FLA News Digest October 2006
News of FLA
FLA Website Temporarily Unavailable
FLA has ended its relationship with its management company, CAMCO, and as a result,
the FLA Website is temporarily out of service. The Board is in the process of engaging
other companies to provide the variety of services it takes to manage the organization.
They expect to have other management service providers in place by early November.
FLA thanks members for their patience during this transition period. Members are
invited to email Executive Director Ruth O’Donnell, or phone her at 850-668-6911 or
850-322-5005 with any questions.
Florida Library Association 2007 - 2008 Slate of Candidates
The FLA Board has approved the following slate of candidates for offices in 2007-2008:
Vice President/ President Elect:
■ Mercedes Clement, Daytona Beach Community College
■ Lisa Manners, Broward County Libraries, Deerfield Beach Library
Treasurer:
■ Craig Stillings, Winter Park Public Library
■ Barbara Stites, Florida Gulf Coast University
Director (2 to be elected):
■ Florence Simkins Brown, North Miami Beach Public Library
■ Jason Martin, University of Central Florida
■ Tom Sloan, SEFLIN
■ Tomaro Taylor, University of South Florida
The election will take place in November and the results will be available well before the
2007 annual conference. Further information about the candidates will soon be available
on the FLA Website at www.flalib.org and on the ballot, which will be mailed early in
November. Members have the opportunity to submit additional candidates by petition of
at least twenty-five members of the Association. Members have thirty days from the first
official announcement of the slate on the FLA listserve to submit such petitions to the
Nominating Committee Chair. Submissions will be accepted through the end of the day
on October 31.
FLA News Digest
October 2006 - p.2
News of and for Florida Libraries
Levy County’s Drug-Testing Policy Causes Senior Volunteers To Flee
The pool of volunteers at the five-branch Levy County Public Library System has
dwindled from 55 down to two as a result of objections to the county’s strict drug-testing
policy. Levy County relies heavily on volunteers, most of them seniors, to keep their
libraries running, but their county’s public risk management insurance requires that
volunteers be treated and tested in the same manner as paid employees. Volunteers chose
to resign their positions rather than submit to the required urinalysis test. Since testing is
necessary in order to remain in compliance with regulations, County Coordinator Fred
Moody said that in the future, the county may consider less-intrusive tests like mouth
swabs.
Young Adult Author John H. Ritter Featured Guest at Pinellas Public Library
John H. Ritter was the headliner of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative’s celebration
of Teen Read Week from October 16-20. The award-winning author of the novels
Choosing Up Sides and The Boy Who Saved Baseball, Ritter gave public presentations
and writing workshops to teens throughout the county. Public library programs were held
at the St. Petersburg West Community Library, the East Lake Community Library; the
Largo Public Library, the Palm Harbor Public Library, the Dunedin Public Library, and
the Seminole Community Library. Mr. Ritter also held a book signing at Borders at the
close of the event week. For more information, please contact the Pinellas Public Library
Cooperative at (727) 441-8408 or visit www.pplc.us.
ACLD Wins NE Florida Library Staff Training Award
The Alachua County Library District was awarded the annual Northeast Florida Library
Information Network (NEFLIN) Golden Apple for the second year in a row. The award is
given to a library system in Northeast Florida having the highest participation in staff
training events. This year, ACLD staff have attended more than 315 continuing education
events in areas such as collection development, computer training, customer service and
grant-writing. Library director Sol Hirsch credits this achievement to the ACLD staff.
“This award shows that our staff are highly dedicated library workers, motivated to
continuous learning and to sharing that knowledge with the public,” he said.
Miami-Dade Public Library System’s $108 Million Budget Approved
The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the MiamiDade Public Library System’s $108 million annual budget for fiscal year 2006-2007.
This figure represents a 28 percent increase over last year’s budget and will allow the
library to offer patrons enhanced services and longer operating hours. Branch libraries
will be opened additional days, and new full-time positions will be available for programs
such as the Bookmobile, Borrow-by-Mail and other support service areas. Phase one of a
system-wide security plan will also be implemented. The Library System’s Capital
Expansion Plan will also receive funding. allowing for the construction of ten facilities
FLA News Digest
October 2006 - p.3
and the opening of eight storefront libraries by 2011. For more about the Miami-Dade
Public Library System, visit: www.mdpls.org.
