volume #4 issue#18

May 3, 2007

Prairie Views: the newsletter of the Prairie Area Library System

System News

Announcing the FY2008 PALS Board of Directors
This year PALS received the same number and type of nominations as available open board seats. Due to this circumstance, an election was not necessary and those who submitted a nomination were automatically "elected" to the FY2008 PALS Board of Directors. For FY2008 we are welcoming two brand new members to the board - Bobbie Hannon and Charlet Key. We welcome back three members who will finish their first three year term June 30, 2007 - D'Ann Hamilton, Barry Levine, and Penny O'Rourke and will then begin a new term. These five board members will begin their new terms on July 1, 2007. They join continuing board members Nancy Buikema, Margaret (Peggy) Danhof, Jo Ann Gryder, Eve Kirk, Terry Tamblyn, and Catherine Yanikoski. To find out more about our newly elected board members go to the following link http://www.palsnet.info/about/board/announcement.asp

LTA Open House
If you've been thinking about or if you have questions about the LTA (Library Technical Assistant) program, this event is for you. Beginning in fall, 2007, the College of DuPage will be providing LTA courses via videoconference at the Rockford & Coal Valley service centers. (Shorewood members are served by Joliet Community College--more information to come about that program.) On Friday, May 11, 2007, Linda Slusar, the Coordinator for the LTA program at COD will be live in the Rockford Service Center and available via videoconference in the Coal Valley Service Center. She will address your questions and concerns about the program and how to get started. Please register in CLeO if you wish to attend. For more information, please contact Dawn DiVenti dawnd@palsnet.info

Nominations Are Now Being Accepted for the FY2008 PALS Librarian's Advisory Committee - Deadline May 11, 2007
Nominations are sought for the Librarians Advisory Committee from persons working in the Freeport, LaSalle, Rockford, Shorewood, and Sycamore neighborhoods. Terms of office are for two years beginning July 1, 2007. The Librarians Advisory Committee is comprised of 15 representatives. Eight representatives are elected and seven are appointed by the PALS Executive Director. The committee's elected representatives who will be serving the second year of their term in FY2008 are Ava Ketter (Coal Valley), Cynthia Fuerst (Kankakee), and Gail Wright (Sterling). Nominees are being sought to represent the four remaining PALS neighborhoods for FY2008-2009. Self nominations are welcomed. Nominees should complete the online form or send a paper form to Cori Swanson at the Coal Valley Service Center (CVSG) no later than May 11, 2007. Please, follow this link to electronically submit a nomination form.

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

NIU Class at PALS Service Centers this Fall
"Instructional Technology Tools" (ETT 530) will be offered this fall via videoconference at the three PALS Service Centers (Rockford, Shorewood, and Coal Valley) from Northern Illinois University. The class will run on Thursdays from Sept. 13-Dec. 13 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. There are also two lab sessions required on the NIU campus in DeKalb. Those will be held on Sat., Oct. 20 and Sat., Dec. 1st from 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

A second class, "Introduction to Educational Research" (ETR 520) will also be held this fall. Students can take it online or attend class at NIU--Rockford, NIU--Naperville, or NIU--DeKalb. Both classes are media electives for those interested in school media certification, endorsement, or the master's degree in Instructional Technology. For specifics on registering or further information on the NIU/PALS program partnership, please contact Karen Woodworth Roman, Program Advisor, at 815-753-9321 or kwoodworth@niu.edu, Jane Lenser janel@palsnet.info, or Norma Applegate normaa@palsnet.info.

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.

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.
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

Welcome!
Michelle Roubal joined Plainfield Public Library District as Reference and Readers Services Department Head on April 16, 2007. Michelle comes to us from Aurora Public Library where she spent three years as the Adult Services Coordinator. Some of you may remember Michelle for a number of other reasons...Michelle spent three years at New Lenox as the Head of Adult Services. She also worked part-time at the Joliet Black Road Branch from 2002-2004 and is an instructor at JJC for the LTA program. While at New Lenox, Michelle was a founding member of the HTLS virtual reference committee and was instrumental in reviving the Reference Users Group that is still part of PALS. Michelle has taught numerous classes and workshops for PALS as well.

