Library Pets November PAublished by the Library of Michiganccessccess November 2002 Issue Volume XX NO. 5 ISSN 1051-0818 Library Services and Technology Act Fiscal In This Year 2003 Funding Areas Announced by Jolee Hamlin, Library of Michigan These goals provide a basis for the Issue: continued support of statewide projects The Library of Michigan is such as the Michigan eLibrary (MeL). pleased to announce the Library Services The LSTA Fiscal Year 2003 specific and Technology Act (LSTA) FY 2003 funding areas are as follows: QSAC funding areas. The LSTA Goals for Moves Forward Michigan are articulated in Library Services Collaboration and Partnership and Technology Act Five Year Plan for This funding area is intended to assist page 3 Michigan, October 1, 2002 – September 30, Michigan libraries in pioneering innova- 2007, which is available at the Library of tive services with collaborative partners. Michigan’s Web site: Grants may be awarded to meet the Animals in the increased demand for information and Library Goal 1: Provide all Michigan residents library services by identifying and encour- statewide access to the widest possible range aging resource sharing and partnership. page 8 of information, library resources and services to advance and enhance their lives as work- ATLAS Preparedness ers, students, citizens, family members and The Action Team for Library Worldcat lifelong learners. Advancement Statewide (ATLAS) has page 12 been working with the Library of Goal 2: Increase equity of information Michigan to design a statewide informa- access and library service by providing special tion delivery service that will link all assistance to areas of the state where library Michigan residents to the information services are inadequate (underserved rural they need, when they need it, where and urban communities), and to libraries they need it, and in the format they that are working to provide service to persons desire. Components of the system will In This Issue having difficulty using a library. include electronic delivery of full-text and digitized resources, as well as physical Goal 3: Foster innovation and techni- delivery of those items not yet available cal improvements in information services by electronically. funding leading edge projects in libraries The ATLAS Preparedness funding that meet and anticipate constantly changing area is meant to assist libraries in needs for library services and information Michigan to move toward the goal of par- needs of Michigan’s residents. ticipating in the new statewide resource sharing system. The resource sharing sys- tem will be based on standards-compliant Continued on Page 2 Continued from page 1 integrated library systems. Grants in this area will help libraries acquire or participate in automated systems that function with specific standards and protocols. Grant proposals will be accepted in the following areas: •Upgrade of Shared Integrated Library System (ILS); •Migration from Non-Compliant to Compliant Shared ILS; Like several other libraries in Michigan, the •New Participation in Shared ILS by East Lansing Public Library is sponsoring a “One Non-Automated Library; and Book, One Community” project through mid- November. East Lansing has taken the program a •Cooperatives Assisting Member Libraries step further by partnering with Michigan State University to ensure a truly community-wide Incentive Mini-grants for Digitization experience! One goal of the ATLAS project is to prepare The book they’ve chosen is Ray Bradbury’s libraries to begin statewide digitization efforts. Fahrenheit 451. I took part in a recent celebrity Incentive mini-grants of $1500 are being offered to book reading and took the podium just before a libraries in support of this goal, so that even the well-known MSU football player, who I’m pretty smallest libraries may begin digitization efforts. A sure was the event’s main draw! simplified grant application form is available for In any case, having never been part of such a this funding area. These grant funds will allow reading, I was struck by the unique “library” feel of the event, and I was proud to play my part. libraries to participate in “Making of Modern We are all guilty at some point of taking for grant- Michigan” (http://mmm.lib.msu.edu), a project that ed the very freedoms we’ve chosen to defend. Not will assist in the identification and digitization of all countries in the world would allow people to materials relating to 19th and 20th century stand up in a public place and read excerpts from Michigan history. a book, especially a controversial tome about book burning and censorship of thought! Fahrenheit 451 — which by the way is also the GRANT WRITING temperature at which paper burns — is a terrify- WORKSHOPS ing book about the restrictions on freedom of During November 2002, Grant Writing speech. Penned in 1953, it was Bradbury’s Workshops will be held throughout the state to