ALAO News

President's Report

Annual Conference Report: Celebrating 30 Years of Working Together

The David H. Ponitz Sinclair Center at Sinclair Community College in Dayton was the site for a memorable annual conference in ALAO’s history. This year marked our 30th anniversary as an organization and our 30th annual conference. I am so grateful for and encouraged by the swell of interest and excitement in our organization that the event displayed. The rundown of conference statistics is available below. Let me take this opportunity to thank a number of individuals who helped make the conference a success.

I must begin by recognizing the members of my program committee, to whom we all owe thanks for the endlessly creative, flawlessly organized, programmatically substantial effort we experienced on November 12. They are: Betsy Blankenship, Susan DiRenzo, Anne Fields, Kevin Furniss, Rajinder Garcha, Megan Kinney, Judy Perella, Deborah Carter Peoples, Karen Plummer, and Diane Schrecker. I have served on many a committee, even more than few good committees, but none have achieved the excellence of this one.

A keynote speaker sets the direction for a conference, and we were very fortunate to have Sarah M. Pritchard, University Librarian for the University of California Santa Barbara, serve this role for us. Her address set us forth with renewed focus and questions to answer in our institutions.

The program committee was very fortunate to have such a strong array of presentations and poster sessions that served as the heart of the conference. Thank you to those many librarians and library staff members who took the time to prepare and present their knowledge to the rest of us.

Much thanks to ALAO Secretary Jacky Johnson for writing and reading a proclamation that recounted and recognized ALAO’s history. Jacky also updated a handout for the conference packet that outlined ALAO’s history and prepared a poster session with photographs from ALAO’s past.

The ALAO Board is composed of dynamic individuals who have a desire to assist, support, and improve the work of library staff members. All of them had other responsibilities during the day of the conference, but they still took time to introduce and monitor presentation sessions. I thank them for adding to the culture and the coherence of our conference.

I want to thank some tremendous volunteers who offered their time and talents for a free lunch and a bag. Pat Connor, Carol Sewell, Beth Kattelmann (Kent State SLIS students), and Kris Carroll (a Kent State alum from Cuyahoga Community College) served as invaluable presences at our registration table, assisting and directing many of our conference-goers. Jeremiah Stikeleather and Frank Wolz (Wright State University library student assistants) were outstanding in providing technical assistance to presenters throughout the day.

Finally, and truly most of all, let me offer thanks to everyone reading this newsletter who is working on the staff of an academic library in the state of Ohio. ALAO spends a lot of effort putting on events and offering opportunities over the course of the year, but it is your day in and day out work that we wish to support and honor through our actions. I continue to be impressed with the high service standards and passion for student and faculty success that Ohio academic library staff exhibit. Congratulations to you for your excellent service. Be sure to compliment a colleague today for their efforts. And, if you were unable to attend the conference, be sure that colleagues who did share what they learned (and their vendor giveaways!).

As much fun as this conference was, I cannot help but look forward to next year’s event. The 31st annual conference will be held at the Fawcett Center at The Ohio State University in scenic Columbus on November 4, 2005. We hope you will consider doing a presentation at the conference, Setting the Stage: New Roles in the Library. More information is available at www.alaoweb.org/05conf/.

Annual Conference – By the Numbers

• 1 Pretty cool ALAO bag (for everyone who turned in a conference evaluation)
• 6 Interest Groups
• 7 ALAO awards
• 9 Incredible program committee members
• 11 ALAO award recipients
• 18 Board members who introduced sessions
• 19 Vendors
• 20 Poster sessions (including the ALAO history table and the Marketing Your Library Swap ‘n Shop)
• 25 Attendees from Wright State University (the institution with the highest number of attendees)
• 28 Presentations
• 30 Flash drives given away in honor of ALAO’s 30 years and 30 annual conferences
• 274 Attendees (from the four corners of Ohio)
• Too many chocolate pretzels (willpower, John, willpower)
• Countless new concepts, applications, products, and contacts to take home (thanks to all!)

[editor's note: 2004 Conference presentation materials can be found on the ALAO website: www.alaoweb.org/04conf/links2presentations.html]

Board Meeting Update

The ALAO Board has been hard at work, meeting twice since our June retreat. At our last meeting on November 4, the board completed or gave updates on a number of items that I think you should be aware of:

• The ALAO Constitution Review Committee presented its suggested revisions to the board and they were approved unanimously. These changes will soon to be sent on to the membership for a vote. Thanks to the committee, composed of Marcia Suter, Kathy Williams Wright, Jolene Miller, Karen Wilhoit, and chair Alison Ricker.
  
