1. Governor's proposed budget includes increases for library system aids, library service contracts, and BadgerLink
2. Fond du Lac Public Library receives $52,500 financial literacy grant
3. SCLS Delivery Service launches redesigned website
4. ALA creates Website to track implementation of stimulus law
5. New stimulus act Includes broadband funding
6. Children's books get one-year stay from anti-lead law
7. Website of the Week - Astronomy Picture of the Day
8. Calendar
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1. GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES INCREASES FOR LIBRARY SYSTEM AIDS, LIBRARY SERVICE CONTRACTS, AND BADGERLINK
On February 17, Governor Doyle proposed a budget bill for the next biennium that includes the following library-related items:
-- Public library system funding increases of approximately 1.5% for 2010 and 3% for 2011 (annual increases of $243,700 for 2010 and $515,800 for 2011). Total proposed funding is $17,027,200 for 2010 and $17,543,000 for 2011. This compares to 2009 funding of $16,783,500.
-- BadgerLink funding of $2,345,800 for 2010 and $2,556,200 for 2011. This compares to 2009 funding of $2,111,000. The proposed funding would allow for maintenance of the current BadgerLink resources.
-- Library service contract funding for the Wisconsin Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (WRLBPH), the Milwaukee Public Library, Wisconsin Library Services (WiLS), and the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) totaling $1,134,300 for 2010 and $1,169,800 for 2011. This compares to 2009 funding of $1,097,200. The proposed funding would maintain current contracted service levels.
-- NFB-NEWSLINE funding to support newspapers accessible by telephone for blind and physically handicapped people, annual increases of $5,000 for 2010 and $4,700 for 2011.
The governor's budget will now be reviewed and acted upon by the legislature. Final legislative approval should occur before the start of the next biennium on July 1, 2009.
2. FOND DU LAC PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES $52,500 FINANCIAL LITERACY GRANT
The Fond du Lac Public Library is one of twelve recipients of a Smart Investing@Your Library® grant from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation and the American Library Association (ALA). The $52,525 grant will be used to support investor education and financial literacy through the purchase of materials and the creation of Money Smart University, a series of workshops, seminars, and podcasts on investing and personal finance. "This grant will help us extend Money Smart Week WisconsinSM into a year-long financial literacy campaign in Fond du Lac," commented Daryl Rogers, Information Services Coordinator at the library.
In addition to the Money Smart U programs, FDL Public Library staff will create a Money Smart "neighborhood" within the library, an area that combines comfortable seating with materials of all types, including books, DVDs, audio books, magazines, and other information. A virtual neighborhood will also be created at the library's online branch at
http://www.FDLPL.org. The virtual Money Smart neighborhood will provide links to FINRA investor education modules, electronic subscriptions, and other financial resources that will be accessible 24/7 to area residents.
"Public libraries are ideally positioned to serve the financial information needs of their communities, and to do so without a sales pitch or a hidden agenda," said John Gannon, president of the FINRA Foundation who awarded $882,000 to 12 recipients of the Smart investing@your library® initiative. "With the help of these programs, Americans can turn to their libraries to get the best available financial information to make smart decisions for their families' financial future."
The FINRA Investor Education Foundation is collaborating with the Reference User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association to help build the capacity of public libraries to provide effective, unbiased investor education. According to ALA President Jim Rettig, "People have come to depend on libraries and librarians. Libraries are part of a solution when families are struggling financially. Many turn to the library for free access to materials."
3. SCLS DELIVERY SERVICE LAUNCHES REDESIGNED WEBSITE
The SCLS Delivery website (
http://www.sclsdelivery.info/) has been re-designed, revised, and updated as of February 2009. A few highlights of the new site:
* Delivery Network List is now one alphabetical master list of all Wisconsin delivery network libraries including schools, public libraries, academic libraries, etc. A printable version of the list (PDF format) is available from the network home page. Delivery times are included in the last column of the delivery network list.
* Lost and Found in Delivery list has been moved to an Excel 2003 spreadsheet to allow for easier sorting. There is a new lost item submission form to add items to the list.
* Special Requests and Wisconsin Libraries Distribution pages have been updated and the information on them has been clarified.
* Get In The Van, the SCLS Delivery Service blog, has been redesigned and includes options for subscribing to the RSS feed.
* Separate sections with specific information for SCLS member public libraries and Wisconsin statewide delivery network libraries have been created. Each section includes volume statistics, SCLS Delivery contacts, shipping guidelines with links to routing label templates, and links to other information specific to each user type.
* Site navigation is color coded for the sections of the site for SCLS member libraries (green), statewide delivery network members (blue), and sections of interest to both (burgundy).
Several sections have been added, deleted from, or moved from the old site. Please update your browser bookmarks.
Feedback on the new design is appreciated and encouraged. Comments, suggestions, and questions can be e-mailed to Tim Drexler (
tdrexler@scls.lib.wi.us) or use the "contact the webmaster" link at the bottom of each page.
4. ALA CREATES WEBSITE TO TRACK IMPLEMENTATION OF STIMULUS LAW
Earlier this week, President Obama signed the economic stimulus bill, officially known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 -- ARRA. The Act includes funding for broadband (see article five, below).
Implementing many of the programs funded by the new law, including the broadband provisions, will be a complex process. To help keep the library community informed, the American Library Association (ALA) Washington office has created a Website at
http://www.ala.org/knowyourstimulus. The site includes resources on the stimulus package and other up-to-date information. In addition, the White House has also created a Website with information on the act. This site, at
http://www.recovery.gov, will allow you to track various programs and to see how much funding is going to specific Congressional districts.
5. NEW STIMULUS ACT INCLUDES BROADBAND FUNDING
Over the past two weeks several alerts were sent out to the state's library community regarding broadband funding in the stimulus bill. The final bill signed by President Obama on Tuesday includes $7.2 billion in broadband funding. The broadband funding will be administered by two federal agencies. The Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) will get $2.5 billion and the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will get $4.7 billion. The purpose of the funding is to provide broadband Internet access in rural and other unserved and underserved areas. Language in the NTIA section of the act includes $200 million for competitive grants to expand Internet use at public libraries and community colleges. The act also states that funding can be used by schools, libraries, academic institutions and community organizations for Internet-related education, training, equipment, and support. In addition, funding can be used by libraries and other organizations that facilitate use of the Internet by low-income, unemployed, aged, and otherwise vulnerable populations.
While both the NTIA and RUS now have grant programs that fund some broadband projects, both agencies will have to revise or develop new program language to address specific provisions (e.g., the $200 million for libraries and community colleges) in the act. It is assumed that this will be done by late spring. ALA will post out updates on the broadband and other programs funded by the new law on its Website at
http://www.ala.org/knowyourstimulus.
6. CHILDREN'S BOOKS GET ONE-YEAR STAY FROM ANTI-LEAD LAW
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) has issued a one-year stay of enforcement on having to test for lead in books geared to youngsters under the age of 12. The January 30 announcement (
http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia09/brief/stayenforce.pdf) came only days after several representatives of the Consumer Product Safety Commission heard the concerns of the publishing industry during the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Denver. Afterward, CPSC General Counsel Cheryl Falvey reassured libraries that they did not have to take any action at this time, ALA Washington Office Associate Executive Director Jessica McGilvray reported January 22.
Acknowledging the burden of imposing a testing mandate before there are definitive laboratory procedures for children's books, the January 30 notice indicated that such previously unregulated items might receive "appropriate relief" from testing and certification if the publishing industry "provides[s] the additional information requested by our staff in a timely manner."
Nonetheless, Washington Office Executive Director Emily Sheketoff cautioned, "This announcement is not an end to this problem. Since we know children's books are safe, libraries are still asking to be exempt from regulation under this law." She went on to assure the library community that ALA "will continue to work with members of Congress and the CPSC to ensure that a year from now, this matter is resolved once and for all, and America's libraries remain open and welcoming to children."
7. Website of the Week
Astronomy Picture of the Day --
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html -- This website features a different image or photograph of the universe each day along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
8. CALENDAR
March 13, 2009 - Council on Library and Network Development, by videoconference
March 22-24, 2009 - Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association Spring Conference, Madison
April 8-9, 2009 - LSTA Advisory Committee meeting, Madison
April 12-18, 2009 - National Library Week
April 21-24, 2009 - Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians Annual Conference, Green Lake
May 6-8, 2009 - Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries Spring Conference, Wisconsin Dells
June 8, 2009 - Library Information Technology Advisory Committee, Madison
June 28-July 1, 2009 - National Educational Computing Conference, Washington D.C.
July 9-15, 2009 - American Library Association Annual Conference, Chicago
October 12, 2009 - Library Information Technology Advisory Committee, Madison
October 20-23, 2009 - Wisconsin Library Association Annual Conference, Appleton
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To access previous issues of Channel Weekly, or to subscribe or unsubscribe, go to:
http://dpi.wi.gov/channel/chweekly.html
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Roslyn M. Wise
Editor, Channel Weekly
Department of Public Instruction
Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning
PO Box 7841
Madison, WI 53707-7841
Phone: (608) 266-6439
FAX: (609) 266-8770
For questions about this information, contact Roslyn M. Wise (608) 266-6439
Last updated on 2/20/2009 10:58:02 AM
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