Logo 85.1
In This Issue
2013 Conference Preview.
Lobbying to Protect Library Funding
RILA's Membership Committee
30 iPad Lending Program @ RIC
A Classroom for Job Seekers
AtoZ Databases
Patrons: Our Greatest Advocacy Tool.
Librarians in the Media
The Human Library of Rhode Island
Save the Date for Money Smart Week
News From the Field
The Rhode Island Library Association
 is a professional association of Librarians, Library Staff, Trustees, and library supporters whose purpose is to promote the profession of librarianship and to improve the visibility, accessibility, responsiveness and effectiveness of library and information
services throughout  
Rhode Island.
  
Contact us at:
PO Box 6765
Providence, RI 02940
401-203-READ (7323)

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Constant Contact Newsletter
Greetings!

Happy New Year from Rhode Island Library Association!

It's a new year, and that means that it's time to renew your RILA Membership, which you can do on our website, or via a paper form.  We have a lot in store for 2013--our annual conference, networking events and fun with your fellow librarians!  Stay tuned for more information to come!

The Rhode Island Library Association would also be thrilled if you could join us for RI Library Legislative Awareness Day on Wednesday, February 6, 2013, from 3 - 5:30 pm in the RI State House Rotunda!

Come shake hands with your legislators and let them know what great things your library is doing in your community.  This is a great opportunity to to advocate for all libraries.

Hope to see you there!

Andria Tieman & Corrie MacDonald
RILA Communications Committee Co-Chairs
2013 Conference Preview
Salve Ochre Court
Ochre court at Salve Regina
The RILA conference Committee has been working hard to put together another great conference for 2013.  If you haven't already, please mark your calendar for June 3rd and 4th at beautiful Salve Regina University in Newport, RI.

One announcement we are ready to make is that our two President's Speakers have been confirmed.  They are Andrew P. Jackson and Maureen Corrigan.

Andrew P Jackson is the Executive Director of Queens' Langston Hughes Community Library and performs extensive outreach to schools, churches, correctional facilities and many other community organizations.  He was recognized by New York Governor Eliot Spitzer for his outreach work on behalf of the library.  Jackson also teaches Cultural Diversity of Africa at CUNY's York University and has written many papers on African history.

Maureen Corrigan is a journalist, author and literary critic. She writes for the "Book World" section of The Washington Post, and is a book critic on the NPR radio program Fresh Air, and is critic-in-residence at Georgetown University. In 2005, she published a literary memoir, Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading: Finding and Losing Myself in Books.

Everyone is welcome to attend the RILA Conference, and registration details will be posted to our website (rilibraries.org) soon.  If you are interested in presenting, please fill out the Presentation Proposal Form: http://goo.gl/czoaV
RILA Members do get a discount on registration fees--so that's just another perk of membership!  We will see you at the conference!
Lobbying to Protect Library Funding
Rhode Island State House
Libraries have an advocate at the State House.
What does RILA do for you? Advocacy, for one thing. 

Much of the conversation around libraries touches on the challenges of securing adequate funding. As librarians, we know what the library has to offer, but how to we communicate the importance of libraries to the lawmakers who make budget decisions? 

Part of your RILA membership dues pay for the services of lobbyist Stephen Alves. Alves is a former state senator who served for 18 years. He was also chair of the Senate Finance Committee. According to RILA President Eileen Dyer, Alves has been instrumental in serving as an "ear to the wall" in the General Assembly and guiding RILA leadership in the complicated process of lawmaking. 

The maintenance of effort provision is law 29-6-3 of the Rhode Island General Laws. It requires municipalities to provide a level of support for the public libraries in their communities that is based on a complex funding formula. When potentially detrimental changes to the formula were proposed in 2011, RILA decided to retain the services of a lobbyist to assist with protecting library funding.

For the past two years, the proposed changes to the funding formula have been avoided. Dyer, who testified before the House and Senate Finance Committees, credits Alves' expertise and coaching as an integral part of her preparation for her State House appearance.  

"Stephen would alert me if the language of a bill had changed," Dyer said. "The language in bills is technical and changes often, so having him to help RILA navigate the legislative process was invaluable."

Moving forward, Alves will continue to serve RILA in protecting state funding, and also help to Identify library champions in the general assembly.

Join RILA in our efforts to protect libraries in Rhode Island! We'd be thrilled if you could join us for RI Library Legislative Awareness Day on Wednesday, February 6, 2013, from 3 - 5:30 pm in the RI State House Rotunda. Come shake hands with your legislators and let them know all the great things your library is doing in your community. If your organization would like to have a table in the rotunda, please contact [email protected] .

 

If you would like to get involved in advocating for libraries, consider joining RILA's Legislative Action Committee. Contact [email protected] for more information.  
RILA's Membership Committee
By Adrienne Gallo
Branch Librarian, Cranston Public Library

RILA Logo RILA has a number of committees, full of hard-working people who want to bring you an informative conference, keep you abreast of Intellectual Freedom happenings, meet with legislators to protect library funding, bring you all the library news across the state, and much more.

