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<H1><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><A name=Top></A>Letter To
Libraries Online</FONT></H1>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">An Electronic Newsletter from
the Oregon State Library.......Volume 19, Issue 10, October
2009</FONT></P></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR>
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<DIV align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><B><A
name=Board></A>Library Board News</B></FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">STATE LIBRARY BOARD
REVISITS COST SHARING FOR L-NET</FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">At their October 19th
meeting in Portland the State Library Board will revisit their plan for having
larger public and academic libraries contribute to the cost of the L-net
e-reference service. In February the Board passed an <A
href="http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/rules/OARS_500/OAR_543/543_060.html">Oregon
Administrative Rule</A> that allows them to bill libraries for some of the cost
of the service, now funded with LSTA funds. The rule says that the Board will
deliberate in the last quarter of each calendar year about how much to assess
libraries in the next calendar year. However, there is a complicating factor
that Board will need to consider, since another rule adopted in February exempts
libraries that aren’t assessed for part of the statewide database license costs
from having to pay for L-net. This rule was intended to exempt only the smallest
public and academic libraries that have not paid for database licenses in the
past. But because of the low cost negotiated for the Gale databases, the LSTA
Advisory Council is recommending that LSTA cover their entire cost. If the Board
accepts that recommendation, the rule would exempt all libraries from paying for
L-net. The Board will be discussing whether to change the rule to allow for them
to assess charges for L-net in 2010.</FONT></P>
<P align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><BR>BOARD TO AWARD
LSTA GRANTS FOR 2010</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Also on the October 19th State
Library Board agenda is approval of the LSTA program for 2010. The LSTA Advisory
Council is recommending that LSTA funds pay for the entire cost of the statewide
database license for Gale databases. This is because the negotiated cost of the
databases ($295,000 in 2009-10) is well below the tentative LSTA budget for
statewide database licensing. The Council is also recommending that LSTA funds
be used to purchase additional statewide database licenses in 2010. The Council
will also present recommendations for competitive LSTA grant awards in 2010. The
Council is recommending 16 projects for funding in 2010 totaling $931,270. Other
agenda items at the October 19th Board meeting are the annual goals of the State
Librarian, plans for the Horner Staff Exchange in 2010 and the annual review of
agency head financial transactions. The meeting will be held in the Glisan Room
at the Red Lion on the River, beginning at 10:30 a.m. An open forum will be held
at 1:00 p.m. Anyone may address the Board in the open forum.<BR><BR></FONT></P>
<P align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">BOARD’S BENCHMARK #38
COMMITTEE MEETS</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The State Library Board’s committee
charged with looking at possible new strategies to address the problem of
Oregonians without adequate public library services held their first meeting on
September 15th. The members of the committee are board members Sue Burkholder,
Cliff Trow and Sam Hall, and staff members Jim Scheppke and MaryKay Dahlgreen.
At their first meeting the committee took a close look at areas in the state
where library service was inadequate, according to Benchmark #38 criteria, or
where services were non-existent. The committee noted that the percentage of
Oregonians with substandard services may see a significant decline in the next
few years due to several library districts that have been created in recent
years that will improve services. The problem of unserved Oregonians is more
difficult, and solutions are not readily apparent. The bulk of the unserved
population is in five Willamette Valley counties. The committee agreed to invite
some library directors from these counties to their next meeting to discuss what
it might take to extend library services to unserved populations. The committee
plans to hold their next meeting in early November.<BR></FONT></P>
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<DIV align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><B><A
name=OSLNews></A>State Library News</B></FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">PLINKIT WINS DIGITAL
GOVERNMENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The <A
href="http://centerdigitalgov.com/">Center for Digital Government</A>, a
national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and
best practices in state and local government, has awarded the <A
href="http://plinkit.org/">Plinkit Collaborative</A> a 2009 <A
href="http://centerdigitalgov.com/survey/88">Digital Government Achievement
Award</A> in the Government-to-Government category. Plinkit is a library website
content management system, based on open source software, that was developed by
the Multnomah County Library with a grant from the State Library in 2003. It
allows even the smallest public libraries to have quality websites to serve
their communities. Currently <A
href="http://plinkit.org/about/maps/oregon">about 50 Oregon public libraries</A>
use Plinkit to create and maintain their websites. The websites are hosted at
the State Library. The success of Plinkit in Oregon caught the attention of
other state libraries and cooperative library organizations around the country,
which led to the creation of the Plinkit Collaborative in 2006. Currently 22
states are served by a Collaborative member, making Plinkit available to public
libraries throughout the US. The Digital Government Achievement Awards showcase
progressive and innovative websites and digital applications by government
entities worldwide. The awards are judged by a panel of experts on a wide range
of categories, including site accessibility, innovation, cost-savings, ease of
use, and exceptional service to the public.<BR><BR></FONT></P>
<P align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">OREGON CENTER FOR THE
BOOK AT 9TH ANNUAL NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oregon Reads children’s author
Deborah Hopkinson of Corvallis was the featured attraction at the Oregon booth
at the 9th annual National Book Festival held on September 26th on the National
Mall in Washington D.C. Hopkinson displayed a copy of her brand new book, <A
href="http://www.deborahhopkinson.com/new%20books/michelle.html"><I>Michelle</I></A>,
a biography of Michelle Obama. Also on hand were Katie Anderson, who coordinates
the Oregon Center for the Book, and Tillamook County Library Director Sara
Charlton. The free festival, sponsored by the Library of Congress, drew an
estimated 130,000 attendees. The Oregon booth was part of the Pavillion of the
States, sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Representatives from state libraries and Centers for the Book provided
information and answered questions about their state's authors, libraries, book
festivals, book awards, and reading-promotion activities. In the pavilion,
thousands of children raced to each state table getting state stamps on their
maps of America. IMLS awarded a prize to each person who successfully filled the
entire map. Click <A
href="http://www.imls.gov/news/2009/092909_photos.shtm">here</A> and scroll down
to see a photo of the Oregon booth.<BR></FONT><FONT
face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><BR></FONT></P>
<P align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">STATE LIBRARY LAUNCHES
LIVE HELP</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Government Research Services
Team of the Oregon State Library is excited to announce their newest service for
State employees, Live Help. In addition to providing research support by phone
and email, we now offer assistance through instant messaging four hours per day.
Service is available from 10:00 to noon and from 1:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon,
Monday - Friday. Launching this additional service point has been an easy
transition for staff as we have participated in our state-wide chat reference,
L-net, since its inception. Like several other Oregon libraries have done, State
Library staff used the L-net Local software to embed the Live Help widget on our
<A href="http://library.state.or.us/">State Employee Information Center</A> web
site. <BR><BR></FONT></P>
<P align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">DIGITAL TALKING BOOK
PLAYERS ARE HERE!</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">After much anticipation, Talking
Book and Braille Services is happy to announce that digital books and players
are <A href="http://www.tbabs.org/OSL/TBABS/digital_transition.shtml">here</A>.
TBABS shipped the first digital talking book players to patrons on September 8,
and will continue to satisfy patron requests as machines become available in
Oregon. Veterans of U.S. armed services have priority for receiving machines in
accordance with the <A href="http://www.loc.gov/nls/act1931.html">Pratt-Smoot
Act of 1931</A>. The new digital talking book players are smaller,
lighter-weight, and very easy to use. Plus, the digital talking book machine is
compatible with the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) digital books
available from the <A href="https://nlsbard.loc.gov/">National Library Service
for the Blind and Physically Handicapped</A>. <BR><BR></FONT></P>
<P align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">NATIVE AMERICAN
COLLECTION AT TBABS</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Tribal Archives, Libraries, and
Museums’ 2009 national conference takes place this month in Portland. In support
of the conference and Native American Heritage Month in November, TBABS has
provided enhanced access to our own audio and Braille Native American
collection. Currently, the TBABS collection contains more than 900 titles
focusing on Native American interests and 200 titles by Native American authors
(from a pool of 66 Native American Authors). Contact Talking Books today to
reserve Native American interest titles for your print-disabled patrons. If they
are not registered with TBABS, simply print and fill out an application from our
<A href="http://www.oregon.gov/OSL/TBABS/registration.shtml">website</A>.
