March 15, 2012 (Vol. 18, No. 6) – OLA News

2012 OLA Special  Election Results

Michele Burke

The votes are in!  The results of the OLA 2012 special election for Vice-President/President is announced. Please congratulate–
Vice-President/President-Elect: Michele Burke, Reference Librarian, Chemeketa Community College Library.
To view photos and biographical information of all OLA elected officers,  click on the link here:
http://www.olaweb.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=131886&orgId=ola
OLA will be well served by Michele.  Much appreciation to our other candidate on the slate, Garrett Trott.  Also sincere thanks to Emily Papagni who served with me on the Nominating Committee.   Finally, thanks to all of you who voted. -Rob Everett

Legislative News
A fast and furious session didn’t lead to big changes in the library world.  One bill, HB 4016, does affect libraries.  This adds people who are mandated to report suspected child abuse to an existing list.   The amendment added the language that any  “employee of a public or private organization providing child-related services or activities” must report.  The opinion of our lobbyist, Special Districts Counsel and others is that this means library staff who work with children.  The Legislative Committee knows that many of you are already working locally to define what this new reporting means.  We anticipate more guidance coming from the state.

We were disappointed that the reporting by school districts on school library services and many important Division 22 standards was suspended again (SB 1581).  This means it is almost impossible to get accurate data on the state of school libraries.  But it was wrapped up in the Governor’s education bill and not a fight that we could win.

The Working Group on Libraries and Archives presented the final report to the Joint Ways and Means Committee on General Government.  The limited debate focused on services to government and our new State Librarian, MaryKay Dahlgreen, handled the questions deftly. In general, the group’s recommendations are logical and many will be implemented in the next couple of years.  None required legislative action, just greater cooperation among the State Archives, the State Library and the State Law Library.  It was a positive exercise.

That’s all for now. See you in Bend for our session – Cold Calling for Shy Librarians.
-Janet Webster, chair, OLA Legislative Committee

Got Advocacy? OLAQ Needs You
Librarians and library staff come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors.  But if we have one thing in common, it’s this:  whether we work in public, school, academic, or special libraries, we are facing similar challenges that require advocacy.  Another generalization about us library folk is that we are consistently open to sharing what we know.  For a group of people stereotyped as quiet, if you ask us a question about libraries, we’ll have plenty to say.  Right now, no other issue or topic seems more deserving of a tell-all than advocacy.

Advocacy is the theme for the summer issue of the OLAQ.  So, tell us.  We want to hear your advocacy stories, ideas, and strategies.  What’s working?  What’s not working?  What successes have you had?  What has failed?  What are your tried and true methods?  What are your wild and ambitious brainstorms?  Has your library been in a crisis that demanded an emergency advocacy plan?  Have you been building a sustained long-term advocacy effort for years?  Have you had to advocate for your own position or the rights of your patrons?  How should we be thinking about advocacy at the local, state, or federal level?  How and what should we be communicating, and with whom?

Publication timeline:  Send a brief description of your proposed article to kread@clark.edu by April 1.  Authors will be notified by April 15.  Final articles are due by June 1.  The issue will be published on July 15. Instructions for authors can be found here:  http://tinyurl.com/7jrvbd6

Looking forward to your ideas,
Kim Read, Adjunct Reference Librarian, Clark College, kread@clark.edu

Legal Reference Round Table Reports on Superseded ORS Digitization Project
Until a few months ago, anyone looking for superseded, historical, Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) did not have an easy task at hand.  A few paid legal research databases offer the statutes, but only back to the late 80s and early 90s.  The Internet Archive likewise has some versions of the statutes, but they are not easy to find.  Locating the statutes was also complicated by the fact that there are only three complete print sets of the ORS in the entire state.  From 1953 though 1987, the statutes were printed on loose-leaf paper and stored in binders, which enabled the removal of replaced chapters as laws were changed or created. Instead of retaining the old pages, many law libraries simply discarded the chapters being replaced with new versions.  So, in 2011, the Washington County Law Library started scanning the 1953-1987 superseded ORS editions (the “gutbusters”).  The superseded statutes are referred to as “gutbusters” because the pages are filed in 7-10” gut-busting (to lift) loose-leaf binders.  Sadly, none of the complete sets were available for scanning, but the library was able to use their own incomplete set and a near-complete set from the State of Oregon Law Library. It was, and still is, a laborious and complex management project for a small law library, but it will benefit all Oregon law researchers.

