Reference Interest Group Meeting

August 9, 2005

Ballard Library (Seattle Public Library)

 

Attending: Co-chairs Deanna Sukkar and Jennie Westlund, Secretary Esti Shay, Director of Marketing Mikey Wood, and Barbara Pitney, Ginny Rabago, Dani Rowland

 

The meeting was called in order to provide an update on RIG activities and accomplishments, and to tour the new Ballard library branch.

 

Prison/Hospital Tour – Dani

  • McNeil Island Corrections Center Library and Western State Hospital Library in Lakewood
  • October 5th -  an all day event; schedule forthcoming (will include lunch in Steilacoom)
  • Attendees are required to submit information for criminal history check in advance of the tour
  • Mikey volunteered to submit an ALKI article about the tours –of interest because so many prison libraries have lost funding and have been closed.  Can also be a tool to promote RIG
  • Will send to the WLA list and to RIG – space is very limited
  • Will pursue using a van for the event

 

Boeing Tour – Ginny

  • Currently on hold
  • Waiting to hear about security procedures

 

UW Health Sciences Library Tour – Jennie & Deanna

  • Already planned   but need to select a date

 

Museum of Flight Tour – Mikey

  • Will look into it for next year, possibly January/February

 

SPL Mixing Chamber Tour – Jennie & Deanna

  • Tentatively slated for next year

 

Letter of Recommendation – Mikey

  • First draft distributed at meeting for review
  • Co-chairs to finalize

 

Contacting new Information School students

  • Table at iSchool orientation?
    • RIG could combine with general WLA table – Deanna will pursue
    • Create a visual to present the missions of different library organizations and how the organizations are interrelated
    • send to new iSchoolers before orientation (Mikey)
    • Ginny suggested a promotional piece - pencils embossed with “RIG” to give away (Esti will pursue)
  • Send invitational letter to incoming students?
    • Possibility of obtaining addresses from the iSchool?

 

Networking Dinners

  • Organize at multiple locations including on either side of the mountains (Deanna)
  • Social and networking event – discussed how to handle reservation/payment

 

Mentoring/Shadowing

  • Mentoring discussed at the WLA retreat; will wait and see how it works for the larger group
  • Shadowing – Dani, Deanna, and Ginny will meet to discuss creating a list of professionals interested in providing shadowing opportunities
    • Ideally statewide, provide also for distance students

 

WLA Conference

  • The proposals were submitted at the end of July, and decisions will be made in September
  • Mikey volunteered as point person for the “Keeping Current” seminar
  • Volunteers will be needed for the conference programs - hosts, gophers, greeters etc.
  • Proposals submitted:
    • “Legal Research 101: Researching Cases at the Local and State Level” and “Legal Research 102: Researching Cases at Federal Level”
    • “Sightseeing the Internet” - graphical web searching
    • “Please help me find my family history” - genealogy research
    • “Responsible Risk-Taking, Remarkable Results: Statewide Virtual Reference” Washington State Library
    • “Keeping Current 2006: what’s new in reference research”
    • “Health Questions Shouldn’t Hurt: Medical Reference for the Generalist”
    • “6 Degrees of Information” -Information Literacy
    • “Library Services for seniors: the time is now”
  • Co-sponsored programs:
    • “How libraries can grow with emerging immigrant groups” (with Social Responsibilities Round Table – SRRT)
    •  “Characteristics of the Culturally Competent Librarian”  (co-sponsored with SRRT)  

 

Workshops

  • Statistical Reference Sources with Anne Zald, University of Washington
    • Series of three workshops to be presented this fall – 11/3 Seattle, 11/17 Olympia, 12/8 Yakima
    • SPL Central Library, one Eastside location and either North or South region
    • First and second week of November and first week of December
  • Business Reference Resources
    • Tentatively scheduled for next year – Spring (not April)

 

Budget

  • Spent $144 on gifts for presenters.
  • Budget based on number of members: 122 members at present
  • There has been some confusion on membership numbers, because there are different ways to renew registration with WLA and ALA