PNLA Quarterly, Vol. 63 No.2 Winter 1999

ALASKA
Kay Myers, Alaska Representative

People

The University of Alaska-Anchorage selected Stephen Rollins to be the new Dean of the Consortium Library. Mr. Rollins comes to Anchorage from the University of New Mexico where he was Associate Dean of Library Services and Director of the Zimmerman Library.

Cheryl Pearson, Seward Public Library Director, has announced her resignation. Cheryl will be filling in for four months at the Kegoayah Kozga Public Library in Nome for Director Susan Metsker. Susan is taking a four-month leave of absence to work on her MLS at Kent State University. Patricia Linville has been hired as the new Director at the Seward Public Library. Patricia worked previously at the Seward Middle School.

Kelly Skogseth has resigned from the University of Alaska-Southeast, Ketchikan campus library, to take a position for CIS.

John Kawula, formerly of Pacific Lutheran University, is the new Government Documents and Maps Librarian at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Rasmuson Library.

Ann Doyle was hired to supervise ILL activities and work with the reference staff at the Alaska State Library. Ann comes to Juneau from Kirkland, Washington, where she was the director of the Northwest College Library.

Alaska State Library Photographs Librarian India Spartz has resigned to livein London and work on an advanced degree in museum studies. Gladi Kulp will fill India's former position.

Daniel Cornwall joined the Reference and Information Services staff at the Alaska State Library. He came to Juneau from Panama City, Florida.

Anjana Roy, formerly with the Anchorage Municipal Libraries, was selected as librarian for the Alaska Council on Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Library and Resource Center in Anchorage.

Chris Bristah, formerly branch librarian at the Muldoon Branch Library, has been hired as Adult Services Coordinator at Anchorage Municipal Libraries. Carrie Keene's job title has changed from Adult Services Coordinator to Information Services Coordinator. Kim Pendleton has been hired as Muldoon's Branch Librarian.

Charlotte Pendleton, recent retiree from the Anchorage School District, was hired in a full-time position in Youth Services, Anchorage Municipal Libraries.

Zane Treesh has been hired in the part-time reference services position at Chugiak-Eagle River Branch (Anchorage Municipal Libraries) to enable that library to open 16 more hours a week.

Other staff changes at Anchorage Municipal Libraries are Doug McAllister as Government Documents Librarian and Nancy Clark as Readers' Advisory Librarian.

There have been many comings and goings in Alaska school districts. Alan McCurry, the District Librarian for the Yukon-Koyukuk School District, has retired. Alan has been a past president of ASTE and very active in AkASL. Alan's replacement is Chris O'Brien.

The new Mt. Edgecumbe High School Librarian is Tina McNamee. Tina taught last year in the Sitka School District and is happy to be working in Sitka where she graduated from high school. In other changes in Sitka, Karen Grussendorf retired from Sitka Middle School. She was replaced by Kari Sagel from Galena City Schools Library who was replaced by Kim Ueeck.

Tiki Levinson, Bristol Bay Borough School District Librarian, is on sabbatical in Montana.

The Wrangell School District has a new district librarian, Lisa Brooks. Lisa has spent her summer volunteering at the Wrangell Public Library to become acquainted with the community. Lisa replaced Bonnie Demerjian who retired.

In Petersburg, Jim Tindall left Petersburg High School for Oregon. His replacement is Dan Creel. Lois Petersen has returned to library work at Petersburg Elementary School.

The Ketchikan School District has upgraded professional coverage in their elementary school libraries. Each of the four school libraries has a certified half-time librarian. Sherry Hewitt will manage the libraries at Valley Park and Houghtaling Elementaries. Danita Nelson is assigned to White Cliff and Pt. Higgins.

Juliet West, North Slope Borough School District Librarian, resigned and was replaced by Jacque Peterson. Ken Winkelman left the Northwest Arctic School libraries for a classroom assignment.

Sheila Bonnand left the Yakutat School District Library for Western Washington University where she is the Education Librarian.

The first group of Alaskan school librarians have received their endorsements from a new graduate program at the University of Washington. The first graduates are Lane Mayer and Julie Cragen of Anchorage, Phyllis Wahl of Dillingham, and Laurie Cowgill of Kenai.

