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(Stock photo | Pexels)

(Stock photo | Pexels)

Students and staff members of SAD 27 can access more than 19,000 online library titles free of charge thanks to the Fort Kent Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization.

FORT KENT, Maine Students and staff members of SAD 27 can access more than 19,000 online library titles free of charge thanks to the Fort Kent Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization.

The ebooks and audiobooks are available through the Maine Infonet Download Library, also known as CloudLibrary.

The interruption in the regular school year due to COVID-19 spurred the PTO into action, Jennifer Levesque, vice president of the PTO said.

Right now so many of the normal activities and events that kids could engage in are just not available to them, Levesque said. Some of the really wonderful things about school have been stripped away and a good chunk of what they are left with is screen time, so this is one of those wonderful and old time ways of entertaining them while they learn about the world and get into other peoples heads and learn their point of view.

Whats nice about audiobooks is that kids can listen to stories they might not read on their own, she added.

The PTO purchased access to the library database with funds that would have otherwise been used for school-related activities if students had remained in school during the spring months.

We had funds we were going to use for activities and events that couldnt happen due to the pandemic so we decided to use this money for something the kids can use right now, Levesque said.

Reading isnt just about learning information, its about learning empathy, Levesque said.

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Parent teacher organization brings online library service to students and staff - fiddleheadfocus.com

CHICAGO Many in the world of scholarship share the conviction that open access will be the engine of transformation leading to more culture, more research, more discovery, and more solutions to small and big problems. Open Praxis, Open Access: Digital Scholarship in Action, published by ALA Editions, brings together librarians, scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and thinkers to take measure of the open access movement. Editors Darren Chase and Dana Haugh meld critical essays, research, and case studies to offer an authoritative exploration of:

Chase isis Library Director and Interim Director of the Teaching, Learning & Technology Center at SUNY Oneonta (New York). His research interests include multimodal composition, somatic learning, scholarly communication, and information literacy. Chase has written and presented widely on many scholarly publishing topics. He spearheaded the development and eventual adoption of the Stony Brook University Open Access Policy, and lead the SUNY Oneonta Open Access Policy Team. Haugh is the Web Services Librarian at Yale University Medical Library where she leads the design and development of the librarys web presences. Her research interests include web design & development, open access, marketing and outreach in libraries, and information literacy.

Many book retailers and distributors are experiencing service disruptions or delays, including Amazon. For speediest service, order direct from the ALA Store. ALA Storepurchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library and information professionals worldwide. ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman publishes resources used by library and information professionals, scholars, students, and educators to improve programs and services, build on best practices, enhance pedagogy, share research, develop leadership, and promote advocacy. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a variety of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman at editionsmarketing@ala.org.

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Open access digital scholarship in action | News and Press Center - ala.org

The borough's libraries are currently closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

But book lovers can still access a wide range of online services, including e-books and audiobooks, which are available 24/7 to library members.

Since the closure, the borrowing of ebooks and audiobooks has seen a sharp rise, with 5,904 items of this kind being downloaded to date since March compared to just 2,254 in the same period last year.

The number of emagazines downloaded has also shot up, with 5,243 magazines downloaded to date compared to 3,798 in the same period of 2019.

There has also been a large rise in the number of people joining online, with nearly six times more people to date signing up since March, compared to the same period last year.

In addition to the 24/7 online library available, new activities are taking place digitally on Telford & Wrekin Libraries Facebook page, such as the summer reading challenge, bounce and rhyme live sessions and code club.

Amy Jones, Telford & Wrekin Libraries development manager, said: We know this is a time when families and children are spending a longer time at home.

"As such, weve been working hard to ensure there is plenty of choice in our 24/7 online library to get everyone entertained all resources are free to access and we are updating them frequently.

We encourage everyone to join online, if they are not a member yet and to have a look, as theres literally something for every age and interest.

On our Facebook page theres also plenty going on, such as live streams, activities and challenges; even more now with the recent launch of the summer reading challenge.

While we are continuously diversifying our 24/7 online offer, we know there are people that might not be online and that are home even longer, as they are shielding from coronavirus for those in particular, we can deliver, together with our volunteers, free library resources directly to their door.

