ALA Annual 2013: Helpful Info for new members & first timers (and everyone else)

Posted on June 24, 2013 by nmrtsecretary

This is my 14th ALA Conference in a row (counting Midwinter). Here are my tips for getting the most out of the Conference.

Need help during the conference? Call me. 509-592-5480. I’ll do whatever I can to help.

Advice on Scheduling:

  1. Attend NMRT Conference 101 or Conference Orientation. I attend both at every conference, and I learn something every time.
    New Members Round Table Sessions:

Fri, June 28 01:00 pm – 02:30 pm Conference 101 (NMRT)MCP-S104a
Fri, June 28 07:30 pm – 08:30 pm Mentoring Social (NMRT)PALM-Buckingham Room

Sat, June 29 08:30 am – 10:00 am Conference Orientation(NMRT) MCP-N228
Sat, June 29 10:30 am- 11:30 am Executive Board (NMRT) HRM-Regency Ballroom A

Sun, June 30 08:30 am- 10:00 am Building Your Professional Toolkit (NMRT) MCP-S103a
Sun, June 30 10:30 am – 11:30 am New Leaders DiscussionGroup (LLAMA/NMRT) MCP-N140
Sun, June 30 01:00 pm- 02:30 pm Association Options Fair (NMRT) MCP-Hall A, Meeting Room D
Sun, June 30 06:30 pm- 07:30 pm Student Reception (NMRT) PALM-Wilson Room
Sun, June 30 07:30 pm- 08:30 pm Awards Reception (NMRT) PALM-Chicago Room

  1. Feel free to leave a session if it’s not what you wanted. Feel free to walk into a session late. Feel free to ditch your schedule and go to whatever session you feel like.
  2. What happens in the hallways is just as important as what happens in the sessions. Follow the conference where it takes you.
  3. Almost every single meeting is open to everyone (those that aren’t are marked in the scheduler with ” [Closed]”). Shock your way to the top by showing up to a Committee or Board meeting.
  4. To find out about a lot of the options within ALA, attend the Association Options Fair, Sun, June 30 01:00 pm- 02:30 pm, MCP-Hall A, Meeting Room D
  5. Attend an ALA Membership meeting. These are notoriously under-attended,and therefore a great chance for you to interact directly with members of Council to let them know about issues of concern to you:
    Saturday, June 29, 3:00pm – 4:30pm, ALA Council/Executive Board/Membership Information Session, MCP-S100c
  6. Attend an ALA Council meeting. You will learn SO MUCH about the Association and what kinds of things ALA is working on, plus you’ll meet Council members, who are often cool and/or good network connections:
    Sunday, June 30 – 8:30am-11:00am, ALA Council I,MCP-S100c
    Monday, July 1 – 8:30am-11:30am, ALA Council II, MCP-S100c
    Tuesday, July 2 – 7:30am – 9:15am, ALA Council III,MCP-S100c
  7. Do some fun things – like the NMRT Receptions on Sunday night, or one of the #partyhard events. There’s a list of Socials here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Avyr7GmiNIFmdFpCVGVUeUtSYVlPQ2huUmRQRmZGU0E#gid=0
  8. Give yourself breaks. Sleep. Rest. Eat.You’ll be better able to appreciate the conference if you take care of yourself.

Do I have more great advice? You bet! I’ll be the one at the Orientations getting tackled by the bouncers when I try to interrupt with my two cents. Here’s my schedule: http://ala13.ala.org/user/31871.

For a different perspective check out PC Sweeney’s “The big list of things everyone should do at #ala2013,” http://pcsweeney.com/2013/06/18/the-big-list-of-things-everyone-should-do-at-ala2013/

And now some other helpful resources, with thanks to the ALA Ambassadors program and Paul Signorelli.

Physical Locations

  • ALA Office:  Exhibit Hall South Level 3
  • Coat Check:  South Level 1 -Transportation Lobby
  • First Aid:  GrandConcourse Level 2.5 (next to FedEx Business Center)
  • First-Time Attendee Concierge Area: McCormick Place North B1 Lobby
  • Membership Pavilion: Exhibits Hall, Booth #1231
  • Registration Desk Ambassador Info Kiosk: Near Registration Desk, outside Exhibits Hall
  • Shuttle Buses: South Level 1 – Transportation Lobby

Online Resources

I can’t wait to meet y’all. Come say hi to me at one of the NMRT events, or contact me by phone or gmail (lindackcrook). I’ll also be helping out in the First-Time Attendee Concierge Area Fri, June 28 03:00 -05:00 pm and Sat, June 29 01:00 pm- 02:00 pm.

