The News, Jan. – Mar.
2004
If All
Acclaimed
author Sandra Cisneros featured for state-wide reading
program
Task
Force to address disaster preparation
ASL
to host Children's Services Workshop April 2
Letters
About Literature winners
announced
Arkansas
State Library staff changes
If All
Acclaimed author Sandra
Cisneros featured for state-wide reading program
Sandra Cisneros,
award-winning poet, novelist, and performance artist, will travel throughout
Arkansas beginning April 19 to help the Arkansas Center for the Book at the
Arkansas State Library celebrate National Library Week. The text selected for
the program, If All Arkansas Read the Same Book, is Cisneros's classic work for
young adults, "The House on
While Cisneros's
writings are widely anthologized in textbooks and read in schools throughout the
country, her scope extends to an adult readership as well. Her current novel
Caramelo reached the best-seller lists, selling over
100,000 copies.
A classroom favorite and
a solid choice for adult book discussion groups interested in exploring unique
form and voice, "The House on
Esperanza's name means
"Hope" in Spanish, but some days she dreams of being re-baptized as the more
colorful "Zeze the X." Esperanza is a
writer-in-the-making who knows that her world will someday extend beyond the
barrio, just as she knows that her identity will remain firmly rooted in the
heritage that encompasses her community. As such, "The House on
Cisneros is a 1976
graduate of
Copies of "The House on
Based on a model
developed by the
Cisneros's visit to
Schedule
of Appearances
April
19
April 20
April
21
7:30 p.m. -
Task Force to address
disaster preparation
A new initiative, the
Arkansas Disaster Assistance Task Force for Libraries, Archives and Museums,
brings together staff from cultural and state institutions and emergency
services to discuss ways to protect local cultural and historic
resources.
"The best way to handle
disasters is to assume their inevitability to plan accordingly," says
A statewide disaster
planning effort has been recommended by Amigos Library Services. Other states in
the Amigos' service area have created task forces and have plans to handle
disasters.
"We've had a couple of
organizational meetings," she adds. "Before we get too far in the process, we
need to find out what disaster plans have already been created and how the Task
Force's work can complement any programs already in
place."
That's why the Task
Force has developed and distributed a questionnaire to assess the needs of
libraries and other cultural organizations. Organizations receiving a
questionnaire are asked to return them by April 1.
Task Force members
include the following:
Academic Libraries-Bill
Traylor, assistant director, UALR Ottenheimer Library;
Association of Record Managers and Administrators, Arkansas Chapter-Sherry Owen,
records system administrator, Arkansas Electric Cooperatives; Amigos Imaging and
Preservation Services-Shelby Sanett, director of
special projects, Amigos Library Services; Clinton Presidential Library/National
Archives and Records Administration-Dana Simmons, archives specialist, Clinton
Presidential Materials Project; Dept. of Emergency Management-Nathan Spicer,
public assistance officer, and Jennifer Gordon, public information officer;
Emergency Recovery Services Company-Bob Stroud, owner; Arkansas History
Commission-Bob Devan, Conservator; Arkansas Dept. of
Heritage Museums-Andrew Zawacki, conservator, Historic
Arkansas Museum; Arkansas State Parks Museums-Bill Long, museums coordinator,
Arkansas Parks & Tourism; Public Library-Frances Morgan, assistant curator,
Clinton State Government Project, Central Arkansas Library System; School
Library-Sylvia Chudy, library media specialist,
Arkansas School for Math & Science; Special Library-Margaret Johnson,
history of medicine librarian, UAMS Historical Research Center; State Capitol
Archive-David Ware, state capitol historian, Arkansas State Capitol, and
Arkansas State Library-
ASL to host Children's
Services Workshop April 2
Children's and school
librarians from across the state will meet April 2 for the annual Children's
Services Workshop.
The workshop, hosted by
the Extension Services section of Arkansas State Library, brings librarians
together to network, share ideas, and learn the latest trends in children's
services.
The workshop will be
held at the
Walter Minkel will be the guest speaker. He has been technology
editor at School Library Journal since 1999. He writes a monthly column, Chat
Room, and edits the “TechKnowledge” section of the
magazine. He has written two books: “Delivering Web Reference Services to
Young People” (
Letters About Literature winners announced
Three
Elizabeth White,
Southwest Middle School, Searcy, is the Level I winner for children in grades 4
through 6; Jessika Ballew of Ahlf Jr. High School, Searcy, is the Level II winner for
grades 7 and 8, and Whitney Barringer, Bismarck High
School is the Level III winner for grades 9 - 12.
This annual writing
competition, sponsored by The Center for the Book at the Library of Congress in
partnership with Target Stores, with additional funding provided by educational
publisher Weekly Reader Corp., invites students to write letters to authors who
have, in some way, changed the children's lives or given them wings to explore
the world or a new idea.
After being reviewed by
contest judges in
Serving as Arkansas
judges were Eva White, Crawford County Library System, Van Buren; Marvel
Dickerson, Blytheville Intermediate School; Jamie Melson, Central Arkansas Library System, Little Rock; Kay
Bland, Pulaski County Special School District, Little Rock; Cathy Howser,
Arkansas State Library, Little Rock; Kenneth Cook, National Park Community
College, Hot Springs; and Karen Tablish, North
Arkansas Community College, Harrison.
Crossett library featured
in magazine
A photo of the new
Crossett Public Library was featured in the December architecture issue of
Library Journal.
The library opened in
August 2002. The Arkansas State Library provided consulting services in planning
the building.
The Rogers Public
Library is holding a year-long celebration to mark 100 years of operation. A
12-member women's study group opened the first Rogers Public Library on
Some of the works and
memorabilia of the late editorial cartoonist George Fisher is going to the
Fisher, who drew for the
Arkansas Gazette and Arkansas Times, died at his drawing board on Dec.
15. The acquisition includes the bulk of his work, except for cartoons for the
Arkansas Gazette.
The Encyclopedia of
Arkansas History & Culture project received its largest grant to date-$1.28
million from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.
The project's goal is to
create a resource on
The grant money, to be
paid over seven years, provides about 70 percent of the funding needed for the
initial phase of the project.
Robert Black, associate
director for library services and development, has accepted the position of
Director of the Peoria Public Library in
According to a statement
from the Peoria Public Library Board of Trustees, Black was selected after a
six-month long, nationwide search. His last day at the Arkansas State Library is
March 31 and he will begin his new duties in mid-April.
A search is underway for
his replacement.
Michael Strickland
recently joined the staff as a reference librarian. He holds a master's degree
in library science from the
APRIL
National Poetry Month;
School Library
Media Month
2
Children's Services Workshop,
2
International Children's Book Day
4-6
AAIM Conference Little Rock Doubletree Hotel
12 Young
People's Poetry Week begins
18
National Volunteer Week begins
18-24 National Library
Week, American Library Association
19
19-21 If All
20
National Library Workers Day
21 Thank
You, School Librarian Day
23 World
Book and Copyright Day
24-25
28-29 Introduction to XML & Text Coding, Amigos Training,
Central Arkansas Library System/Main Library (An LSTA program sponsored by the
Arkansas State Library)
MAY
Get Caught Reading
Month
2
3-4 National
Legislative Day, American Library Association,
5-6
AMIGOS Spring Membership Meeting
6
Public Libraries Training Session,
14
17-19 ALPS Spring
Conference, Eureka Springs
18
Digital Imaging for Photographic Collections, Amigos Training, Arkansas
State Library, (An LSTA program sponsored by the Arkansas State
Library)
21-26 Medical Library
Association Conference,