• Recognizing a change made in the constitutional revision, the board voted to award voting rights at board meetings for both elected and appointed board members. This change allows much wider participation in the business of the association. It is dependent, however, on membership approval of the revised constitution, and has therefore not yet gone into effect.
  
• Lois Szudy, Past President and chair of the Communications Review Committee, introduced a number of revisions to the ALAO Procedures Manual. These revisions are needed to update various activities and responsibilities for the association and its officers. The changes will be discussed and voted on at the February 10 board meeting.
  
• ALAO now has a new membership database ready for action. Rob Withers created the database to meet a number of needs identified by the board over the last several years. Membership Chair Brian Hickam is looking forward to having easier access to membership data to assist in locating members, identifying member interest in ALAO Interest Groups and other activities, and contacting members whose memberships have expired. Rob and Brian have worked closely with the exemplary Ohio College Association staff to make the database fully functional.

If you have questions about these or other board activities, or have suggestions for future board agenda items, please feel free to contact me at president@alaoweb.org.

Library Collaboration in Ohio: The Continuing Saga

In the last issue of the newsletter, I shared with you my interest in multi-type library collaboration in Ohio and some new opportunities for ALAO to join in collaborative efforts. I wanted to briefly update you on a recent event.

The first meeting of Libraries Connect Ohio Plus (LCO+) was held on November 22. LCO+ is comprised of representatives from the State Library of Ohio, OhioLINK, OPLIN, INFOhio, OELMA, OLC, and ALAO. Both I and Vice-President/President-elect Susan Scott were present. Our group will meet quarterly throughout the year, updating one another on our organization’s activities and working corporately to advance the type of cooperation that LCO has achieved already: the provision of several electronic resources (including the Ebscohost databases) to Ohio’s school, public, and academic library patrons. The initial projects for the group are (1) to coordinate the Ohio delegation from multi-type libraries to ALA’s National Legislative Day in the spring, and (2) to provide a common statement on the benefits, successes, and needs of all of Ohio’s libraries to be used in our separate state legislative days (also in the spring). I will keep you updated on these and future work from the group.

As I mentioned last time, I am trying to build a snapshot of how academic libraries in Ohio already cooperate with local school, public, or special libraries or other organizations. If you would, take a moment to share your library’s collaborative efforts with me in an email to president@alaoweb.org.

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Dates to Remember 2005

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ALAO - Call for Nominations

In the Spring, we will be electing officers for next year and we need your help with this process. The positions open are: Vice-President/President-Elect, Treasurer, and three Board Members-at-Large. The Vice-President/President-Elect must be (or become) a member of ACRL and maintain membership through term as President.

At a recent ALAO board meeting, the board voted to make a change in the bylaws. If the membership approves this change, the Public Relations Coordinator position will become an elected position. Should this happen, we will need volunteers for it as well. Therefore, I am including the information on this position, in case we need to elect someone to fill these duties.

Highlights of the duties of the positions open are outlined below:

Vice-President/President-Elect
1. Votes on issues brought before the Board.
2. Chairs the Program Committee (which plans the Annual Conference).
3. Acts as President upon authorization of the Executive Board.
4. Performs duties as assigned by the Executive Board.
5. Serves as ALAO President upon completion of term as Vice-President/President Elect.

President
1. Presides at all meetings of the Executive Board.
2. Votes on issues brought before the Board.
3. Appoints all committees.
4. May serve as a non-voting member of all standing committees.
5. Performs other duties required of the office or specifically authorized by the Executive Board.
6. Becomes Immediate Past President upon completion of term as President.

Immediate Past President
1. Votes on issues brought before the Board.
2. Chairs the Nominating Committee.
3. Chairs the Awards Committee.
4. Chairs the Communication Review Committee.
5. Serves ex-officio on the Diversity Committee.

Treasurer (two-year term)
1. Responsible for the oversight of the funds of the organization,
2. Reports the financial status of the organization at each Executive Board meeting and submits a written statement at that time,
3. Performs other duties as prescribed by the Executive Board.

