LITA members, please participate in the LITA Education Survey. The survey was first sent out 2 weeks ago to all current LITA members. Another reminder will appear in LITA members email boxes soon, or you can click the links in this posting. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes of your time and will help your LITA colleagues developing continuing education programs to meet your needs. LITA Education Survey 2014 In our continuing efforts to make LITA education offerings meet the needs and wishes of our membership, we ask that you, the LITA members, take a few minutes to fill out the linked survey. We are looking for information on education offerings you have participated in recently and would like to know what topics, methods and calendar times work best for you. The more responses we get the better chances we have to create education offerings that provide…
Category: General information
LITA/Library Hi Tech Award Nominations Sought
Nominations are being accepted for the 2015 LITA/Library Hi Tech Award, which is given each year to an individual or institution for outstanding achievement in educating the profession about cutting edge technology through communication in continuing education within the field of library and information technology. Sponsored by the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and Library Hi Tech, the award includes a citation of merit and a $1,000 stipend provided by Emerald Group Publishing Limited, publishers of Library Hi Tech. The deadline for nominations is December 1, 2014. The award, given to either a living individual or an institution, may recognize a single seminal work or a body of work created during or continuing into the five years immediately preceding the award year. The body of work need not be limited to published texts, but can include course plans or actual courses…
Nominations Sought for Prestigious Kilgour Research Award
Nominations are invited for the 2015 Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology, sponsored by OCLC, Inc. and the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). The deadline for nominations is December 31, 2014. The Kilgour Research Award recognizes research relevant to the development of information technologies, in particular research showing promise of having a positive and substantive impact on any aspect of the publication, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information or how information and data are manipulated and managed. The Kilgour award consists of $2,000 cash, an award citation and an expense paid trip (airfare and two nights lodging) to the ALA Annual Conference. Nominations will be accepted from any member of the American Library Association. Nominating letters must address how the research is relevant to libraries; is creative in its design or methodology; builds on existing research…
LITA/Ex Libris Seeking LIS Student Authors
The Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is pleased to offer an award for the best unpublished manuscript submitted by a student or students enrolled in an ALA-accredited graduate program. Sponsored by LITA and Ex Libris, the award consists of $1,000, publication in LITA’s refereed journal, Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL), and a certificate. The deadline for submission of the manuscript is February 28, 2015. The purpose of the award is to recognize superior student writing and to enhance the professional development of students. The manuscript can be written on any aspect of libraries and information technology. Examples include digital libraries, metadata, authorization and authentication, electronic journals and electronic publishing, telecommunications, distributed systems and networks, computer security, intellectual property rights, technical standards, desktop applications, online catalogs and bibliographic systems, universal access to technology, library consortia and others. At the time the unpublished…
2014 LITA Forum Student Registration Rate Available
LITA is offering a special student registration rate to the 2014 LITA National Forum for a limited number of graduate students enrolled in ALA accredited programs. The Forum will be held November 5-8, 2014 at the Hotel Albuquerque in Albuquerque, NM. Learn more about the Forum here. In exchange for a discounted registration, students will assist the LITA organizers and the Forum presenters with on-site operations. This year’s theme is “Transformation: From Node to Network.” We are anticipating an attendance of 300 decision makers and implementers of new information technologies in libraries. The selected students will be expected to attend the full LITA National Forum, Thursday noon through Saturday noon. This does not include the pre-conferences on Thursday and Friday. You will be assigned a variety of duties, but you will be able to attend the Forum programs, which include 3 keynote sessions, 30 concurrent sessions, and a dozen poster…
Voice your ideas on LITA’s strategic goals
As mentioned in a previous post, LITA is beginning a series of informal discussions to let members voice their thoughts about the current strategic goals of LITA. These “kitchen table talks” will be lead by President Rachel Vacek and Vice-President Thomas Dowling. The kitchen table talks will discuss LITA’s strategic goals – collaboration and networking; education and sharing of expertise; advocacy; and infrastructure – and how meeting those goals will help LITA better serve you. The talks also align with ALA’s strategic planning process and efforts to communicate the association’s overarching goals of professional development, information policy, and advocacy. When ONLINE: Friday, September 19, 2014, 1:30-2:30 pm EDT ONLINE: Tuesday, October 14, 2014, 12:00-1:00 pm EDT IN-PERSON: Friday, November 7, 2014, 6:45-9:00 pm MDT at the LITA Forum in Albuquerque, NM We look forward to the conversations!
Introducing the New LITA Blog Writers
You’ll still be able to find LITA announcements and events posted on the blog, but now there will also be original content by LITA members representing a variety of perspectives, from library students to public, academic, and special librarians. The LITA blog also welcomes guest posts. To submit an idea for consideration, please email me at briannahmarshall(at)gmail(dot)com with a bio, brief summary of your post topic, and link to a writing sample if possible. Without further ado, here are the writers whose posts you’ll be reading in the coming months. Bryan J. Brown Bryan received his BS in English and Philosophy from the University of Southern Indiana, and is a recent graduate from Indiana University’s Department of Information and Library Science where he focused on digital libraries and metadata. After graduation, Bryan transplanted to Tallahassee, FL to be a developer at Florida State University Libraries’ Technology and Digital Scholarship Department….
LITA Kitchen Table Conversations
LITA is beginning a series of informal discussions to let members voice their thoughts about the current strategic goals of LITA. The first couple of these “kitchen table talks,” lead by President Rachel Vacek and Vice-President Thomas Dowling, will take place online in September and October (details to follow), and will be followed by in-person dinners at the 2014 LITA Forum in Albuquerque. The kitchen table talks will discuss LITA’s strategic goals – collaboration and networking; education and sharing of expertise; advocacy; and infrastructure – and how meeting those goals will help LITA better serve you. The talks also align with ALA’s strategic planning process and efforts to communicate the association’s overarching goals of professional development, information policy, and advocacy. So if you’re coming to Forum (and you really should!), come have a bowl of green chile stew with Rachel or Thomas and let your voice be heard.
Interview with LITA President, Rachel Vacek
What are your responsibilities as LITA president? The president is the chief spokesperson for LITA and works closely with both LITA’s executive director and the board of directors in identifying and promoting information technology issues that are of interest to the association in all kinds of libraries, both nationally and internationally. The president leads the board and executive committee meetings, and works closely with the 20-plus committees that serve the association, such as membership development, education, web coordinating, program planning, publishing, and financial advisory, to name a few. The president also coordinates with the appointed representatives to groups and associations outside LITA, keeps the board informed, and is a proponent for advocacy of library technology issues. The president, in conjunction with the board, also determines the strategic direction for the association and is able to create task forces as needed to put initiatives in motion. What are your goals for…
Call for Writers
The LITA blog is seeking regular contributors interested in writing easily digestible, thought-provoking blog posts that are fun to read (and hopefully to write!). The blog will showcase innovative ideas and projects happening in the library technology world, so there is a lot of room for contributor creativity. Possible post formats could include interviews, how-tos, hacks, and beyond. Any LITA member is welcome to apply. Library students and members of underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply. Contributors will be expected to write one post per month. Writers will also participate in peer editing and conversation with other writers – nothing too serious, just be ready to share your ideas and give feedback on others’ ideas. Writers should expect a time commitment of 1-3 hours per month. Not ready to become a regular writer but you’d like to contribute at some point? Just indicate in your message to me that…