Courtesy Legislative Planning Committee, Washington Library Association State Bills of Interest.

The Washington Library Association(WLA) tracks state legislative activity that will potentially affect Washington Libraries. Their tracker is posted to the WLA web site and we will also post it weekly on this blog.  For information on the legislative process or becoming involved see the WLA site referenced above.

Click below to view the tracker.

Read the rest of this entry »

Courtesy Legislative Planning Committee, Washington Library Association State Bills of Interest.

The Washington Library Association(WLA) tracks state legislative activity that will potentially affect Washington Libraries. Their tracker is posted to the WLA web site and we will also post it weekly on this blog.  For information on the legislative process or becoming involved see the WLA site referenced above.

Click below to view the tracker.
Read the rest of this entry »

NTIA has provided a means by which you can comment on the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Acct (ARRA) — aka federal stimulus funding. The comment form is available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/form.cfm. Grant opportunities will be made available to public libraries and community colleges.

To read more enter “broadband” into the search box in the right hand column.

From the desk of Rand Simmons

Pardon us if we pat ourselves on the back.

This week Library Journal recognized the work that the Washington State Library has been doing to help Washington libraries find the resources to cope with the hard economic times. More and more users are flooding in to libraries to search and apply for jobs online and to prepare resumes.

The article also recognizes our work to help Washington libraries understand and take advantage of federal stimulus funding. Although I must admit that we supplied the information for the article (at the author’s invitation), it was rewarding to have a prominent national library journal focus on us. But what really matters is what you — Washington library staff — think. We’d love to receive your comments: good, bad, or ugly …

… well, mostly good.

Courtesy Legislative Planning Committee, Washington Library Association State Bills of Interest.

The Washington Library Association(WLA) tracks state legislative activity that will potentially affect Washington Libraries. Their tracker is posted to the WLA web site and we will also post it weekly on this blog.  For information on the legislative process or becoming involved see the WLA site referenced above.

Click below to view the tracker.
Read the rest of this entry »

Courtesy Legislative Planning Committee, Washington Library Association State Bills of Interest.

The Washington Library Association(WLA) tracks state legislative activity that will potentially affect Washington Libraries. Their tracker is posted to the WLA web site and we will also post it weekly on this blog.  For information on the legislative process or becoming involved see the WLA site referenced above.

Click below to view the tracker.
Read the rest of this entry »

Courtesy Legislative Planning Committee, Washington Library Association State Bills of Interest.

The Washington Library Association(WLA) tracks state legislative activity that will potentially affect Washington Libraries. Their tracker is posted to the WLA web site and we will also post it weekly on this blog.  For information on the legislative process or becoming involved see the WLA site referenced above.

Bills that are technically dead have been removed with strikethroughs. These will be removed from future trackers. 2075 was left on the list, to watch in case it comes back to life.

Click below to view the tracker.
Read the rest of this entry »

I searched the transcript of the March 10, 2009 meeting hosted by the US Dept of Agriculture, Federal Communications Commission, and US Dept of Commerce regarding the rollout of broadband stimulus funding. Here is how “libraries” were mentioned both by speakers and by the audience:

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Not for the light-hearted. The following notes are excerpted from a kickoff conversation between the American Library Association Washington Office Staff and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA – that is, State Librarians).

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From a message from Melanie Anderson, ALA Washington Office Director of Office of Government Relations (3/11/09):

“Yesterday, an email was sent out about the Senior Community Service Employment Program. This program places senior citizens in jobs at nonprofit and public facilities, including libraries. I understand there is some confusion about this program. Libraries do not apply for these funds. The funding is distributed to the states and to the 18 nonprofit organizations that have been approved by the US Department of Labor as a grantee. If you are interested in having a senior citizen placed in your library as an aide, you should contact the contact listed for your state to let them know you want to participate. http://www.doleta.gov/Seniors/html_docs/PYdirectory.cfm. You will not receive funds from this program but a worker paid for with the grant money.”

Following the link above the Washington contact is:

Kathy Leitch, Assistant Secretary
*Attention: Susan Shepherd, AAA Specialist
Aging & Disability Services Administration
640 Woodland Square Loop SE
Lacey, WA  98503
Ph: (360) 725-2418
Fax: (360) 438-8633
Toll Free: (800) 422-3263
Email: [email protected]

Update 3/17/09 It appears that seniors are ready to be placed as volunteers in libraries. Contact Susan Shepherd (see above). Be sure to read their stipulations. The expectation of the program is that volunteers will be hired into positions after one year. -Rand