The Washington County Law Librarian wanted a publicly-accessible, free host for the data and discussed hosting options with legal information vendors and state officials. The best of all hosts, Oregon Legislative Counsel, came through, and the data is beginning to appear on the Legislature’s website, http://www.leg.state.or.us/bills_laws/, under “Selected Archives of the Oregon Revised Statutes.”  As an added bonus, Legislative Counsel already had the data for the 1995-2009 ORS, and was able to upload those laws to the website as well.  As of early March, the Legislature’s website offers the following superseded laws: 1953-1967; 1995-2009.

More information about the project is available at the Oregon Legal Research blog. The project’s blog posts are listed under the label “Gutbusters.”  Holly Gerber, Washington County Law Library

OLA/OASL Proposed Merger – Second in a Series of Four Merger Benefits: Winning Advocacy!
The election considering the merger of the Oregon Association of School Libraries into OLA as a division will be held at the business meeting (Thursday, April 26, 2012 lunch) at the OLA Annual Conference in Bend. The OASL membership has already approved merging at their October conference. April will be OLA’s chance to vote. The ballot resolution will be communicated in advance to OLA members. In the Hotlines preceding the OLA election merger benefits will be featured. The full proposal about the merger can be found on the OLA home page at http://www.olaweb.org. If you have questions contact OLA Board members or members of the OLA-OASL Joint Committee on School-Public Library Cooperation (contact information on the website.)

With school library media specialists folded into OLA political effectiveness will increase. The OLA lobbyist and the OLA Library Development and Legislation Committee can plan seamless advocacy, coordinating all library efforts and maximizing our strength in numbers. And a merger will facilitate fostering public support through coordinated public relations outreach. The alliances necessary to advocate for all types of libraries in local communities will be forged.

Submitted by Mary Ginnane, Past-president, mjginnane@gmail.com, and the OLA-OASL Joint Committee on School-Public Library Cooperation

OLA Conference
Only one more day remains to take advantage of the Early Bird Registration rates for this year’s conference!  Friday, March 16th is the last day you can take advantage of the Early Bird Rates.    www.olaweb.org/page/conf2012

Take a sneak peak at this year’s conference keynote speaker, Robert Killen, Executive Director, City Club of Central Oregon.  http://youtu.be/vhSwZqE5fz4

Show your 2012 OLA Conference Badge at the High Desert Museum and receive a 20% discount on the price of admission at the museum.  This special deal for OLA Conference attendees is good April 25-April 28, 2012.www.highdesertmuseum.org

Volunteers Sought for OLA Conference

Planning to attend the 2012 OLA Conference? Have some down time? Please consider volunteering. We are looking for people to direct traffic, count attendees at programs, assist at the registration table and any other “duties as assigned” that may come up. Contact: Cathy Zgraggen/Deschutes Public Library –Supervisor, La Pine Public Library at cathyz@deschuteslibrary.org or 541.312.1094

Recognize Your Esteemed Peers
There’s still time to nominate someone for the 2012 OYAN You’re Excellent Award.  If you know someone who has made a difference for teens, we want to hear about it.  The OYEA! may be awarded to an individual, library, organization, program, or initiative that has made a positive and significant contribution to teens in libraries in the state of Oregon.  The honoree will receive an engraved plaque and a $100 donation to the teen service program of their choice.  If needed, funds are available to ensure that the honoree attends the 2012 OLA Annual Conference to receive the acknowledgement of their peers.

