volume #4 issue#29

July 19, 2007

Prairie Views: the newsletter of the Prairie Area Library System

System News

PALS Communications Survey Now Open!
In FY2008, PALS staff wants to work on improving communications to our member libraries. We hope to implement a new website and a new design/platform for our newsletter, Prairie Views. We are also investigating expanding our use of Blogs/ RSS news feeds, Wikis, podcasting and more. Before we do that, we'd like to gather your input on current PALS communications tools and where you think we should move in the future. To that end, we invite you to participate in a survey about PALS and communication with our members. Click here to take the survey. The survey will be open until August 15, so please tell your colleagues! Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate.

PALS Seeking Sublessee for Rockford Facility
Those who work at or visit the PALS Rockford Service Center know that we have more square footage in that facility then we actually need, but also ten years left on our lease for that space. We have recently put a sign out in front of the building to let potential sublessees know that we would be willing to sub-lease space. However, we want to assure members in the Rockford area that we have no plans to stop having office/meeting/workshop space in Rockford. We simply are hoping to reduce some of our operating expenses if we can sub-lease some of the extra space.

Union Listing Users Group (ULUG) Initial Meetings
Union Listing(UL) Members of PrairieCat are urged to attend one of these informational and organizational sessions live at Coal Valley Service Center on Thursday, July 26th or at Rockford Service Center on Wednesday, August 15th, from 9:30 to 11:30 AM. (The July 26th session will also be available by videoconference at Rockford and the August 15th at Coal Valley.) PALS staff will discuss the services, privileges and responsibilities that accompany UL PrairieCat membership as well as the financial commitment. There will be the opportunity to meet PALSGroup staff who will be present, and answer some questions, on the operational and procedural aspects of Union Listing. This will also be the opportunity to nominate ULUG representatives who will attend PALSGroup meetings in an advisory capacity and serve as liaison between the two groups.

Please register on CLeO for the date and place you plan to attend.

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

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.

Fall 2007 LTA Classes at Joliet Junior College
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 is a wonderful match. Joliet Junior College is located on Houbolt Road, not far from Interstate 80. The fall offerings are:

LTA 101
Introduction to Libraries (two sessions)

Intro To Libraries - LATE START
Thursdays, 10:00AM - 11:25A
9/04-12/14 LTA 101

Intro to Libraries (This is a blended class which has both online and on-campus requirements. For additional information regarding class meetings and online activities, visit the distance education website
Mondays, 6:00PM - 9:00PM
8/20-12/14

LTA 201 Cataloging and Classification
Wednesdays, 6:00PM - 09:00PM
8/22-12/05

LTA 202 - 30 Readers Advisory/Lib Prog
Thursdays, 6:00PM - 9:00PM
08/23-12/06

For more information, contact Catherine Suchy at csuchy@jjc.edu.

PALS to Offer Two CPLA Courses
In partnership with the Public Library Association, PALS has been selected to offer two CPLA courses. http://www.pla.org/ala/pla/plaevents/cplacourses/CPLAcourses.cfm

For information about the Certified Public Library Adminstrator program.
*On October 24-25, 2007, PALS will host "Serving Diverse Populations."
The event will be held at the Rockford Public Library Main Auditorium at 215 N. Wyman St, Rockford IL 61104.

*On April 1-2, 2008, PALS will host "Current Trends."
The event will be held at the Moline Public Library at 3210 41st St, Moline IL 61265.

For more information about these events, please contact Dawn DiVenti, Library Services Coordinator, Continuous Learning,
dawnd@palsnet.info

GSLIS Fall 07 Community Credit Courses
The Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS), in cooperation with the UIUC Office of Continuing Education, is pleased to announce a limited number of registration openings in several graduate level credit courses via the Academic Outreach Community Credit Program. Formal admission to the University is not necessary, but a bachelor's degree is required. Those interested in enrolling should fill out the Request to Enroll in GSLIS Course(s) form by August 10. Classes start on Wednesday, August 22. A list of classes available for fall semester and the enrollment form are located at http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/programs/cpd/Community_Credit/

Member News

Congratulations!
Please join the Moline Public Library in congratulating Christina Conklin, Children's Services Coordinator, on her nomination for the first annual BookPage Spotlight Award. The Spotlight Award was created by BookPage to honor librarians wh0 "never seek the spotlight, but certainly deserve it." Way to go, Christina.
For a complete list of nominees, visit http://www.bookpage.com/spotlight/.