This conference marks the end of my term as NMRT Past President, and the end of my time as a regular NMRT member. After this conference ends I turn into an NMRT alumni member. Thanks for everything, NMRT.

-Linda Crook, NMRT Past-President, 2012/2013

** SEE ME for “NMRT,” “NMRT Board,” “NMRT Alum,” and “JMRT Alum” badge flags!

ala2013

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LLAMA/NMRT New Leaders Discussion Group to host discussion on Public Speaking Skills for Librarians

Posted on June 21, 2013 by nmrtsecretary

CHICAGO—Public speaking is a vital skill for all librarians, but outreach and other events don’t always go quite as planned. Everyone should be prepared to improvise and maintain their composure when faced with unexpected challenges. Both novice and experienced librarians and library workers are invited to learn from colleagues and share their own experiences during the LLAMA/NMRT New Leaders Discussion Group on Sunday, June 30, from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. in McCormick Place, N140, during ALA’s Annual Conference in Chicago.

Short presentations by Julia Frankosky, Michigan State University, and David Hurley, New Mexico State Library, will serve as discussion starters.

Julia Frankosky, “Keep Calm and Carry On: maintaining your composure when your presentation goes horribly, horribly wrong.”
This presentation will discuss preparing for the inevitable, unexpected events that occur during a presentation. From technology failures to rude/unruly audience members, this presentation will show how to deal with surprises. Tips and techniques to keep your presentation on track when it seems as though the universe is trying to sabotage you will be provided.

David Hurley, “Winging It: the art of the surprise speaking engagement”
Unplanned speaking engagements – from being asked to give a report at a meeting, to being asked to speak to a class about library research – are all too common. Using personal experience as a framework, I’ll discuss how I handle these situations, including when (and how) to say ‘no’ to unreasonable request, as well as how to give a successful off-the-cuff talk when ‘no’ isn’t the right answer.

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Twitter chat on preparing for conferences (hosted by NMRT Online Discussion Forum Committee)

Posted on May 17, 2013 by nmrtsecretary

 

Are you attending your first conference this year? Are you a seasoned conference attendee who has developed effective ways of organising your time/self/belongings to get to all the things you want to attend? Please join ALA New Members Round Table (Online Discussion Forum Committee) for a discussion on preparing for conferences where we can share experiences and tips. This will be of benefit to anyone attending conference this summer, or in future. It has been timed before ALA Annual to help those who will be attending.

Date: 5th June 2013

Time: 4pm (EDT)

Location: Twitter (using #nmrtchat tag)


The chat is open to all so please pass the details to others you think might be interested.

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Call for proposals! LLAMA/NMRT New Leaders Discussion Group at ALA Annual

Posted on May 17, 2013 by nmrtsecretary

LLAMA/NMRT New Leaders Discussion Group invites the submission of proposals for “Discussion Starters” at its meeting at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. A Discussion Starter is a short and informal presentation that aims to provide a starting point for lively conversations.


We look for enthusiastic Discussion Starters to share their experience (it could either be a positive experience or a lesson learned), helpful tips, and advice on the topics. A panel discussion format will be used for this part of the program. Each Discussion Starter will have 8 minutes to present their topic. We will then break into small groups (joined by Discussion Starters) for in-depth discussions of the topics and ideas raised.

At this year’s Annual conference, we are interested in building on the success of our Midwinter session and continue the discussion — focusing on how to develop public speaking/presentation skills to engage people and to effectively convey our message. We seek proposals for discussion starters that address this topic from a variety of angles, including (but not limited to):

– Techniques that have contributed to your successful public speaking experience
– Learning and growing from harrowing experiences
– Advice and tips based on experience

Proposals are due by May 30. Notification of acceptance will be made by June 10. Please submit your proposal using this form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEdod3hPanRzaHBpN0E4SE9fSUY0Y2c6MA 

Questions?  Please contact Erin Dorney (eedorney@gmail.com)
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New Librarian’s Guide to Professional Writing and Publishing

Posted on May 17, 2013 by nmrtsecretary
New Librarian’s Guide to Professional Writing and Publishing

June 7, 2013 @ 12:00pm.  Virtual program (held online).

Does the world of professional writing and publishing seem impossible to break into?  Do you feel like you have nothing to say?  Are you feeling intimidated by academic publishing?

Professional writing benefits both the author and the profession as a whole.  In this program, you will receive advice from three librarians with lots of experience writing and publishing.  You will leave this program with the tools and confidence to get involved in professional writing and get your voice heard!

The presenters include:
1)    Beth Evans, Associate Professor, Electronic Services Specialist at the Brooklyn College Library, part of the City University of New York (CUNY). She is the author of many peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and a blog titled “bad photos, good memories.”
2)    Brian Matthews, Associate Dean for Learning and Outreach in the Virginia Tech libraries.  He is the author of many scholarly and professional works.  He also blogs for The Chronicle of Higher Education as the Ubiquitous Librarian.
3)    Maura A. Smale, Assistant Professor and the Information Literacy Librarian at New York City College of Technology.  She holds a PhD in Anthropology and an MLIS, and is no stranger to scholarly research and writing.

Questions?  Contact Jared Harmon (jaredharmon@gmail.com) or any member of the Annual Program Committee.

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Join NMRT at ALA Annual in Chicago!

Posted on May 6, 2013 by nmrtsecretary

Now that the Calendar is up and running, be sure to add these events sponsored by NMRT!

 

Fri, June 28 01:00 pm 02:30 pm Conference 101 (NMRT) MCP-S104a

Are you a first-time conference attendee with a long list of questions? Long-time ALA members and leaders will teach you to decipher the conference program and navigate the exhibits. You’ll learn how ALA really works and leave with the confidence and knowledge to make the most of your conference experience.

Fri, June 28 07:30 pm 08:30 pm Mentoring Social (MNRT) PALM-Buckingham Room

The NMRT Mentoring Social gives participants in both the NMRT Conference Mentoring Program and NMRT Career Mentoring Program a chance to meet in person. For Conference Mentoring participants, this is a further chance to exchange conference survival tips and make a definite professional connection at Annual. For Career Mentoring participants, the social provides an opportunity to cement the mentoring relationships developed during the previous nine months of career mentoring. All participants in NMRT’s Mentoring programs are encouraged to attend even if their mentoring partner cannot attend the social.

Sat, June 29 08:30 am 10:00 am Conference Orientation (NMRT) MCP-N228

New to the Annual Conference or ALA? Get a fun and informative introduction to the Annual Conference and Anaheim. Learn how to navigate the exhibits and decipher the conference program, how to make ALA and NMRT work for you, and where to spend your free time in the city. NMRT provides tips from the pros and an orientation that will prepare you to take full advantage of the conference experience.

Sat, June 29 10:30 am 11:30 am Executive Board (NMRT) HRM-Regency Ballroom A

Sun, June 30 08:30 am 10:00 am Building Your Professional Toolkit (NMRT) MCP-S103a

Hunting for a job and looking for ways to set yourself apart from the rest?
Ready to tackle a new project or bring an idea to life?
Looking for a way to update your skill set without going back to school?

Come and join us to learn about what other librarians from a variety of environments consider the essential items in their professional toolkit that have led to position, job, and career success.

Sun, June 30 10:30 am 11:30 am New Leaders Discussion Group (LLAMA/NMRT) MCP-N140

Sun, June 30 01:00 pm 02:30 pm Association Options Fair (NMRT) MCP-Hall A, Meeting Room D

The Association Options Fair provides interested members from diverse backgrounds with an opportunity to visit with Association, Division, Committee, Affiliate, and Roundtable representative leaders to discuss volunteer opportunities. A speed networking approach allows members to visit briefly with member groups and take note of possible leads for future involvement.

Sun, June 30 06:30 pm 07:30 pm Student Reception (NMRT) PALM-Wilson Room

Library school students are invited to network in a relaxed environment and learn more about ALA from unit representatives, NMRT leadership, and experienced ALA members. The Student Chapter of the Year Award is presented and light refreshments will be served.

Sun, June 30 07:30 pm 08:30 pm Awards Reception (NMRT) PALM-Chicago Room

Join us for networking and light refreshments as NMRT recognizes our award recipients.  All are welcome.

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Congratulations to the Newly Elected NMRT Members!

Posted on May 6, 2013 by nmrtsecretary

Congratulations to the newly elected board members, Megan, Kirby, Kate and Kari, who will join the returning members in July to form the 2013-2014 NMRT Executive Board.

Emily Prather-Rodgers, President

Megan Hodge, Vice-President/President-Elect

Janel Kinlaw, Immediate Past President

Kirby McCurtis, Secretary

Jonathan Lu, Treasurer

Susan Jennings, Councilor

Kate Kosturski, Leadership Development Director

Kari Weaver, Member Services Director

Barbara Lewis, Networking Director

Bohyun Kim, Outreach Director

Cory Lampert, Fundraising Director

Thank you to Jessica, Linda, Curtis, and Coral whose terms on the Executive Board are ending at the end of June.

Thanks to everyone who volunteered to run for office.  Thanks also to those of you who voted!

Full election results can be found here ->http://www.ala.org/aboutala/governance/alaelection

 

Congrats to NMRT Past President Courtney Young for being elected as ALA President-Elect as well as NMRT Member Services Director Coral Sheldon-Hess for being elected to ALA Council and NMRT member Dave Trudeau for being elected as Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) Chair-Elect

 

–Janel

NMRT President 2012-2013

 

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NMRT Resume Review Service at ALA Annual in Chicago!

Posted on May 6, 2013 by nmrtsecretary

The NMRT Resume Review Service (RRS) Committee is gearing up for the Resume Review Service Booth for the ALA 2013 Annual Conference located in Chicago, IL! We are currently scheduling appointments for individuals to have their resume reviewed as well as looking for booth greeters and resume reviewers.

The Resume Review Service for Annual will be at the ALA Job Placement Center, location TBA. Our services will be available from 9 am – 5 pm Saturday and Sunday, June 29-30, 2013.

To volunteer, please fill out either the Resume Reviewer form or the Booth Greeter volunteer form. We hope to have at least two greeters and four resume reviewers per shift.

For more information see the Volunteer Guidelines or feel free to contact nmrtrrs@yahoo.com for more information. The schedules of Resume Reviewers and Booth Greeters are available on the Committee’s Wiki. This is a fun way to meet, talk, and network with people from all over the country!

We are also accepting advance reservations for individuals who wish to have their resumes reviewed. To request an appointment, please fill out the Advanced Registration form (deadline is June 19th).

This service is free and open to all conference attendees, regardless of their affiliation with NMRT. Walk-ins are welcome, but we are encouraging people to schedule an appointment in advance because of the high demand of the service.

Want more details on the RRS & what we do? Please visit us at the NMRT Resume Review Service Web Site or http://nmrtrrs.wikispaces.com.

Hope to see you there!

Jodie Borgerding
NMRT Resume Review Service Committee

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Congratulations to Katy DiVittorio!

Posted on April 15, 2013 by nmrtsecretary

Katy DiVittorio is the 2013 recipient of the New Members Round Table (NMRT) Shirley Olofson Memorial Award. This award, named in honor of the late NMRT President Shirley Olofson, is given annually to defray the costs of attending the ALA Annual Conference. Criteria for the award include membership in ALA and NMRT, promise or activity in the area of professional development, and financial need.

Katy is a Serials Acquisitions Specialist at Auraria Library in Denver, Colorado.  She earned her MLIS from San Jose State University (San Jose, CA) and her BA in psychology at Seattle University (Seattle, WA).  Katy is active in the library profession, including within ALA, NASIG, and CAL.  She will receive $1,000 to attend the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, IL.

The committee would like to thank all who applied for this year’s Shirley Olofson Memorial Award. Further information about this award, including past recipients, is available at the NMRT awards page.

The Shirley Olofson Memorial Award Committee 2012-2013

Easter DiGangi, chair

Gail Shimokawa
Heather Thompson
Jenna Goodall
Kristin Jacobson
Mary Oberlies
Michael Mungin
Nicole Brock

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The University of Rhode Island receives the 2013 ALA Student Chapter of the Year Award!

Posted on April 12, 2013 by nmrtsecretary

The New Members Round Table (NMRT) and the American Library Association (ALA) Awards Committee wish to congratulate Student ALA at the University of Rhode Island as the winner of the 2013 ALA Student Chapter of the Year Award. They would also like to congratulate the ALA Student Chapter at Florida State 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 Rhode Island’s Student ALA for its accomplishments in each of the six categories related to the Student Chapter of the Year Award. The committee was impressed by the chapter’s innovative, detailed application and by their commitment to reviving and nurturing their chapter to grow from only a handful of students to nearly 1/3 of the student body. The chapter leadership has approached this in a well thought-out and organized way to ensure the continued success of the chapter, and the committee is impressed with their efforts to reach out to regional and distance students, their extensive collaboration with their state library association, and their ambitious programming including organizing a conference on career development for librarians and students in the region.

Dr. Lauren Mandel, Faculty Advisor to Student ALA at URI, stated, “Truly, Student ALA at URI has gone from being an organization in name only to becoming an active student organization with increasing membership, activities and events, and democratic elections.” Dr. Mandel’s statement testifies to the dedication and determination of the Student ALA of URI.

The runner-up of this year’s award, the ALA Student Chapter at Florida State University, is recognized for their diverse and frequent programming, and their impressive use of a variety of social media communication tools to reach students both traditional and online. The award committee commends them for their continued commitment to excellence after being named the 2012 Student Chapter of the Year.

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!

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