SPARC

Last Thursday, April 9, SPARC hosted the annual Staff Appreciation Party for all Smithsonian Libraries employees. The SIL staff, armed with goodies, trekked across the Mall to the National Museum of American Indian’s Patron’s Lounge, which boasts amazing views of the Capitol and the U.S. Botanic Garden.  Amidst platters towering with french toast, trays piled high with scones and Starbucks coffee boxes filled the brim, lively conversations could be heard at each table of SIL staffers.  SPARC members had assembled the perfect centerpiece for the tables: five Peeps chilling on plastic Easter grass.  After all, what can say “spring” better than a Peep??  

Not losing sight of the “appreciation” part of the event, four SIL staff members were recognized for their exceptional service to the Libraries: Kathryn Phillips won the Keystone Award, Kathy Hill took home the Lifesaver Award, Sheila Riley swept up the Heart of Gold Award and Sharon Layne scored the Superwoman Award.  All of these ladies were nominated by co-workers who realized their special dedication to SIL over the past year.  In addition to these peer recognition awards, a few lucky SIL staffers walked away with Starbucks gift cards, which were given out through a drawing by Melinda Jane Tomerlin and Phu Pham.

The Staff Appreciation Party was a wonderful time for SIL staff to relax, get away from the office and get to know each other better.  Thanks to SPARC members for organizing this great event!  

Digital Curation Curriculum Symposium Notes

The DigCCurr (Digital Curation Curriculum) Symposium held in Chapel Hill, NC provides a place for the exchange of ideas and methods in collection and preservation of digital content. An increasing volume of publications are released both online and (sometimes in place of) print but little has been done to ensure that the publications are usable in the long term. Because libraries have preserved paper content for centuries and many feel that they must also contribute to the evolving field of digital curation/preservation. However, the meeting drew archivists, and IT specialists as well as librarians.

At the 2^nd annual event (April 1-3, 2009), several presentations focused on training programs for digital curators sponsored by organizations in the U.S. and abroad. In 2006, the IMLS provided funding to three library schools (UNC, Univ. of Illinois and U. of Arizona) to begin programs in the management of digital content. Representatives from each were at the DigCCurr symposium and presented preliminary results from this still-experimental field of study. Representatives from Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and the U.K. were also on hand to discuss courses, workshops and other programs in their home countries.

There were also presentations regarding personal digital assets and their explosive growth. Many people (not just scholars) create documents, web content, photos and other electronic artifacts that are largely ignored after creation. Of course it may be that most of this material can be discarded, but inevitably there will be one or two items that deserve long-term preservation. Additionally, archivists who have to manage a burgeoning amount of electronic records, emails and other administrative data were there in force talking about the challenges—often legally mandated—which they face.

Because the SIL is not only collecting but creating digital material, we will need to make some effort at maintaining these online resources for the future.  SIL’s Digital Services Division is currently considering hosting an intern from the pool of students at the University of Illinois to provide some guidance on the issues we will need to address.

 

More information about the presentations at the latest DigCCurr are at: http://www.ils.unc.edu/digccurr2009/abstracts

Staff Appreciation Breakfast and Peer Recognition Awards

Please Join us:

When:  Thursday April 9, 2009
            9am to 11am
Where: NMAI Patron’s Lounge (Room 4018)

Breakfasty items will be served*, but feel free to bring baked contributions!
SPARCles (tm) will be awarded!
Speeches will be minimal!

Please enter the museum through the Independence Ave. staff entrance near 4th St.
The Conference Room is located on the fourth floor, beyond the top of the stairs.

*contact a SPARC member if you have questions/concerns about what we're serving. I think there will be something for everyone.

Time to SPARCle (tm)

SPARC is hard at work planning our annual staff appreciation party (more details on that coming soon!) and, as is traditional, that means it’s time to think about:

the SIL Peer Recognition Awards (tm)

 

SPARC can't nominate, or be nominated, for an award so we need YOU to write about that special someone and let us know why he/she deserves a SPARCle (tm).   What other kudo could possibly compare with the expressions of appreciation from our peers - the people who actually know what we do (or at least pretend to).  Nominations can be for any thing big or small that someone has done in the past year that you feel needs to be recognized - from innovative thinking to outstanding patron service to just being the one person you can always count on to get the job done.

