IRRT Chair's Webinar: Libraries in the USA serving immigrants and refugees

Libraries in the USA serving immigrants and refugees
January 25, 2018
12:00-1:00 p.m. Chicago Time

View the recording here: http://ala.adobeconnect.com/pkoqlls3p4fs/ 
Learn about how different-sized libraries in the USA are serving immigrants and refugees. Our speakers coordinate services for young adults, English Language Learners, partner with community organizations, and coordinate library services in Sanctuary cities. Library and information workers are providing programs and services that build community while enriching and saving lives of immigrants and refugees. At the American Library Associations' International Relations Round Table, we want to be part of these efforts.

Speakers:

Ed Garcia, Director, Cranston Public Library, Rhode Island
Ed is currently the Library Director at the Cranston Public Library. He received his MLIS from the University of Rhode Island in 2008. He was appointed Director of CPL in March 2012. Ed was a 2010 American Library Association Emerging Leader and a 2010 Library Journal Mover & Shaker. He is serving his third term as Councilor-at-Large on ALA Council and is a Director-at-Large on the Board of Directors of the Reference and Users Services Association (RUSA). Ed is a Rhode Island native of Cape Verdean descent.

Maria McCauley, Director of Libraries, City of Cambridge, Massachusetts
Maria has served as Director of Libraries for the City of Cambridge, a Sanctuary City, since August 2016. She began her library career 17 years ago at the Cambridge Public Library in Circulation and Reference Services. Before returning to Cambridge, Maria served as the Director of Libraries in Santa Monica, Director of Libraries for the City of Somerville, and held several library positions at Northeastern University. Maria received a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University, a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh  and has received her PhD from Simmons. She is an elected American Library Association (ALA) Councilor-At-Large. Her research has been published in College & Research Libraries, Library Management and Portal.

Teona Shainidze Krebs, Adult Education Division Head, Pikes Peak Library District in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Teona has many critical responsibilities, including the provision of leadership and facilitation for a multi-site adult education program for a diverse population. Among the most important programs, her Division provides comprehensive instruction for ESL (English as a Second Language), HSE (High School Equivalency preparation classes), and Career Online High school. Teona has a B.A. in foreign language (English) with special emphasis on “Theory and Methodology of Teaching Foreign languages and Cultures,” an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and an MA in Communication. She is a board member of the Colorado Adult Education Professional Association, and a corresponding member of Library Services to Multicultural Populations at IFLA. Teona was born and raised in Batumi, in the country of Georgia, and is bilingual English/ Georgian.

NASIG offers Marcia Tuttle International Grant

Established in 1985, NASIG is an independent organization working to advance and transform the management of information resources. The organization's goal is to facilitate and improve the distribution, acquisition, and long-term accessibility of information resources in all formats and business models.

The Marcia Tuttle International Grant will provide funding for an individual working in any area of the information supply chain to foster international communication and education through activities involving some aspect of information resources management such as, but not limited to: research, collaborative projects, job exchanges, and presentation of papers at conferences. Applicants may be either information resource management professionals practicing or enrolled in a Ph.D. program in library and/or information science in North American countries seeking funding for appropriate activities involving some aspect of serials taking place outside North American countries, OR information resource management professionals practicing or enrolled in a Ph.D. program in library and/or information science outside North American countries seeking funding for appropriate activities involving some aspect of the information supply chain in North American countries. The grant is named in honor of Marcia Tuttle.  Marcia Tuttle’s career was characterized by her energetic activism on behalf of library-publisher communication and fair serials pricing, and for her dedication to educating and mentoring.

The award includes a $3000 grant and a one-year free NASIG membership. NASIG will give one award per year or no award, depending upon the applications.

Applicants may fall into one of two categories:

• They may be information resource management professionals practicing or enrolled in a Ph.D. program in library and/or information science in North American countries (defined for this purpose as the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Greenland) seeking funding for appropriate activities involving some aspect of serials taking place outside North American countries; or

• They may be information resource management professionals practicing or enrolled in a Ph.D. program in library and/or information science outside North American countries seeking funding for appropriate activities involving some aspect of information resource management in North American countries.

Applicants must have at least one year of professional experience in the information supply chain.
Proposed projects must deal with some aspect of information resource management and include foreign travel. Foreign or English language skills should be adequate to project needs.
 
Applications must be received by email on or before February 9, 2018. The award recipient will be notified by March 14, 2018.

