Blog posts in "Programs & Services"

Summer Reading 2009 Materials

eric.hildreth — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:36:40 -0700

Each year, the Collaborative Summer Library Program provides us with materials to use in our Summer Reading programs. As a participant in this program, we have access to these items for a predefined time period and that time has passed for 2009. All Be Creative @ Your Library and Express Yourself @ Your Library imagery or promotional videos that you used from the CSLP program should be removed from your websites.

If you are an e-Branch in a Box participating website, the Summer Reading GrandCentral Theme Skins have been automatically removed from your sites. You shouldn't need to reconfigure, or reset anything as far as the look and feel of your site goes, but please double check your summer reading pages. If you have any questions, or need any further clarification on this, please don't hesitate to leave a comment and we will try to assist you further.

Will Idaho libraries be represented in national debate for funding?

Teresa.Lipus — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:39:53 -0600

Please help the Idaho library community document our growing needs for technology and connectivity by participating in the 2009-2010 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study online survey, open through November 6, 2009 at www.plinternetsurvey.org.

What is this study?
Conducted by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Center for Library & Information Innovation at the University of Maryland and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the study gathers important data regarding public library Internet connectivity, use, funding, and services.

Why does this matter?
The findings of data-gathering surveys like this are used for advocacy efforts on behalf of libraries, decision making regarding critical resources, and support for the Library Services and Technology Act and other initiatives. At the local level, the data can help you plan services, assess your library’s needs, identify your library’s contributions to your community, and educate your stakeholders and funders.

What about Idaho?
State and national information from the most recently completed study is available at www.ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/plftas/2008_2009/librariesconnectco... but if you browse the 2009 State Summaries, pages 77-123, you’ll notice there is no entry for Idaho. Why Not? A minimum 60% response rate is needed to have enough data for a state summary and the researchers didn't receive enough survey responses from our state to include a breakdown.

Be heard, then register to win an Amazon Kindle
Earlier this fall, ALA sent a letter to public library directors requesting participation in this 2009-2010 study. If your library has already completed the survey, thank you. If not, please make it a priority so Idaho libraries are represented in the national debate for funding. If you have any questions regarding the survey, please e-mail support@plinternetsurvey.org or call (301) 405-9445.

Upon completion of the survey, you may register to win an Amazon Kindle.

Idaho at the National Book Festival

Teresa.Lipus — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:26:23 -0600

The 2009 National Book Festival was held on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Marj Hooper and Pam Bradshaw from the Idaho Commission for Libraries represented Idaho in the Pavilion of the States, promoting reading, sharing information about Idaho literacy and library programs, and answering questions about Idaho writers and libraries. They created additional teaching moments when they challenged school children who visited the booth to locate Idaho on the map.

Pam and Marj traveled with Mudgy Moose and Millie Mouse, creations of author Susan Nipp and illustrator Charles Reasoner and part of a library fund-raising and public art project in Coeur d’Alene. Mudgy & Millie like to play hide and seek, but they remained at the Idaho booth in the Pavilion of the States for the entire festival, meeting and greeting the many children who stopped by to learn about this and other Idaho books.

Other featured pavilions at the festival were dedicated to book genres ranging from history to mysteries, as well as books for families and young people. And favorite authors were on hand for book signing.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama served as Honorary Chairs of the ninth annual festival, which was sponsored by the Library of Congress. The Institute of Museum and Library Services sponsored the National Book Festival’s Pavilion of the States for the eight year, and Marj and Pam’s travels were sponsored through a grant from COSLA (Chief Officers of State Library Agencies). See more about the National Book Festival at www.loc.gov/bookfest.

Additional GrandCentral Skins Added

eric.hildreth — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:08:54 -0600

Two new Skins are now available (part of the GrandCentral theme) to all e-Branch in a Box participating sites:

If you would like to use these Skins on your site, do the following (these steps are also available with screenshots at http://libraries.idaho.gov/page/changing-skin-entire-site):

Log in
Navigate to Administer >> Site Building >> Themes
Make sure that the GrandCentral theme is Enabled (i.e. the check box is checked) and it is the Default theme (i.e. the Default radio button is selected)
Click on the Configure Tab
Make sure that you are in the GrandCentral settings area (i.e. GrandCentral is underlined underneath the configure tab)
Scroll down to the theme specific settings area
Choose the skin you want to use from the drop down list

As with previous versions of the GrandCentral theme, you can set different skins to appear on different pages. These can be set in the Alternative Skin Settings areas on the same page as where you set the main skin.

Gale ebooks online training

charlotte.fowles — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:34:30 -0600

Cengage Learning (also known as Gale) will be providing one hour online training sessions for the Idaho library community during June and July.