 

Our members are important to us, so RILA also has a Membership Committee. We're the ones who remind you when it's time to renew your membership. But membership is more than just a renewal notice. You probably already know that being a RILA member will get you discounted conference registration, access to the members only RILA Listserv and the RILA Bulletin delivered right to your inbox. But we want to give you more. The Membership Committee has been meeting and brainstorming to bring you additional benefits, like events where you can socialize with colleagues in a fun, informal atmosphere, as well as some great ideas that are still in the works.

 

The Membership Committee is composed of several volunteers from all different types of libraries.  Adrienne Gallo of Cranston Public Library and Mary MacDonald of University or Rhode Island Library are the committee co-chairs. The rest of the the committee is comprised of:

Stefanie Metko, URI GSLIS student and president of Student ALA
Lori DeCesare, Reference Librarian at Marian J. Mohr Library in Johnston Dorothy Swain, Assistant Director of Greenville Public Library
Miranda Nero, Cataloger, OSL.  We have a group of vibrant, motivated, intelligent people who are committed to gaining and keeping members and enhancing the membership experience.

 

We invite all library staff and supporters to join or renew for 2013. We're here to serve librarians, support staff, trustees, students, volunteers, retirees, and affiliates. RILA is yours and always will be.   

30 iPad Lending Program @ Rhode Island College 
By Kieran Ayton
Emerging Technologies Library, Rhode Island College
iPad 2 Chances are no matter what type of library you work in whether it is public, special, or academic, your patrons have iPads.  According to several Pew Research studies, over 25% of adults own a tablet computer and 52% of tablet owners have iPads .  As librarians, one of our biggest concerns is how we can integrate tablet computers like iPads into our libraries to better connect our patrons with technology.  At first glance, this is not an easy task.

One of my colleagues at another University Library mentioned that he believes patrons, whether they are students, faculty, or the public, use iPads primarily to consume information, not create it.  This is an important observation, as it affects the way we think of marketing them to our users.  At the James P. Adams Library, Rhode Island College, we decided to create an iPad lending program for students, faculty, and staff.  The program is set to launch next week.  30 iPads will be available for students to take out of the library for either 24 hours or 2 weeks.  There will be no renewals.  This program is an effort on our part to join the ever increasing number of libraries who are lending mobile technologies to their patrons.  

The James P. Adams Library iPads will come pre-loaded with a core set of educational apps.   These pre-loaded apps were picked based on their ability to assist students in their day-to-day workflow.  Being able to access your work from any place at any time is key for most students.
RIC students will be able to access course content on the Blackboard App, take notes with Pages or Evernote, and store their work in cloud storage systems like Dropbox or Google Drive.  The complete list is available here: http://tinyurl.com/adamslibrary-ipad-apps .

To pre-load the apps onto an iPad, you must be managing the iPads using a particular Mobile Device Management System.  Many libraries that lend 10 or fewer iPads use iTunes to manage iPad apps, software updates, and security.  For more than 10 iPads, it is recommended to use Apple Configurator.  For schools that choose to do individual, long term loans of iPads, there are additional Mobile Device Management Solutions that can be purchased to remotely manage iPads.  Two of the most popular companies that provide this service for iPads are Casper Suite and Filewave.

If you would like to learn more about managing iPads for educational purposes or even schedule a visit to see how the James P. Adams Library iPad Program at Rhode Island College is set up, please contact Kieran Ayton ([email protected])
The Public Library: A Classroom for Job Seekers
By Jessica D'Avanza

Community Services Librarian,Barrington Public Library Reference Librarian at the Warwick Public Library  

As a librarian working in Rhode Island, I have seen the necessity of the library for many job seekers, particularly those without a personal computer or Internet access. In November 2012, Rhode Island had the second highest unemployment rate in the country at 10.4% just under Nevada at 10.8%  .

 

These unemployed and underemployed residents are flocking to the library. Some are trying to maneuver the online job application world of today, while others work to play catch up with computer skills they never thought they'd need. I witnessed this while working at the Cumberland Public Library's reference desk and discovered that the library can serve as a classroom and a much-needed place of support for many of these job hunters.  

 

In 2010, when I began working in Cumberland the unemployment rate there was around 10%. I observed our twenty adult computers were in use mainly by job seekers. The reference staff got to know many of the familiar faces as they came in to search and apply for jobs online, send faxes, or ask us for resume formatting help in Microsoft Word, or how to upload a resume to an email or job site. The frequency of these questions and the time it took to answer many of these questions prompted me to seek ways to find more support for our job hunting patrons needs.

 

In 2011, I applied for a grant opportunity through Ocean State Libraries (OSL) and the Broadband Technology & Opportunities Program (BTOP) which offered the member libraries of OSL job skills programming to our patrons. This grant continued through the spring and summer of 2012 and made possible in Cumberland over a dozen programs on topics from resume writing, mock interviews, using social media for job searching, LinkedIn and lots more. We coupled these programs with a series of technology classes taught by our Assistant Director/Technology Coordinator. The classes taught the entire Microsoft Office Suite, along with Facebook and an introduction to the Internet.

 

In addition to computers and technology for job seekers, I took a look at our book collection in the Dewey area of business and careers (650) and computer technology (000). The computer technology section needed drastic weeding and the business and careers section needed more titles to keep up with user demand, along with better diversification in offerings.

