The Washington State Library and the Statewide Database Licensing Project Advisory Committee are pleased to announce that ProQuest has again been selected to provide a suite of database products to the nonprofit libraries of Washington State. The new contract with ProQuest is set to begin on July 1, 2016.

The package includes a periodicals collection, a collection of Washington and national newspapers, and resources for children and students, to name just a few. A complete listing of the content in the new ProQuest package is available along with detailed descriptions of the individual components on the ProQuest Package Product Descriptions page.

The SDL Advisory Committee had a key role in the selection process, advising on the RFP itself, and subsequently assisting with the scoring, and making vendor recommendations. Feel free to
contact members of the Advisory Committee, or Carolyn Petersen, with your comments or suggestions.

The Washington State Library announces the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Statewide Database Licensing (SDL) project. Proposals are solicited from firms interested in providing web-based digital products or services to nonprofit libraries in Washington State.

The RFP solicits proposals for products in several categories:

• Aggregated periodical databases covering a wide variety of subject areas with content that will be of interest to all types of nonprofit libraries and their patrons;
• Newspapers both national and local, with as many papers as possible from the State of Washington;
• Resources designed for children and students (both K-6 and K-12) that include at least one search interface designed for the younger researcher, and with database content appropriate for elementary reading levels;
• Products in other categories as described in the RFP.

The RFP is available on the OSOS web site procurements page and via Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (WEBS). Copies of the documents in Microsoft Word format (for convenience) are available by request from the RFP Coordinator.

• The due date for Letters of Intent to Propose is March 11, 2016.
• The due date for proposals is April 1, 2016.

The RFP Coordinator is Will Stuivenga: [email protected].

Digital Graphics by Steve Johnson Flickr Creative Commons http://bit.ly/1csa93x

The WSL Statewide Database Licensing (SDL) Project announces the 2015-2016 ProQuest renewal for all participating Washington libraries. Barring significant cancellations, pricing is not expected to change appreciably for the upcoming year. This contract is open to all non-profit LSTA-eligible libraries in Washington State.

For public, academic, and special libraries, the renewal is automatic. Invoicing from ProQuest will occur in June or July. If a public, academic, or special library wishes to cancel its ProQuest subscription through the statewide contract, please fill out, sign, and return a Cancellation form by or before May 27. For school libraries, renewal (or cancellation) is through your local ESD (Educational Service District).

The invoice period is July 1 through June 30, annually. Individual library costs can vary slightly from year to year, depending on whether libraries drop out, or new libraries join during the previous year. Exact costs will be calculated early in June, and sent to ProQuest for invoicing. If your library needs to be invoiced prior to June 30, please contact us so that we can request expedited invoicing for you.

Note: This is the final renewal that is available under the current contract with ProQuest. The SDL Advisory Committee is currently considering recommendations for the future of the project, based on the recently completed SDL Needs Assessment. Please feel free to submit your thoughts or suggestions to any member of the SDL Advisory Committee, or to Will Stuivenga, the project manager.

More information, including the Cancellation and Intent to Participate forms, can be found on the ProQuest SDL Renewal page. Questions? Contact Will Stuivenga, 360.704.5217 or toll free 866.538.4996.

Image courtesy of K. L. – http://bit.ly/1HO1tQa -Flickr Creative Commons 2

The WSL Statewide Database Licensing (SDL) project announces the release of the results of the recent needs assessment. The consulting firm’s executive summary and recommendations, as well as the full 28-page report are available for download and reading at sos.wa.gov/q/SDL_Needs.

The data collection included two surveys, one for library staff, and one for library users as well as interviews with library staff. The library audience for both surveys included all types of libraries that participate in SDL: public, private academic, and community and technical colleges, hospital and research libraries, and K-12 schools, both public and private.

A goal of the assessment was to determine if the current ProQuest package of databases continues to meet the needs of participating Washington libraries, their staff, and the citizens of the state. Fully 85% of library staff respondents showed their preference for having the SDL project continue doing what it has been, but at the same time, a majority also indicated their desire for more choices and flexibility in the resources offered by the project, although the percentage of those making that their top choice has declined since 2010 when a similar survey was conducted.

