TBLC News

Attention public librarians!

YALSA and World Wrestling Entertainment® have joined forces for the SummerSlam Reading Jam, a pilot project with two great prizes: your library could win $1,000 for teen and tween materials for your library’s collection and two of your tween and teen library patrons can win a free trip for two to WWE’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event in Los Angeles.

Here’s how it works:

·         Sign up online! The first 500 libraries to register for the pilot project will receive mini-posters courtesy the WWE. The deadline to sign up for the SummerSlam Reading Jam is June 8 (although registration will close once 500 libraries have signed up for the pilot project).

·         Check ’em out! Each librarian who signs up will receive 25 WWE mini-posters, which should be distributed to any library patrons between the ages of 10 and 18 who take out two books between June 24 and July 16. The posters are all numbered. Distribute all your posters by July 16.

·         Win prizes! Two lucky poster holders each will receive a Grand Prize of a free trip for two to WWE’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event in Los Angeles, Calif., on August 23, 2009. In addition, they will receive $200 in spending money. WWE will also be giving away 10 copies of the WWE Encyclopedia, which recently made the New York Times Bestseller list. The libraries that distributed the winning posters for the two Grand Prizes will each receive a stipend of $1,000 from WWE for teen and tween materials for your library’s collection.

Full details and the official rules are available here.  (Contest open only to those who reside in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.)

And don’t forget to sign up for the WrestleMania® Reading Challenge, which launches during Teen Read Week in October. Registration is available through Teen Read Week registration through July 31.

Contact Stephanie (Stevie) Kuenn at skuenn@ala.org with questions.

FLA preconference
May 5, 2009
9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  
Join your resource sharing colleagues for this informative event.

Topics include:
The Future of the OPAC from the Patron Perspective
Unmediated Borrowing
Panel discussion on Delivery Methods in Today’s Economy
Rethinking Resource Sharing

Register at www.flalib.org.*
Contact Kristine J. Shrauger at (407) 823-5422 or kshrauge@mail.ucf.edu for more information.

___________________________________________

*The Florida Resource Sharing Conference is a pre-conference event of the Florida Library Association’s 2009 Conference and requires separate registration. You are encouraged but not required to register for and attend both conferences.

The first PLA Polaris Innovation in Technology John Iliff Award will be given to North Carolina’s Durham County Library on Monday, June 30, 2008, from 5-6:30 p.m., at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.

The PLA Polaris Innovation in Technology John Iliff Award honors the life and accomplishments of John Iliff, early adopter and champion of technology in public libraries, and recognizes the contributions of a library worker, librarian, or library that has used technology and innovative thinking as a tool to improve services to public library users.  The purpose is to encourage innovative user-oriented thinking and practical solutions using technologies old and new.  The award provides a $1,000 honorarium, a plaque, and a bouquet of roses for the workplace. The cash award honors the recipient’s efforts, while the roses sent to the work place honor the environment that helped nurture the recipient’s innovation.  Sponsored by Polaris.

The American Library Association (ALA) 2009 Nominating Committee is soliciting nominees to run on the 2009 spring ballot for the offices of ALA President-elect and Councilor-at-large.

The Nominating Committee will select two candidates to run for President-elect and no fewer than 50 candidates for the 33 at-large Council seats to be filled in the 2009 spring election.

The President-elect will serve a three-year term: as President-elect in 2009-2010, as President in 2010-2011 and as Immediate Past President in 2011-2012.

The Councilors-at-large will serve three-year terms, beginning after the 2009 ALA Annual Conference and ending at the adjournment of the 2012 Annual Conference.

The ALA President and Councilors also serve in corresponding roles in the ALA-Allied Professional Association [ALA-APA].  Individuals considering ALA-APA office are encouraged to consult with their employer regarding any restrictions regarding lobbying activities or service on the governing body of a 501(c)6 organization.

ALA members who wish to make nominations should submit the following information: nominee name; present position; institution; address; telephone; fax; and e-mail address.  All potential nominees must complete the Potential Candidate Biographical Form available at https://cs.ala.org/potentialcandidates. The database will be available June 2, 2008.   Nominations and forms must be received no later than Sept. 1, 2008.   Self-nominations are encouraged. 

Nominations also may be sent to any member of the 2009 Nominating Committee.  Committee members are:  Susan S. DiMattia, chair, consultant, DiMattia Associates, Stamford, Conn., sdimattia@optonline.net; Rose T. Dawson, acting director, Alexandria (Va.) Library, rdawson@alexandria.lib.va.us; Timothy P. Grimes, manager, Community Relations and Marketing, Ann Arbor (Mich.) District Library, grimest@aadl.org; Susan Hildreth, state librarian, California State Library, Sacramento, Calif., shhildreth@comcast.net; Corinne M. Hill, collection development manager, Denton (Texas) Public Library; cmhill@cityofdenton.com; Pamela Spencer Holley, writer, consultant, Hallwood, Va., pamsholley@aol.com; Jo Ellen Priest Misakian, interim dean/School of Education, Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, Cailf., jmisakian@fresno.edu; Daniel O. O’Connor, professor, Rutgers University School of Communication Information & Library Studies, New Brunswick, N.J.; oconnor@scils.rutgers.edu ; and Thomas C. Wilson, associate dean, Library Technology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, tcwilson@ua.edu.

To encourage diversity and leadership development, the Committee will refrain from nominating any current councilors for election to another term. 

However, the Committee encourages all current councilors who wish to continue their service to the ALA to file as petition candidates.  Petitions will be available from Lois Ann Gregory-Wood, Council Secretariat, ALA, 50 E. Huron, Chicago, IL 60611, e-mail: lgregory@ala.org, or during the 2008 Annual Conference or 2009 Midwinter Meeting.  Petitions require 25 signatures for names to be included on the 2009 ballot.

The American Library Association (ALA) is now accepting applications for the 2009 class of Emerging Leaders.  Applications can be found at http://cs.ala.org/hrdr/emergingleaders/.

The deadline to apply is July 31.

The program is designed to enable more than 100 new librarians to get on the fast track to ALA and professional leadership.  Participants are given the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, network with peers and get an inside look into ALA structure and activities.

An ALA division, round table, ethnic affiliate, state chapter or AASL Affiliate will sponsor approximately one-third of the selected applicants.  Each sponsor will contribute $1000 towards expenses ($500 for each conference).  To be sponsored, apply directly to your division, chapter or round table on the application.  A list of sponsoring units is included as part of the online application. You can also check with your state association and/or state chapter to find out how to apply for their sponsorship.

Sponsorship is not required for participation in the program.  In order to be eligible for participation in the program, those selected must meet the following criteria:

1. Be under 35 years of age or be a new librarian of any age with fewer than five years post-MLS experience, and
2. Have a recent MLS degree from an ALA or NCATE accredited program or be in an MLS program currently, and
3. Be able to attend both ALA conferences and work virtually in between each, and
4. Be prepared to commit to serve on an ALA, Division, Chapter or Round Table committee, taskforce or workgroup upon completion of program, and
5. Be an ALA member or join upon selection if not already a member.

Program information will be available and updated at: wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders.  For questions or more information regarding the program, contact Beatrice Calvin at bcalvin@ala.org.