Sign up and compete with your colleagues across the country in a virtual pub quiz!

Starting April 29^th, every Monday through Thursday, your team has an hour, chose the time that best suits your team, to answer 20 questions (worth two points each) on Survey Monkey. The quiz will open each Mon 8am Eastern Time Zone and will end on Thursday evening 8pm Eastern. Each week’s accumulated scores will be posted on Friday. Every chapter may have multiple teams, and each person may only participate on one team per week.

We are relying on your librarian honor code not to use the internet to assist your team.

Rally up your teammates for lunch, after work drinks, or via a conference call to answer all 20 questions before your time is up! After six weeks, the top winning teams will be invited to New York’s Happy Hour during the SLA San Diego Conference and you’ll win the ultimate bragging rights for your chapter!

How will your team do? Could a battle break out between two teams in the Rocky Mountain Chapter? Could Minnesota be the dark horse? Can Eastern Canada pull off the ultimate upset? You’ll have to play to find out!

Sign your team up by April 24th by emailing moymcintosh@gmail.com the information below with May Madness in the subject line:

Team name

Chapter

A contact email for the team

Brought to you by a courageous few in the DC, Oklahoma and New York Chapters

The Library of Congress, along with the American Library Association (ALA), will celebrate Preservation Week 2013 with a special focus on saving the mementos of military members and their families—digital and analog correspondence, photos, videos, scrapbooks and albums, and objects such as medals and uniforms.

The Library will host a number of events, from Monday, April 22 through Friday, April 26, to share care strategies for these priceless keepsakes, so they can be passed on to future generations.

Preservation Week Events

• Monday, April 22, from noon to1:30 p.m., “Preserving Your Memories: Print and Digital Photographs” Conservators will highlight basic preservation measures one can do at home to care for photographs. Digital archivists will cover preservation considerations for digital photo files. The 2012-2013 Fellow in Photograph Conservation will present research and treatment of a World War I photograph album. Staff from the Library’s Veterans History Project will share information on how to participate in the project. Dining Room A, on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.
• Monday, April 22, from 6 p.m. to7:30 p.m., “Rosenzweig Forum on Technology and the Humanities: Preserving and Interpreting Born-Digital Collections:” Presenters will discuss how their organizations are acquiring, managing, analyzing, preserving and providing access to born-digital collections. The Rosenzweig Forum for the Digital Humanities is a collaboration of the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship at Georgetown University and the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities at the University of Maryland. Mumford Room, on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C
• Tuesday, April 23, from noon to 2:00 p.m., “These Amazing Shadows: The Movies that Made America”—Film: This 2011 documentary illustrates the history and importance of the National Film Regis try, the Library’s collection of 600 films—with up to 25 added each year—identified as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant. Featuring interviews with Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and experts from the Library’s Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation, the film champions preservation of our material heritage as a celebration of the American experience. Introductions by the Library’s Mark Sweeney, director for Preservation and Liz Stanley, preservation specialist. Pickford Theater, on the third of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C
• Wednesday, April 24, from noon to 1 p.m., “Preserving Your Memories: Traditional and Digital Albums and Scrapbooks:” Conservators will highlight basic preservation measures one can do at home for long-lasting albums and scrapbooks; present the pros and cons of dismantling old scrapbooks and albums in poor condition; and discuss how to address condition problems. Preservation considerations for digitals albums and scrapbooks will be discussed. Staff from the Library’s Veterans History Project also will share information on how to participate in the project. Dining Room A, on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C.
• Friday, April 26, from noon to 1 p.m., “PAC: A Packed Agenda for Conserving Libraries’ Heritage — 20 Years of Changes and Development”—Lecture:” Christiane Baryla, director of the International Federation of Library Associations Core Activity on Preservation and Conservation, will speak on international preservation efforts.Pickford Theater,, on the third of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C

Preservation Week Virtual Events

• April 21 to 27, Veterans History Project Digital Presentation
  The website presents seven collections that represent the wide variety of concerns that must be addressed when preserving the first-hand accounts of America’s veterans. Available at http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/ex-war-preservation.html
• Wednesday, April 24, 2 p.m. EDT, Webinar: “Preserving Your Personal Digital Photographs:” The Library’s National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program will present information about learning to care for digital photos. Hosted by the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services. Free, but registration required at www1.gotomeeting.com/register/876436809.

Preservation Week—an initiative supported by the Library of Congress, the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services of the ALA, the Institute of Library and Museum Services, the American Institute for Conservation, the Society of American Archivists and Heritage Preservation—encourages libraries and other collection institutions to connect to our local communities and inspire action to preserve our collective heritage.

A full list of national activities can be seen at Preservation Week’s online map and followed on Twitter via @PreservationWk.

And if you tweet, don’t forget to use the Preservation Week hashtag: #preswk.

Message from the President:

Hello All – As we move into April, I wanted to take a minute to applaud our recent Library Journal 2013 Movers & Shakers.