Florida Gulf Coast University Library Annex Completed
Florida Gulf Coast University’s new 108,000 square
foot Library Annex was completed in early July. The
entire library collection and staff moved out of the
original library and into the new building with no
interruption in hours, and minimal disruption of
services and access. The original building is
undergoing renovation and will open again in Spring
2007. At that time, much of the administrative staff,
the reference librarians and the reference and
periodicals collection will be shifted back into the
original building and the general collections will spread
out in the Annex. The two buildings will be connected
by interior bridges. A 24-hour Internet cafe will be
operated by Starbucks.
The four story building has an atrium that overlooks the
Students take advantage of
campus and surrounding ponds and swamp lands. A
increased study space in new
much larger computing lab on the first floor serves the
FGCU Annex
student body with over one hundred computers and
multi-media stations. There are group study rooms on the first and second floors,
comfortable seating on all three floors and wireless access.
Florida Book Awards Celebrates Year’s Best Books by Florida Authors
The First Annual Florida Book Awards will recognize the year’s best books by Sunshine
State authors. Spearheaded by the Florida State University Program in American and
Florida Studies, the contest is co-sponsored by more than a dozen humanities
organizations from around the state. The judges are scholars and literary luminaries from
Florida universities and from co-sponsors such as the Florida Center for the Book, State
Library and Archives of Florida, Florida Humanities Council, and the Florida Library
Association. FSU’s Wayne Wiegand, a professor of library and information studies and
of American studies, serves as director of the Florida Book Awards. Coordinating the
competition with Wiegand is John Fenstermaker, director of the Program in American
and Florida studies at FSU and chair of the Book Awards executive committee.
The books will be showcased throughout the year in permanent, autographed library
displays of “Gold Award” and “Silver Award” recipients, profiles of the winning authors
and books in the prestigious Florida Humanities Council “Forum,” and readings, book
fairs, posters and more. The competition phase concludes in early March with the
announcement of up to five finalists in each category: general fiction, children’s
literature, young adult literature, Florida non-fiction, poetry, popular fiction and Spanish
language works. On March 28, 2007, the first annual competition will culminate in
FLA News Digest
October 2006 - p.4
Tallahassee with a ceremony at the State Library and Archives to recognize formally the
works judged tops by jurors (such as acclaimed poet David Kirby of FSU) drawn from
several universities and other co-sponsoring bodies across Florida.
Authors are invited to submit entries with an original publication date between Jan. 1,
2006 and Dec. 31, 2006. All authors (except in the non-fiction category) must be fulltime Florida residents. Any member of the public may submit an unlimited number of
titles into competition. Contest guidelines, entry forms, and lists of sponsors, jury
members and key contacts on the Florida Book Awards, are available through the FSU
Program in American & Florida Studies Website: http://www.fsu.edu/~ams. Required
forms, fees ($50 per title, capped at $250) and review copies must arrive no later than 5
p.m., Jan. 5, 2007.
Pinellas Public Library Directors Welcome
New Board Members
As the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative
(PPLC) began a new season, the Library
Directors met with the new PPLC Board of
Directors. Along with special guests Janine
Golden from the State Library and Liz
Warren from the Pinellas County
Administrator’s Office, the Cooperative
welcomed Jeri Antozzi, Pushpa Venkatesh,
and Ronalda Hobson to the 2006-2007
PPLC Board. Members finishing their threeyear terms of service include Vice
Chairman, Maria Edmonds,
Secretary/Treasurer Tom Jennings, and pastSecretary/Treasurer Abigail Helck.
Chairman Michele Abramo poses with new Board
Members Pushpa Venkatesh, Jeri Antozzi and
Ronalda Hobson
Upcoming Previews of “Unbanned” Scheduled Events in Hillsborough Libraries
Five libraries in Hillsborough County have been selected for showings of the film
documentary “Unbanned.” Librarians interested in an alternate view of the Hillsborough
County book display ban are invited to attend one of these advocacy events, scheduled
throughout October and November. The focus of the film is equality for all, and will
inform viewers about issues involving GLBTQ, Straight Alliance, and other multicultural issues that are featured in challenged or banned books.
