LTLS - Quick Connections

School library shifting to digital collection stimulates media interest

Recently, the Cushing Academy, a private boarding school in Massachusetts, attracted attention with its decision to discard all 20,000 books in the school’s library in favor of an entirely digital collection.

The issue stimulated media interest, and the American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Information Office (PIO) responded by recently coordinating two interviews addressing the future of school libraries with USA Today and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” ALA president Camila Alire and American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) president Cassandra Barnett participated in these interviews.

Alire appeared on a Nov. 9 segment on NPR. The segment and corresponding Web article, “Digital School Library Leaves Book Stacks Behind,” can be found at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120097876#commentBlock

USA Today, the newspaper with the second highest circulation in the country, with nearly 2 million daily readers, also ran an article on this issue entitled “School chooses Kindle; are libraries for the history ‘books’?” In the Oct. 27 article, both  Alire and  Barnett say that the Cushing Academy’s move to get rid of all print books “is not necessarily a model for other school libraries.” The article can be found at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-10-26-kindle-school-library_N.htm.

An Important Message to Illinois Public Libraries

Public Act 96-37 created a new Illinois public library construction program.  The new law requires the Secretary of State and the Illinois State Library to file with the General Assembly a comprehensive assessment report of the capital needs of all public libraries before January 1, 2010.  Filing this report is one of the steps that must be completed before the Secretary of State's office can implement the new program to assist public libraries with capital improvement projects.  The new grant program is funded with a $50 million Build Illinois Bond Fund appropriation contained in Public Act 96-35.

In order to compile the assessment report, I am requesting that each Illinois public library complete and submit the one-page online Capital Needs Assessment Survey by Friday, November 20, 2009, even if no capital improvements are needed. It is recommended that you have Acrobat 8.1 or higher installed on your computer to take the survey.

CORE SERVICES FOR LIBRARY SYSTEMS

The Library System Standards Committee has completed another document, which is posted on the Illinois Library System Standards blog. Core services are defined as basic services that are funded by the state's System Area & Per Capita Grant and provided by the multitype regional library systems to all full member libraries at no charge.
The core services cover the following areas:
* Advocacy
* Consulting
* Delivery
* On-Site Visits
* Professional Development

Your input is needed. Please review the core services document and add your comments to the blog.
Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed the various drafts and for adding your input. The work of the Library System Standards Committee can be tracked at the ISL website.

2010 iRead Guide

Your 2010 iREAD Resource Guide is in the mail!  Look for it to arrive at your library within the next two weeks. The Resource Guide is being produced and distributed free to all Illinois public libraries 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.  http://www.ila.org

All of the 2010 Scare Up a Good Book! incentives and prizes for children, young adults, and adults are now available at the iREAD online store.  Remember, place your order before November 7th to avoid the late fee.

As a coordinated, self-supporting effort between Illinois librarians and the Illinois Library Association every purchase from iREAD supports library advocacy.

Facebook Page on System Funding

A Facebook page, "Restore Funding for Illinois Library Systems" has been created to support Illinois libraries and to focus attention on the recently announced 16.5% budget cut to Illinois regional library systems.  To add the page to your Facebook profile, visit this link, and select "Become a Fan".

Today Show segment on the Role Libraries Play During a Recession

The Today Show ran a segment on the important role libraries play during the recession, using data and resources provided by the ALA and public libraries:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Copyright Issues for Pre-1972 Audio Recordings

The Library of Congress has released a report outlining the legal status of early sound recordings held by libraries and archives. The 85-page report, "Copyright and Related Issues Relevant to Digital Preservation and Dissemination of Unpublished Pre-1972 Sound Recordings by Libraries and Archives", outlines the overlapping state and federal laws governing "unpublished" sound recordings made prior to 1972 and steps that libraries should consider in preserving and disseminating these recordings. Unpublished means that the recordings were not distributed to the public, even though they may have been broadcast or performed.  Because the legal issues can be complex, librarians should review this helpful report.   Unpublished sound recordings made prior to 1972 were not protected under copyright law, however the report points out that underlying content in such recordings may be protected.  The report has an excellent section using practical examples covering bootleg recordings, radio broadcasts, live performances, interviews, and a discussion of the library's ability to stream this type of sound recording on the Internet. An Executive Summary  and  Full Report (pdf) are available.

Seattle Times op-ed highlights importance of academic libraries, librarians

As more than 3,000 librarians and staff from college and university libraries across the country gear up for the Association for College and Research Libraries (ACRL) 14th National Conference in Seattle March 12-15, the Seattle Times online published an op-ed highlighting the important role academic libraries and librarians play in a college student’s education.

The op-ed titled “Academic libraries foster key skills in next generation,” appeared in the March 4 online edition of the Times and was written by ACRL President Erika Linke and Dean of University Libraries at the University of Washington Betsy Wilson.

“Academic librarians help students overcome the mistaken idea that if a resource doesn't appear online it doesn't exist, is a key role for librarians,” say Wilson and Linke. The op-ed can be found at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008812914_opinc05libraries.html.

Need accurate and free financial information? Ask a librarian

National Public Radio’s “Your Money” segment on Saturday, Feb. 28 highlighted the “Smart investing @ your library” campaign, a partnership between the American Library Association (ALA) and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.

“Smart Investing @ your library” helps to fund library efforts to provide patrons with unbiased financial education resources. The program is sponsored by FINRA and administered by the ALA’s Reference and User Services Association (RUSA). It has awarded over $1.7 million to 25 libraries across the U.S. to date.

In the interview, FINRA President John Gannon said that “the current economic climate has made libraries a more vital institution in communities” because libraries have the ability to reach large numbers of people who may need more information to make important financial decisions. “Whether that's women facing retirement, teens or even younger people who are still in school, it's figuring out how to get that information to people," he said. The radio clip and Web article can be found at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101268021.

Obama’s Speech Highlights How Libraries Serve Everyday Americans, Students

The American Library Association (ALA) lauds President Barack Obama for noting how libraries assist Americans during the president’s address to Congress last night.

The president shared a story about Ty’Sheoma Bethea, a young student from South Carolina, who went to her local public library to write a letter to Congress to tell them how students today are committed to their education and determined to change the world.

“This anecdote not only shows how engaged the young people in our country are, but it also sheds light on how important the library is to these students,” ALA President Jim Rettig said.