Saturday, November 28, 2009

Nominations sought for Labor Award

The American Library Association's Reference & User Services Association is seeking nominations for the 2010 John Sessions Memorial Award recognizing library contributions to the labor community.

The award, a plaque supported by a donation from the AFL-CIO, recognizes a library or library system that has made a significant effort to work with the labor community and has consequently brought recognition of the history and contribution of the labor movement to the development of the United States. The award is named for John Sessions, former American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) co-chair of the AFL-CIO/ALA Joint Committee on Library Service to Labor Groups.

Those interested in submitting a nomination can download the nomination form from the awards section of the RUSA website or request the form from Liz Markel, RUSA Marketing Specialist or from Bobray Bordelon, chairperson for the award committee. All nominations must be received by Dec. 15.

Recent award recipients include the U.S. Department of Labors Wirtz Labor Library (2009) for its efforts in supporting the history and contribution of the labor movement in the United States by both maintaining unique and historically significant collections, including rare international material, and making this material accessible to the broader public; The Walter P.
Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich., (2008) for its No Greater Calling online resource chronicling the influence and history of Walter P. Reuther, an American labor union leader; and the James B. Carey Library at the School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. (2007) for its role as a resource for in-depth and specialized information resources and service to the labor community.

Past winners with recent, new contributions are encouraged to apply.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Librarian's Guide on How to Use the American Community Survey Multiyear Estimates

You will find a link to this 12-page guide here (12 pp, PDF).

It will explain some of what librarians and other data users need to do to provide
quality service for ACS data, including:

* "Cherry-picking" data from different surveys - a bad practice
* Questions of currency versus reliability
* Adjustments for inflation
* Comparing ACS multiyear estimates with each other
* Comparing ACS data with Census 2000 and Census 2010 data
* Four types of sampling errors
* Four types of non-sampling errors
* Data Swapping
* and more

May you find it useful.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Pine Hills Grand Opening

From Elissa Kane, APL:

It's quite incredible that after four years of community meetings, bonding, design and construction - Albany libraries are beginning to open to the public! We hope you'll join us for the momentous community occasion. We appreciate all you've done to make this happen for our city and we invite you to:

Join Us in Celebrating!!!

The Grand Opening of Albany’s New Pine Hills Branch Library
Saturday, December 5, from 1 to 5 p.m.
*Ribbon cutting ceremony starts at 2 p.m.*
517 Western Avenue 459-3180

The fully renovated Pine Hills Branch Library is a wonderful addition to this energetic Albany neighborhood. We hope that you can join us to celebrate the revival of one of the city’s great public spaces. The Pine Hills grand opening party is a true community celebration, so we kindly ask you to share this invitation with your friends, colleagues, and neighbors.

The Pine Hills Branch Library grand opening celebration features:
• Welcome and ribbon cutting
• Family entertainment
• Fun giveaways
• Craft activities for kids
• Refreshments generously provided by hospitality sponsor Price Chopper Supermarkets

Please feel free to forward this to you friends, colleagues and neighbors.

REGENTS APPOINT HAMMOND, MACK-HARVIN, MULLER AND SHERBY TO ADVISORY COUNCIL ON LIBRARIES

The New York State Board of Regents has appointed John Hammond, Dionne Mack-Harvin, Mary Muller and Louise Sherby to the Regents Advisory Council on Libraries. The term for Mr. Hammond, who is filling an unfulfilled term, will be until 2011; terms for Ms. Mack-Harvin, Ms. Muller and Ms. Sherby will be until 2014.

John Hammond is the Executive Director of the Northern New York Library Network in Potsdam, NY. Prior to this appointment, he was the Associate Director of the Kansas City, MO Public Library. He earned his Masters of Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University. In 1998, Mr. Hammond won the New York Library Association Outstanding Service Award, and in 2001 served as NYLA President. In 2003, Mr. Hammond founded the New Yorkers for Better Libraries Political Action Committee, and now serves as its Treasurer. He currently serves as the President
of the North Country Library System in Watertown, NY and as the convener of the Steering Committee of the New York Alliance of Library Systems.

