Category: General    

At this meeting, library leaders completed worksheets and had discussions about the many services and resources provided by the Capital Area Library District. It was a chance to chat about areas of collaboration, cooperation, and competition.

Thanks to all who attended. If you weren’t able to attend and still want to provide feedback, please do so on or before March 1 so your input can be included in a summary compilation.
• Interlibrary Loan Interlibrary Loan Questions
• Delivery Delivery Discussion Questions
• Online Resources: Ebooks and Audiobooks Online Resources Ebooks and Audiobooks
• Online Resources: Reference and Databases Online Resources reference and databases
• Consulting and Special Technology Projects Consulting and Special Projects Discussion Questions
• Library Advocacy and Marketing Library Advocacy and Marketing Discussion
• Trustee Development and Board Governance Trustee Development and Board Governance Questions
• Staff Continuing Education Continuing Education for Staff Discussion

Have you ever wondered what District Library Center services and meetings were like in the long ago past?
Take a break for a few minutes and listen to this great radio program from WHP: The Road to Good Reading: District Library Center Edition

These are samples of the emails and updates that are being sent out by the Reference department at DCLS.  Sadly, because I’m jsut posting them from emails, not all the graphics come through, but this gives you an idea of the great resources.  If you want these messages forwarded directly to you, please let me know.  :)

Reference Rendezvous (41112; Issue #3)

Reference Rendezvous (32812; Issue #2)

Reference Rendezvous (31412.htm; Issue #1)

Providing Lifelong Library Services for those Affected by Learning Differences
2012 Annual Meeting and Workshop, Thursday, May 10th from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm

The South Central Chapter of Pennsylvania Library Association is holding a workshop in partnership with the Janus School in Mount Joy. You will come away from this workshop with tools valuable in serving clients of all ages and abilities who are affected by learning differences.

Pathfinders and contact lists will be provided to all attendees along with guides for working with volunteers and employees affected by learning differences.

In addition to detailed sessions a panel discussion will be held featuring individuals living with and professionals who work with people with learning differences.

The Autism Resource Center at Lancaster Public Library and Pennsylvania ASERT: Pennsylvania Autism Services – Education, Resources, Training will be present along with representatives from other organizations that serve people with special needs.

A special gift will be presented to each attendee and there will be several door prizes awarded during the lunch break.

Seating is limited so please – register soon! 4 hours of Act 48 credits are available for this workshop.

Here’s the registration form: Registration Form 2012 PaLA SCC

Session details are on this flyer and below: sccmeeting2012

Navigating the Maze of Services
This reference-based session will focus on the educational, occupational, and social services available to children on the Autism Spectrum. Though many specific programs serve moderate to severe individuals and other programs change with available funding, there remains an array of resources to support these individuals and their families. This will include information from an occupational therapist, speech/language therapist, and social worker. Learn from a panel of service providers and take home a reference and contact list for you and your organizations’ use.

Assistive Technology
Assistive technology, by definition, is any technology that helps a person with disabilities participate in activities as independently as possible. Here at The Janus School, we focus on assistive technologies that help our students become independent learners. Primarily we use software that assists students with their expressive and receptive language difficulties. This session will focus on demonstrating Don Johnston’s SOLO 6 software suite, text-to-speech software Kurzweil 3000, speech-to-text software Dragon NaturallySpeaking, and some iPad apps and accessibility options.

Make and Take – Adapting Books for Emergent Readers
This make and take session will give an overview of how to use adapted books with emergent readers. Each participant will make an adapted book that can be used with individuals or in small groups. Steps will be shown that will enable the student to go from matching pictures to identifying specific words. This technique is excellent for working with children at all cognitive levels and with a wide range of disabilities. Adapted books can be used with children who are verbal or nonverbal.

Transitioning the Student from school to life
Graduating from high school is a big milestone for any student. For a student with Aspergers, it can be a time of monumental change. Parents want to make sure that supports are in place as their student transitions from high school to post-secondary education or career. It is important that the student understand what supports are available to them, as well as how to access those supports as they move on from high school. Presenters include representatives from the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Mercyhurst College, Keystone Autism Services and Lancaster HACC.

Grand Session from 11:15 – 11:45 Panel Discussion
Join a panel of students, parents, educators, and other professionals who are facing the day to day challenges of living and dealing with Aspergers, part of the autism spectrum. It’s an opportunity to discuss concerns, joys, and strategies in this interactive session. Please list specific questions and/or areas of interest on the registration form.

8/25/11 – 6:22 a.m.

History was made.

In my near 17 years of service as the delivery driver for DCLS, I have never had this happen to me. Quite frankly, I never saw it coming.

