66 WV Libraries Committed in 1st Wave of E-rate Funding for FY2011

The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) released a record wave of funding commitment decision letters (FCDLs) to Funding Year 2011 school and library applicants on June 23, 2011. Sixty-six West Virginia libraries were committed in this first wave and will receive an average 75% discount (totaling $96,580.34) on there basic telephone and long distance service.

The USAC's Funding Commitment Waves are generally released each Tuesday. Applicants can use the Automated Search of Commitments (ASC) Tool on USAC's website to review the funding commitments each week.

West Virginia Center for the Book is now on Twitter

The West Virginia Center for the Book was established in 2001 as an affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. It is hosted by the West Virginia Library Commission in partnership with the West Virginia Humanities Council. The West Virginia Center for the Book brings the national Center’s message of the importance of books and reading to audiences statewide. The center actively works within West Virginia to highlight the unique literary heritage that abounds from the earliest story tellers to the recent novelists; the center celebrates all West Virginia writers and place related books. West Virginia Center for the Book sponsors book festivals, author readings and other events that celebrate books and libraries.

Visual Thesaurus is now available on the iPad and iPhone

The iPad/iPhone version of the Visual Thesaurus starts just like the old one. Just type a word in the search box at visualthesaurus.com, and click "Look it up."


Here is a list of the platforms that will run the new version:
-iOS (the operating system for the iPad and iPhone)
-Supported browsers:
-Firefox
-Chrome
-Safari
-Internet Explorer 9

West Virginia State Rankings

Interested in knowing where West Virginia ranks in comparison to other states in agriculture, the economy, employment and labor, health, population and many other areas?  Take a look at State Rankings 2011: a Statistical View of America now available in the Reference Library.

New electronic resources added!

The Reference Library has added three new electronic encyclopedia to its collections.  Click here to explore.

Looking for grants?

The Foundation Directory provides information on the finances, governance, and giving interests of the nation's 10,000 largest grantmaking foundations.  It is arranged by state and then by foundation name.  The 2011 print edition is now available in the Reference Library. 

Archives and History News

The June 2011 issue of the monthly newsletter West Virginia Archives and History News is available at http://www.wvculture.org/history/ahnews/0611news.pdf.


This month's issue premieres the newsletter's new design. The June newsletter continues the lengthy list of Civil War titles recently given to the Archives and History Library, as well as other new book titles added to the collection. Also included is information on recent and upcoming activities in the library.


Questions or comments about West Virginia Archives and History News, issued monthly by the Archives and History Section, should be directed to Susan Scouras, editor, at (304) 558-0230, ext. 742, or at susan.c.scouras@wv.gov.

West Virginia Library Commission TV Studio recordings available online

The West Virginia Library Commission’s Library Television Services Department is pleased to announce that its video server is now open to the World Wide Web. The video server has been in operation since 2005 but limited to the statewide public library network and viewable only at a public library. To access the server go to http://librarycommission.lib.wv.us/html/videoserver/ltn/index_ltn.html for a complete listing of shows. The listing includes governmental agencies as well as local and volunteer organizations covering a multitude of subjects from health and wellness to various services available from West Virginia State agencies.

Dave Pelzer to speak at West Virginia Book Festival

The victim of child abuse, Dave Pelzer was rescued at the age of 12 and raised in a series of foster homes. Now he uses his life experiences to teach others how to let go of the past and use negative experiences to make them stronger when tackling the future. Pelzer will speak on this subject at the West Virginia Book Festival at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23, in the Charleston Civic Center Little Theater. Pelzer's appearance is sponsored in part by the Segal & Davis Family Foundation.  To read more,

http://www.wvbookfestival.org/news.html#davepelzer

West Virginia Library Commission Bulletin

The June 6, 2011, edition of the Library Commission Bulletin is available at http://librarycommission.lib.wv.us/html/bulletins/index.htm

West Virginia State Museum to present children’s book author Marc Harshman

Read more about this special program on June 11, 2011: http://www.wvculture.org/news.aspx?Agency=Division&Id=1737

Summer reading and vacations

What are your reading plans for the summer? Before you head out for vacation, remember that the Library Commission Reference Library can help. With the Reference Library, you can:

• Learn about West Virginia summer vacation destinations and cool day trips
• Listen or read new books from a variety of genres
• Share your recent reads on the Library Commission Facebook Page

Movie night at the Archives and History Library

On June 7, 2011, Archives and History audio-visual archivist Richard Fauss will present "Archives and History Movie Night: Footage from the Collection" at the monthly Tuesday evening lecture in the Archives and History Library. The program will begin at 6:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public. 

Thursday evening genealogy club

Staff from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will present information about cemeteries and the National Register of Historic Places at the meeting of the Thursday evening Genealogy Club on June 9, 2011. The club will meet from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the West Virginia Archives and History Library in the Culture Center in Charleston. Meetings of the Genealogy Club are free and the public is invited to attend.