Thursday, May 19, 2005

New Friday Notes: notes for next week ANNOUNCEMENTS: FirstSearch Contracts = Time to Renew: Heads-up to all current FirstSearch libraries: contracts or “letters of agreement” for continuing access to the FirstSearch databases have already been mailed to individual libraries.  The contracts were mailed on May 9th, so you should have received yours by now.   Please sign and return the contract to Central LSA by May 31st to ensure uninterrupted access to FirstSearch.  (Central’s address is printed on the contract itself… or  http://www.cilsa.lib.ia.us/)  FirstSearch is an impressive collection of over 60 online databases; a great deal of information is retrievable in full-text.  Of the 60 databases, 10 afford libraries unlimited searching.  Among the unlimited group is WORLDCAT (a national card catalog—think SILO times 49 more states!)  And there’s MEDLINE for professional medical journals, ERIC for education journals, and WORLD ALMANAC in its entirety. Libraries are allowed 100 searches per month in the remaining databases; for each search over 100, the library will be billed $.90cents/search.  Remember, there is no annual subscription fee: FirstSearch is subsidized by the State Library and administered by Central LSA office in Ankeny.  Libraries of all sizes can—and should—be providing this level of information access for their communities.  It makes small libraries as information rich as the large libraries.  Don’t let training hold you back, we’re here to provide training.  In the meantime, here’s a great fact sheet with commonly asked questions: http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/for-ia-libraries/databases/firstsearch/firstsearch-fact-sheet.html So for current users, please return your contract ASAP.  To join as a first-time participating library, just email NWILS and we’ll help get the ball rolling.  2)  EBSCOHost Subscription Time Too:  The State Library has devised a new way to renew subscriptions to EBSCOHost.  All current EBSCO subscribers will be automatically invoiced for another year.  The invoices will be mailed from the State Library around May 25th.  Libraries can opt to pay before or after July 1st, whichever is more convenient.  And here’s the invoiced amount: for public libraries, the base price is $25.00 plus $.025cents per capita.  (While local funding is required, EBSCO access is largely subsidized through a partnership between the State Library of Iowa and Iowa's Area Education Agencies) EBSCOHost is a collection of 15 databases, with literally thousands of magazines, journals, and newspapers, the great majority of them in full-text.  In addition, EBSCO includes Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, EBSCO Animals, and a reference set titled Our States.  It bears repeating: libraries of all sizes can—and should—be providing this level of information access for their communities.  And again: don’t let training hold you back, we’re here to provide training.  In the meantime, read more about it here: http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/for-ia-libraries/databases/ebsco/index.html So current EBSCO subscribers can expect to receive an invoice within a few weeks.  To join as a first-time participating library, there’ll be a sign-up form required, with an invoice to follow.  The sign-up form for new users isn’t ready quite yet, so stay tuned.  ABOUT THE LSA: Special THANKS to Grundy Center PL for standing in and hosting the NEILSA Board at the (literally) last minute. Keystone area libraries: Remember that the Keystone AEA has offered to share its collection with the public libraries for the summer, this is an excellent way to increase your offerings and to help your  student patrons stay up to speed. CE: Public Library Management 1 and 2, Fall 2005 - Classes start August 4 and August 25 respectively.  Details about the programs can be found in the Continuing Education Catalog.  http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/for-ia-libraries/continuing-ed/cecat.htm Gates Follow-up Classes held in West Union; Certificates - please make certain you return your evaluation sheet in order to get your ce certificate.  If you need an evaluation form contact NEILSA office and we will fax it. Due Date: NEILSA closed dates: 5/30, 7/4, 9/5, 11/11& 24&25,  12/23 & 26, 1/2/6 June 2 & 3 Keystone delivery ends for summer June 9 & 10 AEA 267 Delivery break June 14 & 15 Summer delivery AEA 267 starts June 16 at 9:30 - Clermont - Fayette County Meeting - KD June 23 - 24 ALA Annual Chicago - KD June 30 Direct State Aid Funds expended July 1 Renew EBSCOhost July 18, 2005  9:00 AM Beaman Grundy County Meeting (NOTE Temporary rotation change) July 31 Direct State Aid, Open Access, and Access Plus final reports due August 9 & 10 AEA 267 Summer delivery ends August 15 Van service starts AEA 267 & Keystone August 31 Enrich Iowa Letter of Agreement due September  21 - Town Meeting October 4 - 7:00 Greene - Butler County Meeting October 15 - Annual Survey Due October 17, at Aurora 7:00  Buchanan County Meeting -  KD October 18 - Farmersburg 7:00 Clayton County Meeting - KD October 18 - Tripoli  7:30 Bremer County Meeting October 19-21 ILA Annual, Dubuque October 24 9:00 Wellsburg Grundy County Meeting November 3 at 7:00 p.m. at the Ossian Public Library  - Winneshiek County Meeting December 23 & 26 - Christmas Links: Learning Activity Written Summery: http://www.silo.lib.ia.us/for-ia-libraries/continuing-ed/online-learningactivitywrittensummary.htm LSA web site: http://www.ilsa.lib.ia.us/siteindex.htm NEILSA continuing education  http://www.neilsa.org/classes/current.html NEILSA e-rate Consortia  Blog http://www.neilsa.org/cblog/index.cfm NEILSA monthly calendar - http://www.neilsa.org/ncalendar/ncalendarmonth.cfm NEILSA web site: http://neilsa.org NEILSA yearly calendar - http://www.neilsa.org/ncalendar/ncalendar_results.cfm 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 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 NEILSA Board Meeting Meeting Date, Time and Location:  June 13, 2005 3:00 p.m., New Albin Public Library 5:58:58 PM