volume #4 issue#15

April 12, 2007

Prairie Views: the newsletter of the Prairie Area Library System

System News

Deadline for PALS Board Nominations is April 18
The PALS Board of Directors will have five vacant seats starting July 1, 2007. The vacancies needing to be filled are: 3 public library trustee seats, 1 special library seat and 1 academic library seat. All seats will serve three year terms except one public library trustee who will serve a two year term. If you would like to self-nominate or know anyone that is interested in applying for these vacancies, please go to the nomination form. Nominations will be accepted through April 18, 2007.

Nominations Are Now Being Accepted for the FY2008 PALS Librarian's Advisory Committee - Deadline May 11, 2007
Nominations are sought for the Librarians Advisory Committee from persons working in the Freeport, LaSalle, Rockford, Shorewood, and Sycamore neighborhoods. Terms of office are for two years beginning July 1, 2007. The Librarians Advisory Committee is comprised of 15 representatives. Eight representatives are elected and seven are appointed by the PALS Executive Director. The committee's elected representatives who will be serving the second year of their term in FY2008 are Ava Ketter (Coal Valley), Cynthia Fuerst (Kankakee), and Gail Wright (Sterling). Nominees are being sought to represent the four remaining PALS neighborhoods for FY2008-2009. Self nominations are welcomed. Nominees should complete the online form or send a paper form to Cori Swanson at the Coal Valley Service Center (CVSG) no later than May 11, 2007. Please, follow this link to electronically submit a nomination form.

April ILA Reporter Addresses Current Issues
Among the articles in April's ILA Reporter you will fnd an explanation of Public Act 94-1058 which library directors should read and share with their trustees. "Electronic Attendance at Meetings" discusses not only phone/videoconference attendance at actual board meetings but also points out how other interactive communication could put trustees in violation of the Open Meetings Act.

Those of you who heard ILA lobbyist Kip Kolkmeier on OPAL last month will probably want to look at his article on 2007 Illinois Library Day.

On page 23 there is mention of a Land of Lincoln Statewide Read being organized by NIU's Kay Shelton and Kathryn Harris of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. You are invited to participate.

If you don't get the paper copy, you can find this issue at http://www.ila.org/pub/reporter/current.pdf.

PALS Day 2007
PALS Day 2007 will be held on Friday, April 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Starved Rock Lodge in Utica, IL. Find more information on the PALS website or print off the attached brochure. Registration for PALS Day is limited to 225, and we have more than half that number registered already, so don't delay! Register for the event in CLeO. We have reserved blocks of hotel rooms at Starved Rock Lodge for both Thursday and Friday nights. If interested in staying, please call the hotel and tell them you would like one of the rooms in the PALS block. Rate is $70 single or $80 double occupancy, but deadline to get this rate through the PALS block is March 26. Please ask Judy Hutchinson (judyh@palsnet.info) or Nancy Smith (nancys@palsnet.info) if you have any questions about PALS Day.

An extra feature at this year's PALS Day is that Peggy Barber of Library Communications Strategies will be providing 15 minute one-on-one consultations with member libraries on their promotional materials or questions they have about marketing for their libraries. There are eight of these consultation timeslots, so if you are interested, sign up now! Contact Debbie Fowler (debbief@palsnet.info) to sign up for a consultation.

Register for Rides to PALS Day
PALS will be providing free bus transportation from each of the Service Center areas to Starved Rock Lodge for PALS Day on April 27th. For information and to register go to http://www.palsnet.info/events and find the bus serving the location from which you wish to travel. Please register as soon as you know your plans. Bus seats are limited.
Remember to register separately for the event itself!

Events/Continuous Learning
CLeO: All continuous learning events sponsored by PALS are open to all staff or representatives of member libraries. Registration is required for all PALS continuous learning programs. To register, visit the PALS CLeO at http://www.palsnet.info/events/

Information on registration, how to set up a CLeO account, and PALS procedures for continuous learning can be found on the PALS website at: http://www.palsnet.info/services/cl/default.asp

PALS Events by Month

NIU Class at PALS Service Centers this Fall
"Instructional Technology Tools" (ETT 530) will be offered this fall via videoconference at the three PALS Service Centers (Rockford, Shorewood, and Coal Valley) from Northern Illinois University. The class will run on Thursdays from Sept. 13-Dec. 13 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. There are also two lab sessions required on the NIU campus in DeKalb. Those will be held on Sat., Oct. 20 and Sat., Dec. 1st from 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

A second class, "Introduction to Educational Research" (ETR 520) will also be held this fall. Students can take it online or attend class at NIU--Rockford, NIU--Naperville, or NIU--DeKalb. Both classes are media electives for those interested in school media certification, endorsement, or the master's degree in Instructional Technology. For specifics on registering or further information on the NIU/PALS program partnership, please contact Karen Woodworth Roman, Program Advisor, at 815-753-9321 or kwoodworth@niu.edu, Jane Lenser janel@palsnet.info, or Norma Applegate normaa@palsnet.info.

