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In this Issue:
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Welcome to the North Carolina Library Association’s monthly eNewsletter! A production of the NCLA Marketing Committee, the eNewsletter is devoted to highlighting professional events and programs, librarians making exceptional differences in their communities, and how the association is working to serve YOU! Please subscribe and your feedback is always welcome.
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The results of the survey are in. Many thanks to those who responded! The NCLA/SELA Conference Planning survey for the membership received 313 responses. Overall, respondents indicated a preference for a virtual event both for attendees and presenters. Personal concerns were the largest factor determining attendance followed by employer travel restrictions and funding for travel and attendance. Just under half of respondents indicated a willingness to help assist with a virtual event. With this in mind, the Conference Planning committee is putting together a virtual conference. Depending on guidance from our state and local health officials in October, we could possibly offer an optional in-person component in Winston-Salem at the Benton Convention Center. Stay tuned for more information, but in the meantime, our Call for Proposals can be found at https://nclaonline.org/conference and will remain open until April 16. We plan to offer an affordable, accessible and fun conference for everyone! We will post registration fees after March 1. Stay well, and if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me. NCLA 2021 Conference Chair, VP/PE
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NCLA Seeking Scholarship Applicants Deadline: Friday, May 31, 2021 Every biennium, NCLA awards scholarships to current and future library school students. Whether you are about to be a library school student, currently in library school, or already a librarian seeking to continue your studies, if you are reading this newsletter you are probably eligible! The scholarship and recommendation forms go live on February 1st and will remain open for submissions until May 31, 2021. For more information scroll to the Scholarship section on the NCLA website.
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Did you get your favorite section’s latest newsletter? Not sure? It may be because you are not subscribed to administrator updates through the NCLA website. Subscribing to administrator updates allows you to receive emails such as section newsletters and member-only emails, such as invitations to vote for the next biennium’s executive board. Go to https://nclaonline.org and use the person icon in the upper right-hand corner to login to your account. Click on “View Profile”. On the “My profile” page, click “Email subscriptions” and ensure there is a check mark next to “Mass emails from administrators, such as newsletters and other important notifications”. If it is not checked, click the “Edit profile” button, click the check box to subscribe, then Save. You should now receive the emails sent through the NCLA website. If you have any questions or issues, you may contact the NCLA Web and Technologies team at web@nclaonline.org
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NCLA along with the Leadership, Administration, and Management (LAMS) Section is pleased to partner with NC LIVE on virtual workshops for library leaders. Guest facilitators will share their knowledge on specific leadership competencies and guide you through common leadership challenges. Whether you are in a leadership position already, or aspire to be, consider registering for an upcoming Leadership Development workshop. Is there a local library leader that you'd like to suggest as a session facilitator? Send a message to help@nclive.org. To register for an upcoming workshop visit this link.
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COVID-19 and Libraries How is your library responding to the COVID-19 pandemic? Do you have valuable resources to share? We’re compiling information in a document for all to use - feel free to add things!
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From the NC Department of Health and Human Services: Find your COVID-19 vaccine group! Information can be found here.
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Richard Garafolo Director Learning Resources Center, Lenoir Community College 1.What was the first library job you had that made the little voice in your head go “Yes- I have found the profession for me!” Ironically, while I have always had a love for libraries and spent most of my youth perusing the shelves of my local library, my first library job did not occur until I was in graduate school for my MLS degree. I was hired as a reference librarian at Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro and retained after I completed my degree. The five years I spent in this library confirmed that I found my calling and my passion. During my time there I discovered that I enjoyed serving and assisting a diverse community consisting of military personnel and their families. I also enjoyed the wide range and scope of my responsibilities that included assisting patrons needing reference assistance, providing information literacy instruction to five satellite college campuses, and working closely with the base historian to create a digital historical collection of the 4th Fighter Wing. I was fortunate and blessed in being given the opportunity to serve this special population and it instilled in me the desire to assist people in their quest to be life-long learners. 