| On October 8, 2008, the Institute
of Museum and Library Services held a morning Symposium
to celebrate the institutions who had received the National
Medal for Museum and Library Services at the White House
the previous afternoon. In two panels, community representatives
and institutional representatives (such as a director
or CEO) from each winning institution were given a chance
to share their story about their institution and what
makes it exceptional.
The Symposium was recorded, and is now available
as podcasts. Click the links below to access the mp3 files.
Having trouble? Contact
the IMLS Webmaster.
|
Welcome
Listen to Podcast
Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Libby H. O’Connell, Senior Vice President, Corporate
Outreach
A&E Television Networks
 |
 |
| Dr.
Radice welcomes symposium panelists and attendees. |
Acknowledgement of Board
Members
Listen
to Podcast
Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director
Institute of Museum and Library Services
(See list of Board Members
below) |
 |
| Sally
Soter, Board Chair for the Norton Museum of Art, stands
and is acknowledged by Dr. Radice. |
Panel 1: Institution
Representatives
Listen to Podcast
Moderated by Marsha Semmel
Deputy Director for Museums and Director for Strategic Partnerships,
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Speakers:
• Bruce Eldredge, Buffalo Bill Historical Center
• Dr. Dennis Wint, The Franklin Institute
•
Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, General Lew Wallace Study and Museum
• Élida Aguayo-Díaz, Jane Stern Dorado
Community Library
• R. Crosby Kemper, III, Kansas
City Public Library
• David Eng, Lower East Side
Tenement Museum
• Raymond Santiago, Miami-Dade
Public Library System
• Dr. Christina Orr-Cahall,
Norton Museum of Art
• Pam Gormley, Skidompha
Public Library
• Carolyn Anthony, Skokie Public
Library
|
 |
Members
of the Institution Representatives panel look on
as Dr. Dennis Wint responds
to a question. |
|
Keynote: Robert Lynch,
President and CEO
Americans for the Arts
Listen
to Podcast |
 |
| Robert
Lynch gives the keynote address. |
Panel 2: Community Members
Listen
to Podcast
Moderated by Kevin O'Connell, Congressional Affairs Officer
Institute of Museum and Library Services
(See list of Community Members
below) |
 |
| Community
Member Daryl Hamilton responds to a question. |
Board Members:
Alan K. Simpson, Buffalo Bill Historical Center
Marsha R. Perelman, The Franklin Institute
Dale L. Petrie, General Lew Wallace Study and Museum
Maritere Matosantos, Jane Stern Dorado Community Library
Jonathan M. Kemper, Kansas City Public Library
Bruce Menin, Lower East Side Tenement Museum
Zoila M. Datorre, Miami-Dade Public Library System
Sally Soter, Norton Museum of Art
John Graham, Skokie Public Library
Jean E. Vernet, Skidompha Library
Community Members:
Rick Stonehouse, Buffalo Bill Historical
Center
Rick Stonehouse and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center Grow
up Together
Rick Stonehouse’s parents were outfitters and guides near
Cody, WY. As part of the Old West experience,
they would bring their guests to the Buffalo Bill Historical
Center, so Stonehouse visited the Center from an early age.
He took classes at the Center in high school and college, which
influenced
his decision to pursue American studies and become a teacher.
He now teaches high school two blocks from the museum and his
students regularly explore the Center’s five galleries.
Dr. Albert Hicks III, The Franklin Institute
Science Summer Camp Sparks a Passion for Medicine and Teaching
Dr. Albert Hicks III’s passion for science was ignited
at age 13 when his uncle encouraged him to join The Franklin
Institute’s Partnerships for Careers in Technology and
Science (PACTS) program. Hicks participated in science workshops,
on topics such as thermodynamics, ecosystems, and aerodynamics,
and continued to participate in the Franklin’s PACTS program
through high school as a PACTS Explainer. In college, he was
in charge of the Franklin’s Explainers and summer programs.
Hicks is now in residency at Drexel’s College of Medicine,
but he still finds time to serve as a panelist in the Careers
in Science Program at the Franklin and to sit on the newly created
PACTS Alumni Board.
Gail Pebworth, General Lew Wallace Study
and Museum
Women’s Voting Activist and Historic Home Owner Motivated
by Local Legend
Gail Pebworth began her association with the General Lew Wallace
Study and Museum when she joined its Lew Wallace Preservation
Society. Pebworth and her husband, who have been restoring an
1855 farmhouse, found the advice of the visiting conservator
to be inspirational and helpful. Later, as the vice president
of the League of Women Voters in Indiana, Pebworth felt a special
connection to Zerelda Wallace, Lew’s step-mother, who
was an active suffragist. Pebworth’s involvement
with the museum has enriched her life and the museum that she
loves.
