ALAO News

President's Report

I think it was when a brand new MIS (that’s Masters of Information Science) moved home (in an attempt to save money to repay college loans) that I really saw the value and joys of mentoring. Brand new librarians have loads of questions! They also have lots of new and often wonderfully insightful ideas. So, at last year’s ALAO Board Retreat we discussed this and now its time to get serious. I am putting together a task force of individuals who are interested in mentoring both new librarians and library school students. If you are interested in being a task force member, please e-mail me sometime in March. In addition to the well-known activities of ALA’s New Members Roundtable, it turns out that some other state organizations like ours have their own mentoring programs already set up so our task force would have plenty of ideas and models to draw on. Many of these programs focus on shepherding pre-tenure librarians along the track. I envision ALAO’s project as broader than this with varied opportunities for sharing between newbies and experienced academic librarians with tenure track being just one of many areas to focus on. Please consider joining me in this effort and if you’d like to be on the task force, please let me know.

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2006 Conference Planning Update

Looking ahead to the 2007 ALAO Annual Conference
The ALAO Conference Planning Committee has selected the site for the 2007 annual conference. The Greater Columbus Convention Center will be the Central Ohio conference location. ALAO holds the annual conference every other year in a Central Ohio location. The conference will be held on Friday, October 26, 2007. The Hampton Inn and Suites, located directly across the street from the Greater Columbus Convention Center, has been selected as the conference hotel.

2006 Annual Conference Planning Is Cooking! The 2006 Annual Conference Planning Committee continues to work towards organizing a great conference to take place on November 3, 2006 and being held at the Crowne Plaza Quaker Square Conference Center in Akron, Ohio. Dr. J. Richard Madaus, Executive Director of the College Center for Library Automation in Tallahassee, Florida, will be the keynote speaker for the 2006 conference. He will speak on emerging technologies in libraries. The call for presentation and poster session proposals has been issued. Please note that May 5, 2006 is the deadline for proposal submission. Check out the official "Recipes for Library Success: Ingredients, Process & Product" conference web site for more information on the historic Quaker Square, Dr. Madaus, Akron area attractions and proposal guidelines: www.alaoweb.org/06conf/index.html

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Dates to Remember 2006

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ACRL News

(from Chapter’s Council meeting, Sunday, January 22, 2006, ALA Midwinter in San Antonio)

Baltimore in 2007: Don’t forget to put the next ACRL Conference on your calendars. It will be held in Baltimore March 29 – April 2, 2007. The theme is Sailing into the Future: Charting Our Destiny. If you are considering a paper, panel or workshop, the deadline for proposals is coming up soon, May 10, 2006. The deadline for poster sessions will be in the fall of 2006. ACRL will also be offering a virtual conference April 20-21, 2006. Visit the ACRL website for more detailed information on this event: "Innovate and Motivate: Next Generation Libraries."

ACRL Election: Susan Scott, ALAO President and Ann M. Watson, ALAO President-Elect, attended a luncheon debate between the two candidates for the next ACRL president at ALA’s midwinter conference in San Antonio. That election is on the horizon as polls will open on March 15. The last date for returning ballots is April 24th.

New State Logos: ACRL designed new state logos for every state chapter affiliated with ACRL. ALAO’s Board is in the process of considering new designs for our logo as well as thinking about the use of the new ACRL/Ohio logo. More information about our logos will be available after the Board retreat this June. Pam Snelson, ACRL President-elect, has announced that the focus for her presidential year will be: the importance of libraries to learning in higher education.

Additional ACRL News

(source:ACRL Update, a subscription based mail list service of ACRL)

Congratulations to the Excellence in Academic Libraries Winners
ACRL is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2006 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award. The award is sponsored by ACRL and Blackwell's Book Services, and recognizes the staff of a college, university, and community college library for programs that deliver exemplary services and resources to further the educational mission of the institution. This year's recipients are the Thomas Tredway Library at Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois, winner in the college library category; and the Rochester Institute of Technology Libraries, Rochester, New York, in the university libraries category. There is no community college award recipient. More information about all ACRL award winners is available on the ACRL Web site: www.acrl.org (click, "Awards")

ACRL seeks applicants for joint Institute on Scholarly Communication
ACRL seeks applicants for the first Scholarly Communication Institute, co-sponsored with the Association for Research Libraries, to be held in Los Angeles, July 12-14, 2006. The deadline for application is March 1, 2006. Acceptance to the Scholarly Communication program is limited to 100 individuals, and selection is on a competitive basis. Complete details about the program as well as the online application form and instructions can be found at www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/scholarlycomm/scinstitute.htm. Applicants may direct questions concerning the program or application process to Kara Malenfant at 312-280-2510; kmalenfant@ala.org.

