A teacher from the European Principality of Liechtenstein visited Colorado and the Four Corners last summer, and wondered how Colorado became a nearly perfect rectangle, as well as how and when the borders of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah were decided creating the Four Corners.

The State Librarian, Gene Hainer passed the question onto Kris Johnson and our amazing AskColorado librarians. Several librarians jumped at the challenge and passed along information, websites, and citations to help unravel the mystery of Colorado’s borders and the formation of the Four Corners.

The patron was so thrilled with the information and bibliographic sources, that he wrote a letter of thanks to Gene Hainer, and extended an invitation if ever Gene is in Austria, Switzerland or Liechtenstein.

It just goes to show that you never know how your interactions with users can touch someone, even from halfway around the world!

This collaborative service provides interactive, 24-7 virtual reference service in a live-chat environment.

AskColorado truly is a human-powered search engine.

Since its inception in September 2003, AskColorado has provided service in the form of nearly 228,000 interactive sessions with users. All I can say is, “Wow.”

A newly-designed web site was unveiled yesterday to celebrate the completion of five years of service and to provide a foundation for evolving and growing the service. Credit goes to AskColorado Coordinator Kris Johnson for shepherding this redesign process, as well as the State Library’s senior programmer, Steve Gregory, for his fine work in producing new style sheets and redesigning AskColorado’s entry page.

AskColorado’s logo also has undergone a transition. Credit for design of the new logo goes to Susan O’Brien, a graphic designer for Douglas County Libraries.

Yesterday also marks a transition point for AskColorado’s academic scene. The University of North Texas (UNT) has joined AskColorado’s academic queue for a pilot project. Librarians involved in this project are excited about the possibilities for this partnership, which may well lead to a viable, multi-state academic queue serving the needs of several academic institutions located throughout Colorado as well as in surrounding states. Academic libraries that currently are not involved in a collaborative virtual reference project or other statewide service may be interested to learn more about these developments. Details on the progress of the pilot project will be shared as things gel.

Hats off to the AskColorado community of libraries and Colorado’s contributing Librarians for five years of top-notch, innovative service! These are the folks establishing a serious stake in the ever-expanding territory of live-help services and community-created environments. These are librarians with unique and invaluable talents that best represent best-of-breed reference service on-line.

Please direct any comments, questions, or concerns about the new website to Kris Johnson (johnson_c@cde.state.co.us).

• Multimedia production in libraries – videos, podcasts, etc.
• Literacy - engaging the larger community (One Book, etc.)
• The Library Online* – AskColorado, local archives online, 21 Plinkit websites
• Green Buildings
• Creation spaces, activities, collections
• Community Outreach
• Job support and economic development
• Gaming*
• Services to Special Populations*

* Indicates a topic in which the State Library is involved.

CLEL formed in January 2008 and have presented workshops, created a website, received a grant to expand to more Colorado libraries. These Colorado librarians share a passion for insuring that every child in Colorado has fun activities and pre-literacy experiences that develop the neurological pathways in the first three years of life. “Every Child Ready to Read” is the program used and advocated by CLEL to insure that all kids show up at Kindergarten ready to learn. CLEL is an advisory group to the Colorado State Library.

Library instruction is going video. Many academic libraries are creating online tutorials for students to learn research techniques. CSU, for example, has developed engaging Flash tutorials for various aspects of the research process.

Other literacy activities held annually: Salida – Poetry Festival, Steamboat Springs – Author Festival, and Manitou Springs – Writing Festival and Workshops.

Many libraries have purchased through the statewide vendor agreement, downloadable audio books for people in their communities. Now when you see people in rural Colorado with iPods, they might just be listening to a book.

The Denver Public Library is also providing workforce support, computer training, and other services for job seekers in Denver.

A shameless plug for our friends…

Becky Lintz (CHS) and Wendel Cox (DPL) have been long-time supporters of the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection service, so it’s only right that I highlight “Behind the Genealogy Reference Desk,” a one-day institute from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, 2009, at the Denver Public Library, held in conjunction with the ALA 2009 Midwinter Meeting.

