Member Email
December 4, 2008 issue
Prairie Views: Newsletter of the Prairie Area Library System
Volume: 5
Issue: 46
System News
PALS Offices Closed
PALS will host our annual staff in-service day on Friday, December 5th at the Mendota Civic Center. All PALS offices will be closed. Delivery Services will continue as normally scheduled, and emergency PrairieCat/Technology Support will be available via 877-542-7257 and choosing option 7.
Winter Is Back!
With the onset of winter, please be reminded that PALS plans may change from day to day. If you have any doubts or questions about whether or not a program or event may be cancelled, please consult the middle pane of the PALS homepage for verification. This is our main method of member notification during uncertain conditions. If you’re not near a computer, call PALS at 877-LIB PALS (877-542-7257) for an update. Please be sure to register for any and all events through Library Learning (L2) since this is how we notify registrants of any changes or updates.
It's Time to Compile a PALS Best Books List for 2008
We are asking you to submit your favorite title at the preschool/primary, intermediate, and/or young adult level as well as a favorite nonfiction title. Please help us to create this bibliography by filling out the survey by January 23, 2009. Please limit your nominations to one favorite book per level ( preschool/primary, intermediate, young adult and non-fiction). Feel free to fill out any or all of the categories according to the age groups you serve. ALL BOOKS SHOULD HAVE A 2008 PUBLICATION DATE. We will compile the submissions and make it available electronically.
If you have any questions, contact:
Jane Lenser (4461, janel@palsnet.info
or Norma Applegate (2705, normaa@palsnet.info).
New PALS Executive Director Search Committee Report
The Executive Director Search Committee met November 24 at the LaSalle Public Library. Among the topics discussed at the meeting were application procedures and the timeline for the search.
Draft minutes of the meeting are available at http://www.palsnet.info/about-pals/pals-board/committee-agendas-and-minutes/Search%20Com%20Draft%20Minutes%2020081124.pdf/view.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Rhonda Krahl at rhondak@palsnet.info or ext 3151.
Team of Rivals Obama READ Poster Available
A poster of President Elect Obama “reading” Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals is available through the PALS poster service. The choice of book was foreshadowing what we now hear the media discuss as the similarity to president Lincoln’s Team of Rivals as he made his cabinet choices. President Lincoln appointed a cabinet with members who ran against him, were discourteous to him, disagreed with each other, didn’t even like each other but worked wondrously to make up an effective cabinet.
To order the poster at $7.50 for a normal poster size for your library, see http://www.palsnet.info/member-services/marketing-communications/poster-printing#section-2.
Member News
Our condolences
to Cindy Hoogheem, Director, Clinton Community College Library, on the death of her father Clarence "Colonel" Meurs, who passed away last week. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cindy and her family at this difficult time.
to Lauren Collen, Librarian at Woodstock CUSD#200, on the death of her son, Benjamin who passed away last week. Our thoughts and prayers are with Lauren and her family at this difficult time.
Bettendorf Public Library Closed for Staff Training
The Bettendorf Public Library will be closed to the public on Thursday, December 11, for staff training. The book drops will still be available to return items at the drive-up return and Dewey’s Café will be open 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Farewell Open House
for Library Director
Join us for an open house on Wednesday, December 17 from 2pm to 4pm in the café area of the library’s first floor to say goodbye to Kankakee Public Library director Cindy Fuerst. Fuerst, KPL director for the past 13 years, has accepted a new position as director of the Vernon Hills Area Library District in Lincolnshire, Illinois.
Closing for Remodeling
The Erie Public Library will close beginning on December 8, 2008, to start the final phase of their addition/renovation project. A date for re-opening will be announced when it is finalized.
Continuous Learning
UI GSLIS Community Credit Courses - Spring 2009
The Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS), in cooperation with the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC) Office of Continuing Education, is pleased to announce a limited number of registration openings in several online and on-campus graduate credit courses via the Academic Outreach Community Credit program for the spring 2009 semester. Formal admission to the University is not necessary, but a bachelor's degree is required.
Please see the following web page for the schedule of available courses and information on how to register for a course. Instruction starts January 20, 2009 and ends May 6. Registration must be completed by December 12. http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/programs/cpd/Community_Credit/
OPAL News
Over the next two weeks there will be a number of interesting, free online programs available through OPAL (www.opal-online.org), the collaborative webconferencing service for libraries and other organizations.
This Friday we'll have a casual conversation with the effervescent educator John Budd. On Sunday the Flagler Museum is hosting a talk by the author of a new book about A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. We'll also have programs about the fine novel, Amistad, about the use of MySpace by libraries, and about gaming in libraries. Details are below. Everyone is welcome to attend. There is no need to register. To access all upcoming OPAL online programs, please visit:
http://www.opal-online.org/progschrono.htm
If you're a first-time user of OPAL, there is a webpage of tips at:
http://www.opal-online.org/firsttimetips.htm
Freebies & Exchange
Coal City Public Library has to giveaway:
Please contact Irene at imshepkowski@coalcity.lib.il.us if you are interested
Davenport Public Library has to giveaway:
1). Building Construction Cost Data by RSMeans, 65th Annual Edition, 2007
2). Who’s Who in the Midwest, 2008
If interested, please email camador-perez@davenportlibray.com
Reddick Library has to giveaway:
1) 2008 Consumer Reports Buying Guide
2) How to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. 13th ed. 2006
3) Higher Education Directory 2007.
If interested please email emchapman@reddicklibrary.org
The Des Plaines Valley Public Library District has the
following books available for freebies:
Chicago 7-County Street Guide (2007--spiral bound)
Chase's Calendar of Events 2006 (pbk.)
2007 Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901-2000 (34th ed.)
Encyclopedia of Multiculturalism (c1994--8 volumes--Marshall Cavendish)
Encyclopedia of Social Issues (c1997--6 volumes--Marshall Cavendish)
The Latino Encyclopedia (c1996--6 volumes--Marshall Cavendish)
If interested, please email Catherine Yanikoski, Adult Services Manager, at cyanikoski@dpvlib.org
Black Hawk College Library has
the following list of materials to give away.
If interested, call Amy Miller at 309-796-5700 or email millera@bhc.edu.
Around the State & Nation
100 Notable Books of 2008
The New York Times Book Review has selected this list from books reviewed since December 2, 2007. It’s divided into sections on fiction and poetry, and nonfiction. Each summary is only one sentence long, but the title links to the full review on the newspaper’s website.
School Library Journal's Best Books 2008
Of the more than 5000 books reviewed in SLJ’s pages in 2008, the 67 books listed stood out as having distinctive voices, singular vision, and/or innovative approaches. They include books for toddlers and preschoolers, terrific picture books and easy readers, and some highly original novels. Fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction, humor, mystery, affecting family stories, and adventure all make an appearance. It was an amazingly strong year for YA novels, several with hard-hitting, powerful themes.
E-Rate News
FY2009 Application Filing Window Dates Established
The FY2009 application filing window will open at noon EST on Tuesday, December 2, 2008 and will close at 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 12, 2009. The filing window will be open for 73 days. Applicants should note that FY2009 Forms 470 can be filed now.
Traditionally, a high percentage of Forms 471 arrive at USAC during the final week that the window is open. We urge you to file early so that:
· You have an opportunity to review your work and make corrections if necessary.
· You can re-file your form if an error you made cannot be corrected.
· USAC has your information and can start reviewing your application.
We also urge you to file online:
· The system notifies you of possible errors and allows you to correct them.
· The system does your calculations for you.
· You can review your information online before you submit it.
· Your information is submitted quickly and correctly.
Contact Marilyn at PALS – Rockford for help filing your 2009 470 form. Email marilynj@palsnet.info or call 815-229-4470
Prairie Views is the weekly newsletter of the Prairie Area Library System
