December 2010
In this issue...
Inside The Alberta Library
As the year winds down, it’s an opportunity to say thank you to some of the people who helped make good things happen in 2010.
Thank you to each and every one of you who made time in your schedules to serve on a TAL committee. We know that it’s not always easy or convenient, but your commitment and willingness to share your time is the fuel that drives the organization.
Thank you to everyone who brought such good energy and insights to the NEXT Symposium in October. We promise to do everything that we can to ensure your good ideas make a real difference in the library community.
For those who didn’t make it to the symposium, thank you for continuing to share your ideas and insights on the Library Futures website. And thanks to Michael McDonnell and his ‘libfu cru’ of volunteers who helped build and maintain the site.
Thank you to AXIA, EBSCO and CARR McLEAN for acting as corporate partners for the NEXT Symposium, which enabled us to truly bring in the voice of the future by inviting a number of library school students to the event.
Thank you to David Lankes and other NEXT speakers for truly challenging some of our assumptions about what libraries can be in the future.
Thank you to Diana Davidson and everyone at the Public Library Services Branch of Alberta Municipal Affairs for all of your great work over the past year, and for continuing to be outstanding partners.
And thank you to the people who had the foresight to create The Alberta Library over a decade ago. Your vision of bringing people together to find creative solutions and achieve what could not be done alone is more relevant today than ever.
On behalf of all of the staff at The Alberta Library, here’s to continuing to live up to that vision in 2011.
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APLEN members now master instructors
For several years, APLEN has provided NAIT’s Becoming a Master Instructor (BMI) program to help public and regional library staff improve their skills as trainers.
BMI provides students with theory and practice in adult learning and teaching, enabling participants to become more effective in a variety of training situations.
This well-respected program has been operating for over 20 years and is one of the most successful instructor training programs in Canada. NAIT has also offered this course to academic institutions, government, and industry organizations on an international scale, delivering the program in Cuba, USA, Ukraine, and Bolivia.
NAIT’s corporate training model provides three levels of BMI training, which is the equivalent of NAIT’s fourteen-day intensive workshop required for all new instructors. Through this program, APLEN has aided many librarians and library staff to improve their skills as trainers and instructors.
This November, we were especially pleased to have our first cohort of participants complete BMI 300, the final level in the program. APLEN congratulates Nicole D’Angone of Lethbridge Public Library, Terra Plato of Chinook Arch Regional Library, Jocie Wilson of Yellowhead Regional Library, Collete Oster of Northern Lights Library System, and Lauren de Bruin of The Alberta Library for having finished the complete BMI program.
We look forward to having many more members of the Alberta library community complete this excellent training series!
TAL Fall board meeting highlights
The momentum from October’s NEXT Symposium carried through to the Fall Board of Directors meeting where Board members discussed what’s next for The Alberta Library in the coming year.
TAL CEO, Clive Maishment reported on the success of the Next Symposium, highlighting how the process tapped into the power of conversation. Board members who participated in the symposium commented on the value of hearing diverse perspectives from representatives of all library sectors. Another common theme was that the symposium acted as a catalyst for further dialogue on the future of Alberta’s libraries.
The Board approved the terms of reference for the Post-secondary Library Directors Standing Committee (PLDSC). In keeping with the PLDSC’s mandate to provide leadership to the post-secondary library director members of TAL, the committee will develop goals and initiatives for the post-secondary library community and consult and share information with respect to needs, issues, opportunities and priorities. The following TAL members have been appointed to the committee: Dan Mirau, Concordia University College of Alberta; Terry Donovan, Portage College; Brad Neufeldt, St. Mary’s University College; Eve Poirier, NorQuest College; and Carol Shepstone, Mount Royal University. Clive Maishment is an ex-officio member.
Board members were notified that a Strategic Planning Project Team has been appointed by the TAL Executive Committee. The team will present a draft strategic focus plan at the January 2011 TAL Executive Committee meeting for the committee’s consideration and the intent is to bring the draft strategic plan to the April board meeting for approval. Membership on the committee reflects the overall TAL membership and includes: Kenton Good, University of Alberta Library; Nancy Mackenzie, Calgary Public Library; Pilar Martinez, Edmonton Public Library; Dan Mirau, Concordia University College Library; Renee Reaume, University of Calgary Library; and Michelle Toombs, Marigold Library System. Clive Maishment and APLEN Director Julia Reinhart are ex-officio members of the team.
