June 22, 2011
State Library Board awards $12,963 in Federal LSTA Grants to Libraries for Choose to Read Ohio Projects

The State Library of Ohio is pleased to announce that the State Library Board recently awarded $12,963 in special Choose to Read Ohio LSTA grants to five libraries. Choose to Read Ohio, a project of the State Library of Ohio and its partner Ohioana, is a statewide initiative to encourage the reading of Ohio literature together across Ohio communities. The libraries receiving grants include Andover Public, Green Local School District, Ohio School for the Deaf, Sandusky Public, and Wayne County Public. The project period for this round of grants is July 1, 2011 – December 31, 2011.

The Choose to Read Ohio 2009-2010 and 2011-2012 booklists feature 35 titles by Ohio authors: ten each for young children, five for tweens, ten young adults, and ten for adults. Ohioans of all ages are encouraged to choose a book and to gather to discuss these books at public libraries, schools, community centers, bookstores, or other settings. The State Library developed Choose to Read Ohio toolkits with author information, discussion questions, and other resources to support communities reading and discussing the books together.

Andover Public Library
Title Selected:  B is for Buckeye by Marcia Schonberg
Activities:  Andover Public Library will partner with Pymatuning Valley School District and civic organizations to strengthen children’s perception of the importance of reading. The book will be used as a read-aloud book for younger grades and at Head Start facilities and as an independent reading book for older grades. The program will conclude with an author visit and a family read-aloud day.
LSTA grant: $2,349 for books, author visit, and marketing materials.

Green Local School District
Title Selected:  The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton    
Activities: This project is designed to assist the community in understanding and embracing cultural diversity. Distance learning activities with the Ohio Historical Society, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Cincinnati Museum of Art as well as activities with the Green Historical Society, will educate students on themes of cultural diversity.  Readings and activities are closely aligned to Academic Content Standards.
LSTA grant: $4,662 for library materials (books, eBooks and AV materials), distance learning activities, and marketing materials.    

Ohio School for the Deaf

Title Selected:  B is for Buckeye by Marcia Schonberg, The Last Day of Winter by Denise Fleming, The Giant of Seville: A “Tall” Tale Based on a True Story by Dan Andreasen,Otis by Loren Long, and Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
Activities:  Elementary students at Ohio School for the Deaf (OSD), K-5 will read each of the five books and collaborate on activities from the toolkits. They will then translate the books into ASL for presentation to other OSD students and which will also be made available through videoconferencing to other locations.
LSTA grant:$1,021 for books

Sandusky Public Library 
Title Selected:  Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
Activities:  Illustrator Will Hillenbrand will conduct sessions at the Jackson Learning Center of Sandusky City Schools and the Betty Rinderely Early Childhood Center (Erie Cty. Board of Developmental Disabilities). He will also lead a family story time at the Sandusky Library.  Before and after Hillenbrand’s visits the Sandusky Library’s Preschool Librarian will conduct programs at these and other locations to present programs incorporating Hillenbrand’s book and linking it to Ohio Early Learning Content Standards.
LSTA grant:$2,651 for author visit, books, promotional materials and craft supplies.           

Wayne County Public Library
Title Selected:  Firegirl by Tony Abbott
Activities:  A tween book club is being established at the Library and this will be their first reading. There will be two discussion groups of 15 tweens in each.  Additionally, sixth graders at two elementary schools will read and discuss the work with Public Library staff. Local speakers will discuss how to avoid burn injuries, and fire safety and prevention at each participating site. The program will culminate   with an author visit at both schools and at the public library.
LSTA grant:$2,280 for books, author visit, promotional materials, craft supplies, and National Fire Prevention Week bookmarks.

June 1, 2011
State Library of Ohio awards $2,758,000 federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) LSTA grant for Libraries Connect Ohio to purchase statewide databases.

The State Library of Ohio Board recently approved a $2,758,000 federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) LSTA grant for Libraries Connect Ohio to purchase the Ohio Web Library core set of electronic databases for the approaching year. “Using LSTA funds to support this statewide collection ensures access to critical information and resources for all Ohioans,” said State Librarian Beverly Cain.  “The State Library of Ohio is proud of the partnerships that make it possible to provide high quality, relevant, and reliable online resources, at no cost to Ohio’s libraries, schools, universities, and residents.”

The core collection of electronic databases is available to all Ohioans through the Ohio Web Library and includes information and resources such as full-text magazines and journals, reference materials, newspapers, art, test prep and tutorials, online courses, and career exploration and job search tools.  Starting July 1, 2011, the collection will include two new resources, Mango Languages and ProQuest Ancestry Library Edition, as one-year pilot projects.  "For some time now, librarians have expressed a desire to have more cultural information and more historical data for genealogists and students added to the Ohio Web Library collection of online resources,” said OPLIN Director Stephen Hedges.  “We are pleased that this grant will allow us to satisfy some of that demand over the next year."

Mango Languages is an online foreign language learning system. The languages covered by the package are: Arabic (Levantine), Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dari, Dutch, Farsi, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Pashto, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Latin American), Tagalog, Tami, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese. In addition, there are 15 English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) packages to help various foreign language speakers learn English.

