NMRT Notes

Our NMRT Past-President, Emily Prather-Rodgers, shares her thoughts on the true value of a NMRT membership and makes a call to action for new (and “new-ish”) librarians everywhere.

Let’s be honest. At this point, I can only call myself “new-ish” at best. I joined ALA as a student member way back in 2005. I gladly accepted my free Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) membership (still available to students and the unemployed, by the way), and I hesitated only momentarily before spending the extra $10 on NMRT. When I attended my first Annual Conference later that same year, I attended a wide variety of programs and events, but NMRT’s conference orientation was the thing that made me feel like I belonged. NMRT quickly became my home within “big ALA,” and I’ve happily clicked the renew box every year since. The cost of the membership is nothing compared to all of the benefits I’ve received.

Last month, Mandi, NMRT’s Secretary, posted a Top 10 List of NMRT Resources here on this blog (http://www.nmrt.ala.org/notes/?p=329). I want to add #11: people. NMRT provided me with opportunities to serve on committees, attend events, publish my writing, etc.. And, yes, each of those things has helped me throughout my career. But it is the people that I have met while taking advantages of those membership perks and the resulting conversations that I’ve had in person, by phone and e-mail, and through social media that I will continue to rely on and benefit from as I near the end of my first ten years in ALA.

Nearly ten years in, I’m still new-ish in many ways, but I’m comfortable offering this advice: sign up for one (or more!) of the NMRT Top 10, talk to everyone you meet as a result of your participation, and say yes to any of the opportunities and/or friendships that they offer. Do these things over and over again for 10 years, and I guarantee that you’ll be a better librarian and, more importantly, a better colleague by the time your “newness” begins to wear thin.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Business Librarian

A bit about Nicole’s job:

I provide research support and instructional services for students, faculty and staff in the Belk College of Business.

1) What are some things you like about your job or about working in libraries in general?

I love being a student, but could never afford to be a student forever. Being a librarian at a university makes me feel like I am still in school without having to pay tuition. �I also used to be a public school teacher and I love that I now get to have all the fun of being a teacher without any of the downsides.

2) What’s a project or committee you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

This year I am chairing two NMRT committees. �I am so excited about both of them. �The Orientations committee is a lot of fun and provides a great service at Midwinter and Annual. �I love helping conference newbies figure out how to navigate a conference that can be very overwhelming. �I have worked with the Resume Review Service for over three years. �I really enjoy working on a committee that provides such a great and much needed service to colleagues that are job hunting.

3) What is one of your favorite things about NMRT? �

There are so many wonderful reasons to be part of NMRT. My favorite thing is the people. I have found everyone to be very open and accepting. �Sometimes, it seems to me, organizations can be somewhat cliquish (is that real word?). �I have never had that feeling about NMRT.

Do you have any advice for other new librarians?

My greatest advice isn’t just for librarians, but I think it is really applicable in this field. I think life is just too short to be unhappy in your work. You spend a huge portion of your life working, so make sure you enjoy it. �No amount of money is worth hating where you work or what you are doing. Figure out what makes you happy and find a way to make a living at it.

Don’t be shy–nominate yourself or someone you know to be our next NMRT Member of the Week! Fill out our nomination form here!

The latest edition of Footnotes is now available for your reading pleasure: http://www.ala.org/nmrt/news/footnotes/august2014

Stephanie Santiful

William R. and Norma B. Harvey Library, Hampton University

Hampton, VA

Cataloging Assistant

About Stephanie’s job:

I work in the Technical Services department where I perform original and copy cataloging for a wide range of materials. I also perform collection development duties for the audiovisual collection.

1)      What are some things you like about your job or about working in libraries in general?

I love libraries. I love the feeling of being surrounded by information. It’s great knowing that people can come into a library and research so many different topics. I consider myself a lifetime student and learner, so libraries are just really exciting for me. I think they are one of the few places that can manage to be both exciting and calming at the same time.