WHAT: GALE VIRTUAL REFERENCE LIBRARY WEB TRAINING
WHEN:

JUNE 12, 2009 11:00 AM (MOUNTAIN TIME)
JUNE 24, 2009 1:00 PM (MOUNTAIN TIME)
JULY 2, 2009 9:00 AM (MOUNTAIN TIME)
JULY 20, 2009 10:00 AM (MOUNTAIN TIME)

HOSTED BY: Stacey Knibloe, Senior Training Consultant, Gale

These sessions are free and will cover the basic use of the ebook collection ICFL purchased for the state of Idaho. If you are interested please follow the directions listed below and provided by Gale. If you have questions regarding the training please contact Gale.

Prior to the conference, please visit http://www.conferenceservers.com/browser/?brand=sametimeunytemeeting to prepare your computer for the web portion. You will need administrator privileges to install the plug-in. If you experience any technical difficulties please contact our service provider's help desk at 1-800-866-0888, option 7, option 2.

Follow the instructions below a few minutes before the start time of the conference. To participate in this Web Conference you will need a telephone to listen to the audio conference AND a computer with internet connectivity to view the web conference.

STEP 1: TO JOIN AUDIO CONFERENCE
Primary Dial-In: 1 (866) 394-9513 (this is a toll-free call)
Passcode: 9722341#

STEP 2: TO JOIN WEB CONFERENCE
Prior to logging into the meeting, ensure popup blocker is turned off on your browser.

Dial the audio conference dial-in number noted above and enter the passcode as prompted.
Click on this meeting URL: http://web.meetme.net/r.aspx?p=2&a=70541837085689
On the Meeting Center page, enter your name and e-mail address.
Click on the "Sign-in" button.
Accept the Terms and Conditions and click "Join" to enter your conference.
Should your computer require any updates to accommodate web conferencing, an additional message will be displayed. Follow the instructions to prepare your computer for the meeting. These updates should take 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

IF THE ABOVE URL DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO JOIN THE WEB CONFERENCE, PLEASE FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE NOTED BELOW.

Copy and paste the following URL in your web browser: http://web.meetme.net/audience
Copy and paste the Meeting Key: 70541837085689
Click on the "Sign-in" button
On the Meeting Center page, enter your name and e-mail address.
Click on the "Sign-in" button.
Accept the Terms and Conditions and click "Join" to enter your conference.

PLEASE NOTE: Once your web conference has ended, please make certain to log out of the meeting. As a courtesy to others and to improve sound quality, please mute your phone when not speaking. You will be on hold with music until the host opens the conference call.

TOUCH-TONE COMMANDS:

Please use the list of touch-tone commands below to help facilitate your audio conference:

Press ** for a menu of touch tone commands.
Press *0 to speak to an operator (once the host has joined).
Press *6 to mute your own line.
Press #6 to unmute your own line.

Stacey Knibloe
Senior Training Consultant, Electronic Product Training & Support
Gale | Cengage Learning
27500 Drake Rd., Farmington Hills, MI 48331
(m) 716.572.5672| (o) 1.800.877.4253 x1919| (e) stacey.knibloe@cengage.com | www.gale.cengage.com

Partnering with the Social Security Administration to share information with patrons

Teresa.Lipus — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:29:53 -0600

The Social Security Administration has asked libraries throughout the country to partner with them in sharing information with the public about initiatives involving retirement, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus package, and Medicare. They are asking libraries to inform their patrons of the following initiatives:

• Retirement: a new national campaign Retire Online. It’s So Easy! features an online retirement application that can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. The application is available online at www.socialsecurity.gov and can easily be completed at a library computer. See a brochure on the topic at: www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10522.pdf.

• ARRA Stimulus Package: A One-Time Economic Recovery Payment of $250 to over 55 million Social Security and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries in May 2009, as a result of ARRA. Read more about it at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10519.pdf.

• Medicare: the third annual Mother’s Day and Father’s Day campaigns promoting the Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs, which the Social Security Administration will launch later this year.
Partnering with Social Security to promote these initiatives will benefit the populations that libraries serve. One way to do this is by linking to the agency’s website at www.socialsecurity.gov. Another is to publish articles about these initiatives in newsletters or other publications.

If you would like copies of the Retire Online or One-Time Economic Recovery Payment brochures or you need additional information from Social Security, please e-mail Carolyn Houston at Carolyn.Houston@ssa.gov or call her at 410-965-7603. Please indicate the quantity desired (in units of 100) and where the publications should be shipped.

e-Branch Project Roadmap

michael.samuelson — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:03:12 -0700

We have set a tentative target of ~~June~~ May for the next major upgrade of the Drupal software behind our e-Branch web site hosting project for Idaho libraries.

The primary reason for this upgrade is to remain in step with the Drupal project which will soon drop support for the version we now use. By staying current we benefit from the security updates released by Drupal, the user experience enhancements available in new versions, and new capabilities of the software that our staff can leverage as designers and developers.