 

During this time, I met Lisa, a patron who had been laid off from her job. Lisa could be found in the library just about everyday. In order to save on expenses, she cancelled her Internet and cable service and no longer owned a personal computer. Lisa even had to give up her apartment and move back home with her Dad. She often asked me to proofread her short email correspondence with prospective employers. Her frustration in looking for a job often centered around the amounts of writing she had to do from cover letters to emails and presentations for job interviews. I agreed to look things over before she sent them off.

 

Then there was Mary. I found Mary sitting at one of our study tables with her laptop. She handed me her now defunct business card and told me she had been let go from her job in broadcast journalism. She lives alone, and after losing her job, also had cancelled her Internet and cable service. Now she comes to the library to get out of her apartment, use our free WiFi, and to concentrate and feel productive.

 

I introduced Lisa to Mary. Over the period of 10 months, I saw them together in the library taking a computer class, using the public computers, printers and WiFi, or one of our study rooms. They often stopped by the reference desk or caught me near the computer workstations to tell the latest job interview horror story. They shared with me how their lives changed due to job loss.

 

Earlier this fall, Lisa accepted a job in the healthcare training industry. Mary is still looking for a job.

 

The Cumberland Public Library library has books for job seekers, public computers, employment skills programming, and electronic resources specific to job hunters, but the reference librarian in me felt that for people to learn about their availability we needed to have all of these resources organized in one place. This is where developing a page on our website and printed subject guides made it possible to easily direct job seekers to the vast amount of resources the library has available to them (http://www.cumberlandlibrary.org/jobsandcareers.html).

 

And it was a vast amount! As I collected the resources into one place I was learning more about what we had to offer. Such as the group Toastmasters (a non-profit organization founded to help get people comfortable with public speaking) which meets at our library and the Business & Workforce Development Center at the Providence Public Library. The resource collection kept getting larger, as I discovered new web and electronic resources, new book titles and found more libraries offering computer courses on popular topics like Microsoft Office, building a website and social media.

 

A job seeking patron suggested that we offer a workshop to demonstrate some of the resources available to them. I presented the information to a small post-superstorm Sandy group and repeated the talk to a larger group again in November. What I learned from the first group is they are interested in a job seeking support group. They are looking for a place to gather, to share their frustration, and to feel they are not alone. A common theme among many of the job seekers who have attended our programs is that they want to work, but are not able to find a job because they are either overqualified or they do not have the technology skills now needed in their field. Some find that the part-time retail jobs (for which they are overqualified) make it next to impossible to have a second job (check out this radio broadcast from WBUR). One of the women shared with me how she gained 30 pounds after she lost her job and expressed that the emotional and health impacts are just as hard as the financial ones.

 

Eleven months after our first BTOP/OSL funded program for job seekers we have provided 17 programs for job seekers and 40 computer/technology classes. Over 150 patrons have attended the job programs and over 700 patrons have participated in the computer/technology classes.

 

The Cumberland Public Library reference staff has served as a listening ear and provided information and assistance to those looking for work and for technology skills. We have helped to maintain an environment supportive to job hunters who don't have a personal computer or Internet access and need a place to be productive and pursue their goals. We have carried out a basic mission of the public library, to improve the lives of the individuals and communities of those we serve.

 

Resources:

Cumberland Public Library's Resources for Job Hunters

http://www.cumberlandlibrary.org/jobsandcareers.html 

 

WBUR's Broadcast of "Stuck in Part Time"

http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/11/15/part-time 

 

State Unemployment Rates as of Nov. 2012 (Dec. statistics to be released on 1/18/13) http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/labor/state-unemployment-update.aspx 

 

RI Department of Labor & Training--City, Town, Sub-State Labor Force Statistics http://www.dlt.ri.gov/lmi/laus/town/town.htm 

AtoZ Databases
By Lenora Robinson
AskRI Reference Librarian
AtoZ

AtoZdatabases, available from AskRI.org, is accessible from within libraries and throughout Rhode Island. It is used for patrons to find information about businesses--including healthcare professionals, and people in order to create mailing lists and sales leads or to find a job.  

 

AtoZdatabases allows for a large variety of search terms to be used in a business search, for example searches can be by business name, keyword and business type, and location; including a radius search, as well as less typical search terms such as ownership status; including women or minority owners, year of incorporation, and business size. If a business is missing from another reference source, it may still be included in AtoZdatabases!

 

The databases can be used to search for people as well as a business. They can be searched by name, location; including a zip code radius search, or phone number. Other terms available for a people search include household status and income, interests and hobbies, and home market value. According to AtoZdatabases this people search is to "help entrepreneurs conduct prospecting, help students complete market studies, and help community members get more use out of our database".

 

AtoZdatabases now includes a job search tool, powered by indeed.com, to help patrons with their job searches. The job search gives beneficial tips on different aspects of the job search. This includes "Doing your homework", which suggests the searcher prepares themselves for interview questions, as well as questions presented to the patron to determine appropriate companies to look at and hints to writing cover letters and resumes to stand out from the competition. It also goes into Applying for the Job and Acing the Interview. Resume writing and preparing for the interview process are two topics that are discussed separately and in depth in order to assist the patron to customizing the resume to match the job posting and preparing for the interview; including preparing questions for the employer, and the interview follow-up.

