In This Issue

Jump to Page

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22

Audio version

21 COGNOTES                       ALAANNUAL.ORG/MOBILE–APP|#ALAAC19                            JUNE PREVIEW

ASGCLA Federal Librarians Interest Group Launched

We are so excited to have finally established the ASGCLA Federal Librarians Interest Group (FLIG) out of the transition from the Federal And Armed Forces Libraries Round Table (FAFLRT). We have been super busy, not just with the transition, but also with planning all of the sessions we have scheduled for the 2019 American Library Association Conference here in Washington, DC.

My name is Lee Lipscomb and as group leader, I invite you to attend one or more of our sessions. I extend this invitation, especially to our federal and military librarians. We want you to be a part of moving our group forward.

The Annual Federal Librarians Interest Group Conference Meeting is our chance to discuss the past, present, and future of our organization, the transition from FAFLRT to FLIG, and how to get involved in the new interest group. We are so grateful to our esteemed panelists.

  • Karl E. Debus-López, formerpPresident, FAFLRT, American Library Association
  • Richard Huffine, former president, FAFLRT, American Library Association
  • Adam Szczepaniak, president, AS-GCLA, American Library Association
  • Jeannette Smithee, interim executive director, ASGCLA, American Library Association.

In our “How to Get A Federal Library Job” session, we will discuss the many different paths to employment as a federal librarian. Our subjects will include using the USA jobs website, navigating the federal employment process, and the differences in how the three branches and independent organizations operate in hiring employees. You will hear from our experienced panelists.

  • Kari Anderson, interim chief, Access & Discovery Services, National Defense University Library
  • Barbara P. Ferry, head, Natural and Physical Sciences Department, Smithsonian Libraries
  • Lee Lipscomb, ASGCLA Federal Librarians Interest Group leader, moderator
  • Jennifer Manning, senior research librarian, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress
  • Kate McNamara, project manager librarian Census Bureau
  • Adria P. Olmi, chief, research and instruction, U.S. Army War College Library
  • Deena Smith, librarian, Federal Judicial Center
  • Amanda Wilson, head, National Network Coordinating Office, Library Operations, National Library of Medicine
  • Daria Wingreen-Mason, branch librarian, Smithsonian Libraries

FDLP & Title 44 Update will discuss H.R. 5305, potential future legislation, and concepts around the modernization of the Federal Depository Library Program. We are grateful for the participation of our knowledgeable speakers on the panel.

I Didn’t Sign Up For This! Leading and Managing In Difficult Times will help nonmanagers assigned to management positions to effectively navigate the issues and organizational hurdles of the office. Many thanks to Janice Young for organizing this session, after the overwhelming number of requests from ASGCLA members. We look forward to hearing our expert panelists.

We hope that you find these sessions helpful and that they might inspire you to come and join the Federal Librarians Interest Group or ASGCLA. Enjoy the conference, develop yourself, and inspire your colleagues.

Focus on Wellness While You’re at the ALA Annual Conference

Do you spend much of your time helping others? Do you use what free time you do have, running errands and taking care of the needs of friends and family members? Do you find that it’s often difficult to do things for yourself? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you’ll want to attend the wellness sessions that will be held in the ALA JobLIST Placement & Career Development Center. We know how important self-care is, but we just don’t seem to be able to manage it. These sessions are designed to help us think about and actively do something about our own self-care. They are also critical for those who supervise others. You will walk away being energized and prepared manage stress, deal with difficult people more effectively, and better support those that you supervise.

Saturday, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Dealing with Difficult People

Learn practical ways to identify and remedy different types of difficult people using triage to accurately name drama patterns. Learn the signs of bullies, narcissists and emotional vampires and how to limit their harm. Deploy proven techniques to lower our reactivity to the most challenging people among us.

Saturday, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Sidestepping Stress in a Distractible World

Original, evidence-based solutions are offered that apply across one’s entire life. Emphasis will be placed on the science of positive psychology and how to be sure we design downtime and live our highest priorities. Learn to break persistent patterns around chronic stress using science and wisdom to cultivate a more self-authored, less reactive stance.

Saturday, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Wellness Works! The Importance of a Healthy Workplace for Healthy and Happy Library Staff

In partnership with ALA, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine will be presenting a discussion on how implementing a variety of health and wellness practices can have a positive impact on the library workforce. Libraries typically focus on the wellness of their communities and are not always considering how library staff are coping with workplace change, work-life balance, stress, and overall health and wellness. However, library staff are the key component to the library’s success so their well-being should be of utmost concern. This session will present examples about how libraries as well as individual library employees can enhance health and wellness through library space design and configuration, wellness practices, health education, and self-care strategies.

Sunday, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
Wellness in the Library Workplace

You’re a library worker. You already know how to help those in your community find health information. As a library worker, what are you doing to manage your own well-being? Individual and community wellbeing are inherently connected. Thus, it is critical that workplaces be areas of wellness for their employees. If you are a supervisor, how are you helping to ensure your staff stays healthy (physically, emotionally, etc.)? Join us to discover practical ways to improve your own personal well-being. We will also discuss ways to increase overall wellness for all staff in libraries so that we have happy, healthy, and safe work environments.

For a complete list of programs that focus on wellness during the ALA 2019 Annual Conference, visit the APA Wellness at Conference page.

Free DVDs of PBS Documentary “American Creed” at Saturday Now Showing@ALA

What does it mean to be American? What holds us together in turbulent times?

In the PBS documentary American Creed, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David M. Kennedy come together from different points of view to explore the idea of a unifying American creed. Their spirited inquiry frames the stories of citizen-activists striving to realize their own visions of America’s promise across deep divides.

On Saturday, June 22 from 1:00 – 2:15 p.m., watch segments of the film and learn about programming ideas to bring home to your library. The “Now Showing” session will take place in Washington Convention Center room 209A-B

You will leave this event with everything you need to bring American Creed – and its diverse perspectives on America’s ideals and identity – to your community. Attendees will view powerful community stories from the film and hear from filmmaker Sam Ball as well as librarians who have hosted screenings, community conversations and other related activities at their libraries.

All attendees will receive a free DVD of American Creed for their circulating collections.

Public performance rights will also be granted to your institution if you attend this session or a half-hour consultation with the filmmakers (Saturday June 22 at 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.; Sunday 6 June 23 at 12:30 p.m. in the Networking Uncommons on the second floor of the convention center in the WCC-L Street Bridge).

FIND IT AT THE
INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM POP-UP STORE

Meet the Authors

An exciting and extensive schedule of 100s of authors and illustrators appearing in exhibitor booths.

Meet the Authors Autographing Area

WCC, End of 2000 Aisle

In addition to the “Meet the Authors” signings held at exhibitor booths, ALA is launching a Meet the Authors Autographing Area. See the participating authors here.