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In this Issue:
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Welcome to the North Carolina Library Association’s monthly eNewsletter! A production of the NCLA Marketing Committee, the eNewsletter is devoted to highlighting professional events and programs, librarians making exceptional differences in their communities, and how the association is working to serve YOU! Please subscribe and your feedback is always welcome. |
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I have always liked the month of May. The weather is getting warmer, the mosquitos aren’t out in force, flowers are blooming, and school is almost out for the summer. Beach trips are close on the horizon, and there is more time to spend with family and friends.
Then, there is May 2020. Social distancing, unemployment, fear of when, and if, things will return to normal. Nevertheless, NCLA is moving forward. The Executive Board met April 24 courtesy of Zoom. A first. I will admit I was apprehensive. I have never chaired a meeting of over forty people virtually. However, the great people on this board made it work. Even voting on motions went well.
The work of NCLA does not stop because of Coronavirus. We voted on matters such as the theme for Conference 2021 (S.E.E the Future: Support. Educate. Empower – this is the conference you want to attend in 2021!); we made an amendment to our budget to cover the cost of ten Zoom licenses to make the work of the Association and sections easier to conduct; and we talked about the possibility of a new logo. All of these things you will see more of in the coming months.
We also discussed the possibility of a Virtual Conference, to allow those who had planned to present at ALA Annual a platform to share new information. Amy Harris Houk is chairing the committee working on this. If you are interested in presenting or helping plan the event, please reach out to Amy at treasurer@nclaonline.org.
The Leadership Institute Planning Committee is also hard at work, continuing with preparing for this event in September. At this time, they are monitoring the situation with COVID-19, and are coming up with contingency plans to have in place if needed.
I hope wherever you are, you are safe. I hope you are with family and friends that are making this a little easier to bear. I hope each of you are taking care of yourselves, and are preparing for when we re-open our doors.
I would also like to encourage any of you that have things you would like to see offered by NCLA reach out to me and let me know. NCLA is not my Association. It belongs to all of us. What can we, the Executive Board, do to help you? Let me know. My email is president@nclaonline.org. I would like to hear from you.
Until next month, enjoy the better weather. Take a walk. Read a book. Chase a little one around the yard. In addition, be ready. Re-opening is coming. We will do it together.
Lorrie Russell
YOUR NCLA President
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COVID-19 and Libraries How is your library responding to the COVID-19 pandemic? Do you have valuable resources to share? We’re compiling information in a document for all to use - feel free to add things! |
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Do you have an upcoming NCLA meeting or event? Even informal meetups with other NCLA members? Be sure to take a photo and share it with the NCLA Marketing Committee. You can email images to nclibraryassociation@gmail.com or tag them on social media using #NCLA. Maybe you'll see your photo on the website! |
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The College & University Section (CUS) of NCLA is seeking volunteers to serve on its Executive Board. A Secretary/Treasurer position and two Director positions are open. Email Dawn Behrend for more information.
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Steven Cramer Awarded the 2020 BRASS Excellence in Business Librarianship Steve Cramer, Business Librarian and Coleman Fellow for Entrepreneurship Education at UNC Greensboro, has been awarded the 2020 BRASS Excellence in Business Librarianship Award by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) division of the American Library Association (ALA).
Sponsored by Mergent, this award offers $4,000 and a citation to librarians who have distinguished themselves in the field of business librarianship. The selection of the annual recipient is based on reviews by the BRASS Award Committee of written nominations.
The nominations highlighted Steve’s focus on mentoring and supporting early-career business librarians in North Carolina and around the country, while also co-creating BLINC (Business Librarianship of North Carolina, a section of NCLA), a RUSA pilot interest group on entrepreneurship, and the new version of the Entrepreneurship & Libraries Conference.
One nominator wrote “The ardent leadership, guidance, and scholarship provided by Steve Cramer to the field of business librarianship is clearly seen in the success, support, and championing of the countless colleagues, students, and entrepreneurs who have had the great fortune to work and interact with Steve.”
Past NCLA members to win this award include Diane C. Strauss (1990) and Rita W. Moss (2012), an original member of BLINC.
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Dwain Teague, Emerging Technologies and Outreach Librarian at the North Carolina Wesleyan College Pearsall Library, will assume a 2 year appointment on the ACRL Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee effective July 1, 2020. |
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Karen Ward Retires from UNC Greensboro’s University Libraries Karen Ward, Business Officer for UNC Greensboro’s University Libraries, retired in March 2020 after 29 years with the University. She began her career at UNCG in 1991 as a processing assistant in the Fiscal Plant and worked in Telephone Services and the School of Health and Human Performance as a program assistant. She has worked for University Libraries since 2000. Throughout her service to University Libraries, Ward has been involved in a variety of activities including facilities, human resources, event planning and budget management. She was responsible for the oversight and operation of all state, endowed and trust funds. During her time with University Libraries, she became an expert in grant funding and co-authored How to Seek Grant Funds. Ward actively served on two committees for University Libraries, including the Grant Advisory Committee and the Beautification Committee. Ward is well-known across campus for her knowledge and experience with North Carolina state policy, budget procedures and data management. In 2015, she was recognized with a Staff Star from UNCG’s Chancellor for her kindness, thoughtfulness and helpfulness to others. In 1997, she was awarded Woman of the Year from the American Business Women’s Association Lou-Celia Chapter. Ward holds an associate’s degree in data processing and computer programming from Tidewater Community College. |
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Kathy Shields Research and Instruction Librarian, History and Social Science Wake Forest University 1.What was the first library job you had that made the little voice in your head go “Yes- I have found the profession for me!” When I started library school at UNCG, I had never actually worked in a library before, and I wasn't entirely sure what area of librarianship I wanted to go into. Luckily for me, I applied for and was accepted into the amazing reference internship at UNCG's Jackson Library, and that's where I realized that academic libraries and specifically, reference and instruction, were absolutely the right fit for me. I loved being on a college campus, collaborating with my colleagues, developing subject expertise, and working with students. 2.What part of your job keeps you going to work every day? How do you continue to find inspiration and passion in the library field? I appreciate that no two days at my job look exactly the same. I am constantly researching and learning something new as I work with our students and faculty. I love working with students, especially when they're passionate about the subject that they're researching. And ten years in, while I feel that I have a pretty solid foundation as a librarian, I also feel that there is still so much to learn! Being a history librarian has been especially fun, because I love digging for information and getting to collaborate with my colleagues in Special Collections and Archives on classes and other projects. New archives and repositories are constantly being made available online, and it's especially rewarding when I can find a treasure trove of resources for a student or faculty member that opens up a new avenue of research for them. My ZSR colleagues also inspire me daily with their passion and commitment to our library and our campus community. 3. Who are your library heroes in North Carolina and beyond? I am a huge fan of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and all the work that she has done to make the LOC and its collections more accessible and approachable. Lynda Kellam and Amy Harris Houk have been incredible mentors to me since my UNCG reference internship days. Dr. Nora Bird at UNCG has also been a big encouragement to me and really nourished my love of reference as an LIS student. Beyond that, through my professional involvement with NCLA and ALA, I have had the opportunity to work and interact with librarians and library workers from libraries of all kinds, and I am constantly impressed with their dedication, compassion, and resourcefulness. 4. Tell us a little about your interests and hobbies outside of the library. This time of year, I really love being outside, walking my dogs around the neighborhood, hiking at nearby parks like Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock, or sitting outside at a local restaurant or brewery in downtown Winston-Salem. My husband and I love to travel, and lately we've been trying to visit many of the big national parks out west, like Zion and Yosemite. I also volunteer with our local independent bookstore and literary arts nonprofit, Bookmarks. Right now, of course, our lives look a little different, but I look forward to doing these things again soon! Are you interested in being featured in the “Librarian Interview” section of the NCLA Newsletter? We are looking for members who want to share their experiences and advice with our membership. If you would like to be considered, please provide your name and contact information on this form. |
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Featured section of the month: Distance Learning Section
Nora Burmeister, DLS Chair
1. What's the history of this section? When and why was it created?
DLS was created in April 2017 by Sam Harlow (UNC Greensboro Distance Learning Librarian, and recipient of ACRL’s 2020 DLS Routledge Distance Learning Librarianship award) and Nora Burmeister (UNC Chapel Hill Content Strategy Librarian). It was created to serve the growing number of librarians who serve patrons at a distance, through virtual interactions and digital learning objects.
2. Who are the primary people that your section serves? Who should join?
Our section serves any librarians who provide digital services or resources to their patrons. This includes services like virtual reference chat, the creation of digital learning objects (LibGuides, interactive tutorials, information literacy instructional videos), remote proctoring, and online meetings/webinars. Our section has a strong emphasis on inclusivity and accessibility in distance learning, and we strive to provide a community of knowledge to enhance the conversation and the exploration of concepts among librarians who are working online and providing services to their patrons at a distance.
3. What types of programming do you offer?
DLS facilitates a series of ‘conversation’ style webinars called DLS Discusses. In these conversations, we highlight librarians with experience and expertise in a concept, process, or tool relevant to distance learning. After a short presentation, all participants are invited to join the conversation, sharing tips, stories, and strategies so that we all develop further understanding of the ideas being discussed.
DLS also typically puts on two annual meetings where members are invited to present on distance learning topics such as accessibility, digital pedagogy, hosting online events, and communicating with distance patrons. These meetings are hosted by member’s home institutions throughout the state. We share ideas and documentation through Slack and Google Drive, as well as contributing presentations and posters to the NCLA conferences. We also participate in collaborative NCLA virtual conferences.
4. What's one thing you want people to remember about your section?
I think right now, more than ever, the challenges and rewards of serving our communities from a distance have become so clear. The Distance Learning Section provides access to a community of librarians dedicated to providing exceptional virtual services, and our members represent a wealth of information about distance learning strategies and we are happy to share our wealth of knowledge about distance learning to provide support and guidance to the NCLA community. |
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Motherhood so White : A Memoir of Race, Gender, and Parenting in America
by Nefertiti Austin
A literary diversity activist draws on her personal experiences as an African-American adoptive mother to reveal the virtual absence of Black representation in today’s parenting culture and the challenges that diverse families encounter from the adoption community.
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North Carolina Library Association
265 Eastchester Drive
Suite 133, #364
High Point, North Carolina 27262
www.nclaonline.org/ |
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