Newsletter

Academic Library Association of Ohio... A Chapter of ACRL

Volume 23, Number 3 (September 2005)

ALAO News

President's Report

Leadership Retreat Report

In early summer (seems so far in the past, doesn't it?) the "old" and the newly elected and the appointed and the volunteer members of the ALAO Board, including the IG Chairs, met, once again, at the Inn at Honey Run outside Millersburg, to pass the torch, expressing our thanks to those who worked hard for the organization in the past academic years and welcoming new volunteers. As always, we enjoyed the relaxing setting and the food and the chance to get to know the new faces in our midst. Each year at the Retreat, members have discussed focusing on several issues for the upcoming year. There are so many things to do and so little time to spare. Sharing our ideas and utilizing data from the recently tabulated ALAO Membership survey, we brainstormed in small groups, eventually choosing several issues for our focus in 2005-2006. So, look for more information in the future on an online peer-reviewed ALAO journal, mentoring opportunities, and a focus on diversity programming. ALAO positions for the 2005-2006 academic year are found on the ALAO web site. Many are familiar names in new positions; others are joining the Board for the first time or are returning after earlier service. Welcome to:

The list above includes newly elected and appointed folks as well as old (as in "familiar") names in new positions. There are also a number of individuals, not listed, who are continuing in positions that last beyond a single academic year. When positions are open and when the call goes out next year for names of those who would be willing to run for office, we hope to see even more new faces. This is one of the initiatives we plan to focus on this year. It's not too early to begin thinking about staff in your library who might find a leadership opportunity in ALAO. Maybe it is you or maybe there is someone else you might encourage. Reminder: we are in need of a newsletter editor now!

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Annual Conference Update

Calling all the librariante! As the conference planning winds down and the event itself draws near, be sure to register by Friday, October 10th, 2005 for the annual conference at the web site: http://www.alaoweb.org/05conf/registration.pdf. If you plan to spend the night, either before and/or after the conference, see the conference website for hotel information.

There will be much to choose from; tough decisions to be sure. In 4 sessions with 7 offerings at each time slot, you can learn about new roles, the stage crew, show time, the audience, rehersals, rave reviews, the chorus. Yes, our colleagues have been very creative in their session titles and I can't wait to hear what they have to say. The entire production promises to be great! See the conference website for the Schedule at a Glance where you can "translate" those catchy titles.

Our featured speakers will be a highlight of the conference. Joe Raiola from Mad Magazine promises to open on a high note. Camila Alire, ACRL President, will share with us during lunch and with a panel discussion on advocacy after lunch.So, in the word of our past President John Burke, let's get the librariante together (as defined by John: "a massed collection of library workers in a geographic or political boundary"). Come and bring a colleague or several! Don't forget to stop and see the vendors as well as poster sessions and Interest Group tables. There will be more than something for everyone with a parting gift to send you on your way at the end of the day.

Don't miss this one!

Thanks to Diane Schrecker, Betsy Blankenship, Kevin Furniss, Megan Kinney, Kim Leggett, Sheila Shellabarger, Amy Pickenpaugh, Kathy Dobda, Rob Withers, Judy Perella, Georgene Johnson and Karen Plummer for leading the planning for this event!

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Carol Wittig resigns after almost 4 years of service as Newsletter editor

All the way from Belgium where she currently resides, Carol Wittig has been editing our ALAO Newsletter as capably as she had when living in Ohio, working at Clark State Community College. These past couple of years, her physical location seemed, to her readers, to hinder the editing operation not at all. Kudos to Carol for a job well done! And, we continue to count Carol as a member of our librarianate, despite her geographic distance from us.

With Carol's resignation, Peggy Rector, Assistant to the Director at Denison University Library, stepped in to temporarily take on the editing responsibilities for the Fall issue. Kudos also to Peggy, a member of the 2005 Program Committee, who is doing double duty this month.

While we hate to see Carol go and we appreciate Peggy's help, this is a perfect opportunity for us to execute one of the goals discussed at the June Board Retreat. How about a new face in this position! If you are "out there" and willing, please e-mail me at scott@denison.edu. There is a template for the newsletter and the webmasters will post to the ALAO website. All you have to do is sit tight and wait for the news to arrive on your desktop. OK, it's really more than that simplistic description but it would be a great way to get involved! Or, if not you, if you know of someone else who might be interested in this job, send me names and e-mail addresses. I am looking forward to hearing from a willing volunteer!

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Dates to Remember

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Membership News

The number of ALAO members current through December 2005 is 407. There are an additional 134 members who were current through 2004 - many of these individuals remain active, and are expected to attend the Annual Conference and/or renew.

