Holiday Luncheon Pictures

Thanks to the Staff Association, and especially to the Social Committee, for a great holiday luncheon!

Thank you to Rosann, the Kirby-Smiths, and everyone who brought a dessert!

Did you know... who created those trivia cards?

Here is the story behind the popular 'Did you know...' cards from earlier this semester, created by Liane Elias and Jenny Dale.

Jenny wanted something for the table that the Reference Department staffed during the Student Library Advisory Council's Know Your Libraries event, something that they could give away that might be interesting. She had the idea for trivia cards and Liane thought images might make them extra eye-catching. They decided to see what the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives had on Flickr. They picked out a couple of pictures and brainstormed on some trivia and voila! :)

There were nine cards in the "series," and either for the images or for the trivia, the two that seemed to be the most popular were one featuring some girls using the card catalog with "Did you know...that there's a librarian for every subject area at UNCG?" on the back, and the other was an image of the icy tree in front of Jackson and the trivia caption "Did you know...that Jackson Library is home to a famous 33-year-old doughnut?" As they kept tabs on how many cards were being taken from the desk in the week following the event, those two were the most scarce.

Liane says that she would be glad to make more of them for any library outreach events that anyone can think of! She would be happy to customize them with different images from Special Collections or different information on the back.

Here are the two most popular cards - check out the BTS slide show for more!

2013 Holiday Giving Project

Here is the list of charities that the Staff Association has given to or considered giving to in the past during the holiday season plus some new charities recommended by various staff. I am including, name, brief description, web site and if the charity is open to receiving goods in addition to monetary donations.

If you have any difficulty opening this survey, please let me know. Please select up to 3 charities. I will announce the top three charities you all have selected and indicate when we will start collecting and where. I plan to have this information to you by the week after Thanksgiving. The winning charities from last year were Greensboro Urban Ministries, Guilford Animal Shelter, and Mary's House.

Questions or comments about the holiday giving process, please let me know
Please complete the survey by 5:00 p.m. Nov. 21st. I will announce the selected charities after the Thanksgiving break. 

Click Here for Survey

Please allow your user name to be recorded. That way if you forget whether you have voted or not I can tell you if you have voted already or if you accidentally vote for more than three choices I can let you know.

Guilford County Animal Shelter: “The Guilford County Animal Shelter is the only public shelter in Guilford County. We are operated by a non-profit organization the United Animal Coalition. All donations made to the Guilford County Animal Shelter are tax deductible. The United Animal Coalition is a professional, caring organization devoted to saving the lives of lost, abandoned and surrendered animals of Guilford County, N.C. We strive to humanely care for all the animals and work diligently to return lost animals to their owners. We are committed to making every adoption of every animal a positive, permanent experience for both the animals and the pet owner.” http://www.adoptshelterpets.org/ “We are always in need of canned cat and kitten food, cat litter, dry dog and puppy food, supplies like copy paper, paper towels, laundry soap. bleach, and dish soap, etc.”

Humane Society of the Piedmont: Mission of the organization "With respect for all life, we will lead the community in efforts to eliminate animal cruelty and the tragedies of pet overpopulation through an aggressive spay and neuter program."http://www.hspiedmont.org/index.html "Fill The Food Bowl program was designed with the welfare of the pets and the current state of the economy in mind, this program is designed to help people feed their pets. The HSP will also deliver pet food to home bound citizens.”

Interactive Resource Center: “The Greensboro Interactive Resource Center assists people who are homeless, recently homeless or facing homelessness reconnect with their lives and the community at large. We offer showers, laundry facilities, computers, phone, resume writing and much more.” www.gsodaycenter.org “We are currently looking for donations of the following items. Tooth brushes, Razors and shaving cream, Travel-size deodorant, Feminine hygiene products, Small backpacks and totes bags, Men’s and women’s shoes (in good condition), Coats, Blankets, Sleeping bags, Gloves, Hand warmers, Socks”

Kid’s Path: “Kids Path is a specialized program for children living with serious, progressive medical conditions. In addition, Kids Path provides support for children and youth experiencing the grief associated with the illness or death of a loved one…The goal of Kids Path is to enhance the quality of life for these children and those who share their lives while regaining a sense of normalcy.” http://www.kidspath.com/ Only monetary donations accepted, no donations of goods

