If youd like to highlight an exceptional member of the New Members Round Table, please consider nominating yourself, a colleague, or student member for NMRT Member of the Month! Members of the Month will be featured in a blog post spotlight on NMRT Notes. To nominate yourself or someone else, please use our Google Form: https://forms.gle/CNq19h9XcX34BEh49.
Questions about NMRT Member of the Month can be directed to nmrtnotes@gmail.com.
By: Marina Brint, University of Western Ontario
Welcome back to the NMRT Blog, there’s a lot of special events occurring in February and it is a great month to highlight them in your library through displays, info sessions, and events.
Some significant events in February are:
Black History Month – February 1st – 28th
Library Lover’s Month – February 1st – 28th
Valentines Day – February 14th
National Day of Reading: A Celebration of Trans Stories – February 28th
Black History Month is a significant celebration and an opportunity for libraries to showcase and promote the literature, history, music, art, and culture by African American creators. Here are some ways your library can promote and celebrate this event:
Some resources for book lists can be found at Penguin House Publishing here or here.
Or at the American Writers Museum here.
Check out some upcoming releases by Black authors here.
Need some more inspiration? Recently the 2024 Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and Fiction were announced, some finalists of the award include:
We Were Once a Family by Roxanna Asgarian, Texas based author, journalist, speaker and Winner of the Nonfiction Medal of Excellence for 2024.
“Investigative reporter Asgarian’s years of work getting to know the birth families of six children killed by their adoptive parents in 2018 uncovered a devastating web of intergenerational poverty, violence, and wrenching separations. She exposes the tragedy of what happened and the ongoing, insupportable failings of the foster system.”
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward, an American novelist and professor.
“Sold away from her mother, teenage Annis, daughter of a Black mother and the white man who enslaved them, must endure a grueling march to the slave markets of New Orleans with only her wits and her mother’s ivory awl to help her survive. Ward’s vivid imagery and emotionally resonant prose convey the horrors of chattel slavery in stark, unforgettable detail.”
The Talk by Darrin Bell, an American editorial cartoonist.
“In 2019, Bell became the first Black editorial cartoonist to win a Pulitzer Prize. In this brilliant graphic memoir, Bell’s growth from a trusting child afraid of dogs to an esteemed, nationally syndicated cartoonist is a marvel to witness through his spectacular panels and pages. A must-read manifesto against racist brutality.”
2024 Winners | Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence
E-Learning opportunities that focus on racial equity include:
Tackling Racism and Bias in the Library Catalogue
Best of Core Forum: Anti-Racist Acquisitions: Interrogating Processes
Being the Only: The Intersection of POC and School Librarianship
Actively Anti-Racist Reader’s Advisory Services
Public Libraries Supporting African American Writers
From ALA Editions Neal-Schuman’s Book Club there will be a multipart discussion about the Black and African American experiences in libraries, historically, and presently. This panel will include talks from the books Narratives of (Dis)enfranchisement by Tracey Overbey and Amanda L. Folk, Let’s Talk About Race in Storytimes by Jessica Anne Bratt, and Libraries without Borders: New Directions in Library History contributors LaVerne Gray and Beth J.H. Patin. This event will be taking place online on Wednesday, February 19th, 2025 at 1PM Central Time and registration for the webinar can be found here with other events hosted by the book club found here.
Explore ALA’s resources about Black History month here. At this link you’ll find useful definitions and opportunities to develop and learn, such as through ALA’s AASL and Advocacy sites, where you can read about “Black School Librarianship” featured in the Quest journal which discusses the challenges, identities, and experiences of being a Black librarian. You’ll also find learning engagement resources, directed towards school librarianship but applicable elsewhere, and other resources such as reading lists, educational opportunities and more.
Other opportunities for e-learning through the ALA happening this month include:
Inside Interlibrary Loan: Basics for a New Millennium – A four week asynchronous course on inside interlibrary loan, starting February 3rd, 2025.
