[Libs-Or] Connections: Your Link to the State Library of Oregon (June 2021)

Wed Jun 2 09:40:49 PDT 2021

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Volume 31, Issue 6 - June 2021

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State Librarian Transition

Jennifer Patterson's last day as State Librarian was May 28th. "Serving the State of Oregon as the State Librarian has been the highlight of my library career. Connecting with the Oregon library community, state employees, legislators, and the Governor's Office and observing the unwavering commitment to providing vital services to Oregonians has been inspiring," said Patterson. Patterson had been splitting her time between Salem and her home in Seattle, and the pandemic impacted her family's original plans to move to Oregon. "The pandemic really stressed the importance of not taking for granted time with loved ones," said Patterson. She has rejoined her husband in Seattle and is working for a non-profit that serves youth experiencing homelessness.

[Nancy Hoover wearing a sweater saying Librarians: the original search engine]We are pleased to announce that Nancy Hoover (pictured here) is serving as the Acting State Librarian while a search is on for a permanent replacement. Hoover was the University Librarian at Marylhurst University from 2003 to 2018 and the Acting Dean of Libraries at Concordia University-Portland from 2019-2020. In addition to academic libraries, Hoover has worked in several law libraries including the US Court of Appeals and Stoel, Rives LLP, both of which are in Portland.

Hoover has a BA from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, OH and an MLS from the School of Information at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. She has taught library science courses for Emporia State University cohorts around the west including Portland and for the Portland State University School of Education, Library Media Specialization.

In addition to her day jobs, Hoover also has had a variety of leadership experiences. In 2010, she represented Oregon as a delegate on the Horner Library Exchange with the Fujian Province, China, which is the sister province to the state of Oregon. In 2012, Hoover became a Frye Leadership Fellow (now known as The Leading Change Institute), and in 2019, she served as a LIOLA (Leadership Institute of Oregon Library Association) mentor.

Hoover's professional interests focus on strategic planning, assessment, leadership, and staff development and support. In her free time Hoover plays a lot of tennis, enjoys her two granddaughters, and volunteers with organizations that encourage literacy in children and adults.

Please join us in welcoming Nancy Hoover to the State Library!

State Library Staff Honored with Librarian of the Year Award

The entire staff at the State Library are very proud to have been awarded the Oregon Library Association's 2021 Librarian of the Year Award! Traditionally, this award is given to an individual professional librarian who has demonstrated excellence in library service in Oregon. This year, however, the awards committee wanted to recognize a broader effort, a whole team who supported library staff across the state in all types of libraries. According to the awards committee, "The work done by the State Library was so tangible, so seen and so vital to all libraries in Oregon."

We are honored to receive this award, and appreciate the award committee's acknowledgement of the importance of team efforts. Successful and valuable service is often the result of a dedicated group of people who not only support their users but also support each other. Please join with us by commending your own team in appreciation of the beneficial work you accomplished during a challenging year!

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Utah State Library Extends Braille E-Reader Pilot to Oregon Users

Thanks to a generous partnership with the Utah State Library, Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library users will soon be eligible to receive Braille e-readers as part of a National Library Service (NLS) pilot program!

[Braille e-reader #1]Braille e-readers are portable, personal devices that allow users to read electronic Braille (books and other text-based materials translated into Braille and saved in a digital format). The e-reader has a refreshable row of Braille dots that update as a user reads through the text. There are also keys for taking notes that can be saved to the device and read back later.

[Braille e-reader #2]Electronic Braille books and magazines have long been available via download from BARD (in fact, that is what the B in BARD stands for), but users are currently required to provide their own Braille e-reader. This requirement can be prohibitive to many users, since Braille e-readers on average cost $3,000. This cost barrier is why NLS Director Karen Keninger made it one of her goals to develop a low-cost Braille e-reader that would become part of the NLS's equipment offerings and loaned to users for free.

After two years of development, the NLS is now ready to pilot two Braille e-readers (pictured above), and Utah was selected as one of the states to participate in the pilot. Because the Utah State Library provides hard-copy Braille books for our registered Braille readers here in Oregon, they offered to include our users in the pilot as well!

