Annual Report Questionnaire
The FY2002 NH Public Library Annual Report questionnaire for those libraries whose fiscal year coincides with the calendar year will be sent out by the end of December. The report is due March 3.
Many of you use past years' statistics for budget, staff, and program planning. You are encouraged to return your forms as soon as possible; the earlier all the reports come in, the earlier the State Library can compile the statistics and get them on the Web and into print in a timely fashion.
Please contact Sue Palmatier, Supervisor of Library Development Services and State Data Coordinator, at 1-800-462-1726, 603-788-0914, or spalmatier@library.state.nh.us, if you have any questions or concerns.
Award Alert: Public Service
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is accepting nominations for the 2003 National Awards for Museum and Library Service. The awards are designed to honor the extraordinary public service provided by museums and libraries. Recipients of the award must demonstrate long-term, ongoing commitment to public service through innovative programs and community partnerships.
The principal selection criterion for the National Award for Library Service is the ability to demonstrate a systematic and ongoing commitment to public service through exemplary and innovative programs and community partnerships. Public or private nonprofit libraries are eligible for the award. Nominated libraries must be open to the general public for at least 120 days a year. Anyone may submit a nomination, and nominations of libraries of all sizes are encouraged.
See the IMLS website for complete nomination guidelines and to download nomination forms - http://www.imls.gov/whatsnew/current/112102.htm. The deadline for nominations is FEBRUARY 15.
Awards Competition: Pr Swap & Shop "Best Of Show"
Outstanding library public relations materials are being sought for the Library Administration and Management Association/LAMA Public Relations Swap and Shop "Best of Show" awards competition. Entries will be accepted between MARCH 4 and APRIL 5. Winning entries will be on display during the Swap and Shop program on June 22, 11-1, during the American Library Association/ALA Annual Conference. Awards will be presented on that day, and hundreds of free samples of library public relations materials will be available.
Judging in all categories will be based on content, originality, design format, and effectiveness. In two categories, calendars of events and newsletters, entrants are asked to provide four copies each of three consecutive issues. The remaining categories are: annual reports; bibliographies/booklists; services/policy/orientation materials; materials that promote programs, events, or educate the public about diversity; fund-raising materials/programs/events; programs/special events; original children's summer reading club materials; original young adult summer reading club materials; original adult reading club materials; and materials about the Internet or your website. For consideration in these categories, entries should include four copies of each item.
Send entries to the "2003 Best of Show" Competition, c/o University of Kentucky Law Library, Attention: Dee Wood, 620 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40506-1148. NOTE: You must include the complete ZIP + 4 postal code. Email: owood@uky.edu. Phone: 859-257-2925.
Detailed information is available from Kären Richgruber, Community Services Manager, Duluth Public Library, 520 West Superior Street, Duluth, MN 55802. Phone: 218-723-3841. Email: krichgruber@duluth.lib.mn.us. FAX: 218-723-3822.
For an entry form, see the LAMA website at www.ala.org/lama/awards/bestofshow/entry.html or contact Arawa K. McClendon, Communications Officer, LAMA, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; amcclendon@ala.org; fax: 312/280-5033; phone: 312/280-5035.
Center For the Book at the New Hampshire State Library
The Library of Congress recently announced its acceptance of the State Library's proposal to establish a Center for the Book in New Hampshire. The national Center for the Book in the Library of Congress (http://lcweb.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/) was established in 1977 to stimulate public interest in books, reading, and libraries. Individual states started their own centers in 1984; the addition of New Hampshire (along with other new members Delaware, Iowa, New York, Rhode Island, and South Dakota) fills out the roster at 50 states.
"New Hampshire is proud to join the state center network," said State Librarian Michael York. "Our positive involvement in the Pavilion of States at the 2nd National Book Festival helped us make the decision to apply." In anticipation of that event, Katie McDonough, Field Services Coordinator for the State Library, created a brochure entitled, "Live Free and Read: Reading Programs for All Ages in the Granite State," that demonstrates the range of activities already underway, but in need of publicity and some degree of coordination.
The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library will serve as an umbrella and clearinghouse for the state's community of the book, initially focusing on promoting and expanding existing programs. The creation and development of a website is also planned. New project ideas include an interactive, online "Literary Map of New Hampshire"; a Bookchat listserv; and a Franco-American Book Festival, to be developed in cooperation with the American Canadian French Cultural Exchange Commission.
