SIGNAL online

Archives

August 6, 2010

Published by the Southern Ontario Library Service

All issues of SIGNAL can be viewed online at 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.

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 HOLIDAY CLOSURE – Civic Holiday - Monday, September 6, 2010
2. $15 MILLION INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES FROM THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND CULTURE
3. LIBRARY CREDITS/GRANT PROGRAM WITHIN THE $15 MILLION INVESTMENT
      a) Deadline for Library Credit program
      b) Update on AODA Compliance component of the Library Credit program
4. APPLICATION PROGRAMS WITHIN THE $15 MILLION INVESTMENT
5. PROJECTS WITHIN THE $15 MILLION INVESTMENT
     Project 1 - Tools and Training for e-Resources: COMPASS website
     Project 2 - Downloadable Audiobooks from OverDrive
     Project 3 - Library Technology Trends Study
6. $2 MILLION GRANT FOR E-RESOURCES
7. CONNECTIVITY FUNDING AVAILABLE – Deadline is Monday, September 13, 2010
8. CHARITABLE/CONSORTIUM PURCHASING AGREEMENTS (CPAs)
     a) Purchasing Agreements for French Language Material
9. INFO UNION CATALOGUE – Deadline for submissions is Friday, September 24, 2010
10. ANNUAL SURVEY AND PUBLIC LIBRARY OPERATING GRANT 
     a) Annual Survey
     b) Public Library Operating Grant (PLOG) and Public Library Pay Equity (PE) Grant Programs
11. RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION
     a) Community Capital Fund - Funding for Non-Profit Infrastructure Projects
     b) Ontario Trillium Foundation - Next deadline is November 1, 2010 (5 pm)
12. SOLS TRAINING EVENTS
13. APLL (Advancing Public Library Leadership)
14. EXCEL PROGRAM
a)    EXCEL – Registration deadline is Tuesday, August 31, 2010
b)    EXCEL in the classroom
c)   Advanced EXCEL – Registration deadline is Monday, September 20, 2010
15. CLEARINGHOUSE OF PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION UPDATE
16. FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY SURVEY – Deadline to participate August 31, 2010
17. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
a)    Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)
b)    Bill 168:  An Act to Amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act re: Violence in the       Workplace
18. LIBRARY SERVICES TO CNIB CLIENTS IN ONTARIO
19. SOLS CEO LISTSERV

1. SOLS HOLIDAY CLOSURE –

The SOLS offices will be closed on Monday, September 6, 2010 due to the Labour Day Holiday. The SOLS delivery service will not operate on that day. Special arrangements will be made for those libraries that only receive Monday delivery, and these arrangements can be found in the Delivery section of the SOLS website.

2. $15 MILLION INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES FROM THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND CULTURE

In 2008, the Southern Ontario Library Service (SOLS) received $15 million from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to be used in collaboration with Ontario Library Service-North (OLSN) “for the purpose of supporting public libraries’ efforts to provide equitable access to a range of digital information, community collections and services to Ontarians”. Following an extensive consultation, the funds were divided into three program components:

• Library Credits/Grant Program
• Applications Program & Education Fund 
• Projects

There is a webpage within the SOLS website which has information on various components of the $15 million investment including library credits, project descriptions, application forms, reimbursement forms, and forms for post-project reports.  The latest budget update, showing totals for June 30, 2010, has been posted on this page.

3. LIBRARY CREDITS/GRANT PROGRAM WITHIN THE $15 MILLION INVESTMENT

As part of the $15 million investment, SOLS and OLS-North allocated about half of the total investment to individual libraries through a library credit program. These credits may be spent on various items as outlined within the Grant Program guidelines.  Eligible categories are: Learning and Literacy for Target Groups, Training, Collections, Automation - New Technologies and AODA Compliance.

a)   Deadline for Library Credit program

The deadline for expending the library credit assigned to your library is December 31, 2010 and the deadline for submitting reimbursement request forms is March 31, 2011. After that, any remaining library credits will be returned to the central $15 million fund.
 
To see your credit allocation and current balance please visit https://imis.sols.org/imispublic_15million.. All invoices and reimbursement requests received as of May 31, 2010 have been entered. If you have forgotten your user name or password, please contact Karen Reid, SOLS Finance Administrator by e-mail at  or by telephone at 416-961-1669 x 5129 or toll free: 1-800-387-5765 x 5129.

b)  Update on AODA Compliance component of the Library Credit program

Within the grant program, funds can be used by libraries to help comply with the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Eligible items include adaptive technology (including hardware, software, accessible computers, etc.), accessible furniture, shelving, training vis a vis service standards as well as promotion/information materials in accessible formats (including signage, etc.)
 
OLS-N has developed a section of their website called “Assistive Technology 2010”  which provides a summary of the requirements. This section addresses such topics as:

• What is Assistive Technology?
• What is a disability?
• Disabilities and assistive technology
• Assistive technology and the Accessibility for Ontario with Disabilities Act (AODA)
• Assistive technology resources for public libraries

Included in the webpage are descriptions of, and sources for, a wide range of assistive devices and tools of practical use in a public library setting.
 
