Chela Scott Weber, formerly the Director of Library & Archives at the Brooklyn Historical Society, recently presented at METRO about using WordPress for collections. Her presentation can be found here. She described how the Brooklyn Historical Society began using WordPress as a catalog for their collections. Their website is called Emma, after a long-time formerlibrarian of the Brooklyn Historical Society, and has dramatically increased accessibility to BHS collections and improved the workflow in the small organization.
Scott Weber had several recommended resources, including one made specifically for BHS. A CLIR grant they received in 2011 funded a plugin for WordPress so that their EAD finding aids could be easily imported to WordPress. The resulting plugin is open source and available to all here.
Scott Weber also recommended a WordPress theme called Catabloggish developed by the Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for their UMarmot catalog.
The New York 3Rs Association, Inc. is pleased to announce a partnership arrangement with EBSCO Publishing on a consortia e-books purchasing agreement for academic libraries in the State (and other libraries that may be interested in academic collections in eBook format).
This offer includes two options, and libraries can make selections from both. EBSCO eBooks are accessed via the EBSCO host platform, and can be downloaded to most e-readers. Pricing reflects a one-time purchase with perpetual access.
Option 1: Subject Collections
EBSCO offers an extensive list of Subject Collections: pre-packaged collections of frontlist titles created by EBSCO’s Collection Development team, allowing for quick and easy purchases in particular high-interest subject areas. The Collections each include between 10-30 titles. There is no title overlap across the Collections, and no title overlap from year to year (so no duplication). The Collections will include a participation-based discount ranging from 10% to 35%.
Option 2: Pick and Choose
Libraries can pick and choose from a list of 70,000 eBook titles (and growing), available at discounts ranging from 10% to 35%.
The discount level for Subject Collections and the “Pick and Choose” option depends on the number of libraries that are ordering. The final discount from the list price will reflect the number of libraries participating in that ordering period.
The minimum order per library is $500.
The orders will be coordinated at least four times per year, with the first order deadline being June 10th, 2012. Interested libraries will order their titles (either at the Subject Collection level or individual title level) by selecting one or more from the extensive database of titles created by the NY3Rs for this offering. The “ordered” collections/titles will be sent via email directly with your EBSCO sales representative.
Pricing includes the list price for the one simultaneous user (1B1U) option and 3 simultaneous (1B3U) users option. The price associated with the title checkout is 1B1U. Contact the EBSCO sales rep for the 1B3U option or the unlimited access which is also available for some titles (if allowed by publisher) – pricing will be quoted directly by EBSCO for unlimited access.
The next order deadline after June 10 will be approximately late summer.
Click here for further information.
The New York State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries,
Friends of the New York State Library
The Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award is given annually to recognize the achievements of small, medium and large libraries and library consortia in New York State. Named after the late Joseph F. Shubert, former State Librarian, the Award honors libraries or library consortia that have taken significant steps within the past two years to improve the quality of library service to users.
The New York State Regents Advisory Council is pleased to sponsor the Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award. The award includes a gift of $1,000 supplied by the Friends of the New York State Library. Other notable projects may also be recognized and honored for their achievements.Applications are due June 15, 2012.
2011 Award
The 2011 Joseph F. Shubert Library Excellence Award has been awarded to The New York Public Library (NYPL) for their project entitled Homework NYC. This award-winning project provides homework help with an interactive Dial-A-Teacher App. The project was funded by a three-year federal National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and was headed by Shauntee Burns, Outreach Specialist. Ms. Burns worked closely with youth services staff in NYPL, Brooklyn and Queens libraries, as well as the New York City Department of Education, to produce a high-quality web presence for students, teachers and parents.
Four nights a week, the online program connects students and teachers in real time through a secure digital whiteboard. A student types his/her question, uses a mouse or stylus to draw a math problem (for instance) on the screen or imports documents such as a scanned page of homework to the whiteboard. A teacher instantly sees the problem and provides feedback by typing a suggestion, adding to the drawing or pointing the student to other web sites.
Students played a role in the creation of the App, providing librarians with information about their homework needs and practices and made suggestions about how libraries could better support them. Focus groups of teens were held in all five boroughs and students were encouraged to complete online and paper surveys.
The Homework NYC web site provides information for librarians, teachers, parents and students. Information onHomework NYC is also available on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TeacherTube. Ms. Burns has demonstrated the project at schools, libraries and community centers across New York City.
