Thursday, March 14, 2013

GLMA and GLA invite applications for 2013 Exemplary Library Awards

In 2013, the Georgia Library Media Association (GLMA) and the Georgia Library Association (GLA) will recognize and honor three exemplary and three exceptional library media programs.

In order to identify and highlight these programs, GLMA and GLA are soliciting applications from schools. Library media programs in three schools (elementary, middle and high) will be selected for this recognition. Library media specialists throughout the state and GLMA and GLA will select the recipients based on the school's written application, letters of support, a possible telephone interview and/ or an on-site visit. This program is an opportunity to describe how the Library media program is meeting school improvement goals and increasing student achievement.

If you are interested in applying, please download and complete the following documents:


The application is due May 31, 2013.
Send application materials electronically by May 31, 2013 to gaexemplarylibrary@gmail.com.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Columbus State University Libraries in the Spotlight!

The Simon Schwob Memorial Library at Columbus State University was opened on the main campus in March 1975 and the Music Library was established on the RiverPark Campus in 2001. The look of Simon Schwob Memorial Library has changed over the years in keeping with its mission to provide library and information resources, instruction and other services that promote and enrich intellectual and personal growth and scholarship.  These changes include a 2012 $1.3 million renovation of the first floor to expand student seating and collaborative space by moving technical services, government depository processing and administrative offices to the lower level of the building in a space previously used for university storage.  The project also included the purchase of fun, flexible seating that expanded capacity on the first floor from 115 to 300. With increased traffic of over 22% since the renovation, the library expanded its weekday hours to 7am to 2am Monday thru Thursday. Columbus State met late-hour transportation needs by extending the shuttle service between the main and downtown campuses.

In the spirit of flexible collaboration, CSU Libraries now offers the checkout of 34 Google ChromeBooks and 26 laptops for mobile computing, in addition to 38 traditional lab stations, including 13 dual-monitors.  Wireless is available throughout the building.  The lab stations are surrounded on one end by a gallery housing student and faculty art and on the other by an Einstein’s CafĂ© serving coffee and snacks to sustain diligent students into the night hours.  Mobile white boards are dispersed among the clusters of booth seating. The periodicals lounging area, with an attractive display of current popular magazines and newspapers, is directly across from the forum space used for study, faculty research presentations, and events, including this year’s popular Vietnam Lecture Series.

All student service points were moved to the front of the library to increase accessibility, including new reference and circulation desks and a new office suite for the Systems, ILL and Reference and Instruction departments.  Access to reference services will be expanded in March 2013 with the implementation of Text-a-Librarian, an integrated platform for chat, email and text reference.  In Fall 2013 the library and campus writing center will be collaborating to offer writing assistance from the library, experimenting with a learning commons model.

CSU Libraries houses a collection of over 450,000 items, including over 35,000 ebooks, over 150 manuscript collections in the CSU Archives (located on the 3rd floor of Schwob Memorial Library), and over 9400 CD’s and LP’s plus 700 pieces of sheet music at the Music Library. The Music Library recently received a large gift of flute and guitar scores, and in 2013 the CSU Archives will be the recipient of the historical Spencer Maps Collection.


To learn more about Columbus State University Libraries, please visit http://library.columbusstate.edu/

Thursday, March 7, 2013

February Recap for GLA 2013



Hope you had a nice February. I love February because the first spring flowers start blooming in Georgia, but mostly because it’s my birthday month. I turned 40 for the umpteenth time and, yes, I do celebrate all month.

Besides that important event, we had a great time at the Capitol on Valentine’s Day, February 14. More than 38 people showed up and most walked their legs off delivering prints to the Senate and House of Representatives members. The legislators and their staffs were very receptive to the librarians and very appreciative of the prints, stickers, and bookmarks. I received a very nice “Thank You” card from Governor Deal for the prints, stickers, and bookmarks. He also thanked us for bringing the voice of the libraries to the Capitol. We were finished in about two hours. Thanks to all for the hard work and the time and cost for traveling to the Capitol.

The preliminary planning for COMO 2013 is still in the works. The COMO 2013 planning committee will meet again in Macon on March 23 so I hope to have news to you in the next month about plans and opportunities to volunteer.  If you have any requests or suggestions that you want me to take to the meeting, please feel free to send them to me.

We still have several events coming up.
  • GLA Photo Contest is underway. The deadline is June. The judges will pick the winners and those winning photos will be included in the GLA 2014 Calendar. Please send in your photos of libraries and programs.
  • GLA Summer Picnic – Saturday, July 20 at state park in convenient location for all. One suggestion is Callaway Gardens in central western Georgia. There’s a lake with swimming and beach available, other activities, and a hotel for those who want to stay for the weekend.
  • COMO 2013 – October 9-11, 2013 in Macon, GA. Still in the preliminary planning stage. Will send more information as it becomes available.
  • Strategic Planning - still getting started with this program. Look for surveys during April and May to get the project underway.
Please keep in touch and let me know if you have ideas, suggestions, and comments to improve GLA and better meet the needs of Georgia libraries. I’m interested in e-mail that was just sent out by Katherine Meadows about the Michael’s stores supporting a literacy program with the Boys and Girls Club. What can we do to promote libraries and literacy statewide?

Best wishes for a wonderful spring and I hope to see you soon.
Thanks,

Diana

Diana J. Very, MPA/MLIS
President, Georgia Library Association
404-235-7156

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Academic Division: Call for Papers, COMO 2013

The Academic Library Division of the Georgia Library Association/Georgia Chapter of ACRL invites Georgia librarians and library science students to submit research papers for presentation at 2013 COMO pertaining to academic libraries. Criteria for selection include purpose, content, organization, scholarship, and references. Cash awards funded by YBP Library Services and EBSCO for the top two judged papers will be presented at the Academic Library Division luncheon on Thursday, October 10th. Accepted papers will be delivered in person during a scheduled session at COMO.

Papers should include research on developments in academic libraries that present challenging opportunities for libraries and librarianship throughout the state, region, or nation. Papers should be approximately 2000 words, presentations are scheduled for 15 minutes, and appropriate papers may be considered for publication in the Georgia Library Quarterly.

NOTICE OF INTENTION
Submit via email with subject line, ALD Research Papers, to katherineott@clayton.edu a notice of intention containing your name, address, phone number and email address with the tentative title and a brief (200 word) abstract by May 1, 2013.

PAPER SUBMISSION:
Final paper approximately 2000 words submitted by July 15, 2013.

Questions and submissions may be directed to

Katherine Ott
Research Papers Committee Chair
katherineott@clayton.edu

Friday, March 1, 2013

The Georgia Library Association Scholarship Committee invites applications for 2013

The Georgia Library Association annually awards two scholarships to students completing a master's degree in library science:
  • The Hubbard Scholarship, a $3,000 award, is intended to recruit excellent candidates for librarianship in Georgia.
  • The Beard Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000, is for applicants who show strong potential for leadership in the library profession.

Recipients of both awards must agree to work in a Georgia library for at least one year following graduation, but need not be residents of Georgia to apply.

The deadline to apply is May 21, 2013.

See the Georgia Library Association website for applicant qualifications and the online application form: http://gla.georgialibraries.org/scholarship.htm
 
Questions and application materials may be directed to:

Karen Viars
GLA Scholarship Committee Vice-Chair
Georgia Perimeter College Alpharetta Center Library
3705 Brookside Pkwy
Alpharetta, GA 30022
karen.viars@gpc.edu