PennsylvaniaLibraryAssociationPaLA

Continued on page 8

Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “A great architect is not made by way of a brain nearly so much as he is made by way of

a cultivated, enriched heart.” This can also be said of librarians, and in Octo-ber at Seven Springs was a gathering of great librarians and library sup-porters coming together to help culti-vate and enrich libraries.

While I was too busy to attend many sessions, I did have the opportunity to speak with lots of conference attendees and all the comments I heard were positive. To give you a quick overview, let’s take a look at the numbers: Over 550 attended the con-ference; adding in guests, presenters and exhibitors, total attendance amounted to 953 people. There were 83 sessions presented by librarians, authors, lawyers, and consultants and 34 poster sessions presented. Seventy vendors participated in the exhibit hall and several sponsored the exhibit hall lunches and coffee breaks. All in all, 15 sponsors gave contributions at the Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels to help offset confer-ence expenses.

This year we had the opportunity to bestow several awards: to the Greene

County Commissioners for being outstanding elected officials, Trustee of the Year to Joseph Keller, New Librarian to Laura Arnhold, Distin-guished Service to Anita Ditz, Library Support Staff went to the Abington Community Library, and Certificates of Merit were awarded to Joseph Sherwood, Allison Mackley, and Bonnie Oldham.

What about this year’s speakers! At the President’s Reception, Dr. Franklin Toker provided a historical and some-times satirical look at the relationship of Frank Lloyd Wright with the Kaufmanns. Conference banquet speaker Andre Dubus III gave us

Among the VIPs at the All-Conference Dinner (l-r): Ivy Bayard, past president; David Belanger, Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) member; Debbie Malone, past president; Cynthia Richey, past president and GAC member; Sue Solarczyk, PCBL president, and her husband, George Solarczyk.

insight into his creative mind, and closing lunch speaker Carl Kurlander provided libraries with an opportu-nity to reach into their communities and be part of his Steeltown Enter-

V o l u m e 6 8 , I s s u e 4 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3

P E N N S Y L V A N I A L I B R A R Y A S S O C I A T I O N

Bulletin

220 Cumberland Parkway, Suite 10 • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055717-766-7663 • 800-622-3308 (PA) • 717-766-5440 (Fax) www.palibraries.org

2013 Conference Wrap-Up

Pennsylvania Libraries: Architects of ChangeB Y B A R B A R A Z A B O R O W S K I

Bestselling author, Andre Dubus, III, addresses the PaLA All-Conference Dinner

2 | PaLA Bulletin OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

V o l u m e 6 8 , I s s u e 4 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3

PENNSYLVANIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

President Paula Gilbert Martin Library 159 E. Market Street York, PA 17401 717-846-5300 pgilbert@yorklibraries.org

1st Vice President Janis Stubbs Delaware County Library System 340 N. Middletown Rd. Bldg. 19 Media, PA 19063 610-891-8611 jstubbs@delcolibraries.org

2nd Vice President Barbara Zaborowski PA Highlands Community College 101 Community College Way Johnstown, PA 15904 814-262-6425 bzabor@pennhighlands.edu

3rd Vice President Charity Leonette Allegheny County Library System 22 Wabash Street, Suite 202 Pittsburgh, PA 15220 412-921-1123 x 304 leonettec@einetwork.net

Past President Debbie Malone DeSales University 2755 Station Avenue Center Valley, PA 18034 610-282-1100 x 1253 Debbie.malone@desales.edu

Treasurer David Schappert Marywood University2300 Adams Ave.Scranton, PA 18509570-348-6260dschappert@maryu.marywood.edu

ALA Councilor Alexia Hudson-Ward Penn State Abington Campus 1600 Woodland Road Abington, PA 19001 215-881-7497 ahudsonward@gmail.com_________________

Executive DirectorGlenn R. Millerglenn@palibraries.org

Education & Finance ManagerKim Snyderkim@palibraries.org

PA Forward Project ManagerKathy Silkskathy@palibraries.org

Administrative AssistantEllen Whartonellen@palibraries.org

Contents 4 ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits

5 Humanities Are the Heart of the Matter

6 PA Forward: The Year in Review

10 Awards Presented at the 2013 PaLA Conference

11 Laura Arnhold Chosen to Represent PaLA at ALA Emerging Leaders

15 Membership Year in Review

16 Promoting Mental Health Literacy

17 PALS Builds on Knowledge-Sharing Culture in PA

18 What to Expect from PALS

19 Lehigh Valley Chapter's Fall Social

20 Our President, Our Memories

DEPARTMENTS 3 President’s Message

12 It’s Academic

14 Welcome New Members

24 Calendar

The PaLA Bulletin is published 4 times a year by the Pennsylvania Library Association, 220 Cumberland Parkway, Suite 10, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055, Phone: 717-766-7663, 800-622-3308 (PA); Fax: 717-766-5440. Subscriptions are $40 per year; single issues and back issues $4 each.

Managing Editor Contributing EditorBeth Schetroma Glenn R. Miller bschetroma@jvbrown.edu glenn@palibraries.org

Design/Layout Lilo Mueller, LiloGrafik

PennsylvaniaLibraryAssociationPaLA

PaLA Bulletin | 3OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

What a successful year PaLA has had! As we look back on a hugely success-ful conference in Seven

Springs at the end of October, we can be proud of the variety of quality sessions; the great featured speakers that high-lighted the banquet, President’s program, and closing lunch; and the selection of vendors that were present. In addition,

the venue itself offered a scenic vista with plenty of free-time activities and we offered great road trips to Fallingwater and the Flight 93 Memorial. I am sure that everyone was also excited about having the opportunity to buy raffle tickets too! Many thanks to Barb Zaborowski and the Con-ference Committee for a job well done.

Thank you also, to the great folks who are work-ing on the strategic plan. I hope you have taken the opportunity to read the plan on the PaLA website and familiarize yourself with the action steps listed there. Many of them are being worked on, some are completed already, and we have more to focus on in 2014. Please remember that this is an active document that is being looked at regularly and is there to lead the orga-nization over the next couple of years.

In particular, Debbie Malone and her team have been working on ways to share the value of librarians and we are continuing to look for new ways to increase our advocacy efforts for librar-ies, as we celebrate this year’s small gain for the Power Library in the Library Access line of the budget.

Charity Leonette and her team are working on the membership goal and have worked hard to entice academic librarians to join and get involved in PaLA. In addition, they incorporated many engaging activities around membership at the conference, including the amazing likeness of

your president that kept popping up in interest-ing places around Seven Springs. Watch for more membership nuggets in the coming months as well!

Cindy DeLuca and her team have been working on the professional development goal, keeping the conference accessible and relevant to mem-bers and working to expand the PALS experience as well as encouraging the PALS group who are building the Speakers Bureau for PaLA.

Rob Lesher and his team are working on our goal to provide strong internal and external communi-cation. This includes working to utilize our web-site capabilities to its highest potential and con-tinuing to support our archivist’s activities.

Mary Lou Repsher and her team are focusing on the last goal of efficient and accountable associa-tion management. This will focus on looking at our bylaws and organization structure and con-tinue to move us forward with strong leadership.

This work will continue through 2014 into 2015 and we need members to volunteer time to finish each goal successfully. If one of these strategic areas is your specialty, or if you have a desire to help, please contact the individual goal chair or myself to get connected to the action.

Another big thank-you this year goes to the Leg-islation Committee. Janis Stubbs and her team

Continued on page 4

P R E S I D E N T ' S M E S S A G E

It’s a Wrap! Another Successful Year for PaLA

B Y P A U L A G I L B E R T

Paula Gilbert

If one of these strategic areas is

your specialty, or if you have a

desire to help, please contact the

individual goal chair or myself to

get connected to the action.

4 | PaLA Bulletin OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

have been very busy working with PaLA executive director Glenn Miller and Greenlee Partners, our advocates, to keep us in good position for the coming election year. We got the small budget increase this year, which is the direct result of consistent lobbying by mem-bers, friends groups, and our Greenlee Partners. We are also watching as legis-lation for child abuse reporting is mov-ing through the House and Senate and how the outcome will eventually affect library staff. Other issues are consis-tently brought to member attention by the committee.