How Libraries Can Build Connections to Combat Loneliness – Learn how to create a culture of empathy and action by developing micro-communities to combat loneliness, webinar taking place February 5th, 2025.
Conscious Kid Kits: Using Picture Books to Spark Conversations about Racial Equity with Our Children – A presentation on using book kits in libraries to promote conversations about racial equity and inclusion with children, webinar taking place February 18th, 2025.
Grow Your Project Management Skills – Join this e-forum to discuss your successes, not-so-successful endeavours, and learn how to incorporate projects, taking place February 18th, 2025.
Celebrating Autistic Joy in Your Library – Move beyond “autism acceptance” and let your library become a place of autistic joy, webinar taking place February 26th, 2025.
Cardholder Signup Policies: Access in Practice – Learn best practices for cardholder registration that reduces barriers and increase access for all, webinar taking place February 27th, 2025.
By Margaret Bates, Research and Instructional Services Librarian, University of Alabama Libraries
Hello everyone and Welcome back the NMRT Notes blog
Here are a few exciting ways to get involved with NMRT and the larger ALA community!
Membership in NMRT is a first step toward greater involvement within ALA. On NMRT committees, new members can quickly gain positions of responsibility that can help them to achieve similar positions in other ALA groups. NMRT’s divisional liaisons and clearinghouse can likewise be of assistance. NMRT’s role as a stepping stone also extends far beyond the organizational structure of ALA. As a gateway, pathfinder, and stepping stone, NMRT has played — and continues to play — a vital role not only within ALA but also the library profession at large. Individual membership is open and available to any member of the American Library Association who has been an ALA member for ten or fewer years.
Do you have other resources you want to highlight? Let us know in the comments!
By Hanna White, Public Services Librarian, FVRLibraries
Hello and welcome back to the NMRT blog! We are back up and running with a new cohort of blog writers. Thank you for bearing with our tech issues.
NMRT Resources
If you’re graduating soon, or just thinking about moving positions, now is a great time to take advantage of NMRT’s resume review service. Librarians from all over the U.S. in many specializations volunteer to make this service accessible via email all year round. For more information on where to find jobs, you can browse previous NMRT blog posts, or visit our job listings page.
Holidays at your library
Did your library do anything to acknowledge or celebrate the holidays this time of year? For many of us, especially in public service, balancing high levels of patron and staff interest in this area with an obligation to stay secular can be tricky. No matter where you work, there’s never a bad time of year to celebrate trees. Here are a few library display and passive program ideas that you might consider incorporating into your plans this winter.
Put up a tree (any kind) in the library and provide slips of colorful paper for patrons to write down their favorite holiday traditions. Tie them on with ribbon or string to create a beautiful tribute to the winter season. If you don’t have a 3D tree, trace one on paper, attach it to the wall with tape, and replace the slips of paper with paper leaves.
Got weeds? Try some folded book art to make a decoration that will last throughout the seasons. If you want a free-standing tree, start by removing 60-80 pages from your book with an exacto knife (make sure to keep the glue intact). If you want a ‘pop-up’ look, grab a hardback book and find the center page. With the spine perpendicular in front of you, grab the outer top corner of a page and fold it towards the spine at a 90 degree angle. Take the outer bottom corner of your folded triangle and fold it in again so it’s flush with the spine (about a 30 degree angle). Then fold up or cut off the excess paper on the bottom of the page. For a free-standing tree, repeat with all pages, then glue together in a round. For a ‘pop-up’ tree, alternate the left and right sides of your book until you’re happy with its look, then prop up on the covers.
Gather some books of different sizes in a similar color. Starting with the largest books and going towards the smallest, stack your books up, spine-side out. Top your stack with a pages-side down book to complete the triangle. If you have lots of books and room, try stacking in a circle to make a complete standalone tree, but be careful to level your books as you go!
December events and observances
Major holidays this month include Hanukkah (Dec 18 – 26), Yule (December 21st), Nochebuena (December 24th), Christmas (December 25th), and New Years Eve (December 31).
