I have been quite lax in updating my blog, so here goes nothing! We have a lot to catch up on. 2019 was jam packed - Here's a (hopefully) easily skimmable list of some of the notable, or just fun, things I've been fortunate to be involved with in the past 12 months:
- Wrote a book chapter with Grand View University colleagues (forthcoming...whenever the date next gets pushed back. Hopefully 2020?)
#AllTheMeetings to pound out this book chapter draft by today's deadline. Thanks to amazing co-authors and a colleague who (for some strange reason) loves Chicago-Turabian (I'm #APAAllTheWay), we got it submitted by the end of the work day! Wooo! Now, to wait for revisions. pic.twitter.com/VCmgBAl86F— Cara (@stonca01) January 16, 2019
- Made great progress with the Curriculum Group in revamping the Library 160 curriculum to make it more accessible and student-friendly, both in terms of content and technology. (This is ongoing as we start our 2nd full round through the text.)
- Got really excited when my Grand View colleague became my Iowa State colleague, helping make strides to improve accessibility across campus! Their work is going to impact so many students, faculty, and staff!
Check out @cyndiwiley rock in a lunchtime accessibility talk! #a11y at @IowaStateU pic.twitter.com/ICcVe8vJJo— Cara (@stonca01) February 15, 2019
- Worked with some fantastic colleagues from the Iowa Library Association Executive Board on the Iowa Libraries Transform task force to develop tutorials and customizable templates for Iowa librarians to use in their advocacy and community outreach efforts.
- Continue to serve on Iowa State University's Project Search Steering Committee. I had the honor of working with colleagues who are so people-focused, ensuring the Project Search interns get valuable work and social skills guidance throughout their time in the program (and beyond). Hearing the students and their internship supervisors speak about their experiences at PS Graduation was a highlight of my spring!
So excited to be part of this important program's steering committee! https://t.co/fUjCxK2jsr— Cara (@stonca01) February 14, 2019
So proud to be able to celebrate the work of these amazing #projectSEARCH graduates tonight! @IowaStateU @ProjectSEARCHHQ @ISUSOE @ISU_Library pic.twitter.com/CLoGF4Feb4— Cara (@stonca01) April 19, 2019
- Wrapped up my service on the Iowa Library Association Executive Board. We are so fortunate to have amazing folks serving throughout the state and I'm grateful to have had this role to connect me with librarians across Iowa, including but not limited to those who served on the Exec Board with me. Iowa has a vibrant librarian culture, full of caring helpers!
- Celebrated receiving the 2018 Downs Intellectual Freedom Award with the ILA Executive Board.
Tonight we celebrate as ILA and the Intellectual Freedom Committee is awarded the 2018 Downs Intellectual Freedom Award at ALA Midwinter. More information on the award here: https://t.co/tML6qUF6JM— Iowa Library Assoc (@IowaLA) January 27, 2019
- Part of my service on the ILA Exec Board was to continue on as Chair of the Committee for Diversity & Inclusion (CD&I). What an amazing crew of folks I worked with this past year! We accomplished so much! We became a full standing committee, continued to send out regular updates with DEI resources, facilitated an unconference session at the fall conference, hosted two cohorts of the 21-Day Racial Equity and Habit Building Challenge, established a membership award to fully fund membership funds for someone with identities that have been traditionally underrepresented, and crafted, proposed, and had the ILA Exec Board approve the Iowa Library Association Statement on Social Justice, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. I'm so honored to have been a part of these efforts and am excited to see it continue on.
It’s official! The @IowaLA Exec Board voted to adopt the Iowa Library Association Statement on Social Justice, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion! Accessible copy is on the Committee for Diversity and Inclusion’s page on the ILA website. https://t.co/WsJjHb1JH6 @bookowl @stonca01 pic.twitter.com/WGAbyyOe3h— Cara (@stonca01) December 6, 2019
- Was elected vice-chair in 2018 and assumed leadership in as Chair of ISU Library's Librarian Assembly in 2019. I also continued on Librarian Council, a group of folks who meet regularly with the Dean of the Library to discuss a wide range of topics.
