“Boring” is the one word children will never learn from this delightful reading program. Ready For Phonics uses familiar fables, animation, music and songs to enhance the charm of this high quality learning program.

Begin with Ready for Phonics (ages 4-6) and accelerate to Beyond Phonics (ages 7-11) Math, Science and Geography.  Each set includes a DVD and  corresponding worksheets that can  serve numerous learners over and over again. 

Great for  public libraries, school media specialists, teachers and parents!

If you would like additional information concerning this product, contact info@phonicsqte.com  or call 888-432-2537.

Be sure to mention TBLC!

- Paul Alford, Learning Services Manager at Citrus County Public Library

In order for Floridians to thrive and prosper in today’s information and technology based culture, they need to know a great deal about use of technology, information and communications.  Fortunately, for some time now, libraries have been helping them learn these things through the way we provide services, through formal classes and training, and through informal coaching that public service staff routinely provide everyday.

Paul has developed a checklist of these skills to help make us more aware of the ways we are helping people learn everyday.  With the budget and staff reductions we have experienced, the last thing libraries need is a “new something” to do.  This is not about a new thing to do – it is about taking credit for something we are already doing that has a transformative impact on people’s lives.

Click here to check it out – Basic 21^st Century Technology, Information & Communication Skills for Successful Citizens

Presented below is an open letter to e-book creators and sellers inviting them to continue the relationship they have had with libraries and books in hard copy into the e-book and e-publication space.

If you agree with the letter’s proposal, please send copies of the letter to the book vendors you have relationships with and otherwise encourage them to offer e-books to the library community in ways that work with our business model.

There are few arguments as persuasive as a customer telling a vendor about things they would like to buy!

Thank you for your support!

An Open Letter to E-Book Creators and Sellers from Library Customers,

Libraries and their customers have a long and mutually beneficial relationship with authors, publishers, and vendors, based on the printed word – books.  Now, with the emergence of popular e-books and e-book readers, libraries are positioned to continue that partnership with these exciting new products.

Libraries have much to offer e-book sellers as you work to establish a new successful business model around the e-book format.  At the same time libraries need e-book providers to offer e-pub materials in ways that enable and support use by libraries and library users.  Here is the deal.

We will help you sell popular e-books.

-      When users find e-books in library catalogs or on websites, they can borrow them and may have the option to rent or buy them.

-      Libraries buy lots of books, spending about $2 billion annually.

-      Libraries are a big part of the reading public’s lives.  They help people develop a passion for reading as children and indulge it as adults.  Public libraries alone report 1.4 billion visits and 2.1 billion circulations annually.

-      Library staff will develop customers for you.  Librarians are great at helping the public learn about technology and will help readers learn about e-books and e-book readers

In order for us to help you sell and promote your e-books, we need you to sell or license them to us in a manner that works with our business model.

-      Provide for electronic check-out to customers similar to how we lend hard copy items.

-      Offer popular titles at reasonable prices.

-      Provide e-books in standard format with standard digital rights management.

-      Offer them to individual libraries and allow libraries to pool resources by selling to groups and consortia.

Books!  Books!  Books! – Writers, book sellers, and libraries have a long and mutually supportive relationship based on books!  Please work with libraries and help us offer new popular e-book titles to libraries so we can continue this relationship as we move into this exciting new future!

Thank you for your consideration!

Linda Crowe

Executive Director

Pacific Library Partnership

Charlie Parker

Executive Director

Tampa Bay Library Consortium

Henry Bankhead

Principal Librarian

Los Gatos Public Library

Al Carlson

System Administrator

Tampa Bay Library Consortium

Heather Teysko

Manager

Califa

Chad Mairn, M.L.I.S.

Information Services Librarian
St. Petersburg College

Course topics include:

• Application Software
• Customer Service and Interpersonal Skills
• Library Management
• Library Services
• Networking and Security
• Organizational Management
• Personnel Management
• Technology
• · Web Design and Development

The complete list of courses and details on how to register for this new service can be found at WebJunction Florida. Please note that your registration must be approved before the list of courses becomes visible.

