The Poster Contest

• Grab your colored pencils, markers, crayons, finger paints or watercolors and design a handmade poster showing how you and your family benefit from the freedoms embodied in the U.S. Constitution.
• Use an 8 ½” x 11″ paper to create your design
• Your poster can feature any aspect of the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights & other Amendments
• Make it colorful! Be creative!

Questions about the Constitution?

• The National Archives www.archives.gov
• The National Constitution Center www.constitutioncenter.org
• ABA Conversations on the Constitution www.abanet.org/publiced/conversations/constitution/home.html
• GovDoc Kids Group www.govdocs4children.pbwiki.com

Sponsored by the Gov Doc Kids Group: Kansas Government Documents Roundtable, Johnson County (KS) Library, Muskingum

University, Visiting Librarian Service (OH), National Archives at Kansas City, Wichita State University, University of Kansas, Kansas

State University, Kansas State Library, State Library of Ohio, Government Documents Round Table of Ohio, Government Documents Roundtable (GODORT), a division of the American Library Association

National corporate sponsor: ConstitutionFacts.com, Naperville, IL | Government Partner: Defense Commissary Agency

For more information and to download the entry form visit: http://oh.webjunction.org/ohconstitutiondayposter

Two hours of graduate credit FREE!

Available to Teams of Ohio K-12 Educators

Offered by the Kent State School of Library & Information Science

EXPLANATION

Dr. Carolyn S. Brodie and Dr. Greg Byerly are offering online workshops this spring through a $622,816 grant, Museums, Libraries, and K-12 School Libraries and Teachers – making connections, from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

The online workshop will focus on teacher-school librarian collaboration and is designed to help teachers and school librarians become aware of the resources and services offered by local museums and historical societies, as well as web-based resources available from museums around the world.

Participants will receive 2-hours graduate credit from the Kent State School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) after satisfactorily participating in the workshop and completing required exercises and assignments.

The workshop will begin Monday, May 24^th, and conclude Monday, June 28^th.  The content of the workshop will be presented via asynchronous video by Dr.s Brodie and Byerly.  In terms of time required, the video lectures will total approximately 6-8 hours over the four-week period.  There will be exercises to be completed as part of these content video lectures.  Each participant will also be expected to visit a museum or historical society and complete a related assignment.  Participants will spend a substantial amount of time working together as a team. Each participant will complete a pathfinder as part of a unit in conjunction with their team.

There are no scheduled times of participation.  The videos can be viewed at any time.  While there will be due dates for exercises, they can be completed at any time prior to those dates.  Workshop students will be assigned to discussion groups and expected to participate regularly, but there will be no synchronous sessions.

The workshop will provide an introduction to museums, including an overview of the various types of museums (history, natural history, art, science, and botanical gardens and zoos).  It will also emphasize the educational role of museums and the resources that are available from local museums, historical societies, and archives in Ohio.

Participants will also receive a complimentary copy of Riches, Rivals & Radicals: 100 Years of Museums in America ($42 value), published by the American Association of Museums in 2006.  Reviewers found this book to be “highly illustrated, exhaustively researched, and eminently readable,” as well as “coffee-table beautiful.” There will be required reading assignments from this text.

RULES & INSTRUCTIONS

(1) An application (see below) must be submitted by May 14^th, 2010. Please note: The workshops may fill before the deadline date, if interested in attending please submit your application as soon as possible.

(2) Participants must be part of a team.  A team must consist of one school librarian and either one or two teachers in the same building.  A district can submit applications for no more than two teams, but there can be no overlap of people between teams.

(3) Participant teams will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis upon receipt of an acceptable application.  Once an application is accepted each member will submit a registration form (explained below in #6).

(4) It is anticipated that 12-15 teams will be selected from around Ohio.

(5) Selected teams will be notified beginning May 17^th.  All teams will be notified by May 19^th.

(6) Each team member will be responsible for completing their own official university workshop registration form. Please note: the registration and application (described in #3 above), are two different forms. Further information will be included in the notification of acceptance.

(7) These workshops complement and expand the workshops which were offered around Ohio in spring 2007 and 2009.  Anyone who took one of those workshops can also apply for these workshops.