ACRL/IMLS Offer Scholarships to RBMS Preconference on Libraries, Archives, and Museums "Libraries, Archives, and Museums in the 21st Century: Intersecting Missions, Converging Futures?", June 20-23, 2006 in Austin, Texas
The Institute for Library and Museum Services (IMLS) has provided funding for thirty new and aspiring professionals to attend the 47th Annual RBMS Preconference. The conference will explore issues of mutual interest to libraries, archives, and museums. Further information and an online application form are available from the conference web site at www.hrc.utexas.edu/rbms2006. The deadline for applications has been extended to March 30, 2006.

Submit a proposal for an ACRL workshop or preconference
ACRL invites proposal submissions for a half-day or full-day workshop or preconference to be held prior to the 2007 ALA Midwinter Meeting or the 2007 ALA Annual Conference. April 3, 2006, is the deadline date for proposal submissions. Workshops and preconferences should allow participants to develop skills related to a specific topic and should focus on interactive learning, using a variety of presentation styles. Programs that offer practical tips and cutting-edge techniques are especially encouraged. Programs can be either half or full-day sessions. The complete text of the Call for Proposals, including proposal details and selection criteria, is online at www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlevents/upcomingevents/callforproposals.htm. Proposals must be submitted by April 3, 2006, via the online proposal: https://marvin.foresightint.com/surveys/Tier1Survey/ACRL/091. Questions? Contact msutton@ala.org.

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ALAO Elections

A worthy group of nominees have volunteered to run for ALAO office. They are:

Vice-President/President-Elect (1 to be elected)

Meri Meredith, Ohio State University

Doug Morrison, Ohio State University-Agricultural Technical Institute

Secretary (1 to be elected)

Alison Ricker, Oberlin College

Colleen Boff, Bowling Green State University

Membership Chair (1 to be elected)

Magda El-Sherbini, Ohio State University

Lori Fielding, University of Akron

Board Member-at-Large (3 to be elected)

Mike Tosko, University of Akron

Amanda Wilson, Ohio State University

Al Zavar, Cuyahoga Community College

Kathyanne Dobda, Cleveland State University

Brian Hickam, University of Toledo

Full candidate biographies and statements of candidacy will be posted to the ALAO web site in the near future. Watch your email for an announcement of the process and deadlines for the election. Be sure to take this opportunity to decide who will join the ALAO Board.

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Government Relations & Legislative News

Coming Soon: Statehouse Connect Day
Be sure to mark your calendars for Thursday, April 13, 2006 for Statehouse Connect Day in Columbus. We are looking forward to a strong turnout of academic library directors and librarians concerned about state support for higher education. The main objective will be to thank our state senators and representatives for their support and to encourage more of the same support for OhioLINK. We will meet at 9:00 a.m. in the Ohio Board of Regents offices (in the Rhodes Office Tower) for a briefing from Tom Sanville. Our special guest this year is Lynne Bradley, Director, Office of Government Relations from the ALA Washington Office. She will discuss how to deliver our message effectively to our legislators or their aides. In addition, she will offer wise advice on how to discuss other issues affecting higher education, taking into account the interests and constituencies of our legislators. Then the afternoon will be devoted to appointments we set up in advance with our legislators. More information will be forthcoming on the ALAO Web site. If you have joined us in the past, we look forward to seeing you again. If you have not been a part of this event before, please seize this timely opportunity! Please register by sending email expressing your wish to participate to Paul Burnam, pdburnam@owu.edu. For additional information about the event, please contact: Cindy Kristof, ckristof@lms.kent.edu; Joe Salem, jsalem@lms.kent.edu; or Candi Clevenger, candi@ohiolink.edu.

Feel free to contact any member of the Government Relations Team for more information.

