volume #4 issue#2

January 11, 2007

Prairie Views: the newsletter of the Prairie Area Library System

System News

Board Meeting
The Board of Directors of the Prairie Area Library System will hold its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 16, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at the LaSalle Public Library, 305 Marquette, LaSalle, Illinois. For further information call 309-799-3155, ext 3150.

PALS Day Registration is Open!
Registration is now open for the 3rd annual PALS Day, to be held on Friday, April 27, 2007, at the Starved Rock Lodge in Utica, IL. Speakers include: Anne Craig, Duncan Smith, Peggy Barber and Linda Wallace, Tracie Hall, and Marylaine Block. Register on CLeO soon because registration is limited! More information including the schedule of workshops, bus transportation availability and more will be available by February 1, so stay tuned.

2007 National Library Week
National Library Week is scheduled for April 15-21, 2007 with the theme "Come together @ your library". Customizable graphics and other promotional materials in English and Spanish can be ordered from ALA at http://www.ala.org/@yourlibrary and click on "National Library Week".

Illinois Library Day Hotel Information and Room Registration
Bus riders and those going to Springfield on April 18 to participate in the all state dinner and strategy session with ILA lobbyist Kip Kolkmeier, and then staying over for Illinois Library Day on April 19, will need to reserve a hotel room in Springfield. PALS will have a bus to take those participating in the PALSGroup Delegates Assembly Meeting on April 18 from Mendota to Springfield as well as from the service centers. The bus will take everyone to one of two hotels (details below). PALS has reserved a limited number of rooms at a discounted rate. Make your reservation as soon as possible, as rooms are limited and many Springfield hotels are already totally booked. After we use the rooms blocked by PALS, it may be difficult to find overnight lodging in the near downtown area.

President Abraham Lincoln Hotel (Formerly Renaissance) Downtown, two blocks from the President Lincoln Museum/Library 217-544-8800 or Toll Free 866-788-1860. Single Room -- $70.00, Double Room $ 85.00, Triple Rate $100.00. Tax not included in the rate.

Ramada Ltd across the street from the Northfield Inn, location of the state wide dinner Wednesday evening. 217-523-4000. $74 plus tax for double rooms.

Rooms at the guaranteed rate will be held until March 28 after which date they will be released.

Events/Continuous Learning
CLeO: All continuous learning events sponsored by PALS are open to all staff or representatives of member libraries. Registration is required for all PALS continuous learning programs. To register, visit the PALS CLeO at http://www.palsnet.info/events/

Information on registration, how to set up a CLeO account, and PALS procedures for continuous learning can be found on the PALS website at: http://www.palsnet.info/services/cl/default.asp

PALS Events by Month

PALSGroup Training
Numerous PALSGroup training sessions have been scheduled for the coming months and are available for registration in CLeO. Please contact Rhonda Krahl at ext. 3151 or rhondak@palsnet.info if you have any questions.

PALS OPAL Conference on January 25th
Are you too busy to fit in traveling to training or are you worried about the unpredictable winter weather? Here's a Conference you can attend on your computer. You can go to all four sessions or pick and choose the one(s) of special interest to you.
The sessions are:

*Illinois Freedom of Information Act
Scott Siever, Assistant Pubic Access Officer for the Illinois Attorney General's Office, will present on the requirements and interpretations of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. This first session will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Thurs., January 25

*E-Mail with Style & Elegance
Theo Chesley, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health Training Center Library, will offer strategies and techniques for communication by electronic mail. You will leave the presentation with tools to improve your communications. This session will take place from10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. on Thurs., January 25

*Evaluating Credibility on the Web
Dr Carl Heine of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy will be your guide to the new information tools of the 21st Century Information Fluency Project. This session will take place from 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. on Thurs. January 25

*It Doesn't Grow on Trees: Finding Funds in Your Extended Community
PALS Library Resource Coordinators Jane Lenser and Norma Applegate will bring together examples of PALS members' current use of supplementary resources and will lead participants in a discussion of their own experiences in getting funds to help expand their library's collections, services, and programs. This session will take place from 2:30 p.m. - 3:45p.m. on Thurs. January 25.

Please go to http://palsnet.info/events/ to register and to get additional details.

Member News

Congratulations!
The Homer Township Public Library has been awarded the prestigious Business of the Year 2006 Award from the Homer Township Chamber of Commerce. A short article is featured on the Library Director’s Blog at http://www.homerlibrary.org/director.asp
Pictures are online at the library’s flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/homerlibrary/

Welcome!
Plano Community Library District welcomes two new staff members this month.
* Stephanie Hobbs began her position as circulation clerk on January 8th and
* Christy Murphy joined the Kids’ Library as an assistant on January 10th.

