The Briggs Lawrence County Public Library will receive 40 hotspots for Internet service, thanks to a partnership between the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio and Facebook and T-Mobile.

Appalachian Ohios communities have long faced a digital divide. Compared to the states non-Appalachian region, Appalachian Ohio experiences slower Internet connections and fewer households are connected to the Internet.

Thats why the Im a Child of Appalachia Fund at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio is working with Facebook and T-Mobile to improve Internet access for students and families.

The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio is helping to fill a critical need for people in Southeast Ohio who have been left behind when it comes to connecting to reliable, high-speed Internet, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said. The governor and I are grateful to Facebook and T-Mobile for helping to make these efforts possible and for being a part of the solution we all continue to work toward of ensuring every Ohioan can access the modern education system, modern economy, and modern healthcare system through broadband internet.

FAO, Facebook, and T-Mobile will each contribute to libraries and schools in the region to help support their work to address gaps in connectivity throughout Appalachian Ohios communities.

The children and families of Appalachian Ohio face a true barrier to education, accessing telehealth options, and connecting digitally to the opportunities that will help them thrive, Foundation for Appalachian Ohio president and CEO Cara Dingus Brook said. We are grateful to work with Facebook and T-Mobile to help Appalachian Ohio bridge this digital divide as internet access continues to be especially critical.

FAOs Im a Child of Appalachia Fund will provide libraries with hotspots, which library patrons may check out just like books through hotspot lending programs. These programs help individuals access remote learning, telehealth, remote work, and other vital services. Targeting communities identified as having the greatest need for new or expanded hotspot lending programs, the initiative will support library systems in Athens, Harrison, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Pike, Vinton and other Appalachian Ohio counties with a total of 240 hotspots. Among these library systems is the Briggs Lawrence County Public Library, which will receive 40 hotspots through the partnership.

We know that lack of access to the Internet is a barrier for so many people who call Lawrence County home, and we are thrilled by the opportunity to establish a hotspot lending program, Briggs Lawrence County Public Library director Joe Jenkins said. As soon as the Wi-Fi hotspots have been received and processed for check out, we will notify the community on our website and Facebook page.

FAO will also deploy Wi-Fi access points to school districts across the region based on the need for devices. As districts offer remote or hybrid learning, or prepare for the possibility of a return to remote learning, these access points will provide more options for students without reliable internet connections while also enhancing connectivity within school buildings.

Back-to-school looks different this year parents, teachers, and students are facing a myriad of challenges, including many students needing access to reliable Internet for distance learning, Dr. Adam Seldow, director, education partnerships at Facebook, said. Facebook is committed to helping bridge the digital divide, and by collaborating with FAO to address some of the more immediate connectivity needs faced by the Appalachian community, we aim to create a positive impact for children and their families.

As part of this program, Facebook is donating access point technology and hotspots for schools and libraries across Appalachian Ohio and six months of unlimited data service on T-Mobiles network for that technology. Through its EmpowerED program, T-Mobile will supply another six months of unlimited data service on their wireless network and customer support for the hotspots and access points.

Families in Appalachian Ohio face tremendous barriers due to lack of broadband access and infrastructure preventing them from accessing equitable education and opportunities, Dr. Kiesha Taylor, national education administrator at T-Mobile, said. T-Mobile believes in the power of connectivity and the potential it offers for ALL Americans in communities big and small, urban and rural. We are proud to play a part in making an impact for communities throughout this region.

This Im a Child of Appalachia Fund initiative builds upon recent Im a Child of Appalachia Fund grants to fund community WIFI access points at schools and in communities throughout Appalachian Ohio and to develop a report to track the regions progress in overcoming the digital divide. FAOs emergency response to COVID-19 also included funding to increase digital connectivity. The Im a Child of Appalachia Fund is dedicated to meeting the most pressing needs and pursuing the most promising opportunities for people and communities throughout the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio. The Fund works across FAOs five Pillars of Prosperity: Arts & Culture, Community & Economic Development, Education, Environmental Stewardship, and Health & Human Services.

To learn more about this initiative or to support the Im a Child of Appalachia Fund with a gift today, contact FAO at 740.753.1111 or visit http://www.AppalachianOhio.org.

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Briggs Lawrence County Public Library to receive 40 hotspots - The Tribune - Ironton Tribune

By Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director

Sedona AZ (October 2, 2020) The seasons are changing, days are growing longer and cooler, and Halloween is just around the corner. With it comes Sedona Public Librarys annual fall celebration! And since nothing is normal this year, were following suit with our first ever Spooktacular Online!Everyone is invited to enjoy the fun on Friday, October 30. Weve got a great lineup again this year, and all youll have to do is visit our Facebook page, YouTube Channel, or our website for nonstop posts and Halloween celebration.