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Research and Publications News

Research Grant Application Deadline: May 1
It's time to start thinking about research projects that could be funded by the ALAO Research Grant! The Research and Publications Committee annually awards $500 to fund one or more research projects of ALAO members. Funded projects deal with issues in libraries, librarianship, information science, and information technology; and both new and ongoing research will be considered. Emailed applications must be received by the Chair of the Research and Publications Committee, Jolene Miller, (jomiller@meduohio.edu) by May 1, 2006. More information and detailed application instructions can be found on the ALAO web site at www.alaoweb.org/comsigs/respub/rpgrant.html.

Call for Member Publications
Thanks to all who recently submitted updated publications for the ALAO Member Bibliography (www.alaoweb.org/comsigs/respub/alaobibl.html)! There are many more members, however, from whom we still need to hear. We'd like to maintain as complete of a list of member publications, but we can't do that without your help. Please email a list of your publications (or, if it is easier, email your CV) to Jolene Miller, jomiller@meduohio.edu. Thanks in advance!

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Membership News

We have 516 members who current through 2005 or beyond. 237 of these members are current through 2006 to 2009. Our Membership Campaign will target the 279 whose memberships expired at the end of December. We’ll also send renewal invitations to the 113 ALAO members who have been expired since the end of December, 2004. I plan to print and distribute ALAO Membership Cards by mid March to coincide with the membership drive. I’ll then print a second batch of cards as the membership drive’s results seem to taper off (perhaps in late May).

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Interest Group News

Collection Management Interest Group

The Collection Management Interest Group's spring workshop will be on Thursday, May 25, 2006 at Denison University, Granville Ohio. The topic is "Show Me the Money : Exploring How Budgets Impact Collection Management." Keynote speaker is Gary Hunt, Associate Dean of Libraries at Ohio University, speaking on the budgeting for collections. Other sessions include: Grant writing and endowments; Managing and allocating acquisitions funds; Coping with budget freezes and shortfalls; and Protecting collections (including risk management, insurance, estimating value of collections, dealing with rare books).

Further details and registration information will be forthcoming. Please contact the CMIG Chair, Margo Warner Curl (mcurl@wooster.edu) if you have any questions.

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Curriculum Materials Interest Group

Spring Workshop
The CMCIG Spring Workshop will be held on Friday, May 19, at Cedarville University, in Cedarville, Ohio. A full day is planned with sessions that will interest and benefit all CMC and education librarians. Sessions include Webquests with Sara Bushong of Bowling Green State University, Making Your Life Easier with BWI! with Eileen Armour and Nancy Cheney of BWI, and more. Registration is $35 for ALAO/OCLIS members, $55 for non-members, and $55 for non-members who wish to join ALAO. Registration will be available online beginning March 1 at www.cedarville.edu/cmcig. Greg Martin Cedarville University

The CMCIG Blog is here!
At the workshop last spring (May 2005) CMCIG members decided to implement a "trial" blog, or web log, for our speakers to use while preparing their presentation for the ALAO conference. With the success of our blog, and subsequent conference session, the CMCIG coordinating committee determined it would be beneficial to move forward and expand the blog focus to include our stated goals of collaboration and support of CMCIG members. We have recently updated the format to include CMCIG purpose and goals, professional links, and a Blog roll. What we need now are members interested in sharing ideas with other readers. Interested in participating? Visit the CMCIG blog at cmcig.blogspot.com/. Consider becoming a contributor by sending your email address to Greg Martin (marting@cedarville.edu) or Diane Schrecker (dschreck@ashland.edu) and indicating you would like to be a member of the blog. Create a Blogger account -- it's free! -- and when the email invitation is sent to you, simply accept and you will be able to post. Interested but not sure you want to post? If you would like to just be able to comment on blog postings, create a Blogger account and you will be able to comment. Feel free to contact us with any additional questions.

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Distance Learning Interest Group

The Distance Learning Interest Group (DLIG) is planning a workshop for May 2006. The workshop will include presentations and allow plenty of time for discussion. The DLIG committee members are in the preliminary stages of identifying possible speakers and venues. Any recommendations, suggestions (or volunteers!) are welcome. Please send to Kathryn Venditti, kvenditt@ashland.edu

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Diversity Committee

Interesting At Any Age – Find out Why!
Ever wonder why it’s sometimes hard to understand our students, colleagues and co-workers? Today’s workplaces are comprised of three, sometimes four distinct generations – Veterans, Boomers, Xers and Nexters. Values, views and mindsets can oftentimes clash – leading to generational tensions in the workplace. You are invited to attend the Diversity Committee’s Spring workshop "Age Matters: Generational Tensions in the Workplace" to find out ways to understand each other and get along better. Mary Merrill, L.S.W. of Merrill Associates, will lead this workshop on aging. The session will share ideas for acknowledging differences and generating options for more productive work environments. Please join us on Friday, May 5, 2006 at the State Library of Ohio. The workshop will be from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and lunch will be included. Registration is just a modest $40.00 and you can download the registration form at www.alaoweb.org/comsigs/diversity/spring-wkshop-2006.html. Deadline to register is Friday, April 28, 2006. For more information, visit the ALAO website www.alaoweb.org. The day is sure to provide some great ideas to bridge that generation gap so we hope to see you there!