APPLICATION

The school librarian, as the designated team leader, must submit the application for the team.  The following information must be included:

1. Names and email addresses of all team members, with job titles

2. Phone number for the Team Leader (i.e., the librarian)

3. Name of school district and the building name

4. Mailing address of the school (to receive copies of the book)

5. Partnership Description

Briefly (200 words maximum) describe why your team came together and, more specifically, what you hope to accomplish by completing this workshop, both individually and as a team.  Since the final project will be a unit of instruction using the two or three pathfinders developed, explain your tentative idea for a topic or theme that your team would plan and develop, if accepted into the workshop.  Projects can be as broad as art history or as specific as Claude Monet. Indicate subject level and grade level.

SUBMISSION:

Submit your team application to: slisksuilms@kent.edu no later than Friday, May 14^th.  Reminder:  The workshop may fill before this date, please register early.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Contact: Michelle Baldini mbaldini@kent.edu

Michelle Baldini, MLS

Grant Coordinator, SLIS/ILILEwww.ilile.org
www.michellebaldini.com
330.672.4048

It’s appropriations time, and there are two main issues we need to action on.  The deadline is March 12, so please act fast!  We only have 48 hours to make a difference.

LSTA

Congress is currently busy drafting up the federal budget for fiscal year 2011.  It has never been more important than now that Congress fully funds the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the only annual source for federal funding to public libraries.   As Congress writes next year’s budget they need to understand that dollars from the state and local levels are at an all time low and libraries can not continue to do their important work with out this funding.

There is a letter circulating around the House of Representatives urging the Appropriations Committee to include $300 million in funding through LSTA in the FY2011 budget.  Please contact your representative’s office and tell them about work your library does in the community.  It is always a good idea to stress what programs and resources your library provide to help build the local economy, help kids with their homework, and so much more.  After you have explained how libraries are an incredibly valuable investment, please ask your representative to sign onto the “Dear Colleague” letter supporting LSTA.

School Libraries
In his FY2011 budget, President Obama consolidated Improving Literacy Through School Libraries with five other literacy programs.  This would mean that school libraries will have to directly compete with other programs to receive federal dollars under the President’s plan.  However, Congress is busy drafting up their own budget for FY2011 right now, and there is no word yet if they will go along with President Obama’s recommendation of consolidation.  Congress needs to hear from their constituents NOW about the important role that school libraries play in today’s schools.

Right now there is a letter circulating around the House of Representatives urging the Appropriations Committee to specifically appropriate $100 million for Improving Literacy Through School Libraries.  This amount means that this program will be available to every state, rather than the current competitive grant program.  Please contact your representative’s office explaining to them how important having a school library can be in a child’s education.  Please ask them to sign on to the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries “Dear Colleague.”

Once your representative or their staff confirms that they would like to sign on to the funding “Dear Colleagues,” please ask them to contact the staffers below depending on their party affiliation:

Democrat

Ask them to contact Joseph Mais in Rep. Grijalva’s office and ask them to sign onto the Dear Colleague.  His email address isjoseph.mais@mail.house.gov and his phone number is (202) 225-2435.
Republican

Ask them to contact Rachel Fenton in Rep. Vernon Ehlers’ office and sign onto the Dear Colleague.  Her e-mail address isRachel.Fenton@mail.house.gov and her phone number is (202) 225-3831.

It is of the utmost importance that you contact your Representative today and urge them to sign on to these letters!  We need to keep the pressure on our elected officials until the deadline for signatures on these critical letters expires.  Grijalva and Ehlers plan to send the letter on Friday, March 12, so time is of the essence.

You can find your legislator’s contact information at http://capwiz.com/ala/home/.

Kristin Murphy
Government Relations Specialist
American Library Association – Washington Office
1615 New Hampshire Ave. NW, First Floor
Washington, D.C., 20009-2520
Phone Number: 202.628.8410
kmurphy@alawash.org

Questions about the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act?  Go to www.ala.org/knowyourstimulus

There is a new “volume” of three programs in the series that is available free of charge to educators.  It’s on a DVD and  can be sent  to schools as they are requested.  There is a limited number of earlier volumes available (see list below), although the first three volumes are too outdated to distribute.

The programs are also available through OET, and are now also available at iTunes U. The programs may be viewed or downloaded by iTunes users by visiting iTunes U at www.itunes.com. Click on iTunes Store and iTunes U, then click on “Ohio” and “Government”. There you will find the Our Ohio icon; click to access the programs. Programs in the series can also be accessed through the OCTA web site at www.octa.org. Click on the Our Ohio icon on the home page to view available programs in the series.

That being said, I know some people just like to have the DVD for their library!

Maryann Kafer

Director of Public Relations

Ohio Cable Telecommunications Association

614-461-4014

c: 614-395-5082

OCTA

PROGRAMS INCLUDED IN THE OUR OHIO SERIES

Volume 1

Program 1- The Governor; Bob Taft interviewed

Program 2- The Supreme Court, Evelyn Lundberg Stratton interviewed

Program 3- The Secretary of State, J. Kenneth Blackwell interviewed

Volume 2

Program 4- The Attorney General, Betty Montgomery interviewed

Program 5- The Ohio Senate, Jay Hottinger and Leigh Herington interviewed

Program 6- The Ohio House of Representatives, Jack Ford and Larry Householder interviewed

Volume 3

Program 7- The Auditor of State, Jim Petro interviewed

Program 8- The U.S. Senate, Mike DeWine interviewed

Program 9- The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Ronda Fergus and Alan Schriber interviewed

Volume 4

Program 10 – Municipal Government, Mayors Michael Coleman, Rhine McLin and Daniel Dupps interviewed

Program 11 – U.S. House of Representatives, Congressmen Ted Strickland interviewed with video comments by Congresswoman Deborah Pryce

Program 12 – Ohio’s Biennial Budget, Ohio Senators Mark Mallory and Bill Harris interviewed

Volume 5

Program 13 – Ohio Tax Commissioner William Wilkins interviewed

Program 14 – Ohio Department of Development, Director Bruce Johnson interviewed

Program 15 – The Lobbying Profession, Keith Brooks and Lisa Bateson interviewed

Volume 6

Program 16 – The Department of Commerce, Director Doug White interviewed

Program 17 – Legislative Service Commission, Director James W. Burley interviewed

Program 18 – Ohio National Guard, Adjutant General Gregory Wayt and Senator Steve Stivers interviewed

Volume 7

Program 19 – The Governor; Governor Ted Strickland interviewed

Program 20 – Auditor of State; Auditor Mary Taylor interviewed

Program 21 – Secretary of State; Secretary Jennifer Brunner interviewed

Volume 8

Program 22 – Ohio Treasurer, Treasurer Richard Cordray interviewed

Program 23 – Ohio Board of Regents, Chancellor Eric Fingerhut interviewed

Program 24 – John Glenn School of Public Affairs, Senator John Glenn and Dr. Charles Wise interviewed

Volume 9

Program 25 – First Lady, Frances Strickland Interviewed

Public and school (K-12) libraries are invited to apply online through January 29, 2010 at http://publicprograms.ala.org/bookshelf. A single application may be submitted on behalf of multiple libraries within a library system, school district or community. Individual branch and school libraries are also encouraged to apply.

In spring 2010, NEH will award 4,000 libraries a collection of 17 classic hardcover books for young readers, related to the theme, “A More Perfect Union”, as well as the option to receive Spanish translations of three titles, and bonus materials for readers of all ages. Successful applicants will also receive accompanying materials for programming, including bookplates, bookmarks and posters.

For programming ideas and tips, access to the guidelines and application, book titles, and further details, visit http://publicprograms.ala.org/bookshelf. With questions, contact publicprograms@ala.org.

******************************

ALA Public Programs Office

www.ala.org/publicprograms

publicprograms@ala.org

October 21-23, 2009 – Columbus Convention Center

Special Offer: OLC members may attend the conference at the OELMA member rate.

The conference will feature nationally known speakers, such as David Loertscher and Nancy J. Keane (who was listed as one of Library Journal’s 2009 Movers & Shakers) and other great authors including Betsy Lewin,  Pete Hautman, Lauren Myracle, and Tony Abbott. We are also very excited to have Ingrid Law, author of Savvy, which was selected as a 2009 Newbery Honor book as well as Mike Sullivan an expert on boys and reading.  In addition to sessions, Sullivan will be the featured speaker at the OELMA Author and Awards Luncheon taking place on Friday, Oct. 23. Go to: http://www.oelma.org/Conference/2009/authors%20flyer.pdf to learn about ALL of the featured authors/speakers who will be attending the OELMA Conference.