It started like any normal delivery on a Thursday. The loading process at ESA went smoothly as books were packed into crates and flat boxes were stacked on the van shelf for transport.

I climbed into the van and started towards MRL. I took a moment to glance towards the heavens and saw storm clouds rolling in and out. I managed to catch all the green lights and arrived at the fabulous Front & Walnut facility in just under fifteen minutes. (Yes, you can time the lights while maintaining  the speed limit and arrive in under fifteen minutes. I think it’s in a manual somewhere)

I bounced into the administration level and sorted the various routing envelopes. I moved back the hallway and greeted my friend, Lori, before proceeding to the delivery shelves.

And then it happened. One of those “where were you when this happened moments”.  I staggered for a moment before regaining my footing. I stared at the LONE item on the delivery shelf….

A ten-count box of Swiffer refills, with the initials EV etched in black marker on the side.

I have dealt with shelves that had nothing but cobwebs growing on them and shelves that were packed with so many materials, it would make UPS envious. But I have never had a shelves that featured a solitary cleaning item on them. Until today.

I know what you are saying right now. “Annette, how could you handle that? It seems excessive.”

Believe me, my first reaction was kinda like Luke Skywalker learning that Darth was his daddy Daddy issues .

But I have broad shoulders and a growing waistline, so I quickly rallied myself to the task at hand. I gently lifted the little box off the shelf and cradled it in my hands. I kissed it like Timmy Thomas kissed the Stanley Cup this past June and placed it gingerly in the Elizabethville crate. It seemed to stand out amongst its bookish brethren, but that was okay.

The Swiffer ten-count box was delivered to E.V. later that morning with very little fanfare. As I walked to the door, I took a moment to glance back at the little box. Was that a tear I saw trickling down from it’s flap?

NEXT TIME: CAPTAIN AMERICA’S NEWEST ASSIGNMENT

There has been a change to information you received previously regarding the Summer Reading Program vouchers. Find the paperwork you need here. Voucher2011PA

Action Idea: Please make sure the person at your location that is responsible for submitting any orders for the Collaborative Summer Library Program to Highsmith knows to attach the voucher to your order if you want your library to receive the benefit.

Details: Highsmith is offering free shipment for SRP orders for CSLP participating libraries. Each library can use a $20.00 voucher for promotional materials. Note: The voucher is not to be used for reading incentives to give to participants, but for promotional materials like posters, bookmarks, etc. The voucher must be used by April 15. I believe you can use one voucher per library location.

Summer always comes and I know we’re all looking forward to it. :) If you want to share a story about an innovative way or best practice for how your library plans to use the Collaborative Summer Library Program voucher please post it here in the comments area.

Extra Challenge: Did you see the RFP for Administrative Services duties that are performed on behalf of the Collaborative Summer Library Program? You can find it available as a word document download in the middle of the front page of cslpreads.org right now. Think about the organization of the document and the information it provided. Can your library set a goal to improve some of your own documentation that covers many of the areas this paperwork addresses? What is one small thing you can do?

The next Capital Area Library District Meeting will be a workshop meeting.
It is scheduled to be held at Kline Library on Wednesday, Feb. 16. Doors will open for networking at 9:00a.m., with the meeting will begin promptly at 9:30.

There will be a brief regular agenda:
-News/Updates from libraries: (Please respond to registration survey or email any updates you want to share about your library/location with the group. In addition to any written updates I provide in summary, we will also round robin giving each interested participant 3 minutes (timer in use) to share anything/everything they wish.)
-Discussion of Regional Training Needs: Tentative Dates, Topics
-Distribution of Electronic Resources Statistics and short discussion about e-resource ideas and needs
-Q & A period for Annual Reports
-Any additional agenda items you want to add can be added via the registration survey.

The rest of the meeting (scheduled end at or before 12:30) will be a “workshop and brainstorm time” for district planning for the 2011/12 budget year.

The topic will be: District Priorities in Resource Allocation for DLC aid.
Carrie Cleary, district consultant, will facilitate a group process to review the district’s current strategic plan and will get group evaluations and feedback on current services and new ideas.
The opening question for our brainstorm activities in small groups will be: What services and resources can meet library and library customer needs at the lowest cost/highest return on investment using shared (district or regional level resources?)
Priorities affirmation and evaluation of current work in delivery, interlibrary loan and district resource sharing, and consulting work including e-resources, Perry County Technology Cooperation, board development, training, and supporting state and regional level programs will be conducted.

