JPL Receives $400,000 Gift

This is a good reminder that planned giving can be of great benefit. Congrats to JPL for being able to establish an endowment and do some needed projects too.

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From the Jacksonville Public Library Foundation Newsletter:

"During the summer, the Jacksonviile Public Library Foundation received an extremely generous gift of approximately $400,000 from the Estate of Ms. Cecilia Eckles.

The money left from Eckles Estate is designated to the Main Library and Regency Square Branch Library. Ms. Eckles died at the age of 98 but according to everyone that knew her, didn’t act a day over 70.

She was an avid reader that kept her own accounting books by hand. A loving, caring person, she was a gardener up until age 97, in which she spent eight hours a day in her garden.

Cecilia’s legacy will continue on throughout our library system. The donation has been
earmarked to support two important library initiatives, the Main Library Learning for
a Lifetime Endowment and the Regency Square Branch Library Circulation Services
Redesign Project.

Half of the Cecilia Eckles gift will be designated for the Main Library as the inaugural gift
to establish the Learning for a Lifetime Endowment. This endowment gift will enable
the Library to establish its first consistent source of funding to enhance the Main Library’s
ability to provide critical lifelong learning, cultural and community programming services to the Jacksonville’s adult population at the Main Library."

Clay Literacy Coalition

Caption: Pat Coffman, Cindy Fuss, and Douglas Smith

From the "Clay County Leader" (Front page, above the fold!), 2/20/10.

The Clay County Literacy Coalition celebrated their 10th Anniversary with a banquet and awards presentation. Pat Coffman is the VP of the Coalition and Asst. Director of the Clay County Public Library. Cindy Fuss received the "Volunteer of the Year" award.

Much Ado About Books

Mark your calendars to attend Much Ado About Books February 26-27, 2010 at the Main Library, 303 N. Laura Street, Jacksonville, Florida.

Celebrating its 15th anniversary, don't miss this year's exciting lineup!

Borland Renovation

Since NEFLIN is primarily grant funded, we have been spending a good deal of time the past few weeks focusing on grant writing. Because of this we have a back log of member news. So here goes...
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Caption: Dr. Borland and Dr. Nuss cutting the ribbon to open the library.

On January 26, 2010, the newly-renovated Borland Health Sciences Library was rededicated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by an afternoon social.

Dr James L. Borland Jr. presented a biography of his father. The Borland Library was named for his father, Dr. James L. Borland, who was an expert Gastroenterologist, and who had Florida’s first fluoroscope in his office. He served as President of the State Board of Medical Examiners, and fostered the development of a medical library to serve Jacksonville medical practitioners.

Dr. Robert Nuss, Dean of the University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville regional campus, spoke about the continuing value of the Borland Library to the medical community and the University. He stated that the library is now a modern, updated facility which provides full access to medical resources.

Partial funding for renovations was provided by the Community Foundation of Jacksonville.

Inspirational Leadership with DeEtta Jones Young

Inspirational Leadership: A Practical Approach During Shifting Times is a one-day session designed for library leaders who are challenged to support and sustain staff through changing environmental realities. High customer expectations, changing technological demands and shifting resource allocations require new energy and new commitment from our staffs. As leaders your challenge is to find ways to tap the best within your current staff, in spite of challenges facing the organization. This session will focus on the expectations of leaders for articulating a desired future, communicating and managing performance expectations, supporting and renewing staff engagement levels and increasing staff focus on service excellence. Participants will be able to apply learning to such areas as organizational change, recruitment and retention, organizational effectiveness, and organizational responses to the internal and external worlds.

Learning Outcomes: After this session participants will:

• Understand positive organizational development as a leadership framework
• Be able to recognize their own and others abilities to influence and appropriately use power
• Identify what motivates people and explore options for working more effectively with staff
• Practice using a problem solving tool and coaching tool
• Have a better understanding of the role of manager as organizational change facilitator

Trainer: DeEtta Jones Young, DeEtta Jones & Associates

Tuesday, March 23, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at NEFLIN in Orange Park

Register today here

See all NEFLIN events at http://www.neflin.org/registration.php

Free PSA

Celebrate National Library Week with free customizable PSA

To promote National Library Week (April 11 - 17 2010), a free customizable public service announcement (PSA) featuring award-winning author Neil Gaiman is now available.

Gaiman, the 2009 Newbery Medal winner for The Graveyard Book, will appear in both a print and a radio public service announcement. Gaiman’s love of libraries and librarians is no secret, as his many fans and Twitter followers know.

The PSA can be downloaded for free at http://www.ala.org/nlw. The PSA reminds library users of all the resources the library offers and how libraries are of key importance in tough economic times. To have the PSA customized with their library’s logo, librarians are asked to send a print quality logo file, their library name, and URL to ala@atigraphics.com. The PSA will be sent to the library in one to two weeks.

