"Internet Dilemma: Filtered or Non-filtered," is a National Satellite Teleconference from Indianapolis. The discussion will cover the Internet and intellectual freedom, potential threats posed by Internet filtering, current laws, and practical information about how filters work and what they can and cannot do. Guest speakers will offer their views, and participants may email or phone in with questions and comments. This workshop is April 11 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at RPLS. Register with Angela at angelat@rpls.ws or call 429-2586.

IPLAR and Per Capita Work Session is a work session that will be a review of the IPLAR during which changes in the IPLAR will be noted.  Instructions and tips on using the diskette version of the IPLAR will also be given.  The requirements for the per capita grant application will be reviewed with tips on writing strong, meaningful narratives. This workshop is April 12 from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at RPLS. Register with Angela at angelat@rpls.ws or call 429-2586.

"Construction Grant Workshop" Join Nancy Ortciger from the Illinois State Library for an overview of the Construction Grant Program.  Several RPLS Librarians will also be present to discuss their experiences with construction projects.  RPLS Executive Director Robert Plotzke will also be on hand to answer questions about using a building consultant.  This workshop is April 23 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at RPLS. Register with Angela at angelat@rpls.ws or call 429-2586.

If you would like to register for any of these events please contact Angela at angelat@rpls.ws.
 

The CE compliance form can be found on the RPLS web page at the following address.  http://www.rpls.ws/procmanual/ce_compliance.htm

This form is due to RPLS by July 15, 2001 and must show attendance at a program, workshop, conference, etc. between July 1, 2000 and June 30, 2001.
 

The Featured Database for March is PAIS International; for April, it will be OCLC ArticleFirst (which the IL State Library is already providing to ILLINET members). OCLC will be announcing each new featured database via the FirstSearch Listserv.  OCLC intends to change the Featured Database of the Month on the FirstSearch web site on the first business day of each month. If you have any questions please contact ILLINET/OCLC Services at 217-785-1532 or 800-665-5576 (option 2).
 

Commenting on the litigation which was filed with ten other co-litigants, ALA President, Nancy Kranich said "Forcing libraries to choose between funding and censorship means millions of library users will lose - particularly those in the most poverty-stricken and geographically isolated areas of the country, The federal government should not be subsidizing commercial filtering companies by forcing libraries to buy technology that doesn't work." 

For further information regarding CIPA go to ALA's CIPA web site at: http://www.ala.org/cipa or For more specific information regarding the litigation click on links below.
 

White said $1.37 million is being awarded state wide to 759 school districts, many of which have more than one school library. The grants, which may be used to provide more library books and other materials for students in public elementary and secondary schools, will benefit 1.8 million students.

"Illinois was the first state in the nation to enact a school library grant program, and thanks to this valuable funding our school libraries are among the best in the nation," White said. " Students depend on our school libraries for information that helps them become good student, and for other material that keeps them enlightened and entertained. In some of our communities, students do not have easy access to public libraries. They depend solely on their school library for the books and other material they need.

"School libraries provide the tools that  allow students to develop more critical thinking skills. School library programs are a valuable asset in strengthening reading skills. They provide a positive environment where kids can interact with one another and make new friends. The research, evaluation and thinking skills students develop from school librarians and school library media specialists will last a lifetime."

"During my tenure as State Librarian, I have visited many Illinois school libraries and seen firsthand how they benefit students of all ages. I'll continue to do all I can to provide schools libraries with the resources they need to produce outstanding students."

