ALA's Chile Library Relief Fund

WLA President Alberto Herrera writes, "As you know, Chile was struck by a very strong earthquake that caused great damage. I read in recent news that central Chile has been hit by more strong earthquakes. For more information about ALA’s Chile Library Relief Fund, please go to http://www.ala.org/chile.

$2 million disagreement over Madison Central Library Project

Plans to start constructing a new downtown Madison Public Library have hit a big snag, as the city and the developers, the Fiore Cos. and Irgens Development Partners, cannot agree on the final cost of the project. Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz says the city cannot spend more than $37 million, while the developers say they need $2 million more.
Full story


Reports from 3/19/10 news media: The developer and city call it quits:
The Capital Times
Channel3000.com

Milwaukee Public Library: Reinventing the Library

The cover story of this week’s Shepherd Express, "Reinventing the Library" features an interview with Library Director Paula Kiely and MPL Board of Trustees President David Riemer. Milwaukee County Federated Library System Director Jim Gingery and West Allis Public Library Director Mike Koszalka are included. All the photos in the story are from MPL.

http://npaper-wehaa.com/shepherdexpress

WAPL Spring Conference Highlights

What cool gadgets would be great for your library? How do you turn your annual report into gold? What will WLA restructuring mean for you? What changes are coming to WISCAT? Are e-books good for libraries? The answers to these and many other questions will be revealed at the WAPL spring conference “Anchoring the Past, Setting Sail for the Future,” April 27-30, 2010 at the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan. Go to http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/wapl/conferences/2010/index.htm and you’ll find the conference schedule at-a-glance, plus the full program listing. The deadline for conference registration is April 9. To make room reservations at the conference center go to www.blueharborresort.com or phone 866-701-2583 and use code 7A9582. The room registration deadline is April 6.

Highlights of the conference include presentations by several great speakers. Keith Michael Fiels, Executive Director, American Library Association, will present the keynote address. His library “State of the Nation” will address how national developments are affecting libraries of all types, including the current financial crisis and its impact on library funding, prospects for recovery, federal legislative opportunities, challenges for libraries and more. “How the Media Shape the News” will be addressed by Milwaukee journalist Joel McNally during Thursday’s luncheon and Friday’s luncheon will feature writer and historian John Gurda who will speak about “Saving Our Common Wealth.”

On Thursday evening you are welcome to a dessert reception at Mead Public Library. Shuttle bus service will begin at 8 p.m. at the Blue Harbor Resort taking WAPL attendees to and from the Library. Entertainment at the reception will be professional guitarist Rick Gustafson, retired Deputy Director of the Mead Public Library. The reception is sponsored by the Friends of Mead Public Library and the Mead Public Library Foundation.

WAPL newsletter available

The Spring 2010 issue of Communique, the newsletter of WAPL (the Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries), is now available in the Resources->Newsletters section of MemberClicks, or just go there directly.

Highlights include:

• Registration and program information for the 2010 WAPL conference which will be held April 28-30 at Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan.
• Thoughts on "Building a Common Agenda" with public officials
  
• Information about applying for Wisconsin Library Association Foundation (WLAF) scholarships.
  
• Remaining relevant by adapting to technological trends

and much more!

ALA | Chilton and Doering receive Coutts Award

ALA | Chilton and Doering receive Coutts Award

LSTA/Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Language

This week and next begins a time for critical advocacy to support libraries. We need as many members of Congress as possible to sign onto these letters for the following two programs – remember, every other group is doing the same thing we are. If we don’t advocate for libraries and library funding, the money that should be allocated to us could go to other groups who are calling in louder and higher numbers. Please call your members of Congress on the following two issues:

LSTA

Congress is currently busy drafting up the federal budget for fiscal year 2011. It has never been more important than now that Congress fully funds the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the only annual source for federal funding to public libraries. As Congress writes next year’s budget they need to understand that dollars from the state and local levels are at an all time low and libraries can not continue to do their important work with out this funding.

There is a letter circulating around the House of Representatives urging the Appropriations Committee to include $300 million in funding through LSTA in the FY2011 budget. Please go to http://www.capwiz.com/ala/home/ to find out the name and number of your Representative and call his or her office and tell them about work your library does in the community. It is always a good idea to stress what programs and resources your library provide to help build the local economy, help kids with their homework, and so much more. After you have explained how libraries are an incredibly valuable investment, please ask your representative to sign onto the “Dear Colleague” letter supporting LSTA.