See their application: .PDF 
[634k]
Runner-up for the 2011 Shubert Award is the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership (BOCES) School Library System. created a regional school library system union catalog – FiveSystems.org – for the five school library systems of the greater Rochester area. The 5 Systems site was developed by the School Library System of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership in 2010 in collaboration with the other four school library systems and the Rochester Regional Library Council. Local development and open source software allowed the five systems to provide a regional catalog to support resource sharing while at the same time lowering costs.
This new regional school library union catalog holds about four million records from some 356 school libraries in the greater Rochester region, facilitating 16,763 point-to-point interlibrary loans annually. The new interface is user-friendly for students and teachers as well as librarians with easy navigation and simplified searching.
Members of the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries 2011 Shubert Award Committee are Sara Kelly Johns, Chair; Louise Sherby and Mary Muller. The Committee was uniformly enthusiastic in its decision to honor The New York Public Library’s submission as an excellent example of the “spirit of the Shubert award.”
The awards were officially presented in November at the 2011 New York Library Association Conference in Saratoga Springs. As the 2011 Shubert Award winner, The New York Public Library received $1,000, which is graciously donated by the Friends of the New York State Library. As the 2011 Shubert Award runner-up, The Genesee Valley Educational Partnership received a plaque.
Has your library done something innovative with resource sharing?
Consider applying for this award!
In 2012, one winning submission will be awarded a cash prize of $1,000. The recipient of this year’s award will be announced at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA, June 21-26, 2012.
Funding for the 2012 Innovation Awards is provided by Relais International.
To be considered for the award, please submit a description of the user-centric service change you have made that has improved resource sharing in your library, consortium, state or province. Full details for submission can be found at www.rethinkingresourcesharing.
The deadline for applications/nominations is May 1, 2012. (post-mark or date of e-mail).
Submissions are sent to the chair of the Rethinking Resource Sharing Innovation Awards Committee:
Mary Lehane
Manager
Resource Sharing Department
York University Libraries
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON, Canada
M3J 1P3
The Division of Preservation and Access of the National Endowment for the Humanities will be accepting applications for grants in its Humanities Collections and Reference Resources program. These grants support projects to preserve and create intellectual access to such collections as books, journals, manuscript and archival materials, maps, still and moving images, sound recordings, art, and objects of material culture. Awards also support the creation of reference works, online resources, and research tools of major importance to the humanities. Maximum awards are $350,000 for up to three years.
Eligible activities include:
—arranging and describing archival and manuscript collections;
—cataloging collections of printed works, photographs, recorded sound, moving images, art, and material culture;
—providing conservation treatment (including deacidification) for collections, leading to enhanced access;
—digitizing collections;
—preserving and improving access to born-digital sources;
—developing databases, virtual collections, or other electronic resources to codify information on a subject or to provide integrated access to selected humanities materials;
—creating encyclopedias;
—preparing linguistic tools, such as historical and etymological dictionaries, corpora, and reference grammars;
—developing tools for spatial analysis and representation of humanities data, such as atlases and geographic information systems (GIS); and
—designing digital tools to facilitate use of humanities resources.
In response to recent studies noting the deeply hidden, often perilous condition of audio-visual sources in cultural heritage institutions, this program encourages applications that address the preservation and access needs of humanities collections of sound recordings and moving images. Applicants may request funds to establish intellectual and physical control of such materials as well as to digitize them.
HCRR Foundations
NEH is introducing a new funding opportunity this year within Humanities Collections and Reference Resources. To help in the formative stages of initiatives to preserve and create access to humanities collections or to produce reference resources, grants of up to $40,000 will support planning, assessment, and pilot activities that incorporate expertise from a mix of professional domains. Drawing upon the cooperation of humanities scholars and technical specialists, these projects might encompass efforts to prepare for establishing intellectual control of collections, to develop plans and priorities for digitizing collections, to solidify collaborative frameworks and strategic plans for complex digital reference resources, or to produce preliminary versions of online collections or resources.
The new guidelines, which include sample proposal narratives, can be found here. The application receipt deadline is July 19, 2012, with projects beginning May 2013. All applications to NEH must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov; see guidelines for details.
Prospective applicants seeking further information are encouraged to contact the Division at 202-606-8570 or preservation@neh.gov. Program staff will read draft proposals submitted six weeks before the deadline.