response to the anti-intellectualism of Germany’s assist library staff in developing a successful grant Nazi party and to the intellectually oppressive application. Locations and dates are as follows: political climate of the 1950’s. Unfortunately, the topic still resonates today. Library of Michigan, Lansing To me, the book reading was a timely reminder of November 7, 2002 the importance of freedom of speech and the role that libraries play in preserving that freedom. Herrick District Library, Holland Although sometimes controversial, one of the November 8, 2002 tenets of the ALA Library Bill of Rights cuts right Cadillac-Wexford County Public Library, Cadillac to the core: “Books and other library resources November 12, 2002 should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the communi- Peter White Public Library, Marquette ty the library serves. Materials should not be November 14, 2002 excluded because of the origin, background, or Ypsilanti District Library, Ypsilanti views of those contributing to their creation.” November 18, 2002 It’s clear to me that we in the library communi- Public Libraries of Saginaw, Saginaw ty have a responsibility to keep on doing what we November 19, 2002 do best: provide access to information in all its formats. The alternative is more frightening than Roseville Public Library, Roseville anything we’ve seen in fiction. November 20, 2002 These workshops will be full-day, hands-on events with group exercises. Further description is available 2 at www.michigan.gov/hal. November Access 2002 FY 2003 LSTA PUBLICATIONS NOW AVAIL- Are the quality measures linked to State Aid? ABLE! Quality measures would not be tied to current levels of state aid; however, they will become part of The FY 2003 Library Services and Technology Act the Public Library Funding Initiative Group Grant Program Handbook and the LSTA Five-Year (PLFIG) process. PLFIG will use them to demon- Plan for Michigan, October 1, 2002 through strate the levels of funding needed to bring September 30, 2007 are now available in print and Michigan’s public libraries into compliance with the on our website at three levels of library service. When we achieve high- http://www.libraryofmichigan.org/lsta/lsta.html. To er levels of state funding in Michigan, implementa- request print copies of these publications, please tion may become necessary, with the Library of send an email to [email protected]. Michigan checking compliance on a random, spot- Include your name, the name of your library/organi- check basis. zation, a complete mailing address, and an indica- If the quality measures are not linked to State Aid, tion of which items that you want sent. These why should a library use them? publications also will be available at the Grant Quality measures can be used now to educate Writing Workshop. staff, trustees, local authorities and state legislators. They can show your community what you have TIMELINE achieved with your current funding and what could be possible if that funding were increased. The Other important dates for the FY 2003 LSTA Grant measures can be used as part of strategic planning, as Program include: examples of where and how your library can grow Applications Due January 31, 2003 and improve. They are an advocacy tool for every Peer Reviewers Meet February/March 2003 library, regardless of size or funding level. Award Announcements April 2003 When will the quality measures be put into action? State Librarian Christie Brandau wants to see Grant Administration the measures implemented by 2003 on a voluntary Workshops April/May 2003 basis. She sees the next two years as our getting- acquainted period, with revision based on actual use If you have any questions on the FY 2003 LSTA in the field. From then on, the benchmarks will program, please contact Jolee Hamlin at (517) 241- need to be reviewed every three years or so to 0021 or email at [email protected]. accommodate changing state activities, such as statewide interlibrary loan. What about the words Bronze, Silver and Gold? QSAC Moves Forward In response to negative feedback from the library community, QSAC dropped the Bronze, by Martha McKee, QSAC Project Coordinator Silver and Gold designations. Essential, Enhanced and Excellent will be the terms used for the three The search for quality guidelines for Michigan’s service levels. public libraries entered a new phase with the second Essential Services are the basics of all library meeting of the Quality Services Advisory Committee service. They are relatively low-cost standards that (QSAC), held at the Library of Michigan in August. every library can and should achieve. They are help- The heart of the meeting was discussion of the ful to libraries starting out and a review for those quality measures received from the six QSAC sub- who are established. Enhanced Services are more of committees and how they will affect Michigan’s pub- a stretch to achieve.