volume #4 issue#9

March 1, 2007

Prairie Views: the newsletter of the Prairie Area Library System

System News

Welcome!
Welcome to our newest PALS member, the Rasmussen College Library, located in Rockford, IL. They were approved for full membership at the January PALS Board meeting and have now completed the new membership process. The Librarian is Emily O'Connor.

Online Database Group Discounts?
If you're interested in joining a group deal on any of the online products PALS has had on trial for the last month or so, please let us know which one(s) by completing this insanely brief questionnaire before March 9. The products are:
*EBSCO School Databases
*Facts on File News Services
*LearningExpressLibrary
*Marshall Cavendish Digital
*Morningstar Library Edition
*NewsBank
*TeachingBooks.net
*Teen Health & Wellness
*Unitedstreaming.com
Please do the survey (one per library) even if you've already sent an email to indicate your interest. We'll work on negotiating a group discount for the databases which have the greatest demand. We can't get price information until we have an idea about how many libraries are participating in a purchase. More information about the databases may be found by visiting http://www.palsnet.info/members/vdiscount.asp (log in with your CLeO email and password) and clicking on the "Current Database Trials" link. Some of the trial periods may have expired. For more information, contact Brian Smith at PALS.

FY2008 LSTA
A reminder to check out the new FY08 Library Services and Technology Act grant offerings at the Illinois State Library's website. You'll see there is a mix of old and new grant types. Log on to http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/what_we_do/servicestechnologygrant.html. IMPORTANT: When you open the page to login to the online Letter of Intent, there are three separate boxes for the control number, branch number and password. To login, type the control number TAB type the branch number TAB type the password. So, for example, if you type 12345_67, it won't work. Instead, type 12345 TAB 67 TAB password.

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

Annexation, Tax Caps, Working Cash Funds
"So Many Bills But What Do They Mean & Why Should I Care," Monday, March 12, 10 - 11 am.
All these as well as other bills that would affect libraries have been introduced in this active session in Springfield. But what do they mean? Do they affect your library? All these will be explained in non- legalese talk to those of us who can't follow all language in a legislative bill. We're fortunate to have ILA lobbyist, Kip Kolkmeier, join ILA's policy chair, Carole Dickerson, Freeport Public Library Director, to walk us through library bills. As time allows, Carole will follow Kip's presentation to discuss how we can be affective on the local level. Register on CLEO for this OPAL session which you can attend right from your own computer.

Diversity Forum 2007: Continuing the Dialogue!
Lincoln Trail Libraries System will be hosting a free statewide diversity forum to be held at the Hawthorn Suites, 1 Lyon Court, Bloomington, IL on March 27, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We encourage all attendees from libraries to bring a community partner representative with them to the forum. This partner can be someone you currently collaborate with in your community or someone you would like to start a relationship with. Vandella Brown from the Illinois State Library will engage the participants in a cultural vision exam film and a sample of the “White Privilege” assimilation test. The forum's guest speaker will be Christopher Benson, the author of the award-winning book entitled, “Death of Innocence: The Hate Crime That Changed America”. The afternoon will be dedicated to a train the trainer session entitled, “Walking the Talk – How to Think and Act Like an Inclusive Organization.” Susan O’Halloran will take the participants through a real world, sustainable approach to addressing the issues of diversity in organizations of every type. Each participant will receive a free copy of Susan’s Walking the Talk train the trainer manual and a copy of Death of Innocence: The Hate Crime That Changed America! To register for this workshop, go to: http://librarydiversity.info/forumreg2007.html

This workshop is provided by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library (ISL), a Division of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), under the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

Member News

Condolences
Our condolences to Sean O'Hanlon on the passing of his mother Stella O'Hanlon. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sean and his family at this time.

