02.19.09
New Cycle of Kent State MLIS Program Starts Fall 2009
Southeast Regional Library System – SERLS and Kent State University To Offer Masters in Library and Information Science Degree Program at Wellston
(Wellston, Ohio) — Kent State University and Wellston (Southeast Regional Library System – SERLS) have teamed up to offer students the opportunity to pursue graduate study in library and information science beginning Fall 2009 at SERLS in Wellston, Ohio.
A new, two year cycle of the 12-12-12 Distance Learning Program for graduate students interested in earning a Masters in Library and Information Science degree (MLIS) will begin fall 2009 at SERLS, 252 W. 13th Street, Wellston, by interactive video and web-based courses. Students in remote sites view the instructor on video screens or monitors, but all students can participate in class discussions. This video technology replicates a traditional classroom by allowing full interactivity and face-to-face communication. Students are able to complete the degree program in three years with course requirements of 12 hours each year.
Kent State School of Library and Information Science 12-12-12 Distance Learning Program is designed to provide a well-balanced degree program leading to an MLIS degree for students who might otherwise not be able to complete a degree by attending classes on the Kent or Columbus campuses.
Regular admission is generally granted to applicants who have an undergraduate degree, a GPA of 3.0 or higher, or another master’s degree with a graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. After formal admission to Kent State University is granted, students may apply for enrollment in the 12-12-12 classes. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Mary Paschen, program administrator, will be available to answer questions about this program on Thursday, April 2, 2009 from 9:00 AM until 1:30 PM at the Ohio University Inn in Athens, Ohio as part of the Ohio Library Conference southeast regional meeting. The school will have a display in the lobby.
The Kent State School of Library and Information Science is the only graduate program in Ohio that offers an MLIS degree accredited by the American Library Association (ALA). The school is one of the largest library schools in the country with over 650 students enrolled.
For further information on the MLIS Distance Degree Program and the School of Library and Information Science, visit the website at http://www.slis.kent.edu or contact Mary Paschen at mpaschen@slis.kent.edu , (330) 672-5842 or (330) 672‑2782, or by mail at Kent State University, 314 Library, Kent School of Library & Information Science, Kent, OH 44242-0001.
01.26.09
TokBox – Live Video Calling
Trying to embed a TokBox created video into the SERLS Blog
TokBox
Hello!
Twitter-talk led me to TokBox, a free service that allows you to talk with friends via video and send video emails. It is all web-based- no downloads required. It was quick to start and I have made two videos with my new expensive $19.97 Logitech QuickCam. I copied code to embed a video into this blog, but I don’t think it is going to work because it requires flash, and I don’t think that I have the capability of that with the SERLS WordPress account except through vodpod, which will post it separately.
Using Wimba for Online Training Courses
Connecting to Wimba
The Wimba classroom runs in your computer’s web browser and typically does not require you to install additional software. See Wimba’s participant requirements for more information about supported platforms
We will send log-in information to you approximately 24 hours before the event. Please connect at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. Click on the link provided in the email to get to the User Log-in page. For Room ID, enter oh_serls. For Name, enter your first and last name connected by an underscore. 
Audio Options
To listen during the Wimba event, you must have one of the following:
- Computer with speakers or headphones: This will allow you to listen during the session. You can use the text chat feature to ask questions or make comments.
- Computer with speakers and a microphone: This will allow you to both listen and speak during the session. Many people use a headset that has a built-in microphone.
- Computer and a telephone: If your computer does not have speakers and/or a microphone, you can still listen and speak during the session by calling into the Wimba classroom once you have logged into the classroom. Simply click on the blue phone icon located above the chat box and a phone number and pin number will appear. Note: The phone number is long distance and toll charges may apply.
Make sure your computer is ready
Run the Wimba Setup Wizard (opens a new browser window). If you encounter the Wimba Setup Wizard and have already run it on your computer, you may choose the option to exit located below the setup wizard (it is in smaller print and can be difficult to see).
Problems using Wimba Classroom?
If you are having any technical difficulties, first check the Wimba Classroom Guide. It has the most common instructions for trouble shooting technical problems and addresses many frequently asked questions.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the SERLS office if you have any questions. We can be reached at 740-384-2103 or toll free at 1-800-759-1537.
