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Monday, January 20, 2014

Funding Bulletin January 2014

Contribution of books


Hello,


My name is Manisha Khetarpal and I am a librarian.   I started giving away books to Maskwacis First Nations communities in 2009 and from them on have not stopped spreading the seeds of literacy.  Collecting books and distributing them to First Nations communities with the help of CBC viewers and listeners has become a national movement.  CBC planted a seed for the Maskwacis Community Library in June of 2013. I was tired of hearing that First Nations do not pay taxes and so they cannot sustain libraries. Maskwacis Community Library offered three services:  Library in a Box, Book Bundles and Borrow e-readers  in 2013.  We are a bunch of volunteers dedicated towards promoting literacy, libraries and learning for everyone in an inclusive atmosphere. We salute our contributors. With your contribution of gently used books we are able to keep up this momentum.  The details of the project can be viewed at the following pages.

·         http://en.copian.ca/sites/default/files/maskwacis.pdf

·         http://setuppubliclibrarywithfncommunity.blogspot.ca/

 


Our current wish list is children's and parenting books.




Manisha Khetarpal

Librarian

780 352 1633

librarieshelppeople@gmail.com


"Relationship creates accountability and responsibility for sustained supportive action" Stephanie Irlbacher-Fox (Scholar)

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Literature goes free online for Norway

Most books published in Norway before 2001 are going online for free thanks to an initiative that may have found the formula to reconcile authors with the web.

At a time when the publishing world is torn over its relationship to the internet - which has massively expanded access to books but also threatens royalty revenues - the National Library of Norway is digitising tens of thousands of titles, from masterworks by Nobel laureate Knut Hamsun to the first detective novels by Nordic noir king Jo Nesboe.

The copyright-protected books are available free online - with the consent of the copyright holders - at the website bokhylla.no ("bookshelf" in Norwegian).

The site currently features 135,000 works and will eventually reach 250,000, including Norwegian translations of foreign books.

National Library head Vigdis Moe Skarstein said the project is the first of its kind to offer free online access to books still under copyright, which in Norway expires 70 years after the author's death.

"Many national libraries digitise their collections for conservation reasons or even to grant access to them, but those are (older) books that are already in the public domain," she said.

"We thought that, since we had to digitise all our collection in order to preserve it for the next 1000 years, it was also important to broaden access to it as much as possible."



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/literature-goes-online-for-free-in-norway-20140118-hv8zt.html#ixzz2qtQJ8otZ

Muttart Foundation

The Foundation considers a robust charitable sector as central to a strong, healthy society. Through their work charities build community and address key social issues and concerns.

The Foundation's philanthropy focuses on three areas:

  • Strengthening the charitable sector;
  • Early childhood education and care;
  • Management development and leadership.

The following principles guide the Foundation's work in the above areas.

  • Private philanthropy has the opportunity and ability to take a leadership role in identifying and addressing the key charitable issues and concerns that remain outside of the scope and responsibility of government or the private sector.
  • Private philanthropy cannot build or maintain the infrastructure of the charitable sector alone nor can it replace reduced government funding for service delivery. Foundations have limited resources to make strategic investments that lever larger public and private sector investments.
  • Private philanthropy has access to capital that is relatively unconstrained by regular business or government cycles. This enables Foundations to take risks, to remain patient and to invest in ideas and opportunities with great potential and innovation.
  • Private philanthropy can best work through a strategy of cooperative advantage that involves working in collaboration with others to mobilize community resources.

Aboriginal Languages Initiative open for applications

Aboriginal Languages Initiative open for applications
The Aboriginal Languages Initiative supports the preservation and revitalization of Aboriginal languages for the benefit of Aboriginal peoples and other Canadians.  The deadline for applications is February 6, 2014.


Objectives

The objective of the Aboriginal Languages Initiative (ALI) is to support the preservation and revitalization of Aboriginal languages for the benefit of Aboriginal peoples and other Canadians.

Expected results of the ALI program include:

  • Aboriginal people have access to community-based projects and activities that support the preservation and revitalization of Aboriginal languages and cultures;
  • Aboriginal communities are assisted in their efforts to enhance languages and cultures; and
  • Aboriginal languages and cultures are preserved and enhanced as living cultures.

The Department of Canadian Heritage recognizes that initiatives that aim to preserve and revitalize Aboriginal languages must be flexible and responsive to the broad range of community needs, goals, and priorities, and that a concreted effort will be required to achieve the objective stated above.

Violence Prevention Grant applications

Violence Prevention Grant applications due February 3
The Canadian Women's Foundation is accepting applications for its annual Violence Prevention Grants until February 3, 2014.