Happy Birthday Bix!
Bix Beiderbecke is known throughout the world as one of the greatest cornet players in history. Because of his popularity, the 13th Annual Bix Birthday Bash is moving to a larger location! Join us for Bix’s birthday celebration on Friday, March 9, at 11:30 a.m., at the River Music Experience Redstone Room, and listen to a great live jazz band, “The Bix Birthday All-Star Band,” pay tribute to the Davenport native that inspired a generation. Enjoy free birthday cake, coffee, and lemonade while dancing to toe-tapping music! Hot dogs will also be available for a small fee. The Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society and the Davenport Public Library sponsor this program. It’s fun and free and for all ages! For more information, contact the PR Office at 563-888-3371.

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.

No Missing Books this week.

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.

Fossil Ridge Public Library
has discarded the following books from its collection and will give free to anyone who wants:
2006 – Consumer Reports Consumer Drug Reference
2006 – Time Almanac
2006 – Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment
2006 – Writer’s Market
2006 – Peterson’s Scholarships, Grants & Prizes
2006 – Arco’s Master the GED
2006 – Physician’s Desk Reference
2005/2006 – United States Government manual
2005 – Woodall’s North American Campground Directory
2005 – Physician’s Desk Reference For Nonprescription Drugs Dietary Supplements
2005 – Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market 17th Edition Current Pediatric Diagnosis & Treatment
1999 - Encyclopedia of Conflicts Since World War II (4 Volumes)

If interested contact:
Pamela Hanuska
Phone : 815-458-2187 or E-mail : pahanuska@fossilridge.org

Free!
Materials to study for the NCEES examination (for becoming a Professional Engineer) in perfect, unused condition. I don’t think the 1999 copyright on the second set would be a problem, since these are books of practice problems and should still be helpful to someone who is preparing for the exam.

Buckner, C. D. (2003). 246 solved structural engineering problems, 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Professional Publications. ISBN 1-59126-003-5 “…a comprehensive compilation to help you prepare for the NCEES Structural I and II exams, the California state structural exam, and the structural module of the civil PE exam.” – from the back cover.
Structural Engineering I Sample Questions & Solutions: National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying Official P.E. Exam Preparation Materials. Clemson, SC: National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying, 2003. ISBN 1-932613-14-5
Structural Engineering II Sample Questions & Solutions: National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying Official P.E. Exam Preparation Materials. Clemson, SC: National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying, 2003. ISBN 1-932613-15-3
Structural I Engineering Sample Questions & Solutions: National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying Official P.E. Exam Preparation Materials. Clemson, SC: National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying, 1999.
Structural II Engineering Sample Questions & Solutions: National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying Official P.E. Exam Preparation Materials. Clemson, SC: National Council of Examiners for Engineering & Surveying, 1999.

If interested, contact Linda Dillner

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.

Substitute Information Librarian
Starting Wage - $18.6006 per hour
The Bettendorf Public Library is seeking a librarian with a Masters Degree and experience in Reference to serve as a substitute when regular staff is unavailable. Good interpersonal and computer skills required as well as familiarity with database searching. The hours for this position will vary and are only occasional. Hours are often on an evening or weekend. Applications available at the library, at Bettendorf City Hall and at http://www.bettendorf.org/employment/application.pdf

Submit applications to:
Human Resources
Bettendorf City Hall
1609 State Street
Bettendorf, Iowa 52722.

Youth Services Librarian
Fremont Public Library Do you like to tell stories, sing and dance with groups of young children? Do you thrive on finding the right book for a reluctant teen reader? We're looking for a creative, friendly, customer service-minded professional to join a talented, hard-working team that serves ages 0 - 17. Experience a range of services in a busy department that serves a rapidly-growing, diverse community.
* Duties include: providing reader’s advisory and reference to youth and their caregivers; implementing programs; managing materials collections; maintaining bibliographies and more. Recent library school graduates and those who will be graduating in May are encouraged to apply.
* Requirements MLS from ALA-Accredited Institution. Broad knowledge of children’s literature and library resources required; experience working with children preferred. Computer applications skills and Internet skills required. Ability to communicate well in both oral and written English; fluency in Spanish a plus.
Full-Time. Starts at $34,500 annually depending on qualifications, with excellent benefits.

