NETLS Undates & Information 2/19

Talking about libraries

One of the most interesting aspect of working in the systems office is that you never know what the next question will be!  Yesterday, I fielded questions from two libraries on the same topic – resources for talking to the press, funding body, or community activists.

Mark these resources for your next presentation on the value of libraries:

TLA’s Texas Voter Survey, November 2008

Check these links and more at  ALA’s page on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 101

ALA’s  – What librarians need to know about the stimulus package  and Talking points on libraries in this economy

ALA’s Job seeking in public libraries  and Libraries helping America get back to work

and don’t forget Advocating in tough times

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By February 28

Registration will be open until February 28 for the online tutorial, "Change Management & Leadership: If Change Is So Wonderful Why Aren’t We Having Fun Yet?"  Students will be able to complete the course in March.

After completing this course, students will be able to:

o       Assess both the benefits and the costs of change in your job, department, branch, library, institution and community

o       Understand how change impacts people in your library differently and have more empathy for their points of view

o       Identify what mistakes are likely and how to lower their impact on youand your staff

o       Feel more calm and confident, even when the world is unraveling

o       Be more influential during times of change

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March 13

In collaboration with the NETLS the Texas State Library will host a Para los niños / For the Children workshop.  The workshop will be offered at the Irving Public Library on March 13, 2009.  Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the workshops will be from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Participants will receive 6 hours of continuing education credit. The workshop is SBEC Eligible for school librarians (SBEC Identification #500799).

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Computers!!

Refurbished Computers through TechSoup 

           Non 501 (c) (3) libraries are eligible, too!

  

This donation is available to U.S. nonprofits with 501(c)(3) designation and to U.S. public libraries. Public libraries must either have valid 501(c)(3) nonprofit status or be listed in the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) database. 

 Each qualifying 501(c)(3) organization or public library may request 10 computers and 10 monitors within a fiscal year — July 1 to June 30 — up to a total of 20 products.

Organizations may request up to 10 computers and 10 monitors each fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).

Multiple affiliate or branch locations of an organization may receive separate donations in a single TechSoup fiscal year, provided that each location is listed on its parent organization's 501(c)(3) Letter of Determination.

REFURBISHED XP Notebooks under $450.

REFURBISHED XP Desktops (no monitor) under $260.

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From the President's remarks on signing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Remarks by the President and Vice President at Signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

…. Libraries are mentioned!

“…..Because we know America can't out-compete the world tomorrow if our children are being out-educated today, we're making the largest investment in education in our nation's history. (Applause.) It's an investment that will create jobs building 21st century classrooms and libraries and labs for millions of children across America. It will provide funds to train a new generation of math and science teachers, while giving aid to states and school districts to stop teachers from being laid off and education programs from being cut.

In a place like New York City, 14,000 teachers who were set to be let go may now be able to continue pursuing their critical mission. It's an investment that will create a new $2,500 annual tax credit to put the dream of a college degree within reach for middle-class families and make college affordable for 7 million students -- (applause) -- helping more of our sons and daughters aim higher, reach further, fulfill their God-given potential. (Applause.) ….”

What the stimulus package contains for libraries and community places

ALA Creates One-Stop Source for Stimulus Information

February 17th, 2009

Completing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was a long and arduous process for the Obama Administration and the new Congress. Now that President Obama has signed the bill into law, our nation can begin the journey of restoring our economic stability through the programs and initiatives this law will make possible.

Throughout the process of creating this law, the library community demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the American public by working to inform our leaders in Washington about the programs and services libraries across the country are providing to help America get back to work, such as assistance with resume building and online job searching as well as free classes to teach the public 21st century job skills.

With many opportunities available to libraries through the stimulus bill, the library community must continue our efforts to educate our elected officials on the benefits of investing in libraries – focusing now on the state level.

Implementing the law will no doubt be as complex a process as creating it, and for this reason the ALA Washington Office has created www.ala.org/knowyourstimulus as a one-stop source with resources on how to make sure libraries benefit from the package and the most up-to-date information on the stimulus. As information becomes available, the ALA Washington Office will post updates on this page with details, such as how funding will be distributed and how to apply.

