2019 RILA Conference: "Get Informed!"

Join us for the 2019 Rhode Island Library Association Annual Conference

on May 22nd & 23rd at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI.

The 2019 RILA Conference will launch a statewide news literacy initiative, featuring engaging sessions on news and media literacy, civic education and democracy, and many other topics of interest to public, academic, school, and special librarians and library staff. We can't wait to see you at the conference! 

Interested in presenting? Submit your proposal today! Conference proposals are due February 22nd.

Sponsor & Exhibitor registration is now open! Please review our exhibitor package for details and contact conference@rilibraries.org with any questions.

Hello everyone,

Happy New Year!

Are you - or do you know - someone who is a new librarian looking for a mentor?  Please consider applying for this wonderful leadership opportunity through the New England Library Leadership Symposium (NELLS).

RILA and OLIS contribute funding for mentors and mentees to participate in this five-day intensive training program designed to foster the mentoring and development of leaders in state and regional library associations. NELLS was created through a cooperative effort of the New England Library Association and all six New England state library associations.

Please feel free to contact me with questions at president@rilibraries.org.

The deadline for applications is March 15, 2019.

Thank you,

Kieran Ayton, RILA President

Associate Professor

Emerging Technologies Librarian

Interim Head of Digital Initiatives

Rhode Island College

kayton@ric.edu

NELLS 2019 - Now Accepting Applications! View this email in your browser NELLS 2019 August 12th - 16th Now Accepting Applications! Apply Today!  The purpose of this five-day intensive training program is to foster the mentoring and development of leaders in state and regional library associations. NELLS was created through a cooperative effort of the New England Library Association and all six New England state library associations. NELLS has been held six times since its inception in 2003, most recently in 2017. NELLS 2019 is taking place August 12th – 16th, 2019 at the Rolling Ridge Retreat and Conference Center, North Andover, MA.  The tuition/housing fee for 2019 is TBD.   **To learn more about the 2019 NELLS event, please click HERE.** Sincerely, Mary Etter & Krista McLeod - NELLS Co-Chairs Copyright © 2018 (c) New England Library Association, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are an active contact with the New England Library Association. Our mailing address is: (c) New England Library Association 55 N Main St, Unit 49 Belchertown, MA 01007 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Greetings from COLA’s new chair. I am excited to be coming on board at this ground-breaking moment in COLA’s history. COLA is one of two independent organizations that recently chose to join forces with RILA. In our case, the decision was made in order to amplify our advocacy efforts on behalf of all libraries in Rhode Island and to allow us to offer more educational workshops on how libraries transform lives. While RILA is comprised primarily of professional practitioners, COLA is a grassroots organization of community residents eager to preserve and expand library services in the state. Merging with RILA enables COLA to build its capacity to advocate and educate for all our libraries.

Please visit COLA’s website and Facebook page (or follow us on Twitter) for additional information on our Coalition. We are in the process of moving our web presence to the RILA umbrella, and we will let you know as soon as that transition is complete. If you are interested in adding your voice in support of Rhode Island’s libraries, please consider joining us. To join COLA (or renew your membership), please visit the membership page.

First you must join RILA at the membership level that best fits your employment status. If you are a practicing librarian, please select the salary level that best matches your income. Students, retirees, trustees and supporters can join at the $15 level. During the membership process, you will be able to join the COLA Section.

Thank you, 

Sharon A. Lux

Cornucopia of Rhode Island: A Library Community of Color (CORI), begins 2019 as a section of the Rhode Island Library Association. A grass root organization CORI was founded in the fall of 2005 with a mission and goal to serve the library community of color and an objective to promote library services to people of color within Rhode Island and the development of librarians and library staff of color.

CORI meetings has provided a forum that encourages the exchange of ideas and the discussion of issues, problems and concerns of librarians and library staff of color.  Members are mentoring librarians and library staff of color and encouraging librarianship as a profession to people of color as well as promoting the development and delivery of multi-cultural collections, services and programs.

Cornucopia aimed to present community conferences on the diverse minority groups in Rhode Island. The first conference held in 2005 was entitled “I is not for Indian” and was a total success as it enlightened the many librarians of the inadequate portrayal of Native Americans in children’s books and literature. This conference was followed by a workshop on the Chinese language and culture; a combined effort with the University of Rhode Island Confucius Institute. In following years CORI’s Fall Conferences as they became known, included the Cape Verdean Community, the Rhode Island Hispanic Community, and the African American Community. A community conversation on Rhode Island students included the president of the American Library Association, Barbara Stripling and United States Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island. Senator Reed, a prominent advocate for libraries and librarians has supported CORI throughout its incorporation.

