Author: Chrishelle Thomas

Core Update

Your Core Community Update

| Chrishelle Thomas

Much has been happening behind-the-scenes to prepare for Core’s upcoming launch on September 1st, so we want to update you on the progress we’ve made. At the 2020 ALA Virtual Conference Council meetings, the ALA Council approved the creation of Core, so we’re official! It’s been a difficult summer for everyone given the global situation, but this was a milestone we’re excited to reach. What We’ve Been Doing In May, the Core Transition Committee (the 9 division presidents plus senior staff) formed 11 working groups of members from all 3 divisions to make recommendations about how to proceed with our awards/scholarships, budget/finance, committees, communications, conference programming, continuing education, fundraising/sponsorships, interest groups, member engagement, nominations for 2021 president-elect, publications, and standards. These groups have done an amazing amount of work in a very short time period, and we’re grateful to these members for their commitment and effort. We’re happy to report…

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Education

Free LITA Webinar ~ Library Tech Response to Covid-19 ~ August 5th

| Chrishelle Thomas

Sign up for this free LITA webinar: Library Tech Response to Covid-19 Libraries are taking the necessary precautions to create a safe environment during the pandemic. Social distancing isn’t the only solution, but providing access to loanable technologies, including handling and quarantine of equipment, cleaning, and other safety and health concerns are just some of the measures put in place. With the ongoing disruption to library services caused by COVID-19, what reopening planning policies should be considered for usage? In this free 90-minute presentation, our presenters will share tips that might be helpful to other librarians before they reopen. The presenters will also talk about the evolution of the phased plan from the establishment of a temporary computer lab in the library as COVID-19 began to spread in March 2020, to the current phased approach for gradual reopening. Justin will also offer insight into managed access, technology and services, workflows, messaging,…

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Program Planning

Core Call for 2021 ALA Annual Program Proposals

| Chrishelle Thomas

Submit an ALA 2021 Annual Conference program proposal for ALA’s newest division, Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, which will begin on September 1, 2020. Proposals are due September 30, 2020, and you don’t need to be a Core member to submit a proposal. Submit your idea using this proposal form. Core welcomes topics of interest to a wide range of library professionals in many different areas, including… 1. Access and Equity Advocacy in areas such as copyright, equity of access, open access, net neutrality, and privacy Preservation Week Equity, diversity, and inclusion, both within the division and the profession, as related to Core’s subject areas 2. Assessment Emphasizing the role of assessment in demonstrating the impacts of libraries or library services Assessment tools, methods, guidelines, standards, and policies and procedures 3. Leadership and Management Developing leaders at every level Best practices for inclusion by using an equity lens to examine leadership…

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Education

Core Call for Webinar Proposals

| Chrishelle Thomas

Submit a webinar proposal for ALA’s newest division, Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, which will begin on September 1, 2020. Proposals are due September 1, 2020, and you don’t need to be a Core member to submit a proposal. Early submissions are encouraged and will be considered for September and October presentations. Submit your idea using this proposal form. Core webinars reach a wide range of library professionals in many different areas, including… 1. Access and Equity Advocacy in areas such as copyright, equity of access, open access, net neutrality, and privacy Preservation Week Equity, diversity, and inclusion, both within the division and the profession, as related to Core’s subject areas 2. Assessment Emphasizing the role of assessment in demonstrating the impacts of libraries or library services Assessment tools, methods, guidelines, standards, and policies and procedures 3. Leadership Developing leaders at every level Best practices for inclusion by using an equity lens to examine…

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Core Virtual Forum

Core Virtual Forum is excited to announce our 2020 Keynote Speakers!

| Chrishelle Thomas

Core Virtual Forum welcomes our 2020 Keynote speakers, Dr. Meredith D. Clark and Sofia Leung! Both speakers embody our theme in leading through their ideas and are catalysts for change to empower our community and move the library profession forward. Dr. Clark is a journalist and Assistant Professor in Media Studies at the University of Virginia. She is Academic Lead for Documenting the Now II, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Dr. Clark develops new scholarship on teaching students about digital archiving and community-based archives from a media studies perspective. She will be a 2020-2021 fellow with Data & Society. She is a faculty affiliate at the Center on Digital Culture and Society at the University of Pennsylvania. And, she sits on the advisory boards for Project Information Literacy, and for the Center for Critical Race and Digital Studies at New York University. Clark is an in-demand media consultant…

