News / ISL Newsletter Archive
Date: 8/29/2008
THIS WEEK AT THE ILLINOIS STATE LIBRARY (August 29, 2008)
Jesse White, Secretary of State and State Librarian
Anne Craig, Director
THE STATE LIBRARY WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 IN OBSERVANCE OF LABOR DAY
IN THIS ISSUE:
* Take Our Survey!
* Insight Goes Green
* The Big Read
* IPLAR Deadline is Monday!
* Important Public Library Survey
* Read For a Lifetime
* E-Rate News
* Literacy Spotlight
* Gov Doc Info
* Cultural Awareness: Diversity in Action
* Illinois Digital Archives
* Inventor of the Week
* Spread the News About E-news!
* Upcoming Events
TAKE OUR SURVEY!
The Illinois State Library is committed to providing you with the best possible service, and we always welcome your feedback about the many services we provide. We have prepared a brief new communications survey that we encourage you to complete. It should take 5-10 minutes. Your input is extremely valuable in helping us prepare for the future. Download the survey at:
. Thanks to the hundreds of you who have already completed the survey.
INSIGHT GOES GREEN
You may have received in the mail the most recent issue of Insight, our bi-monthly ISL newsletter. In an effort to streamline production and distribution while conserving valuable state resources, Insight will be published online only beginning with the upcoming September/October issue. If you're already receiving this weekly electronic newsletter, we'll announce in E-news when a new issue of Insight is available, and include the link for you to download it.
THE BIG READ
Last week we mentioned that the State Library received one of 208 grants awarded nationwide by the National Endowment for the Arts to participate in "The Big Read". The Illinois State Library's "The Big Read in West Central Illinois" has its official kickoff next Tuesday, September 2 with a news conference at the State Library. Director Anne Craig and Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin will be among those participating. A website with complete details of the west central Illinois Big Read campaign is located at the Illinois Center for the Book's website at .
We weren't the only Illinois library to receive a "Big Read" grant. Congratulations to the following libraries that will also have local "Big Read" programs: Aurora Public Library; Bartlett Public Library District, Spoon River College Foundation of Canton; Champaign Public Library; Columbia College Chicago; DeKalb Public Library; Galesburg Public Library; Rend Lake College in Ina; Acorn Public Library District, Oak Forest; Peoria Public Library and Sterling Public Library.
IPLAR DEADLINE IS MONDAY!
This is an important reminder for every Illinois public library district that next Monday September 1 is the deadline to submit your FY2008 Illinois Public Library Annual Report (IPLAR). All other types of public libraries (city, town, township, village) should already have submitted their annual report to the Illinois State Library since their FY2008 fiscal year ended on or before June 30.
An information packet with username/password and access information was mailed to every public library in late April/early May. Information (other than username/password) is also available at: .
(Remember, if you are typing in this URL, whats_new must be entered with an underscore between whats and new.) The IPLAR URL is . If your library has not already done so, please begin working on your IPLAR immediately in order comply with legal deadlines as detailed in the Illinois Compiled Statutes [hereinafter referred to as ILCS] to: (1) compile, preserve and publish public library statistical information [15 ILCS 320/7(m)], and (2) compile the annual report of local public libraries and library systems submitted to the State Librarian pursuant to law [15 ILCS 320/7(n)].
For information contact: Ron Winner, rwinner@ilsos.net , 217-785-1168.
IMPORTANT PUBLIC LIBRARY SURVEY
The 2008 National Survey of Public Library Funding and Technology Access will launch next Tuesday, September 2 and will close November 7th. The State Library strongly encourages public libraries to complete the survey online beginning next Tuesday at . Public libraries will, however, also receive a print version of the survey in the mail.
READ FOR A LIFETIME
With school starting up again, high school students may be interested in participating in the State Library's highly acclaimed Read for a Lifetime program. Read for a Lifetime was the state's first program specifically targeting high school readers. The primary goal of the program is to promote the enjoyment of reading and hopefully encourage readers to develop a love for reading that will last a lifetime. Students participating in the program receive a list of 25 book titles, representing a mixture of classic and contemporary literature. More information, including reading lists and participation forms, can be found at
E-RATE NEWS
The deadline for filing an invoice for Funding Year 2008 recurring services is October 28, 2008. Make sure you file a BEAR form online or send your service provider a paper copy in plenty of time to get the service provider's approval. If the service provider's approval comes after the invoicing deadline, you will have to submit an invoice deadline extension request, and after your request is approved, resubmit the invoice. Remember that you do not have to wait for the Funding Year 2009 window to open in order to file a Form 470 for Funding Year 2009.
