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<h1 align=center style='text-align:center'><a name=Top></a><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Letter To Libraries Online</span><o:p></o:p></h1>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>An
Electronic Newsletter from the Oregon State Library.......Volume 20, Issue 3,
March 2010</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a name=Board></a><b><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Library Board News</span></b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>STATE
LIBRARY BOARD TO PURSUE STABLE FUNDING FOR NEWS SERVICE FOR THE BLIND</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>It their February 26th
meeting the State Library Board voted to submit a proposal to Governor
Kulongoski to produce a bill that would provide stable funding for the NEWSLINE
news service for blind and print-disabled Oregonians. NEWSLINE has been offered
in the state for the past three years with funding from the State Library, the
Oregon Commission for the Blind, and the National Federation of the Blind,
Oregon Chapter. About 800 Oregonians are signed up for the service which
provides an audio version of three Oregon newspapers and many national
newspapers. Users of NEWSLINE can listen to the papers over the telephone or
download text files to use with Braille readers and other adaptive devices. The
Board will ask the Governor to recommend to his successor that a bill be
introduced in the 2011 Legislature to fund the NEWSLINE service using a fund at
the Oregon Public Utilities Commission. At least seven other states fund their
NEWSLINE service in this way. Stable funding from the Oregon PUC would replace
donated funds that have been used to fund the service in the past three years.
A similar plan to do this was included in SB 849 that was introduced in the
2009 Legislative session. The bill passed out of the Senate Business and
Transportation Committee but died in the Ways and Means Committee at the end of
the session.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
RULE CHANGES FOR L-NET COST SHARING DISCUSSED BY THE BOARD</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
In other action at the February 26th State Library Board meeting, the Board
directed the staff to proceed with a process to amend Oregon Administrative
Rule 543-060-0070. This rule pertains to how larger public and academic library
might, in the future, be asked to contribute to the cost of the L-net e-reference
service. When the Board decided not to charge libraries for the cost of the
statewide general reference database last fall, it meant that they would not be
able to charge for L-net under the current rule. The amendment discussed by the
Board on February 26th, would enable the Library to assess public libraries
serving more than 20,000 population and academic libraries with an enrollment
greater than 1,000 to support L-net. The staff will now file the amendment with
the Secretary of State and a hearing on the change will be scheduled for the
October 15th Board meeting. The Board also agreed to a request by Oregon State
University Libraries to supplement their 2010 LSTA grant with $14,999 of
additional LSTA funding. This will allow OSU Libraries to fully implement a
project that received partial funding from the Oregon Heritage Commission to
work with two historical societies in the state to digitize their heritage
resources.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a name=OSLNews></a><b><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>State Library News</span></b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>ANCESTRY.COM
ENTERS PARTNERSHIP WITH STATE LIBRARY</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
<a href="http://www.ancestry.com/">Ancestry.com</a>, a major provider of
genealogical information online, has just signed a letter of agreement with the
Oregon State Library. Under the terms of the agreement, Ancestry will digitize
and index documents of interest to their customers. The State Library will
receive copies of the digital images for use as part of the documents
collection. Images of state publications will be included in the <a
href="http://oregon.gov/OSL/GRES/REPOS/index.shtml">Oregon Documents Repository</a>.
The first priorities for scanning will include the bibliography card index
taken from Salem newspapers throughout the early 20th century. Additional
materials may be scanned as part of the Library's partnership with the <a
href="http://www.oregon.gov/OSL/GRES/genealogy.shtml">Willamette Valley
Genealogical Society</a>. Digitization work will begin this spring.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
<br>
PUBLIC LIBRARIANS ARE CONNECTING MORE OREGONIANS WITH TALKING BOOKS</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
Talking Book and Braille Services (TBABS) has noticed that an increasing number
of public librarians are certifying patron applications and we couldn’t
be more pleased. Helping your blind, low vision, and physically handicapped
patrons sign up for Talking Books is just as easy as ever. Lots of librarians
around the state are already familiar with giving out applications to eligible
patrons. But don’t forget that you can help your patron fill out the
application and even serve as the certifying signature on the back page.
Talking Book and Braille Services has always been a free service that provides
audio books and players to print-disabled Oregonians. To view the TBABS
registrations criteria and print applications on-demand, visit the <a
href="http://www.oregon.gov/OSL/TBABS/registration.shtml">registration page</a>.
For posters, brochures, and pre-printed application materials, contact Elke
Bruton at 503-378-5455. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a name=OtherNews></a><b><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Other Library News</span></b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>OREGON
PUBLIC LIBRARY USE SURGES IN 2009</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
An analysis of public library statistics recently completed by the Oregon State
Library for fiscal year 2009 shows that the number of books and other library
materials circulated from public libraries was up 7% from the prior year.
Average annual growth in circulation in the five years prior to 2009 was only
2.6%. Fifty-three out of the 130 public libraries in the state reported
double-digit increases in their circulation. Circulation totaled 55.8 million,
an all-time record. Circulation has increased every year since 1973, and
circulation in 2009 was more than double the number reported just 16 years ago
in 1994. Other public library statistics also showed strong growth in 2009.
