NLC ommunicator

March 2002 Vol.16 No. 3 ISSN 0895-0806 Phone: 402-471-2045, 800-307-2665
Timely information from the Nebraska Library Commission

[Announcements]

Nebraska libraries will benefit from funding through the U.S. Library Program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Grant funding, will be awarded and computers installed in libraries from Summer 2002 through Winter 2003. Public libraries that serve communities with more than ten percent poverty, that were not previously eligible for a grant from the foundation, will be invited to apply. Grants support expanding library public access to computers, the Internet, and digital information, as well as training and technical support for library staff. For additional information, including the projected timeline and grant writing workshops, see Announcements on the Nebraska Library Commission home page, nlc.nebraska.gov or contact Richard Miller, 402-471-3175, 800-307-2665, e-mail: Richard Miller.

Recipients of the Nebraska Library Commission Master of Library Science Scholarships are Andrea Dinkelman and Denise Matulka, both of Lincoln, both attending the University of Illinois; Susan Franklin, Hastings, attending the University of Missouri; and Marty Magee, Omaha, attending the University of Missouri. Each will receive $1,000 to support pursuit of graduate level library education.

The Library Commission recently announced the following appointments to the Nebraska State Advisory Council on Libraries: Reappointments

Mike Herbison, Kearney

Kathy Lute, Ogallala

Ruth Seward, Lexington

Steve Davis, Kearney, Nebraska Educational Media Association ex-officio New Appointments

Nancy Escamilla, Scottsbluff, replacing Michael LaCroix

Becky Baker, Seward, Nebraska Library Association ex-officio

Incentive state aid payments are paid by the Library Commission to libraries that receive funding from a public entity outside the main funding source, encouraging libraries to seek additional public funds to support the services that, in many cases, they currently offer to people who live outside their basic service area. Since the inception of incentive state aid payments, more than $53,000 has been paid to libraries as additional incentive state aid ($25,819 in 2001 and $27,304 in 2002). For more information contact Kit Keller, 402-471-3216, 800-307-2665, e-mail: Kit Keller or see the Library Commission home page, nlc.nebraska.gov, search on State Aid.

Pam Scott, Library Commission Continuing Education Coordinator, has assumed responsibility for the certification program including all aspects of certifying public librarians and boards of trustees. For more information contact Pam Scott, 402-471-2694, 800-307-2665, e-mail: Pam Scott.

Organization of Materials is the Basic Skills class planned for Spring 2002. One of four Basic Skills courses required for certification of librarians in public libraries, the course is sponsored by the Nebraska Library Commission and Nebraska's Regional Library Systems. Sites and dates will be listed on the Library Commission home page, as they become available. The cost for the course is $35 for onsite or online participation. Lunch is not included. For more information contact Pam Scott, 402-471-2694, 800-307-2665, e-mail: Pam Scott.

Nebraska public librarians and school media specialists (or anyone with library youth services responsibilities) are invited to attend an interactive Children's Library Services Videoconference, Computer and Information Literacy on March 29, 1:00 - 4:00 P.M. CST. A variety of videoconference sites have been established to minimize travel requirements. There is no charge for this videoconference. For more information see the Commission home page Announcements, nlc.nebraska.gov, or contact Mary Jackson, 402-471-4006, 800-307-2665. CE Credits: 3.

Whatever Happened to Carbon Paper?: A Look Toward the Future of Librarians, Library Assistants, and the Printed Word, a College of DuPage Continuing Education Teleconference, explores projected changes in the future of libraries on March 22, 11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. CST, at sites across the state. CE Credits: 2. Contact Regional Library System Administrators, nlc.nebraska.gov/system/index.html, for specific sites.

