Monday Morning Eye Opener 6/29/09

Good Morning—or is it? If not for a dental appointment it would be pretty good, so it’s an abbreviated EYE-OPENER today…

1) WILBOR Workshops & Webinars

2) Enrich Iowa Letters of Agreement

3) Other State Program Reminders

4) Meetings/ Events This Week


1) July Workshops & Webinars: There’s a surprising number of workshops coming up in the next 2 months, some prompted by welcoming new WILBOR libraries. The dates below recap two WILBOR workshops in July, as well as a webinar from OverDrive. And with the exception of the OverDrive program, register for all others in the c.e. catalog—more details there, too.

· July 7 = Welcome to WILBOR Day @ NWILS office, Sioux City. 1:30—3:30PM. Instruction in using WILBOR for incoming libraries; current WILBOR libraries are also welcome. Included: background behind the Consortium, a live demonstration of the WILBOR website, and best practices in using and promoting this new service to your community. Ice cream sundaes add to the summertime fun!

· July 8 = Welcome to WILBOR Day repeats @ Emmetsburg PL. 1:30—3:30PM. Yep, ice cream there too…

· July 20 and July 21 = Webinar from OverDrive called “Digital Library 101.” Online beginning at 2:00PM each day. Aimed at newest WILBOR libraries; good refresher for all. NOTE: this webinar is NOT in the c.e. catalog; we’ll forward an email with instructions for joining this webinar later this week…

2) Enrich Iowa Letters of Agreement: Check on the status of your library’s ENRICH IOWA LETTER OF AGREEMENT. Agreements were due at the State Library last Friday, June 26. ENRICH IOWA includes 3 programs that Northwest libraries should be part of: Open Access, ILL Reimbursement, and Direct State Aid. Signing the ENRICH IOWA LETTER OF AGREEMENT ensures that your library will participate in these programs and receive financial reimbursement for doing so. At this writing, there are about 12 NW Iowa libraries missing from the list…

To check on your library’s status, click this link on the State Library’s website http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/enrich-ia/index You’ll find a listing of libraries that have returned the form, along with the E.I. LETTER OF AGREEMENT if still needed. You’re welcome to contact Northwest LSA office or the State Library with any questions.

3) Other State Program Reminders: Two more tips regarding two state programs, namely Direct State Aid and EBSCO. (A) Direct State Aid monies must be spent by tomorrow June 30th. But that’s not all: by July 31st you must report back how your library used the Direct State Aid funding. From this webpage http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/enrich-ia/Direct-state-aid you’ll see an online form to submit your answers electronically—that looks pretty slick J A paper form is available too. Under broad categories like COLLECTIONS, TECHNOLOGY, PROGRAMS, etc. simply report how your library’s share of Direct State Aid funding was used.

(B) If your library is currently subscribing to EBSCO, expect an invoice with the next few days. The State Library will mail invoices to current EBSCO libraries beginning July 1st. If your library is not currently an EBSCO library—but really wants to be—please contact the State Library to sign up. This is an ideal time to join, because you’ll pay for a full year’s worth of service at the beginning of the new fiscal year.

Don’t let the cost worry you—it’s amazingly affordable for even the smallest of libraries because it’s largely subsidized by the State Library. (best to contact the State Library for current pricing…) And don’t let training worry you—we’ve got your back! State Library staff and/or NWILS staff is happy to provide orientation in the various EBSCO databases and training in effectively using them. More about EBSCO next time…

4) Meetings/ Events This Week: July 4th lands on Saturday, so NWILS office will be closed on Friday July 3rd for the holiday. Have a star-spangled weekend!

Previous editions of Monday Morning Eye-Opener are archived on NWILS website…

Monday Morning Eye Opener 6/22/09

Good Morning and Happy Father’s Day to All

1) Preview of Summer Workshops

2) Staff Development Days

3) Book on Parkersburg Tornado

4) Meetings / Events This Week

1) Preview of Summer Workshops: There’s a surprising number of workshops coming up in the next 2 months, some prompted by welcoming new WILBOR libraries. Here’s a preview, and with the exception of the OverDrive webinar, register for all others in the c.e. catalog—more details there, too.

· July 7 = Welcome to WILBOR Day @ NWILS office, Sioux City. 1:30—3:30PM. Instruction in using WILBOR for incoming libraries; current WILBOR libraries are also welcome. Included: background behind the Consortium, a live demonstration of the WILBOR website, and best practices in using and promoting this new service to your community. Ice cream sundaes add to the summertime fun!

· July 8 = Welcome to WILBOR Day repeats @ Emmetsburg PL. 1:30—3:30PM. Yep, ice cream there too…

· July 16 = “Building Effective Library Boards” hosted by Albert City PL. Light supper served at 5:00PM; program follows from 5:30—7:30PM. Open to Buena Vista County library boards and any others nearby.

· July 20 and July 21 = Webinar from OverDrive called “Digital Library 101.” Online beginning at 2:00PM each day. Aimed at newest WILBOR libraries; good refresher for all. NOTE: this webinar is NOT in the c.e. catalog; we’ll forward an email with instructions for joining this webinar later this week…

· July 29 = Career Reading Roundtable. This time, the title is How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read. 9:00—11:00AM online in Central LSA’s Wimba classroom.