School Libraries

In his FY2011 budget, President Obama consolidated Improving Literacy Through School Libraries with five other literacy programs. This would mean that school libraries will have to directly compete with other programs to receive federal dollars under the President’s plan. However, Congress is busy drafting up their own budget for FY2011 right now, and there is no word yet if they will go along with President Obama’s recommendation of consolidation. Congress needs to hear from their constituents NOW about the important role that school libraries play in today’s schools.

Right now there is a letter circulating around the House of Representatives urging the Appropriations Committee to specifically appropriate $100 million for Improving Literacy Through School Libraries. This amount means that this program will be available to every state, rather than the current competitive grant program. Please go to http://www.capwiz.com/ala/home/ to find out the name and number of your Representative and call his or her office explaining to them how important having a school library can be in a child’s education. Please ask them to sign on to the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries “Dear Colleague.”

Once your representative or their staff confirms that they would like to sign on to the funding “Dear Colleagues,” please ask them to contact the staffers below depending on their party affiliation:

Democrat	Ask them to contact Joseph Mais in Rep. Grijalva’s office and ask them to sign onto the Dear Colleague. His email address is joseph.mais@mail.house.gov and his phone number is (202) 225-2435.
Republican	Ask them to contact Rachel Fenton in Rep. Vernon Ehlers’ office and sign onto the Dear Colleague. Her e-mail address is Rachel.Fenton@mail.house.gov and her phone number is (202) 225-3831.

It is of the utmost importance that you contact your Representative today and urge them to sign on to these letters! We need to keep the pressure on our elected officials until the deadline for signatures on these critical letters expires. Grijalva and Ehlers plan to send the letter on Friday, March 12, so time is of the essence.

2010 WAPL Conference: Anchoring the Past, Setting Sail for the Future

Join us for the 2010 WAPL Conference: "Anchoring the Past, Setting Sail for the Future," April 28-30 at the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan! The program is chock full of fun and informative sessions related to all sorts of public library functions. You're bound to learn a lot, catch up with colleagues from around the state (and make new contacts as well), while enjoying the resort's nautical-themed amenities and a view of the Lake Michigan shoreline. Luncheon speakers include Joel McNally, Milwaukee journalist, and John Gurda, well-known Wisconsin historian. Register now through MemberClicks, or use the print registration form.

See you in Sheboygan!

WLA Conference 2010 - Marilyn Johnson is keynote speaker!

The 2010 WLA conference keynote speaker is acclaimed author Marilyn Johnson whose recent publication, This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All, has been garnering rave reviews from readers inside and beyond our profession.

"What is it like to be a librarian in a world of too much information?
Constant change, exploding technology, shrinking budgets, growing numbers of the baffled...could there be a better spot than behind the librarians' desk to watch the digital age unfold?"

We are delighted to host Marilyn Johnson for what is sure to be a enlightening and humorous keynote address! For more information about the author and her works, check out http://marilynjohnson.net/index.htm.

Stop back often for new information about additional programing and events planned for this year's conference, to be held Nov 2-5 at the Kalahari Resort in the Wisconsin Dells. Create adventure!

ALA files comments to FCC on proposed rule that would impact E-rate

The American Library Association (ALA) filed comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) yesterday regarding the Commission’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which proposes a new rule for schools as a result of the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act and rule revisions for schools and libraries to reflect existing statutory language of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Both the proposed new rule and rule revisions would impact the universal service support mechanism for schools and libraries also known as the E-rate program.

E-rate discounts are critical in meeting the ongoing and ever increasing telecommunications needs of libraries. ALA commented that the additional burden caused by the proposed rule revisions will likely have a negative impact on library participation in the E-rate program through added complexity and potential funding delays.

The ALA asks the Commission to carefully review the necessity or benefit of making the proposed changes. ALA points out that the burdens and delays associated with the resulting form and instruction changes, online form programming, and OMB approvals as well as the time and energy that will be required to deal with the confusion associated with these changes, are unnecessary and counter-productive. With the exception of the added language in the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, there have been no other statutory changes to CIPA since its enactment in 2000, and ALA is not aware of issues that would cause the need for the revisions being proposed at this time.