Announcing 2015-2016 Leadership

I happy to introduce our new Executive Committee for 2015-2016.

• Chair: Tasha McLachlan
• Co-Chair: Katherine Warde
• Secretary: Ann-Marie Begnaud
• Treasurer: Kaia Sievert 

Special thanks to Tasha, Katherine, and Ann-Marie for stepping up and taking on a leadership role with the ALASC!

2014-2015: A Year in Review

2014-2015 was an exciting year for ALASC! Here's are some of the highlights:

Volunteering at the Alphabet Forest

St. Kate MLIS Volunteers
Photo Credit: Alphabet Forest

Before the school year began, ALASC members were out and about promoting literacy by helping out at the Alphabet Forest at the Minnesota State Fair.

Helping with the Highland Park Re-Opening

In October and November, several ALASC members got to take a look behind the scenes at the work going into renovating a library. It was exciting to help the Highland Park branch of Saint Paul Public Library get ready for their big re-opening.

A Day in the Life: Panel with Recent Graduates in Non-Traditional Libraries

Our wonderful panel members (from left to right):
Andrew Crow, Margit Wilson, Kathryn Zielski,
and Amelia Snetting

At the beginning of the year, several ALASC members mentioned being interested in talking with recent alumni who had found jobs while others mentioned interest in non-traditional library positions. As a result, we co-sponsored A Day in the Life: Panel with Recent Graduates in Non-Traditional Libraries with the Special Libraries Association student chapter.

After snow postponed the fall panel, we had a great discussion in March with Andrew Crow, Knowledge Consultant Librarian at Allina Health; Amelia Snetting, Content Librarian at ShopperWorks; Margit Wilson, Assistant Librarian at the Walker Art Center; and Kathryn Zielski, Community Engagement Librarian at Third Iron.

Native People in the Information Profession Panel

In April, we worked with our faculty advisor, Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen, to help sponsor a second panel on Native People in the Information Profession. We had a wonderful set of speakers: Debbie Reese, author of American Indians in Children’s Literature; Jody Gray, Diversity Outreach Librarian and the Department of American Indian Studies liaison at the University of Minnesota Libraries; and Edwin Schenk, a current MLIS student and Library Director at North Central University. We talked about issues and challenges with Native representation in children's literature and what steps librarians can take to help, the role of librarians in serving an American Indian Studies department as well as reaching out to Native students on campus, and Native people in the information profession.

Visit from Courtney Young, ALA President

Photo Credit: Katherine Warde

Our final and biggest event of the year was bringing the 2015-2016 ALA President, Courtney Young, to campus in April. We partnered with a lot of other groups to make this possible, including the American Library Association (ALA), the MLIS department, the Student Governance Organization (SGO), and the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA).

First, Courtney was our featured speaker at the MLIS Summit, where she spoke about advocacy, diversity, and leadership as well as answered many questions from the crowd.

After the MLIS Summit, we wanted a chance to talk with Ms. Young with just students, so we all went out for Ice Cream at Izzy's and chatted about everything from getting involved in ALA to our favorite books.

Thanks to everyone who helped make 2014-2015 a great year! We're looking forward to seeing you all again this fall.

Ice Cream with Courtney Young at Izzy's

Do like ice cream? Want a chance to talk with American Library Association President Courtney Young in an informal setting?

Ms. Young will be speaking at our MLIS Summit on Monday, April 27th. The St. Kate’s ALA Student Chapter would like to invite MLIS students to a students-only event that will give you the chance to mingle with Ms. Young in a relaxed and fun setting. This meet up will take place directly after the Summit at Izzy’s Ice Cream from 8:30pm-10:00pm.

The reserved room has limited space. Please register by Wednesday, April 13th if you would like to attend. Please note that registration indicates a commitment to attend.

Also, all students will be responsible for purchasing their own ice cream. Don't forget your wallet!

ALASC Leadership Positions for 2015-2016

It's time to think about finding new leadership for the 2015-2016 school year. A student leadership position will allow you to strengthen your leadership and event planning skills, get involved in the program, and network with LIS professionals. We have two formal positions open. We hope you'll consider applying! Here's what you need to know:

Positions

Both the Chair and the Co-Chair help plan events and activities for the group during the year. In addition, each position has individual responsibilities.

Chair

You run the ALASC meetings and act as the representative and liaison with ALA headquarters. You oversee ALASC and executive committee, shaping the group for the year and moving it forward.

Co-Chair

You take over for the Chair in times when they cannot be present. You also take charge of publicizing the time for meetings using email and social media. You liaison with SGO and let them know about any business affecting ALASC.

You can find full position descriptions in the ALASC Constitution: Section 3. 

Nominations Process

We are now accepting nominations for both chair and co-chair. To nominate yourself for a position, please email Alicia AuBuchon with your name, whether you are running for Chair or Co-Chair, and 2-3 sentences on what you hope to accomplish in the position. If you'd like to nominate someone else, please send their name, email address, and which position, and then we will email them to accept or deny the nomination. Please send the nominations by Tuesday, April 21.

New Leadership and Election Schedule

• Nominations due: 4/21
• Voting opens: 4/27
• Voting ends: 5/8
• New leaders announced via email: 5/11
• New leaders and current leaders co-lead last meeting: 5/20

If you have any questions about this process, please contact Alicia AuBuchon, Kaia Sievert, or Dr. Sarah Park Dahlen.

Advocacy, Diversity & Leadership: 2015 MLIS Summit Featuring Courtney Young

Come to the 2015 MLIS Summit on April 27, 2015 from 5-8 pm in the Rauenhorst Ballroom (Coeur de Catherine, 3rd Floor).

Library advocacy is growing responsibility for libraries and library workers of all types. Courtney Young, ALA President, will be presenting "Advocacy, Diversity & Leadership" at our annual St. Catherine University MLIS Summit. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and members of the library and information science community are all invited to attend. Refreshments will be served.

This event is open to everyone, so please share with people you know may be interested.

Space is limited, so please fill out this short registration form by April 6th (deadline may be extended).

This event is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), the St. Catherine University Master of Library and Information Science Program (MLIS), the American Library Association (ALA) Student Chapter, the Student Governance Organization (SGO) and the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA).