California Library Association's 2012 Spring Fling

Fling yourself into spring with CLA’s 4th annual Professional Development and Networking Program!
Spring Fling participants learn new skills, enjoy cultural activities, and find people with shared interests!

Registration discounts are available for CLA members and library students. If you are not a member, we encourage you to join today!

2012 Spring Fling Programs

• SCLLN conference and Writer to Writer Award Ceremony: Saturday Feb 25 (Find out more and sign-up at the SCLLN website)



• Cataloging Musical Scores and Sound Recordings Workshop (in-person and online via WebEx): Friday April 13 Register Today



• Private Tour of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising: Saturday April 14 Register Today



• Work Has Changed, How Do We Survive? Management Training Workshop: Monday April 23 Register Today



• It's Academic! Current Trends, Recruitment, and Opportunities in Academic Libraries (webinar): Tuesday April 24 Register Today



• Web of Languages (webinar): Wednesday, May 30 -- Registration will open soon.
  Bullocks Wilshire/Leigh H. Taylor Law Library Tour: Saturday June 2 Register Today



• Graphic Novels Workshop: Date to be confirmed.
  

Please note:
Your registration for a Spring Fling program constitutes permission to utilize photos taken of you at the event for news, promotion, and similar purposes.
Refunds cannot be issued within three weeks of an event taking place.
All refunds are subject to a $25 processing fee.
Events costing $25 and under are not eligible for refunds.

Library of Congress visits Pasadena

One cannot travel through library history without hearing about Thomas Jefferson's valuable contributions. Last summer, I had the amazing experience of finally visiting the Library of Congress. Viewing the reconstruction of Thomas Jefferson's Library which is an on-going exhibit was only a small part of this visit. So imagine my delight when I found out that this past Saturday, February 11th at the 45th California International Antiquarian Book Fair, there would be a talk on "Jefferson's Legacy: Building the Rare Book Collections at the Library of Congress" given by LofC Chief of the Rare Book and Collections Division, Mark Dimunation, which was sponsored by the Bibliographical Society of America. I envy this man's position as he gets to work daily with this collection while searching for those items that were destroyed in the fire of 1851.

Dimunation showed slides of various items from Jefferson's Library. Jefferson divided his library into three categories, Memory, Reason and Imagination, which he interpreted as History, Philosophy and Fine Arts which he further divided into forty-four chapters. While can view the exhibit online, it is not quite the same as seeing it in person though I would recommend both. One can take all the time he wants viewing more details of each item online. One can even send "postcards" to others of various items by registering first.

Even though the seminar's focus was to be on Jefferson's Library, Dimunation also showed representations of LofC's Bible Collection and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition. $100,000 is a still lot of money to us but imagine how much that was back in 1865? While I could not locate the very same poster that was shown, you can take a glimpse at this similar one.

Even if you cannot get to the Library of Congress in person any time soon, you can still take a virtual tour. One of the advantages to this feature is getting to access past exhibits as well. So take a spin on a cost-free trip to the Library of Congress right at the tip of your fingers.

Visit to the Antiquarian Book Fair

Hi everyone,

Just a quick hello to let you know, Cynthia, Caseyann, and myself had a chance to go to the Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend.

What a great time, aside from the great vendors and exhibits we were able to attend a seminar by the Chief of Rare Book and Special Collections Division of the Library Congress. The seminar was titled Jefferson's Legacy : Building the Rare Book Collection at the Library of Congress. He spoke of Thomas Jefferson and the contributions he had made in the field of book collecting, some history of the Library of Congress and the current project to replace Jefferson's collection that was destroyed in a fire. He referenced us to the Library of Congress link as his lecture was not being posted. Lots of information.
On Sunday we went with the intention to get some books appraised but only a certain number of tickets (120) had been given out. The next Fair is next year in San Francisco so maybe we can make that one.
Natalie

45th California International Antiquarian Book Fair!

