Volume 8, October 4, 2012 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) NEWS FROM WASHINGTON RURAL HERITAGE

2) EBOOKS AND EREADERS SURVEY

3) FREE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP

4) CALL FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BOOK CHAPTERS

5) SCHOOL LIBRARY HUMANITIES AWARD

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

—————————————————————————————————————

1) NEWS FROM WASHINGTON RURAL HERITAGE

Seven public libraries throughout the state recently completed work on 2011 LSTA grant projects for Washington Rural Heritage. The WSL-led digitization initiative currently provides online access to 25 collections representing the holdings of more than 80 cultural institutions. Explore some of the new content:

New grant-funded collections:

• Connell Heritage (www.washingtonruralheritage.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/connell) from the Connell Branch of Mid-Columbia Libraries, in partnership with the Connell Heritage Museum and the Franklin County Graphic;
• Nooksack Valley Heritage (www.washingtonruralheritage.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/nooksack) from the Everson McBeath Community Library, Whatcom County Library System;
• North Central Washington Heritage (www.washingtonruralheritage.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/ncrl) from the North Central Regional Library, in partnership with the Initiative for Rural Innovation and Stewardship (IRIS).

New content from existing collections:

• Wilson Banner Ranch photos (sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/asotin2011grant) from a private collection digitized by the Asotin County Library;
• Early Odessa, Washington photos (sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/odessa2011grant) from the holdings of the Odessa Historisches Museum, digitized by the Odessa Public Library;
• Community life and coal mining photos (sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/roslyn2011grant) from a private collection digitized by the Roslyn Public Library;
• Historic barn photos and more Fred L. Breckon portraits (sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/ellensburg2011grant) from the local history archives of the Ellensburg Public Library.

Participating libraries also continue to add content using local resources, volunteers, and alternative funding sources:

• From Whitman County Library (sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/whitman2011-2012continuing). Almost 1,000 items from private collections and institutional partners;
• From the Stevenson Community Library, Fort Vancouver Regional Library District (sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/skamania2011-2012continuing). Privately held items documenting early Skamania County.

Six public libraries and one tribal library are currently working on grant projects for 2012-2013. Applications for a new LSTA grant cycle will be available on the Washington State Library website beginning in February, 2013. To find out more about Washington Rural Heritage, please contact Evan Robb, Project Manager at evan.robb@sos.wa.gov, 360-704-5228.

—————————————————————————————————————

2) EBOOKS AND EREADERS SURVEY

Infopeople (infopeople.org) would like your input for an online course on eReaders and downloading eBooks set to launch in January, 2013. A short survey has been created for the purpose of collecting your experience with various eReader devices and identifying topics that will address knowledge gaps and support issues related to downloading eBooks to electronic devices. The survey is located at www.surveymonkey.com/s/H787FGR.

Please feel free to pass this link on to anyone who may be interested. Your responses will guide development of a course targeted for front-line support staff who assist patrons in eBook content access and download. Information regarding this new Infopeople offering will be announced at a later time.

—————————————————————————————————————

3) FREE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP

You may have a disaster preparedness plan, but will it work when disaster strikes? Sign up today for the free workshop, “Are You Ready? Scenario Planning & Collaboration Among Heritage Institutions to Improve Disaster Preparedness for Collections,” funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Take a day to test your institution’s disaster plan to identify areas for improvement, to improve your ability to evaluate risks, and to work together with other participants to build a shared vision for regional disaster preparedness.

The workshop instructor is Gary Menges, Librarian Emeritus, University of Washington, and WESTPAS trainer. One workshop in the state of Washington is scheduled for the end of October:

• Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Everett Public Library;
• Pre-registration required no later than Monday, October 22, 2012, at 5:00 p.m.;

For additional information and to register, go to www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/RUReadyEverett. For general and workshop content information, contact Gary Menges at menges@uw.edu. For registration assistance, contact Alexandra Gingerich at gingerich@plsinfo.org.