Librarian of Congress James H. Billington said of New Hampshire's addition, "This is a significant achievement to have all 50 states in formal partnership with the Library of Congress in promoting books, reading, and the power of knowledge in a democracy."
For more information, contact Katie McDonough at 1-800-499-1232 x4, 603-271-8520, kmcdonough@library.state.nh.us.
Conference Preview - Think Spring!!!
It's never too early to think spring . . . spring conference, that is! The 2003 New Hampshire Libraries Conference will be held at the Center of New Hampshire in Manchester on Tuesday, May 13, and Wednesday, May 14. Highlights of the conference so far are Patricia Schumann, Coordinator of ALA's Task Force on Pay Equity, as keynote speaker on Tuesday morning and Will Hobbs, well-known young adult author, as one of the luncheon speakers. Program topics will include children's reference tools, customer service, book discussion groups, implications of the Patriot Act, school/public library cooperation, 24/7 reference service, Readteens-Creating Readers, school librarian certification, and book reviewers of children's and adult books. Other programs and speakers are still in the works. More information will come available in the future.
Contest: Win $500 For Your Library
Enter the Southeastern Book Company's 2nd annual essay contest and win $500 (for 1st place) or $250 (for 2nd place) worth of books for your library. Librarians and teachers are asked to encourage students from kindergarten through grade 12 to submit an essay using the topic: How can we achieve world peace? Limited only to school and public libraries. Students can be as creative and unique as they want (i.e., a poem, essay, short story).
Entries must be 500 words or less, typed only. All entries must include a cover page with the student's name, school name and school phone number, and the librarian or teacher's name and email address. Limit one entry per student. All entries must be submitted by FEBRUARY 28.
Entries may be submitted by: Fax: (954) 987- 2200; Mail: Southeastern Book Company, 2001 SW 31st Avenue, Pembroke Park, FL 33009; or Email: Rachel@SoutheasternBooks.com. The Southeastern Book Company will recognize the first and second place winners by stamping each book you win with that student's name. Your school/library and the winner's essay will also be posted on Southeastern's website for the month of March and will be featured in their March newsletter. Please see http://www.librarysales.com/news.cfm?StoryID=24 for further details.
E-rate Calculation Methodology
Upon review of the discount calculation methodology to be used for obtaining E-rate discounts for libraries, the FCC has approved a simplified method. This method is required for FY 2003 and beyond for library applicants using the National School Lunch Program to calculate their E-rate discounts. Libraries need only calculate the percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program for the entire school district in which the library outlet/branch is located and apply that percentage to the FCC's discount matrix to determine their E-rate discount. To calculate this percentage, libraries will need to obtain just two numbers for the entire school district in which the library outlet/branch is located: 1. the number of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program and 2. the total number of K-12 students in the school district. Library outlets/branches will then divide #1 above by #2 above to calculate the percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program.
The library outlet/branch will use this percentage along with the Rural or Urban status of the library outlet/branch to determine their E-rate discount using the FCC's discount matrix found in the Form 471 instructions.
The two numbers used to calculate the percentage of students eligible for the NSLP may be available from the school district, from the state library agency, from the state Department of Education, or from a state web site. Since the calculation for library outlets/branches has been changed, it will be important to be clear with school district officials about the data libraries will need to determine their E-rate discounts. The SLD will also be communicating this change to school and library state E-rate coordinators.
Further information about the "Discount Matrix" is posted in the Reference Area of the SLD web site at www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/dmatrix.asp. The Rural or Urban status of the library outlet/branch is determined by the geographic location of the library outlet/branch. There is guidance for making this determination on the SLD web site at www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/msa/RuralUrbanClassYr4.asp.
Library systems that are sharing services will calculate their discounts (Form 471 Worksheet B, Item 10c) by using a simple average of the discounts for each of the library outlets/branches listed in Worksheet B. This calculation will be based on the revised calculation for each outlet/branch described above.
NOTE: The changed Form 471 and Instructions for Funding Year 2003 feature a date of October 2002 in the lower right-hand corner. The Form 471 Instructions include a description of the above calculation method, and the Form 471 Block 4 Worksheet B has also been revised to reflect this change. Applicants are urged to use that form for Funding Year 2003. The SLD will not reject applications submitted on the earlier version of this form, which features a date of October 2000; however, libraries must use the new method described above for calculating their discounts for Funding Year 2003, even if they submit the October 2000 version of the Form 471.
