volume #5 issue#8

February 21, 2008

Prairie Views: the newsletter of the Prairie Area Library System

System News

Statistics Time
It's that time again that we ask our members to do a statistical count in delivery. The weeks we are counting are February 25 through March 7. Please look for your forms to come out in the delivery next week. The delivery department thanks you for helping us with these counts. If you have any questions, please contact your delivery hub supervisor:
Coal Valley - Brenda Roman, ext 3152 or brendar@palsnet.info
Rockford - Marilyn Janssen, ext 4470 or marilynj@palsnet.info
Shorewood - Shirley Grasty, ext 2706 or shirleyg@palsnet.info

Revised Library Supplies Order List
A newly revised version of the PALS Library Supplies Order List is now available on the PALS website at: http://www.palsnet.info/services/ba/default.asp or at: http://www.palsnet.info/members/vdiscount.asp. A new column has been added for those items purchased through Brodart to include the Brodart Item#. Hopefully that will make it easier to identify the product before ordering because there has been some confusion in the past.
If you have any questions about ordering library supplies, please contact Brenda Roman at ext 3152 or brendar@palsnet.info.

PALS Day Free Bus Rides Available
PALS members can now register on the http://palsnet.info/events calendar on May 7th for a free bus ride to PALS Day at Starved Rock Lodge. A bus will depart from each service center area-Moline, Rockford Service Center, and Shorewood Service Center with a second pickup point in each area. The points and times listed are tentative but likely based on past experience. If your library or community has 10 people riding, please contact Nancy Smith (nancys@palsnet.info or x4466) about the possibility of arranging a pickup at your library.
Remember to register separately for PALS Day attendance.

Reaching Forward Bus Ride Available
PALS members can now register on http://palsnet.events on May 9th for a bus ride from the Shorewood Area or from the Rockford Area to the annual Reaching Forward Conference for Library Assistants. To look information about and to register for the conference go to the Reaching Forward http://www.reachingforward.org/. The ride is $30 per person and we will need 20 people registered on each bus by April 1st.
If this goal is not met we will try to arrange transportation by van.

If you know there are 10 people riding from your library or community please contact Nancy Smith (nancys@palsnet.info or x4466) about the possibility of arranging a pickup at your library.

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

Basic Collection Development and Management
Presented by Peggy Johnson from the University of Minnesota, this "basics" workshop introduces attendees to concepts and best practices for collection development and management. The two-day workshop combines interactive presentations with group activities.
April 28-29, 2008 Chicago, IL Fee: $329 ALCTS Member For more information and to register go to: http://www.ala.org/ala/alcts/alctsconted/alctsceevents/workshops/basiccolldev.cfm

PALS Board Member to Present for Metropolitan Library System
PALS Board member and Homer Township Library District trustee, Barry Levine, will be presenting a workshop for trustees entitled Not My Responsibility: Building Relationships Between Trustees and Directors for the Metropolitan Library System. The workshop will cover such issues as hiring a Library Director, as well as disciplining or terminating when necessary; the roles and responsibilities of both the Board and Director, and where those roles may intersect or become confused; and also the differences between governance and management, and how confusion along those lines can lead to conflict.

The event is scheduled for Thursday, March 13th, 7-9 PM at MLS Burr Ridge Office.
To learn more about the event go to http://www.mls.lib.il.us/calendar/ or to register go to http://www.mls.lib.il.us/calendar/CalendarManage.cfm?ID=2731&etype=1&State=16&LangID=1&group=0.

Member News

Congratulations!
The Moline Public Library is pleased to share that Christina Conklin, Children's Services Coordinator, has been named a member of the Synergy: The Illinois Library Leadership Initiative 2008. Congratulations, Christina!

And, to the other PALS synergists:
Julie Dahl, University of St. Francis
Carol Schrey, Franklin Grove Public Library
Cason Snow, Founders Memorial Library
Lynne Thomas, Founders Memorial Library
Congrats to all!

