[Libs-Or] Connections: Your Link to the State Library of Oregon (September 2021)

Wed Sep 1 09:13:33 PDT 2021

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Volume 31, Issue 9 - September 2021

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State Library Building Reopening Pushed Back

Because of the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in Oregon, the State Library building, along with many other state agency buildings, will now remain closed to the public beyond the scheduled reopening date of September 1st. At this time a new reopening date has not been identified. Thankfully, most of our services can be accessed online<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=ef9d7bd7f4&e=14e6da8535>, and if you need more personalized assistance, please feel free to contact us<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=5bf044af6b&e=14e6da8535>.

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Getting to Know the Library Support and Development Services Division

Featured staff: Arlene Weible (she/her)

[Arlene outside smiling next to a tomatoe plant, and also mason jars of canned salsa]Arlene has worn several different hats in the 15 years she has been at the State Library. She was originally hired in 2006 to provide cataloging and help start what is now the State Library of Oregon Digital Collections<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=1885349c50&e=14e6da8535>, as well as coordinate the Federal Documents collection. She began her career working with government publications in 1992 at Yale University. Since the mid-1990s, she had watched government information evolve from print to digital collections and was eager to help the State Library establish new practices for managing these important collections.

After some organizational changes at the library, Arlene moved into her current role as the Electronic Services Consultant in 2012. She now oversees the Statewide Database Licensing Program<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=c0b4c29cdd&e=14e6da8535>, which provides Oregon libraries with no cost access to library databases. But she hasn't left her love of government information behind! She continues to serve as the coordinator of the state's Regional Federal Documents collection and has worked on several projects to connect Oregon's libraries with various government agencies such as the U.S. Census Bureau and Oregon's WorkSource offices.

One of Arlene's most recognizable jobs is helping the Oregon library community stay connected by serving as the Libs-Or email list<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=79068ce946&e=14e6da8535> administrator. In September, she will also step into the role of Oregon Library Association president. She hopes to use her knowledge of state government and the Oregon library landscape to advocate for Oregon library workers.

In her free time, Arlene is an avid vegetable gardener and has a late summer tradition of canning salsa with her sisters using an old family recipe. If you are interested in debating the virtues of jalapeño vs serrano peppers, let her know!

Congratulations ARPA Grant Recipients!

In March of this year, the State Library of Oregon received nearly $3 million from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as part of the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). These funds are intended to help Oregon libraries, museums, and related nonprofits promote digital inclusion and connectivity, address needs arising from the pandemic, and generally support efforts to provide equitable service to communities.

Using these funds, the State Library opened a competitive grant<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=02a4ec661e&e=14e6da8535> process in June and received application requests totaling over three times the amount of available funds, making it an extremely competitive process. We are excited to announce that grants have been awarded to 61 local organizations that serve nearly every part of the state. Below are some examples of the projects awarded funding.

  *   Pendleton Public Library will purchase a pop-up bookmobile, outfitted with Wi-Fi, to provide mobile library services to areas of need, with priority going to the Umatilla Indian Reservation, assisted living facilities, and low-income apartment complexes within their service area.
  *   Eastern Oregon University will create a mobile Virtual Reality Lab run by the library that students and faculty can use for out-of-classroom content engagement and remote lab work, such as dissection and simulation assignments for students in anatomy & physiology courses.
  *   Albany Regional Museum, Eagle Point Museum, Phoenix Historical Society and Museum, and Siskiyou Smokejumper Base Museum will each revamp their current exhibits to be more inclusive and accessible, and to tell the stories of underrepresented voices.
  *   Elkton Community Education Center, located in a small rural community with limited connectivity and lack of access to preventative care, will set up a telehealth kiosk, extend internet access, and equip the building for extended power outages.
  *   Both Lane County Law Library and Linn County Law Library will establish programs aimed at connecting renters with rental assistance and information, with the goal of improving housing stability and reducing evictions.
  *   The Greater Albany School District will supply historically underserved students with Wi-Fi hotspots and Chromebooks, as well as additional instructional and logistical support, to overcome the educational impacts of the COVID pandemic.
  *   Cottage Grove Public Library will provide programs to better serve Spanish and Mayan-language (Mam, K'iche') speaking communities, and to support a community health worker who can act as a resource navigator for individuals and families.
A complete list of grant recipients<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=c0597a3244&e=14e6da8535> is available.

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Earlier State Library Newsletters Provide a Window to the Past

[Watermark logo]When the State Library of Oregon's newsletter title changed to Connections in June of this year, it joined a long line of name changes. For example, from 1977 to 1982, our newsletter was titled Watermark. We can take a look back 40 years, to 1981, to see what issues the State Library was facing.

