Update on Recent Activities

The third week of our Fall 2006 semester is about to begin. Students in my fall "Public Libraries" and "Information Resources in the Social Sciences" classes are sorting throught their assignments, preparing for discussions, and learning from each other. The Honoring Generations students are all on board as well and my three doctoral students are involved in research projects, preparing their programs of study or their 'protoproposals.'

The Student Action Circle has also started to meet. This is a cadre of student volunteers who will be assisting the three ALA President-Elect Task Forces. Sara Albert, the Assistant to the AlA President-Elect, is coordinating their efforts. This week, Sara and I give a presentation to our faculty, staff, and students on the Prez-Elect plans and how they might be involved.

Sara and I traveled to ALA in Chicago in early August for orientation and are wrapping up a trip to Washington for orientation at the ALA Washington Office. We have been fortunate to spend a little time with some of our Task Force members during these visits as well as meet other ALA colleagues or former iSchool students.
We've also made a few more library visits or archives, including visits to the Library Science Collection at the Texas State Library and Archives (visit #22), the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest (visit #23), Episcopal Archives (visit #24), and the nearby Perry-Castaneda Library (visit #25), and Architecture Library (visit #26) and Fine Arts Library at UT-Austin. We also visited the resource center at the beautiful National Museum of the American Indian (visit #27) and the Freed-Montrose Branch of the Houston Public Library (visit #28).

I am supervising a Capstone project. Angela has prepared a myspace area for the Austin Public Library. Check out my myspace area! Derek, another graduating student, has joined the WebJunction community for his Capstone project and will coordinating the next efforts with the Student Liaison Program on WJ. I continue to serve on the WJ Advisory Board and was just renewed on the advisory committee for dia de los ninos/dia de los libros.

And, remember to fill out the online committee volunteer form to serve on an ALA or ALA-APA Committee.