2)      What’s your dream library job?

While I am not currently a student, I am actively seeking employment for a full-time librarian position. My dream library job would be a collection development/management librarian for either a public or academic library.

 3)      What’s a project or committee you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

Right now I am working on the book sale committee at my job. I am extremely excited about the book sale. The committee is filled with wonderful people who want to make the book sale a total success. Gathering the books has been pretty strenuous on our bodies, but it will totally be worth it!

4)      What got you interested in libraries?

I have loved libraries for as long as I can remember. In elementary school, our library was on the top floor of the school. There was a little pit in the middle of the library where we all sat, and the librarian would read to us. Library visits were my favorite part of school. I’ve always wanted to be an educator, and I enjoy researching. Deciding to become a librarian just sort of came naturally to me.

5)      What is one of your favorite things about NMRT? Do you have any advice for other new librarians?

One of my favorite things about NMRT is that it can be a guide to the ALA as a whole. The ALA can be pretty overwhelming when you’re a newcomer, and the NMRT works to help out those who may need a hand with navigating. Another thing I like about NMRT is both Footnotes and Endnotes. What librarian doesn’t want to be published?

Right now I’m still a Cataloging Assistant, so I’m not sure if I’m qualified to give advice. I will say that it’s important to ask questions, and to always use the resources available to you. Network and communicate with your peers to help you with ideas and suggestions. The great thing about librarians is that most of them are always willing to lend a hand.

Want to be our next member of the week? Know another new librarian who deserves to be in the spotlight? Fill out our nomination form here!

Erin Huffman

Westerville Public Library, Westerville Ohio

Program and Community Engagement Coordinator

About Erin’s job:

I plan and coordinate events at our library, including author visits and various programs to encourage community discussion and engagement.

1)      What are some things you like about your job or about working in libraries in general?

I love all the possibility for knowledge and experience. I get to work on so many different types of programs, meet new people, and learn their different stories. I really love the way the library connects people through the books, the technology and the events. That’s what is so great about my job, I’m constantly learning new things and making new connections.

2)      What’s a project or committee you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

I am currently researching what I can do to begin a successful Diversity Committee among staff at our library. I am finding out what other librarians and professionals have done to get their working communities to learn and grow in diversity awareness. It is really encouraging to find there are already a lot of resources to get us started.

3)      What got you interested in libraries?

Books, learning, and people. When these things intersect, I am very happy! The library seemed like a good fit to make that happen.

4)      What is one of your favorite things about NMRT?

NMRT provides a lot of opportunities like a mentoring program, resume review service, scholarships, grants and awards. My favorite thing this past year was the networking and social events at ALA midwinter and annual conferences. I had the opportunity to work on a project for NMRT as part of the 2014 Emerging Leaders program. It really helped me learn a lot more about the group and gave me the chance to meet a lot of new people.

5)      Do you have any advice for other new librarians?

Try new things. Step out of your comfort zone. It can lead to wonderful opportunity.

Want to be our next member of the week? Know another new librarian who deserves to be in the spotlight? Fill out our nomination form here!

Lara McLaughlin

Student Assistant

San Jose State University’s School of Information

San Jose, CA

About Lara’s job:

My current job, while not directly in a library, is in San Jose State University’s School of Information working as Vicki Robison’s Student Assistant. I just started this job a couple of weeks ago and, while part-time, it gives me an opportunity to further my involvement in everything LibraryLand. It has also, of course, afforded me the opportunity to network with my professors and other members of the profession.

1)      What are some things you like about your job or about working in libraries in general?

I am certainly excited about my future in the field; I am not sure if I will end up in a library directly or working with libraries in some other capacity. I think that my dream position would be consulting in nature, working as a sort of liaison between librarians and tech folks. I am extremely interested in the opportunity to work with people and to help them expand their technical knowledge, while nurturing their relationship with all things “traditional” library.

