[Libs-Or] LTLO July 2003
Arturo J. Guillen
arturo at sparkie.osl.state.or.us
Tue Jul 1 09:26:21 PDT 2003
Letter To Libraries Online
An Electronic Newsletter of the
Oregon State Library
Volume 13, Issue 7 July 2003
*************************************************
LIBRARY BOARD NEWS
State Library Budget and SB 12 Pass in Legislative
Assembly
State Library Board Invites LSTA Applications
Board Elects Freda Vars and Elaine Day to Lead
Board in 2003-04
LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT NEWS
WebJunction: Public Access Support Portal Launched
Answerland Update
Supreme Court Upholds CIPA Filtering Provision
E-Rate News E-Rate Application Form 470 Now
Available for FY 2004
E-Rate Task Force on Prevention of Fraud, Waste
And Abuse
More E-Rate News: SLD Web Site
E-Rate Discount Commitments for FY 2003
Statistics Time is Around the Corner
Ready to Read Grant Application Process & Changes
OTHER LIBRARY NEWS
Win-Win Project for Oregon Documents Depository
Program
FUND DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Major Oregon Foundation Announces Temporary
Cut Backs in Funding
Grant Opportunities
PS. (FROM THE STATE LIBRARIAN)
STATE LIBRARY CONTACT INFORMATION
LIBRARY BOARD NEWS
====================
STATE LIBRARY BUDGET AND SB 12 PASS
IN LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Senate Bill 5529, the State Library budget bill, and SB 12, the Senate
Interim Task Force on Library Cooperation bill, were passed by the
Legislative Assembly by the end of June. Both bills were heard in the
Education Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee on June 2nd.
Connie Bennett and Janet Webster, representing the Oregon Library
Association, testified in favor of SB 12. The committee approved SB 12
unanimously. The State Library budget received greater scrutiny from
the Subcommittee that is struggling to help balance the state budget.
Fortunately, the Subcommittee did not make any reductions to the Ready
to Ready Grant program beyond the 15% reduction that was already in
Governor Kulongoski's budget proposal. The Talking Book and Braille
Services program saw elimination of full funding of rent for stack
space that the Governor proposed in his budget. The Government Research
and Electronic Services program, unfortunately, lost two librarian
positions that had been frozen, but the committee added back one
librarian position to coordinate the new search engine for Oregon.gov,
the state portal website. Adjustments were made to the budget to take
out all funds for inflation and merit increases for staff. In the end,
the budget was still increased by 6.5% over the 2001-03 budget, however
the General Fund budget portion was reduced by 14% from the current
biennial budget.
STATE LIBRARY BOARD INVITES LSTA APPLICATIONS
At their meeting on June 6th in Salem, the State Library Board of
Trustees decided to invite 15 libraries proposing LSTA grant projects
to submit full grant applications for grant awards in 2004. The 15 were
recommended by the LSTA Advisory Council from among 21 project
proposals they reviewed this spring. The 15 proposals selected totaled
just over $1.2 million. The Board expects to have about $1 million in
LSTA funds to award next year. In other business on June 6th, the Board
elected officers for 2003-04 and approved the procedure for the annual
evaluation of the State Librarian later this year. The Board also got a
demonstration of Answerland, the new statewide collaborative
e-reference service, and heard about new information products that have
been developed for the Library's state agency customers.
BOARD ELECTS FREDA VARS AND ELAINE DAY TO LEAD BOARD
IN 2003-04
Freda Vars of Corvallis and Elaine Day of Salem were elected as Chair
and Vice-Chair of the State Library Board of Trustees. Vars has been a
member of the Board since 1999. Before being appointed to the State
Library Board by Governor Kitzhaber, she served two terms on the
Corvallis-Benton County Library Board. She now serves on the
Corvallis-Benton County Library Foundation Board and is a library
volunteer. Elaine Day has been a State Library Board member since 1998.
She chaired the Board in 2000- 01. She is a patron of Talking Book and
Braille Services and recently retired from her administrative position
at the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Insurance
Division.
LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT NEWS
===========================
WEBJUNCTION: PUBLIC ACCESS SUPPORT PORTAL LAUNCHED
WebJunction http://webjunction.org/ is an online community of libraries
broadest public access to information technology."