Please note that the Division is also accepting applications for three other grant categories, with upcoming deadlines: “Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions” (May 1), “Research and Development” (May 16) and “Education & Training” (June 28). Details on these programs, as well as on the full slate of funding opportunities in Preservation and Access, can be found here.
This announcement was originally posted to the NYLINE listserv on 4/13/2012 by the Division of Library Development, a division of the New York State Education Department.
The Conservation Treatment Grant Program, administered by the Greater Hudson Heritage Network (GHHN), in the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), provides support for treatment procedures to aid in stabilizing and preserving objects in collections of museums, historical, and cultural organizations in New York State. The work must be performed by, or under direct supervision of, a professional conservator.
What is funded:
Support of up to $7,500 is available for conservation treatment of paintings, works on paper (including individual drawings, watercolors, prints, or photographs), textiles, furniture, frames, sculptures, and other collections.
Eligibility:
Non-profit museums and historical organizations or other cultural institutions that own, care for and exhibit collections to the public. Grant awards will be made to institutions lacking in-house conservation staff with expertise in the area for which support is requested.
Read more here.
The Central New York Community Foundation invites you to celebrate 85 years of giving to the region we love. Over the course of the year, The CNY85 Giving Project will award grants to four deserving nonprofit organizations working to improve the quality of life in Central New York.
The project that receives the most public votes at the end of each quarter will receive $8,500. The four project themes are based on the greatest needs of our community, as demonstrated by our collaborative community indicators project, CNYVitals.
Libraries may be eligible for the 3rd and 4th themes, as described below. Click here to read more about this grant.
Education & Technology Projects
Education and technology are perhaps the two most valuable tools at our community’s disposal for encouraging personal, professional, and regional growth. Projects that seek to apply these tools within Central New York at any scale have potential to benefit the wider population.
Application Round: July 1, 2012, 12:01:00 AM EST – July 31, 2012, 11:59:59 PM EST
Public Voting: September 1, 2012, 12:01:00 AM EST – September 30, 2012, 11:59:59 PM EST
Arts, Culture, Recreation & Civic Engagement Projects
Supporting a vibrant culture in Central New York means encouraging community participation in its various forms—from arts programming, to recreational activities, to volunteerism and community involvement. Projects should seek to strengthen this cultural fabric and bring together diverse populations.
Application Round: October 1, 2012, 12:01:00 AM EST – October 31, 2012, 11:59:59 PM EST
Public Voting: December 1, 2012, 12:01:00 AM EST – December 31, 2012, 11:59:59 PM EST
Rochester Regional Library Council (RRLC) offers their program materials online for free. Recent additions include handouts and slides for CONTENTdm for Beginners (February 3rd, 2012), as well as lesson plans from Energize your Teaching (January 9th, 2012).
Click here to view the full list and access the materials.
CLRC’s Executive Director Debby Emerson joined a small group of other library leaders from Onondaga County to discuss the importance of library system with the Post Standard’s Editorial Board.
Elizabeth Dailey of Onondaga County Public Library, Judi Dzikowski of OCM BOCES School Library System, Bob Manning of OCPL, and Mike Borges of NYLA were also at this informal meeting. They discussed the need for advocacy and continuing education for librarians, as well as the significance of libraries in general.
The Editorial Board of the Post Standard published this a few weeks later: Republic of Letters. It’s clear they were listening. The editorial mentions funding levels and legislative priorities for the new year.
Do you have ideas for advocacy activities? How can we spread the word about libraries and library systems? Tell us!
And don’t forget, March 6th is Library Advocacy Day. Please join us in Albany!
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES
DIVISION OF PRESERVATION AND ACCESS
The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Division of Preservation and Access has offered Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions for more than a decade. These grants help small and mid-sized cultural heritage institutions such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, town and county records offices, and colleges and universities improve their ability to preserve and care for their humanities collections. Awards of up to $6000 support preservation related collection assessments, consultations, training and workshops, and institutional and collaborative disaster and emergency planning. Preservation Assistance Grants also support education and training in best practices for sustaining digital collections, standards for digital preservation, and the care and handling of collections during digitization. Institutions may request funds for a preservation assessment of digital collections. NEH does not fund digitization or the development of digital programs in this grant category.
All applications to the NEH must be submitted through Grants.gov. See the application guidelines for details.