According to Brandon Pride President, certain Hillsborough County libraries have been
selected as venues for viewing the film, because of the decision by Hillsborough County
Commissioners to ban Gay Pride displays. By presenting this film, the Brandon Pride,
librarians, and equal rights activists hope to advocate equality for all throughout
Hillsborough County. For more information and detailed dates, times, and maps to the
library events, visit: http://www.unbanned.org/announcement.html.
FLA News Digest
October 2006 - p.5
Family Literacy Program Receives READ Pinellas Grant
The Pinellas Public Library Cooperative’s Born to Read program was recently awarded a
$500 grant from READ Pinellas to support family literacy programming and materials.
These funds will support Born to Read families throughout Pinellas County through their
public libraries. READ Pinellas is a literacy organization that strives to assist programs
such as Born to READ and enable families to break the chronic cycle of illiteracy and
poverty. These at-risk families in Pinellas County include teen parents, poverty level
families, ESOL families and families with special needs. Children’s books, parenting
guides and other literacy resources will be purchased with these funds to benefit those
individuals in the Pinellas community. For more information, contact the Pinellas Public
Library Cooperative at (727) 441-8408.
Dr. Vicki L. Gregory Steps Down as Director of USF School Of Library and
Information Science
Dr. Vicki L. Gregory, who has served as Director of the University of South Florida
(USF), School of Library & Information Science (SLIS) since 1999, has announced her
intention to return to full-time teaching and research activities by August 2007. The USF
College of Arts & Sciences has formed a Search Committee to help find a new SLIS
Director.
During Dr. Gregory’s eight-year term as Director, the MLS degree program has roughly
doubled in size, to over 550 graduate students enrolled as of fall 2006, and the faculty has
grown from 12 to 18. Dr. Gregory was critical in the collaboration between USF SLIS
and The College of The Bahamas to offer a MLS degree to citizens of that country and
others in the Caribbean. Dr. Gregory also has helped lead and facilitate the development
of a proposed doctoral program in LIS that is currently in the early approval stages.
Pinellas Public Library Cooperative Congratulates 2006 – 2007 Board Officers
The Pinellas Public Library Cooperative is pleased to announce its new
Board Officers for the 2006 – 2007 fiscal year. The Cooperative
congratulates Michele Abramo of Seminole on her re-appointment as
Chairman of the Board. Ms. Abramo is a resident of Seminole and has
served as a member of the board for the past two years.
The new Vice Chairman is Donald McGarigle. Mr. McGarigle is from
Treasure Island and brings a background in mathematics and
engineering to the Board. He is a retiree of the IBM Corporation and
currently serves as the President for the Gulf Beaches Public Library
Friends of the Library.
The Secretary/Treasurer is Laura Sargent. Ms. Sargent is from Seminole
and is the Supervisor of Adult, Community, and Workforce Education for
Pinellas County Schools. She is also a member of READ Pinellas, a local
FLA News Digest
October 2006 - p.6
literacy coalition, and has served as an Executive Board member for 5 years and Past
President. For more information, please contact the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative
at (727) 441-8408.
2006 Emerson Greenaway Award Given to Lucy Gangone
Lucy Gangone of the Sumter County Library System, Sumterville, FL, is the 2006
recipient of the Emerson Greenaway Award. The award is presented to individuals who
have had a demonstrated impact on the library field in the New England region. Ms.
Gangone will receive the award at NELA’s annual banquet on Sunday, October 22 in
Burlington, Vermont. Ms. Gangone was the champion of NELLS (New England Library
Leadership Symposium), a unique program within NELA that develops and explores
leadership potential of new librarians. Besides serving as an officer in various state
library associations, she has also served as past NELA Membership Chair, Treasurer,
Conference Chair, and President. She has been with the Sumter County Library System
since November 2005 and is a member of the FLA Legislative Committee. For further
information regarding the NELA annual conference and banquet, go to the association’s
Website at http://www.nelib.org.
Library to Feature Artists in Teen Art Show Competition and Exhibit
Artists, aged 12-18, will have the opportunity to display their work to the public at the
Alachua County Library District’s annual Teen Art Show. All media of art will be
featured, and prizes and ribbons will be awarded. All submitted art work will be
exhibited at the Headquarters Library Oct. 21 though Oct. 22. Pieces judged “best of
show” will continue to be displayed through Jan. 5. For more information on this and
other library events, visit www.aclib.us or call (352) 334-3941.