The emails that I have sent out over the past year and a half (both to "liaisons only" and to "all current members") have gone out via a mass email program we have at UT (These programs generally cost a fair amount of money). I download the email addresses from the Membership Database each time so that the list is as current as possible. The ALAO Listserv, however, has been and continues to be a separate entity. Frank Bove, one of our co-webmasters and the Electronic Resources Librarian at the University of Akron, recently discovered that the addresses contained in the Listserv were quite out of date. This has been corrected. Other matters regarding the website's content and currency will be updated and the procedures will be streamlined as we move the contents from one server and provider to another. The new provider is Clearlight and we'll have a number features and functions we didn't have before. Please be aware, however, that it will be several months before all the changes and improvements can take place.

If you have any questions about your membership or ALAO, please contact Brian Hickam, your Membership Chair 2004-06, at Brian.Hickam@utoledo.edu ; 419.530.4493.

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ACRL Liaison Report

"Sailing into the Future - Charting Our Destiny" will be the theme of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) 13th National Conference to be held in Baltimore, March 29 - April 1, 2007. The conference will explore the changing nature and roles of academic and research librarianship. Watch for the call for proposals for the conference to be announced in November.

ACRL Workshops at ALA Midwinter

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) will hold three workshops in conjunction with the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in San Antonio on January 20, 2006.

"Assessing Information Literacy Learning Outcomes" (Friday, January 20, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) will demonstrate the fundamentals needed to assess student learning outcomes in information literacy. Workshop participants will discover how assessment is directed towards various stakeholders, including librarians, faculty, administration, students, and accrediting institutions.

"Assessment in Academic Libraries: Using the ACRL Standards for Continuous Evaluation" (Friday, January 20, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) introduces the ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education (2004) as a framework for assessing academic libraries. Participants will learn how to use commonly collected information: statistics for internal and peer comparison of inputs and outputs, as well as user satisfaction and service quality data for evaluating the academic library.

"Thinking Outside the Library: Building Collaborative Partnerships with Student Services" (Friday, January 20, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) will provide an introduction to the literature of student services in higher education, with an emphasis on the emergence over the past decade of the model of the student affairs educator. Attendees will learn about model programs from across the country aimed at developing substantive and sustainable partnerships between academic librarians and student affairs personnel in support of student learning.

Complete details about these ACRL professional development workshops are available online at www.ala.org/acrl/events. Early-bird registration will open on September 1, 2005, and registration materials will be available online at http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/midwinter/2006/registration.htmhttp://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/midwinter/2006/registration.htm. Questions?  Contact mailto:msutton@ala.org.

AASL and ACRL launch discussion list for information literacy

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) have launched INFOLIT - an electronic discussion list for information literacy. INFOLIT is a forum for school, academic and public librarians to exchange ideas on information literacy programs and experiences that demonstrate a collaborative relationship between K-12 and higher education institutions.

The INFOLIT discussion list is an initiative of the AASL/ACRL Interdivisional Committee on Information Literacy, whose charge is to focus on how to prepare K-20 students to be information literate and to provide a channel of communication to the respective divisions.

The INFOLIT discussion list is open to all school, academic and public librarians interested in discourse about information literacy topics and K-20 curriculum issues. Amy Deuink, reference/instruction librarian, Ciletti Memorial Library at Pennsylvania State University (Schuykiss Haven), moderates the list.

To subscribe to the INFOLIT list, send a blank email message to subscribe-infolit@ala.org with your first and last name as the subject.

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Continuing Education Grants Available

The Professional Development Committee of ALAO is seeking applications for its Continuing Education Grant. The grant is designed to encourage all members to participate in educational or professional development activities which directly relate to their current positions.These activities might take the form of conferences, workshops, training events, or other one-time events.The grant is not designed to be used toward tuition or other expenses incurred in the pursuit of a professional degree.

Continuing Education Grants are available to all current ALAO members.Application requirements and the application form may be found at http://www.alaoweb.org/forms/ce-grant05.pdf.Deadline for submission is September 30, 2005.Grant winners will be notified by the Professional Development Committee, and announced at the ALAO Annual Conference, Fawcett Center, Columbus, on November 4, 2005.A second set of grants will be available in February 2006.

Questions? Contact Judy Perella at 419-289-5427, or jperella@ashland.edu.

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Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award: Call for Nominations

The ALAO Awards Committee seeks nominations for the 2005 Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award. This award recognizes an individual who (1) has been an ALAO member for at least 5 years, and (2) who has promoted academic libraries and librarianship not only on his or her own campus, but also within the state. The award 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 Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award honors the memory of Jay Ladd, a founding members of ALAO in the early 1970s.

This is a wonderful way to recognize a colleague who has provided leadership in ALAO and in the profession. The recipient of this year's award will receive an honorary 5-year membership in ALAO and will be recognized at the 31st ALAO Annual Conference at the Fawcett Center in Columbus on November 4, 2005.

You may access the nomination form from the ALAO web site at: www.alaoweb.org/manual/c31.pdf.

