Winter Greetings from your Chapter President

Hi Everyone,
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a relaxing break; they never seem long enough, huh? I just wanted to give you all an overview about what has happened and what we have planned for this quarter. First of all, ALA has attracted some of the brightest minds of our program to form an excellent board of officers. ALA's new officers, whom I affectionately refer to as the "ALA Angels," are as follows:

Vice-Presidents: Caroline Yee and Francesca Marineo

Secretaries: Linda Kobashigawa and Christine Chai

Publicist: Leann Voss and Ashley Sands

Treasurers: Alyson Thomas, J Lee, and Stella Castillo

Webmaster/Blogmaster: Camille Mathieu and Alice Schock

 

I am really excited about this group of officers. After our first officer meeting of the quarter, which was held on Monday, it is clear that these ladies have excellent ideas about how to bring ALA back to its former glory. Here are some things that I would like to bring to your attention.

 

1. At the second UCLA Librarian Panel (about which I neglected to blog), Jennifer Osorio's description about the lengthy interview process for academic librarians piqued the interest of our members. This coming Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (the 15th, 16th, and 17th), ALA members will have the opportunity to observe the Presentation and General Session of the interview process for the Research Informationist position at the Biomedical library.
2. Professor Christopher Kelty will be giving a talk to students about the UC Open Access policy and what this means for future university librarians on January 27th.
3. UCLA MLIS alumna Sylva Manoogian has agreed to give our members a behind-the-scenes look at LAPL's Central Branch library on February 21st.
4. Lastly, I am in the process of getting our student chapter a new webpage. Our current page has served us well but our officers agree that it is time for a new site.

As you can all see, we have a lot planned for the winter quarter. We are even starting to talk about events for the spring. If you guys have any interest in the field of librarianship or ideas about how we can better serve/educate our MLIS students, we would love to hear from you!

 

Wishing you all the best for the winter quarter,

Nick Auricchio

ALA President

ALA's First Librarian Panel

Greetings Future Librarians,
I have had such a stressful, but rewarding today. Today was the first of two UCLA Librarian Panels and all I can say is that the experience exceeded all of my expectations. I felt like a lot was riding on the success of this panel. For one, I needed to show my fellow students that the ALA student group is a presence in the MLIS program. Secondly, I think that attendance was really important because it demonstrates that students in the MLIS program are interested in the work that is currently being done in our field. Lastly, I feel like this event was my baby and I do want it to be continued by future ALA presidents. For me personally, a lot was riding on this panel because this is the first time that I have organized a professional event. While contacting the librarians was tough and time-consuming (don't even get me started on how I was able to get five busy librarians to be in one place for ninety minutes), this experience was so rewarding, both personally and professionally, and I am grateful that ALA has given me the resources to put together an event like this

In attendance was one librarian from the undergraduate, arts, law, east asian, and biomedical libraries. The panel itself was structured in three parts: the first part was dedicated to getting to know the panelists. The second was dedicated to understanding the work that these librarians do in their respective libraries. For the last part, I actually created a Google form so that students could submit questions to be asked in the panel. Unlike traditional panels, I had each of my panelists sit together in chairs and take turns answering questions. I felt this informal structure would encourage the librarians to interact with both me and each other; much like a talk-show.

Coming into this, one of my biggest concerns was that the panelists would be shy. Let me just say that librarians are more than happy to talk about the work they do! I hope that the audience was able to see that while the duties of these librarians can be similar, the topics of questions, the resources, and the patrons of their respective libraries can really make a difference in the work you do. Another interesting phenomenon found in this panel was that many librarians now work in libraries that specialize in fields that they did not study as undergraduates. In fact, the panelists stressed that librarians need to be good generalists!  Despite these differences, the common thread found among each of the panelists was their love of helping people. In fact, when asked what they liked most about the job, they all said that it was working with and helping students. It was really touching to see how passionate these professionals are about their work.

The field of librarianship attracts so many different kinds of people. My classes are filled with people of different ages, sexes, ethnicities, and professional as well as academic backgrounds. This has made for some very interesting class discussions. Despite these differences, we are all driven together because of our desire to help others find information. While it may not sound like a lot, information is truly the great equalizer and we are all working to ensure that EVERYONE is able to find the resources needed to answer their questions. I came into the program because I was interested in who the librarian was as a person rather than an information resource. After this panel, I have a much better idea of who the librarian truly is and I can say with certainty that I am on the right path. I look forward to next week's panel.

