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Key: IHLS Library
Ellen Popit: High everyone! Happy February 1st!
Chris Dawdy: High? Are you trying to tell us something, Ellen?
Diana Donahoo-Centralia RLD: lol
Ellen Popit: Nope. Just multi-tasking! Hello, everyone is much better!
Ellen Popit: Anything you'd like to talk about?
Chris Dawdy: I have a question that a librarian asked me earlier, that others might like to hear the answer to.
Chris Dawdy: Per Capita grants were due January 15. Any word on when money will be sent to libraries?
Ellen Popit: I haven't heard anything. I think that once those checks start coming out, the word hits a listserv pretty quickly.
Esther Curry--C.E. Brehm Memorial PLD: Last year we didn't get the checks until the last week of June.
Stephanie Dennis Carmi: Which was actually fairly soon!
Diana Donahoo-Centralia RLD: It was the end of March last year when we received our award letters by email.
Ellen Popit: If memory serves, some of that had to do with which "pot" of money the state library was using to fund per capita grants for individual libraries.
Diana Donahoo-Centralia RLD: and in the letter it stated, "Please be aware that due to the state budget impasse, payment of these funds may be significantlydelayed." And since the budget sitiation hasn't improved much...
Ellen Popit: At out board meeting, Greg McCormick reported that the FY18 budget is asking for funding at FY15 levels with an extra 2.5 million from the Secretary of State's budget. This extra 2.5 million would free up some LSTA monies for other ISL programs. Of course, that budget needs to pass.
Ellen Popit: Hope that you're all considering attending one of the Legislative Meet-Ups. February 27th, a luncheon at the Mt. Vernon Holiday Inn and March 3rd a breakfast at the Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville.
Teresa (Paris): Nothing is close enough for me to go and return to work the same day.
Stephanie Dennis Carmi: One of my board members and me are planning on attending.
Ellen Popit: Teresa, there is one in Bloomington if that would make a difference. It's a luncheon on March 3rd.
Chris Dawdy: Hooray!! I just had a conversation with Karen Hallem at Jonesboro Public Library. They are the first library to take advantage of the Wal-Mart State Grant that IHLS received. They are going to increase their resource sharing by joining SHARE!
Celeste @ Urbana Free: Yes - the luncheon is at the Normal Marriott
Ellen Popit: Thanks, Celeste!
Esther Curry--C.E. Brehm Memorial PLD: That is good news Chris!
Celeste @ Urbana Free: Please consider attending one of the events in your area - bring a Trustee or a Friend, too!
Angie--Breese: That is great news, Chris Dawdy!
Celeste @ Urbana Free: the possibility of capping local property taxes is still a thing legislatively, according to what I learned at the ILA Advocacy committee last week. It won't help the state budget woes but will negatively impact local governments :-(
Celeste @ Urbana Free: Does anyone have a good capital improvements budget/plan I can look at? Urbana needs to start socking away a lot of $$ for future expensive expenses - a roof, HVAC pieces, etc.
Celeste @ Urbana Free: We are developing something but it's always nice to see how other libraries have handled it.
Ellen Popit: I'm happy to report that the Public Libraries are doing a great job of completing the Interlibrary Loan Traffic Survey and the online certification. Thanks so much for tackling that sooner, rather than later! It helps a lot!
Esther Curry--C.E. Brehm Memorial PLD: Celeste--we are a District Library and we have a Special Reserve fund. I know there are libraries that don't have one, but comes in handy. We just put a new roof on our building for about $140,000 and it all came out of that.
Celeste @ Urbana Free: Esther, Thanks! We have set aside some $$ but not enough. I'll call you later to talk more.
Esther Curry--C.E. Brehm Memorial PLD: This link might help--Special Reserve fund is at the bottom, but there is a link to the IL statutes.
Ellen Popit: Esther, how are the plans going for your annex building?
Esther Curry--C.E. Brehm Memorial PLD: Ellen--plans are going well. It's the fundraising that is holding us up. We are trying to find a chair for our fundraising campaign and we've not had much luck...yet.
Ellen Popit: Ahhh......that's a big job!