Ms. Dionne Mack-Harvin is the Executive Director of the Brooklyn Public Library. Prior to her appointment in March 2007, Ms. Mack-Harvin served as the library’s Interim Executive Director and Chief of Staff. She earned her Masters of Library Science at the University at Albany. In 2009, Ms. Mack-Harvin was recognized as one of The Network Journal’s “40 Under 40 Dynamic Achievers.” She is a 2008 recipient of the Brooklyn Reading Council’s Friend of Literacy Award and a 2008 honoree of Crain’s New York Business “40 Under 40” leaders in the business world.

Ms. Muller is the President of the Board of Trustees at the Troy Public Library and is employed at Market Block Books in Troy, NY Prior to this, she administered U.S. Government library programs in Latin America, Europe, and Asia over a 22-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service. She earned her Masters of Library Science at the University of Michigan. Ms. Muller is the Vice President of the Upper Hudson Library System Board, serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of Retarded Citizens (ARC) of Rensselaer County and is Vice President of the League of Women Voters, Rensselaer Chapter.

Ms. Sherby served as the Associate Dean and Chief Librarian at Hunter College Libraries, City University of New York from 1996-2009 and is on sabbatical leave for this academic year. Prior to this, Ms. Sherby was the Assistant Director for Public Services at the Miller Nichols Library at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She received her Doctorate of Library Science at Columbia University. She served as Chair of the New York Higher Education Initiative (NYSHEI) 2006-07, and as Associate Dean served on the Council of Chief Librarians, City University of New York, and on the Dean’s Council at Hunter College. She is currently on the Editorial Board of Urban Library Journal.

Other members of the Council are: Barbara Hamlin, Wood Library Board
of Trustees, Canandaigua; Jill Hurst-Wahl, Hurst Associates, Syracuse; Sara Kelly Johns, Lake Placid Middle/Senior High School, Lake Placid; Tim Johnson, New York University Libraries, New York City; John Monahan, Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES, Yorktown Heights; Gerald Nichols, Palmer Institute for Public Library Organization and Management, Brookville; Bridget Quinn-Carey, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, Buffalo; and Sam Simon, Ramapo Catskill Library System Board of Trustees, South Nyack. Ellen Bach, David Ferriero, Norm Jacknis, and Lucretia McClure have completed their five-year terms with distinction, leading the Regents Advisory Council efforts to provide information about New York’s libraries to legislators and other decision makers.

The Regents Advisory Council on Libraries works with the officers of the State Education Department in developing a comprehensive statewide library and information policy, and makes recommendations to the Regents concerning the implementation of the program. The Council is broadly representative of libraries and statewide constituencies served by the New York State Library. For more information about the Regents Advisory Council, visit the State Library’s website at:
http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/adviscns/rac/index.html.

Nominations for future appointments to the Council are welcomed by the State Education Department. They should be sent to the Office of the State Librarian, New York State Library, Room 10C34 Cultural Education Center, Albany, New York 12230.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

NYLA/GIRT "Notable Document" nomination deadline

This message is being posted to NYLINE and NYSDOC:

The New York Library Association Government Information Roundtable (NYLA/GIRT) is seeking nominations for the Notable New York Document Award. This award honors government agencies that have produced notable documents distributed through the New York State Documents Depository Program. We need your help in identifying nominees. Categories to look for include reference publications, informational documents, and notable agency efforts (need not be limited to a specific document).

Is the document useful, informative, logically and attractively presented, innovative? These and other qualities can be considered in choosing nominees.

Additional information about the award, including previous winners, can be found on the NYLA web site.