Looking back on 2013, one of the biggest successes in PaLA has been the growth of PA Forward. Not only did we hold the first Information Literacy Symposium at Penn State for academic and school librarians — the program was a sell out! We have had workshops across the state to bring PA Forward to local areas and the attendance and support has been amazing. We continue to hear great

examples of how people are using PA Forward in their libraries and how others are taking those ideas and using them as their own. The Best Practices database is growing! All five literacy teams now have strong leadership and there are

special events ready to roll out in most of them in 2014. Our legislators and local funders are becoming increasingly more aware of PA Forward and how it is changing the face of libraries in their communities. This initiative just contin-ues to grow and build on the early suc-cesses we have had and you are making this happen in your libraries locally!

We certainly have achieved a great deal this year. I can’t say thank you enough to each and every one of you who are mem-

bers of PaLA — you have made my year as your president a truly enjoyable expe-rience for me. Meeting members and non-members across the commonwealth and listening to all the great things that are happening is very inspiring. Your enthusiasm, your drive, and your con-tinuing allegiance to PaLA is what helps to make libraries in Pennsylvania so successful and why this organization is so strong. You need to continue to talk to people — your friends and neighbors, your local community leaders and repre-sentatives, our state elected officials, and anyone else you can think of — about the importance of libraries. We need librar-ies in Pennsylvania and we need your membership in PaLA to help keep librar-ies alive through advocacy work, PA Forward, and all the things you do in your community to make a difference.

Thanks for a great year!

Paula Gilbert is the current president of PaLA and director of youth services for the Martin Library in York. She is currently reading Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr.

We have had workshops

across the state to bring PA

Forward to local areas and

the attendance and support

has been amazing.

President's MessageContinued from page 3

“The conversation starts here . . .

You’ll find the usual gold-standard networking; updates on research, reports, and legislation; innovators and thought leaders; hundreds of discussions on current key topics including ebooks (with a presentation from the ReadersFirst movement), digital content, digital badges,

every year at ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits — January 24 – 28, 2014 in Philadelphia will be no exception.”

MOOCs, intellectual freedom, and community engage-ment; more than 425 exhibitors and hundreds of authors; pre-Midwinter Institutes for in-depth profes-sional development; ALA JobLIST Placement Center; lively social events; and more.

PaLA Bulletin | 5OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

As a young girl growing up in rural Pennsylvania, I loved nothing more than to stack a tall pile of books to read and

browse over the summer. I see the same with my 11-year-old daughter as she plans her study of Africa and China and excitedly finishes each book and link on her school list.

With every turn of the page and new web search, I see my city kid trans-formed by the words, pictures, and sto-ries that introduce her to people, ideas, and places that are sometimes similar, but often different from what she knows. She doesn’t realize it, but this is her first introduction to the humanities — and a sense of wonder and passion for learn-ing that will stay with her for years to come.

Recently the American Academy of Arts & Sciences Commission on the Humani-ties and Social Sciences released the national report The Heart of the Matter: The Humanities and Social Sciences for a Vibrant, Competitive, and Secure Nation, which calls for new investments and leadership to achieve three goals: edu-cate Americans in the knowledge, skills, and understanding that they will need to thrive in a 21st century democracy; foster a society that is innovative, com-petitive, and strong; and equip the nation for leadership in an intercon-nected world.

As the executive director of the Pennsyl-vania Humanities Council (PHC), I echo the call in The Heart of the Matter for the humanities to be seen as more than a mere elective. I passionately believe in the power of the humanities to open minds and inspire cultural dialogue that brings people from all walks of life together to build a better future for the

next generation. It’s time to elevate the profile of the humanities sector and its importance in everyone’s life and work in Pennsylvania.

Today more than ever, as we need to sift through so much information, adapt to rapid change, and engage in a global community, the humanities provide us with the tools and context to understand, make decisions, and act responsibly in our lives, jobs, and communities. When we talk about current events, books, and issues of importance, we not only ask who and what, but we delve deeper to explore how and why, to see new con-nections and possibilities for the future.

Through humanities subjects such as literature, history, art, and philosophy, we develop critical thinking skills, empathy for others, a sense of purpose in our lives, and our power to make a collective difference. Humanities are the heart of the matter, animating our democ-racy and making us better citizens of the world.

The Heart of the Matter challenges humanities scholars at our colleges and universities to make a better case for the public value of our work. I would point out that the PHC and our partners — from grassroots arts and cultural orga-nizations to museums, historical societ-ies, and art galleries — have been actively working to address the report’s chal-lenge in Pennsylvania. All of us are wrestling with how to make our work meaningful to the public while we have watched our funds shrink each year.

In response, PHC is building a new model for out-of-school learning at libraries called Teen Reading Lounge, which uses popular comics, graphic novels, and fantasy to foster fun, creative

discovery, and deep learning experi-ences. The program helps establish libraries as legitimate, safe hangouts for many young people who do not have other places to go after school, on weekends, or during the summer.

Teens themselves actively co-create this program with librarians and arts educa-tors. The program at once teaches 21st century learning skills and allows teens to explore questions important to them. Such an experience is critical for teens who may not be engaged by school and who are at a time in their lives when they are questioning who they are and what their place in the world is. This is the kind of program that can get kids on the right learning and social track at just the right time in their lives to make a real difference in their future.

Participatory programming like Teen Reading Lounge and visitor-generated experiences that now are found in our museums and on the web fuel our curi-osity and allow us to guide our own learning in an ongoing conversation with experts and artists. Such innovation has to be the key to our sector’s case-making. Together, we need to foster the sense of wonder that is at the heart of learning and the humanities.

Laurie Zierer is the executive director of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council.

Humanities Are the Heart of the MatterB Y L A U R I E Z I E R E R

Humanities are the heart

of the matter, animating

our democracy and

making us better citizens

of the world.

A few weeks ago, PA Forward’s Steering Committee gathered to celebrate and catalog the ways the project is building

new opportunities for libraries. Our first annual report, to be distributed this winter, will show-case these accomplishments and as 2013 wraps up, I want to share a few highlights and commit-tee members’ observations about a stellar year.

PROVIDING TRAINING, TOOLS, AND INSPIRATION: Our number one priority again this year was training and supporting libraries to use PA Forward effectively for institu-tional positioning. The Evaluation Committee’s annual state-wide survey supports what we have observed and heard anecdotally — that libraries are embracing the concepts, branding, and “literacies” framework that PA Forward offers.

“We expanded awareness of PAF and its value in a big way,” Steering Committee chair Mary Garm observed, citing the statewide training sessions and the work of the project’s PR/Marketing and Academic Outreach committees. 

“We were able to present so many different workshops around the state that introduced PA Forward to a whole new group of librarians,” said PaLA president Paula Gilbert.

The Training Committee conducted nine statewide “how to” workshops and four customized district library sessions, training nearly 250 attendees to communicate their library’s value, develop effective partnerships, and offer resources that build essential literacy skills. We implemented a “train the trainers” opportunity at the September DLC meeting, with a training manual developed by Margie Stern.

The Academic Outreach Committee’s Connect & Communi-cate webinar introduced academic librarians to PA Forward’s concepts as well as practical applications. PA Forward’s

annual conference sessions prepared attendees to build rela-tionships with the media and with government officials, address consumers’ health information needs, create model literacy programs, and connect first year college students with academic library resources.

Carrie Turner, chair of PA Forward’s Evaluation Committee, believes the initiative is becoming more top of mind. “One measure of success … is that now when anything passes my desk related to the literacies, I immediately think ‘PA Forward’,” she said. “It is automatic.”

Steering Committee member Denise Sticha sees “an increased interest from our local library directors as to how they can use the PA Forward brand. The training sessions/workshops have been incredibly helpful in terms of allowing folks to feel more confident in how PA Forward can work for the benefit of their community involvement.”

