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Prairie News
Volume 20, Number 6 March 20, 2009
Number of pages to print: 11
  
Calendar: 09-097
Tues., March 24 RPLS UG Policy Committee Meeting, RPLS, 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Wed., March 25 MLA Webcast: Finding Work-Life Balance: Strategies for You and Your Institution, RPLS, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Thurs., March 26

RPLS Seminar: Lincoln, Literacy, and Legacies, Decatur Public Library, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Note: Please remember to park at the East end of the parking lot near Novel Ideas.

Tues., March 31

Barcoder Certification Performance Evaluation, RPLS, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Tues., March 31

Librarians Advisory Committee Meeting, RPLS, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Tues., March 31

Medium Pubs, RPLS, 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Thurs., April 2 The Collection Age Report Subcommittee, RPLS, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Tues., April 7

LLSAP Technology Committee Meeting, RPLS, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Wed., April 8

Free Form Free For All, RPLS, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Wed., April 8

Free Form Free For All Open Lab, RPLS, 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Fri., April 10

RPLS is Closed for Good Friday

Wed., April 15

RPLS LLSAP User's Group Meeting, Lincoln Library, Springfield,  9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Thurs., April 16

Soaring to Excellence: An Ounce of Prevention: Health Reference Basics, RPLS, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Fri., April 17

Small Pubs Meeting, Neoga District Library, 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Note: If anyone needs a ride, a van is leaving RPLS parking lot at 8:30 a.m. Please email Angela to put in for a van seat.

Tues., April 21

RPLS Board Meeting, RPLS, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Wed., April 22

"Simple Ways to Green Your Library”, RPLS, 9:00 a.m. t0 12:00 p.m.

Wed., April 22

FY09 IPLAR Review, RPLS, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Thurs., April 23

Sangamon Menard School Librarians Network, Jane Addams Elementary School, Springfield,  4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Mon., April 27

Macon County School Librarians Group, Sangamon Valley High School, Niantic,  3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Wed., April 29 Web 2.0: iGoogle, RPLS, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Wed., April 29 RPLS UG Database Standards Committee, RPLS, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
09-099 Green shamrocksTHANKS TO ALL OUR MEMBERS: For responding to our "Lucky You" delivery driver appreciation day on Tuesday, March 17th. The driver's were surprised and delighted by all the cards and gifts of appreciation they received. 

Photos from "Lucky You" delivery driver appreciation day.

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Lincoln, Literacy and Legacies display at RPLS headquarters.RPLS SEMINAR LINCOLN, LITERACY AND LEGACIES: We are looking forward to seeing all of you who are registered for the Seminar next week Thursday at the Decatur Public Library. Please remember to park at the East end of the parking lot near Martin Luther King Junior Drive and Novel Ideas, as the library will be open to the public during the Seminar.

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MEMBER NEWS: Congratulations to Jeff & Shannon Swaney of Springfield on the birth of their son, Nate Mathew Swaney. Nate was born on February 5th, 2009 and is pictured being welcomed with open arms by his big brother Jack.  Shannon is the librarian at Athens High School.

Kathryn Harris, Director of Library Services at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, was featured in the Life section of the Decatur Herald & Review on Sunday, March 15th, for her scheduled portrayal of Harriet Tubman at Quilt Fest on Saturday, March 28th, at the Decatur Civic Center.

This Sunday, March 22 at 2 pm at the Decatur Public Library – Mark Sorensen will present a program about the Moweaqua Coal Mine and the 1932 disaster that took the lives of 54 miners.
09-102 PREVAILING WAGE INFORMATION: Prevailing Wage Ordinance, a certified copy of which must be filed with the Office of the Secretary of State and Department of Labor and published in the local newspaper. The prevailing rates of wages are available on the Illinois Department of Labor website. (820 ILCS 130/9)

Secretary of State
Index Division
111 E. Monroe Street
Springfield, IL 62756
Phone: (217) 782-7017

Springfield Area Illinois Department of Labor
Prevailing Wage Division
1 West Old State Capitol Plaza, Room 300
Springfield, Illinois 62701
(217) 782-6206 (General Information)
Prevailing Wage 217-782-1710
Prevailing Wage Certification 618-993-7271
09-103 Chatham Area Public Library District Dedication and Grand Reopening notice.DEDICATION AND GRAND RE-OPENING: Please join the Chatham Area Public Library District Board of Trustees, Director and Staff for the Dedication and Grand Re-Opening of the newly renovated Chatham Area Public Library on Sunday, April 5, 2009 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Program will be at 2:30 p.m.

Chatham Area Public Library District is located at 600 E. Spruce Street Chatham, IL on Sunday, April 5, 2009 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Program will be at 2:30 p.m.

If you are not able to make the Dedication on Sunday, April 5th, mark your calendar for Wednesday, August 5, 2009 when Rolling Prairie Library System is planning on holding a Collection Development Seminar: Bad Books, Bad Books at Chatham Area PLD.

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LSTA GRANT,  MINING MORE IN MOWEAQUA, IN THE NEWS: Coming out of the LSTA Grant, Mining More In Moweaqua, are two magazine/news articles. One article in Illinois Heritage, January-February 2009, titled The Night Santa Died - The Moweaqua Coal Mine Disaster 1932, was written by Mark Sorenson. Mark Sorenson was one of our researchers on the grant project. Copies of this six page article are available at the Moweaqua Public Library.

Another article appeared in Next Door Faces & Places of Shelby County & the surrounding area - Winter 2008 and is titled Last Miner In Moweaqua - Joe Ben Hibbard  by John Carswell. This article is three pages long and is also available at the library. It is a very special tribute to Joe Ben Hibbard, who passed away on March 12, 2009.

For more information contact Barbara Collins at the Moweaqua Public Library at (217) 768-4700
09-105 HARRY POTTER'S WORLD: RENAISSANCE SCIENCE, MAGIC, AND MEDICINE: The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, in cooperation with the National Library of Medicine (NLM), announces a new, small-format traveling exhibition to libraries, “Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine.”  Public, academic and medical libraries may apply to host the banner exhibition by downloading an application in pdf or Word format. In order to be considered, applications must be received at ALA by May 1.

Following the application process, twelve libraries will be selected to host the exhibition for a four-week display period between September 2009 and November 2010. All libraries on the tour will be expected to pay for incoming shipping for the exhibition, which will range from $250 to $450, depending on the distance between sites. The exhibition is composed of six fabric panels mounted on self-supporting stands and measuring 7' tall, 3' wide, and 15" deep; panels are printed on one side only. It requires 30 linear feet of space, or 300 to 400 square feet.
09-106 CARLI 2009 MEMBER SURVEY AVAILABLE: CARLI needs your input. We are conducting a brief survey to gather information about your satisfaction with selected CARLI’s services and products, the importance of some of our programs, and the effectiveness of your interactions with CARLI. This survey is the first in a series of smaller, more focused annual surveys to help the Board and the staff set priorities and undertake initiatives that benefit member libraries. It is not intended to be a comprehensive evaluation of CARLI.

 The survey has 19 questions and should take no more that 10-15 minutes of your time. The survey is appropriate for any staff member of any CARLI member library. Please encourage your colleagues to complete the survey by passing this announcement on to anyone who might not see this message.  The CARLI Member Survey can be completed at any time from March 10 to April 3, 2009 and can found here.

Your responses to the survey will remain absolutely confidential and will only be used in the aggregate.  If you have any questions or problems accessing the survey, please send a message to support@carli.illinois.edu.  Thank you in advance for your participation.
09-107 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS - 2009 CARLI BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION: CARLI is seeking nominations for candidates to fill four (4) Governing Member seats on the CARLI Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is the governing authority of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois. 