For full details of the grant, the application process, and the application form, visit the NASIG website at http://www.nasig.org/site_page.cfm?pk_association_webpage_menu=732&pk_association_webpage=1270

   

Read the December 2017 issue of International Leads

The latest issue of International Leads is now available on the International Relations Round Table website at http://www.ala.org/rt/irrt

Stories include:

• The Zongo Story Project and a children's book written by children in Ghana
• The experience of the Peace Corps Librarian and training Volunteers
• Winners of the Gretchen Walsh Book Donation Award
• The Global Literature in Libraries Initiative
• Librarians from Queens University working to transform Egyptian libraries
• International training session provided by CALA members in Beijing
• International Association of School Librarianship conference report
• Messages from the IRRT’s Chair and Chair Elect

Two new features were launched in this issue:

• International Library Profile: The Bernice Nachman Marlowe Library at the American University of Afghanistan
• International Partnership Profile: The Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg and Penn State University Libraries

Happy reading!

IRRT Mission Enhancement Grant: Call for Proposals

In 2016, IRRT members and supporters established the IRRT Endowment. Interest from this Endowment will be used to fund member-initiated proposals for international activities and initiatives which contribute to ALA’s role in international librarianship. Funding goals are to provide support for international projects or partnerships; promote a global dialogue about librarianship; increase visibility of international opportunities for U.S. and international librarians, and encourage international collaboration in librarianship.

Examples of proposals that could be considered for funding include, but are not limited to:

• Support for travel that is necessary to advance an international project or partnership*
• Funds to support Sister Library initiatives
• Funds to support the development and distribution of training or publicity materials in support of an international initiative

*In general money for travel will be applied to in-country travel (this may include lodging, transportation, etc. when an individual works on a project in another country or when an individual brings a librarian from another country to the U.S. for a project).

The amount available for grants may vary each year, and IRRT may choose to provide one or more grants from available funds. The maximum grant amount per proposal will be $1000.

Proposals must be submitted by a current IRRT member in good standing (two or more years).  Individual IRRT members may submit or support only one proposal per year. Apply using the IRRT Mission Enhancement Grant Proposal Form  (Word format). Send the completed form to the International Relations Office by e-mail at intl@ala.org. Proposals must be submitted by January 1st; they will be reviewed by the IRRT Endowment Committee at the ALA Midwinter Meeting.

Proposal Criteria:

1. The proposal must be submitted by an IRRT member in good standing.
2. The proposal must support programming or activities that advance the IRRT Mission and/or ALA’s international strategic goals.
3. The proposal must involve collaboration or engagement with librarians from more than one country.
4. In most cases, the proposal must support an activity that will be completed within one year of award date.
5. Recipients agree to send a report by then end of the year indicating:
   a.    A description of how the project was carried out
   b.    An evaluation of the project, describing successes and challenges
   c.    An accounting of how funds were spent
   d.    Photos and quotes from project participants about the project
6. Recipients agree to submit an article to IRRT’s publication, International Leads, within 3 months of completing the project.
7. Recipients agree to acknowledge the IRRT Mission Enhancement Grant on publicity, reports, and other documentation related to the project.

Funds will not be awarded to support purchase of books or materials for a specific library, for conference travel not tied to a funded initiative, or for volunteer work for an established program.

Notification process:
Individuals submitting nominations will be notified of a decision within 15 days of the ALA Midwinter Meeting. The Committee may elect to offer partial grants in response to a proposal.
Successful nominations will be announced at the International Librarians Reception on the Monday evening of the ALA Annual Conference.

Full details and the grant proposal form are available on the IRRT website.

Resources to serve immigrants and refugees: IRRT Chair's Webinar

IRRT Chair's Webinar: Resources to serve immigrants and refugees

December 5, 2017
1:00-2:00 p.m. Central Time (Chicago Time)

Join us on December 5, 2017 to learn about resources to help you serve immigrants and refugees such as Libraries Respond, Project Welcome, and Refugee Libraries. Librarians and information workers are providing programs and services that build community while enriching and saving the  lives of immigrants and refugees. The International Relations Round Table (IRRT) wants to be part of and support these efforts.

The panel of speakers includes:

Kristin Lahurd, Literacy Officer in the American Library Association’s Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS)

Libraries Respond: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/diversity/libraries-respond
Clara Chu, Director and Mortenson Distinguished Professor, Mortenson Center for International Library Programs
Project Welcome: https://publish.illinois.edu/projectwelcome/
Christian Zabriskie, Administrator, Yonkers Public Library System and Executive Director, Urban Librarians Unite
Refugee Libraries: https://refugeelibraries.org/ 

This free event does not require registration. Simply join us on December 5th at the following meeting link: http://ala.adobeconnect.com/rce57whpq7bc/

Nominations open for ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects

The International Relations Round Table (IRRT) invites you to submit a nomination for the ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects. 

The citation began as an ALA Presidential initiative of Dr. Loriene Roy, ALA president in 2007-2008 and Notable IRRT Member. Citations are awarded each year by the ALA president at the International Relations Round Table (IRRT) International Librarians Reception during the ALA Annual Conference.