To prepare, think about some of these questions:
What would be different if district resources were not provided?
Is there a better way the district could provide a specific service that is mandated by state standards?
What processes in your library consume the most resources and staff time?
For what district services do you receive positive (and negative) customer or staff feedback?
In what areas would cooperation help your library more?
In what areas do you, staff, or boards need “consulting” for at your library?
What services best deliver “value” that library stakeholders support?

The outcome of the meeting is expected to be:
-An updated outline of strategic plan goals for the Capital Area Library District
-Notes from a discussion of best ways to use funding received for use by the district library center that will help to begin district negotiation meetings.

Who is invited? Anyone that is interested in intending is invited (of course, with permission from their supervisor).
I encourage attendance from any affiliated person with interest in the operation of the Capital Area Library District (if space allows, the Capital Region), regardless of position, from any level. This would include directors, managers, Trustees, Friends, reference, drivers, marketing, human resources, administrative support, front desk, financial, technology, training, collections, maintenance, development, volunteers, etc.

Registration for this meeting will be limited to the first 30 people who use the registration link with preference being given to the first person to sign up from each district library location. Registration will open at 8:30a.m. on February 7th. The link for attendance registration is here: Registration Link.
If you can’t attend, but want to participate in an online evaluation of district servicces, use this link to a surveyset up to receive feedback.

The message is being distributed by Carrie Cleary via the Capital Area Library District blog and Capital Area Library District mailing list first. It will be updated and sent again when registration is open to the district mailing list, Capital Area Library District Youth Interest mailing list, DCLS Staff, WebJunction Group, and Office of Commonwealth Libraries advisors in the Capital Region. Further forwarding to any interested affiliates is encouraged.

Special Note: Following the meeting that will take place at KL, the district plans to host a live training sponsored by OverDrive: Browse, Check-out, and Download. This training will be delivered via live webinar and remote access after the workshop will be available. Watch for a specific email posting regarding this training soon.

Dauphin County Library System libraries will be closed in observance of New Years Day. Check local listings for more information. There will be NO inter-library delivery service on this holiday.

What follows is a transcript of things I wrote down during the Pat Wagner workshop. It’s good to review the ideas that matter sometimes when you are planning projects and taking next steps rapidly.

It hurts your library when your public expects more than you can deliver on half the budget.

What is the core of your business?

We are forced to innovate. What innovative policy can we place into Resource Sharing to make it most effective?

Truths I believe:
Local district loan is cheap collection sharing.
When time isn’t a factor, we can get most things customers want.
Format shouldn’t matter as much as content
When libraries share all clients benefit.

Stick with the choices you make.

Have the guts to enforce the plan or you let them steal money and time.

Perfectionism is like standing outside your building ripping up $100 bills.

What should the ratio be between items loaned and items borrowed?

Local library loans + district loans + Interlibrary Loans from Access + Interlibrary loans from OCLC = Items borrowed?

Total Items loaned outside our library cannot exceed : ________ (insert number here: what would you base it on?)

People procrastinate on stuff they don’t have to do or stuff without immediate consequences. Who stops you from procrastinating? How does knowledge of fear, policy, evaluation, and humanity help those consequences?

Tip: If you’re trying to explain something, make a graphic equation. Examples:
customer needs + library resouces = better community
Library Resources – Community Needs = Remaining Community Needs
Hours open (Physical Space) / Staff Hours or Staff Costs (How does that look by county or by circulation?)

Who makes the decision so we can get the work done?

How do you know you were successful?

Statistics are the perfect picture of whatever you counted yesterday.

What are the signs you see in a community that show it is prosperous? Be specific about things you see…

Try this exercise: Write a press release or an essay. What 5 things do you give your community?
Try to use concrete evidence, think Law & Order.

Libraries say: Even if we can’t fill your request, we treat you with respect and might offer an alternative.

What are the steps in triage? While we’re not in a critical care unit, how could these help us think about doing effective public library work?

Agreed: Humans misunderstand, make mistakes, and disagree.

Should everybody learn to think like a manager? (depend on who your managers are…)

Keep staff informed of major checkpoints on the way to benchmarks. How do they know they are getting there…?

Scenario for Staff:
1000 people are standing at the desk waving a piece of paper with a request. What do you do?

If you could only fill 100 of them, how would you decide? (With the economy, this reminds me of the scene from It’s a Wonderful Life where George Bailey uses his honeymoon money to help everyone get by until the bank reopened, saving the Bailey Building & Loan. What would happen today?)

