NASIG Newsletter

PROFILES

CHAR SIMSER
Susan Davis, Columns Editor

Some things change, some things stay the same.  What has changed?  The person responsible for putting together this column is no longer Maggie Rioux.  However, following tradition, the newly installed NASIG President, Char Simser, is the subject of this profile.  I think she sets a record by being the first individual to be profiled twice.

I was coerced into taking over this column when Maggie subtly mentioned it during our convivial evening on a NASIG dine-around in Louisville. I must have made a serious dent in my margarita to have even considered accepting, but Maggie and Kathryn Wesley are a tough team to say “no” to.  Luckily I had Char’s earlier profile in v.19, no. 1 (March 2004) of the NASIG Newsletter to fall back upon for material.  Feel free to refer back to the earlier article (http://nasig.org/newsletters/newsletters.2004/04march/04march_profiles.html#CHAR) if you get lost or are confused by my questions or Char’s answers.

As a former NASIG President, I couldn’t resist asking Char some questions about the president’s column she has to write for each issue.  And as a former editor of the newsletter, the tables are now turned on her!  I could hear the “Argh!” as she responded to my question about how she felt now that she has to turn in copy on deadline.   I then asked her if she had any pets that might be speaking in her column (referring to the past adventures of Twyla, Jimmie Dale, and my cat Peaches.)  Char has a cat named Tinkerbell who was adopted by her co-worker but could not adjust to her new home with two other cats.  Tinker will be 10 later this year and is not a people cat and will not be appearing in Char’s columns.  However, you may be able to sneak a peak at Tinkerbell on Char’s Flickr site (http://www.Flickr.com/photos/kstatelibrarian/).

I also asked Char to compare the time she spent on the NASIG Newsletter as editor-in-chief versus NASIG President.  Since she only has experience as the vice president she did confess that editor-in-chief took much more time.  However, she reserves the right to reconsider her answer at the Phoenix conference.  And after the discussion about running for office recently, she has a head start on a topic for her column.

Char clearly has a creative bent.  She’s into creative writing and Maggie told us in the March 2004 piece to ask how her novel was coming along.  So I did ask.  Just like many of us, she admits that her brain has very little in the way of creative juices at the end of the workday. She set the novel aside for awhile, but was able to complete a first draft by switching to a screenplay format.  Now she has to find time (maybe when she needs to escape from the pressures of the presidency) to revise it again.  She has an affinity for Star Wars, having become addicted to the GFFA (Galaxy Far, Far, Away).  She began reading the Star Wars novels, which got her into writing (publishing stories under the name of Charlene Newcomb), which led her to AOL and chat rooms, where she discovered thousands of others who shared her enthusiasm.  She became part of a group of women who met for weekly chats about the novels and the original trilogy. Thirty women met in person for the first time in Las Vegas in 1997, and the group, which has grown to 80+ members, still meets annually. 

I would be remiss in not mentioning that this year is the 30th anniversary of the original Star Wars movie.  A huge gathering of over 30,000 people convened to celebrate the occasion in Los Angeles this past May.  Char and others in her group were able to work the convention as stage hand, green room wrangler, crowd control manager, and more, including “Team Cake.”  According to Char’s blog, volunteers worked tirelessly to prepare the many birthday cakes needed for the 6,000 fans who sang “Happy Birthday” to Star Wars on May 25, 2007.  And think about how many days Char had to refocus her attention to the NASIG conference, which started for her with a board meeting on May 30.  The woman is a trooper!

Char has created a Star Wars character, Alex (Alexandra) Winger, and in an exclusive interview with yours truly reveals that Alex has a cameo in Vision of the Future by novelist Timothy Zahn.  Star Wars enthusiasts have detailed her life (based on Char’s stories) fairly accurately on Wookieepedia (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Alex_Winger). 

Char and friend at at the UFO Watchtower in Hooper, Colorado.

Words are not the only things Char plays with.  In high school she played rhythm guitar and electronic organ for an all-girl rock band called “liberation.”  How many other catalogers have been members of rock bands?  She also loves to take photos with her digital camera.  She inherited the shutter bug from her dad, who was an avid still and 8- & 16-mm film photographer.  Thanks to her dad, there is a family history going back to 1943.  Char’s Flickr site has a large collection of family photos and she tells me that her two oldest children are carrying on the photo bug.

