 |
Home | Search | Browse | About IPO | Staff | Links |
|
Home | Search | Browse | About IPO | Staff | Links |
|
FY97 Accomplishments:
A Message from the Director Dear Colleagues: The Illinois State Library's accomplishments in FY97 were considerable in promoting state government's access to information and fostering growth, development and networking in libraries statewide. As we reflect upon the year's activities, seven key themes emerge which also have been addressed in a recent statement by the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA). While the COSLA statement specifically addresses library roles on the information highway, we have adapted them to encompass all aspects of Illinois State Library service. These themes are: • Advocacy The themes provide a framework for summarizing a year's worth of achievement that were aided, in no small part, by the Illinois library community's spirit of cooperation. Sincerely,
Bridget L. Lamont, Director
149
Role #1:
NEW INITIATIVE The Illinois State Library worked with the Illinois Commerce Commission in addressing the need for state level action on telecommunications discounts for libraries and schools to tie in with action taken by the Federal Communications Commission in May 1997. The end result will be 20-90 percent discounts on telecommunications services, inside wiring and Internet connections for public libraries and schools. NEW INITIATIVE Developed with Library Services & Construction Act funds, the publication, Rural Resources on the Internet: A Pathfinder, was distributed to libraries, schools and farm bureaus. This Internet resource guide is particularly helpful to those in rural areas and those just learning how to search the World Wide Web. The "Look Us Up in an Illinois Library" radio programs continued in FY97. Taped one-minute public service announcements promoting the services of Illinois libraries were sent to 250 radio stations across the state each month. NEW INITIATIVE The first Educate & Automate technology grants were awarded in June 1997 to ILLINET libraries and library systems. The new grant program, initiated by Secretary of State George H. Ryan, provides grants generated from modest increases in several fees charged by the Office of the Secretary of State. Up to $4 million will be available annually for technology grants that address the following areas: • upgrading computer equipment Internet access at the Illinois State Library was enhanced through the installation of new public access workstations with expanded capabilities. Popular Web sites for State Library users include the U.S. Government Printing Office, U.S. Congress, CNN News and ILLINET. The Illinois State Library worked with the American Library Association and the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science in distributing an Internet survey. The survey was sent to 2,000 public libraries nationwide in May 1997 with the purpose of assessing public library use and costs of library-based Internet services. Results of the survey will be available later in 1997. NEW INITIATIVE Two rounds of technology accessibility grants for public libraries were awarded in FY97, providing more than $1.1 million for highspeed telecommunications equipment, laser printers, CD-ROM equipment, Local Area Network hardware and software. The projects were funded with Library Services & Construction Act Title II Funds.
Role #2:
NEW INITIATIVE Because new federal legislation, the Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA), is replacing the long-term Library Services & Construction Act (LSCA), the Illinois State Library staff and Illinois State Library Advisory Committee began an in-depth process to develop a new five-year plan for use of federal funds for Illinois library development. Input from all sectors of the Illinois public was solicited through statewide hearings and regional focus groups held in Spring 1997. NEW INITIATIVE A comprehensive study of statewide delivery was commissioned by the Illinois State Library and undertaken by Dr. Fred Peterson. His report, A Study of the Surface Delivery of Library Materials in Illinois, was reviewed by the Illinois State Library Advisory Committee with follow-up on various recommendations slated for FY98. NEW INITIATIVE Working with the Illinois Library Association, legislation was drafted and approved by the General Assembly to address the situation involving some public libraries who were in danger of losing their eligibility for public library per capita grants because of tax caps. The legislation passed the General Assembly in May 1997 and was signed into law in July. Efforts to rewrite the state's obscenity legislation to enable each of the state's 102 counties to define their own standards rather than adopt a statewide standard were opposed vigorously by a coalition of library and media groups. The obscenity legislation was defeated in part due to its anticipated impact on interlibrary loan service and libraries serving more than one county. The 1996 Atkinson Symposium focused on developing the components of the next phase of the Illinois Library & Information Network. Participants identified minimum components of future networking to include: • minimal levels of connectivity for access 150 • access to all publicly accessible collections State library staff members served on committees established by other state government agencies to address committee needs. These committees included: Illinois Board of Higher Education Technology Task Force, Illinois State Board of Education Network Advisory Committee and Illinois State Board of Education On-Line Resources Committee.