Public Relations/Outreach Coordinator (two-year term)
1. Provides publicity for ALAO and its activities.
2. Provides strong fiscal management of Public Relations funds.
3. Performs other duties as prescribed by the Executive Board.

Board Member-at-Large (three to be elected, 2-year term)
1. Serves on the Executive Committee as a representative of the membership-at-large.
2. Votes on issues brought before the Board.
3. Serves on the Professional Development Committee.
4. Completes special assignments made by the President.

Any ALAO member is eligible to run for office. Note, as I mentioned above, the President and President Elect must both be members of ACRL. Terms of office begin during the Board Leadership retreat, which is held in June.

ALAO needs YOU! Please consider running for an office or nominating a colleague. This is your opportunity to make a difference, enhance your professional development, and expand your network of colleagues. Please contact me if you are interested.

Please send your nominations via e-mail, phone, fax, or surface mail by January 15, 2005 to:

Lois Szudy, Library Director
Courtright Memorial Library
1 Otterbein College
Westerville, OH 43081
(614) 823-1414
Fax: (614) 823-1921
LSzudy@otterbein.edu

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Ximena Chrisagis Honored for Distinguished Service

Ximena Chrisagis, Wright State University
Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award (on right, Lois Szudy)

The 2004 recipient of the ALAO’s Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award is Ximena Chrisagis. Ximena received her award at the annual conference on November 12, 2004, in Dayton, OH.

The Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award recognizes an ALAO member, of at least 5 years, who has promoted academic libraries and librarianship not only on their own campus, but within the state as well. It also recognizes someone who has provided leadership in the promotion of ALAO through service such as committee membership, executive board office, or interest group office. The Award was renamed the Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award in 1998 to honor the memory of Jay Ladd (1932-1997), a librarian from The Ohio State University. Jay was among the founding members of ALAO in 1973 and served as the first Secretary-Treasurer of the organization. He received the ALAO Distinguished service award in 1989.

Nominations are made by the members and evaluated by the Awards Committee, comprised of the Past President, Vice President and President.

This year’s award is presented to someone who shows commitment, leadership and dedication to ALAO. Ximena Chrisagis has been a member of ALAO since March 1996. She served as a Board member at large from 1999-2001 and is currently her university’s liaison to ALAO. Ximena works very hard at being the membership liaison. She hosts parties in the library’s staff lounge to encourage new members to join and to encourage current members to renew. She has been Wright State University’s most active membership liaison to date!

Ximena received her Master of Science in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1995 and her Master of Arts in History from Wright State University in 2003. She is active in a number of other professional organizations, including the Medical Library Association (where she is a member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals), and the Ohio Health Sciences Libraries Association (where she serves as Communication Chair and Newsletter Editor). Ximena is employed as a Health Sciences Librarian at Wright State University, where she is considered the kind of employee and colleague who is always willing to go the extra mile to help with whatever is needed.

Please join me in congratulating Ximena Chrisagis, the 2004 Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award winner.

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2005 Conference - Call for Presentations

Academic Library Association of Ohio
31st Annual Conference, November 4, 2005
Fawcett Center – Columbus, OH

Call for Presentations

Presentation and Poster Session Proposal Deadline: April 30, 2005

It’s time to be thinking about your presentation for the 2005 Conference. This year, the theme focuses on new roles. At the 2005 conference, Planning Committee members hope we can explore the stage, our library’s physical & virtual space, as well as new roles for librarians, staff and library administrators. Options for digital reference, information commons, marketing, recruitment, current technology are a few areas that come to mind. Please see the 2005 Call for Proposals [www.alaoweb.org/05conf/call.html] on the ALAO Conference website for details.

Conference Planning Committee members [www.alaoweb.org/05conf/committee.html] are listed on the ALAO website. If you have any questions concerning this Call for Presentations, please let one of the committee members know.

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Membership News

I enjoyed meeting so many folks at the Membership Table during this year’s ALAO Conference. Thanks to all who stopped by to become liaisons, update contact information, talk about ALAO, or just to say “Howdy.” Here are some numbers on our conference attendance: 296 people registered in advance for the November 12th, 2004 Conference; this included 9 student registrations, 8 of whom signed up for ALAO membership. Nearly 50 others registered on site. A special thanks goes out to the six students from Kent State and Wright State who volunteered to assist with registrations, directions, and other attendee needs.