We have compiled a list of the programs that libraries can benefit from included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. More information will be posted on each section as it becomes available.

$7.2 billion for Broadband
This includes $2.5 billion for Rural Utilities Service and $4.7 billion for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) broadband grant program to increase broadband access and usage in underserved areas of the nation. This includes $200 million in competitive grants for expanding public computer capacity at public libraries and community college libraries. Additionally, this includes $650 million for DTV, of which $90 million may be used by organizations, including libraries, for education and outreach to vulnerable populations including one-on-one assistance for box installation.

$53.6 billion for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund
This program includes $48 billion in block grants allocated among the states. Out of each state's allocation, 81.8 percent is reserved for education and 18.2 percent is reserved for the governor to use as he or she sees fit. $39.5 billion for education using existing funding formulas, which can be used for preventing cutbacks, preventing layoffs, school modernization (school libraries will benefit from this), or other purposes and $8.8 billion for state fiscal relief for high-priority needs such as public safety and other critical services (including public libraries), renovation and repairs of public school facilities and institutions of higher education facilities. Encouraging state officials to invest the funds they receive from Congress in public and school libraries will be critical. It is also important to note that with the billions of dollars states are receiving, there should be no need for drastic state cutbacks in services.

An additional $120 million for the Senior Community Service Employment Program
This funding will provide community service jobs at nonprofit and public facilities, including libraries, for an additional 24,000 older Americans. The Senior Community Service Employment Program is a community service and work-based training program for older workers. Program participants are placed in a wide variety of community service positions at non-profit and public facilities, including daycare centers, senior centers, governmental agencies, schools, hospitals, libraries and landscaping centers. There are currently 74 grantees. Grant awards are made to 18 national nonprofit organizations and 56 state and territorial governments. In most states, the governor has selected the State Office on Aging to administer the program. The contact information for all existing grantees is available by going to www.doleta.gov/seniors. Click the contacts link on the right and on that page go to grantees PY 2007.

An additional $130 million for the Rural Community Facilities Program
The Community Programs is a division of the Housing and Community Facilities Programs at the United States Department of Agriculture. Community Programs includes the Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program, the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program, and the Community Facilities Grant Program. These programs help develop essential community facilities for public use in rural areas. These facilities include schools, libraries, childcare, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public buildings and transportation.

Emily Sheketoff, Executive Director
ALA Washington Office
esheketoff@ala.wash.org

NETLS Information & Updates 2/16

Hot Dates!

February 18, 2009, Tekkies assemble at 9:30 am and meet at 10:00 am at the Carrollton Public Library at Josey Ranch Lake. The Library is located at 1700 Keller Springs Road in Carrollton. Meeting is open to all.

By February 20, The Automation and Technology Round Table (ATRT) of the Texas Library Association will make available two stipends of $700 for library employees who are involved in library automation and technology services to attend a TLA Conference and Annual Assembly.
February 20, 2009 -- Letters of recommendation from immediate supervisors must be sent via FAX or email.
February 20, 2009 -- Application deadline
Application form will be made available electronically online and via Adobe PDF , or a Microsoft Word document .

By February 23 RSVP to 1.800.875.2785 or elaines @ midwesttapes.com for Midwest tapes demonstration events March 4 in Greenville and March 5 in Longview.

By February 27 members of TLA and SCLRT (Small Community Library Round Table) apply for TLA Conference Stipend 2009 sponsored by Biblionix.

By February 27 NETLS is offering to pay the registration fee for several people to attend the Association for Rural and Small Libraries Annual Conference in Gatlinburg, TN in September.

Librarians from NETLS who have been to an ARSL Conference say they were the most beneficial, enjoyable library conference they had attended. They enjoyed the intimate feel and valued the opportunity to get practical ideas they could use in their libraries. Attendees also appreciated the opportunity for one-on-one meetings with staff members from libraries similar to theirs and with conference speakers. The conference registration fee includes a few meals. Housing at the conference hotel, which is where all activities are held, is a reasonable $70 per night.

