Senate Okays Public Access to Medical Research

The U.S. Senate approved October 23 a measure that mandates the deposit of peer-reviewed articles researched with the support of the National Institutes of Health to be deposited into the National Library of Medicine’s PubMed Central database for public availability within 12 months of publication.
The provision is part of the Senate’s $605.5-billion version of H.R. 3043, the FY2008 appropriation for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The American Library Association’s Washington Office reports that the Senate has recommended $171.5 million of that amount for grants under the Library Services and Technology Act, which is $5 million more than the House approved in July. The two chambers must reconcile the versions, along with six other spending bills passed by both houses, before sending them to the White House.
According to the October 24 CongressDaily online news, President Bush has threatened to veto H.R. 3043 because the discretionary spending portion is some 5% more than appropriated for FY2007, compared to the 2.5% cut proposed by the administration.
The passage by the Senate was hailed by Heather Joseph of the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) as “a milestone victory [that] sets the stage for researchers, patients, and the general public to benefit in new and important ways from our collective investment in the critical biomedical research conducted by the National Institutes of Health.” First proposed in 2004 by a House subcommittee, unfettered public access to peer-reviewed research has been opposed by the publishing industry. The initial compromise struck was the 2005 establishment of a voluntary deposit program, which has yielded open access to less than 5% of the eligible medical literature, according to the Alliance for Taxpayer Access.
SPARC and ALA are among 41 groups of educators and patient and health-policy advocates that formed the Alliance in 2004.

ALA 2008 Scholarship Online Application Now Available

Scholarship money is available for future librarians! The American Library Association (ALA) has more than $300,000 for students who are studying library science or school library media at the master's degree level. Scholarships typically range from $2,500 to $6,500 per student per year. The application and instructions are available on-line at www.ala.org/scholarships. The application deadline is March 1.There are many types of scholarships available for the study of librarianship. These include scholarships for students who are interested in Children's Librarianship, School Librarianship, Youth Librarianship, Federal Librarianship, and Library Automation. In addition, there are also scholarships available for minorities, persons with disabilities and for people who are already employed in libraries but do not have an MLS.To be considered for one of these scholarships, applicants must attend a masters program in library and information science that has been accredited by the ALA. Applicants interested in school library media must attend a program that meets ALA curriculum guidelines for the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).The scholarship process is open annually from October through March. For more information, visit www.ala.org/scholarships or call the ALA Scholarship Clearinghouse at 800-545-2433, ext. 4279.

Colorado Emerging Leaders

Congratulations to Colorado's two new ALA Emerging Leaders, Bethany Sewell from the University of Denver, and Reese Evenson, from Jefferson County Public Library. An initiative of ALA Immediate Past President Leslie Burger, the EL program will enable 124 librarians from across the country to participate in problem-solving workgroups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity.
Burger said, "I am delighted that ALA is continuing the Emerging Leaders program in 2008. Last year's experience demonstrated the need for an ongoing program of this type to ensure that the next generation of association leaders has the skills and confidence it needs to lead ALA and its chapters in the coming years."

