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May 29, 2006

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.

In this issue:

1. SOLS SURVEY OF TRAINING NEEDS – Please reply by June 2, 2006
2. MARKETING SERVICE PLAN – New service being offered
3. COOL - NetLibrary Ebook collection – Deadline to join is Friday, July 14, 2006
4. COOL offer – Bibliography of native north americans
5. Library Book Rate Information (LBST) UPDATE
6. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
7. LITERACY GRANT
8. SOLS TRAINING WORKSHOPS
9. TD Summer Reading program 2006 – Workshop programme ideas now available
10. LIBRARY COMMITTEE MEETINGS – Spring 2006
11. First Nation POSTERS AND MATERIALS – Now available
12. TRILLIUM GRANTs – Announced March 2006
13. SOLS CEO LISTSERV
14. IN THE COMMUNITY
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1. SOLS SURVEY OF TRAINING NEEDS – Please reply by June 2, 2006 

SOLS is investigating the training needs of the staff and CEOs of small, medium and county libraries in southern Ontario.  At the present time, SOLS offers a variety of opportunities for training, including traditional workshops on specific topics, clinics offered at library committee meetings, and assistance with Kempenfelt for county library staff. For staff in small and county libraries, our principal vehicle for training is the EXCEL distance education program. While registration for EXCEL is not declining, we are exploring the need for a formal program of courses that builds on EXCEL and provides more advanced learning for library staff and CEOs. Completing the survey will help us to determine what type of program is needed.   

You can access the survey from the training page of the SOLS website at http://www.sols.org/librarydev/training/trainingsurvey.htm.  The survey will be available on our website until Friday, June 2, 2006.  The survey will be of particular interest to present and past Excel students, and those who have used the Excel training program as a means of training staff.

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2. MARKETING SERVICE PLAN – New service being offered 

Ontario Library Service – North and a Provincial Marketing Committee made up of librarians from the North and the South have completed a Marketing Service Plan for all libraries in Ontario. The service is a collaboration between Ontario Library Service – North and Southern Ontario Library Service and will be delivered through Ontario Library Service – North to all libraries in Ontario.

Earlier, the Provincial Marketing Committee sent out a survey to all libraries in Ontario. The results were compiled, and the service plan was developed according to these results. The Committee feels that the prepared plan is in keeping with the needs of libraries across the province and will be reviewed on a yearly basis.

For further information on the service, please contact the marketing team at marketing@olsn.ca  or speak to Lorraine Leblanc, Manager of Business Resource at the Ontario Library Service – North office in Sudbury at 1-705-675-6467.

A copy of the Marketing Service Plan has been posted on the OLS-North website at http://www.olsn.ca/downloads/marketing-plan/marketing-service-plan-2006.pdf.  There is also a link to this document in the ‘Marketing and Public Relations Resources’ section of the Joint OLS-N/SOLS Clearinghouse at http://www.sols.org/links/clearinghouse/marketing/index.htm

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3. COOL - NetLibrary Ebook collection – Deadline to join is Friday, July 14, 2006  

The shared ebook collection initiative is moving ahead with the third installment of new titles! This collection is different from other COOL products we offer in that titles are purchased so that access to them does not end after one year. Funding of this collection is set through an annual fee from all participating libraries (public, university, and college) and is then pooled together to purchase titles. In order to build a substantive collection, pooling resources from each sector is the most cost-effective means to accessing ebooks for libraries across the province.  

EBooks for this collection are being acquired through OCLC Canada’s NetLibrary division. “As the world’s premier provider of electronic books (eBooks) …by combining the time-honoured traditions of the library system with electronic publishing, NetLibrary offers an easy-to use information and retrieval system for accessing the full text of reference, scholarly, and professional books. OCLC Canada is a not-for-profit library cooperative that provides computer based cataloguing, reference, resource sharing, and digitization and preservation services to libraries and serves more than 850 libraries in Canada.”  The main subject areas in the collection are Business, Health and Medicine, Information Technology, General Science and it does include Canadian Content.

It is strongly recommended that libraries have dedicated Internet access and a static IP address in order to effectively access ebooks. Library must also provide public Internet access. 

