New Members Round Table (NMRT) Service Could Be For You!

Posted on November 28, 2023 by nmrtsecretary

Are you looking to polish your resume OR are you interested in volunteering to review your colleagues’ resumes? Whether you need some resume assistance or want to provide this support as a volunteer, NMRT’s Resume Review Service may be for you!

I want to….
Have my resume reviewed!Serve as a resume reviewer!
Next step to have your resume reviewed:
Submit your resume/CV and a specific job description (if available) as an attachment to resumereviewnmrt@gmail.com 

OR

Fill out this Google Form: https://forms.gle/J8bX3bfejeaEj3x47

Please note only ALA members are eligible for this service. To become a member of ALA or check your membership status, contact ALA Membership services at membership@ala.org.		Next step to become a resume reviewer:
Contact the NMRT Resume Review Service at resumereviewnmrt@gmail.com to volunteer!  
Please include the information listed below in the body of your email: 

Name:
Employer:
Job Title/Position:
Library Type:
Area of Specialization (i.e., reference, cataloging, archives, children’s, etc.):
E-mail address:

We always seek to match a reviewer with someone from the same library type and specialization!

If you have any questions about becoming a reviewer or having your resume reviewed, please contact our committee at resumereviewnmrt@gmail.com.

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NMRT Member of the Month

Posted on November 27, 2023 by nmrtsecretary

Want to highlight an exceptional member of the New Members Round Table? 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

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NMRT Member of the Month Spotlight: Jay Williams

Posted on November 15, 2023 by nmrtsecretary

Our newest NMRT Member of the Month is Jay Williams! Jay (who uses they/them pronouns) is a Graduate Assistant in the Library and Information Science program at the University of Denver. They were nominated by their NMRT mentor, Morgan Brickey-Jones of the University of Texas at Arlington, who writes:

headshot of Jay Williams
Jay Williams

“Jay is currently in their last few semesters of library school and has been my mentee for the past six months. I’ve enjoyed meeting with Jay so much and their passion for library work- specifically archival work, is inspiring. Jay always comes to our meetings with questions and is always so engaged and interested in different aspects of libraries and professional development. Jay is an involved member of NMRT and is involved in their ALA student chapter at DU. I’m so happy I got to meet Jay and am excited to see their journey in libraries continue!”

Jay took time out of their busy school and work schedule to answer our questions about libraries, NMRT, and their dream job:

What are some things you like about your job or about working in libraries in general?

Libraries are one of the places that is open and welcome to all. I currently work for some of the public libraries in the Denver metro area and I love seeing the variety of folks come in with whatever they need. Whether it’s kids coming to the library after school, a language tutor is teaching someone, or someone just needs some place inside to spend their day, we are always welcoming. 

It has opened my eyes to all the resources that are available, not just for entertainment, but financial, legal, and civic services that are offered that hardly anyone knows about. I love talking these up so people have the opportunity to get what they need.

If you’re a library student, what is your dream job?

Currently, I am on track for digital archiving. My dream is to digitize materials for marginalized communities to create further accessibility to these materials and communities. I am lucky that I am also a graduate assistant for the University of Denver and get to live out some of my dream right now! I am working with Dr. Ruohua Han at the University of Denver to study mobile digitization units and (separately) look at DU’s archives to understand the experience of Chinese students here. I’m really enjoying seeing the history of the area and possible ways that we can make it come alive. 

What is one of your favorite things about NMRT?

I love the people I get to meet all over the country that are interested in the exact thing I am! Sometimes it can be difficult to explain to family or friends what is so crucial about what I do, and having a network of peers who support me is pretty incredible. I’m a part of the mentor program, working with the great Morgan Brickley-Jones and the folks over at UTA to help me stay on track of my goals inside and outside of school. Overall, I think library students should join because there are some great resources that could benefit everyone.

Thank you to Jay for the interview, and Morgan for the nomination. We look forward to Jay’s contributions to librarianship and digital scholarship!

