[Libs-Or] State Library Newsletter: Letter to Libraries Online (November 2020)

Mon Nov 2 08:45:15 PST 2020

View this email in your browser<https://mailchi.mp/a964e4144dd3/state-library-newsletter-letter-to-libraries-online-december-1592370?e=14e6da8535>
[https://mcusercontent.com/91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03/images/f689e3a8-b2f6-42be-b6d9-b5fd379ba695.jpg]
Volume 30, Issue 11 - November 2020

[https://mcusercontent.com/91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03/images/41de08af-5620-4aae-a908-8d395699f2f3.jpg]

State Library Contact Information

[https://mcusercontent.com/91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03/images/118622c8-bd67-4e30-a074-eb5f21f4cba4.jpg]The State Library has migrated to Microsoft 365 and our email addresses have changed. In addition, we are transitioning from landlines to cell phones for some staff members, resulting in new phone numbers for many staff. The old email addresses will forward to the new addresses for a period of time, but we encourage you to begin using the new email addresses now to avoid issues when the forwarding expires. Landline changes are effective as of November 16th. Please review the State Library's Contact Us<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=71db5962b0&e=14e6da8535> webpage for the current contact information for all State Library staff members.

Statewide Hate Crimes and Bias
Incidents Response Hotline

Oregon's statewide Hate Crimes and Bias Incidents Response Hotline opened on January 2, 2020.  This is a confidential hotline designed to document bias and be a point of support for folks who experience hate or bias in Oregon. Last year's Senate Bill 577<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=68003e5715&e=14e6da8535> mandated the opening of the hotline, and the goal is to be a place where folks can report bias, receive support, be referred to local community support, and learn about options for possible next steps. Some details about the hotline are below:

  *   Report bias and receive support at 1-844-924-BIAS (2427), 9am-5pm PST Monday-Friday, with an after-hours voicemail.
  *   Hearing impaired individuals can dial 711 for Oregon Relay.
  *   The hotline uses Language Link for interpretation in over 240 languages. Current hotline staff and volunteers speak English, Korean, Arabic, and Japanese fluently.
  *   There is also a 24/7 online reporting process<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=bb1db6f0d6&e=14e6da8535> currently available in 8 languages (but can be translated into other languages upon request).
  *   Reporting is confidential and can be done anonymously (although hotline staff and volunteers are mandatory reporters for child abuse and abuse of vulnerable adults).
  *   The hotline data dashboard<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=7a15029b5f&e=14e6da8535> is newly launched and will be updated monthly. It shows reports of bias to the hotline by month, county, determination (hate crime vs. bias incident), conduct, and protected class.
As library workers, you may experience, observe, or hear about hate crimes and bias incidents and this resource may be helpful to you or to your patrons. For additional information, please visit StandAgainstHate.Oregon.gov<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=585f684b54&e=14e6da8535>.

[https://mcusercontent.com/91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03/images/375b80ad-033f-469a-9b14-543504990cc9.jpg]

Personal Success Skills and PrepSTEP Platform Options Added to LearningExpress Library

The State Library's new contract with LearningExpress Library will allow Statewide Database Licensing Program participants to access new resources and features.

[image of a man working at a laptop]Starting in November, participating libraries will automatically have Personal Success Skills added to the LearningExpress Library main menu. This new resource offers interactive tutorials, ebooks, and articles to help individuals develop the core knowledge and skills for workplace success and personal fulfillment. Topics covered include workplace skills, organization and time management, and personal finance and media literacy skills. A complete list of these new resources is available<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=fc674027de&e=14e6da8535>.

[various options from the PrepSTEP website]Also starting in November, academic and high school libraries will have options to access resources through the PrepSTEP for Colleges or PrepSTEP for High School platform. These platforms provide menus and categories organized to align directly to the needs of the college or high school students. PrepSTEP can also be used to help integrate tests and tutorials with learning management systems, including Canvas, Blackboard, and D2L Brightspace via LTI.