Job creation program helps youth work in heritage organizations


Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations is a job creation program that aims to provide summer work experience in culture and heritage for students.  The deadline for employers and students to apply is February 3, 2014

Thursday, January 16, 2014

The Jay Jordan IFLA/OCLC Early Career Development Fellowship Program

Program overview

On an annual basis, up to five individuals are selected for participation in this intensive four-week Fellowship program based at OCLC's headquarters in Dublin, Ohio, USA. The program gives Fellows opportunities to meet with leading information practitioners, visit libraries, and explore topics including information technologies, library operations and management, and global cooperative librarianship.
The Fellows visit many libraries, cultural heritage institutions and library organizations. The Fellows also observe OCLC's governance structure in action, gaining insight into issues affecting the global library cooperative. Fellows give presentations about their home countries and libraries, meet leading information professionals and discuss real-world solutions to the challenges facing libraries today.
The Fellows translate their learning and experiences into specific professional development plans that guide their continued growth as well as their personal contributions to their home institutions and country of origin.

Program guidelines

The Fellowship Program is for library and information science professionals who are in early stages of career development and from countries with developing economies. Eligibility is limited to those who are from a qualifying country, have a degree in library or information science obtained within the past five years, and have at least three years, but no more than eight years, of library or information science experience. These and other qualifications are explained in detail in the Program Guidelines. Interested candidates should read the guidelines (available in PDF and Word format) and, if qualified, complete and submit the application (available in PDF and Word format) by the specified due date.
For additional information, please contact Nancy Lensenmayer, Program Director, Education and Professional Development.

Sponsorship opportunities

The organizations that sponsor the Fellowship Program are seeking additional sponsorships from other interested organizations. More information about sponsorship is available from George Needham, Vice President, OCLC Global and Regional Councils.

General inquiries

More information about the Fellowship Program is available from Nancy Lensenmayer, Program Director, OCLC Education and Professional Development.
http://www.oclc.org/about/fellows.en.html?utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=OCLC%20Abstracts&utm_campaign=OCLC%20Abstracts&_wcsid=1A042B08AD2CE0D7516602ED762EEF68F603011A892E0264CC62676221862FDD


Monday, January 13, 2014

Elevate: Testing New Delivery Models to Better Meet the Needs of Adults

Why test this new approach?
- As more and more industries become more technologically advanced, all employees, particularly those with low levels of educational attainment, need to be adequately trained to incorporate these new technologies into their every day work
- In order to meet these types of requirements, necessary skill sets for these types of positions need to be better defined – and a more effective way of delivering the necessary training needs to be determined
- This approach will start to bridge the gap between literacy and essential skills providers, industry, service providers and employers to co-design and deliver the proper training these adults
- The goal of Elevate is to provide a roadmap for policymakers, industry and service providers with the promise of real and lasting returns over time

 

This initiative – as outlined in the new brief, Elevate: Testing New Delivery Models to Better Meet the Needs of Adults - points towards the kind of solutions that could provide a better alignment between the needs of those sectors who have work to offer, so that Canadian industry can grow while providing vulnerable individuals with the opportunity to increase their labour force attachment.


The initiative will attempt to replicate promising approaches used elsewhere, including the United States and the U.K., which – to much success – fully integrate basic skills with hands-on vocational skills. Pilot testing will occur at 10 food processing sites across Ontario with the hope that this type of approach can be replicated and adapted to other industries as well.

To read Elevate: Testing New Delivery Models to Better Meet the Needs of Adults, please click here

 

http://www.essentialskillsontario.ca/content/new-brief-outlines-promising-new-delivery-model

Friday, January 10, 2014

Individual Artists Project Grant Deadline - February 3, 2014

Individual Artists Project Grant Deadline - February 3, 2014

 
A brief reminder that the next application intake for the AFA Individual Artists Grant Program is 4:30 p.m., February 3, 2014 (February 1 falls on a Saturday so the deadline is bumped to February 3). Interested applicants should be sure to review the guidelines carefully for grant stream eligibility and reporting requirements as we've had some slight changes in these sections.

More information about the program (be sure to read the guidelines before you complete your application!) is available at http://affta.ab.ca/Grants/Individual-Project-Grants! Please contact the appropriate Arts Development Consultant respective to your artistic discipline well in advance of the February 3 deadline if you have any questions!

Friday, January 3, 2014

Current Issues Facing Tribal College Libraries

Current Issues Facing Tribal College Libraries

Tribal college libraries face similar issues as other libraries, though from the context of the Aboriginal environment within which they function. These issues include problem patrons, the public versus academic functions of the library, inadequate space and facilities, administrative politics, limited staffing and problems with recruitment and funding constraints (Bernholz & Lindvall, 2005; Dilevko & Gottlieb, 2002; Thull, 2008a). Like all other libraries, tribal college librarians must deal with various problems with patrons such as students not making use of the library's resources, out of control overdue fines, computer misuse, lack of parental supervision of young children, and a lack of community support for the library (Dilevko & Gottlieb, 2002, 2004). As tribal college libraries operate as both community and academic libraries, this places additional burdens on collection development, staff and budgets (Dilevko & Gottlieb, 2002; Patterson & Taylor, 1996).