The 2012 guidelines for Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions are available at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/pag.html. You will also find sample project descriptions, sample narratives, and a list of frequently asked questions. The deadline for applications is May 1, 2012.
Small and mid-sized institutions that have never received an NEH grant and those considering projects in digital preservation are especially encouraged to apply.
For more information, contact the staff of NEH’s Division of Preservation and Access at202-606-8570 and preservation@neh.gov
The Northeast Document Conservation Center is offering a free webinar in March to help with this grant writing process!
WRITING YOUR NEH PRESERVATION ASSISTANCE GRANT
March 22, 2012 from 2-4 PM Eastern time
CLRC will be broadcasting this from our offices. Register here!
On November 16th, 2011, METRO and ACRL/NY hosted Rebecca Guenther, former Senior Networking Specialist at the Library of Congress, for a lecture titled “Change in the Digital Age: Metadata Trends for Libraries.” A video recording of the lecture is available online here.
Guenther discussed descriptive and technical metadata standards and digital resources. She described how new methods of resource-finding have changed with the explosion of available information on the Internet.
At the 5th Annual Library Assistant’s Day in Syracuse on October 25th, 2011, Nora Hardy, Assistant Director of the South Central Regional Library Council (SCRLC), gave a presentation entitled “E-books & E-readers & Libraries, Oh My!”
In addition to introducing e-books and their rapid growth in libraries, Ms. Hardy provides a great bibliography for further reading.
This presentation is available as a pdf to download here. More of Ms. Hardy’s presentations are available from the SCRLC site.
The Brodsky Series for the Advancement of Library Conservation was pleased to present Lois Olcott Price, Senior Conservator of Library Collections and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Winterthur Museum of the University of Delaware as its speaker on Friday, October 28nd at 4 p.m. Price presented a lecture titled “Line, Shade & Shadow: Fabrication and Preservation of Architectural Drawings.”
Price emphasized the identification and understanding in materials and processes used to create architectural drawings in the 18th to 20th centuries. From there, she discussed the appropriate housing and treatment options for such collections.
Click here to read the full story and find links to the recorded lecture and a transcript of the lecture. Lecture slides and workshop handouts are also available to download.
Those unable to attend this year’s NYLA conference in Saratoga Springs can now view some of the handouts and other materials through the New York State Library website.
These materials include “Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State; Preliminary Recommendations of the New York State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries to the New York State Board of Regents.” There is also information about the 2012 Summer Reading in NY program, materials from the Talking Book and Braille Library, and resources for school media specialists.
The site links to several fact sheets about funding opportunities, like Library Services and Technology Act grants, Public Library Construction grants, and State Education Department grants.
Click here to see the full list.
The Upstate New York and Ontario Chapter of the Medical Library Association’s 2011 Conference was held from October 12th to the 14th in Poughkeepsie, New York. The theme was Explorations on the Hudson: Technology, Trends, and Health Care Reform.
Presentations from the conference have been posted on the UNYOC/MLA website and include the following:
Outfitting future physical therapists for their voyage into professional practice
by Karen Lamson, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Michelle Zafron, University at Buffalo Health Sciences Library
McMaster University’s Health Sciences Library: a case study of partnerships in information literacy
by Elizabeth Yates, McMaster University Health Sciences Library
Clic-on-Health Extending the Reach: Health Information Resources for Unaffiliated Health Professionals
by Barbara Ciambor, Rochester Regional Library Council
Case Studies in Virtual Gate Counts: Putting Analytics into Action
by Dean Hendrix, University at Buffalo Health Sciences Library
Keeping Healthy with an iPhone: An Introduction to Consumer Health Apps
by Linda Hasman, University at Buffalo Health Sciences Library
Web Solutions for 10 Tech Dilemmas
by Jovy-Anne Rosario, New York Medical College Health Sciences Library
Rise Google+ Rise
by Gabe Rios, UAB Lister Hill Library
Advances in Integration of Electronic Clinical Knowledge and Guidance in the Clinician Workflow
by Patricia L. Hale, MD, PhD
NN/LM MAR Update
by Renae Barger, MAR Executive Director
Knowledge…The Answer to our Healthcare Challenges
by Danny Aronzon, MD
The New Yorkers for Better Libraries PAC has released its 2011 Voter’s Guide: The Library Advocate’s Guide to the Voting Records of the New York State Legislature.
