Public Library Funding & Technology Access report online
By Donna DiMichele | June 21, 2011
The American Library Association has released a digital copy of the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2010–2011. The report includes: The Public Library Funding Landscape, Public Library Technology Landscape, State Summary Data, and Reports from the Field. Provided by American Libraries magazine and the American Library Association Office for Research and Statistics, the report can be read in Zmag web browser format or as a PDF for offline reading.
Topics: ALA, News & Information, Technology | Comments Off on Public Library Funding & Technology Access report online
Discover Earth! an interactive exhibit from ALA
By Donna DiMichele | June 20, 2011
Would you like to see your public library host Discover Earth: A Century of Change? The Discover Earth exhibition will focus on local earth science topics—such as weather, water cycle, and ecosystem changes—as well as a global view of our changing planet. The primary message of the exhibition is that the global environment changes – and is changed by – the local environment of all exhibition hosts’ communities. Interactive, multimedia displays will allow exhibit visitors to interact with digital information in a dynamic way, encouraging new perspectives on our planet.
Sounds like a fantastic opportunity for RI public libraries to collaborate with organizations like the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, Save the Bay, and the URI Coastal Institute!
Learn more
Topics: ALA, Grants, News & Information, Resources | Comments Off on Discover Earth! an interactive exhibit from ALA
Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums
By Donna DiMichele | June 17, 2011
June 17, 2011 The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced the availability of application guidelines for the “Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums” project, funded jointly by IMLS and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. This funding initiative is part of President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign, a nationwide effort to bring American students to the forefront in science and math, to provide the workers of tomorrow with the skills they need today, and to re-envision learning in the 21st century.
The program, in partnership with the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), will support the planning and design of up to 30 Learning Labs in libraries and museums, based on current research on how young people learn through new media, and building a community of practice around digital learning for youth in out-of-school time settings that are based on current research on how young people learn through new media.
“This exciting national collaboration will engage young people in learning that is interest-based, youth-centered, flexible, and collaborative using innovations already taking place in science and technology centers, art museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions,” said IMLS Director Susan Hildreth. Press release
Details and application guidelines
Topics: 21st Century Skills in Libraries, Grants, IMLS | Comments Off on Learning Labs in Libraries and Museums
4 RI Library Directors Retire
By karen | June 15, 2011
There was must be something in the water, or in the air. This June, four long term directors of Rhode Island public libraries are retiring, leaving some very large shoes to fill. The Office of Library and Information Services thanks these directors for their many years of dedicated public service to their communities as well as their contributions to the library community as a whole. We wish them all the best in their retirement!
- Janet Levesque, Cumberland Public Library. Janet is retiring after 30 years of service and several construction projects that made the Cumberland Public Library one of the gems among Rhode Island public libraries. She has served many statewide library organizations and institutions, including the Library Board of Rhode Island and the RI Library Association. Long time Assistant Director Celeste Dyer will take over as director of the Cumberland Public Library.
- Joan Hackett, Harmony Library, Glocester. Joan is retiring after 30 years of service at Harmony Library. A dedicated children’s librarian and director, Joan has served in statewide capacities including the Public Library Standards Committee that developed the 2000 Edition of the Minimum Standards for RI Public Libraries. In a creative arrangement between the two independent libraries of Glocester, Gayle Wolstenholme, current director of the Glocester Manton Library, will also serve as director for the Harmony Library.
- Susan Aylward, North Kingstown Free Library. Susan has worked at North Kingstown for 35 years, starting as a page and working her way up to director, a position she has served in for the past decade. In addition to her work at North Kingstown, Susan has been active as a board member and president of the Ocean State Libraries consortium.
- Frances Farrell-Bergeron, West Warwick Public Library. Fran has served as director of West Warwick Public Library for the past 17 years. An erstwhile reference librarian, she has also worked at the Providence Public Library. Fran has been active in the RI Library Association, the Ocean State Libraries consortium and has served on committees for the Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative and the 2000 Edition of the Minimum Standards for RI Public Libraries. For many years, Fran was a co-host of Library TV (L-TV).
This latest group of retirees joins Judith Bell, retired director of the Jamestown Philomenian Library, and Carol Brouwer, retired director of the North Smithfield Library, both of whom retired earlier this year.
If you have retirements or other staff announcements, please feel free to send them to the OLIS Webmaster for publication on Rhodarian.
Topics: News & Information | 1 Comment »
Rethinking Resource Sharing Innovation Awards 2011
By Donna DiMichele | June 15, 2011
Rethinking Resource Sharing Innovation Awards 2011
Do you know of an innovation in resource sharing that makes an outstanding contribution to the field? Perhaps you know of one that improved library patron services in a remarkable way.
