volume #4 issue#10

March 8, 2007

Prairie Views: the newsletter of the Prairie Area Library System

System News

PALS Day 2007
PALS Day 2007 will be held on Friday, April 27, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Starved Rock Lodge in Utica, IL. Find more information on the PALS website or print off the attached brochure. Registration for PALS Day is limited to 225, and we have more than half that number registered already, so don't delay! Register for the event in CLeO. We have reserved blocks of hotel rooms at Starved Rock Lodge for both Thursday and Friday nights. If interested in staying, please call the hotel and tell them you would like one of the rooms in the PALS block. Rate is $70 single or $80 double occupancy, but deadline to get this rate through the PALS block is March 26. Please ask Judy Hutchinson (judyh@palsnet.info) or Nancy Smith (nancys@palsnet.info) if you have any questions about PALS Day.

An extra feature at this year's PALS Day is that Peggy Barber of Library Communications Strategies will be providing 15 minute one-on-one consultants with member libraries on their promotional materials or questions they have about marketing for their libraries. There are eight of these consultation timeslots, so if you are interested, sign up now! Contact Debbie Fowler (debbief@palsnet.info) to sign up for a consultation.

Register for Rides to PALS Day
PALS will be providing free bus transportation from each of the Service Center Areas to Starved Rock Lodge for PALS Day on April 27th. For information and to register go to http://palsnet.info and find the bus serving the location from which you wish to travel. Please register as soon as you know your plans. Bus seats are limited.
Remember to register separately for the event itself!

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.

New Additions to the Library Supplies Price List
Do you even know that PALS offers library supplies for sale? We purchase some standard library supplies at bulk price to be able to extend discounts to our member libraries. The pricelist/order form is available on the PALS website at: http://www.palsnet.info/services/ba/default.asp

A new addition to the Library Supplies Price List is that PALS is now stocking several types of receipt printer paper and receipt printer ribbons for resale. Rather than ordering larger quantities once a year, you can now order paper and ribbons from PALS whenever you run low! Place your order by faxing the form to PALS. Contact Brenda Roman, brendar@palsnet.info or ext. 3152 with questions.

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.

What's New in Search + Marketing YourDatabases
Wednesday, March 28, 11:00am - 3:00pm, Starved Rock Lodge, Utica
Fee: $15.00 includes lunch
Register on CLeO.
Join us at beautiful Starved Rock Lodge in the Utica Room for a day of practical workshops for reference librarians and other public services personnel. Lunch is included.
Program: What's New in Search - PALS reference consultant Brian Smith reviews some of the latest free and useful tools for finding information on the Web.
Lunch - Southwestern buffet includes: Chicken Enchiladas, Taco Meat, Spanish Rice, Four and Corn Tortiallas, Ranch Style Beans, Shredded Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, Sour Cream, Salsa and Tortilla Chips, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, and Churros with Cinnamon Sugar Toppings and Iced Tea.
Marketing Your Online Databases - Lesley Williams from Evanston Public Library shares her successful strategies for increasing public awareness of subcription databases.

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).

Assistance for Elderly Victims of Violence
Videoconference on March 21st After Public Libraries Meeting Sponsored by the Secretary of State's Office and the Court of Claims, this workshop aims to equip library staff and local police departments with the tools needed to assist elderly victims of violent crimes in applying for resources under the Crime Victim’s Compensation Act. This presentation will help librarians know what type of material to buy to help educate the public about elder abuse, be able to identify agencies who can help with the situation and how to handle a person who has been abused if they come into the library. The program will equip librarians, with the knowledge of crimes committed against seniors and assist them with the tools needed to assist elderly victims of violent crimes in applying for resources under the Crime Victim’s Compensation Act. Assistance for Elderly Victims of Violence is coordinated by the Clerk’s Office of the Illinois Court of Claims and the Illinois State Library. The program is a partnership between The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, The Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, The Illinois Department on Aging, and the Illinois State Police, Special Victims Division. You must register separately for this program and for the Public Libraries meeting in the morning.

Go to http://www.palsnet.info/events to March 21st and register for each at the location where you plan to attend. If there are other organizations in your community that will find this information useful, please invite them to accompany you but please see that everyone attending is registered. If you need assistance, contact Debbie Fowler (debbief@palsnet.info or x2708).

