Trustee Times

ROLLING PRAIRIE LIBRARY SYSTEM

 
Volume 11, Number 2 March 2010
Number of pages to print:4

 
 SPRINGING FORWARD!

   District Library Seminar Recorded - Phil Lenzini, attorney specializing in library law, gave a semniar for District Libraries on March 9th.  You may hear the recorded session (92 minutes) if you go here. You will also find two additional links for files created by Phil: Optimal District Library Calendar (pdf) and Types of Tax Funds (pdf) for district libraries.  Both documents are very instructive.  Print them out!

 

 Pamm Collebrusco  Trustee Profile:  Pamm Collebrusco 

Board Position:  President, Riverton Village Library Board of Trustees

Occupation: Assistant Librarian, Becker Library, Benedictine University at Springfield

Our library’s biggest challenge:  Getting youngsters into the library: children’s circulation and attendance at programs is way down.

What unique program has your library board developed and conducted?  This is not particularly unique, but our board undertook a Fundraising Trivia Night last April that was so popular that we have another one scheduled for this March 2010. (March 27th 6-10p.m. Riverton KC Hall)

 
    LibraryOnTheGo! Something new has sprouted in Rolling Prairie Library System!  LibraryOnTheGo is a digital consortium of 11 libraries who have taken the lead to offer digital downloads to their patrons in the form of ebooks, eaudiobooks, eDVDs, and music.  The libraries are working with Overdrive.com to build a web presence that will link out of HIP and off their individual library homepages as well as from the RPLS website. The expected launch date for the digital library is June 2010.  Participating libraries are:   Mt. Zion District Public Library, Decatur Public Library, Chatham Public Library District, Sherman Public Library District, Rochester Public Library District, Lincoln Library in Springfield, Lincoln Public Library District, Helen Matthes Library Effingham, Shelbyville Public Library, Mason City Public Library District, and Vespasian Warner Public Library District in Clinton.

 

 Got FRIENDS? Do you have a Friends of the Library group?  Perhaps your library HAD a group but it fizzled.  Maybe your library WANTS or NEEDS a Friends of the Library group.  In any case, Donna Cunningham, director of the Athens Municipal Library, is looking for like-minded Friends of the Library group members to get together and brainstorm ideas for remaining vital in their support role.  Athens is willing to host a meeting of Friends a few times a year.  Whether you are library staff, board or know of an interested party, please contact Donna at (217) 636.8047.

 

Compliance with the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act
Your  library, in order to be in compliance with the law and as monitored by the IL State Attorney General, must  appoint both a FOIA and an OMA officer (Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act).  Training for your library’s newly appointed officers is available on the attorney general’s website.  The officers must be trained by June 30, 2010.

 

The Technology Plan

Required for the FY2011 Per Capita Grant application.  Bev Obert conducted three sessions on creating a Technology Plan using the tool in WebJunction.  Each of the sessions is archived and is approximately one hour each.  After completing the series and the homework, your library will have a Technology Plan ready for Board Approval – VIOLA!

 

  The Environmental Plan is one of the requirements for next year’s Per Capita Grant Application.  Rolling Prairie Library System will offer a session on creating and implementing the environmental plan on Earth Day, April 22nd.  Laura Barnes, librarian from the award-winning Illinois Sustainable Technology Center at UIUC will be the presenter.  Please come along with your library director.  Register here.

 

Dates to Note  

March 19th     National Agriculture Day

April 14th      Budgeting for Boards 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at RPLS Headquarters

April 22nd       Sustainability/Environmental Planning at Your Library 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at RPLS

May 6th           Patron Privacy and Confidentiality (details forthcoming)

May 20th      S3: Safety, Security & Service in Your Library RPLS Headquarters
                     (details forthcoming)

 

The Future of Your Library  

Budget cuts aren’t pretty.  But they are real.  Public library board members have been faced with tough choices during the past year.  Reducing hours, services, and staff, and trimming new purchases have been necessary to keep your libraries fiscally nimble.  Your creative thinking is necessary to weather this tough stretch.  Stay focused on your library mission and long range goals.  And keep your thinking caps on!

 “All that the board can guarantee is that it will always strive to provide the patrons
 with the best library services the level of funding will allow.”
rurallibraryservicesnewslettervolume20issue3

 

The Complete Library Trustee Handbook  New in 2010!

 

Trustee Times is a Quarterly Newsletter produced by
Rolling Prairie Library System
345 W. Eldorado Street, Decatur, IL 62522
Director: Beverly Obert, Editor: Louise Greene, Assisted by: Angela Thompson