CLA Today A P R I L 2 0 1 4 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Candidates for the CLA Board Candidate for Vice President/ Author Interview 2 Candidate for President Elect President Elect Dawn M. La Valle Beth Crowley From the President 3 BA, MA, MSEd, MLIS, After earning my MLS from CARM Southern Connecticut Director, Division of State University in 2000, I The Nutmeg Award— 4 Library Development began working as a Chil- An Update dren’s Librarian at the An unconventional career Groton Public Library in led Dawn from her service Groton, Connecticut. CT Library Profile 5 as a United States Marine, During my tenure, I held through corporate America, education and positions as Head of Youth Services and ultimately back to public service as a librarian Manager of Library Public Services. In 2008, for the past 12 years. Her background as a I completed the intensive, five-day New Queen Emma—The 6 United States Marine afforded Dawn a unique England Library Leadership Symposium Best Library Cat in All skill set. Dawn has benefited from her active (NELLS) and in 2011 I returned to NELLS as the Land duty service in that has developed strong the Connecticut Mentor. In January of leadership and management skills as well as 2012, I became the Director of the Scran- Teen Tech Week at 7 East Hartford PL the ability to adapt to a variety of situations in ton Memorial Library in Madison, Connecti- order to get the job done. A sense of honor, cut. duty and public service has readily translated Candidate 8 to her career as a librarian and ultimately her I have served continuously on the Connecti- Statements rapid rise to her current position. cut Library Association Board for six years holding a number of different positions: Co Dawn is currently the Director, Division of -Chair of the Children’s Section, Recording Library Development for the Connecticut Secretary, and currently as the New England NOTE: David Boudinot, State Library. Under Dawn’s leadership the Library Association (NELA) Representative. CLA's current Vice Presi- Division provides consulting, funding, profes- I am also a member of the CLA Career De- dent/President Elect, has sional development training and statewide velopment Committee, Co-Chair and taken a new position in services that enhance Connecticut libraries founder of the Connecticut Library Consor- Victoria, British Columbia abilities to deliver high-quality library service tium’s New Directors Roundtable and a and will be moving there to their communities. During her short ten- member of NELA. I am currently serving as this summer. Consequent- ure Dawn and her staff have fostered partner- Vice President/President Elect of the Board ships with key federal, state and local agencies of the LION Consortium. ly, he will not be assuming as well as other organizations throughout the the role of President in state that share the vision of the importance Candidate Statement: July. Dawn LaValle, CSL, is of libraries in CT. The Division has launched As a CLA Board member since 2008, I have the current VP/President several initiatives for CT libraries including watched and admired the leadership and Elect nominee. Dawn has the EDGE Initiative, Emergency Planning, and work of six amazing Presidents. There have agreed to be placed on the the Essential Five Literacies to name a few. been difficult decisions, innovative changes, ballot as President Elect. Dawn has recently been named co-chair for and important victories as CLA has worked Beth Crowley has agreed the Access to Justice Commission – to support Connecticut libraries and their to run as VP/President Workgroup on Libraries and Access to Jus- employees by ensuring our voices are heard Elect. tice. and our institutions remain vital and rele- CONTINUED ON P. 8 CONTINUED ON P. 8 P A G E 2 Interview with Mark Y. Herring Joseph J. Cadieux, librarian at West MH: Most librarians I know and see eve- Hartford Libraries, interviewed Mark Y. ry day are way are better than Google. Herring, dean of library services at Win- While they cannot get you 5 million throp University, Rock Hill, South Caro- items in 2.3 seconds, they can find four lina, about his book Are Libraries Obso- or five of exactly the thing you want, lete? An Argument for Relevance in the need, and are desperate to find in just a Digital Age. few minutes. Sure, if you want a factoid, Google is a good place to go (e.g., the Softcover: ISBN: 978-0-7864-7356-4, distance of the earth to the moon, what $25; Ebook: ISBN: 978-1-4766-1591-2, are the primary colors, the latest Kar- $25 dashian shenanigans, etc.) But for most Imprint: Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2014, people, and especially in academic librar- 258 pages. ies, it’s not that simple. JC: You’ve written a stimulating book, Saying Google is better that a library (or one that I would recommend to all li- a librarian) is akin to saying that a gro- brarians. Your title is a bit provocative; cery store is better than your pantry. It what do the terms ‘library’ and is, but only if you’re trying to feed the ‘obsolete’ mean to you? world. If you’re trying to feed the family MH: Nothing unconventional for either hungry at dinner time, it’s very unpracti- term. ‘Libraries’ are where we go to cal. Google is a good choice when the read books, magazines, get information, search is specific and the information is “Saying Google is have someone help them get infor- needed right away. But I think librarians better that a mation, browse shelves, etc. ‘Obsolete’ are better at searching Google than the library (or a is taken to mean out-of-touch, anachro- average person. Google has much to librarian) is akin nistic, useless, or nearly so, superannuat- offer, but like most information in the ed, and/or unfashionable. The book is an aggregate, it needs a guide. to saying that a attempt to lay to rest the myth that li- grocery store is braries are obsolete, no longer needed, a We are awash in information; that gives better than your quaint anachronism in the middle of a us too many choices and too many plac- pantry. It is, but technological revolution. In fact, they are es too look. We all suffer a bit from Bu- very much needed and I provide material ridan’s ass complex - faced with a moun- only if you’re for librarians who are trying to make the tain of seemingly good choices, we end trying to feed the case for libraries. As much as anything, I up not choosing at all. What we need is world.” hope to convince legislators that they someone to reduce those choices to the need to fund libraries once again, espe- very best - that is what reference librari- cially in the creation of new buildings. ans do and Google can’t (at least not for most people). We know from the re- JC: But, really, to be honest, there is no search that people rarely go to the sec- librarian as good as Google, is there? ond screen of Google results, and they You write that we are awash in infor- hardly ever go to the third. Unless what mation, but that knowledge escapes us. you want is on ‘screen 1’ - and typically Isn’t knowledge a little hard to come by before the scroll-down - you’re out of under any circumstances? Do you really luck. No search engine is yet refined think the librarian can provide knowledge? CONTINUED ON P. 3 P A G E 3 CONTINUED FROM P. 2 enough to get you that information every time, on Message from the President the first search, before the first scroll down. Most people just don’t have the patience to wade By Richard Conroy, CLA President 2013-2014 through all those cute cat pictures, celebrity non- sense, and fluff. As Nate Silver might put it, we need someone to help filter out the signal form t’s time for CLA’s signature event – our Annual Con- the noise, and I think librarians do that especially ference. The Crowne Plaza in Cromwell was such a well. popular location for last year’s Conference that it has I JC: You don’t address the costs of running a li- been chosen, once again, as the venue for this year’s event, brary. While there are plenty of great things that which will be held on Monday and Tuesday, April 28th and I’d like in my community, who’s paying? Where 29th, 2014. In addition to an outstanding array of pro- does this end? Would, for example, a town pro- grams, exhibits, speakers and networking opportunities, vide funding to a private business so it can loan bicycles which provide residents exercise, trans- your registration for the Conference will include an excel- portation, less pollution, and the opportunity to lent hot luncheon buffet. I would like to take this oppor- meet new people? tunity to express my gratitude to the dozens of Section MH: I’m in favor of it. It’s a little eerie you asked and Committee Chairs and other CLA members who have about this particular scenario as I recently emailed our university’s VP for Advancement and asked put in countless hours organizing this year’s Conference. him about partnering with a local entity to provide Ours is an all - volunteer organization and these people about ten bikes for students to “check out.” We’d have shown their dedication to our profession by giving provide helmets, locks, whatever.