Thursday, October 23, 2008

New posts coming soon!

Thanks to everyone for being so patient during the development of this page. Return often for updates and those features I promised!

In the upcoming months, we will begin posting our "Day in the life" series. This series will showcase a variety of different librarians and all of the exciting things they are doing in their communities.

For those individuals interested in learning about how to become a librarian, the American Library Association (ALA) has a great document available which provides an overview of the ALA accredited schools in the U.S. Also available is an overview of the profession, future trends, salaries, a listing of scholarships and a variety of other things that will be so interesting you will spend hours reading about the exciting world of librarianship! Find that information here!

DId you say FREE?!?!? Current student opportunity

This program is FREE!!

Fifth Annual ARL Leadership Institute, Jan. 24-25, '09, Denver--Register by Dec. 8, '08

For immediate release:
September 17, 2008

For more information, contact:
Jerome Offord Jr.
Association of Research Libraries
202-296-2296
jerome@arl.org

Fifth Annual ARL Leadership Institute, January 24-25, 2009, Denver

Register by December 8, 2008

Washington DC—In conjunction with the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Denver, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) will host its Fifth Annual Leadership Institute for MLS students on Saturday and Sunday, January 24 and 25, 2009. The Leadership Institute will focus on issues related to transitioning into, and building career networks in, research libraries. The program will include guest presentations from library leaders and former ARL Diversity Scholars. Registration for this event is open to any MLS student free of charge.

The Leadership Institute is funded by ARL member institutions and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This annual event is a component of the ARL Diversity Initiatives, which include the Career Enhancement Program, Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce, and the Leadership and Career Development Program.

The 2009 Leadership Institute will feature such topics as:

  • Research, Teaching, and Learning in the 21st Century
  • Current Trends in Information Policy
  • The Future of Open Access
  • Should I Consider a Residency Program? (panel discussion)

Registration is open through Monday, December 8, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. eastern time. For more information and to register, visit http://www.arl.org/diversity/leadinst/.

Are you a current MLS student? Plan on attending this program!

ARL Career Enhancement Program for Minority MLS Students Now Accepting Applications--Apply by Dec. 8, '08

For immediate release:
October 20, 2008

For more information, contact:
Jerome Offord Jr.
Association of Research Libraries
jerome@arl.org

ARL Career Enhancement Program for Minority MLS Students Now Accepting Applications

Apply by December 8, 2008

Washington DC—The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Career Enhancement Program is accepting a second round of applications until December 8, 2008. Master’s of library science (MLS) students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups who have successfully completed a minimum of 12 credit hours by June 1, 2009, in an ALA-accredited MLS program are encouraged to apply for this enriching program experience.

The ARL Career Enhancement Program has four main components:

  • Six- to Twelve-Week Fellowship Experience: Each fellow will have the opportunity to work in a research library to gain both educational and professional experience while earning an MLS. Fellows will be assembled in groups of two or three to create a fellowship cohort at each host institution.

  • Mentoring Relationship: A professional librarian will mentor each fellow during the fellowship. The mentoring relationship will be different from the supervisory relationship and will provide the fellows with professional guidance and resource sharing.

  • Leadership Development: The fellows will participate in the ARL Leadership Institute, hosted in January in conjunction with the ALA Midwinter Meeting. During the institute, the fellows will have an opportunity to explore macro-level issues facing research libraries and discuss transitioning into a research library upon graduation. The fellows will have an opportunity to connect with other ARL fellows, library leaders, and other MLS students who attend the annual Leadership Institute.

  • Career Placement: ARL staff will work with each fellow to network and connect with ARL member libraries to facilitate the job search process.

Qualifications for Participating

Eligible applicants for the fellowship must:

  • be accepted in an ALA-accredited graduate library school program;

  • be a member of a racial/ethnic minority group as described by the US Census Bureau; and

  • have completed a minimum of 12 graduate-level credits in library and information science by June 1, 2009.

