Volume 24, No. 1, Winter 2007
Co-Editors: Marlys Brunsting, UW-Green Bay and Karen Dunn, UW-Madison
In this issue:
Thoughts from the WAAL Chair
--Valerie Malzacher
Just last night, as I was flipping through the January 2007 American Libraries, I came across Leslie Burger’s President’s Message article with the bold title I Love Libraries. There is something about this unabashed, enthusiastic, and passionate advocacy initiative that resonates deeply with me, as I’m sure it resonates with all of you too. I love libraries—the resources and services we provide through them and the difference that we can make with them.
In Wisconsin’s academic libraries, I’ve come to know many talented and hard-working librarians who are dedicated to providing strong resources and services to their campuses and communities. Through WAAL, we have the opportunity to network, to develop new expertise, and to advocate for our libraries. I’m pleased to have the opportunity to lead our state’s academic library organization this year, and I look forward to working with all of you so that together we can make our libraries stronger.
An outstanding committee, led by Jim Buckett (UW-Madison) and Sylvia Contreras (Edgewood College), is busy planning our premier networking opportunity, the Spring WAAL Conference. Discover WAAL @ Wisconsin Dells, the theme for this year’s conference to be held April 17-20, 2007 at the Wintergreen Resort, calls us to discover new ways to make our libraries stronger. Joining Jim and Sylvia in the planning effort are Ulrike Dieterle (UW-Madison), Deb Duncan (UW-Oshkosh), Karen Dunn (UW-Madison), John Elliott (Edgewood College), Andrea Kenny (Edgewood College), Gretchen Revie (Lawrence University), Eric Robinson (WILS), Maureen Olle-LaJoie (UW-River Falls), Julie Schneider (UW-Madison), and Heather Weltin (UW-Madison). This great group of librarians is putting together an outstanding conference for you. Read more about the conference at http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/waal/conferences/2007/
I hope to see many of you at the WAAL Conference. And think about encouraging your colleagues who aren’t WAAL members to come along with you this year. Let’s use this opportunity to reconnect with one another and meet new academic colleagues, all who love libraries, I’m sure, as much as I do.
Call for Poster Sessions
--Ulrike Dierterle, Poster Session Coordinator, WAAL Conference Planning Committee
The Conference Planning Committee invites proposals for poster sessions for the 2007 WAAL Conference, April 17 - 20, 2007 at the Wintergreen Resort & Conference Center, Wisconsin Dells.
This is an excellent forum to share interesting and innovative projects, programs and ideas. Presenters and participants will have ample opportunity to connect with each other and to engage in discussions about the showcased topics. The poster session is currently scheduled for Wednesday, April 18, 5:30 - 7:30pm.
If you plan to submit a poster session proposal, please forward the following information:
1. Abstract of the poster content (200 words or less). This will appear in the conference program.
2. Presenter name(s), institutional affiliation(s) and contact information.
All poster presenters will be provided with a skirted table. No other equipment will be provided. If you choose to bring your own laptop, wireless Internet access will be available during the poster session.
Please forward complete information by January 31, 2006 to:
Ulrike Dieterle (udieterle@wisc.edu)
PHONE: (608) 262-8025
FAX: (608) 262-4732
Discover WAAL @ Wisconsin Dells
WAAL Annual Conference
April 17-20, 2007
Wintergreen Resort and Conference Center
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
--Sylvia Contreras & Jim Buckett, WAAL Conference Planning Committee
Travel to WAAL in the Wisconsin Dells and discover new pathways to knowledge in academic libraries. Increase your awareness of key library trends by participating, observing, learning and sharing information on the work we all do. Please join us in April to Discover WAAL @ Wisconsin Dells and continue your journey of exploration through the universe of academic librarianship.
Our keynote speaker is SirsiDynix’s Vice President of Innovation, Stephen Abram, who will enlighten us on the "Academic Library 2.0." Luncheon guests include Mike Norman, author, educator and playwright, who will be speaking on his book series, “Exploring Haunted America,” and Emily Auerbach, Professor of English at UW-Madison who will tell us about, “The UW Odyssey Project: Transforming Lives through the Humanities.”
Over thirty-five presentations by guests and colleagues will cover hot topics, such as:
Library advocacy and marketing
Poster sessions will be on Wednesday, April 18, in the conference hotel ballroom. On Thursday, April 19, WAAL and the H.H. Bennett Studio & History Center will host a reception for conference participants.