Making sense of the results, and writing recommendations based on them is the current task of the SDL Advisory Committee and project manager, Will Stuivenga. Comments and suggestions are solicited and encouraged.

Volume 10, September 11, 2014 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) CE NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY

2) AWE GROUP PURCHASE OFFER

3) FREE DISASTER RECOVERY WORKSHOP

4) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

—————————————————————————————————————

1) CE NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY

The Washington State Library/Washington Library Association Continuing Education Needs Assessment (CENA) Survey is now available.

Your participation will help WSL and WLA offer valuable, targeted continuing education opportunities over the next 2 years. Please share this survey widely with all library staff in public, school, academic, college, tribal and other libraries.

The survey should only take 15-20 minutes to complete and is available at www.surveymonkey.com/s/WACENA2014

—————————————————————————————————————

2) AWE GROUP PURCHASE OFFER

The WSL Statewide Database Licensing Project and AWE Digital Learning Solutions are again announcing a multi-state special group purchase pricing to all public libraries for both the Early Literacy Station™ and AfterSchool Edge™. To take advantage of this special offer, orders should be placed before December 15, 2014.

The Early Literacy Station™ (ELS) is a dynamic all-in-one digital learning solution for early learners, ages 2-8. It is available in English and Bilingual Spanish and features over 70 content applications. The AfterSchool Edge™ features content for all elementary age students (approximately 6-12 years old). The educational programs, which are correlated to Common Core and state standards, span all seven curricular areas. Each product features engaging graphics, intuitive menus, usage tracking, and administrative functions. No Internet connection is required to use either of these products.

Pricing will be available from the Statewide Database Licensing AWE group purchasing page at sos.wa.gov/q/AWE-2. For more information, contact Cynthia Busse, AWE Senior Account Executive at [email protected] or 281.210.4799.

—————————————————————————————————————

3) FREE DISASTER RECOVERY WORKSHOP

Protecting Cultural Collections: Disaster Prevention, Preparedness, Response & Recovery is a free two-part workshop sponsored by the Western States & Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS). Funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The instructor, Gary Menges, is a retired Preservation Administrator, UW Libraries, a WESTPAS trainer, and a member of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Collections Emergency Response Team (AIC CERT).

Who should attend? Administrators and staff responsible for emergency preparedness, response and decision-making, in all types of cultural institutions. By registering for the workshop, the institution commits to supporting the attendee(s) to achieve the workshop’s disaster preparedness goals. When possible, please commit two attendees so they can work together on the disaster preparedness activities.

Event details:

• Part 1: ON-LINE WEBINARS – Prevention & Preparedness (archived 2½ hours total)
• Part 2: IN-PERSON WORKSHOP – Response & Recovery
• Wednesday, October 15, 2014 – 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. – Yakima Valley Museum, 2105 Tieton Drive, Yakima, WA 98902.

Participation in the in-person workshop requires viewing the archived Part 1 webinars BEFORE attending the Part 2 in-person workshop AND completing the workshop assignments. Any exception requires the permission of the instructor.

For more information or to register visit sos.wa.gov/q/WESTPAS-Yakima. For registration assistance, contact Alexandra Gingerich, [email protected]; for general & content information, contact Gary Menges [email protected].

—————————————————————————————————————

4) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

September 15

• VIP Webinar with Ken Burns (Baker&Taylor); 7:00 – 8:00 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/kenb

September 16

• Shared Print Repositories (ALCTS), two-day webinar; 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/spr
• When Remembering Really Matters: The Power of Serious Games for Learning (Training Magazine Network); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/whenre
• Walking the Walk: Engage Volunteers in your Volunteer Engagement Program (VolunteerMatch.Org); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/volwalk
• Executive Branch Documents (ProQuest); 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/exdoc

