The Wednesday Word: Library News from Around Indiana

The March 15 deadline for the Public Library E-Government Costs and Broadband Survey is quickly approaching. If you have yet to complete the survey, please review the activity log with updated instructions. Once the activity logs are complete, you may take the survey.

This survey is critical for Indiana libraries to better describe and understand the costs, services, and benefits related to public library provision of e-government services in Indiana. Ultimately the project will result in outcomes that assist the Indiana State Library and public libraries to develop and implement strategies for improved e-government services and to leverage and better manage associated costs of public library e-government service provision.

Access to and use and delivery of government materials and services through the public library continues to expand at a rapid rate and public libraries are developing a range of service roles related to e-government. Patrons rely on their local public libraries for assistance with federal, state, and local government online services, many of which are only available via the Internet. This is especially true for individuals without home Internet access or that are unfamiliar with using 21st-Century technologies.

According to an article from the Public Libraries Magazine, E-Government Service Roles for Public Libraries, 78.7 percent of libraries reported they provide assistance to patrons applying for or accessing e-government services. The article also reported that typical e-government services include, but are not limited to, the following:

Access to and assistance navigating e-government websites;

Assistance filling in forms and sending e-mails related to obtaining forms;

Help writing employment letters and résumés, completing employment and unemployment applications, and searching employment databases;

Creating e-mail accounts; and

Locating government information such as government assistance and grants, Medicare benefits, immigration and naturalization regulations, tax forms, hunting and fishing licenses, and so on.

About the Public Library E-Government Costs and Broadband Study
The study is lead by renowned broadband expert Dr. Charles McClure of the Florida State University Information Institute. McClure noted that this study will build on previous e-government research that the Information Institute has completed which are available at the Information Institute website at http://www.ii.fsu.edu/. This project is made possible by an LSTA grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Indiana State Library.

For more information, visit www.in.gov/library/eGov.htm. Please refer specific questions about the survey to the Florida State University Information Institute at ii@ci.fsu.edu.

Celebrate Read Across America Day this Friday

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Read Across America Day is a national reading celebration takes place each year on or near March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Across the country, thousands of schools, libraries, and community centers participate by bringing together kids, teens, and books, and you can too!

The theme is green for a very special 2012 Read Across America celebration and this year's campaign will showcase the Lorax book as well as Universal's The Lorax, which opens nationwide on Friday.

If you're reading The Lorax for Read Across America Day and looking for lesson plans and materials, there are plenty of resources available, including The Lorax Project from Dr. Seuss, Lorax family literacy bags from Reading Rockets, and ReadWriteThink.org. You'll can also share photos, videos, and ideas, plus hear the latest news from NEA's Read Across America Through the Read Across America Facebook fan page and cause page.

President Makes Flat Budget Request for IMLS

President Barack Obama requested $231,953,777 for fiscal year 2013 for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an amount equal to the agency’s current funding. The IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. This is the first budget request for the agency since the adoption of its new five-year strategic plan.

The President requested $184,704,000 for the nation’s 123,000 libraries. Of that amount, approximately 85 percent ($156.3 million) is distributed through the Grants to States program to the State Library Administrative Agencies (LSTA grants). These grants help libraries meet community needs, use technology to develop new service models and reach underserved populations.

LEU Opportunity Days

Just three LEU Opportunity Days remain and all library professionals are invited to attend these day-long events worth several LEUs:

When: March 14 @ 10:00 AM
Where: Kendallville PL

When: March 21 @ 10:00 AM
Where: Jasper County Public Library - Wheatfield

When: March 29 @ 10:00 AM
Where: Tippecanoe Co. PL

Upcoming Workshops,
Events & Important Dates

Online Readers Advisory Resources
When: March 6 @ 2:00 PM (CST)
Where: Lowell Public Library

Gale Virtual Reference Library Interface Updates
When: March 8 @ 2:00 PM
Where: Live Webinar

Paper Conservation Workshop
When: March 8 @ 8:30 AM
Where: Indiana State Archives

Discovery to Delivery III: Resource Sharing Core Service
When: March 9 @ 9:00 AM
Where: Ball State University

Advanced INSPIRE K-12 Resources
When: March 15 @ 10:00 AM
Where: Walton & Tipton Twp. PL

Advanced INSPIRE Medical Resources
When: March 15 @ 1:00 PM
Where: Walton & Tipton Twp. PL

Paper Conservation Workshop
When: March 22 @ 8:30 AM
Where: Indiana State Archives

Government Websites
When: March 22 @ 2:00 PM
Where: Live Webinar

Digital Preservation Outreach and Education Program
When: March 27 @ 8:30 AM
Where: Indiana State Library

9th Annual Copyright Conference
When: April 18 - All Day
Where: Ball State University

Evergreen International Conference
When: April 25-28
Where: Indianapolis

Society of Indiana Archivists Annual Spring Conference
When: April 27-28
Where: University of Indianapolis

View free LEU
opportunities from:

Nominate your favorite Hoosier authors through March 23, 2012

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Indiana State Library, 315 W. Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202. www.library.IN.gov

The Wednesday Word is a free publication of the Indiana State Library, distributed weekly in an electronic format.
Past issues are archived at the State Library's Newsroom.