NASIG Regional Unconference

2009 NASIG Regional Unconference: An Overview of Serials and Electronic Resources in Libraries

Date: Friday, March 20, 2009, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Cost: $25.00 for NASIG members, paraprofessionals and support staff; $50.00 for Non-members

Location: Kansas State University, Hale Library, Manhattan, KS 66506

The 2009 NASIG Regional Unconference wants YOUR input! The event will feature conversation and topics relevant to serials and electronic resources in libraries. How can organizations within the scholarly information industry improve to meet the needs of our community? We ask for your feedback to help form dialogues, panels and discussions.

The Unconference includes:

• Relevant discussions pertaining to serials and electronic resources
• Brainstorm groups set to identify applicable topics for break-out sessions
• Open scheduling for participants to attend break-out groups of their choice

Stay tuned for further announcements with program details, agenda, and other relevant information.

Norene Allen

via SERIALST

NASIG Announces the 2009 Awards Application Process

The North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG) is pleased to announce the beginning of the application cycle for its 2009 grants, awards, and scholarships to be awarded at the 2009 Annual Conference being held in Asheville, North Carolina, June 4-7, 2009. Established in 1985, NASIG is an international organization committed to promoting communication and sharing of ideas among all people working with or concerned about serial publications. More information about NASIG is available at nasig.org.


Marcia Tuttle International Award

A $3,000 grant for an individual working in the serials information chain to fund appropriate activities in fostering international communication and education. For more details, please visit the following page: http://www.nasig.org/about_awards_tuttle.cfm


Horizon Award

Awards for promising new serials professionals, covering cost of conference registration, three nights lodging, and travel within North America. Recipients will also be invited to serve on a NASIG committee.
For more details, please visit the following page:
http://www.nasig.org/about_awards_horizon.cfm


Fritz Schwartz Education Scholarship

A $3,000 scholarship and conference travel grant for a graduate student demonstrating excellence in scholarship and the potential for accomplishments in a serials career. For more details, please visit the following page: http://www.nasig.org/about_awards_schwartz.cfm


NASIG Conference Student Grant

Grants for qualifying students to attend the NASIG annual conference, covering cost of registration, three nights lodging, and travel within North America. For more details, please visit the following page:
http://www.nasig.org/about_awards_studentgrant.cfm


Serials Specialist Award

Awards for promising paraprofessionals, covering cost of conference registration, three nights lodging, and travel within North America.
For more details, please visit the following page:
http://www.nasig.org/about_awards_specialist.cfm


Rose Robischon Scholarship, underwritten by Swets Information Services

This needs-based scholarship for a serials professional will be awarded for the first time in 2009. Materials for the scholarship are currently being finalized and should be available on the NASIG website in December. Announcements will be sent out once applications are being accepted.


The application deadline for all of the above-listed awards is February 16, 2009. For details about the awards offered by NASIG, please visit http://www.nasig.org/about_awards.cfm

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“Chipping Away at Serials Processing Backlogs in Technical Services” by B. Jean Sibley

Sibley looks into issues surrounding serials cataloging and processing backlogs for both print and electronic formats in this article. She used an online survey to gather input on the topic, receiving responses from 180 libraries. Her discussion of the results covers topics including the types of items backlogged, what factors contribute to the creation of backlogs, public access, and strategies to reduce backlogs.

Sibley’s article is published in The Serials Librarian, vol. 55, no. 3 (2008), pages 444-456.

"MARC Record Services: A Comparative Study of Library Practices and Perceptions" by Rebecca Kemp

In this article, Kemp looks at MARC record services for electronic serial bibliographic records. Following a literature review and the presentation of case studies of two libraries’ implementations of MARC record services (one using Serials Solutions’ 360 MARC Updates and the other using Ex Libris MARCit!), the results of Kemp’s 2007 survey are discussed. The survey garnered 130 responses, although only 26 respondents completed the entire survey. Results presented cover issues related to separate vs. single records, challenges associated with brief records, and overall satisfaction/dissatisfaction with MARC record services.