September 17

• Shared Print Repositories (ALCTS), two-day webinar; 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. PDT wa.gov/q/spr
• Grant Proposal Feedback Clinic (4Good); 12:00 – 1:00 PDT wa.gov/q/grtfeedback
• Strategic Decision Making: Shifting Your Culture from Reactive to Proactive; 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/strdec
• Storymakers: Tell Your Library’s Story (Techsoup); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/storym
• Subject Matter Expert + Tablet = Faster, Cheaper, Better Video Learning Content (Training Magazine Network); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/subjmex
• The Team Equation: Managing Teams that Deliver (Training Magazine Network); 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/teameq
• ProQuest Health and Medical Complete; 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/medcompl
• ELibrary for Schools (ProQuest); 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/eschool
• My Research & RefWorks: Perfect Together; 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/myres
• Busqueda Avanzada en la Plataforma (Spanish – ProQuest); 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/spapro

September 18

• Making Our Gadgets Work for Us, Spokane County Library, Argonne Branch, Spokane; 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• You Can Do I.T. On Your Own (Infopeople); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/doit
• Teen Books Buzz Fall 2014 (School Library Journal); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/bookbuzz
• Funding Rural America: Finding Support for Small Communities (Techsoup); 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/fundrur
• Measuring Success: How to Strategically Assess Your Program (VolunteerMatch.Org); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/volmeasure
• ABI/INFORM FAQ (ProQuest); 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/abipro
• Ebrary-ebooks for Schools (ProQuest); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/ebraryproq
• New Literature Online LION (ProQuest); 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. PDT sos.wa.gov/q/lionpro

September 19

• Leading without Authority, Bellingham Public Library, Bellingham; 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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

—————————————————————————————————————

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

• Facebook: on.fb.me/FBWSL;
• Twitter: twitter.com/WAStateLib.

Volume 10, May 15, 2014 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) SDL PROQUEST RENEWAL

2) FREE BOOKS FOR WASHINGTON LIBRARIES

3) AASL SEEKS PRECONFERENCE PROPOSALS

4) LIBRARY INSTRUCTION WEST 2014

5) FREE PRESERVATION WORKSHOP IN SPOKANE

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

—————————————————————————————————————

1) SDL PROQUEST RENEWAL

The WSL Statewide Database Licensing Project (SDL) announces the 2014-2015 ProQuest renewal for all participating Washington libraries. Barring significant cancellations, pricing is not expected to change appreciably for the upcoming year.

For public, academic, and special libraries, the renewal is automatic. Invoicing from ProQuest will occur in June or July. If your library needs to be invoiced prior to June 30, please contact us so that we can request expedited invoicing for you. For public or private K-12 libraries, renewal (or cancellation) is through your local ESD (Educational Service District).

If a library wishes to cancel its ProQuest subscription through the statewide contract, please fill out, sign, and return a Cancellation form by or before close of business on Friday, May 30. The cancellation form can be found on the SDL ProQuest renewal page: sos.wa.gov/q/Renewal.

Information about the ProQuest database package can be found at sos.wa.gov/q/PQ. For questions please contact project manager Will Stuivenga at [email protected], 360.704.5217, or toll-free 866.538.4996.

—————————————————————————————————————

2) FREE BOOKS FOR WASHINGTON LIBRARIES

Thanks to the generosity of the Pierce County Library, The Seattle Public Library Foundation, the Kitsap Regional Library, the Everett Public Library, and the Timberland Regional Library, the Washington State Library has the following five adult titles, which can be used for community reads, classroom sets, or book club kits, to ship free of charge to any school or public library within Washington State:

• Stories for Boys: A Memoir by Gregory Martin;
• The Paris Wife: A Novel by Paula McLain;
• Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple;
• Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed;
• The Leisure Seeker: A Novel by Michael Zadoorian.

These will be distributed on a first come, first served basis at no charge to the requestor. Please request a minimum of five copies per request.

One copy requests will be honored for the following audio editions:

• The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America by Timothy Egan;
• Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple.

If you are interested in any of the above, please contact Carolyn Petersen at [email protected].

To receive earlier notices of free book sets, which are available several times a year, sign up for Washington State Library Updates by visiting sos.wa.gov/library/libraries/lists.aspx.