Mary’s House: “Mary's House ministry provides transitional housing to women in recovery from substance abuse and their minor children. We assist our residents with in-house substance abuse issues, and case management concerns. We teach our residents parenting skills and assist our mothers in assuring that our children meet their developmental milestones. We encourage our residents to build their spiritual base and to find their higher power.” http://www.maryshousegso.org/ Only monetary donations accepted, no donations of goods

Red Dog Farm Animal Rescue Network: “Dedicated to the rehabilitation, fostering and adoption of animals of all sizes. The homeless animals in our rescue network are now spread out all over Guilford County in the care of volunteer foster families.” http://www.reddogfarm.com/index.html Looking for donations of: Grocery store gift cards, Pet store gift cards, Dry dog and puppy food, Canned kitten food, Dry cat and kitten food, Cat litter, Rawhide chew toys, Kong dog toys, Red leashes and collars, Rabbit pellets, Guinea Pig pellets, Bags of pine shavings.

The Servant Center: “Mission: Provides hope and services to enable vulnerable, homeless and/or disabled people to be independent members of the community.” “Glenwood House provides eight units of permanent supportive housing. These studio apartments provide disabled low-income individuals the opportunity to live independently, while offering case management support and access to the services of Servant House they may need in order to overcome obstacles to their self-sufficiency. Grocery Assistance Program to help those in Guilford County having difficulty obtaining food, especially low-income elderly and/or disabled and those in a short-term emergency situation. Disability assistance helps clients in filing for Social Security Disability benefits. The Servant Center is the Lead Agency for the AmeriCorps Partnership to End Homelessness program. This program has almost 40 members serving the homeless and those at risk for homelessness at nonprofit organizations throughout Guilford County.” http://www.theservantcenter.org/

Urban Ministry: “Founded in 1967, Greensboro Urban Ministry is an ecumenical outreach agency supported by more than 200 congregations representing Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish faith traditions. Not only does Greensboro Urban Ministry provide crisis intervention and emergency services through the basics of food, and shelter, but we also help many individuals and families break the cycles of poverty, hunger, addiction, and homelessness.” http://www.greensborourbanministry.org/ Accepts donations of nonperishable food.

NCLA Student Ambassadors - Win a Trip to Washington, DC!

NCLA Student Library Ambassadors:

Win a free trip to Washington, DC for a student and parent/guardian!

Free Holiday Concert - Thursday, December 5th at 7:00pm at the Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium

Start off the holiday season with a free concert on December 5th at 7:00pm at the Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium.  Charrisse Jones from Acquisitions will be participating in the performance this year!

Fall Staff Association Meeting Pictures

Thanks to the Staff Association for a great Fall meeting!

The winners of the skull decorating contest were:
1st Place - Reference
2nd Place - Acquisitions
3rd Place - Access Services

Halloween in Jackson Library

The skulls for the Staff Association contest are on display across from the reference desk.  Vote for your favorite!

While you're there, check out this year's display of Living Dead Dolls in the staff display case.

Bountiful CROP of Pennies!

Not my photo but the donated pennies did
cover most of my dining room table.

A HUGE thank you to the thriftiness and generosity of University Libraries' staff! I sent out a modest request for pennies to contribute to my oldest son's school [Brown Summit Middle] Penny War for CROP Walk.  Your response was almost overwhelming - it was certainly heavy. You dumped out your change jars, checked your desk drawers, checked your pockets, and may have looked in places that don't need to be disclosed. To all of you - thank you for your time, your effort, and your support of the cause. To learn more about CROP walks and other services provided by Church World Services, go here. 

A special thanks to the donors:

Mary Katherine Amos

Mary Jane Conger

Cheryl Cross

Jennifer Motszko

Mark Schumacher

Kathelene McCarty Smith

Tattooed Librarians

Good afternoon all,

I thought I'd share this article I saw the other day about the Rhode Island Library Associations "Tattooed Librarians of the Ocean State" calendar. 

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/14/20961308-rhode-islands-tattooed-librarian-calendar-defies-stereotypes?lite

They are using the calendar as a fund raiser for the organization after seeing it done in other states include Texas and Massachusetts.  Maybe this could be a fund raiser for Jackson library? :P

If you are interested in purchasing a 2014 calendar, they are on sale for $12 at their website.