The Rethinking Resource Sharing (RRS) Innovation Awards recognizes and honors an individual or institution for changes they made to improve users’ access to information through resource sharing in their library, consortium, state or country. It is hoped that the award will encourage libraries and librarians to make changes in how they do resource sharing to improve service to users. RRS looks for efforts where people didn’t wait for the profession to provide better services for users.
Visit Rethinking Resource Sharing… for more information.
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Community College of Rhode Island Library is NEH/ALA grantee
By Donna DiMichele | June 10, 2011
The Library of the Community College of Rhode Island Library is one of 65 libraries nationwide to receive a grant from The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA) to host public reading and discussion programs around the Civil War. The award announced in a June 7 press release from NEH.
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RIMOSA and RI libraries partner this summer
By Donna DiMichele | May 19, 2011
The Rhode Island Museum of Science and Art (RIMOSA) has teamed up with RI public libraries in two ways: with traveling exhibits and the Teen Summer Reading Program. Throughout the summer, individual exhibits from RIMOSA’s Metamorphosis installation will tour Rhode Island public libraries. RIMOSA will also conduct its Animation and Sound Effects programs at various libraries throughout the summer. For the full description and schedules, visit RIMOSA online.
Topics: Events, News & Information, Resources | Comments Off on RIMOSA and RI libraries partner this summer
Working All the Library Funding Angles
By karen | May 11, 2011
This month WebJunction features resources on Library Funding – and who couldn’t use more funding for their library? Securing funding for the library benefits from a multi-faceted approach: staff are becoming savvy in how to demonstrate the library’s value to the community, seek grants for specific initiatives or projects, organize effective fundraising activities, and pursue strategic partnerships.
Explore what WebJunction has collected to help in your exploration of those options, including an overview of Library Funding, Grants, and Partnership Resources that can be found on the Web. Be sure to check out the Community Relations section too, which covers partnerships, public relations, and more.
Topics: Grants, News & Information, Resources | Comments Off on Working All the Library Funding Angles
Using Blogs to keep up with the Library World
By admin | April 29, 2011
Blogs are an easy way to keep up with the library world. I follow blogs on various library-related topics to stay abreast of hot issues and emerging trends, and I have found that there is a wealth of information from our colleagues all over the nation available on the internet. Here are some of my favorites-
- Libraries and Transliteracy offers practical advice, case studies, and the questions that surround teaching and developing multiple literacies.
- banned librarian primarily covers issues of library justice and activism. Important topics include censorship, copyright, and net neutrality.
- Drop the Reference Bomb covers everything from political elections and what they mean for libraries, customer service, to technology trends and collection issues. I like that his content is always something different, but consistently well-written and thoughtful.
- Government Book Talk– Okay, not an ACTUAL library blog, but it is the blog from the GPO, and spotlights a different book or series of books put out by the agency. Recent topics included, “The History and Legacy of the Space Shuttle,” “The First Collection of President Obama’s Papers,” and “A Closer Look at the FBI.” The level of books available range from appealing to those who are curious to those who are serious scholars.
This last blog is not from the library world at all, but I still think it deserves mention. Seth’s Blog is a blog written by author Seth Godin. It offers practical advice about marketing, innovation, and business practices. These pieces of wisdom are surprisingly relevant to libraries, and worth checking out.
If you are following any blogs that you find particularly helpful or interesting, I encourage you to post the url in the comments section.
Topics: 21st Century Skills in Libraries, Continuing Education, Future of Libraries, Literacy, Resources | Comments Off on Using Blogs to keep up with the Library World
National Library Week: Storytelling
By admin | April 11, 2011
Celebrate National Library Week with stories. Now you can learn powerful storytelling techniques through the WebJunction class “There will always be storytellers”.
Storytelling has always been at the heart of libraries. We all know that our libraries, like a good story, are captivating, enlightening and inspiring, but how do you tell your library’s stories in the most effective ways? “There will always be storytellers” teaches you how to find the most engaging stories, how to identify your storytelling style, and how to adorn and make your stories personal. Celebrate your library by taking this course and then using what you learn to spread your library stories during National Library Week!
WebJunction courses are free to all WebJunction RI members, and membership in WebJunction is free. From the time you sign up for a course, you are free to complete it over the next year. Check out all the courses available on WebJunction RI!
Topics: Continuing Education, News & Information | Comments Off on National Library Week: Storytelling
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