In This Issue

1. YALSA Announces Dates for 2013 Teen Tech Week, Opens Registration

2. Foundation Offering Grants for Small, Rural Libraries

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YALSA Announces Dates for 2013 Teen Tech Week, Opens Registration

Based on an ALA release

The time has come to Check In @ your library! Registration for Teen Tech Week™, the Young Adult Library Services Association’s (YALSA) annual celebration of digital literacy and technology via the library is now open. Teen Tech Week™ is March 10-16, 2013, with a theme of Check In @ your library, which encourages libraries to throw open their physical and virtual doors and showcase the outstanding technology they offer for teens and their families, from services such as online homework help and digital literacy-focused programs to resources like e-books, movies, music, audiobooks, databases and more.

Registrant benefits include a free webinar on maker spaces with Hilary Kolos from Dreamyard and materials from TTW Partners, such as database trials, books and more. For more information and to join, please visit the Teen Tech Week website.

Teen Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association and is aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teens gain the digital literacy skills they need—with the help of libraries—in order to be successful in school and prepared to participate in a 21st century workforce.

Foundation Offering Grants for Small, Rural Libraries

The Libri Foundation, a nationwide non-profit organization which donates new, quality, hardcover children's books to small, rural public libraries, has donated over $5.25 million worth of new children's books to more than 3,000 libraries in all 50 states since 1990. This year, the Foundation is offering “Books for Children” grants of up to $700 for rural libraries. In an effort to encourage and reward local support of libraries, the Libri Foundation will match any amount of money raised by your local sponsors from $50 to $350 on a 2-to-1 ratio.  This could amount for up to $1,050 worth of new children's books.  After a library receives a grant, local sponsors (such as formal or informal Friends groups, civic or social organizations, local businesses, etc.) have four months, or longer if necessary, to raise their matching funds.

Grantees will be able to select books from a booklist provided by the Foundation.  The 700-plus fiction and nonfiction titles on the booklist reflect the very best of children's literature published primarily in the last three years. These award-winning titles for children ages 12 and under have received starred reviews in library, literary, or education journals.  The booklist also includes a selection of classic children's titles.

Libraries are qualified on an individual basis.  In general, county libraries should serve a population under 16,000 and town libraries should serve a population under 10,000 (usually under 5,000).  Libraries should be in a rural area (generally 30 miles from a city with a population over 40,000), have a limited operating budget, and an active children's department.

Application deadlines in 2013 for the “Books for Children” grants are (postmarked by) January 23rd and May 15th.  Consider applying for a January grant if you want your books in time for summer reading programming. Application guidelines and forms may be downloaded from the Foundation's website at www.librifoundation.org. 

Applications are now being accepted for the 2013 LSTA Grant Program. Learn more about opportunities for your library.

Proposals Sought for Resource-Sharing Conference

The Academic Libraries of Indiana and the Indiana State Library seek presentation proposals for Discovery to Delivery IV: Connecting the Community by January 15, 2013. The resource-sharing conference will be held at Ball State University on March 8, 2013 from 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM.

Presentations should be approximately 30-35 minutes in length with an additional 10 minutes at the end of each session for questions and discussion.

The free conference is open to all Indiana librarians, including representatives from academic, public, and special libraries.

Upcoming Workshops,
Events & Important Dates

Every Child Ready to Read Workshop
When: January 8 @ 9:30 AM
Where: Harrison Co. Public Library

NE Indiana YA Roundtable
When: January 7 @ 10:00 AM
Where: Wells Co. Public Library

SE Indiana YA Roundtable
When: January 17 @ 10:00 AM
Where: Greensburg-Decatur Co. Public Library

Every Child Ready to Read Workshop
When: January 17 @ 9:30 AM
Where: Huntington City-Twp Public Library

Every Child Ready to Read Workshop
When: January 25 @ 10:00 AM
Where: Aurora Public Library

Digital Learning Day
When: February 6, 2013 (all day)
Where: Across the Nation

Discovery to Delivery IV: Connecting the Community
When: March 8 @ 9:00 AM
Where: Ball State University

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