Initiative for Small and First Nations Libraries - In the spring of 2005, OLS-N and SOLS initiated a joint project to encourage public library participation in the COOL shared ebook collection by offering a $100 subsidy to all libraries. Based on the price structure shown below, all First Nations libraries, and libraries serving populations of less than 15,000, could automatically gain access to this collection. This offer of a $100 subsidy has been extended for another year for the COOL III collection. This will cover 100% of the cost of participation for First Nation Libraries and libraries serving populations of less than 15,000.  However, please remember that participation is not limited to small libraries and new members are always welcome! 

Pricing Structure

On May 19^th, an e-mail was forwarded to all library CEOs with this information, as well as participation forms.  Those wishing to participate in this initiative must complete these forms and fax them to the SOLS Toronto office at 416-961-5122 attn: Dayna Lintner, no later than July 14, 2006.  Please note this deadline is firm.  If you need a copy of the Account Set-up Worksheet or the COOL Member Terms and Conditions licence agreement, please contact Dayna.    

For more information on the e-book program, please contact either Dayna Lintner at 416-961-1669 ext. 5112 or Barbara Franchetto ext. 5104 or visit our website at http://www.sols.org/resourcesharing/coolcpa/cooldata/product.aspx?prod=47  

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4. COOL offer – Bibliography of native north americans 

SOLS staff have negotiated consortia purchasing for library products under the COOL initiative.  Consortium of Ontario Libraries (COOL) is a buying group for electronic journals, magazines, ebooks and other products not available for free on the web. Public, university, college and school libraries purchase licenses and ebooks for deeper discounts than they could achieve alone.  More information about COOL is posted on the SOLS website at http://www.sols.org/resourcesharing/coolcpa/index.htm  

COOL was first established in 1998, when the group negotiated deals on four different electronic products.   Since that time, many, many products and services have been offered to libraries through COOL. During May, another product was made available through the COOL buying group.  In each case, an e-mail, with details of the offer, was sent to the Library CEO, as well as to the COOL contact person in the library.  For further details on any offers, or for trial access, please contact Brenda Lewis, Information Services Representative, at the SOLS Toronto office by telephone at 416-961-1669, ext. 5130, or 1- 800-387-5765, ext. 5130 or by e-mail at .  The offer is as follows: 

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5. Library Book Rate Information (LBST) UPDATE 

In the previous Signal, we included information regarding the Canada Post Library Book Rate.  Canada Post has extended the current Library Book Rates to January 15, 2007.  As part of this extension, libraries will be required to use electronic web-based software (called Library Book Shipping Tool or LBST) to create shipping and return labels for mailing Interlibrary Loan items using the Library Book Rate system.

The “Library Book Rate Postage Information” section of the SOLS website has now been updated with new information on the Library Book Rate and Canada Post’s Library Book Shipping Tool (LBST).  This section can be found at http://www.sols.org/resourcesharing/INFO/policies/postage/index.htm.  To incorporate using Canada Post’s Library Book Shipping Tool into the regular VDX routine, SOLS staff have added a “Step-by-Step work flow tips for VDX Responders”.

As on May 1, 2006, libraries are required to register for a username and password to use LBST by completing the application form found on the Canadian Library Association (CLA) website at http://www.cla.ca/EOE_SCE_Prod/index.htm. Libraries will have until September 30, 2006 to move to one of the electronic shipping tools in order to access the Library Book Rates, otherwise full tariff rates will apply.  Existing stocks of pre-printed return labels are only acceptable until September 30, 2006.  The LBST now generates a pre-paid return mailing label in conjunction with the shipping label.  

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6. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES  

There are a number of valuable links to “Funding Development Resources” that can be found at http://www.sols.org/links/clearinghouse/fundingdev/index.htm#Grants .  The following grant might be of interest to libraries in Ontario. 

Ontario Trillium Foundation –Next deadline July 1, 2006 

Public libraries became eligible for the OTF community program two years ago.  Applications for grants for municipal libraries serving small communities (populations of 20,000 or less) must be submitted through the municipality.  Applications for grants for county libraries serving small municipalities (populations of 20,000 or less) must be submitted through the County Library Board.  Applications for grants for First Nation libraries must be submitted through the First Nation's Band Council.  A copy of the application process is posted on the Foundation’s website at http://www.trilliumfoundation.org/OTF-English/new/index.htm.  There is also a link to the Trillium website from the main SOLS page at www.sols.org.  The remaining deadlines for the 2006 round of applications are July 1 and November 1 – at 5:00 pm on the deadline date.   

A copy of the Trillium grants awarded to public libraries that were announced in March 2006 appear later in this edition of Signal.