And speaking of children, I asked Char is she had become an empty nester yet.  She will be one as of August 19 when her youngest son, Jeff, heads off to college in Texas where he has a cheer scholarship.  He transferred there from K-State to improve his tumbling skills.  Jenny is a junior at K-State majoring in marketing and a team coach at a local gymnastics center.  Do I detect a theme here??  Char’s oldest son, Joel, is a video production editor in central Florida.  He has aspirations to write, direct and edit his own films.  Maybe mom will get him to turn her script (aka the novel) into a movie someday. Char is extremely proud of her brood, with good reason.   I found a May 2006 photo of the “kids.”

Char’s kids, left to right, Joel, Jenny, Jeff.  No wonder she’s proud!

 In her spare time she likes to garden. Char believes her thumb is not green so she looks for low maintenance plants like daylilies and perennials to fill her huge backyard.   She hopes to reduce the amount of grass she needs to mow to a mere ¼ of her yard.  My brother-in-law who is also a cataloger has the same idea.

I have to admit that while I’ve known Char professionally for years, I didn’t know her very well. She is up to some amazing things and clearly has the creative talent and energy to be a super NASIG President.  I encourage the membership to visit her blog and Flickr space frequently to keep up with this extraordinary woman.
 

PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Denise Novak, NASIG President

In just a few short weeks, we’ll be convening in Louisville, Kentucky, for the 23rd Annual NASIG Conference.  Whew!  This year has flown and now I’m composing my final column for the Newsletter.  There have been a couple of bumps in the road, but for the most part, I’ve had a blast serving as your president. 

One of the highlights of my presidency was the opportunity to attend the United Kingdom Serials Group Conference as your representative.  The conference sessions were excellent and the differences between UKSG and NASIG are superficial, although they do have exhibits.  Both groups focus on the content of the conference. NASIG was ably represented by Clint Chamberlain, Jill Emery, and Dana Walker, who made an excellent presentation.

At the UKSG conference each year there is a quiz held after dinner.  People sign up for a table and those people make up teams.  This year Jill and I started a table which rapidly filled up.  Our table had international representation which helped us answer questions.  There were 5 rounds of 10 questions which covered all of the continents.  I am thrilled to report that our table came in 5th with 42.5 points!  If you ever get the chance to attend the UKSG conference, I urge you to go.

Your Executive Board has worked very hard this year.  Membership renewal has moved online.  We currently have an RFP for technology out to various vendors.  That task force will have a recommendation for the board at the May conference.  This year all of the NASIG committees have been working hard at improving what NASIG does for you.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank some very special people.  Without their advice and help, I would have had a much more stressful year:

Char Simser and Joyce Tenney, my friends and fellow Site Selection Committee members. 

Anne McKee, past president of NASIG, was an invaluable source of information.  Whenever I had questions she was my go to gal.  Thanks, Anne.

Alison Roth, CPC liaison, had a lot of OJT this year.  She’s done a great job of working with the CPC.

And last but certainly not least, my husband, Paul.  He has been my intrepid companion during my tenure on the Executive Board.   Paul has helped balanced the NASIG checkbook, listened to me fret, been my sounding board, taken me to the airport at 3 o’clock in the morning, lugged my suitcase numerous times, and done too many other chores to mention here.  He accompanied me to the UKSG conference. 

Give a very BIG thank you to our out-going board members, Kay Ginanni, Adam Chesler, and Mary Page.  You will be missed BUT we know where to find you.

When you get to Louisville, you will see what an absolutely AMAZING job the CPC and PPC have achieved this year.  I coerced Angel Clemons and Tyler Goldberg, the CPC co-chairs, to take on the responsibilities of conference planning.  Boy, they fulfilled my expectations and I’m so darn proud of them!  Rachel Frick and Sarah George, the PPC co-chairs, have totally outdone themselves.  I think you’ll be mighty impressed with the conference program.  Kudos to all of the committee members for an outstanding job!

Welcome to all the new board members, Jill Emery, vice president/president-elect; Peter Whiting, treasurer; Anna Creech, member-at-large; Kim Maxwell, member-at-large; and Jeff Slagell, member-at-large.  Congratulations and I look forward to working with you!

And finally, I would like to thank all of you, the NASIG membership, for allowing me the privilege of serving as the president of NASIG.  You are some of the finest people I’ve ever known.  Your commitment and enthusiasm for this organization leave me speechless.  I just can’t come up with the words to express how I feel.

PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Denise Novak, NASIG President

VOTE!!   March is NASIG election time!   This year a Vice President/President Elect, Treasurer and three Members-At-Large will be elected by you. Please take the time to vote and encourage other members to vote.   The Nominations & Elections Committee has worked very hard to present us with a slate of candidates for NASIG offices. As soon as you receive your ballot, mark it and pop it into the mail before it gets lost in the shuffle of all the other paper we deal with every day. There will be Bylaws measures to be voted on this year too, so it will be doubly important for you to send in your vote.

It has become increasingly difficult to find candidates to run for the office of Vice President/President Elect. It’s been stated many times that NASIG is a volunteer organization that depends on its members for leadership.  The Executive Board realizes that the commitment of time and energy is enormous. The board has become increasingly concerned with this issue.  A number of ideas have been discussed to try and mitigate the reluctance many of you have about agreeing to stand for this office.  The Executive Board would like to hear from you, the membership, why likely candidates for the office of Vice President/President Elect will not accept a nomination for this position.  We also need suggestions to remedy the situation. That’s why the brainstorming session at the 2007 NASIG Conference in Louisville, Kentucky will concentrate on this issue.  Please plan to attend this discussion on Saturday, June 2, 2007 at 4:00 pm.  Your comments and ideas are essential for the continued success of NASIG as the premier serials organization in North America.

Now for some quick news about the upcoming annual conference which is just around the corner.  The Executive Board is pleased to be able to hold the cost of the conference to the same rate as 2006.  Louisville, Kentucky, is a wonderful city and both the Program Planning Committee and Conference Planning Committee have been working tirelessly to get an outstanding program and conference ready for you. As soon as the website is ready there will be an announcement on NASIG-L.  This is just one more reason to keep reading those messages on YOUR listserv, NASIG-L. Register early and don’t forget to make your room reservation at the SAME time!

Membership renewal experienced some changes this year.  There will be NO paper renewal reminders.  This year, the Database & Directory Committee was able to implement the process for online renewals.  It is working beautifully!  Special kudos should go to the Database & Directory Committee, the Treasurer and all of those who worked on this project.   If you have not renewed yet, please do so at http://www.nasig.org/forms/membership/renew.html. You will be amazed at how easy it is.  You can still print out a copy and mail it with your dues if necessary.

And lastly, I’m thrilled to report on some exciting news from the Site Selection Committee.  After several years of requests to hold the annual conference at a resort, we have found a location that meets the requirements for affordability, location and functionality.  We are going to the Tapatio Cliffs Resort (a Hilton property), Phoenix, Arizona, in June 2008.  The rates are an unbelievable $125 plus tax for a single or double room.  The whole place is beautiful, the rooms are huge and the meeting space will allow for the feel of a college campus with the amenities of a hotel.  Mark your calendars now! The dates of the conference are June 5-8, 2008, with possible preconferences on June 4 and 5.

As you can see, we have been keeping busy this fall and winter.  Please don’t forget to vote.  I look forward to seeing all of you in Louisville, Kentucky!

PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Denise Novak, NASIG President 

Sitting here in my home office looking at the wind blow leaves from the trees, I’m reminded of the changing seasons and how much I dislike autumn because it means winter is fast approaching. Winter is not my favorite season. I know everything is constantly changing, not just the seasons.  Change keeps life interesting but that doesn’t mean I have to like all of it.    But change can be exciting, which brings me to the heart of my column.

The Executive Board meeting is scheduled for the first weekend in November in Louisville, Kentucky.  I can tell you we have a jam-packed agenda and will be discussing a plethora of possible changes in the way we:  

–Renew our memberships
–Increase the number of NASIG members
–Decide what gets posted on NASIG-L
–Select venues for conferences 

Membership renewal will be online this year but a printed form will be available if you have to send your membership renewal with a check.  The board understands that many institutions require a check and will not pay online.  

The new Membership Development Committee has been hard at work brainstorming ideas to get new people to join NASIG.  They have some fabulous ideas that the board is being asked to consider. 

NASIG-L has been very quiet for the past few months. There is a proposal being made to expand the scope of NASIG-L and allow the posting of more topics.  

