Newsletter Fall 2000

Contents

Greetings from the Chair!

NMRT at TLA Conference 2000

TLA District Meetings

How well do you know NMRT?

Calling All Candidates!

Mentoring Program

Professional Development Grant Information

Outstanding!

Greetings from the Chair!

As I begin my term as chair, I would like to welcome all of you to the 2000-2001 "season" of activities for the New Members Round Table! NMRT is a very active and diverse group, and we make a tremendous contribution to TLA's activities. I believe that the best way to communicate news and information is through a mixture of media. I hope that no one will perceive me as a "dinosaur," but I believe that the printed newsletter is still extremely important. However, we also maintain a web page, and I encourage you to browse (and bookmark) this site, which can be accessed at http://www.txla.org/groups/nmrt/index.htm. Throughout the year, we will add news items about various NMRT activities and services.

As we continue planning our 2001 conference activities, we will keep you updated through the spring newsletter and the web page. NMRT offers numerous services for its members. For example, Quality Books, Inc., sponsors a professional development grant with NMRT, which is designed to assist librarians who would like to attend the 2001 Annual Conference in San Antonio but have limited funding. Also, please consider joining our mentor program if you would like to be paired up with an experienced librarian or if you would like to share your wisdom with someone who is new to the profession. In addition, we offer an "Outstanding New Librarian Award". Further information about these services is available on our web page.

If you have questions about a particular committee, and you'd like to get involved, please don't hesitate to contact me or that committee's chair directly. There is room for everyone here, and great opportunities exist in our group to learn and gain experience! Your input and involvement helps to ensure that we're adequately serving you! Finally, as the Chair, I am fortunate to have an excellent group of officers and committee chairs devoting themselves to NMRT. I am confident that they will provide "top-notch" services to you. Please do not hesitate to contact any of us if you have questions.

NMRT Programs a Success at TLA Conference 2000

This event featured a preview of conference programs and events, tips for viewing the exhibits, and hints on Houston attractions. We also gave away lots of goodies and some nice door prizes. The winners of the Outstanding New Librarian Award (ONLA) and the NMRT/Quality Books Professional Development Grant were announced. The ONLA winner was Ann Minner, currently a Youth Librarian for Austin Public Library. She has served on Austin Public Library's Summer Reading Program Committee and has delivered a large number of book talks. The Professional Development Grant was won by Marilyn Powers. She is a Library Media Specialist working for Como-Pickton Consolidated Independent School District. Congratulations to both!

NMRT sponsored the program "Beyond Boolean: Advanced Internet Searching Techniques". Dr. Hal Erickson taught on overflow crowd how to use new advances in search engines to perform very precise searches. He also showed how to exploit html tags to approximate subject searches and look for specific types of information, like images or government documents. Thank you Dr. Erickson, for such an interesting program.

The NMRT bag check booth was very popular this year. Eager volunteers were kept busy checking heavy bags for tired conference attendees, but all that energy and effort paid off by netting over $900 for NMRT. This money goes directly to supporting NMRT conference programs, travel grant/endowment, and other services.

TLA District Meetings: It's That Time of Year Again

The main responsibility of a district representative is to make sure that information about NMRT's grants, programs, and awards is available to members of their district. Before you panic, we provide the information. You won't have to do anything but spread the word. There are several ways you could do this. One is to get on the district meeting agenda and speak for a few minutes about what NMRT offers. Another is to have NMRT information included in packets that are handed out to everyone attending your district meeting. Some district meetings might be small enough that you could have a sign-up sheet for people who want the information, and you could either e-mail or mail it. Districts still needing volunteers are 1, 3, 8, and 9. The other districts have at least one volunteer, but we would love to have more!

For more information, or to volunteer, contact the NMRT District Meeting Coordinator:

Mary Rausch
Cornette Library
WTAMU Box 60748
Canyon, TX 79016-0001
Work: 806-651-2219
Fax: 806-651-2213
Email: mrausch@mail.wtamu.edu

How Well Do You Know the New Members Round Table?

As you know, TLA will be celebrating its Centennial in 2002. Each unit within TLA is writing their history and will be sharing that history with others during the Centennial Celebration during the 2002 Annual Conference. As the delegate from NMRT, my goal is to write an article for this newsletter in the form of a quiz and you can find out "How Well Do You Know the New Members Round Table?". (Answers at bottom of page)

1. What was the Round Table known as before it became the New Members Round Table?
2. When the Round Table was being organized, who were elected as the officers?
3. When did Patricia H. Smith (TLA Executive Director) receive the Outstanding New Librarian Award?
4. What year was the 1st Orientation Session held on how to survive a TLA Conference?
5. Who were the speakers at that 1st orientation session?
6. What was the title of the round table program that featured speaker Julie Todaro (TLA President 2000-2001)?
7. Who was the 1st recipient of the TLA/NMRT/Quality Books, Inc. Professional Development Grant?
8. When was the NMRT page created on the TLA website?
9. What year did the Round Table receive it's official status by the TLA Executive Board?
10. What were the requirements for membership to the Round Table when it first began?