Feb 10-12th, 2012 Pasadena Convention Center
$25 Friday, $15 Saturday or Sunday

All tickets good for re-admission throughout the Fair.
Fair attendees receive special admission to the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

http://www.labookfair.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LABookFair


Event Coordinator: Simin Atayman
Winslow & Associates
746 Hayes StreetSan Francisco, CA 94102
Tel: 415-724-2874 simin@winslowevents.com

Networking Tips

I don't know about you but when I think of going to some business or social event to network, I get nervous. But I found that networking really can come up in unexpected situations. Recently, I went to a library student dinner social at a noisy restaurant. Initially, I was not going to make the drive to the San Fernando Valley from the San Gabriel Valley. But in the end, I was quite glad I did. Sitting at my table was this woman who is affiliated with CSU Northridge along with the student Special Libraries organization. One of my cohorts was asking me when I planned to relocate. When she heard where I was planning to relocate, she gave me the name of a library employment agency that I had not heard of. So, of course, I immediately added that possible lead to my organizer.

Today, I came across this article that was posted by a fellow acquaintance in the library field on Facebook today titled "An Introvert's Guide to Networking." While Lisa Petrelli is not in the library field, she does offer a few simple tips for networking along with her story about why networking is so important.

So the next time you are debating whether to go to some social business networking event, remind yourself of the pros rather than the cons. You may not be job hunting now but you never know when a contact made through networking will come handy in the future.

Petition to Support for School Libraries

(reposted from CALIX)

Background information:
Carl Harvey, 2011-2012 AASL president, has initiated a White House petition on school libraries, which specifically petitions the Obama administration to “ensure that every child in America has access to an effective school library program.” 25,000 signatures are required in order for this petition to be viewed by White House staff, no later than February 4, 2012.Please take a few seconds to sign this petition, spread the word to your member groups, ask your colleagues and library supporters in your circles to sign on, and spread the word via Facebook, Twitter and other channels!The url is: http://wh.gov/Wgd .

Text of Petition:
we petition the obama administration to:Ensure that every child in America has access to an effective school library program.Every child in America deserves access to an effective school library program. We ask that the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provide dedicated funding to help support effective school library programs. Such action will ensure more students have access to the resources and tools that constitute a 21st century learning environment. Reductions in school library programs are creating an ‘access gap’ between schools in wealthier communities versus those where there are high levels of poverty. All students should have an equal opportunity to acquire the skills necessary to learn, to participate, and to compete in today’s world.
A total of 25,000 signatures is needed for this petition can reach the President’s Desk! (The White House Petition for School Libraries: http://wh.gov/Wgd

A few things of note:
• We’ve heard that the petition software is temperamental. If you cannot sign in on your first attempt, please log out and log back in. Or, try a different web browser, or as a last resort, try a different computer.
• This petition should not be confused with a petition begun in 2011.
• White House petitions must be authored by individuals, not any
association. Therefore, Carl has introduced this petition as an individual, not as a representative of AASL or ALA.

Locating the Law Handbook for Non-Librarians

I love a freebie that comes from good stock. The Southern California Association of Law Libraries has a new edition of the Locating the Laws Handbook. If you are interesting in working in a law library or need to find a law source quickly this might be the publication you have been seeking in the stacks.

5th Edition of Locating the Law, A Handbook for Non-Law Librarians

There is much goodness to be found here. Chapter 3 has a guide to conducting a legal information search and interview techniques. This is a section of the handbook that talks about the legal information interview:

Regardless of how the question is phrased, the user is ultimately asking what law or laws apply to his or her situation. Your first task, as in any reference interview, is to analyze the information provided in order to identify the relevant facts and to weed out the irrelevant. To determine the relevant facts, you will usually need to ask additional questions. At this point, it is appropriate to briefly address concerns about the unauthorized practice of law.

Librarians conducting a reference interview should not be afraid to ask questions of someone seeking legal information. Asking questions in order to make recommendations about appropriate legal resources to consult does not constitute giving legal advice. 

The handbook is a Adobe PDF document. You can view by chapter or you can download the entire handbook and read it on your computer or with you favorite tablet or e-reader.

You definitely want this on your virtual resource shelf.