1981 was a tough year for state government. Most agencies faced budget cuts, and the State Library was no exception, eventually losing 19 positions, and reducing open hours as a consequence. There was also concern about aid to public libraries and about Library Services and Construction Act funds.

All was not gloom and doom, however. Here are some interesting tidbits and accomplishments:

  *   The April 1981 issue<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=6bd2215454&e=14e6da8535> reports that the Oregon Attorney General had issued an opinion exempting library circulations records from public records law. This reversed a 1977 opinion that stated "...it would be hard to stretch the public records law to exempt library circulation records."
  *   The September 1981 issue<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=e0522e4446&e=14e6da8535> announces the publication of the latest edition of the Library's catalog on microfiche. Before widespread use of Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), microfiche was the main way local libraries searched the State Library's collection. This particular fiche catalog was the first one that included everything in the collection, with the exception of federal depository documents.
  *   The December 1981 issue<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=cb502ce92d&e=14e6da8535> gives a good indication of how the State Library once served as a resource to extend public library collections. Oregon public libraries borrowed materials in great quantities, but unfortunately, they weren't always returning them; they owed the State Library over $1,500 for lost materials.
  *   The December issue also reports an interesting error in the 1971 edition of County Business Patterns: it switched some Oregon and Idaho counties. Fortunately, library staff were able to inform the Census Bureau that there is no Boise County in Oregon and convinced them to publish an errata sheet.
Many issues of previous State Library newsletters are available online<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=5f9cd5b9ce&e=14e6da8535> as part of the Oregon Government Publications<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=4a2df3bb25&e=14e6da8535> digital collection.

Federal Documents Cataloging Project Update

[Federal Depository Library Program logo]The State Library of Oregon welcomes Robert Kohl, who started August 9th in a limited duration position working on a federal documents cataloging project for the State Library's portion of Oregon's Regional Federal Documents Collection.

Immediately prior to joining staff in Salem, Robert had been working on the portion of the collection housed at Portland State University (PSU). Some highlights of the 24,469 volumes added to PSU's catalog include records for hundreds of U.S. Army technical manuals, Department of Energy documents related to the Bonneville Power Administration, historic Federal Works and War Department items, and all remaining uncatalogued Census documents.

A total of 9,483 individual titles were added to PSU's catalog and shared with Orbis Cascade Alliance member libraries. Of this number, 4,928 (or 52%) were unique to PSU, i.e., not otherwise represented at any of the 37 Alliance libraries. Library users can now more easily discover and request these materials, and library staff have additional data to inform collection management decisions to better meet local needs.

Robert has previously worked in academic, school (K-12), and public libraries, and has a Master of Library Science degree from Emporia State University. Two orange tabby cats generously share their home in Portland with Robert and his wife. If he is not currently drinking coffee, Robert is likely fondly remembering his last cup and carefully planning where and when to get his next.

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Talking Book and Braille Library TRIVIA TIME!

Hey everyone, it's time for some Talking Book and Braille Library trivia! Below are four questions related to previous articles our division has included in Connections.

  *   What is the title of the Talking Books and Braille Library's first remotely recorded book?
  *   What year was the book a finalist for the Oregon Book Award?
  *   What is the nickname of the Talking Book and Braille Library's customized cartridge computer station?
  *   What year saw the beginning of the Talking Book and Braille program?
                            [Click this link to submit your trivia question answers] <https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=1e99565574&e=14e6da8535>

Click the button above to submit your answers to the trivia questions. If you provide your name and contact information and answer at least one question correctly, you may win a small but fun Talking Book and Braille Library swag package!

Check back next month to see the answers, and we'll be back with more trivia in future Connections issues.

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Library Support & Development Services Program Manager
Buzzy Nielsen<mailto:buzzy.nielsen at slo.oregon.gov>, 971-375-3486

Talking Book & Braille Library Manager
Elke Bruton<mailto:elke.bruton at slo.oregon.gov>, 971-375-3509

Government Information & Library Services Manager
Caren Agata<mailto:caren.agata at slo.oregon.gov>, 971-375-3483

Chief Operating Officer
Susan Westin<mailto:susan.westin at slo.oregon.gov>, 503-378-5435

Acting State Librarian
Nancy Hoover<mailto:nancy.hoover at slo.oregon.gov>, 503-378-4367

Connections is published monthly by the State Library of Oregon, and was formerly known as Letters to Libraries Online.

Mission
The State Library of Oregon cultivates, preserves, and delivers library and information services to foster lifelong learning and community engagement.

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