FLA News Digest December 2007
News of Florida Library Association
Human Resources Committee Advertises Executive Director Position
In November President Charlie Parker appointed a seven person Human Resources
Committee chaired by Vice-President/President Elect Mercedes Clement. The Committee
is carrying out assignments in an Executive Board approved plan for hiring an executive
director, a half-time bookkeeper/administrative assistant and opening an FLA Office in
2008. The Executive Director position was advertised in Florida and nationally in early
December. The ad and executive director job description are at
http://www.flalib.org/executive_director_search.html.
2008 Conference Registration Begins
Information on and a link to the FLA April 22-25, 2008 conference registration for
attendees and exhibitors is now available on the FLA Web site at
http://www.flalib.org/conference_2008.html. Registration information and details
about the Tradewinds Resort on St. Pete Beach is also available at the same location.
Executive Board Members Can Nominate Board Interns and Fellows
The FLA interns and fellows program is taking nominations from Board members during
December and January. If you are interested, contact an FLA officer, listed at
http://www.flalib.org/PDFdocuments/Exec%20Bd%20list%202007-08.pdf, to
discuss a nomination. Information about internships and fellowships is in Section 3,
Governance & Committees, page 3 of the FLA Manual
http://www.flalib.org/PDFdocuments/manualSect3Govern_Com9_10_07.pdf.
FLA Library Days Events at a New Venue This Year
The Legislative Committee has moved 2008 Library Days (February 19 & 20) to a new
location this year so they will be closer to hotels and better parking. We’ll still be at the
Florida Capitol meeting with legislators, of course, but the briefing, Friends Idea
Exchange, and reception will all be held at the Homewood Suites, right next to the
Hampton Inn on Apalachee Parkway in Tallahassee. For details go to
http://www.flalib.org/FLA_Library_Days_2008_new.htm.
A Hospitality Room in the Old Capitol building will be a new feature of Library Days
this year. Florida State University College of Information student volunteers are helping
the Legislative Committee by staffing that service and assisting with registration.
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.2
News of and For Florida Libraries
Stetson University Library Participates in Librarian Exchange with German Library
L to R: Stetson University President Doug Lee, Margaret Lee,
Hildegard Kölz, and Library Director Betty Johnson.
The duPont-Ball Library of
Stetson University hosted
German librarian Hildegard
Kölz November 2-16, 2007,
as part of an international
faculty exchange between
Stetson and the University of
Education (Pädagogische
Hochschule), Freiburg,
Germany. Frau Kölz is Head
of Acquisitions at the
University of Education
Library.
During her stay, Frau Kölz
met with librarians and staff in all departments of the duPont-Ball Library and presented
a program on the Library of the University of Education to the librarians and staff of the
duPont-Ball Library. She also visited Flagler College (St. Augustine, FL), Rollins
College (Winter Park, FL), and the University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL), meeting
with members of their acquisitions departments and touring their libraries.
Jane Bradford, Coordinator of Library Instruction and Reference Librarian, was the
duPont-Ball Library’s exchange librarian to the University of Education in March 2007.
While there, Ms. Bradford made two presentations to librarians and faculty of the
University of Education and visited libraries in Heidelberg, Basel, and Konstanz. Both
libraries hope to continue the exchange allowing other librarians to visit libraries outside
their home countries.
Children Around the World Mural at Southeast Jacksonville Branch Library
Nancy Floyd loves to paint walls, and is usually in search of an empty wall to bring to
life. The wall behind the story corner steps in the Southeast Branch Library became the
perfect place for her next project.
Southeast Branch children’s staff wanted to brighten a dull corner, as well as highlight
their desire to welcome children from diverse cultures who visit their library. On the wall
behind the steps that rise in the story corner for children to sit while listening, Floyd
painted children representing countries from around the globe. Boys and girls in bright
clothes like those worn on all continents perch on the painted steps and look like they are
waiting for real children to join them so a story time can begin. The children are so
lifelike it looks as if people are really sitting in the story corner.
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.3
The mural also features a couple of mysteries for the children to solve. There are a
certain number of ladybugs sprinkled throughout, and a mystery number of frogs are
worked into the design. The frogs are a tribute to the children’s department mascot,
“Ribbet” who lives in the pond on the east side of the building.
Artist Floyd, a west side Jacksonville resident who works at the Webb Wesconnett
Branch Library, painted books throughout the mural’s setting. “It was an honor for me to
be able to do a mural in a place I’ve always loved,” she says. Floyd, a Jacksonville
native, has painted professionally for 15 years. This isn’t the first mural she’s painted for
the Jacksonville Public Library. Last year, Floyd painted a bridge on a wall spanning the
children’s and adult areas of the Webb Wesconnett Branch Library where she works part
time.
The Friends of the Jacksonville Public Library funded Floyd’s project at Webb
Wesconnett Branch and underwrote Southeast Branch’s new mural. The Friends of the
Jacksonville Public Library work to increase awareness of public libraries in the
community and raise funds to enhance library services.
South Lee County Library Patron’s Drawing Handpicked for Upcoming Cat Calendar
Baker & Taylor, touted the world’s largest book
and entertainment distributor, has selected the
drawing of a young South Lee County Regional
Library patron for its 2008 Cat Calendar. Andrew
Mullen, 14, entered the company’s third-annual Cat
Calendar Art Contest in behalf of South County
Regional in Fort Myers. His praiseworthy drawing
of the Baker and Taylor cat mascots will be
featured during the month of August in next year’s
calendar. Andrew’s drawing is one of 12 winning
pieces chosen from more than 2,000 entries
submitted by young Baker & Taylor public and
school library customers worldwide. The Fort
Myers youth will receive a certificate and 20 copies
of the calendar featuring his drawing. The South
County library will receive a $500 credit on its
Baker & Taylor account.
Osceola Library System Announces Book a Librarian
The Book a Librarian service allows customers to reserve up to 30 minutes with a
professional Librarian who will help sort through information and/or computer needs.
Topics suitable for Book a Librarian include:



Limited computer and Internet instruction
Business and statistical data
Homework and research assistance
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.4




Guidance for report and term paper preparation
Limited legal research
Health and wellness information
Community resources
For more information about this free service, visit OsceolaLibrary.org, call 407-742-8888
or visit any Osceola Library location.
Sorensen Video Relay Service Available At All Jacksonville Library Locations
Sorenson Video Relay Service (VRS) is now available at all Jacksonville Public Library
locations. The Jacksonville Public Library (JPL) was the first library in the country to
make this service available at all its locations. Sorensen Communications provided the
VRS equipment to the library free-of-charge and JPL’s Talking Books Library for Blind
and Physically Disabled Customers coordinated its installation with the assistance of the
City of Jacksonville’s Information Technology Department.
Sorenson Video Relay Service (VRS) is a free service for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
community that enables anyone to conduct video relay calls with family, friends or
business associates through a certified ASL interpreter via a high-speed Internet
connection. The deaf user sees an interpreter on the computer and signs to the interpreter,
who then contacts the hearing user via a standard phone line and relays the conversation
between the two parties. Hearing customers can also place video relay calls to a deaf
customer by simply dialing the toll free number 1-866-FAST-VRS.
Jerry Reynolds, Talking Books Library department manager, says that many deaf people
are dependent on relay services for communication with the world-at-large. Video relay
services are an improvement over audio relay services because less of the conversation is
likely to get lost in translation. Sorensen VRS is available at all library locations during
normal hours. Customers can check the library’s website for locations and their hours.
