1. Burmaster announces 2009 LSTA grant awards
2. BadgerLink Request for Proposal (RFP) process update
3. ARRA and the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)
4. Phase Two of ALSC's Kids! Campaign targets "tweens"
5. Website of the Week - Librarian's Internet Index
6. Calendar
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1. BURMASTER ANNOUNCES 2009 LSTA GRANT AWARDS
Over $3 million in federal library funding will help Wisconsin libraries demonstrate innovative uses for technology, create digital copies of historical resources for statewide use, and improve literacy and reading skills in their communities. In addition, in response to high unemployment rates across Wisconsin, the Department of Public Instruction is awarding $200,000 to help libraries serve job-seekers and those who want to improve their job skills.
The federal budget that was recently signed by President Obama included an unanticipated increase in Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) 2009 funding for Wisconsin of about $200,000 over 2008 funding. These funds will be used to help the public library community respond quickly to the current economic situation that has affected families and individuals across the state. Many libraries and library systems have services and resources for jobseekers, and are working cooperatively with employment and social service agencies around the state that are also assisting the unemployed and underemployed. These federal funds will be used to supplement and expand these efforts with support for training, computer labs, and additional library materials.
A total of 98 projects are funded through 2009 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants. A list of the projects can be found at
http://www.dpi.wi.gov/pld/pdf/09grants.pdf.
Seventeen library systems will share more than $50,000 to help public libraries better serve persons with disabilities that make it difficult for them to visit the library. These projects include making computer workstations at the library more accessible with touch screens and other adaptive equipment. About $230,000 was awarded to grant projects targeting adult, family, and early literacy users. Literacy projects include several outreach programs for youth and teens with reading needs, physical disabilities, and language barriers. Another $350,000 was awarded to libraries and library systems to continue to link libraries electronically with educational, social, or information services and defray costs for libraries to acquire or share computer systems and telecommunications technology.
The Department of Public Instruction's Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning administers Wisconsin's yearly LSTA allocation from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency responsible for strengthening museums and libraries. The Wisconsin 2008 LSTA Advisory Committee as well as outside reviewers from the library community evaluated all grant applications and made recommendations on grant awards for projects to take place from January through December 2009.
Members serving on the LSTA Advisory Committee in 2008 were Jan Adams, Cooperative Educational Service Agency 10, Chippewa Falls; Roxane Bartelt, Kenosha Public Library; Phyllis Davis, South Central Library System, Madison; Terry Dawson, Appleton Public Library; Becki George, Rice Lake Schools; Jeff Gilderson-Duwe, Oshkosh Public Library; Jim Gingery, Milwaukee Federated Library System; Joan Johnson, Milwaukee Public Library; Deborah Kabler, Barneveld Public Library; Bea Lebal, T.B. Scott Free Library, Merrill; Mildred McDowell, Milwaukee Public Schools; Jane Pearlmutter, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Tasha Saecker, Menasha Public Library; Zora Sampson, University of Wisconsin Barron County; and Michael Sheehan, Northern Waters Library System.
2. BADGERLINK REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) PROCESS UPDATE
The Department of Administration (DOA) and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) issued an RFP for Wisconsin BadgerLink Web Access to Full Text Database Systems and Content on July 15, 2008, and 20 vendors responded on August 27, 2008. Vendors provided responses within five primary categories and six secondary categories. The DPI intended to provide awards for the primary categories. Secondary categories were only to be considered for award pending the determination of sufficient funds to purchase additional resources. An evaluation team read and scored the proposals. The DOA issued letters to the proposers on May 22, 2009, that indicated the highest scoring for each category. Appeals can be filed by vendors through May 29, 2009. The DPI will need to complete negotiations with each vendor and begin operations July 1, 2009.
The primary categories and the highest ranked proposer for each are provided below. A more complete list of products will be available following contract completion.
Once final products and pricing are negotiated for the categories listed below and the final budget amount available has been determined by the legislature, the DPI's Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning will determine if it is possible to negotiate any additional contracts in these or other categories.
Priority categories:
Full text and images for magazines/journals, reference materials, and other specialized information resources for all age groups: EBSCO (Multiple databases to be announced)
Full text and images for currently published newspaper titles and back files, including Wisconsin newspapers (dates generally include newspapers from 1990 to current): EBSCO (Newspaper Source Plus)
Full text and images for historical newspapers, including Wisconsin newspapers (dates generally include from 1700 to 1990): Heritage Microfilm (NewspaperArchive Elite)
Full text and information about literature for all age groups: poems, essays, speeches, plays, and other works: Gale (LitFinder)
Online collection of multimedia information about children's literature and authors of children's books for the K-12 age range: TeachingBooks.net
3. ARRA AND THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM
The federal Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) is allocated increased funding of about $1 billion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). CDBG funds may be used for many purposes including public library building projects.
Certain communities qualify for direct awards, while an additional $7.5 million is to be distributed by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. Further information on the CDBG public facilities program in Wisconsin is at
http://www.commerce.wi.gov/CD/CD-bcf-cdbg-pf.html. Projects must be "shovel-ready" by this summer and the population served must be at least 51% low and moderate income. Before applying, please contact Sandra Herfel, Grants Specialist-Advanced, Wisconsin Department of Commerce, at 608-266-2435 or
sandra.herfel@wisconsin.gov.
4. PHASE TWO OF ALSC'S KIDS! CAMPAIGN TARGETS "TWEENS'
Phase two of the Association for Library Service to Children's (ALSC) Kids! @ your library® public awareness campaign, which officially launches in July, focuses on tools to help librarians promote library services to kids in grades five through eight.
In preparation of the official July launch, the following free resources have been added to the campaign's online tool kit: "Bud, Not Buddy" readers theater script, adapted from an excerpt of Christopher Paul Curtis's award-winning book, and "The Library Card" readers theater script, adapted from an excerpt of Jerry Spinelli's award-winning book. Other additions to the tool kit include a fresh, new navy blue and lime green version of the So Much to See/Do @ your library® artwork, which is also now available in Russian, Polish and French. The artwork is ideal for promotional flyers and library handouts.
All campaign resources are free and available for download at
http://www.ala.org/kids.
Phase one of the Kids! @ your library® Campaign was launched in 2006 and provides free resources to help local libraries reach out to children in grades K-4, their parents, and caregivers. For more information about the Kids! @ your library® Campaign and to check out all the free tool kit materials available, visit
http://www.ala.org/kids and click on the tool kit link.
5. Website of the Week
Librarian's Internet Index --
http://lii.org/ -- Librarians' Internet Index (LII) is a publicly-funded website and weekly newsletter serving California, the nation, and the world. The site provides a directory of websites and users can find more than 20,000 quality sites organized into more than 14 main topics and 300 subtopics.
6. CALENDAR
June 18, 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
July 10, 2009 - Council on Library and Network Development meeting, Madison
October 15, 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 6/4/2009 9:02:09 AM
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