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ALA Midwinter meeting notes

Posted January 18th, 2010 by jenna

Live notes from our meeting at ALA Midwinter. (But the link is stalled at the moment! 1/18/10 8pm ET.)

Rad Ref meeting/social at ALA Midwinter 2010

Posted January 14th, 2010 by jenna

Saturday, January 16, 2010, 6-8pm
Yvonne Pappenheim Library on Racism, 14 Beacon Street, Boston

No ALA conference registration required; new volunteers welcome!

Contact Rebecca Martin for more info.

For those going to ALA Midwinter - Boston Hyatt Labor Disputes

Posted September 24th, 2009 by Lana

FYI for anyone going to Midwinter in Boston:

Hyatt Hotels Corp. laid off the entire housekeeping staffs at the Hyatt Regency Boston, Hyatt Regency Cambridge, and Hyatt Harborside Hotel after the morning shift had ended on Aug. 31, citing challenging economic conditions, and immediately replaced them with workers from an out-of-state staffing firm that will be paid $8 with no benefits. The housekeepers (who were paid $15 with benefits) had been training those very workers, from Georgia’s Hospitality Staffing Solutions, who they were told would be filling in for vacations.

QUESTION: Librarianship (distance programs/volunteering in a public library)

Posted October 13th, 2008 by Anonymousy
question / pregunta: 

I am interested in a career as a Reference librarian. Due to my financial situation, moving away for school or commuting seem both improbable, and I don't want to put my education on hold for too long...Which is why I am very interest in online/ distance programs. Which ones do you recommend?

Also, I was thinking about finally heading to my public library to volunteer. What should I look into as a volunteer?

Are there any specific courses I should take at the community college?
(I am not particularly comp tech savy)

(I received a B.A. i Chicano Studies (far from library science, right?)...I definitely would appreciate any additional help, recommendations)

THANK YOU!,

Denise

Answers

Answer posted by: lia

Hello, the American Library Association has a searchable database of accredited programs here. You can limit your search to “100% online,” “Primarily online with some face-to-face courses required,” etc.. As far as volunteering goes, I believe that any way you can get a foot in, will give you an opportunity to learn about librarianship and how many different jobs there are within the field. If you feel you aren't particularly "tech savvy" taking some basic computer classes at your community college would be a great first step. Let us know if you have other questions, we have a number of Radical Referencians in California.

Answer posted by: MRM

Regarding the volunteering -- I think it would really depend on the library system. The large urban system where I work takes on volunteers for pretty specific, mostly low-level tasks. I've never heard of the possibility that someone could be taken on as a volunteer doing the sorts of activities that would be relevant to a budding professional. (Though that might work in the area of children programming.) Of course, if you want to do shelf-reading or tech assistance (e.g. helping people sign up for the public computers), I'm sure any public library system would welcome you.

On the other hand, right after I got my MLIS, I contacted a suburban public library where I'd worked as a clerk and asked if I could do volunteer work and be "mentored." They were enthusiastic, and I spent a few weeks before I actually found a job helping with a weeding project and revising some topical Web guides. So that was certainly beneficial to all parties, but the set-up was unlike my current centralized/bureaucratic system, and of course I did have a history with that library.

Good luck whatever you decide to try!

Answer posted by: tripmastermonkey

Adding to my RR colleagues here: on scholarships, and on the connection of Chicana/o studies to librarianship:

While not everyone who graduates with a BA in Chicana/o Studies is necessarily a person of color, I would like to point out the scholarship opportunities from the American Library Association directed to such folks. The Spectrum Scholarship has been around for a decade now and has helped a number of students-of-color with costs through library school. The American Library Association has a bunch of other scholarships that anyone interested in librarianship should seek out as well. I am a spectrum scholar and like to promote when i can!

As for the connection of Chicano Studies to librarianship:

I see that you're in Ventura, between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. In Los Angeles, if you have time to get out there (and you can just email or call these folks, as well), there is the Southern California Library for Social Studies and Research (SoCalLib)which broadly has materials on social movements in LA, there's UCLA's Chicano Studies Research Center Library & Archives, and the County of Los Angeles Public Library's Chicano Resource Center.

In Santa Barbara there is the University of California's California Ethnic & Multicultural Archive (CEMA) which is another institution to contact about the connections between your degree and librarianship.

I did a cursory search of Ventura County's libraries, and didn't find a specific repository of Chicana/o materials, but you should contact that system as well to see what they have.

Good luck!

Don't Travel to ALA without Your Travel Mug

Posted January 9th, 2008 by jenna

From: Task Force on the Environment, American Library Association

To: All Librarians Attending the 2008 ALA Midwinter Meeting

Librarians Raise Their Cups for Planet Earth

The Task Force on the Environment of the Social Responsibilities Round Table (TFOE-SRRT) wants conference goers to bring their favorite traveling mugs and water bottles in support of efforts encouraging the American Library Association (ALA) to reduce its carbon footprint. TFOE will launch this event at the upcoming ALA 2008 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia from January 11-14, 2008. The title of this campaign is "Cup by Cup for a Greener ALA." The campaign will show that ALA members are ready to make lifestyle changes for sustainable conferences and to protect the health of the Earth.

Rad Ref at ALA Midwinter 2008

Posted January 3rd, 2008 by jenna

Thanks to Karen from Philadelphia, Radical Reference will meet during the ALA Midwinter conference at The A-Space on Saturday, January 12 from 6-8pm

ALA Midwinter: Diversity Discussion Group on White Privilege

Posted December 5th, 2007 by jenna

The ALA Office for Diversity is sponsoring a discussion on white privilege among its events at ALA Midwinter in Philadelphia.

The discussion will be Saturday, January 12, 2008, 1:30-3:30pm Loews Hotel, Lescaze Room, 1200 Market Street

Rad Ref at ALA Annual 2007

Posted June 21st, 2007 by jenna

Radical Reference will be meeting and socializing at the ALA Annual conference in Washington, DC on Saturday, June 23, 2007.

We plan to meet at 8:30pm at the Hawk 'n' Dove at 329 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. The Hawk 'n' Dove does not have much in the way of vegetarian or vegan food. So the vegans among us might have to get some takeout or eat a little earlier.

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