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CMRLS President Salvatore Genovese released both the comment draft of the Report and Recommendations of the Regional Transition Planning Committee (dated March 8, 2010) and the CMRLS Executive Board's responses. The responses are found within the minutes of the board's 3/10 meeting.

Want to know more? Attend one of the planned presentation and discussion sessions. They are:

Tuesday, March 23, 2 pm at Richard Sugden Library, Spencer

Wednesday, March 24, 2 pm at Fitchburg Public Library (Full!)

Friday, March 26,
10 am at Milford Town Library

Tuesday, March 30, 10 am at Leominster Public Library

Tuesday, March 30 at 1:00 pm via conference call – participation information will follow

CMRLS staff and board members will be in attendance. Members will be asked to vote on the merger plan at a member meeting in May. This is a good way to be informed.

Regional merger: January 2010 update

The Regional Transition Planning Committee (TransTeam) released a report on their work to date on January 27. This group of 18 representatives of regional executive boards (3 members from each region) was established following the December 14 meeting of all regional executive board members to work toward a transition to a single “regional” entity to carry out the program beginning in FY2011. The work of the TransTeam is supported by Linda Braun as facilitator, the 6 regional administrators, and MBLC Director Rob Maier as ex officio members.

The document includes the name, mission statement, list of working groups, and information about services and governance. Please read the full report on the Straight From The Administrator blog.

Regional merger: December 2009 update

The future direction of services now provided through CMRLS was charted at a December 14, 2009 planning meeting.

A clear majority of participants believed the best model was one organization with six regional service points, or hub and spokes. The hub will provide core statewide services; the spokes will be staffed with two or more people who may be located in a library or office or may telecommute.

For more detail, see the Straight From The Administrator blog.

2010 Census: It's In Our Hands

hand Census data affect how more than $400 billion in federal funds are distributed annually to support services and organizations like public libraries. The data also affects the distribution of federal funding, and your voice in congress.

For more information on the 2010 Census and to see how libraries can help the Census Bureau collect accurate information, see this handy fact sheet.

ALA president urges FCC to include libraries in National Broadband Plan

American Library Association (ALA) President Camila Alire is encouraging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to consider the role of America’s libraries in a National Broadband Plan as the FCC begins the process of developing the plan.

The first section of the plan to be developed will focus on civic engagement and e-government – two areas in which libraries are active and positioned to serve in a heightened capacity as the agency establishes new goals and initiatives.

Read the full story in the ALA District Dispatch.

Today Show segment shows importance of libraries

A segment on the Today Show highlighted some key facts about libraries:

*73% of public libraries report they provide the only free access to the Internet in their communities. This rises to 83 percent for rural libraries.

*68 percent of Americans have a library card - the highest number in almost 20 years.

*Job counseling seminars, resume writing workshops, and basic computer skill classes are being offered by librarians.

*Nationwide, consequences of budget cuts will mean fewer hours, less staff and less materials, and aging computers.

Watch the video on the Today Show website.

CMRLS libraries are Home on the Web

CMRLS and Boston web developer Jazkarta have partnered in a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) project to provide websites for 15 small public libraries. The libraries are in the following towns: Ashburnham, Ashby, Bolton, East Brookfield, Lancaster, Mendon, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Oakham, Oxford, Phillipston, Templeton, Warren, West Warren, and Winchendon.

The project, Home on the Web (HOTW), enables public libraries to provide a dynamic web presence and offer user-friendly, attractive and easy to maintain websites. The sites are managed through a content management system (CMS). The project provides a CMS solution based on Plone, a best-of-breed open source content management system.

Find out more about this exciting project in our Home on the Web news release.

Public libraries struggle to meet connectivity needs

With growing demand for public Internet services and Wi-fi access, nearly 60 percent of U.S. public libraries report Internet connection speeds are insufficient to meet patron demand at some point in the day, according to the 2008-2009 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study (PLFTAS).

U.S. public libraries play a key role in ensuring all people have access to the online resources they need to search and apply for jobs, do school assignments, develop small businesses, access government forms and more. This is particularly important for the 43 percent of Americans who do not have high-speed Internet access at home (Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2008).

Read the full story, and the report, from the American Library Association.

May Day, May Day!

Libraries, museums, archives, and arts and historic preservation organizations across the nation will set aside May 1, 2009, to participate in MayDay, a national effort to prepare for disasters.

Sponsored by Heritage Preservation and other members of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, MayDay encourages organizations to take one simple step to protect the art, artifacts, records, and historic sites they hold in trust.

Find out more about the initiative, get project ideas, and enter your story to win a contest at the Heritage Emergency National Task Force website.

Lead law update - new bill filed

Legislation was introduced on March 24, 2009 by U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) which would amend the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) to exempt ordinary books from the lead limit within the act. The Consumer Product Safety Commission had issued a one-year stay in January, stating that the commission will not impose penalties against anyone for making, importing, distributing or selling a children’s product to the extent that it is made of certain natural materials, such as an ordinary children’s book printed after 1985.

Fortenberry’s bill, H.R. 1692, would remove the pre-1985 provision and states that CPSIA was not intended to apply to ordinary books. It also states that testing has shown that finished books and their component materials contain total lead content at levels considered non-detectable, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that there is little risk to children from lead in ordinary books.

Read the full update on the ALA Washington Office District Dispatch blog.

This page last updated on March 31, 2010

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