How Not to be the Library the Press Attacks
When you hear "I demand that you take that terrible book off the shelf!” do you run for cover, get angry, or give in? Are there alternatives? The Illinois Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee invites library staff and boards to a Defending Access Workshop coming soon to your library system. Defending Access with Confidence (by Catherine Lord) is a step-by-step program that takes participants through the history of intellectual freedom and the law, related policies, and approaches to challenges against intellectual freedom in the context of libraries. Utilizing this program, trainers will help participants understand their role in protecting the right to access in library settings and find alternative ways to satisfy patrons whenever possible.
March 22, 2007 Lincoln Trail Libraries System in Champaign
March 29, 2007 Shawnee and Lewis & Clark Library Systems at the Mascoutah Training Center
April 12, 2007 Rolling Prairie Library System in Decatur
May 1, 2007 Prairie Area Library System at the Reddick Library in Ottawa
May 3, 2007 Alliance Library System in East Peoria
May 10, 2007 North Suburban Library System in Wheeling
May 17, 2007 Metropolitan Library System in Burr Ridge

To register for this program go to https://www.ila.org/events/reg_dawc.htm

Gaming in the Library
Presented by Jenny Levine, Internet Development Specialist and Strategy Guide, American Library Association
March 13, 2007, 11 a.m. – noon Eastern, 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. Pacific
Much is happening in the world of gaming right now, and it's not just a lot of teenage boys sitting in the basement staring at a screen for hours on end. No, gaming has tremendous potential for libraries to reach out to new users, offer new services, and help complement efforts in community building, information literacy, and other areas. Don't know much about gaming, but want to know how it can benefit libraries? Not sure what kinds of services your library could offer (especially on a limited budget)? Are you an avid gamer who would like to offer services, but you need help convincing others? Just want to hear what other libraries are doing? We'll cover all of these topics and more in just one hour. Get the scoop that helps you clarify your thinking about gaming and libraries. Register now to take part in a FREE webinar that is sure to further your understanding of how to use gaming in your library. Jenny Levine is the Internet development specialist and strategy guide at the American Library Association, where she splits her time between the Information Technology and Publishing departments. As part of her job, she blogs, creates wikis, bugs her colleagues to instant message, tests podcasting and vodcasting, teaches RSS, posts pictures on Flickr, explores Second Life, and does similar work with emerging technologies and tools in general. She is currently organizing the 2007 ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium, which will take place on July 22-24, 2007, in Chicago. Last year, Jenny had the pleasure of traveling around the United States and Europe to give more than 30 presentations. She is also the author of The Shifted Librarian blog, http://theshiftedlibrarian.com, a site that helps librarians understand the coming impact of ubiquitous, always-on Internet (and hence ubiquitous, always-on information) on our profession. She wrote the September/October 2006 issue of "Library Technology Reports," titled "Gaming in Libraries: Intersection of Services," and is an avid proponent of gaming services in libraries.

Register for this SirsiDynix Institute webinar at: https://events.livemeeting.com/961/7248/reg.aspx If you have missed previous SirsiDynix Institute events or are unable to make this one, we have an extensive archive posted at http://www.sirsidynixinstitute.com/archive.php. You can check out past webinars at any time. See the 2007 SirsiDynix Institute schedule at http://www.sirsidynixinstitute.com/.

Member News

Welcome
Black Hawk College Library welcomes Amy Miller as a library assistant. She has an LTA certificate from Black Hawk and has worked at East Moline Public Library and Genesis Health Systems library.

Fundraiser
Book Sale at Auburn HS in Rockford Auburn High School in Rockford is having a used book sale (all items donated by parents and community members)....they had two huge collections donated by an estate and moving teacher, respectively. They've also got a few CDs and movies--lots of variety and prices beginning at .25! The sale is from March 12-16. School hours are 8:15 a.m.-3:45 p.m. The last day is usually a dollar a bag sale. Cash or checks are accepted. Your support is appreciated!

For more info, please contact Lori Drummond-Cherniwchan, Library Media Specialist at Rockford Auburn H.S. Library, 815-966-3300, x3590.

Senior Citizen Day
Quad City area residents are invited to the free monthly Senior Day Program at 1:30 PM on Thursday, March 15 at the Bettendorf Public Library. "Bloodlines: Our ties to the Civil War," a historical reenactment of several characters from the civil war era, will be presented by actors from the Putnam Museum's Heritage Theater. This performance takes a look at how local people and places fared in the most serious internal struggle our country has ever faced. The public is also invited to view a display of Civil War artifacts provided by the Putnam Museum and a display of library materials on the Civil War, both located on the main library floor in Display Central. Friends of the Bettendorf Library provide funding for this program.

Meet the Author: Walt Harrington Program @ the Kankakee Public Library
Join us Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 7:00pm at the Kankakee Public Library for a Meet the Author program on Walt Harrington, Author of The Everlasting Stream: A True Story of Rabbits, Guns, Friendship, and Family. Walt Harrington was a staff writer for The Washington Post Magazine for nearly 15 years. The Everlasting Stream is the story of what he, while working as a city-slicker reporter for The Washington Post, learned during his many years of rabbit hunting outings with his Kentucky country father-in-law and his friends. Mr. Harrington is also the author of Crossings: A White Man’s Journey Into Black America, which won the Gustavus Myers Center Award for the Study of Human Rights in the US; American Profiles; At the Heart of It; and Intimate Journalism. His work has been anthologized in Literary Journalism and Literary Non-Fiction. Over the years, Mr. Harrington has written benchmark profiles of George H. W. Bush, Jesse Jackson, Jerry Falwell, Linda Bird Johnson Robb, Carl Bernstein, and former U. S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove, as well as many in-depth articles on ordinary men and women. He is head of the Department of Journalism at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and speaks regularly to professional journalist groups and in newsrooms on the reporting and writing techniques of literary journalism. He is the winner of 20 local, state, and national journalism awards, including the Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award for an article that resulted in the return of a kidnapped infant, two National Association of Black Journalists writing awards, and Northwestern University’s John Bartlow Martin Award for Public Interest Journalism. Editors at The Washington Post Magazine nominated Mr. Harrington’s work three times for the Pulitzer Prize in feature writing. Even if you think you are not interested in rabbits or guns, don’t miss the friendship and family that is what this book is really about. This program is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Friends of the Kankakee Public Library. For more information, please call the Kankakee Public Library staff at 815/939-4564.

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.

PALS Rockford is searching for 2-3 boxes of books that were sent from Sterling PL and were to be delivered to Rock Falls PL. This occurred about a month ago. These books all belong to the HOOT OWL Collection.

If anyone received these in error please contact:
Jennifer Slaney
Phone: 815-625-1370

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.

Joliet Junior College
Giveaway
1995 Reich Encyclopedia of Bioethics Revised Ed., v. 1-5.

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

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.

Technical Services Manager
Revised 2/20/07
Due to a retirement, Fountaindale Public Library District, which serves the diverse communities of Bolingbrook and Romeoville, Illinois, a growing suburban area approximately thirty-five miles southwest of Chicago, is seeking an experienced librarian to manage a staff of fourteen (11 FTE) in technical services functions of acquisitions, cataloging and serials. Supervises the daily operation of the SIRSI integrated library system and library network.
Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library school, plus six year’s experience required. Must have knowledge of cataloging, AACRII, OCLC, integrated library systems and networks; SIRSI preferred.
Salary range: $24.17 - $36.25 per hour
Closing date: March 31, 2007 or until position is filled.

Send cover letter, resume and three references, including contact information, to:
Helen Valantinas
Fountaindale Public Library District
300 W. Briarcliff Road
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
personnel@fountaindale.lib.il.us
Equal Opportunity Employer

Part Time Librarian
Seneca Public Library District is seeking a Part-time Librarian.
* Job descriptions: Collection selection is the main duty. Work schedule is flexible.
* Requirements: MLS, LTA, or BA with some library or school working experience is required. Familiarity with fiction, nonfiction collection is essential. Some computer operation skills are preferred. Pleasant personality is desirable. P
* Part time position: 12-15 hours per week, including one evening a week.
* Wage range: $13 – 18 per hour (DOQ) Start date: Available immediately. Deadline: Resumes will be accepted until the position is filled.

Submit the cover letter, resume and 3 references to:
Wendy Xie
Director of Seneca Public Library District
210 N. Main Street,
Seneca, IL, 61360
Email: wxie@senecalibrary.org
Fax: (815) 357-6568
No phone calls, please.

Director
Creston-Dement Public Library is seeking a 5/8 time director for small community library. Must work well with children and public and pro-active board. Work experience preferred. Send resume to Box 193, Creston, Il 60113 or fax to 815-384-3111. Please respond by March 17, 2007

Senior Librarian
Apply Online. Nalco Company has an opening for a Senior Librarian at our company headquarters in Naperville, Illinois.
*Qualifications: The successful candidate will have a Master's degree in Library or Information Science. A degree in Chemistry and previous experience with the chemical industry are desirable.
EEO/AA Employer
Nalco is the leading provider of integrated water treatment and process improvement services, chemicals and equipment programs for industrial and institutional applications. Our progressive "pay for performance" philosophy means rewarding and advancing the careers of those employees whose ability to deliver results that positively impacts our business performance. We are looking for employees who can operate independently and as part of a high-functioning team to meet challenges in providing the highest level of service to Nalco's global customer base.
For more information please visit http://www.nalco.com/ASP/careers/career_info.asp
http://www.nalco.com

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

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

School Librarians
School District U-46 is the second largest district in Illinois and is located 35 miles northwest of Chicago. We are an equal opportunity employer seeking qualified school librarians - middle school and high school. Positions require proper State of Illinois certification. Letters of application for the above-mentioned position should be directed to Lalo Ponce, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services, 355 E. Chicago St., Elgin, Il., 60120. On-line application: www.generalasp.net/kane/ Fax: (847) 888-7188 Questions concerning this posting may be directed to (847) 888-5000, ext. 7174.
Nondiscrimination Notice: U-46 does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, unfavorable military discharge, or disability in its programs or activities. Inquiries can be made to the Non-Discrimination Coordinator at 355 East Chicago Street, Elgin, Illinois, 60120, (847) 888-5000, ext. 5305.

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

Youth Services and School Library News

Abraham Lincoln Award Winners
It is our pleasure to announce the winners of the 2007 Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award. Details will soon be posted on the ISLMA web site but so you can tell the students at the 104 schools and public libraries that participated, the winners are:
1st - Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
2nd - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
3rd - A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
As in all previous years, all the books received votes which is a testiment to the books selected. The committee meets Saturday March 10th to select the next list and we will have that on the web site as soon as we can following the meeting.

Public Library News

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

Barcode Certification Failure
Cataloging standards provide the foundation for achieving reliable online access to the vast information resources contained within the collections of Illinois’ multitype libraries. The Illinois Statewide Cataloging Standards are not intended to serve as a manual of data entry procedures. Rather, the intent is to prescribe adherence to nationally accepted cataloging standards and guidelines that are crucial to the viability of shared bibliographic databases. Selecting the correct record already in the local database, attaching and adding your holding only, with no editing to the bibliographic record, will be tested for in the Barcoding Level of the certification. The Barcoding test is the foundation to the next two levels of certification, Copy Cataloging and Original Cataloging.

PALS has developed the following course of action should a staff member of a PrairieCat Library fail the Barcode Certification Test 3 times. The supervisor will be notified when a staff member has failed the test for the 2nd time. Staff will still have their cataloging privileges in PrairieCat while in the Barcode School program to do their job, provided they follow the course of action outlined below. Upon notification of the 3rd failure, the staff person will have 3 months to attend Barcode School and retake the test. Barcode School is a half day training session that will cover matching and use of the Sirsi cataloging module. The staff member will be required to attend this training at the appropriate Service Center. After they have attended Barcode School, they will have one final opportunity to take the Barcode Certification Test. If they fail the test at this time, they will lose their cataloging authorization and access to PrairieCat. If you have questions please contact Merideth Willett, meridethw@palsnet.info or ext. 3257 or John Slanicky johns@palsnet.info or ext. 2716.

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. The PALS block of rooms will be released on March 28 and you might find yourself without any lodging. Hotel rooms at the Northfield Inn where the all state dinner will be held, are already gone, but we've been able to block the remaining 24 rooms at the Ramada Ltd across the street at the state rate of $74 for 2 bed double rooms under PALS (Prairie Area Library System), 217-523-4000. PALS also was able to block 20 rooms at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel, formerly the Renaissance, ( 217) 523-7900 for Wednesday night at $70 for a single and $85 for double occupancy. Tax is not included in the rate. This will be within two blocks of the Lincoln Museum and Library, our gathering place to join the march to the capitol on Library Day. Please mention that you're calling to reserve rooms blocked by PALS. Otherwise, the rooms are $129 plus tax.