RAISING AWARENESS AND VISIBILITY: Another 2013 highlight was the work of the PR/Marketing Committee. Chair Melissa Rowse reports they “took social media by storm”, creating not one but two Facebook pages geared toward the general public and the library community. “Addi-tionally, we created a Twitter account that was launched at

The Year in ReviewB Y K A T H Y S I L K S

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 20136 | PaLA Bulletin

our PaLA annual conference … [and we] generated a new press release each month on topics that are shared by all libraries in Pennsylvania.”

The award-winning PA Forward website continues to be an informative gateway to the world outside of libraries about the initiative. Rob Lesher, Website Committee chair, reports, “Each month we are getting 6,000 to 7,000 unique visits to the website. I can only believe that these visits are spurred by the library community talking to their funders and other civic leaders about PA Forward.”

Incoming PaLA president Janis Stubbs is impressed by PA Forward’s “penetration into the PALS program. I think it was a great idea to have the projects PALS participants work on be PA Forward-related. It has helped them see how useful the initiative is in practical ways, and it has produced (and is pro-ducing, and will produce!) results that are beneficial to the library community … Both PALS and PAF are two things that I gush about to anyone who will listen, but joined together, they are not only gushworthy, they are also effective and inno-vative programs that have given new life to our association.”

CULTIVATING PARTNERSHIPS: PA Forward’s partnerships with governmental, corporate, and organizational entities now total 35, and we are working to build long-term relation-ships that strengthen libraries, help partners achieve their missions and business goals, and build literacy levels across Pennsylvania. The partners are organized into planning teams around each of PA Forward’s five literacies. This year these collaborations resulted in:

E Pennsylvania’s first Information Literacy Summit, held at Penn State University in July, attracting 100+ librarians to explore directions in curriculum and standards;

E Presentation of the Building Effective Media Relations and Supporting a Healthy Community workshops at the annual conference; and

E A statewide announcement of financial literacy pro-grams, services, and other resources available through PA Forward partners.

Coming in 2014 will be Pennsylvania’s first Civic & Social Literacy conference in May, a year-long healthy living aware-ness campaign with themed months, and the “PA Authors & Illustrators Speak Up for PA Libraries” initiative in the fall. Stay tuned for details!

Through it all, PaLA’s advocacy efforts at the state level continue to integrate the literacy concepts and brand of PA Forward.

“Advocacy is a never-ceasing, long-term effort,” said Glenn Miller, PaLA’s executive director. “We build ‘PA Forward | Pennsylvania Libraries’ into all of our meetings and messages and we’re now seeing the see the light bulbs of recognition go on when we describe our work to improve literacy and our bridge-building with partners. Over the long haul, this will stand libraries in good stead.”

PREPARING FOR GROWTH AND IMPACT: PA Forward’s emphasis on building literacy skills through public/private partnerships is resonating.

“We saw recognition of PAF’s value from the legislature, the State Library, our fellow professional organizations, and other state library associations,” Mary Garm noted. “The develop-ment process kicked in this year with great strides made in grantwriting and personal support from the Steering Com-mittee and board. APPLS continues to be a shining star in its support.”

We are implementing strategies to broaden PA Forward’s cur-rent base of financial support, which includes a multi-year LSTA grant and contributions from libraries and systems, Friends groups, and individuals.

David Belanger, PA Forward’s Development chair, finds it “noteworthy that academic libraries have seen the value of PA Forward to the point where they have made significant finan-cial contributions to the cause.”

As Mary Garm summed it up, “PA Forward once again dem-onstrates the never-ending optimism and enthusiasm of our library community.” Many thanks to everyone who has, through their time, talents, and treasure, helped build PA Forward’s collective voice for libraries in 2013.

Kathy Silks, project manager for PA Forward | Pennsylvania Libraries, is reading Dirt: The Quirks, Habits, and Passions of Keeping House, edited by Mindy Lewis.

“PA Forward once again

demonstrates the never-

ending optimism and

enthusiasm of our library

community.”

— Mary Garm

PaLA Bulletin | 7OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

8 | PaLA Bulletin OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

tainment Project. For the first time we had the volunteer services of three University of Pittsburgh students, Ellyn Brancato, Stephanie Reinhardt, and Sarita Wescott, who took photo-graphs at all the major conference events. There was even a little bit of every type of weather a conference attendee could want: sunshine, fog, rain, and snow. It truly was a conference with something for everyone.

All of this would not have been possible without the hard work of a very dedicated planning com-mittee. The state conference had not been held in western Pennsylvania since 2006. When we learned it was coming to this part of the state, everyone on the committee was determined to make it one of the best. I believe we achieved that goal and then some. We wanted everyone to see what the Laurel Highlands had to offer and I hope those that visited Fallingwater or the Flight 93 Memorial return to the area to see what else there may be to do. It was a pleasure to serve as confer-ence chair, to represent the Southwest Chapter, and to serve PaLA.

Barbara Zaborowski was the chair of the 2013 PaLA annual conference and is dean of learning resources at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Johnstown. She is reading White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs

2013 Conference Wrap-UpContinued from page 1

1 PaLA 2013 president Paula Gilbert (r) with incoming 2014 president Janis Stubbs

2 State Librarian Stacey Aldrich addresses the 2013 PaLA Annual Business Meeting.

3 College & Research Library Division luncheon speaker Char Booth (r) is joined by (l-r) CRD chair Valerie Lynn, PaLA president Paula Gilbert, and State Librarian Stacey Aldrich.

4 PaLA Academy for Leadership Studies (PALS) 2013 graduates Kristyna Carroll, Bonnie Powers, Hilary Westgate, and Patricia Pottle detail their work to develop a PA Forward webinar.

5 Wall-to-wall interest at PaLA’s Poster Sessions

6 Conference chair Barb Zaborowski emcees the Closing Luncheon.

7 PaLA Store committee co-chairs Mary Lou Repsher (l) and Kathy McClure showcase some of the hot-selling items.

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PaLA Bulletin | 9OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

1 Members of the Ex Libris Society, PaLA’s annual giving fund, gather together to celebrate five successful years.

2 PALS 2013 graduates (l-r) Evonne Loomis, Richard Miller, Laura Ax-Fultz, and Barb Eshbach demonstrate customer services best practices for PaLA president Paula Gilbert (r) and her cardboard acolyte.

3 At one of many popular poster sessions, Melissa Rowse, district consultant North Central Library District, showcases Connect Williamsport, a consolidated community calendar provided by the library.

4 The PaLA Exhibit Hall was the place to be on opening day.

5 At the Closing Luncheon, writer/producer/screenwriter (St. Elmo’s Fire) Carl Kurlander, discusses the role libraries played in his journey from Pittsburgh to Hollywood and home again to form the Steeltown Entertainment Project.

6 Sari Feldman, director of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, addresses Public Library Division Breakfast attendees.

7 Paula Gilbert with President’s Program speaker Dr. Franklin Toker, author of Fallingwater Rising, Frank Lloyd Wright, E. J. Kaufmann, and America’s Most Extraordinary House

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10 | PaLA Bulletin OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

Awards Presented at the 2013 PaLA Conference

B Y R E B E C C A F E T Z N E R L O N G

It was my honor to serve as chair of PaLA’s Awards Committee this year. The committee had representation from various chapters of PaLA and comprised of a mix of public, academic, and

special librarians. Our committee was fortunate to have been in receipt of many wonderful nominations from across the commonwealth.

Many thanks to: Therese Barry, Dan Parker, Paul Pro-ces, Paula Gilbert, Brian Fulton, Melissa Rowse, and Glenn Miller for serving on the committee and for working together to help PaLA honor some of our finest members. The committee met on September 11 to review nominations for New Librarian Honors, Elected Official(s) of the Year, Trustee of the Year, Cer-tificate of Merit, Distinguished Service Award, and Library Support Staff.

