NMRT Notes

The New Members Roundtable (NMRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) invites you to join us to recognize our award winners and to network and socialize with other NMRT members (non-members welcome!) at our Awards Reception on Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 7:30PM at the Parc 55 Hotel during the ALA Annual Conference. The reception will be held in the Embarcadero room on Level 3 of the Parc 55 Hotel. The Parc 55 Hotel is located at 55 Cyril Magnin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102.

Please RSVP on ALA Connect: http://alaac15.ala.org/node/28763

or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/395958850588987/

Hope to see you there!

Crystal Ellis
Centre College, Danville, KY
Reference and Interlibrary Loan Librarian

A little about Crystal’s job:
I staff the reference desk 20 hours a week, serve as the Division 1 liaison, as well as supervise two student workers in Interlibrary Loan. We are in the process of creating tutorial quizzes for our first year students and will be starting some digital humanities projects in the upcoming months.

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

I love my coworkers and the students at Centre College. They make coming to work enjoyable and worthwhile.

2) What got you interested in libraries?

I have loved libraries, reading, and books since the 4th grade. I was an unmotivated reader until my elementary librarian handed me a book and ever since I have loved to read. I became a K-12 certified librarian for that reason, but ended up in a job that I love at Centre College.

3) Do you have any advice for other new librarians?

My advice to new librarians is to try new things, make suggestions, and don’t be afraid to fail. Many times we continue doing what we have always done because it’s the status quo, but there is so much more that can be done by just speaking up.

We are in need of more NMRT Member of the Week nominations! Want to be our next member of the week? Know another new librarian who deserves to be in the spotlight? Fill out our nomination form here!

The NMRT Resume Review Service Committee is recruiting volunteer resume reviewers and booth greeters as well as taking resume review appointments for ALA 2015 Annual. We are in need of volunteers to greet participants, and/or review resumes and cover letters. Librarians from all types of libraries and specializations are invited to volunteer.

The NMRT Resume Review Service booth, located inside the ALA Placement Center, is open Saturday, June 27th, and Sunday, June 28th, from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. The service is free of charge to anyone. Appointment are 30 minutes long and usually fill up quickly. While we encourage advance appointments, on-site walk-ins are seen as time permits. More information about volunteering and making an appointment is available at http://bit.ly/1vArIPT . If you have questions, please contact the NMRT Resume Review Service Committee Chair, Nicole Spoor, at nicolespoor@gmail.com.

Natasha White
Southern Technical College, Florida
Regional Librarian

A little about Natasha’s job:
I am the regional librarian for a small technical college called Southern Technical College. My region is located in central Florida. I oversee two campus locations–Sanford and Mount Dora. I ensure that Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools standards are met across all central Florida locations. In addition, I manage the library locations by purchasing all the materials, coordinating all library instructions and workshops, reference, website and any other duties that are needed.

1) What are some things you like about your job or about working in libraries in general?
In my position, I really like having a variety of jobs or tasks. There is always something new and exciting that is happening and I have a lot of flexibility to manage the library as I see fit. I also enjoy working with the students. The students are a variety of ages just looking to advance their career. In general, I love libraries because they stand for freedom of knowledge. I have worked for a variety of libraries and they all have that one thing in common: the freedom to learn to expand one’s mind and be something more. Libraries are a true service to their surrounding communities and are often taken for granted.

2) What’s a project or committee you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?
I suppose the most exciting project I am working on right now is the project to standardize all the Southern Technical College libraries. The original Southern Technical Colleges expanded to purchase several locations in South West Florida and now all the libraries need to be on the same path with similar resources, similar programs, the same website, the same cataloging system and overall uniform. It is a very time consuming and often difficult, but it is a wonderful opportunity with many benefits.