All memberships run from January to December. As can be expected, there is always much activity due to the approaching end of the calendar year and around the Annual (fall) Conference. We had: 169 renewals with conference registrations (both advance and the day of the conference); 3 student renewals; 17 new ALAO members; and 6 new student members.

The ALAO Membership database is currently being updated with the many renewals and new member applications. Brian will be sending institutional reports to each liaison once all the updates are complete. At present, our association is approaching 500 members for 2005; new members that joined in 2004: 49+; 2003 Non-renewing Members: 164; 2002 Non-renewing Members: 118.

ALAO membership listserv

The new online membership database will make it easier than ever before to maintain our ALAO Listserv. At the conference, I asked for people’s ideas regarding a “rejuvenated” ALAO Listserv. The general opinion is that we don’t need another library list, but folks would appreciate hearing about ALAO activities, such as workshops, elections, the conference, and noteworthy Board, Committee, Interest Group, and Institutional Member news. Look for the “new” list in early 2005. Every member who is placed on the list will have the option of removing him/herself.

Does your institution have an ALAO Liaison?

Without listing names, there are currently 16 member institutions without a liaison. Brian will be contacting members of those organizations in an effort to find volunteers. Please email Brian Hickam if you wish to be informed who your liaison is, or if you wish to volunteer to be one (Brian.Hickam@utoledo.edu).

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2004 Conference Winners

ALAO 30th Anniversary Special Giveaway: 30 Computer Flash Key Winners

Haipeng Li (Oberlin)	Donna Jacobs (Wooster)	Debbie Tenofsky (UC)
Colleen Boff (BG)	Phil Flynn (WSU)	Ken Burhanna (KSU)
Holly Morse (MCO)	Jim Clasper (UC)	Joyce Burnett (Southern Ohio College)
Paul Nixon (Mt.Vernon)	Alisa Mizikar (Wittenberg)	Ann Watson (Denison)
Judith Carroll (KSU)	Grace Hammond (Oberlin)	Frank Bove (UAkron)
Lori Fielding (UAkron)	Kristi Rotroff (Northwest State)	Mary Beth Zachary (BG)
Diana Kaylor (WSU)	Kathy Salgado (Kettering)	Erin Peters (Kettering)
Russell Tinkham (UAkron)	Kathryn Reynolds (WSU)	Beth Anderson (WSU)
Rocki Strader (OSU)	Doris Ebbert (Otterbein)	Chris Sheetz (LCCC)
Deborah Chlebek (WSU)	Kristen Riley (SCC)	Martha Kluth (UAkron)

Vendor Prizes & Giveaways

• SWETS Information Services - Paul Nixon
• Global Compliance Network - Patricia Lawrence
• Proquest - Bob Garland and Corey Seeman
• Information Management Services - Martin Jamison and Johnett Benson-Soros
• H.W. Wilson - Nancy Emrick, Mary Lou Reynolds, Paul Weaver

ALAO Award Winners

Joe Salem, Kent State Libraries
Legislative Advocate Travel Award (on left, Ann Watson)

Joyce Laurence, Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Library Outstanding Support Staff Award (on left, Angie Lorenson)

Hairong Zhu, Student - Kent State
ALAO Minority Scholarship Award

[photo not available] Linda Dobb, Bowling Green - Ohio Library Outstanding Supporter of Support Staff Award

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Government Relations & Legislative News

Susan Scott, Rep. David R. Evans, and Ann Watson

State Representative Visits Denison University Library

Wednesday, October 6, Republican State Representative David R. Evans, Ohio House District 71, visited Denison University's Library. Lynn Scott "Scottie" Cochrane, Library Director at Denison, invited local Representative Evans to hear first hand accounts of the significant contributions of OhioLINK from faculty, students and library staff. Mary Prophet, Deputy Director and Debra Andreadis, Science Liaison Librarian, presented a thirty minute demonstration of the OhioLINK catalog and a few selected OhioLINK databases for Representative Evans.

Following the demonstration, Denison University's Provost and faculty members, representing various departments across campus, participated in an informal conversation with Representative Evans on the value OhioLINK brings to their classes and research. Numerous Denison librarians and staff members participated in the reception, conversation and refreshments with Representative Evans. The informational visit ended with a tour of the campus, conducted by several Denison students, as well as the head of the Denison University College Republicans Club. Representative Evans was eager to come to Denison to meet with university faculty and library staff. The successful event was planned by several library staff members.

