Volume 10, Number 21 October 29, 1999

99-297 NOTICE: Welcome Adriel Ippolito as Riverton’s new head librarian.

99-298 STATE LIBRARY SATELLITE TELECONFERENCE PRESENTS: "That’s It! Find-It!

Illinois, VIC, and IGI: What’s In It For You". The teleconference will be held on Wednesday, November 3 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon at RPLS. Topics will include:

*What is Find-It! Illinois?

*VIC (the Virtual Illinois Catalog) present and future.

*What is IGI? (the Illinois Government Information site)

*What can Find-It!, VIC, and IGI do for your library?

99-299 TAKE 10 TO READ TO CHILDREN: The Secretary of State Literacy Office and Barnes & Noble stores throughout the state have a partnership for the week of November 8-12, 1999 to promote Build Literacy Illinois. During this week, a percentage of the books sold will go to the Illinois Literacy Foundation to promote literacy throughout the State of Illinois. Also, customers will have the opportunity to purchase books for literacy programs at a 10% discount. On November 10, all Barnes & Noble stores will have celebrities reading from 7:00 - 7:45 p.m. to promote "Take 10 to Read to Children". Barnes & Noble stores in our area include: Bloomington - 1701 East Empire, Champaign - 65 East Market View Drive and Springfield - 3111 S. Veterans Parkway.

99-300 READ FOR THE FUN OF IT: Shirts, T-shirts, and polo shirts are short sleeve. Denim shirt is long sleeve. Order the size you normally wear and it should fit. Go to www.ila.org scroll down until you find ILA Publications, click on IREAD, this will connect you to the IREAD products site for ordering.

99-301 CORRECTION: Soaring To Excellence workshop times were listed as EST, instead of CST. The November, January and March workshops will be from 11:00 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

99-302 2000 SMALL PUBLIC LIBRARY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE: The 7^th Annual Small Public Library Management Institute, co-sponsored by the Illinois State Library and Western Illinois University, will be held on the WIU Campus in Macomb, June 4-9, 2000.

This weeklong Institute is intended for directors of smaller public libraries, branch managers of public libraries and directors new to the Illinois library community. The Institute will assist public library administrators by enhancing their administrative skills and in further developing their leadership skills.

Information and nomination forms are available from RPLS. Applications need to be returned by mail or fax on or before March 15, 2000. Small Public Library Management Institute, Illinois State Library/Library Development Group, 300 South Second Street, Springfield, Illinois 62701-1796, Fax No. 217-782-1877

99-303 ILLINOIS SCHOOL RECYCLING AND WASTE REDUCTION GRANT PROGRAM: The Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA) is soliciting applications from Illinois public school districts and Illinois non-public elementary and secondary schools for grants to increase school recycling and waste reduction efforts. Only schools/attendance centers that have not previously received funds, equipment or materials are eligible to submit an application. All eligible applications received before 5:00 p.m., February 15, 2000 will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as funds are available under this solicitation. To request the application package call 800/252-8955.

99-304 PLA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE: The PLA Legislative Committee is sending out a call for local success stories where LSTA funds have been used. The Committee’s effort is twofold - to develop a database of individuals from each state who can speak to the value of the LSTA funding and to pass on the stories for the Washington Office to use when the reauthorization of LSTA comes up in 2001. Please send a description of the project and its local impact as well as the person to contact to PLA Legislative Committee, c/o Marilyn Genther, Executive Director, Mount Prospect Public Library, 10 S. Emerson St., Mount Prospect, IL 60056 or email to mgenther@mppl.org.

99-305 COMPLIMENTARY PUBLICATIONS: Chicago City Council Proceedings Files, 1833-1871: An Inventory and Chicago City Council Proceedings Files, 1833-1871:

An Index The Illinois State Archives issued the above captioned titles in 1987. The Inventory consists of a hardbound 989-page volume itemizing 35,650 files in chronological order. The companion index is made up of 93 microfiche, which in both conventional and paired term configurations compose 18,714 pages. To receive complimentary copies of these publications please contact: Robert Bailey, Illinois State Archives, Margaret Cross Norton Building, Springfield, IL 62756, FAX 217/524-3930. Please include your name, library name, and address and provide your ILDS Route number. Both publications will be sent through the Illinois Library Delivery Service.

99-306 STUDS TERKEL AWARDS: Kathryn Harris, director of the Historical Library, received the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award from the Illinois Humanities Council. The award was presented during the October 5^th meeting of the Springfield City Council.

Harris was nominated by Historical Library staff for her historical interpretations of characters, including Phoebe Florville and Jarcna Lee, two pioneers in the African-American community. Harris capped off her interpretive roles with her part as Sadie Delaney in the New Salem Chautauqua series play, "Having Our Say: The Delaney Sisters’ First Hundred Years." She has also participated in the "Read Me a Story" program, and served as a delegate on the White House Conference on Library and Information Services.

Beth Fuchs, President of Kitchell Memorial Library Board of Trustees, Morrisonville, IL, was presented with the Studs Terkel Humanities and Service Award by Morrisonville Mayor Matt Wells. The presentation took place Oct. 11 at the local Kiwanis meeting. Mrs. Fuchs’ fellow Kiwanians and friends celebrated this prestigious award presentation. The Mayor stated that the Studs Terkel Award was given to Mrs. Fuchs in recognition of her 29 years of dedication to reading and libraries in the Morrisonville Community. She has helped to promote reading to thousands of community members as the school librarian and as a public library trustee and was the main force behind the building of a new public library for Morrisonville in 1991. Mrs. Fuchs is the Morrisonville Jr.-Sr. High School Librarian. She was one of only seventy recipients of the Studs Terkel Award this year.

