[Libs-Or] Letter To Libraries Online - February 2009

[April Baker]

Letter To Libraries Online
An Electronic Newsletter from the Oregon State Library.......Volume 19, Issue 2, February 2009
Library Board News

STATE LIBRARY BOARD DELIBERATES ON L-NET CONTRIBUTIONS
At their February 20, 2009, meeting at the State Library, the State Library Board will hold a public hearing and then deliberate on whether public and academic libraries should begin to contribute to the cost of the L-net statewide e-reference service. Since 1994, when L-net began, it has been supported entirely with LSTA funds, under contract to the Multnomah County Library. This year the L-net budget is $279,000. During the past year the Board has been considering a plan to raise $30,000 in 2009-10 from public and academic libraries, and increasing that by another $10,000 in 2010-11 and again in 2011-12. Costs would be allocated in much the same way as for the Statewide Database Licensing Program, with the smallest public and academic libraries exempt from contributing. Libraries would be required to help pay for L-net as a condition of their participating in the Statewide Database Licensing Program. Implementing this plan requires a change in the Oregon Administrative Rules. The State Library has sent information about the plan and an opinion survey concerning the plan to all public and academic library directors. The public hearing is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on February 20th in Room 103 at the State Library. Testimony will also be accepted in writing up until the day before the hearing. It may be sent to MaryKay Dahlgreen.


State Library News

TBABS USERS GET ACCESS TO MP3 AUDIOBOOKS
Talking Book and Braille patrons who subscribe to the Unabridged downloadable audiobook service now have access to a small but growing collection of MP3 audiobooks in addition to the large collection of protected WMA audiobooks. Unabridged, like Oregon's Library2Go, is a cooperative project. Libraries for the blind from across the U.S. work together to create access to downloadable audiobooks through a website specially designed to be accessible to blind users. On the Unabridged website each title contains a set of icons that indicate if a particular edition may be played on a PC, a Mac, burned to disc, transferred to portable playback device, or even played on an iPod or iPhone. Unabridged users now may also construct "wish" lists of titles they would like to read. Visit the Unabridged website for more information.
2007-2008 READY TO READ ANNUAL REPORT NOW AVAILABLE
The Ready to Read Annual Report for 2007-2008 is now available on the Ready to Read Grant webpage. The long and short term results are now reported using four metrics that measure the effectiveness of the Ready to Read Grant program over time. The metrics provide longitudinal data on public library youth services and public library usage statistics. This data allows public libraries to see how their efforts impact library services to children in Oregon, and serves as a tool for setting local youth service goals. The 2007-2008 grant cycle was the first to benefit from the funding increase to $1 per child and the $1,000 minimum grant. Libraries received a total of $144,871 more funds in 2007-2008 than they did in the previous grant cycle. As a result, the number of libraries using the Ready to Read Grant to fund one or more library youth services best practices increased significantly. Early literacy training increased by 32%, summer reading programs increased by 49%, and outreach to children and caregivers increased by 68%. 
2007-2008 OUTSTANDING READY TO READ GRANT PROJECTS AWARDED
Each year the State Library staff recognizes several public libraries for their outstanding Ready to Read Grant projects. The criteria for this recognition are: the library adheres to the original intent of the Ready to Read Grant, focuses on one or more of the three Ready to Read Grant best practices, promotes partnerships both in and out of the library, and creates a project that is replicable in other libraries, or enhances current library services. Libraries recognized for their Outstanding Ready to Read projects in 2007-2008 are: Emma Humphrey Public Library (Vale), Lakeside Public Library, Siuslaw Public Library, Scappoose Public Library, Klamath County Library, and Beaverton Public Library. The Ready to Read Grant webpage provides more information about these outstanding projects.