Nominations for this coveted award are open until March 31st.  Please include the following: Nominee’s name and contact information, description of the nominee’s positive and significant contributions to teens in libraries in the state of Oregon,
and any accompanying letters of support.  We especially like to hear from teens and it’s okay to send under separate cover.
Mail or email your letter of nomination and letters of support to: Susan Smallsreed,
Northwest Library, 2300 NW Thurman St., Portland, OR 97210

More Honors & Awards
There is still time to honor your library colleagues! Don’t delay, you have until March 23rd to recognize your colleagues, supporters, and co-workers.   Do it now, it doesn’t take much time!!!!!!

Yes, it is time to think about who has done an outstanding job or taken on a project or been responsible for a success in our libraries this year!    Tell us about those talented, dedicated individuals whose commitment to excellent library service has made a difference.   The OLA Honors & Awards Committee wants to know who those individuals or groups are and we want you to tell us!

Nominations are open for the following awards:

• Oregon Librarian of the Year
• Library Employee of the Year
• OLA Distinguished Service Award
• Library Supporter of the Year

Nomination letters (with no more than six letters of support) are due Friday, March 23, 2012.  These awards will be presented to recipients at the 2012 OLA Annual Conference Luncheon Banquet in Bend on Friday, April 27, 2012.

If you need more info, read the awards guidelines and let me know if you have questions.  Take a look at http://www.olaweb.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=58280&orgId=ola

Please send nominating letters and supporting letters by Friday, March 23, 2012, to:
Leah Griffith, HAS Chair
e-mail:   leah.griffith@newbergoregon.gov
You can also send via mail to me at:
Newberg Public Library
503 E. Hancock
Newberg,  OR  97132

e-mail or call me at 503-537-1256 if you have any questions.    We will be looking forward to your nominations.

March 15, 2012 (Vol. 18, No. 6) – Happenings

Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Awards Announced
The Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award nominees for the 2012-13 school year have been announced. They are:

• Graff, Lisa.  Sophie Simon Solves Them All
• Jules, Jacqueline.  Zapato Power:  Freddie Ramos Takes Off 
• Kurtz, Chris.  The Pup Who Cried Wolf
• Schlitz, Laura Amy.  The Night Fairy
• Viorst, Judith.  Lulu and the Brontosaurus 
• Wight, Eric.  Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000

For more information about the Beverly Cleary Children’s Choice Award, visit http://oasl.memberclicks.net/bccca-home.

March 15, 2012 (Vol. 18, No. 6) – Opportunities for Engagement

Oregon Virtual Reference Summit
Planning to attend this year’s Oregon Virtual Reference Summit on Friday, May 25th?

With a great speaker, a beautiful Pacific Coast location and informative presentations on the agenda, you can’t miss it!

Conference registration will be open in the next couple of weeks.  Details for registration are forthcoming.  In the meantime, get your hotel room for the conference now and save.  Enjoy the luxury of the resort and the convenience of an on-site stay for the Summit.

Arrive on Thursday and get great conversations started with your colleagues!  Bring the family and stay after the conference to enjoy fabulous rates for a weekend at the beach!

Hotel reservations should be made by contacting the Salishan Inn directly:

Salishan Spa & Golf Resort
7760 North Highway 101
Gleneden Beach OR 97388
Phone 541-764-3600
www.salishan.com
When room reservations are being made, guests will be asked if they are with a group. The group name for our block of hotel rooms is Oregon Virtual Reference Summit.

March 15, 2012 (Vol. 18, No. 6) – People

Beaverton City Library Welcomes Bridget Cain-Bushman
Bridget Cain-Bushman was hired as the new Circulation Division Manager by Beaverton City Library on January 30th, 2012. Ms. Cain-Bushman worked most recently for the Multnomah County Library at the Belmont and Fairview branches,  as a Branch Administrator. Prior to her employment with Multnomah County, she worked at the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, as a Reference Librarian and as a Community Librarian at the Woodland and La Center Community Libraries.