CORI has also presented at the annual RILA Conference. The very first presentation was Dr. Carla Hayden, past president of ALA, former director of the Enoch Pratt Library and now Librarian of Congress. Other presenters have included former Commissioner Deborah A. Gist, Rhode Island Department of Education, Pamela Goode, an associate editor of American Libraries Association, Keith Stokes, former Executive Director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation and Attorney Veronica Hobbs, Director of the Domestic Violence Training & Monitoring Unit for the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

CORI is very excited about the next phase of the organization as a section of RILA.  The potential benefits for CORI uniting with RILA are many. An excellent example is the organizations would increase the effective advocacy for library services in all Rhode Island libraries and to improve the quality of life of all Rhode Islanders. Why not join us as we continue to better our state.

For additional information on CORI, visit our blog. If you are interested in adding your voice in support, please consider joining us. To join CORI (or renew your membership), please visit the membership page.

First you must join RILA at the membership level that best fits your employment status. If you are a practicing librarian, please select the salary level that best matches your income. Students, retirees, trustees and supporters can join at the $15 level. During the membership process, you will be able to join the CORI Section.

Submitted by Ida D. McGhee, MLIS

Today marked a historic day for RILA as we signed Deeds of Gift with both the Coalition of Library Advocates and Cornucopia of Rhode Island as Sections of RILA, bringing together our three rich organizations!

The Rhode Island Library Association (RILA) joins with other state library associations and national organizations to urge Congress to invest in the nation’s education and economy by increasing the LSTA Grants to States program to $325 million per year, or one dollar for every American, to support library services in Rhode Island and across the nation.

LSTA funding in Rhode Island supports statewide services such as the Children’s Summer Reading Program, the Talking Books Library for the visually impaired, digital literacy training, and local library services across the state as coordinated by the State of Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS).

“LSTA is of vital importance to Rhode Island,” says Kieran Ayton. “This funding will serve a diverse people through these library programs and is crucial to continuing to provide these resources to residents in the state.”

Funding for the Grants to States program through the Institute of Museum and Library Services currently allocates $164 million to support state-based library services, approximately 49 cents per resident or about .00004 percent of the total federal budget.

See full resolution here.

The Rhode Island Library Association (RILA) welcomes the RI Coalition of Library Advocates (COLA) and Cornucopia of Rhode Island (CORI) into our organization as RILA Sections.

“This connection creates a larger advocacy voice for the Rhode Island Library Community”, says Kieran Ayton, President of RILA. “This will allow us to build opportunities around the state with combined networking activities, programming and professional development.”

The RI Coalition of Library Advocates (COLA) works to improve library services through advocacy, education, and public awareness. For over 30 years COLA has supported Rhode Island Libraries through petitions, Congressional testimony, and strategic communications with RI legislators.

Cornucopia of Rhode Island (CORI) serves the library community of color. CORI mentors librarians and library staff of color, promotes the development of multicultural services and programs, and professional and educational activities.

Members of all three organizations can now join or renew their Section memberships on the RILA website.

Contact: RILA Communications Committee

Rhode Island Library Association

communications@rilibraries.org

The Rhode Island Library Association (RILA) supports the American Library Association (ALA) and the ALA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) in their response to the Trump Administration’s proposals to “narrow the definition of ‘sex’ under Title IX and exclude Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender citizens from the protections of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act”.

 

We are deeply concerned about the Administration’s proposals as they are in direct conflict with RILA’s values and commitments, and we affirm the following assertions as put forth by the ALA:

 

• “Libraries strive to serve as institutions that mirror all facets of our society. Our goals are to empower our members to serve all communities regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, or class, with tools that foster education and lifelong learning.”

• “The proposed regulatory and policy changes are in direct conflict with ALA’s fundamental values, principles, and commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.”

• “Our goals are to empower our members to serve all communities regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, or class, with tools that foster education and lifelong learning.”

• “We oppose government measures that marginalize populations and deny individuals' civil rights and the full protection of the law. We will not support government actions that will harm ALA members and the 1.4 million Americans who identify with a gender other than their birth sex.”

• “We stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ members, colleagues, families, friends, community members, and students, and we fully support efforts to fight for acceptance, and understanding of all members of society.”

 

To view the full ALA statement, go here: http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2018/11/ala-glbtrt-continue-voice-support-lgbtq-civil-liberties

In the fall of 2017 I attended the Futures Conference in Atlantic City where I saw a presentation by Oculus VR, LLC. The company donated Oculus Rift VR systems to 90 libraries in the state and basically said, “Have fun!” And they did!! Just google “Oculus Rift in California libraries” and you’ll find all kinds of press.

