Questions and Answers on Copyright for the Campus Community ~ ©2006 National Association of College Stores
Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Time: 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Location: Room 163C, Campus Center, UMass Amherst
Panel discussion on Open Educational Resources hosted by UMass Amherst Libraries. The panel will include Stephen Carson from MIT OpenCourseWare, and Eric Frank ’92 and Michael Boezi from Flat World Knowledge. More info: http://bit.ly/freetextbook. RSVP on Facebook
Friday Night Films Celebrates Pixar Animation; July 16-August 13! Super Cold Science with the Boston Science Museum's Traveling Program; Thursday, July 15; 3pm Glue and Go Costumes with Holly Cleeland; Tuesday, July 20; 4pm Animal Behaviors with Rachel Roberts; Wednesday, July 21; 3:30pm Writing Poems from Nature: Workshop for Adults with Jeannine Atkins; Tuesday, July 27; 6:30pm Life2Poetry: Workshop for Teens with Jeannine Atkins; Thursday, July 29; 3pm Rock Band for Teens; Tuesday, August 3; 2-4:30pm Rock Band for Adults; Tuesday, August 3; 5:30-8pm For more information on any of these programs, check our website at greenfieldpubliclibrary.org
The following message was posted to the WMRLS email discussion list on June 28, 2010:
Dear Western MA Library Community:
On July 1, 2010, WMRLS will cease to operate as a Regional Library System as it joins with the other regions in forming the new Massachusetts Library System (MLS). Please be aware that, for FY11, our headquarters in Whately is still available for you to visit for many of the services you have been accustomed to using. We expect MLS will use the building to provide continuing education workshops, meetings and computer lab trainings. Delivery will continue for FY11 as you’ve always known it, performed by the same wonderful drivers and trucks you are familiar with. Advisory services will also continue, but at reduced levels. Access to the Springfield Republican online, as well as the statewide Gale and ProQuest databases, will continue. Interlibrary loan for items not available through C/W MARS will be handled through the Thomas Crane Library in Quincy. Training sessions have been offered to introduce member libraries to new procedures.
The Whately building, for now, will be very sparsely staffed and the doors will be locked for security purposes. We ask you to call ahead to schedule a visit if you want to access some of the other services available at the Whately facility, such as:
- Materials remaining from the WMRLS collection are available for you to select for your own needs through July 9.
- The “Got Books” container is still located in the parking lot for you to recycle library materials you would like to discard.
- The self-service CD / DVD disc cleaner is here for you to use to repair and refresh items needing attention.
For now, the toll free phone number remains (800) 282-7755. The extensions to use are 117 for Mary King (mking@wmrls.org), 130 for Shirley MacLean (smaclean@wmrls.org), and 105 for Wes Hamilton (wes@wmrls.org). Contact information will likely change in the future. MLS will keep you informed.
From all of us at WMRLS, we wish you all the best. It has been deeply gratifying to have served Western MA libraries for almost 50 years. Please get involved with the Massachusetts Library System ( www.masslibsystem.org) and make sure it is aware of your needs for support and services.
Sincerely,
John Ramsay
Regional Administrator
The Western Mass. Regional Library System will cease to exist as of June 30, 2010.
The Executive Board of the Friends of WMRLS has been talking about how the Friends might continue in its role of advocacy. We won’t be able to advocate for WMRLS anymore, but we believe our libraries in the 4 counties of Western Mass. will need a voice. Before we put lots of energy into reorganizing and refocusing, we’d like to get some sense from library staff and library users in Western Mass. as to how much support we could count on. To that end, we have created a brief survey.
Western Massachusetts Library Advocacy Survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZZBHJKZ
Please take a couple of minutes to respond to the survey so that we can know how to proceed. Your thoughts are valuable to us. Thank you.
Questions can be emailed to Lynn Coakley at Lcoakley@stcc.edu
Thank you to Karen Stinchfield, Director of the Cushman Library in Bernardston, for sharing her pictures of our recent WMRLS Staff Appreciation Day.
The following message was posted to the WMRLS email discussion list on July 18, 2010
On July 1st the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) will begin operations. All regional library services will be delivered by this new organization. Members of the six former regions will automatically become members of MLS as a result of the merger that has been taking place over the past several months.
This is a sad time as we wish the best to many of our regional colleagues who will not be continuing with the new organization due to budget constraints. We will miss them. They deserve our thanks for the stellar work they have done to allow member libraries to be successful and thrive. And those of us in the regional library systems appreciate the support of our members during this difficult time.
Now it is time to look to the future. We will be developing MLS to continue this important work for all libraries in Massachusetts. Granted our budget and staffing levels are smaller. We will need to take advantage of the streamlined administration designed by the Regional Transition Planning Team and the MLS Executive Board to build an efficient service center and fulfill the MLS mission:
The Massachusetts Library System, a state-supported collaborative, fosters cooperation, communication, innovation, and sharing among member libraries of all types. The MLS promotes equitable access to excellent library services and resources for all who live, work, or study in Massachusetts.
MLS headquarters will be located at 135 Beaver Street in Waltham. We will also maintain an office at 4 Sandy Lane, Whately. You may know these locations as the current headquarters of the Metrowest and Western Massachusetts Library Systems. The other regional offices will be closed in order to reduce operating costs.