A Web based technology portal, WebJunction was launched as a public
access computing center at the Library of Congress in May. It provides
information about using technology effectively in a public setting and
is intended for use by public librarians and other organizations that
help the public use computers or electronic resources.
WebJunction continues the work of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's
U.S. Library Program, and was created by OCLC, the Colorado State
Library, The Benton Foundation, Isoph, and TechSoup with Gates
Foundation funding.
WebJunction's current focus includes:
political and environmental issues that are critical to sustaining
public access to information technology (e.g.,technology planning,
acceptable use policies, issues around accessibility, and
strategies for fundraising and marketing).
- Technology Resources: Covers technology issues, problems, and
innovations, including tools and tips for handling hardware and
software within the library, overviews of basic and advanced
networking options, security measures, and guides to basic
troubleshooting.
- Buying Guide: Includes reviews and peer opinions of hardware and
software, purchasing advice, and information about buying discounted
and used hardware and software.
- Learning Center: Includes online courses, downloadable lessons, training
and skills. It can help staff acquire and update their own skills and
help them learn how to teach the public.
- Community Forum: Allows librarians interaction with peers
around the country, including discussion, online events facilitated by
experts, and career information, event calendars, success stories, and
more.
To connect to WebJunction www.webjunction.org you must have Internet
Explorer 5.0 or higher OR Netscape Navigator 6.0 or higher. When you
log on you can register to become a member, opt-in to help evaluate and
develop the portal, or just search for information.
Portal users will influence WebJunction improvements and enhancements
by providing feedback about their needs and use of WebJunction and.
Content will be enhanced by contributions from portal users. For more
information contact Pam Horan, pam.horan at state.or.us, or phone
503-378-2112, ext. 224
ANSWERLAND UPDATE
Caleb Tucker-Raymond began June 1st as project manager of Answerland,
Oregon's collaborative virtual reference pilot project. Caleb has come
from Golden Gate University in San Francisco where he was Systems
Librarian. Prior to that he worked in public services and systems at
Saint Mary's College of California, and as periodicals assistant at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Caleb received his MSLIS from
Simmons College in Boston.
Caleb has taken over from Interim Project Manager, Eva Miller, who
continues at Multnomah County Library as Special Projects Librarian.
You may contact Caleb at 503-988-5438 or calebt at multcolib.org.
Answerland began offering service to all Oregonians on April 16th. Led
by project manager Multnomah County Library (MCL), the 21 volunteer
service provider libraries for the pilot project are realizing the
Oregon Library Association's Vision 2010 goal: To create a statewide
collaborative virtual reference service. Answerland is Web based
(http://www.answerland.org) and service hours are posted at the site.
The pilot project officially began in January 2003 and is funded by the
The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) through the Oregon State
Library, with Multnomah County Library serving as fiscal agent. For
more information contact Pam Horan, pam.horan at state.or.us, or phone
503-378-2112, ext. 224
SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS CIPA FILTERING PROVISION
On June 23, 2003 the Supreme Court issued its opinion on the filtering
provision of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), declaring
the provision constitutional for libraries. The 6-3 decision means that
public libraries receiving E-rate or LSTA funds will need to comply
with CIPA's filtering requirement as following:
- LSTA: CIPA's filtering provision applies if libraries use LSTA funds
for direct costs of accessing the Internet or for purchasing computers
used to access the Internet. Additional guidance will be forthcoming
from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in early
August.
- E-rate: Libraries must comply with CIPA to receive E-rate discounts
for Internet access or internal connections categories. The CIPA
filtering provision does not apply to the telecommunications category,
including datalines and phone service. Additional guidance will be
forthcoming from the Federal Communication Commission and the Schools
and Libraries Division in late July.
If your library has applied for E-rate discounts on Internet services
Funding Year 2003, you may want to delay filing your form 486 until the
FCC releases its compliance information. With the 2003 E-rate funding
year starting next week (July 1), the American Library Association has
encouraged the FCC to allow libraries until June 30, 2004 to comply
with the filtering mandate. For more information contact Pam Horan,
pam.horan at state.or.us, or phone 503-378-2112, ext. 224.
E-RATE NEWS E-RATE APPLICATION FORM 470 NOW AVAILABLE FOR FY2004
The FCC Form 470 for Funding Year 2004 (07/01/2004-06/30/2005) is now
available at http://www.sl.universalservice.org/menu.asp. The Form 470
is the first in the application process for discounts on
telecommunications, Internet access, and internal connections
administered by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the
Universal Services Administrative Company.
