LTLS - Quick Connections

LTLS Christmas Holiday Schedule

2009-12-21T09:27:13-06:00

In observance of the Christmas Holiday LTLS Headquarters will be closed on Thursday December 24th and Friday December 25th. The office will be closed and no delivery routes will be run.

Happy Holidays from the Staff at Lincoln Trail!

Weekly Poll

2009-12-18T11:43:46-06:00

Be sure to check out our new survey below, or on our home page.

You can also view results from previous weekly polls.

Summit Steering Committee Formed

2009-12-18T11:43:03-06:00

A steering committee has been formed to carry out the charge coming out of the summit meeting held on November 9, 2009, on library cooperation in Illinois. Co-chairs Dee Brennan, Oak Park Public Library, and Donna Dziedzic, Naperville Public Library, have developed a planning document that has been distributed to all summit participants. Next steps include formation of task forces early next year to address specific areas of need.

The planning document describes the vision and mission for the process as follows:

VISION
Every Illinois resident has access to the highest quality library services and resources to meet their lifelong learning needs.

MISSION
Facilitate and guide the development of a comprehensive plan to transform local, regional, and statewide library services in Illinois.

The steering committee is charged to do the following:

Identify the key recommendations from the summit and establish task forces to work on each issue.

Appoint task forces that represent all types of libraries and all geographic and demographic interests; identify their scope of work and a timeline for completion; provide coordination and a guiding vision.

Assist task forces in the conduct of work and help execute and carry forward their recommendations.

Work with Illinois library systems as they develop interim strategies and plans to deal with the current fiscal crisis.

Work with the Illinois Library Systems, Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI), Illinois School Library Media Association (ISLMA), Illinois Chapter of the Special Libraries Association, and ILA including the Illinois Association of College and Research Libraries (IACRL) Forum, Library Trustee Forum, Public Library Forum, Reaching Forward: Forum for Library Support Staff, the Youth and Young Adult Services Forums, and others to ensure optimum communication and collaboration.·

As soon as summit participants have had the opportunity to comment on the planning document, a full text version will be posted on the ILA Web site at www.ila.org.

Creating Great Buzz for our Libraries ILA Library Trustee Forum 2010 Workshop

2009-12-18T11:37:52-06:00

Saturday, February 27, 2010
Marriott Hickory Ridge Conference Center, Lisle, Illinois
Join the ILA Trustee Forum for its annual workshop designed specifically for library trustees.

What do customers say about your library, your staff, your service? This humorous, highly interactive workshop will get your people buzzing about how to engage customers so they want to come back again and again. Presentainers Gail Johnson and Pam Parr from Face to Face Communications and Training guarantee that participants will leave with reality based "how to's" and a new enthusiasm that will last long after this workshop is over.

The afternoon will feature ILA Legislative Consultant Kip Kolkmeier and Attorney Phil Lenzini. Kip and Phil will provide an update on what's going on in Springfield and answer all your legal and legislative questions.

A block of rooms has been reserved for Friday, February 26. For hotel reservations, please contact Marriott Hickory Ridge Conference Center at (800) 334-0344. The single/double rate is $79, plus tax, per night. Please note the conference rate deadline is February 12, 2010.

The registration fee is $150 for ILA Members and $175 for Non-Members. Register multiple trustees and save! Register one trustee at the full price and each additional trustee from your institution will receive a $10 registration discount.

Register Now!

What's New @ WJIL

2009-12-18T11:18:04-06:00

Two new timely courses have been added to the WebJunction Illinois Course Catalog. Remember, these courses are available anytime, anywhere and are free to registered users of WJIL. Enroll by visiting the WJIL Course Catalog and clicking on LE@D as the Featured Course Provider.

Financial Management in Tough Times (LE@D)

You’ve just been told that your budget is being cut by 10% next year. Or perhaps you must submit a budget showing a 20% or even 30% reduction in the upcoming fiscal year.

What services do you cut?
Can the budget be cut without laying off staff?
What is the long-term result of budget cuts?
What about outsourcing?

Is it possible to improve library service to the community while cutting the budget?

Budget cuts can be beneficial to a library and a community. We must examine what our libraries do and how effectively/efficiently we do it. It’s time to responsibly make the right decisions and make the necessary changes to negatively affect the minimal number of people in our community. And, in the process, we may find that our informed decisions have actually IMPROVED library services!

