MEMBER LIBRARY WEEKLY BULLETIN

No. 00-19
May 12, 2000

JUDY SWANN, Information Services Coordinator and Trainer

  1. Gates Library Foundation grants

Ten Finger Lakes Library System sites did not qualify to receive a free machine from the Gates Library Foundation. Most everyone whose library was not selected to receive a free machine has felt that this decision was made unfairly. The published criteria for how the decision was made can be found online at

http://www.gatesfoundations.org/learning/libraries/libraryprogram/whitepaperpoppov.htm

The most frequently recurring question I’ve been trying to field is, "Why didn’t Gates use the Legal Service Area?" The answer from the site cited above is:

Historically, descriptions of populations served by libraries have used Legal Service Area (LSA) as a primary descriptor (LSA is one of the data points reported to the FSCS dataset). However, LSA presents several inadequacies for the Library Program in implementing its grant program. In most cases, LSA is determined for a library system in its entirety -- but Library Program grants are based on the population and poverty statistics for individual library buildings (about half the public libraries in the US are branch libraries). Focusing on branch level statistics allows us to target the most equipment in the most impoverished areas. Also, methods for determining LSA are not uniform throughout the US, and are inherently political in nature. The Library Program needed a uniform method that could be applied equally and fairly throughout the US. Radii-based methods using GIS software provide this solution

Fred Smith from the State’s Division of Library Development told me that the application packet partially-eligible libraries will receive in the first two weeks of June will allow partially-eligible libraries to appeal their status. The other questions that I asked Mr. Smith were as follows:

He told me that the answers to these questions will be given out at the June 5 meeting in Albany to which System people are invited. I will get back to you as I hear more.

2. Netscape

If you have questions about how to make Netscape Communicator function most effectively for you, and you can’t get a hold of someone here to help you, try going to http://help.netscape.com/index.html, where you can type in a few keywords and get useful information back.

3. Getting the Money You Need

Dave Seelman, from the Cady Library in Nichols sent me a faxed story about Senator Thomas Libous’s grant to the Four County Library System of $50,000 in order to equip a Cybermobile. The Cybermobile will provide Internet access to remote areas of Broome, Chenango, Delaware, and Otsego counties, as well as books and magazines. This kind of gift demonstrates the truth of the old saying, "Ask and you shall receive." Likewise, the Finger Lakes Library System asked Senator Seward and Assemblyman Luster for money to help defray our moving costs this fall. A total of $20,000 was granted. I’m not sure how many member items, senate intiatives, or other types of direct aid are available or that members of the System have applied for, but I intend to find out all I can. If you want to act cooperatively, either with the System or within your county to coordinate this kind of asking, please let me know.

4. Training for Dialog@CARL and Gale Health Reference Center

Online DatabaseTraining for Dialog@Carl and Gale Health Reference Center will be held on May

23rd. The training session has been set up with an EmpireLink trainer. It will be hosted by Broome-Tioga Boces School Library System in Binghamton. Attached is a registration document for the training sessions. If you have any questions, please call Judy Campanella at 315-253-0361,ext. 210.

5. Thanks

Thanks for patience. Having been out for almost three solid weeks, I am very, very backlogged. I was particularly worried about some grant deadlines—those people are so inflexible! J So, I know I have a fair number of phone calls to be returned, particularly on the Gates grant, and I really will get back to you soon, if I haven’t already by the time you read this. Thanks again.

 

REX HELWIG, Information Services Manager

The Cayuga Connect card is a reality. Check out the fine design!

 

 

BARBARA WERNHAM, A/V Department

Someone has removed barcodes from the videos in Rotating Collection #4 and put them on the outside of the video cases. I understand that having them on the cases makes it easier to check-out and check-in but they were placed on the videos themselves for a reason…to insure that the person handling the return of the video checks to make sure the right video is in the case and that the video is rewound. Please do not tamper with the videos. Thank you for your help and understanding.

 

Online Database Training

Presenter: Polly Farrington

EmpireLink Trainer & Independent Library Consultant

May 23, 2000

Hosted by Broome-Tioga BOCES School Library System

Broome-Tioga BOCES Instructional Support Center

Room

Learn the "ins and outs" of either or both databases offered through the New York State Library’s EmpireLink Project. These will be demonstrations, not a hands-on workshops. If there are less than 10 registrations received by the registration due date, the workshops will be cancelled. These workshops are supported in part by Federal Library Services Technology Act funds (LSTA). Lunch will be on your own.

 

9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Dialog @Carl Gale Health Reference Center