World Class Coin Collection on Display at the LaSalle Public Library
The LaSalle Public Library is pleased to announce an unusual and unique coin exhibit, on display at the Library, now, and until the end of February. The exhibit, “The History of Money,” is part of the Alwin C. Carus Coin Collection at Hillsdale College in Michigan. Included in the exhibit are 29 coins that were struck and used within a time period as early as 400 B.C. to 1797 A.D.

This exhibit is free and open to the public. The Library is located at 305 Marquette, LaSalle, IL 61301. Parking is available in the library lot, located west of the building and on Marquette. For more information, please call the Library at 815-223-2341.

100th Anniversary!
January 2007 marks the 100th anniversary of the LaSalle Public Library. From its earliest years, the LaSalle Public Library has provided resources for learning and leisure, both within its physical building and in community outreach. While we may do things a little differently these days our core responsibility remains the same – providing the community of LaSalle with the resources to fulfill a life-long love of reading and learning. Please join the Board of Trustees and Staff on January 21, 2007 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm as we celebrate the past and look forward to another century of service. Rededication of the LaSalle Public Library will begin at 1:30 pm. Dedication of the Alwin C. Carus Local History and Genealogy Room will begin at 2:00 pm and the announcement of the “Why I Love My Library” essay contest winners will begin at 3:00 pm. The LaSalle Public Library is located at 305 Marquette St. Parking is available in the parking lot west of the building. For further information, please call 223-2341.

Missing Books - we've added a new section to Prairie Views where members are welcome to post information about materials that are missing in transit. As with all Prairie Views submissions, please send to prairieviews@palsnet.info.

Freebies/Exchanges/For Sale/Wanted

Prairie Area Library System offers a means for members to share discarded items to needy libraries. Procedures are outlined in the Reference Member Services Guide http://www.palsnet.info/services/reference/reference_guide.asp They are also outlined below.

Libraries wanting to offer up materials can email to Prairie Views, providing the following information:
*Library's name and phone number
*Title(s) of the items discarded

A list will be compiled for inclusion in the weekly Prairie Views newsletter. Anyone interested in freebies are to contact the library directly, (no earlier than Monday following the listing). Members are responsible for making their own arrangements. The PALS van delivery may be available for transporting items, as space and time permits. Contact your Service Center Delivery Manager to arrange for delivery of large shipments.

PALS Members - please remember that you are asked to not request or release any items whether they are Free or For Sale until Monday following the publication of the announcement in Prairie Views. This gives library staff a chance to see the message and request the materials if they are interested. Thanks for your cooperation - we have had several complaints in recent weeks about items being released before Monday.

Des Plaines Valley Public Library District
Encyclopedia of Associations, 42nd edition

If interested contact:
Shannon N. Pohrte
Phone: 815-838-0755
spohrte@dpvlib.org

Crest Hill Library
has (30) hard plastic dark maroon magazine holders looking for a good home. They are in excellent shape. Size (approximate) 4" wide x 11 1/2" high x 9 3/8 " deep

If interested contact:
Bev Krakovec
(815) 725-0234

Joliet Junior College
* Three volume set of Encyclopedia of associations. 41st edition (2004)
* Gales Contemporary Authors, v.1-100
* Permanent Series v. 1-2
* New cover design v. 101-159
* New Revised Series v. 1-60
(these cannot be sent on delivery, you will have to make arrangements to pick them up)

If interested contact:
Patsy Lynn
Phone: 815-280-2399
Email: palynn@jjc.edu

Shorewood-Troy Public Library
has done an early spring cleaning! We have a variety of free items and several pieces of equipment for sale. Check out our photo gallery which lists the description of the item and the cost. All items need to be picked up by January 19th. Thank you!

If interested contact:
Renee at rdaggers@shorewood.lib.il.us
or
Diana at dhollingsworth@shorewood.lib.il.us
Phone: 815-725-1715

PALS-Coal Valley
We are still weeding out what is left of our circulating collection. For the next few weeks I will be putting in a list of books that are free for the taking.
This week is the start of our Non-Fiction collection. It isn't very big, but these were books that were still circulating at the time of our big weed a few years ago.
List

If interested contact:
Brenda Roman
309-799-3155 X 3152
brendar@palsnet.info

Job Openings
Jobs can be submitted on the PALS website at http://www.palsnet.info/jobs/ or by sending them to prairieviews@palsnet.info. All jobs submitted by either method will be included in Prairie Views for one week and will be posted for 120 days on the PALS website unless the library posting the job requests that it be removed before 120 days. Visit http://www.palsnet.info/jobs/ to views all the job ads that PALS currently has posted.