</FONT></P>
<P align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><BR>SEND YOUR READING
LISTS TO TBABS</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Teachers, Librarians,
Teacher-Librarians—lend us your ears! The school year has just gotten underway
and many of you are looking at, working with, and trying to fill school reading
lists for your visually and physically impaired students. Talking Book and
Braille Services has access to many titles commonly found on student reading
lists. Share those lists with TBABS and we’ll review our collection and make
sure to have those books on hand to loan to Oregon students. We have many titles
in many formats such as, audio cassette, digital cassette, Braille, web-Braille,
Unabridged School Download, and BARD. Send your reading lists today to <A
href="mailto:elke.bruton@state.or.us">Elke Bruton</A> or to the Oregon State
Library, 250 Winter St NE, Salem, OR 97301. </FONT></P>
<P align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><BR>OSLIS GETS A
FACELIFT<BR></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In early September the OSLIS
committee unveiled a new look for the site. The goals were to make the opening
pages less text-heavy, highlight the three major features of OSLIS, and make it
easier to navigate the information literacy lessons. When you first enter <A
href="http://www.oslis.org/">OSLIS</A>, you are asked to identify yourself. That
is because the content is catered by age level (elementary or secondary) and
function (student or educator). From there you are routed to a page featuring
the main resources on OSLIS. Learn How to Do Research leads to the information
literacy lessons, Find Information directs users to the Gale databases and other
resources, and Cite My Sources leads to the Citation Maker templates, either MLA
or APA. If you find yourself helping a student access Gale through OSLIS,
remember that they need login information that is specific to their district.
For a list of Gale user names for the school district/s you serve, contact <A
href="mailto:jennifer.maurer@state.or.us">Jennifer Maurer</A>, the School
Library Consultant. Finally, be on the lookout for an update to the MLA Citation
Maker templates. Soon they will align with the new guidelines found in the 7th
edition of the <I>MLA Handbook</I>.<BR></FONT></P>
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<DIV align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><B><A
name=OtherNews></A>Other Library News</B></FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">LIBRARY JOURNAL NAMES
REP. BUCKLEY A “WINNER”</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">An <A
href="http://www.libraryjournal.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA6695131">editorial</A>
in the September 15th issue of <I>Library Journal</I> recognizes State
Representative Peter Buckley of Ashland as a “political winner.” <I>LJ</I>
Editor Francine Fialkoff commends Buckley as a politician who “stood against the
tide washing away school libraries and school librarian positions” in the recent
legislative session. At the suggestion of constituent Anne Billeter, a retired
librarian and former OLA President, Buckley worked with school librarian Nancy
Sullivan and other members of the Oregon Association of School Libraries to
craft HB 2586 that will require all Oregon school districts to plan for strong
school libraries, beginning next year. The bill also makes school libraries
eligible for a grant program at the Oregon Department of Education that funds
projects that improve student achievement. The Oregon Library Association and
the State Library Board of Trustees also provided strong support for the bill.
OLA Lobbyist Nan Heim worked to sign on 29 co-sponsors from both parties, nearly
a third of the entire Legislative Assembly. As a result of this strong support
the bill passed unanimously in both the House and Senate and was signed by
Governor Kulongoski on July 28th. </FONT></P>
<P align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><BR>WITTER BYNNER
AWARD WINNER TO READ IN PORTLAND<BR></FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oregon poet Mary Szybist
received one of two Witter Bynner Awards selected by national Poet Laureate Kay
Ryan. Szybist is the author of <I>Granted</I>, a finalist for the National Book
Critics Circle Award and the recipient of a fellowship from the National
Endowment for the Arts. She will be reading her poetry, along with poet Michele
Glazer, on Monday, October 5th at 7:00 p.m. in Smith Hall at Lewis & Clark
College in Portland. This reading is sponsored by the Oregon Center for the
Book, Lewis & Clark College, the Witter Bynner Foundation, and the Center
for the Book in the Library of Congress.<BR></FONT></P>
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<DIV align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><A
name=PS></A><B>P.S. (From the State
Librarian)</B></FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P><I><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">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.</FONT></I></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I am going to conclude my series of
sketches of important 19th century Oregon libraries with the first
government-run library in the state. Decades before there were city libraries
and county libraries and state university libraries, there was the Territorial
Library. After statehood in 1859, it was also known as the State Library, and
its director, the State Librarian. This can be the source of some confusion,
since today’s State Library has only a slight connection to this
library.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Territorial Library was created
by the U.S. Congress in 1848 in the same legislation that created the Oregon
Territory, along with a $5,000 appropriation for books. The intended purpose of
this library was mostly as a law library for the new Oregon Territory, but the
initial collection also contained books on politics, education, history and
agriculture. The Territorial Library started out in Oregon City, until the
capital moved to Salem in 1851. Tragically, the entire contents of the library
were lost in the Capitol fire of 1855, except for a few books that were in
circulation.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In 1856 Congress was asked for a
$20,000 appropriation to replace the Library, but only $500 was appropriated.
