Monday Morning Eye-Opener 1/18/2010

Good Morning! In today’s EYE-OPENER …….


1) Free Labor Law Posters
2) Census Posters Available
3) Newbery / Caldecott Winners Announced
4) Read Driftless This Year
5) Meetings / Events This Week

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1) Free Labor Law Posters

Libraries are often contacted by companies selling labor law posters. And while libraries are required to post some of the labor laws (others are recommended but not required) libraries do not have to purchase these. Because the necessary posters are available free for the printing from the Iowa Workforce Development website.

In their weekly newsletter “Hot CILSA,” Central LSA printed this advice from Jet Kofoot with North Central LSA office:

“...This URL http://www.iowaworks.org/reqposters.htm takes you to a webpage with links to all of the Iowa and Federal Labor Law posters. The list indicates which posters are required and which are recommended. This URL

http://www.iowaworks.org/news.htm#Iowa takes you to instructions for how to get—for free—a poster that includes all laws in one. This is called the 9-in-1 poster (lacking the smoking law poster) Find the smoking law poster and additional information about the law at this site http://www.iowasmokefreeair.gov/ …”
Thanks to Jet @ North Central LSA and Roy Kenagy @ Central for sharing this information…

2) Census Posters Available



Speaking of posters, your library can help promote the 2010 Federal Census by displaying census posters. Most measure 16”x20” and may be displayed February through May. View a selection of posters on the Census Bureau’s website here http://2010.census.gov/partners/materials/posters-materials.php

But to actually order posters and other promotional items—that’s done through a local bureau office. The office serving most of Northwest Iowa is located in Sioux City. Contact Joe De La Rosa at 712-435-9121 or email joseph.j.de.la.rosa@census.gov

Just last Friday at our Planning For Results workshop, we talked about many possible service responses for public libraries, one of which is “Be An Informed Citizen.” For libraries choosing that service, taking part in the 2010 census is a pretty great connection!


3) Newbery / Caldecott Winners Announced

Here’s a scoop, hot off the press: this morning ALA announced the 2010 Newbery and Caldecott award winners. The Newbery Medal is given to the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature; the 2010 winner is When You reach Me by Rebecca Stead. The Caldecott Medal is given for the most distinguished illustrations in American picture books; the 2010 winner is The Lion and the Mouse, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney.

Visit ALA’s website for a complete list of this years—and past years—winners in many categories. Pretty great lists for collection development in children’s lit...

4) Read Driftless This Year



The All Iowa Reads title chosen for 2010 is Driftless by David Rhodes. Marking his first new novel in 30 years, Rhodes returns to a Midwest setting with this fictional tale set in Wisconsin.

“…a fascinating and entirely unsentimental portrait of a town apparently left behind by the march of time. Home to a few hundred people yet absent from state maps, Words, Wisconsin, comes richly to life by way of an extraordinary cast of characters. Among them, a middle- aged couple guards the family farm from the mendacious schemes of their milk co-operative; a lifelong paraplegic suddenly regains the use of her legs, only to find herself crippled by fury at her sister and caretaker; a woman of conflicting impulses and pastor of the local Friends church stumbles upon an enlightenment she never expected; a cantankerous retiree discovers a cougar living in his haymow, haunting him like a childhood memory; and a former drifter forever alters the ties that bind a community together…”

To facilitate your local book discussions, visit the Iowa Center for the Book where you’ll find posters, book marks, discussion questions, and information about the author. Also note that each LSA office received 18 copies of Driftless; Northwest LSA is now taking reservations from libraries wanting to borrow multiple copies for book groups. Janie handles reserving and routing the books around the region; put your library on the waiting list by using our online reservation form here
http://www.nwils.lib.ia.us/spcollendpol/airform


5) Meetings / Events This Week



It’s ISLOC this week, Thursday Jan.21—an all-day online conference. Join us for “From Lemons to Lemonade…Thriving and Surviving in Tough Times.” Find registration and full details in the c.e. catalog.

And don’t forget Wednesday night Jan.20 for the All Iowa Reads book discussion of Driftless. That’s over the ICN from 6:30PM—8:00PM. In Sioux City, it’s Heelan High School’s ICN room; elsewhere in Northwest Iowa it’s Hawarden Public Library, Coon Rapids-Bayard HS, and Denison National Guard. Registration closes this very AM, so hurry to the c.e catalog.