Suggest AtoZdatabases for patrons in need of a specific type of business. The variety of search options and the extent of the databases makes AtoZdatabases, available to all Rhode Island residents through AskRI.org, a valuable tool for everyone. 
Patrons: Our Greatest Advocacy Tool

By Brandi Kenyon

Youth & Teen Services Librarian,South Kingston Public Library 

Use Libraries and Learn StuffA recent article on CNBC.com listed librarian as one of the 10 Least Stressful Jobs for the year 2013. The overall list of ten jobs were chosen because these are "jobs where people are in control of their day - working as fast as they feel they need to be effective," said Tony Lee, publisher of CareerCast.com. "You don't have somebody kind of breathing over your shoulder."

 

He explains how librarian made the list by asking, "What's the most stressful thing a librarian faces? Teenagers with a paper due and you don't have the books. It's not really your stress," Lee said. "Plus, there are mandatory "quiet" rules in libraries and you're surrounded by books." And finally, "Books don't talk back or criticize the job you're doing!"

Does that sound like your day? No one needing anything right away (except those last minute teenagers), no one criticizing you, working at your own leisure? It sure doesn't sound like my day, and I'm guessing it doesn't sound like yours either. However, this sadly seems to be the standard library job stereotype that is still out there. With the ever-available Internet, Google, and Wikipedia, it have become increasingly important to show the value of libraries and how they are still relevant in this fast changing day and age.

 

However, during tighter economic times advocacy efforts often take a backseat to the day-to-day operations of the library. There's not enough staff or resources. There's not enough time. There's not enough money. But without advocacy, how can we ever expect these things to change?

Libraries across the country have been addressing the advocacy issue by reaching out to current patrons. Among others, the Texas Library Association, the Cincinnati Public Library, and the Jasper County Public Library in Indiana have all participated in a "What My Library Means to Me" campaign.

 

Why is the library important? Ask the people who use it. Create a display at your library, add a survey to your webpage, set up a table at community events. Ask patrons to briefly share either by what they like about the library as well as the impact the library has on their lives. Be sure to include kids, teens, and adults; everyone has a story about why the library is important in their life. Then, share these stories with others. Post them in the library. Set up a bulletin board display at the local community center (thereby reaching people who may not yet be library users).

 

Most importantly, share them with your local legislature. It's important to speak up and show elected officials it is not just librarians who believe library services have value, but also the people in the communities that the elected officials represent believe that libraries have value.

Social media is also one of the most cost-effective and easiest ways to promote services the library offers. Use Facebook, Twitter, and Pintrest to highlight not only programs and collections, but also technology news. It only takes five minutes to send out an update that your library now lends Kindles. Granted, these updates initially only reach patrons who are already fans of the library; but remember, every time a fan or friend likes or shares something, they are sharing it with countless other people who also live in the community. People who may not receive these updates and have no idea of the services their library offers.

Advocacy initiatives do not have to start as big, time-consuming projects.  

 

Start small. Start smart. And use the fans you already have. 

Librarians in the Media:
From Donna Reed's "Oh no!" to Literal Superheroes
by Aaron Coutu  
Asst. Director/Tech Coordinator Cumberland Public Library
Donna Reed

One of the challenges that our profession has faced for some time is the stereotype of the bun-haired shushing woman wearing eyeglasses with beaded chains and a horrible fashion sense. Who can forget the horror the community felt when poor Donna Reed, as Mary in It's a Wonderful Life, had fallen to the depths of despair and was *gasp* just a librarian?  

 

Then there were the very able librarians working at a television network under the guidance of Katherine Hepburn in Desk Set who were fraught with the idea of having a computer as a tool because it would cost them all their jobs.

 

Desk Set

 

Batgirl Fortunately for us, the stereotype has jumped us from zero to hero with some more modern representations of librarians in comic books, television, and film. In fact, this seems like an almost literal evolution as this change as resulted in librarians becoming action stars. Perhaps the earliest librarian to take on the role of action hero was Barbara Gordon. Those of you familiar with the Batman comics will most likely know her better by her alter ego of Batgirl. She would help people with their information as a public librarian by day and help protect the streets of Gotham City alongside Batman, Robin and the rest of the Batman family. She was so good at maintaining her secret identity that not even her father, Police Commissioner James Gordon, had any idea of her secret night life. Unfortunately for Barbara, she wasn't able to keep her secret forever. When the Joker learned of her real identity, he came after her with a vengeance. A quick fire of the gun left Barbara with a back injury, ending her career as Batgirl. With that said, Barbara didn't give up crime fighting. From her wheelchair, she served as researcher and information provider for most of DC's heroes as Oracle, using her Internet connection and tech savvy to hunt down any detail the other heroes need to get their villain.

 

Giles Women aren't the only librarians fighting evil. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are probably familiar with Rupert Giles (played by Anthony Stewart Head), who was the school librarian at Sunnydale High School before it was eaten by the Hellmouth. While he helped all the students at his school get just what they needed for assignments, Giles was actually a specialist in the occult. Trained as a Watcher, Giles had the responsibility of mentoring Buffy Summers and her "Scooby gang" as they mastered the skills needed to deal with vampires, demons, and any other monsters that came their way.