MLS Contact Information as of July 1, 2010:
781-398-1819 – We will establish a toll free number too.
www.masslibsystem.org - This site is live and already includes some information about MLS
MLS will use a new email broadcast tool. Official statewide announcements from MLS will be sent from
mls-announcements@mblc.state.ma.us. This mailing list is broadcast only. Recipients can respond to the sender but not to the entire list. We will provide sign up information. If you are currently subscribed to a regional listserv, this new list will include your email address.
The "allregions" listserv will remain available for communications among members.
We will be posting additional phone numbers and email addresses as they are established.
MLS Core Services will include:
Delivery
Mediated Interlibrary Loan and Journal Article Document Delivery
Continuing Education
Advisory and Consulting Services
Online Content, e.g., databases
Purchasing Cooperatives
Summer Reading Program
MassCat
Delivery Services will be provided in a familiar way. Former WMRLS members will continue to be served by the same delivery personnel and a small amount of contract work. The current provider, Eastern Carrier, will serve the central region. Eastern Connection will continue to serve both the metrowest and northeast regions. The southeastern and Boston regions will be served by Optima. This will be a change for the Boston region.
Mediated interlibrary loan will be provided by the Thomas Crane Memorial Library in Quincy and the Wellesley Free Library. Libraries will be served by their current provider. The Boston Public Library will continue to provide journal article document delivery service.
MLS staff will begin planning continuing education programs, advisory services, and next year's summer reading program in July. Watch our web site for announcements.
Some of the six regions are renewing their licenses for online content for fy2011. While MLS will not be directly involved in these services, we need to know if you face any issues.
Purchasing cooperative information is being issued by the six regions. MLS will later consolidate this information on our site.
MassCat, a shared integrated library system with about 80 members, will continue as a service of MLS.
MLS will provide many opportunities for members to participate in governance and in providing advice and feedback to assist us in meeting your libraries' needs. I encourage you to participate and to stay in touch with us and let us know your thoughts about our services.
By Greg Pronevitz, MLS Executive Director designee
greg@nmrls.org - 888-326-7772 – until June 30th
greg@masslibsystem.org - 781-398-1819 on July 1st
The following message was posted to the WMRLS Email Discussion List on June 16:
To all the Friends and Supporters of the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System:
Thank you so very much for attending the WMRLS Staff Appreciation Party yesterday afternoon and showing the WMRLS staff just how much we library people in Western Mass. appreciate their decades of professionalism, dedication and friendship in supporting our efforts to bring the best in library services to the Western Massachusetts community. For those of you that could not attend, we felt that you were there in spirit, and please know that we who were there did our best to express your appreciation as well.
It was my honor as Vice President of the Friends of Western Massachusetts Regional Library System, on behalf of our President Antonia (Toni) Golinski-Foisy, to present to WMRLS Administrator John Ramsay a second check from the Friends in the amount of $10,000 to assist with the transistion.
I wish to thank publicly Eric Poulin, former President of the WMRLS Executive Board, and the WMRLS Friends Executive Board members who worked so hard to make this party truly a success: Lynn Kleindienst, Lynn Coakley, Dick Floyd, Linda Wentworth, and Louise Kanus. Thank you, especially, to all who brought such wonderful finger foods and beverages. It was truly an amazing, and thankfully very positive experience for all involved.
We wish our colleagues at the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System all the very best as most of them begin a new "chapter" in their lives. We will miss you. Please visit our libraries and keep in touch.
Debbie
Deborah G. Bruneau, Director
Adams Free Library
92 Park Street
Adams, Ma 01220-2096
Tel. 413-743-8345
Fax 413-743-8344
dbruneau@town.adams.ma.us
The following message was posted to the WMRLS Email Discussion List on Thursday, June 10, 2010:
Dear Western Massachusetts Library Community:
Yesterday morning, June 9, the final votes were tallied on the proposed merger of the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System (WMRLS), with the other regions, into the new Massachusetts Library System (MLS). The required 2/3 of the voting representatives to the Council of Members voted to proceed with the merger. The WMRLS Executive Board confirmed the vote yesterday afternoon, and signed the necessary documents.
We know there were many concerns about the loss of WMRLS and fear that Western libraries might be overlooked by a statewide organization located far away. The grass roots advocacy and support of all of you, including the Friends of WMRLS, the We Love Western Mass Libraries FaceBook page, the media and library users throughout the 4 county area certainly made a difference and ensured that the voice of Western Massachusetts would be heard. We also deeply appreciate the help and responsiveness of Western Representatives and Senators. In the end, however, there was to be no restoration of the 29% State budget cut to Board of Library Commissioner regional account (7000-9401). This cut, following earlier reductions, would have made it extremely difficult for WMRLS to continue offering all the services required that our libraries have relied on for almost 50 years.
It is expected that final language in the FY11 State budget will call for the new MLS organization to continue operating the WMRLS headquarters in Whately, at least through June of 2011. We hope member libraries will continue to enjoy workshops and meetings at this state-of-the art facility. It is also planned that our excellent delivery service provided by our drivers will continue at least for the next year. Remember, you are now part of the Massachusetts Library System. It is important that you stay involved, and make sure the new organization is aware of your needs.
It has been an honor and a privilege for all of us at WMRLS to serve you over the years. We hope as many of you as possible can try to join us at WMRLS in Whately on Tuesday, June 15, for an Open House between 2 and 5 p.m. arranged by the Friends of WMRLS, whose advocacy, fundraising and public awareness efforts have meant so much to us.
Sincerely,
John Ramsay
Regional Administrator
Western Massachusetts Regional Library System
Starting July 1, 2010 the Greenfield Public Library will be changing its hours. Our new hours will be as follows: • Monday – 2pm-5pm • Tuesday – 9:30am-8pm • Wednesday – 9:30am-5pm • Thursday – 9:30am-5pm • Friday – 9:30am-5pm • Saturday – 9:00am-1pm With these hours we will be open six days a week for the convenience for our patrons. We look forward to seeing you again on Mondays.
NEWS
For Immediate Release
May 28, 2010
Contact: Rubina Isaac
CHICAGO - The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Round Table of the American Library Association announces the establishment of the Over the Rainbow Committee. The committee is charged with creating an annual bibliography of titles of interest to adult readers that reflect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ) experiences. The first ALA Over the Rainbow Books list will be announced in January 2011.
The committee is currently seeking titles for the 2010 list. Titles considered for inclusion must
* have been published between July 2009 and December 2010;
* be suitable for adult readers;
* show a positive view toward the LGBTQ community through the events and people in the book, whether fiction or nonfiction;
* provide significant LGBTQ content, although the primary focus of the book need not be LGBTQ;
* be of sufficiently high quality that the Over the Rainbow Committee can endorse.
The ALA Over the Rainbow lists will provide communities with guidance in selecting commendable books that reflect LGBTQ experiences. Many LGBTQ titles remain hidden from readers because they are not identified by subject headings and/or the LGBTQ content is excluded from publisher information. This annual annotated bibliography of commendable books developed by library professionals will help librarians, bookstore managers and readers identify LGBTQ books worthy of a wide audience.
The project will continue on an annual basis, with each list compiling books published during that calendar year and the last six months of the previous year. For more information, please visit: http://alaovertherainbow.wordpress.com
Members of the Over the Rainbow Committee are Arla Jones (chair), Jane Cothron, Cecil Hixon, Brent Husher, Jesse Nachem, Danielle Pollock, Larry Romans and Nel Ward.
For further information please contact Peter Hepburn, chair, GLBTRT External Relations Committee at phepburn@uic.edu or Arla Jones, chair, Over the Rainbow Committee at ArlaJones@gmail.com
View an expanded version of this news release on the American Libraries site.
The Massachusetts Center for the Book announced this year’s award winners in fiction, nonfiction, poetry and children’s/young adult literature during an evening reception on opening night of the Massachusetts Library Association annual conference, held this year at the Resort & Conference Center in Hyannis,. The awards recognize significant books by Massachusetts writers or about Massachusetts subjects that were
published in the preceding year. Established in 2000, when the Massachusetts Center for the Book was formally affiliated in the Commonwealth, the awards trace the vitality of 21st-century Massachusetts literary life. And the Winners Are ....
The following message was posted to the ALLREGIONS email discussion list on Monday, May 24 at 8:40 PM:
New Massachusetts Library System Gains Support
On July 1, 2010 the new Massachusetts Library System (MLS) will begin operating as the sole provider of regional library services for the more than 1700 public, school, academic, and special libraries across the state. These services were previously delivered by six regional library systems but FY2011 state budget reductions necessitated restructuring and consolidation into one system that will provide core library services such as interlibrary loan. For full information on this process, please see the Regional Transition Planning Committee Final Report ( http://mblc.state.ma.us/mblc/regional/transition/index.php ).
While MLS gears up for July, with final interviews this week for the Executive Director position and other key positions being filled, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) has worked closely with Governor Patrick and key members of the House and Senate to reach a unified approach to the provision of regional services within a severely constrained FY2011 budget.
On May 14, the Patrick Administration and the Board of Library Commissioners issued a joint fact sheet (http://mblc.state.ma.us/mblc/regional/transition/library-factsheet.pdf) in support of the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) as the single administrative entity to carry out regional services while stating a commitment to a service location in the western part of the state.
Members of the House and Senate have also taken strides to encourage the support of MLS. Representative John Scibak (South Hadley) has taken a leadership role in this issue and wrote to the entire western Massachusetts legislative delegation asking them to support MLS and offering language to assure a physical presence in the west.
Senators Brewer, Downing, Knapik and Rosenberg filed an amendment to the Senate budget that will be debated this week that states, “provided further, that the board of library commissioners shall provide funds for the continued operation of a single regional library system to serve the different geographic regions of the Commonwealth, and requiring that physical locations be maintained in both eastern and western Massachusetts to serve the residents of said regions.”
The Board of Library Commissioners welcomes the support and direction of the legislature. “This is an important step forward,” said MBLC Chairman George Comeau. “The proposed amendment when adopted will clarify the next steps in the difficult consolidation of the six regional library systems. Only with the consolidation of all regions can the best possible services be sustained for all libraries and residents of the Commonwealth.” Comeau added that “this consolidation will place library services at the forefront of the rebuilding process as we move forward. These are difficult choices, made in the face of historic cuts, and we are grateful to Senate and House leaders who have stepped forward to support our initiatives.” Having the Administration, the Legislature and the MBLC working together clears the way for the transition to MLS.
