AGM & alt careers recap

Thank you to all who came out to our AGM last month. It was a very special night for us as we celebrated a challenging year for the organization, honoured the leadership of our President, Eileen Lewis, and looked forward to the future - complete with our very own fortune teller! But we don't need a psychic to tell us that we've achieved a lot this year; just take a gander at our Annual Report.

On a different note, Brenda Wong, a library technician, has written up an informative review of our program: I've got my degree, now what? Thank you, Brenda, we're looking forward to hearing your elevator speech!

Members update

As the final AGM for our division approaches, we'd like to provide our readers with a brief update:

1) The CASLIS Toronto exec has been discussing CLA's Future Plan and we are now awaiting for events to crystalize at the CLA Conference. Our president, Eileen Lewis, will be in attendance and if you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to her at Eileen_Lewis AT ontla.ola.org

2) Thank you for all the students and new professionals who attended our last program, I've Got My Degree, Now What? We fielded some interesting questions and the discussion was packed with detailed, how-to information about how to approach the job search. For anyone currently job hunting, we have compiled a delicious account with helpful links.

See you at the AGM!

CLA-CASLIS Presents: A Panel Discussion on Alternative Careers in Information - April 13, 2011

Join CLA-CASLIS Toronto for the last event in our Learn Local Programming series on Wednesday, April 13th!

I’ve got my degree, now what? A panel discussion on Alternative Careers in Information

Register now at: http://www.caslistoronto.on.ca/regform2010.html

While most Information Professionals (and soon-to-be info pros) know about the types of work available in “traditional” library settings, many are not aware of just how broad the range of opportunities for work really is. Whether you’re a new (or soon to be) graduate, an established professional looking for a career change, or simply curious about what some of your colleagues are getting unto outside traditional libraries, join CLA-CASLIS Toronto and a panel of engaging information professionals who are pushing the definition of “librarian” – and loving every second of it.

Featured Panelists:

• Cathy Lindsey-King graduated with her Masters degree in Information Studies from U of T in 2001. She has worked for close to 3 decades in a number of database & information related positions, including transportation statistics, fuel tax reporting, and as the Information Officer for a corporate special library. For the past 16 years, Cathy has worked at Sound Ideas, the world's leading publisher of sound effects for the professional broadcast, feature film & multimedia industries. Her responsibilities include corporate communication, production coordination, controlled vocabulary development, and Web site design, maintenance & beta testing. Most recently, she has worked on several projects to create and populate search metadata within digital audio files. She credits her Information Studies education with providing the skills to effectively research, organize and share information in a business environment that demands a high level of digital literacy.


• Kimberly Silk has over fifteen years of digital media experience and is actively engaged in the interactive media, library and education industries. She is currently the Data Librarian at the Martin Prosperity Institute, a think-tank at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Between 2001 and 2009 her consultancy, BrightSail, served a variety of clients including corporate, academic, government and non-profit organizations.


• Jennifer Stein graduated with an M.I.St. from the Faculty of Information Studies in 2000 and has not set foot in a library (in a professional capacity) since. However, for the past 11 years, Jennifer has worked with digital information in various roles related to the ever-evolving FPinfomart.ca product and its predecessors. Jennifer is currently the Product Manager, B2B, at Postmedia Digital, in which capacity she is responsible for bridging the gap between customer needs and the FPinfomart suite of products and services. This role requires her to apply her background in information studies to a very wide variety of non-traditional information tasks including product development and design, technical writing, social media participation and monitoring, sales support, training, and public speaking.


• Erica Sum is currently a Research Officer with the University of Toronto’s Division of Advancement. Prospect Research for advancement or fundraising is a relatively new field that involves a highly specific knowledge base regarding securities, business resources, media monitoring and marketing but also draws on the traditional research and reference skills of a librarian.

Date: April 13th

Location: Faculty of Information, University of Toronto, 140 St. George St. – Room 728

Time: Registration at 5:30 p.m. Discussion will start promptly at 6 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

Cost: $20/members, $30/non-members, $10/students, unwaged, or retired persons. Special to CLA student members – CLA student members can attend programs for free! Registration is still required for dinner accommodations.

