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ANNETTE BIRDSALL, Youth Services Coordinator
I will be at the NYLA Youth Services Conference in White Plains, NY on April 19-21. I will be at work on April 16 – April 18. I will be out of the office (in Italy) from April 25 – May 13. I will return to work on May 14, 2007. Please contact Kate at x.47 if you have any questions regarding puppets, die-cuts, big books, or storytime extensions. Please contact Marisa at x.26 if you need any other help while I am away.
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JAN AGUIRRE, Specialist & Training Coordinator
Polaris tip of the week
To continue our tip on deleted items, prior to deleting an item record, you should be changing the circulation status to “Withdrawn” and then Save the Record
Now delete the record by left clicking on the Black X at the top of the window
This message will display
Answer yes.
Now the record status will display “Deleted” and the “Display in PAC” box will be unchecked
Now when searching by BIB record, not only does the Record Status say “Deleted” but the circulation status says “Withdrawn” This just gives another quick visual clue that the item is not available.
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LINDA BEINS, ILL/Reference Coordinator
DATABASES
Thomson/Gale has added the ebooks Contemporary Poets and Biology to the already existing Gale Virtual Reference Library offerings in the areas of business, health, and history. These resources can be accessed through the FLLS Electronic Databases link on www.flls.org or through the Magazines and Database link available on each Online Catalog search screen.
Gale & EBSCO Database Tutorials and Help Did you know you can access online tutorials for help in searching different databases offered by Thompson Gale and EBSCO? Go to the following websites.
On the right side of the screen choose from some of the following links:
*Guided Tours
*Navigation Guides
*Sample Searches
*Tip SheetsLook for the blue "TRAINING" box on top and choose from some of the following links:
*Online Tutorials
*User Guides
*Help SheetsAdditional Resources from NYPL
South Central Regional Library Council (SCRLC) reminds us that anyone living in NYS can get a borrower’s card from the New York Public Library. This will allow you to borrow books if you happen to be down in the City, but best of all you can access the databases purchased by NYPL, including downloadable media. It is very easy to do:
Go to http://www.nypl.org/ and look at the search box up in the right hand corner. It is already populated with "How to get a library card". You just click Go and the instructions are right there. You get a card within a few days of requesting it.
This wonderful generosity by NYPL is due to their getting state funds to help pay for the databases. So sign up and tell others about it too.
WEBSITES –Health Issues
Lana Ivanitskaya, Central Michigan University associate professor of health sciences in The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions, and Anne Casey, associate dean of Central Michigan University libraries, are being honored for their study that found that some rely on the Internet for medical information in a way that’s bad for their health. They began their study six years ago on the effective use of electronic documents, including those available through the Internet.
The National Cancer Institute has developed a fact sheet, How to Evaluate Health Information on the Internet: Questions and Answers at
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Information/internet
LAST WEEK’S QUESTION OF THE WEEK
1. What was Vonnegut’s undergraduate major when he attended Cornell University?
2. What upstate city in NY provided inspiration for a number of Vonnegut’s works?
3. What is the name of the character, said to be a “comic surrogate for the author”, that appears in a number of Vonnegut’ books?
Julia L. Grimsman, TRU used Twayne's Author Series and http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/poststarvonnegut.html to supply these answers:
1. Vonnegut's undergraduate major at Cornell was chemistry.
2. Some of his novels, including "Player Piano," "Hocus Pocus" and "Cat's Cradle," set a stage for his characters in Ilium, a fictitious town in upstate New York, which Vonnegut said is modeled after Schenectady.
3. His most prominent character, the science fiction writer Kilgore Trout, lives in Cohoes.
Biographical information about Vonnegut and an analysis of his work can also be found in the database Literary Resource Center.
THIS WEEK’S QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Please find the citation for the article by Abby Ellin about fitness in retirement that appeared in the April 10, 2007 edition of the New York Times.
NEXT WEEK’S QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Submit one of the questions you have received or create one to appear in a future FLLS Bulletin. All Participants (questioners and responders) will receive a token of appreciation.
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ELAINE KNAPP, Administration
The NYS Board of Regents has issued an updated version of “Statement on the Governance Role of a Trustee or Board Member”. To read or download the complete edition go to:
www.regents.nysed.gov/statement.htm
The most significant change is an enhanced discussion of conflict of interest added to the Duty of Loyalty section that also includes websites with sample conflict of interest policies from both the IRS and the NYSSBA.
More information on internal financial controls has also been added to the “What if I lack knowledge/experience in fiscal governance?” section along with a recommendation to look at “Internal Controls and Financial Accountability for Not-for-Profit Boards” for more detailed information on evaluating internal control systems, available at:
www.oag.state.ny.us/charities/internal_controls.pdf
The “Handbook for Not-For-Profit Board Members” has been replaced by “Right from the Start - Responsibilities of Directors and Officers of Not-for-Profit-Corporations, revised in January 2005, available at:
www.oag.state.ny.us/charities/not_for_profit_booklet.pdf
Appendix B, “Best Practices for Boards to Follow”, has some additions regarding audit and finance committees, and waste/fraud control.
The Regents Board has added Appendix F, “Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse”.
These are the most notable differences between the current and previous editions. We recommend that you review the updated version in its entirety to see if it warrants distribution to or discussion by your Board of Trustees.
All of the above referenced booklets are available on-line as pdf files. If you have any further questions or need assistance, contact Elaine at 273-4074, Ext 23.
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REX HELWIG, Computer Network Manager
The final eligibility list has been released by the Gates Foundation and Library Development for what is now being called the Online Opportunity Grant. This is the grant that is targeting computer replacements. There is no additional appeal procedure for libraries that are not eligible. The following libraries are eligible and should have already received an email with their UserID and Password from Library Development: AUB, BERK, CATO, CIN, CORT, DRY, FAIR, GRO, HOM, LODI, MARA, MCGR, NEW, NIC, OVID, OWE, PORT, SENF, TCPL, UNS, WAT, WAV & WEED.
Jan is putting the final touches on instructions and a training video that you will be able to download and watch that will help guide you through what you need to do to maintain your eligibility status. As soon as it finished, I will email the eligible libraries the link.