The following individuals and institutions were selected to be honored by the 2013 Awards Committee:

E New Librarian Honor: Laura Arnhold, children’s librarian, Upper Merion Township Library

E Elected Officials of the Year: Green County Commissioners

E Trustee of the Year: Joseph Kellerman, Hollidaysburg Area Library

E Distinguished Service Award: Anita Ditz, librarian, Schlow Centre Region Library

3 4

1 Distinguished Service Award winner Anita Ditz (r) with Ray and Cheryl Ditz, her brother and sister-in-law

2 President Paula Gilbert (r) congratulates Distin-guished Service Award winner Anita Ditz (l) and presents personalized artwork created by noted Pennsylvania children’s author and illustrator Lindsay Barrett George (c). Awards chair Rebecca Fetzner-Long (center left) and PaLA past presi-dent Cathi Alloway (center right) assist in the presentation.

3 On behalf of the Mengle Memorial Library, Darlene Marshall accepts the “Paula” Award recognizing great customer service.

4 President Paula Gilbert presents the PaLA Trustee of the Year Award to Joseph G. Keller of the Hollidaysburg Area Public Library.

The 2013 Elected Officials Award went to the Greene County Board of Commissioners, (l-r): Kathy McClure, Bowlby Public Library; Commissioner Blair Zimmerman; Jessica Miller, Flenniken Public Library; Commissioner Archie Trader; Therese Barry, Greene County Library System; Commissioner Charles Morris; and PaLA president Paula Gilbert.

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PaLA Bulletin | 11OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

E Certificates of Merit: Alison Mackley, librarian, Her-shey High School; Bonnie Oldham, information literacy coordinator, University of Scranton; Joseph Sherwood, executive director, Chester County Library System

E Library Support Staff: Abington Community Library, Clarks Summit

It was my pleasure to have presented the New Librarian Hon-ors, Certificates of Merit, and Library Support Staff awards at the annual business meeting during the 2013 PaLA confer-ence. And it was my honor to have presented the Distin-guished Service Award to Anita Ditz at the All-Conference

Reception.

So next year when you see the calls for nomination go out, please take a moment to nominate a colleague or fellow employee for the contributions they have made to PaLA and

Pennsylvania libraries.

Rebecca Fetzner Long is chair of the Awards Committee and director of the South Fayette Township Library. She is reading Mission Impact: Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits by Robert M. Sheehan, Jr.

Laura Arnhold Chosen to Represent PaLA at ALA Emerging Leaders

B Y G L E N N M I L L E R

PaLA is proud to announce that Laura Arnhold of the Upper Merion Township Library has been selected as PaLA’s repre-

sentative to the American Library Asso-ciation’s 2014 Emerging Leaders program.

Emerging Leaders (EL) is a leadership development program that enables newer library workers from across the country to participate in problem-solving work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity. It puts participants

on the fast track to ALA committee vol-unteerism as well as other professional library-related organizations.

The EL program kicks off with a day-long session during the ALA midwinter meeting. Afterward, it grows and devel-ops in an online learning and network-ing environment for six months. The program culminates with a poster ses-sion presentation to display the results of the project planning work of each group at the ALA annual conference.

Ms. Arnhold was chosen from among a highly-competitive group of PaLA members. She earned her B.S. in infor-mation resources from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, an M.L.S. from the University of Maryland, and an

M.P.A. from West Chester University. Since 2008, she has been the children’s librarian at Upper Merion, following a graduate internship at the Institute of Museum and Library Services and work with Special Olympics International’s Camp Shriver in Washington.

She is a 2010 graduate of the PaLA Academy for Leadership Studies (PALS) program and this past fall was chosen to receive PaLA’s New Librarian Honors at the annual conference.

Congratulations, Laura! We look for-ward to learning all about your Emerg-ing Leader year with ALA.

Glenn Miller is the executive director of PaLA.

PaLA Award winners (rear, l-r): Lauren Arnhold, New Librarian Honors Award; Joseph Sherwood, Certificate of Merit; and Paula Gilbert, PaLA president; (front, l-r): Sheli McHugh accepting a Certificate of Merit for Bonnie Oldham; Leah Rudolph, accepting the Library Sup-port Staff Recognition Award to the Abington Community Library; Allison Mackley, Certificate of Merit; and Rebecca Fetzner-Long, PaLA Awards Committee chair.

12 | PaLA Bulletin OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

I T ’ S A C A D E M I C

It is not uncommon to find academic libraries in the social media worlds of Facebook and Twitter, but how well are we diversifying our online

presence in the networked environ-ment? Pinterest offers possibilities for libraries to showcase resources, spaces, and events through the use of its digital bulletin boards. This free site allows users to collect and organize images and videos that are either uploaded by the user or are captured from other online presences, and makes them easily shar-able with others through “pinning”and “re-pinning” to boards based on specific interests.

Pinterest can provide a visually appealing mechanism for showcasing newly-added library resources, special collections, and digitized materials; promoting upcoming library events; drawing attention to recently renovated or popular spaces within the library; connecting library holdings to campus symposium speakers or topics; recom-mending books to read; and much more. The possibilities are limited only by the imagination.

Elaine Thornton (2012) conducted a study of academic libraries’ Pinter-est sites and found six common pin board themes among them: promotion of libraries and reading in general,

Some Pinterest-ing Ideas for Academic LibrariesB Y A L I S O N S . G R E G O R Y

resource suggestions, special collections, basic library information, events, and spaces. Thornton also compiled a list of suggestions for libraries considering adding Pinterest to their social media arsenals. These include linking the Pin-terest profile to the library’s website and other online presences, being vigilant about copyright when pinning images or videos not created by the library, linking resource suggestions directly to the library’s online catalog, and stay-ing active so that the boards continu-ally offer something new to followers (Thornton, 2012). Hansen, Nowlan, and Winter (2012) recommended two additional best practices: striving to pin to the original source so that the image owner is credited, and protecting the privacy of those featured in images taken during library events.

In addition to promoting the library’s sources and services, Hansen et al. also suggested the creation of themed boards for instructional purposes. A group board could be created and connected to a class topic and students could collect images and share commentary, “remi-niscent of collages and display posters

but with significantly more depth and immediacy” (Hansen et al., 2012, p. 8).

As I contemplated the implementation of Pinterest boards for our library, I exam-ined the Pinterest sites of four different academic libraries and gathered feed-back from the library staff members who maintain those boards. Interestingly, the libraries I contacted are all using an “as inspiration strikes” model for creating and adding new pin boards, where I had expected a more methodical, planned approach to what boards a library would create. Featuring new additions to the book collection seems to be the one exception, with each library offering a board of this nature.

At the library of St. Ambrose Univer-sity in Davenport, Iowa, Malavika Shrikhande has created interesting boards like “National Poetry Month” (see Figure 1) and “Great Reads, Great Movies!” that highlight reading as an important activity, while being catchy and lighthearted. Shrikhande recom-mended Pinterest as a way to easily “promote, connect and share my library, university, and events, and at the

Fig. 1 A sampling of images included on the “National Poetry Month” board, St. Ambrose University (created by Malavika Shrikhande).

“Interesting boards...highlight reading as an important activity, while being catchy and lighthearted.”

PaLA Bulletin | 13OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

Continued on page 14

same time share any fun, informative articles.” Shrikhande’s role with the St. Ambrose University Pinterest page and other social media platforms is that of curator — “I have an open request to my co-workers for anything they would like to say, or share on any of the platforms we are active on” which distributes the responsibility for generating the ideas, while keeping a centralized system for day-to-day upkeep.

Leigh Gates at the Harrington School of Design Library in Chicago, Ill., said that she spends about an average of ten minutes per day on their Pinterest boards, and in that limited amount of time, she has been able to create boards as diverse as “New on the shelf,” “Book cover design,” and “Noteworthy (or not) interior spaces.” While Gates is cur-rently the only person pinning images for the library, she hopes to extend that activity to student assistants. She has promoted the library’s Pinterest boards through the use of posters in the library, links on the college’s portal, and via the

library’s other social media pages such as Facebook. “Most of our followers are other libraries or people in the design industry — it has been very hard to build momentum for student followers,” says Gates.

Justyne Triest of Linfield College Librar-ies in McMinnville, Ore., believes that her library Pinterest boards have gained traction with students because their library has a student assistant actively working on the boards. “It helps that we have a student to think like students!” and student Alyssa Townsend fills that role, designing boards that will appeal to students as the primary audience. Townsend is very active in helping to

coordinate social media accounts for Linfield and has primary responsibility for their development and maintenance, though she coordinates with Triest through email, Google docs for project ideas, and weekly meetings.

