National Children's Dental Health Month

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM).  US Senator Jay Rockefeller has made available a DVD recording about the importance of good dental hygiene starting at an early age. The presentation lasts about 5 minutes and could be played as part of a National Children’s Dental Health Program or display. 

Watch Senator Rockefeller's message.

If you would like a free copy for your library contact Meagan Shelton at the Senator’s Charleston Office at (304) 347-5372 or e-mail meagan_shelton@rockefeller.senate.gov.  

For more information about National Children’s Dental Heath Month including downloadable posters and activity sheets go to American Dental Associations’ NCDHM site.

Staff Pick of the Week

This week's pick is Unprotected Texts: The Bible's Surprising Contradictions about Sex and Desire by Jennifer Wright Knust

Bible scholar Jennifer Wright Knust addresses the big questions that dominate today's discussions and debates when it comes to sex and the Bible: Is premarital sex a sin? When, and in what contexts, is sexual desire appropriate? With whom can I legitimately have sex? Are same-sex relations permissible? In an era where the phrases, "the Bible says," and "God says," are so often exploited, it is time to consider what the Bible actually does—or does not—say about monogamy, polygamy, homosexuality, gender roles, and sex.

Unprotected Texts directly and pointedly takes on widely shared misconceptions about sex, arguing that the Bible cannot—and should not—serve as a rulebook for sexual morality, despite popular claims to the contrary. From the Song of Songs' lyrical eroticism to the rigid sexual rules of Leviticus—and everything in between—Knust parses the Bible's contradictory, often surprising messages.

Skillfully revealing the latest insights from critical scholarship, Knust provides a compassionate and liberating model for navigating these deeply personal issues that affect us all.

This title, and others like it, can be found in the West Virginia Library Commission Reference Library.

Legislative Update for January 27, 2012

The following update does not attempt to identify all bills that may impact libraries. The focus is legislation that immediately references libraries. Inclusion on the list is not an indication of support by the West Virginia Library Commission or libraries at large. Some bills may have a negative effect on libraries and/or the agency. The reader should evaluate the impact of the legislation on their individual library.


Please notice that some of the Bills are “rollover” legislation from the previous General Session.

Award Winners Announced

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:

“Dead End in Norvelt,” written by Jack Gantos

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

“A Ball for Daisy," illustrated and written by Chris Raschka

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

“Where Things Come Back,” written by John Corey Whaley

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:

“Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans" by Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator

For a complete list of the 2012 Youth Media Award winners can be found on the American Library Association website.

Digital Learning Day

The American Library Association (ALA) Digital Literacy Taskforce is calling on all libraries to put a social media megaphone to their activities planned for Digital Learning Day, February 1.

As part of the taskforce’s efforts to raise awareness of libraries’ work in this arena and to capture stories and examples of this work, the taskforce asks library staff to tweet (using hashtag #DLDay), blog and even photograph (Flickr) and videotape (YouTube) digital literacy activities and testimonials throughout the day.

Digital Learning Day, which American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) are supporting as core partners, is a culminating event in a year-round national awareness campaign to improve teaching and learning for all children.

To learn more visit http://www.districtdispatch.org/2012/01/libraries-please-share-digital-learning-day-activities/.

Contact Information

American Library Association Office of Information Technology Policy 

www.ala.org

Legislative Updates for Jan. 23, 2012

The following update does not attempt to identify all bills that may impact libraries. The focus is legislation that immediately references libraries. Inclusion on the list is not an indication of support by the West Virginia Library Commission or libraries at large. Some bills may have a negative effect on libraries and/or the agency. The reader should evaluate the impact of the legislation on their individual library.


Please notice that some of the Bills are “rollover” legislation from the previous General Session.


