SLIS Student Published in the Military Library Division of the Special Libraries Association

SLIS Student Kaitlin Wilson works at the University of Florida Digital Library Center. Kaitlin turned her work on the University of Florida Digital Collections: Digital Military Newspaper Library into an article which has been published by the Military Library Division of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) in their summer 2010 issue. Back in July her work with the same project was selected as Digital Library of the Week by ALA. Congratulations Kaitlin! ~JV

USF SLIS Present at 7th National Conference of African American Librarians

Dr. Dunkley and Dr. Slone recently attended the 7th National Conference of African American Librarians (NCAAL) in Birmingham, Alabama. Known for its historical civil rights events, the city was a perfect setting for the conference. Inspiring sessions, dynamic speakers, authors, meaningful poster sessions, tours of the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Birmingham Public Library and historic Birmingham, film screenings, and eye catching and informational exhibits - including the University of South Florida School of Library and Information Science - made the conference a memorable occasion.

Dr. Slone and Dr. Dunkley spent most of their time at the SLIS booth where many inquires were made about the SLSIS program by prospective students - especially the proposed PhD program.


As a member of the registration committee, Dr. Dunkley spent several hours at the registration desk where she had the opportunity to meet numerous attendees. She was elated to be greeted two library directors who indicated how pleased they were with the hires of two of our former students: Shaunta Adams Alvarez, Collection Development Librarian, Belk Library, Elon University, and recent graduate, Ava Iuliano, Academic Librarian, St. Charles Community College, St. Louis, MO.


One of the highlights of the conference for Dr. Slone was the Closing Breakfast, at which Roland Martin, the familiar African American analyst from CNN, spoke. His speech covered a number of topics, including the Obama presidency and politics in general. Another hit, probably even more popular, was Dr. Terrence Roberts, one of the Little Rock Nine. He was the keynote speaker at the opening general session. On an exciting, but less important note, he signed books in the booth directly across from ours! The line snaked around the corner. Our booth was more popular by association.
~DS, CD, and JV

USF SLIS Alumna Sonja Garcia to receive Graduate School 30th Anniversary Celebratory Alumni Award

The USF Tampa Graduate School is pleased to announce that Mrs. Sonja Garcia has been selected to receive the Graduate School 30th Anniversary Celebratory Alumni Award on September 9, 2010.


Sonja W. Garcia is a former USF Library Administrator and a former member of the USF Board of Trustees. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and a Master of Arts degree in Library and Information Science from USF. She has completed numerous leadership, management and development training programs. Mrs. Garcia is the recipient of the Jean Key Gates Distinguished Alumni Award, presented by the USF School of Library and Information Science. She is also a recipient of the Kente Award presented by the President's African American Advisory Committee. She's also received keys to four cities for her community building in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

You are cordially invited to the Award Presentation from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on September 9, 2010 at the Marshall Center, Ballroom A. We hope you can join us in honoring this outstanding graduate alum at this by invitation only event. Please RSVP by September 9, 2010 online at http://www.grad.usf.edu/programs/event_registration.php To learn more about Mrs. Garcia's accomplishments and information about other 30th Anniversary events please visit the website: www.grad.usf.edu/30years.asp ~JV

SLIS Fall 2010 New Student Orientation

On Tuesday, August 10, 2010 the School of Library and Information Science welcomed new students with an orientation session. Co-sponsored by the SLIS Student Organizations, approximately 50 visitors were encouraged to interact with not only each other, but also with staff, faculty, graduate assistants, and representatives of student organizations. The three-hour event included presentations by: Diane Austin, SLIS Assistant Director; Daniel Kahl, SLIS Academic Program Specialist; Jessica Voss, SLIS Communication and Information Officer; Bill Harris and Lana Brand, Student Group Presidents; Dr. Vicki Gregory, SLIS Professor and former Director; and Dr. Kathleen McCook, SLIS Distinguished Professor and former Director. The event concluded with a student organization meeting that included discussion, interaction, and a pizza party!

To view more photos go here.
- VTZ

A New Year for Graduate Assistants

On Monday, August 9th, the Fall 2010 group of Graduate Assistants met for the first time at orientation. The group was a mix of current and new faces. Diane Austin, Assistant Director, Instructor and Graduate Student Coordinator at SLIS Tampa, spoke of the new Undergraduate Program in Information Technology and the plan to archive the history of the School of Library and Information Science, signifying an exciting, if busy, semester for the eight Graduate Assistants. Other discussed responsibilities included training, schedules, collaborative projects as well as faculty and department support. Diane Austin also addressed the beneficial nature of the job, noting that, "The SLIS assistantships give Graduate Assistants professional, technical, research, instructional, and library skills to use in the department and in their future careers".


From left to right: Alexandra Houle, Alicia Long, Denise "Vickie" Toranzo Zacker, Lana Brand, Jessica Powers, Sylvia Martinez and Diane Austin. The two Graduate Assistants not present are Eva Earles and Donna Reynolds.
-AH

Congratulations to the Summer 2010 Graduates!!

Happy Graduation to all the SLIS students who graduated on August 7, 2010! Dr. Andrews, Dr. Yoon, and Mr. Daniel Kahl sent off the new graduates at the Summer 2010 SLIS Graduation Reception in the CIS Atrium.View more photos here.


From left to right: Dr. Yoon, Fazana Baksh, Karen Kaufmann, Nilusha Dedigamuwa, Shalu Gillum, and Dr. Andrews

SLIS Student Organizations' representatives that helped with the Graduation Reception setup and cleanup. A big thanks to them!!