Click on the following link to access grants received by RPLS libraries: http://www.rpls.ws/archives/pnews/033001a.html
 

• "Family Place Libraries: Transforming Public Libraries To Serve Very Young Children and Their Families"
• "The Parent-Child Home Program and Libraries"
• "Creating Welcoming Library Environments for Infants, Toddlers and Their Families"
• "Suggestions for Working with Design Professionals in Designing Space for Infants and Children"
• "Journey Toward Inclusion: One Library's Experience"
• "The Tools of Play: Toy Lending Library in a Public Library"
• "The Role of Public Libraries in Emergent and Family Literacy"
• "Together is Better: The Roles of Libraries as Natural Community Partners"

TITLE: BOOK BLITZ: How to Make MARC Records that Really Work.
INSTRUCTOR:  Deborah Fritz, The MARC of Quality.
DATES: Monday-Thursday, May 21-24, 2001.
TIME: 9:00a.m. - 4:00p.m. (each day).
PLACE: Arturo's Restaurant, 517 S. 4th Street, Springfield, IL.
COSTS: No charge for the Workshop. Lodging and meals are on your own.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Good cataloging doesn't just happen.  It takes special skills to make MARC records that will work well in each and every MARC-based library automation system out there.  This workshop will introduce you to the core skills of good cataloging and MARC.  Once you learn these skills and how to find your way around the basic cataloging tools, including the Anglo American Cataloging Rules (AACR2R), Library  of Congress Rule Interpretations (LCRI) and the MARC coding standards (MARC 21), you will be able to apply them to catalog all of the various types of materials that you collect in your library, quickly and efficiently. Whether you are copy cataloging or making original records, this workshop will teach you the essential cataloging rules and MARC standards that you need to know.  In no time, you'll see a radical improvement in your records.

At this workshop, you will learn how to find your way around AACR2, LCRI and MARC 21.  You will also learn these 'Core Cataloging Skills': How to describe an item in enough detail for your user's needs, how to assign search terms, how to make and edit MARC tags, how to search for records and decide whether or not they truly match your items, how to create 'different edition' or 'near match' records, what 'good cataloging is, and why it is important, what 'bad' cataloging looks like, and how to correct it, how to add value to your library's most important non-human asset:  its database!

The emphasis in this workshop will be on books. (P.S. More than 3 hours will be spent on dates alone!) This workshop will NOT cover subject headings or classification.

REQUIRED TEXT: "Cataloging with AACR2R and USMARC" by Deborah A. Fritz.  Chicago : ALA, 1999.  ISBN:  0838907288 (You must have the new, completely updated version, May 1999)

For anyone who catalogs, this text is an invaluable tool.  However, if purchasing the required text is an issue, the Illinois State Library will have a few additional copies on hand to borrow.  Also, 2 people can share one copy of the text.

If you have any questions or simply wish to register contact Suzanne Schriar at the Illinois State Library. The deadline for registration is Friday, May 4, 2001. However early registrations is highly recommended, since the maximum number of attendees is limited to 30 people.  Email:  sschriar@ilsos.net  Phone:  217-785-1533

THREE INTRODUCTION TO MARC WORKSHOPS OFFERED BY TMQ:

TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO MARC:  A Beginner's Approach to how MARC works in an Online Catalog (1 Day)
INSTRUCTOR:  Deborah Fritz, The MARC of Quality
Dates: This workshop is being offered 3 times on Wednesday, May 16th, Thursday, May 17th, and Friday, May 18th.
TIME: 9:00a.m. - 4:00p.m.
PLACE: Arturo's Restaurant, 517 S. 4th Street, Springfield, IL
COST: No cost for the workshop, only for your lunch and lodging

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Just about everyone who works in a library nowadays should know something about MARC.  Have you ever wondered: why a book can be found by its author and yet cannot be found by its title?,     why only six books in Spanish appear to be in your database, when you know you have sixty?, why the video version of Hamlet cannot be found without wading through all the book versions of Hamlet in your collection?

You too can solve these fascinating types of riddles if you only know just a bit about some of those confusing codes in a MARC record.  Come and join your fellow beginners to learn how to read a MARC record, and how to tell if some of the most important elements of the record are present and correct.  We'll delve into the hidden mysteries of how MARC affects OPAC displays and indexing, the importance of fixed field coding, the need for correct indicators, why we need so many fields and subfields, how to read a USMARC record and talk MARC to catalogers.