"They only need to contact us on homelibraryservice@telford.gov.uk."

Councillor Eileen Callear, Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet member for leisure, libraries and culture, added: We want to support people as much as possible at this difficult time. Thats why we are offering free library digital resources for everyone, that can be accessed at any time from the comfort of their home.

Its fantastic to see that our services are so popular.

"The digital library has seen an incredible rise in use since lockdown."

For more details visit http://www.telford.gov.uk/libraries

See the article here:
Huge rise in use of digital library in Telford and Wrekin during lockdown - shropshirestar.com

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Local libraries in La Salle, Bureau, Putnam and Livingston counties received more than $175,000 in grant money.

In total, the Secretary of State's Office awarded $15.4 million to 638 public libraries statewide for the Fiscal Year 2020 Illinois Public LIbrary Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grants.

Ottawa's Reddick Library received $30,377.50; Streator $17,137; La Salle $12,011.25; Peru $12,868.75; Spring Valley $6,947; Marseilles $6,367.50; Princeton $9,575; Oglesby $5,113.75 and Utica $3,737.50.

Due to resource disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our public libraries have never been more important and these funds will help them continue to serve the public with valuable resources, said Secretary of State Jess White, who also is the state's librarian, in a press statement. Libraries have remained committed by providing drive-up WiFi access, significantly increasing the use of eBook collections and implementing curbside services.

Some of the services public libraries provide with the grant money include the following:

Expand WiFi access to include drive-up accessibility

Access to curbside services

Large print material for patrons

Books, magazines, newspapers, CDs and DVDs

Audiobooks and eBooks

Home visit book delivery service

New computers, iPads and printers

Spanish and dual language materials

Expanded access to online resources

Adult programming

Newsletters, postcards and other promotional materials

Per Capita Grant funding is authorized under Illinois library law for public libraries, which allows resources for expenses, such as materials, personnel, equipment, electronic access, telecommunications and technology. Equalization Aid Grants help qualifying public libraries with a low library tax base ensuring a minimum level of funding for library services.

Ottawa: $30,377.50

Streator: $17,137

Peru: $12,868.75

La Salle: $12,011.25

Somonauk: $11,733.75

Sandwich: $10,200

Princeton: $9,575

Mendota: $9,215

Hennepin: $7,507.50

Spring Valley: $6,947

Marseilles: $6,367.50

Sheridan: $5,963.75

Oglesby: $5,113.75

Newark: $3,935

Utica: $3,737.50

Earlville: $3,476.25

Minonk: $2,597.50

LaMoille: $2,290

Flanagan: $2,042.50

Ladd: $1,985

Tiskilwa: $1,858.75

Toluca: $1,767.50

Wyanet: $1,705

Wenona: $1,320

Ohio: $1,181.25

Sheffield: $1,157.50

Lostant: $1,140

Buda: $672.50

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More than $175000 awarded to local libraries through annual grant program - MyWebTimes.com

Alamance County Public Libraries are offering internet access to neighborhoods in Burlington with limited or no access in partnership with the Alamance-Burlington School System, Morrow Town Task Force and Burlington Housing Authority.

North Carolina public schools were online for the remainder of the year and Alamance County libraries were also closed as a result of Gov. Roy Coopers Stay-at-Home order leaving many residents without internet access or a way to obtain it. The service is still running over the summer.

Alamance County Public Libraries Outreach Services Programs goal was to provide internet access to the community, something they deem crucial.

The mobile cafe van was created in August of 2018 to provide Pop-Up Internet Service to residents in isolated parts of Alamance County with mobile library stops.

With the Outreach program, we work with community groups, go to events and promote the library in general, Outreach Coordinator Mary Beth Adams said. We learned that many people in the community did not have access to the internet.

According to Adams, the mobile cafe van provides access with an antenna that offers a 300-foot radius of Wi-Fi connectivity.

Elon alumna Donna Vanhook 07 is a community organizer with the Morrow Town Task Force. She works closely with a number of different organizations and helps connect people like Adams to others to better serve members of the community.

