Letter To Libraries Online

An Electronic Newsletter from the Oregon State Library.......Volume 17, Issue 5, May 2007

Library Board News

STATE LIBRARY BUDGET PASSED BY THE LEGISLATURE

Senate Bill 5523, having passed in the Oregon Senate in March, was passed in the House on April 12th. The bill provides a 25% increase to the Ready to Read Grant program for public libraries. In the 2007-09 biennium the program will be funded at $1 per child per year, up from 84 cents per child per year this biennium. Extra funds were also provided to allow for $1,000 minimum grants to qualifying libraries. SB 5523 now awaits the Governor’s signature. A related bill, HB 2117, is still awaiting a hearing in the Senate Education Committee, having passed the House in February. A hearing is expected in May. The bill targets the Ready to Read Grant program on early literacy and summer reading programs and allows for the minimum grants to small libraries. In other Legislative news, the Oregon Library Association bill, SB 950, that would exempt library patron email addresses from disclosure as public records passed the Senate on April 4th and will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee on May 1st.

STATE LIBRARY BOARD APPROVES ASSISTANCE FOR DOUGLAS COUNTY

At their meeting on April 18th in Corvallis, the State Library Board voted to extend LSTA-funded consulting assistance to the Douglas County Library System. At an earlier meeting, the Board had already decided to offer planning assistance to the libraries in Jackson County, Josephine County and Malheur County, all of which had lost funding elections in 2006. While the Douglas County Library did not lose an election, they face the same crisis as the libraries in Jackson and Josephine Counties, due to the loss of Federal funds under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. In other action, the Board voted to award a grant to the Oregon Library Association to support the Horner Library Staff Exchange Project this year. The grant will come from the Horner endowment fund and from other discretionary funds at the State Library. Four Chinese librarians will visit Oregon in June and July this year and three Oregon librarians will visit China in the fall.

FREDA VARS IS LIBRARY SUPPORTER OF THE YEAR

Freda Vars of Corvallis, who will retire from the State Library Board at the end of June, was honored for her two decades of service to Oregon libraries by the Oregon Library Association. The award was presented at the OLA Conference on April 19th. Corvallis-Benton County Library Director Carolyn Rawles-Heiser and State Librarian Jim Scheppke nominated Vars for the award.

Vars has been a leader on both the library board and the library foundation in Corvallis and led two campaigns that created a library district in Benton County and funded the Corvallis library expansion project. At the state level she was a member of the legislative interim committee in 1992 that created the Ready to Read Grant program and the statewide library resource sharing program. She served on the LSTA Advisory Council prior to being appointed by Governor Kitzhaber to the State Library Board in 1999. She chaired the Board in 2003-04. In his nomination letter, State Librarian Jim Scheppke said, “As a member of the State Library Board, Freda will always be remembered for her hard work and preparation, for her thoughtfulness and intelligence, and for her directness and candor. She has been a natural leader of the Board — someone who the other Board members have looked to for guidance and wisdom.”

State Library News

STATE LIBRARY EXHIBITS SALEM PIONEER’S TIMELINE OF HISTORY

Among the hundreds of thousands of items in the collections of the Oregon State Library, perhaps the most unusual is the work of an Oregon pioneer and resident of Salem, Sebastian C. Adams. His twenty-one foot scroll: A Chronological Chart of Ancient, Modern, and Biblical History, a “best seller” of the 1870s, is today a treasure to antiquarians but little known to the public. An exact photo-replica of the first edition of the entire scroll is now on display at the State Library. A second framed copy of a later edition of the original scroll is also on exhibit. The Chronological Chart presents the entire history of the world from its Biblical beginnings until the mid-19th century when the chart was produced. Adams drew upon his extensive knowledge of world history and Biblical history, “synchronizing” the events in a richly illustrated timeline. He worked with Strobridge & Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, who illustrated and produced the scroll, beginning in 1871. Adams traveled throughout the country for six years to sell copies of the scroll to libraries, schools, museums and individuals. It appeared in several editions and today can be found in many library collections.

