It's showtime!

Can't make it to the conference?  Join in on Twitter via the hashtag #scla2011!

FYI, I'm soliciting session notes to post here after the conference so that we can share session info with those of you who couldn't make it.  I understand that it's not always possible to attend conferences, especially when you're new and not yet high enough on the totem pole for your employer to sponsor your travel.  I'll do what I can to bring the conference to you!

If you're reading this from Charleston, don't forget the NMRT session on Friday at 9 am in Meeting Room 11.  Elections will be held at the conclusion of the meeting.

Grant to attend 2012 ALA Annual - December 16 deadline

APPLICANTS SOUGHT FOR 3M/NMRT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT
Deadline: December 16th

We are excited to announce that members of ALA's New Members Round Table (NMRT) can apply to receive a grant, sponsored by 3M Library Systems, which will cover expenses to attend the ALA Annual Conference, June 21 – 26, 2012 in Anaheim, CA.

Curious about being a 3M/NMRT award winner? Take a look at the 2006
winner's conference journal in Footnotes:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/nmrt/news/footnotes/august2006ab/JillRatzan3Mlog.cfm

The application form and further information about the grant is available on the NMRT website at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/nmrt/initiatives/applyforfunds/3mawardinformation.cfm.
You must be a current member of NMRT in order to apply. To join NMRT, visit the ALA website at http://www.ala.org/ and follow the "Join ALA" link to add to your ALA membership.

For further information about the grant, please contact:
Laura Krier, Chair, 3M/NMRT Professional Development Grant Committee
California Digital Library
laura.krier@gmail.com
510-987-0832

SCLA NMRT Conference Meetup and Session Info

Join us for a very informal NMRT meetup on Wednesday evening from 5:30-6:30 during the manager’s reception at the Embassy Suites.  Free drinks and snacks will be provided by the hotel as part of their daily reception.  There will be an announcement at the first general session and also postings on Twitter.   Stop in and say hello!

The NMRT-sponsored program will be held on Friday, October 21 from 9-10 am.  “Conducting Yourself With Class:  The Unwritten Rules of Professionalism” is the session topic and the business meeting will be held immediately afterward.

NMRT elections will be held at the conclusion of the meeting.  Nominations are currently being accepted and will be also be taken from the floor at the meeting.  Current nominations include:

o   Chair:  Amber Conger, Richland County Public Library (Clarification: I’ve not yet been officially elected since reviving NMRT this year!)

o   Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect:  Megan Johnson, Coker College

o   Secretary:  Vacant

Free Job-Hunting Webinar on October 10

Tactics for Library Job Hunting in a Tough Market
Monday, October 10, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Hone your job-hunting skills in a free interactive webinar with Jeannette Woodward, author of A Librarian’s Guide to an Uncertain Job Market (ALA Editions). A seasoned administrator with experience in both academic and public libraries, Woodward will focus on the application package, the interviewing process, and the distinguishing features of how libraries recruit.

Click here for details and registration:  http://ala-publishing.informz.net/ala-publishing/archives/archive_1822321.html

Scholarships to Attend ALA Midwinter

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) and EBSCO are partnering to offer five scholarships for librarians to attend the 2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas. The meeting takes place Jan. 20 - 24, 2012, and offers an opportunity for continuing education, meetings and interaction with colleagues.

Each EBSCO scholarship will be in the amount of $1,500, and one of the five scholarships will be awarded to a first-time conference attendee. The scholarship money is to be used for conference registration, travel and expenses.

Deadline for entry is Nov. 1, 2011; scholarship recipients will be notified no later than Dec. 12, 2011.  To apply, candidates must complete the application criteria and submit an essay that addresses the following topic: “If you could change anything about your current workplace or job responsibilities, how would you position them to meet future needs?” Essays and applications will be judged by a jury designated by ALA.

Can't we all use some grant money?

Tammy Ivins, a new reference librarian with Francis Marion University, shared this opportunity for funding for the development of library resources.  Tammy said, "It strikes me as being a good opportunity for new librarians looking for activities to relate to tenure."  Public and school libraries would be eligible for this money as well, so take a good look. 

Carnegie-Whitney Awards up to $5,000

The American Library Association Publishing Committee provides a grant of up to $5,000 for the preparation of print or electronic reading lists, indexes or other guides to library resources that promote reading or the use of library resources at any type of library.

Funded projects have ranged from popular, general-reader proposals such as "ReadMOre," a reading list for Missouri's state-wide reading program, to more specialized, scholarly proposals such as "Librarianship and Information Science in the Islamic World, 1966-1999: An Annotated Bibliography."

Applications must be received by Nov. 4, 2011. Recipients will be notified by the end of February 2012.

For more information and guidelines, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/sundry/alapubawrds/carnegiewhitney.cfm or contact Mary Jo Bolduc, Grant Administrator, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611; Fax (312) 280-5275; e-mail: mbolduc@ala.org.

SCLA Poster Deadline Extended to September 23

SCLA will be accepting submissions until 9/23/11 for the annual conference poster session in October.  See http://scla.org/content/scla-annual-conference-2011 for the guidelines and application.