Homer Township Public Library has been named by YALSA as a “best of the rest” award winner in this year’s Excellence in Library Service to Young Adults Project. The library received this honor for its Energy teen leadership program.

Bookmobile Wins Award
The Homer Township Public Library District bookmobile made the "Best Impression" and won the award at a bookmobile roundup. Nine bookmobiles from Chicago area libraries were on display at a meeting held at Indian Trails Public Library in Wheeling. The Homer bookmobile was noted for its eye catching exterior graphics, the bright and welcoming interior, as well as its neatness and cleanliness. Bookmobile Manager Jody Olivieri was pleased to represent the Homer community and to receive the award. Congratulations to Jody and the Homer Library team for their hard work and commitment to provide the best in services to the growing Homer Community!

Bix Porch Party Marks its 20th Year of Kicking off the Bix Fest!
Kick-off the Bix Jazz Festival at the Davenport Public Library! It’s time for the 20th Annual Bix Porch Party, Thursday, July 26, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., on the steps of the Main Street Library (321 Main Street). Bring your lawn chairs and head downtown to enjoy free live jazz music from Don Estes’ Prairie Ramblers! Eat lunch at the Library with free popcorn and lemonade, and bargain prices on hot dogs. Stop in the Library afterwards and visit the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center to learn more about Bix and to see the display of Bix Jazz Festival posters. Due to the popularity of the event, Main Street will be closed to traffic. Hot fun in the summer time @ your library! Call 563-888-3371 for more info. Hot dogs provided by Hy-Vee Rockingham Road. Popcorn donated by Cinema 53. All money from hot dog sales goes to the Library’s Teen Volunteer Council.

LaSalle Public Library is the Recipient of the Carus Publishing Cricket Library
Carus Publishing and the LaSalle Public Library announced that Carus Publishing has presented a gift of its entire Cricket Library collection of children’s books to the LaSalle Public Library. This unique collection includes fiction and non-fiction titles, targeting young readers from preschool through young adult. The range and depth of subjects will enhance every area of the library’s current fiction and non-fiction holdings. The collection has special emphasis on juvenile literature, myth, legend and folk tales which like the fiction works, underscores multicultural subjects and themes. Fiction titles will offer greater selection in every genre, from mystery to historical fiction, fantasy to humor. With approximately 35,000 volumes, the gift collection will increase the library’s children’s holdings by more than 250%.
Carus Publishing is a longtime leader in publishing excellence for children. Blouke and Marianne Carus (Vice-Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, Carus Publishing respectively), sought to keep the collection intact and in the community of LaSalle, where they both have lifelong ties, professionally and personally.
Because of the unique nature and scope of the Cricket Library collection, the Illinois State Library, a division of Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White’s office, awarded the LaSalle Public Library a $90,000 Library Services and Technology grant to provide funds for moving, processing and shelving the collection. New shelving will be installed in what has been a staff room at the library. The area, designed for just this type of expansion, will offer easy access to persons with disabilities.
Previously a private collection, libraries and library patrons across Illinois and the nation will now have access to the collection through reciprocal borrowing and resource sharing. The collection will be moved to the LaSalle Public Library and processing will begin in October 2007.

Book Signing
On Saturday, July 28th Illinois at 1:00 p.m. First Lady Lura Lynn Ryan will appear live at the Kankakee Public Library, 201 East Merchant Street in Kankakee, to sign the book she penned with Dan Monroe, At Home With Illinois Governors: A Social History of the Illinois Executive Mansion. The event is co-sponsored by the Kankakee County Museum, the Junior League of Kankakee County, and the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago. Visitors will be given the rare opportunity to acquire copies of Mrs. Ryan’s book signed by three Illinois governors – Governor George Ryan (of Kankakee), Governor Jim Thompson, and Governor Dan Walker.

Closed
Davenport PL Main Street Location will be Closed July 28th !
The Davenport Public Library Main Street location (321 Main Street) will be closed on Saturday, July 28, due to the Bix Road Race and Festival. The Main Street Library will resume its regular business hours on Monday, July 30.The Fairmount Street Library hours will not be affected and will remain 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 28.

The Plano Community Library District (PDBB) will be closed on Friday, August 10th for staff training.

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.

No Missing Books this week.

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.

