C&RL News May 2010 230 N e w s f r o m t h e F i e l dDavid Free Labor college history online The newsletter of Commonwealth College, a controversial labor college that operated from 1924 to 1940 near Mena, Arkansas, is now available on the University of Arkansas Libraries’ Special Collections Department Web site. Commonwealth College was one of the nation’s most famous and longest lived experiments in cooperative living and labor education. Labor colleges, an out- growth of the noncommunist reformist la- bor movement, flourished in the 1920s and 1930s, an era rich in education- al experi- mentation. S o c i a l - ists Kate R i c h a r d s O ’ H a r e , F r a n k O ’ H a r e , and Wil- liam E. Z e u c h f o u n d e d Common- wealth in 1923 near Leesville, Louisiana. The college moved to Arkansas in 1924. “Commoners,” as students and staff were known, carved a campus and farm out of the wilderness 13 miles west of Mena near the Oklahoma border. The newsletter, titled Commonwealth Fortnightly, documents the school’s social activities, curriculum information, lectures, plays, cooperative living projects, and com- munity relations efforts, along with satiri- cal pieces, labor union news, letters from prominent supporters (including Eugene V. Debs), and commentaries on social is- sues and current events. Digitization of the Commonwealth Fortnightly was made possible by University of Arkansas Depart- ment of Communication Professor Stephen A. Smith. The Walter B. Reuther Library at Wayne State University and the Annen- berg Rare Book and Manuscript Library at the University of Pennsylvania provided assistance to the project. The newsletter is freely available online at libinfo.uark. edu/specialcollections/commonwealth /fortnightly.asp. 2010 ACRL Legislative Agenda Each year, the ACRL Government Relations Committee, in consultation with the ACRL Board of Directors and staff, formulates an ACRL Legislative A g e n d a . D r a f t e d with in- put from the ACRL S c h o l a r l y C o m m u - n i c a t i o n s and Copy- right Com- m i t t e e s , along with additional c o m m i t - tees, ACRL l e a d - ers, and the ALA Washington Office, the legislative agenda is prioritized and includes objectives for legis- lative action at the national level on issues that may affect the welfare of academic and research libraries. The ACRL Board of Di- rectors recently approved the 2010 ACRL Legislative Agenda in time for Library Ad- vocacy Day on June 29 in Washington, D.C. The 2010 ACRL Legislative Agenda fo- cuses on eight priorities, including public access to federally funded research, Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, network neutrality, government information, orphan works, fair use and anti circumvention, lead in books, and supporting school librarians. The com- plete legislative agenda is available online at www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues /washingtonwatch/10agenda.cfm. Student group at Commonwealth College, March 1925. may10a.indd 230 4/22/2010 12:10:37 PM May 2010 231 C&RL News ACRL 2011 registration to open mid-May, keynote speakers announced In today’s fast-paced and changing world, keeping current is more essential than ever. Access cutting-edge information, discover new ideas, and engage in conversations with academic and research librarians from around the world at ACRL 2011. You can’t afford to miss it! Registration and housing materials will be available in mid-May at www.acrl.org/acrl /nationalconference. Register by February 4, 2011, to take advantage of discounted early-bird registration fees and save more than 20%! Group discounts are available for institutions that register ten or more employees. Save up to an additional 20% off conference registration fees. Be challenged and entertained by ACRL’s three keynote distinguished speakers, who double as activists, authors, fi lmmakers, and television personalities. Opening keynote speaker Tiffany Shlain (Wednesday, March 30, 2011) is an award-winning filmmaker, art- i s t , I n t e r n e t pioneer, and ac- tivist. Founder of The Webby Awards and co- founder of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, she was honored by Newsweek as one of the “Women Shap- ing the 21st Century.” Her fi lms have been selected at more than 100 fi lm festivals, including Sundance, Tribeca, and Rotterdam, and have won 20 awards including Audience and Grand Jury Prizes. Shlain’s fi lms are a fusion of documenta- ry and narrative and known for their whim- sical yet provocative approach unraveling complicated subjects like politics, cultural identity, technology, and science. Shlain is currently working on a feature-length fi lm and Internet project, “Connected: A Declaration of Interdependence,” set for completion in winter 2010. Activist and academic Raj Patel (Friday, April 1, 2011) is an authority on the world economic system and the international food crisis. Patel brings the idea of inter- dependence to his writings about sustain- ability, the food crisis, and democracy. He is an award-winning author of fi ve books