Laurie Harrison, Dan Mirau and Liz Fulton Lyne were appointed to the Nominations/ Elections Committee. The committee will bring forward names of Board members willing to stand for the Executive Committee and conduct the election at the Annual General Meeting in April 2011.
Mary Jo Romaniuk, TAL Secretary/ Treasurer tabled a balanced 2011 budget and it was approved as presented.
The Spring Board Meeting will be held April 15, 2011.
If you had $100...
The spirit of giving is often on people's minds at this time of year, so we posed the question to TAL staffers, “If someone gave you the gift of $100, which charity would you support?” These are the organizations that have meaning for TAL staff. And after all, that’s what the spirit of giving is all about - finding meaning in the act of giving.
- Clive Maishment (CEO): I like the charities where your donation purchases a goat or chickens for a family. Seems a little more immediately useful to me. It feels like Christmas shopping - even though I will never know that distant family, I like that they are on the Christmas list with other members of my family.
- Julia Reinhart (APLEN Director): Homeward Trust Edmonton uses a community-based approach toward the goal of ending homelessness in Edmonton. Their primary role is to coordinate response to housing needs by working together with local agencies and all orders of government.
- Bill Rice (Communications Director): I’m a big fan of the Tibetan Nuns Project which for the past two decades has helped refugee nuns who continue to flee Tibet because of the Chinese occupation. The project focuses on basic issues such as shelter and medical care, and on longer term solutions such as education, training and self-sufficiency. It also encourages nuns to take on leadership roles in their communities.
- Trinh Thai-Reyes (Manager, Finance and Human Resources): At Christmas time my family donates to the Hope Mission to help provide Christmas dinner for someone.
- Diane GallowaySolowan (Online Reference Centre Project Coordinator): World Vision
- Tina Best (Executive Assistant): I regularly support the Canadian Diabetes Association.
- Lauren De Bruin (Training Librarian): Northern Alberta Society for Animal Protection (NASAP) is a volunteer operated organization that helps find abandoned and unwanted animals new homes. NASAP does not have a kenneling facility; rather they provide shelter to animals through a network of foster homes. Animals in care receive training, medical attention, and a loving environment until they are adopted into a permanent home.
- Marilyn Francis (Client Services Analyst): Hope Mission
- Stacey Bissell (Virtual Reference Librarian): Kids Cottage (Edmonton) or Children’s Cottage (Calgary) help support families by providing a safe place where parents can take their children when they are in crisis. By providing support for the families they help prevent neglect and abuse.
- Trina Rennie (Administrative/ Licensing Assistant): homeless shelters
- Linda McClure (Applications Librarian): $50 to Edmonton Humane Society and $50 to LittleWarriors
- Liying Lin (Applications Analyst): Red Cross
- Yvonne Rezek (Licensing Librarian): Seva Canada. Its mission is to restore sight and prevent blindness in the developing world.
- Janelle Beblow (Communications Coordinator): I’ve always wanted to support E4C’s School Lunch Program. Why? Because any support we can give kids that helps them concentrate on learning instead of on how hungry they are will have a tremendous impact.
Merry Christmas on behalf of all of us here at The Alberta Library
New Universal Core available in January
Beginning January 1, 2011 TAL members will have access to the new Universal Core.
The Universal Core provides participating libraries with authoritative, quality digital content through a collection of key electronic resources, says TAL Licensing Librarian Yvonne Rezek. TAL negotiates with vendors on behalf of member libraries to secure agreements to the electronic resources that are included in TAL’s Universal Core. “Because participation in the Core is
voluntary,every effort is made to develop and negotiate a cost-effective agreement that meets the needs of TAL libraries,” says Yvonne.
The existing Universal Core agreement expires December 31, 2010 and TAL Licensing staff and the Licensing Service Committee have been busy over the last 18 months gathering feedback from members and considering products to be included in the new Core that will run from 2011 to 2013. The Universal Core is negotiated for three year license terms because of the time-consuming nature of evaluating current resources, assessing new resources and negotiating with multiple vendors explains Yvonne.