Do you know an outstanding librarian or librarian-in-training? Submit a nomination using our online form. Self-nominations welcome!

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CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Posted on November 7, 2023 by nmrtsecretary

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS now until December 1st!

Professional Development Grant Award 

Would you like to attend this year’s ALA conference, but don’t have the means to do so? Apply for the NMRT Professional Development Grant award by 11:59 PM on December 1st, 2023. The award offers $3,000 to one person to offset costs and expenses to attend this year’s Annual Conference in San Diego, California on June 27-July 2, 2024. You must be a current ALA and NMRT member to apply. To join, visit the ALA website and follow the “Join ALA” link.

To apply, please visit https://tinyurl.com/professionalgrant. Applicants will be notified in February.

For questions, please contact the chair of the NMRT Awards Committee, Jennifir Huston: jhuston@sailsinc.org

Shirley Olofson Memorial Award

Would you like to attend this year’s ALA conference, but don’t have the means to do so? Apply for the Shirley Olofson Memorial award by 11:59 PM on December 1st, 2023. The award offers $1,000 to one person to offset costs and expenses to attend this year’s Annual Conference in San Diego, California on June 27-July 2, 2024. You must be a current ALA and NMRT member to apply. To join, visit the ALA website and follow the “Join ALA” link.

To apply, please visit https://tinyurl.com/shirleyolofson. Applicants will be notified in February.

For questions, please contact the chair of the NMRT Awards Committee, Jennifir Huston: jhuston@sailsinc.org

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Nominate an Outstanding NMRT Member for Member of the Month!

Posted on November 7, 2023 by nmrtsecretary

If you’d 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.

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Resources for NMRT Members

Posted on November 7, 2023 by nmrtsecretary

By Margaret Bates, Research and Instruction Librarian, University of Alabama Libraries

Are you finishing your degree, entering your first librarian role, or do you have a few years under your belt and want to help new librarians? The New Member Round Table has several resources to help you break into the field, adjust to your new position, and build connections.

Resume Review Service

            The Resume Review Service is available year-round with volunteers from all types of libraries and different specializations available to help spruce up your resume! You can send your resume and/or cover letter as an attachment to resumereviewnmrt@gmail.com or fill out the Google form. You will receive your resume, complete with comments and suggestions from your reviewer, within a month.

            The Resume Review Service is also available on-site to anyone attending ALA’s Annual Conference or Midwinter meeting.

Mentoring Program

            The NMRT Mentoring Committee sponsors the Mentoring Program to help newcomers to librarianship navigate their way in the profession. As a Mentor or Mentee, you can participate in:

  1. Career Mentoring: A year-round program to connect a newer librarian with a seasoned librarian for a mentoring relationship relating to career development in librarianship.
  2. Conference Mentoring: This program is designed to help first time attendees of the ALA Annual Conference feel at ease by paring them with seasoned conference attendees. Conference Mentoring participants can choose to extend into the Career Mentoring Program at their discretion. Applications for Conference Mentoring will reopen for the ALA Annual 2024.
  3. For guidelines on being a mentor or mentee, please see the Mentoring Guidelines.

Volunteer for a Committee!

Committee appointments last for one year, beginning at ALA Annual (June/July) and ending at the next ALA Annual Conference. You must be a dues paying member of NMRT to serve on a committee.

Many NMRT committees do not require conference attendance. The following committees require attendance at one or more conferences: Annual Social Committee (Annual Conference); Midwinter Social Committee (Midwinter Meeting); Orientation Committee (Midwinter and Annual Conferences); and Resume Review Service (Midwinter and Annual Conferences).

More Information about NMRT committees can be found here. Please note as well that members can only serve on up to three committees across all of ALA during any year.

Keep up with the latest information by reading NMRT Notes, the Blog of the New Members Round Table of ALA, and Endnotes: The Journal of the New Members Round Table.

Readers, let us hear from you in the comments!

