Ruth McGuire – 6/2024
Fruitful Work
Gary Flokstra – 5/2024
May 2024
The spring season is funny in New England. We tend to have long, gray, winters that are quite dreary. Then in April, we start to see little crocuses bravely pop their heads out of the ground and hear cardinals whistling for their families and sometimes we can even have the windows open during the day to air out the house—but we can’t put away the flannel sheets because snow has happened in April before! But within one week of 50-degree weather and sunshine, the daffodils, dogwoods, and songbirds erupt into full springtime mode. It’s very sudden, and doesn’t last long, but is always worth the wait.
CILA has been in a similar pattern—there have been seeds planted and germinating and now sprouting and coming to fruition. You’ll see in this update that a new CILA team has solidified their roles, an interest group has formed for international librarians and allies, and the Global Library Investment Grant continues to support work around the world. The seasonal nature of our work has never been more evident to me, and I am grateful for the prayers of the ACL members, an active group of global librarians who are eager to connect, and the support of the Home Office in managing the unique issues that arise with the variety of inquiries we receive. I hope you are encouraged as you read a summary of our global activities.
Peace and blessings to you all,
Erin McCoy
CILA Coordinator
New! International Librarians Special Interest Group
The goal of this new interest group is to try to meet every other month on Zoom, alternating times and hosts to accommodate all the time zones represented. We will discuss the issues unique to overseas libraries as well as ways to share our expertise and resources with each other. If you have a heart for international libraries or live in a country outside the US please join our group.
Koha is a fully featured, scalable open source library management system. Development is sponsored by libraries of varying types and sizes, volunteers, and support companies worldwide. You can find several SQL reports wiki, Jquery wiki, HTML & CSS wiki, and XSLT Library wiki which as code you can copy to make improvements you can add to your installation.
Koha-US promotes the ongoing communication, collaboration, and education of Koha users in the United States and beyond, partnering with the global community and supporting organizations. They have monthly Special Interest Group meetings as well as several resources to help you learn more about Koha. Reach out to Lauren Denny if you have questions or visit the KohaUS Learn Page for more Koha tools: https://koha-us.org/learn/.
23 International Members
Commission for International Library Advancement
Available in 3 languages
Meet the CILA Team!
| Name | Team Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Danielson, Asbury Theological Seminary | Resource Promoter | reaches out to new international members who receive the International Membership Scholarship and connects them with all the benefits ACL membership and CILA provides |
| Daniel Baek, Vancouver School of Theology | Resource Developer | Primarily manages the CILA Libguide, which is currently under construction. If you have resources that would help our global members, please send them Daniel’s way! |
| Lauren Denny, Teamwork Library Consortium | ACL Member Liaison | Primarily the author of the bi-annual CILA updates and convener of the new International Librarian’s Interest Group |
| Gary Flokstra, 4 the World Resource Distributors | Grant Developer | Assists with managing grant paperwork, applications, and assessment of projects |
| Erin McCoy, Massasoit Community College | CILA Coordinator | Manages CILA’s team goals, keeps the team on track with deadlines, and investigates new opportunities for overseas involvement. |
There will be another volunteer opportunity with the CILA Team posted soon. Be on the lookout for information!
2023 Global Library Investment Grant Recipients
- Saint Andrew’s Theological Seminary – Charlotte S. Tad-awan
Quezon City, Philippines
Technology support: Upgrading of Library Management System to Cloud-Based - Institute of Bible and Theology – Le Hoang Anh Vu and Tran Thanh Trang
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Library Training Workshop (pictured below) Note: This is the first-ever theological library training workshop in Vietnam, and it will help the development of theological education in the country immensely. Facilitated by ACL member Katherina Penner. - Mortenson Center for International Library Programs (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) – Peggy Nzomo
Matching grant for international librarians to attend a unique professional development opportunity offered through the center.
When the Hits Keep Coming
I was driving to work the other day, thinking about all of the trials I’ve been through in the last 4 years. It’s been a very difficult season of life. Just as the thought, “How did I get here? How am I still standing?” went through my mind, Cory Asbury’s Song “Egypt” came on the radio. As I listened to this familiar song, God gently reminded me of who is in control. We know that we face troubles in this world.
