Welcome to NELA!

Mail-in and Online Registration for NETSL's (New England Technical Services Librarians) Spring Conference "Crosswalks to the Future: Library Metadata on the Move", are now available.

Since 1963, the New England Library Association has provided organizational and educational support for its member librarians from our six "down east" states.

Join NELA!

Download the NELA membership brochure
(PDF format, requires Adobe Reader)

It's easy to join NELA with our online application and your credit card, or you can print a registration form and mail it with your check.

Know someone who would love NELA like you do?
Refer them and get a reduction in your membership, with our "Member-for-a-Member" program.

NELA Wants You!

02/08/2010

Each year, the NELA Nominating Committee works tirelessly to identify candidates for Officers on the NELA Executive Board.

If you would like to gain experience working with colleagues from all six New England States – if you're curious about how association decisions are made and projects are chosen – if you're looking for a new opportunity for professional development – WE WANT YOU!

For details, read on

Scholarships and Awards

11/07/2009

The New England Library Association Educational Assistance Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the 2009 NELA Scholarships:

A Scholarship of $2000 for full-time students goes to:

• Alexis Brown, a student at Simmons College, Boston, and Massachusetts resident, plans to be a school librarian where she can reach young readers and "create life-long learners."

Scholarships of $1000 for part-time students go to:

• Tara Vito, a Rhode Island resident, attends the University of RI, and has overcome difficult circumstances and found support in libraries along the way. She plans to become a school librarian to help children the same way she was helped in her own life.
• Cindy Weber, a Vermont resident, and distance education student of the University of Illinois, has 10 years library experience and hopes to become a library director and active library advocate.
• Amanda Lovett, another Rhode Island resident, attends St. John's University in New York, and hopes to work as a Library Media Specialist at the elementary or middle school level.  She would like to be part of a Newbery or Caldecott committee some day.

Congratulations to our scholarship winners.

Spectrum Scholars: This year, three New England students were named ALA Spectrum Scholars. Christina M. Thompson, Miranda Rivers, and Winifred Mixon will receive matching grants from NELA in the amount of $500.

Conference Grants: $150 grants were awarded to the following first-time NELA Conference attendees: Beth Nerbonne and Rose Marie Zaharek.

If you are interested in other NELA grant and scholarship opportunities, please visit our scholarships page.

Judith F. Krug Honored

05/19/2009

On May 15, 2009, the Executive Board of the New England Library Association approved a resolution honoring Judith Krug to be presented at the American Library Association Conference in Chicago.

NELA Mentors are Ready to Coach You in Your Career

12/02/2008

Welcome to the new beginnings of NELA's Mentoring Program. This program is open to NELA members and non-members alike. There are a few guidelines to provide some structure yet keep the program flexible enough to allow customized mentoring relationships.

What are the benefits of participating in a mentoring relationship? Mentors gain personal satisfaction from helping others while expanding their coaching and leadership skills. Plus, mentees or protégés often expose mentors to new perspectives along the way. Mentees are exposed to networks, receive career guidance, and get a boost in developing their skills. A successful relationship builds confidence; librarianship in general is strengthened by such positive relationships.

To begin, visit our mentoring page and peruse the lists available. Thank you to the volunteering “charter” mentors. Programs for NELA's 2009 Annual Conference are in the works, such as resume review and an informal networking luncheon. Any comments and suggestions are always welcome at membership@nelib.org.

Deborah Gadwah-Lambert
NELA Membership Chair

NELLS a Success !

08/05/2008

Congratulations to the 25 representatives of New England libraries who completed the most recent NELLS (New England Library Leadership Symposium), held July 28 through August 1, 2008. The next NELLS will be held in the summer of 2011.

• Slideshow showing session highlights

Staples Business Advantage Program

03/07/2008

The NELA/Staples Business Advantage Program is a member benefit which NELA provides to help members leverage their group purchasing power.

• Details of the Staples Business Advantage program