ALASKA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Jul. - Sep. 2010 Vol. 23, Number 3 A LEGACY TO KENAI’S FIRST LADY OF READING, EMILY DEFOREST CONTENTS LEGACY TO EMILY DEFOREST 1 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT 2 Emily DeForest’s memory is captured in bronze at the Kenai Library. “A NATIVE LAD”: TURNING WORDS INTO PICTURES 3 As construction gets underway for the expansion of the Kenai LIBRARY ADVOCACY DAY 7 Library, there is someone who is missing. Yet a sense of her prescence is there, watching over every shovelful of dirt and CATALOGERS’ CORNER 9 construction worker who is making her dream of an expanded Kenai Library come true. Kenai’s First Lady of Reading, AkLA CHAPTER NEWS 11 Emily DeForest, passed away just about a year ago knowing SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS that after many years of planning, lobbying and fund raising, her FOR AMERICAN INDIANS dream of a new library would become a reality this summer. AND ALASKA NATIVES 13 Emily was the popular librarian for the Kenai Community WHEN DOES A LIBRARY Library from 1972 until she retired in 1999. And although she CEASE TO BE A LIBRARY? 15 retired, Emily pressed on for the expansion. She was active NEWSPOKE GUIDELINES 15 towards recruiting community leaders, planning fund-raising events and selling a multitude of raffle tickets. AKLA OFFICERS/CALENDAR 16 For complete article, see Peninsula Clarion, June 2, 2010, pg. 1. NEWSPOKE–ALASKA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Jul. - Sep. 2010 pg. 2 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT David Ongley THE GREATER WORLD The AkLA annual conference has a reputation for being OF LIBRARIES: one of the finest state conferences in the country. Almost every outside speaker with whom I’ve had a chance to talk casually has been amazed with the dynamic quality of our conferences. Most comment on the great speak- NEWSPOKE ers, the diversity of programming, how well organized the event is or even how good the meals are. However, Volume 23, Number 3 almost every one exclaims over the range of librarians we Jul. - Sep. 2010 draw from nearly every library in the state. I can only ISSN: 1088-1808 -- agree, but then I’ve never attended a state library confer- Quarterly ence in any other state although I’ve lived in several Editor: Loretta Andress before finding my home in Alaska. I usually respond to Tnx: Loraine Andress, Proofreader these comments that there are so few of us we have to work together to get anything done. Submit items for publication: Loretta Andress I also belong to several other organizations which I find 510 Togiak Circle Anchorage, AK 99503 professionally rewarding. This summer a convergence of Email: [email protected] dates placed three different organization conferences back to back to back. I couldn’t resist. The travel alone Deadlines for future issues: required some careful planning. During the second week Oct. 31, 2010 Jan. 31, 2011 in June I attended the Tribal College Library Institute in Bozeman, Montana. Although not truly a conference, this Article reprints are included with gathering is sponsored by the library at Montana State permission. University and two exceptional librarians there, Mary Pls. note: Editor must produce pages (for Anne Hansen and James Thull. Librarians from the 36 printer) in multiples of four: 4 pages, 8 recognized tribal colleges send representatives. Addi- pages, 12, etc. Your submission may need tional guests are also invited. to be altered due to space constraints--will make every effort to have authors approve any changes in advance of publication. This year from Alaska, June Degnan from UAS, Catherine Powers from UAF in Bethel, Susan Wolf, (If editor neglects to include an item you UAF Nome, along with Gabe Tegoseak from Tuzzy have submitted, please let her know–if it’s Library in Barrow attended. (Our parent organization, still timely, it can be included in next issue, with apologies from ed.) Ilisagvik College, is the only tribal college in Alaska.) This week-long training brings together a unique group of people from all over the country who share common problems and perspectives. Most of the colleges are on reservations and many struggle with funding. Presenta- tions tend to be specific and practical. It snowed on our last day there, June 11. (Cont. on pg. 14) NEWSPOKE–ALASKA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Jul. - Sep. 2010 pg. 3 “A NATIVE LAD”: TURNING WORDS INTO PICTURES BY SARAH HURST When I asked my husband Jon if transcribing the interviews from modern-day high school student he would read the play about audio files, so I got to hear all called Abigail and shows her Alaska history I’d just finished their stories