Texas Library Association 2009 Annual Conference

The Texas Library Association is holding its annual conference March 31-April 3 in Houston. The theme for this year’s conference is Libraries: Creating Communities of Ideals and Innovation. Libraries have long held a fundamental role in “supporting progress and leading the way toward innovation and learning.” http://www.txla.org/conference/conf.html

Keynote speakers at this year’s conference are Gloria Steinem and Paula Poundstone. Other featured speakers are technology experts, Jenny Levine, author of The Shifted Librarian, Michael Stephens, co-author of the Library Journal column, “The Transparent Library," Sarah Houghton-Jan, “The Librarian in Black,” and R. David Lanks, co-founder of AskERIC and founder of the Virtual Reference Desk Project.

Virtual Reference Shelf: Selected Web Resources Compiled by the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world and serves as the research arm of Congress. The collection of more than 130 million items includes over 29 million cataloged books. The library also provides virtual programs and services to assist the general public. One such service is the Virtual Reference Shelf, a collection of selected websites compiled by reference specialists. The various resources are organized into about thirty categories.

The Virtual Reference Shelf contains the following reference tools:

Abbreviations Almanacs and Fast Facts Arts and Music Associations Awards/Prizes Books, Periodicals, and Publishing Business Calculators Calendars, Clocks/Times Children, Teachers & Parents

Consumer Information Current Events On the Web Dictionaries/Thesauri Directories Education Encyclopedias Genealogy, Biography and Archaeology Government Grant Resources Health/Medical

History (General) Language and Literature Law Libraries Maps/Driving Directions Political Science and Government Quotations Science, Technology and Engineering Statistics

Librarians Initiate Library Liaison Program

In an effort to connect librarians and instructors, the librarians have began a Library Liaison Program. Librarians hope to "Put a FACE on the Library" for all of Richland's full-time and adjunct faculty members.

Our Purpose:
To encourage and facilitate personal connections between librarians and instructors
To create a principal point of contact between the program or discipline and the library


Our Strategy:
We will publish the framework for the Library Liaison Program on the web for all to see.
We will seek out problem areas and collaborate with instructors in finding solutions.
We will advertise new and little used library services in a personal way.


Our Promise:
Each FT instructor will be contacted by a librarian at some time during the academic year.
Each PT instructor currently teaching will receive an email from a librarian.

Please contact us using DCCCCD email or by calling the reference desk at 6082.

Our Resources Include:
•Serials Solutions –a tool to identify which journal titles we can access in either print or electronic format
•NoodleTools –a tool to help with MLA or APA citation and plagiarism avoidance
•ASAP –a tool to help students stay on track with a research project

Our Services Include:
•Helping you find the information you need
•Ordering books for the library in your discipline
•Locating articles for you on interlibrary loan
•Putting items on reserve for your classes
•Helping your students become information literate
•Assisting you with the design of research assignments