Dr. Henrietta M. Smith Featured Speaker at the Archdiocese of Miami/Catholic Library Association Librarians' Workshop

On Friday, November 20, 2009, Dr. Henrietta Smith and Maria Treadwell, East Coast Assistant Director, traveled to Miami to participate in a workshop for the school media specialists of the Archdiocese of Miami. The workshop, sponsored by the Catholic Library Association (CLA), was the first specifically focused meeting ever held for the media specialists of the archdiocese.

Dr. Henrietta Smith talking at the archdiocese

As the featured speaker, Dr. Smith spoke to the assembled group about collection development, censorship, and storytelling. The 40+ school media specialists were introduced to the various genre of literature for children and young adults and some of the awards given for quality youth literature such as the Coretta Scott King Award, Caldecott Medal, Pura Belpre Medal, and the Regina Medal. In addition, Dr. Smith discussed storytelling, its importance to children of all ages, and concluded her presentation with the story, "The Cat's Purr."

USF/SLIS professional development and South Florida educational opportunities were presented by M. Treadwell. The attendees learned about the new Enlightened Librarians Involved in Technology and Education (ELITE) program that will begin in the Fall 2010 Semester and about the opportunities an American Library Association accredited degree offers.

Other topics introduced to the group included Information Literacy and the Skills for Learning to Learn, Educating the Whole Child: Library Resources for the Arts, and the membership benefits of belonging to the Catholic Library Association.

Sister Frances O'Dell, SLIS alumna and executive board member of CLA, was the workshop organizer.

Sister Frances O'Dell (middle) with some attendees

~MT

Alum, David S. Serchay, publishes Librarian's Guide to Graphic Novels for Adults

David S. Serchay, USF SLIS alum from 1997, has published a book for librarians on graphic novels for adults. This resource's suggestions range from titles for collection development to which adult graphic novels books may be inappropriate for younger readers. Foreign works, in addition to those developed in the U.S., are also analyzed by Serchay. This guide is not available yet, however it may be ordered in advance through Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover.
~JVD

Dr. Scott J. Simon Performs at Hispanic Heritage Poetry Ceremony

On Nov. 15th the Tampa Town 'N Country Regional Library celebrated Hispanic Heritage through poetry readings and a Latin Jazz performance by Dr. Scott J. Simon. Throughout September, students in grades kindergarten - fifth entered the library's "Our Hispanic Heritage" Bookmark Contest and adults age 18 and older competed in the Hispanic Heritage Poetry Contest. At this fun-filled ceremony, the winners were announced and the poets read their poems and the children's bookmarks were on display as well. Dr. Simon's music and refreshments rounded out the afternoon.

This event was co-sponsored by the Friends of the Town 'N Country Regional Library, the Tampa Tribune/ Centro Mi Diario, Pollo Tropical, and the SOS Peru Foundation. For more information about this and other FREE programs @ your HCPLC library, call (813) 273-3652 or visit http://www.hcplc.org/.

Book Sale Tomorrow at the Tampa Campus Library

The Annual Fall Book Sale starts tomorrow morning, Nov. 18th, before 8 AM and runs throughout the afternoon in front of the USF Tampa campus library. The event is run by the School of Library & Information Science Student Organizations which includes the American Library Association (ALA), Special Libraries Association (SLA) and the American Society for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T).

We hope you'll come out to support us!
-AD

USF SLIS at Miami Book Fair International

It was not uncommon to see such a sight at the street fair

USF SLIS staff members, Assistant Director Maria Treadwell and Communication and Information Officer Jessica Voss, attended the Miami Book Fair International this past weekend. The highlights of the Street Fair included the Festival of Authors, with more than 350 authors reading and discussing their work and the more than 250 publishers and booksellers exhibits. Thousands of South Florida schoolchildren kicked off the Street Fair, making the trip downtown Friday to hear authors and participate in Children's Alley activities.

USF SLIS manned a booth this year at the fair and the interest by fair goers was very high. SLIS adjuncts, alumni, and current students were excited to see our presence at the fair and stopped at the booth to talk with us. Prospective students were surprised to see us at a booth and were anxious to stop and get information on the program.

Assistant Director Maria Treadwell and current student Stacy Alesi

Communication and Information Officer Jessica Voss and SLIS Alum and Author David Serchay

Rita Puccio and SLIS Alum and Adjunct Todd Puccio

~JV

East Coast Annual Holiday/Graduation Reception

You are invited to help us welcome the Holiday Season and to recognize our 2009 East Coast Graduates!

When: Sunday, 6 December 2009 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: S.E. Wimberly Library
SEFLIN Office Suite, 4th Floor
Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, Florida 33431

R.S.V.P. by: Monday, 30 November 2009 to Maria Treadwell at mtreadwe@cas.usf.edu
~JV

Vicki Gregory- Florida Library Association. Presidential Candidate.

FLA Election Now Open.Voting will be held from Monday, November 16 through Tuesday, December 15. Instructions are below.