Esther Curry--C.E. Brehm Memorial PLD: Oh, yeah, it really is.
Ellen Popit: And, some people have a real knack for it!
Ellen Popit: Anyone else have something exciting going on?
Esther Curry--C.E. Brehm Memorial PLD: Very true. I'm learning a lot too.
Celeste @ Urbana Free: Urbana just started checking out guitars and amps
Ellen Popit: What fun!
Kay Burrous South Macon: We start our Bookworm Program today!
Ellen Popit: What will the Bookworm Program involve?
Diana Donahoo-Centralia RLD: Centralia has started fundraising for an interactive wall and floor space, for infants and toddlers, in our Preschool Learning Center at the Main Library. We are trying online fundraising for the first time and just went live today. If you've done this and have any suggestion please let me know.
Kay Burrous South Macon: Bookworm is done with the Meridain School district, during the month of February the school encourages the Frist Grade Classes to read and the South Macon Public Library and the Blue Mound Library encourage the children to come to our libraries. We each have a seperate program in ours there is a competition for the most books read and each child gets a prize every week when they turn in the total number of books read for the week. At the end of the month we will have a pizza party for the kids and their families.
Ellen Popit: Sounds like a great way to spend February, Kay!
Diana Donahoo-Centralia RLD: Kay, that sounds like fun.
Celeste @ Urbana Free: what a great way to spend the dreary month of Feb!
Ellen Popit: Fingers crossed that the $4,000.00 just rolls in Diana! You'll have to keep us posted!
Diana Donahoo-Centralia RLD: Thanks, Ellen.
Angie--Breese: Finished booking the final program for Summer Reading, yesterday.
Lacey - Barclay Public Library: The Think Outside The Barn library advocacy program is just $375 short of our goal, but have enough to cover the booth rent. We are still in need of 2-3 libraries to partner with us to cover volunteer passes. We will be putting a request out for paperback book donations in May, so keep us in mind if you have any book sales or weeding project coming up.
Ellen Popit: Other exciting opportunities include the Illinois Youth Services Institue (March 10-11); Reaching Forward South (April 7th) and the IHLS Member Day, scheduled for Tuesday, April 18th at the Keller Conference Center in Effingham.
Lacey - Barclay Public Library: Also, if you haven't worked the Think Outside The Barn booth, you are missing out on a wonderful experience! Getting out from behind the desk and talking with people about libraries and giving away books is invigorating and always reminds me of why I chose this profession. We will need volunteers August 29-31.
Ellen Popit: Thanks for mentioning that, Lacey!
Teresa (Paris): The online ARSL conference Big Ideas from Small Libraries is Feb 24. Last year's was fantastic
Kay Burrous South Macon: What does the money go for besides the rent of the booth?
Ellen Popit: Think Outside the Barn is part of the Farm Progress Show. If people want to volunteer, should they contact you, Lacey?
Ellen Popit: Teresa, do you have a link to that conference?
Teresa (Paris): give me a minute
Lacey - Barclay Public Library: Kay - passes for the volunteers to get in and out of the Farm Show, water, ice and other incidentals. Also, we have to keep some funds in our account with the Community Foundation
Teresa (Paris): Here it is and it's free!
Ellen Popit: Thanks, Teresa. We should get that in our newsletter.
Lacey - Barclay Public Library: Yes, we will have more information coming out as it gets closer. We also have a Facebook page to keep everyone up-to-date.
Teresa (Paris): It's actually presented by Nebraska - I guess I just learned about it last year through ARSL
Ellen Popit: Got it! The word on the street is that the National Rural Libraries Conference will be held in Springfield in 2018. Get your programming ideas ready!
Ellen Popit: I hope you all saw the posting on the Announce list regarding the open IHLS Board seats. The nominating committee is looking for good men and women to fill those slots!
Diana Donahoo-Centralia RLD: Lots of good information today. Thanks for sharing!
Ellen Popit: Anything else for the good of the order?
Peggy - mve: Thank you
Ellen Popit: Have a good week, everyone!
Kathy Goleman - Divernon Township Library: Thanks
Janet Cler - Tolono Public Library: Thanks!