Prepare for a day of family-friendly pop-up spooky readings! Well show videos throughout the day of patrons, staff, board members, students, local stars, and maybe YOU reading something fun, spooky, historic, poignant or hilarious, all themed for Halloween, autumn, or Da de los Muertos. There are so many options! We already have commitments from our new Youth Services Director Viviane Kraus, Arizona writers Jesse Sensibar and Gary Every, and yours truly, Anne Marie. Will you join the fun? Just email Anne Marie for more information.

Last years photo booth was a hoot! So this year, were hosting an online photo contest. Sharpen your selfie skills, and snap pictures of you and yours in costume, in character, or just hanging out and celebrating the season. Dress up as your favorite literary character, get a group shot of your family carving a pumpkin, dust off those silly wigs and stand on your heads. The skys the limit, just have fun, and remember, there will be prizes for the Cutest, Scariest, and Most Unique photos. Send your entries and questions toamackler@sedonalibrary.org.

What would a family event at the Library be without story times? Our wonderful youth services staff, and special guests, will be reading childrens books for you and yours to enjoy! Well also have Grab & Go Craft kits available Halloween week, and well post instructional videos on our website. Be sure to send us a photo of you and your creations so we can post them on our website. This is going to be a spectacular Spooktacular!

And if youre looking for good reads, music, movies, or other Halloween-themed items from our collection, watch for our display in the Library, where you can browse from Monday through Friday, 12pm to 5pm. (Masks and social distancing required.) Well also post our recommendation list on our website, so if you dont want to come in, just browse the list, put your selected items on hold and when theyre in, you can pick them up in our parking lot!

So much has been cancelled this year, but as your 24/7 Library, we make our services and collection available online all the time! Watch for updates to our Spooktacular plan as we work to create an event that guarantees your holiday is as fun, and as safe, as it can be.

Your Library is one community staple that didnt disappear during COVID-19. If you havent yet explored all that we offer from our website, please visitsedonalibrary.org, and from there youll find that you can check out books or magazines, take a class, watch a movie, learn a language, and celebrate Spooktacular Online!

Its with your support that we can so reliably be your 24/7 Library, and our technology just keeps improving. Since March of this year weve replaced all of our computers in West Sedona, installed WiFi extenders across our building and parking lot, and were almost ready to check out Chromebooks and hot spots to those who need them. Were not only meeting the communitys technology and information needs, but your celebration needs, too!

So please, join us for the first ever Spooktacular Online, and while youre on our website, consider making an online gift! Its easy atsedonalibrary.org/donate.

You need a great library, especially during these trying times, and we need your support. Thank you. For more information about Spooktacular Online, or supporting Sedona Public Library, please contact Anne Marie atamackler@sedonalibrary.org. See you soon!

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Spooktacular 2020, Going Online! | Sedona.Biz - The Internet Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley - Sedona.biz

The Chilton/Clanton Public Library received a $3,000 grant from Sen. Cam Ward during a presentation on Sept. 29.

According to Interim Director Darlene Brock, the goal of the grant is to be used to improve the services offered to students and adapt them to meet the everchanging requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Libraries are the cornerstone of any community, Ward said. COVID-19 has really put some restrictions and burdens on them, so in any way that they can use this money to deal with those restrictions and the new norm, then Im glad to present them with this money.

Although the money is not yet designated for specific projects, Brock assured that the grant money will be used for something both educational and fun for students.

We were thinking about getting some more Chromebooks, but weve had another source that has given us the money for that, Brock said. Now, were looking at all the new changes we have in our life, and the library has had to change along with it.

According to Brock, libraries are even more vital now because of the restrictions people have had on their lives.

Starting Oct. 1, the library began putting packets together for preschool students. Included in the packets will be a challenge to read and a coloring contest.

Its something they can come in and get and take home with them, but be able to get the resources that they need, Brock said. They will feel more a part of the library and have something to look forward to when they come in here.

Ward reminisced about the importance the library played as a youth and still remembers the joy of receiving his first library card.

It was a big deal when I was a little kid, Ward said. We would walk up to the library, and that was where I read some of my first books outside of school.

Ward acknowledged that the library has changed over the years and is much more than just about books.

People come here to get online and do job applications, Ward said. Its the synergy of the community. Its really about people more so than even the books.

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Library receives grant to help with pandemic 'burdens' - The Clanton Advertiser - Clanton Advertiser

A digital board outside the Nicholson Memorial Library promotes the summer reading program at the library, on Tuesday, June 03, 2014 in Garland. Library summer programs will begin in early June for children and adults.

