LISSA Wins ALA Student Chapter of the Year Award for 2008

From Feili Tu:

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

I am very thrilled to make this announcement to you. The SLIS Library and Information Science Student Association (LISSA) has been selected as the American Library Association Student Chapter of the Year Award recipient for 2008. Last year LISSA was honored as the Student Chapter of the Year Runner-Up. Using suggestions made by the ALA's New Members Round Table, the LISSA officers and students have made many improvements in the organization. They have been working very hard and definitely deserve this great honor. As Bob Wolverton, chair of the 2007-2008 Student Chapter of the Year Award Committee, said:

“ … The committee applauds LISSA's hard work in each of the seven categories related to the Student Chapter of the Year Award. Your chapter has made excellent use of Web 2.0 technology, developed original and effective fundraising activities, and offered an excellent variety of programs for your students. Your commitment to community service is also laudable. …”

LISSA's accomplishments are well-known not only in the SLIS/USC, but also in the library community state-wide. Because of their work ethic and dedication to SLIS and LISSA, the officers, with the help of many students, have successfully transformed LISSA into a junior professional society:

* Travis, the LISSA president, is a great leader with an A-Team to work with. He is fortunate to have two first-rate vice-presidents, Patrick and Margaret. Mary Anne and Virginia are wonderful secretaries, and Caroline and Alison definitely have the excellent budgeting skills that the USC requires of treasurers of student organizations.

* Patrick re-designed the LISSA web site and has made it web 2.0 compliant. He is still carrying the responsibility for maintaining the web site. He also made it possible for LISSA to set up a PayPal account on the LISSA web site so that DE students are able to conveniently pay their LISSA membership fee online. In addition, Stewart Baker created the Forums, and Matt programmed the Wiki. Grant is serving as the media producer. No wonderful the pictures on the LISSA web site are so great.

* Rae and Gene made the “SLISten Up!” newsletter a professional publication. This newsletter has been widely distributed to current students, alums, and librarians in the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Maine, Virginia, and West Virginia. Grant has been handed their torch. What else can we say? “SLISten Up!” is in good hands.

* Matt and Patrick have been instrumental in creating the Faculty Colloquia (now called SLIS Colloquia) and Student Colloquia. These are LISSA's premier professional events.

* Travis and other LISSA officers worked hard to set up field trips so students were able to visit various kinds of information settings. Patrick arranged a trip to the National Archives in Morrow (near Atlanta), GA for students in the Atlanta/Athens area. This is my plea to the DE students. Please join LISSA and help with establishing local chapters and setting up programs for DE students.

* To all the guys featured in "The Mildly Attractive Men of SLIS at the University of South Carolina 2008 Calendar," thank you very, very much for your help with this unique fund-raising effort. You rock!

* A special thank you to Dr. Sam for all your support. You have generously provided LISSA with various resources, and you allow the LISSA officers to be creative and have fun. You are an inspiration.

Serving as the LISSA faculty advisor since 2003 has been one of my most rewarding professional positions. It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to work with such outstanding leaders as the LISSA officers and to witness the organization's many accomplishments. I look forward to working with the new officers, who will be elected very soon.

LISSA exemplifies the mission of the ALA in promoting the highest quality library and information services and public access to information. I hope you'll join us at the award ceremony at the ALA Annual Convention this year in Anaheim and help cheer for LISSA!