Fall 2007 LTA Classes at Rockford and Coal Valley Service Centers
Attention library support staff! Are you looking for opportunities to learn more about the library world? Are you looking toward advancement in your current position or in your career? Then the LTA (Library Technical Assistant) Program may be for you. In past years, PALS has offered the LTA program from the College of DuPage via videoconference at both the Rockford and the Coal Valley Service Centers. We are considering offering this opportunity again in fall 2007.

If you are interested or for additional information, please contact Dawn DiVenti dawnd@palsnet.info
This is a great way to enter or re-enter the academic environment.
Check http://www.cod.edu/LTA for more information.

How Not to be the Library the Press Attacks
When you hear "I demand that you take that terrible book off the shelf!” do you run for cover, get angry, or give in? Are there alternatives? The Illinois Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee invites library staff and boards to a Defending Access Workshop coming soon to your library system. Defending Access with Confidence (by Catherine Lord) is a step-by-step program that takes participants through the history of intellectual freedom and the law, related policies, and approaches to challenges against intellectual freedom in the context of libraries. Utilizing this program, trainers will help participants understand their role in protecting the right to access in library settings and find alternative ways to satisfy patrons whenever possible.
April 12, 2007 Rolling Prairie Library System in Decatur
May 1, 2007 Prairie Area Library System at the Reddick Library in Ottawa
May 3, 2007 Alliance Library System in East Peoria
May 10, 2007 North Suburban Library System in Wheeling
May 17, 2007 Metropolitan Library System in Burr Ridge

To register for this program go to https://www.ila.org/events/reg_dawc.htm

Workshop On Shareable Metadata
The Illinois State Library will host "Metadata for You & Me: A Workshop on Shareable Metadata" on Friday May 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p. m. The workshop addresses the needs of library, museum and cultural heritage professionals in the creation, development and use of interoperable or shareable descriptive metadata. The content of workshops is based on the Best Practices for Shareable Metadata, an initiative of the Digital Library Federation and the National Science Digital Library, that provides guidance for creating metadata that can be easily understood, processed and used outside of its local environment. Registration and more information can be found at http://images.library.uiuc.edu/projects/mym/register.html

Member News

Ida Public and Rock Island Libraries Included in Libraries We Love Book
PALS members Ida Public (Belvidere) and Rock Island Public Libraries were two of the three Illinois Public Libraries to be represented in the Heart of the Community: The Libraries We Love book published by Berkshire Publishing Group. Eighty libraries were chosen from the 300 nominations sent to the publisher. Berkshire is following this up with a 2008 Calendar of Libraries We Love. The nomination form is at http://www.berkshirepublishing.com/assets_news/libraries/CalendarNominationForm.pdf.

Tracie Vaughn Zimmer Reception
On Monday, April 23, at 6:00pm, the Reddick Library in Ottawa is pleased to host a reception and book-signing for North Carolina poet and children’s author, Tracie Vaughn Zimmer. Tracie’s books, SKETCHES FROM A SPY TREE (a New York Public Library Best Book) and REACHING FOR SUN (starred review from Kirkus), will be available for purchase. Free and open to the public. For more information about Tracie, visit her on the web at www.tracievaughnzimmer.com. For more information about the event, contact jdurango@reddicklibrary.org.

Missing Books - we've added a new section to Prairie Views where members are welcome to post information about materials that are missing in transit. As with all Prairie Views submissions, please send to prairieviews@palsnet.info.

Title: Introduction to literature: fiction, poetry, drama [edited by] Sylvan Barnet.
Call Number: PR1109 .B253 1967
Barcode: 31516000442721.
Left Marengo Public Library on the PALS van March 7, 2007 and never arrived at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, IL.

Freebies/Exchanges/For Sale/Wanted

Prairie Area Library System offers a means for members to share discarded items to needy libraries. Procedures are outlined in the Reference Member Services Guide http://www.palsnet.info/services/reference/reference_guide.asp They are also outlined below.

Libraries wanting to offer up materials can email to Prairie Views, providing the following information:
*Library's name and phone number
*Title(s) of the items discarded

A list will be compiled for inclusion in the weekly Prairie Views newsletter. Anyone interested in freebies are to contact the library directly, (no earlier than Monday following the listing). Members are responsible for making their own arrangements. The PALS van delivery may be available for transporting items, as space and time permits. Contact your Service Center Delivery Manager to arrange for delivery of large shipments.