Projects must be nominated by an ALA member or an individual with an IFLA affiliation. In an effort to recognize many diverse and worthy projects as possible, only one library project must be submitted by the nominator. To nominate a library project, nominators must complete the nomination form and submit it to the International Relations Office by email or regular mail. Distinct projects by an individual, group or organization may be nominated separately in the same year. However, it is unlikely that the citation will be awarded for more than one of the projects. Past recipients of the ALA Presidential Citation for International Innovation may be considered only for new innovative projects. Citations recognize innovative projects that result from the work of an individual, group or organization.

The deadline for nominations is January 1, 2018. 

Nominations are submitted to the ALA International Relations Office (email: intl@ala.org) for review by the IRRT Advisory Award Committee on the ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects.

The following criteria will be used in selecting recipients.

• the recipient will have designed and implemented a highly visible innovative library service(s) in a country outside of the United States within the last three years;
• the innovative service(s) must be unique, original and greatly improve existing library services for users;
• the service(s) should draw attention to the potential of library service/s to creating positive change;
• the service(s) must demonstrate a strong likelihood of sustainability and have potential to serve as a model for other libraries;
• the service(s) must be current, that is, it must be in operation during the year that the Citation is awarded.

For more information and to download the application, visit: http://www.ala.org/irrt/alapresintlibraryaward

Apply for the EIFL Public Library Innovation Award

The new EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries) Public Library Innovation Award for public library services that improve lives is open for applications. 

The award is open to all public and community libraries in developing and transition countries that use digital technology (ICT) to improve lives in their communities by addressing any of the following issues, which are included in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

• Economic wellbeing and employment
• Farming and sustainable agriculture
• Health and hygiene
• Digital inclusion
• Gender equality and empowerment of women and girls
• Education for all
• Climate change and other issues affecting the environment

Learn more about the award at http://bit.ly/2gfCyhx

The prize includes US$1,500 and wide publicity through EIFL’s global communication channels and networks.

The deadline for submitting applications is 11 January 2018. 

Applications will be accepted in English, French, Russian and Spanish.

IRRT Papers & Projects Committee Call for Propsals for ALA Annual Conference 2018

The American Library Association's International Relations Roundtable Papers and Projects Committee invites proposals for presentations to be made at the next ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Presentations will be delivered at the International Papers Session scheduled in June 2018. The International Papers and Projects Program provides librarians with an opportunity to exchange information about library services, collections and projects throughout the world. The program also serves to stimulate the interest of U.S. librarians in international library matters. We invite presentation proposals based on the International Papers and Projects 2018 theme: 

Libraries supporting social inclusion for refugees and immigrants 

 

UNESCO emphasizes the importance of social inclusion for international migrants and encourages cities and local governments to "ensure social rights for migrants to adequate housing, education, health and social care, welfare and decent standard of living according to basic needs such as food, energy and water.” Libraries can play an important role in helping new arrivals acclimate and thrive in a new community. 

Do you have a story to share about how your library, on its own or in collaboration with community organizations, is providing social services and support for refugees and immigrants? Do you have advice on creating successful programming to support refugees and immigrants?

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 

Proposals, presentations, and papers must be written and delivered in English, which is the working language of the program. 

  

Proposals should include: 

1. Title of the presentation 

2. Name, title, institutional affiliation, and full contact information (including a valid e-mail address) for each presenter 

3. Abstract (300-500 words) 

4. A short biographical profile of each presenter

  

Proposals should be submitted electronically (as a single Microsoft Word or PDF attachment) to the International Relations Office via email at intl@ala.org with a copy to jsolis@email.unc.edu and paromitabiswas7@gmail.com. 

Deadline for proposal submissions is December 31, 2017

  

SELECTION PROCESS 

Four proposals will be selected to present at the ALA Annual Meeting in June 2018. Notification of acceptance will be emailed by February 15, 2018. 

  

PRESENTATION FORMAT: 

The International Papers and Projects Program is 1.5 hours total. Presentations should run about 20 minutes each, followed by a question-and-answer session. Presenters are encouraged to prepare a dynamic and interactive presentation, incorporating visual prompts, technologies, games, questions for the audience, etc. PowerPoints are common, but speakers who want to read a paper or refer to it are welcome to do so. 

  

View previous presentation titles on IRRT's International Papers and Projects Committee website at http://www.ala.org/irrt/irrt-international-papers-committee. 

ISIC 2018 Call for Proposals

The planning committee invites submissions of full papers, short papers, workshops, and panels to ISIC 2018: The Information Behaviour Conference held at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, 9-11 October 2018.

