SIGNAL - an e-mail newsletter

Published by the Southern Ontario Library Service

The introductory page for the Southern Ontario Library Service is www.sols.org .  From that page, you can move to any other pages created by staff at the Southern Ontario Library Service, as well as to links to resources and professional information.

Note - as this is an older newsletter, some links may no longer be valid, or may refer you to a section of the site that has been updated in the interim. Please contact if you want more information on a specific initiative.

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In this issue:

1. CONSORTIA PURCHASING AGREEMENTS
2. SOLS – COOL WEB-DELIVERED PRESENTATIONS
3. SOLS DELIVERY SERVICE – HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
4. funding opportunitIES
a) Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF)
b) KidsRead Ontario/Lecturenfant Ontario
5. SOLS TRAINING WORKSHOPS
6. registration for the EXCEL distance Education Program
7. LIBRARY COMMITTEE MEETINGS
8. Theme Selected for First Nations Public Library Week 2005
9. Theme for TD Summer Reading Program 2005
10. Typical Week Survey for the Annual Survey – a Reminder
11. SOLS CEO LISTSERV

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1. CONSORTIA/CHARITABLE PURCHASING AGREEMENTS

SOLS negotiates charitable/consortia purchasing agreements (CPAs) on behalf of SOLS libraries. CPAs are ‘economies of scale’ pricing for the purchase or lease of a range of goods and services. 

The latest CPA offer is for Dell computers, specifically, Dell Optiplex GX280, 2.8 GHz.  This CPA with Dell originated with the Government of Ontario Standing Agreement #2962.  Pricing was further discounted on the basis of libraries’ charitable status.  The offer period on the specific model is October 15^th, 2004 to January 15^th, 2005.  Dell has also agreed to provide charitable pricing for any of its computer products, including laptops and servers. 

Further information on pending Charitable/Consortia Purchasing Agreements can be found at http://www.sols.org/resourcesharing/coolcpa/index.htm.  At that Web page, the various CPAs are organized by product and service, as well as by Vendor.  The contact person for most of the CPAs is the SOLS Purchaser, Ron Neems. Ron can be reached at 1-416-961-1669 or 1-800-387-5765 ext. 5115 or by e-mail at rneems@sols.org .  If you have ideas for the CPA, please do not hesitate to contact Ron.

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2. SOLS – COOL WEB-DELIVERED PRESENTATIONS

SOLS and Micromedia ProQuest would like to invite libraries to register for Web-delivered presentations during the month of November.  The sessions will be an opportunity for both subscribers and non-subscribers to receive an overview of the products.  The session for current subscribers will provide information on any changes in the product, i.e. content, searching tips and techniques, etc.  The non-subscriber sessions are for libraries interested in getting an overview of the product to see if they might be interested in subscribing.  There will also be an opportunity to answer any questions one might have about the particular product featured in the session.  The following products will be featured:

Electric Library Canada

Monday, November 8^th, 2004 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon.  Subscribers
Tuesday, November 9^th, 2004 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.  Non-subscribers
Monday, November 15^th, 2004 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.  Subscribers
Tuesday, November 16^th, 2004 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.  Non-subscribers

Toronto Star Pages of the Past

Wednesday, November 17^th, from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Subscribers
Thursday, November 18^th, from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Non-subscribers

Canada’s Heritage from 1844

Monday, November 22^nd, from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Subscribers
Tuesday, November 23^rd, from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Non-subscribers

Registration is limited to 5 libraries per session.  Internet access and a telephone are required to participate in the session.  If your library has a speaker phone available, a number of staff within each location may participate.  Register soon, as spaces are limited.  Please confirm your registration with Brenda Lewis at or call 1-800-387-5765, ext. 5130.  Once your registration has been received, we will forward the necessary information to participate in the Web session.

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3. SOLS DELIVERY SERVICE – HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

The 2004 SOLS delivery service Holiday Schedule for the week of December 20 – 24, 2004 can be found on the SOLS Web site at http://www.sols.org/resourcesharing/delivery/index.htm.