Linfield Libraries connects their Pinter-est and Twitter presences by hosting many of their Twitter images on Pin-terest, including their archival pho-tos, infographics, and READ posters. Linfield Libraries also boasts Pinterest boards like “Inspirational Writer & Book Quotes,” “Works by Linfield students, faculty, Alums and more,” and “Val-entine’s/Anti-Valentine’s Books and Movies” and compiles these in approxi-mately an hour’s time each week. The biggest challenges for Linfield, according to Triest, are that of pinning to items that can move as URLs change, and that of upholding good copyright practices. Triest indicates that they only create pins from their catalog book covers and from their own Digital Repository. For all other images and videos, they re-pin what other Pinterest users have selected, mitigating the copyright liability on the library’s end. Triest recommends keeping a board private while it is under construction, and Linfield Libraries aims for 10 – 20 pins per board before making it viewable.

The Becker College Libraries in Worces-ter, Mass., have boards such as “What

we’re reading” and “New Fiction” (see Figure 2). A challenge for Jeanette Lundgren, who maintains the libraries’ Pinterest presence, is encouraging staff to contribute regularly on the col-laborative boards, such as “What we’re reading.” To help promote the site, Lundgren has their Pinterest boards set to push through to Twitter and they have integrated it with their Facebook page to further increase visibility.

Becker Libraries, like the other librar-ies I contacted, does not allow followers to pin items on its boards. One library indicated their administrator-only stance was a way to uphold their strict copyright standards. An additional rea-son for maintaining exclusive pinning rights would be to ensure that images and videos pinned are appropriate for the library’s image and role as part of a larger institution of higher education.

What started as a question of curiosity about ways that Pinterest could extend a college library’s presence became an interesting project that connected me to libraries from across the country. I enjoyed browsing through their fasci-nating pin boards, and hearing about the various challenges and experiences with using Pinterest. The library staff members I communicated with were all enthusiastic about the potential

Fig. 2 A sampling of images included on the “New Fiction” board, Becker Libraries (cre-ated by Jeanette Lundgren).

I T ’ S A C A D E M I C

Pinterest gives librar-ies an easy option for visual impact.

14 | PaLA Bulletin OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

WelcomeNew Members

Sara AhmedUpper Darby Township & Sellers Memorial Free Public Library

Richard Ashby, Jr.Yeadon Public Library

Jeanine BallantyneClarion University of PA

Melissa BehmClarion University of Pennsylvania

Christine BellizziDrexel University

Guy BennettBradford Area Public Library

Eileen BeveridgeCarnegie Free Library-Connellsville

Theresa BlumBethlehem Area Public Library

Kelsey BoganDrexel University

Ellyn BrancatoUniversity of Pittsburgh

Christina BrennanNewtown Square, PA

Adrienne BrownAltoona Area Public Library

Mairead BrowneDrexel University

Kimberly BurtonClarion University of PA

Jim Carney, Jr.Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Tracey ChriestClarion University of PA

Jessica ChristiansenClarion University of PA

Nina ClementsPenn State Brandywine

Amanda ClossenPenn State University

Stephanie CreanUniversity of North Texas

Bridgette CrockettMarple Public Library

Cecelia CrommartyWilliam Jeanes Memorial LIbrary

Naomi CrossClarion University of PA

Megan CulkinShippensburg University

Mary DeCeccoChester County Library Hankin

Branch

Natalie DickinsonWayne County Public Library

Claire DoerrmanPhiladelphia, PA

Linda EspositoPeters Township Public Library

Kimberly FoflygenUniversity of Pittsburgh

Nicole ForstPottstown

Jennifer FrederiksenUniversity of Pittsburgh

Kelly GarwoodClarion University of PA

Heidi GillisHarrisburg Area Community College

Emily GormanUniversity of Pittsburgh

Sukrit GoswamiMCLINC

Jack HaulerMalvern Public Library

Karen HovisOPL

for connecting to patrons in non-textual ways, and saw great advantage in tying Pinterest to other social media presences such as Facebook and Twitter. Whether by posting, tweeting, or pinning, libraries of all types can take advantage of free social media sites to promote resources and ser-vices — Pinterest gives us an easy option for visual impact.

Acknowledgments

Many, many thanks to the following libraries and their Pinterest administrators who were gracious enough to share their thoughts and suggestions about the use of this visually-driven social media site.

Becker Libraries, Becker College, Worcester, Mass. http://www.pinterest.com/ ruskaswan/ (maintained by Jeanette Lundgren)

Harrington College of Design Library, Chicago, Ill. http://pinterest.com/ libraharrington/ (maintained by Leigh Gates)

Linfield Libraries, Linfield College, McMinnville, Ore. http://pinterest.com/ linlibraries/ (maintained by Justyne Triest and student Alyssa Townsend)

SAU Library, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa http://pinterest.com/ SAULib/ (maintained by Malavika Shrikhande)

References

Hansen, K., Nowlan, G., & Winter, C. (2012). Pinterest as a tool: Applications in academic libraries and higher education. Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Informa-tion Practice and Research, 7(2), 1 – 11.

Thornton, E. (2012). Is your academic library pinning? Academic libraries and Pinterest. Journal of Web Librarianship, 6(3), 164 – 175.

Alison S. Gregory is the associate dean and director of library services for the John G. Snowden Memorial Library at Lycoming College in Williamsport. She is reading A Room with a View by E. M. Forster.

IT’S ACADEMIC Continued from page 13

PaLA Bulletin | 15OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

Sysha IrotShippensburg Public Library

Kathleen JoritzNorthern Tier Regional Library

Richard JutkiewiczRutgers MLIS Student

Bryn KeytanjianChester County Library and

District Center

Rachel KormanStudent

James KronmillerClarion University of PA

Carol KuhnsBlairsville Public Library

Andy KulpHACC Lancaster Campus

Janina KvedarasNorthern Tier Regional Library

Rebecca LazarenkoClarion University of PA

Nancy LecheneCresson Public Library

Jade LeporeUniversity of

Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Griffith LewisClarion University of PA

Helen LichtenfelsBurrell Township Library

Carla LindenmuthClarion University of PA

Vincent LoVico, IINAVY

John MackeyDrexel University

Mary ManhartClarion University of PA

Natasha MargulisUniversity of Pittsburgh

Caroline McPhillipsDrexel University

Stacey MulliganMiddletown Public Library

Marisa PainterClarion University of PA

Janet PetrakHunker, PA

Nicole PiersonUniversity of Pittsburgh

Joyce PlatfootHaverford Township Free Library

Lydia ReddingMedia Upper Providence Free

Library

Mary RennieErie County Public Library

Alex SchwartzmanRutgers University

Laura ShafferClarion University of PA

Natalie ShilstutClarion University of PA

Denise ShoreyYork College of PA

Rachel SmithPennsylvania State University

Barbara SommaFrank Sarris Public Library

Sangeetha SrinivasanMontgomery County

Teresa StageUniversity of Pittsburgh

Sally StewardClarion University of PA

The PaLA Membership Committee convened several times this year. The committee helped to shape the action steps in support of PaLA Strategic Plan goal #2: To spearhead effective membership recruitment,

engagement, and retention. As one result, the Membership Com-mittee had a presence at the annual conference. You may have seen the Job & Career featured sessions and one-on-one coach-ing as part of the Career Center, or you may have stopped by the membership table. PaLA president Paula Gilbert’s life-size like-ness also traveled the conference asking attendees to why they love PaLA (#luvPaLA).

As of October this year’s membership tally is 1,405 (1,225 per-sonal, 176 institutional, four corporate). To put that in context, this brings membership to near where it was in October 2012 with 1,410 members. What’s next? We are going to be asking

members to share. What has PaLA meant to you? Let us know. Then, share with your Pennsylvania colleagues near and far how PaLA has made a difference to you. Your personal conversations play a huge role in building aware-ness of PaLA in the larger library community. In 2014 we’ll be highlighting your membership moments alongside fun facts about the benefits for membership. All of this, each conversation and story told, allows PaLA to continue its vital work in professional development and larger state-wide library advocacy. In the meantime, talk with your chapter’s membership chair to learn more.

Charity Leonette is the chair of the Membership Committee and marketing and community partnerships coordinator for the Allegheny County Library Association. She is reading Taking Toot to Fly: Articles on Functional Anatomy by Irene Dowd.

Membership Year in ReviewB Y C H A R I T Y L E O N E T T E

Ruth StyerHaverford Twp. Free Library

Elizabeth SullivanWilkes University

Mary Ann TettemerLehigh County Law Library

Abby ThompsonUniversity of Pittsburgh

Victoria Thompson-HessMuncy Public Library

Kathy WeilBethlehem Area Public Library

Shelley WilliamsAltoona Area Public Library

Eric WolfeCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Erin WolvertonUniversity of Pittsburgh

Jackie WrightCitizens Library

Kathleen WylonisStudent

Rachel ZibailaUniversity of Pittsburgh

16 | PaLA Bulletin OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

The Lackawanna County Library System and the Com-monwealth Medical College recently presented a workshop entitled “Out of the Shadows: The Library as a Center of Mental Health Literacy”. The workshop was supported by an Outreach to Consumers grant award from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region (NNLM/MAR).

Among the topics addressed were: a study of behavioral health disparities in Northeastern Pennsylvania; providing mental health information in the library; recognizing men-tal health concerns of older adults; and using PA Forward to address mental health issues. NNLM/MAR is a partner organization of PA Forward | Pennsylvania Libraries.

Mary Garm is the administrator of the Lackawanna County Library System.

Promoting Mental Health LiteracyB Y M A R Y G A R M

Among the speakers at “Out of the Shadows: The Library as a Center of Mental Health Literacy” were (seated, l. to r.) Rebecca May-Cole, Pennsylvania Behavioral Health and Aging Coalition; David Verespy, afternoon keynote speaker; Kate W. Flewelling, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region; and (standing, second from right) Kathy Silks, PA Forward project manager. Members of the planning committee were (standing, l. to r.): Joanne Muellenbach, Commonwealth Medical College; Mary Garm, Lackawanna County Library System; Martina Soden, Scranton Public Library; Bridget Conlogue, Commonwealth Medical College; and Susan Jeffery, North Pocono Public Library.

PaLA Bulletin | 17OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

While highly revered for their fact finding abilities, librarians, as we well know, are also skilled

content creators. Librarians understand the value of experience in turning infor-mation into knowledge, and they provide this opportunity to both their customers and their colleagues. In the library pro-fession, and particularly in Pennsylva-nia, the significance of context and experience in learning is evident; it is epitomized through such offerings as hands-on technology training, book discussions, and opportunities for public discourse, and more recently, with mak-erspaces where participants can focus on creative outlets rather than mere consumption.

From peer-to-peer mentoring within our libraries to a wide selection of network-ing and training opportunities at the local, state, and national levels, librarians embrace a knowledge-sharing culture. PaLA’s Academy of Leadership Studies (PALS) is a prime example. It not only provides an opportunity for librarians to develop and enhance their leadership skills, but it is a vehicle through which Pennsylvania’s experienced librarians can give back to the profession and show their commitment to the future.

As a 2012 graduate of PALS, I can speak directly to the benefits of this experience. And I encourage library directors to recognize that leadership spark in their staff and urge them to pursue this three-day workshop that provides intensive and focused sessions proven to develop the skills of future library leaders. Attendees develop and refine their understanding of leadership through various activities, exercises, and presen-tations, which allow individuals to hone their own definition of “leader”. During

the process, participants come to the realization that leaders are not all cut from the same mold. There are a variety of different leadership styles and it is through awareness and a state of mind that true leadership can be exemplified.

Throughout the three days, there is ample opportunity for thoughtful intro-spection as well as for lively group dis-cussions. In addition to celebrating camaraderie and self-understanding, participants are also expected to contrib-ute to the profession by creating an out-put that will benefit the members of our professional association. To that end, participants are divided into small work groups and are assigned team projects. More experienced library leaders serve as mentors for each of these work groups, and they closely monitor the development of their team project assignments. Before the workshop comes to a close, teams are given enough time to organize initial ideas and outline a plan of action for completing their proj-ect during the upcoming year. Over the next several months, team members work together to bring their project to fruition, track and report on progress, and finally provide a poster presentation of the outcome during the following year’s PaLA conference. Throughout this process, participants are guided by team mentors and have access not only to their advice, knowledge, and experience, but also to that of select PALS graduates from previous years.

So what kind of outputs come from PALS? Admittedly, I don’t know much about the other team’s projects and their progress, but I am quite proud of the final product created by me and my teammates. Formally known as the Presentation and Publishing Brochure group, we were tasked with creating a

brochure to assist librarians interested in getting published and presenting at conferences, workshops, and other ven-ues including online. The initial project evolved to become a bountiful resource listing a wide variety of opportunities for first-time presenters as well as for those interested in pursuing writing opportunities in the library field. As the document grew, we decided to go with an online format rather than a printed brochure. Once the information was collated and organized, we coordinated with PaLA to have it posted to the asso-ciation’s website where it now lives under the Build Your Career section.

This experience truly brought this particular PALS group full circle. We entered as potential leaders and con-sumed the information being relayed to us at the outset of the PALS workshop. Our journey was enhanced by the shared knowledge provided by our men-tors and guides. Our project afforded an opportunity to apply the knowledge we gained by collaborating with our colleagues and becoming content cre-ators ourselves. And moreover, what we created will benefit many others by pro-

PALS Builds on Knowledge-Sharing Culture in PA

B Y D A N A B A R B E R

Continued on page 18

In addition to celebrating

camaraderie and self-

understanding, participants

are also expected to con-

tribute to the profession by

creating an output that will

benefit the members of our

professional association.

18 | PaLA Bulletin OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

What to Expect from PALSB Y B O N N I E P O W E R S

This year’s PaLA Academy of Leadership Studies (PALS) was held at the Best Western Premier in Harrisburg from June 23 – 26 — three action-packed days filled with instruction, collabora-

tion, discussion, and inspiration.

The main purpose of PALS is to present attendees with the opportunity to “Discover the Leader Within!” (this year’s theme). You can read about the mission and purpose of PALS here: http://www.palibraries.org/ ?page=PALS. And while it’s helpful to know how PALS is structured (organizers, presenters, mentors, and attendees participating in a series of group discussions, meals, meetings, and activities) and that as part of the program attendees, under the guidance of a mentor, are required to complete a group project for unveiling at PaLA’s annual conference the following year (this year’s projects were PA Forward-focused), from my perspective, it is most important to understand what PALS may do for you as an individual and a potential leader in the community of Pennsylvania libraries.

PALS helped to identify authenticity as the most important factor for successful leadership, at least for me. I came to the program not know-ing what to expect. I found myself surrounded by respected library professionals already identified as leaders, as well as many new professionals as uncertain as I was with regard to finding a place and discovering what we can bring to the table.

The first and foremost thing anyone can bring to the table is him or herself. There is only one you. By all means bring to the table what you know and what you can do — your knowledge and skills are important, too. But the most important attribute everyone possesses is the unique-ness of self.

Anyone can lead from any organizational level or position. Only those who lead from the core will be successful. Trying to fit in is a waste of time. Instead, try to make who you are fit and fill a need so that together, as individuals, we can all help move Pennsylvania’s libraries forward.

Bonnie Powers is the district consultant for the Capital Area Library District. She recently finished reading Etched in Sand by Regina Calcaterra. She is currently not reading anything, but always looking for recommendations.

moting shared knowledge within the field by encouraging would-be present-ers and writers to highlight their skills in order to educate others.