___________________________________________
Robert C. Maier, Director
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
617-725-1860 x249
As reported in the Berkshire Eagle, the Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield's Public Library, is partnering with TD Bank to offer a new summer reading incentive in addition to the traditional summer reading program. Kids who register to participate and read 10 books by September 30 will receive a $10 deposit to a new or existing TD Bank Young Saver account. The Athenaeum's Summer Reading Program, Go Green@ Your Library, just got a little greener for our young readers!
- Submitted by Madeline Kelly
The following message was posted to the WMRLS email discussion list on Sunday, May 23 at 2:10 p.m.
Dear Western Region Libraries:
This is a reminder that we need you to vote on the proposed merger of WMRLS with the other regions into a new statewide organization called the Massachusetts Library System (MLS). Ballots were sent by mail to all WMRLS voting representatives, and these must be cast by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 25, 2010. Ballots may be submitted at the 10 a.m. WMRLS Council of Members meeting at the Agawam Public Library on the 25th, where lively and spirited discussion is sure to take place. If you cannot be in Agawam, you can participate in the session online at http://www.wmrls.org/mergermeeting. You can vote online at http://www.wmrls.org/mergervote. You can also give your ballot to someone else (proxy) to cast your vote for you. Faxing your completed ballot to WMRLS is another option, to 413-665-8877. NOTE, in order for any vote to be counted, you must use the PIN number in the lower right hand corner of the ballot.
Many people are torn about whether to vote for or against the merger. There has been a great deal of advocacy from throughout Western Massachusetts in hopes that WMRLS can continue operating and providing important services to member libraries as it has for almost 50 years. We must, however, report on recent budgetary and legislative developments that may well affect how you vote.
Thus far in the State’s FY11 budget process, all steps have kept the FY11 amount for the MBLC’s Regional account (7000-9401) at the 29% cut called for in the Governor’s budget. This reduced funding level is what caused all the talk of consolidation in the first place. Although there is one amendment to the Senate budget to increase funding to the current FY10 level, all indications are that a restoration of funds is unlikely. Therefore, despite how people feel in their hearts and allegiances, an AFFIRMATIVE VOTE may make the most sense in the short and long term for our member libraries.
Recognizing that the funds are simply not there, Senators Brewer, Downing, Knapik and Rosenberg last week filed Amendment 72 that inserts this language: “provided further, that the board of library commissioners shall provide funds for the continued operation of a single regional library system to serve the different geographic regions of the Commonwealth, and requiring that physical locations be maintained in both eastern and western Massachusetts to serve the residents of said regions.”
This language is different from House Budget language that called for funding of two separate regional organizations, one in the east and one in the west. This Senate wording calls for there to be one statewide system (MLS), with service locations in both the east and the west. Rep. John Scibak, who had filed the House amendment, worked tirelessly to help develop and promote this Senate language, realizing the difficulty WMRLS would have providing all required regional services with inadequate funds to sustain two separate regions. We wish this were not the case, but it is.
The Senate budget language, assuming it is passed by the full Senate and a Senate/House Conference Committee, is Western legislators’ attempt to ensure that MLS will operate a facility and provide services in the West. To all our legislators, we extend our sincere appreciation for their efforts to WMRLS in operation, as requested by their constituents.
All the advocacy has been truly inspiring for all of us at WMRLS. If the vote to merge garners the required 2/3 affirmative votes by our voting members, it will be essential that our member libraries and residents continue to be proactive in insisting that the unique needs of Western Mass. libraries receive MLS’s attention, support and responsiveness. This new merged organization must help the West, where 81% of the State’s smallest communities are located, across 37% of the State’s land area, isolated in so many ways from Boston. You must continue to make your voices heard. You must ensure that there is adequate funding and staffing so that delivery, advisory services and continuing education will be provided locally, much of it from the Whately facility that was designed for these very purposes. Other services will be provided by MLS in more economical, economy of scale ways.
No matter how the final vote turns out, it has been extremely gratifying for all of us at WMRLS to work on your behalf for so many years. Our attempts have always been to equalize services and support for libraries and residents across Western Massachusetts. Your responses to the current difficult situation have assured us that our work was appreciated by all of you.
Sincerely,
John Ramsay
Regional Administrator, WMRLS
The following message, along with a library factsheet, was posted to the AllRegions Email Discussion List at 5:59 pm today:
To: Massachusetts Library Community
I am pleased to provide you the attached document we developed collaboratively with the Patrick Administration regarding our ongoing work to preserve regional services in FY2011 and beyond.
Having the full support of the Administration is essential when such far reaching change is being implemented. We can provide the best possible statewide services only with complete commitment to a single consolidated region.
Important decisions will be made over the next several weeks to facilitate the merger of our current regional systems into the newly formed Massachusetts Library System (MLS) that will provide regional services statewide beginning July 1, 2010.
For more information about the merger plan and MLS see: http://mblc.state.ma.us/mblc/news/releases/past-releases/2010/nr100414.php
Rob
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert C. Maier, Director
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
98 North Washington Street, Suite 401
Boston, MA 02114
Ph (617) 725-1860 x249
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reforms to Protect Regional Library Services
Governor Patrick has tremendous respect for libraries, as they are essential to educating our children and offering resources to everyone in the Commonwealth. Facing unprecedented budget challenges brought on by an unprecedented global economic downturn, no state agency has been untouched by cuts. Governor Patrick asked each state agency to develop creative ideas to meet our budget challenges while continuing to provide important services to Massachusetts residents. The Board of Library Commissioners, in consultation with the statewide library community, developed a plan to consolidate regional library systems. Governor Patrick included the Board of Library Commissioners plan in his Fiscal 2011 budget recommendations to the House and Senate.
How Libraries Receive Funding
Public libraries receive funding from their local communities, and therefore rely on state local aid funding. Governor Patrick’s proposed budget would not cut local aid. Libraries also rely on $21 M in state funding for regional services, state aid to public libraries, services for the blind and support of automated library networks through the Board of Library Commissioners. They also benefit from a $100 M bond bill Governor Patrick signed to invest in renewed and expanded public library facilities.
Regional Consolidation Plan
Regional library systems have been in place since the early 1960s. In 1998 they expanded to serve 1,750 libraries statewide through six regional systems. Under the new plan, the six regional systems will be consolidated into one system with offices located in Whately and Waltham. The plan preserves core programs and helps streamline operations so that residents can continue to access library services, such as:
- Delivery (13.5 million items moved between libraries annually)
- Interlibrary Loan (more than 6 million requests filled annually)
- Electronic reference sources access for libraries and residents statewide
- Cooperative Purchasing to receive discounts and avoid costs
- Summer Reading Program (100,000 kids served last summer)
What to Expect from Regional Consolidation
Your local library will continue to receive the same level of statewide services for summer reading, interlibrary loans, delivery, electronic resources and cooperative purchasing. Some services such as training and technical assistance for staff will continue, but at a reduced level.
These changes will not cause libraries to close, and services can be sustained only under a single consolidated region. Western Massachusetts will continue to be served through the Whately facility under the new plan, including continuing education and technical assistance services.
We all have a stake in this together to provide the best library services to the residents of the Commonwealth.
Dear WMRLS Staff, Member Libraries and other library colleagues:
After lengthy and heartfelt discussion yesterday, the Executive Board of the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System (WMRLS) voted – 8 in favor, 2 opposed, and 1 abstaining – to proceed with the merger of WMRLS into the Massachusetts Library System (MLS). This vote was made on the condition that the Agreement of Merger document will be amended to call for regional corporations to remain in a “dormant” state instead of terminating entirely when the merger goes into effect.
This vote by the Executive Board gives the voting representatives of the WMRLS Council of Members the opportunity to vote for or against the merger at its meeting on May 25 at the Agawam Public Library. A 2/3 vote of the entire voting membership needs to approve the merger in order for it to take place. Similar voting opportunities are taking place in the other regions as well. We are preparing information to explain the consequences of votes in favor of, or in opposition to, the merger so that informed decisions can be made. We hope as many of our member libraries will join in the discussion and the vote.
We do not know the final outcome of the State budget process for MBLC Regional account 7000-9401, and whether it will call for 2 regions or not. The House of Representatives approved such language in its version of the FY11 budget, as proposed by many Western legislators in response to the concerns expressed by their constituents. The Senate is working right now on its version of the budget. It will be several weeks before the final version of the State budget will be determined.
In the meantime, the Board wishes to encourage member libraries and ALL library advocates and support organizations across the State to unite and work tirelessly on behalf of a restoration of funds for the regional account. Instead of the 29% reduction currently called for in the Governor’s and House versions of the budget, the figures being sought are the $14.8 million statutory funding levels (from the MBLC Legislative Agenda) or at least the $12.3 million in the current FY10 account. State funding for regional services has made possible cost-effective and valued services to libraries and residents across the State since the 1960s. That work must continue at adequate funding levels for the benefit of all libraries.
Yours truly, John Ramsay, Regional Administrator
Cathy Balshone, Reference Librarian of the Newton Free Library shares that both the PowerPoint presentation and handouts for the Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) Annual Conference program Librarian or Lawyer? What do YOU tell people when they have a legal question? are now featured on the MLA Speaker Handouts webpage.
Thank you to Doris Madsen (Springfield City Library) and Mia Cabana (West Springfield Public Library) for facilitating our tnk grEn with Teen Crafts workshop on Monday, May 10 at the Springfield City Library.
In this hands-on workshop, Doris and Mia showcased four fun crafts for teens - all using recycled materials.
Crafts included the following:
 
" Editorial: Western Massachusetts Regional Library System needs public support
By The Republican Editorials
May 10, 2010, 12:42AM
Western Massachusetts residents who cherish their community libraries should urge Gov. Deval L. Patrick and the state Legislature to scale back plans for cuts to the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System.
For the relatively small outlays that most communities make in their libraries, these institutions pay big dividends in the form of books and other materials.
Yet just when these services are needed the most, state officials are planning a 29 percent cut in aid to regional library systems that provide community libraries with invaluable support.
Because of these cuts, nine employees at the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System in Whately could lose their jobs." ... Read More
By a vote of 460 to 6 at Monday night’s town meeting, Great Barrington chose to keep Ramsdell Library open. The decision came following a year of tumult touched off by a study done by Library Director Anne Just for the Board of Selectmen on the impact of closing, continuing, or renovating Ramsdell Library. Town residents, especially those in the library’s Housatonic neighborhood, were very vocal in opposing closure. While the town administration decided early on not to close the library, a citizen’s petition to close was placed on the warrant, which reignited anxieties. A vocal citizen’s campaign was mounted to save the library, which now looks ahead with clearly demonstrated citizen support.