Please include the following information:

Name of nominee

Nominee's position title

Nominee's college or university

Nominee's ALAO activities

Your reasons for nominating this person

Your name and contact information, including phone and email

NOTE: You may nominate more than one person. Your reasons for nominating your candidate(s) for the Jay Ladd Distinguished Service Award will be especially valuable to the Awards Committee.

Please send your nominations via mail, US Cargo, fax, or as an email attachment by OCTOBER 15, 2005 to:

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It's Not Too Soon...2006 Research Grant

Our 2005 research grant winner, Linda Brown of Bowling Green State University, has begun work on her funded project. Even though the application deadline for the 2006 grant is far off, it's not too soon for you to begin thinking about research projects that you might submit for funding! For more information, contact me at jomiller@meduohio.edu.

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Call for Publications: Long-Time Members, New Members

The Research and Publications Committee maintains a bibliography of recent publications of ALAO members and we need yours! To make things easy, you can email the publications portion of your CV to me (jomiller@meduohio.edu). We'll check your CV against the publications we have on our list and add those that are missing. The bibliography can be found online at http://www.alaoweb.org/comsigs/alaobibl.html.

We are also collecting reprints of recent articles (in print or PDF) for the Research and Publications Committee display table at the Annual Conference. Please send them to me at Mulford Library, Room 411; Medical University of Ohio; 3045 Arlington Ave.; Toledo, OH 43614-5805.

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2006 Conference Planning Begins

As final preparations are being made for the 2005 Annual Conference, the 2006 Program Committee starts on its efforts for the conference to come.The 2005 and 2006 program committees will hold a joint meeting on September 16. In 2006, the conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Quaker Square in Akron, Ohio on November 3, 2006.

The members who have volunteered their time and energy for the 2006 committee are:

More information concerning the 2006 Annual Conference will be posted on the ALAO website and in upcoming issues of the ALAO newsletter.

The committee strongly encourages you to consider submitting a proposal. We need YOU to share your expertise, ideas, innovated services and projects.

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Interest Group/Committee News

Curriculum Materials Interest Group

At our Spring 2005 workshop, Candi Clevenger, OhioLINK Communications Manager, presented a session on Weblogs, or blogs, and discussed ways in which this new phenomenon could be used by libraries for educational, marketing, and communications purposes. In response to Candi's presentation, the CMC Interest Group elected to present a program session at the ALAO Fall 2005 Conference entitled Blogging: Current Practices and Applications for the Education Community.The session will feature a panel discussion exploring the uses of blogs in pre-service, Pre-K-12 education. Panel members will include Jennifer Barth, Chair (Miami University), Mary Cummings (Shawnee State University), Debi Stears (Mount Union College), and Jp Brennan (CapitalUniversity).In addition to the program session, CMCIG will also sponsor an Interest Group table at the conference.

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Distance Learning Interest Group

The Distance Learning Interest Group (DLIG) is pleased to be sponsoring a session at The ALAO Annual Conference on November 4, 2005, in Columbus. Pat Antonelli of Bowling Green/ Firelands and Nashieli Marcano from the University of Akron will present Library Instruction Venue: Classroom or Cyberspace? They will be comparing the advantages and disadvantages of both face-to-face and online instruction venues, and sharing effective adaptations for achieving optimal learning outcomes in either environment.

The DLIG will also be sponsoring an information table at the Annual Conference. Please stop by to say hello and to learn more about the DLIG. We are already thinking about our spring 2006 workshop and are eager to hear your ideas for a theme. Stop by our table or email Kathryn Venditti kvenditt@ashland.edu to let us know what interests you.

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Diversity Committee

The Diversity Committee will sponsor a session at the Annual Conference on November 4, 2005. Mr. Scott Walter of the University of Kansas will present, Instructional Outreach and Campus Diversity: Building Partnerships with Multicultural Student Services. The presentation is based on his study of thedevelopment of a partnership between an academic library and student services programs to provide enhanced information and instructional services to students of color.His research provides a model that other libraries might follow in order to provide a greater degree of support to campus diversity initiatives.

At its annual meeting on September 28, 2005, the Diversity Committee will solidify plans to offer a half-day workshop in April or May of 2005. We will be inviting Ms. Mary Merrill to give her popular presentation called, AGE Matters: Generational Differences at Work. The acronym AGE stands for: acknowledge differences, generate options (for improved relations), and establish models (for working productively).The Diversity Committee sees the diversity of ages that academic libraries necessarily bring together as an important aspect of diversity and a topic that many academic libraries in Ohio undoubtedly experience. For more information on the workshop, please visit: http://www.merrillassociates.com/workshops/

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Instruction Interest Group

Preliminary plans for a fall workshop did not come to fruition, after several potential workshop leaders declined our invitation.We were encouraged that those individuals did say they would be interested in working with us in the future.If you are interested in helping to plan a spring workshop, please join us at lunch during the Annual Conference.