Our own Professor Vicki Gregory is candidate for Florida Library Association- Vice-President/President-Elect - three year term. Professor, School of Library and Information Science, University of South Florida, 1988-Present Candidate's Statement: It is important that officers and Board of FLA remain vigilant to ensure that Florida libraries remain the key resources for the citizens of Florida, and it is also critical that FLA monitor and, if appropriate, take issue with any actions that could hurt libraries and the profession of librarianship.


Education: Ph.D., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 1987; MLS, University of Alabama, 1974.
Other Employment: Director, School of Library and Information Science, University of South Florida, 1999-2007; Head, Department of Systems and Operations, Auburn University at Montgomery Library, 1976-1988.
FLA Leadership: Florida ALA Councilor, 2005-2008; Director-at-Large FLA Board, 2001-2003; Member, FLA Conference Planning Committee, 1999-2001; Liaison, FLA Minority Recruitment Committee, 1999-2001.
Other Organizational Leadership: Treasurer, American Society for Information Science & Technology, 2007-2010; Chair, ALA Committee on Accreditation, 2009-2010; Member, ALA Committee on Accreditation, 2007-2011; SIG Cabinet Director for ASIST, 2003-2007; Library Research Round Table (LRRT), 2003-2007; Member-at-Large of the Executive Steering Committee, 1992-1994; LRRT Treasurer, 1994-1996.

Elementary Students Excited about USF/SLIS Visit

The smile on each face was evidence the students enjoyed their recent visit to the USF School of Library and Information Science (SLIS)! For the past nine weeks they anchored the Booker T. Washington Elementary School Morning Show, and as a reward for their hard work, were given a tour of the USF television station, WUSF, and the SLIS. The trip was planned by the school's media specialist, Mrs. Sara Yarrow and Dr. Cora Dunkley.

Dr. Dunkley, Naya Peterson, Nautica Sanabria, Porsha Jones, Mrs. Yarrow

While at the television station, the students were treated to a tour of the television studio where they got to see first hand the inner workings of WEDU. At the library school, they met the staff and several faculty members before touring the facilities. Their favorite spot was the Dr. Henrietta M. Smith Library, where they recognized titles of books they had read. They listened with interest to comments from Dr. Dunkley about the importance of doing well in school. Afterwards, each student shared her future aspiration: Nautica hopes to become a pediatric nurse, Naya wants to be a lawyer and Porsha has a desire to be an actress. The day's excitement continued when the visitors saw the classroom and computer labs where some of Mrs. Yarrow's classes were held while she was a student in the SLIS program.

The final phase of the tour was lunch at Top of the Palms. As the students strolled across campus, they admired the colorful flower covered walkways, the serenity of the MLK Plaza and the much talked about statues of the "BULLS" that grace the front of the Marshall Center. With the trip over, the students departed the campus, anxious to share the day's experiences with their teachers, other students and family members.
~CD~

Important thoughts emerge from "After Dark" lecture gathering

Historian/author/librarian and USF SLIS alumnus Andy Huse graced the student organizations "After Dark" Lecture Series last Wednesday night (Nov. 4, 2009). Ten students were fortunate enough to meet with Andy who is busy promoting the release of his book The Columbia Restaurant: Celebrating a Century of History, Culture, and Cuisine (University Press of Florida, publication date Nov. 12, 2009).

Mr. Huse spent a healthy part of the evening outlining his journey in research and offered notes on working in the professional world following graduate school. However, he sent a follow-up E-mail for those that attended, in which he advises throwing out his previous thoughts in light of a brainstorm he experienced after the talk. He thanks the current students who attended for inspiring him to prepare an article. If the contents of the article prove as strong as his E-mail, the result could be a "manifesto" (identification courtesy of David Davisson) for library students.

Here are some selected thoughts from Andy's note:

"This is a life and death struggle for our profession. Everything is changing for consumers, publishers, and librarians. Unless we want libraries to go the way of newspapers and the Beta-Max, we should stay relevant as a class of academia."

"The marginalized class: Librarians are a marginalized class of the academic world. Why? Librarians do not always have an active research agenda. Without an active agenda, librarians are mere functionaries, glorified clerks and collectors. Librarians deserve much better."

"There are many students and faculty all over the university thinking harder than library students and faculty. You will serve them."

"Librarians are not mere clerks. Librarians do not just collect and organize information. They should create it."

"Librarians prove the worth of their profession through research in and outside the profession."

Students at the After Dark Lecture

"You cannot overestimate your potential. Find a role and aim high."

"Don't stop at poster sessions. Write articles. Find good homes for your work."

"Writing doesn't have to be bland and technical. Approach your subject warmly when possible."

"Be prepared to speak. Like writing, don't avoid it. Practice! A willingness and skill at speaking publicly will come in handy. Trust me."

"Use tasteful humor when appropriate."

"Employ devices to widen your skill set and make your work more dynamic. " (surveys, audio, video, oral history)

"If you don't have a job, you need experience. Get your foot in the door. Volunteer if you have to. Real-world experience is vital."

"Make the job work for you. It is already working you."

"Research is the part of your career that you should control and enjoy the most. Don't wait until you have a job or get a good position. Hone your vision right away. Librarians research subjects in and out of their profession. Do you have a research passion?"

"Does your employer grant research time? Have you asked? Can you get more time for research?"

