Due to the weather forecast, the Metrowest and Central Regions are going to cancel the Performer Open House scheduled for tomorrow at the Sargent Memorial Library in Boxborough, MA.

We are sad to have to cancel the program, but feel that this is the right decision for the safety of all.

I had sent out a list of performers who were going to be in attendance, and I encourage you all to take a look at their programs. We had some truly unique and exciting performers! If you'd like another copy of the list, please email Sarah Sogigian (sarah@mmrls.org).

Governor Patrick released a budget proposal on January 27 reducing funding for the Regional Library Systems/LLR (line item 7000-9401) by nearly 29%. On a brighter note, all other lines in the MBLC budget were level funded.

Heated discussion at a January 29 MA Library Association Legislative Committee meeting made it abundantly clear that members want to focus on Regional Library System funding in this year’s advocacy effort. “The Regions are working,” said co-chair Krista McLeod. “Why are we fixing what’s not broken?”

According to Kathy Lowe, Executive Director of the MA School Library Association, who participates on the committee, “The Regional line item is the one our members can get excited about. Of all the items in the MBLC budget, school libraries use Regional services.”

Expect more information from MLA and MSLA. Don’t miss Library Legislative Day on Tuesday, March 9!

Originally posted on the CMRLS' Straight From the Administrator blog . 

Are you and your patrons taking advantage of all of the bells and whistles that Proquest’s Massachusetts Newsstand has to offer? Do you have some questions about searching and using Massachusetts Newsstand that you just haven’t had time to delve into?  Join Beth Reiten, Proquest Customer Education & Training Specialist for the Eastern Region, and Marlene Heroux, MBLC, for a Massachusetts only webinar to review the ins and outs of this powerful Proquest product that covers 12 Massachusetts newspapers from head to toe and everything in between.

All regional member library staff are invited to register.  Click on the link next to a time that is convenient for you. This one-hour webinar will be offered at three times to meet every librarian’s busy schedule:

Feb 9, 2010 (Tues.) noon-1:00PM : https://proquestmeetings.webex.com/proquestmeetings/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=712546107

Feb 11, 2010 (Thurs.) 10:00AM-11:00AM: https://proquestmeetings.webex.com/proquestmeetings/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=713179439

Feb 24, 2010 (Wed.)  3:00PM-400PM : https://proquestmeetings.webex.com/proquestmeetings/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=719980063

A computer, access to the Internet, and a telephone are all that is needed to participate.  The Proquest trainer recommends that participants use the computer and separate telephone method of set-up as the most trouble-free combination for participation.  Access is available via computer only with headphones and a microphone is an option if a separate phone is not available in your setting.

 For more information, please contact :

Marlene Sue Heroux
MBLC Reference Information Systems Specialist
marlene.heroux@state.ma.us
617-725-1860

 

From the MA Board of Library Commissioners:

 "Governor Deval Patrick released his FY2011 budget request to the Massachusetts House and Senate today.  The House and Senate will each develop their own version of the FY2011 state budget.  The House is expected to release it's version of the FY2011 state budget in April and the Senate in late May.  In June, a joint House and Senate conference committee will review and resolve the differences in the FY2011 state budget.  Then the FY2011 state budget goes to the full House and Senate to accept or reject the budget.  Finally, the FY2011 state budget goes back to the Governor who has the authority to line item veto.

The Governor recommended the following amounts for FY2011 for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners:


Line Item 7000-9101 Board of Library Commissioners
FY2009 - $1,042,269
FY2010 - $938,042
FY2011 - $938,042

Line Item 7000-9401 State Aid to Regional Libraries
FY2009 - $17,166,071
FY2010 - $12,327,160
FY2011 - $8,781,475
 FY2010 & Governor's proposed FY2011 state budget removes the earmarking for the per capita for LLR. Governor's FY2011 budget also eliminates statutory language requiring regional reference centers.

Line Item 7000-9402 Talking Book Library (Worcester)
FY2009 - $421,143
FY2010 - $421,143
FY2011 - $421,143

Line Item 7000-9406 Talking Book & Machine Lending (Perkins)
FY2009 - $2,241,016
FY2010 - $2,241,016
FY2011 - $2,241,016

Line Item 7000-9501 State Aid to Public Libraries
FY2009 - $9,989,844
FY2010 - $6,823,657
FY2011 - $6,823,657
FY2010 & FY2011 Governor's proposed budget provides authorization for the Board of Library Commissioners to award waivers of the M.A.R. "in excess of the waiver limit set" in statute (no limit).

Line Item 7000-9506 Library Technology & Resource Sharing
FY2009 - $2,799,104
FY2010 - $1,929,238
FY2011 - $1,929,238

Line Item 7000-9507 Public Library Incentive Grant Program
FY2009 - $0
FY2010 - $0
FY2011 - $0"

On January 25, 2010, ALA-APA began accepting applications from potential candidates interested in achieving the Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC). The LSSC Program is the first national, voluntary certification program for library support staff. This new certification program - the first national, voluntary certification program for library support staff - will help LSS achieve recognition for current and new skills and abilities, and increase access to continuing education opportunities.

The LSSC is open to any library support staff person with a high-school diploma or its equivalent and the equivalent of at least one year of full-time experience in a library with the last five years. Applicants do not have to be a member of ALA.  The application fee is $325 for ALA members and $350 for non-ALA members.

More information about the LSSCP is available online at http://www.ala-apa.org/lssc.  

