Despite the realities faced in our profession regarding concerns about employment opportunities, recruiting and retaining staff, and healing from funding cuts, librarian salaries were up on average 3 percent, according to the 2010 ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian – Public and Academic. It is now available in both print ($81 members) at the ALA Store ALA Store and via database ($50 for 30-day subscription), which includes data from 2006 through 2010, librarian and non-MLS salaries. Please refer to the press release for more information and forward it to your constituencies and colleagues.

ALA this week published the complete findings from the 2009-2010 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study (www.ala.org/plinternetfunding).

Co-published with American Libraries magazine as their Summer Digital Supplement, the report finds:

* 67% of public libraries report that they are the only source of free public access to computers and the Internet in their communities.

* On average, public libraries provide 14.2 public computers per location, up from 11 computers one year ago.

* 76% of libraries report public use of Internet computers increased in 2009.

* 82% of libraries provide free wireless access, up from 37% only four years ago.

* 88% of libraries provide access to job databases and other job opportunity resources.

* 79% percent provide assistance to patrons applying for and accessing e-government services, up 23% from last year.

* 89% of libraries offer formal or informal technology assistance to library users, and 24% offer one-on-one technology training by appointment.

* 15% of all libraries report decreased hours of operation – triple the number that reported this was the case one year ago. This translates to lost hours at more than 2,400 library branches. Nearly one quarter of urban libraries report reduced hours.

The complete report with findings from the national public library survey administered by the Center for Library & Information Innovation at the University of Maryland, the state library survey and interviews with public and state library staff in Arizona and Tennessee, can be found here:

http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/archives/digital-supplement/summer-2010-digital-supplement

State-by-state data summaries are here: http://www.ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/plftas/2009_2010/statesummaries.cfm.

Additional materials – including the press kit, unabridged tables from the public library survey, links to updated issues briefs and the first of several maps showing state-level data points, can be found here: http://www.ala.org/ala/research/initiatives/plftas/2009_2010/index.cfm

The frontline library advocacy initiative (http://www.ala.org/frontlineadvocacy) is alive and living on Advocacy University (http://www.ala.org/advocacyuniversity). I encourage folks to take a look at the hard work the Steering Committee and Working Groups did. Librarians, library support staff, and library administrators can now go to the website and find all the help they need to begin this newly-developed type of advocacy that engages frontline library staff in advocating the value of their respective libraries and their value as library employees to their communities – city/county, college/university, school districts, and corporation/government agency.

The ALA today (2010-3-24) filed comments to the House Education and Labor Committee, calling on the committee to include school librarians in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. As the committee moves forward on this important legislation, the ALA will continue to aggressively lobby for the inclusion of school librarians in order to ensure that each school library – the technologically modern classroom in today’s schools – is managed by a state-licensed school librarian.

Specifically, the ALA is asking the committee to:
1. Maintain dedicated funding for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program.
2. Include provisions under Title I state and local plans and the Race to the Top Fund to establish a state goal of having a school library staffed by a state-licensed school librarian in each public school.
3. Allow state and local professional development funds to be used for recruiting and training school librarians.

Text of ALA’s letter

http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/ESEA.pdf

ALA has been notified that the Dept. of Commerce has just released Grant Guidance documents for those interested in applying for the 2nd round of the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)

These documents, provide detailed guidance on preparing and submitting a BTOP grant application for each of the 3 grant areas 1) Comprehensive Community Infrastructure 2) Sustainable Broadband Adoption and 3) Public Computer Centers

Each guide is between 75-126 pages long.

CCI Grant Guidance
http://www.broadbandusa.gov/files/CCI%20Grant%20Guidance%202.11.10%201500%20FINAL.pdf

SBA Grant Guidance
http://www.broadbandusa.gov/files/SBA%20Grant%20Guidance%202.11.10%201500%20FINAL.pdf

PCC Grant Guidance
http://www.broadbandusa.gov/files/PCC%20Grant%20Guidance%202.11.10%201500%20FINAL.pdf

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA), acting on a resolution adopted by its Council on Jan. 19 during the ALA’s Midwinter Meeting, has created the “Haiti Library Relief Fund” to collect monetary donations to help rebuild libraries and archives that were destroyed or damaged during the devastating earthquake on Jan. 12. Donations can be made by credit card or check through www.ala.org/haiti.