—————————————————————————————————————

3) AASL SEEKS PRECONFERENCE PROPOSALS

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of ALA, is currently seeking proposals for preconference programs to be presented during ALA’s 2015 Annual Conference, which will be held June 25-30, 2015, in San Francisco. Preconference workshops can be either half or full-day.

All programs should include up to three learning objectives and should address how the session supports the AASL Strategic Plan, the AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, and/or Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs. Consideration will be given to submissions that incorporate one or more of these characteristics:

• Demonstrates innovative thinking and/or new perspectives;
• Presents strategies for effectively implementing new ideas and technology;
• Incorporates at least one active hands-on learning exercise;
• Includes activities that will incorporate various learning styles;
• Demonstrates how learning outcomes will be achieved.

Submissions will only be accepted via the online form. For additional information or to submit a proposal, go to ala.org/aasl/rfp. Questions regarding AASL programming at the 2015 ALA Annual Conference should be directed to Allison Cline at [email protected] or 800.545.2433, ext. 4385. The deadline for preconference submissions is 9:59 p.m. PDT, Thursday, May 29, 2014.

—————————————————————————————————————

4) LIBRARY INSTRUCTION WEST 2014

Library Instruction West, formerly known as LOEX of the West, is a conference focused on user education in academic libraries, held every two years on a college or university campus in the western US or Canada. This year’s conference will be hosted by Portland State University Library on the campus of Portland State University in Portland, Oregon from July 23-25, 2014. The 2014 conference theme is Open, Sustainable Instruction. Alison Head of Project Information Literacy will keynote the conference.

For additional information about the conference or to register, visit library.pdx.edu/liwest2014.html.

—————————————————————————————————————

5) FREE PRESERVATION WORKSHOP IN SPOKANE

There’s still time to register for Creating and Funding Preservation Projects to Enhance Collection Care, a free one-day workshop from the Western States & Territories Preservation Assistance Service (WESTPAS). The workshop emphasizes working collaboratively with colleagues to develop and receive feedback on project proposals and shows participants:

• How to identify and prioritize collection needs;
• Where to go to find sources of available grant funding;
• How to answer the key preservation questions found on grant applications.

Workshop information:

• When: Thursday, May 29, 2014, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. PDT;
• Where: Davenport Hotel Flowerfield Room, Spokane, WA;
• Cost: Free;
• Registration required: Participants must register no later than Tuesday, May 27, 2014. To register, go to www.sos.wa.gov/q/WESTPAS29May;
• Need help? For registration assistance, contact Alexandra Gingerich at [email protected]. For general and content information, contact Gary Menges at [email protected].

—————————————————————————————————————

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Monday, May 19:

• TL (Teacher Librarians) News Night Season Finale 2014 (TL Virtual Café); 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/TLNews;

Tuesday, May 20:

• The Future of Mystery Fiction (Booklist); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/BL20May;
• Mobile Worklists: Opening the Stacks (Innovative/Library Journal); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/LJStacks;
• WorldShare Management Services Live Demonstration: Electronic Collections (OCLC); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/OCLC20May;
• Past, Present, and Future of the 3D Printed World – Understanding What They Are and How They Work (Texas State Library); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/TSL20May;
• How To Turn Strangers Into Strategic Partners Using LinkedIn (4Good); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/4Good20MayPM;

Wednesday, May 21:

• Research Projects: Identification to Publication (Day 1) (ALCTS); 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/ALCTSMay;
• NCompass Live: Doing Smart ‘Social’ Media (NCompass Live); 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/NComp21May;
• ChatAble: An Introduction to ChatAble (AbleNet University); 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/ANU21May;
• Tips and Tools for Creating Transformational Teams (4Good); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/4Good21May;
• What Public Librarians Need to Know about Common Core State Standards (Junior Library Guild/Library Journal/School Library Journal); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/SLJCCSS;
• Engaging Your Community with Facebook (Demco) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/DEMCO21May;
• Introduction to Finding Funders (GrantSpace); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/GS21May;
• Just Listen: Tips from a Former FBI Negotiation Trainer on How to Get Through To Anyone (Training Magazine Network); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/TMNFBI;
• What’s New in Children’s Literature 2014 (Infopeople); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/Info21May;
• Is Your Board on Board: Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards (4Good); 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/4Good21MayPM;
• Maximize Student Engagement with Library Resources: Create an Effective Marketing Plan for Your Academic Library App (Boopsie); 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PDT: boopsie.com/customer-webinars;