Other materials are currently available in both English and Spanish, focusing on the 2010 National Library Week theme, “Communities thrive @ your library.” They include a proclamation, sample press release and letter to the editor, as well as scripts for use in radio public service announcements. Libraries can download materials at http://www.ala.org/nlw.

Libraries planning to participate in “Communities thrive @ your library” themed programming are encouraged to share their stories with the Campaign for America’s Libraries by sending an e-mail to atyourlibrary@ala.org.

ALA Graphics products supporting the “Communities thrive” theme are also available. In addition to the 2010 National Library Week poster and bookmark, libraries can also purchase mini posters and, new this year, a downloadable transit sign. National Library Week themed Web files along with all Graphics products can be purchased through the ALA Store at http://www.alastore.ala.org/nlw.

Source: State Library of Florida

New Location: What's New in Literature workshop

NEFLIN is sponsoring the workshop “What’s New in Literature for Children and Young People” with Kathleen Baxter, scheduled for Wednesday, February 24 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Due to the number of participants we are changing the workshop location to:

Courtyard by Marriott Orange Park
610 Wells Road
Orange Park, Fl 32073
904-854-1500

See directions here

This is a new hotel and is just a few minutes from our office. From US 17 (Park Avenue) go west on Wells Road and it is just around the bend on the left. Because of the larger space we can take more people, so if you aren't already registered there is still room.

Register here: http://bit.ly/crRaz6

Please note that the last day to cancel remains Friday, February 19. We look forward to seeing you on February 24.

Florida Libraries and Grants Database

A twofer from the State Library today. Another announcement, this time about the release of their long-awaited, much-anticipated, library database.
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The Florida Department of State, State Library and Archives of Florida is pleased to announce the release of a new online database, Florida Libraries and Grants (http://www.fllibraries.org/).

Through this site, information for and about Florida libraries is available to the public at any time. Also, selected staff at Florida libraries can edit information about their libraries by logging into the Florida Libraries and Grants system. The online database will also allow users to download a text file or an Excel file of library information.

Both public users and library staff can begin viewing Florida Libraries and Grants at http://www.fllibraries.org/. Please see the attached instructions to help you get started.

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Louttit Johnson at aljohnson@dos.state.fl.us or 850.245.6622.

Florida Public Libraries ROI Increases

This from State Librarian, Judi Ring.

"I am happy to release to you the new data on the 2010 public library return on investment study. The new ROI is $8.32 for every dollar invested in Florida's public libraries. UWF is working on the final report and analysis of all data collected but we wanted to get the basics out to all of you as quickly as possible." The $8.32 figure is an increase from $6.54 (2004 ROI Study.)

Preliminary ROI Brochure

Contact Karen Brown at the State Library for more information.

On-Site Technology Workshops - Class Added

A new class date has been added for the Mickey Boyd on-site workshops. Each class is
9:30 am - 4:00 pm and is free to NEFLIN members. Two topics are offered over many dates and locations throughout the NEFLIN region.

Collaborative Technologies in Libraries

Collaborative web technologies are changing the way people interact with information, and each other. This workshop will demonstrate and explain these new technologies, and will illustrate why they are so significant to the future of libraries. Indeed, the entire profession of librarianship is changing rapidly due to these and other Internet technologies. It is critically important for librarians to understand what is happening now, and what is coming in the near future. With ever-increasing pressure to do more with less, libraries must learn to leverage the popularity of collaborative and participatory technologies. It is fortunate that most of these technologies are open source and free. The challenge is to sculpt something useful and sustainable from these excellent resources. This workshop is about integrating new technologies into traditional services, and using them to develop new roles for libraries. We will discuss web syndication, virtual presence, social software, and much more. Scheduled classes:

• Thursday, February 18 at Suwannee River Regional Library in Live Oak
• Thursday, March 4 at St. Johns County Public Library in St. Augustine
• Wednesday, March 17 at Jacksonville Main Library in Jacksonville NEW
• Thursday, March 18 at Jacksonville Main Library in Jacksonville
• Monday, April 19 at Columbia County Public Library in Lake City
• Thursday, May 13 at Marion County Public Library in Ocala
• Friday, May 14 at Alachua County Library District in Gainesville

Computer and Network Issues for Public Access Computing

Libraries have very specific Information Technology (IT) needs, and there are many challenges to develop and maintain information infrastructure for staff and patrons. In order to provide public access computing you need to have an understanding of computer and network related issues, how to protect patron privacy, wired versus wireless access, and technology purchasing strategies to save money in this time of flat or reduced budgets. This workshop will cover a variety of important topics, and will help libraries make effective decisions concerning computer and network resources. The workshop is intended for both technical staff and their supervisors, and particularly for staff members responsible for calling in outside sources of IT to solve problems. Scheduled classes are:

• Thursday, March 11 at Bradford County Public Library in Starke
• Friday, March 12 at Clay County Headquarters Library in Fleming Island
• Tuesday, April 20 at Nassau County Public Library in Yulee

Click here to register for one or both of these on-site workshops

New LE@D Self Paced Courses

LE@D - Lifelong Education @ Desktop - has announced three new self paced courses. These are available to NEFLIN members at no charge. See the list of courses and instructions on how to register.