Public libraries may file this form online and/or download the Form 470
and Instructions from the SLD web site. The form is designed in a
scannable format that facilitates the data entry process, and there are
3 ways to complete it:
1. Access the online PDF version of the form from the Apply Online area of the
SLD web site.
2. Access the "interview format" from the Apply Online area of the SLD web site --
especially useful for first-time filers and those with relatively simple applications.
A library that begins an application using the online interface can exit and then
continue the form using the interview interface, or vice versa.
3. The paper version of the form can be downloaded and printed from the Applicant
Forms section of the SLD web site.
Applicants who have User IDs and PINs can certify their Form 470
online. If you do not have a User ID and a PIN, you may be able to
request one (visit the PIN Request Area at the SLD site for more
information).
E-RATE TASK FORCE ON PREVENTION OF FRAUD,
WASTE AND ABUSE
The Task Force on the Prevention of Waste, Fraud and Abuse held its
second meeting in May 2003. Task Force members are in agreement that
the E-rate program has been vitally important in helping schools and
libraries gain access to 21st century learning resources through a
variety of technologies, despite congressional rumblings about the
possible demise of the program. However, the Task Force recognizes that
after five years, changes should be considered to better guard the
program from those who would seek to defraud or abuse it, and from
those practices and procedures that inadvertently encourage waste or
tend to waste limited resources. Federal Communications Chairman
Michael Powell said at the FCC's Forum on the E-rate program, "To
defraud the program is to steal from our children."
Members of the Task Force are looking for input as they further refine
recommendations (see the SLD Web page at
http://www.sl.universalservice.org/taskforce/update2.asp for complete
recommendations).
MORE E-RATE NEWS: SLD WEB SITE
The Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) Web site has been redesigned
to make it simpler to use. The site tour at
http://www.sl.universalservice.org/sitetour/default.html is quite
helpful and serves as a very good introduction.
E-RATE DISCOUNT COMMITMENTS FOR FY 2003
Over 41,000 applications were filed by schools and libraries requesting
over $4.5 billion in discounts for E-rate Funding Year 2003 by the
close of the application period in February. The program is limited to
$2.25 billion in discounts each funding year. In its first wave of
commitment letters, the SLD announced nearly $181 million in discounts,
including awards to 22 Oregon libraries. By early June, the SLD had
committed nearly $300 million in over 19,500 commitment letters. For
more information contact Pam Horan, pam.horan at state.or.us, or phone
503-378-2112, ext. 224
STATISTICS TIME IS AROUND THE CORNER
The State Library is finalizing the FY2002-2003 public library
statistical form which should be available by late July. The academic
library form should be available in early August. Both forms will
contain an augmented directory section.
READY TO READ GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS AND CHANGES
The Ready to Read Grant application packets will be mailed in mid-July.
Library Directors will receive a packet containing the 2003-04 Ready to
Read Grant application and chart of proposed grants. Children's
librarians will receive working copies of the application and a chart
of proposed grants. We have revised the application to provide more
guidance to libraries about criteria for the grant and to collect more
information for the State Library about what projects are being
proposed. August 30, 2003 is the deadline for the 2003-04 Grant
Application. There are two changes to the Ready to Read grant process
for this year. The Maintenance of Support requirement has been
suspended for the 2003-2005 biennium by the Oregon Legislative
Assembly, at the request of the Oregon Library Association. The MOS
requirement will be required again during the 2005-06 application
cycle. The timeline for the Ready to Read final report is being changed
as well. The 2002-03 Final Report Form will be included in the mailing
to library directors with the revised list of grants by the end of
October. The Report will be due at the State Library by December 1,
2003. For more information contact MaryKay Dahlgreen,
marykay.dahlgreen at state.or.us, or phone 503-378-2112, ext. 239
OTHER LIBRARY NEWS
====================
WIN-WIN PROJECT FOR OREGON DOCUMENTS
DEPOSITORY PROGRAM
The Program has just completed a small project that has multiple
benefits for both the Oregon document depository community and the
State Library.