Librarian assembly learning more about @DORAssessment, looking for more meaningful assessment and not just pricey journal prestige/journal-based metrics pic.twitter.com/TUWFxgivpJ— Cara (@stonca01) February 19, 2019
Thank you to @KarenKedrowski from @CattCenter_ISU for speaking at this month’s Librarian Assemb mtg about the amazing things happening in 2020 for the 100-year anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment from an Iowa perspective! https://t.co/fenfdo7DQP pic.twitter.com/s3Hc3ou7s5— Cara (@stonca01) December 19, 2019
- Began serving as a Managing Editor and work on the social media committee for the International Journal of Information, Diversity, and Inclusion.
- I am always excited and honored to be invited into classes on campus to work with students and faculty. This year I was able to visit more classes in Education (an area near and dear to my heart) and I love working with our international students in their International First-Year Experience Seminar!
One of my first-year students from last semester came and visited me today (the first day of classes) and I was like... pic.twitter.com/crTWb8pL9M— Cara (@stonca01) January 14, 2019
LOVED visiting with our prospective @ISUSOE students today! Come to @IowaStateU so we can enthusiastically nerd out about your research together at the @ISU_Library! (A pic of outside to show that it's not always so snowy & cold!) :) pic.twitter.com/TRztPtm0DZ— Cara (@stonca01) February 22, 2019
Was waiting in the lobby to greet the pups when a student from first term stopped by and told me she appreciated how positive I was and that it was nice to know she could always come and ask questions! #daymade— Cara (@stonca01) April 29, 2019
- Took part in an early pilot for new Travel & Hospitality procedures ahead of a shift on campus to Workday for managing HR and finances, which was fully implemented in August.
- Speaking of travel, I was fortunate to have been able to attend several great professional development opportunities. I attended ILA Advocacy Day in Des Moines, the White Privilege Conference in Cedar Rapids, the Illinois Information Literacy Summit in Palos Hills, IL, the CALL Conference in La Crosse, WI, ILA ACRL in Cedar Rapids, the Joint ILA/NLA/NSLA Conference in La Vista, NE, the School Library Journal Day of Dialog in St. Paul, MN, ILA Planning Day in Johnston, and regular meetings of the ILA Exec Board in Grinnell! It's amazing that all of that was packed into a single year (one of my New Year's resolutions may be to go to fewer things this year)! It's amazing just how much travel money you can save when using Airbnb!
This doesn't change how disappointing this is for your community, but the WPC is in CR this year - I'm planning on attending. Registration recently opened up, so I'm guessing it's not yet full. https://t.co/oo8wrcoo4h Also, stay tuned to @IowaLA for related activities from CD&I!— Cara (@stonca01) February 7, 2019
Thank you to @LibraryNicole for a wonderful keynote at #ILSummit this morning! “The dark side of information behavior” pic.twitter.com/pz4rjmyPE1— Cara (@stonca01) April 5, 2019
Excited about my first CALL conference (Conference about Libraries and Learning)! #CALLlibraries19 pic.twitter.com/46IrdyvYev— Cara (@stonca01) April 15, 2019
Check out @ISU_Library’ @beardbrarian presenting on Wikipedia editing at #ILAACRL19 #IPAL19 pic.twitter.com/yqgmZYKtXA— Cara (@stonca01) May 23, 2019
@jcasap at the #IANELib2019. Technology in education isn't new. How have our technology expectations changed over time (even the last 10 years)? How we think about learning (and life, really) has been shaped by this. Familiarity with technology doesn't = ability to use well. pic.twitter.com/R5HtpwpnLv— Cara (@stonca01) October 3, 2019
- Served as facilitator for AAUW Start Smart Salary Negotiation workshops across campus. I love that Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) and the Margaret Sloss Center for Women and Gender Equity, along with other campus partners, led the efforts to purchase a multi-year license to continue these workshops!
