Call for Proposals – ACRL/NEC Annual Conference 2009

Association of College and Research Libraries – New England Chapter
Annual Conference 2009
College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
May 15, 2009

ACRL/NEC invites you to submit proposals for a workshop, presentation, or poster session at its 2009 conference:

“Are You Being Served? Customer satisfaction and library service.”

We are construing “customer service” broadly and seek proposals covering any and all aspects of librarianship as they relate to
serving and satisfying our customers. In writing proposals, here are some questions to consider: Who are our customers? What do they want/need? What can we, and what can’t we, provide? How can we do better, what else can we do, what can we stop doing? Is the customer always right? Do we provide what our customers want or what (we think) they need? Can we do both? Can we go too far in trying to please our customers?

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Library Journal Design Institute East – Going Green

Library Journal Design Institute East – Going Green is Co-sponsored by the Connecticut State Library and Connecticut Library Consortium

The fourth Library Journal Design Institute moves to Connecticut for a one-day think tank on green design. We will bring together leading architects, designers, librarians, and vendors to hone in on the challenges and solutions we face in making libraries sustainable. As previous Green Design institutes have shown, there is much more to sustainability than making our libraries green. With every Green Design Institute, we’ve taken a leap forward in knowledge and understanding, but there is so much more we can learn from these experts and each other. Join us for a day-long series of green-themed presentations, panels, and breakout sessions, and learn the latest developments, options, costs and strategies being adopted.

We’ll also reprise one of the most successful features of the day: hands-on breakout sessions with architects. Each librarian attendee will have a chance to have their design challenge be the focus of one of the six architect-led breakout sessions. The design challenges do not have to focus solely on going green, but the breakout session will incorporate green solutions into the design.

Limited to 100 attendees, the seminar is for those considering a new building project or renovation, in the fundraising or pre-bond stage, or in the early building process.

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UPDATE: 2008 National Survey of Public Library Funding and Technology Access

Hello everyone,

As of this morning, 46 sampled libraries in Vermont have completed the 2008 National Survey of Public Library Funding and Technology Access, which is a 29.5% response rate.

However, a total of 60 libraries have responded, either completely or in progress in Vermont, yielding a 38.5% response rate. It’s getting there!

As I have stated in the past, a minimum of 60% is required for the team to be able to analyze the state individually. It is important to receive as many responses as possible from sampled libraries, as they were chosen for the sample specifically based on the proportionality of the various metropolitan areas and poverty levels in the state. Go to http://plinternetsurvey.org to complete your survey.

We’re doing much better than in past years. Thank you to everyone who’s completed or nearly completed the survey. Great job.

The survey closes NOVEMBER 7, 2008, which allows just under 4 weeks for responses.

Thank you again for all of your help, and please contact me with any questions you may have.

Rob Geiszler

DOL

Vermont Library Conference Call for Help!

The 2009 Vermont Library Conference Needs Your Help!

Volunteers are needed to support work on the May, 2009 Vermont Library Conference. Conference proposals are coming in, and we are lining up some great speakers and exciting events for May 12 & 13, 2009. Our keynote, Marshall Keys, is ecstatic to speak to the librarians of Vermont about library advocacy – a topic more important now than ever. It is our hope that the Vermont Library Conference is a meaningful, worthwhile, professional experience for all of Vermont’s librarians, library staff, boards, school boards, teachers, and administrators. We hope to broaden our scope and invite all the people who make our jobs a reality.

However, in order to put on a fantastic conference, we need your help. We are operating with a much smaller conference planning committee than in years past, and have identified areas in which we need your support. If you are interested in any of the jobs listed below, please contact me as soon as possible. You will be given all the information you need to fill these jobs – please don’t feel like you can’t volunteer for lack of experience. We will make sure you have all the support you need to do the job.

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Winnie Belle Learned grants available for public libraries

Vermont Public Library Foundation Grants Funded by the Winnie Belle Learned Fund
Deadline for applications: December 15, 2008
Application and information available at:http://www.libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/vplf

WINNIE BELLE LEARNED FUND

Background and Biography

The Winnie Belle Learned Fund is a fund created in 2007 by Dr. Burnett Rawson in honor of Winnie Belle Learned, a Vermont educator and his benefactress. Born in 1863 in Westford, Vermont, Ms. Learned worked through many personal hardships to earn her teaching certificate.

