May 15, 2013 (Vol. 19, No. 10) – OLA News

OLA Board Elections
The 2013 OLA Board Election is now open.  Please take a moment to cast your vote and choose who will lead OLA in continuing its important role of leading and supporting Oregon libraries. Voting will close at midnight, June 3.

Follow this link to read about the candidates, and follow this link to access your ballot. In order to vote, you will need to log into your OLA account.

If you have any difficulties with the form please contact ola@olaweb.org.  If you have any question about the election or want to become more involved in OLA, contact Abigail Elder (aelder@ci.tualatin.or.us) or Emily Papagni (emilyp@multco.us)
Thank you for your participation! -Abigail Elder and Emily Papagni, OLA Nominating Committee

2013 Horner Staff Exchange Update
Thank you Oregon libraries and Fort Vancouver Regional Library! Delegates from Oregon’s sister province of Fujian, China, visited area libraries for three weeks to exchange professional knowledge about library and information science.  Our visitors this year were Ms. Ye Jianqin and Ms. Yang Ruiying from Fujian Provincial Library, Ms. Xue Hanqiu from Xiamen Municipal Library and Ms. Liu Minrong from Fuzhou University Library.

Our guests’ itinerary was very full, and we are grateful to all the libraries that were able to host our visitors.  Our visitors arrived in time to attend the WLA/OLA Conference and banquet on April 25. They visited the environmentally friendly Rieke Elementary campus and were serenaded by the students before heading to Wilson High School and participating in World History classes . They toured the remodel of the library at the University of Portland, and later gave a presentation to a class at the Emporia State University SLIM program where they were met with an enthusiastic response and questions from our soon to be MLSs.

They headed south to the Mt. Angel Abbey Library, the Oregon State Library including the Legislative and Law libraries, OSU, the new Monroe Branch of Corvallis-Benton, UO and Eugene Public. The visit ended in Portland with visits to PCC, Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, PSU, Fort Vancouver Regional Library and Multnomah County Library.

For fun, there was lots of shopping at the Woodburn Outlets, the Tulip Fields, the Oregon Garden, a night at the Symphony, and an unofficial overnight in Seattle to go to Seattle Public, Suzzallo Library at UW and Chihuly Garden and Glass.  -Nancy Hoover, Marylhurst University

May 15, 2013 (Vol. 19, No. 10) – People

Answerland Salutes Alison Kastner and Thea Evenstad

Alison Kastner

The Answerland Quality Team presented two notable transcript awards at the Oregon Virtual Reference Summit, held at the Oregon Garden on Friday, May 3, 2013. We were delighted to celebrate the excellent work of Alison Kastner and Thea Evenstad in front of an in-person gathering of their virtual reference colleagues. Alison and Thea received flowers, a certificate signed by the State Librarian and Caleb Tucker-Raymond, and a letter acknowledging the excellence of their work.

Thea Evenstad

You can read the full announcement for both Alison’s and Thea’s work, as well as their award-winning transcripts, at http://www.answerland.org/awards.

It is also worth mentioning that Answerland staffers recommended these transcripts to the Quality Team. See a chat, email or text transcript that you think is an outstanding example of virtual reference work? Feel free to bring it to the attention of a member of the Quality Team.  -Stephanie Debner, Mt. Hood Community College Library (stephanie.debner@mhcc.edu),Barbara O’Neill, Washington County Cooperative Library Services (barbarao@wccls.org) Emily Papagni, Multnomah County Library (emilyp@multco.us)

New Member Profile–Meet Barratt Miller

Barratt Miller

I was born and raised outside of Sacramento, California, but fell in love with Oregon when I moved north to study at Willamette University. After graduating in 2010 with a BA in English and a minor in music, I headed directly to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to get my master’s degree in LIS. I graduated in May 2012 with an emphasis in youth services librarianship.

At U of I, I had an assistantship at the Education & Social Science Library, where I answered reference questions in every social science discipline you can imagine–including occult studies. I spent my first year at ESSL cataloging the library’s test collection and my second year working with the School Collection, the second-largest collection of children’s literature in North America.

As a volunteer and two-time practicum student at The Urbana Free Library, I spent plenty of time in the adult, teen, and children’s departments. In addition to answering questions at all of the library’s reference desks, I co-founded the teen manga club, selected manga for the library’s collection, and transferred a collection of historical children’s books to the U of I Library.

I’ve been the Youth Services Librarian at the Crook County Library since July 2012, fulfilling my post-grad dream of returning to Oregon. I love that I get to do a little bit of everything in my current position: circulation, reference, collection development, children’s programs, teen programs, and outreach. I’m a member of OLA’s Children’s Services Division (CSD) and Oregon Young Adult Network (OYAN).

