Channel Weekly
Vol. 8, No. 21, February 9, 2006

1. State Superintendent news release on LSTA
2. President Bush FY 2007 budget request for libraries
3. Summer meal programs for children
4. New resources added to UW digital collections
5. Culvers' National Library Week promotion
6. Great Stories CLUB for Teens
7. Website of the Week - Understanding America After 9/11
8. Calendar

1. STATE SUPERINTENDENT NEWS RELEASE ON LSTA

State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster recently issued a news release regarding the federal LSTA, Library Services and Technology Act, grant program for 2006 in which libraries throughout the state are sharing $3.1 million to conduct projects to improve literacy, preserve historical documents, and improve library automation systems to better serve library patrons.

"Our libraries are strong partners in economic development and improving the quality of life in our state. By focusing on adult, family, and early literacy, they contribute to better education and employability of our citizens," said State Superintendent Burmaster. "Through these grants, our libraries are strengthening resources and services that help fulfill their mission for the citizens of Wisconsin. Public libraries are our statewide knowledge network, ensuring that all the people of Wisconsin have the broadest possible access to the information resources and materials they need for lifelong learning."

The complete text of the news release (Federal library grants support library services) is posted on the Department of Public Instruction news release website at http://www.dpi.wi.gov/eis/pdf/dpi2006_15.pdf.

2. PRESIDENT BUSH FY 2007 BUDGET REQUEST FOR LIBRARIES

On February 6, President Bush released a $2.7 trillion fiscal year 2007 budget request that included funds for libraries. According to the American Library Association, the budget includes $171,500,000 for the LSTA - Library Services and Technology Act - state grants program, despite an extremely tight fiscal environment where many programs are experiencing cuts in funding. The amount awarded for the state grants program is distributed on a formula basis to states, including Wisconsin, for a variety of state and local library projects. The amount approved for this part of the LSTA program in FY 2006 was $163,746,000, of which Wisconsin received just over $3 million.

The release of the President's budget for FY 2007 is just the first step in the budget process. The budget must be considered and acted upon by the Senate and House and signed by the President before it is final. October 1, 2006, is the start of federal FY 2007.

Also included within the LSTA budget proposal for FY 2007 are funds for programs that are administered directly at the federal level by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The budget includes $25,000,000 for the Librarians for the 21st Century program, a program to recruit and educate a new generation of librarians and expand programs for faculty and curriculum development to educate 21st century librarians; $12,930,000 for National Leadership Grants for Libraries for projects of national impact that provide models that can be widely adapted or replicated by others, including projects that provide creative solutions on issues of national importance and provide leadership for other organizations; and $3,675,000 for the Improving Library Service to Native Americans program.

For school libraries, the President requested level funding for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program at $19.4 million. The budget also includes a request for $30,000,000 to revitalize the Washington DC public library system.

3. SUMMER MEAL PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN

The Department of Public Instruction is seeking sponsors for this year's program that provides free meals to children from economically disadvantaged families during school summer vacations. The DPI has administered the Summer Food Service Program since its inception in 1975. The agency contracts with public and private schools; nonprofit organizations; city, county, and tribal governments; libraries, and other organizations to feed the children. The summer program offers them nutritious food when school is not in session.

The news release is posted on the Department of Public Instruction news release website at http://www.dpi.wi.gov/eis/pdf/dpi2006_12.pdf.

4. NEW RESOURCES ADDED TO UW DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

The following new resources were recently added to the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections. For more information about digital resources at UW, contact Peter Gorman (pgorman@library.wisc.edu) or visit the UWDC Web site at http://uwdc.library.wisc.edu.

THE STATE OF WISCONSIN COLLECTION
Civil War Band Collection: 1st Brigade Band of Brodhead, Wisconsin 21 images added 1/5/2006 This small collection of photographs, acquired along with the above described band books, contains several carte-de-visite-type images of several of the band members and their wives including Edwin Oscar Kimberley, George Spaulding, and Frederick Knickerbocker. http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI
The Home Front: Manitowoc County in World War II, 67 new images, added 1/5/2006
The Home Front: Manitowoc County in WWII presents photographic images, oral histories, published sources, artifacts, and other resources which document the county's home front and wartime experiences from 1939 to 1947. http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/WI.HomeFront

NEW RESOURCES WITHIN EXISTING COLLECTIONS

FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES COLLECTION
9 volumes / 12,984 pages, added 1/5/2006
New content includes Diplomatic Papers, 1944-1945. The Foreign Relations of the United States series is the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions that have been declassified and edited for publication. The series is produced by the State Department's Office of the Historian and printed volumes are available from the Government Printing Office. http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/FRUS

HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTION
Nature (1869-1875)
286 issues / 5,985 pages, added 1/5/2006
In the inaugural volume of Nature, in his article "Nature: Aphorisms from Goethe," T. H. Huxley wrote: "When another half-century has passed, curious readers of the back numbers of NATURE will probably look on our best, 'not without a smile;' and, it may be, that long after the theories of the philosophers whose achievements are recorded in these pages, are obsolete, the vision of the poet will remain as a truthful and efficient symbol of the wonder and the mystery of Nature." As Huxley foresaw, this collection of Nature provides insight into the developments and achievements of science at the end of the nineteenth century. http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/HistSciTech.Nature