Daniel I. Rodríguez Torres, Jane
Stern Dorado Community Library
Library-Sponsored Theater Classes Inspire Budding Actor
Daniel Rodríguez Torres admits that when he was a child
growing up in the Bronx, NY, he didn’t enjoy reading.
When he was eight years old, he and his mother moved to Puerto
Rico to live with his grandparents, and together they began
visiting the Jane Stern Dorado Community Library (JSDCL).
A Magic School Bus series book sparked Rodríguez’s
interest in reading, and he began visiting
the library frequently. Although he temporarily lost interest
in the library in his pre-teen years, Rodríguez returned
to his library family to take acting classes. Rodríguez
is now a theater major at the University of Puerto Rico and
credits JSDCL for helping him find his calling.
Edward Pace, Kansas City Public Library
Couple Raises Children on Books, Not Television
Every Friday evening, Edward Pace, his wife, Swana Lansdown,
and their five children ages 10, 9, 8, 5, and 4 attend Family
Fun Night at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library.
Each child has a library card and a personal relationship with
the branch librarians. They check out books, audio books, movies,
and other materials, and participate in programs. Their relationship
with the library plays a major role in developing the children’s
literacy skills and supporting the family’s lifelong learning
goals.
Daryl Hamilton, Lower East Side Tenement
Museum
Major Adversity Leads to the Best Job of His Life at the
Tenement Museum
In 2004, Daryl Hamilton lost 70 percent of his vision to glaucoma
and lost his corporate job. A take-charge kind of guy, Hamilton
began researching NYC services and job opportunities for visually
impaired and blind people. By grabbing every opportunity --
from sewing soldiers’ uniforms to recruiting employers
for visually impaired and blind people – Hamilton created
a network that led to a job at the Tenement Museum. Today, Hamilton
educates visitors on museum and its history and leads discussion
on immigration.
Judge Cindy S. Lederman, Miami-Dade Public
Library System
Judge doles out advice, sentences, and books in the Miami-Dade
Juvenile Court
For 15 years, Judge Cindy S. Lederman has worked in the juvenile
court system, and sees many people who have never visited the
library or owned books. To combat this sobering reality, Lederman
teamed up with the Miami-Dade Public Library System (MDPLS):
starting with a book cart in the lobby, the library system’s
presence in the courthouse has grown stronger over the years,
and has helped the center create a focus on literacy and using
library services. The partnership forged between Lederman and
the MDPLS has made a significant impact on many families
Judge Sheree Cunningham, Norton Museum
of Art
Museum Keeps Youth on the Right Track and Out of the Court
System
Every day, County Court Judge Sheree Cunningham presides over
a courtroom filled with people who have made poor choices. But
she also sees those who redirect their paths towards more positive
outcomes with help from places like the Norton Museum. She has
been deeply involved in the museum’s public programs that
have helped produce happy, creative children. Cunningham says
that the arts round her out as a person and allow her to meet
people in the art world who amaze her with their wealth of information
and passion for the work.
Jody Lynn Armstrong, Skidompha Library
Hometown Library Provides Port in a Storm for Library Student
Right before Hurricane Katrina, Jody Lynn Armstrong, her husband,
and their three cats evacuated
from Gulfport, MS to Damariscotta, ME, Jody Armstrong’s
hometown. They found abundant support at the town’s Skidompha
Library where they were able to maintain e-mail contact with
employers, schools, family, and friends and fax urgent information
to insurance companies. Library staff continued to offer moral
support to Armstrong in myriad ways after her husband returned
to the gulf coast. In May, Armstrong received her Bachelor’s
of Science in Library and Information Science.
Aleks Krapivkin, Skokie Public Library
Student Finds His Niche Thousands of Miles from Home
Aleks Krapivkin was 10 years old when he and his family left
their home country of Ukraine for the city of Skokie, IL. When
he arrived, an aunt who had moved to Skokie years before recommended
that Krapivkin and his family visit the Skokie Public Library
(SPL). Krapivkin spent his first year at the library working
his way through the children’s book section to sharpen
his English skills. Today, he spends his free time at the library,
assisting patrons, working on the library’s robust Web
site, and filming promotional videos for the library with friends.
Krapivkin credits the librarians at SPL for creating the welcoming
atmosphere that he and his family enjoy.
The History Channel; Americans for the Arts; Hollinger/Metal
Edge, Inc. Archival Storage Materials; and 3M Library Systems
generously supported the National Medals celebration. |
