Volume 6, February 11, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FIRST TUESDAYS – TOP WEBSITES FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

2) DOWNLOADABLE AUDIOBOOKS OCLC ORDER FORM

3) TAX UPDATE – DIGITAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

4) WORLDCAT LOCAL QUICK START WEB INFORMATION SESSIONS

5) WEBINAR – LOOKING BEYOND LIBRARIES FOR INNOVATION AND INSPIRATION

6) LIBRARY LAWS FOR THE WEB ENVIRONMENT – THE MOBILE USER

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1) FIRST TUESDAYS – TOP WEBSITES FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

In the summer of 2009 the American Association of School Librarians honored 25 web sites as the best for teaching and learning. Ahniwa Ferrari, Online Resources Consultant at the Washington State Library, will highlight some of these resources that may be of particular use in the public library setting. Join us on Tuesday, March 2 to learn more about tools such as Animoto, Second Life, and Twitter, and how they can be used as teaching and learning tools in your library.

First Tuesdays is online and live March 2 from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Instructions for joining a First Tuesdays program are at www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/tuesdays.

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2) DOWNLOADABLE AUDIOBOOKS OCLC ORDER FORM

For libraries and schools that plan to purchase subscriptions to one or more of the OCLC NetLibrary Recorded Books collections via the Downloadable Audiobooks project, the next step is to fill out, sign, and return the OCLC Audio Book Order Form, which also includes the legal terms and conditions.

The deadline for returning the form is February 19, 2010. The form should be returned directly to OCLC, and not to the State Library. The form, and related information are found on the project website: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/audiobook. Questions? Contact Will Stuivenga, project manager at [email protected] or 360.704.5217.

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3) TAX UPDATE – DIGITAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

The Washington Legislature is currently considering a bill to revise and clarify ESHB 2075, the Digital Products Bill, which went into effect July 26, 2009. The new bill, HB 2620 / SB 6552, changes the exemption language slightly. The exemption was for “digital products or remote access software that will be made available free of charge for the use or enjoyment of others.” The new bill replaces the word “others” with the phrase “general public,” and then defines general public to include “With respect to libraries, authorized library patrons.”

There are a number of products and services typically purchased by libraries for which it is not clear if the exemption applies or not. Until the current legislative process is complete, it may be counterproductive to ask the Dept. of Revenue (DOR) for specific rulings. In the meantime, the MRSC (Municipal Research and Services Center, www.mrsc.org) has advised that if a library claims the exemption for a product or service that is later determined to be ineligible for the exemption, they would almost certainly have to pay the tax retroactively.

One option is for libraries to pay the tax at the same time they claim an exemption; then if it is later allowed, they can apply for a tax refund from DOR. That would guarantee that libraries only have to pay the tax and nothing more. However, if they decide not to pay the tax and the claim is disallowed; there will also be interest and the possibility of a penalty to pay.

For additional information, visit www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/tax. To follow the progress of the bill, consult the Library Legislation Tracker, posted frequently on the WSL blog: blogs.secstate.wa.gov/library.

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4) WORLDCAT LOCAL QUICK START WEB INFORMATION SESSIONS

WorldCat Local “quick start” is a part of the larger WorldCat Local service which is free to OCLC libraries. All Washington libraries that participate in the State Library’s Wayfinder project are eligible to implement WorldCat Local “quick start” at no additional charge. Attend one of these upcoming webinars to learn more about WorldCat Local “quick start” and how it can benefit your library:

• Thursday, February 25, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m., PST
• Thursday, March 25, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m., PST
• Thursday, April 29, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m., PST
• Thursday, May 27, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m., PST

To register, use this shortcut link: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/quickstart. You will receive a confirmation e-mail message with details about how to join the session. For more information on Wayfinder, visit www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/Wayfinder or contact Will Stuivenga at [email protected] or 360.704.5217.

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5) WEBINAR – LOOKING BEYOND LIBRARIES FOR INNOVATION AND INSPIRATION

• Looking for new ways to conduct business?
• Need some inspiration to deal with change?
• Ever wish your organization had a research and design budget?
• Considering borrowing materials and ideas from other organization?

This free Infopeople webinar will highlight places to look outside the library for creative points of view that can easily be adapted for libraries by using free resources to engage your community. Gain a fresh perspective on innovation and learn how other industries are dealing with it during tough times. This webinar will be of interest to librarians, library managers, and any member of the library community looking for cost-effective innovative ways to improve library services.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PST. There is no charge; pre-registration is not required. For more information and to participate, use this shortcut link: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/innovation.

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6) LIBRARY LAWS FOR THE WEB ENVIRONMENT – THE MOBILE USER

YouTube, Twitter – the conversation goes mobile, and the library is not in control!

• Are your patrons taking photos and short videos with their cell phones of the library? Of children in the library? Do they need permission, and if so, when? What copyright, privacy and other concerns should you address?
• What do you do when you see a patron accessing child pornography, obscenity or other disturbing sites on their cell phones or netbooks?
• Are patrons tagging your content, at your website or on the library’s Flickr page? Can you remove inaccurate tags? Offensive tags?
• What disability access is legally required in this new environment?

These are just some of the legal issues facing libraries when working in the mobile environment. This free webinar will be of interest to library managers, anyone who works public service, those who create content for library social networking sites, and those looking for guidance regarding a variety of situations facing libraries using the mobile web and social networking.

Thursday, February 18, 2010, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PST. There is no charge; pre-registration is not required. For more information and to participate, use this shortcut link: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/weblaws.

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