Hooke, Robert (1635-1703). Micrographia: or some physiological descriptions of minute bodies made by magnifying glasses with observations and inquiries thereupon...
1 volume / 380 pages, added 1/5/2006
British natural philosopher Robert Hooke (1635-1703) was a major figure in the history of science, and his most famous work, Micrographia: or some physiological descriptions of minute bodies made by magnifying glasses..., is reproduced here, from the 1667 second issue held at UW-Madison, Memorial Library Special Collections, at Thordarson T 1988. Hooke has been called the first professional research scientist employed specifically to inquire into the phenomena and principles of nature, based on his 1664 salaried appointment at the Royal Society of London. In Micrographia he describes, explains and speculates about his microscopic observations of plant tissue, insects, crystal structures, snowflakes, and more. Thirty-eight detailed engravings (schemata) document Hooke's close-up views. http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/HistSciTech.HookeMicro

MILLS MUSIC LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Civil War Band Collection: 1st Brigade Band of Brodhead, Wisconsin 19
volumes / 842 pages, added 1/5/2006
During the winter of 1856-57, the Brodhead Tin Band was formed, named after the rough tin horns on which they played. Their first professional performance in 1857 was for a political gathering in Beloit following which its founders Oscar Kimberly, George T. Spaulding, and Charlie Stone purchased a set of good brass instruments and had a band wagon built to transport the group to its various engagements. In 1858, they were invited to play in Freeport, Illinois, for the second Lincoln-Douglas debate on slavery. When the Civil War began, the band members enlisted and became the 3rd Wisconsin Band. Declining morale in the face of military defeats lead the men to return home when their commissions expired but in 1864, eighteen members re-enlisted becoming the 1st Brigade Band, 3rd Division, 15th Army Corps, under General William F. Sherman.

The musical legacy of the 1st Brigade Band presented here consists of a set of twelve, leather-bound partbooks and seven envelopes of other music manuscripts. Most of the pieces contained in this collection are identified as quicksteps, a type of music for dancing and many are arrangements of well-known songs. http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/MillsSpColl.BandBooks

5. CULVERS' NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK PROMOTION

Culvers is continuing its joint National Library Week program with WLA in 2006. The program will be the same as in previous years and children will be asked to submit coloring sheet drawings from favorite books that correspond with the "Paws, Claws, Scales and Tales" Summer Library Program theme. All children receive ice cream coupons in exchange for their participation. At this point Culvers has not provided information on prizes for the top entries, but in the previous years Culvers donated lunch boxes, hats, and backpacks.

The project runs during April and libraries are free to design the program that best fits their needs. Many libraries collect coloring sheets in the early weeks of the month and then present the prizes to winners, either chosen through a drawing or through library staff choosing their favorite works, during National Library Week. While the program guidelines state that the program is available to children ages 10 and under, the Culvers contact indicated that 11- and 12-year-olds can participate if libraries are questioned by kids and/or parents. This is an optional program and libraries are not required to participate. The system youth services liaisons are collecting the information on how many coloring sheets are needed by their respective libraries and will coordinate their distribution. The system liaisons can answer questions for their librarians.

6. GREAT STORIES CLUB FOR TEENS

The Great Stories CLUB (Connecting Libraries, Underserved teens and Books) is a book club grant program organized by the American Library Association Public Programs Office (PPO) and Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) to provide young adults with the opportunity to discuss books relevant to the challenges in their lives. Oprah's Angel Network is providing a grant to support the program. All types of libraries (public, school, academic and special), in partnership with facilities serving troubled teens (such as juvenile detention centers or alternative high schools) in the United States and its territories are eligible to apply. Selected libraries will present three-part book club discussions featuring three theme-related books chosen by YALSA for teen audiences.

Applications will be accepted online at http://www.ala.org/greatstories from January 25 through February 20, 2006. Up to 200 libraries will be selected to receive 10 sets of the three books to provide to members of the book club, along with online resources to plan and implement the program. YALSA's Outreach to Young Adults with Special Needs Committee developed the book selections, theme and program support materials. The theme for the Great Stories CLUB will be teens facing challenges, and the following titles will be included: "The First Part Last" by Angela Johnson "Born Blue" by Han Nolan "Stuck in Neutral" by Terry Trueman. For further details, including guidelines, application instructions, and the online application, visit http://www.ala.org/greatstories.

7. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

Understanding America After 9/11 -- http://understandingamerica.publicradio.org/ -- We knew life in America would never be the same after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, but no one knew exactly how it would change. How has our society and country come to terms since then? Public radio tackles this question with Understanding America after 9/11, a week of special coverage on stations nationwide. Stories and programs from Understanding America after 9/11 were broadcast on public radio stations nationwide September 3 through September 10, 2002. Many of the stories are archived on this site.

8. CALENDAR

February 24, 2006 - Library and Information Technology Advisory Committee meeting, Madison

March 5-7, 2006 - Wisconsin Educational Media Association/Brainstorm 2006 Spring Conference, Wisconsin Dells

March 10, 2006 - Council on Library and Network Development meeting, Madison

March 21-25, 2006 - Public Library Association National Conference, Boston

March 28-31, 2006 - Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians, Stevens Point

April 11-12, 2006 - Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Advisory Committee spring meeting and public hearing, Madison

May 2, 2006 - National Library Legislative Day, Washington DC

May 3-5, 2006 - Wisconsin Association of Public Libraries meeting, Wisconsin Rapids

May 12, 2006 - Council on Library and Network Development, Platteville

June 22-28, 2006 - American Library Association Annual Conference, New Orleans

October 31-November 3, 2006 - Wisconsin Library Association, Wisconsin Dells

For more details about these and other meetings, see the WISDOM calendar at http://dpi.wi.gov/pld/wisdom.html and the BadgerLink and WISCAT training site at http://www.wiscat.lib.wi.us/training.html.

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Roslyn Wise, Editor, at (608) 266-6439

For questions about this information, contact Roslyn M. Wise (608) 266-6439

Last updated on 3/10/2006 12:54:48 PM