The American Library Association-New Members Round Table invites you to subscribe to our e-mail discussion lists.

What is NMRT-L?

An e-list maintained by ALA, NMRT-L serves two complimentary purposes:

• To provide a forum for discussion of issues pertinent to those of us new to the library field, including, but not limited to, salaries, professional involvement, training, continuing education, staff development, library school and almost any topic relevant to newer librarians, new ALA members, paraprofessionals, and students;
• To provide a communications network for members of NMRT and its state counterparts, especially officers and board members, and as such, provide a place for announcements, calls for participation, general discussion and other activities of the organizations.

Of course, any e-list is only a reflection of its subscribers and their interests. Any issue of concern or interest to you as a new librarian, new ALA member, paraprofessional or library school student is appropriate for posting to the e-list. Messages for distribution should be sent to: nmrt-l@ala.org. It is considering a courtesy to include your name and institution in the body of the message, as well as a subject in the subject line of the header.

This e-list is unmoderated. Messages to the e-list will automatically be distributed to all subscribers. Contributions to this e-list are archived at http://lists.ala.org/wws/arc/nmrt-l. Registration is required to search the archives. Please direct any list administration questions to the listowners who are listed on the NMRT-L site.

NOTE: Messages posted to NMRT-L do not necessarily reflect the official position or receive the endorsement of ALA-NMRT.

How do I subscribe/unsubscribe to NMRT-L?

To subscribe or unsubscribe to NMRT-L (or any other ALA e-list), please point your Web browser to http://lists.ala.org. If you are not already a member of any ALA e-list, you can click on “send me a password,” and provide your e-mail address (please make note of the email address you use, since you will need it to log back into this interface), and one will be sent to you. Once logged in, you can turn any of your email subscriptions on and off.

Is there an archive of the NMRT-L mailing list?

Yes! The NMRT-L archives are available at http://lists.ala.org/wws/arc/nmrt-l.

The first ALA Student Chapter was created in 1980 at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Each Student Chapter has its own character and purpose. ALA Student Chapters enhance students’ ALA membership by providing leadership and programming opportunities on the campuses.

Eligible participants

ALA student members at the master’s level and beyond are eligible to form official ALA student chapter groups at schools offering ALA-accredited programs of library and information services, or a master’s degree with a specialty in school library media from an NCATE/AASL-accredited program.

Fees

Student Chapters pay no fee to ALA. Individual members of the student chapter group pay ALA student dues. Each ALA student member is entitled to all the regular ALA personal membership benefits at a substantially reduced dues rate. The chapter may support its programs through fund-raising activities, dues paid to the student chapter group, or contributions from the school administration.

Benefits

Student-to-Staff Program

Each student chapter is entitled to nominate one student to go to the Annual Conference to participate in the Student-to-Staff program.

ALA materials

Catalogs, , posters, ALA Placement Center handouts, and other materials will be mailed to the student chapter president by the Staff Liaison in Chapter Relations upon request.

Student chapter plaque

A plaque will be sent to the student chapter by ALA upon receipt of an approved, ratified constitution and bylaws.

ALA student chapter group and other student groups

There are often several student groups on the library school campus to handle student problems and concerns. The student chapter is concerned with external relations with ALA as a professional organization. All groups can exist side-by-side without any role conflict. In fact, if time constraints or other considerations seem to dictate it, groups can be combined, sharing officers and activities.

How to get started

Designation of advisor

A faculty advisor should be designated to work with the organizers on chapter formation.

Information and organizational meeting

Arrange an informational and organizational meeting at the school for all interested students. The officers of existing groups can serve as a steering committee and can be of great assistance in helping to promote the chapter group. Students who have already joined ALA as student members should be identified and included in the chapter group. At the informational meeting, distribute membership forms and sign up students. Once a nucleus of members is established, a constitution should be drafted. Sample constitutions are available from the ALA Chapter Relations Office. A nominating committee should be appointed and a meeting held to elect officers and approve the constitution. A chapter group program committee should be appointed to work with the officers to develop program ideas.