In their presentation, Oculus noted how VR is currently being used. I was moved by the research being done with full immersion virtual reality; empathy building in particular. So, I looked at my conference mates and said, “OK, Let’s do this!!” But, VR is expensive, and this was 6 months before every library journal published an article about having VR in the library. My conference mates were excited, but also not convinced to spend the money.

When the Studio Rhode Next Generation Library Challenge, phase 2 came along, I decided this was my chance. I wrote the grant with the idea that Warwick Library would have a permanent VR set up, as well as a traveling VR system that we could loan out to libraries in Rhode Island. I firmly believe that as a small state we should be sharing big ticket items that may not be used regularly. (Aren’t we the ultimate sharers?)

I received the grant and now we have a traveling HTC Vive VR system, an Asus ROG STRIX Gaming Laptop loaded with over 65 VR experiences and games, and all you need to set up a room scale virtual reality experience. Give me a call, I’ll bring it to you. If you need training, we can plan a session where I hang out and teach your staff how to set it up and use it. Then you can hold your own programs, without the cost of purchasing a whole system. Thanks to Studio Rhode and OLIS!!

Here are some of the programs we have done so far:

• Minecraft creation camp – teens built a replica of the library in Minecraft and were able to explore it in VR. This was intense and I had a lot of help with it. The teens knew what they were doing, but I knew nothing about Minecraft.
  
• Book group attendees have watched experiences that relate to the books they were reading. An example is they were reading about immigration and refugees and they watched Forced to Flee, a live film made in the Rohingya Refugee camp.
  
• We have done several demonstrations in the lobby, to peak interest and get the word out that we have VR.
  
• Teen Gaming time
  
• 30 minute appointments for the public to sign up to use VR
  

As part of my coursework for my MLIS, I completed two professional field experience (PFE) internships at the James P. Adams Library, Rhode Island College.  During my first PFE (Fall 2017), I learned about different aspects of digitization by working with Kieran Ayton and Andy Davis on several ongoing projects in the Digital Initiatives Department.  During my second PFE (Spring 2018), I got to apply the skills I learned in my first PFE by working on a new project with Marlene Lopes in Special Collections, in collaboration with Andy Davis in Digital Initiatives.  RIC student workers J Bruscini, Catherine Butler, and Natasha Soto also worked on this project. 

Special Collections at RIC holds the Nathaniel Terry Bacon collection, which includes the personal and business papers of Nathaniel Terry Bacon, as well as the personal papers of other members of the socially prominent Bacon and Hazard families.  For our project, my PFE supervisors selected the papers of Joseph Peace Hazard (1807-1892) of Peace Dale.  Hazard’s papers reflect his personal passions, which included architecture, travel, and Spiritualism.  In Special Collections, you can find Hazard’s correspondence regarding his construction projects; tickets, hotel bills, calling cards and letters of introduction from his extensive travels abroad; and personal letters, notes, and a journal regarding Hazard’s interest in Spiritualism.

For this project, we decided to digitize Hazard’s journal and other documents related to Spiritualism.  We started with Hazard’s journal, in which Hazard recorded instances of his pocket watch “ringing.”  Hazard believed this “ringing” to be a form of communication from his “Spirit Friends.”  We first digitized this journal using a copy stand with a digital SLR camera.  We also used a pane of glass, which was ordered specifically for this project, to keep the journal pages flat during the photography process.  

After the journal was photographed, we cropped the images in Photoshop and created a PDF of the journal.  We then transcribed the journal, adding notes to explain historical oddities in the text (for example, Hazard’s watch began “ringing” during a visit to “Beyrouth [Beirut] in Syria”; Beirut is now in Lebanon, but during the time of Hazard’s visit in 1878, Beirut was part of Ottoman Syria).  J Bruscini used Adobe InDesign to create an e-book which presents the original journal pages alongside their transcription.

Once the journal was transcribed, we reviewed the rest of Hazard’s papers to select additional documents related to Spiritualism for digitization, including leaflets, newspaper clippings, letters, and personal memoranda.  Once digitized, these additional documents were then uploaded and assigned metadata in RIC’s Digital Commons. We curated these documents in an Omeka exhibit which presents Hazard’s papers in the broader context of 19^th century Spiritualism.  Finally, we presented our work to the public during programs held at the Greenville Public Library and the Peace Dale Public Library.

In addition to making Hazard’s papers more accessible to researchers, we hope that this project will spark some public interest in the local history collections held by Special Collections and the digitization work done by Digital Initiatives.

By Patricia McIvor