ALAO News
President's Report
At the September 2005 ALAO Board meeting, discussion of a contribution to libraries hit by Katrina was initiated. With the support of the membership, offered in applause during the business meeting of the 2005 Conference, the Board voted in the November meeting to send $3000.00 to the effort. A letter and check were sent in December to the ALA Hurricane Katrina Library Relief Fund. Current information indicates that collected funds will be disbursed by ALA via the state libraries of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama as they see fit. We did request that funds be directed to academic libraries although there is no guarantee that our specific funds would be used by this type of library. Nevertheless, the generosity of our membership, supporters of libraries of all kinds and types, will surely be appreciated by many library users we will never know. Thanks members, for supporting colleagues in need.
2006 Conference Planning Update

The 2006 Planning Committee is moving along with planning for the annual conference next November 2006. The conference will be held in Akron , Ohio at the unique Crowne Plaza Quaker Square . The hotel, which is the former factory for Quaker Oats, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places; the silos are a soaring 120 feet tall and 24 feet in diameter. Because of the shape of the silos, each room in the Crowne Plaza Quaker Square is totally round. The conference theme is: Recipes for Library Success: Ingredients, Process, Products. The Call for Proposals is now available at the 2006 conference website http://www.alaoweb.org/06conf/ . Please check the website regularly as we update it with conference information, speaker announcements, etc. The 2006 Conference Planning Committee will meet on December 2, 2005 at OhioNet.
2006 ALAO Annual Leadership Retreat
Dates for the annual leadership retreat have been set. The retreat will be held on: Monday June 5- Tuesday June 6, 2006 . The leadership retreat will be held at the Cherry Valley Lodge in Newark , Ohio.
Dates to Remember 2005-2006
| DATE | EVENT |
|---|---|
| Dec. 30, 2005 | Proposals due - Art of Picture Book Conference |
| Jan. 20-25, 2006 | ALA Midwinter |
| Jan. 27, 2006 | 2006 Conference Committee meets in Akron |
| Jan. 31, 2006 | Continuing education grant applications due |
| February 15, 2006 | ALAO Executive Board Meeting at OHIONET ALAO Newsletter submissions due |
| Apr. 2-8, 2006 | National Library Week |
| Apr. 20, 2006 | OHIONET Annual Meeting, University Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, Columbus |
| Apr. 27, 2006 | ALAO Executive Board Meeting at OHIONET |
2005 Conference Door Prize and Vendor Award Winners
It was a MAD Conference. In fact, many attendees "got" MAD …..items to take home, winning in the Conference drawing!
MAD winners were:
| Peter Szabo (Ohio Wesleyan) | Nancy Emrick (Owens CC) |
| Matt Polcyn (OhioNET) | Laurinda Gruber (Columbus State CC) |
| Jeane Somers (John Carrol) | Carol Sewell (KSU SLIS student) |
| Melanie Smith (UAkron) | Marcia King-Blandford (UToledo) |
| Jennifer Robinson (Cincinnati State Technical & CC) | Pat Antonelli (BGSU Firelands) |
| Dee Benner (Southern State CC) |
Other Winners
- Mary Ayers (Southern State Community College) - OSU folding chairInformation Management Services
- Sue Polanka (Wright State) - Gift basket Central Business Equipment
- Kathleen Aufderhaar (Bluffton) - "Made in Washington" gift basket Serials Solutions
- Bob Schirmer (U Findlay) - $50.00 Barnes & Noble gift certificate Proquest
- Elaine Dickens (Capital) - iPod Lexis-Nexis
Ohio Library Support Staff Interest Group News
The Ohio Library Support Staff Institute held its fourth annual conference Sunday, July 31 st through Tuesday, August 2 nd , 2005 on the beautiful campus of Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio.
The OLSSI Steering Committee worked all year putting together a conference composed of ten regular classes, three "Library Snapshots", a library tour, entertainment, and more. Besides library employees from Ohio, this year's event also brought people from West Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Texas. There were sixty attendees overall.

As in previous years, three scholarships -covering the complete conference cost- were offered by means of an essay competition. For the first time, a fourth scholarship was given by raffle at ALA's summer conference in Chicago by Doug Morrison, one of OLSSI's founders.
2006 Conference Planning Incorporates New Communication Vehicles
The Ohio Library Support Staff Institute will hold its fifth annual conference Sunday, July 23 rd through Tuesday, July 25 th , 2006 at Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio.