For the past century the State Library has been distributing Oregon
documents to depository libraries around the state. Cartons of
documents are distributed 2-4 times a month, with a paper shipping list
describing the contents of each shipment. A recently completed project
automates the production of the shipping list and provides electronic
files of bibliographic catalog records for the depository libraries
Features and benefits of the newly automated depository shipping list
include:
- The monographic portion of the list is compiled automatically from the cataloging
records
- eliminates transcribing errors
- eliminates the time-consuming task of verifying the authorized
form of issuing agency names
- provides a significant savings in OSL staff time and labor.
- An option offers depository libraries the opportunity to be profiled for customized
files of the bibliographic cataloging records, ready for loading into their
individual library catalogs
- provides time and labor savings for depository libraries
- increases depository libraries' compliance of the requirement to include
depository documents in their catalogs.
- An additional feature provides for batch uploading of holdings data to OCLC
- provides cost and labor savings for depository libraries
- provides cost-effective way for depository libraries to fulfill their OCLC
requirement to set holdings on the OCLC records they use.
For more information contact Jey Wann, Oregon Documents Depository
Program, jey.a.wann at state.or.us, or phone 503 378-4198 ext. 248; or
Deanna Iltis, Coordinator, Oregon Documents Program,
Deanna.w.iltis at state.or.us, or phone 503-378-4198 ext. 245.
FUND DEVELOPMENT NEW
========================
MAJOR OREGON FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES
TEMPORARY CUT BACKS IN FUNDING
(http://www.tfff.org/) announced in early June: "We are temporarily
suspending invitations for multi-year grants or those that have
contingencies that make a future funding date uncertain."
The web site goes on to note that FFF is still funding a limited number
of small projects, and is still interested in receiving
pre-applications, to stay informed of organizations' needs. They will
focus their giving on basic needs grants in their core area (Douglas,
Coos, and Siskiyou Counties. For the full story, visit the web site
listed above.
What does this mean for Oregon's rural libraries? The FFF policy change
reflects the severity of the downturn in United States' economy. Oregon
rural libraries pinning their building or program campaign funding on
major funding from FFF, will have to wait it out, or be proactive and
work on developing a local annual campaign, and putting planned giving
options in place.
Now more than ever, library leaders must focus on securing the future
of their library. What will your legacy be to your library?
There are many ways to raise funds, focus on a few key activities to get started:
- Create a Friends & Foundation group as a 501 (c)(3) organization to accept
donations.
- Like target marketing, focus on those most likely to give: create bylaws that
require 100 percent contribution rate from board members in making "stretch"
gifts; require that the library be one of their top three charitable giving
priorities.
- Begin a regular process of educating locals about the work and impact of the
library; holds "teas," or meet with potential donors one-on-one over a meal.
- A rural library in Oregon will soon receive a bequest topping one-half million
dollars. The potential for planned gifts exists in your community, publicize your
group's willingness to steward their planned gifts for the benefit of the
community.
For information on fund development activities contact OSL's Fund
Development Consultant Kathy Thomas, Kathryn.Thomas at state.or.us, or
call 503-378-2112 x 264.
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Small, rural public libraries in Oregon are encouraged to apply for the
Libri Foundation BOOKS FOR CHILDREN grants of up to $1,050 worth of
new, hardcover children's books. Go to http://www.librifoundation.org
or contact Barbara McKillip at 541-747- 9655 or librifdn at teleport.com.
The Foundation is currently accepting applications for 2003 BOOKS FOR
CHILDREN grants. Applicants are encouraged to return their completed
application forms as soon as possible. Remaining application deadlines
for 2003 are: (postmarked by) July 15 and November 15, 2003.
Applications for Ezra Jack Keats Foundation mini-grants of $350 each
are due by September 15, 2003. Grants are awarded to public libraries
and public school libraries for programs designed to encourage
creativity and literacy in children. Programs featuring Ezra Jack Keats
are welcome but not required. The website listed below provides ideas
for mini-grants. Contact: Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, 718-252-4047;
http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/programs/minigrants.htm.
PS. (FROM THE STATE LIBRARIAN)
==============================
Across the hall from my office on the 2nd floor of the State Library is
a monument to 20th century librarianship. The Oregon Biography Index
occupies 200 card catalog drawers and the Oregon [Subject] Index
occupies another 442 card catalog drawers. For decades, beginning in
about the 1920's, staff at the State Library painstakingly indexed the
local Salem newspapers and other Oregon periodical publications and
even some historical monographs. In the 1980's we closed the manual
Oregon Index and began a digital Oregon Index. Just recently, when the
Salem Statesman-Journal became available as a full-text database
product, we ended this monumental effort.