If you have questions, please refer to the October 2002 Form 471 instructions, which are available on the SLD website at www.sl.universalservice.org/data/pdf/i471yr6.pdf. Instructions for library discount calculations begin on page 16. Or you may call their Client Service Bureau toll-free at 1-888-203-8100.
E-rate Window Open
Libraries seeking funding assistance for their telecommunications and Internet access costs should consider applying for discounts through the federal E-rate program. The SLD has opened the window for filing the Form 471. The form is available online, but be aware that there have been technical difficulties. Information and the online forms may be found at http://www.sl.universalservice.org.
Prior to posting your Form 471, you must have an eligible Form 470 for the services sought. The Form 470 has to be posted to the SLD's web site for at least 28 days prior to filing the Form 471. A new Form 470 must be filed for any new service you are requesting under contract as well as month-to- month services and tariffed services (such as your monthly telephone bill). You may use the Form 470 filed for a previous contract if it was a multi-year contract.
Public libraries are not required to install filtering software to receive discounts. The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was found to be unconstitutional with respect to public libraries. The Neighborhood Children's Internet Protection Act (NCIPA) was not challenged in court and is still in force however. NCIPA requires public libraries receiving E-rate discounts to adopt an Internet safety policy that addresses five issues: 1-- access by minors to inappropriate sites on the Internet; 2-- safety and security of minors when using email, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications; 3-- unauthorized access, including hacking and other unlawful activities, by minors online; 4-- unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal identification information regarding minors online; and 5-- measures designed to restrict minors' access to materials that are harmful to them. The adoption of the policy must follow at least one public hearing or meeting.
If you have any questions or need assistance with the process, please contact Theresa Pare´, Supervisor of the State Library's Electronic and Government Information Resources Section at 1-800-499-1232 x5, 603-271-2812, or tepare@library.state.nh.us.
Gates Foundation Grants Received
34 libraries in New Hampshire have received technology grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The cumulative amount of $428,088 has been awarded in the form of computers, software, and accessories. The foundation will also supply training and one year of technical support. Included in the award letters were instructions on the implementation phase of the State Partnership Program, which begins in January. Of the 44 eligible libraries in the state, 62% applied for computers. 14% of the remaining libraries submitted applications for Purchase Option Grants. Instructions for Purchase Option Grant libraries will be sent during December.
The grants are part of the foundation's U.S. Library Program, which is working to increase computer, Internet, and digital access to low-income patrons. While New Hampshire ranks second nationwide in households with computer access, 10 percent of children in the state live in poverty and do not have computers at home. This grant is a very important supplement in providing public libraries access, since public libraries receive all of their funding on the local level. This gift will help many of libraries provide Internet access to their patrons. Furthermore, the state-of-the-art training lab equipment the state receives will greatly enhance technology education opportunities for librarians.
The Gates Foundation has committed $250 million to public libraries nationwide and expects to provide 40,000 computers to nearly 10,000 libraries by the end of 2003. The program, which started in 1998, prioritized states based on per capita income. New Hampshire is part of the fourth round of applications.
Grant Alert: School Library Book Collections
The Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries announces that applications for its first grants are now available. School libraries may request up to $5,000 to update, extend, or diversify their book collections. Information and applications are available through the Foundation website: www.laurabushfoundation.org. Applications may be submitted on-line (preferred) or in print form. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. (EST) on FEBRUARY 28. Announcement of recipient libraries will be made on or before May 15, 2003. Please note that preference will be given to schools with 75% or more students eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Leadership Symposium Sponsored By NELA
The New England Library Association is sponsoring the New England Library Leadership Symposium (NELLS) July 14-18, 2003. NELLS has been established to foster the mentoring and development of leaders for library associations (state and regional), for the profession, and for our communities. Student and mentor applications can be found at the NELA web site at http://www.nelib.org/events.asp?eventHead=7. A full description of the symposium can be found at http://www.nelib.org. Applications for both students and mentors are due JANUARY 24.
