LTLS - Quick Connections

ILEAD U: Illinois Libraries Explore, Apply and Discover

The Illinois State Library has been awarded a grant by the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program.  The ILEAD U: Illinois Libraries Explore, Apply and Discover – The 21st Century Technology Tools Institute for Illinois Library Staff grant consists of several opportunities for you and the libraries you serve to play a tremendous role. 

A video Conference has been scheduled for October 2, 2009, 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. to chat about the details that surround this grant opportunity.  Lincoln Trail will be connecting to this video.

All library members are invited to attend this question and answer session. 

More information regarding ILEAD U:  Illinois Libraries Explore, Apply and Discover – The 21st Century Technology Tools Institute for Illinois Library Staff is located at:  http://il.webjunction.org/il-ileadu

Join the Campaign to Save Illinois Libraries

In response to the recent cuts to system funding and library grants, the Illinois library community  is launching a campaign to secure the future of Illinois libraries. You can keep up with the campaign and find out what you can do to help by visiting us on Facebook or Twitter, or by going to SaveIllinoisLibraries.com. The campaign is just beginning: be sure to check back regularly for updates!

Planning and Management of Library Buildings

A non-credit Continuing Education course offered by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Approved by ALA-APA for CPLA candidates. Open to other librarians and information professionals needing training in the planning and management of library buildings.

AASL awards season opens with more than $50,000 in grant opportunities

The American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) prestigious awards program will offer more than $50,000 in awards in 2010 to AASL members.

AASL's 10 awards recognize excellence and showcase best practices in the school library media field in categories that include research, collaboration, leadership and innovation. The 2010 applications can be viewed and downloaded at http://www.ala.org/aasl/awards.

"Awards recognize a job well done, and AASL has various categories of awards that validate the impressive work members do every day in their library. AASL awards are available to acknowledge excellence in multiple areas of school librarianship, so as you focus on goals for the new school year, plan to apply for one of these noteworthy awards," AASL President Cassandra Barnett said.

RUSA ILL mentoring award open for nominations

Nominations are sought for the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) 2010 STARS/Atlas Systems Mentoring Award, an ALA Conference travel award designated for those who are new to the field of interlibrary loan.

This award, sponsored by Atlas Systems, Inc. and the Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS) of RUSA, offers $1,000 to fund travel expenses associated with attending ALA’s annual conference. The recipient will be a library practitioner who has worked in the field of interlibrary loan/document delivery or electronic reserves for less than two years, with a daily, hands-on involvement in the areas of borrowing, lending, document delivery, electronic reserves, material delivery or resource sharing. The winner is not required to be an ALA member or have an M.L.S. degree.

Scholarly Writing for the LIS Profession

The Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois, is pleased to offer the following online, non-credit continuing education course open to anyone interested in the topic.

Scholarly Writing for the LIS Profession
Dates: October 13-Dec 8 2009 (No class Tuesday, November 24)
Times: Online synchronous sessions Tuesdays 2:00 - 3:00 PM central time.
NOTE: The first session on October 13 will be held from 2:00 - 4:00 PM.
Instructor: Robert H. Burger, Ph.D., CPA, Professor Emeritus, GSLIS
Cost: $200

Purpose of the course: To introduce the student to the major genres of scholarly writing primarily through actual writing and editing assignments and discussion of essential elements and approaches to scholarly writing. An underlying assumption of the course is that writing is a social act, a way of knowing, and a way of thinking creatively and critically. Successful writing demands that the writer understand how readers respond to writing. Topics included are general introduction to scholarly writing and editing, practice with writing abstracts, reviews, editorials, columns and other opinion pieces, reporting the results of case studies, best practices, surveys and focus group research, and writing discipline focused scholarly articles. The book length work will not be covered.

Each assignment will consist of reading an example of the genre in question, critiquing it, and writing in that genre. Upon completion of the course the candidate is expected to be able confidently to compose abstracts, reviews, and other types of scholarly writing.

For additional information and to register: http://www.lis.illinois.edu/programs/cpd/sw.html

Borders Literacy Donation Program

For the seventh consecutive year, Secretary White, the Illinois Literacy Foundation and 34 BORDERS superstores and 14 Waldenbooks stores are uniting to raise money from customers to enhance literacy appreciation and awareness for local literacy initiatives.

From Monday, October 5th through Sunday, November 1st, BORDERS customers are being asked to donate at least $1 at the time of their purchase to raise funds for a local literacy organization. Each BORDERS store is partnered with a local literacy program, and each store will give customers the opportunity to add one dollar or more to their purchase to benefit the local literacy program. The Illinois Literacy Foundation selects the recipient literacy organization.

"As State Librarian overseeing literacy efforts in Illinois, I am proud to support this effort each year, and I commend the Illinois Literacy Foundation and BORDERS for their tremendous efforts to raise vitally needed funds and enhance literacy efforts," White said.

Over the past six years, BORDERS customers' donations have resulted in thousands of books and related materials being placed in libraries, schools, youth groups, senior adult day centers, shelters, pre-schools, resource centers and local literacy programs.

The Illinois Literacy Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes literacy through partnerships with the private sector and corporate community. Learn more about the Literacy Foundation.

Weekly Poll

Be sure to check out our new survey below, or on our home page.

You can also view results from previous weekly polls.

2010 iRead Update - Scare Up a Good Book!

The 2010 iREAD Product Catalog is now available online at the ILA Web site.  (http://www.ila.org)  Please note the new retro-style poster for adults that highlights  Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, and Horror genres.  The poster is a fitting compliment to the expanded adult section in the iREAD Resource Guide.

The 2010 iREAD Resource Guide and CD will be distributed free to all Illinois public libraries in October 2009.  The Resource Guide is being produced and distributed free with funds from the 2009 Barack Obama Commemorative License Plate sales.  If you want to order additional copies of the 2010 iREAD Resource Guide, the cost is $25 and orders may be placed on the ILA Web site or by mail or fax.

Synergy 2010

Synergy:  The Illinois Library Leadership Initiative 2010 is the statewide library community's proactive movement to recruit and nurture future Illinois library leaders.  Objectives include self-assessment; discovering and developing personal values; identifying the local, state and global environment; fostering and expanding skills and tools for personal, professional and positional leadership; creating a cohort group; establishing mentoring relationships; and developing a vision of and beyond the field of librarianship.

Librarians selected to participate in Synergy:  The Illinois Library Leadership Initiative 2010 will commit to a yearlong process, beginning with the first session at Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center through intersession activities and ending with the session at the Hickory Ridge Marriott Conference Hotel.  Each site has been chosen for its unique Illinois flavor and for the natural progression, geographically, personally, professionally, as Synergy and its participants travel across the state.

Information about and the application for Synergy 2010, the Illinois Library Leadership Initiative, have been posted at: http://il.webjunction.org/synergy  Applications must be postmarked by Monday, November 30, 2009.

Please call Vandella Brown at 217-785-9075,   Cyndy Colletti at 217-524-3529, Pat Norris at 217-524-5867, or Ellen Popit at 1-800-455-4374 ex. 2024 with any questions.