The American Library Association hosted the 38th annual National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) event at the end of April in Washington, DC. NLLD is a two day grassroots advocacy forum that focuses on legislative briefings and outreach to Congress. Attendees learn strategies for effective communication and gain insight on government in action. During the event, over 350 librarians and library supporters from across the country got up to speed on pending and proposed legislation affecting libraries in preparation for legislative meetings.

I was one of six representatives from various Rhode Island libraries and library organizations who visited Capitol Hill to meet with legislators for discussions on key library issues that affect our state. Rounding out the Rhode Island group were Howard Boksenbaum (OLIS), Phyllis Humphrey (SLRI), Joan Ress Reeves (COLA), Rose Ellen Reynolds (Library Board of RI), and Tom Viall (Library Board of RI).

The briefing day included a ceremony for members of Congress with demonstrated track records of library support. We were on hand to witness Rhode Island's own U.S. Senator Jack Reed receive two awards for his outstanding contributions to libraries. He was given Honorary Membership, a top honor from ALA, as well as the Crystal Apple award from the American Association of School Libraries. In his 22 years as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator, Reed has sponsored every major piece of library legislation. He is currently working to secure dedicated school library funding through the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program.   In his acceptance speech, Reed thanked the "librarians of Rhode Island who nurtured my love of books as a young man, and whose wisdom and dedication helped inspire me to take action and focus attention and resources on libraries nationwide." The RI NLLD delegation was quite proud to be present for this special occasion!

The second day was all about boots on the ground. We headed to the Capitol for meetings with aides for U.S. Representative David Cicilline, U.S. Representative Jim Langevin, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. Senator Reed came off the Senate floor to speak with us in person. We were escorted on the capitol subway and whisked into his basement "hideaway" office so we could meet face to face and congratulate him on his awards. It was a fantastic behind the scenes experience!

Taking full advantage of the captive Washington audience, we extolled the virtues of all Rhode Island libraries as community hubs, education support centers, economic recovery agents, equal access technology providers, and guardians of Rhode Island's rich heritage. We reinforced the valuable role libraries play in helping children and adults develop and enhance foundational literacy skills, and also discussed the many ways libraries are promoting the twenty-first century skills needed to be competitive in a global economy. We knocked their socks off with statistics and success stories, and news of Money Smart Week activities and planned dedicated workforce development computers really struck a chord.

We thanked everyone for their past support and urged them to continue to appropriate funds for all types of libraries. We also brought up federal level initiatives, including:

• Level funding for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)
• Mandated school librarian staffing in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
• Privacy and security concerns related to Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA)
• Open access to federally funded research through the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA)
• Continued support for the IMLS for preservation programs like Protecting the Past

We can't afford to wait another year to continue these National Library Legislative Day conversations. Those of us on the frontlines have firsthand knowledge of the positive impact of library services on the public, school, and academic communities we are serving. We should regularly shine the spotlight on evidence of libraries' return on investment and educate the public and Congress about important library services that are made possible through federal funding.  

Patrons can be our best ambassadors! Ask them to champion the cause by sharing their personal library stories with local and federal legislators. We need to keep libraries and library services on the minds of the folks who hold the purse strings and make decisions that affect our ability to effectively serve our diverse populations. Civic engagement is a cornerstone of our democracy - find your voice and use it on behalf of all Rhode Island libraries.

For more information on effective advocacy, visit ALA's Advocacy Clearinghouse: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/advocacyuniversity/advclearinghouse     

In case you haven't noticed the tidal wave of media coverage, Pinterest is the newest craze to hit social networking circles. At its core, Pinterest is a site that uses photo-sharing as a means of communication. Users create boards, where they pin images relating to themes of their choice. Most boards are tied to events, interests, hobbies, or other areas of interest. Images can include original pictures taken by the user or those that have been re-pinned from other Pinterest users or webpages from anywhere on the internet. Like other social networking sites, users can follow boards created by friends through a subscription, allowing them to like or comment on pinned pictures.  

The site was founded by Iowan Ben Silberman. Development started in 2009, and beta testing began in March 2010. As with many of the more popular social networking sites, initial members could only join through invitation of existing members, creating a high level of interest and demand. By January 2012, Pinterest had 11.7 million unique users according to the marketing research company comScore.   As a result, it reached the 10 million unique visitor mark faster than any other social networking site. According Experian Hitwise, the site became the third largest social networking site in the United States in March 2012 with more subscribers that LinkedIn and Tagged.

With numbers like this, it is clear that Pinterest is another way to reach out to many of our library patrons. Businesses and nonprofits of all types are sharing ideas and information through the site. Like most social networking sites, it is not only a way to provide information ... it is also a way to engage our patrons and introduce an opportunity to interact and converse with them. So, you are probably asking yourself how a library could use Pinterest. Well, here are some great ideas how some libraries are using it:

• Pin Book Covers - Whether in print or digital format, books are at the core of what libraries do. Libraries can create and use boards to pin images of book covers. The result is the creation of book lists based on subject areas, award lists, suggestions for various age groups, or other breakdowns. Don't forget to add the direct URL for the title's record in the catalog so patrons can find or place a hold on the item if they are interested!
• Share New Acquisitions - Patrons are always looking to see what is new at the library.   Highlight everything from new books and films to video games and downloadable media.
• Showcasing Archives - One of the core tasks of most libraries is to capture and preserve historic documents and images. Posting scanned and digital images to boards is a great way to offer increased access to this portion of the library's collection so people all over the world can check them out.
• Promoting Library Programs and Services - Post digital versions of signs and fliers to highlight what programs are being offered and new services that patrons may be interested in using. Programs such as Microsoft Publisher allow you to save your creations into a .jpg format for easy conversion and use in such a way.
• Highlighting Library Staff Members - Pin images and short bios of employees so the community can get to know them. We are in public service and that means building relationships. This is a great way to personalize our connection with patrons. The pictures can be both posed or be action shots of the staff at work.
• Showing Pictures of the Library - Use a board or two to create tours of the library so people can get to know the buildings layout and special places patrons may want to use.
• Sharing Crafting Projects and Other Group Activities - Every library hosts great activities for patrons of all ages. Why not post pictures and instructions for some of the activities so patrons can recreate the fun at home or with friends in other locations? Libraries can approach this from the other direction by searching Pinterest for craft ideas and other programming possibilities, too.
• Digitizing Library Displays - Most libraries create fun, interesting, and attractive displays in-house that highlight realia, art, books, and other items from the collection. Why not duplicate that work by creating boards that duplicate those displays so patrons can get the benefit of the display without necessarily having to stop by the library?
• Collecting Learning Materials for Parents - Libraries could collect printables and other tools that could be used by parents to help with literacy skills and other opportunities for learning with a board set up to collect such materials
• Showing off Community Events - Why limit marketing to just what the library has to offer. The library could create a community board that highlights local tourist attractions, events, parks, businesses, restaurants, and other places of interest.
• Create Boards with Patron Help - Some libraries are using their boards to interact with those in the community. The library could create a board theme and ask for patrons to submit pictures that fit the theme. For example, why not have them submit pictures to go with a Get Caught Reading campaign.

The library would be welcome to share original photographs or images taken or created by staff, but much of the content on Pinterest is re-pinned. While this might be done by finding the images on boards of other Pinterest users, the site also has a great Pin It applet that can be downloaded to your computer for easy capturing of pictures while browsing the internet.   

The applet is really an add-on for your browser, placing a small button at the top. When you find a picture on a website that you would like to pin, you just click the button, and the applet will open a window highlighting all the images on the site that could be pinned. You just select the one you were interested in, and the applet asks you to select which board in your account you would like to place the image and for a brief annotation. That is all it takes.  

One of the biggest concerns about Pinterest is the question of copyright and how sharing of images through the library's boards might run afoul of the law. Care must be taken to make sure that you have the right to share images. Pinterest does seem to have fallen into an undefined area of copyright versus fair use on the Internet. The use becomes even more unclear as the pinned images are not really duplicates, but are linked to the original site where you found the image when double clicking on them in Pinterest.Something to always keep in mind is that Pinterest lets you use other peoples' images and videos in ways that might not be entirely consistent with copyright laws. So before you start pinning away, check out Pinterest, Copyright and the Library and How to Use Pinterest Without Breaking the Law.

While it is important to keep these concerns in mind, libraries will still want to explore the use of Pinterest because it is yet another great virtual way to reach out to those who might be interested in both the physical and virtual collections, services and programs libraries have to offer. With care, we can likely avoid any breach of copyright while also increasing our interaction with our patrons, those visiting the library virtually and physically, both near and far.

One of the things that will likely allow Pinterest to be more successful than Google's struggling Google+ is that users can easily link to their accounts to both Twitter and Facebook, allowing their pinned images to appear as posts or tweets through those services. This integration of social networking sites likely increases the ease of use for many people. If you are ready to dive into the world of Pinterest, all you have to do is request an invite right at site's homepage. Admit it ... aren't you just a little bit ... pinterested?

Recently, libraries across the state began holding adult programs to celebrate the 2012 Reading Across Rhode Island selection, Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks. Soon though, it will be time for the kids to celebrate with Kids Reading Across Rhode Island (KRARI)!