Selection and Institutional Match

The ARL Career Enhancement Program uses a unique process for selecting and matching fellows with host institutions. Each host institution has committed to have one designated staff member serve on the Coordinating Committee. The committee will read the entire application pool; select acceptable fellows; and then enter into dialogue about experience, professional fit (fellows’ goals and desired experience), and creating a diverse group of students. The committee will then work together to create the best placement for each fellow.

The fellowship host institutions are:

  • University at Albany, State University of New York
  • University of Arizona
  • University of California, San Diego
  • Columbia University
  • University of Kentucky
  • University of Michigan
  • National Library of Medicine
  • North Carolina State University
  • University of Washington

Applications

Applications are being accepted until December 8, 2008, and should be submitted online. More information about the program, the application process, timelines, and host institutions can be found at http://www.arl.org/diversity/cep/index.shtml. If you need additional information, please contact Jerome Offord Jr. jerome@arl.org.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

ARL Diversity Initiatives Awarded IMLS Grant to Create Minority Fellowship Program

For immediate release:
June 18, 2008

For more information, contact:
Jerome Offord Jr.
Association of Research Libraries
jerome@arl.org
202-296-2296

ARL Diversity Initiatives Awarded IMLS Grant to Create Minority Fellowship Program

Washington DC—The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Diversity Initiatives have been awarded a $728,821 grant by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st-Century Librarian Program to create the ARL Minority Fellowship Program (MFP). The MFP will partner with ARL libraries to provide 45 master’s of library science (MLS) students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups with fellowships in research libraries. The program will also provide these ARL Minority Fellows with librarian mentors, opportunities for leadership development, and career placement assistance. Using a fellowship-cohort model, this program seeks to address recruitment and retention of minority librarians by providing them with a close network of peers, while at the same time providing these outstanding students with practical learning experiences to complement their library school coursework.

The ARL Minority Fellowship Program has four main components:

  • 12-Week Fellowship Experience: Each fellow will have a unique opportunity to work in a research library to gain both educational and professional experience while earning an MLS. Fellows will be assembled in groups of two or three to create a fellowship cohort at each host institution.
  • Mentoring Relationship: A professional librarian will mentor each fellow during the fellowship. The mentoring relationship will be different from the supervisory relationship and will provide the fellows with professional guidance and resource sharing.
  • Leadership Development: The fellows will participate in the ARL Leadership Institute, hosted in January in conjunction with the ALA Midwinter Meeting. During the institute, the fellows will have an opportunity to explore macro-level issues facing research libraries and discuss transitioning into a research library upon graduation. The fellows will have an opportunity to connect with other ARL fellows, library leaders, and other MLS students who attend the annual Leadership Institute.
  • Career Placement: ARL staff will work with each fellow to identify an appropriate and meaningful position in a research library upon completing their MLS.

Eligible applicants for the fellowship must:

  • be accepted in an ALA-accredited library school program;
  • be a member of a racial/ethnic minority group as described by the US Census Bureau; and
  • have completed a minimum of 12 graduate-level credits in library and information science.

Selection and Institutional Match

The Minority Fellowship Program will have a unique process for selecting and matching fellows. Each host institution has committed to have one designated staff member serve on the Coordinating Committee. The committee will read the entire application pool; select acceptable fellows; and then enter into dialogue about experience, professional fit (fellows’ goals and desired experience), and creating a diverse group of students. The committee will then work together to create the best placement for each fellow.

The fellowship host institutions are:

  • University at Albany, State University of New York
  • University of Arizona
  • University of Kentucky
  • National Library of Medicine
  • North Carolina State University

Applications

Application forms will be available in spring 2009.


The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 123 research libraries in North America. Its mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and expertise, and shaping a future environment that leverages its interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is on the Web at http://www.arl.org/.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Coming soon "A Day in the Life" personal narriatives

One of the most frequent questions I get once people find out I am a librarian is "what do you do all day?". So to answer that question, we will be asking a variety of different REFORMA Librarians from across the United States to give us an idea of what they do on a daily basis in the form of a guest blog post. Ever wondered what someone who works as an academic librarian does all day? What different Librarians working in a fellowship do? These posts will be your opportunity to discover what we do all day. I can guarantee no one "spends all day reading!"