Notification of ALA

The approved constitution, name of advisor, and list of officers should be sent to Don Wood, the staff liaison. The student chapter group’s information will appear on the ALA Student Chapter website.

Helpful contact people

Chapter organizers may well profit from the experience of local ALA members and others including:

• Your state’s ALA Chapter Councilor.
• The presidents and faculty advisors of existing student chapter groups. (Frequently updated information is available from ALA Chapter Relations Office.)

After your group is founded

Local programs

These will vary from chapter to chapter and should be designed to meet the needs of each particular group.

Here are some suggestions:

• Arrange campus visits from ALA program staff, ALA Officers, ALA Councilors, or ALA committee chairs. Visitors may be invited to visit classes or give a formal presentation, with informal gatherings either preceding or following the presentation. In order to keep costs to the student chapter to a minimum, such a campus visit might be added to a previously planned trip or draw on ALA members in your area. The Staff Liaison can help you to determine which ALA staff or members would be available to visit your school on a certain date.
• Student tours of local libraries might be arranged with active ALA members, giving students an opportunity to investigate current library practice from a professional perspective. Brown-bag lunches on campus where local ALA members are invited to share experiences and career development ideas with students in an informal atmosphere.
• Student attendance at local events sponsored by NMRT Affiliates, AASL Affiliates, ALCTS, ACRL Chapters, and ALA Chapters and Affiliates.
• Start a website, e-list, blog, Facebook, or other social networking tools for student chapter members, with news from conferences, a calendar of campus events, and interviews. Include articles on curriculum changes, new faculty members, and fellowships available to students from off-campus sources. Use chapter communication tools for humorous articles and to publicize student chapter programs.

Relationship with the state library association

Whenever possible, make a connection with the state library association in addition to ALA. Many library school students are more oriented towards their state than they are to the national scene and plan to remain in the state after graduation. Student chapter connection with the state association allows students to learn the workings of a smaller association, to make contacts with professionals in their area, and to attend local conferences and workshops. Many individuals begin their association “careers” in state associations.

Contact the president of the state library association or the executive director if there is one. Ask to be put on their mailing list to receive publicity for their programs. A list of state associations and their presidents and/or executive directors will be found on the online directory maintained by the Chapter Relations Office.

For further information

Good luck organizing your new student chapter. If you need help or further information, don’t hesitate to contact the Student Chapter staff liaison: Chapter Relations Office, American Library Association, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611, or call: Toll-free 1-800-545-2433 x2429, in Chicago (312) 280-2429, or FAX: (312) 280-4392, Email: Don Wood.

ALA and Chapters

The partnership between the American Library Association and its Chapters has varied during the Association’s history. For an understanding of this partnership, see The ALA/Chapter Relationship: A Shared Responsibility and ALA Chapter Councilors.

ALA Chapter Councilors

ALA Chapter Councilors provides information for Councilors, including Chapter Councilors, a contact list of all ALA Chapter Councilors. State and regional chapters provides contact and other information for all ALA Chapters. ALA and Chapter Conferences Calendar provides a list of upcoming ALA, Chapter, and Affiliate Conferences.

ALA Chapter Relations Committee and Chapter Relations Office

The Chapter Relations Committee (CRC) develops and recognizes Chapters as integral components of ALA; encourages discussion, activities and programs that support the mutual interests of ALA and the Chapters; advises when requested on proposals and actions of other ALA units that may affect Chapters; provides a forum wherein Chapters can share ideas and concerns of common interest and identify common needs and goals; communicates these Chapter needs and goals to ALA and ALA goals, programs and priorities to the Chapters; encourages and maintains a cooperative and supportive relationship among ALA, its units, and the Chapters; formulates and reviews periodically requirements for Chapter status; and serves as an advisory committee to the Chapter Relations Office.

