SLA award nominations

I’d appreciate if you share this reminder with your unit-lists that the deadline to nominate for SLA Awards is just 2 days away, Thursday 1 December. Nominations received before midnight eastern standard time will be accepted. I’m happy to answer any questions or assist with problems.

Award-descriptions and criteria: http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/awardsrecognition/index.cfm

Nomination form: http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/awardsrecognition/awardnomfrm2007.cfm

We look forward to recognizing our members’ achievement and dedication at the ‘SLA Oscars,’ as one Hall of Fame inductee called the ceremony last year. The more (nominations received), the merrier!

Congratulations to our new 2010 Executive Board and Award Winners

2010 Executive Board Leaders:

President-Belinda Beardt
President Elect-Robin Dodge
Past President-Teresa Bailey
Treasurer-Bill Lee
Secretary-Drea Douglas
Director at Large-Holly Lutkenhouse
Communications Director-Jackie Prentice

Chapter Awards:

Billie Connor Award: Susan Hendrickson

Meritorious Service Awards: Eric Bryan, David Cappoli, Peter Johnson, Brad Rogers, Sara Tompson and Josh Walters

Certificate of Appreciation Awards:

Robin Dodge
Susan Eubank
Jill Foreman
Christian Gray
William Holmes
Peter Johnson
Hema Ramachandran
Ann Shea
Chris Sneider
Charlotte Wixx-Daniel

Past Presidents in attendance who received a rose in celebration of the SLA Centennial:

2008 - David Cappoli
2004-2005 - Jay Springer
2001-2002 - Kathleen Smith
2000-2001 - Debbie Hartzman
1999-2000 - Jean Crampon
1998-1999 and 1991-1992 - Billie Connor
1997-1998 - Sharon McNeil
1995-1996 - Katherine Richards
1994-1995 - Dorothy McGarry
1993-1994 - Gay Toltl Kinman
1992-1993 - John Shea
1990-1991 - Doris Small Helfer
1989-1990 - Robert Bellanti
1985-1986 - Ann Wiedel Shea

Innovations in Technology at Boeing Applauded by SLA & J.J. Keller

The Boeing Library Services team is the 2009 Recipient of the J.J. Keller Innovations in Technology Award. Visit SLA's online video network, SLA-TV, to watch a brief video about the Boeing Library Services Team and their innovative project "Building Communities Through Content."

Read more ...

Celebrating with Rising Star Norah Xiao

SoCal Chapter President, Teresa Bailey and SoCal member/Chair of the Biomedical & Life Sciences Division, Jean Crampon celebrated with SoCal member and Rising Star recipient, Norah Xiao at the Centennial Awards and Leadership Reception held at the Library of Congress.

(L-R) Norah with Jean Crampon

The event was spectacular!

At the reception Norah said she became a Rising Star because of her amazing SLA mentors. When Norah was asked to tell more about her SLA mentors she said the following:

“As a new professional, I am extremely fortunate to work with excellent librarians closely, who love the profession, and contribute to the profession wholeheartedly. There are many of them I have been learning from, and to name a few, Sara Tompson, Jean Crampon and Dana Roth.

(L-R) Norah with Teresa Bailey and Jean Crampon

Norah with Dana Roth

I have been working with Sara and Jean since May 2007, when we three were in the Science & Engineering Library at USC. Sara was my director supervisor at that time, she always encouraged me to experience every field in librarianship and helped me balance my professional growth. Jean, on the other hand, helped me transition my book knowledge to practical knowledge and experience, and inspired confidence in me. I knew Dana's name from the ACS-CINF discussion list when I attended library school in Canada. He is my (and everyone's) encyclopedia to any question, and more importantly, he tirelessly contributes to our profession with his knowledge in many ways, and shares his experience with everyone without reservation. I always look up to Dana, and it is my great honor to be his colleague in the chemistry information field.

I regard them as my SLA mentors, and they truly are. They inspire me to be a good librarian and more importantly be part of our professional association. Thank you!”

Our SoCal chapter is so fortunate to have Norah and so many incredible new, as well as seasoned, information professionals – news is forthcoming about another award presented at the Centennial conference, the Innovations in Technology Award presented to the Boeing Services team – info coming soon.

