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Available From State Library of Iowa
The State Library is excited to announce six grants to six Iowa libraries (one in each District) to allow a librarian on staff to attend the 2023 Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) Conference in Wichita, KS. The 2023 ARSL Conference is scheduled for September 20-23; the conference theme is “Unite and Ignite.” Each grant offers up to a $1,000 reimbursement for registration, hotel, and transportation.
The purpose of the grants is to help Iowa libraries improve service to their communities through continuing education and training for library personnel. The ARSL Conference is especially relevant to the majority of Iowa libraries, which serve populations under 2,500.
The grants will be issued to the library, not to the individual traveling, and the award will be handled as a reimbursement up to $1,000. Other incidentals, such as meals, will need to be covered by the library or the employee. The library will pay the upfront costs and submit receipts to the State Library for reimbursement of the following items:
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Registration: Scholarship recipients will be eligible for the Early Bird member rate of $290.
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Hotel: Conference rate lodging of $122 plus taxes & fees.
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Transportation: Due to travel distance to Wichita from Iowa, the State library will reimburse state-rate mileage for driving to and from the conference. No airfare will be reimbursed.
These competitive grants require a short application form, which will be available early this week. The application will include a paragraph of 200 words or less explaining why you want to attend, what you hope to gain from the conference, and how you plan to share the information within your library, your town, or with the wider library community.
Special Consideration Given To:
- Libraries meeting standards at a Tier1 level or above
- Libraries with a budget for continuing education
- Directors or staff who are endorsed through the State Library Endorsement Program
- Length of time working at library: two years or longer preferred
- Applicants who have the support of library board and/or director
- Applicants who will be first-time ARSL Conference attendees
- Attendees are willing to participate in a webinar panel following the conference
The application form will be available on the page linked below early this week.
A link to the form will also be emailed to public library directors
and posted to Library Talk.
Applications will be due by Friday June 2nd at 4:30PM.
Winners will be notified by Tuesday June 13th
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For The Great IAShares Bag Count!
It’s exciting and it’s happening this week. On Thursday May 25, public libraries will be asked to submit their numbers of filled and empty IAShares bags onto an online form. The count will happen on a single day to reduce the likelihood of double-counting bags as they travel between libraries.
The count is taking place in order to inventory the number of bags currently in use and help estimate how many bags have been decommissioned due to damage or normal wear and tear. Numbers will be used to determine how many bags should be ordered as replacements and to keep as backup inventory for the future.
Important Notes About Count Day
- The online form will become live on May 25 at 8:00AM. Links will be emailed to directors and the MOBIUS list, as well as posted on LibraryTalk.
- If your library has a regular IAShares delivery scheduled for that day, the count should be made before the pick up happens.
- If your library will not be open on count day, you can count and report bag numbers on the day that you will be open closest to count day. Email your numbers to Tom Keyser at Keyser@iowa.gov.
Libraries that submit their IA Shares bag numbers will be entered
into a drawing for a prize pack of books—and a few other surprises!
About IAShares
IAShares is a statewide delivery system for interlibrary loan. Since this service launched in November 2019, more than 22,000 nylon bags have been ordered to hold materials being transported between libraries. In FY22, the statewide delivery service helped support 201,396 materials sent and returned between Iowa libraries via interlibrary loan transactions. Libraries also use the service to share other items, weeded books, supplies, and kits with each other, saving the cost of postage and giving greater longevity to materials that may have otherwise been disposed of.
Thanks in advance for your participation and your help
in our effort to inventory the supply of IAShares bags!
Contact Tom Keyser with questions tom.keyser@iowa.gov
IA Shares is made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services
under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as
administered by the State Library of Iowa.
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Chosen By Young Readers
From the Iowa Association of School Libraries (IASL) comes the latest Iowa book award winners for 2022-2023. IASL, a subdivision of the Iowa Library Association, advocates for strong school library programs in all Iowa schools and provides leadership, education, and support for its members.
An annual project of IASL is to promote literacy and learning by involving students in voting for their favorite books across various age groups. Iowa students read a number of books within a category and then vote for their overall favorite. Reading lists and deadline information are found on IASL’s website, along with criteria for each book category.
So thanks to IASL and some very ambitious young readers, here are the Iowa Book Award Winners for 2022-2023
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Iowa Goldfinch Award = Unicorns Are the Worst by Alex Willan
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Iowa Children’s Choice Award = Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd
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Iowa Teen Award = Ground Zero by Alan Gratz
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Iowa High School Book Award = The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
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Director Roundtables
Director Roundtables wrap up in a few more locations this week. Click the button below to see the remaining dates and locations, then register in IALearns
The Boardroom. Pay It Forward: Easing Staff and Board Transitions. May 25. 6:00-7:30PM
Having successfully hired a new library director, does the board have another role to play in helping with orientation? We say yes! Like any other organization, libraries need to plan for staffing transitions, whether expected or unexpected. This webinar suggests practical approaches that help pave the way for new directors and ease the learning curve. We’ll look at a “Pay It Forward Checklist,” an annual calendar of program deadlines, and the board’s involvement in helping their directors through this period of adjustment. Plus, library boards should work on their own brand of transition planning … ideas for that, too!
Digital Services Town Hall Meetings This Week. Click below for specific street addresses. 6:00PM at each location
NOTE: These meetings are not eligible for continuing education credit from the State Library of Iowa.
May 22 @ Manchester Public Library
May 23 @ Rovey Memorial Library in Waukon
May 24 @ West Union Community Library
May 25 @ Iowa Valley Community College in Marshalltown
State Library offices will be closed
next Monday May 29 for the Memorial Day Holiday.
And with a vacation to follow, look for the next issue of
Monday Morning Eye-Opener on June 12. Enjoy the holiday!
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