Looking forward to NJLA 2013

by | May 23, 2013 | ,

As a newer MLIS student, I’m pretty excited to attend the NJLA conference this year because it will be my first library-focused conference. I can’t wait to go to the poster sessions, check out the programming, and see the exhibitors. But what I’m most excited about is networking.

One of my favorite parts of library school so far has been talking with working library professionals and finding out what they do, and why they love what they do. Everyone I’ve met has been enthusiastic about sharing and “converting” new librarians. It’s also been helpful to get informal advising about coursework. What kinds of skills do they expect new graduate applicants to have? How can classes help to fill those competencies?

In addition to networking, these are the sessions I want to check out:

What are you looking forward to at the conference?

Jen Hunter
jah123 @ camden.rutgers.edu

SCARLA at NJLA 2013

by | May 23, 2013 | ,

Don’t miss SCARLA at NJLA 2013. We’ll be presenting a poster: “What’s the Big Deal About Library Instruction: Getting library instruction experience as an MLIS student.”

Our session is on Tuesday, June 4 from 10-11 a.m.

Here’s the abstract:
The Student College, Academic, and Research Libraries Association (SCARLA) is a group of MLIS students at Rutgers University interested in academic librarianship. A recent panel session discussion sponsored by SCARLA revealed that SCI students had an interest in gaining instructional experience in a professional context as interns or volunteers. Our poster presentation will detail SCARLA’s practical problem-solving effort to increase student awareness about and experience with library instruction.

Revel: Oasis for NJ Librarians

by | Jun 18, 2012 | ,

Hi all,

I just returned home from “Retooling 4 Tomorrow: New Jersey Library Association Annual Conference.”  NJLA 2012 took place at the new Revel Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ from Monday June 4th to Wednesday June 6th. The Revel can only be described as the new standard for luxury and grandeur in Atlantic City. Beautiful ocean front views greeted participants as they approached the registration area and continued to captivate us throughout the week. We had excellent weather all three days and many of us spent most of our official ‘coffee-break time’ exploring the Revel’s expansive outdoor decks and lush garden meeting centers.

As hinted in the conference title, NJLA 2012 was all about innovation, positivity, exploring new technologies, and creating new community connections. We were all encouraged to discover what we as library professionals do best and how to continue expanding our strengths to suit the changing needs and wants of our communities. The conference activities consisted of a mixture of practical advice concerning instruction, purchasing agreements, technologies, social media, etc.  and theoretical discussions about how to continue proving our worth in the future.

Monday afternoon hosted a preconference, while Tuesday and Wednesday were workshop days that last from 9am to 5am. At any given time, there were at least 5 different places to be; a broad range of activities appealed to librarians from wide ranging backgrounds.  Attendees were able to custom design their NJLA schedule and keep track of all their desired locations on the free NJLA 2012 iphone app. In-between sessions, we visited the exhibitors hall to learn more about companies providing a wide range of potential services to libraries-everything from publishers to architects, and smart phone application software to authors and musicians!

Laura Palumbo and I presented a poster about SCARLA’s inaugural year at the Student Poster Session Tuesday morning. 5 of the 6 student posters at the session came from our fellow classmates at Rutgers. It was exciting to learn from each other and represent our school!

After the poster session, Laura and I attended a leadership luncheon where NJLA President Susan O’Neal, introduced us to the soon to be new NJLA President Karen Klapperstuck. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Karen and her vibrant personality, creativity, energy, and passionate dedication to this organization will no doubt lead to a very successful and innovative upcoming year in the New Jersey Library Association. We wish Karen the best of luck as she begins her term in the follow weeks!

I personally chose to attend many of the events sponsored by the College and University Section of NJLA. This section hosted panel-like discussions as well as more hands-on activities to help us learn more about instruction methods and research techniques. Academic librarians from Universities in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, California and, of course, New Jersey, gave presentations and workshops. Some of these many events included:

  • E-Reader Lending at Princeton University Library
  • Harnessing Your Connections: Developing Your Personal Learning Network
  • Retooling the CUS Website with Drupal
  • Retooling Library Instruction by Analyzing Student Information Literacy Skills
  • On the Road to Information Literacy Success
  • Using the New American Factfinder and FDsys to Locate the Current Census and Other Federal E-Documents
  • ACRL-NJ’s Research Forum award and presentations

SCARLA’s own Miraida Morales hosted a session entitled “Digital Library Toolkit: Building a Small Digital Library on a Shoestring.” Miraida shared her experiences with the 1st digital library project for the National Library of Puerto Rico, sharing valuable information about planning processes, choosing platforms and metadata schemes, and providing positive public relations. Miraida’s unique skillset will serve her well in her new career as a digital archivist. We wish her the best of luck as she begins her wonderful new career and continues to take the library world by storm!

On Wednesday afternoon, I attended the NJ Colleges and Universities Luncheon. I had the pleasure of getting to know academic librarians from across the state. All were very kind and offered valuable advice about navigating the local job market and finding opportunities to continue my education. During the luncheon, awards were presented to noteworthy members of the organization. Wednesday also marked the 10th anniversary of the Technology Innovation Award. Previous winners also came to share how their work has continued to grow and develop in the years since their initial awards.

NJLA also hosted many events specifically targeted to MLIS students and librarians looking for jobs. Professional librarians volunteered to host resume review sessions to provide students with 1 on 1 advice. Some of the events specifically aimed towards MLIS students included:

  • The Art of Managing Your Brand
  • Why Didn’t They Call Me!? Dos and Don’ts to Get the Interview Call Next Time?
  • How to succeed in Job interviews for Libraries
  • Library Student & New Librarian Mixer

The conference was extremely hospitable to students and I recommend that MLIS students join in this wonderful opportunity to attend the conference next year. The Revel has been booked for the next 3 NJLA conferences, so you too can experience all that this beautiful, beach front location has to offer. For more information on the conference location, visit the Revel’s official site http://www.revelresorts.com/.

Overall, the conference was a great mixture of networking, professional development, knowledge dissemination, hands on instruction, and most imporatantly, FUN! Comical key note speakers captivated our attention with their energy, humor, and dedication to brazing new paths for the future of libraries and library professionals. NJLA Leaders provided inspirational messages to MLIS students and made us feel welcome and appreciated by the organization. For more details about conference panels, presenters, and activities, visit the official NJLA webpage:http://njlaconference.info/.

Next, join me in traveling to Anaheim for the ALA 2012 conference from June 21st to 26th. If the idea of going to a Rutgers SCI alumnae reunion in the Magic Kingdom Ballroom doesn’t excite you, imagine having the opportunity to network with librarians from across the country! For more information, visit the official conference website:http://www.alaannual.org/.

Kelly LaVoice

KML254@eden.rutgers.edu

How to Present a Poster by SLA

by | Apr 20, 2012 | ,

I just attended an online webinar presented by Tara Murray, Director of Information Services/Librarian for the American Philatelic Research Library, and hosted by SLA. The webinar was a great concise outline of poster construction and presentation, and Tara agreed to let me share the highlights with you. You can get more information from her blog at http://diylibrarian.org/archive/2012/04/10/posters/

I know this will come in handy for our upcoming poster at NJLA!

  • Read the instructions! Follow the directions for poster size and format.
  • Include your name on your poster- nobody wants to be anonymous.

Generally, your poster should include:

  • Title of your poster
  • Authors and affiliations
  • Contact information
  • Intro/abstract- check with instructions if required or not wanted
  • Methods, if a research study, or a description
  • Conclusion
  • References and acknowledgements (optional)

Other helpful info:

  • Posters can be created using Adobe Illustrator, or MS PowerPoint.
  • Your title font should be at least 1.5 inches, the rest of the text at least 24 pt font- readable from 3-4’ away. All caps are difficult to read, as are fancy fonts. Sans-serif is good for titles; serif fonts may be easier to read in the body.
  • Color is good for highlighting important points, but don’t go crazy. Contrast is important–don’t use light text on light background.
  • Leave space around your text. Posters are visual- use images.
  • Don’t laminate–it makes the poster heavy, and causes glare.
  • Carry your poster in a tube or carrying case, especially if flying.
  • Handouts are a good place for additional information that didn’t fit on the poster, and for contact information. They should remind people of your poster.
  • Read the instructions so you are prepared with mounting materials, and check to see if you have a table for handouts, and electricity for a laptop. On the day of your presentation, arrive early to set up. Stay near your poster to answer questions.