If you have any questions or simply wish to register contact Suzanne Schriar at the Illinois State Library. The deadline for registration is Friday, May 4, 2001. However early registrations is highly recommended, since the maximum number of attendees is limited to 30 people per each session.  Email:  sschriar@ilsos.net  Phone:  217-785-1533
 

Polling the Nations began in 1981 as a database of American public opinion published in a book format (American Public Opinion Index).  Over the years the database expanded to include surveys from more than 80 other countries in Europe, Canada, Mexico, Africa, and Asia in an electronic format.  First, as a CD-ROM and now as an on-line version, Polling the Nations is a powerful reference tool that provides a tremendous storehouse of information with quick access and easy searching capability for locating survey information.

There are 4500 topics in the Polling the Nations database.  No other source even approaches this number.  The subjects cover myriad issues such as gun control, abortion, government, women, race relations, the economy, and children.  In addition to these recurring themes, episodic events such as the Clinton impeachment, the 2000 vote count in Florida, and the Elian Gonzales’ story are added in a timely fashion.

The cost of a single user annual subscription for this outstanding resource is only $495.00. However, members who order through RPLS will receive a discount of 25% off the prices listed below.

Annual subscriptions based on the number of concurrent users are: 

Users               Price 
1                      $495.00 
2 – 4                $742.00 
5 – 8                $990.00 
9 –12               $1361.00 

Subscriptions based on FTE provide for an unlimited number of users per subscriber, for a year.  The prices are: 

FTE                             Price 
1 – 1500                      $495.00 
501- 3000                   $660.00 
3001 – 5000               $825.00 
5001 – 7000               $1006.00 

Larger subscribers please contact ORS for a price. 

For high schools, the pricing model is .50 FTE.  In other words, an annual subscription for a high school with fewer than 1500 students would be:

$495.00           full price
-123.75            less 25% discount
$371.25
-185.62            less .50 FTE high school factor
$185.00

Free Trial:  Take Polling the Nations for a test drive.  Call 800.462.8913 or send an email to info@orspub.com to request a free 30-day trial at no obligation.  Be sure to mention that you are a RPLS Library!

Additional information is available at the ORS website www.orspub.com. 
 

Athens Municipal Library is also missing the following:  "Magic Kingdom for Sale" by Terry Brooks.  Junior Fiction.  Book barcode #37594000021252  Please return via delivery if you locate this book in your library.
 

LIBRARY DIRECTOR, HELEN MATTHES LIBRARY, EFFFINGHAM, IL:  Help design and plan a new 30,000 sq. ft. library on five acre lot in progressive city of 12,000+ located at the crossroads of Interstates 57 and 70.  Responsible for the administration of the library with a staff of 10 and a budget of $370,000.  Requires at least two years administrative and supervisory experience.  Duties include long-range planning, fiscal and personnel management, public relations, and grant writing.  Member of Rolling Prairie Library System and DRA consortia.  MLS required. Salary from $32,000 DOQ/E. Excellent benefits. Send application, resume, and three references to: Search Committee, Helen Matthes Library, 100 E. Market Avenue, Effingham, IL 62401 by May 1, 2001. 

Library Technical Assistant II, Richland Community College is seeking applicants for a full-time Library Technical Assistant. Qualifications: High School graduate or equivalent with thirty semester hours of college or university course work. An Associate Degree in a Library Technician Program and two years of library experience is preferred. Responsibilities: Provide direct service to students, faculty, and patrons by facilitating and maintaining the day-to-day operations including circulation, reference, information assistance, and technical processing. Provide bibliographic instruction to individuals and/or classes. Salary Range: $7.25-12.40. Anticipated hiring range: $7.25-10.08. Position will be open until filled. Initial screening will begin 3/30/01. Interested applicants should forward a letter of application stating their interest in the position, a resume, including names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references, a Richland Community College application form completed in full and transcripts. Applications may be obtained by calling (217)875-7211, extension 217. Applications should be forwarded to Krista Long, Human Resource Specialist, Richland Community College, One College Park, Decatur, IL 62521. An Affirmative Action/Equal Access/Equal Opportunity Employer.