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CSL
scholarships make Ohio conference possible for 22
California rural library representatives
California
State Library's Carla
Lehn with rural library representatives, Ken
Davenport (L), consultant for the Northeast Iowa
Library Service area, and immediate past president
of ARSL, and Jim Malzewski (R), Rural
Sustainability Project manager for WebJunction/OCLC.
[Photo courtesy ARSL]
The
California State Library (CSL) provided
scholarships to 22 California rural library
representatives to attend the annual Association
for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL)
convention in Columbus, Ohio September 27-29,
2007. The CSL’s Rural Library Initiative, funded
by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)
funds, supported the scholarships. In Ohio, a
total of 177 participants from 28 states, Canada,
and the Philippines joined to discuss challenges,
strategies, and opportunities for the future of
libraries in rural communities. Jon Torkelson and
Carla Lehn of the California State Library also
attended and participated in convention
programming.
The
ARSL conference, which covered issues affecting
rural and small libraries and their staff and
trustees, featured 2007 Librarian of the Year Mary
Baykan describing Maryland’s process of using
data and statistics to win support for library
initiatives and funding, and Sirsi/Dynix Vice
President of Innovation Stephen Abram speaking on
rural libraries responding to changing technology
and new generations of library users. Conference
session topics included What it takes to be the
“Best Small Library in America” hosted by
Rebecca Miller, executive editor of Library
Journal, and Herb Landau, director of Mt. Joy
Pennsylvania’s Milanof-Schock Public Library,
winner of the 2006 Best Small Library award; and, You
can do it! Practical techniques for supporting
public computing, featuring Barbara Gersh,
Project Manager for MaintainIT, TechSoup.org in
San Francisco, and Margaret Miles, County
Librarian of Plumas County.
California
“talk tables” and “poster session” at ARSL
The
ARSL conference offered discussion groups, talk
tables, and poster sessions designed to encourage
best practices sharing.
At
their “talk tables,” California’s library
representatives introduced attendees to innovative
library programming in rural California. Ronda
Wittenburg of the Humboldt County Library hosted
the “Children’s Author Festivals” table and
told visitors how national authors participate in
Humboldt’s librarian-produced biennial festival.
Constance Corcoran of the Tuolumne County Library,
at her “Tech-Know
Rodeo” table, explained how Tuolumne’s
all-day exposition, planned by library staff and
local educators, presents newer information
technologies to people over 40. Adrienne Haylor of
the Colusa County Free Library, at Colusa’s
“Get Your Feet Wet with Stonyford” table,
shared how community volunteers spontaneously
rallied to save their library after a freeze and
flood.
California’s
“poster session” featured Brenda Crotts of
Butte County Library explaining “Books by Mail” and “Book Club in a Box.” Crotts
showed how Butte’s programs not only enable
citizens to receive materials through the mail,
but also allow libraries or community groups to
host book discussion groups through materials they
receive in user-friendly packages.
Scholarship
recipients will be serving on the host committee
for the ARSL 2008 Conference in Sacramento, the
first time this national conference will be held
in California. For more information about the
California State Library’s Rural Initiative,
please contact Jon Torkelson at (916) 651-3037, or
email at jtorkelson@library.ca.gov,
or Carla Lehn at (916) 653-7743, or email at clehn@library.ca.gov.
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