PALS Members - please remember that you are asked to not request or release any items whether they are Free or For Sale until Monday following the publication of the announcement in Prairie Views. This gives library staff a chance to see the message and request the materials if they are interested. Thanks for your cooperation - we have had several complaints in recent weeks about items being released before Monday.

Kaplan University
is offering the books in the attached list free of charge. Please email Jennifer Smith at jsmith@kucampus.edu to make a request.

Kankakee Community College Learning Resource Center
has the following titles for free:
Business Periodicals Index, v. 32 (1989) to v. 47 (2005)
Humanities Index, v. 16 (1989) to v. 29 (2003), also its Cummulative index v. 29, no. 4 & v.30, no. 1
If interested contact: 815-802-8408 Karen K. or email Karen at kkujawa@kcc.edu

Woodstock Public Library
has the following to be given away:
DVD cases (empty)! Most are black plastic, but other colors and clear may be mixed in. Most are in reasonably good condition. Tell us how many you would like! Over 2,000 available.
Contact: Maggie Crane, maggiec@woodstockil.info

Harvard Diggins Library
See-through Hanger Bags 11"h X 9/12"w. Bags have "Live Oak Media" printed on them
360 bags available - take all or some - like new & free
815-943-4671

Kishwaukee College Library
*Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media (2004)
* National Geographic Index (1888-1946 and 1947-1969)
*Oxford English Dictionary, vol. XII and Supplement & Bibliography (1933; 1961 printing)
* Harlow G. Unger's Encyclopedia of American Education, 3 vols. (1996)
* Illinois Service Directory (2004)

If interested contact:
Tim Lockman
(815) 825-2086 ext. 566

Job Openings
Jobs can be submitted on the PALS website at http://www.palsnet.info/jobs/ or by sending them to prairieviews@palsnet.info. All jobs submitted by either method will be included in Prairie Views for one week and will be posted for 120 days on the PALS website unless the library posting the job requests that it be removed before 120 days. Visit http://www.palsnet.info/jobs/ to views all the job ads that PALS currently has posted.

Joliet Central High School Media Specialist (1)
Joliet West High School Media Specialist (1)
Successful applicant must possess excellent communication and interpersoal skills as well as knowledge of current young adult print and non-print materials. Responsibilities include material selection, collection development, and general reference assistance to both students and faculty. Must be self-directed, innovative, flexible, and motivated. Must have a Standard Special Certificate (Type 10) in Library Science/Media (instructional materials) Teaching Endorsement, or MLS with Type 10 teaching certificate, or a Secondary Teacher Certificate with 24 semester hours in library science-media: professional preparation (at four-year college and /or graduate levels) in administration, organization (cataloging and classification, reference, and selection of materials (secondary level). Must have aptitude and familiarity with personal computers; Internet and other information technology skills required. Apply on-line at: http://www.generalasp.com/JTHS/onlineapp/jobpostings/view.asp

Computer Assistant
Fountaindale Public Library District, which proudly serves the diverse communities of Bolingbrook and Romeoville, Illinois, is seeking a Computer Assistant to provide computer assistance and training to library patrons. A 25 hour per week part-time position that includes some evenings and week-ends. High School diploma with computer related course work.
Starting salary: $8.67 per hour
Closing date: Until position is filled.

Send cover letter, resume and three references, including contact information, to:
Pris Gotham
Fountaindale Public Library District
300 W. Briarcliff Road
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
personnel@fountaindale.lib.il.us
Equal Opportunity Employer

Temporary Librarians
The Moline Public Library is seeking part-time, temporary, MLS Adult Services Librarians to work at public information desks on Sundays, June 3 - August 26, 2007, 11:30 am - 4:00 pm.

For further information, please contact:
Lisa Powell Williams, Adult Services Coordinator
309-736-5748
lwilliams@molinelibrary.org

Temporary Circulation Library Assistants
The Moline Public Library is seeking part-time, Circulation Assistants to work at the circulation desks on Sundays, June 3 - August 26, 2007, 11:30 am - 4:00 pm.

For further information, please contact:
Bryon Lear, Circulation Services Coordinator
309-736-5743
blear@molinelibrary.org

Temporary Children's Library Assistants
The Moline Public Library is seeking part-time, temporary, Children's Library Assistants to work at the children's desk on Sundays, June 3 - August 26, 2007, 11:30 am - 4:00 pm.

Director
The Ella Johnson Memorial Public Library District, located in Hampshire, Illinois seeks an energetic, challenge driven director. The District serves a rapidly growing community of approximately 17,000 serving Hampshire, Burlington, Pingree Grove and surrounding areas. The District has an operating budget of $465,000 with a materials budget of $67,000. The Director oversees a staff of eleven (1FT and 10PT) and reports to a seven member elected board of trustees. Interaction with city officials and community leaders is an essential aspect of the Director’s duties and responsibilities. The Director must display creativity and the ability to formulate and implement the District’s vision of growth utilizing strong communication skills. MLS degree required from an ALA-accredited program along with proven leadership abilities, excellent short and long term planning, fiscal, organizational, collection development and analytical skills. Administrative experience in a library district is required, Illinois preferred.