To apply, send cover letter and resume to:
Administration Youth Librarian Position
Fremont Public Library
1170 N. Midlothian Rd.
Mundelein, IL 60060
Fax: 847-566-0204
Email: raingram@fremontlibrary.org

Circulation Clerk
The Robert W. Rowe Public Library, a progressive, forward thinking library, is seeking a self-motivated, energetic, people person for the position of part-time Circulation Clerk, 19 hours per week. Computer experience required. Library experience a plus.

Send resumes to:
Robert W. Rowe Public Library
P.O. Box 358
Sheridan, IL 60551
dsmith@robertrowe.lib.il.us or fax to 815-496-2067.

Department Head – Reference and Information Services
The Hinsdale Public Library (www.hinsdalelibrary.info) seeks new leadership to serve as Head of the Reference and Information Services Department. The Village of Hinsdale has a population of 18,000 and is located 21 miles west of Chicago. The library’s budget for FY2007-08 is approximately $2m and supports a staff of 16 full time employees and 31 part time employees. The library is currently undergoing a $3.5m renovation project which is estimated to be completed in early 2008. The Head of Reference and Information Services reports to the library’s executive director and is part of a seven member management team. The successful candidate will manage a department of approximately 9 full and part-time librarians.
*Responsibilities include: the development and implementation of reference and information services which support the library's long range plan, budgeting and monitoring expenditures, collection development, hiring and training, scheduling and evaluating staff.
*Hours: 37.5 hour workweek including evening and weekend rotation
*Requirements: ALA/MLS degree with a minimum of three years professional experience, including one year of relevant supervisory experience. Strong inter-personal skills and commitment to public service.
*Salary: Salary begins at $47,000

To apply: Send resume, cover letter and three references to:
Nancy Marvan,
Office Manager
Hinsdale Public Library
20 E. Maple St.
Hinsdale, IL 60521
nmarvan@hinsdale.lib.il.us

Reference and ILL News
No Reference and ILL News this week.

Youth Services and School Library News

Copyright for the School Librarian
(RPLS OPAL room) http://www.rpls.ws/Ce/index.asp?Action=Details&EventID=2414 Many school librarians feel as if they are the Copyright Police. At this workshop, you will learn the basics of the copyright law, receive tips towards the development of a school wide copyright policy, as well as discuss how to work within copyright law in the K-12 school environment. Questions that will be answered include: How can you tell teachers they must not show a movie as a treat to their students with out the proper license? How can you teach children ethical use of materials, such as how to request the use of copyrighted material? What are some of the ways that you can borrow/copy materials in the school and still be sure that you are in compliance with copyright law?
If you have specific copyright questions, please submit them to Bev Obert by Monday, Feb 26, 2007. Workshop will be held at via the RPLS Opal room online on Tuesday March 13 from 1:00 ? 3:30 PM (Return on that date, for a direct link to the RPLS OPAL room.)

Public Library News

ALA-APA Unveils Union Wiki
(CHICAGO) ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Employees announces the creation of ALA-APA Union, a user-contributed wiki. This wiki is a resource both for current union members and for library professionals seeking information about joining or starting a union. “Unions are one of many ways library workers may improve salaries,” said ALA-APA Director Jenifer Grady. “ALA-APA cannot do collective bargaining, so its goal is to empower others to raise their salaries and benefits. Union membership is one of many ways to do this. By being part of a union, library workers gain local allies who can help them achieve pay equity and better salaries.” The wiki features articles on union current events, answers frequently asked questions about unions and provides links to other wikis and blogs with similar goals. There are pages devoted to unions for academic, public and school library professionals. Library and union advocates have embraced the new tool. Kathleen de la Peña McCook, professor of Library and Information Science at the University of South Florida in Tampa, notes that 35 percent of all librarians are union members. “These union members now have a connection to ALA-APA that recognizes our commitment to worker rights,” McCook said. Access ALA-APA Union wiki at http://ala-apaunion.pbwiki.com. The password for editing is apaedits. For more information on ALA-APA and its mission to improve the salaries and status of library employees, visit www.ala-apa.org.

Construction Grant Workshops
The State Library will present four workshops this spring on the FY2008 Live & Learn Construction Grant Program for libraries interested in the program or considering applying for a grant this coming fall. ISL Staff will review the specifics of the program and discuss the application process. Registration is required and can be made through the State Library's CLeO website. The locations, dates and times are:
Tuesday, April 24 1-3 PM Metropolitan Library System, Burr Ridge
Thursday, April 26 10-Noon Alliance Library System, East Peoria
Tuesday, May 1 1-3 PM Illinois State Library, Room 403
Thursday, May 3 1-3 PM Benton Public Library, Benton

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

New Books at PALS
No News Books at PALS this week.

Library News Around the State & Nation

Nominations Being Accepted for Illinois OCLC Users Group Board
The Illinois OCLC Users Group (IOUG) works to promote the usefulness of OCLC products in Illinois Libraries. If this sounds like something you or a colleague would be interested in, consider submitting a nomination for an open seat on the IOUG Board. Available positions include secretary (two-year term), two member-at-large seats (two-year term), and vice-chair/chair-elect (three-year term). IOUG is currently putting together a slate of candidates. Interested? Contact a member of the nominations committee: Debbie Baaske, Lynn Hammerlund, or Donna Schaal. Deadline is Monday, March 26.

Submit a Star for National Library Workers Day on April 17, 2007
CHICAGO - Start the celebration early for National Library Workers Day (NLWD) by submitting information about your favorite worker and what makes him or her special to the NLWD Stars Web site – www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwdstarsform.html. NLWD is celebrated on Tuesday, April 17, during the American Library Association (ALA)-sponsored National Library Week. NLWD is sponsored by ALA-APA: the Organization for the Advancement of Library Workers, which advocates for improving the salaries and status of librarians and support staff. NLWD Stars will be featured on the National Library Workers Day site for one year. Stars will also be honored at the ALA Annual Conference. Download the free NLWD poster from http://www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwd_poster.pdf, which tells patrons, trustees, and colleagues how to submit a Star. Self-nominations are accepted. The deadline for submission is April 17.

NLWD is a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers. Ideas for how to celebrate in your library are here: http://www.ala-apa.org/about/ideas.html and http://www.ala-apa.org/about/NLWDflyer07.pdf (large file). Shop at the ALA-APA NLWD Store on Café Press - http://www.cafepress.com/ala_apa - for “Libraries Work Because We Do” t-shirts, buttons, mugs and posters. A portion of the proceeds supports the activities of ALA-APA.

Libraries are encouraged to use National Library Workers Day to focus on the value of their staff: individuals or units responsible for the number of materials selected, acquired, cataloged, checked out and back in, and shelved; for handling requests and sending them to other libraries; for answering reference questions; for planning, publicizing and presenting programs; for developing and maintaining the library's Web site; for managing the library and for other elements of library service. Customizable tools and materials in English and Spanish to help libraries promote National Library Workers Day in their local media are available on the ALA-APA Web site at www.ala-apa.org/about/nlwd. The list of NLWD Stars, will be updated weekly. Contact the ALA-APA Office if you have any questions or want to tell us how you will be celebrating – 800-545-2433, x2424 or jgrady@ala.org.

News from Vendors
No News from Vendors this week.

Legislative/Advocacy News

Rides to Illinois Library Day On CLEO
You can now sign up for a ride to Illinois Library Day on CLEO. In order that you can participate in the events, we want to make it easy for you to arrive there! The exact times of departure will be posted later for the three service centers. The departure from the Delegates/OPAC Assembly Meeting will follow the conclusion of the meeting . We'll get you there in time to check in at your hotel prior to the Wednesday evening dinner. So PALS staff knows what size bus to charter, please sign up now . http://palsnet.info/events/ See April 18.

Legislative Breakfast: on the next day, Thursday morning, you'll have an opportunity to have breakfast at 7:30 am with many of our legislators. The breakfast, sponsored by ILA, will be in the atrium of the state library. This will make it easily accessible for the legislators before they start their committee meetings and sessions. Having heard Kip the prior evening, you'll have brief sentence talking points and converse with them in more leisurely fashion than trying to catch them in their offices or attempting to call the legislators off the floor. Registration for the breakfast is on the ILA web page along with registration for ILD itself. https://www.ila.org/events/reg_ild.htm

Dinner with Kip Kolkmeier: in addition to being an up to the minute discussion of the 70 some library related bills and which are the most important to us, the dinner will allow you to mingle and sit with your cohorts from around the state. Last year, participants found that in casual conversation with trustees and librarians from other systems, our local issues and concerns were universal. It made for good conversation and exchange of ideas. ILD (Illinois Library Day) packets will also be available so you can look those over for the next day's ILD Registration for the state wide dinner is through DuPage LS, coordinator of the dinner. Register by April 11, 2007. To register, go to the DLS Continuing Education calendar at http://www.dupagels.lib.il.us/calendar/detailpages/1165875762.html. The cost is $30, payable in advance to the DLS.

Lodging: please be sure to make your hotel reservations soon. There is limited availability in Springfield this spring. We were unable to block enough rooms at one hotel and have done so at two. One is near the Rally on Thursday, the other is near the dinner on Wednesday evening. See the PALS home page for hotel information. Rally This year's Rally will again leave from the Lincoln Library where we will gather. We've taken your comfort in consideration and the Rally will focus on just one key speech with introductions only of all participating organizations.

President Lincoln Museum & Library: on your own, you can visit the Lincoln Museum. If you were able to visit with your legislators at the Legislative Breakfast, you could head to the Lincoln Museum and Library and have two hours to spend there before stepping outside to join the march to the capitol for the Rally. Even if you've visited the museum before, the exhibits change and there are new things to see. http://www.alplm.org/home.html

Federal Bill Ties Social Networking Site Block to E-Rate Eligibility
New legislation to make libraries and schools block MySpace, H.R. 1120, was introduced Feb. 16th. It would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require recipients of universal service support for schools and libraries to protect minors from commercial social networking websites and chat rooms. Congressman Mark Kirk (R.Illinois, Northbrook area) is the sponsor with PALS congresswoman Judy Biggert (13th congressional district, DesPlaines Valley and Foundtaindale PLD) signed on as a cosponsor. For status and full bill language, see http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1120. In a conversation Inara McGroarty had with Aaron Lawlor, Congressman Kirk's Deputy District Director, he indicated that the bill was open for modification and the major intent in introducing the bill was to open conversation and have increased awareness of the dangers on the internet. Inara took this as a clear message that IF libraries express their concerns and show what we're doing to address the issue, the bill could be modified. This bill is in the first stage of the legislative process where the bill is considered in committee and may undergo significant changes in markup sessions.

What can we do?
1. Contact your representative to express your concerns so if he has not yet signed on to be a cosponsor, he does not do so. If he already has, you can express your concern and ask for modification of the bill and that he vote against this once it's on the floor.
2. Hold programs at your library geared to parents and children. You can then point to how you're being proactive and that on the local level, the concern is already addressed without a need for federal legislation.
3. You can express that parental control is the issue here.

There are no PALS libraries in congressman Kirk's district.

Just So You Know

Illinois Library Day Registration
The registration form for Illinois Library Day (ILD) April 19 can now be found at https://www.ila.org/events/reg_ild.htm. There's also a link to the form and other information at the ILD website at www.illinoislibraryday.info. Please register even if you attend only the Rally and won't be taking part in the dinner on Wednesday night or the legislative breakfast on Thursday morning.

