WA Secretary of State Blogs

WSL Updates for December 7, 2017

Wednesday, December 6th, 2017 Posted in For Libraries, Grants and Funding, Letters About Literature, News, Training and Continuing Education, Updates | Comments Off on WSL Updates for December 7, 2017


Volume 13, December 7, 2017 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE 2018

2) EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE WORKSHOPS

3) ZINES CONTEST DEADLINE NEAR

4) EVALUATE HEALTH APPS

5) IMLS GRANT OPPORTUNITY

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE 2018

The Letters About Literature contest encourages young readers in grades 4-12 to read a book and write a letter to the author about how the book changed their view of the world or themselves. Students can write about works of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Entries in Spanish are accepted and will be translated for the Washington State judges.

Letter writers compete at three levels: Level 1: grades 4-6; Level 2: grades 7-8; Level 3: grades 9-12. State judges select the top letter writer in each level and the three winning letters advance to the national competition. The three state champions will each receive a $125 cash prize and the champions, runners up, and honorable mentions will be honored at an awards ceremony. State semifinalists will receive an award certificate in the mail. National winners receive a $1,000 cash prize and national honor winners receive a $200 cash prize.

Entries may be submitted through a school or library, or individually. Individual entries must be signed by a parent or guardian. The entry deadline for this year’s contest is January 12, 2018 for all levels. For more information and entry forms: sos.wa.gov/q/LAL2018.

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2) EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE WORKSHOPS

Work that is focused on public service can be both rewarding and costly. Being mindful of our own work narrative and understanding how we deal with conflict are two key areas that require our attention. Participants in this 3-hour workshop will learn how to: identify and adjust their self-talk; understand their personal work mission; develop awareness of cycles of conflict; and improve clarity and effectiveness of communication.

Registration is now open for “Self-Talk and Emotional Intelligence: Improving your Work Narrative.” Workshops are offered January through March 2018 in Vancouver, Tacoma, Marysville, Seattle and Richland. For more information and to register, visit sos.wa.gov/q/EI.

This workshop is sponsored by the Washington State Library and is funded in part by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

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3) ZINES CONTEST DEADLINE NEAR

The deadline for the Washington Historical Zine contest is fast approaching but it’s still not too late to create your Historical Zine! All entries must be postmarked by December 15th. For more information and the entry form, go to sos.wa.gov/q/Zine.

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4) EVALUATE HEALTH APPS

Today mobile applications connect more people to health, wellness, and fitness information than ever before. How can librarians help consumers and patients navigate the growing field of wellness applications? Across all mobile platforms, fitness and health applications are some of the most popular and most frequently downloaded. By better understanding how to evaluate applications, librarians can help patients and patrons make informed decisions about the apps that they choose to download.

“There’s an App for That! Consumer Apps for Health & Fitness” is the next session of the PNR Rendezvous monthly webinar from NNLM PNR. No registration is required.

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5) IMLS GRANT OPPORTUNITY

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is accepting applications for the second cycle of the FY 2018 National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG-L) and Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21). This is the final opportunity to apply for the FY 2018 NLG-L and LB21 grant programs.

The NLG-L program invests in projects that address challenges faced by the library and archive fields and generate results such as new tools, research findings, or models that can be widely used. The LB21 program supports professional development and training projects for libraries and archives.

From the preliminary proposals received by the February 1 deadline, IMLS will select applicants and invite them to submit full proposals by June 8, 2018. Informational webinars will be held Tuesday, December 12 at 11:00 p.m. PST and (repeated) on Thursday, December 14, 12:00 p.m. PST with program staff to answer questions from potential applicants. Recordings of the webinars will also be made available on the IMLS website. For information about how to participate in the webinars or to access the webinar recordings, visit the IMLS webinar webpage, which includes information about system compatibility.

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6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, December 11

Tuesday, December 12

Wednesday, December 13

Thursday, December 14

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DISCLAIMER: The State Library regularly highlights third-party events and online resources as a way to alert the library community to training and resource opportunities.  By doing so, we are not endorsing the content of the event, nor promoting any specific product, but merely providing this information as an FYI to librarians who must then decide what is right for them.

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WSL Updates for October 19, 2017

Wednesday, October 18th, 2017 Posted in For Libraries, Grants and Funding, Letters About Literature, News, Training and Continuing Education, Updates, Washington Center for the Book | Comments Off on WSL Updates for October 19, 2017


Volume 13, October 19, 2017 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE

2) THINK, DO, SHOW – LAST CHANCE

3) ORDERING FREE BOOKS FROM WSL

4) ALA POLICY CORPS

5) MORE IMLS MUSEUM GRANTS

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE

The 2018 Letters About Literature (LAL) contest has launched. LAL is a nationwide competition which encourages young readers in grades 4-12 to read a book and write a letter to the author about how the book changed their view of the world or themselves. Students write about works of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. The deadline for this year’s contest is January 12, 2018.