Ms. Cain-Bushman is an “Oregon 1” graduate of the Emporia State Library SLIM program.  She enjoys mentoring new librarians into the program. She says, “This is such an exciting time to work in libraries. Hospitality and excellent customer service have become even more important as we embrace new technologies to deliver the best service to our patrons.” She graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in American History and Women’s Studies.  Ms Cain-Bushman has worked on several local and national conference committees, including Local Arrangements for OLA/WLA 2008 and PLA 2010 Conferences.

Ms. Cain-Bushman enjoys hiking, reading, cross country skiing and cooking with her husband, Chris and daughter, Abigail.

March 1, 2012 (Vol. 18, No. 5) – OLA News

OLA Special Election
The OLA Nominating Committee thanks all who have already voted in the OLA Special Election 2012 for Vice President/President-Elect.  If you have not, please take a moment to cast your vote and choose who will lead OLA in continuing its important role in Oregon library development and service provision.

Voting will close at midnight, March 8, 2012. Follow this link to see the candidates and find out about them.  Follow this link for your ballot.

In order to vote, you do need to login to your OLA account and you may only vote once.
If you have any difficulties with the form, please contact ola@olaweb.org.  If you have any questions about the election or want to become more involved in OLA, contact Rob Everett at reverett@springfield-or.gov.

OLA/OASL Proposed Merger – First in a Series of Four Merger Benefits: Stabilized Library Associations and Reinforced Library Service!
The election considering the merger of the Oregon Association of School Libraries into OLA as a division will be held at the business meeting (Thursday, April 26, 2012 lunch) at the OLA Annual Conference in Bend. The OASL membership has already approved merging at their October conference. April will be OLA’s chance to vote. The ballot resolution will be communicated in advance to OLA members. In the Hotlines preceding the OLA election merger benefits will be featured. The full proposal about the merger can be found on the OLA home page at http://www.olaweb.org. If you have questions contact OLA Board members or members of the OLA-OASL Joint Committee on School-Public Library Cooperation (contact information on the website.)

The ultimate purpose of the merger is to create an organization that promotes information literacy and reading motivation for all Oregonians, from birth through adulthood. By integrating OASL as a division, OLA members will be supporting an action that will financially stabilize a key association playing a role in achieving that purpose. OLA will benefit from cost-sharing of association management and organization infrastructure as OASL dues-paying members join OLA. OASL will benefit from consistent association support activities. Oregonians’ library service will benefit from one organization with a global perspective on their needs. OLA and OASL members will more easily be able to share experiential knowledge such as managing volunteer programs, teaching information skills, managing collections, etc. Library users can expect a richer library experience from future collaborative projects between divisions.

Submitted by Mary Ginnane, Past-president, mjginnane@gmail.com, and the OLA-OASL Joint Committee on School-Public Library Cooperation
OLA Board Accepts Policy on Working With Outside Groups
At the February OLA Board Meeting, the Board accepted a policy for working with groups outside of OLA in order to encourage the sharing of OLA resources and to provide more options for supporting Oregon’s libraries and librarians. We are really excited about this policy and the opportunities it can open up for facilitating the work of Oregon’s libraries.

What does this new policy mean for you? There are a variety of options this new policy opens up. Here are a few examples: it means that non-OLA groups, in partnership with OLA units, can use OLA’s MemberClicks software to set up registration for a workshop; another option is that Oregon librarians can use OLA’s virtual meeting software, GoToMeeting, to hold virtual meetings with other librarians across the state.

To read this policy in full, check out Policy 44.02 here.  To find out more about what this policy means for you and some of the nitty gritty of working with software like GoToMeeting, come to our workshop “Meet Everyone, Everywhere: Using OLA’s Virtual Meeting Software” at the OLA 2012 conference in Bend. In the meantime, feel free to send questions to Hannah Gascho Rempel at hannah.rempel@oregonstate.edu.
-Hannah Gascho Rempel, Jane Scott & Shirley Roberts