including Voices of the Poor: Can Anyone Hear Us?, Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System, and his 2010 New York Times bestseller, The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefi ne Democracy. He has written more than a dozen ar- ticles, all of which are open access and freely available on his Web site, rajpatel.org, along with a link to his blog and several thought- provoking videos. What happens when a renowned fash- ion expert with an international following comes to ACRL? Find out when Clinton Kelly, cohost of TLC’s “What Not to Wear,” deliv- ers the closing keynote at ACRL 2011 on Saturday, April 2, 2011. A renowned fash- ion expert and author who specializes in helping individuals achieve personal and professional transformations, Kelly will dis- cuss why we are often averse to change and how to turn this fear into positive action. Kelly achieved his own transformation to television stardom from the world of fash- ion journalism where he worked for such publications as Marie Claire, Mademoiselle, and DNR. You’ll want to be there when Kelly delivers the closing keynote address and sends thousands of academic and research librarians home with inspiration and ideas for a better self and a better library. Just don’t expect $5,000 for a new wardrobe. Visit the offi cial conference Web site (www.acrl.org/acrl/nationalconference) for complete information on ACRL 2011. may10a.indd 231 4/22/2010 12:10:38 PM C&RL News May 2010 232 ALA Library Support Sta� Certi� cation Program In January 2010, ALA began accepting ap- plications from library support staff (LSS) for the Library Support Staff Certifi cation (LSSC) Program. This national, voluntary certifi cate program is the culmination of decades of surveys, focus groups, research, pilot programs, and requests. Many of the 160,000 LSS workers in U.S. libraries share a desire to gain recognition of an LSS career and have a widely acknowl- edged career path. These aspirations may hold true even on campuses with defi ned promotional structures. Candidate Kareen Turner, who works in an academic library in Arkansas, was one of the fi rst to enroll in the program citing, “personal satisfaction” as the reason, and saying, “I want to be able to explain to other staff members here and in state that this is a wonderful career and you receive personal recognition.” All supervisors want their staff to in- crease their skills and knowledge. The LSSC Program offers a way in which to do so. The certifi cation process provides a holistic learning experience, as candidates discover new ways to think about the work they do and see the value of their work to libraries through portfolio creation or completing courses in six of ten competency areas. Required are Foundations of Library Ser- vices, Communication and Teamwork, and Technology. Electives are Access Services, Adult Readers’ Advisory Services, Cataloging and Classifi cation, Collection Management, Reference and Information Services, Super- vision and Management, and Youth Services. You may be surprised by the reasons the more than 80 LSS have already become candidates. Our surveys showed that the most commonly selected reasons (in order) were learning, achieving recognition, and providing better service. All candidates have a high school diploma or GED, but more than half have an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree. Candidates work in every area of the library. To receive the certifi cation, candidates must complete online portfolios or courses (most are online). Candidate Molly Moore says, “On a personal level I am interested in increasing my skills and expertise in library operations. In Serials we are in close contact with subject specialists for adding and with- drawing materials, making the Collection Management elective ideal for me.” LSS may apply to the LSSC Program at any time and have four years to complete the program. The application fee is $350. Course fees are additional and determined by the providers, which include Library Technical Assistant Programs, state libraries, and ALA divisions. Portfolio submissions require no fees. Candidates may complete the com- petency sets through only portfolios, only courses, or any combination thereof. Managers can help candidates in many ways. With reduced budgets, employers might fi nd it diffi cult to fi nancially support candidates. However, some employers can partially assist with registration or course fees. Employers can also allow time off for candi- dates to complete portfolios and courses, and provide feedback to candidates on portfolios and assignments. Employers can increase morale by recognizing the candidate upon enrollment and after the candidate success- fully completes a competency set. These investments may show a quick return if you have staff like Lisa Fife of Loui- siana who says, “I expect my studies in the LSSC Program will positively impact my job performance. I hope to offer new and inno- vative ideas to other departments within the academic library, as well as to the Cataloging department where I work.” LSS who choose to be a part of the pro- gram want to provide better service, learn more about their work, and how the library operates. Some want more responsibility and a few want mobility. Most simply “believe that an LSSC would fi nally legitimize and accredit the vital contributions made by support staff,” like Lisa Shoup, an academic LSS in California. To learn more or schedule a Webinar about the program, please contact ALA- APA at (800) 545-2433, x2424 or visit the LSSC Program Web site at www.ala-apa.org /lssc.—Jenifer Grady, director, ALA-APA, jgrady@ala.org may10a.indd 232 4/22/2010 12:10:39 PM May 2010 233 C&RL News EBSCO acquires NetLibrary OCLC and EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) have signed an agreement for EBSCO to purchase the assets of the OCLC NetLibrary Division and the rights to license a select number of vendor-owned databases currently available through the OCLC FirstSearch service, in- cluding the NetLibrary eBook and eAudio- book platform. NetLibrary eBook content and eAudiobook subscriptions will continue to be available on the NetLibrary platform. EBSCO plans to provide access to the NetLi- brary eBook content on the EBSCOhost platform. NetLibrary eBooks will also con- tinue to be discoverable through WorldCat. org. A FAQ for customer and member sup- port, ordering, billing, and service transi- tion is available at www.oclc.org/firstsearch /content/questions/. NCSU Libraries appoints 2010-2012 fellows The North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries recently announced the appoint- ment of the NCSU Libraries Fellows for 2010 - 2012: Brian Norberg and Adam Rogers, effec- tive July 1, 2010, and L. Hill Taylor, effective August 2, 2010. The program develops future leaders for academic libraries, with a focus on science, engineering, and digital librari- anship, on diversity, and on library manage- ment. NCSU Libraries Fellows are appointed for a two-year term as members of the library faculty, combining a project assignment on an initiative of strategic importance with a half-time appointment in a home department. BCR, LYRASIS to merge BCR and LYRASIS have announced a collab- orative agreement to transition BCR members to LYRASIS membership in the fall of 2010. The agreement will allow members of both BCR and LYRASIS to purchase products and services offered by either organization. The provisions of the agreement will enable BCR members to experience a seamless transition with immediate access to LYRASIS training classes and the ability to purchase electronic resources at discounted rates. Current BCR members will become members of LYRASIS effective October 1, 2010. In order to ensure continuity of service for BCR members, LYRASIS is adding some BCR employees to its staff and will maintain a re- gional office in Denver to facilitate operations on a long-term basis. BCR will phase out its operations by the end of December 2010. More information on BCR is available at www.BCR. org and LYRASIS is online at www.lyrasis.org. IMLS on Twitter The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now on Twitter. The IMLS Twitter feed pro- vides information on grant announcements, best practices, and other time-sensitive infor- mation. Follow IMLS at www.Twitter.com/ US_IMLS. Links to additional IMLS social me- dia resources, including UpNext: The Future of Museums and Libraries Wiki, a podcast, and RSS feeds, are available at www.imls.gov /news/web20.shtm. New publications from ACRL IS The ACRL Instruction Section’s Research and Scholarship Committee has issued three new publications, “A Bibliography of Research Methods Texts,” “5 Things You Should Read about . . . Gaming and Learning,” and “Se- lected List of Pedagogical Journals in Fields Outside of LIS.” The publications were collaboratively authored by 2008-2009 Com- mittee members Jaquelina Alvarez, Caroline Barratt, Roxanne Bogucka, Christopher Cox, Amy Deuink, Catherine Johnson, Larissa Gor- don, and Ramona Islam. “The Bibliography of Research Methods Texts” includes nearly 30 new reviews writ- ten by committee members. Many entries also include citations to other published reviews. The bibliography includes several entries for introductory research textbooks for the begin- ner and books on specific research methods, such as quantitative analysis and focus groups. “5 Things You Should Read about . . . Gaming and Learning” presents readings that illustrate some of the issues and challenges of incorporating gaming into education, highlights good learning principles, and discusses com- mercial, modified, and custom-designed games. The recently updated “Selected List of Pedagogi- cal Journals in Fields Outside of LIS” provides titles from nonlibrary academic fields that focus on instructional strategies within higher educa- tion disciplines, organized by broad category. All three publications can be accessed from the committee Web site at www.acrl. org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/about/sections/is /committees/research.cfm. may10a.indd 233 4/22/2010 12:10:39 PM