1. State superintendent appoints new LSTA Advisory Committee members
2. Update on federal broadband funding
3. 2009 federal funding bill approved
4. New season for Step Up to the Plate @ your library
5. Website of the Week - 100 Milestone Documents that Shaped America
6. Calendar
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1. STATE SUPERINTENDENT APPOINTS NEW LSTA ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS
State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster announced five new appointments to the Library Services Technology Act (LSTA) Advisory Committee. The new members are Dee Barabe, Learning Resource Technician, WI Indianhead Technical College; Pat Chevis, Past WLA President & Retired library director of Stoughton Public Library; Garrett Erickson, Support Services Manager, Marathon County Public Library; Patricia Laughlin, Director, Hales Corners Library; Lynn Stainbrook, Director, Brown County Library.
Continuing members of the committee are Becki George, Library Media Specialist, Rice Lake Middle School; Joan Johnson, Assistant Director, Milwaukee Public Library; Deborah Kabler, Director, Barneveld Public Library; Tasha Saecker, Director, Elisha D Smith Public Library in Menasha; Michael Sheehan, Assistant Director, Northern Waters Library Service Jan Adams, Library Media Specialist, CESA 10; Roxane Bartelt, Head of Children's Services, Kenosha Public Library; Jeff Gilderson-Duwe, Director, Oshkosh Public Library/Winnefox Library System; Bea Lebal, Retired Director, TB Scott Free Library in Merrill; Mildred McDowell, District Library Media Specialist, Milwaukee Public Schools.
Members of the committee serve staggered three-year terms. The committee advises the state superintendent and the Division for Libraries, Technology and Community Learning on the development of the long-range plan for the LSTA program, annual grant priorities and categories as well as applications and recommendations for grant awards. LSTA program details are available at
http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/lsta.html. Contact Terrie Howe (608) 266-2413 or
teresa.howe@dpi.wi.gov if you have questions.
2. UPDATE ON FEDERAL BROADBAND FUNDING
As reported in the February 26 issue of Channel Weekly, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes $7.2 billion in broadband funding. This week the American Library Association's (ALA) Washington Office released more information on the broadband programs at:
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/wo/woissues/washfunding/fedfund/arra101pgs/broadband.cfm. There are three links at the end of the ALA update that provide more detailed information.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the federal Rural Utilities Service (RUS) will manage the broadband funding. These two agencies are now working on a grant application process. At a March 10 meeting in Washington, D.C., the NTIA said it was likely to have three grant application timeframes: April - June 2009; October - December 2009; April - June 2010. (It is more likely the first timeframe will be announced in June rather than April.) Once a grant timeframe is announced it is assumed that applicants will have at least 30-45 days to file an application. At this same meeting the agency said it was anticipating four different grant programs: (1) Broadband mapping, (2) Expanding public computer center capacity, (3) Innovative uses of broadband, and (4) Large broadband deployment and expansion. For the public computer center capacity program the law allocates a minimum of $200 million and specifically references the eligibility of libraries and community colleges. ALA will post out updates as more information becomes available.
3. 2009 FEDERAL FUNDING BILL APPROVED
Congress has approved and the President has signed the FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which includes the nine unfinished appropriations bills from last year.
The bill contains $171,500,000 for the Grants to State Library Agencies program within the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). This funding level is an increase of over $10 million from last year and also allows for full implementation of a 2003 law to provide a more equitable distribution of state formula grants.
A chart with selected program funding levels can be found at
http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/fy-2009-request-chart.pdf.
4. NEW SEASON FOR STEP UP TO THE PLATE @ YOUR LIBRARY
The American Library Association (ALA) and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum have teamed up for Season Four of Step Up to the Plate @ your library®. This national program brings together two American classics - libraries and baseball - to promote information literacy and the library as an essential information resource.
Librarians can now visit the program web site (
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/publicawareness/campaign@yourlibrary/sponsorship/stepup/stepup.cfm) to register for free promotional tools to help promote the program locally. Tools include program logos in both English and Spanish and a toolkit that includes sample press materials and programming ideas. The first 100 libraries to register will receive a Jackie Robinson "History Lives" poster from ALA Graphics.
Beginning National Library Week (April 12-18, 2009), when the program launches to the public, people of all ages will be encouraged to use the print and electronic resources available at their library to answer a series of trivia questions designed for their age group (10 and under, 11-13, 14-17, and 18 and over) and inspired by the history and diversity of our national pastime. Questions will be available in both English and Spanish. The program will run through September 1, 2009. One grand-prize winner will receive a trip for two in October to the Hall of Fame's World Series Gala event in Cooperstown, N.Y., including a behind-the-scenes tour of the library and archives.
5. Website of the Week
100 Milestone Documents that Shaped America --
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/content.php?flash=true&page=milestone -- This site provides a listing of 100 milestone documents which chronicle United States history from 1776 to 1965. The listing was compiled by the National Archives and Records Administration and is drawn primarily from its nationwide holdings.
6. 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 3/17/2009 8:34:17 AM
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