How do you communicate to those with needs you cannot meet? (Side story: I was offered money this week to do a job for a patron when I was helping out a customer in a district library while the director answered the phone during our meeting regarding grant funding…Did I want to help the man, yes, but I couldn’t take the time to help him forever, I could only do so much. See, he’d bought a service to make money through a website and he didn’t have an email address. He wanted me to find a way to make his money making scheme work, and to be honest, the sales person who sent him the Priority Mail envelop about his service should have been ashamed of taking someone’s money who couldn’t use the service really, but that’s a whole other story. I couldn’t do it for him, and I didn’t have a friend I could recommend to help, except, well, there’s self education online, programs in community centers, and the director printed contact info on where to register a business complaint because the company was no longer returning phone calls. The one-on0one customer interaction is a difficulty for reference librarians to limit.)

Best tip of the Day for Time Management: Figure out how much time you have before you decide what you will do. (align your expectations!)

For project managers, bad news is good information. It’s GREAT if staff tell you what doesn’t look good, what doesn’t work, and what bumps they hit along the way. This means you are a trusted project manager and that you’re working well together.

Beware of project drift…

There’s no room for grammar in project management, however, you need to DEFINE concrete expectations and milestones.

What’s the ratio between Fast, speed of service; Cheap/Cost/Commodities used or traded ; and Quality/Effectiveness at meeting goals
Quality Metric / Cost = Effective Service Delivery to meet need
Quality + Time = 10
Quality (aka Impact) / cost (aka Resources) = 10 (but 9 is okay too)

What “timing” matters in District Loan/ILL?

How can employees gauge how much time they should spend on a customer request?
Can we write a procedure to enforce common sense?

If your library got a bequest of $1,000,000 and offered to split the ownership of the results of an investment between all the staff and board, how many of your staff would support that idea?
Now…think this: Which programs or services would staff rather sell and split the profits from rather than continue? You’ll see which ones aren’t making an impact.

Something has to be more important than something else. Will you flip a coin to make your decision?

If you can hold a gun to someone’s head and they can complete a task, it is not a training issue.

Define Goals and constraints. Explain the how. (Page 23 of Pat Wagner handouts see here: Project Management and Priorities Sheets by Pat Wagner 2010will be a structure for a few district project outlines I am working on)

This week I attended a workshop with Pat Wagner offered by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries.
Posted here, find the handouts with many brilliant tips for good Project Management and Setting Priorities: Project Management and Priorities Sheets by Pat Wagner 2010

Library workshops are sometimes especially valuable for the networking opportunities brought by in person communication and time given to reflect on library ideals in the presence of others.
Below are some random musings I had at and just after the workshop.

What Do Libraries have in Common?:
-Library staff want people to use our organizations and valuable information resources to improve their lives and communities.
-Libraries think that literacy and good citizenship is important.
-Libraries value education for everyone who is interested.
-Libraries are asked to meet minimum service standards to receive funding.
-Libraries receive some combination of funding from government and donations. Most are not-for-profit, or are not charged sales tax.
-Libraries employ human beings and use technology to some level.
-Libraries all have collections of things we loan to people who want to borrow them.

What’s Different?
-Programs we choose to do
-Populations we choose to prioritize
-Items we decide to buy
-Marketing messages we send
-The politics of our local operation
-Local community needs we choose to meet
-How much money we spend
-Who pays for the services
-How long you have to wait in line
-How much space we have available and how well we maintain our facilities
-How we plan

In summary, librarians want people to use our organizations and valuable information resources to improve their lives and communities. We all have different specific ways we do it, but we believe in basic service standards that we aim to meet.

Don’t let money get in the way of serving people with a genuine need for library services. Focus on the positive, instead of on the budget changes. What can you try to reinvent? (See this handout from the DLC Leadership Workshop–Jonelle and Linda attended from our district): Destroy and Rebuild Your Business Model

Together we can demonstrate the value of resource sharing and collaboration in our library community, at the local library, system, district, region, state, and national level. Cooperation often trumps competition when we share the same core mission ideals of meeting literacy needs.

Feel free to continue the conversation below. What are your thoughts on libraries, cooperation, and resource sharing?

George Pike, Director of the Barco Law Library and Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and Hank Leone of the PA Legal Aid Network, will present a workshop on September 29, 2010 at Pittsburgh PaTTAN, 3190 William Pitt Way, Pittsburgh

This workshop is funded in part by an “Access to Justice” Bill and Melinda Gates mini-grant and in part by IMLS.

The attached agenda:Law Resources Workshop Agendawill give you more information including the start time and schedule. Computers will be available, but some participants may have to share. If you have your own laptop, please take it along.