Governor Bush Launches Florida Family Literacy Academy
As part of the Governor’s Family Literacy Initiative, Governor Jeb Bush has launched the
Florida Family Literacy Academy. Coordinated by the Volunteer Florida Foundation,
twelve of the initiative’s top family literacy providers will create a network to test, teach
and share best practices throughout Florida and the nation. The programs chosen to
participate in the Florida Family Literacy Academy have signed a three-year commitment
to serve as teachers and trainers of the next generation of family literacy programs. The
Governor’s Family Literacy Initiative’s funded programs engage all members of the
family to foster a passion for learning and helping each other achieve. The Initiative
focuses on adult education, early childhood education and parenting education. For more
information on the Governor’s Family Literacy Initiative or to volunteer, visit:
www.VolunteerFloridaFoundation.org.
USF School of Library and Information Science Ranks in the Top 20 for Scholarly
Productivity in the U.S.
The University of South Florida School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) ranks
17th among accredited Library and Information Science schools in the U.S. (tied with
FLA News Digest
October 2006 - p.7
Simmons College) for the number of published journal articles, according to Adkins and
Budd’s recent Library and Information Science Research article, “Scholarly Productivity
of U.S. LIS Faculty” (Aug. 2006, pp. 374-389).
Kathleen de la Peña McCook, Ph.D., a distinguished university professor at USF and
former director of the SLIS program, authored 12 of the school’s 27 articles during the
1999-2004 academic years. This places McCook 11th nationwide for scholarly
productivity in the Library and Information Science field. McCook is also the author of
seven books. More information about Kathleen de la Peña’s books and journal
publications can be found at: http://www.cas.usf.edu/lis/mccook/selectedpublications.htm
The complete “Scholarly Productivity of U.S. LIS Faculty” article can be found at:
www.sciencedirect.com.
Broward County American Sign Language Literacy Festival
The inaugural Broward County American Sign
Language Literacy Festival was held on
Saturday, September 16, 2006 at the North
Regional/BCC Library in Coconut Creek. The
event was sponsored by the Broward Public
Library Foundation and CVS/pharmacy, in
partnership with Broward County Library and
the Alliance for Families with Deaf Children.
305 adults and 97 children registered, including
families from as far away as Fort Myers and the
Tampa Bay area.
Children practice their signing
skills
Trix Bruce, a deaf performing artist from Seattle, presented two workshops for adults,
while children enjoyed ASL storytelling, a related literacy craft, ASL games, face
painting, and a magic show by a deaf magician. A highlight of the day was a dance and
signing performance by Chorus of Hands. Attendees also visited exhibitors and a library
display of resources available for check out, including ASL instructional books and
Shared Reading Project kits. For further information, please contact Kathy Werthman,
Access Services Coordinator, at 954-357-8686 or kwerthma@browardlibrary.org.
Local author Mark Mitchell featured guest at Alachua County Library
Local author and editor Mark Mitchell presented readings from his work, fielded
questions, and signed books at the Alachua County Library District’s Downtown
Headquarters on September 24. Mitchell is the author of Virtuosi: A Defense and a
(Sometimes Erotic) Celebration of Great Pianists and is also the managing editor of
SUBTROPICS, the new literary magazine published by the University of Florida’s
English department. His most recent title is Moriz Rosenthal in Word And Music: A
Legacy of the Nineteenth Century. Mitchell is also a 2006-2007 Guggenheim fellow. The
event was sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
FLA News Digest
October 2006 - p.8
Literacy Coordination Grant Awarded
The Alachua County Library District received a $53,000 LSTA grant which will benefit
local literacy coordination. A literacy coordinator will be hired to recruit volunteers, pair
tutors with students, develop a roster of organizations, and facilitate communication
between various literacy services. Funding for the grant will begin in October.
Gift Of Guitars Gives Joy To Children At Elisabeth Lahti Library
Community philanthropist Elisabeth
Lahti has donated five guitars to the
Martin County Library System for
children’s guitar lessons. Instructing the
eager youngsters, mostly fifth and sixth
graders, is Larry Slater, a retiree from
the Palm Beach County School District.
