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The 2008 IREAD catalog is ready

The Illinois Reading Enrichment and Development program (IREAD) is a coordinated, self-supporting effort between Illinois libraries and the Illinois Library Association (ILA) to develop and provide quality, low cost resources & products to enable libraries to motivate children to read. For 20 years Illinois librarians have shared their talents and creativity to create a statewide summer reading program.

The theme for the 2008 IREAD reading program is Get in the Game, READ! The 2008 campaign features the artwork of Tom Lichtenheld. The 2008 Young Adult campaign features the artwork of Gene Ha.

Sponsored by Illinois Library Association and IREAD (Lori Craft, 2008 chair).

View And Download 2008 IREAD Catalog

Weekly Poll

Be sure to check out our weekly poll below, or on our home page.

You can also view results from previous weekly polls.

Presentation Proposals Sought for IACRL Spring Conference

IACRL 2008 Spring Conference, "Librarians as Leaders: Energizing Our Communities," will be held in Bloomington, IL on March 27-28, 2008.

The Planning Committee invites you to share your practical solutions, creative approaches, and philosophical observations that will inspire academic librarians in Illinois to provide leadership and energetically engage their communities. Presentations may highlight formal or informal opportunities for leadership in any part of the library (e.g., technical services, technology, instruction, administration).

The submission deadline is December 10, 2007. The Planning Committee will review proposals and notify presenters by January 21, 2008.

* Presentations may take the form of contributed papers, demonstrations, panel discussions, or posters.
* Program sessions are scheduled for one hour, including at least 10 minutes for questions from the audience.
* Visit the IACRL website (http://iacrl.net/) for more information about the conference.

Please include the following information when submitting your proposal:
Title; Format (paper, demonstration, panel discussion, poster); Description (approx. 100 words); Presenters; Name, Address, City/State, Phone, FAX, Email.

Please e-mail your program proposal (and direct any questions) to:
Sarah George Wessel, Illinois Wesleyan University, email: sgeorge@iwu.edu.

Survey Report "Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2005"

ResourceShelf, an excellent source of current resources for libraries, is reporting the Nov. 7th release of Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2005.  This report includes national and state summary data on public libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with an introduction, selected findings, and several tables. The report, based on data from the Public Libraries Survey for fiscal year 2005, includes information on population of legal service area, service outlets, library collections and services, full-time equivalent staff, and operating revenue and expenditures. The report includes several key findings: Nationwide, visits to public libraries totaled 1.4 billion, or 4.7 library visits per capita. The average number of Internet terminals available for public use per stationary outlet was 11.2.  The full report is available for download.

Survey of Internet Usage in Public Libraries Published

The results of the 2007 Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study have been published. This report, released in July 2007, and sponsored by ALA and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the latest in a series of 8 studies over the past 10 years of public library Internet usage trends.  A summary of key findings with charts illustrating significant findings from the survey is available.  The full report is also available for download.

This is the largest long-term study on this topic.  Nearly 7,000 public libraries were surveyed and over 4,000 responded.  Some of the findings include:

• 99% of public libraries provide free access to the Internet
• 73% say they are the only source of free Internet access in their communities
• 52% report their current connection speed is inadequate to meet the demand some or all of the time, up from 45% in 2006
• 54% report they have some form of wireless access for users, up from just 18% in 2004.
  

ALSC announces Scholarships

CHICAGO - The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has announced that applications are now being accepted for the 2008 Frederic G. Melcher and Bound to Stay Bound Books Scholarships.
Four Bound to Stay Bound Books scholarships at $6,500 each will be awarded. Two Frederic G. Melcher scholarships at $6,000 each will also be awarded.

The scholarships are given annually to students who plan to enter an ALA-accredited program, obtain a master’s degree in library science and specialize in library service to children. Applicants must be United States or Canadian citizens. Recipients are expected to become members of ALA and ALSC and are required to accept a position in the field of library service to children for at least one year following graduation. Read The Full Article

Synergy 2008

Applications are now being accepted for Synergy 2008: The Illinois Library Leadership Initiative. Synergy is the statewide library community’s proactive movement to recruit and nurture future Illinois library leaders. Applications must be post marked by Friday, November 30, 2007.

All applicants will be notified in regard to their application by late January 2008. Questions about Synergy may be directed to Patricia Norris, Vandella Brown, or Cyndy Colletti (1-800-665-5576, option #1) or Ellen Popit (1-800-455-4374, ext. 2024)