[Libs-Or] Letter to Libraries Online - September 2009

[April Baker]

Letter To Libraries Online
An Electronic Newsletter from the Oregon State Library.......Volume 19, Issue 9, September 2009

Library Board News

GOVERNOR KULONGOSKI SIGNS SCHOOL LIBRARY BILL
On July 28th Governor Kulongoski signed House Bill 2586 into law. The bill, which had strong support from the Oregon Library Association, the Oregon Association of School Libraries, and the State Library Board, will require all Oregon school districts to plan for a strong school library program. It will also make school libraries eligible for a grant program at the Oregon Department of Education that is designed to improve student achievement. The bill goes into effect on January 1, 2010. The bill was sponsored by State Representative Peter Buckley of Ashland at the suggestion of Anne Billeter, a constituent who is a retired librarian and a past president of OLA. The bill had 28 co-sponsors from both parties. It drew no opposition and passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate. "Passing HB 2586 was a tremendous accomplishment in the most difficult legislative session in decades," commented State Librarian Jim Scheppke. "Now we have a clear state policy that strong school libraries are essential for all of our schools."


State Library News

OREGON FEDERAL DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES IN THE GPO SPOTLIGHT
Each month the Government Printing Office (GPO) highlights the exceptional activities of federal depository libraries as they promote citizen access to government information. In September, the GPO Spotlight shines on Oregon. GPO commends the collaborative effort of four depository libraries, Oregon State Library, Oregon State University's Valley Library, Portland State University Library, and University of Oregon's Knight Library, to share the state's Regional Federal Depository Collection. GPO's recognition salutes the depository librarians whose efforts have helped to ensure permanent and responsive access to the state's federal information resources. To read the article, go to the GPO website.


FINDING INFORMATION ON STATE OF OREGON WEBSITES JUST GOT EASIER, CHEAPER, AND MORE ACCURATE
The Oregon State Library, in cooperation with the Department of Administrative Services, is happy to announce the new search engine for the State of Oregon web portal, which has been in place since July 28th. The new search engine, using Google Custom Search, represents a significant cost savings for the state. Google Custom Search was selected not just for the cost savings for the state, but also based on positive feedback from other states that use it. Google Custom Search is a proven technology that returns better results in a format that users are familiar with, and allows agencies to organize their own information. In addition, Google handles the hosting duties at no cost to the state. We also benefit from access to Google's innovation and the work of other Google Custom Search engine users.


LIBRARIES TRANSITION TO GALE/CENGAGE LEARNING DATABASES 
Effective September 1, 2009 the general periodicals database product provided to public, academic, tribal, and school libraries will be a suite of databases from Gale/Cengage Learning. In early August a transition website was established. Currently all public, academic and tribal libraries can use that website to retrieve URLs for their websites that will allow their patrons to access the databases both in their local library and remotely. As has been the practice in the past, K-12 school libraries will have access to statewide databases via OSLIS, the Oregon School Library Information System. A number of "Welcome to Gale" webinars were presented in August and the State Library staff is currently arranging on-site training around the state for September, October and November. That information will be available on the Library Development web page as soon as those arrangements are confirmed. In addition to Oregon specific training, library staff are encouraged to visit the Gale website for information about the databases, additional webinar opportunities targeting specific databases, and training/marketing materials to download. In September and October the LSTA Advisory Council and the Oregon State Library Board will be considering the staff recommendation that LSTA funds be used to pay the entire cost of the databases, eliminating the need for library payments. For more information contact MaryKay Dahlgreen.

YEAR 1 OF READING FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES IS A SUCCESS
The first year of the Reading for Healthy Families early literacy training project is complete. The Year 1 Summary of Findings primarily report statistics on RFHF participants and the number of early literacy education sessions they have provided to families. Due to the fact that Year 1 participants have until January 2010 to fulfill their commitment of providing early literacy education to 15 families, this evaluation is inconclusive about the impact of RFHF on children and families. However, NPC Research found that families receiving RFHF early literacy education from Healthy Start family support workers reported a significant increase in telling stories or talking with their children about daily activities compared to families who did not receive RFHF early literacy education. Telling stories and talking about daily activities develops vocabulary and narrative skills, two of the six early literacy skills children need to learn to read. The second year of Reading for Healthy Families begins this month. Counties invited to participate this year include: Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, Yamhill, Lane, Douglas, Coos, Curry, Klamath, Lake, Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson. Please visit the RFHF Website to find out when training was or will be offered in your county. Please contact Katie Anderson with any questions.