Thursday, May 22:

• Research Projects: Identification to Publication (Day 2) (ALCTS); 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/ALCTSMay;
• Disaster Recovery and Salvage for Government Records (Texas State Library); 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/TSL22May;
• Transforming Library Space for Community Engagement (WebJunction); 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/WJ22May;
• Planning for your library’s future: A discovery demonstration for library leaders (OCLC); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/OCLC22May;
• Bozarthzone! Turning Stress Into Power (InSync Training); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/BZ22May;
• Measuring Success: How to Evaluate your Volunteer Program (VolunteerMatch); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/VM22May;
• Tending the Garden of Innovation (Colorado State Library) 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/CSLGarden;

Friday, May 23:

• ProQuest Administrator Module (ProQuest); 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PDT: sos.wa.gov/q/PQ1037.

—————————————————————————————————————

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

• Facebook: on.fb.me/FBWSL;
• Twitter: twitter.com/WAStateLib.

“He weaves together many strands, that’s what makes him a good librarian.” These are the words of Will’s supervisor, Carolyn Petersen, Assistant Program Manager for Library Development. And what a great description of a man who has one of the premier vintage tie collections in the country, but we’ll get back to that…

Will Stuivenga and Rand Simmons

Will recently celebrated his 10 year anniversary of service to the State Library. During his tenure he has tirelessly worked on the Statewide Database Licensing Project (SDL Project). Will is known for being a great negotiator who works hard to get the best deal not only on price but also the best content for his clients. He regularly attends national conferences and is both well-known and well respected by vendors. He does a great deal of professional reading to stay current. His work was noted in 2007 when he was recognized in an Alki (WLA’s Journal) article “Changing of the Guard: A Dozen Who Make a Difference.”

“The SDL project, a group purchase of the ProQuest databases, is currently calculated to save non-profit Washington libraries $22 million over what they would have to pay if they licensed ProQuest individually at list price.”

Will’s excellent work with the SDL Project led to him being approached by some of the smaller libraries in the state to help form a consortium to purchase subscriptions to e-books and audio books. Without the consortium the costs for these would be untenable. This consortium now serves 40 libraries; libraries as small as Roslyn serving a population around 900 people to Whatcom County at 122,000.

Will’s attention to detail is well known at the State Library. A proofreader extraordinaire, nothing slips by his eagle eye! “When you need someone to dot the i’s and cross the t’s he’s your guy!” says Carolyn Petersen. Jeff Martin, Program Manager for Library Development, describes Will as “Very focused and detail oriented.”

Will is always open to new ideas and believes in technology’s ability to help libraries. Besides the database licensing project Will was involved in the development of the Library Now mobile app, and the creation of a statewide catalog- Wayfinder. This catalog enabled many of the smaller libraries in the state to add their records to OCLC, something they would not have been able to afford without state support.

While Will is an incredible librarian, his avocation is music. Will has two degrees in music, is a respected church organist and often plays at two different churches on weekends. He also is a prolific reader. If you want good book recommendations check out his GoodReads site. When he travels Will always brings his camera and many of the pictures of libraries on our Flickr site have been taken by Will. This also shows you how widely he travels in his service to the libraries of Washington State.

And then there are the ties… Will collects vintage ties and has around a thousand in his collection. Every month has a theme and every day brings a new tie for the pleasure of his co-workers. They range in age from the thirties through the nineties and recently his cubicle wall has featured everything from a shocking pink tie from the 70’s to a skinny square-ended silk from the 50’s.

