Become a fan of the ALA Chapters on Facebook.

Also visit the ALA Chapter pages to discover what all the Chapters have to offer, from advocacy for libraries to conferences to member benefits and more.

Here is a sample of the Chapters pages you will find on Facebook. If you know of any additional ones, please send the name and URL to dwood@ala.org

CHAPTERS ON FACEBOOK

• Alabama Library Association
• California Library Association
• Colorado Association of Libraries
• Connecticut Library Association
• District of Columbia Library Association
• Florida Library Association
• Georgia Library Association
• Idaho Library Association
• Iowa Library Association
• Kansas Library Association
• Kentucky Library Association
• Louisiana Library Association
• Maine Library Association Members
• Massachusetts Library Association Fans
• Michigan Library Association
• Minnesota Library Association
• Montana Library Association
• Nebraska Library Association
• New Hampshire Library Association
• New Jersey Library Association (fan page)
• New Jersey Library Association (group page)
• New Mexico Library Association
• New York Library Association-NYLA
• Cool members of NCLA: North Carolina Library Association
• North Dakota Library Association
• Oklahoma Library Association
• Ohio Library Council
• Pennsylvania Library Association
• South Carolina Library Association
• Texas Library Association Members
• Vermont Library Association
• Virginia Library Association
• Washington Library Association
• Wisconsin Library Association
• Wyoming Library Association

Also on the ALA Chapters page are links to the regional Chapters on Facebook

• Mountain Plains Library Association
• Pacific Northwest Library Association

Engaging speakers and informative presentations will abound at the upcoming Midwinter Institute “The Genealogy Reference Desk: Where Everyone Knows Your Name”, a full-day workshop focused on New England genealogy resources and genealogy research techniques, and  presented by the History Section of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA).

Genealogical research skills and tools are a vital resource for any library providing reference services. They’re particularly important in public libraries, where genealogy remains one of the most time-consuming reference duties–especially for generalist desks or libraries without genealogy or history specialists on staff—and in academic libraries, where genealogy sources are often the primary tools for helping students with local history projects. This institute, sponsored by ProQuest, will focus on the “nitty-gritty” of genealogy research. New reference librarians will benefit from the fundamental tools presented at this event; experienced genealogy librarians will find it to be an excellent refresher. The skills and resources at the core of this event are relevant to all attendees, no matter the locale of their patron’s interest.

The institute will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 15, 2010, at the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), held in conjunction with the ALA 2010 Midwinter Meeting. Speakers will present topics specific to New England and Colonial Research, along with general research methodology.  D. Brenton Simons, President and CEO of the NEHGS, will address “Sustainability in Genealogical Collections” and maintaining an institution during a downturn economy.  Christine Baron, principal of Baron Consulting, will speak on the “Old North Church Project”—a NEH-funded collaborative project between the Old North  Foundation, New England Historic Genealogical Society, and HyperStudio-Laboratory for Digital Humanities at Massachusetts Institute of Technology aimed at creating an online educational program that combines public history and genealogy. Laura Prescott, a professional researcher, writer and speaker and consultant for Footnote.com who previously worked for NEHGS, will present “Timelines: Placing Your Heritage in Historic Perspective.” Drew Smith, one of the Genealogy Guys, owner of the Genealib listserv and an information literacy librarian at the University of South Florida, will be speaking on “Using Web 2.0 Tools with a 101 Knowledge Base”.  David Dearborn, of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and a New England specialist, will present “An Overview of American Colonial Records”.

Founded in 1845 and located at 99 Newbury Street, Boston, NEHGS is the country’s oldest nonprofit genealogical organization in the country.  Located in the heart of the Boston’s beautiful Back Bay neighborhood, their eight-story library and archive is one of the nation’s leading research centers for genealogists and family historians of every skill level. The institute will conclude with a tour of this beautiful facility for participants only.

Interested participants can register for this event only, or can register in conjunction with Midwinter Meeting registration by adding it as a ticketed event. For institute-only registration using the online form (login required), select “Institute and Ticketed Events Only” as the registration type, and proceed to select this event from the list.

Advance registration for the meeting and this event opens Oct. 1 and ends Dec. 4, 2009. Advance registration prices for this event are $100 for retired and student members ($100 for RUSA members,  $145 for ALA members, $75 for retired and student members, and $220 for non-ALA members. On-site registration, priced at $125 for RUSA members, $125 for ALA members, and $245 for non-ALA members) will be available until Friday, Jan. 8. All interested participants are strongly encouraged to register by Jan. 8, as only a handful of seats will be available at the door on the day of the event.

Are you interested in learning more about the challenges, solutions and best practices associated with maximizing the library experience for all patrons, including those with functional differences? Attending “Breaking Down Barriers: Best Practices in Universal Design for Libraries” will provide an interactive environment in which to explore these ideas.