OLSSI added many new people to the Steering Committee this year. The officers for the 2005/2006 planning season are P.M. (Michael) Bradshaw (Chairperson), Amy Pickenpaugh (Immediate Past Chairperson), Susan Burt (Vice-Chair of Instructor Coordination), John Crissinger (Vice-Chair of Site Coordination), Terry Butterworth (Treasurer/Secretary), Dorrie Sacksteder (Web Manager & Graphics Coordinator), Douglas Morrison (Archivist/Historian), and Katherine Williams Wright (Ohio College Association Representative).
The Institute will again be awarding several scholarships to new attendees via an essay contest, and plans to award a scholarship at both the ALAO conference and the ALA summer conference in New Orleans.
Besides the work of planning our own conference at Wilmington College, OLSSI has also begun work on several other new projects, including a blog, a possible podcast, and a newsletter. All these new developments are our attempt to better inform, educate, and enhance the library community as a whole, and library support staff in particular. The more forums we make available to support staff, the greater the opportunity for people to learn, grow, network, and cooperate, helping ALL libraries – across Ohio and beyond !
Government Relations & Legislative News
Statehouse Connect Day – April 13, 2006: Mark your calendars! Thursday, April 13, 2006 is the date for this year’s Statehouse Connect Day, a combined effort between OhioLINK and ALAO's Government Relations Team. Statehouse Connect Day offers OhioLINK directors and librarians an opportunity to come to Columbus to meet with our state representatives to express the value of OhioLINK and discuss other legislative issues important to Ohio's academic libraries. This is a wonderful and rewarding opportunity, as a librarian and citizen, to be a voice for our academic libraries and the communities they serve. Further details, including speakers and locations, will be announced as plans are finalized.
Feel free to contact any member of the Government Relations Team for more information.
| Cindy Kristof – ckristof@kent.edu Joe Salem – jsalem@kent.edu Paul Burnam – pdburnam@owu.edu |
ALAO Legislative Advocate Travel Award:
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 1-2, 2006. 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 Joe Salem (jsalem@kent.edu OR Libraries and Media Services, Kent State University, P.O. Box 5190, Kent, OH 44242). Your letter should include 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, 2006. The winner will be named in plenty of time to make travel plans. The Government Relations Team is looking forward to hearing from you.
Membership News
As of November 2nd, 2005, there are 2 members current through December 2009; 12 members current through 2007; and 192 through 2006 (for a total of 206). 273 ALAO members are listed as current through December 2005 (bringing the number of current members to 479 ). We expect many of these members to renew through 2006 over the next few months. My membership drive has been rescheduled to February 2006. I will send some "membership drive" emails directly to "recently"-expired members (i.e. 2003 and 2004 expirations); others will be sent to the ALAO Liaisons for posting and solicitation. There were 108 members whose memberships expired in 2004 and 138 in 2003. While a number of these individuals have retired or taken employment elsewhere, we expect many of those who remain to renew their memberships as a result of the promotional drive.
Call for Nominations
This spring, we will be electing officers for 2006/2007 and we need your help with this process. ALAO’s future as an organization can only be strengthened by the ongoing participation of its members in officer positions. In spring 2006, the following positions are open for nominations: Vice-President/President-Elect, Secretary, Membership Chair, and three Board Members-at-Large. Highlights of the duties of these positions are outlined below:
- Vice-President/President-Elect
- Votes on issues brought before the Board.
- Chairs the Program Committee (which plans the Annual Conference).
- Acts as President upon authorization of the Executive Board.
- Performs duties as assigned by the Executive Board.
- Serves as ALAO President upon completion of term as Vice-President/President Elect.
- President
- Presides at all meetings of the Executive Board.
- Votes on issues brought before the Board.
- Appoints all committees.
- May serve as a non-voting member of all standing committees.
- Performs other duties required of the office or specifically authorized by the Executive Board.
- Becomes Immediate Past President upon completion of term as President.
- Past President
- Votes on issues brought before the Board.
- Chairs the Nominating Committee.
- Chairs the Awards Committee.
- Chairs the Communication Review Committee.
- Serves ex-officio on the Diversity Committee.
- Secretary (two-year term)
- Attends Board meetings and records the proceedings
- Insures timely distribution of the minutes to the Board and the membership through the ALAO web site.
- Collects materials be submitted to the Chapter archives
- Performs other duties as required by the Board
- Membership Chair (two-year term)
- Promotes membership in ALAO and ACRL and welcomes new members.
- Reports status of membership and related membership issues at Executive Board meetings.
- Maintains records of current Chapter members and answers queries about membership status.
- Communicates with ALAO liaisons at each institution and supports recruitment efforts; appoints new ALAO liaisons as needed.