NEFLIN Unveils Its New Website
NEFLIN announces the unveiling of their new website. The new site was created with
feedback from the membership and moves the organization to a content management
system created by FishByte Web Design that allows for easy update of information. The
new website features easy navigation, NEFLIN 2.0, and a searchable database of the
multimedia collection available to members. NEFLIN 2.0 includes the Blah, Blah, Blah
Blog, links to member libraries blogs, wikis, MySpace, flickr, and YouTube sites and
access to workshop materials via del.icio.us is coming. To encourage members to explore
the new site, Amazon.com gift certificates were hidden throughout the website and were
awarded to the first member library staff to find them.
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.5
Ringling Museum Library Forms New Friends Group
The Ringling Museum Library has just become one of the few art museum libraries in the
United States to begin its own Friends group. For more information about this new group
please contact Linda McKee, Head Librarian.
Library’s Special Toys Prove to be a Real “Bell Ringer”
Through the generosity grants from the Palm Harbor Junior Women’s Club and the
Friends of the Library, Palm Harbor Library is proud to lend out a large collection of
adaptive toys and devices for children and adults with special needs. The devices enable
people with physical limitations to perform different activities they would otherwise find
impossible.
The human side of this collection and how it affects
so many lives came to light last Christmas season,
and again this year. Lois Eannel, Assistant Director
and Head of Youth Services, received a call from
young Marshall Roberts, who has cerebral palsy, but
who has always aspired to be a bell ringer for the
Salvation Army. He asked to borrow the library’s
“ring around bells” adaptive toy. Unable to grasp
the handle of a typical bell, this device lets him man
his post in front of the Chelsea Place Publix grocery
store in New Port Richey, Florida.
Marshall and his service dog, Archie,
have both become local celebrities,
thanks to the Toys and Tools to Go
collection.
For further information on the adaptive toy
collection, contact the library’s Youth Services
Department at 727-784-3332, Ext. 206.
Jenna Bush Visits Main Jacksonville Library on Book Tour
Jenna Bush visited the Jacksonville Public Library as part of her book tour for Ana’s
Story: A Journey Of Hope on November 9, 2007. As part of a community partnership
with Borders Books, the library hosted an audience of 250 people for Ms. Bush’s
presentation on the evening of November 9.
In the fall of 2006, Jenna Bush began an internship with UNICEF, traveling throughout
Latin America while documenting the lives of children and young adults living in poverty
and exclusion. As she listened to their stories and spoke with them in their native
Spanish, Jenna was struck by their courage and determination to survive. In particular,
she was impressed with a seventeen-year-old single mother named Ana, who was living
with HIV.
The result is her book, Ana’s Story: A Journey Of Hope, which shares Ana’s experiences
but is also built around the stories of the other children she met in similar circumstances
during her internship.
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.6
Ana’s Story also provides straightforward information for teens about HIV/AIDS,
protection from abuse, and offers further resources for help. With Ana’s Story, Bush
gives teens a moving and powerful story, as well as information and tools to open a
dialogue on how to make a difference in the world.
Jacksonville Public Library also arranged for Jenna Bush to visit Samuel W. Wolfson
High School during the school day. Bush met with honors students and viewed their class
projects using her book theme.
Jenna Bush autographed copies of her books at Wolfson High School and the Main
Library for audience members.
NEFLIN Libraries Receive Their Highest “Return on Investment”
Each year NEFLIN prepares a “Return on Investment” (ROI) report for their member
libraries. During 2006-07, the average ROI for a NEFLIN member library was $13,500 or
15 times what the library paid in membership dues. This is the highest return NEFLIN
has ever provided its member libraries. You can view a sample ROI Report here.
Two Tampa Teens Want to Build a Library in Kenya
Danielle Rodriguez and
Megan Adams, two juniors
who attend the Academy of
Holy Names in Tampa,
Florida, have been working
to help a community in
Kenya. Their goal is to help
build a library in Thika,
Kenya in order to save lives.
Their website has Ghandi’s
words, “We must become
the change we want to see in
the world.” By starting a
fundraising initiative called
Literacy Leads to Hope to
support the American Friends
of Kenya organization, they
hope to raise money to build a library which will help inform people in Thika about
AIDS as well as get books to people who do not have any.
