GENERAL NEWS (from March 5th)

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I love the South! Here in Columbia, the trees are budding just in time for Spring Break! We are very ready for some warm days. Baseball season has started and it just doesn’t feel right sitting in the bleachers with coats and gloves and hats. If you can’t make a game, I hope you take the time to do something fun – enjoy the beach, go for a hike, plant your tomatoes or __________.

This is such a good time to be at the University! Despite the budget cuts, we have many exciting opportunities to serve the people of South Carolina and help libraries meet the challenges of being so needed and so busy! Our interviews for new faculty are going well and the search committee will make final recommendations on March 19.

Cocky’s Reading Express™ was awarded the South Carolina International Reading Association’s (SCIRA) Literacy Award in Myrtle Beach on February 20. The annual award honors individuals or groups who make significant contributions to improving literacy in their community and/or state. “The literacy committee was very impressed with this literacy program and the impact that it is having on the lives of young students in our state,” said Linda Grant, literary committee chairperson of SCIRA. Hurray!

Remember that on Friday, March 12 our National Advisory Council and our Diversity Leadership Group are meeting. If you have concerns or suggestions for either group, please let me know and I will bring it to their attention.

We are having our annual Alumni Tea at the South Carolina Association of School Librarians Conference on March 25 from 4-5 pm. The conference is being held at the Embassy Suites Charleston Area Convention Center in North Charleston. At the Alumni Tea this year we are honoring six of our graduates who have been wonderful mentors to our school media interns. It is going to be 10 for 10 in 2010. These mentors have each supervised at least 10 interns over the past 10 years. We are presenting them with special certificates at this event. I hope you will be able to join us!

I am going to check on my Mother for a couple days so wish me luck! I hope you have a safe and happy Spring Break and let me know if you need anything! In the meantime, here are some interesting items to read and think about while you have your toes in the sand or your hiking boots on:


1. Teaching kids to read from the back of a burro [CNN]
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/02/25/cnnheroes.soriano/index.html

2. 'Future library' goes on display in Abu Dhabi [The National]
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100303/NATIONAL/703029811/1010

3. Libraries dealing with homeless try new approaches; San Francisco hires a social worker [Los Angeles Times]
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-homeless-library-patrons,0,4108516.story

4. In the digital age, librarians are pioneers [The Boston Globe]
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2010/02/10/in_the_digital_age_librarians_are_pioneers/

5. Do School Libraries Need Books? [The New York Times]
http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/do-school-libraries-need-books/

Yours,

Sam