2002-2003 Annual Report

2002-2003 Student Members:
Christian Higgins, President
Rebecca Pernell, Vice President
Matt Turi, Secretary
Brian O’Connor, Treasurer

Activities

The 2002-2003 academic year began with a delegation of students from the UNC-Chapel Hill chapter traveling to Birmingham, Alabama to take part in the SAA annual convention. In addition to organizational, recruitment, and regular meetings throughout both semesters, the chapter sponsored several special events, including a presentation by Steve Weiss, the director of the Southern Folklife Collection. His presentation included an opportunity for students in the Library and Information Science program to see an impressive array of material in the collection and hear extremely rare sound recordings. The program concluded with a tour of the state-of-the-art production facilities used to produce preservation re-recordings. In November, a new group of officers were elected to serve for 2003.

The transition to new leadership went smoothly and early in the spring semester, SCOSAA sponsored a talk by an alumnus of the Library School at the University of North Carolina and Emeritus Professor of North Carolina History, William Powell. Powell’s remarks ranged widely, describing the course of his long and fascinating career. His talk was followed by a presentation by the Dean of the School of Information and Library Science recognizing Powell’s many contributions to North Carolina and the University. The chapter in an effort to secure more funding for future programs and professional activities began the process of becoming a recognized student organization by the University of North Carolina, a designation which carries eligibility for student funding. The process was successful and SCOSAA will receive its first allocation in the fall semester of 2003. Members of our chapter also participated in the annual fundraiser organized by the student groups of the School of Information and Library Science. The book sale was particularly successful this year and will provide an important contribution to an ambitious program presently being planned for the fall semester. Chapter officers closed the semester with a barbeque attended by student members and friends.