Danielle Rodriguez and Megan Adams hold their Tumaini dolls.
According to their website the library will be a complex “to educate and provide the
people of Kenya with hope for the future.” Over 1 million people will be served by this
library.
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.7
Both girls are sixteen years old, and have taken part in community service projects at
their high school. However, they were searching for a way to truly make a difference in
the world instead of simply accumulating community service hour points for college.
Through a fundraiser, the girls raised $15,000 and $37,000 from a Canadian Baptist
church. Megan and Danielle hope to raise $120,000 total in order to build the library in
Thika. Desks, books, computer, and shelves are in storage waiting for the building.
Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio declared November 13 Literacy Leads to Hope Day in Tampa,
Florida to support the girls’ efforts. They are now reaching out to schools in hopes of
raising more money through the sale of t-shirts and Tumaini (the word for “hope” in
Swahili) dolls that they have created. All the money they raise will go to the American
Friends of Kenya organization and earmarked for the library.
Jax Reads The Big Read Ends Reading Initiative With “Celebrate Zora!”
The Jacksonville Public Library hosted a grand finale, “Celebrate Zora!” for over 300
library customers to conclude its one city - one book reading initiative on November 2,
2007.
“Celebrate Zora!” honored Zora Neale Hurston and her most celebrated work, Their Eyes
Were Watching God. The event was open to the public and free of charge. The
celebration was sponsored in part by the Big Read grant from the National Endowment
for the Arts, matching grants from the Community Foundation of Jacksonville and W.K.
Kellogg Foundation, and local businesses and organizations including Hester Group,
Burger King – Downtown and The Links Incorporated.
Library customers enjoyed southern cuisine from Florida and beverages. Event attendees
were also treated to performances by children’s choir Ritz Voices and historical actress
Phyllis McEwen, and to dancing to the sounds of the Elite Band. Décor included a
Florida front porch, quotations from Their Eyes Were Watching God and photos/drawings
of Zora Neale Hurston.
The Jax Reads The Big Read initiative included over 20 book discussions and other
cultural programs throughout the Jacksonville community. Over 800 copies of Their Eyes
Were Watching God were checked out from the library during the initiative.
National and International News
Proposed Changes to the ALA Code of Ethics
ALA’s Code of Ethics will be 70 years old in 2009. In anticipation of this anniversary,
the Committee on Professional Ethics (COPE) sponsored programs at the annual
conferences from 2004 to 2006 to explore the need for revising the Code in light of new
association policies and issues facing the profession. Based on the comments received at
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.8
these programs, the Committee reviewed each article of Code and is proposing changes
in Articles III, IV, and V.
During these same programs, the issue of Code enforcement was also raised. This has
been an on-going debate for many years. Some members believe that if there is no
enforcement, the Code is useless. Others see the Code as a document of moral
responsibility believing that librarians do not need the threat of enforcement to maintain
their professional ethics.
On the advice of ALA’s legal counsel, COPE believes that the best approach is that
libraries adopt the Code as part of their policy, thus making it enforceable on a “local”
level. The Committee, however, does recognize the importance of providing library
workers and trustees with guidance on Code enforcement. In response to this concern, the
Committee has begun began working on a Q&A statement on Code enforceability that
will be circulated in the near future.
COPE plans to present the proposed changes to the Code of Ethics to the ALA Council
for adoption at its third session during the 2008 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. The committee, therefore, would appreciate receiving any comments prior
to conference, if possible, or prior to its final meeting at conference, which is on Monday,
January 14, 8:00 to 10:00 a.m., in the Philadelphia Marriott, Room 307.
Those interested are invited to send comments on the proposed changes to the Code of
Ethics prior to conference to Judith F. Krug, director, ALA Office for Intellectual
Freedom (phone: 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4222; fax: 312-280-4227. Written comments may
also be left at OIF’s table in the ALA Office Area in the Philadelphia Convention Center
until noon on Sunday, January 13.