STATE LIBRARY LECTURE SERIES CELEBRATES OREGON'S SESQUICENTENNIAL
To commemorate the State's sesquicentennial, the State Library's Spring Lecture Series will feature two Oregon historians, an Oregon political scientist, and the Oregon Poet Laureate. All four speakers will address different aspects of Oregon's history and culture, beginning with historian William Robbins' reflections on the sesquicentennial in February. The popular lunchtime lecture series usually draws a crowd of state employees from the Capitol Mall and others from the Salem community. Everyone is welcome to attend. Here is the schedule for spring:

Wednesday, February 18
Oregon Stories: Reflections on the Sesquicentennial
Oregon historian and author, William Robbins
Tuesday, March 10
Land of the Empire Builders: the Story of the Lyrics to the Oregon State Song
Public historian, author, and archivist, Richard Engeman
Thursday, April 16
Poets Laureate of Oregon - Reflections and Readings
Oregon Poet Laureate, Lawson Inada
Wednesday, May 13
Innovation in Oregon Politics; Imagery or Reality?
Chair & Professor, Political Science, Oregon State University, William Lunch
For more information visit the Lecture Series Website.

Other Library News

L-NET OFFERS FREE LOCAL E-REFERENCE SOFTWARE
L-net, Oregon's local statewide e-reference service, is now offering software that any library can use to provide e-reference service to their own community or campus. The open source software was developed through a partnership between Multnomah County Library, which administers L-net, and the Cleveland Public Library, with funding support from the State Library of Ohio and the Oregon State Library. The software is already being used by the Barber Library at Central Oregon Community College . Other libraries, including the State Library, are planning to use the software in the near future. Local e-reference service is now offered by many academic libraries in Oregon and public libraries are beginning to consider it. The Tillamook County Library was one of the first public libraries in Oregon to give local e-reference service a try. For more information about the new L-net local e-reference software, go to the L-net website.

ANOTHER RECORD BREAKING YEAR FOR PUBLIC LIBRARY CIRCULATION
Oregon public libraries set a new record for circulation in FY 2008 for the 36th year in a row. You have to go all the way back to 1973 to find a decline in circulation. In FY 2008 Oregon public libraries circulated 51.7 million items, a 2.5% increase over the previous year. Public library circulation has doubled in Oregon just since 1992. The new record was set despite the fact that the Josephine County Library was closed all year and the Jackson County Library had greatly reduced hours of operation. In all likelihood, FY 2009 will see circulation increases that surpass those in FY 2008 in most libraries. Reports to the State Librarian recently showed that many public libraries are seeing double-digit increases in circulation compared to the first six months of FY 2008. It's been known for a long time that economic downturns lead to spikes in public library use, and the affect of this recession on public library circulation appears to be no different. Here are some examples of the increases that public libraries reported for the first half of FY 2009:
Harney County Library: 39%
The Dalles-Wasco County Library: 16%
Deschutes Public Library: 10%
Scappoose Public Library: 23%
Beaverton City Library: 12%
Crook County Library: 8%
Cornelius Public Library: 21%
Tualatin Public Library: 35%
It's not just the recession that accounts for the increase in some cases. The Harney County Library relaxed their circulation policies and Tualatin Public Library has a new building. But the impact of hard times is very evident, not only in circulation, but in library visits and Internet use as well. FY 2009 promises to be a banner year. Perhaps the increases will be enough to see Oregon overtake Ohio for the #1 spot in national public library circulation per capita.
JOSEPHINE COUNTY LIBRARY REOPENS
The Josephine County Library had its official reopening celebration on January 24th. A cheering crowd of several hundred was there to cut a ribbon at the main library in Grants Pass. Two county commissioners were on hand to present a matching grant of $300,000 to the Josephine Community Libraries, Inc., the non-profit group that raised a similar amount to reopen the library after it was closed for 19 months. JCLI will operate the library under a contract with the County, under a three-year agreement. The Library will be open 20 hours a week and employ three staff members, including the new library director, Russell Long, who was formerly the library director in Del Norte County in California. Three library branches remain mostly closed (the branch in Wolf Creek opens once a week as a reading room). The JCLI hopes to raise funds to reopen the branches before the end of the year.
ESTACADA LIBRARY STILL CLOSED
The Estacada Public Library will not reopen for several months yet, following a flood on January 2nd that left a foot of water and mud throughout the building. Library Director Katinka Bryk reports that the library is having to replace HVAC equipment, carpeting and much of the cabinet work, including the circulation desk. About 10% of the library collection had to be discarded, and the remainder of the collection is in storage. A small office is open at City Hall for patrons to pick up books that they can order using the countywide online catalog. The Library plans to open another office in donated space to resume some technical services work. Bryk hopes to complete the clean-up and renovation and have the Library back in business sometime in April.
LSL GRANT APPLICATIONS DUE MARCH 6TH
The 2009 Improving Literacy through School Libraries (LSL) federal grant competition is now open, and applications are due March 6th. Awarded money may be used for school library media centers on books, technology, professional development, and expanding access (like weekend hours). There are two eligibility requirements to keep in mind. First, only local education agencies (LEA) may apply, the most common form being a school district. That means schools cannot apply individually. Second, at least 20% of students within the LEA must be from families with incomes below the poverty line. Determining data for this year's competition comes from the 2007 census. Click on Oregon for a chart indicating which districts qualify. Applicants should be aware that the initial registration process at grants.gov can take up to ten days. Click here for the official application site. If your district qualifies, please consider alerting the grant writers in your district office to this opportunity. For more information contact Jennifer Maurer, 503-378-5011.