2)      What’s a project or committee you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

I am involved in a few organizations and committees now, including NMRT’s Annual Conference Local Information Committee for ALA 2015. I just found out that I was approved to run for CLA Student Representative, so it will be fun (and nerve-wracking!) to see what happens with the election. I am also involved in several student chapters here at SJSU (ALA, SLA, ASIS&T) through which I am working on various projects with the awesome members! One of the most fun things coming up is SJSU’s student chapter of ASIS&T and the Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon for which I am project lead. And, as the school year has just started, I am beginning the search for events nationwide to promote as SJSU’s ALA student chapter Regional Event Coordinator. Other projects are in the works, but I am not at liberty to discuss them yet…

3)      What’s your dream library job?

My library dream job is to act as a Renaissance woman consultant of sorts. I would love to be in an atmosphere where I can utilize my BA in Fine Arts, my MA in History, and my MLIS. I know that I want to become more involved in makerspaces and art/technology projects. I am also interested in working with EFL speakers in order to help develop English language skills through makerspaces and other art/tech spaces in the community. I am also very interested in web design and working to create, and maintain, accessible yet beautiful webpages.

4)      What got you interested in libraries?

I have always been interested in reading and, therefore, was always up to a trip to the library. Whether it was the school library or the public library, I always enjoyed my time. Sometimes I would have a specific book in mind to borrow and other times I would just wander the stacks and look at the shelves, thumbing through what called out to me. I still do this today…I will go to the library with something specific in mind and can still walk out with five other books that just caught my eye. It is also fun to ignore the system and just walk down any aisle, pick a book at random, and borrow it: you never know what you’ll get that way!

5)      What is one of your favorite things about NMRT? Do you have any advice for other new librarians?

To combine two questions in one: the best thing about being in NMRT (so far) is the networking opportunities! I also enjoyed the ice-breaker NMRT ALA Conference 101 for newbies. This combines my answer to advice I can give to other librarians (in my case librarian students): get involved! Do not be afraid to get out there and meet people! This is especially important in the age of all-virtual programs. You do not want to isolate yourself while taking your courses, make sure that you go out and get some experience, even if it means getting an internship *even after* you’ve fulfilled any internship requirements! Try on many different hats in the field- you will not know if you will like something unless you try it out. Yes, read the books and do the homework…but also go out and get your hands dirty! Don’t be afraid of making mistakes: we all are making mistakes, whether we share them or not. Just work hard and as one famous gentleman said: “Make It Happen!”

Want to be our next member of the week? Know another new librarian who deserves to be in the spotlight? Fill out our nomination form here!

NMRT offers training, opportunities, and a wide variety of programs on the national, state and local levels to assist, encourage, and educate those new to the association and the profession. Now is the opportunity for you or a librarian you know to take a leadership role in that mission!

The NMRT Board needs nominations for the four open positions on its 2015 election slate. The terms-of-office, attendance obligations, and responsibilities vary between the positions.

Vice President/President Elect

• Three year term of office (Vice-President 2015-2016, President 2016-17, Past-President 2017-18).
• Must physically attend both Midwinter and Annual conferences.
• The Vice-President/President-Elect assists the President in performing those duties the President assigns and prepares for their Presidential term the following year. The Vice-President/President-Elect handles committee appointments and acts as a representative of NMRT.   More information.

 Secretary

• One year term of office (2015-2016).
• Must physically attend both Midwinter and Annual conferences.
• The Secretary attends all NMRT Board Meetings, and is a voting member of the Board. The Secretary also requests reports of Board members and committee chairs throughout the year and coordinates NMRT social networking presence on the appropriate tools. More information.

Leadership Development Director

• Two year term of office (2015-2017).
• Must virtually or physically attend both Midwinter and Annual conferences.
• The Leadership Development Director oversees the activities of the following committees: NMRT Professional Development Grant, Annual Program, Annual Conference Professional Development Attendance Award, Online Discussion Forum, Endnotes, and Shirley Olofson Memorial Award. The director provides assistance, advice and support to these committees as needed.  More information.

