Channel Weekly, Vol. 16, No. 20, February 27, 2014

1. State Superintendent approves LSTA grant awards for 2014
2. Last week to register for 2014 Growing Wisconsin Readers Early Literacy Symposium
3. L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library receives award
4. Citizenship Education and Initiatives webinar
5. Social media policy webinar
6. Pew World Wide Web 25th anniversary study
7. Found in Wisconsin February Find of the Month
8. BadgerLink Resource of the Week: Black History Month resources
9. Website of the Week: Google Art Project
10. Calendar
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1. STATE SUPERINTENDENT APPROVES LSTA GRANT AWARDS FOR 2014

State Superintendent Tony Evers has approved Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) program grants totaling approximately $3,034,020 million for 2014. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) recently awarded $2,840,170 funds as part of the Grants to States program. IMLS awards funds to be spent during a two year period; carryover funds provide the additional resources for the 2014 budget.

The Wisconsin LSTA Advisory Committee met in Madison November 6, 2013, to review the grant applications and make recommendations to the state superintendent on grant awards. Grant award letters were sent out the third week of February 2014.

Below is a summary of LSTA grant programs funded:

Accessibility - $ 61,902 were awarded to six institutions to assist their member libraries and branches with purchasing and installing the technology and adaptive equipment needed to increase accessibility for people with hearing disabilities, and to provide member librarians with the training to use the equipment effectively.

Delivery - $90,000 has been awarded to help support the statewide delivery service backbone structure and to support delivery service to the libraries in the very northern part of the state.

Digital Creation Technologies - $58,290 will support four projects to develop and improve library resources and services that promote digital creativity and learning for all ages.

Digitization of Library Historical Material - $22,958 was awarded to support six projects that will provide online access to historical materials found in Wisconsin libraries. Libraries or library systems will manage projects and develop partnerships to scan and host unique local resources that will be discoverable through Recollection Collection (formerly Wisconsin Heritage Online – WHO).

E-Content Licensing- The purpose of this category is to support and encourage expanded e-content to be made available to libraries and individuals statewide. $150,000 was awarded in this category to 17 public library systems and will be used as a match to support expanded statewide cooperative purchasing through WiLS (Wisconsin Interlibrary Services) of e-books and other e-content.

Library System Technology Projects - $350,000 has been awarded to 17 public library systems on a formula basis for technology projects based on the needs of the systems and member libraries. The formula takes into account system area and population.
Early Literacy - $114,115 has been awarded to 9 libraries and library systems to promote and demonstrate the role of public libraries in providing early literacy services to children birth through age six and their caregivers for whom using a library is difficult. Projects complement the statewide early literacy initiative, Growing Wisconsin Readers, while prioritizing the needs of special populations for whom library use is limited or minimized.

Literacy - $36,835 was awarded to three libraries to promote and demonstrate the role of public libraries in improving literacy, reading and computer skills for people having difficulty using libraries because of their educational, cultural, or socioeconomic background.

LSTA funds also support resources and services provided by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Division for Libraries and Technology, including consulting services and interlibrary loan support.

Information on the awards will be posted to the DPI LSTA web page next week: http://pld.dpi.wi.gov/pld_lsta.


2. LAST WEEK TO REGISTER FOR 2014 GROWING WISCONSIN READERS EARLY LITERACY SYMPOSIUM

The 2014 Growing Wisconsin Readers Early Literacy Symposium will be held on Friday, March 21, at the Holiday Inn in Stevens Point, WI from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Wisconsin youth services librarians, public library directors, and early childhood advocates are invited to attend this day-long professional development opportunity (6 CEU).

State and national experts will explore the topic of engagement by discussing how books, screens, and physical spaces encourage literacy development in relationships between young children and their caregivers. Panel presentations and a display gallery will highlight early literacy innovations from public libraries around the state.

Featured speakers include:
  • Chip Donohue, PhD
  • Dipesh Navsaria, MPH, MSLIS, MD
  • Rebecca Katzenmeyer, Montessori Directress
Read more about the speakers on the Growing Wisconsin Readers blog: http://blog.growingwisconsinreaders.org/2014/01/registration-open-for-2014-growing.html.

There is no fee to attend the symposium, but space is limited. Carpooling is encouraged to foster collaboration and decrease travel costs. Registration closes on Friday, March 7, 2014. Cancellations must be received no later than Friday, March 14, 2014.

For more information and to register, visit: https://forms.dpi.wi.gov/se.ashx?s=56301B2D244BAC1F


3. L.E. PHILLIPS MEMORIAL PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES AWARD

The Friends of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire was one of two recipients of the 2013 United for Libraries’ 2013 National Friends of Libraries Week Award. The Friends of the Grand Rapids, MN, Area Library also received the award. Each library received $250 and a certificate, and were recognized at the Gala Author Tea, sponsored by ReferenceUSA, at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia. To mark National Friends of Libraries Week, the Friends of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library implemented a new program called Riddle Me Readers through the youth services department. About 150 children participated in the program, creating a positive image for the Friends, and resulting in new Friends memberships. View the complete news release here: http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2014/02/two-friends-groups-win-national-friends-libraries-week-awards.


4. CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION AND INITIATIVES WEBINAR

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will continue their series of free webinars for public libraries about immigration and U.S. citizenship topics with the webinar, USCIS Citizenship Education and Initiatives, building on topics discussed in a previous webinar held February 4, 2014. The second webinar will be held on Thursday, March 6, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. CST, and will highlight USCIS educational resources related to citizenship and the naturalization process, as well as information on how libraries can actively engage in citizenship-related activities and events. The webinar will also review USCIS resources designed to protect individuals from immigration services scams and discuss the types of assistance librarians can provide to immigrant patrons. It is not necessary to have participated in the first USCIS-IMLS webinar.

Register for the webinar by March 4 by following the link for the USCIS Public Engagement Division email alert service (http://www.idevmail.net/link.aspx?l=1&d=73&mid=333676&m=1940), and entering your email address. Once you have entered your email address, click on the “Subscriber Preferences” tab and then select “Event Registration.” Please provide the additional requested information to complete your registration. You will receive the URL for the webinar and the conference phone line information from USCIS shortly after you register.


5. SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY WEBINAR

Infopeople, a librarian training website based in California, is offering a free webinar entitled "Writing a Social Media Policy for Your Library," by Laura Solomon on April 2, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. Many libraries do not have a social media policy or may have a policy that is not legal. This webinar will discuss why your library needs a social media policy, essential components of this policy type for staff and patrons, and will help you understand current best practices for drafting such a policy. Additional information and a link to register can be found here: https://infopeople.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=387. If you are unable to attend the live event, you can access the archived version the day following the webinar. http://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar/archived.


6. PEW WORLD WIDE WEB 25TH ANNIVERSARY STUDY

The Pew Research Center released the first part of a project celebrating the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web created by Sir Tim Berners-Lee. This creation has facilitated arguably the biggest shift in the way information is shared, created, and received by the public. The report displays the results of the data Pew has collected on internet use in the United States from 1995 until 2014. Some of the results might surprise you:
  • 87% of American adults currently have access to the internet;
  • 68% of adults connect to the internet with a mobile device;
  • 76% of internet users say the internet was good for society, compared with 90% of internet users who say that the internet was good for them personally;
  • Smart phone ownership has grown from 35% in 2011 to 58% currently;
  • 76% of internet users said the people they encounter online were mostly kind;
  • 90% of the people surveyed stated that the internet was a good thing for them; this view applies for all major groups across the demographic spectrum.
Additional information about the survey, and a link to the complete report, is available here:
http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/02/27/the-web-at-25-in-the-u-s/


7. FOUND IN WISCONSIN FEBRUARY FIND OF THE MONTH

The Civil War impacted many, including hundreds of men and their families in Wisconsin. In this month’s Find of the Month (http://bit.ly/FebruaryFindoftheMonth) Found in Wisconsin explores the state’s role in the Civil War and highlights the Grant County Historical Society’s collection of photographs, along with additional documents and artifacts from other museums and historical societies around the state.

The February Edition is available on the Found in Wisconsin website at http://bit.ly/FebruaryFindoftheMonth, (http://fiw.dpi.wi.gov/index.php?P=P_Pages_DisplayPage&ID=7).

Please send your comments to fiw.administrator@dpi.wi.gov, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WisDPIFoundInWi, or on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/WisDPIFoundInWI.

Found in Wisconsin is an index of digital collections hosted by Wisconsin libraries, museums, historical societies, genealogical societies, schools, and various cultural institutions and is a project of Resources for Libraries and Lifelong Learning at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.


8. BADGERLINK RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

Celebrate Black History Month with BadgerLink! Did you know that one of the explorers who first traveled to the North Pole was African American? On April 6, 1909 Matthew Henson (1866-1955) reached the North Pole with Robert Peary and 4 guides. http://ow.ly/sxLDa


9. Website of the Week

Google Art Project -- http://www.googleartproject.com -- Users of this site, a collaboration between Google and 151 art partners from around the world, can “explore a wide range of artworks at brushstroke level detail, take a virtual tour of a museum, and even build their own collections to share." (Website reference courtesy of refdesk.com)


10. CALENDAR

March 12, 2014 – Spring Interlibrary Loan meeting, Madison

March 14, 2014 – Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND), De Pere

March 21, 2014 – Growing Wisconsin Readers Early Literacy Symposium, Stevens Point

April 2, 2014 – Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Advisory Committee Meeting, DeForest

April 30-May 2, 2014 – Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians (WAAL) annual conference, Wisconsin Dells
May 7-9, 2014 – Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries (WAPL) annual conference, Sheboygan

May 16, 2014 – Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) meeting, Madison

May 16, 2014 -- Special Services Consultants Meeting, Madison

October 2, 2014 – Annual Youth Services Liaisons Meeting, DeForest

October 3, 2014 – Annual System Continuing Education and Certification Consultants Meeting, DeForest

November 19, 2014 - Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Advisory Committee Meeting, DeForest

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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
For questions about this information, contact Roslyn Wise (608) 266-6439