An Afternoon in Search of Treasures of the Sierra Madre
Jeff Biggers, author of In the Sierra Madre, will share tales of his one-year sojourn observing the threatened culture of the indigenous Raramuri in the remote canyons of the Sierra Madre, Mexico. The program is part of the library's monthly Senior Day series at the Bettendorf PL, however, persons of all ages are invited to attend. Multiple copies of the book are available at the library for persons wishing to read the book prior to the presentation. The author will also have books available for sale and autographing. Program funded by Friends of the Library. Refreshments served by Bend of the River Pilot Club.

Closed!
Malta PL is closed through Friday, May 11th due to construction. For further information, people can contact Nancy Smith nancys@palsnet.info or Dawn DiVenti dawnd@palsnet.info .

Congratulations!
Tim Salm from Rock Valley College is one of six Illinois community college librarians awarded grants to attend Illinois Immersion ’07, the ACRL Regional Information Literacy Immersion Institute to be held at Illinois State University in July. The Illinois Library Systems Directors Organization (ILSDO) and the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) have announced six recipients of $300 matching grants to attend Illinois Immersion ’07, the ACRL Regional Information Literacy Immersion Institute in July. The grants, funded by ILSDO, were available to Illinois community college librarians to participate in the ACRL Information Literacy Immersion Program. Grant recipients were selected by CARLI from the applications received by the March 30, 2007 deadline. Each of the grant recipients were required to be accepted to the program independent of receiving the matching grant. Illinois Immersion ’07, taught by a faculty of nationally recognized librarians, offers instruction librarians four-and-a-half days of intensive information literacy training and education.

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.

Kaplan University
is offering the books in the attached list , list 2 free of charge.

If interested contact:
Jennifer Smith
email: jsmith@kucampus.edu

For Sale
Plainfield Public Library has a Toshiba Strata DK40I phone system (without telephone handsets) available for sale. System details are outlined in the attached file.

If interested contact:
Debbie Maxwell
dmaxwell@plainfield.lib.il.us

Rockford Register Star Library
has available:
125th Edition Statistical Abstract of the United States 2006; The National Data Book/ISBN: 1-59888-008-X
14th Edition 2006 County and City Extra/Annual Metro, City, and County Data Book/Edited by Deirdre A. Gaquin and Katherine A. DeBrandt/ISBN: 8-59888-007-1

If interested, contact:
Eleanora L Smith, Head Librarian
Rockford Register Star
815-987-1349
esmith@rrstar.com

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.

Information Specialist
(Part-time) Due to the promotion of a staff member, the Addison Public Library is seeking an enthusiastic and service-oriented professional to join our Adult Services Department. Responsibilities include providing reference service using a variety of print and digital resources, collection development, and providing Internet and other computer training courses to the public. The ideal candidate will have excellent people and communication skills and the ability to deal with the pressure of public service work in a busy and diverse environment. An MLS from an ALA-accredited institution is preferred. Directly related library experience and/or enrollment in an ALA-accredited library science graduate program may be considered in lieu of degree requirement. 17 hours per week, including some evening and weekend hours. Minimum starting salary is $17.20 per hour.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Send resume to:
Uma Mirmira
Head of Adult Services
Addison Public Library
Two Friendship Plaza
Addison, IL 60101.

Adult Services Department
The Addison Public Library is seeking an enthusiastic and innovative person to help us define young adult services in our library. The duties for this newly created full-time position within our Adult Services Department include programming, outreach, collection development, reader’s advisory and reference services, primarily for teen-aged library users. It will also include helping to plan the young adult area of our new 54,000 square foot library scheduled to open in June, 2008.
* Minimum qualifications: MLS from ALA accredited institution. Knowledge of readers advisory and reference techniques and tools in both print and electronic format. Knowledge of young adult literature and teen trends. Prefer one year experience working with young adults (6th thru 12th grade). Bilingual English Spanish is a plus. Schedule includes some evening and weekend hours. Minimum salary is $33,540.