The Garland Public Library plans to honor World Mental Health Day with an online social for teenagers aged between 13 and 17.

Scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 7, the social will be held on Zoom and will allow teenagers to e-meet their peers and discuss stress management strategies with a mental health professional.

The social will come three days before World Mental Health Day, which takes place each year on Oct. 10.

Chat with your fellow teens, play games, and discuss methods to de-stress with a professional therapist, the library announced in a Twitter post.

The participants will speak with each other and Lauren Spivack, a therapist who works with Counseling Institute of Texas, Inc.

In order to register, participants should call 972-205-2517 to receive a link for the event.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, Garlands Nicholson Memorial Library System has ramped up its online services for patrons at home.

The libraries offer programs for youngsters, teens, adults and everyone else, including story time activities, literary exercises and others.

On Oct. 28, the library system will host a game of Dungeons & Dragons for teens via Zoom.

For a full list of events, visit the Nicholson Memorial Library Systems calendar here.

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Garland library to mark World Mental Health Day with Zoom event for teens - The Dallas Morning News

PASO ROBLES The Paso Robles City Library announced Oct. 1, the addition of two new online products, JobNow and VetNow, designed to help Library patrons learn new skills, prepare for certification testing, create more impactful resums, improve interviewing techniques, and search for jobs.

The Brainfuse products, JobNow and VetNow, offer learning, career, and veteran support tools, such as resume and writing labs and an extensive list of resources, in addition to in-person support, such as live job coaching, live veteran benefits eligibility, and live tutoring. JobNow and VetNow will be part of the Librarys toolkit in support of economic recovery for the next two years.

The statewide subscription is being paid with emergency federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds earmarked for Californias 1,120 libraries. According to State Librarian of California Greg Lucas, Libraries are centers for resilience and recovery in every California community. As more Californians turn to libraries for help as they always do during economic downturns libraries can now offer even more tools to empower and strengthen Californians.

JobNow and VetNow can be accessed from the Paso Librarys eLibrary.

For more information about adult programming, contact Adult Services Librarian Karen Christiansen, kchristiansen@prcity.com or 805-237-3870.

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Live, Online Assistance for Job Seekers, Veterans, and Their Families Paso Robles Press - The Paso Robles Press

Wednesday Sep30,2020at5:00PM Sep30,2020at5:00PM

HOLLISTON The Friends of the Holliston Library recently announced its upcoming programs. The Friends of the Holliston Library will present Irish Need Not Apply with historian Christopher Daley at 2 p.m Oct. 4. This program will virtually explore the history of the Irish in Boston from colonial times until the present. It is free and sponsored with the Medway Public Library and the Holliston Historical Society. To register, visit http://hollistonlibrary.org to receive a Zoom invitation for the program. The Morning Book Club will discuss Jokha Alharthis prize-winning novel Celestial Bodies at 11 a.m. Oct. 5. The group will meet virtually, and the book is available to borrow about one month before the discussion in multiple formats. Register on the librarys website to receive a Zoom invitation. New members are warmly welcomed at both groups. Hoopla, the streaming service for libraries, is available for use by Holliston residents. It is free and funded by the Friends. Hoopla has e-books, audiobooks, comic books, music, movies and TV shows which can be downloaded. The service is limited to four downloads per person per month and is accessed by a valid library card. All the titles in the collection are available at all times and there are no reserves or waiting. The collection changes monthly and items simply disappear once they reach their due date. The link to get started is available at http://hollistonlibrary.org. Patrons who would like personal instruction in using electronic services can do so by contacting the library. Kindles and Rokus with Disney Plus, Acorn, Hulu and Netflix are available to borrow from the library at no charge. The library is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Curbside pickup continues at the library during the same hours. Holliston residents who cannot visit in person or use curbside pickup can arrange for home delivery by calling the library.

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Friends of the Holliston Library announce upcoming programs - MetroWest Daily News

This week, the Fulton County Library System is launching an online tutoring service for Fulton County residents and library card holders. The service is provided in partnership with PAPER, formerly GradeSlam, and can be accessed by visiting http://www.fulcolibrary.org/digitallibraryor paper.co.

Earlier this year, PAPER was the winner in the tutoring solution category and finalist of the personalized learning solution category of The EdTech Awards 2020. Through PAPERs remote learning platform, students are provided unlimited 24/7 access to online tutoring in any subject from a fully vetted Paper educator, and essay review with annotated feedback within 24 hours. Through Socratic instruction methods, students are guided through concepts to find the answers on their own.