COPE will also hold an open hearing to discuss the proposed changes to the Code of
Ethics on Sunday, January 13, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm in the Philadelphia Ritz Carlton Hotel’s
Petite Ballroom. A link to the proposed changes can be found here. The current Code of
Ethics can be found here.
ALA Reasserts Role of Libraries in E-government to U.S. Senate
On December 11, in a statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs, ALA addressed the critical yet unacknowledged role public
libraries play in delivering E-government. Increasingly, government agencies refer
individuals to their local public libraries for assistance and access to the Internet for
citizen-government interactions. Yet public libraries are not considered members of the
E-government team.
ALA’s statement, for the Committee’s hearing on E-government, highlighted the stress
these E-government services are placing on public libraries’ infrastructure and suggested
taking steps toward creating a partnership between public libraries and the government in
order to improve E-government delivery to citizens.
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.9
“Libraries strongly support the E-government Act, since it has enhanced access to
government information,” said Lynne Bradley, Director of ALA’s Office of Government
Relations. “However, since its enactment, public libraries are often the only organizations
that can help individuals interact with government agencies and access E-government
services.”
“Public libraries are open to taking on the challenge of E-government initiatives,”
Bradley continued, “yet the library community has seen little collaboration or support
from federal agencies for the significant increase in services public libraries provide on
their behalf.”
Recent studies reflect that this increased reliance on public libraries for access to Egovernment services has placed new pressures on public library’s technology and
personnel infrastructures. Public libraries are concerned that they will not be able to
maintain the quality of public Internet access, especially given the demands of the Web
2.0 environment.
ALA’s statement is available for download here.
Electronic Resources and Libraries Conference Coming in March 2008
With today’s library users plugged in to an increasingly digital world, libraries are
searching for new ways to fit their e-resources into their users’ iPod- and iPhone-driven
lifestyles. Librarians are looking for the best ways to manage and assess their electronic
resources to make the most of their limited budgets, while library administrators are
considering new ways of organizing their staff to make the most of their limited
personnel. These issues and more will be addressed at the 2008 Electronic Resources and
Libraries (ER&L) Conference, which will be held at the Georgia Institute of
Technology’s Global Learning Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Professionals from a variety of fields will share their e-insights through a combination of
innovative presentations and interactive panel sessions. Pre-conference sessions will offer
hands-on workshops in which participants will learn how to use LibX, successfully
manage projects in a 2.0 environment, conduct a communications audit, or improve
metadata quality.
The 2008 ER&L Conference will be held March 19-21, with pre-conference sessions on
March 18, at the Global Learning Center on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus.
For more information, contact Gayle Baker, Professor and Electronic Services
Coordinator, University of Tennessee Libraries, at 865-974-3519 or Bonnie Tijerina,
Digital Collections services Librarian, UCLA Library, or visit the ER&L web site.
SOLINET Seeks Session Proposals for Annual Meeting
SOLINET, Southeastern Library Network, and the SOLINET Annual Meeting Planning
Committee invite proposals for a panel or an individual presentation for the 2008 Annual
Meeting to be held May 8-9 in Atlanta, Georgia.
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.10
The theme for the 2008 meeting is “The Transformed Library.” They seek examples of
practical approaches to innovation in libraries. Have you employed a service that has
played a part in transforming your library? Do you possess insight on how the library as
place has been altered by new service offerings? What are the implications of the new
implementations? In these presentations they would like to explore the transformed
library in regards to cataloging, archiving, mentoring, and resourcing. They welcome
interpretations.
Accepted submissions will be offered space in one of their concurrent sessions. Each
concurrent session will run one hour and 15 minutes.
Please follow these guidelines:
1. All submissions must include a session title, short description appropriate for the
conference program, and the names, institutions, titles and email addresses of
those who will be presenting the material at the conference. Titles and
descriptions will be final upon submission.