National Day of Giving/Giving Tuesday is on December 3rd this year. This event encourages individuals to donate time and money to local charities and non-profits, and many Friends of the Library groups participate. December 3rd is also International Day of Persons With Disabilities, bringing attention to the issues faced by disabled people the world over. A week later, December 10th marks Human Rights Day, which commemorates the proclamation of the universal declaration of human rights in Paris, 1948.
Finally, the National Coalition for the Homeless holds the winter solstice (December 21st) as Homeless Persons Memorial Day to honor those who have passed away while experiencing homelessness in the past year.
LibLearnX
LibLearnX (formerly ALA Midwinter) is coming up from January 24-27th in Phoenix, AZ! Early bird pricing is available through December 6th, so if you’re considering attending, make sure to register as soon as possible. Learn more about this conference, and what to expect if you go, at the “About” page. Prominent events at the event include the I Love My Librarian award ceremony and announcement of youth book award winners, including the Newberry, Caldecott, and Coretta Scott King awards.
By Marina Brint, University of Western Ontario
Hi everyone,
Whether you’re a brand new MLIS student or a fresh librarian to the field, with NMRT there’s a resource for you. Here’s a few helpful resources from NMRT and ALA that you can use to become familiar with the field, learn more, or connect with others in the community:
Resource Guides: Need some answers, advice, or guidance on certain topics like copyright for libraries? Or library policy development? Take a look at ALA’s Resource Guides which cover a wide variety of topics and issues here.
Scholarships: If you’re a new or prospective MLIS student starting their journey in the program and are looking for funding support check out these opportunities at ALA’s Scholarship Program here, these scholarships combined offer over $300,000 annually to help students in their pursuit for librarianship. The scholarship portal is currently open and closes March 1st.
NMRT Specific Scholarships and Grants: The NMRT offers several funding opportunities to support members of the NMRT such as the:
Shirley Olofson Memorial Award to help defray costs of attending the ALA conference.
Student Chapter of the Year Award to help defray costs of attending the ALA conference events and promote student engagement.
Professional Development Grant (previously sponsored by Mango Languages) to encourage professional development and participation in ALA events.
Annual Conference Professional Development Attendance Award to foster active involvement in the ALA through special ticketed events by providing a ticket to an event of their choice.
Information for these opportunities can be found here!
Job Seeking: If you’re in your final term of your MLIS program, a fresh graduate, or a new librarian, job seeking resources can be found under the Education and Careers section on the ALA’s website located here.
In this section you’ll find various resources, such as information regarding professional development opportunities, information on salaries, support with foreign credential accreditation, and links to job posting sites.
Some prominent job posting sites for those in the librarian profession are:
JobLIST: A great source for jobs in the Library and Information field in the U.S.
SAA: Find your next career through the Society of American Archivists.
ThePartnership: Canada’s National network for job postings across the provinces.
ACA: The Canadian Association of Archivists for archival focused job postings.
LinkedIn: Access knowledge and job opportunities.
By Margaret Bates, Research and Instructional Services Librarian, University of Alabama Libraries
Hi everyone,
Welcome back into the swing of things, and welcome new and returning members of the NMRT! Here is a quick overview of ways the NMRT can support you, and ways for you to get involved if you haven’t yet.
Resume Review Service: Does your resume need sprucing up? The Resume Review Service has volunteer librarians from all types of libraries and specialties to help you improve your resume. The Resume Review Service is available year-round to New Member Round Table members. Simply send your resume or cover letter as an attachment to resumereviewnmrt@gmail.com or fill out the form here. If you are sending an email, please make sure to include the following information in the body of your email:
Name:
Address:
Phone:
E-mail address:
Library Type (i.e. – Academic, Public, School, Archives, Special, etc):
Area of Specialization (i.e. – reference, cataloging, archives, children’s, unknown):
Are you a member of NMRT? (Y/N)
Are you a member of ALA? (Y/N)
The reviewers will return your resume within a month with comments and suggestions.
