1. Joint Finance Committee approves amended budget
2. BadgerLink content to be expanded
3. Libraries lend a hand in recession
4. Website of the Week - USASearch
5. Calendar
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1. JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE APPROVES AMENDED BUDGET
In response to dramatically reduced state revenue projections, on June 5 the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee approved an amended budget bill for the next biennium that includes the following library-related items:
- Public library system funding decrease of approximately 3.7% for 2010 and an increase of about 3.2% for 2011 (over 2010 funding). Total proposed funding is $16,165,400 for 2010 and $16,681,200 for 2011. This compares to 2009 funding of $16,783,500.
- BadgerLink funding of $2,238,500 for 2010 and $2,448,900 for 2011. This compares to 2009 funding of $2,111,000.
- 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.
- NFB-NEWSLINE funding to support newspapers accessible by telephone for blind and physically handicapped people, totaling $106,400 for 2010 and $111,100 for 2011. This compares to 2009 funding of $108,000.
Final legislative approval of a budget bill should occur before the start of the next biennium on July 1, 2009.
2. BADGERLINK CONTENT TO BE EXPANDED
The Department of Administration and the Department of Public Instruction issued a Request for Proposal (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.
As previously announced, the Department of Public Instruction intends to negotiate contracts with EBSCO, Gale's LitFinder, TeachingBooks, and Heritage Microfilm's Access NewspaperArchive.
EBSCO will be providing an expanded package of databases which nearly doubles the content currently available. Libraries in Wisconsin will now have access to thirty-two EBSCOhost databases, including many new ones that were previously unavailable on a statewide basis. EBSCO will also provide an expanded newspaper package. The package includes the following:
Academic Search Premier
Alt HealthWatch
Auto Repair Reference Center
Book Collection: Nonfiction - Elementary School Edition
Book Collection: Nonfiction - Middle School Edition
Book Collection: Nonfiction - High School Edition
Business Source Premier
Consumer Health Complete
Education Research Complete
Educational Administration Abstracts
Encyclopedia of Animals
ERIC
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
GreenFile
Health Source: Consumer Edition
Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition
History Reference Center
Humanities International Complete
LISTA
Literary Reference Center
MAS Ultra - School Edition
MasterFILE Premier
MEDLINE
Middle Search Plus
Military & Government Collection
Newspaper Source Plus
NoveList
NoveList K-8
Primary Search
Professional Development Collection
Regional Business News
Science Reference Center
In total, the combined, unduplicated content of this package breaks down as follows:
8,140 full-text magazines & journals (of which, 5,609 are peer-reviewed journals)
1,557 full-text newspapers & newswires (of which, 1,535 are newspapers)
6,755 full-text books & monographs
The above package includes an upgrade to the Premier versions of Academic Search and Business Source; a major newspaper collection (Newspaper Source Plus); the leading reader's advisory service (NoveList and NoveList K-8); all three versions of Book Collection: Nonfiction; two new health databases (Consumer Health Complete and Alt Health Watch); two new education products (Education Research Complete and Educational Administration Abstracts); high school level science and history resources (Science Reference Center and History Reference Center); an auto repair database (Auto Repair Reference Center), and a pair of literary/humanities collections (Literary Reference Center and Humanities International Complete).
Libraries with individual subscriptions to any of these products should contact EBSCO for a customized offer to migrate to replacement databases.
This is a very exciting time for us as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of BadgerLink.
3. LIBRARIES LEND A HAND IN RECESSION
NBC's Today show on June 11 had a four minute-plus story entitled "Beyond Books: Libraries Lend a Hand in Recession." The story discusses how libraries are helping job seekers and those whose budgets have been pinched by the recession. The piece is online at
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31237988#31237988.
4. Website of the Week
USASearch --
http://usasearch.gov/ -- The official web search site from the United States government, this site has links to information and services to find whatever you want or need from the U.S. government.
5. 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 6/16/2009 8:22:30 AM
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