06.20.08
Library Visit: Garnet A. Wilson Library, Waverly Ohio
Okay, it is time to catch up on my blogs about library visits! I confess, it has been months, in fact FIVE months since I have visited the Garnet A Wilson Library (GAW) in Waverly. However, I can remember it like it was yesterday! The weather was BEAUTIFUL for a winter day- sunny, and not too cold. I must admit, I do have a soft spot for this library- I grew up in Waverly! Yes, I am a Pike County Gal! When I was growing up, the public library was a part of the high school library. It then moved into a little building on North High Street during my junior high school years. (Okay, I will digress personally and confess that I was a member of the library club in High School, and I did volunteer work with the library moved to its little building). The current site were the library is used to be the old A & P building. A & P, for those of you who don’t know, was a popular grocery chain in its day. I don’t remember it being the A & P, but the “Sundry Store” a place for goodies, and to my happines- records! (Yes, I am dating myself).
Anyway, back to to GAW… The current location has been nicely remodeled to fit as a library instead of a store! The first floor houses the circulation desk, adult and teen collections, reference, a dedicated computer area, as well as a nice reading area where the periodicals are housed. The second floor holds a meeting room and offices. The lower floor has a large meeting room, the children’s area, which is wonderfully adorned with painting on the walls (and the stairway). The geneaology room is perfectly located-one wall of it is actually a part of the former Ohio & Erie Canal system that ran through Waverly.
The library is now negotiating to buy some propertly beside Bristol Village (a retirement community), where one of the former elementary schools existed. The current location of the library, although convenient for downtown access, has very little parking available and no room for expansion. The site they are seeking would allow for a larger library, plenty of parking and still be easily accessible for those on foot or bike.
The Waverly branch of GAW is the main branch. There are also branches located in Beaver, Piketon, and Western Pike County. Stop by at one of their many locations and say “hi” to the friendly staff!!
06.19.08
Back to Blogging
Hello!
It has been WAY too long since I have entered something into the Blog Site. We at SERLS have been busy. We have recently launched a new website, release a new logo gained through a logo contest, added new services and have managed to survive a budget cut! I need to catch up on posting my library visit blogs- I hope to do that soon.
In addition to our new web site, we have recently formed a new CE Advisory Committee. Our CE goal for the next membership year (July 1, 2008- June 30, 2008 is to increase quality and quantity of our continuing education events AND to schedule events that library staff of all library types in central and southeast Ohio would find interesting and beneficial to your libraries. The CE Committee will help us to accomplish this goal. Please keep checking out our events calendar at http://ce.serls.org. Our website is available at www.serls.org(check out the new free tool we added on our home page today- an RSS feed that allows you to customize the frame color to match your website- it is really cool!)
Take care!
Mary
01.14.08
Mock Caldecott Workshop
The winners of the annual Caldecott award have been announced! Receiving top honors this year, the winning picture book is The Invention of Hugo Cabret written and illustrated by Brian Selznick. Honorable mentions were awarded to: Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story From the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, First the Egg written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis, and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems.
In honor of this award, SERLS once held it’s ”Mock Caldecott Election” on January 3rd, in which participants learned about the criteria used by the Caldecott award committee and used this criteria to choose their own winners.
This year, our Mock Caldecott Election was led by Linda Tiffany, Youth Services Librarian from the Columbus Metropolitan Library. After much lively debate, our workshop participants cashed in their poker chips literally, with a blue chip signifying first choice, red as second and white as third. The fact that the SERLS’ winners differed from the “official” winners just goes to show that 2007 was an exceptional year for children’s picture books!
Llama Llama Mad at Mama, written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney, was chosen as the SERLS’ winner. The books that received honorable mentions were:
The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County by Janice Herrington, illustrated by Shelley Jackson.