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7. LITERACY GRANT 

In response to queries and requests from libraries around the Ministry’s $6 million initiative to “boost literacy and learning” in rural, remote, francophone and First Nations public libraries, SOLS will be providing a spectrum of ideas to help libraries focus on providing literacy services and materials. We intend to focus on three areas:

• Literacy and Numeracy
• Lifelong Learning and Love of Reading
• Family Literacy.

For each of these categories, we will provide information on collection development, programming and training. This information will become a highlight on the main SOLS webpage at www.sols.org.  Information will also be posted in the “Literacy resources” section of the Joint OLS-N/SOLS Clearinghouse at http://www.sols.org/links/clearinghouse/literacy/index.htm.  A new posting will be added next week.

This section of the Joint OLS-N/SOLS Clearinghouse also includes some specialized literacy resources.  One example is a link to some of the research on lifelong learning underway at OISE.  Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council from 1996-2001, the research network on “New Approaches to Lifelong Learning” (NALL) produced a wealth of empirical data, both qualitative and quantitative, on the subject of informal learning. Under a second SSHRC grant from 2002 to 2006, the research continues as the “Work and Lifelong Learning” (WALL) research network. One interesting paper on this site is called “The Iceberg of Informal Adult Learning” by Allen Tough. The direct link to this paper http://www.nall.ca/res/49AllenTough.pdf

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8. SOLS TRAINING WORKSHOPS 

The Spring 2006 workshops are almost at an end, with one workshop left to take place on Thursday, June 1^st at the Northview Branch of the Oshawa Public Library, called “Choosing and Using Books for Boys [and Girls”]. For further information concerning that workshop, please visit http://www.sols.org/librarydev/training/clinicsworkshops/workshop7.htm .  

Details of the Fall 2006 workshops will be available in the June issue of our monthly newsletter, Signal.  Information about the workshops will be posted in the training section of the SOLS website at http://www.sols.org/librarydev/training/clinicsworkshops/index.htm, and a print mailing with details will be sent to libraries in mid-July.

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9. TD Summer Reading program 2006 – Workshop programme ideas now available 

The 2006 TD Summer Reading program theme is "Quest for Heroes", which includes community heroes, family heroes, heroes in myths and legends, modern heroes - the whole works!!  The illustrator for the 2006 TD Summer Reading program will be Martha Newbigging.   Sample clip art for this program has been posted on the SOLS website at http://www.sols.org/marketing/summerreading/clipart/index.htm   Library and Archives Canada has now posted the official bilingual website for the program at http://www.td-club-td.ca/   An electronic copy of the Staff Manual is also posted on that site under the link for “Librarians”.

One of the training workshops this spring was an orientation to the TD Summer Reading program.  At each workshop, Joanne Hawthorne kept a list of program ideas that were mentioned, and has now provided this list to us.  You will find a link to the list on the SOLS TD Summer Reading web page at http://www.sols.org/marketing/summerreading/index.htm.  Joanne has also kindly provided the titles of other books which fit this year’s theme and which were suggested at the workshops.

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10. LIBRARY COMMITTEE MEETINGS – Spring 2006 

SOLS provides an opportunity for library staff members to meet and discuss issues of common interest. This spring, the clinic connected to the Library Committee meetings will revolve around book-based programming.  Meeting agendas will be posted in early April on the SOLS website at http://www.sols.org/librarydev/networking/librarycommittee/index.htm.  

The next round of Library Committees will be held as follows:  

Monday, May 29^th - Saugeen area libraries at the Meaford Public Library

Monday, May 29^th - Peterborough area libraries at the Keene Branch of the Otonobee-South Monaghan Public Library

Wednesday, May 31^st - Simcoe-Muskoka area libraries at the Ramara Public Library

Wednesday, May 31^st - Leeds and Grenville area libraries at the Prescott Public Library

Thursday, June 1^st - Renfrew area libraries at the Greater Madawaska Public Library (Calabogie)

Monday, June 5^th – Hastings-Northumberland-Prince Edward area libraries at the Tweed Public Library

Tuesday, June 6^th - Lanark area libraries at the Carleton Place Public Library

Monday, June 12th – Regular meeting of the Prescott-Russell area libraries (Comité des services en français) at the Clarence-Rockland Public Library

11. First Nation POSTERS AND MATERIALS – Now available 

a) First Nation Communities Read 2006 Poster  

Copies of the First Nation Communities Read 2006 poster are available, free of charge, to southern Ontario First Nation public libraries. The poster prominently features the 2006 honour recipient, As Long as the Rivers Flow by Larry Loyie and Constance Brissenden, with illustrations by Heather D. Holmlund, and also includes the cover art for 15 additional titles recommended by the jury for the 2006 program. The poster is full colour and 18” X 24.”

