Over the past 30 years, iREAD has grown to become a leader of Summer Reading Program development by providing libraries with all of the resources they need to promote, launch, and execute great reading programs. Increasingly, iREAD themes and programs are being used year-round in schools and literacy programs. For more information, call 877-565-1896 or visit here.

Entries need to include name of the library and name, address, phone number and idea of the entrant.  Entries need to include the category of the entry – replicable green idea for business, replicable green idea for residences, creative green idea for business or creative green idea for residences.  Each individual is limited to one entry per category and an individual may only win once.  (However, all great green ideas may be shared as non-entries to gogreenila@gmail.com.)
Entries in the creative ideas categories may be listed without last name on the
gogreenila.info web site.

For more information, click here.

The new membership category would feature an annual rate of just $25 and would be available to current ISLMA and SLA-IL members for five years. After the five-year time period, members would then join ILA at the full personal rate.

The proposal to create the new membership category requires a change to ILA bylaws and must first be approved by two-thirds of the personal members present and voting at the 2011 ILA Annual Conference Membership Meeting on Thursday October 20th.

The Illinois Library Association (ILA) has received a federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the Illinois Secretary of State/Illinois State Library (ISL) to research and recommend effective, efficient service models for cooperative library services.  Focusing on services that are most important to patrons, delivery of library materials will be the first priority to be addressed.  LSTA funds are provided by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS); IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.
 
ILA will conduct research into best practices, drawing on successful delivery structures in states such as Wisconsin, Colorado, and others.  Over the course of the coming year, ILA will work with the regional library systems, the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois, and others to develop a workable approach to delivery and other priority services identified in the 2010 Future of Illinois Library Cooperation (FILC) report.
 
“ILA and its members are investing significant time and energy in developing constructive responses to recent state level financial conditions and their impact on library services,” said ILA President Gail Bush.  “Making sure that patrons can access materials is key to controlling costs in the long run, and we will work closely with the system restructuring groups and others to ensure both equity and excellence in redesigning statewide cooperation.”
 
“Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White has said that prompt, efficient delivery of library materials to patrons is his foremost priority,” said ISL Director Anne Craig.  “This grant will be used to explore delivery service models.”
 
An advisory group of ILA members will work with ILA staff and consultants on the project, which has a completion date of January 30, 2012.

On Tuesday, 14 December 2010, representatives of the Illinois library community met with Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White to present an action plan for statewide cooperative services, such as delivery and other priorities.  Secretary White agreed to consider awarding an LSTA grant to support the effort and requested that a formal request for funding be submitted to the Illinois State Library by the Illinois Library Association (ILA).

Based on information and resources identified in the Future of Illinois Library Cooperation planning documents, the group requested funding to analyze current delivery needs and prepare a formal RFP/RFI to identify best practices and service models, culminating in an implementation plan to redesign delivery in the most efficient and cost effective manner.  The project will intersect with on-going work of the regional systems and other consortia.

The request for funding will be submitted to the Illinois State Library in December with notification anticipated in early 2011.

Attending the meeting were: Illinois Secretary of State Chief of Staff Thomas Benigno, Oak Park Public Library Executive Director Deidre Brennan, ILA President Gail Bush; Illinois Secretary of State Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Programs and Policies Terri Coombes, Illinois State Library Director Anne Craig, Chicago Public Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey, Illinois Secretary of State Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff Jacki DiCianni, ILA Executive Director Robert P. Doyle, ILA Legislative Consultant Kip Kolkmeier, Chicago Public Library First Deputy Commissioner Karen Danczak Lyons, and Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White.

Download/view the planning documents for Future of Illinois Library Cooperation.

• Focus on the impact of services to end-users, maximizing the value of an organized joint approach to the limited resources available and recognizing current political, economic, and organizational capacity.
• Fund necessary research to adopt the best possible models for critical cooperative services (e.g, delivery, shared catalogs, group purchasing, databases, continuing education, etc.)
•  Take into account varying needs of different types of libraries and different geographic concerns and the need for equitable sharing of resources.
• Provide an actionable blueprint for discussions with policymakers

The full text can be found on the ILA website.

These marketing vodcasts, “Modcasts,” will mostly feature aspects of marketing libraries to highlight all kinds of  interesting trends, handy resources and stories.  This first short video introduces The Field Museum Team who will energize and educate pilot advocates at the Oct. 22 Workshop  in preparation for our exciting  Go Green @ Your Illinois Library project where Illinois libraries will impact the future of Illinois in a new and greener way.

• On Tuesday September 28th ISL Network Consultant Gwen Harrison will host a discussion about our ILEAD U initiative from 9-10:30 a.m. in Rooms 201-202.
• Coordinator Bonnie Matheis and the Illinois Center for the Book are sponsoring acclaimed central Illinois author Taylor Pensoneau at the Illinois Authors dinner Tuesday evening from 6-8 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom.
• Vandella Brown will receive the ILA’s Hugh Atkinson award at 11:00 A.M., Wednesday, September 29 in the Grand Ballroom.  Vandella will also moderate the annual DiversiTEA on Wednesday from 3-4:30 p.m. in Room 329.
• Karen Egan will moderate a conversation with author Elizabeth Berg from 2-3:30 p.m. in Room 205.
• On Wednesday from 4-5 p.m., ISL Reference Outreach Coordinator Debra Aggertt will moderate a discussion about Illinois LegalAid Online in Rooms 206-207.
• Finally, Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White will speak at the closing session in the Grand Ballroom from 3-4 p.m. Thursday Sept. 30th.   

If you’re not able to attend the ILA conference in person, sign up for the ILA’s first ever Virtual Conference on Wednesday September 29th.   The program will feature highlights from the conference, with a focus on partnerships and planning.  Find out more