Black Hawk College Library
h Has the following 2 sets from Thomson Gale
1) Short Story Criticism v.1 to v.99
2) Poetry Criticism v.1 to 73
3) Children’s Literature Review v.1 to v.119
4) Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800 v.1 to v.74

If interested please make arrangements for pick up and contact:
Circulation Dept.
Phone: 796-5700
library@bhc.edu

Augustana Tredway Library
has the following available free-of-charge to anyone interested:
The Europa World Year Book 2006
v.1 Afghanistan-Jordan
v.2 Kazakhstan-Zimbabwe

If interested contact:
Sally L. Cobert
Phone: 309-794-7641
sallycobert@augustana.edu

Franklin Grove Library has to giveaway
* 5 Yellow Fine Slip Pads (Demco No. 65-276)
* Library Registration Cards - White (Demco No. 38-203)
* Library Registration Cards - Pink (Demco No. 38-204)
* 300 Clear VHS cases (Many do have number written on the side)
* Roll of Do Not Use Book Return Stickers

If interested contact:
Carol Schrey
Phone: 815-456-2823
E-mail: fgplibrary@wireless.essex1.com

Toner to give away
They are for an HP3700 color printer. Normally they are around $140 a piece. The boxes are open. Willing to sell them for $70 each.
* Yellow Q2682A
* Magenta Q26383A
* Also an opened Image Transfer Kit Q3658A. Paid $100 for it, asking $50 for it.

If interested contact:
East Dubuque District Library
Phone: 815-747-3052

The Davenport Public Library has the following book to give away:
* The book of the states (V. 38, 2006)

If interested, contact:
Brenda Ross
Phone : 563-328-6835
E-mail : bross@davenportlibrary.com

Free for the asking
Joliet Public Library:
*International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, c.1949. Published at Nuremberg, Germany. 40+ volumes.
*Cambridge Modern History, c.1911. Published by Macmillan in New York. 13 volumes.

Will have to make arrangements for pickup cannot be sent on delivery.

If interested contact:
Marcia Frowein
Phone: 815-740-2660
email mfrowein@joliet.lib.il.us

Reference Desk/Bookshelf for sale.
The Sycamore Public Library has a reference desk and matching bookshelf for sale. Pictures and details are included in the attached flyer. If interested, contact:
Sarah Tobias, Director
Sycamore Public Library
103 E. State St.
Sycamore, IL 60178
815-895-2500
Fax: 815-895-9816

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.

Acquisitions Assistant
Full-time position. Order, receive, process, invoice, and maintain online records for monographic, standing order, and non-print materials. Supervise student assistants. Bachelor’s degree and library experience/training required.

Review of applications will begin on August 13. Applicants should send resume with names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references, to:
North Central College
Office of Human Resources
30 N. Brainard St.
Naperville, IL 60540.
EOE

Director
The McHenry Public Library District, McHenry, Illinois, seeks an energetic leader to serve as Executive Director. Located northwest of Chicago, McHenry (http://www.ci.mchenry.il.us) is a friendly suburban city rooted in tradition with a vision for the future. Residents enjoy convenient access to the vibrant cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities of the Chicago area. Highly rated schools, fine homes, and fun-filled community events make this a great place to work, live, play and learn.
The McHenry Public Library (http://www.mchenrylibrary.org) enjoys strong local support and serves a population of over 35,000. Financially stable, the library has an annual budget of $2.77 million, staff of 21 full-time and 34 part-time, and annual circulation of about 455,000. The library facility is 28,000 sq. ft. The Director reports to and is advised by a seven member publicly elected Board of Trustees. The library enjoys an active Friends group. The Director will be expected to improve an already high level of public service and ensure the future of the library as a vibrant center of the community. Proven leadership and administrative skills, superior planning, fiscal, organizational and analytical skills, and creativity are required. Strong work ethic, integrity, and effective communication skills are essential.
* Must have a MLS from an ALA accredited library school program. Must have high-level administrative experience with demonstrated management and team building skills. Salary is $81k to mid $90s and is negotiable based on experience. Residency not required. Excellent benefits.

