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The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has selected its 2007 list of Notable Computer Software and Online Subscription Services for children. The list identifies high-quality computer programs and online subscription services for children 14 years of age and younger. See the 2007 list as well as past selections here.
They're here! The FY08 Library Services and Technology Act grant offerings are now posted at the State Library's website. As you'll see, there is a mix of old and new grant types:
•The Emerging Grant Writer grant is a new offering designed to encourage persons who have never written a successful LSTA grant to apply. The grant seeks to alleviate the first time grant writer's apprehension by easing them into the grant writing process. The Emerging Grant Writer application should focus on a new or enhanced activity, program or library service.
•As information needs increase, libraries must be ready to provide information and training on issues relating to the safety of their patrons and the community as a whole. With The Safety Grant, a new offering, the public, school, academic or special library can be an integral piece of the safety and disaster preparedness puzzle. The Safety Grant focuses on programs and services. The intent of the offering is for libraries to provide training, educational programs or demonstrations on issues relating to safety.
•The popular Digital Imaging grants are back, allowing libraries to create Internet-ready electronic versions of their materials and collections, specifically Illinois-related historical and cultural materials. Digital Imaging grants assist libraries in developing successful digital imaging projects and provide greater access to collections. This grant cycle has an emphasis on World War II and materials related to local history as they relate to the state and nation in a historical and cultural context. Proposals for projects in other subject areas will be considered based on the significance as documented in the grant proposal.
•Illinois libraries have a nationally recognized reputation for developing innovative and creative partnerships, programs, and services. To continue this tradition, the Libraries: Innovate, Create, Collaborate (LINCC) LSTA grant offering provides the opportunity to create partnerships that will reflect deep understanding of the community, with an emphasis on innovative and creative programming and services.
•The Demonstration of Public Library Services grant returns, and is intended to show the value of public library services to Illinois residents currently residing outside of a taxed library service area. Applicants are encouraged to explore innovative methods of providing services and address the needs of the unserved population within Illinois. The project design should be inviting and educational, showing an understanding of the needs of the unserved population.
•The Developing a Statewide Technology Toolkit grant encourages regional library systems to collaborate and cooperate on a statewide initiative to enhance library services using new technologies such as blogs, RSS, Wikis and instant messaging. Together, the regional library systems will focus on research and development, testing and training that will have statewide impact.
A minimum of 40% of the LSTA grants funded will relate to the "The Strategic Plan for
Technology & Telecommunications for Illinois Libraries". Successful applications, if technology related, will explain how the application is related to the Strategic Plan, specifically the Strategic Goals and Objectives starting on page 5, and the Action Plan for FY2008 starting on page 7.
Find out everything else you need to know about this year's LSTA grant offerings by logging on to
<http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/what_we_do/servicestechnologygrant.html>.
IMPORTANT: When you open the page to login to the online Letter of Intent, there are three separate boxes for the control number, branch number and password. To login, type the control number TAB type the branch number TAB type the password. So, for example, if you type 12345_67, it won't work. Instead, type 12345 TAB 67 TAB password.
Be sure to read ILA Update #1 for information on the many bills of interest to libraries proposed in the Illinois General Assembly 2007 Spring Session. Proposed bills deal with Internet filtering software for schools, prohibiting of social networking Web sites in public and school libraries, library district annexation laws, and a number of other topics. ILA's legislative consultant Kip Kolkmeier will be speaking at the February 24 Trustee Forum Spring Workshop in Lisle on these developments, explaining the various bills, their status in the legislative cycle, and the key talking points for advocating for the Illinois library community. Kolkmeier will also be speaking on April 18, prior to Illinois Library Day on April 19. Additional information is included in the update at http://www.ila.org/about/press/2007/update1.html.
Be sure to check out our new survey below, or on our home page.
The Association of Research Libraries has developed a brochure that gives faculty and teaching assistants in higher education an understandable explanation of when and how they can legally use intellectual property in their teaching, often without requesting permission or paying fees. An electronic copy of the brochure is available free on the Know Your Copy Rights website.
LTLS will be hosting a free statewide diversity forum to be held at the Hawthorn Suites, 1 Lyon Court, Bloomington, IL on March 27, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We encourage all attendees from libraries to bring a community partner representative with them to the forum. This partner can be someone you currently collaborate with in your community or someone you would like to start a relationship with.