  1. Are you on a committee?
  2. Are you/ have you been a mentor/ mentee?
  3. What other resources do you think new members should know about?
Posted in Get to Know ALA, NMRT, NMRT Mentoring Committee, Volunteering | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Call for Candidates for the 2024 NMRT Elections

Posted on October 31, 2023 by nmrtsecretary

The NMRT’s Nominating Committee is calling for nominees to run on the 2024 spring ballot for the following offices:

Vice-President – 3 year appointment (Vice-President / President / Past President)
Secretary – 1 year appointment
Networking Director – 2 year appointment
Outreach Director – 2 year appointment

Help lead NMRT into an exciting future! All interested parties wishing to submit names for nomination, please contact any of the following individuals via e-mail:

Jules Shore      7shore@gmail.com                 Nominating Committee Chair
Erica Knapp     ericaj.knapp@gmail.com     Nominating Committee Member
Annice Sevett    asevett@gmail.com             NMRT Past President

For more information on the positions and other Nominating Committee activities visit https://www.ala.org/rt/handbook

Please address any questions to Jules Shore (7shore@gmail.com) The deadline for nomination is November 12th.

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Call for Papers for Endnotes

Posted on October 16, 2023 by nmrtsecretary

On behalf of the American Library Association’s New Members Round Table (NMRT), the Endnotes Committee is pleased to announce the latest call for papers to Endnotes: The Journal of the New Members Round Table. Please feel free to pass this call along to your faculty, staff, and students who may have an interest in publishing with us.

About Endnotes

Endnotes is a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal that addresses issues faced by librarians. This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Endnotes accepts research and practitioner-based articles. Each edition of the journal will contain 2-3 scholarly articles written by members of NMRT, as well as website reviews and scholarly book reviews of titles relevant to new librarians. 

Endnotes’s aim is to work with new authors to produce quality scholarly articles and provide an understanding of the publication process. It welcomes submissions from LIS students, early-career professionals and researchers, and first-time writers. Endnotes encourages potential authors to consider their course research projects or affiliated institutional programs, surveys, and studies, and how they might convert these options into publishable journal articles, posters, or reviews. 

Guidelines for Submission

Articles should range from 2,000 to 6,000 words and be written by LIS students or early-career library professionals. Endnotes welcomes research papers, technical papers, conceptual papers, case studies, and literature reviews. More information on these types of articles is available in our complete submission guidelines. Authors must be members of NMRT.

Topics that might be appropriate for Endnotes include, but are not limited to: 

  • Graduate student research and projects
  • Early-career research and projects
  • Training and mentoring
  • Job searching or hiring
  • Developing leadership and management skills
  • Library instruction and assessment
  • Developing new collections or services
  • Working with specific community groups
  • Committee work and development – at your library or university, regionally or nationally
  • Reviews of new books or other educational materials such as websites

How to Submit

Please submit completed manuscripts to our electronic form.

Those interested in discussing an idea for an article are encouraged to contact the editors, Sarah Lerner and Emily Zerrenner, at nmrtendnotesjournal@gmail.com to determine if the proposed article fits the publication scope. 

Submission Timeline

Manuscript submissions are due no later than January 31, 2024. Initial responses to manuscript submissions are typically sent out a month after the submission deadline. If selected for peer review, reviewers are given two weeks to evaluate a submission. Typically, 2-4 weeks are given for manuscript revisions between each peer-review evaluation. The publication date for Endnotes issue 12.1 is tentatively set for June 30, 2024.

Paper ideas and manuscripts may be submitted outside of this timeline, but are not guaranteed publication in the 2024 issue. 


For more information about Endnotes, including complete submission guidelines and previous issues, please visit https://journals.ala.org/index.php/endnotes/. Please feel free to contact the Endnotes editors, Sarah Lerner and Emily Zerrenner, at nmrtendnotesjournal@gmail.com with any questions.

