Richard Kong | Movers & Shakers 2012 – Tech Leaders
Congratulations!!! Our own Richard Kong, Board Member at Large (2011-2013) has been selected as one of the Movers and Shakers 2012!
On his first round of graduate school, in 2003, Richard Kong studied film. As much as he loved the medium, he soon realized a life in academia wasn’t for him. A year later he enrolled in the library program at the University of Michigan’s School of Information, “where the focus was always on considering the places where information, technology, and people intersect,” says Kong, now the digital services manager at Arlington Heights Memorial Library (AHML).
Kong’s appreciation of visual media played a role in one of the library field’s newest interpretations of that intersection. In 2009, he helped design and launch the innovative Skokie Public Library (SPL) Digital Media Lab, where users access software and hardware—and trained librarians—to create videos, music, podcasts, images, ebooks, websites, animation, and more. (See “Build Your Own Media Lab.”) He’s encouraged others to create similar spaces.
He also helps his colleagues develop digital savvy through the Reference Librarians Association for Continuing Education (RLA CE), which is where Shannon Scanlon, now business services librarian at AHML, first met him. “Richard is a mentor,” Scanlon says. “His understanding of technology as a training tool for librarians and patrons has inspired me.”
Kong now plans to launch a digital lab at AHML informed by the lessons—both technical and philosophical—that he learned at SPL. “It’s better to press forward and take risks rather than perpetually wait for the perfect time and conditions,” Kong says. And he’s proving that.
The full article from Library Journal can be found below.
APALA Social, Friday, Feb. 17
Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with APALA over a delicious dinner at the Golden Era Vietnamese on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, from 7-9pm. If you are in Northern California, please come and celebrate with us. Bring your friends. Meet new friends. This is a great opportunity to network, share ideas and raise money for APALA’s scholarship fund.
When: Friday, February 17th, 7-9pm
Where: Golden Era Vietnamese, 572 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA 94102, http://www.goldeneravegan.com/
Cost: $25/person ($5 or any donation above the requested amount will be tax deductible and go to our APALA Scholarship Fund)
RSVP: no later than Wednesday, 02.15, 5pm PST to wee@smcl.org
Again, our fabulous menu is organized by Janet Tom (tea, tax, tip included):
1. Spring rolls: Fresh rolls w/ lettuce, mint leaves, cilantro, seasoned tofu. Served with peanut sauce.
2. Tofu salad: Shredded cabbage, lotus root, tofu, carrot, mint leaves, sesame seeds, peanuts tossed in plum vinaigrette sauce.
3. Lemongrass Deluxe: Spicy lemongrass soy “chicken”. Served w/ steamed broccoli.
4. Stir-fried Chinese broccoli.
5. Truly Sea: Crispy pan fried soy “fish” served w/ sweet ginger sauce.
6. House Rice Claypot: Tofu, soy “chicken”, mushroom, bean thread, onion, and ginger cooked w/ fragrant rice.
7. Brown or white rice..
Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce Call for Applications
From ARL:
For immediate release:
February 9, 2012For more information, contact:
Mark A. Puente
Association of Research Libraries
202-296-2296
mpuente@arl.orgInitiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce: Call for Applications
Deadline May 1, 2012
Washington, DC—The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is accepting applications for the Initiative to Recruit a Diverse Workforce (IRDW), a program designed to recruit master of library and information science (MLIS) students from traditionally underrepresented ethnic and racial minority groups into careers in research libraries. The IRDW includes a stipend up to $10,000 over two years, leadership and career development training, financial support for skills development, and a formal mentorship program.
The IRDW is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and ARL member libraries. This program reflects the commitment of ARL members to create a diverse research library community that will better meet the challenges of changing demographics in higher education and the emphasis of global perspectives in the academy.
Program Goal and Objectives
- Attracting MLIS students from underrepresented groups to careers in research libraries, especially students with educational backgrounds (preferably a baccalaureate degree) in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) disciplines†
- Strengthening participants’ leadership and job searching skills via a Leadership Symposium held during the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting
- Developing a network of mentors who will guide and nurture the career development of the participants
† Candidates from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. Those without academic training in STEM disciplines will be required to complete coursework that will better prepare the candidate to work in one of the designated areas.
Applications
Successful applicants will meet the following criteria:
- Member of an underrepresented racial or ethnic group (Note: Racial and ethnic identification is based on the categories outlined by the US Census and include: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino.)
- Citizen or permanent resident of the United States, Puerto Rico, or Canada
- Acceptance into an ALA-accredited MLIS program
- Interest in pursuing a career in a research library
All applicants are required to submit the following materials by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1, 2012:
- Applicant summary sheet
- Résumé
- A 400-word (maximum) essay describing what attracts you to a career in a research library
- Two letters of reference
- Official undergraduate and graduate school transcripts including your last academic semester completed
- Copy of an official letter of acceptance from an ALA-accredited library/information school
The application form is online at http://www.arl.org/diversity/init/IRDWapp.shtml. For more information about the program, see the IRDW website http://www.arl.org/diversity/init/.
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 126 research libraries in the US and Canada. Its mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly communication and the public policies that affect research libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and expertise, facilitating the emergence of new roles for research libraries, and shaping a future environment that leverages its interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is on the web at http://www.arl.org/.
Pendse Named 2012 ACRL WESS De Gruyter Grant Recipient
From ALA:
CHICAGO – Liladhar R. Pendse, librarian for Slavic and Eastern European and Eurasian studies (Central Asian studies) at Princeton University, has been selected to receive the 2012 Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Western European Studies Section (WESS) De Gruyter European Librarianship Study Grant.
Sponsored by the Walter de Gruyter Foundation for Scholarship and Research, the grant provides $3,000 to support a trip to Europe. The primary criterion for awarding the grant is the significance and utility of the proposed project as a contribution to the study of the acquisition, organization or use of library resources from or relating to Europe.
Pendse will receive the award check during the WESS General Membership Meeting at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim.
“A comprehensive bibliography and subject analysis of Indo-Portuguese periodicals held by the National Library of Portugal and other libraries in Lisbon will open up an as of yet untapped trove of resources on the Portuguese colonies of India,” said award committee chair Brian Vetruba of Washington University in St. Louis. “Pendse’s finished project will be an asset not only to West European and South Asian Studies scholars but also those examining questions of national identity and intercultural exchanges.”
Pendse’s research will result in a peer reviewed research paper and further the development of an online searchable version of the bibliography of Indo-Portuguese periodicals.
Pendse received his M.L.I.S. (2006), M.A. in Latin American studies (2006) and B.A. in history with Arabic and Islamic Studies minor (2004) from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA).
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ACRL is a division of the American Library Association (ALA), representing more than 12,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals. ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products and services to meet the unique needs of academic and research librarians. Its initiatives enable the higher education community to understand the role that academic libraries play in the teaching, learning and research environments. ACRL is on the Web at http://www.acrl.org/, Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ala.acrl and Twitter at @ala_acrl.
A message from APALA President Sandy Wee
Happy Year of the Dragon! I hope you all had a great time this past MidWinter conference despite your busy schedule. With social media, through photos and posts, we were all able to vicariously enjoy and capture one’s conference experience. It was great to see many new faces at our APALA events as well as reconnect with many APALA friends.
Thus far, my year as president has been busy yet extremely rewarding. Thanks to the leadership of our Executive Board and Committee Chairs, we have accomplished much during these past six months:
- Three successful socials at ALA MidWinter: A tour of the Crow Collection of Asian Art, social dinner at Zenna Thai and Japanese Restaurant and APALA/AILA participation of the 5K.
- Endorsement of Resolution Opposing Restriction of Access to Materials and Open Inquiry in Ethnic and Cultural Studies Programs in Arizona.
- Tina Chan was named APALA’s Emerging Leader.
- Announcement of Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (APAAL) at MidWinter.
- Family Literacy Focus Task Force, a collaboration between APALA and American Indian Library Association (AILA) received a $2500 from Toyota for their ongoing project.
- Approval to award four $500 Joint Conference for Librarians of Color (JCLC) Scholarships to APALA members.
- Kick off of t-shirt campaign.
- Networking and soliciting ongoing donations.
- Continual succession planning within committees.
- Constitution and Bylaws update.
- Promotion of APALA through ALA.
- APALA representation at ALA national level: Working Group on Diversity and LIS Education, Equitable Access to Electronic Content (EQIACC).
- Ongoing support of JCLC with printing donation of publicity postcards and raffle baskets.
- Increase in membership by 24%.
- Matched 9 protégé with mentors.
- Transition between incoming (Buenaventura “Ven” Basco) and outgoing (Gary Colmenar) Executive Director.
- Continual collaboration and partnerships with our ethnic caucuses: AILA, BCALA, CALA, REFORMA..
None of the above would have been accomplished without the dedication of our Board and Committee Chairs.
Finally, I would like to thank Gary Colmenar, our outgoing Executive Director (2006-2012) for his years of service with APALA. Gary’s knowledge of APALA and ALA have been invaluable for those of us who serve on the board during these years. During these past six months, Gary has been working with our incoming Executive Director Buenaventura “Ven” Basco on transitioning roles. Gary is not only a colleague but a great friend and support to us all. Thank you Gary!
Have a great year!
Best,
-Sandy
2011-2012 APALA President