- Serves as a member of the Budget and Planning Committee.
- Board Member-at-Large (three to be elected, two-year term)
- Serves on the Executive Committee as a representative of the membership-at-large.
- Votes on issues brought before the Board.
- Serves on the Professional Development Committee.
- Completes special assignments made by the President.
Any ALAO member is eligible to run for office. The only additional requirement is that the President and Vice President/President Elect must 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 mail by January 31, 2005 to:
| John Burke, Interim Library Director Gardner-Harvey Library Miami University Middletown 4200 E. University Blvd. Middletown, OH 45042 (513) 727-3293 Fax: (513) 727-3434 burkejj@muohio.edu |
Interest Group News
Collection Management Interest Group
CMIG, The Collection Management Interest Group, is planning a workshop for May, 2006 (date yet to be determined) at Denison University. The topic: Show Me the Money: Exploring How Budgets Impact Collection Management. There will be speakers, panel presentations, or discussion sessions on: How to get funding - grant writing and endowments; Managing money - budget allocations; Budget troubles - freezes and cuts; Protecting your investment - appraising and insuring collections. Stay tuned to the ALAO Newsletter and to the various TS & CD email lists in the state for more information as the program is developed.
Curriculum Materials Interest Group
The Curriculum Materials Center Interest Group sponsored a session at the 31 st Annual ALAO Conference held on Friday, November 4, 2005 , at the Fawcett Center on the campus of The Ohio State University. Our workshop was entitled Blogging: Current Practices & Applications for the Education Community . The panel was made up of Jennifer Barth of Miami University , Jp Brennan of Capital University ; Mary E. Cummings of Shawnee State University , and Debi Stears of Mount Union College . The panelists discussed the opportunities that blogging provides for education librarians to improve communication and collaboration in PreK-12 education and pre-service training.
In addition to the workshop, the CMCIG also sponsored an Interest Group table at the conference. Conference attendees could pick up information about the CMCIG, express their interest in getting involved in ALAO, and sign up for further information about the CMCIG. There were also cards and signs announcing the Spring 2006 workshop and plenty of treats.
Next on the agenda for the CMCIG is planning for the Spring 2006 workshop.
The workshop will be held at Cedarville University on Friday, May 19, 2006 . The theme of the workshop is "Planting Seeds for Professional Growth." Although we have discussed several different ideas for workshop sessions, we are still open to suggestions from interested people. If there is something you would like the CMCIG to address at the Spring workshop, please contact one of the members of the co-ordinating committee or post your ideas on the CMCIG listserv.
Distance Learning Interest Group
The DLIG sponsored a well-attended session at the ALAO Annual Conference on November 4. Librarians Pat Antonelli from Bowling Green / Firelands and Nashieli Marcano from the University of Akron presented "Library Instruction Venue: Classroom or Cyberspace?" Based on their experiences in co-teaching a library research class, Antonelli and Marcano compared the advantages and disadvantages of face-to-face and online instruction venues and shared effective adaptations for achieving optimal learning outcomes in either environment.
The DLIG also hosted an information table at the conference. Kathryn Venditti and committee member Melanie Smith staffed the table and had a chance to chat with conference attendees about their interests and ideas for future projects.
The DLIG will use feedback from the conference and past workshops to start planning a workshop for spring 2006. If you are interested in helping us plan or have ideas for a theme, topic, speaker(s) or would like to suggest a location, please contact Kathryn Venditti kvenditt@ashland.edu. We would welcome your help!
Diversity Committee
The Diversity Committee officially welcomes its newest member, Elizabeth (Betsy) Salt ( Otterbein College ). Betsy presented a poster session at the Annual Conference called, "Global Library Outreach: From Ohio to Montserrat , West Indies ." The Montserrat Public Library was completely destroyed by volcanic eruptions in 1995-1997.
Betsy played a vital role in rebuilding the library's book and media collections. In fact, she continues to help the library to this day, and plans to make another visit soon. Needless to say, Betsy is an incredible asset to the Diversity Committee, ALAO, and libraries!
The Diversity Committee sponsored a session at the Annual Conference on November 4, 2005 . Dr. Scott Walter of the University of Kansas presented, "Instructional Outreach and Campus Diversity: Building Partnerships with Multicultural Student Services" to a packed room of about fifty conference goers. The PowerPoint slides for his presentation are available online through KU ScholarWorks at https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/dspace/handle/1808/741.