The website will be expanded to address accessibility legislation and requirements of the AODA standards, starting with Accessible Customer Service and followed by the other specific regulations (Accessible Information and Communications, Employment Accessibility, Accessible Built Environment and Accessible Transportation) as they become law. Keep in mind that only the Accessible Customer Service regulations have been passed into law, and the remaining sections are only in draft form, having gone through some public review.
 
Sections on the various standards will include resources, tools, checklists, sample policies and procedures. The website is being redesigned in line with WCAG 2.0 guidelines, incorporating such accessibility features as colour and contrast control, text size control and good text-to-speech reader functionality.
 
In the meantime, SOLS has negotiated a consortia purchase option with Special Needs Computers for adaptive technology products. Orders can be entered online at  the company website and charged to the library credit. Libraries that spend over $200 with Special Needs Computers are eligible to receive a 10% discount. Further information about this agreement is posted in the “Library Collaboration” section of the SOLS website under the heading, “Purchasing Agreements” .
Libraries also have the option of making purchases entirely on their own from other vendors (such as Frontier Computing, HumanWare or Secrest Resources) and submitting their invoices quarterly to SOLS using the Reimbursement Request Form posted on the $15 Million website.

4. APPLICATION PROGRAMS WITHIN THE $15 MILLION INVESTMENT

Under the “Application Program” of the $15 Million Investment, libraries could apply for funding under the Education Fund and they could apply for funding to help with IT or to help with underserved groups within the library community.
 
The third Education Fund deadline was May 3, 2010. A panel of five representatives from the library community reviewed the applications and recommended which initiatives should be funded, and at what level. These recommendations were subsequently reviewed by SOLS and OLS-North. A total of fourteen libraries were approved for $136,922. Letters were sent to libraries on July 19, 2010 and a Summary of Approved Initiatives is available here.  The next, and final, deadline for applications will be Monday, November 1, 2010.

With respect to the IT assistance and Serving underserved groups, there was only one deadline of September 30, 2009. Just a reminder that SOLS has set up a listserv for IT support staff funded through the Application Program. Through the listserv, these staff working on various projects across the province, can network with each other, discuss issues related to providing technology support to libraries, ask questions and provide advice to each other. This new listserv, called ITINTERESTGROUP, may be found in the Networking section of the website.

5. PROJECTS WITHIN THE $15 MILLION INVESTMENT

There are fourteen different projects being funded within the $15 Million Investment. This issue of Signal updates three of these projects.
 
Project 1 - Tools and Training for e-Resources: COMPASS website
 
Public libraries in Ontario have free access to a wide array of e-resources, licensed on their behalf by Knowledge Ontario and SOLS\OLS-North. These e-resources can pose new challenges for some public library staff, some of whom may need support to effectively use them and promote them to patrons. To address this need, we launched a new website in April called “Compass”, that acts as a guide to using these electronic resources.
 
The COMPASS website is divided into three main sections:

• The E-Resources section  gives you three ways to learn more about these e-resources - by vendor, by subject, and by database name.
• The Training section to online and self-guided training resources for both library staff and users.  
• The Ideas section  features marketing ideas, best practices for libraries on setting up access to e-resources on their web sites, library success stories, and more.

The second session of our online training program, “Compass 101”, will begin on Monday, September 13^th.  Registration for the next Compass 101 course opened on July 30^th, with the registration form posted in the COMPASS section of the SOLS website.  Registrations will be taken until Monday, August 23^rd, although only the first 50 libraries or groups registered will be accepted.  
 
Compass 101 is a free 10-week program aimed at library staff who are new to e-resources, or who need more practice with them. The program reviews all the funded e-resources, and will give participants a chance to explore them in a fun and casual environment. Library staff need only 20 minutes (or less) a week to participate in the program and everyone who completes the 10 weeks is eligible for amazing prizes! Staff can register as a single group or as individuals. For libraries wanting to train several staff, we will also set up a separate Compass 101 site. In such cases, the library will have to assign someone to oversee the program for their own staff.
 
We have received quite favourable responses to the Compass 101 training including this message from the staff at the Madawaska Valley Public Library in Barry’s Bay:

“Please convey to the group that we are so thankful that we signed up for the Compass Course. The assignments are helpful and informative with just enough homework to learn about the e-resources without having to spend a lot of time on them. Each staff person takes about 20-30 minutes to read over and do the assignment; then I do it and submit the compiled responses. We all benefit and yet don't feel pressured since we know that three of us are working on the answers. From the weekly responses that we see from others, we don't feel alone in trying to learn these databases. The quick 'marking' of our assignments means we don't forget the questions we were wondering about. This is a wonderful idea for staff learning and Rosanne has developed a great way to carry it out. I heartily recommend Compass.”

The Project Manager for this project is Rosanne Renzetti. If you have any questions about Compass, please contact Rosanne at 1-800-387-5765 ext. 5145 or by e-mail at .
 
 
Project 2 - Downloadable Audiobooks from OverDrive
 
Phase 5 of the roll-out of the OverDrive audiobooks collection had a “go live” date of Monday, August 2, 2010. Through the fall, a series of webinars on OverDrive will be held to help libraries to work with the OverDrive products. Details and registration will be posted at the end of August on the “Workshops and Webinars” page of the SOLS website
 
Project 3 – Library Technology Trends Study
 
Working jointly with Knowledge Ontario, the Ontario Library Association and the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries, ERK Consulting was hired by the Southern Ontario Library Service to examine major new trends and developments in Integrated Library Systems including federated search, open source and other trends and identify potential solutions and directions for Ontario libraries. The report is now available in the $15 million section of the SOLS website. The report, in PDF format, is posted under “Projects”, then “Library Technology Trends Study” with the title SOLS Technology Study – Final Report.

A consultation process with libraries is planned for this fall to discuss the recommendations and directions that SOLS and OLS-North should consider. Ten regional meetings (five in southern Ontario and five in northern Ontario) are being scheduled between mid-October and early November. Notice and registration information will be sent as soon as the dates and locations are confirmed.

6. $2 MILLION GRANT FOR E-RESOURCES

Southern Ontario Library Service received $2 million from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to be used in collaboration with Ontario Library Service-North “to ensure that all public libraries are able to participate in a consortium that will provide equitable access to electronic information resources for Ontarians”. SOLS and OLS-North are charged with the selection and negotiation of e-resources and the development of a comprehensive implementation plan for a go-live date of January 1, 2011. In determining the best value for the public investment, we are also directed to develop options for access to e-resources to be offered through public libraries beyond 2011.
 
Between July 19^th and 27^th, 2010, SOLS conducted ten hour-long webinars to introduce libraries to the e-resource project. Participation was open to all public libraries. Topics included funding parameters, process and timelines, an overview of existing provincially-funded e-resources, usage data and the e-resource survey. Fifty-seven libraries in SOLS (30%) and twenty-one libraries in OLS-North (17%) participated in the webinars – overall 25% of public libraries participated.
 
SOLS also conducted an online survey which was available to Ontario public libraries from July 19th to 29th, 2010. 151 libraries in total (48%) responded to the survey. The respondents break down as follows:
 
Population:

• 32 of 33 (97%) of libraries serving 70,000 population or more responded.
•  33 of 41 (81%) of libraries serving 20,000 to 70,000 population responded.
•  86 of 244 (35%) of libraries serving less than 20,000 population responded.

Region:

•  116 of 192 (60%) of libraries in southern Ontario responded.
•  35 of 126 (28%) of libraries in northern Ontario responded.

Results of the survey will be posted shortly. They will be password protected to safeguard confidentiality pending negotiations with vendors. The password will be sent to public library CEOs.

7. CONNECTIVITY FUNDING AVAILABLE –

Deadline is Monday, September 13, 2010

Since the year 2000, the Internet Connectivity Fund has funded public Internet access for public libraries across the province.  Over 230 library systems and 457 sites have benefitted from this funding. The funding priorities continue to be:

• Priority 1: All public libraries and First Nations public libraries to continue or acquire a minimum target of 1Mb bandwidth or greater at their main branch or main location;
• Priority 2: Minimum target of 1Mb bandwidth or greater at branches in multi-branch systems.
• Priority 3: Sites other than library main locations and branches.

Bandwidth of 1Mb is important to support the use of e-resources such as databases and downloadable audiobooks. In addition, the Internet Connectivity Fund covers:

• New applications from libraries open less than 12 hours per week;
• Wireless hotspots within public libraries;
• Ancillary costs for connectivity including but not limited to firewalls, cable drops, last mile fibre, surge protectors, shelving for communications equipment and other installation costs; and
• Connectivity costs for new branches.

This year, we have extra funds available to cover one-time and some new ongoing monthly costs associated with upgrading public Internet service.  All public libraries are eligible.  All submissions must be for improvements to existing Internet connectivity and must be for work that is pending and not already completed. Requests for funding must be submitted using the Internet Connectivity Participation/Upgrade Request Form found in the Ministry Projects section of the SOLS website under ‘Connectivity’
 
All applications must be submitted by Monday, September 13, 2010.  SOLS will contact successful applicants by September 24, 2010.  Funding will be available according to the program priorities and then on a first come first serve basis. All applications made for one-time costs must be expended by March 31, 2011.  Submissions should be made by email to Dayna Lintner at  or by fax at 416.961.5122.  Please note that this message was also sent to all SOLS CEOs on August 5, 2010. 

8. CHARITABLE/CONSORTIUM PURCHASING AGREEMENTS (CPAs)

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. More information on the various agreements already in place is posted on the SOLS website. There is a new offer this month which might be of interest (please note that all CPA messages are also posted to the SOLSCEO listserv and the special SOLS CPA listserv):
 
a) Purchasing Agreements for French Language Material
 
To assist English-speaking library staff who serve French-language readers in their communities but who are not familiar with the Francophone publishing world, SOLS has negotiated purchasing agreements with two suppliers of French language materials. Each of the suppliers – Archambault bookstore and Library Services Centre – will maintain a web-based resource that supports the development and scope of a French-language public library collection. The suppliers can provide on-going selection services, on-line ordering, full French MARC records and, depending on the supplier, book cover images and shelf ready processing.
 
French language collection areas and formats which can be supplied by either Archambault or the Library Services Centre are:

• French immersion students from 0-12
• Regular fiction – children, teens and adults
• Popular narrative non-fiction – children, teens and adults
• Graphic novels, teens and adults
• Bandes dessinées (comic books)
• Audio-visual materials: DVDs, music CDs, audio books

To help with the selection of materials, a series of recommended collection lists have been created. When libraries sign in to order online, the recommended title lists will be available for use.
 
Materials purchased under this CPA are eligible within the 'Collections' category of the Library Credit program. Until December 31, 2010, libraries using these two suppliers can use their assigned Library Credits and have the billing sent directly to SOLS or can choose to be billed directly for the materials.  After December 31, 2010, libraries will be billed directly. These CPAs will run until December 31, 2013.
 
can be found on the SOLS website in the ‘Purchasing Agreements’ sub-section of 'Library Collaboration' section, under the heading 'French Services Materials'.

9. INFO UNION CATALOGUE –

Deadline for submissions is Friday, September 24, 2010

As part of the VDX interlibrary loan system, there are several ways to access the bibliographic records.  More than 140 public libraries across Ontario are connected to the system using the Z39.50 protocol but a number of public libraries continue to submit bibliographic records on an annual basis to be included in the INFO Union Catalogue.  If you are unsure of which category you fall into, check your “DB status” on the list of INFO Interloan codes in the ‘Resource Sharing’ section of the SOLS website.
 
Those libraries that submit their bibliographic records to SOLS for the INFO catalogue have been notified of the schedule for submissions for the next INFO union catalogue.  Libraries will need to send their submissions with a simple to use HTTP file upload application, and instructions will be posted on the SOLS website during the week of August 9^th.  At that time, another email will be sent directing the ILL contact person at your library with instructions and login password information.  The deadline for submission of records is Friday, September 24, 2010. After that time, the database will be indexed and available for testing.  It is expected that the database will be installed over the weekend of November 12^th, with a “Go Live” date of the new INFO database of Monday, November 15t^h.
 
For more information on the INFO Union Catalogue, you can call the SOLS HelpDesk at 1-800-387-5765, extension 4 or by e-mail to 

10. ANNUAL SURVEY AND PUBLIC LIBRARY OPERATING GRANT 

a) Annual Survey
 
The Ministry of Tourism and Culture maintains statistics on public libraries in Ontario. These statistics are compiled using data from the Annual Survey of Public Libraries. The Annual Survey of Public Libraries is one of the requirements for receiving the provincial library operating grant, and must be completed by libraries and organizations that contract for public library service. The Ministry of Tourism and Culture has already sent out the information regarding the Annual Survey of Public Libraries to public and First Nations libraries. The deadline for e-filing of the Annual Survey of Public Libraries for municipal public libraries and contracting municipalities and organizations was May 31, 2010, and for First Nations, June 30, 2010.
 
Those who have not yet completed their survey, should do so as soon as possible. The staff person assigned to answer any questions or to provide assistance in completing the survey for municipal/county/union libraries is Hélène Golden at 1-877-532-2901 or  . The staff person assigned to answer any questions or to provide assistance in completing the survey for First Nations libraries is Patty Lawlor who can be reached at SOLS, 416-961-1669 or 1-800-387-5768 ext. 5108 or .The group within the Ministry of Tourism and Culture responsible for the actual Annual Survey information and form is the Library Services division, and the contact person is Rod Sawyer. 
 
b) Public Library Operating Grant (PLOG) and Public Library Pay Equity (PE) Grant Programs
 
As happened last year, libraries must complete an application form to receive the annual Public Library Operating Grant (PLOG) and Public Library Pay Equity (PE) Grant. The form, as well as a covering letter and a series of questions and answers, were mailed out to public libraries in mid-June. The Application for Public Library Operating and Pay Equity Grants is a tool designed to ensure that requirements under the Public Libraries Act are met; and to provide a method of accountability that will assist the Ministry in complying with the Province of Ontario’s Transfer Payment Accountability Directive (TPAD). The application and funding requirements are part of the Ontario government’s focus on maintaining a prudent and disciplined approach to spending. They strengthen accountability for the spending of taxpayer dollars and improve transparency in the Province’s financial reporting.
 
There is a change to the requirements for the Application program this year with respect to Audited Financial Statements. Depending on the amount of money received from the government in the previous year under the Operating and Pay Equity Grant programs, there are different requirements. 

• If the Total Annual Ministry Funding received in the previous year was greater than $100,000, the financial reporting requirement remains the Audited Financial Statement. 
• If the Total Annual Ministry Funding received in the previous year was greater than $25,000 and less than $100,000, libraries can submit any one of the following: Audited Financial Statement, or Review Engagement, or Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH), Financial Information Return (FIR).
• If the Total Annual Ministry Funding received in the previous year was less than $25,000, libraries are only required to complete the Annual Survey of Public Libraries, Section B – Financial Report and include the date submitted to Ministry (yyyy/mm/dd).

Basically, to apply for PLOG/PE funding, applicants must meet funding requirements by submitting the following materials to the Ministry:

• Application for PLOG/PE funding,
• Annual Survey of Public Libraries
• Audited Financial Statement or other documentation as noted, depending on level of government support (see list above)
• Contract for public library service (only for organizations that contract for public library service),

The contact people for PLOG are Mima Casola, Gartly Wagner, and Anjani (Anji) Sukhdeo.

11. RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION

Submitted by Rob Lavery, SOLS Resource Development Consultant
 
a) Community Capital Fund - Funding for Non-Profit Infrastructure Projects
 
This information was also posted in the News section of the Government of Ontario website on July 8, 2010.
 
Ontario is launching a new program to support infrastructure projects for non-profit organizations that serve cultural communities. The new Community Capital Fund will support infrastructure projects that help Ontario's non-profit organizations deliver important public services to diverse cultural communities. Diverse cultural communities rely heavily on non-profit organizations and their facilities. These include newcomer settlement services, multi-service community centres, performance venues, and cultural activity centres. Unfortunately, limited access to venues and cost barriers often prevent organizations from effectively delivering much needed services.

Non-profit organizations currently receive funding for operating expenditures from various sources including government, philanthropic and private sector donors. However, they have inadequate access to funding for capital projects. The $50 million fund will be administered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. It will be used to invest in projects that support cultural communities and help revitalize community-based infrastructure. The program will fund up to 50 percent of total project costs, with a minimum contribution of $20,000 and a maximum of $500,000.
 
The application forms, along with selection criteria, will be made available in September 2010, and these documents should help to clarify the present confusion as to whether public libraries are actually eligible for this funding as a lead, or only with a partner organization, and whether the focus is only “multi-cultural” or “cultural in the arts/music sense”. Projects must be completed by December 31, 2012.
 
b) Ontario Trillium Foundation - Next deadline is November 1, 2010 (5 pm)
 
The Ontario Trillium Foundation continues to offer grants to libraries in small communities and First Nation communities. In addition to the regular application stream there continues to be a “Small Capital Grant” for projects up to a maximum of $15,000. Please be aware that there have been changes to the application process including the need to register before applying, or to update an existing registration. There is also the option to apply online, using the streamlined application forms. The Trillium Foundation has posted all of the necessary documentation on their website.
 
The next deadline is November 1, 2010 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 for help with the process.
 
In July 2010, Trillium approved the following grants related to libraries:

•  Pembroke - $15,000 over one year to repave the accessible portion of the parking lot and entrance laneway at the local public library. This area will clearly be defined with accessibility signs, painted lines and a handicap symbol designation to provide full access to the facility to individuals with limited mobility.
•  Centre Hastings - $15,000 over one year to provide a barrier-free entrance to the library and specialized equipment for community members in Centre Hastings.
•  Hastings Highlands - $15,000 over one year to increase the capacity to deliver library services in Hastings Highlands communities by purchasing shelving, books and a study table and chairs.
•  Leeds and the Thousand Islands - $14,700 over one year to maximize the traffic flow and comfort of students and lifelong learners using the Seeley's Bay library branch by providing increased and improved spaces for reading, studying, tutoring and meeting.
•  Cobourg & District Historical Society Archives - $20,300 over two years to increase knowledge of and access to local history by facilitating student and veteran partnerships in collecting, transcribing and creating text and audio-based oral histories for public education and research
•  Alnwick-Haldimand - $24,600 over one year to better serve library users in the Centreton area by expanding circulation materials for various age groups and people with special needs, increasing the number of computers available for public use and establishing an early literacy station for young learners.

12. SOLS TRAINING EVENTS

SOLS organizes training workshops and webinars throughout the year. Information on the training is posted in the “Training section” of the SOLS website under the “Workshops and Webinars” heading.  Registration for the Fall workshops and webinars will open on Monday, September 13, 2010. Around the same time, the SOLS Training Bulletin will be spent in electronic form to every library site in southern Ontario, and to those staff who have participated in workshops or webinars in the past (and provided an e-mail address to us).

13. APLL (Advancing Public Library Leadership)

Aimed at public library staff with leadership aspirations, with and without the M.L.I.S. degree, the Advancing Public Library Leadership Institute is designed to expand and advance the leadership capacity of public library CEOs and managers. The 12 online courses are augmented with interactive classroom sessions twice a year and the undertaking of a local library project. Courses include: Staff Development; Developing a Healthy Board CEO Relationship; Succeeding in the Municipal Environment; and Strategic Financial Management. Courses have been developed and are delivered by experts in the public library, not-for-profit, and municipal sectors. 
 