Salary $60,000 DOQ.

Interested parties send letter of interest, current resume, copy of transcripts and contact information for three referrals to:
Robert Becker
Ella Johnson Memorial Public Library
PO Box 429
Hampshire, IL 60140-0429
Application deadline: Friday, May 25, 2007

Rockford Public Schools District #205
has several openings at high school and middle school for the 2007-2008 school year. Information on applying can be found at http://webs.rps205.com through the Human Resources Department. Vacancies will be available on-line beginning April 2.

Questions can be directed to:
Deborah Bailey
baileyd@rps205.com
beginning April 5, 2007

Assistant Director
Ida Public Library, in Belvidere, IL, has an opening for the newly created position of Assistant Director. This is a professional library position with supervisory and managerial responsibility. The assistant director works with the director in developing and implementing library goals and objectives, developing and coordinating collection development policies; overseeing staff and staff training, participating in community relations activities, programming and community outreach. Position is fulltime and may require evening or Saturday hours.

A master’s degree in library science from an ALA accredited school and 1 year professional library experience are required. Base salary is $30,000 and the library pays ½ of the employee’s health insurance through the city’s insurance plan. Review of applications will begin immediately; position will remain open until filled.

Interested individuals should send a cover letter, resume, including contact information for 3 professional references to:
Connie Harrison, Director
Ida Public Library
320 N. State St.
Belvidere, IL 61008

Reference and ILL News
No Reference and ILL News this week.

Youth Services and School Library News

Caudill Website Resources
The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award website at www.rcyrba.org now has the 2008 Web Resource page posted. Take a look!

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" Helps Cheerios Create a Hunger for Books!
Cheerios (R) has teamed up with children's book author and illustrator, Eric Carle, to launch a specially illustrated box to promote an online book donation challenge and "Give a Child a Book Week" which is June 10-16, 2007. Cheerios printed five million of the Eric Carle illustrated boxes which are expected to be on store shelves now through early summer while supplies last. Cheerios will donate 100,000 copies of Carle's book The Tiny Seed to nonprofit groups that support children in need in five states. The states receiving the books will be determined by the number of votes which are earned by correct answers on the online quiz featuring children's books. As of this writing, IL is in sixth place, so get voting! There is no limit to the number of times you can vote. Go to www.FirstBook.org/carle. Voting ends on June 16, 2007. Over the past five years, Cheerios, through their Spoonfuls of Stories program, has donated more that $2 million to the nonprofit organization, First Book, whose single mission is to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. Cheerios has also given away more than 25 million books inside boxes of Cheerios cereal.

3 Online Book Awards Discussions in Early May(Monarch, Caudill, and Abraham Lincoln)
In early May the DuPage Library System will offer a series of three free online discussions of award-winning books for children, teens, and young adults. They will be using the OPAL collaborative web conferencing service for libraries to make these programs available to everyone. There is no need to register for these online events. To view the complete listing of upcoming OPAL online programs, complete with links into the online room and background information, please visit: http://www.opal-online.org/progschrono.htm

Tuesday, May 1, 2007 beginning at 3:00 Central
THE MONARCH AWARD: ILLINOIS' CHILDREN'S BOOK CHOICE AWARD
Pam Storm from the Carl Sandburg School in Charleston, Illinois will introduce the K-3 nominated books. A PDF listing of the featured titles is available
Sponsor: DuPage Library System
Location: Auditorium

Thursday, May 3, 2006 beginning at 3:00 Central
REBECCA CAUDILL YOUNG READER'S BOOK AWARD
Bonita Slovinski from Lincoln Junior High School in Naperville, Illinois will talk about the books for grades 4 through 8. A PDF listing of the featured titles is available.
Sponsor: DuPage Library System
Location: Auditorium

Thursday, May 10, 2007 beginning at 3:00 Central
ABRAHAM LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL BOOK AWARD
The Abraham Lincoln Award is awarded annually to the author of the book voted as most outstanding by participating students in grades nine through twelve in Illinois. Carolyn Roys from Lake Park High School in Roselle, Illinois will lead a lively discussion of the nominated books for 2007. The award is sponsored by the Illinois School Library Media Association (ISLMA). An annotated PDF listing of the featured titles is available.
Sponsor: DuPage Library System
Location: Auditorium

New "Read For A Lifetime" Titles
The State Library's hugely popular "Read for a Lifetime" program for high school students has announced a new set of titles for the 2007-08 school year. With a few exceptions, next year's titles highlight Illinois authors or books featuring Illinois. Check out the new list!

