Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Out of Work Librarians Need Your Help!

Out of Work Librarians Need Your Help!
Call NOW to Include Libraries in the Jobs Bill!
Take Action!
As you know, libraries are helping unemployed Americans get back to work not only by helping them acquire needed job skills, but also by offering no-fee access to the Internet for online job searching, computers for working on resumes, resources for building small business plans, and much more. Unfortunately, these very services are threatened by budget shortfalls in state and local funding; due to these budget cuts, many libraries may be forced to cut services that are so incredibly necessary during these tough economic times.Right now, the House of Representatives is debating the Jobs for Main Street Act, and this bill would provide funding to a variety of programs aimed at creating jobs. No other organization is as dynamic or as well-equipped to build jobs as libraries, yet neither the House nor the Senate version of this legislation mentions libraries. By including specific bill language that includes librarians, we can continue to help people look for jobs, help people obtain their GED, build valuable job skills, and much more. To read the full proposal, please click here.
The House is expected to vote on this legislation TODAY. Please call your representatives TODAY and your senators tomorrow; tell them you would like to see librarians included in the Jobs for Main Street Act and explain to them that those funds are critical in putting librarians back to work so they can help people get back to work.SPECIFIC STORIES MAKE AN IMPRESSION! Please tell them how your local library is using its resources to help people get back to the workforce. If you have had to furlough any library workers or had to reduce hours of operation, tell them that. If you see an increase in people using the free Internet access more for job applications than ever before, please tell them. If you see people attending your classes on word processing now more than ever before, please tell them. Please tell them how giving YOU the additional resources will help empower their constituents to get back into the workforce.

To find out who your members of Congress are, please click on the "Take Action!" link in the upper right-hand corner of this message. Every phone call is critical ... We MUST reach every member of Congress within the next 48 hours!BACKGROUND FOR JOBS FOR MAIN STREET ACT

1. Libraries play a key role in getting America back to work again. Nationwide, the library is the only source of no-fee Internet access for 71 percent of Americans. With more and more job applications only being accepted online, the public library is becoming the center of most American's job searches.

2. State Library Agencies reported in November 2009 that 77 percent of states cut funds that support local public libraries, which has meant layoffs, staff furloughs, and forced retirements. This has caused a 75 percent cut in services to the public including canceled statewide databases used for job searching, homework help, and cuts in 24/7 reference, which are used by small businesses and students.

3. Our proposal for saving libraries and helping America get back to work would be to provide a one-time $650 million to be distributed on a need basis through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

4. This proposal would create up to 13,000 library jobs in a few short months meaning this is a shovel-ready project.

5. The money would be used for library jobs that are focused on assisting patrons with getting back to work - thereby having the impact of assisting literally millions of Americans find employment. None of these funds would be used for facilities or equipment.

6. These funds would be distributed in a clear, concise, affirmative manner. Funds would be distributed to states using a formula through IMLS based 50 percent on population, and 50 percent on relative unemployment (similar to the Department of Labor's Dislocated Worker Program).

7. The Chief State Library Officer in each state would be responsible for distributing funds to local public libraries based on their local needs.

8. A minimum amount of funding per library could offer one library staff job per building based upon need and a maximum of five full-time staff.

9. Funds would be limited to hiring back staff released due to budget cuts, recruiting new staff and/or expanding staff services around job searching and employment skills training.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Coming Up Taller Awards

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in partnership with the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) invites nominations for the 2010 Coming Up Taller Awards. The program, now in its thirteenth year, honors excellence in afterschool, out-of-school, and summer arts and humanities programs for underserved children and youth. Other program partners include the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Each year, the Coming Up Taller Awards recognize and reward exceptional programs that cultivate character development and life skills in young people. Award recipients receive $10,000 each, an individualized plaque, and an invitation to attend the annual Coming Up Taller Leadership Enhancement Conference in Washington, D.C. The Coming Up Taller Awards ceremony has traditionally been held in the fall at the White House, with the awards bestowed by the President’s Committee’s Honorary Chairman, First Lady Michelle Obama.

At the Coming Up Taller awards ceremony held at the White House last month, Mrs. Obama called the Coming Up Taller awardees’ achievement in the arts and humanities “a bridge to achievement in life.”

IMLS encourages eligible museums and libraries to apply via the 2010 nomination application available at www.cominguptaller.org.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, January 29, 2010.

If you have questions, please visit www.cominguptaller.org or contact PCAH at (202) 682-5409.

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Communique (WAPL newsletter) is posted

The Winter issue of Communique (the WAPL newsletter) is now available online in MemberClicks.

Highlights include:
  • Reflections on a Visit to Libraries in South Africa
  • Post WLA Conference Resources
  • Why do you Need a Library Building?
  • News from the Talking Book and Braille Library
  • Help for Jobseekers
  • . . . and more!

To access the newsletter, just go to the WLA home page (http://www.wla.lib.wi.us), and
  • click on MemberClicks on the right hand side.
  • On the MemberClicks page, click on "Resources."
  • On the Resources page click on "WLA and Unit Newsletters."
  • Voila!

The newsletter will also be posted on the WAPL home page at http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/wapl