Planned Changes

Removal of all themes except for Garland and the addition of a new multi-skin theme we've created called GrandCentral. GrandCentral will allow users to build their own themes by selecting from predesigned skins (many based on removed themes) or picking their own colors and choosing if they want to use their logo as an icon or center it like a banner. As part of the upgrade process, sites now using the to-be-removed themes will be switched to GrandCentral and tweaked to resemble their previous look. Some additional tweaking may be necessary on the part of participants, though we hope this will be minimal.
We will drop support for Drupal-managed library card application forms and summer reading registration forms. These forms take a long time to set up, require special care during upgrades, and provide minimal features to users. In their place we point the small number of participants with this feature to services such as http://docs.google.com which allow users to create web-based forms and then embed them into web sites. Additionally, services such as http://www.eventbrite.com allow users to create online event registration forms and then link to them.
We will drop support for specially set-up book recommendations/reviews features in sites. Many participants know these as "Awesome Reads." In their stead, we suggest users consider leveraging services such as http://www.librarything.com/, http://www.shelfari.com/, or http://www.goodreads.com/. Some e-Branch sites already use these services, which provide embeddable widgets one can insert in a site to display book recommendations. These services represent an opportunity for libraries to engage in web 2.0-style social networking and provide a number of impressive and helpful features.
WYSIWYG content editing (a common trouble spot for most of our users) will stay pretty much the same. While there are opportunities for us to try other editors, a better integrated editor is planned for one of the following releases of Drupal. Rather than tackle learning the quirks of a new editor only to turn around and change once again with the next upgrade, it seems best to hold out with the current editor which is not perfect, but which most of us have learned to work with.

We know it's difficult when features are dropped; however we hope that by more strictly adhering to the project's mission and scope statements and testing these decisions against our change management process we may better focus our efforts within the project and spend more time on features and improvements that will benefit the majority of participants rather than spending time working out exception cases that benefit only a few.

Feedback

We value your feedback in this process and strongly request that you submit all comments, inquiries and suggestions regarding this roadmap on this page. This is a multi-participant project, so we feel strongly that discussion on these matters should be open. We want to hear your ideas!

Transition Support Plan

We plan to support our users through this change process with LibIdaho emails, blog posts, screencasts, updated documentation, and phone and email support.

We will share more information and details as plans for the upgrade progress.

Public Access Computing: Is Your Community's Voice Being Heard?

gina.persichini — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:32:05 -0600

“Site visits to 63 public libraries reveal the power of technology on staff and users.”

I just read an article in the October 2008 issue of American Libraries titled “Libraries Connect Communities.” Authors Peggy Barber and Linda Wallace share what they learned as part of the team conducting the Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study.

The study included a nationwide survey of libraries (the 2008 survey is underway now); focus groups with library employees, trustees, and users; and library site visits.

In the article, the authors share what staff told them:

technology is a selling point for the library
economic issues mean more reliance of gifts, fundraising, and grants

Members of the public shared the reasons why the use the public library and how they used the public access computers.

The report referenced in the article is available online. Upon reading it, you'll notice that there isn't a lot of break-out data on Idaho. The researchers didn't receive enough survey responses from our state to include a breakdown. However, they are currently accepting surveys for the follow-up study with 2008 data. Please complete the survey before November 7th to help Idaho be more accurately reflected in the national report.

Best Small Library Program Ideas

Erin McCusker — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:57:45 -0600

One of the presenters at the Association for Rural and Small Libraries annual conference was Bill Harmer of the Chelsea District Library – the most recent Best Small Library in America. He presented some of the great and innovative programs they have provided for their community. The ARSL list sent a message letting librarians know the details. Check them out at this link.

They include: Ghost Hunters program, Monopoly Tournament, Nintendo Wii program, Senior Health Series, Pizza Tasting Competition, Meet the Beatles and Senior Lockin.

Have fun!

Library outreach

sue.walker — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:14:30 -0600

Earlier this week I visited 7 public libraries in Bingham, Bonneville, and Jefferson counties to discuss the Talking Book Service. I enjoyed meeting with library staff and touring their libraries. I was impressed with the variety of resources available to persons unable to read standard print. Materials in large print, audio materials in both cassette and CD-Rom format, music, Playaways, and E-audio books are available in many collections.

Staff enthusiastically accepted outreach materials and information about the Talking Book Service in order to increase user access to materials not available locally. They also accepted TBS players so that TBS users requiring a replacement player can receive one from their local public library and not have to wait for a replacement player to be mailed from Boise. Staff involvement in their communities increases potential user knowledge of the Talking Book Service and gives them the chance to continue reading when physical limitations occur.

Once again I'm proud of the difference Idaho librarians make in their communities and invite all public libraries to share information about the Talking Book Service with their users.