DRA Circulation 1, will be offered May 14th at RPLS from, 1:00 to 5;00 p.m. Introduction to the DRA Circulation, Borrower and Bibliographic services, including policies and procedures for creating and maintaining patron records, checking out books, placing holds, etc. Please contact Diane if you wish to be added to the waiting list or you have any questions about the course.  Instructor: Diane Kovacs Register online for this class at http://www.kovacs.com/rpls/rplsregister.html. You may also e-mail Diane Kovacs at diane@kovacs.com or telephone at 1-(877)408-5812.  Qualifies for 4 CPDU's RPLS/ISBE recertification.

DRA Cataloging 3, will be offered  1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on May 15th at RPLS, and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on May 15th at RPLS. Please contact Diane if you wish to be added to the waiting list or you have any questions about the course.  Instructor: Diane Kovacs Register online for this class at http://www.kovacs.com/rpls/rplsregister.html. You may also e-mail Diane Kovacs at diane@kovacs.com or telephone at 1-(877)408-5812.  Qualifies for 4 CPDU's RPLS/ISBE recertification.

DRA Cataloging 4, will be offered  8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1;00 to 5:00 p.m. on May 16th at RPLS.  It will also be held May 17th 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Lincoln Library. Please contact Diane if you wish to be added to the waiting list or you have any questions about the course.  Instructor: Diane Kovacs Register online for this class at http://www.kovacs.com/rpls/rplsregister.html. You may also e-mail Diane Kovacs at diane@kovacs.com or telephone at 1-(877)408-5812.  Qualifies for 4 CPDU's RPLS/ISBE recertification.

GASB STATEMENT #34: An Overview of the New Standard  This is a heads-up for administrators, accountants, bookkeepers, board members, etc., who are typically involved in communicating with the library's auditors about the annual audit. Those not involved with the library's annual audit are likely to find the program of limited interest and value. Additional information about this is available at the ILSDO home page at http://www.ilsdo.org/. This session will be held via Vtel in the RPLS distance learning room on Tuesday, May 28 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

IPLAR PER CAPITA GRANT WORK SESSION: The Illinois Public Library Annual Report (IPLAR) and the Illinois Public Library Per Capita Grant are completed by public libraries every year. this workshop is for the lucky librarians who have never completed these two documents and for those who have completed them for years and need a refresher or a push to get started. These work sessions will review any changes to the annual report form, review the requirements for the per capita grant application and provide tips on writing strong, meaningful per capita grant narratives.  This work session will be held at RPLS on May 30, 2002 from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

LITERACY THROUGH SCHOOL LIBRARIES INFORMATION UPDATE

I've Heard About This, Where Can I Find Out More? As you may know, the Literacy Through School Libraries bill was passed and funded as part of the ESEA Reauthorization bill H.R. 1, No Child Left Behind. Literacy Through School Libraries is part of Title 1, Part B, Subpart 4, section 1251. Because the funding level was set by appropriators at $12.5 million, the funds will be distributed through the Department of Education as grants to local education agencies. You may find out more about this grant program by checking the Department of Education web site at www.literacy.org and www.schoollibraries@ed.gov The Department of Education Web site takes the viewer to a screen with two choices, the "No Child Left Behind" website or the U.S. Department of Education website. Click on the US Department of Education website. Find "grants and contracts," click on the section "Finding and Applying." Under "Finding" click on "Forecast of Funding Opportunities Education Discretionary Programs." Then scroll down to find the Literacy Through School Libraries Program under Elementary and Secondary Education.

What's in the Law?

To find out what the language is in the Literacy Through School Libraries program go to the ALA Washington Office web site at www.ala.org/washoff/esea.html . Click on "What the bill contains." In order to prepare for your grant administrator or your regional grant writer to try to get a grant for your school, you should analyze the age of your collection; determine what areas are in greatest need of replacement; document how many years it has been since your library has received funds; discuss this program with the grant writer; develop a list of what you would buy to upgrade your collection. In other words, how much money would it take to bring your collection up to date? If you can do some of the preliminary work for your administrator, he or she might be more willing to work on this grant request that will be coming in late in the school year (probably some time in May). If there is no grant writer, you will have gathered basic background information for you to begin to put together a request for a grant. If you get the grant, you should prepare ahead of time, before the end of this year, to be ready to order and process the materials early in the next school year (fall of 2002).

Where Do I Start?

Check out an article by Stanley Levenson on www.teachersplanet.com on writing a successful grant application. Even if you don't expect to write the grant you can prepare the necessary materials ahead of time for the grant writer.  Note: It is critical that as many local education agencies as possible apply for these dollars. The level of need can be measured by how many school districts across the country apply for these funds. Finding out these numbers may help us when we ask for an increase in dollars for the program for the FY2003 budget.

Reading First--Applications for State Grants

The Department of Education invites State educational agencies to apply for Reading First grants. Reading First is the largest--and yet most focused--early reading initiative this country has ever undertaken. Reading First focuses on what works, and will support scientifically based, proven methods of early reading instruction for students in kindergarten through third grade.

Purpose of Program: Reading First provides assistance to State and local educational agencies to establish scientifically based reading programs in kindergarten through third grade classrooms, to ensure that all children learn to read well by the end of third grade.

Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Applications Available: April 2, 2002.

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 29, 2002 in order to receive funds on July 1, 2002 (pending approval). Final deadline: July 1, 2003.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: September 1, 2003.
Estimated Available Funds: $872,500,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 57.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 72 months.
Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 76, 77, 79, 80, 82, 85, 97, 98, and 99.

For Applications Contact: Sandi Jacobs, Reading First Program Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 2W108, Washington, DC 20202-6201. Telephone: (202) 401-4877 or via Internet: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/readingfirst .

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Doherty, Reading First Program Office, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 2w108, Washington, DC 20202-6201. Telephone: (202) 401-4877 or via email: ReadingFirst@ed.gov

If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format by contacting that person. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms included in the application package.

Electronic Access to This Document

You may view this document, as well as all other Department of Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister

To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530.

You may also view this document at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/readingfirst/index.html  Note: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html