Consider bookmarking this page: http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/waal/conferences/2007/
Keep checking the conference web site for the complete program details including registration and hotel information, travel and parking details, and Wisconsin Dells area highlights. It’s never too early to make your hotel reservations or submit your completed registration form!
Imagery courtesy of H.H. Bennett Studio & History Center/Wisconsin Historical Society.
Scholarships!
--Julia Trojanowski, Professional Development Committee
The annual WAAL conference is coming up quickly. Do you know someone who would benefit from attending the conference if only they could afford it? Through the Professional Development Committee, WAAL provides scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as paraprofessionals to attend the annual conference. The scholarship covers registration fee, conference meals, hotel room, and mileage costs for those driving themselves to the conference. The scholarship provides an incredible opportunity for individuals to attend a conference they would not likely otherwise attend.
The Committee urges all of you to encourage students and co-workers you think would benefit from attending the conference to apply for one of the 2007 scholarships. Guidelines and applications can be found at http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/waal/committees/pdcomm.html.
Applications are due Wednesday, February 21, 2007.
Discover Wisconsin--and Midwest Authors, Readers Section Book Talk
--Helene Androski
Wind down your 2007 WAAL conference activities on Friday morning, April 20 at 9:00 by talking about the books you love! In this latest of the Readers Section’s series of book discussions, Discover Wisconsin - and Midwest Authors, Helene will review the genre of Midwest regional writing and lead a book talk on Zona Gale’s Miss Lulu Bett, a classic with impeccable Wisconsin credentials (Zona Gale was from Portage, conveniently near Wisconsin Dells).
You do not need to have read the book beforehand to attend, but you’re going to want to anyway! The program will end with participants recommending other works of Midwest regional writing with a Web site to follow that will include an annotated bibliography of the suggestions.
WeLead and Academic Libraries: A Bright Future
--Nathan Dowd, Pamela O’Donnell, Jennifer Snoek-Brown
In early 2005, the Wisconsin Library Association announced a new membership initiative, WeLead (Wisconsin Emerging Librarians Exploring and Developing). The WeLead Task Force, formerly the Membership Committee, developed the three-year program in order to attract new members to WLA and also to provide training, networking, and mentoring opportunities to help prepare a new generation of library leaders.
The benefits of the program include a one-year WLA membership, stipends to attend the WLA conference through 2007 (as well as one section conference), an appointment to a WLA committee, special leadership programming opportunities, and a professional mentorship with a WLA member. To provide these benefits, the WeLead task force secured funding with generous contributions from WAAL, WAPL, Embury, Ltd., and the WLA Foundation.
The task force encouraged new, or “emerging,” librarians to apply and they selected three academic librarians for the first class of four protégés: Nathan Dowd, Librarian, Madison Area Technical College, paired with mentors Ellen Pedraza and Gary Flynn, Gateway Technical College; Pamela O’Donnell, Associate Academic Librarian, College Library, UW-Madison, paired with mentor Patti Clayton Becker, Coordinator of Reference, UW-Stevens Point; and Jennifer Snoek-Brown, Reference Librarian, Karrmann Library, UW-Platteville, paired with mentor Gretchen Revie, Reference Librarian, Lawrence University.
Nathan graduated from UW-Madison (SLIS) in 2002 and began his professional career at Creighton University as a Web Service/Reference Librarian. He returned to Wisconsin in 2004 and took a position at MATC as Reference Coordinator. He currently serves as the college’s Library Technology Coordinator. While discussing his involvement, Nathan spoke appreciatively of the support he’s received, “Ever since I started working at MATC, I’ve been encouraged to participate in WLA, WAAL, and other professional organizations. In fact, Kathleen Mortensen, MATC’s District Librarian, pointed out the WeLead program to me and encouraged me to apply.” He continued, “I chose to participate because I wanted to become more involved with WLA and develop my leadership skills.”
Pamela came to librarianship as a second career, having spent over fifteen years in the Art Department at Lawrence University in Appleton. She returned to graduate school in 2000 and eventually earned two master’s degrees – one from SLIS and the other in Communication Arts: Media and Cultural Studies, because, as she notes, “sometimes you just need to read more French theory.” She was hired at College Library in 2004 and registered for her first WAAL conference the following spring. As she describes it, “I was in the Monona Terrace when I bumped into Anna Lewis from UW-Madison’s CIMC. She was there distributing information packets about the WeLead program and that’s how I first heard about this great opportunity.” Pamela, like many returning professionals, says she felt the need to “catch-up” with her peers and was delighted that WeLead offered mentoring and other benefits not just to young, but also “emerging” librarians.
