Due to the closure of the LE@D program at the University of North Texas, the LE@D courses are available for enrollment at WebJunction Illinois through February 29, 2012.

5 Most popular LE@D courses at WebJunction:

• Managing Difficult Patrons with Confidence! (LE@D)
• Cataloging Basics 101 (LE@D)
• Online Research Strategies for Librarians (LE@D)
• Genealogy: An Introduction for Library Staff (LE@D)
• Social Media 101: Business & Career Tools (LE@D)

To view all the courses and to enroll, go to the Illinois Course Catalog and click on the LE@D link at the top of the Provider list. Please note you must be signed into your WebJunction Illinois account in order to view the course catalog.

Once you enroll, you will then have one year from that date to complete the course.

IMPORTANT: Immediately after enrolling, launch the course from your My Courses page and follow the instructions to request a special University of North Texas login unique to your enrollment. When you receive the email with your login, please use it at least once before February 29 to ensure your access is verified.

The Illinois State Library is launching “Text a Librarian,” a new service patrons can use to text message questions to and receive answers from the library.

The texting program is intended for simple, quick reference questions, up to 160 characters, that can be answered with a brief response.

Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White says the new texting service offers another way to meet patrons’ information needs. The Illinois State Library already offers reference and information services in person, by e-mail, telephone or fax.

The Illinois State Library won’t charge for the service, but message and data rates from cellphone users’ service carriers still apply.

Texts can be sent to (217) 953-0575, by starting the body of the text with the keyword ASKISL, followed by a space and the question.

Dollar General has several grants your library may be eligible for. For more information on the grants below and to apply online, visit the Dollar General website.

Dollar General Summer Reading Grants
Deadline: February 28, 2012

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Summer Reading Grants provide funding to local nonprofit organizations and libraries to help with the implementation or expansion of summer reading programs. Programs must target Pre-K through 12th grade students who are new readers, below grade level readers or readers with learning disabilities.

Dollar General Adult Literacy Grants
Deadline: February 28, 2012

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Adult Literacy Grants award funding to nonprofit organizations that provide direct service to adults in need of literacy assistance. Organizations must provide help in one of the following instructional areas:

• Adult Basic Education
• General Education Diploma Preparation
• English Language Acquisition

Dollar General Family Literacy Grants
Deadline: February 28, 2012

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation Family Literacy Grants provide funding to family literacy service providers. The Foundation uses the federal government’s definition of family literacy when reviewing grant applications. Organizations applying for funding must have the following four components:Adult Education Instruction

• Children’s Education
• Parent and Child Together Time (PACT)
• Parenting Classes

Dollar General Youth Literacy Grants
Deadline: May 16, 2012

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Youth Literacy Grants provide funding to schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Grant funding is provided to assist in the following areas:

• Implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs
• Purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives
• Purchasing books, materials or software for literacy programs

Thursday, February 9 ♦ 1 pm Central / 11 am Pacific ♦ 60 min

“Cloud computing” seems to be all the rage, but what actually is it? This webinar will explain what cloud computing offers libraries, how libraries are using these services, and what you should consider when thinking about using a cloud service in your library. A distinction between services for end-users and services for organizations will be made, explained, and illustrated as well as the terms used to describe cloud services. Learn how quick and easy it now is to deploy applications “in the cloud” using tools such as Google Docs, Google App Engine, and Amazon’s Web Services, among others. Resources for further exploration will be included.

Presenter:  Roy Tennant, Senior Program Officer in the Research Division of OCLC.

Go to Registration Page >>

This week the Illinois State Library spotlights Morton College in Cicero.

For the past year, an adult learner has been working one-on-one with her volunteer tutor through Morton College’s Project CARE. She has learned how to use e-mail and Facebook to communicate with her tutor, friends and family. She is also getting help with valuable life skills such as writing a resume, filling out online job applications and interviewing for jobs.