 The last full day of delivery for most of the SOLS routes will be Thursday, December 23, 2004.  The routes will resume with the regular schedule starting Tuesday, January 4, 2005.  Specific information regarding changes to each route was provided in an e-mail sent to the delivery contact in your library, as well as on the SOLSinfoadmin list serv.  Specific information on the holiday route schedules is also posted on the SOLS Web site.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Mary Jo Lynett, Supervisor of Delivery Services, at or 1-800-387-5765, ext. 5127.

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4. funding opportunitIES

a) Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF)

On October 22, 2004 at the Clarence-Rockland Public Library, the Hon. Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Culture, announced Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) support for small community libraries across Ontario. These libraries will now qualify for Ontario Trillium Foundation grants under the Special Initiative for Rural and Small Communities.

In 2003, the Foundation provided small libraries with grants up to $15,000, under a one-time strategic granting initiative. Today’s announcement means that libraries serving small communities will now be able to apply, on an ongoing basis, for larger grants to support a broad range of activities. Eligible libraries include library boards serving municipalities of 20,000 people or less, First Nations libraries, county library boards and Local Services Boards that offer library services.

OTF will support initiatives, including projects to enhance literacy and learning programs, improve accessibility and provide special equipment for people with special needs, procure furniture and shelving, acquire permanent print collections or collections in other media, upgrade library technology and provide technical training for staff, volunteers, and the public.

Grant application information will be available after December 1, 2004 on the Foundation’s Web site at www.trilliumfoundation.org. Application deadlines are March 1, 2005, July 1, 2005, and November 1, 2005.

b) KidsRead Ontario/Lecturenfant Ontario

During Ontario Public Library Week, the Hon.Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Culture, also announced a new project which would ensure that Ontario’s public libraries can remain up-to-date with Canadian-authored Ontario-published children’s and young adult books.  KidsRead Ontario/Lecturenfant Ontario – a project administered by the Organization of Book Publishers of Ontario (OBPO), with support from its member publishers, the Ontario Ministry of Culture (through the Cultural Strategic Investment Fund), the Ontario Media Development Corporation, and Ontario Library Association – will enable 322 public library boards across the province to select recent backlist titles, free of charge. Over $150,000 in books will be distributed through the project.

 Using an on-line catalogue (on the OBPO website at www.ontariobooks.ca ) of approximately 750 titles, library boards will be assigned a spending limit based on the size of the population they serve, and will be able to select books from the catalogue based on their own needs. Titles in the catalogue are all Canadian-authored children’s and young adult books published between January 2002 and June 2004. Once the books are selected, they will be shipped to the library boards across the province by Ontario-based library wholesaler, S&B Books.  The on-line catalogue will be accessible for placing orders as of Monday, November 1st.

For more information about this project, contact Julie Ford, OBPO Executive Director, at 416-536-7584 or by e-mail at kidsreadontario@ontariobooks.ca

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 5. SOLS TRAINING WORKSHOPS

The details for the Fall 2004 workshops are posted on the SOLS Web site, located at http://www.sols.org/librarydev/training/clinicsworkshops/index.htm.  While many of the workshops have already taken place, there are a few remaining, with opportunities to participate.

a) Our workshop entitled “Serving diversity: services for a multicultural population”  is being offered at two locations:

Wednesday, November 3, 2004 at the Four Corners Branch of the Brampton Public Library

Wednesday, November 10, 2004 at the Masonville Branch of the London Public Library

Susan Caron and Magdalena Vander Kooy share the experiences of Toronto Public Library in developing and delivering services to a multicultural population.The workshop will cover selection, acquisition and management of collections; marketing and outreach; programming for adults and children; partnership opportunities; communication issues; and staff training.

The workshop was requested by the members of the Southern Ontario Multilingual Pool (SOMP). There are presently 20 member libraries in this pool with materials in over 20 different languages. The workshop will be of interest to staff in all of the SOMP member libraries, but it will also be of interest to any library presently working in, or planning to offer services to, a multicultural population.  At each location, the workshop will run from 1:30 to 4:30 pm and the cost is $37.45 per person.

b) The workshop entitled “Reality check @ your library: Reference for the real world” is being offered in three locations.  The first location, Simcoe County, is full, but there is still room at two locations:

Monday, November 8, 2004 at the Brockville Public Library from 10 am to 3 pm

Tuesday, November 9, 2004 at the Pembroke Public Library from 10 am to 3 pm

The registration cost per person is $26.75 (Lunch is “brown bag”)

c) A third workshop, “Tickles and Tunes 2: A workshop with Kathy Reid-Naiman”,  is being offered four times across southern Ontario.  There are two back-to-back sessions of “Tickles and Tunes” scheduled for the Strathroy branch of Middlesex County on Monday, November 29, and both of these sessions are full. You can still register for the following locations:
Monday, November 22, 2004, 1-4 pm at the Quinte West Public Library, Trenton Branch
Monday, December 6, 2004, 1-4 pm at the Huntsville Public Library

Please review these workshop offerings and register as soon as possible at 1-866-303-2695, toll-free, or  to ensure that there is a spot for you or your staff at the workshop of your choice.  Workshops can be cancelled due to low registration numbers, so it is best to register as soon as possible to try to ensure that a workshop will run.

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6. Registration for the EXCEL Distance Education Program

EXCEL is a unique training program in managing a small public library or a community branch library specifically designed for public library staff or volunteers who have little or no formal library training. It also provides an opportunity to upgrade library skills and management techniques, within a flexible and practical program. It is offered, in both English and French, through the Southern Ontario Library Service and Ontario Library Service-North, as a correspondence program with telephone tutors.

Registration information, including a registration form, for the Winter 2005 semester is posted on the SOLS Web site at http://www.sols.org/librarydev/training/excel/about_en.htm . The registration deadline is Tuesday, January 4^th, 2005. The course material will be shipped to students beginning on Tuesday, January 11^th, with the semester commencing Monday, January 24^th, 2005, and ending in late April 2005.

We are offering these courses (in English) for the Winter 2005 semester:

• Introduction to Public Libraries

• Library Marketing

• Collection Development for Children

• Collection Development for Adults and Special Groups

• Communication Skills -- (revised)

• Collection Organization

• Professional Development

• Electronic Information Sources -- (revised)

• Planning for Library Service

We are offering these courses (in French) for the Winter 2005 semester:

• Introduction aux bibliothèques publiques
• Le marketing de la bibliothèque
• Développement des collections pour jeunes adultes (révisé)

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7. LIBRARY COMMITTEE MEETINGS

SOLS provides an opportunity for library staff members to meet and discuss issues of common interest.  Committee meetings of area libraries often involve a special clinic on a particular area of interest.  This fall, the clinic will revolve around the Ontario Public Library Guidelines.  Information about the meetings, including an agenda for each meeting, is posted on the SOLS Web site at http://www.sols.org/librarydev/networking/librarycommittee/index.htm .  Two of the meetings have already taken place but there is still a chance to attend one of the following:

Monday, November 1, 2004 - Tri-County – Cramahe Township Public Library, Colborne Branch
Monday, November 1, 2004 - Simcoe & Muskoka – Georgian Bay Public Library, Honey Harbour Branch
Monday, November 1, 2004- Lanark - Carleton Place Public Library
Wednesday, November 3, 2004 - Leeds & Grenville – North Grenville Public Library, South Gower Branch
Thursday, November 4, 2004 - Renfrew - Petawawa Public Library
Tuesday, November 9, 2004 – Escarpment – Haldimand County Public Library – Caledonia Branch

Please note that the Prescott-Russell Committee meeting, originally scheduled for Bibliothèque publique de Hawkesbury on Monday, November 8, 2004, has been postponed until further notice.