A nomination form may be printed off the web, or requested from Mary Redmond via email or at (518) 474-5957, and must be submitted by December 31, 2009.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Title II of Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act Takes Effect

On November 21, 2009 Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) took effect. GINA prohibits discrimination by health insurers and employers based on individuals' genetic information. Genetic information includes the results of genetic tests to determine whether someone is at increased risk of acquiring a condition (such as some forms of breast cancer) in the future, as well as a person's family medical history. For more information about Title I provisions of the law relating to health coverage read The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008: Information for Researchers and Health Care Professionals.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Thanksgiving closing

All locations of APL will close at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, 11/25 and will be closed all day Thursday, 11/26 and Friday, 11/27 for Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Albany County H1N1 Vaccination Clinic

Sunday, November 22nd ‐‐ 10:00am to 4:30pm
Times Union Center in Albany, NY
Free Parking Available in Times Union Center Garage

Tuesday, November 24th ‐‐ 3:30pm to 7:00pm
Berne Knox Westerlo Elementary School
1738 Helderberg Trail (Rt 443), Berne

FREE H1N1 vaccines will be provided to Albany County residents in the following target groups:
* Persons aged 4 – 24 years
* Persons aged 25 ‐ 64 years who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for flu‐related complications
* Persons 4 years and older who live with or provide care for infants under 6 months old (e.g. parents, siblings and daycare providers)
* Pregnant women
* Health‐care and emergency medical services personnel

At this time, the Albany County Health Department does not have vaccine for children 6 months through three years of age.

Pre‐registration is required online at www.albanycounty.com/health or by phone at (518) 447‐4505
Phones open Monday‐Friday, 8:30am‐4:30pm

Online registration for each clinic will close at midnight the day before the scheduled clinic date.

These two clinics are only for the target groups listed above. Additional clinics will be held for County residents as more vaccine becomes available. For more information, go to www.albanycounty.com/health or call the Albany County Flu Line at 518‐447‐4505.

Pine Hills Library is Open!

From Stephanie Simon
Albany Public Library

Yes it's true. The Pine Hills Branch Library is open!

We quietly opened the doors to the public on Monday at noon, and quickly saw people streaming through the doors to check out the new materials, computers, furniture, and spaces the fully renovated library has to offer.

Our customers were thrilled to be back in their favorite neighborhood library and to see the dramatic changes it underwent during the renovation process. We heard so many great comments, including:
"I'm enjoying this!"
"I feel like I'm in a candy store!"
"It is wonderful, and your staff is equally as wonderful."
"Wow. This is beautiful."

The completely renovated library features: a 50,000-piece collection of books, DVDs, CDs, magazines, and audio books; 24 public access computers; building-wide Wi-Fi; two community meeting rooms; three small-group study rooms; separate spaces for teens, children, and adults; an open and airy floor plan; reading nooks, study tables, and computer desks throughout the two-story building; and "green" energy efficient and cost effective building systems.

The Pine Hills branch is located at 517 Western Avenue. The temporary phone number is 459-3180.

The library's hours are:
Monday noon to 8 p.m.
Tuesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday noon to 8 p.m.
Thursday noon to 6 p.m.
Friday noon to 6 p.m.
Saturday 1 to 5 p.m.

We are hosting a grand opening celebration--including a ribbon cutting ceremony, refreshments, entertainment, activities, and giveaways--for the entire neighborhood on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Come check out the new Pine Hills Branch Library and explore what's in it for you!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

LeBrun event canceled

Unfortunately, due to illness, the Fred LeBrun event originally scheduled for Nov 19 by the Writers Institute as part of UAlbany's Hudson 400 program, has been canceled. The Institute will re-schedule the event in its spring series. Look to the NYSWI website for further information, which will be posted at the end of the fall term.

Meeting Wednesday to discuss CDTA cuts

Councilman Dominick Calsolaro (Albany, First Ward) will be the guest speaker a meeting Wednesday of Citizens for Public Transportation.

Calsolaro said he was asked to discuss recent cutbacks at the Capital District Transportation Authority and the elimination of stops on numerous routes throughout the region...

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Albany Public Library's main branch at 161 Washington Ave.

Read more here.

Fall 2009 JLAMS Now Available

The Fall 2009 issue of JLAMS, the peer reviewed electronic journal from the Library Administration and Management Section of the New York Library Association, is available on the LAMS web site here.

