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.