A second chance to attend NYLA?

Unable to attend the 2011 NYLA Conference in Saratoga Springs earlier this month? Library staff and trustees will find all of the State Library fact sheets, handouts and other current information about statewide library services and programs posted in one convenient location on the State Library’s website.

Jeffrey W. Cannell, Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education and Acting State Librarian encourages library staff and trustees to share this information with colleagues and with the public, as appropriate. Highlights include:

*Creating the Future – The Regents Advisory Council on Libraries disseminated a first draft of “Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision and Plan for Library Service in New York State; Preliminary Recommendations of the New York State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries to the New York State Board of Regents” in October. Some 125 people attended an open meeting at the NYLA conference to learn about and comment upon the initial recommendations. Written comments may be submitted up until November 15.

*Libraries and the Education Reform Agenda - Education Commissioner Dr. John B. King encouraged NYLA Conference attendees to visit “EngageNY, Our Students, Their Moment” (SED’s go-to site for technology and learning resources) to see the latest information related to implementation of the Common Core Standards. Commissioner King emphasized that libraries of all types have critical roles to play in helping New Yorkers of all ages be career and college ready.

*Resources for JobSeekers - The State Library now offers JobNow, which provides expert résumé help, real-time interview coaching, career and job search advice and an Adult Learning Center, in English and Spanish. JobNow and the Adult Learning Center are products of Brainfuse and all New Yorkers have access to them from home, work or the library through NOVELNY. Library staff will also find tips and resources on helping the unemployed and underemployed on the State Library’s Job and Career Information page.

*NOVELNY (New York Online Virtual Electronic Library) is on Facebook! Check out the Facebook page and databases freely available to New York libraries and residents at NOVELNY. Use of NOVELNY continues to grow with 5,600 libraries participating statewide and more than 42 million searches in 2011. Tell us your library’s NOVELNY success stories!

*2012 Summer Reading at New York Libraries -- Dream Big - Read and Own the Night -- New York has teamed up with 49 other states in the national Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP). Over 1.6 million young people participated in summer 2011 – a ten percent increase!

*2012 Teen Video Challenge – For teens ages 13 to 18. Eligible videos will be 30-90 seconds long and feature the teen’s interpretation of the 2012 Summer Reading at New York Libraries slogan, “Own the Night.” Winners will receive $275 and gain national exposure when their video is posted on the CSLP website, as well as another $150 for their library! Visit www.summerreadingnys.org for more information and an entry form. Entry deadline is March 5, 2012.

*Research Library Digital Collections Put History on Parade! New Digital Collections of the New York State Library include a large array of 18th and 19th century historical materials from many subject areas, including the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, Native American materials, and New York State laws and natural history. While books make up the core collection, Digital Collections also include primary source materials such as letters, diaries, and rare manuscripts as well as historic photographs, illustrations, maps, broadsides, drawings, and music scores. New York State government documents are also featured and include current 21st century materials along with rare 18th and 19th century documents.

*TBBL Digital Books And Players Are Popular! TBBL (Talking Book and Braille Library) Digital Books and Players continue to be distributed to new and registered borrowers who qualify for talking book services in New York State. Digital audio books are in high demand, and are sent FREE to eligible borrowers at their home or affiliated institutions, such as schools or health facilities. About 4,000 titles on digital cartridge are available from TBBL in Albany, and the collection is growing. Borrowers can now also download many more titles (over 20,000) from BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download), which is a Library of Congress National Library Services website. Institutions and public libraries may also now apply for a BARD account.

*Do you need career information? Online graduate programs? Job listings, or opportunities for professional development? Click on librarycareersny.org for Professional Development and More. Click on the Calendar Menu to see upcoming training opportunities for library staff available across New York State.

*New York State Adult and Family Literacy Grants Awarded – The State Library is announcing grant awards made for 2011-2013. Projects in public libraries and public library systems focus on basic literacy for adults and early learning as well as success in school for families. Grant awards for Adult Literacy and for Family Literacy.