Vandella Brown from the Illinois State Library will engage the participants in a cultural vision exam film and a sample of the “White Privilege” assimilation test. The forum's guest speaker will be Christopher Benson, the author of the award-winning book entitled, “Death of Innocence: The Hate Crime That Changed America”. The afternoon will be dedicated to a train the trainer session entitled, “Walking the Talk – How to Think and Act Like an Inclusive Organization.” Susan O’Halloran will take the participants through a real world, sustainable approach to addressing the issues of diversity in organizations of every type. Each participant will receive a free copy of Susan’s Walking the Talk train the trainer manual and a copy of Death of Innocence: The Hate Crime That Changed America!
To register for this workshop, go to: http://librarydiversity.info/forumreg2007.html
This workshop is provided by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library (ISL), a Division of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), under the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).
Every year, more than 500,000 entrepreneurs start new businesses in the United States. But how and where to they get the resources and support it takes to succeed? The answer is @ your library. From now until May 10th, Woman’s Day magazine, in conjunction with ALA’s Campaign for America’s Libraries, is collecting stories on how its readers have used the library to start their small businesses.
The magazine announced the initiative in its March 6 issue, where it asks its women readers aged 18 and over to submit their stories in 700 words or less. Stories can be sent to womansday@ala.org. Four of the submissions will be featured in the March 2008 issue of Woman’s Day.
Librarians can promote this initiative locally by downloading sample promotional materials from The Campaign for America's Libraries’ Web site at www.ala.org/@yourlibrary. Sample tools include a press release, newsletter copy and Web button.
CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) invites its members to participate in the Tenth Annual Diversity and Outreach Fair on Saturday, June 23, 2007, 3:00 to 5:00 pm in the Washington Convention Center during the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.
Last year the fair successfully piloted a strategy of showcasing a range of programs with a common theme. The 2007 Diversity and Outreach Fair will focus on bookmobile and other innovative services to underserved communities.
The concept behind a theme-based fair is to encourage librarians to consider the many facets of a specific concern and facilitate the identification of workable strategies for serving their community’s underserved populations. Participants in the 2007 Diversity and Outreach Fair should address at least one of the following topics concerning Bookmobiles and Innovative Outreach Services:
•Bookmobiles and literacy programs
•Bookmobile services to specific populations (new Americans, seniors, people with
disabilities, homeless people, etc. )
•Mobile access to technology
•Planning and sustaining innovative services to other underserved communities not relating to Bookmobiles
Sponsored by DEMCO, the ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) introduced the Diversity Fair at the 1997 Annual Conference. Over the years the fair has highlighted diversity-in-action initiatives from library outreach programs across the country. It encourages librarians addressing diversity programs, activities and services in local libraries to share their resources with others. Presenters share information in poster sessions and informal conversations with conference attendees.
Additional information about the 2007 Diversity and Outreach Fair, including the online entry form, is available at www.ala.org/divfair. Questions may be directed to Tanga Morris at (800) 545-2433, ext. 4294, ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611 or by e-mail to divfair@ala.org.
A new bill, SB1682, was introduced in the Illinois Senate on February 9th which would create the Social Networking Website Prohibition Act. The Act would require Illinois public libraries and schools to prohibit access to social networking websites. For public libraries this would apply to all computers in the library, and for schools it would apply to all computers made available to students. The Act would allow the Attorney General or any citizen to file a civil suit against any public library or school that did not comply.
Senator Matt Murphy of Palatine is the bill's sponsor. The bill has been referred to the Rules Committee. The full text of the bill and its current status are available via CapWiz.
While the text of the bill does not provide a definition of "social networking website", the trend in website development is towards increased social networking features that enable users to build communities and to contribute content to websites. A listing of social networking websites is available at Wikipedia.
In celebration of National Drop Everything And Read (D.E.A.R.) Day, The NEA Foundation and the National Education Association (NEA) offer the D.E.A.R. Bookshelf Awards. These awards are made possible in part with support from HarperCollins Children's Books as part of the NEA's commitment to promote children's literacy and motivate readers of all ages. This program awards $500 to 100 public schools for the purchase of books and reading materials. The applicant must be a practicing preK-12 teacher, school librarian, or education support professional in a U.S. public school. More information, including the short application, is available on the foundation's website. Deadline is March 12, 2007.
