Good Morning and Happy 4th of July! In EYE-OPENER …
1) Input Sought for Reorganization Study
2) Time Well Spent @ AEA Tech Conference
3) Schaller Library Wins Grant
4) Meetings / Announcements This Week
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
1) Input Sought for Reorganization Study
Work is well underway for the Reorganization Committee, a study group called by the legislature to restructure the delivery of library support services. These are the services you’re familiar with from the LSAs and the State Library.
The Reorganization Committee met on June 8 in Pleasant Hill and will be back there again on July 7. Leading up to the next meeting, the Committee is seeking input from the larger library community into what you consider to be essential support services critical to retaining in a new service model. Late last week, you should have received an email with this explanation, along with a link to a Survey Monkey. The survey link is http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H7TDY3Q
You may have received this message a few times and if so, excuse the duplication. But this is an important effort and your opinion will be a valuable part of this process. Despite duplicate messages, answer the survey only once; it will remain open until July 2. From Northwest LSA, thank you for completing the survey!
2) Time Well Spent @ AEA Tech Conference
Jean and I could only attend one day, but without question, it was a day well spent! Last week’s Technology Integration Conference, sponsored annually by Northwest AEA and Prairie Lakes AEA, brings in national educators like Scott McLeod, Annette Lamb, and Elliot Soloway as keynote speakers. K-12 faculty from Iowa schools, along with AEA staff, fill in dozens of breakout sessions over the 3-day conference in Storm Lake.
We found so many applications to public libraries! Here are some websites we learned about in connection to the various sessions we attended. Most were new to us…are you aware of:
www.p21.org Partnership for 21st Century Skills developed by educators and business partners to prepare students for a 21st century workforce.
www.readwritethink.org Read-Write-Think includes podcasts that engage kids with books about silly subjects. Also instructs kids about what to say in their online profiles—and what NOT to say.
http://www.greatachievements.org/ Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century. Given my thing for historic milestones, this is a cool discovery for me. And a neat site to visit when you’re in the need for displays, bulletin boards, programming ideas, newsletters, or website news.
www.funbrain.com Part of the Family Education Network, Fun Brain packages teacher resources, parenting advice, homework help, and educational games galore for kids ages K-8.
www.iwaswondering.org A project of the National Academy of Sciences, I Was Wondering is an especially great website for girls, promoting women’s achievements in science.
www.generationcures.org This site is pretty amazing. “…Generation Cures is a kid-led, parent-enabled community all about kids helping other kids. Through original animation, games, and kid-produced videos, children learn how they really can make a difference. Families then turn ideas into action by gaming for good or creating their own fundraiser through this site. Money raised supports Boston’s Children's Hospital in world-changing research, helping kids across the globe…”
3) Schaller Library Wins Grant
In early May, Schaller Public Library learned it had received a $1,000.00 grant from Wal-Mart in Storm Lake. The grant was awarded in conjunction with the Storm Lake store’s reopening ceremony. Library Director Barb Jorgensen says the library will spend the money on 2 new tables and a new computer for kids. Thanks to Barb for sharing this story—and congrats on the grant!
4) Meetings / Announcements This Week
Northwest LSA Board meets tomorrow June 29 at NWILS office in Sioux City. The meeting begins at 10:00AM; the agenda is posted here
http://www.nwils.lib.ia.us/Archive/folder/juneflder/junebrdmtg
The next Career Reading Roundtable is this Wednesday June 30. The title up for discussion this time is The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Pat Dawson is leading the discussion from 9:00—11:00AM. It’s online in Northwest LSA’s Adobe Classroom.
NOTE: Because July 4th lands on Sunday, NWILS office takes Monday July 5 as the holiday. The following Monday July 12 is a furlough day, so on both July 5 and 12, NWILS office will be closed. Which also means the EYE-OPENER goes on hiatus; EYE-OPENER will be back again on July 19. Have a great 4th of July bash!
Questions or comments? E-mail us at bmckewon@siouxlan.net or call 712-255-2939.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Monday Morning Eye-Opener
Good Monday Morning! In Today's EYE-OPENER, June 14th, 2010......