Evidence that Andy has lived his words "Your career does not stop at 5 PM, and it shouldn't. Life is all about relationships in and out of work. Find a good home for your work, but don't be too picky. Publishing anything is better than nothing. Kick #%*. Don't stop. Efforts at your career don't end until you retire. It should be a struggle if worth doing at all."

Evidence that Andy has lived his words

Thanks very, very much, Andy, for this great encouragement.
(Please note the blogger takes full responsibility, with an apology, for changing one of Andy's words to symbols for this posting. Posted by AB)

Dr. Maatta publishes book on November 30th

USF SLIS professor Dr. Stephanie Maatta's latest work is all set for publication on Novemeber 30. Her book, entitled A Few Good Books: Using Contemporary Readers' Advisory Strategies to Connect Readers with Books, focuses on utilizing multiple forms of media to connect readers to books. Additionally, the book offers strategies for connecting specific patron populations to books they may enjoy including: non-native English speakers, adult new readers, and patrons with disabilities.

Dr. Maatta's book will be available on Nov. 30.

Recent SLIS graduate Leila Martini worked with Dr. Maatta to co-author Chapter 5: Reading Electronically through Sight and Sound . This chapter evaluates the many ways in which patrons engage in the act of reading. Dr. Maatta's book is available through Neal-Schuman Publishers Inc.

Dr. Stephanie Maatta

~DR

School librarians rev up learning in National Conference

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) 2009 National Conference took place in Charlotte, NC, November 5th - 8th. This event, which had a record attendance of almost 4,000 participants, featured well-known speakers, writers, and performers, along with many opportunities for learning and exchanging ideas. From USF SLIS, Dr. Ann Riedling and Graduate Assistant Alicia Long attended the conference.

Keynote speaker Danah Boyd during the Opening Session

Danah Boyd, who delivered the keynote speech for the opening ceremony captivated the audience with an interesting analysis of the use of social media by the new generations of digital born students. Born Digital, by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser, was the book selected for "One Book, One Conference," a program that enticed attendees to read and discuss it during the Conference.

Author James Patterson signing books at AASL 2009

Promoting reading in the 21st century was a topic addressed by best-selling author James Patterson, creator of a website with that important goal. Marco Torres, the Closing Session's keynote speaker, brought with him an interesting view of digital media as the tools of liberation for people who have lived in disadvantages situations.

Libraries should start to make some noise," said Patterson. "I do not believe people outside these walls realize how important library media professionals are."

Besides a variety of concurrent sessions with topics for everyone's interests, other highlights of the conference were visits with authors Charles R. Smith Jr., Laurie Halse Anderson, Linda Sue Park, and Richard Peck, a Storytelling Extravaganza, and a lively Closing Celebration enjoyed in the facilities of ImaginOn, an innovative partnership between the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Library and the Children's Theater of Charlotte.

The 14th Annual Conference of AASL continues in b-there, a website with all the information, videos, photos, blogs, hand-outs, and comments pertaining to the conference. Access to this online resource was included in the registration, but it is also open for non-attendees for a registration fee. It is also important to highlight that in this conference, AASL went "green." For example, vendors and poster presenters were encouraged to send information online to attendees instead of giving printed hand-outs and catalogs, recycling and sustainable practices were involved in the materials and organization, and extra food and bags were donated to charities.
~AKL

Urban Libraries Council Executive Director speaks at TBLC Annual Meeting

On Friday, November 6th the Tampa Bay Library Consortium held its annual meeting at the Tampa Bay History Center. This year's meeting marked the 30th anniversary of the organization and its theme was "Shining Bright for 30 Years." The meeting's keynote speaker was Susan Benton, the recently appointed executive director of the Urban Libraries Council. Benton spoke about the need for librarians to market the essential services that they provide to city or county managers and elected officials. She emphasized the important role that librarians will play as society shifts from an industrial age to an information age. Benton warned that librarians are dangerously humble and must raise their visibility in a time when there is a struggle to convince state and local governments of the necessity to fund libraries when all types of services are being cut back and reduced. She described the work that the Urban Libraries council does to help position libraries within national and local politics and to connect what libraries do to the strategic issues of their communities. Benton closed by declaring librarianship an audacious profession and theorizing that the success of the United States is due to its strong tradition of public libraries and the equity and education that they provide to its citizens.

Urban Libraries Council executive director Susan Benton speaks at TBLC annual meeting on November 6th.

In attendance from SLIS were Director Jim Andrews, Dr. Anna Perrault, Communication and Information Officer Jessica Voss, and Graduate Assistant Liz Gray. LG

Come see SLIS at the Miami Book Fair

The books are coming.

And the readers and writers will follow, as they do by the hundreds of thousands every year for the Miami Book Fair International, an eight-day literary party in November.

And USF SLIS will be there, too.

Among the noted authors who have already confirmed are Margaret Atwood, Al Gore, Barbara Kingsolver and Ralph Nader.

The Fair, in its 26th year, will open Sunday November 8th with the popular Evenings With... series, featuring six nights of readings and discussions with noted authors from the United States and around the world.
KdlPMc