A two-day LSTA Advisory Committee meeting was held in DeForest on April 17-18, 2012. There are five new members on the committee serving three- year terms: Cherilyn Stewart, Director, Manitowoc Public Library; Krista Ross, Director, Southwest Library System; Gerri Moeller, Automation Manager, Outagamie Waupaca Library System; Mary Driscoll, Outreach Librarian, Dane County Library Service; and Linda Stobbe, Office Manager, Northern Waters Library Service.
The public hearing included testimony in support of the following LSTA categories: assistance for small libraries to join regional shared integrated automation systems; statewide delivery services; public library system technology grants; and continued e-content support.
Based on potential funds available and evaluation results of the Five Year LSTA plan of 2008-2012, the Division for Libraries and Technology staff presented preliminary grant categories for 2013 with corresponding requests for funding. During the second day of the LSTA meeting the committee recommended that the following categories be continued and supported at the proposed funding levels: Delivery services, Digitization-Local Resources, Library Improvement/Technology, Public Library System Technology, Resources for Libraries and Lifelong Learning (both Statewide Technology and WISCAT), Statewide Library Improvement, continued funding for the Learning Express database, and LSTA Administration.
The federal agency that distributes the funding for LSTA for states (IMLS) requested that the Statewide Library Improvement category be proposed as a separate project from the Youth and Special Services Librarian. Communications and Planning, a category that supports the Assistant State Superintendent’s participation in national and statewide meetings, was increased to provide funds to support the work of a task force to consider updates to a study done in 2006 of public library systems’ integrated library system (ILS) expenses, and consider options such as linking or combining existing ILSs, or implement a statewide integrated library system. The task force would also review how those changes would be incorporated into or supplant current inter-library loan processes and management.
The committee endorsed $200,000 in digital-content licensing support (ebooks and downloadable audio) to encourage continued public library collaborative investment in the statewide public library digital buying pool. School libraries received funding to investigate e-book collaborative purchasing to serve K-12 students.
Public libraries and public library systems’ competitive grant categories will include Literacy initiatives and Accessibility grants. In addition, a new category called Digital Creation Technologies will be available to develop and improve library resources and services promoting digital creativity and learning by designating and cultivating digital creation spaces in public libraries. Projects will need to address both space and services needs and emphasize learning, community, technology, and access. Projects may involve other organizations, institutions, or employment support agencies that promote digital learning in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the project. Guidelines and grant scenarios for this new category will be included in the LSTA Information and Guidelines 2013 to be issued in late May 2012.
Funds were allocated for a new “Youth Services Leadership Institute” to provide professional development and networking for librarians who serve infants, children, and teens in small to medium-size public libraries. The Institute will target librarians who have no graduate level education in librarianship and/or work in rural library communities. The Institute will be limited to 25 participants in order to facilitate an effective, intimate, and focused Institute experience to help foster future networking and professional participation, online and in-person. E-Learning opportunities were also funded to encourage staff continuing education efforts.
New and ongoing grant categories recommended by the LSTA advisory committee must be approved through the State Superintendent’s office before grant applications can be solicited by the Division for Libraries and Technology. As the grant cycle progresses, information on categories and the application process will be posted to http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/lsta.html .
Source: Channel Weekly, Vol. 14 No. 29, April 19, 2012
From the Director's Office 