ALASKA COLLECTIONS EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM · 2013-05-29 · pleted in April and the Juneau team member training should be completed by late summer. The CERT training provides a thorough

Vol. 26, Number 2

ALASKA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

CONTENTS

1

2

3

5

5

7

9

10

11

12

18

19

EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

ALASKA NATIVE LANGUAGEARCHIVE JOINS THERASMUSON LIBRARY

ALASKA’S SOCIAL MEDIAEFFORTS

EARLY ON

BOOK BUZZ

PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES

BEST BEGINNINGS—STORYTRACKS

BOOK SCULPTURES

AKLA CHAPTER NEWS

NEWSPOKE GUIDELINES

ARCHITECTURE

Experienced a disaster within your library, archives, museum, historical holding or cultural center andoverwhelmed by it all? Who ya gonna call? Certainly not the ghost busters! But you could now call theAlaska Collections Emergency Response Team or AKCERT. Never heard of them? That’s OK becauseit’s a brand new group.

There’s a new capability within our great State to assistinstitutions in just those situations when disaster strikes andyou’re just not sure where to turn. Enabled by supportfrom the Rasmuson Foundation and the State Museum,Scott Carrlee, Curator of Museum Services for the AlaskaState Museum, is assembling and training a team of expertsfrom a variety of disciplines to help institutions like yoursdeal with a myriad of disastrous situations affecting collec-tions and the respective facilities in Alaska.

What could you expect from this team? The initial trainingfor Anchorage and Fairbanks team members was com-pleted in April and the Juneau team member training shouldbe completed by late summer. The CERT training providesa thorough orientation to the Incident Command System(the same system used by First Responders), some per-sonal and situational (on-site) safety training as well as initialmitigation response training. That provides institutions witha group of individuals that can respond in person or virtu-ally to assist you, your staff and your organization in dealingwith your collections disaster.

As initial training is completed and the individuals gel intoresponse capable teams the near term goal is to exercisethe teams on a quarterly basis using institutional informationprovided by you. AKCERT will establish an organizational

(Cont. on pg. 4)

ALASKA COLLECTIONSEMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

NEWSPOKE–ALASKA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Apr. - Jun. 2013 pg. 2

g. 1)

Dear AkLA Members-

Over a month has passed sincewe all converged on Mollie Good

in Valdez for her perfectly orches-trated conference. Another stellarperformance by a valuable AkLAmember. Thank you, Mollie and

ConferenceCommitteemembers.Great ses-sions, inspir-ing speakers,interestingexhibitors,good foodand lots oflibrary folks.Oh and lots ofsnow! In allmy years inAlaska, I’venever experi-enced suchgentle,relentless,snow. Now Iknow whatthey meanwhen they sayit really snowsin Valdez!

I would liketo say thankyou to all ofyou who hadthe confi-dence in meto be AkLAPresident. Butmostly I wantto thankDavid Ongley

for suggesting that I run for thismost esteemed position. Hethought I was perfectly qualified. Iwasn’t so sure! I’ve been tuckedaway, well, really hidden away, inKotzebue at the Chukchi Consor-tium Library for nearly 20 yearsoverwhelmed with all the work Ido for our little library and keep-ing a low profile, but staying intouch with what goes on in ourprofession, our state and with mycolleagues. Well here I am. Ihave to say, this past year asPresident Elect I have learned somuch and gotten to know some ofthe most dedicated peopleworking in our profession. Thethings that AkLA does for ourlibraries are so important for thepeople of our great state.

AkLA members, we have a lot ofwork to do! Our new Strategic Plancharges us with work in four areas.

We need too Develop a working model

that guides traditionalcultural expression inAlaska libraries andcultural institutions;

o Increase our membershipto perk up participation;

o Support new members ofour association andprofession through a

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTStacey Glaser

NEWSPOKE

Volume 26, Number 2Apr.-Jun. 2013

ISSN: 1088-1808 -- QuarterlyEditor: Loretta AndressTnx: Loraine Andress, Proofreader

Submit items for publication: Loretta Andress 510 Togiak Circle Anchorage, AK 99503 Email: [email protected]

Deadlines for future issues: Jul. 31, 2013 Oct. 31, 2013

Article reprints are included withpermission.

Pls. note: Editor must produce pages (forprinter) in multiples of four: 4 pages,8 pages, 12, etc. Your submission mayneed to be altered due to spaceconstraints--will make every effort to haveauthors approve any changes in advanceof publication.

(If editor neglects to include an itemyou have submitted, please let her know–if it’s still timely, it can be included in nextissue, with apologies from ed. orimmediately in online edition.)