ALA Midwinter Report
As Oregon’s “chapter councilor” (aka OLA’s representative to the ALA Council), this past January I survived a trip to the Lone Star state for ALA Midwinter.  While I did not eat any steak or acquire any cowboy/girl boots on the trip, I did learn about ALA’s current plans to work with publishers on the ebook crisis (the most up-to-date info is here, and voted (“yes”) on a wide array of resolutions, including the resolution on publishers and practices which discriminate against library users, the resolution on the loss of crucial government information, a resolution opposing PIPA and SOPA, a resolution opposing the Research Works Act, and a resolution against restriction of access to materials and open inquiry in Ethnic and Cultural Studies programs in Arizona.  For more information about any of these resolutions, feel free to check in with me or go to the ALA Council documents site for a much more detailed description of the resolutions and the rationale behind them.

Perhaps the most useful thing I learned during this Midwinter conference (in terms of serving on the ALA Council) was a quote heard third hand – “the power of Council and the resolutions they pass is in speaking to the members.”  With that said, please if you have questions or comments, feel free to follow up with me  – Hannah Gascho Rempel hannah.rempel@oregonstate.edu .

2012 Oregon Library Association Conference
Register now for the 2012 Oregon Library Association Conference and take advantage of the early bird conference registration rates.  Early bird registration rates end March 16, 2012

Kick off your 2012 OLA conference experience in beautiful Central Oregon with one of the following pre-conferences:

• Describing the Future: RDA, Metadata and Linked Data.
• Creative Outreach on a Shoestring
• 360 Degrees of Censorship: From Banned Books to Internet Filters and Beyond
• Getting to the Heart of Online Instruction and Training
• The Culture of Poverty

After a hard day’s work at the conference enjoy a night out on the town in Bend!  Hop on board the shuttle bus that will take you from the Riverhouse Convention Center to Downtown Bend’s restaurants and shops.

Volunteers Sought for OLA Conference
Planning to attend the 2012 OLA Conference? Have some down time? Please consider volunteering. We are looking for people to direct traffic, count attendees at programs, assist at the registration table and any other “duties as assigned” that may come up. Contact:  Cathy Zgraggen, Supervisor, La Pine Public Library,Deschutes Public Library, 541-312-1094.

ACRL Announces Pre-Conference and Conference Offerings
ACRL Oregon is proud to sponsor Getting to the Heart of Online Instruction and Training, a half-day pre-conference workshop with Meredith Farkas.
Learn how to:

• Analyze your population(s) to determine the best mode(s) of instructional delivery
• Determine the pros and cons of technologies for instruction and training
• Develop a sustainable strategy for the creation, maintenance and integration of online learning materials

Meredith Farkas is the Head of Instructional Services at Portland State University and a lecturer at San Jose State University’s School of Library and Information Science. She is also the author of the book, Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication and Community Online. In addition, she writes the monthly column “Technology in Practice” for American Libraries. Meredith was honored in 2008 and 2011 with the WISE Excellence in Online Education Award and in 2009 with the LITA/Library Hi Tech award for Outstanding Communication in Library and Information Technology.

Where: Oregon Library Association Annual Conference (Bend, Oregon)
When: April 25, 2012  1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Register on-line via the OLA website

ACRL Oregon is also sponsoring the following programs at the 2012 OLA Annual Conference (Bend, OR April 26-27):

THURSDAY APRIL 26TH
Session I 11:00-12:30 pm – “Show Me the Money! Grantwriting Perspectives for Librarians”
Presenters: Karen Estlund (Head, Digital Library Services, UO) and John Russell (Librarian for History, African Studies and Medieval Studies, UO)
Description: Join University of Oregon librarians Karen Estlund (Head, Digital Library Services) and John Russell (Librarian for History, African Studies, and Medieval Studies and Oregon’s LSTA Grant Review Committee) as they discuss why obtaining grants for doing research or other special projects in library environments can be beneficial to your organization as well as an overview of the process of grant-writing, challenges, and do’s and don’ts.

Session II 2:00-3:00 pm – “Can We Really Do it All? The Challenges We Face as Librarians Who Teach”
Presenters: Anne-Marie Deitering (Franklin McEdward Professor for Undergraduate Learning Initiatives, OSU) and Kate Gronemyer (Instruction Librarian, OSU-Cascades)
Description: In 2009 and 2010 OSU librarians gathered dozens of stories from librarians who teach. In this presentation we will hear some of these stories, discuss what they mean for our practice, and see if there is wisdom to be gained from people who might not call themselves teachers.

Session III 4:00-5:30 pm – “From Data Chaos to Data Curation: New Roles for Academic Librarians”
Presenters: Carla Pealer (Data curation librarian – OHSU), Thomas Johnson (Digital Applications Librarian, OSU), Brian Westra (Lorry I. Lokey Science Data Services Librarian, UO)
Description: Data curation is a relatively new area for academic librarians, and can seem complex and confusing. But isn’t that what we do best: bring order to chaos? Data curation rests on well-established practices of our profession: collection development, the reference interview, and cataloging/metadata. This session will provide an overview of this increasingly important topic, offer practical advice, and a give you a chance to flex your own data curation muscles. Data librarians at U of O, OSU, and OHSU will share their experiences and visions for their libraries.

FRIDAY APRIL 27TH
Session IV  8:30-10:00 am – “Libraries and the Semantic Web”
Presenters: Carlo Torniai, Ph.D (Ontologist and Research Scientist, OHSU)
Description: What do all those acronyms (RDF, OWL, SWRL) and terms (Linked Open Data, triples, ontology) mean anyway? And why should we care? The Semantic Web already is affecting how we discover and share resources, and will continue to shape how we manage and access content and knowledge. Join Carlo Torniai on a madcap journey as he wrastles with the wild, world wide web and shows us how the Semantic Web is changing how we provide our users the resources they need. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers in this informal seminar-style session.

Session V  11:00 am – 12:30 pm – “Oh, the Choices We’ll Make! Reading in the Digital World”
Presenters: Uta Hussong, Christian (Instruction Librarian, OSU)  and Jane Nichols (Collection Development librarian, OSU)
Description: Preliminary findings from a current study of e-reader adoption among OSU librarians show that reading has changed, but not in expected ways. We will situate our presentation in the broader issues and questions about changing reading practices and literacies and how they influence adoption of reading devices. We will encourage audience feedback about their own e-reading habits as we consider whether technology shapes reading or if reading drives our choice of technology.

Session VI  2:00-4:00 pm – “Libraries and Humanism: A Book Discussion”
Presenters: Kimberly Willson-St. Clair (Reference & Instruction Librarian, PSU) and Emily Ford (Interim Urban & Public Affairs Librarian, PSU)
Description: All conference attendees are invited to read and engage in a discussion of Andre Cossette’s book Humanism and Libraries: An Essay on the Philosophy of Librarianship (79 pages). “The value of libraries only becomes a reality for each human being in that self-determination that has no other name than liberty….” will spark provocative ideas. Topic list for discussion will be distributed at the session. Bring your book!

ACRL Sponsors Workshop
ACRL-Oregon, ACRL-Washington, OHSU Library, and OSU Libraries are proud to sponsor From Idea to Publication: Analysis and Writing, the second webinar of a three part series.
Please note: We gather at a host library for each webinar – these sessions are open to EVERYONE (members and non-members alike) and are intended to encourage group discussion and networking. Online access to the session URL will be emailed to ACRL-Oregon and ACRL-Washington members after each webinar.
From Idea to Publication: Analysis and Writing (ACRL National Program Description)

Quantitative methods necessitate certain kinds of analyses, while qualitative methods operate on different assumptions and different kinds of data.  It is essential to have an understanding of the appropriate forms of analyses (along with their possibilities and limitations).  Learn learn to express their research in publishable form.

Location: Portland State University Library, Room 160

Contact: Amy Hofer (ahofer@pdx.edu)

When: Wednesday March 7, 2012 10:30 am – 1:00 pm PST

Dream Big at CSD Workshop
Children’s Services Division invites you to Dream Big and join your library pals from around the state for what promises to be a fantastic day of learning and sharing! The FREE adventure takes place on Monday March 12, 2012 at the beautiful Newport Public Library. The deadline to register is March 9, 2012.

