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Only One Week Left for Synergy 2008 Applications

You only have one more week to apply for Synergy 2008: The Illinois Library Leadership Initiative. Applications must be post marked by Friday, November 30. Synergy is the statewide library community's proactive movement to recruit and nurture future Illinois library leaders. 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). For more info, visit the ISL site.

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.

Happy Thanksgiving

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BRASS D&B Public Librarian Support Award

The D&B Public Librarian Support Award Committee is seeking nominees for this award to be presented at ALA 2008.  The $1,000 award will support attendance at the Annual Conference for a public librarian who has performed outstanding business reference service or programming, and who needs financial assistance to attend the conference. Additional information is available.

Applications are to be made in writing to the chair of this standing BRASS committee by December 31, 2007.  Chair: Nelly Somerman, nsomerman@stdl.org.

Family Place Symposium

The 4th National Family Place Symposium, The Power of Play--Its Impact on Early Literacy and Learning, will be held at the Minneapolis Public Library on March 26, 2008. Learn more about what public librarians can do to foster early literacy within their own libraries and communities. The Symposium is free of charge. Space is limited; registrants will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. For details and online registration, go to http://www.familyplacelibraries.org/symposium.html.

GSLIS Spring 2008 Community Credit Courses

The Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS), in cooperation with the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC) Office of Continuing Education, is pleased to announce a limited number of registration openings in several online and on-campus graduate credit courses via the Academic Outreach Community Credit program. Formal admission to the University is not necessary, but a bachelor's degree is required.

See the following web page for the schedule of available courses and information on how to register for a course. Instruction starts January 14 and ends April 30. Registration must be completed by December 14. More information is available.

If you are pursuing your school media endorsement, note that online Saturday morning classes are being offered in Literature and Resources for Young Adults (LIS 404 LEB), Reference and Information Services (LIS 504LEB), and Cataloging and Classification (LIS 507LEA).

Grow Your Own @ Your Library Institutional Scholarship

This program was developed by the Public Library Association (PLA) to address the education needs of public library staff working toward the ultimate goal of obtaining a Master’s degree in library and information science. This program awards funds to the employing public library for reimbursement of employee(s) course tuition costs at the undergraduate or graduate level. PLA will provide nine public libraries with a lump sum of $8,000 each to be distributed to as many of their employees as they choose for the purpose of working toward obtaining an MLS. Visit the PLA Web site for complete information. Deadline is December 3, 2007.

National Endowment for the Arts New Reading Study

To Read or Not To Read gathers statistics from more than 40 studies on the reading habits and skills of children, teenagers and adults and expands the investigation of the NEA’s landmark 2004 report, Reading at Risk.

Among the key findings:

Less than one-third of 13-year-olds are daily readers, a 14 percent decline from 20 years earlier. Among 17-year-olds, the percentage of nonreaders doubled over a 20-year period, from 9 percent in 1984 to 19 percent in 2004.

Reading scores for American adults of almost all education levels have deteriorated, notably among the best-educated groups. From 1992 to 2003, the percentage of adults with graduate school experience who were rated proficient in prose reading dropped by 10 points, a 20 percent rate of decline.

Nearly two-thirds of employers ranked reading comprehension “very important” for high school graduates. Yet 38 percent consider most high school graduates deficient in this basic skill.

Literary readers are more likely than nonreaders to engage in positive civic and individual activities—such as volunteering, attending sports or cultural events, and exercising.

View the News Release.