New
Friday
Notes: notes for next week
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
In observance of Martin Luther King's birthday, the NEILSA & State Library
will be closed Monday, January 17.
As you plan for next years budget.
IPERS
Requests Contribution Rate Increase
For the second consecutive year, the Benefits Advisory
Committee of the Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) is recommending
an increase in the contribution rate paid by regular members. The committee
passed a resolution at its October meeting to begin the rate increase phase-in
no later than July 1, 2005.
The Benefits Advisory Committee was created by law to
make benefits and services recommendations to the Iowa Legislature and IPERS.
Committee membership includes both employers and employees.
Four year phase-in
The committee made the same request last year, but it
was not acted on by the Senate. Their request keeps the current contribution
rate split: 60% paid by the employers and 40% paid by the employees. The rate
increase would be phased in over a four-year period. Additionally they are
asking that current law be changed so that IPERS can adjust the contribution
rates as needed once the phase-in is complete.
Contribution rates have not been raised since
1979
The IPERS bill would phase-in an increase in the
contribution rates for both employers and employees by a total of 1% per year
for the next four years. The current contribution rates of 5.75% employer and
3.7% employee have not been raised since 1979.
The IPERS Investment Board also passed a resolution at
its December 2, 2004, meeting urging the Governor and General Assembly to take
action in the 2005 session to resolve the unfunded actuarial liability of the
system ($2.1 billion as of June 30, 2004).
Combined rate of 13.25% is
necessary
The actuary suggests raising the contribution rates to a
combined rate of 13.25%. She cautioned that even though returns increased this
past fiscal year, we cannot earn our way out of this problem.
The IPERS Trust Fund is composed of contributions from
members and their employers, plus investment income, minus benefits and refunds
paid and expenses. Net assets held in the trust fund as of June 30, 2004,
totaled $17.2 billion.
Thanks to State Representatives Don Shoultz & Roger Thomas for this information.
EVERY CHILD READY TO READ @ YOUR LIBRARY -TRAINING KITS, BROCHURES,
POSTERS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
Trainers also are available to help your staff use the materials and present parent/caregiver workshops. See http://www.pla.org
Current research on early literacy and brain development
indicates that it is never too early to prepare children for success as
readers. Parents of newborns, toddlers and preschoolers must be
informed of their critical role as their children's first teacher. PLA
and ALSC have incorporated the latest research into a series of parent
and caregiver
workshops to provide public libraries with vital tools to
help prepare parents for this critical role. A training kit that
includes a training DVD, parent brochures, posters, training tools and
much more, are available for sale. These tools were developed by Dr.
Grover C. Whitehurst and Dr. Christopher Lonigan, well-known
researchers in emergent literacy, and have been tested and refined by
library demonstrations sites around the country.
To purchase the kit or order brochures (parent/caregiver brochures
are by age or a general information brochure for all ages) or posters and
to learn more about Every Child Ready to Read @ your library, visit http://www.pla.org today.
ABOUT THE LSA:
New Patron in Independence: Rachel Marie 5lb. 8 oz. 20 inches born 1/10/2005 02:08 am
Director and Patron doing fine, Congratulations Laura.
CE:
Change in the ICN site for the 1/27 All Iowa Reads session.
The site in Cedar Falls will be at the Cedar Fall Public
Library. The AEA site in Cedar Falls has been canceled.
Very Limited Enrollment - register now:
The Spring 2005 training funded by the State Library's Training
Program Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been
scheduled.
There are 40 classes in all (8 locations) that will take
place March through June. The classes include: Librarian's Internet
Toolkit for Kids; Internet Access: Policy Issues for Librarians; Using
the Internet for Reference; Tech Support on the Fly (a repeat of the
Fall 2004 class).
Due to grant requirements; limited to public library staff
only; for now, only one person per public library may register for each
class.
Sandy Dixon
Program Director Library Development
State Library of Iowa
Due Date:
NEILSA closed dates: 5/30, 7/4, 9/5, 11/11&
24&25, 12/23 & 26, 1/2/6
Jan. 24, 2005 9:00 am at the Grundy
Center PL - Grundy
County
Meeting - KD
January 31 - Accreditation applications and reports due
February 16 - ILA Lobby from Home Day
March 2 - ILA Legislative Day
April 5, 2005 7:00
Dumont - Butler County
Meeting -
April 5, 2005
7:00 in Elma - Howard
County
Meeting - KD ce
April 18 at 7 PM at Winthrop -
Buchanan
County
Meeting -
April
19, 2005 7:00 Elkader - Clayton
County Meeting -
May
10, 2005 7:00 Delhi - Delaware
County
Meeting
-
June 23 - 24 ALA Annual Chicago
June 30 Direct State Aid Funds expended
July 1 Renew EBSCOhost
July 31 Direct State Aid, Open Access, and Access Plus final reports due
August 31 Enrich Iowa Letter of Agreement due
September 21 - Town Meeting
October 15 - Annual Survey Due
October 19-21 ILA Annual, Dubuque
November 3 at 7:00 p.m. at the Ossian Public
Library - Winneshiek
County Meeting
December 23 & 26 - Christmas
Links:
LSA web site: http://www.ilsa.lib.ia.us/siteindex.htm
NEILSA e-rate Consortia Blog http://fridaynotes2.pitas.com/
NEILSA web site: http://neilsa.org
NEILSA Friday Notes
archives at: http://www.neilsa.org/fridays/friday.html
State Calendar - http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/news/calendars/2005calendar.pdf
State Library CE web site at: http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/for-ia-libraries/continuing-ed/index.html
USAC (e-rate): http://www.sl.universalservice.org/
The fine print stuff
blog - Friday Notes 2 AT
- http://radio.weblogs.com/0108327/
EDITORS NOTES:
"x" & "xx" are catalogers shorthand for: x = See &
xx = See also
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
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 ...
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