You can register at:
2010&df=calendar&EventType=ALL&Lib=&AgeGroup=ALL&LangType=0&WindowMode=&noheader=&lad=&pub=1&nopub=&page=&pgdisp

If you missed the advocacy webinar, check out an archived copy of it here: http://www.sirsidynixinstitute.com/community/sirsidynix-institute/overview

There’s a supplementary handout with lots of information: Some of the text is posted below.

Advocacy Resources for Libraries
Selected Resources for Libraries and Advocacy
Prepared by Stephen Abram
for the August 18, 2010 SirsiDynix Cengage Webinar
These resources are not in any particular order (heresy!).
Summary: My Blog Postings on the Value of Libraries
Here are the links to the value and impact of libraries postings that I wrote in 2010 to put my
links all in one place. Each posting contains dozens of links. Please feel free to share:
The Value of Public Libraries

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-public-libraries/

The Value of School Libraries

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-school-libraries/

The Value of Academic and College Libraries

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-academic-and-college-libraries/

The Value of Special Libraries

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-special-libraries/

Library Advocacy: Save the Library Campaigns

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/01/save-the-library-campaigns/

Having the Value Conversation: Springboard Stories

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/having-the-value-conversation-springboardstories

The State of America’s Libraries

http://tinyurl.com/State2010.

The Seattle Public Library Community Survey

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/08/05/the-seattle-public-library-community-survey/

http://www.spl.org/pdfs/about/community_survey_summary.pdf

How Libraries Stack Up 2010
OCLC has updated the venerable and cool 2 page PDF

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/07/29/how-libraries-stack-up-2010-2/

Losing Libraries

http://www.losinglibraries.org/

A library union speaks up for libraries!

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/07/07/a-library-union-speaks-up-for-libraries/

Gale Supports ALA Rally on Capitol Hill

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/06/26/gale-supports-ala-rally-on-capitol-hill/

My ALA DC PR Forum slides (ALA2010)

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/06/27/ala-pr-forum-slides-ala2010/

Value of Academic Research Libraries

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/value/futures.cfm

Change across all facets of society—including demographic, technological, and economic
change—has the potential to greatly impact higher education and the academic library. As
we move further into the 21st century, it is important to pay attention to the trends around us
to inform our thinking about where institutions of higher education and their libraries are
headed.
Value of Academic Libraries
The Board of Directors of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has
been working to determine how best to help members demonstrate the value of academic
libraries to the academy (see April 2009 ACRL Board Document Return on Investment in
Academic Libraries Research Memo). ACRL is interested in developing research that will
support advocacy efforts for libraries with decision-makers and funders in higher education.
After an invitational meeting in July 2009 (see ACRL Board document Report on ACRL
Value of Academic Libraries Research Meeting held Chicago, July 8-9, 2009 ) ACRL took
the first step of issuing a request for proposals for a comprehensive review of the
quantitative and qualitative literature, methodologies and best practices currently in place for
demonstrating the value of academic libraries. Subsequently, Dr. Megan Oakleaf was
selected to carry out this work. Her completed report is expected later in the summer of
2010.
Futures Thinking for Academic Librarians: Higher Education in 2025 (June 2010)
(PDF)
For academic librarians seeking to demonstrate the value of their libraries to their parent
institutions, it is important to understand not only the current climate. We must also know
what will be valued in the future so that we can begin to take appropriate action now. This
document presents 26 possible scenarios based on an implications assessment of current
trends, which may have an impact on all types of academic and research libraries over the
next 15 years. They are organized in a “scenario space” visualization tool, reflecting the
expert judgment of ACRL members as to their expectations and perceptions about the
probability, impact, speed of change, and threat/opportunity potential of each scenario. The
study draws out implications for academic libraries and includes an appendix with a
suggested activity, also available as an editable document so that you may customize this
activity for use in your library. Additionally, listen to a discussion with the report’s authors
about how to stretch your imagination and why considering possible futures is worthwhile.
Press coverage: Inside Higher Ed, Library Journal: Academic Newswire, and American
Libraries.
Confronting the Business Lens for Accountability of General Education, presentation
at the 2009 ACRL National Conference (.mov file)
Marilee Bresciani, Associate Professor, Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary
Education, San Diego State University
On the Research Library: A Comment (PDF)
John V. Lombardi, Professor of History and Chancellor, University of Massachusetts
Amherst, USA
A plenary address from the 2006 ARL Assessment Conference
Articles and Studies Related to Library Value (Return on Investment)
Developed by the ALA Office for Research & Statistics
ACRL 2009 Strategic Thinking Guide for Academic Librarians in the New Economy
Distinguished panellists will discuss the questions presented in this document at the ACRL
14th National Conference in Seattle, March 13, 2009, during a program session “Brother
Can You Spare a Dime? ACRL 2009 Strategic Thinking Guide for Academic Librarians in the
New Economy.” It is intended to spur strategic conversation, planning, and action in
academic libraries.
21st Century Academic Libraries in Higher Education
This document was prepared by Julie Todaro, ACRL President, 2007-2008, for a presentation at the American Association of State Colleges & Universities (AASCU)
Academic Affairs Winter Meeting, February 8, 2008, Tempe, Arizona.
What Chief Academic Officers Want from Their Libraries: Findings from interviews
with Provosts and Chief Academic Officers (PDF)(October 2007)
This is the central finding from a recent survey of Provosts and Chief Academic Officers
conducted on behalf of the Association for College and Research Libraries by Leigh S.
Estabrook and the University of Illinois
Changing Roles of Academic and Research Libraries
Essay derived from a Roundtable on Technology and Change in Academic Libraries,
convened by ACRL on November 2-3, 2006 in Chicago
The Future of Higher Education: A View from CHEMA (PDF)
A report presented by Council of Higher Education Management Association (CHEMA) and
Educause Center for Applied Research (ECAR), with generous sponsorship from Carter &
Burgess, Inc., and produced for CHEMA by APPA.
Campus of the Future Poster session (PDF)
Poster session presented by ACRL President Pamela Snelson and ACRL Executive
Director Mary Ellen K. Davis, July 8-11, 2006, at The Campus of the Future, a joint
conference sponsored by AAPA (Serving Educational Facilities Professionals), NACUBO
(National Association of College and University Business Officers), and SCUP (Society for
College and University Planning).
Top Issues Facing Academic Libraries for the Future of Academic Libraries and
Librarians
ACRL unveiled its Top Ten Assumptions for the future of academic and research libraries
March 31, 2007, during its 13th National Conference in Baltimore. The ACRL Research
Committee developed the top ten assumptions after surveying member leaders and
conducting a literature review. Listen to ACRL leaders discuss the top ten assumptions in a
podcast interview.
Do We Need Academic Libraries? (January 2000)
This position paper, written by Larry Hardesty, addresses the necessity of requiring
accredited transregional and virtual institutions to maintain a physical library space.
New Gates Foundation Libraries Report