Nick
ALA President

Partying with the Pink Chicken of Powell

It was one a.m. on a Friday—roughly a week before Halloween—and I was sitting on the floor of my room sewing pink feathered boas onto a pair of black shorts. White nylons, a hot pink top, and a pink eye mask were to accompany my feathered shorts. Who would guess that I’d be headed off to the library in this outfit.

I’ve interned with the undergraduate library for almost five months now, working in the Teaching and Learning Services department to analyze evaluation data and plan and implement instruction sessions for a Freshman Cluster course. My initial goals for the internship were to gain experience with instruction and to evaluate library instruction services, but when I heard about a potential Halloween party, I jumped at the chance to get involved. Event planning may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the responsibilities of a librarian, but whether you’re public or academic, at the reference desk or working behind the scenes, being involved in planning programs, events, and outreach is not uncommon.

I remember talking with my site supervisor earlier in the year about building a greater partnership between the Information Studies department and the library. Most of the libraries on campus reserve research, reference desk, and other part-time positions specifically for MLIS students to gain practical experience while in school; but why stop there? I pitched the idea of the ALASC getting involved with the planning of the party, and the partnership was born!

          The party ended up as less Halloween and more get-to-know-your-library-themed. However, it was a fun night filled with people in some pretty great costumes, making book sentences, dancing, organizing books by call number, posting photos to Instagram, and learning a whole lot about the UCLA library.

Here are some things I’ve taken away from this experience:

·         Time is definitely a virtue: Whether you have the support of 100 volunteers or 10, you need enough time to plan, meet, discuss, and revise your plan. And be prepared to run this cycle more than once. The planning team at the library did a fantastic job pulling this party together in a little over a month, but there are some things that cannot be rushed, like publicity for the event. We’ve also talked about getting the MLIS students involved sooner to have some input in the beginning planning phases rather than right at the end.

·        Just ask: This goes both ways; when you’re trying to get volunteers and when you’re trying to be a volunteer. I have never been turned down from asking to volunteer for a function. To be blunt, you’re providing free labor, and almost everyone will appreciate your contribution. I was also lucky enough to have fellow student club officers agree to volunteer with me, and was also able to get a few more people to join by pitching the party at smaller group meetings and sending a call for volunteers through the department listserv.

·       Building connections with your (future) colleagues: And keeping them! While I knew most of the other library staff who were at the party, some my classmates did not. It was a great opportunity to meet and work alongside library professionals (some of whom are alumni of the program).

·       Building connections with your users: Probably the most important thing to take away is giving students a positive first experience interacting with library materials, services, and personnel. The get-to-know-your-library approach by participating in really fun and inventive challenges seemed to resonate with the students. A classmate and I were stationed in the new InqSpace where librarians hold research consultations with users. While a research consultation can sound intimidating, the tone of the evening was very relaxed, we were all in costume, and although we were basically giving the students a research consultation, it didn’t feel that way. The students’ questions about the library and the catalog were of genuine inquiry, and we even talked about how one becomes a librarian and subject specialist.

What do I hope the students took away from their experience? That libraries and librarians are pretty darn cool. And my costume? I was supposed to be a flamingo, but someone guessed a pink chicken, and the name just kinda stuck.

 

Linda Kobashigawa

ALA Secretary

ALA's First (Annual?) Icebreakers on Ice

 

Hello Future Information Professionals,

Don’t let the look on my face fool you (I am the one in the Ramones shirt). I am still thrilled about ALA’s first event of the academic year! If you all don’t mind, I’d like to tell you a little more about ALA’s Icebreakers on Ice, which occurred this past Sunday. As I stated in my previous post, I want our ALA student chapter to be a fun mixture of both profession-building and social events. I originally saw Icebreakers as an opportunity for students to interact with their classmates outside of the classroom setting. What I have come to realize, during my short time at UCLA, is that our profession is quite small. The people in our classes today, will be our co-workers and colleagues tomorrow. Our internship supervisors and future employers were once, like us, struggling with information theory! Another unfortunate thing that I have noticed is that life (work, school, family, and relationships) often prevents us from getting to know the people in our program. To remedy this, I conceived the idea of Icebreakers on Ice.