NewsBank Now Available Through NHewLink
The State Library is pleased to announce it has signed an agreement with NewsBank to provide your library with access to the Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News. Now available to you and your patrons is the state's newspaper of record in full text from 1989 through the present. It contains the complete full-text content of local and regional news, including community events, schools, politics, government policies, cultural activities, local companies, state industries, and people in the community. Paid advertisements are excluded. Do not hesitate to contact the Electronic and Government Information Resources Section at 1-800-499-1232 x5 or 603-271-2143/2425 with questions or comments.
NHAIS Galaxy System
The plug was pulled December 9 around 1:45pm. RIP
NHewLink Access Through Local Libraries
The State Library has begun to receive a number of requests for access to the NHewLINK databases. As you know, it is their intention that New Hampshire residents use their local library for access. They want people to think of their public libraries as the first place to go for information resources.
On the NHewLINK website (http://www.nhewlink.state.nh.us), they have information for "NH Residents" that includes links to the library directory and the public school lists. They've added a new link called "Library Locator". Library locator is merely an online form so they can identify a request for access by the city/town in which the person resides. Upon receiving an email request, they will forward it on to the local library in that city/town so that you may contact him/her with the access instructions.
Please feel free to use your library policies to dictate who you provide access to when you receive a request. You can certainly email the person with the access information (URL/username/password). If you require a person to first show proof of residency before s/he can have access to the resources, that is perfectly acceptable. The State Library wants local libraries to remain the main focus of the public's request for information.
If for any reason your library is unable or unwilling to provide information to a person, please notify the Electronic and Government Information Resources Section at 1-800-499-1232 x5 or 603-271-2143/2425 so they can find an alternative method to connect him/her to the resources.
NHU-PAC: Advanced Search Drop-Down Limits
Network Services is aware of a problem with the advanced search drop-down limits for format and language not working.
NHU-PAC: Asterisk
Some users are wondering about that * that claims to indicate "this library owns a copy." The asterisk is just telling you that a NHAIS library has a holding on the item; in this case the system considers NHAIS to be one big library with 375 different locations.
NHU-PAC: Browser Version
If you're not seeing what you expect to see when you click on a "submit" button, check which browser version you're using. For Internet Explorer, you should have version 6 or higher. For Netscape Navigator, version 5 or higher. Other up-to-date browsers should work as well. Java should be enabled and your browser should be set to accept cookies.
NHU-PAC: Email Protocol
When requesting help by email at NetworkS@library.state.nh.us, please include your HSA code somewhere in the message. A phone number and what hours you can be reached would also be helpful--sometimes it's easier to resolve your problem with a phone call than an exchange of emails.
NHU-PAC: Feedback
Although Network Services is very busy, please don't hesitate to call or write with problems or observations regarding the new system. They want the New NHU-PAC to work for you and need to hear from you if something isn't quite right. Email should be addressed to NetworkS@library.state.nh.us. Phone messages should go to 603-271-2141; as the line is frequently busy these days, be prepared to leave a voicemail message. Please include your HSA code when leaving a message or sending an email as it helps Network Services to troubleshoot some types of problems.
NHU-PAC: Holdings Display
Currently not all holdings are displaying in the iPac or the ILL module even though the holdings are actually present in the database. Network Services knows of two problems causing this; one will be fixed by a software change, the other problem will be investigated further.
NHU-PAC: Link From State Library Home Page
The Library Catalogs link on the State Library's home page (http://www.state.nh.us/nhsl) now brings you to a page that connects to the New NHU-PAC.
NHU-PAC: Quotation Marks
Usually when things don't work the way Network Services thought they would, it's not a good thing. Here's an exception: you may have heard them tell you during New NHU-PAC training that quotation marks wouldn't help your search. They don't help the ILL search, but they can help if you're searching under the Welcome to NHU-PAC or Advanced Searching tabs. For example, a 'Title includes' search for Philippines Guide yields three matches with the searched words turning up in various places in the title, series title, or contents. A 'Title includes' search for "Philippines Guide" yields just one match with those words in exactly that order.
NHU-PAC: Search Results
Eureka! Network Services knew there was something funny about some of the search results--you could find a title one way, but it wouldn't show up with a different but perfectly valid search--and now they know what was going on. When your search yielded only one hit, you saw, "Sorry could not find anything matching..." or "Results: 1 hit" and "Search terms resulted in NO items found." That explains why most ISBN keyword searches weren't working. A search with multiple hits, e.g., an author keyword search or an ISBN browse search, would return the results you might reasonably expect. While this gets straightened out you may find the browse searches to be more rewarding than the keyword searches.