(Cont. on pg. 4)


(Cont. on pg. 4)

Native elders, scholars, universityand state officials, librarians, andmembers of the public gathered inthe Rasmuson Library on Febru-ary 22, 2013, to welcome theAlaska Native Language Archive(ANLA) to the Elmer E.Rasmuson Library and to cel-ebrate the renaming of the archivein honor of its founder, UAFProfessor Emeritus Michael E.Krauss. ANLA’s primary focus ison the Alaska Native languagesand closely related languagesspoken in neighboring Russia andCanada. (http://www.uaf.edu/anla/about/). After decades ofdedicated work, the newlyrenamed Michael E. KraussAlaska Native Language Archiveis considered “the most compre-hensive indigenous languagesresource in the world” (http://www.uaf.edu/anla/about/).

Having outgrown its previouslocation, ANLA and the RasmusonLibrary collaborated to identifyand develop appropriate space forthe archive within the library.ANLA’s new accommodationsfeature two areas: archive andprocessing space on Level 1 and areading room and staff office onLevel 2. These new locations bringANLA researchers closer to otherrelevant Alaska Native Languagematerials in Rasmuson Librarycollections housed in Archives andManuscripts, Oral History, AlaskaBook Collection, and depart-ments.

Creating the ANLA is the result ofProfessor Krauss’s decades-longcommitment to collecting AlaskaNative Language materials fromacross Alaska and around theworld. He began gathering materi-als in the early 1960s.

In 1972, the Alaska NativeLanguage Center (ANLC) wascreated by the Alaska Legislatureto document and develop thestate’s 20 native languages.Linguistic materials that werepreviously scattered all over theworld were collected in onelocation, bringing together pub-lished and unpublished manu-scripts and other archival docu-ments.

Professor Krauss served as director ofANLC from 1972 to his retirement in2000. In 2009 the Alaska StateLegislature created the Alaska NativeLanguage Archive as a separate entity.ANLA subsequently incorporated theAlaska Native Language Center(ANLC) collections into the archive.

Alaska Native languages re-sources in ANLA include: (http://www.uaf.edu/anla/about/statistics/)

•Yup’ik, Central Alaskan •Unangan •Inupiaq •Tlingit •Gwich’in •Dena’ina •Koyukon •Comparative Athabaskan •Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) •Comparative Eskimo-Aleut •Siberian Yupik •Haida •Tanana (Lower) •Tsimshian •Ahtna •Upper Tanana •Eyak •Tanacross •Deg Xinag •Upper Kuskokwim

Today the archive contains morethan 15,000 documents, includ-ing almost everything written inor about Alaska’s Nativelanguages, (http://www.uaf.edu/anla/about/) and more than5,000 recordings of AlaskaNative languages dating from theearly 1940s. Researchers canexpect to find linguistic fieldnotes, audio and video record-ings, books, reprints, copies ofmaterials held in other archives,and copies of Alaska Native

THE ALASKA NATIVE LANGUAGE ARCHIVEJOINS THE RASMUSON LIBRARY


(Emergency - Cont. from pg. 1)

dossier outline that you can fill into provide the team with helpfulplanning information should theyhave to respond to and supportyour facility. This informationcould include basic floor plan(s),hazardous materials list, specialhandling requirements, facilityimages for team orientation andplanning and any other informa-tion you think would assist theteam in responding/supportingyour recovery efforts.

Depending upon the location andsituation it may only be possiblefor a few or none of the mem-

bers to physically arrive on sceneafter a disaster. That doesn’tmean they can’t still help you dealwith the situation. Think of theseteam members as virtual, knowl-edgeable staff that can assist yourinstitution in locating responseassets (freezer trailers, bankerboxes, freezer paper, wet-dryvacuums, pallets, etc.) andpreparing them for shipment.They may be used as a panel ofSME’s (subject matter experts),your virtual Think Tank as it maybe, that can help brainstormideas, solutions, approaches andadvice to assist you and yourlocal volunteers during collectionsrecovery and mitigation.

So what’s next for AKCERT?The team will complete initialtraining and some organizationaldomestics as they prepare toreceive and e-file (probably usingDropBox) your respectiveorganizational information to beginpreparations for table-top exer-cises (Yes it would be verybeneficial to them and to yourorganization if you participated)and pre-disaster planning. Keepyour ears to the wire as thiscapability develops and preparesto respond.

Jodi Jacques

comprehensive mentoringprogram;

o Develop a citizens groupof advocates who can

advocate on behalf oflibraries across our state.

I challenge you to dip in and give ahand. AkLA could use your help.You can find email addresses for

all our elected representatives atwww.akla.org. Pick one of us andask how you can help!

Stacey GlaserChukchi Consortium Library

(President - Cont. from pg. 2)

Language Center publications. Digitization of some audio and text materials are in progress to increaseaccess to the collections.