Contact: lssc@ala.org, or 312-280-2424.

Last week at our Metrowest/ Northeast Regional Mock Caldecott and Mock Newbery Awards, the group pick Jerry Pinkney's The Lion and the Mouse for the Mock Caldecott and Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me for the Mock Newbery. 

 

How did we do compared to the real winners, which were announced earlier this morning at ALA Midwinter in Boston? Pretty darn good!

The Caldecott Medal went to Jerry Pinkney for The Lion and the Mouse.

Honored books:

All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee
Red Sings from Tree Tops, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

And Rebecca Stead was honored with the Newbery Medal for When You Reach Me. 

Honored books:

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, by Phillip M. Hoose
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Tate
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, by Rodman Philbrick

 

Other winners include:

 

Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamelton Award for Lifetime Achievement

Walter Dean Myers

 

Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature

Winner: Going Bovine, by Libba Bray

Honors:

Charles and Emma: The Darwins Leap of Faith, Deborah Heiligman
Monstumologist, Richard Yancy
Punkzilla, Adam Rapp
Tales from the Madman Underground, John Barnes

 

And this librarian would like to give a HUGE shout out to the Alex Awards committee for putting her favorite book of 2009 on their list: Soulless by Gail Carriger! The official award announcements will be up on the ala website soon.

 

Newbery Award winner Katherine Paterson was named the new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Library of Congress. Ms. Paterson follows Jon Scieska who was the first Ambassador. To read more about this exciting announcement and to learn exactly what a National Ambassador for Young People's Literature does, read the official press release on the Library of Congress' website.

Happy New Year!

With all the going ons and changes the regions are facing, it's important to stay on top of all the news! Metrowest has several ways you can learn what's going on. In addition to giving us a call and checking our website, we are on Twitter and have groups on Facebook and LinkedIn!

Keep up with all the news and share your thoughts and ideas by joining us.

Each site works a little differently, but if you have accounts on any of them, we are pretty eacy to find. For example, to find our group on LinkedIn, log into (or create an account) www.linkedin.com and use the search bar to find "Metrowest Massachusetts Regional Library System". Be sure to change the drop down topic from "people" to "groups".

You can click here to go directly to our Facebook page. 

And read our Twitter updates here . 

Don't forget to sign up for our Metrowest Listserv!  The Metrowest Listserv is a great way to keep informed on all the latest updates in our region. To subscribe, send an email to: sympa@mblc.state.ma.us. Leave the subject blank. In the body of the message, simply type: subscribe metrowest "first name" "last name" (leave out the quotations marks).

Of course, we always welcome your emails and phone calls too!

Metrowest Office Holiday Hours:

Thursday, December 24, 2009- 9AM-12 noon

Friday, December 25, 2009- Closed

Thursday, December 31, 2009- 9AM-12 noon

Friday, January 1, 2010-Closed

 

The Metrowest staff wished you all a Happy Holiday Season and a Bright New Year.

 

Metrowest members, be sure to place your order for Summer Reading 2010 paper products! Follow this link to preview the artwork and place your order. Remember, paper products are provided to your library as one of the many benefits of being a Metrowest member:

 http://masummerreading.pbworks.com

Please keep in mind the "green"  theme and order accordingly.

Janway is also collecting orders for incentives, which are branded with our logo. There are incentives for children, teens, and adults. Your library is responsible for buying these incentives.

 http://www.janway.com/ReadPrograms/2010/MA%20SRP/mass10.htm

 You will be charged for orders placed with Janway, so only order more paper materials if you'd like them in addition to what you order through your region.

The Forbush Memorial Library in Westminster, MA is stepping up it's fight to get back overdue materials. After ten years of not collecting fines, the library is now charging for overdue items. When that doesn't work, patrons can expect to receive a personalized letter hand delivered by town police. Watch the video report on WBZ.com

Librarians Mary Pat Craig, Kim Carney, and Meghan Lenzi have announced their list of Books for Giving Throughout the Year.

Selections from the Picture Books collection include Dinotrux by ChrisGall, Otis by Loren Long, and Big Frog Ca't Fit In by Mo Willems.

 Fire by Kristen Cashore, Tales from Outer Surburbia by Shaun Tan, and Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn all made the Fiction for Intermediate and Older Readers list. A link to the complete list will be provided shortly. 

 

In January 2009, our community lost two very dear friends,
Kate McClelland and Kathy Krasniewicz.

We are proud to honor their memory and pay tribute to their
distinguished careers. Both had a special gift for mentoring
young librarians and this scholarship celebrates that.

You can help a new librarian or library student take a
deserved trip to his/her first-ever ALA Annual Conference.

ALA MEMBERS: In 500 words or less, tell us about a new librarian or
library student who has never attended an ALA Annual Conference,
and in whom you see great devotion to the library community and
promise in the field. Tell us how he/she would benefit from attending
the ALA Annual Conference. The new librarian/library student could win
a trip to attend the 2010 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.!

 

For more information, please click here . 

Save the Date! Save the Date! The Metrowest Legislative Breakfast will be held on Feb 5, 2010 at the Concord Free Public Library. Register to attend this important event here . 

"It's interesting how many words politicians spit out about their concern for education, senior citizens, teen-agers, school systems in general and the whole business of parents reading to their children.

Then they say "aye" to whack more money out of school and library budgets."

 

Read more on The Berkshire Eagle's website .