Summer Is a Time for Rest and Rejuvenation!
Rosalind Dennis, GLMA President

Did you attend the GLMA Summer Institute, where you had opportunities to meet and network with Library Media Specialists (LMSs) from districts around the state?

Did you attend NECC, ALA, or the Affiliate Assembly meetings, where you learned about resources and programs to assist you in your school library media practice?

Did you recently return from a fabulous cruise or your dream trip to Paris, rejuvenated and ready to create an awesome library display with the artifacts acquired while on vacation?

Did you spend the last few weeks staying up to the wee hours reading just one more chapter in a book that was on your “Must Read” list?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, I have no doubt that you have had a wonderful summer, doing exactly what you have wanted to do, when you wanted to do it. You probably feel rejuvenated and ready to begin another school year.

I, too, feel rejuvenated and ready for the 2007-2008 school year. I had the opportunity to attend the Affiliate Assembly (AA) of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the American Library Association (ALA) Conference, in Washington D.C. Below are highlights of these professional meetings.

AASL Affiliate Assembly

Established in 1977 at the Annual American Library Association Conference in Detroit, the Affiliate Assembly celebrated its 30th Anniversary during the assembly meetings. The mission remains the same today as it was in 1977, to be a conduit of communication between the AASL Board of Directors and the state affiliates. The Affiliate Assembly is organized much like the Senate of the United States, with two voting delegates from each affiliate (state) organization having governance status. Dr. Sherry Grove, GLMA President-elect, and I served as your delegates to the Affiliate Assembly, which met prior to the opening of the American Library Association Conference, on June 22, at the Washington Convention Center, and on June 24, at the Renaissance Hotel.

• During Affiliate Assembly Meeting I, attendees met in small groups to edit and refine concerns presented by regions. Also, nominations were accepted for the office of Recording Secretary. The Nominating Committee submitted a list of qualified candidates for the office of Chair-Elect prior to the assembly meeting.
  
• Affiliate Assembly II focused on communication: Regional caucuses, announcements, speeches and elections of Chair-Elect and Secretary, final discussion and voting on commendations and concerns, and a program spotlight.

AASL President, Cyndi Phillip, and AASL President-elect, Sara Kelly Johns, addressed the assembly. Cyndi’s comments centered on upcoming AASL events and initiatives, including the Emerging Leaders program. AASL sponsored two Emerging Leaders (EL) in the ALA program. These emerging leaders have become welcome additions to AASL committees and task forces. Since ALA has announced that the program will continue with Round 2, AASL looks forward to supporting the project in the future. To participate in the program, emerging leader candidates must be new to the field, and have received their degree within the past five years. GLMA members who qualify are encouraged to apply. Also, the official presentation and release of the Information Literacy Skills (21st Century Library Learning Standards – working title) will occur during AASL in Reno. Cyndi referenced the 2007 AASL Annual Report to the Membership and asked affiliates to read the document for a detailed report of initiatives, accomplishments, and committee restructuring. This document will be available at GaCOMO for review.

President-elect, Sara Johns, asked members to visit the Web site for professional learning committees. Sara encouraged members to review the volunteer committee form and the AASL committee restructuring format, then complete and submit the form.

The election of officers was conducted. Jay Bansbach was elected Chair-Elect July 2006; therefore, he will serve as Chair for 2007-2008. The Chair, along with the successful candidates (Karen Lowe, Chair-Elect; Leslie Forsman, Secretary) assumed their office at the conclusion of Affiliate Assembly II.

Concerns and commendations were presented and voted on. Five of the six concerns passed.
(1. Develop an updated position statement related to the role of the LMS as it relates to reading; 2. Create online toolkits to use when enlisting support from parent and community groups to advocate for school library programs; 3. Promote diversity in the workplace by creating a public relations campaign using multiple formats–My Space, PSA, You tube, etc.; 4. Create a task force to recommend the portal structure and categories for posting, retrieving, and sharing of resources by AASL member organizations with member only access and limited preview ability to non-members; and 5. Invite AASL and ISTE to form a joint committee to develop a document correlating both organizations’ standards.)

A spotlight on Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a public/private partnership, was presented by Julie Walker, Executive Director of AASL. “Partnership for 21st Century Skills” is a national coalition working to advance 21st century educational skills. “The partnership is the leading advocacy organization, bringing together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to encourage schools, districts and states to advocate for the infusion of 21st century skills, tools and resources to facilitate and drive change.”