NHU-PAC: Timing Out
If you're finding your sessions on the New NHU-PAC timing out in less than 10 minutes, check your browser settings. Your browser may be set for a shorter threshold of inactivity.
NHU-PAC: Training
If you missed out on the training, Network Services expects to offer more classes in January. Announcements will be made as soon as dates are lined up and confirmed.
NHU-PAC: Up And Running
Over 600 people were trained in the use of the New NHU-PAC in the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving. Those libraries that sent staff to training are currently using the New NHU-PAC to add and delete holdings and to do interlibrary loan. There are a number of issues still to be resolved with the system, and updates are being sent out on the NHAIS-L & NHAIS-ILL listservs in an email publication called "NHU-PAC News."
NHU-PAC Cataloging: Add Holdings Functions
Although both the record-by-record and the batch add holding functions are working, you won't see results right away in the New NHU-PAC. If you get the message that says "Thank you for adding your holdings to the NHU-PAC!", then you've done all you need to do. If you want to verify that your holding made it onto a particular record, you'll have to display it in Holdings Maintenance and choose the individual Delete Holding option (do not use batch delete for this!). You should see your holding information there--there may be multiple lines if you tried to add your holding multiple times. Assuming you don't want to delete the holding, click either the Back to List or Next Record button. If you get a "Sorry, no items at your location" message, that indicates your attempt to add a holding didn't work. If you did add your holding several times, go ahead and delete the "extra" holdings.
NHU-PAC Cataloging: Adding Holdings
When adding holdings record by record, you must have something entered into at least one of the call number fields.
NHU-PAC Cataloging: Classification Numbers
Network Services received several requests to have the Dewey and LC classifications displayed in the holdings maintenance module. These fields were added to the displays on December 18. When you add a holding for your library to an individual record you will now see both the Dewey Decimal classification and the LC classification in the brief bibliographic record that appears above the form. Please note that the classification numbers that display are the 082 and 050 tags of the MARC record. They are not locally assigned call numbers. Also added to the Holdings Maintenance display is the system Bib #, which uniquely identifies the record being viewed.
NHU-PAC Cataloging: Delete Functions
Record-by-record and batch delete functions are working now, but don't expect to see immediate results in the New NHU-PAC. The "Thank you for removing your holdings from NHU-PAC" message is your confirmation that your holdings were deleted. A fix is in the works for the display issue that keeps these changes from showing up on the Web interface.
NHU-PAC Cataloging: Deleting Holdings Individually
If you're deleting holdings individually, it's a two-step process. When you choose the Delete Holding button below the bibliographic information, you'll see another screen that lists your current holdings on that record. You then have to choose the Delete Holding button on the right to effect the desired change. If you have more than one holding attached to a particular record, this allows you to save one holding while getting rid of others. If you choose to do your deletions in batch mode (use only for lists of two or more records), all holdings will be removed, regardless of how many holdings you had attached to a particular record.
NHU-PAC Cataloging: Exporting Records
Exported records now include authority-controlled fields like author and subject headings. The 852s are still there but they'll be gone soon.
When exporting records for your local use, be sure to look at the "Save as type" box. It may default to "HTML," which will likely cause errors when importing to your local system. Choose "text" or "any type" instead.
NHU-PAC Cataloging: Holdings Maintenance Options
As promised, the Holdings Maintenance login now asks you to type in your Username rather than choose your location from a drop-down list. The options displayed at the top of the Export/Add/Delete Holdings from NHU-PAC page have been rearranged and the batch add/delete functions have been activated. The numbers formerly appearing at the bottom of this page have been removed.
NHU-PAC Cataloging: Holdings Maintenance Port Assignments
In a change that should be transparent to you, Network Services has changed the server port for the Holdings Maintenance module. Originally this module was configured to a high port number which was blocked out by some local systems--a problem they ran into on the very first day of training at the Manchester City Library. The new port assignment should work for all users.