Mentors and Protégés: Creating Successful Workplace Programs

There's a lot of common-sense planning that goes into running an effective, creative, dynamic mentor program. It really isn't about magic — it's about organization, details, and continual evaluation to help us stay on target and focus on our goals. Throughout this course, we will be exploring how to create the best interchanges between mentors and protégés, with an eye toward positive results for all involved.

Strategic Planning: Quick, Cheap, and Decent

What happens if you don't have time to research and write an A+ strategic plan? What if you have an impossible deadline, no budget, no experience, and no staff? Something has to give. This is a class for when you need a quick, simple, short-term working strategic plan for your library or project; when your plan needs to be good, not great; when your existing plan needs a fast makeover; when your existing planning process is stalled and you need a jump-start; when you have a difficult planning deadline; when your library's leadership and management have never created a strategic plan before, and they want to start small, simple, and doable; or when there is only one of you to do it all.

Strategic Planning: The Five-Minute Introduction

Strategic planning is about inventing a new future and creating a written plan for coordinating the steps and the resources to get there. That doesn't sound so very terrible, does it? But, poll a library audience about why they hate strategic planning, and the issues appear all too familiar.

What if I could offer you a strategic planning process that was both reasonable and beneficial to your library? This class is designed to introduce you to the skills and techniques necessary for developing a strategic plan and emphasizes two important concepts:

• Strategic planning works.
• It does not have to be a long, expensive, tedious, and basically useless process.

Why Five Minutes? Because that's how long it takes to explain the main steps of this effective strategic planning model.

See instructions on registering for any of the 50 self paced
LE@D classes available to NEFLIN members

Oscar Nominees on DVD

The Academy Award nominees were announced yesterday. Until the awards are handed out on March 7, you can still catch up on viewing the nominees. Here's the list of Best Picture nominees and whether you can still catch them at the theater or on DVD.

In Theatres still:
An Education (only in 75 theatres)
Avatar (will pass Titanic this weekend as the all-time box office champ)
Blind Side
Precious (only in 200 theatres)
Up in the Air

On DVD:
District 9
Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Serious Man (on DVD Feb. 9)
Up

Children's Literature Symposium in Sarasota

Registration is now open for the 4th Annual Children's Literature Symposium at the Sarasota Campus of USF.

Date/Time: February 20, 8:30am - 3:30pm.

There will be two keynote speakers, and breakout sessions throughout the day.

For more information (PDF)

Library Legislative Day Webinars

The Florida library community will gather in Tallahassee on February 16 for Library Day. The event provides the opportunity for advocates to meet with legislators and tell them about Floridians’ and their communities’ needs for library service and about library issues.

This year FLA is providing two Library Day Orientation Webinars to help advocates get up to speed about what is going on in Tallahassee and the library advocacy message. Information about Library Day plans and logistics will also be provided to ensure that participants have a positive, productive, and fun day. Participating in an Orientation Webinar will help prepare you advocate effectively for Florida libraries.

If you register for either of these sessions, we will contact you with log-in information 24 to 48 hours prior to the workshop.

Register Here for: February 9, 10:00am -10:45am

Register Here for: February 11, 2:00pm – 2:45pm

Beverly Schulz Retires

Columbia County Public Library held a party January 31 honoring Children's Librarian Beverly Schulz who is retiring after 23 years. Pictured below left, Beverly reads to children at the party, and pictured to the right is Library Director Debbie Paulson wishing Beverly the best on her retirement.

While Beverly enjoys her retirement, the library is recruiting for the open position. See the Columbia County website for more information.

Happy Retirement to Beverly from your friends at NEFLIN.

Handheld Librarian Online Conference

The Handheld Librarian is a 2-day online conference held Wednesday and Thursday,
February 17-18, 2010. More people than ever are using mobile devices for a wide variety of purposes including communication, internet access, text messaging, and entertainment. It is important that libraries provide services on these devices as use increases.

NEFLIN is sponsoring broadcast of the conference at several locations in our region:

• Jacksonville Public Library, Main Library Conference Level, 303 N. Laurel Street, Jacksonville. Contact: Lynn Jacobson (904) 744-6845
• St. Johns County Public Library, Southeast Branch Library, 6670 US 1 South, St. Augustine. Contact: Jae Bass (904) 827-6900
• University of Florida, Smathers Library West, Gainesville. Contact: Kristy Mills, (352) 273-2595
• University of North Florida, Thomas G. Carptenter Library, 1 UNF Drive, Building 12, Jacksonville. Contact: Laurel Crump (904) 620-2247

See the Handheld Librarian Conference schedule here and decide what sessions you want to watch, or plan to attend both days (Note: The times on the HHL website are listed in Central TIme Zone). No registration is needed to attend at one of the above locations. Check with the host location for directions or parking information.