 

My thinking behind this was that by having students step out of their comfort zones, from the library to the ice, I thought that ice skating might break down any barriers to meeting new people and would hopefully be a fun way for people to bond. While I did not get as many people as I had envisioned (I think that a lot of people were a little scared of skating and two people had to cancel due to illness), I do think that Icebreakers provided MLIS students with a good opportunity to interact with their classmates. The initial number of RSVPs may have been discouraging but my spirits immediately lifted when a group of four students decided to visit the ice arena after working on a group project. I did wish that I was able to reach more first-year students but I hope that of the ones who did attend, they were able to make a couple new connections with people in the program. If not, I will be more than happy to introduce them!

 

 

This was my own personal attempt at event planning and I am satisfied with the results. With this task completed, I will use my experiences to better understand what students want from ALA programming and to better advertise these events in the future. I am confident and even more excited that ALA’s two planned university panels will be a smashing success!

 

Until next time,

Nick Auricchio

ALA President

 

A Word From Your New President

Greetings New MLIS Students,
My name is Nick Auricchio and I will be ALA president for the 2013-14 academic year. I would first like to welcome you all to the program and congratulate you on devoting your lives to fighting the good fight...for information equality. I think that once you get to know me a little better, you'll understand why I say this...but seriously, librarians are superheroes!  Unfortunately, our student chapter was inactive last year and as a result, I am really scrambling to get everything prepared for the coming year. That's where you all come in! Though we may not have a model on which to run this club, I know that this can only work to our advantage. I am open to listening to new ideas and to trying a number of new things. My dream is to make ALA into the fun, yet professional, student organization of the MLIS program.

As you will quickly learn, the field of librarianship is currently trying to redefine itself as the nature of information, as well as the ways in which people access/interact with it, is rapidly changing. Things that may have worked in the past, may no longer work in the libraries of the future and it is up to venture into the unknown. Despite the explosion of Google and other search engines, you will see that librarians are still the superior source of navigating through the forever-expanding amounts of information, locating the quality sources, and MAKING them available to the masses. In times when more and more groups are challenging the content of reading materials, librarians are leading the charge against organizations that infringe on the first amendment rights of others. As you can see, we are on our way to becoming superheroes.

Because we are almost starting over, the new crop of students will have the opportunity to really shape the course of the ALA student group and build it into a fun, informative, and, most importantly, professional resource for future students. We were once the "Student Chapter of the Year" and I am hoping that we can once again claim the title...but none of that will be possible without the help of new students like yourselves. I look forward to working with and getting to know you all better.

Wishing you all the best,
Nick

Fall Quarter Wrap-Up

Eek! After a woeful blogging hiatus, we've finally posted pictures from last quarter's events. We began the school year with a general meeting, at which first- and second-year members gathered to set the course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Co-presidents Julia Glassman and Cynthia Orozco facilitated the meeting, asking members for input on events, professional development, and other activities. New members also got a quick rundown of what exactly ALA is all about.

As everyone settled into their classes, first-year ALA members got their first taste of the library world with a tour of the Santa Monica Public Library, hosted by docent Nancy Varat. The US Green Building Council recently gave SMPL a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Rating, and Nancy guided us through the library's sustainable features. Most notable is the garden in the central courtyard, which uses native plants to create an underwater atmosphere reminiscent of the beach six blocks away. PIC 3 Nancy also took us through the library's collections, paying special attention to its various murals. Afterwards, we headed to the King's Head Pub for food, drinks, and a pub quiz!

Finally, as the quarter began to heat up and the due dates for our final papers

grew uncomfortably close, we took a break from work with our second annual awkward sweater party. While last year's party centered on decorating cookies, this year we turned our attention to holiday ornaments, decorating clear bulbs with snowflakes, glitter, and other designs. There was a curious dearth of awkward sweaters, but mentors and mentees still enjoyed the chance to meet and discuss which classes to take Winter Quarter. (Data Curation was a popular choice.)