The second cycle of the APLL begins in September 2010, however, registration is full. The numbers are limited to allow for individual attention and small group work. We are currently taking names for a waiting list. If you wish to be added, please contact us.
 
For more information, refer to the APLL section within the ‘Training’ section of the SOLS website.

14. EXCEL PROGRAM

a) EXCEL – Registration deadline is Tuesday, August 31, 2010
 
EXCEL is a distance education program specifically designed for public library staff or volunteers who are currently working in a public library and have little or no formal library training. The program provides an opportunity to upgrade library skills and management techniques within a flexible and practical program. It is offered in English and French by Southern Ontario Library Service as a distance education program with telephone tutors. The three semesters in this program are Winter (January to April), Summer (May to August) and Fall (September to December). Each course is offered at least once a year and some courses are offered twice. The registration fee per course is $145 plus HST.
 
The following courses will be offered in Fall 2010:

•  E1 - Introduction to Public Libraries
•  F1 - Introduction aux bibliothèques publiques
•  E2 - Library Management
•  F2 - Principes d'administration d'une bibliothèque
•  E3 – Supervision
•  E7 - Collection Development for Children
•  E9 - Collection Development for Adults and Special Groups
•  E11 - Communication Skills
•  E13 – Circulation
•  E16 - Professional Development
•  F17 -  Ressources d'information électroniques
•  E18 - Planning for Library Service (revised course)
•  E19 - Readers' Advisory Services

The registration will close on Tuesday, August 31^st, and the shipment of course materials will begin on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 (by SOLS courier service (if possible), Express Post or Purolator). The courses will actually begin during the week of September 20, 2010, with the initial contact with the tutor to be held at some point during the week prior to the beginning of the semester. The registration form is posted in the ‘EXCEL’ section within the ‘Training’ section of the SOLS website.
 
b) EXCEL in the classroom
 
Last year, under the $15 million Investment in Public Libraries by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, SOLS ran a Project called Face to Face EXCEL for First Nations. The purpose of this project was to encourage participation in EXCEL by First Nations library staff. This summer, we are able to offer two different EXCEL courses in a classroom setting - EXCEL course #17 (Electronic Information Sources) and EXCEL course #12 (Collection Organization). Participants will gather at Peter Gzowski College at Trent University in Peterborough on Sunday, August 22, and stay until Friday, August 27^th. The College is home to Trent’s Indigenous Studies program and the classroom space within the College building will be used for our program.
 
At this point, we have eleven participants from communities as far away as Sachigo Lake and as close as Alderville First Nation. For further information on this project, please contact Peggy Malcolm, EXCEL Course Writer at 1-866-380-9767.

c) Advanced EXCEL – Registration deadline is Monday, September 20, 2010

Since 2008, there have been two levels of EXCEL courses. A second level of courses, called Advanced EXCEL, is a 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. Advanced EXCEL has been developed as a result of requests from former EXCEL students and from EXCEL tutors who could see a need for information in specific areas.
 
For the Fall 2010 semester, the following Advanced EXCEL courses will be offered:

• Course #A33 – Developing a Collection Plan
•  Course #A34 – Policy Writing
•  Course #A39 – Readers’ Advisory Service in the Public Library
•  Course #A41 – Community Outreach :The Library and its Community (new)
•  Course #A43 – Space Planning (new)

The registration deadline is Monday, September 20, 2010 at 5 p.m., with the semester commencing Tuesday, October 12, 2010. All course materials are posted electronically on the SOLS website, and passwords to access this section of the website will be sent out at the beginning of October. The registration form is posted in the ‘Advanced EXCEL’ section within the ‘Training’ section of the SOLS website. 

15. CLEARINGHOUSE OF PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION UPDATE

The Joint OLSN/SOLS Clearinghouse of Professional Information, which is available through the SOLS website, is primarily a collection of web-based resources of interest to public library staff and boards. The Clearinghouse is organized into topical areas which list websites, guides, tools, examples and reports. The work to maintain and update sections of the Clearinghouse is ongoing.
 
Recently the ‘Health Resources’ page was updated to include links to the list of the Top Ten Canadian Consumer Health Websites as created by the Consumer Health Information Providers Interest Group (CHIPIG).The list was based on the survey sent out in March and was first presented as a poster presentation at the Canadian Health Libraries Association annual conference in Kingston in early June. There was no clear favourite website with the top three recommendations tied at 10 votes each. Because the choices were the best in different subject areas, they were not ranked as 1, 2, 3, rather they are merely listed alphabetically. A summary of the results of the survey, and a copy of the poster, can be found on the Consumer Health Information Providers Interest Group (CHIPIG) website. 
 
The websites that made it into the Top Ten for 2010 are:

• AboutKidsHealth
• Canadian Cancer Society
• Canada Safety Council
• Caring for Kids
• Dietitians of Canada
• Heart and Stroke Foundation
• Here to help
• PasseportSanté
• Sexualityandu.ca
• Women’s Health Matters

16. FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY SURVEY  

Deadline to participate August 31, 2010

Friends of Libraries across Canada are invited to participate in an online survey. So far, 62 responses have been received with the great majority (87%) coming from Ontario and British Columbia. According to our online directory, Canada has over 350 Friends of Library groups and so the survey has been extended to the end of August, in order to attract more submissions.
 