The topic of this intensive half-day event, assembled through a partnership between ASCLA and the Institute for Human-Centered Design (ICHD) (formerly Adaptive Environments) and held in conjunction with ALA’s 2010 Midwinter Meeting, has become increasingly important as the economic crisis has brought people to libraries in record numbers to take advantage of the unique opportunities, experiences and services available there. By implementing universal design principles, libraries can create physical, communication and information environments that minimize limitations and provide outstanding library services to all patrons, including those with functional differences.

The agenda for the workshop, which will be held Friday, Jan. 15, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.,  at the ICHD, located at 200 Portland Street, Suite 1, in Boston, includes presentations on an array of best practices in universal design, including opportunities for experiential learning  and a forum for presenting your library’s universal design problem or aspiration and receiving on-the-spot consultation and solutions.

“It’s important for libraries to create a welcoming environment for everyone in their community,” said Brenda Bailey-Hainer, president of ASCLA. “ This institute is an excellent opportunity to learn about techniques for eliminating obstacles to library use for community members who are often underserved.”

Interested participants should note that the institute (event code ASC2) is a separate ticketed event; registration for the Midwinter Meeting is not required in order to attend this event. For institute-only registration using the online form (login required), select “Institute and Ticketed Events Only” as the registration type, and proceed to select this event from  “Step 7 – Your Events”. Advance registration for both Midwinter and “Breaking Down Barriers” opens Thursday, Oct. 1, with the following advance registration ticket prices available through December 4: Student/Retiree Member, $120 (ASCLA Member, $155; ALA Member, $155; Non-member, $155).  Ticket prices increase after Dec. 4. Visit the ALA Midwinter website for the most up-to-date information on registration.

IHCD is an international non-profit organization, founded in Boston in 1978, committed to advancing the role of design in expanding opportunity and enhancing experience for people of all ages and abilities. IHCD’s work balances expertise in legally required accessibility with promotion of best practices in human-centered or universal design.  Their location in downtown Boston is only a few blocks from the MBTA’s North Station, providing easy access to the Green and Orange lines, as well as several commuter rail lines. Subway, commuter rail and other pertinent transit information and schedules are available at the MBTA website.

On June 29, 2010, at 11 a.m., library advocates from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., will meet at Upper Senate Park on the U.S. Capitol grounds to participate in Library Advocacy Day (LAD).

Register now to attend!

LAD will feature guest speakers, photo ops, and a chance to cheer on libraries!  After the rally, participants will meet with their elected officials and their staffs. The states with the most people will be featured front and center, which means they are the ones that will be in the majority of pictures. Make sure your state is the most represented so your group can be in the most pictures!

Let your National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) coordinator know you plan to attend. (See note below.)

For information on state lobbying days, contact your State Chapter. (If you’re not a member of your State Chapter, please join!)

Note: National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) usually occurs at this same time of year. For 2010 only, Library Advocacy Day will take its place, instead.

Advocacy University is ALA’s initiative geared to providing tools, training and resources to library advocates to achieve real advocacy goals in real situations at the local level. Go there now and learn about these wonderful resources to help you in your advocacy work:

• Frontline Advocacy is designed to motivate, encourage, provide content, train, and educate librarians and library workers in seizing opportunities at all levels and especially from the front lines.
• Coalition Building Web Resource includes several best practices of successful library coalition building from around the country.
• Add It Up: Libraries Make the Difference in Youth Development and Education includes research and statistics to help advocates make the case for libraries at every stage of youth development.
• Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit includes talking points, statistics and data to help make the case for your library; strategies to help focus public attention and generate support; tips on how to connect with decision makers.
• Making Budget Presentations is coming soon!

Advocacy University is brought to you by the American Library Association’s Office for Library Advocacy. For questions or comments, please contact OLA.

After a summer respite, RUSA online courses are back in action! We have two courses on the calendar for the remainder of 2009. More information can be found by clicking on the course title, which will take you to the course webpage chock full of information about instructors and class content.

· Genealogy 101, November 9 – December 23, 2009 Designed for reference staff with little to no experience in genealogy, Genealogy 101 uses a case study to present tools and techniques participants can use to confidently assist patrons with family history research. A review of archival material, print reference tools and online sources is included in the curriculum.

· The Reference Interview, November 2 – December 18, 2009 This comprehensive course covers such reference interview topics as cultivating an approachable reference environment, successful questioning and listening techniques and appropriate follow-up methods. Staff of all levels at all types of libraries will find this content, presented in a multi-media format, helpful in day-to-day engagement with library patrons.

The deadlines for online registration and fax registration for all courses is the Tuesday prior to the course start date. All mailed registrations must be postmarked two weeks prior to the course start date. Registration discounts for groups of 2 or more participants from the same library or library system are available—contact Liz Markel, RUSA marketing specialist for more information. All general registration questions should be directed to registration@ala.org.