Our events have continued throughout Winter Quarter--stay tuned!

"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?

Awkward Sweater Party Knits UCLA Students Together

With Winter 2011 course registration underway, UCLA ALA Student Chapter and the Student Chapter of the Special Libraries Association co-hosted an awkward sweater and cookie frosting party for mentors and mentees, and any students who wanted guidance, had questions, or wanted to offer advice on choosing classes.With Crayola-colored spiced frosting, sugar cookies, nonpareils, a crackling (digital) fire, and more sequins, bows, and shoulder pads than Madonna's wardrobe in the 80s, first and second-year MLIS students exchanged the inside skinny on UCLA's winter offerings.

The most common questions from first years centered on core classes, including Information Technology and Information Access, two courses on information tools and reference, respectively, required for graduation.  Second year students were more concerned about the portfolio requirement, which, though due in Spring 2011, looms heavy.

Fortunately the cookies and silly sweaters brought a little levity to the gift-wrapped table, and as much gossip as grad requirements were overheard.  Fortified by sugar for finals week and better prepared for choosing courses, the awkward sweater party was a smash success!

Cocktail Party of State

The ALA Student Chapter officers for 2010-2011 recently got together for some sophisticated fun. As these photos reveal, these student leaders know how to look good while talking shop. The event took place in a Santa Monica apartment belonging to one of the Co-Presidents (moi!). Guests were asked to bring a potluck dish as well as a very important accessory. Can you guess? That's right, this was an ol' fashioned political wig party- like the British Parliament, only much more colorful (and less wild). Upon arrival, guests were presented with hand crafted stationary, which outlined The Rules. Co-President, Britt Foster was responsible for the creation and crafty dissemination of the rules. In case you're interested in hosting your own wig party in the near future, here they are:
1. The first rule of wig party is never mention wig party (unless your blogging about it, of course).
2. Don't mention wigs, either.
3. In fact, don't even mention anything rhyming with wig.
4. And while we're at it, don't say a word about e-books, either. We're sick of hearing about them.
5. The same goes for Harry Potter. Geeze. Can't everybody just shut up about that kid already?

Failure to abide by these rules will result in some strange punishment drawn from The Great and Mystical Jar of Mysteries. Your Madame Presidents reserve the right to force The Great and Mystical Jar of Mysteries on anyone at anytime, for any infraction or the rules above, a stellar cocktail, or an amazing...you know. That thing on your head.

Violators drew from a jar of question slips and were required to answer "what if" type questions before the assembly. Surprisingly, the party's chief planners were also the chief transgressors. It's harder than you'd think to not say "wig," especially when everyone in the room is wearing one. The food was delicious and the guests looked smashing. Most attendees confessed to mysterious head itching, likely as a result of all that intense ALA Student Chapter event planning. Stay tuned for the results of this powerful think tank!

Members are Informed and Ready for Their First Conference Experience!

UCLA ALA Student Chapter recently got the inside skinny on professional conferences from the wise and witty Cindy Mediavilla. Our members are gearing up for California Library Association 2010 in mid-November and eagerly anticipating ALA Midwinter in January. The close proximity of ALA Midwinter this year (about 2 hours away in San Diego) in addition to the rumors of library conference ecstacy have UCLA students abuzz with plans. Fortunately for us, we are now mentally prepped after listening to quality tips this past Wednesday's speaker event. If you weren't able to make the talk, we're providing some of the key points below:

When you get to a conference:

Sign in and get a fabulous name tag (with zipper pouch)!

Get a paper program, floor plan and map to get familiar with event locations and start scheduling!

It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with top pick events well in advance of the event.

5 Things to Do at a conference:

1) Programs

Want to go to two programs but there's a schedule conflict? Leave one early, but be sure to sit near the back of the room!

For hot topics, try to get to the program early!

Note: there will be no programs during the ALA Midwinter Meetings

2) Exhibits

ALA conferences have much bigger exhibits than CLA conferences

Opportunities to interact with vendors

Free books, free bags and sometimes free food

Try to spend at least one day just visiting exhibits

You have the option to save money and get an "exhibit only" pass

3) Meetings

Business style meetings to address administration business

Also informal and educational discussion groups

anyone can sit in on the meeting- you don't have to be a member of that group or round table...this is a great opportunity to get a feel for committees.