Jennifer, a second-generation librarian, received an MLS from the University of North Texas in 2003 and began her professional career as an adult and teen services public librarian. While in Texas, she was an active member of the Texas Library Association. Jennifer returned to academic libraries in early 2005 when she moved to Wisconsin for a new position at UW-Platteville, and she quickly joined WLA, as well as WAAL, RASS, and the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT). She says, “I have to thank my campus mentor, Regina Pauly, who is the Curriculum Librarian at UW-Platteville. She’s the one who encouraged me to apply for the WeLead Initiative.” Jennifer was impressed by WLA’s commitment to a three-year leadership program and its emphasis on developing strong mentoring relationships.
At the half-way point in their tenure, all of the protégés agree that the mentoring relationships they’ve developed are the most rewarding part of the WeLead Initiative. Indeed, these relationships have provided insights not only to protégés but also the mentors, who have been able to experience a new perspective on the profession and how new librarians view and interpret leadership roles. Many professional articles highlight the disconnect between generations in different professions, including librarianship, but this program demonstrates that WLA wants to foster connections between new and veteran librarians—and has dedicated both time and money to that effort.
The mentoring relationship has been nurtured in a variety of settings and using a number of different strategies. All of the participants met in August 2005 for a half-day program at the WLA offices to discuss the parameters of the program and how best to foster a mentoring relationship. Like many subsequent meetings, the day ended with food – at a local Indian restaurant – and from the level of conversation alone, it was apparent that the program was a great success in building connections. In addition to a reception (and more food), several sessions at the 2005 WLA conference in La Crosse focused on leadership and mentoring issues. Protégés and their mentors also had the chance to connect at last year’s WAAL conference.
In fact, it was at that conference that Pamela had the opportunity to visit her mentor’s library at UW-Stevens Point and take a tour with Patty Clayton Becker. She says, “Without this program I never would have had the chance to meet Patty. Honestly, it’s not just the professional advice that’s so helpful, it’s the personal connection.” Encouraged by her WeLead experience, Pamela successfully ran for chair of WLA’s Library User Education Round Table in 2005.
All of the protégés have become actively involved in WLA projects. Nathan has been lending his talents to the WAAL 2007 Conference Planning Committee. He reports, “This has been an excellent opportunity for me to learn about everything that goes into putting together a conference.” For her part, Jennifer volunteered to serve as the new IFRT Newsletter editor and this fall was elected as the new Member-at-Large on the IFRT board. However, Jennifer emphasizes that, “I’m not involved in IFRT just because of WeLead—I’m involved because I passionately believe in intellectual freedom. However, being in WeLead has given me the confidence and support to explore more leadership roles and responsibilities within IFRT.” She also cites the advice and experience of her mentor, Gretchen Revie, who is also actively involved in intellectual freedom efforts.
All in all, the first class of WeLead protégés believes the program has been an unqualified success. In reflecting on their experience thus far, it’s interesting to note that Pamela, Nathan, and Jennifer have all been inspired to assist other new or emerging librarians. Pamela is now co-chairing the New Colleague Program for the General Library System at UW-Madison. Nathan looks forward to one day “serving as a mentor for new librarians,” while Jennifer seeks to motivate other new librarians in order to ensure the WeLead Initiative continues. As Jennifer wrote in her WeLead application, “I am passionate about the value of libraries… and this passion influences all that I do, both as a librarian and as an individual. To borrow from Jonas Salk, ‘I feel that the greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more.’” The WeLead Initiative continues to provide the skills and tools to help fulfill that commitment.
People & Places in the News
Alverno College
Larry Duerr has been promoted to Head of Public Services; Jeffrey Desannoy and Dolores Skowronek have joined the library staff as Reference Librarians.
Lawrence University
In January, the Mudd Library hosted a national touring exhibition of the 2006 Paul Revere Award winners from the Music Publishers’ Association of the United States (http://www.mpa.org/paul_revere_awards/). The Paul Revere Awards honor publishers for their efforts in creating outstanding examples of graphic design for the music industry.