More Congratulations!
to the following PALS member institutions who are among 851 library, archives and museums nationally awarded an IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf this week. The bookshelf includes an essential set of books, online resources, and a user’s guide that can profoundly impact the ability of libraries and museums to care for their collections. To read more about the bookshelf, visit the IMLS website. Recipients in PALS are:
Olivet Nazarene University
Palmer College of Chiropractic
St. Ambrose University

Join us
at the LaSalle Public Library on Monday, March 3 at 6:30 pm as we host a reception to celebrate the acquisition of the amazing 35,000 Cricket Book Collection. Guest storytellers will read aloud from the Cricket Collection books. Children attending the event will have a chance to become "Cricket Kids @ the LaSalle Public Library" by participating in an incentive reading program. This collection includes "tiny hands" books for the youngest library patrons, picture books, readers, early and intermediate books for independent reading, and titles that appeal to young adults. This will be a great introduction to the Collection and an opportunity to browse the over 3,000 books we have cataloged as well as the rest of the collection. The LaSalle Public Library is located at 305 Marquette St / LaSalle, IL 61301. For more information, please call 815-223-2341.

Kankakee Community College (Learning Resource Center) is hosting Libraries, Millennials and You: The New World Patron/Student. T.J. Urbanski, from the New Mexico State University Library is the presenter. He will be speaking on characteristics which define the millennial patron; technology's role in the millennial learning environment and some tools available for use. Two sessions are being held at Kankakee Community College on March 3rd (10:00-1:00 and 2:30-5:30). A third presentation is being held on Friday, March 7th from 2:30-5:30 at the Satellite Center in Watseka. Contact Karen Becker for additional information, kbecker@kcc.edu. Funding for this program made possible through an LSTA Grant, awarded the Illinois State Library, a division of the Secretary of State’s Office.

Missing Books - members are welcome to post information about materials that are missing in transit. As with all Prairie Views submissions, please send

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.

Lemont Public Library
Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance, 13th ed., 2005, 5 volumes

If interested contact:
Debbie Somchay
Phone: 630-257-6541
Email: dsomchay_at_lemontlibrary.org

Kishwaukee College Library
2007 Illinois Manufacturer’s Directory

If interested, contact:
Tim Lockman
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Kishwaukee College Library
Malta, IL
815/ 825-2086 ext. 566
tlockman@kishwaukeecollege.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.

No Job Openings this week.

Reference and ILL News

New Web Address for I-Share
Please update your links and bookmarks to the I-Share catalog (formerly called ILLINET Online; consortium catalog of 71 Illinois academic libraries), because it has a new address. A couple schools recently reported not being able to access I-Share, and I-Share tech support thinks the problem may be caused by the school networks blocking the immediate “redirect” which happens when the old address is used. The new address for I-Share is: https://i-share.carli.illinois.edu/uc/ (Note that it begins with https and not just http.) If anyone still has problems connecting to I-Share, please let Brian Smith know, ext 2704 or brians@palsnet.info.

Youth Services and School Library News

Free Resources
The federal government offers a treasure trove of teaching and learning resources. Where can you find them? FREE (http://www.free.ed.gov). FREE organizes more than 1,500 lesson plans, primary documents, science animations, math challenges, and works of art, literature, and music from the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, National Archives, National Science Foundation, NASA, National Institutes of Health, National Gallery of Art, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other federal agencies.
See resources by subject (http://www.free.ed.gov/sitemap.cfm) or topic (http://www.free.ed.gov/sitemap.cfm?page=alpha). to the use of E-mail and the Internet.

Public Library News

Use of Publics Mailing List by Members Is Increasing
Almost half of the traffic (57 of 120 messages) on the Publics e-mailing list for Public Library Staff over the past few months. were questions, comments, and answers from member library folks. Just in January members shared information about vacation time policies, collection agencies, inclement weather policies, and honoring academic cards.

Currently more than 300 public library administrators and staff—at least one from each of the 140 member public libraries—are signed up for the list. The average traffic over the past 7 months has been 18 message per month. PALS staff members use this mailing list, as well as the publics section of Prairie Views, to target messages to folks working in and interested in public libraries. During January PALS staff used the list to alert and inform members about Smoke-Illinois resources, the USCIS free Civics & Citizenship toolkit, the upcoming “Advanced” SPLMI scheduled for June, and construction grants & hearings.

If you are not currently a member of the mailing list, signing up would give you access to more than 300 of your peers to ask questions of. It would help you keep up on what’s happening for and in public libraries.
To subscribe go to http://mailman.palsnet.info/mailman/listinfo/publics. If you are concerned about the number of e-mails coming to your mailbox, consider choosing the digest option which comes only once a day. The mailing list is archived, giving subscribers the advantage of going back to look at messages or information previously exchanged.

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
No E-Rate Corner this week.

New Books at PALS

New titles at CVSG, RFSY, and SWSB
Illinois library Laws & Rules, in effect January 2008, Prof. Coll. 311.73 IL
Financial Manual for Illinois Public Libraries, Prof. Coll. 025.11 Ill

Library News Around the State & Nation

Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration
(SOS Office, Springfield) Secretary of State and State Librarian/Archivist Jesse White has announced that the Illinois State Archives and Illinois State Library have embarked on a multifaceted promotional campaign to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln on February 12, 2009. "One year from now, our nation will celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Illinois' greatest son and our nation's greatest President," White said. "The Illinois State Archives and Illinois State Library have many connections to Abraham Lincoln, and the Secretary of State's office is proud to help mark this important birthday celebration by making the public, and especially our schoolchildren, aware of Lincoln's greatness." Most citizens are probably not aware that Abraham Lincoln was the first person to borrow a book from the Illinois State Library in 1842. Lincoln is also the only U.S. President to be awarded a patent, and the State Library's Patent and Trademark Library has information about the patent. The Illinois State Archives holds a number of Lincoln documents, many written in Lincoln's hand. The Illinois Digital Archives (IDA), a repository of the Illinois State Library's digital collections, contains books and documents about the life, political career, and assassination of Abraham Lincoln. IDA has recently digitized the State Archives' collection of Lincoln documents, which can be accessed at www.idaillinois.org.

The promotional campaign has kicked off with an essay contest for students in grades 5-12. Students are encouraged to write a modern day version of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, reflecting their personal thoughts and dreams about where America is as a nation, and their ideals for freedom, democracy and equal opportunity. Winners and their parents or guardians will come to Springfield for an awards presentation in conjunction with the bicentennial celebration next February. Winners will read their essays at the awards ceremony, tour the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, and receive a plaque and cash award. Winning essays will also be published in the 2009 Handbook of Illinois Government.

Other components of the promotional campaign will include:
* A series of six collectible bookmarks with notable trivia about Lincoln;
* A colorful poster that will be sent to schools and libraries in the next few weeks;
* A display in the Secretary of State's tent at the 2008 and 2009 Illinois State Fair;
* Flagpole banners that will be displayed around the State Library and State Archives in Springfield (see item below);
* Informational packets that will be provided to teachers for classroom use.

White thanked the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Center for the Book for co-sponsoring the student essay competition. The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and the Lincoln Illinois Bicentennial Commission have also endorsed the contest. The Lincoln Illinois Bicentennial Commission has also awarded a $3,153 grant to the State Library to help pay for flagpole banners. Essay contest forms have been sent to all Illinois public and private elementary and secondary schools. Forms may also be downloaded at: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/lincolnsessay.pdf.

New Woman’s Day Initiative Asks Readers To Share Stories On How the Library Helped Improve Their Health
(ALA, Chicago) Where is the best place to go to find reliable and accurate information about your health? The answer is @ your library. From now until May 11, Woman’s Day magazine, in conjunction with ALA’s Campaign for America’s Libraries, is collecting stories on how its readers have used the library to improve a family member’s or their health. The magazine announced the initiative in its March issue, where it asks its readers aged 18 and over to submit their stories in 700 words or less. Stories can be sent to womansday@ala.org. Up to four of the submissions will be featured in the March 2009 issue of Woman’s Day. Librarians can promote this initiative locally by downloading sample promotional materials from The Campaign for America's Libraries’ Web site at www.ala.org/@yourlibrary. Sample tools include a press release, newsletter copy and Web button. Woman’s Day is a Founding Partner of The Campaign for America’s Libraries, the ALA’s multi-year public awareness and advocacy campaign to promote the value of libraries and librarians. Other Founding Partners include Dollar General, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The Campaign is made possible in part by ALA’s Library Champions, ALA’s highest level of corporate members, who support public awareness and advocacy for America’s Libraries.