Tens of thousands of students from across the country enter Letters About Literature each year. Washington has historically had one of the highest participation rates in the United States. The letters our students write are thoughtful and powerful. Help spread the word about this contest which gets our young students not only reading, but thinking about literature. The contest is sponsored by the Washington Center for the Book, a partnership of the Seattle Public Library and the Washington State Library. For more information, visit sos.wa.gov/q/LAL2018.

The Library of Congress is holding a special webinar for educators to learn more about the Letters About Literature contest. This webinar will explore 25 years of best practices of the program. Details:

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2) THINK, DO, SHOW – LAST CHANCE

There are a few spots left in the all-day Think, Do, Show: Practical Techniques for Using Evaluation to Improve Practice and Demonstrate Impact workshops scheduled for November dates at Timberland, Whitman County, and King County libraries and sponsored by the Washington State Library. Registration and more details are available at sos.wa.gov/q/ThinkDoShow.

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3) ORDERING FREE BOOKS FROM WSL

The Washington State Library has made a change in how to request books from the Community Book Project. We have created a “bookshop” where everything is free, and you can order as many copies of a book as you want, up to the available quantity. When all the available copies have been ordered, the book will drop off the page. This will eliminate the back and forth emails that currently happen, as well as the time it can take to get the books mailed out to you. Once you place an order, you will receive a confirmation email.

Our hope for this change is that it will make this process easier for both you and our staff. Please use this link blogs.sos.wa.gov/book-sharing to go out and “shop.” For more information on the Community Book Project please read the “About” page. The project redistributes donated books which were left over from community reads to libraries in Washington State for use as community read titles elsewhere, as classroom sets, or book club kits.

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4) ALA POLICY CORPS

ALA President Jim Neal announced the start of an ALA Policy Corps of advocates to work on national (and state/local) policy:

ALA is launching a new Policy Corps to expand our ability to advocate on key policy issues on behalf of the library community. Participants in the Corps will focus on issues for which deep and sustained knowledge are necessary to advance ALA policy goals and library values among policymakers. Training and opportunities to participate in targeted policy advocacy work will be provided to participants. State library staff and local librarians are asked to consider the opportunity.

More information and how to apply (between October 4 and November 3) can be found at: www.ala.org/advocacy/ala-policy-corps. Questions about the Corps should be directed to Alan Inouye [email protected] or Larra Clark [email protected].

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5) MORE IMLS MUSEUM GRANTS

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is now accepting applications for two museum grant programs: the African American History and Culture and the Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services. The application deadline for both programs is December 1, 2017.

Potential grant applicants are invited to view two pre-recorded webinars, which can help provide information on how to choose the appropriate funding opportunity and navigate the required IMLS forms. IMLS also invites potential applicants to view a live webinar offered for each grant program. Details are available on the IMLS website. For more information about these grants, visit sos.wa.gov/q/IMLS-grants.

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6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, October 23

Tuesday, October 24

Wednesday, October 25

Thursday, October 26

Friday, October 27

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DISCLAIMER: The State Library regularly highlights third-party events and online resources as a way to alert the library community to training and resource opportunities. By doing so, we are not endorsing the content of the event, nor promoting any specific product, but merely providing this information as an FYI to librarians who must then decide what is right for them.

Subscribe to WSL presents: News from Washington Libraries!

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

Washington State’s Letters About Literature Contest for 2016 is underway.

Sunday, November 8th, 2015 Posted in Articles, For Libraries, For the Public, Letters About Literature | Comments Off on Washington State’s Letters About Literature Contest for 2016 is underway.


“I truly believe that without your book, I wouldn’t be here writing this letter to you today.”

Teresa Zhan 2014 Level 3 winner

“The moment I started reading your books it changed me! “

Emily Cordero, 2014 Level 2 winner

“Pastwatch showed me that to be the person I want to be, I must face my fears and voice my beliefs – even if they are different from the beliefs of people around me.”

Owen Bernstein, 2013 Level 2 winner

Every year powerful statements such as these are written by students from all over Washington State.  The Letters About Literature contest encourages young readers in grades 4-12 to read a book and write a letter to the author about how the book changed their view of the world or themselves.  2016 marks the eleventh year that the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, has sponsored the contest as part of Washington Reads.  Washington is a strong state in the contest routinely receiving over 3000 entries every year.