Staff members from Nebraska libraries, museums, and archives are invited to the Introduction to Metadata Workshop, on March 26, 9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. CST, at Central Community College in Grand Island. It will cover the basics of undertaking a digitization project, focusing on options for creating metadata records. CE Credits: 6. $15 fee includes lunch. Register at www.nlc.state. ne.us/news/content/1032.html or contact Jodene Glaesemann, 402-471-4009, 800-307-2665 by March 15. For more information about this workshop and the Western Trails Digitization Project contact Beth Goble, Nebraska Library Commission, 402-471-4017, 800-307-2665, e-mail: Beth Gobel .

Kate Wittenberg, Director of the Electronic Publishing Initiative at Columbia University (EPIC), will speak on Electronic Publishing: New Models for Scholarly Communication. Sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's UNL Libraries, this discussion of the current and future state of scholarly publishing is scheduled for April 3, at the City Campus Union from 9:00 - 11:00 A.M. CST, with a panel discussion from 11:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. CST. Contact: Virginia Baldwin, 402-472-3412, e-mail: vbaldwin@unl.edu.

NEBASE, Nebraska's regional network for OCLC services, will host the NEBASE 2002 Annual Meeting-West on April 4 at the Alliance Public Library, from 9:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. CST. Updates will be presented on OCLC Members Council, NEBASE Advisory Council, the Library Commission's Network Services, OCLC Products and Services, and Gates Foundation Grants, along with workshops on FirstSearch or OCLC ILL Web Interface (choose one). To register, complete the online form at nlc.nebraska.gov/netserv/nam.html by March 31. For more information contact Jeannette Powell, 402-471-7740, 800-307-2665 e-mail: Jeannette Powell.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's UNL Libraries, Cather Project, School of Music, Center for Great Plains Studies, and University of Nebraska Press, in conjunction with Nebraska Humanities Council, Friends of the UNL Libraries, Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial and Education Foundation, and Nebraska State Historical Society plan a symposium, Great Passions and Great Aspirations: A Willa Cather Symposium on Literature and Opera, Willa Cather and World War I, for April 4 - 5 in Lincoln. For details see the Library Commission home page calendar or contact Margie Rine, 402-472-1919, e-mail: mrine3@unl.edu.

The NLA Paraprofessional 2002 Spring Conference is set for April 17. For details see www.nol.org/home/nla/para/paraconference.html. Registration deadline is April 10. The NLA Tri-Roundtable 2002 Spring Meeting, Technology @your library^TM, (sponsored by Information Technology and Access Roundtable, Technical Services Roundtable, and New Members Roundtable) is set for April 23. For details see www.nol.org/home/nla/news/020212a.htm. Registration deadline is April 7. For more information see the Announcements on the Library Commission Web site at nlc.nebraska.gov.

If you do not have access to the Internet World Wide Web, contact Mary Geibel, 402-471-2045, 800-307-2665, e-mail: Mary Geibel for print information about the previous announcements.

Preparation of this newsletter was supported in part by funds allocated through the Library Services and Technology Act administered by the United States Institute of Museum and Library Services.

[Continuing Education & Training]

Basic MARC Descriptive Cataloging for Books

March 14, Norfolk Public Library, 308 Prospect Ave., Norfolk, 1:15 P.M. - 4:15 P.M. CST.
March 28, Alliance Public Library, Meeting Room, 1750 Sweetwater Ave., Alliance, 9:00 A.M. - Noon MST.
June 4, Meridian Library System, 3519 Second Avenue, Suite B, Kearney, 1:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M. CST.

Learn how to choose and enter cataloging information in a MARC record for fiction and non-fiction books. Audience: Librarians working with local automated systems who are not full-cataloging members of OCLC. Format: Lecture and classroom exercises. Instructor: Devra Dragos.

OCLC CORC: Cataloging Internet Resources

March 14, Nebraska Library Commission, Heron Room, Lincoln, 9:00 A.M. - Noon CST.

