Camila Alire Takes the Helm

It's been a really busy month for me - can't believe my last post was in early June. ALA Annual in Chicago was the biggest ever - with over 28,000 attendees. The Presidential gavel was passed on to our own Camila Alire, Monte Vista native. A wonderful article in the Pueblo Chieftain about Alire can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/m8snk4

I am just finishing up my report to the Association on the Council activities. One of my fellow councilors, James Casey always writes a detailed report and rather than duplicating efforts, I have taken his report (blanket permission granted on the ALA listserv) and edited it to focus on information relevant for Coloradoans. That will be posted on the CAL listserv along with ALA's Executive Director's report, which is most informative.

I will continue with this blog as relevant ALA information comes forward but there will be a fall election to vote on the new Chapter Councilor, which I will not be running for. It's been a wonderful experience but I have made commitments in other committees in ALA and need to focus on those for the next few years. If you have any interest in running for Chapter Councilor please contact me and let's talk about it! swalchak@gmail.com

Basketball Star Candace Parker, Chair Library Card Sign up Month

Olympic gold medalist and 2008 WNBA Rookie of the Year Candace Parker will let Americans know that a library card is the “smartest card” in every wallet.
As Honorary Chair of Library Card Sign up Month in September, Parker will be featured in print and radio public service announcements (PSAs). The American Library Association (ALA) will place the PSAs in magazines and on radio stations across the country.
PSAs are available for free download to libraries looking to promote Library Card Sign-up Month locally. In addition to the PSAs, librarians can download sample media materials and Web badges. All resources can be downloaded at www.ala.org/librarycardsignup.

ALSC Kids! Campaign

Phase two of the ALSC Kids! @ your library public awareness campaign, which officially launches July 12, focuses on tools to help librarians promote library services to kids in Grades 5–8. All campaign resources are free and available for download at http://www.ala.org/kids

ALSC is the world's largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,300 children's and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for all children by creating better opportunities. To learn more about ALSC, visit its Web site at www.ala.org/alsc.

Program Proposal for ALA Annual 2010 - PLA

Deadline Approaching: Submit a Program Proposal for ALA Annual Conference 2010 by June 1
PLA is accepting program proposals for the 2010 ALA Annual Conference. The program proposal form is currently available as a downloadable word document from the PLA website. www.pla.org Communities of Practice are encouraged to work with their groups on PLAspace to put together program proposals. Proposals are due June 1.

ALA Election Results - 2009

The results for the ALA election are in. President-Elect is Roberta Stevens.

Colorado folks elected to positions in ALA include:

Sharon Morris, President Elect of CLENE Roundtable
Sandra Smith, Board Member, CLENE Roundtable
Diana Reese, ASCLA, Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect
Valerie Horton, ASCLA_ICANS, Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect
Jennie Bowers, ACRL_AFAS, Member-at Large
Paul Moeller, ALCTS_SS, Vice Chair, Chair-Elect

Thanks for your support of Colorado candidates.

ACRL Invites Proposals for 2010 Programs

ACRL invites proposal submissions for half- or full-day professional development programs to be held prior to the 2010 ALA Midwinter Meeting or the 2010 ALA Annual Conference. ACRL workshops at Midwinter will be held in Boston January 15. Preconferences at the Annual Conference will be held in Washington, D.C., June 25. Submissions will be accepted through May 4.
http://tinyurl.com/d2h6ne

ALA Connect Debuts

ALA is now providing its members a common virtual space to engage in ALA business and network with other members around issues and interests relevant to the profession. In the first phase of ALA Connect, every ALA group will have the ability to utilize posts, online docs, a group calendar, surveys, polls, chat rooms, and discussion forums. Members can log in using their regular ALA website username and password. Their records are automatically synchronized with the ALA membership database, so affiliations with committees, divisions, events, round tables, and sections are displayed. Project Manager Jenny Levine offers an overview of the site and writes: “I feel a little like Doctor Frankenstein—it’s aliiiiiive—but so far the patient is doing quite well.”...
http://connect.ala.org/