Gate count at libraries topped 25 million, an 8% increase, and 1.4 million
Oregonians, mostly children, attended programs at a library, a 7% increase. The
State Library data shows that most Oregon libraries had to increase their
productivity to deal with the increase in their business. Per capita
expenditures in libraries actually declined in 2009 from $47.38 to $46.74. One
area where public libraries did not have to do more with less was in providing
Internet access to the public. Thanks to a grant from the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, many Oregon libraries received matching funds for new
computers. Overall the number of computers in Oregon libraries increased by 13%
to 2,544. The computers were used nearly 5 million times in 2009.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
MULTNOMAH COUNTY LIBRARY RECEIVES NATIONAL MEDAL FOR LIBRARY SERVICE AT DC
CEREMONY</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library
Services, and Susan Sher, First Lady Michelle Obama's chief of staff, presented
the <a href="http://www.imls.gov/about/medals_09.shtm">2009 National Medal for
Museum and Library Service</a> to Multnomah County Library, four other
libraries and five museums at a Washington, D.C. ceremony on February 23, 2010.
Every year, IMLS awards the National Medal to museums and libraries that have
demonstrated a long-term commitment to public service through innovative
programs and community partnerships. Multnomah County Library Director Vailey
Oehlke was on hand to receive the award. In addition to the National Medal and
a $10,000 award, each 2009 Medal recipient will have the option of a three-day
visit by StoryCorps, the nonprofit project that honors and celebrates American
lives through recorded conversations.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
<br>
LIBRARY SUPPORT STAFF CERTIFICATION PROGRAM WELCOMES CANDIDATE APPLICATIONS</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The American Library
Association’s Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) is <a
href="https://www.livetext.com/ltforms/ala">accepting applications</a> from
potential candidates interested in achieving the Library Support Staff
Certification (LSSC). The LSSC Program is the first national, voluntary
certification program for library support staff. Over forty Candidates have
applied since the program opened January 25, 2010. The LSSC Program is open to
any library support staff person with a high-school diploma or its equivalent
and at least one year of full-time experience in a library with the last five
years. Applicants do not have to be a member of ALA. The application fee is
$325 for ALA members and $350 for non-ALA members. Candidates who choose to
take an approved course may have to pay a fee set by the course provider. There
is no cost for submitting portfolios. Candidates have four years to complete
the program. More information about the LSSC Program is available <a
href="http://www.ala-apa.org/lssc">online</a>. You can email questions to <a
href="mailto:lssc@ala.org">lssc@ala.org</a> or call 312-280-2424. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a name=PS></a><b><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>P.S. (From the State Librarian)</span></b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>About a decade ago I
despaired over the sad state of Oregon library history. The secondary sources
were very limited and most were very old. When I wrote about " <a
href="http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ohq/107.1/scheppke.html">The
Origins of the Oregon State Library</a>" for the <em><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Oregon Historical Quarterly</span></em>
five years ago, I had to rely mostly on articles and monographs published in
the 1920’s and 30’s. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it
evidenced a depressing lack of contemporary interest in our history.<br>
<br>
But recently the situation has changed. While it would be an overstatement to
say there has been a flowering of interest in Oregon library history, there has
certainly been a lot of solid work produced in recent years that now enables us
to more easily learn about our beginnings.<br>
<br>
Several Oregon public libraries have managed to persuade professional and
amateur historians to research and publish their histories. Most notable is Tom
McClintock’s <em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Best
Gift: the History of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library</span></em>
(2008). McClintock, retired from the history faculty at Oregon State
University, spent years researching not only his local library’s history
but Oregon library history, beginning in the 19th century. He presents it all
in his book, making an invaluable contemporary contribution.<br>
<br>
But it doesn’t take a professional historian to produce an outstanding
library history. Kathie Olsen, who was a library board member for the Jefferson
County Library, authored <em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Pages
of the Past: A History of the Jefferson County Library</span></em> (2008). And
Jon Littlefield, another library board member in Coos Bay collaborated with
Ellen Thompson and Coos Bay Public Library Director Carol Ventgen to produce <em><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>History of the Public Library of Coos
Bay, Oregon</span></em> (2009).<br>
<br>
Two other librarians have made substantial contributions recently to
documenting the history of librarianship in Oregon. We should all be very
grateful for the work of Cheryl Gunselman, a manuscripts librarian at Washington
State University, who has authored four very important articles, beginning in
2001, dealing with the history of the Multnomah County Library and the Oregon
State Library. Her <a
href="http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ohq/110.3/gunselman.html">most
recent article</a> about the fascinating career of Cornelia Marvin Pierce, the
first Oregon State Librarian, appeared in the Fall 2009 issue of the <em><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Oregon Historical Quarterly.</span></em>
Penny Hummel, who now directs the Canby Public Library after many years on the
staff of Multnomah County Library, has contributed a <a
href="http://www.multcolib.org/about/mcl-his_isom.html">wonderfully-researched
essay</a> on Mary Frances Isom, the first director of the Multnomah County
Library, and, in my opinion, the most accomplished librarian in our history. I
think Penny’s essay should be required reading for all public librarians
in Oregon.<br>
<br>
Has your library’s history been written yet? The books and articles I
mention here prove it can be done. And it should be done, before some of it is
lost. I encourage you to think about who in your library or your community
might be happy to take the task on. – Jim Scheppke</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><a name=Contacts></a><b><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Contacts at the Oregon State Library</span></b><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>
Library Development: 503-378-2525, <a
href="mailto:marykay.dahlgreen@state.or.us">MaryKay Dahlgreen</a>, <a
href="mailto:mary.l.mayberry@state.or.us">Mary Mayberry</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:jennifer.maurer@state.or.us">Jennifer Maurer</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 and Electronic 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>.<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>.<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.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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