We will designate a table for the Instruction Interest Group workshop planners. Bring ideas for a location, speaker or workshop facilitator, and preferred dates. We have been pursuing more than one workshop theme, and we need your input. Information literacy assessment, K-12/College/University collaboration and Technology support for instruction (e.g., library blogs, RSS feeds, instant messaging, etc.) are some of the ideas we've been considering. What is your biggest concern in library instruction? How can an ALAO workshop address that need? We are open to suggestions!

If you can't attend the annual conference but are willing to help plan a spring workshop, or simply have good ideas, please contact one of us right away. Thank you.

Alison Ricker, Science Librarian, Oberlin College alison.ricker@oberlin.edu
Marcia King-Blandford, Head, Information and Instruction Services, Univ. of Toledo, mkingbl@utoledo.edu

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Support Staff Interest Group

Currently, the Support Staff Interest Group is planning for Annual Conference.We are pleased to announce that Candi Clevenger will be presenting on behalf of SSIG with a session entitled It's Time to Shout: Using Blogs to Tell the Library's Story & Educate Users. "This session will provide the background scoop on blogs: what they are, how to find them, why you should care about them, and how to start one". I, personally, am excited about this presentation and hope you will join us for this session!

The Support Staff Interest Group is happy to announce Judy Orahood as our new Secretary/Chair-Elect. Judy has served on the SSIG Program Planning Committee for many years and is an integral part of our group.We look forward to having her voice and experience in a leadership position.

The first meeting for the Support Staff Interest Group will be Oct. 11 at Ohio Wesleyan University. If you're interested in joining us for this meeting or would like to become involved in the Support Staff Interest Group, please contact erin.peters@kcma.edu

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Feature Stories

Open Doors to the Future - The ODCE 2006 Conference

Where can librarians, faculty, administrators and technology gurus all meet to discuss learning, libraries, technology and the convergence of these activities? At the Ohio Digital Commons for Education 2006 Conference, of course! ODCE 2006 will be held March 5-7, 2006, and will feature submitted and invited presentations, technology demonstrations, pre-conference workshops and plenary presentations.

Be a part of ODCE 2006! Proposals are now being accepted for the following six conference tracks:

1. Serving all Audiences Via Libraries and Electronic Media
2. Assessing Learning in the Digital Age
3. Promoting Problem-Based Learning
4. Creating Tomorrow's Learning Environments
5. Developing and Assessing Engaging Courses
6. Emerging Technologies for Education and Research

Proposals must be submitted online by November 5, 2005. Visit www.oln.org/conferences/ODCE2006 for the complete call for proposals.

This conference will provide an excellent opportunity for librarians to show faculty, instructors, administrators, IT and technical staff, instructional designers, provosts, CIOs, researchers and graduate students what academic librarians and libraries are doing to support teaching and learning at Ohio institutions.

ODCE 2006 will include a keynote speaker, vendor exhibits and technology demonstrations. It will be held in the Columbus Hilton at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio. Online registration will be available in December. Visit the conference Web site at www.oln.org/conferences/ODCE 2006 for more details.

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There and Back Again

Expat librarians? Yes they exist and there are more of them than one might expect! The founding of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions in 1927 proves that librarians were thinking globally long before the concept became popular in business circles. The American Library Association alone represents 1,500 members in 100 countries and is currently also drafting on International Strategic Plan, which is based on ALA Ahead to 2010.*

The reasons library professionals choose to work abroad vary widely; some are fellows or doing research, some work for international organizations and others find their career path leading them out of the country because a spouse or partner is transferred abroad. Librarians who have worked abroad share a connection forged by the joys and challenges involved in adapting to a new culture and work environment.In this issue several librarians share their stories and experiences from around the world along with tips for finding a library job abroad and how to successfully repatriate back home in the United States.

Three Perspectives

After finishing her library degree in 2001, Marlene Glennon worked as a library/research assistant in a laboratory. In one of life's surprising twists and turns she married an Englishman and soon moved to Rotherham, South Yorkshire in England. Her technology skills helped her land a position as a substitute library assistant with the Rotherham Public library, which was undergoing a system-wide automation project. After the initial adjustment period Glennon describes the experience as "quite rewarding.Colleagues and patrons soon accepted me and respected my work."

In an effort to achieve a uniform standard of computer literacy, many European employers currently look favorably upon candidates who have an ECDL or quite literally what's called a European Computer Drivers License. The certification consists of a series of several modules and examinations. While in England, Glennon took advantage of the opportunity to complete this certification. There is also an international version of the certification known as the ICDL (International Computer Drivers License). Attending courses or enhancing competencies is an excellent way to stay current in the profession while abroad, and can ease the job search after returning to the US. When the time for repatriation did come (Glennon and her husband decided to return to Ohio), she was faced with a job market that was far tighter than the one she had left a few years previously. While looking for work in the library field, Glennon volunteered at a number of area libraries and maintained professional contacts. Keeping busy and a bit of perseverance helped her find an opportunity at the University of Akron where she is now employed as a Senior Library Associate.