The ALAO Government Relations Team strongly encourages other university and college libraries to invite their local representatives to campus to learn more about the value of OhioLINK and the importance an academic library plays in their community. If you would like any information on how to organize an event such as this for your library, please contact Ann M. Watson at watsona@denison.edu.

State Representative David R. Evans meeting with Denison University library staff

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ALA Legislative Day - Travel Award Opportunity

ALAO Legislative Advocates: Don't miss applying for a $600.00 travel award for participants in ALA's Legislative Day in Washington, D.C., May 3-4, 2005.

As a member of the official Ohio delegation, the winner of this award, along with a member of the Government Relations team, will attend a meeting of the delegation from Ohio and a briefing from the ALA Washington Office staff, as well as an appointment with your legislator and staff.

It is easy to apply. Simply send a letter (or email message) of interest to Ann M. Watson (watsona@denison.edu OR Denison University Library, Box L, Granville, OH 43023). Include in your letter a brief description of your advocacy activity and issue involvement through ALAO or other civic organizations. Include also the name and phone number of a reference who is familiar with your advocacy efforts and interest. If you have limited experience but have the interest in learning more about legislative advocacy, you are encouraged to apply.

The deadline for applying is March 15, 2005. The winner will be named in plenty of time to make travel plans. The Government Relations Team is looking forward to hearing from you!

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Diversity Committee News

The Diversity Committee sponsored a session at the ALAO Annual Conference Dayton on November 12, 2004, called, “Planting the Seeds of Diversity – Fostering an Interest in Librarianship among Talented Undergraduates.” Diversity Committee Chair Megan Kinney presented to an audience of 21 people with two of the participants in the recruitment program, Grace Hammond and Teresa Collins. The presentation showcased the various components of the 3-year librarian recruitment program funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The session was well-received and the participants definitely stole the show!

The Diversity Committee also sponsored an information table at the 2004 conference. The display included a graphical representation of statistics from a study by Mary Jo Lynch (1998), “Racial and Ethnic Diversity Among Librarians: A Status Report,” along with pamphlets and other PR pieces from ALA offices such as the Office of Diversity, HRDR, and the Allied Professional Association. A recent Call for Proposals for the first-ever Joint Conference for Librarians of Color was also posted at the table. The table offered information and solicited it as well: there was a sheet provided for ALAO members to indicate if their home institutions had Library Diversity Committees. The ALAO the Diversity Committee also solicited ideas for workshops. A few of the ideas include: Identifying “hidden” or “underemphasized” diversity in libraries and building on that; a program that addresses the diversity of different generations of library workers; the impact of social class on our work lives. The Diversity Committee hopes to take one of these ideas and transform it into a useful workshop for ALAO members. Keep your eyes peeled this spring!

Megan C. Kinney, Mellon Librarian Recruitment Program Coordinator

Oberlin College Library

148 W. College St.

Oberlin, OH 44074-1545

Phone: 440-775-8081

Email: megan.kinney@oberlin.edu

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Interest Group News

Curriculum Materials Center Interest Group

Greetings from the 30th Annual ALAO Conference held Friday, November 12, at the David H. Ponitz Sinclair Center in Dayton. The Curriculum Materials Center Interest Group welcomed Missy Lodge, State Library Ohio, as the featured speaker for our sponsored session LSTA 101. As the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) program co-coordinator and the liaison with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for the Ohio program, Missy provided a unique perspective to crafting an LSTA grant.

This session encompassed an overview of Ohio's LSTA program, reviewed previously funded projects to academic libraries, and presented information geared toward helping participants determine if applying for an LSTA grant is a feasible goal for their institution. Of particular interest to session attendees, Missy also works with individual grants from idea inception through the termination and year after report. The program concluded with a short question and answer session.

Ann Watson (Denison), Government Relations Team, addressed the CMCIG session prior to our featured speaker. LSTA is a government funded initiative for state libraries. Ann reminded us that the Government Relations team purpose and mission is to enhance ALAO's legislative advocacy efforts at the state and federal levels of government. Members were encouraged to volunteer and participate with this committee.