3) What got you interested in libraries?
While studying for my Bachelors at the University of Central Florida, I spent many long hours in the library, working with the librarians, getting to know the resources, and becoming more and more fascinated with what libraries and librarians could offer. After graduating with my bachelors and being unable to find a job in my chosen career, I started exploring other career paths. My mind kept wandering back to my days and nights spent in the library, searching the databases and talking to the librarians. After careful consideration and a lot of research, I decided to get my Masters in Library and Information Sciences. Before I completely committed, I began volunteering at my local library,  and that is really what sealed my fate of being a librarian.

4) What is one of your favorite things about NMRT?
NMRT offers opportunities for new professionals in the field to really get their foot in the door. Working for a small college does not present a lot of opportunity for me to meet many library professionals and I am lucky if I am able to make a conference. So the fact that NMRT is able to connect new and upcoming professionals is very exciting.

5) Do you have any advice for other new librarians?
Don’t take the first position that comes your way. I know it seems hard to find a paying position, but not all library positions are the right one. Take your time, really read the description, and interview the library and staff during the interview process.

Are you a new NMRT member? Consider nominating yourself for our NMRT Member of the Week spotlight–we want to get to know you! New or experienced, give the gift of recognition by nominating a librarian that deserves to be featured here!

The New Members Round Table (NMRT) and the American Library Association (ALA) Awards Committee wish to congratulate the University of South Carolina as the winner of the 2015 ALA Student Chapter of the Year Award and Indiana University as this year’s runner-up.

The Student Chapter of the Year Award is presented in recognition of a chapter’s outstanding contributions to ALA, its school, and the profession. The purpose of the award is to increase student involvement in ALA through student chapters and to recognize its leaders. Official ALA Student Chapters are organizations formed by students at schools offering accredited programs of library and information studies. The winning student chapter receives a $1,000 travel grant to help with the cost of ALA conference attendance.

This year’s Student Chapter of the Year Award Committee praises the University of South Carolina for its excellence in each of the six categories – communication, financial health, membership, leadership, and programs related to the Student Chapter of the Year Award. Items that especially impressed the committee included the chapter’s commitment towards creating a sense of community with their on-campus and distance students alike through various communication efforts and streaming events, its leadership both within their own LIS program as well as within local library associations, and its creative fundraising efforts and social activities. Congratulations, University of South Carolina!

The runner-up of this year’s award is the ALA Student Chapter at Indiana University, who was particularly commended for both the diverse slate of programming the provided their chapter throughout the year, such as its on-going speaker series and career panels, as well as the frequent collaborations they established with other student groups.

Both chapters will be recognized at an award ceremony during the NMRT Student Reception at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco. The reception will be held on Sunday, June 28 at 6:30-7:30pm at the Parc 55 San Francisco, Embarcadero room (55 Cyril Magnin Street / San Francisco, CA 94102). Please save the date and join us in congratulating our award recipients!

The members of the SCOTYA Committee, NMRT, and the ALA Awards Committee appreciate the time and effort put in by all of the nominated ALA student chapters this year, and we encourage all to keep up the great work!

SCOTYA Committee 2015:
Michelle Demeter (Chair), Tarida Anantachai, Maureen Cropper, Kristen Mapes, Natalie DeJonghe, Elena Azadbakht, Lindsey Taggart, Amanda Melilli

We are starting our next round of socials! In the fall, we tried to get as many regions as possible (see the older post here) and we are working on doing the same for the spring.

We have socials confirmed in the following places:

BAY AREA CALIFORNIA

Date: Sunday, April 12th
Time: 12pm
Venue: Elk Glen Picnic Area in Golden Gate Park (http://sfrecpark.org/destination/golden-gate-park/ggp-elk-glen-picnic-area/)
RSVP on Facebook Invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/1404655556509803/

RICHMOND/CENTRAL VIRGINIA

Date: Monday, April 27th
Time: 5:30-9pm
Venue: Legend Brewing Company
http://www.legendbrewing.com/

CHICAGO

Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2015
Time: 7:00 PM
Venue:
The Map Room
1949 N Hoyne Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
http://www.maproom.com/
Facebook Invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/442043349283250/442043862616532/

MISSOURI

Date: May 27, 2015
Time : 5pm – 8pm
Venue: Les Bourgois Vineyards, Rocheport, MO
http://missouriwine.com
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/462810437206967/

PENNSYLVANIA

When:Thursday, June 11
Starting at 1:30 PM
Venue: State Library of Pennsylvania
Forum Building
607 South Drive
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120
Registration: http://www.palibraries.org/events/event_details.asp?id=638058

Stay tuned/bookmark this post for more information on socials as we add them!