 

Mummy Rachel Weisz took on the role of Evelyn "Evy" Carnahan in The Mummy movie series. At first glance, she would seem to fit the stereotype with her glasses and general klutziness, but viewers quickly come to realize that her knowledge of Egyptology is just what the dashing and knave-like Rick O'Connell will need to help solve the mystic ancient Egyptian secrets to save themselves and the world from the dusty and icky clutches of the evil Imhotep. She is also able to fight one-on-one against future villainesses in later films in the series.   She proves that academic librarians can hold their own, too.

 

Noah Wyle Noah Wyle, along with mentors Jane Curtain and Bob Newhart, prove that large beautiful libraries like the New York Public Library really do provide gateways to knowledge and other worlds! In The Librarian television film series, Wylie plays Flynn Carson (a man of many master's degrees, but, strangely, not Library Science) who falls into librarianship and a job at NYPL. While he doesn't get to hang out with the puppets from Between the Lions (who also help rid the library of its stodgy stereotype), he does get a chance to work with the library's really special collection, which is filled with realia and artifacts from throughout history. Over the course of three films, Carson must work to recover some of the stolen or lost artifacts that could destroy or subjugate the planet. With an organization that would do James Bond, M, and Q proud, he saves the day ... and the relic.

 

Finally, we come to the most unique of our highlighted librarians. She doesn't fight crime, and no one would call her a hero, but boy does she throw off that nasty stereotype. In the film Party Girl, viewers meet Mary, played by Parker Posey.  

 

Party Girl  

This Mary the librarian is the polar opposite of the one played by Donna Reed. After being arrested for throwing an illegal party and in need of some money to pay for bail, Mary turns to her godmother Judy for a loan. While that frees her from some time behind bars, it does mean she has to pay back Judy. Judy happens to be the head librarian of one of the branches of the city library, and she needs some help. Hiring Mary on as a library clerk could be just the answer for both of them. Judy is hopeful that it might help Mary raise the funds and learn some responsibility. That does happen (though it is a bit rough at first), but it doesn't stop Mary from proving that library staff can still be original and funny party girls and guys.

 

So see, we can throw off the dusty image of being stodgy, boring, and out-of-fashion! While we may not fight crime, head into dusty tombs, or wear interesting costumes, a lot of our patrons really do think of us as their heroes when we get just what they needed in time.

 

The Human Library of Rhode Island
By Andria Tieman & Amy Greer
Adult Services Librarian, Rochambeau Library
Youth Services Coordinator, Providence Community Library

Human Library Banner Barrington Public Library, East Providence Public Library and Providence Community Library are collaborating to create a Human Library in Rhode Island!  This exciting project will take place Sunday, March 3rd from 1-5pm at Rochambeau Library. The Human Library Rhode Island is a living, breathing library where humans are the books and the stories are their lives.  

 

Just as memoir and autobiographies teach us to see the humanity in people different from us, the human books tell of their own lived experience, breaking down assumptions and ignorance with every word. Based on a Danish project, now with worldwide participation, the Human Library's aim is to to allow people to interact with other members of their community with whom they might not otherwise have contact, or who they might have preconceptions about but want to understand. This is a great opportunity to bring Rhode Islanders together in the public library for an afternoon of conversation, discovery, and growth. We could use your help in spreading the word. Hope to see you and your patrons there! For more information, visit our website: http://www.humanlibraryrhodeisland.com; or, email: [email protected].  

Funding generously provided by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, and the Friends groups of the three library systems. 

 

WHAT IS A HUMAN BOOK?  

Human Books, folks from all over Rhode Island, are willing to challenge prejudice through respectful conversations with members of the public who borrow them from the Human Library. They are volunteers who have experienced stereotyping and/or prejudice due to race, sex, age, disability, sexual preference, gender identity, religion/belief, profession, appearance, and/or lifestyle choices, or have broken down boundaries through their personal or professional choices.  

 

HOW DOES IT WORK?  

In many ways, it works like a regular library, except that in this case, the books are people. Human Books have agreed to meet other members of the community who are called "Readers" After browsing through a catalog with a title and a description for each book, a Reader may select a Human Book to check out for a 20-minute one-on-one conversation. Readers may ask questions and learn about life from the Human Book's perspective. Each conversation is unique. Books are returned at the end of the designated loan period but Readers may check out several books as time allows.    

 

WHY SHOULD I VISIT A HUMAN LIBRARY?

When it comes to promoting understanding there is nothing better than face-to-face dialog.  For some Readers, a Human Library event presents a unique opportunity to talk to people they may not otherwise have had an opportunity to meet.  Everyone has a story, and we all benefit by learning more about each other and our community. This is also a chance for librarians to bring together our communities and promote the library as a location of community engagement, enrichment, and transformation.

 

Save the Date for Money Smart Week
By Julie A. DeCesare
Head of Research and Education, Providence College Library
Money Smart Week Generic What is Money Smart Week?
For a second year, the Rhode Island Library Association is pleased to bring Money
Smart Week events to the Rhode Island community with the help of participating libraries. Last year's 15 programs were a great success and gave us excellent ideas to improve the program in 2013.

Money Smart Week, which started in 2002, is sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the American Library Association. Money Smart Week is April 20-27, 2013. Money Smart Week @ Your Library's mission is to promote financial literacy. Libraries of all types partner with community groups, financial institutions, government agencies,
educational organizations and other experts to help consumers learn to better manage and understand their personal finances.