ISIC conferences have a reputation for being an arena for discussing challenging work concerning people’s contextualised interactions with information of various kinds. Keynote lecturers are Professor Lisa M. Given, Swinburne University of Technology; Professor Paul Dourish, University of California, Irvine; and Dr. Sabina Cisek & Dr. Monika Krakowska, Jagiellonian University.

ISIC is an English language, multidisciplinary conference: researchers from information science, information studies, library studies, communication studies, information management, education, management science, and other disciplines contribute to the research field. A common thread is the focus on contextualised information activities, expressed in different framings such as information behaviour, information practice, information seeking, information experience and others. The ISIC conference is particularly interested in analytical rather than descriptive investigations.

Important dates
Papers, Panels and Posters submission deadline: 1 March 2018
Pre-Conference Workshop proposals should be sent by 15 January 2018 Pre-Conference Doctoral Workshop submission deadline: 1 April 2018

Registration
Early bird registration ends: 30 June 2018
Late registration ends: 7 September 2018

For information about the suggested themes of the papers, visit:
http://www.isic2018.com/paper-submission/call-for-papers.html
https://www.facebook.com/isic2018/ 
https://twitter.com/ISIC2018
or email isic2018@uj.edu.pl

New issue of Informatics Studies now available online

The latest issue of Informatics Studies has just been published. View the Table of Contents is listed below. To read articles, visit the website at http://52.205.22.215/index.php/informatics.

Value of Information Literacy Programmes
Jayapradeep M Kaimal

Information Literacy of Student Teachers of Zaria
Kayode Sunday John Dada

Transition from Closed to Open: Case of Integrated Library Automation Software in India
Gireesh Kumar T K, Sri Muruli

Web Based Information Retrieval with Special Reference to Hindi Language Search
Singh B P., Anand Kumar

Information Literacy: Contemporary Issues and Innovations
Sanjay Babu Munavalli

Influence of Mobile Phones on Reading Habits of Agricultural Engineering Students
Srikanth C

Education, Science and Culture: Shared Objectives Need Shared Effort
IFLA Netherlands

David Allan Bromley: The Early Champion of Information Super Highway and Open Access to Science
Randy Ray

Policy Statements on Data Management for Global Change Research
Bromley D Allan

Informatics Studies is a peer reviewed journal with ISSN: 2320-530X. The journal focuses on Information Infrastructures, Knowledge Management, Institutional Repositories, Digital Library/Archive, Cloud Computing Solutions for Libraries, Unicode, Multi-linguality and Interoperablity Issues, Thesauri and Ontologies, Semantics, Metadata and Retrieval, Resources Discovery Solutions, Online Resources Usability Issues, Open Access Initiatives, OAI –PMH, MARC 21, Consortia, IPR, Information Literacy, Training and education of Professionals, Performance Measurement and Metrics, Setting Service Quality Standards, etc.

Papers can be submitted up to 30^th January 2018 for publication in Informatics Studies Volume 5 Issue 2 to be published in April 2018. For more information visit http://52.205.22.215/ or e-mail informaticsstudies@gmail.com

Nominations for 2018 IRRT Elections

Dear IRRT member, 

The International Relations Round Table (IRRT) is seeking candidates to run for office in the 2018 ALA Elections for terms beginning after the 2018 Annual Conference in New Orleans. The IRRT is seeking candidates for the Vice Chair/Chair Elect, Member-at-Large, and Round Table Councilor.  

Candidates must be current members of IRRT and have served for at least one year on an IRRT Committee. Officers must be able to attend all ALA Midwinter and Annual Conferences for the durations of their commitments. All officers serve on IRRT’s Executive Board. If elected, the terms will begin immediately after ALA 2018 Annual Conference. The Vice Chair/Chair Elect serves one year as vice-chair/chair-elect, followed by one year as chair and one additional year as immediate past-chair.

Terms:

Vice Chair/Chair Elect
Serves a one year-term
In accordance to IRRT Bylaws, Vice Chair/Chair Elect appoints all standing committee members and chairs whose terms will begin during vice-chair's term as chair. Appoints new members as needed to meet the recommended number for each committee.

Round Table Councilor
Serves a one three-year term 

Member-at-Large
Serves a one two-year term

Please, contact, Laila Hussein Moustafa (LHOUSSEI@ILLINOIS.EDU), chair, IRRT Nominating Committee, if you are interested in running for one of the positions or if you would like to nominate someone.

If you wish to apply for any of the positions or nominate someone you will need to send a brief statement of your interest in the positions and your CV, to the Chair of the  Nominating Committee. 

The deadline to submit names to the committee is November 15, 2017.

Regards,  

Laila Hussein Moustafa
Assistant Professor/ Middle East and North African Studies Librarian
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign