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July 2, 2008

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. 

All issues of SIGNAL can be viewed online. 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.

In this issue:

1. $15 MILLION INVESTMENT FROM MINISTRY OF CULTURE
2. SOLS HOLIDAY CLOSURES
3. Resource information for grant research and proposal writing
4. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
5. Growing Interest in APLL (Advancing Public Library Leadership) INSTITUTE
6. EXCEL PROGRAM – Registration for fall now open
a) EXCEL
b) Advanced EXCEL
7. SOLS FALL 2008 Training Workshops – Registration opens Monday, August 11, 2008
8. Clearinghouse of Professional Information
9. TERMINOLOGY QUESTION OF THE MONTH– PSAB, MPMP, FIR, MIDAS….
10. SOLS CEO LISTSERV
11. SOLS Board Summary - June 2008

1. $15 MILLION INVESTMENT FROM MINISTRY OF CULTURE

A slightly modified copy of this message was distributed to all SOLSCEOs on June 17, 2008 by Sue Walls on behalf of Leanne Clendening and Laurey Gillies. In that message, a draft copy of the Powerpoint presentation to be used in the consultation was included but the presentation is also posted on the SOLS website.

Ontario Library Service North and Southern Ontario Library Service would like to invite you to participate in consultations regarding the $15 million dollar provincial investment in libraries. This spring the Government of Ontario announced a fourth quarter investment to help the OLS agencies to work collaboratively to “support public libraries to bridge the digital divide and to provide all Ontarians with equitable access to digital information, community collections and services”. Late in May, the agencies received more detail on the objectives of this investment. The agencies met on June 6th to discuss the approach we would take in this collaborative effort including a consultation process, the Ministry’s objectives, funding parameters and timelines. On June 16^th, we met with the Ministry to share the details of our approach.

We are now in a position to begin the consultation process. We will meet first with public library representatives from across the province, and then we will meet individually with other key organizations. Following these consultations, we will share with you what we heard, work on program guidelines and develop an advisory structure with representatives from libraries participating in program implementation.

The draft slide presentation to be used for the consultation outlines the Ministry’s objectives for the funding, the Funding Parameters and the OLS agencies guiding principles for the funding. We would ask that you review the slides and consider the following questions to prepare for the meeting:

1.  What would be the priorities for your library in each of the key areas: bridging the digital divide, community collections and strengthening the public library professionals’ capacity?
2.  Having reviewed the OLS guiding principles are there any you would add or remove?

A complete list of the consultations, as well as maps to each of the libraries, is posted on the main SOLS page. Those being held in southern Ontario are as follows:

• Essa Public Library, Thornton Branch (Community Room)
  Thursday, July 17, 2008 - 1pm to 4pm
• Oxford County Library, Ingersoll Branch (Programs Room)
  Friday, July 18, 2008 - 1pm to 4pm
• Toronto, SOLS Office
  Monday, July 21, 2008 - 1pm to 4pm
• Quinte West Public Library, Trenton Branch (Multi-Purpose Room)
  Tuesday July 22, 2008 - 1pm to 4pm
• Ottawa, Greenboro Branch (Meeting Room B)
  Wednesday, July 23, 2008 - 10am to 1pm

We are tentatively planning to hold teleconference meetings on Thursday, August 7, 2008 and Tuesday, August 12, 2008 for those unable to attend or send a delegate to any of the scheduled meetings.
 
If you are planning to attend one of the meetings, or wish to be put on the teleconference list, please notify Sue Walls at 1-800-387-5765, extension 5105 or by e-mail to . In each case, please indicate the meeting you wish to attend, or teleconference in which you wish to plan to participate.
 
In addition, written submissions from libraries will be received until Friday, August 15, 2008. Please send these submissions to the SOLS Toronto office (111 Peter St., Suite 902 Toronto, ON M5V 2H1 or SOLS Courier route E). These submissions should be made to the attention of Laurey Gillies.

2. SOLS HOLIDAY CLOSURES

With summer comes a few more holidays and the resulting adjustments to SOLS office hours and delivery service. The SOLS offices will be closed for the Civic Holiday on Monday, August 4, 2008 and for the Labour Day Holiday on Monday, September 1, 2008.  

The SOLS delivery routes will not operate on those days. For the Civic Holiday and the Labour Day Holiday, special arrangements are made for libraries receiving delivery only on Mondays. These arrangements are indicated on the individual route schedules which are posted on the “Delivery Service” section of the SOLS website.

3. Resource information for grant research and proposal writing

This spring, SOLS held a series of fundraising workshops on the topic of grant research and proposal writing. This workshop, led by Rob Lavery, featured a number of current resources. SOLS maintains a “Funding Development” section within the Clearinghouse of Professional Information. After the workshops, the “Grant research and proposal writing” sub-section section of the SOLS Clearinghouse was updated to reflect the recent additions. The listing of resources is posted on SOLS website.
 
SOLS has also posted a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on a variety of fundraising topics. Information is provided for commonly requested information by libraries on topics such as sponsorship, grants, events and mail. These documents are a good introduction to specific areas of fundraising. If you have additional questions, please forward them to the SOLS Resource Development consultant, Rob Lavery at
 
The FAQ Series is posted in the “Funding Development” section within the SOLS Clearinghouse of Professional Information.
 
Individual topics include:

• Corporate Partnerships
• Proposal Writing and Foundations
• Special Events
• Mail Program
• Major Gifts Programs

4. FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

a) Ontario Trillium Foundation - Next deadline is November 1, 2008 (5 pm)

The Ontario Trillium Foundation continues to offer grants to libraries in small communities and First Nation communities. Please be aware that the Program Guidelines, Application Form and Tools and Tips sections have been revised, so you need to use these revised documents to apply for an OTF grant. Also, if you are applying for a small capital grant, up to a maximum of $15,000, there is a new simplified application form that is posted on the OTF website. Capital funding is used for repairs, renovations or improvements to land or buildings, and to purchase equipment to support program activities.
 
Under the OTF community program, 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. The next deadline is November 1, 2008 – at 5:00 pm. Before submitting an application, please be sure to check with a Program Manager or Grants Associate in one of the Regional offices of the Ontario Trillium Foundation as they can help you with the process. The listing of offices is posted on the Foundation's website.

b) LSDF grants

The 2007/08 LSDF grant recipients have been announced. Eighteen libraries or library organizations are receiving $578,016 through the program. The fund strategically invests in projects that enhance the provincial library system as a whole or serve as models for other libraries. Grants support a wide range of initiatives that contribute to the cultural and economic vitality of our communities, and help Ontarians develop the creativity, knowledge and skills they need to succeed in Ontario’s new innovative economy. Should you wish to participate another year, a letter announcing the LSDF program for the next year is usually sent to libraries sometime in the summer months. The announcement is also posted on the SOLS website, and distributed through the SOLSCEO listserv.
 
Grant Recipients from southern Ontario in 2007-2008 include the following. The first three grants are given to a library representing a larger group or consortium, and most involve partnerships. More details on the individual projects is available from the Ministry of Culture/Library (MCL) website.

• Big Grassy First Nation Public Library - $45,000
  Project: Speak Up for First Nation Public Libraries 
    The purpose of the "Speak Up for First Nation Public Libraries" initiative is to develop and deliver a major public awareness campaign. The project is a major step forward in realizing the Vision for First Nation Public Libraries, set out in Our Way Forward: A Strategic Plan for Ontario First Nation Public Libraries. Partners for the project include the members of the First Nation Public Library Strategic Plan Implementation Committee, the Ontario Library Association, Ontario Library Service-North and the Southern Ontario Library Service.

• East Luther - Grand Valley Public Library - $50,000
  Project: Saugeen Library Consortium
  A consortium of Southern Ontario libraries will purchase Open Source software instead of proprietary software programs, repositioning themselves to be on the cutting edge of the new interface and current technology.

• Hastings Highlands Township Public Library - $38,704
  Project: Audio Service Program
    The project is a partnership among five libraries, Community Care North Hastings and the CNIB.

• Kingston-Frontenac County Public Library - $11,626
  Project: Got Game? Video games in the library and the community

• King Township Public Library - $20,325
  Project: Digitization of the life of the Rolling and Barnard Families: two African Canadian families who settled in King Township

• London Public Library - $29,000
  Project: Serving Socially Vulnerable Populations in London, Ontario
    The London Public Library will design new and enhanced policies, services and processes to better serve the needs of the socially vulnerable.

• Ottawa Public Library - $21,750
  Project: OPL Newcomer Information Project
    The OPL Newcomer Information Project will help to implement one of the directions of the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) Board's Strategic Plan (2008-2011) to provide responsive service to newcomers.

• Peterborough Public Library - $48,517
  Project: Peterborough Digital Cultural Clearinghouse
  In partnership with TEKdesk, a non-profit computer support service for Ontario public libraries, based at the Peterborough Public Library, the library will develop a real-time, user friendly events calendar system for the arts and culture community in the greater Peterborough area. 

• Pickering Public Library - $42,750
  Project: Making Pickering Stronger
  The purpose of this project is to support the learning and development needs of managers of small to medium-sized businesses in the City of Pickering.

• County of Prince Edward Public Library - $33,600
  Project: Presenting the Past
    The library will partner with local archives on a program to digitize in word searchable format unique archival holdings with relevance to the history and social development of Prince Edward County. 

• Southern Ontario Library Service - $49,998
  Project: Establish the Advancing Public Library Leadership (APLL) Institute
    The purpose of the project is to establish the APLL Institute as an affordable, credible, authoritative    training venue for emerging public library leaders in Ontario. 

• St. Marys Public Library - $42,000
  Project: St. Marys Image Digitization Initiative (SMIDI)

• Vaughan Public Libraries - $6,617
  Project: Villages to City: An Oral History of Vaughan

• Region of Waterloo Library - $50,000
  Project: Community Development 2.0: applying the principles of Web 2.0 to public libraries and their community partners

• Welland Public Library - $15,150
  Project: Portable Community Computer Training Lab/Computer Learning

• Whitchurch-Stouffville Public Library - $26,750
  Project: Digital Alliance Project (materials that relate to the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville).

5. Growing Interest in APLL (Advancing Public lIbrary Leadership) INSTITUTE

While registration for the Advancing Public Library Leadership (APLL) Institute does not open until Monday, July 21st, some libraries have already committed to registering up and coming leaders in the two year certificate program being offered through SOLS. When asked what it is about the program that appeals, and why she has decided to enroll two staff, Middlesex County CEO Marg Rule commented that the curriculum and combination of online with some onsite participation makes it an attractive and timely way to develop the management skills of two recently hired librarians. To date, four libraries and one individual have expressed their intent to register for the APLL Institute, with many others expressing interest. Those who register for this first cycle of the program get the benefit of a significantly reduced registration fee, thanks to the LSDF grant from the Ministry of Culture. The grant has made it possible for SOLS to reduce the fees from $3,600 to $2,400 plus GST. 

For more information about the APLL Institute, see the “Training” section of the SOLS website.

6. EXCEL PROGRAM –

Registration for fall now open

Beginning in 2008, there will be two levels of EXCEL courses. The first level, now referred to as basic EXCEL, is the original program. The second level, called Advanced EXCEL, is a new program of study which builds on the knowledge and skills acquired through the basic EXCEL program, going into greater depth in a number of key areas. Registration information for both streams of EXCEL is included here.

a) EXCEL

Registration for the Fall 2008 semester for EXCEL opened on Monday, June 30, 2008. The registration deadline, with no exceptions, will be 5 pm on Tuesday, September 2, 2008. The first regular contact section for the semester will begin during the week of September 22^nd.  
 
We are offering the following courses, in English, for the Fall 2008 semester:

• #1 - Introduction to Public Libraries
• #2 - Library Management
• #3 - Supervision
• #4 - Information Services
• #6 - Basic Collection Development
• #13 - Circulation
• #14 - Non-book Materials
• #16 - Professional Development
• #19 - Readers' Advisory Services

We are offering the following courses, in French, for the Fall 2008 semester:

• 1 - Introduction aux bibliothèques publiques
• 3 - Supervision
• 16 - Formation professionnelle
• 17 - Ressources d'information électroniques

Further information about each of the courses, as well as on online registration form, is posted in the EXCEL section of the SOLS website.

b) Advanced EXCEL

Advanced EXCEL consists of thirteen courses delivered online with the support of a tutor. Each course consists of three modules with an assignment per module and an exam for the course. Assignments are based on practical applications to test the principles of the course in students’ own work situations. They are graded either Fail, Pass, or Pass with Distinction.

To receive the Advanced EXCEL certificate, students must have their basic EXCEL Certificate in Managing a Small Public Library (or other library qualifications such as a Library Techniques diploma or MLS/MLIS) and must complete six Advanced EXCEL courses within a four year period, including three mandatory courses: A31 - Government Documents and Services or A32 - Electronic Databases in the Public Library; A33 - Developing a Collection Plan and A34 - Policy Writing. Individuals not interested in pursuing the Advanced EXCEL certificate may take individual courses of interest to them.

Courses are offered over two semesters – Fall (October-November) and Winter (February-March). All courses will be offered at least once every two years with some courses offered more frequently. For the Fall of 2008, we will be offering the following five Advanced EXCEL courses:

• Course A31 – Government Documents and Services  
• Course A32 – Electronic Databases in the Public Library
• Course A35 – MARC Records: An Overview for Public Libraries
• Course A37 – Services to Children (for those who have not taken the basic EXCEL children’s course within the last 5 years)
• Course A39 – Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library (an abridged version of the course offered in the basic EXCEL stream)

Registration for the first semester for the Advanced EXCEL program is now open. The registration deadline is Monday, September 15, 2008 at 5 p.m., with the semester commencing Monday, October 6, 2008. The registration fee per course is $85 plus GST.

Further information, as well as a registration form, is posted on the SOLS website.  The contact person for the EXCEL programs is Peggy Malcolm who can be reached at  or toll-free at 1-866-380-9767.

7. SOLS FALL 2008 Training Workshops –

Registration opens Monday August 11, 2008

The Fall Training brochure (.pdf) has now been posted on the SOLS website. This publication will also be distributed in print to each public library in southern Ontario. In addition to webinar and workshop information, the brochure includes information on Advanced EXCEL and the Advancing Public Library Leadership (APLL) Institute.
 
This fall, we are offering webinars on NetLibrary’s eBooks and eAudiobooks, and are providing another opportunity to become familiar with EBSCO’s Canadian Reference Centre. Helene Golden will offer a new webinar called Core Collection of On-line Reference Tools.
 
We are also offering regular workshops for library staff at all levels, in addition to some sessions of interest to board trustees. For children’s staff, there is a half-day session with Debbie Carroll, popular children’s presenter and musician. For library staff in eastern Ontario, there is a workshop on basic website design scheduled in conjunction with the fall Library Committee meetings. The full-day Library Redesign workshop will focus on the need to make better use of space in order to advance library service. In an effort to encourage library staff and trustees to learn with their municipal partners, there is a special price for library staff attending the Municipal Cultural Planning Forum with their municipal staff or councillors. This day will focus on the role of libraries in municipal cultural planning.  
 
The first series of workshops this fall will provide CEOs, library managers, and trustees with the information needed to successfully develop and maintain the library’s policies. These workshops will be held in late September and October, so you might want to note the dates now, to clear a spot on your calendar. These workshops on library policies will be offered as follows:

• Saturday, September 20, 2008 from 10am to 3:30pm, Gravenhurst Public Library
• Saturday, September 20, 2008 from 10am to 3:30pm, Pembroke Public Library
  
  
• Saturday, September 27, 2008 from 10am to 3:30pm, Quinte West Public Library – Trenton branch
• Saturday, September 27, 2008 from 10am to 3:30pm, Rideau Lakes Public Library – Elgin branch
• Saturday, September 27, 2008 from 10am to 3:30pm, Aurora Public Library
  
  
• Saturday, October 4, 2008 from 10am to 3:30pm, Grand Valley Public Library
• Saturday, October 4, 2008 from 10am to 3:30pm, Cavan-Monaghan Public Library – Bruce Johnson branch

This workshop will also be offered in French as “Atelier sur l’élaboration de politiques – La gouvernance et la prestation du service de bibliothèque doivent reposer sur des assises solides”  on Saturday, September 27^th at the old city hall in Clarence Creek.  

8. Clearinghouse of Professional Information

OLS-North and SOLS have a joint Clearinghouse of Professional Information with ongoing enhancements and updates. In June 2008, there was a request for information on the OLSLIB listserv for procedures on how they train their shelvers. The staff at the Aurora Public Library were more than willing to share their training manual, but could not do so through the listserv as attachments are not allowed. We updated the “Training” section of our Clearinghouse to include a sub-section called “Stack maintenance 101” and posted a copy of the Aurora Public Library manual at that page.

Stack Maintenance 101

• How to shelve a book (University of Florida Libraries)
• LibraryU. Shelving with Dewey Demo Interactive Shelving simulation (choose Demo from sidebar and then "Shelving with Dewey (Demo)"
• Page Training Manual (Aurora Public Library) (Word file)
• Shelf reading and blocking ((University of Florida Libraries)
• Resources for public and K-12 libraries (OCLC) If you work in a public or K–12 library—or use one—you may need information about the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system rather than from it. These resources can help. (Note: Powerpoint presentations are slow to load)

9. TERMINOLOGY QUESTION OF THE MONTH– PSAB, MPMP, FIR, MIDAS….

A number of libraries have asked for further clarification on some of the new terminology in the library world including – PSAB, MPMP, FIR and MIDAS. With this short section, some clarification and context for these terms will be provided.

PSAB stands for the Public Sector Accounting Board of the CICA (Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants). This body sets the financial reporting standards and generally accepted accounting principles for governments. These standards and principles are laid out in the CICA – Public Sector Accounting Handbook. Over the years, however, there was a growing divergence between the financial reporting practices of local public bodies in Ontario and the “generally accepted accounting principles” (GAAP) recommended by the CICA. As a result, many have moved over to using PSAB standards in accounting practices, or plan to move in the near future. There are a number of changes in the way that financial reporting is done, but one of the differences is the way that municipalities record tangible capital assets in the financial statements. While the municipalities will likely provide some guidance, information on the reporting of tangible capital assets is available through the PSAB website.

MPMP stands for Municipal Performance Measurement Program (MPMP). For the past few years, public libraries have been required to report certain pieces of information in the area of library uses to their municipality to use with their Financial Information Return (FIR). This request usually comes to the library just after the completion of the Annual Survey and is based on data submitted to the Ministry of Culture in the previous year’s Annual Survey of Public Libraries. Information is also collected on revenue received from contracting municipalities as reported to the Ministry of Culture. Specific pages have been created to assist public libraries with the completion of the MPMP. There are “tabs” in the Excel spreadsheet for libraries in a single tier or lower-tier municipality, for an upper-tier library and for a union public library.

In the 2009 reporting year, municipalities will begin reporting tangible capital assets as assets and amortization as an expense in the Financial Information Return (FIR). With this change, the efficiency measures within MPMP will be based on total expenses. The MPMP Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from municipalities and their organizations, is working with the Ministry to develop MPMP efficiency measures that benefit from the move to accrual accounting.

In working with the municipality, you may hear the term MIDAS. MIDAS, short for Municipal Information Data and Analysis System, was developed through a partnership between AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario) and the ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. MIDAS is password-protected, but is used by municipalities to access MPMP results and FIR data, and enables them to compare results to other municipalities and to analyze MPMP results.

10. 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, these messages were distributed through the SOLSCEO list:  

• On June 5^th, Sue Walls sent a message on behalf of the Board of the East Gwillimbury Public Library to announce the appointment of Mr. Greg Gulas to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr. Gulas will assume his role June 30, 2008.

• On June 17^th, Sue Walls sent a message regarding the invitation to consult on the $15 million investment from the Ministry of Culture. Further information on this invitation is posted earlier in this issue of Signal.

• On June 18^th, Sue Walls sent a message on behalf of the Vaughan Public Library Board to announce the appointment of Margie Singleton to the position of Chief Executive Officer of Vaughan Public Libraries (VPL), effective immediately.

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

11. SOLS Board Summary - June 2008

New Board Members - The June 13/14, 2008 meeting was the inaugural meeting of the new Board. SOLS’ Board is composed of fifteen trustees elected from our client libraries through the Trustee Councils (TC) and five ministerial nominees. The Board serves for a four year term. We were pleased to welcome the following new members to the Board:

Name	Provenance	Local Board
Bob Coryell	TC 4	Tay Township
Virginia DiLauro	TC 2	Caledon
Karen Dubeau	TC 5	Newmarket
Dave Jones	TC 1	Middlesex County
Claudette Richardson	TC 6	Kingston-Frontenac
Jean Rixen	TC 6	Deseronto
Larry Stewart	TC 1	Brant County
Patricia Symon	TC 3	Bruce County

The following Board members continue their affiliation with SOLS:

SOLS Chair and Vice-Chair - With the retirement of Jim Neill from SOLS’ Board, Vice-Chair Brenda Carrigan has assumed the position of Chair pending elections at the next Board meeting. George Hodgkinson was appointed interim Acting Vice-Chair for the same period.
 
$15 Million Investment in Public Libraries - Southern Ontario Library Service has just received $15 million from the Ministry of Culture to be used in collaboration with Ontario Library Service- North “for the purpose of supporting public libraries’ efforts to provide equitable access to a range of digital information, community collections and services to Ontarians. The letter lists the following objectives:

• Bridging the digital divide through investments that will improve services and access by supporting the implementation of new technology, in particular for small, rural and remote public libraries;

• Enhancing access to community collections through investment in library collection development in strategic areas, such as French language, multicultural, health and literacy, and digitization;

• Strengthening public library professionals’ capacity to meet and keep pace with the library service and digital information needs of their communities.

SOLS and OLSN are embarking on a consultation process with client libraries and other key library organizations. There will be five regional meetings in each of the OLS areas between July 17th and 31st plus teleconferences early in August for those unable to attend one of the meetings. We will also organize meetings with key library organizations to receive their input. Invitations to the consultations have recently been sent. We hope you will participate.
 
Assurance of Funding - SOLS’ Business Plan 2008/09 - SOLS submits an annual business plan to the Ministry of Culture. At the end of May, we received approval our 2008/09 plan and confirmation of our operating grant of $2,755,905. We were also the recipient of a grant from the Library Strategic Development Fund in the amount of $49,998 to support the Advancing Public Library Leadership (APLL) Institute. This grant enables SOLS to launch this new program this fall. We have also received a total of $8,645 for four positions under the Summer Experience program for youth. Still pending are the final confirmations of our capital, First Nations Consulting and Connectivity grants.
 
Following confirmation of our business plan, we posted our Operations Plan for the year on our website under About SOLS – Plans and Annual Reports. Similarly an update on activities to date under this plan is available there.
 
Assurance of Funding – MPP Contacts - SOLS’ first contact with MPPs following the election last fall was a letter congratulating them on their success and enclosing the Annual Report. The Board also developed a plan for visiting the fifteen newly elected MPPs in SOLS’ service area to introduce them to SOLS. Five of these visits have been completed to date and, in addition, four visits have been made to re-elected MPPs. For this summer, the Board is targeting thirteen more visits to a mix of new and re-elected MPPs. The key messages for these visits are SOLS’ priorities, opportunities and challenges.
 
Assurance of Funding – Fundraising - SOLS’ Board continues to solicit individual donations for SOLS’ Innovation Fund. This year’s target is $10,000 and just over $5,000 has been raised to date. SOLS is a registered charity and issues tax receipts for all donations. Donations may be made through Canada Helps by clicking “Support SOLS” on our website.
 
Linkage Development – OSUM and AMO - SOLS participated in the trade show at the OSUM (Ontario Small Urban Municipalities) conference in Collingwood from April 30th to May 2nd. The exhibits were open over two days and 36 people, mostly municipal councillors, visited SOLS’ booth. Similarly, SOLS will be participating in the Ministry of Culture booth at the AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario) conference in Ottawa in August. Our portion of the booth will be staffed by SOLS board and staff members and we will have SOLS’ Annual Report and Brief Listing of Services available as handouts. The purpose of our participation in these conferences is to raise the profile of SOLS with municipal decision-makers and the MPPs who attend the conference.
 
Annual Report 2007/08 - The Board approved the audited financial statements as well as the Annual Report for 2007/08 at this meeting. They are now available on our website under “About SOLS – Plans and Annual Reports” . The Annual Report will also be published in hardcopy and distributed to client libraries, MPPs and provided as handouts at the AMO booth.
 
Next Board Meeting - The next meeting of SOLS’ Board is scheduled for Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18, 2008 at SOLS’ office in Toronto.