The Resume Review Service is also available onsite for anyone attending ALA’s Annual conference.
If you are interested in volunteering for the Resume Review Service, you can email the NMRT Resume Review Service Co-chairs at resumereviewnmrt@gmail.com
NMRT Mentoring Program: The NMRT offers two different mentoring programs.
If you are interested in being either a mentor or mentee, check out the guidelines here.
Get Involved and Volunteer: If you haven’t already, fill out the Committee Volunteer application form to get involved with the NMRT or other ALA committees. Volunteering is a great way to make connections and learn more about ALA. Information about the different NMRT Committee can be found here: https://www.ala.org/nmrt/oversightgroups/comm
Join NMRT: Since you’re here, you’ve probably got this step covered. But if you have friends or colleagues that are interested in getting involved in the ALA and they have been in the field less than six years, send them our way! The NMRT is a great way to get started with ALA. You can find a list of reasons to join the NMRT, and how to join, here: https://www.ala.org/nmrt/popularresources/getinvolved/joinnmrt
Read the Notes Blog: Stay current with NMRT goings on by checking the Notes blog. We will feature members, post ALA information, and include articles about career readiness, NMRT services, and general new librarian life!
Exciting news! Our latest release of Endnotes is now available for you to view: https://journals.ala.org/index.php/endnotes
Congratulations to all of our contributors and big thanks to all of those who serve on the Endnotes Committee!
The weather was unusually cold and icy in Baltimore, Maryland, as we all made our way into the expansive convention center, ready for a day of meeting new people and getting to work. Although each of us had flown in from different states, we now all sat at the same table, decorated with a large picture of a giraffe. We were the emerging leaders’ team G, assigned to work on a project for the New Members Round Table.
As we engaged in icebreakers, leadership and personality tests, and initial planning and brainstorming sessions, we found ways to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We formed an idea of how to accomplish our goals over the next several months. Our tasks included publishing five new informational videos, launching a new biannual newsletter, making a poster to present at the ALA annual conference in San Diego, and creating a report, blog post, and video detailing our experiences along the way.
We discussed the tools and skills we could each bring to benefit the team and set up monthly meetings. At each check-in, we progressed, falling into a rhythm of scripting, storyboarding, recording, and editing the videos. Stella wrote the scripts, and everyone provided feedback. Tynisha and Annmarie took on alternating roles of storyboarding and recording the scripts, while Kate did the daunting task of screen recording and editing the videos. This rhythm was somewhat interrupted when ALA completely redesigned its website in the middle of our project. Luckily, we were able to adjust the videos we had already finished and pivot to focusing on the newsletter while the dust settled.
For the newsletter, we considered the visual appeal, minimalist design, and the aspects of NMRT programming and participation that would best be highlighted in the inaugural issue. In conversation with the NMRT leadership and communications teams, we decided to focus on three main areas: spotlighting current members, upcoming events, and critical NMRT services. We ended up including a welcome from the current NMRT president, Julie Gabb, as well as upcoming event articles, NMRT benefit highlights like the resume review service, a feature page on the NMRT Member of the Month, Carissa Neary, and an advertisement for the new informational videos we created a part of this project.
As ALA San Diego approached, we decided to meet more frequently. Over the months, everyone has been supportive and accommodating as we each navigate our own lives and full-time jobs and meet the demands of this project. We hope that the materials we have created will help new librarians find the resources and communities they need to thrive as part of ALA. We want our work to be informational and inviting, to welcome students and professionals into the world of librarianship. Everything has been set up to be easily continued, even after our time as team G has ended. We each learned and gained so much from this experience, which we hope can be shared with those who engage with the things we worked so hard to create.