The service was not in operation because of the pandemic, and I heard of students who did not have internet access to do their schoolwork, Vanhook said.

Vanhooks previous involvement with other community organizations aimed at bettering local residents prompted her to pursue communication with the libraries. She said that her role involved discussing a plan for how to get students internet access to complete their studies.

Monday: Crump Village, 1-3pm and 3:30-5:30pm Tuesday: Maplebrook Apartments, 1-3pm and 3:30-5:30pm Wednesday: Pate Homes, 1-3pm and Beaumont Apartments, 3:30-5:30pm Thursday: Woodrail Apartments, 1-3pm and Tucker Street Apartments, 3:30-5:30pm Friday: Earl Gerow Homes, 1-3pm and Misty Springs Mobile Home Park, 3:30-5:30pm

The service was already available; it was just about coordinating times and places, Vanhook said. The coordination was all completed virtually in just a few days.

Vanhook said a test run was done the Friday before Easter Monday to ensure people would be able to use this service from inside their homes.

I was very pleased with how quickly things came together and how people benefited from the service, Vanhook said. I think that this service has relieved some anxiety in both parents and students.

The coronavirus has forced people to work and study from home and the Alamance-Burlington School System wanted to help their students adapt by providing devices and hotspots.

There are not enough devices for everyone, Adams said. We are so happy to be able to step in and have the mobile cafe [be] the library in the community.

Adams said their service is important because of its purpose to provide internet access to community members without it. Some people lack access because of location, while for others it's a result of their personal circumstances.

Adams said some families may share one computer; therefore, they are serving an even greater number of people.

We are connecting around 30 to 40 people each day at two different spots, Adams said. Sometimes in the same apartment complex and other times, in two separate ones.

The mobile cafe van has benefited many community members but has also shed light on the number of residents who have limited or no access to the internet.

The mobile cafe did address the digital divide, Vanhook said. There is a presumption that most young people have access to the internet, but that is not the case.

Prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the mobile cafe van offered users the opportunity to pick out books, but that service is currently suspended to keep residents safe.

Kids want to look at every book, but we are then worrying about germs, Adams said.

On their Facebook page, the Alamance County Public Libraries encouraged people in the neighborhoods utilizing their internet service to stay indoors or sit outside, following rules of social distancing from others.

The difference in what we have done before and what we do now is that now we just provide internet access, parking it and turning on our router, Adams said. We dont have the table out. We feel it's safer.

Adams said that only offering internet access has kept residents from congregating in small areas and has limited the spread of germs altogether.

When we decided to do this, and just offer internet access, the most important thing was to provide for the students, Adams said.

The mobile cafe runs Monday through Friday, alternating stops each week.

One week we will do the four northern stops and the next we will do the four southern stops, Adams said. We are seeing people every other week.

Alamance libraries felt residents in East Burlington had somewhere to go when schools and libraries were open, but they now plan to include those apartment complexes in future routes.

We know were not hitting every place, Adams said. We are trying to keep in contact with the Morrow Town Task Force and Burlington Housing Authority to see what we can do and how we can [reach] those who need it.

Read more:
Local libraries offer free Internet access in Burlington - Elon News Network

Contact: Sid Salter

Frances Coleman (Submitted photo)

STARKVILLE, Miss.After a career that spanned over a half-century and witnessed the services and offerings of Mississippi State University Libraries evolve from traditional to digital to virtual, MSU Dean of Libraries Frances N. Coleman is retiring from the university on June 30, MSU Executive Vice President and Provost David R. Shaw announced today [June 15].

Shaw said MSU College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Thomas P. Anderson will serve as interim MSU Dean of Libraries while a national search for a permanent dean is conducted.

Coleman, responsible for the university library system that includes Mitchell Memorial Library and branch libraries at MSUs College of Veterinary Medicine, School of Architecture (Starkville and Jackson campuses) and MSU-Meridian, led unprecedented expansions of facilities, technologies and programming throughout the system.

Dean Coleman provided visionary leadership for our MSU Libraries that not only improved library services on our campuses, but in libraries across Mississippi. My mother was a small-town librarian, and she and all her colleagues knew and respected Frances Coleman, said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. On her watch, our libraries became larger, stronger, more technologically accessible, and more sophisticated in terms of our museums and special collections. In short, Frances has left indelible fingerprints on our library system, and I am profoundly grateful for the outstanding work she has done for our university.

Shaw echoed Keenums praise for Colemans five decades of leadership.

Over the course of her life and work here at Mississippi State, Dean Coleman has paved the way for women moving into positions of substantial leadership. The personal and professional esteem in which she is held by colleagues across the country, and particularly in our state, is indicative of her many accomplishments, Shaw said. It is an honor to have served with her to advance Mississippi State.

Coleman joined the MSU faculty in 1969. She earned an MSU Bachelor of Science degree in education and a Master of Library Science from George Peabody College for Teachers at Vanderbilt University. She completed additional graduate studies at MSU and at the University of Mississippi.

Prior to her career in higher education, Coleman was a classroom teacher and school librarian in the Dyer County, Tennessee School System. She also worked in the banking field in Dyersburg and Memphis, Tennessee, and in Starkville.

She is a past president or chair of the Mississippi Business and Professional Women, the Southeastern Library Association, and the Mississippi Library Association. Coleman was active throughout her career in numerous research library organizations.

In the Starkville community, Coleman has served in key leadership roles in Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Starkville Chamber of Commerce, Starkville Arts Council, Starkville Rotary Club, and the United Way. In 2003, she was honored for lifetime achievement serving Mississippi libraries by the Mississippi Legislature, received the G.V. Sonny Montgomery Excellence in Leadership Award in 2009 from the Montgomery Foundation Board of Directors, and in 2010 received the John Y. Simon Award of Merit from the Ulysses S. Grant Association.

Coleman played a pivotal role in the successful 2008 transfer of the Ulysses S. Grant Collection from the Morris Library at Southern Illinois University, where it had been housed since 1964. With the relocation to MSUs Mitchell Memorial Library, she became a member of the USGA board of directors.

The relocation of the Grant Collection ultimately led to the establishment at MSU of one of only six presidential libraries on U.S. university campuses. On Nov. 30, 2017, state and national leaders heralded the opening of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and the prestigious Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolnianaa recent donation that is considered the largest privately owned Abraham Lincoln collection in America.

Leaders in education, history, libraries and governmentincluding the Librarian of Congress and the Archivist of the United Statespraised the 21,000-square-foot addition. The facility contains a state-of-the-art museum chronicling Grants life and his significance in American history. With hundreds of thousands of historical documents and items housed on-site, the new addition positioned MSU as a leading destination for research on the Civil War and two presidents who shaped the course of American history.

Dean Colemans legacy will be that of a dedicated administrator who gave her all to advance Mississippi State University and to exhibit grace, charm, and sincere hospitality in using the librarys formidable assets to bring new friends to the university, said Keenum.

For more on MSU Libraries, visit http://lib.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippis leading university, available online at http://www.msstate.edu.

Excerpt from:
Legendary MSU Dean Frances Coleman retires after a 51-year career that transformed the university's libraries and collections - Mississippi State...

Culture Perth and Kinross has launched a survey for local residents to share their views on what they its public places to look like after lockdown.

The organisation is working on plans for the operation of museums, libraries and archives when Scotland moves into phase three of the Scottish Governments lockdown easing plans.

Andrew Wallace of Culture Perth and Kinross said: As an organisation, we recognise that when we are able to reopen our doors once again, it will be in a very changed environment with some restrictions in place for all our visitors and users.

To help us understand more about how local residents might feel about returning to our venues as the lockdown is eased, we have released a short survey.

The gradual restoring of venue-based library services will involve the refocusing and repositioning of the service to meet the new challenges and opportunities of the post-COVID-19 world.

We need to be able to ensure adherence to social distancing and public health guidance whilst also offering a welcoming and familiar environment which people want to visit.

