1. Libraries encouraged to promote LinkWisconsin information gathering
2. "Pushing the Limits" grants available to rural libraries
3. NEH invites libraries to apply for "Created Equal" film sets
4. BadgerLink Resource of the Week: EBSCO and Encyclopædia Britannica
5. Website of the Week: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
6. Calendar
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EDITOR’S NOTE –Channel Weekly will not be published next week (April 26). The next issue of Channel Weekly will be the May 2 edition.
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1. LIBRARIES ENCOURAGED TO PROMOTE LINKWISCONSIN INFORMATION GATHERING

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is partnering with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC-W) to promote and encourage participation in residential and business demand surveys in Wisconsin through May, 2013. PSC-W, through the LinkWisconsin project, has partnered with University of Wisconsin-Extension and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to assess the broadband needs and gaps in our state with the goal of identifying rural areas that are either underserved or not served at all with broadband.

Results from the surveys will be used in two ways: 1) locations will be mapped to show unmet needs or demand for high speed Internet; 2) submissions will be used to communicate need to area Internet providers.

DPI hopes libraries will share the information with staff, patrons, and local businesses to help drive strong survey results. There are templates available to customize and use here (shortened link): http://1.usa.gov/17f27Rh. These templates include handouts ("backpack mail"), Facebook, and Twitter messages, newsletter templates, and press releases. In addition, code for a pre-formatted graphic webpage "badge" is available: http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/pld_libtech.

Residential Internet access survey is here: http://wisconsindashboard.org/residence-survey. Business owners are encouraged to fill out this survey for business broadband needs: http://wisconsindashboard.org/business-survey.

More information about the LinkWISCONSIN project can be found at http://www.link.wisconsin.gov.

Questions on the project, project background, communications tools, or other can be directed to Tithi Chattopadhyay, State Broadband Director, PSC-W: PSCStateBroadbandOffice@wisconsin.gov



2. "PUSHING THE LIMITS" GRANTS AVAILABLE TO RURAL LIBRARIES

The CALIFA Library Group is opening a national search for 75 rural libraries to join a grant project funded by the National Science Foundation. The goal is to strengthen adult science programming and resources in small and rural public libraries and to enhance public interest and involvement in STEM topics -- science, technology, engineering, and math.

The "Pushing the Limits" public programs will explore these ideas through a discussion led by a STEM professional (science, technology, engineering, and math) and the local librarian, using a blended science café and book club model that integrates feature film quality videos and a recommended (popular) book reading. The overarching theme is one of real people, real stories, and real science.

The program launched with 20 pilot sites (phase 1) and is now being expanded to as many as 75 additional rural public libraries (in phase 2). It is the work of a unique team of library professionals, scientists, and filmmakers from Dartmouth College, the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, the Califa Group, Dawson Media Group, and Oregon State University.

In phase two, up to 75 public libraries in the United States will receive a grant of $2,500, program materials including videos, and will participate in an on-line training program.

As part of the project, the rural libraries will need to identify and work with a science partner to present the programs. The science partner should be a local scholar or someone who has knowledge of science. The project's professional development will include strategies for selecting and collaborating with a science partner.

Access the grant application at http://bit.ly/xA4Am4. Online applications must be submitted by May 15, 2013. Grant Awards will be announced June 21, 2013.



3. NEH INVITES LIBRARIES TO APPLY FOR "CREATED EQUAL" FILM SETS

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is offering grants of up to 500 libraries and humanities organizations to develop public programming around a set of four NEH-funded films that explore the history of civil rights in America.

The Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle project was developed by the NEH to mark the 150^th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Up to 500 communities across the nation will receive a packaged set of NEH-funded films on civil rights history, accompanied by programming resources to guide public conversations about the changing meanings of freedom and equality in U.S. history.

Each participating site will receive an award of up to $1,200 to support public programming exploring the themes of the Created Equal project. The documentary films featured in the set are: The Abolitionists, on the anti-slavery movement of the 1830s; Slavery By Another Name, which examines forced labor practices in America from Reconstruction to World War II; The Loving Story, an account of the landmark 1967 Supreme Court decision Loving V. Virginia which overturned anti-miscegenation laws in the United States; and Freedom Riders, about the brave band of activists who challenged segregation in the Deep South during the spring and summer of 1961.

The Created Equal film set was developed through a partnership of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. These four NEH-funded films tell a remarkable story about the importance of race in the making of American democracy, about the power of individuals to effect change, and about the historical contexts in which Americans have understood and struggled with ideas of freedom, equality, and citizenship.

Part of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ ongoing Bridging Cultures initiative, the Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle grant program will encourage communities across the country to revisit the history of civil rights in the U.S. and to reflect on the ideals of freedom and equality that have helped bridge deep racial and cultural divides in American life.

The Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle grant opportunity is open to museums and historical societies, humanities councils, public, academic, and community college libraries, and nonprofit community organizations. More information and the application form are available at www.gilderlehrman.org/createdequal. The application receipt deadline has been extended to May 15, 2013.



4. BADGERLINK RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

Having trouble with your bibliography? BadgerLink resources (EBSCO and Encyclopædia Britannica) make it easy create a citation with their automatic citation button! Contact Kara Ripley at kara.ripley@dpi.wi.gov with any questions.



5. Website of the Week

Centers of Disease Control and Prevention -- http://www.cdc.gov – This site is the primary online communication channel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), providing users with information on a number of topics related to health and safety.



6. CALENDAR

April 1-30, 2013 – School Library Month

April 14-20, 2013 – National Library Week

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, Portage

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 4, 2013 – Continuing Education and Certification Consultants annual meeting, DeForest

October 22-25, 2013 – Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) annual conference, Green Bay

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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