Support Teen Literature Day
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is celebrating the first ever Support Teen Literature Day on April 19, 2007. Support Teen Literature Day will be celebrated in conjunction with ALA’s National Library Week (April 15-21, 2007). Librarians all across the country are encouraged to participate in Support Teen Literature Day by hosting events in their library. The purpose of this new celebration is to raise awareness among the general public that young adult literature is a vibrant, growing genre with much to offer today’s teens. Support Teen Literature Day also seeks to showcase some award-winning authors and books in the genre as well as highlight librarians’ expertise in connecting teens with books and other reading materials. Many of these activities can be featured throughout National Library Week or simply featured on Support Teen Literature Day. - ALA press release

Nominations Are Available for YALSA’s National Teens’ Top Ten Vote
CHICAGO - The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is pleased to announce that nominations are available for the national Teens’ Top Ten (TTT) Vote to take place during Teen Read WeekTM, October 14 –20, 2007. Teens across the country are encouraged to read the 25 nominated titles to prepare themselves for the Teens’ Top Ten vote. Nominations can be found online at www.ala.org/teenstopten. In order to become an official nomination, each nomination had to be nominated by at least three teen reviewers and the reviewers had to represent at least two YA Galley/TTT groups. Any book that was published between January 2006 and March 2007 was eligible for nomination. Nominations closed on April 1, 2007.

“Having the nominations available in April allows more libraries to get their teens actively involved in the TTT vote during Teen Read WeekTM,” said YA Galley Chair Edith Cummings. “The list of 25 nominations makes the list manageable for teen readers and gives an excellent opportunity for school library media specialists and public librarians to work together and encourage teens to read the nominations over the summer!” TTT is a part of YALSA’s Young Adult (YA) Galley Project in which publishers of young adult books provide copies of their recent titles to teen book discussion groups in libraries. In exchange, teen readers evaluate books for the publishers. Teens across the country are encouraged to read the nominated titles and participate in the national vote during Teen Read Week, October 14 –20, 2007. The votes will determine the 2007 Teens’ Top Ten booklist of the best new books for young adults.

Bookapalooza Program
The Association for Library Service to Children's (ALSC) is now accepting applications for their new Bookapalooza Program. Selected libraries will receive a collection of materials that will help transform their collection and provide the opportunity for these materials to be used in their community in creative and innovative ways. Application deadline is Sunday, April 15. Applications and more information are available at the ALSC site.

Grant for ISLMA Members to Attend AASL Conference
This year Bound To Stay Bound, a supplier of children’s and young adult books, would like to award two grants to members of ISLMA to help defray the costs of attending their first American Association of School Librarian's Conference in Reno, Nevada, October 25-28, 2007. The grants will be in the amount of $750 each and the ISLMA Grants and Awards Committee will determine the two winners. Take a look at the ISLMA website at this address: http://www.islma.org/Bound.htm for details of eligibility and the online application form. Applications are due by May 4, 2007.

Public Library News

NIMEC (Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Cooperative) Introduction
If you are a public library and are interested in learning how to possibly lower your electric bill, please join us on Monday, April 30 to hear how this cooperative might be able to help you do so. Gary Grossman and David Hoover from NIMEC will introduce member libraries to the concept of the electric cooperative and how you might be able to benefit from belonging to such a group. Many public libraries have electrical power distributed by Commonwealth Edison since they are the distributor of electrical power. If you are interested in hearing how you might lower your electric bills, plan to attend this informational meeting. THERE IS NO OBLIGATION TO JOIN THE COOPERATIVE nor will there be any pressure to join. This is just an informational meeting. Gary and David will be at the Shorewood Service Center (with videoconference to the Coal Valley Service Center) from 9:30-11:00 on Monday, April 30. They will be in the Rockford Service Center (with VC to Coal Valley) from 1:30-3:00 on Monday, April 30. Please register on CLeO if you plan to attend either session. For additional information on this program, contact Nancy Smith x4466 or Sandy Ringstrom x2710.

Construction Grant Workshops
The State Library will present four workshops this spring on the FY2008 Live & Learn Construction Grant Program for libraries interested in the program or considering applying for a grant this coming fall. ISL Staff will review the specifics of the program and discuss the application process. Registration is required and can be made through the State Library's CLeO website. The locations, dates and times are:
Tuesday, April 24 1-3 PM Metropolitan Library System, Burr Ridge
Thursday, April 26 10-Noon Alliance Library System, East Peoria
Tuesday, May 1 1-3 PM Illinois State Library, Room 403
Thursday, May 3 1-3 PM Benton Public Library, Benton

Academic Library News
No Academic Library News this week.