If you and/or members of your library staff would like to be considered for payment of the ARSL Conference registration fee, please reply to Steve Seale by Friday, February 27, with the following information:
§ Library name
§ Staff member name(s)
§ In 100 words or less, how you think your community could benefit from your attending the conference
If you have questions, please contact Steve Seale, NETLS Continuing Education
Consultant, 972/205-6332.

By February 27 TSLAC grant applications http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/funding/lsta/

Until February 28 register for the online tutorial, Change Management & Leadership: If Change Is So Wonderful Why Aren’t We Having Fun Yet? Students will be able to complete the course throughout March.

Learn how to handle the rollercoaster of change After completing this course, students will be able to:
Assess both the benefits and the costs of change in your job, department, branch, library, institution and community
Understand how change impacts people in your library differently and have more empathy for their point of view
Identify what mistakes are likely and how to lower their impact on you and your staff
Feel more calm and confident, even when the world is unraveling
Be more influential during times of change.

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2009 Reading Club news from Christine McNew
The 2009 Texas Reading Club and Texas Teens Read! manuals are now online in HTML format.
Texas Reading Club manual
Texas Teens Read! manual
The manuals are also available in printable PDF formats, and CD-Roms will soon be mailed to participating libraries.
The posters, reading logs, certificates, and bookmarks for both programs will be mailed to participating libraries by March 31, 2009.

NEW CREW Manual announced by Dawn Vogler
The Library Development Division of the Texas State Library is very pleased to announce an updated and revised version of the CREW method written by Jeanette Larson!

For more than 30 years, The CREW Method has provided guidance to librarians and staff in small and medium sized public libraries about how to cull outdated and no longer useful materials from their collections. Although much of the basic information remains the same, the impact of changes in technology and its effect on library collections has been taken into consideration. The CREW guidelines by Dewey Class have been expanded even further and updated to reflect current practices. New sections have been added that explain in more detail the MUSTIE factors and types of disposal. The bibliography has been updated to include current editions of standard works, contemporary selections, and expanded online resources.

Access the pdf version of this manual.

An html version will be online in a few weeks and a print copy (for use right in the stacks!) of the new CREW will be sent to each public library in Texas over the next month or so. We hope you all continue to make great use of this very simple weeding method. Contact Dawn Vogler Dawn Vogler [dvogler@tsl.state.tx.us] if you are interested in receiving training on CREW.
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Book Sales

Free Advertising

This flyer from the Noonday Community Library reminds me that many of our libraries have ongoing or annual book sales. Do you have book sale advice for others? Have you had the book dealers sweep in with their handheld devices to check book value? Is it a problem for you, and if so how did you respond?

Opportunities..

From Carol Herrington:

Palestine Public Library recently hosted the exhibit, "VANISHED: German-American Civilian Internment 1941-1948." I highly recommend it.

We displayed the exhibit for three weeks and the final day, conducted a program with Michael Luick-Thrams and former internee, Heidi Gurcke Donald. There was high audience interest and a moving program. Get all the details. If you are interested in this exhibit and program, contact Laurel or Vince at 651-646-0400 or programs@traces.org.

LeadershipPlenty: Build Strategic Partnerships in Your Community

Presenter: Mary Beth Harrington, Director of Membership & Resource Development, Texas Association of Nonprofit Organizations (TANO)
Workshop Objectives:

 Distinguish between asset- and deficit-based approaches to community development

 Learn non-traditional ways to recognize and work with local leadership assets

 Identify different types of effective community partners

 Understand how to organize effective community partnerships to maximize rewards

Bring people from your community with whom you'd like to partner!

CPE # 510545 Credit hours: 6.5 hours C.E.U.

Workshop hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sign-in time: 8:30 a.m.

** Register online at www.hals.lib.tx.us Click on Register in the upper right hand corner **

Try a Crash Course from our Library Science Collection