From the ALA Chapter Relations List Thu, September 2, 2010 4:47:25 PM

Are you looking for funds to help pay for your trip to ALA Annual 2011 in New Orleans?
Apply by Tuesday, December 14, 2010 for the NMRT Shirley Olofson Memorial Award and you may receive a $1000 check to help defray the cost of attendance!

Applicants must:
1. Be a member of ALA and NMRT
2. Be active in the library profession
3. Show promise for activity in the area of professional development
4. Have valid financial need
5. Have attended no more than five ALA annual conferences

To apply, please visit:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/rts/nmrt/oversightgroups/comm/awolofson/Shirley_Olofson_Award.cfm

These highlights are necessarily selective. They are also, of course, somewhat idiosyncratic. This is a huge conference with over 26,000 attendees of all sorts, and no single person can be everywhere. For more information on what transpired at the conference, go to www.ala.org. Electronic versions of Cognotes, the daily “newspaper” of the conference will be posted shortly (just search for Cognotes). The full minutes of the three Council Meetings (Council is the legislative body of ALA) will be posted within a few weeks.

With that said, here are some notes that might be of interest to our MLA members and other library lovers in Maine.

Congress is, as anyone who reads the newspapers knows, not in a very bipartisan mood these days. With anti-incumbent sentiment at supposedly an all time high and elections coming in November, the likelihood of pressing forward with library-related legislation is not extremely high. Nonetheless, ALA is doing its best to keep the interests of libraries in front of Congress. Council passed several resolutions to support the ALA legislative agenda during this conference. For a summary of the key issues that ALA is pursuing on behalf of libraries in this session of Congress, and particular steps you can take to support those efforts, go to http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/ogr/issuebriefs/2010_key.pdf.

One of the things Congress is likely to get to before fall elections is trying to protect the cyberinfrastucture of the country. “Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010” (S. 3480) would make the Department of Homeland Security responsible for protecting not only military and government information facilities but also civilian telecommunication networks if the President declares a national emergency. ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee and the ALA Washington Office feel that changes to the bill are needed to protect free speech and privacy rights. People in Maine may have a significant role to play in monitoring the progress of this legislation since Senator Collins is a key co-sponsor of the bill.

Continuing in the Intellectual Freedom vein, the Freedom to Read Foundation (you are a member, right? – 35 bucks a year, see www.ftrf.org) announced the availability in 2010 of local Banned Books Week Read-Out Grants. The idea is to have local events during Banned Books Week in which authors read from books which have been banned or challenged. Application details will be announced in July. There will be a quick turn-around so keep an eye peeled for application details. Whether your library gets a grant or not, be sure to plan some events at your library during Banned Books Week, to be held this year from September 25-October 2.

There were a huge number of vendors at the conference. Here are a few products or services that may be of particular interest to libraries in Maine.

Many Maine libraries have rich local history and genealogy collections, and not all of them are available electronically. The ResCarta Foundation would like to help change that situation. The Foundation has created a set of free, open source tools that libraries can use to create digital archives of their special collections of all types and make them available either locally or on the web. They even offer tech support! For more information or to download the free tool set, check www.rescarta.org.

Genealogy is a passion for many Mainers, and our libraries are great sources for information and help. Most of those interested in the subject know of www.familysearch.org as a rich source of genealogical information. But what not everyone knows is that the Family Search site depends heavily on 300,000 volunteers to input genealogy information from old records so that the information can be searched. This is an activity that may appeal to those who have some free time and interest in the subject. Check the web site to see how your patrons, friends groups, local senior centers, or other local folks can help expand the records available to genealogy researchers.

We’ve all heard a lot about how the Obama administration asserts it is committed to making government information more available to the public. For those looking for science information, there is now a single entry point for science information generated by the federal government across 15 different government entities covering over 200 million pages. Point your patrons to (and take a look yourself) www.science.gov. We’ve paid for it – now we can get at it!