Special Library News

SLA Offering Free Access to Leadership and Management eBook Collection
Through SLA's Click University Click University, the exclusive members-only online learning center of the Special Libraries Association (SLA), has announced the availability electronically of nearly 1000 business titles through ebrary®, a well known eBook technology provider and services company. This decision by SLA to offer members free unrestricted access to books and resources about leadership and management follows numerous upgrades and improvements to the offerings members can access through participate in SLA's Clitck U. Click U, which SLA launched in June of 2005, is dedicated to meeting the changing educational needs of information professionals working in corporate and organizational settings. Click U's features and courses are constantly evolving, ensuring they reflect the competency demands of today's information environment. The ebrary collection offers yet another option for busy information professionals looking to expand their skill sets whenever, wherever and however they wish. As part of its strategy to improve on an already successful member benefit, the Click U team is implementing free access to this collection for SLA members only. The ebrary leadership and management suite provides members with an arsenal of information and resources that will allow them to expand their professional development in accordance with SLA's Competencies for Information Professionals of the 21st Century. View here: www.sla.org/competencies. For information about SLA membership go to www.sla.org.

Support Staff News

It's a Library 2.0 World: Are Your Skills Ready?
It's time to enroll in Library Information and Technology classes at College of DuPage, a national leader in LTA education! Join your colleagues this summer online, via two-way video, or in the classroom to start or continue your library and information technology education. Registration opens April 9 for classes beginning May 29.
Summer courses: http://www.cod.edu/LTA/Summer2007courseplan.doc or download the attached flyer.
Register online: http://www.cod.edu/AdRegRec/Register/.
Have questions? Contact Linda Slusar, LTA Coordinator, at (630) 942-2597 or slusar@cod.edu.

Technology Services News
No Technology Services News this week.

New Books at PALS

New at the Shorewood Service Center
2006 LACONI library salary survey, LS 023.9 LAC

Library News Around the State & Nation

Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White and the Illinois State Library Are Pleased to Announce the E-Rich Offering of NoveList & NoveList K-8
NoveList allows adults and teens to find recommended books based on existing favorite books, favorite authors, subject interests and more. NoveList K-8 helps children in grades K-8, parents, & teachers identify books that are appropriate for children's reading abilities and interests. This offering not only provides access to a database, but also offers a wide range of resources that will expand your staff's ability to serve readers of all ages and increase your library's reach. NoveList & NoveList K-8 is available to ILLINET member academic, public, special, high school, middle school and elementary school library buildings. The Illinois State Library will subsidize 50% of the cost for each library building. Application and Invoice Instructions can be found at http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/what_we_do/pdfs/novelist2007_invoice.pdf. Please contact Gwen Harrison (gharrison@ilsos.net) or 217-785-7334 for further information.

"Library Appreciation Night" at the White Sox
Baseball season is getting underway so it is time to make plans for "Library Appreciation Night" at the Chicago White Sox game on Thursday, July 5th at 7:11 p.m. On this special night, bargain priced tickets are available to librarians, library staff, trustees, and their families and friends. Tickets normally priced at $35 and $16 are available for $17.50 and $8 respectively. Tickets must be ordered ahead of time with a deadline of June 1st. Please see the flyer for more details.

New Season of Step Up to the Plate @ Your Library® Begins; Promotional Tools for Librarians Available Online
(CHICAGO) Just as baseball season is officially gearing up all across the country, so is the second season of the Step Up to the Plate @ your library® program, developed by ALA and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. This year, two of America’s favorite pastimes – baseball and libraries – team up for literacy. Kids and young adults between the ages 9 to 18 years of age are invited to go to their library, pick out a baseball book and describe how their favorite character inspired them. Entries can be submitted in both English and Spanish from now until September 1. One grand prize winner will receive a trip to the Hall of Fame in October 2007.

Librarians can visit the program Web site now at www.ala.org/baseball to register for free promotional tools to help promote the program locally. Tools include program logos and a toolkit that includes sample press materials and programming ideas. The first 100 libraries to register will receive a Jackie Robinson History Lives poster from ALA Graphics. Librarians can also win incentives for participation in the program. More information is available on the Step Up to the Plate Web site.

The Step up to the Plate @ your library program will officially launch April 15th and 16th in Peoria, Ill., with program spokespeople and Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg and Ozzie Smith. Sandberg is the manager of the Minor League’s Peoria Chiefs and will help kick off the program. First-place prize packages also will be awarded (five in each of four age categories). They will include a commemorative hardbound copy of the Hall of Fame Yearbook; Hall of Fame t-shirt; commemorative set of 20 Hall of Fame baseball cards; DVD copy of the classic baseball movie, "The Sandlot;" miniature souvenir Akadema Pro baseball glove; and a Jackie Robinson History Lives poster from ALA Graphics.

Woman's Day Initiative: Small Businesses Start @ Your Library
Just a reminder that all entries for this initiative are due May 10! New Woman’s Day initiative asks readers to share stories on how the library helped them start their businesses. Every year, more than 500,000 entrepreneurs start new businesses in the United States. But how and where to they get the resources and support it takes to succeed? The answer is @ your library.

From now until May 10th, Woman’s Day magazine, in conjunction with ALA’s Campaign for America’s Libraries, is collecting stories on how its readers have used the library to start their small businesses. The magazine announced the initiative in its March 6 issue, where it asks its women readers aged 18 and over to submit their stories in 700 words or less. Stories can be sent to womansday@ala.org. Four of the submissions will be featured the March 2008 issue of Woman’s Day. Librarians can promote this initiative locally by downloading sample promotional materials from The Campaign for America's Libraries’ Web site at www.ala.org/@yourlibrary. Sample tools include a press release, newsletter copy and Web button.

Also featured in the March issue are the four winners of the "how the library changed my life" initiative. The stories include a mother who turned to the library during a bout of post-partum depression, an Indonesian immigrant who used books from her childhood public library to learn English, a mother who used the library to help find her place in a new community, and a blind writer and teacher who uses the free books-on-tape service from the Library of Congress as an everyday escape. Woman’s Day received nearly 2,000 essays in response to the call for entries, the most it has ever received in response to an initiative of this type. Later this spring, ALA will make many of these stories available through a searchable online database. Woman’s Day is a Founding Partner of The Campaign for America’s Libraries, the ALA’s multi-year public awareness and advocacy campaign to promote the value of libraries and librarians in the 21st century.

News from Vendors

No News.

Legislative/Advocacy News

HB 1727, Mandatory Filter Bill Amended
House Amendment No. 2 provides that the Internet safety policy must provide for the disablement of the technology protection measure by an employee of the public library upon the request of a minor to use the computer for legitimate research or some other lawful purpose if that minor is adequately supervised for the duration of the minor's use of the computer by an individual who is 21 years of age or older. For the full bill and talking points http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=1727&GAID=9&GA=95&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=30552&SessionID=51 http://www.capwiz.com/ila/callalert/index.tt?alertid=9508996

Talking points: This could mean that in the absence of another supervising adult, the library would need to free up a staff member to be present for the time the minor uses the computer. Do you have extra staff with the free time to do this? At the April 9th PPC meeting, it was pointed out that the bill could be called any day - possibly early next week when the session resumes following a two week spring break. It we're very lucky, the bill might not be called until we are in Springfield for Illinois Library Day when we could lobby in person against the bill. However, we shouldn't count on this timing. It could well be called on the floor before we arrive.

Kip Kolkmeier, ILA lobbyist, finds in his preliminary count, that it looks like there are over 60 votes in favor of the bill which would mean that it passes and he can see legislators jump over if it looks like it will pass easily. He's working hard on our legislators and is explaining the impact of this bill to our libraries but he needs our help with contact to each of our legislators to make them realize just what an imposition this newest amendment is to libraries. Unfortunately a vote on this bill has been painted as being either pro-pornography or anti-pornography. It's up to all of us to make our legislators see how the bill affects our libraries. YOU can difference! Please make a call, send a fax or e-mail your legislators. If you're not sure of the contact information, go to the ILA's CapWiz, or send Inara an e-mail and she'll provide the info for your library. We're tried to make it easier for you and on the PALS web site, you'll also find the contact information shown for your legislators. Just click on the legislative district shown for your library and this will lead you into more detail.

Just So You Know

Grant News

PALS Members Pursue LSTA Grants
PALS member libraries have submitted 111 Letters of Intent for the FY2008 LSTA grants asking for $1,442,540:
34 Public libraries submitted 58 letters
24 School libraries submitted 45 letters
4 Academic libraries submitted 8 letters.
35 PALS members were listed as partners in the grant projects

By grant type there were:
41 letters for Emerging Grant Writer
32 for LINCC(Libraries: Innovate, Ceate, Collaborate)
27 for Safety
9 for Digital Imaging
1 for a Demonstration grant.

Additionally PALS submitted four Letters of Intent. Perhaps not all the letters will be followed up with applications. PALS staff encouraged those members who weren't quite sure about their idea to submit a letter of intent so they could explore their idea further. PALS members were awarded 134 grants in FY2007, many of which were for amounts of $3000 or less. Although a quick perusal of the list didn't reveal any libraries that haven't applied for grants in the past, there are 13 libraries submitting letters of intent that haven't done so since 2002 or before--going all the way back to 1996 & 1998. It's great to see members giving it a try.

Grants for Investor Education
The April 4th issue of American Libraries Direct includes an announcement of a cooperative ALA/NASD grant program for the education of investors. If your library has an interest in this area you can check http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0703b/final.pdf for additional information about the grant guidelines. You will also find instructions, the proposal template, information about the decision making process, and samples of grant projects previously approved at that location.

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Grants Target Small Libraries
Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions help small and mid-sized institutions, such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, town and county records offices, and colleges, improve their ability to preserve and care for their humanities collections. Awards of up to $5000 support preservation related collection assessments, consultations, and workshops, and institutional and collaborative disaster and emergency planning. Grants cover consultant fees, workshop registration fees, related travel and per diem expenses, and the costs of purchasing and shipping preservation supplies and equipment.

The 2007 guidelines for Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions are available at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/pag.html. You will also find sample project descriptions, sample narratives, and a list of frequently asked questions. The deadline for applications is May 15, 2007. Small and mid-sized institutions that have never received an NEH grant are especially encouraged to apply.

On the Internet
Our website picks of the week are supplied by Marylaine Block, Writer, Internet Trainer and "Librarian Without Walls," http://marylaine.com/.

NEAT NEW STUFF April 13, 2007

Information Today
I have a personal interest in this website for my publisher, which currently features my new book, The Thriving Library, on its front page. Yes, I hope you'll buy it. But there's also plenty of searchable high quality information available here, including content from the conferences it sponsors (Computers in Libraries, Internet Librarian, WebSearch University, etc.) and the periodicals it publishes (Searcher, Information Today, Computers in Libraries, Online, etc. You'll also find news, blogs, buyers guides, and more.
http://infotoday.com/

LibriVox:
Free audiobooks from the public domain
This "totally volunteer, open source, free content, public domain project" aims to "make all public domain books available as free audio books." Search or browse the existing catalog, and/or volunteer to record additional books for the project. It also offers podcasts.
http://librivox.org/

midomi
A web service, still in beta, aims to help with one of the hardest reference questions: identifying an unknown song when you only know the tune. Hum it into your microphone, or, if you think you know the artist, search its catalog of song samples.
http://www.midomi.com/

Open Culture
Check out all the podcasts linked here: on arts and culture, technology, foreign language lessons, audio books, etc., as well as podcasts from universities and news organizations. Also includes a primer on podcasting. Available as an RSS feed.
http://www.oculture.com/weblog/

Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies
Yet another useful project from the Pew Charitable Trusts, along with its partner, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The site both gathers news and research on nanotech and sponsors independent research to encourage public policy that minimizes the possible risks of nanotechnology and advances its potential benefits. Search or browse through its archives of news, reports, and podcasts.
http://www.nanotechproject.org/

Science Research Portal
"a free, publicly available web portal allowing access to numerous scientific journals and public science databases." Search through the resources for specific disciplines or through all databases. Also provides links to other free science portals.
http://www.scienceresearch.com/search/

Seven Ways To Find Local Political Blogs
All politics may be local, but you couldn't tell that from the news coverage, which is heavily tilted toward national politics. If you want to know what's going on at the state and local level, political blogs could be helpful. Use the tips outlined here to find some.
http://www.personaldemocracy.com/node/1140
Also look through the state-by-state blogroll at Governing's blog, The 13th Floor, http://governing.typepad.com/13thfloor/

Things Computers Can Do in Movies
Programming Blog
It's wonderful to see what computers can do if they don't have to conform with reality.
http://theprogrammingblog.com/jokes/things-computers-can-do-in-movies/

The Vintage Toy Encyclopedia
For each toy, there's an image and a brief history; in some cases, there's also info about its current value on the collectibles market.
http://www.toynfo.com/

Virtual Tourism
This mashup combines descriptions from Wikipedia with Google Maps and travel videos from YouTube and Lonely Planet.
http://virtualtourism.blogspot.com/

Yahoo!
Widgets
Thousands of free utilities you can download - newsfeeds, cam viewers, application enhancers, geek stuff, and more.
http://widgets.yahoo.com/
See also the Widgetbox Directory of web widgets for blogs http://www.widgetbox.com/ and Apple's Dashboard Widgets http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/ (note that there are over 180 reference widgets, and more than 100 search widgets)

Prairie Views will be published weekly on Thursdays on the PALS website. PALS member libraries are encouraged to send items for inclusion to prairieviews@palsnet.info by Tuesday of the week you would like your information to appear.

We will send an email reminder each week when the new issue is available on the PALS website. If you do not currently receive email reminders, please send a message to prairieviews@palsnet.info to have your email address added to the reminder mailing list or visit http://mailman.palsnet.info/mailman/listinfo to subscribe or unsubscribe yourself.