It may seem like a stretch, but when I think about the Oregon Index, I
can't help but think of great human undertakings like the building of
the pyramids or the great cathedrals of Europe. It took the same kind
of dogged effort, day after day, decade after decade, one card at a
time, to build the Oregon Index. And the result is something that will
be valued for centuries to come. One drawer of the Oregon Index holds
about 1,400 cards, so the entire Oregon Index contains nearly 900,000
entries. The subject heading "State Finance" takes up nearly an entire
drawer -- evidence, I suppose, that we have been struggling with that
issue forever. The entries for Tom McCall take up about two- thirds of
a drawer, about 900 entries. Edith Green, an OLA Honorary Life Member,
who, as a Congresswoman, was the primary sponsor of the Library
Services Act, predecessor to LSCA and LSTA, takes up a little less than
half a drawer, about 400 entries. If you want to learn about these
people, this a great place to start.
The State Library was not the only Oregon library to devote countless
staff hours to making Oregon's history accessible to future scholars.
While the State Library was indexing Salem newspapers, the Multnomah
County Library was indexing Portland newspapers. I am also vaguely
familiar with similar indexing efforts at the University of Oregon and
Oregon State University, and there are a number of other libraries that
have worked on indexing their local newspapers in recent years.
As remarkable as these efforts are, what a relief it is when you don't
have to do it anymore! When we heard that the Statesman-Journal would
finally be available in a full-text commercial database, it was as if a
huge burden had been lifted from our shoulders. This might be the best
example yet of how computer technology has improved productivity in
libraries.
Of course the new commercial newspaper databases only go back a few
years in their coverage. So perhaps our task for the 21st century is to
convert our old card indexes into digital indexes. In April we were
pleased to receive an LSTA grant proposal from the University of Oregon
to begin to do just that. U of O librarians propose next year to begin
to digitize indexing for the Oregonian from 1930 to 1987. In the second
year of the proposed project, other libraries and other indexes will be
brought into the project. What a great day it will be when library
users not only can search the full text of most contemporary Oregon
newspapers, but are also able to go to one website to find citations
from Oregon newspapers in the past.
Then the Oregon Index outside my door will become a curiosity and a
museum piece-- something to marvel at and recall the way librarianship
used to be. -- Jim Scheppke
===============================================================
STATE LIBRARY CONTACT INFORMATION
Chris Adams
chris.a.adams at state.or.us 503-378-4246
MaryKay Dahlgreen
marykay.dahlgreen at state.or.us 503-378-2112, ext. 239
Denise Davis
denise.davis at state.or.us 503-378-2112, ext. 225
Pam Horan
pam.horan at state.or.us 503-378-2112, ext. 224
Ernest Perez
ernest.r.perez at state.or.us 503-378-4243, ext. 257
Ann Reed
ann.reed at state.or.us 503-378-2112, ext. 254
Jim Scheppke
jim.b.scheppke at state.or.us 503-378-4367
Robin Speer
robin.d.speer at state.or.us 503-378-4243, ext. 221
Kathy Thomas
kathryn.thomas at state.or.us 503-378-2112, ext. 264
Val Vogt
val.t.vogt at state.or.us 503-378-2112, ext. 222
OSL's home page
http://www.osl.state.or.us/home/
*********************************************************************
LETTER TO LIBRARIES ONLINE (ISSN 1059-3195) is published monthly by the
Oregon State Library. Editorial offices: LTLO, Oregon State Library,
250 Winter Street NE, Salem, OR 97301-3950. Editor: Robin Speer,
503-378-4243, ext. 221 or e-mail robin.d.speer at state.or.us
LETTER TO LIBRARIES ONLINE is available free of charge and is available
only in electronic form at the Oregon State Library's Homepage:
http://www.osl.state.or.us/home.html . Opinions expressed in the
articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the
Oregon State Library. News items or articles should be sent to
Internet address: robin.d.speer at state.or.us, or mailed to LTLO,
Oregon State Library, 250 Winter Street NE, Salem, OR 97301- 3950.
To subscribe to libs-or, send the message: subscribe libs-or, to:
mailman at webhost.osl.state.or.us
All materials may be reprinted or distributed freely.
***********************************************************************
More information about the Libs-Or
mailing list