Member Services Director

• Two year term of office (2015-2017)
• Must virtually or physically attend both Midwinter and Annual conferences.
• The Member Services Director oversees the activities of the following committees: Web committee, Resume Review committee, Mentoring committee, and Footnotes committee. The director provides assistance, advice and support to these committees as needed. The Member Services Director is also appointed to the Membership Promotion Task Force, a subcommittee of the ALA Membership Committee.  More information.

All nominations must be submitted to NMRTNominations@gmail.com by Wednesday, September 17 2014. Self-nominations are welcome.Questions about the nomination and election process? Contact Tammy Ivins (nominating committee chair) at NMRTNominations@gmail.com.

Read on to learn about the joys of driving the bookmobile, why promoting early literacy is so important, and how to be part of the library revolution!

Amy Steinbauer

Beaumont Library District

Beaumont, CA

About Amy’s job as Early Childhood Outreach Librarian:

I do early literacy community outreach for birth to five-year-olds at private and public preschools, childcare centers, and in homes. I oversee our Ready to Read Van, maintaining the collection and providing readers advisory. At this time, I do two weekly community story times. One is at the community center, and the other is at Petco. In the fall, I will be doing a few additional in house story times. I also work the reference desk two afternoons a week.

1)      What are some things you like about your job or about working in libraries in general?

Well, I love driving our bookmobile! It brings the library to the people. A lot of my audience is people who don’t come to the library, so I can bring both the experience of fun and discovery to them, and also advocate for the library’s programs and services that they don’t know about. I feel especially passionate about this from our lower socioeconomic families; we have so many services to offer them, but they don’t know about them!

Building on that, I would like to add that I love being a community helper. I think early literacy can only happen when the community is invested in it. To that end, I look for community partnerships to develop and foster to show people that we are all invested in their children’s future. Libraries are safe spaces for information, help, and support. I love being a part of that.

2)      What’s a project or committee you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

We are taking the month of August off from our story times and programming. Even though I miss being silly at my story times, I am really excited to work on my long list of projects! I am reinventing the inside of our bookmobile, creating more subject-based organization. My childcare providers only spend a few minutes on the van, and they almost always have children with them. Our circulation system is offline so there is no catalog to show them. It’s all reader’s advisory and luck. I want to make the collection as accessible as possible for them.

I’m also tackling our Early Literacy kits that we deliver in addition to story times. They are already assigned themes, but I want to redevelop them to increase their circulation. They are large Tupperware containers filled with paperback books, puzzles, manipulations (foam dough), games, etc. I want more people to check them out, so I’m looking into making bundles instead do boxes and switching up themes.

3)      What got you interested in libraries?

Books have been my best friends for my whole life. I have always been an avid reader, one summer when I was younger I read all the books in the children’s section for summer reading!

After college, I was a bit lost and worked several random jobs, one of them was substitute teaching. As it happened, I was subbing at my old elementary school and their librarian left in December. They asked me to sub for her for a few weeks, which turned into months. I had no curriculum or work left, just a World Records trivia game. I spent a lot of time developing lessons and working with both the teachers and other school librarians in the district. I fell in love with being a librarian and helping kids develop literacy and the love of reading.

4)      What is one of your favorite things about NMRT?

Even though this is my first year being a part of this organization, I already know I found the best thing, but I may be biased! I love the ALA annual conference mentorship program! It may seem a bit oddly specific, but this past year was my first ALA Annual conference and I was so overwhelmed with programs, classes, and events that I had like a 25 page itinerary printed. My mentor, Susan Kusel, was amazing and patient. She contacted me before the conference giving me all the lessons she learned throughout her years, and answering all my questions- no matter how small. She also met up with me at the conference and talked me through what everything was like (the exhibit hall, author meet and greets, closed meetings that I had accidentally out on my itinerary). Best of all, she introduced me to the Caldecott Awards Banquet, which was a truly magical night that I would never have even thought of going to. Besides all her awesomeness, she reinforced the best part of librarians, giving back and connecting others. I was so grateful to have participated.