The NMRT 2024 Emerging Leaders:
Annmarie Magurany – magurany@uchc.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Annmarie Magurany is the Interlibrary Loan Librarian at the University of Connecticut Health Sciences Library in Farmington, CT, where she is the leader of the Interlibrary Loan Department. She Co-Chairs the Connecticut Academic Library Conference. Previously, Annmarie was a reference librarian at the University of Hartford, where she taught classes to first- and second-year students on navigating the librarys resources.
Stella Hudson – stellahhudson@gmail.com
Pronouns: she/her
Stella Hudson is the Humanities and Social Sciences Librarian at American University in Washington, DC. She is part of the Research, Teaching, and Learning team serving the College of Arts and Sciences and oversees all instruction, research assistance, honors programming, and collection development efforts in her assigned areas. She previously served as the social science and Assessment Librarian at Wheaton College, Massachusetts.
Tynisha Dungey – tdungey@willard.lib.mi.us
Pronouns: she/her
Tynisha Dungey is the Director of Youth Services and Community Engagement at Willard Public Library in Battle Creek, Michigan. Tynisha leads a team of three Youth Services librarians and two clerical staff. She oversees all youth programming collection development, provides budgetary oversight, and coordinates all of the librarys community engagement initiatives. Her current initiatives are training all Youth Services staff in the Science of Reading, continued diversification of the childrens print collection, and adapting services to meet the needs of library patrons.
Katherine (Kate) McNally Carter – kmcarter@uh.edu
Pronouns: she/her
Kate McNally Carter is the Open Educational Resources Librarian at the University of Houston Libraries. In her role, she works with the Head of Open Education Services, Ariana Santiago, to support instructors in the adoption, adaptation, and creation of OER in order to meet teaching and learning needs and advance the Universitys student success goals. Prior to joining UH Libraries, she previously worked as a Research & Instruction Librarian at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
ALA Annual is almost here! Please check out the interactive map that the Local Arrangements Committee put together for the conference in San Diego. Hope to see you at Annual!
Attending the ALA Annual Conference in San Diego on June 27-July 2 2024? New Members Round Table will be at the conference, hosting conference sessions and events throughout the weekend. To narrow down your schedule, heres a complete listing of all of the NMRT events. You can find out more details using the ALA Conference Scheduler and selecting NMRT as the Sponsoring Unit.
Friday June 28 2024
Beyond the Books: Decoding the Application and Interview Process for Public, Academic, and Special Libraries
9:00am-12:00pm, San Diego Convention Center, Room 29, A B C
TICKETED EVENT
In Beyond the Books: Decoding the Application and Interview Process for Public, Academic, and Special Libraries, 4 experts from various library sectors will present on best practices to navigate through the job search journey in their sector, with time for Q&A after each presentation. The last segment of the preconference will break into small groups for interview practice and coaching from representatives of each library type. Whether you are a LIS student, early career library professional, or someone wanting to make a switch in your career, you will step away from this preconference with insight and resources to pursue your goal of landing a library position.
NMRT Conference Orientation
1:30-3:00pm, San Diego Convention Center, Room 29, A B C
New to ALA or the Annual Conference? Join the New Members Round Table (NMRT) for an introduction to the conference, ALA, and San Diego. Learn about the exhibit hall, network with peers, find out how to get involved in ALA and NMRT. A panel of experienced conference attendees, locals, and leaders within ALA will provide tips and tricks and answer your questions about the conference, ALA, and San Diego.
Saturday June 29 2024
NMRT Presidents Program: Protecting the Right to Read in Challenging Times
1:00-2:00pm, San Diego Convention Center, Room 4
How do you defend a book or a collection subject to removal when facing this challenging situation for the first time? How can you approach your first patron complaint about a children’s book being inappropriate for its current placement? This session will have a presentation and panel discussion featuring representatives of the Office of Intellectual Freedom, the Intellectual Freedom Round Table, and a community member who chose to fight back against book censorship. After this session, you will leave with actionable steps you can take to address intellectual freedom and book ban threats, and resources to support yourself.