Assistant to the Executive Director
Prairie Area Library System
Individual needed to assist Executive Director with agendas, minutes and other communications for Board and Librarians' Advisory Committee. Also help with other reports, scheduling, membership issues, communication and duties as assigned. Individual will primarily work at the Coal Valley Service Center. Position is 15 to 20 hours per week. Weekly schedule may vary.

Requirements: familiarity with Microsoft Office suite of software; very good written and oral communication skills; Associate degree or two years college and minimum of four years workplace experience required. Library experience preferred. Position qualifies for IMRF retirement and prorated paid time off. Salary range $12.69 to $19.03.

Visit www.palsnet.info/jobs/application.doc for application form. Please submit cover letter, resume and application to Brenda Roman, Prairie Area Library System, PO Box 125, Coal Valley, IL, 61240 or brendar@palsnet.info. Review of applications will continue until position is filled.

PALS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Supervisory Position
Full-time (37 ½ hours per week) . Responsible for administration and coordination of technical services department including ordering, receiving, cataloging, and processing new material. Responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating computer services including SIRSI/SYNIX, LAN and Internet. Must read and write in English. Experience with or knowledge of personal computers, servers, automation, current technology, wireless devices, printers, digital recording devices preferred.
* Qualifications: MLS from an ALA accredited school. Experience with library and business computers and software strongly recommended. Supervisory experience preferred.

Please submit resumes to:
Patricia M. Hogan
Administrative Librarian
Poplar Creek Public Library District
1405 S. Park Avenue
Streamwood, IL 60107
email: p-hogan@dupagels.lib.il.us
fax: 630-837-6823, with cover sheet

School Media Specialists
Woodstock School District #200 in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is a rapidly growing unit district of approximately 6,600 students. They have three openings for next school year for Library Media Specialists. One is at Olson Elementary School, one is at a new elementary school that will be opening next fall, and one is at Verda Dierzen Early Learning Center (preschool-kindergarten).

To apply for any of these positions, please go to http://www.d200.mchenry.k12.il.us/favorite/emp_certified.htm

Reference Librarian
Joliet Public Library seeks a part-time, 10 hours/week, public service-oriented reference librarian to fill various evening and weekend time slots at their busy Black Road Branch.
* Job responsibilities include but are not limited to: reference, reader’s advisory, interlibrary loan, and assistance in the computer center. MLS from an ALA-accredited library school is preferred.

Please send resume and three professional references to:
Ms. Candy Van Tine
Supervisor of Information Services
Joliet Public Library--Black Road Branch
3395 S. Black Road
Joliet, IL 60431.
Resumes may also be emailed to cvantine@joliet.lib.il.us

Reference and ILL News

RUSA Announces Best Free Reference Web Sites Combined Index 1999-2006
CHICAGO—The Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is pleased to announce the Best Free Reference Web Sites Combined Index from 1999-2006 created to recognize outstanding reference sites on the World Wide Web. The 2006 Best Free Reference Websites list includes online information sources as varied as the Big Cartoon Database, the Encyclopedia of Chicago, and Recalls.gov from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The MARS Best Website Task Force meets during the ALA Annual Conference each year to create a new list of best free reference websites. The index was created by the task force to provide a valuable information resource for librarians of websites that are free or predominantly free, or no-fee sites. To learn more about MARS and the index go to: http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaourassoc/rusasections/mars/marspubs/MARSBESTIndex.htm.

Youth Services and School Library News

Connections
NIU Children's Literature Institute "Connections", the Children's Literature Institute sponsored by Northern Illinois University, is scheduled for March 16-17. Featured speakers include authors Patricia Reilly Giff, Pam Munoz Ryan, and more.
Go to:
http://www.cedu.niu.edu/oep/children_lit.html
to print off a brochure (use 8 1/2 x 14" paper) or to register online.

Teen Tech Week
Register for Teen Tech Week Libraries may now register for YALSA's Teen Tech Week which will be March 4-10. Register at http://www.ala.org/teentechweek by Feb. 1st in order to receive one month free access (beginning March 1st) to Rosen Publishing's new online database, Teen Health and Wellness: Read Life, Real Answers and two weeks free access (March 4-17) of Tutor.com's Live Homework Help and Ask A Librarian online services.

Chartered Coach Trip to the National Storytelling Festival
A new year - no snow - so it is time to think stories - tents - stories - tellers - stories - fall leaves - stories . . . We all need more stories, so check your calendar and make your reservation NOW for the 2007 National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee. The dates are Oct. 4-8, 2007. Check the flyer for more information.

Public Library News
No Public Library News this week.

Academic Library News
No Academic Library News this week.

Special Library News
No Special Library News this week.

Support Staff News
No Support Staff News this week.

Technology Services News
No Technology Services News this week.

New Books at PALS
New cataloged items at CVSC are:
*Biodiversity of Illinois, 3 CD-ROMS, Prof. Coll. 578.7 Bio
*Illinois Regional Library Systems - a special issue of Illinois Libraries,
v. 86, no. 1 December 2005, Prof. Coll. 021.65 Ill

Library News Around the State & Nation

Congratulations
to Illinois State Library Director Anne Craig and Ron Winner, Illinois State Library FSCS Coordinator (Federal - State Cooperative System for Public Library Data) on being selected as one of the winners of the 2006 Francis Keppel Award by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. The award was given to 34 states for submitting prompt, complete and high quality public library data, and is in the form of an abacus with a mounted engraved brass plate. Anne and Ron were among only a handful of first time winners.

News from Vendors
No News from Vendors this week.

Legislative/Advocacy News

Mark Your Calendar for 2007 National Library Legislative Day
The 2007 National Library Legislative Day will be Tuesday, May 1, 2007. The Illinois Library Association has reserved a room block at the Capitol Hill Suites, 200 C Street, SW, Washington, DC 20003; phone: 888-627-7811; $219 single/double rate for a junior efficiency suite and $239 for a superior suite or one bedroom deluxe suite, 14.5% sales tax not included. When making reservations, please mention the Illinois Library Association. The event's registration form will appear in the February 2007 ILA Reporter.

Just So You Know
No Just So You Know this week.

Grant News

NEH, ALA Public Programs Office Announce Pilot Project Offering American Art Resources for Schools and School Libraries - “Picturing America” Applications Available Online through March 19
CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office (PPO), in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), is pleased to announce “Picturing America,” a new grant opportunity for schools and school libraries. A pilot project of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ We the People program, “Picturing America” has been created to promote the teaching, study and understanding of American history and culture in K-12 schools through examples of the nation’s most significant works of art and architecture and to facilitate interdisciplinary partnerships between school library media specialists, art teachers, classroom instructors and other educators. “Picturing America” will provide 500 public and private schools with a collection of 20 double-sided, laminated posters (24” x 36”) depicting works of American art; related reading lists; and a 100-page resource booklet with information about the paintings, sculpture, architecture, and crafts reproduced. Public, private, parochial and charter schools and home school consortia (K-12) are eligible to receive “Picturing America” awards. Applications may be submitted on behalf of the schools by school librarians, art teachers, classroom teachers and other educators and school administrators. The online application is available at http://publicprograms.ala.org/picturingamerica.

Among the artists and images featured in the “Picturing America” poster collection are the following:
· Grant Wood, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, 1931 (oil painting)
· Mary Cassatt, The Boating Party, 1893/1894 (oil painting)
· Joseph Stella, Brooklyn Bridge, ca. 1919 (oil painting)
· Charles Sheeler, American Landscape, 1928 (oil painting)
· William Van Alen, Chrysler Building, New York, NY, 1928-1930 (architecture)
· Edward Hopper, House by the Railroad, 1925 (oil painting)
· Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater (Kaufmann House, Mill Run, PA), 1936-1939 (architecture)
· Jacob Lawrence, The Migration Series, No. 57, 1940-1941 (tempera painting)
· Romare Bearden, The Dove, 1964 (collage)
· James Karales, Selma-to-Montgomery March for Voting Rights in 1965, 1965 (photograph)
· Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, 1936 (photograph)
· Norman Rockwell, Freedom of Speech, 1943 (oil painting)
· Martin Puryear, Ladder for Booker T. Washington, 1996 (wood sculpture)
· Walker Evans, Brooklyn Bridge, 1929 (photograph)
· Louis Comfort Tiffany, Autumn Landscape, 1923-1924 (stained glass)
· Mission Nuestra Señora de la Concepción de Acuña, 1755, San Antonio, Texas (architecture and fresco)

A complete list of “Picturing America” images, as well as guidelines, programming ideas, and applications, are available online at http://publicprograms.ala.org/picturingamerica. Online applications will be accepted January 8 through March 19, 2007.

Penny Severns' Summer Family Literacy Program Grants
The Illinois State Library is seeking applications from libraries to provide summertime family literacy activities for low-literate parents and their children. Grants up to $4,800 will be awarded. The deadline for application is Thursday, Feb. 1st. See http://literacy.kent.edu/illinois/grantinfo.htm for details.

On the Internet
Our website picks of the week are supplied by Marylaine Block, Writer, Internet Trainer and "Librarian Without Walls," http://marylaine.com/.