Sean

Pictures from Marilyn

From Marilyn -

This is my grandson Andrew enjoying a drink from the library mug. He just turned 9 months old.

Free Popcorn!

Yes, you read that right.

I have limited quantities of microwave popcorn in the following flavors:

• Unbelievable Butter
• Butter Light
• Kettle Corn

Come see me in ERIT to get the flavor of your choice.

And if you happen to like it, consider purchasing a box to support scouting, or make a donation to send popcorn to our military troops, families and veterans around the world.

Other flavors of pre-popped popcorn are also available for purchase, including cheddar, caramel and chocolate.

Thanks.

Terry Brandsma, ERIT 224E

Fall Holiday Decorating Competition 2013

Hi everyone!

Its that time of year again. As the weather gets colder we start thinking about Fall holidays. This year we will have another decorating competition, this year its "spooky skulls". Each department should come pick up one for decoration, they are available in the reference office. Have them back to the reference office (Emily) by October 21st so we can put them out for a vote! I'm not sure about the space we are displaying them in, so make them whatever size seems right to you.

If you don't want a "spooky skull" think about decorating them in the theme of Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday that remembers those who have passed on and takes place November 1st-2nd (often with candy skulls painted bright colors).

We will be having our fall staff association meeting Thursday October 31st. Keep an eye out for the time and food sign up sheet, which I'll send out by next week.

thanks!

Popcorn Fundraiser for Scouting

If you are interested in buying some really good popcorn (and supporting Scouting at the same time) please see me before October 14. Thanks!

Terry Brandsma, ERIT

The Greensboro Public Library Presents Author Sharyn McCrumb

Central Library – 219 N. Church St., 373-3617

For info contact Beth.Sheffield@greensboro-nc.gov

Head to the Greensboro Public Library during lunchtime on Tuesday, October 8 to hear Sharyn McCrumb read from her new book, King's Mountain. 

Underrated jobs of 2013

Hi all,

I just came across this piece from CNBC about the top 12 underrated jobs for 2013.  Surprise! Librarian came in as #12.

Some of the other jobs on the list include plumber, legal assistant, and accountant.

Here is the link:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101038179/page/2

Sean

Check out the programming for "One City, One Book" from the Greensboro Public Library

The Greensboro Public Library has announced it's programming for "One City, One Book."  This year's book is Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea. 

Click the image above to get the full list of events surrounding the book.

Housekeeper's Luncheon - Pictures

To show our appreciation for the great job our housekeeping staff does, the libraries held a luncheon in their honor to celebrate International Housekeepers' Week.

Searching for Lodging for a Visiting Researcher

Hi everyone,

I am trying to help an international researcher visiting our collection to find a reasonably priced room to rent near the campus. The researcher intends to arrive the weekend of Thanksgiving and stay for 3 weeks. If you know of any options or require more information, please let me know.

Thank you,

Stacey

Know Your Libraries Event

On Tuesday August 27 the Student Libraries Advisory Council (SLAC) and the Libraries sponsored "Know Your Libraries," an information fair to introduce students to our services and resources. Although aimed primarily at new students it was open to anyone. Staff from several departments staffed tables in the Reading Room and talked to students about materials and technology available for checkout, Special Collections (with an emphasis on UNCG history) and how to get help for research. Brief tours of student spaces and the DMC were also provided. Students who visited each station got a card punched and were able to enter a drawing for prizes. Snacks, including some awesome huge cookies, were provided by SLAC. We think around 75 students came through and over 30 completed the punch cards. All in all it was a great success and we hope to offer this event again.

Staff Video and Audio Equipment Loans

Starting this semester, the camcorder, tripod, microphones, headsets, and voice recorder that used to be loaned to library staff from ERIT will now be handled through the DMC.  To reserve the equipment, contact Cheryl, Armondo, or Beth FW.  Other equipment will continue to be loaned through ERIT.

Thanks.

School Fundraising Time Again - Attractions Books, Etc.

It's that time of year again.

If you are interested in purchasing the "Attractions Dining and Value Guide: Piedmont Triad" ($25 each) please let me know. I have a sample in my office, or view information here.