NHU-PAC Cataloging: MARC Files
If you're emailing your MARC files to Network Services, make sure you use the nhu-pac@library.state.nh.us address and put "upload" in your subject line. The email address formerly used for MARC submissions (mmartin) is no longer in service.
NHU-PAC Cataloging: Single Records
It turns out that if you have only one record in Holdings Maintenance, you'll need to add or delete your holding to it individually, using the buttons below the bibliographic information for that record. Using the batch add/delete buttons that appear above could have unintended consequences if you're just processing one record. If you're working on a list of several records in Holdings Maintenance, you may do your adds and deletes either in batch mode or individually.
NHU-PAC Cataloging: Statistics
In the past Network Services asked libraries directly adding their holdings to the NHU-PAC to periodically send Network Services a count of how many holdings were added. This is no longer necessary as the New NHU-PAC is able to track the statistics they want.
NHU-PAC ILL: Address Information
Picklists now properly display the Ship To address. You may also notice more complete address information on other displays in the ILL module.
NHU-PAC ILL: Contact Information
There's no point in adding contact information to your Staff Record (under Administrative Functions). Only your library can see that information.
NHU-PAC ILL: Lender Selection
In case you noticed your library doesn't have a check box next to it when selecting lenders on monographs or doesn't show up in the drop-down box when selecting lenders on serials, that's to keep you from borrowing from yourself.
NHU-PAC ILL: Lender String Problem
Network Services is looking into a problem reported on some titles where, after selecting a lender, the reorder lender string screen appears immediately and no lenders are selected. If this happens to you they'd be interested in hearing the details. Send your observations to NetworkS@library.state.nh.us. Please include the title you were trying to request, the lender(s) you selected, and your HSA code. If there's another edition of the same title available with fewer holding libraries, you might want to place your request on that one.
NHU-PAC ILL: Lending Status
'Tis the season for many libraries to close down for a week or two. Remember that Network Services is able to set your library to a not-currently-lending status in the ILL system for a range of dates you provide them. Other libraries will be able to see that you have a holding on certain materials but will not be able to put your library in their lender strings. Send your "not available for ILL" dates to NetworkS@library.state.nh.us and be sure to include your HSA code in the message.
NHU-PAC ILL: Patron Name & ID
Information entered in the Patron Name field of your request no longer displays to other libraries on the Request Inquiry screen. Keep in mind that the required Patron ID still displays to others.
NHU-PAC ILL: Provisional Requests
Even if you haven't used your provisional passwords to place ILL requests, it might be a good idea to see if there's anything listed under Provisional Requests (bottom right on the Staff Menu). When you click on the titles there, you'll see the Request Summary. If there's still a green check mark on the right, you need to specify a lender string. Check under Edit Patron Information to see if there's a Patron ID entered for your request. Once all is in order, you may use the Submit Request button at the bottom of the screen to send the request out to its first potential lender.
NHU-PAC ILL: Sort-By-Location
The useless sort-by-location option has been removed from the View Incoming Requests screen.
NHU-PAC ILL: Transaction Storage
Because of privacy concerns regarding the long-term storage of ILL transactions (which may include patron information), Network Services has arranged for the weekly removal of all transactions that have reached a terminal status. Every Friday, all transactions that have had a status of COMPLETE, CANCELLED, or UNFILLED for 7 days or longer will be removed from the ILL system.
NHU-PAC ILL: Unanswered Requests
The maximum time for a request to remain unanswered by a library is now set to 3 days.
Patriot Act: Resource Guide Available
There is a new resource guide on the USA PATRIOT Act available on the State Library's website at http://www.state.nh.us/nhsl/ldss/RGUSAPATRIOTACT.html. Please contact Katie McDonough, Field Services Coordinator in the Library Development Services Section, at 1-800-499-1232 x4, 603-271-8520, or kmcdonough@library.state.nh.us, if you have any questions or concerns.
Reference Services Online
Over the last year, the Reference and Information Services Section of the State Library has placed information and instructions on the services it provides libraries on the State Library's website. These include:
Article Express - an ILL/document delivery service that will provide copies of periodical articles to libraries the same day they are requested.
Ask a New Hampshire Reference Question - submit reference questions via email to the Reference Section and receive an answer within 24 hours
Book Bag Program - provides a list of over 400 titles for which multiple copies are available for loan for book discussion groups
Last Copy Center - provides instructions on how to submit fiction titles to the Last Copy Center. These titles are available for loan through the NHU-PAC.
