The party committee worked very hard to make this millennium event special. They are: Stephanie Brasley, Sharon Farb, Sonia Luna, Karen Murray, Maggie Pickering, and Gloria Werner.

On December 15, 1999, LCD members who served on the committee from its nexus in 1988 to the present gathered at a reception to honor the commitment and contributions of Dr. Rita Scherrei.

Rita started one of the first committees in academic libraries concerned with issues of multiculturalism and diversity. She guided the committee’s initiatives over the last 12 years to make the UCLA Library an hospitable environment for all staff. In 1994, Rita was recognized for her pioneering efforts in diversity with the ALA Ethnic Materials & Information Exchange Round Table’s (EMIERT) multicultural award.

Amidst good food and music, members socialized and gave Rita their well-wishes for her new adventures after retirement. Dora Loh, the second LCD chair, presented her with a memory book, beautifully bound by Octavio Olvera, full of creative thoughts and images from members. The festivities were capped off with Rita blowing out candles on her cake that read “To Rita, diversity in practice.”

Many thanks to committee members for bringing such wonderful food and for helping with the party planning. Special thanks to Nancy Norris for organizing the arduous task of putting together such a lovely memory book.

Kay Deeney was awarded the Louise M. Darling Medical Library Group of Southern California and Arizona (MLGSCA) Achievement Award. This award was given in recognition of Kay's many activities on behalf of MLGSCA, her leadership in the Consumer and Patient Health Information Section of the Medical Library Association, and her work with the Los Angeles Computer Society. In the words of the nomination, she has been "...a role model for her professionalism and dedication to the medical library field." The award also honors the Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library, for its role in encouraging and nurturing librarians to assume strong roles in the profession.

Appointments

Departures

Even though the University of California is not specifically mentioned in the following announcement, the Plan is available to all employees of UC, Career and Casual, and their families.

More than 128,000 California public employees, retirees, schoolteachers and their families have taken advantage of the CalPERS Long-Term Care Program. Because long-term care is so important to people at any age, the program is now being offered again. The 2000 Application Period will begin April 1, 2000 and end on June 30, 2000. If you missed out last time, don't miss this new opportunity to apply.

ENHANCED BENEFITS: The 2000 Application Period will provide new applicants the opportunity to choose from a broader array of benefit options in each of three Long-Term Care Plans. The new benefit options will have lower benefit amounts for nursing home care, assisted living facility care, home care and more affordable rates.

**KEY FACTS**

Long-term care is typically not covered by health insurance; it is separate from disability coverage; Medicare and MediGap cover only a fraction of the costs.

Medi-Cal does cover long-term care but only after you've exhausted virtually all of your assets paying for care. So it's important to plan for the contingency of needing long-term care.

Six out of 10 Americans over the age of 65 will need long-term care. However, long-term care needs can arise at any age as a result of an accident or chronic illness.

In 1999, the average cost of nursing home care in California was more than $47,000 a year and home care costs were $20,000 or more annually.

The CalPERS Program provides comprehensive coverage at a reaonable cost. It is a voluntary plan with premiums that cost significantly less than comparable commercially insured plans. The program is also tax qualified, which provides you important tax advantages. Your spouse, parents and parents-in-law are also eligible to apply.

It's important to consider how you would pay and provde for long-term care if you needed it. Join the more than 128,000 program enrolees and their families who are already protected.

**FOR INFORMATION**

For more information and to receive application materials, call 1-800-266-1050, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or visit the Web at www.calpers.ca.gov -- click on CalPERS Programs