Each is unique, categorized and cataloged by this neck-tie archivist. Want to see more? Check out the pictures at vintageties.blogspot.com/ .

Here are a few quotes from the many people he helps with his hard work.

“I have been in the state a long time and you are one of the very best Library Development staffers ever!”

Regan Robinson, Public Services Manager, Whatcom County Library System

“You GO! Will, rock star!!!! Thank you and thank you.” and “You are our hero.”

“I have a formal official thank you for Will’s work on Overdrive… He has done awesome work on this”

Richland Public Library

“Thank you for the time you put into this Will. Your work for the WDLC is invaluable!”

Beth Farley, Bellingham Public Library

“This is wonderful! Thanks for taking the time to send me so much information. I know that you are extremely busy, and I appreciate it immensely.”

Julie Patterson, St. Thomas School in Medina, Washington

“Again many thanks Will – you are also a lifesaver.”

North Olympic Library System

“You rock; thank you!”

Roslyn Public Library

“Thanks for passing this along – very timely and pertinent! You’re like our secret weapon!!”

Arnold Digital Library, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Our “Secret Weapon” has been revealed, when you need a “Rock Star”, a “Hero” or a “Lifesaver” Will Stuivenga is your man!

As a further recognition of National Library Week, we offer this overview of several cooperative projects that benefit libraries statewide.

The WSL Library Development staff coordinates several cooperative statewide projects which leverage the combined purchasing power of libraries throughout the state to save significant amounts of money for Washington libraries. In addition, LSTA (Library Services & Technology Act) funds provided through IMLS (The Institute for Museum & Library Services) are used to subsidize or kick start cooperative purchasing arrangements, helping libraries break into new areas such as virtual reference, eBooks, or downloadable audiobooks.

The oldest example of these kinds of projects is Statewide Database Licensing (SDL), which since 1997 has been providing a suite of research databases to public, academic, K-12, medical, and research libraries statewide. Library Development staff also coordinate library funded group purchases for other products; past examples include the online version of Consumer Reports, and an automotive repair database; a current example is Zinio, a very popular new platform for reading magazines online. It has been conservatively estimated that SDL saves Washington libraries over $20 million annually.

A more recent example is Off the Page: Downloadable Audiobooks and eBooks for Washington, which has helped libraries provide these new formats to their patrons. 31 public library systems in Washington are now able to offer both e-books and audiobooks via the Washington Anytime Library, and several more libraries are in process to join this consortium. More than 40 public and academic libraries, as well as over 300 K-12 school libraries are offering downloadable audiobooks via a statewide contract with another vendor.

Another area in which Washington libraries are successfully working together is in providing access to 24×7  virtual reference services to their patrons. Via Ask-WA, more than 60 Washington libraries, both public and academic, are providing online reference services through chat, e-mail, and instant messaging (IM) technologies.

Just being rolled out as we write, is a brand new project, Connect with Your Library: A Mobile App for Washington, which in partnership with the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, is providing the opportunity for public and academic libraries to offer their services via a user-friendly mobile application (app). The app will let users locate libraries, place holds, renew materials, download eBooks, or check to see if the library has an item, and more, all from the mobile device they carry in their hand.

These programs and others like them are great examples of how under the leadership provided by the WSL Library Development Program, LSTA funds are used to assist in providing a level playing field, such that smaller libraries can provide their patrons with the same kinds of services and resources that otherwise might be restricted to the larger library systems, while simultaneously providing assistance to all Washington libraries, both large and small.

This past week (Oct. 8-13) I had the privilege and pleasure of visiting several libraries on the Eastern side of the mountains. I hope to post some pictures and additional details in later blog entries, time permitting!

My trip culminated in attending the WLMA (Washington Library Media Association) conference in Yakima, where the Washington State Library as is our custom, sponsored a booth in the exhibit hall. I attended several informative conference program sessions as well as spending time staffing the WSL booth. This trip provided me with the opportunity to visit and talk with librarians, library staff, and teacher librarians along the way, in various venues and settings.