Download the Current Legislative Update

Contact Information

Jennifer Johnson 

jennifer.l.johnson2@wv.gov

News Highlights

• The 2013 SERVICE POPULATIONS are posted on the WVLC web site.  The Budget introduced by the Governor last week does not include an increase in the Library Commission’s Grants to Public Libraries line.  If the Legislature does not increase that line, 2013 Grants-in-Aid (GIA) will be awarded at $4.51 per capita. WVLC submitted an improvement package to increase this to $4.75 per capita but the final number will not be known until the Budget is passed in March.   If you have any problem opening the attachment, contact Jennifer Johnson or Rebecca Rice.
• As you know, the WVLC  2008-2012  Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) plan is currently being evaluated.  We are trying to gather input from West Virginia’s library community about the success of the program.  Please consider attending a Focus Group meeting in your area.  Another opportunity to comment is provided by a web survey that takes approximately 4 - 6 minutes to complete.  Please take a few moments to help us as we try to improve our LSTA program to best meet the library and information service needs of the people of West Virginia.  Click on the hot-link  to start the survey.  http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/779664/West-Virginia-LSTA-Survey
• The 2011 WVLC STATISTICAL REPORT will be mailed to all libraries this week.  TheSTATISTICAL REPORT and the 2011 ANNUAL REPORT will also be posted on the WVLC web site.  In response to your suggestions, the ANNUAL REPORT  was produced in electronic format only this year.  Both documents are in PDF format.
• WVLC is waiting on the final approved list of COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION PARTNERSHIP GRANTS (CPPG) from the House Finance Committee.  As soon as it is received, the grant agreements will be sent to libraries.
• SNAPSHOT DAY is FEBRUARY 14, 2012.  This is a great opportunity not only to take pictures but to get patrons to tell you, and the world why they value the library.  If you are not quite sure what to do check out the list of Success Strategies. Also, keep checking the WVLC web site for Legislative Updates, Grant Opportunities, Continuing Education events, and the popular Library Spotlight.  We are still working on a new version of the E-Bulletin.

Revised Procedures for Rotating and Deposit Collections

To better serve libraries, the Library Commission has revised its procedures for rotating and deposit collections. 

To request collections, please fill out the request form.  The request will go to the librarian responsible for the collection(s).

MARC bibliographic records will be provided for each item in the collections(s).  A file will be sent to the consortium System Administrator to load.  This process will be done before the library receives the collection.  Once the collection is received, the library will only need to attach an item record to the bibliographic record.

Libraries will not need to withdraw the rotating and deposit collection from the online catalog. When the collection is ready to be returned to the Library Commission, scan each item barcode into a notepad document and send it to the System Administrator.  The System Administrator will send the library a copy of the circulation report and remove the rotating and deposit collection records from the online catalog.

To assist the Library Commission in showing the value of the service, please provide feedback on the collection at the end of the loan period by completing the online survey.  All feedback received will be anonymous and kept confidential.  

For more information, see the Rotating and Deposit Collection page.

LSTA Focus Group Meetings

The Library Commission is encouraging libraries to participate in the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Focus Group Meetings conducted by Himmel & Wilson as part of the LSTA Five-Year Plan required evaluation covering the period between 2008 and 2012.  The evaluation is due in the Spring of 2012.


West Virginia, along with a number of other states in the Northeast, has engaged the services of Himmel & Wilson, Library Consultants to conduct the required evaluation. The following meetings are scheduled for Himmel & Wilson to gather information from the broader library community.

• January 26 – 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM – Raleigh County Public Library - 221 North Kanawha Street Beckley, WV 25801 
• January 27 – 1:00 PM -2:30 PM – Martinsburg Public Library - 101 West King St. Martinsburg, WV 25401 – (Martinsburg Room)
• January 30 – 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM – Parkersburg Public Library - 3100 Emerson Ave., Parkersburg, WV26104
• January 30 – 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM - South Charleston Public Library - 312 Fourth Avenue, South Charleston, WV 25303

Please email Jennifer Johnson at the West Virginia Library Commission to confirm whether or not you will be able to attend. Attendance is encouraged but is not mandatory. Thank you for considering participation in this important event.


The Library Services and Technology Act’s (LSTA) Grants to States program provides funding to each state on an annual basis. In order to qualify for the funds, each state is required to submit a plan every five years that outlines how this funding will be used within the state to fulfill specific purposes outlined in the Museum and Library Services Act. Under the Act, each state is also required to conduct an evaluation of its implementation of the Grants to States program every five years.

Contact Information

Karen Goff, karen.e.goff@wv.gov

Capitol Reads

January's Capitol Read is Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

Don't think--blink!

In his landmark bestseller The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell redefined how we understand the world around us. Now, in Blink, he revolutionizes the way we understand the world within. Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant--in the blink of an eye--that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work--in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others.

In Blink we meet the psychologist who has learned to predict whether a marriage will last, based on a few minutes of observing a couple; the tennis coach who knows when a player will double-fault before the racket even makes contact with the ball; the antiquities experts who recognize a fake at a glance. Here, too, are great failures of "blink":the election of Warren Harding; New Coke; and the shooting of Amadou Diallo by police. Blink reveals that great decision makers aren't those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of "thin-slicing"--filtering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables.

Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology and displaying all of the brilliance that made The Tipping Point a classic, Blink changes the way you understand every decision you make. Never again will you think about thinking the same way.

(Cover copy)

Visit the Capitol Reads page on the WVLC website for more information and future discussion titles.

Looking ahead to February

As if we needed one more reason to love and celebrate libraries in February--the 2012 West Virginia Snapshot Day is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14th--Valentine's Day.  

Since February is already National Library Lovers' Month, media focus increases patron awareness, comments, and attendance on the local level.  By adding Snapshot Day to a long-standing national event, libraries can take advantage of the attention generated by the national event.  

All types of libraries are encouraged to participate and submit photographs and data.  These items are collected, posted, and then taken to Washington, D.C.,  for Library Legislative Day.

Neal-Schuman's DIY Blog

The Neal Schuman blog has started featuring tips from its How-To-Do-It Series. If you would like to know more information from the particular posting, check-out the Library Commission online catalog for the title's availability.  Then request it through interlibrary loan.

Friday Funnies

The Perils of Overdue Literature

Overdue Masterpiece Theatre presents a Kansas City Public Library production. A stranded Hemingway novel contemplates life, duty, morality, and mobile apps in the company of another literary lost soul. CC where available. (This film is in no way associated with PBS or its affiliates.)

Grant Opportunity for Rural Libraries

The Libri Foundation is currently accepting applications for its 2012 BOOKS FOR CHILDREN grants.

The Libri Foundation is a nationwide non-profit organization which donates new, quality, hardcover children's books to small, rural public libraries throughout the United States. Since October 1990, the Foundation has donated over $5,000,000 worth of new children's books to more than 3,000 libraries in all 50 states.

In order to encourage and reward local support of libraries, The Libri Foundation will match any amount of money raised by your local sponsors from $50 to $350 on a 2-to-1 ratio. Thus, a library can receive up to $1,050 worth of new children's books. After a library receives a grant, local sponsors (such as formal or informal Friends groups, civic or social organizations, local businesses, etc.) have four months, or longer if necessary, to raise their matching funds.

The librarian of each participating library selects the books her library will receive from a booklist provided by the Foundation. The 700-plus fiction and nonfiction titles on the booklist reflect the very best of children's literature published primarily in the last three years. These titles, which are for children ages 12 and under, are award-winners or have received starred reviews in library, literary, or education journals. The booklist also includes a selection of classic children's titles.

Libraries are qualified on an individual basis. In general, county libraries should serve a population under 16,000 and town libraries should serve a population under 10,000 (usually under 5,000). Libraries should be in a rural area, have a limited operating budget, and an active children's department.

Please note: Rural is usually considered to be at least 30 miles from a city with a population over 40,000. Town libraries with total operating budgets over $150,000 and county libraries with total operating budgets over $350,000 are rarely given grants.

Applications are accepted from independent libraries as well as libraries which are part of a county, regional, or cooperative library system.

A school library may apply only if it also serves as the public library (i.e. it is open to the everyone in the community, has some summer hours, and there is no public library in town).

A branch library may apply if the community it is in meets the definition of rural. If the branch library receives its funding from its parent institution, then the parent institution's total operating budget, not just the branch library's total operating budget, must meet the budget guidelines.

A library that received a BOOKS FOR CHILDREN grant in 2009 or earlier is eligible to apply if it fulfilled all the grant requirements, including sending in its final report.

Application deadlines for 2012 are: (postmarked by) January 23rd, and May 15th. Grants will be awarded January 31st and May 31st.

The names of grant recipients will be posted on the Foundation's website a few days after grants are awarded. Acceptance packets are usually mailed 14-18 days after grants are awarded.

If you want your books in time for your summer reading program, please apply for a January grant. May grant recipients may not receive their books until after most summer reading programs are over.

Please DO NOT waste money sending your application by Express Mail. The application deadline is based on postmark date, not arrival date.

Application guidelines and forms may be downloaded from the Foundation's website at: www.librifoundation.org.

For more information about The Libri Foundation or its Books for Children program, please contact:
Ms. Barbara J. McKillip, President, The Libri Foundation, PO Box 10246, Eugene, OR 97440. 541-747-9655 (phone); 541-747-4348 (fax); libri@librifoundation.org (email). Normal office hours are: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pacific Time.