Students will have the opportunity to
take guitars home for practice once
padded cases are received with
additional guitars, courtesy of another
benefactor. To learn more about the
Martin County Library System, visit the
library Website:
www.library.martin.fl.us.
Three students enjoy guitar lessons
National and International News
$1.6 Million Awarded to Promote Leadership in Nation’s Museums
The Institute of Museum and Library Services, the primary source of federal funds for the
nation’s museums and libraries, awarded $1,671,157 to nine organizations under the 21st
Century Museum Professionals program. The recipients will match the awards with an
additional $1,887,935. This year IMLS received 52 applications for the grants seeking
nearly $11 million.
The 21st Century Museum Professionals program supports a range of activities, including
professional training in all areas of museum operations and leadership development.
Museum professionals need high levels of knowledge and expertise to allow museums to
play their essential role in the education of the American public: preserving our rich
heritage and transmitting it from one generation to the next. In partnership with schools,
community organizations, and other cultural institutions, the 21st Century Museum
Professionals program helps museum professionals update their knowledge and skills.
For a contact list of the grant recipients and descriptions of their award winning projects,
visit: www.imls.gov/news/2006/092106_list.shtm.
FLA News Digest
October 2006 - p.9
RUSA issues redesigned journal and new journal Website
The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) division of ALA announced the
redesign of the print edition of its journal, Reference & User Services Quarterly (RUSQ),
and the launch of its companion Website, www.rusq.org. The online companion provides
full-text (HTML and PDF) of the articles and is running on blog software so readers can
communicate with authors. The Sources database, reviews of reference sources and
professional materials, has been redesigned and provides a searchable database of the
full-text of the reviews since 1997.
Non-MLS Salary Survey Now Available
The first edition of the ALA-APA Salary Survey: Non-MLS - Public and Academic is
now available. The study reports data on 62 different positions including associate
librarians, library technical assistants, copy catalogers and interlibrary loan assistants,
information technology managers, human resources managers, administrative assistants,
accountants, and development personnel. The salaries reported range from $10,712 to
$141,924. The public libraries are separated into five categories based upon the size of
the population served, very small to very large. The academic libraries examined in the
survey are divided into two-year colleges and four-year colleges and universities. The
survey presents regional and state-level mean, quartile, and range data on all 62 positions
across all nine categories of libraries. Survey methodology, technical considerations and
detailed discussion are also provided. The ALA Non-MLS Salary Survey is $90 for
institutional and individual ALA members and $100 for non-ALA members. It may be
purchased from the ALA Online Store, www.alastore.ala.org. The 2006 Survey of
Librarian Salaries will be available in November.
Award for Ph.D. Research Announced
A $1500 award and a plaque will be awarded to a student doing research in academic
librarianship by Thomson Scientific. Eligible applicants must:
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be an active doctoral student;
be enrolled in an accredited degree-granting institution;
be engaged in researching a topic related to academic librarianship;
have successfully COMPLETED all of your Ph.D. coursework;
have had a dissertation proposal accepted by the institution; and
have not previously received this fellowship
Criteria are available at http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlawards/doctoraldissertation.htm.
Applicants do not need to be enrolled in a library science doctoral program, but can be
enrolled in any kind of accredited program as long as their research focus is academic
librarianship. Contact Teresa Neely, chair of the ACRL Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship
Committee for 2006-2007, at neely@unm.edu with any questions. Deadline for
submissions is Friday, December 1, 2006.
FLA News Digest
October 2006 - p.10
New Online Archive Of “Let’s Talk About It” Discussion Programs
The Public Programs Office (PPO) of ALA announces the creation of a new online
resource for librarians interested in conducting reading and discussion programs. The
archive for Let’s Talk About It reading and discussion programs, is available online at
http://publicprograms.ala.org/ltai/. It provides information related to previous Let’s Talk
About It national programs for libraries.
Librarians interested in hosting their own Let’s Talk About It program can review and
acquire program materials related to more than 20 prior discussion themes, including
Long Gone: The Literature and Culture of African American Migration; One Vision,
Many Voices: Latino Literature in the U.S.; and Sovereign Worlds: Native Peoples
Reclaim Their Lives and Heritage. Annotated reading lists, theme-related scholarly
essays, supplementary texts with brief summaries and a “How To” discussion
programming guide can be downloaded from the site.