A link to the survey can be found on the FOCAL website, or you can use the direct link to the survey. If you would like further information about the survey, or about the Friends of Canadian Libraries organization, please contact Jami van Haaften, Treasurer of Friends of Canadian Libraries by e-mail at jvanhaaften@sympatico.ca or by telephone at (705) 523-3415.

17. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

a)   Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)

SOLS staff have just completed a new “Factsheet for Public Libraries on the Harmonized Sales Tax” in an effort to help Ontario public libraries in making the change from the federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Provincial Sales Tax (PST) to the harmonization tax that comes into effect this summer. This factsheet is not an interpretation of the legislation. It attempts to answer some of the more general questions, but libraries should pursue independent advice from their municipalities and their auditors on how details of the legislation affect their particular circumstances. The HST factsheet has been posted in the section of the Joint SOLS/OLSN Clearinghouse of Professional Information called “Legislation affecting public libraries in Ontario”.

b)   Bill 168:  An Act to Amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act re: Violence in the Workplace

Bill 168 amended the Occupational Health and Safety Act with respect to violence and harassment in the workplace. The amendments came into force on June 15, 2010 and require workplaces to implement policies and programs to prevent and manage workplace violence and harassment. Under this new legislation, employers will be required to develop written policies with respect to both workplace violence and workplace harassment. These written policies must be reviewed at least once a year. In addition, employers must also develop and maintain programs both to implement the written policies and also to deal with incidents and complaints of workplace violence and harassment.
 
The “Health and Safety” section of the Joint OLS-N/SOLS Clearinghouse of Professional Information has been updated to include these additional links to the new requirements under Bill 168:

• “Bill 168 An Act to Amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act: Fact sheet for public libraries”. This is a short factsheet prepared by staff at Southern Ontario Library Service in March 2010 to provide an overview of the amendments concerning violence and harassment in the workplace, with links to other resources.
• A copy of the new legislation called “Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace), 2009” is posted in this section of the Clearinghouse. The legislation came into force in June 2010. It amends the OHS Act to address issues of workplace harassment and violence.
• There is a copy of the “Update”, an Electronic Newsletter (in PDF) from SBH Management Lawyers, dated Feb 3, 2010, which provides an overview of the new workplace violence duties in five pages. (LINK is )
• There is a copy of a 9 page document called “Violence Prevention - Occupational Health & Safety Act amendments related to violence prevention” from the Education Safety Association of Ontario.   Dated January 4, 2010, this document reviews the amendments to the Occupational Health & Safety Act contained in Bill 168 and makes recommendations on actions to be taken by employees.
• There is a copy of a 2010 PDF document from the Occupational Health and Safety Council of Ontario (OHSCO) called "What Employers Need to Know".
• There is a link to a 50 page document from the Ontario Ministry of Labour called “Workplace Violence and Harassment: Understanding the Law” which was written in March 2010.  An electronic copy of this publication can also be found on the Ministry of Labour’s Health and Safety webpage under “Topics and Publications: Health and Safety”. This guide explains what every worker, supervisor, employer and constructor needs to know about workplace violence and workplace harassment requirements in the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Please note that this guide does not cover requirements for other workplace health and safety issues, and in that case, you would need to consult the publication called A Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (the document is also linked through the Health and Safety section of the Clearinghouse).

In addition, two sample policies related to Workplace Violence and Harassment have been added to the “Health and Safety” section of Clearinghouse of Professional Information. The two samples - Prevention of Workplace Violence and Human Rights – Discrimination and Harassment are intended to assist with writing policies that suit the unique needs of your library and should be used to help identify the issues to consider when developing policies, rather than which position to take on an issue.

18. LIBRARY SERVICES TO CNIB CLIENTS IN ONTARIO

The CNIB has received funding from the Government of Ontario to support the delivery of our library services to CNIB clients in Ontario. As part of the commitment to the provincial government, the CNIB will begin offering those services to all persons with print disabilities through Ontario public libraries that enroll in the Partners Program. 
 
The Partners Program is a networked library service that brings accessible library resources to individuals with print disabilities in their own communities. Participation in the Partners Program enables a public library to deepen existing services for library users with print disabilities, at no cost to the library. The Partners Program offers free access to:

• Books of all kinds for all ages in English DAISY, French DAISY, Braille, and PrintBraille
• Newspapers and magazines online
• Descriptive videos in VHS and DVD
• Braille music scores and audio music instruction CDs
• The CNIB Digital Library, Children's Discovery Portal and 60 Plus Portal

Beginning in October 2010, there will be training and orientation for public library staff offered through SOLS and OLS-N. In addition, libraries are asked to designate a contact person for the Partners Program and to send contact information to PartnersProgram@cnib.ca. This way, additional information about how your library may partner with CNIB in offering accessible library services to Ontarians with print disabilities can be sent directly to your library. Further information about the Partners Program is posted on the CNIB website. This information was previously distributed to CEOs.

19. SOLS CEO LISTSERV

SOLS maintains a list of all the e-mail addresses for SOLS CEOs. Several times through the month, you will receive messages from SOLS. This month, these messages were distributed through the SOLSCEO list:  

• On July 5^th, a SOLS Training Newsletter was sent to all SOLS CEOs to explain that registration would open on July 19^th for next two year cycle of APLL (Advancing Public Library Leadership).
•  On July 8^th, a bulletin was sent to all SOLS CEOs regarding changes to the CEDROM database within the Knowledge Ontario/Resource Ontario suite of databases. The situation is that CEDROM Sni has not renewed their contract with Osprey Media, which provided the English language newspapers in the Eureka.cc collection. Consequently, the Eureka.cc database no longer has access to the following newspapers (as of June 30, 2010): Barrie Examiner; Belleville Intelligencer; Brantford Expositor; Chatham Daily News; Cornwall Standard-Freeholder; Kingston Whig-Standard; Niagara Falls Review; North Bay Nugget; Northumberland Weekly; Orillia Packet & Times; Owen Sound Sun Times; Pembroke Daily Observer; Peterborough Examiner; Port Hope Evening Guide; Sarnia Observer; Sault Star; St. Catharines Standard; Sudbury Star; Timmins Daily Press; and Welland Tribune.
•  On July 14^th, Laurey Gillies sent a message regarding online consultations and survey planned for mid- to late July 2010 regarding the $2 million grant from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to Southern Ontario Library Service, in collaboration with Ontario Library Service – North. The purpose of the grant is to “ensure that all public libraries are able to participate in a consortium that will provide equitable access to electronic information resources for Ontarians”. The message also announced the launch of a new section of our website on E-resources.
•  On July 14^th, Laurey Gillies sent a message regarding the new report from ERK Consulting on Technology. Further information appeared earlier in this issue of Signal.
• On July 14^th, Laurey Gillies sent a message on behalf of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) regarding a consultation on “economic opportunities for youth”. The ideas from the consultation will help to shape the future direction of OTF's work benefiting Ontario’s youth. More information is posted on the OTF website. 
• On July 16^th, Barbara Franchetto sent a message regarding the replacement databases available on the Eureka.cc database. After discussion with the Knowledge Ontario management team, it was agreed to replace those sources with thirty new Canadian newspapers and periodicals, most of which are exclusive to EUREKA.CC. This new offer also includes 9 titles from the First Nations, unique to KO via EUREKA.CC. The new publications within the Eureka.cc database are: 40-Mile County Commentator (AB); Alberta Sweetgrass (AB); Canadian Press (ON); Canadian Press–Broadcast wire (ON); Chronicle-Herald (NS); Coaldale Sunny South News (AB); Communication and Networking (ON); Computer Dealer News (ON); Computing Canada (ON); Deh Cho Drum (NT); East Ottawa Star (ON); Express, L' (Orleans) (ON); Inuvik Drum (NT); Lethbridge Herald (AB); Lethbrige Sun Times (AB); Medicine Hat News (AB); News North (NT); Nunavut News North (NT); Ontario Birchbark (ON); Orléans Star (ON); Ottawa Business Journal (ON); Prairie Post (AB); Prairie Post West (AB); Raven's Eye (BC); Saskatchewan Sage (SK); Taber Times (AB); Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal (ON); Vauxhall Advance (AB); Windspeaker (AB) and Winnipeg Free Press (MB). The Compass web page which covers the CEDROM SNi - Eureka.cc has been updated to reflect these changes. Knowledge Ontario would also like to note that an extensive collection of Ontario newspapers is still available through the Gale Cengage subscription. Details on how to get a list of these newspapers can be found on the CPI.Q Database Description on Compass.
•  On July 17^th, Barbara Franchetto forwarded a message on behalf of Ontario Library Service-North regarding a Marketing Forum for Ontario’s Public Libraries planned for the Fairmount Royal York hotel, Toronto in October. The funding for this forum comes from Library Strategic Development Funding (LSDF) of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Similar in scope to the Libraries 2020 summit, this forum will bring together CEO, staff and trustees who play an active role in promoting their library. The forum will feature speakers offering dynamic presentations on topics including: the libraries role in the marketing landscape, Marketing Plan and Media Relations. A vendor area will also be established. More information will be available in the near future.
•  On July 28^th, Barbara Franchetto forwarded a copy of the latest Knowledge Ontario newsletter. The Knowledge Ontario newsletter is posted on the KO website
•  On July 30^th, Barbara Franchetto sent a message regarding the next registration period for Compass. More information is posted earlier in this issue of Signal.
•  On August 5^th, Barbara Franchetto sent  a message regarding available funding for Internet Connectivity.  More information is posted earlier in this issue of Signal.

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 helpdesk@sols.org.