two massage therapists were on hand for part of the day to relieve tight muscles. Their presence provided a welcome respite for many during the conference.

Upcoming Workshops - All interest groups are planning spring 2002 workshops. Several have confirmed dates and locations. Please see the Interest Group reports for specific dates and locations.

Membership Brochure - Membership Chair Betsy Blankenship distributed an updated membership brochure that reflects changes in our dues and revised committee information. A promotional poster is being developed and will be available next spring.

Archives to OHS - The ALAO Archives will be donated to the Ohio Historical Society. The Society will devise a finding aid and an inventory of the archived materials and will provide a safe, secure location for their storage. Because ALAO has relied on volunteer archivists in the past, the Archives have been moved from location to location as archivists changed. The chance of damage or loss of material increases with each year and each relocation. The Board feels it is important to preserve the organization's documentary past, and we have been successful in doing this. However, the Ohio Historical Society will provide continuity and a permanent location. Materials we feel will be used frequently, such as recent minutes and conference programs, will be stored by the ALAO Secretary. The Archives will be available to ALAO members and to other researchers. The Board takes this action to ensure that our archives will be available and accessible long into the future.

Membership Database on the Web - The Board voted to issue an RFP for a secure, interactive Web-based membership database. A task force of Board members crafted the RFP that features several levels of administrative security, searchable fields, and member access to the database. Printing options will include mailing labels and several formats of lists. The cost of the database will be paid from Reserve Funds set aside annually to fund one-time special projects such as this.

OHIO LIBRARY FOUNDATION REPORT

The Ohio Library Foundation held its annual meeting on October 11, 2001, at the Ohio Library Council offices in Columbus. Lynda Murray, the Interim OLC Co-Director and staff administrator of the Ohio Library Foundation, called the meeting to order.

A discussion was held concerning the actual ownership of the Drew Carey fund. It was thought that the Foundation was only holding the funds for the Ohio Library Council. A legal decision made it clear that the Foundation actually has full control of the fund. 2001 Ruth Hess Memorial Awards were awarded four individuals.

Old business focused on the need to rewrite the OLF brochure. A committee was appointed to review the brochure prior to publishing more copies. New business focused on a $10,000 grant proposal submitted by the OLC for a "Future Initiatives" conference to be held in place of the 2002 annual OLC conference. After a lively discussion, the vote was tied 3/3, and OLC withdrew the proposal.

Nominations were taken for the positions of board director-at-large. The next annual meeting will be held on October 10, 2002.

I was thrilled to see so many members at the Annual Conference. I hope each of you found something exciting to take away with you. I got to meet some of you in person and that is always great! Right now, we are in the midst of membership renewals for 2002. Remember that your membership runs from January 1 through December 31. If you did not renew with your conference registration, please use the renewal form below or visit our Website (www.alaoweb.org) and print off a membership form. We currently have 198 members renewed for 2002. Our 2001 membership is 584.

If you have any questions about ALAO membership, feel free to contact me (blankenship.5@osu.edu) or ask your institution liaison. We currently have liaisons in 82 institutions. They will be making themselves known at their institutions in the coming months. We welcome three new liaisons to our group: Lynne Downes (University of Toledo), George Klim (Ohionet), and Maureen Lerch (University of Akron-Wayne). Each of our liaisons will be glad to help you find answers to your questions. If your institution doesn't have a liaison, why not consider doing it yourself? It's a great way to start getting involved. Just let me know if you are interested.

TREASURER'S REPORT: Fiscal Year 2001

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2001, the Association's total income was $30,717.25, most of which came from membership dues and conference or workshop registrations. ALAO's total expenses for the year were $30,618.07. Of this, $20,837.32 was spent on programming for the membership, such as the annual conference and the interest group workshops. Operating expenses (supplies, postage, printing, etc.) totaled $4906.78. Other expenses, which included the minority scholarship and continuing education grants, totaled $4873.97.

December 2001 Newsletter Highlights

Contents