On October 13 I attended a preconference workshop at the CAL conference entitled “Project Compass:  Libraries at the Front Lines of Workforce Recovery”.  The presenter was Jennifer Pratt, who is the Chief of Library Development for the State Library of North Carolina.

Jennifer navigated through enough of the Project Compass website to really pique our interest.  I need to do much more searching to find all that is available there, but I’m happy to know about this resource and can direct patrons to it.  During the presentation I was sitting beside Maria DeHerrera of the Costilla County Library District.  She and I represented 2/3 of the three poorest counties in Colorado, so we were especially interested in how our libraries can be of help to our unemployed patrons.

Just as valuable as the website information was the informal, conversational sharing that happened amongst participants.  I came away with so many ideas that other libraries have already incorporated (ideas such as a bartering bulletin board where people can post needs and services offered—brilliant!).  Jamie Hollier was at this presentation and contributed information about resources offered by the Colorado Virtual Library and the Department of Labor and Employment.

As a new library director, the information I garnered from those three hours was invaluable.  Prior to the workshop I didn’t know anything about these resources…and now I envision using them daily.

Vision: * Libraries move communities into the future. Every resident of Colorado will discover their library to be a place of curiosity & discovery; ideas & experiences; inspiration & imagination. They are places of endless possibilities.

Mission: * Libraries are excited about patron’s questions, we assist patrons with their needs during transitional times in their lives. What’s Next?!

Goals: * To shift the general public’s perceptions so they understand that libraries change with the times, are not just books and provide critical help to people during times of personal or community transition.  * To reinvigorate the value of libraries and secure future funding of Colorado Libraries.

Tagline: * What’s Next?! Your future. Libraries help get you there

We are moving forward and have the logo, mark, fonts and style guide. Please refer to the style guide for explanations on file types. These are all available on the Brand Items page.

We are working on the website and marketing kits which should be ready by the CAL conference in October 2010.

Contact Debbi MacLeod with any questions.

It has been quite a few years since CAL conducted a survey to ask you if the association is meeting your needs.  With the Board in the midst of writing a strategic plan, we decided it was time to put our finger on the pulse and find out what you want from CAL. Not only are we looking for feedback from our members, but non-members as well. Please take 5 minutes to answer this short questionnaire. It is very important that we hear from you as we plan for our future.

Now you can read or listen to the fantastic stories of your colleagues and celebrate the many ways libraries transform lives.

• Listen to some of the library stories on our YouTube channel
• Read the rest of the stories on our presentations page from CAL ‘09

The Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) recently honored the Colorado State Library’s Plinkit service with its “2009 Library Project of the Year Award” at the association’s annual conference in November.

This award recognizes a creative and innovative project which furthers library service within the state of Colorado.

Christine Kreger, Plinkit Service Coordinator said, “Libraries today are all about building community and being accessible to their patrons. I am honored to be a part of a project like Plinkit that offers small libraries across Colorado the opportunity to put their library online and to connect to their communities 24/7.”

Kreger shared the honor of accepting the award with two other staff members. Software developer and system administrator Stephen Gregory ensures that the Plinkit system is solid and humming. Service administrator Jim Duncan watches finances and guides with strategic direction.

At the award’s dinner, three other state library staffers were cited for their contributions and support of the Plinkit service: Mark Ferguson, Sharon Morris and Gene Hainer.

Two people meet in nonfiction and fall in love. A boy finds salvation in his local library and becomes the first in his family to attend college. A suburban mother of four relies on the library’s expert reference service to start her own business, and later is named “Entrepreneur of the Year.”

Come visit the State Library’s booth at the CAL exhibit hall to share YOUR story! You can write it, type it, or tell it (we will have flip cameras). Read fantastic stories of your colleagues and celebrate the many ways libraries transform lives.

Need more reason? Submit YOUR story and become eligible to win one of these fabulous prizes!

• A “flip” digital video camera
• Library stories journals
• A tricked-out messenger bag
• Summer Reading Fun Pack

State Library at CAL schedule (PDF)

• * Share with you the latest services and resources we can offer Colorado libraries
• * Hear how libraries have transformed your lives

CSL at CAL 2009 – Schedule (PDF)

Since these are the two largest sources of CAL income, the association’s finances are as strained as everyone else’s. As a result, the board is investigating options that will allow CAL to continue to serve our members and the Colorado library community.  This includes issuing a Request for Quotes (RFQ) for a management company that may prove to be a less expensive alternative to our current situation.  We want to stress that no decisions have been made, but as good librarians we simply want to have all the information as we plan for CAL’s next step.

What can you do to help?  Renew your membership.  Register for the conference. Encourage your friends and colleagues to do the same.  Share your ideas with board members. Together, we’ll weather this storm and position the association for a sustainable future.

Submitted on behalf of the CAL Board

Come to the Colorado State Library booth at the 2009 CAL Conference and tell us how libraries have transformed your life. We can attest as to how they have transformed our lives!

View our “library love stories” (PDF)