Monthly Report for September 2012

Access Services Department
Monthly Report
September 2012

Access Services Activities

We had a fairly typical month.  Student assistant management remained busy – both with timesheets, needed updates to our Blackboard training site, getting their pictures in so that we can learn who is who, and their day to day task management.

Study room requests were heavy this month, and seemed higher than normal, which means we could be in for a very busy exam season.

Additionally, I updated reserves policy to reflect the change in the access point from the Library to Blackboard, and dealt with numerous student fee issues.


Library Activities

I participated in/attended the following Library events in the month of September:

September 19th – Information Literacy session for Beth Froeba’s Freshman Seminar class
September 25th – Goodreads book club meeting
September 27th – Liaison Luncheon
September 27th – Second Life book club reading from George Orwell’s 1984

See pictures here

Additionally, I worked on SACS Assessment reports and spent quite a bit more time than usual on duty at the reference desk, including my scheduled weekend.

I planned, gathered materials, and with the help of my student assistant Brittany, assembled the Library’s annual Banned Books Week Display.  Jean and I are both posting on Facebook this week about our favorite banned books to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week.  I am also participating in the Banned Books Week virtual read out on YouTube later in Banned Books Week.

See pictures here

Access Services staff participated in/attended the following Library events in the month of September:

September 6th and 24th – FOL meetings – Chris Bowyer
September 24th – Staff Development meeting – Chris Bowyer
September 26th – Pembroke Day – Chris helped with selling hot dogs for FOL and Penny and
Tela worked at the Library’s Pembroke Day Table.
September 28th – FOL Calendar Sale at the football game – Chris Bowyer

University Activities

I participated in/attended the following University events in the month of September:

September 4th and 20th – SAGA meetings
September 5th – Faculty Senate meeting
September 10th – SPARC meeting and reception
September 12th – Town Hall meeting
September 20th – FIAC meeting

Professional Development

Tela Brooks participated in an OCLC webinar “Document Delivery using OCLC Article Exchange.”

Community Service

I am volunteering with Girl Scouts again this year, and attended the first meeting of the year for Daisy Troop 498 on September 20th.

Respectfully submitted,

June L. Power
Access Services/Reference Librarian
October 3, 2012

Kicking Off Banned Books Week

It's my favorite week of the year as a librarian.  Welcome to the 30th anniversary of the American Library Association's Banned Books Week, presided over by the Office of Intellectual Freedom. Libraries are at the forefront of many censorship battles, not solely because we are a provider o

f many banned and censored works, but because our code of professional ethics requires us to stand up for peoples' right to read without judgement or censorship. Does this mean that we agree with all viewpoints for which we argue a voice be heard? Not at all. However, we will defend its right to exist, because it may be the right work for somebody and that person deserves access to that work. You don't have to agree with the sentiment to disagree with its censorship.

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Beatrice Hall, The Friends of Voltaire, 1906

In celebration of Banned Books Week, myself and another library will share this week with our patrons on the library's Facebook page, some of our favorite banned books.  The following is my share for today: 

 In 2011, the popular Hunger Games made the list of challenged books kept by the Office of Intellectual Freedom. Some people claimed it was anti-ethnic, anti-family, insensitive, satanic, and contained offensive language and violence. Celebrate Banned Books Week by reading a banned or challenged book. Read the book or watch the movie - the Library has both.

http://uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/record=b2104353~S3

More information:

BBW 2012: Most Challenged Books of 2011http://
wp.me/piNYx-1HU 

It's Banned Books Week Sept.30-Oct.6th: follow#BannedBooksWeek hashtag & see http://bannedbooksweek.org/  for more info.

PS - Band practice outside the library?  Why? 

PPS - I updated contract spending spreadsheets, worked on student worker paperwork, dealt with reserves issues back and forth all day, and still am behind on everything.  Hate being so productive yet feeling that I am not accomplishing anything.