Posts Tagged 'godort'

Wrap it up and stick a bow on it: ALA 2012, Part 2

Published July 18, 2012 conferences Leave a Comment
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June was a blur. An absolute blur. It started with IASSIST 2012 in DC, a week of data, beer and cows (long story), and ended with ALA 2012. Basically ALA Annual conference morphs for me every time I go. My first year was awful because I didn’t know many people and I couldn’t find a niche. The second time things started to change because I was in the Emerging Leaders program. I knew more people and was starting to find a place. Last year I worked for Against the Grain as a reporter and went to sessions I would have never attended on my own and learning tons. This year I was still writing for ATG, but I didn’t have time to attend a lot of programs. Why? Because I’ve started working more closely with a few groups, especially the ACRL Law and Political Science Section.

This is why I call it the grown-up ALA. I barely had time to visit the exhibit hall and the one time I was able to look for ARCs I was actually supposed to be at the ACRL conference table (I was lost, but eventually found it), so the whole ARC controversy is lost on me. I also could barely attend a program that wasn’t related to my section or round table. I attended some great  receptions, but often that was the only time I could catch up with old friends or meet anyone new. Don’t get me wrong; I much prefer this ALA to my first, but it is a fundamentally different beast now. That being said, it is really difficult to condense my activities into a pithy post, but here are the highlights of my ALA Annual 2012.

My official kick-off for ALA was the ACRL Leadership Council on Friday where I was able to meet some of the ACRL leadership and learn about plans for the next year. I am the incoming convener for the Data Interest Group and the incoming Vice-President for LPSS so this event will become a new “must attend”. My unofficial kick-off is always the Emerging Leader Poster session and I love seeing the projects. Here were my a few faves:

Along with most of the government information world I attended a launch workshop on the new interface for ProQuest Congressional. If you want my notes, just email me. They are switching the interface in August, but no final date yet. Oh exciting!

I tried to attend a few of the data sessions like the LITA Presidents’ Program, The Fourth Paradigm: Data-Intensive Research, Digital Scholarship and Implications for Libraries. It is nice to see more data-related sessions at ALA, but I wish the groups could collaborate more. For instance, DIG would love to collaborate with anyone interested in data issues. With the upcoming conference changes (fewer program slots), we are required to collaborate. So get with us.

This year’s DIG meeting was great and covered some of the major topics in the data world. It was nice to talk about data issues beyond just research data management though. There are many other issues that data librarians need to think about (licensing issues and proprietary software being just two). We decided at this meeting to pool together some of our resources, such as data collection policies, and make those available to others wanting to support secondary data.  I’d basically like to have something to update the Numeric Data Products and Services: A SPEC kit, which is starting to get out of date.

My last big event was the ProQuest breakfast for GODORT. This was the first year I could attend the breakfast and it was fab! The speaker was Julian Bond, a former President of the NAACP and a civil rights movement figure. He was invited to celebrate the History Vault’s The NAACP’s Major Campaigns. His presentation reflected on his life as a leader of SNCC and included a large number of photographs of him with other leaders. Such a great speaker!

The conference closed out with my first ever ALA Battledecks! I plan to stay until Tuesday now just to see this. Quite a good time. My favorite didn’t win the judges’ prize, but got the audience favorite. I have to give a BIG shout out to my fave boybrarian John Jackson who threw his name into the ring, was chosen, and did extremely well! So proud! Someday I want to get up the courage to compete. Hmm, maybe Las Vegas!

So, that was my ALA. Again, a fab conference with many great sessions, meetings, and conversations with new friends and old. Looking forward to an equally wonderful 2013. How was your ALA? Anything particularly exciting?

Accidental GovInfo Librarian series kicks off and kicks butt!

Published April 15, 2011 outreach , teaching 1 Comment
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The North Carolina Library Association’s Government Resources Section kicked off its Accidental Gov Info Librarian webinar series! If you missed it, the slides and the session recording are below. Join us for the next webinar on Genealogy and Government Information on Wednesday, May 11 at 12:00-1:00 pm (EDT). You can sign up for this second session using our handy form. Deadline for RSVP is May 10 at 5:00 pm. More information coming soon!

It was so exciting to have a number of participants from outside of North Carolina join the session! I tweeted about the event during the Depository Library Council and it went a bit viral. The interest in this session demonstrates a desire for virtual training sessions, and getting this organized wasn’t difficult. Mostly it was a matter of finding someone who was willing and had the knowledge to present in the first session. Luckily our GRS Chair knew someone, Bryna Coonin from East Carolina University, who could present on this topic and do a good job.

Ultimately the technical part isn’t a huge hurdle. A bigger hurdle is dealing with the demands (or expectations) of perfection. It just isn’t going to be an absolutely perfect situation (or even remotely analogous to the in-person presentation), but thems the breaks kid. Technology just requires that we be adaptable.

