GENERAL NEWS: Graduation, Hot Weather, 5 Things to Do

I am so happy that summer is here! No more guessing about the weather - it’s hot, it’s going to be hot! Friday was graduation. It was May 11. It was hot but our reception at Davis College was lovely and cool; the food delicious and the fellowship most welcoming. Over half of our 70 graduates were at graduation and I was so pleased to meet many of their friends and relatives. Congratulations to you all! Keep in touch and let us know if you need anything. BTW, If you have jobs for these new grads, let me know. They are the best and the brightest and will bring knowledge and a good work ethic to your shop.

So as summer rolls in, I think about this spring and all that we accomplished. Just for example in the fun category, we:
* held an elegant high tea for literacy for 60 guests;
* assembled the first meeting of the new Friends Group for the South Carolina Center for Children’s
Books and Literacy;
* brought Dr. Ken Haycock here for the Dean’s Lecture during ICOMM week;
* threw a great reunion for the Pro Sem Survivors (a 12 hour professional seminar was required for
everyone at Davis in the 70’s and early 80’s) with Dean Emeritus Bill Summers;
* and enjoyed a Spring Fling at my house!

So now, we are hunkered down and flinging the digital bits, writing proposals, working on articles, collecting data and generally feeling rather scholarly! We are teaching and designing new courses and keeping your school in good shape. What are you doing this summer? I’m curious about how to survive the heat ;-}

So here are your 5 things to read, do, act upon or think about:

1. Gerry McKiernan, Science and Technology Librarian at Iowa State University Library built several groups in Facebook. Check out the Information Commons in Facebook, an umbrella group of libraries which have a Facebook profile that complements a physical Information Commons or similar innovative services with their library.
[ http://iastate.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2753090572 ]

2. LG Philips Launches Bendable E-Paper Color Monitor [PC World]
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,131798-c,lcd/article.html

3. Microsoft Versus Your TV [Forbes]
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/05/08/microsoft-tv-gates-tech-cx_bc_0508gates.html

4. Open Access and the Progress of Science [American Scientist]
http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/55131

5. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) invites proposal submissions for 1-1/2 hour or half-day professional development programs to be held during the 2008 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference. Submissionswill be accepted through Monday, May 21, 2007. For further information and to download a proposal form visit http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/conferencesandevents/aaslannual/proposals/rfp.htm

Have a wonderful start to your summer, let me know how you plan to stay cool, hug a librarian and take care,

Dr. Sam