This adult learner has a long-term goal of taking Early Childhood Education classes to pursue a career working with young children. With the help of her tutor, she is studying to achieve a score on the college placement test that will allow her to take a developmental English class. She continues to work on a portfolio of her writing samples, and her tutor plans to put these into a book so the learner can see her progress over time. Both student and tutor look forward to her achieving her goal of working with young children.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012 ♦ 1 pm Central / 11 am Pacific ♦ 60 min

In just a few short years, the Laurens County Library, in rural South Carolina, has created an impressive and well attended series of adult programs on a shoestring budget. Join us for a webinar, hosted in collaboration with WebJunction and the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, to learn how the library selects topics, recruits presenters, raises funds, and promotes through effective public relations practices. Find out what Laurens has done that works, what doesn’t work, and learn how your adult programming can make your library a valued community hub, building awareness and increasing usage of all your services.

Presented by: Joey P. Holmes, library assistant at the Laurens County Library (SC)

Early Registration >>

Tuesday, March 6, 2012 ♦  12 pm Central / 10 am Pacific ♦ 60 min ♦ Cost $0

In FCC Chairman Genachowski’s announcement of the sweeping Connect2Compete initiative to increase broadband connectivity and Internet access across the nation, he listed an impressive array of partners who are joining in the effort. Although he singled out libraries as “vital centers for digital literacy,” any effective actions must involve the whole community of players.

Join us in this webinar to hear about the key role that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is playing in the broadband adoption challenge and the actions already underway for building digital communities. And also hear insights on the collaborative roles and efforts of city/county governments and public and private organizations. Learn how to get started with inclusion efforts from organizations who have taken the steps to implement practical programs which meet local needs and share your ideas about collaborative efforts which lead digital inclusion.

Presenters: Susan Hildreth, director, Institute of Museum and Library Services; Ron Carlee, chief operating officer, International City/County Management Association; and David Keyes, community technology program manager, City of Seattle.

Early Registration >>

The Illinois State Library has scheduled four 30-minute webinars to discuss ISL services for state employees this February. Topics include: Access to Print and Electronic Maps, Access to ISL Databases, Illinois Blue Books vs. the Illinois Digital Archives, and eBooks available through the ISL.

Reference librarians from the Illinois State Library will conduct the following webinars:

• Thursday, February 2, 9:30–10 a.m.  Access to Print and Electronic Maps

• Thursday, February 9, 9:30–10 a.m.  Access to Illinois State Library Databases

• Thursday, February 16, 9:30–10 a.m.  Illinois Blue Books via the Illinois Digital Archives (IDA)

• Thursday, February 23, 9:30–10 a.m.  Electronic books available from the Illinois State Library

To participate, please register here. Participants may register for more than one session. A confirmation e-mail with instructions will be sent to you. For further information, please contact the Illinois State Library at 217-558-1945 or e-mail Deb Aggertt at daggertt@ilsos.net.

The Illinois State Library’s highly acclaimed “On the Front Lines” conference for ‘front line’ library staff is returning March 12–14 at the University of Illinois Springfield. Registration and information is now available at L2.

Forty scholarships will be awarded to cover costs of the registration fee, conference supplied meals and a two-night hotel stay. The scholarship does not cover travel or incidentals. The deadline to submit scholarship applications is NEXT MONDAY, January 30.

Scholarship recipients will be announced in early February. Find the scholarship application here. For questions or comments, please email Gwen Harrison at gharrison@ilsos.net or call her at 217-785-7334.

This week the Illinois State Library spotlights Association House of Chicago.

A teenage couple and their baby joined the high school family literacy program operated by Association House.  The couple wanted to complete their high school education and the baby attended the child education program while both parents attended classes. The parents studied hard, attended class regularly and sought additional academic help and support from the child education program staff. Staff helped the parents study for tests, proofread papers and complete research projects. Both parents attended PACT time (Parents and Children Together) before and after school, and faithfully attended and participated in weekly parent education workshops.

Neither parent had ever been to a library before they began participating in the family literacy program. They are now library cardholders and attend the library on their own time. The mother graduated from high school last year, the first in her family to receive a high school diploma, and plans to work while attending college. The father will graduate this year.

They are both committed to ensuring that their daughter continues to learn throughout her life with their support. Learning has truly become a family affair.