I also have the standard Innisbrook catalogs (overpriced but good quality wrapping paper/bags, food items, gifts, magazines and chocolates) if you are interested.

All proceeds support Cornerstone Charter Academy.

I need orders by Friday, September 6. Thanks.

Terry Brandsma, ERIT 224E

"Listen all y'all, it's a sabotage..."

I found this hilarious video created by librarians at Chicago's Francis W. Parker School who decided to make their own parody of the 1994 Beastie Boys' music video to "Sabotage."  Who says working at a library can't be fun?!  Hope you all enjoy.

Sean

Librarians' music video:

M&D 2013 Sabotage from Mike and Duane Show on Vimeo.

Here's the link if the video doesn't show: http://vimeo.com/66169135



Original Beastie Boys' music video:

Article on Woman's College Library Resources in Segregated North Carolina

If you're interested in learning more about the Library's - and specifically librarian Charles Adams' - struggles in allowing students from Bennett and North Carolina A&T to use Woman's College Library resources, I have an article in the newest issue of North Carolina Libraries focused on the topic. I'll add that almost all of the research was done here in the University Archives! Here is the link and additional information for those who are interested in reading:

Charles Adams and the Controversy over Use of the Woman’s College Library in Segregated North Carolina
Erin Lawrimore
North Carolina Libraries, Vol. 71, No. 1 (2013)

Abstract: In 1951, the Library at the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina faced attacks from administrative leaders due to its policy of allowing African-American students from neighboring colleges to access the catalog, borrow books, and use reference resources. Librarian Charles Adams refused to ban these students from the Library's facilities, leading to repeated confrontations with the chancellor and the University of North Carolina Consolidated System's Board of Trustees. In developing guidelines that were applicable to all - not just African Americans - Adams bucked the University's segregationist policies and ensured that information needs were met, regardless of a patron's skin color.

Reference Interns

Welcome, new reference interns!

Librarian reads microminiature book

A librarian at the University of Iowa library reads a microminiature book, 0.138 inches square and 0.04 inches thick. Read about it here.

Photo Published in The Wall Street Journal!

A shout out to J. Stephen Catlett (Digital Projects)!  Stephen is an accomplished photographer, and one of his photos was published in The Wall Street Journal today. The article was about the angst over teacher assignments that parents of school-age children experience each August.  Stephen took the picture of the mother and daughter.  To read the article, see http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324564704578629972133020026.html .


And here's a photo of the photo:

Volunteers needed--Voluntary Income Tax Assistance

From Charrisse Jones
PSA:  VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The VITA Program (Voluntary Income Tax Assistance) is currently in need of volunteers for the 2014 Tax Season. VITA provides "FREE" Tax Preparation Service at several Libraries & Community Centers here in Guilford County and nationwide  for low to middle income families during the tax season.

VITA is in need of Tax Preparers & Greeters.  No experience is necessary. Training will begin in the Fall.

If you are interested and can help a few of hours per week during the 2014 Tax Season (end of January - April 15th, 2014), please contact Charrisse Jones for more information & details at (336) 334-3553 or 375-6573.  Thank you

Here's the text from the flyer:

What is VITA?
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is a national program that offers free tax preparation help to people with low-to-moderate incomes ($51,000 and below). VITA sites are operated by local community coalitions/partners with support, training and supervision from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Returns are prepared and reviewed by IRS-certified volunteers using IRS-approved software.
Want to get involved?
You can get involved in several ways!  We are looking for site coordinators, tax preparers, greeters, and screeners.

What is the time commitment? 

All volunteers must pass an ethics test.  Tax preparers and reviewers must be certified by passing one or more IRS tests, ranging from Basic to Advanced level.

VITA sites are usually open from mid-January to mid-April. 
As a volunteer, you can choose the locations and hours that fit your schedule. 
What skills are necessary to volunteer as a tax preparer or reviewer?
• Ability to learn about tax regulations and pass IRS test
• Ability to use a computer and tax preparation software
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with            diverse groups of people 
• Attention to detail
• Ability to maintain high standards of confidentiality

Anyone can volunteer! It's a great opportunity to learn about tax preparation and give back to the community!

How is the training done?
VITA training is offered primarily through self-study and online. The IRS provides volunteers with the free training materials.