Come learn about The Amelia Bloomer Project, enjoy book talks covering a variety of titles on the 2012 list, and discuss the importance of “the f-word” (feminism) in stories for our youth.
Explore how to include science in you Summer Reading Program. The staff from the Wilsonville Public Library will share success stories and challenges from the first two years of their “Science Adventure”, as well as practical tips for adapting and implementing similar programs in your library setting.
Find out what is new at the Oregon State Library and what’s happening with our own CSD.
Share your brilliant ideas for programs, activities, crafts and more, inspired by this year’s “Dream Big: Read!” and “Own the Night” Summer Reading themes.

Registration is FREE as lunch is on your own. Click here to register.

For more information, contact Gayle Waiss at 541-997-3132 x 207 or gwaiss@siuslaw.lib.or.us

Outreach Round Table Announces Pre-Conference
The Outreach Round Table wants you to know that it is possible to offer outreach services to your patrons, even in times of low budgets, and in small  towns and rural areas.  We also want to get the message out about innovative ways to see library outreach and what it can be.  To that end, ORT is presenting an all-day pre-conference at the April OLA conference, called Creative Outreach on a Shoestring. A variety of stellar speakers will talk about how to do it – this is a practical, hands-on workshop.  Join us on Wednesday, April 25 in Bend!

March 1, 2012 (Vol. 18, No. 5) – People

MaryKay Dahlgreen Appointed Oregon State Librarian

MaryKay Dahlgreen

The Oregon State Library Board of Trustees announced the appointment of MaryKay Dahlgreen as State Librarian. Dahlgreen has served as the Interim State Librarian since the former State Librarian, Jim Scheppke, retired in late 2011. Her new role is effective March 1, 2012.

Ms. Dahlgreen’s background includes working at the Oregon State Library for over sixteen years as Library Development Program        Manager and Youth Services Consultant, and prior to that working in the King County Library System in Seattle, Washington. She holds a master’s degree in librarianship from the University of Washington and a bachelor of arts in liberal studies from Western Washington University.

“MaryKay’s extensive knowledge and combined expertise with library services, including her experience in early childhood literacy, will prove invaluable in leading the State Library into the future,” said Sam Hall, Chair, Oregon State Library Board of Trustees.

The Oregon State Library provides quality information services to Oregon state government; reading materials to blind and print-disabled Oregonians; and leadership, grants, and other assistance to improve library service for all Oregonians.

Susan Smallsreed Awarded Conference Grant  

Susan Smallsreed

Susan Smallsreed of Multnomah County Library, and Teacher-Librarian Heather Schubert of Austin, Texas, have been awarded Baker & Taylor/YALSA Conference Grants. Each will receive up to $1,000 to attend the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif., this summer.  The Baker & Taylor Conference Grant is awarded for first-time attendance at an Annual Conference. The recipients must be members of YALSA and must have between one and 10 years experience working with teenagers.

Susan has served as youth librarian for the Northwest Library branch of  Multnomah County Library since 2002. She collaborates closely with local schools, county agencies and local businesses and organizations to plan and provide programming for roughly 3,800 school-aged children. During 2011 alone, her branch hosted more than 1,000 youth programs that were attended by more than 12,000 children, teens and parents.  Teen services include four monthly book clubs, 15 monthly outreach visits, two teen council meetings each month, two teen anime club meetings per month and bimonthly craft programs.

Susan is involved in ad hoc teen volunteer mentoring because she believes in young people and recognizes their need to contribute to their neighborhoods.  She also shares ideas and resources statewide through her involvement in the Oregon Young Adult Network (OYAN). She has worked to change attitudes toward teen services by advocating for improved staff training, and she is proud of the increased opportunities for teen participation as a result of that. Her program director says that Susan’s passion has helped to improve the quantity and quality of youth engagement at both the branch and system levels.