• To obtain folded posters, please include contact name, library name, SOLS courier route letter, and number of posters desired in an email message to Patty Lawlor, First Nations Consultant at .
• To obtain rolled posters via the SOLS courier, please send an appropriately-sized poster tube containing a return label and indication of the number of posters desired to Patty at SOLS – Toronto, Courier Route E. Please include a return label for your library in the tube.

SOLS acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for this project.  

b) National Aboriginal Day – June 21, 2006 

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada offers information and FREE promotional material to support National Aboriginal Day celebrations each year. It’s not too early to check out what’s available for 2006 and place your order. Information about National Aboriginal Day is available at http://www.pch.gc.ca/special/canada/11/aboriginal_e.cfm. The product order form is available at http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ks/12050_e.html.

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12. TRILLIUM GRANTs – Announced March 2006 

On March 2, 2006, the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Ministry of Culture, announced another round of successful grant recipients.  OTF delivers two granting programs, the Community program and the Province-Wide program. Both programs help build healthy and vibrant communities throughout Ontario by strengthening the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. Priority is given to organizations that work to help Ontarians achieve their potential by enhancing success for students and learners; promoting healthier and more physically active Ontarians; enhancing employment and economic potential for workers and their families; and fostering more effective volunteers and more people engaged in their communities.  A complete list of the grants is available at http://www.trilliumfoundation.org/OTF-English/new/index.htm.   The grants for this round include:
 

The Corporation of the Township of Georgian Bay - $12,800 over six months to develop a library collection that includes two collections of juvenile books on tapes or CDs and music CDs for young children, benefiting the township residents, as well as the neighbouring Aboriginal community.

Corporation de la Cité de Clarence-Rockland - $30,800 over one year to purchase software and provide training to staff, which will enable services to be automated in the five branches of the public library and provide the community with greater access to its resources and information.

Corporation of the City of Pembroke - $11,200 to purchase a microfilm reader for the public library, which will enable staff to build a local history database and allow residents greater access to information for genealogical research.

Corporation of the Township of Champlain - $27,000 over 10 months to renovate and improve the public library, making the entrance fully accessible and the facility safer, so that it can continue to provide an important information resource for the community.

Township of Greater Madawaska - $7,300 over six months for software that will allow off-site and off-hours access to the library collection, enabling greater use by patrons with distance or mobility challenges. Funding will also support new satellite library locations.

Township of Whitewater Region - $64,400 over nine months in order to allow the local library to fully automate services in its three regional branches. This will improve community use and satisfaction while enabling librarians to focus on special needs

Corporation of the Town of Deseronto - $69,000 over one year to renovate and repair the Deseronto Library, making accessibility improvements that include a barrier-free washroom and front entrance and a new heating system.

Corporation of the Town of Mississippi Mills - $16,000 over one year to purchase a digital microfilm viewer-scanner for the library in Almonte, which will help preserve local heritage documents and make them more accessible to the public.

Corporation of the Town of Prescott - $23,100 over one year to purchase furniture and provide a wheelchair lift for the library, which will increase its physical accessibility and improve its safety, comfort and usability for community members.

County of Lennox and Addington Public Library - $57,100 over one year to establish a library service point at the County of Lennox and Addington Museum & Archives in Napanee that specializes in local history and provides genealogical-reference assistance to the community.

The Corporation of the Municipality of Brighton - $12,000 over one year to increase opportunities for historical research through the purchase of a microfilm reader/scanner and a printer.

The Corporation of the Township of Alnwick/Haldimand - $14,800 over one year to enhance services to young adults by purchasing computers for access to e-books and other on-line resources. The CD-ROM and reference collections will also be improved with materials that support their educational goals.

The Corporation of the Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen - $36,200 over six months to create physical access to educational and leisure activities, as well as social services by installing a ramp, power-assisted doors and accessible washrooms in two rural library branches.

Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nations - $23,300 over one year to provide this First Nations library with updated technology in order to enhance current services and programs, encouraging lifelong learning and literacy for those living in the reserve of New Credit.

