I’d like to alert everyone to Illinois SB3071, which was introduced on February 7 and was assigned to the Local Government Committee on February 19. The bill amends the Illinois Local Library Act and the Public Library District Act of 1991. Specifically, the legislation states that a library’s board will not be mandated to take…
ILA Positions on Legislation
For anyone participating in the upcoming legislative meet-ups, here is an updated version of the “talking points” that focuses on specific legislation (first story in ILA e-newsletter). “ILA Executive Board Determines Positions on Key Legislative Bills” The state budget remains the primary concern, especially in retaining full funding for the Secretary of State’s per-capita grants…
Internet Filters and Online Health Information
In light of the reintroduction of Illinois Senate Bill 2784 (SB2784), the “Internet Screening in Public Libraries Act”, and the possible effects that this legislation would have on access to health information, here is a link to a study by the Kaiser Foundation. (The study is from 2002, but it is still well-regarded, and although…
ILA Legislative Meet-Ups REMINDER
This is just a reminder that the ILA’s legislative meet-ups are happening soon. If you are planning to attend, the schedule is below. Even if you missed the registration deadline or your elected officials are not covered by one of the meet-ups, you can still schedule your own meeting with them. South Suburban Breakfast in…
Action Needed on Filtering Legislation (Illinois SB2784)
Please note this important legislative alert from the Illinois Library Association. The alert concerns Senate Bill 2784, sponsored by Illinois State Senator Kwame Raoul (Democrat, 13th District-Chicago), which creates the “Internet Screening in Public Libraries Act”. A direct link to the legislation, which was introduced on January 30, is here: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=2784&GAID=12&GA=98&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=78649&SessionID=85 The main objection to this…
Measuring What Matters to Stakeholders -Thursday, March 20, 2014
Join us Thursday, March 20, 2014, from 1:00pm-5:00pm for “Measuring What Matters to Stakeholders.” This continuing education session will be taught by Ruth Holst, Associate Director of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine Greater Midwest Region. Participants are eligible to receive 4 hours of Medical Library Association credit. This is a free session, but…
Conference Report – Linda Feinberg
I want to thank the scholarship committee for choosing me as one of the recipients of the Syed Maghrabi Scholarship. This enabled me to attend the meeting with less financial worries. The educational funds through my hospital are a lot harder to come by, as I’m sure everyone is aware and experiencing. Of immediate use…
Conference Report – Virginia Gale
The message I heard over and over again was technology in service of the library user and library staff. There is no substitute for knowing what your users want, but, as I’ve always said, we have to stay at least one step ahead of some our users and show others that technology has moved beyond…
Conference Report – Leslie Menz
Thank you so very much to the 2013 Syed Maghrabi Scholarship Committee for awarding me a scholarship to Midwest Chapter MLA 2013 Navigating a River of Information October 4 through October 8, 2013 in East Peoria, IL. It was an honor to be chosen. The conference was held on the banks of the Illinois River at the…
Illinois’ New Concealed-Carry Law
Hope everyone had a nice holiday. I’m sure many of you are aware that Illinois’ new concealed-carry law, which allows concealed carry by those individuals not deemed as posing a threat to the public, went into effect on January 1. As this article from the Springfield State Journal-Register notes, the law will not have much impact on…