The Diversity Committee also hosted an informational table at the conference, highlighting current research in diversity issues and advertising our upcoming spring workshop on generational differences in the workplace. The workshop will be held Friday, May 5, 2006 at the State Library in Columbus . Please contact Megan Kinney for details at 440-775-8081 or megan.kinney@oberlin.edu.
Instruction Interest Group
A Natural Fit: Librarians and Learner-Centered Pedagogies
With the wave of a magic wand, Pam Bach and Barb Macke, from The University of Cincinnati, turned an audience of over 100 participants into 18 year old college freshmen, as they demonstrated Problem Based Learning (PBL) techniques as part of their instruction initiatives for college composition students. PBL is the instructional practice of using a real-life scenario or problem that requires students to work cooperatively in groups to better understand their approach to examining the issue. Introducing PBL concepts, demonstrating their integration into an instruction class, and, then offering a hands-on opportunity for the workshop attendees to participate created an exciting and meaningful learning experience. Alison Ricker, Co-chair of the Instruction Interest Group, invited the participants to submit ideas for upcoming IIG. Ideas can continue to be submitted to Alison Ricker at Alison.ricker@oberlin.edu or Marcia King-Blandford at Marica.King-Blandford@utoledo.edu
Professional Development Interest Group
The Professional Development Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of the Fall 2005 Continuing Education Grants.
Elizabeth Burns, Ohio State University-Mansfield, was awarded a grant to complete an online Certified Manager Program. As the director of the Bromfield Library at OSU-Mansfield, Elizabeth will be able to hone her management and leadership skills through this course, and to earn certification as a Certified Professional Manager. She expects these skills to help her in her current position and in her professional goals for the future.
Kathryn Venditti, Ashland University , was awarded a grant to attend the Off-Campus Library Services Conference at Central Michigan University in April 2006. As the chair of ALAO's Distance Learning Interest Group, and someone who is very involved with instruction to Ashland University 's off campus students, Kathryn has sought out an educational opportunity which relates directly to her work and professional interest, and will provide opportunities for improvement of services to Ashland University students.
Amanda Wilson, Ohio State University, was awarded a grant to attend the American Society for Information Science & Technology Conference in Charlotte , NC this fall. Amanda's work at OSU involves various technology initiatives, including metadata, interface design, usability, and user education. This conference will allow her to learn and grow in her field and network with colleagues in the association.
Continuing Education Grants are available to ALAO members to participate in educational, training, and/or professional development activities which relate to members' current positions. For more information, see the application form at http://www.alaoweb.org/forms/ce-grant05.pdf . The next application deadline is January 31, 2006 .
Support Staff Interest Group
SSIG had a successful day at Annual Conference. Our sponsored session, "It's Time to Shout: Using Blogs to Tell the Library's Story and Educate Users" presented by Candi Clevenger, was well attended. If you would like to learn more about this session, you can visit Candi's blog: http://libtalk.blogspot.com/
Again this year, we awarded outstanding support staff and supporter of support staff awards; however, the names of the awards have changed. The winner of the Award of Excellence is Judy Orahood, and the winner of the Award of Appreciation is John Burke.
Stay tuned to the SSIG website and SSIG blog (http://alaossig.blogspot.com) for information about our Spring Workshop.
Technical Services Interest Group
The Technical Services Interest Group (TSIG) is offering a one-time scholarship opportunity to attract students to technical services librarianship in the academic setting, and to encourage their further participation as ALAO TSIG members. Two lucky scholarship recipients will receive a one year membership in ALAO, have their registration fees waived for the 2006 ALAO annual fall conference and the 2006 Spring TSIG conference and receive up to $50 for travel expenses to each event. Applicants must be currently registered students in Kent State University 's School of Library and Information Science. Successful candidates will also demonstrate an interest in technical services librarianship in the academic setting. Application forms are available at http://www.personal.kent.edu/~mbmaurer .
"Planning a Digital Project" presented by Roman Panchyshyn & Sandy McIntyre from OHIONET was the TSIG sponsored session at the ALAO Annual Conference this year. It provided a quick tour of issues involved in planning digital projects and was well attended. If you did not receive a handout and would like one please contact Jody at perkintj@muohio.edu . Meanwhile the two TSIG co-chairs are in the preliminary planning stages for the spring TSIG conference.
This spring the TSIG will need a new co-chair as Jody Perkins' term will end. If you are interested in being a co-chair for the interest group please contact Margaret Maurer at mbmaurer@kent.edu .
Feature Stories
Recruitment and Mentoring of Academic Librarians: How is Ohio Progressing?
