Volume 6, May 6, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE – NATIONAL WINNERS

2) CURRENT ISSUES – LIBRARY TRENDS WITH GEORGE AND JAMES

3) PROQUEST RENEWAL ANNOUNCEMENT

4) ARCHIVAL 101 – FREE WEBINAR FOR EVERYONE

5) FREE MOLD WEBINAR

6) BUILDING THE PARTICIPATORY LIBRARY

7) HOT TOOLS FOR TOUGH TIMES DRIVE-BY SERIES

8) USING SECOND LIFE TO COLLABORATE AND CONNECT

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1) LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE – NATIONAL WINNERS

The Washington State Library is very pleased to announce that two of this year’s Letters About Literature state champions, Reagan Nelson of Spokane and Stephen Hitchcock of Woodinville, have been selected as award winners at the national level.

Read their letters, and find information about the awards they have won here: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/LAL2010.

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2) CURRENT ISSUES – LIBRARY TRENDS WITH GEORGE AND JAMES

“Current Issues” is a two-day program presenting George Needham and James McPeak who will discuss library trends and how to develop strategies for adapting to them. These well-known and popular speakers bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the topic.

This CPLA (Certified Public Library Administration) course will be held May 25 and 26 at the Timberland Regional Library System Administration Center in Tumwater sponsored by PLA, the Washington State Library and WALT (WA Library Trainers Interest Group of WLA).

Please register by May 11 to assure that the course is not canceled due to low attendance. A minimum number of attendees are required by PLA to bring this exciting course to Washington. All librarians in Washington are eligible for the discounted PLA Partner rate of $250.00 (up to $150.00 per person savings). Simply select PLA Partner Rate for Washington library staff when registering to take advantage of this great price: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/trends.

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3) PROQUEST RENEWAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The WSL Statewide Database Licensing (SDL) project announces that the annual renewal for participation in the statewide ProQuest contract is underway. As in the past several years, this is an automatic renewal process. No paperwork is required unless a library decides to drop out and cancel its participation. A cancellation form is available on the project website: www.secstate.wa.gov/quicklinks/Renewal and must be returned by end of business, May 27, 2010.

As a reminder, this extensive package of ProQuest content (see www.secstate.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ) is subsidized using federal dollars. Half the cost is paid with LSTA funds, and half is divided among the participants, which include public, academic, K-12, and medical/research libraries. This project succeeds because so many of the state’s libraries work together to make it possible. If any libraries drop out, their share of the cost must be absorbed by everyone else.

A big thank you goes to Washington libraries for working together to insure the success of this project for the past dozen plus years! For questions, please contact Will Stuivenga [email protected] 360.704.5217 or toll free 866.538.4996.

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4) ARCHIVAL 101 – FREE WEBINAR FOR EVERYONE

“Archival, lignin-free, acid-free, buffered, P.A.T.” What do these, and other similar terms, mean? Find out at the free, live webinar, “Archival 101: Dealing with Suppliers of Archival Products.” The presenter is Peter D. Verheyen, Head of Preservation and Conservation at Syracuse University.

The sponsor of the event, the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), encourages libraries to make this webinar available to their customers in recognition of Preservation Week (May 9-15).

Tuesday, May 11, at 11:00 a.m. PDT. To register, use this shortcut link: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/Archival101.

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5) FREE MOLD WEBINAR

Need to know more about mold recognition and prevention? If you have a mold outbreak, do you know what to do? Find out at the free, live webinar, “Mold Prevention and Remediation,” on Thursday, May 13, at 11:00 a.m. PDT. The presenter is Michele Brown, book conservator at Cornell University.

The sponsor of the event, the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), encourages libraries to make this webinar available to their customers in recognition of Preservation Week. Although this event is free, registration is required; use this shortcut link: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/Mold Prevention.

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6) BUILDING THE PARTICIPATORY LIBRARY

Web 2.0 technologies are often a short spark rather than a slow burn (Friendster, anyone?). While many institutions like libraries have been successful in implementing these technologies as part of their online presence, the web is also littered with inactive library blogs, lifeless virtual library communities and out-of-date Facebook pages.

Panelists John Blyberg and Meredith Farkas are both veteran writers and presenters involved in many efforts to implement 2.0 technologies in libraries. This hour-long webinar will give you a chance to hear about social networking implementations in a variety of library contexts and to talk with the presenters about their own experiences and suggestions for best practices in implementing new technologies.

To help ensure that yours is one of the success stories, join this free ALA TechSource webinar on Thursday, May 13 at 12:00 p.m. PDT. For more information and to register, visit: www2.gotomeeting.com/register/639816138.

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7) HOT TOOLS FOR TOUGH TIMES DRIVE-BY SERIES

No matter where you are or what kind of library you’re in, times are tough and money’s tight. Your library budgets are most likely getting slashed, and it’s quite likely that your patron’s wallets are a little less thick than they used to be, too. We all know that in dark economic times, more and more people turn to our institutions for help and entertainment, but it’s not always clear how we can best help them–and ourselves-when we have seemingly fewer resources with which to do so. This series of short presentations will hopefully help you brainstorm some creative ways you can add value to the services you provide, without adding more stress to your budget!

May 14; 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT. Hot Tools for Tough Times Drive-by Series – Part 1: Helping Your Patrons Help Themselves, a BCR Free Friday Forum. Register via this shortcut link: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/drive-by.

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8) USING SECOND LIFE TO COLLABORATE AND CONNECT

Second Life is utilized worldwide to offer trainings, connect with friends and collaborate with colleagues. This free TechSoup webinar will give an overview of Second Life, why nonprofits and libraries use it, and the benefits and the costs. Hear from a panel of experts who will discuss best practices, give examples of how nonprofits and libraries are using Second Life, and help you understand how your library can utilize this power tool.

May 13, 11:00 a.m. PDT. For more information and to register: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=1ts95j8lf56q.

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