Diversity Scholarship Seeks to Enhance Dialog
How do we – individuals, associations. library educators, and others affiliated with the profession of librarianship – convince energetic and talented diverse individuals of all ages and from all walks of life that a career in library and information science is rewarding and fulfilling? How do we convey to them that a career as a librarian will give them as much satisfaction at the end of the day as successfully completing open heart surgery; finding a cure for AIDS, cancer or the common cold, or significantly advancing the research effort; cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay or the Hudson River once and for all of dangerous and damaging pollutants; or starring in a blockbuster movie, being adored by a legion of fans and making $20 million per picture. Neely, Teresa Y. "Minority student recruitment in LIS education: new profiles for success." Unfinished business: race, equity, and diversity in library and information science education. Ed. Maurice B. Wheeler. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005. 93-117.

ALAO is working to find an answer to Teresa Neely’s important questions through its Diversity Scholarship. The $1,500 award will go to a promising student, enrolled in an ALA-accredited MLS program and living in Ohio, who exemplifies the qualities needed to ensure a diverse library workforce. The scholarship will be applied directly to the recipient's bursar account for tuition at his or her academic institution. As the scholarship recipient, the student will receive a complimentary registration for ALAO’s Annual Conference on November 3, 2006, and at least one year of mentorship from a selected ALAO Board Member. Information and application form available at www.alaoweb.org/comsigs/diversity/scholarship-guidelines.html. Applications for the 2006 scholarship are due via email as an attachment by Friday, March 17, 2006.

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Instruction Interest Group

Workshop on Assessment
Tuesday, April 25 @ OSU
Planning is underway for the IIG Spring Workshop, scheduled for Tuesday, April 25. We will meet at the Ohio State University Science and Engineering Library, site of the 2004 workshop. Thank you to Karen Diaz, OSU, for making those arrangements. Assessment is the broad topic for the workshop, and Steve Wilhoit, Professor of English and Ryan C. Harris Learning Teaching Center Fellow, University of Dayton, are our featured speakers and workshop leaders. Steve was one of several panelists at an IIG Workshop in 1990 at Denison Univ. Since then, he has been actively involved in leading faculty development workshops at the Learning Teaching Center. Evaluation of your library instruction program, of student learning, and your own effectiveness as an instructor are topics we hope to cover during the workshop. Registration information and a complete agenda will be distributed on the ALAO listserv as soon as details are finalized.

Please contact the co-chairs for more information: Alison Ricker, Oberlin College, aricker@oberlin.edu; Marcia King-Blandford, Univ. Toledo, mkingbl@utoledo.edu.

Instruction Clearinghouse Update
The OhioLINK/ALAO Instruction Clearinghouse www.alaoweb.org/comsigs/iig/clearinghouse.html, created by the OhioLINK Training Task Force and maintained by the ALAO Instruction Interest Group, has been updated on both the OhioLINK and ALAO Web sites for several years. The site will soon be accessible only on the ALAO site, with a link to it from the staff section on the OhioLINK site. Mary Lee (Mel) Jensen, Kent State Univ., has been the coordinator of the clearinghouse for some time, communicating with both OhioLINK and ALAO. She will continue to serve as the coordinator for ALAO. The position of Instruction Clearinghouse Coordinator as been added to the official description of the Instruction Interest Group in the ALAO Procedures Manual, with a term of two years. Even though the clearinghouse is now updated in only one location, we hope that all OhioLINK librarians and ALAO members will continue to see it as a joint venture and shared resource. It will continue to be known as "OhioLINK and ALAO Instruction Clearinghouse." Your contributions are always welcome! Send your comments, suggestions and contributions directly to Mel Jensen mjensen@kent.edu. Thank you, Mel, for continuing to serve in this capacity.