Little Night written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales
The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend, illustrated by John Manders
12.31.07
Visit to the Tri-County Career Center Library on 12/19/07
Tri-County Career Center(TCCC) is a Junior/Senior High School located in Nelsonville Ohio that offers 18 career programs to juniors and seniors from various high schools located in following counties: Athens, Hocking and Perry. The TCCC Library is one of SERLS’ newest Enhanced Member. Welcome! I am very excited at working with library director Stacy Simonyi. She is a very talented librarian and her library reflects that fact! The library for this school is not far from the main entrance and is flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides, which are always filled with great diplays which are changed quite often! The library is neat, clean and arranged in a very ”cool” and appealing manner for both teens and faculty. The books are displayed in face-forward style on the shelves, making the very easy to find and eye-catching to students. Slat wall units also allow for a lot of great display space. On these slat walls you find displays of new books and even some required book reports created by students and the book they reviewed (nice touch!). On top of one of the bookshelves you will find folded book designs. Circulation has exponentially increased and to-date this year, has already beaten the total for last school year! Stacy is hosting book discussions for both students and faculty which take place in the middle of each nine week period. I enjoyed watching the students come in and ask questions, return books and utilize the library. I asked Stacy what is the biggest challenge of being the Library Media Specialist at TCCC, and her answer came quick and with a smile “TIME!”. We need to remember that many public school librarians run everything in the library and are the only staff member and may or may not have student assistance! (Next time you see a public school librarian or library aide, give them a pat on the back!) Stacy, I thank you for allotting some of your busy time for my visit!
Hint for the slideshow below. Click once on top of slideshow to activate controls. You then can mouseover a picture to reveal caption and to pause it from its sliding motion.
Visit to the Maxwell Library at Ohio Christian University on 12/18/07
Ohio Christian University (formerly named Circleville Bible College) is a small college in Circleville that dates back to 1948 and offers over 20 different programs, including traditional undergraduate, adult and online degree completion programs. Maxwell Librarynot only serves the 600 students that attend the college, but is also open to the public as well. Director David Tipton has been a spearhead for growth of the library. Not only has the collection quadrupled in the last five years, but so has the circulation and the amount of reference questions (which I have to say has an impressive database tracking system fondly nicknamed “The RAT”, which, if I remember correctly, stands for Reference Answer Tracking.) David and I started Kent State’s MLIS program at the same time (okay, I will admit that David finished the program before me!) and I have appreciated his friendship and his continual insightful ideas! It was nice to finally get to visit the Maxwell library-it is very beautiful, spacious and nicely arranged! Even though the semester had just ended, I was able to meet most of his multi-talented staff and thoroughly enjoyed meeting them. The Maxwell Library is a recent recipient of an LSTA Minigrant to upgrade their ILS so they can become an Ohio Link member. (WAY TO GO!!)
I am going to brag that David showed me the archive room (not open to the public); it is filled with wonderful and well preserved college documents as well as historical books and a bible collection that was donated to the library. I could spend a day in their just looking at the shelves let alone perusing the titles! There is also a environmentally controlled display of the Bishop’s Bible (1585) and a Luther Bible (1729). Not only does the Maxwell Library house the collection and archives, but also contains state-of-the-art classrooms and faculty offices.
Please stop by and visit David and his staff at the Maxwell Library (and don’t forget to ask David to show you some of his wonderful photographs!). I don’t have as many pictures of the library that I wanted, my camera battery went dead (maybe David will add some to the blog for us!) Thanks for the tour David!
Visit to the Pickaway County District Public Library on 12/18/07
On a extremely cold Tuesday I headed my car toward Circleville to visit the Pickaway County District Public Library(PCDPL), whose director, James Guenther is also the President of the Board of Trustees for SERLS. The main library moved to their current location about five years ago. The building they now reside in was formerly a department store. The results of the remodel are just spectacular! When you walk into the library, you will find a contemporary industrial look softened with wood accents, beautiful murals and custom designed furniture and art (check out the handmade donor wall plaque that looks like a stained glass window in the slide show). The library is very open and you are lead through it by an angular pathway. Signs, which resemble street signs, are very visible and define the different areas of the library. This children’s section of the library is in its own space off from the main area. A beautiful hand-painted mural guides you down the path that leads you to this wonderful space that boasts a wonderful collection, small tables, a carpeted storytime “rotunda” and even a family bathroom (okay, this may not excite some of you, but as a Mom of three, I appreciate this feature greatly!) This library has been helped along the way with generous financial support from community members as well as local industry. This has greatly helped the library to provide a wide variety of services that include normal library services as well as enhanced services such as homebound delivery and storytime on wheels, not to mention a top-notch staff! Plan a trip to visit this library- it is well worth the trip!!