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NELA Carpooling Opportunities Still Available

Hi All,

There are still folks with spots in their cars headed to NELA this weekend. If you would like to carpool to NELA, please consider signing up for the VLA Travel Wiki. This tool uses PBWiki and signing up for an account takes seconds if you haven’t done so before, plus there are great tutorials on how to use a wiki courtesy of the Vermont 23 Things section on Wikis. You can request access either by clicking through to the Wiki and requesting there, or you can reply to this email with your name and your preferred email address. It only takes a couple of seconds to sign up and would be a great way to save money and meet new people. If you have an event you think people would like to carpool to, please feel free to add it and encourage folks to join up. I am, of course, happy to help anyone who needs it by adding their information or events to the wiki and answering questions, especially if you feel you need a little time to get accustomed to it.

See you there!
Helen

Going to NELA? Chapter leaders want to hear from you!

College & University Librarians, ACRL-NEC wants to hear from you!

Let us know how your professional association can work for you.  What are we doing that works and what could we do better?

Vice President Barbara Kenney and I will be holding informal focus groups at the NELA (New England Library Association) Annual Conference in Manchester, NH on October 19, 20, and 21. We’re especially interested in hearing from folks in northern New England. A few minutes of your time during one of these sessions is all that’s needed. Please join us.

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NELA is looking for conference bloggers

NELA is looking for novice and experienced bloggers to help out at the NELA Conference on October 19-21.

Once again, Plymouth Rocket, Inc. – http://www.plymouthrocket.com/ – is pleased to sponsor the conference blog and free Internet access for the bloggers.

“Taking Charge of Change”, the 2008 Annual NELA Conference, will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, NH.

For more information, visit the NELA Web site at www.nelib.org.

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Workshop: Marketing for Libraries

Marketing for Libraries
Thursday December 4, 2008
9:30 am – noon
Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston

Participants will learn the basic steps of creating a marketing plan using information from “Crash Course in Marketing for Libraries” by Susan Webreck Alman and the Certified Public Library Administration marketing course taught by Wayne Piper. Guest speaker Elizabeth Bluemle, co-owner of the Flying Pig Book Store, will share book store tips for merchandising and marketing outside and within the building. Bring along examples of your successful library marketing experiences to share with the group.

It is highly recommended that participants purchase and review “Crash Course in Marketing for Libraries” by Susan Webreck Alman before attending the workshop. ($30, ISBN-10: 1591584302, ISBN-13: 978-1591584308) This book outlines a marketing plan in less than 58 pages, with several appendices of real-life examples.

Contact Marti Fiske for information and to register, marti@williston.lib.vt.us or 802-878-4918. This workshop is sponsored by the Public Libraries Section of the Vermont Library Association.

CAYAL Fall Program

Hello Youth Librarians!

Please join us on Monday, November 10, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the Burnham Memorial Library in Colchester for a workshop presented by the VLA Children and Young Adult Librarians.  Our theme is resource sharing.  We’ll look at ways to create low cost, exciting, educational youth programs “On a Shoestring”.  The fee is $30 for the full day workshop and lunch. (Checks payable to VLA, see CAYAL Program and Registration).  Here’s the agenda for the day:

  • Preschool story time activities with Ellie Tetrick of Ellie’s Preschool Parties.
  • Children’s theatre troupe the Very Merry Theatre with director Don Wright.
  • Discussion with Rebecca Goldberg, Fletcher Free librarian, on ways to make the most of community resources.
  • CAYAL wiki resource sharing.
  • Lunch and Yankee Swap, a youth librarians’ potluck of resources!
  • Optional demo of The Early Literacy Station.

Don’t miss this chance to bring new energy to your library programs and meet your fellow librarians! Hope to see you on November 10th.

Questions? email or call Jill Coffrin at jill@williston.lib.vt.us(802-878-4918) or Gizelle Guyette (802-878-0313 ext. 109).