Please send your resume to:
Uma Mirmira
Head of Adult Services
Addison Public Library
Two Friendship Plaza
Addison, IL 60101

Library Director
Due to a retirement, the O’Fallon Public Library in O’Fallon, Illinois, seeks candidates for the position of LIBRARY DIRECTOR. The successful candidate will be a proven leader with strong communication and organizational skills. Ability to plan for and handle the rapid growth in the community is critical. Applicants must have experience overseeing budgets and have the ability to work closely with the library board. The director is the key spokesperson for the library, establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with public officials, civic and community groups, the Library Friends, and the general public. Candidates must have an MLS/MLIS from an ALA-accredited school and have at least 5 years of professional library experience. The salary range begins at $48,300 and includes excellent benefits.

Please send a cover letter that describes your interest, the type and size of budgets managed, supervisory and technology skills, and community relations experience, as well as a detailed resume and 3 letters of reference to:
Attn: Dennis Grimmer
O’Fallon Public Library
120 Civic Plaza
O’Fallon, IL. 62269.
The closing date for applications and resumes is June 1, 2007. For additional information see our web site http://www.ofallonlibrary.org.

Reference and ILL News

Ask?Away Awareness Week May 7-11
Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White is urging Internet users who have not tried the free, innovative Ask?Away Illinois 24/7 virtual reference program to log on to the site during Ask?Away Illinois Awareness Week, May 7-11.
Libraries (whether they're Ask?Away participants or not) can find the Illinois State Library's press release, printable posters, and other information on the http://www.askawayillinois.info/aaaweek.php

Youth Services and School Library News

2008 IREAD - Get in the Game--Read
The IREAD committee is once again going to be holding a more interactive showcase for the IREAD manual at the ILA conference in October. They are asking for help in making this possible. There are so many talented individuals in the library systems throughout the state and they want to use those talents. They are looking for individuals who can bring some ideas and talents to the ILA conference? Ideally they would like several members from each library system to bring crafts, games, slogans etc to the conference so others could gain some valuable ideas for the upcoming summer. This years conference will be held in Springfield from October 10 – 11 and the showcase will be featuring ideas for the 2008 theme “Get in the Game –Read!” If you are interested in sharing, let Jane or Norma know and we will pass your names on to Julie Robbins. Thanks.

Programs-in-a-Box Available to Borrow
The Youth Services Forum (YSF) is pleased to announce that we have started Programs-in-a-Box to help Youth Librarians with their program planning. The YSF has put together different themed programs (each in its own container) that can be checked out by Illinois librarians. Each box contains materials for a great themed program and includes books, puppets, craft suggestions and other creative ideas for a fun and entertaining event. So far, five Programs-in-a-Box are available covering the following topics: Dora the Explorer, Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, Captain Underpants, and Parachute Play.

To find out more about Programs-in-a-Box or to reserve one, please contact Lori Craft at the Itasca Community Library by phone at(630)773-1699 or email lcraft@linc.lib.il.us.

The attached program guides list what is in each kit and gives program suggestions.
Bob the Builder
Captain Underpants
Dora the Explorer
Parachute Fun
Thomas the Tank Engine

Step Up to the plate @ your library :
Baseball and libraries team up for end-of-the-school-year program Did you ever notice that as the weather gets warmer, attention spans get shorter? If you're looking for a way to keep your students engaged through the end of the school year, join AASL, ALA and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Step Up to the Plate @ your library. The program brings together two of America's favorite pastimes - baseball and libraries -to encourage reading. Children and young adults between the ages of 9 to 18 years of age are invited to go to their library, check out a book about baseball and describe how their favorite character inspired them. One grand prize winner will receive a trip to the Hall of Fame in October 2007.

The program Web site at http://www.ala.org/baseball offers free promotional tools to help libraries sponsor the program locally. Tools include program logos in both English and Spanish and a toolkit that includes sample press materials and programming ideas. Kids are not the only winners in Step Up to the Plate. The library that brings in the most entries will win a $100 bookstore gift certificate, and three runners up will be awarded a $50 ALA Graphics gift certificate.
All four will also receive a copy of Lawrence Hogan's Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball (published by National Geographic Society).

