"How to Publish" with Esther Grassian

This past Thursday, UCLA ALA Student Chapter members attended a talk with insider tips and guidance on how to get published. Esther Grassian, the Information Literacy Librarian at UCLA's College Library and an accomplished writer, spoke to her audience about a wide range of publishing options ranging from blogs to textbooks. To view the slides from this presentation visit this link. Go to "26 May 2011, What Me Publish?." Notes View will reveal her talking points as well.

For those members who couldn't make it, here are some of the highlights from the informative and well organized presentation:

1) When selecting a topic to write about, make sure you have something new to say by doing research on what has been said before.

2) Publishing will help you build a name for yourself, boost a resume, and advance the field.

3) There is a writing progression from free and unmoderated (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and listserves) to a midpoint of control and difficulty (i.e. poster sessions, conference presentations, and magazine articles) to the most restrictive in terms of peer review and standards (i.e. book chapters, journal articles, and books). While students in grad school and new information professionals might not be ready for the high end of the progression, the best approach is to get started building expertise and gaining recognition as a voice in the field.

4) Resources: "LibGuides" (short for library research guides) are a community of consolidated resources organized by subject to assist university courses and special subjects. UCLA has a great collection, and they are readily available to all. Esther has produced several on information literacy instruction. Writer's Market is a book with topic listings of magazine publications, including the requirements for submission, pay, and the types of content a given magazine is soliciting.

5) If you publish, retain your copyright!

6) Calls for book chapters are disseminated via listserves. While new librarians are still early in their careers and low on experience, this is something to keep in mind for the future. A call will contain details of the chapter proposal and the deadline. To respond a writer must give a detailed outline. Those submissions with visuals such as check lists, images, and charts fare better.

7) If you want to write a book, make sure you have administrative support. Approval from the department head can mean time off to work on it as well as grant opportunities. Solicit feedback from the publisher and your colleagues. Acknowledge their help in the book.

Esther's sound advice and practical tips are useful to novice and experienced librarians alike. Cross-reference the 2010-2011 membership list with the new names in publication in a few years and see how many hits you get!

ALA Student Chapter reveLs in a Measure L Victory

This past Tuesday, March 8th, 64% of Los Angeles voters said yes on Measure L! This means great things for Los Angeles libraries, Los Angeles citizens, and UCLA library school students. ALA Student Chapter members worked for several weeks on the campaign, but no future librarian worked harder than ALA Student Chapter Co-President, Britt Foster. Not only was she the brains behind the student operations, organizing phone banking and flyering schedules, but also, she put in many work hours hitting the pavement and dialing voters. Additionally, Britt served as the liaison between the student chapter and City Librarian, Martin Gomez, as well as the Librarian's Guild.

This past Sunday, Measure L supporters convened outside a beautiful library, the Memorial Branch, to have one last rally before voters entered booths on Tuesday. The rally included speakers, authors, musicians, and a magic act. A crowd of around 150 people gathered in front of an antique door in the park outside the library. The library was closed for the day due to budget cuts, and the statement made by the setting was poignant. Some of the speakers were well known to the UCLA MLIS program. Eva Mitnick, an adjunct professor in the area of children's services, spoke to community members about the importance of L through alliterations featuring -you guessed it- the letter 'L.' In recognition of her passion and commitment, Britt was also invited to speak at this final rally for Measure L. Britt's speech was heartfelt and sincere (see below). Four ALA Student Chapter Officers appeared at the event to cheer on Measure L and cheer on Britt. On the whole the event was well attended, and the magician was a raving success with the numerous children present. March 8th: After an anxious day at the polls, confirmation that Measure L had passed came in around 10:30 pm. Since then, students and librarians alike have been riding high on an L shaped cloud. Measure L was crucial for Los Angeles libraries, but as one of the largest and most diverse library systems in the county, it was also an important vote for sending a message to the country about libraries and their value. Los Angeles voters rose to the challenge, and ALA Student Chapter was a part of this momentous occasion. We gave 'em heLL!

Britt Foster's Heartfelt Speech:

I feel I should share with you what it is I’m doing in Los Angeles, and to do that, I’ve got to go back a few years. I visited L.A. for the first time in 2007, and a friend from college offered to give me a tour. After navigating the 101, which is part of the L.A. experience, for sure, we went-- not to the beaches, not to Hollywood, but to the place my friend felt was one of the shining examples of L.A.-- the Central Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. It felt like a religious experience-- I kept telling people that I had visited the “cathedral of books.” Two years later, I sent out applications and was accepted in library schools across the United States, in Brooklyn, in Seattle. But I was waiting for one: when my acceptance letter to the Master’s of Library and Information Science program at UCLA came, I-- I’m not kidding-- screamed and did a happy dance in the kitchen. All I could think about was working for Los Angeles Public Library.