CUT OFF DATE FOR ROOM RESERVATIONS Blocked rooms not reserved by March 28 will be released.

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

Wireless Use Is Increasing
The latest Pew/Internet study shows that 34% of internet users have logged in on a wireless internet connection. This is an increase from 2004 when only 22% reported logging in using a wireless device. 80% of laptop users can connect on a wireless network and 57% of them report using a network someplace other than home or work-- Libraries maybe?
Here is the link to the study: http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/203/report_display.asp

Advocacy/Legislative News

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

LSTA
Libraries wanting to learn more about the FY2008 LSTA grant offerings or looking for assistance in presenting their ideas and writing an application can attend one of the workshops offered in March. Library Services Coordinators Jane Lenser and Nancy Smith will offer a program that includes infromation on grant requirements, an update on what's new or changed in the FY2008 offerings, and tips on how to make your grant application most effective.
Monday, March 19, 9-11 AM an OPAL session
Monday, March 19, 1-3 PM at Sycamore Public Library
Thursday, March 22, 10 AM - Noon at Morris Area PLD
Friday, March 23, 10 AM - Noon at River Valley LD in Port Byron

To register go the http://www.palsnet.info/events.
Questions? Contact Jane (janel@palsnet.info or x4461) or Nancy (nancys@palsnet.info or x4460).

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 9, 2007

About My Baby
Parents can create a free online scrapbook here for their baby, with unlimited storage space for photos and videos. (I know about this because my daughter-in-law posted young Donovan Block's pics here.)
http://aboutmybaby.com/

Better World Books
A great service for both bookbuyers and libraries. BWB solves libraries' problem of unwanted discards and donations by selling them online and passing on proceeds to the libraries and their nonprofit literacy partners. Buyers can select from 1.8 million used books and 500,000 new ones, knowing that the money will go to libraries and literacy promotion.
http://betterworldbooks.com/

Colin's Movie Monologues Page
Drama students in search of audition material may find these relatively brief pieces transcribed from movie scenes to their liking.
http://www.whysanity.net/monos/index.html

Library Videos
The best videos about libraries on the web In this brand new blog, Nancy Dowd, marketing guru at New Jersey State Library, promises to post all the neat library videos she comes across. There's not a great deal there yet, but what IS available should give you some ideas. And of course she'll be happy to add your videos to her site.
http://libraryvideos.blogspot.com/

LongTermCareLiving.com: Consumer Information about Nursing Homes, Assisted Living...
Offers info on assessing your needs, choosing a nursing home, paying for care, advance preparation, and advice for families. Also has a "facilities finder."
http://longtermcareliving.com/

Media Issues [Media Awareness Network]
This Canadian organization offers excellent backgrounders on issues like violence in media, online hate, information privacy, and stereotyping of women, men, ethnic minorities, etc.
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/index.cfm

The News in Photos: Mail & Guardian Online [South Africa]
Featuring breaking news, photo essays, and galleries of both news photos and reader-submitted ones. Check out interesting features like Zeitgeist (a tag cloud for popular photos), Widget Swarm (a real-time visual exploration of what site visitors are viewing).
http://photos.mg.co.za/

Origami
Provides a gallery of origami, a database of diagrams, and a database of models from a selection of origami books.
http://www.origami.com/

Sunshine Week, March 11-17, 2007 - Your Right To Know
Sunshine Week is a "national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information" sponsored by news "media, civic groups, libraries, non-profits, schools and others interested in the public's right to know." What's your library doing to celebrate open government? Check out the calendar of events here, as well as the Toolkit and the Reading Room.
http://www.sunshineweek.org/

Top 50 Children's Books in Yahoo! Search
At the tag end of the "Seussical Tribute," view this surprisingly classics-heavy list of most frequently searched titles.
http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/category/Books/

Yahoo! Podcasts: Publish a Podcast
"With just a few pieces of gear, this tutorial, and a little inspiration, you can be podcasting in no time at all." Explains what kinds of equipment and software you'll need, and how to record, link, and publicize your podcasts. Yahoo! makes it sound pretty simple.
http://podcasts.yahoo.com/publish/1

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.