The McHenry Public Library District Board of Trustees requests that all applications and inquiries be forwarded to the executive search firm of John Keister & Associates.
To apply, forward a cover letter and current resume via e-mail to:
JK@JohnKeister.com.
Position will remain open until filled.
JOHN KEISTER & ASSOCIATES
374 E. Marseilles Street
Vernon Hills, IL 60061
Phone: 847-955-0540
http:// www.JohnKeister.com

Library Director
The Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District Board of Trustees seeks applicants for the position of library director. Located in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, the library operates two facilities to serve a population of 18,080. With a staff of 41 and an operating budget of just over $3 million, the library serves a highly educated population that is committed to active grassroots citizen participation in local government and places a high value on quality library service. The successful candidate must have excellent leadership, communication and interpersonal skills, a strong commitment to customer service, and a willingness to take an active role in the community.
* Qualifications: ALA/MLS with a minimum of 5 years progressively responsible public library experience including significant managerial experience as a library director, assistant director, or head of a large department. This should include budget preparation, planning, personnel management, and currency in technology. Minimum salary $90,000 with excellent fringe benefits.
Position available November 1, 2007.

Submit letter of application, resume, and three professional references no later than August 18, 2007, to:
Mary Jane Kepner, Kepner + Associates
309 W. Harris
La Grange, Illinois 60525.
No e-mailed applications accepted. For more information see http://www.wpld.alibrary.org or contact m.kepner@sbcglobal.net.

Adult and Teen Services Assistant
Fountaindale Public Library District, which proudly serves the diverse communities of Bolingbrook and Romeoville, Illinois, is seeking a public service-oriented individual to provide reference services in the Adult and Teen Services department.
* Duties include helping patrons at the readers services and reference desks, interlibrary loan, assisting in the computer labs, and preparing materials for bibliographies and displays. This 25-hour per week, part-time position includes evening and weekend hours.
* LA/LTA certification, plus six months of related of experience required. Spanish language skills are a plus.
* Starting salary: $12.50 per hour Closing date: When 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

Director
Due to retirement, the Warren County Public Library District seeks a director to lead a staff of 14 at the main library in Monmouth and three branches. Responsibilities include planning, budgeting, and coordinating all library operations, and representing the library in the community. Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills required. Must be comfortable with technology and adaptable to change. Enjoy the support of an active board while managing a budget of $.78 million and circulation of over 20,000 a month.
* Salary begins at $40,000 plus benefits.
* More information about the library is available at http://www.wcplibrary.org.
* Requirements: ALA/MLS. Managerial or supervisory experience in a public library preferred, with a working knowledge of all aspects of librarianship.

Submit letter of application, resume, and three professional references by August 18, 2007 to:
Search Committee
Warren County Public Library
62 Public Square
Monmouth, IL 61462
Or: Wallace@maplecity.com
Or: Fax: (309) 734-5955

Technical Services
The Des Plaines Valley Public Library District is seeking an energetic, motivated technical services department employee for a full-time (40 hours per week) non-supervisory position. This Technical Services Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the Technical Services Manager and will be responsible for cataloging, classification and data entry of all District materials.
* Minimum Qualifications: Library Technical Assistant (LTA) certificate with one year of relevant full time work experience, or public library experience with the condition of completing the LTA program. Also requires the ability to pass relevant qualifying exams as prescribed by the State Library and/or the Prairie Area Library System.
* Pay range starts at $12.05 - $13.03 per hour, commensurate with experience in a technical services department. We offer an excellent benefits package, as well as tuition reimbursement.

Please submit a resume and list of job references to:
Brandon Swarthout
Technical Services Manager
Des Plaines Valley Public Library District
121 E. 8th Street
Lockport, IL 60441.
E-mail: bswarthout@dpvlib.org
or fax (815) 838-9131.
Resumes will be accepted until position is filled. The Des Plaines Valley Public Library District is an AA/EEOE.

Consulting Trainer
Rolling Prairie Library System (Decatur, IL) Library System is seeking qualified applicants for part-time training position involving instruction on library-based automated applications, such as SirsiDynix Horizon, OCLC FirstSearch and WorldCat. Requirements: ALA-accredited M.L.S.; 3 years of training/teaching experience, 2 years cataloging experience.

Starting Salary: $27,206, plus benefits.

Submit letter of application and resume by August 17 to:
Bev Obert, Executive Director,
Rolling Prairie Library System,
345 W. Eldorado St.
Decatur IL 62522.
An Equal Opportunity Employer
Additional Information: http://www.rpls.ws/jobs/Special.asp

Reference and ILL News

Database Dropped
The Illinois State Library has dropped ABI/INFORM from the selection of FirstSearch databases provided to system members. According to ISL, “the choice to cancel ABI/INFORM was due in large part to user data confirming that academic libraries performed the vast majority of searches. Furthermore, because CARLI provides a similar e-resource business file to this same population of academic users, we believe that dropping the statewide subscription to ABI/INFORM was a fiscally responsible choice.”
In addition to subscription databases with general periodicals coverage, the following search engines on the free Web may be useful for finding business-related articles:
Topix: http://www.topix.net/business
FintdArticles: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/tn_bus
MagPortal.com: http://www.magportal.com/c/bus/
(Warning: Ads open in a window behind the search results.)