CMCIG also sponsored an Interest Group table at the conference which included informational handouts, an opportunity for interested members to sign up, and visual aids for sharing ideas. Special thanks to Greg Martin, Cedarville University, for preparing our poster and providing the accompanying treats.

What is next for CMCIG? Flush from our successful conference session, we are currently in the planning stages for our 2005 spring workshop. If you have any ideas for workshop sessions, feel free to contact any of the CMCIG coordinating committee members or post them on the CMCIG list.

Visit us on the ALAO web site @ www.alaoweb.org/comsigs/cmcig/index.html

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Distance Learning Interest Group

The Distance Learning Interest Group (DLIG) has been resuscitated and was represented at the 30th annual ALAO conference. The DLIG sponsored a session showcasing a unique application of distance learning. Colleen Boff from Bowling Green State University presented "The Library's Role in Recruiting New Students: A New Approach to High School Outreach." The session highlighted BGSU’s successful distance learning program that focuses on library orientation and instruction for regional high school students.

DLIG also had the opportunity to sponsor an information table at the conference. The table was used to introduce topics concerning distance learning and to assess interest from ALAO members who would like to receive information about the group and become involved in the group’s activities. A brief survey revealed that the distance education topics that most concern our members are:

• Collaboration with faculty members or instructional designers
• Web tutorials
• Library integration into courseware such as WebCT or Blackboard

A workshop addressing one of these topics will be held in late spring. If you have suggestions for presenters or a workshop location, or would like to be informed as more information becomes available, please let us know.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table. One question we were asked at the conference was, “Does it cost anything to join an Interest Group?” No, an interest group is simply a group of members who are interested in opportunities to identify and discuss relevant issues, share information, explore avenues of cooperation, and plan opportunities for continuing education. We encourage you to consider becoming a member of the Distance Learning Interest Group. We are interested in hearing your ideas!

For more information or to share suggestions, please contact co-chairs, Kathryn Venditti at kvenditt@ashland.edu, or Cindy Kristof at ckristof@kent.edu.

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Instruction Interest Group

Thank you to Marcia King-Blandford (University of Toledo), who has agreed to co-chair the IIG next year. She will replace Chris Sheetz, effective with the 2005 Leadership Retreat in June. We are grateful that Marcia responded to our call for volunteers!

Twenty-one people participated in the interest group's Annual Conference session "Applying Learning Objects to Information Literacy." As noted in the conference program, "learning objects are digital resources created purposefully for learning, and include components of teaching, feedback and testing. They can be used in different contexts, times and places." Karen Diaz, Ohio State University, discussed the use of WebCT to create a learning object (LO) that is being used for the first time this semester. It was designed for the 120+ Survey 100 courses taught yearly at Ohio State. With the aid of an instructional designer, four librarians created a series of exercises in WebCT to give students practice with a number of Web-based research tools and the skills to think critically about which tools to use for specific information needs. Over 3,200 students have used the LO since the semester began. Development of the LO was supported by a Technology Enhanced Learning and Research (TELR) grant from OSU.

Kathy Dobda and Ken Burhanna, Cleveland State University, described the online tutorial Hands On Library Instruction, developed with faculty support and now utilized in various courses. Faculty focus groups were instrumental in the design phase of the tutorial, created with Macromedia Flash and RoboDemo (also known as Captivate). More information is at www.ulib.csuohio.edu/help/hands-on/index.html. Rosemary Franklin, Ohio State University, provided information on incorporating LOs into Blackboard. She recommended a small project as a first attempt at creating a learning object; "chunking" information for a specific course, and addressing just one task at a time. During discussion TILT was recommended as a model or resource for development: tilt.lib.utsystem.edu/resources/index.html.

The conference session began with a very brief business meeting and an invitation to sign up for the IIG email list. That email list will be used to generate discussion regarding a spring workshop. Planning for the workshop must begin as soon as possible and we invite all instruction and information literacy librarians to join that conversation! Please contact the co-chairs to offer suggestions and help plan the spring workshop: Chris Sheetz, Lorain County Community College, csheetz@lorainccc.edu; or Alison Ricker, Oberlin College, aricker@oberlin.edu.

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Support Staff Interest Group

The Support Staff Interest Group had an amazing presence at the 30th Annual ALAO Conference on November 12, 2004. In addition to our information table complete with handouts and candy, we also made appearances in a sponsored session and during lunch as our Outstanding Awards were presented.