FINAL GATES STAYING CONNECTED TRAININGS OFFERED

The last three sessions of training funded by the Gates Staying Connected Grant in Oregon will be held in May and June. These trainings are sponsored by the Oregon State Library and are conducted by Infopeople trainers. These sessions are free, open to public library staff and include lunch. Registration for the sessions is available online.

Increase Your Computer Competency-Practical Tips and Tricks (limited to 20 participants each session)

Tuesday May 15, 2007 9-4:30 (check in at 8:30)
Blue Mountain Community College-Pendleton (room ST 206)

Wednesday May 16, 2007 9-4:30 (check in at 8:30)
WCCLS Headquarters – Hillsboro

Genealogy Resources on the Internet (limited to 20 participants)

Monday June 4, 2007 9-4:30 (check in at 8:30)
Blue Mountain Community College-Pendleton (room ST 206)

WORK ON 2008-2012 OREGON LSTA FIVE YEAR PLAN PROGRESSING

The State Library is working on creating the next LSTA Five-Year plan with Himmel & Wilson Library Consultants and an advisory committee from the Oregon library community. The advisory group met on March 26th to begin working on high level goals, received a draft of the plan for comment and met again on April 30th to discuss comments and continue discussion. The LSTA Advisory Council will hold a working session on May 17th, the day before their regular meeting, to discuss the draft plan and make a recommendation to the State Library Board. The State Library Board will consider the plan at their June 21st meeting in The Dalles. The State Library is required to submit the 2008-2012 Five Year Plan by June 30, 2007 to the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE AWARDS CELEBRATION

The Letters About Literature Awards Celebration on April 16 was a great success. Thirteen of the 15 honored students attended and read their award winning letters. The students bravely read aloud personal letters they had written to authors about changes in themselves or the way they view the world to an audience of approximately 90 people. State Senator Richard Devlin and authors Virginia Euwer Wolff, Ellen Howard, Linda Crew, and Bill Sullivan joined the students’ families, friends, librarians, and teachers to celebrate their achievements. More information about this annual reading and writing contest is available on the Letters About Literature web page.

TBABS BUILDS AWARENESS DURING HEALTHY VISION MONTH

May is designated Healthy Vision Month, and Talking Book and Braille Services (TBABS) is working with state and national partners to promote healthy vision. Throughout the month, TBABS will collect used prescription eyeglasses for those in need as part of the Lions' Recycle for Sight campaign. In addition, TBABS will be on hand at Portland's Lloyd Center for opening ceremonies May 26 of "Eye Sight," a traveling shopping mall exhibit on low vision commissioned by the National Eye Institute. The exhibit remains in Portland until June 23 when it moves to the Lancaster Mall in Salem. The exhibit's final Oregon stop is Eugene's Valley River Center from July 14 to August 9.

Other Library News

32 MORE PUBLIC LIBRARIES JOIN OREGON DIGITAL LIBRARY CONSORTIUM

Many more Oregonians will be able to download audiobooks from their public library, beginning in July, as the Oregon Digital Library Consortium adds new members. The ODLC manages Library2Go which began in 2006 and offers a large and growing collection of downloadable audiobooks. On July 1, 2007, 29 new public libraries will join the 31 public libraries that already participate in the ODLC. This will make a total of 60 libraries participating in the project in 2007-08. The percentage of all Oregonians who will be able to download audiobooks will grow to 79% of the total state population. The ODLC hopes to be able to expand their offerings to downloadable video in 2008.

OREGON BLUE BOOK HAS A NEW LOOK ONLINE

The Oregon Blue Book, a classic Oregon document, published the 2007-2008 edition in March. Along with the new edition came a newly-designed online Blue Book. The new design includes games and a coloring book for kids, Oregon trivia, and online exhibits. The Blue Book's What's New page has more information about new features. Public entities may order the Blue Book at the discounted price of $10.00 through June 30, 2007. For more information, contact Julie Yamaka at the Oregon State Archives, 503-378-5199.