5)      Do you have any advice for other new librarians?

Get to know your community. There are probably a lot of opportunities to partner up, but it’s hard if you don’t know each other. Ask to serve on community boards. I sit on the Prevent Child Abuse committee for Riverside County, and not only is it great for me to be connected to these resources, but it’s amazing for those community members to know that the library is a part of this, and is invested.

Also, don’t be afraid to be loud, innovators, and agents of change. It’s up to us to be a part of this ongoing library revolution. Fight the good fight, it’s worth it.

Want to be our next member of the week? Know another new librarian who deserves to be in the spotlight? Fill out our nomination form here!

Erin is not only our first featured NMRT member of the week, she’s also a NMRT Emerging Leader! Read on to learn more about Erin …

Erin Berman

San Jose Public Library

San Jose, CA

About Erin’s job:

Branch librarians at SJPL wear many different hats. I am the teen volunteer coordinator for one of my branches, host a regular preschool storytime, and plan and implement programming for all ages. I am also our system selector for young adult and adult graphic novels. In addition to these regular duties I’ve been working closely with our Division Manager of Technology and Innovation in order to bring the maker movement into our libraries.

1)      What are some things you like about your job or about working in libraries in general?

The thing I love the most about the library is the partnerships and relationships that we build in the community. I’ve been able to bring new programs and services to people that they might not have access to without us. That moment when you see someone try something new for the first time or see a piece of knowledge click in their head is fantastic! Not only are we able to create great connections with our patrons, but we’ve been able to reach out to local businesses and give them chances to bring their services and skills to the community. Being that community bridge is exhilarating.

2)      What’s a project or committee you’re working on right now that you’re excited about?

There are lots of things I’m working on right now that are exciting. I’m getting ready to launch a pilot at my branches, circulating MaKey MaKey kits. If all goes well I’m hoping that we’ll be able to circulate lots of different tech kits at all of our branches. I was also just appointed as the GLBT Round Table’s Chair of the Fundraising Committee. It’s a fantastic round table and I’m looking forward to working with other members to raise money for the Stonewall Book Awards, sponsorship of new Emerging Leaders, and other projects. I’ll also be working with NMRT this year, surveying past Emerging Leaders, developing new ways to connect with that group, and also planning some mixers for the Bay Area in between conferences. Whew!

3)      What got you interested in libraries?

I initially wanted to do research. Before becoming a librarian I worked as a dramaturg, doing research and development for plays. Loved to delve into these worlds and find ways to disseminate the information to the cast and crew. When the theatre wasn’t quite working out for me I looked for other ways that I could surround myself with knowledge and spread that information onto others. The library seemed like a natural fit.

4)      What is one of your favorite things about NMRT?

NMRT has so many great resources for new librarians and those new to ALA, it’s hard to just pick one thing! That being said, if I could only pick one thing I’d have to say I really enjoyed the mentorship program. It was nice to chat with someone outside of my system about what was going on and hear their advice.

5)      Do you have any advice for other new librarians?

Don’t be afraid to rock the boat. You’ll probably fall out, but that’s okay. Just get back in that boat and get everyone else wet! When I first started people told me to just listen and not try to change anything. I’m not so great at that. Instead, I was vocal about new projects and programs I wanted to do. Sometimes it worked out and sometimes it didn’t. What was important was that I tried. Now, people know my name. They know me as an innovator and someone who can get new things off the ground. It’s important to get to know your library, but don’t just blend into the background. If you have a good idea make it happen!

Want to be our next member of the week? Know another new librarian who deserves to be in the spotlight? Fill out our nomination form here!