In addition to providing free academic support to Fulton County library card holders, PAPER will also be available for CLASS PASS participants fromAtlanta Public Schools, who currently use student identification credentials to access many of the librarys resources.

With many districts continuing to teach children with remote learning, the need for flexible and personalized online support for students has only increased. In partnering with PAPER, the Fulton County Library System is helping close the divide between those who can afford private tutoring and those who cannot.

The Fulton County Library System is very excited to begin offering PAPER to library patrons, said Gayle Holloman, Executive Director of the Fulton County Library System. This new online tutoring resource will allow the Library System to support students, families, and teachers as they continue navigating this virtual world of homeschooling and virtual learning during COVID-19, with the resources and support they need from their public library. We look forward to seeing the impact on student success as PAPER begins providing services to our library cardholders.

Teachers in PAPERs partner organizations have reported seeing an increase in students grades since using PAPER, and many students have reported feeling more confident with their school work.

Through CARES Act funding, the Fulton County Library System was able to fund the program which will be implemented for the 2020-2021 academic school year.

Since libraries closed due to COVID-19, the library system has launched a variety of new digital resources to enhance the library experience. Additional available resources include Lynda.com, Kanopy, Creative Bug, among others.

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Fulton County Library System Partners with PAPER to Offer Online Tutoring - City of South Fulton Observer

San Diego Community News Group

Continuing a phased reopen of City services prioritizing the health and safety of San Diegans and employees, Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer today announced that San Diego Public Libraries would reopen Saturday, Oct. 3, for the first time since mid-March.

A dozen libraries will reopen to the public in a limited capacity accompanied by a new program SD Access4All targeted at bridging the digital divide while maintaining existing COVID-19 programs and practices.

Our libraries offer San Diegans a treasure trove of resources, whether its access to health information, distance learning, job searching or even just a book to pass the time, and we need them now more than ever, Faulconer said. Were reopening our libraries with health and safety as the top priority while also expanding digital access to give residents more opportunities as we get through this pandemic together.

Library locations will reopen in a limited 25% capacity beginning Oct. 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The facilities will close for cleaning from 1 to 2 p.m. daily and frequently touched areas will be cleaned hourly and after each usage. Everyone will be required to wear face coverings, have their temperature taken and practice physical distancing when possible.

Our libraries have been closed since March 13 and, although we have added pickup service and virtual programming, there is no substitute for welcoming patrons into our buildings, said Library Director Misty Jones. That is why I am so excited that we are opening 12 of our library locations starting Oct. 3. While we are offering limited services when we reopen, our staff will be working diligently to expand services as quickly and safely as possible.

In order to protect the health and safety of staff and guests some services may be limited or modified by staff, including time limits for computer use. A full list of in-person rules and requirements can be found on the San Diego Public Library website.

The following library locations will resume in-person services:

The City continuesto prioritize the safety of all staff and guests as we fight through this pandemic, which is why were opening in a phased and thoughtful way, saidJoel Day, the Citys senior advisor for COVID-19 Response and Recovery. With enhanced sanitation protocols for every building, cleaning all equipment after each interaction, enforcing physical distancing and requiring face coverings, we have a plan that will allow residents to access these public resources while staying safe and healthy.

With the pandemic shedding light on the urgency of tackling the digital divide, Faulconer also announced SD Access4All a new initiative aimed at tackling digital inequity by expanding broadband access in San Diego. An estimated 53,000 San Diegans lack access to reliable internet, a resource that has proven vital for distance learning, employment opportunities and access to public health information.

The program creates patio areas at select library locations to offer free WiFi and plastic-coated laptop computers for public use in a physically distanced setting. Capacity and cleaning requirements for the in-person reopening will also apply to all SD Access4All locations. While additional locations are currently being retrofitted for this program, these services are currently offered at the following locations:

In May under the first reopening phase, City libraries began a contact-free pickup service at some library locations. Now as the City enters the second phase, contact-free pick-up services will be maintained at 24 City libraries. To continue to provide services for San Diegans during the pandemic, San Diego Public Library moved many of its resources online for San Diegans to enjoy and share from home, including:

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Mayor reopens libraries with in-person services increased digital access - Continuing a phased reopen of City services prioritizing the health and...

University Archivist & Special Collections Librarian and Associate Professor Meg Miner showcases a book that will be included in the medieval manuscript digitizing project.

Oct. 2, 2020

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. The Ames Library is partnering with Indiana University Bloomington and a consortium of higher-learning institutions in a three-year grant for The Peripheral Manuscripts Project: Digitizing Medieval Manuscript Collections in the Midwest. The project will create a digital repository and catalog of medieval manuscripts across Midwestern collections.

The project involves digitizing and cataloging 78 codices (books) and 406 medieval manuscript fragments from a consortium of 22 Midwestern institutions, including contributions from The Ames Library. The project focuses on distinct collections that have not been economically feasible for holding institutions to digitize and catalog on their own. The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) awarded $281,936.10 for the project, and IU Bloomington will serve as host for the grant.

Elizabeth Hebbard, the project's primary principal investigator and assistant professor of French and Italian in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington said: Every surviving medieval book and fragment has the potential to tell us more about medieval book arts, textual traditions, individuals lives and libraries, and even, through their physical qualities and materials, things like animal husbandry and commerce. This is why it is so important to continue to locate and describe unstudied and understudied manuscripts.

Illinois Wesleyan initially proposed contributing 12 single manuscript leaves, dating from 1220A.D. to 1450A.D. and one complete 16th century codex. Associate Professor Meg Miner, University Archivist & Special Collections Librarian said, During a recent planning meeting I was excited to learn we will be able to add three books that contain six fragments of manuscripts. These were used by book binders in the 15th-17th centuries to support the structures of these printed books. The experts on medieval manuscripts for this CLIR project will examine them and provide us with more information that I can share with our community.

Stephanie Davis-Kahl, University Librarian, said We are grateful for the efforts of the IU Bloomington Libraries and CLIR to include a variety of institutions in the project, and I am especially appreciative of Meg Miners efforts to share the gems in our special collections with an appreciative audience.

IU Libraries will scan or photograph the manuscripts, and researchers at IU Bloomington, Loyola University Chicago and Saint Marys College, with assistance from partner librarians and subject specialists, will catalog these objects, including many manuscripts unrecorded in previous bibliographical surveys.

As a result, The Peripheral Manuscripts Project: Digitizing Medieval Manuscript Collections in the Midwest will bring a wealth of previously inaccessible and uncatalogued medieval material to scholarly consciousness.

All of the data generated by the grant team will be made freely available through digital library repository services developed and maintained by IU Libraries. This data includes manuscript descriptions and high-resolution images that meet International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) compliance standards.

This new material will be aggregated with existing digitized collections to yield a more comprehensive understanding of North American manuscript holdings.

The benefit of participating in a project like this is our small collection will join with the other partners in the Midwest in this virtual space, said Miner, and ultimately become part of a network for North American repositories. Researchers worldwide will be able to consult and compare across collections.

Lisa Fagin Davis, executive director of the Medieval Academy of America, said The Peripheral Manuscripts Project is important and timely.

Davis said that in working with Melissa Conway on the "Directory of Collections in the United States and Canada with Pre-1600 Manuscript Holdings" they discovered that the vast majority of medieval manuscripts in North America are woefully undercataloged or not cataloged at all, making them utterly inaccessible to students and scholars alike.

"Our hope was, and is, that scholars across the continent would take up our call to study and catalog these hidden collections, image these unknown medieval manuscripts and make these important relics of the medieval past available in open-access, discoverable environments," Davis said. "Peripheral Manuscripts will do just that and will serve as a model for similar consortial projects in other parts of the United States and Canada."

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The Ames Library Partners to Digitize Medieval Manuscripts | Illinois Wesleyan - Illinois Wesleyan University

The Friends of the Library organization was officially formed on Sept. 29, 1970 to help foster a love of libraries, books and reading.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. The Friends of the Library donated $50,000 on Wednesday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of when the organization was officially formed.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and officials with the Knox County Public Library accepted the donation during a check presentation at Lawson McGhee Library. Officials said it will be used to buy downloadable ebooks and audiobooks that people will be able to check out and enjoy.

They said that the check can provide funding for about 850 new ebooks and audiobooks. Officials said that since March 21, patrons borrowed more than 422,000 e-books and audiobooks.

Previous gifts from Friends of the Library have been used to help fund Spanish language computer workshops, purchase equipment to clean discs and restore paintings by Knoxville artist Catherine Wiley.

Friends of the Library was officially formed on Sept. 29, 1970, to foster a love of libraries, books and reading through outreach campaigns, advocacy and supporting the community. The organization donated nearly $1 million to the library system since it started, according to officials.

This gift will help us provide much-needed resources in emedia, which is growing in popularity daily," said Library Director Myretta Black in a release. "Truly, we are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of volunteers who care about our community and the health of the library system.

Thanks for all the love! Weve loved being Friends of the Knox County Public Library for the past 50 years, and we plan...

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Friends of the Library donates $50,000 for 50th anniversary - WBIR.com