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ITAL

Catch up on the June 2020 Issue of Information Technology and Libraries

| Chrishelle Thomas
LITA ITAL logo

The June 2020 issue of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) was published on June 15. Editor Ken Varnum and LITA President Emily Morton-Owens reflect on the past three months in their Letter from the Editor, A Blank Page, and LITA President’s Message, A Framework for Member Success, respectively. Kevin Ford is the author of this issue’s “Editorial Board Thoughts” column, Seeing through Vocabularies. Rounding out our editorial section, the June “Public Libraries Leading the Way” section offers two items. Chuck McAndrew of the Lebanon (New Hampshire) Public Libraries describes his leadership in the IMLS-funded LibraryVPN project. Melody Friedenthal, of the Worcester (Massachusetts) Public Library talks about how she approached and teaches an Intro to Coding Using Python course. Peer-reviewed Content Virtual Reality as a Tool for Student Orientation in Distance Education Programs: A Study of New Library and Information Science Students Dr. Sandra Valenti, Brady Lund, Ting Wang Virtual reality…

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General information

Core Virtual Happy Hour Social ~ June 26

| Chrishelle Thomas

Our Joint Happy Hour social at Midwinter was such a success that next week we’re bringing Happy Hour to you online—and registration is free! We invite members of ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA to join us on Friday, June 26, 5:00-7:00 pm Central Time for Virtual Happy Hour networking and/or play with your peers in a game of Scattergories. Wear your favorite pop culture T-shirt, bring your best Zoom background, grab a beverage, and meet us online for a great time! Attendees will automatically be entered to win free registration to attend the Core Virtual Forum. Winner must be present to redeem prize. Registration is required. Register now at: bit.ly/2NeNprH

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Awards and Scholarships

Michael Carroll Awarded 2020 LITA/Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship

| Chrishelle Thomas

Michael Carroll has been selected to receive the 2020 LITA/Christian Larew Memorial Scholarship ($3,000) sponsored by the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA) and Baker & Taylor. This scholarship is for master’s level study, with an emphasis on library technology and/or automation, at a library school program accredited by the American Library Association. Criteria for the Scholarship includes previous academic excellence, evidence of leadership potential, and a commitment to a career in library automation and information technology. The Larew Scholarship Committee was impressed by what Michael has already accomplished and look forward to seeing what he will accomplish after graduation in 2021. Michael has already shown a strong interest in digitization projects. He currently manages a team of students working with digitization. Previously, he has scanned and cataloged many collections. He has also assisted the Presbyterian Historical Society in creating sustainable processes for digitization. Michael has also shown his willingness and ability to work with a wide variety of projects and technologies that span both technical and non-technical including…

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Twitter Chats

We are back on Twitter Friday for #LITAchat

| Chrishelle Thomas

The fourth in this series of #LITAchats will start on Friday, June 12 from 12-1 Central Standard Time on Twitter. We will be asking you to chat with us about self-care. What are you doing to take care of yourselves during this time? How do you unplug without feeling guilty?  We hope you’ll join us for #LITAchat and chat about self-care techniques and figuring out how to better take care of ourselves during these tough times. We’re looking forward to hearing from you! Join LITA on Twitter Catch up on the last #LITAchat

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General information

Join us for ALCTS/LITA/LLAMA e-Forum!

| Chrishelle Thomas

Please join us for a joint ALCTS/LITA/LLAMA e-forum discussion. It’s free and open to everyone! Registration information is at the end of the message, along with subscription management options for existing listserv members. Continuing to Manage the Impact of COVID-19 on Libraries June 9-10, 2020 Moderated by Alyse Jordan, Steven Pryor, Nicole Lewis and Rebecca Uhl Please join us for an e-forum discussion. It’s free and open to everyone! Registration information is at the end of the message. Each day, discussion begins and ends at: Pacific: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Mountain: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Central: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Over the past several months, COVID-19 has significantly impacted libraries and library technical service units and departments, including requiring staff to work remotely and determining what services they can provide. As states begin to reopen, libraries face challenges as they determine…

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