Braille is the only path to literacy for many people who are blind, which makes this Braille e-reader pilot that much more important. It is a much-requested, much-needed step forward towards making Braille even more accessible, and shows how the NLS is making its support of modern Braille literacy a top priority.

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Summer Reading Kicks Off!

June is here, bringing with it sunshine, longer days, and many opportunities for summer reading. Public libraries across the state are gearing up to offer summer reading programs for thousands of Oregonians of all ages, giving them the opportunity to play, learn, and grow their literacy skills outside of a traditional classroom setting.

Every year, libraries take advantage of the State Library's Ready to Read grant program<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=84a80af886&e=14e6da8535> to help youth and families meet their literacy goals. The grant funds enable many libraries to offer summer reading programs in their local communities. Summer is a critical time for truly engaged learning, especially for our most vulnerable Oregonians.

Even in the midst of pandemic restrictions, there are libraries hosting summer meals or enrichment activities in partnership with the Oregon Department of Education<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=4ef2f8b84b&e=14e6da8535>. Other libraries are working with Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=4390712b5c&e=14e6da8535> to offer literacy outreach programs at meal sites. Still others are connecting with school districts, local businesses, and other community-based organizations<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=90dcf6b280&e=14e6da8535> to make sure every kid who wants to read a book can this summer. From sticky note window interactions in Eugene, a town scavenger hunt in Wallowa, to a community-wide publishing project in Springfield, your local public libraries are creatively serving you this summer so no kid goes without books!

We are deeply appreciative of all the work libraries will do this summer for literacy in our state. We encourage you to connect with your local library to find out what summer reading looks like in your neck of the woods.

Oregon and Washington Digital Collections More Widely Available

A new partnership in Oregon and Washington is helping local libraries, museums, and cultural heritage organizations make their digital collections more broadly available and easier to access. Introducing Northwest Digital Heritage<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=191b13e45a&e=14e6da8535>, the regional pipeline for organizations in Oregon and Washington to add their digital collections to the Digital Public Library of America<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=f9278b0a3a&e=14e6da8535> (DPLA), a national platform with over 40 million items from digital collections throughout the United States.

[Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visits with local faith leaders at the Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church parsonage at 3132 N. Vancouver, Portland, OR. 1961-11-08]
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visits with local faith leaders at the Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church parsonage at 3132 N. Vancouver, Portland, OR. 1961-11-08. https://gallery.multcolib.org/node/4316<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=3bef9558a9&e=14e6da8535>

Through DPLA, researchers, students, or anyone anywhere in the world can more simply discover digital content with historical and/or cultural significance - content which would otherwise be siloed away in dozens of separate databases in individual communities. The DPLA allows users to search across digital collections from hundreds, if not thousands, of libraries, archives, and museums through a single interface, but also drives web traffic directly back to the individual contributing organization, a great way to help users understand the local context of cultural heritage items.

As a service hub for DPLA, Northwest Digital Heritage helps organizations in Oregon and Washington who are interested in sharing their digital collections by providing guidance on how to make sure digital records meet the DPLA's metadata and technical standards, and then by operating a metadata harvesting process so contributors' collections are discoverable within the DPLA.

[Finley, William L. (William Lovell), 1876-1953. Phoebe Katherine Finley holding avocets. Malheur Lake, Harney County, OR. 1917-07]
Finley, William L. (William Lovell), 1876-1953. Phoebe Katherine Finley holding avocets. Malheur Lake, Harney County, OR. 1917-07. https://digitalcollections.ohs.org/phoebe-katherine-finley-holding-avocets<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=2d476f5e92&e=14e6da8535>

Currently, Northwest Digital Heritage features more than 85,000 digitized items from over 70 contributing organizations, with plans for continued growth. Contributors include the Oregon Historical Society, Multnomah County Library, Densho, Seattle Public Library, Spokane Public Library, and the State Library of Oregon, as well as many others. The full list of Oregon and Washington collections can be viewed together here<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=6048b56e19&e=14e6da8535>.