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/06/22/new-gates-foundation-libraries-report/

Toward Equality of Access: The Role of Public Libraries in Addressing the Digital
Divide

http://www.gatesfoundation.org/topics/Documents/TowardEqualityofAccess.pdf

Totally Digital Library Annual Reports

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/05/25/a-totally-digital-library-annual-report/

School Libraries and Student Achievement

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/05/13/school-libraries-and-student-achievement/

Why school libraries are more important than ever!

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/05/13/why-school-libraries-are-more-important-thanever/

Cutting Libraries in a Recession is like cutting Hospitals in a Plague . . .

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/24/cutting-libraries-in-a-recession-is-like/

Study: A Third of Americans Use Library Computers

http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/03/29/study-a-third-of-americans-use-library-computers/

The use of library technology had significant impact in four critical areas: employment,
education, health, and making community connections. In the last 12 months:
• 40 percent of library computer users (an estimated 30 million people) received help
with career needs. Among these users, 75 percent reported they searched for a job
online. Half of these users filled out an online application or submitted a resume.
• 37 percent focused on health issues. The vast majority of these users (82 percent)
logged on to learn about a disease, illness, or medical condition. One-third of these
users sought out doctors or health care providers. Of these, about half followed up by
making appointments for care.
• 42 percent received help with educational needs. Among these users, 37 percent (an
estimated 12 million students) used their local library computer to do homework for a
class.
• Library computers linked patrons to their government, communities, and civic
organizations. Sixty-percent of users – 43.3 million people – used a library’s computer
resources to connect with others.
Additional Readings and Resources:
I prepared this summary list in August 2010. These readings on trends in libraries are ones
which I consider very good and useful. I could easily have missed many great resources
and would be delighted to hear more about more. They have all been very influential in
library land and serve as important pieces of information for senior level decision-making in
libraries and consortia. They form the foundation for informed debates and strategies.
I expect that you are already aware of many of these. Many have come out and been
regularly updated. Being mindful of budgetary considerations, all of these are free and
available through the web. Feel free to add these to your bookmarks and download the
PDF’s and reports for reading.
I do try to keep up-to-date on advocacy developments in libraries and add links regularly
through my blog, Stephen’s Lighthouse. You can visit it here (or add it to your reader, RSS
feeds.

http://stephenslighthouse.com

Feel free to follow me on Twitter (sabram) or friend me on Facebook or LinkedIn and Plaxo
(Stephen Abram). Most new blog postings are copied to Facebook and Twitter too.
I am always available to chat or visit clients as my schedule permits. Feel free to contact me
anytime:
Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLA
Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Markets
Cengage Learning (Gale)
412-120 Perth Ave.
Toronto, ON
CANADA M6P 4E1

Here are some ideas to share diversity with your community or your staff.