Prior to participating in PALS, I had read countless articles and books about leadership and attended numerous pre-sentations on the topic, but this con-sumption of information did little to prepare me to lead. PALS delivers some-thing different entirely. In addition to a realistic and approachable definition of leadership, it offers experience, context, shared knowledge, and mentoring along with an immediate opportunity to nur-ture and develop one’s own leadership potential and to prove one’s value to colleagues by creating something worth-while. As for the Presentation and Pub-lishing Brochure group of 2012 PALS, we are confident that our project will continue to support and encourage the knowledge sharing culture of librarians throughout the commonwealth.

Note: The 2012 PALS Presentation and Publishing Brochure group is Amy Deuink, William Fee, Katie Nicholson, Melissa Szafran, and Dana Barber. We are extremely grateful for the advice, guidance, and support of our mentor, Debbie Malone. And we want to thank our PALS advisors, Leigh-Ann Puchalski and Allyson Valentine, for their assistance throughout our PALS experience. Finally, we extend our gratitude to Carolyn Blatchley who facilitated our efforts to get our proj-ect online and made it a reality.

Dana Barber is the associate library direc-tor for the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library in Bristol. She is reading Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love & Karaoke by Rob Sheffield.

PALS Builds on Knowledge-Sharing Culture in PA Continued from page 17

PaLA Bulletin | 19OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

Lehigh Valley Chapter’s

Fall Social

The Lehigh Valley Chapter’s

fall social event was held

Wednesday, November 13 at

Roosevelt’s in Bethlehem. More than

15 librarians from the Lehigh Valley

area attended. The chapter hopes to

offer more events in 2014.

Submitted by Catherine Stewart, chair, Lehigh Valley chapter.

20 | PaLA Bulletin OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

Hard as it is to believe, November 22 marked 50 years since President Kennedy was assassinated. Many will recollect where they were the moment they heard the news. For the baby boomer genera-

tion, there was no other more definitive moment.

As I also mark 50 years of my life, I wanted to know more of how people felt on that day. What memories do they have? For me, being only one month old at the time, I have no memory, only what I have been told by my mother and grandmother: “The mailman came and asked if we had heard that the presi-dent was shot in Dallas, Texas.”

I always wanted to know more and I will go into that later. I would soon embark on a research journey to find out more about that day through the minds of those who remembered.

Back in June 2012, Dan Rather was a guest speaker at the Amer-ican Library Association’s annual conference. I wanted to ask his thoughts as one of the first correspondents on the scene in Dallas. But after squirming around in my seat trying to get the courage to get in line, time was called after only three questions and I never got to ask.

I struck up a conversation with a librarian next to me while in line waiting for Mr. Rather to sign my book, and mentioned that I’d wanted to ask him about the assassination. The librar-ian said, “That would have been an interesting question. I lived in Canada at the time, and was in eighth grade. Even in Canada, the president was well loved. They let us out of school early.”

I knew after that conversation that I wanted to know more about John F. Kennedy, as he was our finest president in my lifetime; but one I never knew. I decided to start interviewing librarians who might be old enough to remember. Why librar-

ians? Librarians are information specialists. Librarians will give me reliable information, because that is what we do! Also, after I started this project I went to Seattle for the 2013 ALA midwinter conference. Caroline Kennedy was a guest speaker and the honorary chair of National Library Week in 2013 — the year of the 50th anniversary of the assassination. I’m always in awe as how circumstances seem to “click” while in the writing process.

As people started opening up their recollections to me, the door that was once closed in my world suddenly started to open and I had to continue forward.

I remember I was in high school at Canon-McMillan High School in Canonsburg, Pa., and was in the cafeteria at the study hall table, when the announcement came over the loud speaker. It didn’t seem real, nothing was said; noth-ing, nothing! When I went home the TV was on and all of a sudden the shocker…they show Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald! They then showed the funeral live at our school. What sticks most in my mind about the funeral was little John-John holding his right hand over his heart.

— Hope Sehring, Jeannette (Pa.) Public Library

I was in first grade. I lived in Cinnaminson, N.J., which is right outside of Philadelphia. The reason I remember it so vividly is because of this boy I knew, but he would always tell stories he had made up (in other words, he lied). His mother would tell me, “Don’t listen to anything Ted says, it’s usually a lie.” Therefore, when he told me “the presi-dent had just been shot”, I didn’t believe him. But when I got home and told my mother she told me that Teddy was in fact telling the truth.

— Jean Lenville, assistant dean, Weinberg Library, University of Scranton

Our President,

Our Memories

B Y M A R Y B E T H R O C H E

PaLA Bulletin | 21OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

As I had said earlier, I was too young to remember the assassi-nation, but I was in contact with a librarian who was even younger than I was at the time.

I don’t quite fit your group of interviewees, but I do know where I was when Kennedy was shot — I was in a ‘womb without a view’. (I was born in December of 1963.)

— Vickie L. Kline, systems librarian Schmidt Library, York College

I asked librarians questions about how old they were and their memories of their school day.

I was in fourth grade at Franklin Elementary School in Lebanon, Pa., when the news came of his assassination. A scratchy old black-and-white television was brought into the classroom and we watched the scenes from Dallas that afternoon. I’m afraid none of us was too sad, not knowing really what it meant except getting out of math class and other afternoon classes.

— Dan LaRue, director, Hamburg Public Library

I was 5 years old and in kindergarten. I remember my par-ents being astonished that someone would shoot the presi-dent of the U.S., not that it hadn’t happened before, but this particular president was generally well-liked and had led the country through the Bay of Pigs crisis. He had a young wife and small children; it was tragic.”

— Lynnette Saeger, director Southern Lehigh Public Library, Center Valley

I was a sixth-grade student at Central Elementary School in the Coraopolis School District (now Cornell School District) in Allegheny County, Pa. In 1963, Coraopolis was a blue-collar, middle-class industrial town of about 10,000 resi-dents located along the Ohio River about 13 miles west of downtown Pittsburgh.

— Glenn R. Miller, executive director, PaLA

I was 15 years old, 10th grade.

— Pamela Murphy, district consultant Northeast Library District, Scranton

I was 8 years old and was in the fourth grade. I was in school that day and I remember being in the classroom in the late morning and we were watching educational televi-sion — public broadcasting I recall — which was rather novel at the time. I can’t recall what show we were watch-ing, but I very vividly remember that the program was interrupted by a special announcement telling us that Pres-ident Kennedy had been shot in Dallas. The first report didn’t say that he had been assassinated so much of what happened after that was related to staying tuned to the news to learn more information. I remember that it was a very shocking news report. As young children we had no

idea something like that could even happen in our world, so it was like hearing that a spaceship had landed, just something you didn’t think was possible. I am pretty sure that because my class was watching this on television, we were the first ones to hear the news. I think the teacher went out of the room to tell others and to try to get more information. After that I can’t quite recall what happened that day. We may have been dismissed early.

— Steven Bell, associate librarian for research and instructional services, Temple University, Philadelphia

I was 15, in 10th grade. I was in biology class. There was an announcement over the PA system that the president had been shot. School was dismissed for the day. Everyone was quiet and many people were crying.

— Katherine Gaines, retired librarian, Abington Free Library

I was in sixth grade at St. Rose School in Carbondale, Pa. I remember Sister Mary Catherine announced over the PA that the president has been shot and to please pray. We had no school the following day or the day of the funeral. We all watched it on television and of course I remember little John-John saluting his father.

— Maria Zaccone, library director, Carbondale Public Library

The teacher got a call from the office, and then it was announced over the PA. The teacher was very upset after the phone call. I don’t remember what she said to us before the announcement but probably had us all stop what we were doing and pay attention. I seem to recall there being hope that he wouldn’t die so I believe they told us he was shot. I don’t remember school closing but I remember it being very quiet and solemn.

— Jean Kammer, Hawley Public Library

I was 5 years old, and living in Hazleton, Pa., at the time. I will always remember it pretty vividly, because my sister was having her birthday party that day. But what I will never forget is the funeral procession. The casket was being pulled by a horse drawn carriage. We all watched it on the black-and-white TV my parents had.