Representatives from public, academic and special libraries sit on the Licensing Service Committee and provide recommendations to TAL on licensing initiatives, including the composition of the Universal Core and the process involved in selecting the resources.
The consideration of products to be included in the new Universal Core was based on consultation with TAL member libraries. One of the goals of the Licensing Service Committee was to “involve members more in the selection of the Universal Core,” says Kristine Plastow, Licensing Service Committee Chair.
Potential additions to the Core were identified from a 2009 Mid-Term Universal Core Evaluation Survey. Kristine explains that the survey “asked questions around new subjects areas and new database titles not already covered by the Core and of interest to member libraries.”
The survey also gathered feedback on what to remove from the Core. According to Kristine, a key consideration was the need to remove some of the content duplication in the core suite in the current economic climate. Usage statistics for the current Core components were reviewed by the Licensing Service Committee and supported the data gathered from the survey.
Taking into account member input and the purpose of the Core as a broad collection of general resources that provides barrier-free access to information resources for all Albertans, the Licensing Service Committee identified potential products to be considered for the new Universal Core. To arrive at a balanced Core list, says Yvonne, resources were assessed on factors such as content, cost, usage statistics, duplication, and suitability to each sector’s population base.
TAL Licensing staff put together five packages, differing in content and price, which were presented to member institutions. Each package contained a consistent base group of products but differed in potential new products to be added.
42 out of 45 TAL member libraries responded, says Kristine, indicating the package they preferred and providing feedback on options they could not support. “Our guiding principle was that the Universal Core package selected should provide a balance for all libraries. If there were any options libraries indicated they could not support we had to take that into consideration in our decision making and selection,” says Kristine. She says “the package selected by the Licensing Service Committee was the option with the least objections from libraries from all sectors (public, academic and special).”
The newly negotiated Universal Core for 2011-2013 consists of 16 resources from Ebsco, GALE, ProQuest and WorldBook (click here for a complete list of resources included in the Universal Core). Yvonne reports that all TAL member libraries have chosen to continue their participation in the Core over the next subscription period beginning in January 2011.
Thanks to the Licensing Service Committee and TAL Licensing staff Christa Foley and Trina Rennie for their hard work in developing a new Universal Core that will benefit all TAL member libraries. TAL members with questions about the new Universal Core can contact Yvonne Rezek, TAL Licensing Librarian.
Library Q & A: Claresholm Municipal Library
Kathy Davies, Library Manager at Claresholm Municipal Library, shares what's new.
Library members using the resources at Claresholm Municipal Library
What is your library's biggest current challenge?
Libraries are “More than Books”, but some people still are not aware of all of the services that libraries provide. Trying to come up with new and creative ways to promote all of these valuable resources is a huge challenge. Another area that is a challenge for us, being a small rural town, is the availability of library-trained people to hire and the money to pay them.
What area is changing fastest in your library?
With emerging new technologies and the digitalization of the world, the role of the library staff is changing rapidly. The old job descriptions just don’t match what we do anymore. We are becoming digital avatars. We must keep up with the latest technology and all of its uses.
What idea are you most proud of over the past five years?
This is rather broad in scope, but we saw the value in becoming a more active participant in our community. In 2004 we were fortunate to have a new library built. This allowed us the space to improve our collection (such as having a local history collection and a toy lending library), provide more programming, and provide a room for meetings. In fact last year the meeting room was booked 372 times!
We also have made a concentrated effort to go out into the community by being on committees for the Chamber of Commerce and Interagency Organization and forming partnerships with the schools in developing the Golden Eagle Book Award, which recognizes Alberta authors and encourages the love of reading in children.
We played a major role in compiling and writing a 916 page book on the history of Claresholm and area which was just published in May 2010.
Where do you see the most opportunity for innovation over the next decade?
When one wonders about the future of libraries, I see an opportunity for the public to have access to new technology and the training to go along with it. This would include the use of videoconferencing and the increase in demand for long distance education.
I also wonder about the possibility of “gaming” being incorporated into the library. Many young people, more guys than girls, are into gaming in a big way
How does your library stay in touch with clients / library users?