The site selection committee has been busy looking over proposals for conference sites.  This is always an exciting though difficult responsibility.  The committee takes members’ suggestions very seriously and works hard to make contact with those cities members think would be good venues.  There will be more on site election in later issues of the Newsletter. 

The Board has also approved an RFP for the publishing of the NASIG Conference Proceedings.  We’ll see where that takes us and who might be interested in publishing the Proceedings.  It’s always good to review current practice and see what other possibilities might exist. 

In the next couple of weeks I’ll be posting a report on NASIG-L outlining the highlights of the meeting.  Until then, start unpacking those warmer clothes.  Any bets on when the first snow falls? 

PROFILES

DENISE NOVAK, NASIG PRESIDENT

Maggie Rioux, Profiles Editor 

I first met Denise Novak, NASIG’s current president, in 1998 at that year’s fall meeting of the Executive Board. She was the CPC chair for the 1999 conference, to be held at Carnegie Mellon University the next June, and I was a brand new member of the Board. It was then that I first realized that she was highly competent and could easily handle six things at once. This was a good thing given her (then) current and future responsibilities. 

Denise practices looking presidential at Edinburgh Castle in 2004

First came the trial-by-(not quite literal)-fire that was the 1999 Pittsburgh conference. Those of you who were there will mostly remember the record heat wave that hit Pittsburgh that week along with the 700-odd serialists. Others will remember a few dorms (which were foisted on Denise by CMU at the last minute) with non-functioning air conditioning (One suffering group took to calling itself the Donner Party after their dorm name and a previous group in California. Luckily there was no cannibalism involved this time.) Since I had an air-conditioned dorm room, I remember some great programs, interesting campus architecture and, especially, a wonderful evening dinner cruise on the Monongahela  and Ohio rivers which ended with fireworks (courtesy of the Pittsburgh Pirates who were playing at home that night). 

In 2001, when I became President, Denise was elected NASIG Treasurer (for her sins?), in which post she served faithfully and excellently for four years. In 2005, she was elected Vice-President/President-Elect and finally got to relax a little. Yes, I do mean relax – she does indeed tell me that being NASIG Veep and Pres is a lot less work than being Treasurer was. She has learned again what a weekend is, and if there’s something heavy to be done, she can ask the Treasurer to do it. Rank’s got to have a couple of privileges, after all.[1] 

But how, I hear you ask, did our Denise get from her humble Midwest beginnings to the exalted rank of famous NASIG person?  Same as the rest of us – a little bit of intentional planning and a whole lot of stumbling around and sheer dumb luck. Let’s start the story in the traditional way - Once upon a time… 

Like many a librarian, Denise started off as an English major, getting her degree from Augustana in Rock Island, Illinois. She didn’t want to teach and her grandmother was a children’s librarian in Peoria, Ill., so she decided to try librarianship as a profession. Looking for a library school in a dry climate, she happened upon Texas Women’s University. Her focus was in rare books, but there didn’t seem to be much future in that when she graduated so she took a job as a children’s librarian back home in Louisville, Ky. (like grandmother, like granddaughter).  Although living within driving distance of home had its benefits (like you can always drop by for dinner and laundry), she missed Texas and when an opportunity presented itself, she returned to Fort Worth, again as a children’s librarian.  

Yes, but how did she get into acquisitions and academic libraries and Pittsburgh, you ask – please tell us more. OK, I will. Seems the little kiddies eventually drove her nuts and she thought that dealing with vendors, purchase orders and other stuff like that would be less stressful. An opening turned up as Acquisitions Manager (still at Fort Worth Public) and she grabbed it. All was cool except that her boss was now driving her nuts so she started looking for another library to roost in back in the Midwest. She found a lovely spot at the University of Evansville in outhern
Indiana and moved back north. Our Denise had now found a happy home in an academic setting.  

OK, we’ve got her in the right field and the right kind of library, but we’re still not to Pittsburgh. Enter romance. It was while working at the U of Evansville that Denise met Paul, her future spousal unit. And it was because of him that she moved to Pittsburgh, where, in 1992, she became Head of Acquisitions at Carnegie Mellon University. Ah, young love – ain’t it great? Shortly thereafter she was turned on to NASIG by the Serials Cataloger and the next thing anyone knew she was CPC chair for the 1999 Conference, then Treasurer, then Veep and Pres. Oh, and she was also on the Continuing Education Committee from 1993-1999 (excellent training for all that other stuff). 