Contact Information

Jennifer Johnson

jennifer.l.johnson2@wv.gov

An Assessment of Broadband Needs and Practices of Public Librarians: A Pilot Study

The School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee is requesting your participation in a small pilot study of employees of public libraries in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. The purpose of this study is to generate preliminary information about broadband internet usage and practices by small businesses in rural Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia and to determine how well public libraries in these states are supporting small business needs related to broadband or high speed internet access and service. The results of this study will be used in a grant application for the funding of programming and further study of the topic. The study is being conducted by Dr. Bharat Mehra, Dr. Kimberly Black and Dr. Vandana Singh of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

The study consists of a short, web-based questionnaire which should take approximately ten minutes to complete. There is no compensation provided for participation in this study. We will not collect personally identifiable information from you and no personally identifiable responses will be presented in the findings of the study.

If you are at least 18 years old or older and you work in a public library anywhere in the states of Kentucky, Tennessee or West Virginia, and you would like to participate in the survey, then please click on the following link to proceed to the statement of consent and study questionnaire: http://www.sis.utk.edu/itrl/survey-public-librarians  (cut and paste the URL in your web browser).

Grant writing workshop at West Virginia State University

Professional Grant Development Workshop

Master the techniques of writing superior and winning proposals

January  31 – February 2,  2012

8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

To be held at: West Virginia State University, 

Charleston, West Virginia

Sponsored by: The Grant Training Center

This intensive three-day grant proposal workshop is geared for: 1) those who wish to strengthen their grant writing skills and 2) beginners who wish to acquire and master the techniques of preparing, writing and winning proposals from various funding agencies. The center of attention will be on how to effectively write proposals in times of keen competition and limited resources. Much has happened in new regulations and in approaches to grant writing, be it for the researcher in the sciences and social sciences, education and non-profit professionals. 

Participants Will Learn How to:

·          Navigate the world of grant procurement

·          Research and identify potential funding sources

·          Address the guidelines of federal and foundation applications

·          Focus foundation and corporate giving for the State of Pennsylvania

·          Understand the new federal guidelines for writing winning grants

·          Know the review process and how to address key points for reviewers

·          Write winning grants that stand out against scores of competing submissions

·          Develop focused and realistic budgets

·          Demonstrate that one’s proposal merits excellence and innovation

·          Package professional grant submissions

Our ultimate goal is for each participant to walk away with a product specific to their interests that includes the grant design, abstract and budget.

Thus, the opportunity to influence the future of your work and ideas is within your reach. Understanding this reality, institutions are willing to minimally invest in the training of their staff to make this happen.

*Space is limited, and since this class fills-up quickly, it is on a first-come, first-serve basis.*

Workshop Fee: $595.00 (including tuition, materials, certificate of completion, and continental breakfast)

Rebate of $50.00 per person is given for two or more registrants from the same organization

To Enroll:

Please visit our website,

Or call us toll free at (866)-704-7268 or (571) 257-8864 

Holiday Closure

The West Virginia Library Commission will be closed on Monday January 16, 2012 in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

Staff Pick of the Week

King Raven-- The Complete Trilogy: Hood, Scarlet, and Tuck by Stephen R. Lawhead

A completely re–imagined epic of the man known as Robin Hood--available in one volume for the first time.

Hood–Hunted like an animal by Norman invaders, Bran ap Brychan, heir to the throne of Elfael, has abandoned his father's kingdom and fled to the greenwood. There, in the primeval forest of the Welsh borders, danger surrounds him–for this woodland is a living, breathing entity with mysterious powers and secrets, and Bran must find a way to make it his own if he is to survive.

Scarlet–After losing everything he owns, forester Will Scarlet embarks on a search for King Raven. After fulfilling his quest–and proving himself a skilled and loyal companion–Will joins the heroic archer and his men. From deep in the forest they form a daring plan for deliverance, knowing that failure means death for them all.

Tuck–King Raven has brought hope to the oppressed people of Wales–and fear to their Norman overlords. Deceived by the self–serving King William, Rhi Bran is forced again to take matters into his own hands as King Raven.

Aided by Tuck and his small but determined band of forest–dwelling outlaws, Rhi Bran ignites a rebellion that spreads through the Welsh valleys.

This title, and others e-books like it, can be found on WV-READS. For more information about this downloadable e-book and audiobook service contact The WVLC Reference Library.