While many tribal college libraries are relatively new, others have to deal with space limitations, inadequate facilities and outdated technology (Patterson & Taylor, 1996; Thull, 2008a). Libraries may also not have control over the college's library website or technology supplied to the library, which hinders programming and the development of possible advantageous learning tools (Rieke, 2005). Dilevko & Gottlieb (2002, 2004) also note a variety of other problems that stem from issues with tribal college administration. These issues include nepotism with regards to higher level positions and resource allocations, competition between different campuses of a college in terms of funds, resources and tribal politics. Library directors cited tribal politics as the most frequent reason why they might choose to leave their current job (Dilevko & Gottlieb, 2002), and this sentiment was also present amongst other levels of staff (Dilevko & Gottlieb, 2004).

One major issue tribal college libraries must deal with is staffing. Due to their remoteness and geographical isolation, low salaries, poor benefits, and large workloads, tribal college libraries often have trouble recruiting and retaining qualified employees, and usually suffer from a high turnover rate (Dilevko & Gottlieb 2002; Metoyer-Duran, 1991; Patterson & Taylor, 1996; Thull, 2008a). College presidents and library directors recognize the need to have professionally trained staff who not only possess the necessary skills and competencies, but who also are culturally sensitive (Metoyer-Duran, 1992). High turnover rates and untrained staff have a negative effect on the quality of the college's education, and morale of the students and community, plus may hinder efforts to obtain accreditation, (Metoyer-Duran, 1991). Ideally, tribal colleges would like to hire Aboriginal librarians who possess a library and information studies graduate degree, however, it is often difficult to appoint appropriate staff from a limited pool of applicants (Patterson & Taylor, 1996). Non-aboriginal staff may experience racial tension (Dilevko & Gottlieb, 2002) but would be supported by administration and encouraged to learn about and to embrace local traditions and values; yet many staff and students still would prefer to deal with Aboriginal library staff members (Dilevko & Gottlieb, 2004). Roy and Smith (2002) state that "tribal colleges are ideal settings for promoting librarianship as a professional career [yet] no tribal college offers an American Library Association–accredited master's degree program or school media center certification" (p. 33). Thus library staffing presents numerous issues for not only the library, but also for the tribal college in general.

The biggest issue facing tribal college libraries, and most other colleges and universities and libraries in general, is funding and budgetary constraints. Funding usually comes in the form of federal obligations from treaties, legislation, regional and local laws, private donations, tribal sources and grants, all of which may be unpredictable (Dilevko & Gottlieb, 2002; Metoyer-Duran, 1991; Patterson & Taylor, 1996). Not only does this cause tribal college libraries to struggle to keep up with non-tribal institutions (Dilevko & Gottlieb, 2004; Patterson & Taylor, 1996), but also contributes to staffing issues such as retention, salaries and job insecurity (Dilevko & Gottlieb, 2002, 2004; Metoyer-Duran, 1991). Current and quality technology and other print and nonprint resources, such as online databases, preservation materials and services necessary for expanding curriculum and community programming, are necessary to support the educational and cultural goals of a tribal college library, but unfortunately they require stable and predictable funding (Bernholz & Lindvall, 2005; Metoyer-Duran, 1991). Tribal college libraries must deal with budget freezes, and increasingly have to spend time filling out grant applications and soliciting donors (Thull, 2008a, 2008b). Collection development may be further complicated as patrons prefer books written by Aboriginal authors, which often come at a greater cost (Thull, 2008a), and often libraries must stock material donations that do not fit with their community's culture (Ambler, 2000). Also, tribal college enrollment is increasing; yet allocated funding has decreased, leaving libraries struggling to keep up with increased demand and usage (Metoyer-Duran, 1991, 1992).

Grant and technical assistance projects and initiatives, such as the Alliance for Community Technology endorsed by former President Bill Clinton in 2000 and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, or those from the AIHEC Technology Committee, are designed to improve online and technical access, which reduces reservation isolation and stimulates economic and community growth (Ambler, 2000). The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the federal depository library services are also working to distribute information that is necessary and relevant for tribal communities, such as educational, health related and senior citizen information (Bernholz & Lindvall, 2005; Thull, 2008a). Tribal college librarians also have access to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grants program for Native American Library Services, which provides funding for collection and archives development, preservation, digitization and technology (Webster, 2005). Like funding sources, these programs may be unpredictable, though much appreciated by tribal college libraries.

After examining the description of tribal college libraries, along with their history and developmental stages, it can be clearly be noted they are instrumental in not only preserving traditional culture, but also in encouraging the intellectual, economic, health and social development of the Aboriginal community they serve. Despite the numerous difficulties facing tribal college libraries, they continue to play a vital role in ensuring the educational and cultural survival of tribal communities.