2014 GLA Paraprofessional Grants - Apply by July 1, 2014

The Paraprofessional Division of the Georgia Library Association announces its 2014 Paraprofessional Grants.   Four (4) $250 Award Grants will be given to the winners to facilitate their attendance at GaCOMO 2014 – GLA’s Annual Convention to be held in Augusta, Georgia October 1-3, 2014.  In addition, each winner will receive an awards plaque, which will be presented at a GLA Association function and a one-year free paraprofessional membership in the Georgia Library Association.

To apply download and complete the following documents:
Paraprofessional Award Application Form
Paraprofessional Award Recommendation Form

Please note that while applicants do not have to be member of the association in order to compete, they must be full-time employees in a library falling under GLA’s auspices (normally a college-level academic, public, school, or special library).  The deadline for submission of application forms is Monday, July 1, 2014.  

Please contact Rhonda Boozer at 678-466-4329 or Rhondaboozer@clayton.edu if you have any questions.

GLMA and GLA 2014 Exemplary Library Awards - apply by June 2, 2014

In 2014, the Georgia Library Media Association (GLMA) and 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:

2014 Exemplary Library Application and Directions
2014 GaDOE Exemplary Media Program Scoring Document
2014 Rubric

The application is due June 2, 2014.
Send application materials electronically by June 2, 2014 to gaexemplarylibrary@gmail.com. 

Navigating Career Opportunities in Libraries, Research, or Knowledge Management - Free Workshop

Workshop for those considering a graduate degree in librarianship or archives
Are you or is anyone you know considering a career in Libraries, Research, or Knowledge Management?

The American Library Association’s Knowledge Alliance invites you to join us for a FREE workshop focused on graduate education, career options, and networking with local professionals.  This event is co-hosted by Georgia Perimeter College and the Women’s Research and Resource Center (Spelman College).

Events will be held at the Dunwoody campus of Georgia Perimeter College on May 30, 2014 from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Lunch will be provided.

FREE, but registration is required and space is limited to the first 30 participants
Register and download an event flyer at   http://knowledgealliance.org/event/essential-information-workshop-atlanta

This event is one of five Knowledge Alliance Essential Information workshops in Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York during the month of May.  These workshops are designed to help prospective LIS students from underrepresented groups prepare for graduate education, navigate career options, and connect with diverse network of peers and mentors to help break down the complexities of a transforming industry and build a path that suits each individual’s goals and skills. These events are made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [RE-03-10-0063-10].

Julie Walker Named New State Librarian

Julie White Walker has been selected as the new State Librarian for the Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS). She will take over the role from Dr. Lamar Veatch, who will be assuming other duties in the University System of Georgia.

Walker is currently the deputy state librarian, a position she has held since 2008. In her new role Walker will provide leadership for the GPLS staff as well as staff of the state’s 403 public libraries. In addition, she will have responsibility for the Georgia Libraries for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS), the network of regional libraries serving Georgians with visual or print disabilities.

“We had a highly competitive, national search for this important leadership position and the search committee was pleased to attract a pool of talented candidates who all wanted to come to Georgia because of the excellent reputation of the Georgia Public Library Service,” said University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby.

“Julie had very serious competition, but it became clear she has the talent, skills and experience we were seeking,” Huckaby said. “We are delighted that the GPLS staff has such a deep pool of talent and look forward to her leadership in the coming years.”

Before becoming the GPLS deputy state librarian, Walker was assistant state librarian for technology, support services and strategic initiatives (2006-2008) and director of the PINES program that shares electronic services among a consortium of 252 state libraries (2003-2006).

She was associate director of the Athens Regional Library System from 1990 to 2003. Prior to coming to Georgia, she worked in various positions in libraries in North Carolina and as a library automation consultant.

Walker earned her bachelor’s in arts in political science and a master of science in library science, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Georgia Public Library Service is the state library administrative agency and a unit of the Board of Regents. The State Librarian is an employee of the Board of Regents and works with the network of public libraries, which are county and regional organizations.

Cumming Campus Learning Commons, University of North Georgia

By Rebecca Rose,  photos by Sandra Sullivan

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, the Cumming campus is the newest campus within the consolidated University of North Georgia (UNG). Opening in August of 2012, with 400+ students, the enrollment in Cumming is now over 700 students, with more classes being added each semester to meet the needs of Forsyth County and surrounding communities. Conceived well before consolidation plans were announced, the Cumming campus was created as a collaborative effort between the former Gainesville State College and North Georgia College and State University. The typical visitor to the Learning Commons can be either a Dual Enrollment, undergraduate, and graduate student, as well as a faculty, staff, or community member.

