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WSL Updates for March 19, 2015

March 18th, 2015 by Posted in Digital Literacy, For Libraries, Grants and Funding, News, Training and Continuing Education, Updates | Comments Off on WSL Updates for March 19, 2015

Volume 11, March 19, 2015 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) THREE GRANT CYCLES OPEN – $$$

2) WELL FED & WELL READ – SUMMER MEAL SITES

3) DIGITAL LITERACY GRANT$

4) DISABILITY LANGUAGE AND ETIQUETTE FOR LIBRARIES WORKSHOP

5) FREE MICROSOFT OFFICE SKILLS EXAMS

6) FY2015 E-RATE APPLICATION FILING DEADLINE EXTENDED

7) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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1) THREE GRANT CYCLES OPEN – $$$

Washington State Library is opening three grant cycles and hosting a series of informational webinars so you can learn everything you ever wanted to know (and more) about Digital Literacy, Washington Rural Heritage, and Professional Development grants.

Digital Literacy Grants Q&A Webinar, March 23

Is your library interested in applying for a Digital Literacy grant? Please join us for a Question and Answer session with Jennifer Fenton, digital literacy grants project manager, and LSTA Grants Manager, Maura Walsh. They will provide an overview of the process, letting you know what to expect as you plan a digital literacy project. They will also explain eligibility requirements, allowable expenditures, and expectations regarding grant administration and management.

Washington Rural Heritage Grants Q&A Webinar, March 26

Is your library interested in applying for a Washington Rural Heritage digitization grant? Drop in for a Question and Answer session with WSL’s Washington Rural Heritage Project Manager, Evan Robb, and LSTA Grants Manager, Maura Walsh. They will provide an overview of the process, letting you know what to expect as you embark on a digitization project. They will also explain eligibility requirements, allowable expenditures, and expectations regarding grant administration and management.

Professional Development Grants Q&A Webinar, March 27

Is your library interested in applying for a professional development grant so staff can attend a training event? Join us for a Question and Answer session with WSL’s CE/Training Coordinator, Jennifer Fenton, and LSTA Grants Manager, Maura Walsh. They will provide an overview of the process, letting you know what to consider as you develop a professional development grant. Eligibility requirements, allowable expenditures, and expectations regarding grant administration and management will also be explained.

Please note: Professional Development Grants are replacing Continuing Education and ITCE Grants.

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2) WELL FED & WELL READ – SUMMER MEAL SITES

Well Fed and Well Read: Summer Meal Site Served by the Public/School Library free webinar coming in March. Combatting the summer learning slump experienced by lower income kids is going to take a village. One promising solution is having a summer meal site served by either a school or public library. Preliminary results from Oregon show that kids do better when they can access both services at the same site.

On Tuesday, March 24th from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m., Jennifer Mitchell, Summer Food and Special Projects Specialist with OSPI, and Cecilia McGowan, Children’s Services Coordinator at the King County Library, will share tips and tricks on what it takes to set up a summer meal site and also provide library services at that site. If you are interested in joining a growing movement to provide reading materials to children via a summer feeding site, or even applying to be one, you will want to listen to this free webinar.

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3) DIGITAL LITERACY GRANT$

Washington State Library has announced a new cycle of Digital Literacy grants. Applications and guidelines are available online. These grants are available to public, academic (two-year, four-year colleges and universities), tribal, and school libraries for projects that support Digital Literacy in the community. Projects should focus on providing skills and resources.

  • This grant cycle has an award limit of $7,500 per application.
  • The application deadline is 4:00 p.m. Friday, April 24, 2015.

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4) DISABILITY LANGUAGE AND ETIQUETTE FOR LIBRARIES WORKSHOP

Become more comfortable interacting with patrons who have disabilities. Learn about all types of disabilities from physical to psychiatric and the basics regarding service animals. There will be a brief segment on physical accessibility (restrooms, accessible parking, entryways, etc.). The workshop is presented by staff from the Northwest ADA Center.

