Pratt Student wins Beta Phi Mu National Scholarship

Jennifer Dixon, a student at Pratt, is one of two winners of the Sarah Rebecca Reed Scholarship for beginning library and information science students. This scholarship is given out by Beta Phi Mu National and each scholarship provides $2,250 of support to its recipients. The announcement was made at the BPM Meeting at ALA Annual (2016). Congratulations, Jennifer!

Beta Phi Mu Theta Chapter at ALA Annual 2016

Four members of the Theta Chapter from Pratt Institute were able to attend the Beta Phi Mu National Meeting at ALA Annual in Orlando, Florida.

Vinette Thomas, center, Staff Advisor.

Diane Dias De Fazio, Treasurer, gives the chapter update.

Also in attendance were chapter member Deimosa Webber-Bey and Web Master Emily Drew.

2016 Initiation Ceremony and Dessert Reception

Please join us to welcome the 2016 initiates to the Theta Chapter of Beta Phi Mu.

The special speaker of the event will be Gina Shelton ('14), Theta Member and the Head Librarian at Dominican College.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

3:00 - 5:00 PM: ceremony and reception (Room 213)

5:00 - 7:00 PM: #infoshow16 student showcase (6th floor)

7:00 - 9:00 PM: Pratt Manhattan graduation party (Room 213)

WHERE: Pratt Institute Manhattan Campus, 144 West 14th Street

RSVP to Beta Phi Mu Theta (betaphimutheta [at] gmail [dot] com)

New Initiate Ceremony - Save the Date!

Initiation and dessert reception

May 17, 2016

3 PM

More details to come!

Chapter Member Book Published

Elizabeth Willse, a librarian at ASA College and Berkeley College in Brooklyn, NY and Chapter Member, has recently published a book entitled Using Tablets and Apps in Libraries (156p. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Sept. 2015). 

Part of the professional series Library Technology Essentials, the book is available in Hardcover, Paperback and e-book. 

Discover how you can implement a successful tablet program in your library.
Through this comprehensive guide, readers will learn:

- How to integrate the potential of tablet technology into existing library programs and staff workflows
- How to Host a Staff Training Technology Petting Zoo
- How to provide tablet support and training for your patrons
- How to use tablets in your story time and other children’s programming
- How to circulate tablets in your library
- How to use tablets to promote library services
- How to use tablets in your physical spaces to provide and gather information

Chapter Member Awarded Honor

Diane Dias De Fazio, Pratt alum and Beta Phi Mu Theta Chapter member, has recently been awarded one of twenty INLS-RBS Fellowships for Early-Career Librarians by the Rare Book School (RBS) at the University of Virginia. Kudos Diane!

From the Rare Book School website, the Fellowship "will allow young professionals to attend an RBS course and to increase their professional involvement at the national level through participation in the conference of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the ALA. The aim of the program is to help fellows acquire skills relevant to professional work in special collections and build important professional networks."

The Fellowship is sponsored by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through their Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program. Read the full press release here.

Scholarships offered by Beta Phi Mu National

Beta Phi Mu offers five scholarships - check them out below! The application period ends on March 15, 2016.



1) The Sarah Rebecca Reed scholarship is for beginning LIS studies at an ALA accredited school.

2) The Blanche E. Woolls - School Media scholarship is for beginning LIS studies with a concentration in School Library Media.

3) The Eugene Garfield Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships are for doctoral students who are working on their dissertations in LIS and related fields.

4) The Harold Lancour - Foreign Study scholarship is for a librarian conducting foreign research.

5) The Frank B. Sessa - Continuing Education scholarship is for continuing education for a Beta Phi Mu member.

For more information on all of these, and for links to the applications, see: 

http://beta-phi-mu.org/scholarships/ 

Photos from Fall Lecture and Tour

Beta Phi Mu Theta hosted a fabulous tour of the Stephen A. Schwarzman building of the New York Public Library (aka the library with the lions) as well as a lecture by Josh Hadro.

Keith Glutting giving a tour of the New York Public Library's Astor Hall at the Main Branch.

Keith Glutting giving a tour of the South Court area. The original foundation of the Croton Reservoir can be seen here.

The tour moves to the third floor. This hallway is reserved for rotating exhibitions. The door in the back leads to the Berg Collection of English and American Literature. 

Josh Hadro, Deputy Director of NYPL Labs, gives his lecture.