In addition to authors, the OELMA Conference will host over 65 different educational sessions including ten featured authors and speakers that are sure to inspire.  Go to http://www.oelma.org/Conference.htm to access links to the Thursday and Friday sessions. Two preconference sessions will be held at the State Library of Ohio on Wednesday from 4-7pm (a box lunch will be provided): The Tech Savvy Booktalker with Nancy Keane and What’s New with New Literacies? with William Kist . The OELMA Conference is also a great time to visit with various library vendors.

On Thursday evening OELMA will host our fourth annual AuthorPalooza event from 4:30 to 6:30pm. Authors from around the state will be on hand to sign and read from their books, offer Q&A sessions and discuss their work.  AuthorPalooza admission is INCLUDED in registration for the OELMA Conference, so register today.  Guests can also attend AuthorPalooza by paying $10 at the door (check or cash only). AuthorPalooza is a great way to see local authors that can be booked economically for public library programs, too. Participating authors include:  Betsy Lewin, David Loertscher, Tony Abbott, Pete Hautman, Ingrid Law, Lauren Myracle, and Shelley Pearsall, among others.

Register today at (https://www.tandmservices.com/oelma2009/ )

The Long Island Coalition Against Censorship is an association of 22 educational and community organizations (16 are public libraries and professional library organizations). The purpose of the Coalition is to defend challenges to the First Amendment rights of public and school libraries when there are efforts by individuals or groups to censor books and other materials

In planning an exhibit for Banned Books Week in the fall, you might wish to consider displaying the new edition of our exhibit, “Censorship in Schools and Libraries.”

The 2009 edition of the exhibit presents 32 illustrations of censorship each one approximately 11″ x 14″ with accompanying text that is 11″ x 14.” The history of censorship in public libraries and schools highlights incidents of censorship that have occurred nationally during the last 150 years. Included are descriptions of the censorship of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, In the Night Kitchen, The Catcher in the Rye, and the novels of Judy Blume and Chris Crutcher. The censorship of Susan Patron’s novel, The Higher Power of Lucky, which was awarded the Newbery Prize, is in the new edition. U.S. Supreme Court decisions including the landmark Island Trees book banning case are part of the exhibit.

Quality copies have been reproduced which may be readily presented on posters or bulletin boards in your library and then retained by you as a reference source. If your space is limited, we suggest that you rotate the incidents of censorship during the time the exhibit is on display. Excerpts from the exhibit are on our web site www.the-licac.org. Click on Exhibits, “Censorship in Schools and Libraries” (for a description of the exhibit) and then Selected Cases. You may order the exhibit by e-mail or sending a purchase order to the LI Coalition Against Censorship, PO Box 296, Port Washington, N.Y.11050. The cost of the exhibit including mailing charges is $40.00. We request payment by check within 30 days after you receive the exhibit. If you need any additional information our e-mail address is coalcen1@verizon.net or call (516) 944-9799.

 Donald Parker, Co-coordinator, LI Coalition Against Censorship

Boys Read.org is an organization of parents, educators, librarians, mentors, authors, and booksellers dedicated to making boys lifelong readers. Periodically, they feature an extraordinary author on their home page. Currently, they have selected Watt Key’s Alabama Moon and Fran Cannon Slayton’s When the Whistle Blows as summer reading picks. 

Information and a link have been posted on the WebJunction Ohio Youth Services section. Check it out! The Youth Services section features a lot of unique resources available for you and we would appreciate hearing from you about successful programs or projects at your library that could be replicated around the state.  

OLSSI will once again offer classes for library support staff. Outstanding classes, programs, and lectures, along with evening entertainment & activities!

The Ohio Library Support Staff Institute is here to teach, develop, and renew the opportunities and education of library assistants and support staff.  You’ll meet public, school, special, and academic library employees at this annual event, where we’ll all learn new skills to enhance the work we do, and ways to better utilize the skills we have!

* The economy is difficult for everyone, particularly libraries.  OLSSI has worked

hard to keep the same registration price for eight consecutive years, $225.00.

* To help further, we are offering 3 full scholarships this year to first-time attendees!

* And to go one step even further, from April 1 – May 15 we offering a discounted

Early Bird registration rate of just $200.00

* Regular registration will run May 15th – July 15th.

For more information visit us online at

www.OLSSI.org