The State Library will host virtual sessions in early December to provide an overview of the new PrepSTEP options to help libraries decide if they want to switch to this platform. If you are already familiar with the PrepSTEP platform and want to make the switch now, please contact Arlene Weible<mailto:arlene.weible at slo.oregon.gov?subject=PrepSTEP%20implementation>.

LSTA Competitive Grant Applications Open

FY20201 LSTA Competitive Grant applications are open! Information on how to apply - including eligibility, guidelines, and deadlines - can be found on our LSTA grants guide<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=0bb9cfb31d&e=14e6da8535>.

*New this year*: In an effort to make the program more equitable, this year we will give preference to first time applicants, organizations that have not received an LSTA Competitive grant in the past 10 years, and projects targeting communities that are being underserved and unserved.

Applications are due Monday February 1 at 5:00 p.m. Those who would like input may submit a draft of their application by December 1 for review and comment by Library Support and Development Division staff.

Questions? Contact us at lsta.grants at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:lsta.grants at slo.oregon.gov>.

Topic Talks from the State Library

Library Innovation in COVID Times, November 18th, 12:00 pm

[silhouettse of a group with word bubbles above them]Oregon libraries of all types are responding to the challenge of service during COVID times with a wide array of innovative programs and services. Innovation may include new services but can also mean offering traditional services in different ways.

State Library staff have been collecting stories and want to celebrate the great work happening in the Oregon library community. In this session, Buzzy Nielsen and Arlene Weible will share examples and help participants connect with other library staff to learn more about how they may implement these ideas in their own community. Please come and share your own innovation stories or just listen and gain inspiration from your library colleagues across the state.

Connection meeting details are available on our CE LibGuide<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=480a9df05f&e=14e6da8535>.

[https://mcusercontent.com/91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03/images/87dc4a86-d7ea-431d-b1aa-f364f85d2794.jpg]

Behind-the-Scenes of DoD

In July, we announced our new Duplication on Demand (DoD) circulation method for audio books through the mail.  Now we're offering you a special behind-the-scenes look at how it all works.

DoD runs off two different ILS systems: KLAS from Keystone and Gutenberg from the National Library Service.  KLAS is our user and collection ILS: it manages users' profiles and their book preferences (subjects and authors, requests, and hashads), and it's where we catalog the collection.  Gutenberg is the program that builds and circulates the customized cartridges, and it houses the digital copies of every book in the collection.

KLAS and Gutenberg have a bridge that allows the two systems to communicate with each other: KLAS sends book queue data to Gutenberg, and Gutenberg sends circulation data back to KLAS.  The two systems share this data automatically in real-time.

The result is a mostly automated process, allowing a single circulation tech (our fantastic colleague Maddy) to easily manage daily circulation.  Returned cartridges are scanned in, which tells the system that specific cartridge can be cleared and reused the next time it is plugged into Gutenberg.  Oftentimes Maddy just plugs it in immediately, and Gutenberg begins clearing and reloading the cartridge.  When the process is finished, the system "dings" to let Maddy know she can unplug the cartridge and scan it out.

Gutenberg can handle batches of twenty cartridges at about three minutes per batch.  Since each cartridge holds 8 titles, that's 160 titles per batch.  At present Maddy is averaging 154 cartridges per day, or around 1,200 titles.  That's the same average number of daily circulations as before, but now Maddy has everything shipped out in an hour or less by herself.  To put that in perspective, the circulation process used to be a four-hour process at minimum with two people.  How cool is that!

Coping Strategies for Handling User Contacts in the Time of Virtual Interaction

With many library buildings still closed to the public, user interactions have had to go virtual.  Phone calls and emails are more and more common as person-to-person options remain limited.  This reality can be draining, especially in a field built on customer service.  But for the Talking Book and Braille Library virtual interaction has always been the norm.  Here are some coping strategies we've developed for handling virtual user contacts.

Issue(s)
Coping Strategy
Virtual interactions are more immediate.
Phone calls and emails don't take as much time as going to the library in person.

