volume #4 issue#12

March 22, 2007

Prairie Views: the newsletter of the Prairie Area Library System

System News

Nominations Being Sought for FY2008 PALS Board of Directors
The PALS Board of Directors will have five vacant seats starting July 1, 2007. The vacancies needing to be filled are: 3 public library trustee seats, 1 special library seat and 1 academic library seat. All seats will serve three year terms except one public library trustee who will serve a two year term. If you would like to self-nominate or know anyone that is interested in applying for these vacancies, please go to the nomination form. Nominations will be accepted through April 18, 2007.

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 consultations 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://www.palsnet.info/events 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!

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

Fall 2007 LTA Classes at Rockford and Coal Valley Service Centers
Attention library support staff! Are you looking for opportunities to learn more about the library world? Are you looking toward advancement in your current position or in your career? Then the LTA (Library Technical Assistant) Program may be for you. In past years, PALS has offered the LTA program from the College of DuPage via videoconference at both the Rockford and the Coal Valley Service Centers. We are considering offering this opportunity again in fall 2007.

If you are interested or for additional information, please contact Dawn DiVenti dawnd@palsnet.info
This is a great way to enter or re-enter the academic environment.
Check http://www.cod.edu/LTA for more information.

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).

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.
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

Member News

Open House
On Sunday, April 1st, from 2 to 4pm, the Reddick Library in Ottawa will host an Open House and book-signing for local children's author, Julia Durango. Julia is the author of several titles from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, including CHA-CHA CHIMPS, DREAM HOP, and the newly released ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME, illustrated by Elisa Kleven. She also co-authored YUM YUCK! A FOLDOUT BOOK OF PEOPLE SOUNDS with Newbery award-winner Linda Sue Park. Julia is the Assistant to the Director at Reddick Library.
You can read more about her at http://www.JuliaDurango.com and http://www.ThreeSillyChicks.com.

As Noted in the ISL Announce last week...
Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White and ISL director Anne Craig were interviewed by staff from the Kankakee Public Library for a podcast on the library website. Library Director Cynthia Fuerst, Assistant Director Stephen Bertrand and Project Next Generation program coordinator Roland Johnson took part in the event.

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.

Rock Valley College
has the following withdrawn titles to donate to any library that would like them:
* Facts on File 1968-2006
* The Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Macmillan 1st ed., 1967, 8 vols. Including 1996 supplement vol.)
* A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics (4th ed., 1997)
* The Merck Manual (17th ed., 1999)
* The World Factbook (2005)
* The United States Government Manual (2005-2006)

If interested contact:
Brent Eckert
(b.eckert@rockvalleycollege.edu)

Kaplan University
is offering the books in the attached list.

If interested contact:
Jennifer Smith
jsmith@kucampus.edu

Black Hawk College
Surplus Library Supplies
2 unopened boxes Minolta MT Toner for RP605Z/606Z reader/printer
1 box 3M Scotch Book Repair Wings #554
11 boxes Scotch Shelfarranger Tape #822 [had it for a very long time]
1 Scotch C-27 Taping System Applicator
1 large box extra-large 4-way rubber bands
1+pkg Gaylord Continuous pinfed catalog cards
Partial pkg large spine labels

If interested contact:
Ilene Chamra
309-796-5150

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.

Reference Librarian
Dundee Township Public Library District
The Dundee Library (http://www.dundeelibrary.info) is seeking a dynamic, self-directed librarian to provide leadership in Reader’s Advisory for busy reference department. Successful candidate will use traditional and Library 2.0 methods to provide and promote our collections to patrons and staff. Duties include reference service two nights per week, alternating Saturdays, and one Sunday per month. Other duties include collection development, outreach, and computer assistance. Must have a high interest in popular fiction. Spanish language skills a plus.
* Requirements: MLS from ALA-Accredited Institution. Good public speaking and training skills. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ability to learn new computer programs. Full-Time
* Salary: $33,000 annually depending on qualifications plus excellent benefits.

To apply, send cover letter and resume:
Elisa F. Topper
Dundee Township Public Library District
555 Barrington Ave.
East Dundee, IL 60118
Application Deadline: April 20, 2007

Part-time Adult Services Librarian
Messenger Public Library of North Aurora is seeking a part time (20 hours/week) Librarian for its Adult Services Department. The successful candidate will be familiar with print and electronic resources, possess excellent computer skills, and be able to communicate orally and in writing. Responsibilities include: answering reference and readers’ advisory questions, assisting with adult programming, creating displays, collection development, enforcing library policy, and other duties as assigned. Experience with virtual reference and/or Ask Away Illinois preferred. MLS or experience providing reference in a public library setting is required. Pay scale is $12-$15/hour. Schedule includes Monday and Wednesday 8:45-5:15, and Sundays 1-5. Benefits include sick time, IMRF, and vacation time after 1 year of service. Messenger Public Library is an EOE employer.