The program concludes September 1, 2007. First-place prize packages also will be awarded (five in each of four age categories: age 9-11; 12-14; 15-16 and 17-18) and include a commemorative hardbound copy of the Hall of Fame Yearbook; Hall of Fame t-shirt; commemorative set of 20 Hall of Fame baseball cards; DVD copy of the classic baseball movie, "The Sandlot;" miniature souvenir Akadema Pro baseball glove; and a Jackie Robinson History Lives poster from ALA Graphics.

Public Library News
No Public Library News this week.

Academic Library News
No Academic Library News this week.

Special Library News
No Special Library News this week.

Support Staff News
No Support Staff News this week.

Technology Services News
No Technology Services News this week.

E-Rate Corner

As promised, this week we will discuss E-Rate Year 9 (The Yellow Year) which runs from 07/01/2006 to 06/30/2007. We are fast approaching the end of this funding period so it is time to begin making preparations to collect your funds from the phone companies. Remember that you are not automatically sent the funds owed to you. You must request them by way of Form 472 (The BEAR Form). Those of you who receive a monthly credit on your phone bills have already finished the BEAR process. These steps apply to those of you who wait until the end of the funding period and then apply for a lump sum reimbursement. To begin this process, you should first go back to your 471 Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL). The last page of this document is the Funding Commitment Report which gives a detailed description of each Funding Commitment Decision. The last line of each of these decisions contains the actual amount of money that you can request from each phone company. With this information in hand, your are ready to contact your service providers and find out exactly what forms they need you to send them. So next week, watch for, The BEAR Form, How To Do It.

As always for any help with E-rate contact Marilyn Janssen at PALS Rockford by
email: marilynj@palsnet.info
or by phone: 815-229-4470.

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

Library News Around the State & Nation

"Library Appreciation Night" at the White Sox
Baseball season is getting underway so it is time to make plans for "Library Appreciation Night" at the Chicago White Sox game on Thursday, July 5th at 7:11 p.m. On this special night, bargain priced tickets are available to librarians, library staff, trustees, and their families and friends. Tickets normally priced at $35 and $16 are available for $17.50 and $8 respectively. Tickets must be ordered ahead of time with a deadline of June 1st. Please see the flyer for more details.

James Rettig Elected ALA President for 2008-2009
CHICAGO - James Rettig, university librarian at the University of Richmond (Va.), has been elected president of the American Library Association (ALA) for the 2008-2009 term, defeating Nancy Davenport, president, Nancy Davenport and Associates. As ALA president, Rettig will be the chief elected officer for the oldest and largest library organization in the world. The ALA has a membership of more than 64,000 librarians, library trustees and library supporters. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information. Rettig will become president-elect in July 2007, and will assume the ALA presidency in July 2008, following the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif. He will serve a one-year term as president and a one-year term as Immediate Past President.

Con-Con CD's
Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White and Senate President Emil Jones, Jr. announced this week that Illinois' public and academic libraries soon will be receiving a free CD through ILDS containing the complete record of proceedings from Illinois' historic sixth Constitutional Convention in 1970. The Illinois Legislative Research Unit (LRU), at the request of President Jones, undertook the project with the goal of having an easy-to-use, hyperlinked CD of manageable size. The CD is composed of seven volumes and approximately 8,900 pages of convention proceedings and puts them onto one Mac or PC compatible CD. Secretary White said the convention records are still frequently used, but users currently have only the printed volumes and index for legal research. He said public interest in the 1970 Constitutional Convention is expected to increase during the coming months as Illinois voters decide in 2008 whether the state should conduct another Constitutional Convention.