The Library struggled for decades to acquire an adequate collection for the new
state. In a report to the Legislature in 1872, the State Librarian complained
that his library was “one of the most constantly and consistently neglected
institutions of the state — inferior to the library of many respectable villages
in the eastern states.”</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By the turn of the century the
State Library had not seen much improvement. Meanwhile, in 1905, the Oregon
Library Commission was established under the dynamic leadership of Cornelia
Marvin, newly arrived from Wisconsin. Her vision for the Commission was to have
it become a real state library to serve a variety of needs for improving library
service in the state. By 1913 she was able to, as she put it, "win the name" of
the old State Library for the Commission. In that year the Legislature changed
the name of the Oregon Library Commission to the Oregon State Library, and the
former State Library, successor to the Territorial Library, became the Oregon
Supreme Court Library. Some of the general collections and government documents
collection of the Supreme Court Library came over to the new State Library. For
more than two decades, both libraries were housed together on separate floors of
the Supreme Court Building. It would be Cornelia Marvin’s successor Harriet Long
who would finally achieve Cornelia’s vision of a real state library in its own
new building in 1939.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I have sometimes wondered if any of
those original books from the Territorial Library that were in circulation in
1855, and survived the fire, are still around. If you ever run across one, I
hope you will let me know! – Jim Scheppke</FONT></P>
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<DIV align=center><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><B><A
name=Contacts></A>Contacts at the Oregon State
Library</B></FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Technical Assistance:
503-932-1004.<BR><BR>Library Development: 503-378-2525, <A
href="mailto:marykay.dahlgreen@state.or.us">MaryKay Dahlgreen</A>, <A
href="mailto:jennifer.maurer@state.or.us">Jennifer Maurer</A>, <A
href="mailto:darci.hanning@state.or.us">Darci Hanning</A>, <A
href="mailto:ann.reed@state.or.us">Ann Reed</A>, <A
href="mailto:mary.l.mayberry@state.or.us">Mary Mayberry</A>, <A
href="mailto:katie.anderson@state.or.us">Katie Anderson</A>.<BR><BR>Talking Book
and Braille Services: 503-378-5389, <A
href="mailto:susan.b.westin@state.or.us">Susan Westin</A>.<BR><BR>Government
Research Services: 503-378-5030, <A
href="mailto:robert.hulshof-schmidt@state.or.us">Robert
Hulshof-Schmidt</A>.<BR><BR>State Librarian: 503-378-4367, <A
href="mailto:jim.b.scheppke@state.or.us">Jim Scheppke</A>.<BR><BR>LTLO Editor:
503-378-2464, <A href="mailto:april.m.baker@state.or.us">April
Baker</A>.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><I>Letter to Libraries Online</I>
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: <A href="mailto:april.m.baker@state.or.us">April Baker</A></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><I>Letter to Libraries Online</I>
is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form on the
publications page at the Oregon State Library's homepage: <A
href="http://www.oregon.gov/OSL">http://www.oregon.gov/OSL</A>. 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 <A
href="mailto:april.m.baker@state.or.us">April Baker</A>, or mailed to LTLO,
Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97301-3950.</FONT></P>
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All materials may be reprinted or distributed freely.</FONT></P><BR><BR>
<P><FONT size=2>April Baker<BR>Administrative Services Coordinator<BR>Oregon
State Library<BR>250 Winter St. NE<BR>Salem, OR 97301-3950<BR>Phone:
503.378.2464<BR>Fax: 503.585.8059</FONT> </P></BODY></HTML>