Member A-LIRT: Kudos to Peg Oettinger

by Sylvia Nicholas

Margaret Anne Oettinger, best known as Peg to friends and colleagues, is a librarian who has an abundance of energy and enthusiasm to share. Peg leads an active lifestyle, both professionally and privately. On a professional level, she has proven her commitment to librarianship through her willingness to participate in many professional activities. Her commitment to society is also evident in her willingess to serve her community.

Peg has been an active member of ALA since 1987, joining LIRT in 1988. She has served the PR/Membership Committee from 1991- 95 and the Instructional Materials Task Force from 1991-95. Additional professional activities include participation in: ALCTS (1987-), ALSC (1994 - ), LITA (1987 - 1990), YALSA (1987 - ), and IFRT (1987 - ). Peg is currently serving on the Library Service to Children with Special Needs Committee of ALSC.

From 1970 - 1985, Peg worked as an elementary school Librarian serving 400 students in grades K- 6 at Oxhead Road Elementary. Weekly visits for grades K-3 included story telling, library instruction and book exchange. Grades 4 - 6 had open book exchange at all times and class visits for instruction and research as scheduled by teachers in conjunction with their curriculum.

Since 1985 Peg has worked as one of two high school Librarians at Centereach High, which teaches students in grades 9-12. Among her accomplishments, Peg supervised the transition to an automated library management system complete with retrospective conversion performed in-house with the aid of temporary clerical support. In her present position, typical duties include: library orientations for new students, instruction in using the online catalog, instruction in the use of the electronic databases and CD-ROMS, and general reference duties.

Peg has been involved in a number of extra curricular activities at Centereach High. She was the JV Softball coach from 1986-88; worked with the Field Hockey team as timer and scorer (1987 - ), and Girls Basketball scorer (1987 - ); and has served as the Yearbook Advisor (1988-92).

Her energy is also evident in her involvement in her community. She is a member and past president of the Port Jefferson Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary (1961 - ) and has served the Port Jefferson Volunteer Ambulance (1979 - 1983). Peg is a member of the Central Islip-Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance (1981 - ) and is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors, having previously served as a board member and Second Assistant Chief.

Peg has been an Emergency Medicine Technician since 1980 and is a certified CPR instructor. During her years of EMS work, she has responded to more than 4,000 emergency calls and has done everything from delivering babies to handling multi-trauma injuries. In her spare time, she is an avid golfer and tennis player. She enjoys reading and listening to most types of music.

Peg has been an invaluable member of the PR/Membership Committee of the Library Instruction Roundtable and will be missed now that her tenure with the committee is over. Rest assured, though gone from the PR/Membership Committee, and missed by her former committee members, she will be far from forgotten. Kudos Peg!