Tying in with the Summer Reading Program theme "Dream Big-Read", this year's selection is Dave in the Night by Gail Carson Levine. Dave, a newly-arrived orphan at the strict, depressing, Hebrew Home for Boys in Harlem, 1926, develops a passion for art, creates a new family out of his fellow orphans, and discovers the mysterious nighttime world of fortune tellers, musicians and other artists of the Harlem Renaissance. Studies have shown that many students experience a downward "summer slide" in their reading skills. KRARI hopes to change that by selecting titles with wide appeal that complement the state's summer reading program; providing libraries a chance to offer fun book discussions, activities, and events.

First, join in from 1:00-4:00 PM on Saturday, June 16th at the State House Kick Off for the third annual Kids Reading Across Rhode Island.

Each family that attends the June 16th celebration will receive a free copy of Dave at Night, which Gail Carson Levine will sign. One of the highlights of our annual celebration is providing kids with the opportunity to meet (and take a photo) with a popular children's book author, and to leave with a signed book to read and add to their personal book collections. Levine will also be speaking at 2:15 and 3:30 PM. Other State House activities include hands-on science activities from the RI Museum of Science and Art, wood sculptures by New Bedford artist John Magnan, and Rose Adler and Carmela Cannata's performing parrots.

Each library is invited to set up a table at the kick-off where kids can stop by and complete a small game, craft, other Dave At Night activity. Play jazz music while kids make city building or musical note bookmarks, or design postcards or stationery on which to write short letters (just like Dave's brother does in the book!) This is also a great opportunity to promote the upcoming "Dream Big-Read" programs and activities happening this summer at your own library.

Major support for Kids Reading Across Rhode Island comes from the RI Office of Library and Information Services with funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Rhode Island Center for the Book at RI Council for the Humanities. For more information on the event, or the set up a table at the celebration, contact Cheryl Space at OLIS ([email protected]).

On Monday, April 30th, twenty-five children's librarians and children's services staff traveled to Amherst, Massachusetts to experience the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. In the morning, there was time to tour the galleries to view Kadir Nelson's luminous, life-like portraits used in the books We Are the Ship: The Story of the Negro Baseball League and Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson. Also on display were sketches and collage art from "Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," said the Sloth, written and illustrated by Eric Carle. After the galleries, many people visited in the gift shop, which was opened especially for us, and poked around the museum's light-flooded art studio to seek programming inspiration!

In the afternoon, Rosemary Agoglia led a workshop on the Whole Book Approach, a method for transforming story time from a performance into a book discussion. We learned ways to engage children in talking about the art and design of picture books, including the book jacket, cover, front matter, font, gutter, endpapers, format, framing, as well as the artist's choice of medium and technique. In a story time, the librarian might choose one or two stand-out art or design elements to engage the participants in conversation, while remembering to leave questions open-ended and being prepared to follow the children's lead. In this highly-visual twenty-first century world, whole book approach story times are a way to engage a child's critical thinking skills in the context of a peer-to-peer conversation. The emphasis in story time shifts from reading to children to reading with children.

Thanks to RILA for introducing all of us to Rosemary Agoglia at the 2011 annual conference.

• Jenica Roger's the torment of terrible cover letters on Attempting Elegance: do's and mostly don'ts
• GSLIS Professional Boot Camp Podcasts - Day 1: Resumes and Cover Letters, Day 2: Professionalism and Interviewing 
• The GSLIS Media Lab is a great go-to for obtaining knowledge about the profession. For many of you who don't have any library experience, listen to at least one podcast before bed.
• A Modern Hypatia's Job Hunting Retrospective is brilliant.
• Once you discover Open Cover Letters, you will have a better sense of what employers are expecting from their candidates' cover letters.

The Rhode Island Foundation  

RI Foundation is now accepting applications for grants from the Rhode Island Supreme Court Historical Society Fund.  Grants from this fund may support nonprofit organizations that wish to provide programs that preserve the history of the Rhode Island Supreme Court and the Rhode Island judicial system, preserve artifacts and records of the courts system, publish works of history about Rhode Island legal history, and offer public forums about Rhode Island legal and constitutional history.

Organizations should provide matching resources in funds or through in-kind services. Funds may not be used for the purchase of equipment.

Applications are due July 2, 2012.  Please click on the following link to learn how to apply:  https://www.GrantRequest.com/SID_983?SA=SNA&FID=35154.  

You can also log onto the Foundation's website at www.rifoundation.org and follow links to Nonprofits / Grant Opportunities / Grants for Specific Topics / Rhode Island Supreme Court Historical Society Fund.

Questions? Contact Elaine Saccoccia [email protected] or (401) 427-4029.

NELA

2012 ITS Spring Event. 

When:

Friday, June 8, 2012

9:30 am - 3:30 pm

Where:

Worcester Public Library

3 Salem Square, Worcester MA 01608    

Register at: http://nelib.org/its