If you think you might be interested in submitting an article to JLAMS, please send an email to editor Richard Naylor at naylor@ColonieLibrary.org or give him a call at 518.810.0316 to discuss it.

At the web site you can also find out how to submit articles, volunteer to be a Referee, and about other LAMS initiatives.
Articles in the issue include:
*** Public Library Collaborative Collection Development for Print Resources by Matthew Roslund and Rebecca Nous.
*** Planning Your Library Vote By Libby Post
*** Anatomy of one public library’s response to the devastating flood of 2006 by Mary Grace Flaherty, MS, MLS
*** The Evaluation of Use of Electronic Resources and Services in Academic Libraries: A Study of E-metrics and Related Methods for Measurement and Assessment by By Dr. Kanu A. Nagra

Saturday, November 14, 2009

One Step Closer to Opening New Libraries

From self-described bookworm Stephanie Simon, Albany Public Library

It's been a whirlwind of activity at Albany Public Library these past few months. We're really kicking into high gear with the opening of our first new library--Pine Hills--very shortly. In preparation for opening the doors, we have been finalizing staffing plans, training on new systems, installing computers, tweaking the collection, and lots of last minute items.

New Branch Hours Established

The library Board of Trustees approved a new set of branch hours at its meeting Nov. 10. As requested by many customers, all branches will have the same hours and they will be open year-round on Saturdays. The new hours (which total 40 hours per week) are:

Monday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Tuesday 10 am. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Customers have also asked for expanded hours at the branches. As we open the five new libraries over the next six months, we will be evaluating the changes these new locations are creating across the library system. Our goal is to responsibly and intelligently expand hours as we better understand how you use the new libraries.

To Open, We Must Close

With work nearing completion on the new Delaware and Howe Branch Libraries, we are ready to close the current branches serving those neighborhoods.

The current Delaware branch (at 485 Delaware Avenue) will have its last day of service on Saturday, Nov. 14. The new Delaware branch (at 331 Delaware Avenue) will open its doors in December. A grand opening celebration is planned for Saturday, Jan. 9, from 1 to 5 p.m.

The transitional Howe branch (at the Albany Housing Authority building on South Pearl Street) will have its last day of service on Saturday, Nov. 21. The fully renovated Howe library (at Schuyler and Broad Streets) is planned to open in February. A grand opening celebration (to be announced soon) will be held at Howe too.

Staff from both of these locations will be busy getting their newly renovated branch libraries ready to open the doors to the public. The transformations of these two buildings is amazing. We can't wait for you to see them both!

Sneak Preview of Delaware & Pine Hills

The verdict is in...people are loving our new Albany libraries! Several dozen library supporters got their first chance to see the fully renovated Delaware and Pine Hills Branch Libraries at a recent special sneak preview fund raiser hosted by the Library Foundation.

As people toured the not-yet-open libraries, we heard the same words over and over again: beautiful, welcoming, comfortable, well-designed, innovative, wonderful. Once you get a chance to see these buildings, I think you'll like them too!

At Pine Hills, attendees got to check out the brand new Dewey-free collection of books. And a few youngsters had their first chance to look through the fully stocked children's collection. Everyone will get to see the new Pine Hills when doors open very soon (sometime this month). A special grand opening party at Pine Hills--including a ribbon cutting, entertainment, refreshments, and giveaways--is set for Saturday, Dec. 5, from 1 to 5 p.m. Please join us to celebrate the grand opening of Albany's newest library!

As you can see, the changes are coming fast and furious now. Our branch library hours are set, Pine Hills will be open in a matter of days, and Delaware's opening is right around the corner in December. Stay tuned for more updates on all the great happenings at Albany's new neighborhood libraries!

Friday, November 13, 2009

25th anniversary of the Writers Institute

Please come to a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany, at 8:00p on Monday, November 16 in Page Hall on the downtown campus.