One of ALAO's goals for this year relates both to recruitment of a diverse work force in academic libraries as well as mentoring the careers of new academic librarians. Anecdotal stories among Executive Board members indicate that a number of our libraries offer internships, practicums and other opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students. Others of us have served as mentors in programs developed by different sections of ACRL or divisions of ALA.
We feel certain there are more stories to hear, and to share, describing successful recruitment programs and mentoring partnerships. One example is the long-standing internship program at Ohio State University Libraries, described in publications by Jose Diaz ( College & Research Libraries , 1994, v. 55 p. 41-46), and Courtney Young and Jon Cawthorne in Diversity in Libraries ,Greenwood Press, 2001. We also heard about the valuable contributions made by Kent State University practicum students to OSU cataloging in the March 2005 issue of this newsletter (People and Library News) http://www.alaoweb.org/newsletter/2005/march2005.html . In that same column, highlights were given of the Mellon-sponsored collaboration among six institutions, including Oberlin College , to create opportunities for undergraduates "who develop strong interest in the profession."
What is your library doing? How have you mentored other library staff?
We would like to hear from more libraries and individuals involved as mentors. You are invited to write a brief description of your experience offering internships and practicums. We are especially eager to hear specifics of the time required for library staff who supervise practicum students, and practical information that may encourage other libraries to offer similar programs. Gathering and publicizing these stories may be one of the best ways that ALAO can help foster worthwhile projects and programs throughout the state.
What do graduate library programs need?
Let us hear from library educators as well. What do you seek in a worthwhile practicum experience for your students? What are the hallmarks of a successful internship? Recruitment to the profession and continuing professional development ultimately results in stronger libraries and better library service throughout the state. This is a goal we can all support wholeheartedly, and broad participation will make mentoring and internship programs that much stronger.
KSU SLIS Practicum Students – Getting Things Done While Contributing to the Profession
Each student pursuing the MLIS degree at Kent State University's School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) is required to complete a three credit hour Culminating Experience. Students have three Culminating Experience options: writing a research paper or thesis, doing a research project or participating in a practicum experience. Many students would prefer to do a practicum, but they must locate a library that is willing to host the practicum.
A practicum may be done in any type of setting as long as the student is supervised by a librarian with an MLS or MLIS degree. There is no remuneration for the practicum experience for the student or for the on-site library supervisor. In fact, because the Culminating Experience is signed up for as any class is, the student is paying for the privilege of working at the library. At the conclusion of the experience, the supervising librarian is asked to write an evaluation of the student's work.
A practicum is an opportunity to gain professional experience in a library, information center or media center. Practicums provide students with the opportunity to test and apply principles learned in graduate study to real-world experiences because the students spend 100 hours working in a library setting. The library benefits from the hard word of dedicated, intelligent volunteers. Less tangible but very real benefits include exposure to the students' enthusiasm and making contributions to the future of professional librarianship by mentoring new librarians.
The best practicum experiences happen when both the libraries and the students benefit, with the libraries getting real work done and the students gaining valuable experiences. Well-planned experiences encourage the libraries to arrange repeat performances. Actually cycling students through the same series of experiences, one after another, is a great way to minimize the impact on the library's resources and maximize benefit.
Information about experiencing a practicum student is available through Rhonda Filipan, SLIS Academic Program Coordinator, at 330-672-0013 or at rfilipan@kent.edu .
ALAO Award Winners
Toccara Porter Awarded the Diversity Scholarship
This year's recipient of the ALAO Diversity Scholarship is Ms. Toccara Porter, a recent graduate (2004) of Berea College in Kentucky and a current student at KSU-SLIS in Columbus, where she has completed 2 of 4 core courses and is currently enrolled in the third. Toccara worked as a Student Reference Library Assistant at Berea College’s Hutchins Library during the 2003-2004 academic year. Toccara is an intelligent, motivated, and talented young woman. Both ALAO and the library profession are happy to welcome her into our community! The ALAO Diversity Scholarship is a $1,500 award that is applied directly to the recipient's bursar account for tuition at his or her academic institution. As the scholarship recipient, Toccara also received a complimentary registration for ALAO’s Annual Conference on Friday, November 4, 2005, and an informal mentorship from the Diversity Committee Chair, Megan Kinney.
![]() | Paul Burnham (OWU), receiving the ALAO Legislative Advocate Travel Award from Cindy Kristof (KSU) , ALAO Government Relations Team member. |
![]() | Eileen Bosch, recipient of Support Staff Award |
Ella Compeland Honored for Distinguished Service
The 2005 recipient of ALAO’s Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award is Ella Copeland. Ella was presented with her award at the ALAO Annual Conference on November 4, 2005, at the Fawcett Center in Columbus.
The Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award recognizes an ALAO member, of at least five 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,which is comprised of the Past President, Vice President/President-elect, and President.
This year’s award is presented to Ella Copeland, a member of ALAO since 1987 and the director of the Library Learning Resources Center at the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute. She has been, in the words of an individual who nominated her, "a leader and mentor for ALAO." Ella served the ALAO board ably for many years, most recently as the board’s liaison to the Ohio Council for Library and Information Services (OCLIS). I will certainly never forget how she encouraged me as a new board member. She also served on the 1998 Annual Conference program committee and presented at several conferences. Ella is known to be extremely supportive of her staff members’ attendance at the ALAO Annual Conference and their participation in the organization.
Please join me in congratulating Ella Copeland, the recipient of the 2005 Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award.
ALAO 2005 Conference Photos
![]() Susan Scott, ALAO President, Conducting business meeting before keynote speaker. |
![]() Ann Watson, ALAO Vice President in Chef's hat announcing plans for the 2006 conference. |
![]() Poster sessions: "The Marquee is the Show!" Alice Crosetto (U. Toledo)/Polly Wilkenfield (Ursuline College) on the right; and beside it, "Global Library Outreach to Montserrat , West Indies " Elizabeth A. Salt, (Otterbein College) |
![]() Poster sessions: "A New Member Joins the Cast: The Ohio Library Council" Missy Lodge (State Library of Ohio) and Christine Morris (OhioNet) and "Pathwise & Praxis III," (Ann Raney, U.Dayton) |
![]() "Blogging: Current Practicies and Applications for the Education Community": Mary E. Cummings (Shawnee State); Jp Brennan (Capital); Debi Stear (Mount Union); Jen Barth (Miami University) |
![]() "It's Time to Shout: Using Blogs to Tell the Library's Story & Educate Users" Candi Clevenger (OhioLINK) |
![]() Kris Buell (Miami University), one of the Support Staff Grant Recipients, with her poster session. |
![]() "A Natural Fit: Librarians and Learner-Centered Pedagogies" Pam Bach (UC) and Barb Macke (UC) |
![]() Camilla Alire, ACRL President, speaking at lunch |
![]() "Speaking with our own Voices: Digital Storytelling and Libraries" Anne Fields and Karen Diaz (The Ohio State University) |
![]() "All the World's A Stage-- Promoting the Centennial Library" Julie Deardorf and Tonya Fawcett (Cedarville) |
![]() Shana Fair (OU-Zanesville) chatting with Betsy Blankenship (OSU Marion & Marion Technical College) |
People and Library News
Ashland University
Ashland University will be hosting "The Art of the Picture Book" conference on May 12 & 13, 2006. This conference will bring together educators, librarians, artists, publishers, editors, aspiring writers or illustrators, publishers and anyone interested in picture books.
Currently, there is a Call for Proposals:
"We invite you to present your ideas, experiences, and views concerning ‘The Art of the Picture Book.' Proposals are being requested for 50 minute sessions that address the use of picture books in a variety of instances--in classrooms, in libraries, to enhance visual literacy, as artistic expression, or as a commercial venture."
Teachers are eligible to receive one hour of graduate workshop credit from Ashland University by attending both conference days and completing an appropriate class project. Accepted proposals may be used as projects.
Proposal submission deadline is Friday, December 30, 2005 . All applicants will be notified by March 1, 2006 .
Proposals may be submitted electronically @ http://personal.ashland.edu/~artpicbk/proposalsub.html
To submit a proposal by mail or fax, please send to:
| Dr. Mary Rycik 12 Weltmer Center Ashland University Ashland , OH 44805 Fax: 419-289-5422 |
Conference registration will begin December 1, 2005 with an early-bird price break available until February 1, 2006 . Presenters receive a discount on registration fees. For more information about the conference, visit the Conference Home Page http://personal.ashland.edu/~artpicbk
Questions may be directed to artpicbk@ashland.edu
Cedarville University
Julie Deardorff and Tonya Fawcett , Assistant Directors at Cedarville University, presented a workshop at the November 5, 2005 Academic Library Association of Ohio 31 st Annual Conference: Setting the Stage, New Roles in the Library . Their presentation, All the World's a Stage – Promoting the Centennial Library , spotlighted a number of library marketing "productions" to attract faculty and students to the library, including the Centennial Cartwheelers, who debuted their cartwheeling skills at the Cedarville University Homecoming parade in October.
