[Libs-Or] February LTLO

[Jessica Rondema]

Letter To Libraries Online

An Electronic Newsletter from the Oregon State Library.......Volume 21, Issue 2, February 2011



Library Board News


STATE LIBRARY BOARD MEETS IN SALEM ON OLA LEGISLATIVE DAY

The State Library Board of Trustees will meet in Salem on February 7th so that Board members can participate in the Oregon Library Association Legislative Day. Board members will be meeting with legislators in the morning. Their meeting will begin at 1:30 in the afternoon in Room 102. On the Board's agenda will be a recommendation from the Library Services and Technology Act Advisory Council about remote hosting for Plinkit websites and the Oregon School Library Information System website. Until now these websites have been hosted at the State Library. The Board will also review bills that have been introduced in the Legislature that might have an effect on library services in the state. Board member Aletha Bonebrake will demonstrate the new Evergreen open source integrated library system that is now being used by the Sage Library System in Eastern Oregon. An Open Forum will be held at 3:00 p.m. Any member of the public may address the Board in the Open Forum on any topic.
State Library News


STATE LIBRARY STAFFS LEGISLATIVE LIBRARY

There's a new partnership in place to provide fast, on-site reference service to the Legislature this session. In the past, Legislative Committee Services have had staff in place to run the Legislative Library. With budget cuts and staff changes, there was funding to operate the library for the 2011 session, but no person in place. The State Library's Government Research Services (GRS) team agreed to partner with Committee Services. Operating under a contract between the two agencies, three GRS librarians will split the 45 hours per week that the library is open. They will provide service to Legislators and their staffs, legislative employees, and the general public who come into the library. This partnership maximizes the service to the Legislature by drawing on the existing expertise of GRS staff and the tools already in place to serve state government. By emphasizing the State Library's role in providing the service, GRS can also raise the awareness of services available directly from the State Library when the legislature is not in session. GRS staff will be working in the Capitol from January 18 to June 30, 2011.

FREE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

Free Content for Library Collections will be broadcast on Friday, February 4, 2011 from 9:00 am - 10:30 am. This webcast is part of the Library Futures: Staying Ahead of the Curve 2010 training series. Staff from Oregon libraries may participate in this webcast at no charge. This training series is a staff development opportunity in the best sense of the term. It gives staff a solid framework for problem-solving in today's complex library environment. You and your staff can maximize these opportunities by bringing a group of interested staff together to watch, organize discussions about the impact of the shows' content on your library, and follow up with a discussion on what next steps your library can take. For more information go to College of DuPage<http://www.dupagepress.com/library-learning-network/library-challenges-2009/teleconference-2>. DVDs of this webcast and previous webcasts are available via ILL from the State Library<http://catalog.willamette.edu/search/X?SEARCH=college+of+dupage&SORT=D&searchscope=2>.

PROJECT COMPASS WORKFORCE RECOVERY TRAINING COMING TO OREGON

The State Library is working with Washington County Cooperative Library Services and two staff members from the Tigard Public Library, Kathy Smith and Charles Dunham, to bring workforce development training to Oregon librarians. Project Compass, from WebJunction and the State Library of North Carolina, has been awarded a second year IMLS grant to continue its work to bolster library-based responses to communities impacted by the recession. Oregon is one of a limited number of states with the highest unemployment numbers over a 14-month period and has been invited to participate in the most concentrated effort of the grant program. This effort begins with a Train-the-Trainer Institute in February 2011, at which the Project Compass team will provide the curriculum and training to enable two trainers from each target state to deliver workforce recovery workshops in the highest unemployment counties in their states. The local workshops will occur from March through August 2011. Stay tuned for additional information on workshops in your area.