—————————————————————————————————————

4) CALL FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BOOK CHAPTERS

Samantha Schmehl Hines, Associate Professor, Distance Education Coordinator, and Head of the Mansfield Library, University of Montana, is soliciting chapters for a book titled Revolutionizing the Development of Library and Information Professionals: Planning for the Future. Professor Hines requests content from anyone involved in professional development for a library association: conference planners, continuing education coordinators, researchers, writers, and presenters in the field. She is seeking a range of material focusing on all levels, types, and aspects of professional development.

Contact information: Samantha.Hines@mso.umt.edu or 406.243.7818.

—————————————————————————————————————

5) SCHOOL LIBRARY HUMANITIES AWARD

The ALA Public Programs Office is now accepting nominations for the $4,000 2013 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming. School libraries, public or private, that served children in any combination of grades K-8 and conducted humanities programs during the 2011-2012 school year are eligible. Applications and award guidelines are available at www.ala.org/jaffarianaward. To be considered, nominations must be received by the ALA Public Programs Office by December 15.

The ALA Public Programs Office and ProgrammingLibrarian.org present the 2012 winner in an online learning opportunity especially for school librarians. Francis Feeley, school librarian of Inter-American Magnet School in Chicago, Ill., will present his award-winning humanities program model for school libraries ,”Who Are We?” which challenged seventh- and eighth-grade students to explore the individual and collective behavior of human beings in the past and present in a series of quarterly research projects. Feeley will discuss elements of his award application that lead to his selection, and give tips to prospective applicants to help get their applications started.

Workshop details:

• Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 2:00 PDT;
• Registration: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/who-are-we;
• Questions: ALA Public Programs Office: publicprograms@ala.org or 800-545-2433 x5045.

—————————————————————————————————————

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, October 8:

• Advanced Searching: Beyond the Single Search Box (ProQuest); 9:00 – 9:45 a.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ437;
• ProQuest Learning: Literature (ProQuest); 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ440;

Tuesday, October 9:

• All You Need to Know about E-reader services in Your Library (WSL); Richland Public Library, Richland, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. PDT;
• My Research & RefWorks: Perfect Together (ProQuest); 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ438;
• Grantseeking Basics (GrantSpace); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT;
• Ring the Dinner Bell: New Cookbooks to Enjoy (Booklist); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT;
• Google Yourself Silly (InSync); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT;
• Personal Gadgets and the Library (Infopeople); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT;
• Mental Health First Aid USA for Library Staff (ALA); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/MentalHealth;
• Factors Influencing Funding Decisions by Elected Politicians at the State/Provincial Level: A Case Study of Public Libraries in Canada (San Jose State University); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT;
• Common Core and ProQuest Resources (ProQuest); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ441;
• History Study Center (ProQuest); 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ442;

Wednesday, October 10:

• New Librarians Global Connection: best practices, models and recommendations (ALA); 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PDT;
• All You Need to Know about E-reader services in Your Library (WSL); Ritzville Public Library, Ritzville, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. PDT;
• Telling Your Story: Five Secrets for Successful Career Growth and Advancement (Infopeople); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT;
• CultureGrams for Elementary Schools (ProQuest); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ443;
• Common Core and ProQuest Resources (ProQuest); 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ444;

Thursday, October 11:

• Introduction to the New ProQuest Platform (ProQuest); 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ439;
• All You Need to Know about E-reader services in Your Library (WSL); Hal Holmes Community Center, Ellensburg, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. PDT;
• Helping Patrons Find Legal Assistance in their Community: Online Referral Tools (Pro Bono Net); 10:00 – 11:15 a.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/ProBono11Oct;
• Warm Up to Reading: Getting Kids Hooked on Books (Booklist); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT;
• Best Practices for Recruiting Online (VolunteerMatch); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/VMOnline;
• How to Approach a Foundation (GrantSpace); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT;

Friday, October 12:

• Healthcare 101: Cradle to Grave (O’Reilly Community); 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. PDT.

For more information and to register (for those not linked above), visit the WSL Training Calendar at www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/training.