When I asked my fellow library school students what they felt was important for all of you to hear, L.A. natives often started their ideas with their own story about LAPL-- visiting the Chinatown branch on Hill St., what it meant to them to intern in the library they grew up in, serving kids just like they once were. Some of them talked about wanting to work for LAPL, but are looking at jobs in northern California, on the East Coast, because they know it’s not possible with the current state of the library. I don’t want to diminish what it means to myself and my fellow students to leave the library system that is often host to our first professional experience, through internships and research projects, but I think the bigger issue is what it means to the communities of Los Angeles to lose librarians, both those recently graduated, and those that have been laid off after serving the city through LAPL. I think that I love librarians, and libraries, because they believe in people. Los Angeles needs people and places that believe in people: believe in people like the kids who come to the library after school because it is the only safe option for them; believe in people like adults who never learned to read as kids, and are taking literacy classes so that they can read to their kids; believe in people who come to the library to find jobs, to meet with other people, to find that movie or book that reminds them that, as people, we’re all in this together.

I graduate from UCLA in three months, and since I am wholeheartedly committed to becoming a public librarian, I believe in people, too. I believe in the power of the people of Los Angeles to pass Measure L with a “yes” vote on March 8.

Measure L: Day of Action

UCLA ALA Student Chapter further revealed it's commitment to a year of library activism with the biggest event yet! Chapter members and friends gathered together to get the word out to L.A. voters about Measure L. This ballot measure represents a pivotal moment for Los Angeles libraries. If it passes, libraries will have their funding restored to pre-recession levels, allowing the library to return to six days of service per week (and later seven), increasing the collections budget, and increasing services and programming. If, however, the measure does not pass, L.A, City Council will have no reason to defend libraries from further budget slashes. It has been predicted that should the measure not pass, 64 out of 72 branches would need to close completely. Ouch!

Obviously, a student group comprised of dedicated future librarians is absolutely in favor of Measure L, and we're putting our energies into helping the cause. Students have already been handing out Measure L bookmarks to registered L.A. voters, blogging, writing op-eds, posting fliers at work and home, and leaving quarter sheets at amenable local businesses. Today, however, represented a huge push as the countdown to voting day begins in earnest. Chapter members assembled for updates and action plans. After learning the latest news, small groups split off into stations. There was a table for social networking on laptops, a room reserved for phone banking, fliers for those who wished to hit the pavement, and window chalk for transforming cars into mobile billboards. Best of all, there were sign up sheets to keep the action going until voting on March 8th!

UCLA ALA Student Chapter sponsored the event as a way for busy graduate students balancing work, school, and family to easily give an hour of service to the cause. The goal was to bring activism right to the students. As part of this flexibility, a table will remain in the student commons with all sign up sheets and fliers so that even those members who couldn't make the day of action can still find a way to contribute to this monumental time in LAPL history. To read more about the Student Chapters big day, see today's Daily Bruin!

Measure L: UCLA ALA Student Chapter and Friends Say Yes to Supporting Los Angeles Libraries

Thursday, February 10, kicked off UCLA ALA Student Chapter's contribution to the Yes On Libraries campaign. Joined by students from all tracks of the information sciences, UCLA ALA hosted Martín Gomez, Los Angeles City Librarian, for an informational session on Measure L.

Measure L, if passed by a simple majority, will raise the allocation of city funds for Los Angles Public Library from the current .0175% to 0.3%. Such an increase would allow for the library to eventually return to six day service and increase the materials budget, with no new taxes and all fiscal transactions subject to audit.

Following Mr. Gomez's session, students brainstormed campaign ideas, which will focus on the UCLA campus, home to 42,000 registered voters, and student's neighborhoods, which cover the range of Los Angeles. Students decided on a range of activities, including handing out and posting fliers on campus and around Los Angeles, using social networking tools and face-to-face social networks to inform and encourage people to vote, submitting op-ed pieces to the Daily Bruin and the Los Angeles Times, and supporting other local actions taken to further this campaign.

See below for resources to spread awareness of Measure L.