Northwest Digital Heritage is a joint effort of the State Library of Oregon, the Oregon Heritage Commission, and the Washington State Library, and is made possible in part by Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), as well as funding from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Oregon Heritage Commission, and the Oregon Cultural Trust.

If you have any questions, please contact Ross Fuqua, State Library of Oregon, at ross.fuqua at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:ross.fuqua at slo.oregon.gov>, 971-375-3551.

Congratulations, Grant Recipients!

Libraries and institutions across Oregon will receive more than $677,000 in funding from the State Library in 2021-22 thanks to the federally funded Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Program<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=acd197e027&e=14e6da8535> as well as the recently-passed American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for libraries, administered on the national level by the Institute of Museum and Library Services' Grants to States Program.

Awards include $299,922 to support six projects through the competitive grants program<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=6cf0d3cabf&e=14e6da8535>:

  *   Coastline Library Network will hire a consultant to establish policies and train staff to create a clean, efficient, user friendly catalog;
  *   Hood River County Library will expand its impact and outreach efforts to engage Latine community members, seniors, and low-income community members in rural Hood River County (funded by ARPA);
  *   Lane County Law Library will work with partners to establish a central hub for authoritative, comprehensive, and current legal information on landlord/tenant law targeted specifically to Lane County renters (funded by ARPA);
  *   Lincoln County Library District will research the most cost-effective, inclusive option for a shared library catalog so libraries in the county can maximize collective resource and materials use;
  *   Oregon Folklife Network (via University of Oregon Libraries) will improve public awareness of Oregon's underserved "culture keepers" (folk and traditional artists and cultural experts who preserve and present Oregon's diverse heritage) by creating tools and growing the online roster<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=e3fe7ebd89&e=14e6da8535> to help people discover more about these skilled artisans; and
  *   University of Oregon Libraries will preserve and provide access to the archive of the Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste/Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United (PCUN)<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=f41b67afc6&e=14e6da8535>, Oregon's largest farm workers union founded by and for Latine populations.
The State Library is also granting $235,300 to support five ongoing statewide projects<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=f3c3034d5b&e=14e6da8535>:

  *   Libros for Oregon<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=fc2090d20e&e=14e6da8535>
  *   Oregon Battle of the Books<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=ad9a983a84&e=14e6da8535>
  *   Oregon Digital Library Consortium<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=41c5c7cb09&e=14e6da8535>
  *   Oregon School Library Information System<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=02bd6dec91&e=14e6da8535>
  *   Sage Library System<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=b81533bb20&e=14e6da8535> courier
In addition, two mini-grant programs are supporting Oregon youth:

  *   $83,400 to 27 school districts, charter schools, and private schools to fund school library collection development with a focus on equity, diversity, and/or inclusion<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=72e8327b5c&e=14e6da8535>; and
  *   $58,649 to 28 public libraries to reach underserved teens in their community<https://oregon.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=91dd1172fce9a235a5e993c03&id=35574257b5&e=14e6da8535> and help them build positive relationships with each other, community members, and library staff.
Questions about the LSTA grants program? Contact Tamara Ottum, Federal Programs & Grants Consultant, at tamara.ottum at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:tamara.ottum at slo.oregon.gov>, 971-375-3543.

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Library Support & Development Services Program Manager
Buzzy Nielsen<mailto:buzzy.nielsen at slo.oregon.gov>, 971-375-3486

Talking Book & Braille Library Manager
Elke Bruton<mailto:elke.bruton at slo.oregon.gov>, 971-375-3509

Government Information & Library Services Manager
Caren Agata<mailto:caren.agata at slo.oregon.gov>, 971-375-3483

Chief Operating Officer
Susan Westin<mailto:susan.westin at slo.oregon.gov>, 503-378-5435

Acting State Librarian
Nancy Hoover<mailto:nancy.hoover at slo.oregon.gov>, 503-378-4367

Connections is published monthly by the State Library of Oregon, and was formerly known as Letters to Libraries Online.

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

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