Index
- DPI testifies in support of AB 473
- Member/Staff News
- President Obama requests $231.9 million for IMLS
- Articles worth reading
- Continuing Education Calendar
DPI testifies in support of AB 473
On Feb. 16, Bob Bocher, Library Technology Consultant for the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), testified before the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities in support of Assembly Bill 473. The bill would extend the date by which WiscNet, the state’s not-for-profit Internet provider, must end its relationship with UW-Madison from July 1, 2013, to July 1, 2014.
The DPI’s position is that the one-year extension is critical to the 83 percent of Wisconsin school districts and public libraries that get their Internet access from WiscNet. This extension will help protect school E-rate funding and provide time for all parties (i.e., telecommunication carriers, WiscNet, the education and library communities) to have a frank discussion on the need for the state’s schools and libraries to have access to sufficient broadband and Internet access at an affordable cost.
Others testifying in support of the bill included Lisa Strand from the Wisconsin Library Association, Jon Mark Bolthouse from SCLS, Annette Smith from the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association, and representatives from WiscNet and the UW.
--from Channel Weekly (Vol. 14, No. 21 – Feb.23, 2012)
Member/Staff News
Peggy Kindschi has announced that she will retire from Columbus Public Library effective March 30. “It has been a pleasure working with all of you the past 13 years,” Peggy said. “I've seen many changes over my over 42-year career in libraries and look forward to seeing where libraries go in the future. I wish you all the best in the years ahead!’ Last week Peggy received a certificate of appreciation at the last city council meeting for her service as public information officer for the city emergency operations center.
Alicia Fisher is the Circulation Supervisor at Oregon Public Library, effective Feb. 27.
Anthony Tardiff is the new Assistant Circulation Manager at Sun Prairie Public Library. Anthony is from Coeur d’Alene, ID, where he worked as a circulation clerk and then a reference librarian while getting his MLS from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
Betsy Bermant (pictured at right) is the new Youth Services Director at Waunakee Public Library. Betsy has a BS in Human Development and Family Studies from UW-Madison, and she also received her MLS from UW-Madison. Prior to Waunakee, Betsy worked as Youth Services Librarian for two years at the St. Francis Public Library in Milwaukee County.
President Obama requests $231.9 million for IMLS
President Barack Obama has requested $231,953,777 for fiscal year 2013 for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an amount equal to the agency’s current funding. The IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums; part of its mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. This is the first budget request for the agency since the adoption of its new five-year strategic plan.
"This budget helps museums and libraries level the playing field for the people of the United States," said Susan Hildreth, director of IMLS. "IMLS is the federal voice for libraries and museums. With this budget we will continue to provide leadership through grant making research and policy development. Especially in our information age, libraries and museums are not luxuries; they are fundamental to supporting a democratic society where communities and individuals thrive with broad access to lifelong learning."
The President requested $184,704,000 for the nation’s 123,000 libraries. Of that amount, approximately 85 percent ($156.3 million) is distributed through the Grants to States program to the State Library Administrative Agencies in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and freely associated states, according to a population-based formula. These grants help libraries meet community needs, use technology to develop new service models and reach underserved populations.
--from Channel Weekly (Vol. 14, No. 20 – Feb. 16, 2012)
Articles worth reading
Here are two library journal articles that are particularly timely. Library circulation and the expanding demand for ebooks are two topics that occupy the minds of many librarians today, and these articles explore both topics.