Ms. Kemp’s article can be found in The Serials Librarian, vol. 55, no. 3 (2008), pages 379-410.

Serials Review: Call for Column Co-Editor

Serials Review is looking for a co-editor of the "Balance Point" column. The "Balance Point" has traditionally served as a forum for multiple authors who work in areas related to serials and who present different viewpoints about current issues and controversial topics related to serials.

The Balance Point co-editor is charged with editing the column for two issues of Serials Review per year. Responsibilities include determining column topics, recruiting contributors, communicating with the journal and columns editors, editing and incorporating the writing of contributors to the issue, preparing introductions, and seeing that publication deadlines are met.

The person should be linked to the serials profession, either in librarianship, publishing or some area of serials content provision.

This person should be curious about exploring issues related to serials and want to make a contribution to the literature of serials.

Though this is an unpaid volunteer position, the rewards include publication, involvement in a major scholarly/professional journal publication, and the intellectual satisfaction of contributing to the professional and scholarly discussion of serials.

Interested parties should send a description of their interests and qualifications to:

Beverley Geer, b_geer@yahoo.com or Connie Foster, connie.foster@wku.edu

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Another Call for Speakers at ALA Midwinter

The ALCTS Continuing Resources Section College and Research Libraries Interest Group (CRS C&RL IG) requests presentation proposals for our Midwinter meeting in Denver on Saturday, January 24th from 10:30am-12:00pm.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• RDA and FRBR, as they pertain to serials
• Best practices in managing budget cuts and serials cancellations
• KBART and knowledge base management
• Next generation OPACs and serial displays
• Open Access journals

Each presentation should be approximately 20 minutes. There will be time for discussion.

Please e-mail proposals by December 9th to Britta Santamauro, bsantamauro@chasemail.org

Please include in your proposal:

• Title of presentation
• Brief summary of proposed presentation
• Name(s) and position(s) of presenter(s)
• E-mail address(es) of presenter(s)

Many thanks. We hope to see you at Midwinter!

Britta Santamauro, Chair, CRS C&RL IG
Co-Director of Library Services
Chase Collegiate School
Waterbury, CT 06708
bsantamauro@chasemail.org

Rebecca Kemp, Co-Chair / Chair-elect, CRS C&RL IG
Serials Coordinator Librarian
UNC Wilmington
Wilmington, NC 28403
kempr at uncw dot edu

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Call for Speakers at ALA Midwinter

ALCTS CCS Cataloging Norms Discussion Group invites speakers for its meeting at the ALA Midwinter Conference in Denver, Saturday, January 24, 2009, from 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Presentation topics should be of current interest to catalogers, cataloging managers and administrators.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to: evolution, definition, and functions of the catalog and cataloging norms; emerging concepts and implementations of "next generation catalogs"; RDA; FRBR; cataloging in hybrid and digital libraries; changes in basic cataloging work and catalogers' responsibilities; changes in catalogers' workflows; emerging perceptions of cataloging quality; how end users' expectations and behaviors affect cataloging norms; metadata records and elements in different contexts; and the impact of web norms on cataloging norms from the perspectives of web developers and catalogers.

Presentations should be approximately 15-20 minutes in length. Time will be allowed for questions and answers. Speakers are encouraged to lead discussions.

Please send abstracts of proposals to co-chairs by December 1, 2008:

Adrienne A. Aluzzo
Metadata Librarian
Wayne State University
Work: (313) 577-6439
E-mail: bb4892@wayne.edu

Birdie MacLennan
Director, Resource Description & Access
University of Vermont
Work: (802) 656-2016
E-mail: bmaclenn@uvm.edu

We look forward to hearing from you!

via OCLC-CAT

ALCTS Awards

Do you know a librarian deserving recognition for her or his accomplishments? Consider nominating that person for one of the ALCTS Awards. There are several awards recognizing achievement in writing/publishing, innovation, personal achievement, and achievement for newer professionals.

Previous award winners all have one thing in common--someone took the time to nominate them!

The deadline for award nominations is December 1, 2008.