The Truth About Cancer
The American Library Association is pleased to announce that it is working with WGBH Boston on the upcoming national outreach campaign for the film The Truth About Cancer, which will air on PBS April 16th at 9 p.m. (check local listings). The 90-minute documentary film, followed by a 30-minute expert panel, hosted by news journalist and cancer survivor Linda Ellerbee will be the launching pad for events and projects across the country focused on creating community conversations around cancer survivorship. ALA and WGBH encourage libraries to reach out to their local PBS stations to collaborate with them on events surrounding this film. In addition, WGBH encourages libraries to reach out to its national outreach partners on this project including the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the John Wayne Cancer Foundation, Lance Armstrong Foundation, YMCA of the USA and the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups. These collaborations will provide an excellent opportunity for libraries to develop new-or strengthen existing-community partnerships, while offering a valuable service to their communities.

To assist in these outreach efforts, WGBH will offer extensive online resources, including downloadable handouts, which will be available on www.pbs.org/takeonestep starting in March 2008. In addition, a limited number of free Outreach Toolkits including two event posters and a DVD Screener that will include 30 minutes of the film and the full expert panel to libraries that request them. WGBH asks that libraries not hold public screenings using the DVD screener until one week prior to the premiere broadcast. To order the Outreach Toolkit, please go to: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/takeonestep/request.html. Materials are limited and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. This collaborative project with WGBH is administered by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of ALA. Contact Barbara Macikas, RUSA, bmacikas@ala.org or 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4395.

News from Vendors
No News this week.

Legislative/Advocacy News

Congress in Recess… Connect with Them at Home!
(ALA, Washington) Dear Library Advocates, Congress is in recess this week, so this is an excellent time to connect with your Representative or Senators while they’re back home. Simply call the district office to either make an appointment or to learn the schedule of town hall meetings or forums. Also invite your Member of Congress to tour your library to see for themselves the positive contributions libraries are making in their communities. Ask some questions or bring information about your library and library issues to any town hall meetings or forums. This is one way to re-enforce the “Library Message” with each Member of Congress. Paint a picture of how key federal legislative issues will impact your library and your library constituents. And, while you’re at it you can remind them that your local library could be a place to schedule their next Town Hall meeting! Have fun – remember it’s recess!

Key Messages
* Save School Libraries!
* Preserve Civil Liberties in FISA Reform
* Include Libraries in ‘Farm Bill’ Telecom Program

Grant News

Grants Available for "Let's Talk About It: Love & Forgiveness"
The ALA Public Programs Office, in collaboration with the Fetzer Institute's Campaign for Love & Forgiveness, is now accepting applications for "Let's Talk About It: Love & Forgiveness," a theme-based reading and discussion program. Complete application information, including program guidelines and reading lists, can be found at www.ala.org/letstalk. The deadline for applications is July 15. "Let's Talk About It: Love and Forgiveness" will follow the well-established ALA reading and discussion series format "Let's Talk About It," using classic and contemporary literature to explore stimulating and relevant themes. Project themes and books were chosen by national project scholar Betty Sue Flowers, Ph.D., director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum and former Kelleher professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin. Following a competitive application process, 30 public libraries will be selected to receive: * A grant of $2,500, to be used to support program costs and scholar honoraria. * Program materials, which include introductory literature and essays on each of the themes, selections for additional reading and template promotional materials. * Training for the library project director at a national workshop, where they will hear from the project scholar, expert librarians and organizers and receive a program planning guide, materials and ideas. Successful applicants will be notified of their status by the end of August. For more information on "Let's Talk About It: Love & Forgiveness," visit www.ala.org/letstalk or www.loveandforgive.org.

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

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.