WA Secretary of State Blogs

WSL Updates for January 25, 2018

Wednesday, January 24th, 2018 Posted in Digital Collections, Federal and State Publications, For Libraries, Grants and Funding, News, Training and Continuing Education, Updates | Comments Off on WSL Updates for January 25, 2018


Volume 14, January 25, 2018 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) CE NEEDS ASSESSMENT

2) HEALTH NUMERACY AND YOU

3) COMIC CON AT THE LIBRARY

4) RURAL PUBLIC LIBRARY GRANTS

5) ONLINE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD COMPLETED

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

—————————————————————————————————————

1) CE NEEDS ASSESSMENT

It’s time once again for the semi-annual Continuing Education Needs Assessment from the Washington State Library and the Washington Library Association: www.surveymonkey.com/r/CE_2018_WSL.

If you took the survey in the past and felt overwhelmed by the choices, you’ll be happy to know that this year we have completely re-written it. The 2018 survey is a shorter, more succinct version.

Please fill out our semi-annual survey, and share it with all of your colleagues. We would like to hear from the whole Washington library community: people working in libraries at all levels, friends of the library, trustees and library board members. We take continuing education seriously and we rely on your input to help us steer the ship.

Please forgive any cross-posting. We’re trying to catch everyone. Thank you!

—————————————————————————————————————

2) HEALTH NUMERACY AND YOU

As health care becomes more sophisticated and complex, it’s more and more likely that we will face situations where we have to use numerical skills to figure out our own treatment choices. Our capacity to deal with the numerical component of health information is called “health numeracy.” In this free webinar we’ll learn more about health numeracy and how it plays a role in our health, discuss the ways that library staff and others already work with users around numbers and health, and uncover best practices to make our assistance even more effective.

First Tuesdays for February, 2018:

  • Making Sense of the Numbers—Health Numeracy and You (and Me)
  • Tuesday, February 6, from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PST
  • Presented by Ann Glusker, National Network of Libraries of Medicine—Pacific Northwest Region
  • For more information and to register: sos.wa.gov/q/HealthNum.

—————————————————————————————————————

3) COMIC CON AT THE LIBRARY

Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC) and The Seattle Public Library have teamed up to host a number of panels geared towards professional librarians and educators on Thursday, March 1st. With a particular focus on social issues, the program will feature content from Boom! Studios, First Second Books, Valiant, Penguin Random House, and the American Library Association.

An ECCC Professional Badge is required to attend. Pro Badges are free of charge to educators and library staff. Please feel free to share this information with your professional contacts and encourage them to register for a badge as space is limited! Central Library, Thursday, March 1, 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

—————————————————————————————————————

4) RURAL PUBLIC LIBRARY GRANTS

The Pilcrow Foundation, a national non-profit public charity, provides a 2-to-1 match to rural public libraries that receive a grant through its Children’s Book Project and contribute $200-$400 through local sponsors for the purchase of up to $1200 worth (at retail value) of new, quality, hardcover children’s books.

Grant recipients can select from a list of over 500 quality hardcover children’s books best suited for their community, including award-winning and star-reviewed titles from educational and literary organizations. The Pilcrow Foundation accepts applications from independent rural public libraries and Native American Tribal libraries as well as libraries that are part of a county, regional, or cooperative system. Details:

—————————————————————————————————————

5) ONLINE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD COMPLETED

In cooperation with the Library of Congress, the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) has completed the digitization of all historical issues of the Congressional Record dating to the first appearance of this publication on March 5, 1873. The final release of this project, covering the period 1873-1890, is being made available to the public free of charge on GPO’s govinfo site.

—————————————————————————————————————

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, January 29

Tuesday, January 30

Wednesday, January 31

Thursday, February 1

Friday, February 2

—————————————————————————————————————

DISCLAIMER: The State Library regularly highlights third-party events and online resources as a way to alert the library community to training and resource opportunities. By doing so, we are not endorsing the content of the event, nor promoting any specific product, but merely providing this information as an FYI to librarians who must then decide what is right for them.

Subscribe to WSL presents: News from Washington Libraries!

