Wednesday, December 24, 2008

YALSA Offers 20 Mini Grants for Teen Tech Week

Through funding from Verizon Communications, Inc., the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of ALA, will award up to 20 mini grants, consisting of $450 in cash and a Teen Tech Week prize pack, to members offering inventive activities, resources and programming for Teen Tech Week, March 8-14, 2009.

Visit http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teentechweek/ttw09/home.cfm to read the official rules and download the application form. This contest is open only to YALSA members. Applicants for the TTW Mini Grants must submit the official application form to the YALSA office at yalsa@ala.org by January 19, 2009. Winners will be notified the week of February 9, 2008. In addition to $450 cash for the winners’ TTW plans, they’ll receive a prize pack featuring Teen Tech Week items.

Video on Traditional Cultural Expression.

In November 2008 OITP hosted a conference in Washington, D.C. titled "Cultural Heritage and Living Culture: Defining The U.S. Library Position on Access and Protection of Traditional Cultural Expression." The video is posted on District Dispatch's website:
http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1134

Attention: Friends Organizations - Grant Opportunity

Books for Babies Matching Grants - Stay tuned - Grant application available in January!
NEWSFLASH: Nordstrom is supporting a second year of grants! Please scroll down for the 2008 winners.
In partnership with Nordstrom, FOLUSA will be granting 20 grants for $500 each to match $1,000 raised by selected Friends groups, women's groups, libraries, and other non-profit organizations for purchasing Books for Babies kits from FOLUSA. Grant recipients do not need to be members of FOLUSA. Grant recipients do not need to be members of FOLUSA. The 2009 application will be available January 1, 2009.
Here's how it works. Applicants agree to order a minimum of $1,500 worth of Books for Babies kits, of which FOLUSA will pay $500. Therefore, the minimum commitment from applicants is $1,000. Grants will be awarded in two cycles:
Cycle 1: Applications are due April 1, 2009. Recipients will be notified by April 15, and kits must be ordered by June 1, 2009.
Cycle 2: Applications are due October 1, 2009. Recipients will be notified by October 15, and kits must be ordered by December 1, 2009.
Applicants not awarded grants in the first cycle may amend their applications and be reconsidered for the second grant cycle. Only one grant per organization.
Grants will be awarded to organizations that currently have a Books for Babies program in place as well as organizations starting a new Books for Babies program. Grant applications will be considered based on the following criteria:
Effective kit distribution plan.
Effective use of the kits to connect new parents with their local library.
Involvement of the local library.
Effective publicity plan for their Books for Babies program.
The 2009 application will be available January 1, 2009.

Need Financial Assistance for LIS Studies?

The 2009 Financial Assistance for Library and Information Studies Directory is an annual directory of awards from state library agencies, national and state library associations, local libraries, academic institutions, and foundations that give some form of financial assistance for undergraduate and/or graduate LIS programs. The directory is available online. http://www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/education/financialassistance/2009%20FALIS%20Booklet.pdf

ALA Presidential Candidates

The 2010–2011 candidates for ALA President—Kenton L. Oliver and Roberta Stevens—have launched websites that describe their platforms and qualifications. Oliver is the executive director of the Stark County (Ohio) District Library, and Stevens is outreach projects and partnerships officer at the Library of Congress and project manager for the National Book Festival.

Change in date for Registration for ALA Annual

The first day of registration for the 2009 ALA Annual Conference has been moved from Friday, Jan. 2 to Monday, Jan. 5. Registration for the Conference, to be held in Chicago. July 9 through July 15, will open at 8 a.m. CST on Jan. 5.

The change was made to accommodate the closing of the ALA office for the day of Jan. 2.
Beginning Jan. 5, participants can register online through the ALA Web site, by fax or by mail. Hotel reservations can also be made at this time. With the new reservation system, attendees must be registered before they can make a hotel reservation. Also that day, participants can sign up for the pre-conferences and special events. If you registered for the “Bundle,” you can go back into the system and make housing reservations, as well as sign-up for the pre-conferences and special events.

Registering early with Early Bird Registration, available until March 6, will ensure the lowest rates. Advance Registration rates are available until May 22. Limited registration is available onsite, beginning June 26. For rates listed in detail, visit
http://www.ala.org/ala/conferencesevents/upcoming/annual/2009/registration.cfm

ALA Midwinter Coming Soon!

If you haven't signed up for "the premier preconference" sponsored by CAL, there's still time left - in fact, you can sign up until the day of the conference on January 23rd. Look for additional information coming out on Libnet of contact me (Shelley @ walchak_s@cde.state.co.us ) The preconference will allow discussion on the all-important OCLC study, "From Awareness to Funding."

The Event Planner is now ready to use (http://tinyurl.com/9rhyll) and includes dates, times and locations of all events. The Planner is only available to fully registered attendees. To log in, use the email address you provided when you registered, and the generic password "ala." You will be able to reset your password using the "My Profile" feature once you are logged in. If you do not remember your email or you are having trouble accessing the event planner please contact Karee Williams at kwilliams@ala.org. Fully registered attendees can create a personalized agenda and search for meeting, programs and events.

If you have an Exhibits Only or Exhibits Supreme registration, you cannot log in and create an agenda. However, you can view and search exhibitor listings and information by clicking on product locator.

National Library Legislative Day - 2009

The 2009 National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) is quickly approaching and will be held on Monday, May 11th and Tuesday, May 12th at the Liaison Hotel in Washington, D.C. Please think about joining up with fellow Colorado library advocates to go to Washington and talk with our legislators about the importance of libraries. Please contact me if you have questions about NLLD. (Shelley) walchak_s@cde.state.co.us. For more information from ALA, please go here: http://tinyurl.com/95owqx

ALA Submits Report to Obama-Biden Transition Team

The ALA Washington Office prepared a report on the library community’s key issues and concerns, Opening the “Window to a Larger World”: Libraries’ Role in Changing America and submitted it to the Obama-Biden Transition Team on December 17. The Washington Office hopes to continue this open dialogue with the administration over the next four years. You can link to the full report at this url:
http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1191