Joy Ramos from the University of Akron announced the winners of the Outstanding Awards to unsuspecting recipients. The SSIG is proud to have presented the 2004 Outstanding Ohio Support Staff Award to Joyce Laurence from Ohio Wesleyan University and the 2004 Outstanding Ohio Supporter of Support Staff Award to Linda Dobb from Bowling Green State University. Each recipient received a certificate, plaque, box of candy, free registration to next year’s ALAO annual conference, and a free registration to a Regional Library System workshop. Both of these recipients are more than deserving of these awards. Keep these awards in mind for next year. Nominations are due at the end of July.

This year the SSIG also sponsored a panel discussion entitled “You Do 'What' at the Library? Positioning Ourselves to Look at Alternative Employment Opportunities." With Gaynelle Predmore from Bowling Green State University moderating, this panel discussion was entertaining and informative. A big thank you goes to our panelists; Brian Gray and Joy Ramos both from the University of Akron, Karen Ketchaver from John Carroll University, and Angie Lorensen from the Northwest Ohio Regional Book Depository.

The SSIG is now focused on planning the spring workshop. Our planning meeting was held on December 8, 2004 from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM at Ashland University. Anyone interested in joining us or wanting more information, please contact Angie Lorensen by phone at 419-874-4891 or by email at asloren@bgnet.bgsu.edu.

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Technical Services Interest Group

The TSIG has set a date of March 4th for their annual spring workshop “Working Today–Preparing for Tomorrow” [flyer] which will be held at Kent State University this year. Other details are still in the planning stages but a registration form should be available by email or from the ALAO web site within the next few months. If you would like to receive workshop registration information via email please send a message to Jody Perkins at perkintj@muohio.edu Due to unforeseen circumstances, a business meeting was not held at the annual conference in Dayton. It has been rescheduled to occur immediately following the workshop in March.

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News From Ohio Library Organizations

NOTSL

The Northern Ohio Technical Services Librarians Fall program took place October 29th at Cuyahoga County Public Library’s Administrative Building. The speaker was Carol Bradsher. The slides for her presentation “SUBJECT HEADINGS: the province of Luddites or key to effective resource discovery?” are online at www.notsl.org/NOTSLprograms.htm.

In related news, NOTSL is now listed as an Approved Continuing Professional Development Provider for the “OLC Ohio Public Librarian Certification Program” (olc.org/certification.asp).

OCLIS

The Ohio Council of Library and Information Services has started using a new web domain: www.oclis.org. Member organizations are encourage to spread the news and to send any notices of events to Mary Conroy, Library Services Coordinator at OHIONET (mconroy@ohionet.org). In related news, OCLIS is now its own fiscal agent. It had formerly been the Ohio Library Foundation.

All OCLIS members, which probably includes you the reader, are encouraged to come and hear Joanne Budler, State Librarian, at the February 15th, 2005 OCLIS meeting. The meeting will take place at the State Library.

OHSLA

The Ohio Health Sciences Library Association wishes to spread the word that the Columbus campus of Kent State University’s School of Library and Information Science started offering a Health Sciences Librarianship course this fall. Information on the “School of Library & Information Science @ Columbus” can be found at www.slis.ohio-state.edu/index.htm.

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People and Library News

Bowling Green State University

Kelly M. Broughton has been appointed Interim Associate Dean for Information Technology at University Libraries, Bowling Green State University effective October 1, 2004. Ms. Broughton continues to serve as Interim Coordinator of Library Information & Technology Services and has oversight for the implementation and revision of the UL Technology Plan among other related responsibilities.

Hiram College

Demetria Patrick is the new Electronic Resources/Reference Librarian at the Hiram College Library. She received her M.L.S. from Wayne State University, and was previously a Minority Resident Librarian at Miami University. In addition to general reference and instruction duties, she will be the Library’s liason to several departments in the humanities and fine arts, the Webmaster, and the OhioLINK Lead Implementor. Demetria can be reached at patrickde@hiram.edu.

OSU-Marion/Marion Technical College

 

The Marion Campus Library staff decorated a library-themed Christmas tree as part of a scholarship project for Marion Technical College. 28 trees decorated by various departments were auctioned online on December 2, and raised money for Marion Technical College student scholarships. The library tree was decorated with handmade bookmarks and books made by library staff and featured the action librarian figure Nancy Pearle as the tree topper. Marion Technical College raised $1,613 for their Development Fund. The winning bid for the library tree was $25.