The contest has a tremendous impact on students and their appreciation for the books they read.  Here’s what last year’s winners had to say about the contest.

 

Would you like to learn more about the contest or read letters of past winners?  Here’s where to find the information.

The 23rd annual writing contest for young readers is made possible by a generous grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, with additional support from gifts to the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, which promotes the contest through its affiliate Centers for the Book, state libraries and other organizations.

 

 

WSL Updates for April 5, 2012

Wednesday, April 4th, 2012 Posted in For Libraries, Grants and Funding, Letters About Literature, News, Training and Continuing Education, Updates, Washington Talking Book and Braille Library | Comments Off on WSL Updates for April 5, 2012


Volume 12: April 5, Year for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) WSL RELEASES LSTA 5-YEAR EVALUATION

2) DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR LIBRARY COUNCIL VACANCIES

3) RESOURCE SHARING GRANT CYCLE NOW OPEN

4) YOUTH SERVICES & OUTREACH POSITION AVAILABLE

5) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE CHAMPIONS ANNOUNCED

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) WSL RELEASES LSTA 5-YEAR EVALUATION

As required by law, the Washington State LSTA Five-Year Evaluation Report was submitted to the Institute of Museum and Library Services on March 27, 2012. The purpose of conducting an LSTA Five-Year Evaluation is to independently evaluate the activities supported with federal LSTA funding. The evaluation provides an opportunity to measure progress in meeting the targets set in the approved five year plan and is designed to help state libraries make more effective resource allocation decisions in their upcoming five year plans.

As stated in the report’s executive summary, “The WSL’s most significant strength is their ability to convene and promote collaboration between and among libraries of all types in the state. Building on this strength, analysis of past performance, and emerging priorities for WSL and Washington libraries has surfaced six main recommendations for the Washington State Library with regard to future activity funded through LSTA.” Visit www.sos.wa.gov/library/libraries/dev to read the entire LSTA Five-Year Evaluation 2008 – 2012 report.

For those of you who have contributed to the development of this report through your participation in focus groups, telephone interviews or surveys, thank you. If you have questions, contact Jeff Martin, Acting Library Development Program Manager at 360.704.5248 or at [email protected].

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2) DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR LIBRARY COUNCIL VACANCIES

Applications are currently being accepted for two Library Council of Washington positions. One position represents Special Libraries; the other represents Public Libraries serving fewer than 100,000 persons. The Library Council of Washington advises the State Librarian and the Office of the Secretary of State on statewide library issues and the expenditure of federal LSTA funding.

Applications must be postmarked by Friday, April 6, 2012 to be considered. These positions begin September 2012. More information is available at www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/vacancy. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Jeff Martin, at 360.704.5248, [email protected], or Anne Yarbrough at 360.704.5246, [email protected].

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3) RESOURCE SHARING GRANT CYCLE NOW OPEN

The purpose of the Connecting Libraries through Resource Sharing (CLRS) grant cycle is to provide grant funds for collection development with materials that are rotated between partnering libraries, thus encouraging cooperation among public libraries in counties, or those with contiguous borders, where inter-local agreements to share materials do not exist, or did not exist before participation in a previous CLRS grant cycle.

Grants of up to $715 per library may be awarded qualifying partnerships. A single application from each group of partnering libraries is required. A partnership must include two or more public libraries; with one library acting as the lead library in both the application process and, if awarded, the grant implementation.

The application deadline is Friday, June 1, 2012. More details may be found at www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/grants. For additional information or questions, contact Carolyn Petersen, CLRS Project Manager, 360.570.5560 [email protected] or Anne Yarbrough, LSTA Grants Manager, 360.704.5246, [email protected].

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4) YOUTH SERVICES & OUTREACH POSITION AVAILABLE

The Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL), a program of the Washington State Library and the Office of the Secretary of State, is seeking a Youth Services & Outreach Librarian. This part-time (30 hours per week), permanent, entry-level position is located in Seattle. Statewide travel will be required to implement outreach events and activities.

For more information, including job description, qualifications, and application instructions, visit www.sos.wa.gov/office/employment.aspx.

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5) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE CHAMPIONS ANNOUNCED

“Letters About Literature” encourages young readers to write letters to their favorite authors, competing at the national level to win a $500 Target gift card and $10,000 for their community or school library. This is the seventh year Washington State Library has sponsored the competition as part of Washington Reads.

