SLIS NEWS: Upcoming Events, Budget Concerns, Sucess Stories, and 4 Things

Dear Friends and Colleagues,


Here we are on a Friday afternoon of fall break. The campus is empty and the weather has a taste of fall in the air. This is the perfect time to get some of the things off my desk but I keep thinking about students and how much I miss them when they are not here. In much the same way, I miss seeing our students that don’t come to campus. You know that we treasure all of our students and continually try ways to keep us all connected. I look forward to the times I get to travel to other sites and meet with you all face-to-face. Upcoming events include the South Carolina Library Association in Greenville, the Maine Library Association, the New England Library Association, the Virginia Library Association and the Virginia Educational Media Association. I may not be at every conference but someone from our school will be. Be sure to stop at our booth and say hello! If you have friends or family that are thinking about coming back to school, please tell them they can talk to us at these events. Nonie Price is planning our alumni teas so you know they will be wonderful! We will also be asking students and alumni to take some time to talk with us or complete a survey asking how you think we are doing in relation to the ALA accreditation standards. As always, we appreciate your help.


Budgets and budget cuts are the talk of the campus. We are not sure how much we will need to cut yet but please know that our commitment to you will not be lessened. We will be sure you have what you need to graduate and be successful. We will continue searching for two new assistant professors and will continue making sure our faculty can be the professional meetings that are so important to their research and outreach. We will continue to support our literacy initiative and make sure that Cocky has books to read and give to students. Of course, we need to find ways to decrease our spending but please know that it will not be in our service levels to each of you!

There are so many wonderful success stories from our students and graduates. One recent announcement made us all so very proud. Morgan Montgomery (Orangeburg’s Claflin University) and Amanda Brewer (Beaufort County) were selected to participate in ALA’s Emerging Leader Program. I keep saying that we raise stars in South Carolina! And we do!


I hope to see some of you at the Fall Fling at my house on October 17. If not, I understand and look forward to our next visit.


Here are four things to read, do or think about until next time:


1. Using Video Games as Bait to Hook Readers [The New York Times]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/books/06games.html


2. Can Reading Help Kids Lose Weight? [Time]

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1847340,00.html



3. Virtual Worlds? “Outlook Good” [EDUCAUSE Review]

http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE+Review/VirtualWorldsOutlookGood/47219


4. Technology Doesn’t Dumb Us Down. It Frees Our Minds. [The New York Times]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/technology/21ping.html



Let me know if there is anything we can do for you. Try to enjoy the fall, hug a librarian, and do something kind for a teacher,

sam

SLIS NEWS: Fall Fling

Hope to see you!

sam

SLIS NEWS: Digital Humanities "Future Knowledge" Lecture Series

Friends,

A quick reminder that the first of four lectures this year on Digital
Humanities is scheduled for Monday, October 6, at 4 pm in the Lumpkin
Auditorium on the 8th floor of the Moore School of Business.

I'm attaching a copy of the flyer for this lecture. Posters for the
series will go up soon, but we're using this in the meantime to get the
word out as widely as possible. Please alert your students and
colleagues, and join us to launch this exciting new series of events.

Thanks,
sam