Pat Wood, Library Associate, recently received her Associate of Arts degree from Ohio State University. She is currently working on a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

Betsy Blankenship, Director, recently served as an application reviewer for "Changing the Face of Medicine; Celebrating America's Women Physicians," a National Library of Medicine-funded traveling exhibition project administered by the American Library Association.

Betsy Blankenship also co-presented with Diane Schrecker (Ashland University) the poster session "ALAO - Programming for Success" at the ALAO 30th Annual Conference, November 12, 2004.

University of Toledo

Alice Crosetto has accepted the position of “Acquisitions Librarian” at the University of Toledo. She is to start in January. Alice has been Head Instructional Media & Technical Services at Ursuline College.

Wright State University

Congratulations to Solomon Waderie, formerly Library Associate at the Fordham Health Sciences Library. He has been appointed Evening Information Delivery Services Coordinator for the WSU Libraries, effective November 1. Solomon participated in the Ohio Support Staff Institute, and he has worked at Wright State University since 1983.

Congratulations to Alex Pittman for his 25 years of service to WSU as Director of the Lake Campus Library.

Charlotte Droll, Humanities Librarian and Mary Lou Baker Jones, Science and Humanities Librarian presented the poster session “In-Class Reference Assistance” at the ALAO Annual Conference on November 12. This poster session was the result of a request by a writing teacher over a year ago for two staff members to work one-on-one with students right in their electronic classrooms. As a result, new students produce better work and are far more aware of the Libraries' resources and services. The Reference staff is now positioned to offer excellent service in a new setting.

WSU Libraries Offering Patent Research Workshop - January 8th

Persons interested in knowing more about patent research are invited to a free patent research workshop offered by the Wright State University Libraries. The workshop will be held Saturday afternoon, January 8th, from 1 to 4 p.m. in Room 241 of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library on the WSU main campus. Designed for the beginning inventor, the workshop offers basic patent information and search techniques for using the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) web site and databases.

The workshop will cover the basics of intellectual property, various options for filing a patent, the purpose of a patent search, and various classification systems. The hands-on workshop will provide practical advice for both U.S. and international patent research.

Wright State’s Dunbar Library houses a U.S. Patent and Trademark Depository Library with over 6.4 million patents stored on DVD. Most of the patents contain information not published elsewhere. Trademarks provide an equally fascinating record of creativity and innovation in commerce and industry.

Seating for the workshop is limited. For more information or to register, contact Ran Raider, Patent and Trademark Reference Specialist for the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library, at ran.raider@wright.edu or by calling (937) 775-3521.

Youngstown State University

New Librarians: As the University welcomes the new faculty for this new academic year, we have three new librarians in Maag Library. Valerie Burnett, Assistant Reference Librarian, provides support for the Science and Engineering fields. Since earning her Master's in Library Science from Clarion University, Valerie has acquired an extensive background in school and public librarianship in various positions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Valerie is eager to work with and assist the YSU community with their information needs.

Shelly Xiaoli Zhu started her service in Maag library in July 2004 as the Electronic Services Librarian. She also works as liaison librarian for the Computer Science Department and School of Technology. Shelly is willing to use her computer science background and library education to connect information services in Maag Library with university needs.

Laura Carscaddon, Business Reference Librarian, has a background in Internal Audit along with a Master's in Information Science from the University of Tennessee. Laura began at Maag Library on September 13. Laura will provide general reference service and serve as liaison librarian to the Williamson College of Business Administration and the Economics Department.

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About the ALAO Newsletter

ALAO Newsletter Publication Information

The ALAO Newsletter is published four times a year by the Academic Library Association of Ohio, in September, December, March, and June. It is made available as a benefit of membership. The purpose of the ALAO Newsletter is to advance the goals of the organization and serve the membership.

Deadlines for Contributors:
August 15, November 15, February 15, May 15.

Submission Guidelines:
We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. Please send text copy and photos to Carol Wittig in electronic format. Include your name as you wish it to appear. If you are past deadline, PLEASE email Carol Wittig!

The Academic Library Association of Ohio assumes no responsibility for the statements and opinions of the contributors to this publication. Editorial views do not necessarily represent the official position of ALAO.

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