Friday Notes 2.
IF you are new to The Friday Notes, see WELCOME - First Post - way at the bottom.
CE- What is coming up in NEILSA CE:
Notice: Confluence will replace the during the year NEILSA ce offerings. Except, one & two hour workshops at Fall & Spring county meetings, when requested, and 2 roundtables/year.
OTHER CE: You must register with the listed provider.
Check: http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/for_ia_libraries/continuing_ed/index.html
August 21 NCIRLS Snap, Crackle, Pop, in Charles City
Public Library Management I & II http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/Certification/cecat.htm#September
Self-Directed Learning Opportunities: http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/Certification/alternate.htm
2002 Small City Workshops
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
In the EYE-OPENER from NWILSA:
Good morning! This time in Eye-Opener
1) Iowa League of Cities Workshops
2) July Paperwork Deadlines
3) Registration Deadline for Fall PLM Courses
1) Iowa League of Cities Workshops: Each year, the Iowa League of Cities sponsors a series of workshops around the state targeted at cities of 1,500 population or less. Dates and locations for the 2002 Small City Workshops are as follows:
Goldfield -- Thursday, July 11
American Legion Hall
509 N Main Street
Goldfield, Iowa 50542
Allerton -- Tuesday, July 30
Sentential Building
101 S Central Avenue
Allerton, Iowa 50008
Elk Horn -- Wednesday, August 7
Elk Horn Townhall
4212 Main Street
Elk Horn, Iowa 51531
George -- Tuesday, August 13
George Community Room
117 S Main Street
George, Iowa 51237
Workshops run from 5:00--8:00PM, which includes a dinner.
This year, there are 2 topics on the agenda. The first topic presents an overview of basic meeting requirements, including Iowa's Open Meetings Laws. This section will also include tips and procedures for making meetings run smoothly, such as determining what to place on the agenda, along with the role of the Mayor/Council in city council meetings.
Following dinner, the program continues with a presentation on personnel issues that small cities face. Rather than attempting a comprehensive discussion of personnel regulations, this session will focus only on personnel issues that impact small cities with their unique staffing
circumstances (overtime pay, seasonal employees, etc.)The workshop format promises ample opportunity for questions and a chance to network with city officials in like-size towns. These League workshops are quite good and I would encourage library boards and staff to attend as well.
Certainly both topics on the agenda this year are topics that library boards deal with. This is a chance to stretch your advocacy muscles...look at this as a "team building" opportunity, with a chance to meet and learn together with mayors, city clerks, and council members!
For details of other dates and locations, to learn the price, and to register, simply go online to the Iowa League of Cities website:
2) July Paperwork Deadlines: Lots of paperwork deadlines are looming now that July is here. A reminder that final reports are due at the State Library for these programs: Direct State Aid, Infrastructure Program, Open Access, and Access Plus. Library directors should have received paper copies of these reports many moons ago. But if it was so long ago that you've since forgotten where they are--you can always retrieve additional copies online at the State Library's web site: http://www.silo.lib.ia.us
These 4 reports are due July 31st, so you do have time to call NEILSA with any questions. And if you have trouble printing copies of these forms, let us know that too; we have master copies that we can fax you. If this is your first time through these routines, do let us know if we can help with completing this paperwork.
3) Registration Deadline for Fall PLM Courses: New library directors or support staff who missed getting in on the summer school action can register for the fall sessions of the PLM courses. Public Library Management 1 and 2 will be offered this fall, with both courses beginning in September. PLM1 begins September 6th; PLM2 begins September 4th. For both courses, the first day of class is in Urbandale; thereafter, the remaining seven classes are conducted over the ICN. PLM1 and PLM2 each cost $35.00. Registration deadline is July 26th. Simply register online at the State Library's web site: http:www.silo.lib.ia.us
NEILSA office will be closed on Thursday July 4th for the holiday; office hours resume on Friday. But by the lack of calls you already figured this out, it is so nice and quiet here today. And that is OK for a holiday but otherwise remember our number in Waterloo is 233-1200 or 800 772-2023 – please call Denise gets lonely when you don’t call.
YOU WROTE: snippets from your e-mails:
"... for the bigger type and the black lettering on white back ground. One question, I like to print off the Friday notes each week, ..., besides cutting and pasting, how can I do this without getting every week, just this week?"
Eunice points out:
You might want to point out some time that if they want to print from the blog to click on the little paper image next to the date [XX below] they want. That takes them to a single date only, rather than all of them strung together.
Ken adds:
ON the bottom of each "Page" you will see the following 3 lines:
(IN RED) Also note that the "comment" feature is enabled in case you wish to reply or comment. See below.
5:21:32 AM comment [0] In Blue {EXAMPLE go to bottom of this post for the real thing}
XX Thursday, June 27, 2002
Click on the XX to get the single page.
Click on the "Comment" line to leave your comments for all to see.
Access Plus
Several libraries have called to ask if they need to send in a claim voucher for Access Plus, the program that reimburses libraries for interlibrary loan transactions. Claim vouchers are not required for Access Plus reimbursement.
For additional information on Access Plus reimbursement, see
http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/for_ia_libraries/index.html
Gerry Rowland
State Library of Iowa
I'd like to submit a suggestion for Friday Notes and for general use netwide.
Always use the subject line and not just for Thanks or Book or some such other ubiquitous term--especially for listservs.
NEILSA Consortia & e-rate updates:
Editorial Comment: Over the last week between, CIPA/NCIPA and SLD/PIA there has been a lot of e-mail/fax/USPS action with the Consortia. We are sorry for that, especially since for every thing you get I get from 50 -80 replies to check, sort, and file (well April does most of that), but the point is that it was a lot of traffic. Sometimes you received repeated fax transmissions, not intended but it happened. The problem is that all this takes time, yours and mine. None of us are awash in time and so it gets frustrating for all. This is especially true now that Jim is gone and the LSA has effectively 25% less staff to do the work.
SOME BACKGROUND: The Schools & Library Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has a branch in New Jersey called Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) who’s job is to make certain that every little i has a dot and all the o’s are closed so they do not look like u’s or c’s or Kumquats or whatever, so like o closers and i dotters PIA is very pictural, and we get the picturals. Therefore
THE PROBLEM: When PIA calls for information about a large number of Consortia members or the entire Consortia it is frequently quicker, and in some case more current, for me to ask you for the information than to dig through all 80 files. But PIA gives me one week (7 days) to get the data back to them, I ask for and usually get an additional 3 or 4 days. PIA holds the entire application until every I is dotted, t crossed and o closed, so a single non-reply for a $4/month long distance bill copy will, has & does hold up an entire $100,000.00 application.
THE SOLUTION: The result is that you get the e-mail/fax/letter. I would love to have the time and assistance needed so that it was not necessary to go back to you, but I don’t and unless you want to pay for e-rate help I am going to have to dump more and more of the data collection on you. Not only that but follow up calls, known as begging, are going to be severely limited. Just so you know, here is how it will work. .
When I get a request:
1. An e-mail will go out, return receipt requested - you have 6 days to reply with the data
2. Any e-mail that has not been opened, bounced or libraries without e-mail, will get a follow-up fax - you have 4 days for reply
3. Finally a letter or phone call, if the other two did not get you - You will need to reply IMMEDIATELY
IF you do not, the consequences could be anything, loss of your funding - likely; or loss of the funding for the entire application (i.e. everyone in the Consortia). It has happened.
How can the Consortia all lose? IF 30% of the Consortia members were to fail to provide the needed information the entire application would be canceled by SLD. Yes that means that somebody needs to check the e-mail, read the faxes, open the mail and so on whenever the library is open, and whoever does this has to know something about library operations or has to know who to kick it upstairs for answer. I can and will help people "holding the fort" identify the right person - copies of bills - city clerk, permission to do something/signatures the Board chair, but your helper has to admit that the librarian/director is not there and has to have been directed to contact the city clerk, Board Chair or whoever.
We do not like having to beg you for information. We have reminders in place because we all are busy and it is easy to forget or miss something but, like baseball, 3 strikes and you are out and this program has no balls.
What is next?
If I were a betting man I would put all my WorldCom stock on a request from PIA for "Item 21" explanation about the Internet connections. What this means is; copy of the bill, an explanation of what is included in the charges (from vendor) and for those who have changed vendors mid year a statement of why with any supporting documentation. Finally for those of you who were with MWCI, or the like, a blow by blow, with dates & costs, of what has happened.
SLD and all can be reasonable but only with an adequate (unreasonable) amount of documentation.
Appeals "found to be with merit" Hudson, Maynard & Nashua recovered for Funding Year 2000 over $3000.00.
FEEDBACK:
Survey: If you read the blog please let us know by going to the "comments" link and leaving your library ILL code (NEILSA is A5ox024) we hope you will also leave a comment. Do you like/hate/feel indifferent about this way of getting the Friday Notes, what can we do to improve, or just say HI!!
CHANGES: Updates – Addresses & such - Independence PL is near to closing the search for it’s new director.
Dumont has an interm director - we hear.
END PLATE: For those not to busy for a bit of foolishness
You know as well as I that sometimes there is a lack of respect for "some" people.
Grandma Beats Up Airport Security Guards
by Bob Wallace
Charges were dropped yesterday against Ruth "Grammy" Gordon, an 83-year-old wheelchair-bound grandmother, who was originally charged with assault and battery, and assault with a deadly weapon, because an altercation she had last week with six airport security guards, that left all six hospitalized.
"Justice has been served," said the 95-pound mother of three and grandmother of six, as she sat in her wheelchair, aided in her breathing by an oxygen bottle. "Now I’m going to sue every fool in the federal government for ignorance, stupidity, and just plain general incompetence. I’m an American, and I won’t be treated like this."
The problem began last month as Gordon was attempting to board an airplane. "These guys are supposed to be some kind of professionals," she said, "but they’re dumber than rocks. Here they were letting guys who looked just like terrorists walk through without searching them, and then they pull me aside and tell me they’re going to search me? I don’t think so."
According to one witness, Bud Cort of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, one guard, "who weighed about 300 pounds, looked like he was drunk, and had his shirt out, told this woman she couldn’t board the plane unless they searched her. He was really rude. That’s when the trouble started."
Videotapes showed that Gordon ran the guard down with her motorized wheelchair, then sat on top of the screaming man while spinning her chair in circles. "Doofus was so fat he couldn’t get up," said Gordon with a giggle.
One guard who attempted to pull Gordon’s wheelchair off of the screaming man from behind was hit over the head with an oxygen bottle and knocked unconscious. A third guard, who approached Gordon from the front, was also left dazed on the floor. Witnesses said she was cackling, "Put your hands on an old lady, will you?" as she bashed both guards.
The tape also showed a fourth guard attempting to grab Gordon’s wheelchair. Gordon removed a knitting needle from her purse and stabbed him in his left buttock. "What a wimp," she told reporters. "He started screaming and grabbing his butt and running like a puppy that someone kicked."
"It was amazing," said another witness, Scott Ryan, also of Cuyahoga Falls, a professor of music at Ohio Express University and author of Yusef Islam: Cat Stevens Declawed. "The whole crowd just stood there cheering and clapping. I mean, she was whupping butt."
A fifth guard that attempted to grab Gordon had the seat of his pants set on fire with a cigarette lighter that had escaped detection. "He just went whoosh across the concourse, screaming and slapping at all these flames flying out of his rear," said Ryan.
A sixth guard did finally manage to get Gordon in a body hug. "I think that was the wrong thing to do," said another witness, who declined to be identified. "She just grabbed him by his greasy hair with one hand and cracked him across the jaw with her skinny fist. And down and out he went."
After all this, Gordon’s chair was still sitting on top of the first guard. The tapes clearly showed her leaning over and yelling, "Apologize to me, you fat sumbitch, or when I’m done with you you’ll just be a greasy spot on the floor!"
As the crowd roared, the guard cried, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Uncle! I won’t do it again!"
Finally, Gordon surrendered without further incident, and was taken to jail and released on her own recognizance. "We didn’t have any choice," said an unidentified officer of the court. "Over 200 people showed up to support her. I think if we had demanded bail, there would have been a riot."
Over 20 lawyers offered to defend her for free. However, realizing the precariousness of the case, Gordon was not charged with anything. "I doubt there’s a jury in the whole country that would have found her guilty of anything," said one of the lawyers.
"I’m flying again tomorrow," Gordon told reporters. "And I suggest no one at the airport so much as look at me wrong."
May 27, 2002 Bob Wallace, a former newspaper reporter and editor, and an incurable lover of puns, lives in St. Louis.
blogs - Friday Notes 2 AT - http://radio.weblogs.com/0108327/
ALSO AT: http://fridaynotes2.pitas.com
COPYLEFT NOTICE 2002 THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION IS FREE.
It may be copied, distributed and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License published by Michael Stutz at http://dsl.org/copyleft/dsl.txt
Please note material found on the web should be assumed to be under copyright and is presented here for purposes of education and research only.
NORTHEAST IOWA LIBRARY SERVICE AREA
BOARD MEETING
Fayette Community Library
104 W. State St., Fayette, Iowa
July 8, 2002 -- 2-3 p.m.
Agenda
1. Approval of the Agenda
2. Approval of June Board Minutes
3. Review and Approval of June Bills
4. Mary Wegner, State Librarian
5. General Business
a. Trustee Executive Council Meeting
b. Plan of Service Committee
c. Wellmark
d. Audit
e. Other
6. AEA Report
7. Community College Report
8. Administrator's Report
a. Transition Status
b. Other
9. Consultant's Report
a. E-rate
b. CIPA
c. ALA
d. Other
10. Next Meeting Date, Time and Location Aug. 12, 2002 2:00 p.m. NEILSA Office?
11. Adjourn
Eunice Riesberg - Acting Administrator//Director ILRC
4:39:41 PM 
|
