The 2014 NMRT Shirley Olofson Memorial Award Committee is pleased to announce that Kelly Robinson has been selected as the 2014 recipient.
Kelly is a Public Services Librarian with the University of Central Florida Libraries. The award committee was very impressed with Kelly’s professional engagement and scholarly interests as well as her plan of action for her time at this year’s Annual Conference.
The 2014 NMRT Professional Development Grant Award Committee is pleased to announce that Samantha Helmick has been selected as the 2014 recipient of the NMRT Professional Development Grant Award. This award provides funding to cover airfare, lodging, and conference registration fees for attendance at the American Library Association Annual Conference and fosters in-person participation in ALA and NMRT professional activities.
Samantha Helmick serves her Iowa community in the capacity of UX & Outreach Librarian for Burlington Public Library. She received her MLIS from University of Illinois, where she designed a sustainability internship with DigitalLearn.org through PLA. She currently volunteers as an Iowa Library Association chair for the Member Relations, Public Library and Information Technology Forums. She is a contributor to YALSAblog, EdReach, LiTTech and as YALSA Division and Membership Promotion chair. Samantha is currently writing a textbook for the Library Tech Essentials series on “Mobile Social Marketing for Libraries” which will be published by Rowman and Littlefield in 2015. She is enthusiastic to develop new relationships and opportunities to collaborate with NMRT members and learn from her colleagues throughout the field.
More information about the NMRT Professional Development Grant, including a list of past recipients, is available on the NMRT Awards, Grants, and Scholarships webpage http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/264/apply
Thank you to all members who participated in the ALA election. All of our Constitution/Bylaws amendments passed! This means that we’re getting our long-needed dues increase in September. In reaction to this good news current NMRT president Emily Prather-Rodgers writes, “I hope this means we’ll be able to provide even better programming and support to our members.”
Here is your board for next year, and congratulations to all:
Megan Hodge, President
Kirby McCurtis, Vice President/President-elect (newly elected)
Emily Prather-Rodgers, Past President
Jonathan Lu, Treasurer
Easter DiGangi, Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer-elect (newly elected)
Mandi Goodsett, Secretary (newly elected)
Kate Kosturski, Leadership Director
Kari Weaver, Members Services Director
Tinamarie Vella, Networking Director (newly elected)
Kelly Trowbridge, Outreach Director (newly elected)
Rachael Altman, NMRT Councilor (newly elected)
Cory Lampert, Fundraising Coordinator
Before you vote, get informed!
Learn more about all of the amazing NMRT candidates and ask questions in our ongoing Facebook Forum.Or, watch all the candidate videos here
Tell us if you’re running for ALA positions outside of NMRT by posting on our Facebook page. We’re with you!
Most importantly, VOTE! ALA and NMRT are OUR organizations, and your vote will help steer the future of our profession.
ALA elections begin this Wednesday, March 19, and you can submit your ballot anytime until April 25. More information about the elections and nominees for ALA is available here.
Remember, NMRT has several items on this year’s ballot, including a proposed dues increase. Check out the blog for posts on each topic.
Nominees for NMRT board positions will be on the ballot, and this year we’re offering a new forum for you to get to know the candidates. Starting tomorrow, each NMRT nominee will be introduced on our Facebook page! You’ll have the opportunity to view the candidates’ videos, ask questions, and join in discussion. Be sure to ‘like’ the official NMRT Facebook page to receive these updates
Beth Boatright Chair, NMRT Nominating Committee
Deadline: Wednesday, April 16, 2014
NMRT members are invited to submit an essay to win a ticket to attend a ticketed event of their choice at the ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas. The essay contest is open to all NMRT members who are not currently serving on the Annual Conference Professional Development Award Committee or the NMRT Executive Board.
To apply for the award, fill out the application form at
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dC1iZHRXUUsxQW1UbUh3N3VIZ1huNlE6MA
The application requires an essay of approximately 250 words about why you would like to attend a ticketed event at Annual Conference and how it would benefit you professionally.
Applications are due April 16, 2014. Winners will be notified by May 7, 2014. The committee does not consider geographic location, age, sex, religion, race or national origin in the award selection process.
For more information, contact the committee chair, Easter DiGangi, at MLIS@easterdigangi.com.
Deadline: Tuesday, April 1, 2014 by 5 pm (Eastern time).
We are excited to announce that members of ALA’s New Members Round Table (NMRT) can apply to receive a grant, sponsored by NMRT, which will cover expenses to attend the ALA Annual Conference, June 26-July 1, 2014 in Las Vegas, NV.