COMMUNITY-WIDE READS PROGRAMS AND TBABS
After the success of 2009's Oregon Reads program, we know that your library is looking forward to your own Community-wide reading programs in 2010. Talking Book and Braille Services wants to be sure that you are aware of exactly how we can help you serve all of the patrons in your service area with books for your programs. When it comes time to plan your Community-wide Reads program, please contact us at Talking Books. We will do our best to make sure that we have your selected title on hand. Then, we will send letters to all of our mutual patrons notifying them of your event and directing them to your library's website and contact information. We will then compile a list of interested people in your area and then make sure that each and every one of our mutual, print-disabled, patrons has a copy of your Community-wide Reads program's book in time for the event. In order to make this a success though, we must have your help. Please contact Elke Bruton at 503-378-5455 as soon as you've chosen a title for your Reads program. Sometimes books are not yet published in our format, but we can facilitate their production if we have good reasons and enough notice.


LSTA WANTS YOU! SIGN UP TODAY TO BE A LSTA GRANT PROJECT PEER EVALUATOR
TRAVEL to other libraries! NETWORK with professional colleagues! LEARN about innovations in library service! Peer evaluators provide a thorough, objective assessment report of the results of LSTA grant projects funded by the State Library. See the LSTA peer evaluator page on the Library Development/Oregon State Library webpage for more information, or contact Ann Reed at (503) 378-5027 for more details.
Other Library News

NORTHWEST CENTRAL - AN ESSENTIAL TRAINING RESOURCE CREATED WITH LSTA FUNDS
Lost the email on Gale database trainings? Try using Northwest Central - the user-driven site for library continuing education. State Library staff added the Gale database training information to the many regional training events listed. The Northwest Central site was created with an LSTA grant, and is finishing a redesign and improvement project with another LSTA grant. Anyone in the library community can create a login and easily add information about training events or training materials of any kind. Use the site to plan training for your area's libraries. Librarians have always shared their resources, now we can share expertise across the Northwest - urban and rural areas alike. Your imagination is the only limit to the possibilities of this site!


P.S. (From the State Librarian)

In honor of Oregon's Sesquicentennial, I continue to devote my column to brief sketches of early Oregon libraries. The beginnings of library service in 19th century Oregon is interesting and deserves to be better known and appreciated by people who work in libraries today.
The history of the University of Oregon Libraries in the 19th century is interesting in that it echoes the struggle for adequate funding that our Oregon University System libraries have experienced even to the present day. The beginnings of the UO Libraries was told in a 1926 essay by Mirpah Blair, a librarian at the State Library. I will let her tell it here:
"When the University of Oregon opened in 1876, it was entirely without library facilities, but during the second year students of the institution through their literary societies purchased a collection of about 500 volumes from the Eugene Library Association, and arranged to care for them. The Eugene Library Association was formed on February 7, 1874 . [but] while it had an auspicious start, it lasted only a short time. 
The University collection increased very slowly and was inadequate to meet the needs of the school. Finally Henry Villard came to the rescue and his offer of help is given in a letter to the Board of Regents dated October 25, 1881 . in which Mr. Villard states: ". I will give one thousand dollars for the foundation of a Library for the University. I will personally undertake to have the most suitable works of reference selected by competent experts. "
In 1883 Mr. Villard gave property valued at $50,000 to constitute a perpetual endowment fund for the University and stipulated that from the annual income not less than four hundred dollars was to be expended regularly for building up the library. For eighteen years this four hundred dollars was the main source of funds as the State made no appropriation."
So we see from Blair's account that there is a long tradition of less than adequate state support for Oregon's research libraries. By the way, Henry Villard was a very interesting and influential figure in late 19th century Oregon history. His Memoirs in two volumes are available on Google Books (curiously, written in the third person). Here's what Villard has to say on this same subject: 
"Oregon had an institution which went by the name of University, of which it represented, however, but a very small beginning. It had received little support either from the State or from the public, and was so embarrassed by indebtedness that it would probably have been obliged to close its doors, had not Mr. Villard come to its relief by paying its floating debt in response to an appeal from the Board of Regents. He also presented it with the nucleus of a library." - Jim Scheppke


Contacts at the Oregon State Library

Technical Assistance: 503-932-1004.

Library Development: 503-378-2525, MaryKay Dahlgreen, Jennifer Maurer, Darci Hanning, Ann Reed, Mary Mayberry, Katie Anderson.

Talking Book and Braille Services: 503-378-5389, Susan Westin.

Government Research Services: 503-378-5030, Robert Hulshof-Schmidt.

State Librarian: 503-378-4367, Jim Scheppke.

LTLO Editor: 503-378-2464, April Baker.
Letter to Libraries Online is published monthly by the Oregon State Library. Editorial office: LTLO, Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97301-3950, 503-378-2464, editor: April Baker
Letter to Libraries Online is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form on the publications page at the Oregon State Library's homepage: http://www.oregon.gov/OSL. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Oregon State Library. News items or articles should be sent to April Baker, or mailed to LTLO, Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97301-3950.
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