iSchool GSAC’s November 2019 Newsletter

The iSchool GSAC’s
November 2019 Newsletter

Volume 6, Issue 3

Greetings from the Graduate
Student Advisory Council (GSAC)

I hope you are all having a good fall semester so far. I cannot believe we have just about a month left! GSAC will be holding our next meeting on Monday 11/18/19 at 6:00pm. Please e-mail Mallory to RSVP and receive the Zoom link for the online meeting. We would love to meet more of the iSchool students (at least virtually). This will be our last regular meeting for Fall semester as our December meeting will be elections of new officers for 2020. That being said, if anyone is interested in running for a position in GSAC please fill out this Google Form to be added to the ballot. As always, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.

Haley Shaw
President, Graduate Student Advisory Council

For more information or opportunities to serve with GSAC, please contact Haley Shaw at hshaw9@kent.edu

Calendar of Upcoming Events


ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits Early Registration Deadline
Early registration ends November 15th, at 12:00PM CST
ALA Midwinter will be held in Philadelphia January 24th-28th, 2020. Be sure to register early! For more information, visit https://2020.alamidwinter.org/.

ALA Student Chapter Columbus Zoo Library Tour
Saturday, November 16th, 10:00AM-12:00PM, Powell, OH
The ALA Student Chapter is hosting a tour of the Columbus Zoo Library! This tour is open to current student and alumni members. Interested in attending? Please email Chapter President Raychelle Steele at rsteele7@kent.edu to register. See Facebook event for more details: https://www.facebook.com/events/2800386003314082/.

GSAC November General Meeting
Monday, November 18th, 6:00PM EST, online via Zoom
Join us for our general meeting, open to all current iSchool students! We will be discussing the GSAC blog, upcoming events, and plans for resources for students. If you are interested in attending or have questions or concerns, please email GSAC President Haley Shaw at hshaw9@kent.edu or VP of Communications Mallory McCorkhill at mmccork1@kent.edu to receive a Zoom invitation.

ALA Student Chapter November Meeting
Details TBA via email, online via Zoom
Keep an eye on your inbox for details about the upcoming ALA Student Chapter meeting, held virtually.

GSAC Holiday Card Exchange
Month of December, details TBA
Want to add a little holiday cheer to a fellow iSchool student’s life next month? GSAC will be coordinating a card exchange. Watch for details about this event in the next few weeks!

NEO-RLS
Throughout the months of November and December
Visit the Northeast Ohio Regional Library System’s online CE Calendar for upcoming workshops and webinars. Current students can contact them about activating a Gold student membership!

Reinberger Children’s Library Center Mock Caldecott Night
Monday, January 13th, 2020, 5:45PM-9:00PM, 3rd Floor Library
The Reinberger is holding its Sixth Annual Mock Caldecott Night in January! Be sure to register early and send in your pick to win by January 10th. Details can be found at https://www.kent.edu/iSchool/upcoming-events.

Discussion on Professional Organizations and Advocacy

On Monday, November 4th, GSAC, current students, and an iSchool alumna, Erin Fleak, met to discuss the role of professional organizations and advocacy. A Special Libraries Association Committee has identified issues of how professional organizations are trying to stay relevant in the face of changes in the profession, and how best to support the development of relevant skills and networks.

As a group, we discussed our membership in and experiences with professional organizations. We touched upon how professionals must advocate for themselves in the workplace for issues such as funding for conference attendance and professional organization membership. GSAC is working with Ms. Fleak to bring about a follow-up discussion. More broadly, we plan to discuss the value of the profession and the ways it is changing as the information landscape evolves. Please stay tuned for more information!

Connect with Us

There are many different ways to connect with the iSchool and fellow students at Kent State:

Follow the iSchool on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
Subscribe to the iSchool’s listServ
Join the iSchool Student Open Discussion Facebook group
Follow the ALA Student Chapter on Facebook, Instagram, and their blog
Follow the Reinberger Children’s Library Center and look at their Pinterest
Follow the MuseLab on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and their website
Visit the iSchool Alumni Network Facebook group

ALA Student Chapter Update

On October 25th, the ALA Student Chapter toured Westerville Public Library. Another tour is upcoming on November 16th at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Library. Don’t miss out on the chance to meet up with fellow members! See the ALA Student Chapter Facebook event page for more details.

Keep an eye out for an email announcing the November meeting!