Mudd Library has also introduced several blogs containing "news, resources, and fun stuff" http://www.lawrence.edu/library/digital/blogs/ ; photos have been posted on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeleyg/
Marquette University
Marquette University’s Funding Information Center has released the 2006 edition of Foundations in Wisconsin, its directory of private and community foundations. The directory is produced in two formats--as a print publication and as a Web-based subscription database. The following link supplies order form, price structure, and a demonstration. http://www.marquette.edu/library/information/news/2006/FIW.html.
The Funding Information Center serves hundreds of visitors annually. Free orientations are offered on a regular basis. Visit its Website: http://www.marquette.edu/fic/index.html
Joan Sommer has been named Head of Access Services, a new department formed by the merger of Interlibrary Loan and Access Services. Ms. Sommer joined the Marquette staff in 1984 and was Head of Interlibrary Loan from 1993 until assuming her new position.
Two new digital projects debuted in honor of the University’s 125th anniversary. Women in Blue & Gold is a collection of 400+ digital photographs recognizing women’s athletics since the advent of Title IX, 1975-2005. The second project converted over 200 Marquette University men’s basketball films (16mm) to DVD format, covering 1935-1990.
The Libraries recently produced a new READ poster, featuring Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade and his former Marquette English professor, Dr. Paula Gillespie. Wade has been active in the NBA’s literacy program for kids and for the poster he picked Pride and Prejudice, which he read in Gillespie’s class.
Library staff collaborated on a November issue of its newsletter of recommended reading, Ex Libris.
To read newsletters and news releases on these and other library issues visit: http://www.marquette.edu/library/information/news/archive.html
UW-Madison
Campus library staff formed a team to help out in the 2006 Dane County Paint-a-thon sponsored by Project Home. Beth Harper (Memorial Library), Sheilah Harrington (GLS Central Technical Services), Nancy Jones and Bev Phillips (Steenbock Library), Kirsten Houtman and Bob Shaw (WILS), Ed Van Gemert (GLS administration) and Amanda Werhane (Wendt Library) gave their time to scrape, wash, prime, and paint the home of a Madison resident.
As part of the day-long Expanding Your Horizons conference, librarians from Ebling, Spectrum Brands, Steenbock and the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS) conducted three hands-on workshops. They engaged participants in the active exploration of careers with a specific emphasis on information science. Librarians Barbara Arnold (SLIS), Ulrike Dieterle (Ebling), Karen Dunn (Steenbock) and Betsy Vogel (Spectrum Brands) provided real-world descriptions of their own varied careers, a presentation of the versatility of librarianship and learning games to explore career options for women in science, engineering and math.
Nikki Busch has been named Memorial Library's new Grants Librarian as of December 2006. She earned her bachelor's degree in Anthropology, a certificate in Women's Studies and Master's in Library Science from UW-Madison.
Christine Faris Kline began her position as Electronic Resources Acquisitions Librarian, December 1, 2006. She comes to the Central Technical Services unit from MINITEX, a program of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the University of Minnesota, where she was Electronic Resources Librarian. She was formerly a serials librarian at UW-Stevens Point and an electronic resources coordinator at Northern State University.
Anne Glorioso joins Wendt Library as its Circulation and Information Services Librarian. Anne comes to Wendt with experience from UW-Richland where she provided circulation services as well as some reference, instruction and collection maintenance. Anne earned her MLIS and her BA in History and Art History from UW-Madison.
Jaime Martindale-Stoltenberg, map and geographic information systems librarian at the Robinson Map Library, is co-editor of the most recent issue of Library Trends, "Geographic Information Systems," 55(2), Fall 2006.
The American Library Association's Emerging Leaders program has named Heather Weltin (Interlibrary Loan Manager, Memorial Library) to its first class of selected applicants. Upon completion of the program, Heather will accept a term of service on an ALA or chapter committee, task force, working group or project team.
Wisconsin's Water Library for Kids won the Media and Technology Section Webbie Award for Best Site for Kids at this year's WLA Conference. The site, created in 2006, features lists of recommended fiction and nonfiction books, lists of children's videos, story hour ideas and kid-friendly activities. The site owes its content and design to staff from the Water Resources Library and to SLIS students then-enrolled in an information-architecture course, Molly Kliss, Jodi Leslie and Ellsworth Rockefeller. Stephanie Good and Shao-Chen Lin also contributed to the site.
UW-Milwaukee
Ewa Barczyk has been named director of UW-Milwaukee Libraries, having previously served as interim director for three years. Since arriving at UWM Libraries in 1985, she has held several positions including associate director, assistant director both for collection management and for public services, and head of interlibrary loan. Before that, she worked as adult reference librarian at the Shorewood Public Library (1983-85), and in the libraries of Yale University (1978-83).