Thanks Tara and SLA!
~Laura Palumbo, co-webmaster

Internship at MOMA

by | Mar 26, 2012 | ,

While visiting the Museum of Modern Art on a RUSLA field trip last fall, I discovered their internship program and, specifically, the opportunities available for library science graduate students interested in art librarianship, archives, and research. I submitted my application for a spring 2012 internship program by the October 2011 deadline and heard back from the reader’s services librarian (a Rutgers Library Science Alumnae!) in December. As a second semester student, I was ineligible to receive academic credit for the internship program; however students interested in pursuing the internship for credit would be able to do so.

For anyone interested in art librarianship in special, art, or museum libraries, I highly recommend you take advantage of this amazing opportunity just an hour away from New Brunswick! Why intern at the Museum of Modern Art? You will have unlimited free access to the museum as well as exclusive invitations to attend staff events including gallery openings with world renown artists, film premieres, and free admission to many other art museums throughout the country. You can also reserve free tickets for friends and family even if you will not be joining them (for up to 6 guests per day). Sounds too good to be true? It gets better. Interns receive 40% off at the gift shop, book store, and design store throughout the duration of the internship.

Each Tuesday, the 40 interns from the curatorial, research, and business divisions attend classes and events together to learn more about the various departments working behind the scenes to keep the museum at the forefront of displaying ‘the art of our time’. The museum is closed to the public on Tuesdays, so interns partake on private exhibition tours with the curators who designed and executed the exhibits. This is an opportunity to experience, first-hand, the extensive research involved in curating exhibits and publishing exhibition catalogs.

My favorite intern activities thus far have included: a private tour of collection storage in MoMA Queens (the closest I will probably ever be to a genuine Picasso!), meeting with the director of the museum to discuss strategic planning, an introduction to digital media design applications, and touring the conservation department for painting and sculpture. During the weekly classes, interns network with other graduate students throughout the metropolitan area studying art, museum studies, librarianship, and/or information technology. Staff members leading the weekly classes always give background information about their educational and professional backgrounds and give interns advice about navigating the job market.

As the MoMA library intern, I split my time between the branches in Manhattan and Queens. Because of the nature of the discipline, the majority of materials continue to be in print form and require multiple sites to accommodate the massive collection of materials on modern and contemporary art. The collection includes materials from the mid-19th century to the current times, focusing on painting, sculpture, drawings, photography, film, architecture, design, performance, and more! The library has approximately 300,000 books and exhibition catalogs, over 40,000 files on individual articles and exhibitions, 300 periodical subscriptions, PADD files (Political Art Documentation and Distribution) and unique artist books that will cause you to ‘rethink’ the traditional book format. Ever seen a book made completely of chocolate? How do you preserve such a resource? Another reason to check out the MoMA library!

Working with MoMA collections caused me to rethink my perception of books as mass-produced information sources. Materials in our collection are simultaneously works of art themselves as well as information and archival sources of information. MoMA has many unique items that must be handled with care, preserved for audiences of the future to better understand the cultures that produced the art movements. I have been lucky enough to shadow our preservation library assistant to learn techniques for repairing damaged materials and properly housing new materials to proactively prevent damage. It is amazing to see acid-stained books, with pages completely detached and extreme spine damage, be repaired to almost unrecognizable levels! Since we are only able to take 12 classes during our time at Rutgers, this is a great way to learn about physical and digital preservation if you are unable to schedule an academic class in these areas.

During my internship, I assist with cataloging and reference work. I have the opportunity to practice with new cataloging software platforms and learn more about full-level cataloging for research-based institutions. For an intern project, I am adding geographic descriptor terms to records for artist books to make keyword searching in the catalog easier for staff and visitors. During my days shadowing our reference librarian, I learn more about the unique process for art research using primarily print-based resources. The MoMA library is open to the public 4 days a week, so interns have the opportunity to interact with museum staff, curatorial assistants, visiting scholars, students from art programs throughout New York City, artists, film makers, and other professionals.

If any of this sounds exciting or interesting to you, please visit the MoMA internship webpage to learn more:http://www.moma.org/learn/courses/internships#types. If multiple people express interest in visiting the library, the library staff could schedule a private tour for Rutgers students on a Tuesday when the library is closed to the public.

If you have an interest in art, archives, museum studies, or are just looking for an interesting internship to learn more about cataloging, reference, or preservation, definitely consider applying for a MoMA internship in the future! Private gallery tours, free museum admission, and access to one of the largest modern art library collections in the world: I promise, you’ll be glad you did it!

-Kelly LaVoice
KML254@eden.rutgers.edu

Posters and conferences

by | Mar 18, 2012 |

It’s been a while since VALE, and now NJLA will be here before you know it. If you’ve been attending meetings and checking in here, you know that SCARLA will be represented at the NJLA conference in Atlantic City this June. I am excited to be able to represent our group there this year, along with Kelly Lavoice. Posters are a great way to get your feet wet and meet others, as I found when I presented a poster with Marty Kesselman from the Library of Science and Medicine at VALE.

Presenting a poster is not nearly as intimidating as speaking before a group, but your poster should be well thought out, succinct and attractive. There are many sites out there on the web which offer advice for making a poster, so I will only post one here which I found useful when I worked on my poster for VALE:
http://colinpurrington.com/tips/academic/posterdesign
This is a blog written by a former professor at Swarthmore, and even though it is a little long, I thought it was well presented.

Better than reading about it though, is actually creating one. Help SCARLA design our poster for NJLA- come to the meeting on Wednesday, or contact Miraida or Natasha with your ideas.

~Laura Palumbo, co-webmaster

VALE Conference January 5th

by | Jan 19, 2012 |

On Thursday, January 5th the 13th annual VALE (Virtual Academic Library Environment)/NJ ACRL/NJLA CUS Conference was held at the Busch Campus Center here at Rutgers. The theme was “Brave New Librarian- Meeting Challenges and Embracing Change”. Twenty posters were presented by academic librarians from around the state, as well as 24 break-out sessions on topics ranging from coffee shops in academic libraries to cloud computing. The keynote speaker was Brian Mathews, an Associate Dean for Learning and Outreach at the Virginia Tech Libraries. Brian writes the Ubiquitous Librarian Blog for the Chronicle of Higher Education, and has also recently authoredMarketing Today’s Academic Library: A Bold New Approach to Communicating with Students.

The keynote address was “Startup Style: Elements of an Entrepreneurial Librarian”, and was about how academic librarians need to ‘think like a startup’. In these days of budget cuts and reorganization, many librarians are wondering how the academic library will be defined in the future. Brian’s answer is that we will need to be adaptive and innovative; by thinking like a startup we will ‘create something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty.’ Like the first years of a startup, the focus of the library will not be about profit but about building a platform.

Action is the key quality of this kind of thinking; it should come from the top down, in the form of management enabling an entrepreneurial culture, and from the back office out by pushing forward innovation.  Brian referred toThe Lean Startup by Eric Ries, and mentioned some of the important qualities of startup thinking.  A few of these are:

  • Don’t waste time on things that don’t work. If there is no demand for a service you are providing, drop it and find out what your users want.
  • Good enough is good enough to start. When developing an innovative idea, speed is more important than perfection.
  • Feed the feedback loop. Getting feedback through trial and error will move you closer to the desired outcome.
  • Pivot toward success. Be prepared to change course many times. Don’t follow your original plan if it doesn’t work.

At Virginia Tech, discovery teams are being used to focus on aspects of outreach for future development in the library. Each quarter, teams look outside the library to find innovative ways to create positive associations. Ideas can come from anywhere if you approach the problem from a new perspective. Brian recommended using both a ‘microscope and a telescope’ to focus on a problem.

I found Brian’s speech motivational, and feel that his ideas can be applied in every job situation. Who knows where the next big idea will come from? Hopefully a library near you.

~Laura Palumbo
Co-webmaster

For further reading:
The Lean Startup, Eric Ries
Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki
Startup Lessons Learned, Eric Ries

IFLA 2011

by | Sep 7, 2011 |

Remember taking field trips to visit the dinosaur fossils at the Museum of Natural History in New York City with your 6th grade class?  I had no idea how much I missed going on field trips until I started going on a few as part of the MLIS program at Rutgers.  One of these was the end-of-summer trip to the World Library and Information Congress—the annual conference organized by the International Federation of Library Associations.  Did I mention this trip is international?  Look for a special topics course called International Librarianship on the summer session course list and dust off your passport because this conference usually boasts a heavy Rutgers constituency and you don’t want to be left out.