Interested persons may contact the Michael E. Krauss Alaska Native Languages Archive at:

Phone: 907-474-7436Email: [email protected]: 907-474-6586Website: http://www.uaf.edu/anla/Office: Rasmuson Library, Room 232

(Native Language - Cont. from pg. 3)

Norm Lagasse


(Cont. on pg. 6)

Among the founding fathers ofAnchorage who arrived in theearly years was “Zack” Loussac,who came to Anchorage in 1916and opened a drugstore onFourth and E downtown. Heserved three terms as mayor andcreated the Loussac Foundation.

recreational, cultural, scientific oreducational activities in the An-chorage area.” The next year,Loussac was elected to the first oftwo consecutive terms as Mayorof Anchorage.

http://motherearth travel.com/united_ states/anchorage/history.htm

In 1946, with the aid of Elmer E.Rasmuson, Loussac created andendowed the Loussac Foundation,“dedicated to the promotion of

You may have heard that AkLAhas a Twitter stream and aFacebook page. You may evenhave heard about our Flickr page,GoodReads group, and LinkedIngroup. They are all run by thenewly-formed Social MediaCommittee, and we urge you tocheck them out! If you would likesomething posted to Facebook/Twitter, or if you have picturesyou would like uploaded toFlickr, please contact us [email protected]. If youwant to join the GoodReads orLinkedIn group, you can addyourself, and we’ll approve yourmembership; once you’re a groupmember you can post whateveryou please.

Our committee charge is two-fold: 1) distribute news out to theAkLA membership, and 2) helpthe AkLA membership connectwith one another online; so weare also working on pullingtogether lists of the social mediaaccounts of Alaska’s library,archives, and museum workerswho want to share them. If you

would like to be included in ourlists, please fill out the GoogleForm at this link: http://bit.ly/WUxejH. If you would like to seethe lists we have gathered so far,they’re available on the AkLAwebsite: http://akla.org/about/committees/social-media-commit-tee/alaskan-social-media-ac-counts/.

There was a lot of interest, atconference, in social mediatraining. The Social MediaCommittee will discuss our chargewith the Executive Council, butwhether or not we officially takeon training as a Committeeresponsibility, we definitely haveseveral members who are inter-ested in teaching about socialmedia. I will work with otherpotential social media trainers toput something together, eitherover Elive/Collaborate or via theOWL network. Please contactthe Social Media Team or me([email protected]) if youhave training requests!

AkLA Social Media Links:

• AkLA Twitter: https://twitter.com/AKLibraryAssoc• AkLA Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AlaskaLibraryAssociation• AkLA Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aklibraryassoc/• Alaska School LibrariansFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aklibrarians/• AkLA-Juneau Facebookpage: https://www.facebook.com/aklajuneau• AkLA-Anchorage Facebookgroup: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aklaanchorage/• AkLA GoodReads group:http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/94615-alaska-library-association• AkLA LinkedIn group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Alaska-Library-Association-4856579

AKLA’S SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS

Coral Sheldon-HessUAA Consortium Library

EARLY ON...

Loussac Public Library 1955University of Alaska Anchorage.Archives & Manuscripts Dept.

(Early On - Cont. from pg.5)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachariah_J._Loussac

http://www.akhistorycourse.org/articles/article.php?artID=184

By the end of the 1940s, the AlaskaHistorical Library and Museumcollection had grown to 15,000volumes. The library had alsoacquired Wickersham’s Alaskancollection. By 1947, Alaska’slarger communities had publiclibraries, but they contained mostly

fiction, newspapers, and magazines.Outside the larger towns, librarieswere almost nonexistent. Theuniversity museum collections hadgrown to include 75,000 itemsand the university library collec-tions had grown to include20,000 books and 20,000

bulletins and pamphlets.

An upsurge of interest in the pastbecame apparent in the 1950s ashistorical societies and museumswere founded at Homer, Kodiak,Anchorage, Juneau, and Sitka tostudy and preserve local history.Some were sparked by the 1967Alaska Purchase Centennialcelebration. That celebration alsogave rise to a revived AlaskaHistorical Society that becameactive in 1968.

These American descendants ofthe early Russian library andmuseum in Sitka have createdcenters throughout the statewhere Alaskans can learn abouttheir state’s past. The centers arealso serving as focal points forpreservation of Native culturesthrough the practice of traditionalarts and crafts, scholarly study, andstorage of oral history tapes.

NEWSPOKE–ALASKA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Apr. Jun. 2013 pg. 6

Original Sheldon-Jackson Museum

In 1951, the Loussac Foundationunderwrote the construction of anew, modern building to house thelibrary at Fifth Avenue and F Street,replacing the older, crampedfacilities at Fifth and E Street.