That’s it for one person’s version of a very few selected highlights from the ALA 2010 Annual Conference, and it will be my final posting on these pages. My term as the Maine Library Association’s Chapter Councilor to the American Library Association is over today. I’ve enjoyed the job and now move over to let Jim Riordan take on that work for the next three years.

As a final word, having seen the difference on both the state and national levels that library associations make for libraries and librarians, I encourage you to become a member of both the Maine Library Association and the American Library Association. Times are, of course, tough but the dues of both together add up to the equivalent a Starbucks coffee once a week. It is money well invested if you love libraries.

Be well (and thanks for the fish),

Jim Campbell

MLA Chapter Councilor (Retired)

]]> http://www.mainelibraries.org/blogs/2010/07/01/111/feed/ 0 http://www.mainelibraries.org/blogs/2010/03/30/tech-trends-in-libraries/ http://www.mainelibraries.org/blogs/2010/03/30/tech-trends-in-libraries/#comments Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:42:31 +0000 ALA Councilor http://www.mainelibraries.org/blogs/?p=109 At ALA Midwinter meetings, LITA (the ALA Library Information and Technology Association) conducts a panel on Top Technology Trends that are already, or soon soon will be, affecting libraries. The panel from the 2010 Midwinter meeting in Boston is online and available for viewing. You can get up to date at: http://www.alatechsource.org/blog/2010/03/archive-techtrends-midwinter-2010-webinar.html.

MFOIC is pleased to announce that its third annual Maine Sunshine Award is awarded to Sen. David R. Hastings III for his steadfast support of open government.

“Senator Hastings has been the go-to member of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee as they review proposed exceptions to the state’s public records and open meetings laws,” said Mal Leary, President of the MFOIC. “He has kept the committee on track as they review proposals to make sure exceptions are as narrowly crafted as possible and that the public’s right to know is protected.”

The award was presented to Hastings at a State House news conference.

In addition to his work on the Judiciary Committee implementing the review process, the MFOIC cited the legislation Hastings sponsored and successfully got enacted into law that allows a judge to award legal fees in cases where government agencies are found to deliberately violate the state right to know laws.

“As an attorney, Sen. Hastings understands how reluctant some people can be to assert their rights because they cannot afford the legal costs associated with a civil case,” said MFOIC Vice President Judy Meyer. “His diligence in pursuing some financial relief for people who have been denied access to public records or meetings provides a fair and meaningful process for Mainers to assert their right to know.”

The MFOIC Sunshine Award is intended to honor citizens, journalists, media organizations, or community groups that have, during the past year, championed, protected, and promoted public access to government meetings, public records, and court proceedings, or otherwise promoted the public’s right to know and to publish, broadcast, and speak freely about issues of public concern.

March 14-20 is national Freedom of Information Week. By proclamation of Gov. John Baldacci, it is also Sunshine Week in the State of Maine.

The nationwide observance of FOI Day on March 16 commemorates the birth date of President James Madison, a strong advocate of the public’s right and duty to know what its government is doing.

The Maine Freedom of Information Coalition is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation representing individuals and organizations committed to open access to public information in print, electronic and digital formats. The Coalition involves media representatives, attorneys, librarians, state and local government officials, educators and others who care about transparency in government, information access and the role of an informed citizenry in a democracy.

Funds may be used to construct, enlarge or improve public libraries. This can include costs to acquire land needed for a facility, pay necessary professional fees and purchase equipment required for operation. Funds can be used to purchase shelving, furniture, computers, audio-visual equipment, distance learning equipment and bookmobiles.

Depending on funding availability, USDA Rural Development will provide up to $500,000 in additional Recovery Act dedicated grant funds to each of the State Offices for library projects.

For more information on the program and how to apply, see the USDA Rural Development fact sheet.

To reach the USDA Rural Development contact for a specific state, visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/ – adding the two-letter initial of the state to the end of the URL.