Greetings Students!

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) will be holding a couple of ALSC Student Sessions this year that we’d love to see you attend! ALSC Student Sessions are basically FREE online workshops that run about an hour and are lead by ALSC members from across the country. All you need to participate is a computer with speakers and an interest in children’s services. This is also a great opportunity to network with other students and ALSC members without leaving the comfort of your home (or coffee shop, computer lab, library…).

For more information about attending an ALSC Student Session visit our Web site. Questions? Please contact Jenny Najduch, ALSC marketing specialist, at jnajduch@ala.org or (312) 280-4026.

The line-up includes:

Hosting a Mock Newbery @ your library®

Kiera Parrott & Anna McKay, Darien Library

Wednesday October 14, 2009

6 p.m. CST

Available online at the OPAL archive.

Every year you wait anxiously for that magic moment when you hear, “The winner of this year’s Newbery Award is…” This year, let the kids at your library decide who they think the winner of the Newbery Award might be! Join librarians Kiera Parrott and Anna McKay as they discuss the details of hosting a mock Newbery program, from how to provide a reading list to leading discussions about the books. Afterwards, you won’t be the only person excited for this year’s big news!

Marketing Your Library on the Web

Jill Bickford, West Bloomfield Township Public Library

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

6 p.m. CST

Where is the first place you go when you want information? The internet of course! Join us for an enlightening discussion about how to market your library programs electronically, getting parents and caregivers the information they need through a medium they are already comfortable with. Learn about cool new tools on the Web, as well as how to use these tools to their fullest.

Connecting Kids with Great Web Sites

Meagan Albright & Sharon Haupt

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

7 p.m. CST

Learn how to find, evaluate and use Web sites for kids! This presentation features the chairs of the ALSC Great Web Sites for Kids Committee who evaluate 100s of sites every year to find fun and educational tools for children and families. They’ll show you what the committee does to come up with their widely used “Great Web Sites for Kids” list and how you can incorporate these resources into your library programming.

Easy User Experience Strategies

Jeannie Chen

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

6 p.m. CST

Help your patrons get the most out of their library visit! Join ALSC to learn about basic methods to meet user needs through usability testing. Hear about inexpensive strategies that can be easily employed, such as using index cards and paper prototyping. Make usability a part of designing your services, and soon you’ll be building better library experiences for all.

Getting Your First Library Job: Tips from Library Directors

Therese Bigelow, Chesapeake (VA) Public Library &

Gene Nelson, Provo (Utah) City Library

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

6 p.m. CST

With today’s economy, you’ll need an extra edge to land that first library job. Let ALSC help. Join us for a discussion about the skills that make new librarians more marketable, new technologies that directors will hope you know how to use, and most importantly, how you can stand out in a sea of new graduates. Session will include ample time for Q&A.

Many ALA Student Chapters have a presence on Facebook. They can be found at American Library Association Student Chapters, along with a fan page. Join and become fans now!

Below are the known ALA Student Chapter Facebook pages. If you know of other ones, please send the URL to Don Wood, ALA Chapter Relations Office.

Alabama

University of Alabama ALA Student Chapter

Arizona

University of Arizona Library Student Organization

California

ALA Student Chapter, San Jose State University

UCLA ALA Student Chapter

Florida

Florida State University College of Information ALA Student Chapter

Illinois

Library and Information Science Students Association, Dominican University GSLIS

Indiana

ALA Student Chapter of Indiana

Kansas

SLIM-OR SCALA (Emporia State University)

Kentucky

University of Kentucky ALA Student Chapter

Maryland

ALA Student Chapter at the College of Information Science at the University of Maryland, College Park

Michigan

University of Michigan ALA Student Chapter

New York

SILSSA at Pratt Institute

Syracuse University Library and Information Science Community

North Carolina

East Carolina University ALA Student Chapter

University of North Carolina, Greensboro

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill ALA Student Chapter

Ohio

KSU American Library Association Student Chapter

Pennsylvania

Student Chapter of the American Library Association - Pittsburgh

South Carolina

University of South Carolina

Washington

University of Washington, ALA Student Chapter

Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, ALA Student Chapter

The American Library Association committed to promoting and advancing the librarian profession. One way ALA accomplishes this is by providing scholarships.

ALA and its units provide more than $300,000 annually for study in a master’s degree in library and information studies from an ALA accredited program, or for a master’s degree in school library media program that meets the ALA curriculum guidelines for a National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accredited unit. See the ALA Office of Accreditation’s website for a list of ALA-Accredited programs. See the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) website for the list of Nationally Recognized NCATE-AASL Reviewed & Approved School Library Media Education Programs.

The scholarship process is open annually October - March. Applications and reference forms (which must be submitted on-line) are available now. Instructions and general information remain available year round.

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.