Extended delivery services, more online content, and providing a phone helpline for resource requests, deliveries and support in accessing the digital library service and collection materials are being considered

The survey will run until the end of this month, at which time Culture Perth and Kinross hopes to have further Scottish Government guidance on the reopening of public spaces.

The survey can be accessed and completed on Survey Monkey.

Visit link:
Culture Perth and Kinross begins public consultation ahead of reopening museums and libraries - The Courier

Participants wont be able to stop and smell the roses or tiptoe through the tulips at this years garden tour the 24th annual event June 27 but if they connect online they will still see five beautifully maintained and manicured gardens in Beaver and Brighton Township.

BEAVER A few weeks ago, officials at Beaver Area Memorial Library canceled its popular garden tour because of novel coronavirus concerns.

And then one of the Friends of the Library, volunteers who support the library, came up with a novel idea: a virtual garden tour.

No, participants wont be able to stop and smell the roses or tiptoe through the tulips this year the 24th annual event but if they connect online they will still see five beautifully maintained and manicured gardens in Beaver and Brighton Township.

Photographs shot by Bob Jackson from Brighton Township, and 90-second, narrated videos filmed by library staff or homeowners make up the virtual garden tour, which will be available for viewing June 27.

Not only did we need the idea, we needed somebody with the technology to be able to do it, said Diane Wakefield, library director.

That person is Jen Cribbs, childrens librarian.

She worked on it for a week or two and said it looks like its possible. I think we can go with it, Wakefield said.

Participants who register will receive an exclusive, online link at 10 a.m. that day that directs them to the tour website. The tour includes a message from Wakefield; information from a Master Gardener; and first look at participating gardens.

Tickets are $6 and available for purchase online at http://www.beaverlibrary.com since the library remains closed.

The exclusive invitation will be available for a week. Beginning July 6, the virtual garden tour will be available for public viewing at no charge.

Wakefield said she mailed postcards to people who supported the librarys garden tours in the past and invited them to participate online.

Among those receiving postcards were members of her book club.

I got four replies right away, she said. One of them said Oh, we wont have to worry about rain this year. I thought that was kind of cute.

The virtual tour also will be a plus for anyone who hasnt been able to go on the tour in the past because of illness, physical disability or age, Wakefield said.

Some older arent able to go on the tour anymore so they seemed like they were excited, she said about the online prospect.

Normally, the garden tour raises about $2,500, Wakefield said.

This year we set $1,000 as our goal and any money we do receive well use for capital projects such as painting, landscaping or upgrading bathrooms.

Three gardens are in Beaver and two are in Brighton Township.

Homeowners provided the following descriptions of their gardens:

Erzen family in Beaver: Many years of growing vegetables and now only flowers surround our home. We mostly enjoy our back patio on nice evenings burning in our patio fireplace and relaxing watching the hummingbirds and rabbits buzzing around for our entertainment.

OLeary family in Beaver: Our backyard garden includes five raised beds, two feed troughs, and a variety of pots where we grow our favorite fruits, vegetables, and flowers (which are great for cutting and attract lots of pollinators). This year, we started a majority of our plants under lights indoors, and sourced the rest from local organic nurseries. We love working on growing and maintaining our little ecosystem -- where we can channel our creativity while reaping the benefits of time spent outside and access to garden-fresh produce.

Grivna family of Brighton Township: The shaded front garden has a charming water fountain as its centerpiece with shrubbery, perennials, and a variety of colorful annuals. The serene backyard features a flowing waterfall and a deck filled with an array of potted plants, herbs, and a vegetable garden table.

Beaver County Master Gardeners Vegetable and Herb Demonstration Garden in Brighton Township: This garden is located within the Brighton First Senior Gardens located on Western Avenue in Brighton Township. The Master Gardeners educate the community on how to plan and maintain a vegetable garden, inclusive of companion herbs, edible flowers and water features.

Carol Fryday and husband David Ross of Beaver: See accompanying feature story on highlights of this garden.

Read more from the original source:
Beaver library's garden tour goes virtual because of coronavirus pandemic - The Times

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(2) Appearance Of Man
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(8) Heart of Matter
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(9) Letters to Two Friends
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