From the RUSA blog post:

“Participants will learn from local genealogy experts about how such resources as the Colorado Rail Museum and the Colorado State Archives can assist coast-to-coast family history researchers. Speakers will also address ways to overcome the challenges of closed-record environments.”

“Advance registration ends Dec. 5, 2008. On-site registration will be available. The price includes lunch and a tour of the Colorado Historical Society Stephen Hart Library and the Colorado State Archives.”

Among the institute presenters are:

Dr. Wendel Cox, western bibliographer, Denver Public Library and author of “A World Together, a World Apart: the United States and the Arikaras, 1803-1851.”

Rebecca Lentz, director of the Stephen Hart Library, Colorado Historical Society James K. Jeffrey, genealogy specialist at the Denver Public Library and president of the Colorado Council of Genealogical Societies.

For more information, see:

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/events/genealogypreconf/index.cfm

The Special Populations & Issues Committee of the Colorado State Library seeks 10-15 libraries to provide outreach to new, diverse groups by becoming part of “Community Conversations.”

Libraries are thriving active places where people come together for education, entertainment and information.  Does your library mirror your communities’ composition and interests?

What better way to practice inclusivity than by applying your skills to a  ‘Community Conversations‘ project?

Equip your library to use diversity materials in fostering broad-based conversations.

• Position your library as a leader to celebrate community diversity.
• Design a ‘Community Conversations’ project held between January and June 2009.
• Engage an underserved or diverse community; create diversity awareness, or serve a particular customer group such as differently-abled, immigrants, low income, older adults, non-native English speakers, varying ethnicities, religions, or sexual orientations.
• Create local events such as a diversity fair, a facilitated discussion, and book discussions  or speaker series.
• Feature local community leaders and partners as endorsers, speakers or participants.
• Foster dialogue and lifelong learning about cultural differences.
• Enable library and staff to celebrate and encourage diversity in their communities.

Any public, school, academic or special library in the state may apply.  Benefits include:

• Paired with a mentor with background in outreach and diversity/inclusivity.
• $500 to build diversity resources in your collection.
• Contact with statewide groups that specialize in diversity/inclusivity.
• Expert advice during the planning process.
• Serve as a mentor in 2009.

For Application Info: http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/diversity/Committee-Info.htm
Applications due: 12/1/08 to Carlson_M@cde.state.co.us

This year’s grants totaled nearly $257,000. All grants addressed a goal in the long-range plan to improve library services to Colorado students and adult learners that support educational achievement and lifelong learning.

Awards were made to:

• Academy School District 20, Summit Preschool and Middle School Programs, Library and Literacy Partnership Program, $7,300
  At-risk middle school students will serve as mentors to at-risk preschool students. They will meet biweekly to select books, read together and engage in questioning activities.

•  Adams State College, Nielsen Library, Mobile Learning Center and Laptop Loan Program, $18,400 
  The Nielsen Library program will improve access to technology in the San Luis Valley and help the underserved student population use resources at Adams State College. Training sessions will be offered at public schools, community centers, retirement centers and nursing facilities.
   
• Arapahoe Library District, Parent and Child Literacy Project, $9,462 
  This grant provides library services to the children of non-English speaking adults. The grant targets children aged three to 11 in the Sheridan branch and new Glendale branch.
   
• Boulder Valley Family Literacy Program, General Education Development (GED) at the Library: A Gateway to More, $18,012
  Free adult GED study classes will be offered in the Boulder and Lafayette public libraries
   
• Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL), Enhancing Colorado Library Story Times: Early Literacy Skills and Messages, $17,922
  Early literacy and library story time practitioners will train library staff in 10 small to medium sized public libraries on the principles, skills and messages of the “Every Child Ready to Read” program developed by the Public Library Association.
   
• Colorado Springs School District 11, Penrose Elementary Library Media Center, Using Digital Media and Storytelling to Improve Literacy, $8,445
  Students will improve literacy skills through writing stories and scripts which they will then use to produce digital media projects.