PLA Awards Applications Now Available Online

PLA is now accepting applications for the 2008 PLA Awards. Members can nominate their colleagues and libraries for PLA Awards through the PLA Web site, www.pla.org. The deadline for submitting an application is December 3, 2007. Only electronic applications will be accepted.
The PLA Awards are designed to highlight the best in public library service by honoring those whose vision and accomplishments are extraordinary and deserve recognition by their peers.
PLA Awards include:
Advancement of Literacy Award, honoring a publisher, bookseller, hardware and/or software dealer, foundation or similar group (i.e. not an individual) that has made a significant contribution to the advancement of adult literacy;
Allie Beth Martin Award, honoring a librarian who, in a public library setting, has demonstrated extraordinary range and depth of knowledge about books or other library materials and has distinguished ability to share that knowledge;
Baker & Taylor Entertainment Audio Music/Video Product Award, promotes the development of a circulating Audio Music/Video collection in a public library;
Charlie Robinson Award, honors a public library director who, over a period of seven years, has been a risk taker, an innovator and/or a change agent in a public library;
DEMCO New Leaders Travel Grant, serves to enhance the professional development of public librarians new to the field by making possible their attendance at major professional development activities;
EBSCO Excellence in Small and/or Rural Library Service Award, honors a public library serving a population of 10,000 or less that demonstrates excellence of service to its community;
Gordon M. Conable Award, recognizes a public library staff member, library trustee, or public library that has demonstrated a commitment to intellectual freedom and the Library Bill of Rights;
Grow Your Own @ your library Institutional Scholarship, reimburses nine public libraries' employees' course tuition costs at the undergraduate or graduate level;
Highsmith Library Innovation Award, recognizes a library's innovative and creative service program to the community.
An award jury appointed by the PLA President will review each nomination. The award juries will review the applications and select a recipient at the ALA 2008 Midwinter Meeting. Award winners will be announced in February 2008, and each award will be presented at the PLA President's Reception and Awards Presentation held during the ALA 2008 Annual Conference. For more information, visit the PLA Awards Web page.

Last Call for PLA Results Book Camp 3 Applications

Applications are still being accepted now for PLA's intensive library management training, Results Boot Camp 3, to be held October 29-November 2, 2007, in Salt Lake City. This weeklong, interactive workshop will include both individual and group activities, and will focus on current library issues using case studies describing real library situations. By the end of the week, participants will have the skills necessary to develop and implement a strategic plan in their libraries.
Boot Camp 3 will be presented by Sandra Nelson and June Garcia, both of whom have written books in the PLA Results series of publications. Participation is limited to ensure an environment that fosters group interaction and active participation. Acceptance to the Results Boot Camp 3 is competitive. Applications must be mailed or faxed to the PLA office by October 1, and applicants will be notified of their status within two weeks of submitting an application. Questions about the application process can be directed to Linda Bostrom, PLA's manager of professional development, at lbostrom@ala.org.

PLA and 3M to Hold Leadership Institute at 2008 Conference

PLA and 3M, a PLA Partner, will be offering a special daylong preconference focused on developing leaders and creating transformational change agents within the library profession. Participants will learn how to set a change strategy, how to handle various challenges, and what innovations can be most productive in implementing, driving and defining change. The preconference will be held on Tuesday, March 25, preceding PLA 2008, PLA's 12th National Conference in Minneapolis.
Costs to attend the Leadership Institute are covered by 3M, including registration fees for the day, conference supplies, transportation from the Minneapolis Convention Center to 3M's "Innovation Center," lunch, snacks, and an evening reception. PLA 2008 registration costs and travel expenses, such as airfare and hotel rooms, will not be covered by 3M and are the responsibility of the participant.
A limited number of participants will be selected to attend the Leadership Institute. Applicants must be PLA members registered for the 2008 National Conference, and have at least five years of experience at a supervisory and decision-making level within their organization. Participants must submit a 250-words-or-less essay on a substantial change to be made, their role as change agent, and the effect that this change would produce for their library. An online application form is available at www.pla.org.
The deadline for applications is November 1, 2007. Candidates will be selected by PLA leadership and are not the responsibility of the sponsor, 3M. Applicants will be notified by the end of November. For more information on PLA 2008, visit www.placonference.org.

ACRL White Paper released

ACRL has released a white paper on “Achieving Racial and Ethnic Diversity among Academic and Research Librarians”. Here’s the link:
www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/whitepapersreports.cfm

According to the ALA Web site, "The white paper recommends specific goals for recruitment, retention and advancement of diverse populations; focusing on collaborative recruitment planning, encouraging a positive work environment and support system for minority hires and increased mentoring opportunities to promote advancement. Working to enact and assess these goals will help academic libraries more effectively serve their diverse communities and overcome the historical lack of recruitment, retention and advancement of people of color in academic librarianship."