And, here’s where adaptability matters. The recording is less than ideal, but it works. We learned an important thing about our Elluminate room yesterday. The DE librarian had another session before ours and for some reason the recordings of both merged into one. Here is the awesome, super special, two for the price of one recording. The other session is on our not quite ready for prime-time Instructional Tech Toolkit. To get to the gov info session you can fast forward the video to the 2 hour mark using the controls at the very bottom of the screen. At first I was annoyed with the glitch, but in reality the session went well, we had few tech problems during the session, and ultimately the recording WORKS! If anything these glitches encourage us to practice my fave (and new) philosophy of librarianship: “Adapt and move on!” :)

Hope you enjoy! And please join us for the next webinar!

Stats Abstract: Not just a ‘govdocs’ issue

Published March 23, 2011 outreach , the profession 1 Comment
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In the data and government information world there have been a lot of noise about the demise of the Statistical Abstract because of the planned termination of the Statistical Compendia Branch. Others have discussed this issue in much greater detail than I can do at this point. Below are their posts to help you make up your own mind about this issue.

Sources for more information

I don’t do govdocs! Why should I care?

I have had questions from non-gov info or non-data librarians about the situation, and some of those have hinted at why they should care. Well, here’s my two cents (or rant if you prefer).

  1. Stats Abstract is the entry-level source for finding basic statistics. You can then use it to find more statistics from the collecting agency. I know non-data/gov librarians who use it this way, and I do so myself as well.
  2. At a school with a data/gov info nerd, they could stand in as a human Stats Abstract (ideally), but some schools and public libraries aren’t so lucky to have one of our kind. I know, I know, shocking, but true.
  3. Other commercial sources aggregate the same kind of information, especially ProQuest Statisical Insight, but at $16K a pop there is no way my library can afford it. Beyond that, should we expect this kind of information to come from commercial publishers? Do you want to pay a commercial publisher for information that is produced by our government (and paid for by taxpayers)? It seems ludicrous to me.
  4. This may be my closet conspiracy theorist coming out, but the Census Bureau seems to be on a wild tear to make it HARDER for our citizens to access data. I say this because of the Bureau’s decision to remove the quick Fact Sheets in the new American FactFinder. The new interface is great for a person accustomed to using data, but for a novice it is horrible. It throws so much information at you at once that I swear they’ve made it less usable (detailed tables anyone?). Every time I look at I dread the intern training I have to do in two weeks. Is this a trend for the Bureau? Concentrate on the data collection programs at the expense of the the compendium approach? If so, it is going to make people turn to easier to use commercial sources or, even worse, crap sources like NationMaster, which takes me back to point 2.
  5. On a purely selfish side, Katharin Peter and I just wrote a book meant to introduce non-data librarians to numeric data in all its glory. The goal of the book is to make numeric data easier for anyone working in reference or instruction. A key source in that book is the Statistical Abstract because of the reasons given above.  I’m convinced the Census Bureau hates me.

Below is a sample letter for sending to your congress people (taken from FGI). Please spread the word! Write your Senators and Representatives!

TO YOUR SENATOR:
The Honorable (full name)
(Room #) (Name) Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator ___________:

TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE:
The Honorable (full name)
(Room #) (Name) House Office Building
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative __________:

Paragraph 1: Why you are writing and who you are. List your “credentials.” (If you want a response, you must include your name and address, even when using email.)

My name is __________, and I’m a librarian at INSTITUTION which has served the government information needs of the constituents of your Congressional district and state since DATE LIBRARY BECAME A DEPOSITORY. I’m writing because I and many other librarians are deeply concerned that the U.S. Census Bureau’s Budget Estimates for Fiscal Year 2012 calls for the termination of the Statistical Compendia Branch which would mean the elimination of the United States Statistical Abstract and all titles produced by that branch (State and Metropolitan Area Data Book, County and City Data Book, USA Counties, Quick Facts). The library community is deeply upset at the thought of losing access to this important program and urges you to take action to stop this program change.

Paragraph 2: more details about the situation.

The Statistical Abstract of the United States, published annually since 1878, is a key publication for the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), which provides free, public access to government information. Both the print and online versions of the “Stat Abs,” as many librarians affectionately refer to it, are on the FDLP Essential Titles list. It is the first place that many librarians, researchers, students and your constituents(!) look for statistical information, because it compiles a vast amount of information, some of it unpublished and not available anywhere else. The Statistical Abstract also provides a citation for the original source for each table, acting as a guidebook to a huge array of diverse government statistics. The Stat Abs (as well as all of the titles published by the Statistical Compendia Branch!) is a staple of reference librarians and the public for its ease of use, comprehensive content, and as a guidebook to federal statistical sources.

