Volume 6, June 3, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) RENEW WASHINGTON GRANT CYCLE DEADLINE IS JUNE 18TH

2) SUMMER READING – FREE PROGRAMMING AND RESOURCES

3) LAST CHANCE – EFFECTIVELY SERVING PATRONS WITH DISABILITIES

4) ELLUMINATION! INTRODUCTION TO ELLUMINATE

5) IMPROVING HEALTH LITERACY IN YOUR COMMUNITY

6) GET STARTED WITH TECHSOUP’S PRODUCT DONATION PROGRAM

7) NOW HEAR THIS – AUDIOBOOKS A TO Z

8) CONDUCTING SURVEYS II – DATA COLLECTION

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1) RENEW WASHINGTON GRANT CYCLE DEADLINE IS JUNE 18TH

The 2010 Renew Washington grant cycle from the Washington State Library still has funding available to support a minimum of three additional awards. The deadline for receipt of applications is June 18, 2010. Applications received from the re-opened grant cycle will form their own application pool and will be reviewed separately from applications received in response to the first application deadline. Applicants submitting an application in response to the first 2010 deadline are not eligible to submit an additional request.

The purpose of this grant cycle is to provide funds to help libraries respond to the economic challenge that now confronts society. Libraries may do this by providing training, additional computer workstations, and other resources to improve the capacity of Washington library staff to meet the needs of customers who are seeking assistance from their local libraries because of the recession.

A minimum of $75,000 in grant funds is available and grants will be awarded up to the limit of $25,000. For additional information visit www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/grants. Questions? Contact Carolyn Petersen at [email protected].

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2) SUMMER READING – FREE PROGRAMMING AND RESOURCES

The American Red Cross (ARC) and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have partnered with the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) to help support the library summer reading programs in your communities. Both organizations have a strong "water" emphasis and will conduct FREE programs at your library.

To find an American Red Cross chapter near you, visit www.redcross.org. For information from ARC showing many of the water safety presentations, storytime offerings, and educational resource kits available, use this shortcut link: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/ARC.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers locations near you may be found at www.corpslakes.us. For information about the "Lake and Library" print kits that are available, use this shortcut link: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/Corps. There are also interactive stories and games on-line at: www.bobber.info.

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3) LAST CHANCE – EFFECTIVELY SERVING PATRONS WITH DISABILITIES

Ensuring a positive library experience for patrons who have physical and mental disabilities is important. This workshop covers best practices for communication and interaction as well as practical techniques and strategies to enhance the patron’s library experience and ensure that the best service is provided. Presenter Nancie Payne of Payne & Associates, Inc. in Olympia has over 30 years conducting trainings and presenting keynote addresses on various topics including serving customers with non-apparent disabilities.

June 10, 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the North Central Regional Library Distribution Center in Wenatchee. Workshop title: Serving Patrons who have Physical/Mental Disabilities Effectively. There will be an hour for a lunch break (lunch is on your own and you have the option of going out or bringing in your own lunch.)

This workshop from the Washington State Library has been offered free to library staff at various locations around the state since February. This June 10 session is the final opportunity to benefit from this valuable training. Register at www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/serving. Please contact Jennifer Fenton, [email protected] for more information.

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4) ELLUMINATION! INTRODUCTION TO ELLUMINATE

The Washington State Library and Washington Library Association recently switched from Wimba to Elluminate for online meetings and trainings. In response, WSL has been offering a series of introductory sessions on the new platform. There are two sessions remaining:

• June 7, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. PDT
• June 11, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT

Join WSL staff to learn about available features and become comfortable in this virtual environment. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun and become Elluminated! To log-in to the session, be sure that Java is updated on your computer and follow this shortcut link prior to the webinar: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/ellum2. A brief 7-minute video introduction is available via www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/ellum1.

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5) IMPROVING HEALTH LITERACY IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Did you know that literacy is the strongest predictor of a person’s health status, more than income, employment status, education level, and racial or ethnic group? In this webinar, Karen Vargas will explain what health literacy is, why it matters to you, how it affects your community, what you can do to help improve your community’s health literacy, and what are some great health information resources for your patrons.

June 9, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT. A Texas State Library webinar. For more information and to register, visit www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/healthlit.

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6) GET STARTED WITH TECHSOUP’S PRODUCT DONATION PROGRAM

Does your public library need better technology? Wish you had the latest version of that pricey software or more dependable hardware? Learn more about TechSoup’s product donation program and how to start requesting donations.

This webinar is best for people brand new to TechSoup Stock or whose library may be registered but are just not sure how to get started. TechSoup’s donation programs are open to eligible public libraries and nonprofits to help you acquire low-cost, high-quality technology for your library.

Thursday, June 10, 11:00 a.m. PDT. For more information, and to register, use this shortcut: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/soup.

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7) NOW HEAR THIS – AUDIOBOOKS A TO Z

In this free, informative, hour-long webinar, Booklist Media editor Sue-Ellen Beauregard and school librarian, Booklist columnist, and Booklist Online audiobook blogger Mary Burkey will be joined by representatives from Books on Tape/Listening Library, BBC Audiobooks America, and HighBridge Audio for an exciting discussion of audiobooks from A to Z, including the latest titles featuring popular readers, how to integrate audiobooks into book club promotions and discussions, finding backlist and crossover titles that fit the bill for summer listening, and much, much more.

June 8, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT. For more information and to register, use this shortcut: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/AtoZ.

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8) CONDUCTING SURVEYS II – DATA COLLECTION

Tackling the job of conducting a survey for your library can be daunting. A systematic and quality-driven approach will yield results which can provide valuable information to decision-makers and stakeholders. This second workshop of the three-part series addresses sampling and how to target your respondents, and survey methods, including paper-and-pencil, face-to-face or telephone interviews, e-mail, and Internet, with a focus on written questionnaires and an online approach using SurveyMonkey.

June 9, 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PDT. Presented by NCompass Live and the Nebraska Library Commission. For more information, and to register, use this shortcut: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/data.

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