For additional information please contact Carolyn V. Jones, SPEC-Senior Tax Consultant at
336-574-6437 or carolyn.v.jones@irs.gov. 

Pictures from the Farewell Party

Happy Retirement Hermann, Bill, and Stephen!  Good Luck to Joe in his new job!

Staff Association President Nomination

Hello everyone,

Nancy Ryckman has kindly volunteered to be nominated for Staff Association President for the 2013-2014 year. If you are not in favor of this nomination, please contact me by the end of this week.

Thank you,

Stacey K.

Mosaic Festival this Saturday in Greensboro!

MOSAIC FESTIVAL 2013 will be held SATURDAY JUNE 8th 12pm – 8pm at FESTIVAL PARK (200 N. Davie St. Greensboro, NC) brought to you by CWS Greensboro Immigration & Refugee Program.  This FREE event is hosted by local non-profit CWS Greensboro and 100% community supported. Donations are greatly appreciated and all funds raised at the event go directly back into the community supporting programs to help make Greensboro a more welcoming place for all. This year, CWS is raising funds to support Cultural Orientation and Education Programs for newcomers. Hope to run into some of you there!

Farewell Festivities for June 13th

Greetings!

We want to bid a fond farewell to Joe Williams, who will be much missed. Farewell festivities in the Faculty Center at 2pm to 3:30 pm on June 13th will honor Joe and, as previously announced, our retirees Bill Finley and Hermann Trojanowski (Stephen Dew will be in Europe). Cards are available for signing in the Library Administration Office for Joe, Hermann, Bill and Stephen. Robin is also accepting contributions for gifts for our three retirees. We will miss all of those who are leaving and want to extend all our best wishes to them. All are invited to this festive event!

Thank you,

Your Staff Association Board

Graduation time!

It's graduation season!  Share news and pictures of the graduates in your life on Jackson Leaks.  Feel free to send pictures and names to Kimberly Lutz (kdlutz2@uncg.edu) to post if you prefer.

"Stealing History" : a 60 minutes video clip

Good afternoon all,

Normally I don't watch "60 minutes," but somehow I randomly caught this on Sunday night and thought I would share with you all.

 

It's a 14 minute segment titled "Stealing History" that focuses on the theft of archival documents and other historical artifacts primarily by Barry Landau from the National Archives. However, it also mentions several historical societies and other archives that have been targeted by thieves. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50148120n

 

As an archivist, this is just another stark reminder that we need to be aware of our patrons and what they are doing once we give them access to our documents. It is also a sad reminder that thefts in libraries and achives do happen.

Sean

baby deer stuck in our backyard...

came back from a week vacation to find this little on in our yard! We think his mom birthed him in the yard and then we came home, she hopped the fence but the baby could not. We had to corral the baby dear out the gates which took a little time but finally the baby got out and back with mom in the woods by our house :)

Kittens

A message from Mary Krautter:

Some of you may have noticed a couple of feral cats hanging around the building for the past few months.  I have touched base with someone who has been faithfully feeding them and last week, we saw kittens for the first time.  And it's a long story but Robin and I caught one Friday afternoon.  Kitten has been remarkably easy to tame!  We watched Behind the Candelabra together last night - or I watched it and kitten slept on my chest.  But there are 3 more out there, and we're going  to try to trap them and get them adopted while they are still young enough to tame easily. With the older ones, we'll try to trap and have them neutered and release them; everything I have read and vets I have talked to say that's the best choice.  Let me know if you  too want a TV buddy - they are about 6 weeks old.   

Staff Picnic

Thanks to Rosann and everyone who worked to give us a great staff picnic!

2013 Staff Service Award Winner

The winner of this year's Staff Service Award is Susan Hendrickson!

Comments & Questions for the Staff Association

Thank you all for your feedback relating to the proposed changes to the Staff Association and the Social Committee. Although the results will be announced on Monday, I wanted to take this opportunity to respond to specific questions and comments received in the survey. I would like to apologize ahead of time if the formality of my answers read as being in an icy tone, as I know these are very sensitive questions and it is important that each one be addressed sincerely. It appears that there is a need for an anonymous feedback form for comments, and I will see what I can do to have this put in place. Please let me know if there are any additional questions, or if I have completely missed the point when I answered the question. - Stacey K.