2. Note your intended audience, both library type and position(s) within the library.
3. Include A/V requirements for your session if it is accepted for the conference.
Please send a copy of your proposal to Laura Crook by January 31, 2008, at the following
address: Laura Crook, SOLINET, 1438 W. Peachtree St., Ste. 200, Atlanta, GA 30309.
Acceptance emails will be sent before February 15, 2008.
ALA President Roy: Supporting Libraries Key to Increasing Youth Literacy
The following is a statement issued by ALA President Loriene Roy regarding the release
of the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) latest literacy study, “To Read or Not To
Read: A Question of National Consequence.”
“With the release of Monday’s reading study ‘To Read or Not to Read,’ the NEA issued a
call to action. The study’s findings—that reading for pleasure has declined among teens
and adults, resulting in lower standardized test scores and poor reading comprehension
skills—are proof positive that parents, educators, librarians and anyone who supports
literacy must act now to ensure that future generations see reading as a dynamic,
engaging activity.
“The American Library Association (ALA) is more than happy to take up this cause.
“According to the Public Library Data Service (PLDS) Statistical Report, published by
the Public Library Association (PLA), only half of U.S. public libraries have a librarian
dedicated full time to young adult services. More than 10 percent reported they do not
offer programming targeted to young adults.
“Yet young adults who have access to libraries are using them more than ever. In a poll
conducted for ALA by Harris Interactive in June 2007, 93 percent of survey respondents
ages 13-18 indicated they had access to a public library; 88 percent indicated they had
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.11
access to a school library. Of those who had access to a library, 30 percent reported that
they visited their public library more than ten times per year, while 71 percent indicated
they visit their school library at least monthly.
“Teens need libraries, in locations that are easy for them to access, in every community.
They need teen services librarians and school library media specialists who can
encourage them to read just for the fun of it, through initiatives such as the Young Adult
Library Services Association’s (YALSA) Teen Read Week™. They need teen services
librarians and school library media specialists who can give the right book to the right
teen at the right time.
“They also need adults to support them. The NEA study found that most American adults
are not reading even one book a year. Improving teens’ attitudes toward reading begins
with adults. Parents and caregivers can model good reading habits at home by setting
aside time to read every day, by keeping books, magazines and other reading material
around the home and by making sure their children have access to libraries. They can
become regular library patrons, since the library is a free resource available in most
communities throughout the United States. Adults who care about literacy can vote for
increased funding and support legislation that gives libraries the resources and the funds
they need to serve patrons at all ages and reading levels. (For more ideas on how adults
can support teen reading, visit www.ilovelibraries.org and read YALSA’s Ten Ways To
Support Teen Reading.)
“It is clear that we, as a nation, need to address the alarming statistics that the NEA
unveiled in ‘Reading at Risk.’ An excellent first step is making sure that our libraries are
well-funded and staffed by qualified professionals who have a passion for making
everyone—child, teen or adult—into a lifelong reader.”
People
Barry B. Baker, Director of Libraries, University of Central Florida (UCF), was named
Information Professional of the Year 2007 at the XXXVII ACURIL (Association of
Caribbean University, Research, and Institutional Libraries) Conference in Puerto Rico in
June 2007.
Wendy Breeden, Director of the Lake County Library System, is one of the newly
elected officers for the Florida Library Association (FLA) Executive Board. Breeden is
the new vice-president and president-elect for the Association and currently chairs FLA's
legislative committee. The new officers will be installed at FLA’s annual business
meeting on April 25.
As a Lake County division director, Breeden is responsible for planning and coordinating
library services for the residents of Lake County and for administering the Library
Services Division and the Lake County Library System. She earned a master's degree in
Library Science from Florida State University. During her career, she has served as
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.12
librarian for U.S. Naval Support Activity in Naples, Italy, library director for the Winter
Park Public Library and library coordinator in 1987 for the Lake County Board of County
Commissioners working to develop the federated library system.