Election: Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Last day to register to vote: February 22, 2011

Polling place look-up: http://www.lavote.net/LOCATOR/

Mail-in-ballot period: February 7, 2011- Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Last day to request vote-by-mail ballot: March 1, 2011

Download and print request here: http://cityclerk.lacity.org/election

Mail to:

City Clerk-Election Division

555 Ramirez Street, Space 300

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Website: www.yesonlibraries.com

Twitter: @YesonL, #YesonMeasureL

Facebook: Yes on Measure L: Save Our Neighborhood Libraries

Resources

• www.yesonlibraries.com
• http://www.librariansguild.org/
• http://www.savethelibrary.org/

• Window Sign
• Measure L Fliers in English, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese
• Measure L Flyer 1
• Measure L Flier 2
• Measure L Quarter Page Flier 1
• Measure L Quarter Page Flier 2

UCLA ALA Student Chapter Hosts Dr. Camila Alire, Immediate Past President of ALA

On Thursday, January 13, the UCLA ALA Student Chapter hosted Dr. Camila Alire, Immediate Past President of the American Library Association, for a lecture on advancing your career through leadership, advocacy, and diversity.

Dr. Alire was greeted at the door with her long-time friend, Dr. Elaine Svenonius, UCLA Professor Emerita and a noted name in cataloging. They had a chance to stop in and talk to the faculty for a few moments, and Dr. Alire then greeted UCLA MLIS students and several local librarians, introducing herself personally to each attendee.

From left to right. Top row: Ashley Sands, treasurer; Julie Glassman, vice-president; Lynn Kysh, secretary; Marisa Christensen, publicity; Sherry Sue, web guru; Caprice Roberson, treasurer. Bottom row: Britt Foster, president; Dr. Camila Alire; Stevie Hartford, president; Stacy Wood, vice-president.

Dr. Alire's lecture focused on a hot topic for UCLA students: How to enact positive change through promoting libraries and information institutions, being a voice for all kinds of diversity in the IS professions, and how to achieve positions of leadership that will enable this kind of change-making.

Some key points from the lecture emphasized the importance of "the volunteer arm": getting your hand in the air whenever opportunities arise. Dr. Alire points out that this builds a network, and puts you in the professional place of being someone who can get things done, which can lead to job opportunities you're not even looking for! Dr. Alire called this, "leadership by default," and this received some titters in the audience: the UCLA ALA student members are very active on campus, and know what it means to step up and get things done!

Risk taking in career choices and advocacy was another theme: being able to succeed in risky ventures shows your willingness to take charge. Even if you don't succeed in the initial project, being able to identify a challenge and attempt to solve it is deeply important during these times when information institutions are struggling so.

Dr. Alire also touched on the importance of commitment to diversity, something that concerns UCLA students serving the Los Angeles area deeply, and the importance of being an emotionally intelligent leader.

The UCLA ALA Student Chapter would like to thank Natalie Cole of the California Library Association for her help in arranging Dr. Alire's visit. Look for an article about the visit in the upcoming CLA E-Newsletter!

UCLA ALA Student Chapter Journeys to ALA Midwinter 2011

Our student chapter recently descended on the ALA Midwinter meeting conveniently located in San Diego, California. UCLA Information Studies students joined the hoards venturing to the Midwinter meeting to enjoy their first professional conference experience. Those Student Chapter members that attended Cindy Mediavilla's "Conference for First-Timers" lecture in the fall were well prepared for the overwhelming nature of such a large event! The proximity of the conference (a 2.5 hour drive from L.A.) made this an affordable professional development adventure not to be missed. While students were not necessarily serving on the multitudes of committees meeting at Midwinter Meeting, several did sit in on these small group discussions to gain a better understanding of committee work. Student Chapter members were welcomed by practicing professionals, once again demonstrating the outstanding collegial nature of librarianship.



Of course, exhibits proved quite popular. Student Chapter members were able to work out their bodies in addition to their minds by hefting enormous red reusable sacks loaded with sample magazines, journals, and advance reading copies of books. The "student" designation on the name badges made it clear that this group would not be remodeling a library anytime soon, causing some vendors to look the other way. Other vendors were eager to greet students and ask them about their program. On the whole, however, just perusing the tools of the trade was enough to expose these future professionals to the names of vendors and the vast array of choices.

UCLA ALA Student Chapter promoted conference registration, prepped students with a how-to lecture event, and organized car pooling to San Diego. It's not every year that this small chapter gets to interact so completely with its national parent organization, which is fondly referred to by UCLA Student Chapter officers as "Mama ALA." Well, Mama, it was great seeing you right after the holidays, and we look forward to doing it again soon! Perhaps over some gumbo?