NEAT NEW STUFF January 12

7 Big Lessons for Local Government
As Otis White leaves his Urban Notebook column at Governing.com, he digests his best columns into key lessons for effective local government.I'm not sure how long they'll be posted here, so check them out now.
http://www.governing.com/notebook.htm

The 50 Worst Things Ever To Happen To Music
[Blender]
Here's a nice little discussion-starter. The editor's choices include tribute albums, replacement lead singers, braided goatees, the disappearance of indie record stores, and "Lists That Reduce Rock History to a Series of Glib Soundbites - (Sorry.)"
http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1913

100 Things We Didn't Know Last Year
[BBC News Magazine Monitor]
"interesting and downright unexpected facts" drawn from the news over the past year. Among them, Barbie's full name, the part of the brain teenagers use for decisionmaking, the percentage of people with garages who actually use them for parking cars, and lots more.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2006/12/100_things_we_didnt_know_last_2.shtml

2006 Darwin Awards
http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2006.html

Best of 2006:
Reading Lists for Adults and Children
[Seldovia Public Library]
This extensive setof links to reading lists is particularly strong on lists for YAs and children. The Library uses the page to explain how to find books from those lists in the library or request their purchase.
http://seldovialibrary.blogspot.com/2006/12/best-of-2006-reading-lists-for-adults.html

Crunks of the Year
[Regret the Error]
A round-up of "funny, shocking, sad and disturbing media errors and corrections from the past year." Among them, Queen Elizabeth as commander of worker bees, the unfortunate difference made by inserting an excess letter into the word "outhit," and why you might prefer not to print news stories from the domain gullible.com. Also some less than heartfelt apologies, like the one starting with: "In previous issues of this newspaper, we may have given the impression that the people of France were snail swallowing garlic munching surrender-monkeys whose women never bother to shave their armpits..."
http://www.regrettheerror.com/2006/12/crunks_06_the_y.html

Secrecy Report Card, 2006
The report details increases in federal classification of documents, skyrocketing FOIA requests and declining performance in filling them, the number of Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court orders approved, federal agency meetings closed to the public, etc.
http://www.openthegovernment.org/otg/SRC2006.pdf

The Top Social Networks of 2006
[Mashable!]
The awards were based on growth/momentum, design/usability, and uniqueness/innovation. For each category, there are two winners: those chosen by Mashable's audience, and those chosen by its editors, plus
the projected "hot for 2007." It's a good place to discover some great sites you may not have heard about.
http://mashable.com/2006/12/24/top-social-networks-2006/

Top Ten Net Hoaxes/Urban Legends of 2006
No, Mr. Rogers was not a trained sniper, and Bill Gates is still not planning to share his fortune with you. The rest of the site, a guide to urban legends, is worth exploring as well.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/internet/a/2006_top_ten.htm

Top Ten No Sympathy Lines
School and academic librarians will particularly enjoy this professor's well-thought-out answers to students' poorly-thought-out complaints and excuses. My favorite response, to "All I want is the diploma": "The work force is full of people who do the minimum necessary to get by. Give me one reason why I, as a citizen or consumer, should help create more of them."
http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/nosymp.htm

Top 10 Policy Issue Forecast
[National Conference of State Legislators]
Background info on some issues state legislatures will confront this year, whether or not Congress does so.
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/press/pr070104.htm

Top Ten Stories You Missed in 2006
[Foreign Policy]
The editors of Foreign Policy call our attention to some little-known news from 2006, including the hackability of the new electronic US passports, a worldwide increase in gender equality, the shifting of oil money from dollars into alternative currencies, etc.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3652

Top Ten Videos of 2006 from National Geographic News
"The stealthy ways of snakes, the plight of African elephants, and some of the animal kingdom's mightiest battles topped the list of this year's most popular videos from National Geographic News."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061208-top-videos.html

Yahoo! Picks - Top Picks of 2006
Yahoo's faves include everything from Wow! to Why? to Huh? Faces of the Fallen, yawning bunnies, airborne cats, actors who DIDN't get the roles in our favorite movies, etc.
http://picks.yahoo.com/picks/most/2006/

Prairie Views will be published weekly on Thursdays on the PALS website. PALS member libraries are encouraged to send items for inclusion to prairieviews@palsnet.info by Tuesday of the week you would like your information to appear.

We will send an email reminder each week when the new issue is available on the PALS website. If you do not currently receive email reminders, please send a message to prairieviews@palsnet.info to have your email address added to the reminder mailing list or visit http://mailman.palsnet.info/mailman/listinfo to subscribe or unsubscribe yourself.