Sunday June 30 2024
NMRT Executive Board
8:30-10:00am, San Diego Convention Center, Room 14 A
The New Members Round Table (NMRT) will host its annual conference meeting of the Executive Board. This meeting is open to everyone.
NMRT Annual Social
5:00-7:00pm, Marriott Marquis, Grand Ballroom, Section 1
New Members Round Table (NMRT) and the Sustain Round Table (SustainRT) are co-hosting the annual social. Come enjoy some refreshments while NMRT recognizes recipients of the NMRT Professional Development Grant, the Shirley Olofson Memorial Award, the Annual Conference Professional Development Attendance Award, and the Student Chapter of the Year Award, and SustainRT recognizes recipients of the Citation for Wellness in the Workplace Award and the New Voices in Sustainability Award! Join your colleagues to network, socialize, and celebrate this year’s winners in a relaxed and fun environment. After, join GameRT, RUSA, & NMRT for the Annual Trivia Championship!
ALA Trivia Championship
7:00-9:00pm, Marriott Marquis, Grand Ballroom, Section 5
TICKETED EVENT
It’s well-known that librarians are the best at trivia. but who is the best of the best? Join us at this national championship cosponsored by GameRt, RUSA, and NMRT and compete for the title of “Reference Champions of America” in this team-based trivia event.
By Margaret Bates, Research and Instruction Librarian, University of Alabama Libraries
Conference season is upon us with ALA Annual taking place in San Diego from June 27-July 2. Conferences can be intimidating for first time attendees, especially large conferences like ALA. Here are some Dos and Donts, and some tips, for first (or second!) time attendees.
DO: Check the program ahead of time
Find breakout sessions that sound interesting to you or your institution and note when meals and breaks are scheduled.
DONT: Disregard locations
In bigger conferences like ALA, different sessions and speakers may be scheduled across the conference center. Take note of the locations of sessions you want to attend and try to get strategic about planning to attend events near each other.
DO: Attend the conference orientation
These orientations are usually optional events on the first day of the conference. These orientations are a great way to meet other first-time attendees. They also can help you understand the conference program, the layout, and they may have more useful tips and tricks than what you found here.
DONT: Be a wallflower
Networking can feel tedious and intimidating, but remember that everyone who attends a conference is there to learn new things and meet people! Usually there will be Meet & Greets and mixers scheduled throughout the conference. Try and attend at least a few. These are also where those first-time orientations can come in handy, as you might find people you have already met, who can introduce you to more people.
DO: Be engaged
You get out of a conference what you put into it, make sure to bring a notebook or laptop or tablet to take notes. If you are an audio learner ask the moderator or presenter if you can record the session for personal use.
DONT: Ignore your limits
Conferences can feel like a marathon. Although they can be super exciting for first timers, make sure you also take time to rest and absorb what youve learned. Make sure you are eating and sleeping enough and bring comfortable shoes to change into if you are attending a large conference (like ALA).
DO: Take home what you learned
Not every session you attended may be perfectly applicable to your institution, but think of the broader concepts and ideas and brainstorm how you can take something you learned at the conference and develop or improve something for your users.
DONT: Be a stranger
One of the best parts of conferences is meeting people in your profession from all over the country. If you make a connection during a conference, keep in contact! These people may be great resources for co-authors, co-presenters, or external reviewers. Or they may have great ideas to help you get something started or improved at your institution.
DO: Consider starting ALA Annual off strong by attending our preconference
New Members Round Table will be hosting a preconference focusing on the job application and interview process for public, academic, and special libraries on Friday June 28, 9a-12p. NMRT members and student members can register for a discounted rate. For more information about the session, please see below.
You can register for the preconference session and ALA Annual by visitinghttps://2024.alaannual.org/registration/rates-and-registration. Hope to see you there!
REMEMBER: NMRT will be present at ALA to help you navigate your first time. Take advantage of this resource to make sure you get the most out of your conference attendance!
What other questions/advice do you have for first-time conference attendees?