Calling All Candidates!

The positions on the 2001 spring ballot include:

• Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect
• Secretary/Treasurer
• District Meeting Coordinator
• Alternate Councilor

Mentoring Program

Do you want a professional mentor? Or would you like to mentor a new professional? NMRT sponsors a mentoring program wherein we attempt to match mentees up with mentors in their specific type of library setting. If you are interested in volunteering or if you'd like to be mentored, please contact Leigh A. Kilman for additional information. Matches will be made as soon as practicable, and all matches possible will be made *before* the next TLA Conference.

NMRT is beginning to gather feedback from past participants of its mentoring program. If you have ever been a mentor or a mentee in this program, Leigh would like to hear about your experiences with the mentoring program. Thanks!

TLA/NMRT/Quality Books Inc. Professional Development Grant

Texas Library Association members in the first five years of their professional career and TLA membership are eligible for the TLA/NMRT/Quality Books Professional Development Grant. This grant provides assistance to attend the annual TLA Conference (March 28-31, 2001 in San Antonio) by covering conference registration, travel expenses, lodging, and $50 per diem, up to $1000 total expenses.

This grant is sponsored by Quality Books Inc. and the New Members Round Table Endowment Fund. The selection of any grant recipient rests solely with the Grant Committee. The Committee is composed of NMRT members and an ex officio member from Quality Books Inc. The Committee considers the following selection criteria in judging applications:

• Does the applicant show the ability or initiative to attend future conferences?
• How will the applicant use the experience gained at TLA in their library or local professional associations?
• Has the applicant been involved in other local or national professional associations?
• How would this grant opportunity benefit the applicant on the job?
• How might the grant boost the career and contributions of the applicant?
• What contribution would the applicant be likely to make to NMRT and/or TLA?
• Is the overall presentation of the application articulate and cogent?

The committee does not consider geographic location, type of library, position title, age, sex, religion, ethnicity, or national origin. Please do not hesitate to apply for the grant because you feel you have not done enough as a member of TLA. NMRT is interested in potential, and after all, the grant is for professional development of individuals new to their careers.

For more information, contact Debye Nicholl at dnicholl@trinity.edu or 210-999-8160 or at this address:

Debye Nicholl
TLA NMRT/Quality Books Grant Committee Chair
Coates Library, Trinity University
715 Stadium Drive
San Antonio, TX 78212

Outstanding!

The New Members Round Table of the Texas Library Association is honoring a librarian who is new to the profession by presenting the Outstanding New Librarian Award (ONLA). The nominee must be a member of NMRT/TLA and must be employed full time as a professional librarian. Any person in the library profession who is familiar with the nominee's education, experience, and professional activities and affiliations may nominate them.

A committee of NMRT members will consider all nominations. The ONLA Award will be presented at the annual TLA Conference in San Antonio, March 2001.Deadline is Friday, February 9, 2001. Applications may be submitted by email or U.S. Postal Service. Mailed applications must be postmarked February 9, 2001. The following information is required:

• Full name of nominee:
• Nominee's address:
• Employed by:
• Educational background, in chronological order, with the latest year first. Include name of school, highest degree attained, and years of attendance:
• Professional work experience, in chronological order:
• Professional activities/affiliations: national, state, local. Include dates of membership, offices held, and accomplishments.
• Honors, outstanding achievements, publications.
• Briefly state why you feel this librarian is outstanding (150 - 500 words).
• Nominated by (please include your institutional affiliation and title):

Please return the nominations to:

Outstanding New Librarian Award Chair (NMRT)
Jo Monahan
University of North Texas Libraries
P.O. Box 305190
Denton, TX 76203-5190
You may also:
FAX: (940) 369-8760
Email: jmonahan@library.unt.edu

ANSWERS to How Well Do You Know the New Members Round Table: 1. Junior Members Round Table (JMRT); 2. Chairman: Dick Waters, Vice-Chairman: Shelah-Bell Cragin, Secretary: Ann Landtroop, and Treasurer: Ralph Holloway for the 1969-1970 term.; 3. 1977; 4. 1978; 5. Moderated by Patty Landers, the all-conference orientation featured TLA President Shelah-Bell on program highlights, in-coming President Alvin C. Cage who addressed internal and general library issues facing TLA, and "American Libraries" editor Art Plotnik; 6. "Bridging the Gap: From Library School ot the Real World." Program held in 1980; 7. Candace Jensen in 1996; 8. 1997; 9. 1970; 10. Membership to JMRT was open to any librarian or student in library school who was a member of TLA and who was either not over 35 years of age or had not served in the library profession for more than five years.