SEMLS News

We have a new link for the SEMLS News and Information Survey: http://tinyurl.com/lnbuvu

Unfortunately, the link sent out via the newsletter, the listserv and printed copy of the survey last Friday, June 12, 2009 is not working properly.  Although it allowed participants to take the survey, it did not collect the responses!

If you had already taken the news and information survey on Friday or over the weekend, could you please take the survey again at the above-mentioned link.

Thank you for your time, and we apologize for the confusion.  We will keep you posted on the results.

The SEMLS News and Information Survey is now available.  We greatly appreciate your comments and insights.  Please take a few minutes to complete this survey.  The survey deadline is Wednesday, July 15, 2009.

We will keep you posted as to the results.

Thank you!

Now that all six regions have switched over to a new electronic mailing list manager, there is a new e-mail address for the All Regions mailing list.

To post a message to all regions, send the message to allregions@mblc.state.ma.us.

Before sending, please consider whether the message is truly of interest to a statewide audience. You can post messages with HTML and with attachments.

The paper copy of the CE Calendar – Summer 2009 is on it's way to you. Full workshop descriptions are now available on our Web site.

The 2009 SEMLS Continuing Education Survey is now available.  We greatly appreciate your comments and insights as we begin planning workshops for FY 2010.  Please take a few minutes to complete this survey.  The survey deadline is Friday, May 29, 2009. 

We will keep you posted as to the results.

Thank you!

Ten libraries receive gaming and literacy grants

CHICAGO - Ten libraries in 10 states from New York to Alaska will receive $5,000 grants as part of the American Library Association's (ALA) Libraries, Literacy and Gaming initiative, funded by the Verizon Foundation.

The winners, representing a broad spectrum of libraries - seven public, two school and one academic - will use the funds to develop and implement gaming and literacy programs that provide innovative gaming experiences for youths 10-18 years of age. The 10 libraries were selected out of 390 that applied for the grant.

The following libraries were chosen:

Anderson Public Library, Anderson, Ind.
Brewster Ladies Library, Brewster, Mass.
Cascade Middle School, Auburn, Wash.
Henshaw Middle School Library, Anchorage School District, Anchorage, Alaska
Indian Trails Public Library, Wheeling, Ill.
Manhattanville College Library, Purchase, N.Y.
San Pablo Library, San Pablo, Calif.
Sewickley Public Library, Sewickley, Pa.
Wayne Country Public Library, Goldsboro, N.C.
Weber Country Library System, Ogden, Utah

"These library gaming programs will help tweens and teens build 21st-Century literacy and learning skills," said Dale Lipschultz, literacy officer with the ALA's Office for Literacy and Outreach Services.

The Libraries, Literacy and Gaming initiative is generously funded by the Verizon Foundation and managed by ALA's Office for Literacy and Outreach Services. Dr. Scott Nicholson, an associate professor in the School of Information Studies, Syracuse University, is the  evaluation specialist.

 

The first-generation Amazon Kindle that traveled with the SEMLS Technology Sandbox has been replaced with the Kindle 2.

SEMLS is planning to give away the older Kindle to a SEMLS member chosen at random. In order to qualify for the Kindle, the library must be willing to use it to support a user program or service. In essence, it can’t just be used for staff to try out the technology but must make it into the hands of your users.

In addition, we are asking that the library receiving the Kindle agree to write an article for the SEMLS newsletter a few months after implementing the program or service that uses this device.

If your library is interested in receiving the Kindle, please send an e-mail to Kathy Lussier at klussier@semls.org by April 27. In the e-mail, please let us know how you plan to use the Kindle in your library (a few short sentences will do.) SEMLS will choose a winner at random on the week of the 27th.

SEMLS will be making changes to its electronic discussion list Friday, April 17 as we move to a new mailing list manager.

The new list manager will provide you, as subscribers, with more options: 

• formatted e-mail, not just plain-text
• attachments
• a Web-based interface for managing your access • more delivery options, including daily and weekly digests.
• stopping and re-starting mail, and going on “vacation.”
• mail archive and mail search integrated into manager • manage multiple list subscriptions with one login.

All current members of the SEMLS list will be transitioned over automatically; you need not do anything to continue to receive e-mail. 

CHANGES:

When you send a new message to the SEMSL list (starting Friday), please send it to: semls@mblc.state.ma.us.

When you receive messages they will usually be in the form: semls-owner@mblc.state.ma.us ; on behalf of; Sender [Sender’s e-mail.] The subject of each message will contain the string:  [semls] so that you can set up automatic mail handling rules if you desire in your e-mail program.

If you want to, you will be able to establish a Web login at: http://mblc.state.ma.us/sympa by selecting the “First login?” link. This step is NOT necessary to continue to send and receive e-mail from the list.

The current SEMLS list will temporarily stop taking new subscribers on Thursday. SEMLS members can start subscribing to the list again when we cut over to the new list on Friday.

 ALL REGIONS LIST

The other regions in the state have not all moved to the new system yet. In the meantime, please continue to send your statewide messages to allregions@mlin.lib.ma.us. We will let you know when this address will change. At the same time, please do not send attachments to the All Regions list until we notify you that they are able to accept attachments.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Kathy Lussier at klussier@semls.org

The April SEMLS Sightings Newsletter is now available.

In response to the Job Information meetings that were held at the Raynham Public Library this winter we have added two new pages to the website.

On the Resource Shelf under Profesional Resources there is now a catagory  called Job Search Resources. Two pages in htat catagory are Job Search Websites and Resume, Cover Letter and Interview Resources. These were designed as requested for libraries to link to them or copy them on their own websites for public use.