Role #3:
NEW INITIATIVE The Illinois State Library distributed the Crossroads Cafe program workbooks, resource books and videos to 99 public libraries, adult education programs, English as a Second Language (ESL) programs and literacy programs. Crossroads Cafe, a nationally televised English instruction program for at-home use, was developed through partnerships with state education departments, leading ESL educators and PBS. Thirty-one Regional Planning Panels, appointed by Secretary of State George H. Ryan, submitted recommendations to the Illinois State Library in January 1997. The panels addressed extending public library services to people currently unserved by a public library. The Illinois State Library Advisory Committee and the library system directors and presidents began reviewing the reports with follow-up action anticipated in FY98. More than 75 Illinois authors participated in the second annual Illinois Authors Literary Dinner and Book Fair, October 18 & 19,1996, which celebrated the achievements of Illinois authors. Co-sponsored with the Illinois Center for the Book and held at the Illinois State Library, more than 3,000 people attended the weekend activities. Primary sponsors were Ameritech and the Illinois Humanities Council. The purpose of the literary weekend was to foster greater statewide awareness of Illinois authors and their many contributions to our literary heritage. Illinois poet laureate, Gwendolyn Brooks, was the featured speaker at the literary dinner.
NEW INITIATIVE The literacy office served as the lead agency along with the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois State Board of Education and the University of Illinois at Chicago in sponsoring the National Adult Literacy Conference in August 1996. Attended by more than 500 literacy providers from the United States and Canada, the conference focused on the expansion and integration of technology into literacy programs. The 5th annual Family Reading Night was held on Thursday, Nov. 21,1996. The event encourages families to spend time reading together. Nearly two million posters, bookmarks (including a Spanish language version) and stickers were printed and distributed to school and public libraries and literacy programs to help promote the program, which had participation of nearly 100,000 families. For the second year, the Illinois State Library coordinated public policy discussions at public libraries.Choices for the 21st Century: Public Policy Discussion in Your Local Library is a partnership among Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies, state libraries, humanities councils and local public libraries. The program is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The twelve new participating libraries were located in Anna, Canton, Champaign, Joliet, Kankakee, Macomb, Morton, Oak Park, Robinson, Streamwood, Warrenville and West Chicago. Four libraries joined the Library Partners program, which promotes collaborative initiatives with chambers of commerce and other local organizations for community development. To date there are 44 library partnerships. NEW INITIATIVE A new record-keeping initiative, implemented in cooperation with the Illinois State Board of Education, will enable accurate unduplicated record-keeping for literacy programs on the number of students served. The S.T.A.I.R.S. database was developed jointly by the two agencies, and 22 new computers and seven computer upgrades were provided to local literacy programs to assist with the initiative. S.T.A.I.R.S. training was attended by 364 community, workplace and family literacy program grant recipients at 14 sites throughout the state. Publication of the special report, 1996 Illinois Academic Library Statistics, was funded by the Illinois State Library with the report distributed to academic libraries and library systems throughout the state. The report, compiled and edited by Elizabeth Titus from Northern Illinois University, included new data about academic libraries' use of electronic resources. NEW INITIATIVE Through a pilot project coordinated by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and Secretary of State George H. Ryan, 20 public libraries provided citizenship assistance to immigrants in ethnic communities. Packets distributed at participating libraries contain citizen application forms and study guides to help immigrants prepare for the citizenship test. NEW INITIATIVE TASK (Teaching Agriculture Safety to Kids) program materials were 151 distributed to public libraries statewide in partnership with the FFA of Illinois and the Easter Seal Society. The 1996 Young Inventors Contest, sponsored by the Illinois State Library's Patent and Trademark Depository Library and the Illinois Center for the Book, received hundreds of entries from sixth through eighth grade students.
Role #4:
Illinois State Library staff worked with regional library system staff members in implementing program budgets for the library systems. The budgets provide important information on costs for library system programs, such as consulting, continuing education and delivery. Administrative rules for Illinois State Library programs were updated: • Illinois Library System Act rules were amended to add criteria for Educate & Automate grants and special grants to Illinois Veterans' Homes. The Illinois State Library Advisory Committee updated the statement, Guiding Principles for Illinois Libraries. Originally developed in 1994, the statement was revised to reflect an increased focus on library partnerships. NEW INITIATIVE The second edition of Trustee Facts File was developed in cooperation with the Illinois Library Association and distributed to trustees statewide. Information needed by public library trustees covering library law, parliamentary procedure, grant funding and other topics is covered. NEW INITIATIVE A special report commissioned by the Illinois State Library and undertaken by the Library Research Center at the University of Illinois was distributed. A Survey of Public Libraries and Local Government, addressed the opinions of local government officials and public library directors on matters relating to the impact of the library in the community. Illinois specific data was compared in detail to nationwide results. NEW INITIATIVE The Illinois State Library developed a sample policy to guide Internet use in libraries. Public Access to Electronic Information Networks: A Model Policy for ILLINET Libraries can be adapted to all types of libraries and modified to meet local library needs. The policy was approved by the Illinois State Library Advisory Committee. Public library management profiles were sent to each public library for the 12th year. These reports use data taken from public library annual reports and provide analytical information for use by library trustees and staff.
Role #5:
NEW INITIATIVE Seven library systems participated in the WebZ/Electronic Interlibrary Loan project to create a statewide electronic interlibrary loan system. Participants are using WebZ server software from OCLC to provide seamless searching access to library databases statewide through a single user interface. Initial efforts focus on library staff, and the project will be expanded to include all 12 library systems and provide patron access during FY98. Statewide access to the ILLINET Online database was aided by a $430,000 grant to the University of Illinois to help support the central site costs. For the third full year, the Illinois State Library paid the costs of free statewide access for the 3,000 ILLINET libraries to a number of OCLC FirstSearch databases. Illinois libraries initiated more than 1.7 million searches in databases and used 208,889 full text articles as part of the statewide project. Access to the following databases was available through dial access or through the Internet:
WorldCat NEW INITIATIVE Access to electronic information in federal agencies was promoted through technology grants to federal document libraries. The 50 depository libraries in Illinois received a total of $165,676 in Library Services & Construction Act funds. NEW INITIATIVE The Illinois Newsline Network began operations in Illinois. The service uses telephone lines and digitized voice synthesizer systems to provide blind and visually impaired people with daily access to a variety of newspapers. Via Newsline, blind and visually impaired people can receive advice from Ann Landers; the latest stock quote and investment tips; sports scores; breaking news coverage; and editorial opinions and analysis of world events in time to discuss the news with their sighted friends and colleagues. The Illinois network is the only statewide service 152 in the country and is a component ot the national network, established by the National Federation of the Blind and sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of State/ Illinois State Library. It is a companion service to the Illinois Network of Libraries Serving the Blind and Physically Handicapped. NEW INITIATIVE A statewide videoconferencing network, linking the regional library systems and the Illinois State Library, was established. This network will allow for statewide meetings and continuing education workshops without the costs, travel and time constraints associated with traditional conferences. In June 1997, equipment installation began, with the videoconference sites linked via the Illinois Video Network, operated by the Illinois Dept. of Central Management Services. The number of INFORM subscribers experienced a dramatic increase of 25 percent. INFORM is a current awareness service for state government officials and employees. NEW INITIATIVE State library staff worked with the Cooperative Collection Management Program, the Illinois State Historical Library and historical societies in preliminary planning for a project to promote digitized access to Lincoln materials. The resulting proposal, Lincoln Digitization Project, was funded through the Educate & Automate grant program. NEW INITIATIVE Library system reference staff members worked with the Illinois State Library Public Services staff in developing the framework for the Resources Directory of Illinois. Information about special collections was compiled through responses to surveys sent to ILLINET libraries, with results available on the Illinois State Library's Web site in summer 1997. In all, 3,900 disks were distributed to Illinois libraries to gather data for the final product. Additions to the Illinois Authors Collection at the Illinois State Library included many rare, out-of-print, first edition and signed copies, including Lincoln Collector, by Carl Sandburg, a one-of-a-kind, signed 1949 edition, and a 1941 first edition of Richard Wright's Native Son. The collection, housed in the Illinois Authors Rooms, has grown to more than 1,800 volumes. Timely information continued to be available to the Illinois library community through two Web servers: • The Illinois State Library server is part of the Secretary of State's "Illinois Gateway" at http://www.sos.state.il.us and includes public information about Illinois State Library programs. The Illinois State Library map collection was augmented by the addition of 4,100 maps, including statewide bicycle maps published by the Illinois Dept. of Transportation, Fishing Hot Spots published by the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources, and earthquake maps covering the New Madrid fault. The Patent and Trademark Depository Library provided speedier access through the installation of expanded CD-ROM access to patents, now available within two weeks of publication. The patent library is cooperating with other state agencies and private sector organizations in promoting and publicizing its services. One of the partnerships involves working with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs in organizing presentations about the patents program, and a video was produced in conjunction with Bradley University's Continuing Education Department and the Small Business Development Center. Illinois State Library reference staff responded to nearly 5,000 information requests during the year. The interlibrary loan department loaned nine times more materials to other libraries than it requested from other libraries for state agency patrons. NEW INITIATIVE The Statewide Committee on Access to Electronic Resources was appointed and met three times to develop recommendations on major areas of interest for electronic resources, in addition to the OCLC FirstSearch databases already provided by the Illinois State Library. Two new issues of the Illinois State Library's children's reading newsletter, Quest, were published and distributed to libraries and schools. More than 60,000 copies of each issue