New SSD Certification Scholarships

Oregon Library Support Staff Certification Scholarship

An anonymous donor has given $1,000 to help five (5) Oregon library support staff members apply for national certification in 2010. Certification scholarships apply $200 towards the $350 application fee to enter the ALA-APA Library Support Staff Certification Program.

• The scholarship is open to any SSD member having a high school diploma, at least one year of library experience, and who has been employed within the last three years in an Oregon library.

• Applicants will be responsible for the remaining cost of the registration fee.

For more information on the LSSCP, see: http://www.ala-apa.org/lsscp/index.html

SSD 2009 Gateways Conference: On-Line Evaluation Form

Thank you for a great conference and your feedback that will help us plan future SSD conferences.

If you did not fill out an evaluation form at the conference, please take a moment and fill out the survey online: https://web.memberclicks.com/mc/quickForm/viewForm.do?orgId=ola&formId=63447

Thank you for your input!

If you have any questions, contact Conference Chair: Lori Davidson at davidsol@wou.edu / 503-838-8884

SSD Election

It's time to elect our officers for the 2009-2010 OLA year. The ballot is online at https://web.memberclicks.com/mc/quickForm/viewForm.do?orgId=ola&formId=63550. The election runs through Friday, August 7. You must be an SSD member to vote.

Kudos to our candidates for stepping up and offering their skills, commitment, and leadership. And remember, there are other ways to become involved in SSD than elected offices. If you're interested, contact me, or any member of the Executive Committee.

The ballot contains background information about the candidates, and they may add additional information to this blog post. Feel free to comment if you have any questions for the candidates.

2009 SSD Conference Musings

I certainly had a good time at the conference. Well, okay, after I blew out everyone's ears! Bob Welch's opening speach was very inspiring. I know I need that little reminder every now and again as to why I work for a public library. It really is to help people get the information they need or gain knowledge. I even put a hold on American Nightingale between sessions.

Lori Davidson and her team did a wonderful job planning and presenting the conference. Jackson Stalley, Karen Head, Karen Wilkinson, Kate Schwab, Margaret Harmon-Myers, Sean O'Neill, Sheila McAlexander, Stacey Fiegi, Sue Robinson, Susan Bacina - you guys rock! It is time consuming however the rewards are worthwhile when the day comes to an end. I've already heard some very wonderful comments.

Now onto 2010 at the Salem Conference Center. I hope that 5-10 people will feel inspired to be a part of this planning committee. Please take some time to think about it. Ask questions of past committee members. Add them to this post. I promise to get back to you!

Thanks for being a Support Staff Member - Cathy Zgraggen

Conference Session: Introduction to CD and DVD cataloging

Presenter: Richard Sapon-White
Coordinator: Susan Bacina
This workshop will cover the basics of cataloging CD’s and DVD’s. Using a combination of slide presentation and exercises, participants will learn the MARC fields that distinguish these popular resources. Emphasis will be placed on selecting appropriate records and correcting bibliographic data. If time permits, processing issues will also be discussed.

Ms. Wann's wardrobe by SSD

Last weekend, I was wearing an old LSSRT t-shirt (SSD's predecessor) while I took my laundry off the clothes line. As usual in warm weather, my laundry included a couple of LSSRT or SSD t-shirts. That night, I slept in one of my collection 3x-size SSD t-shirts.

From the very first one (green, with a beautiful golden design by Maresa Kirk) to the most recent one (dark blue with the SSD logo in white), SSD t-shirts make up a surprisingly large percentage of my casual wardrobe. Since I've been in LSSRT/SSD from the beginning, it's fun to think about where the organization was when the t-shirt I'm wearing was produced, and how much we've accomplished since then. (The picture above shows the 1996 conference t-shirt; the picture below is the new book bag, which will premier at the 2009 conference)

We won't have a new t-shirt at the conference next month, but we will have a new book bag for sale. We'll be using the profits to establish an accessibility fund, so that we can make sure SSD events are available and accessible to all who would benefit from them.

So a new book bag will join my collection (2 SSD book bags so far), and I know the money will be going to a good cause.

Bob Welch, award winning Oregon author, Keynote at SSD Conference

Pebble in the water: How libraries matter more than they might know

Based on his Oregon Book Award – finalist book, American Nightingale, Welch discusses his four-year journey to research, write, promote it – and how integral libraries were to the process.

Welch is the general columnist at The Register-Guard in Eugene and twice has won top honors in the National Society of Newspaper Columnist contest. He has written 12 books, had stories of his published in numerous collections and been published in such magazines as Reader’s Digest, Sports Illustrated and Los Angeles Times. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Oregon, and found of the Beachside Writers Workshop in Yachats, Oregon.

For more information visit Bob’s website at www.bobwelch.net