The new library, which becameknown as the Loussac Library,opened its doors in 1955,ashesare interred in Angelus MemorialPark in Anchorage.

In 1986, Anchorageopened a new four-story public library inmidtown which wasnamed the Z.J.Loussac PublicLibrary.


Compiled by Patience Frederiksen

humane and unassuming one, so itwas delightful to read his frankmemoir and find he lived andwrote about his life in the samefashion. When cancer had takenhis voice, Roger became ablogger and developed a wholenew set of friends with whom hediscussed disease, life, and howhe was facing the end of his life.What a dear man!

Flight Behavior, by BarbaraKingsolver, 2012, completelydrew me in. As usual, King-solver’s characters arecompel- ling, and theirrelation- ships ringtrue. The youngm o t h e r ,Dellarobia,undergoes a trans-formation that is bothsurprising and hopeful. (MiriamDunbar, Cordova Public Library)

Mrs. Queen Takes the Train, byWilliam Kuhn, 2012, is an

absolutely whimsical and charm-ing book from start to finish. Adisillusioned and frustratedQueen Elizabeth (she’s tired of

calling for help with her com-puter) takes a walk one day andjust keeps going to Scotlandwearing a borrowed blackhoodie. The alarmed staff ofWindsor Castle is hoping to keepher walkabout a secret from thepress, so Her Majesty is quicklyand comically pursued by avaried cast of characters thatinclude a stable girl, a clerk in acheese shop, a butler and a lady-in-waiting, among others. Kuhnclearly knows his British historyand royal watchers will delight inall the well-researched behind thescenes tidbits and local color.(Charlotte L. Glover, KetchikanPublic Library)

Turn Right at Machu Picchu, byMark Adams, 2012. This is anadventure story, a history, apersonal growth narrative and

really fun to boot. I read a lot ofstuff before going to MachuPicchu and this one was the mosthelpful and most fun. (Judith

McQuerry, Ketchikan)

Life Itself: A Memoir, by RogerEbert, 2011. For many years, Ihave read Roger Ebert’s

film reviewsafter I havegone to thefilm inquestion,to see ifhis opinionof the

movie agreedwith mine.

Roger’s voice was always a (Cont. on pg. 8)


(Book Buzz - Cont. from pg. 7)

Hard Boiled Wonderland andthe End of the World, byHaruki Murakami, 1993. Atwisty tale of the boundaries of

the mind set in a world wherecorporations are the govern-ment and data shifters are akinto rock stars (sorta). The storybends between this world and asilent town of unicorn beastsand a fantastic library where oldstories are read from glimmeringskulls. As these two worlds areset to collide in the most unex-pected of ways, the reader isleft with a quandary—what isreality and what does it mean?I’ve read oodles of Murakaminow, and this one is my hands-down deserved! (Irena Adams,Unalaska City School librarian)

The Bartender’s Tale, by IvanDoig, 2012. This coming-of-age story is filled with lyricalprose, thoughtful pacing,

colorful scenery, and strong charac-ters. Doig’sstorytellingis similar toLarryMcMurty’sand KentHaruf’s—full of hope,a strongsense ofplace, andcharactersthat get intoyour mind and your heart. Goodstorytelling! (Linda Lyshol, Ketchikan

Public Library)

Shadows in the Sun: Travels toLandscapes of Spirit and Desire,by Wade Davis, 2012. Stunning,wondrous journeys – from the farCanadian north to Tibet, Haiti, the

SonoranDesertand theAmazon- throughland-scapesandamongpeoplewhosebeliefs,

characterand daily life remain focused ontheir lands, their multi-dimensionalrealities, their need to weave theirmemories and stories throughgenerations. (Chris Thorsrud,

Kachemak Bay Campus Library,Homer)

Who’s in Charge? Free Willand the Science of the Brain, byMichael S. Gazzaniga, 2011.Gazzaniga doesn’t meet his goalof showing that we do have freewill; the closest he comes isshowing that free will may be anemergent property of complexbrains in highly social animals.However, the neuropsychology hediscusses is fascinating: for

example, we usually make deci-sions before we’re aware of themand rationalize them only after thefact. If you think you’re some-thing better than a big bag ofchemicals, this book may changeyour mind. (Paul Adasiak, UAFElmer Rasmuson Library)

My Beloved World, SoniaSotomayor, 2013. I just finishedreading this book and wasdelightfully surprised. SoniaSotomayor was raised in the

