SUNYergy V.5 No.3 SUNY Makes a Splash

		July 2003 Volume 5 Number 3 Page 1
	SUNY Makes a Splash: SUNYLA-NAUUG 2003 Conferences

Cover Story

SUNY Makes a Splash

Features

Thanks Larry!

Welcome CALICO

New S.A.C.-SUNYLA Liaison

Additional SUNYConnect Updates

Worst Serial Title Change Awards

How to Contact Us

Linkable Links

Photo Gallery

Link to the SUNYConnect Committees List

The expansion of SUNYConnect was in evidence at two recent conferences (SUNYLA and NAAUG). This influence is partially measured by the growing number of SUNY libraries using the SUNYConnect LMS (ALEPH500). Librarians and others at those institutions are also having a growing influence on the greater ALEPH community. Within SUNY and around that international user community, we're seeing SUNYConnect participants joining in and sharing their experience and expertise.

SUNYLA 2003 -- Stony Brook, New York
With a theme of "Waves of Change; Oceans of Opportunity" the SUNYLA Conference Stony Brook Logo returned to Long Island June 4-6. Welcoming attendees with the pronouncement that "it's a wonderful time to be a librarian," Stony Brook Dean/Director of Libraries Christian Filstrup commented on "the amazingly diverse SUNY system," and on the innovations going on around SUNY libraries. Partially in recognition of SUNYConnect, Filstrup remarked "when SUNY wants to see how to make SUNY more of a system they need to look at you folks."

That SUNYConnect cooperation was seen during the conference program. "Ideas that Make ALEPH More Patron Friendly: Changes Your Library Can Make," for instance involved presenters from four different types of SUNYConnect libraries. It was also seen in the Friend of SUNYLA Award that went to Andy Perry and Sandy Card of Binghamton. They were commended for "willingly and generously sharing their expertise with many other SUNY libraries" implementing ALEPH; providing "understanding and knowledgeable responses." Andy got this reporter's approval when he commented that "librarianship doesn't have to be a competitive sport." Sandy's remarks included the observation that "with the talented, diverse group of SUNY librarians [in SUNYConnect] there's no reason not to take a large leadership role in the future of ALEPH."

Sandy has backed up those words by taking on the Chair of the ALEPH Cataloging & Authorities Enhancements group for NAAUG. Other SUNY librarians participating in this process are Abigail Bordeaux (Binghamton), Katie Loomis-Sacco (Fredonia) and Natalie Sturr (Oswego).

Also receiving a Friend of SUNYLA Award was Judith Adams-Volpe (Buffalo). "Hurrrah to Plattsburgh and Carla List-Handley for the granting the Distinguished Librarian rank to a 'front line librarian.'" Judy played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Distinguished Librarian rank.

The conference included good food, camaraderie, and lots of door prizes: thanks to conference planners, presenters and speakers for their efforts in making it a great conference. And FACT deserves special recognition for the grant monies provided by the Faculty Access to Computing Technology Group to the conference.

See you in Cortland next year!

NAAUG
(North American ALEPH Users' Group Meeting - Iowa City, Iowa, May 31-June 2)
"Sullivan Community College, SUNY Cortland, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Upstate Medical University..." These were just some of the SUNY institutions named as "newly" implemented North American ALEPH sites were read out during the NAAUG Conference. After the dozen and a half new SUNY libraries were mentioned, Donna Hirst (Iowa) said, "they deserve a round of applause."

"As one of the SUNY attendees and representatives during that roll call, I heard that applause, and felt immensely proud of the work SUNY libraries and OLIS have done to pull this off," reports Dave Ritchie (Cortland). "I wish every librarian and library staffer in SUNY could have gotten that acknowledgement of perseverance and ingenuity from our academic library peers."

The SUNY influence at the conference also included participants from ten SUNY institutions. SUNY presentations included work done by OLIS' Maureen Zajkowski offering up her insights on planning and implementing a large consortial ALEPH implementation.

University of Iowa Natural History Musesm Conference attendees commented on "the great sharing and collaboration resulting from an increasing number of [ALEPH] customers." Those in Iowa City also received the benefits of commiserating with others over common sentiments, frustrations and challenges involved in ALEPH implementations, especially those involving a large consortium of libraries. Ex Libris leadership and staffers were well represented at the meeting, providing software demos and insights into the future directions of the company.