" Western Massachusetts Regional Library System faces state funding cuts, layoffs
By Dan Ring, The Republican
May 06, 2010, 8:13PM
BOSTON – Steep cuts in state funding will force layoffs and other cuts to an organization that provides regional services to libraries in Western Massachusetts, marking an “incredible loss” for the region, local librarians said...." ~ Read More
 The University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries have been awarded a grant of $314,787 from the National Endowment for the Humanities' We the People program to complete digitization of the papers of African-American intellectual and activist W.E.B. Du Bois.
In 2009, with the support of a Verizon Foundation grant, Special Collections and University Archives embarked on the historic project to make the Du Bois Papers, consisting of more than 100,000 items, available freely on the Internet. At the halfway mark of the Verizon Foundation project, Special Collections has scanned 35,000 pages and created records for more than 11,000 items. Funds from the NEH will enable Special Collections to make the entire collection available online by the end of 2013. The images will be available at the end of the project at www.library.umass.edu/spcoll/.
We the People is an NEH program designed to encourage and strengthen the teaching, study and understanding of American history, culture and democratic principles.
Since 1973, the UMass Amherst Library has housed the W.E.B. Du Bois Papers, a collection of more than 100,000 letters, photographs, manuscripts, memorabilia and audiovisual materials. Widely recognized as one of nation's most significant collections for the study of African-American history, the Du Bois collection offers insight into a wide range of social and historical movements. Included is Du Bois' correspondence with figures such as Marcus Garvey, Booker T. Washington, Albert Einstein and Mohandas Gandhi.
The following message was posted to the WMRLS email discussion list on May 5:
We have been receiving questions about the effect of regional members voting for or against the merger of their Regions. In a discussion with the attorney who is helping the MBLC and the Regions with the proposed merger of the regions into the Massachusetts Library System, I received the basic answer, which follows. [NOTE: There is quite a bit more to think about and consider – the long answer – that is contained in the Word document attached to this message. We hope you will read it.]
The short answer is that a corporation cannot be forced to merge. At a Council of Members meeting (the WMRLS meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 25, at the Agawam Public Library), 2/3 of the voting members attending the meeting, or voting by some other means, is required to approve that Region’s merger.
You probably saw the MBLC Executive Director Rob Maier’s announcement late yesterday about the outcome of the House version of the FY11 budget. Included for regional account (7000-9401) was language requiring the MBLC to fund at least 2 regions, one serving the West and the other serving the Eastern part of the State. There are many issues entailed. Please open and read the attachment to get a fuller understanding of all that is involved, at least as far as I can muster at this moment.
Thank you for your consideration and support of WMRLS and all the Regions.
John Ramsay Regional Administrator, WMRLS
Merger Issues for Members to Consider I have spoken with the attorney who is assisting the MBLC and Regions with the proposed merger into one administrative organization. I basically asked, “What happens if the members of a region do not vote to merge?” He said that a corporation cannot be forced to merge. So, if a 2/3 vote in favor of merging (by authorized voting representatives from member libraries) is not achieved at a Regional Council of Members meeting, that region is not part of the merger. But, wait, there’s more to it than just that!
Funding. A crucial issue is money. Regional library systems rely almost entirely for their operations, staff and services on State funds from MBLC account 7000-9401. Both the Governor’s and House versions of the FY11 State budget did not include an increase in the funds in the account. So, thus far, the situation budget-wise is still dire for this account.
MLS. The MBLC has already designated the Massachusetts Library System as the recipient of funds from the regional account for FY11. See MBLC press release at http://mblc.state.ma.us/mblc/news/releases/past-releases/2010/nr100414.php.
Amendment 548. Language was included in the FY11 budget that requires the MBLC to fund at least 2 Regions, WMRLS and the Massachusetts Library System (MLS). This budget language amendment was proposed by a large number of Western State Representatives in response to unprecedented advocacy from their concerned constituents. It is important that everyone understand that no WMRLS staff were involved in the filing or wording of this amendment. We do sincerely applaud our Representatives for taking action on the input from Western Region librarians and library supporters.
Could WMRLS operate under House Amendment 548 if the regional account is level-funded? Our preliminary estimate is that WMRLS could provide its key services, but this is contingent on some assumptions and negotiations that have not yet even been broached. As a long-term and sustainable solution, especially if State fiscal constraints continue, it is very questionable whether WMRLS could continue as a “standalone” region for the foreseeable future. A total reversal of the State funding picture would be needed, and this is not anticipated in the near future.
State Budget Process. There are many steps remaining in the budget process. We do not know if the Senate will try to incorporate the same language that appeared in the House budget. And what will the Senate funding level be for library accounts? If there are differences between the legislature’s versions of the budget and language, a House / Senate Conference Committee would need to resolve those differences. After that, the Governor could still issue a line item veto of that account. To reverse such a veto, both the House and Senate would need to override it. So, the House budget is just a part of the process.
Funding, Again. It has been stated since the very start of the merger process that the 6 regions have been doing important and cost-effective work to assist libraries across the State. Can more funds be appropriated by the State? We do not know.