1) Borrow Splashy Wii Games From NWILS
2) Enrich Iowa Agreements Due
3) Monona County Libraries Win Grants
4) Announcements / Reminders This Week
*************
1) Borrow Splashy Wii Games From NWILS
Whether your summer reading program has already started or yet to begin, how about this idea: Northwest LSA recently purchased some new Wii games that perfectly fit this summer’s theme Make a Splash @ Your Library. Added to Endless Ocean: Dive, Discover, Dream, a game purchased last year, we now have:
¨ Big Beach Sports
¨ Water Sports
¨ Kawasaki Jet Ski / Summer Sports (2 for 1 pack)
¨ Endless Ocean: Blue World
¨ Fishing Master World Tour
Northwest LSA purchased a Wii game system last spring and it’s checked out briskly to area libraries ever since. At the moment, it’s here in our office waiting to be checked out.
This would make a great cooperative program for all libraries in a county or adjoining counties—one can reserve it and others in the vicinity can pick it up without the shipping and insurance costs—we’re cool with that! Better yet, plan joint programs and gaming days among your county libraries.
Any Northwest library is welcome to borrow these games from us, just let us know the dates you’d like to reserve them. At the moment, we have the game system hardware here, too, waiting for the next borrower. Find the borrowing policy and reservation form on NWILS website http://www.nwils.lib.ia.us/spcollendpol/wiirental
2) Enrich Iowa Agreements Due
June 25 is the deadline for libraries to sign up for ENRICH IOWA. Summer is the annual sign-up period for ENRICH IOWA, which includes 3 distinct programs:
¨ Open Access
¨ ILL Reimbursement
¨ Direct State Aide
Open Access reimburses libraries for checking out materials to people outside their own city or county. ILL Reimbursement subsidizes the cost of lending books through SILO. And Direct State Aid rewards libraries for meeting service standards. All 3 programs comprising ENRICH IOWA are administered by the State Library.
Note: This year, the State Library is not mailing paper copies of the sign-up form or the terms of agreement. You can find it all on this webpage
http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/enrich-ia The ENRICH IOWA sign-up is a simple 1-page form asking for library contact information, a check mark in any or all of the boxes indicating which programs your library will participate in, and a signature (library director’s signature is fine here) Return the completed signed ENRICH IOWA Letter of Agreement by mail to the State Library by June 25. You may also fax the Agreement to 515-281-6191 or email it to Toni Blair at toni.blair@lib.state.ia.us
Northwest LSA joins the State Library in encouraging you to complete this form in a timely way—ENRICH IOWA is too important to you and your neighboring libraries to pass up! Call with questions...
3) Monona County Libraries Win Grants
Three Monona County libraries received grants from the Monona County Community Partners Foundation this spring. Mapleton PL received $1,265.00 to purchase a multimedia projector and portable screen for training and presentations in their meeting room. Whiting PL received $2,706.00 to purchase 2 new computers. And Ute PL received $3,366.00 to purchase a permanent rotating display of Ute/Charter Oak high school classes to preserve town history. Thanks to Meg Polly from Whiting Library for sharing this story—and congrats to all!
4) Meetings / Announcements This Week
Libraries intending to join WILBOR this spring have 5 days left to turn in their Letters of Agreement. WILBOR is a consortium, now 2 years old, providing affordable access to downloadable audio books. Two signed Letters of Agreement are required for new libraries to fully participate; they’re due at Central LSA office in Ankeny by Friday June18. If you need extra copies of the documentation, just let us know. We’ll be glad to have you join WILBOR—and your patrons will be glad for this new service, too!
Northwest AEA and Prairie Lakes AEA are sponsoring their annual TICL Conference: Technology Integration & Instruction for 21st Century Learners. This happens next week, June 21-23, at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake. The fee is $75.00 for the full conference, which includes lunch each day. Details on keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and the full schedule is here http://www.ticl-ia.org/Home.html. Jean and I are attending on Tuesday, maybe we’ll see you there!
