RPLS SEMINAR REGISTRATION NOW OPEN: Friday, April 22nd 2005, Rolling Prairie Library System will hold its fifth annual seminar, “Libraries: Telling Our Story.” We will explore the importance of storytelling for libraries: in our programming, marketing, grant writing and advocacy efforts. Register early to insure that the sessions you want to attend will be available. There is limited seating for some of the sessions.

This years keynote speaker will be Dr. Nancy Tolson, Assistant Professor of English at Illinois State University and professional storyteller. Dr. Tolson’s keynote address will be "Once Upon a Time There was a Librarian; The Promotion of Reading through Storytelling" - Don't believe that every child is sitting in front of a television or a computer disconnected from the world. Children still love good stories. And they still love good books. Librarians are still needed to tell the stories that will inspire children to pick up a book. Dr. Nancy D. Tolson will discuss how this process is possible through the art of storytelling.

The cost to attend the RPLS seminar whether in whole or in part is only $10 per person (Early Bird) for checks received before April 1, 2005 and $20 per person for checks received after April 1, 2005.

RPLS Artist Showcase: Enjoy an afternoon of mini performances of various performers at the Forsyth Public Library. Hear and see these artist in action, then schedule them for your programming needs. Schedule of artist that will be performing to be announced.

FORSYTH PUBLIC LIBRARY ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF TEACHING KITS FOR THE BOOK "STORM WARRIORS": The Forsyth Public Library is pleased to announce the availability of two teaching kits for patrons who would like to conduct a book discussion group using Elisa Carbone’s novel “Storm Warriors.”  The kits consist of 25 paperback copies of the book for students, one hardcover copy for discussion leaders, and a resource guide that includes author background information, discussion questions, a list of words for vocabulary enrichment, ideas for inspiring creative projects, and a sampling of “fun sheets” for kids.

Each member of the Rolling Prairie Library System should have received a flyer describing the novel and the kits through system delivery.  You may also download the pdf document, which contains the same information.  Please feel free to make copies of the flyer to pass on to your patrons as desired.  The kits will be found online under the title “Storm Warriors Teaching Kit.” 

The production of these kits represents the culmination of last year’s county-wide reading program “Read with Me! Macon County,” using funds provided by the Illinois State Library and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the federal Library Services and Technology Act. 

Contact Children’s Librarian Lorraine Getty at the Forsyth Public Library for more information.  Phone: 877-8174.

In late June 2004, Illinois’s Regional Library Systems partnered with Farm Direct, a program funded by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the University of Illinois to distribute bookmarks, posters and catalogs publicizing locations for purchasing farm fresh produce directly from the farmer.  As a result of this work, a printed guide and a Web site  were made available to the public in July. Over 700 listings from 96 counties were represented in the two searchable databases.    

The 766 public libraries in Illinois each received 1 poster and over 200 bookmarks on average.  Public libraries in your system received these materials via the van delivery service.  In all, over 175,000 bookmarks went to the public libraries.  Farm Direct has asked us conduct a survey to gauge the effectiveness of this program.  Were you able to use the materials you received?  Were they effective with your library’s borrowers?  Would you like to see the program continued?  We need feedback from you to make the case for continuing the program.  Please fill out the online survey by February 18, 2005 and remember that summer will come again along with really red, juicy tomatoes. 

STATE LIBRARY INSTITUTES:  The dates have been announced for the 12^th Small Public Library Management Institute (SPLMI) and the 11^th Institute for School and Public Librarians.  SPILMI is held on the campus of the University of Illinois, Springfield, on June 5-10.  Information and a copy of the application can be found on the ISL website.

The School and Public Institute will be held on the campus of Bradley University in Peoria on June 12-17.  The application is found on the ISL website (pdf). Rolling Prairie pays the $50 fee for members to attend these institutes.  The only cost to you is your transportation to the institute.  Register soon, as there are only 50 slots per institute.  If you  have any questions about either of these institutes, please contact Bev Obert at Rolling Prairie. 

"Love Stories" Dinner and Storytelling Concert will be held Saturday, February 5, 5:00-9:00 PM. This program is for adults. Celebrate the season with someone you love. Start the evening off with a cash bar and hors d'oeuvres followed by a delectable dinner. After dinner relax with decadent desserts and wine tasting. The evening will wrap-up with a concert of love stories offered by nationally recognized storytellers Dan Keding and Dennis and Beth Horner. An optional overnight stay at the Allerton House is also available. Overnight stay includes brunch and guided house tour the following morning. Fee: Dinner & Concert: $60 per person; Dinner, Concert, Overnight Stay & Brunch: $210 per couple; additional information and reservations contact 217-333-3287. Pre-registration is required.

