Meeting - Thursday, July 29th

Please join us for our summer meeting. In keeping with SCALA tradition, there will be FREE pizza and drinks! Please RSVP to our Facebook event so we can get an idea of how much food to bring.

When: Thursday, July 29 at 5 p.m.

Where: Hagerty Library, Room L33

Why: To meet your fellow students and get involved!

New members are welcome! Come learn about who we are and the great events SCALA has planned for this fall! We will also be ratifying our constitution. This is a great opportunity to get involved in SCALA and meet other future librarians.

If you have questions, please email SCALA at drexelscala@gmail.com

Job - Archives Assistant - Children's Literature Collection

For those of you who are interested in archives and want to get some experience, there's a great new opportunity available at the Free Library of Philadelphia!

The Archives Assistant will be working on collections by children's literature authors, creating finding aids for each collection. This is a part-time/temporary position and is a great way to get that archival experience you've been looking for.

More information about the position and how to apply can be found on the Free Library of Philadelphia's Career webpage.

Philadelphia Library's Budget is Spared

Image Credit: flickr - teachandlearn

After Mayor Nutter's threat to include libraries in his slashed budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, the Free Library of Philadelphia can now breathe a sign of relief. Library lovers will still enjoy five days of service, instead of having to make due with a proposed cutback of only four days.

While the Library may be rejoicing, police and fire companies are not happy about the cuts to their departments. Also, the Library may still face a large cut in state aid, almost $750,000 worth.

Read more about the budget and its details in the Philadelphia Inquirer's article ("$47 million in budget cuts spare libraries", July 15th, 2010).

What are your thoughts on how Nutter has handled the budget situation? Are you willing to have a cut in police and fire programs to keep libraries more accessible?

Commentary in Philadelphia Inquirer

In today's Philadelphia Inquirer, author Marilyn Johnson writes a rousing call for communities to get behind their libraries ("Are libraries unnecessary?" July 9, 2010).

Johnson most recently wrote This Book is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All. She also came to the Free Library of Philadelphia a few months ago to talk about her book and the many librarians she met who are doing some amazing work in the world.

How refreshing to have a non-librarian, someone who isn't part of the profession, coming out and advocating for libraries! I wish more people understood the vital role libraries play in maintaining an informed, educated, democratic society.

Changes to Constitution

The officers are making changes to SCALA's constitution.

One of the most important changes has to do with membership requirements. We will no longer require SCALA members to be a member of ALA as well, although it is encouraged. As many of you have learned from INFO520, professional associations are a great way to network and find jobs! Plus, ALA student membership is cheap - only $33! And you will get a copy of American Libraries mailed to you every month.

Check out the ALA Student Membership page for more info. But remember - you can still participate in SCALA even if you don't belong to ALA.

Thoughts on the Library Job Market

Read Rick Roche's thoughtful blog post on the library job market today. He has a lot of insightful comments from his perspective as a Department Head hiring a new Reference Librarian, including some important tips about resumes, cover letters, and asking questions about why you may not have been picked for the position.

What do you think about his observations of the current and future state of library jobs?