Networking between conferences is a great way to keep momentum and to share ideas, and it is also a great way to help stay connected if you aren’t able to attend conference! Consider helping start a social in your area. Please let me know at tinamarie.vella@gmail.com if you have any questions about getting involved.

DEADLINE EXTENDED! Members of ALA’s New Members Round Table (NMRT) can apply to receive a grant, which will cover expenses to attend the ALA Annual Conference, June 25 – June 30, 2015 in San Francisco, CA. Two grants are available, funded by Mango Languages and Gale/Cengage Learning. Applicants need only apply once to be considered for both awards.

You can find more information about the award here.
2015 MANGO LANGUAGES /NMRT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT

2015 GALE CENGAGE LEARNING/NMRT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT

To apply, please fill out this form. Deadline for application is April 6, 2015, 5pm EST.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Jessica Sender
Chair, NMRT Professional Development Grant Committee

Email: jsender23@gmail.com

The NMRT Footnotes Committee is seeking articles and reviews for the May 2015 issue.

Feature Articles
We are always looking for feature articles. If you want to share a project, aspect of your job or interest, we want your article! Footnotes is a great opportunity for professional writing and publication.

Book and Website Reviews
Recently read a book that would appeal to other new librarians and want to share your thoughts? Have a favourite website or set of web resources for a particular topic? Consider writing a book or website review!

Please email submissions to the Editor: staceynordlund@gmail.com

Please also review the Submission Guidelines: http://www.ala.org/nmrt/footnotes#submissions

All articles and reviews will be due by Friday May 1, 2015.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Stacey Nordlund
Chair/Editor, NMRT Footnotes, 2014-15

Susan Jennings, NMRT’s former councilor, has finished her write-up for Council actions at the 2015 ALA Midwinter meeting. Please see her blog here for an update on what’s happening for ALA in the coming year.

While Susan has been an excellent councilor for NMRT, she will no longer be able to perform this function for us. Fortunately, we have a wonderful interim councilor through June 30, 2016, Margaret Howard, who is very excited to work with us! Below is a little about Margaret in her own words.

“I am Margaret Howard, your new NMRT Councilor. I am an Assistant Branch Manager at Chesterfield County Public Library, a nine-branch system located in the suburbs of Richmond, VA. I was a member of the 2013 ALA Emerging Leaders class and was sponsored by NMRT. I chaired the NMRT Vice-Presidential Planning Committee 2013-2014 during Megan Hodge’s tenure as Vice President, and I currently serve as Co-Chair of the NMRT Mentoring Committee. I was a member of the NMRT mentoring committee 2013-2014, served as a NMRT Liaison 2012-2013, and the LLAMA Continuing Education Committee 2013-2015. In addition to my participation in ALA I am an active member of the Virginia Library Association (VLA) and currently serve as VLA NMRT Chair. I served as VLA NMRT Chair-Elect 2013-2014 and as VLA Secretary/Treasurer 2012-2013. I have been on the Library Quarterly Review Board since 2014.

My plan for keeping NMRT members up to date on council is through a blog fancylibrarian.wordpress.com and notifying members of new posts through NMRT-L and coordinating with NMRT Secretary on NMRT social media outlets. In addition to thorough blog posts I would also include a “tl;dr” highlighted version of council happenings.”

Thanks Margaret for stepping up to the plate for NMRT and keeping us so well informed!