(Cont. on pg. 9)

rough and tumble Puerto Ricanneighborhood in the Bronx.Anticipating that the writing mightbe a bit dry, coming from a Yaletrained jurist, I was delightfullysurprised at how full of ‘voice’ itwas. Sotomayor was an incred-ibly focused, energetic, but highlypractical child. She grew into abright, ambitious lawyer andeventually the first HispanicSupreme Court justice. As ayoung child diagnosed withdiabetes, she took over givingherself her own injections becauseher alcoholic father’s shaky handswere inadequate to the job. Shewanted to be like the TV lawyerPerry Mason, but was deathlyafraid of speaking in front ofothers. So, she signed up to readBible verses out loud in church,

overcoming her timidity. InPrinceton, she realized howdifferent her upbringing was incomparison to her peers, when afriend commented, “You must

have felt like Alice in Wonder-land!” and all she could say was,“Alice who?” While a classicimmigrant story, Sotomayor’smemoir is an entertaining andinstructive read. (Sarah Bell,Kettleson Memorial Library)

Snow Child, by Alaskan authorEowyn Ivey, 2012. I reallyenjoyed this wonderful, refresh-ing, insightful, compassionatebook! First of all, it is always

great to discover a new talentednovelist and when that novelist isAlaskan, which is a big plus.Second, it is sort of a reminiscentof my favorite Russian folktalewith the same title, taken toanother mature level and set inthe Alaska pioneer homesteadera. Third, it deals with familyrelationships in a very insightfulway, and most of all, it reflectsthe inner struggle of a womanwho deals with the grief of losinga child and her longing to replaceher loss.

(Book Buzz - Cont. from pg.8)

A statue of horses leaping overpieces from the Berlin Wall standson the plaza of the George BushPresidential Library. The statuedepicts the fall of the wall in 1989,when Bush was president.

Until 1978, Presidents, scholars,and legal professionals held theview dating back to GeorgeWashington that the recordscreated by the President or hisstaff while in office remained thepersonal property of the Presi-dent and were his to take withhim when he left office. ThePresidential Records Act of 1978established that the Presidentialrecords that document theconstitutional, statutory, andceremonial duties of the Presi-dent are the property of theUnited States Government.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_library

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bush_Presidential_Library

PRESIDENTIALLIBRARIES



StoryTRACKS: a series ofmounted, laminated pages of achildren’s picture book laid out atintervals on a walking path so thatfamilies travel from one page tothe next as they read the booktogether. What a wonderfulcombination of support for earlyliteracy and reading, being out inNature, enjoying family time, andencouraging healthy activity!

How can librarians help?Barbara Brown of Best Begin-nings is assembling a committee tohelp select the picture books.Please contact her at 297-3309or [email protected] if you’re interested.

Best Beginnings received achallenge grant from AnchoragePark Foundation to construct tenseparate StoryTRACKS.

StoryTRACKS can be more or

less permanent, but our plan is formoveable versions. The pages areplaced into the ground on stakes(mounted with industrial Velcrostripes) so they can be removed,repositioned, and exchanged. A“Guest Book” at the end allowsfor feedback, usage counts, andevaluation. The possibilitiesinclude:

Circulating to parks,trails, sledding hillsaround the munici-pality

Creating a scheduleof StoryTRACKS“appearances” sofamilies can followstories around,discovering new parkareas

Scheduling them forvarious family events:Reading Rendezvous,Tuesday Night

munchkin races, Skifor Kids Day, Parksand Rec events,Farmer’s Markets,picnics in neighbor-hood parks, etc.

Best Beginnings will use a “checkout” model of disseminating theStoryTRACKS, similar to howGreen Star checks out recyclingbins for groups holding GreenEvents. This means they will besomewhat “supervised” by theorganizing group, thus minimizingvandalism or theft.

So what ideas do you have forusing StoryTRACKS for yourprograms?

This is a mock-up. The final versionwill be professionally produced.

Barbara BrownProject ManagerBest Beginnings

BEST BEGINNINGS BRINGS STORYTRACKS TO ANCHORAGE



The story of Seward is now beingtold in one new building. Andwhat a building it is…shimmeringtranslucent tiles glitter in the sunand sparkle in the snow. Historicphotos of Benny Benson and theSeward of 1903 greet visitors asthey enter. A large mural depictingthe “Irresistible Story” adorns thesouth facing wall. All intended torepresent the varied history of thearea and the awesome potential ofthe future.

“The Seward CommunityLibrary Museum (SCLM) is acommunity center with thefacilities and resources toprovide its users with theopportunity for continuingeducation, community enrich-ment, and the preservation ofSeward’s heritage.” Projectplanners started work on the planto build the facility during the2003 Centennial of the foundingof Seward, setting a completiondate for 2013, the Centennial ofthe incorporation of the town.The $10M project was funded

and hauling in preparation for themoving company. Restackingthe shelves and organizing thework areas was done quickly bystaff and volunteers to get readyfor welcoming patrons into thenew facility. Slowly the detailsare falling into place.