are printed. The literacy office maintained the Network of Literacy Adult Education Resources Internet site, which provides information about the Illinois literacy effort across all state agencies. It also provides links to national literacy sites, a calendar of events and online access to locally produced literary curricula. The Web site is located at http://literacy.kent.edu/~illinois/. Continuing with efforts of past years, ILLINET interlibrary loan surveys were completed by ILLINET libraries in October 1996 and April 1997. Results compiled by the Illinois State Library showed a three percent reduction from April '96 to April '97 in the number of photocopies and originals loaned. This decrease may be associated with a 450% increase in the number of full text documents accessed through the OCLC FirstSearch program. The first literacy grants under the new Educate & Automate funding program were used to purchase family literacy software for 216 sites, including 145 libraries 153 and branches. The target population for the new software is parents and children with low reading levels. The State Library's Reference Room provided expanded access to information through the addition of a 500-slot CD-ROM jukebox, with access to reference sources such as Intellectual Property Library and Big Business Directory. Each library system received a "Live & Learn automation/technology grant to add new libraries to the Local Library System Automation Program (nine systems) or provide equipment grants to member libraries (three systems). Additionally, library systems purchased training room equipment, additional videoconferencing equipment, firewalls, Local Library System Automation Program services or expanded electronic networking.
Role #6:
The Illinois Family Literacy Conference in May attracted more than 300 participants. "Spotlight on Achievement Awards," sponsored by IBM, were given to 10 exemplary literacy students from across the state. Five videoconferences were produced and downlinked to sites throughout the state. The videoconferences provided continuing education opportunities for librarians and governing board officials. FY97 topics were: • A Second Look at FirstSearch The 4th annual Small Public Library Management Institute was held in June 1997 at Western Illinois University in Macomb. Fifty-four librarians learned about leadership skills, customer service, library budgeting and trustee/director relationships through discussions and presentations by library leaders throughout the state. The "It's Your Call" volunteer recruitment initiative continued to aid local literacy programs in the recruitment of volunteers. NEW INITIATIVE Building a strategic plan of action for marketing school libraries was the focus of a workshop in October 1996. More than 40 school librarians participated in the training program conducted by Sue Silk of Media Strategies, Inc. International visitors toured the Illinois State Library throughout the year and learned about the library's services for government officials and employees and the statewide library network. Visitors represented the Republic of Macedonia, Russia, Moldova, Nigeria, Ghana, Rumania, Argentina, Hungary and other countries. Many of the librarians were associates of the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The November 1996 conference for Illinois federal document librarians, held in Chicago, addressed the challenges represented by the growth of federal information in electronic format as compared to traditional print formats. The conference was also the setting for an announcement of $2,500 LSCA grants to each federal depository library for computer equipment. Planning began for the third annual Institute for Introductory Librarianship held in July 1997 at Bradley University in Peoria. The purpose of the week-long workshop is to work with school and public librarians in developing basic library skills, such as reference work and cataloging. A literacy training curriculum was created through a pilot project for teaching parents how to use Sesame Street as a vehicle to promote parent and child activities. The ILLINET/OCLC Services staff held 130 workshops in cooperation with the ILLINET/OCLC Users Group. These workshops were attended by 1,064 paying staff members plus free participation for libraries that hosted the workshops. New workshop topics included Using Passport for Windows, FirstSearch Enhancements and Using the Dewey for Windows CD-ROM. The Secretary of State awarded 15 scholarships/training grants of $7,500 each to Illinois residents to obtain their Master's degree in Library & Information Science. This program, which recruits exceptional professionals, will ensure the continued improvement and development of library service throughout Illinois. Illinois State Library public services staff continued to conduct custom training and orientation outreach programs for state agencies that requested this service in the FY97 "Survey of State Government Information Needs." Illinois State Library staff members conducted an Internet "how to" session at the annual Illinois Women in Government conference. In March 1996, State Library Director Bridget L. Lament and State Library Special Projects Consultant Stanley Adams were awarded their third consecutive Francis Keppel Award for prompt, complete and high quality public library data. The award was made by the National Commission on Information Science and the National Center for Education Statistics. Amy Kellerstrauss, LSCA Consultant, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Association of Specialized 154 and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of the American Library Association. The work of Neil Kelley, State Library Specialized Services Consultant, was honored by the Illinois Federation for the Blind. Kelley received the federation's Eileen O'Brien Award in appreciation of his many years of support for the visually impaired.
Role #7:
Annual area and per capita grants of more than $19.6 million were distributed to the library systems to improve and enhance services that strengthen development of libraries throughout the state. Forty-six public libraries received equalization aid grants totaling $207,002. These grants are awarded to public libraries with local property tax income under $4.25 per capita. The number of qualifying libraries decreased from 53 in FY96. Through the "Live & Learn" construction grant program, 39 public libraries received grants in July 1996 and February 1997 for building new buildings, remodeling, additions and accessibility projects. Grants totaling $6.6 million were used for new libraries; additions to existing library buildings; remodeling projects; and handicapped accessibility. At the close of the fiscal year, another round of construction applications was being reviewed, including the first-ever mini-grants, which provide up to $35,000 without matching funds for smaller construction projects for libraries with limited funds. As part of the State Library's grant program for library service to the blind & physically handicapped, $2,727,136 was awarded to 17 Talking Book Centers and Radio Information Services. These services provide library materials and programming to 22,400 disabled people of all ages. Sixty businesses received nearly $500,000 in workplace literacy grants, matched by nearly $1.7 million in contributions from the businesses. These workplace literacy programs served 2,249 employees who received assessment and/or instruction in basic skills or English as a Second Language. Twenty family literacy programs were funded with $500,000 in state "Live & Learn" funds and $81,823 in "Educate & Automate" funds. The community/volunteer grant program again focused on direct service to adults reading below a ninth grade reading level, including classes in English as a Second Language and in correctional settings. Grants totaling $4,903,000 were awarded to 110 programs. Year-end statistics showed that 29,467 students were served by 13,513 volunteers. Public library per capita grants were awarded to 611 libraries to enhance local service. The funding of $1.25 per capita was used to purchase library materials and electronic resources as well as pay for staffing and programming. State funding totaled $13,147,325 with a record number of grant recipients. Since the inception of the program in FY79, 9,379 applications have been funded at a total cost of more than $152 million. A total of $1,293,232 was awarded to 769 school districts through the state-funded school library grant program, which provides nearly $.75 per student. The number of qualifying school districts increased three percent over FY96. School libraries use the grant dollars in a number of ways, including supporting the curriculum with the purchase of non-fiction materials and expanding access to technology. Library Services & Construction Act (LSCA) grants were awarded for the last year, to be replaced by the Library Services & Technology Act in FY97. The new Institute of Museum and Library Services will implement the new program in place of the U.S. Department of Education. In FY97, Using Title I and III funds, 116 projects were funded for electronic community networks, technology grants and innovative public library projects. Examples of community network projects included: • Hometown Countryside Connection, involving 23 communities in west-central Illinois NEW INITIATIVE A special LSCA grant was given to aid ILLINET Online libraries with purchasing new workstations, barcoding equipment and barcoding in preparation for the forthcoming change to a new automation vendor, DRA. The devastating impact of natural disasters was addressed through seven special disaster grants to libraries facing the results of flooding. Grants were received by academic, public and school libraries in the following communities: Aurora, DeKalb, Kirkland, Maple Park, Ogden, Peotone and Shorewood.
FY97 PUBLICATIONS
FY97 Guide to the Secretary of State Literacy Effort. 155 Illinois Documents List (monthly). Illinois Libraries (quarterly journal covering topics of interest to the Illinois library community). Illinois Literacy (quarterly newsletter of the Secretary of State/Illinois State Library Literacy Office). Illinois Public Library Statistics: A Guide for Librarians and Trustees, 1994-95 (through a contract with the Library Research Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign). Illinois State Library Special Report Series: • A Survey of Public Libraries and Local Government (Vol. 4, Issue 1, 1997). Insight (Office of the Secretary of State/Illinois State Library newsletter). Publications of the State of Illinois. Quest (biannual children's newsletter). "Read to Your Bunny" poster by children's illustrator Rosemary Wells, (mailed to schools). Resources Directory of Illinois available at http://www.library.sos.state.il.us/rdi/rdi.htm. Rural Resources on the Internet: A Pathfinder. Services at a Glance for Library Patrons.
A Study of the Service Delivery of Library Materials in Illinois. Trustee Facts File. 2nd edition. Illinois State Library and Illinois Library Association, 1997. FY97 BUDGET
156 |
|
|