Alliance News: Summer 2022 (PDF)
Alliance Welcomes New Program Manager!
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| The Orbis Cascade Alliance is pleased to announce that Amy Coughenour is joining central staff as Program Manager, Diversity and User Experience, and Consortial Training Coordinator. Amy was previously the Electronic Resources Librarian at the Oregon State Library, and has held positions at Concordia University-Portland and Southern Polytechnic State University. She holds degrees from Centenary College of Louisiana and Florida State University. |
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| In her new position at the Alliance, Amy will be responsible for the newly structured Diversity & User Experience Team, and she will provide coordination and development for the overall Alliance training events and programs. Amy brings broad experience working with accessibility tools, the development of a DEI framework, and project management. Amy began her work with the Alliance on August 29, 2022. |
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New to the Alliance Community? Join our October 21st Orientation
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| If you’re a new staff member at your library, or just want to learn more about the Orbis Cascade Alliance, we welcome you to our New Member Orientation on October 21st at 9am PST. Learn about how Alliance programs and services benefit the work you do every day, and discover opportunities to get involved.
The session is open to staff at all Alliance libraries, and will be recorded.
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Alliance Staff Visit Gonzaga
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| L-R: Lesley Lowery (Program Manager, Technical Services); Tamara Marnell (Program Manager, Systems); Gonzaga Bulldog; Lori Hilterbrand (Program Manager, Resource Sharing & Fulfillment).
Gonzaga University is the newest member of the Orbis Cascade Alliance. Located in Spokane, Gonzaga’s facilities include the Foley Library, Chastek Law Library, and the Gonzaga in Florence Library for students studying abroad.
In early August, Alliance staff members onboarded Gonzaga as full participants in the Alliance’s shared ILS. Program Managers from the Resource Sharing and Fulfillment, Systems, and Technical Services program areas were on hand to help Gonzaga staff settle in. They spent three full days on campus, meeting and working with the staff. Activities included a slate of training sessions, an orientation to membership in the Alliance, and lots of one-on-one support for those with questions, problems, and burning-hot fires to put out. Alliance staff were joined by Erin Bledsoe (WWU), who presented extensively on Summit workflows. The visit was a great experience for all, and we look forward to many opportunities to collaborate with our Gonzaga colleagues in the future!
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Program Assessment for Archives & Manuscripts Service
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| The Alliance has begun a process of routinely evaluating the services in which members invest. The evaluation process will identify whether services are meeting member needs, and whether there are gaps or challenges that Alliance services should address. Our first comprehensive evaluation focused on the Archives & Manuscripts service, which encompasses Archives West and ArchivesSpace.
Evaluation committee chair Trevor Bond (WSU) presented the findings to Alliance Council in July. A large majority of participants reported high satisfaction with the service, particularly its focus on community-building and hands-on support. Participants suggested that the Alliance should address challenges with technical workflows, and strategize for consortial digital collections services. It was gratifying to learn that the service is meeting or even exceeding participant needs, and that institutions see the Alliance as a partner in helping face future challenges. Read the full report.
Thanks to our A&M Evaluation Committee members: Trevor Bond (chair, WSU), Marty Blackson (CWU), Dana Bronson (Whitman), Susan Irwin (Willamette University), and Cheryl Oestreicher (Boise State).
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New Alliance Code of Conduct
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| The Alliance has finalized a Code of Conduct and Incident Reporting and Investigative Procedures. The Code of Conduct was developed through a consultative process, and benefits all Alliance stakeholders. It is a critical tool for reinforcing our consortium’s culture of ethics, compliance, integrity, and respect. The Code applies Alliance employees, member staff, Board officers, and Council representatives, as well as to all volunteers, vendors and guests who are participating in Alliance events. Alliance Program Managers are collaborating with member library staff to embed the Code’s standards and expectations into the work of Teams and Groups in FY23 and beyond. |
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| Do you have news or feedback for the newsletter? Contact news@orbiscascade.org |
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