But there’s a side of Our Denise that we in NASIG haven’t had a chance to see. Did you know that she’s a talented musician? From 1995 to 2004 she played bass clarinet in the Pittsburgh North Suburban Symphonic Band. She’s also in her church’s Bell Choir, an alto in the church choir and sings in a trio called the “Anonymous Three.” She’s played clarinet since the fifth grade and actually chose her undergraduate college because her former high school band director was teaching there. You’ll have noticed that her local band career mentioned above terminated in 2004. I asked her if that was because of added NASIG Board responsibilities and she assured me it wasn’t. Actually, she was asked to be on a church committee and the meetings were the same night as band practice. If Denise is like most of us, playing in the band probably helped preserve any remaining dregs of her sanity during most of her NASIG Treasurer years. What I’m wondering now though is if next year in Louisville the informal recorder-playing group that used to get together at NASIG (led by Betty Landesman of ancient music fame) will be revived, but this time with clarinets added. 

And speaking of conferences, Denise has served as CPC chair (or co-chair) twice. The first time was Carnegie Mellon in 1999 and the second time was Milwaukee in 2005. She says that being President is going to be a lot easier than being a totally naive CPC chair with wonky dorms and air-conditioning, but it won’t necessarily be easier than working with the lovely, sainted Pam Cipkowski as co-chair for Milwaukee. While there are things she misses about NASIG conferences having moved to hotels, it does make conference planning a lot easier – no having to check on the air-conditioning in the hotel and it also opens up a lot more options for locations and timing. 

Denise says she is totally looking forward to the Louisville conference next May. It’s kind of her home territory and should be a highlight of her NASIG career. To quote her statement to me in full:  

NASIG has been a large part of my life for the past six years. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities the organization has afforded me and I hope I’ve been able to give back to the group. I’ve made some wonderful friends and worked with some truly dedicated people. We know how to work hard and play hard. Life is good. You can say that again, Denise. See you in Louisville!   

[1][1] Actually, being President isn’t just telling other people what to do – there’s a lot of work involved and the buck still stops at the desk marked DN – but it sounds better in the profile so let’s just pretend.

PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Denise Novak, NASIG President 

“My Heart is in the Work.” Andrew Carnegie, the founder of Carnegie Mellon University, spoke those words, and working here at Carnegie Mellon University I find those words very appropriate in relation to NASIG.  While spending four years on the board as treasurer, two stints as chair/co-chair of the CPC, and another three years as a member of the Continuing Education Committee, NASIG has grown to be a large part of my life.  I am thrilled to be your president for the next twelve months and I thank all of you for the opportunity.  

Following Steve Savage, Anne McKee, Maggie Rioux and others as president, it’s obvious I have large shoes to fill.  I have learned so much from these people and I am confident that I can call on them for advice.  

NASIG as an organization has been in a transition for the past five years and both the organization and the membership have retained the ability to be flexible. I’m pleased to be able to continue some of the work which was initiated during my tenure as treasurer, such as the financial plan. It is my expectation to work with the Financial Development Committee this year to begin an endowment for the purpose of creating more student grant awards and more continuing education opportunities.  We also need to implement a more fully developed fundraising plan. All of you will have the opportunity to participate in these endeavors. 

Although the annual conference has changed in some aspects, exciting new venues and fabulous programming have become hallmarks of the conference.  The work of the Louisville CPC has been underway for several months.  The theme for the 2007 annual conference is “Place Your Bet in Kentucky: the Serials Gamble.”  More information will follow in the coming months, including a report in this newsletter by CPC co-chairs Angel Clemons and Tyler Goldberg. Rachel Frick and her co-chair Sarah George have sent out the call for proposals which will generate tremendous participation from the membership.  Right? 

One more plug and then I’ll step down off my soapbox.  I cannot overstress how important the nomination process is to NASIG.  We need enthusiastic, competent people to run for office.  You all know how much this organization depends on the membership and it’s because of you that NASIG is such a successful organization.  NASIG is the premier serials organization in the United States. Let’s keep it that way by nominating the very best people in our organization.  This will make the Nominations & Elections Committee members’ work easier in putting together the slate of candidates. 

I am pleased to have a terrific board to work with me this year. We are looking forward to an action-packed year and having a lot of fun.  Please keep in touch by contacting me at any time through my email address: dn22@andrew.emu.edu.