“I would like there to be clarification regarding the sending of cards or flowers/gift basket when someone is ill, hospitalized, or is dealing with the death of a family member.”

The guiding framework the Staff Association uses in responding to significant life events can be found in the “Cards, Gifts, and Parties Policy” of the Staff Association Constitution (http://libshare.uncg.edu/sites/bts/CGTP/Pages/sta.aspx). The Staff Association Board is only mandated to provide these services for employees of University Libraries. Because we are responsible for funds collected from library staff, there must be an all personnel vote for any deviations from the constitution. Doing otherwise is to risk accusations of misappropriation of funds. If you would like us to make changes, the suggested amendment needs to be brought to the attention of the Staff Association Board so that we may put it to vote by library personnel.      

“I know in the past, cards have or have not been sent even when appropriate, at the discretion of the social comm. chair regardless of the policy.”

If the Staff Association Board is not meeting our perceived responsibilities, my advice would be to bring this to the attention to a board member. I would need specific examples in order to address the issue. I can say that one of the incentives in the proposed changes to the Social Committee is the improvement of communication between the Staff Association and the department. The Staff Association cannot send cards or gifts until we know about the event, which is why we would like to have representation from each department on the Social Committee.

If the above explanation does not address the situation alluded to in the above question, please provide more specific information to a member of the Staff Association committee. If in-person feedback is intimidating, and we are in need of an anonymous feedback mechanism, then please bring this to the attention of the Staff Association Board so that we look into providing that service.     

“I know some individuals have nit-picked what should be considered a "family member", when really simply sending a card would be the right thing to do if a life partner, grandparent or other special people are ill or have passed away.”

I agree that recognition of illness or death is the right thing to do (though not every employee has wished us to publicly release the information, preferring to grieve in privacy), but as mentioned above, it would involve a greater expenditure of funds. Therefore, if you would like to see this change, it would need to be voted by library personnel. I would need to know examples of the “exceptions” before I could address the problem.

“Women having babies should receive something from the library.”

Line a of section 4 reads: “Gifts, cards, and parties for staff members and members of their families for weddings, births, birthdays, anniversaries, etc., will be left to the discretion of the department in which the staff member works.” The Staff Association usually does send a card. If you would like greater involvement, it would need to be voted by personnel as a constitutional change, as it would require and expenditure from funds.  

“The same good people always volunteer to bring food. How do you get those who never bring food to help out”?

I agree that we are fortunate to have specific dedicated, awesome people who bring food and help with staff social events. If you have any suggestions on how to encourage greater involvement or more publicly acknowledge our contributors, I am open to suggestions.

“Some of the folks that have never participated in the staff assoc. committee as an officer, need to get involved instead of the same one's each year.”

This is my first year in serving on the Staff Association Committee, so I cannot be but so indignant on the matter. I think we would all like to see greater enthusiasm for involvement. If you have any ideas, the Staff Association would welcome them.

“For people who are introverted or shy, a committee like this one would be much more difficult than another, more closed-door committee. I feel that, with regard to this committee in particular, any staff member should have the right not to volunteer, and not to serve, if it is something that will cause them undue stress.”

I appreciate your input. It is not required that every staff member serves on the committee board, and if this is the perception, I apologize. I would like to say that I have served on many committees during my relatively short time here, and this one is not that stressful. However, the pressure you might experience varies according to position, and I would point out that there are many behind the scenes positions in which an introvert would not feel threatened. The suggested changes to the social committee would be providing many of such positions as well—only the Social Committee Co-Chairs require a more public presence.

Staff Association Nominations & Changes to the Social Committee

Voting for New Officers:

We are voting for new officers for the Staff Association Board. The only limitation is that the President for this term must be EPA, and the Vice President must be SPA. If you are interested in being considered for a particular position, please contact the person presently holding this position as listed below. Also, if you have any questions concerning the responsibilities of any position, please feel free to contact me or the officer presently in this position. Here are the Staff Association Officers at present:

President: Stacey Krim

Vice President: Mary Jane Conger

Secretary: Anna Craft

Treasurer: Jenny Dale

Staff Room Coordinator: Marilyn Hanichak

Social Committee Co-Chairs: Christine Fischer and Mary Krautter

Proposed Changes to the Social Committee:

TO VOTE, CLICK HERE.

A link to vote on the below changes to the Social Committee will be sent in the following weeks. Please read the proposed changes and bring any concerns or questions you have to me or the present Social Committee Co-Chairs.

The Constitution currently reads: 

• Social Committee. The officers of the Association will ask for volunteers and appoint a Social Committee of three or more persons to assist the Social Co-Chairpersons. The Social Committee, following the guidelines set forth in the "Cards, Gifts, Parties Policy" will be responsible for:

1. Holiday decorations for the library.
2. Coordinating expenses with the Secretary/Treasurer.

We propose a change to read:

Social Committee.  Each department will recruit at least one representative to the Social Committee with the exception of departments of fewer than 5 individuals, for which this is optional.   Departments may have more than one representative.  Co-Chairs will be chosen from this group by group agreement.

The Social Committee, following the guidelines set forth in the "Cards, Gifts, Parties Policy" will be responsible for:

·         Collaborating with the department head or the department representative   on planning retirement and  farewell  parties for individuals from each department to  include:  working with  the honoree on the type of party desired and assisting with arrangements and arranging for invitations for outside guests.  

·         Approving  the usual expenses involved in holding a potluck type of reception in the Library which will be covered by the Staff Association.  The  department head will arrange any needed additional funding with library administration.

·         Organizing the annual Holiday party, the Housekeeper Appreciation Luncheon, two annual Staff Association meetings and  taking a  role in  occasional other gatherings for the entire libraries staff as requested by Library Administration. 

·         Coordinating expenses for such events with the Treasurer.  

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
If you you have any questions or see the need for any corrections, please contact Stacey at srkrim@uncg.edu.

Mother: Caring for 7 Billion film is FREE to view online in month of May!

From Going Green @ your library blog...

On Earth Day and continuing throughout the month of May, the film by Tiroir A Films entitled Mother: Caring for 7 Billion (2011) will be FREE online to view! Find out more about this 69 minute film throuhg facebook, twitter or the website. Their Synopsis... After being pushed into the shadows by converging societal forces, Mother: Caring for 7 Billion connects the dots between population growth and humanity’s most pressing social and environmental problems. In the film, Beth, a children rights activist and mother, helps the audience navigate through the complexities of the population issue and its barriers. Grounded in the theories of social scientist Riane Eisler, Mother is a gentle treatment of a complex issue that urges humanity to work together to bring about a peaceful, just and sustainable world.

Watch the trailer:

Mother Caring for 7 Billion - Teaser from Tiroir A Films on Vimeo.

A Great Customer Service Idea from Better World Books

I know many of you are familiar with the company Better World Books, but I thought I would share this delightful letter they send customers when material is shipped:

"Hello Stacey,

(Your book(s) asked to write you a personal note - it seemed unusual, but who are we to say no?)

Holy canasta! It's me... it's me! I can't believe it is actually me! You could have picked any of over 2 million books but you picked me! I've got to get packed! How is the weather where you live? Will I need a dust jacket? I can't believe I'm leaving Mishawaka, Indiana already - the friendly people, the Hummer plant, the Linebacker Lounge - so many memories. I don't have much time to say goodbye to everyone, but it's time to see the world!

I can't wait to meet you! You sound like such a well read person. Although, I have to say, it sure has taken you a while! I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but how would you like to spend five months sandwiched between Jane Eyre (drama queen) and Fundamentals of Thermodynamics (pyromaniac)? At least Jane was an upgrade from that stupid book on brewing beer. How many times did the ol' brewmaster have one too many and topple off our shelf at 2am?

I know the trip to meet you will be long and fraught with peril, but after the close calls I've had, I'm ready for anything (besides, some of my best friends are suspense novels). Just five months ago, I thought I was a goner. My owner was moving and couldn't take me with her. I was sure I was landfill bait until I ended up in a Better World Books book drive bin. Thanks to your socially conscious book shopping, I've found a new home. Even better, your book buying dollars are helping kids read from Brazil to Botswana.

Eagerly awaiting our meeting."

What a wonderful surprise to find when all you are expecting is a shipment list.

sunrise on campus

There are some times during the Spring that the sunrise brings out the best of the campus...

and, if you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the local wildlife.