Users may feel entitled to service whenever they've decided to reach out.
Keep the library running!  Blocking out time to manage calls and emails can be helpful.  Set reasonable service standards to balance timely responses against burnout.
Virtual interactions are more demanding.
People feel less inhibited when interacting virtually than they do face-to-face in a public space.  A flood of negative opinions can quickly become overwhelming.
Set healthy boundaries.  Phone calls don't always have to be answered live.  And not every message needs to be returned.  Sometimes a user will just share their opinion without asking for anything.  It is OK to delete that message and move on to someone with an issue you can help with.
Virtual interactions are more available.
A plethora of communication tools means it is easy for users to contact you with a question whenever they think of one.
Use your library's website to your advantage.  Train users to go to your website first when they have a question.  Reply to emails with links to your webpages where the information that answers a user's question lives.
Virtual interactions are more detached.
Because we're all spread out more, it can feel lonely when virtually interacting with users.  The impulse is to try to come up with answers and solutions on the spot because no one else is around.
Get help when you need it.  Communicate when you're involved in an interaction you aren't sure you can handle.  Taking the time to consult with coworkers in order to find the best information or to come up with a plan before interacting with a user often leads to a more positive interaction.
Virtual interactions are more time consuming.
Typing out emails can take a while, especially when a user asks a complicated question.

Users sometimes ask questions about the internal processes of the library.
Be brief.  Answer questions without over-explaining.  Lots of information does not always make an issue better.  A user does not need to know all of the ins and outs of internal library operations.  This strategy works very well in tandem with the healthy boundaries you set.

[https://mcusercontent.com/91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03/images/e9505978-5d86-4b52-ab35-ec66590034f3.jpg]

Oregon election information in Digital Collections

[https://mcusercontent.com/91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03/images/b84d7210-4a5d-45f4-a264-37330549026e.jpg]The election is nearly over, but Oregon's election history is always available in the Oregon Government Publications<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=6ce0b56e0b&e=14e6da8535> digital collection.

Voter registration law in 1899<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=1aeb45d0a7&e=14e6da8535> included specifications for the size and type of paper used in voter registration books.

Interested in statistics on voter registration? Voter Registrations by Month<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=60eb7cbda7&e=14e6da8535> includes party affiliations, beginning in 2001.

The Oregon Motor Voter registration law began in 2016, automatically registering Oregonians when they apply for a license or identification card at the DMV.  Oregon motor voter registrations by county<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=2fe0948d19&e=14e6da8535> gives annual statistic through 2019.

Of course, Oregon's big voting innovation was the implementation of Vote by Mail in 2000.  For details on how it works, take a look at the Vote by Mail procedures manual<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=0f49a1f162&e=14e6da8535>.   If you miss getting an "I voted" sticker, here are virtual stickers<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=4ca0ca40ca&e=14e6da8535>.

Can't get enough of Oregon election information?  Digital Collections also includes over 100 years of Oregon voters pamphlets.<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=eedb7072b7&e=14e6da8535>

[https://mcusercontent.com/91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03/images/41c74977-c308-4ab8-a937-e6e7031a6bb8.jpg]

Library Support and Development Services
Buzzy Nielsen (Program Manager), Arlene Weible, Darci Hanning, Ferol Weyand, Greta Bergquist, Jennifer Maurer, Ross Fuqua, Tamara Ottum
Contact information<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=f294fee910&e=14e6da8535>

Talking Book and Braille Library Manager
Elke Bruton, 971-375-3509

Government Information and Library Services Manager
Caren Agata, 971-375-3483

Chief Operating Officer
Susan Westin, 503-378-5435

State Librarian
Jennifer Patterson, 503-378-4367

Letters to Libraries Online is published monthly by the State Library of Oregon.

Mission
The State Library of Oregon cultivates, preserves, and delivers library and information services to foster lifelong learning and community engagement.

[State Library of Oregon Facebook]<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=567d65c033&e=14e6da8535>
[State Library of Oregon Twitter]<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=e416ca978a&e=14e6da8535>
[State Library of Oregon Instagram]<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=9b435406b4&e=14e6da8535>
[State Library of Oregon Website]<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=d3347345bc&e=14e6da8535>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/libs-or/attachments/20201102/b9f874fa/attachment.html>