Learn about CORC (Cooperative Online Resource Catalog), OCLC's newest cataloging tool and database of electronic resource bibliographic records. Note: The Cataloging and Pathfinder modules of CORC are separated into two sessions. We recommend that staff attend both sessions, if possible. Audience: Cataloging, reference, and public services staff at OCLC full-cataloging institutions. Prerequisites: Previous experience with cataloging Internet resources. Format: Lecture, demonstration, and hands-on experience. Instructor: Christa Burns, OCLC Member Services.

OCLC CORC: Creating Internet Pathfinders

March 14, Nebraska Library Commission, Heron Room, Lincoln, 1:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M. CST.

Learn about CORC (Cooperative Online Resource Catalog) Pathfinders, OCLC's automated tool for creating and managing web-based subject guides that can assist patrons in locating and using high quality librarian-selected online resources.
Note: The Cataloging and Pathfinder modules of CORC are separated into two sessions. We recommend that staff attend both sessions, if possible. Audience: Cataloging, reference, and public services staff at OCLC full-cataloging institutions. Prerequisites: Previous experience with creating subject bibliographies of web resources. Format: Lecture, demonstration, and hands-on experience. Instructor: Christa Burns, OCLC Member Services Coordinator.

Understanding MARC Bibliographic Formats

March 14, Norfolk Public Library, 308 Prospect Ave., Norfolk, 9:30 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. CST.
June 4, Meridian Library System Office, 3519 Second Avenue, Suite B, Kearney, 9:00 A.M. - Noon CST.

Learn how to interpret MARC (MAchine-Readable Cataloging) Bibliographic Formats-types of records, field tags, indicators, and subfield coding. Audience: Librarians working with local automated systems who are not full-cataloging members of OCLC. Format: Lecture and classroom exercises. Instructor: Devra Dragos.

OCLC Union List Basics

March 19, Nebraska Library Commission, Heron Room, Lincoln, 1:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M. CST.
March 29, Alliance Public Library, 1750 Sweetwater, Alliance, 9:00 A.M. - Noon MST.

This basic workshop on the OCLC Union List includes searching OCLC bibliographic records, interpreting union list group holdings, and updating local data records. Audience: New union list member staff and current union list member staff who have not updated their holdings recently and want a refresher. Prerequisites: Previous experience with searching the OCLC Online Union Catalog. Format: Lecture, demonstration, and hands-on experience. Instructor: Christa Burns, OCLC Member Services Coordinator.

Advanced OCLC Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

March 28, Alliance Public Library, 1750 Sweetwater, Alliance, 9:00 A.M. - Noon MST.

This workshop addresses streamlining the ILL process and handling advanced problems. Topics include creating requests, creating custom holdings, modifying records, ILL Fee Management, and statistical reports. Audience: Current users of OCLC ILL. Prerequisites: Passport for Windows workshop, ILL Basics workshop or some experience with ILL. Format: Lecture, demonstration, and hands-on experience. Instructor: Christa Burns, OCLC Member Services Coordinator.

OCLC CatExpress

April 5, Alliance Public Library, 1750 Sweetwater, Alliance, 9:00 A.M. - Noon MST.

This workshop provides an overview of CatExpress, the web-based, copy-cataloging interface to OCLC's WorldCat. Topics include searching, setting holdings, entering information in optional data fields, and retrieving MARC records for loading into your local system. Audience: New users and current users who have questions. Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of the Windows environment. Format: Lecture, demonstration, and hands-on experience. Instructor: Christa Burns, OCLC Member Services Coordinator.

Note: For all of the above activities contact Jeannette Powell, 402-471-7740, 800-307-2665, e-mail: Jeannette Powell. CE Credits: 3. Fees: $10 for NEBASE members. Others contact Jeannette Powell. Register: nlc.nebraska.gov/netserv/nebase/oclcworkshops.html.

For more information see the Library Calendar at nlc.nebraska.gov. Continuing Education (CE) Credits are issued by the Nebraska Library Commission as part of the Nebraska Public Librarian or Board Certification Program.

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