Carol Wittig, also the former editor of the ALAO newsletter, moved to the NATO military headquarters in Mons, Belgium in 2004 with her husband, who is in the NATO Jazz Orchestra. Her experience highlights the unique benefits often inherent in overseas library assignments. While the facilities are sometimes quite a bit smaller than those we are used to, they can provide an opportunity to wear many hats, create new services and expand library services. Wittig's current project is a small base library that has about 10,000 items. Because the library wasn't online or a part of the other Army Europe Libraries, she has been working toward automation and having it recognized as a library branch. That means lots of barcoding!

Although Belgium, like Austria, and other parts of Europe does not have a vast need for traditional librarians, (Currently, three MLS government librarian positions adequately meet needs in Belgium) library skills are quite marketable in the private sector and on a freelance basis. Local community colleges, continuing education providers and cultural institutes can also be good leads. Individuals who are interested in school library positions at international schools, such as the Vienna International School, must have a US teaching certificate in additional to library qualifications.

Wittig, who has taught tutorials and distance education courses for Wright State and other schools, was able to migrate several courses abroad with her. She also actively searched for other schools that hire adjuncts for distance education courses and is currently teaching English and Library Research for the University of Maryland Distance Education Program. Her comment that it "is important to keep enough of my resume lines alive to pick back up" raises an interesting point. Librarians working abroad certainly gain valuable experience, but need to keep one eye on trends in the field back home and then develop strategies that help them maintain a program of professional development. Fortunately, technology makes this possible through continued involvement in professional organizations, writing, continuing education and teaching.

After ten years in Japan as an Associate Professor, Jerome Shapiro returned to the US and is currently working toward his MLIS through the Kent-Columbus program. His experience in counseling students (and adults) returning from overseas programs has shown that "re-entry shock is sometimes worse than culture shock. Society and culture changes considerably while you are gone, as does language. I had no idea what 'roaming' was when I returned, and it drove me nuts." He advises simply accepting that changes have taken place and giving oneself and others time for adjustment, which can take up to one year. Being willing to reinvent oneself is a strategy that Shapiro recommends for those attempting to get back into the profession. While working abroad can be the opportunity of a lifetime, academic librarians should be aware that hiring practices in academia vary widely, both in the United States and abroad. Some institutions view overseas experience favorably, others do not. Regardless, current trends toward globalization make it more and more likely that we may very well spend some part of our professional careers abroad or in partnership with foreign-based institutions.

Looking for an Overseas Experience?

Librarians and information professions interested in working abroad can select from opportunities ranging from several weeks to long-term employment. Some good places to start looking include:

Air Force Personnel Center

https://ww2.afpc.randolph.af.mil/resweb/

Search for civilian employment opportunities by country

Fulbright Senior Specialists Program

http://www.cies.org/specialists or e-mail fulspec@cies.iie.org

New initiative offers short-term grants of two to six weeks to U.S. scholars and professionals -- perfect for those who would like complete an overseas project without a long-term commitment.

USAJobs: United StatesFederal Government

http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/

GS9 is the classification for reference librarian.GS11 is library director or area department head. Hint: On the search page under "Location Search" there is an option in the pull-down menu called "Throughout the World".

Kear, Robin. (2005) International Librarianship: Getting There from Here, LIScareer.com. Retrieved July, 17, 2005.

http://www.liscareer.com/kear_international.htm

Librarian Robin Kear spent six months in Nairobi, Kenya with the UN and has written an excellent article outlining important considerations as well as links to long and short-term assignments overseas.

International Opportunities and Funding Sources for Librarians compiled by the IRRT International Exchanges Committee

http://www.ala.org/ala/irrt/irrtcommittees/irrtintlexc/internationalemployment.htm

US Department of State

http://www.state.gov/p/io/empl/

Posts international vacancies for US citizens monthly

International Library Organizations

For those who would like to stay up-to-date with the international aspects of librarianship:

American Library Association – International Relations Office

http://www.ala.org/ala/iro/international.htm

Provides information regarding the International Relations Round Table (IRRT), current projects, awards, grants, international associations and employment credentials.

International Associations, Organizations and Conferences compiled by ALA

http://www.ala.org/ala/iro/intlassocorgconf/internationalassociations.htm

International Society for Knowledge Organizations

http://is.gseis.ucla.edu/orgs/isko/

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions

http://ifla.org/

Also known as the global voice of the library and information profession, the federation is the "leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users."

Library Associations Worldwide

http://www.ala.org/ala/iro/intlassocorgconf/libraryassociations.htm

Provides an alphabetized listing by country. Local library associations can also be quite helpful in explaining local hiring practices and best places to search for vacancies.