These long published titles — and the federal depositories that distribute it to the American public — are not an earmark, but are critical to the provision of social, economic, and political indicators to the American public and greatly benefit every American in every Congressional district. Without it, librarians, the public and your constituents(!) will waste much valuable time looking for statistics in multiple places and compiling longitudinal data.

Paragraph 3: Close by requesting the action you want taken: a vote for or against a bill, or change in general policy. If a certain bill is involved, cite the correct title or number whenever possible.

Please urge the Department of Commerce to reinstate the budget for the Census Bureau’s Statistical Compendia Branch and the essential, valuable titles that the Branch provides to the public. Many thanks for your time and your service.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME
YOUR POSITION
YOUR INSTITUTION
INSTITUTION/CONTACT INFO

So it begins… #ala10 #el10ala

Published June 21, 2010 conferences 2 Comments
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My preparations are gearing up, and my schedule is filling up.

The largest conference of our profession will smack some of us in the face this weekend. ALA is not my favorite conference but it has its moments. I’ve met some exciting librarians both new and experienced. My work with the Emerging Leaders program has been a lot of fun and has taught me more about working with a group (especially at a distance) than anything about ALA (but that was what i wanted from the experience ;-) ). Luckily all of the members of Project P were easygoing. We met throughout the semester using Elluminate. The one time it failed to work for us Elizabeth, another member, quickly reconvened using a free online meeting site. It was so seamless I don’t even remember which one it was! I love working with people who just look for possible solutions and go with it without complaint or hesitation. Fun times! You can check out the Emerging Leaders projects on ALA Connect and be sure to hit the poster session to say “Howdy”!

So, what is on my plate for ALA? Emerging Leader events of course. Some work the Government Documents Round Table, my awesome sponsoring organization! And my first time being on a committee for the ACRL Law and Political Science Section. I’ve been amazed how such a small section can be so active. I mean, there really aren’t that many polisigh librarians out there! It should be fun. To be honest, I’m really excited about the ‘social’ events. LPSS is having an awards luncheon at the CQ press headquarters, and GODORT is holding theirs at the Naval Observatory. Hot stuff! Two places in DC I’ve never had a reason to visit. Plus the Pro Quest Scholarship Bash at the Newseum, and my brain might explode! Or that’s an exaggeration.

Here is my schedule (may haps, things change). Maybe our paths will cross!

Friday June 25
9am – 3pm: Emerging Leaders training
3pm – 5pm: Emerging Leaders poster session – WCC 201
5:30pm – 6:30pm: LITA happy hour
6:30pm – 7:30pm: GODORT happy hour
7:30pm – 10pm: ALA open gaming night
10pm – 12am: ALA dance party

Saturday June 26
8am-
10:30am-11am: Visit vendors?
11:30am-1:30pm: LPSS luncheon
1pm – 1:30pm: social explorer demo – booth 3805
1:30pm – 3pm: Federal Documents Task Force, GODORT
4pm – 5pm: DIG (ACRL Numeric Data Interest Group Meeting)
7pm – 9pm: proquest scholarship bash
9pm – 12am: after hours party

Sunday June 27
8am – 10am: lpss nominating committee meeting
10am – 11am: lpss general membership meeting
1:30pm – 3:30pm: GODORT Education Comm meeting
3pm – 3:30pm: GODORT gitco meeting
4pm-5:30pm: LITA President’s Program
5:30pm – 6:30pm: UNCG reunion reception
6:30pm – 9pm: GODORT awards reception – Naval Observatory
Oh and I turn 35!

Monday June 28
8am – 9am: Dennis Lehane
or
8:30am – 11am: ACRL’s STS program on “Federal friends: Creating greater access to and support for science and technology information”
10:30am – 12:30pm: GODORT Program – “Archivists and Librarians: Together we can save Congress”
1:30pm – 3pm: GODORT General Membership meeting
3pm – 4pm: Junot Diaz
6:30pm – 12:15am: train for GSO

Woohoo! See you there!

What did ALA midwinter mean to me? #youngturks

Published January 20, 2010 conferences 7 Comments
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Maybe this is getting repetitive, but who cares. I can blame it on my GenX genes right? It is all about Me, Me, Me. So, here is this lady’s conference wrap up post.

Overall this was a much better experience for me than my last ALA. I went to DC in 2007 as a Student to Staff program participant. I enjoyed working for the Press Office (I got to meet Nancy Pearl), but my work schedule limited my program participation to the early morning (before 10 am) and late afternoon (after 3 pm). As you can imagine, I didn’t have much choice in programming. Between the limits on my hours and having to trek from nosebleed Crystal City, my actual experience was pretty dismal, and I left feeling like I still didn’t know why I would bother with ALA or Annual. Not exactly the point of the ALA Student to Staff program, I guess.

Fast forward to this year’s Midwinter and the story is entirely different. This time I had a blast. While I did overdo the scheduling (3 receptions in one night is not only a bad idea, but nearly impossible), I was able to go to almost everything I wanted or needed to attend. My Friday started with the Emerging Leaders Workshop with Peter Bromberg, Maureen Sullivan, Connie Paul and guest stars (Jenny Levine!). We had a good discussion about leadership, especially redefining it to be more inclusive. The quote “a leaders job…is not to provide energy but to release it from others” from Frances Hesselbein came up several times as a theme for redefining our notions of leadership.

My team, Project P (or the Nitty Gritty Committee), is helping LITA to create best practices for the association’s communication channels, including its website, wiki, ALA Connect as well as other forms of communication. The goal is to create best practices for business and committee work as well as for using these channels for marketing and recruitment. Although I am sponsored by GODORT, this project has implications for a large number of ALA organizations. Even the web manager for the tiny ACRL section, LPSS, was excited about the project’s results. This issue was a big theme at this conference (for example, GODORT had an entire session on same the issue).


Moreover, I like my project teammates … a lot. We are all very different and each bring unique strengths and knowledge to the experience. The important thing is that everyone seemed to be easygoing and willing to do the work. No one was unhappy about the project to which they were assigned or unclear of the expectations. I’m looking forward to working with them!

The rest of my time was spent with either GODORT or LPSS or sometimes LITA (I went to my first Top Tech Trends and it rocked!). The LITA reception was pretty swank (a dimly lit hotel bar with modern decor, fuzzy pillows, and $11.50 martinis), while the GODORT one was much more down to earth (an Irish bar with lots of fried food and draft beers). A lovely contrast for an evening out.

I also must say before wrapping up this entry–Boston is a damn fine city. I have never been in an airport where the TSA employees were so friendly. One of them even joked around with me (and I have Lauren Pressley to back me up on that!). Maybe it was an anomaly, but I met helpful people all over the place. I have to say a Big Kudos to Boston for being a great host and a fun city to play in.

If I left Midwinter and Boston with anything I wish I could improve it would be similar to what Sarah Faye Cohen has already said in her blog post, especially about virtual participation. I want to give a BIG shout-out to ACRL’s LPSS for making a strong effort to include members virtually. They used dimdim, which is a free online collaboration tool, to include people who couldn’t come. While they have a much smaller section than most and while dimdim is not the top-shelf of collaboration, they at least made that effort. I would love to see some accommodation for virtual membership, especially for Midwinter. I honestly can’t say that I would be able to attend every year because I have other conferences (state, data, ACRL) that are more useful, cheaper, and relevant.

But here is the kicker–it has to be active virtual participation. Just saying that you are “ok” with virtual participation isn’t enough. Our groups need to go the extra mile to discover software, disseminate information in advance, and troubleshoot problems on site. Having said that though it shouldn’t be all on the groups. ALA needs to step up and ensure that its divisions, sections, round tables and whatever else have the necessary tools, resources, and mandates to pull it off. ALA Connect is a great start and a useful forum, but I want to see support for real-time collaboration and virtual meetings. Because when it comes down to it, it isn’t about me. It’s about those members who don’t have the freedom or money or time or ability to travel to far flung cities twice a year. Those members need to be included too. Otherwise, what is the point of ALA, really?

There’s your charge ALA; now let’s see some action.

And so it begins…

Published January 13, 2010 conferences 2 Comments
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Tomorrow I leave for my first ALA midwinter. The build up has been lord of the rings style epic. It has definitely been long. Applications for the Emerging Leaders program were due way back in the summer and announcements weren’t made until well into the fall. My inbox has been inundated by vendor solicitations for almost two months. There are more receptions and lunches and breakfasts than there are hours in the day.

I’ve certainly been to busy conferences before–Computers in Libraries is pretty much non-stop madness (and other things). But the ALA meet-ups seem particularly daunting. I have to figure out the Boston public transportation while navigating a new city while trying to decide which meeting or reception or showcase might be more exciting/fun/informative while, oh yeah, reminding myself that I might need to sleep some and eat more than pub food and beer. Whew! I’ll need a vacay after all that.

But, I am looking forward to the madness. I’m especially excited about our Emerging Leaders group. We’ve been connecting through Facebook and Twitter for a month or two. I love seeing the personalities emerge virtually through the intertubes; from our event planners, Librarian JP and Darcel Jones, to my roomie, Tara, to Justin, the man on a tattooing mission, it seems like a fun and diverse bunch. I have a good feeling about this.

So, for now I sleep. Tomorrow it begins. See you all in Boston.

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  • Astrodan got me the @thelonelyisland CD for my birthday! The man knows me well; boss. 3 hours ago
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