The format for the program involves a 10-week series on a given theme. A discussion
group meets in the library every two weeks to discuss a theme-related book. After initial
discussion with a local humanities scholar, the audience breaks into smaller groups to talk
about the book, share ideas and raise more questions. The large group reconvenes for
final discussion and closing comments. For more information, visit:
www.ala.org/publicprograms.
ALA Warns that EPA Library Losses May Continue
According to an ALA status report, the outlook for Environmental Protection Agency
library service remains bleak. Public access to the main EPA library in Washington, DC
and three EPA regional libraries have been closed, and more cuts in hours and services
are anticipated at other regional libraries. ALA’s Office of Government Relations
remains concerned that Congress will not replace the $2 million cut proposed by
President Bush, which represents 80 percent of the funding for the EPA libraries.
Congress will return after the November elections to finish most of the FY2007 federal
appropriations bills. Further cuts are expected in the 2008 presidential budget for EPA.
Award for Improving Library Workers’ Salaries and Status
The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) is
seeking both individuals and organizations, that have made a positive change in the
salaries or status of librarians and/or support staff. The winner will receive a $5000
award, sponsored by the SirsiDynix Corporation. Nominations will be reviewed by the
Award Jury at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in January 2007 in Seattle, WA, and the
winner(s) will be honored at the Annual Conference in June 2007 in Washington, DC.
The Award Jury encourages the library community to nominate those who are actively
working on every level to secure equitable pay for people in librarianship and whose
actions have had a local, regional or national impact. Each nominee must submit three
nominations using the electronic application form at: http://www.ala-
FLA News Digest
October 2006 - p.11
apa.org/salaries/sirsidynixnominationform.html. Only the first three nominations received
will be reviewed. Self-nominations are permitted. Supporting documents may be emailed
to ALA-APA, faxed to 312-280-5013 or mailed to SirsiDynix Award, ALA-APA, 50
East Huron, Chicago, IL 60611.
The recipient of the award does not have to be an ALA member or a current or past
library staff member. The requirement is that the award recipient’s achievement(s) has
been notable. Officers of the ALA or the ALA-Allied Professional Association are not
eligible for the award, nor are members of the ALA-APA Salary Awards Committee,
ALA-APA Standing Committee on the Salaries and Status of Library Workers or
employees of SirsiDynix. The ALA-APA Dynix Award Jury and employees of the
SirsiDynix Corporation are not eligible for this award. For more information, contact
jgrady@ala.org. The deadline is Friday, December 1, 2006.
Nominations sought for the LITA/Brett Butler Entrepreneurship Award.
The LITA Brett Butler Award Committee is seeking nominations for the LITA/Brett
Butler Entrepreneurship Award. This award and is given to recognize a librarian or
library who demonstrates exemplary entrepreneurship by providing an innovative
product(s) or service, designed to meet the needs of the library world through the skillful
and practical application of information technology.
Candidates for the award will be selected based on the following criteria:
1. Appropriate and creative use of information technology in its development, and
significance of its contribution to the functioning of libraries and/or librarians.
2. Clarity and effectiveness of the written application/nomination, including
sufficient detail to demonstrate the relevance and usefulness of the
product/service to libraries and/or librarians.
Applications should evidence timeliness in product/service development, originality of
ideas, persuasiveness of arguments, quality of writing, and clarity of presentation.
Applications should also include reference information for those with knowledge of the
product/service who may be consulted by the Committee and potential sites which may
be visited or queried. The winner will receive $5,000 from Thomson Gale and a framed
certificate will be presented at the ALA Annual 2007 LITA President’s Program. The
winner will be invited to submit a descriptive summary of the entrepreneurial
achievement for publication in a featured area of the LITA Website. Send nominations to
Janet Lee-Smeltzer (jleesme@umbc.edu), Chair of the LITA/Brett Butler
Entrepreneurship Award Committee. Deadline for nominations is December 1, 2006.
More information is available at
http://www.ala.org/ala/lita/litaresources/litascholarships/litascholarships.htm.