The Washington State Library has gone social! Friend/follow us at:

WSL Updates for September 7, 2017

Wednesday, September 6th, 2017 Posted in Digital Literacy, For Libraries, Grants and Funding, News, Updates | Comments Off on WSL Updates for September 7, 2017


Volume 13, September 7, 2017 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include things wanted:

1) WANTED – LIBRARY COUNCIL MEMBERS

2) ECLIPSE GLASSES WANTED

3) HISTORICAL ZINES WANTED

4) AMERICANS TRUST LIBRARIES

5) RURAL PUBLIC LIBRARY GRANTS

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

—————————————————————————————————————

1) WANTED – LIBRARY COUNCIL MEMBERS

The mission of the Library Council of Washington (LCW) is to help all Washington citizens access library services, information, and resources. The LCW advises the State Librarian and the Office of the Secretary of State on statewide library issues and the expenditure of federal LSTA funding. The fifteen members represent all types of libraries and library users. The Council meets in person three to four times each year.

Members may include library employees, volunteers, trustees, foundation board members, advocates, consultants, or educators. We seek new members that are active and knowledgeable, have great communication skills, and can advocate for all libraries while representing a specific interest group’s views as well. There are currently four open positions on the LCW, representing:

  • Special libraries,
  • Technology,
  • Underserved populations,
  • Schools (western Washington).

If you want to help shape our libraries, have at least three years’ experience working with libraries in Washington State, and are interested in applying, please send a copy of the application form and your resume. Application information is available at sos.wa.gov/q/vacancy. Applications must be postmarked by September 22, 2017.

—————————————————————————————————————

2) ECLIPSE GLASSES WANTED

If you’re wondering what to do with those eclipse glasses you acquired for the big event, don’t throw them away: the State Library wants them! Drop your eclipse glasses off in the lobby, and they will be donated to Astronomers Without Borders. Or check for a collection center near you. The plan is to send them to schools and other institutions in countries where they are needed but not available. The next two solar eclipses across populated areas are in 2019, in South America (total) and southeastern Asia (partial).

—————————————————————————————————————

3) HISTORICAL ZINES WANTED

Announcing the 3rd Annual Historical Zine Contest – Make Washington History Come Alive! The Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State, is sponsoring the 3rd Annual Historical Zine Contest. Participants are asked to create a Zine about some aspect of Washington History using primary resources.

Entries will be accepted from four age groups:

  • Grades 4-6
  • Grades 7-9
  • Grades 10-12
  • Adults of all ages

Entries will be accepted from September 1 – December 15, 2017. See the Zine webpage for more information and a video about how to make a zine. Questions? Contact Judy Pitchford at [email protected]

—————————————————————————————————————

4) AMERICANS TRUST LIBRARIES

Americans struggle to determine what news and information sources they should trust and how to discern reliable information online. They worry that fake news is sowing confusion about current events. And many express a desire to get help.

About six-in-ten adults (61%) say they would be helped at least somewhat in making decisions if they got training on how to find trustworthy information online, according to a new analysis of Pew Research Center survey data from 2016. What’s more, a majority of Americans say public libraries are helpful as people try to meet their information needs.

About eight-in-ten adults (78%) feel that public libraries help them find information that is trustworthy and reliable and 76% say libraries help them learn new things. Also, 56% believe libraries help them get information that aids with decisions they have to make. While the library is seen as one useful resource, the survey also found that 55% of adults say that training to gain confidence in using computers, smartphones and the internet would help in making decisions.

This analysis represents an opportunity for libraries to offer training on media literacy, evaluating information sources, and similar topics. The New York Times provides interesting “lesson plans” on the subject. An Internet search for “evaluating information” turns up numerous related resources, many from academic libraries. This topic is hardly new for libraries, but perhaps the current attention to “fake news” provides a more ready audience.

—————————————————————————————————————

5) RURAL PUBLIC LIBRARY GRANTS

The Pilcrow Foundation, a national non-profit public charity, provides a 2-to-1 match to rural public libraries that receive a grant through its Children’s Book Project and contribute $200-$400 through local sponsors for the purchase of up to $1200 worth (at retail value) of new, quality, hardcover children’s books.

Grant recipients can select from a list of over 500 quality hardcover children’s books best suited for their community, including award-winning and star-reviewed titles from educational and literary organizations. The Pilcrow Foundation accepts applications from independent rural public libraries and Native American Tribal libraries as well as libraries that are part of a county, regional, or cooperative system. Details:

—————————————————————————————————————

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, September 11

Tuesday, September 12

Wednesday, September 13

Thursday, September 14

Friday, September 15

—————————————————————————————————————

DISCLAIMER: The State Library regularly highlights third-party events and online resources as a way to alert the library community to training and resource opportunities.  By doing so, we are not endorsing the content of the event, nor promoting any specific product, but merely providing this information as an FYI to librarians who must then decide what is right for them.

Subscribe to WSL presents: News from Washington Libraries!

The Washington State Library has gone social! Friend/follow us at: