GENERAL NEWS: Famously Hot Summer Update! (June 23, 2010)

June 23, 2010

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

If you haven’t heard, Columbia has adopted a city logo that says “Famously Hot.” The convention center even sent a package of incentives to book with them that included a barbeque lighter. . .Well, I don’t know how famous it is but it is darn hot! And, it is only June! And, it doesn’t cool off much at night! And, I am already tired of sweating and August is still to come! Yet, these are the only complaints I have right now. All else is going very well! Major good news pieces are:

1. We received the IMLS funding for our doctoral program fellowships that will help us develop a new program specialty in cultural heritage informatics and produce the next generation of library and information professionals that understand museums and other cultural institutions.

2. We are in Phase I of planning for a new HVAC system for Davis College. The actual installation won’t happen until next summer. Our beautiful building is just holding its breath for new cool, dehumidified air and fresh air returns! Will keep you posted on the progress.

3. Cocky’s Reading Express continues to garner funds to help us expand our programming and improve our evaluation/impact study. It is really encouraging to see the support from both corporate and community funders. We are ready to take on the state and take a bite out of illiteracy!

4. Carolina baseball is still in the College World Series! It is so fun to see such great baseball from a team with so much heart and obvious talent.

5. Our LISSA students made enough money off the “Mildly Attractive Men of SLIS” calendar sales that they are driving vans to DC for the American Library Association conference and staying at the dorms of Catholic University. If you are at the conference look for them and say congratulations! For many of these students, this is their first professional conference. Of course, their next conferences will be SCLA and SCASL!

We are proud and happy right now at SLIS. Our new faculty members are on their way to Davis and we are looking forward to seeing them soon. As I mentioned last update, we have a planning retreat scheduled for August 16 so if you have things you want us to consider please let me know. In the meantime, holler if you see me at ALA. I will be there through Monday 6/28 and then back to work. I’m going to try to take a break later in July and will let you know those dates when I have them.

All the best to you and yours and try to stay cool!

Dr. Sam

Just found out that Jessica Harrelson, 1996 SLIS Alumna is district teacher of the year in Johnsonville! Congratulations dear Jessica!

Jessica Ard Harrelson, librarian at Johnsonville Elementary School, has been named “Teacher of The Year” for Florence County District Five Schools.

-- WBTW-TV (Florence) / The (Florence) Morning News

http://www2.scnow.com/news/2010/jun/22/harrelson_xml_named_district_teacher_of_the_year_i-ar-527655/