2008 ILA Update #17
NEWS RELEASE
| For immediate release Friday, 10 October From: Robert P. Doyle Illinois Library Association | 312-644-1896 312-644-1899 FAX e-mail: ila@ila.org http://www.ila.org |
Fun and Creativity Featured at the 2008 Illinois Library Association Annual Conference: A Break from all the Bad Economic News
The 2008 Illinois Library Association Annual Conference (23-26 September 2008) in Chicago certainly disproved the staid and quiet image much of the public holds about the profession. In addition to the seventy educational and instructional sessions, the innovative conference hit was Style from the Stacks: Project Runway at ILA.
Style from the Stacks: Project Runway at ILA
Book jacket met evening jacket. MARC records met Marc Jacobs. The library world met the fashion world on Thursday, 25 September at the ILA Annual Conference.
Conceived by 2008 ILA Annual Conference Program Committee member Maria Pontillas of the Glenview Public Library, the event was based on the popular Bravo Television series, Project Runway. Library staff members were encouraged to submit design proposals inspired by libraries and literature.
The program featured three categories of design: Library Inspired Casual Wear, In Style @ Your Library, and the Creative Reuse Collection. Thirty-six models walked the runway, displaying designs such as “Due Date Maternity Wear,” “Charlotte the Webrarian,” an entire “green” collection, and “A Dress for the Desk Set Cocktail Fete.” The evening concluded with “And They Lived Happily Ever After” – a wedding dress fashioned out of romance novels.
Steven Rosengard, a contestant in Project Runway: Season 4, served as master of ceremonies for the evening. Born and raised in Chicago, Steven’s path to fashion led him to Chicago’s Columbia College for fashion design, but he left after only one year to travel abroad where fashion and fabric continued to captivate him in places such as France, England, and Italy. His contributions as a Textile Preparator at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry may be seen in exhibits such as the U-505 Submarine and Transportation Gallery. Rosengard is a rising star in Chicago’s design community with his own label, Steven Rosengard Design.
At the conclusion of Style from the Stacks, ILA President Donna Dziedzic stated it best, “Like the designers on Project Runway --- Illinois libraries also face challenges. Shrinking budgets, growing workloads, inadequate staffing, changing technologies, and a demanding public challenge our libraries. But, as evident in the fashions displayed here tonight, our creativity, dedication, and resourcefulness prevail and, in the end, we always pull it together with style.”
The style show can be viewed at:
Photos of Style from the Stacks: Project Runway at ILA can be viewed at:
Another fun highlight was the 2008 Illinois Book Cart Drill Team Competition
Among the competing teams of eight each were the Windy City Wheels from Chicago Public Library (CPL), Schaumburg Township District Library’s Cart Wheels, and the Warrior Librarians of Oak Park Public Library. Donna Dziedzic, ILA President and Executive Director of the Naperville Public Library, Bradley Baker, Immediate Past President of ILA and Director of the Northeastern Illinois University Library, and Jon Ison of DEMCO, which sponsored the competition, judged the competitors on both technical ability and artistic impression. Emcee for the event was American Library Association’s Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels.
Each team designed choreography, music, and costuming to support their selected theme. Each performed a three-minute program in front of the judges and audience of more than two hundred fellow library staff from throughout the state.
Based on the Chicago Public Library’s current One Book/One City selection, the Windy City Wheels presented The Right Stuff, featuring a space odyssey theme in costumes resembling white hazmat outfits and modernistic black helmets. The concept was the brainchild of Assistant Commissioner of Central Library Services Greta Bever. Choreographer Stella Natufe, a clerk at Chicago’s Harold Washington Library Center, led the troupe through the performance. She credited the “group effort” for bringing the many staff from various departments together for this event. Her fifteen years of experience with the South Shore Drill Team also proved advantageous. Natufe noted that her greatest pleasure in this effort is “seeing everyone come together and getting a chance to meet new people” who work at CPL.
Oak Park’s Warrior Librarians approached the competition in a humorous manner. Under the leadership of Reference Librarian Irene Balks and costume designer/librarian Jeanne Friedell the troupe brought Norse mythology to life. Performing to Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, the group-choreographed team entered in horned helmuts, long braided wigs, and decorated carts. Sweeping away their rustic capes, the warrior regalia were revealed and the audience erupted.
A first time competitor, Schaumburg Township District Library’s Cart Wheels brought yet another diverse team to the competition with Don’t Bother Me, I’m Reading. Kristine Kenney, the Training and Instruction Librarian at Schaumburg, created the witty choreography. When asked why she was a participant, Popular Services Librarian Amy Peterson responded, “I love the audience response. It’s nice to have libraries perceived in a different light.” Director of Circulation Services Richard Hanrath added, “I just wanted to know some different uses for book carts, other than shelving books.”
In the end, the judges awarded prizes to all the teams competing. Schaumburg was named “Most Original.” “Best Costuming and Decorations” was awarded to Chicago, while Oak Park received the title of “Most Outrageous.” Upon tallying all the points given from all the judges, third place and a $100 DEMCO gift certificate was awarded to Schaumburg Township District Library. Chicago Public Library and Oak Park Public Library tied for first place and both received a $250 DEMCO certificate. Both winning teams are now invited to compete for the national title and additional DEMCO prizes in July 2009 at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago.
This year's book cart drill team performances can be viewed at:
Stats from the 2008 ILA Annual Conference
2009 ILA Annual Conference
The 2009 ILA Annual Conference will be held 6-9 October at the Peoria Civic Center. The conference theme is “Transformation: See Tomorrow Today.” Conference hotels: Hotel Pere Marquette, 501 Main St., Peoria, IL 61602; phone: (309) 637-6500 or 800-774-7118; fax: (309) 671-9445; single/double: $109, plus tax. Price includes complimentary breakfast buffet. Holiday Inn City Centre, 500 Hamilton Blvd., Peoria, IL 61602; phone: (309) 674-2500; fax: (309) 674-8705; single/double: $103, plus tax.