SLIS Faculty, Staff, and Students mingling in the atrium at the reception.

Save the Date - December 5, 2010

USF SLIS Celebrates its Second Spectrum Scholar this Year! Posted on August 5, 2010 by usfslisnews USF SLIS is proud to once again have two of its students awarded the American Library Association's (ALA) Spectrum Scholarship for 2010-2011. Yrenes Fornes, along with Sylvia Martinez, is SLIS's newest Spectrum Scholar. Ms. Fornes earned her Bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Central Florida before deciding to pursue her Master's degree in Library and Information Science here at USF.


USF SLIS's second Spectrum Scholar this year, Yrenes Fornes

Regarding her decision to enter this field, Ms. Yrenes explains, "I did so because I love libraries and the LIS field, especially because I can put my Bachelor's degree to good use while making a difference." She is excited about the classes she has taken so far and is encouraged to continue on thanks to the Spectrum Scholarship.

The Spectrum Scholarship is awarded through the ALA's Office of Diversity and was created to encourage the recruitment of under-represented ethnic groups into the library profession, and also to bring attention to diversity issues effecting the community at large.

SLIS wishes Ms. Fornes the best of luck this year!
sdg

SLIS Student Organizations' Textbook Swap

Do you have LIS textbooks that you would like to sell or trade but are not sure how? Do you want to save a little money while helping your fellow students do the same?

Well, our SLIS Student Organizations Textbook Swap can help you do just this! Just drop-in on Friday, August 13th between 5 and 9 pm in CIS 2020 to sell your books and to find the books you need.

We hope to see you at the swap!

Please feel free to e-mail slisstudentorgs@usf.edu with any questions.

SLIS East Coast Orientation for Fall Semester

On Friday, 30 July 2010, an orientation was held for incoming East Coast students. The setting for the gathering was the new computer lab in Ft. Lauderdale's Broward County Main Library. Students had the opportunity to meet each other, learn about the SLIS program and USF, and how to navigate within Blackboard. The group was small and because of its size, there was more opportunity for individual attention to questions and assistance.


New East Coast SLIS Students

An outside consultant, Larry Treadwell, conducted a writing workshop as part of the orientation.

REFORMA's new president is a distinguished SLIS alumna

The 2010-2011 president of REFORMA is Lucia Martinez Gonzalez, an award winning alumna of the USF School of Library and Information Science.



Ms. Gonzalez made her way to libraries after making her way to the United States from the small town in Cuba where she was born. In addition to a successful library career and service as a storyteller and puppeteer, Ms. Gonzalez is a Pura Belpre Award winning author. She was honored at USF in 1998 with the Jean Key Gates Distinguished Alumni Award. [http://slis.usf.edu/data/USF-SLIS-1998-Alumni-Award.pdf]

Ms. Gonzalez shared a moving message with her REFORMA colleagues to begin her Presidency:

" Dear Companeros and Colleagues:

I dedicate my presidency to my father, JoseMartinez, whose vision to immigrate to the United States in 1970 is directly linked to my profession as a librarian. Mi padre, who could not read or write, had the foresight and intelligence to sacrifice the comforts of home for the opportunities that were possible for my sister and me. To him I owe a debt of gratitude and respect as an immigrant and as a person who loved this country like his own.

"As I look at my personal past, I am also at that juncture professionally as I embark upon a year of leadership and vision for REFORMA. As I thank my father, I thank those members of our organization who have taken the initiative to found, develop, plan, organize, volunteer, and sacrifice for the good and growth of our mission. This is a very exciting time for our organization, a time to honor and celebrate our past, examine our present, and work on a vision for the future.

"This year marks significant milestones for the association as we celebrate its 40th anniversary, the Quinces of the Pura BelpreAward, and the Quinces of Dia de los ninos/Dia de los libros. We will celebrate these events in New Orleans during the 2011 ALA Annual Conference. And we will continue celebrating in Denver, Colorado, with our National Conference (RNC IV), "Elevating Latino Services to a Higher Level: Juntos in the Mile High City," September 15-18.

"It has been one of the great joys of my career to have the opportunity to play an active role in the fulfillment of our organization's mission. I have been a REFORMA member since 1991 and have been privileged to serve on the Board of Directors since 2006 in many capacities: as Chair of the Fundraising Committee (2006-07), Chair of the Children and Young Adult Services Committee (2007-09), Chair of the Pura Belpre Celebracion Organizing Committee (2007-10), and Chair of the 2010 Pura Belpre Award Selection Committee.

"It is my hope to bring to my presidency my years of experience by focusing on mentoring new leaders, developing new partnerships and expanding on existing ones. Please join us as we continue to grow, to reach, and to connect. Communication between our national organizations, ethnic caucuses, community groups, our committees, chapters, and individual members is as important as the connection to our past, present, and our future. The initiatives of REFORMA this year and beyond depend on the efforts, talent, and dedication of all of the organization's stakeholders. Let us strengthen our work by reaching out to new members, engaging the current membership in innovative ways, and continuing the important work that was begun by our predecessors.

"I am truly honored and humbled to serve as your new President. Lucia Martinez Gonzalez President REFORMA"

As a reminder, REFORMA, an affiliate of the American Library Association, is "the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking"

REFORMA: http://www.reforma.org/

In 2009, examiner.com published an interview with Ms. Gonzalez:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-6309-Latino-Books-Examiner~y2009m11d15-Interview-with-awardwinning-childrens-author-Lucia-Gonzalez

You may also learn more about Lucia Martinez Gonzalez by visiting her web site in other words:

www.luciagonzalezbooks.com
[AB, 8/2/2010]