As reported last week, Executive Director Alice Calabrese-Berry has announced her retirement effective October 31st, 2010. Member participation is requested for a newly-formed committee to discuss the future structure of the organization. Please see the memo from Milfred Moore, MLS Board President, at http://www.mls.lib.il.us/consulting/pdf/aliceretirement.pdf for more information.
The MLS Legislative Breakfast will be held on President's Day, February 15, 2010 at the meeting room at the Burr Ridge Office. We would like to share library stories about our legislators with them. If you have story about your legislator and your library please send them to Kathy Roegge at roeggek@mls.lib.il.us Register online at http://www.librarylearning.info/events/?eventID=9241 by Feb. 10, 2010.
Are you a new or seasoned librarian in the profession looking for a Mentoring or Mentee opportunity, but don’t have time to commit to an ongoing program? MLS's Flash Mentoring: Connecting New Library Staff and Seasoned Professionals with only a 2 Hour Commitment http://www.librarylearning.info/events/?eventID=6863 (must be logged into L2 to view) returns to MLS Burr Ridge office on Friday, February 26, 2010. The event will pair up to 14 mentees and mentors from MLS libraries. The deadline to apply is February 5, 2010. Questions can be sent to the MLS Consultants at consultants@mls.lib.il.us.
Registration is open for the MLS YS SIG sponsored workshop Getting Teens to Libraries. Attend this state-wide video conference from the comfort of your library system and take away ideas from a panel of Teen librarians on how they successfully get teens involved at their libraries. To register go to http://www.librarylearning.info/events/?eventID=9248
The Institute for School & Public Librarians: Linking, Learning & Libraries will be held June 13 - 18, 2010 on the campus of Bradley University in Peoria, Il. The announcement and application are at http://bradley.edu/continue/librarians/index.html Those interested in attending should complete the application prior to March 12, 2010. Additional information may be obtained from Ron Winner and Karen Egan at 1-800-665-5576, ext.1
A group discount is being offered to ILLINET member libraries for the Computers in Libraries 2010, held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia from April 12-14, 2010. Registrations must be received at the Illinois State Library no later than Wednesday, March 10, 2010 in order to receive the discount. For more information regarding conference topics, preliminary program and hotel information go to http://www.infotoday.com/cil2010/
On February 9–10, WebJunction is hosting a free two-day online conference, and you are invited to attend. The theme for this inaugural event is Technology Essentials, with a focus on practical and timely strategies for leveraging technology to help you in a wide range of library services and operations including staff training, marketing, outreach and funding, services and programming, technology planning, virtual libraries and your library’s web presence. Read the most recent “What’s New @ WJIL” at http://webjunctionworks.org/il/blog/index.php/2010/01/13/whats-new-wjil-technology-essentials-2010/ for more details about the conference sessions and how you can register.
Webster’s Online Dictionary defines advocacy as “the action of advocating, pleading for, or supporting a cause or proposal”. According to the American Library Association www.ala.org, advocacy is "the process of turning passive support into educated action by stakeholders." In the present economic and political climate being an active and assertive library advocate is crucial to the survival and future development of library service in Illinois. On February 10, ILA is encouraging Illinois libraries to participate in "A Snapshot day in the life of a library." [Permalink] Read full article http://www.mls.lib.il.us/ennounce/2010/04_02/libraryadvocacy.asp
Continuing Education Events
Due to budgetary concerns MLS will no longer print a paper copy of the six month CE calendar. Beginning with the April - September 2010 calendar you will receive a pdf copy to download.
Innovations in Reading Prize, 2010 Each year, the National Book Foundation awards a number of prizes of up to $2,500 each to individuals and institutions--or partnerships between the two--that have developed innovative means of creating and sustaining a lifelong love of reading. For more information and to apply go to http://www.nationalbook.org/innovations_in_reading.html The deadline is February 17, 2010.
When it comes to the First Amendment, libraries have a special place. Public libraries are described as "the quintessential locus of the receipt of information" and, therefore, the right to of access to a public library is constitutionally protected by the First Amendment right to receive information.Libraries deal with many First Amendment issues due to the services they provide. For that reason, we present the general rules in approaching a First Amendment issue in Part 1 of this series of articles on the First Amendment in libraries. [Permalink] Read full article http://www.mls.lib.il.us/ennounce/2010/04_02/firstamendment.asp
Next issue
The next issue of MLS E-nnounce will appear February 3 , 2010. [Permalink]