Librarians from DCLS attended the National Diversity in Libraries Conference and brought back this link to a video: http://www.ouchthatstereotypehurts.com/
If you watch the preview of the video and want to use it with your staff or think the district library center should find and use funds to purchase it, please comment below.
Here’s what one librarian had to say: “a powerful reminder of the implications of what we both say and do not say. It is expensive (about $500), but it comes with training tools that could be used with staff.”

In other news, a library in Potter County was sharing words about acceptance and diversity and got this media coverage, and much community discussion over this film: Out in the Silence.
At least one library in our district has already ordered the title, and maybe more will be adding this dvd to their local holdings and may even pursue hosting a public screening.

Want more opinion on the topic? Ask your reference staff to do some research and add some links by using the comment space below:
-http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-wilson-solovic/workplace-stereotyping-a_b_564233.html
- an article found using an H.W. Wilson link: http://www.camagazine.com/generations/

Office of Commonwealth Libraries encourages you to use Webjunction to find information on a number of topics that are relevant to your library.

Take a look at all of the resources for grants and special funds that are collected here: http://pa.webjunction.org/pa-fundingresources

When you have an outstanding project that meets community needs in mind, and need to find the dollars to fund it, there are many opportunities.

If you are not a member of webjunction yet, sign up today. If you have questions about it, dedicate some time to navigating the resource, understand the structure of content and topics, and then send your questions or ask for help.

The Medical Library in the The Commonwealth Medical College in Scanton is seeking a web services librarian. The Web Services Librarian is primarily responsible for developing, maintaining and supporting the TCMC Medical Library website. By working collaboratively with librarians, faculty and students on the Medical Library website’s contents, this position will provide support to the TCMC curriculum and instructional program components. A primary responsibility is ensuring that high quality online materials and a wide array of electronic and print collection resources are readily available to virtual medical library users on a variety of platforms. This position will also lead evaluation efforts such as administering surveys and evaluating EZ Proxy data. The Web Services Librarian will also work closely with librarians and library staff on a variety of projects and initiatives.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
1. Content Creation for the Medical Library Website: collaborate with library units and content providers to create websites that support organizational strategies and goals. Create, or coordinate as a member of the medical library team, the online instructional components to support the library’s information literacy and informatics programs, such as tutorials, podcasts, blogs and wikis; design, develop and manage the virtual medical library website by performing webpage programming and providing technical maintenance; develop technical documentation related to the virtual medical library website to ensure quality control of projects and compliance with standards recommended by TCMC; provide leadership and recommendations for new technologies, such as handheld devices, and web-based applications, and assist with implementation of these new technologies.

2. Assist with Management of Electronic Resources: manage the A to Z e-journals and e-books lists; Troubleshoot technology problems for library clientele; Assist in the evaluation, selection and promotion of electronic resources; Identify, evaluate and contribute relevant content for the library’s website including high-quality, relevant documents and site links, and new e-resources; train, or arrange training for, end-users and staff in the use of electronic resources; assist with promoting alternative publishing models such as PubMed Central.

3. Public Services: The Web Services Librarian will participate in public services delivery to faculty and students both on the TCMC main campus and at the regional campuses. This position will engage in both formal and informal communication methods to learn about and meet user needs; assist students with research papers, troubleshoot electronic resources access issues and provide other direct public services via e-mail, phone or in-person.

4. Information Literacy and Informatics: The Web Services Librarian will participate in information literacy and medical informatics training and initiatives in partnership with TCMC librarians, the office of Academic Informatics and the office of Medical Informatics. These functions include supporting faculty development and medical informatics training and educational classes; and helping to troubleshoot access to library resources.