4) Placement Center

Organizations seeking employees

2010 CLA conference will have Speed Mentoring program

Possibility for on the site interviews, be sure to bring professional attire and copies of your résumé

5) Parties!

Free food!

Good place to network

Check with your workplace beforehand to see if there are any invitations

New Members ALA Roundtable party is always to most fun!

What to Bring

Money for parking and meals

Business cards

Don't have business cards? Make them! Include name, professional email, phone number,

major/school/specialty; now's a good time to change your e-mail to something other than surferbabe@aol

What to Wear

First impressions are important!

Look professional but stay comfortable

Comfy shoes a must!

Remember you may be meeting future employers/coworkers!

Conference attendees love students!

Answer questions about school

Respond positively

Constantly introduce yourself

Transportation

Gale shuttle buses are FREE!

Lines to get lengthy during peak hours, plan accordingly

Interested in going to ALA Midwinter? book a hotel ASAP!

For San Diego: consider Embassy Suites (free food during happy hour!)

Conferences offer a chance to better understand library service, gain professional development, and network with working professionals throughout the state and/or country. In today's economy, that conference fee may be well worth the professional contacts. Besides, by all accounts...It's fun!

Conference How-To for First Timers

Join us tomorrow for "Conference How-To for First Timers" by Cindy Mediavilla in room 111. Wednesday, October 20th from 4:30-5:15. The session will offer specific guidance about just what to do to maximize the conference experience in an enjoyable fashion. See you there!

(image courtesy of New York Public Library)

Running the Books

For further proof of the transformative power of libraries, check out “Running the Books” by Avi Steinberg. Steinberg became a librarian at a Massachusetts prison, and his tale provides ample evidence of the importance of libraries in the souls who use them.

For the NYT review of the book click here.

UCLA ALA Student Chapter Tours LAPL

On Saturday, September 18, the UCLA ALA Student Chapter visited the Los Angeles Public Library for a VIP tour led by Sylva Manoogian, a former LAPL employee of over twenty years.  The day began with a potluck, and the two hour tour focused on an insider's perspective and advocacy for the LAPL system, currently struggling with budget cuts, staff shortages, and reduced hours.

Ms. Manoogian worked within and was director of the International Languages division of LAPL, and described her work within this department, the 1986 fire and the community's efforts to restore the stacks, and why LAPL is so integral to the culturally, ethnically, and economically diverse city of Los Angeles. 

Thanks to Cory Hartford for the beautiful photos!  See our Flickr stream above for more.

Banned Books Week Scavenger Hunt

Yesterday boasted perfect weather for running all over the UCLA campus. That's just what three teams of chapter members did 

in honor of Banned Books Week. Teams were comprised of a blend of first and second year students competing for Banned Books swag and bragging rights.

The purpose of this event was threefold. First, the chapter announced its mentor/mentee pairings, a program designed to support 

first year students within the department by pairing them with second year students with similar career aspirations. Chapter members had a chance to bond while completing tasks such as dressing as Captain Underpants in the student store, sanitizing hands at the student health center, and locating or reading aloud from banned books in campus libraries and book stores. 

A second planned outcome was familiarizing first year students with essential buildings on campus. For instance, teams were asked to visit our sister department in Moore Hall and get a graduate student from the Department of Education to let them write "I read banned books" on their hand. 

A final benefit of this scavenger hunt was introducing students to ALA's annual Banned Books Week. Each clue in 

the scavenger hunt was tied to a "Banned Fact" in order to increase awareness of censorship and commitment to intellectual freedom. 

Teams scored points by texting photo messages of each accomplished task to headquarters. This tech savvy approach ensured that the campus facilities would remain clean and organized and guaranteed some amusing photo keepsakes of the event! 

The three teams were neck and neck throughout the two-hour competition. All three teams completed the 13 clues successfully. The final winner, Team Awesome, won by a mere two points acquired through bonus points assigned for creativity!

If you missed this incredible event, have no fear - we'll be hosting thrilling mentor/mentee social events every other month throughout the year!