Had an awesome time facilitating an #aauwstartsmart workshop this evening at @IowaStateU for @IAStateSlossCtr and @WiSE_ISU! This fantastic crew of negotiators is going to go out in the world and do amazing things, negotiate for their worth, & lift women up along the way! pic.twitter.com/CmkmUTCYSh— Cara (@stonca01) February 22, 2019
I'm leading another great @AAUW salary negotiation workshop this week! Check out the info below! https://t.co/wNbi5X3Vgr— Cara (@stonca01) October 21, 2019
So glad you found it helpful! Keep practicing, and be sure to let me know when you land your dream job and negotiate for a great salary and benefits! :) #aauwstartsmart @AAUW https://t.co/NHlCQrMgh4— Cara (@stonca01) October 23, 2019
- Appreciated the experiences I had growing up and celebrated 100 years of orchestra in my hometown schools!
tl;dr: If you think something is special, valuable, & essential, then say so!— Cara (@stonca01) February 23, 2019
I just got home from a wonderful 5-12 orchestra concert celebrating 100 years of strings ... Beyond the music, what impressed me the most was ... continued in photos #supportthearts #supporteducation pic.twitter.com/HAll64hVRZ
- I've been fortunate to continue having regular meetings with my library mentor. It has been so helpful to have this time set aside for professional reflection and connection!
- Survived the polar vortex...
Don't mind me over here with my wind-swept tears freezing to my face. #itsFine #everythingIsFine pic.twitter.com/hGxqSkTLuy— Cara (@stonca01) January 25, 2019
So it’s still “hurts to breathe” level of cold outside, but on a positive note it’s no longer “MY FLESH, dear lord, what is happening to my flesh!?!” level, so there’s that. #polarvortex19— Cara (@stonca01) February 1, 2019
- Supported and advocated for Iowa's teacher librarians against harmful proposed language changes in state government.
This infographic will be making its way into my legislators' inboxes along with a message urging the removal of section 13 from SB 1190, which proposes eliminating requiring teacher librarians in Iowa's schools. #iowatl #tlchat @iasenategop @iowasenate @KimReynoldsIA #literacy pic.twitter.com/zRMod8N6Eg— Cara (@stonca01) February 25, 2019
- Was a cheerleader on Twitter for our students AND our faculty.
YAAAAASSsssss Out with the clunky and in with the Zotero! pic.twitter.com/9FFKN0iYvK— Cara (@stonca01) February 28, 2019
I'm thoroughly convinced that 80-90% of being an instruction/public services librarian is just being a cheerleader for your students, faculty, colleagues, community. pic.twitter.com/UTPXwxw6CJ— Cara (@stonca01) February 28, 2019
Check out the cool primary source exhibits the @ISUHonors students presented in their @ISU_Archives seminar! Cool to hear about what they learned and chose for their curation/exhibit projects! #archives #primarysources #artistsbooks #swinecholera #conservation #jacktricestadium pic.twitter.com/Dj8M218bdS— Cara (@stonca01) October 16, 2019
- Enjoyed being part of the Central Iowa Symphony community.
I've had the first movement of this piano concerto stuck in my head for...weeks? Last weekend our area symphony played it with an ELEVEN YEAR OLD soloist! What?! She was fantastic. https://t.co/EMvXe9qAx9— Cara (@stonca01) March 5, 2019
And now it's stuck in your head. You're welcome.
- Began coordinating pup volunteers for Barks@Parks (comfort animal event each semester) as part of my service on the ISU Library Events Committee.
New favorite thing about taking over as pup coordinator for #BarksatParks: when humans send pics of their pups along with their volunteering availability! It's like #BarksatParks inbox version! Gah! So cute!— Cara (@stonca01) April 5, 2019
— Cara (@stonca01) May 3, 2019
It’s #barksatparks time!! Snuggles and scritches all this week, 12-4pm, @ISU_Library 2nd floor. pic.twitter.com/WykOzn6XvE— Cara (@stonca01) December 9, 2019
- And I did some fun reading, some hard reading, and some professional reading throughout the year.
Me with @OverDriveLibs audiobooks... And all books, who am I kidding? My tbr pile is gargantuan. https://t.co/JKK47X9oub— Cara (@stonca01) February 1, 2019
- Helped with both spring and fall Commencement - Congrats Cyclone Grads!