The application form and further information about the grant is available on the NMRT website. You must be a current member of NMRT in order to apply. To join NMRT, visit the ALA website and follow the Join ALA link to add NMRT to your ALA membership.
Click here for information about the award and award criteria.
Click here to go to the application.
For further information about the grant, please contact:
Melanie T. Kowalski
Chair, NMRT Professional Development Grant Committee
Email: melanie.t.kowalski@emory.edu
The ALA New Members Round Table is looking for committee volunteers for 2014-2015! Appointed committee members will have terms beginning on July 1, 2014, and ending on June 30, 2015. You must be a dues-paying member of NMRT to serve on a committee.
Many NMRT committees do not require conference attendance, but please note that for some, attendance at the Midwinter Meeting and/or Annual Conference is expected.
As some committees fill up quickly, we recommend selecting all committees you are interested in being appointed to. If you are interested in multiple committees, please rank them in order of your preference. Detailed descriptions of committee work and responsibilities can be found at http://wikis.ala.org/nmrt/index.php/Section_4:_Committees
Offers to serve as member or chair of committees will start going out in late April/early May.
If you are interested in serving, please complete the NMRT volunteer form at http://www.ala.org/nmrt/nmrt-committee-volunteer-form
Please contact Megan Hodge directly (mlhodge@gmail.com) if you have any questions.
Today’s 2014 Election post is by Sari Feldman, Candidate for ALA President.
The future of ALA is contingent upon a commitment to strong leadership development and member engagement. ALA must develop leaders able to take libraries into the future. The New Member Round Table is doing important work to better connect those new to the association and the library profession with the wide variety of opportunities that ALA provides.
ENGAGEMENT
As ALA president, I will support and sponsor initiatives that promote engagement with a special focus on leadership development. We cannot underestimate the value that ALA provides as a forum for learning and growing in the profession. ALA profoundly shaped my own professional development at critical stages throughout my career. Early on, ALA provided key leadership development opportunities that enhanced my professional skills. ALA became the place where I could share ideas with colleagues and learn about best practices.
I place a high value on engaging our members at all points in their careers. We need our members to understand the critical role they play in our advocacy efforts. I will work to help members see the ways in which their contributions are essential to the ongoing success of a future-focused, financially stable ALA.
DIVERSITY
Beyond engaging our members, it is crucial that we do more to attract a diverse group of library professionals and supporters to lead our organization. The key to building diversity in any organization is to foster a collaborative and inclusive culture. Part of creating that kind of culture is effective communication; the other part involves becoming comfortable with and adept at change. The fact of the matter is that we need to do more across ALA to communicate the broad changes in our profession and to encourage innovators and entrepreneurs to join us in the workforce and the Association.
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
I want to ensure that the sense of community that ALA provides is sustained for generations to come, so it is imperative that we address the financial challenges affecting the Association. My ability to identify new revenue streams and increase fund development to ensure financial sustainability is an essential leadership skill that I will apply.
I hold a broad perspective on the critical issues affecting libraries of all kinds. In addition to my leadership experience in public libraries, I have served as an adjunct faculty member at Syracuse University for more than 20 years and co-authored articles on topics ranging from early literacy to broadband access. As ALA president, I will bring the necessary vision, talent and commitment to lead our Association into the future.
Today’s 2014 Election post comes from Maggie Farrell, Candidate for ALA President.
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss my candidacy for ALA President Elect with the New Members Round Table. NMRT performs a critical function within ALA by introducing librarians and library workers to ALA and quickly getting them involved in activities that advance the association. I would be honored to work with you to be an advocate for libraries and to communicate the power of libraries in strengthening our society.
As President, my focus will be to evaluate the progress on our ALA 2015 Strategic Plan in order to develop the next plan that will include advocating for libraries and library issues, protecting intellectual freedom, promoting diversity, and creating a sustainable, fiscally responsible and efficient operation. I will lead us forward in a way that strengthens our libraries, engages our members, and continues to promote our value to society and the world. This requires a diversity of voices and inclusion of the full membership to develop a new plan of action. I hope NMRT is deeply involved in this effort to ensure that our association provides pathways for new members to be engaged and that ALA is connecting in meaningful ways with librarians and library workers.
Please contact me if you have questions regarding my qualifications and vision at www.maggiefarrell.com or Facebook “Maggie Farrell for ALA President.” Thank you for your service to NMRT and ALA. I ask for your vote.