Statewide Effort. We at WMRLS and across the State appreciate all the efforts by library supporters and State Representatives to advocate for regional services and State support of library services in general. It is only through a statewide effort, not from just one area, that additional funding might be possible. This is true whether WMRLS remains on its own or WMRLS is part of the consolidated MLS. WMRLS has a long tradition of working with and for the whole state in improving library services. It will take a serious and massive advocacy effort, with help from the Massachusetts Library Association and many more people, to reverse the downward budget spiral for libraries and their regions and the other organizations that exist to help libraries. As one of our members offered at a roundtable to discuss the merger, “Only those that attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible.” Maybe we all need to try as hard as we can.
Thank you,
John Ramsay
Regional Administrator, WMRLS
WMRLS Executive Board Council of Members Meeting
Tuesday May 25, 2010
10:00 AM until 12:30 PM
The Western MA Regional Library System (WMRLS) Council of Members needs to take up the issue of the merger of WMRLS into the new Massachusetts Library System. This matter will be put to a vote, after discussion, at the meeting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 25, at the Agawam Public Library. We will be sending out documentation, along with a way for those of you who cannot attend the meeting, to vote yea or nay.
Directions
Location: Agawam Public Library
The following message was posted to the ALLREGIONS email discussion list on May 4, 2010:
"To: Massachusetts Library Community
From: Rob Maier, Director, Mass. Board of Library Commissioners
The Massachusetts House of Representatives approved its version of the FY2011 state budget on Friday, April 30. In mid May 2010 the Senate Ways and Means Committee will release its version of the FY2011 state budget. In June 2010 a joint House and Senate conference committee will be appointed to resolve the differences between the two versions of the FY2011 state budget. After the full House and Senate agree to the conference committee report, the FY2011 state budget goes to the Governor who has the authority to line item veto. The FY2011 state budget must be in place by July 1, 2010.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives approved the following for the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners for FY2011:
Line Item 7000-9101 Board of Library Commissioners
FY2009 - $1,042,269
FY2010 – $938,042
FY2011 – Governor’s $938,042
FY2011 – House Budget $914,448
Line Item 7000-9401 State Aid to Regional Libraries
FY2009 - $17,166,071
FY2010 - $12,327,160
FY2011 – Governor’s $8,781,475
FY2011 – House Budget $8,781,475
FY2010 & FY2011 Governor’s & House state budgets remove the earmarking for the per capita for Library of Last Recourse. Governor’s and House FY2011 budgets also eliminate statutory language requiring regional reference centers.
The House budget for FY2011 includes the following two provisions under line item 7000-9401:
“; and provided further, that said section 19C of said chapter 78 shall not apply to a municipality with more than 500,000 residents during fiscal year 2011 unless such municipality funds and maintains operations for all branch libraries in service as of January 1, 2010 and funds and maintains staffing levels at its central library as such staffing levels existed on January 1, 2010”.
“; and provided further, that the board of library commissioners shall provide funds for the continued operation of no fewer than two regional library systems to serve the different geographic regions of the Commonwealth, one of which shall serve eastern Massachusetts and one which shall serve the western Massachusetts regional library system.”
Line Item 7000-9402 Talking Book Library (Worcester)
FY2009 - $421,143
FY2010 – $421,143
FY2011 - Governor's $421,143
FY2011 – House Budget $421,143
Line Item 7000-9406 Talking Book & Machine Lending (Perkins)
FY2009 - $2,241,016
FY2010 – $2,241,016
FY2011 – Governor’s $2,241,016
FY2011 – House Budget $2,241,016
Line Item 7000-9501 State Aid to Public Libraries
FY2009 - $9,989,844
FY2010 - $6,823,657
FY2011 – Governor’s $6,823,657
FY2011 – House Budget $6,823,657
FY2010 and FY2011 Governor’s and House state budgets provide authorization for the Board of Library Commissioners to award waivers of the M.A.R. “in excess of the waiver limit set” in statute (no limit).
The House budget for FY2011 includes the following provision under line item 7000-9501:
“; provided further that said section 19A of said chapter 78 shall not apply to a municipality with more than 500,000 residents during fiscal year 2011 unless such municipality funds and maintains operations for all branch libraries in service as of January 1, 2010 and funds and maintains staffing levels at its central library as such staffing levels existed on January 1, 2010”.
Line Item 7000-9506 Library Technology & Resource Sharing
FY2009 - $2,799,104
FY2010 - $1,929,238
FY2011 – Governor’s $1,929,238
FY2011 – House Budget $1,929,238
Special Provision:
An amendment was added to the budget providing “that the house of representatives shall commission a study by the Legislature Library Caucus to assess the costs, benefits, and impact of changes in regional library systems in the commonwealth and to provide a recommendation on the role of the library of last recourse with regards to funding, jurisdiction and purpose.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert C. Maier, Director
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
98 North Washington Street, Suite 401
Boston, MA 02114
Ph (617) 725-1860 x249"
From the SEMLS News website:
"... Ideas to the rescue. Several colleagues were talking yesterday, and many are unhappy about the regional planning process and how the regions are being torn apart so rapidly. There is admiration for our colleagues in the West who have voiced their concerns; yet we know we can do better when we all join forces to promote our cause.
