Welcome to the Fall 2011 AWSL newsletter. Many thanks go to Editor Bob Shaw and Graphic Designer Sheila Zillner for their dedication to providing this publication for our membership.

AWSL board members are gearing up for the 2011 WLA Annual Conference, to be held November 1-4 at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center and Frontier Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee. Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect Molly Hamm has done a great job lining up AWSL-sponsored programs for the Conference. You can read about the programs in more detail later in this newsletter. While the whole slate is stellar, the tour of the Milwaukee Art Museum Research Library is particularly exciting. Kudos goes to Molly for arranging the tours and thanks to the good folks at the Art Museum Research Library and the Marquette University Law Library for generously agreeing to host us.

If you haven't been to an annual conference lately, I highly recommend you attend this one. The theme is Libraries: A Renewable Resource. Being surrounded by other enthusiastic and talented librarians is a great way to recharge your batteries and reaffirm your decision to stick with librarianship, plus you'll see and learn all kinds of cool stuff you can try out back at home.

As fun as it is to attend the annual conference, I can say with authority that it is even more rewarding to have a role at the conference. Seeing a conference room fill up with librarians eager to listen to a program you planned is quite a thrill, as is watching the wonder on faces of people touring a library that most never get to see. I can also say that getting involved in AWSL can be especially valuable to people who work in small or solo libraries — the friends you'll make and camaraderie you'll experience is very reaffirming. Watch for your chance next spring to join in the fun.

One last conference note — after a one-year hiatus, AWSL was fortunate to again offer a conference scholarship to an AWSL member either currently working in a library or information center or a student interested in special librarianship. I'd like to congratulate Jennie Freeburg, MLIS student at UW-Madison, on being awarded the scholarship. Jennie plans to attend the AWSL business meeting on Thursday at 12:15 p.m. It will be fun to meet her and hear about her plans for the future.

Thanks for reading. I hope to see you soon.

Carrie Doyle, AWSL Chair
carrie.awsl@gmail.com

Greetings, fellow AWSL Members,

Don't forget to register for the 2011
Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference, November 1-4, 2011, Hilton Milwaukee City Center & Frontier Airlines Center, Milwaukee. Your 2011 Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, Molly Hamm, has put together an excellent roster of AWSL-sponsored programs and tours. Program details are below.

Please note that the AWSL Annual Business Meeting will be held Thursday, November 3 at 12:15 p.m. in the Miller Time Pub at the Hilton. All members are encouraged to attend the meeting. Separate checks will be available for those wishing to order beverages or food off the menu.

On Wednesday, November 2, join fellow special librarians for some relaxing fun and conversation during the AWSL Social Hour from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Miller Time Pub at the Hilton.

AWSL-sponsored programs at the 2011 WLA Annual Conference

• Wednesday, November 2
  10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
  Tales from the Harley Davidson Archives
  Bill Jackson, Senior Archivist, Harley Davidson Museum, Milwaukee
  
  Bill will discuss the various ways that his team actively supports the company's new product development, marketing and business strategy. He will also speak to the creativity and innovation he brings to his every day work, in light of current budgetary limits that are familiar to us all.
  
  2:15 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
  Marquette Law Library: a Library Without Borders
  Patricia Cervenka, Director, Marquette University Law Library, Milwaukee
  
  Marquette University's spectacular new law school building, which opened in August 2010, includes a "library without borders" that is fully integrated on each floor. Patricia will share her staff's contribution to the planning of the library's embedded design, some of the subsequent successes, as well as some of the challenges.
  
  4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
  Marquette Law Library Tour No prior sign-up is required.
  
  5:30 p.m-6:30 p.m.
  AWSL Social Hour Hilton — Miller Time Pub
  Join Association of Wisconsin Special Librarians members for a fun and informal get-together after a long and busy day of conferencing. Don't miss this opportunity to socialize with special librarians — we're a fun bunch!
  
  
• Thursday, November 3
  10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
  Library Tour: Milwaukee Art Museum Research Library
  
  Established in 1916, the Milwaukee Art Museum Research Library houses an extensive collection of materials on fine art and architecture including painting, graphic arts, sculpture, drawing, design, and photography. Located on the West Mezzanine Level of the Museum, the library contains a collection of over 20,000 volumes and subscribes to more than 60 art and design publications. In service of the Milwaukee Art Museum's Collection, library resources include national and international museum and gallery publications, Milwaukee Art Museum publications, monographs on art and artists, catalogue raisonné, auction sales catalogues, and an exceptional rare books collection, along with extensive artist files.
  
  12:15 p.m.-1:45 p.m.
  AWSL Business Meeting Hilton — Miller Time Pub
  
  We were unable to secure a conference room for our lunchtime business meeting, so we have reserved a table at the Miller Time Pub. The menu is here. They will provide separate checks.

Name: Megan Wiseman Position: Law Librarian for Weiss Berzowski Brady LLP in Milwaukee Describe your current job: I am currently "living the dream" working as a law librarian for the nicest bunch of people over in Milwaukee. While our library does also have a part-time library assistant, I am generally It for reference and research, budgeting, training, and all those other little library tasks that crop up from time to time. We still have books. That will be likely true for a good long time, as my corner of the legal world is embracing change but also holding true to tradition as best we can. I nerdily prefer tax law to most other types of law research (then again, I also really enjoyed my cataloging class back at SLIS, so that makes sense) and enjoy having a marketing component to my position.

Previous professional endeavors: While working towards my Master's in Library Science at UW-Madison, I worked in the Preservation department of Memorial Library. I'd worked there as an undergraduate and the position turned into an LTE at the end of my time in the graduate program — disappearing when the limited term ran out. This catapulted me to back to Milwaukee, where I am originally from. There I volunteered for a time at Greendale Public Library while I looked for something permanent and preferably in the legal field. In the midst of a rather scary economy I then got lucky and am now doing my best to give back through professional involvement.