To support this program and encourage children's creative expression, Reading Rainbow and WILL-TV are presenting the 11th annual Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, a nationwide contest encouraging children, kindergarten through third grade, to write and illustrate their own stories. This contest has proven tremendously successful-nationally last year, 40,000 youngsters entered original stories, and almost 400 entered from central Illinois.

Here is a copy of the poster (pdf) rules (pdf) and entry form (pdf). Rules and entry forms are also available by calling the Reading Rainbow Hotline at 217-244-5074 or visiting the WILL website.

February 25, 2005 at 4:00 p.m. at GSLIS, 501 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820, in Room 126.

Dr. Allison Druin, College of Information Studies and Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL), University of Maryland Developing new technologies appropriate for children can be challenging, since young people can have difficulty reading, typing, and spelling without mistakes, and are continually changing in their interests and abilities. With the support of an NSF ITR, an IMLS leadership grant, and Microsoft Research, we have developed and are evaluating the impact of  The International Children's Digital Library. Currently the collection includes materials in 30 languages donated by authors, publishers, and national libraries from around the world. This presentation will offer a live demonstration of the current prototype and will highlight the design challenges in creating digital libraries for children. In particular, the needs of children as information searchers, users, and learners will be discussed.  The lecture will be followed by a reception in the East Lobby.

OPAL ONLINE MEMOIR WRITING WORKSHIP:  On Tuesday, February 8, 2005 at 7:00 pm, Central time, Diana Brawley Sussman, Director, Southern Illinois Talking Book Center, Shawnee Library System will present an online MEMOIR WRITING WORKSHIP. You have a unique life story. Why not preserve and share it in a memoir? You don’t have to set out to write a book. Even just a few pages about your school days, your first job, or a memorable holiday gathering can be a treasured gift to your family and a fulfilling exercise for yourself. This is the first of two online workshops to help get you started. Open to people of all ages. No creative writing experience required! To join this incredibly helpful session visit the OPAL Audtiorium, type your name and press enter. You may want to test this in advance. Contact Doris McKay if you need help.

TAX PREPARATION HELP FOR LOW INCOME TAXPAYERS:  Information has been received about free help for low Income families (under $36,000) and individuals (under $15,000) in preparing their tax forms.  There are various locations throughout central Illinois where help is available.  Central Illinois locations and hours of operation can be found at their website.

ALA ANNOUNCED BOOK AWARDS: The American Library Association has announced at the Boston Mid-winter  conference the Award winners of the various literary awards that are given.  The winner of the Newbery Medal is Kira-Kira, by Cynthia Kadohata.  The Caldecott medal was awarded to Kitten's First Full Moon, by Kevin Henkes.   The Michael L. Printz Award Excellence in Young Adult Literature award was given to how I live now by Meg Rosoff.

Coretta Scott King Awards for an author recognizing the African-American Experiencewas given to Toni Morrison for her book Remember:  The Journey to School Integration.  The Coretta Scott King Award for Illustrator was awarded to Kadir Nelson for the illustrations in the book Ellington Was Not a Street, written by Notzake Shange.

For full details about all the awards given at the 2005 conference visit ALA Awards. 

FARM PROGRESS SHOW:  Libraries of the Rolling Prairie Library System will have a booth at the 2005 Farm Progress Show to be held in Decatur late August.  Libraries from the Alliance Library System and Lincoln Trail Libraries System are also being asked, if they would like to participate.  Any library wishing to be a part of this project should send an email to Bev Obert, to indicate their interest.  Libraries are asked to donate $25, if possible, towards the cost of the booth and supplies, save good quality paperback books, and supply staff to help at the booth.  Libraries may choose to do any one or all three of these things.  If you choose to save books, please box them by type, mystery, adventure, sci-fi, western, romance and juvenile or YA.  Library discards are not wanted.  Any questions can be directed to Bev.

For as little as $25, would-be philanthropists can support often under-funded summer reading programs for children; improved school libraries proven to drive up student achievement scores; or enhanced library computer labs.  Citizen support is invaluable. The wristbands make an individual’s support (and libraries) highly visible. Libraries Matter! Don’t hesitate to sell wristbands and seek a philanthropist today!

"Creating and Maintaining an Inclusive Library: Diversity and Cultural Competency in Local Libraries" will be held on February 5, 2005 at the Mattoon Public Library and again on March 5, 2005 at the Hoopeston Public Library.

In cooperation with the Illinois State Library Diversity Office, LTLS will also hold three panel presentations entitled "I Am An American: Immigrants to the United States Speak About Their Experiences." They will take place on February 17 in Effingham, March 3 in Onarga, and March 24 in Rantoul.  A panel of speakers who have immigrated to East Central Illinois from all over the world will tell their stories and answer questions from the audience. Register online.