LIBRARY SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY ACT GRANT MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR FFY2012 GRANT CYCLE

Got a great idea for a joint automation project? Outreach program? Use of technology? The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant program may be for you. The application packet for FY2012 grant proposals is available on the web through the LSTA Competitive Grant Program<http://oregon.gov/OSL/LD/LSTAcomp.shtml> page. Short proposals are due April 22. Ideas need to support the Oregon Library Services and Technology Act Five-Year State Plan 2008-2012<http://oregon.gov/OSL/LD/LSTA/LSTAfiveyrplan0812.doc>. Feel free to check out the proposals from past years, as there may be a project you wish to replicate. We welcome calls to talk over grant ideas, or find out about similar grants that may have been made in previous years. Contact Ann Reed at (503) 378-5027 or email ann.reed at state.or.us<mailto:ann.reed at state.or.us>.

2009-2010 READY TO READ ANNUAL REPORT NOW AVAILABLE

The 2009-2010 Ready to Read Annual Report, 2009-2010 Outstanding Projects, and 2010-2011 Project Descriptions are now on the Ready to Read<http://www.oregon.gov/OSL/LD/youthsvcs/aboutready.shtml> webpage. The Ready to Read Annual Report is an analysis of the Ready to Read Final Reports submitted to the State Library every December. The State Library has established metrics that measure the effectiveness of the Ready to Read Grant Program. The metrics provide longitudinal data on public library youth services and public library usage statistics. This data allows public libraries to see how their efforts impact library services to children in Oregon, and serves as a tool for setting local youth service goals.

2009-2010 OUTSTANDING READY TO READ GRANT PROJECTS AWARDED

Each year the State Library staff recognizes several public libraries for their outstanding Ready to Read Grant projects. The criteria for this recognition are: the library adheres to the original intent of the Ready to Read Grant, focuses on one or more of the three Ready to Read Grant best practices, promotes partnerships both in and out of the library, and creates a project that is replicable in other libraries, or enhances current library services. Libraries recognized for their Outstanding Ready to Read projects in 2009-2010 are: Cedar Mill Community Library, Douglas County Library System, Eugene Public Library, Lake County Library District, and Stayton Public Library. The Ready to Read Grant<http://oregon.gov/OSL/LD/youthsvcs/aboutready.shtml#Outstanding_Projects> web page provides more information about these outstanding projects.

IRS PROVIDES ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

TBABS received the following information from the IRS. Feel free to link to these forms or visit the TBABS website <http://www.tbabs.org> for information on accessible tax forms:

Hundreds of the most popular federal tax forms and publications are available for download from IRS.gov for sight impaired individuals. These products range from talking tax forms to Braille formats, and are accessible using screen reading software, refreshable Braille displays and voice recognition software. Click on the links below to download these forms and publications:

Download Accessible Tax Forms in Braille and text formats<http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/article/0,,id=131773,00.html>
Download Accessible Tax Publications in Braille and text formats<http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/article/0,,id=131761,00.html>
Download Accessible Talking Tax Forms<http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/article/0,,id=98135,00.html>
Download Tax Instructions in large print format<http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/article/0,,id=200262,00.html>
Download Tax Publications in large print format<http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/article/0,,id=187685,00.html>

The IRS also offers customer service assistance for persons who are deaf or who have hearing disabilities. People with TTY equipment may call 800-829-4059, which is a toll-free number, for assistance. People who are unable to complete their tax return because of a physical disability may get assistance from an IRS office, or through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) sponsored by IRS. Taxpayers can find a nearby location by calling 1-800-906-9887. Publication 907, Tax Highlights for Persons with Disabilities, explains the tax implications of certain disability benefits and other issues, and is available at IRS.gov. Visit www.IRS.gov and click on the word "accessibility" for help and information.
Other Library News