(USAC "Schools and Libraries News Brief." August 22, 2008)
LITERACY SPOTLIGHT
Every week we honor a provider who receives a literacy grant from Secretary of State Jesse White and the Illinois State Library Literacy Office. This week we shine the spotlight on the C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation in Effingham. A young woman with learning disabilities enrolled in the Adult Basic Education program at C.E.F.S. and was matched with a tutor that helped her achieve several remarkable goals. She obtained her driver's license, learned to cook, increased her time and money management skills, and completed forms on her own. The woman continues to work with her tutor and strives to increase her reading skills so she can apply for a Certified Nursing Assistant program at her local community college. Learn more about the ISL Literacy Office by logging on to:
GOVDOCINFO
This week's Democratic National Convention and next week's Republican Convention are a reminder that the general election is less than ten weeks away-mark your calendar now for November 4. The Illinois State Board of Elections has valuable election information at .
CULTURAL AWARENESS: DIVERSITY IN ACTION
Diversity is celebrated at the Rudy Lozano Branch of the Chicago Public Library, as it celebrates the legacy of Rudy Lozano, the Mexican-American activist who was killed on June 8, 1983 at his home.
The library was named for Lozano and contains posters, pictures and documents reflecting his life and activities in Chicago. The facility also contains many Spanish language collections.
The 25th anniversary commemoration of his death was marked by the dedication of exhibits by Hispanic artists Hector Duarte and Cynthia Weiss.
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ILLINOIS DIGITAL ARCHIVES
Labor Day weekend traditionally marks the beginning of the end of summer, and we hope the long weekend allows you to frolic like these bathing beauties did at a beach near the Kishwaukee River during the 1920's. The photo comes from the Cherry Valley Public Library and the Cherry Valley Historical Society.
ILLINOIS INVENTOR OF THE WEEK
To mark this week's Democratic National Convention and honor the longtime symbol of the Democratic Party, Homer E. Cole of Eldorado is this week's Illinois Inventor of the Week. On June 8, 1937, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued Patent Number 2,083,431 to Cole for "Donkey's Bray," . And yes, in the spirit of bipartisanship, next week we'll have an elephant related patent!
The Illinois State Library Patent & Trademark Depository Library is available to assist you with your patent and trademark questions. Contact us at (217) 782-5659.
The ISL Patent and Trademark Library has prepared new indices of inventors from Randolph and Fayette Counties at:
SPREAD THE NEWS ABOUT E-NEWS!
Our weekly newsletter is the best source available to find out what's going on at the State Library-everything from grant offerings and important meetings to news about electronic resources. We're glad to have you as a subscriber, but if you know anyone you think should be getting E-news from the ISL, let us know and we'll sign him or her up, or have him or her contact Pat McGuckin at pmcguckin@ilsos.net . Join the nearly 6,000 subscribers who depend on E-news every Friday to find out what's happening at the State Library!
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 8 - International Literacy Day September 23-26--Illinois Library Association annual conference, Chicago October 2-3-Reaching Forward South Conference, Springfield October 3 and 6-Mandatory LSTA Grant Management Workshops, ISL October 7-ILLINET Network Advisory Council meeting, ISL October 30-System Presidents and Directors meeting, ISL November 6-8-Illinois School Library Media Assn. Annual Conference, Arlington Heights December 4-ISL Electronic Resource Exposition (E-R-XPO), Schaumburg District Township Library December 6--Deadline to enter 2009 Letters About Literature competition, information at
Questions about "E-News from the ISL" should be referred to Pat McGuckin, Illinois State Library, pmcguckin@ilsos.net or 217-558-4029. Please let me know if you ever have trouble accessing any of the website or e-mail links listed in the weekly newsletter.
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