To nominate someone, and to see award categories from last year, please see the online form:

Due to the fact that the staff appreciation party will be in early April, we must close the call for nominations on March 18th (to allow time to fabricate the awards).  Don’t worry – we accept nominations in incomplete sentences with spelling errors!

Any questions, etc. can be directed to me, or your favorite SPARC member.
And Yes, you can nominate someone who has been nominated or has received an award before.  (Last years winners were the inestimable Sharon Glenn, the unflappable Claudia Edge, and the incomparable Claire Catron.)

Holiday Cookie & Information Exchange

 All Library staff and volunteers are highly encouraged to attend our Holiday Cookie & Information Exchange on Tuesday, December 16th, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm in the National Museum of the American Indian Patron's Lounge on the Fourth Floor.  (This is where we held last year's Staff Appreciation Party.  Find the NMAI brochure here). 

The Information Exchange will include the Executive Committee giving highlights of this year's accomplishments, introducing new staff, and offering awards and recognition.  Basically, everything traditionally seen in the Annual Meeting. But the main goal is Cookie Exchange!

Cookie Exchange Rules:
Bring 2 dozen cookies, preferably homemade, and expect to take about a dozen away.   Labels, recipes, and ingredient lists highly appreciated!   EC will provide beverages and SPARC will provide ziplock bags (though bringing a reusable container would be Greener).

If you are looking for inspiration, we do have recipes from last year's cookie exchange: Download Recipes.

Food Drive:
This is also an opportunity for you to spread the holiday cheer to those in the Washington area who are facing these tough economic times by contributing to the SPARC food drive, to be donated to the Capital Area Food Bank.  Not necessarily an endorsement of the organization, this is just a way for us not to forget those who are struggling in this holiday season. 

Feel free to email a SPARC member or EC for more info!

Brown Bag: Jennifer O'Neal, Head of NMAI-CRC Archives

Please join SPARC as we host a brown bag from someone outside of the Libraries!

Wednesday, December 3 at Noon in the SIL Conference Room, Jennifer O'Neal will be presenting a brown bag about the National Museum of the American Indian / Cultural Resources Center Archives. 

Jennifer O'Neal is the Head of Archives there, and will be presenting on the purpose of the archives, the collections within the archives, major projects the archives is working on, and basic information regarding the protocols for Native American Archival Materials.  She will also be showcasing various portions of the collection, so it should be a visual treat as well as an educational experience!

SIL initiatives on display at staff picnic research tent

The Smithsonian Staff picnic included two tents dedicated to showcasing Institution research again this year. The Smithsonian Research Bibliography and the Digital Repository were included in the Congress of Scholars Research tent. Visitors from several different units stopped by to ask and learn about these two SIL initiatives, including some who have been named as their specific museum’s Research Bibliography coordinator. Although the new secretary didn’t make it over to this table, many researchers did and it was an opportunity to inform and remind them that these programs are a service to them and that they have the support of the various undersecretaries and museum directors.

Let's get SIL in SHAPE!

On Thursday, May 29th, SIL Staff will participate in the annual spring SHAPE walk around the mall.   The deadline is quickly approaching, so folks--we need some group names! 

SPARC is hoping to see a sea of ruby as we walk on the mall in our SIL t-shirts. 

I am thinking Rubies might be nice.  Or the ruby slippers--I like the implied slipping.

Thoughts?

Happy 40th!!!!

Well, it was quite a party! We had a great turnout of friends of Smithsonian Libraries for the big birthday bash in the Smithsonian Castle.

Pictured at left is Libraries' staffer Shauna Collier with Heather Ewing, author of the recent biography of James Smithson.

- Martin Kalfatovic

Counting down!

In just a little over half an hour, the Smithsonian Libraries will be kicking off its 40th anniversary year with a special party held in the Smithsonian Castle. Forty years in anniversary iconography is the ruby year and this party should have enough ruby-red to keep anybody feeling a little bleary!

Right now I'm watching the caterers set up towers of red frosted cupcakes on red tableclothe-ed tables. Staff are all wearing the red anniversary tee-shirts, and there's even red coffee (just kidding!).

Acting Secretary Samper and Acting Under Secretary for Science Ira Rubinoff will be joining Smithsonian Libraries' Director Nancy Gwinn for remarks at a little after 1 pm.

We hope that all those who use or have used the Smithsonian Libraries will drop by and send along their best wishes.

Come back to the blog for more reports and pictures of the party ... read more about it!

- Martin Kalfatovic