Please send cover letter and resume to:

Mary Ann Dziekan, Library Administrative Assistant
Messenger Public Library of North Aurora
113 Oak Street
North Aurora, IL 60542
or email: maryannd@northaurora.lib.il.us

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

Youth Services and School Library News

Rebecca Caudill Packet Creation Workshop
Tuesday, June 5th Helen Mathes Library, Effingham, IL
Join with fellow librarians and teachers to create a packet of information and activities to accompany the 20 books selected for the 2008 Rebecca Caudill Award. As a participant you will help to prepare a book summary, discussion questions, activities, reading recommendation, book talk, list of related materials, and web sites for each book on the list. Each participant is assigned particular books to read and be responsible for. However, everyone is encouraged to read as many of the books on the list of 20 as is possible before the workshop. Registration and refreshments will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the day will conclude at 3:00 p.m.
To register, go to http://cleos.shawls.lib.il.us/ce
Please contact Ellen Popit at 800-455-4374, ext. 2024 or epopit@shawls.lib.il.us with any questions.

2008 Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award List
The new list for the 2008 Abraham Lincoln IL High School Book Award has been announced. Go to http://www.islma.org/lincoln.htm for the list of 22 titles. A special thanks goes to the Abe Readers from the PALS area, Sue Holmes from Belvidere High School, Denise Ethun from Boylan High School, Leisl Jaberg from Joliet Public Library! Jane

Read For A Lifetime
Just a reminder that final reporting forms for Read for a Lifetme, the Illinois State Library's popular reading program for teenagers, are due at the State Library no later than April 13. Forms and other information are available at http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/whats_new/rfl.html. Contact Jeanne Urbanek at jurbanek@ilsos.net with questions.

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

Public Library Per Capita Grants
Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White last week awarded Illinois public libraries almost $14.2 million in fiscal year 2007 per capita and equalization aid grants. White said 633 public library per capita grants were allocated at a rate of $1.22 per resident. 10 public libraries with a low library tax base will receive equalization aid grants to ensure a minimum level of funding for library services. "Illinois' public libraries are truly cornerstones of our communities, places where all citizens can go for informational, educational or entertainment purposes," White said. "This funding helps ensure that public libraries have the resources to address the needs of their citizens." Illinois citizens will benefit from the grants being awarded to public libraries this year. Libraries count on these per capita grants for important expenses such as paying for books, personnel, equipment, and electronic access.

Over the course of the next two years, as a requirement to receive a public library per capita and equalization aid grant, White said recipients are being asked to detail their plans for dealing with a disaster. Additionally, at least one member of the library board of trustees must attend a continuing education event and share information from the event with other trustees. "It is vitally important for public libraries to have a plan in place to deal with any type of disaster," White said. "Many libraries have developed comprehensive disaster plans, but all libraries need to have such plans in place. A fire, tornado, flood or other catastrophe can impact patron safety or seriously disrupt the service citizens expect from their public library. White said patrons benefit when library trustees learn the most up to date information before making decisions that impact library policies.

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.

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

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

Library News Around the State & Nation

IOUG Annual Meeting
This year's Illinois OCLC Users Group annual meeting will be held at DePaul University, Loop Campus in Chicago on May 16. The annual meeting will begin with registration and a continental breakfast at 8:00 am in Room 8005 of the DePaul Center located at 1 East Jackson Boulevard in Chicago. Opening remarks will begin at 9:00 am and the day's events will conclude at 3:00 pm. Go to www.islcleo.org to register ($40 fee includes breakfast and lunch) to attend this event.

Hotel information: A limited number of rooms are available for $135.00 plus tax at the Hotel Blake, located at 500 South Dearborn Street in Chicago, just a few blocks from the DePaul Center. Be sure to mention the IOUG Annual Meeting when you call 312-986-1234 to reserve your room. Deadline for this rate is April 15.

Presentations include:
* Chip Nilges, Vice President, Business Development, OCLC, who will discuss the latest developments in the WorldCat.org Service, designed to expand web exposure to local collections.
* Lisa Barnhart, Project Coordinator for LibraryU and Dawne Tortorella, Technology Consultant and President, BellCow, will provide a presentation on the WebJunction Community Partners Program and the implementation and development plans for the Illinois WebJunction site.
* Robin Buser, Cataloging Partners Product Manager, OCLC, will provide a presentation on the WorldCat Selection Service, as well as an overview of the new WorldCat Cataloging Partners service, which combines the PromptCat service and the Cataloging Partners program.
* Jan Ison, Executive Director, Lincoln Trail Libraries System, will discuss the important implications of the Illinois Universal OPAC Project and the WorldCat Local pilot project.
* Tamiye Meehan, Executive Director, Indian Trails Public Library District and President, Illinois Library Association and Bill Pardue, Virtual Services Librarian / NorthStarNet Arlington Heights and Coordinator of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, will provide a presentation on exciting innovations in Reference Service.
* Susan Singleton, Executive Director, CARLI, will provide an update on CARLI and I-Share activities.

LAMA Seeks Top Library Public Relations Materials for 'Best of Show' Awards
CHICAGO - The Library Administration and Management Association’s (LAMA) Public Relations and Marketing Section announces the opening of its Swap and Shop 'Best of Show' awards competition. This annual award program recognizes outstanding public relations materials produced by libraries in 2006. All libraries are invited to submit promotional materials produced between January and December of 2006. Original print materials may be submitted in any of the following categories: annual reports, bibliographies/booklists, calendars of events, fund-raising materials/programs/events, newsletters, original children's reading club materials, original young adult reading club materials, original adult and family reading club materials, printed materials promoting Web sites, special events/programs, services available/orientation materials/policy materials. Judging in all categories will be based on content, originality, design format and effectiveness.

A team with broad experience in librarianship, public relations and marketing will judge the library promotional materials. Winning entries will be on display during the Swap and Shop program, Sunday, June 24, 2007, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., during the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. The awards will be presented to the winners on that day. Free samples of library public relations materials from dozens of libraries will be available for attendees to "Swap and Shop" during the program. Entries must be postmarked by April 1, 2007. For a copy of the entry form, visit www.ala.org/ala/lama/lamacommittees/publicrelationsb/swapandshop/swapshop07entryformdoc.htm or contact Luke Vilelle (lvilelle@vt.edu or 540.231.1108).

News from Vendors
No News from Vendors this week.

Legislative/Advocacy News

The Ball is in Our Court Now
The fate of H.B. 1727 on mandatory filters and whether or not the bill passes in the Illinois House of Representatives rests in great part on us. Do we just sit back and say we lost the battle in the Judiciary Committee where it was heard and was passed? Do we just say that we already called our representative and he's supporting the bill so we can't do anything? Or do we mobilize our supporters, just as our opposition is doing with mass email distribution lists and do our best to sway opinion and make a difference.

Tell your board members to call your legislator, ask your library staff, ask your spouse, your neighbors, your relatives and your library users. Emphasize that not only is this an unfunded mandate that overrides local control, not only is this an issue of censorship and freedom of information, but also point out that you'd be required to take an oath under threat of perjury and that there are penalties of $100 per day! Support your local citizens and libraries by voting NO on House Bill 1727.

For talking points see ILA's mailing #6 or read the bill itself. The bill could be heard any day. It's urgent that we make our calls and send faxes NOW! Letters to the editor of your local paper can also be helpful to have your legislator see that public opinion is not all in support of mandatory filters. If you're not sure of your legislator's contact information, you can find this on both the PALS website by going to your library name, or by entering your address on ILA's CapWiz page.

Hotel Block of Rooms for Illinois Library Day Will be Released Next Week
A reminder that if you're participating in the April 18 All State Dinner with Kip Kolkmeier, ILA lobbyist, and Legislative Breakfast on April 19, Illinois Library Day, you need to reserve a room for overnight. The PALS block of rooms not yet reserved 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.

Save the Date: National Library Legislative Day 2007 - May 1 & 2!
On May 1 & 2, 2007, librarians of are invited to Washington, DC, for an event like no other: National Library Legislative Day (NLLD). A pre-conference "What to Do and How to Do It" takes place on April 30th. NLLD is an event in which people who care about libraries participate in advocacy and issue training sessions, interact with Capitol Hill insiders, and visit congressional member offices to ask Congress to pass legislation that supports libraries. Tell Senators and Representatives about the great programs and activities taking place @ your library! Walk the halls of Capitol Hill and bring important messages from the library community to Members of Congress. For More Information and to register go to: http://www.ala.org/nlld

Just So You Know

The University of Wisconsin/Madison has announced some summer course offerings for 2007.
Please contact the university directly for follow-up and information. Here is your chance to spend a week in Madison this summer! UW-Madison SLIS's summer continuing education courses are listed below. Please see http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed for course descriptions and registration information.
Courses in Madison
*Grant Writing Dates: June 4-7, 2007 Instructor: Jane Pearlmutter
*Summer Camp by the Lake: Public Library Administration Dates: June 25-29, 2007 Instructor: Kelly Krieg-Sigman
*Travel Opportunity-Librarians’ Tour to Scotland Dates: July 14-25, 2007 Tour Director: Jane Pearlmutter
*Summer Camp by the Lake: Cataloging Dates: August 13-17, 2007 Instructor: Debra Shapiro
*Puppets in the Library Dates: August 20-24, 2007 Instructor: Susan Santner
*Summer Online Offerings Graduate Credit Courses Dates: June 18 – August 12, 2007
* Cataloging and Classification Collection Management Digital Libraries Online Skills Courses In cooperation with a national network of educational institutions, we offer online courses on a variety of technical topics and a few non-technical topics. While the courses do not have a library focus, they may be useful to anyone who needs to develop these skills.
Please see http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed for more information.
Questions? Contact Anna Palmer, ahpalmer@wisc.edu or 608-263-4452.

Grant News

LSTA Letter of Intent Deadline
Remember the deadline for letters of intent for FY2008 LSTA grants for Illinois libraries is April 2, 2007. Visit the Illinois State Library's website for more information about this year's grant offerings.

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 23, 2007

31 Places To Monitor Your Reputation Online
With the advent of the social web, there are lots more places you have to check out to see what people are saying about your organization. This piece directs you to tools to search the blogosphere, wikis, social bookmark sites, etc. Readers add a few more tips.
http://www.searchmarketinggurus.com/search_marketing_gurus/2007/02/with_the_explos.html

Cities Around the World
"over 6,100 photographic images from the slide collections of the American Geographical Society Library." Search, or browse by city or country, by Views, Architecture, City and Town Life, by People, or by the 100 cities with the most photos.
http://www.uwm.edu/Libraries/digilib/cities/

Every Child Ready to Read Wiki
Librarians participating in the ECRR program share their ideas and success stories here. Children's librarians who aren't participating can also pick up some useful ideas.
http://wikis.ala.org/ecrr/index.php/Main_Page

Ficlets
"You, as a writer, post a very short (not more than 1,024 characters) piece of fiction or a fiction fragment on the Ficlets site. People come to Ficlets to read what you've written, and to comment on your piece. If they want to, they can also write a "sequel" to your story or story fragment, carrying the story forward from where you left it. Or, alternately, they can write a "prequel," explaining how you got to where you are in the story."
http://ficlets.com/

Library Goddesses
Join in and "share your thoughts on books, materials, fundraising, advocacy, programs, and other aspects of librarianship with the rest of the library community." Currently includes blogs and wikis on several types of books for kids and adults, and the plan is to add more on collection development.
http://librarygoddesses.blogspot.com/

Ning
Create Your Own Social Network
A free platform to create and customize your own "myspace" for people who share your interests.
http://www.ning.com/
Some 30,000 people have already done so, on topics like crime fiction, book marketing, World of Warcraft, and, courtesy of Bill Drew, Library 2.0, at
http://library20.ning.com/

Pet Food Recall Information
Menu Foods
Since Menu Foods produces pet food under several brand labels, your worried pet owners will want to check here to find out which brands those are.
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/

Presidential Recordings Program
[Miller Center of Public Affairs]
Listen here to history as it happened, and/or read transcripts of the 4,000+ hours of conversations held by presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon.
http://www.millercenter.virginia.edu/academic/presidentialrecordings/

Quality Counts 2007:
an Education Week Report
Education policymakers, local officials and parents will be particularly interested in the detailed state by state assessment offered here of school performance and state education policies.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2007/01/04/index.html

Sci-Tech Today
Browse sci-tech news by broad topics (Health, Space, Environment, Innovation, etc.) or search through archived stories going back at least to 2003.
http://www.sci-tech-today.com/

Skywalk over the Grand Canyon Images
Images taken during a preview for the press before the grand opening of the new skywalk.
http://news.com.com/2300-1008_3-6169001-1.html?tag=ne.gall.pg

Winners of Magazine Publishers Association Digital Awards
There's a great deal of free high-quality information on these magazine sites, including substantial article archives, podcasts, blogs, videos, and online communities. (With June swiftly approaching, make sure you check out the site for Brides.com).
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/004093.php

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.