Former New York State Governor Mario Cuomo and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin will speak at this celebration. The event will also feature a short video highlighting the Writers Institute's history and memorable guests and events, as well as the release of the first ten selections of the Institute's list of "25 Uniquely New York Books."

In 1984, Governor Mario Cuomo signed into law the legislation creating the Writers Institute, giving it a mandate to provide "a milieu for established and aspiring writers to work together... to increase the artistic imagination." Under the direction of Pulitzer Prize-winner and UAlbany Professor of English, William Kennedy, the Institute has hosted over 1,000 visiting writer appearances, screened over 400 films, and presented dozens of writing workshops, symposia, and special events, making it one of the premier literary arts organizations in the country.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Water First film

WATER FIRST: Reaching the Millennium Development Goals
Screening of documentary film by Amy Hart
Q&A with special guest, Charles Banda, founder Freshwater Project Malawi
Sunday, November 15 at 4:00 pm
Madison Theatre, 1040 Madison Avenue, Albany, NY
Contact: Jean Quattrocchi 518-424-7980

4,000 children died today because they couldn’t get a clean drink of water.
One man is determined to do something about it.

Through the inspiring story of Charles Banda, Amy Hart’s award-winning film, Water First: Reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), conveys the critical importance of clean water and sanitation in achieving all of the United Nations’ MDGs and relieving global poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and other impoverished regions of the world.

• "Water First gets to the heart of the global water and sanitation crisis.”
- David Douglas, President, Water Advocates
• “Water First is a powerful look at the problem of failing to meet basic human needs for water, and the fantastic efforts underway by dedicated heroes trying to solve that problem.”
– Peter Gleick, President, Pacific Institute, Author, The World’s Water

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker and special guest, Charles Banda, the founding director of Freshwater Project Malawi, a small, grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to providing clean water and sanitation to the people of Malawi, one of the ten poorest countries in the world. Since its founding, Freshwater Project has constructed more than 2,000 wells and 5,0000 pit latrines – serving more than 1 million people. In 2008 Freshwater Project was acknowledged by UNICEF as an exemplary water NGO.

In Malawi, Africa, more than half of the population struggles to survive without access to clean water. Women and young girls get up at 4:00 in the morning and walk long distances to haul water from murky rivers or mud holes in the ground. The result is high incidences of waterborne diseases, and the unnecessary death of 1 in 7 children under the age of five.

Banda advocates using a ‘social work’ approach to water interventions that promotes community empowerment and sustainability of the projects. Audiences will delight in his good humor and accessible manner as he answers questions about how he came to be one of East Africa’s leading watermen from his very humble beginnings as an orphan growing up in a village without any water.

Admission: free and open to the public

Malawi Freshwater Project: www.FreshWaterProject.org
Film homepage and trailer: www.WaterFirstFilm.org
Film distribution, reviews and awards: www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/wfirst.html

CHARLES BANDA - BIOGRAPHY

Charles Banda is the founder and executive director of Freshwater Project Malawi, a local, grassroots NGO dedicated to providing water and basic sanitation to the people of Malawi, one of the ten poorest nations in the world. Since 1995, Freshwater Project has installed more than 2,000 and 5,000 pit latrines through comprehensive community-based initiatives that aim to empower the people and provide a sense of ownership that promotes sustainability of the projects. In 2008 Freshwater Project was acknowledged by UNICEF as an exemplary water NGO in Malawi. “Freshwater Project is an accountable, transparent and accountable organization,” stated Kiwe Sebunya, Chief of UNICEF Malawi Water and Environmental Sanitation.

Orphaned at the age of 7, Charles Banda grew up with various relatives in the rural villages of Malawi. He walked 14 kilometers to school, without shoes, and hid a bottle of murky water in the bushes for his long walk home. Despite these challenges, he excelled in school and went on to become a professional aviation fireman at the Chileka International Airport in Blantyre, Malawi. To earn a little extra money so he could buy a loaf of bread for his family, he also drove a taxi after hours. On weekends he served as a preacher in the rural villages. It was on a Sunday morning when he arrived at a village and was informed that the morning services had to be cancelled due to an outbreak of cholera that he decided to change his path in life.