New Hampshire Index - Index to articles from NH newspapers and periodicals on state issues, culture, and history from 1984-present.
Please take the time to review the above services by going to the following web page: www.state.nh.us/nhsl/refinfo/index.html.
Rural And Small Libraries: New Association
December 18 marked the development of the Association of Rural and Small Libraries, a new virtual association directed to librarians, support staff, government officials, trustees, friends of libraries, and professionals from related fields who know what it means to work with a limited budget and diverse customer base. Individuals will participate through the Association's website at http://arsl.clarion.edu, whether you are located in a small public, academic, special, or corporate library, located five minutes from the next library, or one hundred miles from the next town. Membership is $39.00 per year, with discounts for library networks, consortia, etc. Among other things, members will be able to look for and post job notices, discuss mutual topics of interest, share announcements, participate in live chat discussions, have online access to the contents of Rural Libraries, and receive a discounted registration fee for future meetings of the association. For additional information, contact Bernard Vavrek at arsl@clarion.edu. Online registration is available at http://arsl.clarion.edu. The Association is supported by the Center for the Study of Rural Librarianship, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the H. W. Wilson Foundation.
Scholarship Alert: Fundraising Skills
Librarians and library staff members eager to enhance their fundraising skills through formal financial development training are invited to submit an application essay for the Diana V. Braddom FRFDS Scholarship. The deadline for entries is JANUARY 2. The Diana V. Braddom FRFDS Scholarship offers support for those seeking to learn new fundraising skills, which will enable them to increase funding from public, private, and corporate sources.
The application consists of a resume and a two-page, double-spaced essay. Entrants should address the following in their essay: Why do you seek training in fundraising for libraries? If you have already attended some fundraising seminars, what additional skills do you seek? What experience have you had in library fundraising? Have you been involved in any activities in your library that foster partnerships with business/community organizations? What do you plan to do with the fundraising knowledge that you learn from this scholarship?
Selection criteria include: genuine interest, need, and motivation for library fundraising development; previously limited experience in library fundraising; quality of writing; clarity of content and form for the required essay; persuasiveness of arguments; applicability to library settings; and opportunities for fundraising in current position.
Recipients will be notified by March 1. Scholarship recipients receive a stipend of $1,000 to be used to attend the Library Administration and Management Association/LAMA Fundraising and Financial Development programs at the 2003 American Library Association/Canadian Library Association Annual Conference.
For more information and criteria, consult the LAMA website at http://www.ala.org/lama/awards/index.html, or contact Arawa McClendon, LAMA, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611; 1-800-545-2433 x5035; amcclendon@ala.org.
Scholarship Alert: Library Education
In the past 5 years, the American Library Association's Spectrum Initiative has helped over 200 diverse new leaders join the profession. Spectrum Scholarship recipients have been in attendance at over 40 library schools. ALA is currently accepting applications for the 2003-4 Spectrum Scholarships via an electronic online application. The application deadline is March 1! Please direct interested parties to www.ala.org/spectrum for full eligibility requirements and more information. Applicants are encouraged to review all the ALA scholarships they may be eligible for at: www.ala.org/hrdr/scholarship.html. Additional resources for prospective MLIS students can be found at: www.ala.org/diversity/student.html. Also, contact the Spectrum Initiative at spectrum@ala.org for recruitment materials to distribute at conferences and events.
Statistics Available Online
The FY2001 NH Public Library Statistics -- the data from the reports you filled out last year -- are available online at the State Library's web site: http://www.state.nh.us/nhsl. At this site, scroll down to "Resources for NH Librarians" and click on "Public Library Statistics" in the right-hand column; from there, you'll get to the screen that offers the forms and instructions for the FY2002 report. At that screen, click on "New Hampshire Annual Statistics" (it's in the middle of the page, underlined); that will take you to the archives where you'll find past years' data.
If you want to go directly to the archives, use the following address: http://www.state.nh.us/nhsl/ldss/statsarchival.html.
The FY2001 statistics *will* be out in hard copy fairly soon; the compilation is at the printer's now.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact Sue Palmatier, Supervisor of Library Development Services and State Data Coordinator at the State Library, 1-800-462-1726, 603-788-0914, or spalmatier@library.state.nh.us.