Membership in ALA Student Chapter at Kent State is free! Join via https://alastudentchapterksu.wordpress.com/join/, and don’t forget to check the calendar for upcoming events!
 

For more information contact Chapter President Raychelle Steele at rsteele7@kent.edu

Joint ALA/OLC Membership Opportunity

As an iSchool student, you can join both ALA and OLC for only $42 at https://www.ala.org/cfapps/jntapp/index.cfm?urlcode=ST-OH. See what professional organizations have to offer and take advantage of professional development opportunites! If you are not an Ohio resident, find out more about the joint ALA/state library memberships by visiting http://www.ala.org/aboutala/joint-membership-program.

News from the Reinberger Children’s Library Center & Marantz Picturebook Collection

Hands-On Cataloging Event
On Thursday, November 7th, the Reinberger Children’s Library Center held a hands-on cataloging event. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about cataloging in different environments, including special collections, academic, public, and school libraries.
 
Attendees were able to get some hands-on experience with different cataloging systems.

There is always something to do at the Reinberger!
Explore opportunities to serve as a volunteer at the Reinberger! Contact Director Michelle Baldini at mbaldini@kent.edu. Not in the Kent area?  Visit the Reinberger virtually at https://poly.google.com/view/523vprdEOhR. Gain writing experience by submitting your book reviews to be published on the Reinberger’s blog using this form. The Reinberger’s next Annual Mock Caldecott will take place in January, 2020. Be sure to check Pinterest for their potential picks!
 
Contact Michelle Baldini, Director of the Reinberger Children’s Library Center, at mbaldini@kent.edu for more information about the Reinberger and Marantz collections.

Interested in serving with GSAC?

GSAC is holding its general election in December. If you are interested in gaining leadership experience and becoming invovled with a student organizations, please fill out this form:
GSAC Officer Nomination Form
If you are unsure about a position or want to learn more about what GSAC does, be sure to attend our November meeting, or reach out to us via email!

2020 iSchool Alumni Network News

The work of supporting and connecting iSchool alumni will continue in 2020 under new leadership and with two new board members! Joining the board will be Jessica Fijalkovich and JoAnna Schofield. 

Jessica was graduated from Kent State University’s MLIS program in August 2017 with specializations in Museum Studies and Special Collections Librarianship. She currently works at the Akron Art Museum as the Library, Archives, and Experience Program Manager. 

JoAnna was graduated from Kent in 2012. During her career, she has worked at Akron-Summit County Public Library, The Cuyahoga County Public Library, and now works as Branch Manager of the Dehoff Memorial Branch of the Stark County District Library. She is very involved with the American Library Association, Association for Library Services to Children, and Reference and User Services Association. 

The 2020 Network Board will include: 

  • Greg Stall, President (grstall@gmail.com) 
  • Susan Yutzey, Vice President/President Elect (syutzey@columbus.rr.com) 
  • Emmalee Coontz (ec27_kat@yahoo.com) 
  • Alexandra Bell (bell.alexandra.s@gmail.com) 
  • Ugoma Gilbert (Ugilbert@kent.edu) 
  • Jessica Fijalkovich (jfijalkovich@akronartmuseum.org) 
  • JoAnna Schofield (jschofield@starklibrary.org) 
The Alumni Network has lots of plans for 2020 – and they all involve your participation. Are you interested in becoming a mentor to a new librarian? Would you like to be involved in helping to select school award winners? Would you be willing to be interviewed to share your professional story? Contact any member of the board listed above and plan to become an active part of this network in 2020. Also, be sure to visit and “Like” the Network Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/KSUiSchoolAlumniNetwork/ and use it to share your career news, questions, and achievements!

We’d love your input.

Received a recent recognition, scholarship, or award? Know of job opportunities, upcoming events, or want to share a professional experience or advice? GSAC’s website, https://s40949.p1561.sites.pressdns.com/, is currently seeking contributions. Share them with us and gain writing experience! Content ideas include:

  • Conference and professional development write-ups
  • Advice or tips for iSchool Students
  • Scholarship, grant, and funding opportunities
  • Graduate research opportunities
  • Professional experience/activities write-ups
  • Alumni/ae news
  • Student, Faculty, and Staff Spotlights
Contact Mallory McCorkhill at mmccork1@kent.edu with contributions or for further information.
Produced by the Graduate Student Advisory Council
Newsletter template design by MailChimp
November 2019