November 5, 2009

Dear Colleagues:

When I ran for ALA President, I pledged to provide members who want to play a meaningful role in ALA the opportunity to do so. I am asking for your help in making this promise a reality.

One of the most important responsibilities I will undertake as ALA President-elect is to make appointments to the ALA and Council committees in collaboration with the Committee on Appointments (COA) and the Committee on Committees (COC).

To ensure diversity on all ALA and Council committees, I am seeking ALA members who represent racial and ethnic diversity; a variety of types and sizes of libraries, areas of the country, and work experience; and experience in participating in ALA.  In addition (and importantly), one of my goals this year is to encourage the involvement of newer members, members previously not active, and active members who have never been formally appointed to serve on committees.  I would especially appreciate your forwarding to me the names of those who are new to ALA and to the profession so I can consider them for appointment as committee members or interns.

Serving on an ALA or Council committee provides members with leadership training, networking opportunities, and experience in working on specific association topics.  I know that, as a member-leader, you have a broad knowledge of the kinds of people I am looking for.  Therefore, I would be grateful for your help in encouraging interested member-volunteers who would be good choices for appointment to serve on the committees listed here:

Accreditation; American Libraries Advisory; Awards; Budget Analysis and Review; Chapter Relations; Conference; Constitution and Bylaws; Council Orientation; Diversity; Education; Election; Human Resource Development and Recruitment Advisory; Information Technology Policy Advisory; Intellectual Freedom; International Relations; Legislation; Library Advocacy; Literacy; Literacy and Outreach Services Advisory; Membership; Membership Meetings; Organization; Policy Monitoring (current Council members only); Professional Ethics; Public and Cultural Programs Advisory; Public Awareness; Publishing; Research and Statistics; Resolutions; Rural Native and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds; Scholarships and Study Grants; Status of Women in Librarianship; Training, Orientation and Leadership Development; Website Advisory; ALA-Children*s Book Council (Joint Committee); ALA-Association of American Publishers (Joint Committee); and the ALA-Society of American Archivists/American Association of Museums (Joint Committee).

Anyone who would like to serve on one of the above committees must complete the committee volunteer form available at http://tinyurl.com/ybpgsm9.  The deadline for completing the ALA committee volunteer form is Friday, December 4, 2009.

I will also be organizing a number of task forces for my Presidential year to explore ways in which we can continue to transform the association for the 21st century.  Individuals who are not appointed to a committee will have the opportunity to be tapped for one of these groups.

Roberta A. Stevens
Outreach Projects and Partnerships Officer The Library of Congress
Development Office
101 Independence Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20540-1400
E-mail: rste@loc.gov
Work: (202) 707-1550
Fax: (202) 707-0312

Thank you again for helping me, COA and COC bring new voices into participatory and leadership roles in our dynamic association.

Sincerely,

Roberta A. Stevens
ALA President-elect

Each year during Annual Conference, the Chapter Relations Office coordinates a group of student volunteers from the ALA Student Chapters to assist ALA staff at the conference.

To qualify for the Student-to-Staff Program, the student must be:

• A current ALA member;
• A member of a student Chapter
• He or she cannot have previously participated in the program; and

Please note:

• All students selected must be ALA members and current students during the 2010 ALA Annual Conference.
• Each school has its own selection process, and the chosen student’s name must be submitted to ALA by the group’s faculty advisor. One student will be accepted per chapter.

In exchange for working four hours per day at the conference from Friday through Monday (16 hours total), each participating student receives:

• Free conference registration;
• Free housing (with roommate); and
• A per diem for meal expenses.

Transportation costs (such as airfare and cabs) are the student’s responsibility!

An official letter to each student Chapter is sent out in the beginning of the year, around February. If you’re interested, to find out how you can participate in the student-to-staff program at the 2010 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., contact your ALA Student Chapter for its selection criteria. For information about the process, contact Don Wood in the Chapter Relations Office.

This program is only available at the Annual Conference. At this time there are no volunteer opportunities at Midwinter Meetings.