Why did you decide to work in the library profession? As I mentioned above, I worked in Preservation at Memorial Library during the majority of my undergraduate days. There simply came a time when I didn't want to leave and it was then that I became aware of the existence of a Library Science Master's degree. Honestly, I don't even remember what little bird whispered the words "law library" in my ear, but by the time I began the program, I knew that was the environment that most interested me.

What is the favorite part of your job? I love the really tough questions that make my brain hurt. (…Again with the tax law.) Once, someone at the office called me "Sherlock" and it made my day.

What is the least favorite part of your job? Giving people non-satisfactory results. Librarians tend to know that it's not "all online" and are not surprised to have to look under every rock for an answer. But even so, sometimes the answer isn't anywhere and you end up looking for a phantom article or case that simply does not exist. Or worse, the answer is not the one the patron was hoping for.

Do you have a role model as a librarian? This may sound odd, but some of my best encouragement has come indirectly — through authors, comics, and the characters they create. Sure, I know a lot of inspiring people, but applying their experiences to my life doesn't come as naturally to me as adopting a piece here and bit there from someone who won't mind a little hero worship.

What is your favorite book of the last year? Oh, good, another opportunity to tell more people: Everyone should read "Anathem" by Neal Stephenson. I read so much science fiction and fantasy that not much fazes me anymore, but this one is striking and so deliciously long that it really lets you enjoy it for a good while. (I can admit that it is one of the few books in recent memory where I enjoyed it so much that I forced myself to not read ahead.)

What is your dream vacation? I'd like to think that my dream vacation is a long, luxurious train ride somewhere exotic, Orient Express style.

What are your hobbies? Varied and odd, my hobbies include juggling, unicycling, ballroom dancing, and sailing. I also perform with a Croatian folk orchestra.

On a beautiful Wednesday in late June, several students of Ron Larson's Corporate and Specialized Information Services class at UW-Madison's School of Library Studies met with librarians from AWSL and the Wisconsin chapter of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) to swap stories and enjoy a perfect day evening the Memorial Union Terrace. Two librarians who spoke to Ron's class earlier that day joined the group and told entertaining tales of life in a prison library and a zoo library. Attendees also took turns describing what interests them about special libraries, current involvement through internships and the like, and where they hope their careers will take them. As AWSL member Emily Wixson commented, it is exciting "hearing the interesting positions in which "special" librarians find themselves."

This is the second year AWSL has hosted a gathering with SLIS students. It is such an enjoyable success we plan to do it again next year. Watch for an email in early June for details about the next gathering.

Carrie Doyle

Hill Farms State Transportation Building
4802 Sheboygan Ave.
Room 100 P.O. Box 7957
Madison, WI 53707-7957
Phone: (608) 264-8142
E-mail: library@dot.wi.gov
Website: www.dot.wisconsin.gov/library

Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Home to one of the largest collections of transportation-related information in the country, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Library and Information Commons (or "iCommons") offers easy access to the latest published research materials, periodicals and daily newspapers, along with transportation videos, DVDs and CDs. Featuring a convenient location and comfortable seating, the WisDOT Library iCommons provides transportation professionals, the academic community and the general public a common area to find information and answers to virtually any transportation question. The WisDOT Library iCommons is a central collection point for transportation materials on bicycling, pedestrians, railroads, waterways, public transit, airports and highways, along with motor vehicle and public safety issues. The library is a founding member of the Midwest Transportation Knowledge Network and is also a member of OCLC and the Transportation Library Connectivity and Development Pooled Fund Study, providing access to a wealth of transportation information off all types from libraries throughout the world.

The WisDOT Library iCommons has three full-time librarians and one-part time librarian who serve WisDOT employees located in Madison and throughout the state, private sector partners, and the citizens of Wisconsin, the nation and the world. Inquiries range from "what modifications do I need to make to turn a former school bus into a camper" to a request from a researcher in England for historical WisDOT reports. The general public is welcome to visit the library for reference assistance and to use the computers and the physical collection. The public may borrow items from the WisDOT library by placing an ILL request through their local public or academic library. About the "iCommons"

As part of a departmental reorganization in 2006/2007, the WisDOT Library was relocated from a cramped space on the eighth floor to a remodeled space off the lobby which would provide easier access for employees, private partners and the public. One definition of an information commons is a shared, open space where technology, comfort, aesthetics, and expert assistance are situated in close proximity to provide a patron with an enhanced learning experience. This definition certainly applies to the WisDOT Library and Information Commons.

- Carrie Doyle

AWSL Chair: Carolyn (Carrie) Doyle
WisDOT Library
Madison, WI
Voice: (608) 338-2142
Email: carrie.awsl@gmail.com

AWSL Chair-Elect: Molly Hamm
Cogdell Spencer ERDMAN
Madison, WI
Voice: (608) 410-8298
Email: mhamm@cogdell.com

Secretary: Amy O'Shea
Globe University – Madison West
1345 Deming Way, Middleton, WI 53562
Voice: (608) 830-6936
Email: aoshea@globeuniversity.edu

AWSL Past Chair: Anne Moser
UW-Madison, Wisconsin's Water Library
1975 Willow Dr., 2nd floor, Madison, WI 53706
Voice: 608-262-3069
Email: akmoser@aqua.wisc.edu

WLA Board Representative: Anne Moser
UW-Madison, Wisconsin's Water Library
1975 Willow Dr., 2nd floor, Madison, WI 53706
Voice: 608-262-3069
Email: akmoser@aqua.wisc.edu