COLLABORATIVE SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAM MEETS IN PORTLAND

The annual Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) meeting was held April 11- 14 in Portland. The meeting ran smoothly thanks to the 20 Oregon librarians who volunteered at the registration table and as runners. A lot of good work was accomplished in a short time, most significantly, the newly established Diversity Committee met for the first time to develop goals for making CSLP materials easier to translate into other languages. The summer reading program slogans for 2009 will be “Be Creative @ Your Library” for children and “Express Yourself @ Your Library” for teens. The CSLP annual meeting is attended every year by OLA’s Children Services Division Chair Elect and the State Library's Youth Services Consultant. For more information about the Collaborative Summer Library Program, go to the CSLP website or contact Katie Anderson, 503-378-2528.

P.S. (From the State Librarian)

Are you an aficionado of the biblioblogosphere yet?

The biblioblogosphere is the tongue-twisting name for the many library blogs that have popped up in the last year or two. I haven’t heard of anyone who has tried to count them all, but there must be over a hundred by now. I wonder if other professions have so many people with so much to say?

I think these blogs are the best thing that has happened to librarianship in a long time. It’s there that you will find some of the most interesting new ideas and passionate debate in our profession. I don’t get to spend as much time in the biblioblogosphere as I would like. But I do have a list of library blog bookmarks that pop down from the toolbar of my browser, a list that grows longer all the time.

Here are some of the blogs that I try to get to, at least once every week or two:

ALA TechSource
This blog is sponsored by ALA and brings together a lot of the top library technology bloggers like Michael Stephens and Jenny Levine and Tom Peters in one place.

Hectic Pace
Another ALA-sponsored blog featuring American Libraries technology columnist Andrew Pace.

TeleRead
If you want to keep up with e-book developments, Tele-Read is a must read.

Peter Brantley’s Thoughts and Speculations
Brantley is the director of the Digital Library Federation, but this is his personal blog. Brantley is a deep, radical thinker about the future of libraries and an intriguing writer.

Free Range Librarian
This is Karen Schneider’s blog. I’ve been a Karen Schneider fan for quite awhile. Click on #1 under “Popular Posts” to get the flavor of her sharp mind.

walking paper
How about a blog by the new director of our own North Plains Public Library, Aaron Schmidt? Aaron’s blog is always fresh and entertaining.

The Digital Librarian
Here’s another local boy’s blog. Jeremy Frumpkin at OSU always has interesting and important things to say.

L-net Blog
Caleb Tucker-Raymond always has interesting posts on the L-net blog. Where else would you learn about IM reference at the McMinnville Public Library?

I could go on with this list, but I will stop there. I also try to get to LibrarianinBlack.net, LibraryCrunch, blyberg.net, and Tame the Web as often as I can. If you haven’t gotten into the biblioblogosphere yet, you’re really missing out on a lot of new ideas that may challenge your thinking. – Jim Scheppke

Contacts at the Oregon State Library

Technical Assistance: 503-932-1004.

Library Development: 503-378-2525, MaryKay Dahlgreen, Val Vogt, Darci Hanning, Ann Reed, Patty Sorensen, Katie Anderson.

Talking Book and Braille Services: 503-378-5389, Susan Westin, Marcia Martin.

Government Research and Electronic Services: 503-378-5030, Robert Hulshof-Schmidt.

State Librarian: 503-378-4367, Jim Scheppke.

LTLO Editor: 503-378-2464, Robin Speer.

Letter to Libraries Online is published monthly by the Oregon State Library. Editorial office: LTLO, Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97301-3950, 503-378-2464, editor: Robin Speer.

Letter to Libraries Online is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form on the publications page at the Oregon State Library's homepage: http://www.oregon.gov/OSL. Opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Oregon State Library. News items or articles should be sent to Robin Speer, or mailed to LTLO, Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97301-3950.

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