Please register now for this free four-hour workshop sponsored by the Washington State Library. This workshop is free for all library staff and library volunteers. Registration is required and space is limited. Refreshments provided by local hosts and/or WSL. No lunch is provided at this half-day training.

Dates/Locations:

  • March 25: Ritzville Public Library, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • April 21: North Central Regional Library Distribution Center, Wenatchee, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Lunch provided by NCRL)
  • May 7: Whatcom County Library Processing and Administrative Office, Bellingham, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • June 2: Richland Public Library, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • June 18: Spokane Public Library, Downtown Branch, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • July 7: Fort Vancouver Regional Library District, Goldendale Community Library, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • July 28: Fort Vancouver Regional Library District Headquarters, Vancouver, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • August 18: Washington Talking Book & Braille Library, Seattle, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • August 25: San Juan Island Library, Friday Harbor, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Questions? Please contact Jennifer Fenton, CE/Training Coordinator, Washington State Library at [email protected] or 360-570-5571.

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5) FREE MICROSOFT OFFICE SKILLS EXAMS

Attending the WLA conference in Tulalip in April? Take a Microsoft Office Specialist exam at the conference, FREE.

Microsoft Office is the most widely used productivity platform in the world, and Office is the third most requested job skill across all occupations and industries. For high wage, high growth jobs, Office is the 2nd most requested skill. Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) is the industry-recognized credential for Office, and having it is the best way to prove to an employer that you have these in-demand skills. Library staff in Washington benefit from free access to MOS exam vouchers but these are guaranteed only through the end of August 2015.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to test free at WLA – a $125 value per exam. Participants can certify at the Specialist level in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access or Outlook, and at the Expert level in Word or Excel. You do NOT have to be registered, or attending the conference to test.

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6) FY2015 E-RATE APPLICATION FILING DEADLINE EXTENDED

In response to a reasonable request from the nation’s largest school districts, USAC – in consultation with the FCC – has extended the FY2015 application filing window for three additional weeks. The application filing window will now close on April 16, 2015 instead of the original date of March 26, 2015.

  • FCC Form 471 applications must be submitted on or before 11:59:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 16, 2015 to meet the deadline.

All applicants are encouraged to continue to work on their applications, submit and certify them as soon as possible. The review of FY2015 applications has already begun. Please be prepared to respond as soon as possible to any questions received from reviewers so funding decisions can be made. Those applications that have been submitted, certified, and meet program requirements will likely get a decision first.

  • Please visit the USAC website for helpful tips as well as videos that can help FY2015 applicants.
  • Submit a Question or call 1-888-203-8100 if there are questions.

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7) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

March 23

March 24

  • Accelerate Performance Experience on the Job: Fast, Effective and Low-Cost Methods (Training Magazine Network); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
  • Telling Stories Through Email: How to Write Appeals that Rock! (Network for Good); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
  • Responding to a Budget Crisis (United for Libraries); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT
  • CultureGrams (ProQuest); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT
  • ProQuest Central K12 and Research Library (ProQuest); 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PDT

March 25

  • Tech Talk with Michael Sauers (Nebraska Library Commission); 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PDT
  • Management Gone Social (American Management Association); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT
  • Making the Most of Your Board: Involving Your Board in Fundraising (GuideStar); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT
  • National Library of Medicine’s K-12 Resources (National Network of Libraries of Medicine); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT
  • ABI/INFORM FAQ (ProQuest); 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. PDT

March 26

  • Washington Rural Heritage Grants Q&A Webinar (Washington State Library); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT
  • “How Do I Apply to College?” Helping Patrons Meet Their Higher Education Goals (WebJunction); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT
  • Decision making: Crystal Ball or Magic 8 Ball? (Colorado State Library); 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT

March 27

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For more information and to register (unless otherwise linked above), visit the WSL Training Calendar at sos.wa.gov/q/training.

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