Supervision without Micromanagement (LE@D)

Why is effective library supervision so hard, even for the smart, nice, and experienced library employee? Library supervision in itself is hard because:

Humans are not books to be processed
Being the boss does not mean you have earned the trust and respect of the staff
Supervision requires a different set of skills
People who do it well make it look easy

Whether you are a supervisor in waiting or an experienced library manager, this course will will illustrate the techniques, courtesies, and responsibilities necessary for you to improve your library’s productivity and workplace relations.

Library receives record 47 years late

2009-12-18T09:24:30-06:00

You can’t blame the person who recently returned an old record to a central Illinois library for slipping quickly out the door. The record was a little late.

OK, a lot late.

Fondulac District Library Director Amy Falasz-Peterson says the album by 1950s pop singer Julius La Rosa was checked on Feb. 12, 1962. That made it 17,438 days — over 47 years — overdue when it showed up this month.

“A person came into the library, put the record on the desk and said, ‘We don’t know what to do with it. A family member passed away, and we found it in their stuff,’” Falasz-Peterson said Wednesday. “Before we could get their name, the person left.”

It’s been so long since the record was checked out, she said, the library doesn’t have any idea who the scofflaw was.

At the nickel a day the library has charged since the 1960s, the fine would be a hefty $871.90. The library won’t seek the money, she said, but did reconsider its late fees, raising the rate to a dime a day after the record came in.

Falasz-Peterson says the old black, vinyl disc is now so out of place, the library wasn’t sure what to do with it.

“We haven’t had albums in 13 years. I don’t even think we have a record player anymore,” she said.

So library staff have put it to work — as part of a display reminding borrowers to get their books back on time or face the new, higher fines.

“It’s never too late,” said Falasz-Peterson, motioning to the album.

Broadband Technology Opportunities Public Computer Center Program

2009-12-17T10:24:50-06:00

The Illinois State Library (ISL) and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will develop and submit a statewide application under the Broadband Technology Opportunities Public Computer Center Program (BTOP) for Round 2. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) includes $7.2 billion to expand broadband access to communities across the United States, preserve and create jobs, spur investments in technology and infrastructure, and provide long-term economic benefits. The ARRA provides $200 million specifically for the Broadband Technology Opportunities Public Computer Center Program. The first application round closed on August 14th. The ISL and DCEO intended to develop a first round proposal; after careful consideration, however, we opted to submit a more comprehensive application targeting the second round of BTOP funding.

We are now inviting libraries to participate in the statewide application we will submit. If we receive the funding, each participating library may receive up to $75,000 for a two-year period per library building, subject to available matching funding by DCEO. Libraries will receive a choice of equipment, hardware, software, peripherals, and/or furnishings. Personnel and training support will also be provided. Participating libraries must agree to certain terms.
Find the application, Executive Summary, grant details and application instructions at this link:
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/whats_new/btopgran
t.html

If you would like to participate, send an email to Debra Aggertt
daggertt@ilsos.net by December 21st. In the subject line, put "Participate in BTOP Grant", indicating intent to participate in the project. Applications are due at the State Library by January 15th, 2010.

The State Library will host another webinar to discuss Illinois' joint BTOP application. Participation is encouraged but is not required. The webinar will be held next Wednesday December 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the ISL OPAL room. Register at
http://www.librarylearning.info/events/?eventID=8953

Participating libraries must follow the guidelines including:
WHO IS ELIGIBLE:
Any library that:
* is a full member of a regional library system
* can verify that the library is OPEN to the public, not only the library's primary patrons (Note: School libraries are eligible, but must provide public hours for use of equipment and training)
* can verify that the project will be substantially completed within two years of the date of issuance
* can verify that the library will continue/sustain the project following the expenditure of grant funds

WHAT EACH PARTICIPATING LIBRARY CAN GET IF THE GRANT IS FUNDED:
* Up to $75,000 BTOP funds [for a two-year period] per library building subject to available matching funding by DCEO
* Choice of equipment, hardware, software, peripherals, and/or furnishings. Some hardware can be selected from menus provided by DCEO/ISL.
* Personnel/training support

WHAT EACH LIBRARY NEEDS TO AGREE TO DO:
* Create or expand a public computer center that provides the following:
* Broadband access to the public for at least 15 hours per week (minimum broadband speeds/768 kilobits per second downstream and 200 kbps upstream)
* Access and training on the Illinois workNet portal (http://www.illinosworknet.com)
* Access and training on the GEDi (http://www.ged-i.org)
* Access and training on National Library Service for the Blind/digital
audio book downloads
* Promote access to Illinois Legal Aid Online
(http://www.illinoislegalaidonline.org)
* Dedicate staff (or hire contractor) to coordinate the two-year project
* Participate in professional development training and implement best
practices where applicable
* Have individual/functional library website or website operational within first six months of grant

