WSL Updates for March 31, 2011

WSL Updates for March 31, 2011

Volume 7, March 31, 2011 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) RESOURCE SHARING GRANT Q&A SESSION

2) FIRST TUESDAYS – SEARCH THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

3) FUNDING FOR LIBRARY SUPPORT STAFF CERTIFICATION

4) NEW YORK TIMES AVAILABLE THROUGH LIBRARIES

5) MAKING SENSE OF THE CIVIL WAR

6) CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK (SOME FREE, SOME NOT)

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1) RESOURCE SHARING GRANT Q&A SESSION

Library Development staff will answer questions about the Connecting Libraries through Resource Sharing (CLRS) grant cycle via an online Elluminate session Thursday, March 31, 2011, 1:30 p.m. The link for the Elluminate session is www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/connecting. The session will be archived on the grants website at www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/grants.

For more information, contact Carolyn Petersen, CLRS Project Manager, 360.570.5560, [email protected].

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2) FIRST TUESDAYS – SEARCH THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES

“New Online Searching for Researchers, Games for Kids, and Lessons for Teachers” is the title for the April 5, 2011 First Tuesdays program from the State Library.

The National Archives has three newly released online programs to help make searching its ten billion documents easier and more fun: a new search prototype, a fun interactive game for kids, and an interactive website for teachers and their students. Come see what they’re developing for YOU!

To join the presentation, visit www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/FirstTuesdays. For more information about First Tuesdays, a free, online, monthly presentation from the Washington State Library, visit www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/tuesdays.

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3) FUNDING FOR LIBRARY SUPPORT STAFF CERTIFICATION

The Washington State Library offers financial assistance to library support staff participating in the American Library Association’s Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) program. The LSSC program provides a path to recognition and awareness of the critical role that library support staff play in the delivery of quality library service. To achieve certification, support staff must achieve six of ten competency sets either through development of an online portfolio or taking approved courses.

The Washington State Library will be offering four Registration Assistance Awards this spring. The awards are for $175, one-half of the LSSC registration fee. Successful award recipients will be expected to pay the remainder of the fee with funds from other sources. Applications are due April 30, 2011 and will be scored by WSL staff. The recipients will be notified by May 30, 2011. To apply, visit www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/LSSC.

To be eligible to participate in LSSC and receive an Assistance Award, applicants must have a high school degree or its equivalent and must have worked for the equivalent of one year (1820 hours) as a library staff member or volunteer within the last five years. The LSSC Program is funded by a grant to ALA from the federal Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and is managed by the ALA-Allied Professional Association. For more information on LSSC, visit ala-apa.org/lssc.

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4) NEW YORK TIMES AVAILABLE THROUGH LIBRARIES

The New York Times made news recently by announcing a “paywall” which requires readers to pay a subscription fee once they’ve viewed a set number of articles on the newspaper’s web site each month. But most libraries in Washington offer complete, current access to New York Times articles through their participation in the Statewide Database Licensing project and its ProQuest newspaper databases. People may consider checking in at their library before they decide to pay for content they can already access for free.

This provides a superb opportunity for libraries to capitalize on current events to raise awareness of library value. Why not create a direct link to the ProQuest version of the New York Times on your website? Users can search for favorite topics, create daily or weekly alerts, and access the content via their smart phones. It’s a win-win: your customers are delighted and the library looks good! For more information on creating a link, visit www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQlink or contact SDL project manager Will Stuivenga at [email protected].

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5) MAKING SENSE OF THE CIVIL WAR

The ALA Public Programs Office and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) invite you to apply to host “Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War,” a reading and discussion program in America’s libraries. Online applications are available at www.ala.org/civilwarprograms and must be submitted by April 19.

In June, 50 public, academic, and community college libraries will be selected to host the reading and discussion series and receive support materials from NEH and ALA. The program grant includes:

  • A $2,500 grant from NEH;
  • Twenty-five sets of three titles: including March by Geraldine Brooks (Penguin, 2006), Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam by James McPherson (Oxford University Press, 2002) and a forthcoming Civil War anthology;
  • Promotional materials to support local audience recruitment;
  • Training for the library project director at a national workshop.

Just in time to commemorate the Civil War sesquicentennial, “Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War,” follows the popular “Let’s Talk About It” model, which engages participants in discussion of a set of common texts selected by a nationally known scholar for their relevance to a larger, overarching theme. Questions? Contact the ALA Public Programs Office at [email protected] or (800) 545-2433 x5045.

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6) CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK (SOME FREE, SOME NOT)

Tuesday, April 5:

Wednesday, April 6:

Wednesday, April 6 through Friday, April 8:

  • Libraries Take Flight – Annual Washington Library Association Conference in Yakima (registration required): 2011wlaconference.wla.org;

Thursday, April 7:

For more information, follow the provided links or visit www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/training.

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