Why libraries?
Patrons have always used libraries to access reliable sources of business and financial information. Libraries of all types serve families, job seekers, investors, entrepreneurs, students, and executives by providing current and unbiased information needed to make
informed financial decisions. Money Smart Week @ Your Library is a natural community outreach endeavor.

Last year, several local libraries took it upon themselves to schedule financial programs for their communities. In addition, RILA paired willing locations with willing speakers. Many of these speakers volunteered their time, while the libraries helped with outreach, marketing, and
coordinating the programs. A few examples from MSW 2012 were:
  • Financial Resources Continuing Education for Library Staff (a partnership with OLIS)
  • How to Avoid Scams, Frauds and Identity Theft
  • Money Matters for College Students: Tips for Saving, Spending, and Budgeting
  • Honey, Where's the Money?
  • Extreme Couponing 101
  • Kids Can Save Money Too
  • Money Smarts: Retirement Planning in a Challenging Economy

As you can see a range of topics for a range of audiences were covered. Financial literacy workshops are a great way for libraries to collaborate with local companies, speakers, and patrons. Visit the RILA website for a full list of events and libraries from last year.

What can your library do for RILA and MSW?
If you have done a financial literacy program in the past, or know of a possible speaker or organization in your community, reach out to them for MSW in April. Once you have secured a speaker, submit the event details to the RILA website or email [email protected]
by March 15, 2013. We have graphics, jpgs, and materials to help with promotion. And we appreciate your willingness to promote and market your scheduled event and MSW as a whole through your community contacts and publications.

What will RILA do for you?
In addition to helping provide promotional materials, we will create a brochure and bookmark including all MSW event across the state. These items will be delivered to your library. Event details will be maintained on our website and our PR group will be looking for
additional opportunities to help promote MSW on community calendars, newsletters, and media outlets. Also available through Providence College Phillips Memorial Library is a guide to financial resources and tools.

If you would like to have a MSW week session @ your library, but are unsure about speakers -- we can help with that! Contact Julie A. DeCesare ([email protected]) or Chris Wallace Goldstein ([email protected]) if you are interested.
In the coming months, RILA will be releasing more information about events -- keep an eye on our newsletter, the listserv, our website, and Facebook page.
News From the Field
RILA 

Good news, everyone: The RILA PR committee is back up and running! Chelsea Dodd and Emily Mehrer are on the job and are looking to build the committee. With several new initiatives, including a statewide Geek the library campaign and regular social outings, there is plenty of work to be done. Any members with PR, marcom, event planning or writing skills are encouraged to join.  Please email Chelsea  [email protected] or Emily [email protected] if interested.

 

The committee plans to make it a priority to help you get the word out about all of the wonderful things that you, your committee or your library are doing. Our goal is to serve as a centralized source of event information; please help us help you by keeping us abreast of your local goings-on so we can let the rest of the state know. We also want to enhance RILA's image among library staff and throughout the community, and are always looking for ways to get media attention.

  

A little about the new co-chairs:

Chelsea received her MLIS from Drexel University in 2011 and currently works as a reference librarian for Greenville Public Library, and Redwood Library and Athen�um; she has years of experience in public relations from past employment at an East Coast financial services firm and freelancing for various nonprofit organizations. Emily received her MLIS from URI in 2012 and currently works as a reference librarian for AskRI.org, and North Scituate Public Library; she also has a background in marketing through her work at a local brewery and radio station.


Pawtucket
Pawtucket Public Library is pleased to announce they are now an Official US Passport Acceptance Facility.  They will begin processing passports starting on Monday, January 14th. 

  

The library is best for issuing new passports as passport renewals can be done through the mail.  Visit the Department of State's website for information about the process and the documents that are needed: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/get_4855.html 

  

For each passport issued, $25 will go directly to the Pawtucket Public Library's Literacy Program.  This is not an additional fee, all passport locations charge the same amount, but the money will go for a very good cause.

The Pawtucket Public Library welcomes back Maria Cotto as a librarian in our Children's Library.  Maria previously worked at the library until 2009.  Since then she has worked as a Children's Librarian at the Knight Memorial Library of PCL.  She will be presenting children's programming in English and Spanish.  Maria was a Prism Plus Fellow at URI and is a member of Cornucopia of Rhode Island Committee and REFORMA Northeast Chapter Committee.

Cranston
The Cranston Public Library is pleased to announce a $1000 grant from the Randolph Savings Peter T. Pastore Jr. Charitable Foundation. The grant will fund a pilot project at the Central Library to use iPads for early literacy development. The iPads will be available in the children's department allowing parents and caregivers to use them with young children utilizing apps and ebooks designed for early literacy.

"This grant allows us to provide access to an emerging technology for early literacy that not all of our users can afford. This project will allow us to continue to offer equal access to technology and further our mission of fostering literacy", said Library Director Edward Garcia.

Salve Regina

Lisa Kenyon has been appointed to the position of Special Programs Librarian.  Lisa received her M.L.I.S. from URI in 2005 and has served as Curriculum Support Librarian at Mitchell College in New London since 2007.  She will begin work on Monday, February 11.

 

Allen Antone, Special Programs Librarian, retired at the end of September. Allen provided over thirteen years of dedicated service to the McKillop Library.

 

Grants and other awards

The McKillop Library was selected as a 2012 recipient of books through The Nippon Foundation's "Read Japan" book donation program. The Read Japan "100 Books for Understanding Contemporary Japan" book donation program is open to overseas libraries; the selected libraries receive a donation of up to 100 English books on Japan from The Nippon Foundation. The books have been carefully chosen by a committee of ten experts with extensive knowledge of Japan, and cover five main categories: Politics & International Relations, Economy & Business, Society & Culture, Literature & Arts, and History. The foundation believes readers can develop a greater understanding of contemporary Japan through this collection.

Cumberland
Olivia Horvath accepted a position as Information Services Specialist at the Cumberland Public Library.  She began her duties in December 2012.

Melissa Chavaroli will be joining its staff as the new Reference Services Coordinator. 

 

We also have Susan Eastman joining the staff in the Children's Room as a Children's Assistant


Barrington

Starting in mid-January, Barrington Library is pleased to welcome Jessica D'Avanza as the new Community Services Librarian in charge of adult programming.  Jessica replaces Amy Greer who has accepted a position at the Providence Community Libraries.  We welcome Jessica with great enthusiasm, and we thank Amy for her excellent work at Barrington Library and wish her best of luck with her new job!

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Barrington Library has been awarded a grant of $2,000 from the CVS Caremark Charity Classic.  The funds have been set aside for the purchase of eBooks, through OSL.

 
Tiverton
The Champlin Foundations awarded a $750,000 grant to support the building of the new Tiverton Public Library! With this grant, funding for the new Library has reached over 93% percent of the Capital Campaign goal, making it possible to plan the ground breaking for April 2013.

Rhode Island Historical Society Library
The RIHS Library will be closed Saturday, January 19th through Tuesday, February 5th while making the Reading Room more comfortable and responsive to patrons and researchers. The Society looks forward to welcoming scholars and other lovers of Rhode Island history back to the Library on Wednesday, February 6th.

Providence College
Providence College has been named one of the recipients of the Innovation Award presented by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).   The NACUBO Innovation Award Program seeks to honor the achievement of higher education institutions of each constituent type (community colleges, comprehensive and doctoral institutions, research universities and small institutions) in two areas:

Process Improvement - to recognize higher education institutions that have successfully re-engineered or designed a program, improving service delivery of administrative activity in response to a campus need.

Resource Enhancement - to recognize higher education institutions that have successfully reduced costs, increased revenues or improved productivity in response to a campus need.

 

The award was for the joint Library/ITS renovation of the lower level of our library.  The space is now a high-tech, high-touch environment geared towards students doing group work called the TecHub.  Flexible furniture, dual-boot Macs, and flat-screens are just a few details of the space.  In addition to the student space, the Library and ITS departments partnered to create the TechStation, as satellite Help Desk in the TecHub to help students and faculty with their technology needs .  This renovation and the services provided is are a great example of partnership between the Library and ITS.  Here is our Flickr stream, documenting the renovation before and after.

Bryant University
Bryant University's Douglas and Judith Krupp Library won the College Library Website of the Month award from ACRL.  Their website was chosen for adhering to five criteria:
1. Ease of access -- timely connection with a relatively quick load of graphics
2. Content -- useful and relevant, containing breadth and depth, and characterized by accuracy
3. Currency -- an indication of the last update of the site
4. Design -- an eye-catching and appealing overall look, effective use of graphics related to a page's theme, and consistent layout
5. Navigation -- features such as a link back to the home page, site search capability, and site layout.

Rhode Island College
RIC is accepting proposals for an upcoming conference entitled: Querying the Library: Digitization & its Impact.  Proposals are due February 28th, and the conference will be held May 13, 2013.  more information can be found here .  Please send proposals to:
Library Director's Office,
James P. Adams Library,
600 Mount Pleasant Ave,
Providence, RI 02908

THATCamp
THATCamp Libraries will be held at Simmons College in Boston, MA on Saturday, February 23, 2013. THATCamp ("The Humanities and Technology Camp") is an unconference designed to bring people together to explore the role of technology in humanities teaching, learning, and research. THATCamp Libraries will explore the ways that libraries can collaborate with humanities scholars who are using technology in their research and teaching. The unconference is being hosted by Simmons College with generous support and sponsorship of Simmons College GSLIS and THATCamp New England. 
 
This one-day conference combines all of the delicious bits of a THATCamp experience into an exhilarating day of learning, engagement with technology, and interaction with other library professionals and technologists.  The day will start with your choice of hands-on workshops designed to introduce you to basic skills, tools, and concepts of the digital humanities.  We are planning workshops on Omeka, text encoding, and more.  For details visit: http://libraries2013.thatcamp.org/workshops/.
 
To register for THATCamp Libraries, go to http://libraries2013.thatcamp.org/.

URI
The URI 2013 interdisciplinary graduate conference, Talking Beyond Disciplines: Rising Tides and Sea Changes, seeks to turn scholarly attention toward the transformations, crises, and anxieties of our varied disciplines that are crashing on our (real and metaphorical) shores.

All disciplines are welcome. The deadline for this CFP is February 15, 2013.