Each year CARLI Governing Members elect one Board member from each of three (3) specified constituencies (public universities, community colleges, and private colleges and universities) and one (1) Board member at-large. Successful candidates will serve three (3) year terms, July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2012. Any employee of a CARLI Governing Member institution is eligible to serve on the Board of Directors.

Members of the CARLI community may nominate themselves or others (permission of the nominee is required when nominating others) by filling out the online nomination form. All nominations will be reviewed and a slate of candidates developed by the CARLI Nominating Committee comprising Jan Chindlund (Columbia College-Chicago), Paula Kaufman (Illinois), Anna Maria Watkin (Parkland College), and Tom Dorst (CARLI).

The nomination period will run from Tuesday, March 10 until 5:00PM, Friday, April 17, 2009.  If you have any questions or problems submitting the nomination form, please contact support@carli.illinois.edu.
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TECHSOUP: The TechSoup discounted computer program is now open to libraries. The Refurbished Computer Initiative (RCI) supplies low-cost, warranty, refurbished desktop and laptop computers through TechSoup Stock's Web site to nonprofits and libraries anywhere in the US. The equipment is state of the art and refurbished by Redemtech, an industry leader in asset recovery. RCI also offers free end-of-life recycling when you're done with the equipment.

RCI offers refurbished desktop computers ranging between $190 and $250; laptops between $380 and $460 and monitors for $115. Each computer comes with Windows XP Professional (or Windows 2000 if you prefer), Microsoft Office 2003, a new keyboard, a new mouse, and a 90-day full warranty. These computers are business-class machines, formerly owned by corporations and designed to last longer than consumer-grade, home-use equipment. In our experience, they last three to five years on average.  

For more information, visit our RCI Products page, the eligibility requirements and restrictions page, and the RCI FAQ. Our latest Cookbook, Planning for Success, also has some suggestions on buying refurbished equipment. 
09-109 FREE ADDITIONS TO THE EXPANDED FIRSTSEARCH BASE PACKAGE:
  • ArchiveGrid—an important destination for searching for historical documents, personal papers and family histories held in archives throughout the world.
  • CAMIO—Catalog of Art Museum Images Online—a premier resource of high-quality art images from around the world contributed and described by leading museums, all rights-cleared for educational use.
  • OAIster—a union catalog of digital resources developed by the University of Michigan and harvested using OAIPMH (the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting).
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ISU SUMMER SCHEDULE OF SCHOOL LIBRARY COURSES: Registration for summer classes in Illinois State's school library program is now open. ISU will be offering three of its core courses this summer, all available online.  

  • C&I 440: Management of School Library Media Programs will be offered online between June 16 and July 30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 -3:50 p.m. through Elluminate courseware. Anita Beaman will be the instructor.  

  • C&I 449: Selection and Use of Materials for the Elementary School Library also will be offered online between June 15 and July 29 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00-6:50 p.m. with Elluminate. Chris Bohne will be the instructor. Both of these courses (C&I 440 and C&I 449) will include some additional meeting times to be arranged with the class. 

  • C&I 401: Instructional Media and Technology will be offered for four weeks beginning May 18. Though not focused specifically on technologies in school libraries, this recently revised course provides a good foundation for all teachers and school librarians. This also will be offered through the internet. Dr. Cheri Toledo will be the instructor for that course.  

Additional information about ISU's offerings in school librarianship may be found online.
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POST YOUR SUMMER LIBRARY INTERNSHIPS ON MLS INTERNSHIP CENTRAL: Summer is around the corner.  Will your library be offering a Summer Internship?

Free to any Illinois Library that is a recognized member of an Illinois Library System, a library simply registers for an account, gets a login and password, and then they can start posting their organization’s library internships. Searching the internship database is then accessible to anyone.

Features of Internship Central include:

  • Searchable by library type, keyword description, and full or part-time.

  • Posted Internships can be viewed as a List or in Full Detail, including New Postings in the past 7 days.

  • Paid & Non-paid internships can be posted.

  • Each library signs up for their own account.