— Gene Berger Seeley Memorial Library, Lackawanna College

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Continued on page 22

22 | PaLA Bulletin OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

I vividly recall where I was and the surrounding circum-stances. My husband and I were visiting his brother and family in N.Y. C., I think. Our girls were 12, 8, and 4 at home in Jenkintown, Pa. with a sitter. I was in a cab in New York and the driver’s radio was on which was making me believe they were running a program on Lincoln’s assas-sination. After a few minutes it became apparent that Kennedy had been shot in Dallas (they did not say he was dead). I got out of the cab on Fifth Avenue and the person I saw right away was a woman I had met at a party in Long Island. She was the editor of Bride Magazine and now many years later I occasionally see her daughter. My husband and I were very frightened about the safety of our children as in the beginning moments there was major speculation that there was a conspiracy and of course we didn’t know the genesis of this terrible event. There was major concern in the beginning that our country was in danger.

— Nancy R. Posel, librarian, retired

It was a hallmark in my lifetime, as was 9/11, when it is like someone punches you in the face. We all have our own tragedies in life but it seems like the ones that affect the entire country get branded into our brains and we can never forget where we were when we heard the news and how we felt after hearing it.

— Denise Stevens, adult programming coordinator Lower Macungie Library

I was in 11th grade and lived in Alabama at the time. I remember I was in the biology lab, actually it was home-room, which was in the biology lab. Everyone was solemn and in shock. I think no one ever thought that someone would shoot President Kennedy. Everyone loved the Kennedys, from the president to John-John. There was even a record made [The First Family by Vaughn Meader], that’s how people felt, casual. They adored the first family, and the record was very popular.

— Janet Ruddy, D. Leonard Corgan Library King’s College, Wilkes Barre

I personally purchased that album, which I thought was very comical. I later found out that Jackie Kennedy thought the album was horrible and neither she nor the president would allow the children to listen to it.

The following is a response from Diane Wahl, whom I met a few months prior and then again briefly at a conference as she was rushing to a session. She was in Dallas on November 23, 1963, and saw President Kennedy speak.

It was a chilly, rainy day, but I was excited because Presi-dent Kennedy was in town and was going to give a public speech in front of the Texas Hotel that morning. My mother let me stay home from school and took me down to see him. I remember standing in the crowd in front of the hotel and I remember Kennedy on the stage that had been set up for the occasion. I was a little disappointed because Jackie didn’t come out with him. I don’t really remember what he said, but here’s a link to an audio recording of the speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlfNl1VizRg. My next memory from that day is returning to school during the fourth period. It was senior English and my classmates were taking turns standing in front of the class reciting poetry they had memorized for extra credit. A girl named Jan Eudy was reciting William Blake’s “The Lamb” when the principal interrupted the class on the intercom to announce that the president had been shot. I don’t remem-ber if school let out early or if I knew before I got home that Kennedy was dead. My only other memory of that day is that some of the boys in my high school were laughing and making light of the shooting. I felt ashamed for them and wished they weren’t at my school.

— Diane L. Wahl University of North Texas Libraries, Denton, Texas

I asked everyone I interviewed about their own personal thoughts of that day, besides the questions I had asked. Some were very brief; while others put into words which through their words made me see that day much clearer.

During that weekend and into Monday, time stood still. I do not remember doing anything other than watching news coverage on TV and going to church on Sunday. My

“Libraries should be open to all — except the censor.”

— John F. Kennedy

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PaLA Bulletin | 23OCTOBER/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

recollection is that we had just returned from church and turned on the TV in time to see Jack Ruby shoot and kill Lee Harvey Oswald. That weekend, I did not hang out with my friends. I’m not sure I even went outside other than to church. Losing a president was new territory for the whole country and we were all learning about presi-dential succession and protocol as events unfolded.

In my lifetime, now almost 61 years, only three news events stand out with such intensity that I can tell you exactly where I was and what I was doing when they occurred: the 9/11 attacks, the resignation of President Nixon, and the assassination of President Kennedy. Each happened in different eras of media capabilities. 9/11 was covered widely and universally because it was such a huge tragedy occurring in the Internet age with round-the-clock news coverage. But 50 years ago, the television coverage of President Kennedy’s assassination was unprecedented and I think the entire country must have been starved for news coverage. The Pittsburgh Press (afternoon) and the Post-Gazette (morning) newspapers provided wall-to-wall cover-age in the Pittsburgh region. Life and Look magazines, along with Time and Newsweek, provided invaluable lasting coverage, particularly photographs. Today, magazines covering news seem more quaint than the essential news sources they were when President Kennedy died. But in those days, I remember devouring every printed word, every photograph.

I now understand that President Kennedy was far from perfect. At the same time, he was a gifted politician with very capable people around him. With his death, history changed — some for the better (civil rights legislation passed sooner) and some for the worse (the escalation of the Vietnam War happened faster). I often wonder how different the 1960s and 1970s — and even today — would have been if President Kennedy had lived.

— Glenn R. Miller

I learned so much through this project, and I am so very grate-ful to all that responded and were willing to be interviewed. My final step in the journey was a drive to Boston, to the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum. Before I was allowed to go into the research room, I had to first check in with John Secca, who allowed me to interview him, and he was absolutely charming! I asked John where he was when President Kennedy was assas-sinated. ”In bed!” Mr. Secca said. “I was a cop in Boston and I worked the third shift. My wife woke me up and told me. They called everyone back in, because they had no idea what might happen.”

I did eventually get an answer to the question I wanted to ask Dan Rather when I read his book, Rather Outspoken. He heard the news from the hospital priest after he called the hospital for conformation. (It was Dan Rather’s second call, in fact. On the first a doctor answered and said “Yes, he’s dead,” and hung up.)

The priest’s response was, “Yes, the president has been shot and he is dead.” In the book, Mr. Rather wrote, “It was a hammer to the heart…I had the same gut-wrenching emotional reaction, the same sense of shock and disbelief that everyone else in America had.”

Rather also believed there was only one gunman. I tried to avoid this area in my interviews; however, the subject came up many times.

The month before Kennedy came to Dallas, Adlai Stevenson was spit on and heckled by extreme conserva-tives in Dallas. There was talk that the conservative envi-ronment in Dallas made the trip risky for the president even before he arrived. After he was assassinated I heard speculation that either the Communists or the Mafia were behind his death. In January 2013, I attended a program in Dallas featuring Charlie Rose interviewing Robert Kennedy Jr. and Rory Kennedy — the first time a Kennedy has been in Dallas since the assassination. During that program, Robert Kennedy Jr. said that his father believed that the Mafia was behind his brother’s death. Although RFK publicly supported the Warren Commission report, he privately had his own investigation carried out and said telephone records of calls between Oswald, Ruby, and many Mafia figures that RFK had investigated had been found. Here’s an article about the program: http://goo.gl/BcDprQ.

— Diane L. Wahl

Again, it’s hard to believe that fifty years has passed since the death of President Kennedy, the president I never knew. But now, through personal research and the recollection of a num-ber of most helpful librarians, I feel as if I know him just as well as any other citizen of the United States.

Mary Beth Roche is the director of the Seeley Memorial Library at Lackawanna College in Scranton. She is currently reading The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.

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OCTOBER

4 Northwest Chapter Fall Workshop Clarion

15 Connect & Communicate Webinar (Sponsored by CRD)

20 PCBL Board Meeting PaLA Headquarters

20 – 23 PaLA Annual Conference Seven Springs, PA

NOVEMBER

8 South Central Chapter Leadership Meeting PaLA Headquarters

11 Veteran’s Day Holiday PaLA Office Closed

12 SEPLA Annual Meeting & Workshop King of Prussia

13 PA Forward Training Workshop Allison Park

14 PA Forward Training Workshop Upper St. Clair

15 PR Marketing Committee Meeting PaLA Headquarters

22 PA Forward Steering Committee Meeting PaLA Headquarters

28 – 29 Thanksgiving Holiday PaLA Office Closed

DECEMBER

5 – 6 Leadership Orientation Yorktowne Hotel, York

13 PR Marketing Committee Meeting PaLA Headquarters

24 – 25 Christmas Holiday PaLA Office Closed

Calendar Updates

C A L E N D A R

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