Funding is the issue. State dollars are scarce, and there is minimal hope that library dollars can be restored. Ideas to the rescue. In FY 2010, there will probably be more than 14 million items that travel through the delivery system. Delivery costs absorb 40+ percent of the regional budgets. If this is our core service with a $7 million budget and it costs over $3 million to maintain; maybe we should look at this as a way to enhance the revenue that comes to the regions and even the networks.
Someone suggested that maybe we should consider charging a one-time fee for anyone who requests materials, network transfers or interlibrary loan requests. Could we do this? Should we do this? The proposal isn't fully worked out, but I would like to get our conversation going and will roughly sketch out how this might work." ~ Read More
The Paraprofession Librarian Section of the Massachusetts Library Association recognized the professionalism, work above and beyond the call of duty, relationships with users, and general enthusiasm of five Western MA library staff members. Those nominated for Paraprofessional Librarian of the Year Award are: Barbara Diamond Golden of the Emily Williston Memorial Library & Museum, Deborah Jankowski of Taconic High School Library, Heidi Kane of the Wilbraham Public Lirary, Michael Magelinski of the West Springfield Public Library, and Shirley Keech of WMRLS. Congratulations to these wonderful representatives of western MA libraries.
~ Jan Resnick, WMRLS, Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
The Berkshire Athenaeum (Pittsfield's Public Library) received a generous donation of $4,000 from the TD Charitable Foundation. Pictured above are (left to right) Gary Schiff (Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager, Private Investment Counsel, TD Wealth Management); Ron Latham (Athenaeum Director); Gwen Davis (Vice President, Commercial Lending, TD Bank); and Linda Skorupski (Retail Market Manager, TD Bank). The Athenaeum will be directing these grant monies to the purchase of new books in the circulating non-fiction collections of the Adult Service Department.
1. Purchasing Co-op deadline March 31; bid by end of April - e-mail Jan Resnick if necessary. 2. WMRLS Restructuring - process of merger continues; consolidation of staff and services at the Regional level (47 staff to be reduced to 22); www.wmrls.org has link to merger transition report, with important summary beginning on p. 4; plan should be final by June; WMRLS building will be open for at least a year as delivery hub; MassCat and training will continue; one positive thing is that data bases will be state-wide eventually; MARLS Coop is state-wide already, and it works well. Facebook: "We Love Western Mass Libraries." 3. FY11 budget - How have individual Tech Services Depts. been affected? Frustration expressed re: TS staff getting cut, and the difficulty of using subs in TS; also, the difficulty of working as subs in public services, when staff are out sick, on vacation, etc. 4. C/WMARS -Janet Schrader on communicating with CWMARS and especially when registering for workshops - PLEASE include full name, library name, e-mail and use subject line to state topic or workshop name. 5. CatExpress up for renewal; deadline is very soon. Janet believes records will still be .99 per record, and it's the same rate for extra records. 6. Migration to Evergreen should be in 18 months. It will only occur, however, after Serials and Acquisitions modules are ready. 7. RDA will begin to replace AACR2; it might be web-based only, @$300/yr. 8. Next Meeting: June 9, 2010, 10 a.m. - Belchertown, Clapp Memorial Library.
Dear WMRLS Member Libraries, Due to drastic budget cuts, the Regions are merging and ILL is changing. Although the major merger changes will happen in July, WMRLS needs to start clearing ILL loans and borrows so that everything for which we are responsible is cleaned up by the end of June. We expect to stop as an ILL lender in early May and discontinue borrowing on behalf of our libraries around the same time. We will be transferring the responsibility for handling member ILL title and periodical requests to your new ILL Center at the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy. The WMRLS ILL office will continue to handle subject requests through May to keep those school projects humming. Consequently, to prepare for the changes, we are offering training sessions next week to explain how ILL processes will operate in the new world. Workshop registration information is at: http://www.wmrls.org/events. Workshops are April 27 and 28 in Lee, WMRLS and Palmer. Registration is open until late Monday, but we will cancel sessions that are undersubscribed. We apologize for the short lead time. We hope to see you next week. N. Janeen Resnick Assistant Regional Administrator Western MA Regional Library System
A BIG Thank you to ...
- Pam Landry, Education Coordinator of Massachusetts Department of Fish & Wildlife
- Gini Traub, Regional EE Coordinator, Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation
- Alexander Gillman, Regional EE Coordinator, Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation
For conducting the outstanding Project WILD Train the Trainer Workshops on April 9 at the Lenox Memorial Middle & High School Library and on April 16 at the Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls.
A Summary about Project WILD:
"Project WILD is one of the most widely-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students in kindergarten through high school. It is based on the premise that young people and educators have a vital interest in learning about our natural world. A national network of State Wildlife Agency Sponsors ensures that Project WILD is available nationwide --training educators in the many facets of the program. Emphasizing wildlife because of its intrinsic value, Project WILD addresses the need for human beings to develop as responsible citizens of our planet."
"The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) held a special meeting on April 13 at which it voted to designate the Massachusetts Library System (MLS) as the administrative entity to provide regional services to libraries and residents beginning July 1, 2010. This action was necessitated by a severe reduction in funding to the regional budget line...." Read Complete Report
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Dear WMRLS Member Libraries, Friends of WMRLS, the We Love Western Mass Libraries FaceBook Group, and other library colleagues: 
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