Deadline for registration or refunds: April 8

Register now at: http://www.caslistoronto.on.ca/regform2010.html

HarperCollins e-book controversy

You've probably heard about the recent controversy regarding e-books that are inoperable after 26 checkouts. We've rounded up the most informative articles on the debate for your convenience:

CBC News: CLA President Keith Walker shares his point of view

The Guardian: Library friend Cory Doctorow offers his analysis

New York Times: American librarians weigh in on the issue

HarperCollins' open letter to libraries

Pioneer Library System's 26+ checked out items video:



You can also follow the debate on Twitter via the hashtag #HCOD

If you know of a great article or link, please feel free to share in the comments.

TVO digitizes its archives

Yesterday, TVO, Ontario's public broadcaster, launched its public archive of digitized content ... for FREE on its Web site. A great resource and a wonderful example of information-sharing, but more importantly, endless viewings of Today's Special!

From the TVO Web site:

TVO’s Public Archive, the centerpiece of TVO’s 40th anniversary initiatives, is a free online resource that offers Ontarians access to historic TVO content from the past 40 years.Located at archive.tvo.org, it will play an important role in preserving the culture and history of Ontario – it’s a matter of civic pride.“We’ll be unlocking some of TVO”s best educational content from the last 40 years and making it available for free in our new public archive. This includes rare interviews, Ontario stories and kids content that stands the test of time,” said CEO Lisa de Wilde.

Astrid Lange
CLA-CASLIS Listserv and Publicity Coordinator

Member Profile: Mark Gelsomino

Not every CLA-CASLIS member is from a special library. Our programming can sometimes attract librarians from other sectors, like Mark.

LinkedIn
Blog

Mark Gelsomino currently works at the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) as a Digital Services Librarian. He took on this position in mid-November 2010, but has worked for OPL in various positions for the past 9 years.

As a Digital Services Librarian, Gelsomino works on various projects that help facilitate and enhance the users’ experience of the library. Gelsomino enjoys the technological aspects of his work; he is excited about getting introduced to new systems and making them work for the OPL. For instance, Gelsomino and his team recently updated the library catalog to allow patrons to leave comments and suggestions.

Gelsomino finds it challenging to work in an environment in which, on the one hand, the public constantly demands an increase in library services, and where, on the other hand, services are always under threat due to budget cuts from the government.

Gelsomino predicts that in the future, electronic services in libraries will increase: Social media will become increasingly integrated in various library services and we will see an increase in eBooks. For librarians it is important to stay up to date with current trends and technologies, and to keep an open mind to using them in the library setting.

Gelsomino has a number of tips for young professionals trying to start their careers in a library. When looking for a job, “don’t feel like you are too good for any job.” Specifically, if you are interested in working for a particular employer, get your foot in the door by taking up any job position. Once you are in the system, opportunities arise and you can apply to internal job postings. Once you hold a position, “find one thing you are passionate about and that you like, and focus on it.” You will be able to make valuable contributions to your work place and show your employer that you are passionate about your work and librarianship in general.

Gelsomino decided to join CLA-CASLIS because it organizes a lot of events. He is excited to be part of a dynamic professional network that allows him to be in touch with and learn from professionals who do not necessarily work in public libraries. He has learned a lot from special librarians about some of their practices, experiences and challenges, and he can now use this knowledge at his own work place. In other words, being part of CLA-CASLIS has exposed Gelsomino to an important network that allows him to learn and exchange ideas.

Profile by Janina Mueller
CLA-CASLIS iSchool Student Liaison, MI Candidate 2011

Invitation to Complete the 2011 Salary Survey

Dear colleagues,

The CLA-CASLIS Government Section is pleased to invite you to complete 2011 Salary Survey.

http://app.fluidsurveys.com/s/2011-salary-survey/

We encourage you to complete the survey by the due date April 4, 2011. The higher the response rate, the better the final product will be in accurately portraying the benefits and remuneration of the members of the Canadian library and information management community.

All information provided will be held in confidence and reported in such a way that no individual can be identified. The survey tool being used, FluidSurveys, is a Canadian company with all data servers hosted in Canada.

The results of the Survey will be available in May 2011.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact the Section by e-mail at caslis.govlib@gmail.com

Note: Although the 2011 Salary Survey is a CLA-CASLIS Government Section initiative, all members of the Canadian library and information management community are encouraged to contribute.

Posted on behalf of our colleagues in the CLA-CASLIS Government Section

Eileen Lewis
CASLIS Toronto President