The webinars, entitled “Controversial Materials in the Library: Supporting Intellectual Freedom in Your Community,” are intended to help trustees understand the basics of intellectual freedom in libraries.  They will cover information on collection development policies, procedures for handling challenges to library materials, and tips on responding to controversies that may arise.  Angela Maycock, OIF Assistant Director, will lead the webinars.

The webinars will be offered February 17, 2010, 4–5:00 p.m. EST; February 23, 2010, 2:00–3:00 p.m. EST; and February 26, 2010, noon–1:00 p.m. EST.

Each session will include the same content.  Registration is limited to 60 participants per session.  The cost is $49 for individuals, $39 for ALTAFF members, and $95 for a group of two or more attendees at the same location.

To register for “Controversial Materials in the Library: Supporting Intellectual Freedom in Your Community,” visit http://www.ala.org/oif/onlinetrainings or call ALA Customer Service at (800) 545-2433 x5

• Denied employment rights or discriminated against on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, race, color, creed, religion, age, disability, or place of national origin; or
• Denied employment rights because of defense of intellectual freedom; that is, threatened with loss of employment or discharged because of their stand for the cause of intellectual freedom, including promotion of freedom of the press, freedom of speech, the freedom of librarians to select items for their collections from all the world’s written and recorded information, and defense of privacy rights.

If you have any questions, please contact the Merritt Fund at (800) 545-2433 x4226 or at merrittfund@ala.org.

Library supporters from around the country will join together on Tuesday, June 29, to express their support for library-friendly funding and policies to the U.S. Congress. Our rally will take place on Capitol Hill and will serve as a visual reminder to members of the U.S. Congress that libraries still matter.

The rally will be at Upper Senate Park, on Capitol Hill, on Tuesday, June 29, at 11 a.m.  We have a permit beginning at 9 a.m.  We expect participants will start gathering after 10 AM and will have some entertaining distractions until 11 a.m.

For full information and to register to attend (there is no charge to participate), go to http://www.ala.org/lad

The full report is available at  A new report entitled “A Perfect Storm Brewing: Budget cuts threaten public library services at time of increased demand” is now available. The title tells the story, the document has the facts. The report is published by The Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study, a multi-year project that builds on the longest-running and largest study of Internet connectivity in public libraries. The study assesses public access to computers, the Internet and Internet-related services in U.S. public libraries, as well as the impact of library funding changes on connectivity, technology deployment and sustainability in FY2007-2009.

The full report is available at http://ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/plftas/issuesbriefs/issuesbrief-perfectstorm.pdf

The James Madison Award, named in honor of President James Madison, was established in 1986 to celebrate an individual or group who has brought awareness to these issues at the national level.  Madison is widely regarded as the Father of the Constitution and as the foremost advocate for openness in government.

The Eileen Cooke State & Local Madison Award honors an extraordinary leader who has built local grassroots awareness of the importance of access to information. Cooke, former director of the ALA Washington Office, was a tireless advocate for the public’s right to know and a mentor to many librarians and trustees.

Both awards are presented during Freedom of Information (FOI) Day, an annual event on or near March 16, Madison’s birthday.

Nominations should be submitted to the ALA Washington Office no later than February 6, 2010.  Submissions should include a statement (maximum one page) about the nominee’s contribution to public access to government information and why it merits the award and one seconding letter. Please include a brief biography and contact information for the nominee.

Send e-mail nominations to Jessica McGilvray, Assistant Director for the ALA Office of Government Relations, at jmcgilvray@alawash.org. Submissions can also be mailed to:
James Madison Award / Eileen Cooke Award
American Library Association
Washington Office
 1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009-2520

http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2009/november2009/revisedgoogle111809.cfm