—————————————————————————————————————

The Washington State Library has gone social! Friend/follow us at:

• Facebook: on.fb.me/FBWSL;
• Twitter: bit.ly/TwitWSL.

Yesterday, Mike Thompson, Custodian at the Washington State Library, received the Employee of the Year award from the Administrative Services Division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

Mike was nominated by several staff members from the library, and here are excerpts from their comments about Mike:

Mike exhibits outstanding work ethics and attention to detail. He keeps all the buildings he’s responsible for in top form.

Regardless of his heavy workload, he is always pleasant and makes time to say hello. He can be counted on to help out with events or wherever else is needed at the drop of a hat. Mike’s an all around great asset to the agency by making many of our work lives better.

Did we say, “He even DUSTS!”

The building has never looked better since Mike came on board. He goes above and beyond, with a cheerful and professional attitude. Thanks, Mike, for everything you do!

In the picture, Dan Speigle, Deputy Secretary of State (left), comments on Mike’s service while Sam Reed, Secretary of State (right), applauds; Mike is the guy in the middle holding the plaque.

Congratulations, Mike, on this well-deserved award! We salute you!

Laura Sherbo with her mom at ALA

One of the first sessions I attended was the Unconference (wonderful, by the way).  At the Unconference I was talking with one of the other attendees about this being our first ALA and she said, “Oh wait! Someone forwarded this to me this morning.  There is free food on Saturday! Give me your phone number and I’ll send you the information.” Lo and behold it was the ASCLA Awards Ceremony.  Initially I was a little indignant.  How could these moochers attend the awards ceremony for anything besides honoring Laura?!?!?!  Maybe they are serving champagne, I thought, to console myself (turns out it was pretzels shaped like Mickey Mouse).  Or maybe ALA just knows that the best way to spread a message is with free food.

On Saturday I dressed in my conference best and went to meet Laura and all the other conference goers enjoying mini quesadillas and cake pops.  I also got to see Jeff Martin again and meet Laura’s Mother, who is twice as nice as she is charming. As an aside, I now look forward to my own mother’s presence at all future awards ceremonies in my honor.  The awards honored librarians, students, partnerships, and programs in specialized libraries with five different awards.  When the presenter read all the wonderful reasons why Laura won her award, Laura received the loudest round of applause of all the recipients. I can only imagine the myriad of emotions and admirations running through the minds of every person in the crowd.

Laura has been my supervisor for three years now, and more than anyone I have ever worked for, she is able to motivate her staff to greatness.  In the beginning, I was astounded by the loyalty everyone felt toward her and the Institutional Library Services, but now I understand.  Through budget cuts and layoffs, it becomes more abundantly clear with each hurdle she has encountered, that Laura is dedicated not only to serving the underserved, but also her staff.  She has the strength and high standards of a Titan, while still somehow making her staff feel comfortable giving input, starting new programs, and questioning her decisions, sometimes incessantly, probably much to her chagrin.  In short, Laura is the embodiment of leadership and all of us at ILS are lucky to work for her.

Also, she said the reason she won the award is because of her staff, which I’m not going to argue, because we’re pretty great.

The “other” Washington, that is, Washington D.C. Mark Ray, Washington’s 2011 Teacher of the Year, and a librarian and media specialist from Skyview High School, Vancouver, WA, is currently in the nation’s capitol where he, along with the teachers of the year from the other states, got to visit the White House, and shake the president’s hand. While in town he also plans to meet with Washington’s senators, and others to advocate for school libraries. In this picture, Mark is in the back row, far right. The full story is printed in today’s Columbian. We previously saluted librarian Ray when he won his award, back in October, 2011.

Kudos go to Mark Ray, Teacher and Librarian/Media Specialist at Skyview High School in Vancouver, WA who was recently named Washington’s Teacher of the Year. The award was announced by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, during a ceremony in Seattle, Oct. 3, 2011.

An article in the Vancouver Columbian is filled with encomiums of well-deserved praise for librarian Ray.