Student Chapters

For an understanding of the partnership between ALA and the Student Chapters, see ALA Student Chapters, which includes: Who is Eligible to Form an Official ALA Student Chapter? How Do You Form a Student Group? How Do I Join ALA? How Do I Contact Other Student Chapters? Where Can I Find Chapter Resources? And Information about Jobs? And Information about Scholarships? as well as I Need a Mentor (And I Could Be One, Too!), So What Do I Do? What’s the Student to Staff Program, or How Do I Volunteer at an ALA Conference? ALA Connect, Wikis, and More.

Dear Colleagues:

The weekend of September 11th, a group comprised of the ALA board members, division leaders, roundtable representatives and senior staff met in Itasca, Illinois, to begin the development of ALA’s new strategic plan. The new plan’s goals and objectives will set the association’s strategic directions for the next five years to 2015. (ALA’s current plan goes through 2010.)

For the last six months, work has been underway to gather member input and information on the changing environment for libraries, librarians and the association. To date, 15 member forums have been conducted at state chapter meetings, and another 20 are planned for this fall and early spring of 2010. A member survey of ALA programs and services, their importance, and the association’s performance in each area was conducted, with 9,000 members participating.

In addition to the survey and forums, an Environmental Scan has been created on ALA Connect, containing articles, reports and other information on the social, educational, economic, political, and technological environments within which we will operate, as well as issues and trends specific to different types of libraries. (To see the Environmental Scan, surveys or forum reports, go to ALA Connect, log in, and click “My Member Communities” and then “ALA 2015 Environmental Scan.”)

In mid-October, ALA board members will meet with a larger group of division leadership and roundtable representatives in Chicago to continue working on draft goals and objectives. Following this meeting, we will then circulate a draft plan for discussion by ALA councilors, committees and the membership as a whole. It is our hope that those members attending Midwinter will schedule discussions of the plan as part of their meeting agendas, and we are looking to schedule a working session on the plan for Council as part of the Information Session at Midwinter.

Again, following Midwinter, ALA groups and individual members will be invited to share their thoughts and suggestions which will be considered for incorporation into the document as we prepare for review and approval by the Board in April. The document will then go to Council prior to Annual Conference for Council’s final approval at Annual Conference.

When we developed the current 2010 plan, we received over 2,500 comments from ALA groups and individual members. These comments were aggregated, analyzed, and ultimately incorporated into the plan as it moved forward over the course of its year- long development. We look forward to the same high level of member involvement as we move forward on our 2015 Plan.

Thank you for your help in this process.

Camila Alire
President
American Library Association

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.

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.

Each Student Chapter has its own character and purpose and enhances students’ ALA membership by providing leadership and programming opportunities on the campuses. Visit ALA Student Chapters and find out:

• Who is Eligible to Form an Official ALA Student Chapter?
• How Do I Form a Student Group?
• How Do I Join ALA?
• How Do I Contact Other Student Chapters?
• Where Can I Find Chapter Resources?
• And Information about Jobs?
• And Information about Scholarships?
• What’s the Student to Staff Program, or How Do I Volunteer at an ALA Conference?
• How Can I Network with Other Student Chapters through Wikis and More?

If you’re looking for a page of links to ALA resources for Chapters, visit Overview of ALA Resources for Chapters. Here you will find:

• Quick Links to ALA resources under such headings as “Chapters and Chapter Relations Office,” “Executive Board, Council, and Chapter Councilors,” “Divisions and Round Tables,” “Library and Membership Services,” “Offices,” and “Contact ALA Staff.”
• Links to the Key Action Areas: Diversity, Education and Lifelong Learning, Equitable Access to Information and Library Services, Intellectual Freedom, Advocacy for Libraries and the Profession, Literacy, and Organizational Excellence.
• Links to Select ALA Resources by Subject, under such headings as ”Advocacy,” “Diversity,” “Intellectual Freedom,” “Jobs,” “Literacy,” “Networking,” and “Students.”