Check out this one of a kind service for libraries in Illinois today!  Questions about Internship Central can be emailed to internships@mls.lib.il.us.

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WHAT'S NEW AT WJIL: In this week’s “What’s New @ WJIL” we’re focusing on how you can sharpen your interpersonal and customer service skills using WJIL. Covering everything from communication with co-workers to library ethics and values, personal learning, mentoring and customer service in a multi-cultural environment, the WJIL courses and resources will help you in your quest to provide quality library services. We also invite you to check out the Community section and share your own “On a Positive Note” stories for publication on WJIL.

WJIL Tea for Two + You? Series: We have a series of Wimba sessions scheduled (Tea for Two Plus You?) that will introduce users to some specific features of the site that they might need help with. The sessions will be short (30 minutes max) and they are all listed in L2 starting with the first session on April 10. We will be recording and archiving all of these for additional viewing later.
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INFORMATIONAL MEETING FOR LIBRARIES INTERESTED IN INFOQUEST (IQ):COLLABORATIVE TEXT MESSAGE MOBILE REFERENCE: Alliance Library System and Altarama will cohost an informational meeting for libraries interested in the possibility of joining InfoQuest(IQ), a six-month collaborative text message reference service.  The online meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 25 from 10:00 am central - 12 noon and a second is scheduled for Friday April 3 at 2:00 - 4:00 pm central.

Participants will need to log into an online site and call into a teleconference number:  Meeting information is below.  If you would like to attend, please contact Lori Bell at ALS. The meeting will include an introduction to the Altarama software, an overview of the project, and timeline and expectations of participants. 

Participating libraries will agree to staff the collaborative service for two hours a week; attend online training sessions and planning meetings; and provide feedback about the service.  There are no charges to participate during the first six months of the project.  ALS and partners are seeking funding to host the service for a full year.  If funding is not secured at six months, participants may choose to drop the service or share the costs of the software with other members which is not expected to be more than $100-200 per library depending on how many libraries participate.  Even if libraries wish to have their own account and serve only their patrons, this project is an opportunity for libraries to try the service.  Librarians will not be using a cell phone to provide service; they will log into a project website or project email address to receive and provide answers to questions. 

The deadline for participation is April 15, 2009.  Partnership agreement forms will be made available at the meeting and through email for anyone unable to attend.  Online training sessions will be held April 15 - June 1 at a variety of times for participants.  During June, participants can practice, copy promotional materials provided for the project and begin to promote the service.  The service will kick off on July 1 and run through the end of December for the first six months of activity.

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SAVE THE DATE! SPECIAL LIBRARIANS ASSOCIATION EVENTS:

Date:  Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Name of Event: SLA Working Virtually: Telecommuting or the Doing the Digital Dance, Rebecca Jones
Location: MLS Chicago
Register by April 13

Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Name of Event: SLA The World Is at My Doorstep and the House Is a Mess: Putting Our Information in its Place in a Digital Age, William Jones
Location:  MLS Chicago
Register by May 11

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MISSING ITEMS: Taylorville Junior/Senior High School is showing a book  still in transit since Dec. 18th. If anyone locates it please send it back to Taylorville JHS.  The title is "Snakehead" by Horowitz.  The barcode is 36828000549586. The book was coming back from Argenta-Oreana Junior/Senior HS. If you find this book in your library please return it to Taylorville Junior/Senior High School, Attention: Mary Ann Lowry.

Please check your shelves for the following books: Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey 332.024R and Afternoon Tea Cookbook by Linda Hewitt 641.53H. These books belong to the Vespasian Warner Public Library, Clinton. If you find any of these books in your library please return them to Vespasian Warner Public Library, Attention: Tom Rudasill.
09-116 GRANT OPPORTUNITIES: Visit RPLS's online grant notices page.

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CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: Visit RPLS's online job notices page.

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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AT RPLS: You may register for any of these events on-line at L2, LibraryLearning.info, if you have any questions please contact Angela at angelat@rpls.ws or (217) 429-2586. In order to allow RPLS Staff the time and opportunity to update our course offerings to comply with statewide standards, we will be canceling any classes that do not have three people signed up for the class at least 3 working days before the class meets. You will receive an email the day the decision is made.

Ed2GO - Rolling Prairie Library System offers six-week computer-based training courses at your own desktop at a very reasonable cost, which can now be paid online with your credit card. Courses are starting on April 15th.

MLA WEBCAST: FINDING WORK-LIFE BALANCE: STRATEGIES FOR YOU AND YOUR INSTITUTION: Part I: Introduction: Defining Work-Life Balance Part II: Benefits of Work-Life Balance Part III: Challenges/Strategies Part IV: Wrap Up Conclusion This is being held at RPLS on Wednesday, March 25th from 1:00p.m.  to 3:00 p.m.

BARCODE CERTIFICATION PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: The RPLS Training room will be open from 8 am until 4 pm for individuals to come complete the Barcode Certification Performance Evaluation. The average time to complete the evaluation is two hours. In order to avoid waiting at computer terminals, it is recommended that you contact Doris with your estimated time of arrival for taking the Certification Performance Evaluation. It is suggested that you plan to arrive before 2:30 pm in order to have adequate time to complete to the Barcode Certification Performance Evaluation. The Performance Evaluation will be held at RPLS on Tuesday, March 31st from from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

FREE FORM FREE FOR ALL: This informal group is an opportunity for anyone working with youth or young adult areas in public libraries to share ideas, success stories, new books, old books, and questions. Please come prepared to share. Bring something to show or discuss and we will all go home with new ideas to try. Handouts are encouraged; bring 20 copies of each to share with the group. This is being held at RPLS on Wednesday, April 8th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

FREE FORM FREE FOR ALL OPEN LAB: This is your chance to brush up on Web 2.0 technology. Join us as we practice our skills. This is being held at RPLS on Wednesday, April 8th from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

SOARING TO EXCELLENCE: AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION: HEALTH REFERENCE BASICS: Rising health care costs, economic instability, and the proactive nature of today’s society are contributing to more and more individuals seeking out health information online and in print. Are you and your library ready to meet the diverse needs of these health information seekers? Are you effectively marketing your health-related services and resources?

This program will emphasize quality print and electronic resources as well as the roles and responsibilities of patients, library information professionals and health care professionals in the information seeking process. Join us in exploring various aspects of the health reference experience including the need to respect patient privacy, how to accommodate the cultural diversity of our clientele, matching the right types of resources to specific clients, and ways to successfully navigate tricky health reference situations. We’ll also look at ways to promote the health resources and services that you have to offer. This is being held at RPLS on Thursday, April 16th from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

"SIMPLE WAYS TO GREEN YOUR LIBRARY": Celebrate Earth Day at RPLS! Join Laura Barnes from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center Library to learn how to make your library more environmentally friendly through energy efficiency, green purchasing, green cleaning, and recycling. This presentation will be a timely event given that Per Capita Grant applications for FY2011 require a written Environmental Plan. This is being held at RPLS on Wednesday, April 22nd from 9:00 a.m. too 12:00 p.m.

FYO9 IPLAR REVIEW: This session will provide an overview of the IPLAR online instrument. Changes from the previous year, quirks, and tips will be shared. Explanations will be given for a better understanding of the questions, how the data can be used and why you spend your time every year completing this form. This is being held at RPLS on Wednesday, April 22nd from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

WEB 2.0 IGOOGLE: Join RPLS Webmaster and System Consultant, Doris McKay, for a hands-on session on iGoogle. Librarians will learn how they can add the RPLS Horizon Search gadget to their iGoogle page. This is being held on RPLS on Wednesday, April 29th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

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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 Friday, April 3, 2009.  All submissions should arrive before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, 2009 for inclusion in the newsletter. You may fax submissions to (217) 428-1852, or e-mail them to Doris McKay or Angela Thompson.