Ania Fournier – 4/2024
Life Fails, God Doesn’t
Life can take unexpected twists and turns. We work hard only to be led away from work we enjoy and love. Our family life does not come to the fruition we expect. Friendships waver; a relationship to a church we love dissipates; we grieve those we have lost in this life. It can feel as if we are drowning in the problems of this world. Our hope, though, is in the trust we can place in Jesus. We can trust that when the mountains seem tall or the journey long that He can and will direct our steps.
Lowell Walters – 3/2024
Insightful Workshops & Presentations Tailored for Librarians
We are excited about the schedule of workshops for this year’s annual conference. The line-up is wide-ranging and strong. We are pleased to offer 20 in-person workshops and 8 virtual workshops. (All virtual content is available for viewing through September 26, 2024. )
The conference planning team has chosen presentations covering a variety of library topics, including:
- Faith Integration
- Library Spaces & Makerspaces
- Leadership & Management
- Open Education
- Services, including Reference, Cataloging, Archives, & Systems
Check out the Speakers page to meet this year’s presenters and read workshop descriptions. Notice the presentation tracks too. There’s something for everyone!
We hope you are as excited as we are about the 2024 Conference and these great presentations. Be sure to register soon (early bird registration ends March 19th). Remember to invite a colleague! And, we eagerly anticipate all who can come and join us in embodying ‘The Great ACL Get Together’ theme, as we connect people and ideas for a transformative learning experience.
Hope to see you there!
Ruth McGuire
Ruth is the ACL Conference Presentations Coordinator as well as the Host Librarian for the 2024 ACL Annual Conference. She is the Director of Library Services at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul and has been an ACL member since 1999.
Miriam Liethen
Miriam joined the ACL Conference Coordinating Team this year as the Assistant Presentations Coordinator. She is the Electronic Services Librarian at Grace College & Theological Seminary and has been an ACL member since 2020.
ACL-Pro Plenary Workshop Spotlight
One way that ACL prioritizes continuous learning and professional development for its members is through ACL-Pro Plenary Workshops during the Annual Conference. The workshops are included in the conference registration and offer CEUs.* Whether you need the CEUs or not, I think you’ll find these sessions practical and relevant.
Do you provide instruction to your students or library users—both in person and/or online? Looking for guidance on how to improve the efficacy of your teaching? Join us for “Creating Transformative Instructional Design Experiences for Learning” on Tuesday, June 11. This workshop will be led by UNW Education Professors Annalisa Buerke and Jonell Pacyga. You’ll glean insights into how to apply teaching principles and use technology tools to craft successful instructional sessions.
What about questions regarding AI and ChatGPT? Since ChatGPT was released, discussions about its proper usage and what it even is have been circulating in every arena. Join us for “Librarianship in an AI Era: Mindsets and Tools to Wisely Utilize the Potential of Artificial Intelligence,” on Wednesday, June 12. This workshop will be presented by our very own UNW Professor and Research & Instruction Librarian Jessica Moore and Adjunct Faculty and Instructional Designer Adam Minnie. You’ll want to attend this workshop to learn more about AI and its intersection with the library and how you can approach this emerging technology at your own institution.
I hope you’ll take advantage of these opportunities to earn CEUs and learn together with us at this year’s Annual ACL Conference.
*Earning CEUs is a proactive step librarians can take to remain effective and valuable contributors. Attendees simply complete a survey, and the CEU credits are recorded in their membership record with a certificate emailed to them.
Please make note of these important deadlines related to conference:
March 15 – Deadline to nominate colleagues for the Emily Russel or Lifetime Service Awards
March 15 – Deadline for international ACL members to apply for the Spidell Conference Scholarship
March 19 – Early Bird Registration Deadline
March 31 – Deadline to apply for the President’s Conference Scholarship
April 9 – Deadline to submit a poster session application
Hope to see you here in June!
Becky Halberg
Becky is the Library Web Coordinator at the University of Northwestern and serves on the 2024 ACL Conference Host Team. She has been an ACL member since 2022.