2.What part of your job keeps you going to work every day? How do you continue to find inspiration and passion in the library field? The interaction with students and the opportunities to assist them with their informational needs is the motivation that drives me to come to work each and every day. Working at a community college we serve a diverse population of traditional and non-traditional students with disparate academic backgrounds. Many of these students have never been tasked with completing an academic research project and do not know where or how to begin. The opportunity to assist them in the process of finding and evaluating relevant resources as well as seeing their confidence grow as they become more comfortable in satisfying their informational needs is the most rewarding part of my job. The library field has experienced seismic changes over the last ten to fifteen years with the advent of the internet, growing importance of electronic resources, and the repurposing of library spaces. Furthermore, the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic has forced us as librarians to adapt and change the mode and method of how we provide resources and services. For me these are not only challenging but exciting times to be a librarian! The need to stay abreast of the evolving and developing trends within the library profession and academia as a whole and how this impacts my ability to provide better services to our academic community instills an inspiration and passion for inquisitiveness and learning that is crucial within the library field. Finally, the anticipation of what the future holds for libraries, librarians, and how we will meet the ever-changing needs of our communities serves as a motivating factor as I move forward in my career. 3. Who are your library heroes in North Carolina and beyond? I cannot think of one specific person who I would classify as a hero of mine in the library field but I will say as a collective group the librarians who work within the community college system provide constant inspiration and motivation. These dedicated librarians are smart, innovative and passionate about serving their communities. There is not a day goes by that I do not learn something or am encouraged by an interaction with one or more of these individuals. I am thankful to call them my colleagues and many of them my friends. 4. Tell us a little about your interests and hobbies outside of the library. I am an avid recreational tennis player and play usually three to four times a week weather permitting. I also enjoy playing in tennis tournaments throughout the year that are held in various locations in North Carolina. In addition to playing tennis I also like to do landscaping projects around my house. I have planted a varied array of trees, bushes, perennial and annual plants around my yard as well as constructed stone and masonry hardscapes around some of these areas. Are you interested in being featured in the “Librarian Interview” section of the NCLA Newsletter? We are looking for members who want to share their experiences and advice with our membership. If you would like to be considered, please provide your name and contact information on this form.
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Featured section of the month: NCLPA (NC Library Paraprofessional Association) Submitted by Nita Williams 1. Who are the primary people that your section serves? Who should join?
From shelver to supervisor; gracious volunteer to paid staff; new hire to lifelong Friend of the Library; part-time, full-time, or "all on your own time" library supporter, our section is comprised of library staff that do not hold a master’s in library science. NCLPA consists of NCLA members actively involved in providing service in our state's public, private, and academic libraries. Most of our members are library support staff, but MLS and MLIS librarians who promote the advancement of paraprofessionals in the workplace are welcome to join us. 2. What's the history of this section? When and why was it created?
In December 1987, NCLA President Patsy Hansel appointed a committee to study the concerns of paraprofessionals. Questionnaires were mailed to 292 libraries asking support staff about their interest in NCLA and forming an association for paraprofessionals in February of 1988. Over 720 responses were received and in July of 1988, the NCLA Executive Board granted a roundtable status to the group upon the presentation of a petition bearing the required 100 signatures. An organizational meeting in Durham was attended by more than 120 people from libraries across the state on November 10, 1988. The featured speaker was Debbie Wolcott, organizer of the Paraprofessional Forum of the Virginia Library Association. She emphasized the importance of networking and communication. In January of 1989 a steering committee met at Elon College, elected interim officers, and appointed committees to consider bylaws, membership, training, newsletter, nomination of officers for the next biennium, and NCLA conference planning. 3. What types of programming do you offer? We encourage discussion, activities, and programs supporting the mutual interests of the NCLPA and NCLA. Most recently we had a Zoom COVID 19 roundtable discussion consisting of ideas or procedures different libraries are using. Our program topics have ranged from communication in the workplace, the role of the paraprofessional, motivation, certification, and customer service. We also participate in offering sessions for NCLA conferences. Past sessions have been on how to organize a book club or humor in the workplace. 4. What's one thing you want people to remember about your section? NCLPA provides a microphone for the paraprofessional voice. We advocate for the recognition and development of paraprofessionals as important and vital members of the library workforce and provide a forum for them to share ideas and to identify common needs and goals. That is why we've offered a scholarship to the NCLA conference since 2003.
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Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
An award-winning writer and frequent guest speaker presents a compelling critique of today’s black feminist movement that argues that modern activism needs to refocus on health care, education and safety for all women instead of a privileged few.
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Girlhood by Melissa Febos
The acclaimed author looks back on her experiences growing up as a female and how the values that she and other women learned in girlhood failed to prioritize their personal safety, happiness and freedom.
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North Carolina Library Association 265 Eastchester Drive Suite 133, #364 High Point, North Carolina 27262
www.nclaonline.org/ |
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