TeenRC is an online summer reading club open to all teens in InterLINK libraries. Teens who register for TeenRC have the opportunity to share book reviews, engage with each other online in moderated forums, answer weekly polls, and chat with popular teen authors online (this year, we’ve got Kelley Armstrong and Darren Shan lined up). Teens also get a chance to win $500 for their library’s teen collection, and enter InterLINK-wide contests which showcase their creativity.

We need 5 SLAIS volunteers interested in teen services to assist with the following:

-moderate online forums to ensure forums are being used appropriately;
-approve book reviews;
-generate online content for the site to promote TeenRC through various channels of social media;
-help process entries for the final TeenRC contest

This is a 3-5 hour commitment per week from July to the end of August. Training will be provided.

Interested applicants should have knowledge and passion for youth services and literature, and be keen on promoting teen services through social media. Please contact TeenRC coordinator Saara Itkonen at saara.itkonen@gmail.com with a brief statement expressing your interest and relevant experiences.

We are pleased to participate in the Google Policy Fellows program for 2013. OITP began its participation at the program’s founding in 2008 and thus this will be our sixth year in this excellent initiative. Apply now: http://www.google.com/policyfellowship/.

For the summer of 2013, the selected fellow will spend 10 weeks in residence at the ALA Washington Office to learn about national policy and complete a major project. Google provides the $7,500 stipend for the summer, but the work agenda is under the full control of ALA and the fellow. The Google Washington office provides an educational program for all of the fellows, such as lunchtime talks and interactions with Google Washington staff. Derek Attig of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign served as our 2012 fellow.

The fellows work in diverse areas of information policy that include digital copyright, e-book licenses and access, future of reading, international copyright policy, broadband deployment, telecommunications policy, open access to information, free expression, digital literacy, online privacy, the future of libraries generally, and many other topics.

In addition to ALA, this year’s roster of participating organizations includes other leading national public interest organizations such as the Center for Democracy and Technology, Creative Commons, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, National Consumers League, National Hispanic Media Coalition, New America Foundation, and Public Knowledge. In addition, the program expanded to include participating organizations in Europe and Africa.

Further information about the program and host organizations is available at the Google Public Policy Fellowship website:http://www.google.com/policyfellowship/. Applications are due by March 15, 2013. ALA encourages all interested graduate students to apply and, of course, especially those in library and information science-related academic programs.

Once again the Canadian Library Association is running its “Students to CLA Program” for the national conference to be held May 29-June 1 in Winnipeg, MB. CLA invites each school to nominate a representative; each representative is asked to work 4 to 6 hours a day in a variety of conference activities. CLA provides a complimentary full registration, 3 nights shared accommodation in a conference hotel and a meal allowance. SLAIS will provide a travel allowance of up to $500 to the student selected to represent the School through its “Conference Support for SLAIS Students” program (see http://www.slais.ubc.ca/ADMISSIONS/student-conf-fund.htm).

According to CLA, “Selection of students should be considered on the basis of academic achievement, leadership potential and demonstrated interest in the profession. In addition, students must have been an active volunteer in their Student Chapter, university program or at the community level”. Membership in CLA is a requirement.

If you wish to be considered for the program, you should write me a letter indicating how you meet the criteria and why you should be chosen for the award by 12 noon TUESDAY, March 26th. Your statement of interest should include an estimate of the amount required for travel.  Please also include a two-page resume.

Please submit your letter, in print or via email, to Debra Locke at slais.gradsec@ubc.ca.

Students who have participated in this program in the past have found it an excellent opportunity to meet students from other schools, network with the professional community, and learn from a wide selection of conference programs. Further information about the program, please see https://slais.sites.olt.ubc.ca/?attachment_id=3437

Come together this March for Data Camp on Friday, March 15th, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, at Lower Level, Vancouver Public Library Central Branch. Hosted by BC Libraries Cooperative, in Co-operation with the British Columbia Library Association Continuing Education Committee; Ministry of Education, Libraries and Literacy, and; Vancouver Public Library.

Further details, please see http://bc.libraries.coop/open/datacamp/

The contest is open to all students registered in, or recently graduated from, a Canadian library school, a library technician program, an information science program (including distance education programs), or faculty of education library program.

Registered students may be full or part time; graduates should have completed their studies within one year of the competition’s closing date of March 31, annually. Articles submitted must be written while the student is enrolled in a program of study, or within one year of graduation.

Each contestant must submit a faculty member’s statement attesting to the fact that the article fulfills the above requirements.

Multiple-author papers are eligible, but in the event such a paper is selected, only one prize will be awarded.

Submissions may be in English or French.

For more information please go to:
http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Student_Article_Award&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=12376