And, if you’re looking to get involved with Chapters, or just want to find out what ALA and Chapters are all about, visit Overview of How to Get Involved in ALA Chapters.

Have your resume reviewed and updated during the 2009 ALA Annual Conference!

On Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12, the NMRT Resume Review Service will offer the opportunity for you to have your resume reviewed by fellow professionals who are knowledgeable about resumes and human resources.

The NMRT Resume Review Service will be located in the Grand Ballroom of McCormick Place-South. (See also ALA Job Placement Center.) The booth will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12. Volunteer greeters will answer any questions you may have concerning the resume review service. Consult the ALA 2009 Annual Conference Volunteer Booth Schedule for more information.

If you have any questions about the resume service before or after the Annual Conference, please e-mail nmrtrrs@yahoo.com.

The NMRT Resume Review Service is a wonderful way to make sure that your resume is in top condition. There are two ways that you can take advantage of this opportunity. First, NMRT members may work with virtual reviewers via e-mail. Second, at each ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference, both NMRT members and nonmembers may get help with their resumes in the ALA Job Placement Center, where you meet one-on-one with a reviewer.

For more information, visit NMRT Resume Review Service and Resume Review Service at ALA Annual and Midwinter.

Also plan to attend the program Job Hunting in a Recession: Tips from Experts in the Field, Saturday, July 11, 1:30-3:00 p.m., Hyatt Regency (151 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601; 312-565-1234), Grand D North.

After receiving comments on Draft Resolution on Marriage for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered People, this is the latest version. Please provide input on this draft resolution, which will be presented to ALA Council during the 2009 ALA Annual Conference. Send comments to Locke J Morrisey, ACRL Councilor 2007-2010/ President NCNMLG, and Larry Romans, ALA Executive Board Member.

Resolution on Civil Marriage Equality Regardless of Sexual Orientation

WHEREAS, civil marriage is a basic human right and an individual choice;

WHEREAS, American Library Association (ALA) Policy 1.5, Goal Area III, states that the goals of the Association include increasing ALA’s influence in promoting equity of access and fair use, and supporting grassroots efforts to influence local, state and federal policies and standards that affect library and information services;

WHEREAS, ALA Policy 54.3 (Equal Employment Opportunity) states that ALA is “committed to equal opportunity for all library employees or applicants for employment,” regardless of sexual orientation and in Policy 54.16 (Gay Rights) ALA “reaffirms its support for equal employment opportunity for gay librarians and library workers”;

WHEREAS, ALA Policy 60.3 (Combating Prejudice, Stereotyping, and Discrimination) states that ALA “actively commits its programs and resources to those efforts that combat prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination against individuals and groups in the library profession and in library user populations” on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression;

WHEREAS, same-sex couples can legally wed in several countries, and six U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized varying levels of marriage; and

WHEREAS, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered (GLBT) couples who are library workers or library users who live in states where only heterosexual couples may wed legally do not receive the same rights, including library privileges, family and medical leave, tax equity, inheritance rights, hospital visitation, insurance and retirement benefits, family health care coverage, housing benefits, tuition remission benefits, adoption or birth leave; and

WHEREAS, legally wed GLBT couples who are library workers or library users lose rights and privileges afforded to wedded heterosexual couples when they cross borders into states and countries without marriage equality; and

WHEREAS, the Council of the American Library Association has an opportunity to voice their support to extend full civil marriage protections to all members of the library profession and library user population; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the American Library Association (ALA) affirms that civil marriage and other civil rights protections are essential to making all families safer and more secure; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that ALA opposes the enshrinement of civil marriage discrimination in the federal or in state constitutions; and be it further

RESOLVED, that ALA supports the right of every person to marry, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples, wherever they reside.

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For additional information, see ALA policies and more on Sex, Gender Identity, or Sexual Orientation issues. Also visit the home page of the ALA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table (GLBTRT).