What's New @ WJIL

2009-12-11T13:46:42-06:00

What do patrons think are the important factors in the success of your library? The Researching Communities to Prepare for the Future study interviewed over 140 residents in 15 communities across Illinois, to discover what communities want from their libraries in the future. In this What’s New @ WJIL you can learn from the results, read the Community reports and train your staff on the top 6 factors for a successful public library.

http://webjunctionworks.org/il/blog/index.php/2009/12/11/whats-new-wjil-researching-communities-to-prepare-for-the-future/

Weekly Poll

2009-12-11T09:53:19-06:00

Be sure to check out our new survey below, or on our home page.

You can also view results from previous weekly polls.

2009 Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award

2009-12-09T10:29:11-06:00

The West Bend Community Memorial Library in West Bend, Wisconsin, is the recipient of the 2009 Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award given by the faculty of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The faculty voted overwhelmingly to give this year’s award to the West Bend Library for its steadfast advocacy on behalf of intellectual freedom in the face of a library challenge that garnered national attention. The efforts of the library board, Library Director Michael Tyree, the library staff, and many supportive community members are to be commended.

The controversy began in February 2009 when West Bend resident and conservative blogger Ginny Maziarka formally objected to the presence of books with LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) content in the young adult section of the library. She formed a citizens’ group, West Bend Citizens for Safe Libraries, and circulated a petition that called for the library to, among other requests, move “youth-targeted pornographic books into the adult section of the library.”

In response to her objection, a second citizens’ group was formed, West Bend Parents for Free Speech, which was active in supporting the library’s decision not to move or remove any of the titles in question.

The controversy quickly escalated in this town of 30,000 people located outside of Milwaukee. Hundreds of people attended library board meetings and town hall gatherings. In April 2009, four library board members were denied reappointment by the West Bend Common Council for not acting on the petitions to remove the materials. According to Alderman Terry Vrana, who was quoted in the West Bend Daily News, “the appointees were not serving the interests of the community ‘with their ideology.’” At a June 2009 meeting of the library board, a vote was taken and a unanimous decision to maintain the young adult collection without removing, moving, labeling, or restricting in any way, triumphed.

The American Library Association issued a statement in support of the library and against the efforts to control access to library collections. “Fanning the flames of this controversy, opponents of open access in libraries have launched a campaign spreading fear and misinformation. . . By resisting calls to censor potentially controversial materials, [the West Bend Library] promote[s] and protect[s] true education and learning, and uphold[s] the cherished freedoms that we, as Americans, hold most dear.”

Maziarka launched an aggressive campaign and used social media, including her blog, to spread her message. National media outlets such as CNN, ABC News, and Fox News covered the story. In mid-July, the Pew Research Center’s Project on Excellence in Journalism ranked the West End book challenges as among the top five blogged-about topics in the news.

“The West Bend librarians, library board, and library supporters demonstrated the strong and steadfast advocacy on behalf of intellectual freedom that is the focus of the Downs Award. Despite the enormous media attention that the controversy received, they were unwavering in their support of the public library's responsibility to provide a diverse collection to serve *all* community members,” said Christine Jenkins, GSLIS associate professor and director of the Center for Children’s Books.

A reception to honor the West Bend Library will take place during the midwinter meeting of the American Library Association in the Arlington Room of the Boston Park Plaza Hotel on January 16, 2010, from 5:30–7:00 p.m. The ABC-CLIO publishing company provides the honorarium to the recipient of the Downs Intellectual Freedom Award and also co-sponsors the reception.

The Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award is given annually to acknowledge individuals or groups who have furthered the cause of intellectual freedom, particularly as it affects libraries and information centers and the dissemination of ideas. Granted to those who have resisted censorship or efforts to abridge the freedom of individuals to read or view materials of their choice, the award may be in recognition of a particular action or long-term interest in, and dedication to, the cause of intellectual freedom. The award was established in 1969 by the GSLIS faculty to honor Robert Downs, a champion of intellectual freedom, on his twenty-fifth anniversary as director of the school.

Consistently ranked as one of the top library and information science programs in the United States, the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, founded in 1893 at the Armour Institute in Chicago, maintains a reputation of excellence and quality. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was founded in 1867, and is regularly cited among leading universities in the United States.