Extended Deadline
In order to allow ample time for member staff to prepare and/or receive training before they take the Barcode Certification test, PALS has extended the deadline for Barcode certification. Those libraries that have been using Sirsi - HAL and QL libraries - now need to be certified by December 31, 2007. Those libraries that are new to Sirsi will now need to be certified by June 30, 2008.
If you have questions, please contact Merideth Willett ext. 3257, meridethw@palsnet.info or John Slanicky ext. 2716, johns@palsnet.info

Grant News
No Grant News this week.

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 March 2, 2007

1963
11 Seconds in Dallas [History News Network]
An intriguing analysis of what the Zapruder film of John F. Kennedy's assassination does and does not tell us. While you're at it, browse through the other offerings of the History News Network. Among the topics explored there: Holocaust denial, Black history, Ronald Reagan's legacy, the electoral college, etc.
http://hnn.us/articles/35445.html

Africa.reuters.com
breaking news, business, financial & investing news...
Find news by country or by broad topic (sport, markets, AlertNet humanitarian news, etc. There are links at the bottom to international editions for other nationalities and languages.
http://africa.reuters.com/

Airline Aggravations
[Magellan's Travel Advice]
If like me you suspect the time has passed when you could expect the airlines to deliver you in time to make a scheduled flight connection, you'll find this advice of use. Check out the other travel advice from this dealer in travel supplies while you're at it.
http://www.magellans.com/store/article/378?Args=

Blinkx
Jason Pontin, editor in chief and publisher of Technology Review, says "At least for now, Blinkx leads video search: it searches more than seven million hours of video and is the largest repository of digital video on the Web." My sample searches retrieved 81,000+ LIBRARY videos (mostly from broadcast news and YouTube).
http://blinkx.com/

Car and Truck Repair Information from Economechanix
Check out some nifty features: How Your Car Works explains how the various parts work, how they fail, and approximately how much repairs will cost; Car Killers explains those critical parts that can cut your car's life short; and the Noise Library offers sound files of various noises that signify potential problems. Thanks to Librarian in Black for pointing out this site.
http://www.econofix.com/

Free Highway Travel Guides
RV owners should enjoy these "Free Road Maps and Hundreds of Highway RV Travel Itineraries." Includes info, browsable by state or highway, on campgrounds, amenities, and interesting places to explore along the route. Nice photos scattered throughout. Itineraries are also available for Canada and Mexico.
http://www.milebymile.com/

Housecleaning & Housekeeping Advice, Hints and Tips
A nice starting point for the housekeeping-challenged. Pick a topic - bathrooms, carpets and flooring, garages, etc. - and it will offer articles and tips, product reviews, and links to recommended tools, books, and videos.
http://www.housekeepingchannel.com/

Live Music Blog
"a blog about music festivals, concerts, and live music." Seems to be a good source for finding out about upcoming tours and events. Searchable.
http://www.livemusicblog.com/

Oscars Lists
Records and Curiosities
"since its inception in 1927/8, the Oscars awards ceremony has led to a number of curious records and coincidences, and even the occasional incident." This page details a few of them.
http://www.eudesign.com/oscars/osc-curi.htm

Socialmeter
Want to see if people are talking about your site? Type in your URL here. Socialmeter will scan Bloglines, Del.icio.us, Digg, Google, Rojo, Shadows, Technorati and Yahoo to analyze your webpage's social popularity.
http://www.socialmeter.com/

SplashCast
Channel Yourself across the web
"enables anyone to create streaming media 'channels' that combine video, music, photos, narration, text and RSS feeds. These user-generated channels can be played and easily syndicated on any web site, blog, or social network page. When channel owners modify their channel, their content is automatically updated across all the web pages 'tuned' to that channel."
http://www.splashcastmedia.com/
Social Media's J.D. Lasica recommends it here:
http://www.socialmedia.biz/2007/02/splashcast_podc.html

What I Learned Today
Web 2.0 and programming tips from law library web manager (and future librarian) Nicole Engard. She covers "blogs, rss, wikis, php programming and more as they relate to libraries." I liked her idea so much that I started my own file on "what I learned today."
http://www.web2learning.net/

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.