twice. scenes from Alaska history. writing, his reply was: “I’ll read it when it comes out as a comic When I heard that the Alaska I originally intended to call the book.” Instead of snarling at him Humanities Forum was giving out play “Eight Stars of Gold,” but for being so dismissive, I started $1 million in grants for creative then I found out that the Alaska thinking about his suggestion. projects associated with the 50th Humanities Forum had funded Graphic novels–as the another person to slightly longer and more write a play with the serious comic books same title, so I are usually called–are changed it to “A all the rage these days. Native Lad,” taking I immediately stole the title from the first Jon’s idea and started line of the unadopted working on a grant second verse of the application to turn my Alaska Flag Song. play into a graphic novel. When I finished the play I made it avail- I had become im- able free to the public, mersed in Alaska sending a link to the history when I was script and accompa- hired in 2007 by nying teachers’ and Anchorage-based TV students’ guide to producer Larry principals and teach- Goldin to help him ers at nearly every work on a two-hour middle school and documentary about high school in the Alaska statehood. state. That job involved frequent visits to the A few weeks later, in Alaska Collection at November 2009, I the Loussac Library and also anniversary of statehood, I was amazed to read a letter from enabled me to sit in on Larry’s decided to apply for one, to write Debbe Lancaster, a teacher at the lengthy interviews with Alaska the play, which was mainly school in the village of Tatitlek, icons like Ted Stevens, Wally intended for schools. I was between Valdez and Cordova on Hickel, Mike Stepovich, Vic awarded the grant in 2008. The Prince William Sound. The village Fischer, Emil Notti and many play is narrated by Benny others. I then had to spend hours Benson, who magically meets a (Cont. on pg. 4) NEWSPOKE–ALASKA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Jul. - Sep. 2010 pg. 4 (“A Native Lad”- Cont. from pg. 3) Dimi is an Alaska Native now ive throughout the process, with living in Seattle, who has already owner John Weddleton writing has a population of about 50, with produced graphic novel versions the foreword to the book. 16 students of all ages at the of Alaska Native stories. school. Debbe said that the kids Each artist was paid $500 per in her class had been reading the I also asked an art professor at scene, with Peter and Dimi doing play for several weeks and had UAA if he could suggest anyone, three scenes, Shanley, Sean and insisted on performing it, even and through him I added the Gideon two, and the others one. though each of them would have talented students Sean Jones and The pay rate was really quite to play about 10 different charac- Gideon Gerlt to the team. I minimal, considering the amount ters. asked Ray Troll if he would like of work they all put into it. Some to do a scene: he said he was too were very experienced in this In January I flew to Tatitlek to busy, but put me in touch with format and others not at all, and help with the final preparations for Evon Zerbetz, who lives in the challenge turned out to be the world premiere of the play. Ketchikan and whose style is rather daunting. A few other The village is only accessible by somewhat similar to Ray’s. artists who had wanted to partici- air and doesn’t even have its own My husband Jon made another pate fell by the wayside. Those store. The kids had worked important contribution when he who survived truly were the incredibly hard learning their lines was talking to a young woman fittest. and making costumes, including a in a bar about the graphic novel fat suit (for Constitutional Con- and she told him that she knew I approached various publish- vention delegate Mildred an artist who could “do any- ers, and found the perfect fit Hermann) and all kinds of facial thing.” She wrote his name and with Greatland Graphics, based hair. A few of the adults who were number down on a piece of in Anchorage. They publish also playing parts were desper- paper and Jon passed it on to beautifully illustrated books for ately learning lines, hoping not to me. young children, including some let the kids down. The whole by Shannon Cartwright, but village watched the performance, I was skeptical, but it turned out they hadn’t published a graphic and I shot hours of film footage that the artist, Shanley McCauley, novel for older children and during my visit, which is being really could do anything, not only adults before. I think they made into a mini-documentary by illustrating two scenes but also gradually started to become the Alaska Teen Media Institute.