Idaho LibrarianVolume 50 Number 5 October 1998 ILA ANNUAL REPORTS President's Report This has been the most rewarding year to serve with honor as the President of the Idaho Library Association. It has been a year marked by notable progress for Idaho libraries. • The Libraries Linking Idaho (LiLI) statewide database license was funded for an annual $465,000. • Technological developments are being encouraged and supported throughout the whole state. • The Idaho State Library staff instituted the First Book project and continued to promote emergent literacy. • The Idaho State Library staff sponsored a State Futures Conference and regional workshops. • The Albertsons Foundation worked with libraries and parents to promote literacy. • The ILA Board followed through on the Idaho Library Association Strategic Plan initiated by Mary Carr and her board. Many of these improvements are to be credited to the Idaho State Library staff, but in some cases they were also the outcome of teamwork and a dedicated show of interest and follow-through by librarians, friends, and trustees over the whole state. A real grassroots approach is most often what it takes to make needed headway. I am very proud to represent seriously dedicated librarians who are so willing to work and devote energy to critical library causes. Besides speaking with legislators, I have also had several opportunities to submit the names of Idaho librarians for specialized conferences or honors. It serves us well whenever one of our colleagues has the opportunity to meet with those from other states or to represent us as a national speaker. In these roles everyone learns through the process and returns with many ideas to share here at home. Speaking of sharing, for years ILA has been managed and kept running by a small core of energized people. Some of those people have moved to other states. Karen Strege, Mary Carr and a few others still continue to share their energies with us. Other people have given, and given, and now must take a breather. We all owe a "Golden Tie Award" or more than words can say to Adrien Taylor and also Tim Brown for their years of dedicated work. Now it is critical for this organization to recruit new blood and energy (lest we become real library angels like I wrote about in the most recent Idaho Librarian). To recruit new talent and ideas we must: • all be accepting—open ourselves up to questions, new ways to solve or approach a problem, and to conducting Association tasks and business. • beat the bushes for friends, trustees, and library personnel who are working hard but not always motivated to toot their own horns, seek office, or join organizations. • be willing to give newcomers more opportunities and chances to serve. • realize that protocol is not the "end all"—be willing to set it and our egos aside and instead promote diplomacy, tact, courtesy, encouragement, and opportunity. If this organization will continue to thrive, we need to find more ways to honor and involve the hard working staff members who serve us all. We need to give some serious thought to past ideas or approaches. Analyze whether or not our thinking has done anything to promote an interest or increase in membership, a tapping of every member's talents and a fostering of knowledge and acceptance of everyone in our Association. We have a great Association. By joining this group we have all made a statement that we believe the following: "The purpose of this Association shall be to advance the common library interest; to promote the organization and development of better library service in the State of Idaho; and to foster a friendly relationship among all those interested in library service." I hope each of you will take a moment to consider how important it is to recognize people who share this ideal. Let's dedicate ourselves to work together to achieve ILA's mission. By doing so, we should be able to give this organization and everything it stands for a real transfusion. Thank you to every member and staff member who has contributed their time and energy to helping our cause and me the last two years. We owe special thanks to Kari Davis and Michael Samuelson of the Boise Public Library Staff for hours of work without honor. Susannah Price Ed Media Division Annual Report The Ed Media Division activities for 1997-98 were carried out by individuals who focused their efforts in several arenas. The results of all these activities will make Idaho school libraries better for our students. 1. Many members helped the Idaho State Library in their successful campaign to receive funding from the Legislature for the statewide periodical database. 2. Several members participated in the State Department of Education's project to prepare an information manual for school libraries. The manuals have just gone to press and will be mailed to your schools in the fall. 3. Dawn Wittman of Lapwai (and the new ILA President) was awarded the Winnebago Progressive School Library Media Award. The award will be presented to her at the annual meeting in Sun Valley. 4. A few members are still working to ensure that ALL Idaho schools have a certified media generalist. A very recent development looks encouraging. On July 30, Barbara Barrett (ILA, IEA), Ann Joslin (ISLA), and Carolyn Mauer (SDE) met with Darrel Looslie from Dr. Fox's office to discuss the preparation of legislation for the 1999 Legislature. Exactly what the legislation will be is uncertain, but it will include an appropriation so it will not be seen as an unfunded mandate, the plan will be phased in over a period of time, and districts will have to meet some sort of criteria so that the certificated librarian will be able to do a professional job. Please keep your eyes on Lib_Idaho, because it will take statewide support from librarians, teachers, parents, and administrators to get this passed. If you have suggestions for the legislation or for the campaign to get it passed, please send your suggestions to Barbara Barrett at barreb@hills1.sd01.k12.id.us or 6808 Fernwood Drive, Boise ID 83709. Barbara Barrett Public Library Division During the past fiscal year, the Public Library Division made progress in updating two very important items: By-laws and Standards for the division. At the fall meeting, in October of 1997, many members were concerned about the situation with both documents. The Standards we were working with were seven years old, and, considering the advances in technology during this time period, it was obviously time to take another look at them. The by-law situation was even worse. No one knew where they were or how old they were. The committee working on Standards, Karen Lukes, Dian Hoffpauir, Max Leek and Larry Almeida, began its work early in 1998. In email conversation it was determined that little in the original standards needed changing. The most important need was to add a section on electronic Standards. A draft put together by Dian and other colleagues at an earlier date was examined and submitted to the membership via the new ILA website. Copies were also made available at the annual conference at Sun Valley in August. Because of the difficulty locating a copy, the Public Library Division By-Laws presented more of a problem. Finally a copy was located with the help of ILA executive board members. Once the by-laws were found, it was clear that updating them would take a significant effort. For this reason it was decided to postpone work on them until after the membership at the annual meeting could discuss them as a group. Although new documents to guide the Public Library Division were not submitted for a vote this year, important steps were taken to begin this process. Hopefully next year we can hammer out a draft of one or both of these documents and submit them to the membership. Larry Almeida Public Relations Committee Annual Report Mary Carr, Barbara Greever, and Adrien Taylor presented a half-day workshop, Legislative Advocacy: Speaking Up and Speaking Out, at the 1997 annual conference in Idaho Falls, using the LiLI project as a basis for its "hands on" exercises. This session was funded in part by a grant for $250.00 from the New York Library Association's Public Awareness Training Project and the Viburnum Foundation, with many thanks to Mary Carr for submitting the proposal and receiving the grant on ILA's behalf. In the winter of 1997, the Idaho State Library created a set of information packets detailing funding requests to be submitted to the Legislature for the LiLI project. The packets were distributed to librarians and library advocates throughout the state, and the funding requests were approved, due in large part to the strong support of the Idaho library community. The Public Relations Committee was able to play a small part in this effort by using part of its budget to help pay for some of the material in the information packets. In the spring of 1998, the PR Committee secured funding for Susan L. Silk to present two library advocacy sessions at the Sun Valley conference. Ms. Silk is a former print and electronic journalist, well-known library advocacy trainer, and president of Media Strategy Inc./MSI Strategic Communications. She is the original ALA Speakers' Network and advocacy trainer for the American Library Association program, she created the Speaking Up and Speaking Out! training videotape used throughout Idaho and Washington by those two states' Speakers' Networks, and she presented three library advocacy sessions to rave reviews at the ILA/WLA Joint Conference in Spokane several years ago. On Tuesday, August 13 in Sun Valley, Ms. Silk will present Beginner Grassroots Advocacy: the "How To" of Mobilization from 8:30 to noon; Advanced Grassroots Advocacy from 2:00-3:30 p.m. Attendees who wish to become part of the ILA Speakers' Network will be able to sign up at these sessions. The PR Committee has also created a draft communications plan for ILA. The draft will go to the Board this fall for consideration, and once approved, will form the "blueprint" for the Committee's activities in upcoming years. I would like to thank Anne Abrams, Stephanie Bailey-White, and Mary Carr for their help in creating the draft plan. After the Sun Valley conference, the Committee plans to conduct a survey of Idaho media outlets regarding their policies for accepting Public Service Announcements. PSAs available through the New York Library Association and/or the American Library Association on general library issues will be considered for distribution throughout the state. The Committee will also order two banners and two signs with the ILA logo and the association's name on them. These can be used for the ILA Legislative Breakfast and other association events. Barbara C. Greever Intellectual Freedom Committee Annual Report Committee Members for the year were: Susan Green, Burley Public Library Nancy Hendon, Fort Boise Alternative School Lori Keenan, Latah County District Library Vicki Kreimeyer-Brown, Boise Public Library Rand Simmons, Idaho State Library Robert Wright, Lucy Boyle Public Library Most of the work of the committee was conducted by email. The committee discussed several cases in Idaho libraries in which there were challenges to books and videos, and in which there was a potential privacy violation regarding access to the Internet. The committee will meet at the ILA annual conference to set an agenda for the 1998-1999 year. Rand Simmons attended and gave testimony at a hearing on the American Library Association's Libraries: an American Value (draft 21st Century Intellectual Freedom Statement). The hearing was held at the American Library Association annual conference in Washington, D.C. in June. An auction at the joint PNLA/ILA conference in Sun Valley will benefit intellectual freedom activities in both associations. The auction was planned by the ILA committee. The Committee created an Idaho intellectual freedom web page posted on the new Idaho Library Association web site. The web pages provide information on intellectual freedom and point to helpful documents and organizations. The web address is: http://www.idaholibraries.org/if/. Rand Simmons
It is tempting to give this report a title of "Success, at Last." Libraries in Idaho have, for the first time, a means of financial aid from the State, in the form of the statewide licensing of a database. This is the result of a very successful campaign by members of the Idaho library community to lobby and influence both the Governor and the Legislature. It should be noted that this measure passed through the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee with no votes of dissent, although there were three members absent at the moment of the vote. Success is, I believe, due to two critical factors; one, the Governor included the recommendation in his budget as a result of receiving more than 40 letters and telephone calls urging his inclusion of this provision; and, the fact that the Committee (JFAC) members had a full house during the presentation of this matter, and those present represented ALL types of libraries and library users (from home-schoolers, to school librarians, public librarians, academic and corporate librarians, to teachers and other "end users"). I believe that it is correct to say that without this orchestration the realization of "Project LiLI" would not have been achieved. With the matter in the Governor's budget the staff of the Idaho State Library had a freer hand in contacting members of the Legislature and with the communication means available to the Idaho Library Association members it was easier to target to appropriate date communications of support. It is, naturally, hoped that this success can be built upon in the future. On a personal note, I would like to say that I thank each and every member of the Association and our friends for all of the support and hard work over the last several years. Since this is the last annual report I shall submit, since I will no longer be the Chair of this committee, I would like all to know that I have enjoyed the opportunity to "represent" the Association in our Legislative adventures and that I wish future committees the best of luck and all good wishes for continued successes. Adrien Taylor
Most of my effort as chair this year was spent trying to promote interest in the annual convention among the statewide trustees community. Not many trustees attended the division meeting in Idaho Falls in 1997. The few that did remarked that they wanted to see trustees-track programs at the annual convention taking place on Friday rather than Thursday. Their thinking was that, if they were going to have to take vacation days to come to the conference, they could at least make a three-day weekend out of it. Those remarks guided my planning for this year's conference, as well as the subject matter for trustees-track programs. Early on arrangements were made with Gard Hanks of the State Library to present back-to-back programs of interest to trustees on Friday morning. That commitment having been made, in mid-winter I mailed postcards to the chairs of each of the public library boards inviting them to attend the conference. When ILA members got their conference packet, I arranged to get enough extra packets to send one to each board chair around the state; I figure that if we can get board chairs to see the value of ILA, they will "sell" the association to their boards. Other activities included: ¨ participation in the annual Legislative Day breakfast at the Statehouse in January; ¨ working with Camille Wood and Larry Almeida to organize a job description for an association webmaster, and then hiring someone to do the job; ¨ working with Barbara Greever to create promotional material shortly after learning of Sue Silk's commitment to present the library advocacy workshops in Sun Valley. This next year, my third one-year term as chair, I hope to lay the groundwork for putting together a statewide trustees and friends directory, in either electronic or paper form or both. John S. Pool MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT The annual membership renewal notice was sent out to members and libraries throughout the state on February 18, 1998. This mailing totaled 1716 pieces. 255 reminders were mailed on May 21, 1998 to ILA members who had not renewed as of May 1. As of September 1, 1998 ILA membership stands at: Personal College 68 Ed. Media 96 Public 154 Trustee 151 Life 24 Institutional 35 ———— Total 528 Suggestions for changes in the membership renewal form should be submitted to the Membership Chair before November 1, 1998. Anyone wishing to volunteer to serve on the Membership Committee in 1999 should contact the Membership Chair immediately. Ruth Cochran PNLA Representative Annual Report This year the PNLA Executive Board began the task to revitalize the Pacific Northwest Library Association and devised an Action Plan to address the problems and weaknesses of the association. The plan is available at the PNLA web site, www.pnla.org. Board members brainstormed concepts that needed targeting and wrote position papers on those topics. From the position papers, board members developed plans to address each targeted area. Areas include: Membership and Services, Structure, Communications, Publications, Conferences, Continuing Education, The Young Reader's Choice Award, and the establishment of two new awards, the Pacific Northwest Book Award, and the Intellectual Freedom Award. As a part of the PNLA restructuring plan, members approved a bylaw change, which eliminates the position of Vice President/Membership. The editor of the PNLA Quarterly has also been eliminated from the board by constitutional amendment. These actions will help save the association the expenses at board meetings. Board members will continue to develop concrete deadlines and strategies in response to the action plan. The financial situation has improved significantly. PNLA is no longer showing red ink. However, the association's contingency fund was used to help eliminate the deficit and consequently a very small contingency fund is left. The Oregon Library Association held off on its considered pull-out from PNLA. President Gordon Ray and Vice President/President Elect Andrew Johnson sent letters and visited personally with several OLA members at the OLA conference. The OLA Board agreed to wait one year before taking action. OLA members and Oregon Public Libraries were reminded that the Young Reader's Choice Award is a PNLA activity and committee. Meanwhile, the Montana Library Association is debating whether or not to pull out of PNLA albeit for different reasons. The MLA is a member of both the Pacific Northwest Library Association and the Mountain Plains Library Association. Some members have expressed a desire to heed expenses and drop membership from PNLA. MLA members in western Montana are arguing to remain in PNLA due to geographic diversity and distance. The Quarterly has been revamped and is a leaner journal. As a part of the Action Plan, the Board is investigating journal reviews, a web-based journal, and other enhancements to the journal's appeal and usefulness. Officers for the coming year are: President, Andrew Johnson (University of Washington), Vice President/President Elect, Karen Labuik (Marigold Library System, Alberta); Secretary, Colleen Bell (University of Oregon), Vice President Membership, Christine Sheppard (Executive Director Library Association of Alberta), Treasurer, Monica Weyhe (Juneau, Alaska). Next year's conference will be held in beautiful Calgary, Canada, August 11-13, 1999. The Coas Plaza is an American Airlines/Canadian Airlines partner. Room rate is predicted at $112 Canadian, $73 U.S. The theme is "Common Ground"—chosen to focus on library information issues that Americans and Canadians share, such as literacy, intellectual freedom, advocacy, children's services, technology, and management/planning. The keynote speaker is Ben Wicks, writer and cartoonist. For more information contact Karen Labuik, Assistant Director, Marigold Library System, 710 2nd Street, Strathmore, AB T1P 1K4, Canada. Email: klabuik@freenet.calgary.ab.ca. Kevin Booe
SUN VALLEY, AUGUST 12, 1998 PRESENT: Susannah Price, Camille Wood, Marlene Earnest, John Pool, Max Leek, Barbara Greever, Charles Bolles, Janet Strong, Dan Lester, Ron Force, Dawn Wittman, Mary Carr, Larry Almeida, Sandi Shropshire April 17, 1998 meeting minutes were approved unanimously. Suggestion/discussion item (pending future action): Price asked whether we need to designate a parliamentarian. Bolles has been filling the role informally. It is helpful to have someone have the formal responsibility to keep the president in check. Wood noted that an extra person on the board would have a financial impact. Pool suggested that an existing board member fill the role. The president could ask for a volunteer; a person who felt comfortable in that capacity to volunteer for that term. ALA Representative's report: See Wood's pink Attachment 1. AV equipment use policy (See Attachment 2 as an example): Strong raised cost and liability issues. There was discussion regarding program quality issues when equipment is integral to the program. Program planning and budgeting process needs to be coordinated. Board members are advised to become familiar with the issues for a fall discussion. Website (www.idaholibraries.org): Lester, our webmaster, notes that he has yet to be provided with an abundance of content. Possibilities include lists of and links to conference exhibitors, paid banner ads, etc. Lester will be counting and analyzing the site traffic. Our Micron rate allows limited commercial activities. Idaho Librarian solicits paid advertising (amount is restricted due to tax considerations). Leek noted that the same person managing I.L. ads could manage website ads. (An I.L. ad manager is currently needed.) The exhibit organizer would also need to be included in a coordinated effort. Lester noted that currently there are two main ways advertisers pay for Internet ads, either by length of time posted or by number of "click-throughs." Bolles suggested that a subcommittee (possibly the publications committee [currently just DeZelar-Tiedman and Lester — Schlegl moved to Saskatchewan] could be broadened to include electronic publications) should research the issues and bring back a recommendation to the board. Carr suggested that it be coordinated with a broader communications function. Wood complimented Lester on his efforts. Pool moved, Wittman seconded, that an ad hoc communications committee consisting of Wood, Almeida, Lester, Pool, and DeZelar- Tiedman be formed to consider the issues. The motion was approved unanimously. Nominations committee report (Attachment 3): Carr reported that finding volunteers to run for office has been very difficult. Everyone who ran was elected. Lobbyist search: Price reported that Taylor is still looking for a lobbyist. Intellectual Freedom Honor Roll (Attachment 4): Price had asked for 3-5 names to be submitted from Idaho. Price asked the Board for nominations. Lawyers for Libraries Training Institute: ILA needs to recommend three Idaho attorneys to be sent to the November institute. Price will bring brochures to the Saturday meeting for further discussion. Carr suggested we try to get a geographic dispersion. Separation of Resolutions and Legislative Committee Co-chairs: Taylor is asking whether the two jobs should remain joint. Discussion is tabled until Saturday, when Taylor may be able to attend. Board Reports: 1st VP: We had 214 pre-registrants, 44 exhibitors. Wittman will have a further conference report later. 2nd VP: No report. Secretary: No report. Treasurer (see Shropshire's pink Attachment 6). The unanticipated exchange rate charges (final figure is not yet available) are the result of the difference in the Canadian exchange rate. The PNLA board does not want to charge it back to the Canadian members. Strong, Almeida moved that we ask PNLA to absorb the cost before the rest of the conference costs are divided. The motion was unanimously approved. Wittman will approach them. Questions: (1) Vendors have approached Shropshire asking for a mailing list of conference registrants. Should we release such a list? (Note: A list of conference registrants should be distinguished from the list of ILA members, which is not under discussion for release.) We could charge for it, or to add it as a perk with web page ads. (2) Does institutional membership confer any privileges upon the institution's employees? It buys a subscription, the lobbying support of ILA and no further privileges. Past President: No further report. State Librarian: No report. Educational Media Division Chair: See Barrett's yellow Attachment 7. Academic/Special Division Chair: Strong reports that BSU's prefix is now 426 (was 385). Site selection: Strong had been exploring the possibility of doing a joint conference with the Montana Library Association. MLA was not interested, since they already do joint conferences with PNLA and with Mountain Plains Library Assoc. Strong will write up MLA's counter proposal to be discussed Saturday. Public Library Division Chair: See Almeida's Attachment 8. The division is trying to upgrade the standards to include, among other things, electronic access issues. Trustees Division: See Pool's Attachment 9. Public Relations Committee Report. See Greever's Attachment 10. Constitution/By-Laws Committee: See Wood's Attachment 11. Wood revised the Policies and Procedures to include changes included in the last Board Meeting Minutes. Revised Constitution and By-Laws will be voted upon at the General Membership meeting. The Board commends Wood for her work. ILA Strategic Plan: Force has no discussion items at this time. Adjourned.
ILA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1998 SUN VALLEY, IDAHO The proposed Constitution and Bylaws changes, distributed in advance in the Idaho Librarian, were adopted in their entirety by a unanimous vote of those assembled. Several members were thanked for their contributions to the association in the past year: Ollie Cossman, for local arrangements for the Sun Valley conference; Sandra Shropshire, ILA Treasurer; Camille Wood, Constitution and Bylaws revision; Dawn Wittman, conference planning; Susannah Price, ILA President; and Adrien Taylor, for years of service and legislative guidance. We thanked ourselves, and librarians and library advocates throughout the state, for helping LiLI become a reality. Mary Carr, ILA past President and chair of the Nominating Committee reported that all those nominated were elected to office: Larry Almeida, Second Vice President; Sandra Shropshire, Treasurer; Jennifer O'Laughlin, Trustees/Friends Division Chair-Elect; Robert Wright, Public Library Division Chair-Elect; and Rosmarie Fouad, Academic/Special Libraries Division Chair-Elect. Charles Bolles, Idaho State Librarian, gave his "State of the State" report. He recognized the outstanding group of people at the State Library, who have done extraordinary work in the face of high turnover. The project to catalog state documents is progressing well, and may be finished after one more year. Thanks are due to Carol Silvers, and Candace Wittner for their work on the project. The high caliber of information service provided the legislature by Karin Ford and Jane Houston have done much to help make the funding for the LiLI project a reality. It is expected that the statewide database will be up and running around the first of December, thanks to the good work of Ann Joslin, Anne Abrams, and Rand Simmons. Legislators will be able to see what it covers and how it works, and we hope they will continue to fund it on a yearly basis. The Read to Me Project, part of the Albertsons Emergent Literacy Project, is on track, and five libraries will participate in it during the upcoming year. Thanks to Stephanie Bailey-White and Peggy McClendon for their work on the project. Rand Simmons is continuing to monitor the developments in e-rate and universal service, and answer questions for the Idaho library community. At this point, Bolles does not know what the year 2000 budget request for the Idaho State Library will be, but it will include continued funding for the statewide database, cataloging of Idaho state documents, funding for the field offices, and the Read To Me Project. Ron Force, First Vice President and chair of conference planning for the upcoming year, announced that the next annual conference will be held October 6-9, 1999, at the Doubletree on Riverside in Boise. There were memorials for three members of the Idaho library community. Stanley A. Shepard passed away on July 16 of causes related to age. In his three decades with the University of Idaho Library he was a cataloger, Head of Technical Services, and Head of Archives and Special Collections, retiring in 1984 as an emeritus professor. He was an active member of ILA, serving on numerous committees over the years. William F. (Bill) Hayes passed away May 22, 1997. He was the director of the Boise Public Library from 1966 to 1983. During his tenure, the library moved from the Carnegie Building on Washington Street to the old Salt Lake Furniture Warehouse on Capitol. Bill also installed the first automated circulation system in Idaho and formed the predecessor to the Lynx! Consortium. Bill was active in ILA, served as President of PNLA, and was a member of the ALA Council. Darryl L. Huskey passed away June 17, 1998. He spent his entire professional career of nearly thirty years at the Boise State University Library as Documents Librarian. At various times he also supervised periodicals, maps, and microforms. Darryl was active in ILA, serving as Secretary, Conference Chair, and Chair of the College, University, and Special Libraries Division at various times. He was also a member of PNLA and ALA, and was active in the Boise Valley Documents Round Table. On campus, Darryl was chair of the Faculty Senate, and served on a variety of committees. He was also active in the Democratic Party, and his church. As his colleague, Adrien Taylor, said, "Darryl has touched the lives of quite literally thousands of students and through his good offices he has led them to better and greater understanding of themselves, their community and their place within their community. He has done this with no fanfare and with great devotion." At the end of the meeting, President Susannah Price formally passed the gavel to Dawn Wittman, incoming ILA President. Wittman thanked the members of the conference planning committee, remarking that "Idaho librarians are the best." Adjourned DRAFT ILA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING MINUTES SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 1998, SUN VALLEY Present: Larry Almeida, Charles Bolles, Kevin Booe, Marlene Earnest, Ron Force, Barbara Greever, Max Leek, John Pool, Susannah Price, Sandra Shropshire, Dawn Wittman President Dawn Wittman called the meeting to order at 8:10 a.m. Announcements: The Board needs a parliamentarian for its meetings. Force volunteered to serve in this capacity for the upcoming year. Ollie Cossman will take any "freebie" bags remaining after the conference. Minutes of August 12, 1998 meeting: These are forthcoming, and will be approved at the next Board meeting. Board Reports: President: Dawn Wittman thanked everyone for helping make the Sun Valley conference a success, and reminded everyone to send material to the ILA Archives at the University of Idaho Library. Membership is the priority for Wittman's presidential year, and she is asking the Division Chairs to address membership within the divisions. The Chair of the ILA Membership Committee is Ruth Cochran, and she is looking for volunteers to work on the committee. Discussion of membership issues followed, and a variety of points were raised. We need to have more membership information on the web site and in the Idaho Librarian. The fundamental question is why should people join ILA? What do we offer? What do we do that is of value to the individual that they wouldn't get if they didn't join ILA? The fact sheet on ILA and what it does needs to be revised and circulated more widely. (Perhaps the Public Relations Committee can help here.) The conference registration discount for members should be continued at both the state and spring conferences. ILA is a place where you can work on a team, and develop a role where you can "shine." ILA service looks good on a resume. How can we best appeal to our support staff members? We also need a way to capture the names of new hires in Idaho's libraries, so that we can send them ILA membership information packets soon after their arrival in the state. Should there be a public relations effort through the state's library directors and Board presidents, emphasizing to their staff and members that belonging to ILA and service to the state/profession are good things? Should there be a personal letter from President Wittman? Should an information packet be sent to each library in the state so that they have it on hand? Should first time members be offered a price break? Should there be a New Members Round Table, or new members event of some sort at the annual conference? Is it a good strategy to get people involved in an ILA project, then ask them to join? Wittman asked that the Division Chairs let their constituents know that membership is a priority, and let her know if there is anyone that she needs to send letters to. First Vice President: Ron Force reported that the President hasn't provided a theme for the 1999 annual conference, so it is up to the conference planners to develop one by November. Force plans to find a keynote speaker soon, and set up an e-mail list so that much of the conference planning can take place online. In the past, vendors at the conference have wanted to have a list of conference registrants so that they can send them material before the conference. (It is ILA policy not to give out our membership list, but this would be a list of annual conference registrants only.) Would ILA charge for this? Provide it free as a "perk" for vendors who have purchased exhibit space? What would it cost to generate the list? Should it be part of a two-tiered fee, for minimal/deluxe exhibit packages? Any fee change would have to be decided on by the Board. There would have to be some sort of deadline, so that the list would consist of conference registrants as of a certain date. Would/could the vendors then use the list after the conference for follow-up, or should the agreement specify that only contact before the conference is permitted? M/S (Price/Pool) that the Board approves the principle of giving vendors access to a list of conference registrants, but will decide at its next meeting how to implement this. Passed unanimously. The first letters have traditionally gone out to vendors in January. Force will discuss this with Penni Cyr, Exhibits Chair. Second Vice President: Larry Almeida is in charge of the regional conferences for the upcoming year. Each region already has a conference chair, so work can proceed. Should there be some sort of advocacy training or legislative advocacy program at each conference? Treasurer: Sandra Shropshire reported that there are a great many conference bills still to come in. At last count, there were 236 registrants, and all the meal tickets were sold. The breakdown between ILA and PNLA registrants is unknown at this time. Various boxes were left at the registration desk when vendors left. Force will take them, in case any vendors are looking for them later. Past President: Susannah Price suggested that there be an award or other recognition for people who have been long-time ILA members or conference attendees. Price also distributed a brochure describing the Lawyers for Libraries Training Institute II sponsored by the American Library Association and the American Bar Association (see attachment #1). She will collect the names, and send them to ALA. There should be some geographic diversity, and the names need to be submitted as soon as possible. Price is also collecting the nominations for the ALA Intellectual Freedom Honor Roll. Price chairs the Nominations Committee for the upcoming year, and the four outgoing Division Chairs are committee members. State Librarian: Charles Bolles reported that the State Library Board now has six members rather than four. The representatives of the three regions remain, but one representative has been added from each of the state's two congressional districts. The Northern position is currently vacant. Appointments are made in September. There are several legislative issues on the horizon: the State Library budget, the desire to extend the Library Improvement Account to all libraries (not just public libraries), and the question of levy overrides for three years for new library buildings. Division Chairs: Academic/Special: no report. Educational Media: Marlene Earnest reported that representatives from the State Board of Education and the Idaho State Library have been discussing the issue of school media generalist certification. As a result of the recent changes in state requirements for schools, some schools have removed librarians/media generalists and replaced them with aides. There will be a task force for the certification issue, and the State Board of Education is expected to help draft a bill for presentation to the legislature. The Division will be requesting money for mailings as part of its budget request to the ILA Board. Public: Max Leek reported that the Division is continuing to revise the guidelines for public libraries, and hopes to present these at the next annual conference. Division bylaws are also being created/revised. The Public Library Division would also like to present a Public Librarian of the Year award. The idea will be developed this year, including budgeting and/or corporate sponsorship. Trustees: John Pool reported that, according to the conference registration forms, there were two trustees registered for the conference. There are a number of good ideas for training kits for trustees, and Pool plans to work on these with Gardner Hanks of the State Library. As part of ILA's efforts to recruit members, should there be special information for trustees in the packets we are considering sending out to libraries? Should the Division do some sort of salary survey? Bolles said that it is difficult to do one that is statistically significant, because of the differences between libraries in the state. The State Library is considering doing one every five years, but there are many problems surrounding the issue. (The State Library currently collects information on directors' salaries.) Pacific Northwest Library Association Representative (see attachment #2): Kevin Booe reported that there is an action plan to revitalize PNLA, and it is up on their web page. The Board is seeking input on it. The association will also be out of the "red" by the end of the year. PNLA has reorganized its Board, and proposed bylaws changes have been passed. The PNLA Quarterly will shift toward the web. There has been a great deal of discussion about conferences. Should they be biennial? Should they be a trade show? Should there be cluster workshops? Should continuing education credits be offered? Should there be joint conferences? Should the conferences be changed to a date other than August? Should the interest groups do the conference planning? In the wake of one state considering leaving PNLA, everyone is reminded that the Young Readers Choice Award is the property of PNLA, and if a state wishes to participate, it needs to be a member of PNLA. The medal is copyrighted. PNLA has had a positive and impressive year, and is looking forward to seeing everyone at its annual conference in Calgary next year. Committee Appointments: M/S (Bolles/Almeida) that the following Committee Chairs be approved by the Board. Unanimously approved. Constitution/Bylaws: Camille Wood Intellectual Freedom: Rand Simmons Legislative: Lynn Melton, state; Lynn Baird, federal Scholarships and Awards: Kevin Booe Publications: Christine DeZelar-Tiedman (and the ad manager, as yet unnamed) M/S (Booe/Leek) that the following Spring Conference Chairs be approved by the Board. Unanimously approved. Moscow/Latah/Lewiston: Nancy Young Pocatello: Larry Ogden Northern Idaho: Cheryl Breidt Idaho Falls: Jean Shawver Treasure Valley: Margaret Fujishin Committee Reports: Organization Restructuring: Wood will gather information. Public Relations: Barbara Greever presented a draft communications plan for ILA (see attachment #3), to be considered by the Board at its next meeting. Bolles expressed the concern that ILA needs to define what it means by advocacy, and coordinate efforts with the State Library. Bylaws/Policies and Procedures: The proposed constitution and bylaws changes were all approved by the membership on August 14 (see attachments #4 and #5). It was noted that the chairs of the Divisions are elected according to the bylaws of their individual divisions, but the Trustees Division does not seem to have bylaws. ILA Strategic Plan: Almeida, Wittman, and Price will work on strategic plan revision, and bring suggestions to the Board at its next meeting. We need to get a copy of the final draft of the strategic plan from Mary Carr. Board Meeting Dates: Tuesday, October 27, 1998, in Lewiston In January in conjunction with the Legislative Breakfast in Boise Some time in April Additional Business: As a matter of policy, ILA encourages the posting of draft documents on the web site so that the membership can look at them and offer comment. The Intellectual Freedom Auction made $2700.00, to be split equally between ILA and PNLA. It is up to the ILA Intellectual Freedom Committee to decide how to spend the money it receives through the auction, so some planning should take place. Since the auction took a great deal of time this year, we may want to try a combination of a silent auction for some items with the regular auction for others. M/S (Booe/Price) that we adjourn. Passed unanimously, adjourned at 10:15 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Barbara C. Greever, ILA Secretary Idaho Library Association draft Communications Plan 1998/99- This is a ROUGH DRAFT of the ILA Communications Plan. It will be considered for approval by the ILA Board at its meeting on Tuesday, October 27, 1998. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please be sure that they reach me by October 25, 1998, and I will pass them along to the Board. If you are interested in serving on the Public Relations Committee to help carry out this plan, please let me know. The only requirements are membership in the Idaho Library Association, an interest in the activities of the committee, and a willingness to do some work in the upcoming year. The more committee members we have, the less each individual member will have to do, so please volunteer, and pass this message along to anyone else you know who might be interested. Barbara Greever, Chair, ILA PR Committee PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE GOAL: ADVOCACY Increase the public and policy makers' understanding of the value and issues of libraries. Support the advocacy efforts of ILA's members. Objectives: I. Organizational Infrastructure 1. Coordinate the ILA Speakers' Network. a. Change the name of the network to "ILA Library Advocates Network" to better reflect its scope. Discuss with the ILA Board Fall 1998, at the first board meeting after the Sun Valley conference b. Recruit and retain ILA members for the Network. Fall 1998 (Sun Valley conference/Susan L. Silk workshops)/ongoing c. Provide training for new "recruits" at least annually. Combine with "refresher" for current members, or provide separate "refresher(s)" as appropriate. Ongoing d. Investigate the possibilities of electronic communication for the Network. Consider creating a listserv for Network members or using LibIdaho to report on projects and perceived needs. Consider posting material and report forms as part of the ILA website. 1999/ongoing e. Recognize Network members contributing to advocacy efforts and report results in the Idaho Librarian. Encourage Board feedback through letters of recognition or other means. Ongoing f. Create a statewide network of ILA members who can do advocacy training. Include at least one person for each of the six regions in Idaho, with an eye to offering training at the spring conferences in the future. Fall 1999 (annual conference)/ongoing 2. Develop or adapt (in cooperation with other ILA units) fact sheets on library-related topics of general interest and make them available to association members, other associations and the public as needed. Ongoing 3. Work with the ILA Board and various ILA units to ensure communication and prevent duplication of effort. Ongoing 4. As called for in the previous ILA Communications Strategy (1993/94-1995/96), continue to budget at least $1200 per year to accomplish the goals of the Communications Plan. II. Public Relations 1. Establish, maintain, and/or recommend to the ILA Board for its adoption a broad-based theme to be used statewide for the promotion of libraries. The theme should be planned for multiple year use. Spring 2000/ongoing 2. Explore the feasibility of adapting/using (with permission) existing public relations materials, programs and strategies, particularly those promoted by ALA. Ongoing 3. Help develop and distribute (in cooperation with other ILA units) media materials for targeted events. Ongoing 4. Sponsor or co-sponsor a public relations "swap and share" or similar session at the annual conference, at least every other year. Fall 1999/ongoing 5. Send news releases to relevant local media about ILA activities, including announcements about the annual and spring conferences, newly elected officers, and awards given. Ongoing 6. Develop partnerships that will help accomplish ILA objectives. a. Coordinate public relations efforts with the Idaho State Library. Ongoing b. Seek opportunities to work on public relations efforts with library organizations in adjoining states, particularly in overlapping media markets. Ongoing c. Seek opportunities to work with non-library organizations on issues of mutual interest. Ongoing d. Solicit corporate sponsorship of ILA public relations efforts. Fall 2000/ongoing e. Investigate the possibility of pro bono work by a media consultant. Spring 2000/ongoing ——————————————————————— Other points for discussion that I thought about, but didn't incorporate in the draft plan: 1. Do we want to be more specific about how we'll support the Network? 2. Do we want to mandate advocacy training for board members? Aside from being good
information to have on general principles, it could be very helpful for those who might be
called upon to speak on the Association's behalf. Susan L. Silk's techniques for handling
tough questions are particularly good. NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Dawn Wittman receives ILA/Winnebago Progressive School Library Media Award Dawn Wittman, Media Specialist/Technology Coordinator at Lapwai Elementary School in Lapwai, Idaho, is the 1998 recipient of the Progressive School Library Media Award sponsored by Winnebago Software Company and the Idaho Library Association. Wittman received the award August 14, 1998, at the ILA annual conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. The association granted Wittman the award for her support, expansion, and management of the Young Author's program, which will give students the opportunity to produce, publish, and bind their own books using technology housed in the school media center. The students' books will then be entered into the school's automated system and circulated throughout the school with other media center materials, bolstering the students' feelings of pride and accomplishment. Mike Halvorson, Principal of Lapwai Elementary School, is very supportive of Wittman and Lapwai's Young Author's program, as well as its future expansion. "When students see themselves as successful writers and readers they are confident in accepting new challenges and opportunities," he says. The Progressive School Library Media Award is open to all ILA members and is administered by the association, which also selects the recipient. In addition to $400 to be used toward any product and brand of library technology the winner chooses, Winnebago Software Company also provides a plaque for display in the library. Winnebago Software Company's objective in sponsoring this award is to encourage and
recognize innovation and dedication in creating lifelong learners. For more information
about the award or Winnebago Software Company, call 1-800-533-5430, ext. 369. Remington resigns from Pend Oreille County, takes new position Dave Remington has resigned as director of the Pend Oreille County Library
District to accept an appointment as a reference librarian at North Idaho College.
His last day at Pend Oreille was Friday, August 16. Remington's resignation allowed the
county library district to eliminate a budget shortfall by cutting one administrative
position. Book Arts & Related Exhibits, Boise State University "How I Learned To Read" and "Books for Children": 29 September-12
October "An Animation Library" and "Pulp Fiction": 27 October-9 November "Ethiopian Protective Scrolls, Inspired By": 4-17 November "Westward Bound": 20 November-20 December Nominations Sought for PLA Award Do you know a public librarian with an extraordinary range and depth of knowledge about books and library materials - fiction, nonfiction, reference books, children's books, video, or serials? Does that person have an outstanding ability to share that knowledge - through booktalks, presentations to community or professional groups, or written reviews? The Public Library Association's Allie Beth Martin Award honors such a person every year. The award provides recognition and a $3,000 honorarium which are presented at the PLA President's Reception at the summer ALA conference. Nominate a deserving colleague today! The deadline for nominations is December 1, 1998.
Nomination forms are available from the PLA office in Chicago or on the PLA web site at
http://www.pla.org/awards/index.html. UI Press Selection Earns Western Literature Association Award A recent publication of the University of Idaho Press has been selected to receive the first Thomas J. Lyon Award presented by the Western Literature Association. The Great Poem of the Earth: A Study of the Poetry of Thomas Hornsby Ferril by Andrew Elkins received the award for its outstanding contribution to scholarship in western American literary studies. Elkins, professor of English at Chadron State College in Nebraska, presents Ferril (1896-1988) as the first major poet to emerge in the Rocky Mountain West. Ferril lived in Denver and was Colorado Poet Laureate. Although relatively unknown, Ferril is considered an important poet for his vision of humankind's harmony with the world around it, a view not shared with many of his contemporaries. The book is available through the UI Press at (208) 885-5939. (NOTE: This book is
currently available for review in the Idaho Librarian. Contact the editor if
interested). Boise Hosts MLA Meeting The Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Medical Library Association will be holding its annual meeting in Boise this year. The meeting will be held October 26-29 at the Grove Hotel. Although aimed primarily at medical librarians, the meeting may have some interesting sessions for other kinds of librarians. Some topics of interest include: providing consumer health information, just in time information delivery options, partnering for the better health of our communities (the panel features a public and an academic librarian), fitness sessions on walking and yoga. If you are interested in more information, contact Mary Ellen Lemon at the Reseach
Library, Healthwise, Inc. Telephone 208-331-6957 E-mail: mlemon@healthwise.org Oral History Association Offers Awards The Oral History Association invites applications for three awards to be presented in 1999 that will recognize outstanding work in the field. Awards will be given for a book that uses oral history to advance an important historical interpretation or addresses significant theoretical or methodological issues; for a completed nonprint media project that addresses a significant historical subject or theme and exemplifies excellence in oral history methodology; and to a precollegiate educator who has made outstanding use of oral history in the classroom. In all cases, awards will be given for work published or completed between April 1, 1997, and March 30, 1999. Awards are honorific and will be announced at the Association's annual meeting, to be held October 6-8, 1999, in Anchorage, Alaska. The Association welcomes entries and nominations from all who practice oral history, including academic scholars and educators, public history institutions and practitioners, independent professionals, libraries and archives, community-based groups and individuals, and others. For guidelines and submission information, write Oral History Association, Baylor University, P.O. Box 97234, Waco, TX 76798-7234; email, OHA_Support@Baylor, or see the OHA home page: http://www.baylor.edu/~OHA/. Deadline for receipt of all nomination materials is April 1, 1999. BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW The following is a list of books available for review in the Idaho Librarian. If you would like to review one of these titles, please e-mail Christine DeZelar-Tiedman (chrisd@belle.lib.uidaho.edu). Postal address: University of Idaho Library, Rayburn Street, Moscow, Idaho 83844-2363 USA. Building with Logs: Western Log Construction in Context. Jennifer Eastman Attebery. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Press, 1998. Cowboy Memories of Montana. Mark Perrault. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Press, 1997. Dinosaurs of Utah. Frank DeCourten. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1998. Fire, Faults & Floods: A Road & Trail Guide Exploring the Origins of the Columbia River Basin. Marge & Ted Mueller. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Press, 1997. The Great Poem of the Earth: A Study of the Poetry of Thomas Hornsby Ferril. Andrew Elkins. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Press, 1997. A Guide to the Trees of Utah and the Intermountain West. Michael Kuhns. Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 1998. In Our Lovely Deseret: Mormon Fictions. Ed. by Robert Raleigh. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, c1998. The Journals of Patrick Gass: Member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Edited and annotated by Carol Lynn MacGregor. Missoula: Mountain Press Pub. Co., 1997. Mavericks: the Lives and Battles of Montana's Political Legends. John Morrison and Catherine Wright Morrison. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Press, 1997. A Pioneer of American Folklore: Karl Knortz and his Collections. Eleanore Schamschula. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Press, 1996. Roadside Geology of Hawaii. Richard W. Hazlett and Donald W. Hyndman. Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Co, 1996. Rock Burst. Bert and Marie Russell. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Press, 1998. Shoshone Tales. Collected by Anne M. Smith. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1998, c1993. Travelers in an Antique Land. Poems by William Studebaker, photographs by Russell Hepworth. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Press, 1997. Very Close to Trouble: the Johnny Grant Memoir. Edited by Lyndel Meikle. Pullman, WA: WSU Press, 1996. Voice of the Old Wolf: Lucullus Virgil McWhorter and the Nez Perce Indians. Steven Ross Evans. Pullman, Wash.: Washington State University Press, 1996. Wise Economies: Brevity and Storytelling in American Short Stories. Kirk Curnutt. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Press, 1997. With Child: Mormon Women on Mothering. Ed. by Marni Asplund-Campbell. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1998. The World of David Wagoner. Ron McFarland. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho
Press, 1997. Notes From Sun Valley by Tamera LeBeau As a new ILA member I would like to share my thoughts on the recent conference. I was first introduced to the ILA Annual Conference in 1996 when it was held in Nampa, so I am somewhat of a beginner in this area. I found this year's conference, like the previous two I attended, to be a worthwhile experience for a number of reasons. I am a reference librarian at Nampa Public Library so when choosing workshops I first looked for topics that would assist me in my current position. Carol Hansen's workshop "Teaching the Internet in 50 Minutes" was one that caught my interest and I was not alone in this regard. She discussed everything from planning the session, to setting learning objectives, to effective teaching methods, to class evaluations—quite an accomplishment, even though she was allowed a little more than 50 minutes! As someone who will in the future be implementing Internet training sessions for patrons, this made the venture seem a little less daunting. Other helpful workshops covered topics such as expanding one's library skills, educating library assistants, and conducting historical research. The workshops, however, were just the beginning of the benefits I gained by attending the conference. The opportunity to meet fellow Idaho librarians was a definite bonus. I found it enlightening to talk to librarians from around the state, many of whom are handling some of the same issues that our library is currently facing. It's nice to know that we don't all have to "rediscover the wheel," but can learn from each other's experiences, both positive and negative. This was my first year of attending the conference as an official ILA member, so this year I attended membership meetings as well. The ILA Public Library Division meeting was especially interesting since it gave me an insight into the direction in which Idaho public libraries will be moving in the upcoming years. Discussion revolved around a move toward more cooperation between Idaho public libraries and suggested guidelines for public library director educational levels. Attending the ILA Annual Conference, in short, makes me a better librarian. It renews
my enthusiasm for library work, allows me to meet and learn from colleagues, and teaches
me things I can use in my present job and throughout my career. I would encourage anyone
who has not attended the conference to take advantage of this opportunity next year. Just
one suggestion: next year, don't serve the vegetarians the same thing for lunch two days
in a row or we may become a riotous bunch!
Miller, Jr., Charles Wallace. The Automobile Gold Rushes and Depression Era Mining. Moscow, Idaho: University of Idaho Press, 1998. 200 p. ISBN 0893011959. Charles Miller's most recent work on the western gold rush phenomenon presents a wealth of information and is, for the most part, well researched. He attempts, in The Automobile Gold Rushes, to ascertain an accurate picture of the mining West: is it the lone prospector and his burro of the nineteenth century, or is it the more modern vision of industrialized mining? While grappling with this question, Miller also deals with the issue of frontier optimism in the midst of the 1930s' Great Depression. His apparent conclusions, that both views of the West are accurate and that, yes, frontier optimism did propel individuals to get into their automobiles and journey toward the gold fields in the 1930s, are frequently undermined by awkward prose and a lack of organization. Miller offers examples to demonstrate his findings, but intersperses them with tangential information in lieu of connective tissue. This is not to argue that Miller's contribution is frivolous. He could, however, have made a much more important impact with a fuller comparison of the motivational aspects of the gold rush eras. He alludes to such topics as labor, living conditions, methods of mining, environmental concerns or the lack thereof, but these critical issues remain illusory. Miller's "Aftermath," in which he discusses presidential economic policy and subsequent historiography, is the strongest part of the study and should have been used as his guide in developing the rest of the work. Hope A. Benedict, Ph.D. Smylie, Robert E. Governor Smylie Remembers. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho Press, 1998. ISBN: 0-89301-212-2 Robert E. Smylie wrote in one of his editorials for the Boise Statesman that, "To the victor goes the toil." In Smylie's book of memoirs, Governor Smylie Remembers, he unabashedly admits that he greatly enjoyed the "toil" of being governor of Idaho during the 12 years from 1955-67. Only one other man, Cecil Andrus, has received the mandate to "toil" as Idaho's governor for a longer period of time. Smylie and Andrus, between the two of them, have left their personal stamp upon Idaho as its governor for 26 of the last 43 years. Unbelievably, these two moderates of their respective political parties left lasting legacies as governor, despite facing the profound handicap of dealing with state legislatures dominated by veto-proof majorities of the opposing party. Robert Smylie used his pervasive political savvy to establish many of the institutions with which we Idahoans are familiar today. Known as the "education governor," Smylie cajoled the 1965 Legislature into passing a state sales tax to support schools. To this end, he also reopened Lewis and Clark State College in Lewiston and swapped the favor for northern Democratic legislators' support of his bill to succeed himself as governor, something previously not allowed. But Smylie's accomplishments as governor were not limited to education. He also persuaded the Legislature to join him in creating the public employee retirement system and our professionally managed system of state parks. Don't expect an expose of dirty politics here. Smylie does take a few jabs at his political rival Len Jordan, but the book is basically a "this is what I did, and didn't I do it well" upbeat account of Idaho's political history. We learn details of Smylie's life before he came to Idaho, but only oblique mention is made of his fondness for alcohol and subsequent treatment for it. Smylie firmly guided Idaho into modern times with his visionary leadership. As the state's "grand old man" of politics, he isn't bashful about expressing a "few little kernels of advice about what should be done about a few recurring difficulties." See if you agree with him. Since few firsthand accounts of Idaho history during the 1950s and 1960s exist, Smylie's book would be a worthwhile contribution to library collections. Patricia Hart Johnson, Peter T. Raising the Roof: Creating the Kibbie Dome at the University of Idaho. Moscow, ID. University of Idaho Press, 1998, 61 pp. $25.95 (Cloth) ISBN 0-89301-211-4 Raising the Roof is the story of the building of the roof for the Kibbie ASUI Activity Center on the campus at the University of Idaho. The author is a former CEO of the Trus Joist Corporation of Boise. He shares his view of the project from winning the bid by default (the only other bid being "considered a clumsy, incomplete, and nonresponsive proposal") through the ten months of simultaneous design, testing, and construction by a small company attempting a huge project involving innovative design and untried materials and technology. He talks about each of the principal people involved and how they all worked together to accomplish the task. He describes how they used an innovative design and materials developed by Art Troutner, a founding member of the Trus Joist Corporation, and describes the challenges of the project and how they made use of other engineers and contractors to finish the project in such a short time. His revelations of the errors in judgment, personnel clashes, communication lapses, technical miscalculations, and near disasters along the way leave the reader with a greater understanding of the process and a sense of wonder that it worked. The book is easy to read. Johnson's first-person account draws the reader into the thumping heart of the process, contributing an emotional impact not expected in a work of this kind. Quotes from notes and conversations with colleagues during crises and in the wee hours of sleepless nights heighten the tension and further distance this story from a mere architectural or construction record. The reader can't help being involved at some level. The book includes brief biographies of the company's employees involved in the project as well as insights into their lives and character. Thirty color photographs of the people, the designs, the construction, and the eventual use of the dome enhance the book; and quotes from people involved as supporters or users of the dome add dimension. There is a glossary for those of us not familiar with the terms used in the text. Raising the Roof will make interesting reading for the layman as well as for the professional. It is the story of an Idaho company doing something no other company had ever done, using a new technology, and doing it so well that the dome garnered the American Society of Civil Engineers' prestigious "Outstanding Structural Engineering Achievement Award" for 1976. Bob Hook PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE What an honor it is to be president of the Idaho Library Association! The past several years I have enjoyed camaraderie, professional expertise, and friendship with many wonderful librarians in Idaho. We are fortunate to have such dedicated and caring people who give one hundred percent in serving not only our patrons, but also fellow librarians. The newly elected and appointed ILA executive board and committees are already beginning to work on your behalf. If you were at the Joint Conference with PNLA in Sun Valley this past August, you have already witnessed the results of the efforts of dedicated committee members. Our goal for the next year in keeping with our strategic plan is to encourage and maintain a vital and active organization and membership. Our objectives to reach that goal are to: · increase membership by 15% above the final 1997 figure by 2001, · recruit new people to be actively involved in ILA, and · encourage more active participation of ILA members. We cannot meet these goals without your help. Why is membership important? Because, as an organization, we cannot provide leadership, continuing education through conferences, and legislative advocacy, and more without a strong membership base. So in the coming year, as you are asked to help with some task, to take the responsibility of recruiting at least one new member, or simply give an opinion, please remember that this is your organization—we, the executive board, work for you and on your behalf. Dawn Wittman |
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