Emerging TBLC Cultural Heritage and Digitization Role
For over a year a Museums and Libraries Group has worked to promote collaboration between museums and libraries for the purpose of improving public access to cultural heritage resources in west central Florida. During its January 16th meeting, the TBLC Board adopted digitization as a priority and for inclusion in an LSTA grant proposal. On February 25th the group met and endorsed the role described below for TBLC to play in supporting these efforts.

TBLC Role

• Provide training in imaging and metadata creation.


• Provide website with information, standards, and links.


• Provide Digitization Database to serve as a searchable repository for metadata records and images.


• Develop and submit LSTA proposal to seek funding for:
  1.) supporting libraries in creating their own images and records by providing hardware, software, and training; and 2.) assisting libraries in creating images and records for small numbers of items.


• Make records available through the Florida Electronic Library’s metadata harvester


• Work with libraries and other agencies to develop other grant proposals – NEH, IMLS


• Reach out to non-members - museums, historical societies, and other cultural institutions - to include in these efforts


• Coordinate development of a Cultural Heritage Project

Members were surveyed about the status of digitization projects and opportunities and several were incorporated into an LSTA proposal submitted March 15. TBLC thanks the Museums and Libraries group and University of South Florida Library folks who have been so supportive of our efforts to develop this capacity.

Look for news and information about the emerging TBLC role and the opportunities it may provide your library and community in the months ahead.

Alleycat Grows
Welcome to Lee County Public Library as the 44th library to join the Alleycat family. Lee brings 231,073 titles and almost a million items, pushing the total over 4 million. Almost 32,000 Alleycat requests were filled last year and requests are on track to top 42,000 this year. Lee’s participation is a result of collaboration with the Southwest Florida Library Network (SWFLN) and is typical of relations among Florida’s six multitype cooperatives.

St. Johns County Public Library will begin service in April. Configuration is nearly complete and we are scheduling training for staff. St. Johns will be the first member of the Northeast Florida Library Information Network (NEFLIN) to participate. LSTA funds have been requested to connect the Heartland Library Cooperative (serving Highlands, Hardee, DeSoto, and Okeechobee counties) and Nassau County Public Libraries in 2004 – 2005.

We will be looking for a new name for the service in the months ahead. The name Alleycat has worked well, but as the service spreads, the need for a more descriptive name has become clear.

Leadership Training Status
TBLC is one of 2 host sites for Florida’s Statewide Leadership Program, which will take 20 participants through an intensive course on leadership using principles taught in The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner. Elizabeth Curry will facilitate this program. Anne Haywood has graciously offered to let us use Bruton Memorial Library for meeting space. The leadership program will begin in the summer of 2004 and continue into 2005. Karen Wilber will be providing details regarding the program and application process through the workshop-schedule electronic mailing list (among others). Subscribe at http://lists.tblc.org/mailman/listinfo/workshop-schedule. [Details coming later this spring – after FLA]

September Program For Your Calendar
“Is It Hot In Here? What We Need to Know NOW About Current Legal Issues Affecting Libraries” - Mary Minow will make this presentation on Tuesday, September 28, 2004.

Program Description - Today, it is not a luxury for librarians to have a basic understanding of current legal issues. It is a necessity. The copyright wars are in full gear, dramatically changing our access to information. How does this shape your library's digital collection development? How does current legislation affect your library, and should librarians have a stronger voice at the table? Are patrons' privacy rights diminishing, and if so, how does that affect our freedom to read? What is the direct impact on libraries, and what measures can be taken to protect these rights?

Mary Minow, J.D., A.M.L.S. is a library law consultant with LibraryLaw.com, coauthored The Library's Legal Answer Book, with Tomas Lipinski, published by ALA in 2003 and currently serves as the Policy Analyst for the California Association of Library Trustees and Commissioners.

The event is a joint project of TBLC, the University of South Florida School of Library and Information Science, and Stetson University College of Law Library. The specific time and place will be announced.

Announcements

• TBLC Annual Meeting is on November 9

• Starbucks – Participants in training or meetings at TBLC can look forward to Starbucks coffee to help make their experience more enjoyable. Vikki McLean reports that visitors also like the selection of tea.

Congratulations to TBLC Board Members & Staff Elected to FLA Office!

• Nancy Pike - Vice President/President Elect
  

• Shannon Bennett-Manross – Treasurer
  
• Phyllis Ruscella - SELA Representative

• Congratulations to John Szabo who is just completing his term as FLA President and good luck to Derrie Perez who is just beginning hers!

• Vickie Frost & Beth Watson Saving the Day For Document Delivery! - TBLC manages the Florida Library Materials Delivery Service and in February the vendor cancelled the contract. Vickie and Beth were able to get a new vendor in place with almost no interruption in service.

TBLC Service Reminder - Keep TBLC staff in mind for staff day or staff meeting presentations and training. We will be glad to bring training to you or develop programs and presentations tailored to meet your particular needs. Karen Wilber’s “Fish” presentations are very popular.

Charlie Parker and others are available for assistance with facilitation or planning sessions.

Subscribe to WaveLinks

Unsubscribe to WaveLinks

Please share WaveLinks with friends and colleagues.
www.tblc.org/about/wavelinks.shtml