State Data Center Revamp

This week and next, we’ll look to the State Library’s website for new additions and updates to familiar resources.  Today, the spotlight shines on the State Data Center and its updated site in preparation for the 2020 Census.   

The State Data Center of Iowa is the premier source for population, housing, business, and government statistics about Iowa, including data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Iowa state agencies, and other state and federal sources.  The site features new and prominent icons to help people navigate to information on why the Census is important, timeline and Census updates, how to apply for Census jobs, partner committees, hard to count areas, and more.

This resource will be updated regularly leading up to and during the Census counts. A sample questionnaire will be available once released from the US Census Bureau.  The next Census in 2020 will require counting an increasingly diverse and growing population of around 330 million people in more than 140 million housing units.

Be ahead of the 2020 Census curve by linking to the State Data Center of Iowa on your local library website. 

State Data Center of Iowa

Voting Still Open

This nationwide reading promotion debuted in May on PBS, kicking off a summer of reading and spirited discussions. The Great American Read, jointly sponsored by ALA and Public Television and hosted by Meredith Vieira, is a multi-part television and online series designed to spark national conversations around reading.  

The series is currently airing on PBS stations. Viewers are encouraged to vote for their favorite book from a list of 100 and share their personal connections to the titles. This is a quest to find America’s most beloved book from 100 fictional titles spanning many different themes—love, heroes, villians, other worlds, what it means to be an American.  Episodes from the PBS series feature appearances by celebrities, athletes, authors, and everyday Americans advocating for their favorite book. 

The Great American Read is nearing its conclusion, but there’s still time to encourage your community members to vote for their favorites.  Voting remains open through October 18, shortly after we’ll find out the top vote-getter.  Find voting instructions and more at the button below.  

Great American Read

Continues Through October 15

One week remains in this fall’s Big Library Read.  This reading initiative is the world’s largest eBook club, a virtual version of a local book discussion group.  This month’s Big Library Read title is The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke.  Since October 1 and continuing through October 15, BRIDGES eBook readers can join others worldwide by reading and discussing this title, with the added advantage of being able to borrow this book simultaneously without wait lists or holds.

The Girl with the Red Balloon is a young adult novel, telling the story of sixteen-year-old Ellie Baum, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors.  Ellie time-travels to 1988 East Berlin, where she is caught up in a conspiracy of history and magic. 

It’s easy to participate in the Big Library Read by using marketing materials created by OverDrive. Again, local participation offers community-wide access to simultaneous downloads of this title at no cost to your library.  OverDrive’s marketing materials include posters, bookmarks, and press releases at the button below.

 Big Library Read Materials

This Week ...

Area library staff are invited to attend the afternoon portion of Estherville Public Library’s Staff Development Day—tomorrow October 9th from 1:00-3:00PM.  Mark Gruwell of Learnacre is presenting a program titled “Throwing out the Book: New Demands for Rural Public Libraries.” Staff at Estherville PL requires pre-registration to ensure adequate seating: email info@estherville.lib.ia.us or call 712-362-7731. 

For everyone pre-registered, the Public Library Support Course begins this Thursday October 11.  This 5-week online course is the certification program for support personnel in Iowa libraries.

Look to dozens of national education providers for a menu of webinars at this link
https://www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/c-d/continuing-ed/other-conted These are free online programs on a variety of topics, using a variety of web conferencing software.  Note that different web conferencing software have varying system requirements or require downloads.  Click into any of the program topics for connection instructions.