• Tumblebooks are animated audio books from Tumble Press that will appeal to children of all ages, but especially to students with learning disabilities because as the text is spoken, the words are highlighted.
• TumbleReadables is an online large print collection of electronic books that allows you to read books online by simply clicking a button. The TumblePad Reader, with its innovative font size slider, enables the viewer to raise the font size up to an incredible 34-point. TumbleReadables have an easy-to-read/easy-to-follow format for read-aloud sessions, with bookmark and automatic page-turner functions.
• TumbleTalkingBooks is an online, 24/7 audio book library that includes unabridged high quality audio versions of classics of American and world literature, non-fiction, fiction, and children and teen books. TumbleTalkingBooks is ideal for readers of all ages and abilities and those learning English as a second language. To access these new collections, you may need to download the free Flash player. A link for this is provided on our KidsZone web site.

To introduce our exciting new online library, we are hosting several online orientation sessions. Here are the available dates and times: Monday February 14, at 3:00 P.M.; Tuesday, February 15 at 7:00 P.M.; Wednesday, February 16 at 10:00 A.M.; Thursday, February 17 at 7:00 P.M.; or Friday, February 18 at 10:00 A.M. If none of these times work for you, please contact your Talking Book Library and we will set up additional times. No registration is required for the hour-long orientation. You are not required to attend the orientation; we have just scheduled these for demonstration purposes. To attend the online session you will need an Internet connection, speakers, and sound card. To enter the online room, type in your name and click enter. If you have questions, please contact your Talking Book Center or the Illinois State Library Talking Book and Braille Service at 1-800-665-5576 option 5. We hope you will enjoy these new and fun ways to access reading materials!.

If any of these items are yours please contact Angela or 429-2586 before February 1st.  If there are no responses by February 1st, these items will be donated to the Salvation Army.

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.

HEAD OF EXTENSION DIVISION, DECATUR PUBLIC, DECATUR, IL: Decatur Public Library is seeking a division head with an ALA-accredited MLS and a minimum of three years of professional experience, preferably in a public library with bookmobile services.  Work involves all aspects of extension services including scheduling and supervising staff. Must have or be able to obtain a CDL license within six months of appointment.  Salary is $45,354 with excellent benefits.  Please send a letter of application, resume, and three professional references to Lee Ann Fisher, Decatur Public Library, 130 N. Franklin Street, Decatur, IL  62523-1327 by February 28, 2005.  AA/EOE.

UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN, AMES LIBRARY, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, BLOOMINGTON, IL: Full-time library faculty position for liaison to English, philosophy and Women Studies departments. This person will provide instruction, collection development, and guidance for all library related projects during spring semester. Other duties include 10-15 hours at reference desk including nights and some Sunday hours. The library has just completed a strategic plan and is in the implementation stage. You will have an opportunity to participate in these exciting projects as they develop. You will join eight library faculty members in an environment where student learning is the primary focus. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small liberal arts college located in the central part of the state with approximately 2100 motivated students and 175 faculty. Ames Library is a new 103,000 sq. ft. building which is the intellectual heart of the campus. Students enjoy the traditional beauty of an old world library and the high tech capabilities of a twenty-first century facility. Ability to work independently and collegially, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and interest in innovation and adoption of library technology are important skills. Interest in working with undergraduates is important. Required: masters degree in library or information science or equivalent Start date: immediately. Apply to: Sue Stroyan, University Librarian, Ames Library, Illinois Wesleyan University, P.O. Box 2899, Bloomington, IL 61702-2899, 309-556-3172, 309-556-3261 fax.

ACQUISITIONS COORDINATOR, AMES LIBRARY, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, BLOOMINGTON, IL: Full-time staff-level acquisitions position.  This position is responsible for purchasing books and media, maintaining acquisition records, producing reports, and processing invoices using an integrated library system.  This position is also responsible for supervising 2-4 student assistants.  Applicant must have six to twelve months library experience; two to three years of post-high school education; experience with office software; exceptional organizational skills; and strong oral and written communication/interaction skills. Knowledge of OCLC, MARC format and Voyager, or other integrated library systems, preferred. 

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.  Applicants may apply in person between the hours of 8-12 and 1-4 at:  ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, Human Resource Office, Holmes Hall-Suite 200, 1312 North Park Street, Bloomington, IL; 309-556-3373.  Questions concerning the position may be directed to Gloria Redinger, Technical Services Operations Manager, The Ames Library – gredinge@iwu.edu ;  309-556-3526.
Equal opportunity employer

LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST CHARLESTON HIGH SCHOOL: Charleston High School has an opening for a library media specialist beginning with the 2005-2006 school year. The application is available online. Charleston is home to Eastern Illinois University and has a population of nearly 23,000. We are an hour south of Champaign/Urbana. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Karen Murphy, the media specialist at the middle school: