Friday, January 17, 2003

Friday Notes 2.  An on-line resource for NEILSA Librarians DEADLINES & DATES: I'll try to list all the upcoming dates of importance here, you will have to mine for the details.  NEILSA CLOSED - Monday 1/20 for MLK Day January 21, 2003 9:00 - 12:00 (3 ces) Consortia Workshop @ Fayette PL February  - BYCA  (Before Your Computer Arrives), someone from your library MUST attend the BYCA workshop. ICN session All Iowa Reads is  February 4. Late spring/early summer workshops. March 24, 25, and 26 Upcoming Grant Application Deadlines National Leadership Grants for Libraries: February 1, 2003. http://www.imls.gov/grants/library/lib_nlgl.asp National Award for Library Service: February 15, 2003. http://www.imls.gov/grants/library/lib_nals.htm National Award for Museum Service: February 15, 2003. http://www.imls.gov/grants/museum/mus_nams.asp. National Leadership Grants for Museums: March 1, 2003. http://www.imls.gov/grants/museum/mus_nlgm.asp National Leadership Grants for Library/Museum Collaborations: April 1, 2003. http://www.imls.gov/grants/l-m/l-m_lead.asp All IMLS grant and award program deadlines can be viewed at: http://www.imls.gov/grants/dedln/index.htm     County Meetings Scheduled: If your county meeting is not on the schedule please contact NEILSA •    Allamakee County Meeting •    Black Hawk County Meeting - When called - seldom •    Bremer County Meeting - April 8, 2002 @ 7:30 in Readlyn •    Buchanan County Meeting - April 22, 2002 @ 7:00 in Fairbank PL •    Butler County Meeting  - April 1, 2002 7:00 Shell Rock PL •    Chickasaw County Meeting •    Clayton County Meeting - April 22 7:30 McGregor PL •    Delaware County Meeting - May 13, 2002 @ 7:00  Edgewood P L •    Dubuque CountyJanuary 16, @ 9:00  Carnegie-Stout Public Library •    Fayette County Meeting -  April 10th at 1000 @  Fayette Library •    Grundy County Meeting - All meetings start at 9:00 am - 2003 schedule         1/27 @ Conrad, 4/28 @ Dike, 6/28 @ Grundy Center, 10/27 @ Reinbeck •    Howard County Meeting   - April 7, 2003 @ 7:00 Elma PL •    Winneshiek County Meeting - Nov 6 @ 7:00 Decorah CE: Special Workshops: One & two hour workshops at Fall & Spring county meetings, item specific workshops.     OTHER CE: You must register with the listed provider.  Check: http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/for_ia_libraries/continuing_ed/index.html         Self-Directed Learning Opportunities: http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/Certification/alternate.htm ANNOUNCEMENTS: - "Quick and easy access to the most comprehensive catalogue of English Language book and serial titles ever published is now a reality, following a unique collaboration between the British Library and publisher K.G. Saur. For the first time the English language Bibliography 1945 to the Present plus the Complete British Library General Catalogue of Printed books (BLC) to 1975 is collected into a single database and can be accessed on DVD and online." "Already comprising 12 million titles with bibliographic details, the bibliography is compiled from several databases and catalogues of the British Library and the Library of Congress, providing access to an up-to-date research tool of unrivalled breadth. Several search modes, numerous combinable search criteria, a well-structured, easy-to-use interface, detailed content classification as well as several display and output formats facilitate easy access to this comprehensive bibliography. (from British Library - Press Releases) (1/13/2003 11:30:00 AM) [http://www.bl.uk/cgi-bin/press.cgi?story=1316] Baker & Taylor, Inc., under the current Iowa contract for book purchases, is now adding freight charges and sales tax to all staff account orders. (Staff accounts are set up by libraries for their employees' personal use.)     In the EYE-OPENER from NWILSA: 1) Vilsack Inaugural Events at State Library: Governor Vilsack and Lt. Governor Pederson will hold an Iowa Authors' Showcase at the State Library as part of their inaugural events. The Iowa Authors' Showcase is scheduled from noon to 4:00PM this Friday January 17th in the Ola Miller Babcock Building, home of the State Library (East 12th and Grand Ave.) Visitors can hear Iowa authors read excerpts from their works; they will also be signing books available for purchase. Among the authors on the dais: Hal Chase, Chuck Offenburger, Diana Star Helmer, Mona McElderry, Roxanne Rustand, Rachelle Albright, Larry Baker, Jacqueline Briggs Martin, and Mary K Shanley. This event also presents a chance to see the newly renovated State Library building on the Capitol Complex. The Iowa Authors' Showcase is free and open to the public. 