New adult non-fiction, fundedby Rasmuson and mostly recom-mended by local requests, isslowly being added to the

shelves. The new microfilmreader is up and running, a newEarly Literacy Computer hasbeen installed in the Children’sroom and the video conferencingsystem for the meeting room is

SEWARD

(Cont. on pg. 13)

New Seward Community Library Museum

with major grants from RasmusonFoundation and National Endow-ment for the Humanities. Almost

half of the funds came fromthe State of Alaska as aresult of the Public LibraryConstruction Grant Program.

Most importantly, the localcapital campaign raised over$500,000 and the communityapproved a GO Bond of $3.7M,quite a feat for a town of 2000.Obviously there are many

supporters within and outsideof our city limits.

Library services and use of thecommunity space began onJanuary 13. The old library wasclosed a month earlier, with staffand volunteers sorting, packing


connected. These last twofeatures are compliments of theOWL program, a statewideeffort to increase bandwidththroughout Alaska. Meanwhile,library use has increased 35%over this time last year. Roomuse is 80% over last year andnew reservations come in daily,keeping staff very busy.

The new Seward Museum--including exhibit space, work andsecure storage areas--is sched-uled to open May 11, allowingtime to set up exhibits and orga-nize the work and storage areas.Library Museum staff and a large,very dedicated cadre of volun-teers have been working tirelesslyto get ready.

The “teaser” window is doing justthat, teasing. Staff has displayedsculptures of local people, bothfamous and infamous, that aremade from railroad spikes weldedtogether. People are frequentlyseen peering in, past the display tosee what is happening in themuseum. Though these pieces,crafted locally during the seventies,could be found in both the libraryand museum collections, they havenever been displayed together.The display is a great example ofthe potential of the new space with

(Chapters - Cont. from pg. 12)

Teaser Window

the integration of library andmuseum collections and services.

I would like to extend specialkudos to the library museum staff,Rachel James, Amy Carney, TimMorrow and former staff TemberEliason, for not only accepting“other duties as assigned” buttackling them head on. Theirwillingness to get things done--calmly and methodically--makes itall work. One of the many jobshas been managing and maintainingthe volunteer effort. Rachelrecruited over 50 people to helpwith the original move. Amyenlisted at least 15 stalwart

museum volunteers who packed,moved, unpacked and set upexhibits. As a small token of ourappreciation, staff hosted avolunteer appreciation “Night atthe Museum” on April 26. Volun-teers were treated to a sneak peakof the museum and fancy desserts.

Whenever help was needed, thepeople of Seward stepped up andmade this project successful and arewarding journey. We lookforward to continuing it with them.

Patricia LinvilleSeward Community Library Museum

(Chapters - Cont. on pg. 14)

Dropbox Dropbox allows you to sync your files online and across your computersautomatically. It provides up to 2Gb of storage for free and up to 100Gb for paidaccounts. The iPhone app makes it easy to copy files from your computers or other

mobile devices to your iPhone or iPad. Universal iOS app or Android. Free


Hello from Ketchikan:

The First City Librarians againmade an appearance at theKetchikan Wearable Art Show2013 promoting library ethics.The event program read:

“LIBRARY CONFIDENTIAL”Artists/Models; Kathy Bolling,Caitlin Jacobson, JudithMcQuerry, Lisa Pearson, andKathleen Wiechelman

Music: “Viva Las Vegas” – ElvisPresley.

While the government and otherbusybodies may demand accessto your library records, fear not.Ketchikan’s librarians defendyour right to privacy and confi-

(Chapters - Cont. from pg.13)

dential use of library materials.Trust in our protection of yourreading freedom. Like Vegas,what happens in the library, staysin the library.

The Librarian Showgirl outfits

were made from catalog cards,LP records, government docu-ment mailing envelopes, compactdiscs, hard drives, plus hundredsof binder and paper clips.

Kathy BollingUAS

KETCHIKAN

Alaska Natives represent aminority of the population inPetersburg, which has a strongNorwegian population. The townitself is widely known as ‘littleNorway’ and revels in its Scandi-navian heritage. This createschallenges for local Tribal mem-bers who may feel like theirculture is not recognized. The pasttwo centuries have broughttremendous change to the Tlingit

people of Southeast Alaska.Local Tribal members havestruggled to maintain their culture,language, and sovereignty.

Concerned about the lack of avoice for local Tribal members, in2011 Petersburg Indian Associa-tion (PIA) and the PetersburgPublic Library (PPL) partneredon the two year IMLS fundedMany Voices, One Community

Project. Both the PIA TribalCouncil and Elders Council had astrong desire to promote Tlingitcultural values so that our com-munity as a whole could begin tocelebrate the richness of ourcommunity’s Tlingit heritage.They felt that the library would bea valuable partner in fosteringawareness of Native traditions,

(Cont. on pg. 15)

“TLINGITS ARE HERE TOO”: PETERSBURG’S MANYVOICES, ONE COMMUNITY PROJECT


arts, and ways of living both intribal members and in the commu-nity at large.

The Many Voices One Commu-nity project has included classesoffered by local experts and tribalmembers on Tlingit Drum Design,Spoon Carving, Drum Making,and Tlingit Cooking, at whichNative attendees shared storiesabout harvesting local food.Speakers from outside of thecommunity presented programson civil rights, Tlingit art, andcommunity dialogue. Oralhistories were also collectedthrough the library’s ListeningProject (http://listeningprojectpsg.wordpress.com/projectpsg.wordpress.com/). The stories,social events, Native arts andculture classes have catalyzedconversation about the needs ofthe Native community, bothduring and outside of the activitiesthe library has offered. Accordingto one tribal member “I hear

from around town even fromnon-natives about the programsthat are going on at the library.It has opened up people’s heartand mind to the Tlingits. It also

letspeopleknow thatTlingitsare heretoo.”The ManyVoices,OneCommu-nityproject

has builttrust within

the tribe toshare their

Tlingit culture in a communitywhere their voiceis rarely heard.

One example ofa particularlysuccessfulprogram was theCooking Tlingitclass. It wastaught by a panelof tribal memberswho discussedhow to identifyand sustainablyharvest traditionalfood. Theydemonstratedhow to cook thefood and pro-vided everyonewith a tasting.Native attendeesshared storieswith each other and the teachers

about the food they harvested andate while growing up and manyfond memories were rekindled.At the end of class, participantswere able to take home a Cook-ing Tlingit Cookbook. After theclass was over, the presentersdiscovered a newfound desire tohold a potluck for an upcomingvisit from the delegates of theAlaska Native Sisterhood groupthat was open to the entirecommunity.

Relationships formed with indi-vidual Tribal members have beenthe single most important aspectof the project’s success. Theserelationships provided library staffwith access to new resources butalso gained the library trust withinthe Tribal community. In somecases, these relationships have

(Cont. on pg. 16)


jessica ieremia

janet holten

Tlingit Graduation Stole Class

Tlingit Platter Class—painted Tlingitdesigns on yellow cedar rounds


had a transformative effect onTribal members. For example,

one class participant told us thatshe “loved the Tlingit platterclass.... People were asking[the instructor] so manyquestions and she could tellhow much pride [he] felt for

his culture and in sharing theinformation with the class.People were so respectful andlistening to him. She feels it isvery important to have these

types ofclasses hap-pening inPetersburg.”

Establishingstrong partner-ships within thecommunity alsoanchored manyof the project’sprograms. TheAlaska NativeBrotherhood/Sisterhoodplayed a

pivotal role in thesuccess of theprogram. As thelocal Alaska

Native Brotherhood presidentrecently stated that, he is “Gladthat the Library is looking intowhat programs to provide andhow to provide them. It is hardfor people to organize and start


Jessica IeremiaPetersburg Public Library

jessica ieremia

programs and the library hasbeen a great ally on this toprovide classes and workshops.

Good to see the library hasinterest in this and to preserveTlingit culture for posterity andhe is hoping that others willfollow suit.” Other partnersincluded KFSK Public Radio, thePetersburg Community Founda-tion and the US ForestService .

The Many Voices, One Commu-nity Project has resulted in bothNative and non-Native commu-nity members beginning to de-velop a more positive attitude andunderstanding about the culture,history and perspective of Tribalmembers. It has been exciting towatch the story of the Tribeunfold and grow. For moreinformation about the projectcontact the Petersburg PublicLibrary (psglib.org/[email protected]).

HAINES

Dr. Thomas Thornton Receives Alaskana Award in Haines

(Cont. on pg. 17)

On April 8th, Haines Boroughresidents were introduced to theChilkat Valley Storyboard, anelectronic, interactive, mappinginterface sharing Tlingit placenames, Tlingit language, andcultural information and stories.

Over 100 people were in atten-dance to hear special guest, Dr.Thomas Thornton share histhoughts on the importance ofreclaiming and preserving indig-enous place names.As part of theevent, AKLA Past

President, Linda Wynne, made aspecial trip to Haines to presentDr. Thornton with the OutstandingAlaskana of the Year Award forhis book, Haa Leelk’w Has Aani

Tlingit Platter Class—paintedTlingit designs on yellow cedar

rounds

special sites.

The Storyboard’s developer, ErikStevens, Haines Borough Public

Library SystemsEngineer, wrote 6,353lines of code duringthe past year to createthe final product, theequivalent of writing a150 page novel.

