Libraries interested in receiving the We The People Bookshelf grant can view the application and guidelines at www.ala.org/wethepeople  or www.wethepeople.gov Applications are being accepted online until October 22, 2003 for Round One and February 15, 2004 for Round Two.

Librarians from nine Alliance Library System libraries developed this online manual so you can download what you need when you need it.  Don't forget to bookmark this handy location and let us know if we have helped you.

Funding for this grant was awarded by the Illinois State Library (ISL), a Division of the Office of Secretary of State, using funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), under the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)

The libraries most exposed are those with direct connections to ICN. If a library already has a Linksys or Netopia firewall because they have their Internet connection through cable modem or DSL, they are already protected. Some wireless Internet is safe, some is not.

Stephen R. Look
Monticello Micro
Monticello, IL 61856
877-MTMICRO

How do you participate?  Look at your Fall 2003 ALA Graphics catalog.  (RPLS will have a few extra to send out if you need one.)  Select the items that you want.  Send an email to Angela at angelat@rpls.ws with your order; include your library name, address, name of person ordering, the item number and the name of the item, number ordered, and unit cost.  Your order must be received by Sept. 30.  The materials will then arrive around the 15^th of October, just in time for Teen Read Week Oct. 19-25.  Rolling Prairie will bill you for the order in November.

Take advantage of this offer to purchase some of the teen read products.  For a look at the products go to ALA's online catalog.

Attend the Teen Summit: A Celebration of Teen Read Week Thursday, Sept 18, 9:00 am at RPLS to learn more about this special week and get a further incentive for purchase of teen read items.

The model under investigation has the potential to ensure a greater cost benefit for using a wide range of OCLC products. For example, for an overall annual subscription price, OCLC would provide unlimited access to cataloging, interlibrary loan, and the FirstSearch reference services to all Illinois OCLC member libraries. Also included in that annual price would be OCLC access charges (OCLC telecommunications). Predictable bills would be ensured for unrestricted usage. We are excited and confident that a new OCLC pricing structure would simplify the OCLC billing data and budget planning process for libraries. More importantly, unlimited usage of OCLC would result in greater resource discovery and sharing throughout Illinois.

The OCLC pricing model currently under investigation will take into account the variance of individual libraries' materials' budgets, as well as their current OCLC usage. Toward that end, we are exploring the option of customizing the annual costs for OCLC services on a sliding scale, based on individual materials' budgets. In order to determine the best approach for distributing these OCLC costs, we are asking that all Illinois libraries (with the exception of public libraries) submit their latest materials' budget figures.

Please note: Public libraries, because they have already submitted materials' budget data to the Illinois State Library as part of the annual report process, do not need to respond to this inquiry. All other libraries (academic, school, special), please respond to this inquiry.

Simply email your materials' budget figure to: oclc1@ilsos.net
Include library name, ELI control number and branch number. Schools districts that report a single budget figure for all schools within a district should record 99 as their branch number. To locate your ELI control and branch number, please go to ELI.  Please reply no later than Friday, September 26, 2003.
If you have any questions, please contact Suzanne Schriar, Illinois State Library, at sschriar@ilsos.net

The materials' budget figure should include one bottom line number that encompasses your most recent annual budget for the acquisition of all format types including, books, serials, visual, mixed, maps, scores, sound recordings, computer files, electronic resources (e.g., e-journals, e-books, etc.). Do not include associated processing costs, such as pockets, labels, covers, tape, bindery, barcodes, and supplies for maintaining and repairing library materials.

You will be kept apprised of all progress made in the development of this exciting and highly beneficial OCLC billing model. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance.

Sincerely,

Jean Wilkins
Director, Illinois State Library

Deadline: December 1, 2003

The American Library Association invites applications for the SIRSI Grant Award, an annual award of $10,000 designed to encourage and enable continued advancements in quality library services for a project that makes creative or groundbreaking use of technology to deliver exceptional services to its community. The award is funded by the SIRSI Corporation.

Eligible libraries include public, academic, school, and special (i.e., medical, law, government, corporate, or museum).

The criteria for selection include the potential for impact for the community served by the project; evidence that the project will serve as a model, with potential to be adopted by other libraries; the potential of the project to effect changes lasting beyond the immediate life of the grant; technical soundness; and an appropriate and efficient use of funds to accomplish project goals and objectives.

Complete program guidelines and application forms are available at the ALA Web site.

Many ALA awards nominations are due on December 1st. Many ALA awards do NOT require ALA membership. Be sure to carefully read the award criteria.

ILLINET InterLibrary Loan (ILL) Traffic Form: Thank you for the wonderful response we have already received from ILLINET member libraries! The Library Research Center began receiving completed ILLINET ILL Traffic Forms for FY2003 within hours of the e-mail message that was sent out August 6, 2003. Jean Wilkins, Director of the Illinois State Library, has asked all ILLINET member libraries (academic, public, school and special libraries that are full members of their regional library systems) to complete the form, whether or not the library participates in interlibrary loan activity. The results will be helpful in planning for future programs and will also provide a statewide picture of the level of interlibrary loan transactions.