The Learning Commons offers a cozy, café style setting that draws in students who need a place to study, relax, research, or gather. Adding to the ambiance, windows overlook nearby Sawnee Mountain, which with an elevation at over 1900 feet, is taller than both Kennesaw and Stone Mountains. Original art by the renowned artist, Win Crannell hangs on the walls, donated in honor of Dr. Sherman Day, the original Head of the Cumming campus and a former president of North Georgia College. Photography by Jack Anthony, also adorns the space with restful scenes of northern Georgia.

For convenience, technology such as laptops and graphing calculators are available for use either within the library or for checkout. A wall-mounted Smart Screen, along with the availability of 13 computer workstations, invites students to congregate within the Learning Commons, where assistance is close by with a full and part-time librarian, a graduate assistant, and student workers. Writing and math tutors are stationed within the Learning Commons four days a week. A group study room and portable white boards facilitate group study and are used regularly.
The collection is almost entirely digital, rich with offerings of over 350 subscription databases and 200,000 academic eBooks. Hard copies are shared from nearby UNG campuses or via GIL Express via couriers. For quick access, the digital collection is supplemented by hard copy textbook reserves and Ready Reference texts, such as the MLA and APA handbooks. Interlibrary loans are easily requested using ILLiad, found on the college library website.
Services offered in the Learning Commons include workshops open to students, faculty and staff.

This spring sessions were given on how to download and use ebooks and Zotero, as well as a faculty workshop on identifying potential publishers for scholarly works. Faculty may request library instruction for their classes and students may request personal appointments with the librarians.
Over the last year and a half since opening, the Learning Commons hosted programs, including an art exhibit and artist talk featuring Performance Artist, Didi Dunphy. Other programs included Dog Therapy for finals week, Open Mic, Create a Valentine, and the Cumming Campus Book Club.

Looking towards the future, the Cumming Learning Commons is acquiring iPads and cameras for circulation and additional programming for its growing student population.

To learn more, visit University of North Georgia Libraries website at http://ung.edu/libraries/

Georgia Library Association Scholarships submission deadline - May 21, 2014

Georgia Library Association Scholarship Committee invites applications for 2014

The Georgia Library Association awards two scholarships annually 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 and defray some of the costs of their education. The Beard Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000, is targeted for applicants of excellence who show strong potential for leadership in the library profession. Recipients of both awards must agree to work for at least one year in Georgia following graduation. Applicants need not be residents of Georgia to apply.

The deadline to apply for the 2014 scholarships is May 21.
See the Georgia Library Association website for details: http://gla.georgialibraries.org/scholarship.htm

Questions and application materials may be directed to:
Linda M. Cooks
GLA Scholarship Committee Vice-Chair
P.O. Box 1529
Pine Lake, GA 30072
glascholarships2014@gmail.com  (all lowercase letters)

Atlanta Emerging Librarians Event “A Librarian by Any Other Name”

As any 21st century librarian can relate, the library field is changing.  The roles that librarians play in their workplaces are evolving in response to digital culture, organizational structure and industry demands.  Sometimes this means their job description no longer includes the word “librarian,” but that doesn’t make them any less of a library professional.

Three people who have traveled the path of non-traditional librarianship related their experiences at this year’s first Atlanta Emerging Librarians event “A Librarian by Any Other Name” on April 19.  All three had quite different stories to tell.  Their common thread was that, often out of necessity, they adapted their skills to meet the needs of their organization.  Indeed, this is what librarianship has always been about.

Ernie Evangelista, currently Resource & Access Manager at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, came into librarianship by way of the retail industry.  Playing on the Shakespearean title of the event, Mr. Evangelista told a “tale of two librarians,” describing the career paths of two librarians that differ significantly but involve the same basic principles of librarianship – primarily, the organization and use of information.  The information gathered and kept by the organization may be of a different nature and the methods new, but librarianship is still librarianship.

Despite having an MS in Information Studies, Emily Almond, IT Director at the Georgia Public Library
Service, has never had a job with “librarian” in the title.  She likened herself to a pinball in a pinball machine, bouncing from job to job as positions she held were eliminated or changed.  Throughout her career she has had to acquire new skills and get accustomed to evolving work environments and responsibilities.  Ultimately, she came to the realization that by adapting, she was no longer a pinball being jostled around but rather she was the one controlling the game.

Elizabeth Keathley has worked in the digital asset management field for many years and is currently the owner of Atlanta Metadata Authority.  She shared the findings of a survey of digital asset management professionals, including their earnings, their weekly work schedules, and their educational backgrounds.  Through this presentation, she revealed some realities of her niche and profiled what it would take to become an ideal candidate for a position in her field.  One intriguing trend: younger digital asset management professionals tend to be the ones who hold MLS degrees.  You can view the presentation at: http://atlantametadata.com/useful-links/.


If any of these stories intrigue you, we encourage you to check out the next Atlanta Emerging Librarians event, which will feature local speakers on the topic of emerging technologies in libraries.  This will be an excellent opportunity to prepare your career for the ongoing digital revolution and understand how technology is impacting the library field.  Details coming soon!