"I anticipate that teachers, historians, members of the media and others will want to revisit the 1970 Convention as the 2008 election approaches," said White. "I am delighted that this CD will be available at our public, college and university libraries. Those who review the record of these historic proceedings will no doubt be fascinated by how this important document came together during ten months of intense negotiations." The CD also contains several additional documents to aid in researching the convention. The original document is unchanged, though LRU corrected misspelled words for searches. Search capabilities allow the researcher to search for a word that was originally misspelled and still find it. It may be searched by key word, table of contents, or index for the volumes; or it may be searched by the Mary Redmond Index, organized by article and section. In addition to its availability at public and academic libraries, the contents of the CD may be used or downloaded free of charge from the Illinois General Assembly's Internet site: http://www.ilga.gov.

News from Vendors
No News from Vendors this week.

Legislative/Advocacy News
No Legislative News This Week.

Just So You Know

Attention library support staff!
Joliet Junior College is a great place to learn and form life long networks. We are accepting registrations for the following LTA courses. Interested in knowing more about the LTA program at Joliet Junior College?

Contact Catherine Suchy at 815 280 6604 or visit http://www.jjc.edu/lrc/ and click on Library Careers. Current course offerings are:
LTA 202 Readers’ Advisory and Programs with Mary Soucie starting 8/23 R
LTA 201 Cataloging and Classification with Catherine Suchy starting 8/22 W
LTA 101 Introduction to Libraries with Susan Prokopeak starting 8/20 M

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 May 4, 2007

11th Annual Webby Awards
Links to the winners in a variety of categories, as well as to those chosen by the "people's voice" and to the finalists in each category.
http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=11

Bully Online:
bullying in the workplace, school, family and community
Includes information on the negative effects of bullying, practical actions to take against it, case histories, resources for employers, and an extensive list of resources.
http://www.bullyonline.org/

Discovering Antarctica
teaching and learning resources
This very cool site (a 2007 Webby award finalist) offers backgrounders, images, audios, videos, interactives, a glossary, and teachers' resources.
http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/

Eat Well Guide
"the easiest and most comprehensive way for you to find wholesome, fresh, sustainable food in the US and Canada. Find food in your neighborhood and when you travel that is healthful, humane, better for the environment, and that supports family farmers."
http://www.eatwellguide.org/

Free Comic Book Day
May 5, 2007
So far, this event seems to be limited largely to comics dealers, but at least one library organization, the New Jersey State Library, is on board. I bet your YA librarians would love to get involved in this event.
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/

Home Ec 101
What You Wish Your Mama Taught You
The chatty, clear explanations in this searchable, browsable blog address topics such as Cleaning That Mess, Getting Rid of Stuff, Ms. Fix-It, Pet Problems, Menu Monday, and lots more.
http://www.home-ec101.com/

How To Conduct a Job Interview
Advice on how to get the most mileage out of a short interview to get a strong sense of how a job candidate will fit with your organization's needs.
http://www.bnet.com/2403-13056_23-52947.html

Library MySpace Study Bibliography
Two LIS grad students at Dominican are doing a study on libraries with MySpace pages, and are inviting these librarians to become friends and answer surveys. Check out the libraries that are already involved.
http://www.myspace.com/librarymyspacestudy

OLogy
The American Museum of Natural History's site for kids. Each of the "ologies" - marine biology, archaeology, astronomy, etc. - includes polls, Stuff To Do, "Meet the Ologists," "What Do You Know?" and a section on "What's the Big Idea?"
http://ology.amnh.org/

Social Psychology Network
Links by Subtopic
Social psychology addresses many of our most common human issues - aggression, racism, attraction, gender issues, divorce, and lots more. This site directs us to prime research sites for those issues.
http://www.socialpsychology.org/social.htm

Visuwords online graphical dictionary
This is fascinating, a kind of visual thesaurus. Type in a word and an animation displays a mouseover definition and a kind of neural network of associations and related concepts. "Book," for example, is part of a conceptual universe including account books and ledgers, notebooks, sketch books, coffee table books, paperbacks, holy books, etc.
http://www.visuwords.com/

Womenfolk:
the Art of Quilting
This visual feast of a site includes a history of American quilting, of quilting patterns, and of the quilting styles of various ethnic groups - all beautifully illustrated. Also includes news, little known facts, info on quilt care, and links to interesting quilts and techniques.
http://www.womenfolk.com/

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.