99-307 REINSTATED CARD: Please reinstate borrowing privileges for card number 187 at Athens Municipal Library.

99-308 SUSPENDED CARD: Card number 229 at the Athens Municipal Library is suspended from borrowing privileges.

99-308 GIVEAWAYS: Clinton High School Library has a complete set of the 1996-97 Books in Print to give to the first caller. 217 935-8337 ext. 236.

Decatur Public Library has the following items to give away on a first come, first served basis. Sorry, unfilled requests cannot be acknowledged. If possible, please e-mail your requests to bhackney@decaturnet.org; if not, phone 424-2900 ext. 165 and leave a message.

99-309 WORKSHOPS: Fred Pryor Seminars is presenting a one-day workshop entitled "Project Management" with Illinois dates available in December. Fee $195.

99-310 CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: The job notices printed in the Prairie News are either submitted to the newsletter editor or taken from the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science Placement web site. The address is: http://carousel.lis.uiuc.edu/~jobs/.

Duties: lib liaison to specific depts, mgmt 1+ functional areas in lib, coll dev/mgmt, discipline related BI, dbase searching, add’l responsibilities depend on strengths & experiences, share ref work includ some eves & wkends. Requirements: ALA-acc. MLS, 2^nd MS in business, finance or economics or comparable professional exp, knowl info tech, exp in print & e-ref work, knowl undergrad BI. Desired: exp in 1+ of gov docs, serials mgmt, or info services mgmt. Date available: 08/01/00. Closing date: Until a qualified candidate is found. Apply to: Library Faculty Search Committee, Sheean Library, PO Box 2899, Bloomington, IL 61702-2899. Notes: Screening begins 11/5/99 & continues until filled. Send letter, vita, 3 refs. Visit web site at http://www.iwu.edu/library and University employment page at http://www.iwu.edu/~iwujobs/

SCIENCE LIBRARIAN (1) & SCIENCE LIBRARIAN (2): ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

Duties: lib liaison to specific depts, mgmt 1+ functional areas in lib, coll dev/mgmt, discipline related BI, dbase searching, add’l responsibilities depend on strengths & experiences, share ref work includ some eves & wkends.

Requirements: ALA-acc. MLS, 2^nd MS in biology, psychology, or chemistry or comparable professional exp, knowl info tech, exp in print & e-ref work, knowl undergrad BI. Desired: exp in 1+ of gov docs, serials mgmt, or info services mgmt. Date available: 08/01/00. Closing date: Until a qualified candidate is found. Apply to: Library Faculty Search Committee, Sheean Library, PO Box 2899, Bloomington, IL 61702-2899. Notes: Screening begins 11/5/99 & continues until filled. Send letter, vita, 3 refs. Visit web site at http://www.iwu.edu/library and University employment page at http://www.iwu.edu/~iwujobs/

99-310 PRAIRIE NEWS SUBMISSIONS: The Prairie News is a biweekly publication of RPLS. Notices, meetings, giveaways, career opportunities and other news items of interest to the membership may be submitted. Items will be edited to fit the space requirements of the newsletter. The next issue of the Prairie News will be November 12, 1999. All submissions should arrive on or before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 9, 1999, for inclusion in the newsletter.

October 25, 1999

Secretary of State Announces Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Program Will Benefit Illinois Libraries

Gates Library Initiative grants to provide access to digital information for library patrons

SPRINGFIELD—Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White announced today that the Illinois State Library’s application for a Gates Library Initiative State Partnership Grant has been approved by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

"I am extremely appreciative to Bill and Melinda Gates and their foundation for the grant program geared towards libraries," White said. "Illinois libraries and library users will benefit greatly from their generosity."

As a result of the application approval, public libraries serving communities of more than 10 percent poverty, who have not previously received funding from the Gates program, will be eligible to apply for a grant.

Grants from the Foundation are targeted primarily to public libraries and library branches that serve low-income populations. The grants will be used for computers, Internet access and technical training. Public libraries that do not meet the low- income criteria will still be able to benefit from the initiative, through the purchase of computers at discounted rates and technical training assistance. Separately, Microsoft Corporation will donate software to eligible libraries.

According to Richard Akeroyd, executive director of the Gates Library Initiative, the Gates program began addressing the problem of "the digital divide, -- the gap between those who have access to the power and knowledge of the Internet and those that do not—in 1997.

The next step, now that the state is qualified for participation in the grant program, will occur when Illinois public libraries submit individual grant applications to the Gates Foundation in late 2000 or early 2001. Following approval of public library sites that meet low-income criteria, grant awards and training will be provided through the Gates Foundation.

The Illinois State Library was established in 1839 to meet the information needs of state government. Through grant programs and information technologies, the library also serves more than 3,000 libraries, including 800 public libraries and branches, in the Illinois Library & Information Network.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation places a major focus on helping to improve people’s lives through global health and learning. Led by William H. Gates, Sr. and Patty Stonesifer as co-chairs, the Foundation is based in Seattle. Significant projects include the Gates Millennium Scholars program, a $50 million annual commitment for 20 years to provide financial assistance to high achieving minority students who are in severe financial need and would otherwise be excluded from higher education; the Bill and Melinda Gates Children’s Vaccine Program, a $100 million commitment to speed the delivery of lifesaving vaccines to children in developing countries; and the Maternal Mortality Reduction program, a $50 million commitment to prevent pregnancy-related deaths of women in developing countries. For complete information and grant guidelines, see www.gatesfoundation.org.