February 14, 2007
I'm back! I am behind in my blogging due to my many Library activities! This is no complaint...I am doing what I love to do. My colleagues here at Notre Dame are so supportive of my work, and its gratifying to be in this environment.

"Taking the library on the road: The Mobile Librarian"
This is my project for this rotation and its going fabulously! Dean Page and Associate Dean Chambliss of First Year Studies have given me an awesome space to be the on-site librarian in Coleman-Morse. It was a terrible snow storm my first evening in "Co-Mo" and so the workshops scheduled for that evening were canceled. I did however, answer three reference questions and I spent time walking around the 2nd floor where I'm located to pass out library pens and bookmarks; I also informed students that I will be around on Sunday evenings to assist them with their reference needs in addition to my Tuesday evening presence. Dean Chambliss had her staff hang my Posters announcing my project and the IM chat Reference Service we now provide to our students at ND. This project brings alot of fond memories of working at the Undergraduate Library at WSU during the evenings and weekends helping our freshman/sophmore undergraduate students. I am real fortunate in being able to service this population of students again.

My AWESOME Boss for this rotation, Sherri Jones is very supportive of my work. I am very fortunate to have her in my professional corner! Starting Monday, I will be in O'Shay doing this same project on Mondays & Wednesdays. To make sure I don't overwhelm my schedule during this rotation, I am working Sundays thru Thursdays until the end of the semester. This is going to work well for me in that I am able to continue my community service iniatives I am currently involved in.

LibQUAL+ Project
Sherri, Jessica and I have been working on advertisements that will be placed in The Observer campus newspaper advertising how we are addressing students needs and concerns from the survey we completed in 2006. I think we have finally narrowed down what we are going to advertise.

IBLN-Indiana Library Federation
I have been invited and I have accepted an invitation to be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Indiana Black Librarians Association meeting at Indiana Tech University in Fort Wayne, Indiana on March 31, 2007. The focus of my address will talk about the benefits of a Library Residency as well as resident programs in general, and also to speak on issues of diversity in Librarianship. I am working on a dynamic presentation with bibliographic sources. I have also been asked to speak on why libraries (particularly academic institutions should adopt residency programs in their libraries).

ACRL Conference
I really wanted to attend the upcoming conference in Baltimore, but to no avail, I couldn't find a hotel room or a roommate. The opening keynote address is by a dynamic and very influential speaker, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson ( a fellow former Detroiter from the Westside---hey). I have had the occassion to have met and chatted with him twice in my work life, once at the University of Detroit Mercy, and once at Wayne State University. Hi Elizabeth: I should have called ya, we could have been roommates, but alas, I have committed to speaking at the IBLN conference..I am looking forward to seeing you again in April! (Smile)

My Shout-Outs for the last couple of days & weeks.........
Dean Page, Dean Chambliss, Dr. Richard Pierce, Sherri Jones, Jessica Kayongo,Laura Bayard, Nigel Butterwick, Sue Dietl,Cheri Smith, Laurie McGowan,Clara Enriquez, Pascal Calarco, Ross Fergueson, and last but certianly not the least, Elaine in 221=My gratitude for helping me these last few weeks in my work; I am successful in my work at ND because of you!

--Leslie