Tax Forms Coming!
As a special holiday treat, New Hampshire tax forms are being sent out via the van to libraries that received them last year.
The envelope will include Package X, which is a master copy of all the 2002 NH tax forms, and copies of the Interest and Dividend Tax Forms and Instructions.
teenlibrarian.com
Librarians who serve young adults are invited to participate in a new website, teenlibrarian.com (http://www.teenlibrarian.com). The site includes a homepage featuring regularly updated news items and interviews.
There is also a message board for discussion of books, programming, outreach, or any topic of interest to teen librarians. In addition, there is a chat room, a page listing other links and resources, an archive of news items and interviews, a careers page, and a directory of participating librarians.
This site was created as an online community for librarians who work with teenagers, whether in a public library, school, or other setting. While the homepage will be regularly updated with news and interviews, it is hoped that the message boards and chat room will become the center of the site as visitors exchange ideas and information and that this site will become a valuable resource for its users.
News items and announcements are welcome, so if you know of a teen librarian with a successful program, would like to recognize someone who's been promoted or given an award, have a link to an article of interest, know of a committee looking for members, hear about a grant or giveaway, etc., please contact Miranda Doyle, mdoyle@teenlibrarian.com, and she will make it a news item on the teenlibrarian.com homepage.
As the site will continue to evolve over the next few months, please don't hesitate to make suggestions or corrections, or to send news, job opportunities, links to good web sites, and anything else that might be useful. The homepage includes links to a form for submitting information, or you may e-mail Miranda directly.
TOPICsearch: New User Interface
For libraries that use TOPICsearch, EBSCO has changed the user interface. Since its inception, TOPICsearch has always had a separate interface and search engine from the rest of their databases. This was a benefit for many years, but they received many requests from libraries for the ability to search multiple databases at one time. On October 1, they introduced the EBSCO Host search interface for TOPICsearch. None of the functionality will be lost, instead users will gain the more powerful search options available on MasterFile Select and other Host databases.
Here are all the advantages of the new Host interface for TOPICsearch: new Gallup opinion polls have been added; quicker and more comprehensive updates for all subjects; quicker production time means more timely data; more control over sources and what goes in them; more control over the topics limiter; new "current events" limiter that can be updated; multi-database searching; full admin features and functionality; ability to add the image database to the product ; FT only, but able to leverage/include PDFs - this increases the amount of content that becomes available to topic association (not available with the old version); more data included.
Tweens: Internet Project
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting/CPB has initiated an Internet project especially designed for 9 to 12 year-old children, also known as "tweens." Five educational websites invite kids to explore, create, design, and engage in five distinct content areas. CPB is offering a free education guide and a poster to the first 1,000 librarians interested in using these websites for tweens in their library. The guide is designed to be interactive and project oriented. The poster includes the URLs of all five sites and is engaging and colorful. To receive your copy of both, e-mail Amy McMahon at amymcman@attbi.com. You can also call Amy at (617) 527-1404. For more information about these five sites, please visit www.cpb.org/5sites.
Virus Issues On the Listservs
As there has been some discussion about virus issues on the list, Terry Pare, Supervisor of Electronic and Government Information Resources, wants to let everyone know what the State Library can--and more importantly--what the State Library cannot do about it.
The process by which the State Library runs the lists is merely a transport mechanism. The actual mail, including any attachment, just goes through the State Library's server as a processor to redirect the mail to the actual recipients. The list manager software does not interact in any way with the content of the messages.
The virus problem that caused NHAIS-L and NHAIS-ILL to be suspended for a few months was due to the fact that subscribers were infecting-and then reinfecting--each other by passing mail back and forth. When the State Library made the lists operational again, it was done in a two step process. The first was to close any postings to non-subscribers so messages had to come from legitimate sources. The second is that the State Library moderated the lists for several weeks so that someone at the State Library had to approve all messages sent to the list. In this case, the purpose of the moderation was to determine if any of the messages contained a virus. After a period of moderation, they ceased this process but did retain the requirement that postings must only come from subscribers.
The only failsafe method available to protect yourself from a virus attack is to have virus protection on your computer. It needs to protect not only your mail but your whole network.
If you have questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact Terry, 1-800-499-1232 x5, 603-271-2812, or tepare@library.state.nh.us.
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