After seeing people dying awful deaths from drinking dirty water from a stream, Charles decided that it wasn’t enough to preach the word of God – he had to take action and give the people what they truly needed – clean water. In 1995, he started saving his money from his taxi fares so he could build his first well. When his wife, Evalyn, questioned why he no longer brought a nice loaf of bread home to the family he explained he was saving up for a well – and she got behind him 100%. Banda gives a lot of credit to Evalyn for staying by his side through years of struggling to survive on miniscule budgets after he retired as a fireman and devoted his life to providing water to the poorest people of his country.

Early in his water career, as people in the communities commended him for the great work he was doing, a local politician felt threatened by his popularity and took out a contract on his life. Apparently, the hitman came to Charles and explained that he was supposed to kill him, but because he had provided clean water for his community, as well as others, he wasn’t going to carry out the orders. Word of this got back to then President Muluzi, who offered Charles a political position. But he turned it down saying that the only way he wanted to serve the people was by giving them clean water.

Fourteen years later, Freshwater Project is widely recognized as a model local organization that uses a community based approach to water interventions, which results in community empowerment and project sustainability.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Bus meeting

Citizens for Public Transportation will meet Wednesday, November 18, at 7:00 PM at the Albany Public Library, Washington Avenue. Albany
Common Council member Dominick Calsolaro will be on hand as well as a representative of CDTA. Discussion will no doubt focus on CDTA's announced elimination of some bus stops.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

STATE LIBRARY AWARDS HISTORY RESEARCH RESIDENCIES

The New York State Library has awarded six grants for research in New York State history in 2009 through the Anna K. and Mary E. Cunningham Research Residency Program in New York State History and Culture.

Four grants were awarded through funds provided by a trust fund endowment created by a bequest from the estate of Anna K. Cunningham.
The Cunningham fund was established in 1997 to benefit scholars using the unique collections of the New York State Library to study the history of New York. The funds celebrate the sisters’ lifelong interest in the study of New York State history.
Anna Cunningham (1906-1996) was Supervisor of Historic Sites of New York State, as well as serving on the boards and councils of many state and national historic preservation organizations. Mary Cunningham (1917-1986), whose personal papers are among the collections of the State Library, held various executive positions in the New York State Historical Association, was a founder and the first editor of American Heritage magazine, and was a founder of the Yorkers program for teaching and involving young New Yorkers in the State’s history.

Through generous support from the Doris Quinn Foundation, the New Netherland Institute and the New York State Library made two additional special Cunningham grants of $2500 each for specialized research in Dutch-related documents and printed materials at the New York State Library.

Grant recipients in the 2009 Anna K. and Mary E. Cunningham Research Residency Program in New York State History and Culture are:

Nancy Siegel
Associate Professor of Art History
Towson University
Carlisle, PA
Project title: To Elevate the mind: female instruction, women artists and the Hudson River School.

Margaret Lasch Carroll
Asst. Professor of English
Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Project title: Influence of 19th century Bishop John McCloskey and 20th century Gov. Martin Glynn on the Irish ethnicity and Attitudes of Albany, NY.

Robert Chiles
University of Maryland
Project title: The gubernatorial administration of Alfred E. Smith and its importance to U.S. political development in the years preceding the New Deal.

Susan Ingalls Lewis
SUNY New Paltz
Project title: Research for a college text book on the history of New York State.

The 2009 Cunningham-Quinn fellows are:

Kim Todt
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14850
Project title: Transformation of the Mercantilist system from 1630 through 1790 in New Netherland and Colonial New York.

Andrea Mosterman
Boston University
Project title: Sharing Spaces in a new world environment: African-Dutch contributions to North American Culture.

Four Cunningham residencies and one Cunningham-Quinn residency are awarded annually by the New York State Library. A second Cunningham-Quinn residency was awarded for 2009 to mark the 400th anniversary of the Dutch era in American colonial history. More information on the research residencies and how to apply for the 2010 Cunningham and Cunningham-Quinn research residencies can be accessed online here.

Monday, November 09, 2009

APL Board Meeting

Albany Public Library Trustee meeting on Tuesday, November 10 at 5:30, at the Main Branch of Albany Public Library (3rd floor board meeting room), and speak during the public comment period which starts promptly at 5:30. Members of the public are invited to speak for up to 2 minutes each.

Symphony of Lights

The Downtown Albany BID's Symphony of Lights display will dress up the city streets for the holidays! This annual light display features more than 50 brightly lit musical instruments along Pearl Street's entertainment corridor - from Madison Avenue to Clinton Avenue and will be lit from November 23 through early January.ci

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Contract Reporter

The Contract Reporter is a wonderful tool for small businesses to learn about bidding opportunities from NY state government. Beginning next year the NYSCR will be free to any user. It is a publication that:
* Keeps small businesses apprised of weekly bid opportunities with individual state agencies, public authorities and public benefit corporations.
* Publishes services and technology bid opportunities and notices of upcoming commodity bid openings.
* Is available online.

From the ESD's Div. of Small Business Government Procurement web site:

New York State can help your business sell to state, federal, and local governments -- major purchasers of a wide variety of goods and services. New York State budgets for over $8.5 billion worth of contracts annually. New York schools, colleges, towns, villages and counties also make several billion dollars' worth of procurements each year. This is a significant market for New York companies.

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Unfortunate but true: Oak Brook, IL

Evidently not an Onion spoof, but a true story, also covered by the Library Journal.

Friday, November 06, 2009

ALA Creative Essay/Library Contest


Atyourlibrary.org is currently hosting a creative essay contest where people are invited to share their experiences at libraries. The winning submission will win $350 and the People's Choice winner will win $100. The top ten finalists will be published on the Web site's homepage.

The deadline for submission is Dec. 7. Submissions can be in the form of a written essay, a video or a photo slideshow.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

10 Questions, 10 Minutes

The 10 questions on the 2010 Census form.

1. How many people lived here on April 1, 2010?
2. Are there other people at the address on that date? (e.g. people staying temporarily)
3. Do you own or rent your dwelling?
4. What's the phone number? (in case Census can't suss out your answers)
5. Name of each person.
6. Each person's gender.
7. Each person's age and date of birth.
8. For each person: Hispanic or not?
9. Each person race or races.
10. For each person; does he or she live elsewhere (and thus might be counted elsewhere)?
Oh and they'll be a question about the relationship of the first person listed to the subsequent people listed.

That's it.

The forms, which are postpaid (i.e., you don't need stamps), are coming late in March. If you mail it back during the first week in April, you severely minimize the need for the Census Bureau to have to send out costly enumerators to knock on your door.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Faure Concert

Click on image to make larger.
First Presbyterian Albany, Nov 15, 3 pm

Monday, November 02, 2009

Vote Tuesday, November 3 - 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

And if you need more information, contact the Albany County Board of Elections

Community Connections

On Thursday, November 5, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., The University Club Foundation is hosting Community Connections, a mixer for residents of Albany's five historic downtown neighborhoods. The University Club is located at 141 Washington Avenue at the corner of Dove Street.

If you live in the Center Square, Hudson/Park, Mansion, Park South or Washington Park neighborhoods, please drop by to learn more about the University Club, Historic Albany Foundation, the Albany Institute of History and Art, and the quarterly publication Capital Neighbors.

The cost of light fare is being underwritten by neighborhood business sponsors, and beer, wine and soft drinks will be available.

Reconnect with old friends and welcome new neighbors into our community, celebrate downtown living and build stronger connections among neighbors and groups!

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Librarians Go Wild

Each year, limber librarians compete for the coveted gold book cart at the annual Librarian Book Cart Drill Championships. With elaborate dance, athletics and performance art routines, they vie to show that librarians can be hip.