We use the normal methods that most libraries use: handouts/newsletters at the circulation desk, posters in the library and in the community, displays, ads and articles in the weekly newspapers, handouts taken to the schools for the students to take home, and a webpage. We stay in touch with people through the Friends of the Library Society and we have also developed an email list of current library users. Our town has an electronic bulletin board so we use it as much as possible. We did have a blog a few years ago, but it was never used. Maybe now would be a better time.
How do you stay in touch with political leaders in your community?
We stay in touch by the following methods: giving them library tours, inviting them to Library events, asking the Mayor and our MLA to do storytelling when we hold a special program, such as Family Literacy Day and going as a delegation to Town and M.D. Council meetings.
One fortunate thing about living in a small town is that you know the local political leaders – they’re neighbors and you golf or curl with them and see them around town.
TAL Profile: Gerry Meek, Chief Executive Officer, Calgary Public Library
Gerry Meek
What drew you to your profession?
That’s a long story as I actually set out initially to become a teacher. I was initially drawn to librarianship by its focus on people, its strong values system and by a sense of librarianship being a truly renaissance profession offering a breadth and depth of experience and fostering the development of a diverse and accomplished range of skill sets.
Why do you think libraries are important?
They build individual and community capacity by ensuring access to ideas and information.
Who had the most influence over your career?
My career reflects the kindness, encouragement, generosity and support of many different friends and colleagues. Those who have helped the most have given me some not so subtle pushes when I have needed it or been there to assist in managing the rough spots. I clearly remember and appreciate the early fundamental grounding in the values of public libraries that I received at library school from Sam Neill. I am grateful for the example, learning opportunities and encouragement that I received from my first Chief Librarian at the Owen Sound Public Library, Andy Armitage, and very appreciative of the support and friendship of a former Chief Librarian at the Kitchener Public Library, Lynn Matthews.
What major changes have you notices in your time in the library community?
There have been many significant changes in this time with the most noticeable being the impact of technological change and a rapid, societal acceleration forward into the new digital age. In the case of public libraries, the last few decades have been ones of significant change that have seen the appearance of new types of library spaces, exciting new programming initiatives, a new emphasis on community partnership building and a continuing focus on positioning the public library as a key and vital player in the life of its community.
What has been the most rewarding part of working with the library community? What have you enjoyed the most?
It has to be the wonderful and diverse range of people that I have had the privilege and the opportunity of meeting and working with. People who work in libraries are bright, thoughtful, articulate, and they genuinely care. They are passionate about what they do, they do it well and they genuinely want to make a difference.
What is the best/most memorable item you ever borrowed from the library?
Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich.
Tell us something about yourself that might surprise others in the library community.
For years I have sung in my church choir and coached kid’s basketball.
What is your involvement with The Alberta Library?
I am one of the original founding members that go back to the planning and establishment of The Alberta Library. If you were to look at the original founding documents, I believe that mine is the second signature. I have served on several TAL committees, served for three years as the TAL Chair and am currently a member of the TAL executive Committee.
Strategic planning team takes a wide view
The strategic planning project team currently working on a one-or-two page strategic plan for The Alberta Library is taking a look at a range of ideas and insights from the library community.
Team members are reviewing hundreds of comments from the NEXT Symposium held in October, where members from all library sectors along with trustees, students and vendors came together to talk about cultural, demographic, social and economic shifts that are likely to affect libraries in the coming years.
The team is also reviewing small group discussions from previous TAL board meetings in 2008 and 2009 and input collected from a recent survey of the wider library community.
“We’re really pleased with the community response to the survey – especially at this busy time of year,” says Michelle Toombs, Director of the Marigold Library System and chair of the strategic planning team. “Strategic planning for The Alberta Library has long-term implications for all of us, so getting feedback from the wider community is essential.”
Other team members include Nancy MacKenzie, Calgary Public Library; Pilar Martinez, Edmonton Public Library; Dan Mirau, Concordia University College Library; Kenton Good, University of Alberta Libraries; and Renee Reaume, University of Calgary Libraries.
TAL CEO Clive Maishment and Alberta Public Library Electronic Network Director Julia Reinhart are ex-officio members of the team, which will present the plan to The Alberta Library’s Executive Committee in January.