This year, the conference was in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico.  (Ok, so you might not always need your passport.)  Next year, it will be in Helsinki, and in 2013, the conference will travel to Singapore.  Now that I’ve whetted your travel appetite, you’re probably wondering, what the heck is IFLA?  I have to admit, I didn’t really know the answer to this myself until I was at IFLA a couple of weeks ago.  It turns out, librarians love to organize—not only books, but they also love to organize themselves—and this love of organization has led some of them (several thousand of them, in fact) to organize on an international level.  Simply put, IFLA provides a forum through which to share concepts and best practices, innovate, and explore ideas.  But it is the context within which this exchange takes place that makes IFLA seem like the ALA on steroids.  Because IFLA seeks to set standards for the profession at an international level, it has a momentum, a voice, and a global reach that has the ear of such high-level international organizations as UNESCO.  Where else would you be able to sit next to the National Librarian of South Africa at a panel discussion on disaster relief presented by the National Librarian of Haiti?  Or check out the new augmented reality iPad apps being developed by the Bavarian State Library in Munich?

The conference lasts a full week in mid-August and packs quite a heavy schedule.  Expect full days of simultaneous programming, exhibits, poster sessions, and socializing that begin at 8:30am and end at 5:30pm or later.  IFLA’s structure includes committees, sections, and special interest groups who are responsible for the content and programming of the conference.  You can pick and choose sessions and events according to your own interests or professional background.  At this year’s conference, I was able to attend sessions on copyright and fair use, innovative design of academic libraries as well as sessions discussing barriers to information access, indigenous knowledge, and multilingualism.

On Tuesday evening, the host country organizes a cultural event, and this year, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company magically turned the convention center into a beautiful night club that was reminiscent of the colonial architecture of Old San Juan replete with live music, an ample dance floor, and a finger-licking spread with an open bar to match.  The last day of the conference is reserved for library visits to local school libraries, special libraries, academic libraries, public libraries, and the National Library.  This is a really special opportunity to see what libraries are like in other parts of the world.  The conference organizers also do a good job of arranging for tours and other fun touristy activities for anyone who needs a break from the conference.  And trust me—by Wednesday, you will need a break.

By now you’re probably asking, so how much is this all going to cost?  I won’t lie—this is not a cheap field trip.  Luckily, there are a few ways to minimize the damage to your bank account.

  • Students who enroll receive a $400 scholarship to help defray the cost.
  • Course registration includes an additional course fee of $600 that is used to book hotel rooms for all students attending the conference.  The course organizers book a block of hotel rooms early in the year in order to negotiate a lower rate, and students might need to share rooms.
  • Register for the conference early.  Although IFLA provides a student rate for registration*, this discounted rate is still rather steep and tends to increase as the conference date approaches.  *reflects prices for 2011
  • If you’ve got any frequent flyer miles, this is the time to redeem them.  Make sure you book your flights early, and that all your travel documents (VISA, passport, etc) are current and up-to-date.

Don’t forget to pack some business cards and a language dictionary.  I hope to see you in Helsinki!

Miraida Morales, SCARLA co-president

Academic Librarians at SLA Philly June 2011

by | Aug 2, 2011 |

I had the opportunity to attend the Special Libraries Association conference in Philadelphia this June, (thanks to winning the drawing for entrance fees at the last RUSLA meeting!) and I attended a seminar on publishing for academic librarians. As academic librarians, we will be expected to publish articles in academic journals. Following are some tips I picked up so that you can get started right away:

  • Identify a topic that interests you by reading extensively.  What problems confront you every day? Think about a small part of that problem, and approach the solution incrementally.
  • Figure out a methodology- how will you approach the problem? It is important to establish methods acceptable for publication. Get help setting up a study.
  • Do a presentation or a poster at a conference. Professional organization committees can be a good place to get ideas for topics.
  • Write reviews and columns for publishers. It’s a way to get your name in print.

So, you’ve already taken the first step by joining SCARLA. Think about joining ACRL and/or SLA as a student member (click on the Links tab at left), and get writing by adding to our blog!
~Laura Palumbo, Co-Webmaster