As a freelance book reviewer for The Horn Book Guide, I read and review plenty of juvenile science fiction and fantasy novels. When left to my own devices, I read mostly romance, fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, young adult, and children’s books. My other hobbies include cooking, knitting, yoga, and hanging out with my dog.

May 1, 2013 (Vol. 19, No. 9) – From the President

Thank you to Garrett Trott, Sam Wallin, and everyone else on the Planning Committee who worked hard to create a hugely successful OLA/WLA Joint Conference. I loved having the chance to spend time with colleagues from all different kinds of libraries in Oregon and Washington- it was so nice to see everyone.

Highlights for me included the Visual Thinking Strategies pre-conference hosted by the Children’s Services Division. How is it that CSD has such awesome conference sessions? They are a cute group to be sure (see pictures on the OLA Facebook Page), but I continue to be impressed by how directly the CSD programs inform my instruction work at the community college level. It got me all jazzed up.

I hope it goes without saying that the Library Instruction Round Table pre-conference featuring Dale Vidmar and his work with peer reflection conversations was awesome (I’m sure I’m not overstating that just because I’m the LIRT Chair). I’m so glad I was able to attend with my colleague and teaching buddy, Theresa Yancey. We both enjoyed thinking about how each can support the other’s intentionality and reflection in instruction. Speaking of support, we’ll write a big thank you to Chemeketa for supporting our attendance- who will get a thank you card from you?

I have a soft spot in my heart for Washington County Cooperative Library Services- I still have the WCCLS pin from the first day on my ultra-part-time job with them back in the ’90s. So it was especially nice to be at the table with Eva Calcagno, sneaking a photo of her as she watched Abigail and Buzzy perform a skit to honor the Librarian of the Year…..who could it be? who could it be? Eva of course for her incredible work on the Passport Program!

I presented the President’s Award to Abigail Elder. What can I say? I want to be Abigail. Trouble? Stop and ask yourself “What Would Abigail Do?”  I can’t thank her enough for her leadership over the last two years. She’s wonderful and Oregon continues to be so lucky to have her.

Other good memories from the conference include seeing Oregon and Washington State Librarians dressed up as Bert and Ernie. How cute is MaryKay with a fuzzy unibrow? Well she makes it look good, but Rand Simmons with a fuzzy headband gives her a run for the money. He’s adorable. I guess I learned things at that session about similarities and differences in the way state libraries are run, but, main impression? adorable.

The WLA Social Responsibilities Roundtable had a great session called The Role of Libraries During Civil (or Human) Rights Moments. Although the panel was very warm and mellow, I learned a few things that I took as a personal call to arms in the way I discuss topic selection in instruction. I got so fired up about it my hands started shaking and I can’t wait to start normalizing LGBT and undocumented people discussions in my classroom. What else is the needs-to-be normal that’s not on our radar? Interested to hear from others!

Unexpected conference treats include chocolate mousse, Library Assessment Round Table Meeting, Alliance Research Interest Group meeting, Emporia reception at the Red Lion, and breakfast at Torque with the Communications Committee. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the Communication Committee members I had only met online and hashing out ways to make our OLA publications stronger. That said, I don’t know why I bought a scarf with a picture of #10 Dr. Who. I guess Torque just had that effect on me (see also photo of “The ‘Couve” tshirt on OLA Facebook for more Torque merchandise).

Thanks everyone for the great memories and inspiration I can take back to the library!
Sincerely, ~Michele Burke, OLA President

May 1, 2013 (Vol. 19, No. 9) – OLA News

OLA Honors Announced
Congratulations to the Oregon librarians who received awards at the OLA/WLA 2013 conference, held last week in Vancouver, WA.

Oregon Librarian of the Year -The Oregon Library Association has awarded Eva Calcagno, Washington County Cooperative Library Services Director, the 2013 Oregon Librarian of the Year award . This award is given to a professional librarian who has demonstrated excellence in library service in Oregon.  Calcagno was honored for her leadership in establishing the Oregon Library Passport Program. This innovative program allows patrons of participating libraries to borrow materials from more libraries than just their local city or county library, thereby extending the capacities for resource sharing.

Library Employee of the Year – Laurie Mintz, Tualatin Public Library Library Assistant, received the 2013 Library Employee of the Year award. This award is given to a library employee who is committed to providing excellent library service to the community. The recipient has shown leadership, initiative, and willingness to share skills with the organization. Letters nominating Mintz mentioned her friendliness, creativity, excellent problem solving skills,  and her ability to put people at ease.