2) Accreditation Reports / Applications Due: January 30th is just over 2 weeks away--and that's the deadline for libraries to turn in their Accreditation Report / Application to the State Library. This 7-page report serves as a checklist for libraries to indicate their progress toward meeting state service standards. Once these reports are received in Des Moines, the State Library is able to place your local library into one of three "funding tiers" for Direct State Aid. 10 service standards are required of libraries to be funded in Tier 1; another 13 are required to be funded in Tier 2. Libraries funded in Tier 3 are fully accredited; accreditation is good for 3 years. Please don't delay in completing this important paperwork, as it's directly linked to your library's receipt of Direct State Aid funding. Feel free to call with questions:-) 3) The Purpose of Email Lists: Many of you are aware of last week's snafu with the TRUSTEES' EMAIL LIST. One incident of one person asking to be removed from this email list caused an avalanche of similar requests around the state; at last count about 76 such requests flooded people's inboxes and cause considerable aggravation. As a result, the State Library has temporarily taken the TRUSTEES' MAIL LIST offline. So that incident prompts this plea to Northwest Iowa board members. Please consider the purpose of that mail list--or any of the others maintained by the State Library on the SILO server. Mail lists are an easy, timely way to stay connected and to stay informed about issues directly affecting your library and your job as board members. Through the TRUSTEES' MAIL LIST, you'll read announcements about education and training opportunities, legislative updates, library planning and policy issues, and more. And frankly, I believe that subscribing to trustee-specific email discussions is part of board members' advocacy efforts. Actually, the State Library maintains several mail lists designed for different audiences. For instance, YS_TALK is a discussion list for children's and young adult librarians as a means to share programming ideas. EBSCOIowa is a discussion list offering EBSCO users updates about new databases, services, searching techniques, etc. A similar discussion list is set up for FIRSTSEARCH users. And the grand daddy of them all is IOWALIB, a general, all-purpose mail list for all types of Iowa libraries. IOWALIB is a logical place to post changes of email addresses or hours or phone/fax numbers, to post general questions about library management, and to buy-sell-trade library materials and equipment. Here are 2 things to be mindful of: (a) when you are subscribed to an email list, and you pose a question or comment to the list, it's reaches all the subscribers simultaneously. So be judicious in using the "reply" vs. the "reply to all" features. (b) if you wish to subscribe to an email list--or if you wish to unsubscribe--please do so by going to the State Library's web site at http://mail.silo.lib.ia.us/cgi-bin/mailman It's very easy, just follow the on-screen instructions. Again, you cannot subscribe--or unsubscribe--simply be sending an email to the State Library or to NWILS office. This falls under my "email etiquette do's and don'ts!" Subscribing or un-subscribing must be done online by going to the URL above; on that webpage, you'll also find an in-depth explanation of how mail lists work. Once I hear that the TRUSTEES' MAIL LIST is back online, I'll announce that in a future EYE-OPENER. As always, you're welcome to contact NWILS office with questions about all this. And if you feel that your board could benefit from a crash course in emailing, let me know that too; I have such a class already "in the can" that can be brought to your local board meetings. Thanks for your patience and for being mindful of email etiquette:-)             New LINKS of interest: InternetWeek NewsBreak, Tuesday, January 14, 2003 SPECIAL FOCUS: Anti-Virus Software TODAY'S INTERNET INSIGHT: For enterprise users, computer viruses are a problem that appears to be solved. While viruses are still running rampant on the Internet, the vectors and victims are largely consumers who fail to update anti-virus software and are therefore easily infected. Enterprises have learned the hard way the importance of keeping anti-virus software up-to-date, and are successful in stopping viruses at the Internet gateway. But rather than truly cured, enterprises are in remission, argue two anti-virus vendors in today's Leading Off coverage. Symantec, which makes Norton AntiVirus, warns that the new generation of viruses is more powerful than its predecessors. And Trend Micro plans today to announce a new line of services and software, focusing not just on blocking viruses at the Internet gateway, but also on wiping out infections and restoring systems when viruses do get through -- as they inevitably will. Virus-fighting is also the subject of our featured white papers, and one of our latest news stories deals with warnings about not one, not two, but FOUR serious viruses that have surfaced since the New Year. -- Mitch Wagner (mwagner@cmp.com) Anti-Virus Vendors Gear Up For Next-Generation Infections Enterprises' current success in stopping virus infections at the Internet gateway shouldn't fool IT managers into thinking that the problem is solved, argue Symantec and Trend Micro, two leading anti-virus vendors. Symantec, which makes Norton AntiVirus, warns that the new generation of viruses is more powerful than its predecessors. And Trend Micro plans today to announce a new line of services and software, focusing on wiping out infections and restoring systems when viruses do get through. -- Mitch Wagner http://update.internetweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eKKT0BdhOP0V30BptJ0At YOU WROTE: snippets from your e-mails: FEEDBACK:     Survey Question: When you respond please send replies to Ken at davenport@neilsa.org or use the "comments" link at the bottom of the blog     REPLIES - CHANGES: Updates – Addresses & such -   CONSORTIA NEWS & E-Rate: - "A $2.25 billion federal program created six years ago to help connect schools and libraries to the Internet is "honeycombed with fraud and financial shenanigans," according to a report the Center for Public Integrity released Jan. 9." [http://www.public-i.org/dtaweb/report.asp?ReportID=492&;L1=10&L2=10&L3=0&L4=0&L5=0] "The center based its conclusions on two reports by the Federal Communications Commission inspector general's office last year and subsequent interviews. The nonprofit, nonpartisan group said that the E-Rate program is in "financial disarray," with problems ranging from "simple paperwork and reporting errors to false billing and other fraud potentially involving hundreds of millions of dollars." "E-Rate, created as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, provides schools and libraries with discounts of 20 percent to 90 percent for Internet access and telecommunications infrastructure and for internal connections. The program, which is overseen by the FCC but administered contractually by a nonprofit group called the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), is funded by the telecommunications industry through taxes on individual telephone bills.  (from Federal Computer Weekly) [http://www.fcw.com/geb/articles/2003/0106/web-erate-01-10-03.asp] (1/11/2003 7:20:00 AM) Gates Foundation Grants News:  Letters about BYCA are out. NOTE: One person must attend from each library, dule-director library - two people.  Life in Black and White - For older folks only --  (Under 40? You won't understand.)    You could hardly see for all the snow,  Spread the rabbit ears as far as they go.  Pull a chair up to the TV set,  "Good night, David; Good night, Chet."  Depending' on the channel you tuned  You got Rob and Laura - or Ward and June.  It felt so good, felt so right.  Life looked better in black and white.    I Love Lucy, The Real McCoys  Dennis the Menace, the Cleaver boys  Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train  Superman, Jimmy & Lois Lane.  Father Knows Best, Patty Duke  Rin Tin Tin and Lassie too,  Donna Reed on Thursday night--  Life looked better in black and white.  I wanna go back to black and white.  Everything always turned out right.  Simple people, simple lives  Good guys always won the fight.  Now nothing is the way it seems  In living color on the TV screen.  Too many murders, too much fight,  I wanna go back to black and white    In God they trusted, in bed they slept.  promise made was a promise kept.  They never cussed or broke their vows.  They'd never make the network now.  But if I could, I'd rather be  In a TV town in '53.  It felt so good, felt so right  Life looked better in black and white.  I'd trade all the channels on the satellite  If I could just turn back the clock tonight  To when everybody knew wrong from right  Life was better in black and white!  Pass this to someone and brighten their day by  helping them remember that life's most simple  pleasures are very often the best.     END PLATE: Long Announcements, Supporting Documents, & other "stuff" The fine print stuff blogs - Friday Notes 2 AT -  http://radio.weblogs.com/0108327/ NOTICE – DISCLAIMER - pick one, any one will do. MY disclaimer: Basically my opinions are my own, shared by no one else (sometimes), and are not the opinions of my agency, my board, my co-workers, my parents, siblings, relatives, my dogs or most any other know life form.  Except, of course, those very bright concerned, sensitive, perceptive &, in general, well educated, widely read and cultured individuals who wish to share this peculiar road to ruin, as well as a couple of down & out drugged out beatniks from the good old days. OK?  The "Prime Directive" applies. Edited by: Ken Davenport - NEILSA Consultant davenport@neilsa.org 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 © COPYRIGHT 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. NOTE: If credited [via ???] or [from so & so] it is their material and not covered by my "Copyleft" notice.  Ken SOURCE: {Consultant} D:CorelwpdocsFridayNotes0117.wpd  August 2, 2002 BOILER PLATE FOOTNOTES: 1. WARNING: I will be able to give you about a 5 working day warning on deadlines (by e-mail, less otherwise) I have 10 days to reply, if I miss the deadline, well I won't miss, if you miss  ... I'll send it in late but ... 1:52:51 PM    comment []

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