SAGE LIBRARY SYSTEM GOES LIVE WITH EVERGREEN

Sage Library System of Eastern Oregon has gone live with Evergreen as their next generation ILS. Equinox Software, Inc. oversaw the installation and migration of data from their previous system. Sage Library System of Eastern Oregon consists of 63 public, college, and school libraries. Eastern Oregon University, Pierce Library, is a member, and the university provides hosting services for the consortium. Karen Clay, Library Director at Eastern Oregon University, says, "We are very excited about the change to the new software. I think library users will get a better online experience. I am also pleased that after the transition, more of the public funds paid by Sage member libraries will be used for public purposes rather than being paid to a commercial software vendor." Equinox CEO, Brad LaJeunesse, says, "A consortium like Sage with very diverse libraries will certainly see the benefits of open source software. Public, school, and academic libraries all have different needs but the flexibility of Evergreen makes it an ideal system to allow every library to function at its highest level." Evergreen is a robust, open-source integrated library system best known for its unique ability to meet the needs of very large, high-transaction, multi-site consortia. However, it has also proven equally successful scaled down for even the smallest libraries. Since its debut in September 2006, the software has sustained the 280-plus libraries of the Georgia PINES consortium. Evergreen now supports over 700 libraries of every type-public, academic, special, and school media centers. Evergreen's rapidly expanding community includes libraries across 4 countries including 18 U.S. states and 8 Canadian provinces.

FY 2010 ANOTHER BANNER YEAR FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES

The State Library has compiled the annual statistical reports from public libraries and posted them<http://www.oregon.gov/OSL/LD/statsploregon.shtml> on our website. While we are still doing quality checks, it appears that Oregon public libraries turned in another strong performance in FY 2010. Circulation was up 6.5% from the prior year to over 59 million. In the past five years circulation has seen 4% annual growth. It's also interesting to note that public library circulation has doubled in Oregon just since 1996. Fifty-eight libraries reported double-digit circulation growth. The Lebanon Public Library which, occupied a new facility in FY 2010, reported a 52% increase in circulation. As has been true in recent years, Oregon public libraries have had to improve their productivity to cope with increased use. The total staffing of Oregon public libraries rose only 1.9% in FY 2010. Libraries used more volunteers to deal with increasing workloads. Total volunteer hours were up 9% from the previous year to over 559,000 volunteer hours. Library programming statistics were up even more than library circulation statistics. The number of children's programs was up 8% to over 45,000. The number of programs for teens was up 11% and the number of programs for adults was up 20%.

CONGRESS REAUTHORIZES LSTA AND APPOINTS NEW IMLS DIRECTOR

In the waning days of the 111th Congress, two actions sought by the library community were pushed through, thanks to hard work by the American Library Association Washington Office and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies. On December 23rd Congress passed the 2010 Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) reauthorization, which includes the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act. The bill reauthorizes LSTA for another five years at the same funding authorization level as in 2003 ($232 million). Only minor changes are made to the law, though there is greater recognition of the evolving role of libraries in support of workforce development, preservation, digital literacy and training and education. The bill better aligns the activities that can be supported with LSTA funds with the statutory purposes of the act and encourages state libraries to coordinate with other state programs that support early learning, workforce development and public health. The bill specifically directs the use of LSTA funds to support projects that enhance library and information services through new technologies, including projects that enable library users to acquire digital literacy skills and that make information more accessible and available. The Congress also approved the appointment of Susan Hildreth of Seattle to a four-year term as the new Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS is the federal agency that administers the LSTA program. Hildreth has most recently served as City Librarian at the Seattle Public Library. Prior to working in Seattle she held a number of posts including State Librarian of California and Director of the San Francisco Public Library. "I am thrilled that my colleague Susan Hildreth was chosen by President Obama to lead the IMLS," commented State Librarian Jim Scheppke. "Susan is someone who really understands the needs of libraries on the West Coast - she will be great to work with."

KLAMATH COUNTY FRIENDS WILL COLLECT JAPANESE INTERNMENT STORIES

The Friends of the Klamath County Library have been awarded a $55,000 grant from the National Park Service to undertake an oral history project, "Breaking the Silence, The Power of Remembering." The project will document over 20 stories of individuals who were incarcerated in the Tule Lake Segregation Center near Newell, California, south of Klamath Falls. Gayle Yamasaki will be the Project Director. The grant is one of 23 grants that were awarded under the Japanese American Confinement Sites Program established by the Congress in 2006. Congress appropriated $3 million for grants in the current fiscal year. They were awarded in a competitive process and required a $1 match for every $2 in Federal funds awarded. The grant program aims to teach and inspire present and future generations about the injustice of World War II confinement and demonstrate the nation's commitment since then to equal justice under the law.
P.S. (From the State Librarian)