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The ABCs of ALA

Posted on October 5, 2023 by nmrtsecretary

By Mary Kamela, University at Buffalo

Get to Know ALA

As a new academic year gets underway, students across the country are learning their ABCs. At ALA, many new members may also need a refresher on the various acronyms that make up our organization. For anyone feeling like they’re stuck in a pot of alphabet soup, here’s a review of ALA’s overarching structure and acronyms you may encounter:

  • ALA – American Library Association, the oldest and largest library association in the world!
  • Divisions—Due to ALA’s size, the organization is broken down into divisions that focus on specific roles and library environments. These eight divisions include:
    • AASL—American Association of School Librarians
    • ALSC—Association for Library Service to Children
    • ACRL—Association of College and Research Libraries
    • Core—Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures
    • PLA—Public Library Association
    • RUSA—Reference and User Services
    • YALSA—Young Adult Library Services
  • Round Tables—Round Tables are groups created to address aspects of librarianship that don’t fall within the scope of any single division. Current round tables include:
    • CSKBART—Coretta  Scott King Book Awards Round Table
    • EMIERT—Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table
    • FMRT—Film and Media Round Table
    • GAMERT—Games and Gaming Round Table
    • GODORT—Government Documents Round Table
    • GNCRT—Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table
    • IFRT—Intellectual Freedom Round Table
    • IRRT—International Relations Round Table
    • LHRT—Library History Round Table
    • LIRT—Library Instruction Round Table
    • LRRT—Library Research Round Table
    • LSSRT—Library Support Staff Round Table
    • MAGIRT—Map and Geospatial Information Round Table
    • NMRT—New Members Round Table
    • RRT—Rainbow Round Table
    • RMRT—Retired Members Round Table
    • SRRT—Social Responsibilities Round Table

Members of ALA can opt to add Division and Round Table memberships of their choosing to their ALA membership; pro-rated dues apply.

So, I’m a member of New Members Round Table. Now what?

If you’re reading this blog post, you’re likely a member of New Members Round Table, or at least new to the profession or organization. Here are just a few of the opportunities available with your NMRT Membership.

  • Get Involved—NMRT members can get involved by joining one of our committees! These committees help our Round Table run efficiently and from conference planning to mentoring, there are committees for every interest! Go to https://www.ala.org/rt/nmrt/oversightgroups/comm to learn more about our committees.
  • Stay Connected—As a member of NMRT, you have access to our space on ALA Connect. Make sure you stay connected by turning on email notifications for the NMRT (New Members Round Table) group (found under Settings on ALA Connect). You can also follow NMRT on Twitter @alanmrt and stay up to date with our NMRT Notes blog.
  • Take Advantage of Professional Development Opportunities—NMRT offers many services to help new members navigate the profession. One is our Resume Review Service, which helps newer information professionals perfect their application materials. To help new members navigate ALA Annual, NMRT also hosts an annual conference orientation. Look for more information in 2024!

Want to get started right away? The Resume Review Service is also looking for volunteers to review resumes–volunteer now!

Still unsure about what to do with NMRT or whether or not to join? Check out this document from ALA.

Readers, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to sound off in the comments.

  • How has NMRT helped you?
  • What questions do you have about NMRT or Round Tables in general?
  • Is there any specific content you’d like to see highlighted on the blog this year?

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Open Call for Resume Reviewers

Posted on October 3, 2023 by nmrtsecretary

Help ALA members refine resumes, acclaim achievements, and solidify success!

The New Members Round Table Resume Review Service Committee is looking for volunteers to review resumes for our virtual review service. Reviewers should have at least 5 years of professional work experience and involvement in hiring or service on a search committee is a plus. We especially need reviewers from public, school, and subject/special libraries. 

If interested, please contact the NMRT Resume Review Service at resumereviewnmrt@gmail.com to volunteer!  

Please include the information listed below in the body of your email: 

Name:

Employer:

Job Title/Position:

Library Type:

Area of Specialization (i.e., reference, cataloging, archives, children’s, etc.):

E-mail address:

We always seek to match a reviewer with someone from the same library type and specialization!

Posted in Committees, RRS Committee, Volunteering | Tagged , , | Leave a comment