The due date for submitting the FY2003 ILLINET ILL Traffic form to the Library Research Center at UIUC is Monday, October 6, 2003. The LRC address and fax number are on the bottom of the second page of the form.

While some libraries received the ILLINET ILL traffic form via e-mail, all libraries have been mailed a copy of the ILLINET ILL traffic form. If the library has already completed the form and sent it to the LRC, there is no need to send in a second form. The ILLINET ILL traffic form is one of many "all libraries" mailings from the Illinois State Library. In the interest of time, these mailings are set up to go to all ILLINET libraries, whether or not they may have already responded to the issue being covered. So if a library has already submitted the requested ILLINET ILL statistics for FY2003, there is no need to send another copy.

If your library has not yet received a copy of the ILLINET ILL Traffic form in the mail, please let us know. Here is copy of the form ILLINET InterLibrary Loan Traffic Form (pdf).

Libraries wishing to verify that their form has been received or to get a copy of their already submitted report can contact Annette Lesak at the LRC/UIUC alesak@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu or 217.333.1980.

Questions about the Illinois State Library's ILLINET InterLibrary Loan Traffic Form can be directed to Barbara Alexander, balexander@ilsos.net or 217.785.7334.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: The job notices printed in the Prairie News are either submitted to the newsletter editor or taken from a variety of different librarian placement Web pages like the American Library Association and the Illinois Library Association.

LIBRARY DIRECTOR, TUSCOLA PUBLIC LIBRARY, TUSCOLA, IL: The position of Library Director for the Tuscola Public Library will be open as of November 2003. The Board is currently seeking applications. Preferred qualifications include an MLS from an ALA accredited  university or previous experience as a Library Director. New or soon to  graduate applicants are encouraged. Salary range is $20,000 to $24,000 with  full benefits. To apply, send a resume, references, and cover letter to Dorothy Voyles, c/o Tuscola Public Library, PO Box 138, Tuscola, IL 61953. For more information call the Library at 217-253-3812.

REFERENCE LIBRARIAN, CHATHAM AREA PUBLIC LIBRARY: Reference Librarian, Chatham Area Public Library. Full time pos. includes evening and Saturday hours. Bachelor's degree required, MLS preferred. Library experience and computer proficiency required. Customer service skills a must. Benefits. Send resume to: Linda Meyer, Chatham Area Public Library, 600 East Spruce St., Chatham, IL 62629 by September 15, 2003.

ACCESS SERVICES COORDINATOR AND RESEARCH/INSTRUCTION LIBRARIAN. MILLIKIN UNIVERSITY, DECATUR, IL: This position offers the unique opportunity to be involved in all aspects of librarianship, in a team environment where open dialog is common practice and new ideas are welcomed and encouraged.  

Share reference service and collection development responsibilities with the other librarians, and participate in a very active research instruction program. Manage the library's access services, including supervising the circulation services and staff. With the University Librarian, the librarians collaborate in long-and short-range planning and overall management of all Staley Library services. Faculty rank equivalent (not tenure track). 

Position available immediately. A complete description of responsibilities is available online.

Requirements:

·         Masters Degree in Library Science (MLS or comparable) from an ALA accredited institution.

·         Relevant work experience in an academic library highly desirable, especially in the provision of reference and library instruction using both traditional and electronic approaches.

·         Supervisory experience preferred.

·         Enthusiasm, flexibility, a sense of adventure, and willingness to learn and to pitch in are musts.

·         Effective interpersonal, collegial, verbal (including presentation and teaching) and written skills important; service commitment essential; ability to work well both independently and as part of a team; comfort with details and change. 

 For more information, see the library's extensive web site.

To apply: 
Send applications, including letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references, to Karin Borei, University Librarian, Millikin University, 1184 West Main Street, Decatur, IL 62522. Consideration of applications is ongoing, and will continue until the position is filled. Millikin University is an equal opportunity employer. Persons of color are especially encouraged to apply.

ON-SITE TRAINING AVAILABLE: Pam Ewing, Information Services Trainer, is available to come to your library to do one-on-one or group training for your library staff. This is in addition to the scheduled training classes and library requested training held in the RPLS Computer Lab. If you would like to schedule training in your library give Pam a call at 217 429-4522 x22 or email at pame@rpls.ws.

FIRST SEARCH: sessions are intended for all member libraries and will be a practical hands-on course of searching this database, and how it can be used to obtain books, photocopies and other materials for your patrons. Qualifies for 2 CPDU's RPLS/ISBE recertification. This session is being held at RPLS, September 16, 2003 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.