Library Supporter of the Year – OLA awarded Brian Wilson, Kalberer Company Chief Financial Officer, the 2013 Library Supporter of the Year award. This award is given to someone involved in various library activities on an unpaid basis and who has shown commitment to supporting and promoting Oregon libraries. Wilson is being recognized for the years of leadership he provided in the various campaigns to make the goal of stable funding for the Multnomah County Library system a reality. First in his leadership of the Multnomah County Charter Review Committee, and subsequently in chairing the Libraries YES! campaigns  Wilson was instrumental in the success of those efforts. The successful November 2012 ballot measure has established a permanent base of funding for the library system.

OLA Distinguished Service Award – Janet Webster, Hatfield Marine Science Center Head Librarian, is the recipient of the 2013 OLA Distinguished Service Award. This award is given to an Oregon librarian or library staff member for exceptional service over many years. Webster is being recognized for her decades of outstanding leadership in a wide array of community and library organizations. She has been a particularly effective advocate for federal, state and local policy and legislation which allows libraries to better serve their communities.

OLA Honorary Lifetime Membership Award – Two Honorary Lifetime Membership awards were presented this year.   Ed House, Beaverton Public Library Director, and Steve Skidmore, Siuslaw Public Library District Director were recognized for their successful careers in Oregon libraries and years of outstanding service to the association.  Both House and Skidmore have served OLA in a number of capacities and richly deserve the organization’s thanks and appreciation.

In addition to awards given to individuals, OLA also recognized three libraries that are celebrating their 100th year anniversary this year.  Centennial awards were given to the Cornelius, Estacada, and Milton-Freewater Public Libraries.

OYAN Honors Traci Glass
As the OYAN Past-Chair, I’ve had the very great pleasure of coordinating the 2013 OYAN You’re Excellent Award.  Conceived as a way to recognize people providing exceptional service to teens in the state of Oregon, this is the award’s 6th year.   Recipients of the OYEA! have come from all over the state, working or volunteering in many different capacities in their respective library systems.  I was very pleased to present this year’s OYEA! to the Eugene Public Library’s own Traci Glass.

Co-workers and teens in Eugene agree that Traci demonstrates stellar service to her community.  Be it enticing programming, unique event planning, exciting author visits, or the enthusiasm she creates for reading, Traci is there doing it all.  She has empowered teens at her library by coordinating a teen volunteer program and facilitating a teen book review blog.  Her administrators also love that Traci is a member of the Tech Team, does grant-writing and provides library publicity pieces for the local newspaper and television station.

Traci has made an outstanding impact beyond her community.  Her writing has been featured in School Library Journal, Graphic Novel Reporter, Oregon Library Association Quarterly and as a guest blogger on Pop Candy.  Traci has volunteered at Battle of the Books, been a selector for ORCA and held offices in OYAN.  Further, Traci has created and presented programs at conferences such as OLA, PLA, OASL and the Focus Institute.

Now for the warm-fuzzies:  it is clear Traci creates an environment at her library that is both encouraging and welcoming.  She is both a role-model and a friend.  As one teen put it, “she’s like a really cool big sister.” Congratulations Traci Glass.  You deserve it! –Kris Lutsock, McMinnville Public Library

Pre-Conference Focuses on Visual Thinking Skills
Fourteen people from Oregon and Washington attended the Children’s Services Division sponsored pre-conference: Visual Thinking Strategies: A Great Tool for Libraries.  The session was presented by Kim Aziz,  Portland Regional Manager, Visual Thinking Strategies; and Mirka Jablonski, Librarian at Forest Park Elementary School.  The low attendance gave us participants more chance to be participatory. The VTS strategy is a tool developed by New York MOMA and Abigail Housen, a student of John Gardner at Harvard.

VTS teaches children (and adults) to think and discuss in a deep and authentic way by viewing art and discussing three simple questions: “What is going on in this picture?” “What do you see that makes you say that?” and “What more can we find?”

Our group discussed a painting, some spreads from a picture book and a poem. All interpretations were given the same amount of attention by not praising any single interpretation but by paraphrasing what was said to make sure the participant felt heard and understood. As a trained facilitator, I am in awe of their facilitation technique, their adept paraphrasing, and their ability to get me to slow down and really look and see.

VTS will be presented at ALA this summer. I hope that more Oregon librarians can start thinking about ways to incorporate it into their work.  The VTS website is here: http://vtshome.org – Jane Corry, Multnomah County Library

ORCA Awards Announced
This year we held the 3rd annual Oregon Reader’s Choice Award, co-sponsored by three OLA divisions (OASL, CSD, OYAN), along with the Oregon Reading Association and the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association.