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Professional Development Interest Group

The Professional Development Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of the Spring 2006 Continuing Education Grants.

Rita Johnson, Wright State University, was awarded a grant to attend the 14th Annual Innovative Users Group Conference in Denver, Colorado. As a Unit Coordinator in the Technical Services Department, Rita will be able to learn new skills to apply to the use of upgraded technology in her department. She will also enjoy the networking opportunities of her first national conference.

Christine Reineck, Bowling Green State University, was also awarded a grant to attend the Innovative Users conference. She will be able to learn more about the use of the Electronic Resources Management software which was recently developed. Christine will also present a session on implementation of this software module.

Sister Sandra Rutkowski, Director of Duns Scotus Library, Lourdes College, was awarded a grant to attend an OhioNet workshop, "Practical Library Assessment: Applying the ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education." As Lourdes College is in the process of developing assessment plans for all departments, this workshop will assist Sister Rutkowski in the development of a plan for the library. She is interested in learning how well the library currently serves the needs of the student body, and how that service can be improved.

Diane Schrecker, Ashland University, an active ALAO member, was awarded a grant to attend the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Diane serves ALAO as the Liaison to the ALA Councilor, and is active in the Education and Behavioral Sciences Section of ACRL. She will attend meetings pertaining to her work in these positions while at the conference. In addition, she will take part in author and illustrator sessions which relate directly to her work as a Curriculum Librarian, liaison to Ashland’s Education Department, and grant writer for library and education projects.

Kevin L. Smith, Director of Pilgrim Library, Defiance College, was awarded a grant to participate in an online workshop, "Copyright and Academic Culture." Kevin is both a librarian and a licensed attorney, and frequently lectures and presents on copyright issues in academe. His current projects include lectures on copyright and plagiarism for Definace students; conference presentations on IP licensing issues; and chairing a task force to draft a plagiarism policy at Defiance.

The Professional Development Committee welcomes the opportunity to provide support for continuing education events for ALAO members. The next round of grants will be awarded in Fall, 2006. See the ALAO home page for details and application deadlines.

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Support Staff Interest Group

The SSIG Spring Workshop will be Friday May 12 at the Shisler Center in Wooster, OH. Our keynote speaker will be Jenifer Grady, Director of the ALA-APA. Look for registration information coming soon. We will be holding elections for a new Secretary/Chair-elect at the workshop, as well. If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else, please send the nominations to Erin Peters at erin.peters@kcma.edu

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Technical Services Interest Group

Upcoming TSIG Spring Workshop: "Chaos or Control: Content, Context and Access in the Digital Age"
In the world of information retrieval do the concepts of chaos and control represent a dichotomy or a continuum? Are they mutually exclusive or overlapping? Is lack of control really chaos or is it liberation from rigid structures that only enhance access for those familiar with those structures? On May 19th the ALAO Technical Services Interest Group hopes to answer some of those questions when we present "Chaos or Control: Content, Context and Access in the Digital Age." Speakers will discuss approaches that range from new applications of the very tightly controlled vocabularies that have traditionally enabled access to folksonomies that provide almost no control but offer users an opportunity to add unique access points and content. Jean Godby (OCLC) will talk about OCLC's Ontologies Project. Diane Vizine-Goetz (OCLC) will provide information on the OCLC Terminologies Pilot. Douglas Hiwiller (Cleveland Museum of Art) will explain about the Art Museum Community Cataloging Project. Come join the discussion on May 19th at the OHIONET building in Columbus, Ohio. Look for registration details on the member list serve later this month.

TSIG Scholarship Deadline Extended
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 www.personal.kent.edu/~mbmaurer. The application deadline has been extended to April 30th.

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Feature Stories

ALAO member selected ACRL Academic/Research Librarian of the year for 2006

Congratulations to Ray English, Director of Libraries at Oberlin College, who was named ACRL Academic/Research Librarian of the year for 2006! For several years Ray has been focusing on scholarly communication, advocating for open access to the results of scholarly research. Especially here in Ohio we also recognize his leadership in diversity issues and in Information Literacy initiatives among many other achievements. Ray has been active in ALAO for many years. He has participated in conference presentations and helped to organize our State Legislative Day in 2003, urging many library directors to attend the event. Ray will be receiving a $3,000 award on Monday, June 26, 2006, at 4:30 p.m., at a ceremony and YBP sponsored reception during the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in New Orleans. For more complete information on Ray’s award, please see the ACRL website under the News section and People and Library News Oberlin College News in this Newsletter.

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People and Library News

Bowling Green State University

If you get a chance to take a peek at the March 1 issue of Library Journal, you'll see the “Paraprofessional of the Year” and, in a special box, a mention of "Two More to Watch." One of the "Two More" is Ohio’s and ALAO's own Gaynelle Predmore (Library Associate at Bowling Green State University’s Jerome Library)! Congratulations Gaynelle--so well deserved!

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Cedarville University

Library Facility Upgrades are Completed
Jan M. Bosma, Associate Director of Library Services at Cedarville University reports that The Centennial Library, working with Library Design Associates, Inc., completed its current project of upgrading its facility. This project, which began in 2002, has involved upgrading restrooms, replacing most of the carpeting, replacing selected furniture, re-configuring the reference area, re-painting a number of public and office areas, expanding network and electrical service, adding 21 public access computers, and providing e-mail e-check@ stations and a plasma screen to its Information Commons Lounge. The fiberglass casual furniture, a fixture in the Centennial Library since its construction in 1987, is now a thing of the past. Those units have been replaced throughout the Library with comfortable individual seating, some with tablet arm inserts to accommodate laptop computers. In addition, several round group study tables have been placed in the casual reading area at the entrance to the Library. A plasma screen television has been added to this area to accommodate news and special events on a regular basis, similar to what is available in the Student Center.

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Cleveland State University

Fran Mentch, MLIS, MSW, has joined the staff at Cleveland State University as Social and Behavioral Sciences Librarian. She has worked extensively in social work agencies, libraries, and as an adjunct faculty member.

 

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Denison University

The ALAO Collection Management Interest Group spring program will be held at Denison University in Granville, Ohio on Thursday, May 25. Entitled "Show Me the Money," it will feature such topics as budgeting and allocating for library materials, grant writing and endowments, budget freezes, & protecting the collection. Registration forms, cost, and more details will be forthcoming in another month or so. Contact person is Margo Warner Curl, Technical Services Librarian at The College of Wooster Libraries (mcurl@wooster.edu )

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Medical University of Ohio

On Dec. 16, 2005, the Ohio Board of Regents followed the lead of The University of Toledo and Medical University of Ohio boards of trustees in approving a merger of the two entities. The action has moved forward rapidly and is now in the hands of state legislators, with legislative approval possible as early as March 2006. While there should be significant cost savings associated with a merger, it is not the driving force behind the move. Rather, a merger of The University of Toledo and the Medical University of Ohio represents significant opportunities for intellectual synergies that will create a dual entity that will be a higher education powerhouse in northwest Ohio. Detailed information and updates are available at: utmuomerger.utoledo.edu/

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Oberlin College

Ray English, Azariah Smith Root Director of Libraries at Oberlin College, is the 2006 Association of College and Research Libraries' (ACRL) Academic/Research Librarian of the Year. The award, sponsored by YBP Library Services, recognizes an outstanding member of the library profession who has made a significant national or international contribution to academic/research librarianship and library development.

English will receive a $3,000 award on Monday, June 26, 2006, at 4:30 p.m., at a ceremony and reception during the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in New Orleans. YBP Library Services sponsors the reception. "Ray English is an influential librarian," said award committee chair Les Canterbury. "He is a leader in various organizations on state and national levels including the Oberlin Group of Liberal Arts Colleges, OhioLINK, ACRL, and other units of the American Library Association. Under his direction, Oberlin College has led a Mellon Foundation initiative involving six academic libraries that's designed to attract a more diverse population to the library profession through undergraduate internships. "English's greatest impact as a librarian, perhaps, and the area of his work that stands out to the selection committee, is his advocacy for open access to the results of scholarly research. The breadth and depth of his knowledge of issues related to dissemination of scholarly output, and his commitment to access to information, led to his leadership role in information policy-setting arenas. He has been a primary leader of the ACRL scholarly communications program, has been active in the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), and has fostered close cooperation on scholarly communications issues among ACRL, SPARC, and the Association of Research Libraries. In addition, and on a larger stage, he has influenced, as an expert contributor, national policy on public access to federally-funded research, including the recent National Institutes of Health Public Access Policy."

