Illinois - Advocacy & Outreach

Resource: Minnesotas Public Libraries: Priceless, in Dollars and Sense

2007-12-03T22:59:38Z

While this November 2007 article was written about Minnesota's libraries, the text could be useful when talking about the value of libraries to any local community. Click here to see the Minnesota forum entry on this topic.

http://mn.webjunction.org/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=7771&tstart=0

Mary Ann Van Cura
MN State Library Services

Rescouce: "Status of Education in Rural America"

2007-07-26T19:19:52Z

he National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has just released the report "Status of Education in Rural America."

This report presents a series of indicators on the status of education in rural America, using the new NCES locale classification system. The new system classifies the locale of school districts and schools based on their actual geographic coordinates into one of 12 locale categories and distinguishes between rural areas that are on the fringe of an urban area, rural areas that are at some distance, and rural areas that are remote.

The findings of this report indicate that in 2003-04 over half of all operating school districts and one-third of all public schools in the United States were in rural areas; yet only one-fifth of all public school students were enrolled in rural areas. A larger percentage of public school students in rural areas than those in any other locale attended very small schools. A larger percentage of rural public school students in the 4th- and 8th-grades scored at or above the Proficient level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading, mathematics, and science assessments in 2005 than did public school students in cities at these grade levels. However, smaller percentages of rural public school students than suburban public school students scored at or above the Proficient level in reading and mathematics.

To browse this report and to view, download and print the report as a pdf file, visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/ruraled/

Re: Online courses

2006-07-24T00:36:13Z

Has anyone taken the Linux course? What did you think about it?

Re: Online courses

2006-06-22T15:47:32Z

Cassandra, Thanks for the tip. I plan to take that one as soon as the summer program - and inventory - is over. Leslie

Re: Online courses

2006-06-21T14:09:38Z

Cassandra, that was the very first course I took when I was checking out the courses before the workshops. I liked all the graphics also. You gotta see it before you can get it!
Linda

Re: Online courses

2006-06-21T14:08:30Z

Leslie, this is wonderful. I'm going to check out the course myself. Maybe it will help us next year with the legislature!! I'm glad you're taking advantage of WJ.
Linda

Re: Online courses

2006-06-21T13:43:29Z

That's great! I love the WebJunction courses because they're quick and, as you said, at your own pace. They're full of great tidbits and exercises.

Depending on how much computer maintenance and troubleshooting you do (I'm guessing quite a bit being a 2 person library in a small town), the WJ Troubleshooting Computer Problem's class is great. I loved the graphics and it helped me learn alot.

~ Cassandra

Online courses

2006-06-20T19:48:53Z

I took my first WebJunction course! I spent about an hour and 15 minutes taking a free course entitled Media Relations. It dealt with many things that I learned at the annual conference of the Oklahoma Library Association from a noted marketing speaker including having a media plan and preparing for a media interview. Just as the blurbs to promote the course suggest, it taught that good media coverage can increase the sustainability of library programs. There were several instances where I had to analyze various press releases and try to determine how I could improve them and the course showed me how to better write a press release and Ive already used what I learned. It was well worth the time invested. One plus was that I could work at my own pace because I had to stop several times to assist customers. I am in a small (2 staff person) rural library in southeast Oklahoma and we have no local newspaper so it's important to make every item that's placed in the newspaper in a larger town count. I look forward to taking more courses as soon as summer reading comes to a close. Thanks, WebJunction!

Re: How to pass a bond vote??

2006-06-14T14:30:34Z

Here's an article on the bond issue that did not pass in California. One of the items/quotes I found of interest was:

"I think the lesson to be learned for the fall election is that you can't take voters for granted," said Allan Zaremberg, the chamber's president. "Make sure they're aware, through a campaign of communicating, of the benefits that will be provided to them."

Very true!

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ca/story/14266422p-15078405c.html

~ Cassandra

Re: How to pass a bond vote??

2006-06-13T20:46:31Z

I can understand your frustrations. In NM we've had a similar instance. The librarian just kept advocating to the community and leaders. She still working on it and hopefully there will be change in the voting next time around.

A new guide has just been published for Small and Rural Libraries:
A Small but Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library"
http://www.ala.org/ala/olos/oloscommittees/rnt/052606tipsheet.pdf

I wonder if this might have some tips in it for you. Also, next week at the ALA Annual Conference, they will be unveiling a companion "Small but Powerful Toolkit."

Also, check out http://www.ala.org/ala/issues/issuesadvocacy.htm for other ideas and tips.

I hope this helps. Keep us all up-to-date on how it goes.

~ Cassandra

How to pass a bond vote??

2006-06-13T17:38:08Z

I am in the process of creating a presentation to my library board about the wonderful ideas that I learned at the Rural Lib. Sust. Project. We recently had our bond vote to purchase the adjoining property voted down by "some" of the residents of Rosendale. This was a shock but we know there was some resisitance because of the $5-10 per household tax increase which it would have caused. The board is now trying to figure out our next step. Has anyone had a similar experience that they turned around???

Rural Libraries in Russia

2006-06-13T14:49:26Z

Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to St. Petersburg, Russia. Unfortunately, visa requirements are so strict that I had to stay with my tour group instead of venturing off on my own. I did not get to explore the building. However, I did get picture of their sign (for what it's worth!). If you haven't looked at their website, do. The address is http://www.nlr.ru/eng/. Did you know there are 1600 rural libraries in Russia?
Linda
(Oklahoma)

Advocacy Brainstorm

2006-05-31T23:27:49Z

We're collecting all of the great <a href="/do/DisplayContent?id=13464">advocacy ideas</a> that are coming out of the brainstorming sessions happening at Rural Library Sustainability workshops throughout the country. If you see something missing, please post the ideas and resources here, and I'll add them to the list. Thanks for all your great work!