Seventy schools participated, representing twenty-eight school districts, the Portland Archdiocese, and independent private schools. We also had  thirteen public libraries participate, representing five library districts. All of the names of the participating institutions will be posted on the ORCA homepage.

The winners this year are:

• Upper Elementary (Junior) Division Winner, out of 2600 votes:
 Meanwhile: Pick Any Path, 3856 Story Possibilities by Jason Shiga
• Middle School (Intermediate) Division Winner, out of 864 votes:
 Smile by Raina Telgemeier
• High School (Senior) Division Winner, out of 445 votes:
 Clockwork Angels by Cassandra Clare

I would like to thank all of the libraries and schools that participated, plus the members of the ORCA committee for making all of this happen. I do firmly believe that this award has proven to be a great program to promote reading among children and young adults throughout the state. We have selected the nominees for the 2014 award, and those will also be posted on the ORCA website shortly. I do hope that all of you will help to promote the ORCA to Oregon youths where you can. Stuart Levy, 2012-2014 ORCA Chair

OYAN Announces Book Rave Titles
OYAN has announced the 20 titles for this year’s Book Rave!  The pamphlet will be on the OLA OYAN website soon!  Please feel free to print copies for distribution in your community!  Here are the titles:

• Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
• Bomb: the race to build and steal the world’s most dangerous weapon by Steve Sheinkin
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
• The Diviners by Libba Bray
• Every Day by David Levithan
• The Fault in Our Stars By John Green
• The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
• I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
• The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth
• Moonbird: a year on the wind with the great survivor B95 by Phillip M. Hoose
• The Night She Disappeared by April Henry
• The Other Normals Ned Vizzini
• Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow
• The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez and Jenna Glatzer
• The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
• Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
• Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Debra Hopkinson
• Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

-Aimee Meuchel, Tualatin Public Library

May 1, 2013 (Vol. 19, No. 9) – Opportunities for Engagement

OLA Quarterly President’s Issue Call for Articles
Make it, shape it, move it, take it…creativity happens in libraries. We see patrons and
employees alike jazzed up and busy working on “stuff.” Mash-ups, maker spaces, images and ideas, writing, posting, collecting evidence and crafting arguments; even our information literacy  outcomes are full of creativity. Look at the creative potential in these two IL outcomes: a) manipulate and manage information using appropriate tools and technologies and b) create, produce, and communicate understanding of a subject through synthesis of relevant information.

We create virtually real communities, really virtual communities, and dialogue about things like, well, real and virtual communities. Self-publishing happens (and gets donated!), and never mind the librarian DIY ethos (knit much?). Whether it’s digital or dancing, library people find stuff, use  stuff, and make stuff, including memories that add to a sense of library ownership.

For the next issue of the OLA Quarterly we invite articles about creative happenings and how the library honors the artistic artifacts and energy.

Please submit article proposals to: michele.burke@chemeketa.edu. For more info on article submission deadlines and guidelines visit: http://www.olaweb.org/ola-quarterly  or contact OLA Quarterly Editor, Sara Kelso.

Mentoring Program Announced
Hello! Are you looking to give back to your library community?  Would you like to help support an early-career librarian’s professional trajectory?  OLA is excited to provide librarians with at least five years of professional experience the opportunity to mentor new professionals.  Mentoring has been shown to be beneficial to the careers of both mentors and mentees.

This one year (or nine-month if preferred) pilot program will match you with an early-career librarian based on your skills and desire to help maintain a dynamic library profession.  You determine how you would like to communicate — by phone, email, video conference, or in person – on a schedule you determine.

Please visit the following links below to get more information, guidelines for mentoring, and to apply:  OLA Mentoring Program, Mentoring Guidelines, Mentor Application. For more information, contact us at Contact us at mentor@olaweb.org. Meredith Farkas, Portland State University Library; Shirley Sullivan, Beaverton City Library; Emily Papagni, Multnomah County Library
Membership Committee Facilitates Engagement
Did the annual conference pique your interest in getting actively involved with OLA?  Or have you wondered how to get started working with OLA library folk for a long time, but been unsure of how to do so?

The OLA Membership Committee maintains a web page that lists current openings for volunteers.  We’ve got something for everyone – short-term projects, long-term projects, jobs that don’t require travel, and jobs for library school interns.

Current OLA units looking for help include positions with the Children’s Services Division, Intellectual Freedom Committee, Support Staff Division, Northwest Central, and the Communications Committee. The full list of volunteer job openings is at
http://www.olaweb.org/page/volunteers.