Clare Doran, a sixth grader at The Bush School in Seattle, is the 2012 Level 1 champion. Samantha Smith, an eighth grader at Blue Heron Middle School in Port Townsend, is the Level 2 champion. Oliver Reed, a tenth grader at North Central High School in Spokane, is the Level 3 champion. The three champions’ letters have been sent to the Library of Congress for the national competition. The results of the national judging will be released in early May. Read the winning letters at www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/LAL2012.

Approximately 5,500 Washington students entered the 2012 contest. 98 semifinalists advanced to round 3 state judging. All state semi-finalists will receive an award certificate in the mail. There will be a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda in Olympia at 11:00 a.m. May 11 during which the winners and semi-finalists will be acknowledged for their achievement.

To learn more about the 2012 competition, judging, and to see a list of the participating schools, use the link provided above. Thank you to all the students, teachers, librarians, and families who participate in Washington’s Letters About Literature program. Keep reading and writing!

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6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, April 9, 2012:

  • Deflection on WorldCat Resource Sharing (OCLC); 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT;
  • Everything I Need and Want is in the Teen Section: YA Spatial Practices in New U.S. Public Libraries (SJSU SLIS); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT;

Tuesday, April 10, 2012:

  • The New Science of Building Great Teams: Analytics for Success (Harvard Business Review ); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT;
  • 25 Twitter projects to engage your community and benefit your business (O’Reilly Community); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT;
  • Custom Holdings on WorldCat Resource Sharing (OCLC); 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT;
  • ProQuest Research Library – With so many publications, how do you find the right one to search? (ProQuest); 11:00 – 11:30 a.m. PDT; www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ245;
  • Virtual Connections (WebJunction); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT;
  • Picture These: What’s New with Graphic Novels (Booklist); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT;
  • Apps for Speech Therapy and Autism (Accessible Technology Coalition ); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT;
  • Spring Adult Book Buzz (Library Journal); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT;

Wednesday, April 11, 2012:

  • Snapshot Day: What It Is and How Your Library Will Benefit from Participating (NCompass Live); 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PDT;
  • Advanced Searching: Beyond the Single Search Box (ProQuest); 11:00 – 11:45 a.m. PDT: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ242;
  • Intermediate Tips & Tricks for Microsoft Office 2010® Level 200 (New Horizons ); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT;
  • Patron-Initiated Resource Sharing (OCLC); 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT;
  • Before You Seek a Grant: A Checklist for New Nonprofits (GrantSpace ); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT;
  • Information Professional to Intelligence Analyst: Translating your LIS Skills (SJSU SLIS); 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. PDT;

Thursday, April 12, 2012:

Friday, April 13, 2012:

 

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

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Washington’s 2012 Letters About Literature Champions Announced!

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012 Posted in Articles, For the Public, Letters About Literature, News | Comments Off on Washington’s 2012 Letters About Literature Champions Announced!


From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff

Clare Doran, a sixth grader at The Bush School in Seattle, is the Level 1 champion.  Samantha Smith, an eighth grader at Blue Heron Middle School in Port Townsend, is the Level 2 champion. Oliver Reed, a tenth grader at North Central High School in Spokane, is the Level 3 champion.  Read the winning letters here!

There were approximately 5,500 Washington students who entered the 2012 contest. There are 98 semifinalists who advanced to round 3 state judging. All state semi-finalists will receive an award certificate in the mail.   There will also be a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda in Olympia on May 11 at 11:00 in the morning during which the semi-finalists will be acknowledged for their achievement.

From the 98 Washington semi-finalists, the state judges selected the three aforementioned champions, three second place runners up, and ten honorable mentions.  The three champions’ letters have been sent to the Library of Congress for the national competition.  The results of the national judging will be released in early May.

Click here to learn more about the 2012 competition, judging, and to see a list of the participating schools.   Thank you to all the students, teachers, librarians, and families who participate in Washington’s Letters About Literature program.  Keep reading and writing!

WSL Updates for September 16, 2010

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010 Posted in For Libraries, Grants and Funding, News, Training and Continuing Education, Updates | Comments Off on WSL Updates for September 16, 2010


Volume 6, September 16, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE 2010/2011

2) RENEW WASHINGTON PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS ARE ONLINE

3) TAKE THE EARLY LEARNING SURVEY

4) INFOPEOPLE OFFERS MINI-COURSES

5) FUNDS FOR SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAMS IN WASHINGTON STATE

6) ENVIRONMENTAL AND MEDIA PROGRAMS SUPPORTED

7) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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