Norah Xiao ... an SLA Rising Star

Southern California Chapter member Norah Xiao, a Science and Engineering Librarian in the University of Southern California Libraries, was named a “Rising Star” at SLA's Annual Conference in Washington, DC, on June 14, 2009.

Norah is a member of SLA's first class of rising stars, as seen in this brief video

The 2009 Karen Sternheim Memorial Scholarship

We have the pleasure to announce that this year's Karen Sternheim Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to Michelle Gorospe and Allison Schulte (click to read their statement), two students who have distinguished themselves in meaningful, and quite different, ways that exemplify the very best in our profession.

The Scholarship Committee came away from this year's judging process convinced that the profession is in very good hands. Together, all of the applicants and their essays revealed a new generation of librarians who are not only forward-reaching in their thinking, but aware that they are building on a long tradition of good scholarship.

But two in particular stood out, equally so, and for very different reasons; the judges finally decided on a split decision -- something that has happened only once before in the history of the Sternheim Scholarship.

Allison and Michelle focused on issues of profound importance to 21st century librarians; although their topics were quite different, we felt that each demonstrated a deep passion for her subject, and that this holds the promise of bringing these messages to the wider profession as these two students pursue their careers.

Michelle, who works full-time as the Stacks Supervisor at UCLA Law Library while taking a full class load in the UCLA MLIS program, listed her special librarianship areas of interest as "law libraries and special collections in general, and preservation and collection development in particular." For her, the issues of assuring authenticity and integrity in digital documents is one of the greatest challenges facing special librarians today, regardless of their domain.

Allison, a full-time student in the SLIS program at SJSU, a clerk for Los Angeles Public Library, and the librarian at the Tom of Finland Foundation (Tom was a renowned artist of gay male erotica), finds her passion "in providing information to under served communities and preserving archives that are often culturally devalued and go unprotected." For her, the difficult balance between assuring freedom of access to information amid community-imposed limitations is more pressing than ever.

These issues, and many others, will require thoughtful professionals not only to raise awareness, but to guide best practice and help special libraries navigate them in the coming years. The judges were convinced that in Michelle and Allison, special libraries will have two very special advocates.

Allison and Michelle will recieve their awards this fall at the SCC-SLA chapter awards dinner, a date for which is expected to be announced soon. They also will be recognized at the chapter's annual Sternheim Scholarship fundraiser, scheduled from 4:30-8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Los Angeles County Arboretum.

Please join us in congratulating Allison and Michelle. We extend our thanks and gratitude to all the candidates, as well as to the committee members:

Peter Johnson, Chair, Scholarship Committee

Rita Costello, Director, UCLA Rosenfeld Management Library

Keith Gurtzweiler, Vice President, Recruiting, Library Associates,

Vicky McCargar, Archivist, Mount St. Mary's College

Please mark the fundraiser date -- Sept. 26, 2009 -- on your calendars, and plan to attend what promises to be a fun and entertaining gathering.

Doris Helfer Receives Award at CSUN

Former Chapter President, Doris Helfer has been awarded the "Distinguished Teaching, Counseling, or Librarianship Award" by her peers at the California State University, Northridge. Doris was presented with her award at CSUN's Honored Faculty Reception on May 18, 2009. This is the first time that a member of CSUN's Library has received this award.

Please offer your congratulations to Doris.

SLA Southern California Wins IT Programming Award

SLA Southern California has been awarded the Information Technology Division's Outstanding Technology Programming Award for "Living Linked - A Social Networking Conference" held at the Amateur Athletic Foundation on April 13, 2007. The award was presented at the SLA Annual Conference in Seattle at the IT Division's business meeting on June 16, 2008.

Thanks to all who made this program a success, especially Sue Brewsaugh, Christian Gray, Mike Reid, and Josh Walters.

Chapter Award Winners

At the annual membership dinner held on May 13, 2008, at the L.A. Police Academy, former Chapter President, and current Nominations Chair and Ethics Ambassador, Sue Brewsaugh was presented with the Billie Connor Award which honors a Chapter member who has gone beyond the normal in support of the Chapter over a lengthy period of time. And Brett VanBenschoten was presented with the chapter's Karen Sternheim Memorial Scholarship.

L to R: David Cappoli, Chapter President, Sue Brewsaugh, Brett VanBenschoten, and Peter Johnson, Chair of the Sternheim Scholarship Committee.

Sue and Brett.

David and Sue.

Sue with her Boeing colleagues.