• Denver Public Library, Central Branch, Technology Empowerment Program, $20,000
  Customers will have improved access to computers, computer training classes and individual assistance in a new technology training room.
   
• Douglas County Libraries Foundation, Book Start, $20,000
  Early literacy training will be available for child care providers in 48 child care facilities. Twenty-five volunteers will be trained and 1,200 children will receive close to 5,500 hours per week of literacy instruction.
   
• Estes Park Public Library Foundation, Estes Valley Partnership to Expand and Enrich Informal Education, $18,533
  Estes Park Public Library in partnership with various organizations will provide educational after school programs for children attending grades four through eight.
   
• Fort Collins Regional Library District, Book Express, $20,000
  The library district will partner with the Poudre School District to pilot a book by mail program. This program will target approximately 800 preschool through sixth grade children in rural areas of the library district.
   
• Fort Lewis College, John F. Reed Library, Fort Lewis College Research Commons, $14,350
  An electronic collection of original student work consisting of research papers, portfolios and creative works will be formed. The digital repository will serve as a publishing, research and learning instrument for students.  
   
• Johnson & Wales University, Connecting Information Literacy to Learning, $19,929 
  Students will have access to a larger computer lab where they will develop skills in obtaining, evaluating, and using information in an effective and socially responsible manner.
   
• Loveland Public Library, Loveland Kids Love to Read: Loveland Public Library Literacy Outreach, $16,581
  The Loveland Public Library in collaboration with the City of Loveland Housing Authority will provide 90 minute bimonthly literacy programs with groups of children ages three to 14 years of age in six low income complexes in Loveland. Their goal is to have 1,632 contacts with resident children. 
   
• Pikes Peak Library District, Ready Set Read! $16,374
  Staff training will be provided to assist parents, teachers, and tutors in the identification of appropriate reading level materials for students. All new and existing materials will be remarked and shelved according to reading level making them easier to locate.
   
• Pueblo County School District 70, Vineland Elementary School Media Center, The Missing Link-Linking Student Achievement with the Community Library, $1,517
  Students and their parents will have access to an upgraded and expanded Web based Accelerated Reader Program that will encourage and foster student achievement with the use of existing community library resources.
   
• State Library’s Special Populations & Issues Committee, Community Conversations, $30,000
  Ten to 12 local libraries will create programming that, via outreach to community leaders, partners, and diverse participants will foster dialogue and lifelong learning about cultural differences.

For more information regarding these grants, contact Jean Marie Heilig, LSTA Coordinator at 303-866-6731 or heilig_j@cde.state.co.us

More information about the exhibit is available at: http://www.johnadamslibrary.org/explore/exhibition/

EBSCO trainers will also come to your library to conduct training.  This may be scheduled with your CLiC consultant.

Each of these training opportunities is FREE and we hope you will take advantage of as many as you can.  Your questions may be directed to Lisa Priebe at CLiC, lpriebe@clicweb.org, 303.422.1150.

“Meet with other library people from across Colorado and Wyoming (and elsewhere?) at the “Library Camp of the West” to discuss libraries and librarianship.

 Save this date — October 10, 2008

 University of Denver  Driscoll Center (North)  Denver, CO 80208
9:00am till 4:00pm

 What is this?  Have you ever felt that discussion groups and hallway conversations are the best part of library conferences? Would you rather have a meaningful conversation with a small group of library people than sit and listen to another PowerPoint presentation? Are you interested in sharing ideas about libraries? 

Library Camp of the West is an unconference. Instead of creating a schedule of presentations and keynotes in advance, we (that includes you) will create a loose plan for the conference on this wiki ahead of time. On the morning of the conference, we’ll set the day’s schedule and break out into small groups over several session based on what attendees want to talk about. 

Unconferences work when everyone participates. Come with ideas, notes, examples, visual aides, puppets, whatever. Leave the PowerPoint at home.”

Sound interesting?  What do I do now?   Attendence is free, go to the wiki page: http://librarycampwest.pbwiki.com/ and sign up.