OCLC's Geek the Library community awareness campaign, piloted in 2009 and 2010 and now available to all U.S. public libraries, has received an additional grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The supplementary $726,000 provides ongoing campaign materials and field support for libraries currently running the campaign, and allows OCLC to work with additional public libraries that sign up by March 31, 2012. Funding ensures that participating libraries can use the campaign to reach their local communities through June 2013.
"We are so pleased to be able to continue to support libraries as they roll out the Geek the Library campaign across the country," said Cathy De Rosa, vice president of global marketing for OCLC. "It is so important to continue to build awareness about the vital role libraries serve in their communities and the urgent need for funding. We are grateful to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for their ongoing and strong support for libraries, and their partnership on the Geek the Library program." Since launch, hundreds of libraries across the U.S. have enrolled to run local Geek the Library campaigns - and more than 100 new campaigns have kicked off since the pilot ended. Participants are embracing the campaign, and are enthusiastically customizing content and actively involving their communities. "The campaign puts a stamp of personalization on the services and materials that public libraries offer, and this is so important as we strive to diminish that stereotype of libraries as archaic institutions filled with dusty books," said Andrea Legg, extension & technical services manager from Tuscarawas County Public Library System in New Philadelphia, Ohio. "By encouraging patrons to share what they geek with us and by reminding them that we support what they geek, we're helping to redefine our public library as a place that cultivates our patrons' personal interests. It results in a much more meaningful, interactive experience for our customers." Participating libraries receive an initial kit of Geek the Library materials, such as posters and stickers, plus additional kits as the campaign progresses, along with access to a comprehensive online guide to implementing the campaign. This resource features pages of advice for each phase of a local campaign, printable documents, art templates and images, a forum to share ideas with other participating libraries, and a blog that features ideas and updates weekly. Field managers also provide assistance in planning and rollout, and are available to respond to questions throughout the campaign period. Geek the Library has a national campaign presence with its website, geekthelibrary.org, and social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr. Geek the Library was developed based on the results of OCLC's research published in "From Awareness to Funding: A study of library support in America." The research and pilot campaign were also funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Libraries can get more information about implementing the campaign locally at get.geekthelibrary.org.
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Register now for the fifth annual Distinctive Women in Hawaiian History Program, Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Hawai`i Convention Center. Register online at www.distinctivewomenhawaii.org.
Sponsored by the Hawai`i Council for the Humanities, this year's themes are ancient women of Hawai`i and women activists. Topics range from local female activists during the women's suffrage movement, Mormon missionary women, Princess Nahinu Kamehaokalani, and WWII era stories that include Korean activist Dora Moon, public health nurse Harriet Kuwamoto, and social worker Jennie Lee In. And there's poetry, paying homage to women in transition with detours and mid-life reinventions. The program also features a performance by by Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakane with Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu interpreting the roles of na wahine Hawai`i (native Hawaiian women). It has mythology, Hawaiian culture, extraordinary choreography, humor, and the excitement of well-told, fast-moving stories. Kumu Patrick is also a panelist in a follow-up presentation. Register online to take advantage of a special offer from the Mission Houses Museum for 20 percent off Spookilau, an event exploring the paranormal in downtown Honolulu. The American Library Association and EBSCO are partnering to offer five scholarships for librarians to attend the 2012 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas. The meeting takes place Jan. 20 - 24, 2012, and offers an opportunity for continuing education, meetings and interaction with colleagues.
Each EBSCO scholarship will be in the amount of $1,500, and one of the five scholarships will be awarded to a first-time conference attendee. The scholarship money is to be used for conference registration, travel and expenses. Deadline for entry is Nov. 1; scholarship recipients will be notified no later than Dec. 12. To apply, candidates must complete the application criteria and submit an essay that addresses the following topic: "If you could change anything about your current workplace or job responsibilities, how would you position them to meet future needs?" Essays and applications will be judged by a jury designated by ALA. If you're a student, you can join HLA and ALA for just $35 from now through Aug. 31, 2012.
To apply for membership, fill out the HLA-ALA joint student membership form and mail or fax it to the ALA Chapter Relations office at 50 E. Huron Street, Chicago, IL, 60611, fax 312-280-4392. For more information, visit the ALA Student Membership blog. St. Francis and Hongwanji Mission School were among several schools nationwide to receive a 2011 Capstone Assisting Remarkable Educators grant. The grants are a part of a program by Capstone Digital, developer of personalized literacy environments for students, to help improve literacy in schools. More than 30 schools from 20 school districts across the country have been awarded matching grants, funding dollar for dollar their purchase of myON reader, an online personalized literacy environment developed by Capstone that matches students' interests and reading levels to a recommended booklist of more than 1,300 enhanced digital books.
"We're thrilled to help offset the federal funding many educators were counting on and offer these remarkable schools access to the resources and tools that will provide unlimited reading and learning opportunities for their students," said Todd Brekhus, president of Capstone Digital. |
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