Then, what should appear in the Seattle Times today? Nothing less than a guest column by Ray, in which he attacks the evils of “truthiness” in American society, explaining and defending the role of libraries and librarians in 21st century schools.

“Truthiness,” according to Ray, quoting Wikipedia, is a term coined by comedian Stephen Colbert, and is defined as “truth” that a person feels intuitively “from the gut” or that “feels right” without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, let alone the facts!

“Librarians fight truthiness,” asserts Ray, “And truthiness is bad for America.” Further,

That makes libraries and librarians good for America. As a teacher librarian, my job is to ensure that students are effective users and producers of information and ideas.

And,

Truthiness is a pox on our society. Trading conjecture for the confirmed and sound bites for the hard work of research, scholarship and attribution, truthiness is a laziness of the mind. And like childhood obesity, it will cost our country far more than we realize.

He concludes, “Truthiness is bad for America. And I have the facts to back that up.”

Hooray for teacher librarians like Mark Ray! Kudos to you on being named Teacher of the Year! And thank you for using your well-deserved fame to highlight the important role that you, and all of the other teacher librarians still serving our schools, play in the lives of students and teachers every day.

Mark Ray, we salute you!

Here are the links:

• Vancouver Columbian article
• Seattle Times guest column

Congratulations to the King County Library System‘s Sammamish Library, which has been selected as one of Library Journal’s “Landmark Libraries” for 2011! Read the full citation here. The rest of the winners and honorable mentions are here.

Appreciation in action

I’ve worked for Washington State Library at Clallam Bay Corrections Center for 17 years.  I love what I do, but it isn’t always the easiest of jobs.  The mood of the institution can get depressing at times.

I have four library clerks, offenders that I work with on a daily basis. They have varying degrees of education but are all really good workers and for the most part have good attitudes. We laugh, talk books, sports, music, movies and all the time trying to be correctly professional and not be overly friendly.  It is a fine line to walk.

One clerk has worked for me over two years and in the first year it was just the two of us running the library for one reason or another.  After I had hired more clerks I gave him a small paper gold star telling him how much I appreciated his working so hard and professionally with just my help.  Another clerk who has been with me for over a year got a gold star for his willingness to do anything I ask him to do plus the initiative he shows in organizing and keeping the library tidy.  So, now the other two are striving for a gold star.

Today they surprised me by making a gold star for me to tell me how much I was appreciated as their boss.  It nearly brought me to tears and makes me so glad that I work in an institution and can make a difference, even if only for a few.

Congratulations to Pat Bliquez!

Pat is the teacher-librarian at Roxhill Elementary, a small elementary school in a West Seattle neighborhood of modest means. For her exemplary work promoting books and reading, she just won Seattle public-television station KCTS’ coveted Golden Apple Award for making a difference in children’s lives.

For more, read the Seattle Times story, and visit the West Seattle blog which includes a video tribute presentation honoring Pat, or check out the KCTS9 citation, as well as the Roxhill Elementary Harrison L. Caldwell Library web page.

Pat Bliquez, the Washington State Library salutes you!

Volume 6, October 7, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) NEW DIGITAL COLLECTION – SKAMANIA COUNTY HERITAGE

2) WORKPLACE BULLYING SURVEY

3) EXCEPTIONAL FAMILY LITERACY PROGRAMS RECOGNIZED

4) FREE BOOKS FOR DISCUSSION KITS OR COMMUNITY READS

5) PLA AWARD AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

6) ALCTS LIBRARY METADATA POLICY E-FORUM

7) EVALUATING MEDICAL INFORMATION ON THE WEB

8) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

Lynne Greene, who recently won the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award, has been director of the Davis High School Library for 27 years. Greene traveled to the Governor’s Mansion in Olympia in April to receive the award.

And she’s up for another honor this summer. Her two staffers are nominating her for the Washington Library Media Association’s 2010 Librarian of the Year.

The Yakima-Herald Republic has a detailed profile of Greene in its June 3, 2010 online issue. The announcement from the Washington Commission for National and Community Services is available here.

Congratulations, Lynne! We salute you!