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8. Theme Selected for First Nations Public Library Week 2005

“Proud Past, Proud Future @ your library” is the theme for First Nations Public Library Week 2005. The dates for the week are February 14-19. The planning committee is working on a number of activities, including the selection of a title for the First Nation Communities Read 2005 program. Ontario’s First Nation public libraries invite all libraries to engage in the week by planning displays and programs related to the First Nations’ proud past and proud future. Once again, all Ontario public libraries will receive a copy of the First Nations Public Library Week poster, courtesy of the Ontario Library Association.

As more information becomes available, it will be posted on the SOLS Web site. From the “Events” section of the main SOLS page at www.sols.org , select the link for “First Nations Public Library Week”. You can also contact Patty Lawlor, First Nations Consultant at or 1-800-387-5765, ext. 5107.

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9. Theme SELECTED for TD Summer Reading Program 2005

The theme for the 2005 TD Summer Reading program will be “Space”, and the English title will be “Blast Off”. The precise French title has not been finalized, as that is done in consultation with staff at the Ottawa Public Library and Library & Archives Canada, but the general French theme is the same as the English theme.  The program is, once again, sponsored by the TD Financial Group and developed by the staff at the Toronto Public Library, with assistance from staff at Ottawa Public Library and Library & Archives Canada.  The registration form for the program will be posted on the SOLS Web site in mid-December, with a registration deadline in late January.

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10. Typical Week Survey for the Annual Survey – a Reminder

It is that time of year again.  The Heritage and Libraries Branch of the Ministry of Culture maintains statistics on public libraries in Ontario.  As part of the statistics gathering, public libraries are asked to measure activities in their libraries during a typical week in November.  A typical week is one with no holidays.  This information is not returned to the Ministry at this time, but is eventually used by the library to compile information for the 2004 Annual Survey of Public Libraries.  By recording the use of libraries and library materials in a typical week, an assessment of the total use of libraries and materials for the year can be made.

Libraries are expected to record specific activity measures during their typical week for each library service point. The measures to be recorded include circulation, in-library materials use, use of electronic information resources, reference inquiries, and visits to the library (both walk-in and electronic). More detailed information, including instructions for libraries about how to interpret and fill out the survey form, is included in the survey form document.  This information is posted, in both “.pdf” and Word format, on the Ministry Web site at http://www.culture.gov.on.ca/english/culdiv/library/statistics/survey2004-forms.htm

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11. SOLS CEO LISTSERV

SOLS maintains a list of all the e-mail addresses for SOLS CEOs.  It is this list that is used to distribute Signal.  Several times through the month, you may also receive other messages from SOLS staff members.  In October 2004, the following messages were sent: 

At various times through the month, Laurey Gillies posted a list of the library boards who have voted to support (or not to support) the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL).

Brenda Lewis posted a new offer from COOL for access to Micromedia ProQuest’s “CultureGrams” Online Database product.  Features include reports on 182 cultures of the world, including background, customs, and lifestyles, and multimedia content such as national anthems, official country names, currency converter and current time. Trial access to all the above products is available until November 17^th, 2004.  If you have questions, require further clarification, or are interested in subscribing, please contact Brenda Lewis at blewis@sols.org or 1-800-387-5765, ext. 5130.

On October 26^th, Laurey Gillies posted a message on behalf of Gay Selby, Chair of the Strategic Directions Council (SDC).  The message stated that “In the interest of continuing development of the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL) and to set the stage for the founding meeting, SDC is seeking expressions of interest for an interim administrator”.

If you did not receive this message, and would like further information, please contact the SOLS HelpDesk at 1-800-387-5765, ext. 4, or by e-mail to

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All issues of SIGNAL, including the French version of SIGNAL, can be viewed online at http://www.sols.org/librarydev/publications/Signal/index.htm.  However, if anyone would like to receive the e-mail version of this newsletter, please send a message to .  You can reach the editor of SIGNAL at: or by telephone at 1-866-380-9767.

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