Breeden is currently a member of the American Library Association and the Central
Florida Library Cooperative, where she has previously served on the Board of Directors.
She was also a founding committee member of the Florida Public Library Directors
Association and worked with the State Library of Florida as a Library Services &
Technology Act Advisory Council Member.
Robin D. Dombrowsky, Head of Adult Services at the Palm Harbor, Florida, Library,
passed away after a brief illness on Sunday, December 2, 2007. A true professional with
masterful reference librarian skills, Robin was an avid genealogist who developed a
lasting rapport with local genealogists. She loved to teach others how to use the computer
and had a keen interest in gardening. In her honor, the library will unveil its enlarged and
enhanced “Robin Dombrowsky Genealogical Collection” at the grand reopening of the
library (currently undergoing renovations) in 2009.
Prior to joining the Palm Harbor Library in May of 2006, Robin served as Assistant
Director of the Temple Terrace Public Library from 2000 to 2006 and as a Reference and
Adult Services Librarian at the Leesburg Public Library from 1991 to 2000. She received
her Masters Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of South
Florida and was working on a graduate degree in Public Administration. Robin is
survived by her husband Greg Dominguez and her sister Anne.
Lee Dotson was appointed Digital Services Librarian in the Systems & Technology
department of the University of Central Florida Libraries in January 2007.
Deborah M. Ebster, Associate Librarian and Head, Universal Orlando Foundation
Library at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, retired from the University of
Central Florida (UCF) Libraries on June 30, 2007. She started her career at the Rock
Valley College Library in Rockford, Illinois, as a public services librarian and
Coordinator of Instruction. After 28 years, she decided to take her librarianship skills to
the next level in a different environment as the Public Services Librarian at the College of
the Bahamas in Nassau, where she acquired knowledge and skills in hospitality
management and tourism. She later accepted the position with the UCF Libraries’ faculty
as the first head of the new hospitality management library. She has been recognized in
numerous articles, including as the featured subject of “Building a Library for the
Business of Fun,” in the Job of a Lifetime column in February 2007 issue of College &
Research Libraries News.
Melinda Gottesman was hired as Instructor Librarian in the Reference department of the
University of Central Florida Libraries in March 2007.
Aysegul Kapucu was hired by the University of Central Florida Libraries as an
Instructor Librarian in the Reference department in May 2007.
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.13
Daniel Kibler, Jacksonville Public Library, was recently promoted to Branch Manager of
the Maxville Branch. Since his promotion from librarian to senior librarian, Daniel Kibler
has assumed the position of Branch Manager of the Maxville Branch Library. Mr. Kibler
supervises a six-member staff at the 8,500 square foot branch. While Kibler is tasked
with the normal responsibilities of a branch manager such as money handling,
performance management, facility administration and scheduling, he is particularly
tasked with maintaining a positive relationship with a very community-oriented customer
base.
Allison Ondrasik King, Assistant Librarian at the University of Central Florida’s jointuse library on the Brevard Community College campus in Cocoa, Florida, passed away
on August 17, 2007, her 54th birthday, after a lengthy battle with cancer. She earned a
bachelors degree in Political Science from Western Maryland College and a master’s
degree in Library Science from the University of Maryland. Active in the Florida Library
Association, she served on the Continuing Education and Planning Committees. An
award-winning author of DataMap, a reference book for librarians, she was also listed in
Who’s Who of American Women in 1984 and 1987; in the International Who’s Who of
Professionals in 1997; and in Who’s Who Among Executive and Professional Women in
2003.
Cheryl A. G. Mahan, University Librarian, Reference Department, retired in early 2007
from the University of Central Florida Libraries with 30 years of service. She graduated
from Purdue University with a major in Spanish and a minor in French, and received her
MLS from Florida State University. After several years at the Howard-Tilton Library and
the internationally known Latin American Library at Tulane University, she was hired in
1977 at UCF (then Florida Technological University), where she worked in Cataloging,
Interlibrary Loan, and Reference through the years. She maintained an excellent
relationship with faculty and patrons and was dedicated to top-notch customer service.