What an exciting couple of months it has been in the ebook world. First there was the launch<http://books.google.com/help/ebooks/overview.html> in early December of the Google's long-awaited ebookstore. Google claims to have the largest selection of any ebookstore, made up of in-print books and public domain books - three million of the latter. I presume these are mostly books that Google has been scanning from academic library book collections (none in Oregon) for several years now. Thanks again, academic libraries, for giving away the store.

And what about all those "orphan works" that Google has been scanning too? Those are books that are out of print but in still under copyright. There are millions of those too, but Google will have to wait until its lawsuit with the publishers and authors is settled. That could still take awhile.

Another exciting development in December was an announcement<http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/newsroom/digital_public_library> by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at the Harvard Law School that they were launching an initiative they are calling the Digital Public Library of America. They have put together an impressive steering committee of librarians, academics and foundation folks with the goal of creating an "open, distributed network of comprehensive online resources..." The key word is "open." You have to wonder if this isn't intended to be the anti-Google - an attempt to take back our literary patrimony from the grasp of the corporate leviathan. It may have been inspired by David Rothman, a long-time thought leader in the ebook world who presented his vision of what he calls a "National Digital Library System" in an essay<http://www.theatlantic.com/personal/archive/2010/11/why-we-cant-afford-not-to-create-a-well-stocked-national-digital-library-system/66111/> published on The Atlantic website in November.

In our own little library ebook world the big news recently was the release of ebook apps by our partner OverDrive for the iPhone and Android smartphones. I'm sure this will be welcome news to users of Library2Go<http://library2go.lib.overdrive.com/676C6377-DBA5-43EC-960C-A757490D753E/10/397/en/Default.htm> and will boost the use of the service. The service already got a boost in December, apparently due to the number of ebook readers that Oregonians received for Christmas.

Carrie Ottow, a librarian in Corvallis who works with Library2Go, shared statistics with me that show that the number of ebooks borrowed from Library2Go in December jumped 37% from the previous month. That's terrific. Apparently this happened in libraries across the country - so much so that OverDrive servers were overloaded and users got error messages and slow downloads for a few days after Christmas. By the end of the month things were back to normal and OverDrive's Dan Stasiewski commented on the OverDrive blog that "this is a good problem to have."

Ebook lending from Oregon public libraries is still in its infancy. The 15,000 books loaned in December compares with about 5 million that Oregon public libraries loaned in an average month last year. But I have no doubt that we have seen the future, and it's not made of dead trees. All libraries need to all get in the game and work with projects like Library2Go and the Digital Public Library of America to maintain free and open access to our literary heritage. - Jim Scheppke
Contacts at the Oregon State Library


Library Development: 503-378-2525, MaryKay Dahlgreen<mailto:marykay.dahlgreen at state.or.us>, Mary Mayberry<mailto:mary.l.mayberry at state.or.us>, Darci Hanning<mailto:darci.hanning at state.or.us>, Ann Reed<mailto:ann.reed at state.or.us>, Jennifer Maurer<mailto:jennifer.maurer at state.or.us>, Katie Anderson<mailto:katie.anderson at state.or.us>.

Talking Book and Braille Services: 503-378-5389, Susan Westin<mailto:susan.b.westin at state.or.us>.

Government Research Services: 503-378-5030, Robert Hulshof-Schmidt<mailto:robert.hulshof-schmidt at state.or.us>.

State Librarian: 503-378-4367, Jim Scheppke<mailto:jim.b.scheppke at state.or.us>.

LTLO Editor: 503-378-2464, Jessica Rondema<mailto:jessica.rondema at state.or.us> . 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: Jessica Rondema<mailto:jessica.rondema at state.or.us>. 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 Jessica Rondema<mailto:jessica.rondema at state.or.us>, or mailed to LTLO, Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97301-3950.

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