Regional workgroups spent the last session of the meeting in caucus discussing issues, state concerns, and priorities.

ALA Conference

The total attendance at the 2007 Annual Conference was 28,365, exceeding the attendance record previously set in 2005 in Chicago. General session highlights included the following speakers and events.

• During the opening session, former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley presented the keynote address stating, “Our country and its government are not great because of the “can’t do” attitude. Instead, as we face the truth the answers become self-evident. We develop the “ethic of connectedness” by exhibiting collective caring and individual action.”
  
  
• During the ALA President’s Program, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., delivered a fiery indictment of the Bush administration’s environmental record and the lack of a strong critical press resulting in an uninformed public.
  
  
• Ken Burns, well-known documentary filmmaker, opened the Auditorium Speaker Series with a discussion of his latest project, a documentary about World War II. Burns shared with the audience the focus of his projects, which attempt to capture the voices of regular Americans, not just the “Great Men.”
  
  
• Renowned entertainer and author, Julie Andrews, treated her audience to a 15-minute montage of film clips spanning the career of this icon. The author expressed her deep appreciation at being selected as the chair for National Library Week 2008.
  
  
• Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and President of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), asked librarians to think long and hard about making the library a safe-haven and welcoming place for children. The CDF has laid out a vision for the United States, to be achieved by 2015, that included an emphasis on ending child poverty in America.
  
  
• Building on the volunteer efforts in New Orleans last summer, over 200 attendees rose early on the mornings of June 22 and June 26, put on their blue T-shirts, and spread across the city to help libraries, build houses, refurbish parks, and feed the hungry to put into action the theme, “Libraries Build Communities.”
  
  
• Over 5,000 conference participants attended the screening of The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians Through Film, at the Washington Convention Center. The film, written and directed by Ann Seidl, features author Ray Bradbury and Katharine Hepburn’s youngest sister, as well as a broad range of librarians from around the U.S., providing a comprehensive look at who librarians are and how they provide the many services in the nation’s libraries. Seidl plans to distribute the film later this year. Details are available at http://www.hollywoodlibrarian.com/
  
  
• On Tuesday, June 26, at 12 noon, ALA President Leslie Berger and librarians from around the country joined U. S. Senators Jack Reed (RI), Thad Cochran (MS), and Representative Raol Grijalva (AZ) when they unveiled the Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLs) Act. The bill reauthorized an essential school library program and will ensure that schools have highly qualified librarians and the resources they need to help students harness new technologies to find information, become information literate and lifelong learners!

In addition to the above general sessions and events, a special concurrent schedule of AASL programs, special events, and meetings was prepared and made available for members at the ALA 2007 Conference. While volunteering in the AASL Booth located in the ALA Pavilion, I talked with Affiliate Assembly leaders, AASL members, and provided information to prospective members who had specific questions about AASL membership. This was a wonderful experience! Thanks for allowing me to represent and serve you. ALA 2008 will be held in Anaheim, California, June 26-July 2.

With only a few short weeks left before we all say goodbye to summer, I encourage to relax. After all, Summer Is a Time for Rest and Rejuvenation!

Welcome to the GLMA Summer Newsletter!

Welcome to the Summer Issue of the GLMA NewsLeader! Summer is quickly coming to a close for most of as the beginning of the school year is upon us. Make sure you read the articles from Rosalind Dennis, GLMA President, on the ALA conference and AASL Affiliate Assembly; Sherry Groves, President-elect, on the benefits of GLMA membership; and Donna Milner, Past-President, on the successful Summer Institute. Check out the GLMA news section for updates, announcements, and district news. Thanks to Rebecca Amerson, GLMA Treasurer, for her annual planning calendar. Take time to read the feature articles and then consider writing one for a future issue. The “Back to School” issue will be published in September.

I would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all the NECC volunteers who made the Atlanta 2007 conference one of the most successful ever. GLMA is proud to announce the official affiliation with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). As the sponsors of NECC, ISTE provides many benefits to the affiliate organizations. AASL and ISTE will provide complementary guidance, as well as give GLMA an incredible networking opportunity on the national and international professional scene in the diverse areas important to school library media specialists.

I have started my dissertation for an EdD from The University of Alabama and would love to share some of the roles of GLMA Communications Coordinator with others who would like to take this excellent opportunity to get involved with your state professional organization. Please send inquiries to the emails below.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!!
Cawood Cornelius
GLMA NewsLeader Editor

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Cawood Cornelius
GLMA Communications Chair
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ccornelius@gcbe.org

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