Talking Shop: A Mentoring Dinner for Drexel iSchool SLA Alumni and Current Students

 Sign up NOW for this great mentoring opportunity with FREE food!  RSVP ASAP to reserve your spot!

Talking Shop: A Mentoring Dinner for Drexel iSchool SLA Alumni & Current
Students

Please join us for DUSLA’s first annual mentoring dinner designed to bring
together Drexel iSchool student and alumni SLA members in the casual dining setting of  Drexel's Academic Bistro. Space is limited to two dozen alumni and an equal number of current students interested in exploring special library career paths. The dinner is made possible through the support of the Drexel Alumni Association.

 Event Format:Students will select three SLA Divisions of interest and experience
“mini-mentoring” sessions based on each of their choices. The students will rotate through three  different small group conversations with alumni that change with each course: hors d'oeuvres,  entree, and dessert. In turn, alumni can inquire about current hot topics at the iSchool with each
student they mentor.

How to Participate: 
Alumni:Please reply listing your SLA Divisional affiliation along with
current and past job titles and industries in which you have experience. Alumni will be matched with the career goals of registered students and will be contacted one week prior to the event  with background on their matching students.


Students:check out the SLA Divisional webpage<http://sla.org/get-involved/divisions/>and choose three SLA Divisions of interest to
include in your RSVP. Also note any coursework and job experience relevant
to special librarianship or industry. Also, please bring a few copies of your resume to the event. RSVP early as this event will fill up quickly!

•Wednesday, May 8, 2013 • Event starts 5:00PM sharp
•Hosted by Drexel University Special Libraries Association
•Drexel’s Paul Peck Problem Solving & Research Building (aka “academic”
building) 101 North 33rd Street 6th Floor Philadelphia, PA
•Cost: Free, but space is limited
•RSVP with SLA Divisional affiliation required

RSVP’s:
Erin DeFord, DUSLA Vice President ecd69@drexel.edu


About SLA:
The Special Libraries Association (SLA) is the international association
representing the interests of thousands of information professionals in over eighty  countries worldwide. SLA's information professional members are employed most frequently by  corporations, law firms, private businesses, government agencies, museums, colleges, hospitals, and associations.

Sharepoint Workshop

On April 18th, DUSLA sponsored a Sharepoint workshop run by Nicole Snyder, Director of Library Services at Novak Druce Connolly Bove & Quigg LLP. Sharepoint is used in many library and information science workplace environments, so even if someone isn't adept in it, it can be useful for both work and resume to be familiar with the way it operates and how it can be used.

As Nicole, an iSchool alumnus herself, is a law librarian, her input is based on her experiences using it in a law library setting.

One of the things we learned was that Sharepoint is tied to user accounts on computers, and that different levels of control can be assigned to users. This means that people at different levels of a hierarchy might have more or less input into various features of Sharepoint.

Another thing we learned is that Sharepoint works with all Microsoft products, and that it works well for projects and organizations of both large and small sizes. Furthermore, in contrast with a Document Management System, it allows for better tagging and information about the contents of a document.

The second half of the workshop allowed us to get our feet wet and play around with Sharepoint a little bit. It was quite easy to pick up and adjust certain features, such as adding task reminders and adjusting user accounts. I can definitely say I came away from the workshop with a much better understanding of how to use Sharepoint than before!

GPLLA Mentoring Committee Meet & Greet

Looking for an opportunity to be mentored? Or are you more interested in being a mentor to new and upcoming library students?

Look no further than the GPLLA mentoring committee! The committee is taking applicants for mentors and mentees for their upcoming meet and greet at the Last Drop Cafe on 1300 Pine Street in Philadelphia. The event will last from 5:30 to 7 PM.

Please send an RSVP to Carey Sias (csias@jenkinslaw.org) or Grace Boivin (grace.bovin@gmail.com), and fill out the form at http://gplla.org/w/about/mentor-program

National Library Week Book Drive and Wine Social

To celebrate National Library Week, the Drexel iSchool is hosting a book drive and wine social! Come to room 014 in the Rush Building on Wednesday the 17th with a new or gently used book and stay to enjoy some light socialization with your fellow iSchool students.

Please RSVP at http://ischool.drexel.edu/nlwbookdrive

All books donated will go to the Free Library of Philadelphia's Book Corner.

Online Student Social

Calling all iSchool students! Do you have any questions about library school; job, internship, or volunteering opportunities; or what it's like to be a professional librarian? We're here to help!

DUSLA will be having its Spring Online Social with officers of SCALA tomorrow night, Thursday, April 11th, at 7:00-9:00 PM EST. Please use the following link to access the chatroom: http://bit.ly/SCALAevent

Reminder: First Friday Happy Hour, April 5th

This is a reminder that you are invited join us for our recurring First Friday Happy Hour on April 5th, from 5-7 PM at Devil's Alley on 1907 Chestnut Street!

As always, come to relax during the first week of the spring semester and meet your fellow iSchool students as well as area library and information science professionals.

Members of SEPLA (Southeastern Library Association) will be in attendance, so  interested students are strongly encouraged to come to the event.

RGSLA - Disaster Planning: Lessons Learned from Real Disasters

On Thursday, March 28th, I attended a webinar on disaster management presented through the SLA. This was free for members, but non-members had to pay a minimal charge.

Before the talk was underway, the presenters, Fran Wilkinson, Nancy Dennis, and Cheryl Zebrowski, polled the audience about their disaster management plans. 69% of the people attending said that their organization didn't have a disaster management plan. 13% said that they did, and another19% said that they had one in the works.

The presenters opened by discussing three disasters that had taken place in the Zimmerman Library of the University of New Mexico. There had been two floods and a fire, the first flood taking place not too long after they first established their disaster plans. Due to their experiences with emergency situations in libraries, they discussed what they had learned in managing library crises.

They said that it was was to be prepared for any sort of disaster, but also to look into what would be most likely to affect a given library. For example, certain libraries might be more concerned about flooding than earthquakes, while others for various reasons might look into the mitigation of any emergencies concerning hazardous materials. Evaluating your environment and your building for any likely sources of problems is a key first step. For example, what is your institution's plumbing like?

Also key is knowing how to shut off utilities, where the emergency equipment and exits are, and how the security system works. They used an example of an institution where the doors might lock during an emergency, which could be problematic for exiting or entering the building.

They listed several characteristics of a good manager of a disaster situation: they should have interest in recovery and the institution, they should be able to stay calm, they should be a team player, they should be organized, they should have good communication skills, they should be flexible, and they should be able to take initiative.

Finally, they named a few key steps that should be a part of every disaster plan process. There should be an inventory of any particularly vulnerable items and data. There should be an evaluation of areas at risk, and potential disaster sources. There should be employee training. All employees should have physical copies of the disaster plan for home, car, and work, along with its presence on the intranet, if there is one. Disaster plans should have employee contact information (and because of this, they should not be publicly available). There should be a contract with a disaster recovery service in place before a disaster -- research and communication with vendors is key. Finally, there should be an emphasis on personal safety. No one should risk their life for library materials in a disaster.

They closed by reminding attendees that disaster situations can take their toll on psyches and morale, and that it's important to be patient and remember to take care of yourself and your fellow employees.