Monday, May 19, 2008

From ALA-2008 Spectrum Doctoral Fellows Announced

This is only one of the great opportunities available for people of color to get their PhDs. What are you waiting for?

NEWS
For Immediate Release
May 13, 2008

2008 Spectrum Doctoral Fellows Announced

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) and the University of Pittsburgh's School of Information Sciences are proud to announce the second, and final, group of recipients of the Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) provided nearly $1 million to fund the 12 scholars in the program.

The six 2008 Spectrum Doctoral Fellowships recipients are: Eric Chuk at the University of California at Los Angeles, Mónica Colón-Aquirre at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Nicole Cooke at Rutgers University, Stefani Gomez at Rutgers University, Asher Isaac Jackson at Syracuse University and Brenda Mitchell-Powell at Simmons College.For more information on the Spectrum Doctoral Fellows visit www.ala.org/spectrumphd.

The Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship program was designed to recruit and provide full tuition support and stipends to 10 full-time library and information science (LIS) doctoral students for all four years of study. Through IMLS’s support, 12 individuals were awarded fellowships. The Fellows were selected by a distinguished jury, chaired by Dr. Carla Hayden, director of the Enoch Pratt Library and past president of ALA. Other members of the jury were: Dr. Camila Alire, 2009-2010 president elect of the American Library Association; Dr. Claudia Gollop, associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill SILS; Joan Howland, professor of Law/Associate Dean for Information and Technology at the University of Minnesota Law School; Dr. Hope Olson, professor at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee School of Information Studies; Dr. Maurice Wheeler, associate professor at the University of North Texas School of Library and Information Sciences; and Dr. Kenneth Yamashita, library division manager for the Stockton-San Joaquin County Library. The Office for Diversity will continue to monitor the progress of the 12 scholars in order to provide them support and guidance toward their mission to increase representation of librarians of color in LIS education, research and executive level administration.

In addition to the University of Pittsburgh, nine other library and information science programs participated in the effort: University of Arizona, University of California at Los Angeles, University of Michigan, Rutgers University, Simmons College, Syracuse University, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, University of Texas at Austin and University of Wisconsin at Madison.

The fellowship was built on the success of the ALA Spectrum scholarship program, which began in 1997 and has since provided financial support to 495 individuals pursuing LIS master's degrees or school media certification. The program has become one of the profession's most significant diversity and recruitment efforts and will award 70 more scholarships in June 2008.

In conjunction with ALA’s commitment to recruiting the next generation of library leaders, The Office for Diversity will sponsor a panel session and Options Fair on LIS Doctoral Programs titled: “Leaders Wanted: Is an LIS Doctoral Program Right for You?” The panel session will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 28, at the 2008 ALA Conference in Anaheim, Calif., in the Hyatt Regency Orange County, Grand B. The session is followed by the Options Fair from noon to 5 p.m. in Grand E/F, where attendees will have a chance to discuss opportunities and funding with Doctoral Students and Faculty from PhD programs across the country. Lunch is provided for Options Fair Registrants.

To underscore the fellowship program's emphasis on leadership, Spectrum Doctoral Fellows will also attend the expenses-paid E.J. Josey Doctoral Leadership Institute, named for a University of Pittsburgh Professor Emeritus and one of the profession's staunchest diversity advocates. The Institute will be held in January 2009 in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE).

We are all grateful for IMLS's support in the award of the 12 doctoral scholarships.

Spectrum Scholarships are open to applicants of American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander heritage. Applications for Spectrum Doctoral Fellowships were accepted from October 2006 to January 2007. Applicants were also required to apply for admission to one or more of the 10 participating library and information science programs. Seventy-eight individuals expressed interest in the Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship, 18 individuals completed applications for the Fellowship and 11 individuals completed applications to their LIS program(s) and were reviewed by the Fellowship Jury.

For more information on the Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship program, please contact Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Director, Dr. Toni Carbo, Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences and Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, at tcarbo@sis.pitt.edu.

For more information on the Office for Diversity and the Spectrum Program, visit: www.ala.org/diversity. For more information on the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences, visit: www.sis.pitt.edu/. For more information on the IMLS, visit: www.imls.gov.