1) Borrow Splashy Wii Games From NWILS
2) Enrich Iowa Agreements Due
3) Monona County Libraries Win Grants
4) Announcements / Reminders This Week
*************
1) Borrow Splashy Wii Games From NWILS
Whether your summer reading program has already started or yet to begin, how about this idea: Northwest LSA recently purchased some new Wii games that perfectly fit this summer’s theme Make a Splash @ Your Library. Added to Endless Ocean: Dive, Discover, Dream, a game purchased last year, we now have:
¨ Big Beach Sports
¨ Water Sports
¨ Kawasaki Jet Ski / Summer Sports (2 for 1 pack)
¨ Endless Ocean: Blue World
¨ Fishing Master World Tour
Northwest LSA purchased a Wii game system last spring and it’s checked out briskly to area libraries ever since. At the moment, it’s here in our office waiting to be checked out.
This would make a great cooperative program for all libraries in a county or adjoining counties—one can reserve it and others in the vicinity can pick it up without the shipping and insurance costs—we’re cool with that! Better yet, plan joint programs and gaming days among your county libraries.
Any Northwest library is welcome to borrow these games from us, just let us know the dates you’d like to reserve them. At the moment, we have the game system hardware here, too, waiting for the next borrower. Find the borrowing policy and reservation form on NWILS website http://www.nwils.lib.ia.us/spcollendpol/wiirental
2) Enrich Iowa Agreements Due
June 25 is the deadline for libraries to sign up for ENRICH IOWA. Summer is the annual sign-up period for ENRICH IOWA, which includes 3 distinct programs:
¨ Open Access
¨ ILL Reimbursement
¨ Direct State Aide
Open Access reimburses libraries for checking out materials to people outside their own city or county. ILL Reimbursement subsidizes the cost of lending books through SILO. And Direct State Aid rewards libraries for meeting service standards. All 3 programs comprising ENRICH IOWA are administered by the State Library.
Note: This year, the State Library is not mailing paper copies of the sign-up form or the terms of agreement. You can find it all on this webpage
http://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/enrich-ia The ENRICH IOWA sign-up is a simple 1-page form asking for library contact information, a check mark in any or all of the boxes indicating which programs your library will participate in, and a signature (library director’s signature is fine here) Return the completed signed ENRICH IOWA Letter of Agreement by mail to the State Library by June 25. You may also fax the Agreement to 515-281-6191 or email it to Toni Blair at toni.blair@lib.state.ia.us
Northwest LSA joins the State Library in encouraging you to complete this form in a timely way—ENRICH IOWA is too important to you and your neighboring libraries to pass up! Call with questions...
3) Monona County Libraries Win Grants
Three Monona County libraries received grants from the Monona County Community Partners Foundation this spring. Mapleton PL received $1,265.00 to purchase a multimedia projector and portable screen for training and presentations in their meeting room. Whiting PL received $2,706.00 to purchase 2 new computers. And Ute PL received $3,366.00 to purchase a permanent rotating display of Ute/Charter Oak high school classes to preserve town history. Thanks to Meg Polly from Whiting Library for sharing this story—and congrats to all!
4) Meetings / Announcements This Week
Libraries intending to join WILBOR this spring have 5 days left to turn in their Letters of Agreement. WILBOR is a consortium, now 2 years old, providing affordable access to downloadable audio books. Two signed Letters of Agreement are required for new libraries to fully participate; they’re due at Central LSA office in Ankeny by Friday June18. If you need extra copies of the documentation, just let us know. We’ll be glad to have you join WILBOR—and your patrons will be glad for this new service, too!
Northwest AEA and Prairie Lakes AEA are sponsoring their annual TICL Conference: Technology Integration & Instruction for 21st Century Learners. This happens next week, June 21-23, at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake. The fee is $75.00 for the full conference, which includes lunch each day. Details on keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and the full schedule is here http://www.ticl-ia.org/Home.html. Jean and I are attending on Tuesday, maybe we’ll see you there!
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