Congratulations to:

•         Naomi House of INALJ.com
•         Hannah Sommers, National Public Radio

It’s excited to see two of our DC SLA members on the 2013 Movers & Shakers list. It doesn’t surprise me though. Hannah and Naomi regularly inspire me with their professional activity, their energy and diligence, and their vision.  I know I am not alone in this.

One of the great things about DC SLA is that we have the opportunity to have members like Hannah and Naomi in our midst. They are remarkable professionals. Like Hannah and Naomi, each of us strives to develop a path that helps us build and grown our own personal brand of being a remarkable professional. Naomi and Hannah have shown us two impressive ways to build those pathways to remarkable. Now, how can we take what they’ve shared with us through their actions and efforts and use it to enhance and refine our own paths? How do we make our own path clearer, better, stronger?

One of the answers is this:  Take advantage of the most extraordinary professional resources available to you – each other.

We are fortunate to have a large, diverse, and active membership to support each other, learn from each other, and inspire each other. Connect with your colleagues. Participate as a DC SLA volunteer. Attend a Chapter program. Join us at a Chapter event. Plug in virtually through our new webinars or via our social media channels. Find a way to develop and grow professionally through your DC SLA membership. You don’t have to take huge actions to make a difference for yourself or others. I’m a big believe in baby steps to get to your goal.

So however you’re going to do it, this month, think about actions you are going to take as an information professional and a member of the DC SLA Chapter to be remarkable over the next year and what your path to getting there is going to look like. How are you going to learn, how are you going to teach, how are you going to expand your network? How are you going to make a difference both personally and professionally to yourself and in turn, your DC SLA colleagues (and beyond)?

There are some great opportunities to learn and connect coming up in April and early May:

• Writing Series:  How to Write to Develop a Professional Brand with speakers:  Naomi House, Reference Marketing and Acquisitions Librarian Census Bureau Library and Editor/Founder/Publisher of I Need a Library Job; Liba Tomas, Senior Recruiter for NPR, will talk about leveraging writing on LinkedIn to develop your brand; and Amy Fenning, Senior Brand Marketing Manager with LexisNexis, will discuss best practices for your brand when writing on Twitter.  Brown Bag Lunch In Person Viewing - http://dc.sla.org/events/?ee=227 and virtual viewing - http://dc.sla.org/events/?ee=228

• Joint Spring Workshop 2013 – Strategic Communication: Technology, Generations, and Cultures - http://dc.sla.org/events/?ee=220

• Legislative History Research 101 - Sponsored by LexisNexis with Department of the Interior Law Librarian, Maureen Booth. Brown Bag Lunch In Person - http://dc.sla.org/events/?ee=225 and virtual viewing - http://dc.sla.org/events/?ee=226

Enjoy the spring flowers!

Marie Kaddell, M.L.S., M.S., M.B.A.

Senior Information Professional Consultant
marie.kaddell@lexisnexis.com

President, DC/SLA

Past Chair, SLA Division of Government Information

The Washington, D.C. Chapter established the Annual Conference Stipend Award to enable a chapter member to attend the SLA Annual Conference. To be eligible to apply, the applicant must be a member in good standing with DC/SLA. The DC/SLA Awards Committee will verify each applicant’s membership status using the SLA online tools.

DC/SLA student members, retired members, and those who are simultaneously members of other SLA Chapters may also apply.  Past recipients who have used their awards are not eligible.  However, past recipients who have been prevented by circumstances from using their awards, and have returned the funds, are eligible. Current DC/SLA Board members are not eligible.

The award criteria include future professional leadership potential in SLA and the profession, contributions to SLA and the chapter, and financial need. Preference is given to newer members who have already begun to take a leadership role. Late or incomplete applications will be rejected. The award recipient shall be chosen by the DC/SLA Board upon recommendation of the Chapter Awards Committee.

This award will reimburse the recipient for expenses incurred up to $1,500 (receipts will be required).

Applications must be received using the online submission form by Midnight EDT on Friday, April 5, 2013. An email confirmation will be sent to all applicants. Please contact the Awards Committee Chair, James King, at james.king@nih.gov or 301-496-2187 with any questions about the application process.

Online Application: http://dc.sla.org/awards/annual-conference-stipend/

 Additional Conference Information: http://www.sla.org/content/Events/conference/ac13/index.cfm

The e-book version of the 2012 Best Practices for Government Libraries - Pushing Boundaries:  Mobility, Community, Accessibility is now available! You can download your free copy of the complete 2012 Best Practices for Government Libraries as well as samples of LexisNexis e-books here:  http://www.lexisnexis.com/ebooks/sample/.  The complete 2011 edition of Best Practices for Government Libraries is also available for download.

Best Practices is a collaborative document that is put out annually on a specific topic of interest to government libraries and includes content submitted by government librarians and community leaders with an interest in government libraries. The 2012 edition includes over 70 articles and other submissions provided by more than 75 contributors including librarians in government agencies, courts, and the military, as well as from professional association leaders, LexisNexis Consultants, and more.