For more information, contact Stephanie Race at 850.245.6630.

There, working the issue until midnight were FLA lobbyist Chris Lyon, Small County Coalition coordinator Chris Doolan, and whole contingent from the Department of State including Secretary Kurt Browning, lobbyist Rivers Buford III, and John Boynton.  This group barely left the Capitol all weekend long.  Chris Doolan had a very positive impact for us, especially on Sunday morning.  The folks from the Florida Association of Counties, and many county lobbyists have been working the issue aggressively as well.  The Salter>Mitchell pr folks distributed press releases for us at several critical junctures.  FLA’s CapWiz wizard, Lisa Manners did an incredible job of keeping the message fresh and for generating over 60,000 messages in the last 6 weeks.  And nothing good happens at FLA without Executive Director Faye Roberts talents and effort.

Thanks to everyone for their incredible efforts and congratulations on the wonderful success!

Charlie Parker -

In a partnership with the Straz Center for the Performing Arts and with support from the Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County, the Library will also be presenting a FREE author talk with Ms. Tan, at Carol Morsani Hall, Sunday, May 2 at 1 p.m.

For more details on these and other The Big Read Tampa events visit:

http://www.hcplc.org/hcplc/happenings/bigread/index.html

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

The Florida Library Association (FLA) has awarded two FLA Awards to the Pasco County Library System. Libraries Director Linda Allen won the Librarian of the Year award.  This honor is presented “in recognition of outstanding and ongoing contributions to Florida librarianship.” Ms. Allen’s dedication and leadership have made a positive difference in the lives of the citizens of Pasco County.

In addition, the Pasco County Library System’s website won for being the best Public Library Website. This prize promotes “awareness of the importance of good design and usability in web page development and to recognize outstanding examples of effective library pages.”  The Libraries’ website (pascoibraries.org) can be used as a model for other libraries to emulate. It boasts a design that provides easy access to information in an exciting, dynamic manner.

Check out their website here.

New this year, an online option will be available for attendees to participate from their desktop.

Find out more and register here.

The Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute prepares individuals to lead libraries today and into the future.  If you are a dynamic, creative, and achievement oriented individual who is interested in increasing and improving your library leadership knowledge and skills, apply today.

Beginning in 2010, the Institute will be a blended learning experience that includes:

• 3 online classes

• 7 face-to-face faculty-led classes

• Online resources including a wiki and webinars

• Self-selected, goal-based mentoring partnerships

• Live and online performance and learning support

Applications online at http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/bld/leadership

Applications accepted from March 15, 2010 – June 1, 2010

Notification of Acceptance – August 1, 2010

For more information, visit http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/bld/leadership/ or contact Jill Canono at jbcanono@dos.state.fl.us

Purpose:

Prepares individuals to lead libraries today and into the future

Process:

A year-long comprehensive series of face-to-face and online learning sessions designed to increase and improve individual leadership competencies.

The Institute is based on four foundations:

• Core leadership competencies

• Shared learning experiences

• Practical application assignments

• Mentoring partnerships

Participants:

• Library staff from all types of libraries (public, academic, school, and special) who are dynamic,

creative, and achievement oriented

• Professional librarians as well as individuals in management positions without an MLS

• Library staff with a minimum of two years professional work experience

Locations:

• Fort Lauderdale or Ocala, and on your desktop

The Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute is made possible by a Library Services and Technology Act grant administered by the Florida Department of State, State Library and Archives of Florida.

NetLibrary eBook content and eAudiobook subscriptions will continue to be available on the NetLibrary platform. EBSCO plans to provide access to the NetLibrary eBook content on the EBSCOhost® platform, one of the most used eContent platforms, creating a comprehensive integrated eBook and database service. NetLibrary eBooks will also continue to be discoverable through WorldCat.org.

The full text of the announcement is here.