The Corporation of the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake - $50,000 over one year to improve accessibility, expand the seating capacity and upgrade information technology in the computer- training facility of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library.

Thorold Public Library Board - $50,000 over one year to upgrade the current system's hardware and software, providing on-line access. Library staff will be trained. This will remove geographical and transportation barriers associated with coming into the library.

Municipality of Grey Highlands (Grey Highlands Public Library) - $18,000 over nine months to develop literacy programs for toddlers and to purchase literacy materials for all ages. These will be distributed to three libraries in Markdale, Flesherton and Kimberly.

Township of Perth East - $25,000 over one year towards the purchase of equipment and resource material in order to expand library services to children and enhance student learning.

Walpole Island First Nation - $65,000 over two years to increase accessibility, install automated systems and make artistic and cultural opportunities available to the community. This will be accomplished by the purchase and delivery of print and cultural literacy programs.

Oxford County Library Board - $37,800 over one year to provide barrier-free shelving in most areas of the library. Funding will also increase the Dutch collection and develop a children's discovery area to better service the community.

Beausoleil First Nation Public Library - $100,000 over one year to restore and renovate the public library located on Christian Island. As the only historic property, renovations will ensure the library remains open for the benefit of all residents.

Wasaga Beach Public Library - $17,000 over one year to make the public library fully accessible to seniors, children and people with disabilities by redesigning the front desk and reception area and installing a power door to the washroom area.

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13. 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. This month, the following messages were sent:

·         On May 3^rd, Sue Walls sent a reminder message regarding the Client Services Information Collection Form.  The deadline for that survey was May 5^th.

·         On May 8^th, Sue Walls forwarded a message on behalf of the Edward Reece, CEO, Gravenhurst Public Library which referred to a resolution passed by the Bracebridge Town Council asking the Ontario government to "a) review the impact of public libraries across Ontario as a vital resource that works across sectors to meet the demands of the new knowledge-based economy, and supports the future growth and prosperity of Ontario, and b) provide increased provincial funding for public libraries, and base the Provincial library grant on an updated and sustainable indexing model.".  The question was “how many municipal Councils have passed a similar resolution.”

·         On May 16^th, Barbara Franchetto provided information on the recently completed Marketing Service Plan for all libraries in Ontario. The service is a collaboration between Ontario Library Service – North and Southern Ontario Library Service and will be delivered through Ontario Library Service – North to all libraries in Ontario.  More information appeared earlier in this edition of Signal.

·         On May 24^th, Peggy Malcolm sent a message about a new SOLS survey on training needs.  Further information appeared earlier in Signal.  The deadline for completing this survey is Friday, June 2^nd.

If you did not receive these messages, 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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14.  IN THE COMMUNITY

a) SOLS Staff 

Patty Lawlor, First Nations Consultant, will participate in speaker and convenor capacities at the following sessions at the Canadian Library Association (CLA) Conference in Ottawa in June:

• “The Aboriginal Service Challenge: Improving Access through Understanding and Building Profile through Programming” – Concurrent Session B9 on Thursday, June 15, at 1:00 p.m.
• Book/Readers’ Salon: First Nation Communities Read (FNCR) presents the authors and illustrator of As Long as the Rivers Flow, the 2006 FNCR program’s title selections for a reading, book give-away, and book signing on Thursday, June 15. (Time to be confirmed.) SOLS acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for this project.
• “Native Resources Alert: What’s Good, What’s Not and Why” – Concurrent Session D22 on Friday, June 16, at 9:00 a.m.

b) Southern Ontario Libraries and Librarians in the News

In the Six Nations/Caledonia area, where land reclamation issues have dominated the news since February, an editorial in The Grand River Runner (May 11, 2006, p. 2) saluted Diana Doxtdator, Six Nations Public Library librarian as follows: “…Six Nation’s [sic] librarian, Diana Doxtdator, attended a public rally of Caledonia townsfolk last Friday night where the KKK was reported to perhaps make an appearance. …Intended or not, our librarian took on an angry mob with class and maybe did more towards resolving the tensions and potential for racist violence…than anything tried before. The question is, can we build on what she may have started.”

Efforts made by staff of the Niagara Falls Public Library earned international acknowledgement during their “Live with Regis and Kelly” telecast from Niagara Falls (Canada) the week of May 22. Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa thanked the Niagara Falls Public Library for providing archival support for their program’s historical segment on Niagara Falls. 

All issues of SIGNAL can be viewed online at http://www.sols.org/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.