“The 2011 Voter’s Guide reflects our annual effort to grade legislators on their documented voting records concerning library funding and legislative issues,” stated John Hammond, spokesman for the New Yorkers for Better Libraries.
“We are very pleased that there was a significant improvement in the voting records of legislators compared to last year. This improvement can be attributed to legislators’ increased appreciation for the important role libraries are playing during this tough economy in helping the unemployed search and apply for jobs, improving literacy and reading skills among all age levels and providing access to unbiased and uncensored information critical to the functioning of our democracy,” continued Mr. Hammond.
“There was a marked improvement especially in the voting records of Assembly Democrats, thanks in part to the efforts of Assembly Library Committee Chair Bob Reilly and Assemblyperson Amy Paulin working with Assembly staff to reach a satisfactory compromise on many of our issues. However, we were disappointed that the Assembly did not join the state Senate in proposing a restoration in Library Aid,” stated Mr. Hammond.
“Once again, the Senate really shined and came through for the library community by passing five of the New York Library Association’s 2011 Legislative Priorities, three of which were signed into law by the Governor.In addition, the Senate proposed a $4 million restoration in Library Aid, of which $3 million was included in the adopted 2011-12 State Budget,’ said Mr. Hammond.
“Long time library champion, Senator Hugh Farley, receives this year’s 2011 Ex Libris Award for his leadership role in the restoration of Library Aid, for sponsoring two of the bills signed into law, and for receiving the highest score (160 A+) on the Voter’s Guide.
A copy of the 2011 Voter’s Guide can be found here and at the New York Library Association’s website here
The 2011 Voter’s Guide is being distributed to legislators, the media and the library community throughout New York.
**
by Barbara Nichols Randall
Director
Guilderland Public Library
Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC)
As part of its Field Service program, NEDCC offers an emergency assistance program for institutions and individuals with damaged paper-based collections. NEDCC staff members are available 24 hours a day to provide telephone advice if a disaster occurs. This service is provided at no charge thanks to a grant to NEDCC from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). This service does not normally include on-site assistance.
Information provided includes advice on drying wet collections and dealing with damage from fire, pests, or mold. Referrals to commercial disaster recovery service providers experienced with library and archives collections can also be provided.
Call (978) 470-1010, day or night, seven days a week. After Center hours, you will be referred to a second telephone number to reach a staff member. Please do NOT request disaster assistance via email, since it is not monitored 24 hours a day.
Document Reprocessors
“If it’s wet, we dry it” is the company slogan. This company provides on-site service for restoring water and fire damaged materials for government, insurance companies, libraries, archives, historical societies, and industry since 1979. Call the New York Office in Middlesex, NY at (585) 554-4500.
NEDCC’s Emergency Management Technical Leaflets
EMERGENCY SALVAGE OF WET BOOKS AND RECORDS
by Sally Buchanan, Associate Professor, School of Information Science, University of Pittsburgh
NEDCC Technical Leaflet Section 3 Leaflet 7
EMERGENCY SALVAGE OF WET PHOTOGRAPHS
by Gary Albright, Senior Paper/Photograph Conservator Northeast Document Conservation Center
NEDCC Technical Leaflet Section 3, Leaflet 8
EMERGENCY SALVAGE OF MOLDY BOOKS AND PAPER
by Beth Lindblom Patkus, Preservation Consultant Walpole, MA
NEDCC Technical Leaflet Section 3, Leaflet 9
Syracuse University Preservation Department
Disaster Plan of the Syracuse University Libraries
Instructions for drying of print, non-print, and audio materials, including a Library Emergency Supply List
Additional Resources for Collection Recovery
Tips for Salvaging Water Damaged Valuables
Heritage Emergency National Task Force is the new name for what was previously known as the National Task Force on Emergency Response.
Salvage Operations for Water Damaged Collections
by Betty Walsh, Western Association for Art Conservation (WAAC)
After the Flood: Emergency Stabilization and Conservation Measures
Preservation Assistance Division, U.S. National Park Service
Outline for a Flood Preparedness Exercise
by Walter Henry, Stanford University Libraries
Conservation OnLine (CoOL) Disaster preparedness and response
The CoOL siteof resources for conservation professionals includes additional links to articles and resources including disaster and emergency resources.
General Resources for Disaster Information
Federal Emergency Management Agency: Click on Plan Ahead
Red Cross: Click on Preparing & Getting Trained for information on blackouts, chemical emergencies, fires and floods.
Department of Homeland Security