ProQuest Ancestry Library Edition delivers billions of records in census data, vital records, directories, photos, and more, contained in over 7,000 databases. Unlike the other Ohio Web Library databases, Ancestry Library Edition will be restricted to on-site library access (no remote access).

A new feature in World Book Online is Early World of Learning. An interactive learning environment for preschoolers and children in the early elementary grades,Early World of Learning includes a wealth of resources to help them grasp critical early childhood themes while developing reading and oral language skills.

The State Library of Ohio, OhioLINK (Ohio Library and Information Network), OPLIN (Ohio Public Library Information Network), and INFOhio (Information Network for Ohio Schools) formed Libraries Connect Ohio in 2003 as an initiative to define and deliver a Statewide Core Electronic Information Collection to provide a common set of information resources. The partnership exemplifies the value of collaboration. Libraries Connect Ohio improves the buying power and breadth and scope of electronic resources available to all Ohio residents regardless of where they live or go to school. The savings affords libraries and library networks the ability to build on the core collection in Ohio Web Library by purchasing additional resources to meet the needs of their patrons.

“OhioLINK is excited to continue to participate in this partnership to bring electronic resources to our academic, school and public libraries,” said John Magill, Executive Director of OhioLINK.  “As lifelong learning becomes increasingly important, this common set of robust resources will assist citizens across the state to explore new interests and opportunities, regardless of where they live.”

"The Libraries Connect Ohio partnership between the academic, school, and public library networks is a model of collaboration,” said Hedges.  “By working cooperatively to purchase online resources under a single license covering all residents of the state, Libraries Connect saves millions of dollars over what libraries would pay individually for these same resources."

“These resources provide students with valid sources of information resulting in efficient, effective searches, helping to prepare them for college and career readiness” said Theresa M. Fredericka, INFOhio’s Executive Director. “The resources are age-appropriate and curriculum-related, and I know everyone in Ohio's K-12 community appreciates the State Library Board's recognition of the importance of these resources.”

LSTA grants can only be awarded for one year at a time. Libraries Connect Ohio has used LSTA funding for the past seven years to purchase databases to enhance the basic EBSCO databases and it is the intention of the State Library of Ohio Board to continue supporting the subscription of the suite of databases.  On July 1, 2011 the core collection of databases will include the following electronic resources:

• The ART Collection Art & Museum Images: Digital images of a wide variety of art objects including paintings, sculptures, textiles, and decorative art.
• Biography Reference Bank by HW Wilson:Biographies, obituaries, and photographs of thousands of individuals –both living and deceased.
• EBSCOhost Databases:Wide variety of periodicals covering general reference, business, health, education, general science, multicultural issues and much more.
• Job & Career Accelerator: Personalized, step-by-step job search assistance for all levels of job seekers. (part of LearningExpress Library)
• LearningExpress Library: Comprehensive, interactive online learning platform of practice tests, tutorials, eBooks, and courses designed to help students and adult learners succeed.
• Mango Languages: 49 language tutorials
• NewsBank: Full text of largest Ohio newspapers
• OxfordReference Online Premium: Wide variety of reference books online, including English and bilingual dictionaries, maps and atlases, timelines, an encyclopedia, and subject references.
• ProQuest Ancestry Library Edition: Genealogy Resource – in library (on-site only). Materials available for download and print available at: www.library.ohio.gov/Marketing/Libraries/AncestryLibraryEdition
• Science Online by Facts on File:Comprehensive, curriculum-oriented overview of a broad range of scientific disciplines in a variety of useful formats.
• World Book Online: World Book Encyclopedia content, e-books, multimedia, a vast collection of primary source documents, and a wealth of research tools that allow students to customize and save their work. Now includes Early World of Learning!

OPLIN provides broadband Internet connections and related information services to Ohio public libraries. Their primary mission is to ensure that all Ohio residents have fast, free public Internet access through the 251 independent local public library systems in Ohio, as well as the use of high-quality research databases not freely available on the World Wide Web. Though the eventual consumers of their services are often members of the general public, their actual customers are in fact limited to the public library systems of Ohio.

OhioLINK is a consortium of 90 Ohio college and university libraries and the State Library of Ohio that works together to provide Ohio students, faculty and researchers with the information they need for teaching and research. Serving more than 600,000 students, faculty, and staff, OhioLINK’s membership includes 16 public/research universities, 23 community/technical colleges, 51 private colleges and the State Library of Ohio.

INFOhio, a statewide cooperative school library and information network, supports and enriches teaching and learning by providing equitable access to quality resources for Ohio's PreK-12 community of students, educators and parents. INFOhio's components include electronic resources for schools, instructional development for teachers, and school library automation – all promoting information literacy and media literacy through the use of technology.

The State Library of Ohio is a state agency that serves state government and all types of libraries. The vision for the State Library is to lead in ensuring the delivery of all information and library services to all Ohio residents, anywhere, anytime. As Ohio prepares to more aggressively compete in a global economy with better educated and informed residents, the State Library of Ohio is leading in the development of collaborative efforts that support Ohio government, Ohioans, and libraries by providing high quality resources and services at lower costs.