5. Service: Contribute to the Medical Library team and serve on TCMC internal/external committees by working cooperatively on library-wide initiatives as appropriate to position functions. Participate in statewide, regional and national library organizations.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED
• This position reports to the Director of the Library.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:
• Master’s degree in library and information science (MLS or MSLS) from an ALA accredited program.
• Experience in developing and building websites and in providing technical maintenance.
• Commitment to a user-centered approach to web-based services, including web interfaces that meet the needs of
library clientele.
Desired:
• Previous experience in an academic library preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
• Proficiency using HTML and web editors such as Dreamweaver and FrontPage.
• Proficiency using graphics editors, such as Photoshop and Visio.
• Knowledge of website and information architecture principles.
• An understanding of graphic design elements.
• Knowledge of current and emerging technologies in digital and web-based library services.
• Knowledge of current digital library standards and best practices.
• Knowledge of web-based instructional design principles and technologies.
• Knowledge of standard Windows packages, including PowerPoint, Publisher, Excel and MS Access.
• Strong Internet searching skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently, and to set and meet deadlines.
• Ability to adapt to new and changing situations, priorities and technologies.
• Excellent communication skills in articulating the library’s online vision.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Detail oriented, with excellent problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work with diverse groups of individuals, including students, faculty and staff.
• Strong initiative and ability to function independently and as a contributing member of a team.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize, ability to demonstrate innovation and flexibility.

Please submit a cover letter and CV to: Human Resources, The Commonwealth Medical College, 150 North Washington Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503 or electronically to hr@tcmedc.org.

For electronic submissions, please include the title of the position in the subject line of the response.

The Pennsylvania Center for the Book presents A Baker’s Dozen, the Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy. A bookmark has been developed-Family Literacy Bookmark-and available for any library who would like them for their patron’s. To order this great promotional tool contact:

Caroline Wermuth
Outreach Coordinator
The Pennsylvania Center for the Book
502 Paterno Library
University Park, PA 16802-1812
cvw1@psu.edu

Bucks County Free Library is accepting applications for a Youth Services Librarian/Librarian 1 at the Bucks County Free Library located in Quakertown, PA. For a complete job description, please see our website: jobs

DUTIES: The Youth Services Librarian plans and implements or participates in planning and implementing a comprehensive program of library services for children from birth through teen years, as well as parents, caregivers, and community organizations serving them. This may include collection management; reference and reader’s advisory; outreach and programming; advocacy and public relations. The Youth Services Librarian may guide the work of other staff and/or volunteers supporting Youth Services efforts. The Youth Services Librarian 1 position is an entry level position with the same duties and responsibilities as Librarian 2. (Please see job description attached.)

Versatility will be a key factor for success. The individual selected for this position will regularly conduct programming and special events for children of all ages, teens, and families, as well as provide general assistance to library users of all ages. S/He will build and maintain relationships with community leaders and teachers to foster opportunities for showcasing the library in the community.

Candidates who have a working knowledge of child/teen development, have recent experience nurturing a love of literacy in children of any age gained while working in a formal setting, and a strong commitment to providing quality customer service will be highly considered.

This position requires the ability to troubleshoot software and printer problems. Youth Services Librarians must be able to provide computer assistance and instruction in popular software packages and Internet applications.

QUALIFICATIONS: Requires a Master’s degree. Degree required: Library/Information Studies. Requires ongoing continuing education as mandated by Commonwealth Libraries. No previous experience required.

HOURS: Full time – 37.5 hours per week – weekdays, evenings and weekends included

SALARY: $21.69/hr. (regular rate); $20.84/hr. (probationary rate)

TO APPLY: E-mail a letter of interest noting the position for which you are applying and your current resume to: libraryjobs@buckslib.org.

Public Libraries can provide basic information services and resources at no direct cost to the end user because the community shares them. The customer with an information need typically doesn’t need to pay anything at the time they receive services because the community finds it valuable enough to pay for it for all residents to share. Public libraries in PA are currently funded through allocated state, county, municipal and borough budgets, partnerships, in-kind donations and private financial support.

People in a rapidly changing information economy need public libraries as a place to share resources (both physical and virtual) with trained workers to help people best learn how to help themselves.

Whatever the result of the PA state budget (it is possible that 9% cuts in state funding are in the plan for public libraries) keep spirits high and keep focus on the goal of continuing to improve your community.

The need for citizens to be fully literate and engaged in positive work for community benefit increases in times of tight economy. Libraries aim to meet the need for literacy at all ages and in all subjects by providing a community center for information, technology access, education, and quality recreation.

The district consultant is getting married on August 28. She will be out of office for a few days before and for a vacation after where work for public libraries will be the last thing on her mind.

While doing some study for ILL and Electronic Resource steering committees, I came across some interesting articles on the Value of Information. I’m posting a few of them here in case anyone wants to join the dicussion and perhaps try to find some more recent studies: http://nnlm.gov/evaluation/workshops/measuring_your_impact/Navy-tutorial.pdf
http://informationarchitects.jp/the-value-of-information/
It’s just the beginning… there’s more.

Feel free to comment or discuss. (Or to let me know that you read this post.)