Webinar 2010-1-22

More information at: http://www.ala.org/knowyourstimulus.

There will be the same 3 BTOP programs as in the last round.

Comprehensive Community Infrastructure Program (CCI) [renamed]
Public Computer Center Program (PCC)
Sustainable Broadband Adoption Program (SBA)

Applications will be due 5PM EDT March 15. They are making separate application forms to simplify the process. They encourage libraries to work together on similar projects. The minimum 20% match is retained, but preference may be given to those who can do 30%. In-kind expenses need to be in your budget. Scoring will give more weight to viability and sustainability.

For the Public Computer Center, applicants must either create or expand a public computer center to improve broadband service or connects at a public computer center. Computer centers in community colleges will be given preference or training projects. One-time capital expenditure to increase broadband capacity is allowed but not specified for just libraries.

Sustainable Broadband Adoption Program is designed to add new subscribers.
Little information is available for these but the focus is rural: Rural library broadband program, rural satellite program, and community facilities.

BTOP Round Two: Get Connected
Comprehensive Community Infrastructure Program (CCI) is focused on comprehensive community projects. Read p. 12 of the NOFA for priorities. Applications will be ranked per those priorities. Eligible expenses include construction or improvement of facilities required to provide broadband, long-term leases, etc.

To get the entire video of Friday’s webinar, and all ala_wo news subscribe to District Dispatch notifications at http://bit.ly/7dOrTp You can find our panelists’ slide decks here: http://bit.ly/7e1ijZ (under WO materials)

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Programs announces funding for rural public libraries. The Secretary of Agriculture has designated $100 million of USDA’s Community Facilities funds for public libraries. The program emphasis will provide educational opportunities and improve public services in rural communities. Community Facilities provides loans and grants to assist in the development of essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population. Loans and grants are available to public entities such as municipalities, counties, and special-purpose districts, as well as non-profit corporations and tribal governments. Applicants must have the legal authority necessary for construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed facility. They must also be financially sound and able to organize and manage the facility effectively. Rural Development field office locations are generally listed in the local telephone directories under the heading U. S. Government, Department of Agriculture. Interested applicants and lenders may also contact the Housing and Community Programs National Office staff at the following address:

USDA Rural Development
Community Programs Division
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250-0700
Telephone: (202) 720-1490
Fax: (202) 690-0471

District Dispatch has posted a new item, ‘NTIA and RUS announce Notice of Funds Availability of second-round broadband stimulus funding’

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) today announced the Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) of $4.8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants and loans to expand broadband access and adoption in America. This is the second funding round for the agencies’ broadband programs. Read the full text of the press announcement here.

In the coming days, the ALA Washington Office will analyze the NOFA and will issue informational summaries and other resources for libraries on www.ala.org/knowyourstimulus as well as the District Dispatch.

Greetings,

Round one of the stimulus funding under the BTOP program provided an outstanding opportunity for libraries to think about their broadband needs and develop project proposals to reflect that thinking. ALA’s Washington Office was proud to be a partner in many library’s efforts in the summer of 2009, providing resources, training and more to assist library applicants. We have been gratified to see libraries among the early recipients of round one funding, and we anticipate we will hear about many more over the next few weeks.

While we wait for more results from round one, we are thinking ahead to how we can best support library applicants in the next (and likely FINAL) round of funding. Here’s what we know, and what you can expect.
· The Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) will likely be released in late January/early February 2010. We don’t know how long the application window will be, though 4-6 weeks seems like a safe estimate.
· Over the next few weeks, we will be posting (to ala.org/knowyourstimulus) summaries of library projects that were awarded funding in the first round. We hope that these summaries of successful proposals will stimulate thinking about projects for the second round and provide insight on how successful applicants handled some of the thornier issues of BTOP.
· I will report to the Chapter Relations meeting at Midwinter on Saturday, January 16 at 2 PM.
· Once we have had a chance to review the NOFA, we will develop and post documents (again, to ala.org/knowyourstimulus) that will support applicants (much like we did in the first round).
· We will also host a series of webinars that will provide an opportunity to discuss issues and answer questions.

We will keep you updated – by emails like this, through the District Dispatch blog, and on ala.org/knowyourstimulus – as we plan learning opportunities and develop resources.