With many librarians taking advantage of an early retirement program in the Anchorage School District, 17 new school librarians have been hired to fill vacancies. Elementary School changes are Charlie Polak at Abbott Loop, Theresa Pajot at Aurora, Laura Imlach-Garcia at Campbell, Alta Longden at Chester Valley, Dona Helmer at College Gate, Carol Eby at Eagle River, William Owen at Government Hill, Maureen Kelly at Homestead, Jeanne Ashcroft at Kennedy, Kim Kissel at Klatt, Lane Mayer at Rabbit Creek, Julie Cragen at Rogers Park, Jean Tennant at Tumagain, Carol Turner at William Tyson, Joan McMains at Williwaw and Thea Barrier at Wonder Park. Heather Fleming is the new librarian at Central Junior High. A complete listing of Anchorage School District librarians can be located at: http://www.asd.k12.ak.us/Depts/Library_Resources/asdliblist.html

News

Plans are well underway for the annual Alaska Library Association Conference, March 18-21, l999, in Juneau. The theme is "Partnerships: Present and Future." PNLA member are eligible to register at the regular fee for AkLA members.

The Alaska Library Association's newsletter, Newspoke, is being revived with Sue Sherif serving at editor. January 15, 1999, is the next deadline for submitting information. Contact Sue at sues@muskox.alaska.edu

The Tuzzy Consortium Library in Barrow (top of the world!) is now open at its new location at the Inupiat Heritage Center. Three times larger than the old library, the new one houses over 30,000 volumes, 100 periodicals, over 1500 videotapes, in addition to maps, government documents and a growing special collection of Arctic materials. The Tuzzy Library is both a college library that provides academic support for Ilisagvik College as well as a public library that services the information needs of the North Slope Borough residents. It is proud to be a part of the Inupiat Heritage Center, which also includes a museum, designed to provide a place where the language and knowledge of the Inupiat people can be examined, remembered, and celebrated.

The Unalaska City Council took the final step in approving funding for new library and museum projects. Work on both projects has begun and is expected to be completed next spring.

June Pinnell Stephens, Fairbanks North Star Borough Collection Services Manager, was awarded the Citizen Activist of the Year Award by the Alaska Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union for her work on censorship issues. June is currently presenting the workshop "Libraries, the Internet and the First Amendment" in several Alaska communities.

Kate Gordon, Anchorage Municipal Libraries Systems Librarian, has been named Alaska's MCI Cybrarian of the Year. The award entitles her to a $ 1,000 donation for library educational materials and a year of personal dial-up Internet access.

As the result of some federal money, the Delta Community Library is now open four days a week.

"Jazz Up Mondays!," an Anchorage School District Library Issues Seminar Series, will be held in various school libraries on the 2nd and 4th Mondays throughout the school year. Topics include: public relations & library promotion, hot internet information, collaboration with teachers, and library technology.

The University of Alaska-Anchorage Consortium Library celebrated its 25th anniversary in November. In 1973 the library opened with merged collections from the Anchorage Community College and Alaska Methodist University.

A contract has been signed with DRA for the new online system to be shared by a number of libraries across Alaska. All University of Alaska-Fairbanks libraries and rural campuses, the Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library and School District, the North Slope Borough Libraries, Sheldon Jackson College, the State Library, Juneau Public Library, University of Alaska-Southeast Egan Library, Juneau Douglas High School Library and the Alyeska Central School Library will migrate to the new system in 1999. The University of Alaska-Anchorage Consortium Library and its rural campuses will join the DRA system run by the Anchorage Municipal Libraries.

The Alaska State Legislature approved $400,000 for purchase of a statewide license or licenses for access to online periodical articles or other online information sources. Karen Crane, the State Librarian, appointed a committee to review options and to make recommendations. The committee voted to accept proposals from EBSCO Publishing, Information Access Corporation, Infonautics (Electric Library), OCLC, SIRS and UMI. The vendors demonstrated the databases in selected communities around the state. Web access has been provided for the databases and a six month evaluation process, involving most Alaska librarians and interested community members, has begun. For more information about this project, you can visit the State Library's web page at: http://www.educ.state.ak.us/lam/library.html (from there choose services and programs, statewide database project).

A recent state publication, Statistics of Alaska Public Libraries, FY 1996 AND FY 1997, shows that total circulation for all public libraries in Alaska rose approximately 1.4% from 1993 to 1997 and annual attendance rose about 1.3% during the same time period. Mary Jennings of the Alaska State Library's Anchorage office compiled the publication.

Some books about Alaska received in 1997 are available online at: http://www.educ.state.ak.us/lam/library/hist/somebooks/some97.html. This yearly annotated booklist is prepared by Kay Shelton, Alaska State Library, and Kay Myers and Bruce Merrell, Anchorage Municipal Libraries.

The Alaska Newspaper Project at the Alaska State Library is now finished. The product, the Alaska Newspapers On Microfilm, 1866-1988, will be printed by early October. Kudos to Mary Nicholson and Mary Anne Slemmons for their hard work on this project. Kay Shelton, Alaska Historical Collections, Alaska State Library, is now the contact for the Alaska Newspaper Project.