Greg Martin , CMC Librarian, was the inspiration behind the Cartwheelers. Other ACL members participating in this production included Lynn Brock , Director, Lynne Funtik , Sr. Reference Librarian, and Susan Winn , Reference Librarian. Behind the scenes assistance was provided by Jan Bosma , Associate Director, and Rory Patterson , User Education Librarian. For more pictures and a video visit: http://www.cedarville.edu/academics/library/about/cartwheelers.htm

Columbus State Community College
Bruce Massis, has been named the new Director of the Educational Resources Center (ERC) at Columbus State Community College. Bruce comes to Ohio from Suffolk County, NY where he was serving as Director of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. Previously, he has served as Associate Director of Southeast Florida Library Information Network (SELFIN), founding Director of the JGB Cassette Recording Library International, Division Manager of the Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library, and Director of the Hoboken Public Library. His most recent professional publications include The Practical Library Trainer , The Practical Library Manager , and Models of Cooperation in U.S., Latin American and Caribbean Libraries.
Danielle Buckius joins the staff at Columbus State as a part-time reference librarian. She is coming from Washington-Centerville Public Library where she also worked as a reference librarian. Danielle has a BA in English from Wright State University and earned her MLIS from Kent State University. While an undergraduate, she worked as a Circulation and Interlibrary Loan Assistant at Wright State.
Malone College
Heidi Beke-Harrigan, Assistant Cataloger/Reference Librarian at Malone College Library, has accepted the ALAO Board position of Newsletter Editor. Welcome aboard!
Marietta College
Dr. Douglas Anderson has been appointed Director of the Library at Mareitta College . Dr. Anderson replaces Sandra B. Neyman , who retired after serving as College Librarian from 1968 to 2004. As the director, Anderson will take part in planning for the new Learning and Library Resource Center , which will replace Dawes Memorial Library as the centerpiece of campus. The College is developing a design for a three-story, 62,600-square-foot facility that would include a learning/teaching center, reference and library collections, archives and special collections, student study space, exhibition gallery, performance spaces, classrooms and a café. The College expects to complete the new Center in fall of 2008.
In related news, Marietta College has received a $10 million gift for its Learning and Library Resource Center from Laura Baudo Sillerman and Robert Dyson . The Resource Center should cost the College approximately $20 million, which will include an endowment, according to Lori Lewis, Marietta College 's Vice President of Advancement. "The Learning and Library Resource Center is essential to the creation of the culture of learning at Marietta College envisioned in our Strategic Plan," said Dr. Jean Scott , Marietta College 's President. "It will serve as the intellectual center of the campus and a symbol of our mission and aspirations."
Miami University
Jody Perkins, Metadata Librarian at King Library, has accepted a limited term appointment to serve on the ALA/ALCTS Conference of Regional Groups Committee on Continuing Education and will also be co-teaching a workshop "Starting Digital Projects" with Roman Panchyshyn and Sandy McIntyre at OHIONET in February.
Oberlin College
The current Mellon Library Associate at Oberlin College, Teresa Collins, has been awarded an ALSTARS scholarship at the University of South Florida 's School of Library and Information Science (USF-SLIS). ALSTARS stands for "Academic Librarians for Tomorrow's Academic Researchers."
The program is a funding initiative of IMLS: Recruiting and Educating Librarians for the 21st Century (award amount of $758,736 for total project). Teresa will earn an additional master's degree along with her MLS. More information is available at http://www.cas.usf.edu/lis/alstars/grant.html.
Ohio State University - Columbus
Edward A. Riedinger, Professor and Head of the Latin American library collection at OSU, has been named editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia of Brazilian History and Culture (New York and London : Routledge, 2005-2009).
Ohio State University - Marion Campus
Patricia Wood, Library Associate, presented "The Art of Storytelling" on October 21, 2005 at the Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Conference hosted by The Ohio State University at Marion .
Shawnee State University
The Clark Memorial Library will install a Coffee Bar over the Christmas break. The bar will provide brewed coffee, espresso-based drinks, smoothies, bakery items, and café seating for twelve. Sodexho will manage the bar which will function as part of the campus food service offerings for students. The grand opening will be January 3, 2006 .
Southern State Community College
Louis E. Mays, Professor/Librarian of the Learning Resources Center , reports that he South Campus library of Southern State Community College has been renovated with new carpet, paint, and window blinds. The café is open for business, and students are enjoying the new atmosphere. A local vendor has decorated the library with crafts, dried arrangements and silk plants. The library has a special collection on Appalachia and serves the college community in Adams , Brown and Highland Counties. Mary Ayres is the campus library manager.