P.S. (From the State Librarian)

In January the State Library made its annual report to the Oregon Progress Board on our Oregon Benchmark for public library services, as we have every year for nearly the past two decades. Benchmark #38 is one of 91 Oregon Benchmarks that are intended to measure the health and well-being of our state. Oregon is one of the few states that attempts to set strategic goals for the whole state and then measure them annually to track our progress or lack of progress.
Benchmark #38 measures the percentage of Oregonians who are served by a public library meeting minimum standards (called "minimum service criteria" in the report) set by the State Library. In the latest report for 2007-08, 81% of Oregonians were served by a public library meeting the minimum standards and 19% of Oregonians were not. That is up 1% from last year. The minimum standards are not to be confused with the Oregon Library Association standards for public libraries. The lowest OLA standards (called "threshold" standards) are higher than the State Library's minimum standards.
The 19% of Oregon who are not served by a public library meeting our minimum standards break down into two categories. Just over 10% did not have public library service at all, because they lived outside the jurisdiction of a public library. Just under 9% could use a public library, but their library did not meet the minimum standards for things like staffing, open hours, and collections.
Our long term track record to date on Benchmark #38 has not been good. Over the past two decades we have actually lost ground, going from 86% in 1990 to 81% in 2008.
The Oregon Progress Board has set a goal for 88% of Oregonians to be served by a public library meeting minimum standards by 2010 and 92% by 2015. Before the November elections, I was not optimistic that we might be able to meet the 2010 goal. But with the creation of new library districts in Clackamas County and Malheur County (Ontario and surrounding area), we might just have a shot a it. 
The Malheur County Library and a number of libraries in Clackamas County have not met our minimum standard in recent years, but beginning next year they should easily surpass it with the new funding approved by their voters. The 344,619 Oregonians who were served by a library that did not meet our minimum standards in 2007-08 might be down to only 150,000 by 2009-10.
Even though the reports we have done on Benchmark #38 over the years paint a somewhat depressing picture of our ability as a state to bring all our citizens up to at least a minimum level of public library service, it's good that we have Benchmark #38 to keep us focused on what remains a very important goal for Oregon. - Jim Scheppke


Contacts at the Oregon State Library

Technical Assistance: 503-932-1004.

Library Development: 503-378-2525, MaryKay Dahlgreen, Mary Mayberry, Darci Hanning, Ann Reed, Jennifer Maurer, Katie Anderson.

Talking Book and Braille Services: 503-378-5389, Susan Westin.

Government Research and Electronic Services: 503-378-5030, Robert Hulshof-Schmidt.

State Librarian: 503-378-4367, Jim Scheppke.

LTLO Editor: 503-378-2464, April Baker
Letter to Libraries Online is published monthly by the Oregon State Library. Editorial office: LTLO, Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97301-3950, 503-378-2464, editor: April Baker
Letter to Libraries Online is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form on the publications page at the Oregon State Library's homepage: http://www.oregon.gov/OSL. 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 April Baker, or mailed to LTLO, Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97301-3950.
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