· July 29 = “The New Annual Survey” @ Sioux Center PL. 9:00AM—12:00PM OR 1:00—4:00PM [choose one] Sponsored by the State Library

· July 30 = “The New Annual Survey” repeats @ Storm Lake PL. 9:00AM—12:00PM OR 1:00—4:00PM [choose one] Sponsored by the State Library

· August 4 = ILL Summit @ Denison PL. 9:30AM—12:00PM. Good opportunity for a refresher class on effectively providing ILL service, from using new forms on NWILS website to incorporating WorldCat as a search strategy. WorldCat is a FirstSearch database and an important resource for interlibrary loan. This workshop is aimed at staff whose job is handling ILL routines.

· August 6 = ILL Summit repeats @ Spencer PL. 9:30AM—12:00PM.

2) Staff Development Days: More countywide collaboration is always a good goal. Toward that end, one easy approach is to schedule staff development days for the libraries in your county. In planning this for staff, decide on ½ day or full day. Opt for 1 topic or several topics. Choose a location and voila—countywide staff development! It’s a great way for directors and staff in a county (or adjoining counties, that works, too) to come together for shared learning and conversation. It’s close, convenient, and a classic way to establish not only good working relationship, but also friendships.

In April, for example, Plymouth County Libraries chose a ½ day workshop called “Keeping Current in LibraryLand.” Cherokee County is going with a gaming program and a Wii demo when their group meets in October. And Dickinson County is right now planning their 3^rd annual cooperative training event. Last year, other counties chose EBSCO classes, online learning, and various “For Results” classes.

Depending on the topic and timing, Northwest LSA is happy to bring the training to you. (I’m pushing “Keeping Current in LibraryLand” because that one is freshly updated!) The fall calendar is already filling up, so it’s not too soon to start planning a Staff Development Day for your county. Find a list of classes to choose from on NWILS website here http://www.nwils.lib.ia.us/ce/staffclasses

3) Book on Parkersburg Tornado: A book that would make a good addition to Iowa history collections is a new compilation of stories from last year’s tornado that devastated so much of Parkersburg, IA. The Parkersburg Tornado Stories Book sells for $30.00 plus $5.00 shipping. Send orders to—and make checks payable to—
Parkersburg Tornado Book
P.O. Box 204
Parkersburg, IA. 50665

4) Meetings / Events This Week: NWILS Board meets this Wednesday June 24 at our office here in Sioux City. The meeting convenes at 10:00AM. The agenda is soon-to-be posted on our website…More next week!

Monday Morning Eye Opener 6/8/2009

Good Morning! Today in EYE-OPENER:

1) New WILBOR Libraries in Northwest

2) Reminder Scholarship for Small Libraries

3) Funny You Should Ask Feature

4) Meetings / Events This Week

1) New WILBOR Libraries in Northwest: Thanks to these Northwest libraries for joining WILBOR in the spring enrollment: Sioux City, Denison, Onawa, and the Palo Alto County Libraries of Emmetbsurg, Ruthven, Mallard, and Graettinger. The Palo Alto group came together and wrote a grant to pay the entry fees into WILBOR for the first year—now there’s a great county cooperative project! (Sioux County Library Association did the same last spring…) So welcome to the WILBOR Consortium!

2) Reminder Scholarship for Small Libraries: Here’s a deadline fast approaching: The Exec Board of the Iowa Small Libraries Association (ISLA) is offering a $500.00 scholarship for one ISLA member to attend the Association For Rural and Small Libraries Annual Conference in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The national conference is September 11-13 in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Applications will be accepted until June 15, the winner will be notified by July 1.

An essay contest will determine the winner; applicants must be able to verify that they’ll have the full support of their board and can pay for travel and other incidental expenses beyond the scholarship amount. In fact, essays must be accompanied by a letter from the board confirming that very thing. The $500.00 scholarship is slated to cover conference registration and hotel expenses. Essays are not to exceed 1,000 words. Wouldn’t it be great if a Northwest library is the lucky winner?!

Here’s what ARSL is all about: “… “The mission of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries is to provide a network of people and materials to support rural and small library staff, volunteers, and trustees to integrate the library thoroughly with the life and work of the community it serves…” For more information about the Association For Rural & Small Libraries, visit their website.

So there are membership opportunities aplenty here. Again, scholarship applicants must first be members of ISLA; find out about how to do that at their website, along with the scholarship application form. Again, the deadline here is June 15….

3) Funny You Should Ask Feature: If you want to be guaranteed a weekly chuckle, then subscribe to this newsfeed from Gale Publishing called “Funny You Should Ask.” This weekly digest shares goofy reference question asked in all kinds of libraries. Yep, these are real reference questions asked by real people everywhere—here’s a sample:

· “Do you have a copy of Tammy and the Shrew?” (Lehi High School, Utah)

· “I need a list of all the books that weren’t published last year” (Los Angeles PL)

· “Where can I find a fake marriage certificate that doesn’t look like it comes from Barnes & Nobel?” (Campbell County Library, Virginia)

· “Do you have Sleepy Hollow by Harry Potter? It’s brand new” (Gadsen County Library, Florida)

· “I need to know who painted the Sixteenth Chapel” (Rayburn Middle School, Texas)

· “Who was the Pope when Christ was born?” (Los Angeles PL)

Reference staff are encouraged to share their weird-but-true questions with “Funny You Should Ask.” To do that—and to subscribe to this feature—go to Gale Cengage Learning; here’s the direct subscription link: http://www.gale.cengage.com/enewsletters/funny/index.htm

4) Meetings / Events This Week: Library101, originally scheduled for this Thursday June 11, has been cancelled. The next opportunity to attend Library101 will be September 15. This is an orientation for newly hired directors, typically offered four times each year by the Iowa Library Service Areas. Look for more information about the September 15^th show later this summer.

Monday Morning Eye Opener will return June 8th