SLA: St. Louis SLATE Newsletter

Message from the President

Wow—what a year we’ve had! Our chapter programs got off to a great start with the presentation on librarianship in the Rupununi region of Guyana, South America, by Alice Layton. That program was particularly special because it was organized by a few of our student members. We followed that up with our own Centennial Celebration featuring Guy St. Clair, author of the book, SLA at 100: From Putting Knowledge to Work to Building the Knowledge Culture. We closed out the year with our annual Holiday Happening. I’m not sure, but we may have set a record for attendance! Thank you, Patrick Hendershot, for creating so many great programs this year!

St. Louis Leadership Summit Coming to St. Louis in January

You’ve heard about the reception at Busch Stadium and read the call for volunteers for the Registration Desk, and Dine-Arounds. But you’re still wondering what this Leadership Summit is all about. From January 27-30, 2010 our chapter will host leaders involved in SLA, from all over the world, at a conference to be held at Union Station. The theme of the conference is Creating the Future. It is about our future--as an organization, a profession, and individually of our career.

SLA Leadership Summit Welcome Reception

A trip to Busch Stadium in January? That's right! The 2010 Leadership Summit Welcome Reception will be held in the Champion's Club Room at Busch Stadium on January 28th. The Welcome Reception is the St. Louis Chapter's opportunity to showcase our hospitality. After a full day of attending meetings, all attendees of the Leadership Summit are invited to stop by the reception for a casual and fun evening with drinks, hors d'oeurves, and networking. The Champions Club Room is sure to wow our guests. The 2006 World Champions trophy is on display as well as memorabilia from all ten championships. And on a cold January night, the fireplace in the room will add a nice touch. Tours of the stadium will also be offered during the reception for those who want a tour. Tour tickets are $5. All St. Louis Chapter members are invited to attend the reception. The cost will be $20 for SLA members, $24 for non-members, and $16 for students and SLA retiree members. Attending the welcome reception will be a great way to meet and network with the leadership of SLA.

Geri Heberlie
Local Arrangements Co-Chair
SLA 2010 SLA Leadership Summit

Awards and Anniversaries for 2009

Congratulations!

On December 10, 2009 at the Chapter’s annual Holiday Happening, several awards were given out. The Elizabeth Owens Award was presented to Rosie Weiss. Rosie is the Electronic Resources Librarian for Monsanto Company and has been a member of the local chapter for over 20 years. The award represents distinguished service to the chapter and the library profession. Rosie has supported and improved the chapter by serving on many committees and holding several offices. She has been the chair for the Programming, Strategic Planning and Professional Development committees and has served as the President-Elect, President and Past President. Rosie is a great advocate for the chapter and has brought much energy to the organization. Thanks to Rosie for all of the support, hard work and professional expertise she has given to the chapter and our profession.

Introducing the 2010 Chapter Board

Congratulations to our newly elected board members.

Fundraising Update

As my term as the St. Louis Metro Area Chapter’s Fundraising Chair comes to a close, I want to thank everyone in the chapter who supported the Fundraising Committee’s activities in 2009. For the committee’s first year in existence, we hit the ground running and it has been a great honor to serve as the first Fundraising Chair for our organization.

 

Member News and Announcements

Margaret Ganyard, Popular Library Manager at St. Louis Public Library, was recently recognized for 40 years of service for the St. Louis Public Library.

Karen Robinson and Phyllis Fischer ran into each other at a Ranken Jordan Specialty Pediatric Hospital Fundraiser. Karen is on the left, and Phyllis is on the right.
The Downtown Librarians Lunch happens every 2nd Friday at City Gourmet (formerly City Grocer). City Gourmet is at the corner of 10th and Olive, downtown. Pick up your lunch at City Grocer or bring your own, and meet in the upstairs seating area (stairs are located behind cash registers). For more information, email Susan Baerwald.

Why I Love My Job

"Why I Love My Job" is a new feature highlighting our chapter members and why they love librarianship.  If you would like to tell your story here, please email the newsletter editor. This issue's column was submitted by St. Louis SLA member Susan Baerwald.  Susan is a librarian at the architectural firm HOK in downtown St. Louis.

We are Reading...

Dropping temperatures and snowy days are great excuses to stay in and read. For book suggestions from fellow members, read on.

We are listening to...

In the the following music picks our members embrace holiday classics and move beyond traditional selections.