1. 2013 E-rate application process opens
2. WISCAT and BadgerLink maintenance scheduled December 28-31
3. Encourage GED completion before test changes in 2014
4. IMLS and Campaign for Grade-Level Reading host listening activities for policy report
5. Census Bureau releases new web tool: Easy Stats
6. BadgerLink Resource of the Week: BadgerLink resources in Spanish
7. Website of the Week: Pronounce Wisconsin
8. Calendar
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1. 2013 E-RATE APPLICATION PROCESS OPENS

Each year schools and libraries in Wisconsin receive about $35 million in federal E-rate funds to help them pay for their Internet and broadband costs. The Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) manages the E-rate program. Anyone not familiar with the program should go to the SLD website at http://www.usac.org/sl/default.aspx.

The 2013 E-rate application process opened this week (December 12) and it will close on March 14, 2013. See the SLD's newsletter at http://usac.org/sl/tools/news-briefs/preview.aspx?id=457 for more details on the 2013 application process.

DPI staff have updated the paper "Bandwidth Options and the 2013 E-rate Application Process" (see http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/pld/pdf/bandwidthoptions2013.pdf). This paper provides information on how to ensure that schools and libraries maximize their E-rate discount on any needed bandwidth. The options explained in the paper include:

-- Getting bandwidth on BadgerNet that is subsidized by the TEACH program
-- Getting bandwidth on BadgerNet that is NOT subsidized by the TEACH program, and
-- Getting bandwidth from other providers, outside of BadgerNet.

Any questions related to the E-rate program can be directed to Bob Bocher, State E-rate Support Manager,
DPI Division for Libraries and Technology at robert.bocher@dpi.wi.gov.


2. WISCAT AND BADGERLINK MAINTENANCE SCHEDULED DECEMBER 28-31

Auto-Graphics will be moving their data center and in order to accomplish this, their entire system will be off line from 9 p.m. CT Friday, December 28, 2012 until Monday, December 31, 2012, at 6 a.m. CT.

During the transition no WISCAT activity will take place. Once the systems are back up, midnight processing will be delayed until Thursday, January 3, 2013. Since BadgerLink uses Auto-Graphics' authentication service, no BadgerLink resources will be available during this time period.

Should anyone try to access WISCAT or BadgerLink while it is off line, they will get the standard message below:

If you have any questions about WISCAT, please contact Christine Barth (christine.barth@dpi.wi.gov) or Vickie Long (vickie.long@dpi.wi.gov).

If you have questions about BadgerLink, please complete the BadgerLink Technical Support Request Form: http://165.189.80.100/rll/bl_sup.asp.


3. ENCOURAGE GED COMPLETION BEFORE TEST CHANGES IN 2014

More than 43,000 people in Wisconsin have taken at least one GED test since 2002 but have not completed the process. Because the GED tests will be changing in 2014, these test takers must complete all five tests by December 13, 2013, or face starting the process over in 2014. With the exception of Milwaukee, GED testing in Wisconsin takes place at our technical colleges. Preparation routinely occurs at our local libraries and through literacy programs throughout the state. Please join us in getting the word out to those persons who have not completed testing at Join the Campaign: http://www.gedtestingservice.com/jointhecampaign/.

Beth Lewis is the state administrator for GED/HSED and she can be reached at (608) 267-1062 or at beth.lewis@dpi.wi.gov. She launched the statewide campaign last month and is encouraging all test takers to finish up. Test takers can go to Finish the GED (http://www.gedtestingservice.com/finishtheged/) to get additional information, including links to the nearest test centers. Since GED tests must be taken at authorized testing centers, test takers should be careful about the fraud of online testing; visit http://www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/test-fraud for more information.

Information on the new 2014 test is available at http://www.gedtestingservice.com/educators/new-assessment.


4. IMLS AND CAMPAIGN FOR GRADE-LEVEL READING HOST LISTENING ACTIVITIES FOR POLICY REPORT

Leaders from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading met December 5 to host the first in a series of listening activities that will inform the development of a groundbreaking policy report on the role of libraries and museums in early learning. The report, which will be released in April 2013, will lay the foundation for decision makers at the local, state, and federal levels to fully use the capacity of libraries and museums in their early learning efforts. Eau Claire and Milwaukee are the two Wisconsin cities that have submitted community solutions action plans to join the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Network.

The December 5 conversation focused on:

• How libraries and museums are filling gaps and expanding early childhood learning experiences in their communities.
• The key policy levers that museums and libraries should be addressing as they develop early learning programs.
• Strategies to engage museums and libraries in early learning decision making at the local, state and federal levels.
• Ways to build relationships with civic leaders, policy makers, and other stakeholders to fully leverage library and museum contributions to meeting our nation's early learning challenges.

Future listening activities will include webinars, conference calls, and one-on-one meetings with thought leaders.

Research has shown that the early years in a child's life-when the human brain is forming-represent a critically important window of opportunity to develop a child's full potential and shape key academic, social, and cognitive skills that determine a child's success in school and in life.

To learn more, visit http://www.gradelevelreading.net or follow @readingby3rd on Twitter.


5. CENSUS BUREAU RELEASES NEW WEB TOOL: EASY STATS

Announced to coincide with the release of the American Community Survey five-year estimates, the U.S. Census Bureau has released "Easy Stats," an online tool developed to make statistics quicker and easier to access. The interactive tool provides selected demographic and economic statistics from the American Community Survey. "Easy Stats" allows searching by geography down to the local level, including incorporated places like cities and towns and census designated places. View detailed race, age and gender breakdowns, and compare communities. Results are displayed in a table format, and can be downloaded in Excel format.

The online tool is available here: http://www.census.gov/easystats/.


6. BADGERLINK RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

¿Habla Español? Most BadgerLink resources can be translated into Spanish, both the content and interface! Go to www.badgerlink.net to begin your search!


7. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

Pronounce Wisconsin -- http://www.sco.wisc.edu/pronounce-wisconsin/pronouncewisconsin.html -- This online tool released in November 2012 by the Wisconsin State Cartographer's Office is a pronouncing gazetteer of Wisconsin place names. The site delivers audio pronunciations for over 1700 Wisconsin places, including counties, cities, villages, and unincorporated communities. By simply mousing over the map, users can immediately hear how the names of these places are pronounced.


8. CALENDAR

January 11, 2013 - Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, web conference

February 5, 2013 - Wisconsin Library Association (WLA)/Wisconsin Education Media and Technology Association (WEMTA) Library Legislative Day, Madison

March 8, 2013 - Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, to be confirmed

April 3, 2013 - Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Advisory Committee Meeting, DeForest

April 7-9, 2013 - Wisconsin Education Media and Technology Association (WEMTA) annual conference, Madison

April 23-26, 2013 - Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians annual conference, Elkhart Lake

May 1-3, 2013 - Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) annual conference, Lake Geneva

May 7-8, 2013 - American Library Association National Library Legislative Day, Washington, DC

May 10, 2013 - Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, to be confirmed

May 10, 2013 - Public Library Special Services Consultants annual meeting, DeForest

June 27-July 2, 2013 - American Librarian Association (ALA) Annual Conference, Chicago

October 3, 2013 - Public Library Youth Services Liaisons annual meeting, DeForest

October 23-26, 2013 - Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) annual conference, Green Bay

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To access previous issues of Channel Weekly, or to subscribe or unsubscribe,
go to: http://channel.dpi.wi.gov/
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Roslyn M. Wise
Editor, Channel Weekly
Department of Public Instruction
Division for Libraries and Technology
PO Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
Phone: (608) 266-6439
FAX: (608) 267-9207