UNESCO Library Portal

http://unesco.org/webworld/portal_bib/

International gateway to library information for professionals and users provided by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Whether you would like to simply get your feet wet or dive in head first, there is something for everyone who would like to become involved in international librarianship. Taking a chance and trying something new can take you places you never dreamed and change your life in ways you never imagined.

*The ALA 2010 International Strategic Plan, "which is based on ALA Ahead to 2010, is infused with ALA's founding purpose and principles and will provide a structure to develop short-term goals and objectives regarding the association's international activities from 2005 through 2010. To see the final draft, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/iro/international.htm."

International Relations Round Table of the American Library Association (2005). International Leads v. 19, Nr. 2, Retrieved July 17, 2005.

About the Author: Heidi Beke-Harrigan threw caution to the wind two years ago by moving to Vienna, Austria. She recently finished an archival/music cataloging project for the Vienna Boys Choir and served as a scientific advisor on a number of cultural projects relating to East Asia. The experience also provided an unexpected bonus:moonlighting as a videographer.She is returning to Ohio this fall and will answer any questions about working abroad at irharp1140@yahoo.com.

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People and Library News

Cleveland State College

The CSU Library, in partnership with the Cleveland Public Library, held the grand opening of their "University Library Connection Lounge" on August 30th. Michael Schwartz, President of Cleveland State University, and Andrew A. Venable, Director of Cleveland Public Library, were the featured speakers for this collaborative venture. Contemporary and popular books will be provided to the Connection Lounge patrons by CPL. In addition to a relaxing atmosphere for meeting friends, there will be LAN connections for students with laptops, and a large-screen TV. According to Glenda Thornton, Director of the Cleveland State University Library, the idea for the project began with student and faculty responses to the 2005 LibQUAL survey.

In other news, the University and Fenn College Archives has a new home at RT 310. Bill Becker is the University Archivist. The Cleveland State University Writing Center has moved to the library. At present, the Writing Center assists over 500 students each semester, and offers approximately 1,300 tutorials per term.

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Columbus State Community College

Linda Landis, Dean Emeritus of Educational Resources at Columbus State Community College, has been appointed Interim Director of the Educational Resources Center. Landis, who retired from the college in 1996, began her interim duties in July and will remain through November 2005.

In other news from Columbus State, Tracy Kemp, Reference and Instruction Librarian, was presented with the 2005 Staff Employee of the Year Award by President Valeriana Moeller at the College's Spring In-Service Day in May. A recognition of excellence, this honor comes with a highly coveted reserved parking space.

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Denison University

Graduate student Evelyn Burns, joins the library staff this fall semester. For the next ten weeks you may see Evelyn in the Reference Department although she will be spending her practicum time in many areas of the library. Holding an undergraduate degree in Speech Telecommunications, Evelyn will complete her MLIS (Masters in Information and Library Science) at Kent in December.

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Heidelberg College

Bobbi Bishop, Circulation Manager, and Sheryl Gannon, Acquisitions Coordinator at Beeghly Library, attended this year's Ohio Library Support Staff Institute at Baldwin-Wallace College. They enjoyed the Institute on a professional and personal level and came back with several new ideas and renewed enthusiasm.

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John Carroll University

Dr. Jeanne Somers assumed the role of Director of Grasselli Library & Breen Learning Center in July. She comes to the Library from Kent State University where she worked in various positions since graduating from Kent's Library School in 1969. Most recently, Jeanne served as Associate Dean of Library and Media Services at KSU. In previous years she served as Curator of Special Collections and Archives, Director of Library Services, Assistant Director for Technical Services, and Head of Cataloging.

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Kent State University

Cara Gilgenbach, Curator and University Archivist, Special Collections and Archives, Kent State University Libraries and Media Services, wishes to report that the Oral Histories of the 1970 Kent State Shootings are now freely available online through the OhioLINK Digital Media Center at http://worlddmc.ohiolink.edu/History/Login

From the OhioLINK press release: "Many articles, books and even documentaries have been written about the shootings that occurred at Kent State University on May 4, 1970. Now researchers from around the world can learn about the event firsthand by listening to eyewitnesses." The oral histories "contain audio files of 69 oral histories including many eyewitness accounts of the event and its aftermath, contributed by people who were students, faculty members, and City of Kent residents at the time, as well as an account by an Ohio National Guardsman."

"The oral histories can be streamed and listened to online or downloaded for further study . . . The May 4 Oral History Project was started in 1990 to preserve personal histories of and individual reactions to the shootings on the Kent State University campus in 1970. The collection is maintained and was contributed to the OhioLINK Digital Media Center by the Department of Special Collections and Archives, Libraries and Media Services at Kent State University."

The complete press release may be read at http://www.ohiolink.edu/about/pr/pr20050525.html

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Marietta College

Sharon F. Douglass, Reference & Instruction Librarian at Dawes Memorial Library, went on a Marietta College sponsored trip to China for 2 weeks in May 2005. While there, she met with an officer of CALIS (the China Academic Library and Information System) which is housed in the library at Peking University in Beijing. They discussed the development and progress of the CALIS initiative and its similarity to the OhioLINK consortium. She also spoke with Chinese students who attend the University of International Relations in Beijing (the host institution for the Marietta College group) about their use of the library in their academic studies. Sharon was able to gain some understanding of the differences between academic libraries in China and the Marietta campus in order to assist her international patrons more effectively. Sharon was awarded an International Travel Grant from Marietta College for this project.

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Miami University

Valerie Elliott joins Miami University Libraries as the Assistant University Archivist/Visiting Assistant Librarian through a temporary appointment funded by the Provost's office. Valerie will be supporting the work of the University Bicentennial Committee, formed as part of Miami's "First in 2009" campaign.

During her time at Miami, Valerie will remain as the Head of Smith Library of Regional History at Lane Public Libraries, a position she has held since 1988. Valerie is on the McGuffey Museum Advisory Committee, and has written a book entitled Images of America: Oxford, a pictorial history of Oxford published in 2004. She is also co-author of a booklet, "Walking Tour of the Uptown Oxford Historic District," published in 2001.

Stacy Nakamura Brinkman is the new Academic Resident/Visiting Assistant Librarian at the Wertz Art & Architecture Library on Miami University's Oxford campus. Originally from Seattle, Stacy attended Colorado College earning a BA in Comparative Literature.

With a masters in East Asian Studies from Princeton, Stacy went on to teach Japanese language and literature at the College of New Jersey. In 2004, she received her MLS from Rutgers. In addition to her duties for MU Libraries, Ms. Brinkman is a PHD candidate at Princeton in East Asian Studies. With her many years in academia, Stacy decided to become a librarian because of her passion for knowledge sharing outside of the classroom.

Kwabena Sekyere joins Miami University King library as an Academic Resident/Visiting Assistant Librarian. "Koby" is originally from Kumasi, Ghana, where he earned a BS in Computer Science at the University of Science and Technology.

In 2002, Koby earned a MA in Africana Studies at the State University of New York in Albany, and an MSIS in 2005. He chose Miami University because of its academic reputation and is looking forward to the learning opportunities his time at Oxford will bring. Koby is the Library's liaison to Black World Studies and will have an active role with the Miami Universities Diversity Cluster.

Paul Vash has been appointed Acting Assistant Director, Regional Campus Library at the Middletown campus of Miami University. Paul comes to Miami from a lengthy time of service at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, and with past academic service at the University of Cincinnati-Raymond Walters College and at the Miami University Hamilton campus.

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Muskingum College

Andrew Whitis has been promoted to Head of User Services at Muskingum College Library. In addition to reference and instruction, his main responsibilities will include: information literacy, outreach, web resources management, and collection development. Andrew joined the staff at Muskingum College Library in January 2004. He received his MLIS degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2004.

Kate Wenger is Muskingum's new Reference Librarian, joining the staff in July 2005. In addition to reference and instruction, Kate will oversee the daily operations of Interlibrary Loan and coordinate Muskingum's participation in OhioLINK's Chat with a Librarian service. She received her MLIS degree from Kent State University in 2004.

In other news, the Muskingum College Library will again host a "Local Author Talk" series during the 2005-06 academic year. The first talk will be held on Thursday, October 20th at 3:30pm. Emeritus Professor of History Dr. Taylor Stults will discuss his book, Fifty Major Documents of the 20th Century 1950 - 2000. Dr. Bob Burk, Professor of History, author of Much More Than a Game will discuss labor relations in baseball. On November 17th at 3:30pm, Dr. James Chloveechok, author of Game Face, a sports suspense novel, will discuss his recently released book.

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Oberlin College

Teresa Collins will be getting one full year of library experience at Oberlin College's Main Library as the Mellon Library Associate. She will work in the Reference Department, take on special projects, become involved in professional associations, and learn the overall operations of an academic library. Teresa graduated from Oberlin College in May 2005 with a B.A. in Anthropology. She is the Oberlin College record holder in the 400-meter dash and was named NCAC Sprinter of the Year in April, 2005.

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Ohio Wesleyan University

Xudong Jin, Associate Director of Libraries and Head of Technical Services, has been appointed Long-Term Adviser by Yunnan Provincial Library in China. Xudong visited libraries in Yunnan, China this summer and taught 6 seminars to librarians. Among them, one seminar attracted more than 20 directors and associate directors from Yunnan college and university libraries.

As the President of CALAMW (Chinese American Librarians Association Midwest Chapter), Xudong also signed an agreement to further academic exchanges with the Library Working Council of Yunnan Higher Education. According to the agreement, CALAMW will organize a five Chinese librarian group and design a five-day workshop for libraries in Yunnan in 2006. During his trip to China, Xudong also presented at the July 22nd Library Society of China (LSC) 2005 Annual Conference in Guilin, China. His paper "Consortia, What Have I learned? Advantages, Challenges, and Future of Library Consortia" was selected as one of the Best Papers by the Conference.

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OHIONET

OHIONET will have a booth at the ALAO Conference - please stop by and visit us! In addition to staff attending the conference, Sandy McIntyre and Roman Panchyshyn will present a session on Planning a Digital Project.

Watch for the new OHIONET workshop calendar in October - it will be available in print as well as online. Mary Conroy, Electronic Resources Coordinator for OHIONET and Liaison to ALAO, reports, "We'll be in Northeastern Ohio on November 10th at the Akron-Summit County Public Library to present a free OHIONET and OCLC Update Day. All types of libraries are invited. It's a good way to learn more about our many new products and services, and we look forward to meeting with you." For details and to register for this and other OHIONET events, see http://www.ohionet.org/training_calendar.php

OHIONET maintains a website called "Academic Programs" with links to electronic resources of interest to Ohio academic libraries. This site requires a password, since it has database trials, pricing, and preliminary details about possible consortium deals, please contact Mary Conroy at mconroy@Ohionet.org for more information

Have you tried out the interactive tests in LearningExpress Library? http://www.learningexpress.com College students will appreciate practicing GRE, LSAT, MCAT, Civil Service, TOEFL and other exams. LearningExpress Library is now available to all Ohio residents through the state's public libraries, K-12 schools, colleges and community colleges, and adult education centers. This resource is being funded by the State Library, OPLIN and LSTA grant funding. OhioLINK is providing information and support to academic libraries. OHIONET will play a role in publicizing this practical resource to the greater community via newspapers, listservs, etc. Watch the OHIONET website for publicity updates.

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Owens Community College

Owens Community College is celebrating the opening of their new campus library in Findlay. For the first time in the twenty years that Owens has had a campus in Findlay, students and faculty members will have their own library. Gail McCain is the manager of the new Findlay Campus Library. Gail was formerly the law librarian at Fuller & Henry in Toledo Ohio. Matthew Farthing, a recent graduate of the School of Library & Information Science at Wayne State University, is the librarian.

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Shawnee State

Connie Salyers, Chair of ACRL's Law and Political Science Section, wants to let Ohio instructional librarians know of an educational initiative that LPSS members have been developing this past year. There is a draft copy of Political Science Research Competency Guidelines that is intended to illustrate the application of ACRL's Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education to research in Political Science and related disciplines. The draft includes Public Administration, Law, Criminal Justice, and Civic Education. If ALAO members have an interest in seeing the draft and giving input they should contact Connie Stoner csalyers@shawnee.edu

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State Library of Ohio

The State Library of Ohio announces the addition of "TumbleTalking Books" to its electronic book collection. TumbleTalking Books is a collection of over 300 on-line audio books, which may be listened to from any Internet accessible computer. The collection includes unabridged audio versions of American classics, world literature, non-fiction, fiction, and some children's books.

The State Library of Ohio's Talking Book Program is the 2nd program nationwide to provide this service to its talking book subscribers. Any registered State Library patron or talking book subscriber may access the collection at no charge. This collection was funded with Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) monies through the State Library of Ohio. It is made available through the State Library's Talking Book Program, which provides no cost talking book services to Ohio's blind, visually impaired, physically handicapped and reading disabled residents. Jo Budler, State Librarian, points out, "These books are easy to use and don't require special equipment or software. They can be listened to from the comfort of your home or office, any time. I am pleased that we can offer this innovative service to all our patrons."

Library service for the blind and physically handicapped in the United States is delivered through a network of libraries and agencies coordinated by the Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). The State Library of Ohio Talking Book Program coordinates the Ohio program and serves as the machine lending agency for the state. To access the collection, or to find out about other unique services offered through the State Library of Ohio, go to the State Library's web site, http://winslo.state.oh.us

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University of Akron

Susan Ashby, Systems Coordinator at Bierce Library, has been granted tenure and promotion to Associate Professor.

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University of Cincinnati

Angela Gooden, Geo/Math/Phys Librarian, has been promoted to Associate Librarian.

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University of Toledo

Julia Martin has been hired as Business Librarian for Carlson Library. She arrives at UT after teaching business in China for two years. In other news, John Gaboury, Dean of Universities Libraries, wishes to relate that the Carlson Information Commons project is proceeding nicely with the selection of BHDP Architecture (with headquarters in Cincinnati and Columbus) to conduct a feasibility study.

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Wright State University

Dunbar Library began a collaborative service project with the campus Computing Center, CaTS. Beginning early September, the Libraries and CaTS created a satellite Help Desk on the reference floor. In addition to offering computer support for hardware and software, the CaTS Help Desk also provides a "Laptops 2 Go" program. Currently enrolled students may borrow wireless laptops for use anywhere on campus. The new service is off to a great start.

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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 to Susan Scott 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 Susan Scott!

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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