Congratulations @IowaStateU spring grads! #congrats #springgrad #grad #graduation #collegegraduation pic.twitter.com/iKhs2M80PW— Cara (@stonca01) May 11, 2019
Congratulations December Masters and PhD @IowaStateU graduates! #cyclONEgrad pic.twitter.com/Gtpr8LS27a— Cara (@stonca01) December 21, 2019
- Made my dog part of my bad "dad jokes" in my Library 160 instruction.
Adding some new slides to my final exam review session for summer. If anything, I enjoy them! :) (There will be actual examples for call numbers and citations on the slides, too.) #libraryinstruction pic.twitter.com/kmKzYDGaFr— Cara (@stonca01) May 10, 2019
- Wished our Dean well on her new adventures.
Saying thanks and see you soon to our library dean, @bethmcneil, who is heading to @PurdueLibraries (y’all are getting a really good one)! pic.twitter.com/R7cjMiZB28— Cara (@stonca01) June 28, 2019
- Explored updates to the front spaces of our library.
Stop in soon to experience the updates in Parks Library. Support from @IowaStateU #Library Strategic Fund & a generous $200,000 donation from #RoyJCarverCharitableTrust - Muscatine, IA. A ribbon cutting is planned for this fall. Visit https://t.co/YqzogpkdYs. @isufoundation pic.twitter.com/CLl3yesUYn— Iowa State U Library (@ISU_Library) August 22, 2019
It’s not every day you have a giant bookmark cutting celebration in your library! Celebrating new spaces and functionality at @ISU_Library #renovation #redesign #progress #ribboncutting Featuring @ISU_Library @ISUStuGovPres @isufoundation pic.twitter.com/b2oXfyLwuL— Cara (@stonca01) October 30, 2019
- Took advantage of several training opportunities on campus including CPR, Mental Health First Aid, and Suicide Prevention, in addition to library professional development and meetings.
- Began taking American Sign Language classes this fall, taking advantage of ISU's tuition reimbursement benefit. I'm excited to learn more about Deaf culture and American Sign Language grammar, vocabulary, and storytelling!
- Welcomed many new students to the ISU family during summer new student orientation and library tours.
- Collaborated with folks in SCUA to provide 4-H workshops in June focusing on preserving your heritage and family artifacts.
- Served on the Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture working group for ALA.
- And loved on my pup, all year long.
My pup is adorable. I thought you should see just how adorable. You’re welcome. Patience at 1 year and (almost) 9 mo. pic.twitter.com/va8iDH22Hv— Cara (@stonca01) March 7, 2019
Patience the pup had a lot of fun at @ISUDeltaUpsilon’s Donuts and Dogs tonight! She now has a bunch of new best friends and says thanks for all the pets, ear scratches, belly rubs, and hugs! More pics on her insta at @morepatienceplease #dudonutsanddogs #donutsanddogs pic.twitter.com/8GLHRYCQB6— Cara (@stonca01) April 11, 2019
Happy birthday back! Tail wags to you all! #mastiffmix #wigglebutt #mastiff #birthday pic.twitter.com/3gkcCFfTxI— Cara (@stonca01) June 16, 2019
Because it’s Tuesday, here’s my awesome pup. #neapolitanmastiff #dogsofinstagram #bullmastiffmix #mastiffmix #mastiff #rescuedog #cute #cutedog #cutedogs #cutedogsofinstagram #dogstagram #petsofinsta #petsofinstagram #dogslife #mastiffgram #doglovers #instadog #doggo #ilovemydog pic.twitter.com/jbi6peh6cQ— Cara (@stonca01) July 23, 2019
I forgot that I took a screenshot of my dog's Insta page for a class instruction session on being smart consumers of info & not getting too sucked into the internet & its endless puppy pics. :) One of the pics has my pup in her cone broken from the polar vortex's freeze #memories pic.twitter.com/Zc0EbXaGSM— Cara (@stonca01) September 23, 2019
So the @nypl has their lion, Patience, and last night on our walk, my pup, also named Patience, thought she’d audition to be the @ISU_Library’s Patience. I think she’s a shoo-in, though she may have to keep practicing ignoring the ground squirrels (pics 2-3)! #mastiff #cutedog pic.twitter.com/vdKhFnUge9— Cara (@stonca01) October 25, 2019
How was your 2019?