English is a founding member and chair of the ACRL Scholarly Communications Committee and recently was elected chair of the steering committee of SPARC, of which Oberlin College is a founding member. He also has lectured and written extensively on scholarly communication issues and open access. Since 1988, English has served on more than 15 ALA and ACRL committees and is a former ACRL Board member (1996-98). Under English's leadership, Oberlin became the first private, liberal arts college library to join OhioLINK. In addition, he participated in a cooperative effort with four other Ohio private colleges in establishing a new consortium, the Five Colleges of Ohio, which received a major grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for library resource sharing. He also coordinated a $475,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to incorporate information literacy into the liberal arts curriculum of each of the Ohio Five schools. In addition, English was co-project director of an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership grant to create a library diversity intern program at Oberlin College from 2000-2002.

The Oberlin College Library received the 2002 ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in the college category. "I was delighted when ACRL President Camila Alire called to tell about this award," said English. "It's a wonderful honor to be recognized by peers in this way. I want to express a special word of thanks to those colleagues who put forward my nomination. I'm very grateful that I've been in a position to make contributions that are perceived to be important for the profession."

English received his A.B. with honors in German from Davidson College in 1969. He earned his Masters in German literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1971, where he also received his M.S.L.S. in 1977 and earned his PhD in German literature in 1978. Previous award winners include Ravindra Nath (R. N.) Sharma (2005); Tom Kirk (2004); Ross Atkinson, (2003); Shelley Phipps, (2002); Larry Hardesty (2001); and Sharon Hogan (2000).

For more information regarding the ACRL Academic/Research Librarian of the Year award, or a complete list of past recipients please visit www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlawards/acrllibrarian.htm. ACRL is a division of the American Library Association, representing 13,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals. ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products and services to meet the unique needs of academic and research librarians. Its initiatives enable the higher education community to understand the role that academic libraries play in the teaching, learning and research environments.

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University of Toledo

Brian Hickam, Librarian for the College of Health & Human Services and Liaison to UT Athletics, Laura Johnson, Learning Specialist at UT, and Jennifer Kulics, Kent State University's Assistant Athletic Director for Academic and Student Services, presented 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 discussed "A Creative Collaboration of Life Skills, Learning Styles, and Information Literacy." The group is using Grokker’s search and display software to study visual-spatial learning among student-athletes.

Rajinder Garcha, Professor of Cataloging at Carlson Library, and Patricia Yates Russell have published: The World of Islam in Literature for Youth: A Selective Annotated Bibliography for K-12. The World of Islam in Literature for Youth will aid librarians, parents, students, teachers, school media specialists, and other readers who are interested in identifying helpful resources on the topic of Islam and the Muslim culture. Divided into 16 chapters that reflect the different aspects of Islam and the Muslim culture, this annotated bibliography covers more than 700 books, instructional materials, videos, DVDs, audio tapes, and online resources, each with a complete bibliographical description-title, author's name, place of publication, publisher, year, number of pages, and ISBN (both for hard copy and paper, if available)-and recommended grade levels. Digital electronic resources, in addition to the above bibliographic description, also include length of running time, producer, and whether in black & white or color.

The authors wrote this book with the goal of making available reliable information about this often-misunderstood religious tradition. Many of the resources emphasized are not typically featured in existing bibliographies, databases, and libraries. Author, title, grade, subject, and illustrator & photographer indexes are included. This valuable reference tool provides educators with a means to easily identify resources for use in promoting the understanding of Islam.

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Wright State University

Wright State University Libraries have started offering two practicum experiences for Kent State University SLIS students: one in the area of reference/ instruction; and one in collection development. Humanities Librarian Charlotte Droll and Science and Math Librarian Mary Lou Baker Jones are currently supervising the Libraries' first practicum student, Terese DeSimio, who is pursuing an all-instruction practicum. The Libraries are recruiting KSU SLIS students for both a summer and a fall practicum. The summer practicum will focus on collection management issues such as maximizing the usefulness of online subject guides and aligning targeted print collections to user needs. The fall practicum will focus on reference service in a new information commons and on a wide variety of library instruction experiences.

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About the ALAO Newsletter

ALAO Newsletter Publication Information

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

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

Submission Guidelines:
We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. Please send text copy to Heidi Beke-Harrigan in electronic format, preferably as an electronic mail Word document attachment or within the body of an email message. Send images as separate attached files (preferably in JPEG, GIF, or PNG format). 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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