NOTE: Contact information found on the ALA Student Chapters Directory is used to contact the schools each year about this program. The schools are responsible for helping ensure this information is correct. If information on this page is incorrect, please use the ALA Chapter Relations Online Change of Address Form to submit addresses and address updates. If you prefer to mail or fax a paper copy, you may download the PDF version of the change of address form.  You may also inform Don Wood, ALA Chapter Relations Office.

Your campus doesn’t have an ALA Student Chapter? How to start a Student Chapter is among the many resources for students on the ALA Student Chapters website.

ALA provides a number of ways to connect and network with others and a number of ways to stay informed! Below are just a few of the resources available to you, so be sure to visit ALA Read Write Connect, ALA Blogs, and ALA Weblog Service for additional choices!

AL Direct is an electronic newsletter sent to ALA personal members and others who wish to subscribe. It is a weekly supplement to American Libraries magazine that provides summaries and links to news, announcements, and other information of interest to library and information science professionals. Subscribe to AL Direct.

ALA provides ALA Connect, a common virtual space for members to engage in ALA business and network with other members around issues and interests relevant to the profession. New on ALA Connect is MentorConnect, an informal mentoring network implemented within ALA Connect that allows all ALA members to participate and only requires that you actively choose to join the network in order to begin serving as a mentor or seeking a mentor.

Chapters promote general library service and librarianship within their geographic areas, provide geographic representation to the Council of the American Library Association, and cooperate in the promotion of general and joint enterprises with the American Library Association and other library groups. Visit the Chapters Social Networking Page to find many ways to connect .

District Dispatch is the official blog of the ALA Washington Office. You can view press releases, library related legislation, updates from OGR and OITP, and virtually all vital information from the Washington Office.  Subscribe to the District Dispatch RSS (Rich Site Summary/Really Simple Syndication) feed. RSS is a relatively new technology that streamlines all your updates from a variety of blogs and news sources into one easy-to-read location. Luckily, there are myriad helpful explanations online for what RSS is, how it was developed and all of its other aspects. Subscribe and start receiving District Dispatch updates immediately and consistently. Of course, you are still welcome to subscribe via email. If you use Microsoft Office Outlook, then you are in luck. Microsoft has already supplied users with a step-by-step guide to rss subscription in Outlook. Through Outlook, you can receive RSS updates in the same program as your email. Non-outlook users have several options. Mashable has created “The Ultimate RSS Toolbox,” which lays out other RSS feed aggregators and how they work.

Ilovelibraries.org is website for the public, designed to keep America informed about what’s happening in today’s libraries. Subscribe to I Love Libraries Newsletter.

By engaging in the library profession, YALSA fosters many opportunities to help you grow academically as well as professionally. Joining the YALSA SIG is a great way to learn about the organization, become more involved in YALSA, to meet and network with other members. You’ll also gain organizational and leadership skills.

YALSA SIG members will be able to get the heads up on meetings, workshops, trainings, and other learning opportunities via newsletters and updates. Interested members can find help on a variety of topics, including meeting tips, presentations, surveys and more. Actively engaged students also find great professional opportunities as they take their first steps into the working world.

Please contact convenor Jennifer Balaco , for more information. Sign up via the YALSA SIG Ning or find us in ALA Connect. Join today and begin connecting with your colleagues.

Coming to Midwinter in Boston? Come find out more about discussion groups at the Discussion and Interest Group Open House, 4-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 17. Room number and more information will be posted at the YALSA Midwinter Wiki.

ALA has launched MentorConnect in ALA Connect so you can find or become a mentor.

MentorConnect is an informal mentoring network implemented within ALA Connect that allows all ALA members to participate and only requires that you actively choose to join the network in order to begin serving as a mentor or seeking a mentor.

Mentoring others is one of the most powerful ways you can give back to the profession, but it’s not a relationship to be entered into lightly. If you join MC, you’re making a commitment to help someone else. A strong mentoring relationship requires consistent contact between the mentor and mentee so think carefully about making this commitment before offering your services as a mentor.