Budgeting and Sustainability

2006-05-17T17:47:16Z

It is getting to be the time where libraries in Florida and elsewhere are preparing budget proposals for the fall. I would like to hear what you are doing related to your budget to sustain your technology services.

Thanks,
Sandy Newell
State Library and Archives of Florida
850-245-6624

Re: Telling the Story to Local Decision Makers

2006-04-15T14:50:37Z

Few of our local political people physically come to the library; however we have had great success in pitching our online resources. Every time I have an opening during a conversation with someone from our town or county I promote what the library can do to make their job easier. For example I needed to talk with the County Engineer about a drainage issue recently. By the end of the conversation he knew how to access our databases from his office and planned on using them in an upcoming work report.

Re: Promoting Public Libraries Workshop, first time conference goers?

2006-04-14T17:14:45Z

I have a question for those of you who were attending their first national conference in March. WebJunction is hosting an event similar to the Promoting Public Libraries Workshop, at ALA in New Orleans and we hope to pass on some of your tips and suggestions for first time conference goers.
 
 
Can you share some of the things you're glad you knew or wish you had known as you ventured through sessions, events, and the city? Casandra Osterloh from NM has put together this <a href="/forums/click.jspa?searchID=6257&messageID=25951">great resource</a>, but we'd love to hear from you!

Re: Telling the Story to Local Decision Makers

2006-04-09T19:20:36Z

Hmmm, debmay. It's great to hear from you, but I'm sorry to hear you've had trouble getting to the workshop resources page and discussion area. I didn't send out the email you received, but the links seem to be working now. The WJ site just went through some maintenance, so maybe you hit us at the point we were down...sorry about that. The links for the <a href="/do/Navigation?category=12801">workshop homepage</a> and the <a href="/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=3519&tstart=0">discussion area</a> should be working for you now, but if you need to follow a bread crumb trail, here's how to get to the workshop homepage: Home > Services to Libraries > Rural and Small Libraries > Advocacy > Promoting Public Libraries: Using Data and Advocacy to Build Support and Funding (I find it easier to follow the menu on the left rail.) Thanks again for checking in, and when you pass back through this topic, share some of your strategies for working with local decision makers!!

Promoting Public Libraries Workshop

2006-04-09T18:35:39Z

I am going through some old emails post PLA and began looking through some notes from the workshop, etc. The email from the rural library workshop linking the Promoting Public Libraries Workshop homepage did not work for me. I no longer have the email, but rather tried to access the homepage via http://webjunction.org/do/Navigation?category=12801 and it did not work. Am I doing something wrong?

I thought the workshop was fantastic and appreciate the opportunity to be a part of it and meet so many librarians and directors from other rural libraries. Sometimes it's hard to believe that there are so many of us out there.

Thank you WebJunction for this forum to keep in touch with people we met.

Re: Promoting Public Libraries Workshop, Boston, March 21, 2006

2006-04-04T19:35:05Z

Thanks brennan for highlighting this as a hot topic!
 
 
I went ahead and started a new thread
<a href="/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=3686&tstart=0">Telling the Story to Local Decision Makers</a> so let's collect our ideas there.
 
 
I'd love to hear more about how our local officials interact with the library. Someone at the workshop said they had a city official come work a shift at the circ desk to see what it's like for busy front line staff and to see all that the library was doing for their constituents!

Telling the Story to Local Decision Makers

2006-04-04T18:44:58Z

There have been a number of posts about the panel discussion at the <a href="/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=3519&tstart=0">Promoting Public Libraries Workshop</a> which included a mayor, county commissioner and foundation director. Because the discussion is so rich around the topic of what our funders want and need to hear, that I thought it warranted it's own topic. There are a few other WJ areas I want to highlight to add to suggestions and spark more discussion:
 
 
-The general <a href="/forums/category.jspa?categoryID=40">Funding and Advocacy</a> discussion area has a number of discussions about making the case and within this category the <a href="/forums/forum.jspa?forumID=54">Community Partnerships</a> forum has good topics on those we meet at the table.
 
-For some content in this vein, the <a href="/do/Navigation?category=405">Funding Strategies</a> is packed with best practices and resources.
 
 
But let's hear some more of your own strategies! What do your town councils, commissioners, mayors like to hear or need to hear from us?

Illinois - Advocacy & Outreach

Resource: Minnesotas Public Libraries: Priceless, in Dollars and Sense

Rescouce: "Status of Education in Rural America"

Re: Online courses

Re: Online courses

Re: Online courses

Re: Online courses

Re: Online courses

Online courses

Re: How to pass a bond vote??

Re: How to pass a bond vote??

How to pass a bond vote??

Rural Libraries in Russia

Advocacy Brainstorm

Budgeting and Sustainability

Re: Telling the Story to Local Decision Makers

Re: Promoting Public Libraries Workshop, first time conference goers?

Re: Telling the Story to Local Decision Makers

Promoting Public Libraries Workshop

Re: Promoting Public Libraries Workshop, Boston, March 21, 2006

Telling the Story to Local Decision Makers

Resource: Minnesotas Public Libraries: Priceless, in Dollars and Sense