The conference will be held on April 13, 2013 on the URI Kingston, RI campus. We invite you to visit the website urigradconference.org and send all inquiries to [email protected]

URI GSLIS/ Student ALA
Student ALA to Host GSLIS Conference: Catapult Your Career
On March 23, 2013 Student ALA will be hosting its first-ever full day
conference at Swan Hall, located at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston campus, from 9-4 pm, with registration opening at 8 am. The conference will focus on career and leadership related topics of interest to students and new librarians. While the conference has been specifically tailored to meet the needs of current and recently graduated GSLIS students, it also will be of interest to current librarians who are looking for students for Professional Field Experience placements, or who may be interested in participating in leadership workshops and networking with other participating librarians.

The conference will host morning keynote speaker, Peter Bromberg, Associate Director of the Princeton Public Library, who will speak on leadership related topics. Morning breakout sessions will include a career explorations session for people interested in both traditional and nontraditional career paths available to LIS graduates and an interviewing workshop for those who would like to fine-tune their interviewing skills. Other sessions will include a session focusing on Publishing and Presenting for Librarians and the PFE and Career Networking session, which will be offered in an open house format for students looking to secure a PFE for summer or fall.

Lunch will take place nearby at the University Club and will include a
keynote address from Ed Garcia, Library Director at Cranston Public Library who is a former PRISM Scholar and graduate of the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Rhode Island. During the lunch, participants will also hear from a local literacy-related charity called Books are Wings, which Student ALA has been working with over the past semester.

After lunch, breakout sessions will resume, with presentations on how
librarians can craft their online social presence and build their network in
the online environment and a panel that will focus on topics of interest to
school media specialists. The PFE & Career Networking session will also continue into the afternoon. The day will finish with an energizing
leadership workshop led by Dr. Renee Hobbs, one of the nation's leading
authorities on media literacy education and a Professor and Founding Director of the Harrington School of Communication and Media.

For more information, please contact Stefanie Metko, President of Student ALA at 
[email protected]. Registration will open at the end of January and more detailed information will be released at that time.


ACRL
ACRL National Conference Scholarship to enable a member of ACRL/NEC who has never attended an ACRL National Conference to attend the 2013 ACRL National Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. Up to $1,000 registration/travel stipend to attend the ACRL National Conference and complimentary registration/travel stipend to attend the ACRL/NEC Annual Conference. Deadline: January 31, 2013                                      

Continuing Education Scholarship to enable a member of ACRL/NEC to pursue continuing education or professional development opportunities related to librarianship. Up to $500/year and complimentary registration/travel stipend to attend the ACRL/NEC Annual Conference. Deadline: February 8, 2013

ACRL/NEC Annual Conference Scholarships for Librarians and Library Staff to enable up to 6 librarians or library staff who have never attended the Chapter's Annual Conference to attend it. Covers registration/travel stipend to attend the ACRL/NEC Annual Conference. Deadline: February 8, 2013

ACRL/NEC Annual Conference Scholarships for Library School Students to enable up to 6 students enrolled in an ALA-accredited library school program, or December 2012/January 2013 graduates, to attend the ACRL/NEC Annual Conference. Covers registration/travel stipend to the ACRL/NEC Annual Conference. Deadline: February 8, 2013

Best Paper Award for an ACRL/NEC member with the best scholarly library/information science paper. $250/year and complimentary registration/travel stipend to attend the ACRL/NEC Annual Conference. Deadline: February 8, 2013

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Awards/scholarships applications: http://www.acrlnec.org/content/scholarships-awards

View a list of our Past Award Winners: http://www.acrlnec.org/content/scholarship-award-winners

If you have questions or would like to learn more, you can send an email to [email protected].

NEASIST
The Book as iPad App: iBooks Author
When: Wednesday, January 30, 2013, 5:30pm-7pm (EST)
Where: MIT Pappalardo Room (Bldg 4-349) find on MIT MAP
What: 5:30-6pm: Refreshments & networking

6-7pm: Guest speaker, Nicole Hennig

Event is free, but registration is required
Register at: http://neasist-ibooks.eventbrite.com/ 

iBooks Author is a free ebook authoring tool by Apple that runs on the Mac platform. It ena-bles easy creation of interactive ebooks that can be sold or offered for free through Apple's iBooks store. It also allows for exporting non-interactive PDF versions that can be sold any-where. The interactive ebooks will run on iPads and can include embedded multimedia, such as slide shows, movies, quizzes, 3D images, embedded math formulas, and more.  In this informal talk, Nicole Hennig will walk us through examples of some titles created with this tool, show the interface and how it works, and discuss why this is of interest to those looking to create interactive books.

Nicole Hennig's expertise includes user experience studies, mobile web, mobile apps, and the user experience of e-reading. Nicole is the co-author of the popular web site, Apps for Academics and teaches the online course Apps4Librarians.

The RILA Bulletin is produced by the RILA Communications Committee.  The RILA Communications Committee is responsible for publicizing and supporting Rhode Island Library Association activities using a variety of communication tools. Responsibilities including publishing the RILA Bulletin, managing social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and exploring other mediums as needed. The Communications Committee may cooperate with the publicity efforts of the Public Relations Committee to promote library services statewide.

Rhode Island Library Association members can contribute content to the RILA Bulletin by emailing the editors: [email protected] 

Corrie MacDonald & Andria Tieman
Rhode Island Library Association