During the course of my visits, it came to my attention that information about the “new” statewide ProQuest contract, and the revised content that came with it, had somehow not trickled down, or gotten through to everyone. A number of people were not aware of some of the content that should be available to them through the Statewide Database Licensing (SDL) project’s current contract with ProQuest.

The new SDL contract with ProQuest went into effect on July 1, 2011. Under the terms of the new contract, some of the previous content was removed from Washington accounts, and some new content was added in its place.

The new content consists of:

• SIRS Discoverer
• History Study Center
• ProQuest Learning: Literature
• ProQuest Family Health (included in “ProQuest”)

All of these, except ProQuest Family Health, are specifically aimed at the K-12 audience, and the SIRS Discoverer interface and significant content are aimed at the lower grades. Material in both SIRS Discoverer and eLibrary are identified by reading level, and searches can be limited or sorted by reading level.

More recently, a larger newspaper database, the Western Newsstand (included in “ProQuest”), was added to the package, to compensate for the loss of three Washington newspapers.

Previous content that is no longer included in the Washington contract is as follows:

• eLibrary Elementary (the standard eLibrary is still included)
• World Conflicts Today (this content is now included in the History Study Center)
• Ethnic NewsWatch (was included in “ProQuest”)
• Alt-Press Watch (was included in “ProQuest”)

Unchanged content that we had previously, and still have now includes:

• eLibrary
• ProQuest Research Library (included in “ProQuest”)
• ABI/INFORM Trade & Industry (included in “ProQuest”)
• ProQuest National Newspaper Core (included in “ProQuest”)
• ProQuest Washington Newsstand (now down to only 5 current titles; included in “ProQuest”)

You will find a complete list of the current and the previous package contents, along with the relevant links, product descriptions, title, lists, etc., on the SDL ProQuest package web page here: http://www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/PQ

Please note: Items listed above that are described as “included in ProQuest” are items that you access through the standard ProQuest search platform. The items NOT so described run on their own platforms, and require separate individual links for access.

If you are a school librarian, I recommend that you check your school or district’s web site, and if you do not have access to the “new” content, please make every effort to contact whoever is in charge, and ask them to add links to the new content, and drop links to the content that is no longer available. Without these links, you are not getting full value for your subscription.

If you are a public librarian, you may want to double check that your library is offering all of these resources to your staff and patrons.

Keep in mind that access to ProQuest for K-12 school (public or private) is via your local ESD. That is, while the State Library pays half the cost of the statewide contract centrally using federal LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) funding made available through IMLS (The Institute for Museum and Library Services), the other half of the cost is divided between all of the participating libraries, and access, while inexpensive, is not free. Your school or district needs to pay its share of the subscription cost through your local ESD.

Without the participation of ALL Washington libraries, this project would not succeed. It’s the combined purchasing power of practically the ENTIRE state (K-12, public, private academic, community college, and even hospital and medical libraries) that makes this project sustainable.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions. Thank you for your participation and support!

Will Stuivenga, Cooperative Projects Manager
Washington State Library | Office of the Secretary of State
360.704.5217 | fax: 360.586.7575
[email protected]

The Washington State Library, and the Statewide Database Licensing Project, and its Advisory Committee  are pleased to announce that ProQuest has again been selected to provide a suite of database products to the nonprofit libraries of Washington State. The package will include a periodicals collection, a collection of Washington and national newspapers, and a collection of resources for children and students.

Contract negotiations with ProQuest are currently underway with the goal of providing a seamless transition to the new, slightly revised package of database content that ProQuest is offering to libraries in Washington. Pricing for individual libraries is not anticipated to increase, but uncertainty about the LSTA funds that Washington State will receive under the newly adopted U.S. budget makes exact predictions difficult.

All currently participating public, academic, and special libraries are requested to fill out and return an "Intent to Participate" form, which can be found on the project web site: www.sos.wa.gov/quicklinks/SDL. Schools and school districts should contact their respective Educational Service Districts. For questions, please contact SDL Project Manager, Will Stuivenga, at [email protected] or 360-704-5217 or toll- free: 866-538-4996.