California Library Association - Spring Fling Workshops

CLA is reaching out and bringing programs to you!
CLA Spring Fling Workshops and Training (http://www.cla-net.org/events/spring-fling.php )
The Spring Fling offers training and networking opportunities for the library community from March through June 2010.
Programs will take place in both northern and southern California, events range from training workshops to panel discussions and social activities.
Join us at a Spring Fling event to learn new skills, enjoy a cultural event and find people with shared interests! Workshops include: resume, career development, children's programs, technical services, etc.)
Registration discounts are available for CLA members while further savings have been made for library students. If you are not a CLA Member, we encourage you to join by visiting www.regonline.com/CLA_Membership.

Friends of the Chinatown Library - Scholarship for Library Studies

Friends of the Chinatown Library
Dolores Wong Scholarship for Library Studies ($2,500)
2010 Application

The Friends of the Chinatown Library is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, incorporated in 1977, to support the Chinatown Branch Library of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) system. The Chinatown Branch Library provides library and community services to the ethnically and socio-economically diverse community of the LA Chinatown neighborhood. Across more than 70 branch libraries, the Chinatown Branch Library ranks amongst the top three in traffic and circulation.

One of the unique and prized features of the Chinatown Branch Library is the Chinese Heritage Collection, which consists of books and materials on Chinese and Chinese-American civilization and culture. This collection is the largest and most comprehensive of its type within the LAPL system.

The Dolores Wong Scholarship for Library Studies will award $2,500 to an AA or MA student in the field of Library Studies with a demonstrated interest and involvement in serving the Chinese-American community. Dolores Wong is an original founder and, with her late husband Judge Delbert Wong, a major donor of the Chinatown Library.

To be eligible, you must:

1) Be presently enrolled as an AA, Library Technician or MA, Library Sciences student.
2) Be available to attend the Scholarship Award Dinner in meet Dolores and receive the award check on Saturday, June 5, 2010, at 6:30pm, at the Golden Dragon Restaurant in Los Angeles Chinatown at 960 North Broadway LA, CA 90012.
3) Have a minimum 3.5 GPA in your Library Studies classes.
4) Return completed application package to the library by Saturday, April 17, 2010.
a. Application Form
b. 2 Typed Personal Statements (max of one page each)
c. Copies of all college transcripts to date (in a sealed envelope with the school stamp across the seal).

Complete application package should be mailed or hand-delivered by Saturday, April 17, 2010, to:

Dolores Wong Scholarship for Library Studies
Friends of the Chinatown Library
Chinatown Branch Library
639 N. Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

American Library Association Scholarship Program

The American Library Association (ALA) is committed to promoting and advancing the librarian profession. To demonstrate this commitment, the ALA and its units provide more than $300,000 annually for study in a master's degree in library and information studies from an ALA accredited program, or for a master's degree in school library media program that meets the ALA curriculum guidelines for a National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accredited unit.
The scholarship process is open annually from October - March. Applications and reference forms (which must be submitted on-line) are available during that time period. Instructions and general information remain available year round.

http://ala.org/ala/educationcareers/scholarships/

Libraryworks

New resource for library workers: Libraryworks.com

Includes library job announcements and online access to selected library trade publications.

From their website:
"WELCOME TO LIBRARYWORKS!
Our mission is to help you to make informed, cost-efficient decisions about products and services for your library.
LibraryWorks, a service provided free of charge to the library community, is designed and delivered to enable administrators, librarians and media specialists to identify best practices, discover special offers and discounts on products and services, learn of new technologies and services, and other resources to help them and their libraries to thrive."

Library Routes Project Wiki

The Library Routes project (http://libraryroutesproject.wikkii.com) was created by three Information Professionals: jennie law, thewikiman and Woodsiegirl. It launched at the start of October, 2009, and is aimed at all types of Information Professionals and library workers. This wiki exists to document and link to all those who have blogged or otherwise written about their library roots (how they got into the profession) and their library routes (the jobs they've had and how their career has been shaped). NOTE: many of the librarians are in the UK.

The idea is to document either or both of your library roots
- how you got into the profession in the first place and what made you decide to do so
- and your library routes - the career path which has taken you to wherever you are today.

As well as being interesting of itself, it will also provide much needed information and context for those just entering the profession or wishing to do so.
(From Library and Information Science News http://www.lisnews.org/)

The Next Step - First Days II

I started this post awhile back but it got put on hold as my homework seemed to pile up over the course of the semester. Even though I had an inkling of how much work I'd have with grad school, the reality of just how much sank in later.

Networking was the concept that was thrown out a lot during the weekend the UNT/CSUN program started. While getting classroom knowledge is beneficial, networking is what will take you where you want to go. Who you know really can make a difference sometimes.

So how does one go about networking? The first place to start is your classmates. Even when you leave the Library Technology Program, stay in contact with your former classmates. Hopefully, during the program, you've made some great friendships which you make the effort to continue. Sometimes the way I've found out about jobs is through word of mouth. In addition, stay in touch with your former teachers who are in an area of librarianship that you are interested in. Staying in contact with former teachers can be good when you need letters of recommendations or a reference for a job application.


But you don't want to stop there. Join ALA (American Library Association) and CLA (California Library Association). There are student memberships that don't cost a lot so take advantage of those. If you wonder what your memberships can and will do for you, I'll be covering this topic soon.

School Days - Book Repairs

Working in an elementary school library is a constant challenging and growing experience indeed! Most recently, I finally tried my hand at repairing the forever growing pile of books that desperately needed to be repaired. A quick fix of some tape isn't so bad. But trying to rescue a book that is barely hanging from its spine is another story. You may wonder why I didn't just toss the book then in the discards pile. Well, if it's a very sought after and/or expensive book that students keep clamoring after, then you may find it in your heart to take the extra time to try to put the book back together. That was the case for this one origami book.

I have to say I was truly doubtful that glue and tape would really do the job but I tried to remember what Jitka Hora had taught us in her short session about book repairs in Library 104. I have to say I was fearful of tackling these projects on my own without a guide showing me what to do.

With limited supplies of white glue, tape, and a paintbrush, I accessed each book and decided which was the best route to take. Some books just needed some tape. Others needed massive amounts of glue and tape to even warrant a hope of holding together. Then I secured the books as tightly as I could with multiple rubber bands. I used the heaviest books I could find in my collection (2 Art History books that no one ever looks at) and sat them on top of a pile of paperbacks and other small books. For the larger books, I just piled them on top of one another and hoped for the best. I let all the books sit for almost a week.

Today, I decided the books had enough time to let the glue do its job. I was really curious if glue could indeed put that origami book back into circulation. I have to say I'm truly amazed to see this book held together so well. Mission accomplished! My students will surely be psyched to see this book has made its return. Question is: how long will this book withstand its recent repairs? I'm hoping for awhile at least. But if it does come to that again, I am now confident I can do my best to put that book back together just like they put Humpty Dumpty back together when he fell down.