Youth Services and School Library News

YALSA Introduces Teen Tech Week Wiki / Teen Tech Week 2008 Theme Is Tune In @ your library
CHICAGO - The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), kicked off Teen Tech Week for 2008 by launching the Teen Tech Week Wiki at http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/Teen_Tech_Week. Next year's theme for Teen Tech Week is Tune In @ your library(r). Teen Tech Week will be celebrated March 2 - 8, 2008; registration will begin September 1, 2007. "Our goal is to take advantage of the collaborative aspect of wikis to create resources about programming, collections, and services," said Stephanie Iser, chair of the 2008 Teen Tech Week task force. "The Teen Tech Web site launches on September 1. In the interim, librarians can find ideas for celebrating the Tune In @ your library theme on the Teen Tech wiki."

The 2008 theme was chosen by teens from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds for its focus on music and sound. Music is a vital part of teens' lives; Tune In @ your library encourages teens to take advantage of the library's music and media resources, such as music CDs, DVDs, audiobooks and Internet access to online media. The theme will also give librarians a chance to improve music and media collections, discuss ethical downloading with teens and build exciting programs that are associated with music and media.

With the Teen Tech Week wiki up and running, the Teen Tech Week task force has more planned for the second annual celebration. "In the coming months, we plan to provide more incentives for participation, to get the word out to the public and to offer more basic technology resources such as how-to guides," Iser said. "Starting in September, we'll release a series of free guides that overview the what, why, and how of emerging technologies that can be used to enhance teen services as well as professional development." Teen Tech Week is a national initiative to ensure that the nation's teens are competent and ethical users of technology, especially those technology resources available in libraries such as DVDs, databases, audiobooks, video games and more. Teen Tech Week began in 2007 and has a general theme of Get Connected @ your library.

Public Library News

Construction Survey
The Illinois State Library is cooperating with COSLA (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies) in distributing the 2007 COSLA Library Construction Survey of the States. The COSLA Legislative Committee has decided that a national library construction survey was needed in order for State Library agencies to compile data on their states' library construction needs. Once compiled, this data would be used by State Library agencies to advocate for federal public library construction funding. Public libraries can complete the survey online by August 31 by logging on to http://www.njstatelib.org/LDB/cosla/cosla1.php.

Academic Library News
No Academic Library News this week.

Special Library News
No Special Library News this week.

Support Staff News

Reaching Forward South 2007 Conference: Outside the Box!
Reaching Forward South - the 11th Annual Conference - "Outside the Box!", is scheduled for September 20 and 21, 2007, at the Northfield Inn in Springfield IL.
Reaching Forward Web page
Reaching Forward Flyer
If you would be interested in attending, please contact Dawn DiVenti at PALS (dawnd@palsnet.info). PALS may provide transportation based upon member interest. The deadline to contact Dawn is August 1, 2007.

Technology Services News
No Technology Services News this week.

E-Rate Corner

To start our discussion of the 486 form, the tip of the week from the SLC web page is a good one to remember – If your are filing Form 486 using the online interview format, be sure to print a copy of your form when you are advised to do so. After you have clicked the “Submit” button on the “Form 486 – Certification” screen, you cannot return to print a copy of your form. This is very good advice. After you receive your Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL), you have 120 days to file your form 486. The form is 7 pages and should be submitted on line using the ‘interview format’. The first page is your basic contact information. Page 2 of the form deals mainly with the CIPA waivers. Page 3 is information that can be copied right off your 471 form and pages 5 to 7 are certification and signature pages. All in all the form is pretty straight forward. If you have question about this or any other E-Rate topic, contact Marilyn at 815-229-4470 or email marilynj@palsnet.info

New Books at PALS
No New Books at PALS this week.

Library News Around the State & Nation

New Employee at the Illinois State Library
Effective August 15th, Natalie Tagee will assume the position of Ask?Away virtual reference program coordinator at the Illinois State Library. Natalie is a Springfield native who is finishing up her degree in Library Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. She succeeds Debra Aggertt, who is the new ILLINET/OCLC coordinator at the ISL.

Be an Emerging Leader
The ALA Emerging Leaders program enables new librarians to get on the fast track to ALA and professional leadership. You can become a candidate for the 2008 Emerging Leaders program by filling out the form by August 15, 2007.

Blue Books
Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has announced that every Illinois Blue Book ever published, dating back to 1900, has been digitized and is now available online through the Illinois Digital Archives (www.idaillinois.org). "The Illinois Blue Book, published biennially by the Secretary of State's office, is an invaluable reference and educational tool for persons seeking information about the state of Illinois and Illinois government," White said. "More than a century of our state's rich and storied history is encapsulated in Blue Books dating back to 1900. Creating online versions of every Blue Book was a mammoth task, and I am thrilled that Internet users can now access all of our Blue Books for informational, educational and entertainment purposes." The Illinois State Library Automation and Technology division spent approximately eighteen months working on the project. Original hard copy versions of the Blue Books came from the collection of the State Library. The books were then scanned at a high resolution, and the digital images underwent optical character recognition processing to create keyword searchable text files. The text is incorporated in the metadata for each page of each volume. The project involved digitizing more than 41,000 hard copy pages.

News from Vendors
No News from Vendors this week.

Legislative/Advocacy News

READ Posters As An Easy Library Advocacy Tool
READ posters make for an easy opportunity to get to know your local officials and get them into your library to tour the building and see you in action. The posters can be the reason for inviting your mayor, councilmen or other local dignitaries to the library.

On a related note, showing the popularity of the READ concept, see the article in last week’s ALA mailing.

Update on HB 1727, Mandatory Internet Screening - Libraries
It’s been awhile since we’ve heard anything on the library mandatory filter bill. A check of the schedule in the Senate shows that it’s not appearing on their daily schedule but is still sitting in Rules. This does not mean we can assume that it has gone away for good, but it’s unlikely that it will be called in this prolonged session. Let us hope that it hasn’t been called due to the effort put forth by the many of you with your e-mails and phone calls to both your legislators and to senate president Emil Jones requesting that the bill not be called.

Over the summer months, if you have occasion to attend a corn boil, parade or any other gathering where you meet your senator, it would be worthwhile to just mention that we hope the bill never reaches the senate floor and thank the senator for his support of libraries. For the bill status and full text, see: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1727&GAID=9&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=30552&SessionID=51&GA=95 Two of the five Senate Rules committee members are PALS legislators: Christine Radogno and Debbie DeFrancesco Halvorson .

Illinois Soon to be Smoke-Free
Illinoisans are likely next in line to join the ranks of other States prohibiting smoking in public places. Senate Bill 500 currently resides on Governor Blagojevich's desk since its passage in the House in May. The Governor is expected to sign the bill which will prohibit smoking in public places, places of employment and governmental vehicles. Additional requirements are also imposed by the Bill. Prohibits smoking within a minimum distance of 15 feet from entrances, exits, windows that open, and ventilation intakes that serve an enclosed area where smoking is prohibited. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Repeals the Illinois Clean Indoor Air Act For the bill as well as a summary, see http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=500&GAID=9&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=28191&SessionID=51&GA=95

Grant News

Disney Minnie Grants
Available to Support Youth Service Projects Deadline: August 30, 2007
The Walt Disney Company and Youth Service America are pleased to announce grants of up to $500 to support youth-led service projects. These grants support youth (ages 5-14) in planning and implementing service projects in their community. Teachers, older youth (15-25), youth-leaders, and youth-serving organizations are also eligible to apply, provided that they that engage younger youth (5-14) in planning and implementing the service. Service can take place between October 1 and November 26, 2007. Projects can address themes such as the environment, disaster relief, public health and awareness, community education, hunger, literacy, or any issue that youth identify as a community need.

Just So You Know

State and Federal Minimum Wage Increases This Summer
The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 increases federal hourly minimum wage rates for the next three years:

$5.85, effective 60 days after the date of enactment (July 24, 2007)
$6.55, effective July 24, 2008
$7.25, effective July 24, 2009

These federal minimum wage increases will not likely affect Illinois employers, where the minimum wage surpasses the federal rate. Illinois' minimum wage increases to $7.50 and $7.00 for under 18 as of July 1, 2007.

Here are some websites if you wish to copy:
Illinois minimum wage poster
Illinois Department of Labor website chart of new minimum wages by year

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