We update the page as new volunteer jobs become available.  However, all OLA units always welcome new volunteers.  If you’re unsure of how to get involved, just contact the Chair of the OLA unit that interests you.  That Chair will be grateful for your help and will find a role for you!  Contact info for each group is at http://www.olaweb.org/ola-units.

And once you take the step to get involved you’ll be surprised and amazed by what happens next.  You’ll meet kind, supportive colleagues. You’ll build new skills.  You’ll feel the gratification that comes with making a contribution.  You’ll have fun.  You won’t look back. You’ll wonder, ‘why did I wait so long?’ Emily Papagni, Multnomah County Library

May 1, 2013 (Vol. 19, No. 9) – Happenings

Preservation Project Workshop Offered
Do you want to get a preservation grant to take care of your collections? Many institutions have used grant-funded projects to enhance the level of care they can provide for their collections, and sometimes even to jump start their preservation programs.

“Creating and Funding Preservation Projects to Enhance Collection Care” is a one-day workshop that begins with identifying and setting priorities among collection needs. With a clear sense of needs, the second part of the workshop reviews sources of grant funding available to your institution. The third part of the workshop addresses the key preservation questions asked on grant applications – participants answer the questions on behalf of their institutions, building the elements of a proposal for their own collection. The workshop emphasizes working collaboratively with colleagues to develop and receive feedback on project proposals. The workshop is sponsored by Western States & Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS), and takes place at the Oregon State Library in Salem on May 3, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.  The instructor is Braclay Ogden, Preservation Librarian at the University of California, Berkeley

By the end of the workshop day, participants will have:

• Outlined a preservation project proposal specific to their institution
• Identified possible funding sources
• Tested their ideas with other workshop participants

Who should attend: Administrators and staff responsible for care of the collection in all types of libraries, museums and archives, with an emphasis on small-to-medium sized institutions without preservation grant writing experience. By registering for the workshop, the institution commits to supporting the attendee(s) to achieve the workshop’s goals to develop and submit proposals for preservation projects to enhance collection care. When possible, TWO attendees from an institution should attend so they can work together on project development.

Cost: No charge to the institution. WESTPAS is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Registration: Pre-registration required. Register online at  WESTPAS workshop. For registration assistance contact Alexandra Gingerich gingerich at plsinfo.org
For general & content information contact Kristen Kern kernk@pdx.edu

May 1, 2013 (Vol. 19, No. 9) – People

Real World Librarian Hero

Sean Garvey with grateful library patron Paul Teyler

At the annual conference, one of the things that struck me the most was hearing the news that Sean Garvey, Adult Services Librarian at Tigard Public Library, saved a life at his library.

Back in January library patron Paul Teylor had a heart attack in the library.  Sean and another patron (who happened to be a doctor) took action.  Sean got the the library’s on-site automated external defibrillator (AED) and hooked Paul up.

Sean says that Paul comes into the library regularly and that his speedy recovery has been amazing.

Sean’s message to other librarians is “the only thing I would like to say to my fellow librarians is try to have your institution or municipality provide your staff with CPR/AED training.  I happened to receive training only a week prior to this incident.  It really helped me in responding in such a level-headed manner.”

More details are in an article in the local Tigard newspaper. We always talk about how libraries change lives. It’s true. And sometimes librarians save lives. Emily Papagni, Multnomah County Library

New Member Profile

Rachel Correll

My name is Rachel Correll and I love books.

Little did I know it at the time, but my library career began when I was hired as a part-time library assistant at a law firm in Portland in 2006. I was working on my Bachelor’s degree in Art History at Portland State, debating if I really wanted to work toward a Doctorate. Working in a library made me realize that I had another option: library school. I decided to move to New York City to attend Pratt Institute to pursue a dual-degree program in Library Science and Art History (I just couldn’t leave my other passion behind). While in New York, my days were filled studying under the sky-painted ceilings of the New York Public Library and interning at the Watson Library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I enrolled in courses that took me all over NYC and proudly boasted six library cards.

Missing my green home state (and family), I moved back to Oregon in 2011. Since then I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of libraries: public, academic, and private. I am currently a Research/Catalog Librarian at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, a law firm based in Portland. I do legal research, catalog and process materials, and run public records searches on incoming clients.

It has been such a pleasure to move back to Portland as it is my favorite city to live in. I live in an apartment in Hillsdale with my husband and my cat Sophia. I fill my free time with reading, walking, going to the cinema, and visiting my local branch of the public library. Currently I’m rereading one of my favorite graphic novel series, Fables.
I’ve been connecting with Portland librarians of all types, but would love to meet more of you throughout the state. Feel free to contact me at jrcorrell@gmail.com.