Having effective mentors is important for your professional and personal growth. Asking someone to take the time to mentor you is a serious commitment . When someone agrees to mentor you, they’re making an investment in your future. Plan on spending time with your mentor via MentorConnect in order to get the most from this important relationship.

If you choose to join MentorConnect, you can:

• Create a mentor and/or a mentee profile
• Search for a mentor in a variety of subjects
• Offer your services as a mentor
• Track feedback from your mentors/mentees
• Create your own private community in ALA Connect for you and your mentee(s) if you want to take advantage of the online documents, calendar, discussion forum, and chat features available to all members.

To learn all about this new service, see Mentoring Starter Questions and Mentoring and MentorConnect FAQ.

Join the White House, the Corporation for National & Community Service and libraries, non-profits and community groups across the country in United We Serve. This is an update of ALA and the Summer of Service.

United We Serve is a national effort launched by President Obama to engage more Americans in serving their communities this summer. United We Serve kicks off on June 22 and runs through September 11, which will be marked for the first time as a national day of service and remembrance. The initiative focuses on four key areas: education, health, energy, and the environment; and community renewal. It is being lead by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that improves lives and strengthens communities through volunteering and service.

The White House contacted ALA to encourage libraries to get involved.  Libraries are a critical piece of the initiative, as one of the four broad issues it will address is supporting education and literacy for all Americans. Volunteer opportunities can be posted right now on www.serve.gov, and I encourage you to do that soon.

For more information, please see the fact sheet (PDF) from the Corporation for National & Community Service.

See also United We Serve on the American Library Association website.

See also United We Serve.

June 3, 2009

Dear ALA member,

The American Library Association has just been contacted by the White House in partnership with the Corporation for National Community Service to get libraries involved in the President’s Summer of Service program, scheduled to launch on June 22, 2009.

Summer of Service is a “national coalition of major youth-serving organizations that are committed to engaging youth in service during the summer months and recognize the potential of youth to identify issues, develop projects, and provide lasting benefits to the communities in which they live through volunteer service.” Libraries and other organizations that work with youth ages 5 to 21 are encouraged to participate.

Beginning the week of June 8, 2009, libraries and other organizations will be invited by the White House to list their local volunteer opportunities online. On June 22, the White House will announce the initiative to the public at large. The initiative will conclude on September 11, 2009.

Although this timetable doesn’t provide much time to plan, we know that most libraries already have active volunteer programs, and wanted to provide a little bit more advance notice for libraries interested in participating in this exciting national initiative. Summer of Service presents a great opportunity for libraries of all types to involve young people as volunteers. This will also be a great opportunity to educate the public about the importance and vitality of America’s libraries, and gain new supporters advocating for your library.

The American Library Association will be disseminating information and resources as they become available. Stay tuned for volunteer ideas, best practices, resources, and ways to contribute your own information, ideas and stories at www.ala.org/summerofservice.

You can learn more about Summer of Service.

Sincerely,

Keith Michael Fiels

Executive Director

American Library Association

Each year during Annual Conference, the Chapter Relations Office puts together a group of student volunteers from the ALA Student Chapters to assist ALA staff at the conference. To qualify for the Student-to-Staff Program, the student must be a current ALA member and a member of a student chapter, and cannot have previously participated in the program. Each school has its own selection process, and the chosen student’s name must be submitted to ALA by the group’s faculty advisor. One student will be accepted per chapter.

In exchange for working four hours per day at the conference from Friday through Monday (16 hours total), each participating student receives free conference registration, housing, and a per diem for meal expenses. Transportation costs (such as airfare and cabs) are the student’s responsibility. To find out how you can participate at the 2010 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., contact your ALA Student Chapter for their selection criteria, or contact Don Wood in the Chapter Relations Office.

Your campus doesn’t have an ALA Student Chapter? How to start a Student Chapter is among the many resources for students on the ALA Student Chapters website.