http://wo.ala.org/gbs/

http://www.openbookalliance.org/2009/11/is-the-google-settlement-worth-the-wait/

Draft of ALA Traditional Cultural Expressions Document

Over the last ten months, an OITP-lead workgroup has been collaborating with librarians, archivists and members of various indigenous communities within the United States in order to draft a statement of guiding principles concerning the management and protection of traditional cultural expressions (TCEs). TCEs are defined as, but not limited to, narratives, poetry, music, art, designs, names, signs, symbols, performances, architectural forms, and handicrafts created by indigenous and/or traditional communities.
The purpose of this document is to help librarians appreciate the unique nature of indigenous culture and to highlight ways that librarians can better manage traditional cultural expressions in their collections and share expertise with cultures that choose to self manage their own cultural heritage. In the next few months, the workgroup will continue to share the document with ALA divisions, roundtables, executive board, Council, and other interested units and organizations. The group aims for the principles to be considered for adoption as ALA policy at the 2010 Midwinter Conference in Boston. As always, feedback is welcome in this process–email crussell [AT] alawash [DOT] org.
For more information about traditional cultural expressions, visit the TCE website and Janice Pilch’s excellent issue brief.
Librarianship and Traditional Cultural Expressions: Nurturing Understanding and Respect – Draft 5 (PDF)

Vote No on TABOR II
Question #4
November 3, 2009
• TABOR II is a warmed-over version of TABOR I which Maine voters rejected in 2006.
• TABOR II eliminates local control over how tax and budget decisions will be made.
• TABOR II locks-in historically low levels of spending caused by the current economic crisis.
• TABOR II and effectively blocks the state from ever meeting its obligation to fund 55% of the costs of public education or effectively addressing Maine’s transportation infrastructure.
• TABOR II triggers an expensive statewide referendum election for revenue increases of as little as 1/100 of 1%.
• TABOR II caps all state revenue accounts, including minor accounts such as the snowmobile trail maintenance fund.
• TABOR II formulas are less stable than are current formulas.
The Maine Library Association supports a reasonable and rational approach to taxes that support public services. We believe, however, that An Act to Provide Tax Relief, (TABOR II) is a “one-size-fits-all” attempt to limit taxes on the state and local level without sufficient regard for the financial needs, special situations, and realities of the people of our state. TABOR II will erode the ability of our state and communities to sustain necessary levels of services, including quality libraries. For this reason, the Maine Library Association opposes Question 4 on the November 2009 Ballot in Maine. – Sept. 2009

Vote No on Motor Vehicle Excise Tax
Question #2
November 3, 2009
 Motor vehicle excise taxes collected by Maine’s towns and cities are retained at the local level to be used for local purposes. The initiative drastically reduces this source of revenue by 40%. (Total excise taxes collected in 2008 = $205 million. The initiative would reduce that revenue by $82 million.)
 Statewide, municipalities spend $235 million per year maintaining local roads and bridges. This includes plowing snow and sanding streets in the winter as well as road reconstruction and bridge repair in the summer. This work is crucial to our economy and our safety.
 The money used for this road work comes primarily from two sources, 90% from the motor vehicle excise tax and 10% from state aid. There is no requirement that excise taxes be used for road repair and maintenance, but the facts clearly show that they are.
 The cut to the motor vehicle excise tax caused by the initiative would reduce the quality of our roads and local bridges.
 Also, the initiative will only benefit people who own newer cars, hybrid-type cars and motorcycles. According to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, nearly 70% of registered cars in Maine don’t qualify for any benefit under this proposal. The only ones to get a break are those who can afford a new car, but new cars and hybrids cause just as much wear to roads as other cars.
 Municipalities will either have to cut expenditures overall or increase property taxes.
The Maine Library Association in support of its member libraries and all Maine libraries recognizes the need for access to sufficient funding to maintain operations and infrastructure to provide excellent service to all communities especially at a time when demand for library services is at an extraordinarily high level. Referendum Question 2 proposing a reduction in excise taxes levied on vehicles registered in Maine will greatly reduce the funds available to municipalities to maintain essential municipal operations, including libraries. For this reason, the Maine Library Association opposes Question 2 on the November 2009 ballot in Maine. – Sept. 2009