During the final part ofthe program, JoeHotch, Tlingit Elderand Harriet Brouillette,President of theChilkoot IndianAssociation ceremoni-ously “unveiled” theStoryboard. Dr.

Thornton concluded his remarksby offering a Tlingit name to theStoryboard – yátx’Ikanduwataayi yé — may childrendrift towards this table in bunches.

The initiative is a partnership projectof the Chilkoot Indian Associationand the Haines Borough PublicLibrary and a Native AmericanLibrary Services Enhancementgrant from the Institute of Museumand Library Services.

Saax”u: Our Grandparents’Names on the Land. This award

recognizes works that make asignificant contribution to theunderstanding of Alaska andexhibit originality, depth of re-search and knowledge of Alaska.Linda also presented Klukwanand the Haines Borough PublicLibrary with autographed copiesof the book.

Dr. Thomas Thornton has workedon Tlingit place name projects forthe past 20 years and is currentlySenior Research Fellow andDirector of the EnvironmentalChange and Management Pro-gram at the EnvironmentalChange Institute, School ofGeography and the Environment,

University of Oxford. During hisvisit to Haines, he said he “appre-ciated the recognition but, more

importantly, was glad to see thework being carried on.”

The Storyboard uses contempo-rary and historical photos; film,sound, historical documents, andtext to tell the stories of theChilkat Valley’s traditional placenames and includes names of theChampagne-Aishihik First Na-tions of Canada, extending toHaines Junction, Yukon Territory.High school students createdvideos and interviewed elders,adults offered research time, theSheldon Museum shared appli-cable photographs and young

students filmed field trips to


(Chapters - Cont. from pg. 16)

Patty BrownHaines Borough Public

Library Director

Linda Wynne with Dr. Thomas Thornton


Only a couple people were found at the location for AkLA’s clean-upstint May 4--perhaps due to a wet snowfall. The job may have beenpostponed for another weekend.

Craig Stark and LorettaAndress at AkLA’s clean-up. (Her clown collar isfor recuperation from afractured skull after a fallfrom a horse.)

AkLA’S CLEAN-UP DAY

Not accepted: paid advertising;material intended to “sell; make aprofit” rather than to “inform.”Submissions viewed as advertise-ments, unless item is of particularinterest to Alaska, Alaskan patronsand/or libraries, or is submitted byan AkLA member.

Accepted: Alaskana–books,book reviews, or articlesrelating to, or of interest to,Alaskan librarians and/or theirpatrons. Informative material

related to libraries andlibrarianship, especially inregard to Alaska.

Most anything submitted byAkLA members–reasonably“tasteful and well-written,” of anappropriate length (much leewayhere); author is willing to submitto possible editorial changes,which may include length, spell-ings, downsizing of convolutedsentences. . . (Editor will makeevery effort to let the author

know of, and pre-approve, anysignificant changes before thematerial is published inNewspoke.)

Other–determined on an indi-vidual basis by “the committee”(defined as a group of at leastthree AkLA members). If theNewspoke editor or the individualsubmitting has questions orconcerns about any submission,the matter will be sent on to theNewspoke Committee.

General guidelines to publication in Newspoke,Alaska Library Association newsletter:


http://www.dezeen.com/2007/09/11/tama-art-university-library-by-toyo-ito/

http://www.archdaily.com/344813/photography-toyo-ito-by-iwan-baan/

Tama Art University LibraryHachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan.

Toyo Ito Museum ofArchitecture@Iwan Baan

ARCHITECTURE

President Stacey Glaser [email protected] Karen Jensen [email protected] Linda Wynne [email protected] Meaghan KearneyTreasurer Patricia Linville [email protected] Coordinator Patience Frederiksen [email protected] Representative Daniel Cornwall [email protected] Representative Mary Jo Joiner [email protected] * Alaska Library Directory

* Newspoke, Loretta Andress [email protected] Officer Mary Jennings [email protected] [email protected] http://www.akla.org/

ALASKA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

CALENDAR

ALASKA LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONPO Box 81084Fairbanks, AK 99708

NONPROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE PAIDANCHORAGE, AKPERMIT NO. 244

ALA Annual Conference, Chicago, IL Jun. 27-Jul. 2, 2013Pacific Northwest Library Assn., Boise, ID Aug. 14-16, 2013Museums Ak-Ak Historical Society Joint Conf., Haines, AK Sep. 25-28, 2013 American Library Assn. Midwinter Meeting, Philadelphia, PA Jan. 24-28, 2014Alaska Library Association Annual Conference, Anchorage, AK Feb. 27-Mar. 2, 2014

Documents

ALASKA COLLECTIONS EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM · 2013-05-29 · pleted in April and the Juneau team member training should be completed by late summer. The CERT training provides a thorough