ALA Diversity Study Confirms Need For Continued Recruitment of People of Color
Earlier this month, ALA released “Diversity Counts,” a comprehensive study of gender,
race and age in the library profession. Using 1990 and 2000 Census data (the most
FLA News Digest
October 2006 - p.12
current available), the study found that the nearly 110,000 credentialed librarians were
predominantly ages 45 - 54, female and white. The number of racial and ethnic minorities
receiving accredited library master’s degrees (MLIS) grew 4 percent, up to about 13
percent in 2000 from 9 percent in 1990.
According to 2000 U.S. Census data, about 25 percent of Americans were non-white,
compared with 11 percent of credentialed librarians, and academic librarians were
slightly more ethnically diverse than their counterparts in public and school libraries,
with a representation of 15 percent non-white. To review the study in its entirety, visit:
www.ala.org/diversitycounts. For more information on the Spectrum scholarship
program, visit: www.ala.org/spectrum.
Manuscripts sought for LITA/Endeavor student writing award
The Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), a division of the American
Library Association (ALA), is pleased to offer an award for the best unpublished
manuscript submitted by a student or students enrolled in an ALA-accredited graduate
program. Sponsored by LITA and Endeavor Information Systems, the award consists of
$1,000, publication in LITA’s refereed journal, Information Technology and Libraries
(ITAL), and a certificate. The purpose of the award is to recognize superior student
writing and to enhance the professional development of students. The manuscript can be
written on any aspect of libraries and information technology. The applicant(s) must be
enrolled in an ALA-accredited program in library and information studies at the masters
or Ph.D. level at the time the unpublished manuscript is submitted. To be eligible,
applicants must follow the detailed guidelines and fill out the application form at
www.lita.org. Send the signed, completed forms to Joan K. Lippincott, Coalition for
Networked Information, 21 Dupont Circle NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036.
Submit the manuscript to Joan electronically at joan@cni.org. The award will be
presented at the LITA President’s Program during the 2007 ALA Annual Conference in
Washington, DC. The deadline for submission of the manuscript and application form is
February 28, 2007.
Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse Now Online
The Literacy Coaching Clearinghouse (LCC) is now online. The LCC is a joint venture
of the International Reading Association and National Council of Teachers of English. Its
mission is to increase the knowledge base, research, and practice of literacy coaching.
Some of the highlights of the LCC Website are briefs on the topics that are important to
literacy coaching, a library of articles, the LLC blog, and forums. Those interested in
learning more about literacy coaching can visit the site at:
http://www.literacycoachingonline.org/.
FLA News Digest
October 2006 - p.13
People
Kristie Casey is the new Youth Services Librarian at the New Port Richey Public
Library. She is a graduate of Florida State University and comes from Alabama.
Mercedes Clement has been named Daytona Beach
Community College Faculty Advocate of the Year.
DBCC Dean Yvonne Newcomb-Doty had this to say
about Mercedes Clement: “At DBCC; librarians have
long established a place of high regard among faculty
and administration. Since 1986 three librarians have
served as chair of the Faculty Senate and another as
vice chair. Now adding to this prestigious honor
Mercedes Clement has not only served as an
outstanding Faculty Senate President this past year but
was also awarded Faculty Advocate of the Year award
by the Faculty Senate. Mercedes Clement exemplifies
the importance of keeping the library and its mission
seated at the table of influence.” Clement adds, “My
goal is to promote librarians as faculty.”
Mercedes Clement and Frank
Lombardo, Vice President for
Academic Affairs
Cheryl A. Davis, MLS USF ‘06, completed an internship at the Evans Library in July.
Her work included reference and research consultations, point-of-use instruction,
database searching, patron access functions, and collection development. Ms. Davis is
continuing her work as a volunteer at the Library.
Warren McEwen joined the staff at Florida A & M University College of Law Library,
Orlando in September, as an OPS Reference Librarian. Warren received his MLS from
the University of South Florida and his J. D. from Western New England College School
of Law. Warren previously worked for nine years at Barry University Law Library in
Orlando.
Barbara Stites was appointed Assistant Director for Public Services for the FGCU
Library in July. Barbara had been Executive Director of the Southwest Florida Library
Network since 1999 and prior to that served as Executive Director of the Tampa Bay
Library Consortium.
Calendar
October 2006
10/12 Deadline for October News Digest; send items to Laura Kirkland
November 2006
11/3 FLA Board Meeting (Ocala Public Library)
11/12 Deadline for November News Digest; send items to Laura Kirkland