The Fayette County One Stop Center is located at the library on the Fayette Campus in Washington Court House. Thought to be the only library in Ohio that provides this community service, Fayette Campus not only provides services to the college community, but to all citizens of Fayette County by partnering with the county Department of Human Services. Library staff not only provide traditional library services, but also help people find employment, complete resumes, and counsel them in furthering their education or training. Dee Benner is the campus library manager.
Other developments at Southern State include a new transitional program geared for high school students who plan on attending college. " Movin' on Up" centers around the theme of making a successful transition from high school to college as it relates to libraries. The program is offered by Louis Mays, Professor/Librarian at Southern State, and is available to any high school who wishes to visit one of the four Southern State campuses in southern Ohio. Each visitor is provided access to an electronic portfolio for planning their career and educational goals in life. Every student also has an opportunity to work with library and other OhioLINK resources available to college students.
Visit the LRC web site at Southern State: http://lrc.sscc.edu .
University of Cinncinnati
Mark Palkovic's miniature book No Roman a Moron
was chosen for display in WordArt, a juried exhibition sponsored by the Cincinnati Book Arts Society. WordArt will be exhibited October 14 through November 26, 2005 , at the College of Design , Art, Architecture and Planning's Downtown Gallery at 628 Sycamore St. Cincinnati, OH. Mark is Head of the College-Conservatory of Music Library.
Jane Carlin, Coordinator of Library Instruction, and Professor Ellen Lynch, Early Childhood Education and Academic Director of UC's Problem-Based Learning Programs, presented at the International Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning held in Vancouver , October 14-16. Their presentation focused on faculty/librarian collaboration and Problem-Based Learning.
Pam Bach, Head of the Langsam Library Info Commons , Jane Carlin, Coordinator of Library Instruction, Cheryl Ghosh, Education Reference Librarian, and Barb Macke, Instruction Librarian, presented "Contextualizing Information in the Digital Age" at UC's Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning's (CET&L) September Institute. The presentation focused on the importance of critical evaluation and student research habits.
Debbie Tenofksy, Head of Reference and Instructional Services, Olga Hart, Instruction Librarian, Elizabeth Meyer, Visual Resources Librarian, Toby Heidtmann, Head of Interlibrary Services, Ted Baldwin, Head of the College of Applied Science Library, and Rosemary Franklin, Instruction Librarian, along with Stephena Harmony and Heather Maloney of UC's Raymond Walters College Library, participated in a CET&L Learning Community to focus on how technology can enhance library instruction.
Melissa Cox Norris, Director of Library Communications, published the article "Marketing: A New Way of Doing Business in Academic Libraries" in Advances in Library Administration and Organization, Volume 22. Peggie Welker, Libraries Student Employment and Training Manager, contributed "Packer Must Pack It In" in the September 1, 2005, issue of Library Journal 's "CASE STUDY: Ratting Out the Boss" by Michael Rogers.
University of Toledo
Gerald Natal has been hired as Visiting Professor, Information Literacy Librarian (a three-year appointment). Gerald formerly worked at UT as a Library Media Technical Assistant. He returns after having completed an MLIS at Kent State University and working one year as a librarian at the Toledo Correctional Institution Library.
Laura Kinner has accepted the position of Asst. Professor, Coordinator of Cataloging. She comes to UT after acting as the Head of Technical Services and Systems at Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan. Thomas Atwood has accepted the newly created tenure-track position of Information Literacy Librarian. He had been at The University of Toledo as a Visiting Professor, Information Literacy Librarian since August 2004.
Brian Hickam, Librarian for the College of Health & Human Services and Liaison to UT Athletics, Laura Johnson, Learning Specialist at UT, and Jennifer Kulich, Kent State University's Assistant Athletic Director for Academic and Student Services, will be presenting at the February 11-13, 2006 NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Conference. Since 1991, this program and annual conference have promoted "Life Skills" in five areas: Student academic excellence; athletic excellence; personal development; career development; and service. Their presentation will discuss "A Creative Collaboration of Life Skills, Learning Styles, and Information Literacy."
Youngstown State
Patrons and staff at William F. Maag Library at Youngstown State University are enjoying renovations that precede the celebration of the building's 30th year in 2006. A popular cafe, Jazzman's, was added to Maag's third level; while the Reference room received new shelving and carpeting.
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.
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We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. Please send text copy to Heidi Beke-Harrigan in electronic format, preferably as an electronic mail Word document attachment or within the body of an email message. Include your name as you wish it to appear. If you are past deadline, PLEASE call Heidi Beke-Harrigan!
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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