Active in the library profession, university, and her community she received UCF’s
Excellence in Librarianship Award and served as a mentor and championed four
colleagues to win the same award.
Kathleen de la Peña McCook, Distinguished University Professor at the University of
South Florida, was the keynote speaker at Transforming Texas Libraries on Monday,
December 3, 2007. She also coauthored an article with Katharine J. Phenix: “A
commitment to human rights-Let’s honor the qualities required of a librarian dedicated to
human rights.” Information for Social Change 25: 39-48.
Brian Mulkey, formerly a part-time library page at the Cape Coral-Lee County Public
Library, was promoted to a library assistant position at the Lee County Library in
November. Mulkey has worked in the Lee County Library System since August 2006.
Dawn Rowland, formerly a part-time library page at Cape Coral-Lee County Public
Library, was promoted to a library assistant position at Lee County Library in November.
Rowland has been a Lee County Library System employee since July 2007.
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.14
Carla M. Summers, University Librarian and Head, Department of Special Collections
& University Archives, retired in late June 2007 from the University of Central Florida
(UCF) Libraries. She has worked in Florida as an archivist, manuscripts librarian, and
administrator for 30 years, first with the State Archives of Florida and then the University
of Florida. She was the founding president of the Society of Florda Archivists, served two
terms as treasurer of the Academy of Certified Archivists, and is currently on the Council
of the Society of American Archivists, where she will continue to serve while
maintaining her archives, special collections, and records management consulting
practice. While at UCF did consulting for the Florida Baptist Convention, Atlanta
University Center, Center for Applied Psychological Type (CAPT), Maitland Historical
Society, Citrus County Historical Division, and Charlotte County Archives and Museum.
Mr. Kibler came to the field of library science as an undergraduate student at University
of North Florida (UNF) while working in the university library. His supervisor at UNF
encouraged him to pursue a Masters in Library Science (MLS). After completing his
MLS degree, no librarian positions were open at the UNF library, but Jacksonville Public
Library was in the midst of a building program as part of the Better Jacksonville Plan, a
$2.25 billion comprehensive growth management program for the City of Jacksonville.
Kibler was hired as a librarian and promoted to senior librarian five years later. Kibler, a
Jacksonville native, received his Bachelors degree from University of North Florida in
History and a Masters in Library Science from Florida State University.
Min Tong joined the University of Central Florida (UCF) Libraries as Instructor
Librarian at the Lake Sumter Community College/UCF Joint-Use Library in June 2007.
John Venecek was hired in January 2007 as Instructor Librarian at the University of
Central Florida Libraries’ Reference department.
Artis Wick, Assistant Librarian at Art Library of the John and Mable Ringling Museum
of Art in Sarasota, has been elected Vice-President/President-Elect of the Southeast
Chapter of the Art Libraries Society of North America.
Wenxian Zhang, Head of Archives and Special Collections at Rollins College, has
recently published an article, “Sanford’s Historical Connections with Winter Park and
Rollins College,” in Sanford Historical Society Newsletter, fall 2007.
Calendar
January 2008
1/1
2008 FLA membership year begins
1/14
Deadline for January News Digest; send items to Laura Kirkland
February 2008
2/1
FLA scholarship application due date
FLA News Digest
December 2007- p.15
2/7
Legislative Committee meeting at Marion County Public Library System,
Ocala Public Library-Headquarters
2/8
FLA Board meeting at Marion County Public Library System, Ocala Public
Library-Headquarters
2/12
Deadline for February News Digest; send items to Laura Kirkland
2/15
FLA awards nominations due date
2/19-20
FLA Library Days at the Legislature in Tallahassee. Details and registration
form at http://www.flalib.org/FLA_Library_Days_2008_new.htm.