Jeremy Brett has joined the archives staff as Assistant University Archivist (Records Manager). Most recently, Jeremy served as Archival Consultant for the Council of State Archivists (Iowa) for an NHPRC-funded grant project. Jeremy received his MA in history and MLS from the University of Maryland at College Park.
Thomas Brittnacher is the new GIS specialist in the American Geographical Society Library. Tom has worked as a cartographer, transportation planner, and GIS analyst. He holds a BS in geography from the University of California, Davis, an MA in urban planning from UCLA, and an MLIS from UW-Milwaukee.
James Lowrey has been named Head of Automation, effective February 1, 2007. Jim has been Head of Systems at Marquette University Library since 1999. Before that he worked at UW-Milwaukee in the Administrative Computing Division and the Libraries. He received his MLIS from the University of Illinois.
Steve Miller has left his position in Monographs at the Libraries and joined UW-Milwaukee's School of Information Studies (SOIS) fulltime as a Senior Lecturer. Steve had previously been on a split appointment with SOIS and the Libraries. He was a student employee in the Libraries from 1989-1990 and joined the staff in 1994.
Kelly Wolfe has joined the staff in Interlibrary Loan. Previously, she had been working at UW-Parkside as the Interlibrary Loan Officer. She earned a BA in philosophy from UW-Parkside and an MLIS from UW-Milwaukee.
UW-Milwaukee, SOIS
UW-Milwaukee School of Information Studies (SOIS) Professor Hope Olson and Senior Lecturer Steven Miller have each been recognized with WISE 2006 Excellence in Online Teaching Awards. Olson, Miller, and Hur-li Lee constitute the SOIS core of full-time researchers and instructors who focus on "what is often regarded as the heart of library and information studies, namely the organization of information." For more about the WISE Consortium awards: http://soisnews.blogspot.com/2006/12/sois-faculty-to-receive-excellence-in.html
UW-Platteville
Jennifer Snoek-Brown displayed her poster called,"Connecting LIbrarians and Film: Identifying Stereotypes," at the WLA Conference in November. The poster portrayed stereotypes of librarians in major films.
John-Leonard Berg presented his research on German immigration in a program called, "Discovering Your Ancestral Story." The WLA session summarized years of research on a German immigrant family settling in New Ulm, Minnesota. The session was sponsored by WAAL.
UW-River Falls
Maureen Olle-LaJoie began as Head of Library Technology and Circulation in June of 2006. Most recently Maureen was employed at Louisiana State University as Government Information Librarian and Regional Federal Depository Librarian for Louisiana. She holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Detroit Mercy and an MLIS from Wayne State University.
Alyson Jones began as Head of the University Archives and Area Research Center in September 2006. Alyson holds a BA in History from Gettysburg College and an MLS with an Archives Management concentration from Simmons College. She has also completed the coursework and is completing her thesis for an MA in History, also from Simmons. Most recently, she was Interim Assistant Director of the Leonard Bernstein Center at Gettysburg College. She's also been a project archivist for the Houghton Library at Harvard University and a processing archivist at Harvard's medical school.
UW-Whitewater
Jennie Vano, former Education Reference and Instruction Librarian, resigned her position in June to pursue further education.
Vicky Topp, Reference and Instruction Librarian, retired in July.
Carol Elsen, began her position as Collection Manager and Reference Librarian. She was formerly the Business Reference and Instruction Librarian.
Deronica Goldsmith began her position as the Reference and Archives Assistant in July.
Kyle Naff joined University Library in August as the new Business and Distance Education Reference and Instruction Librarian. He received his library degree at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Carolyn Doyle joined the circulation department in August, where she handles course reserves.
Kelly Hafermann joined the library in October as the new Education Reference and Instruction Librarian. She received her library degree from UW-Madison SLIS.
Calendar of Meetings & Events
| ACRL 13th National Conference, Baltimore | March 29 - April 1, 2007 |
| WAAL Annual Conference | April 17 -20, 2007 |
| WLA Annual Conference | October 16 - 19, 2007 |
Education & Enrichment Opportunities
| CCBC Calendar & Events | SOIS Podcasts |
| e-Learning from ACRL | SOIS Professional Development Institute |
| SLIS Continuing Education, Online Short Courses | Wisconsin State Law Library Classes and Tours |